Odd One Out

Last night I went to a single's party at Stitch, a bar in the Fashion District, to celebrate Valentine's Day. I'm assuming that I was probably the only person in a relationship in the bar, but I'll never know because I spent the evening drinking Apple Martinis and chatting with Eileen and about two dozen of her female coworkers, friends and friends-of-friends.

Eileen had forwarded me the following evite last week, and she informed me yesterday that my Valentine's evening would not be best spent in the spinning class at my gym.

Host: Some good looking single people
Location: Stitch Bar & Lounge, 247 W 37th Street (b/w 7th & 8th Ave)
When : Wednesday, February 14, 6:00pm
Bring on the single and the booze. t is Valentine's Day and Wednesday so what better to do then gather with like minded singles post-work to lift up some drinks and get your party on. Pass on to other single people you know and maybe you might just get lucky on Vday. Thursday mornings are great for a walk of shame.

So I ditched the gym and engaged in bar talk and empty calories for a few hours, which is how I would come to meet Iris, Renee and Miriam. A few guys tried to loop themselves into our conversation from time to time, but for most of the evening Eileen, two other girls and I were engrossed in absolutely hilarious banter covering a wide range of topics: past lives before New York City (which included North Carolina, California and Ireland), ex-boyfriends, myspace, a weekend spent in Florida with an heir to some Louisiana fortune, fashion design (Eileen's line of work), advertising (my line of work) and Brazilian bikini waxing.

Before the night was really over, three of us headed out of Stitch and walked down to Penn Station, where we had a laugh at my tipsy nonrecognition of the Empire State Building because - and I quote myself, "it looked too skinny." From Penn Station, we went our separate ways - Harlem, Hoboken and Brooklyn.

It wasn't the most romantic Valentine's Day ever. I mean, I'm in a long-distance relationship, and I was home in time to catch what I missed on LOST (thanks to DVR technology), do a little blogging and be in bed by midnight. But it was my first Valentine's Day in New York. The great thing about falling more and more in love with Manhattan is that there is no walk of shame the morning after.