Lila Raicek's Uptown New York Guide Highlights Art and Culture

Playwright and author Lila Raicek, a Barnard graduate who grew up in Connecticut, has released her debut novel "The Plunge" (Park Row), inspired by her return to New York after Hollywood. The book follows characters Liv and Damon in an affair across Upper East Side museums, parks, and nights. Raicek, who wrote for TV shows like "Younger" and "Gossip Girl," is adapting her play "Vertebrae" into an erotic thriller series "Night Float" with Nina Dobrev. Her play "Master Builder" starring Ewan McGregor and Elizabeth Debicki ran on London's West End last year. In a Vogue guide, she recommends cultural spots: Neue Galerie's Café Sabarsky for sachertorte, the Park Avenue Armory for performing arts and TEFAF art fair, galleries like Turn Gallery (showing Karyn Lyons) and Almine Rech (Vivian Springford), and Aquavella's Matisse show. She highlights the Frick Collection's renovated mansion, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Met's Lehman Wing. Raicek also notes the Upper East Side's literary history, mentioning Sylvia Plath, Shirley Hazzard, Dorothy Parker, Wendy Wasserstein, and Joan Didion. She wrote most of the novel during the pandemic, inspired by New York's resilience.