What this Alley needs is a good KickStart.com

Conveniently, right next door to Real.com's groovin' bash was KickStart.com's opening night openhouse. Outside in the courtyard of 535 West 34th Street I met John Sieh & Associates principal John Sieh and Inkfarm.com's Jan Bergthun. When the rain came down a bit harder, I decided to head inside and check my soggy umbrella. After taking note of the subtle step down from slate to blond woods, the spaces unfolded into sunken conference rooms in exposed brick with steel details. Offices had frosted glass and steel walls and pale lime green walls, red and blue accent lights and other quirky features gave way to this fun, productive, hip and wired new office space for startups. I ran into Administaff's Mark Elis and NYNMA's Sherry Reisner who posed for a photo with KickStart's EVP biz dev Jonathan Mensch by the flat-screen directory. Propertyrover.com president Michael Sokolow roved over to hand me a branded pen-their first promotional item! Near the back of the regular entrance I got to luxuriate in a conversation with Business 2.0's Rachel Lehman-Haupt and Netshoot's David Leepson. As I rounded my way back out, I heard murmurings of delicious food being served...and caught up with Internet Wire's Linda Jaffe and Jill Ringquest. We gathered our belongings and hopped a cabbie to the next party.