Up until a few years ago, if you asked Manhattanites to identify the neighborhood called NoMad, many would have been stumped. The term NoMad had been in use for a couple of decades—a moniker for the area north of Madison Square Park, running from Park and Sixth Avenues and from 23rd to 31st Street. But while there was some impressive architecture in the area, it was mostly an enclave of office buildings and wholesale shops, a place you passed through on your way to somewhere else.
That’s no longer true.
Today, NoMad is a sought-out neighborhood, filled with high-priced condos, hot restaurants, and, notably, new hotels that offer planners a wide range of venues. The 250-room Ritz-Carlton New York; the 167-room Ned Nomad, located in the 1903 Johnston Building, and the 187-room Le Méridean New York, Fifth Avenue, all opened in the last few months.
Their ranks will soon be joined by Virgin Hotel New York City, which is set to begin welcoming guests in February. The 38-floor, 460-room property, located at Broadway and 30th Street, will be home to The Pool Club, a seasonal deck and bar; Sir Richard’s Flat, a 2,800-square-foot suite spanning the hotel’s 35th and 36th floor, and multiple culinary destinations, including Everdene, a sprawling 4,000-square foot indoor/outdoor rooftop venue. Groups will be able to get “funktional” in a variety of meeting and event spaces, including the 38th-floor Skyloft, which features glass walls and a private observation deck (capacity of 300); the Conservatory + Terrace, an urban garden retreat that can host up to 300; the Great Room (capacity of 220), and the more intimate Factory, Summit, Audition Room, and Founder’s Room spaces.
