Sherman's Travel

While the slick Cooper Square Hotel is no gritty downtown club and many young bands now play their first shows in Brooklyn instead of the East Village, the hotel is paying homage to the neighborhood’s music legacy by starting its own concert series. As part of the hotel’s new monthly Annie. O Music Series, The Cooper Square has opened the usually private penthouse suite to host an intimate and rare concert experience to hotel guests and the public (on a first-come, first-serve basis). With the sun setting over the Manhattan skyline, concertgoers can mingle on the wraparound terrace and ogle over the 360-degree skyline views from the 21st floor.

Named for and curated by Annie Ohayon (former music publicist for big time names like Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, and Pearl Jam ), musicians such as John Forte, formerly of The Fugees and the indie rock power trio Bipolar Explorer have already performed, and singer-songwriter Zack Glass, son of composer Philip Glass is slated for Thursday, March 25th (doors 7pm, performance 8pm). While these concerts are a far cry from the CBGB-era shows, the combination of free tunes and amazing views seems like an ideal way to start a downtown evening.

Details: The Cooper Square Hotel Penthouse; 25 Cooper Square (3rd Avenue between 5th & 6th Streets); www.thecoopersquarehotel.com; www.myspace.com/zackglassmusic

On a recent trip to Argentina, I stayed a night at the lovely Sofitel Buenos Aires. It’s on a quiet, leafy street that’s lined with galleries and antique shops. It provides all the comforts (and great food) that one expects of this luxury French brand but with a distinct sense of place (the landmarked building was the city’s first skyscraper when it was built in 1929 and the handsome rooms are trimmed in biker bar-levels of Argentine leather). The elegant cafe–Cafe Arroyo–off the lobby was modeled after Buenos Aires’ distinguished jockey clubs of the early 1900s. Here, guests can find a singular amenity.
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