Quest October 2016 by QUEST Magazine

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CONTENTS T he D ownTown Issue 100

Quest hails a southbound cab to catch up with

DOWNTOWN VIEWS

some familiar uptown figures, who weigh in with their take on city life below 14th Street. proDuceD by elIzabeTh MeIgher anD DanIel cappello

106

NEW YORK’S ART SCENE HEADS DOWNTOWN

A look at today’s most

exciting art galleries on New York’s Lower East Side. by alex Travers

112

DINNER DOWNTOWN

124

Even for a foodie with a penchant for Park Avenue,

there are certain restaurants worth the fare to lower Manhattan. by alex hITz

118

DOWNTOWN SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

Shop ’til you drop at these New

York retail gems for all your fall and winter clothing needs.

124

A SCHOOL’S GLOBAL VISION

THE NEW DOWNTOWN

DOWNTOWN FUNK

alex Travers.

Our experts on what’s hot (and what’s hotter) when it

comes to investing south of 14th Street.

136

alex Travers

Avenues: The World School is on a mission to

groom its students to become global citizens.

128

proDuceD by

elIzabeTh QuInn brown

Quest has become a “groupie” for these three bands, whose

members have roots on the Upper East Side. by elIzabeTh QuInn brown

136

THE DATEJUST 41 The new generation of the essential classic, with a new movement and design that keep it at the forefront of watchmaking. It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.

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CONTENTS 74

c oluMns 24

SOCIAL DIARY

HARRY BENSON

HIGH LIFE

GAMES

FRESH FINDS

BOOKS

FASHION

EVENTS

THEATER

ART

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES

SOCIAL CALENDAR

140

YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST

144

SNAPSHOT

Our columnist shares his memories of SoHo in the 1960s.

DavID paTrIck coluMbIa

A day with the illustrious Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and his wife, Sarah Brightman.

Sicily is both peaceful and religious, violent and vengeful.

TakI T heoDoracopulos

George Warren creates boards that celebrate the timelessness of backgammon. by kaTe gubelMann Shopping the streets, from Mercer to Greenwich. by DanIel cappello anD elIzabeTh MeIgher

Slim Aarons captured some of the most magnetic, magnificent women.

elIzabeTh MeIgher

Stuart Weitzman’s Madison Avenue flagship gets a facelift after 20 years.

DanIel c appello

Some of the brightest minds gathered for the KentPresents “festival of ideas.” by MarcIa schaeffer An interview with members of the Drama League about their coming gala at the Plaza Hotel.

On the eve of MAD’s 60th anniversary, the museum appoints a new director.

alex T ravers

Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes are known as the “new guard” of real estate.

Our comprehensive guide to all the best events, gatherings, and charity galas this season. The hustle (and bustle) of New York Fashion Week. by elIzabeTh QuInn brown

Chumley’s—the bar for writers—returns to 86 Bedford Street. by elIzabeTh QuInn brown

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ORAL ORAL REPRESENTATIONS REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT CANNOT BE BE RELIED RELIED UPON UPON AS AS CORRECTLY CORRECTLY STATING STATING THE THE REPRESENTATIONS REPRESENTATIONS OF OF THE THE DEVELOPER. DEVELOPER. FOR FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, REFERENCE REFERENCE SHOULD SHOULD BE BE MADE MADE TO TO A A PURCHASE PURCHASE CONTRACT CONTRACT AND AND THE THE OTHER OTHER DOCUMENTS DOCUMENTS CORRECT REQUIRED BY BY SECTION SECTION 718.503, 718.503, FLORIDA FLORIDA STATUTES, STATUTES, TO TO BE BE FURNISHED FURNISHED BY BY A A DEVELOPER DEVELOPER TO TO A A BUYER BUYER OR OR LESSEE. LESSEE. THIS THIS IS IS NOT NOT REQUIRED INTENDED INTENDED TO TO BE BE AN AN OFFER OFFER TO TO SELL SELL CONDOMINIUM CONDOMINIUM UNITS UNITS IN IN ANY ANY STATE STATE WHERE WHERE PROHIBITED PROHIBITED BY BY LOCAL LOCAL LAW LAW AND AND YOUR YOUR ELIGIBILITY ELIGIBILITY FOR FOR PURCHASE PURCHASE WILL WILL DEPEND DEPEND UPON UPON YOUR YOUR STATE STATE OF OF RESIDENCY. RESIDENCY. FOR FOR NEW NEW YORK YORK PURCHASERS PURCHASERS ONLY, ONLY, REFERENCE REFERENCE SHOULD BE BE MADE MADE TO TO THE THE CPS-12 CPS-12 APPLICATION APPLICATION FOR FOR THE THE CONDOMINIUM CONDOMINIUM FILED FILED WITH WITH THE THE STATE STATE OF OF NEW NEW YORK, YORK, DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT SHOULD OF LAW LAW FILE FILE NO. NO. CP16-0063. CP16-0063. EQUAL EQUAL HOUSING HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. OPPORTUNITY. OF

questmag.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA C R E AT I V E D I R EC TO R

JAMES STOFFEL EXECUTIVE EDITOR

LILY HOAGLAND FA SHION DIRECTOR

DANIEL CAPPELLO ART DIRECTOR

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ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN A S S O C I AT E FA S H I O N E D I TO R

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HILARY GEARY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HARRY BENSON KATE GUBELMANN ALEX HITZ BILL HUSTED PAUL JEROMACK JAMES MACGUIRE ELIZABETH MEIGHER LIZ SMITH TAKI THEODORACOPULOS MICHAEL THOMAS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

TERRY ALLEN HARRY BENSON CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY BILLY FARRELL MARY HILLIARD CRISTINA MACAYA CUTTY MCGILL PATRICK MCMULLAN ANNIE WATT

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Above, from left: A work of art by Lorna Simpson at Salon 94 Bowery; a quintessentially charming West Village street; Petula Clark’s single “Downtown.”

“Don’t hang around and let your problems surround you There are movie shows—downtown. Maybe you know some little places to go to Where they never close—downtown.” IT’S A SONG that has been covered by everyone from Marianne Faithfull to Frank Sinatra to Dolly “It Costs A Lot Of Money To Look This Cheap” Parton. But it’s Petula Clark’s original version that comes to most people’s minds, her bright voice belting out the joys of where the lights are much brighter and there’s no finer place for sure. Clutching the collar of a shiny black trench and shaking her blonde bob to each beat in the music video, Clark shimmied her way to becoming the first U.K. artist with a rockand-roll U.S. hit. Yet the most interesting story behind the song comes not from its performance, but its Christopher Columbus– esque mapping of a neighborhood. British songwriter Tony Hatch was a regular partner of Clark’s, having worked with her on music in two languages (Clark was fluent in French, and actually married a Frenchman—a move that many advise against). In 1964, Hatch made his first trip to the New York City, looking for inspiration. He was staying in a hotel on Central Park, and decided to take a walk. He made it all the way to 48th and Broadway when the melody came to him: a celebration of what, in his mind, was “downtown.” It’s easy to see why, with Times Square’s lights and bustle, a tourist might think they had gone far enough to see the most lively place in the most important city in the world. But it’s just as easy to roll your eyes and tell them they ain’t seen nothing yet. Downtown is still the heart and spirit of the city, and its rough past has given way to the hottest restaurant, art, and real estate 22 QUEST

scenes in Manhattan. Where you once might have had cachet in possessing a strictly “uptown” knowledge of the city, now, it puts you at a severe disadvantage when understanding this island. With that, here is the first Downtown Issue of Quest. So maybe I’ll see you there. u

Lily Hoagland

ON THE COVER: Allison Aston on Lower Fifth Avenue in Ralph Lauren Collection’s gold lamé cashmere turtleneck gown with python hobo, and Veronica Beard’s Mission Moto swingback jacket. Part of “Downtown Views,” styled by Daniel Cappello and photographed by Julie Skarratt.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A

David Patrick Columbia

NEW YORK SO CIAL DIARY HISTORY OF Downtown. I

first came to live in New York in the early 1960s (I was in my early 20s, just out of college) and I lived on the Upper East Side. That choice was accidental but it stuck. As a result, in all the years

I’ve lived in New York (first in the East 60s and East 70s and later in the East 90s), I’ve always lived on the U.E.S. And so it was for many of my contemporaries: there was a big concentration of justout-of-college people renting

from the East 50s to the East 90s because the rents were reasonable. This was because of rent control on the older buildings and because of the surfeit of brand new apartment buildings, which were renting with the first three

months “free.” Downtown was anything below 42nd Street. Park Avenue South was partly post-industrial and had become a center, with many fashion photographers and advertising agencies locat-

N E W YO R K C I T Y B A L L E T ’ S O P E N I N G N I G H T AT T H E D AV I D H . KO C H T H E AT E R

Peter Martins and Sarah Jessica Parker 24 QUEST

Justin Peck and Fe Fendi

Lauren Lovette

Olivia Flatto and David Patrick Columbia

Lisa Maria Falcone and Mikhail Baryshnikov

Matthew Broderick

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

Ricki Lander and Robert Kraft

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A Grand New

PALM BEACH

POINT of VIEW

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN OFFER TO SELL, OR SOLICITATION TO BUY, CONDOMINIUM UNITS TO RESIDENTS OF ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION CANNOT BE MADE OR ARE OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, AND YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR PURCHASE WILL DEPEND UPON YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCY. THIS OFFERING IS MADE ONLY BY THE PROSPECTUS FOR THE CONDOMINIUM AND NO STATEMENT SHOULD BE RELIED UPON IF NOT MADE IN THE PROSPECTUS. THE PRICING AND AVAILABILITY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. FOR NEW YORK RESIDENTS THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS ARE IN AN OFFERING PLAN AVAILABLE FROM THE SPONSOR, FILE NO. CD15-0055 (*Note that Sponsor and Seller are the same.)

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A ent. Bruce Springsteen did a solo there in 1972. Bob Marley and the Wailers opened for him. Debbie Harry was a waitress. The area south of 23rd Street, both east and west of Fifth Avenue, was becoming post-industrial as well, with artists and photographers renting former industrial lofts at very cheap rates (e.g. $250 for a floor in an old building—one of many that lined the avenue and side streets). With industry having moved out, many were empty and decrepit. They were not zoned for residency, but strictly for business. This was true of many if not all of the loft spaces that

ed in its environs. It wasn’t uptown; it wasn’t the Village. But in 1965, there was a bar/restaurant and club called Max’s Kansas City that opened. Soon, it became a very cool gathering spot—a hang-out for the very hip. Poets, painters, jazz musicians, and even young movie stars like Jane Fonda frequented the place almost nightly. Andy Warhol hung out there with his entourage, too, but he was only one of scores of famous names of talent of all kinds. The Velvet Underground played there and so did Lou Reed. Rockers such as Alice Cooper, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop were often pres-

were going begging. In 1966, my oldest childhood friend (who’d graduated from Dartmouth College and then Yale University School of Art) came to New York to begin his career. He rented a loft on Second Avenue and 11th Street for a nominal fee of $200 a month, or thereabouts. That part of Manhattan was reviving with a lot of young people moving in. The legendary Minsky’s Burlesque was just a couple of blocks north. The Fillmore East theater, five blocks south, became a mecca for rock stars. Soon, the hipsters and music fans were patronizing the area daily. My friend’s new space on

Second Avenue was basic: walls, ceiling, floors, windows on the avenue, and windows in the back of the building. The new occupant had to make his own home out of it, which he did—putting up walls, making a bedroom and kitchen. Most renters were new entrepreneurs of a sort, pursuing careers in the arts and willing and able to create their own living spaces with their own hands. Then, two years later, in 1968, a former classmate at Yale told him about another building opening up on Canal Street, which had been owned by a hardware store occuyping the ground floor. He went to see it: 2,500

N E W YO R K E R S FO R C H I L D R E N ’ S A N N UA L G A L A AT C I P R I A N I 4 2 N D ST R E E T

Indre Rockefeller

Bronson van Wyck, Dori Cooperman and Christine Mack 26 QUEST

Jamie Tisch, Tristana Waltz and Vanessa Cornell

Kevin Liles and Shirin von Wulffen

Matt and Marisa Brown

Gillian Miniter

Alison Brod and Stacey Bronfman

Stephen and Christine Schwarzman

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A square feet with 27-foot ceilings on the corner of Broadway and Canal Street. He took it. Where was Canal Street? No one who was not a born New Yorker had ever heard of it. Furthermore, the rent on my friend’s new loft was $325 a month—a shockingly high price in those days for an old, rundown manufacturing space with a tin ceiling and warped and damaged floors. And there was no bathroom plumbing.

