The following morning started with a visit to The Occulus. I’d never visited it before, and I must say that as we approached it from West Broadway it looked really impressive.

According to Loving New York:

The Oculus in NYC is an artistic landmark located within walking distance of the World Trade Center. The transit hub, serving the PATH, cost four billion dollars, making it the most expensive train stop in the world. With its sleek and modern design, it immediately became an attraction in Lower Manhattan. The Oculus is the centerpiece of The World Trade Center Transportation Hub. After 12 years of construction and constant delays, it finally opened to the public on March 3, 2016. Designed by famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the $4 billion building exceeded the original estimate by 100%! In total, the WTC Oculus is 350 feet long and measures about 75,000 square feet of retail space. In fact, the Oculus blurs the line between a railway station, shopping center and pedestrian tunnel. For me, the Oculus is one of New York’s most beautiful structures. From the outside, the Oculus resembles a bird being released from a child’s hand inspiring love and hope in the city. On the inside, the cavernous hall is flooded with natural sunlight thanks to the large skylights. The luminous space features white marble flooring harmonizing with its bright, sleek interior design.

A longer article from We. Digital Magazine: The Oculus of New York: history and specifications of a new icon provides additional information, including some of the inspirations for the building.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

Our next hotel was The Frederick, just a short walk away from The Roxy.

It was previously called the Cosmopolitan Hotel Tribeca. It’s a historic hotel located at 95 West Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City. The building was built in 1844-45 by a tobacco merchant James Boorman. Early on it was called the Girard House and it was renamed the Cosmopolitan in the 1860s. It was originally located across from the southern depot of the Hudson River Railroad.

The building is part of the TriBeCa South Historic District. It contains Gothic elements as well as an Edwardian rooftop and an Art Deco storefront. Over the years the building has been substantially modified. The interior has been entirely redone. The original red brick was painted beige in the late 19th century. A seventh floor was added in 1989.

Forgotten New York describes it as follows:

New York City’s oldest extant hotel building is hiding in plain sight at the busy corner of West Broadway and Chambers in Tribeca. Recently redubbed as a luxury hotel called The Fredrick, the Cosmopolitan Hotel’s pedigree goes all the way back to 1845.

That year, a tobacco merchant named James Boorman built a boarding house at the corner. At the time, Chambers Street was a tree-lined route on which personnel working for City Hall and neighboring endeavors lived. The building then at #122 Chambers was said to have been the first house in NYC with a bathtub. As commercial businesses started to fill in the area, Boorman built his new boarding house so travelers doing business at these places had a way to spend the night. What became the Cosmopolitan was originally 4 floors with New Orleans-style ironwork at the second floor. It wasn’t originally called the Cosmopolitan but initially was known as the Frederick and then the Girard House.

In the 1860s it gained two floors and changed its name to the Cosmopolitan (the seventh floor was added in 1989). It remained a respectable place for decades but by the 1960s, it was single-room occupancy called the Bond, just above homeless-shelter status. Its fortunes went on the upswing again as Tribeca became a hip neighborhood, and recently, new ownership has renovated it into a luxury place called the Frederick once again. It’s shown above with 56 Leonard, the “Jenga Building,” looming over it on the left.

The late great Christopher Grey discussed the building in the NY Times in 2009 and added some vintage postcard views.

A nice breakfast in the adjoining restaurant, Serafina was included in the room price.

Below some pictures taken in my room

Taken with a Sony RX100M3 and Sony RX10 IV

Down in the basement right next to Django, The Roxy has its own movie theater. It’s called Roxy Cinema. Its website describes it as:

A hat tip to the 1920s motion picture palace, Roxy Cinema is an Art Deco-inspired arthouse cinema located in downtown Manhattan specializing in first-run independent films, rare archival prints and 35mm cult classics. It also runs special cultural programming including film series, director and actor Q&A’s, and artist collaborations. With its gourmet concession stand, you can also purchase craft cocktails, beer and wine, popcorn and candy to enjoy during the movie. Whether you’re a couple dropping in for a casual date, or an enthusiast coming to see a favorite director, the Roxy Cinema is an old-school moviegoing experience for modern-day audiences.”>A hat tip to the 1920s motion picture palace, Roxy Cinema is an Art Deco-inspired arthouse cinema located in downtown Manhattan specializing in first-run independent films, rare archival prints and 35mm cult classics. It also runs special cultural programming including film series, director and actor Q&A’s, and artist collaborations. With its gourmet concession stand, you can also purchase craft cocktails, beer and wine, popcorn and candy to enjoy during the movie. Whether you’re a couple dropping in for a casual date, or an enthusiast coming to see a favorite director, the Roxy Cinema is an old-school moviegoing experience for modern-day audiences.

This is what’s showing as I’m writing this.

Taken with a Sony RX100M3