I am giving this place a review because I had my wedding and reception here in 2008…read more I do not know much about what ethical culture is...but my point of view for this review is about the estate, the grounds, and how it worked as the host for a wedding venue. The mansion was built by the Bon Ami cleanser inventor as a gift to his daughter. Dating from 1900, it is an example of neo-Jacobean style. The building faces Prospect Park West and has a large garden. The transom windows are by Louis Comfort Tiffany. There is a library, large interior meeting room with gorgeous beams, and a glass solarium. The yard has a paved patio where the chairs and tables for a wedding reception fit perfectly. There is a side yard where we had the ceremony. We had a live acoustic band and dancing outside. You can put a tent above the dining / patio area in case of rain or too much sun. I consider this place one of the most affordable wedding venues in NYC. The place fits around 110 or less with the patio used for dining and the interior for DJ or loud band. The combination of music played by my friends and dancing outside surrounded by blooming flowers and the lovely space was intoxicating. It made the day very special for my love and for me. Do It Yourself wedding types will enjoy planning a wedding here, it is not a wedding factory...just a beautiful house of worship. The space is inspiring, vintage, retro feeling...kind of like a beautiful old grand dame rising from a nap on her chaise lounge. I had the most memorable day of my life here and will always have a place in my heart for this building and the nice people who keep her in beautiful condition.

We had a memorial service at BSEC. We had professional and amateur musicians playing at the event…read more We had a professional quality slide show to present. The venue was lovely and, in the end, everything worked out almost perfectly. This review should be five stars and if it were not for Jason's attitude, it would be. Jason is the operations manager at the venue. He has a holier than thou attitude, seems to have disdain for those who want the event to go smoothly and has this smirk on his face when you ask for something making you feel like an idiot for wanting everything to go smoothly. Everyone who came into contact with Jason felt an immediate dislike toward him. Jason did almost everything that was requested of him and he has some technical competence. However, he clearly has disdain for the common person, gives the impression that he really doesn't give a rip about your event and makes you grovel to get what you need all the while making it clear that a gratuity is expected. He told us where the projector and screen had to be and we could not move it toward the middle. With a little extra work he could have moved them both. In fact, that was the one thing that was not perfect about the event. The slideshow was not seen as well as it could have been because Jason was not willing to put in the extra effort to make it better despite our requests. I walked in the day of the event with my nephew's bassoon. He is a professional symphony musician I said where can I put this to keep it out of the way and so no one will take it. He said, "no one will take your bassoon". Instead of, "how about you place it here and it should be fine," I had to raise my voice and say "this is a $10,000 instrument and I'm not taking a chance. I know you don't care about our event, but I do." The problem is I was afraid to get too assertive with Jason because he may stop helping altogether. Look up passive aggressive in the dictionary and you will see Jason's picture. The day before the event, as we were setting up some electronics, my brother had a question/concern. Jason actually started singing "que sera sera - whatever will be, will be." If there were no complaints about Jason, that would be one thing. However, there are many complaints about Jason over the years. BSEC knows about his behavior and continues to employ him so obviously they don't care or it has not hurt their business because people like us go ahead with the venue anyway. It was so convenient ,,,,,,, This is a lovely venue. However, it comes down to the fact that Jason is really kind of a jerk and he adds to the tension of an already stress filled time. If Jason will be your on site contact and you can find a different venue, I would suggest going elsewhere.

We came by for their Valentine's Day series, which included a wine flight for two and two hours of…read moreopen play. We had a very lovely time! The space is big and stocked with all kinds of materials to make pretty much everything. The drink and food menu is nicely done and we enjoyed our wine flight. The staff were so nice and accommodating. They have a bathroom on site as well. Really looking forward to attending more events here. Open up another location in Manhattan please!

Food menu is quite overpriced for both the quality and portion size...definitely recommend grabbing…read moresomething to eat before you visit the space! That said, this is a lovely art-centered community venue with regularly occurring paid and free events, often themed! Recently attended a jazz and draw event -- very relaxed evening centering creativity. Looking forward to what else Recess Grove hosts and how the space evolves with time :)

This is a review of Maison May both event spaces *Brownstone and cafe…read more Maison May *brownstone and cafe are super cute and quaint. Perfect rustic homey feeling. I have been stalking this venue *(the brownstone) for a while and finally I got a chance to visit. Though I really like the atmosphere, the venue *(brownstone) has a inconvenient lay out. They host weddings all the time but I can't see how, with a large guest count, people won't be bumping into each other constantly. For a wedding, I think this place *(the brownstone) will need a little more decor to give it a little more opulence, But the space isn't huge so it won't break the bank. I will probably go back to try the food someday. The menu looks really good. *Just to be clear I visited both Maison May Vanderbilt cafe and Maison May Dekalb brownstone.