My friend is (and was) a very stable, clear-thinking individual who was far from extravagant in his spending. However, what seemed hard for us uptowners to imagine was exactly what he had in mind for his needs. With those big, industrial windows on Canal Street, he had a lot of light for his work. It was still unimaginable to his uptown friends. That part of town (south of Houston Street) was dark and barren after business hours. The

streets were totally empty of pedestrians and traffic, without even a parked car in sight. In the beginning, he and his wife were living under “primitive” circumstances. In their first days there, the nearest bathroom, for example, was across the street at a luncheonette that closed by 9 or 10 p.m. My friend, however, being a very able carpenter, redesigned the space. In a short time, he put in a bathroom and a kitchen plus a structure

near the front of the loft that created a second floor for a bedroom. He also designed and made his own furniture, right down to the cushions for his chairs and couch. Within a few months, he’d created a bright home with a huge space for working. In no time, it seemed, several other friends from Yale had rented similar lofts in the area around Canal Street, reaching all the way up to Houston Street. For us uptowners on the

S U M M E R F E ST AT T H E S O U T H A M P TO N A R TS C E N T E R

Stephanie Hessler and Lise Evans 28 QUEST

Chris Cuomo

Nicolette Richards

Lynn Manz and Renée Liddell

Ava Locks

Brooke Shields

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

Rachel Heller

from the Rainbow Room from the Rainbow Room

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O C TO B E R 2 4

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A east side or west side, we learned that the IRT (or Interborough Rapid Transit) Lexington Avenue subway (now the 4, 5, and 6) stopped at Canal Street. And even more conveniently, the Broadway IRT (now the 1) stopped right on the corner by his building. What was not yet recognized by those of us who lived elsewhere was that an art colony was being born that would give rise, over the next two decades, to an amazing re-gentrification of

the entire area. Within a few years, the area was burgeoning and blooming with artists’ lofts, which were followed by art galleries for the new artists. It became a destination on weekends for prosperous young New Yorkers interested in acquiring art. Some of the more venturesome, many of whom worked in Wall Street, followed the artists and purchased lofts, grandly remodeling them with a style that began to rival some of the great apartments

of the Upper East Side. A new fashion was set. By the 1980s, the area was christened SoHo (for South of Houston), a name coined by an urban planner, Chester Drapkin, author of “The South Houston Industrial Area” study (which was known as the “Rapkin Study”). Rapkin started a fashion—a naming convention became the model for the names of several other repurposed neighborhoods such as TriBeCa (for Trian-

gle Below Canal), Dumbo (for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass), NoHo (for North of Houston Street), NoLIta (for North of Little Italy), and NoMad (for North of Madison Square). My friend lived there for 15 years when he was given the opportunity to buy his space for $85,000. He bought it, and two years later, sold it for $415,000 (this was in 1987). He bought himself a nice property upstate where he remains happily ensconced.

FRETTE BESPOKE ON MADISON AVENUE

Lisa Fine and Jamie Creel

Milly de Cabrol, Filippo Arnaboldi and Debbie Bancroft 30 QUEST

Janet Gorgone

Ellie Coleman

Richard Mauro and Sara Vass

Roberta Anderson

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

Bettina Zerza

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A B E N E F I T E V E N I N G FO R P E TS E T AT T H E A STO R I A N I N H O U STO N

Devinder and Gina Bhatia

In recalling these early days of SoHo in the last half of the 20th century, I naturally researched to learn what that area was before. We were taught as schoolchildren that the Dutch first settled the island in the early 17th century, when they paid $24 in supplies to the Native Americans (Indians) who had occupied the land for centuries before the Europeans came along and named it New Amster32 QUEST

Meredith and Daniel Cullen

Dany Daniel and Lauren Wren

dam. Actually, more than 75 years before (in 1524) an Italian explorer named Giovanni da Verrazzano “found” it and named it New Angoulême after his patron Francis I of France, who was the former Count of Angoulême. In 1609, however, Henry Hudson was on a voyage for William, Prince of Orange (and, covertly, for the Dutch East India Company) to find the Northwest Passage (a sea

Jan Duncan

route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans). He sailed into what is now New York Bay on a ship called the Halve Maen (which translates to “half moon”). Finding no Northwest Passage, of course, he returned to Holland with the news of the massive beaver population in the area. Beaver pelts were very valuable in Europe because they could be felted to make waterproof hats. Further explo-

Neal Hamil and Fred Smith

Tyson and Tena Faust

rations then brought surveyors and mapmakers to the land of beaver pelts and they named the newly discovered area New Netherland. Clever businessmen, the Dutch, a Dominican trader named Juan Rodriguez (who was of Portuguese and African descent) arrived in 1613–1614 as a representative of the Dutch to deal with the Native Americans in the trapping and trading

F U LTO N DAV E N P O RT P W L S T U D I O S

Duncan and Michelle Stewart

PRESENTS iTS ANNuAL GALA

LightYears Gala Chairs

James M. Dubin

Chairman, Board of Directors, Lighthouse Guild and

Dennis B. Sprung President and Chief Executive Officer, American Kennel Club Member, Board of Directors, Lighthouse Guild to honor

Marios Damianides Advisory Partner and Cyber Security Practice Lead, Ernst & Young LLP Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Lighthouse Guild

Guide Dog Foundation and Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VetDogs for its Work Training Guide Dogs for the Blind and Service Animals for our Armed Forces Veterans and Recognizing Directors Emeriti, Lighthouse Guild

Jane G. Rittmaster and Lawrence A. Yannuzzi, MD Mandarin Oriental, New York | Monday, November 21, 2016 Cocktails 6:30PM | Dinner 7:30PM | Black Tie For reservations or information, call 646-874-8445 or email events@lighthouseguild.org Lighthouse Guild is the leading not-for-profit vision and healthcare organization, with a long-standing heritage of addressing the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired including those with multiple disabilities or chronic medical conditions.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A T H E C A ST L E S H O ST E D A D I N N E R AT T H E M E T R O P O L I TA N C L U B

Oscar Plotkin and Sharon Bush

Maria Cooper and Byron Janis

Margo Langenberg and Richard Ziegelasch

of beaver pelts. New Netherland became a private, profit-making commercial enterprise, and the area became officially Dutch in 1624. Rodriguez was the first non– Native American inhabitant of what is now New York City. The pilgrims on their first voyage in 1620 had originally planned to sail to New Netherland but, by the time they reached this continent at Cape Cod, were too short of supplies to go any farther. 34 QUEST

Ada Zambettie and John K. Castle

James Mitchell and Marianne Castle

And so, the WASP ascendancy was to become rooted in New England, namely Massachusetts. The Dutch were the true entrepreneurs of that century. They chose the mouth of the Hudson River as the ideal place for a settlement with its easy access to the ocean, free of the ice of northern routes, and its convenience for trading with the natives. Predictably, they prospered. After 40 years of the Dutch,

however, in 1664, the British sailed in on four frigates and demanded New Netherland surrender to them. Peter Stuyvesant had no choice. He agreed. A war followed between England and Holland but, the following year, New Netherland was officially reincorporated under English law as New York City (named after the Duke of York, the younger brother of King Charles II who would eventually became King James II).

Pia Lindström and Jack Carley

Donald and Ann Calder

The city—a village and then a town of New York—was located at the very southern tip of Manhattan. Already, it had become a mixture of nationalities, including the Africans who had been brought over by the Dutch as slaves. But during the period before the British, the Dutch West India Company granted some of the land north of the village to the freed slaves. That land today is what we call SoHo. The British, of course,

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A changed all the rules and the first free-black settlement in Manhattan was acquired by an English settler—“acquired” being the operative word to avoid the awful truth. By the end of the 17th century, nevertheless, “rebellions” were occurring between the settlers and their British overlords. The British were not popular with the people. After a series of these so-called rebellions and the Glorious Revolution in 1688, King James II was deposed and replaced by William, Prince of Orange) and Mary,

his British queen. The city continued to prosper and grow under the new pre-dominion governments, which were fairly independent of English rule. Development northward on the island was limited, however, by the terrain, which was (surprisingly to today’s city dweller) extremely hilly with much marshland and brooks. The area included the Collect Pond, which was the city’s only natural supply of fresh water located directly north of the village in what is now Chinatown.

Around what is now Broadway and Canal (but was then just undeveloped, hilly land) some manufacturing sprang up. By 1800, the Collect Pond had become completely polluted from sewage and runoff from the tanneries, breweries, and other workshops nearby. The pond’s filthy runoff included a “sluggish stream” which ran along what is now Canal Street, feeding the swamps and marshes to the west. The solution arrived in 1803 when they drained the swamps and filled in the pond

with dirt acquired by cutting down the hills. They then built a drain to the Hudson River, which redirected the underground streams that supplied the swamps. It took more than 10 years before the pond was completely drained but the dry land remaining was still boggy and far from dry. To counteract this, they built a canal that was 40 feet wide and 8 feet deep to carry off the excess water to the river. Its flow was not sufficient and it, too, became an open sewer. In 1819, it was covered over without air

R EC E P T I O N FO R PA L M B E AC H DAY AC A D E MY

Edwin Gordon with Sara and Jim McCann 36 QUEST

Nick and Caroline Rafferty

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A C O C K TA I L S FO R S A M E S K Y ’ S “ C O N S C I O U S C O N S U M E R I SM ”

Rick Friedberg and Francine LeFrak

Eleanor Bunker and J. Stone

traps. And it stunk. Covered over, what became Canal Street was completed in 1820. It followed the path of the canal that gave it its name. The area began to attract families who were making their homes there, including James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote his most famous novel, The Last of the Mohicans, when he lived there. By the early-1800s, with Broadway now paved and the area settled with Federal and Greek Revival houses, the city was moving northward and more rapidly. Led by the more affluent mem38 QUEST

Kristen Thiede and Fara Barek

Michelle Brown and Beatriz Garcia

bers of the community, the area we now call SoHo was being replaced by business structures, buildings of castiron and masonry. Along Broadway, retail establishments such as Arnold Constable & Company, Lord & Taylor, and Tiffany & Co. were moving in, turning the real estate commercial and driving out the middle class residents. Soon, there were theaters going up between Canal Street and Houston Street to add to the shopping district as well as hotels. New York was on its way, and

Deshauna Barber

Felicia Taylor and Robert Hughes

the area that would become SoHo had become the entertainment center of the growing city. This progress also brought in the brothels, of which there were many on the side streets—houses with illustrations in their front windows of those who would offer their charms for a price that attracted a large and enthusiastic clientele. With the homeowners now mainly gone, in came more small manufacturing businesses—especially those supplying the growing city with its needs: cabinets, lumber, brass and copper items,

china, glassware, snuff, and books. In 1856, a manufacturer and purveyor of china, cut glass, silverware, and chandeliers named Eder V. Haughwout built a five-story commercial loft building on the corner of Broome Street and Broadway. In March 1857, the Haughwout emporium opened with not one but two street fronts to sell glassware, silverware, chandeliers, and its own handpainted china. The New York Times called it “the greatest china and porcelain house in the city.” Mary Todd Lincoln, the first

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A L AU N C H O F R O B E R T C O U T U R I E R ’ S MO D E L A PA R T M E N T AT 4 3 2 PA R K AV E N U E

Michelle Perfanov and Roy Kim

lady, shopped at Haughwout’s in 1861 for the official White House china, which she had a hand in designing. The building was revolutionary, especially because it contained the very first passenger elevator, which was designed and installed for Haughwout by Elisha Graves Otis. The cost: $300. The first three floors of the building, designated for retail, made one-stop shopping more convenient than ever 40 QUEST

