Need a speaker for your corporate meeting in NYC?

Mike Taubleb of promenadespeakers.com knows the latest and the greatest. He’s got his finger on future trends and the folks who can speak authoritatively about them. His featured speakers cover a wide spectrum. On call are NY Times columnist, actor and “Renaissance Man”, Ben Stein; Lawrence Kudlow the CNBC Wallstreet/Economist host; Steven M. R. Covey on leadership; and Watts Wacker on the future. Consider contacting Mike for one of the Promenade Speaker Bureau’s experts the next time your company retreat is at SoHoSoleil.



SoHo is still famed for its art – now the best is in “new” local museums.

When working at SoHoSoleil Locations consider visiting our local SoHo museums too.

The New Museum open Wednesday – Sunday, at 235 Bowery at Prince Street, 212 219 1222, has “New Art New Ideas” as its mission statement and “Hell Yes” in rainbow colors on its exterior. Truly a “new museum” the 7-story building only opened in 2007. newmuseum.org will let you know what’s happening there when you’re in town.

But if you have to drop off the kids with Grandpa while you’re working in the Big Apple try the Children’s Museum of the Arts. This interactive museum is geared to the very young. You’ll find it on Lafayette between Grand & Broome Streets. 212 274 0986, cmany.org

Later make it up to your children with a visit to MoCCA, moccany.org, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art at 594 Broadway between Houston and Prince, 212 254 3511. There art and history document politics, humor, editorial comments, sports, etc. in black white and color. It’s open Tues-Sun, from 12p-5p.

Another interesting pick is The New York City Fire Museum, nycfiremuseum.org at 278 Prince Street has beautiful antique specimens that record the history of putting out flames.

Museum of Chinese in the Americas is open Thursday through Monday at 215 Centre Street, between Grand and Howard streets, mocanyc.org. Target has sponsored free admission on Thursdays. Since New York’s Chinatown has almost taken over Little Italy and is merging into southern SoHo it’s important to learn about Chinese immigrants who made it what it is today. Chinese American history is the main focus. We’re proud to have the new and expanded building in our neighborhood.

The Italian American Museum italianamericanmuseum.org holds court at 155 Mulberry Street at Grand Street, 212 965 9000, in the heart of “Little Italy”. The permanent exhibit opened in 2008 celebrating all that is great about Italian heritage in the states. You can make a lovely “SoHo Art & History Day” by visiting these fine cultural institutions.



Quick Inexpensive Gifts in SoHo

The meeting/shoot ended early…You’ve found yourself in SoHo with only minutes left to buy something cute for the kids before you jump on a flight back home. Here are are three of SoHoSoleil’s favorite fun neighborhood “top shop-spots”.

  1. The Pashmina 265 Mall has two entrances. The first is at 21 Howard at Crosby Street, a block from the CornerLight, PetiteSite and SereneSite locations. The store goes all the way through the block to 265 Canal, east of Broadway. Many of the scarf dealers on the street come here to buy in bulk. You can too, or buy just one. You won’t find a better selection or cheaper prices anywhere else! 212 965 1013 or pashminainc.com
  2. Pylones at 69 Spring Street, between Crosby and Lafayette 212 431 3244 pylones-usa.com, has the perfect housewarming present, everything is brightly colored, kooky, and guaranteed to make the recipient laugh. A personal favorite is the chocolate smelling calculator that comes in candy bar packaging.
  3. Pearl River, the reknown Chinese Department store, was in Chinatown on Canal for years but has moved to SoHo at 477 Broadway between Grand and Broome…it’s just steps from our ZenSite property.pearlriver.com 800 878 2446. You’ll find everything from plants to clothes to housewares to tchotchkes your mother-in-law will love you for.


