I think I know what I’m talking about … until I talk to these guys!
Last night I was at Harmony View (210 W 50th St, NYC), now being called the Hachette Break-Up Bar among my friends, to once again celebrate the departure of yet another Hachette employee. She had fallen victim to the same mismanagement that is contributing to the ongoing gutting of web business. Thankfully she left on her own terms with an offer from a competing publisher.
As I stood there talking to some of the other partygoers, I spotted Sean from MurphGuide.com at a corner table. Sean mentioned that Harmony View owner Emmett O’Lunney was asking about me. He was concerned that I had not been coming around as often. I joked that they must have been losing money with the absence of my bar tab.
I sometimes delude myself into thinking I know a lot about the bar scene. Sure I know a thing or two about a bunch of places. And yes I even come up high on Google searches for those same places. But there are those times when I’m with people like Sean and his buddy John who works at O’Lunney’s (151 W 46th St, NYC) which is owned by Emmett’s dad, when I realize I really don’t know shit!
As I drifted around the place I saw more former coworkers and chatted up a bit. I couldn’t help but notice what looked like a table of high school cheerleaders. They all had beers so I can assume they were at least twenty one. This is when I start to feel old; when twenty one starts to look so young. I even avoided looking at them as I felt like a pervert. So I moved away to another part of the room.
One thing I enjoy about coming here, other than the great service, large space and buy-backs, is the networking I can do. I’m usually here for a party being thrown on behalf of someone at Hachette. While here I get the inside scoop on freelance gigs or job openings. Tonight was no different but I’ve learned to be patient in waiting for them to pan out.
I returned to the table where Emmett, Sean and John were sitting and just sat there absorbing the history lesson. Well that and the beer. My head was bouncing from corner to corner as anecdotes and tidbits were being volleyed. I wish now that I had not consumed so much alcohol. Maybe I would have retained more.
Sean and I ended the night with a nightcap at House of Brews (302 W. 51st. St, NYC) where we traded jokes and talked some politics. We were also trying to figure out new assignments for me at MurphGuide.com. The way it’s always worked is Sean would call me up, tell me about an event and I would go. Sounds simple, right? However lately I haven’t been making myself available. Not for any reason. I just need to work on getting myself out more to places other than my usual hangs and break out of my lazy little rut.
We parted after a couple of beers and I soon found myself discussing the state of Hoboken’s Catholic Schools with an old Italian woman waiting for the bus. The man next to me was nodding in agreement with the things I was saying. I must have sounded brilliant and informed. The truth is I was making it all up. I just wanted to be a part of the conversation as a way to get the bus terminal to stop spinning.
See Also:
O’ Lunneys
MurphGuide.com
Harmony View