Robert Couturier

Leslie Wilson and Roger Erickson

known before. The Haughwout Building today (159 years after its opening) has, until recently, been occupied by Bebe. SoHo saw a number of cast-iron buildings built during the middle of the 19th century. Iron was the metal of choice in the late 19th century because of the material’s fire-resistant properties—important at a time when major urban fires could wipe out whole neigh-

Jill Cremer and Susan de Franca

Kathy Steinberg and Charles Russell

borhoods and areas of a city. Cast iron is an alloy with a high carbon content making it more resistant to corrosion than iron or steel. These buildings were also stronger and less costly than comparable stone fronts and could be built quickly and efficiently. The process of incorporating cast iron into New York City’s architecture began in the mid-19th century. Today , the SoHo–Cast

Sule Haskell

Howard Lorber and Lauren Canetti

Iron Historic District in an area that covers most of West Broadway and extends east to Lafayette and Centre streets. SoHo boasts the greatest collection of cast-iron architecture in the world. Approximately 250 cast-iron buildings stand in New York City and the majority of them are in SoHo. The land on which the Haughwout Building was built was purchased by the first John Jacob Astor in

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

Mischa Lampert

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A 1802. Astor left the land to one of his grandsons, Walter Langdon, Jr., who had a business advisor that predicted that the area would become very valuable commercially (as, indeed, it did). By the early 1860s, the city had expanded northward measurably. People with any means were moving farther up into the 40s. After the Civil War and the financial Panic of 1873, textile firms began moving into the area which became a wholesale trade center for dry goods turning the area into a derelict of its former prosperous self. The building was sold by Langdon’s estate in 1895 for $375,000. By the close of the 19th century, the center of the city had moved uptown (where there were the better established brothels) and the quality of the area that is now SoHo had declined noticeably. “Strangers visiting the city are struck by the number of women who are to be found on Broadway and the streets running parallel to it, without male escorts, after dark,” wrote James D. McCabe in his 1872 guidebook, Lights and Shadows of New York Life. “They are known as Street Walkers, and constitute one of the lowest orders of prostitutes to be found in New York … They are nearly all thieves, and a very large proportion of them are but the decoys of the most desperate male garroters and thieves.” One common scam, McCabe explains, was for a streetwalker to lure a tourist to her room in one of the subdivided “bed houses” in today’s SoHo. There, the streetwalker and a male confederate would rob the tourist while threatening his 42 QUEST

life. Another trick was what McCabe called “panel thieving,” sharing: “She takes her victim to her room, and directs him to deposit his clothing on a chair, which is placed but a few inches from the wall at the end of the room. This wall is false, and generally of wood.” While

not be until the 1960s, when artists began to be interested in the tall ceilings and many windows of the empty manufacturing lofts, that the character of the neighborhood began to change again. In the 1960s, a Robert Moses highway project was intended to create an auto-

Eder V. Haughwout’s Buliding in SoHo

the streetwalker and customer do their thing, a male thief will quietly slide out from behind the fake wall and lift the customer’s wallet. The sucker won’t realize what has happened until he is out on the street, with the streetwalker and her coconspirator long gone.

By the 1950s, the textile industry had moved to the South and overseas. As a result, SoHo had become a depressed commercial slum known as “Hell’s Hundred Acres,” an industrial wasteland with sweatshops and small factories that was deserted after dark. It would

mobile and truck throughroute connecting the Manhattan Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge on the east with the Holland Tunnel on the west. The SoHo area was to have been the location of two enormous, elevated highways that comprised the two branches of the Lower Manhattan Expressway. However, developing historic awareness and architectural critics (stung by the destruction of the original Pennsylvania Station in 1963 and a similar threat to other historic structures) challenged the Moses plans because of the threatened loss of a huge quantity of 19th-century cast-iron buildings, which were not highly valued by the general public or the business community at the time. When John Lindsay became mayor in 1966, he initially tried to push the expressways through, dubbing it the Lower Manhattan Expressway project. Nevertheless, through the efforts of Jane Jacobs, Tony D’Apolito, and other local, civic, and cultural leaders—as well as SoHo artist residents themselves—the project was dropped. The abandonment of the highway project left the city with a large number of historic buildings that were no longer useful for manufacturing and commerce in the 1970s. These spaces with their large areas, large windows, and low rents brought men and women artists like my friend to the fore. Most of these spaces were also used illegally as living spaces because they were not being zoned for residential. This was overlooked for a long time because of the city’s poor economy at the time,

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575 MADISON AVENUE, NY, NY 10022. 212.891.7000 | © 2016 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS ARE DEEMED RELIABLE, BUT SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. EXPERT.

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00 QUEST

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A “SIP FOR THE SEA” WITH THE WILDLIFE C O N S E R VAT I O N S O C I E T Y AT T H E C E N T R A L PA R K Z O O

Max Hayes and Harriet Manice

Doug Sonnenshein and Elizabeth von der Goltz

Katie Lee with a seal

Tamara Tripp and Scott Schiff

but there was an effort on the part of the city to crack down on it. In 1971, however, the Zoning Resolution was amended to permit Joint Live-Work Quarters, allowing artists to live where they worked. It was during that time that affluent non-artists, as well as those seeking residence in low-rent buildings, began pursuing residences in SoHo. SoHo had become a popular tourist destination, originally because of its reputation as a haven for artists. A pattern of gentrification often referred to as the “SoHo effect” began to take place in this little “backwater of poor artists and small factories” and the new residents began moving in and restoring and refurbishing the old structures to create often beautiful and luxurious living lofts. With them came the uptown people seeking fashionable clothing and accesso-

Katie Lindblad and Andreas von der Goltz

Yvonna Lema and Rachel Newman

ries, as well as restaurants, bars, and clubs, especially along Broadway and Prince and Spring streets. Today, the sidewalks and the streets of SoHo are jammed with tourists, residents, and vendors selling everything anyone could want including art. (Although by the late 1980s, many of the major galleries had begun moving to Chelsea, which was going through its own “SoHo effect.”) Canal Street, the south boundary, still retains some of the feel of SoHo’s earlier days with many street vendors offering all kinds of electronics, cheaper clothing, accessories, and just plain fun for the tourists. There are no longer deserted, empty streets and sidewalks after dark. Instead, SoHo and its environs are a destination for all New Yorkers and all of its visitors who come from across the world to see New York. u

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A

T H E L EG AC Y O F N I KO L A T E S L A , I N S O H O — A N D B E YO N D NOW HERE’S a different sort of SoHo

story. Tesla. Not the car company. Not the heavy metal band. The inventor, Nikola Tesla. Back in the 1880s and 1890s, when SoHo was descending from its prosperous heights, a young man in his mid-twenties from a village in Croatia had three laboratories located in the SoHo: one at 175 Grand, one at 33–35 South Fifth Avenue (now called LaGuardia Place), and another at 46 East Houston Street. Nikola Tesla was obsessed with electricity. He came to the New York in 1884 to work with Thomas Edison at Edison’s laboratory on the Lower East Side. The two men did not get on well. They did not see eye-to-eye, despite their mutual interests. At the center of their disagreements were their separate views about what the standard of electrical distribution should be. Edison had already put his money on a “direct current” system (D.C.). Young Tesla (Edison was in his late 30s, a mature man in those days) believed in a system of “alternating current” (A.C.). Edison was evidently unaware that his direct current system was not only dangerous but even deadly. All household electricity today is delivered via A.C. Tesla was visionary. After his experience with Edison, he moved on to his own laboratory on Grand Street. He became known in the community for his vision when he developed the high-voltage, high-frequency transformer known as the Tesla coil. In his lab on South Fifth Avenue, he also experimented with wireless lighting. Presenting demonstrations brought him more attention, including close friendships with Stanford White and with Mark Twain. There was another Tesla innovation that resulted in his close friendship with Twain. Twain had chronic constipation and Tesla provided a cure for it by having Twain stand on an electric

46 QUEST

plate while Tesla ran an electric charge though his body. Tesla also came up with an “X-ray.” He and Twain were said to have taken turns aiming Tesla’s X-ray “gun” at each other, making enormous X-rays of each other’s bodies and skulls in sheets of undeveloped film taped to the wall. In 1895, a fire gutted Tesla’s lab, which left him deeply depressed. He used his coils to give himself electroshock treatments to overcome the depression. Friends raised funds for him to open a new lab on Houston Street, where he began developing a wireless system for transmitting power around the world. A further invention was a wireless radio-wave transmission, as well as the preliminary design of a handheld receiver that could receive news, telephone messages, and telegrams. This was in the late 19th century, long before the digital era. Coincidentally, the Apple Store on Prince Street, the land of the iPhone, is located just a few blocks from where Tesla conceived of the idea. Nikola Tesla, way ahead of his

time, was a “mad scientist” to most. His inventions appeared as fully formed visions that came to him. Unlike his former employer, Edison, he was not a capitalist. He often failed to protect his patents and often failed to get credit for his ideas. Nevertheless, he was the leader. At the beginning of the 20th century, he is quoted as observing: “The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” He also said, “Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more.” He was a man plagued with extreme phobias and obsessions. He was a germaphobe and had a peculiar aversion to pearls. At times, he would suddenly become immobile, freezing up and unable to move or speak. Despite his brilliance and inventions that moved our civilization along, in his 87th year in January 1943, Nikola Tesla died in his in his sleep, alone and penniless. His influence is present each time we turn on our lights, yet official history left him forgotten, unlike his peers such as Edison, who is now known as the father of electricity, and Guglielmo Marconi, who is now known as the inventor of radio. In recent years, Tesla fans have attempted to right this wrong. The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe is raising funds to develop Tesla’s last and only existing laboratory in Shoreham, New York, into a science and technology center. There is also an exhibition “Tesla’s Wonderful World of Electricity” on view at the New York Hall of Science. On Tuesday, October 18, PBS’s “American Experience” will spotlight Nikola Tesla. This may rouse interest in a genius whose predictions for the future made more than a century ago shaped the wireless networks of the 21st century—and lived in SoHo before it was SoHo. u

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A O P E N I N G O F V E R O N I C A B E A R D STO R E AT 9 8 8 M A D I S O N AV E N U E

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Scarlett Beard, Helaina Beard, Tessa DeMann and Tatum DeMann 48 QUEST

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A COUTURE COUNCIL HONORED ALBERT KRIEMLER OF AKRIS W I T H A L U N C H EO N AT L I N C O L N C E N T E R

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Patty Baker, Peter Scotese and Joan Hornig 50 QUEST

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A N N I E WAT T

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INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS. L O C A L I N S IGHT S . Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A T H E Q U E ST 4 0 0 AT D O U B L E S

Douglas Steinbrech and Mark Gilbertson

Nina Griscom and Leonel Piraino

Chuck Whittingham and Maria Cooper Janis

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Meera Gandhi with Lee and CeCe Black

Muffy and Don Miller, Jackie Weld Drake, and Tatiana and Thorne Perkin 52 QUEST

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B FA . CO M ; DAV I D PAT R I C K CO LU M B I A

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Dixie de Koning

Cece Cord and Muffie Potter Aston OCTOBER 2016 53

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A C H R I S T I E ’ S D I N N E R F O R R E A G A N ’ S P R I V AT E C O L L E C T I O N AT S PA G O I N B E V E R LY H I L L S

Steve Roth

Pablo Fenjves, Lisa Hubbard and Jennifer Hall

Pamela Phillips and Robert Bloomingdale

Richard Mogan III and Kathryn Huff 54 QUEST

Carla Sands and Carol Price

Jeff and Lori Hyland with Kathy and Rick Hilton

Brook Hazelton

David and Carol Powell

Patti Davis and Robert Tuttle

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

Claire Hummer-Tuttle and Alex Hitz

CLAPBOARD RIDGE ROAD | $29,500,000 Magnificent stone Georgian estate on a rare 5.34 Mid-Country acres with stunning guest house, pool and gardens. Visit 110CRR.com for more information. WEB ID: 0068195 | Leslie McElwreath 917.539.3654 | Joseph Barbieri

