The William Vale’s Westlight is Raising the Bar (Literally) in Williamsburg
The William Vale hotel, stationed like a glass and chrome starship above the supine terrain of Williamsburg, has almost everything needed to support life: from a 15,000 square foot green space and garden, currently tasked with producing peppers for the in-house restaurant, to a 360-degree view of the city from the topmost, 23rd story–where you can survey the entirety of the skyline in a single glance.
Not that a natural disaster or zombie apocalypse is required in order to seek shelter in The William Vale–rather, it’s Brooklyn’s very own version of Sandals: a utopian Biodome of 60-foot pools, rainfall showers, in-room Jacuzzis and complimentary Wi-Fi. And thanks to provisions supplied by Andrew Carmellini and the NoHo Hospitality Group (stay tuned for the debut of their coastal Italian eatery, Leuca), there’s even less reason to leave the premises–especially considering their elevated bar program at the sprawling, partially-al fresco Westlight–which dwarfs nearby, rooftop drinking dens at the Wythe and McCarren by a good 14 floors.
Inhabitants can contentedly hole up in the inner sanctum, grazing on duck carnitas tacos, kurobuta baby backs, and beet and goat cheese puffs, ensconced by blocky banquettes sheathed in butter-yellow leather, or enthroned in sapphire blue velveteen chairs. Or, they can stake out a position on the dazzling, wraparound terrace, shielding thyme-garnished coupes of the “New Kind of Kick” (scotch, fernet, orgeat, suze), from the buffeting winds, or taking fortifying sips of the “Northside Special” (orange juice, club soda, rum), while peeping through a series of sets of observation binoculars.
In the long term, it might be prudent to make the William Vale (and its cushy crows nest, Westlight), a central part of your emergency preparedness plan. In the meantime, it’s a self-contained destination for octopus skewers, city gazing and craft cocktails–especially considering you can sleep them off (in Egyptian cotton sheets) afterwards.
Westlight at The William Vale: 111 N 12th St., 22nd Floor, (718) 307-7100
Photos by Sasha Turrentine