The new Hotel I had written about last year located on 39th street between 9th and 8th avenues and which has been under construction almost forever will soon be ready to open it's doors. The hotel will feature a Karaoke bar among other things. They have recently been testing out all the neon lights that will light up the place making it look like a scene from Star Trek. The owner told me that what delayed the expected opening was the issuance of a certificate of occupancy from the city. All of that has been done and all is set to go.
The Karaoke bar features a really cool neon lit bar table as well as eerie green lighting of the liquor in the back. I assume they will cater to a mainly Chinese clientèle as the HDTV screens on all the walls displayed Chinese videos with Chinese subtitles. We will know much more once the operation begins. I expect that the clientèle for the hotel will be Chinese as well. But, give the swankiness of the place compared to the other hotel/motel on 39th street the Days Inn it will likely attract other kinds of guests.
Does Sunset Park need another hotel? Well, believe it or not, based on the traffic to the main website, Sunset Park has become a sort of tourist attraction. Not as crowded as Chinatown and with an abundance of restaurants. WE do get inquiries from Europeans and Asians. It's proximity to the D train station on 9th avenue and 39th street also makes it ideal as the D runs express into Manhattan after 36th street and makes it into Manhattan on a good day in 30 minutes. No word on rates and all those details yet. As to the argument that it's really in Borough Park (Boro Park) because it's on the other side of 8th avenue. I would say not, simply because Sunset Parks borders were designated to coincide with the zip code 11232 which runs to 9th Avenue. However, that side of 8th Avenue is covered by the 66th precinct which covers mainly Boro Park. This side of 8th Avenue is covered by the 72 which covers all of Sunset Park. But why quibble, I will bet that most of the customers will be Chinese or others with a fair share of people who will be using it to stay while they visit relatives at Lutheran Hospital. It is however even closer to Maimonides in Boro Park. I wonder if the owner took all of this into consideration when he planned it.
On another note, I miss Culver auto body works which used to be located on that spot. I had a number of cars done there over the years. A Buick Skylark, a Beemer and my GMC Jimmy. Everytime I look at the hotel, I will be thinking of the accidents that caused my cars to be at that location. Wonder if the Karaoke place will serve food? Will they have wifi?
Readers may also be interested in the following thread in a recent blog regarding hotel construction in Sunset Park and at Brownstoner there is this.
[where: 11232]
[where: 11220]
[where: 11215]
[where: 11218]
[where: 11219]
