Back in the ’60s and early ’70s Lower Manhattan’s 1902-built Hotel Earle, as it was then called, was something of a flophouse; a grand but dilapidated and seedy apartment hotel in seemingly terminal decline.
At the same time, the neighbourhood in which the Earle stood – Greenwich Village – was becoming the beating heart of New York’s alternative counterculture, reflected by its population of writers and free-thinkers who flocked to its jazz clubs and coffee houses, feeding on the daily intellectual scene of poetry readings and folk sessions.
The hotel had already counted Ernest Hemingway and Dylan Thomas among its guests, and musicians and writers – especially those of the stuggling variety – continued to make the Hotel Earle their temporary home during this time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jack Elliott and Peter LaFarge, with Baez even referring to it as “that crummy hotel over Washington Square” in her 1975 song Diamonds and Rust.
Salvation, as far as the hotel was concerned, came in 1973 when it was bought by the Paul family, who have remained its owners ever since. Over the next few decades, the building was gradually and sensitively restored to the stylish art deco-inspired hotel that it is today, with its name changing to Washington Square in 1986. North Square, the hotel’s award winning bistro-style restaurant was opened in 1992.
Unpretentious, friendly and cosy, the Washington Square Hotel has 152 rooms on nine floors, in a variety of sizes and configurations to suit all comers, from the smaller superior double and twin rooms to the ample-sized deluxe doubles and executive kings. All have private bathrooms and are decorated in a characterful deco style with black and white prints of famous ’30s and ’40s movie stars on the walls, custom-made furniture and crisp white linen. Cable TV, iPod docks and free high speed wi-fi is available in every room.
The downstairs bar and lounge is a livelier – sometimes positively jumping – space, popular with locals and guests alike and where conversation flows easily. The bartenders take time to stop and chat, the snack menu is excellent and the prices are reasonable, considering where we are. If you’re here on a Sunday, consider hanging around for the Jazz Brunch. It’s where Norah Jones got her first big break, after slipping a demo tape to the owners when she worked here as a waitress. They were so impressed, they let her sing, and that was the end of her waiting career.
Don’t be too keen to rush off though. The immediate vicinity is still just as interesting as it ever was. Greenwich Village up to and especially during the ’50s and ’60s was predominantly a magnet for artists, activists, radicals and bohemians, and although the area has been significantly gentrified – with business people, upper middle class families and celebrities now calling it home – it retains a magical atmosphere and still plays host to a pulsing streetlife scene.
Other than gazing from the rooftops of skyscrapers or sailing around New York harbour, pretty much everything you could ever want to do in New York, you can do right here. Unless stated otherwise, everywhere listed below is within a 5 – 10 minute walk from the hotel.
The Village Vanguard (178 7th Avenue South) opened its doors in 1935, and more than 100 albums have been recorded here, including landmark live shows by John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Dexter Gordon.
The much newer (it opened in 1981) but equally legendary Blue Note (131 West 3rd St) has also showcased a lineup of greats including Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Nina Simone.
And not to be missed, according to the Washington Square Hotel’s general manager Sonny Christopher, is the Fat Cat club (75 Christopher St, at 7th Ave) where you can get your groove on to a nightly jazz act while playing pool, ping-pong or shuffleboard, or even a sedate game of chess, scrabble or backgammon. It’s even been voted the city’s best pool hall by New York Magazine.
Babbo (110 Waverly Place), the flagship Italian restaurant of celebrity chef Mario Batali, is bang opposite the hotel. Make a reservation in advance, or if you can’t get in, console yourself with the cookbook. The Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia St) is an excellent alternative, with a performance space downstairs – Suzanne Vega got her first big break here.
The cupcake craze is not going anywhere, and in this neighbourhood you’re spoilt for choice. The Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleecker St at West 11th), made famous by its appearances in Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, has now expanded to three other sites in Manhattan (Upper West Side, Rockefeller Center and Grand Central Terminal) but this is the first and the original.
