Romantic Getaways in New York

The energy below 14th Street has it all. Great restaurants abound, as do bars, boutique shopping, and a fantastic array of architecture. For quaint streets, try the West Village. Head to the East Village for a low-key atmosphere, and check out SoHo and Nolita for perennially trendy environs. On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, make like a New Yorker and head to Union Square for the deliciously local Greenmarket.

Prefer a more stately romantic getaway? Look for accommodation on Manhattan's Upper East Side, where you can stroll side streets lined with mansions, pop by Central Park, and easily get to Museum Mile, a stretch of 5th Avenue home to some of the city's greatest museums, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim.

Brooklyn is vast, but if you're looking for charming quarters to call a temporary home, consider the elegant, historic environs of Brooklyn Heights, trendy DUMBO, or the quaint trio of neighborhoods comprised of Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, and Cobble Hill.

This rapidly developing area of Queens is just a subway stop or two away from Manhattan, depending which part you land in. Furthermore, you won't even have to leave the area to find great bars and restaurants as well as art. MoMA PS1, Socrates Sculpture Park, and the Noguchi Museum are nearby.

New York is home to flagship stores aplenty, but it's in the city's original shops where you'll find the most interesting purchases. For designer deals, the discount department store Century21 can't be beat. They have outposts all over the city, but the eternal favorite remains the original in the Financial District. For books galore, head to the Strand, just south of Union Square. Need new beauty products? Try C.O. Bigelow, the oldest apothecary in the country.

Central Park is an obvious must, but just as lovely is Prospect Park out in Brooklyn. Both have zoos, if you and your partner are animal lovers. For something unusual, consider a trip out to Forest Park in Queens, where you can even go hiking.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, and the Museum of Modern Art are the most famous four, but that's just a start. For a taste of a robber baron's life and his art collection, visit the Frick, housed in the family's former mansion. To learn more about the city itself, head up the Museum of the City of New York. Love nature, pre-history, and animals? The Natural History Museum's dinosaur skeletons and life-like dioramas will keep you entertained all day.

In warm weather, head out to this iconic part of the city to visit the charmingly zany amusement park, ride the historic roller coaster the Cyclone, and stroll the boardwalk adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.

Canal Street is endlessly bustling but walk down any side street and you'll be faced with tons of choice for Southeast Asian and Chinese eateries. This is also a great neighborhood in which to pick up basic souvenirs.

This is an upscale, romantic restaurant offering a fantastic New American menu in a gorgeous, chandelier-lit dining room in the West Village.

This long-standing Italian restaurant in NoHo serves classic fare in a chic yet cozy setting.

Enjoy great Greek food at this stylish, airy restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.

If you find yourself in or near Boerum Hill in Brooklyn, this candle-lit French spot is a neighborhood favorite.