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Alex Assouline's New York

Discover where the Parisian-turned-New Yorker goes to find inspiration, a few laughs and the perfect dirty martini.
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Alex Assouline photographed by Oliver Pilcher in New York.

As the youngest member of the Assouline family, Alex Assouline is not just an arbiter of luxury and culture, but a genuine New Yorker whose passion for the city is as boundless as its energy. Having moved to the city (Soho, to be exact) when he was young, Assouline approaches New York through the lens of the ultimate insider coupled with European style and a global sensibility.
From a fun night out to his favorite old school restaurant, Assouline shares his top New York destinations, as well as what he’d do with a rare afternoon off.

The cafe where they know my order: Butler in Soho.

The bar where they know my order: Zero Bond.

My favorite new restaurant: Café Chelsea.

My favorite classic restaurant: Indochine.

A fun night out in New York looks like: Drinks at Dante with a few friends, then a show at the Comedy Cellar, and Minetta Tavern for dinner. Sometimes we’ll finish the evening at The Nines, a fun piano bar, if we don’t want the night to end.

When I want to feel cultured, I head to: The Metropolitan Museum of Art - always a different aisle - or what private tour is coming up on the Cultivist membership app.

When I want to feel inspired, I head to: Chelsea to see what the new galleries are featuring.

The perfect day in New York looks like: A bike ride in the late spring to Brooklyn. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge, have lunch at Edith’s in Williamsburg and ride back along the West Side Highway.

When I want to break a sweat, I: Put an audiobook on my airpods and row in my gym or play squash with my dad.

If I'm getting my wife a gift, I head to: Cartier.

My favorite neighborhood is: Greenwich Village.

I feel like a New Yorker when I: Come out of the subway and know exactly which direction I’m heading in.

The best view in New York is at: The Centurion Lounge at One Vanderbilt or the Assouline office. It’s in the center of the city on a high floor and surrounding buildings light up at night.

If a full day of meetings were canceled I would: Go to AIRE Ancient Baths in Tribeca to reset.

I love New York because: I get to experience something new every week. That’s my new mission: to try one new thing each week. It’s so easy to do here.

The most overrated aspect of New York is: the pizza.

The most underrated aspect of New York is: the community you create as a foreigner. 

My favorite New York building is: the police building on Centre street.

The trait I admire most about those who live in New York is: their resilience.

My motto for living in New York is: if there’s a will, there’s a way.


For those that love New York

The Legends Collection New York by New York
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The Classics Collection New York Chic
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$105
The Hospitality Collection The Carlyle
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The Legends Collection Swans: Legends of the Jet Society
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