Q: Designers on Landmarks

Mark McMenamin -- Interior Design, 9/1/2008

There are 8 million stories in our naked city, but we asked designers for just one: “What’s your favorite New York landmark, hot spot, or secret place?”

“I have a new haunt for lunch, Kellari’s Parea Greek Bistro. Wonderful atmosphere and great food and wine. Calamari, and usually the fish of the day, are my downfalls.” —Rick Focke of HOK

“Grand Army Plaza. It has the elegance, scale, and grandeur of a European plaza. But it’s so quiet during the week, you can go to the Brooklyn Museum, the Public Library, or the Botanical Gardens and feel you have them all to yourself.” —Emma Gardner of Emma Gardner Design

“I love the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I attended a party there many years ago and had so many martinis that I almost fell into the reflecting pool.” —Oskar Torres of Oskar Torres

“Balenciaga, for both the clothing and the interior design. The merchandise is displayed like pieces of artwork in a gallery, and the space offers a clean, unobstructed view of the architecture.” —Kelly Wearstler of Kelly Wearstler

“Rockefeller Center. It’s beautiful at street level, and the Top of the Rock has, by far, one of the most amazing views, where locals can feel like tourists without being swallowed by a crowd.” —Ashley Bellavia of TSC Design Associates

What’s your favorite New York place? Tell us by using the Talkback feature below.