From la to london: lila raicek's nyc love letter – and a thrilling new series

Playwright and author Lila Raicek, a whirlwind of creative energy, has spent a lifetime chasing stories across the globe, from the Hollywood Hills to the West End. Now, her debut novel, The Plunge, is a vibrant, unapologetic ode to New York City, fueled by her experiences and a deep understanding of the city’s intoxicating rhythm.

A decade of defining moments

Raicek’s career has been a series of captivating detours. After graduating from Barnard, she briefly set up shop in Los Angeles, optioning her play Vertebrae and writing for hit shows like Younger and Gossip Girl. But her restless spirit led her back east, and then again, to London, where her play Master Builder starring Ewan McGregor and Elizabeth Debicki garnered critical acclaim on the West End.

the plunge: a manhattan noir

The Plunge, published by Park Row, plunges readers into a world of illicit romance and hidden desires, centered around two fictional characters, Liv and Damon, whose affair unfolds amidst the city’s iconic landmarks. “It’s a love letter to New York, specifically the Upper East Side,” Raicek explains. “The neighborhood itself transforms into a furtive hideaway.” The book is adapting into an erotic thriller TV series, Night Float, with Nina Dobrev at the helm – a testament to Raicek’s growing influence.

Nyc through her eyes

Let’s take a peek into Raicek’s favorite haunts, a curated selection reflecting her love for the city’s texture and soul:

Hotel: the carlyle

“I can’t not pick The Carlyle,” she says. “Ludwig’s murals of redheaded Madeline at Bemelman’s, the dark glitter of the skyline if you manage to crash a party upstairs. I once wandered in alone to use the bathroom while inconsolably crying over a breakup, and a waiter snuck me into a Judy Collins concert at Café Carlyle. I cried even harder when she sang a melancholic cover of ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes,’ yet it remains a fond NY memory.”

Restaurant: commerce

“When I was a grad student, I workshopped a play at the Cherry Lane Theatre and we’d go next door to Commerce afterward for drinks until closing. Over a decade later, it reopened as Cafe Commerce uptown and brought that sappic mural of Saint Sebastian with it. The new iteration has an intimate French bistro vibe, and it reminds me of when I was a wild theater kid.”

Beyond the usual

Photo: Alex Stein

Breakfast: birley bakery & eli’s

“Grab a cinnamon croissant at Birley Bakery or a lox bagel at Eli’s and eat it on a bench near the serene Conservatory Water with its model boats.”

Caffeine fix: via quadronno

“Via Quadronno, a charming spot, is featured in the penultimate scene of the book. Strong Italian cappuccinos in winter, and gelato cones in the summer. (Hint: Their sferzata di salute soup has kept me alive in dark times.)”

Dessert: café sabarsky

“Café Sabarsky, the Viennese café nestled inside the Neue Galerie, is a romantic-date dessert dream, with a grand piano and an array of decadent ‘tortes’ lining the mirror. Order the sachertorte with a glass of wine, but add a warm pretzel for good measure.”

Late-night: j.g. melon

“J.G. Melon for old-school burgers, martinis, and red-checked tablecloths. Bring cash!”

Theater: park avenue armory

“Not only is the Park Avenue Armory a momentous landmark—it was an actual nineteenth-century military fortress—but it also houses an astounding range of performing and visual arts. I’ve recently seen Lorca and Ibsen adaptations, an unhinged Schubert opera, and I always catch TEFAF, the art fair, in May.”

Best dish: le charlot

“Maybe not best, but pro tip: the off-menu Cajun chicken with fries at Le Charlot.”

Must shop: neue galerie

“Another nod to the Neue Galerie. After you absorb the luminous Klimts (Damon takes Liv here to see the haunting ‘Portrait of Ria Munk III’), don’t miss the shop downstairs with Austrian and German treasures. I found a special edition of Joseph Roth’s The Coral Merchant, which served as a fictional spark for (spoiler). a murder weapon.”

Always visiting: locanda verde

“When venturing beyond uptown, and you should, shout-out to quintessential Tribeca osteria Locanda Verde (my cousin’s place!)”

Art scene: turn gallery & almine rech

“The gallery scene is not to be missed. In recent years, I’ve discovered the brilliant work of Karyn Lyons at Turn Gallery, whose painting ‘The Imposter’ became the star of my book cover, and also Vivian Springford at Almine Rech.”

Beauty buys: zitomer & violet gray

“Zitomer, an iconic 70-year-old pharmacy mecca. I’ve cried here before, too, but it has never once stopped an elderly saleslady from scolding me that my pores need help. Also, the new Violet Gray, chicly tucked away in a garden.”

Literary haven: the corner bookstore & new york society library

“One of the last of its kind, The Corner Bookstore is a cherished gem of Carnegie Hill, open since 1978! I visited often while writing this book as a literary haven. The New York Society Library is also a special place.”

