Hotel Ludlow Unveils Masonry and Windows

Long a symbol of the arrested development around the Lower East Side, 180 Ludlow Street has since wiped that reputation from the memory banks. Many moons of hurry-up-and-wait ended with the BD Hotels purchase of Hotel Ludlow in October 2011 for $25 million. Since then, it’s been all systems go for the six-years-pending eyesore. The active elevator, constant hammering and drilling are together a daily reminder (nay, headache) that another unneeded hotel is upon us. And here it is.

Looking skyward as of yesterday, the Ludlow sidewalk denizen now notices the exoskeleton of netting and scaffolding gone from the structure. The combination of masonry and iron window housings make the building something a fraternal twin to the Bowery Hotel. Which makes sense, as BD Hotels is behind that development as well (i.e. Eric Goode). Certainly a far cry from the initial renderings released back in 2008.

But will the Hotel Ludlow become another A-list magnet like its sister?

[Hotel Ludlow Infancy, c. April 2008]