NY Adventures

The latest installment in Paul Smith's Adventures in the big apple.

THE HIGH LIFE

It's obscenely easy to spend a mortgage during a stay in New York, so it's pleasing to see something in return for your dollars. Like the heart-starting vista of Times Square for example, accompanied by sharp cocktails and a glimpse into the life of those with more money than sense.

The Dream Hotel, a few blocks south of Central Park, is whimsical and rich like dubloons dipped in chocolate. French and Italian flavours bloom in the lobby, towered over by two floors of fish tank. And a statue of Catherine the Great. Room size can be something of a lottery if you stay at Dream, though all are divinely decorated regardless and all but the smallest rooms have wall mounted flat plasma televisions and pre-loaded iPods.

You don't have to be a resident to enjoy the Ava Lounge on the 14th floor, although consult your wardrobe before entering the lobby elevators - shorts and trainers, and the people wearing them are barred.

The views from this bar are sumptous, whether it's across Times Square or over the Hudson River to the distant setting sun, and Ava's heated outdoor patio means you can chill long into the night. The staff are far too cool for school and just remember you're paying for the view when the bar bill is handed to you.

Ava Lounge @ Dream hotel
210 W 55th at Broadway, Manhattan
http://www.dreamny.com/

DIVE, DIVE, DIVE

If you're a stickler for uber-slick lounges selling naught but Corona and Cosmopolitans, stay clear of New York's dive bars. If you're keen for real life amongst the hustle, this is as real as it gets; in a city where people live on every corner, these are the bars they choose for chugging down beers and chewing the fat.

Most are a godawful mess of black ceilings, untreated brickwork and bulging red neon, where washrooms rarely figure in the refurbishment budgets. But they charm you with the cheapest drinks in town, some provide free scoobies and all have jukeboxes to whisk you away on a magic carpet ride.