I traveled and roomed with the fabulous Jessica Ellicot. When we checked into the Grand Hyatt on Thursday, the clerk gave us a "room with a view." Here it is:
Yes, that's the reflection of the Chrysler building. Jess and I were very stylish; we had our own theme colors. Red...
..and blue.
Here's Jess. Note the red.
The bar, where everyone ended up at the shank end of the night, looked like a cross between Logan's Run and The Blade Runner. Cocktails cost $18. New York, New York, it's a hell of a town.
My literary agency, which is also Rhys's and now Jessica's, has an afternoon BBQ every Friday afternoon during Thrillerfest.
Am I going to show you pictures of the BBQ? No, I am not. I'm going to show you book porn.
On the way back, we ran into a large demonstration outside the hotel. The President of Taiwan was staying at the Grand Hyatt and there were Chinese protestors clashing with Taiwanese counter-protestors.
Coincidentally, Jess and I went out for Chinese later that night! Luckily, no one protested when we ordered Kung Pao chicken and braised pork belly.
Saturday was writer stuff in the morning and then Julia's Big Fun Afternoon Out. My very dear friend Jeff Cohen aka (EJ Copperman) and his wife (also somewhat confusingly named Jessica) came in from NJ. We met up in the concourse of Grand Central Station...
We walked up to the NY Public Library's Main Branch to see their exhibit Walt Whitman, America's Poet (ending August 30th.)
They had a treasure trove of letters, including this one from Whitman, one from his long-time partner, and one firing him from his position at the Bureau of Indian Affairs!
Having satisfied our literary and historical appetites, we departed for North of Little Italy, no fashionably called Nolita.Picture me rolling my eyes.
We got seated right before the evening rush started.
In Midtown and the Upper West Side, ice cream was melting in powerless freezers everywhere, but down on Mulberry Street, it was all buttercream and chocolate,
Despite the collapse of several parts of the subway system, I had no problems getting a cab back to the hotel, where the lights were on and the drinks were cold at the bar. Poor Jeff and Jessica, however, didn't get home until 2:30am! Both Penn Station and Port Authority were closed; they wound up catching the PATH to Newark and, I'm not sure, hitching home?
There was a lot of schmoozing, conversations about social media, and listening to folks gripe about the industry that I'm leaving out, mostly because the fun parts of the weekend are what I remember. How about you, dear readers? What are your NYC stories? Have you ever snuck away from a conference to frolic with friends?
It sounds like you had quite an adventure. Most of my New York adventures revolve around traveling into the city to go to a play or to wander through an art gallery. Going to a Broadway show is a lot of fun, so whenever I had the opportunity to go, I never skipped out.
ReplyDeleteWhen I did go to conferences [usually education things, but not in New York City] I always went to those [sometimes boring] sessions instead of being smart and ditching them for some fun . . . .
Joan, I used to be virtuous and hang around and attend panels, etc. Then I realized when at conferences, I was almost always in a cool city I didn't visit often (or wouldn't be back to) with a bunch of my friends, so why not take advantage? Now I try to plan a fun excursion every time.
DeleteJulia, quite the lovely recap of your Thrillerfest weekend.
ReplyDelete$18 for a cocktail? I sure am glad that I don't drink.
Although I really would've loved pics of the Friday afternoon BBQ, the book porn pics were a nice substitute. Like you, I'd love to have a (free) shopping spree in one of those stores or pop up shops inside Thrillerfest. Not that I need more books waiting to be read, but we ALWAYS NEED more books, don't we?
I have no NYC stories to share. I've never been. Other than making it to Thrillerfest, I really don't have any desire to do so.
I've only been to comic conventions, never any conferences, but when at those comic cons I don't skip out to do other things. I keep a full schedule of things to do at the con itself.
I'd be the same way if I went to Thrillerfest as well. Once I got there, I'd probably never leave the hotel where the event is held until it was time to go home.
Attending all the panels is a great way to get your money's worth, Jay! I tend to skip out because after (mumble mumble) years of attending crime fiction cons, there's not much being said I haven't heard before. One exception: if a friend asks me to come, I show up and sit in the front and ask questions.
