VENUES
You know what lit nerds want? They want to dine in musty halls of learning. They want to sip cocktails on the porch of Hemingway s hideaway. The US is rich in event venues with a connection to literary history. Here are a few of our top picks:
Algonquin Hotel, New York
Back in 1919, the Algonquin Hotel was home to the Algonquin Round Table, a coalition of writers and other literary ne er-do-wells that included Dorothy Parker and Marc Connelly, who met in the dining room for luncheon and poker. The Library Boardroom, the hotel s meeting space, also houses the hotel s famous book collection.
The Rainbow Room, New York
Mentioned in a JD Salinger short story A Girl I knew , the Rainbow Room is a major fixture in New York s glitzy history. First opened on October 3, 1934, [The Rainbow Room] was originally conceived as a formal supper club, where the elite and influential of New York could gather to socialize over cocktails, dine on fine cuisine, and dance to the strains of legendary Barry Winton s Orchestra (Band) on a revolving floor. Today, the event space can accommodate around 300 guests.
Margaret Mitchell House, Atlanta
Listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, this is the very location where Margaret Mitchell penned Gone With the Wind. The three story Tudor revival home, which includes the apartment Margaret Mitchell wrote her best-selling novel, contains four intimate parlor rooms and one event room on two floors with covered porches and balconies, and is surrounded by manicured lawns.
National Archives Museum, Washington DC
What it is about old scrolls that sets the literary heart thumping? The National Archives Musuem houses some of America s oldest documents, and in terms of event locations, if you re throwing a gala in DC, the National Archives Museum is pretty near the top of the list for Federalist chic. There are five event spaces in total, including a 290-seat theater, a series of smaller conference rooms, and the Rotunda galleries which boasts 75-foot vaulted ceilings, marble floors, and bronze accents and are just steps away from the permanent home of the original Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
The Catered Affair @ Boston Public Library, MA
The Catered Affair joins forces with the Boston Public Library to provide one of the most unique and historic event venues in the city. Ornately designed spaces in a variety of sizes offer businesses a unique opportunity for corporate events.
Bookbindery, Culver City, CA
Once the site of an actual book-binding shop, Bookbindery has now been transformed into two multi-purpose concrete and exposed brick event spaces totaling 19,000 square feet, plus a 2,500sqf prep kitchen.
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, Key West, FL
Sip rum cocktails under the very eaves where Hemingway spent 10 years banging out brilliance? Yes, please.
The Hemingway home was built in 1851 in the Spanish Colonial style, and was constructed of native rock hewn from the grounds. The home was in great disrepair when it the Hemingways took ownership, but both Ernest and Pauline could see beyond the rubble and ruin, and appreciated the grand architecture and stateliness of the home. The massive restoration and remodeling they undertook in the early 1930 s turned the home into the National Historical Landmark that thousands of tourists visit and enjoy today.