The Ludlow: Reflecting the Lower East Side, Past and Present

Words by Gerard McGuickin

14 April 2015

The Ludlow: Reflecting the Lower East Side, Past and Present

Words by Gerard McGuickin

14 April 2015

Memorable Stays

Manhattan, New York City, United States

Traditionally the immigrant heart of Manhattan, New York’s Lower East Side paints a vision that is earnest, real and gritty. Hip and artsy, it’s a neighbourhood whose chequered history has worked to embolden its present face. A place where Madonna once threw her tag around (and indeed many of her ilk), the Lower East Side was always, and continues to be a hotbed of creative activity. The area has managed to monopolise its gritty urban reality, with an affable charm that attracts a mishmash of hipsters, foodies, fashionable families, partygoers, coffee fiends and other varied subcultures. Rough around the edges, the Lower East Side is nevertheless charismatic, invigorating and resilient.

Typical of many less desirable city locales the world over, the Lower East Side has capitulated to gentrification. Despite its many cons, the act of gentrifying does offer a good deal of pros, especially true in those instances where architectural gems have fallen into disrepair. In one such example, New York hoteliers Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier and Richard Born, came to the aid of a derelict building on Ludlow Street that had been jilted by its original developers following the financial crash. With a solid brick elevation and factory casement windows, the structure was converted into The Ludlow, a 184-room hotel opened in 2014 that echoes the colour, vibrancy and history of the Lower East Side. ''The hotel conjures the area’s vivid history, from the ‘Gangs of New York’ era to Jewish immigration to the wild art and music of the ‘80s.'' (Press Release)

As one of the New York’s oldest neighbourhoods, the Lower East Side was at one time the centre of Jewish culture, with many notable Jewish landmarks remaining in the vicinity. Across this inner city hood, a wellspring of contemporary art galleries, bars and nightclubs attracting an affluent crowd, trendy cafes and chic boutiques, sit among the grimy alleyways, housing projects and crumbling facades. And it is this eclectic mix that appealed to The Ludlow’s owners who have strived to ensure the hotel remains connected to the area’s past and present. That rawness, quickening pace of change, urbanity and abraded character, are all a part of The Ludlow’s make-up and allure. Its presence amongst the mom-and-pop stores, smart restaurants and boisterous bars, graffiti street art, fashion mavens and aspiring wannabes, gives The Ludlow a keen urban edge.

photo © The Ludlow.

photo © The Ludlow.

photo © The Ludlow.
photo © The Ludlow.
photo © The Ludlow.
photo © The Ludlow.

The Ludlow’s 184 guest rooms (including no fewer than 20 suites) are designed to be personal and private with their mix of hardwood floors with handmade silk rugs, handcrafted Moroccan pendant lamps, Indo-Portuguese style beds and ''tree- trunk'' nightstands from ‘Organic Modernism’ in Brooklyn. In the fast-paced chaos of a New York metropolis, amenities that engender relaxation and rest are seen in abundance, from rain shower heads to fluffy dressing gowns and sumptuous bath products. The 15th floor Loft King Terrace rooms are especially appealing, offering a spacious residence, large sitting area and terrace views across the New York landscape.

Enter through The Ludlow’s red-bricked entryway and the visitor will find an interior that has been described as''Trustafarian meets Miss Havisham''. Oak panel-lined walls, marble mosaic floors and a grand distressed limestone fireplace are just a few of the interior highlights. In a bid to kindle an inviting ground floor public space, The Ludlow’s lobby atrium calls to mind the days when downtown lofts would host cool clubs or unique parties, with a prodigious mix of creative patrons. There is in addition a much-coveted outdoor garden and the buzzing ‘Dirty French’ bistro. It is hotelier Sean MacPherson’s aspiration that the hotel will provide a living room for the neighbourhood. Far from the trampled tourist trail and bland hotel chains, The Ludlow will doubtless offer a tailored and tasteful New York experience.