A Love Letter to New York City

At the end of 2019, our partners at NYC & CO hosted the Soundings Connect team for a full-day tour of the latest and greatest hotels and experiences in New York City. Our plan was to do a three blog series to educate our customers and freelancers about the different neighborhoods and experiences NYC has to offer. We published one of those blogs right before COVID-19 changed all of our lives.  

This week Connect Corporate magazine announced its "40 under 40" award winners. I was honored to be recognized alongside my long time industry friend Cory Rosenberg. Recently, I read his post on LinkedIn with these two hashtags listed first: #wewillmeetagain #makeitnyc.

In fear of appearing tone-deaf, many of us have stopped sharing our favorite travel destinations, especially the locations hit hard by COVID-19. While reading Cory's post, I realized that instead of standing back, we need to start leaning in. We will meet again. It will be different - but it will happen.

Meetings that take place in cities will require more safety precautions, especially in cities like New York. At first, events that take place in cities may have to offer hybrid events including virtual components for attendees that are not ready to travel - especially to a city. As soon as it is safe, we need to support our cities. They have been through a lot. They will need us.

So, in the spirit of leaning in and thinking about what the future holds for events - I am sharing the blog we wrote about the boutique experiences Chelsea and Nomad have to offer. We did not change our suggestions because we hope that when it is safe, we can experience NYC this way again. I invite you to day dream with me.

BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCES IN CHELSEA AND NOMAD, NYC’S MOST EXCITING MEETING AND EVENT DESTINATIONS

Chelsea and the newly coined NoMad neighborhood are some of today’s most highly sought-after Manhattan destinations for meetings and events. With close proximity to iconic New York landmarks and a convenient central location, event planners often recommend Chelsea and NoMad as ideal destinations for business trips, incentive meetings and corporate retreats.

From Chelsea or NoMad, Broadway, the Empire State Building, a vibrant art scene and countless other New York attractions are all within walking distance. Like many neighborhoods in New York City, Chelsea and NoMad were once industrial centers. The revival of each of these neighborhoods has brought about new opportunities for boutique experiences that can be tailored to different groups.

Today, these neighborhoods are full of incredible diversity, world class dining, specialty shops, theaters and an ever-evolving cultural impact that visitors to New York City will love to experience. Attendees will find themselves in the center of it all in this world renown arts and culture haven.

From Chelsea or NoMad, Penn Station, the East Village, and the hustle and bustle of Midtown and Times Square, are easily accessible. In and around Chelsea and NoMad, there are plenty of chances to discover how the cityscape has transformed from an industrial center to a premier destination for visitors from all around the world.

Read more about Soundings Connect’s favorite destinations in New York’s Chelsea and NoMad neighborhoods here.