This is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful spot to throw an event…read more I hosted a friends bridal shower here this past weekend and everything went extremely well! Working over email with the event coordinator, Kat, was very easy and the staff when we arrived were more than accommodating. Jen and Valeria made sure everything was perfect, whether they were assisting with decorations, dedicating a dessert table, or gently moving our timing along. The food was excellent and they made sure to take of the bride and make modifications to the menu for her due to a gluten allergy. I personally had the steak sandwich, which was excellent, and the sweet potato muffin. I don't make a habit of eating gluten free baked goods, because luckily it's not an issue I have to deal with, however that sweet potato muffin is still in my mind. It was superb. It came with a maple butter and a jam and was just so moist and delicious. The fact that it's a no tipping establishments is an added bonus. The only thing that left a bit of a weird taste in my mouth was that I was told they couldn't reserve a space in the garden for our party, because they didn't have a phone number to contact us with. Having been in contact via email, I would have readily responded to an emailed confirmation, had I received one, but it seemed strange that they would give up so easily. I suppose I should count myself lucky that it seemed like a slow day and there was plenty of space available in the dining room.

Disappointing experience with The Farm Soho. My concern was not with having policies or…read moreexpectations, it was with the lack of clear, written guidance and how the situation was handled. I contacted Ray and later Samuel Poku regarding a policy issue and requested a copy or reference to the specific written policy being applied. Instead of providing the requested policy language, I was told that a separate detailed policy was not required and that the general rule applied. If a coworking space is going to issue warnings or threaten to terminate a member's access, the standards being enforced should be clearly defined and available in writing. Additionally, when a space advertises 24/7 access, using the amount of time a member spends in the workspace as a point of concern creates confusion unless there are clearly stated limits or guidelines. The back-and-forth communication took significant time away from the purpose of having a workspace. I ultimately decided the membership was not the right fit for my needs and canceled. I would expect a professional coworking space to provide clear policies, transparent communication, and consistent expectations for its members.

Great event space for a small and medium size event space. Hosts are really friendly. Located a…read moreblock from the subway. The elevator is on the small side but they're on the second floor and the stairs are easily accessible.

Wow!!! If you want a flawless wedding in an unbelievable space with a killer view of the New York…read moreskyline, then Vesper is your place. The management and staff are the best! Everything went perfectly as planned and the their taste level is tops! The food was to die for, which is such a nice plus !! They were awesome to work with on the most special day for my daughter!! I can't thank Vesper enough!!

I attended a wedding this weekend at Vesper and WOW what a place! The view of the city speaks for…read moreitself, stunning from all angles. The staff were efficient, welcoming, and accommodating from the minute we arrived and were greeted with champagne, to quickly reinventing the space from ceremony to reception, and everything in between. All of the staff were friendly, and someone in my party even commented how impressed they were with the amount of staff there was on site. The food was delicious, bartenders were so friendly, and the service was timely and professional. We loved our evening at Vesper and it's a night we won't forget!

This place has a great calming vibe. I came in for kundalini yoga from class pass, I was greeted…read moreand shown around immediately. There are so many rooms here so a couple of us got lost looking for the salt cave room. The salt cave was kinda of small but so was the class size. They provide chairs/mats so you don't need to bring your own. Class did start late, which wasn't great since I had a busy day ahead. Also, they give you blankets to use since it gets cold but there's no laundry. Everyone just folded their blanket back and put it where they got it. When was the last time they were washed?

I came to Gaia Nomaya for a Yelp event recently and decided to hang around and experience other…read moreparts of this beautiful wellness centered business. At first sight this place has a calming effect and atmosphere. The plants, simple wood decor and inviting interior welcomes you with open arms. I just loved this open space that seems ripe for socializing. I ordered two types of empanadas as I was told they are known for these. I got the organic chicken and the portobello mushroom. The first thing I noticed is that the crust has flaxseed and looks super healthy without any colors or preservatives. For $6.50 I found the empanadas to be a little small, and not as generous in the filling. The chicken empanadas could definitely use more chicken. The portobello mushroom filling was delicious, but I do think they need to dry it out a little bit before they fill it because biting into it, scalding hot liquid poured all over my face and that was not pleasant at all. The sauces that came on the side were absolutely delicious, the cilantro was so thick and delicious, and Herb-y and the chipotle sauce was also made very well with the smoky kick to it. Would that being said, the space is actually really beautiful and as a yoga enthusiast, I cannot wait to return here to try some of their Vinyasa yoga classes. If you are in the area, please drop in and check this place out, it's totally worth it.

I came here for a June wedding and it was an amazing experience. The view of NYC is beautiful from…read morethe rooftop area. The acoustics of the venue is amazing for the dj and if you are having a band. When you walk in its kind of confusing because its like a cafe area. However when you go to the fifth floor its a beautiful venue overlooking the gorgeous NYC skyline. I would definitely recommend for a big event for up to 200 people. Place is just gorgeous!

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Just a gorgeous event location. It had charisma, charm and elegance.read more

Ehh not horrible but not great- another place where they need to teach staff to run it - near…read moreimpossible to get a cup of ice despite having a bar- bring your own food and the kids have fun at the soccer Field

We were able to find parking fast and free, the security staff was professional and courteous. The…read morefacilities were clean. The rooftop has an excellent view and a superb sound system. I would go here again. We went for the DJ Cristoph and enjoyed every moment !