New York City travel professionals flocked to the East Village on Tuesday for a night of $2 beers and bonding.
The second ever NYC Traveler Tweetup attracted a mix of writers, bloggers, editors, and a dynamic PR/publisher duo.
The tweetup coincided with #TravelTuesday on Twitter. It was a testament to Twitter's ability to bring together strangers with common interests and turn them into offline friends. Well, at least drinking buddies!
>> Check out the slideshow below for more photos of the tweetup...
Traveler tales
Seth Miller (@WanderngAramean) kicked off the evening with stories of his recent West African adventure. He told a captivated crowd how he thwarted a taxi driver's extortion attempt in Togo and shared photos of 'medicine' from a local market. (The dried monkey heads were a clear favorite).
He also revealed an interesting possibility for group travel. Apparently, ordinary citizens can rent an entire airplane and hangar and stage a multi-leg "party plane" journey. You need only convince hundreds of your closest friends to contribute to the costs.
The concept is intriguing but-- I have to admit-- I don't know if I can fill a 737 with my closest associates. Be sure to ask Seth for details the next time you log on to Twitter!
The old gang
Seth was joined in this second round by the rest of the original tweetup crew.
Ty Francis (@WelshWonder) revealed more tidbits about drinking culture in the Old Country and Charu Suri (@butterflydiary) shared advice on traveling as a vegan.
Alayna Francis (@GirlPR) and yours truly (@LeslieTravel) recalled their Manhattan adventures in the magical time before Giuliani enforced carding at megaclubs. (The 'Club USA' slide was a memorable highlight for these Long Island natives).
Matt Stabile (@TheExpeditioner) talked shop with writer Maria Russo (@traveladdictgrl), a frequent contributor to "The Expeditioner." He gamely tried on my giant sunglasses, which represent the latest in travel fashion (and something that Jersey Shore's Snooki might wear).
As expected, cigar aficionado Tom Johansmeyer (@tjohansmeyer) and partner in crime Laurie DePrete (@SceneByLaurie) escaped for a mysteriously long smoke break. Undoubtedly, they were soaking up the Avenue A street culture and will feature their experiences in future blog posts!
The tweetup vets welcomed newcomers, including the mysterious globetrotter @MundoSurfer and travel writer Alexandra Bregman (@alixbregman).
A small world
The tweetup was a melting pot of traditional and new media.
Frommers editor Jamie Ehrlich (@JamieTravels) chatted with writer Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@EssentialNYC), author of the "NYC Essential Guide" iPhone app.
Jeffrey leads bus tours of Manhattan and-- in an interesting coincidence-- his bus crossed my path on Saturday night in the East Village.
I was talking about the tweetup to my husband while walking down Bowery. I turned my head slightly and spotted a double-decker tour bus stopped at a light. The guide was none other than my new Twitter pal Jeffrey!
I darted into the road and started shouting, "Jeff! Jeff!" from the median. After a few confused seconds, there was a spark of recognition in his eyes and he waved back.
Pleased at having become part of the NYC experience for this busload of foreign tourists, I didn't care that I looked like an insane stalker.
I hope that, after seeing how friendly New Yorkers are, these tourists decided to get off the bus in my neighborhood! (But not too many of them, of course).
To be continued...
Now that I'm hooked on tweetups, stay tuned to LeslieTravel on Twitter and Facebook for details of the next NYC Traveler Tweetup in September.
Hope to see you there!
>> Click on the slideshow for more images of the second ever NYC Traveler tweetup!
Tweet
The second ever NYC Traveler Tweetup attracted a mix of writers, bloggers, editors, and a dynamic PR/publisher duo.
The tweetup coincided with #TravelTuesday on Twitter. It was a testament to Twitter's ability to bring together strangers with common interests and turn them into offline friends. Well, at least drinking buddies!
 |
| NYC Traveler Tweetup regulars on Tuesday. |
>> Check out the slideshow below for more photos of the tweetup...
