I was stunned to walk down E. Houston the other day and find a luxury boutique hotel at the corner of Eldridge. It calls itself the Hotel East Houston and it lives its sleek existence inside of a renovated five-story tenement.
I remember when this particular address was an outrageously garish pet shop. There was a multi-colored mural on the Eldridge Street side of the building, depicting parrots and other jungle beasts. It wasn't exactly beautiful, but it livened up a drab stretch of street.
You can now stay in a "Stanton Full" for $279 or an "Orchard Elite" for $299. The rooms looks small, and the design seems kinda faux swank, like it could very possibly turn shabby in just a few years. There's also a roof deck, where, not too long ago, immigrant laborers probably fled to escape the summer heat on the street. Times change.
Times certainly do change. My grandfather was born just down the street from here, 441 East Houstin, in 1893. No fancy hotels there then.
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