DeleteYou should consider Thrillerfest. It's pricey, but it's an amazing conference.
Julia,
DeleteI have considered Thrillerfest and have some ways to make it slightly cheaper for me but it is still way too pricey for me to seriously consider right now.
As for it being amazing, I'm sure since I follow all the tweets each year and find new authors to pick up a book from. Plus I can just imagine all the signed copies I could have if I did get to go.
So glad you had that time in NY Julia--I love the city! though John complains I want to hit the same spots every time we go--The Strand and Eataly are at the top of my list...
ReplyDeleteIf you know what you like, go for it. Every time I'm in DC, I try to eat at my favorite restaurants, Cafe Mozart and an amazing Spanish tapas place on M Street. I know I'll always be pleased, and that makes me happy.
DeleteLovely photos, thanks for sharing! I've never been to NYC, but have busted out of a few conferences with friends. One notable one involved escaping to the St. Louis Zoo--the animals there were much more interesting than the animals I left behind! ;-)
ReplyDeleteSt. Louis is one city I've never been to, Flora - I'll put the zoo on my list. Wasn't Marlin Perkins of Wild, Wild Kingdom the director of that establishment?
DeleteMy worst NYC story was when my four-year-old son got lost in Grand Central Station! Although it seemed like hours I'm sure it was only maybe 10 minutes. But there were so many people! I'll never forget some lady who admonished him, raised finger and all, "remember next time - go to the information booth."
ReplyDeleteGood advice, Judi - you can see the clock from everywhere!
DeleteSo sorry we crossed in the mail at thriller fest! I was only there a teaching Tuesday and Wednesday, and left at the crack of dawn Thursday.
ReplyDeleteWow, I love these photos… And I am always in awe of the books at the publisher. There are always so many of them, and they are stacked so perfectly.
And I adore the Campbell apartment! We went there, too! Love it! Glad you had an adventure— so fun!
I love New York, but it is all I can do to stop looking up. I don’t want to look like a gawky tourist, but I can never get used to it. Boston seems so cosmopolitan, until I get to New York.
Hank, no less than three people said, "Oh, have you seen Hank?" at the opening night reception. I explained you had come to teach, and I had come to have fun. :-)
DeleteI'm either looking way up to admire the buildings, or looking closely at the paving to avoid tripping when I go up and down curbs. It's a miracle I don't get whiplash.
What a grand adventure!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to NYC since I was 14 and a freshman in high school. But I still remember the Swiss chocolatier that was off Rockefeller Square. Not the name, but the chocolate. I spent $40 on truffles, a fortune for a teenager. I ate the truffles by quarters to make them last longer and threatened my siblings if they touched them. I also shopped at Saks Fifth Avenue and bought a pair of silk stockings, but those chocolates...I can still taste them.
Since Bouchercon at NOLA was my 20th wedding anniversary, The Hubby went with me and we snuck off to tour the city and the French Quarter for a whole day (naughty me).
Liz sneaking-away time is important, if only to help keep your balance in all the socializing, drinking and dining. One of my favorite memories of the Long Beach Bouchercon was spending the afternoon with Youngest touring the Princess Diana/ British royalty exhibit on the Queen Mary. Time very well spent.
DeleteWhat's not to like in NYC? I have a list for my next trip: 9/11 memorial, Trinity and St. Paul's churches on/near Wall Street and adjacent graveyards, the Klimt paintings at Neue Galerie, the Egyptian wing at the Met, the diamond district on 47th, Strawberry Fields in Central Park, a Broadway show, the MOMA when it re-opens...and a good mystery bookstore!
ReplyDeleteThat's a list, Margaret! Make sure you pack some well=padded walking shoes!
DeleteGreat photos! What a fun post.
ReplyDeleteI rarely get to New York these days, but used to go frequently in the 1990's. I have a few good stories, but the one I tell most often is of being in a cab trying to get from Midtown Manhattan to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A helicopter went down in the East River, completely stopping traffic pretty much everywhere. We had started off to Brooklyn hours before our show, so we weren't all that stressed about it, but our cab driver became increasingly agitated to the point that he started beating his head on the steering wheel, while swearing (we assumed) in Korean. It all ended fine for us -- got to our performance in plenty of time -- but I've often thought about that poor cab driver with one of the lowest levels of job satisfaction I have ever witnessed.
