Community. It’s the glue that holds us all together. And in a city where everyone seems to be moving at the speed of light and sound it’s important to take a step back and appreciate those who are tying neighborhoods together. The Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce or GVCCC for short, has been working tirelessly to provide dynamic civic and leadership to the businesses who make up this historic neighborhood.

On Thursday evening, the GVCCC took to the rooftop of Chelsea’s Gem Hotel for a member and guest attended mixer to open up a platform for networking and to kick back on one of those rare cool summer nights. Shortly after 6pm we hit the Gem Hotel’s beautiful roof deck, which features breathtaking panoramic views of the neighborhood and of the Empire State Building. Right from the word go, the friendly staff of the GVCCC welcomed us giving us the lay of the land for the evening. As the guests began to arrive we made our way to the open bar for crisp cans of beer and ice cold white wine. With a drink in hand we decided to sink our teeth into the taco bar courtesy of neighborhood newcomer Tres Carnes. Heaping platters of pork and beef tacos were on hand and ready to be devoured. If that wasn’t enough there was a seemingly endless selection of toppings that included fresh guacamole, corn, pico de gallo and pickled onions just to name a few. Needless to say we tried a few mouthwatering tacos with a combination of these delicious ingredients.

After getting plenty to eat and a few drinks later, the roof deck filled up quickly leading to some fantastic networking opportunities. Guests of the mixer represented a virtual cornucopia of businesses on every side of the spectrum. We spent some time chatting with tax lawyers, various consultants and webmasters but one of our stand out chats was with the owners of the up and coming glass blowing business named, “Karen Curtis.” Founded by the wife and husband team of Karen Curtis and Aaron Niemczyk, the business creates stunning hand-crafted jewelry, home accents, chandeliers and art glass. Our conversation with them revealed how dedicated they are to the craft and a perfect example about how fruitful these types of mixers are for discovering new exciting businesses.

Do yourself a favor, even if you live nowhere close to Chelsea or the West Village check out all the outstanding work the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce is doing to advance our community on a daily basis. There are plenty of events upcoming to wet your whistle and your palate.