An Afternoon at Hudson Yards in NYC
Born and raised in New York I know the city well. However, so much has changed since I moved from the city to Los Angeles in 2000. My friends still living in the city had told me about Hudson Yards NYC, so it was on my list to visit on one of my many trips back to my hometown.
I had an early start of the day visiting the Little Island as well as many new piers along the westside highway. I met a friend for lunch and then continued on with my journey. The new walkway which is part of Riverside Park is fantastic, and great for people like me who love to walk – see article link at bottom.
Hudson Yards NYC
Situated between 10th and 12th Avenues, Hudson Yards runs from West 30th to West 34th Street. The complex which opened in March 2019 is home to over one hundred retail shop and restaurants. Moreover the complex includes luxury condominiums and rentals.
The Vessel
The star of the show is the Vessel, designed by English artist & architect Thomas Heatherwick and his firm the Heatherwick Studio. It is simply stunning. The structure has a reflective copper steel outside which changes with the light of the day. honeycomb-like structure was created to climb. Unfortunately the achitects did not expect that anyone would want to throw themselves off of the building. Sadly there were many copy-cat events and on one of my visits the building was closed as they had to install safety measures to prevent more suicides. https://www.vesselnyc.com
The Shed
Also coming in a close second is very popular venue the Shed. Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Rockwell Group designed this one of a kind building. I absolutely love the design of the Shed…it’s so New York. The Shed was created to expand due to the limited space in the city. Hence the outer shell moves out over the plaza so that space can be utilized in addition to the main building. It’s so innovative. The building hosts art events, performances, etc. https://www.theshed.org
Edge Sky Deck
Located one the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, the Edge Sky Deck has become a very popular attraction. The architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) designed it, and it is the 4th tallest office building in New York City.
The side glass panels that enclose the space lean out over the city making for an even more exciting visit. The 360 degree views are phenomenal and you literally feel like you are suspended in mid air. https://www.edgenyc.com
Shopping
I absolutely loved all the retail shopping. Although I did mostly browsing at all those high end stores such as Chanel, Dior, Cartier, Coach, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, etc. I did find a couple of good deals at H&M, Zara and even Kate Spade.
Restaurants
Another highlight was the restaurants. After browsing the extensive restaurant list that included Bondst, Greywind, Leña At Mercado Little Spain, I noticed a greek restaurant – Estiatorio Milos. I had to honor my Greek roots, and I love Greek wine. It turns out there are two separate venues. The upscale restaurant area on the 6th floor offered fantastic views, and a Wine Bar. I wanted something quick so I chose the latter, plus it had a wonderfully relaxed vibe to it.
Estiatorio Milos Wine Bar
My server Daniela was incredibly knowledgeable about the wine. She told me the restaurant offered 100 Greek wines from a variety of regions across Greece.
I knew I wanted something light to eat and we discussed several options. Daniela suggested the Parparoussis Mavrodaphne Taos 2018. She was right on par. It was delicious dry full bodied red. On the nose, I spotted a rosemary with a hint of cocoa. I tasted plums and dark berry along with a tinge of pepper.
I ended up ordering the Lobster Salad (Fresh lobster, endives, radicchio, fennel, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, and Metaxa brandy). This was exceptional, and so fresh. The lobster was perfectly cooked and the dill and fennel brought it all together.
A Sweet Ending
Right as I was deciding to leave to meet my sister uptown, Daniela brought me a dark decadent dense chocolate surprise. It was fantastic. Wow that was a nice ending. Be sure to dine at Estiatorio Milos. Visit the website for more info – https://www.estiatoriomilos.com
On my way out, I spotted Bluestone Lane at 55 Hudson Yards. I reviewed an LA location of this Australian chain of coffee shops. Great food, as well as speciality coffees. See below for link.
All in all it was a fantastic day. I saw so many new attractions in my own hometown. But alas that is New York City! It is pretty amazing. I’ll be back soon! Find out more about Hudson Yards on the website – https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com
Read about the Little Island and the Hudson River Park on my NYC Westside Attractions article or read my article New York City’s the High Line. Here is my Bluestone Lane restaurant review (mentioned above). If you are headed to NYC, visit our New York Page.
