Obviously I love a corner booth. Whenever I spot one I try to capture it in a photo archive @lecornerbooth via my amateur photog skills. I’m a pretty visual person and it’s fun to have a photo-mission when I’m out and about, even if just for my own personal memory recall.
My recent stay at The Hotel Chelsea was booth-tastic (Please don’t stop reading. I won’t say that again) and almost impossible to capture all of them. I avoid taking photos of people, so if someone is already comfortably snuggled in sipping their martini, I miss out on the opportunity to snap the shot. When I stay at a new hotel I try to really experience all of the spaces. So at The Hotel Chelsea, I really bopped around and explored. Although I’ve heard friends mention they don’t love staying midtown, I really don’t mind. It’s so central and easy to get up or down for meetings and meet ups. When I’m in NYC it’s usually such a flash with so much crammed in. It’s convenient to be right in the middle. That being said, The Hotel Chelsea does a great job of creating a little world inside - you don’t really have to leave. There’s obviously so much history there and the team seems very proud of it; resident art covers the walls and likewise, a resident’s Amazon packages piled up outside of her room across the hall from me. The halls are a bit of a maze and there are lots of little nooks, secret rooms, event spaces and private bars that I peeked into.
Some highlights from my stay :
My first morning I sat in the Café Chelsea and noted this very chic man in chapeau who snagged the best booth in the room. The next morning, I was on top of it and asked for the hot seat. Tucked against the window, glowing in green with sun beams pouring it, it couldn’t be a more lovely locale to kick off the day. The Café is probably 85% booth which really sets the tone for intimate conversations, whispered deal making, quiet solo mornings.
I love that they kept much of the quirkiness and original details of the building, but stepped it up in the restaurants and guest rooms. Many of their interior choices felt like references to the wild history and stories of the hotel. The sheers, the stained glass, the light fixtures were so beautiful.
All of the printed collateral is well-done. It’s simple, but keeps the brand integrity strong and impactful. I love the red/ecru combo. Classique like Sean McPherson’s other knockout, The Bowery. Handwritten welcome note and in-room amenities; Please never die and turn into QR codes.
I’ve written about hotel merch before; I obviously had to ask. They had nothing for sale, but the guy at the Front Desk said he would hook me up. My room-phone rang and he popped by with a handful of items he scrounged up. Look, if they sold a t-shirt, even a shot glass, I’d buy it! But this was super sweet and I loved that the Front Desk agent went off-book to score for me.
When early evening rolled around I met up with a former colleague at the Lobby Bar for a burger and cocktail. We sat in the atrium and bopped around to explore the other spaces. So many rooms with beautiful bars and nooks. Some of my favorite corners here :
And I feel like there’s even more to see! I will be back to snoop around again.
A couple of other major moments from my trip.
Several people told me to check out Bar Pisselino, described by many in my cohort as their absolute favorite bar, ever ever ever? I was very determined to see it. The first time I stopped by, it was peak happy hour on a Friday with a line curling down the block. Hm, no. I came back midday a couple of days later for a cool-down iced latte and dammmn some little bombolinos! Across the street from Via Carota, it truly is a perfect place. An all day cafe turned negroni bar (or the other way around). I loved that 1. I felt like I was in Rome. 2. The food is served on tiny little adorable plates with flirty napkins 3. The concept was so simple but spanned all day 4. It was great solo, but also for 2somes or groups. I could go on. The definition of what a neighborhood bar should be. Take me back but also let’s create this classic concept elsewhere so I can pop by all over the place.
Another notable. S&P Lunch where I sat at the counter with a friend and shared many things on the menu. Including matzoh ball soup, split pea soup, a 50/50 tuna/egg salad sandwich, and a cream cheese olive sandwich of which I devoured (and simultaneously overcame a childhood trauma; my New Jersey bred mother packed me this sandwich at my Los Angeles elementary school. I remember being tragically humiliated and tossing it in the trash daily). I also sipped on a lime rickey which was the perfect summery sugar high needed to combat a humid NYC day. The restaurant is done so perfectly. A classic jewish deli but with some subtle upgrades. They kept the quirks of the place alive and didn’t gloss over too much. I loved it. Apparently Jewish delis are making a comeback on the West as well.
recently wrote about Belle’s Delicatessen in her Substack Bite Sized and it had me ready to hit traffic for a sando on rye + 1/2 sour pickle. *By the way, her Los Angeles food round ups are pretty meticulous and excellent. Saving all. My talented friend Claire Typaldos did all of the graphic design for Belle’s too!*Bravissimo to these iconic NY spots that feel rightfully like they’ve always been there, but with a splash of now.