SGITC Happy Hour

Last Tuesday, a dozen friends joined me at Haven, a luxe lounge on NYC’s Upper East Side, to celebrate one year of Single Gal In The City.

SGITC Happy Hour: Celebrating with (from left) galpals Marisa, Andrea and Louise

While enjoying Haven’s drink specials -- including pitchers of grape cosmos for $13 -- I filled everyone in about upcoming SGITC developments (singles survey, t-shirt contest…stay tuned!) and caught up on news of both the personal and professional variety.

Tim, producer of The Set, filled me in about the monthly variety show’s upcoming move to a new downtown location, Le Poisson Rouge. Actor and cable TV show host Chance made a brief appearance before jetting off to film a segment for an upcoming episode, floating the possibility of me appearing as a guest sometime.

Old flames were the hot topic with work galpals Katie and Marisa. We talked about the need to revisit former boyfriends that tends to precede letting go for good and the unnerving ease with which exes use the likes of Facebook and text messaging to keep in touch.

Also on the conversational menu, upcoming travels. Longtime pal Sara invited me and our mutual friend Leila to spend Labor Day weekend at her parents’ home in New Hampshire. Sign me up.

As the evening drew to a close, I found myself thinking for the umpteenth time how milestones mean so much when you have great girlfriends to celebrate them with.

Here’s to many more years of female bonding with my fabulous friends -- and to many more years of SGITC!

Unwinding With A Staycation

For as much as I love to travel, there's something to be said for staying put. This week, I'm doing just that and enjoying a staycation.

According to a 2008 survey by the Travel Industry Association, about 9% of Americans were planning a staycation this year.

Lunch At the Times: Today, I caught up with a j-school friend over lunch at the NYT's cafeteria with sweeping city views

For my hometown retreat, I'm availing myself of the best of the Big Apple -- including happy hour at swanky Haven on NYC's Upper East Side -- and catching up with friends old and new, from lunch with a journalism school buddy at the New York Times to drinks with a veteran news editor at Star magazine.

And yes, I'm doing my best to follow one of the top rules for a successful staycation -- telling my nearest and dearest I'll be unreachable. Because sometimes you have to completely disconnect to reconnect with yourself.

Celebrating An SGITC Milestone

Next week, Single Gal In The City will hit the one year mark. This week, I’ll be celebrating the 365-day milestone with a festive happy hour at Haven, a fabulous new restaurant and lounge in Midtown NYC.

A duplex venue with what New York magazine describes as “the air of a cigar club,” Haven is decorated with such exotic accents as velvet wallpaper, Chinese swords and Balinese masks. Perfect for singles, the bar offers themed nights such as Jezebel Thursdays and sweet drink specials ($13 for a pitcher of the mixed drink of the day).

The SGITC Anniversary Party will take place on Tuesday June 23rd at 630pm. I’m looking forward to raising a glass to my first year of life in the blogosphere. If you’re in the neighborhood, feel free to stop by and join me.

Coming up...a first date with a lengthy preamble and a look at friends who exit when romance arrives.