NYC meetup - can we do some place on the west side?

June 15, 2007 7:35 AM

Next NYC Meetup. Completely last minute (tonight, 6/15), or next week, the 22nd?
posted by allkindsoftime to MetaFilter Gatherings at 7:35 AM (61 comments total)

I figure since I've tried to make it to so many and failed so miserably, perhaps I'll have a better chance of showing up to one that I started. Especially if I pick the place!

Where: Employee's Only (Hudson, just north of Christopher)

When: earlier-ish in the evening, so we can beat the crowd and enjoy the dinner - say 7:00pm?

Why: so I can finally meet some of my NYC mefite friends before I leave for South Africa this summer.

I'm leaning towards tonight, even if its just a smaller group.

If peeps are opposed to the location, I'm totally flexible, though I'd prefer something westerly.
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:36 AM on June 15, 2007

I would imagine that tonight is waaaaay too last minute for the majority of us. But next Friday could work.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:50 AM on June 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I kinda figured... EO isn't the biggest place in the world, so if we get a big response to next Friday, we'd have to find somewhere that can facilitate a larger group...

I'm great with next Fri tho.
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:56 AM on June 15, 2007

Employees Only has great cocktails. The mixologists are awesomely hardcore about it. But not to be a wet blanket, but more of a fair warning to people that it's one of those $12 a cocktail type places.
posted by kkokkodalk at 8:04 AM on June 15, 2007

Oops, forgot to add I'm cool with next Friday.
posted by kkokkodalk at 8:07 AM on June 15, 2007

eponysterical.
posted by shmegegge at 8:14 AM on June 15, 2007

But not to be a wet blanket, but more of a fair warning to people that it's one of those $12 a cocktail type place

and if you want that, the back room at Angel's Share on Stuyvesant does the same thing better than anywhere in New York.
posted by jonmc at 8:23 AM on June 15, 2007

Bad times for me - particularly the 22nd, since the following two days are part of the Freihofer's Jazz Festival at SPAC. But yeah, a summer meetup sounds great!
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:41 AM on June 15, 2007

Next Friday is better for me. Also, earlier is good since you'll get more people if there is not that lag-time.
posted by dame at 8:45 AM on June 15, 2007

Next Friday is good for me as well! The food there sounds awesome.
posted by spec80 at 9:19 AM on June 15, 2007

OK so the 22nd sounds like the day, I'm going to go ahead and add this meetup for then...other venue suggestions? I've been wanting to grab a burger at The Waverly Inn...
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:19 AM on June 15, 2007

We really need to set some sort of protocol where the person initiating the meetup picks the place, or at least gets final say. Whoever wants to go there, great. Whoever thinks a different place would be better, well we have enough meetups to where a body can sit a few out without feeling too out of the loop.

The last few meetup threads have been such a tug of war between venue proposals that I feel discouraged from participating. It winds up being really unnecessarily confusing. Suffice to say that no place is ever going to be cheap enough or cool enough or big enough or quiet enough or located in the right neighborhood or serve the right things to satisfy all of us. There are a lot of us, after all, and we cover a wide spectrum of physiognomy and phrenology. We're a large and regular enough group that we should have some sort of system worked out for these things.

I for one hate spending more than $4 for a drink, I hate drinking above 14th street, and straight bars put me to sleep. But really if I want to see people from MetaFilter I'll go where the party is and do and pay what I gotta.

As for the 22nd, if I'm free I will totally see you there, wherever "there" is by then.
posted by hermitosis at 10:37 AM on June 15, 2007 [3 favorites]

Agreed, the bitching can get out of control.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:40 AM on June 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

WE ARE GOING TO EMPLOYEES ONLY AS PER INITIAL SUGGESTION, THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE IN LOCATION.

(...like that?)

herm, your first drink is on me.
posted by allkindsoftime at 10:58 AM on June 15, 2007

::tears up:: I'm so proud of you!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:59 AM on June 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yay!
posted by dame at 11:04 AM on June 15, 2007

PS: Only losers drink above 15th Steet.
posted by dame at 11:05 AM on June 15, 2007

EO is only a few blocks from my office though, so count me in. Never made it to a meetup before, since it seems they're usually east side.

