Gotham - 2014 - Issue 7 - November by Niche Media Holdings, LLC

NEW YORK'S NIGHTLIFE CZARS + 24/7 GUIDE TO THE CITY'S HOTTEST CLUBS

NEW FOODIE MAGNET THE LOWER EAST SIDE PLUS HUGH JACKMAN KEVIN KLINE GRETCHEN MOL JOSH RADNOR THOM BROWNE

WEAVER WOW!

SIGOURNEY'S VA-VA-VOOM STAR TURN IN EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS

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FRONT RUNNER Mick Jagger struts his stuff—and the crowd goes wild—during one of the band’s sold-out concerts in Madison Square Garden during 1969’s Summer of Love.

Tour de Force

As the purple haze dissipated from Woodstock and with the “Summer of Love” in full swing, American music audiences were demanding more from their rock idols. Gone were the 15-minute sets in front of screaming teenyboppers that were the norm in 1966. The Rolling Stones “Let it Bleed” tour marked the return of the group to the United States after a three-year hiatus (due in part to Brian Jones’s drug abuse and subsequent convictions in the United Kingdom). “Let it Bleed” was a musical juggernaut, with opening acts like B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and Ike and Tina Turner. When the Rolling Stones took to the stage (Mick Taylor had joined the band) they played for 75 solid, ear-splitting minutes. Songs like “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fighting Man” showed musical depth and a darker, sexier edge. This was

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not a love fest in a field in Upstate New York, but rather a wild ride on the bad side of town. The tour was marked by chaos and drama, with stories of fights breaking out both on stage and in the audience, sexual escapades, and rowdy behavior by fans and musicians alike. Still, Stones fever was at an all-time high. According to a Rolling Stone magazine review of the tour, both scheduled nights in New York’s Madison Square Garden sold out the day the box office opened. Originally planned as the last stop on the tour, the band added two additional engagements. The tour ended with the now-infamous Altamont, California, show in which audience member Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death by a Hells Angel hired to provide security for the band, thus bringing the “Summer of Love” and the ’60s to a violent close. G

photography by Michael ochs archives/getty iMages

On nOvember 27 and 28, 1969, The place tO be was madisOn square Garden with the rOllinG stOnes. By deBorah l. martin

STUARTWEITZMAN.COM

6 2 5 M A D I S O N AV E N U E

6 7 5 F I F T H AV E N U E

T H E S H O P S AT C O L U M B U S C I R C L E

2 1 5 1 B R O A D WAY

118 SPRING STREET

contents

november 2014

Designer Thom Browne rethinks womenswear.

10 // front runner 24 // letter from the editor-in-Chief

26 // letter from

the publisher

28 // ... Without Whom

this issue Would not have been possible

30 // the list

style 33 // tailor made Menswear revolutionary Thom Browne takes his women’s collection in a new direction.

36 // Central park after dark

Fall’s best evening accessories are out of the woods.

38 // pushing the right buttons Tender Buttons, the ultimate resource for designers and collectors, celebrates 50 years of helping New Yorkers fnd the perfect adornment.

40 // previeW party

42 // neW york times The world’s fnest watch brands celebrate the city’s singular aesthetic.

44 // artful living Ana Maria Pimentel, the fashion director of women’s accessories at Bergdorf Goodman, goes shopping.

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photography by eric ryan anderson

Lizzie Tisch and Kim Kassel get personal with Suite 1521; Victoire de Castellane’s latest haute jewelry collection; Céline’s new store in Soho.

ALOR.COM

martinique jewelers 750 SEVENTH AVENUE BETwEEN 49TH & 50TH STREETS NEw YORk CiTY, NY 10019 212.262.7600 www.MARTiNiqUEJEwELERS.COM

november 2014

Buttoned up: Tender Buttons on East 62nd Street draws top designers and collectors from all over the world.

Actors Gretchen Mol and Josh Radnor chat about their new play, Disgraced, over brunch at Gemma.

culture 48 // Swift CurrentS

Jim Parrack, starring in Fury with Brad Pitt, makes New York his new hometown.

Hugh Jackman returns to Broadway in The River, an eerie drama that probes the mysteries of illusion.

64 // a new approaCh

50 // image maker Annie Leibovitz looks beyond celebrity for a powerful new exhibit at the New-York Historical Society.

52 // miami heat New York gallerists and collectors head south for Art Basel Miami Beach, sure to be a record breaker this year.

54 // Culture Spotlight Immerse yourself in the best art, design, music, and culture the city has to offer.

people 57 // muSeum maeStro

At the Ludlow Hotel, the site of restaurant Dirty French, cocktails mix Gallic flair with Lower East Side attitude.

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62 // well CaSt

Art-world rock star and new curator Xavier Salomon takes charge at a pivotal moment in The Frick’s history.

Eleanor Ylvisaker takes the helm of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Associates Committee in time for this month’s big Fall Party fundraiser.

taste 75 // frenCh kiSSed Dirty French melds southwestern Gallic with Gotham chic.

78 // keeping the night Young The Lower East Side is digging on lower-alcohol cocktails.

80 // CaShing in on Cool Manhattan’s latest restaurant mecca, the Lower East Side, offers spectacular new eats.

82 // taSte Spotlight The latest news on restaurants, bars, and nightspots.

60 // it takeS a Village

84 // the plaY’S the thing

Ambra Medda, Roger Vivier’s new muse and cofounder of L’Arcobaleno, revels in the creative spirit of The Lower East Side.

Gretchen Mol and Josh Radnor, starring in Disgraced on Broadway, do brunch at Gemma in The Bowery Hotel.

photography by evan sung (the play’s the thing, buttons); Josephine rozman (drink)

contents

VENUE

new york, 611 FIFTH AVenUe. 212.753.4000

COLLECTION

saks.com

New York, Fifth Avenue & 50th Street

contents

november 2014

Sigourney Weaver, who became Hollywood’s first female action hero in Ridley Scott’s Alien, teams up with the director again for Exodus: Gods and Kings. Silk blouse, Wayne ($345). Barneys, 660 Madison Ave., 212-826-8900; barneys.com. 18k yellow-gold Medium Cava ring with rock crystal, blue topaz, and diamond accents ($5,595) and 18k yellow-gold earrings ($3,800), Kara Ross. 655 Madison Ave., 212-7558100; kararossny.com. Gold ring, Weaver’s own

features 88 // The FeminisT Queen Sigourney Weaver opens up to pal Kevin Kline about her role in Exodus: Gods and Kings playing the Egyptian queen mum who wanted to kill Moses, working with legendary director Ridley Scott, and why it’s great to be a New York actor.

94 // DiamonDs are Forever

Stylish sleuthing uncovers the season’s biggest trends—dramatic statement pieces—in the city’s most glittering gemflled vaults.

102 // Who oWns The nighT? The biggest players and coolest places that make NYC nightlife tick.

Nearly half of the states have legalized medical marijuana, and the US is amid an end to a prohibition on par with that of alcohol. But just how will the Green Rush grow? And why is it attracting some surprising advocates among doctors, entrepreneurs, politicians, attorneys, and business people?

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photography by JaSoN bELL

110 // Cannabusiness

contents 124

A living room in the new Soori High Line.

november 2014

haute property 117 // THE FasHiON CONdO Style amenities lure foreign buyers to a Central Park South property.

120 // THE sOuTH RisEs Getting to know Central Park South.

122 // LuxE LEasEs Why stars are renting their abodes.

124 // diViNg iN Starchitect Soo Chan sees the in-home pool as the latest condo must-have.

126 // a New NEw YORk aEsTHETiC

the guide 129 // aFTER THE PaRadE The Lambs Club rethinks Thanksgiving.

130 // HOLidaY FLaVORs Classic and innovative menus for Turkey Day.

131 // MaNHaTTaN’s BEsT NEw BaRs

Make Happy Hour even happier.

and finally... 136 // THE LasT LaugH Is the Big Apple the Big Gloom?

ON THE COVER:

Sigourney Weaver Photography by Jason Bell

Styling by Basia Zamorska at Kate Ryan Inc. Beaded sheer yoke dress, Saint Laurent ($4,450), Barneys, 660 Madison Ave., 212-826-8900; barneys.com. Aria stud earrings with .15 solitaires with diamond pavé, De Beers ($4,200). 703 Fifth Ave., 212-906-0001; debeers.com

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on the cover: Styling aSSiStance by valerie USUi and laUra eScalante. hair by MaUry hopSon. MakeUp by Sandy linter, lancôMe MakeUp artiSt at rita hazan Salon. ManicUre by caSandra laMar USing dior verniS at Factory downtown. Shot on location at Sixty SoHo, 60 Thompson sT., 877-431-0400; 60hoTels.com/soho

Meet downtown celebrity designers Ariel Ashe and Reinaldo Leandro.

DsquareD2.com

NeW FLaGsHIP sTore

461 NorTH roDeo DrIVe - BeVerLY HILLs, ca

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We have the inside scoop on New York City’s best parties, real estate, and more. home

THE CITY’S COZIEST APARTMENTS And by “cozy” we don’t mean small. These apartments have winter-ready details like fireplaces and more.

SEE THE LATEST FROM LAST NIGHT’S EVENTS Couldn’t attend? Browse the newest photos from New York City’s most exclusive parties.

real estate

BRAND-NEW BUILDINGS YOU’LL WANT TO LIVE IN Be the first to own these just-opened or coming-soon properties.

COME FOLLOW US

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLINDFIRE (FIRE); EUGENE GOLOGURSKY/GETTY IMAGES (ELISABETH MOSS); SEAN PAVONE (CENTRAL PARK)

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CATHERINE SABINO Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor JENNIFER DEMERITT Editor-at-Large SAMANTHA YANKS Art Director ANASTASIA TSIOUTAS CASALIGGI Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Assistant Editor ERIN RILEY Fashion Editor FAYE POWER Copy Editor WENDIE PECHARSKY Research Editor JAMES BUSS

DAWN DUBOIS Publisher Advertising Directors VICTORIA HENRY, JIM SMITH Account Executive MORGAN CLIFFORD Director of Event Marketing JOANNA TUCKER Event Marketing Manager CHRISTIAMILDA CORREA Business Development Coordinator JAMIE HILDEBRANDT

NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC Senior Vice President and Editorial Director MANDI NORWOOD Vice President of Creative and Fashion ANN SONG Creative Director NICOLE A. WOLFSON NADBOY Executive Fashion Director SAMANTHA YANKS ART AND PHOTO

Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Associate Art Directors ALLISON FLEMING, ADRIANA GARCIA, JUAN PARRA, JESSICA SARRO Senior Designer NATALI SUASNAVAS Designers AARON BELANDRES, SARAH LITZ Photo Editors KATHERINE HAUSENBAUER-KOSTER, JODIE LOVE, SETH OLENICK, JENNIFER PAGAN, REBECCA SAHN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN FASHION

Senior Fashion Editor LAUREN FINNEY Fashion Assistants CONNOR CHILDERS, LISA FERRANDINO Entertainment and Bookings Editor JULIET IZON COPY AND RESEARCH

Copy and Research Manager WENDIE PECHARSKY Copy Editors DAVID FAIRHURST, NICOLE LANCTOT, JULIA STEINER Research Editors LESLIE ALEXANDER, JUDY DEYOUNG, AVA WILLIAMS EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

Director of Editorial Operations DEBORAH L. MARTIN Director of Editorial Relations MATTHEW STEWART Editorial Assistant CHRISTINA CLEMENTE Online Executive Editor CAITLIN ROHAN Online Editors ANNA BEN YEHUDA, TRICIA CARR Senior Managing Editors DANINE ALATI, KAREN ROSE, JILL SIERACKI Managing Editors MURAT OZTASKIN, OUSSAMA ZAHR Shelter and Design Editor SUE HOSTETLER Timepiece Editor ROBERTA NAAS ADVERTISING SALES

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing NORMAN M. MILLER Account Directors SUSAN ABRAMS, MICHELE ADDISON, GUY BROWN, CLAIRE CARLIN, KATHLEEN FLEMING, KAREN LEVINE, MEREDITH MERRILL, NORMA MONTALVO, ELIZABETH MOORE, GRACE NAPOLITANO, JEFFREY NICHOLSON, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, SHANNON PASTUSZAK, MIA PIERRE-JACQUES, VALERIE ROBLES Account Executives SUSANA ARAGON, MICHELLE CHALA, JANELLE DRISCOLL, ALICIA DRY, VINCE DUROCHER, IRENA HALL, SARAH HECKLER, CATHERINE KUCHAR, JULIA MAZUR, FENDY MESY, MARISA RANDALL, MARY RUEGG, ERIN SALINS, LAUREN SHAPIRO, CAROLINE SNECKENBERG, JACKIE VAN METER, JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Advertising Business Manager RICHARD YONG Sales Support and Development EMMA BEHRINGER, ANA BLAGOJEVIC, EMILY BURDETT, CRISTINA CABIELLES, BRITTANY CORBETT, DARA HIRSH, KARA KEARNS, KELSEY MARRUJO, MICHELLE MASS, NICHOLE MAURER, RUE MCBRIDE, STEPHEN OSTROWSKI, ELENA SENDOLO, ALEXANDRA WINTER MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations LANA BERNSTEIN Vice President of Integrated Marketing EMILY MCLINTOCK Director of Integrated Marketing ROBIN KEARSE Integrated Marketing Manager JIMMY KONTOMANOLIS Director of Creative Services SCOTT ROBSON Promotions Art Designers KAITLYN RICHERT, CARLY RUSSELL Event Marketing Directors AMY FISCHER, HALEE HARCZYNSKI, MELINDA JAGGER, LAURA MULLEN, KIMMY WILSON Event Marketing Managers ANTHONY ANGELICO, JUDSON BARDWELL, CRISTINA PARRA Event Marketing Coordinator BROOKE BIDDLE Event Marketing Assistant SHANA KAUFMAN ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Director of Positioning and Planning SALLY LYON Positioning and Planning Manager TARA MCCRILLIS Assistant Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Production Artists ALISHA DAVIS, MARISSA MAHERAS, DARA RICCI Distribution Manager MATT HEMMERLING Assistant Distribution Relations Manager JENNIFER PALMER Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Traffic Coordinators JEANNE GLEESON, MALLORIE SOMMERS Circulation Research Specialist CHAD HARWOOD FINANCE

Controller DANIELLE BIXLER Finance Directors AUDREY CADY, LISA VASSEUR-MODICA Director of Credit and Collections CHRISTOPHER BEST Senior Credit and Collections Analyst MYRNA ROSADO Senior Billing Coordinator CHARLES CAGLE Senior Accountant LILY WU Junior Accountants KATHY SABAROVA, NEIL SHAH, NATASHA WARREN Accounts Payable Coordinator NADINE DEODATT ADMINISTRATION, DIGITAL, AND OPERATIONS

Director of Operations MICHAEL CAPACE Director of Human Resources STEPHANIE MITCHELL Executive Assistant ARLENE GONZALEZ Digital Media Developer MICHAEL KWAN Digital Producer ANTHONY PEARSON Facilities Coordinator JOUBERT GUILLAUME Chief Technology Officer JESSE TAYLOR Desktop Administrators ZACHARY CUMMO, EDGAR ROCHE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

J.P. ANDERSON (Michigan Avenue), SPENCER BECK (Aspen Peak [Acting], Los Angeles Confidential), ANDREA BENNETT (Vegas), KATHY BLACKWELL (Austin Way), KRISTIN DETTERLINE (Philadelphia Style), LISA PIERPONT (Boston Common), JARED SHAPIRO (Ocean Drive), ELIZABETH E. THORP (Capitol File), SAMANTHA YANKS (Hamptons) PUBLISHERS

JOHN M. COLABELLI (Philadelphia Style), LOUIS F. DELONE (Austin Way), ALEXANDRA HALPERIN (Aspen Peak), DEBRA HALPERT (Hamptons), SUZY JACOBS (Capitol File), GLEN KELLEY (Boston Common), COURTLAND LANTAFF (Ocean Drive), ALISON MILLER (Los Angeles Confidential), DAN USLAN (Michigan Avenue), JOSEF VANN (Vegas)

Managing Partner JANE GALE Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chief Executive Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Copyright 2014 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Gotham magazine is published eight times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material, and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Gotham magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs, and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 866-891-3144. For customer service, please inquire at gotham@pubservice.com. To distribute Gotham at your business, please e-mail magazinerequest@nichemedia.net. Gotham magazine is published by Niche Media Holdings, LLC, a division of Greengale Publishing, LLC. T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003

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TO ALL OF YOU WHO ENJOY LIFE RESPONSIBLY thedalmore.com

SIX CASK FINISHES. ONE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT.

Letter from the editor-in-Chief // this month //

on my radar Thanksgiving (November 27) is late this year, giving New Yorkers a little more prep time before the holiday season kicks into high gear. Here are a few of the many items on my radar this month. 1. Celebrating the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe at the newly opened Rainbow Room. It’s always good to see a venerable brand endure and thrive. 2. Toasting the 80th anniversary of the Bloody Mary at the King Cole Bar at The St. Regis Hotel. The St. Regis has long been my New Year’s Day go-to spot, but I try to fnd any excuse to get here. 3. The Real Thing, produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company, stars Ewan McGregor, former Gotham cover star Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Cynthia Nixon. Can’t wait to see this one!

1 With Romaine Pianet, senior brand director for Piper-Heidsieck, at a recent Gotham cover party.

Few will argue against the notion that these are celebrity-

catherine sabino Follow me on Twitter @csabino and on gotham-magazine.com.

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PhotograPhy by EugEnE gologursky/gEtty ImagEs for Gotham magazInE (sabIno); bart barlow (raInbow room); brucE buck (thE st. rEgIs); andrEas branch/PatrIckmcmullan.com (mcgrEgor)

obsessed times, but I was amused to hear Sigourney Weaver, when c hatting with her longtime pal Kevin Kline for our cover feature, say, “We’re very lucky to live in a city where people don’t pay attention to us.” You wouldn’t expect such chronic nonchalance in a place where passions—for money, politics, sports, zoning, the Apple Store—run astoundingly deep. How do New Yorkers turn off the switch? Years ago I walked into a Madison Avenue shop to find myself face to face with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, at the time the most famous woman in the world. It was momentarily jarring to see someone whose myth was seared into the national consciousness quietly shopping for decorative objects and going about her life like an ordinary New Yorker. No one in the store approached her, out of respect without doubt, but was there something more at work? I think New Yorkers’ approach to fame—manifested either by its zealous pursuit or the quiet ambivalence that comes when faced with a living embodiment of it—is one of the city’s most appealing paradoxes. No one can say our often high-strung competitiveness isn’t without soul. We may worship celebrity, but New Yorkers seem to have a sixth sense about its illusions and cost. With the exception of homegrown paparazzi, we like to give the famous their space; let Woody Allen play his clarinet in peace at the Carlyle; Princess Eugenie go about her work like any 20-something; even huge sports stars find privacy in the crowds. I once watched Tom Brady stroll a few blocks down Madison Avenue without interruption (quite an achievement, even in this Giants town, considering his height and gorgeousness). We end this month with the holiday of Thanksgiving. The city has much to be thankful for: the economy is on the up, the world’s most successful men and women still clamor to be here, and One World Trade Center is finally open for business, a vivid symbol, if there ever was one, of the city’s poignant resiliency. Happy Thanksgiving.

letter from the Publisher 1

Feeling very special while sporting a dazzling pavé diamond cuff by David Yurman, valued at $250,000, at a luncheon at Saks Fifth Avenue.

of invitations to new store and restaurant openings, film screenings, and meetings— and, of course, it launches the season of giving. The demanding pace is something you must embrace, as there is no rest for the weary come November. Even the tradition of giving thanks for the good fortune to have family and sustenance can be a complicated affair during the holidays. Our autumnal ritual places an oversize flightless bird center stage among a galaxy of complex sides and sauces. New Yorkers rediscover hidden kitchen artifacts such as the baster and the covered tureen, and at last the ladle finds its place in our lives. For this particular holiday, frenetic New Yorkers admit they are happy to be invited guests. Anyone who agrees to host earns our profound appreciation, and sympathy! And if you are lucky enough, perhaps you will score a table at the storied Four Seasons Restaurant. So why is New York the city of yes? I had the pleasure of organizing an evening to honor Gotham’s distinguished October cover star, Henrik Lundqvist, with guests including his fellow New York Rangers. In our tradition of celebrating with consciousness, we asked our Gotham partners such as Wolfgang’s Steakhouse to lean in along with us and donate special items to benefit The Henrik Lundqvist Foundation, which strives to create positive change in the lives of children and adults through education, music, sports, and health services by supporting organizations such as New York-Presbyterian and Garden of Dreams. The immediate responses to commit to supporting this effort were overwhelming. I am so proud to live in a city where the first response is “yes,” and the next question is, “When do you need it?” Amazing. I love the ease of generosity of this town. We are so fortunate to have one another! For this, among other things, I give a most grateful and heartfelt thanks.

dawn dubois Follow me on Twitter @dawnmdubois and on gotham-magazine.com.

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// this issue //

on my radar 1. I love shopping in the food hall at The Plaza. On a cold November day, there’s nothing better than a black and white cookie from William Greenburg Desserts. 2. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge—taking in the breathtaking views of the harbor and soaking up the city’s history—is an iconic New York experience. The perfect way to cap it off? Lunch at the beautiful River Café in DUMBO. 3. Working in the Financial District, something new pops up every day. One thing that reminds me why I adore New York is the mural commissioned by Century 21, by the artist Mr. Brainwash. We Love New York is a daily reminder of what our city has been through and where we are going.

photography by Cindy ord/getty images (dubois); Jamie hildebrandt (the plaza, brooklyn bridge, mural)

In november, new York Is the cItY of “Yes” and “now” for me. Fall begins slowly, but by November our calendars burst with a patchwork

THE ORIGINAL – THE LUGGAGE WITH THE GROOVES In 1950, the first RIMOWA suitcase with the unmistakable grooves was issued. Since then, it has evolved into a cult object in its own right. To this day, the original RIMOWA luggage has lost none of its fascination. It remains the luggage of choice for all those who seek the extraordinary – including model Alessandra Ambrosio. RIMOWA Opens First New York City Store – 535 Madison Avenue – New York

www.rimowa.com

// november 2014

Kevin Kline actor

Kari Molvar writer

Quentin letts writer

Josephine rozMan photographer

eric ryan anderson photographer

Kevin Kline is the star of such films as A Fish Called Wanda, Dave, The Ice Storm, and the recent My Old Lady, among many others. He has won an Academy Award, SAG Award, and two Tony Awards. Here, Kline interviews longtime friend and cover star Sigourney Weaver on page 88. Tell us about the interview: I usually dislike talking about my own work in an interview, feeling that asking an actor to describe his work is like asking an airplane to describe a bird. So this was an opportunity to experience the position of the journalist for once. Sigourney made the “job” easy. Of course, our first impulse was to do a parody of a serious interview, but our better angels prevailed, not to mention the editors. And it was a good excuse to have lunch with my good friend and have someone else pay for it. What’s your favorite NYC escape? Kayaking on the East River. What’s next for you? I start a movie in three weeks with Meryl Streep called Ricki and the Flash about a woman who leaves her husband and three kids to seek fame and fortune as a rock singer.

Kari Molvar writes about fashion, beauty, and culture for a variety of publications, including T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Town & Country, and InStyle. She wrote this issue’s “Style Setter” (page 33) on Thom Browne and “Spirit of Generosity” (page 64) on Eleanor Ylvisaker. What do you think makes Thom Browne so successful? He understands how the modern woman wants to dress—she wants to be sophisticated and elegant, but have fun at the same time. As a designer he has a meticulous eye for tailoring and construction, and he doesn’t mince words in an interview—he’s very concise. Tell us about your conversation with Eleanor Ylvisaker. She’s genuinely kind and down-to-earth, and I really loved how she’s instilling the lessons of being compassionate to others in her two young children. Every week they put their allowance in Save, Spend, or Give jars at home. I’m inspired to do the same with my kids!

Quentin Letts is parliamentary sketch writer and theater critic for the Daily Mail and a former New York bureau chief for The Times of London. He is the author of several books, and penned this issue’s “And Finally” on page 136. Even if the Big Apple got roughed up in recent surveys, what do you like most about the city? I like the dingier downtown bars, the corned beef hash [at Sarge’s Deli in Murray Hill], and the badly sprung seats in the back of the taxis—boiiing! If you wrote a book about New Yorkers, what would it be? City of Right Angles. When I lived in New York, I found myself almost overwhelmed by the lack of curves. All those oblong skyscrapers, grid-laid streets, sharp-edged suits, and drainpipe waists. How do you manage such a fast-paced writing schedule? Freelancers have to write fast—time is dimes. I also find that if you file quickly, you are less likely to have second thoughts. Gut reaction is a good guide and is more likely to chime with readers than something more intellectualized and anguished.

Josephine Rozman is a New York–based food photographer and stylist for clients like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Hong Kong Tatler, and DestinAsian. For this issue, Rozman photographed Dirty French for “So Many Dinners” on page 75. How did the shoot go? The boys from Dirty French were a riot. Like their venue, they were an eclectic mix of personalities and styles. The food feature came together rather organically; there were so many unexpected aesthetic treasures within the space that inspired the moment and played hero to the images. What are some of your go-to spots for the holidays? The Red Cat (227 10th Ave., 212-2421122; theredcat.com) is an unpretentious space with a beautiful bar setup. I love the simplicity of its plates and the wonderful wine offerings. And The Dutch (131 Sullivan St., 212-6776200; thedutchnyc.com) is where my husband decided that New York would be our new home, so it has sentimental significance to me. I love the roast chicken with farro, and you can’t skimp on the oysters from the raw bar.

Eric Anderson is a Brooklynbased photographer focusing on portraiture and lifestyle. His work appears regularly in Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. In this issue, Anderson photographed “Talent Patrol” (page 62), “Native” (page 60), and “Style Setter” (page 33). What was your favorite shoot for this issue? Photographing Jim Parrack [for “Talent Patrol”] was great. We arrived on the set of the film he is directing in Brooklyn and photographed him between takes. Not a tough task when working in the beautiful Irondale Theater in Fort Greene. Tell us about photographing Thom Browne for “Style Setter.” As a contrast to his highly stylized runway collection, we wanted to isolate him in a simple black and white portrait setting. What are some of your holiday traditions? The holidays in New York make the rest of the year worth the struggle! We always love playing tourist—catching a Broadway show on a cold December night and stopping by the tree at Rockefeller Center.

