The venue
Way, way back, this big brick corner building was a home for Civil War widows. Nowadays, 891 Amsterdam Ave. is a nexus for travelers in Manhattan and pretty much the biggest, best hostel you are likely to find anywhere in the States. I amble through the labyrinthine halls of the 600+ bed HI Upper East Side mega-hostel and finally reach the Ballroom — the converted widows’ chapel with cathedral ceilings and Corinthian columns — and wave to Scott.