A city of skyscrapers, rehabilitated factories, and bridges with renowned financial institutions and theaters. Home of finance bros, starving artist, and fashionistas; related to icons such as Andy Warhol, Al Capone and Carrie Bradshaw; New York has a lot to offer.

New York City is known for its museums, shops, theaters plus its gilded age mansions, skyscrapers and Central Park. Its rough but charming, industrial yet luxurious, hipster and ‘WASP’ at the same time. Within the art world it plays a huge role in the art market and street art spheres; and outside of it, it’s important in the fashion, theater and financial worlds. Many iconic artist, designers, business men, taggers and musicals have emerged from this city. Think of Andy Warhol, Rothko, Halston, Dian Von Fustenberg, Donald Trump, the wolf of Wall Street, Keith Hearing, Baskiat, Lion King musical or Cats. There’s a lot to check out but if you only have a limited amount of time I would make sure to visit 1 museum, eat a hotdog on the streets, drink a cocktail at a rooftop bar, relax in Central Park, watch a Broadway show, walk around the financial district, go to a blue chip gallery in Chelsea and take a picture in front of the Empire State Building and/or Statue of Liberty. If you have more time you should try to take a boat ride to Ellis Island, shop around the meatpacking district or downtown, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, read a fashion magazine at a cool cafe and get lost in Williamsburg.

Here are some recommendations of places to visit. New York City has 2 unesco sites: the Statue of Liberty and the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The city has 130 ‘Michelin restaurants’ with 10 having 3 stars, so try to make a reservation to one of them. My top 5 museums are: The National Museum of the American Indian for Native American art; the MoMA for modern art; the New Museum for contemporary art; Tenament Museum for Immigration; and The MET for a little bit of everything. My favorite art galleries are: Kasmin, David Zwirner, Gladstone, plus the 2 lords Hauser & Wirth, and Gagosian. For luxury shopping go to the Madison Avenue or the department store Saks Fifth Avenue; for cool shops the meat packing district, for the typical brands go to Macys or 5th Avenue; and for cheaper goods Downtown or Williamsburg. Also take a chance to walk around SoHo, the trendiest neighborhood. Some venues to check out are The Lincoln Center for opera and theater; Radio City Hall for shows/concerts, Minskoff Theater for a big production musical and The Carnegie Hall for concerts.

Here are 8 routs to explore New York City:

HISTORIC

GILDED AGE

WASP

ART DECO

MODERN

CHIC

HIPSTER

CONTEMPORARY