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photography by david crump (letts)

...without whoM this issue would not have been possible

ARE YOU PREPARED? Interstellar.hamiltonwatch.com

the list November 2014

Eric Holder

Christine de Saint Andrieu

Jimmy Fallon

Coco Kopelman

David Fincher

Bara de Cabrol

Stephen Sills

Martha Glass

Jamee Gregory

Eileen Rockefeller

Suzy Welch

Kamie Lightburn

Joe Armstrong

Irwin Simon

Olga Vidisheva

Lorry Newhouse

Ray Kelly

Katharina Otto-Bernstein

Becky Quick

Carole King

Alison Lurie

Sharon Bush

Ken Langone

Dr. Oliver Sacks

Jeff Koons

Jackie Weld Drake

Princess Firyal of Jordan

Fe Fendi

Cecilia Alemani

Martine Assouline

Marjorie Gubelmann

Chris Martin

Ed Ruscha

Campion Platt

Claude Wasserstein

Barbara Tober

Paula Cooper

Ellie Cullman

Ewan McGregor

Jessica Lappin

Catie Marron

Audrey Gruss

Eva Dubin

Priscilla Rattazzi

Grace Mirabella

CeCe Cord

Gigi Mortimer

J. Mendel

Florence Peyrelongue

Patricia Herrera Lansing

Caroline Weber

Maurice DuBois

Paulette Cole

Giancarlo Giammetti

Christine Schwarzman

Edwina Sandys

Lizzette Kattan

Charles Rockefeller

Sade Baderinwa

Zander Farkas

Ricardo Scofidio

Ansel Elgort

Nancy Kissinger

Rikki Klieman

Dorothy Lichtenstein

Dr. Margaret Cuomo

Josie Natori

Antonio Piacquadio

Terry Lundgren

Dr. Steven Corwin

Boykin Curry

Kick Kennedy

30â&#x20AC;&#x192; gotham-magazine.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192;

212.269.2323 | www.MasterpieceCaterers.com

style tastemaker Thom Browne adds embellished fabrics to his women’s collection for Spring/Summer 2015.

Tailor Made

Menswear revolutionary Thom Browne takes his woMen’s collection in a new direction.

by kari molvar photography by eric ryan anderson

Fashion designer Thom Browne has already revolutionized the men’s suit—his name is synonymous with a certain ankle-grazing style known the world over—and now he’s out to transform the way women dress as well, one creatively imagined garment at a time. While Browne has used suiting fabrics for his women’s ready-to-wear in the past, this season he continued on page 34

gotham-magazine.com

style tastemaker A sculptured garden party at the Thom Browne Spring/Summer 2015 presentation during New York Fashion Week.

Browne in his studio. He says his male and female clients “are actually very similar in character.”

dazzles with new materials and construction tactics. Trousers and jackets feature stunning floral and moiré intarsia motifs. For certain suits he embellishes Prince of Wales fabric with embroidered patterns, cutting out sections to create an effect similar to broderie anglaise. Botanical prints appear almost lifelike, crafted with an innovative Indian satin stitch technique using silk yarn, while other florals seem to float in the air with delicate embroidery. He also makes creative use

34 gotham-magazine.com

of tweed, deconstructing it by hand, pulling out some of the cross threads, and replacing them with grosgrain ribbon. Such exquisite details are a natural extension of Browne’s wildly successful menswear brand, which he started in 2001 after trading a Hollywood acting career for one in fashion in New York City. From those earliest days, his finely tailored pieces appealed to the female set. “I have always made women’s clothes through my made-to-order

business,” he explains. And while their sartorial needs might differ, the designer quickly discovered that both his male and female clients “are actually very similar in character.” The adjectives that might describe a Thom Browne woman or man? Strong, confident, and with a flair for detail. “Both the men’s and women’s collections essentially come from the same place, starting with tailoring, especially the quality, craftsmanship, and play on proportions being

the key aspects.” The finishing touches are important to Browne as well, and for that reason each outfit in the women’s ready-to-wear show was paired with punchy extras and eye-catching hats— everything from chic fedoras to turban head wraps— designed by the milliner Stephen Jones. “The collection is complete with accessories, such as shoes bags, belts, and so forth,” Browne says. Still, for all its inventiveness and outré details, the line is

remarkably wearable, which perhaps explains why it’s caught on so well with style and fashion influencers. While his collections are carried worldwide, Browne thrives on his New York City surroundings, where he has an atelier on Hudson Street in Tribeca. “I’m influenced by the energy the city has,” he says. No doubt those who wear his clothing can’t wait see what this forward-thinking designer will dream up next. 100 hudson st., 212-6331197; thombrowne.com G

photography ©DaN & CorINa LECCa (ruNway)

“Both the men’s and women’s collections come from the same place, starting with tailoring.” —thom browne

THE COAT OF NOTE LO R D A N DTAY LO R . C O M

F R O M O U R E XC L U S I V E L O R D & TAY L O R 424 FIFTH COLLECTION — I TA L I A N C A S H M E R E / W O O L C O AT, $ 8 9 9 TURTLENECK, $124 SUEDE/PONTE LEGGINGS, $248 BOOTIE, $149

A l w a y s Fr e e S h i p p i n g o n o n l i n e o r d e r s o v e r $ 9 9

V I S I T O U R F L A G S H I P S TO R E O N F I F T H AV E N U E AT 3 9 T H S T R E E T

STYLE Accessories BUTTERFLY EFFECT Swarms of butterflies build the perfect home in a statement clutch.

Central Park after dark

Fall’s best evening accessories are out oF the woods. PhotograPhy by brian klutch fashion styling by faye Power

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ProP StyliSt: ChriStoPher Stone; ManiCure by CaSandra laMar uSing Chanel le VerniS and FarMhouSe FreSh hand CreaM at FaCtory downtown; Model: nik d For PartS ModelS

Butterfly flap bag, Valentino Garavani ($2,895). 693 Fifth Ave., 212-355-5811; valentino.com

1 WINTER BLOOMS

TREE LIMB

Dark florals grace an elegant winter pump.

Cuff bracelets with the texture of bark become the new winter essentials.

THE GILT NECKLACE Leaves turn golden in this magical choker necklace.

WILD GEMS Enchanted jeweled creatures become a delicate accent to caged heels.

1. Minbra pump, Manolo Blahnik ($1,045). 31 W. 54th St., 212-582-3007; manoloblahnik.com. 2. Silver Snake citrine and red garnet ring, Le Vian ($1,365). Lord & Taylor, 424 Fifth Ave., 212-391-3344; lordandtaylor.com. Sterling silver diamond bark cuff bracelet, Michael Aram ($2,225). 136 W. 18th St., 212-242-4219; michaelaram.com. 3. Necklace, Alexander McQueen ($995). 747 Madison Ave., 212-6451797; alexandermcqueen.com. 4. Purple velvet jeweled heels, Dolce & Gabbana ($2,995). 717 Fifth Ave., 212-897-9653; dolcegabbana.com

gotham-magazine.com

STYLE Secret City

clockwise from far left:

Pushing the Right Buttons

Tender BuTTons, the ultimate resource for designers and collectors, celebrates 50 years of helping new yorkers find the perfect adornment. By Suzanne CharlÉ In an age when companies routinely add brand extensions to their portfolios, Tender Buttons—tucked away in a townhouse on E. 62nd Street—delightfully remains a one-trick pony, offering only what its name suggests: buttons. As owner Millicent Safro proudly notes, it is the one shop in the country (“maybe the world”) devoted exclusively, one might say ecstatically, to buttons. This year Tender Buttons marks its 50th anniversary. Over the years, the store has attracted a diverse and dedicated following, including

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Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Gay Talese, and Tom Wolfe. Designers come for their collections or for their own needs. Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren were among the early converts; more recent devotees include Zac Posen and Robert Graham. Entering the narrow space that houses the store, it’s immediately evident that Tender Buttons is as much a museum and lab as an emporium. Floor-to-ceiling shelves are lined with boxes, each holding up to 500 buttons, sorted by color, material, type, and theme.

Today, the townhouse’s four stories are filled with buttons. How many? “I used to say millions,” Safro says, “but billions might be closer.” There are walrus-tusk buttons “perhaps made by the Inuits” and Satsuma porcelain buttons from Japan. French counts and countesses commissioned their portraits to be painted on ivory buttons set in silver; not much later, scenes of the French Revolution were reversepainted on copper buttons. In Italy, artists carved cameos out of conch shells, with likenesses of poets and playwrights.

Buttons also trace 20thcentury mores and trends: silver Art Nouveau from London’s Liberty & Co., Bakelite in bold shapes and colors, paper buttons from a war-torn Europe. Cartoon characters (Mickey, Donald, and Betty Boop garter buttons) abound, as do movie stars (Monroe and Brando), film classics (The Wizard of Oz), politicians, rock stars (a very young Elvis’s hi-fi record), art (a Modigliani print on silk), even sports (a fish hook with fly in glass, made for Schiaparelli). Safro has classic Bill Blass and Todd Oldham buttons, but can’t sell the iconic ones from Chanel. “If you lose one, you have to go to Chanel,” she says. Some years back, one collector bought a rare set of Fabergé buttons with tiny diamonds for $20,000. “Now they’d be worth twice as much—Fabergé is in great demand.” In her own collection, Safro

has 18th-century buttons celebrating Washington’s inaugurals. (“At auction, a similar one sold for $17,000.”) Calvin Klein purchased a set of original blazer buttons created for the Lady Margaret Boat Club (to make the Cambridge crew jacket shine and “blaze,” hence the name “blazer”). The Lotos Club ordered custom-made buttons and cuff links for its members, while a garden society from Asia purchased buttons in the shapes of vegetables (squash) and fruits (a peeled banana). Quirky? One customer came searching for “levitation” buttons for his meditation room. And winter winds always bring New York City dog owners, a breed unto themselves, searching for just the right button for their canine’s coat. Laughs Safro: “One actually brought the dog in and showed it the choices.” 143 E. 62nd St., 212-7587004; tenderbuttons-nyc.com G

photography by evan sung. illustration by Kristine lombardi (map)

Tender Buttons’ collection ranges from the historical to the kitschy; floor-toceiling shelves are lined with cardboard boxes, each holding up to 500 buttons; Millicent Safro, owner of Tender Buttons.

151 W E S T 5 4 T H S T R E E T

N E W YO R K , N Y 10 019

8 8 8 .LO N D N YC

T H E LO N D O N N YC.C O M

Luxury Suite Shown: London Penthouse

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STYLE Spotlight real gems

JEWEL RENDERINGS

Lizzie Tisch and Kim Kassel aim to bring a more personalized shopping experience back to the market.

Preview Party

profile

Victoire de Castellane’s latest haute-jewelry collection takes inspiration from the exquisite Corolle line presented by Christian Dior at his first fashion show in 1947. “I wanted to create each piece, like the dresses Christian Dior designed, with an architect’s eye, as if the jewels were sculpted, flounced, pleated, belted, or draped fabrics,” says the designer, who named each item after an iconic Dior collection or gown. “Some pieces imitate the [line made from] the movement of the hem of a dress, which lifts as a woman walks.” 21 E. 57th St., 212-931-2950; dior.com

// ON TREND // 1

NEW DIGS

The design of Céline’s London ﬂagship, which opened earlier this year, has been adapted to a new 4,400-square-foot store in Soho—a sleek space with ﬂoors inlaid with marble parquetry, travertine shelves, and suspended light boxes through which the building’s original structure can be seen. The brand’s latest collection of shoes, bags, and readyto-wear is showcased in three visually dynamic areas alongside a series of specially commissioned art objects by Danish artist FOS. 67 Wooster St., 212-226-8001; celine.com

SUITE 1521 MAKES IT PERSONAL. “We wanted to create an exclusive salon where both established and emerging designers could find a platform to present their collections directly to the customer,” explains Kim Kassel, who with friend Lizzie Tisch, founded Suite 1521 to bring a more personalized shopping experience back to the market. For an annual fee of $500, members will receive invitations to browse designers’ full and unedited collections and try on pieces in person—all with the help of the label’s designer or a member of the atelier (as well as an on-site seamstress). This month, there will be new collaborations with Alexandre Vauthier, Lynn Ban, Olympia Le-Tan, and Maison Rabih Kayrouz. 980 Madison Ave., 212-585-1521; suite1521.com

Dior Fine Jewelry’s Archi Dior Corolle Jour Émeraude ring in white gold, diamonds, and emeralds.

Stuart Weitzman’s popular 5050 boot gets the custom treatment this fall. SWxYOU, the label’s limited-edition customization program, launching October 20, will allow shoppers to personalize the boot in-store with a variety of leathers and fabrics. 625 Madison Ave., 212-750-2555; stuartweitzman.com

SKYLINE HIGH THIS SEASON’S ARCHITECTURAL BOOTIES echo New York City’s ever-expanding skyline.

Nicholas Kirkwood ($1,595). 807 Washington St., 646-559-5239; nicholaskirkwood.com

40 GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

Proenza Schouler ($1,095). 822 Madison Ave., 212-585-3200; proenzaschouler.com

Sergio Rossi ($915). Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Ave., 212-705-2000; sergiorossi.com

Roberto Cavalli ($1,485). 711 Madison Ave., 212-755-7722; robertocavalli.com

Jerome C. Rousseau ($895). Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Ave., 212-705-2000; jeromecrousseau.com

Bottega Veneta ($970). 699 Fifth Ave., 212-371-5511; bottegaveneta.com

PHOTOGRAPHY © CONDÉ NAST (TISCH)

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STYLE Time Honored

New York Times THE WORLD’S FINEST WATCH BRANDS CELEBRATE THE CITY’S SINGULAR AESTHETIC. It isn’t every day that a watchmaker builds a timepiece dedicated to a particular city. However, with collectors constantly clamoring for something new, different, exclusive, and rare, watch brands look for inspiration from the world’s most beloved cities to build unique timepieces. New York, with its singular style and rich history, offers extraordinary architectural and artistic inspiration. The watch designs for which New York is a muse not only reflect the city’s landmarks, but in some instances incorporate materials from the city itself into the timepiece’s construction. Louis Moinet’s New York Mecanograph watch uses pieces of a meteorite found in the Arctic and brought back to New York to be certified and traded. In a small aperture on the dial sits a fragment of the stone that traveled through the solar system, above a hand-engraved depiction of famed New York structures, including the new One World Trade Center, the Chrysler Building, and the Brooklyn Bridge. For its Liberty-DNA watch, Romain Jerome uses copper material from the Statue of Liberty: a bronze alloy with oxidation for the watchcase and a verdigris-colored, acid-treated copper (DNA) for the dial. The watch was created in collaboration with The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and the Gold Leaf Corporation. The design of this timepiece references Lady Liberty too. Spokes inside the bezel mimic Lady Liberty’s crown and cover a portion of the 46mm watch like a protective shield. Precisely placed above the dial as markers, the 12 spokes eliminate the need for numerals. DeWitt offers a stunning rendition of the New York skyline in its patented Twenty-8-Eight Regulator A.S.W. Horizons watch. The mechanical self-winding movement with tourbillon escapement features an automatic sequential winding (A.S.W.) device—meaning the watch is powered by a peripheral oscillating rotor running along the outer rim of the watch instead of a traditional rotor oscillating on the movement itself. Each watch reflects an aspect of New York that the world has come to love. For more watch features and expanded coverage, go to gotham-magazine.com/watches. G

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from left:

This Romain Jerome Liberty-DNA watch ($14,900) features a design that references the crown of the Statue of Liberty, its spokes acting as hour markers. In addition, the dial is made of copper from the statue itself. Kenjo, 40 W. 57th St., 212-333-7220; romainjerome.ch

From Louis Moinet, the Meconograph New York watch ($55,000) features a fragment of a meteorite discovered in the Artic. This limited edition has 60 pieces and is made from 18k rose gold. By appointment at Cellini at the Waldorf Astoria, 301 Park Ave., 212-751-9824; louismoinet.com

The patented Twenty-8-Eight Regulator A.S.W. Horizons watch by DeWitt ($252,100) is crafted in titanium and features a dial inspired by 1930s New York architecture. Just 150 pieces will be made. By appointment at Cellini, 509 Madison Ave., 212-8880505; dewitt.ch

styling by terry lewis

By RoBeRta Naas photogRaphy By jeff cRawfoRd

U N M I S T E A K A B LY N E W Y O R K “The meat was many wonderful things at once… or in rapid succession… crunchy, tender, smoky earthy… It induced a kind of euphoria.” New York Times

Miami 315 S Biscayne Blvd Miami, FL 33131 305.487.7130

NYC, Tribeca 409 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10013 212.925.0350

NYC, Midtown 200 East 54th Street New York, NY 10022 212.588.9653

NYC, Times Square 250 West 41st Street New York, NY 10036 212.921.3720

NYC, Park Avenue 4 Park Ave New York, NY 10016 212.889.3369

Beverly Hills 445 N Canon Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310.385.0640

W W W. WO L F G A N G S S T E A K H O U S E . N E T

Waikiki 2301 Kalakaua Ave Honolulu, HI 96815 808.922.3600

Tokyo 1F Roppongi DUPLEX M’s

5-16-50, Roppongi Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 106-0032 03.5572.6341

STYLE Social Network “[VINTAGE JEWELS] ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY ONCE MEANT SOMETHING TO SOMEONE” —ANA MARIA PIMENTEL FROM LEFT:

Artful Living

ANA MARIA PIMENTEL, THE FASHION DIRECTOR OF WOMEN’S ACCESSORIES AT BERGDORF GOODMAN, GOES SHOPPING. BY ERIN RILEY

Ana Maria Pimentel has been navigating the New York fashion scene for years. She began her career at Elle and served as accessories director for Harper’s Bazaar. In March 2012, she was appointed accessories director for the Neiman Marcus Group (the parent company of Bergdorf Goodman). Here, she turns her discerning eye to shopping in New York. For Pimentel, there’s nothing better than wintertime in the city. “I love it for all the clichés—Central Park covered in snow and Fifth Avenue’s holiday windows.” To prepare

GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

for the holidays, she recommends a stop at Neue Galerie (1048 Fifth Ave., 212-6286200; neuegalerie.org). “Its hot chocolate and apple strudel are the ultimate cold-weather combination; and the gift shop is filled with well-designed art objects that make great gifts.” Pimentel says her grandmother inspired her passion for jewelry, especially vintage pieces. “They are much more beautiful because you know they once meant something to someone.” To sate her hunger for vintage, she visits The Manhattan Art and Antiques Center (1050

Second Ave., 212-355-4400; the-maac.com): “I bought an Art Deco bracelet and a beautiful stud set for my husband for our anniversary there.” For other estate pieces, she heads to Kentshire (700 Madison Ave., 212-421-1100; kentshire.com). Another spot she likes for “thoughtful gift giving” is Kinokuniya (1073 Ave. of the Americas, 212-869-1700; kinokuniya.com). “I always stop here for beautiful coffee-table books and hard-to-find international magazines. This Japanese haven is filled with trinkets.” Pimentel and her family

have recently begun restoring their Brooklyn townhouse, which she plans to furnish with modern pieces from The Future Perfect (55 Great Jones St., 212-473-2500; thefuture perfect.com) and one-of-a-kind finds from the recently opened Boerum House & Home (314 Atlantic Ave., 347-9874267; theboerum.com). “It has a fantastic selection of objects by Brooklyn-based designers and is operated by Slank, an architecture firm [in the borough] that’s doing so much to shape the design scene.” When shopping for her kids, Pimentel visits Makie (109

Thompson St., 212-625-3930; makieclothier.com), where she looks for “comfy pieces with a touch of Japanese playfulness.” High on her winter shopping list is Burberry Prorsum’s monogrammed blanket poncho, Isabel Marant Nowles boots, and shoes by up-and-coming designers Paul Andrew and Francesco Russo. You can find Pimentel checking out their collections at the Bergdorf Goodman shoe salon (754 Fifth Ave. at 58th St., 212-872-8940; bergdorfgood man.com), which this executive says is a favorite stop in her glamorous store. G

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK MCMULLAN/PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM (PIMENTEL); COURTESY OF KENTSHIRE, NEW YORK (BROOCH); LAUREN COLEMAN (THE FUTURE PERFECT)

Ana Maria Pimentel; vintage gold flower brooch from Cartier, London; the Bergdorf Goodman store; coffee tables and a decorative vase from The Future Perfect.

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1. As Bvlgari celebrates its 130th anniversary the

this season, delight your sophisticated beloved with distinctive accessories, elegant baubles, and covetable styles from the finest purveyors of holiday chic.

legendary house ofers this stunning piece from its new MVSA Collection. Te necklace, created in pink gold with amethyst, blue topaz, citrine, chalcedony and pave diamonds, is inspired by the brand’s Greek and Roman heritage and is both classically simple and strikingly modern. Bvlgari, 973-376-7800

2. Ankle boots are all the rage this season and this black silk and grosgrain pair from Christian Dior Couture are the cream of the crop. Inspired by Providence, Christian Dior’s Artistic Director, Raf Simons, looked at how the future is layered upon the past when conceiving his latest collections. Tese boots are part of the Cruise 2015 collection and ofer Renaissance romance intermingled with a currency of edginess. Dior, 973-379-2287

3. Tourbillon ofers this stunning women’s Of-

Centered Hour timepiece from revered watchmaker Blancpain. A new creation, this watch is a true anthem to femininity that blazes with the fre of 152 diamonds. Tis original gem setting is composed of two interwoven rows of diamonds in various sizes that echo the emblematic double-stepped case design of the brand, while the diamonds adorning the crown lend the ultimate touch of refnement. Tourbillon, 973-564-5864

4. Henri Bendel is a name known for unmatched quality and sublime style when it comes to unique accessories. Tese Crystal Stud Nappa Gloves are constructed using genuine leather that is dazzlingly detailed with crystal accents and signature Henri Bendel rivets and feature a 100% Cashmere lining. Henri Bendel, 973-912-0681

5. Long associated with glorious and graceful designs in haute joaillerie, Bvlgari presents this white gold necklace that glitters with 16 carats of the fnest pave diamonds available. Not only will this sublime piece make a statement at this season’s grandest galas, but will become a treasured heirloom that will bring admiring stares for generations to come. Bvlgari, 973-376-7800

6. Grimm by Maje is a crepe optical illusion dress

featuring a boxy, cropped top and kicky A-line skirt that is brought together by a concealed gauze underlay and accented with luminous black satin trim. Tis style has short sleeves, a round neckline and a delicate V at the back. Te overall look says fun and frolicsome that can work on women of any age. Maje, 973-379-7970

7. Known throughout the world for the fnest

writing and design instruments, Montblanc’s StarWalker Extreme Steel ScreenWriter is an evolution for the brand. With its silicon disc, the ScreenWriter allows the drawing, writing and sketching of ideas and inspirations on touch-screens with pen-like precision on all major devices. Te ScreenWriter function can be exchanged with Fineliner & Rollerball reflls for traditional use with paper. Te bold and strong silhouette is made of stainless steel with PVD-plated inlays and platinum-plated clip and fttings that are accented by the foating Montblanc emblem. Montblanc, 973-258-9277

8. Furla is pleased to present one of its most play-

Route 24 & JFK Parkway, Short Hills, NJ 07078 | 973.376.7350 | shopshorthills.com

ful bags ever in the form of the “Candy Bon Bon”. Te chic and shimmery cross body glistens in eyecatching glitter PVC. It is then further embellished with jeweled accents that will make it the standout accessory this season and will have everyone asking Santa for one on their holiday wish list. Furla, 973-218-1300

Hugh Jackman returns to Broadway in The River, an existential drama by Jez Butterworth.

48 GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN WATTS

CULTURE Hottest Ticket

HugH Jac

Swift CurrentS

an returns to Broadway in The RiveR, an eerie drama that proBes the mysteries of illusion. By Patrick Pacheco

When Hugh Jackman first met with Jez Butterworth to discuss his new play, The River, the actor asked the playwright why he’d written the haunting drama. “To give goose bumps,” came the answer. Jackman feels Butterworth has more than succeeded in his goal, explaining how the story affected him emotionally, “which doesn’t happen often,” a reason he chose The River to mark his return to Broadway this fall. The play’s mystery was another lure. “You’re not 100 percent sure where the actor or the writer is going.” On the surface the drama is fairly straightforward. In a remote cliffside cabin overlooking a river, a rugged fisherman introduces a new girlfriend to his passion—capturing huge sea trout, an enticing challenge that awaits them on a moonless night. But there are dark and dangerous undercurrents swirling beneath both the river and its devotees. So much so that when The River premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre—to rave reviews—Michael Billington noted in The Guardian that “...the fascination of [the] play is that it leaves one unsure whether one is watching a ghost story, gothic thriller, or parable.” The thriller aspect is introduced early on, when the girlfriend goes missing and another woman then enters the cabin—a jarring shift that begins a cat-and-mouse game of illusion and reality that takes place not only within the confines of the rustic

cabin but with the audience as well. Butterworth, who blazed to glory with such kinetic and fiercely buoyant plays as Mojo and Jerusalem, takes a cue here from his onetime mentor, Harold Pinter, building an existential unease that provides more questions than answers. Is The Man, as he is known here, a burned-out romantic? A manipulative and deceptive user of women? A love-struck enthusiast or potential psychopath? Are The Woman and The Other Woman two halves of the same person? Jackman has described the play as one with many twists and turns, with a plot offering up a number of imponderables. When we find someone we want to be with, is the attraction real or are we trying to re-create something we’ve lost? Can we

Is Jackman’s character a love-struck enthusIast or a potentIal psychopath?

catch a partner without any bait? Butterworth says that Jackman’s natural accessibility will go a long way in making the audience comfortable with the more elliptical elements of the drama. “If they are less guarded because of who and how Hugh is— hopefully the play will hit harder.” In his work, Butterworth has never shied away from the ritualistic and transcendent nature of theater—its ability to bring people together and, as the playwright has said, “…do something that you could all share in very intensely.” That intensity will be heightened because The River will wend its way through one of the most intimate theaters on Broadway, the Circle in the Square, which should make it easier for Jackman to seduce both the women in the play and in the audience. How could he not, given the scary romantic arias that Butterworth has placed in the mouth of The Man. “I may bring other women here to this place, and I may tell them I love them and make love to them,” his character says at one point, “but they will be impostors. And I will be a ghost. Because it means I will have lost you. My body, my brain, my lungs, my stomach, my guts, legs, arms will be here, but I won’t be. I will be out there, looking for you.” Goose bumps, indeed. The River opens November 16 for a 13-week engagement at the Circle in the Square Theatre. 1633 Broadway, 212-307-0388 G

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culture Art Full Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada by Annie Leibowitz, 2009.

