Thursday, August 12, 2010

A Few Trends With Boomers, Gen Xers, Millenials & All In Between....

Here are a few interesting notes we gleaned from iconoclture...market trend watchers extrordinare.

Millennials Market

Mobile app EpicWin gets players tackling real-word chores by rolling to-do lists into a role-playing game format. Users set up a list of real tasks they need to tackle (do the dishes, walk the dog, etc.), and then receive virtual rewards and level-up opportunities for their EpicWin avatar upon...

Gen Xers Market

Make food, not war: Conflict Kitchen serves takeout with a side of understanding....
Pittsburgh’s Conflict Kitchen offers only one menu item, but its mission goes way beyond food. The tiny takeout shop was created by a group of local artists. Their idea? Choose a country that America is in conflict with and serve up one of that country's traditional foods. Every...

Boomers/Matures Markets

Time to plant? Service sends seeds to your door....
Is it too late for cucumbers? When should the celery go in? SproutRobot takes the guesswork out of gardening by sending seeds and reminders when it's time to plant.
Gardeners enter their zip code to get a regionally optimized planting calendar. They can either register for free email reminders...

Multicultural Markets

Broadway sets the stage for bigger black audiences.....
The bad news: Broadway attendance was down 3% for the 2009-10 season (NYTimes.com 6.27.10). The good news: Producers are using diverse strategies to draw African Americans, and it's starting to pay off.

Friday, August 6, 2010

The Best Rooftop Lounges of New York City

Drinks, Views & Lofty People
New Yorkers have always enjoyed their self professed status as the country's Top Shelf City. "The Big Apple," "The City That Never Sleeps," "The World’s Second Home" (that's a new one) say it all. Arguably, New Yorkers enjoy looking down on most everything West of the Hudson, if such a place even exists. So what better perspective could you get on New York than a cocktail perched above the city, looking down on all others below? And there are some decidedly impressive places to drink under the stars, surrounded by lights and elbow to cheek with beautiful people. Although not the sole domain of of hotels, the "rooftop lounge" scene is dominated by them in good locations and tall buildings.

Hotel on Rivington
This is classic "exclusive" NYC, as it is by invitation only. Mostly private parties dominate this rooftop. It is hiden like a speakeasy that requires the right connections, the right night and the right outfit. But that's just the start - get to the hotel, take an elevator to the 20th floor, walk a narrow hallway through to a penthouse bar area, go up a plexiglass staircase, through another bar space, and then up another, steeper stairway. You are there.

Mad46
Mad64 is what most would call a "classic" rooftop lounge par excellence with night views that can't be missed: A contemporary rooftop lounge meets classic Roosevelt Hotel's rooftop. Located atop the 19th floor of the hotel, a separate entrance and private elevator will get you there.
If the heat this year is too much for you, a welcomed addition of two separate, air-conditioned escapes from city heat and humidity called "Uptown" and "Downtown" offers a dry refuge from those occasional summer showers. Doors open at 5pm Monday through Friday with food service from 5pm to 10pm daily. Throughout the season on Saturdays mad46 opens the doors from 8pm to 2am with a live DJ and dancing. There is never a cover charge to get in but please note that final admission is always subject to venue capacity limitations. Reservations are not required but are recommended for groups of 6 or more guests.

Gramercy Park Hotel
The Gramercy is one of New York's oldest and most prestigious boutique hotels...and that is saying volumes, as there are many in New York. The Private Roof Club and Garden, an original and unique indoor and outdoor space, with a retractable roof 16 stories above the city, is akin to a private salon or drawing room offering personal comfort and the intimacy of a private home. It offers a more personal and intimate version of the lobby as a new kind of gathering place as introduced by Ian Schrager almost 20 years ago. This combines all the charm of London's private gentlemen's clubs and the Bohemian bustle of a Viennese coffee house. It recalls the celebrated roof top garden life popularized at the turn of the century in New York City at such places as Ziegfeld's Club at the New Amsterdam Theatre, Stanford Whites roof top garden at the original Madison

Salon de Ning, Peninsula
The Peninsula hotel combines Eastern and Western hospitality with a great view (atop a great hotel) in NYC's midtown. This place is more for business people rather that the typical tourists. Like all rooftops in NY the drinks are not cheap..think $24 for two crummy domestic beers. The staff (mostly Irish) is attentive and not snooty at all.

Top of the Strand
Top of the Strand Hotel lounge and bar - Top of the Strand will include a sliding roof element and is designed by Lydia Marks. The rooftop lounge and bar is an urban oasis among the concrete buildings of the garment district, offering visitors an opportunity to relax and take in the stunning skyline views of New York City.

Plunge Bar, Hotel Gansevoort
Combining the elements that make most every Caribbean hotel popular, namely a pool and bar, the Gansevoort has upped its game with the other hotels of the area. Located in West Chelsea near the High Line, views are 360 from many floors up.

Hudson Terrace
Discreetly tucked at the edge of midtown along the Hudson River, this spectacular haven of serene opulence offers unforgettable venue amenities. The Hudson Terrace event venue imaginatively unites intimate interiors with all-season exterior spaces. Erected from imported heirloom woods, handcrafted tiles and treasured stone, the venue promises nothing short of uncompromised artistry.

Press Lounge, Ink48 Hotel
The Kimpton in Hell's Kichen is not to be outdone by the smart money on the East Side. Located on the 16th floor atop Ink48, Press Lounge presents spectacular views and light fare in a casual setting. Manhattan and Hudson River views from a glass-enclosed lounge, spacious deck with outdoor seating and a captivating reflecting pool, with food and drink to match.

The Roof Garden, Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the best kept secrets on the East side, and now a popular tourist destination is the Metropolitan Museum of Art rooftop sculpture garden. There among a clutch of sculptures (not to mention an enormous bamboo walking sculpture that towers above the rooftop below - you can walk up but requires a special ticket and time) and over looking the city to the West is a cheesy kiosk for poor American beer and small bottles of third rate wine. Why the Met doesn't upscale their drinks to match the upscale atmosphere and views is a question we all have. The best time to be there is at sunset.