21ST CENTURY GREENWICH ESTATE | $12,500,000 This gated “Smart” House” Estate is sited on 4 acres with 7+ bedrooms. Lake, pool, spa, pool house, elevator, theater, gym, wine cellar, generator & 4-car garage. WEB ID: 0068165 | Helene Barre | 203.618.123

NEW CONSTRUCTION ON MID-COUNTRY CUL-DE-SAC | $11,995,000 Exceptional glamour. Mid-Country Transitional Style. 7 bedrooms, 8 full & 4 half baths. On 3+ acres with pool and approved court site. A truly one-of-a-kind home. WEB ID: 0068106 | Steve Archino | 203.618.3144

CALHOUN DRIVE | $6,375,000 Excitingly beautiful new construction on level land close to Town. The transitional interior offers an environment both exciting & peaceful in which to live & entertain. WEB ID: 0068065 | Fran Ehrlich | 203.618.3164

NEW CONSTRUCTION NEARING COMPLETION | $5,895,000 Cosmopolitan living in a 6 bedroom, 10,200± sf Mid-Country Transitional Georgian. On over 2+ acres & at the end of a cul-de-sac with distinct golf course views. WEB ID: 0068157 | Steve Archino | 203.618.3144

HAMPTONS IN GREENWICH | $4,937,500 Casual elegance characterizes this lovely Mid-Country estate sited on 4.61 private acres. Wrap-around porches and expansive terrace overlook a gorgeous pool. WEB ID: 0068131 | Fran Ehrlich | 203.618.3164

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Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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Scott Salvator and Michael Zabriskie 58 QUEST

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Union Square West Duplex 2BR, 2.5 bath, 16' floor-to-ceiling windows, partial park views. W/D. Boutique condo with 5-star hotel amenities, spa & pool. $5.975M. Web 15467455. Andrew Geisel 646.613.2617

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Mint 5 Bedroom Townhouse on East 68th

12 foot ceilings, large terrace, 2 fireplaces, huge eat-in kitchen. Boutique condo. $5.99M. Web 14880444. Pamela D’Arc 212.452.4377

18'+ wide, 100' deep, 4-story with garden, finished basement, chef’s eat-in kitchen. 4 fireplaces, 11' ceilings. 3,500 square feet + air rights. $8.15M. Web 14653604. Bahar Tavakolian 917.297.7067

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Jessica Alba and Ralph Lauren

Romee Strijd 60 QUEST

Anna Wintour with David and Lauren Bush Lauren

Paul Arrouet and Dylan Lauren

Carolyn Murphy

The “See Now, Buy Now” Collection

Terry Lundgren and Stefan Larsson

Ricky Lauren, Julianne Moore and Liv Freundlich

Kendall Jenner

B FA . CO M ; CO U RTE S Y O F R A LP H L AU R E N

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Dolf Hogewoning and Willem van Roijen

Olivier and Yosun Reza 62 QUEST

Meike Hartelust

Patrick van Maris van Dijk and Lavinia Snyder

Jamie Drake

Bruce and Robbi Toll

Adam Williams, Alessadra di Castro and Dino Tomasso

Sandy and Lisa Ehrenkranz

Tom Postma

B FA . CO M

Michael Plummer, Madelon Strijbos and Jeff Rabin

C H R I S T I A N A NG L E R E A L E S TAT E

TRUST | DEDICATION | PERSONAL COMMITMENT Wall Street Journal/Real Trends rated Christian Angle #20 in nation and #1 in Palm Beach for 2015

1102 North Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach Prominent Compound with commanding Ocean views on 1.3 acre +/- property. Originally designed by John Volk, this spectacular landmarked estate features 6BR/7.2BA plus staff quarters. The magnificent renovation by Jeffrey W. Smith garnered The Preservation Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 Ballinger Award. Fireplaces, 3 car garage, and wine cellar with tasting room. Beautifully manicured gardens surround the home with courtyard leading to dramatic oval shaped pool and tennis court.

1102NorthOceanBoulevard.com Exclusive - $25,900,000 C 561.629.3015 www.AngleRealEstate.com T 561.659.6551 E cjangle@anglerealestate.com Though information is assumed to be correct, offerings are subject to errors, 179 Bradley Place Palm Beach, Florida 33480

omissions, prior sale and withdrawal without notice. Artist renderings are subject to revisions.

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Dinner, As Envisioned by David Monn

Gayfryd Steinberg and Michael Shnayerson 64 QUEST

Bobby and Barbara Liberman

Jim Zirin and Marlene Hess

Rudy and Judith Giuliani with Giulia Caltagironi and Greg Parker

Judy Cox

Darren Walker and Holly Peterson

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A O P E N I N G N I G H T O F T H E 1 7 5 T H S E A S O N O F N E W YO R K P H I L H A R MO N I C

Charles and Carol Schaefer with Didi and Oscar Schafer

Emilia Saint-Amand and Rick Braddock

Kajsa William-Olsson and Alan Gilbert

Susan Braddock and Alberto Mejia

Daria and Eric Wallach

Josh Groban, Bernadette Peters, Lola Kirke and Michael Urie 66 QUEST

Daisy Soros

Karen LeFrak and Itzhak Perlman

Grace Meigher and Nathan Saint-Amand

G E T T Y F O R N E W Y O R K P H I LH A R M O N I C ; J U L I E S K A R R AT T

Peggy Mejia

Impressive Georgian Estate - Long, gated drive to sophisticated Country House, circa 1940. Warm stucco exterior rich in architectural embellishment. 4600 square feet with wonderful light and ceiling height. Stunning 29’x 20’ Living Room with Fireplace. Mahogany Greenhouse. Four Bedrooms. Four acres in a foremost Bedford estate area. Gorgeous grounds with exquisite gardens and specimen trees. Heated Pool. Deerfencing. Sprinkler System. Generator. $2,395,000

Guard Hill’s Golden Era - The original Guest House of the “Sell’Em”

Riverfront Country Compound - Two trout for breakfast! 600’ of frontage on the rushing Beaver Dam River. Over two open acres with level lawns and age old trees. Surrounded by 60 acres of the Beaver Dam Preserve with direct access to the Bedford Riding Lanes. Charming, Country Farmhouse, circa 1850, with hardwood floors and period millwork.Three Bay Carriage House. Great Party Barn with pine paneling, vaulted ceiling and wood burning stove. A rare opportunity to own a fun waterfront retreat! $999,000

Twin Knolls - Overlooking a pristine swimming pond, five spectacular acres with age-old trees and rolling lawns down to the water. Handsome 1930’s Stone and Clapboard Country House with hardwood floors, exposed beams, arches and French doors. Four Bedrooms all with ensuite Baths. Generator and Central Air. Established estate area. The perfect, peaceful retreat yet just minutes to Taconic Parkway and easy New York City commute. Won’t last! $960,000

Ben Smith Estate, circa 1928. Remarkable Ivy-Covered Stone and Shingle Country Estate imbued with sophistication. Wide plank floors, incredible raised paneling, French doors and four fireplaces. Exceptionally detailed main rooms with great floorplan for entertaining. Five Bedrooms all with private Baths. Two park-like acres with level lawns, specimen trees and flowering shrubs. Private Swimming Pool. Moments to Bedford Village. A rare offering! $4,950,000

Unique Opportunity - Rare chance to purchase two homes—live in Lindenbrook one while renting the other! Impeccably restored Turn-of-the-Century Farmhouse with rocking chair porch. Three Bedrooms. Playroom. Den. Detached two+ car garage. Also, charming Three Bedroom Side Hall Colonial—ideal for rental or home office or extended family. In the heart of South Salem—10 minutes from Metro-North trains. Lake rights. $615,000

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Over four peaceful acres with rushing stream. Rolling lawns, ancient Oaks and stately Maples. Top estate area with lake rights to Howlands Lake. Private Country Colonial beautifully renovated. Living Room with Fireplace. Formal Dining Room. Country Kitchen. Family Room with Fireplace. Four Bedrooms. Top estate area in a most convenient location. Easy access to schools, shops and commuting arteries. $1,295,000

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H A R RY B E N S O N

IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY IT WAS 1987. The weather was brilliant in the south of France. The couple was on holiday in Cap d’Antibes. The glamorous Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The perfect setting. I had arrived to photograph the illustrious Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and his beautiful wife, Sarah Brightman. When we met, Sir Andrew looked at me like he had never seen a camera in his life before—which was, of course, not the case. To my surprise, he looked to his publicist for what to do, how to stand, and how to sit. All I wanted was a pleasant picture of him with the lovely Sarah, who starred in his productions of The Phantom of the Opera in London’s West End and on Broadway in the early ’80s. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for Service to Music; winner of seven Tony Awards, three Grammys, one Academy Award, seven Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe; inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; the

recipient of a 2006 Kennedy Center Honor— this is only a partial list of honors heaped upon Andrew Lloyd Webber over the years for his creative genius. He was an incredibly prolific composer since the ’60s. Even today, three Andrew Lloyd Webber productions are on Broadway—a lively revival of Cats, the never-ending, rock-solid Phantom of the Opera, and a new addition to Webber’s catalog, School of Rock. Remember the first time you saw Phantom? Did you jump when the chandelier hit the stage? After Gigi and I saw the terrific revival of Cats, I looked in the files for the photographs of Sir Andrew and thought this is the time to bring them out. After all, 1987 seems just like yesterday to me. What about you? ◆ This spread: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and wife Sarah Brightman in Cap d’Antibes, 1987. OCTOBER 2016 69

TA K I

HIGH LIFE UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE of Mount Etna, the storied past of Sicily lies parched and yellowish, but as one gets nearer to the fiery growling giant the air turns cool, the sun glistening against black volcanic rock. The island is of two minds. Orange groves and beaches galore, then dank forests and possible lava flows. Sicily’s history resembles the landscape: peaceful and religious, violent and vengeful. I first sailed to Taormina back in the Sixties, visited the ancient Greek amphitheatre, and listened to Dvorak’s New World Symphony while breathing in the smells of history. It was an extraordinary spectacle: beautifully dressed people, a great Italian symphony orchestra, and a sunset that illuminated the ancient site and brought alive its legends as it has for thousands of years. It was as romantic as it gets, and then some. Back in 415 B.C., the Athenian patrician Alcibiades pulled a number that signaled the end of Athenian hegemony. Alcibiades had a vision of the conquest of Syracuse and the foundation of a new empire of the west. Bogged down in a war of attrition with Sparta, the Athenians did a Bush–Blair, by invading Sicily. A vast armada was annihilated, as was the Athenian imperial mission. End of story. For Athens, that is. I’ve often thought of Alcibiades and the Greeks landing in Sicily with conquest of Carthage in mind. I’ve sailed through Scylla and Charybdis, the Messina Straits, countless times, and had a knockdown once just as we were crossing in the middle of the two Homeric monsters. Sicily 70 QUEST

TA K I might not be good for Greek sailors, but oh, what a past. We once stopped to visit Prince Galvano Lanza, whose name features in The Leopard, and his staff was striking. He lay in his palazzo, immobile, a thousand-year weariness etched on his face, reading about Napoleon. The staff eventually obliged and even put on their finest. Princes and servants, violence and ritual, church and no state. That’s Sicily for you. Speaking of Il Gattopardo, Guiseppe di Lampedusa’s lyric lament for a disappearing world and one of the greatest post-war European novels, the protagonist, Fabrizio, Prince of Salina, is probably my favorite fictional hero. An excellent horseman, a terrific shot, a tireless womanizer, Fabrizio is brave, intelligent, wise, and a sinner yet a loving family man with a very generous heart. He is a great aristocrat who understands the vulgarity of the upwardly mobile middle classes and new money. As everyone except Kanye West, the Kardashians, and others of their ilk knows, the novel is set in 1860, with Garibaldi and his troops landing in Sicily and the Risorgimento begins in earnest. Landowning aristocrats and peasant tenants are in confusion, the contract between them undermined by various unfamiliar forces, political liberalism, and a rising middle class. The prince takes it all in stride. He understands his own coming irrelevance, daydreams of past—and future—lovers, remains conservative and mystical about his lands and his position. Unlike other great books, the film of The Leopard by an aristocrat of Fabrizio’s ilk, Luchino Visconti, is equal to the novel. Visconti told a friend of mine that the one great riddle of his life was how an acrobat born and raised in the Bronx could play the Prince of Salina as if he were Lampedusa himself. This was Burt Lancaster in the 1963 movie, like the novel, probably the best film ever. One feels the prince’s pain as modernity approaches, but he never expresses it. He watches the young dancing at the great ball at the end, and the yearning for his long gone youth is evident only in his eyes. He’s still handsome and leonine and when his nephew’s betrothed asks him

