Nargis Fakhri’s New York

“NYC is an amalgamation of ethnicities – a place where you can meet so many different types of people from all over the world; where people from all corners of the globe arrive, to live or to vacation. Despite having grown up there, I still haven’t explored every part of it, that’s how widespread and illustrious it is. It has everything you could want and need – great arts and culture, awesome night life, fabulous top notch restaurants, beautiful parks and some lovely and eclectic people.”

Its visual appeal
Manhattan has tall overpowering buildings, with finely laid out streets so it’s easy to manoeuvre.I always say it’s the people that make a city, and NYC has a lot of beautiful people to look at and to get to know. On a tiny island, to have such a variety of visual appeal is just amazing – from the Lower East Side to the Upper West Side, trendy grungy places downtown and then the uppity hotspots and Central Park uptown. An adult’s amusement park when it comes to living the big city life.

Where to stay
I grew up in Queens but if you are visiting I would suggest the East Village or the Upper West Side Manhattan or Williamsburg Brooklyn. Those would be the cooler places.

Food fiesta
You want it …we got it. You want Cuban, Italian, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Colombian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Pan Asian? You get the drift…. This is the city of food and it is authentic food! Some of my favourite restaurants are Tao Dos Caminos, PIO PIO, Little Korea, Balthazar and GOBO.

A shopper’s paradise
Especially during the sales. You have high end and high street and also super cheap shopping. Great places from Saks Fifth Avenue or Barney’s to Target and Walmart and many boutiques that sell at throwaway prices. I shop often at Century 21, T.J.Maxx, Screaming Mimi’s, Mystique Boutique among many others…. There are also great vintage/secondhand shops that offer amazing deals.

Art and culture
NYC has something happening on the A&C front all the time. I have seen several Broadway and off-Broadway shows, ballet performances, operas, open mic nights, jazz nights, this city has everything you can dream of. During summers, there are a lot of outdoor concerts at the various parks all over the boroughs.

Its style quotient
One of the fashion capitals of the world and yet the best part is that in NYC you are free to be you. Everyone feels they are able to express themselves through their style. You will see all sorts of fashion trends in New York but the city doesn’t force you to choose.

Nargis Fakhri who debuted with the Ranbir Kapoor starrer, Rockstar, was seen in this year’s successful release, Main Tera Hero opposite Varun Dhawan. She is awaiting the release of her international film, Paul Fieg’s Spy, co-starring Jude Law, Jason Statham and Melissa McCarthy.