• by Kelly Samardak , April 30, 2010

DBG Clips and Cocktails, Greenhouse, New York
April 29, 2010

I hated when, in elementary school, my teacher would ask us to open our lesson books. Writing this column is full of lessons, but it's more on discovering limits, remembering them, and listening to instincts rather than spelling potatoes and tornadoes correctly. For example, when my instincts say I don't need to be running up and down the island to double down on parties because the effort rarely yields equal results, I need to listen. But everything happens for a reason and usually the night that ends unexpectedly burps up a fun slate cleaning surprise.

First stop: Greenhouse on Varick St (just past Charlton). I love Greenhouse. The last time I was there, PerezHilton threw a party for his advertisers and the night was a visual carnival with performances by Kid Sister (she was awesome) and Amanda Lepore (double awesome). Last night a company I've never heard of, Digital Broadcasting Group, or DBG, celebrated their new line up of original digital programming, which Mark Walsh broke on OMD.

I was excited to go for a number of reasons, #1 being that my pal Gail Hilton of Thought Equity Motion was also on the RSVP list. #2 being that I love the venue: Greenhouse is so freshy-fresh. As you would expect, it's all greens, aquas, and tinkling reflective glass. The place calms me. #3 was my previous knowledge of their super-tall glasses of champagne. #4 was meeting some Morris+King people I hadn't yet met.

One -- OK, two -- glitches were the Greenhouse staff. The bartender must have been afraid her face would insta-wrinkle if she smiled. My guess is she wasn't there for free.  Smile, you can pay rent!  And the coat check, ah the coat check. Note to event types: pick up the cost of coat checks. Having to shell over 4 bucks to hang your coat is grumblesome.  Especially when the coat-check gal isn't very friendly. They should exchange staff with the servers from the Glo.com launch party.

Let's shove the tiny blop of negativity aside, shall we, because everything else was great. Quirky people like photog hound Ben Matlin, who managed to pop into nearly every photo I took; Chris Young of DBG, Daniel de la Nuez, production operations and writer dude at DBG, who patiently listened to my online cooking show idea; Patrick Durkin of Morris+King; and Andy Morris of Morris+King, who pitched me an event, but I have an Oriole's game to make!

I had to scoot out early to grab the subway back up to W 22^nd for the Click 3X Cabaret party, missing the actual viewing party portion of the DBG party. On the way to cabaret I stopped into a "salt spa" out of curiosity. Apparently they try to mimic some old salt caves that, when chilled out in for a certain amount of time ("you have to be consistent!" hooted the saleswoman as I left), clear out the toxins in your lungs. Sounds like a pretty easy sell for the environmental-toxin-fearing Manhattanite who has everything.

When I walked up to the Click 3X building, there were pockets of smokers and clusters of loiterers. The fact that on the way I met someone concerned with their underage +1 getting served threw up a red flag -- but hey, I'm always up to investigate.

Security check-in didn't check us in and into the elevator a gaggle of us went. The elevator doors opened into the Click 3X offices that now resembled a frat party (unless it always resembles a frat party, which I'm sure it doesn't), and the stifling warm breath of too many bodies and an underlying vomitty smell hit my face. Immediately I turned right and hit the stairs to exit. It looked and sounded like everyone was having a blast, though, and 23 year old Kelly would have stayed.  33 year old Kelly goes home.

Outside I ran into Jenean Chapman of Buddy Media, who was helmeting up to hop on her beach cruiser back to the East Village. It's always fun to run into Jenean, so of course, since we were heading in the same direction, a pitstop at Crocodile Lounge was in order. And strangely, Gail and I walking beat Jenean on her bike.

Next week is going to be delirious. Besides the fact that I'll be nursing the wounds of knowing my little sister is turning 21, I'll also be hitting yet another "Mad Men" cocktail party, a rum/Jet Blue party thing at the Maritime, a Cinco De Mayo party (danger danger!), a magazine beauty awards ceremony, and a mysterious private Mashable party. And that's just what I put in the calendar -- I have about four sitting in my inbox flagged for follow-up. Should be exhausting, but fun as hell!

Photos can be found on Flickr!

Keep those NYC party and event invitations coming! Send to kelly at mediapost.com

*edited at 12:30pm on June 10, 2010 to remove photo and name at request of reader*