by Christine Chagaris
Quiet, cozy rooms, off the beaten path but still within the heart of the city and convenient to its shopping, sights and sounds. Unhurried breakfast in a charming setting. Fireplaces that emanate warmth and that extra glow of comfort. Quaint bed and breakfast inns on the Upper East Side? You bet. If a conventional hotel isn’t for you, then the B&B route may be one well worth exploring. Four Upper East Side inns/B&B’s are profiled here.
An unassuming yet elegant brownstone sits on 62nd Street between Park and Lexington. The 1871 House is an Upper East Side “urban inn”, (though it is officially classified as a B&B) as owner and proprietress Lia Raum puts it that attracts visitors not only for its prime location but also for its quiet, low-key atmosphere. The inn has five floors, including a basement room, and has an interesting history. Built in 1871 (hence the name) as a single-family house, it has a cottage in the back (part of the house where Lia, her husband Warren and family live) that served as stagehands’ living quarters. The brownstone was converted to a multi-family dwelling in the 1930’s, and has been a B&B for 10 years.
1871 House has seven units. “Most have kitchenettes,” says Lia. The rooms are all spacious, including the single units. Each unit has its own bathroom; the two-bedroom suite boasts two. Most of the rooms have fireplaces and ornate marble mantelpieces, which add to their charm. Each unit is quaintly distinct, complete with unique antiques adorning each. “We’re always adding objects to the rooms,” Lia says. The rooms are surprisingly quiet, havens from the outside city noise. The inn provides breakfast baskets to guests. “Visitors have the option of ordering these baskets in advance of their stay,” she says. “There is a small basket and a larger basket. They are stocked with enough food to last two people four days.” The mouth-watering delicacies include cheeses, coffee, tea, fruit, preserves, English muffins, quiche, juice, milk, crackers, granola and banana bread. “These baskets are available to those guests staying in rooms with kitchens,” says Lia.
Each room has the full range of modern amenities despite the antique setting. These include phones, cable television, refrigerators and queen-size beds Dial-up Internet is available in all of the rooms, and currently WI-FI is accessible in the lobby and in some of the lower-floor rooms. A courtyard, complete with various flora such as hydrangeas and peonies, compliments the outside of one of the B&B’s rooms.
1871 House is a magnet for many types of visitors. “We get a great cross section of guests,” says Warren. “Our inn is a real niche for people who don’t like to stay in hotels.” The inn has been the site of photo shoots for noted publications such as Esquire and Maxim. 1871 House is a non-smoking B&B, and rates are seasonal.
The Gracie Inn, like 1871 House is a converted brownstone in the heart of the Upper East Side. It has been a B&B for 16 years and has recently been renovated so guests can enjoy brand new amenities. “We have put in new bedding, windows and changed the lobby,” says General Manager Marco Cioffi. The five-floor inn, accessible by stairs or elevator, has 13 rooms, all of which have kitchenettes, including sinks and microwaves, and private bathrooms. Seven of these rooms are one-bedroom studios, which each can accommodate two people. There are also four two-room suites, and a small and large penthouse on the top floor. One of these has a large living room for extra relaxation, as well as an outdoor patio where visitors can enjoy city views. King size beds top off these two luxurious rooms for extra comfort.
Each room has Internet access, and the inn has WI-FI access at no charge. The rooms have a full range of amenities, such as cable television, telephones and air conditioning. The inn does not permit smoking.
Guests can wake up to a Continental breakfast of coffee, tea, orange juice, croissants and bagels each morning. Marco says that folks who stay at the Gracie Inn run the gamut. “We get a wide variety of visitors. We have repeat clients, and Europeans also stay with us frequently.” Guests can enjoy proximity to many of the city’s premier attractions, such as Gracie Mansion, shopping, Central Park and Carl Schurz Park.
Beer and a B&B may seem an odd combination. However, Stay the Night B&B has an interesting history that joins the two. This brownstone, located in historic Carnegie Hill, was built over 100 years ago for the Knickerbocker brewery family. Owner Nick Hankin explains that the property has been a B&B for 11 years. “We are in a great location, as we are five minutes from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim,” he says. “Stay the Night was one of the first B&B’s to open in New York.” Prime Upper East Side shopping is also nearby.
There are seven rooms dotting the inn’s four floors, each with its own unique atmosphere ranging from antique-appointed to modern. These rooms span the one-bedroom Madeline Suite to the more ornate third floor Fox Suite, which boasts a king size bed, outdoor deck and two-person Jacuzzi tub. There is also a one-bedroom apartment at Stay the Night that can accommodate up to four people. This room is adorned with skylights and arched windows so visitors can enjoy New York City sunshine to brighten their day.
The B&B provides a Continental breakfast of muffins, juice, coffee and tea. Dial-up Internet access is available, and the rooms each have cable television, phones, air conditioning, microwave ovens, hair dryers, irons, coffee machines and private bathrooms. The inn is non-smoking and pets are not permitted.
Nick says that guests visit his B&B from all over the globe. “We get lots of folks from Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany and Japan,” he says. “I would say that about 60% of our visitors are American. We also get many business travelers, but the majority of guests are tourists.”
A charming B&B, the Ivy Terrace, marks the beginning of the Upper East Side. This inn is located in a pre-war townhouse and has been a B&B since 1999. The rooms are, as General Manager Santino Cala explains, “an eclectic mix of modern and antique furnishings. The original innkeepers, Vinessa Milando and Sue Martino, created the Ivy Terrace from four unique studio apartments with private entrances, full baths en-suite and kitchens with full appliances.” Two of the units feature private terraces that guests can enjoy, and privacy is the main theme here. “We want our visitors to enjoy an intimate setting, so there is no common area or communal dining,” Santino says. “Breakfast items are stocked in the kitchen for each guest to enjoy.”
Each room has a queen size sleigh bed, along with air conditioning, telephone and cable television. The B&B does not permit smoking, and small pets are allowed on a discretionary basis. Weekly and monthly rates are available from January to August.
The Ivy Terrace is just a hop away from shopping – Bloomies or Bergdorf’s, anyone? – and cultural institutions such as Radio City Music Hall and MOMA. The B&B hosts a wide array of visitors. “Our guests come from all over the world. They’re attracted by our more unique, Continental appeal as opposed to the more “institutional” hotel experience,” Cala says.