This page: Scenic views of the island of Sicily. Opposite page: A film poster of Visconti’s Il Gattopardo.

to dance, the scene remains ambiguous. Does he desire her—which he certainly does—or is it simply an avuncular feeling? The strength of the story is that the physical details reveal the soul. The pomp and finery are superb, and the bon mots are as relevant today as back then: “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” “The Sicilians think themselves perfect,” beyond improvement, says the prince. He tries to shock his priest, raises his eyebrows when his wife crosses herself when he appears naked in front of her, and religiously genuflects after the ball while walking home and looking at the stars. The novel ends in 1910, after the prince’s death in 1883. The Latin dismissal of women is there for everyone to see: the prince’s daughters all end up old maids, unhappy and unfulfilled, full of regrets and memories

of what might have been. Lampedusa died in 1957, and The Leopard was published posthumously. It was his only book, although there have been some short things that surfaced after that. But nothing to compare them with Il Gattopardo. His palace in Palermo had been destroyed by Allied bombs, and he had served his country in both world wars. Lung cancer killed him at 61 years of age. Sicily is brown and haunting, with beautiful old houses and rubbish everywhere, violence always just around the corner, and also poetry and mournful song. The architecture is splendid, the graffiti less so. I am here to party for four days and nights without respite. I feel a bit like the prince, enjoying the present but hankering for the past. u For more Taki, visit takimag.com. OCTOBER 2016 71

GAMES

BACKGAMMON, BY GEORGE! THE ART OF GEORGE WARREN BY KATE GUBELMANN ARE THE SELF-TAUGHT lessons the ones that are the best learned? If you are George Warren, they are. Warren is a wood-working furniture maker that lives in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Although the setting is bucolic and serene, Warren’s workshop, his nearest neighbor, is a whir and buzz of activity. Although George has no formal training, design and construction have been ever present in his life. He is the descendant of architects. Besides his father, George is related to the Belle Époque master, Whitney Warren—the creator of Grand Central Station, the Biltmore Hotel and the Newport Country Club. As Warren says, “ I’ve always been comfortable with machines and wood.” Chairs, desks, globes, guns, and T.V. cabinets have all been designed and completely hand-made by George. He creates solutions in wood for modern living. What has become a speciality are his backgammon boards. Backgammon, a dice game that moves discs around a board, has been in existence for at least 5,000 years. Although the game has evolved differently through ancient cultures and over centuries, the board itself is still quite recognizable. Art historians see it in every era: Egyptian tombs, burial grounds at Ur, Roman murals, Dutch paintings, Orientalist and Victorian life, and American movies. Backgammon was invigorated in the U.S. by Prince Alexis Obolensky, who created chic backgammon competitions throughout the 1960s and ’70s. The game masters Oswald Jacoby and 72 QUEST

GAMES

This page: George Warren of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is creating a collection of boards with his wood-working talents. Opposite page, from above: “A Game of Backgammon” by Albert Friedrich Schröder (1854–1939); competition between monkeys; Cary Grant playing with his

CO U RTE S Y O F G E O R G E WA R R E N

wife, Virginia Cherrill, at their home in Hollywood.

John Crawford helped to modernize it for today’s play. This pastime has had many different names, Senet (Egyptian), Tables (from the Roman tabulae), and Tric Trac (French)—yet the play is the same. The board, itself, can be inlaid with precious stones or woods and it can be needlepointed, painted, or plasticized; the options are limitless. In the hands of George Warren, it becomes a true art form. When Warren crafts his boards, each one is specialized. Whether it is the stationary board, the folding board, or a

backgammon table, George uses mahogany or walnut to create the frames. Then, specialized woods (like Wenge, English Sycamore, or Holly) are veneered to suit the client’s preference. The playing area is inlaid with leather, which creates a seamless surface for moving the discs and rolling the dice. No detail is overlooked by Mr. Warren. Mitre edges and steel trimming result in a precise and clean product. Great care is taken with his making of the dice cups and “men.” There, each piece is handcrafted to feel solid: stainless rims with leather-covered

wood that correspond in color to the board. The dice cups, also in coordinated leather, have ribbed interiors, which is preferred in tournament play. High-quality dice and doubling cube are also provided. The result is a beautiful combination of art and craft. If the ancients could not be without their backgammon board, why should you? u For more information about George Warren and his boards, visit ghwdesign.com. OCTOBER 2016 73

QUEST

Fresh Finds

BY DA N I E L C A P P E L LO A N D E L I Z A B E T H M E I G H E R THIS MONTH, Quest debuts its first-ever Downtown Issue. Though

we’ve never let geography keep us from the latest fashions and accessories, we admittedly do more shopping on Madison Avenue, less on Mulberry Street. That said, we happily took to downtown streets for some of this month’s exceptional finds. One thing’s for sure: no matter where these treasures are, we think they’re worth the cab ride.

Slip into a modern sense of style in Wes Gordon’s verdigris woven-stripe jacquard dress with black mendled lace ($1,950). For more information, visit wesgordon.com.

Soar off in Sorellina’s gold Axl Fiore Strato necklace with white mother of pearl and full-cut diamond. $3,950. Sorellina: At Greenwich St. Jewelers, 64 Trinity Place, or greenwichjewelers.com.

L’Objet just opened its first New York retail store at 370 Bleecker St. (212.659.0316), and we’re rushing down for these stylish boxes. From top: Tapa gold ($665), snakeskin ($725),

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, VIK 2011, from Chile’s Viña Vik, is a true masterpiece years in the making. $140 per bottle at Astor Wines & Spirits, 399 Lafayette St., 212.674.7500.

Kim Seybert knows how to keep tabletops sparkling, especially with the help of her hand-blown Platinum Crackle wine goblets. $260 per set of 4 at kimseybert.com. 74 Q U E S T

and Moresco silver ($1,295).

C’est très jolie, indeed: the Jolie clutch in navy by former fashion editor–turned–designer Khirma Eliazov. $795 at Saks Fifth Avenue or khirma.com.

In its ninth consecutive year of partnering with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, David Yurman is donating 20% of the October sales of its newly released Châtelaine bracelet with pink pearl to support research efforts. $325 at davidyurman.com.

Get ready for decidedly chic frozen landscapes ahead in any number of pieces from Peter Pilotto’s fall collection. Visit Bergdorf Goodman for similar looks and seasonal selections.

Head to SoHo and put your order in now for the November launch of Leica’s SOFORT model, the first instant film camera from the storied camera brand. $299. Leica: 460 W. Broadway, 212.475.7799.

It’s official: we give in to the Stuart Weitzman IGIVEIN in Nice blue suede, our go-to blue shoe for fall. $465. Stuart Weitzman: 877.793.4896. Wrap your eyes from the rays in Tory Burch’s TY9046 1602/5A style sunnies for fall. $195. Tory Burch: 38–40 Little West 12th St. or toryburch.com. OCTOBER 2016 75

Fresh Finds

Dip into fall by picking up Jack Spade’s “dipped” industrial canvas two-tone messenger bag—the perfect accessory for every guy. $228 at jackspade.com.

Buckle up in Ralph Lauren’s olive suede double-prong buckle belt. $350 in select Ralph Lauren stores.

Looking for an exceptional fall staple? Then reach across the pond for this knitted shooting jacket by James Purdey & Sons, with lower pockets and Alcantara shooting patches. To order, visit purdey.com.

For custommade premium denim, look no further than 3x1, offering up the 3 Selvedge Slim, among others. $345. 3x1: 15 Mercer St., 212.391.6969, or 3x1.us. Layer up in Billy Reid’s deck coat in brown ($2,495), polo in white ($135), and Alexander pant in brown and gray ($450). Billy Reid: 54 Bond St., 212.598.9355, or billyreid.com.

The APL TechLoom Pro is a world-first, featuring a combination of metallic gold and silver woven together like never before, with performance textiles and Propelium cushioning. $160 at athleticpropulsionlabs.com. 76 QUEST

Make the transition from uptown to downtown It’s the raw deal: Anaak’s Maharani

snappy and quick with Edie Parker’s Flavia

floral raw silk dress, a

Uptown/Downtown reversible

long-sleeved dress

clutch. $1,695 exclusively at

adorned with

Saks Fifth Avenue and

gold bead detail-

saksfifthavenue.com.

ing around the collar and cuffs. $595 at Bird: shopbird.com.

Tie this on for size: Miansai’s matte noir screw cuff bracelet in matte black finish with a gold-plated bar. $225. Miansai: 33 Crosby St., 212.858.9710, or miansai.com.

A clean-lined iron-framed desk in gunmetal finish, the Joshua desk by Maison 55 for Resource Decor features faux coal vellum on a leather top with three drawer fronts. $2,697 at resourcedecor.com.

The king of costume, Kenneth Jay Lane, offers up the irresistible black seedbead round gypsy hoops with drop clip ears. $100 at kennethjaylane.com.

Elevate your prep a notch in GANT’s Club House wool blazer, a versatile essential with a widenotched lapel, two-button closure, and patch front pockets. $450. GANT: 25 Prince St. or gant.com. OCTOBER 2016 77

SLIM AARONS: WOMEN

P H OTO C R E D I T G O E S H E R E

BY ELIZABETH MEIGHER

78 QUEST

S L I M A A RO N S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

BOOKS

JUST THE MENTION of dear “Slim” brings a smile to my face. When he began his career in the late 1940s, Slim Aarons famously stated that, after the sadness of World War II, his main goal was to “photograph attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.” And that he did, a phenomenon I would witness firsthand when visiting sweet Slim—then late into his journey—for lunch at his home in Katonah, New York. Countless photos, contact sheets, proofs, and even more photos of his proclaimed “attractive people” were strewn about Slim’s old Yankee farmhouse, along with a collection of straw hats and a stash of Canada Dry ginger ale. We would eat smoked salmon and sip bouillon, with Slim occasionally donning one of his brightly colored ascots before sitting down at the small kitchen

table. He was ever the charming cad, even into his late eighties. In the course of his career, Slim created a new style of “social photojournalism” that held true to his postwar affirmation. Among the many (“attractive”) subjects captured in his uniquely comfortable photo shoots and essays, the most This page: Emilia Fanjul (in blue) and Tina Fanjul (standing), wives of the Cuban sugar barons José and Alfonso Fanjul, respectively, in Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic, 1990. Opposite page: The cover of Laura Hawk’s Slim Aarons: Women (Abrams), featuring the scene at a desert house in Palm Springs designed by Richard Neutra for Edgar J. Kaufmann. Cocktail in hand, Lita Baron (far left) approaches Helen Dzo Dzo (left) and Nelda Linsk (right), wife of art dealer Joseph Linsk, for a tête-à-tête.