PS: Only losers drink above 15th Steet.

Need to qualify that with "or below 96th"...there are fun places to drink in Harlem and the various Heights, and even a few in the Bronx. (I like dive bars.)
posted by JaredSeth at 11:16 AM on June 15, 2007

Oh, I am sorry, but this "uptown" and "Bronx" you speak of are imaginary lands, like Narnia, and my closet does not go there.
posted by dame at 11:22 AM on June 15, 2007

I'm in for the 22nd.
posted by piratebowling at 11:40 AM on June 15, 2007

Whoops, wasn't trying to start a place war, =( just trying to give a heads up. I like the place and the cocktails really are yummy. Hopefully they still have the Mata Hari and it's not "not in season." It's delicious.
posted by kkokkodalk at 12:02 PM on June 15, 2007

I think hermitosis has a great idea - the one organizing the meetup (in other words, starting the thread?) should have location-choosing privileges. Then we can avoid all the irritating (and confusing!) bickering... not that it was going on here, but we've all seen it happen.

In other news, I might actually be able to make it to this meetup! My first ever....

/gets all wide-eyed with wonderment

(Um, this may be a dumb question, but they'll let an underage fellow such as myself into the bar, right? They just won't sell me alcohol?)
posted by Zephyrial at 12:18 PM on June 15, 2007

Probably not at a bar unless one of us is your parent, Zephyrial. But you're in luck because Employee's Only is a restaurant.

Kkokko, I wasn't looking your way or intending to carp at anyone. I just wanted to leap in early in the thread, because I knew what we'd have to look forward to over the next week. Heads-ups and caveats and disclaimers are all useful things.

I hope this doesn't just result in incredibly frequent meetups so everyone can take a crack at playing god, as meetup-fatigue will simply ensure more sparsely-populated gatherings. Though I suppose there's nothing really wrong with that, because occasional perfect-storms of timing, location, and event (say, out-of-town mefites rolling through) will still pull us together as a crowd.

And allkindsoftime, that's really sweet of you; I'll try not to order anything that will put you behind in your student loan payments.
posted by hermitosis at 12:38 PM on June 15, 2007

this "uptown" and "Bronx" you speak of are imaginary lands, like Narnia

apparently, my wife spends her days educating lions, witches and wardrobes.
posted by jonmc at 12:41 PM on June 15, 2007

(I've imbibed of spirits in all five boroughs and in just about every neighborhood therein. You can always find a place to drink)
posted by jonmc at 12:45 PM on June 15, 2007

Well you can, maybe :-P
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:51 PM on June 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

you know, i wouldn't mind a bitch fest today. work is kinda slow and i have an hour to kill.
posted by Stynxno at 1:47 PM on June 15, 2007

A modern retelling of Narnia with the kids stepping through the wardrobe into the Bronx? That has all the makings of a modern masterpiece.
posted by JaredSeth at 2:09 PM on June 15, 2007

JaredSeth: I imagine it would be something like The Wiz
posted by kkokkodalk at 2:18 PM on June 15, 2007

Dude this Narnia in the Bronx theme can be our theme...kinda like the Tokyo kids did the plate of beans...work with me here people...
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:58 PM on June 15, 2007

what, you want to have a Bronx meetup? at Johnny's, maybe? (great seafood).
posted by jonmc at 3:03 PM on June 15, 2007

the 22nd is better i think (and earlier that night i'm going a low-rent fundraiser thing to meet Edwards if anyone wants to come too)
posted by amberglow at 4:42 PM on June 15, 2007

(email me and i'll rsvp them)
posted by amberglow at 4:42 PM on June 15, 2007

hai i made u theme. does it has a flavr?
posted by dame at 5:31 PM on June 15, 2007

Johnny's looks fun, jonmc - hows about you plan the next one there...
posted by allkindsoftime at 6:31 AM on June 16, 2007

Maybe even 6, allkindsoftime? I'm dying to go to Employees Only but it was mobbed both times I tried to go---the second time I wasn't even allowed in.

