FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 7, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 77
A spectacular weekend! VICTORIA’S
vschneps@gmail.com
Friendships take me on
many paths and this weekend
I discovered a new
world in our great city: Th e
Hudson Yards created over the
ugly train rail on the West Side
of Manhattan.
Th e train tracks are there, but
some creative genius engineers
fi gured out how to put a “roof ”
over them and build stunning
soaring buildings on the new
surface.
My friend Lydia Sarfati was
honored two weeks ago at the
Polish American Women’s
Conference in Manhattan.
At the VIP party, I had the
good fortune to meet Emily
Kopelman, the impressive manager
of Equinox Hotel. I had
heard positive things about the
cutting edge hotel that opened
in Hudson Yards a few months
ago.
She and I immediately bonded
and she invited me to stay at the
hotel. I accepted and Saturday it
was my treat to spend the night
there.
As I drove up the West Side
highway and took a left turn
onto the “campus “ of the
Hudson Yards, I saw the glistening
Vessel, the extraordinary
centerpiece of the Yards surrounded
by a Neiman Marcus
mall, which connects to Th e
Shed, a cultural center and my
destination, the Equinox Hotel.
I felt lost in the remarkable
setting and called Emily, who
told me to look for her doorman
wearing a white shirt. With
her guidance I found the hotel
across from the shopping mall.
Th e doorman showed me to
the elevator, which I took to
the 24th fl oor to check in. From
there, we were taken to our corner
room on the 30th fl oor with
incredible views of the Hudson
River and Midtown.
Th e Equinox brand is 25
years old and this is their fi rst
hotel. I love how their theme of
“high-performance living” that
has translated into an unusual
5-Star luxury hotel experience.
I was amazed when the bellman
showed me the TV sleep
system programming including
relaxation, stretching, and yoga
videos.
I knew I was in a special place
for a serene night of sleep when
I saw the puff y down comforters
and specially designed
push-button blackout shades
from an iPad with room teperature
and light control.
The view from the
restaurant where I
had brunch.
I took a
tour of the
Equinox’s 60,000 square-foot
gym, as well as their rejuvenating
spa, which added to the
“temple of well-being” feeling I
had at the hotel.
Brunch was on the 24th
fl oor overlooking the Hudson
at Electric Lemon, off ering
the fl uffi est, tastiest egg-white
omelette I ever ate. Th ere’s
something enervating about sitting
on top of the world and the
sun shining light onto our comfortable
plush sofa seating.
Th e Vessel, a unique art
installation created by Th omas
Heatherwick and his company,
is jaw-droppingly beautiful with
its glistening copper exterior. It
was built during the Bloomberg
era, adding the No. 7 subway to
the new complex that is near the
Javits Center.
Ironically, the incentives to
build it were more than what
the city off ered Amazon.
Everyone should visit the
new world on the West Side
of Manhattan; what once was a
wasteland and is now a thriving
bustling community, unique in
our city and possibly the entire
country.
It’s certainly worth a visit by
subway or car to see the new
world “where compromise simply
doesn’t exist” for the Equinox
Hotel and developers of Hudson
Yards.
Th ank you, Emily, for making
me feel like a queen during my
stay at your hotel.
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
tweet me @vschneps
The view of The Vessel
from the outdoor pool
balcony.
The spa has an
indoor pool.
The 60,000 square-foot
gym inside the hotel.
One of the
shoes at
Neiman
Marcus.
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