“New York is in my blood,” says Peter J Frank, who's been our LUXE New York resident editor since 2017. Get to know the New York native as he shares his hometown loves, best travel experiences and top spots to visit in the Big Apple.
I was born just outside of New York City... but my family moved to Miami when I was very young. Growing up in Miami taught me the value of diverse cultures and experiences – and instilled my eternal love for the beach.
I moved to New York... after graduating from university in Philadelphia. I was lucky to land my first job as an editorial assistant at an international travel magazine, which launched my career in travel journalism.
I currently live in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan… which has long been home to artists and writers (think Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dylan Thomas, Bob Dylan, etc.) It’s more posh than bohemian these days, but its charms are indelible.
(Instagram @peterjfrank)
New York is unstoppable... I’ve lived here through 9/11, several recessions, and now COVID, and each time the city emerges better than before. New York is always reinventing itself – we are the Madonna of cities.
My favourite New York spots are… The Egyptian Galleries at the Met Museum, Pastis in the Meatpacking District, for a steak frites and ice-cold martini, Julius’ Bar in the West Village, a historic LGBT landmark and still a great neighborhood hang and the garden of the Isamu Noguchi Museum in Long Island City.
NYC’s biggest tourist trap is... Times Square. It is atrocious and the antithesis of what New York is really about. I only go when I have theater tickets.
No matter how long I’ve lived here… the view of the city skyline from the Long Island Expressway puts a lump in my throat every time, especially when I’m in the backseat of a taxi driving home from the airport.
(Instagram @peterjfrank)
My best trip ever was… a week-long safari in South Africa followed by a week in Cape Town. The contrast between the wild beauty of the bush and the meticulous sophistication of the city is awe-inspiring.
As for the worst… I didn’t quite see the point of Ibiza.
Next on my bucket list is... India, with any luck.
And finally, the reason why I love travel is… because of the shift in perspective. Every new place is a new view of history, of geography, of the way people live. Our minds are infinitely expandable, but staying in one place forces it to narrow. It’s important to fill up that space with something different.
Places mentioned:
Met Museum, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, +212 535 7710
Pastis, 52 Gansevoort St, New York, +212 929 4844
Julius’ Bar, 159 West 10th Street, New York, +877 746 0528
Isamu Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Road (at Vernon Boulevard), Long Island City, New York, +718 204 7088
Get more of Peter J Frank’s city insider tips from the LUXE New York Guide.
