Manhattan Bowery Lodge

About Manhattan Bowery Lodge

Manhattan Bowery Lodge suits travelers who want a simple, low-key base in downtown Manhattan and plan to spend their days out in the city. The address sits in Chinatown, close to the Lower East Side and within about 1 mile (1.6 km) in a straight line of the 9/11 Memorial. Couples on a short city break, friends sharing a room and solo visitors who treat the hotel as a place to sleep will find the location practical. Late arrivals can rely on the 24 hour front desk.

Manhattan Bowery Lodge is a 2-star guesthouse rather than a full-service hotel, so the appeal is the address and the basics rather than lobbies, dining or extra services. The official star rating is a guide to the level of service, not a comment on comfort, and the listed facilities are air conditioning, free Wifi and internet access, with a 24 hour front desk for check-in at any hour.

Rooms and listed facilities

The listed facilities at Manhattan Bowery Lodge are a 24 hour front desk, air conditioning, family rooms, free Wifi and internet access. Couples and solo travelers get the essentials for a city break; families should ask the property about the layout of a family room and how many people it sleeps. Anyone arriving late can go straight to the front desk. Confirm the room type, the bed setup and the total price with taxes and fees with the property before booking.

Rooms at Manhattan Bowery Lodge are booked through the IMPT app, where prices and availability and current room details appear for your dates. Because this is a guesthouse with a 2-star rating, the practical questions matter most: how many beds a room holds, whether a family room fits your group, and how the air conditioning and Wifi are arranged. Ask the property directly about anything that affects your stay, and check the total price with taxes and fees before you confirm.

The setting

Manhattan Bowery Lodge sits at 81 Bowery, on the second floor, in Chinatown in downtown Manhattan. The street runs north from Chatham Square toward Cooper Square, and the Lower East Side lies just east. Straight-line distances put Times Square about 2.9 miles (4.7 km) away, Grand Central Terminal about 2.7 miles (4.3 km), Penn Station about 2.4 miles (3.8 km), Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street about 3.5 miles (5.6 km), and the 9/11 Memorial about 1 mile (1.6 km). Check current subway service before you travel.

The setting is downtown and street-level urban: Chinatown's shops and restaurants, the Lower East Side and the waterfront are the immediate surroundings, and the older street pattern below 14th Street means named streets rather than a grid. Manhattan Bowery Lodge is roughly 1 mile (1.6 km) in a straight line from the 9/11 Memorial and about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) from the observation decks, so lower Manhattan sights are the easy half of the day. Airports are further out; check routes and current fares before you set off.

Location and neighborhood

Chinatown and Two Bridges sit in the lower part of Manhattan, a few blocks north of the Financial District and west of the East River. Mott Street is the spine of the neighborhood, lined with bakeries, tea shops and restaurants that run from the edge of the Lower East Side down toward Worth Street. Side streets hold fruit markets, fish counters and herbal shops. Columbus Park, at the north end, is where residents play cards, practice music and gather through the afternoon. The Two Bridges blocks east of Bowery take their name from the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges that frame them.

First-time visitors based at Manhattan Bowery Lodge can reach most of downtown on foot. The Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway starts a short walk south, and the 9/11 Memorial is a few blocks further west. Subway stations on Canal Street, East Broadway and Grand Street connect to the rest of the city, and the Manhattan Bridge carries subway lines over to Brooklyn. Streets here are older than the grid uptown: they bend, change name and end without notice, so a paper map or a charged phone helps. Mornings are calm; afternoons bring crowds to Mott Street.

Getting there and around

Three airports serve the city. John F. Kennedy International is in Queens, Newark Liberty is in New Jersey and LaGuardia is the closest by road. Allow around 13 miles (20.2 km) for the trip from Manhattan Bowery Lodge to the airport you fly into, and check the route and timing with the airport's own website before leaving. Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station are the main rail hubs, around 2.7 miles (4.3 km) away, and the ride can take longer at rush hour. The downtown civic center sits around 2.9 miles (4.7 km) from the door. Tap a contactless card or phone to ride the subway, which runs around the clock.

Nearby sights and food

From Manhattan Bowery Lodge, most of downtown's headline sights are within walking distance or a short ride. The Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway begins near City Hall, and the subway brings you back from Brooklyn if you prefer not to walk both ways. The 9/11 Memorial reflecting pools are free to visit; the museum is ticketed. Ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island leave from Battery Park, and the free Staten Island Ferry passes the statue on its way out. Little Island and Hudson River Park line the west side, and the High Line runs north from Gansevoort Street to Hudson Yards, where the Vessel stands.

Eating is the main draw here and the choice is broad. Cantonese roast meats hang in windows along Mott and Bayard Streets, and dumpling shops sell pork and chive plates by the dozen, steamed or fried. Fujianese, Sichuanese and Shanghainese kitchens sit side by side, along with Malaysian, Vietnamese and Thai places on the side streets. Bakeries sell egg tarts and pineapple buns; tea shops pour milk tea and fruit drinks. Below the Manhattan Bridge, the Two Bridges blocks add noodle shops, rice roll counters and small groceries. Portions are generous and tables turn quickly at lunch.

A day from Manhattan Bowery Lodge

Start early with coffee and a pastry somewhere on Mott Street, then walk south to City Hall and over the Brooklyn Bridge before the crowds build. Return by subway and spend late morning at the 9/11 Memorial pools; the museum adds a deeper look at the site if you have the time. Lunch back in Chinatown, then a slow afternoon: Columbus Park, the side streets around Bayard Street, and a look at the Manhattan Bridge from the Two Bridges blocks. End with the free Staten Island Ferry toward sunset, then ride back to Manhattan Bowery Lodge or head uptown for an evening curtain in the Theater District. Check show times with the theater before booking.

Distances

Facilities listed by the supplier

As listed by the booking supplier; a facility not listed here may still exist. Confirm anything important with the property.

• 24 Hour Front Desk
• Air conditioning
• Bath
• Bathroom
• Desk
• Family rooms
• Free Wi-Fi
• Internet access
• Non smoking rooms
• Shower
• Wi-Fi