An atlas on an island
From the bazaars of Turkey to the shopping of the Champs-Élysées, Manhattan has it all. This island was built by the children of immigrants who eventually rose to prominence, but never quite abandoned their disparate world views. Take people like Jay-Z, Robert de Niro or Richard Serra, proud Gothamites all, and all residents of the West Village, where we find this home. There’s plenty to like with its cosy yet generous space and international décor, and with four nearby subway lines you won’t need a hot air balloon to get around.
La dolce vita
Our owner is a jet-setting socialite who was born in California but ended up here by way of Denmark and Zimbabwe. She helps businesses connect with non-profits and travels the world in the process, and though she could choose to live anywhere, she’s chosen to hang up her passport here. Local fauna usually includes her toy poodle, with whom she shares the apartment.
Tour de force
Your globetrotting begins in the kitchen, a Tuscan delight in clean granite with olive oil on the stove and olive prints above the cupboards. After you fry up something fresh from the neighbourhood’s diverse marchés, vagabond to the French-themed living room, where accoutrements like an Old World globe and vintage-print throw pillows take you back to the vie Boehme of the 1920s. Even the bathroom has its own theme, the U.K., and you can start each morning with a brisk salute to the Union Jack after you’ve stepped out of your David Hockney-esque shower curtain.
The bedroom is an Indonesian fantasy, with an intricate wood carving adorning the wall, a burst of turquoise via a metal lantern, and soft brown curtains reminiscent of a Bedouin tent. Curl up here after you while away the night by telling tales of your travels with new friends in the building’s spacious back garden.
Locally grown, internationally interpreted
Will you have enough time to sample the international food options nearby? It’s a wager then. Start off with Fatty ‘Cue, the Asian-infused barbeque joint or Minetta Tavern, the French-themed steakhouse said to be one of the best in the city. You also can’t go wrong with Recette, the Spanish-inflected New American restaurant sure to please your taste buds. Just be sure to save room for a drink at the speakeasy Little Branch before you head home.
