At the Plaza, they opened up the Palm Court, which is just inside the entrance foyer, to a private party given by the Director's Council of the Museum of the City of New York "New York After Dark."
The hotel also opened the French doors at the back of the Palm Court which give onto the Terrace Room behind. The Terrace Room is where the cocktail receptions were always held before going upstairs to the Grand Ballroom for dinner. It was reached from another entrance, a staircase on the left side of the Palm Court.
The view from the Palm Court of the Plaza looking into the Terrace Room last night at the Director's Council of the Museum of the City of New York's "New York After Dark" benefit.
In all the years I've gone to the Plaza I had no idea that these two rooms were connected. There were many others there last night who also hadn't known that. It was a new beautiful vista within the hotel.
This was the first fundraising event that the Director's Council has hosted outside the museum, and no doubt it was very successful. A big crowd along with a big buffet, the passing canapes and drinks bars.
This is a very established crowd, socially, in that the core have been working to raise funds for the museum for many years. Many of its members started out as junior members. This has strengthened the position of the museum which because of its location (104th and Fifth) and its funding limitations has had to work twice as hard to build attendance. The Director's Council and its members have succeeded in changing the model.
