The Center of Time

Seventy-seven stories in height, a full city-block in length, and an immeasurable amount of joy in depth—New York’s Time Warner Center has been my lunch-hour haven since I started working on the Upper West Side. Whether for visual therapy at Williams & Sonoma, or book browsing at Borders, I find great peace in this vast expanse of retail and restaurants.

The Shops at Columbus Circle include J. Crew, Hugo Boss, Stewart Weitzman, and about fifty others. If you can get past mouth-watering scents that waft from the Bouchon Bakery (their Cashew-butter and jelly sandwich is crazy-delicious), you’ll find yourself at uber-casual power-lunch spot (Yes! That’s possible.), Landmarc. Everything from their sirloin salad to the moules frites here is positively exquisite. But the real treat here is desert—whimsical choices like cotton candy make even the most serious of meetings end on a light and fluffy note.

With Per Se all the way upstairs and Whole Foods in the basement, it’s a good thing Equinox Fitness club is right around the corner. But beware, you must pass through Elixir juice bar in order to enter the club! Try an Acai smoothie here and head directly to Pilates. Of course the world famous Mandarin Oriental hotel takes up a good portion of the North tower, so don’t miss out on their spa or dining attractions—but buyer be ware, you’re looking at a pricey night at the Mandarin as cocktails generally start around $15 each and a room for the night can be as much as $4,000.

Nothing about TWC is cheap, in fact, many boutiques are incredibly pricey. But the overall experience is one of an attainable aspiration. While Tourneau may turn you off, everyone can afford a tiny piece of decadence from the Godiva chocolate shop. Just being in this grandiose space makes me feel indulgent. And when the daily grind gets too much, it’s a welcome retreat; when the rest of my fellow workers go to lunch, I go to the Center of Time and lose myself for one hour every day.