East Side Story

How funny of me to name this entry East Side Story, but that is because for the last two weeks I stayed in Chelsea and Mid town West, which were nice. But I knew the areas so there was little surprise, I knew what to expect of the barren that is the Garment district next to Penn Station and was entertained in the streets of Chelsea by the gym, the stores, the restaurant and the passers by. This week, I had to find a cheap but good hotel and they only thing that look right was on the East Side, to be more precise at the corner of Lexington and 30Th.

After work, I walked through Midtown until I found Lexington (It was a heck of a walk, like 6 huge blocks) and then walked down to 30th. I was not sure what I was going to find, I am not even sure the neighborhood has a name, but it is lovely. I was won over when i saw no less than 3 sushi restaurants by the hotel, and what seems like an upscale American dinner thing called Penelope across the street. The neighborhood feels quite like a neighborhood, a lot of brownstones and apartment building - with door mans of course - a lot of little stores, and dry cleaners and things like that.

The hotel this week is fine, the bed is a total disaster - that is worth another entry though. The carpets could use a change, and the furniture is circa 1984, but other than that the room is spacious (I am not saying big, I am saying spacious),clean and the bathroom is enough. It is lacking some space for my toiletries, but hey the entire La Prairie collection of potions doesn't fit in most places. So far so good, they even have complimentary breakfast, but I woke up too late today to make use of it.