Millennial Hotel Protested By Locals Opens East Village Outpost

EAST VILLAGE, NY — A Moxy-branded hotel opened in the East Village this month, about three years after East Villagers raged against its arrival to the neighborhood since it required four historic townhouses to be torn down.

The "millennial-focused" branded hotel opened Thursday on East 11th Street between Third and Fourth avenues, owners said.

Rates start at $179 a night for Moxy East Village — which opens some three years after neighbors protested the development where four historic townhouses once stood.

At the time, some 100 protesters gathered outside the buildings, calling for the historic designation of the townhouses before they were demolished. Locals slammed the Landmarks Preservation Commission back in 2016 for not landmarking the buildings and claimed that hotel developer David Lichtenstein had ties to Mayor Bill de Blasio since Lichtenstein was on the board of directors for the Economic Development Corporation, Patch previously reported.

The 286-room hotel has a cafe, Alphabet Bar & Café, that's now open, and two restaurants — French-Mediterranean restaurant Cathédrale and a swanky lounge Little Sister — that will open this month. A rooftop bar will open next spring.

"I don't think there are any places in New York where you can get an outdoor café vibe, a coffeehouse vibe, a dimly lit bar, a backyard rooftop party, and a grand dining room all in one," co-founder of Tao Group Hospitality Noah Tepperberg said in a statement.

The hotel will also hold various series, including discussions with local voices and wellness sessions. In-room TVs will show short videos called "Off the Beaten Path" that feature talks about East Village's past, present and future from neighbors. The efforts are to help the hotel "integrate" with the community, according to a company release.

Mitchell Hochberg, the president of Lightstone, called the East Village location "multidimensional."

It is "a thrilling mashup that lets people honor the past, experience the present, and dream about the future," he said. "We're embracing it all to create a true sense of magic."

Lightstone Group developed the new Moxy hotel, which is a part of Marriott International. There are locations in Times Square, Chelsea, and Tribeca and another one set for the Lower East Side. Currently, some 46 Moxy-branded hotels are open worldwide, with 104 in the works.