IMAGE MAKER

It took a force of nature to jump-start a major personal project for Annie Leibovitz. Several summers ago, following the death of her partner, Susan Sontag, and in the midst of widely publicized financial difficulties, the renowned photographer took a family trip to Niagara Falls. Between calls with lawyers, she snapped a picture. “When I watched my children stand mesmerized over Niagara Falls, this project [came to me as] an exercise in renewal,” notes Leibovitz, who then assembled a wish list of landmarks and historic places to visit and shoot. “Looking at history provided a way forward.” Nature and history, portrait and landscape, past and present come together in “Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage,” an exhibition of evocative and double take– inducing images that opens November 21 at the New-York Historical Society. Alongside extraordinary vistas of Yosemite are shots of man-made wonders such as Robert Smithson’s 1970 earthwork Spiral Jetty, a curlicue of bulldozed rocks and soil that juts into the Great Salt Lake. From these expansive scenes, Leibovitz moves indoors and up close, revealing the homes, rooms, and possessions of historical figures, from Eleanor Roosevelt’s sleeping porch at Val-Kill Cottage in Hyde Park, New York, to the Yonkers warehouse of the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, a graveyard for the props and sets of performances long past. Best known for her slickly and meticulously produced celebrity portraits,

50 gotham-magazine.com

Leibovitz demonstrates with “Pilgrimage” the ability to create a compelling portrait, even when the subject is long gone. “If you are on an assignment for a magazine, there are always agendas. Things have to get done,” she points out in the accompanying book, Pilgrimage, published by Random House. “I care about my assignment work, but I wanted to try working without that pressure; to be in a situation where I took a picture just because I saw it.” Guest curator Andy Grundberg, who organized the touring exhibition, originally envisioned it as a showcase for a dozen or so of the book’s most stunning photographs, each printed at grand scale. Leibovitz had other ideas. “Annie wanted the experience to be like that of a history museum or one of the historic houses she photographed,” he says of the exhibition, in which the photographs are printed at smaller scale and hung densely on the walls. “It makes it much more intimate,” he points out. Curator Marilyn Satin Kushner, responsible for the New-York Historical Society’s presentation of the show, says that the series is about how Annie Leibovitz sees her American heritage. “As we look at her detailed views of our national legacies, we learn about ourselves by how we interpret the images she has brought to light.” “Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage” will be on display November 21 through February 22, 2015, at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, 212-873-3400; nyhistory.org. G

photography © annie Leibovitz, From Pilgrimage (random house, 2011)

Annie Leibovitz looks beyond celebrity for a powerful new exhibit at the new-york historical society. By Stephanie Murg

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Culture Art Full

miami heat

Top New York gallerisTs aNd collecTors head souTh for Art BAsel MiAMi BeAch, expecTed To seT New records iN sales aNd aTTeNdaNce This Year. By MAtt stewArt

clocwise from top:

Yokos by Jack Early, 2012; ABMB Director Marc Spiegler; Artificial Rock A-63 by Zhan Wang, 2007.

52 gotham-magazine.com

Gotham: What’s new and exciting at this year’s show? Marc Spiegler: With 100 percent of exhibitors in the Galleries sector—the main sector of the fair—reapplying, this year’s list is the strongest yet. We are delighted that a number of US galleries will be joining the show for the first time, including Honor Fraser, Freedman Fitzpatrick, [and New York’s] Michael Jon, Clifton Benevento, Simone Subal Gallery, Garth Greenan Gallery, and Menconi + Schoelkopf. Following the great success of Public last year, I am excited to see this year’s edition, which is again curated by Nicholas Baume of the Public Art Fund in New York. And David Gryn of Artprojx returns with a selection of over 70 film and video works that not only will be screened in SoundScape Park on the 7,000-square-foot projection wall of the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center, but also inside the Miami Beach Convention Center in a newly designed video viewing room. How was Survey, the newest sector this year, conceived? What will be featured there? Survey is dedicated to precise art-historical projects. We decided to introduce the sector because we wanted to create a platform that brings more art-historical positions to the show. With all the museum groups and connoisseur collectors attending, we feel there is a real audience at our Miami Beach show for these remarkable works. How is Art Basel’s expansion into Asia with Art Basel in Hong Kong influencing this year’s ABMB? We certainly see an increase in Asian collectors attending the show in Miami Beach since announcing Hong Kong, for example, as well as new galleries such as Beijing Commune from

photography Courtesy of fergus MCCaffrey (early); long MarCh spaCe (Wang) opposite page: sara gernsbaCher, Courtesy of MiChael Jon gallery (JpW3); Courtesy of the artist and broadWay 1602, neW york (de barros); the artist and garth greenan gallery, neW york (freeley)

Since 2002 Art Basel in Miami Beach has grown and expanded at a dizzying rate. Each December thousands of artists, gallerists, and collectors gather in Miami Beach to see what’s trending in the ever-hot contemporary art world. Last year, the four-day show set new records with over $3 billion in sales and 75,000 in attendance. Art Basel’s director, Marc Spiegler, shares insights about this year’s fair (December 4–7) and discusses why ABMB continues to take the art world by storm.

“What’s great about Miami beach …is that there is a lot of cultural energy.” — marc speigler

clockwise from top left:

Visitors to the Kukje Gallery exhibit at ABMB 2013; C2 by JPW3, 2014; Untitled (from the series Ping-Poem to Boris) by Lenora DeBarros, 2014; Untitled (November) by Paul Feeley, 1965.

China and Take Ninagawa and Y++ Wada Fine Arts from Japan. Last year’s ABMB broke purchase and attendance records. What is Art Basel doing to keep that momentum in 2014? 2013 was a hugely successful edition—that’s why all the galleries want to come back. We do not take this success for granted, and work very hard to keep the quality at our shows high. Immediately after each show, we look at what we can do to make it better and improve the experience of our guests and exhibitors. What’s great about Miami Beach as an event is that there is always a lot of cultural energy, so we can collaborate with great partners from across the Americas and the rest of the world. With the growth of ABMB, what measures

have you taken to vet the galleries that participate to maintain your high standards? Across all our shows, we apply a rigorous selection process that ensures that only galleries with strong programming and a great roster of artists make it into the show. Art Basel Miami Beach actually has not become bigger over the years, but the competition has certainly become tougher. What would you consider to be the fastestgrowing segment of the art market today? What we have noticed over the past editions of our shows in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong is that there are very interesting impulses coming from the “digital native generation of artists.” Collectors and curators are highly interested in the work shaped by new media, new ways of dealing with aesthetics and audiences. G

heading south

What top New York galleries are showing at ABMB. FERGUS MCCAFFREY exhibits new sculpture and

installation pieces by New York’s Jack Early, known for his high-low takes on American life and pop culture. 514 W. 26th St., 212-988-2200; fergusmccaffrey.com

BUREAU, NEW YORK shows the work of photographer

Erica Baum and painter Jaya Howey, two artists who, in different ways, borrow from ready-made imagery to create their art, which is grounded in formal abstraction and narrative representation. 178 Norfolk St., 212-2272783; bureau-inc.com

JAMES FUENTES, NEW YORK will present American

artist Alison Knowles’ Big Book, a walk-in construction composed of eight moveable pages (4 feet wide by 8 feet tall) that has been on exhibit for over 50 years. 55 Delancey St., 212-577-1201; jamesfuentes.com

gotham-magazine.com 53

CULTURE Spotlight

dance revival

MODERN MUSIC

New York’s El Greco Moment

exhibit

THE MET CELEBRATES THE ICONOCLASTIC 17TH-CENTURY ARTIST. BY SUZANNE CHARLÉ This is a banner year for El Greco, as museums in Spain and throughout the world commemorate the 400th anniversary of the artist’s death. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, curator Walter Liedtke has assembled a gem of an exhibition, drawn from the Met’s collection and the Hispanic Society of America (November 4–February 1, 2015). “The paintings by El Greco in New York public collections are second in importance only to those in Madrid,” notes Liedtke. The 16 works “form a nearly complete survey of El Greco’s career, to show his development from Venice to Rome and then to [Toledo, Spain, for the last 37 years of his life.]” Complementing the exhibition, The Frick Collection—12 blocks away—will display its paintings. “The three greatest,” says Liedtke, “are View of Toledo, the Vision of Saint John, which strongly influenced Picasso’s Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon, and the portrait Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara.” metmuseum.org G

John Adams, states The New Yorker, “may be the most vital and eloquent composer in America.” On November 17, Adams acts as curator/ host of five works by composers he admires. The result, says Edward Yim, the vice president of artistic planning for the Philharmonic, where the pieces will be played, “is fantastic,” with compositions by Icelander Daníel Bjarnason “who is creating a lot of buzz,” and Ingram Marshall (Muddy Waters), whom Adams has worked with since the 1970s in San Francisco. The concert is part of the Phil’s new music series, Contact!, which takes place at SubCulture, a Greenwich Village venue. (Adams’ next NYC gig is in March, when the Philharmonic will perform the world premiere of his Scheherazade.) nyphil.org

Missed the original production of In the Heights? Weren’t born in time for Oh! Calcutta!? Run, don’t walk, to the Joyce Theater, where American Dance Machine for the 21st Century will perform some of the musical stage’s greatest dances for its New York debut, November 11–16. The idea, according to Nikki Feirt Atkins, founder and executive artistic director, is to revive great dance works, piecing them together through the memories of artists who made or danced them, and supporting those memories with archival material: notes, photos, “and very grainy black and white ﬁlms.” Then, teach the dances and techniques to a new generation of dancers. “Basically, we’re creating a living archive of dances.” The list of dancer/archivists is star-studded. For the Joyce run, Margo Shappington has resurrected the all-nude pas-de-deux “One on One” from Oh! Calcutta! Robert LaFosse, one of Jerome Robbins’s muses, reconstructed “Mr. Monotony” from Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and Donna McKechnie is coaching dancers in “The Music and the Mirror,” from Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line. Susan Stroman came back to resuscitate Contact’s “Simply Irresistible.” Dances from 42nd Street to Black and Blue—all come alive, thanks to members of the troupe and guest stars. A live band completes the scene. American Dance Machine for the 21st Century will peform November 11–16 at The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave., 212-691-9740; joyce.org.

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century’s dancers Stephen Hanna and Naomi Kakuk.

FAMILY AFFAIRS A DELICATE BALANCE, the Pulitzer Prize–winning dramedy that takes on dysfunctional marriages, adultery, and the decline of the WASP hegemony (the playwright is Edward Albee, after all) comes to Broadway this month in all its dysfunctional glory. The fun kicks off when a much-divorced woman, plagued with undeﬁnable new fears, decides to move in with her afﬂuent suburban parents, Agnes and Tobias, disrupting their placid and predictable lives. John Lithgow, Glenn Close, and Martha Plimpton star in this revival, which opens on November 20. Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45th St., 212- 239-6200; shubertorganization.com/theatres/golden.asp

GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, H. O. HAVEMEYER COLLECTION (EL GRECO); CHRIS LEE (NY PHILHARMONIC); CHRISTOPHER DUGGAN (DANCERS); MICHAEL CHILDERS (ALBEE)

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PeoPle View from the Top Xavier F. Salomon in the West Gallery of The Frick, where he is now the new Peter Jay Sharp chief curator.

MuseuM Maestro

photography by gregg delman

art-world rock star and new curator Xavier Salomon takes charge at a pivotal moment in the Frick’s history. by mark ellwood Given his first experience in New York, it’s astonishing that Xavier F. Salomon ended up as the new Peter Jay Sharp chief curator of The Frick Collection. “I once hated New York,” he says with a laugh, remembering a summer spent here for an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “I arrived and felt I was in some sort of a movie. I thought it was the most awful place.” While school (The Courtauld Institute of Art) and jobs (at the National Gallery and the Dulwich Picture Gallery) returned him to London, “New York kept calling me back every time I went away,” he says, referring to career-boosting opportunities that included a two-year scholarship at The Frick and a senior position at the Met. “Now? I consider this city my home.” The arterati viewed it as a coup when The Frick lured Salomon, a charming and erudite Anglo-Dane, away from that vaunted Met perch overseeing Southern Baroque paintings. Regarded as something of a museum-world wünderkind, thanks to his scholarly writings and the shows he’s organized both in London and in New York, Salomon was only 34 at the time of his appointment. He shrugs off the plaudits. “People used to get great jobs in their 50s, but now they [realize] their potential much earlier. Fashion designers, actors, sports people are all very young, so why should a chief curator not be young, too?” continued on page 58

gotham-magazine.com

PeoPle View from the Top clockwise from far left: The Rehearsal

Salomon grew up in Rome, the son of a Danish father, who was a businessman, and an English mother; his dolce vita-inflected accent is a legacy of that early life. Though his parents weren’t marked art lovers, he easily absorbed the culture in the Eternal City. “There were field trips to the Sistine Chapel. And we would climb inside the Colosseum at night to drink beer.” Perhaps the most formative experience of Salomon’s childhood, though, was the day he was playing soccer in the park around the sumptuous Villa Borghese museum, which was then closed to the public for a years-long restoration. “One of the builders opened it up and let me in to walk around, and all the Bernini sculptures were covered in transparent plastic, like a Christo and Jeanne-Claude installation,” he recalls. “It’s still my favorite museum in Rome.” He moved to London for college, as Italian universities didn’t offer pure art history courses, and quickly found his passion: Old Masters, often dismissed as fusty and staid. “I didn’t have a specific aim at the start, but I’ve always found the Old Masters world way more glamorous than the contemporary one—these objects have withstood hundreds of years of history. It’s much more interesting than what’s happening in this second.” Salomon made his name as the director of the jewel box-like London museum, the Dulwich Picture Gallery; he is now running a museum with a similar ethos to the Dulwich. But he finds it freeing to work in Manhattan. “In London, museums and exhibitions tend to be more apologetic, always trying to do something they feel the public will like. In New York, that’s not the case; museums do shows they believe to be the right shows to do, and it’s much more interesting.” Salomon wants to continue that tradition at The Frick, whether that means overseeing long-planned exhibitions such as its current El Greco show, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the artist’s death, or by focusing on what he believes are undervalued parts of the museum’s extraordinary holdings. He’s particularly keen to explore shows around what he calls “the substantial, amazing group of Gainsboroughs,” as well as its Holbein portraits of Thomases Cromwell and More.

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Salomon is also curating for the institution at a time of great change: A controversial museum expansion by Davis Brody Bond that requires demolishing a 1970s extension and paving over some gardens was recently announced and then quickly denounced in The New York Times. “There’s a very famous sentence in [the Italian novel] The Leopard,” he responds, “‘Everything has to change so everything stays the same.’” But Frick stalwarts overlook the fact that the museum, often perceived as preserved in amber since its namesake tycoon’s death in 1919, has changed immensely over the years, in terms of exhibition space, acquisitions, and how the pictures are hung. The proposed extension, he explains, will allow the museum to host more lectures and concerts, as well as open up the second floor of the onetime private residence. It will give visitors another reminder of The Frick’s unique origins. “I work every day in [Henry Frick’s] old office, and hold meetings in what was his bedroom,” says Salomon. “I feel this presence, a character that was larger than life. It’s a reminder that this is not only a museum—it’s The Frick collection, [the work] of an individual man.” G

A CurAtor’s EyE

Xavier Salomon walks us through The Frick. Most captivating artwork: “The

picture I can’t believe I’m in charge of is the Bellini St. Francis in the Desert, arguably the best Italian picture in America. It’s a visual representation of something invisible; stand in front of it and you can feel the wind whistling through the trees.” Most overlooked geM: “The Frick has

unbelievable objects, tapestries, furniture. There’s a French 18thcentury table made out of solid blue-gray marble that sits under the Ingrès

portrait Comtesse d’Haussonville. Everyone looks at the portrait, but the table is unbelievable. I tell people to try and come one day and don’t look at the pictures—look at everything else.” Favorite tiMe at the MuseuM:

“There’s something magical frst thing in the morning, walking through the collection, as the guards are setting things up. You still get the feeling it’s a house being prepared for guests to arrive. That’s wonderful.”

photography by gregg delman (salomon); the Frick collection galen lee (Frick exterior); michael bodycomb (The rehearsal)

by Edgar Degas, 1878–1879; The Frick and its garden fronting Fifth Avenue; Xavier Salomon in the Fragonard Room at The Frick.

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PEOPLE Native

clockwise from left:

Ambra Medda exits The Smile, a favorite spot on Bond Street; Medda says the mix of people found on the Lower East Side is the reason she finds it so interesting; The Future Perfect is a must-stop for its design-savvy yet affordable inventory.

It takes a VIllage

AmbrA meddA, RogeR ViVieR’s new muse and cofoundeR of L’aRcobaLeno, ReVeLs in the cReatiVe spiRit of the LoweR east side. By Stephanie Murg photography By eric ryan anderSon On a sunny fall Thursday, Bond Street bustles under a bright, cloudless sky, but a chat with Ambra Medda is enough to make anyone pray for rain. “There’s no feeling in the world like looking up into the sky and seeing a rainbow,” says the cofounder and creative director of L’Arcobaleno (“the rainbow” in Italian), an online marketplace dedicated to collectible design, from midcentury Italian furnishings to contemporary jewelry. The site’s advisory board includes such consummate collectors as Pharrell Williams, designer Tom Dixon, and fashion designer Reed Krakoff. Born in Greece and raised in Milan and London, 33-year-old Medda, a self-described “international

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Italian,” arrived in New York more than a decade ago and has lived here on and off ever since. She says she is particularly invigorated by downtown Manhattan. “From the moment I first stepped foot in the Lower East Side, I fell in love with its energy,” she says of the area that she has called home for several years. “There’s a really authentic neighborhood vibe. It feels like people live here—not a bunch of tourists. That’s the whole reason we live in and put up with the city—to feel enriched and inspired and stimulated and in the mix of it all. I really enjoy navigating that mix and being part of a place’s larger story.” When it comes to the offline world, the globe-trotting Medda takes time to savor the daily rhythms of

her downtown neighborhood. “I especially love the late afternoon, when all the kids come out of school and hang out in the little gardens throughout the area,” explains Medda. “At this time of day, it’s full of people doing their errands—food shopping at Essex Market or picking up their dry cleaning. I like that everything is in arm’s reach, and there are tons of restaurants.” Among her favorite stops are The Smile, where she frequently takes meetings, and Estela. “You feel like you’re being well taken care of there,” she notes. “Usually restaurants have the same old thing, like branzino, but Estela actually celebrates fish, and I’m a big fish lover.” Medda also frequents Narcissa at

The Standard East Village. “It’s so well designed, with this cool Scandinavian look,” she says. “And the food is phenomenal.” As for the best places to discover and purchase design objects, Medda, who cofounded Design Miami and served as its director for five years, recommends starting at The Future Perfect on Great Jones Street, “one of my favorite streets in New York. Things here are accessible but also aspirational, so you can find a great sofa by an interesting European designer, and you can walk away with a really cool cutting board that’s super well-designed.” On Bond, another favorite street, is Modern Link,

which offers a mix of vintage and original pieces, and a short walk away is Matter, known for its curated exhibitions of young designers, many of them American. Notes Medda, “There aren’t many galleries focused on American design and designers, especially contemporary, so that feels exciting and interesting and valid.” One American designer that Medda particularly admires is Lindsey Adelman, who designs, prototypes, and builds otherworldly light fixtures and more in her Lafayette Street studio, although Medda first spotted her work at a gallery in Milan. “Lindsey is a real talent,” she says. “There’s something quite

“I rEAllY EnJoY BEInG pArT oF A plACE’S lArGEr STorY.” —ambra medda

refreshing about being open about your process and how you work.” Relationships with designers such as Adelman inform Medda’s view of the New York design scene and its role in the global marketplace. “Right now we’re witnessing a kind of Arts-andCrafts revolution of the 21st century,” she says. “You see it here and especially in Brooklyn—hand-assembled work utilizing industrial components, produced in small batches. It’s an ‘industrial craft’ look.” With the continued growth of L’Arcobaleno, Medda is exploring new ways to connect a global audience with collectible objects and their makers: Video features for the site are in the works, as is a possible TV series focused on craft. A favorite place to seek inspiration for new projects is Mast Books. “Every time I look in its window there’s a new book, a new title, a new subject,” says Medda. She recently picked up multiple copies of the Garry Winogrand exhibition catalog. “The photographs show you the city in a new way,” she says. “And yet it’s so New York.” G

neighborhoods musts Ambra Medda reveals her favorite spots.

design Finds THE FUTURE PERFECT: “For the variety, the price

range, and the constantly changing inventory.” 55 Great Jones St., 212-473-2500; thefutureperfect.com clockwise from far left: For unexpected

finds Medda likes Modern Link; Medda’s daily routine includes strolls through the Lower East Side; she catches up on e-mail at Narcissa.

LINDSEY ADELMAN STUDIO: “Her work is poetic and striking.” By appointment only, 212-473-2501; lindseyadelman.com MAST BOOKS: “I know that I can always fnd

something interesting here to bring to a dinner party or for a friend’s birthday. It has saved me many times.” 66 Avenue A, 646-370-1114; mastbooks.com MATTER: “There’s a sense of ethics and attention to detail and a love for craftsmanship that I share.” Medda recommends lighting by Bec Brittain. 405 Broome St., 212-343-2600; mattermatters.com MODERN LINK: “Full of unexpected fnds. That’s

what I spend most days looking for.” 35 Bond St., 212-254-1300; modernlink.com

Favorite bites ESTELA: “Although it’s on super-busy Houston, the restaurant also feels slightly tucked away. You can’t go wrong with the fsh.” 47 E. Houston St., 212-219-7693; estelanyc.com NARCISSA AT THE STANDARD EAST VILLAGE: “I recommend the heirloom tomato

salad.” 21 Cooper Square (E. 5th St. and Bowery), 212-228-3344; narcissarestaurant.com THE SMILE: “It’s cool but not too cool. And the staff

are nice.” 26 Bond St., 646-329-5836; thesmilenyc.com

gotham-magazine.com

PEOPLE Talent Patrol Jim Parrack photographed at The Irondale Center for Theater, Education, and Outreach.

Well Cast

Jim Parrac , starring in the OctOber release Fury with brad Pitt, makes new YOrk his new hOmetOwn. by jennifer Ashley Wright

Jim Parrack is having a bloody good ride. The actor, who shot to fame as the “kind and broad-minded” Hoyt Fortenberry on HBO’s vampire drama True Blood and earned rave reviews for his performance in Of Mice and Men on Broadway, ups his game this month with the release of Fury, a movie about the final days of WWII, which stars veteran actors Brad Bitt and Jason Isaacs. For Parrack, working with Pitt on Fury meant more than sharing screen time with the ultimate Hollywood A-lister. Growing up in Allen, Texas, Parrack harbored notions of an acting career, but kept his goals to himself. “One day I was throwing a

62 gotham-magazine.com

football with my buddy Clif Goddard and said, ‘I wanna be an actor.’ I’ll never forget what Cliffy answered: ‘I mean, you’re no Brad Pitt but you put on a show everywhere you go.’ That was just enough of an encouragement to say out loud that I wanted to act.” The irony that he’s now performing with Pitt hasn’t escaped him. He has nothing but praise for the star. “Brad is a guy damn near everyone in my generation looks up to. He’s always been risky and exciting, and he always seems to enjoy his work. Working with him was a pleasure. He’s a natural, quiet leader; he never got frazzled or arrogant or

grumpy. He always showed up excited for the day’s work.” Parrack says there weren’t a lot of opportunities for acting in Allen, but that his mother, an English teacher, and his father (retired from the Army to become a businessman) were always supportive of his ambitions. At age 20 he moved to Los Angeles. “I met the most important people of my life there [including mentor Robert Carnegie at Playhouse West], but I never liked it as a city or as a culture. I don’t really fit in,” he admits. With the opportunity to perform in Of Mice and Men, he moved to New York in early 2014. He says he felt immediately at home. “The city rewards

authenticity,” he says. “It asks me to step up, man up, and go after something.” Despite a full plate of film projects, Parrack, along with friend James Franco, with whom he performed in Of Mice and Men and in whose The Sound and the Fury (which debuted at both the Venice and Toronto film festivals last month) he has a supporting

role, are working to form an acting school. Located in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene, it will be a repertory theater that also hosts writing labs, and directing and acting classes. Although a newbie in town, Parrack says that he plans on making New York his base. “I fell deeply in love with [this] city. I wake up grateful to live here.” G

city time: Jim Parrack shares his recent discoveries. Broadway Boy: The Longacre Theatre: “This was my home away from home for four months this year. I’ll adore it for the rest of my life.” 220 W. 48th St., 212-239-6200

talk for hours at a time. I love it there.” 60 W. 57th St., 212-3075656; rue57.com

Green Space: “I remember the frst warm spring day in April this year. The whole city showed up in Central Park to celebrate the end of winter.”

School dayS: The S. Oxford Space in Fort Greene: “It’s where we hold class for the PHW (Playhouse West) Brooklyn Lab. It’s a beautiful, intimate place to teach and rehearse. And it’s quiet and elegant.” 138 S. Oxford St., 718-398-3078

BeSt BiStro: “Rue 57

Game time: Yankee Stadium,

restaurant. It’s a place my fancée and I go to for great food and to

of course. 1 E.161st St., 718-2934300; newyork.yankees.mlb.com

photography by eric ryan anderson; styling by casey trudeau; grooming by Jillian halouska using oribe hair care; shot on location at irondale theater

Suit jacket, Burberry ($1,995). 9 E. 57th St., 212-407-7100; burberry.com. Shirt, John Varvatos ($228). 765 Madison Ave., 212-760-2414; john varvatos.com. Jeans, Citizens of Humanity ($208). Barneys New York, 660 Madison Ave., 212-826-8900; citizensof humanity.com. Shoes, Christian Louboutin ($895). 808 Washington St., 212-2552056; christianlouboutin.com

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PEOPLE Spirit of Generosity “I fInd the personal experIences are what make a dIfference.”

a new approach ElEanor Ylvisa Er takes the helm of one of the most sought-after benefits groups in the city, the memorial sloan kettering cancer center’s associates committee, in time for this month’s big fall party fundraiser. as told to Kari Molvar

clockwise from top: Society of MSKCC’s 2013 Annual Fall Party

at the Four Seasons; Allison Aston and Ylvisaker at Gucci Celebrates The Society of MSKCC’s Associates Committee Fall Party in 2010; Ylvisaker and Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss at the Society of MSKCC’s Fall Party in 2012.

