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New York City
So what if Wall Street is tanking and bonus-less bankers are leaving in droves? That won't get in the way of the most exciting city on earth. New York City 2009 is going to cater less to captains of the universe and more to mere mortals, who'll be able to find recession specials at snazzy hotels and snag reservations at restaurants once eternally booked. The latest hotel openings already have aimed their sights at the cheap-and-chic crowd: The Standard (pictured) is debuting this December next to the High Line park, itself opening in spring 2009 on former elevated train tracks on the West Side. The high-rise is the latest project from André Balazs, whose Standard hotels in Los Angeles and Miami proved that being a hip hotelier doesn't require charging an arm and a leg. It'll have amazing views of the Hudson River and a restaurant from Dan Silverman, formerly the chef at Lever House. The ever-expanding Thompson Group has outposts to crow about in two of the city's coolest 'hoods: the Thompson LES, already open on the Lower East Side, and the Smyth Tribeca, due in January 2009. The minichain (see: 60 Thompson; Hollywood Roosevelt) is known to frequently post dirt-cheap rates online. For an even thriftier option, consider The Jane, a new West Village property from the too-cool-for-school owners of the Bowery Hotel. Starting at $99 a night, it's an ideal way to save cash for the rest of the city's offerings. Restaurants, too, are trying to make up for the business they lost when I-bankers stopped ordering $4,000 bottles of Bordeaux. Expect an emphasis on small plates and sharing, like at L'Artusi, a new offshoot of the West Village's white-hot Dell'anima; nearly everything on the menu is under $20.








