The Statue of Liberty, Central Park, 5th Avenue? Sure. But try these Big Apple bucket-list hot spots

THE Statue of Liberty, Central Park, 5th Avenue? They may be NYC travel must-sees, but there’s a whole other side to this city that you probably don’t know about.

New York: If I can make it there … well, I’ll try darn hard to get there anyway. The view from the newly opened One World Observatory at One World Trade Center. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

THE must-see list for a visitor to New York is ridiculously huge. I mean a day in NYC hardly has you walking a few blocks without you becoming mesmerised.

So, while the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park and the Guggenheim are always on New York travel hit lists, here are 10 spots that are other must-dos. Some old, some new, but if you are lucky enough to visit New York, there is always something to discover or rediscover, again and again. HIGH LINE WALK AND MEATPACKERS The High Line (also known as the High Line Park) is a 2.33km linear park that was built on an elevated part of a disused railroad, once called the West Side Line. Inspired by the 4.8km Promenade Plantée (tree-lined walkway) in Paris, the High Line has been designed as an aerial greenway and a rails-to-trails park. New Yorkers and a zillion visitors love to walk it as it stretches from the once rough, but now cool Meatpacking District through to Chelsea. The line has a brilliant garden with 300 species, water features and paths. And, it’s perfect people-watching territory. WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART The (new) Whitney Museum of American Art is THE must-do highlight and is located downtown on the High Line and next to the Hudson River. With the building designed by architect Renzo Piano, the gallery has a huge range (try 22,000 works from 3000 artists) of 20th century and contemporary American art with a special focus on works by living artists. Dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and exhibiting American art, the Whitney has always supported innovation and this new ode to art is breathtaking. Even if you are not an art aficionado, you are honestly mesmerised by the cheeky, at-times poignant pieces that fills walls and floors. I LOVED it. This new building increases the museum’s exhibition and programming space and was worth every one of the $22 paid for entry. DINNER OR DRINKS ON THE MET ROOFTOP BAR A roof garden cafe and martini bar at the exquisite Metropolitan Museum of Art? Sign me up! After you’ve spent few hours meandering around the simply gigantic gallery (also home to the annual Anna Wintour hosted MET gala), soak up the views over a glass of wine. Entered via an elevator in the European sculpture and decorative arts galleries department at the MET, the self-service, cocktails and drinks are presented in a very informal, walk-around outdoor setting with THE most panoramic views of Manhattan. Bliss. THE RUSSIAN TEA ROOM It may have been around for as long as, well, God, but this still one of New York’s best cultural moments. The Russian Tea Room, on West 57th St, was founded by members of the Russian Imperial Ballet in 1927 and been a hot bed of social activity for 80-something years. Whether pollies, creatives, actors, writers or execs, the revolving doors that take you into a modernist Russian decor space (hello red!) make this a real experience. Did you know Madonna was the coat-check girl here before she became REALLY famous? And that this was where Woody Allen found inspiration for his movie Manhattan? Arriving in NYC from Sydney at 10.30pm and staying for a night across the road, at the simply sensational and incredibly chic Park Hyatt Hotel, I walked over, dined alone (as you happily do in NYC) and loved every second of my Tea Room time. Umm, but it did involve a martini! Love it. THE STANDARD HOTEL The design spans — and expands on — a century of modern architecture: “A very sharp place to stay”, an “unbeatable view of downtown Manhattan and the Hudson River”, an “affordable urban cool”. And so the reviews for The Standard Hotel go. If you are thinking of having a one-night stand(ard), downtown in NYC, then this is possibly the way to do it. The 18-storey tower looks over the High Line, in the heart of Manhattan’s meatpacking district and has views over the Hudson that will melt you heart. With a retro decor feel to its rooms, the bars and Standard Grill are as cool as they come. That said, it’s not in an intimidating way, but with a very relaxed vibe. Just avoid sharing your floor with a whole lot of Irish guests who decided to sing New York, New York in the hallway at 3am! (Well, at least it kept my jet lag amused.) Aside from that, the hotel features the The Standard Ice Rink with its own rink-side Kaffeeklatsch, serving après skate drinks and snacks, a private dining room and event spaces as well as 24-hour room and gym service and the Le Bain Discothèque Seasonal Rooftop Bar. Oh, and free Wi-Fi everywhere. A boat ride on the Hudson After 80 years, the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises gang seem to have taken the mantle as THE preferred way to see New York ... on water. Having hosted, gulp, 60 million passengers since 1945, the company is purely dedicated to sightseeing. The big boats are designed to let you see as much as possible in any weather as their oversized glass windows give great views of Manhattan. And seeing it from the water is really quite mesmerising. BROADWAY SHOW Seriously, what is a trip to NYC without a wander around the always bustling and light-fuelled Times Square and its surrounding Broadway theatre district. New Yorkers and visitors treat going to the theatre like some Aussies do going to a footy match: It’s just a part of everyday life. Whether Kinky Boots, Aladdin, The Lion King, An American in Paris or The Book of Mormon, there is always a show to see. Making a trip to Broadway is always a must-do. DINNER AT THE POLO BAR It may be a megabucks bar and restaurant, but what a serious treat to book dinner or lunch at Ralph Lauren’s first bar in NYC: the new Polo Bar, at 1 East 55th St, just around the corner from the new Ralph Lauren Polo Fifth Ave store. Contrary to what you may think, there isn’t a trace of attitude or smarty pants waiters. And the food? Delicious and delectable in every way. The dining room, which is a flight of stairs down from a bar/lounge area has 132 seats, some as comfy banquettes, others as grander, celebratory tables. And the decor? Style plus. The night after we dined there, Victoria Beckham was there. It’s just that kind of place. ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY As soon as you walk the One World Observatory — a poignant, reverent and dramatic homage to the events of September 11 — we are greeted in the Global Welcome Center, where a large video board features salutations in an array of languages, and a dynamically generated world map, which highlights the home towns of the observatory’s visitors. What you see is a program called Voices, which tells the personal stories of the men and women who built One World Trade Center, followed by Foundations, which gives a close-up view of the bedrock on which the building stands. To get to the top, we boarded one of five dedicated elevators, which ascend to the 102nd floor in under 60 seconds. In the lift, there was some extraordinary floor-to-ceiling LED technology where we could see a virtual, time-lapse that recreated the evolution if the NYC skyline from the 1500s to now. Beautifully done. 9/11 MEMORIAL Manhattan’s skyline and the lives of families who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, will never be the same. But 12 years later, the World Trade Center’s twin towers have been transformed into the 9/11 Memorial. Cascading reflecting pools etched with the names of those who died stand where the 110-storey buildings once did and the reverence the whole place is respectful and sincere. It also shows the resilience NYC has. A very special and must-do experience. The writer travelled to New York City as a guest of Qantas and www.nycgo.com ​