64 gotham-magazine.com

“I grew up in New York and started volunteering at Memorial Sloan Kettering a couple of years ago. Cancer runs in my family: An aunt sadly passed away from melanoma before I was born. My godmother, who is my aunt on my father’s side, was treated for lung cancer at MSK. And my mother had ovarian cancer, but is now fully recovered. For two years, I volunteered on the Associates Committee, which was formed in the ’80s as a way to get younger members involved in the hospital, then served under Shoshanna [Gruss] as her vice chair for the past two years. I think she chose me [to succeed her] as chairwoman because she knew I was passionate about the hospital and I would work hard to follow in her footsteps. We have about 50 members on the Associates Committee, and most are in their late 20s to 40s. We often draw a mix of people working in fashion and beauty—Nina Garcia, fashion director of Marie Claire, has been on the committee in the past, and today we have women such as designer Veronica Beard, Mollie Ruprecht from 1stdibs, and Hayley Bloomingdale from Moda Operandi. [Ylvisaker is founder of the personal styling website feyt.com.] What first appealed to me about the Associates is that it’s a real working committee. Our goal is to raise money for patient-related initiatives at the hospital, with a focus on pediatrics. My first steps were to assign every member of the Associates to one of the eight programs and committees. So, for example, there is a Patient Environment Program that raises money for items for patients in need; The A-Team brings in inspirational speakers, such as [cancer survivor] Sheryl Crow. Patient Recreational works on events for the kids at the hospital. Our big Fall Party [on Nov. 12] raises money for the pediatric endowment, which helps pay for families to come and stay in New York at the Ronald McDonald House while their child is being treated at the hospital. The children’s resilience and determination to get better is so inspiring. While the Associates do amazing work to provide funds for innovation in cancer research, I find the personal experiences are what make a difference in patients’ daily lives. To me, that’s the most important part of the work we do. I Continued on page 66

photography by benjamin Lozovsky/bFanyc.com (Four seasons msk annuaL party); joe schiLdhorn/bFanyc.com (gruss); david X prutting/bFanyc.com (aston)

—eleanor ylvisaker

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PeOPLe spirit of generosity Charity register

this month’s best opportunities to give back. PartnershiP with Children Now in its 12th year, the annual Food and Wine Tasting to beneft Partnership with Children, which provides emotional and social support to young men and women in the city’s highest-need communities, will feature fne wines from around the world, courtesy of Daniel Posner of Grapes the Wine Company as well as tastings from some of New York’s best-known chefs. Enjoy offerings from Rachel Goulet of Amali, Ivy Stark of Dos Caminos, Craig Wallen of ’Cesca, Elisa Marshal of Maman, and The Sea Grill’s Yuhi Fujinaga, among others. When: Wednesday, November 5 Where: Broad Street Ballroom, 41 Broad St. Contact: partnershipwithchildrennyc.org

Voss Foundation

above:

Clown Care brings laughter to acutely and chronically ill children at bedsides in the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering. below: Members of the Associates Committee lead groups of carolers through the pediatrics department during the holidays.

66 gotham-magazine.com

This mom e-mailed us to tell us her daughter said, “Today is my best day at the hospital ever!” The hospital also does gift bags around Christmas and fulfills a wish for one family every year. These stories are very hard to hear. Last year, they chose a woman who had 7-year-old twins and another child, who was about 5. She wanted to see a Broadway show with her kids, go to Build-a-Bear and American Girl Place, and have this real Christmas in New York, because it was most likely going to be her last…. Volunteering and charity work was a huge part of my upbringing because of my mother. She is one of the most extraordinary people I know. Her life is dedicated to service. She was a nun for 13 years and the head of Sacred Heart on 91st Street, but left the convent in the mid-’60s, when Vatican II went into effect. Two years later, she met my dad and they married. From there, she had a career in education and was head of the Episcopal School and head of admissions at Spence. My mother once gave her fur coat to a homeless person on the street because she felt the woman needed it more than she. She spent nights in homeless shelters and always made such an effort to get us involved in community service. I try to do the same with my children. I have a daughter, Ella, who is 3, a½ nd a son, Alastair, who is 5. In the spring, the hospital sponsors a Bunny Hop fundraiser. This year I want to make sure the kids who attend are cognizant of the kids in the hospital we’re raising money for, so the children understand the idea of helping others. I do this at home too. My kids have three jars: one each for Spend, Save, and Give. So when they do their chores, they get a quarter and they can choose where to put it. Now they’re starting to understand how it feels to give to somebody in need, and how that’s better than getting something for yourself.” G

uniting against lung CanCer Brian Williams will serve as honorary chair at the nonproft’s annual gala, Strolling Supper with Blues & News, to raise funds for lung cancer research. This star-studded event will also feature a performance by Grammy Award-winning blues artist Delbert McClinton as well as a silent auction for luxe items. When: Wednesday, November 12 Where: Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway Contact: unitingagainstlungcancer.org

James Beard Foundation Such renowned chefs as Emeril Lagasse, Carrie Nahabedian, Guillermo Tellez, Tetsuya Wakuda, and Larry Stone will join host—and James Beard Foundation award winner—Norman Van Aken, for the foundation’s annual gala, which will pay tribute to Charlie Trotter and his enduring infuence on American cuisine. When: Friday, November 14 Where: Four Seasons Restaurant, 99 E. 52nd St. Contact: jamesbeard.org

st. Jude Children’s researCh hosPital The 25th Wall Street Taste of New York will bring together more than 600 attendees from the city’s top businesses. Honoring Catherine Rosen and Michael Lynch, the event will feature silent and live auctions to beneft various St. Jude programs and allow guests to sample cuisine from some of the fnest restaurants in New York. When: Tuesday, November 18 Where: Guastavino’s, 409 E. 59th St. Contact: stjude.org

photography by blanche mackey (clown care); courtesy of memorial sloane kettering cancer center (carolers)

heard from one mom recently who has a young daughter who goes to Sacred Heart. Her daughter hasn’t been in school for over a year and a half, but she went to the Pediatric Prom, which is an event with music and a DJ, that takes place in the hospital for kids of all ages. The kids really look forward to it. Many are missing normal childhood experiences, whether it’s going to their first dance or trick-or-treating, so creating those moments is really meaningful.

The nonprofit will host its fifth annual Woman Helping Women New York Luncheon in an effort to improve the lives of African women and their communities by providing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene as well as to celebrate female empowerment. When: Wednesday, November 12 Where: Dream Downtown, 355 W. 16th St. Contact: vossfoundation.org

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“Stealing the Show... At A Larry Party”

LARRY Lawrence Scott Events Ltd.

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INVITED

FABULOUS FALL FÊTES by Erin rilEy

For New York style mavens, Fashion Week marks the start of the city’s busy fall social season. Elisabeth Moss joined Gotham to fête her stylish September cover; Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, and Tod’s Diego Della Valle celebrated the reopening of Tod’s Madison Avenue flagship; Sarah Jessica Parker dazzled as cochair of the New York City Ballet’s Fall Gala; and Nars Cosmetics threw an anniversary party hosted by Linda Evangelista, Fabien Baron, and Simon Doonan.

PhotograPhy by EugEnE gologursky/gEtty ImagEs

continued on paGe 70

Gotham’s September cover star, Elisabeth Moss, dazzled in an Antonio Beradi dress.

gotham-magazine.com

INVITED

John Huggard, Mary Beth Trypus, Elisabeth Moss, Angelica Almeida, Dina Crisco, Mallory Moore, and Fae Druiz

Chris Murray, Anthony Linder, and Rod Williams

Karen Keoningsberg

ELISABETH MOSS COVER PARTY GOTHAM MAGAZINE CELEBRATED its September cover star, Elisabeth Moss, at Sanctuary Hotel’s Tender restaurant. The Golden Globe Award-winning actress, most widely known for her role in Mad Men, joined friends to fête her cover as well as her latest film, The One I Love. Guests mingled while perusing Bulova’s new luxury watch collection and sipped specialty cocktails by Tequila Baron along with wines from the Chloe Wine Collection.

Tim Gural, Joseph Truzzolino, Jeff Brem, and Anthony Amato

Chloe wine and flowers by Winston Flowers.

Eunice Liriano

Jonathan Frank and Olga Parks

Janie Bryant Romain Pianet Catherine and Sean Lowe

Bulova displayed its latest timepieces.

70 GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

Brandon and Hank Fried

Michelle Wrubel and Dr. Dendy Engelman

Marisa Hebert, Jason Apfelbaum, and Marie Assante

Mike Warren

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EUGENE GOLOGURSKY/GETTY IMAGES OPPOSITE PAGE: PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM (PREMIERE), ARIELE GOLDMAN HECHT (SAN JUAN GALA)

Dr. Francesco Gargano and Sarah Gargano

John Benjamin Hickey, Andy Cohen, and Mark Consuelos

Susie Hariet and Dan Stevens

Calvin Klein and Donna Karan

Adam David Thompson and David Harbour

Seth Meyers

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES PREMIERE THE CINEMA SOCIETY hosted

a screening of Universal Pictures’ A Walk Among the Tombstones on September 17. Following the screening, celebs like Maggie Grace, Bruce Weber, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Luke

Wilson crowded into the glamorous Top of the Standard for an afterparty, joining the film’s star, Liam Neeson, for Qui Tequila cocktails named “Scudder’s Nightcap” to celebrate the film, along with flutes of Champagne Tattinger.

Dee Dee Benkie and Paul Sorvino

Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace

Luke Wilson

Derek Jeter Selenis Leyva

Erin Cronin and David Robertson

Willie Geist

Guests enjoyed Champagne Taittinger.

Tino Martinez

Jacoby Ellsbury and Kelsey Hawkins

Jessica Lugo and Carlos Beltran

NIGHT IN OLD SAN JUAN GALA YANKEES OUTFIELDER CARLOS

Beltran hosted his annual Night in Old San Juan Gala to raise funds and awareness for his namesake charity and Cardinals Care, which helps local children in need. In celebration of his Puerto Rican roots, the event featured

rum tastings, luxury cigars, and native cuisine, while a silent auction included exclusive prizes like sports memorabilia and vacation packages. Sports stars Jacob Ellsbury, Tino Martinez, and Derek Jeter suited up to show support. Chris Capuano and Sarah Clifford

Dellin Betances and Janisa Espinal

GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

INVITED

Oscar Engelbert and Giovanna Battaglia Adrian Grenier and Caitlin Fitzgerald

Zani Gugelmann

Ewan McGregor and Baz Luhrmann

Philipp and Johannes Huebl

Karolina Kurkova and Alessandra Facchinetti

TOD’S COCKTAIL PARTY Following the fashionable fête, a glittery crowd, including Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Baz Luhrmann, Adrian Grenier, Karolina Kurkova, and Uma Thurman, joined Della Valle for dinner at Le Bilboquet. Diego Della Valle and Nicole Kidman

IRIS VAN HERPEN AND DOM PÉRIGNON

Jim Clerkin, Carmelo Anthony, Nicole Ruvo, and Kamal Hotchandani

CARMELO ANTHONY, PAZ DE LA

Anja Rubik

Arnaud de Saignes, Trent Fraser, Iris van Herpen, and Richard Geoffroy

GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

Caroline Issa

Huerta, Bryan Greenberg, and Coco Rocha were a few of the starry names treated to a preview of the Dom Pérignon Limited Edition by Iris van Herpen, an exclusive gift box and label created by the acclaimed designer for the Champagne house’s Vintage 2004. Guests gathered at Pioneer Works Center for Art and Innovation and enjoyed taking in the art installations while sipping glasses of vintage Champagne and sampling hors d’oeuvres by Oliver Cheng Catering and Events. The star-studded night finished with dancing to tunes by MGMT frontman Andrew VanWyngarden.

Amirah Kassem

Kelly Rutherford

Scott Murphy and Michael Avedon

Paz de la Huerta

Bob Sinclair

Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT spun tracks for a crowded dance floor.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE SCHILDHORN/BFANYC.COM (TOD’S PARTY), PHOTOGRAPHY BY BFANYC.COM (DOM PERIGNON)

ON SEPTEMBER 8, Tod’s President and CEO, Diego Della Valle, along with creative directors Alessandra Fachinetti and Andrea Incontri, hosted a cocktail party to celebrate the reopening of the brand’s flagship Madison Boutique.

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taste this Issue: Lower east side

French Kissed Dirty French melds southwestern Gallic with Gotham chic. By Amy ZAvAtto photogrAphy By Josephine roZmAn To declare Dirty French one of the most anticipated restaurant to open in Manhattan for 2014 is no gilded overstatement—and neither is the restaurant. Actually, it exhibits exactly what one might hope it would: classic Gallic greatness as interpreted through the downtown-cool lens of three men who grew up here and know exactly what that means. Only a real New Yorker can know New York—its wrinkles and moods, fashions and phases, history and high-low culture. Partners Mario Carbone and Jeff Zalaznick are each of that rare ilk known as the “Born and Raised New Yorker” (although Rich Torrisi is from that sixth borough, Westchester). And that’s why Dirty French, located in the lobby of the chic Ludlow Hotel and juxtaposed with the shadow of Katz’s Deli on this iconic Lower East Side street, works and works well. With its mosaic-tile floor and grand, faux-rusty chandeliers, the place feels more classic Paris than 21st-century Lower East Side. The grandly large leather-bound menu, which recounts in elegant script chefs Torrisi and Carbone’s experiences continued on page 76

On a silver platter: Oysters at the restaurant are farmed from Eastern Seaboard beds.

gotham-magazine.com

TasTe The PasT Is PresenT Thomas Waugh’s cocktails nod to the neighborhood’s hipster roots.

clockwise from far left: The team

hanging out and training in Lyon and New York with Daniel Boulud, shows that they can do French as well as fettuccine—but in their own way. From appearances, the menu takes a less-is-more approach: Hors d’oeuvres, salade, poisson, rotisserie, and sides are all prepared in a seemingly classic way, but this isn’t a chef’s final exam; Torrisi manages to turn the culinary pillars of French cuisine into forward-looking periscopes, bringing food into view that is as familiar as it is unique in interpretation. “We decided to build off classic French bistro dishes and introduce new flavors from different parts of the world, to make it something that is more in line with our New York background,” says Zalaznick. Translation: style and substance. Order oysters, and all eight or so options are initially presented to you perched atop a pile of just-shaved ice on a sterling silver platter by your waiter, who will explain the provenance and flavor profile of each Eastern-Seaboard

76 gotham-magazine.com

selection. Lamb carpaccio comes served in onion-skinthin slices arranged in a concentric circle with slivers of juicy, fresh fig carefully scattered about, resembling the most delicious, exotic, and edible flower you’ve ever laid eyes on. Gnocchi Parisienne (one of the scant but stellar vegetarian options) alone is worth the cab ride, with its toothsome pasta browned in butter and tossed gleefully with smoked cherry tomatoes, onion soubise, and a soft, sweetly tangy, velvety version of labneh, a Middle Eastern strained yogurt. But it is touches like the latter—also found in the spicy, exotic baker’s-dozen cocktail list created by Thomas Waugh— that set Dirty French apart. “Dirty French, like a dirty martini—we are taking something very clean and pure and adding big, bold flavors to it,” says Zalaznick. Nowhere is that translation better found than in dishes like the duck a l’orange, the old French chestnut that shakes a whole new tail feather when Torrisi

behind Dirty French: Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick; Tatin Pour Deux, an apple tart topped with ice cream; wine being poured from a whimsical antique parrot wine decanter. below right: A Ludlow gimlet, made with Plymouth and Navy Strength gins, cinnamon, crème de abricot, and fresh lime.

rubs the superbly tender meat with house-made ras el hanout, the intensely flavored North African spice mix. But perhaps the most iconic melting-pot example that tells you what Dirty French is about is Torrisi’s heady bouillabaisse, a dish inspired by an investigative trek to Southwestern France. “Rich, Mario, and I found this small town outside of Marseille where they served bouillabaisse and finished it with squid ink,” offers Zalaznick. “We were all inspired by this.” When set in front of you in a grand bowl, the classic fish stew will be familiar, sure, with its thick slices of peasant bread slathered in rich, orange-hued rouille—but, like Ludlow Street’s own modern transformation from working-class enclave to downtownloving denizen destination—it goes beyond simple to

sublime; familiar to entirely new. Mussels, red mullet, monkfish, and wrist-thick chunks of grilled octopus bob and weave in an opaque, sepia-soaked broth, fragrant with saffron. It is dense, robust, and downright moody in flavor, a bit of smoky char here, a bit of briny sea salt influence there. All the dunking and spooning is well worth the effort—you are not likely to find anything like this dish anywhere else in Gotham. “I think that one of the most appealing things for us about this project was the neighborhood,” says Zalaznick, “to celebrate it and its exciting history.” But perhaps the thing most deserving of a huzzah is that Torrisi, Carbone, and Zalaznick are making a kind of history all their own. Dirty French, The Ludlow, 180 Ludlow St., 212-254-3000; dirtyfrench.com G

Thomas Waugh crafts a cocktail list with Gallic favors for Dirty French and the Ludlow Hotel’s back lounge. This is no longer Paul’s Boutiqueera Ludlow Street, but somehow it’s not hard to imagine Lou Reed in the hotel’s back lounge bar, sitting on the cool leather sofas while ’70s and ’80s-era classics bump from the hanging Marshall stack speakers. Waugh’s cocktail list (also available in the restaurant) inspires this kind of thought and it matches the mood of the groovy lounge, adding a similar exotic kick that works well with the Dirty French ethos. Standout cocktails include a deceptively potent Montecristo (Irish whiskey, crème de banana, amontillado sherry) or, perhaps, a Lilikois (Cognac, Jamaican rum, passion fruit) to prime you for chef Torissi’s kitchen shenanigans. For the true Francophile, pastis is also at the ready, as is a wine list with Gallic depth, boasting bountiful bouteilles from all over France. The Ludlow, 180 Ludlow St., 212-432-1818; ludlowhotel.com

taste Cocktails

FoRTiFicaTions:

The eddy’s MonT Blanc RefResheR 1 oz. shochu 41⁄2 tsp. amber Vermouth del Professore

11⁄2 tsp. La Clandestine absinthe 3 drops orange blossom water

4 ⁄2 tsp. crisp white wine 1 oz. jasmine coconut crème 3 tsp. grapefruit juice 3 tsp. lemon juice

Build ingredients in a small wine glass and swizzle to homogenize contents. Fill glass with ice.

Keeping the Night Young The Lower easT side is digging on Lower-aLcohoL cocKTaiLs. By Amy ZAvAtto

More than the new frontier in underexplored cocktail ingredients, fortified wines are becoming the darlings of downtown barkeeps for a good, practical reason: They keep the night young. Fortified wines—sherry, port, Madeira, Marsala, vermouth—begin as table wine, but get a kick of spirit infusion, often brandy, to boost their alcohol content and, thus, their shelf life. But

78 gotham-magazine.com

even with that fortification, they’re still in the low-fi range (between 17 and 20 percent alcohol, give or take). For The Musket Room’s (265 Elizabeth St., 212-219-0764; themusket room.com) head sommelier and cocktail tinkerer Dane Campbell— schooled in fortified-wine cocktail versatility at Saxon + Parole—this allows him to offer alluring aperitifs like the Henry O. Peabody martini (a

50/50 stirring of Atsby Amberthorn vermouth and Broken Shed vodka with a dash of Regan’s No. 6 orange bitters) without killing his customers’ thirst for their antipodean wine list. He’s also toying with a Madeira-pisco concoction for the winter. But more than just being a night-extender, fortified wines offer a dimension to drinks that’s hard to shake up with the usual available

accoutrements. “For bar tenders, fortified wines are a great way to balance drinks without using syrups and sugars because they add depth and flavor—the nuttiness a sherry or Madeira offers is better than Demerara sugar, which gives depth but not nuttiness,” says Campbell. Vermouth and sherry, in particular, have become the party-date of choice for downtown, as each offers an entire range of flavors for bartenders to experiment with. An interesting recent entry from The Eddy’s (342 E. Sixth St., 646-895-9884; theeddynyc.com) head bartender, Kelvin Uffre, is essentially a fortified wine-based piña colada mixing bianco vermouth, Pinot Grigio, Japanese shochu, grapefruit juice, Swiss absinthe, and coconut crème. Vermouth and sherry are also finding entire leagues of new fans who enjoy sipping them on their own at spots like Huertas (107 First Ave., 212-288-4490; huertas

nyc.com), where vermouth flows from the tap, and The Bourgeois Pig (111 E. Seventh St., 212-475-2246; bourgeoispigny.com), where aromatized and fortified wines make up an entire section of the cocktail menu. At Donostia (155 Avenue B, 646-256-9773; donostia nyc.com), head barman Will Peet pours out a whopping 35 sherries and eight vermouths by the glass, and crafts a bevy of bevs that make good use of sherry’s versatility, from the dryer Fino and Amontillado styles to the richer Olorosos and Pedro Ximénez. Peet is currently working on a Sazerac iteration, replacing the traditional rye with sherry. “I love the Gran Mantilla in cocktails because it’s 100 percent Pedro Jimenez, so it’s a fuller style; it’s got legs, and it’s a great sub for certain whiskies,” he says. “[Fortified wines] are an easy fit—they add a little bit of that alcohol content, but they’re not a hammer drop. You can beef up a cocktail’s depth but still keep it afloat.” G

photography by evan sung

Kelvin Uffre devised the Mont Blanc Refresher, a fortified wine-based piña colada, for The Eddy.

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taste Cuiscene

from left:

The main dining room at Root & Bone; dishes from Bar Primi, Andrew Carmellini’s new spot.

Cashing In on Cool Bar Primi

Why go: When chef and restaurateur Andrew Carmellini (of Locanda Verde fame) opens a new restaurant specializing in pasta, run, don’t walk. Must order: The fiore di carciofi, a 16-inch coil of pasta stuffed with artichoke and served with smoked bacon and pecorino. The crowd: Downtown cool, but the space is also familyfriendly. Signature drink: Lambrusco sangria. 325 Bowery, 212-2209100; barprimi.com

Confessional Why go: Latin-inspired shared plates (divided into

80 gotham-magazine.com

categories like Mortal Sins and Holy Sacraments) and seasonal cocktails have swiftly made this a date-night favorite. Must order: The lamb chop à la plancha, served with a corn and goat cheese tamal, ratatouille, and a port wine reduction. The crowd: Expats and Villagers alike. 308 Sixth St., 212 477 2400; confessionalny.com

Dimes Why go: This organic and wellness-focused café is turning the lower Lower East Side into the newest see-and-be-seen spot. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the petite space

is always abuzz. Must order: The açaí bowls, which are topped with ingredients like cashew cream or almond walnut granola. Signature drink: Bud Love, made with dandelion wine, honey, lemon, and prosecco. 143 Division St., 212-240-9410; dimesnyc.com

Ivan Ramen Why go: Famed ramen chef Ivan Orkin has created a new take on the classic New York diner, one with a Japanese twist. Must order: The triple pork, triple garlic mazemen. Orkin is one of the only chefs in New York serving this style of noodle, which is as rich and

delicious as it sounds. The crowd: Many chefs are spotted here, as well as the city’s dedicated noodle fiends. 25 Clinton St., 646-678-3859; ivanramen.com

Root & Bone Why go: Traditional Southern cooking gets an infusion of modern technique and seasonal ingredients in one of the area’s most charming spaces. Must order: The fried chicken. It’s sweet-tea brined, then topped with lemon powder and bourboninfused Tabasco honey sauce. Signature drink: The Blackberry Saddle,

made with gin, chartreuse, blackberries, horseradish, and thyme. 200 E. Third St., 646-682-7076; rootnbone.com

Russ & Daughters Cafe Why go: The famed purveyor of smoked salmon and caviar finally launched a restaurant, 100 years after first opening its shop. Must order: The smoked fish platter or “Hattie,” which includes whitefish, sable, both kippered and smoked salmon, and all of the requisite fixings. The crowd: Everyone from downtown hipsters to Lower East Side lifers. 127 Orchard St., 212-475-4881; russand daughterscafe.com G

photography by Noah FECKS (bar primi); CourtESy oF root & boNE (diNiNg room)

Manhattan’s latest restaurant Mecca, the lower east side, offers spectacular new eats. By Juliet izon

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TASTE Spotlight // ARTSY MOVES // 1

red hot

IN THE MIX

A NEW COOKBOOK AND FLATIRON RESTAURANT CELEBRATE THE DELECTABLE VERSATILITY OF MOZZARELLA. Soon they’ll be calling the Flatiron District the new Little Italy. First came that wildly successful emporium to all things Italian, Eataly. Now there’s the happening new restaurant Obicá (which means “here it is” in Neapolitan dialect) nearby on Broadway. For anyone who loves mozzarella, Obicá serves it fresh (flown in from Italy twice a week) and varied— whether classic and smoked or as its creamy cousin, burrata, in everything from small plates and salads to pizzas and pastas. Conveniently, Obicá just published a cookbook, Obicà Mozzarella Bar Pizza e Cucina: A Contemporary Attitude to Authentic Italian Food, with many of the restaurant’s most popular recipes. 928 Broadway, 212-777-2754; obica.com G

// just delicious //

GOTHAM-MAGAZINE.COM

St. Ambroeus restaurants have always attracted a stylish crowd, and the latest outpost in Soho is no exception. To showcase the talent of its clientele, manager Alireza Niroomand asked a few fashionable movers and shakers to design one-of-a-kind plates, which are now part of a 30-piece collection on display at the restaurant. Stop by, order a prosecco, and see what style mavens like André Leon Talley, Jonathan Adler, Simon Doonan, and Zandra Rhodes have dished up. 265 Lafayette St., 212-966-2770; santambroeus.com

VIVA ZAPATA

Domingo Zapata, who’s been dubbed the new Andy Warhol, teams up with nightlife guru Scott Gerber to reimagine the underground space (formerly the Underbar and Lilium) at the Union Square W. Zapata’s Alice in Wonderland–themed canvases are sure to entice the city’s hipsters, along with friends like Johnny Depp and Soﬁa Vergara, to the stylish new space. 201 Park Ave. South, 212-253-9119

ABOVE: Eighty years young: the Bloody Mary, originally named the Red Snapper.

A Taste of Provence

New Yorkers may be obsessed with being thin, but they’ll never give up their sweets. Which may be why Armand Arnal, a Michelin-starred chef from Provence, investor Benjamin Sormonte, and baker Elisa Marshall have teamed up to open Maman, a

FASHION PLATES

Mediterranean sweets and savories come to Centre Street.

café, lounge, and bakery in a city awash in cupcakes and macarons. The partners contributed favorite childhood recipes from the South of France and North Africa, like pan bagnat made with homemade brioche and chocolate mandarin orange cheesecake, to

a menu filled with such delectables as tart Tropezienne and seasonal clafouti. Maman offers more than a sugar rush: There are plenty of Mediterraneaninspired and locally sourced salads, soups, and sandwiches, too. 239 Centre St., 212-226-0770; mamannyc.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EVAN SUNG (OBICA); NOAH FECKS (DOMINGO ZAPATA); CANDICE KAYE (MAMAN)

Say Cheese

good taste

Where better to toast the 80th anniversary of the Bloody Mary than at the bar that invented it? In 1934, St. Regis bartender Fernand Petiot introduced the tomato juice-andvodka concoction at the King Cole Bar after Serge Obolensky, a Russian prince and man-abouttown, asked him to devise a cocktail similar to one Petiot had made for him in Paris. Petiot did that and more, spicing up the drink with the now-famous combo of salt, pepper, lemon, and Worcestershire sauce. For the at-home bartender, Bronson van Wyck has created a new Bloody Mary mix for the St. Regis to mark the milestone anniversary. 2 E. 55th St., 212-339-6857; stregis newyork.com

Two worlds. One dream. ANC IENT VIN ES A ND P A

Singers and Scientists share more than might be expected. Whether it’s a breakout melody or a breakthrough in research. When it comes together, everything ﬁts. It can change lives forever.

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Stand Up To Cancer supports the collaboration, innovation and research that are turning discoveries into viable treatments and possibly, one day, a cure. Stand up with us. Let your voice make a difference because when we work together, nothing is impossible.

