A Gatsby-inspired adventure in New York State

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As the steep gabled roofs of a fairytale castle loom ahead of us and gravel crunches beneath the car wheels, I get a taste of how The Great Gatsby narrator Nick Carraway felt when approaching Jay Gatsby’s Long Island manor for the first time – awestruck at how the other half live.

With the centenary of F Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal novel this year sparking renewed interest in the Roaring Twenties, I’ve come to New York state with a group of US specialist operators to explore the places and experiences at the heart of Gatsby’s world.

Oheka Castle

Oheka Castle, the colossal estate where we’ve just arrived (pictured main), was reportedly Fitzgerald’s primary inspiration for the Gatsby estate and the lavish functions thrown there. At the time of its construction in 1919, the 127-room Oheka (a portmanteau name created by its owner, the financier Otto Hermann Kahn) was – and remains – the second-largest private residence ever built in America.

In the ensuing decade, it hosted the hottest-ticket parties in the region, attracting a who’s who of Hollywood stars, political luminaries and European royalty.

Oheka’s interior design director Nancy Melius points out the similarity between Kahn and Jay Gatsby. Kahn also liked to go large, ensuring his castle sat on the tallest point on Long Island.

“He and his construction team had to create a new hilltop location for Oheka from scratch,” she says. “It took all of 1915 and 1916 for workmen and horse-drawn wagons to haul the dirt necessary to achieve the supreme elevation he desired, with a view of the Long Island Sound two miles away.”

Today, it’s a prestigious hotel and wedding venue, with the landscaped setting a backdrop to Oheka’s annual black-tie garden party, A Great Gatsby Affair. For those who don’t make the VIP guest list, a Gatsby Hour is held every night in the bar for both guests and nonguests to admire its grand interiors.

Gilded Age glamour in New York State

It was a late-19th-century period of conspicuous consumption and unbridled capitalism, known as the Gilded Age, that gave rise to these extravagant estates. The HBO series of the same name, written by Julian Fellowes, depicts the decadence in delicious detail – and, as a further selling point for the region, is set to return to screens this year.

Fittingly, a Downton Abbey (also written by Fellowes) vibe pervades properties in New York state. Old Westbury Gardens (pictured below) is modelled on an English manor house and is home to more than 800 hectares of gardens and woodland, making it a must for walkers and nature lovers.