On the square, with a meal
The Washington Square Hotel in the heart of Greenwich Village is a throwback to a different era, yet with all the modern niceties: luxurious duvets, flat-screen TVs, sleek bathrooms. Built in 1903, the brick building surrounded by stately brownstones on a quiet, leafy street has just been renovated. Since 1973, it’s been owned and run by the Paul family and is the anti-chain hotel, from its charming marble lobby to the intimate bar that serves afternoon tea and drinks in the evening. Rita Paul, the matriarch, is an artist and she has painted several funky tile murals that adorn the lobby and hallways. The decor is Art Deco, with framed black and white photos of old Hollywood stars in each room. (I knew three of the four in my room, but was that really a young Laurence Olivier?) Best of all is the killer view, if you snag the right room: Washington Square Park with its parade of characters, both human and canine. Room rates include continental breakfast in the hotel’s Zagat-rated restaurant, North Square. If it was good enough for Ernest Hemingway, it’s good enough for me. www.washingtonsquarehotel.com, reservations 800-222-0418,$203-$333 (or $180-$296 advance purchase, nonrefundable)