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Jennifer Hudson, Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador

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Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Photo by Nigel Parry.

Like, share and join SU2C.

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TasTe On the Town

The Play’s the Thing

Gretchen Mol and Josh radnor, starring in DisgraceD on Broadway, do Brunch at gemma in the Bowery hotel. By Erin rilEy photography By Evan sung

Gretchen Mol and Josh Radnor sample the brunch menu at Gemma’s wine room. below, from left: Spremuta Rosse smoothie (made with apples, beets, and carrots) and Spremuta Verde smoothie (made with kale, cucumber, parsley, pear, and lemon); ambrosia organic granola with yogurt and fruit.

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Friends for more than a decade, actors Gretchen Mol and Josh Radnor recently wound up some high-profile TV gigs—Mol finished her last season of Boardwalk Empire; Radnor, a nine-season run in CBS’s How I Met Your Mother. Despite these successful ventures, both craved the chance to do theater again and eagerly signed up to costar in Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Disgraced, which opened at the Lyceum Theater on October 23 (it runs through January 18). The one-act, 90-minute play, which tackles issues of Muslim identity in modern America, follows a dinner-party conversation between two married couples that ultimately shatters their views on race, religion—and their opinions of one another. Gotham joined Mol and Radnor at Gemma at The Bowery Hotel (335 Bowery, 212-505-7300; thebowery hotel.com) for brunch—and for a much calmer meal than the one they enact in the play—to discuss their roles in Disgraced, gearing up for winter in New York, and the ever-changing Lower East Side. Josh Radnor: You don’t remember the first time we met? Gretchen Mol: I do. But I don’t remember where. JR: We went to some dinner party in Brooklyn, which is where I had a two-hour-long conversation with your mom, and I was like, “This is a great woman.” That was early 2000, a long time ago. GM: She probably loved you and you probably loved being loved. [Laughs] JR: Well, that does happen. GM: You were shooting your show in LA for nine years, right? So we didn’t really cross paths after that. [Entrées arrive: Mol has ordered the ambrosia organic granola with yogurt and fruit, and Radnor gets the Protein Breakfast, with grilled chicken, scrambled egg whites with spinach, and sliced tomato.] JR: There’s a lot of chicken here. Would you like some in your granola? GM: No thanks. Can’t imagine that tasting very good. JR: [The Protein Breakfast] is my go-to. I would always get it when I stayed at the old Bowery Hotel. GM: I’ve lived here for 22 years, and the Lower East Side has totally changed. That’s what you learn living in New York, to never get stuck on the old. JR: I lived on Ninth between First and A when I was in grad school for a year, and I had a bathtub in my kitchen. Then I got a better but still weird apartment on Fifth Street between B and C—the bed was lofted over the kitchen. This was before the East Village turned into the Left Bank of Paris. GM: Those types of apartments are very specific to the East Village. JR: I haven’t had a winter here in years, but I heard last year’s winter was delightful. It was weird when I was packing because I realized it was for three seasons. GM: It’s amazing to have seasons. Whenever it first

Radner and Moss leaving Gemma after a hearty breakfast. left: Gemma’s main dining room has a rustic, farmhouse feel.

“ThaT’s whaT you learn living in new york, To never geT sTuck on The old.”

—gretchen mol

snows in New York, it’s so magical. You feel this level of privacy, but you’re sharing it with the rest of the city. JR: Now I’m excited for winter. After my show ended, I had these two offers to do plays. And I felt like that’s what I should be doing, because theater reminds me of why I love acting. GM: Exactly. At the beginning, when you’re trying to become an actor, all you do is theater. Now it’s this dormant part of me, and it’s a treat to return to [the stage]. But I never feel confident about it, which is good. It’s good to feel nervous. JR: You’re very good in the play. GM: Thanks, Josh. Everyone in the cast is very talented. JR: I feel like there are some plays that read very well, but as you start working on them, you realize they are held together by glue and straw. But with this play, all the edges are sealed appropriately. You can really feel the mechanics and just how propulsive it is. GM: That’s what was so exciting to me when I first read the play: how much it works and how much

you’re thinking about it once you finish it. JR: That’s the way it felt for me too. It was the bigger picture… being a part of something that felt so culturally relevant. That and working with Ayad. I read Ayad’s novel American Dervish (Little, Brown & Company, 2012), and I loved it so much that I wrote him a fan letter. That’s how we became friends. GM: I didn’t know that. When did this happen? JR: Three years ago. We had this three-hour coffee in New York and we traded scripts. He sent me Disgraced to read and told me later that he always thought of me for the role, but I was never available. He’s just a writer whom I want to be around—a really beautiful marriage of head and heart. [This kind of play] is why I wanted to get back into theater, to do New American plays that speak to our moment, and now, it feels even more relevant than it did two years ago. GM: Even when I initially got involved, which was in spring, there wasn’t this feeling of upheaval like there is now. It had receded a little bit… and here we are again. Every time we rehearse the play, all I have to do is listen to what is being said and it’s enough to upset you; you don’t have to work at it. JR: I also like that it takes place over [the course of] a dinner party at an Upper East Side apartment. There’s this feeling that everything happening geopolitically is affecting what’s happening in that apartment. You feel like you’re tumbling forward, and the heroes and the villains keep shifting. My character has certain progressive, humanist values that I feel a New York audience would understand, but then he behaves in ways that are a little

duplicitous. And I like that. No one is entirely virtuous in the play. GM: It’s this sort of ready-set-go, and there’s no stopping. You just have to trust the play and the work you’ve done. JR: It’s one of those plays that is impossible not to want to talk about afterward. How you feel about it when the curtain comes down might be different than three days or even a month later. G

Down East Gretchen and Josh name other Lower East Side favorites. (Gotham fills in the details.) GREtchEn MoL: SchiLLER’S LiquoR BaR. Restaurant mogul Keith McNally’s LES outpost has Shane McBride, chef of Balthazar, at the helm. Open daily for breakfast through late dinner. 131 Rivington St., 212-260-4555; schillersny.com LiL FRankiE’S. A popular East Village spot for Italian food with a twist. Known for its pizzas, pastas, and pizza burgers. Open for lunch and dinner. 191 First Ave., 212-429-4900; lilfrankies.com JoSh RadnoR: toRRiSi itaLian SpEciaLtiES. Haute Italian-American fare from culinary wünderkinds Rich Torrisi, Mario Carbone, and Jeff Zalaznick. Open daily for dinner; lunch, Friday through Monday. 250 Mulberry St., 212-965-0955; torrisinyc.com

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A prestigious, classical prestige cuvée from 2002 vintage structured, full-bodied and bursting with fruit. Elaborated with a majority of Chardonnays from the Montagne de Reims region (70%) and complemented with Pinot Noir (30%) from the same region, this wine is a blend of 17 crus which matured for over seven years in the House’s cellars. A 2002 vintage synonymous with richness and generosity.

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NOT TO BE MISSED EVENTS • HAPPENINGS • PROMOTIONS

RAINBOW ROOM Enjoy dinner Monday evenings with live entertainment as well as brunch every Sunday at the newly opened Rainbow Room, New York City’s iconic restaurant and event space atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Reservations are also being accepted for most major holidays, including Valentine’s Day. An adjacent cocktail lounge, SixtyFive, is open weeknights for cocktails and bar bites on the 65th foor. For more information, please visit www.rainbowroom.com.

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The FeminisT

queen Sigourney Weaver opens up to pal Kevin Kline about her role in Exodus: gods and kings playing the egyptian Queen MuM who wanted to kill Moses, working with legendary director ridley scott, and why it’s great to be a new york actor. photography by Jason bell On screen Sigourney Weaver has battled aliens, gorilla poachers, demonic spirits, uprisings in Indonesia, and Avatar’s lethal Colonel Quaritch. For Exodus: God and Kings, out next month, Weaver—never a shrinking violet—takes on no less than the almighty Moses for her part as the scheming Queen Tuya, mother of the pharaoh Ramses the Great. The movie will be her third with Ridley Scott, the director who cast her as Ellen Ripley in Alien, a breakout part that made her an “overnight” sensation as Hollywood’s first female action hero, and an enduring feminist icon.

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Sigourney Weaver takes in the city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think of myself as a New Yorker,â&#x20AC;? she says. Wool and velvet evening coat, Balenciaga ($2,895). Barneys, 660 Madison Ave., 212-826-8900; barneys.com

Jet beaded strappy black gown with high slit, Michael Kors ($3,995). Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Ave., 212-705-2993; bloomingdales.com. Diamond-studded gold hoops, Kara Ross ($3,800). 655 Madison Ave., 212-755-8100; kararossny.com. Flower ring, Oscar de la Renta ($295). 772 Madison Ave. 212-288-5810; oscardelarenta.com

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“What is great about having kids is that they’re so unimpressed by our business.” —Sigourney Weaver Kevin Kline: When did we frst meet? Sigourney Weaver: I may be completely wrong, but we were in New York when we got out of graduate school. I thought we cohosted the Obies. KK: That’s it! That’s the frst time we met. SW: We had fun doing it. KK: And we lived in the same neighborhood on the Upper West Side. I jotted down an idea or two for this interview. I’m sure this question is terrible—do you ever wonder if people are missing the movies you’re in because there are so many interviews and talk shows they’re watching instead of going to see the movie? Have you done the whole chat-show circus? SW: Well, I’m about to do that for Exodus. I enjoy the talk show because my father [TV producer Sylvester “Pat” Weaver, former president of NBC] invented it. I love going on Fallon. KK: I remember now. He invented the Today show. SW: Yes, he invented the Today show. It was a lot more fun when he had it. [As] I like being in a theater where there’s a live audience, I enjoy the talk show from a live point of view. KK: Tell me about the new flm. Is this the biblical Exodus or the Leon Uris Exodus? SW: It’s the biblical one, and I play Tuya, the wife of one of the pharaohs. My son is Ramses the Great, played by Joel Edgerton. John Turturro is the Pharaoh Seti. I’m not his favorite wife, but I’m the mother of the prince. To keep my power, I need my son to become pharaoh. Moses, played by Christian Bale, is the golden boy. He makes my son look impulsive and small-minded. Through the whole movie, in basically every scene I have, it’s: “Kill Moses.” “Why didn’t you kill Moses?” “For crying out loud, will you please kill Moses!” KK: It must have taken fve minutes to make you into an Egyptian queen. SW: My dear makeup artist, Linda DeVetta, transformed me. I had the most beautiful costumes by Janty Yates. They found these craftspeople I haven’t worked with since the last time I worked

with Ridley [on 1492: Conquest of Paradise]. They took scarab beetles and peacock feathers and made them into a headdress for me. It’s mind-boggling the things I paraded around in. KK: Do you think Ramses would be king in spite of his mother or because of her? SW: I have a lot to do with him becoming Ramses the Great. Even though he doesn’t do what I say, he knows I’m right. At a certain point, he realizes it. KK: His willful disobedience shows a certain kind of power, doesn’t it? SW: That’s true. KK: What parts of the role have had the most personal resonance for you? What aspect of your own personality were you able to draw upon for the role? SW: Well I do love eye makeup. KK: [Laughs] So that was your connection to the character? SW: Have you ever done an ancient epic? KK: I played Prometheus in college, but on the screen, no. Is the historical fction in the script the backstory? SW: You don’t feel like you’re in a biblical epic. It’s accessible. They were focusing on the relationships. KK: So it’s relevant? SW: I think it is. I’m only in court, a woman without any power, but someone who is pretending she’s the most powerful woman in Egypt. And her son doesn’t even listen to her! I don’t get to go on the chariots or on the Red Sea parting, [but] it’s going to be everything you want a Ridley Scott movie to be—gorgeous, suspenseful, out there. KK: Reports say you have some va-va-voom costumes. SW: They certainly are va-va-voom, because they wanted me to be a total sexpot. And it’s a waste, because all my energy is going into my son. KK: In the movie is your husband actively rapacious? SW: He seems so pro-Moses. He knew that if he were to let me through his door, all I would do is say, “Kill Moses.” I found it very interesting to play

someone in a court. There’s a lot of politics, and we don’t live like that, though occasionally, we’ll be out at a party in Hollywood and I’ll think everyone is playing a role. KK: How many flms have you done with Ridley? How has your partnership evolved over the years? SW: Three. He hasn’t changed at all. He has the most incredible energy and knows exactly what he wants. He’s a visual genius. We had fve cameras on every shot. We worked very fast, did three takes, and moved on, no matter how big the scene was. It was very economical. KK: Your Alien character, Ellen Ripley, is considered the frst female action hero. How much of you is in that role? SW: I’m afraid of spiders, so not much. I remember asking Ian Holm [the actor who played Ash in Alien], “Do you think my character knows what she’s doing is right?” and he said, “Absolutely.” I answered, “Well, I don’t. I think she’s totally winging it,” which was, of course, what I was doing! KK: And she doesn’t know she’s right. You’re playing a heroic, very strong character who has doubts, and that’s why you’re a brilliant actress. SW: Well, thank you. I was able to use all my selfdoubt in the role. Who would have thought that it would be a movie that would hold up so much. KK: Was your daughter proud of your playing the role of a feminist icon? SW: I don’t think she even saw it until she was in college. I remember a reporter asking her when she was about 6, “Are you aware that your mother is a feminist icon?” And Charlotte said, “That goes into the little box of things I don’t need to know.” What is great about having kids is that they’re so unimpressed by our business. KK: What has been your secret in managing career and family? Was the hardest part the location shoots that took you away from New York? Was it any easier when your daughter went to college? SW: First of all, I feel like guilt is too simple a description of how any parent feels when they’re

gotham-magazine.com

Tweed sheath dress, Moschino Cheap and Chic ($950). net-a-porter.com. Bracelets ($45 each) and ring ($32), Alchemy. Eye Candy, 225 W. 23rd St., 212-343-4275; eyecandystore.com. Chunky heel pumps, Hermès ($1,250). 691 Madison Ave., 212-7513181; hermes.com beauté: Lancôme Absolute L’Extrait Serum ($400), Tient Miracle foundation in Ivoire 4N ($43), Blush Subtil in Blushing Tresor ($30), Color Design 5 Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Chocolate Amande ($50), Le Crayon Khôl in Black Ebony ($26), Grandiôse Mascara ($32), Rouge in Love Lipcolor in Rouge Saint Honore ($29). Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 FifthAve.,212-753-4000;lancomeusa.com. Dior Vernis Incognito ($25). Bergdorf Goodman, 2 E. 67th St., 212-872-273; dior.com. Moroccanoil Treatment Light ($43). moroccanoil.com

Styling by Basia Zamorska at Kate Ryan Inc. Styling assistance by Valerie Usui and Laura Escalante Hair by Maury Hopson Makeup by Sandy Linter, Lancôme makeup artist at Rita Hazan Salon Manicure by Casandra Lamar using Dior Vernis at Factory Downtown Shot on location at Sixty SoHo, 60 Thompson St., 877-4310400; 60hotels.com/soho Opened in 2010 as 60 Thompson, the hotel SIXTY SoHo has relaunched with a multimilliondollar renovation overseen by Jason Pomeranc. The 97 guest rooms, furnished in a chic modernist style, include 10 suites with balconies. For extra luxury there’s the duplex SIXTY Loft with an expansive private roof deck and sweeping views of Manhattan. sixtyhotels.com

“We’re very lucky to live in a city where people don’t pay attention to us.” —Sigourney Weaver

away from home during these very important passages of time. I was lucky to have my wonderful husband, because we would switch on and off. [As for] the time spent away—I feel like my daughter couldn’t care less, but I missed a lot of cool things. KK: No one asks men what it’s like to go on all those business trips. SW: I bet they’re asked that now. You have men running huge companies who are home only 40 days a year. It must be maddening for their families. For what? KK: Money. SW: Once you’re good at something, they won’t let you off the hamster wheel. Our culture has changed so much. I certainly think my mother—and maybe your mother—gave up her career to be a mother and a wife. She never talked about her work to me, ever. She never talked about her time in the theater and she was quite successful. I think Katharine Hepburn was wrong in saying you can’t have it all— you just can’t have it all at the same time. But you certainly can devote different times of your life to doing different things. KK: More and more actresses in their 40s and 50s are still working and getting key roles. Well, three of them are—you, Helen Mirren, and Meryl Streep. What are the reasons for this? SW: I don’t think it’s any more than it used to be, if you look at the character roles of the ’30s and ’40s. But I think one of the reasons the roles are coming to us is because, with someone like Meryl, people can count on her to turn in these amazing performances that [moviegoers] will go out to see. Writers are writing stories with good women’s parts because women are a part of our world. We’re much more integrated than we used to be. KK: You’re living in the same neighborhood [Sutton Place] you grew up in. SW: I don’t really live there; I sleep there. There’s nothing to do, so I go elsewhere to live. KK: As in, live it up. SW: Yes. KK: Do you still enjoy being a Manhattanite?

SW: I do, actually. I think of myself as a New Yorker. KK: Do people leave you alone in New York? SW: I could be on fire and no one would pay any attention. KK: What’s your favorite place to escape to in the city? Tribeca? Central Park? SW: I like to go to Central Park. There are so many places to escape to in New York. I took the ferry over to Williamsburg this week. That was fun. KK: Actually, New York is an escape from America. SW: We’re very lucky to live in a city where people don’t pay attention to us. KK: You were once on track to get a PhD in English literature. What are you reading now? SW: I just finished The Patrick Melrose Novels. KK: Do you read nonfiction? SW: I’d love to have enough time to read all that stuff. I’d love to be locked in a library overnight. KK: This cover and feature will appear in the November issue. How does your family celebrate Thanksgiving? SW: Well, I’m going to be in Barcelona, working. KK: So you’ll have fajitas or something. SW: A turkey fajita—and a lot of red wine. KK: Tell us about the charities and causes that you’re currently supporting. SW: I’m doing something for WNET Thirteen. The organization has filmed eight different shows, all Off-Broadway, so I’m doing the spiel at the beginning to say, “Watch this.” I would say the most important contribution I made was as a cofounder of The Flea [a Tribeca-based theater dedicated to new American works; Weaver’s husband, Jim Simpson, is also a founder]. We’re constructing a permanent theater on Thomas Street now. I also work for the New York Botanical Garden, for Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, and for the Natural Resources Defense Council. I do what all of us do. We try—in between our jobs—to do whatever we can and encourage others to do the right thing. G

DiamonDs are Forever StyliSh Sleuthing uncoverS the SeaSon’S biggeSt trendS—dramatic Statement pieceS—in the city’S moSt glittering gem-filled vaultS. PhotograPhy by bill DioDato Styling by MinDy SaaD

Macrame Arabesque top ($3,490) and macrame Arabesque skirt ($2,990), Valentino. 693 Fifth Ave., 212-355-5811; valentino.com. White round and pear-shaped diamond and sapphire Bombe earrings (price on request), sapphire and white diamond cuff (price on request), white pavé diamond shank and sapphire Bombe ring (price on request), and 20.55-carat cushion-cut yellow diamond ring (price on request), Graff. 710 Madison Ave., 212-355-9292; graffdiamonds.com. Gold clutch, Bulgari ($2,400). 730 Fifth Ave., 212-315-9000; bulgari.com

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Anthracite duchess dress, Zac Posen ($2,590). Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., 212-753-7300; bergdorf goodman.com. 18k white-gold, diamond, spinel, moonstone, and akoya pearls Perle de Rosee necklace ($696,000) and 18k white-gold, onyx, and diamond CamĂŠlia Sculpte ring ($170,000), Chanel. 15 E. 57th St., 212-355-5050; chanel.com. on tray: Wide diamond bracelet set in platinum, Tiffany & Co. ($140,000). 727 Fifth Ave., 212-755-8000; tiffany.com. 18k white-gold Limelight Garden Party cupcake inspiration ring ($59,000) and 18k white-gold with brilliant-cut diamonds Rose ring ($48,200), Piaget. 730 Fifth Ave., 212-246-5555; piaget.com. 18k white-gold and diamond Dentelle de Monogram necklace, Louis Vuitton (price on request). 611 Fifth Ave., 212-940-4635; louisvuitton.com opposite page: Harmony dress,

Stella McCartney ($4,520). 112 Greene St., 212-255-1556; stellamccartney.com. Diamond earrings set in platinum from the High Jewelry Collection (price on request) and diamond ring from the High Jewelry Collection in 18k white gold, Chopard. 709 Madison Ave., 212-223-2304; chopard.com. Reine de Naples High Jewellery watch, Breguet ($374,100). 711 Fifth Ave., 646-692-6469; breguet.com

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opposite page: Dress, Emporio Armani ($1,265). 601 Madison Ave., 212-317-0800; armani.com. Platinum 55.9-carat Qipao diamond choker (price on request); platinum, diamond, aquamarine, and sapphire Secret Wonder bracelet (price on request); and 18k yellow-gold and platinum, tsavorite, and diamond cluster earrings (price on request), Harry Winston. 718 Fifth Ave., 212-399-1000; harrywinston.com

this page: Basilica tsavorite and

ruby earrings, Carla Amorim ($18,700). Broken English, 56 Crosby St., 212-219-1264; carlaamorim.com. 18k yellow-gold, diamond, and onyx Amulette de Cartier bracelet, Cartier ($82,500). 767 Fifth Ave., 212-457-3202; cartier.com. 18k white-gold, multicolor sapphire, and pavĂŠ-set white-diamond earrings from the Cascata Collection, Jacob & Co. ($61,400). 48 E. 57th St., 212-719-5887; jacobandco.com. 18k yellow- and white-gold cocktail ring with pink sapphire and diamonds, Buccellati ($99,000). 810 Madison Ave., 212-308-2900; buccellati.com. 18k white-gold and round and pear-shaped diamonds and custom oval blue sapphire necklace, Mimi So ($98,000). 22 W. 48th St., 212-300-8642; mimiso.com. 18k rose-gold diamond flower earrings, Wendy Yue ($19,560). Fragments, 116 Prince St., 212-334-9588; fragments.com. Pink-gold, diamond, morganite, white mother-of-pearl, and sapphire Gourmande Pastel ring, Dior (price on request). 21 E. 57th St., 212-931-2950; dior.com

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opposite page: Dress, Max Mara

($2,090). 813 Madison Ave., 212-879-6100; maxmara.com. Bals de Legende Collection 18k white- and rose-gold Enchanteur necklace with multicolor spinels, diamonds, and pink sapphires (price on request); Bals de Legende Collection 18k white-gold Pansy earrings with diamonds and multicolor sapphires (price on request); and 18k rose-gold, spinel, pink sapphire, and diamond Oiseaux de Paradis Volutes between-the-finger ring (price on request), Van Cleef & Arpels. 744 Fifth Ave., 212-896-9284; vancleefandarpels.com. 18k white-gold and oval-shaped rubellite tourmaline with black and white diamonds ring, Leviev (price on request). 700 Madison Ave., 212-763-5300; leviev.com. Diamond Carpet bracelet set in platinum, Harry Winston (price on request). 718 Fifth Ave., 212-399-1000; harrywinston.com; Beaded clutch, Elie Saab ($2,400). Bergdorf Goodman, 745 Fifth Ave., 212-753-7300; eliesaab.com beauté: Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Fluid Foundation in SF03 ($65), The Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX02 ($48), Celestial Powder ($48), Creamy Glow in Isadore-Neutral Pink ($26), and Eyeshadow Duo #205 ($42). Barneys, 660 Madison Ave., 212-826-8900; barneys.com. Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil in Medium Brown ($23). Sephora, 150 Broadway, 212-5668600; sephora.com. Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Nude ($33). Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Ave., 212-940-4949; saks.com. Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Rouge Noir ($27). 139 Spring St., 212-334-0055; chanel. com. FarmHouse Fresh Fluffy Bunny Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14). farmhousefreshgoods.com. Moroccanoil Root Boost ($29). moroccanoil.com. Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray ($28). oribe.com. Kérastase Elixir Ultime ($56) and Laque Noire Hairspray ($37). kerastase-usa.com

Styling by Mindy Saad at Celestine Agency Hair by Anja Grassegger using Oribe haircare/House of European Hair at Factory Downtown Makeup by Robert Greene at Kate Ryan Inc. for Kevyn Aucoin Maincure by Casandra Lamar using Chanel Le Vernis/FarmHouse Fresh Hand Cream Prop Styling by Veronique Zanettin at Sarah Laird & Good Company Model: Sabina Smutna at Wilhelmina NY Shot on location at The Monarch Room; nymonarch.com

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Who oWns the

night? The biggesT players and coolesT places ThaT make nyc nighTlife Tick. By Mark Ellwood photography By jEnnifEr roBBins

This pair were the brains behind the first 1Oak in Chelsea, which they’ve since successfully cloned as far away as Mexico City. Unlike many rivals, they’ve also focused on restaurants, with 12-year-old hot spot Butter overseen by Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli. your day begins and ends… scott sartiano : One of the biggest myths about being a “nightlife” person is when your day begins. I wake up around 9 am and I’m in the office until 7 or 8 at night. There’s not a ton of rest in what we do. how is ny nightlife changing ? richie akiva : People have gotten pickier and they have shorter attention spans, so you have to keep them entertained. ss : Ten years ago there was much more of an underground scene. Now, with the Internet and blogs, the second there’s an idea, it’s made public to the world. bottle service : yes or no ? ra : Eight years ago, when we opened, it was all about bottle service. It was almost becoming an ordeal to go out in New York and have to wait until you got seated at a table, then be charged a huge minimum. When we opened 1Oak we decided to take it back to an old-school way of nightlife:

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no minimums. who are the new money guys ? ra : Wall Street guys are not spending like they did in the late 1990s. Nowadays, it’s mostly Europeans who are the ones trying to show off. But we have a strict, tight door that’s not about money. You can’t buy your way into our places. tell me about your wildest big spender . ra : Someone came in and ordered 100 bottles of Cristal. Then, as the bottles were coming out, he walked out and said, “Just give it to everyone else.” He didn’t even stay until they hit the tables. It put everybody in a great mood. how do you stay hot in new york ? ss : Stick to what you know. Be consistent with that product. We created a niche with what we were: an upscale, exclusive nightclub. ra : A lot of people coming into the nightlife business make the mistake of trying to reinvent the wheel. A lot of times it comes off too harsh, as a little much. that involves your music program ming , too ? ra : We kept it open-format—rock ’n’ roll, house music, hip-hop, ’80s, feel-good music people want to dance to—rather than just EDM [electronic dance music] beats that are strong, hard, and pretty one-dimensional.

GroominG by Erin AndErson for ivy ElEvEn, usinG impEriAl bArbEr products

STAYING HOT // Richie Akiva & Scott Sartiano

The Butter Group’s Richie Akiva and Scott Sartiano at Up & Down. “We have a tight door that’s not about money,” says Akiva.

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GroominG by michael Johnson usinG Dior homme at Factory Downtown

Longtime pals Eugene Remm and Mark Birnbaum, founders of EMM Group (with Michael Hirtenstein), on the terrace at Catch Roof. “New York has become an international market,” says Remm.

