Nine Orchard

Whether or not the phrase Dimes Square means anything to you, you’ll appreciate the mini-neighborhood Nine Orchard calls home. Here, at the east end of Canal Street, where the Lower East Side meets Chinatown, there’s a buzz that’s reminiscent of some of Downtown’s earlier golden ages — and, in Nine Orchard itself, there’s a hotel with enough character and personality to become a proper neighborhood institution.

What was once the Jarmulowsky Bank building retains much of its century-old grandeur — they quite literally don’t make them like they used to. As ornate as the façade and the public spaces may be, the rooms opt for something a little more subdued; the classic architecture is complemented by muted colors and furnishings that are minimalist but warm, and modern conveniences like custom-designed and custom-programmed sound systems and minibars stocked with fine local products.

Corner Bar, the first of the hotel’s restaurants, is more than a corner bar — it’s a bistro-style concept, and serves breakfast as well as dinner. It’s joined by the Swan Room, an elegantly old-world all-day lounge space that transforms into a swanky cocktail bar at night.