By Millie Jackson
Copyright hellomagazine
When you have a restricted number of holiday days, as many of us do, the long weekend is the perfect compromise: a day either side of the weekend, giving you a proper break without dispensing too much annual leave. However, this delightful occurrence can pose a problem.
So was my conundrum when visiting New York City for four days this summer. Within a city like the Big Apple there are as many districts, streets and attractions as you have fingers and toes, so how on earth can you encapsulate it all, especially within a restricted time frame?
The answer was thus: stay in two separate hotels, therefore managing to soak up the atmosphere of two different parts of New York, while travelling into the central parts of Manhattan for activities during the day.
It was a no-brainer when choosing the hotels. Moxy has five different hotels, all within areas of New York City, and each is inspired by the area it inhabits. There’s Moxy Times Square, Moxy Chelsea, Moxy East Village, Moxy Lower East Side, and Moxy Williamsburg – so wherever you prefer to stay in the city, you’re catered for.
I chose Moxy Lower East Side and Moxy Williamsburg in the hope of soaking up both Manhattan and Brooklyn life. Read on to discover my top tips and recommendations for a long weekend in the city, including why Moxy was so ideal for our stay…
Getting there
We arrived flew into JFK in the evening, and it took us about an hour by taxi to get to the Moxy Lower East side hotel, although it’s very accessible by public transport – I’d recommend downloading a travel app like Citymapper before you go, as we found it very helpful for navigating the subway. Our Metro Cards, kindly supplied by NYC Tourism, helped us get around really easily via subway when we didn’t walk.
We arrived in a very rainy Manhattan in the evening, and sprinted out of the deluge into the Moxy Lower East Side. From the minute you step inside the hotel, there’s a feeling of calm away from the constant hubbub outside that I think is absolutely essential when choosing a place to stay in New York.
Choosing a room
When the city itself is so lively and – at times – overwhelming, having a hotel room that feels like a sanctuary is very important.
Pricings will vary based on view, and I have to say there was something really magical about looking out of our hotel window and seeing the World Trade Centre on one side, and the Empire State Building on the other. It’s also lovely to watch the city at sunset when all the lights start to appear, so I’d also recommend a room higher up.
If your long weekend includes a getaway with friends or small children, there are rooms with bunk beds that sleep four comfortably.
I will say, if you’re expecting a palatial suite, think again – and remember that this is New York! Moxy rooms are designed to be a place to lay your head after a day enjoying the city, so everything is very compact. Despite this, it didn’t feel cramped, and the bed was amazingly comfortable.
The rain shower was incredible too, and every detail to the quality of the hotel shampoo (always a good indicator of quality, I think!) was catered to. There are even store cupboards outside rooms for guests to use, stocked with amenities in case supplies run low. All these elements really make you feel you are being looked after.
Lower East Side by night
Not only was the room delightful, the entire hotel really encapsulates the trendy, on-the-go feel of the neighbourhood. There’s plenty of entertainment at hand, as the Moxy hotel is home to the popular subterranean nightclub Loosie’s, piano lounge Silver Lining and a rooftop bar at The Highlight Room.
The Highlight Room is a must-visit, as you can take in Manhattan from the Lower East Side from the 16th floor. The views speak for themselves! I recommend heading up at sunset especially.
Sake No Hana
This restaurant was undoubtedly a trip highlight and a must-visit for anyone coming to New York. It has to rank among my top meals of all time. Sake No Hana is a modern Japanese restaurant underneath the hotel with an incredible menu of Japanese specialties. Ingredients are sourced from local purveyors at the Union Square Greenmarket and Japan’s Toyosu Market to bring the very finest quality produce to the restaurant.
The sugar snap pea salad features a miso crème fraîche with sesame-yuzu dressing, making it burst with flavour. Pick any of the sushi, temaki, nigiri and sashimi and you’ll be entranced by the lightness of the fish, while the wagyu carbonara is a very popular choice for those wanting a more filling meal.
A trip to Sake No Hana is incomplete without trying a selection of the wagyu steak on offer – any other meat will be ruined for you thereafter. It’s simply mouth-watering and I couldn’t recommend it more.
I would also recommend taking in the team’s in-depth knowledge and respect for Japanese culture, food and drink, especially the restaurant’s namesake, sake. They are experts in their field, and can offer pairing advice for all the menu options.
Lower East Side by day
Breakfast offerings within the hotel itself were slightly limited, with muffins, fruit and juice on offer for free, as well as an in-hotel café serving delicious pastries, so one to bear in mind when planning your meals.
We soon realised our total addiction to bagels, so a good option for breakfast or lunch is a stop at Pop Up Bagels, a short walk from the hotel, where you pick three bagels with different seasonings (I recommend the ‘everything’ seasoning) and then a spread of your choice (the scallion cream cheese is the best).
