A Swanky Earth Day Affair

Wednesday night, I joined a handful of my Quinn & Co. colleagues for a celebration of sustainable living at our eco-friendly client, The Visionaire.

Strike A Pose: Me with (from left) my colleagues Li, Katie and Caroline at The Visionaire event

A high-end residence located downtown in the heart of NYC’s Financial District, The Visionaire is a new luxury condominium boasting LEED Platinum certification – making it the greenest residential high-rise in the nation. It also boasts jaw-dropping floor to ceiling water views.

Katie, Caroline and I were assigned to register guests, which gave us an opportunity to take in the eclectic crowd. Posh Manhattanites mingled with journalists from the likes of Fox News and The Wall Street Journal and characters including a MySpace rapper who introduced herself as Miss Saigon.

My favorite guest turned out to be a fellow blogger named Robert, a.k.a. The Notorious ROB. A real estate and social media guru, Robert and I found plenty to talk about – including, surprisingly enough, the long and winding road to happily ever after.

Up next…dinner with Robert and our candid conversation about leaving singlehood behind and a business-related jaunt to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A Festive Valentine’s Day Downtown

Saturday night, my friends Tiffany, Prince and I headed down to Woolworth Tower Kitchen in NYC’s Financial District for Jon’s birthday bash.

Jon, 31, is a real estate guy I went out with a few times last summer. He recently resurfaced on – of course – Facebook – and I couldn’t resist the invite to his soiree. A true social butterfly, I had a feeling he would attract a decent crowd despite the fact that it was Valentine’s Day.

Sure enough, about 100 people filled the restaurant over the course of the evening – most of whom were single, many of whom were men.

As for the birthday boy himself, he greeted me exuberantly, admitting he’s been a “flake” about keeping in touch. I, meanwhile, was more interested in mingling – an activity Jon graciously helped facilitate for those of us in attendance who knew him and no one else.

A live band, belly dancer and DJ made Jon’s party a lively affair

As an energetic (albeit ear-crushing) Israeli band and DJ kept the dance floor packed, Tiff and I joined Jon and several of his buddies at a table, where we ended up sitting next to Aaron, an adorable West Point friend of his with an impressive resume (well traveled, athletic, job he’s passionate about, etc.).

While we were absorbed in conversation, Jon interrupted to tell Aaron how “amazing” I am. Later, when Jon spotted me by the bar, he asked me -- in a curious-like-a-girlfriend kind of way -- what happened with Aaron. I laughed, appreciating the irony of tapping into a former date’s social circle.

After braving the crowded dance floor to shake my booty with Tiffany and Prince to the Gipsy Kings’ “Bamboleo,” I continued chatting with Aaron.

I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t ask for my number when we said goodnight. Still, I couldn’t help smiling – about my fabulously festive Valentine’s Day, one that reminded me you never know who's going to cross your path when you least expect it.