A New York fashion profile: Daniel Lindström’s guide

Trendy fashion brand

Khaite

Everyone’s talking about Khaite, the new darling of New York’s fashion scene. Launched by designer Catherine Holstein in 2016, the brand has quickly established itself all over the world. The look is well known to Scandinavians: stylish garments and accessories that strike a balance between masculinity and femininity, with strong material contrasts.

Earlier this year, Khaite opened a flagship store on Mercer Street (near the famous luxury hotel The Mercer) that injected a much-needed dose of fashion into the rather sleepy SoHo neighborhood. Fashionistas now flock here to buy long, ribbed cashmere dresses (the store’s signature piece), leather jackets, and luxury bags.

The store, which Holstein designed together with her husband, New York–based architect Griffin Frazen, is simply magnificent. With steel, glass, concrete, large skylights, and an evergreen Bucida buceras tree planted in the middle of the space, it feels more like an art gallery than a place to shop.

World-class gallery

David Zwirner

Visiting art galleries in New York is quite the treat, with top-notch culture guaranteed. The scene is fairly spread out across Manhattan, with famous names in the East Village and on the Upper East Side, among others, but the most prestigious galleries are found in Chelsea.

David Zwirner, one of the world’s most successful art dealers, has three galleries in New York. The building on 20th Street designed by Annabelle Selldorf is the most distinctive. Teak windows and doors are framed by a rough concrete facade to provide a contrast to the industrial look. The venue alone is worth a visit.

Zwirner represents some of the most renowned modern artists in the world, such as Yayoi Kusama, Donald Judd, Richard Serra, and Raymond Pettibon.

Affordable hotel

Ace Hotel

The average price of an overnight stay in New York has risen dramatically in recent years, but comfortable, budget hotel options can still be found (usually for around SEK 3,000 per night). The Ace Hotel opened in 2009 and turned the NoMad area (North of Madison Square Park) into a chic destination with new restaurants, cafes, and shops popping up. At the time, the hotel was the coolest place in town, and the large, black-painted lobby served as a living room for everyone from hipsters to visiting tech workers from Silicon Valley.

The hotel has aged gracefully. The retro-inspired rooms with Pendleton bedspreads, Smeg fridges, leather sofas, and vinyl record players are small but functional. And contrary to popular belief, the location can’t be beat. From here you’re as close (if you can call it that) to Central Park as you are to SoHo.

The bar in the heavens

The Roof at PUBLIC Hotel

There are many iconic viewpoints in Manhattan, from the Empire State Building to Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. If you want great panoramic views without admission fees and long lines, I highly recommend The Roof on the Lower East Side.

About 80 feet to the left of the entrance to the PUBLIC hotel (opened in 2017) designed by Ian Schrager, you can take the elevator skyward to The Roof, a luxurious and energetic bar with 360-degree views of the city. On weekends, a sunset cocktail transforms into a sexy nightclub with international DJs.

The Roof’s signature drink is of course the Manhattan (whiskey, vermouth, and a dash of angostura bitters mixed with ice), which you can combine with caviar or maybe even a buttered lobster roll. The atmosphere here is truly New York, which is hardly surprising since Ian Schrager founded Studio 54 together with Steve Rubell.

Jump right into the park

Central Park

Did you know that New York is one of the best cities in the world for running? With wide pedestrian and bike paths along both the Hudson River (west) and the East River, you can easily hit your mileage goal without having to stop for red lights or traffic junctions. Of course, nothing beats Central Park. Running (or cycling) here is almost a religious experience for me. The park offers an iconic location and much cleaner air (843 acres of nature) than the rest of the city, but it’s the sense of shared movement with other people that captivates me.

I recommend starting at Columbus Circle, on the southwest side of the park, between 58th St. and 60th St. Here, you follow the main loop that takes you past the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harlem Hill, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. If you can’t make it all the way (around 6 miles), there are plenty of beautiful places to stop and rest. Exercise and sightseeing all in one!

Classic deli

Katz’s Delicatessen

The last time I was in New York, I stayed at The Ludlow Hotel, about 65 feet from the entrance to Katz’s Delicatessen, and I realized how much this old Jewish deli (opened in 1888!) is a part of the Lower East Side. People really flock to Katz’s, and on weekends, they are open 24 hours, which is convenient for anyone waking up jet-lagged at 4:00 a.m. Some visitors come to experience the set of Meg Ryan’s famous fake orgasm scene from 1989’s When Harry Met Sally, but most people line up for what is said to be the greatest Reuben in the world.

A Reuben consists of thin slices of hand-cut, salted, and fried corned beef or pastrami, sauerkraut, high-fat Swiss cheese, spicy dressing, and bread. The sandwich is hearty to say the least and will keep you full as you head out for more adventures in Manhattan.

The best view in the world

Empire Stores

Take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, New York’s oldest suspension bridge, to the neighborhood of Dumbo (short for “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”) and enjoy both the views and a cool neighborhood full of restaurants, art galleries, and shops.

Dumbo is also home to Empire Stores, a former warehouse complex along Brooklyn Bridge Park that boasts the charming Time Out Market, a hall with local eateries selected by the editors of Time Out, the magazine that keeps track of everything worth doing in New York City. It’s also no coincidence that the exclusive members’ club SoHo House opened in the trendy Empire Stores in 2018. The restaurant Cecconi’s is located on the ground floor, and a large outdoor pool is located on the roof with one of the best views in the world—a panoramic view of the East River framed by the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges.