A lower East side gem
The Blue Moon Hotel captures New York’s contradictions. It is a modern, comfortable hotel in an old tenement building, set in an area of New York which is a mix of the old and the new, where the migrants of previous centuries are bumping up against more recent migrants, particularly Chinese and Vietnamese. The shops that surround it are a mix of high and low fashion, cutting edge eateries and cheap Chinese noodles, and the wonderful Tenement Museum sitting directly opposite. Sitting in the dining room on the first (ground) floor over a cup of coffee, one can observe changing New York on the street outside.
Our room was large, beautifully furnished with lovely period pieces, and with a nice comfortable bed. On the fifth floor, we had a view of the Williamsburg Bridge as it peeped over the surrounding blocks. Lower floors would have minimal views, higher floors better views. Of course the price of rooms increases as you move up the floors. The dining room on the first floor is wonderful - as noted above you can watch the world go by outside. While we sat and had our breakfast (the most delicious range of bagels), a number of people tried to come in, assuming it was a cafe, reflecting how inviting it looked from the outside. The staff were friendly and relaxed, and the hotel is small enough to feel intimate, without tripping over fellow guests.
Blue Moon isn’t cheap, and if you want a ritzy hotel with spa, swimming pool, gym etc, then you are better looking further uptown. But if you are looking for an authentic New York experience in a refurbished tenement building, in a part of New York that captures the old and the new, then this is the place.
Special mention to two places just down the road on Orchard St. The first is the Beer Cellar and tasting room three doors down from the Blue Moon. It has around twenty beers for tasting, and while we didn’t manage to work our way through the full range (not through lack of effort), the range and quality of the brews was astounding. The staff were passionate, knowledgeable and pleasant – an unusual mix. And they have hundreds of beers for sale. We checked the Australian ones – they were top quality boutique beers such as Mountain Goat, as well as the best of the more commercial beers, such as Boags. An unexpected gem.
The second was a restaurant a couple of blocks south on Orchard St called Fat Radish. Despite the name, it isn’t a vego joint, but offers delicious modern American food, in a great atmosphere in a big airy room behind a shopfront.