TB HO EO AT K ES R

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This page: Dobbie Coleman Bassett, daughter of the Duchess of Manchester, at the stables with her daughter, Caroline, in Pebble Beach, California, 1976. Their daylong rides often took the mother-daughter duo past the wind-blown dunes and countless small coves of Pebble Beach.

than 200 images, most of which have not appeared in Slim’s prior tomes, along with deliciously detailed captions and prose by one of his closest and most trusted colleagues. Exhibiting beautiful women in some of the most sensational and private venues around the globe, Slim Aarons: Women is an insider’s look at the fresh-faced, athletic, well-bred, and authentic muses who inspired Slim’s most remarkable and enduring work. What’s more, the author’s stories behind the lens are so intimate and well told that you can almost hear the constant click of Slim’s famed Leica. Slim Aarons: Women can be purchased for $85 on amazon.com. u

P H OTO C R E D I T G O E S H E R E

magnetic were the women…Slim’s women! Laura Hawk, the gifted author of Slim Aarons: Women (Abrams) is a seasoned freelance journalist who traveled extensively with Slim on magazine and book projects for more than two decades. In her stunning new book, she explores the principal subject of Slim’s expansive career: the extraordinary women from the top rungs of society, fashion, the fine arts, and show business who became the recurrent focus of Slim’s iconic and unforgettable photos. Slim Aarons: Women presents those legendary ladies and hostesses who most influenced his life’s work, plus a multitude of historic personalities whom he photographed along the way, including the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Diana Vreeland, and Marilyn Monroe—all personally documented in Hawk’s near diary-like recollections that accompany Slim’s treasured photographs. This captivating book contains more

This page, clockwise from top: Laura Hawk at Villa El Rincón in Mirabella, Spain,

S L I M A A RO N S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

1985. Laura Hawk reminisces that working with Slim entailed performing a wide variety of tasks, not the least of which was participating as an extra whenever needed. In this shot, Hawk gladly fills in as a carefree guest lounging in the warmth of the Mediterranean sun; Rosemary Said, wife of the Syrian-Saudi Arabian financier Wafic Said, and their son Khaled, in Marbella, Spain, 1983; Diane and Potter Palmer and family in Lake Forest, Illinois, circa 1958. Potter Palmer was the grandson of Potter Palmer, founder of Chicago’s famed Palmer House Hotel, and Bertha Honoré Palmer, a “wealthy Chicago socialite and entrepreneur.”

OCTOBER 2016 81

FA S H I O N

BY DANIEL CAPPELLO

This spread: Rich textures accentuate sleek silhouettes in Stuart Weitzman’s newly redesigned 625 Madison Avenue flagship, marking the store’s 20th anniversary at the iconic midtown address. Inset: The new white marble storefront is an interplay of negative space and subtle metal details.

CO U RTE S Y O F S T UA RT W E I T Z M A N

A MADISON MAKEOVER

FOR 20 YEARS, New York women have been flocking to Stuart Weitzman’s 625 Madison Avenue flagship store for flawlessly fitting, stylish shoes. Traditionally, the store has always played it rather cool from a design standpoint: plain white walls and display cases always let the shoes do the talking. But, in recent years, the Weitzman label has been stepping it up, so to speak, in terms of the playing field. Fashion’s most illustrious legs have been spotted in brand ads. Maybe you noticed Joan Smalls, Gigi Hadid, and Lily Aldridge posing as faces for the footwear brand? Or a bare-legged Gisele Bündchen or Kate Moss sitting pretty in her Stuart Weitzmans? Talk about sex appeal. Now, the stalwart 625 Madison flagship is getting a sexy update all its own. In celebration of its 20 years on the block, Stuart Weitzman recently unveiled a redesigned retail space, merging modern femininity with architectural precision. Black and gold fixtures enhance a warm and neutral palette. Jewelrylike metallic display units frame and showcase the shoes, while

natural marble accents play off of gold plaques. The brand’s signature craftsmanship was the inspiration for the sculptural sensibilities of the interior, which is punctuated by a fluid ribbon feature that extends from the cash desk across the ceiling. A rich white-marble storefront now greets you on the outside; inside, the furniture and plush textures are at once luxurious and inviting, offering a contemporary, residential feel. “The Madison Avenue location is a special place to me,” Mr. Weitzman tells me, “as it was my first retail store on the east coast. It has been exciting to see the evolution of the street’s allure as a city shopping destination—not only with tourists, but also local New Yorkers—over the years.” Asked whether he thought this new incarnation would stand the test of time for another 20 years at 625 Madison Avenue, Mr. Weitzman sounds as sturdy as one of his 4.5-inch platform heels itself: “Being a staple on this iconic street for 20 years, I feel this is home—and couldn’t imagine that ever changing.” u

OCTOBER 2016 83

EVENTS

BRILLIANT MINDS AT KENTPRESENTS 2016 BY MARCIA SCHAEFFER

ATTENDEES TO KentPresents 2016 were filled with anticipation and excitement as the two-and-a-half day “festival of ideas” opened at Kent School campus on August 18. Eighty-seven well- known presenters were on hand to discuss what’s next in fields ranging from art, economics, global and national affairs, health care, literature, science, and technology. KentPresents is the brainchild of Ben and Donna Rosen, 14-year residents of Kent who are enlivening and supporting this picturesque village by donating proceeds from the conference to local charities. Last year, grants totaling $100,000 were awarded to 26 social service charities; one would not have been able to pay the rent without this windfall donation. There seems to be no trouble attracting an incredible roster of experts who generously waive their speakers’ fee.

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“I am trying to organize something I’d like to go to,” said co-founder Ben Rosen. “One of the reasons we made it broad was to find something of interest for everyone.” As Chairman of Compaq Computer for 18 years and Chairman Emeritus and Life Trustee of Caltech, Rosen is no stranger to organizing conferences. His wife, Donna Perret Rosen, herself influential in the contemporary art scene, adds to the scope of the art and humanities fields. The conference is the limited to 300 attendees who pay a hefty tax-deductible fee but allows them unlimited interaction with the speakers during the breaks and meals. From 8:30 am to 6 pm, attendees make a difficult choice between three topics each hour, but all sessions are video-taped for later watching. Outstanding amid the myriad of fascinating topics was the

This page, clockwise from top left: KentPresents 2016 conference attendees included Agnes Gund, Carter Foster, Jill Spalding, and Latoya Ruby Frazier; cocktails on the Kent School lawn where luminaries exchanged ideas; Tina Freeman with Elizabeth and Chip Goodyear; Ben Rosen and Frank Delaney enjoy a laugh. Opposite page: Theoretical physicist Kip Thorne holds a discussion with Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute.

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EVENTS

Experienced men such as Les Gelb, Henry Kissinger, Christopher Hill, Jack Matlock, Hussein Majali, J. Stapleton Roy, and Thomas Pickering came together to discuss Russia, China and the Middle East; hopefully this discussion may produce solutions and strategies for the future. This page: Atendees like Peter Georgescu, seen here at the microphone, were encouraged to ask questions during the conference’s many fascinating panels. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Frances Townsend and Sir Richard Dearlove; Professor of Law at Cardozo School of Law Ekow Yankah; Phoebe Campbell, Donna Rosen, and Tom Campbell; Ted Chapin, Corby Kummer, Nancy Coffey, and Nicole Charbonnet.

presentation of Jet Propulsion Director Dr. Charles Elachi who led the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Watching the team achieve the launch and successful landing of the machine on Mars, as Dr. Elachi extolls, “Only in the United States could this be achieved.” Equally impressive was Kip Thorne—one of the scientists who conceived the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)—describing the physical detection in 2015 of gravitational waves (physical distortions in spacetime) caused by the collision approximately 1.3 billion lightyears away of two black holes. The experiment confirms the pre-

diction of Albert Einstein in 1916. David Baltimore discussed the risks and benefits of the groundbreaking new tool CRISPR, which can alter individual genes and will aid in the battle against cancer. Marc Raibert of Boston Dynamics demonstrated how they taught the robot Max to balance. Other sessions included Sir Richard Dearlove—Kent School alum, trustee, and former head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)—who tackled the difficult question of “Security and Liberty.” Former Secretary of Defense William Perry warned we are back “At the Nuclear Brink,” given North Korea’s provocations. Experienced men such as Les Gelb, Henry Kissinger, Christopher Hill, Jack Matlock, Hussein Majali, J. Stapleton Roy, and Thomas Pickering came together to discuss Russia, China and the Middle East; hopefully this discussion may produce solutions and strategies for the future. Quest readers may access the video gallery of these sessions as well as the 2016 and 2017 sessions on the Kentpresents.org website, a most worthwhile and enlightening experience. u

T H E AT E R

THE DRAMA LEAGUE (which, since 1916, has been dedicated

to creating transformative interactions between artists and audiences) offers its members a variety of benefits while supporting the creatives of Broadway and Off-Broadway—and beyond. Here, we chat with Jano Herbosch (president of the board of directors), Stan Ponte (a member of the board of directors), and Gabriel Stelian-Shanks (executive artistic director) about the evolution of the Drama League and its coming gala: Q: What was your introduction to the Drama League? And what is your role at the Drama League? STAN PONTE: My involvement with the Drama League, basically, started when I was a kid and my grandmother used to take me to live theater. I would get dressed up in a three-piece suit and go with my grandmother. I was a child actor in local theater and I came to New York City in 1989 to study acting at the Tisch School of the Arts and at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. I was an actor for a number of years and, then, moved into real estate in my mid-20s. My earliest real estate mentor was Elizabeth

This page: The 2015 Drama League Awards, the oldest honors for theatrical performance in North America.

Stribling, who was on the board of directors at the Drama League. She introduced me to the organization and invited me to the awards and the galas and, within a few years, I joined the board of directors. This will be the second year in a row that I’m co-chairing the Drama League’s gala, which is basically a musical celebration of the theater. GABRIEL STELIAN-SHANKS: I came to the Drama League in 2001, so this is my 15th year at the organization. At the time, it was a very small group trying to help a handful of artists move to the next stages of their careers. Now, it’s an international organization that serves over three thousand artists and fifteen thousand theatergoers each year. We work with over 200 theaters around the country and in Europe. Our goal is to address the severe sustainability gaps young artists face when trying to create careers in contemporary American theater. When talented young people come out of college, it’s nearly impossible to begin making a living as an artist—really, it takes a decade or more now to find that level of success. We’re dedicated to making sure talented emerging artists get the tools they need to not only

CO U RTE S Y O F T H E D R A M A LE A G U E

OUR REGARDS TO BROADWAY

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This page, clockwise from above right: A creativity workshop at the Drama League Theater Center in TriBeCa; backstage at the 2016 Drama League Awards with Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis, composer/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, and producer Kevin McCollum, where they accepted the award for “outstanding production of a musical” for Hamilton; at the Drama League “Musical Celebration of Broadway” Gala, with Neil Patrick Harris, Drama League president Jano Herbosch, and David Burtka; an early incarnation of Drama League DirectorFest (its annual festival of new directors) starring film actress Ileana Douglas.

CO U RTE S Y O F T H E D R A M A LE A G U E

stay in the field, but also thrive. They need industry networks, support, training, production opportunities, and superior skills to get ahead. And that’s where we come in. JANO HERBOSCH: I came to the Drama League in 1992 as a member. The people who were in the theater were interested in the fact that I was a theatergoer, so they asked me if I’d like to be a “nominator.” We go to see about 200 shows, all the Broadway and off-Broadway shows. We’re a group of about 30 and about six of us go to each show. I was asked to join the board of directors and, about a decade ago, I was asked to consider running for president, So, I did—and I’m still here! It’s such a hardworking, educated board. Q: What about the Drama League has resonated with you and your interests? STAN PONTE: The first thing that makes it the foremost of its kind is the fact that it’s the oldest of its kind. We celebrated our centennial in 2016—which, as an arts organization, is basically unheard of. It has this rich history of being started in the early 1900s as this group of doyennes who wanted to support the theater during tough economic times, so they would create groups and go to shows. It was a “league,” a group of people who were truly interested in the same thing and involved. And that has been going on for 100 years. Our membership has grown dramatically, which has been wonderful. In general, the health of

the organization has thrived since I’ve been involved—especially since the Drama League moved into this new space in TriBeCa that gives them a small theater and creates opportunities. We’re a hundred years old, but we’ve really been growing and it has more vitality. It’s a really exciting place. GABRIEL STELIAN-SHANKS: It’s not getting easier for artists—it’s getting harder. The need for the Drama League is only increasing. All of our programs are poised for expansion and growth and we’re really thrilled that there’s a community that sees the arts as important, especially in New York City, because this is the home of professional theater on the planet. It’s really necessary that this city continue to reinvigorate professional theater with young, successful talent. As we continue into the 21st century, we’re seeing a lot of trends in theater that’s are non-traditional. There is theater that is devised where there may be no playwright but, instead, a group of people who are creating the piece. Then, there are hybrid works, like opera-theater or dance-theater, as well as collaborations with different artists. These require different, nontraditional skillsets, so the Drama League has to be a place for visionaries. We need to figure out how these new trends can be supported as we’ve supported theater in the past, so we’re launching a number of new programs this year that aim to do that. Also, one of the most exciting things that’s happened is that PBS is making a documentary about the Drama League for their “Treasures in New York” series. OCTOBER 2016 89

