Cities can feel disorienting when you don’t know where to look for the right places, but keeping an eye on standout cultural, fashion, and design locations can help you navigate their streets like those shaping them from within. The Style Guide is the Livingetc column giving you a head start on exploring today’s most influential style metropolises through a selection of hotspots we think you should know about.
Art. Fashion. Food. Hospitality. Culture — nothing truly stands still in New York, where today's opening is tomorrow's old news. With some 1,400 galleries dotting its bustling streets, and just as many showrooms and flagships filling its shop windows over night, the American capital of cool is perpetually transforming to live up to the recklessly creative and entrepreneurial spirit of its world-spanning community. So what are some of the best things to do in New York City?
Whether you are after the best New York design hotels or keen to get yourself a seat at one of the trendy New York restaurants for design lovers, no one will know how — and where — to land the hottest reservations of the moment better than local creatives themselves. And that's because, when it comes to self-respecting art and design exhibitions or fashion runways, the show goes on beyond the hosting institutions, attracting the city's socialites into its longest-established, or trendiest, eateries, bars, flagships, and cultural landmarks.
To assist you in making sense of it all, we have asked six of our favorite New York-based design insiders to talk us through the events they are most looking forward to catching in the coming months, the hospitality and retail newcomers they have penned down in their books, and the places they keep returning to.
Timothy Godbold
246 E 58th St 2nd floor, New York, NY 10022
132 Delancey St #2nd, New York, NY 10002
The process and work of late American architect Myron Goldfinger will be the focus of two concurrent exhibitions opening this month at The Paul Rudolph Institute For Modern Architecture (PRIMA) and the Mitchell Algus Gallery, respectively. Each bringing together largely never-seen-before archival materials on his trademark built angular abstract houses and his unbuilt and community architecture, Circle, Square, Triangle: Houses I Never Lived In. The Residential Work of Myron Goldfinger 1963-2008 and Circle, Square, Triangle: A World I wanted to Live In. The Public and Unbuilt Work of Myron Goldfinger 1963-2008 offer a fascinating look at the ambitious production of one of the world's leading modernist architects.
September 20-December 31. The Mitchell Algus Gallery. mitchellalgusgallery.com. Paul Rudolph Institute Circle Square Triangle. paulrudolph.institute
Fashion
143 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
France's hit fashion brand Jacquemus is set to open its first-ever US and New York City flagship later this fall, and though the exact date hasn't been revealed yet, we know it is going to be big. Nestled in SoHo's 143 Spring Street across 5,000 square feet and three levels, the shop will add to the vibrancy of one of NYC's most culturally influent neighbors, and we can't wait to see it.
Early October. jacquemus.com
Food
7 E 27th St, New York, NY 10016
Housed in a landmark Art Deco building from the early 1900s, Brass & The Tusk Bar fuses the evergreen charm of French brasseries with the best of New York's fine dining, immersing guests in an elevated, atmospheric setting. Located in the NoMad district's Evelyn Hotel, its captivating cafe, cocktail bar, and dining room, designed by Islyn Studio, reinvent Art Deco and Beaux Arts through a contagious, 1920s Jazz-Age-inspired aesthetic.
Brass: Open Monday to Saturday at 5pm. The Tusk Bar: Open nightly at 4pm. brassny.com
Drink
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023
Designers Christine and John Gachot's recent revamp of New York City's Met Opera Patron Lounge has turned the former Billy Baldwin-decorated bar into a masterpiece of craftsmanship and sophistication. Inspired by the venue's history and archive, it oozes with vintage glamour while propelling the hotspot into its most exciting chapter yet.
Open two hours before every performance. metopera.org
Travel
58 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012
A fresh addition to SoHo's lush Thompson Street, The Manner merges the best elements of a hotel, a private residence, and a private members' club to create a sensorially rich experience. This stunningly conceived accommodation, designed by Standard International's Chief Design Officer Verena Haller in collaboration with Milanese residential architect-cum-interior designer Hannes Peer, rekindles the allure of Brutalist architecture through an expected pairing of contrasting materials and an earthy, atmospheric color palette. Launching at the end of September, its immersive lobby and restaurant spaces are brought to life by monumental artworks by Nicholas Shurey, Elvira Solana, Alex Proba, and Giovanni de Francesco.
Material: 28% Alpaca, 28% Mohair, 24% Virgin Wool, 20% Polyamide
Price: $315.00
Material: 100% Wool. Lining: 97% Cotton, 3% Elastane
Price: $1,515
Material: 51% Alpaca, 32% Polyamide, 17% Wool
Price: $215.00
Astraeus Clarke
Art & Design
MANITOGA / The Russel Wright Design Center is our church. Yes, I know it's outside of the city, but it's well worth the two-hour train ride. The best time to see the Russel Wright-designed home is in the fall. The colorful blanket of trees frames this nature-set home and studio. You may even make it a yearly tradition!
Enquire for opening hours. visitmanitoga.org
200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238
We are anxiously anticipating the opening of the Solid Gold show at the Brooklyn Museum. Over 400 shiny works by names of the likes of Halston, Dior, Cartier, and even grills by the always cool father-son duo, Gabby Elan.
November 16-July 6, 2025. brooklynmuseum.org
Last but not least! You heard it here first — we're excited to announce that Astraeus Clarke is in the process of renovating our own showroom, a place for gathering and to showcase work. Opening this November in Chinatown, we will launch our second lighting collection in the space, so keep an eye out for it.
