If Sarah Jessica Parker hadn’t destroyed the Sex & The City franchise by staging the monstrosity that was the sitcom’ second film in Abu Dhabi, the show’s series seven debut might have taken place in the latest hipster offensive hangout, Williamsburg’s Wythe Hotel.
Housed in a historic, refurbished factory on the Brooklyn waterfront and a stone’s throw from McCarren Park – where you can indulge in an urban safari to watch the hipsters frolicking in their natural habitat, engaging in pastimes such as tightrope walking or unicycling – the 72-room hotel offers gobsmacking views of the Manhattan skyline and access to more aspiring models than poolside at the Dream downtown.
A painstakingly cool line of guests intent on sipping craft cocktails at The Ides rooftop bar is a permanent fixture outside the hotel’s ground-floor lobby and New American eatery, Reynard, the insides of which is often easily mistakable as a children’s crèche, given the recent trend among aging hipsters to breed.
“I grew up in France, but I call myself an American European,” is a frequent phrase one might eavesdrop upon in an area populated by more trust funds than the incoming MBA class at Princeton, to which a not uncommon response from a starving emancipated Eastern European model might be, “Sorry if I not speak a lot, I don’t speak any English.” But such are the requisite ingredients for the multicultural melting pot that creates the cool-kids vibe, which might even inspire you to start growing your own perfectly manicured beard.
Industrial chic is the thematic aesthetic channeled throughout the 1901 former cooperage, which features exposed yellow pine beams, original masonry and cast-iron columns. Unlike its Manhattan accommodation counterparts, the Wythe’s oversized rooms provide unobstructed waterfront views and pay homage to the neighborhood’s leading edge in design via custom beds made from the building’s reclaimed ceiling pine and locally made furniture.
If you’re riding high from a recent Lena Dunham sighting at Toby’s Estate Coffee while nursing your whisky-induced hangover, look no further than the South 8th Loft, located on the southwest corner of the Wythe’s top floor, which features floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase postcard views of the Manhattan skyline that will save you a trip to gaudy Times Square to buy real ones. With an interior staircase that leads to a private, 420-square foot terrace, the ‘treat yourself’ upgrade will spare you the need to fraternize with the aspirational kids on the lower floors.
Come summer, many an Instagram-friendly wedding takes place in the venue’s outdoor garden, which is an open-air brick-walled courtyard boasting rich original character, fairy lights and a European tiled floor.
The surrounding area is abundant with cultural must-sees, from local stalwart Brooklyn Brewery to the genre-defying triple threat Brooklyn Bowl, home to high-tech lanes, live tunes and eats by Blue Ribbon.
In a borough where paid employment is not a requirement to function as a grown adult, the Wythe provides a swanky place to rest your head while mingling with the locals.
While locals continue to voice irritation about Williamsburg’s growing pains as it quickly gentrifies, the $32 million Wythe Hotel provides a classy solution to the fission of old and new Brooklyn – just make sure to avoid the adult unemployed skaters and the beer-and-boards Black Bear Bar down the block.
