New York has long been a playground for world-renowned architects, and the redevelopment of the World Trade Center is just the latest project to reshape the city’s silhouette. Housed within the gleaming Robert A.M. Stern-designed 30 Park Place, the new Four Seasons New York Downtown has an enviable perch from which to observe the continuing transformation of Lower Manhattan. Wedged between Tribeca and the Financial District, at the center of the media industry’s southern migration (Condé Nast moved its offices to One World Trade in 2014), the vintage-inspired limestone facade feels like a relic from a bygone era, not the newest addition to the increasingly modern cityscape. Inside, award-winning design firm Yabu Pushelberg adorned the property’s 189 rooms and 28 suites with a lavish mix of natural leather, bronze, and taupe-patterned textiles. A distinctly residential mood endemic to the Four Seasons brand reveals itself through ergonomic work stations and spa-like bathrooms with elliptical freestanding tubs and oversized vanities. The third floor spa, outfitted with a 75-foot lap pool and double height windows overlooking Barclay Street, is a reprieve from the street-level din. Or head out and join it in new restaurants, food markets, and bars seemingly popping up in the neighborhood on a weekly basis. But be sure to book a meal at the onsite restaurant, Cut by Wolfgang Puck, the Austrian-born chef’s first New York outpost. French designer Jacques Garcia collaborated with Puck and his wife, Gelila Assefa, to create a temple to Japanese Wagyu and the chef’s famous bone marrow flan with a seductive, red-lit dining room. Even in a fast-changing part of town, a steakhouse feels like a perfect fit for a classic-style skyscraper. – Davian Rodríguez