Help me find places to work and people to see in New York City

I'll be in NYC in mid-March and I'd love to find somewhere to work for a few days and some people to meet up with while I'm out there. Can you help?

Looks like I'll be out in NYC this March for the first time ever and I'm really looking forward to seeing the city. However, I'll be working while I'm out there (at least through the day) so where is the best place to get that done? Some standard options include frequenting cafes but I'd also like to explore options like co-working spaces and any friendly offices that someone has a spare desk at.

I'd also like to meet up with anyone out there who'd be kind enough to show me some of the sights and/or talk about the Web and gaming. I'd also love to use this opportunity to do an evening talk or two if there are any local events happening mid-March. I'm basically open to anything really!

Oh, and where is a good area of the city to stay?

Let me know if you or anyone you know might be able to help me make my stay in NYC a fun one.