6 days Ago By Donald Erskine
NICK Carraway felt like both an insider and an outsider in New York in the classic novel The Great Gatsby. And I reckon his predicament resonates with anyone experiencing the Big Apple , where you can be surrounded by luxury and history, throwing yourself into city life, yet still feel more than a little invisible and insignificant. 8 The Vanderbilt Mansion has stunning views of the Hudson River Credit: Supplied 8 I loved exploring the city with a deeper understanding of the people who shaped it 8 New York State offers a Gatsby-esque party like no other Credit: Alamy The tonic? Get out of the city, delve deeper into the Empire State, and experience New York like a New Yorker .
And why wouldn’t you? There’s something about The Great Gatsby that makes you want to step into its world. Celebrating its 100th birthday next year, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is a portal to a time of opulence and glamour.
As readers are introduced to Gatsby’s world, they’re swept into the roaring 20s and Jazz Age New York — filled with wild parties, mysterious mansions, and a longing for the American dream. read more travel GO WITH THE FLO Tranquil Florida region with rich history, stylish hotels & hidden beaches TAKE A BITE 'It's luxury, tasty food and constant refills,' inside new flight to New York While much of the Gatsby allure centres on New York City and Long Island, where it is set, it’s only by getting into the state and exploring it that you get a true feeling for the iconic setting. Within a short journey, I left the concrete jungle of NYC behind and was quickly immersed in the luxury of Long Island - Gatsby’s prohibition-era backyard.
Known as the “Gold Coast,” this area inspired Gatsby’s fictional West and East Egg, where lavish estates and grand mansions sprawl over lush, manicured grounds - Westbury Gardens being one of the most impressive of them. A short drive from there, I discovered Oheka Castle, one of the largest private homes in America, and felt like I’d stepped right into Fitzgerald’s pages. Most read in News Travel ROAD SKIP NC500 listed in popular travel guide's 'no-go' places to avoid in 2025 LISTEN UP Songs you should never listen to on a flight - as they'll make you more stressed PITCH IN UK's highest campsite has cosy pods and views of the country's tallest mountain STOP THE BUS Glasgow bus station set for huge redesign to create world-class hub The castle’s original owner, Otto Hermann Kahn, had riotous parties there that are said to have inspired those Gatsby threw.
Taking a tour through the sprawling grounds, which were the backdrop for Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ music video, and the castle that hosted Kevin Jonas’s wedding, I tread in the footsteps of showbiz Royalty. Saks Fifth Avenue light show canceled after two decades as store takes ‘new approach’ to beloved holiday tradition Next stop on my namedrop tour was the villa of a family who once had more money in their bank account than the US Government - the Vanderbilts. The home, now a museum, is known as ‘Eagles Nest’.
It boasts a fitting tribute to The Vanderbilt family, who represent the pinnacle of American wealth and ambition during the early 20th century. A little further from the heart of the State is Hudson Valley, home to Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate. Perched atop a hill in Sleepy Hollow, Kykuit’s grand interiors, art collections, and beautiful gardens make for a fascinating trip back in time, and you can picture multi-millionaire Gatsby feeling poor among the richest of the rich.
8 Sleepy Hollow is the perfect spooky stop on a tour of the state, especially around Halloween 8 KyKuit mansion on the Rockefeller Estate shows the sheer luxury the rich of the time lived in Credit: Supplied 8 Releasing my inner Swiftie as I pictured myself in the 'Blank Space' music video at Oheka Castle SLEEPY HOLLOW Sleepy Hollow - home to Lyndhurst Mansion, another classic example of Gilded Age elegance - was my next stop. With haunted legends, Victorian architecture, and lush estates, it was like an atmospheric escape into history. Visiting these historic, culturally significant mansions provided me with an incredible insight into the life Gatsby aspired to and, in some ways, captured.
To capture the quaint, small-town American luxury of Long Island, a stopover in idyllic North Port is a must. The Northport Hotel provides a luxurious stay on the shore and a dining experience that is not to be missed as you picture yourself docking your boat (or seaplane) as Jay Gatsby would’ve. But, of course, no Great Gatsby-inspired trip to New York State is complete without taking a bite out of the Big Apple.
For Gatsby aficionados, the Plaza Hotel is a must. This landmark has remained one of the city’s most iconic symbols of sophistication since it opened in 1907. Fitzgerald himself frequented the hotel and used it as a key setting in his iconic novel.
In front of the Plaza is the Pulitzer Fountain, where Fitzgerald jumped in after a wild night out, although this might be frowned upon if you’re not a world-renowned writer. 8 The Pulitzer Fountain in front of the Plaza Hotel in New York, where Fitzgerald splashed around after one too many Credit: Getty - Contributor 8 The iconic Chrysler Building is just one of the examples of magnificent architecture from the era The Rockefeller Center was built just after the time of Gatsby, and the new Top of The Rock sends visitors soaring for rare, pulse-pounding perspectives of the iconic 360-degree, unobstructed skyline view - giving you a unique view of the city from 70 stories up. From there, you can see the Chrysler building and the architecture of the age speckled throughout the world’s most famous skyline.
Back down on terra firma, I wandered along Fifth Avenue, where the Vanderbilts raised several mansions, earning it the nickname “Millionaire’s Row”, and stared in wonder at the iconic Grand Central Station, built as a testament to their railroad legacy. For another slice of Gatsby-esque New York, the New Yorker Hotel, built just at the end of the Roaring Twenties, offers an art-deco stay that will have you wondering if you’ve stepped back in time when you walk into the gold-ceilinged lobby. GO: NEW YORK STATE GETTING/STAYING THERE : America As You Like It has a 13-night ‘Long Island, Hudson Valley, Central New York State & The Catskills’ trip from £1339pp, including accommodation, flights & car hire.
See americaasyoulikeit.com or call 0208 742 8299. MORE INFO: For more visit iloveny.
com . No matter where I went in the city, I couldn’t escape the names of the Gilded Age’s titans that inspired Fitzgerald. And having explored their world and immersed myself in their lives, I started to feel like I truly understood the incredible place.
NYC of 2024 may be all neon lights and a 90-decibel steady thrum of noise, but delving deep into the world of Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, I got to know the people who built the city, the heritage and the sheer impressive depth of character the place possesses. And that’s when the city’s past came alive to me, offering a timeless escape into the elegance and excitement of the Roaring Twenties a century later. Read more on the Scottish Sun WANDER-FUL Idyllic 4.
5-mile walk between two of Scotland's most beautiful seaside villages UGLY SCENES Shock moment ultras clash on Glasgow street as fans chased into pub doorway So, to get the best of New York, we must promise that ‘tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther’ and grab New York State to enjoy it as it should be, not just confined to the city limits. After all, Gatsby would want you to, old sport - even though he’d probably not join you..
