Jam-packed. What is going on at DWR? We arrived on Friday night to face a mob of trendy people taking up every square inch of DWR's MePa shop for no apparent reason (except that you could get a vodka cocktail in the back if you waited long enough).
You couldn't see the furniture. You couldn't talk comfortably. There was no presentation that we could discern. We didn't meet Rob Forbes. All this for a free drink? Charles and Ray Eames were rolling in their graves.
However, we have to ask the larger question again: What is going on at DWR? Where do these people come from and how did a furniture store get this trendy? It was a veritable meat market in the meat market. Furniture is HOT.
After 20 minutes we left. Rounding up our merry band of AT readers (all now wearing hats to differentiate themselves from the mob), we headed around the corner to Passerby, where we proceeded to drink, talk and have a great time as even more people began to arrive.
On our second gathering, we have to admit to relaxing much more and totally getting into apartment obsessive conversations with Jamie Pup, Ruth, Mary Czarina, Robyn Ryan, Jim K, Lori and more.... Lockhart Steele even showed up! (He was mobbed for autographs).
Do bloggers carry on normal conversations? Yes, they do. We talked real estate, we talked about other commenters, we talked about other blogs, we met DWR staff that were also fleeing the event.
We were proud and happy to have met such lovely, interesting readers and look forward to next month's gathering where we will take a cue from Friday and go light on the event and park ourselves longer at the bar. (Thanks to all!) MGR
We walked by and saw that we couldn't get in, due to wall-to-wall people and the hangers-on's on the sidewalk. Decided to investigate Western Beef across the street instead and admired the huge slabs of beef inside their meat lockers, and the bright orange decor. Eventually led us to mounds of Chat and Chew Chocolate cake to drown our sorrow.
I can die a happy woman now that I have met LOCKHART STEELE!!!!!
I live in D.C. and was going to come up but got stranded by the flu! I look forward to your next event!
Cheers,
Lars
Thank you Maxwell for organizing this. I had a great time meeting you, Mary and Ruth. I also accosted Lock outside DWR (I know his writings and face from various blogs, his own, curbed.com, gothamist.com etc. and have sent him some info before for curbed which is where I first found out about AT.com) before seeing him again at passerby.
Well Lori, meeting Maxwell did it for me. Such a warm (yet cool in the best sense), intelligent, thoughtful person and a hottie to boot!
Was I a little bit late, so I missed the group of hat-wearing people. I had no problem getting to the bar though. You are right, the event made little sense, since the furniture could not be seen. In fact, I only saw people. I wonder though if free booze and some cheese-filled celery bits are the new way to attract vast amount of people. And if so, is it good marketing?
Massimo, due to the crowd, the only furniture I could see was the Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman in the window. And my view to that was blocked by the pretentious asshole who was stretched out on it, talking into a cell phone. So no, it's not good marketing.
Omigod, I left the bar too early and missed Lockhart Steele!!! Ummm. Who is he? No, really.
One good thing about the event was that you could really judge whether the pieces were functional and could handle abuse, since everyone was sitting on the display pieces (usually there are signs not to). I got there early enough I actually sat on one of the sofas for awhile. Surprisingly comfortable. Wonder what the place looked like the next morning?
Just to clarify that was not me in the window with the cell phone.
I would love to attend the next get-together, but wonder about the overall age of the group - I'm middle aged and feel I would be out of place. Would I?
CR-- Although I did not attend this last AT outing (and I am BUMMED, btw), I think you should feel more than comfortable coming to the next!! If you are interested in the topics presented and discussed here (or whatever the next event is), that's all that matters.
CR, please join us. I'm 44 and don't give a rat's ass who knows.
CR, you should come. None of our topics were generational in any way (no discussion of the latest hip hop artist or the doings of Lindsay Lohan). I'm so glad to have met more people from online- Mary, Jimkk, Lori (plus non-ATer Ira), Jamiepup and, of course (big sigh) Lockhart Steele.
And, I discovered that Max sounds *exactly* like Sam Champion, the weatherman on Channel 7. That was really comforting in a Pavlovian sense.
When's the next one?
Ruth, non-ATer Ira (my middle aged husband) will be happy to discuss the latest hip hop artist with you.
Lori, I forgot that given his field he's way cooler with the music thing than I am, not that that's an especially high bar to leap. But the question is, is he up on Lindsay Lohan?
I sure as hell hope not!
Thank you all for your comments - I will definitely try to attend the next outing.
Oh my gosh, I forgot Robin! Robin I wish we could have spoken more.
It was great meeting and hanging out with all of you guys.
CR and every else who missed it -- definitely come next time! I'm impressed that Lars was willing to come up from Washington...