Square Offices

There is a wonderful, line in Stephen Sondheim’s "Company" about all of New York converging on 14^th St. It was not until I moved offices to JS² that I realized how true it is.

For the past year, I have worked on 29^th and 6^th . Many know the area as The Flower District despite its attempts to re-brand itself as Chelsea North. The neighborhood is somewhat fashionable when you arrive from 7^th Ave, but coming from 6^th Ave, it’s a disaster. Whatever way you slice it, it's not Union Square.

My first day down in Union Square was eye-opening to say the least. Much of my experience in Union Square has been later at night, so I never saw the hustle and bustle of the late morning and early afternoon. The sight of the vendors, the artists and the community reminded me of a place that could not be New York, yet the whole scene was so essentially New York. I fell in love immediately. After four days here, I learned that Union Square houses some of the best food and the most interesting people.

Let’s start with the food. One of my favorite lunch places, Spice is literally a stone’s throw away from the office; Grey Dog Café is a fun joint to hang out and grab a drink and something to nosh on; then there are the delicious dinner restaurants that line University – El Cantinero, with its sinful sangria and large plates, satisfies my Mexican loving stomach. My diet was shot to hell after two days in this neighborhood!

The people in this area are even more eclectic than the food. On my way to the subway yesterday, I passed a woman selling poems she writes on an old-fashion typewriter. What made it more interesting was that her client at the time was a man in a suite with a briefcase. Of course, I could go on describing more of the interesting people I spotted around 14^th St, but I’ll save it for the spin off blog.

Well, since I began the post with a musical theatre reference, it seems only appropriate to end it with one as well. So, as Little Orphan Annie sang, “I think I’m gonna like it here.”