Save the Date for Wetstock 2019

Erin Holohan Haskell

Save the Date for Wetstock 2019!

Saturday, August 24
12 PM to 5 PM
NYC

The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen
20 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

This event brings together some of the sharpest people in the hydronics community for an afternoon of roundtable discussions, sharing, and all-around fun. We'll have lunch and drinks and great conversation. The only way you won’t get something out of Wetstock is if you stay home.

More details to come.

RayWohlfarth

Got it on may calendar Hoping to learn some things from all the history and expertise

Steamhead

Same here. Any recommended hotels?

STEVEusaPA

Easy train ride for me. Would be nice to go to NYC and not have to see a Broadway Show with the wife

Erin Holohan Haskell

Steamhead said:

Same here. Any recommended hotels?

We're working on it. We'll have more info soon. Thanks!

JohnNY

@Steamhead, Hotel Edison usually has pretty good deals. And it's the hotel lobby where Sollozzo kills Luca Brasi in The Godfather.
So that's fun.

Steve Minnich

I worked for Amtrak in the late 70’s. NYC was one of my routes and the Hotel Edison is where they put us up for the night. Great memories.

I come from a big city but nothing could’ve prepared me for the things I saw there. Different animal altogether.

DanHolohan

We’ve stayed at Hotel Edison. It’s a good place and an easy walk to The General Society.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

The Mansfield Hotel is next door, but anywhere in the neighborhood works. Price is a consideration.

DanHolohan

The Mansfield has a rich history and is directly next door to the General Society. An orphanage once stood on that site and that makes The Mansfield somewhat haunted these days, or so some have said. When it first opened, The Mansfield was a boarding house for rich gentlemen (no ladies allowed) and is now a boutique hotel.

Some heating history: Before The General Society bought and expanded the building at 20 West 44th Street (thank you, Brother Andrew Carnegie for paying for that), it was the Berkeley School for Boys. The smoke from its steam boilers (which are abandoned now but still in our basement) was wafting into the opened windows of The Mansfield. You can see by the photo how our long-gone Brothers attempted to be good neighbors to the gentlemen borders by offsetting the chimney. The Mansfield in in the center in the photo; the Berkeley School is at the right. Oh, and the Harvard Club (not in the photo) is directly across the street.

DanHolohan

Note, too, the stable in the photo. West 44th Street used to be Stable Street. It was where the wealthy of Fifth Avenue kept their carriages. The entire street was lined with stables in late-1800s, and the Berkeley School took quite a chance by becoming the first building to go up on the block that wasn't a stable. Today, there are two remaining stables left on the block. Look for them when you visit. The horses and carriages are long gone and the "stables" are pretty fancy nowadays. This is one of the most beautiful blocks in NYC.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Thanks for that wonderful bit of history!

There must have been some local watering holes and brothels in the neighborhood as well, no?

DanHolohan

@Alan (California Radiant) Forbes They'd have to go a bit west to Hell's Kitchen for that. This was a very classy area back then. Still is. W44th goes by the nickname "Club Row" now. I mentioned the Harvard Club being across the street. Next to that is the NY Yacht Club, both are architectural masterpieces. The Penn Club (formally the Yale Club) is just down the block, as it LEED, and The American Bar Association. There's also the Algonquin hotel (home of the famous literary roundtable) and the Iroquoi hotel. It's quite a block.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Those top floor penthouses on the Mansfield building look very nice. And the floor below has a balcony. I'll bet they get top dollar for them.

Erin Holohan Haskell

I'm going to defer to the New Yorkers on the hotel recommendations. (Thanks, guys!) You can also get deals through travel sites like Priceline.com, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Kayak.com, Expedia, AirBNB, VRBO, etc.

STEVEusaPA

Any chance there's a field trip to a cool (aren't they all?) steam boiler/basement?

DanHolohan

@STEVEusaPA, General Society's basement is worth the trip. You can get to see @JohnNY's fine work.

Erin Holohan Haskell

DanHolohan said:

@STEVEusaPA, General Society's basement is worth the trip. You can get to see JohnNY's fine work.

More info here: https://heatinghelp.com/blog/saving-history/

Steve Minnich

I'm not a contractor anymore so I have a lot more flexibility now.
I get an insane amount of vacation at my new job.
My CEO and CFO (both are my wife) have signed off on it.
NYC fascinates me.
I'm pretty sure I'll be there.

DanHolohan

@Steve Minnich You'll never regret it.

GW

I'll try and get there.

DanHolohan

@GWilson Be good to see you again, Gary! Been too long. Bring your solder. ;-)

GW

ha! Thanks Dan

I did a vid a week ago; i recall there was a nay sayer back when the vid went up. If I get a few minutes of boredom i will shoot that to youtube and add it to that post

OK checking with the wife to make sure the date is good- she handles the vacation calendar and Aug is our month to get out of Dodge

DanHolohan

Sounds great, Gary. Thanks!

GW

And she said Yes😄

see you all then

DanHolohan

Woooo!

Steamhead

Erin Holohan Haskell said:

DanHolohan said:

@STEVEusaPA, General Society's basement is worth the trip. You can get to see JohnNY's fine work.

More info here: https://heatinghelp.com/blog/saving-history/

That, by itself, would be worth the trip.

Mike_Sheppard

Definitely coming. Excited to see the boiler room!!

DanHolohan

Great, Mike! Looking forward to showing you around.

Mike_Sheppard

I’ll bring my tools and combustion analyzer! Just kidding

Anyone got some boilers I can work on up there?? Lol

1Matthias

Hope to be able to make it, August is free for me as far as I know. Looks like it'll be a 10 hour drive up.

DanHolohan

@1Matthias Thanks for making the trip! Here's a bit about the General Society, whose students will benefit from your experience at Wetstock 2019: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Society_of_Mechanics_and_Tradesmen_of_the_City_of_New_York

Steamhead

DanHolohan said:

.... students will benefit from your experience at Wetstock 2019:

You're gonna have students there? Does this mean we actually have to behave ourselves?

DanHolohan

LOL!

JohnNY

Steamhead said:

Erin Holohan Haskell said:

DanHolohan said:

@STEVEusaPA, General Society's basement is worth the trip. You can get to see JohnNY's fine work.

More info here: https://heatinghelp.com/blog/saving-history/

That, by itself, would be worth the trip.

Oh jeez. Steamhead's coming. Now I gotta clean up my work.

Steve Minnich

I'm already putting together my itinerary.

Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird is near the top of that list.

Steamhead

JohnNY said:

Steamhead said:

Erin Holohan Haskell said:

DanHolohan said:

@STEVEusaPA, General Society's basement is worth the trip. You can get to see JohnNY's fine work.

More info here: https://heatinghelp.com/blog/saving-history/

That, by itself, would be worth the trip.

Oh jeez. Steamhead's coming. Now I gotta clean up my work.

Dan didn't tell you they wanted you to do a lecture for the students about that job?

DanHolohan

@Steamhead John is one of our best teachers at Mechanics Institute. They’re already his students. 👏

STEVEusaPA

Question (probably too early)...
What's the dress code? Is this business casual?
Khaki's/golf shirt?
Or dress to do some work & bring some tools ?
Thanks.

DanHolohan

Business casual works.

EzzyT

I’ll be there.