There are plenty of competitors for its crown: Sweet Revenge (62 Carmine St) is a bar that pairs its cupcakes with wine and beer, Crumbs Bake Shop (37 East 8th St) is famous for its ‘colossal’ cupcakes (the size of an average birthday cake), and Cupcake Stop (70 Greenwich Avenue) also has a mobile truck which parks at different destinations around the city daily – check their twitter feed for location details.
Beloved local gourmet deli Citarella (424 6th Ave at 9th St) also sells an impressive range of cupcakes and other baked goods, but is better known for its incredible array of seafood, aged meats and handcrafted breads. Head here to stock up for your Central Park picnic.
Joe the Art of Coffee (141 Waverly Place) is the choice of locals for your daily java, and late night snackers will find satisfaction at the 24hr Washington Square Diner (150 West 4th St at 6th Ave).
The White Horse Tavern (567 Hudson St at 11th St) is one of the very few remaining artist and writer hangouts that is still open today. Dylan Thomas drank here, as did Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Jack Kerouac and Norman Mailer. Mix it up with locals, NYU students and tourists, and dream of that novel you’ll write one day. The Stonewall Inn (53 Christopher St) kickstarted the modern gay-rights movement after the infamous Stonewall Riots of 1969. Its bars on two levels have recently been renovated and host nightly events and parties.
Slightly further afield (about a 20 minute walk from the hotel) is Manhattan’s newest public park, the High Line. Built on a former elevated freight railroad, the park’s southernmost entrance is at the junction of Gansevoort St and Washington St in the Meatpacking District, and runs as far north as 20th Street, with the Chelsea section expected to open later this summer, doubling the length of the park.
Fantastic views of Chelsea and its many new architectural wonders can be enjoyed here (Polshek Partnership’s Le Corbusier-style Standard Hotel and Frank Gehry’s IAC building are just two) and it’s especially beautiful at night when all the benches, water features, plants and flowers are imaginatively floodlit.
Many thanks to Flickr photographers snowpea&bokchoi, Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Bake, pcphoto, ElvertBarnes and aturkus for the great header shot.
At the same time, the neighbourhood in which the Earle stood – Greenwich Village – was becoming the beating heart of New York’s alternative counterculture, reflected by its population of writers and free-thinkers who flocked to its jazz clubs and coffee houses, feeding on the daily intellectual scene of poetry readings and folk sessions.
Washington Square Hotel’s famous guests
Lobby © Washington Square Hotel
Salvation, as far as the hotel was concerned, came in 1973 when it was bought by the Paul family, who have remained its owners ever since. Over the next few decades, the building was gradually and sensitively restored to the stylish art deco-inspired hotel that it is today, with its name changing to Washington Square in 1986. North Square, the hotel’s award winning bistro-style restaurant was opened in 1992.
A warm welcome
The Washington Square is one of the few remaining family-run hotels in New York, and its tight-knit community of employees – many of whom have been at the hotel for more than twenty years – is what makes it so special. You’ll be hard pushed to find a warmer welcome anywhere, which is why more than 50% of its guests are repeat visitors.Guest room © Washington Square Hotel
Guest bathroom © Washington Square Hotel
A secret little cocktail bar
At the rear of the cheerfully-tiled lobby, is the hotel’s best kept secret. The Parisian-style Deco Room with its wrought-iron entry gate is the place to head to for a stylish afternoon tea when your legs are tired from browsing the boutiques of the Village and neighbouring Soho, or a late night tête-à-tête over a martini or two.For afternoon tea or cocktails, the Deco Room © Washington Square Hotel
WSH bar and lounge © Washington Square Hotel
A breakfast to see you through the day
An ample continental breakfast of juice, coffee, fresh fruit and assorted muffins, bagels and croissants is included in the room rate and is served in both the downstairs bar and the hotel’s North Square restaurant. Full cooked breakfasts are also available in North Square, and if you’ve a full day of sightseeing ahead of you, it’s worth shelling out the extra $8-10 dollars as you certainly won’t need to follow it with lunch. Try the buckwheat blueberry pancakes, or the Challah French toast with bananas and strawberries, both served with that all-American combination of maple syrup and bacon. For a savoury start to the day, try the ultra-filling Breakfast Bagel with ham and eggs or the ‘three eggs any style’ combo served with home fries.North Square Restaurant © North Square New York
Eat, drink and be merry
Most first time visitors to New York will no doubt want to take in all the famous sights, and the hotel is perfectly placed to do that. The West 4th St/Washington Square subway stop is 30 seconds away on 6th Ave (for lines A, C, E, B, D, F, M) and the Christopher St/Sheridan Sq stop is one block further on, at 7th Ave (for lines 1, 2, 3).Don’t be too keen to rush off though. The immediate vicinity is still just as interesting as it ever was. Greenwich Village up to and especially during the ’50s and ’60s was predominantly a magnet for artists, activists, radicals and bohemians, and although the area has been significantly gentrified – with business people, upper middle class families and celebrities now calling it home – it retains a magical atmosphere and still plays host to a pulsing streetlife scene.