My feeling about NY meetups is that it's best to pick larger places...I like Angel's Share, The Skinny and Blind Tiger, but they are best for smaller groups---Angel's Share has a policy of limiting it to four people at a time. The reason why I was pulling so hard for Katz's last time is because I thought it best for that particular meetup to be at a place which served food.
posted by brujita at 8:46 AM on June 16, 2007

I won't be able to make it if it's at 6pm :( Are we just going to show up or are reservations going to be made?
posted by spec80 at 9:14 AM on June 16, 2007

6 sounds a little early, with people getting out of work and what not.... 7 seems to be the earliest we've done on Fridays. allkindsoftime, we will leave the reservation deal in your capable hands.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:51 AM on June 16, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yeah I figured I'd repost middle of next week and get a solid number figured out. From my count right now it looks like about 10ish so perhaps I'll have to make two rez's for 5 or something like that. 6 is a little on the early side, but I think 7 should still be doable to get in there and eat without too much crowdedness...
posted by allkindsoftime at 1:35 PM on June 16, 2007

I apologize in advance for bringing down the mood, but I would love to get this cleared up before the dinner. And I also apologize because I don't know if this issue has been cleared up in previous meetups as this would be my second.

I wanted to bring up this article and this megnut post about splitting the check. I'm assuming we will each pay for the food we order and I'm a teetotaler so if there is a bottle ordered, I would prefer not to pay for that. Should we ask for separate checks at the beginning or we'll be okay with one check?

I really hope I don't seem like a dick for bringing this up. I'm really not a dick... yeah I know that people that say they aren't a dick usually are dicks. Dangit. :(
posted by spec80 at 5:18 PM on June 16, 2007

Uh, can we make it six and some peeps can come later? Cause if it is seven, I may not make it. Some of us only work till five.
posted by dame at 6:44 PM on June 16, 2007

Spec80, you don't have to pay for a share of the bottle if you didn't partake--whoever did should chip in. I was in that situation about two months ago. As far as I know, there haven't been any mefi honor code issues with regards to a bill.
posted by brujita at 9:45 PM on June 16, 2007

Thanks, brujita.
posted by spec80 at 10:13 PM on June 16, 2007

Yea, brujita is right- we all pay for our own stuff. I haven't seen any huge issues with checks in the past.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:46 PM on June 16, 2007 [1 favorite]

We don't have to change the time of the meetup to accomodate a few schedule differences. Those who get off a little earlier can show up earlier and have a drink if they want, till the others arrive. Or they can do any number of fabulous things in the city nearby until it's time to get together.

If we're meeting at a restaurant this time, it's probably best to officially meet at the time when the most people are available all at once, so as to minimize the straggle (though know eliminating it entirely is unpossible).

As for the check, when you make the rez I'd mention that some of the people may just be ordering drinks, and feel out their tolerance for separate checks. However, everyone reading this thread stands warned to just try and come prepared to pitch in and cover your share considerately, which means bringing cash if you can, in denominations that will keep the waitress from having to make change for a jillion twenties.

This may seem complicated to some people, but it doesn't really sound that way to me. It's just new stuff to consider in order to have a meetup in a different kind of place. It's with all genuine friendliness that I say if it's not your cup of tea, then just meet us next time when MetaFilter lands somewhere else. If we keep up with our average of slightly more than one meetup a month, then it won't be long until something else comes along that may sound better to you.
posted by hermitosis at 10:59 PM on June 16, 2007

PS: Only losers drink above 15th Steet.

Is that old saw still operative? I grant you, it's been a while (2002) since I lived in NYC, but it seems to me in recent years that downtown Manhattan has become just as square and homogeneous as anything in midtown. Not that I don't still love New York, but I'm suspicious of the "nosebleeds above 14th street" posture, which hearkens a bygone era no longer seems to apply.
posted by psmealey at 5:03 AM on June 17, 2007

If you haven't seen many meetup threads, the thing is, I am lazy. I like to see people, but I am lazy. So I don't go uptown because it is far from my train. Has nothing to do with cool. The cool kids drink in Bushwick.
posted by dame at 9:20 AM on June 17, 2007

Like for instance, I think I may bow out. Cause I love you all, but not enough to sit around with my thumb up my ass for two hours.
posted by dame at 9:23 AM on June 17, 2007

*ahem*

We could have a simul-meetup in the 'Wick. I can't afford a $50 dinner right now when that could be spent on other things. Like beer.
posted by youcancallmeal at 1:25 PM on June 17, 2007

It winds up being really unnecessarily confusing.

