I just got back from a short business trip to New York. I spent most of my time at a trade show in Manhattan, but was able to get out and see a few sights, too. My boss wanted me there to show a piece of software I have been working on to our largest customer. It's not every day that people gasp when they see software, but that's the reaction we got. It also started a 45 minute discussion about how the software could be used in their stores. So the show went great, but I had a better time admiring the architecture and culture of the city that never sleeps. This is the Queensborough Bridge, the first built to link Queens and Manhattan, separated by the East River. I got to cross on the bottom level and the top on my two trips across.
The world famous Carnegie Deli. My hotel was right next to Carnegie Hall. I went and got a hot pastrami sandwich from here right when I got into town and it was worth every penny ($13.95). No cheese, but the best hot mustard ever. I also had a slice of their cheesecake which was unbelieveable. No wonder New York is famous for it's cheesecake. These guys will FedEx a cheesecake anywhere in the U.S., and don't think I won't be ordering one.
The glorious hotel Wellington. I took this picture from right in front of the Carnegie Deli after I had bought my dinner. Most of the hotels are older and so exhibit a certain amount of "character". I relate a little more to the elevator in the movie "Thoroughly Modern Millie" which wouldn't go unless they danced in it. The elevators here made some of the same noises.
The view from my hotel room. Apparently you have to pay $400+ per night if you want to see anything remotely interesting from your window. I didn't mind - it was actually very quiet and I was able to sleep well. And I saved the company a few hundred dollars.
My hotel room. It's the "World's Best Hotel Room", much like the "World's Best Cup of Coffee" in the movie "Elf".
A random shot of the skyline in Midtown Manhattan. I found it was very difficult to get good night shots with my little camera. The magnitude of the city is unbelieveable. The little brown buildings in the foreground are taller than anything here in San Marcos.
The show wasn't too far from my hotel, so I decided to walk back through Times Square. I don't even know how to describe the place. So many people, so much action. I couldn't begin to take in everything that is there. I did walk right past the theaters where Wicked, Rent, and Legally Blonde are playing. I stopped in a little shop and bought "I Love New York" t-shirts from a guy that didn't speak much english, but that's not so unusual.
There - you can see the "Wicked" marquee in the top right corner. It's pretty amazing to realize how many thousands they cram into this tiny space on new year's eve.
The Jacob Javits Convention Center where the National Retail Federation's "Big Show" is held every January. It's even bigger than it looks. The nearest bathroom to our booth was probably 200 yards away.
Here's our booth near the end of the show when things had died down. Throughout the day there were usually 20-30 people in there (even though the Elvis impersonator in the next booth was doing his best to drive away all customers). From left to right: Irvine sales team, UK sales team, New Zealand/Australia sales team (in the back), and the San Diego sales team. Notice the snazzy matching shirts - they brought me a large which I haven't worn since sophomore year of high school, so I had to wear the button down shirt and sweater I had worn over there. They somehow gave me a sponsor sticker when I checked in as well, so I don't know what people were thinking when they saw me not wearing the uniform and a sponsor badge. So I just acted like I owned the place...