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This page, from above: The Drama League hosts international ensembles to teach skills to actors; Katharine Cornell and Basil Rathbone in the 1935 revival of Romeo and Juliet (Cornell won the firstever Drama League Award for “distinguished performance”); honoree Angela Lansbury at the 2010 gala; Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald perform at the 2012 gala; Drama League supporters Elizabeth Stribling, Debbie Bancroft, Jerry Orbach, CeCe Black, and Pat Follert at the 2003 gala. Opposite page: This year’s invitation to the Drama League’s gala,

Q: What’s so exciting about this year’s gala? STAN PONTE: I’m co-chairing the Drama League’s gala, which is on Monday, November 7, at the Plaza Hotel. We are going to be honoring David Hyde Pierce, which will be exciting because he will be co-starring opposite Bette Midler in this season’s most anticipated revival: Hello, Dolly! It will be a really, really fun night. David Hyde Pierce is talented and beloved. JANO HERBOSCH: Last year’s gala, the centennial, was very special. It was a beautiful evening, and a financial success as well. We celebrated Bernadette Peters and we hid the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus out of view and, when we got to their number, we had them surprise the audience. It worked beautifully it was a magical moment. It sounded like church in some ways, with these glorious voices surrounding us. And poor Bernadette Peters couldn’t speak because she was so touched and moved by it. It’s those kind of moments that separate ours from other galas. u For more information about the Drama League and their gala, please call 212.244.9494 or visit dramaleague.org.

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which will honor David Hyde Pierce at the Plaza Hotel on November 7.

T H E AT E R

OCTOBER 2016 91

MAD’S NEW DIRECTOR

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Jorge Daniel Veneciano was appointed the Nanette L. Laitman Director of the Museum of Arts and Design (inset) in September.

( V E N E C I A N O ) CO U RTE S Y O F T H E M U S E U M O F A RTS A N D D E S I G N

WHEN I ARRIVE at the apartment in downtown New York that Jorge Daniel Veneciano is subletting while the home he shares with his wife, the author and professor Rhonda Garelick, undergoes renovations, he suggests that we go for coffee. Veneciano has recently been appointed director of the Museum of Arts and Design (often referred to as MAD), and he is getting to know the institution and all the people associated with it (he officially begins October 3). But he is also thinking about what he’d like to do there—how he can enhance the museum’s social relevance while remaining true to its tradition and protocols. “One of the things I like to do is enliven an institution,” he tells me. “Make it more desirable to people, to the public. But

G U S TAV L I L I E Q U I S T ( M U S E U M E X T E R I O R ) , J E N N A B A S CO M

BY ALEX TRAVERS

ART

OCTOBER 2016 93

This page: Veneciano stands outside the Museum of Arts and Design, which is about to celebrate its 60th anniversary in November; Rhonda Garelick, Veneciano’s wife and a professor in the department of English and at the Hixson-Lied School of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is also the author of the well-know fashion biography Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History.

also to funders, to collectors who want to invest in an institution they can admire.” As a museum director, he’s interested in the dynamics of an exhibition and how it can be more exploratory, “a journey instead of this passive experience where you parade by objects on a wall [with] a summation about them,” he offers. Then there is his approach to education, a model he calls “The Curious Life.” Like the name suggests, it is designed to teach curiosity. “Not by throwing questions at [people] and expecting them to answer about what they see, but teaching them how to ask their own questions, which become informed by what they see.” Veneciano isn’t vaguely hypothesizing about what works—he already has a proven track record at the Sheldon Museum of Art in Nebraska and at East Harlem’s El Museo del Barrio. In fact, when he started at El Museo, it was only open four days a week, but his creative programming boosted awareness and attendance, allowing the museum to remain open six days a week. “This is the beginning of a new era,” says Michele Cohen, the chair of MAD’s board of trustees who is thrilled to welcome Veneciano to the museum. “His vision will enable us to further connect with our diverse city and visitors.” Veneciano’s path here, to this career and success, has been unique. After college, he worked as a curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, but left to join a doctorial program at Columbia University. “My intention was to become a museum curator with a PhD,” he explains. He avoided studying art history, however, choosing comparative literature as his focus. “I thought there was far more exciting thinking about contemporary art in that area than in art history.” It was during his time 94 QUEST

at Columbia, in 2001, when he met his wife, Rhonda Garelick, a fashion scholar. (In 2014, Garelick published the well-known biography Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History.) Veneciano’s professor, a close friend of Garelick’s, introduced them at a book party at Andrew Solomon’s home. Garelick’s just started teaching a new semester at the University of Nebraska and has a couple of book projects in the works. Over the phone, she tells me that MAD was one of her husband’s favorite museums, long before he was approached for the job. “He opened my eyes to how great it was,” she says. “It offers objects to interact with that are intimate parts of people’s lives: home décor, fashion, jewelry. When you look at them and study them, you get a glimpse into how people all over the world live.” “The museum has been nothing short of magical in its presentations,” confirms Veneciano, and Barbara Tober, the chair emerita and chair of the international council of MAD, is just as enthusiastic about Veneciano's appointment: “[He] brings his own style of leadership, experience, and vision to our already groundbreaking exhibitions and programs." Toward the end of my conversation with Veneciano, he shares another one of his plans for MAD: “I’d like to see a little café somewhere.” At the moment MAD has a restaurant, but he’s keen on the idea of a satellite area where visitors can casually sit and sip espresso. “As you can tell, coffee is important,” he says with a laugh. And not just for its caffeine contents. It’s the social aspect, an activity that stimulates conversation. He clarifies, “Being able to talk about what you see at a museum is important. Art is nothing if not conversational.” u

CO U RTE S Y O F T H E M U S E U M O F A RTS A N D D E S I G N ; A G ATO N S TO R M ( R H O N DA G A R E L I C K )

Opposite page: Interior shots of the Museum of Art and Design, including its in-house restaurant, Robert.

ART

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES

THE “NEW” DOWNTOWN has debuted, enticing the elite of the Upper East Side and Upper West Side with its new developments. Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes—the “new guard” of real estate (and stars of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing”)—are at the helm of this splashy event. These talents have earned their role as the “it” team with Douglas Elliman, the Kings of Downtown who boast an almost bespoke business. Eklund and Gomes established their team in 2007, soon to experience the crash of 2008—an era during which they earned their stripes. Gomes remembers, “The industry has changed drastically since the crash. We still showed up to the office every day and put our suits and ties on. We were the only ones in the office and we were doing a lot of strategizing and planning for T.V. That’s something we thought was going to be different when the market came back to life: We knew it was going to be 96 QUEST

about technology and T.V. and that brokers were going to have a wider influence. These were things we planned to do, and they’re things we’re still doing. This catapulted us to where we are. We wanted to be the first ones running out of the gate to effect the change.” And so they did, with the power of their drive and deliberation. Eklund (a transplant from Sweden) and Gomes (who started his career as a waiter at Balthazar) are, themselves, products of the American Dream. So, it makes sense that they’re helping others realize their own versions—whether at the new 1 Seaport or at the new Tower Residences at The Beekman, both of which are represented by the Eklund Gomes Team. What, perhaps, is most effective about their approach is their ambitious charisma. Their dedication is omnipresent as they invite their clients (and their viewers) into the 24/7 hustle of their lives. Gomes explains, “It’s the whole work/life approach—it’s all encompassing. We share our world. We don’t know where professional ends and personal starts (and vice versa). It’s more efficient. We’re always working, but we’re enjoying ourselves at the same time. We have fun, which was our first rule from when we shook our hands and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ It’s all very organic and, because it’s our life, we’re participating in areas that we’re attracted to. We’re taking our business where we’re interested in going.” And that’s downtown—and the Hamptons, Los Angeles, Miami, and Westchester, where they’re the gatekeepers of the This page: The penthouse of 456 West 19th Street, in Chelsea, is on the market with Douglas Elliman’s Eklund Gomes Team for $10.995 million (above); John Gomes and Fredrik Eklund (below). Opposite page: The Eklund Gomes Team, on the scene.

CO U RTE S Y O F D O U G L A S E LL I M A N

KINGS OF DOWNTOWN

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

next “Gilded Age” Greystone mansions. Plus, it helps that they’re friends, best friends, who thrive on their complementary relationship and constant communication. (They even own second homes with their husbands within 10 minutes of each other in Roxbury, Connecticut.) They consider their sparkle as a team to be so unique that it must have been predestined. Gomes gushes, “We were two souls who collided and met in this small cramped space at the same company, working back to back. We had this instant connection, where we were drawn to each other. And look what happened. I followed my gut and it’s mesmerizing to think that’s how life works.” On the cusp of their 10-year anniversary, it is clear that Eklund and Gomes have demonstrated an aptitude for the industry that is nothing short of revolutionary—and their impact is indelible. Their passion for real estate (especially the realm of new development) is realized with the extent of their network, which starts with designers and developers and ends with a Rolodex of finance and other professionals who can assist their clients with their transactions. Eklund and Gomes have astonished the nation by earning their position as the #1 team at Douglas Elliman in 2013, 2014, and 2015—and, per The Real Deal, as the #1 brokers in New York in 2014 and 2015. These results are because of the role that Eklund and Gomes have embraced. They’re brokers, yes, but that position has evolved—per the proactive initiative of the Eklund Gomes Team—to be grander and more comprehensive. Eklund and Gomes collaborate with developers to market their properties before they’re constructed. They’re trendsetters (like fashion designers) with a talent for predicting the “hot” concepts of the future, from recruiting architects to influencing floor plans. Gomes explains, “We’re designing for people in the future and, ultimately, this effects the way the city’s skyline looks. What’s going to be in demand? People are going to buy these apartments in these buildings that look like whatever we’ve planned, because we’re new development marketing specialists and we will be selling them. We help them come up with the names, like 1 Seaport, so we name these buildings and give them personalities. We believe that every building has a story and our job is to create the story.” Eklund and Gomes have relished the chance to work with established names, including architect Martin Brudnizki (who designed The Beekman as well as Madison Square Park Tower) and architect Thomas Juul-Hansen. But they’re especially excited to discover new talent, like designer Paris Forino. Gomes shares, “We found her a few years ago and now she’s being followed by Architectural Digest and ELLE Décor. I introduced her to our developers and now we’ve done five projects with her, including my own personal apartment. I go home to a dream every day at 150 Charles Street. I go home to a cloud.” Ultimately, there’s a realness, a relevance—and a demonstrated influence—within the DNA of the Eklund Gomes Team. These men are driven and dynamic, and they’ve become the orchestra leaders to this thrilling evolution of downtown. u For more information, contact John Gomes of Douglas Elliman Real Estate’s Eklund Gomes Team (26 West 17th Street) at 212.891.7676 or jgomes@elliman.com.

CALENDAR

OCTOBER

On October 21, the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering will host the opening night of the European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) New York Fall Art Fair at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan. For more information, call 212.639.7972.

The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, New York Chapter will host a lecture by Charles Scribner at the Metropolitan Club Library at 6 p.m. For more information, call 646.794.29.25.

City Harvest’s 22nd Bid Against Hunger will be held at Pier 36 (299 South Street) at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 646.412.0600.

FOR THE GIRLS

ON CARAVAGGIO

FIGHTING HUNGER

The New York Women’s Foundation fall gala will take place at The Plaza at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 914.834.2868.

STRONG VALUES

Lifeline New York’s annual benefit will take place at Le Cirque at noon. For more information, call 212.867.5050.

The New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation will host its annual “Lunch at a Landmark” with honored guest and speaker, Jean Nouvel. For more information, call 212.669.7819. 98 QUEST

On October 5, the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation will host its annual “Lunch at a Landmark” with honored guest and speaker, Jean Nouvel. For information, please call 212.669.7819.

