A St Barths Hotelier does Manhattan

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Jun 26th 2010 at 9:01AM

I sipped a glass of rum as the plates were cleared. To my left was Christian Langlade, half the husband-and-wife team that owns and runs Hotel Christopher on St. Barthelemy and my host for dinner. After talking about his property, the conversation turned to my hometown, and I was amazed to learn his regular hotel on jaunts up to Manhattan: On the Ave.

I spent several months at On the Ave in 2004, first on consulting assignments during my white collar travel days and then to facilitate my move to New York from Boston. Just the mention of this hotel brought a flood of memories so powerful that I had to put my glass down for a moment.

On the Ave isn't glamorous, but is far better than sufficient – frankly, it was a business traveler's dream. Tucked away on W. 77th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, it's rarely the first choice of visitors looking for access to Times Square or Wall Street. Nonetheless, I fell in love with the property quickly. It offered easy subway access, simple accommodations that I found comfortable for late-night work and, best of all, a sixteenth-floor terrace with a north-facing view.

Christian enjoys the space for a quick breath of fresh air in the morning, he told me. From that same space, I drank wine and smoked cigars through the night while in the early stages of launching my then newest business venture.

Perhaps the greatest feature of On the Ave, aside from the memories, is that it's woven into the fabric of the neighborhood. Lacking its own restaurant, the hotel forces you across Broadway to Big Nick's or across W. 77th St. to Manhattan Diner – where I met Zivity co-founder Cyan Banister the day after a Twitter exchange with me led her to On the Ave.

You may sacrifice some convenience, but it's worth it to truly feel the rhythm of the city. That short conversation with Christian at the dinner table unleashed a torrent of On the Ave memories that I hope never to forget – culminating in my decision to make the Upper West Side my home.

Next time you're in Manhattan, skip midtown and find a new neighborhood to call home.

Disclosure: Hotel Christopher picked up the tab for this meal. Nonetheless, my opinions are my own – they're certainly not for sale at any price.

Tags: hotel, hotels, manhattan, new york, new york city, St Barths, Upper West Side