Google NYC: Party Like a Web Star

Google brought out high-powered corporate stars last night for at its party in the Chelsea section of New York. Billed as a "consumer technology" event, the lava-lamp-lit gathering was a rare opportunity for reporters to chat with senior Google executives.

First the news: Craig Silverstein, "Googler No. 1" and the company's technology director, has quit Silicon Valley for New York City. Silverstein—a beloved Valley figure—is considered to be the premier old-school Google evangelist. He left Stanford in 1998 to start Google with two buddies, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Silverstein says he loves New York, and plans to stay.

Also there: Marissa Mayer, vice president for search products and user experience, with whom my colleagues and I discussed Google's social networking prospects, and Elliot Schrage, senior vice president for global communications.

All in all, just the type of people you'd like to spend your Wednesday evening with. The vibe was friendly but guarded, as you'd expect at a party thrown by a $150 billion company.

Silverstein ambled up to our crew—looking very pleased to be speaking to reporters, I might add—as we sampled some sushi.

When I realized who he was, and that he was in charge of Google's plan to lay a submarine cable across the Pacific, I asked if he would hire me as a Google sub captain.

"We do not comment on ongoing underwater activities," a spokeswoman quickly pointed out over his shoulder.

I quickly changed the subject to space elevators.

Silverstein's eyes lit up.

"Larry and Sergey are very excited about space elevators," Silverstein said, before launching into an enthusiastic explanation of technology necessary to make space elevators real.

Mayer, meanwhile, skillfully avoided questions about Google's social networking plans. She talked up Orkut, which is very popular in Brazil and Asia, but declined to confirm or deny a report by TechCrunch blogger Michael Arrington that Google plans to introduce a "Facebook killer" on Nov. 5—a bit of news that's apparently generating some agita in Mountain View.

That's when Star magazine contributing editor Julia Allison crashed the party in an arrest-me-red dress—and matching attitude—and launched into a Gawker photo shoot. Everyone ignored her.

The good news is that Allison came bearing gifts—in the form of Dan Frommer of the Alley Insider blog, who had been invited and then uninvited by Google.

There are, evidently, limits to what even Google can do.

by Sam Gustin