Venues With A View Create Memorable Manhattan Events - 2001-01-29

<B>Venues With A View Create Memorable Manhattan Events</B>

By Frank Rosci

With its stretches of world-famous waterways, New York has more than its share of meeting and special event venues that overlook the waterfront, sites that offer corporate groups a spectacular scene and memorable setting.

"A view of the water always enhances every corporate event," said Shelli Sutton-Steinberg, director of special events at ViewPoint International Destination Management Companies and Mark Sonder Music in New York. "Naturally, the venue has to match the event in terms of what the client wants, menus selected and the size of the group, but there are enough of a variety of waterview places in New York to fit the needs and pocketbooks of most corporate groups."

Among one of New York's most sought-after waterfront venues is Windows on the World, located on the World Trade Center's 106th and 107th floors, 1,314 feet high in the sky. Groups attending a meeting at Windows on the World will find "some of the most dramatic private dining rooms in the city," said a spokesperson, and three grand venues: Windows on the World - The Restaurant, Wild Blue and The Greatest Bar on Earth. "The views astound anyone willing to behold New York's ever-changing cityscape from our floor-to-ceiling windows," the spokesperson added. Views are of the island of Manhattan, the waters of New York Harbor, the East River Bridges and Battery Park City.

"Windows on the World is a highly flexible space that offers groups from 20 to up to 700 an incredible view, and great food and service, as well as a sense of privilege and exclusive access," said Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates International in New York. While waterfront venues, with their awe-inspiring views, are part of the heart and soul of New York, adding much in the way of atmosphere and ambiance, a factor that may put a damper, so to speak, on the view is the weather, Shackman said. "But even bad weather doesn't detract all that much from a waterfront venue and setting, especially at night with the lights of the city shining through mist or clouds," she said.

At the Top of the World Trade Center Observatories, the 107th floor offers an indoor, glass-enclosed observation deck, while the 110th floor, the world's highest outdoor observation deck, offers a rooftop deck available only in season, said Jurriaan Veth, director of marketing and sales. "The 107th floor observatory can accommodate intimate gatherings or gala events for 800-plus guests," Veth said. "The challenge is to use the space at night after 6 p.m. Available programs include the champagne toasts held recently for such companies as Johnson & Johnson and Delta Air Lines, while receptions and seated dinners are especially attractive to corporate groups in search of a very special New York venue that offers the kind of view it does." Continental or full breakfasts are available year-round, he added.

Another venue with a grand view of the water is the Chart House Restaurant in Weehawken on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. Rebuilt following a devastating fire in 1998, the building, crafted in the style of a lighthouse, complete with a tower in the main lobby, shines a beam of light across the Hudson that is visible from Battery Park to Washington Heights. For special events, groups will find three private dining rooms for meetings and receptions for up to 400 attendees, as well as an outside deck that provides a dramatic, unobstructed view of the city. The main dining room holds up to 300 attendees and the lounge 45 people.

At The River Cafe in Brooklyn, in a chateau-like setting with a superb view of the water and Manhattan's skyline, groups will discover a dining room with space for 150 to 175 people, an adjacent lounge and The Terrace Room with seating for up to 130 attendees.

"Corporate functions might include new product launches and promotional events. The restaurant also is popular for medical conferences and corporate retirement dinners. Groups often rent the entire restaurant, which is expensive to do but competitively priced with other four-star restaurants in the city," a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Bridgewater's, a full-service venue in the heart of New York's historic South Street Seaport, boasts panoramic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and New York Harbor, and offers groups multiple breakout rooms that may be used separately or combined for meetings, conferences, trade shows, receptions, seated dinners and special events. For receptions, the Bridge Room accommodates from 175 to 700 attendees; the Museum Club, 75 to 600; and the Terrace Room, 150 to 400. The site's meeting capacities range from 50 to 800 attendees. Cobblestone Terrace, a 1,600-sq.-ft. outdoor space, is available in season. "Experienced onsite event planners," a spokesperson said, "work with groups to design the floor plan best suited to their needs.