7AM: Walk along the High Line, which snakes down to the Meatpacking District, starting at the 30th Street stairs. At this time of day, you’ll have the gorgeously landscaped former rail line mostly to yourself.

8AM : Take breakfast at The Corner Bar, the light-filled Boho-chic brasserie at the Nine Orchard hotel, headed by Ignacios Mattos, the Uruguayan-born chef who calls all the shots in New York. The omelette is rolled and gorgeously glossy, pretty as an Instagram picture. Extremely tasty as well.

10AM: Bone up on contemporary art in Chelsea at Paul Kasmin's gallery and its rooftop Kasmin Sculpture Garden, and the Pace Gallery, a New York institution housed in an eight-storey building.

11AM : Dream of lofty chandeliers and get enlightened at Apparatus, interdisciplinary design studio and master in the art of lighting, perched on the fourth floor of a former boy’s school.

NOON : Step into the Oculus to admire Santiago Calatrava’s futuristic building. Then take the express elevators to the 102nd floor of One World Trade Center for a bird’s-eye view of the city below, before visiting the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

3PM : Unearth a hard-to-find fashion magazine in the bottomless archives of High Valley Books, a store run by Bill Hall and open by appointment only.

4PM: Head for the New American Wing Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art which takes an interdisciplinary approach, showing paintings, sculptures and decorative arts side by side. Then move on to admire the coffered wooden ceilings and decorative arts collection of the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum.

8PM : Dine at Sixty Three Clinton, the Lower East Side gastronomic hot spot where dishes are delightfully deconstructed. Choose the seats at the bar to watch the hypnotic ballet of the bartender breaking the ice against the open kitchen in the background.

9:30PM : Catch a movie at Metrograph, the Lower East Side’s celebration of the magic of cinema. It’s a favourite with a diverse crowd, including industry professionals and downtown hipsters. After the screening, hit the cinematically sexy cocktail lounge.

10PM : Dive into Mezzrow, a tiny jazz bar known for its piano concerts performed on a Steinway. The line-up is broad, since its big brother, Smalls Jazz Club, is just along the street at number 183.