BEYONG THE DANCE FLOOR //

Eugene Remm & Mark Birnbaum

Thanks to such nightclubs as Finale and Lulu’s, and Top Chef-helmed restaurants like Catch, the EMM team, spearheaded by Eugene Remm and friend Mark Birnbaum, has over the last eight years helped blur the distinction between the dance f loor and the dining room. what ’s the biggest shift you ’ ve seen in nightlife ? eugene

remm : People’s jobs have changed. They have to be up early and have a lot of responsibilities. They aren’t out until 4 am . Entertaining and socializing are done earlier, over food. are there more high rollers in restaurants now ?

mark birnbaum :

In one of our restaurants a very serious wine buyer spent almost half a million dollars on wine at one seating. And yes, he did drink it—not all of it, though. We and the staff took a sip of whatever was left. what about big spenders in nightclubs ? mb : They’re from out of town, Mexico, Texas or wherever. People used to buy the biggest bottle; now, they like to make a splash, with maybe 20, 30, even 100 bottles of Cristal, DP, or Ace of Spades Champagne. There are more people being brought out, more sparklers [hand-held fireworks]. You can do this a few times a night instead of once. If someone is in the bathroom and misses the first show, they’ll catch the second or third. how has social media impacted your business ? mb :

RaisiNG thE baR

Here’s a short list of high-roller favorites all around the town. By Jennifer ashley WrighT

The Nomad Bar Thirsty power players will enjoy the $198 Vieux Carré cocktail at this newly opened lounge, next to the Nomad Hotel in the Flatiron District. The drink, made with 50-year-old cognac and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac straight rye whiskey, was developed for high f lyers, such as Derek Jeter, who f lock here. In contrast to the luxe

Not long ago, people would show up and you had them until the end of the night. Now, if someone is bored, they can look down at their phone—and Twitter or text friends to see what’s around that’s better. People go to three places a night, minimum. er : You can’t really control the message in the same way. Now, people are looking on their phone at 1 a m , and if they see something amazing happening elsewhere, they get up, close their tab, and leave. sounds

like we ’ ve moved into a much more democratic , post- bottle- service world . mb :

Bottle service came from Europe in the early 2000s. It was more about VIP rooms, separate from regular clubs, with an entry fee. Well, that lasted until the economy blew up in in 2008. Then everyone realized you didn’t have to buy 20 bottles to get the same treatment. what happened to those big spending wall street wolves ? er : There are a lot of restrictions, mostly by the government, on the finance guys now, so that type of spending isn’t what it used to be. New York has become an international market, and that wealth is balancing it out. so there are still crazy, big - spending nights ? er : Recently someone bought 100 bottles of Perrier Jouet in one shot. That was pretty wild. He provided the evening’s entertainment for the entire place.

drinks, the menu is filled with comfort food like dry-aged burgers and chicken pot pie. The masculine, ’60s-style décor will have visitors feeling as if they just stepped into an episode of Mad Men. 10 W. 28th St., 212-796-1500; thenomadhotel.com/#!/dining/ the-nomad-bar

Top of the Standard The 360-degree view of Manhattan at night from this rooftop lounge is dazzling and so are the celebrities who flock to it. There’s a chance you’ll see Madonna or Jared Leto mingling by the gold bar, perhaps drinking one of the Top’s superb Champagne cocktails or just swaying to the

live jazz music. 848 Washington St., 212-645-4646; standard hotels.com/high-line

The Leonora This new Chelsea club may have the hardest door in town. But if you make it into the small 200-capacity club, you’ll find celebrities like Damon Dash as well as Julia Stiles, Jackson Browne, and, of course, co-owner Patrick McMullan, whose photographs are displayed on the wall near the oxblood leather banquettes. Once inside, try The Leonora, made with vodka, prosecco, and grapefruit juice. 525 W. 29th St, 212-594-6000; theleonoranyc.com

Where to go each night of the Week Monday There’s plenty of top-tier mingling taking

place every Monday—a highly underrated night for socializing—at the rooftop lounge Catch Roof (21 Ninth Ave., 212-392-5978; emmgrp.com/nightlife/catchroof). Owners Mark Birnbaum and Eugene Remm ensure a sexy mix of socialites and celebs who ignore the work week’s realities with great grooves from rotating DJs (such as Mel DeBarge and DJ Reach) and fowing Champagne. Meanwhile, Electric Room at Dream Downtown (355 W. 16th St., 212-229-1269; electricroomnyc.com) hosts Playroom Mondays, which celebrate underground electronic music. Some of the world’s greatest spinners offer intimate sets, and the well-heeled crowd makes it hard to remember what day it is. Tuesday The now-legendary party “Tuesday Baby Tuesday”—the brainchild of promoter Alon Jibli—is happily at home at Lower East Side drink-and-dance destination Finale (199 Bowery, 212-980-3011; emmgrp.com/nightlife/fnale), drawing boldfacers into the subterranean space shared by sister venues The General and Jazz Room. Grammy favorites like Miley, Enrique, Ciara, and R. Kelly have all christened this nightspot as one not to miss. Wednesday Getting over the hump of the workweek is easier within the glitzy confnes of Gilded Lily (408 W. 15th St., 646-790-7050; gildedlilynyc.com). The “Feel Up” party is hosted by big-wattage nightlife stars Paul Sevigny, Susanne Bartsch, Andre Saraiva, and Simonez Wolf. This is the fête of choice for young Brants, Schnabels, and Sevigny’s sister, Chloe. Midweek is also a great time to rub elbows with models and celebs at nightlife genius Amy Sacco’s No.8. (357 W. 16th St., 212-206-1096; no8ny.com). There, top DJs such as Reach, Sinatra, and Truth keep the glittering crowds—Adam Levine, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, and George Clooney among them—hopping. Thursday Start your weekend now: If you and your

scene-loving crew want to have a really memorable

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night of glass-clinking and celeb-hobnobbing (look, don’t touch), make your reservations at 1Oak (453 W. 17th St., 212-242-1111; 1oaknyc.com). This legendary venue is a sure-fre, late-night memory-maker. Known for a Chinatowninspired setting, stylish waitstaff, and come-as-you-are (in heels) vibe, Mister H (Mondrian Soho, 9 Crosby St., 212389-1000; morganshotelgroup.com) is also worth a stop to commingle with sexy crowds and listen to sublime tunes. fridAy There are countless glorious and mysterious ways

to spend Friday night in New York. One of our favorites: the underground dance music series from DJs Sleepy & Boo at Marquee (289 10th Ave., 646-473-0202; marqueeny. com), which has invited a wide array of guest spinners from across the globe to its turntables. Everyone from Lee Burridge and Steve Lawler to Erick Morillo has taken a turn shaking this spot to the rafters. In a town where large-scale nightlife can often feel like a thing of the past, this party just might restore your faith. Another swishy Friday night affair takes place at Le Bain (The Standard, High Line, 848 Washington St., 212-645-4646; standardshotels.com), the penthouse playground of the incredibly fabulous that offers eye-popping Hudson River views (Hello, Jersey!), a plunge pool on the dance foor, indoor-outdoor firting, and an elite roster of international DJs. And let’s not ignore the swank of the new—the 20,000 square feet of Spanish-style favor called Space Ibiza New York (637 W. 50th St., 212-2472447; spaceibizany.com). With DJs like Luciano and Duke

Dumont, plenty of glamour, and visitors like Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s a party you’ll want to be a part of. sAturdAy Before the late-late-night festivities go into

effect, do your crew a favor and migrate to Sunset Saturdays at PH-D Lounge (355 W. 16th St., 212-229-2511; phd lounge.com), a dance party on the Dream Downtown’s rooftop, where DJ Dalton, the resident spinmeister, gets everyone revved up for the night ahead. Up&Down (244 W. 14th St., 212-242-4411; uadnyc.com) is the newest addition to the Chelsea-Meatpacking landscape. It has already hosted parties with Mark Ronson, Lil’ Kim, and the guys behind Crystal Castles. Once the scenesters make their way past the ropes, it turns into a churning bi-level club scene with a back stairway that’s a legend in the making. sundAy Wind down the weekend in a marvelous, molto

Italiano manner at the Riviera Sundays dance party at Lavo (39 E. 58th St., 212-750-5588; lavony.com). Legendary restaurateur Rocco Ancarola has combined the appeal of a Sunday family dinner with a shake-off-the-calories DJ set from a rotating roster of Euro DJs. Of course, if you absolutely, positively must slink and sip in top-model fashion until Sunday morphs to Monday, do it at the chicest new spot in Chelsea: The Leonora (525 W. 29th St., 212-594-6000; theleonoranyc.com) is the latest from nightlife mastermind Noel Ashman. In this violet-hued, subterranean spot, fashion unions are forged, sublime cocktails are splashed (“My shoes!”), and prayers to the nightlife gods are answered.

SNAP CHAT

attention giver in a world of attention seekers.”

The city’s top lensmen on who gets photographed—and why.

Billy Farrell

By Jennifer Ashley Wright

Patrick McMullan Andy Warhol once said, “If you don’t know Patrick, you ought to get out more.” That’s a statement as true now as when the photographer began shooting photos in the 1970s. On his website, patrickmcmullan.com, check out last night’s pictures alongside the latest Gwyneth and Angelina snaps and the happenings at hot spots like Marquee and Beautique. If you want to find yourself in his lens, he says, “I like people who go over the top. I don’t like people who act like they’re doing you a favor by letting you photograph them.” He laughs as he explains, “I’m an

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Billy Farrell learned from the master, Patrick McMullan, his former employer. Farrell set up his own agency, BFA (bfa.com), in 2010 and soon became a staple on the party circuit. Fortunately for scenesters, Farrell has a large social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, so they can share snaps with all of their chic friends. If you want your picture taken by Farrell, all you need to do is ask. “I will almost always take it,” says Farrell, “unless I’m waiting for a key shot and then I’ll come back to that request.”

Josh Wong Josh Wong, a longtime photographer for guestofaguest.com, who started working the party scene in

2007, knows all the cool spots. You’ll find him at sizzling places like The Box, where he shot Journelle’s party to kick off Fashion Week. If you want your picture taken, pay attention to your footwear. He claims that he picks his stylish subjects based on who is wearing the most stylish shoes.

Nick McGlynn Nick McGlynn’s Random Night Out is a go-to website for New York’s young tech and media crowd. He documents artists and nightlife perennials like Molly Crabapple or the DJ duo Andrew Andrew. McGlynn picks his subjects based on people who are “doing something interesting.” He wants people to look at the photos and say, “Wow, that party really looks fun!” So make a funny face or get out on the dance floor to catch his eye.

Strategically Minded // andrew goldberg & Jonathan Schwartz The Strategic Group has been at the center of New York’s nightlife scene for almost two decades. Company honchos Goldberg and Schwartz now export the group’s successful NYC mainstays like Tao, Marquee, and Lavo worldwide. are you a night owl? jonathan schwartz: We’re definitely not late-to-arrive kind of guys. I’m up at 8 am. In the morning, I’m working on programming; from 1 to 8 pm, we’re taking meetings. I’m probably planning dinner for 10:30 pm, and I’m at the club from 12:45 to 4 am. how do you stay relevant in nyc after nearly two decades? andrew goldberg: I preach “hospitality, hospitality, hospitality.” If we opened a barn that had great speakers and took our hospitality to that room, guests would come. People want to spend money wisely and not have buyer’s remorse the next day. has the number of free-spending high rollers diminished? ag: We’re lucky. In New York, the 1 percent still exists. We deal with jet-setters. New York has become the hub for Russians and South Americans. They don’t like to party in their own countries, as that could show political bad taste. They come to New York to feel liberated. no matter what, everyone wants to party in manhattan? ag: New York is the capital of everything trendsetting. The number-one songs hit New York before any other city; fashionistas get their clothes here before they hit Paris. People will always be watching to see what happens in New York. It 100 percent sets the temperature of things. talk to me about the rise of the brand-name dj, which is one of your signatures. js:

Andrew Goldberg and Jonathan Schwartz of The Strategic Group at Avenue. “Music is the biggest driving force inside most NYC clubs,” says Schwartz.

When I got into the business 12 or 13 years ago, everything was about the door policy and fashion and who’s who. Now, I think music is the biggest driving force inside most NYC clubs. The number-one question I get is, “Who’s deejaying tonight?” how do you program your music? js: It isn’t just about EDM. Marquee is an example of that; on Wednesday nights, it has a great niche that is 90 percent hip-hop. On Friday nights we have an amazing deep house night [deep house is a subgenre of EDM that combines elements of jazz, funk, and soul]. Then on Saturday night, we go for a Tiesto [a Dutch DJ and record producer], or even a local $1,000-a-night DJ who plays great EDM. People love hearing their favorite downtown pop track, whether it’s from Spotify, Billboard, or the iTunes chart. Right now, you can’t walk into a club without hearing the new Kiesza track three times in one night.

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photography by Damiano poli (rope). grooming by michael Johnson, using Dior homme at Factory Downtown

Ryan Tarantino and Shawn Kolodny at VIP Room. “Now a nightclub has to provide an experience that’s not just a room with loud music,” says Tarantino.

THE VIP CONNECTION // Shawn Kolodny & Ryan Tarantino Lavo and Pink Elephant vet Kolodny teamed up with Rande Gerber protégé Tarantino to form Tri Hospitality, with its anchor property a New York outpost of St-Tropez boîte VIP Room. Barely a year old, it’s already welcomed everyone from Rihanna to Jack Nicholson. what’s the biggest shift you’ve seen in ny nightlife? shawn kolodny: The market is much more corporate, with bigger groups playing with bigger dollars. We’re affiliated with VIP Rooms in Paris, St-Tropez, and Dubai, and we share databases, so we can send guests back and forth. you’ve invested heavily in technology for your space. ryan tarantino : When I started, you just needed to have superior liquor and an attractive staff. Now, a nightclub has to provide an experience that’s not just a room with loud music; you need light shows, DJs, entertainment. We dumped a million dollars into a state-of-theart light show that creates different graphics to go along with an event in the room. If it’s your birthday, your name will be flashed in bright lights and do a 360, so the entire room will know. how has social media impacted your business? sk : Everybody is

tweeting or Instagramming where they are, so things spread quickly—word of a specific event or something cool can take off on its own. It’s great for last-minute things, too. We’ve had celebrities tweet or Instagram from the club, which is fantastic for us. how do you become a celebrity magnet ? sk : We just try to cater to them as best we can. Some are more difficult than others. But everybody wants to be close to them for a second. who was a memorable guest ? rt: One gentleman’s favorite thing was to spray very expensive Champagne, monster 12-liter bottles of Cristal or Ace of Spades. He would ask us to buy ponchos for the entire staff so he could stay until almost closing time and spray everyone. how do you retain buzz with such reduced attention spans among clients?

rt: If a table setup isn’t working or a certain sitting arrangement, we change it. The newest thing for us is extending the VIP area, roping off the section and adding personal security. It’s right in front of the DJ booth. Everyone is focused on the DJ, but it creates more of a show with VIPs in front of them. The VIP is the show as well.

Beyond the Bounce: Damon Peruzzi is the frontman at

the Dream Downtown’s Electric Room. “If you’re well-dressed or with a gorgeous woman, you might make it in,” he says. He never feels bad about a bounce, though. “It’s just a party, people.” 355 W. 16th St., 212-229-1269; electricroomnyc.com

Dispatches from the Door If you want to hobnob on the fun

sIde of the velvet rope, these are the gatekeepers you need to know. By Andrew C. Stone

sexy soirées: Claudio Pesce and Disco make sure No. 8 stays sexy. “It’s models next to downtown hipsters, next to guys in awesome suits, next to celebs,” says Pesce. Disco lives by: “Never judge a book by its cover,” though they’re both strict. “One time a girl—who was turned away—rushed through,” recalls Pesce. “She screamed, ‘I have to be in here!’ She didn’t make it far.” 357 W. 16th St., 212-206-1096; no8ny.com catch him if you can: George Priovolos keeps the crowd

churning at Catch Roof. Guests have tried everything to curry favor: “A group did a complete performance routine at the door,” he says. He believes in upbeat hospitality and honesty. “When I’m unable to accommodate, I let them know right away.” 21 Ninth Ave., 212-392-5978; emmgrp.com/nightlife/catch-roof/

Posh Portal: Zac Nichols, a flmmaker who bounced

marquee value: Rich Thomas, a partner at Marquee,

at Acme, keeps things posh at Gilded Lily—the lounge downstairs from sleek eatery The Monarch Room. “It’s not your typical bottles and models venue,” he says. To get in, people regularly say they’re best friends with celebs. Occasionally they claim to own the Yankees.” He keeps it sweet, regardless. “No one likes to hear no, so I try to say it as kindly as possible.” 408 W. 15th St., 646-790-7050; gildedlilynyc.com

manned its door in 2003, and again upon reopening in 2013. “I can’t let everybody in, but I try never to make people feel bad,” he says. What’s welcome: “Better-looking people are better for a room,” he says. While the “bounced” might pout, Thomas shrugs it off. “I don’t feel bad for people who can’t get into a nightclub when there’s war and famine going on,” he says. 289 10th Ave., 646-473-0202; marqueeny.com G

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[

by erin Lentz with additionaL reporting by doug brown

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cannabusiness

110â&#x20AC;&#x192; gotham-magazine.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192;

photography by tom schierlitz/trunk archive (leaf, opposite page); illustration by luke wilson (portrait)

Nearly half of all states have legalized medical marijuana, with Colorado and Washington serving as bellwethers for recreational use, and the US is amid an end to a prohibition on par with that of alcohol. But just how will the Green Rush grow? And why is it attracting some surprising advocates among doctors, entrepreneurs, politicians, attorneys, and businesspeople?

eed. Ganja. Marijuana. Pot. During the opening session of the heady 2014 Aspen Ideas Festival held in June of this year, references to the potent plant were the keynote kicker. An intellectual with enviable wit, David G. Bradley, owner of the Atlantic Media Company, delivered an opening monologue that imagined some 250, type-A festival speakers high on Colorado cannabis, enlivening a crowd of CEOs, politicians, doctors, and thinkers with scenarios such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pulling her tempted husband into a car with a reference to her memoir, “We’re making hard choices, Bill.” But all jokes aside, this international platform—which eventually staged a very serious conversation on marijuana between Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Katie Couric—is illustrative of an escalating national debate embracing medical marijuana and its rapid-fire industry growth. And for many close to the cause, weed is no laughing matter, posing hard choices indeed. Pot chatter is pervasive throughout the US, whether at dinner parties or on the floor of Congress. In Atlanta, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, who was once vocally anti-pot, passionately discusses the benefits of cannabis in his second documentary film, Weed 2: Cannabis Madness. In Nevada, State Senator Tick Segerblom and Congresswoman Dina Titus are championing bills that favor post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) medical marijuana research and protect the rights of legal users. In Los Angeles, former talk show host and celebrity Ricki Lake is producing a new documentary, Weed the People, which

follows cancer-stricken children and the use of cannabis as medicine. In Denver, Tripp Keber, founder and CEO of Dixie Elixirs and Edibles, is launching his latest edible product, Dixie One. And just a 20-minute drive from Keber’s new 40,000-square-foot Colorado headquarters, Governor Hickenlooper is repeatedly quoted as stating that we are in the midst of one of the “great social experiments of the 21st century.” On late-night talk shows and in countless political jokes, the enduring dope-fiend stereotype propagandized in the 1936 film Reefer Madness is perpetuated, but in fact, the growth of the marijuana industry is predicted to outpace smartphones: A projected $2.34 billion worth of legal weed will be sold in the United States in 2014, according to the State of Legal Marijuana Markets (2nd Edition) produced by ArcView Market Research. The same report projects a whopping $10.2 billion market by 2018. In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215, a milestone ballot that legalized cannabis for medicinal use. Since that time, more than half of all states have either followed suit—in July, New York became the 23rd state to sanction medical marijuana—or taken steps to decriminalize the substance, making possession of a small amount on par with a traffic ticket. And referendums on legal recreational use of marijuana are cropping up on ballots nationwide since Washington State and Colorado voters approved the practice in 2012. The New York Law, termed the Compassionate Care Act, allows for the medical use of marijuana to help alleviate the symptoms for a wide range of diseases, among them cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and multiple sclerosis. Under consideration for inclusion in the law are such illnesses as Alzheimer’s, PTSD, and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients won’t be permitted to smoke the drug;

DaviD Rheins Founder of Seattle’s Marijuana Business Association (MJBA) On Marijuana PrOhibitiOn: “We’ve had the discussion about prohibition. We’ve given it well past its due with 80 years of a war not on drugs, but on people, in a culture where pharmaceuticals are on every other commercial and ad page.” FOunding the Mjba: “We chronicle and promote the industry. The best way to build a sustainable industry is by providing reliable information and the network of experts and folks that every small and start-up business needs. [They] just happen to also have an extra layer of compliance and regulations to contend with.” tax talk: “We’re told we can’t afford to fund teachers in schools, to fx the roads, to clean the air, to develop alternative energy. The reality is that with these extra dollars we can apportion this in such a way that we can say, ‘Yes, let’s address these social issues.’ I would rather pay a higher tax to fx the economy and reinvigorate these communities and stop the senseless prosecution and the wasted lives of victims of this war on drugs.”

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Lake, who was introduced to a young fan with cancer during her stint on Dancing With the Stars, is flming a documentary, Weed the People, with director Abby Epstein that follows ill children, including a cancer patient named Sophie, and the results of medical marijuana. GettinG involved: “[Pot] was not something that I did. I looked at it like a gateway drug. I didn’t want to be paranoid, out of it, like a couch potato. I was really turned off to it. I fell in love with this girl via social media, and I went on this quest for her, to heal her.” Cannabis Curve: “I’m still learning with cannabis—the ratio, the dosing, the CBD versus THC, and what kills the cancer cells and what keeps the bad side effects at bay. But it’s fascinating to me. I want to know more, and I want the public to know more. A whole new world opened up to me because [before,] I was sheltered and judgmental.” Her Film: “It shows a lot of amazing characters who are all relatable; particularly Tracy and her daughter, Sophie. Baby Sophie [represents] our biggest fear with our own children. And this mother will do anything to get her baby healthy and keep her from suffering. We have great results from the last scan. Hopefully we will see continued cell death in the tumor.” ProCeed witH Caution: “There are a lot of people in this industry who take advantage, and that is really scary. There are people selling cannabis oil to desperate families, but you have got to know what you are getting and you need to test, and that takes money. There are so many advantages, but I think people still need to take a lot of precautions.” vision Quest: “I would love to be able to prove that cannabis is killing cancer cells. It’s so much better than doing a talk show. We have more than enough people that want to be documented and are willing to tell their stories.”

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Weed 101 The preferred scientific term for this lauded and condemned botanical is cannabis, derived from the Greek word kánabis. It relishes sunlight, is an annual, and can flourish in nearly any environment, thus the nickname weed. According to Martin A. Lee’s book Smoke Signals, most scholars agree that cannabis arrived in our neck of the woods during the 16th century. Ships carrying slaves, explorers, and immigrants were outfitted with rope, sails, and netting made of hemp, while slave passengers also carried seeds for marijuana (hemp’s psychoactive cousin) in their pockets. Lee notes, “Christopher Col umbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Sir Francis Drake all sailed ships equipped with hemp products. And in 1619, eight years after colonists first planted hemp in Jamestown, the Virginia assembly passed a law requiring every household in the colony to cultivate the plant because it had so many beneficial uses. Hemp farming and processing played an important role in American history (as evidenced in the name of towns from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest, such as Hempstead and Hempfield). Several of our Founding Fathers, in fact, were hemp farmers, including George Washington.” By the 1850s, hemp was the thirdlargest crop behind tobacco and cotton. As the plant made its way across the globe in many forms—and was ingested via inhaling, tinctures, and med ical experiments among varying societal ranks—it gained a particular stronghold in Mexico, where, according to Lee’s research, farmers discovered the power of “Rosa Maria.” During the Mexican Revolution, smoking weed was prevalent in small Texan towns like El Paso, which in 1914 became the first city to ban both the sale and posses sion of marijuana. Thus the national debate on this botanical’s potent power began as a murmur, which has since evolved, at times, into a screaming match. Today, though new state laws are being enacted rather quickly,

on the federal level, cannabis remains a Schedule I sub stance, which is defined as “the most dangerous” drugs “with no currently accepted medical use.”

ReefeR Madness & PRohibition Prior to 1906, the federal government had yet to regulate any psychoactive drug. During that year, Congress enacted the Pure Food and Drug Act, the first legislation that included cannabis among ingredients that had to be noted on a product label. By 1914, the Harrison Act tightened nar cotic control, stating that a nonmedical user could not possess cocaine or opiates; with this, the first line was drawn in the sand between medical and recreational drug use. Though alcohol prohibition occurred all at once on the national level, marijuana prohibition was enacted in stages. By the mid1930s, cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state. It was around this time that Harry Anslinger helmed the newly cre ated Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), a post he held for 32 years. Both idolized and villainized, many allege that Anslinger’s antimarijuana campaign was fueled by a desire to increase his department’s budget: If he could successfully vilify weed, his bureaucratic power would result in further funding for the FBN. There are also scores of reports that pot prohibition was fueled by big business, a premise referred to as the Hemp Conspiracy Theory. It is reported that the Hearst and DuPont empires felt threatened that hemp would compete with their woodpulp paper and nylon products, and the theory thus played a major role in campaigns and propaganda against pot in all its forms. Love him or hate him, Anslinger was central to the American public’s perception. He coined the term “Devil’s Weed,” championed such antipot propaganda as Reefer Madness (today a cult comedy classic often watched ironi cally by college students as they get high, along with its musical 2005 parody version), and was instrumental in the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act, which heavily regu lated the plant and served to drastically limit doctors’ ability to legally prescribe cannabis. Today, many physicians, including the outspoken Gupta, are realizing that this little green plant could have a huge impact across several medical fields. “This is legitimate medicine,” argues Gupta.

