To dine and sleep in New York City.

New York City is back--not that it ever went away, but it did have to recover.

Recovery, although still ongoing, has been successful and the city is roaring back to its old self--thrilling, exhilarating, stimulating, giddy, electrifying--all of that and even more. It keeps getting better and better. Brighter, cleaner, crime remains at an all-time low.

And as the economy improves and tourism grows daily, the list of new hotels opening and others reopening, plus the wonderful new restaurants that have just arrived or are scheduled to in the very near future, bears witness to our mighty city's return.

All of this translates into a whole new cycle of building and growth--new retail, new offices--an exhilarating future for us in commercial real estate to anticipate.

Last year, there were approximately 71,000 hotel rooms in New York. More are being added this year. (That's an awful lot of people!) What follows is just a fraction of the recent hotel and restaurant activity that is presently revitalizing New York's business world.

The Millennium Hilton, 55 Church Street, has re-opened, completely restored and refurbished. The New York Marriott, Financial Center, 85 West Street, has also reopened. Marriott is very active in New York.

Other Marriotts that have just opened or are opening soon: The Marriott Residence Inn, Sixth Avenue and 39th Street, Marriott Courtyard, Broadway and West 54th Street, and the Marriott Courtyard, scheduled for next year in Harlem, Park Avenue and 125th Street.

The City has recently welcomed a slew of delightful luxury boutique hotels, with more on the way: The 12-story Maritime was built on the site of the old Maritime Union Headquarters, 363 West 16th Street. It has been described as an ocean voyage from Japan, by way of Palm Springs. The rooms, with Asian overtones, are like modern ships cabins with five-foot porthole windows.

The hotel's ocean liner-size restaurant, Matsuri, is considered on of the best in the city, giving Nobu a run for its money.

The Alex, 205 East 45th Street, is also of an Asian persuasion, but more austere, more Zen--lots of bamboo with hand-laid terrazzo floors. It has been said that one can become almost too relaxed at The Alex. They have a "profile preference" list that records guests' preferences (ice creams, soaps, etc.) so that on every stay, they will automatically be provided with their favorites.

Just opening in the historic Gansevoort Historic District (the Meatpacking District) the Hotel Gansevoort, 13th Street and Ninth Avenue. Although the interior is minimalist in design, the extravagant use of fabric and leather gives the rooms a rich and sumptuous feeling. Bay windows with seating areas provide panoramic views of the Hudson. The restaurant is tri-level and again, Japanese, Ono, from the famous Jeffrey Chodrow.

Another hotel is also scheduled for the Meatpacking District, on Washington Street.

In Soho, Benjamin Soleimani, developer of Hotel 41 on 41st Street, will build The Bond Street Hotel at 10-12 Bond Street and Lafayette. Mr. Soleimani says that it will be for fashion designers and artistic people. There will be high ceilings, French windows, and terraces looking out on Lafayette.

Robert DeNiro, Ira Drucker, and Richard Born are building a luxury hotel in Tribeca, between Greenwich and N. Moore Streets, which is to open next year.

Now, if you're in the market for a Luxury hotel in Cinemascope, with Stereophonic sound, there two new ones: The Ritz-Carlton, 50 Central Park South, in the former St. Moritz, with a spa by La Prairie and a dining room by Gabriel Kreuther and the Mandarin Oriental, in the new Time Warner Center, where Opulence abounds.

Two older hotels have been sold and will be converted into condominiums--The Empire on West 63rd Street and The Windsor on West 58th.

Some other hotels are also up for sale: The Rhiga, the Crowne Plaza at the U.N. and Time Hotel on Times Square.

The restaurant roll is fantastic. So many new and exciting ones that have just opened or are about to, to sample and enjoy. First of all, the crowd, which reads like the Academy Awards of the culinary world, at Time Warner Center: The Charlie Trotter Restaurant. Charlie's from Chicago, on the 3rd level, along with Cafe Gray--Gray Kunz, formerly of Lespinasse. Jean Georges (Vongerichten) Steakhouse, will open soon on the 4th level. Also on four, Per Se, already open. The chef is Thomas Keller, owner of French Laundry in Napa Valley, California. Masa/Bar Masa by Masa Takayama. Sushi from Beverly Hills. Rande Gerber's Stone Rose Lounge.

There will be a new Nobu, Japanese haute cuisine, a block from Carnegie Hall, 40 West 57th Street. Robert DeNiro, an owner of Nobu in Tribeca is involved.

Sant Ambroeus, the chic Milanese cafe, has moved from Madison Avenue to the West Village, 259 West 4th Street, at Perry.

Marcus Samuelson of Aquavit is scheduled to open the Japanese-inspired, Riingo, at the Hotel Alex. Chef Laurent Tourondel is opening two BLTs (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) BLT Steak at 106 East 57th Street and BLT Fish at 21 West 17th Street on Union Square.

David Burke, most recently corporate administration for Smith & Wollensky (Park Avenue Cafe) has returned to chefdom, partnering with Donatella Arpaia of Bellini at david burke & donatella, in the townhouse at 133 East 66th Street. Also provided--a white stretch limousine parked outside--the "smoking car".

Eric Ripat has joined his sous chef, Michael Vernon, at Geisha, 33 East 61st Street. A Japanese restaurant with an Italian Spirit.

In the Meatpacking District, Barbuto, "earthy Italian", Washington Street at West 12th. Also in Meatpacking, Gray Kunz and Jean-Georges have collaborated on the just opened Spice Market, Asian street food.

Other openings of interest for the appetite in the last few months: 'Cesca, The Biltmore Room, Dumonet, Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, Lever House, Mix in New York, WD-50, Hacienda de Argentina, Robert's Steakhouse, Shula's, Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, and Public.

In spite of the sad demise of Lutece and Lespinasse and La Cote Basque's becoming a brasserie, grand French cuisine is staging a comeback with much of the old guard, La Grenouille, which will have a whole new look, Restaurant Daniel, Le Bernardin, Le Cirque, Jean Georges, Le Perigord, Alain Ducasse, and The Four Seasons, still going strong.

The new and beautiful Lever House has opened on Park, right across the Avenue from the Four Seasons, perhaps in competition, but probably not, for each is exceptional in its own right. And of course, there's Michael's on West 55th, favored by the media and fashion.

It will surely be a busy year ahead. This upsurge in the restaurant and hotel businesses in all likelihood heralds an increase in retail sales and leasing, something that all of us will welcome.