Actually, two of my other top NYC stories also involve cab drivers -- plus one about a limo. I guess that's just a reflection of what one tends to focus on while there!
Oh, man, the cab drivers!
DeleteWe were walking back to the hotel after dinner one night, and down a side street we watched one cab back up into another. The driver of the moving cab got out of his vehicle and started screaming at the poor driver whose cab had been hit. The passengers all got out of both cabs, and vanished!
I know Lyft and Uber are big in NYC, but I saw cabs everywhere. I still like them - especially since they al have gadgets that let you pay with your card. I remember many rides with Ross or with friends, everyone in the back seat scrambling to find enough cash for the fare and a tip.
DeleteYou both looked very stylish in your hats!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alan!
DeleteYou packed a lot in, Julia! Good for you. There's so much to do in NYC, it would have been a crime not to play hookey at least a bit.
ReplyDeleteI've had so many great NYC experiences, starting from the mid-70's, when I worked as a dress buyer for a chain of Cincinnati stores. For that job I "had to" travel there for 3-4 days every six weeks to tramp around the Garment District and look at clothes all day. Poor me. It was so fun for a 20-something. I learned about flying, staying in hotels, hailing taxis, and timing my day to coincide with cadging a free lunch from a vendor so I could save my puny per diem that was never enough for three meals in that pricey city. Once a vendor took my boss and me to dinner, to a fancy Italian place. In 1976, the cost for the three of us for pasta and lobster was $500. I didn't even make that much every pay period at the time.
But the best was on a solo trip and my seatmate on the flight was a cute guy from Cincinnati, also flying to the city on business. He called my hotel and invited me to my first Broadway musical, which was Bubbling Brown Sugar. We had a fun, Barefoot in the Park evening, and one date back in Cincinnati. But all the magic was left in New York, alas.
Karen, what wonderful memories! Your twenties are meant for exciting adventures, new experiences, and magical one-time-only dates. It sounds like you enjoyed those times to their fullest.
DeleteNo horror stories about NYC. I laugh at myself when I realize that I used to wear heels when I went there in my teens and twenties! If I did that today, there WOULD be horror stories! In all my recent visits, I have worn sneakers, and I’m old enough to not care how it looks! It’s all about comfort now!
ReplyDeleteIn 1969 some of us took the train in to go to the parade for the astronauts who had landed on the moon. How exciting! We got there early enough that we were standing right in front. I was twenty, and wearing spike heels (although not four inches; I could never manage that!) A couple of times, I felt somebody groping me. Each time, I turned around and glared, but with such crowds, I couldn’t tell who the culprit was. When it happened again, I stepped back REALLY hard, and dug my heel down. The hands instantly dropped away. I turned around again, and an older man turned his head away! He kept his hands away, too, for the rest of the parade!
DebRo
Finally, a persuasive reason to wear spike heels!
DeleteEons ago my husband had a convention in Philadelphia which ended on Fri. morning so 6 of us rented a station wagon ( I said it was eons ago, before SUV's) and my best friend's husband drove us to NYC. At some point going into the city we had to go through a tunnel where there was a big sign saying "Do not change lanes in the tunnel". Well traffic in our lane dropped to a standstill and our driver wasn't having it. So he looked and he moved. He changed lanes in the tunnel! which was so stalled that no one could have stopped us if they had wanted to do so. We hurried on to our hotel where the desk clerk messed up our name so badly (dropped most of the vowels so that it came out a cross between Serbo-Croat and Arabic) that our friends almost couldn't find us. We finally met up and went over to 21 to meet other friends for a drink in the bar. After the drinks, it was pouring so we stayed there for dinner down in the bar. At one point during the dinner my friend asked if I wanted to go to the bathroom with her. For once in my life I did not have to go and was in the middle of what seemed at the time a fascinating conversation so I stayed. She did not come back for ages and when she finally did, she said that she had had to wait outside of the ladies' room, kept out by the Secret Service because Nancy Reagan was in there. Nancy was having dinner with most of the 60 Minutes crowd and my friend saw all of them too. My mother always told me to go whenever I had the chance. As usual, she was right.
