Generally speaking, I try to avoid using the words “excited,” “thrilled,” and “pleased,” but that’s how I felt when I discovered that Beckerman’s New York office was located in NoMad. You see, I’ve worked in NoMad before, so I know exactly where it is, and what it has to offer.
According to Experience NoMad, the New York Times came up with the moniker in 1999, after the establishment of the Madison Square Park North Historic District. I like the name because it’s a lot easier to say than Madison Square Park North Historic District, because I like the travel connotations, and also because it sounds way better than SoMad (somehow, I don’t think the Flatiron District will change its name anytime soon).
As for the neighborhood’s borders, Experience NoMad defines them “roughly” as Sixth to Lexington Avenues (west to east) and from 23rd to 30th Streets (south to north). That means that our office, on Broadway and 30th, is right on the edge.
There’s a lot to like here. For me, the highlights are:
- Madison Square Park. This is a great place to sit and eat your lunch on sunny days, look at featured art installations or listen to free concerts organized by the Madison Square Park Conservancy, watch cute dogs “petworking” in the dog run, or grab a meal at Shake Shack.
- Museums. OK, I confess – I haven’t been to either the Museum of Math or the Museum of Sex, but it’s nice to know that I could easily visit them during my lunch hour on a rainy day. It’s also nice to know that I could play a trick on unsuspecting tourists and direct the ones looking for MoMath to MoSex and vice versa.
- Restaurants. Among the choices are Belgian Beer Café, Luke’s Lobster and Ilili. And Koreatown is just a few blocks away. So is Ayza, a bar specializing in chocolate and wine, arguably the two most important food groups.
- Convenience. My office is close to several important places that are within easy walking distance but not too close for comfort: Penn Station, Herald Square and Times Square. I can go there when I want or need to, but otherwise I can avoid the crowds.
Even though I live uptown, you can see why I’m happy to come to NoMad on weekdays. The neighborhood works for me.
Photo By Ingfbruno (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons