New York State of Mind

Historically, the LES was a gritty, working-class section of the city that was home to many immigrants in the early 1900s. Throughout the 20th Century, it was a hotbed for radical political statements and anarchy. While gentrification has transformed the LES into a hipster haven, its roots are still there waiting to be explored.

PUBLIC

Opened this year, Avant-garde hotelier Ian Schrager’s PUBLIC is the ideal base for your stay in Lower East Side New York. In typical Schrager style, PUBLIC is disrupting the luxury hotel industry by redefining what luxury is.

At PUBLIC, it’s not about a pricey hotel room, it’s about the experience you have. PUBLIC’s version of luxury is about service, comfort and convenience; offering travelers amenities for 2019, not 1919. You’ll find forward-thinking design like tons of places to plug in, the fastest Wi-Fi in the city—they call it blazing wi-fi— and communal workspaces.

The hotelier has a new take on room service—order online, and it’s ready in seven minutes. Pick up your order in your jammies at Louis to Go purposefully located just outside the elevator. Design is paramount in all Schrager hotels, and PUBLIC doesn’t disappoint, boasting a clean, modern minimalist aesthetic. Rooms are small, but hey, this is New York. PUBLIC is also about making luxury accessible for more people, a fitting mantra for a hotel located in this historically blue-collar area.

The New Museum

As the LES has become the place the cool kids hang, it’s no surprise art flourishes. The New Museum is Manhattan’s only museum dedicated to contemporary art. The museum is a place for living artists to be highlighted, and a space for new ideas and discussion to arise. The very modern building won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2010.

100 Gates Project

Art isn’t restricted to a museum in the LES, thanks to the creative 100 Gates Project that began in 2014 by a local artist who wanted to beautify the area by having artists create murals on 100 storefront security roll-down gates. When strolling the area after hours, keep your eyes peeled for some Banksy-inspired art along the way.

Essex Market

No exploration of the LES is complete without diving into the emerging culinary scene. In early 2019, the Essex Market moves to the neighborhood bringing with it 14 new food vendors and two new restaurants. The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is the perfect stop for snacking on unusual flavors from Durian to Black Sesame.

Gem

While the area is a hotbed of ethnic eats, several of New York’s top tables can be found here Gem is the first restaurant for young chef sensation Flynn McGarry, who started his culinary career at the ripe age of 12, throwing dinner parties at his mother’s house and at pop-ups in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Today the 20-year-old runs Gem, which is a coffee shop by day and transforms into a gourmand’s paradise at night, serving a 12- to 15-course tasting menu featuring small plates and family-style service for just 12 guests at each sitting. Michelin starred Contra serves up a six-course daily tasting menu for $100—unheard of in New York.

Hotel Chantelle

The LES is THE place to go today for trendy nightlife. Start the night at the swanky, speakeasy Attaboy. In true prohibition-era fashion, Attaboy flies under the radar. Ring the buzzer for AB134 to be let into the small industrial-chic bar. There are no menus, but the cocktail architects are well versed and can make any libation you can dream up. For a one-stop entertainment spot, Hotel Chantelle has a rooftop lounge with retractable roof, and a basement bar to kick up your heels on the rowdy dance floor. End your perfect day in the LES back at the hotel at PUBLIC’s chic rooftop bar offering 360-degree views of the city that never sleeps.