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Though new state laws are being enacted rather quickly, on the federal level, cannabis remains a Schedule I substance.

the LittLe PLant that CouLd: MediCaL MaRijuana “I am not backing down on medical marijuana; I am dou bling down,” proclaimed Gupta in a March CNN column. When asked to explain his 180degree turn on the benefits of cannabis, he’s quick to explain, “The tipping point was when I started to look at the research coming out of other

illustration by luke wilson (portraits). opposite page: film still courtesy of cnn; illustration by luke wilson (portraits)

Ricki Lake, Celebrity; producer of Weed the People

they will be allowed to consume it in a number of different forms, whether in edibles, oils, or with vaporizers. New York State Senator Liz Krueger says she plans to intro duce the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in early 2015. This bill would tax all state marijuana sales and limit possession to two ounces. Simply put, we are witnessing an end to a prohibition on par with that of alcohol. As Keith Stroup, founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws [NORML], says, “It is the most exciting political change I’ve seen in my lifetime. You almost can’t keep up with the change that’s going on.” But first, the power of a plant.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta with Josh Stanley at his family’s booming Colorado grow house, in a still from Gupta’s new documentary, Weed 2.

congreSSwoman dina tituS Nevada, District 1 PtSD & Pot: “As a member of the veterans committee and the ranking member of the subcommittee on benefts, I began to hear more and more about the potential of medical marijuana for treating PTSD. I am circulating now to get signatures that will go to the Department of Health and Human Services, asking them to lift the limitations on studying the effects of marijuana. It’s very restrictive now. We need to study it just like any other kind of medicine, or any other kind of drug.” BuDS & Banking co-oPS: “I have signed on as a cosponsor to Ed Perlmutter’s bill that will change the banking laws so that we could have legitimate marijuana businesses operating through bank accounts.”

countries and smaller labs. [When] I started to spend time with patients who were convinced it was helping them, I realized it was a very large group of patients who seemed to be getting objective benefits. And that’s what really started getting me researching it again.” His research led him to Charlotte Figi, the central figure in his provocative film Weed. Charlotte has been plagued with complex seizures—nearly two an hour—since she was an infant, and the film follows a harrowing family journey to save Charlotte’s life after being diagnosed with Dravet syndrome. Also known as severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, this rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy was at one point causing Charlotte 300 grand mal seizures a week. As a last resort, the Figi family turned to medical marijuana, pitching Charlotte into the center of a national debate as the youngest medical marijuana applicant in Colorado. And though Charlotte’s story has become known across the country, what many may still not fully understand, Gupta explains, is that young patients such as Charlotte are not getting intoxicated. “This isn’t getting them high. [Particular strains of medical marijuana] are high-CBD concentration; they may become a little bit sedated like they would with other antiepileptic drugs,” says Gupta. “The biggest misconception is that kids are getting stoned or high or psychoactive.” Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the principal psychoactive component in marijuana, the form of cannabis responsible for euphorias, or highs, whether smoked or ingested via edible products. On the other hand, cannabidiol (CBD) is one of at least 60 active cannabinoids

identified in cannabis, which, when isolated, can have a wide scope of medicinal uses, and does not get patients high like THC. Charlotte was given a very specific, highly concentrated CBD strain cultivated by the Stanley brothers—one of Colorado’s largest marijuana growers—at their Garden of Eden grow house. The six brothers crossbred marijuana with industrial hemp, and the resulting strain, Realm Oil (which Charlotte would ingest under her tongue via an olive oil blend, not as smoke), was renamed by the Stanleys as “Charlotte’s Web.” It was so successful in combating Figi’s seizures that families with similar stories have relocated to Colorado in order to legally obtain medical marijuana. Today, Charlotte is reported to have about three to four seizures a month. The Stanleys have since created Realm of Caring, a nonprofit that provides free or low-cost cannabis therapies to families in need. It’s not just celebrity doctors such as Gupta who are championing the potential of medical marijuana. Ed Bernstein, a prominent Las Vegas attorney and television show host, is applying for a dispensary license, with a 33 percent stake in La Casa Verde Operating. As a successful businessman, he sees opportunity, but the impetus for this new venture is his 25-year-old daughter, Dana, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 3. “She’s had about 200 hospital day trips,” explains Bernstein. “She’s had a couple of dozen surgeries. Over the years, she’s had her intestines removed. She is in constant pain, 24/7.” While living in California during high school, Dana applied for a medical marijuana license and

nevada State Senator tick Segerblom Author of SB 374, which allowed the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries Why Senate Bill 374? “People didn’t have the ability to actually purchase medical marijuana that they were entitled to use under the Constitution.” touriSt tokeS: “Las Vegas is going to be the Amsterdam of the West. Everyone is going to want to have their picture taken in front of a marijuana dispensary.” allocating tax revenueS: “Education. The money frst goes to offset administrative costs, then to police costs, then it goes to education.” Pot’S hot: “Support for medical marijuana is at 90 percent. It’s incredible.”

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Cannabis ConneCts: “There are cannabis receptors in the body. So it’s more natural than a lot of drugs, which simply inhibit the transmission of neurons from one cell to another cell. This binds to something that already exists in the body.” Farming For the Future: “CBD strains are going to become more in demand as a medicine. It’s harder than people realize to breed these plants up to specifc strands of CBD versus THC. But there is going to be higher demand and will continue to be very necessary.” on reCreational use: “This is legitimate medicine, and I wouldn’t take it away from people because of the concerns of recreational use.”

Keith Stroup, Founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) smokers’ rights: “As long as it was a crime, there wasn’t a lot you could argue for consumer rights. Now we’re beginning to focus on the real consumer issues. A private employer can drug test, and if you test positive for THC, even though there is no indication you were impaired on the job, they can fre you. What they need is an impairment test, not a test that asks, ‘Have you smoked in the last six weeks?’” dui debate: “We all agree that we don’t want people impaired when they drive. But THC adheres to your fatty tissues and can be detected weeks after smoking. We’ve got to convince legislators to use science so we test impairment.”

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Use & AbUse: The NexT GeNerATioN As the medical benefits of CBD strains are further researched, there’s still considerable apprehension among medical experts (Gupta included), law enforcement, and politicians surrounding marijuana and young users. Now that teens may gain easier access to the drug, potential for abuse and the effects on the young brain are a particular concern. A groundbreaking study published by The Journal of Neuroscience in April is the first to show that frequent use of marijuana is related to major brain changes. Researchers—including experts from Harvard Medical

Tripp Keber at Dixie Elixirs & Edibles.

School and Massachusetts General Hospital—conducted MRIs on 40 people: 20 recreational users who smoke an average of 11 joints per week and 20 nonusers. The scientists found that the shapes and sizes of two neural regions essential to motivation and emotion were significantly altered in users. Concerns about marijuana’s negative impact on the growing brain has spurred leaders to create forums, such as the Aspen Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo’s Valley Marijuana Council, to discuss the impact and warn young users of the dangers. Though supportive of the legalization of both medical and recreational pot, during an address to the annual NORML Legal Seminar in Aspen, Sheriff DiSalvo stated, “Marijuana is not a product for brains under construction. The message we are giving students is delay, delay, delay. The longer you delay, the better your chances of not compromising a brain under construction. We want to increase awareness and lower adolescent drug use.” Governor Hickenlooper is in agreement. “We have a moral responsibility to regulate it properly,” he says. “That means making sure kids under 21 don’t get it. There are neuroscientists who believe if people with growing brains smoke high-THC-content pot, it can hurt their memories. But kids think because it’s legal, it’s less dangerous. We are arguing caution.”

photography by theo stroomer (keber); illustration by luke wilson (portraits) opposite page: illustration by luke wilson (portraits)

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Neurosurgeon; CNN chief medical correspondent

discovered the drug significantly decreased her pain. Now a Nevada resident, it’s become difficult for Dana to obtain marijuana for medicinal use, thus her father’s quest to fight for her rights and open a dispensary. “Medical marijuana has been legal here for a number of years, but there was no way to access it,” he says. “I am very aware of the legislation, and we immediately looked into getting a dispensary here.” Bernstein hopes to open a boutique that features quality medical marijuana, a shop “that has a welcoming environment, that can offer the very best strains scientifically possible. You want to be able to have strains of the highest CBD and a variance of those strains that work well with different medical conditions. We are going to focus on doing research with the strains, with universities, with hospitals. My partners all have the same interests in helping people who suffer.” Both Bernstein and Gupta are quick to point out the harmful side effects of conventional painkillers (in Dana’s case, the opioid Dilaudid). Gupta adds, “The abuse of pain medications is the most tragic thing in our country. Someone dies every 19 minutes from an accidental prescription drug overdose. It’s now the number-one preventable cause of death in the United States.” Gupta also notes that epilepsy, pain, and multiple sclerosis are particularly responsive to cannabisbased medicines. Another hot topic in both medical and political circles is the effect of medical marijuana on PTSD. “We are following the trial of marijuana for PTSD among veterans,” says Gupta. “I think the initial research will be promising. Survivors of the Holocaust are being treated for PTSD with cannabis, right now. It’s the initial drumbeat, and very positive.”

So just how does the industry tackle potential abuse among young users, and even adults? Certainly there are scores of medical marijuana licenses issued to “patients” who are, in fact, using medical marijuana licenses to simply get high. As with alcohol, or any substance for that matter, abuse is inevitable. When asked how this will be navigated, most advocates suggest extensive educational outreach. In August 2014, a controversial Colorado public education campaign titled “Don’t Be a Lab Rat” was driven by the Colorado governor’s office. Human-size rat cages were dropped around Denver in an effort to warn teens that Colorado is a testing ground for medical marijuana legalization and there is still uncertainty involved in relation to pot use and the young brain. Additionally, though Governor Mark Dayton passed medical marijuana legislation in Minnesota, the state’s strict new law bans smoking marijuana and home cultivation, and allows for only two cannabis dispensaries statewide.

extractions meant to be used in vaporizer pens; as edibles, such as gummy candies, chocolates, and sodas; and as salves and lotions for rubbing into sore muscles and joints. The latest Dixie Elixir? Dixie One, a soda that, unlike most edible products, offers one single, measured 5mg dose of THC. Which begs the question—as the fast-paced edible business booms, how does one properly package and regulate dosage amounts? This growing debate among edible entrepreneurs and state legislators was thrust into the national spotlight when New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd alleged in her “Don’t Harsh Our Mellow, Dude” column back in June, that she, unaware of the potency, accidentally ate too much of a THC-infused candy bar, resulting in a panic-stricken hotel stay in Denver. Commenting on this (Dixie’s Chief Marketing Officer Joe Hodas wrote a reactive op-ed in The Times), Keber says, “Dosing is the single-greatest focus that we should be looking at as an industry. Now you have your average soccer mom The MighTy from Ohio who may or may not edible have had a relationship with can“The only thing consistent in this nabis in 20-plus years, and [today] industry is change,” says Tripp cannabis is dramatically differKeber. “It’s at hyper speed.” ent. What was previously 3 or 4 Standing in what will soon be a percent is now 23 or 24 percent sleek reception area of his new [THC].” As an answer to the 40,000-square-foot headquarters growing concern of packaging in Denver, the founder and CEO and marketing dosing amounts, of Dixie Elixirs & Edibles has Keber and his team developed been recently hyped himself on Dixie One to eliminate the guessshows such as 60 Minutes and work: One soda, one dose. HBO’s Vice. Keber describes the Keber touts his new HQ’s statebooming marijuana business as of-the-art security, a necessary having experienced “hockey stick feature at a time when few banks growth,” from completely flat to have been willing to provide —aspen county sheriff straight up. accounts and other services to joe disalvo While leading a personal tour marijuana businesses due to its of his impressive new facility, he federal Schedule I classification, candidly explains, “We are not and most dispensaries have to marijuana people. We are busiconduct business in cash. He nessmen and women that have applied what we have notes that two dispensaries in his area had recently been learned professionally to the cannabis space. There has robbed. But his sometimes-risky business also means serinever been a nationally branded line of THC-infused prod- ous tax revenue—numbers, he opines, that cannot be ucts like Dixie. Our intention is taking this company not ignored by the government on both state and federal levels, only national, but potentially public.” given the potential for education, city infrastructure, addiA successful entrepreneur who served in the Reagan tional medical research funding, and much more. And administration, Keber has been called the Gordon Gekko headway is being made, particularly in Colorado, with of Ganja. But nicknames aside, he helms a serious, and banking institutions and the marijuana industry, as politiseriously lucrative, business, squarely in the spotlight of cians and banking co-ops are quickly realizing reform is edible entrepreneurs (the industry is moving so fast that at inevitable in regard to banking and buds. a recent Las Vegas “cannabusiness” convention, one busiIn February of this year, Governor Hickenlooper stated ness proposal was a Domino’s-esque pot delivery service). that taxes and fees from recreational and medical mariFounded just four years ago, Keber’s Dixie Elixirs has juana sales would be $134 million in the coming fiscal year. grown from a 400-square-foot office and two employees And though some may criticize his choice of industry, who made one product (an orange elixir) to his new mari- Keber says, “You cannot argue with taxes and jobs. The juana industrial mansion, which currently houses some 50 revenue reported from April [2014] was up 17 percent from employees and serves as the assembly line and grow house the month before, and up 53 percent since the month of for the more than 40 Dixie THC-infused products and 100 January.” There’s no doubt he believes in the industry’s skydifferent SKUs. Most cannabis sold in Colorado dispensa- rocketing potential. “You are seeing this real steep growth. ries comes in four forms: as the buds of the plant; as liquid Sometimes we feel like we have a tiger by the tail.” G

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“The message we are giving students is delay, delay, delay. We want to increase awareness and lower adolescent drug use.”

ed bernsTein, Las Vegas attorney daughter dana & crohn’s disease: “When she smokes medical marijuana, oftentimes before going to the hospital and going through that cycle with the Dilaudid, it takes the edge off her pain.” Betting on Business: “The law is still unsettled regarding lawyers and doctors and their professional licenses around dispensaries. But legislators in our state are very positive about medical marijuana; the voters certainly are.” gateway drug? “A lot of people don’t understand the medical benefts and have been so brainwashed about marijuana being the gateway drug that under any circumstances they are not in favor of it. In the past, to buy it you had to go underground, dealing with people who are selling cocaine, crack, marijuana, and heroin. Legalizing marijuana will have the opposite result. If you have a legal, safe place to purchase the medical marijuana, then you will not come into contact with the stereotypical pusher.”

Tripp Keber, Founder and CEO of Dixie Elixirs & Edibles tie-dyed Businessman: “This is not a fool’s business. You have to be intellectually charged, committed, and funded to succeed, because you can’t go to the bank and get a loan.” a kinder drug? “There may be two [marijuana-related] deaths in Colorado since January. How many hundreds of alcohol- or opiate-related deaths are there?” Potent Packaging: “We as manufacturers have to set the tone, to make sure that the packaging is not attracting children. Our products are designed to look like a luxury consumer packaged brand.”

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haute property A seven-unit condo conversion at 22 Central Park South offers a unique amenity—a concierge with a hotline to Bergdorf Goodman.

The Fashion Condo

photography by Evan JosEph

Style amenitieS lure foreign buyerS to a Central Park South ProPerty. By C. J. HugHes

Landscaped terraces, spas, and golf simulators may have attracted condo buyers during the last boom, but as the city’s housing market becomes flooded with foreign buyers, high- end buildings are changing the types of amenities on offer. Today, services are increasingly devised to cater to the pied-à-terre set, those people who come to New York for short periods of time. For instance, at 22 Central Park South (22centralparksouth.com), a seven-unit condo conversion near Fifth Avenue, developers are providing a perk for those whose jet-setting lifestyles mean that shopping, interior decorating, or grooming often needs to be done on the quick. A special hotline will connect the concierge of the Beaux-Arts building to the staff at Bergdorf Goodman, the nearby luxury department store. Somebody flying in from Paris and needing a gown for a charity event could place a call in the afternoon and have one delivered in time for a party that evening. A stylist could also drop by the apartment to apply makeup. Savvy locals who take pride in running these kinds of errands themselves—or who just enjoy a stroll through Bergdorf’s elegantly stocked aisles—may not get too continued on page 118

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haute property

A sleek, modern kitchen with glass cabinetry, marble countertops, and built-in wine storage.

excited about this kind of pampering, but the condo’s developer, the Elad Group (eladgroup.com), is betting that the multinational homeowner will come running. “Everybody looking at a home here is a worldwide traveler,” says Samantha Sax, an Elad executive vice president, “and our buyers are really Bergdorf buyers.” Oren Alexander, a Douglas Elliman broker (thealexanderteam.elliman.com) who isn’t affiliated with 22 Central Park South but works with many overseas clients, believes the project will be successful because it’s in a popular corner of Midtown. “Fifty-seventh Street does not have appeal for everyone,” he says, citing its congestion and noise. “The pied-à-terre buyer wants to run in Central Park and see the horses.” A first-of-its-kind offering for Bergdorf, which opened in 1901 and has had its main store at Fifth Avenue and West 58th Street since 1928, the 22 Central Park South service also allows residents to enjoy one-on-one consultations with designers from the store’s seventh-floor home collection. If buyers like

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A soothing palette of neutrals in a master bedroom.

what they see in the condo’s on-site model unit, they could procure similar items from the home shop at Bergdorf, says Andrew Mandell, a Bergdorf vice president; the consultations are free, though buyers are on the hook for any housewares. Already one buyer has inquired about getting vintage art and history books for their own shelves, Mandell says. “It’s a very interesting experience, because we never really get to see products we buy for the store end up in a home.” The strategy seems to be paying off. As of early September, four of the building’s seven apartments have sold, its brokers say, adding that international buyers are in the mix, but until deals close and deeds are filed with the city, the provenance of the buyers is tough to confirm. While sales in the building, which is adjacent to The Plaza Hotel, an Elad condo conversion project from a decade ago, are on an upswing, the condo, despite its glamorous neighbor, went through a few struggles. The original marketer, Brown Harris Stevens, was dropped a few months after sales began last fall and

“[concierges] can take the new York experience to a whole other level.” —donna olshan replaced by Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group (corcoransunshine.com). Prices on some units, which take up entire floors and feature casement windows and decorative fireplaces, appear to have been discounted, like the fifth-floor unit, which dropped to $7.8 million from $9.8 million. Overall, in early September, the average asking price was about $5,000 a square foot. Still, prices at 22 Central Park South can seem steep for the neighborhood. In late summer, the 22 co-ops and condos for sale on Central Park South had an average asking price of $3.3 million, according to streeteasy.com. Those apartments ranged from $695,000, or about $1,350 a square foot, for a studio at Trump Parc, at 106 CPS, the data show, to $26.9 million, or $4,800 a foot, for a four-bedroom at The Plaza. Though what are now considered basic building amenities like pools, sun decks, and children’s playrooms, may appeal to international buyers, newer offerings, like the Bergdorf concierge service, are designed with them specifically in mind. For example, 432 Park Avenue, an 84-story spire in Midtown from Macklowe Properties (mackloweproperties.com) and CIM Group (cimgroup.com), offers an in-house performance venue that globe-trotting executives might use to stage TED-style events. And because so many of the city’s recent super-tall apartment towers are hotelcondos, foreign buyers, who have been estimated to make up as much as a third of the buying market for new condos, may feel uniquely catered to anyway. At One57, a 90-story high-rise on West 57th Street from Extell Development Company (extelldev.com), which sits atop a Park Hyatt, the hotel staff is versed in multiple languages. At the same time, the services provided by concierges, who have become fixtures of many of the major new condos, have dramatically expanded, brokers say. No longer do they just score Book of Mormon tickets: Now, they “plan honeymoons in Bora Bora,” says Céline Bossart, an executive with Luxury Attaché (luxuryattache.com), a concierge provider for 170 East End Avenue, One Madison, and 100 Eleventh Avenue. Even if not all concierges are created equally— some can be glorified doormen—they can take the stress out of hiring a caterer, reserving a limousine, or finding somebody to fix a computer, which is especially helpful for part-time residents, says Donna Olshan, president of Olshan Realty (olshan. com), a luxury brokerage. “It can take the New York experience to a whole other level,” she says. G

photography by Evan JosEph

At 22 Central Park South, living rooms feature coffered ceilings, decorative fireplaces, and expansive views of Central Park.

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Haute ProPerty Neighborhoods

The SouTh RiSeS

If you’re thInkIng of movIng to or explorIng Central park South, here’S the SCoop on the area’S beSt SpotS. By Suzanne Charle Central Park South is now one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city, with Lady Gaga, Tommy Hilfiger, and Liam Gallagher among the glitterati who call the street home. The draw: Central Park, “the money shot” as one curator calls it. (CPS is also two blocks away from Billionaires’ Row.) And November is a prime month for the street. Those with front-facing apartments can enjoy great views of the finish line of the NYC Marathon and the bands and balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For anyone contemplating a move to the neighborhood, or for out-of-town visitors eager to know the area better, we sought out insider favorites by taking suggestions from residents, doormen, and Susanne Carter, chief concierge of The Ritz-Carlton Central Park.

Best for a coffee Break: Fika, Lars Akerlund’s ultrasleek café and espresso bar. Don’t miss the croissants and juniper-marinated salmon sandwich. 41 W. 58th St., 212-832-0222 Best Brunch: Art Deco shrine Petrossian, known for its caviar menu, offers a weekend brunch that is one of the best in town. 182 W. 58th St., 212-245-2214 for hungry kids (and grown-ups, too):

Sarabeth’s. Try French toast and toasted coconut waffles. Frequented by CBS Early Show guests, including Claire Danes and Zac Efron. 40 Central Park South, 212-826-5959 for hungry horses: Kids can feed Central Park’s carriage horses every day at noon at The Ritz-Carlton. 50 Central Park South

The Roof bar at the Viceroy.

Best workouts: New York Running Company offers clinics and training sessions for runners of varying abilities; 10 Columbus Circle, 2nd fl., 212823-9626. If you’re a member, head to the august New York Athletic Club; 180 Central Park South, 212-247-5100 posh pampering: La Prairie day spa at The Ritz-Carlton. 50 Central Park South, 212-521-6135

and Mick Jagger are just a few of the big fish sighted at Michael White’s haute-Italian seafood restaurant, Marea. 240 Central Park South, 212-582-5100 star dining: Thomas Keller’s Per Se—if you can get

a reservation. Tip: Call at 10 am one calendar month ahead. Or take your chances at the first-come, firstserved salon. 10 Columbus Circle, 4th fl., 823-9335

Signature cappuccino from Fika.

knockout views: The Roof, on the 29th floor above:

Nova Scotia lobster with Burrata, eggplant al funghetto, and basil at Marea. below: A view of the skyline along Central Park South.

of the Viceroy. 124 W. 57th St., 212-707-8008 the local Beau monde scene: Beautique, with an interior inspired by Coco Chanel. 8 W. 58 St., 212-753-1200 G

Buying in: price appreciation: Two-bedroom condos ran

from $2 million to $9 million in September 2011. This October the range was from $2.95 million to $11.995 million, according to streeteasy.com. Brokers to know: Oren Alexander,

Douglas Elliman, 485 Madison Ave., 212-3508561; thealexanderteam.elliman.com. John Burger, Brown Harris Stevens, 445 Park Ave., 212-906-9274; bhsusa.com coming soon: 220 Central Park South,

a 160-condo 1,031-foot-high limestone skyscraper by Vornado and Robert A. M.Stern, slated for completion in 2016. 212-369-0022; 22centralparksouth.com

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photography by courtesy of fika (cappuccino); gerber group (the viceroy); noah fecks (lobster); sean pavone/shutterstock (skyline)

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haute property tall Stories

Luxe Leases

StarS are renting their abodeS, SometimeS to other boldfacerS, aS Sarah JeSSica Parker and Sean combS Put their PlaceS uP for Sale. Today’s on-the-go celebs don’t always sell if circumstances require a gig out of town or the need for new space. Kirsten Dunst, for example, has put her two-bedroom penthouse at 533 Canal Street on the market for $12,500 a month. The loft, which comes fully or partially furnished, has river views, 11-foot ceilings, and a windowed chef’s kitchen. The listing broker for the unit, available for a minimum six-month lease, is Jared Seligman, of Douglas Elliman (212-891-7104; jaredseligman.elliman.com). Hockey star Scott Gomez is also renting his penthouse duplex—for $23,000 a month. The three-bedroom, three-bath condo is located in the Chelsea Mercantile building, where Katie Holmes now lives with Suri. This unit also has a notable celebrity past. Top fashion designer Marc Jacobs rented the apartment for a year; pop star Nick Jonas did too (at another time). The unit comes with great entertaining space, a fabulous furnished terrace, and knockout river views. Corcoran’s Erik Ternon (212-444-7977) and Noble Black (212-444-7926) have the listing. Robert De Niro and his wife, Grace Hightower, have moved into a 35th-floor rental at 15 Central Park West—for a whopping $125,000 a month. Part of the space, owned by steel mogul Leroy Schecter, was once home to Yankees star Alex Rodriguez (before the A and B units were combined). The apartment is also on the market for $65 million—a hefty $30 million off its original $95 million. The De Niros have been on the move

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since their apartment at the Brentmore was destroyed in a 2012 fire. They’ll be at 15 Central Park West for a year, until their new abode, at 88 Central Park West, has been fully renovated. The listing broker was Paula Del Nunzio, of Brown Harris Stevens (212-906-9207; pauladelnunzio.bhs usa.com), who declined to comment. Other celebrities, like Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband, Matthew Broderick, are also moving. They’ve just put their historic Greenwich Village townhouse on the market for $22 million. The manse, at 20 E. 10th Street, was purchased in 2011 and was listed for sale only a year later. Now it’s back on the market at a lower price. The five-story, 6,800-square-foot brownstone dates to 1846, but the interiors are modern and include lots of fabulous storage space for one of the city’s best-known fashionistas. As for guests, there’s a whole floor for them, with three bedrooms and en-suite baths. The listing brokers are Douglas Elliman’s Fredrik Eklund (212-7276158) and John Gomes (212-891-7676; theeklundgomesteam.elliman.com). Finally, Sean “Diddy” Combs is selling his chic bachelor pad in the Park Imperial, at 230 W. 56th Street, where Daniel “007” Craig once lived. The price is $7.5 million, down from $7.99 million. Although 2,292 square feet, the space is set up as a two, rather than three-bedroom, unit. A grand piano and wet bar are the centerpieces, making it a perfect place for grandscale entertaining. The listing broker is Dolly Lenz, of Dolly Lenz Real Estate (917-885-9169; dollylenz.com). G

from top:

The dining room at 20 East 10th Street, the home of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, which is on the market for $22 million; the living room of the penthouse duplex in the Chelsea Mercantile building that hockey star Scott Gomez is renting out for $23,000 a month; a view of 15 Central Park West, where Robert De Niro and wife Grace Hightower are living until their new abode, down the block at 88 Central Park West, has been fully renovated.

photography by Evan JosEph ImagEs (20 East 10th strEEt); tIna gallo (chEsEa mErcantIlE); shErab/alamy (15 cpW)

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haute property portfolio

Diving in

The ciTy’s laTesT sTarchiTecT, Soo Chan, sees The in-home pool as The laTesT condo musT-have. By RichaRd Nalley

Lots of private pools. Design-conscious New Yorkers, if they can put Soori High Line’s much-clucked-over swimmin’ holes out of their minds for a moment, will have plenty of other reasons to thank Chan for the 11-story structure, slated to open at 522 West 29th Street in 2016. It is, for starters, an elegant addition to the High Line building boom, notable even in a neighborhood featuring projects by fellow starchitects Jean Nouvel, Robert A.M. Stern, Zaha Hadid, and Norman Foster. Soori High Line—following much to-ing and fro-ing with New York building authorities— will realize Chan’s dream of literally “blurring inside and out.” Its curtain-glass façade, portioned by formal, wafer-thin, wood-clad vertical mullions, is punctuated by a series of open spaces for pools and surrounding terraces. (“The codes here don’t actually allow for that,” he notes. “You have to negotiate for how much you can dissolve the façade.”) Inside and out, the building has an organic, understated geometry and sense of airy proportion that typifies Chan’s neo-Modernist, Mies-meets-thetropics aesthetic. (A second Chan building, down the street at 515 West 29th, will be showier, what with its wavy-glass top floors grafted onto the existing brick building and

A bathroom at Chan’s 515 West 29th Street high-rise typifies his elegant, minimalist aesthetic.

this page and opposite: photography courtesy of scda architects

At the Soori High Line, outdoor pools are visible through the glass walls of each unit, giving residents the serene and tranquil sight of flowing water year-round.