Food
518 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Our friend and star chef, Jackie Carnesi, has just opened her new restaurant in the famous, nearly 100-year-old Kellogg's Diner in Williamsburg. We have had a sneak peek at the fully re-envisioned, Nico Arze-designed interior — it's glam, pink, chic, and the food will keep you coming back, especially at 2am (eventually, it will be open 24 hours).
Entertainment & Nightlife
233 Butler St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
We are looking forward to catching the last of the warm weather DJ sets at Public Records' outdoor space, The Nursery, and then taking things inside as the weather cools down. We love that there are several spaces to enjoy in a single venue, each with exceptional design and sound quality — earning top marks as one of our favorite places to dance in New York City.
Open Wednesday-Thursday 10am-10pm; Friday 10am-4am; Saturday 11am-4am; Sunday 11am-9pm. publicrecords.nyc
Michael K. Chen of MKCA
Art & Design
523 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011
The artist Simone Leigh is unveiling a few body of sculptural works in ceramics and bronze in a solo show at Matthew Marks Gallery this November. Simone is a friend and a client of ours, and I've been seeing some of the work germinate and develop over the past year — artworks that are visually stunning, profound, and are pushing the boundaries of craft and figuration. After the wild success of her representation of the United States in the Venice Biennale, and the subsequent exhibition that went from Boston, to Washington DC, to Los Angeles, I'm excited to see this new work debut in New York.
From November 7. matthewmarks.com
99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014
Edges of Ailey is the first major museum exhibition celebrating the work of Alvin Ailey and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The Whitney is showing archival materials, videos, drawings, and process, alongside artworks that have resonance with the dance pieces, and they are staging 90 performances with the Ailey company alongside shows by other dancers and choreographers. This is the kind of exhibition that showcases the rich and extensive network of creative impulses and efforts that fuel New York and sustain New Yorkers.
September 25-February 9, 2025. whitney.org
Community Events
150 Varick St Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10013
Open House New York is a nonprofit that connects New Yorkers to the spaces and inner workings of the city that are frequently inaccessible to the general public. In years past, I've got to experience the behind the scenes of the Port of NY and NJ on a sunset cruise, visited new buildings under construction, learned about preserving the hidden histories of Chinatown, and toured a giant biodigester. Some programming takes place all year, but the big Open House Weekend is October 18-20 this year. The events are announced in early October and go quickly.
October 18-20; year-round. ohny.org
Food
Andrew Tarlow's restaurant in Williamsburg is a pioneer of the Brooklyn restaurant scene of the early 2000s to now, and it is an indispensable part of my eating life. My husband and I have had it on regular rotation for 20 years. His eateries are places that are always seasonal, straightforward, and thrilling, that have completely transformed the way we eat, drink, and cook, and that we return to again and again. This week, Tarlow opens Borgo, his first restaurant in Manhattan, mere blocks from my studio. We already have reservations with our best friends for Week 1.
Open Tuesday through Saturday 5-10:30pm from September 27. borgonyc.com
Martin Clausen and Kristian Snorre Andersen of ADORNO Gallery
3 E 89th Street, New York, NY 10128
Running at New York's Salon 94 Design through November 3, David Wiseman's Works from the Lost Valley marks the artist's first solo show in five years. Whimsical, unexpected, and beautiful, the exhibition presents a new series of functional objects informed by nature's textures, materials, and forms. Here, fantastical furniture pieces including chairs, stools, and large-scale installations realized with mediums as diverse as stone, wood, fiber, and resin become the protagonist of an immersive journey with inspiration and craftsmanship at its core.
September 18-November 2. salon94design.com
241 Church St, New York, NY 10013
Curated by Nacho Polo and Robert Onuska, Inizio is the latest solo exhibition of French designer Francesco Balzano, currently on display at New York's STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN. Channeling his signature minimalist aesthetic, the showcase transforms the Lower Manhattan gallery into a cocoon of a space, using layered textiles and furniture to tell a poetic story. Themes of nature, monumental simplicity, and the conception of place are explored by Balzano's Inizio and Loci series, which transport visitors to a parallel dimension standing as a urban utopia.
September 4-October 4. studiotwentyseven.com
64 White St, New York, NY 10013
Objects: USA 2024 brings some of today's most extraordinary American artists and designers to Manhattan's R & Company in a genre and medium-bending celebration of local craftsmanship and talent. Gathering some 100 works by 55 different makers, this playfully amusing survey of contemporary American design revolves around seven artistic archetypes — Truthsayers, Betatesters, Doomsdayers, Insiders, Mediators, Codebreakers, and Keepers — here embraced by the participating artists an an opportunity to cast light on their unique contribution to this field.
September 6-January 9, 2025. r-and-company.com
515 W 26th St 1st Floor, New York, NY 10001
An exploration of loss, memory, and heritage, Andile Dyalvane's OoNomathotholo: Ancestral Whispers infuses storytelling into clay sculptures coming to life through texture and color, on view at Friedman Benda. Informed by the artist's experience of personal grief during the pandemic and the broader collective trauma, these vessels become a testimony of the cyclicality of human life, hinting at ancestral roots, belonging, and the displaced heritage of Dyalvane's community during the apartheid.
September 5-November 2. friedmanbenda.com
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