Oculus

After a decade of construction, you can now visit Oculus, the new World Trade Center transportation hub and architectural gem (the structure is supposed to look like a bird in flight). The entrance is now open on the street level at the corner of Church and Vesey Street. Oculus was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and costed $3.9 billion (originally budgeted at $2 billion). While in the neighborhood,  grab a bite at the newly opened Eataly, located on the second floor of 4 World Trade Center (101 Liberty St). 

Manhattan's new palace

Just a stone’s throw from New York’s city hall is a building frozen in time that had been unknown to the public until just recently. In 1883, Eugene Kelly, an Irish immigrant and prosperous businessman built a nine-story building that he called Temple Court. Kelly invested $400,000 in the construction of this gem of terra cotta, wood paneling, mosaics and cast iron. A skylight crowning the atrium is the masterpiece of this building. One of the largest vaults in the city is in the basement. On September 6th, the Temple Court will reopen as The Beekman Hotel, a beautiful boutique hotel with two restaurants (Augustine by restaurateur Keith McNally and Fowler & Wells by chef Tom Colicchio) and a subterranean nightclub (by the people from The Box) scheduled to open next year. Can't wait! [123 Nassau St].