Freehand New York

About Freehand New York

Freehand New York suits travelers who want a Midtown base near the Flatiron edge of the grid, where mornings start quietly and the rest of Manhattan is a short ride away. Couples, small families and business travelers on a city break fit here, and pets are welcome. Late arrivals can rely on a 24 hour front desk and 24 hour security. Bookings open in the IMPT app, where prices and availability appear for your dates.

Freehand New York is a 4-star hotel in Midtown Manhattan, rated 4.1 out of 5 in the booking supplier's guest score, drawn from 2152 reviews. Expect a city hotel with a restaurant, bars and a fitness center among its listed facilities rather than a resort. The address is 23 Lexington Avenue, an easy walk from the streets around Gramercy and the Flatiron district. Check the total price with taxes and fees when you book.

Rooms and listed facilities

Facilities listed by the supplier include air conditioning, free wifi, family rooms, a fitness center, a restaurant, bars and a terrace, with a safe and luggage storage at hand. Couples can ask about quieter upper floors, families about room size and bedding, and business travelers about desk space and internet access before booking. The 24 hour front desk and 24 hour security help guests arriving on late flights. Confirm directly with Freehand New York which room type and view you are reserving.

Ask Freehand New York for the layout of the room you are considering, since city rooms vary in shape and daylight. Guests traveling as a pair often want a little more floor space, while families do better with the listed family rooms. Business travelers and late arrivals can lean on the front desk at any hour and leave bags in luggage storage after checkout. Check the total price with taxes and fees, and confirm what your rate includes with the property.

The setting

Freehand New York stands at 23 Lexington Avenue in Gramercy, on the east side of Midtown Manhattan. The grid here is orderly, with Fifth Avenue a few blocks west and Broadway cutting diagonally across. Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street lies about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) away, and the 9/11 Memorial about 2.5 miles (4 km) south. Observation decks sit about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the door.

Location and neighborhood

Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town reward anyone staying at Freehand New York who plans a day around meals. The streets around Gramercy Park, Irving Place and Stuyvesant Square hold a dense cluster of dining rooms, from old-line New York cooking to small counters that fill early. Evenings here stay calm: the park railings, brownstone stoops and tree-lined blocks make a short walk between courses feel like part of the plan. Book ahead for the well-known places, and keep the later hours free for a drink or a coffee. The area sits within Midtown Manhattan, so a meal here can open onto a theater night or close one.

Morning is the quieter half of the day. Cafés along the side streets open early for coffee and pastry, and the residential blocks stay hushed until lunch. Indian kitchens line Lexington Avenue to the north, while Italian cooking, steakhouses and small wine-focused rooms cluster nearer Irving Place. Vegetarian and vegan menus are easy to find, as are bakeries and grocery shops for a picnic. Opening days and hours change, so check before a late arrival, and book ahead for dinner on weekend nights, when the better-known rooms fill quickly.

Getting there and around

Union Square, 23rd Street and the stations along the east side put the area on several subway lines; service changes are frequent at weekends, so check with the MTA before a late trip home. The main rail station is 1 mile (1.6 km) from here, and the airports lie 13 miles (20.5 km) away, with road traffic deciding the rest. Tap a contactless card or phone to ride; the MetroCard is being phased out. Congestion pricing applies to vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. On foot, the grid is simple: Fifth Avenue divides east from west, and Broadway cuts across it diagonally.

Nearby sights and food

Most of the city's headline sights sit within easy reach of Freehand New York. Grand Central Terminal is a short ride or a long walk north, and its main concourse is free to enter. The High Line, Little Island and Hudson River Park run along the west side, reached by subway across town; Hudson Yards and the Vessel stand at the northern end of the elevated park. Observation decks at the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and One Vanderbilt give views over the island. Broadway theaters in the Theater District are a short subway ride away, with evening curtains usually at 7 or 8 pm, so check the show.

The eating here rewards a loose plan. Start with coffee and a pastry at a corner café, then graze: a slice from a neighborhood pizzeria, a bowl of noodles, a plate of dumplings, a sandwich from a deli counter. Gramercy's dining rooms lean toward Italian, new American and steakhouse cooking, with a growing run of small plates and natural wine. Lexington Avenue north of the park is the address for Indian cooking, from quick lunches to long dinners. Dessert is easy: bakeries, ice cream counters and old-fashioned soda fountains all sit within a few blocks.

A day from Freehand New York

A day from Freehand New York can start late and stay local. Begin with coffee on Irving Place, then walk the Gramercy Park railings and carry on to Stuyvesant Square. Lunch could be a bowl of noodles or a plate of Indian food on Lexington Avenue, with a bakery stop afterward. In the afternoon, take the subway west to the High Line and follow it north to Hudson Yards, or head to Grand Central Terminal to see the concourse. Return for a shower and a slow dinner near home. Book the table ahead, then walk to a Broadway curtain if the evening allows, checking the show time.

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
• 24-hour security
• ATM
• Air conditioning
• Alarm clock
• Bars
• Bath
• Bathroom
• Breakfast
• Carpeted
• Cleaning
• Coffee
• Concierge
• Desk
• Dry cleaning service
• Express check in
• Family rooms
• First aid
• Fitness Center
• Free Wi-Fi
• Hairdryer
• Housekeeping
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Lounge
• Luggage storage
• Lunch
• Night club
• Non smoking rooms
• Pets allowed
• Radio
• Restaurant
• Safe
• Security Features
• Shower
• Sink
• Smoke detector
• Sofa bed