New York City, the “city that never sleeps,” is excited to welcome all TIPS members for the TIPS Section Conference in May. Whether the city sleeps or not, you’ll be able to do so at the Westin New York Times Square. Nestled in the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan at the intersection of West 43rd Street and 8th Avenue, the Westin will host many fantastic TIPS events and is conveniently located near multiple subway lines in case you want to explore a bit farther afield between CLEs.
March 26, 2019 What's New at TIPS
“My New York City”: TIPS Section Conference, May 1–4, 2019
By Kara Ford
May is a fantastic time to visit New York—warm temperatures mean you can enjoy all the outdoor experiences that New York offers, whether biking through Central Park or sipping a cool cocktail at a rooftop bar. The High Line is a must-see: part public park, part art installation, the High Line is a 1.45-mile linear park built on a historic, elevated freight rail line along Manhattan’s west side. It now includes shops, restaurants, rotating art exhibits, and sometimes even live music. To cool down after a trek along the High Line, consider a few great rooftop bar options that include the Polynesian, New York’s ode to the tiki bar; Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge at the Moxy Times Square, playing with the idea of an “urban amusement park”; and St. Cloud at the Knickerbocker Hotel, a New York City landmark and a great place to enjoy a classic 1920’s cocktail.
If you prefer great indoor venues, New York offers fantastic cultural options and a heck of a lot of good food. To start, no trip to New York is complete without a visit to the Museum of Modern Art, a quick cab ride (or a 12-block walk) northeast of the Westin. Another option is to visit Lincoln Center, which coincidentally will be hosting a non-fiction film festival called “The Art of the Real” on the exact dates of the Section Conference. If you’re not into art, but you love food, you might enjoy a stroll around Eataly in the Flatiron District, an exciting Italian marketplace. Grab a glass of wine and stroll around the fresh pasta, seafood, and pastry stations—and pick up some gelato on your way out.
Speaking of food, New York boasts more than 20,000 restaurants. Although you can’t fit 20,000 restaurants into a four-day trip, no matter how hard you try, we have a few recommendations in the area. First, if you like variety, you can try one of New York’s many food halls like Urbanspace Vanderbilt, just behind Grand Central Station. Urbanspace Vanderbilt offers rotating pop-ups from some of the most exciting chefs and restaurant groups in the city, from ramen to lobster rolls to tacos. If you’re looking for something a bit more upscale, Esca serves southern Italian food in an elegant environment and, if you like Japanese, Sushi Seki is a beautiful, tranquil place to sit down for a delicious meal of sushi or a variety of other Japanese dishes. And, I would be remiss not to mention the Shake Shack, located basically across the street from the hotel. Order a burger, extra crispy fries, and wash it all down with some frozen custard.
Welcome to New York!