Nova Iorque curiosa: um guia de fim de semana

With frequent flights to New York from London departing every day, you’ll be spoilt for choice with the British Airways schedule. You can minimise your holiday leave and maximise your first evening in Manhattan by catching an early evening flight from London Heathrow to JFK.

Drop your luggage off at The Westin Grand Central and head straight back out to Grand Central Station. If a trip New York's biggest station doesn't sound like a particularly 'curious' recommendation to you, look again – the station has a 'secret' bar that's the perfect Friday night spot. Book ahead for a quiet table on the mezzanine at the delightful Campbell Apartment. Once a private office, it was restored in 2017 and the sound of cocktail shakers has replaced the clack of typewriters. Hidden in a side room off the station, it's a novel way to take in a classic New York landmark.

Book a stay at The Westin Grand Central

Woken up bleary eyed? The lovely dining room at Café Cluny will lift your spirits after your long flight. Over in West Village, it serves a brunch menu with everything from oatmeal to a towering Breakfast Club Sandwich. Fill up ready for a big day – you're just a short hop from New York's hippest museum: The Whitney.

The Whitney Museum of American Art sits in trendy Renzo Piano-designed digs just round the corner. The expansive galleries display more than 2,000 painters, sculptors, architects, film makers and performance artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. You'll discover some new artists to love, but the galleries also house their fair share of Mark Rothkos and Georgia O'Keeffes. Look out for Circus by Alexander Calder, a delicate sculpture that includes a pom-pom lion. The Whitney's major exhibitions are always popular, so remember to reserve tickets in advance.

O Whitney fica na extremidade sul da High Line, um parque urbano que se estende ao longo dos antigos caminhos de ferro aéreos do Meatpacking District por 22 quarteirões até à Midtown. Encante-se com as vistas sobre o rio Hudson e a cidade à medida que caminha para norte por este parque sustentável, onde plantas indígenas crescem em redor dos antigos carris, e pare nas bancas de gelados e nos bares que existem ao longo do caminho.

The High Line descends to street-level at 34th Street - and you can walk from here to Hudson Yards to catch the 7 train. Ride it all the way to Hunters Point Avenue in Queens and you'll be in the heart of New York's new hipster district: Long Island City. You’ll need to make a reservation beforehand at Casa Enrique, but it’s worth it. It serves Michelin-starred Mexican food, from enchiladas to mole that's so bold that it, to quote the guide itself, 'thrills palates' and 'tempts wanton thoughts': get booking.

After you’ve had your fill, make your way back to Manhattan for an only-in-New-York experience: Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More, an immersive adaptation of Macbeth, is a theatre event held at The McKittrick Hotel. You’ll be given a mask and be allowed to wander through 100 rooms, coming upon intricate scenes and interacting with the mysterious cast. Not for the faint-hearted.

Os Nova Iorquinos levam o brunch muito a sério, mas a maioria dos restaurantes não abrem antes do meio-dia. Aproveite o tempo indo até Buvette, um pequeno lugar francês em West Village onde começam a servir às 09:00 (convém chegar até às 10:00, quando ainda há pouca fila). Peça o muito falado "croque-monsieur" ou os macios "steamed eggs", feitos com o vapor da máquina de café e servidos com prosciutto em pão caseiro.

Esqueça as cadeias de lojas que proliferaram no SoHo e na Quinta Avenida. West Village ainda é o sítio onde conseguirá encontrar lojas únicas, algumas que só existem mesmo em Nova Iorque, e que apresentam tanto produtos de estilistas e designers nacionais, como produtos importados. A perfumaria Aedes de Venusta tem as fragrâncias de Frederic Malle e Diptyque, bem como produtos de marca própria. A Darling é uma das lojas preferidas para comprar vestidos para usar durante o dia. A Odin vende roupa para homem de alta qualidade e a Alexis Bittar é uma caixa de joias onde poderá encontrar peças de design da Lucite. A ícone de moda de Nova Iorque, Iris Apfel, é uma grande fã desta loja.

More New York shopping

Existem imensos voos frequentes de regresso a Londres que poderá escolher. Apanhe o voo das 19:25 de JFK e chegará a Heathrow às 07:20, ficando com tempo suficiente para beber um café antes de ir para o escritório.