Oddly for New York, hotel restaurants, bars and clubs are where it's at these days. They're even bringing glitzy Manhattan scenesters and grungy Brooklyn hipsters together. Or are they tearing the young, boozed up tribes even further apart?-
Think about some of the recent big deal grazing destinations that have brought locals into tourist lodgings: the Standard Grill and Top of the Standard (nee the Boom Boom Room) at, well, The Standard; Jane Ballroom at the Jane; Rose Bar and Maialino at the Gramercy Park; the Breslin at the Ace; Locanda Verde at the Greenwich.
Yesterday the Times Style Section devoted its nightlife-reviewing "Boîte" feature to Top of the Strand, a rooftop bar at the Millinery District hotel whose familiar name will undoubtedly lead to confused European tourists expecting views of the Highline, Madonna and luscious New Jersey landscape with their sky-high cocktails. And today came a story about the stodgy old Pierre, maybe following Le Cirque's lead, chasing a downtown-ish crowd with bimonthly dance parties.
Meanwhile in the land of dumpster pools and fascist food co-ops, cooler-than-thou youngsters are also flocking to hotels for their late night/morning kicks. But, like so much of Brooklyn, these hotels come with ironic air quotes. Because, you see, they're not really hotels at all! The currently-shuttered Market Hotel and what I will call The Other Hotel (to help it avoid a similar NYPD raid) are after hours dance dens fashioned out of an old Dominican Speakeasy (the more indie rock-oriented Market) and a machine shop (the techno- and house-centric Other).
Let's go TripAdvisor for a minute and explore the strengths of these accommodations.
Manhattan:
More amenable to business travelers. The Times describes the Top of the Strand's unofficial dress code as "off-duty banker-ish for the men (high-end button-down shirts, the occasional sport coat and expensive jeans)." The Brooklyn crowd hasn't seen a high end since the last major coke bust in Williamsburg.Brooklyn:
Late checkout. Market Hotel described party closing times as "Late Late Late." And a die hard crowd hung around The Other Hotel 'til past noon on Saturday.Pretty different after all, huh? At least denizens of places like Market Hotel and Jane Hotel can unite in the fear of the party--like a hotel visit and all fleetingly cool spots in NYC--not being meant to last.
Photo 2 via Casey Kelbaugh/NYT
Photo 3 via Michael Appleton/NYT