Flowers: alexander florals

“I always pause in front of the lovely sidewalk flowers at Alexander Florals.”

Instagram shot: le petit prince & mark hotel hot dog cart

“Maybe the new Le Petit Prince sculpture? Or the hot dog cart in front of the Mark Hotel.”

Souvenir: william greenberg cookies

“Black-and-white cookies at William Greenberg! Also, Poems of New York is a perfect, pocket-sized anthology (I worked for the editor in college) that I gift to everyone.”

Tourist trap i love: guggenheim museum

“The Guggenheim Museum. It’s a must-see, despite the crowds.”

Nature escape: central park

“Central Park is a leading character in my book, and a boundless source of inspiration that I have returned to again and again throughout the volatile weather of my life. I walk at all hours, in all seasons, and my route reflects my mood: the sundial in Shakespeare’s Garden, the floral urns of Bow Bridge, the bronze angel atop Bethesda Fountain. I remember drifting through the saffron-hued corridors of Christo’s The Gates in 2005 and realizing I could never leave this city.”

Peace & quiet: met museum lehman wing

“If I reveal the Lehman Wing at the Met Museum, will I regret it? The Bonnards, the Balthuses, the red-velvet sitting room and stained-glass skylight.it’s a hushed respite to reflect and escape.”

Getting around: on foot

“By foot, of course! And I do love a crosstown bus.”

Day trip: north fork, long island

“The Plunge travels to the North Fork of Long Island, which has long been a home for artists and writers. Wine-taste your way through the many vineyards, hike along Orient Point, and eat at The Old Mill Inn in Mattituck.”

Best view: belvedere castle

“The top of Belvedere Castle at twilight, waiting for the moon to rise over the skyline.”

Architectural gem: frick collection

“The newly renovated Frick Collection, based in Henry Clay Frick’s 1914 mansion, is a beauty. I’m sad that Flora Yukhnovich’s ‘Four Seasons’ is gone, but sit beneath the glass-domed roof in the Garden Court and find Whistler’s gossamer portrait of Frances Leyland.”

Best time to visit: spring

“Cue Billie Holiday’s ‘Autumn in New York,’ but don’t miss the park smothered in pink confetti from the cherry blossoms bursting in Spring.”

Skip: frozen yogurt

“If there’s a line for frozen yogurt. ”

Workout: jacqueline kennedy onassis reservoir

“Looping endlessly around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. My best friend and I call them ‘despair walks.’ ”

Cheap date: summerstage & films on the green

“The concerts at SummerStage, and the French film festival Films on the Green—both free and outdoors in Central Park. And, always, Shakespeare in the Park, if you wait in line for tickets!”

Splurge: marcel

“Dining beneath Joan Mitchell’s ‘King of Spades’ at Marcel, the new restaurant inside the brutalist Breuer building that now houses Sotheby’s. I’m a bit biased because I got married at La Mercerie in Soho (where we lived for 2 years), so I’m in awe of anything that Robin and Stephen Alesch design—and their latest is elegantly enchanting.”

Local favorite: locanda verde

“A favorite sighting was [Aryna] Sabalenka right after she won the 2025 US Open.”

Secret spot: albertine

“Albertine, named after a Proust character, is a charming French bookshop tucked inside a Beaux Arts mansion. The hand-painted celestial ceiling, wreathed with gilded zodiac signs, is transporting, as is its selection of French poetry.”

Spa/salon: georgia louise

“I rarely have time (endless deadlines!), but recently, before a photo shoot, a friend sent me to Georgia Louise, who depuffed me in ways I didn’t know were possible.”

Favorite film: the world of henry orient

“There are many to choose from, but the 1964 film The World of Henry Orient blissfully captures another era–and gets a mention in the book. (I first watched it with my mom.) There’s a classic scene in Central Park when the teenage girls spy on Peter Sellars at the Alice in Wonderland statue, but I often think of the heart-twisting shot when Val traverses a snowy, funereal field all alone.”

What new york offers:

While it’s gained new attention, the Upper East Side has had an unfair rap. Particularly when I was a single, struggling playwright living in rent-controlled garrets, I was always dazzled by the rich tradition of female writers who once lived and wrote here: Sylvia Plath, Shirley Hazzard, Dorothy Parker, Wendy Wasserstein. And of course, Joan Didion, who described living in a “monastic” place uptown in her infamous essay. I love this line: “I remember walking across Sixty-second Street one twilight that first spring, or the second spring, they were all alike for a while.”

How it shapes my writing:

New York is inexorably in motion, it’s febrile, feral, and kinetic. I love disappearing into the carnival of strangers, while remaining attuned to the wild, unexpected moments in the everyday. I wrote most of The Plunge while alone in the city during the pandemic, inspired by how tenaciously it pressed on during its darkest hour.