Staying in the borough of Queens has long been considered a no-go for tourists visiting New York. The launch of Boro in Long Island City this month, however, is set to change all that. Located within easy distance of MoMA PS1, the Noguchi Museum and M. Wells Steakhouse, the hotel brings much-needed reprieve to an area that has mostly been dominated by dreary hotel chains. From its inviting lobby, which features a library of Strand Bookstore titles and periodicals, to the café bar that doles out complimentary breakfasts to guests, Boro owes its stylish interiors to the design firm Grzywinski + Pons, who built upon the building’s austere concrete skeleton with painted hardwood panelling, leather furniture and flashes of colour to add warmth to the space. Plumen lighting fixtures; Jasper Morrison cork stools for Vitra and custom-designed furniture fill each of the 108 rooms, which – sprawling by NYC standards - come armed with panoramic views of Manhattan and Queens. Finished off with a soon-to-open restaurant, outdoor terrace and a rooftop bar, Boro sits on top of a new wave of hip offerings that are collectively putting Queens on the discerning traveller’s map.
