Ben Pundole, creator of award-winning website AHotelLife.com (a celebration of lifestyle hotels around the world and the people that make them tick) has worked his way up through The Groucho Club, The Met Bar, Amy Saccos Lot 61 and Bungalow 8
all the coolest bars/clubs on both sides of the pond. Last year he rejoined previous employer Ian Schrager as VP Brand Experience with Marriotts EDITION hotels (London outpost opening September.)
Thursday
This 4th July Ill be upstate in Pine Hill at my English hairstylist/ guru/ friend Duffy's house to celebrate his birthday.. like last year hordes of us will pitch tents, BBQ, party around, and in the Teepee there might just be a 50 ft long slip n slide!
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Friday night ...
Back in town, Ill take the L train back from the West Village to Bedford Ave station and make sure to get a green juice from Juice press on North 8th between Bedford and Berry [144 North 8th, Williamsburg, juicepress.com.] I swear by it.. either a 'Doctor' or 'Love at First Sight'.. Get home, which is on North 9th and Driggs and inevitably have a few A Hotel Life e mails to respond to.. I don't like to leave Brooklyn at the weekends.. I actually don't like to leave Brooklyn much at all these days... so dinner at our favourite local restaurant Allswell. [124 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, allswellnyc.com.] Nate Smith the original chef from the Spotted Pig has opened up a 30 -seat Gastro bar two blocks from our apartment. It's a farm- focussed, local, seasonal experience. Superb food in a very relaxed room.. It reminds {my girlfriend} Chelsea (Chelsea Leyland, top New York DJ) and I (both Brits) of sitting in the back room of a cool English country pub... then.. another couple of blocks away for a drink or two at Hotel Delmano. [82 Berry Street at North 9th St. hoteldelmano.com] not a hotel, but my favourite bar in NY with superb cocktails and always a cool crowd.
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Saturday..
A late start
probably another Green juice from Juice press followed by the gym.. and then it all goes downhill.. phew.. to Smorgasburg,[East River State Park, 90 Kent Avenue smorgasburg.com] probably one of the coolest things to do in the Summer in NY.. go hungry! Smorgasburg is a market filled with incredible food stalls from around NY, everything from local Brooklyn honey to Filipino Spring rolls. Try a $7 Porchetta sandwich.. you will not be disappointed! Then maybe as a treat after all that hard work, an ice cream from the Van Leeuwen truck on Bedford Ave, the Earl Grey Ice Cream is my go to.
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Saturday night..
Another casual dinner at Five Leaves.. [18 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, fiveleavesny.com] we are SO spoiled for excellent food in Williamsburg and Ken Addington is a brilliant chef who only gets better. We always end up leaving with a house- made ricotta to- go. Then to the Wythe Hotel. [80 Wythe Avenue at North 11th, wythehotel.com]. especially as they have an incredible rooftoop bar / terrace great for seeing the 4th July fireworks over the river. after a few drinks it's an easy stroll next door to Output. [74 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, outputclub.com] The best club to open in New York in the 15 years I've lived there. It epitomises everything that's right with a club.. no VIP area, no bottle service just great music, the best sound system you'll ever hear and dancing.. get involved.. If at 4am - 5am there's some life left then there's bound to be an after- hours party somewhere in Bushwick..A Resolute (resolutenyc.com) , or Blackmarket (blkmarketmembership.com) party for a couple more hours.. underground dance parties, often in big disused warehouses or rooftops and sometimes boat parties they are A Resolute or Blackmarket party for a couple more hours.. always filled with a cool crowd and incredible DJs from around the world as well as Brooklyn's finest!
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Sunday..
A slow start.. we drag ourselves to the Brooklyn Flea, [176 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, brooklynflea.com] the very cool Flea market on the river and wander around with a pizza from [pizzamoto.com], the wood- burning pizza trailer that's a staple of the market munchies. In a haze, we'll probably buy something that we don't need or have space for before heading home.. via Bakeri, [150 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn. bakeribrooklyn.com] on Wythe Ave for some chocolate bread and lavender shortbread..
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Sunday night is a wash.. at most we'll make it to the Nitehawk cinema [136 Metropolitan Ave between Berry St and Wythe Ave, nitehawkcinema.com] for dinner and a movie..
All this.. within 10 blocks and without ever stepping foot in Manhattan!
