Parking in New York!

Parking in Manhattan can be tricky. I'm sure most of you will be parking at the hotel and then taking a cab to the Angel Orensanz Foundation-each hotel can either provide valet parking or point you towards a partner lot. But if you're driving straight to the venue, then you'll need to park by the Foundation. I don't suggest looking for parking on the street unless you have Manhattan parking experience or are feeling really lucky. The closest lot is the Edison ParkFast on Houston between Ludlow and Essex. That's the blue tag on the image above! The red tag is the Foundation, so you can see that it's pretty close. Rates are in the neighborhood of $30 for up to 24 hours and $23 for noon to midnight on Sunday (unless that info is out of date). I'll add more if we find any better spots.

REGISTRY

Our Registries are finally done!
You can find them at:

Williams Sonoma
Crate & Barrell
Amazon

Don't be intimidated by the Amazon registry-many of the items are from the other two, but cheaper. Plus, free shipping... who can argue with that?

Club Quarters Downtown

Here's another great hotel; and better yet, we get a discount! Located in the financial district, it's a bit further from The Angel Orensanz Foundation, but its much bigger and has all the benefits of a larger hotel. We also have a block of rooms reserved here, so if you call here, you're almost guaranteed a room (and one at a fixed rate.) Check out their website, and look below to get the full reservation info!

*UPDATE* New special rates have come out for the weekend of the wedding-make sure when you contact them to ask for these special rates... and if you've already booked, then you can call back and ask for the new rates. They are:
$140 Full size
$150 Queen
$236 Suite
for 1, 2, or 3 nights

Egan/Gross Wedding
From October 2nd, 2009 through October 4th, 2009
Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis by calling
Member Services at (212) 575-0006
A credit card will be necessary to reserve your room.
To receive the rates listed below, please identify the Member Company as:

New York University
Group code: NYU009

The rates are as follows:
Club Size – (Club size with 1 full size bed) $204
Standard – (Standard size with 1 queen or 2 twin beds) $229
Superior – (Oversized w/ kitchenette and 1 queen bed) $259
One Room Suite – (Standard size with 1 queen bed and
pull out sofa bed in the living area) $329

Rates are based on single occupancy. Add $20.00 for each additional person, age 12 and over. Rooms are subject to New City tax, which is 13.38% plus a $3.50 per room/$5.50 per Suite per night occupancy tax. Cancellation and change policy is 24 hours prior to guest arrival.

Club Quarters, Downtown (off Wall Street
near South Street Seaport and Battery Park)
52 William Street
New York, NY 10005

Priceline a la Sarah Egan

If you still haven't book a hotel, and you are hoping for a great deal this post might help! David's mom is a seasoned Priceline veteran and she offers this advice:

"Want to take a gamble and save some money? Try naming your price on Priceline!

First make a backup reservation through normal channels. That way you know you will have a place to rest your head after the wedding.
Then, log into Priceline.com
You can make reasonably priced reservations through Priceline, but the real deals are made by selecting Best Deal, the tab to the right. Before you start, poke around and see what hotels are in the Priceline system in the area you want. That will help you later when you select a star rating and selecting your price.
Now select the Best Deal tab on the top right.
After selecting New York City and the dates of your stay, check the area of NYC in which you want to stay. Downtown is the closest to the wedding venue...you might also check Chelsea.
Select the star rating you want the hotel to have. I wouldn't go lower than three myself.
Now name your price! If you are too absurd, you will be prompted that you have no chance of getting a reservation at that price. Priceline picks the hotel for you in the area you selected. If your price is accepted, you're committed.
If you don't succeed you can't try again for the same dates, same name and credit card. So if you are successful, you always think, I wonder if I could get it cheaper? Don't think about it!

The groom's parents enjoyed a beautiful resort in Hawaii for $179 a night through Priceline! Wonder how low I could have gone?"

Though it's risky, sometimes the closer to the date the better deals you will find!

The Angel Orensanz Foundation

Here's where the ceremony and reception will happen! After seeing this place, the decision was pretty easy to make. Built in 1885, this was the first Reform Synagogue in the world catering to the large German Jewish population of the neigborhood. Though a synagogue, the design was heavily inspired by the Cathedral of Cologne. A century later, after generations of use, the building was badly neglected, condemned, and a shadow of its former self. In 1986, the sculptor Angel Orensanz bought the building and converted it into an art space. Today the space is used for art exhibitions, concerts, fashion shows, weddings and the like. You can read more about its history and see photos of the space at their website. We hope you guys love it as much as we do!

Save the Date

We got so many great photos of Leo that we couldn't decide on just one save the date. So instead we decided to make it a series. Here are all the save the dates that were sent out. Special thanks to Suzy Goldish who was the photographer!

The Rivington Hotel

This is the hotel we are staying at the weekend of the wedding. Located a little more than a block away from the Angel Orensanz Foundation, this is definitely the most convenient. It is however, the most expensive option we're providing, so we're not expecting too many people to stay here. The hotel is funky and fits the attitude of the neighborhood. The lobby is beautiful and, according to the hotel's website, features an "unusually interesting library"... whatever that means. Chances are, you'll be able to find us (and join us) here at the hotel's bar some point over the weekend. Check out their website and see what you think.

*UPDATE* We now have a block of rooms reserved at this hotel! You'll find all the details from the hotel below.

To make a reservation, guests may call or email our reservations department at 212-475-2600 or reservations@hotelonrivington.com and mention the "Gross-Egan Wedding". As of August 2, 2009 any rooms not booked will be released and guests calling after that date will be subject to our regular rack rates and availability.

Group: Gross-Egan Wedding
Dates: October 2-4, 2009
Rate: $395.00/night not incl taxes. This rate includes continental breakfast served every morning in the restaurant.
Room type: Regular Kings
# of rooms: 15 (per night)
Cut-off: August 2, 2009