The next time you visit New York City be sure to book a room at The Jane Hotel in The West Village because it is frickin AMAZEBALLS. Doubt my words? Fine here are some photos from my stay there. The first thing you will see is a bedraggled monkey in a fez hanging out at the front desk next to a calendar that reads April 35 (because its always a quadruple leap year at The Jane)

The staff plays up the vintage aspect of the hotels history with friendly service and classic uniforms

The Jane is a Mecca for NYC party kids and when I arrived they were out in front of the hotel in their finest. There was even a guy wearing a baby blue silk 3 piece tuxedo walking a labradoodle. Had I any idea this would be my welcome I would have had my camera ready. Sigh. Once I checked into my "captains cabin" and after recovering from the spectacle of a fully nude woman painted and hanging behind the front desk...I was delighted to see what I thought was a bottle of champagne waiting for me. But it turned out to be something even better...The Jane Hotel signature sexy water.

The Jane has held true to its nautical history. All of the rooms have retained the sailor aesthetic with bunks or berths depending on your budget...these are the most frugal options. Bathrooms are shared. I splurged so I could have a private bath and got a Captain's cabin. It was awesome and offered a spectacular view of the city. This hotel is super funky and fab.

There is just not a single word that can convey the wonderfully bizarre and odd Jane Hotel. So lemme tell you about the bathroom down stairs. I stood in it for 10 minutes trying to adjust to the vision within the wall next to the sink. It was an ordinary bathroom in every respect except that in the wall next to the sink was a perfectly fitted glass box....a box that looked as if it was designed to go there. and in the box was a diorama of a beach scene. I took a picture because I wanted proof I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating

I have a portrait of The Statue Of Liberty that was painted by Hudson Talbott in 1986. It is an image that has haunted me for years but it took on deeper significance after 9/11.


 

The Statue Of Liberty is a goddess and I was humbled by her magnificent presence.



The 9/11 Memorial on the other hand was shocking and I'm still not sure what I saw there. People around me were laughing, joking, yelling and posing for photos in front of it as if it were Disneyland instead of a grave site. Shops were selling all sorts of memorabilia including stuffed 9/11 rescue dog toys? I guess everything is a marketing opportunity including tragedy. There was a sign near the entrance that virtually everyone ignored.

"This is a place for quiet reflection"

Now where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood are two giant pools with the names of everyone who died carved into the base.

While I was in the city I went to see Mike Tyson on Broadway. His one man show, Undisputed Truth, originated in Las Vegas and was such a sensation that Spike Lee brought it to Broadway for a 12 show run at The Longacre.

"Don't worry...you'll all go home with two ears"

~Mike Tyson (to the audience during Undisputed Truth)
 

Undisputed Truth was a TKO in every sense of the word, despite some burps and sound problems. Mike could have stood up there and sang the ABCs out of a paper bag and still received a 15 minute standing ovation because no matter what his history is, the man has got charisma out the wazoo.

The show is a collection of memories of his life from start to present. His poignant recollections of his mom and her shattered dreams, not knowing who is father was and his passionate love for his mentor Constantine "Cus" D'Amato were radiant highlights of the 2 hour + show. It got hairy though when he spent a good 30 minutes thoroughly shredding "Rotten Robin" his ex-wife Robin Givens.  He frequently referred to her as bitch, ho and even "the black tramp with white tendencies". He called her and her mother every name in the book and for as much as the audience roared and assumed he must hate her, I was struck by how much she must have hurt him and how it must make him crazy to still have so much passion for her that he opted to make  her a pivotal focal point of his show. Don King got off easy comparably speaking.

Mike skipped, impersonated a weeble, busted out with some Minnie Ripperton at which point he invited the audience to sing along, he danced to Eric Clapton's Cocaine. He often bantered with the audience and everyone participated. The most staggering footage that was part of the show was video of when he was in his prime as a boxer. Lightening speed, electrifying power, it was clear for all to see why so many of his sparring partners from that era would scurry away in the dead of night to escape further beatings.

Mike Tyson was charming on stage. It was a fascinating show with some genuinely enlightening but also unsettling moments. In the end, I confess, I left wondering what he left out and what the women in his life would say about his "truth".