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A friend’s wedding in New York City gave us a great excuse to make a long weekend out of our trip. Having visited just earlier in the year, my husband and I wanted a new New York experience. With tickets from JetBlue at just $99 each way, we were off to experience the New Museum, the new High Line park and a new hotel. Torn between two of the city’s hottest neighborhoods, the Meatpacking District and The Bowery, we decided to stay in both and booked one night at The Standard Hotel and the next two nights at The Bowery Hotel.
After a short cab ride from JFK, we arrived in a neighborhood where entire scenes of Sex and the City were filmed. As the name implies, the Meatpacking District was once home to slaughterhouses and packing plants in the early 1900s. In the 1980s, it was a center for drug deals and prostitution. Transformation occurred in the late 1990s when high-end boutiques such as Diane von Furstenberg, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, among many others, moved in, as well as trendy hotels, bars and restaurants.
Less than one-year-old and with write-ups in The New York Times and Vogue, The Standard Hotel had piqued my curiosity to discover what all the buzz was about. Our cab pulled up to an opulent structure rising above The High Line park with floor-to-ceiling windows climbing all 18 stories. The see-and-be-seen entrance to the lobby mirrored a fashion runway leading up to the registration desk and I definitely felt like I was on the catwalk as all eyes seemed trained on who was checking in. All eyes, that is, except the ones of the actual registration agents and concierge who seemed far too busy on their Macs to even look up and properly greet their guests. (This scene is definitely not my scene, or perhaps I’m just getting old!)
The staff was soon forgiven, however, once we stepped into our well-equipped and brilliantly designed accommodations, greeting us with all the luxuries one could want, including 300-thread-count linens, iPod docking stations, oversized HD TVs, soaking tubs with custom organic Kiss My Face bath products and floor-to-ceiling panoramic views of the City. We looked down upon ambitious fitness fanatics as well as those going for a leisurely stroll in the park and even a couple high-fashion photo shoots in progress.
Ironically, as well-outfitted and comfortable as our room was, the hotel’s overall service seemed to be in keeping with its namesake – standard. Thankfully, we couldn’t wait to get out and explore the ‘hood and grab a table at one of our favorites – Pastis, a French bistro that was still packed from a lunchtime crowd at 4 p.m. Truly French in both décor and fare, Pastis is outfitted with a zinc-topped bar, marble café tables and an inviting red awning which are a fitting backdrop to its bistro fare. At Pastis, entrée sizes are plentiful enough to share, which we did, deciding on a staple – fish and chips and a carafe of house red wine. Contented with good service and full bellies, we leisurely dined Parisian style for just under $30.
A stroll was in order at the new High Line park, a 1.45-mile stretch that was formerly an elevated freight railroad built to lift hazardous trains off of the City’s streets. Open in June of 2009, the Park has meandering pathways adorned with lush vegetation so aesthetically pleasing it’s no wonder we witnessed several photo shoots taking place. The Park is dotted with café tables and chairs; as well as hot tea and coffee concessions, which were welcome to offset the brisk winter wind. Finally, back in our room, we settled in for the night to enjoy our flat-screen TV and breathtaking city views. After a restful night’s sleep and a soak in the tub, we were off to our next adventure and new accommodations.
