11 Howard

SoHo, formerly home to the artists’ lofts that were New York’s 20th-century Downtown signature, has, since around the turn of the millennium, gone steadily upscale — and steadily more international. Both trends find expression in 11 Howard, where contemporary Scandinavian design meets a more inclusive, less ostentatious version of luxury hospitality. It’s the first independent hotel project for architect Anda Andrei, after decades as the designer behind Ian Schrager’s path-breaking boutique-hotel projects. Produced in collaboration with Danish designers Space Copenhagen, 11 Howard avoids the sort of wall-to-wall bling that’s sometimes synonymous with New York hotels. And this one puts a bit of money where its egalitarian ideals are, as well — they call it “conscious hospitality,” which in concrete terms means passing on a share of revenue to charities like the Global Poverty Project.

The Scandinavian vibe imparts a crisp cleanliness to 11 Howard’s interiors, and the local color comes in the form of a pretty formidable art collection, whose highlights include works by Hiroshi Sugimoto, Katie Yang, and Dan Attoe. The rooms are smart and functional, drawing heavily on the cozier currents in Danish design, and the resulting visual identity is a memorable one.

Meanwhile, the location, at Howard and Lafayette, is perfectly placed for shopping, and most of the downtown nightlife haunts are easily enough accessible. The Blond, the cocktail lounge, goes out of its way to prove that you can be glamorous without being militantly elitist, and Le Coucou, the hotel’s French restaurant, was recently awarded its first Michelin star.

About the Neighborhood
With its cobblestone streets and cast-iron buildings, the historic district of SoHo is nothing if not distinctive. Once known for its affordable artists' lofts made from disused manufacturing spaces, it's now gone upscale, and is one of New York's retail centers, with everything from mainstream chain shops to one-off boutiques. The location places you at what's more or less the center of lower Manhattan, with everything from Union Square to the Financial District within easy reach. And it's long been a hotbed for great boutique hotels as well, from the early days of the boutique-hotel movement right up to the present day.

First time in NYC?
New York City (the island of Manhattan) runs North-South with East & West sides. Downtown (Wall St.) is at the southern tip while the East & West Sides are divided by Central Park above 59th Street. Harlem tops off the northern tip of the island.