NIGHT+DAY New York
Author: Brian Niemietz
Contributors: Erin Wylie & AnneLise Sorensen
ISBN: 0-9766013-1-1
Price: $17.95

Web Direct Price: $15.95

Whether we're talking about celebrity mixologists, skyscrapers, three-star restaurants, or the heights of hedonism, New York has always set the standard by which everything else is measured. But with so many enticing options, choosing where to go can overwhelm even the savviest traveler. Enter Night+Day, which delivers the best of the city in an accessible format for the time-pressed visitor.

August Love Letter

Ahhh, summer in the city: The dizzying heat, the stench of subway stairwells, the sidewalk traffic jams of fanny-pack-toting tourists. It's no wonder locals clear out. But for those of us who've decided to stay put, there are some splendid rewards, including the many alfresco activities in the city parks. I recently went to see the New York Philharmonic (Concerts in the Parks, nyphil.org) in Central Park. It was a gorgeous evening, warm with a breeze; the Great Lawn was covered in music-lovers reclining on blankets, sipping wine, and slicing into ubiquitous wedges of Brie. (Also ubiquitous were cell phones, which emerged as the necessary tool of the evening, connecting friends across the Great Lawn.) I stretched out on the blanket while my friends chatted, and stared up at the starry night sky as the classical music swelled around me. Next to us was a well-heeled Upper West Side group, who had clearly done this before: They had a sturdy, low, wooden table topped with a candelabra (yes, a candelabra), shrimp cocktails, and crystal wine glasses. Bottles of French white were chilling in a bucket of ice. Us? We had some Trader Joe's "two-buck-chuck," goat cheese, and Raisinets. The symphony played plenty of crowd-pleasers, including Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture," and ended with a rousing Sousa march, just as the fireworks began exploding in the night sky, raining colors like confetti over the elegant, iconic Central Park skyline of handsome buildings looming over urban wilderness. Forget the Hamptons: I was the lucky one to be spending summer in the city.

New York's other defining summer event is "The New York City Waterfalls," (nycwaterfalls.org) artist Olafur Eliasson's four crashing falls along the East River (under the Brooklyn Bridge, off lower Manhattan's Pier 35, between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn, and near Governor's Island) through mid-October. I'll be feeling the spray from these waterfalls myself later this summer—stay tuned for my September posting.

AnneLise Sorenson

Today's savvy travelers rely on NIGHT+DAY New York—with its opinionated listings, insightful descriptions, and witty, intelligent writing—to get the sophisticated edge in travel. From the trendiest tables, hippest hotels, top shops and galleries, to the hottest nightspots and coolest attractions, NIGHT+DAY New York is packed with expert recommendations and insider tips.