New York: Introduction: Why Go Now

New York is at a new zenith of prosperity and creativity, with exciting new hotels, restaurants, galleries and shops. After decades of boring construction, daring structures by starchitects are thrusting upward on the city’s skyline. Neighborhoods like the Lower East Side and Harlem, in decay a decade ago, have all of a sudden morphed into gritty cool zones. And Manhattan is no longer the singular nexus of the city’s cultural life, but more of a vertex, shooting out hot spots in all directions. Bold architecture is radiating outward, too: a wildly controversial grove of twisting towers and an arcing entertainment arena, all by Frank Gehry, are beginning to sprout in Brooklyn’s shabby downtown.