Welcome to 11 Howard! This weekend, me and M checked in one of the hippest hotels in Manhattan. Over this short stay, we got to enjoy the neighborhood and explore deeper the realms of this great area (which you can also see here). We lived a true tourist-weekend, hoping over from wine to cocktail, dinner to window shopping.
We started by checking in and were greeted in the warmest way. The concierge offered to give us a small tour throughout our stay. And as soon as we put down the bags, I jumped into the bed (did you catch my Insta Stories?).
We put down our bags and ventured out to really experience the SoHo area. Our first stop was Gelso & Grand, a little restaurant on a corner of Little Italy. I’ve been there before with a friend and just sat by the stools near the window. It’s a great place to have drinks before dinner. But we ambitiously ordered a glass of sparkling rosé, calamari and a burrata salad. Highly recommended!
Back at the hotel, we decided to take the quick tour. The design, art and detail carefulness are beyond beautiful. An array of artists have contributed to make the space a pleasant contemporary scenery, while the minimalism of each area excites the designer in me. The blond is the hotel bar, located on the second floor. It’s famous for housing great and very exclusive parties.
The hotel also has a library, lounge and eating area. They host several events a week and you can even go there just to hang, work or schedule meetings. Make sure you look at the ceilings, walls and really take in all the great art spread throughout each room.
After the tour, we changed and went to have yet another drink at the famous Nomo Soho, on Crosby Street. The restaurant is in a beautiful space with a glass ceiling. We just hung out by the bar, but enjoyed a full hour of good music, great drinks and even better company.
We could not leave 11 Howard without trying their room service. For dinner, we shared a turkey sandwich with a side of fries. It was a great, relaxing moment, since we don’t get to enjoy meals from bed. Gathering all our strength, we still went for a stroll on the empty SoHo streets – and treated ourselves to Haribo gummy bears. It was drizzling a little bit but hey, you’re in New York. Weather is highly unpredictable and it can be quite fun.
The night went by really quickly and, the morning after, M said he loved how quiet 11 Howard is. We slept like babies. Early morning, we got dressed and still had breakfast at Jack’s Wife Freda. By now we’re sort of regulars there – it’s probably the place we’ve been the most in New York for breakfast/lunch.
If you’re ever in New York, make sure you go on a holiday weekend. You’ll have Manhattan all to yourself. The streets are empty, especially in the early hours of the day. And there are plenty of places you can go without the hassle of having to make a reservation.