New York Press built up its “Best of Manhattan” event to be the most amazing party the city had to offer. Dare I ask who decides what the “Best” really is? Based on the event’s lack of attendance and the not-so-happening vibe, “Best” means all build-up and no action.

Before I even had the opportunity to check out the party, located at nightclub Home on Manhattan’s West Side, I was greeted by a small VIP room filled to the brim. The catch: Instead of being filled with hordes of social Manhattanites, it was filled with a hundred overstuffed New York Press goodie bags.

As I approached the main room with a gal pal to sample the open bar we found that the “Best” open bar was a couple of no-name beers and a vendor booth serving bottom-of-the-barrel merlot and chardonnay. After hearing the complimentary drink choices, a dedicated club goer next to me at the bar interjected, “They’re not even offering well drinks on the house? No liquor?!” By the tone in her voice you could tell the lack of alcohol and mostly sober crowd was killing her buzz.

Yet another social bee strutted up to the “open bar” demanding a dirty martini. When the bartender spat out “That will be $12,” she did an about face, flipped her long, curly hair and announced a harsh “Let’s go!” to her crew. Apparently, we were not the only ones who found the party to be less than mediocre!

After a breath of smoke-filled air and a weak well drink on the patio, it was time to leave this sad gathering in search of new entertainment. As we headed out the main entrance, we ducked into the VIP area to see why the room was now filled. Though the goodie bags were sizeable, we passed based on their content — mostly gift certificates and copies of the New York Press “Best Of” issue. A very disappointing “Best Of” it was.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 22nd, 2006 at 11:25 am and is filed under Events, Cocktails, Glamour, New York City, Nightclubs, West Side. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.