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SCI 1999 NATIONAL CONFERENCE HOTEL INFORMATIONI'm a New Yorker, born and bred. I have lived my entire life (so far) here. I love my city, and will happily sing its praises and cheerfully defend it against all comers. And yet I must needs be the first to admit that New York City can be a tremendously expensive place to visit, particularly when it comes to paying the hotel bill! This concerned us especially in investigating hotels for next year's National Conference. And so, when David Gompper last visited here, he and I went on a walking tour of the Greenwich Village area, in search of appropriate hotels. We went armed with Allen Sperry's wonderful little book, "New York's 50 best Wonderful Little Hotels" (published by City & Company, New York, and which splendid guide I would enthusiastically recommend to anyone who wishes to sleuth this out further on her or his own), and to which in all fairness I must confess we are much indebted. Our primary recommendations fall upon two establishments:
27 West 11th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Ave Phone: 212-989-9333 Fax: 212-989-9496 55 rooms All major credit cards are accepted The Larchmont Hotel, standing in one of New York's most beautiful and quiet landmark streets, among turn-of-the-century brownstones and Greek Revival row-houses, is a small old hotel which has been charmingly renovated in recent years. Prices range from $60 for a single room, to $99 for a double room, with various levels in between. The floors are arranged in wings, each of which has its own gleaming (I kid you not!) WC and Bathroom, shared by all rooms in that corridor. The rooms themselves are cozy, immaculate, and lovely (please note: the double-rooms do not contain two twin beds, but rather one full bed). The rooms may be on the small side, but the Larchmont is such a fabulous bargain, splendidly located; and besides, this is New York City ... how much time are you planning to spend in your hotel room, anyway? New York University is just five (short) blocks away. At the time of our visit, 1999 bookings were not being accepted, but we would strongly advise phoning as soon as possible after January 1st! 103 Waverly Place, at MacDougal Street Phone: 212-777-9515 / 979-8373 180 rooms All major credit cards are accepted The Hotel Washington Square (which also has had a renovation in recent years, to the tune of ten million dollars!) lies at the northwest corner of Washington Square Park, of which sixty of the rooms offer views. The main buildings of New York University can be reached by a short stroll across the Park. Single rooms are priced at $90; quad at $160. For those who would like a more modern alternative: 204 West 23rd Street (at Seventh Avenue) Phone: 212-929-9353 Fax: 212-741-6309 90 rooms Single room, $99; quad, $145 All major credit cards are accepted The Chelsea Savoy is quite new, having opened only last year. We were informed that the rates quoted above would be changing before the end of the year. And then, you may like to look into the following (bearing in mind that we did not visit these): 32 Eighth Avenue (between West 12th and Jane Streets) Phone: 212-206-0007 Fax: 212-604-0625 12 rooms Single room, $99; suite, $169 All major credit cards are accepted Of Incentra Village House, Mr. Sperry has this to say: "In the heart of [Greenwich Village] lies the Incentra Village House, a charming and inexpensive little hotel. Occupying two 1841 redbrick townhouses, the Incentra is friendly and welcoming, and the young people who run it are especially kind and helpful. The double parlor serving as the lobby is as charming as lobbies come: two fireplaces, a baby grand piano, book-lined shelves, gilded antique mirrors, and beautiful, huge windows with giant drapes. Guests are given both a room key and a key to the front door, so they can come and go as they please. It's like having your own apartment in the Village." 120 East 31st Street (between Lexington and Park Avenues) Phone: 212-685-3060 Fax: 212-532-1232 90 rooms Single room, $78; double, $110 No credit cards are accepted Mr. Sperry's book describes Hotel 31 thus: "Straight from the pages of Paper magazine comes the hip-hop hotel of the 90s for the cool budget-conscious traveler. Hotel 31 offers not only style, but also safety, security, cleanliness, and decent-sized rooms at remarkably low rates." Frankly, researching the New York Hotel scene has almost made me wish I did not live here, so that I might visit and stay in these hotels!
Martin Gonzalez |