“If there is one place to push your chips in, it’s New York,” says Singapore-based mega-architect Soo K. Chan, who has done just that with the game-changing Soori High Line building (16 private pools!) under way in West Chelsea. But the buy-in was steep: His firm is architect, interior designer, landscaper, and a principal investor. “At a certain point,” he explains, “you just have to say, ‘I’ll do it myself.’ I started out in New York; I got my license here. But nobody,” he laughs, “ever asked me to design anything.” When last seen in these parts, circa 1990, Chan was a student at the Yale School of Architecture, interning in the city and knocking on doors to spread some love for a chair he’d designed. “I was just calling anybody who worked for a magazine,” he remembers. “People were very nice even if my chair, maybe, wasn’t really the best chair.” He’s doing better with the chairs these days (among much else, Chan now creates furniture for Italian design darling Poliform), and his career—on its 25-year-loop from New York to New York—has reached something like nova proportions. Chan’s SCDA Architects (Soo Chan Design Associates) has built nearly 200 buildings worldwide, from highrises to museums to embassies, including his own hyper-luxury resort in Bali. And pools.

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Pools are an integral part of the decor at Chan’s Soori High Line high-rise. Here, the pool is adjacent to the living and dining rooms.

massive, rotating-exhibition “art wall” abutting the High Line. It is scheduled to open in 2015.) Outfitting a residential building with 16 private pools is not a technical stretch for Chan, who has tucked 120 of them into his Nassim Park Residences complex in Singapore and nearly 100 more into a Kuala Lumpur high-rise. But still… nobody has done this in New York City for lots of good reasons, including our all-American menu of liability issues, the problems of humidity and condensation in a four-season living space, and winter freezes that burst pipes and cause watertight materials to expand and contract. Says Chan, “We spent maybe one year debating it. Eventually I brought the whole team to Singapore to tour all the pools. I wanted to be sure they bought into it, because by then... it was too late! It was out there that we’d have pools in the building. Now we had to do it!” Chan solved the indoor humidity problem in a typically Chan way: Tropics or no tropics, he didn’t put the pools indoors. The four pools in the $22 million penthouses are entirely exposed to the elements on roof decks, complete with their own dedicated boilers for heating, and under-deck snowmelting systems in case you fancy a skinny dip in a blizzard. The substantial 24- to 27-foot pools in 12 lower units (prices start at $3.7 million) are part of the living space—even central to it—in the sense that

“New York is tough to break iNto. but we’ve got some tractioN Now.” —soo chan

At 515 West 29th, wavy glass top floors and a massive “art wall” were grafted onto the existing brick building.

they are visible through interior glass walls, their professionally calibrated rows of underwater lights casting soothing patterns on the ceiling. But there is no fourth exterior wall separating them from the outdoors. Even with their heaters, skimmers, and bubblers, the pools are designed to be swimmable only from, say, May to October. And anyway, notes Chan, the voice of indoor aquatic experience, “Most of the time people don’t even swim in them; maybe they use them a few times a year, but they like looking at them and having the tranquility of the water, hearing the sound of it.” Apparently New Yorkers, or at least an influential segment of movers and shakers, also like having Soo Chan around. After a 25-year drought, Chan is arguably Manhattan’s “It” architect of 2014, signed on for three additional projects after Soori High Line, including that second building on West 29th. “New York is tough to break into,” he observes. “But I think we’ve got some traction now.” G

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Haute property abode & Beyond

A New New York Aesthetic

With business doubling this year, Ariel Ashe and reinAldo leAndro have become the go-to design team for the doWntoWn celebrity set. By Suzanne Charle

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Reinaldo Leandro and Ariel Ashe call their design style “Tropical Modernism.”

above:

“Design, like theater, is about telling a story.” —ariel ashe

underscore—the setting for color TV in the ’60s: “All is informed by the Mad Men set.” Ashe + Leandro’s list of upcoming projects includes a celebrity house in Brooklyn and two renovations downtown, one for Meyers and his wife, Alexi, Ashe’s sister. “Seth’s first apartment was one of our first jobs,” says Ashe. “The look will be the much same, ’50s and ’60s—just a bit more grown-up.” Ashe hesitates and laughs: “[However,] there will be palm trees. I’m obsessed.” Ashe + Leandro, 611 Broadway, 212-2423643; asheleandro.com G

In Jonny Buckland’s Astor Place loft, the team used a dark palette with pops of color. below: A midcentury dresser makes a modernist statement in a West Village apartment. photography by Fran parente (ashe); lucas allen (dresser)

He’d had enough of corporate design. She was tired of decorating endless bathrooms. When Ariel Ashe called Reinaldo Leandro, a young architect from Venezuela—then working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill—for design advice about a friend’s bungalow, she got that and a lot more… a new business. After they discussed bungalow-decorating strategies, Ashe and Leandro, who had worked together at Pierce Allen, brainstormed about founding their own design firm, which they launched soon after. “The day I left Pierce Allen, the story on my friend’s bungalow came out in O at Home,” says Ashe. The design—white walls with charcoal and black accents and pops of color—went viral in the blogosphere. Commissions quickly followed: a studio for her brother-in-law, Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live, where Ashe had interned as a set designer; an office in the Seagram Building for a hedge fund. When the economy in the US took a nosedive, the duo focused on Venezuela, where they renovated The Hotel VIP Caracas in 2010, the heyday of South American Modern. In fact, “Tropical Modernism,” as Leandro calls it, informs many Ashe + Leandro designs. Growing up in Caracas, Leandro had an intimate knowledge of the work of leading Modernists like Cipriano Domínguez, a disciple of Le Corbusier, and Carlos Raúl Villanueva, Venezuela’s preeminent 20th-century architect. Leandro says New York’s density and climate “make it hard” to evoke all the elements of Tropical Modernism, but he works diligently to introduce the flow of natural light into his designs. Ashe builds on the tropical theme with the use of bold color palettes, painted tiles, paintings, rugs, and textiles. Ashe says design, like theater, “is the telling of a story,” a narrative driven by and adapted to a client’s personality. For the Astor Place loft of Coldplay’s Jonny Buckland, the team created “a masculine, polished, rock-star vibe” with a dark palette, brightened with white spaces and pops of color. When Seth Meyers moved to Studio 8G to host Late Night, the firm designed everything, from the green room to Meyers’s office. This is in Rockefeller Center, they

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tHe guide new york’s finest, coolest, cHicest The Lambs Club, with its only-in-New York vibe, has become a go-to place for Thanksgiving dinner for the likes of Bill Clinton, Sting, and Tom Hanks.

photography by noah fecks

after the parade The Lambs CLub rethinks thanksgiving classics.

By Juliet izon

For a long time, it was a sacrosanct tradition. Even in time-pressed, spacechallenged Manhattan, Thanksgiving was celebrated at home. Maybe the notion of home was stretched a bit to include the Hamptons or a Bedford getaway, but bottom line—New Yorkers liked to give thanks and overindulge at their own dining tables. As foodies came to rule the city and top chefs reimagined this most traditional of American meals, locals started to step out and book Turkey Day at the city’s best-known restaurants. Now power spots like the Four Seasons draw a big-name crowd. The Lambs Club, a place popular with Bill Clinton, Sting, and Tom Hanks, is a more recent entry into high-profile Thanksgiving dining. The venue, with its dramatic floor-to-ceiling fireplace and large picture windows that look out onto the Theater District, is booked from early in the day for brunch (the restaurant is a block from Broadway, the thoroughfare for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade). In the afternoon and until 8:45 in the evening, The Lambs Club serves a lavish four-course holiday dinner.

Culinary star Geoffrey Zakarian and his team devised a menu that puts a new spin on Thanksgiving mainstays. For starters, there’s squash soup with lemon and rosemary curd. An alternative entrée to the turkey, which is served here with fennel sausage and cornbread stuffing, is the roasted diver scallops cooked with fennel, grapes, and pine nuts. You’ll want to eat all your veggies: The whipped sweet potatoes are topped with ginger marshmallows, and crispy Brussels sprouts come doused with malt vinegar dressing. There’s a bounty of sweets—a simple cranberry sorbet for anyone sated by all the preceding delectables—but dessert adventurers can revel in the cheeky takes on holiday fare, like eggnog and butter squash macarons, or opt for requisite classics like pecan pie or pumpkinspice cake. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without leftovers, so The Lambs Club is promising there will be treats to take home. A Thanksgiving menu will be served from noon to 8:45 pm; $85 per person, $35 for children under 12. 132 W. 44th St., 212-997-5262; thelambsclub.com G

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the guide devour autumnal favorites like caramelized pear and parsnip soup with toasted hazelnuts and pan-seared turkey breast with turkey hash and cranberry relish. The Landmarc’s Thanksgiving brunch offers pumpkin pancakes and a great view of the parade. 179 W. Broadway, 212343-3883; 10 Columbus Circle, 212-823-6123; landmarc-restaurant.com

Maialino

Holiday Flavors

Whether your taste runs to classic or innovative, there’s a thanksgiving menu for you. By Erin rilEy Benoit Head to this Midtown gem for Thanksgiving with Euro and Modern American twists. For starters there’s lobster bisque with tarragon cream, or quiche. The roasted turkey comes with spiced sweet potato purée and wild mushroom fricassee. For those wanting to “do” French, there’s filet mignon frites and steamed loup de mer. The endnotes are all-American, with desserts like pumpkin pie and pecan tarts. 60 W. 55th St., 646-9437373; benoitny.com

Betony Eamon Rockey and Bryce Shuman serve New American at its best—familiar flavors in modern ways. So if you’re expecting an innovative menu, you’ll get it big time with items like poached hen’s egg with black trumpet mushrooms and ginger,

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glazed cavatelli with white truffles, and grilled beef tenderloin with romaine and sweetbreads. For classic tastes, there is traditional turkey with sides like roasted parsnips and cornbread stuffing. 41 W. 57th St., 212-4652400; betony-nyc.com

Boulud Sud As one of seven children, Executive Chef Travis Swikard knows how to plan big family celebrations, an experience that comes in handy when mapping out a menu that will appeal to all ages. This year Swikard is planning a three-course dinner featuring pumpkin agnolotti, roast turkey with rosemary stuffing, and a pumpkin tart with spiced whipped cream. Alternative desserts include crystalized pumpkin seeds and cranberry sorbet. There’s a takeaway,

too: Each guest will leave with a turkey sandwich, and if that’s not enough, Épicerie Boulud next door will offer deluxe Thanksgivingto-go packages. 20 W. 64th St., 212-595-1313; bouludsud.com

Craft This popular spot offers a family-style menu reflecting Tom Colicchio’s modern culinary wizardry. Along with Craft’s regular offerings, you’ll find all-American classics: herb-butter-roasted free-range turkey with raisin and fennel stuffing, roasted autumn vegetables, and sweet potato purée. Guests will go home with a box of leftovers. 43 E. 19th St., 212-780-0880; craftrestaurantsinc.com

Landmarc Marc Murphy’s Tribeca and Time Warner Center spots serve a menu of jazzed-up

On November 27, this Danny Meyer spot, whose name means “little pig” in Italian, is all about the big turkey. The haute trattoria will provide guests with two separate menus—one with a distinctly Italian cast, offering dishes like tortelli di zucca (a stuffed pasta with pumpkin, sage, and Parmesan) and tachinella arrosta (heritage turkey with polenta and kale). The Classics menu will include restaurant mainstays like turkey soup and roasted suckling pig with potatoes. 2 Lexington Ave., 212-7772410; maialinonyc.com

Tocqueville Tocqueville has long been a pioneer in farm-to-table cooking and is often praised for its hyperlocal sourcing (the Union Square Greenmarket is half a block away). The restaurant excels in locavore with a Euro twist, so on Turkey Day, there will be winter squash soup, house-made potato gnocchi, fettuccine with shaved white truffle, and roast organic free-range turkey. Desserts skew toward American flavors: Pumpkin mousse, cranberry crumble, and pecan pie are just a few of the options for ending the lavish meal on a sweet note. 1 E. 15th St., 212-647-1515; tocquevillerestaurant.com G

A Room with A View Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Mandarin Oriental’s Asiate offers a new menu and a new look, as well as a sumptuous Thanksgiving menu. There are few better places to indulge on Thanksgiving than Asiate, a 35th-foor restaurant famous for its cinema-worthy Central Park views. The menu is fve-star, with starters that include truffe ambrosia with butternut squash and mandarin oranges, and chestnut velouté with La Querica ham, apples, and lobster. For entrées there’s everything from braised bison short ribs with spiced red currants and caramelized turnips to traditional turkey with cranberry jam and sweet potato popovers. Those wanting to catch the parade can come earlier in the day for a prixfxe breakfast that begins at 7 am. The Thanksgiving menu starts at noon. 80 Columbus Circle, 212-805-8800; mandarinoriental.com

photography by mythja (pumpkin); Francesco tonelli (asiate)

City restaurants jazz up their offerings on Turkey Day.

the guide imbibe

Manhattan’s Best New Bars

cocktails. What to drink: Guests can select their liquor of choice and have the bartender create a bespoke cocktail on the spot. Even “mocktails” are on offer. 121 W. 10th St.

By Juliet izon

The Lodge

StyliSh watering holeS make happy hour even happier. Aldo Sohm Wine Bar Why it’s hot: It’s not surprising that this eponymous bar from the acclaimed wine director at Michelin three-star restaurant Le Bernadin features share plates that star Executive Chef Eric Ripert has whipped up. The space: A sleek customfinished oak bar acts as a communal “sommelier table,” where guests can interact with staff. What to eat: Dishes were chosen with wine in mind: Try the cheese and charcuterie platters along with the crisp salads and tartines. What to drink: With a Le Bernardin pro at the helm, you expect the wine list to be phenomenal and rigorously curated—and it

is. You can also order sipping spirits by the glass. 151 W. 51st St., 212-5541143; aldosohm.com

The Back Room Why it’s hot: The flagship restaurant and bar in the luxe, newly opened Park Hyatt New York features stunning floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Carnegie Hall. Only the well-heeled crowd may be more stylish. What to drink: The Oaxaca Old Fashioned is a sultry twist on a classic, made with smoky mezcal, reposado tequila, and mole bitters. What to eat: The lobster cocktails and market oysters. Don’t miss: The Living Room, an intimate 70-seat Champagne bar

located next to The Back Room. 153 W. 57th St., 212-897-2188; thebackroomone57.com

The Happiest Hour Why it’s hot: The doubledecker space is the latest from Acme’s Jon Neidich and seasoned bartender Jim Kearns (formerly of Pegu Club and the NoMad hotel). The space: A large horseshoe-shaped bar anchors the main foor, where the soundtrack is rock and soul. Downstairs there’s a more intimate six-seat bar, where the soundtrack features the smooth sounds of Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles. The crowd: Expect all of downtown royalty to fock here for the custom

Why it’s hot: Located on suddenly hip West Eighth Street, this venue features live music as well as scrumptious craft cocktails. The space: Think English country meets ski lodge; the fireplace is perfect for when the temperature dips. What to drink: Mixologist Jamie Gordon is creating seasonal drinks that pack a punch. Order the Autumn Elyxir: a mix of bitters (orange, Angostura, and lemon), Absolut Elyxir, and green Chartreuse sweetened with toasted pumpkin seed syrup. What to eat: The lobster truffle chowder, made with Yukon Gold potatoes, bacon, leeks, and clam broth, is comfort food at its best. 35 W. Eighth St., 212-2532999; thelodge.club

SixtyFive

photography by Daniel Krieger (the living room)

A martini from The Living Room in the newly opened Park Hyatt.

Why it’s hot: Located on the 65th floor next to the newly reopened Rainbow Room, this is Midtown’s poshest new boîte for cocktails. Best nights: This bar is exclusive: It’s only open to the public Monday –Friday from 5 pm til midnight. What to drink: Many cocktails draw inspiration from the space’s storied history—for example, the 1915 Gin & Tonic, made with Dorothy Parker gin, lemon, Angostura bitters, and Johnnie Ryan tonic. Don’t miss: Part of the bar encompasses a previously unused terrace that delivers outstanding skyline views. 30 Rockefeller Center, 212-632-5000; rainbow room.com G

The June Bug cocktail.

Champers, anyone? Sarah Simmons opens a bar where the bubbly never stops flowing. Why it’s hot: Sarah Simmons, beloved chef of City Grit, has finally opened her own place, Birds & Bubbles, which has built-in Champagne troughs. What to drink: Nearly 40 varieties of bubbly are on offer as well as Champagne cocktails. Order the Madame Pommery, which features gin, Lillet Rosé, raspberry, lime, and Champagne. What to eat: Classic Southern bites rule here. Sample the deviled eggs with Sriracha flakes or the shrimp rillette, served with black pepper crackers. Don’t miss: The restaurant walls feature portraits of Simmons’s friends, all enjoying fried chicken, of course. 100B Forsyth St., 646-368-9420; birdsand bubbles.com

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INVITED // style spotlight //

FASHION-FORWARD SARAH JESSICA PARKER, LYDIA HEARST, AND CINDY CHAO STOLE THE SHOW IN DAZZLING FORMALWEAR.

Andy Cohen and Scott Wittman

Jonathan and Lizzie Tisch

NYCB FALL GALA BEFORE NEW YORK City Ballet’s Fall Gala at Lincoln Center, cochairs Sarah Jessica Parker and Cindy Chao debuted their jewelry collaboration, a 2014 Black Label Masterpiece Ballerina Butterfly brooch, which was auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on October 7 to raise money for the ballet. Parker and Chao joined fellow event chairs Marianne Lake, and Jennifer and Trey Laird for an evening of dinner, dancing, and a performance that featured dancers dressed in one-of-a-kind designs by Carolina Herrera, Sarah Burton, Mary Katranzou, and Thom Browne, all of whom were in attendance.

Lydia Hearst looked ethereal in an embellished chiffon Marchesa Notte gown.

Indre Rockefeller and James Reed Hague

Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater.

Martha Stewart and Nate Berkus

Cindy Chao donned a custom sleek white gown by Stephane Rolland with a matching Judith Leiber clutch.

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Marjorie Gubelmann and Chris Salgardo

William and Jenny Laird with Thom Browne

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump

Carolina Portago, Di Mondo, and Fe Fendi

OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICHOLAS HUNT/PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM, J GRASSI (POWER OF CONNECTION), ROSSA COLE (C WONDER)

Sarah Jessica Parker wore a dramatic floor-length gown by Mary Katrantzou, who was also in attendance.

Carolina and Reinaldo Herrera

Mary Kate O’Donnell and Tara Flanigan

Cinzia Brandi and Sueane Mun

Itzy Garay and Jill Camac with Wendy and Emma Maitland

Alexis Sclamberg, Agapi Stassinopoulos, and Sharon Ufberg

Sandra DiFiglia and Lisa Rosenstein

THE POWER OF CONNECTION CELEBRATION PARTY TOWN RESIDENTIAL, NEW YORK’S LEADING luxury real

estate services firm, and Elevate GenY, a group that promotes professional and personal development for women in their 20s and 30s, hosted The Power of Connection Celebration Party on the rooftop of Town West Village. The evening saw female leaders in different industries come together for a night of conversation and wine tastings, which culminated with a speech by special guest Agapi Stassinopoulos, author of Unbinding the Heart. Sydney Campos and Jacqueline Bartz

Scott Line, Marc Friedland, and Larry Wiesler

Denise Carberry, Jessica Mindich, and Jennifer Duke

Lourdes Diaz and Katarina Pimenthal

Lauren Rothbart and Ryan Dziadul Lauren Foster, Todd Swisher, and Jessica Fidler

C WONDER STORE OPENING

Patti and Harlan Kent

ON SEPTEMBER 18, C. Wonder and Gotham

magazine hosted the opening celebration of the brand’s new Flatiron store. Stylish guests shopped the new fall collections while enjoying bites by Scoozi Events, signature drinks by Minibar, makeovers by Priv Braid Bar, and complimentary on-site monogramming for all of their new purchases. Shoshana Hochdorf, Andrea Brancheau, and Charlene Chang

Jen Dang and Emily Ward

Simone Levien, Elisa Maggio, and Danielle Palumbo

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INVITED // style spotlight //

FASHION-FORWARD TONI GARRN, JAMIE CHUNG, AND DARIA STROKOUS MADE FASHION WEEK NEWS WITH ON-TREND FALL LOOKS. Linda Evangelista and Alicia Keys

Daphne Groeneveld, Rianne ten Haken, and Heather Marks

Grace Coddington and Fran ois Nars

A STARRY COLLECTION of celebrities, models, and industry heavyweights filled Maccarone Gallery in the West Village for Nars’ 20th anniversary in honor of founder and creative director François Nars. Hosted by Linda Evangelista, Fabien Baron, and Simon Doonan, the stylish Fashion Week soirée saw such high-profile guests as Alicia Keys, Taylor Schilling, Abigail Breslin, and Grace Coddington mixing and mingling against a stunning backdrop of photographic highlights from the past two decades of Nars’ ad campaigns and published volumes of his work.

Taylor Schilling and Thakoon Panichgul

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL RAGOZZINIO/BFANYC.COM

NARS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Abigail Breslin

Toni Garrn dazzled in a sophisticated Barbara Casasola dress with Stuart Weitzman shoes and a Hunting Season bag. Caroline Issa and Monique Pean

Simon Doonan

Lily Kwong

Zuzana Gregorova

Steven Klein and Fabien Baron

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Jamie Chung went casual-chic in an Aritzia jacket, Avery sweater, Babaton for Aritzia pants paired with Stuart Weitzman heels and a Coach purse.

Kate Foley and Chelsea Leyland

Carla Gugino

Ophelie Guillermand

Liza Voloshin, Margot Moe, Cleo Wade, and Kate Greer

Daria Strokous kept it simple and elegant with a black silk dress from Balmain’s 2015 Resort Collection.

OCEAN ROAD Bridgehampton. Nearly 3 acres on iconic Ocean Road is the site for this sensational, now completed 7 bedroom manse which is destined to become one of the signifcant estates of Bridgehampton South. An allée of stately Linden’s forms a canopy above a gated drive past the all weather 60’ X 120’ tennis court set within the front lawn to a 9,100 SF+/- shingled traditional, warmed by 8 freplaces and having all the fnishes and amenities that have become the hallmark of a grand Hamptons estate. A glassed entrance vestibule opens to a 22’ high paneled foyer that sets the tone for this masterfully built and handsomely appointed residence beyond which lies a great room, living room, wood paneled library, dining room and an expansive state of the art kitchen with butlers pantry and adjacent morning room, all warmed by freplaces. A breakfast pavilion wrapped in glass and 2 powder rooms complete the 1st foor. Upstairs, the grand master wing reigns to the south offering sitting room with freplace, a private terrace, large walk-in closet and luxurious bath. A junior master suite to the north with freplace and covered terrace is joined by four additional bedrooms with baths all ensuite. An elevator reaches an additional 3,700 SF+/- fnished lower level which includes staff quarters, living room, wine cellar and a true spa experience with gym, steam and sauna. Geothermal heating, public water and public gas which powers a whole house generator add to the property’s élan. A unique 3 car garage with porte-cochere houses all the toys with optional hydraulic capacity for 3 additional vehicles. A covered courtyard with outdoor kitchen and freplace joins with 3,000 SF+/- of stone patios that overlook the 20’ X 60’ salt water Gunite pool with spa, pool house and sumptuous landscaping on an already private shy 3 acre lot. Call for full plans and particulars today. Co-Exclusive. $18.5M WEB# 27073

Southampton to Montauk...Sagaponack to Shelter Island The Hamptons for Buyers, Sellers, Renters & Investors Gary R. DePersia Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker m: 516.380.0538 gdp@corcoran.com

AND FINALLY...

Having the Last Laugh

The Big Apple As The Big gloom? New Yorkers wouldN’T hAve iT ANY oTher wAY. angles of the city’s buildings. The street layout compounded this, the grid grinding into one’s soul after awhile. My old-country aesthetics hanker for a winding country lane rather than an arrow-straight avenue filled with honking yellow cabs and sidewalks of stressy (and as we now know, doleful) New Yorkers. What else can have caused the unhappiness? Lack of shuteye? New York is, after all, “the city that never sleeps.” Is it too much salt from all the ramen and Chipotle chips clogging Manhattanites’ arteries and making everyone feel dyspeptic? Is it the chronic hyperventilation of the New York Post that makes us antsy? Or the maddening snootiness that shimmers off the pages and website of the Gray Lady, The New York Times? The drivers of those yellow cabs were never

exactly angels of mirth, but I guess that since being sweated by Uber and Hailo, they are now feeling even more beaten down. New York housing prices (do we hear a million bucks for the broom cupboard of a maid’s room on Central Park these days?) do not help, and then there is the constant worry about bumping into some oligarch from Kazakhstan who has just arrived on Billionaires’ Row with his gun-toting entourage. Or is it that New Yorkers actually take a certain satisfaction in being malcontents? Is Weltschmerz not a sign of sophistication? Put it like this: The survey found that the happiest towns in America included Lafayette, Louisiana; Nashville, Tennessee; and Honolulu, Hawaii. So unless you like grits, country ’n’ western, and grass skirts, you may prefer to remain heroically haggard. Disillusion: It’s an ideal. G

does This NoT coNflicT wiTh The idea of New York as a Place of go-geTTiNg vim?

illustration by daniel o’leary

Misery may not just be a state of mind but also geography, if recent research is correct. Not long ago, a study found that New York is the unhappiest city in the United States. Pittsburgh, Louisville, Milwaukee, and Detroit are also down in the dumps, but NYC takes the laurel as the capital of despond. How has the city coped ever since? Miserably well! But first a little background: This claim came from three lads working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who after long analysis and hours, presumably, of thigh-slapping, hysterically cheerful toil (or are happiness scientists themselves glum?), fingered the Big Apple as the Big Gloom. I say, hang on a minute! Does this not conflict with the idea of New York as a place of go-getting vim? But perhaps those two are connected, for is the twin of ambition not, quite often, a sense of constant, surging, vein-bubbling anxiety about underachievement? I am not entirely surprised by the conclusions of the researchers, the Messrs. Glaeser, Gottlieb, and Ziv. During stints in Manhattan, I occasionally find myself disheartened by all the right

by quentin letts

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