where in the world is lola?

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a prime, grade A neighborhood!

on a recent quick visit to NYC i had the pleasure of spending time in the Meatpacking District. once upon a time, when i lived in Manhattan, the only reason you’d venture to the Meatpacking District was to patronize the infamous Hogs & Hefers. BOY have things ever changed. yes, there’s still the warehouse feel and the cobbled streets of an older day but the scene there is otherwise totally HIP. another observation i made was that generally the neighborhood feels open, spacious & not congested like so many other areas of NYC.

because i had a change in plans, i ended up staying in two different hotels in the neighborhood and discovered a charming third. the first night, i stayed at Dream Downtown – a hotel that’s design is all things circles. really neat – i must admit! the staff was friendly, the rooms were funky yet functional & decently sized by NY standards.

the second night, i stayed at the Hotel Gansevoort Meatpacking. i loved the vibe of the Gansevoort – it’s definitely catering to the cool kids. raw hide & pool tables in the lobby and the tres fab roof deck pool aren’t to be missed. accommodations here were similar to Dream in that rooms were simple & sleek plus a good size. the Gansevoort exudes sex appeal!

the third property i came across during my visit was The Standard NY. WOW what a view from their 18th floor. i dropped by The Standard to have a pre-dinner drink and fell for it hard. next time in NYC this will be where i rest my head. fur throws in the lobby & floors made of pennies give this place one awesome eclectic feel that attracts everything from models to the European crowd. this is a property that definitely needs a closer lola look. my other FAVORITE thing about all three of these hotels is that they offer free WiFi. nothing’s ever cheap in NY and this is a definite perk as most times you get nickeled & dimed to pay for wireless internet.

the Meatpacking District is also sprinkled with some of the best places to eat in NYC like Scarpetta, Dos Caminos & Pastis, to name a few. you won’t go hungry with a variety of options in close proximity. AND another plus for the hood on the ‘lola scale’ of things – EXCELLENT shopping. you might not even need to venture out of the Meatpacking District. i enjoyed browsing at Diane von Furstenberg and am super excited to return to the neighborhood to shop at Vanita Rosa – a store i discovered in St. Barts. it’s only other location is Paris. great score Meatpacking District!!

a final shout out i’d like to give is to the travel agency i booked my rooms through – Magellan Vacations. i’m a big fan of online booking all on my own but i’ve used Magellan now for a couple of trips and i highly recommend them. their inventory of hotels are in line with the types of places i’d choose to stay and because of their relationships with the various properties, you are almost always given an upgraded room and other possible perks. once you book with Magellan, they also continue to check your rate and if it goes down before your stay they will rebook you at the lower rate. this scenario actually happened to me and i feel that this alone is worth using their services!

so, if you’re heading to NYC in the near future and are hungry for a new neighborhood to check out – clearly, i endorse the delicious Meatpacking District.

go get yourself a big juicy bite!