In a New York Minute

Tuesday, April 07, 2009 by Jayne Haugen Olson.

While getting ready to launch Sky, our publisher set up two weeks of launch events in five cities. I hit four. As we know, it’s important to court businesses that do business with us—and those we hope will do business with us. Don’t get me wrong, these were not short-straw cities; the events I made it to were in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and LA. The trips were in and out, a day or two per city, so there was no time for museums or shopping.

All of our events were held at Whisky Blue locations, which, by the way, are Gerber Group properties. Us Weekly readers will recognize the Gerber Group’s founder/owner, Rande Gerber, as the fine gentleman who captured Cindy Crawford’s heart. (BTW, has everyone seen the recent nearly-nude photo of CC in the April issue of Allure? I’ll just say, 43 and two children later, she’s still very impressive.)

Back to the parties. WBs are located within W Hotels around the country—with the exception of Whisky Plaza in NYC, which is in Trump Plaza. (Of our four events, that location was my least favorite.) Since most travelers are looking for tips on where to stay and dine in New York, here are my quick picks.

Hotel: Our group stayed at the Empire Hotel. Greatest hotel? No. But really good, and for the price (under $200), it is a recommendable option and location (it sits at Broadway and West 63rd).

My Tip: Upgrade to a King room (I think it added approximately $30). My first room was just too small. I was going to be working from my room, and I needed a little more breathing room. When I asked to be moved, I also asked for a view. My new room overlooked West 63rd, so I had a partial view of Lincoln Center. Nice New York touch.

The hotel was a great little base camp. The mezzanine restaurant was bright and luxe, so I grabbed a booth and worked on my laptop while having breakfast. I only went back to my room because I needed my powercord. Otherwise, I would have stayed there for hours downing coffee and working.

Dining: That eve, four of us had dinner at Rosa Mexicano, which is just around the corner. Our New York-based global lifestyle editor, Jason Oliver Nixon, had suggested the Adam Tihany-designed spot at Columbus and 62nd. The space is amazing. The stairs to the second floor run parallel to a wall of water with these tiny little figurines in a series of positions that mimic a high dive. Hundreds of figurines. Fabulous. Our dinner was equally fabulous. I couldn’t get the duck enchiladas out of my mind for days (I think it was a special that night). Plus, of course, there was fresh guacamole and top-shelf margaritas.

Next Stop: Atlanta