Once the tallest hotel in the world, the Waldorf Astoria New York and its imposing Gothic grandeur has long epitomised the glamour and glitter of the social elite (many of whom frequently breezed through its marbled interior, from Angelina Jolie to Barack Obama). After an extensive restoration — rumoured to top the USD$1 billion mark – courtesy of interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, the hotel is expected to reopen this year in the US spring, its gilded ceilings intact. If you’re ready to blow the budget, this is the place to do it: even the smallest room at the Park Avenue pile is a practically palatial 53 square-metres, complete with a spa-like soaking tub.

Defy gravity and see Manhattan from a whole new perspective on the open-air Skylift platform, which travels three levels above Rockefeller Center’s observation deck. The experience takes 13 people at a time to check out 360-degree views of the city for five uninterrupted minutes. (There’s the option to have your photo taken at the top for an additional fee). When you’ve had your thrills, descend back to The Weather Room, where you can indulge in fruity cocktails and charcuterie platters in addition to great views.

Connected to the American Museum of Natural History, the new granite-fronted Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation is an expansive 21,367-square-metre addition to New York’s museum circuit that’s been almost 10 years in the making. The organic, undulating interior design – imagined by American architect Jeanne Gang – is somewhat reminiscent of a coral reef or a Mesozoic cave, with pocket-like windows that invite natural light into nooks and crannies. The central atrium opens out into a restaurant, cosy library, laboratories and exhibition areas, including a heated butterfly house where you can wander through the tropical flutter of 80 species in balmy temperature comfort, regardless of the season.

In December 2024, the American Museum of Natural History unveiled an exceptional 3.3-metre-tall addition: Apex, the world’s most complete stegosaurus fossil and the most expensive dinosaur remains on the planet. The 150-million-year-old creature measures 8.2 metres from tail to nose and will be on display for the next four years in the Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium, where there’s plenty of space to view Apex from all angles. Tickets also include access to the contemporary art installation Grounded by Our Roots, which features the work of Indigenous artists from the country’s Northwest Coast as well as the permanent, immersive insectarium.

Manhattan is no stranger to fantastic green spaces and its newest is Hell’s Kitchen’s Pier 97. The latest addition to Hudson River Park boasts a 37-metre-long turf field, an all-ages slide, a huge playground and bike-repair stations, as well as a 6.5-kilometre stretch of waterfront pedestrian space and an assortment of timber loungers, seats and benches throughout the hectare of public land. It’s accessed via West 55th or West 59th streets and enjoys expansive panoramas of the Hudson River and, on the opposite shore, New Jersey.

Home to 74 Michelin-starred restaurants, New York has a reputation as one of the greatest dining scenes in the world. In 2025, the city will welcome Caribbean-inspired Kabawa from the powerhouse Momofuku team, with chef Paul Carmichael (formerly of Sydney’s now-closed Momofuku Seiōbo) at the helm; caviar on tap and multi-course dining at Tribeca’s 36-seater Huso; and Nikkei bites with sake at Papa San at Hudson Yards. As with every hotspot in New York, be sure to make reservations in advance to avoid disappointment.

Let an architect and urban planner help you explore the highlights of one of the most iconic skylines in the world with a 10-person-max Built Tours two-hour walking tour of the Financial District. Covering the ever-changing landscape from Battery Park to the World Trade Center complex and across to the futuristic Oculus public transport hub, the tour takes in Art Deco beauties, historic homes and modern masterpieces, including the commanding cube of the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

Get your fix of cowboy culture at Common Country in the Meatpacking District, where Tuesday nights promise line-dancing classes and pulled pork sliders; trek further afield to Hellbender in Queens, where Mexican-American bar snacks (chamoy-coated fruit and roasted mushroom tacos) complement draft Modelo or happy hour pineapple margaritas and draft Modelo. Or, hang with locals at the timber-panelled Bar Snack in the East Village, where “snaquiri” (mini daiquiris) flow in tandem with fancy Old Fashioned and – soon! – a full-snack menu line-up.

Just in time for its 100th anniversary, The Surrey reopened on the East Side in October 2024. The refined 114-room white-glove hotel dressed in shades of beige and oatmeal attracts both upscale New York regulars and sophisticated out-of-towners. Congregate at the moodily-lit onsite Italian restaurant Casa Tua for antipasti and pappardelle or book in for a massage at the on-site Sisley Spa, where steam rooms, a sauna and outdoor yoga on the patio could also be on the agenda.

Despite a name that honours the comedy club’s Chicago roots, The Second City opened in Brooklyn in 2024, partially filling the gap left by the closure of many comedy clubs during the pandemic. The new Williamsburg venue –around 15 minutes on the subway from the East Village, the location of iconic comedy club Red Room, pictured– was formerly a record store and club, so entertainment is in its roots. In addition to the regular schedule of shows, there’s a restaurant – Bentwood, which serves up Chicago-style hot dogs and an espresso martini aptly titled “Laugh-a-latte” – as well as 90-minute drop-in improv classes.

The Algonquin Round Table, a famous daily lunch at the Algonquin Hotel attended by literary greats from The New Yorker editor Harold Ross to author Dorothy Parker ran from 1919 until 1929. Now, the spirit of the iconic event has been revived in the eponymous restaurant’s dining room, Round Table, where visitors can catch storytellers of all types at regular events from podcast recordings to live talks. The eatery honours literature greats outside of its events schedule, too — anyone for a Hemingway Daiquiri?