We’re beyond excited that the Whitney Museum, New York City’s temple to contemporary American art, reopened last Friday after relocating from the Upper East Side to a sexy new Renzo Piano-designed space downtown. The new Gansevoort Street address puts visitors within a quick walk of some of our most beloved New York City spots—read on for the five things you shouldn’t miss.
1. Park It: The High Line
This mile-long elevated promenade—an abandoned railroad trestle reimagined as a public park in 2009—is stylishly landscaped and filled with inviting sundecks, sleek fountains, and overhead views of the Meatpacking and Chelsea districts below.
2. Gallery Hop: Chelsea
The new Whitney is appropriately located near the epicenter of the city’s contemporary art scene. Some of the heavy hitters include David Zwirner, the Gagosian, Barbara Gladstone, and Matthew Marks.
3. Nosh: Untitled
Chef Mike Anthony—at the helm of the esteemed Gramercy Tavern for the last decade—is the brains behind Untitled, the latest project from esteemed restaurateur Danny Meyer. Located on the ground floor of the Whitney, Untitled embraces the local, seasonal ethos that made Gramercy Tavern such a success. On the menu: shrimp ravioli with nettles and mushrooms and grilled monkfish with black garlic and lobster sauce.
4. Shop Like a Local: Chelsea Market
Housed in the former headquarters of Nabisco, Chelsea Market is a go-to spot for neighborhood residents in search of gourmet goods. And now there’s a place to go for a post-art Pinot: a tile-floored outpost of the popular Corkbuzz Wine Bar, from master sommelier Laura Maniec, opened here last summer.
5. Stay Up Late (and Sleep In): The Standard High Line
This glass-walled retreat from fashionable hotelier Andre Balazs will put you within a four-minute walk of the Whitney. It’s also a playground for locals, whether at the canopied Biergarten (pretzels and ping pong, anyone?) or the sceney Le Bain rooftop lounge, complete with a creperie for hungry bar hoppers.
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Photo courtesy The Whitney Museum