Though I live in New York City, I am constantly discovering new things about my town, and my recent stay-cation at the James Hotel was similarly full of surprises. I arrived at the Soho property with my boyfriend in tow and we were directed to a glass elevator that whisked us up to Sky Lobby, a glass encased check in area and designer lounge. We left our bags with the bellman and headed straight to the comfortable sitting area overlooking the urban sculpture garden and miniature croquet lawn. We flipped through the art books scattered throughout the space and helped ourselves to the complimentary nibbles and sips, which change throughout the day. In the mornings, there is La Colombe Coffee and delicious, bite-sized scones from David Burke Kitchen; during the day, there is lemon water and fruit; and in the evenings, complimentary local wine from Long Island's North Fork is available, along with cheese, fruit and crackers. After 8:00pm, fresh-baked cookies appear.
Sufficiently snacked-out, we headed up to our corner king studio. Upon entering, the dark wood floors and backlit accent wall made me feel like I was in a spa, and turning toward the main living area, all of Manhattan seemed to leap out at me through the massive, wrap around windows. The minimalist furnishing let the drama of the view take center stage and offered a Zen calm to the space. The low platform bed, topped with crisp white linens, was no less inviting for its understatement, sharing the spacious room with a small bistro table set next to a padded bench and modern wire chair. This area proved to be the perfect space for sipping morning coffee with the newspaper and doing a bit of work on my laptop, glancing up from time to time to take in the ever-changing view over Lower Manhattan, the Hudson River and Hoboken beyond. The bathroom, however, was the piece-de-la-resistance, outfitted with heated tile floors, a rain shower and a floor to ceiling window (with a built-in, switch-operated privacy screen for those more modest than I am). I took a long, hot shower while staring out that window like a reverse peeping Tom at the twinkle of the city lights until the steam blurred them from sight.
After enjoying the room, which had already begun to feel like home (or at the least the home I wish I had), we decided to head up to Jimmy, the rooftop lounge, for a cocktail. Expecting to find a sleepy hotel bar on a Sunday night, I was surprised when we emerged from the elevator into a bustling bar, as contemporary and stylish as the rest of the hotel, the pre-party in full swing with the Soho art set, fashionistas and European jet setters mixing and mingling. The cocktails were equality surprising, carefully crafted and seasonal, like my Urban Garden Tonic—Crop organic cucumber vodka, lemon juice, honey syrup, celery bitters with cucumber, mint, thyme and lime, topped with tonic water. Snacks from the David Burke Kitchen were also available. We took our drinks out to the roof, littered with sleek sitting areas arranged around a small plunge pool. The views were unbeatable, the drinks strong, and the glamorous crowd as fun to watch as a reality TV show.
As the sun dipped behind the skyscrapers, my thoughts turned to dinner: Just downstairs is celebrity chef, David Burke's Kitchen restaurant, serving up hearty, seasonal American fare in a dining room whose walls are lined with beautiful portraits of the producers, from baker to chicken rancher. Just up Canal Street, a few blocks to the east, there are inexpensive culinary delights in Chinatown, from the 5-for-a-dollar dumplings at Vanessa's to the simple roast pork over white rice at hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Hoy Wong or Blue Ribbon restaurant, one of my favorite places in the city, is a mere three and a half blocks north. But, perhaps we'll just stay in, simply go down a few floors to our "apartment with a view", order room service, also courtesy of David Burke, and mix our own cocktails using the ingredients on our well stocked bar. Here at the James, I feel like I can be a glamorous homebody, luxuriating in a life I can only occasionally afford. This might seem a bit silly, but, to me, indulging in such fantasies is what vacations are really about.
—Felicia Campbell IN THE AREA
While so close to Chinatown, visit
Vanessa's Dumpling House (
118A Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002; 212/529-1328) for delicious pan-fried pork and chive dumplings, vegetable dumplings and scallion pancakes. For more substantial fare, head to the hole-in-the-wall, subterranean Chinese restaurant,
Hoy Wong (
81 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013; 212/374-1312) for roast pork, roast duck, sautéed Chinese broccoli and steamed jasmine rice.
Walk 5-minutes north to
Blue Ribbon Restaurant (
97 Sullivan Street, New York, NY 10012; 212/274-0404) for simple, fresh takes on Southern dishes like sweet and spicy catfish or their famous fried chicken.
If you are visiting on a Sunday, snag a complimentary bike and ride down to the
New Amsterdam Market, held from 11am to 4pm every Sunday, at the old Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan on South Street between Beekman Street and Peck Slip. More than a farmer's market, a range of events and tasting take place at this artisanal foodie destination.
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