High Line Hotel

In the early 19th century, Chelsea was a country estate owned by Clement Clarke Moore, author of the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("’Twas the Night Before Christmas"). The man of letters gifted a chunk of land to the Episcopal Church to establish the General Theological Seminary, which remains a bastion of religious study. These days, however, it’s across the street from one of the city’s most popular attractions: the High Line. And the railway line–turned-park lends its name to a new boutique hotel on the seminary grounds. Previously run by the institution, the old guest wing and conference center have been transformed into the High Line Hotel, with interiors by Roman and Williams, the fashionable design firm behind the Ace Hotel New York’s eclectic decor. In keeping with the institution’s intellectual purview, the lobby of the imposing 1895 neo-Gothic landmark is home to NYC’s first outpost of Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee. Exuding an old-fashioned residential vibe, the 60 guest quarters feature antique Persian rugs on hardwood floors, custom-designed wallpaper and a mix of vintage furnishings and reproductions of pieces sourced by the designers. Many rooms retain original fireplaces—though these days the eco-friendly property is heated and cooled by a geothermal system. Rewired 1930s Western Electric rotary phones and desktop embossers for customizing your snail mail may seem like an antidote to the digital age, but don’t panic: There’s also free in-room Wi-Fi, and you can connect your iPod to the retro Tivoli radio by the bed.