My grandmother could never have imagined the Hotel on Rivington, a sleek arrow of glass 21 stories high, just a few minutes walk from the Tenement Museum on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side. There, docent-led tours take visitors into the tenement built in 1863, brimming with stories of early immigrants arriving to New York City. My grandmother lived in the neighborhood, in 1911, for a short time, but her memories of that era lasted a lifetime. Where pushcarts once peddled their wares, designers have moved in, bringing the neighborhood into the 21st century with pure panache.
The sense of place in this legendary neighborhood is so intense, where the past clashes with the future, that you can only admire the foresight of designers and investors curating this ambitious urban renovation. Amidst these rising monoliths are finds, like the trendy Stanton Social where tapas eclipse entrées. A few blocks away, an innovative organic, non-toxic nail spa, Priti, created by Kim d’Amato, transforms travel-weary nails into picture perfect ovals painted with progressive nail “polish” colors named for herbs and flowers. And it’s happening across town in Chelsea as well, with ultra-private hotels, such as the Soho House, requiring a membership to be properly received. While zealously Zen hotels continue to blossom with rates rarely less than $300 a night, there are still alternatives found on other streets, where you can “live like a New Yorker” without the frills of a lavish lobby, 24-hour room service or that questionable daily room tax of $3.50 designated for the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Such a find is 1291 International Ltd., founded by Roland Solenthaler, a Swiss hotelier with a gift for making New York apartment-style accommodations affordable. We stayed in 1291’s Silver Suite on 55th Street off Broadway. It was surprisingly quiet and comfortable, yet within walking distance to Broadway and the Lincoln Center. There are studios, suites and a duplex that sleeps seven guests. Rates start at $199 and are worth every penny. Suites are unusually spacious with a kitchen, and free local calls. The apartments are across the street from the Dream Hotel (illuminated with blue lights) where the Chopra Center Spa features yoga classes, massage and Ayurvedic-inspired spa products. The Moorish-style New York City Center theatre is down the street, where we purchased a last-minute ticket for a performance of the Flamenco Festival starring Eva Yerbabuena. “No No Nanette” is scheduled for May 8-11, starring Rosie O’Donnell. Within walking distance of the 1291 International is the August Wilson Theatre, where “Jersey Boys,” the winner of the 2006 Tony Awards Best Musical, is going strong. The story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons is a tribute to the mid-century music. And while you’re in the neighborhood, change the time zone and walk over to Chez Josephine, a French bistro on West 42nd Street. Steep in the world of Josephine Baker, the American musical legend who charmed the French with her songs and style. There’s a pianist nightly and the menu features authentic fried chicken, Southern style; Josephine would have approved.
For those seeking old New York, the 174-room Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street, a member of Historic Hotels of America (opened in 1902), remains a classic. Dorothy Parker and her “Vicious Circle,” a.k.a. The Algonquin Round Table of literary heavyweights, is memorialized here. The hallways are a haven of literature. Even the wallpaper on each floor echoes their legacy, with cartoons and commentary. Quotes engraved on each door recall classic lines, but one clever comment on a cocktail napkin, attributed to Parker, stands out, “That woman speaks five languages and can’t say no in any of them.” Today, the Algonquin Oak Room, where Henry Connick, Jr., Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall and Peter Cincotti launched their careers, continues to feature cabaret entertainment. Matilda, the hotel’s in-house feline stationed in the lobby diligently nods as guests come and go, obviously checking them out as they check in.
The best way to organize your days and nights is with NYCvisit.com. Its map, “This is Culture, This is New York City” is invaluable. Every listing includes travel time estimates from Times Square or Grand Central, covering 140 “cultural treasures” from the Museum of Arts and Design (new to Columbus Circle this year) to the Morgan Library and Museum, where the original Morgan mansion clashes with the striking architecture of Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Renzo Piano.
Resources:
€ Jersey Boys: 212.239.6200; www.jerseyboysinfo.com
Chez Josephine: 212.594.1925; www.chezjosephine.com
€ Tenement Museum: 212.982.8420; www.tenement.org
€1291 International, Ltd.: 212.397.9686; www.1291.com
The Algonquin: 212.840.6800; www.historichotel.org
€ Hotel on Rivington: 212.475.2600; www.hotelonrivington.com
€ Priti: 212.254.3628; www.pritiorganicspa.com
NYC & Company: www.visitNYC.com
Pamela Price’s columns can be accessed online at www.malibutimes.com or www.forbestraveler.com