[Contest below.]
Several of us MSWers are in NYC for the RWA conference (and Allison and I will be staying over next week for the ThrillerFest con a well). It’s been a whirlwind (it always is) and I haven’t even seen half of the people I mean to see and hope to see before it’s over.
Here’s the view from our room:
It’s really terrible, isn’t it? Poor us. We’re just suffering over here, let me tell you.
And you know, there’s just hardly anything to do. Sad, really. We did trundle over to the Algonquin hotel last night to have a wonderful MSW cocktail party with the winner of our Brenda Novak auction package (us, cocktails, food, yammering for hours, lots of laughter)… Caroline Godin and her friends, Madeleine, Anita, and author Olivia Gates. We had a blast in a wonderfully luxurious corner of sofas and chairs. Although the waiter seemed absolutely determined to pour something on Olivia, since he dropped one drink *and* a plate on her head. We also realized we were sitting next to Algonquin royalty: Mathilda
Apparently, this is the new Mathilda as the previous Mathilda had been quite beloved there for 17 years.
The lobby/bar area there is so beautiful and comfortable, I can see why famous writers would have wanted to hang out there. It’s lush, yet warm and welcoming, and I could imagine that being a favorite haunt, were I to live around here.
What’s your favorite place to hang out? Whether at home or on vacation, tell me about one of your favorite spots and why you love it! All commenters will be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to an online bookstore of your choice. (Contest ends Friday, midnight, CST – winner announced this weekend.)
My favorite place to hang out is by the ocean either Pacific or Atlantic will do for me. The sound of the waves is so relaxing to me. I have been land locked for two years now living in AZ. I miss my yearly trips to the Outer Banks when I lived in VA.
NYC is my hometown and I definitely love it here, but I also love Hawaii. I’ve been to Hawaii a couple times and it’s just so beautiful and we had a lot of fun on the Big Island and Oahu.
The Sunshine Coast, QLD. As the promo says “Beautiful one day, perfect the next.” I have family there, so an added bonus.
My favorite places to hang out are all at my home. I love hanging out in my back yard, curling up on the couch with my dogs, or curling up in bed. Of course something that makes all these even better is having a great book in them.
Hope you have a great time in New York this week and next!
New York is such an exciting city and it sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I love sitting on our deck with it’s awning in the chair my husband built for me and reading a good book.
I travel alot for work, so home is my fave place…especially when I get the house to myself (a very rare event!).
The beach!! I live in FL with beautiful beaches!! I love to park my chair in the morning and listen to the waves roll in. Such a soothing sound!!
I love the beach especially Key West.
It’s always nice to go to our cabin in northern Michigan. I love to sit on the beach and play with the dog while watching loons on the lake and dragon flies.
oh heavens, that view!!!! aack, gorgeous….I’m frantically finishing up loose ends around here so that i can come and join you guys. don’t wear out that city too much before i get there!
Hanging out at home with the family is the best. Hubby and I also like to ditch the kids, hit Starbucks for Iced Green Tea and walk down to the Promenade at the beach.
Enjoy NYC!!! I’m sure you’ll have stories =)
My favorite place is a special beach in NE. Love the relaxation, the beauty and the scenic vistas.
my favorite place is my room. its my own little sanctuary. its quiet and i dont have people bothering me. 🙂
At home, I love my patio early in the morning, a cup of coffee in hand, watching the birds and flowers.
Next fave is on the deck at the cabin in Cuchara, CO or at the Dog Bar, on the deck. Mountain air, sound of a stream, heaven.
I love to hang out at home reading or playing on the computer. If I feel like talking to people I answer the phone if not I’ll just let it ring and let the answering machine pick up. I use to think I wasn’t happy unless I was on the go now I usually prefer taking it easy.
I love NYC! Wish I were there!
I’ve been to San Juan, Puerto Rico a number of times, and my favorite place to wonder about history, take in the sunny beauty of an island, and watch people come and go is the Fort San Felipe del Morro, right at the mouth of the harbor. The fort is massive and stony, designed to repel invaders–Sir Francis Drake tried and failed to take it–but maybe the sun has tempered the place over the centuries, as it is lovely and welcoming, and a wonderful place to reflect on how nice it is to be sitting in the sun rather than trying to storm the walls.
My favorite places to hang out are either Lake Tahoe or the coast (anywhere near a body of water, really). A comfortable chair on a porch or under a shade tree, with a view in front of me and a book in my hand — perfect vacation for me.
Have fun at both conferences! And yes, that is quite a view you have from your hotel window. Very Nice!
As for me, a favorite spot for me to hang out is anywhere near water. Where I live we have the beach and the bay. Lovely places to relax and just good for the soul. If I’m on a trip, I love to find a river, or a lake. There is something about being near the water that I truly love.
I love NYC! Mathilda is so beautiful.
I love Starbucks (surprise) but I like to hang out at a different one than I like to write.
My favorite place to hang out is in the pool at my parents’ house. I don’t get to do it much these days, but on visits home you can find me there in between all the mandatory friend and family time.
Lancaster, Pa. It’s quiet and I love watching the quiet life style.
Last year we went to the North Shore of Oahu on a vacation. We stayed in a beach cottage with a lanai facing the ocean. I’m very fair skinned so I spent most of my time sitting in the shade on the lanai reading. It was absolute heaven. I now understand why so many people become beach bums. I would give just about anything to go back to the North Shore and be lazy.