The Lower East Side is very close to Soho, so there’s lots of good shopping nearby. I also recommend taking a turn around the local supermarket chains, like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Target, as it’s so interesting to see the different products on offer in a different part of the world. The team at Moxy Lower East Side were unfailingly lovely, but they did laugh when we came in excitedly chattering about our sightseeing in Target!
A short subway ride away is the ferry terminal for the Staten Island ferry, a bright orange vehicle that offered us the (free) opportunity to take in Manhattan from the water. I highly recommend doing this if you have the time, and stand at the back on the left heading towards Staten Island, then at the front on the right if you are heading towards Manhattan. It also provides a great view of the Statue of Liberty.
Why choose Moxy Williamsburg?
We decided to shake things up halfway through our stay by moving hotels to another highlight in the Moxy repertoire: Moxy Williamsburg. With an incredible view of Manhattan and the East River, this hotel enables you to take in the scope of Manhattan from a distance, including views of Summit One Vanderbilt, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, and the World Trade Centre.
As with Moxy Lower East Side, rooms vary by price depending on size and view. Our room in Moxy Williamsburg was my favourite of the trip, as we looked out over Manhattan from the window and watched the comings and goings of the Williamsburg and Brooklyn bridges.
Williamsburg by night
We chose to dine at Mesiba, a festive, Tel Aviv–inspired restaurant serving Levantine cuisine and every plate was delicious. Perfect for an evening meal if you’re staying at the Moxy (it’s an on-site restaurant) or if you find yourself in Williamsburg, Mesiba is not to be missed.
Two personal highlights were the masabaha cart, where freshly-made hummus is plated up and served from a cart with frena bread, and the lamb neck, cooked for 24 hours and served with yemeni pancake, tahini, amba, pickles and fresh herbs. The meat was melt-in-the-mouth tender, and a delightful combination of flavours. The chef, Eli Buli, is incredibly passionate about the menu and came out on both occasions we ate there (it was worth a return trip just for the hummus!) to explain elements of his cooking to guests.
This hotel definitely has a party feel, as it was a hive of activity throughout our stay. It’s a great place to stay as the hotel is close to subway stations and within easy walking distance of different areas of the city, including Dumbo and Brooklyn.
My favourite part of the hotel was the amazing open-air roof terrace, LilliStar, which offered incredible views of the Manhattan skyline and the Williamsburg Bridge. There are often parties on the terrace, so expect a buzzy atmosphere and enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset over New York.
Eating our way through Williamsburg
Within a dangerously close reach of the Moxy hotel in Williamsburg were two of our immediate favourite food items: pizza and cookies. Not together, of course.
The first is a New York must: by the slice pizza. There is something so wonderful about holding up a slice of pizza that is bigger than your entire head, and costs a few dollars. The best place to get a pizza in the Big Apple is Joe’s Pizza. It was a little bit more expensive than other pizza places, but well worth it. The flavour is delicious, and the cheese pizza is the best.
The second is one for any sweet-toothed readers: Levain Bakery. For cookies that are somehow an inch thick, served warm and gooey, and that taste amazing, look no further.
On our final night in New York, we looked out across the Manhattan skyline as it twinkled across the darkness, watched Sex and the City and ate pizza and cookies in bed – New York magic!
Other fun things to do while in New York
While plenty of people head to the Empire State building, Summit One Vanderbilt is the best option to head up for the most incredible view of New York. There are three floors with 360° views of the city – to say it’s breathtaking (and a little hair-raising) is no exaggeration.
On the well-beaten path, it’s very worth heading to Ground Zero and the 9/11 Museum, as well as stopping by classic landmarks like Times Square and the Rockerfeller Centre.
An afternoon spent people-watching in Central Park or Washington Square Gardens is sure to bring entertainment (we saw a man with a lizard on his head), as well as spotting movie filming locations while out and about in the city.
We also stopped off at a baseball game (watching YouTube explainers about the rules of baseball while en route to the game), taking a direct subway from Grand Central Station to the sports ground. It was a really fun way of soaking up American culture, enjoying some sport, and taking the opportunity to buy New York Mets stash for our suitcases.
Sporting events are seasonal, so there are also NBA matches or ice hockey throughout the year, depending on when you go. I’d recommend looking in advance so that you can best plan your trip.
To conclude…
A whirlwind (and magical) four days, spent somewhat unusually in two different hotels but I genuinely wouldn’t have done it any other way. It enabled us to have enough variety, to take in the city from different viewpoints and feel like a part of the local fabric in each location. I especially recommend Moxy Lower East Side and Moxy Williamsburg. The quality of the stay in both locations as well as the views, things to do within the hotels themselves and the food make them both well worth it.
Moxy Lower East Side: Rates from $179 per night. Book at moxylowereastside.com
Moxy Williamsburg: Rates from $179 per night. Book at moxywilliamsburg.com
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