Other than gazing from the rooftops of skyscrapers or sailing around New York harbour, pretty much everything you could ever want to do in New York, you can do right here. Unless stated otherwise, everywhere listed below is within a 5 – 10 minute walk from the hotel.
Jazz
New York’s two world-famous jazz clubs are practically on your doorstep.The Village Vanguard (178 7th Avenue South) opened its doors in 1935, and more than 100 albums have been recorded here, including landmark live shows by John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Dexter Gordon.
Village Vanguard New York by ElvertBarnes on Flickr
And not to be missed, according to the Washington Square Hotel’s general manager Sonny Christopher, is the Fat Cat club (75 Christopher St, at 7th Ave) where you can get your groove on to a nightly jazz act while playing pool, ping-pong or shuffleboard, or even a sedate game of chess, scrabble or backgammon. It’s even been voted the city’s best pool hall by New York Magazine.
Eat & Drink
Babbo Italian restaurant on Waverly Place by pcphoto on Flickr
The cupcake craze is not going anywhere, and in this neighbourhood you’re spoilt for choice. The Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleecker St at West 11th), made famous by its appearances in Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, has now expanded to three other sites in Manhattan (Upper West Side, Rockefeller Center and Grand Central Terminal) but this is the first and the original.
Sweet Revenge, New York by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Bake on Flickr
Beloved local gourmet deli Citarella (424 6th Ave at 9th St) also sells an impressive range of cupcakes and other baked goods, but is better known for its incredible array of seafood, aged meats and handcrafted breads. Head here to stock up for your Central Park picnic.
Citarella by snowpea&bokchoi on Flickr
The White Horse Tavern (567 Hudson St at 11th St) is one of the very few remaining artist and writer hangouts that is still open today. Dylan Thomas drank here, as did Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Jack Kerouac and Norman Mailer. Mix it up with locals, NYU students and tourists, and dream of that novel you’ll write one day. The Stonewall Inn (53 Christopher St) kickstarted the modern gay-rights movement after the infamous Stonewall Riots of 1969. Its bars on two levels have recently been renovated and host nightly events and parties.
Hang out
Washington Square Park, next door to the hotel, is Greenwich Village’s landmark neighbourhood meeting place and centre of cultural and leisure activity. Most of the buildings that surround the park belong to New York University, so students are a permanent fixture here, along with plenty of buskers and street performers. The two most famous features are the Washington Square arch, which marks the beginning of Fifth Avenue, and the central fountain, made famous in the opening credits of sitcom Friends. There’s also a dog playground and a dedicated chess-playing area in the northwest corner nearest the hotel.Playing chess in Washington Square Park © Maxine Sheppard
Frank Gehry's IAC building taken from the High Line park © Maxine Sheppard
Many thanks to Flickr photographers snowpea&bokchoi, Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Bake, pcphoto, ElvertBarnes and aturkus for the great header shot.
No comments:
Post a Comment