Lots of people know the Bowery for its bar scene, in a mock-gothic lounge that reminds me uncannily of my Ivy League eating club. But as a hotel it's a pleasant, personalized, unusual place. The rooms have nice old-fashioned touches: rugs on hardwood floors, stained-glass and exposed-brick accents, marble bathrooms that feel old but have very modern water pressure. The wi-fi works, the hi-def TV has all the latest cable features. The sheets are sweet and soft. Room service arrives in a flash. The neighborhood is fun - and has more of a neighborhood feel than other parts of town these days. It's an easy walk to interesting restaurants of all sorts and East Village and Lower East Side night spots are a few blocks away. It's become one of my favorite New York stops.