Caitlin Leffel - In Love in New York: A Guide to the Most Romantic Destinations in the Greatest City in the World

PRAISE FOR CAITLIN LEFFEL AND JACOB LEHMANS
THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN NEW YORK: 1001 IDEAS:

This is the liveliest, and most readable, resource available to hip visitors who want to spend some time off the beaten path but arent too proud to take in a Broadway show or a breathtaking view

Passport Magazine

[Leffel and Lehman] make it easy to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

US Airways Magazine

A users manual for the worlds most eclectic city.

Metro US

TO MY CONSTANTS: ALEX AND NEW YORK. CL

TO JOANA, AND THE CITY WHERE I FOUND HER. JL

I n 1977, Milton Glaser and Bobby created the iconic heart logo for New York. At the time the city was not quite looking or feeling her best. Unlike those venerable European queens of romanceParis, Venice, Barcelona, LondonNew York was a young town with a comparatively short history of accelerated development. Her early marriage to Prosperity faltered after the Depression and the War, the breakup was long and hard, and by the 1970s she had been left unloved for far too long. While its difficult now to believe that such a thing was necessary, the logo was commissioned by the New York State department of commerce to promote tourism, to lend a sense of warmth and romance to a city whose heart had grown so cool that no amount of love letters from Woody Allen, Truman Capote, or Stephen Sondheim could help it.

Almost forty years later, that perfect red heart is as much an emblem of New York as the skylineand its far from the only one. There are countless valentines to this great metropolis: Woodys New York is a mostly-uptown bounty of culture and wit, where gray days look as appealing as sunny ones; Joan Didions, in Goodbye to All That, is a playground for the young and new, whose charm derives fromnot in spite ofthe citys hard edges; Nora Ephron refined the classic cinematic meet-cute all over Manhattan, from Katzs to the top of the Empire State Building; Jonathan Amess Bored to Death characters are well-dressed and hyper-literate as they bumble endearingly around the boroughs in noble and misguided pursuits; while Sinatras New York conjures up our dapper Yankees, at whose stadium his version of the song is played after every game. (And inspired the citys modern anthem by self-proclaimed New Sinatra Jay-Z, which describes the city as a concrete jungle where dreams are made.) These few examples among countless show that New York is perfectly imperfect, worthy of undying affection, and dazzling enough to inspire an entire genre of famous love notes.

Whether youre new to your relationship, new to the city, or an old pro at both, New York is there to seduce, excite, console, and entertain. For many the city is a destination, whether for a vacation of indulgent shopping, a romantic break, a honeymoon, or even a wedding. For millions more for whom the city is already home, its a place that continues to seduce no matter how long youve lived here, the setting for myriad famous literary and celluloid love stories, and for countless more which might never make it to page or screen. The purpose of this book is dual: it guides you through the various stages of a New Yorkthemed courtship, offering suggestions on what to see, do, eat, and visit with a lover. But it also inspires a couple to fall head-over-heels for this cityor rekindle the romance with it you once had but which has dulled over time.

As if to follow the most romantic tourists itinerary, we begin with New Yorks first impressions, those iconic invitations the city extends to potential suitors around the world. From breathtaking views of the skyline to blissful afternoons paddling rowboats in the park, and from the dining rooms of the finest restaurants to the rooftops and balconies of lovers landmarks, these are the beloved grand gestures that are for visitors to New York what a bouquet of red roses might be for a lover on a first date. From there we spend time getting to know the city a little better, taking a romantic tour of its most charming and seductive neighborhoods and singling out the sweetest spots and most engaging distractions to be found in eachwhether its a visit to Chelseas gallery district or drinks on the Brooklyn waterfront. In the third chapter we hone in on specific suggestions for dates and romantic evenings to suit every interest and mood, from picnics in the citys many beautiful parks to ideas for putting a local twist on the classic dinner-and-a-movie date. From there we take you out of the heart of the city itself with romantic excursions into the beautiful countryside that surrounds New York, from the lush vineyards of the North Fork to the stunning Hudson River Valley and the soft sands of the Hamptons beaches. And finally, for those whove decided that New York is where their heart belongs, we present a careful guide to getting married in the city, with recommendations for everything from the perfect locations for a ceremony to shopping for dresses for the big day.

While weve put together a mosaic of the romantic, the intimate, the classic, and the sexy parts of the city, we also encourage you to discover your own reasons to love New York, by keeping your eyes open and your feet on the pavement. The pleasures of the city entice at every turn: autumn leaves in Central Park; getting lost in the West Village; the first glimpse of the illuminated skyline from your cab coming in from the airport, beckoning you hither. There is romance on every corner of every street of every borough of this city. Lets find it.