I’ve never been to NYC but I have to say I want your view if I ever do go. Wow.
It’s got to be a tie between the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront promenade at night, looking out across Victoria Harbour toward Hong Kong Island (world’s most beautiful skyline! not like I’m biased or anything, haha) and a boat in the middle of Lake Pokhara in Nepal watching the sun rise over the Annapurna Range. The peace & quiet and the sheer vastness of both the lake and the mountains is astounding.
Since I no longer have ready access to either of those, more locally it’d have to be 15 metres underwater with a couple of lobsters, a sea raven, and an Atlantic torpedo ray. If only the bloody North Atlantic were warm (oh, Southeast Asia, how I miss you), I could stay there all day. Or, you know, until my air tank runs out or I get the bends 😛
Have fun at both conferences! [I must admit that I’m not a big fan of NYC… Hong Kong or Tokyo are much nicer really big & vibrant cities. Don’t lynch me :P]
Bollocks! I meant to say Phewa Lake in Pokhara… this is what happens when I get up at 3:30 to go scuba diving before lab 🙂
At home, my favorite place is my comfy recliner in the den, especially if I have a good book nearby.
If I’m on vacation, I love going to new places. Next month, I’ll be trying a bunch of new ones in Europe!
Have fun in NYC.
i spend alot of time on my computer and at my desk doing research. when i’m not there i am in my recliner reading. i know pretty boring, but i can’t drive because of an injury so i don’t get out often during the week. on weekends my family takes me to my favorite tea house,second hand store or the library.
summer time i love to hide out where the A/C is blowing cold cold air ( i am not very tropical)…but winter find me in the coffee shops, by a fire is great…i am not much of a traveller…maybe in my second life…as long as i have my kindle or books i will be happy.
A coffee house on an esplanade overlooking the Aegean gets my vote.
I like to hang out in my backyard watching the local wildlife go about their day. I take a book and cool drink out with me to enjoy the nice weather. The sounds of nature make nice background music while reading.
My favorite place to hang out is at my best friend’s house. We can chat about books all day. 🙂
Home is my favorite place unless I’m in a bookstore roaming the shelves for some new finds
Let me first say that I love my family.
My favorite place to hang out is at my house while my family is gone. We take weekend trips and sometimes I stay home to take care of the animals. It’s a sacrafice, but I hold my head up and take it like a woman. This usually means seeing a movie the rest of my family wouldn’t consider going to, getting some big chores done around the house and not have to share the popcorn.
My family is heading to our fishing cabin tomorrow for the weekend and I’m staying here to take care of my ailing dog.
Somebody’s got to suffer – might as well be me. 🙂
I live in the thumb of MI and i have lake huron around me on 3 sides but rarely in my 40 years have i ever spent time at a beach here. My husband dragged me out to the beach last summer and it quickly became my favorite place for summer. I like it because it’s a nice small peaceful beach. In the winter my favorite place is my couch with a warm blanket. Both places though require a good book as well.
Lisa B
One of my favorite places is the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston – I find it relaxing wandering around the different galleries.
I enjoy my vacations, where ever I go, but my favorite spot is my recliner. My mother hates them, “They’re too big, etc.” I do have a large, plush one, it used to have a massage function..still probably does but I never used it. It fits me comfortably with room for a cat on the top of the head rest, room for one on each arm and room for one on the foot rest plus my feet. It’s old but still in pretty good shape aside from being quite furry. The arm rests flip up so I can store my book, remotes and soda/treats. Who says recliners are just for guys?!?
The only problem is getting out of it without disturbing any cat on the foot rest. It’s getting harder now to go over one of the free arms rests without tipping the recliner. The things I do for my pets. One is nibbling on my ankle right now. Ungrateful wretch.
My favorite place to hang out is my local Barnes and Noble. What could be better than being surrounded by fantastic books, comfy chairs and like minded people.
My favorite place to hang out at home in on the porch swing out back. Also love to hang out at my sister’s house, we always have a good time. Head over there this weekend for a dinner, can’t wait.
So jealous of all the RWA National go’ers. Next year!!!
My favorite place is Barnes & Noble. My husband says I should buy stock. I love the cafe, they all know my name. I love being in a bookstore. It is magical.
When we lived next Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, I’d spend hours there with my camera, binoculars and Birds of the Western US. Now, I go to Starbucks every once in awhile, but mostly hang out at the house. It’s nice when everyone else is gone (My daughter and three kids live with us).
One of my favorite places to hang out is the Barnes and Noble Cafe near my house because it’s a good place to get work done and enjoy some caffeine and desserts.
I like any place that allows me to take a break. No laundry, mops, phone calls and computers. Anyplace I can kick back a read uninterupted for a while. My favorite is lunch by myself at my kitchen table reading a book. Sounds like heaven right now!
A favorite is Powell’s Bookstore for obvious reasons.
At my house, there is a screened in porch attached to the garage and I love spending time in it reading a book and enjoying the summer breeze without interference from bugs. It’s a great place to hang out.
My favourite place to hang out is at home.
My favorite place is anywhere I have access to books. I love the library, bookstore, and my room as places to explore different books.
My favorite place to hang out and relax is the small beach my family goes to. I love to sit and watch the husband and kids run around while I sit in the sand and take pictures. It is very relaxing.
the mountains , at jacks river