Marigny

It’s taken four years of meticulous restoration of an 1860s church, schoolhouse, rectory, and convent, but this highly anticipated hotel in the Marigny is finally open. Between them, the four buildings contain seventy-one guest rooms, a bookstore, a café, and a bar, and it’s about as far as you can get from a chain-hotel experience. Each room is individually decorated by New York City–based design firm ASH NYC (it specializes in historic updates) with antique furniture and lighting, hand-painted tiles in the bathroom (a few have clawfoot tubs), and a canopy bed—a cozy, throwback touch that’s not found much these days. The café is another reason to book. Run by Church Alley Coffee Bar, it’s the best place in the neighborhood for your morning cortado.

Don’t be fooled by the large dining room and army of waiters: This is predominantly a live-music venue that happens to serve food (pulled-pork sandwiches, burgers, alligator balls) and drinks. The music—mostly local bands performing on three stages, sometimes simultaneously—starts at around 7pm every night and keeps going well into the following morning.

Spread out over three rooms in a refurbished 1800’s building—there’s a designated space for a restaurant, bar, and performance space—Snug Harbor is a one-stop shop for good food, good drinks, and great jazz. At about $20 a pop, concert tickets are not cheap, but the impressive roster of local talent and the fun ambiance justifies the splurge. There are shows at 8pm and 10pm every night.