5 stars

Tim Deer 11/21/2010

Top of the Standard Hotel or Bust

Provided by Citysearch

My fiancee and I set out for a fun-filled evening in lower Manhattan, from the Village to the Meat-Packing district. For some reason, I kept on calling it The Tenderloin, which is an area in San Fransisco. We hopped a train to 14th Street and emerged from the subway and were amazed to see that the Christmas Mall had set up. Met some pretty nutty people in that hour, ate some quick sushi and started to navigate to the Meat-Packing district. After walking around and stopping in at McSorley's (my friend Rich who works there had left already), we finally jumped in a cab and headed straight for Little West 12th Street. I had told Valerie (my fiancee) two weeks before that I was going to take her on an expedition of lower Manhattan and in my mind I already decided to get to the top of the Standard Hotel. We went to the biergarten, had an $8 beer and as we exited we walked to the left and went around and saw an opaque glowing orange revolving door. I was leading the way and as I walked through, was surprised to see not a bright hotel lobby, but a cozy, dimly lit lounge area with tons of people sitting around and standing (no bar). I spotted the elevator bank and just walked right in confidently past the eyes at the black velvet rope without making eye contact or even acknowledging his presence. I just pressed the button. We were the only two in the elevator bank and Valerie noticed the eyes glancing over at us, but he was in conversation with another potential party-seeker. Another guy was already in the elevator and pressed the button for the 18th floor. A hotel worker came on just before the door closed and the guy asked him what floor was the bar with the big windows on. He was totally wasted. Anyway, we went up to the 18th floor and found a large hallway filled with some of the best looking young women and men I'd ever seen. As we turned the corner, we were immediately hit with the sight of the hostess and her sleek hostess desk and entourage of three other workers. Without even thinking or batting an eye, I took a right and started gazing in amazement at the best skyline view of lower Manhattan/Jersey City and the Hudson River I'd ever seen. We quickly realized then that we were probably not supposed to have gotten this far. We were giggling and so gitty and I was probably still a little drunk from the scotch I had at Happy Hour at the apartment. So we tried to devise a plan but couldn't think of one. We just decided to wing it. So I walked up to the hostess and she just asked me if I'd like a table for two or just drinks. ""Just drinks,"" Val said. And the pretty hostess, with the sweeping wave of her arm, welcomed us in with a smile Once we got in to the main bar area, I realized I had made it. We still hadn't fully understood the ultimate party crash we had just accomplished. It was the start to the most amazing night of my life.

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