6 Luxurious Experiences in New York Worth the Splurge

With its lavish hotels, award-winning restaurants, legendary cocktail bars, high-end department stores, and wealth of cultural attractions, New York is a city made for jetsetters. What would you do in the Big Apple if money was no object? We have some ideas.

Take a Helicopter Tour

After an epic lunch, get ready to see the city from new heights—literally. Take a cab or an Uber downtown to the launch pad for Liberty Helicopter Tours. Flights range from 12 to 20 minutes and can accommodate up to five people (excluding the pilot).

Don’t forget your camera—you’ll want to shoot plenty of photos as you soar above the Hudson River, pass by the Statue of Liberty, and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city’s most famous landmarks. For the ultimate afternoon, you can even combine your helicopter tour with a harbor cruise, which takes in the skyline from the water’s perspective.

Schedule a Shopping Spree at Bergdorf Goodman

After dropping your bags, hop into the Mark’s adorable pedicab bound for Bergdorf Goodman, Fifth Avenue’s most venerable shopping mecca. Here, you’ll find a curated selection from fashion’s biggest luxury labels including Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Unlike Bloomingdale’s and Barney’s, Bergdorf only has one location—on the site of a former Vanderbilt mansion—and is so legendary that it became the subject of a documentary called “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s,” which features commentary by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Michael Kors, Karl Lagerfeld, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, and more fashion royalty.

Lunch at Eleven Madison Park

After a morning of shopping, surely you’ll need some sustenance. What better place to wine and dine in this city than Eleven Madison Park?

Though it moves up and down within the top five listings on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the temple to gastronomy is still ranked as the best restaurant in North America (and a facelift in 2017 renewed its shine).

Charismatic co-owner Will Guidara is the host with the most, while Chef/owner Daniel Humm serves a sublime ten-course tasting menu that fuses classic French techniques with New York flavors and flair.

See a Broadway Show

If you can’t get tickets to “Hamilton,” don’t fret. There are plenty of other great shows running on Broadway, and attending a play is one of the most quintessential New York things you can do.

Aside from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash-hit, some of the most popular shows right now are “Dear Evan Hansen,” which won six Tony Awards including Best Musical, “The Lion King,” “Frozen,” and “Aladdin.”

Enjoy a Late Dinner at Le Coucou

After the show, head downtown to grab a bite at Le Coucou, which finally earned a coveted Michelin star. Since it opened in SoHo in 2016, the chic restaurant designed by Roman and Williams has been one of New York’s hottest tables.

Chef Daniel Rose puts his experience at the helm of Spring in Paris to good use here, turning out French classics like pike quenelles, dover sole, and chicken with foie gras.

Cap the Night Off at Attaboy

If you still have enough energy for a night cap, it’s worth the ten-minute walk east from Le Coucou to grab a stool at Attaboy. The legendary speakeasy is a favorite among New York’s top bartenders, who often head here when their own bars close for the night.

Located in the former Milk & Honey space, Attaboy was founded by two of legendary bartender Sasha Petraske’s protégés, Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy.

The tiny, seating-room-only bar is barely the size of a subway car, but its bartenders have a repertoire of hundreds of cocktails. Don’t worry about not finding a menu—just tell them what you like and they’ll shake up an expertly crafted drink.