Dennis Crowley is the co-founder and executive chairman of Foursquare, the location intelligence app that popularized the concept of “checking in” at venues and events. Based in New York, Crowley also is the founder and chairman of the semi-professional soccer team Kingston Stockade Football Club.
To Unplug From Technology
Storm King Art Center is a giant sculpture garden planted in the middle of the Hudson Valley. It would take you days to walk the whole thing and see everything. This is a great spot to aimlessly wander around and get your thoughts in order (while you try to prevent your 1.5-year-old toddler from climbing on the sculptures).
To Get Work Done Outside of the Office
Think Coffee was the coffee shop we worked out of for some three months straight when we were building the Foursquare prototype in 2009. I still come back here to bang out emails or presentations as this place has great “focus and get work done” vibes.
For a Group Dinner
I’m rarely on the planning end of group dinners in New York anymore, but whenever I go to San Francisco I try to get a crew together at Alexander’s Steakhouse. You can spend a fortune here, but the wagyu steaks make it worth it.
To Watch a Kingston Stockade Away Game
Keegan Ales is the local neighborhood brewery up in Kingston, New York. Great beers and great food, and when Stockade FC is on the road, this is a great place to watch the streamed matches with other fans. Look behind the bar, you’ll find our 2017 Conference Championship trophy.
For My Favorite Meal
One of my favorite ramen spots in the city is Minca. It always reminds me of the awesome trip my wife and I took to Tokyo a few years ago. Don’t be afraid of the line—the wait is well worth it.
To Have a Productive Meeting
Little Cupcake Bakeshop, just a few blocks down the street from Foursquare HQ, is where I do most of my mini catch-up meetings with folks over coffee (and sometimes a cupcake or cookie).
To Relax
The next best thing to wandering through the woods in the Hudson Valley is people watching in Tompkins Square Park. If you can grab a spot at the semicircle of benches, you’ll never tire of watching East Village residents going about their business.
This story appeared in the Winter 2017 digital edition of BizBash.