ReplyDeleteOn our recent forays to NYC, we go to see as many plays as we can in 3 days, usually 4. We try not to drive.
Atlanta, I guessed it was eons ago when you said you drove into the city! And I always say "go when you have the chance" to my kids; I may throw in your story about missing Nancy Reagan and the 60 minutes crew as a motivator!
DeleteSounds like a fabulous weekend. Someday, I will make it to NYC.
ReplyDeleteLiving in New England, I sometimes forget how far it can be from the other coast (or the middle of the country.) I've been to San Francisco once and LA a few times, but always on business, and haven't ever had the chance to do any sightseeing or go to museums, etc.
DeleteI've never been to New York and the two times I attended a business conference I was in my 20s and didn't have really have the means to attend a conference but was trying to get my then professional life started. I went to the conference and I went home at the end. Boring, boring, boring.
ReplyDeleteThat's what getting older is for, Deana - to rectify those omissions of youth! Get online and book yourself a trip!
DeleteLooks like a wonderful time Julia. One of these years I will attend Thrillerfest.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite NYC story doesn't even involve me. My mom and my aunt traveled up by bus to see the Rockette's Christmas show - they don't really travel much. They decided they needed to eat something before the show and not knowing anything about the area (and the thousands of restaurants available to them), they noticed a sign that my aunt recognized. She says "I know that place, Regis eats there." (This was back when Regis and Kathy Lee was still one). So they decide to go their for their informal lunch - TO THE RAINBOW ROOM. Needless to say, their shared grilled cheese and two soft drinks come to something like $48. I still laugh to this day...clearly they thought Regis was on a budget. LOL
Oh and to top it all off, they are both deathly afraid of heights, so even the glorious view from the location was lost on them.
DeleteKristopher, that is a wonderful story. Reminds me of the time Ross and I took the kids to NY for the same reason. Ross, who grew up in nearby Connecticut as well as in Maine, had fond memories of always going to Ruths Chris steakhouse when his parents brought him into the city. So off we go with our family of five - to turn white at the kips when we saw the prices.
DeleteWe almost backed out, but then thought, *bleep* it, this is the only time we're ever planning on seeing the Rockettes Christmas show with the kids. Might as well go all out. I've blanked out the total cost of tab plus tip, thankfully, but I recall it was about the same cost as a month of heating oil. Oy.
Julia, thanks for sharing! What a fun visit, and yes of course you should have played hooky! I haven't been to New York City in more than twenty years. Must remedy that. I love seeing the agent and publishers offices, too. So many books! And I envy you the Walt Whitman exhibit even more than the cocktails and the pastries...
ReplyDeleteYou should come for Thrillerfest some time, Debs. One of the reasons it's so popular is the presence of SO much of the publishing world.
DeleteJulia, what a wonderful time you had with your friends. I can only imagine that Jeff is lots of fun to pal around with. I've read two of his books in the last year, and I hope to meet this witty creator of stories soon. I started reading Jessica's Beryl and Edwina series this year, and I'm looking forward to meeting her, too. It seems that Thrillerfest has become a place to be. As I'm itching to go to NYC, I should attend one. I haven't been to NYC since my senior trip in high school. I'm hoping to get some girlfriends to do a trip in the next year. I so want to see a Broadway play or two.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in NYC for my senior high school trip, I was awed by the city. We had been told to avoid dark streets and stay with someone. Well, a friend of mine and I happened to walk down one of those dark streets. I think we were taking a short cut. We did hear some guys behind us, and we skedaddled on down the street to the lights and where our friends were. I'll never know if those guys meant us harm, but I didn't have a good feeling about it. Oh, and our class visited Macy's while there, but there was a strike going on, and when a friend and I came out with a Macy's bag, we were called "the hags with the bags" by the strikers.