Film Shot at SurgicalSite in Coney Island Film Festival 10/4

Sunday, October 4, Brooklyn born Mike Rizzo’s soon to be famous Bay Rizz “Rescue” will premiere in the Coney Island Film Festival. This short mockumentary features SoHoSoleil’s SurgicalSite and Bay Rizz, Hizzoner, himself. ‘After months of being missing, Bay Rizz (the mayor of Bay Ridge) has finally been found. During these tough times of recession Bay Rizz makes sure his local community and the people of Bay Ridge are still shopping and keeping it local. With the help of Bay Ridge icons Vincent Gentile, Eagle Columnist Chuck Otey and Civil Leader Larry Morrish, Bay Rizz is able to bring light to these tough times. See more of Bay Rizz at Paxen Films paxenfilms.com and on our VIDEOS page clip # 9 SurgicalSite.’



PBS & NBC Start their Fall Seasons Shooting at SoHoSoleil

The American Experience/WGBH is in production filming a documentary about Robert E. Lee. They chose SoHoSoleil Locations to interview several Civil War scholars and authors. These included Joseph Glatthaar, “General Lee’s Army”; Dr. Peter Carmichael, “Audacity Personified: The Generalship of Robert E. Lee”; Lesley J.Gordon, “General George E. Pickett in Life and Legend.” We are looking forward to seeing Mark Zwonitzer’s Apograph Production apographproductions.com next year.

Dateline also hooked up their lights and cameras with us to shoot some behind the scenes for their Friday feature, “Behind Closed Doors.” As Wendy’s been a Dateline addict since the program started she was thrilled.



Clients Take Part in Giving to Others: Recycling What They’ve Left Behind

When clients leave food behind SoHoSoleil staff members recycle the extra catered treats locally. Meeting planners sometimes order a bit more food or drink than is needed. Our corporate clients and filmmakers may not realize that their “extra’s” don’t go to waste. We often take their leftovers to the New York City Rescue Mission nycrescue.org or The Bowery Mission bowery.org, to the south and north of our SoHo locations.

Need  places to donate those extra supplies crowding your home, office or studio? Wendy Friedman, the Founder and Creative Director of SoHoSoleil Locations, is also an artist. For years she’s been donating her extra materials, leftover art project and craft items to two fantastic organizations: Materials for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs mfta.org and The Children’s Museum of the Arts in NY cmany.org.

The Children’s Museum is just around the block from CornerLight, PetiteSite and SereneSite. When clients leave extra items behind that would be of use to kids in their next masterpiece the supplies practically walk themselves around the corner to CMA on Lafayette Street! In fact when some parents meet at SoHoSoleil their children spend the day at a CMA program.

Materials for the Arts will come and pick up supplies from you by appointment. You’ll get fantastic letters of thanks back from students, teachers, and other creative types. See a demonstration  on our VIDEOS page clip # 10 -SoHoSoleil Donates.

We thank our patrons for helping us help these fine organizations replenish and recycle materials and food from what they’ve left behind.



Ivy Leagues Need Privacy Too

Columbia University held an administrative meeting off campus for a change of view. Their objective was to plan the year ahead, announce staff changes, and celebrate accomplishments.



BBDO SVP Brandon Fowler + SoHoSoleil, we’re like BFFs!

When Brandon Fowler was at Ogilvy he hired a SoHoSoleil venue for his boss’ event. Now he’s moved up in the world as an SVP for BBDO in Atlanta. Recently when they needed a “go to guy” to organize a meeting in Manhattan with AT&T chiefs Brandon flew in to facilitate. He’d kept us in his database and we remembered working with him too. Forming ongoing relationships is important to us.  We have customers who’ve been back periodically over the years and others who rent regularly. We’d do anything to toot Brandon’s horn, as he’s one classy act that we’ll keep following.



ZenSite & Japanese 25 Ans Fashion Magazine

Italian photographer Alessandro Agnini shot Japanese fashion models for 25 Ans Magazine this summer in the hot new SoHoSoleil property ZenSite and on the SoHo streets nearby.



New Australian Deputy to UN Retreats

The Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations met at a SoHoSoleil loft today. The staff was welcomed by their new Deputy Head, Andrew Goledzinowski, to their first off-site to get to know him better. The career diplomat quickly got down to the serious business at hand, but managed to give the group some delicious breaks. Mr. Goledzinowski brought along his own caterer, Ian White, who travels with him. We extend The Deputy and the Australian Mission best wishes during his term in the Big Apple.