New York Hot Spots With Katja Zwara

Get inside tips on New York hot spots from model and insider Katja Zwara

There are women who move through New York, and then there are women who seem to unlock it. It is as if they’ve been handed a slightly more interesting version of the city than the rest of us. Katja Zwara belongs firmly in the latter category as she shares her secrets.

Born in Germany to Polish roots and now based in New York, Zwara has built a life that reads like a passport stamped in silk. She is a model, traveler, and quiet observer of beauty in all its forms. But what makes her compelling isn’t just where she goes; it’s how she sees. Even more, there’s a softness to her world. Firstly she has an affection for animals, a curiosity about people, and a way of noticing the small, almost cinematic details that others rush past.

In New York, that sensibility sharpens. The city becomes less of a backdrop and more of a co-conspirator. Basically, one moment she’s downtown, slipping between cafés and hidden storefronts; the next, she’s uptown, brushing against something grand, a little decadent, entirely New York. Above all there is a rhythm she understands instinctively with equal parts elegance and chaos, glamour and grit.

Katja Zwara doesn’t just have favorite places here. She has moments, corners and light at a certain hour. The kind of New York that can’t be Googled, only felt.

And perhaps that’s the real allure. In a city obsessed with being seen, she reminds you how to look.

IRK: Describe your favourite restaurant in New York City?

Katja: There are so many amazing restaurants in the city so it’s very hard to stay loyal to just one. l love different restaurants in New York, for different reasons, but I would probably have to make the Corner Store my favorite restaurant at the moment. Their Caesar Salad is to die for, and so are the Martinis. Don’t get me started on the cozy chic feel of the restaurant located in the heart of Soho.

IRK: Date night Where What Why and When?

Katja: Easy. In the winter, the Nines (piano bar, very romantic). The Nines
Summer- Fanellis in Soho (social, fun and a NY staple). Fanelli Cafe

IRK: Street Food Choice? / Favorite Coffee spot?

Katja: Los Tacos without a doubt. Best street tacos in the city! Coffee, however, is a strictly at home situation.

IRK: Favourite Bar/pub & Why?

Katja: Crane Club. Great vibe, beautiful space, good drinks, and a little candy station to make things even sweeter.

Crane Club: 85 10th Ave, 10011 New York, New York

IRK: Name one Art Gallery/Museum you always go to New York?

Katja: I’m not as big of a museum girl as I maybe should be but I love the Guggenheim. I find it to be slightly hypnotic and I also flashed on of the art pieces once which is a story for another day…

IRK: Favourite Boutique/Shop?

Katja: I do my shopping mostly online except for AWET New York. My dear friend has the most beautiful boutique in the East Village. It’s a private by-appointment-only experience so you have the space entirely to yourself, which makes it feel really special. Everything is elegant, elevated and the quality is amazing across the whole line, definitely one of those quiet New York hot spots.

AWET New York: 122 Madison St, New York, NY 10002

IRK: Name an Area of New York you Love? And why?

Katja: I love the West Village. It’s central and charming, but also has this mix of being really clean and calm in some parts and a little wild in others. I feel like I can relate to that energy.

IRK: Where can you be found on a Saturday night in New York?

Katja: In the day, you will find me at PETCO Union Square, which is the location of our Muddypaws rescue adoption event that takes place every Saturday. However, in the evenings, probably at a movie theater, comedy show, or a fun bar with friends. Basically, I move between my favorite places across New York depending on the mood.

IRK: It’s Sunday in New York. What do you do?

Sunday, the sun is out and as a New Yorker, you have no choice but to stroll. I like to start in Soho and make my way up to the West Village and grab Leons bagels on the way! Maybe catch a street basketball game.

Sunday nights are for Yoga, Hot yoga, at Sui with my favorite teacher Victor Cotto and nobody can convince me otherwise.

Sui Yoga 180 6th Ave, New York, NY 1001

IRK: Where do you go for some peace and quiet in New York?

Katja: I am a sucker for Central Park, but when I really want to unplug and recharge, I’ll go to New Jersey and ride horses. I grew up around them, and I’ve always found it really therapeutic. I don’t do it as often as I should! It’s my way of stepping out of the rhythm of New York.

IRK: Name one hot spot a visitor must see when they come to New York.

Katja: If I have to pick one thing: New York PIZZA – you can’t leave the city without having tried New York pizza, and you must eat it while walking. I don’t make the rules, I just live by them.

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Credits for photos of Katja Zwara @katjazwara
production: Patrick Duffy @mrpatrickduffy
photographer: Josy Graye @josygraye
styling: @awetnyc and @iamsebastiangrey
makeup: lisa pietracolo @makeupbylisap
jewelry: @soleilleonjewelry
location: Civilan Hotel New York