Ace in the Hotel: Part Two
there's always a line and nowhere to sit at stumptown coffee roasters. yet, you can eye the cute, tattooed wait-staff in their jaunty hats and bring your robust cold brewed coffee ($2.50) and small savory sandwich ($4.50) into the ace hotel lobby. like the new york public library reading room, albeit with food, a bar and chatting, the space features an oblong table with brass lamps where a line of patrons sat tapping at their laptops-except for one man who bellowed into his cell:
"annie leibovitz? you know the photographer. yes, she's going to be the stylist."
an aussie business exec, a blond screenwriter and i rolled our eyes in unison and continued chatting about nyc real estate and great public places in which to write-like the highly cool, both in degrees and design, ace hotel lobby. another patron confessed that the ace is her client and that they encourage hanging in the lobby to make it lively and convivial-not the dead space most hotels have. i was chatting so much i almost forgot my mini-sandwich with its soft pretzely bun. by the time i'd finished savoring the gooey cheese and butter, smoked meat and salty bread, my tablemates were tapping again and the cell phone bellower was saying, "i have spatial issues."
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stumptown coffee roasters 18 w. 29th st. (near broadway) 212-679-2222
got a snack attack to share? contact nbrand@aol.com