The Altman Building

Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2007

URL: www.altmanbldg.com

Representative: Amanda Jassin

Address: 135 West 18th Street (btw 6th and 7th Avenues)

Details: A former carriage house, the 10,000 sq. ft. space is located on the first floor. Don't get confused and actually enter 135 West 18th since the space is right next door. Beautiful arching windows welcomed us into the space - the largest blank canvas we've seen to date. They have a selection of ceiling-length curtains that can be situated according to the desired layout between unobtrusive columns. There is a 3,500 sqft 'gallery' space down stairs that could easily double a location for cocktails.

I'm not one for messing around so I tend to see how event space will fit the different aspects of the wedding: ceremony, cocktail hour, plated dinner, catering, coat check, restrooms, valet parking, view, etc.

Being relatively new at this I'm not sure what to expect - better yet, what caterers expect - as far as space requirements go. Water supply, stove/oven, counter space, etc. This place didn't have much in the form of stove/oven fixtures but had two (1 on the ground floor and 1 in the gallery) galleys that Amanda sold as adequate water supplies and set-up space for a caterer.

The site space was $5,500. This includes the use of either the galley space and/or the main floor space. Additional $$ is needed to cover the used of mandated building security and AV/sound equipment. Valet parking isn't really an option since most of the garages in the area have monthly tenants. Coco starting chatting up a party bus which I quickly put an end to.

Long and short, we walked out thinking we had to either do too much. The lack of an adequate kitchen and valet basically turned us off.

Tonight we're seeing the West Side Loft - Coco's personal favorite. Wish me luck! www.lofteleven.com/the_lofts/west_main.htm