• Grand Bar & Lounge in the SoHo Grand Hotel

  310 West Broadway, 2nd floor, 212-965-3588

  The SoHo Grand Hotel is owned by Hartz Mountain Industries, the real-estate giant that split off from the familiar pet-supplies company, and if the regal bronze dog statues aren’t enough of a clue, the complimentary live goldfish available in every suite tell the tale: This place doesn’t just tolerate animals—it adores them. On any given night, the spacious second-floor lounge plays host to furry companions from Pekingese poking out of Fendi bags to the occasional Newfoundland standing at attention. You would have to book a room to secure your dog a full-body pillow or a pedicure, but she can spend the evening wagging her tail next to your oversize armchair for the price of a $15 margarita or two, sometimes in the company of the pets of New Yorkers like Mariah Carey and Fran Drescher. Reassuringly, Randy, the head bouncer, insists that he’s never had to intervene in any dog-on-dog—or even dog-on-cat—strife.

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine