Cutting a grand silhouette on a prominent corner of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, The Lucerne is a landmark 12-story Beaux Arts hotel built in 1904. It stands out in the neighborhood for its striking, highly-sculpted façade in red-plum brick and terra cotta. Ringed by the sidewalk terrace for onsite restaurant Nice Matin, a French café and neighborhood staple, doormen stand in waiting at the hotel’s grand entrance.
Just two blocks to Central Park (and equidistant to Riverside Park overlooking the Hudson River, to the west), it offers guests an idyllic slice of classic New York. As an Upper West Sider, myself, I’ve always felt like The Lucerne is emblematic of the best of the neighborhood; at once breezily chic and classic. It’s also my parents’ favorite hotel in the neighborhood to stay when they visit.
Why stay at The Lucerne?
The Lucerne is ideal for those who want a little distance from the bustle of Manhattan, while still experiencing a quintessential aspect of New York City life. It’s set in a classic, family-friendly residential neighborhood close to Central Park and just a block to the American Museum of Natural History. This is the New York City that Nora Ephron immortalized in movies like You’ve Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally. The Upper West Side is also the New York of Jerry Seinfeld.
What are the rooms like?
With such a grand historic facade, it’s a shame that The Lucerne has not invested more in updating the hotel’s interior design and architecture of late. The traditional décor is dated in a tired color palette of dark wood finishes, creams, browns and yellows. This is especially apparent in bathrooms with old tubs, shower heads, faucets and terrazzo marble countertops, as well as light fixtures. Still, it’s clean and comfortable if a bit underwhelming from a design standpoint.
Where the Lucerne has an edge is in room size. So many trendy Manhattan hotel rooms are the size of postage stamps, while the Lucerne’s rooms are spacious featuring full desks. Suites offer even more room with a separate sitting area. Rooms are outfitted with Keurig coffeemakers and flatscreen LCD TVs, while suites also feature a mini bar and fridge.
What are the bars and restaurants like at The Lucerne?
A staple of the Upper West Side for over 20 years, Nice Matin anchors the Lucerne. Occupying a spacious dining room facing Amsterdam Avenue, it’s also home to one of the loveliest sidewalk terraces in the neighborhood with rattan chairs, white tablecloths and shady awnings. It’s open continuously for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as weekend brunch and there’s a small bar near the entrance for casual cocktails and a bite.
While the menu is inspired by the South of France, the dining room always transports me to a grand café in Paris on the Seine’s Left Bank with its Art Deco murals and whimsical carousel-like light fixtures. The food is excellent with all the classic French staples on the menu, from escargots to a grilled ahi tuna Nicoise salad, branzino and a couple of varieties of steak frites. There’s also more idiosyncratic, elegant fare, like a summer corn souffle with lobster velouté and duck leg tagine, plus handmade pasta. I go back time and again for the paillard de poulet, a bright, yet surprisingly hearty dish, topped with frisée, green olives, cherry tomatoes, shallots, parmesan and a lemon vinaigrette.
What is the service like at The Lucerne?
Service is warm, friendly and helpful in the classical sense of hospitality. Bellmen are at your service to whisk your luggage to and from your room and call or hail a cab for you. The front desk and bellmen are friendly and happy to chat as you’re coming and going engendering a true homey feeling. The service at Nice Matin is equally on point with a staff operating the well-oiled machine with grace and care.
How are the amenities at The Lucerne?
Amenities are relatively sparse, which is not unusual for a Manhattan hotel when the main attraction is exploring the city around you. There’s a small fitness center, but the adventure is waiting outside the hotel walls.
What’s the area like around The Lucerne?
The Upper West Side is home to a bounty of quintessential New York landmarks, like the Museum of Natural History with its Hayden Planetarium, as well as the New York Historical Society and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. It’s also a bastion for classic Jewish deli and appetizing standbys, like Barney Greengrass for whitefish and corned beef on rye and Zabar’s with its bakery and market—it’s definitely worth stopping by.
Cushioned between Central Park and Riverside Park with tree-lined streets flanked by brownstones, the Upper West Side is one of Manhattan’s most picturesque neighborhoods. It’s family-friendly and allows travelers to enjoy the residential side of Manhattan living with major subways providing easy connections to Midtown and beyond. The best of both worlds, really.
For those in New York to experience Broadway and the theater district, as well as the performing arts at Lincoln Center, it’s a prime location to base yourself.
Why you should book a stay at The Lucerne
For a taste of classic New York in a picturesque residential neighborhood that easily connects you to the rest of Manhattan, The Lucerne is an ideal stay. Its grand façade and spacious rooms make for comfortable, traditional New York stay and its anchor restaurant Nice Matin is a fixture of the local neighborhood.
DETAILS
Address: 201 W. 79th Street, New York, NY 10024
Price per night: from $185
Closest transport: Subway: 79th Street, 1; 81st St, B, C
Book now: via Booking.com
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