Experience Spring at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown

Spring heralds the start of a new season dedicated to new beginnings. In celebration of spring, Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown debuts two new experiential seasonal programs for guests - Bike the City and Picnic in the Park. The newest offerings highlight brand new Biria Bikes to sightsee around the city, a hand-illustrated map by illustrator Tanu Vasu as their guide to Downtown’s must-see spots, and a delicious selection of local snacks.

Surrounded by water on all sides and boasting great natural beauty, New York City, specifically Lower Manhattan, has more than 1,350 miles (2,175 kilometres) of bike lanes around the island. The city is extremely bike friendly and offers the ideal way to take in the sights and sounds of Lower Manhattan. Carefully designed by the Concierge Team, the Bike the City experience and custom map showcase the most special iconic of Lower Manhattan, where there is no shortage of exceptional attractions, each treasured for its cultural significance.

“We are delighted to bring the next chapter of guest experiences to Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The vision behind our Bike the City experience is to catalogue a life well lived in NYC and bring the best of downtown to life while highlighting our Concierge knowledge of Downtown, celebrating local craftsmanship, and building on our current lifestyle collaborations at the Hotel,” says Thomas Carreras, General Manager. “We hope our guests will take full advantage of this new experiential offering and delight in some of the unique destinations featured in the bespoke map we have partnered on.”

Whether perusing Downtown art galleries or venturing to find the best cocktails on the West Side’s waterfront, the new fleet of six Biria bikes will provide guests with the best way to travel around Lower Manhattan. Born in Germany, US-based Biria Bikes gained popularity for bringing bicycles to North America that captured the same spirit found in the most popular models being ridden across Europe. “Biria City Bikes were designed for New York City. They are utilitarian, stylish, and made with high-quality components to withstand the NYC streets,” says Tony Biria of Biria Bikes. “Four Seasons guests want to ride in style. The Biria CityBikes have that classic European design, and at the same time, a very comfortable ride.”

To help navigate their journey, guests will receive a custom-illustrated local map designed by artist Tanu Vasu of @NYCCurated. Vasu’s map has highlighted the top hotspots for both tourists and locals in Lower Manhattan and spans a wide array of categories including food and entertainment, art and culture, shopping, family friendly locales, and the best places for a photo opportunity or a picnic. The Downtown Map can also be used as a walking map and collector’s item to take home as a special souvenir from New York.

Bicycles are available for guests' complimentary use through the Hotel’s Concierge. To accompany the new bikes, the Hotel's Picnic in the Park experience is a perfect way to end the excursion. With an authentic New York Picnic Basket for two, curated by Executive Chef Maria Tampakis, guests can delight in an elevated interpretation of the quintessential picnic, offering a selection of delicious classics in an easy-to-transport basket to enjoy in one of downtown Manhattan’s many parks.

With more than 1,700 parks to choose from, they present a reprieve from the fast-paced and industrial nature of the buzzing metropolis. With plenty of unique programming arranged by the city, such as movies on the lawn, public art installations, concerts and more, parks in Manhattan draw locals and visitors alike out to the beautiful outdoor spaces.

The Picnic in the Park experience will be available in platter and classic options with servings for two and feature:

• A selection of cheeses and charcuterie from NYC favourite grocer Murray’s Cheese
• Fresh salads and the best of New York classic sandwiches
• Grilled seasonal vegetables
• Fresh fruit, kettle-cooked chips, marinated olives, chocolate chip cookies, strawberry lemonade

“It has been exciting to curate our Picnic Baskets. There is something so special about bringing an idea to life at this scale and calibre,” says Executive Chef Maria Tampakis.  “As a New York native myself, I wanted to bring the culture of picnics and exploration to guests at an elevated culinary level, so that they can experience the city like a local at a Four Seasons luxury standard.”

The Picnic in the Park experience is USD 175 for two people and is available to guests of the Hotel. Picnics can be booked by emailing concierge.nydowntown@fourseasons.com and require 24-hour advance notice.

About Biria Bikes

German born, US-based Biria Bikes is committed to providing the ultimate comfort and quality in riding bicycles. The brand gained popularity in Europe for its flair for being both utilitarian and stylish. Biria Bikes USA was born in 2002, with the goal of bringing bicycles to North America that captured the same spirit found in the most popular models being ridden all across Europe.

About NYC Curated

Tanu Vasu is an illustrator and fashion designer based in New York City. Pastel colours dominate the composition of her whimsical illustrations, accentuated by simple ink outlines that represent figures and forms. Vasu is inspired by the charm and allure of New York City, vintage finds, and vibrant patterns. Vasu designs clothing for New York based fashion brands where she developed her unique illustration technique. This led her to create @nyccurated, a chronicled series of whimsical illustrations depicting life in New York City.