Because New York doesn’t sleep and lives up to its name by always offering something new, there have been a few exciting additions to the Big Apple recently. Over the last year there were museum openings and reopenings, the unveiling of new architectural icons, and of course, exciting new restaurants and hotels.

UCityGuides.com has been going around Manhattan in the last few weeks, taking a look at what’s hot in the most cosmopolitan of islands, and has updated its New York guide. We found that although it opened already over a year ago, only now do tourists seem to be discovering the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Others also don’t seem to be aware of the fact that the Museum of Arts & Design is since September of 2008 in a sleek new (and controversial) building facing Central Park, or that Frank Gehry’s choice for his New York landmark was not his usual bent steel, but curved and twisted glass. That’s the IAC Building, that is sure to become a new Manhattan icon, as Norman Foster’s Hearst Tower has already become in the last couple of years.

Another building getting plenty of buzz is the new Standard Hotel. Located in the still-hip Meatpacking District, the floating glass tower offers a stunningly designed interior and spectacular river views from its floor-to-ceiling windows. Similar elegance is found in Robert De Niro’s Greenwich Hotel which opened last year with an eclectic but sophisticated décor.

Other news in New York’s accommodation is the end of Hotel QT to become part of the Spanish Room Mate Chain. It is now Room Mate Grace, although it maintains its simple-but-tastefully designed rooms and famous lobby pool.

A hot table in town at the moment is found at any of the Momofuku restaurants, either at its Ssam Bar on 2nd Ave. or at Ko on First Ave. Also check out the Meatpacking District’s new Merkato 55 serving creative African cuisine in a beautifully-designed, seductively-lit space.

If you’re planning to be in New York soon, the biggest event coming up is the Tribecca Film Festival in April, screening around 250 films to look for the next big new thing, which is what New York is all about.

Check out UCityGuides’ New York city and hotels guide for more details about these and all of the city’s other attractions.