Traveler tales
Seth Miller (@WanderngAramean) kicked off the evening with stories of his recent West African adventure. He told a captivated crowd how he thwarted a taxi driver's extortion attempt in Togo and shared photos of 'medicine' from a local market. (The dried monkey heads were a clear favorite).
He also revealed an interesting possibility for group travel. Apparently, ordinary citizens can rent an entire airplane and hangar and stage a multi-leg "party plane" journey. You need only convince hundreds of your closest friends to contribute to the costs.
The concept is intriguing but-- I have to admit-- I don't know if I can fill a 737 with my closest associates. Be sure to ask Seth for details the next time you log on to Twitter!
The old gang
Seth was joined in this second round by the rest of the original tweetup crew.
Ty Francis (@WelshWonder) revealed more tidbits about drinking culture in the Old Country and Charu Suri (@butterflydiary) shared advice on traveling as a vegan.
Alayna Francis (@GirlPR) and yours truly (@LeslieTravel) recalled their Manhattan adventures in the magical time before Giuliani enforced carding at megaclubs. (The 'Club USA' slide was a memorable highlight for these Long Island natives).
Matt Stabile (@TheExpeditioner) talked shop with writer Maria Russo (@traveladdictgrl), a frequent contributor to "The Expeditioner." He gamely tried on my giant sunglasses, which represent the latest in travel fashion (and something that Jersey Shore's Snooki might wear).
As expected, cigar aficionado Tom Johansmeyer (@tjohansmeyer) and partner in crime Laurie DePrete (@SceneByLaurie) escaped for a mysteriously long smoke break. Undoubtedly, they were soaking up the Avenue A street culture and will feature their experiences in future blog posts!
The tweetup vets welcomed newcomers, including the mysterious globetrotter @MundoSurfer and travel writer Alexandra Bregman (@alixbregman).
 |
| Talking shop at Tuesday's NYC Traveler Tweetup. |
A small world
The tweetup was a melting pot of traditional and new media.
Frommers editor Jamie Ehrlich (@JamieTravels) chatted with writer Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@EssentialNYC), author of the "NYC Essential Guide" iPhone app.
Jeffrey leads bus tours of Manhattan and-- in an interesting coincidence-- his bus crossed my path on Saturday night in the East Village.
I was talking about the tweetup to my husband while walking down Bowery. I turned my head slightly and spotted a double-decker tour bus stopped at a light. The guide was none other than my new Twitter pal Jeffrey!
I darted into the road and started shouting, "Jeff! Jeff!" from the median. After a few confused seconds, there was a spark of recognition in his eyes and he waved back.
Pleased at having become part of the NYC experience for this busload of foreign tourists, I didn't care that I looked like an insane stalker.
I hope that, after seeing how friendly New Yorkers are, these tourists decided to get off the bus in my neighborhood! (But not too many of them, of course).
To be continued...
Now that I'm hooked on tweetups, stay tuned to LeslieTravel on Twitter and Facebook for details of the next NYC Traveler Tweetup in September.
Hope to see you there!
>> Click on the slideshow for more images of the second ever NYC Traveler tweetup!
Tweet
Any travel writer/blogger on Twitter who wants to know how to thwart a taxi driver's extortion attempt in Togo should come to Leslie's next Tweetup! Fact.
ReplyDelete@WelshWonder- Lol. Robbery avoidance tips are just one of many reasons to attend a NYC Traveler Tweetup!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a successful tweet up and thanks for the links to the twitter accounts as I am now following several new tweeps.
ReplyDelete@TravelingTed - Too bad you're in Chicago. I'd love to meet you in person and hear all about your adventures!
ReplyDeleteHey Leslie, thanks for organizing the Tweetup. That was quite a coincidence in the East Village. It did indeed take me a few seconds to realize what was going on. After the tour, the driver was asking me questions about that "pretty lady" calling me name. We'll have to get you on board one of these nights!
ReplyDelete@Jeffrey - That's too funny. The initial expression on your face was priceless-- I could see the gears turning. Like, who is this nut job? lol
ReplyDelete