NYC: Fun Times at Whiskey Park

“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” – Jim Morrison

After I finished an amazing dinner at Asiate, my friend, Liz, met me at the Mandarin Oriental. Liz and I became friends my freshman year of college at Syracuse University. Although our paths had not crossed physically over the last few decades, we have continued to share stories and advice via phone and Facebook.

We decided to have drinks at Whiskey Park, which I had passed on my way to Asiate. In my younger days, I had ventured out to this exact venue and I remembered it being a lot of fun. I wasn’t sure if it would still be a “hot” spot, but we figured it would be worth a try.

The place looked the same as I had remembered it. Packed with expensive suits and stylish clothes, the crowd was classy and upscale just like the venue. We ordered a few cocktails and chatted the night away.

We noticed a blond girl about our age sitting at the bar by herself sipping on a cocktail. We assumed she was waiting for a date and had been stood up. We felt bad for her, so Liz asked her if she wanted to join us. She declined.

We talked to the  four older men who were sitting next to us. They were from Nashville, Memphis and Los Angeles. All were married and worked for a company called Wet n Wild. The LA man had graduated from Syracuse University many years before us.

When Liz’s credit card was returned to her unused, Liz said, “Hey, married man, neither of us is going home with any of you, so don’t bother buying us drinks. We can get our own.” They bought them for us anyways, and we just chatted — which was nice.

It was an interesting evening, with many random topics discussed. The only funky thing was when one of the men started discussing his wife, his marriage and a football. But other than that, it was a super cool night out.

Sometimes it is fun to have a cocktail, catch up with a old friend, guess the stories of random people, and meet strangers you will never see again. Whiskey Park is the perfect place to do all of this. It was just as I remembered — fun, classy, and a great place to meet interesting people. The scene at Whiskey Park was definitely happening for a Wednesday night…

More NYC blogs from this trip:

• NYC: Let the Adventure Begin
• NYC: Inside Park at St. Bart’s
• NYC: Asiate, a Restaurant with a Spectacular View
• NYC: Eataly, an Italian Dream
• NYC: The Sketchy Subway
• NYC: 9/11 Memorial… Never Forget
• NY: Le Jardin Du Roi

Pictures:

• View my New York City pictures.
• View more travel pictures.

Tags: Asiate, Gina Pacelli, Mandarin Oriental, Mandarin Oriental New York, New York, New York City, New York City travel, New York travel, NYC, Syracuse University, tourism, travel, Travel and Tourism, Wet n Wild, Whiskey Park