Last week I had the opportunity to go to the Esty headquarters. My old friend Matt came into Vinegar Hill House for dinner the other night & invited me over to Esty to have lunch. But of course! How cool to pay a visit! I had no idea what to expect.
I signed in & was given a name tag. I dutifully filled it out & then looked at it…suddenly I felt too dorky to actually wear it. I stuffed it in my back pocket instead and said hello to Matt. He greeted me with a smile & warm reception. He is so nice! After you pass the front desk there is nothing typical about this office setting. Etsy redefines community of working people.
It was lunch time & people were lining up to tuck into some serious eats. A baked potato bar extravaganza! Everything you could possibly imagine was there, from broccoli to bacon, chives & swirly butter pats. There was also soup and salad options & don’t forget the cookies!
As we cruised the office to find a place to eat, there was lots of cool stuff to look at. Art adorned the space; paintings were hung and painted directly on the wall. There was color and activity everywhere. The place was abuzz. The office was filled with light, lots of wood desks, plants, and computers. A mannequin stood poised, dressed, waiting for it’s photo shoot. A little dog patrolled the lunch tables hoping to steal off with a potato skin.
We found a table & were joined by Emily & Josh who also work at Etsy. They are all old friends & some of the first people I met in NYC. It’s so awesome that they get to work together. We chatted about restaurants and ideas & things that we are excited about. Laughed about some of the crazier places we had been in our lives & where our travels had taken us. I rattled off some of the potential maps I wanted to make: Colorado, Fire Island, Paris, Detroit, New Orleans, so many, the possibilities are endless. It was an inspiring visit! It was so nice to be able to have lunch together. Good idea Matt! I am looking forward to more visits from Etsy friends at Vinegar Hill House & Hillside. I grabbed a cookie on the way out & let my mind wander to new places!