There is a place where no one is afraid to be themselves. People walk the streets with confidence, innately curious for any adventure that may appear around the corner. A place where no single person is dressed the same and everyone is expressing what’s on the inside, on the outside. That place is the one and only New York City.

In an environment where everyone marches to the beat of their own drum, how do you find your own rhythm? The city is laden with hidden culture just waiting to inspire you. Here we explore New York’s secret fashion hotspots, undiscovered museums and the fitness fads to get you moving with the pulse of the city.

Well-heeled wanderings

Treading your own path requires a signature pair of shoes – the kind you can flaunt as you walk down Fifth Avenue to sip cocktails at a new Soho hotspot. Standing out against the crowd is no easy feat, and in true New York style you may need a few extra inches. There is no shortage of shopping in the city, but only savvy locals know New York’s best shoe boutiques.

If you’re a true New Yorker, one of your first stops will be Chuckies on Madison Avenue. This NYC legend takes you back to the glory days of fashion, of gorgeous leathers and fine Italian stitching. Before top-end designers had their own dedicated boutiques, Chuckies was where they would sell their lines and the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez would follow. Today, it attracts an elite clientele who know the expert team at Chuckies offers a selection they can’t find anywhere else. High-end heels are sourced from around the world with a mix of styles straight from the runway and undiscovered smaller labels, many of which are sold exclusively at Chuckies — Aquazzura, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chloe, Givenchy, Ritch Erani NYFC and Marni to name just a few.

So much more than a store, Edon Manor feels more like a modern art gallery for the world’s top designer shoes. This chic boutique with wooden columns and fur throws specialises in the best selection of English and upscale European designer footwear. You may just walk into the concept store to buy a new pair of heels, but you’ll leave with an elevated sense of lifestyle. Adorn your feet with the newest styles from Tabitha Simmons, Paul Andrew, Proenza Schouler and more.

If browsing through New York shoe shops leaves you inspired, make and design your own pair of signature heels at Brooklyn Shoe Space. The studio, fully equipped with shoemakers’ machines, drills, patterns, pressers and pincers, can help make your footwear fantasies a reality. Whether you’re looking for a consultation on your idea, open studio time to create your vision or to join a class of like-minded shoe fanatics, you can get it done at Brooklyn Shoe Space. After all, if you can make it here, you can wear it anywhere.

Installation inspiration

Finding your own New York sense of style may require some inspiration. Where better for creative stimulation than walking among the most cutting-edge aesthetic and design installations? The city is a hub for some of the world’s best museums, but not all of them are in plain sight. Avoid the usual recommendations and start your journey at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, which reopened in 2014 after a three-year, $91 million renovation and is the only museum in the country entirely devoted to historic and contemporary design.

Browse over 240 years of design that celebrates the power of human creativity, and you might just garner some of your own. Use modern technology to create your own artwork in high-tech installations such as its Immersion Room, where visitors can sketch their own designs and project them on the walls at full scale. Located in the landmark Andrew Carnegie Mansion on Fifth Avenue, the museum houses more than 210,000 design objects and a world-class design library.

If you need a little peace and quiet, a place away from the crowds and background noise, head to The Noguchi Museum for contemplation and reflection. In 1985, Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi converted an industrial building into a testament to his life’s work. Noguchi is known for his ability to provoke profound thought through the silence in his sculptures and architecture. The museum is designed around an open-air garden of large carved granite and basalt sculpture in the style that defined Noguchi’s career, within a building that houses 10 unique galleries.

To fully appreciate New York City, you must familiarise yourself with its history. The Morgan Library & Museum holds the city’s foremost collections of manuscripts, rare books, music, drawings and works of art. This extensive collection began as the private library of the late Pierpont Morgan. Today, the Renzo Piano-designed museum not only includes a dynamic selection of literary history, it also houses artwork by some of the world’s most famous artists. Browse Rembrandt’s first masterpiece, pastels by American artist Lucas Samaras and sculptures from ancient Mesopotamia – you could spend days here learning about the history of the city and the world.

While museums are a sure way to experience a wide variety of work, the character and curation of New York’s best galleries are not to be missed. A mere stroll around the famed Chelsea Art District will start you in the right direction, but there are a few stops you’ll have to make along the way. Leila Heller Gallery, a pioneer in promoting creative exchange between Western and Middle Eastern, Central and South-east Asian artists; Sean Kelly, which specialises in diverse and intellectually driven art from installation and performance artists; and David Zwirner, once listed second on Forbes magazine’s America’s Most Powerful Art Dealers list, are three forces in the New York art scene that have collected masterpieces while remaining true to their Manhattan roots.

Even beyond world-class art, these galleries will give you a glimpse into an elusive social scene. Sophisticated New Yorkers from all fields of interest gather at these cultural institutions to browse the latest exhibitions and mingle with diverse art aficionados. Perhaps here, you will find your own New York beat.

Wellness warriors

An essential part to survival in the city is keeping fit. You’re no longer in a place where this means a boring hour on the treadmill. You’re in New York, and here you can indulge in almost anything.

If you want to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool, you can do that. AquaCycling at Aqua Studio is the latest New York fitness craze in the heart of Tribeca. Forget the days when you cycled in a dull room on dry land, this spinning experience takes place in four feet of healing saltwater that will challenge you with high-intensity cardio and full-body toning. Already a fitness trend in Europe, Aqua Studio was opened by French expat Esther Gauthier who designed the three-storey wellness boutique with a Parisian sense of intimacy and elegance: just steps down from the loft-style reception, a candlelit pool with state-of-the-art cycles immersed in optimally temperate water gives fitness fans an invigorating workout.

For another spin class with a difference, look no further than Monster Cycle + Studio in SoHo. This studio, once described as the gothic spin-off of SoulCycle, is a cycling club meets grunge nightclub meets graffiti art gallery. You might want to consider your outfit carefully. This is the kind of gym that could only be dreamt up in New York. Instructor Michael Macneal wanted to build a space and lifestyle concept at the intersection of art, nightlife, fashion and fitness, and created a studio with a black-and-white industrial design scheme, custom-made matte black Schwinn bikes, a club sound system, art installations and a DJ booth. High-octane spin classes are dark, sweaty and noisy – with rock-hard glutes guaranteed.

From water to land to the sky, test your strength at the Big Apple’s famous Trapeze School New York. Here you can get in shape while literally flying across the West Side Highway; it’s so enjoyable you won’t even realise you’re getting a workout. Trapeze classes offer a cardio workout that builds strength and flexibility. After a yoga-inspired warm-up, attendees complete core conditioning reps on the trapeze, such as hanging by the arms to build up strength, before heading up to the high trapeze to discover their sense of grace and control – albeit while overcoming any fear of heights as they swing and flip like a circus performer through the air.

The options certainly don’t stop there. When it comes to fitness and finding your own beat, there is no better way to kill two birds with one stone than at Daybreaker’s early morning rave experience. Start your day with a celebrational dance in this immersive workout, which bills itself as a community, dance party and wellness movement. The unique experience, held at a different iconic venue with each pre-work party, will not only have you moving your feet but will awaken you with yoga, mesmerising visual entertainment, a free massage, coffee and breakfast. Good morning, New York City!

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel is a New York City icon in the city's Upper East Side.

Masthead Image copyright: Trapeze School New York