On New
York‘s Bowery, Sister City masters the
sought-after mix of chic yet low-key design, great food,
affordability and a rooftop with views across Manhattan.

In a city where real estate is like a revolving door, it can be
close to impossible to keep up with every new restaurant, bar and
hotel opening, and even harder to know which ones are worth
checking out. On the Bowery, the vein linking Nolita and the Lower
East Side, Sister City is a spot that draws a consistent crowd
without being too scene-y, all the while mastering the sought-after
mix of chic yet low-key design, great food, affordability and a
fantastic rooftop with views across Manhattan.

Rooms

Sister City’s minimalist style is exactly what lends it so much
of its charm – expect crisp white and dove grey striped duvet
covers, compact wooden valets and mid-century-modern recliners. The
more you poke around, the more you’ll discover, such as clever
cubby holes under the bed to prevent the inevitable disaster zones
that hotel rooms tend to become – Scandi and Japanese design
inspiration is definitely apparent here. Each room has views that
beat looking out at a grey wall in Midtown by miles; depending on
the side of the hotel you’re located on, you’ll be able to look
over the spectacle of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, the
Empire State Building or the Freedom Tower. As for room sizes,
there are Single and Queen rooms for under $200 a night, as well as
bunk rooms with living areas. For a small upgrade charge, larger
King and Corner rooms are up for grabs, as well as Terrace rooms
offering a breath of fresh air.

What’s for breakfast?

Floret, the hotel’s downstairs restaurant, has a huge indoor
dining space as well as a peaceful patio punctuated by greenery,
striped awnings and earth-toned seats. Start the day with a variety
of beverages such as melon, lime and ginger juice and an oat-milk
cappuccino à la Leandra Medine before moving onto solids. The toast
selection alone is to die for, with grilled slices of baguette
topped with whipped ricotta, stone fruit and honey as well as
Jerusalem bagels served with pistachio, labne and za’atar. Those
with a sweet tooth will love the crunchy coconut granola served
over Greek yogurt and the banana-macadamia pancakes available
during weekend brunch. To prep for a big day of pounding the
downtown pavement, the soft scramble prepared with brown butter and
served with parmesan, quinoa, wilted greens and garlic toast is a
no-brainer.

How about lunch and dinner?

Floret serves food all day long, so it’s also your go-to for
lunch and dinner. The sleek indoor space made up of long wooden
slats contrasting with retro dark-leather banquettes is great for
cosying up inside, while the outdoor terrace is strung with light
bulbs for those who want to take full advantage of any time they
can spend outside without a coat. Seasonal flavours command the
lunch and dinner menus, so keep an eye out for fresh produce and
seafood in creative main dishes. The creamy risotto with aubergine
and roasted beefsteak tomatoes is to die for, as is the whole
crispy dorade with sesame and lime. The Atlantic peekytoe crab with
avocado, scallion and green apple is great for a twist on an
East-Coast specialty. For something on the warmer side, a top
appetiser on the menu is the Japanese aubergine with crispy
shallots and peanuts. After testing out everything that catches
your eye, you’ll sleep like a baby.

Is there a bar?

Last Light, Sister City’s
rooftop bar, is a summertime favourite among the Ganni-clad NYC
crowd and offers one of the best views over the city, sweeping from
the Financial District all the way up to the Empire State Building,
while offering a close-up vantage point over Soho and the
neighbouring New Museum. There’s indoor and outdoor seating,
meaning blood-orange sunset nights and chilly evenings admiring
city lights are both fair game. As for cocktails, the simple yet
creative mixes here are the go-to – Tiki Torches is a tropical mix
of aperol, gin and coconut, Glow Sticks comprises cachaça, sherry
and berries, and frozen slushies include an icey take on a Moscow
mule. If you need something to hold you over until dinnertime, the
nibbles here are bound to impress. We love the pillow-soft pretzel
with pimento cheese, crusty toast with ricotta, English peas and
mint and, for something fresh and light when a larger meal is
pending, the hamachi ceviche topped with lime, radishes and sweet
potato crisps.

Amenities

Each room is kitted out with a portable Bang & Olufsen
speaker, making dance parties while you get ready a regular affair.
There are also understated Public Goods bath products in
large pump bottles in the showers to save on waste, which we’re
keen on. Once you’re out of your room, there are a multitude of
airy sitting areas, including the breezy outdoor terrace at Floret,
that serve as perfect spaces for remote workers. Grab a portable
charger from the check-in desk and settle in to plug away for a few
hours. The roof bar also has several event spaces, so brand
pop-ups, hen parties and the like can book a room with a view to
celebrate.

Things you should know

The snacks and other treats at the check-in desk shop are too
good to overlook. Bang & Olufsen’s portable Beoplay speakers –
just like the ones in each room – are for sale (and are incredibly
hard to resist buying after having blasted wake-up tunes every
morning of your stay), as well as mini portable chargers and thick
issues of Kaleidoscope magazine. For those who find themselves
feeling peckish late at night or before they hop in a cab to the
airport, make the most of the shop’s edible offerings that include
cool-ranch kale chips, artisanal popcorn with pink Himalayan salt
and gourmet chocolate bars in flavours such as lemon coconut cream
and bananas foster. The cans of Crosscut Coffee’s maple nitro iced
brew are also a fan favourite for when you’re on the go.

Within a short walk you’ll find…

Absolutely everything. There truly couldn’t be a better located
hotel; the boutiques of Nolita are straight across the street and
pave the way to the high-end Soho shops. Head straight up the
Bowery if you want to explore the New Museum, NoHo and the bars of
the East Village. For something that’s less than twenty steps away,
check out Plantshed, a café-meets-flower shop that sits
opposite Sister City and is an Instagram post waiting to
happen.