Kathy, that's a senior trip to remember! I went for the first time on an eighth grade class trip, in the seventies, when NY was... well, let's say a lot grittier than it is now. The thing I most clearly remember was walking through Times Square, my naive, upstate eyes bugging out at all the XXX movie theaters and strip clubs.
DeleteWhat a fantastic trip,Julia! I am in awe (I need to be tucked in by 10 these days.) New York is just a wonderful place. And lucky for you that you missed the down side of the power outage. I need to go to that restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of Ferrara (not surprising) but Jeff and Jess are natives, and they said it was a do-not-miss. They were right!
DeleteJulia, what a wonderful time you had at Thrillerfest! Thank you for sharing your photos and stories. I have been to a few mystery conferences. In Toronto for Bouchercon, we went outside and walked around. At Malice Domestic, we went outside and the fresh air was great because we got sick at the hotel!
ReplyDeleteWhen we visited NYC, I remember riding in a horse drawn carriage and seeing a demonstration in Central Park! Last visit to NYC was uneventful - no protests. My boyfriend was doing a fundraiser for cancer research so we were in NYC for that event. I went iceskating with friends at the Rock Center.
Diana
Diana, ice skating at Rockefeller Center is so iconic!
DeleteI heard the Malice committee had changed the hotel because it was mildewy! I'm sorry you got sick - fingers crossed the new one will be clean and dry.
Love the photos! Thanks for sharing. It looks like you had a ball! I love meeting friends in "the City." We live close to NY but only go once in a while. Our last trip in was to see a couple of shows with friends and we almost missed it because of a freaky snow storm. My husband valiantly drove us to the train station in New Haven, in horrendous conditions, and we just made it to the afternoon show by the skin of our teeth. By the time we returned to New Haven late that night, the storm was over and the roads were clear. Gotta love the CT DOT.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to get in and out via public transportation is the best. And I'm like you with Boston, Judy - we live a two hour drive away, there are multiple daily busses and trains, but do I ever go except for business? No.
DeleteI visited NYC once 25-30 years ago. We accompanied some good friends to attend their daughter's college graduation. Glad you had a good time, Julia! But holy crap! $18 cocktails? What do beers run?
ReplyDeleteI didn't check, Pat - maybe $12? Seriously, my eyes bugged out every time I saw that price tag. If I lived in NY, I'd just take a hip flask with me everywhere.
DeleteFor some reason, Jeff Cohen couldn't get his comment to post here, so he sent it to me. Here's what he wrote: "So great to see you in NYC, Julia! And yes, we did get home after an Out-Of-Towners adventure, on the PATH train to Newark, where we could pick up NJ Transit (and get on the exact same train we would have been on if we'd stayed at Penn Station, because power came back on around midnight). All worth it to spend an afternoon and evening with our dear friend."
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeff!
The only time I've been to NYC was on a school trip when I was 16. Everything we did was all very touristy of course. Would love to visit as an adult.
ReplyDeleteJana, you should! And it can be reasonable, too - Ross and I took the children a few times in the "off-season" - January and February, mostly. The weather's not great, but so much of what you want to see and linger over is inside, it doesn't matter.
DeleteThe first time I went to New York, I was with students going to Argentina for a month. We had time to see the United Nations and the Statue of Liberty. Also ate at an Argentine restaurant. I went as a tourist for a few days and saw the Rockettes and A Chorus Line and had a city tour. Some of my trips went through New York but I didn't have time to sight-see on those.
ReplyDeleteSally, NYC is definitely a city that deserves a leisurely exploration (which I often don't give it, since I'm almost always there on business.) A three day weekend is perfect if you focus on one museum/historical site/neighborhood per day.
DeleteJulia, terrific post and opportunity for a vicarious thrill. Thrillerfest is on my bucket list. So glad you had such a terrific time and shared the experience with us!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sasscer! It's a terrific conference, not in the least because of its location.
DeleteWhat Fun!!! I have been to New York on business so I didn't get to see or experience as much as I would have liked. It's on my travel list of places to revisit. I think it helps if you know all the great food places so research will be needed before I return. This post definitely goes into the "must-do" file!
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I just started the Jeff/ aka E.J Copperman haunted guest house series so your post today is like a two-fer! Yeah.