Manhattan’s Chinatown is home to the largest enclave of Chinese people in the West and the oldest Chinatown in New York City. Although rich in history and culture, it has been overshadowed by some of New York’s more vibrant and flashy nearby neighbourhoods such as Tribeca, Soho, the West Village, and Chelsea. However, Chinatown has managed to retain its own special charm.
I recently spent a weekend in Manhattan’s Chinatown (New York City has nine Chinatown neighbourhoods in all) for the opening of Hotel 50 Bowery. Located in the heart of the neighbourhood on the oldest thoroughfare on Manhattan Island, this new boutique hotel will no doubt give Chinatown a boost.
The 229-room hotel is the first Joie de Vivre property in New York. Under the brand of Two Roads Hospitality, the 21-story building is the brainchild of two families with deep roots in the Asian community: the Harilela family of Hong Kong and the Chu family of New York.
The owners endeavoured to highlight the neighbourhood’s culture and history, and as such have created an immersive hotel experience reflective of Chinatown’s evolution by tastefully connecting new and old.
