ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF ME

VIEW FROM THE PENTHOUSE TERRACE AT THE COOPER SQUARE HOTEL

BY UWERN JONG

They say never to start any narative with an apology. But I feel I have to, as my first cultural reference for this blog about NYC comes from Sex and the City, but there's something a little bit 'Carrie Bradshaw' about lying in bed, typing today's thoughts out on my mac, whilst watching the sun rise over the misty Manhattan skyline. Jet lag has kicked in like a badly-timed can of red-bull and whilst I continue to experience the comforts of my hotel room at the Cooper Square Hotel, sleep is certainly out of the equation.

I'm hardly suprised to be awake, really. My body clock is totally topsy-turvy. Yesterday started with an airport run at the ungodly hour of 5am GMT - a scheduling time usually only reserved for those no-frills package-holiday flights. However, mine was the contrary - I was up to catch the 6am Swiss International Airlines business schedule from London City airport to Zurich, with a guaranteed connect to a JFK flight within 40 minutes, aiming get you into New York before 1.30pm.

For an East Londoner like me, there's nothing better than flying via London City airport. You may think it strange that I've chosen to connect with a hub in the opposite direction of travel, given the hundreds of direct daily flights leaving London, but going via London City for me means a 10 minute cab ride, a 35 minute check-in and best of all, no gormless package holiday tourists! (#traveleditorpethatenumberone). Set up as a purely business airport for the City, fellow passengers are smart, suited, booted, suitcase-less and focussed on getting to their meeting in some European city on time – the airport is proud of their unrivalled on-time departure record. Plus, for a business-class product, Swiss's 10 hour total travel time to JFK from London is actually, on a quality-time-cost comparison basis the most efficient and cost-effective routing at the time of writing - and their new inflight business class service - the seat layout, workstations, working-lunch meal service and flat-beds will leave you refreshed to do business when you arrive in NYC. Not to mention that a lunchtime arrival into Terminal 4 means you clear the 'thoroughly welcoming' US Immigration and Customs much quicker than usual and your yellow taxi by-passes rush hour and has you in Manhattan before 2.30pm.

The Cooper Square Hotel is in Noho/Bowery area of the city - you couldn't really ask for a more happening location (and if you love Japanese food, you're in for a treat - little Japan is literally just around the corner with its calls of Happy Hour Sushi - so very me!). There's plenty on your doorstep, albeit a little noisy with the traffic and sirens whizzing by what seems like every 10 minutes - but hey, you're in NYC, you've got to expect some hustle and bustle. With rooms set on 21 floors, most with fantastic floor to ceiling windows looking out over the rooftops and characteristic water towers of the area, this chic hotel, that clearly has a love for books (they're everywhere, from antique to contemporary) is one of those properties that, in my opinion, has solved the "in and out" challenge that city style hotels always have - perfectly addressing the balance of a cosy bolt-hole that you'd want to spend time in, but without making you feel guilty that you're forking out for a design-hotel when you want to be out exploring the city, or be at meetings, or both, or perhaps go a book-signing, on a whim.

PHOTOGRAPH: TIM HAILAND

Mind not to trip on that last deliberate and unsubtle lead-in (hey, I'm jet-lagged), as the NYC darling of the arts Rufus Wainwright was just up the road signing copies of his collaboration with portrait photographer Tim Hailand, "One Day in the Life of Rufus Wainwright". Captured back in August last year, this visual diary opens to find Rufus in his bed at his New York City apartment. Starting with coffee (of course), Rufus begins his day by playing piano (in his underwear no less), dashing off to Boston via train, where he connects with his sister Martha and performs to an adoring crowd. A real clever mix of black and white photography and colour, accentuating the highs of the day, it offers a voyeuristic insight into his world. If you're a Rufus fan, then this is certainly for you.

NYC WEEK: BITE SIZED BIG APPLE

PHOTOGRAPH: UWERN JONG
The Big Apple – Out There's second home. We have such great ties to his buzzing metropolis, and the queer people that make it so interesting, that we're finding ourselves here more and more often. And even whilst we uncover more queer stories from all corners of the globe, it seems that all roads points back to New York. Plus, there's always been a weird, queer link between London and New York, so I guess that it's no wonder that we just love the place.

So to celebrate this (and because we can), we're going to be blogging daily on our TRAVEL blog for the next 5 days, bringing you travel stories as we find them here in the city that doesn't sleep.