Despite many trips to New York City, I’d never ventured as far north as Harlem. As part of my expansion plan to check out places outside of Midtown Manhattan, which included a fabulous stay in Brooklyn last summer, I headed there before a conference in January.
My husband, Chris, and I stayed at the new boutique hotel, The George Manhattan, the first Hilton hotel to open in Harlem. Part of the Tapestry Collection, the hotel is in the Columbia University and Morningside Heights area of Harlem. Its name is a tribute to King George II, who chartered Columbia in 1754, and “Shorty George” Snowden, an acclaimed African American dancer in Harlem in the 1920s and 30s.
The hotel, a new build, has 139 rooms, terrace lounge, lobby bar and fitness center. Two full-service restaurants will open soon along with a heated outdoor pool that is scheduled open in the summer of 2026.
I visited during a massive cold spell that had temperatures down in the single digits so would have been happy to step into any hotel lobby. But I felt especially cheered when I stepped inside The George to discover lobby a glass-enclosed fireplace and bright neon green chairs.
The art-decoish design continued in the elegant Lobby Bar where green stools encircled a marble bar with a pretty black-and-white tiled floor. The Lobby Bar also served coffee, pastries and other light breakfast items in the morning. We walked up the circular staircase to find a lovely lounge area on the second floor, great for relaxing or meeting up with people.
The rooms are NYC-small as you would expect but had a desk and floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, coffeemaker and mini fridge. The sink was on the outside of the bathroom, which can come in handy if you’re traveling with someone.
Pets up to 40 pounds are allowed with a pet deposit and we saw a few little fellas in the elevators but didn’t hear any dogs during our stay.
Things to Do Near The George Manhattan
The location is perfect for exploring Harlem and we enjoyed strolling down 125th Street, the Main Street of Harlem past landmarks that include the famous Apollo Theater, the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Hotel Theresa.
It was apparent that the street is undergoing a transformation with shiny new high-rises and chains like Trader Joe’s, Sephora and Target now open.
I’d never been to Harlem and we hoped to visit Hamilton Grange, the historic home of Alexander Hamilton, but our availability didn’t coincide with their hours.
One morning we headed to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to tour this magnificent church. Opened in 1941, it is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world. Highlights included a stone triptych by Keith Haring, “The Life of Christ” and the largest stained-glass rose window in the world.
Where to Eat Near The George
Because the restaurants at The George weren’t open yet, we ventured out to a few local places. I had delicious chicken and waffles at Melba’s Restaurant, which specializes in American comfort food.
The next night we had Asian-inspired food at BIXI where the Japanese lamb tempura and short rib sliders were standouts.
Both of these restaurants were walkable, which is my favorite form of transportation in NYC. But due to the extreme cold, the snow and my aversion to frostbite, we ended up taking Uber rides that were all less than $10.
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief