Fitzpatrick Grand Central

A boutique luxury hotel, run by the Spanish company, Eurostars, Dylan brings a European flair to midtown hospitality. The connected Benjamin's Steakhouse, one of the finest in the city, offers breakfast and room service for hotel guests. The building that the hotel occupies was once the Chemists' Club, which played host to a group of chemists meeting for reasons professional and social but ultimately moved further north. The building still bears the Chemists' Club name outside, which adds an air of alchemy to the facade.

I would never have thought that all the basic necessities that one needs in a hotel room could fit so compactly in a bite-sized well-decorated room. Mini flat screens, a desk, space to hang a few things, even a safe were in each of the rooms that we entered. The bathrooms were sleekly functional, including a strong shower. In our increasingly globalized world, a Japanese concept has found a new American home and is flourishing in the heart of Manhattan. The Pod is modeled after Japanese capsule hotels that feature a small bed for sleeping and little else. Hospitality is stripped down to its necessities, all the while maintaining guests' comfort. This keeps pragmatic travelers happy and prices down, as who really wants to spend time in their hotel room when they can be walking the side streets of Manhattan?

Due to its close proximity to Grand Central, spending even a few minutes in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt allows anyone to experience the hustle and bustle of tourism in this fast-paced city. Families and business people from around the country and the world are coming and going, checking in and checking out over and over again. There is a fine bar and restaurant area a few steps up in the lobby that overlooks 42nd Street. In what was once the Commodore Hotel, opened in 1919, but totally refurbished in 1980, this is a fascinating place to sit down and relax with a cold drink for a few minutes.

I can attest to the immediate success of Carmine's on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the early nineties as my family and friends stood on the lines to get in on a number of occasions. Owner Artie Cutler's concept of serving large, family-style portions to guests, in a warm, friendly atmosphere connected with diners immediately. It did not take Mr. Cutler long to realize that he had a success on his hands and that it was time for expansion. In 1992, the theater district had another hit in Times Square, in the form of a grand, traditional Italian restaurant.

Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, and Charles Lindberg are among the noteworthy clients that E. B. Meyorwitz & Dell has been crafting “made-to-measure” frames for since 1875. Today, be it in their New York, London or Paris shops, one can still be fitted for a pair of the same classy, high quality spectacles.