When it comes to small luxury hotels, Manhattan boasts some fine ones. You can find some beautiful accommodations in the region, including newer hotels and spas on nearby Long Island. Where ever you decide to spend your nights or days, small luxury hotels make sure you are completely rested for exploring all that Manhattan – and therefore New York City, can offer you. For some, this means art galleries, the theater and other culturally based events. Some individuals prefer to bar hop or dine at fine restaurants. Others prefer to explore the history, including the ethnic communities of Manhattan.
Chinatown
Manhattan is home to the largest community of Chinese people in the North America. Since Ah Ken first arrived in 1858, the region, listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, has grown and altered its epicenter as the community grew and spread. If you are interested in exploring the sights, smells and sounds of the region head towards Mott, Mulberry and Canal streets as well as around East Broadway. Here, you can catch fishmongers and green grocers hawking their wares alongside more staid retailers of jewelry.
Tourism is nothing new to Chinatown. People have been venturing here for years to see how they live. It becomes extremely popular during the advent of Chinese New Year. Even New York Telephone got into the act of promoting this section of town. During the 1970s, they began to install pagoda-like decorations on top of the booths. The 1980s saw the opening of several Chinese banks that chose to utilize Chinese-like architecture instead of Western styles.
Visitors to the area often take in the statue of Confucius placed front of Confucius Plaza or the Lieutenant Benjamin Ralph Kimlau Memorial archway erected in 1962 in Chatham Square in honor of those Chinese Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Another reason for viewing this memorial is to admire the excellent calligraphy done by the illustrious Yu Youren (1879—1964). The memorial shares the Square with a statute of a notable Chinese official Commissioner Lin Zexu who had strongly opposed the trade of opium.
Little Italy
In 2010, Little Italy became acknowledged as a historic district. Once encompassing the area around Mulberry Street, it has since lost a bit of its ethnic charm. In some places, instead, in many instances, it has become a tourist trap. You can still admire the beauty of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the city in 1809, a position it held until 1878. The area still features Italian shops and restaurants. They provide an ideal place to dine away from small luxury hotels elsewhere on the Island. Come to the area during the San Gennaro Feast to get a feel for the true Old Little Italy.
If you have a pension for exploring ethnic neighborhoods, you will find Manhattan perfectly suited to meet your needs. Chinatown and Little Italy represent some of the oldest such neighborhoods, but they are not the only ones. After signing into your choice of small luxury hotels in Manhattan, you can plan your visit to these communities. Explore your roots or simply enjoy the day immersed in the food, drink, architecture and entertainment of another fascinating culture.
