There’s perhaps no city in the world that embraces basketball quite like New York. With a carte blanch budget courtesy of Tissot – the Official Watch and the Official Timekeeper of the NBA – and only 48-hours to soak it all in, we can confirm first hand that the contents of this article will set the scene for a wild roster of pre-game festivities in the Big Apple. Don’t do a basketball game in New York City without reading this first. Let’s get straight into it.
STAY
There’s are two reasons The PUBLIC Hotel is the hottest ticket in town, and they have very little to do with its actual accommodations. The first has you reaching for your phone before you’ve ever entered through the revolving doors. The escalators to the hotel lobby surely make the PUBLIC one of the most Instagrammed hotel entrances in America.
The second is the scene-to-be-seen hotel rooftop, which boasts some of the best views in lower Manhattan. Hotel guests get priority access to the rooftop bar, and on a Friday afternoon in November, it could be one of the best places in the city to perch and sink a few pre-season beers. It’s also in a very convenient location to get across the bridge to Brooklyn or uptown to Madison Square Garden, whichever game you’re going to.
PLAY
If you’re in New York City for just a weekend, you can bet that whichever night you’re not hitting up a basketball game, you’ll be out on the town. A short walk from PUBLIC is Peachy’s, an underground haunt in Chinatown that spins groovy disco tunes to the early hours and is a great spot to start or finish your evening. If you’re keen to ease into the night, Death & Company is a cracking speakeasy just a few block north-east of the PUBLIC.
And what better way to shake a hangover than a doors-off helicopter over the city? When we said carte blanch with the budget, we meant it. FlyNyon offer the Hollywood experience out of their New Jersey HQ, and, for the money, it’s without a doubt one of the best value ways to see the metropolis that is New York in its entirety. Pro tip – book the 15 minute flight, and then when you’re offered the upgrade to the longer flight (that is definitely worth it), whip out your best negotiating tactics for a sizeable discount.
SHOP
The New York City shopping scene doesn’t get much better than the Soho area, though If you like having money in the bank, we’d definitely recommend not visiting Aimé Leon Dore’s headquarters on Crosby street straight off the bat. All within a breezy walking distance of the PUBLIC are the likes of Suitsupply, Lululemon and Everlane, as well as Charlie Street, a cafe owned by Aussie chef Dan Churchill, which we’d say is the best perch in the area to recharge and recaffinate.
When you inevitably venture farther afield to the iconic Fifth Avenue, some of the world’s biggest and best brands have planted their flagship stores either side of the bustling shopping district. Tissot’s leading retail boutique at 667 5th Ave is the place to be when it comes to achievable Swiss timepieces that keep you looking sharp no matter the occasion. While on the ground in NYC, we switched between the T-Touch Connect and the PRX Automatic, with the former synced to our smartphone for real-time updates on weather, basketball tip-off times, and notifications, so we never missed a beat.
BALL
With the 2023/23 season launching as we speak, there are enough basketball games happening every other day to satisfy any fanatic. Between New York’s two hometown teams and a stacked roster of visiting squads, odds are you’ll always be able to see your favourite players if you get the dates right.
As for sourcing the best tickets in town? You really can’t go past ticketing giant Stubhub, who sell and resell tickets to every game on the calendar. While we all wish we could afford courtside seats, it’s worth noting that for a fraction of the price you can still get a prime spot (any of the first 8 rows with a letter from A to D on the seat number) that have access to the hospitality suites for both Brooklyn and MSG. There’s a VIP entrance, premium bar, complimentary food on offer, and access to the player’s tunnel. If you’re only going to push the boat out for a basketball game once in your life, this is way to do it.
This article is proudly presented in partnership with Tissot. Thank you for supporting the brands who support Boss Hunting.
