SmartSimple in New York City - An Interview Series

Did you hear? SmartSimple is officially live in New York City!

To celebrate the opening of our first American office, we’ve conducted a few interviews with SmartSimple staff to gather their thoughts about our new move.

For our first installment, we spoke with SmartSimple's Resource Coordinator, Sarah Harris, about the decisions that went into selecting our new location, as well as her favourite spots around the neighbourhood.

Our new office is located in New York City’s Chelsea district – what made this location desirable? 

We scouted with the intent to be in Midtown, originally, so I scheduled Chelsea for a comparison of neighborhoods. I was immediately drawn to the (business) casual atmosphere in the executive parts of the area, as well as the hip artsy contemporary nature of Chelsea. Being the “tech hub of Manhattan”, it seemed to fit perfectly with our corporate identity.

It’s close to Penn Station, making it easy to get to and from airports. Our location is squared by subway stations with access to all train lines and PATH. Commute friendly! About the office - I love the character of the exposed brick and the amount of light that pours in during late mornings. I think it’s rare to get that much light in the NYC building congestion, especially on a lower floor.

How do you think SmartSimple will fit into the business atmosphere of Manhattan?

This side of Manhattan is becoming host to many tech companies and start-ups, so we’re definitely contributing. Chelsea is gathering a lot of attention and rapidly expanding with business due to the High Line’s expansion. It’s a good place to be. Manhattan has this feeling of ambition and success. We want to carry the same attitude towards our business too. And as the OfficeLinks website says: It's also right where the action is; where new ideas and new ways of doing business are the norm.

You’ve visited the area quite frequently before we moved in, what were some of your favourite neighbourhood spots (cafes, restaurants, places for people-watching, etc.)? 

I am a HUGE semi-vegan foodie so here is my list:

1. The City Bakery at 18th St. and 5th Ave. – It’s around the corner from the office and is primarily known for their café and homemade marshmallows. However, they have an excellent juice bar run by BirdBath Neighborhood Green Bakery. I highly recommend the green juice. Bonus tip: BirdBath is running a pop up veggie/vegan sandwich shop in Books of Wonder, which is across the street.

2. Terri at 60 West 23rd St. – This is another excellent vegan sandwich/salad/juice shop. They also have gluten-free options. Their faux chicken Caesar was almost as good as the real thing.

3. Eataly at 200 5th Ave. - Eataly has several restaurants (Italian) inside, but is also an emporium of food and offers a cooking school. It’s one of those stores that foodies can get lost in. Don’t go in hungry.


My NYC happy places:

1. Bryant Park at Christmas - First of all, the Christmas market is great gift shopping. More importantly, you can find me in the evening sitting with a hot apple cider and a macaroon watching the skaters in front of the big Christmas tree. There’s something about watching the Zamboni resurface the ice in methodic circles that is super relaxing.

2. NY Public Library and Grand Central Station – Just go in the lobby and look up. I love the architecture in both places.

3. ABC Carpet and Home at Broadway and 19th – Although it’s not reasonably priced in this store, it feels like a wonder emporium of home décor, jewelry, tableware, etc. You can spend eons in the main floor and forget there is another 6 floors to see.

4. Strala Yoga in 632 Broadway – Tara Stiles is an up and coming yoga teacher. She is a former model turned rebel yogi. Love her studio.

Want to know more about SmartSimple and our New York City office? Visit our main site or email info@smartsimple.com to get in touch with us.

Keep checking our blog for the next interview installment of SmartSimple in New York City!

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