We decided to stay in The Bowery, located on the Lower East Side whose borders include Chinatown and the East Village, as my music-loving hubby is familiar with the area for its music venues. Residents include the Bowery Ballroom and the new John Varvatos store, which took over the legendary CBGB (which stands for country, bluegrass and blues) where rock icons such as Blondie, The Ramones and The Police once played. The men’s fashion designer kept true to the venue’s roots and preserved original characteristics such as the graffiti-covered bathroom walls and music memorabilia, which were abundantly displayed throughout the store. I was also contented to find out there was a new Whole Foods Market nearby. Where there’s a Whole Foods Market, I feel right at home. As the saying goes, “you can take a girl out of Austin, but …”
Soon we checked into The Bowery Hotel, reminiscent of a classic European-style hotel. The doormen, outfitted in red jackets, black top hats and black pants mirroring the hotel’s logo, which features a similar dandy, greet you warmly. We stepped onto hardwood floors outfitted with Turkish rugs that lead to a lobby equipped with a fireplace and cozy couches that beg you to curl up on with a copy of The New York Times. Check-in was efficient and friendly, and we were given an actual metal key embellished with a red tassel to unlock our guestroom. Once inside, we were made to feel comfortable in our spacious digs and luxurious amenities including 24-hour room service, a complimentary DVD library to enjoy on flat-screen HD TVs fully stocked private bar and twice-daily maid service. Bathrooms were outfitted in marble and brass. The floor-to-ceiling casement windows provided sweeping city views. To offset the cost of the room, we strolled over to Whole Foods and made a meal from its prepared foods for about $20 and were entertained by the action on its second-floor balcony overlooking bustling Houston Street. The Hotel has a lovely restaurant, Gemma, and while we didn’t make it in for a meal, we popped in for a quick refreshment. Outdoor patio seating was jam-packed with some of the best people-watching in The Bowery. Inside, aromas of Italian fare prepared in wood-burning ovens penetrated the dining room, made cozy with wood-beamed ceilings and candlelight illuminating vintage oil paintings, which cover the walls.
We awoke the next day and went for a pleasant stroll through the NYU campus and past Washington Square Park. The walk stimulated our appetites, so we popped into the ever-popular Spotted Pig for a scrumptious brunch. Run by Executive Chef April Bloomfield, who was named by Food and Wine magazine as one of the Best New Chefs, The Spotted Pig is one of the city’s best gastropubs (a local Austin chef cued me in to the fact that the gastropub – a pub that focuses on the quality of its food fare – is the next big thing in food trends). This definitely wasn’t your average pub grub. The Bloody Marys were made with freshly grated horseradish, and the char-grilled burger was mounted high with Roquefort cheese and an overflowing mountain of shoestring fries, large enough to share (which we did). When you see a certain dish flying out of the kitchen by the dozens and the line to get in the door is around the corner, you know there’s a good reason. Once again, we kept our meal tab under $30. We then strolled the nearby tree-lined streets outfitted with quaint boutiques and bakeries and made our way back to our room to freshen up for the night’s event.
Though we ran out of time and didn’t make it into the New Museum on this particular weekend, we took a moment to pass by on our way back to the hotel and were awed by the obscure structure that looks like a crooked stack of white Legos fitted with a rainbow-colored sign that reads, “Hell, Yes!” attached to the lower half of the building. The Museum’s new home, designed by a Tokyo-based firm, was named one of Seven Architectural Wonders by Condé Nast Traveler. An afternoon snooze in custom-woven bed linens and a dip in the marble soaking tub with C.O. Bigelow bath amenities was just the recharge we needed to witness the union of our dear friends. As the sun was setting over the Hudson River, we raised our glasses to the happy couple and to our experiences in a new New York!
Weekend In NYC
Source Guide
The Standard Hotel
848 Washington St. at 13th St.
New York, NY 10014
212.645.4646
standardhotels.com/new-york-city
Rates start at $195
Pastis
9 Ninth Ave.
New York, NY 10014
212.929.4844
pastisny.com
The High Line
From Gansevoort to 34th St.,
between 10th + 11th Avenues
212.500.6035 | thehighline.org
The Bowery Hotel
335 Bowery Ave.
New York, NY 10003
212.505.9100
theboweryhotel.com
Rates start at $305
John Varvatos
315 Bowery Ave.
New York, NY 10003
212.358.0315 | johnvarvatos.com
Whole Foods Market
96 East Houston St.
New York, NY 10002
212.420.1320
wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/bowery
The Spotted Pig
314 West 11th St. at Greenwich St.
New York, NY 10014
212.620.0393 | thespottedpig.com
New Museum
235 Bowery Ave.
New York, NY 10002
212.219.1222 | newmuseum.org
General admission $12