Conferences and meetings don’t have to take place in the same old places. Here’s a look at some quirky and unusual settings for your next business gathering.
Dylan Lauren, daughter of designer Ralph Lauren, owns Dylan’s Candy Bar, the popular sugar emporium on the Upper East Side. Earlier this year, the store opened a third-floor event space, adding about 5,000 square feet to the site. Comprised of three sections that can be combined into one larger room, this area is much like the rest of the venue, resembling a brightly colored, modern-day soda shop. Some audiovisual equipment is available on-site, including a flat-screen TV, DVD player, and a CD system with surround sound.
Down by Central Park is the FAO Schwarz flagship, which occupies the Fifth Avenue and 58th Street space behind the Apple store. In addition to offering the entire store for private events, the toy retailer also has a dedicated party room on the second floor. With room for as many as 50 people, this space has playful decorations as well as items from the store. The in-house IT department can provide audiovisual equipment, and groups can use of the famous floor piano for teambuilding exercises.
Also in Midtown is Toys "R" Us Times Square. Although the entire shop is not available for events, meetings can take over the skybox—a glass-enclosed conference room overlooking the store. This 1,150-square-foot space has room for 60 people and features a flat-panel screen, Internet access, and audiovisual capabilities.
About a block away is the New York outpost of Ripley's Believe it or Not, which opened in May 2007. The bilevel museum of oddities houses an eclectic array of artifacts spread across more than 20 galleries, including shrunken heads, a section of the Berlin Wall, and a six-legged cow. For events, the entire space is available; a private room holds as many as 50.