Yeah, true when the places are just so clearly inappropriate or closed and then the group wanders off to parts unknown to the late comers. I'm way not down with the "I called it first!" thing, I don't expect that will end up anywhere interesting. How about a 48 hour open discussion period of convergence and discussion before someone can make a unilateral claim? That, and some lobbying for the next venue at the current one. Assuming people can actually meet because they have'nt gone off to some place other than what was posted.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:37 PM on June 17, 2007

How about a 48 hour open discussion period of convergence and discussion before someone can make a unilateral claim?

It's that struggle for a claim that is the biggest setback to planning, and I'm afraid will just sow hard feelings as the more insistent or persuasive people wind up calling the shots.

Basically I feel that any person has the right to initiate a meetup and to determine, to the best of their abilities, where and when it should be. The rest of us have the right to either enthusiastically attend, or to simply not. Those who won't be attending have the right to say why, for the sake of educating future meet-up initiators as to things to consider next time around, and will hopefully be consoled in the knowledge that next time around it will probably be someone else's turn.

If people are self-conscious about having MeFites attend the meetup they initiate, then hopefully that means they will plan them wisely. If people want to throw together something fun that they know won't appeal to everyone, then they can do so knowing they just may get a few people, without worrying that it will get yanked out of their hands. If someone wants to invite suggestions as to location and time and such and let everyone hash it out, they're welcome to, but at least there will be someone with a clear final say.

I think it will end up in all sorts of interesting places, as well as some of the same old ones. If there winds up being a rash of "I called it first" meetups, then all I can say is "let the planner beware". Know that if you don't listen to what people want and impose your will too heavily on the arrangements, it will cost you attendees. And hopefully people will give us time to breathe-- the more often we meet, the more likely people are to just wait for the next one. It should be special and fun!

I hope you don't feel I personally am imposing or trying to set policy-- but we really need a better system than two days of wrestling among whoever pops in with suggestions. I figured it best to bring this up in a thread about a meetup I don't happen to have a hand in planning, though I AM interested in checking out Employees Only, and know that I'll have a kickass time with whoever can make it for drinks and whatnot.
posted by hermitosis at 9:44 PM on June 17, 2007

It's not likely I'll be there, as my mother will be in town.

Personally, I like places that charge more than $4 for drinks. They aren't as crowded.
posted by bingo at 5:09 AM on June 19, 2007

Truth be told, I prefer drinking at home alone in bed, which is even cheaper, and (usually) not as crowded.
posted by hermitosis at 7:40 AM on June 19, 2007

I don't know; it was pretty packed that night I was there. I barely got past the velvet rope at the foot of the bed.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:11 PM on June 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Is the meetup confirmed, then, as 7 p.m. Friday, June 22 at Employees Only on Hudson, just north of Christopher St.?
posted by brina at 9:32 AM on June 20, 2007

I think so, and I think allkindsoftime was going to make a reservation...
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:07 AM on June 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

....of doom!
posted by Stynxno at 11:52 AM on June 20, 2007

I had the impression Employees Only also had a bar if folks wanted to meet 6ish *right-after-work-ish) just for drinks and kick things off a little earlier. I have tickets for a show @8 but would love to get together for a something.

Or did my skimming of the thread miss this? It seemed like meeting earlier was still open to debate, inquiry, inveighing, weighing in, etc.

Looking forward, in one form or another.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 12:26 PM on June 20, 2007

New thread for reservations.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:04 PM on June 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Thanks Pink, forgot to do that til now...
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:33 AM on June 21, 2007

Is this where we're posting pictures? Or should they go somewhere else?
posted by hermitosis at 9:06 AM on June 23, 2007