we exit NYC

so our final dinner in NYC was with Jeremy and his friend Carolina and at Scalini Fedeli (we have been a couple of times before and been very happy with the food and the service and Tribeca seemed a good meeting point.)

my starter of veal Bolognese on pappardella

arctic char- fabulous!

risotto for the table (mushroom)

a terrific napoleon for dessert - so good I refused to share- LOL

and then the next day- on the way out of town and to the airport - we were invited to Google for lunch! we ate the café La Place which is kind of like Movenpick Marche in Boston or Toronto or Foodlife in Chicago.  Photos are restricted in Google so I only have two from this visit - from the newly opened roof deck overlooking NYC... very fun!

we actually have visited Google before and the many photos (Sunday and not much work going on) in this post-
http://blog.semifreelife.com/2012/04/all-agog-at-google.html
from here we went to the airport for our completely uneventful flight to Brussels - where we arrived 45 minutes early! and because I had booked the hotel room for early arrival we could just crash there and then get up in time for lunch! Which we had a 't Kelderke - for mussels in Brussels!

more on Brussels after lunch! in a further post... because I need to break it up or go crazy with the cumbersome uploading system I have to deal with when not using my own laptop to post to semifreelife... a promise of more- as always

all agog at google

so on Saturday we went to visit the NYC Google HQ courtesy of our host Lee - of Angela and Lee.  The whole thing was pretty mind boggling... and the photos are extremely random so forgive the "creativity" with which the group was put together...LOL

a logo sign in legos-

throughout the facility things are labeled in CD cases - which can be easily changed to re purpose the room or to move office space - as even the staffers have these cases which they insert their names into and their space declared (not permanently) as things change with various team configurations

because there is really no private space personal phone calls are made from "phone boxes or booths or rooms" and these are individually designed- (the sign above is for a phone room for work purposes I think)

of course anyone who has video conferences or teleconferences knows that sometimes things can get quite loud- this sign indicates that at google they still have the same issues as other offices

the break rooms are spaced what seemed like every ten feet and include lots of snack-y things as well as coffees teas waters etc...

this was a mural from a break area and the scooter parking was in front of it- staffers use the scooters to get around the huge space - once a port authority truck depot - the building is a full NY block...

in the above photo you can't really see it well but there are little clamps to park the scooters in the front of the "police line" style barrier

the view from the terrace- an outdoor space with a fire pit and tables and chairs

keeping track of time at the various google locations

throughout the facility there are places to just stop and exchange ideas or rest on the way to the other side of the office - here a table from a google manhole cover-

the library has a stately feel (tongue in cheek) with portraits of guiding founders (here R2D2) and wing back chairs with pin stripe fabric and rep ties...

the lending library is of course e-books....

below the secret panels in the library hide nap rooms for those exhausted by the walk from one side of the office to the other- LOL - or overplaying in the game area or lego fatigue...LOL

the google truck street food also comes home on occasion-  to serve frozen yogurt and other treats-

chefs are invited in to cook in one of several restaurants and cafes...

above the play area- and below part of a funny display of old computing equipment - we saw several of our old computers along this route....

the entrance to another break area- specializing in coffee

a request for feedback on the food in the break areas-

the lego play area - below and above the kitchen graphic and couch area from a conferencing room (occupied by Susan and Lee)

sign identifying the google truck location- the truck is in...



thanks again to Lee (and Angela) for the fun fun tour - I do have to say that in 30+ years of law I never worked in an office that looked at all like this one... and I am not sure if that is good or bad-- I can imagine being quite distracted by the environment there but then the work is SO different that there is really no comparing the two ---