DesignOnLex—a unique uptown shopping event with special promotions stretching from 65th to 75th streets along Lexington Avenue in NYC—will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, call 212.585.1712.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD RICH HISTORY

CALENDAR

tail reception at Max Mara (813 Madison Avenue) at 6:30 p.m. This year, Fountain House will honor filmmaker, director, and writer Paul Dalio. For more information, call 212.874.5457.

A MASKED BALL

On October 24, the New York Youth Symphony will celebrate its annual benefit honoring Leonard Slatkin at the Metropolitan Club at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 212.581.5933.

STRONG SPIRITS

LSA Family Health Service will celebrate its Spirit of East Harlem gala at The Pierre (2 East 61st Street) at 6 p.m. This year, three awards will be presented to individuals and group who embody the spirit of East Harlem. For more information, call 646.672.5220. THANK YOU, MOM

The Mothers of the Year Luncheon will take place at the St. Regis Roof (2 East 55th Street) at 11:45 a.m. This year the keynote speaker will be Tony Porter, co-founder of A Call To Men. For more information, call 212.237.3902.

Park Avenue Armory at 6 p.m. For more information, call 212.639.7972.

KEY POSITIONS

The International Women’s Media Foundation will host its 2016 Courage in Journalism Awards Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street at 11 a.m. For more information, call 212.254.6677.

IMPROVING LIVES

Fountain House Associates Fall Fête will take place at the Racquet and Tennis Club (370 Park Avenue) at 8:30 p.m. There will be a cock-

The Catholic Big Sisters and Big Brothers’ 19th annual October Ball, themed a Venetian Masquerade, will take place at the New York Public Library at 8 p.m. (Guests are encouraged to wear masks, and the event is black-tie.) The ball will also include gourmet culinary vignettes from one of New York’s top caterers and specialty cocktails. The silent auction will feature luxury retail goods, exclusive dining and sporting experiences, spa and vacation packages, and much more. For more information, call 212.475.3191.

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INNOVATION IN CRAFT

The Museum of Art and Design will host its Diamond Jubilee 60th anniversary celebration at Pier Sixty. For more information, call 866.468.7619. HELP AND HEALING

The New York Foundling’s fall gala will take place at Colicchio and

Son’s at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 917.292.9527.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The New York Landmarks Conservancy will host its 23rd Living Landmarks Celebration at 7 p.m. For more information, call 212.995.5260. ECOSYSTEMS

Audubon New York will celebrate its 2016 Keesee Awards luncheon at the Metropolitan Club at 11:30 a.m. For more information, call 518.869.9731.

HEALTHY HEARTS

Hospital for Special Surgery will host its autumn benefit at Guastavino’s at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 917.359.3939.

THE GOOD LIFE

The Carter Burden Center for the Aging will hold its 45th anniversary gala at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at 7 p.m. For more information, call 212.921.9070.

GLAMOROUS GALA

MSKCC will host its Fall Party t the Metropolitan Club at 7 p.m. For more information, call 212.639.2103.

NEW DISCOVERIES

The Outward Bound National Benefit Dinner will be held at Cipriani Wall Street at 6 p.m. For more information, call 718.463.4985. FIESTA, FIESTA!

The Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education’s Fiesta 2016 will take place at The Plaza at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 203.298.4722.

EVOLVING EDUCATION

The Boys’ Club of New York will host its 68th annual Fall Dance at The Pierre at 7 p.m. For more information, call 212.353.2122.

THE ART SCENE

The opening night of the European Fine Art Foundation New York Fall Art Fair will be held at the

On October 13, the Olana Partnership’s Frederic Church Awards Gala will be held at the Metropolitan Club. This year’s honorees will be Washburn and Susan Oberwager. For more information, call 212.838.7400. OCTOBER 2016 99

DOWNTOWN VIEWS PRODUCED BY DANIEL CAPPELLO AND ELIZABETH MEIGHER

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ALLISON ASTON MY HUSBAND, Jay, and I were both born and raised on the Upper East Side. When we started looking at apartments together, we decided to go downtown and try an area away from where we grew up. The Village quickly became home, and we have not been able to leave ever since. Even today, with two children at schools uptown, we find a way to make it all work so we can stay in this charming and very special neighborhood. The Village feels as special today as when we first moved in. There is life to the streets and a boutique feel to the stores. From our apartment, we feel tied to downtown with views through several windows of the Freedom Tower. It’s amazing to be only 15 stories high and see the boats cruising along the Hudson River or the city lights of Hoboken glowing in the distance. Heading further south or inching further west, the street names begin to get more complicated and the buildings appear lower and lower. I love the human scale of the architecture down here, and the feel of old New York. Even though you are still very much in the heart of New York City, there is a hint of old Europe flowing through the tree-lined streets and smaller avenues. My life here is very much centered around Washington Square Park, which is within a few blocks from our home. The park breathes with history, but there’s a real sense of youth and the future everywhere. It’s all about the N.Y.U. students who treat this park as their backyard—their campus quad, if you will. Apart from the students, there are various entertainers, artists, and musicians who are constantly calling. People who come to visit, be they out-of-town guests or even friends from uptown, sometimes ask me what they need to do in the Village. With a full work schedule, sadly my “ideal” day at home is not as frequent as I would like it to be, but I do manage

to get a few days in here and there, for sure! I start with a café au lait at my favorite coffee house, Léna, which is owned by a fellow Belgian, followed by a long walk with my two dogs (here’s a little hint: two times around Washington Square Park is a mile). Next up is shopping along Christopher Street and on to the boutiques of Bleecker Street, the original home to none other than Magnolia Bakery, but you can shop anything from an antique bookstore to Ralph Lauren, Rag & Bone to NARS cosmetics. Lunch at Rosemary’s is a must, with an urban garden on the roof. A favorite for my kids, and for me, is a visit to Amorino for Italian gelato—trust me, it’s worth it! I couldn’t imagine shopping at any drugstore other that C.O. Bigelow. Established in 1838, it is the oldest apothecary in America and the best spot to fill a prescription or locate hard-to-find products from around the world. Later in the day, it’s on to drinks at Margaux, the stylishly laid-back bar at the Marlton Hotel (here’s another hint: if you’re looking for a place to stay, you must check out the Marlton). Then dinner at our favorite kitchen away from home, Il Cantinori. Downtown is home, and we’re very much at peace down here, though, admittedly, uptown does beckon from time to time out of convenience. Still, we are always drawn back to being here and very much enjoy the life we have created. It may not be for forever, but it is most certainly for right now. —Allison Aston Opposite page: Allison Aston in Ralph Lauren Collection’s cashmere gold lamé long-sleeve turtleneck gown and Veronica Beard’s black leather Mission Moto swingback jacket. This page, clockwise from top left: Village streets have a European flair; Christopher Street is a favorite for shopping; the NARS store on Bleecker Street; C.O. Bigelow, Allison’s go-to pharmacy; the Marc Jacobs store in the West Village; Allison and her kids love the gelato at Amorino.

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This page, clockwise from top left: Gillian Hearst Simonds and her husband, Christian Simonds; a former federal office building, The Archive, at 666 Greenwich Street, now houses residential apartments; the roof-deck pool at Soho House; Amy Sacco in the rec room of her newest venture, No. 8. Opposite page: The Ear Inn, New York City’s oldest bar continuously serving alcohol since 1817.

BEFORE HAVING two—soon to be three—children, and moving to the Upper West Side, I used to travel around the city. Somehow I never lived downtown though part of me was always intrigued by the idea. Who knows, though? There is still time. Regardless of where I have lived, there are several buildings around the city that seem to be a right of passage for New Yorkers, and the Archive, at 666 Greenwich Street, is one that comes to mind. From the unique apartments to the gym and grocery store downstairs, it offers comfort and convenience to its tenants. It reminds me of a dormitory mixed with Melrose Place, and I can say with some certainty that if you didn’t live there you, you’ve been there and know at least one person who has called the Archive home. For over 15 years I have been involved with the High Line, and it has been amazing to see it all come to fruition from the first open design calling at Grand Central Station to the unveiling of the third and final section in 2014. The best part is that it has been so embraced by the city and its visitors. What a beautiful way to take advantage of the views of the city and of the Hudson River, and when you exit, you can quickly pop down to the Standard Hotel or any of the other fabulous places that are below and around these elevated tracks. I used to stay up late enjoying evenings filled with dinners and party-hopping, but the night life of my youth—Suite 16, Marquee, Bungalow 8, and countless other spots—has transitioned to fewer and earlier evenings on the town. Occasionally I will still sneak out to see Amy Sacco and No. 8, but I have been able to stay on a more regular rotation with a few other tried-and-true staples. I still enjoy evenings in the library 102 QUEST

or on the roof of the Soho House, a fabulous location that feels like a second home. It’s a great place to meet, catch up, or grab a meal. Nobu Tribeca still has a strong pull for me. I have never turned down a chance to savor anything that Nobu creates, but if you really want to indulge, look into the new Omakase evenings once a month on Monday for only eight guests. Omakase translates to “from the heart,” and this amazing and intimate experience with the highly talented chef adds a new twist at my favorite haunt. This one-of-a-kind evening allows you to experience the culinary offerings of Nobu like never before. For a fun group spot and some fabulous Mexican food, I recommend sipping a brilliantly colored frozen prickly pear margarita at Toloache Thompson, by Chef Medina, and ordering anything from the menu, though some of my favorites are the truffle quesadilla, Hamachi ceviche, and fried Brussels sprouts. I have been frequenting Toloache 50 in midtown for years and the downtown location opened in 2013. You cannot go wrong at this restaurant! Finally, I’ve always enjoyed grabbing a table, a burger, and a beer at the Ear Inn (326 Spring Street), which is New York City’s oldest bar. It serves fabulous farm-to-table cuisine in a uniquely New York atmosphere. With so many fun, cool, hip, and hidden places downtown, these are just a few of my favorites, but the best part about this city is that new hot spots are opening all the time, adding to the mosaic of the city while never detracting from all the vintage gems that wait to be rediscovered, as if for the first time. —Gillian Hearst Simonds

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N ; DA N NY G H I T I S F O R T H E N E W Y O R K T I M E S

GILLIAN HEARST SIMONDS

NOHO HAS BECOME one of the chicest bohemian neighborhoods in New York City. It combines fashion, restaurants, art, beauty, spas, athletics, hotels, smoothies, plays, and cocktails. I have lived at 40 Bond, 263 Bowery, and 2 Cooper Square, and have loved all three NoHo streets. In addition to incredible fashion, NoHo is home to a slew of unique stores such as Screaming Mimi’s, A.P.C., Rag & Bone, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Billy Reid, Intermix, and the forthcoming Lululemon Lab. As for go-to restaurants, there are so many options, but my favorites include Gemma, Indochine, Lafayette, Il Buco, Sant Ambroeus, NoHo Star (where I eat lunch with artists), The Smile, Bohemian (top-notch secret sushi restaurant on Great Jones), BONDST (also for sushi), Vic’s, and Asia de Cuba. I have always felt at home among art and artists. Blick Art store is a terrific spot for artists to get paints, easels, and colored pencils. I also spend time at the artist Chuck Close’s office, where he creates his legendary photographic pieces modeled on the likes of President Barak Obama, George Clooney, and Cindy Sherman. I also frequent the New Museum; the Bowery Mural (a graffiti wall that is the epicenter of the New York City graffiti world, made famous in the ’80s by Keith Haring); The Hole (a fantastic gallery for current art-scene shows); Bashwood 104 QUEST

Books on Bond, which offers rare art-photography books; and the Soho Contemporary Art gallery on Bowery, which sells vintage photographs of historical figures like J.F.K. and Marilyn Monroe as well as paintings by luminaries like James Rosenquist and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Great Jones Spa is one of the most brilliant spas I have ever visited—think facials, massages, energy work, water lounge, saunas, and a juice bar that creates the most divine custom green juices. Some of my other favorite spots for green juices and smoothies include Pure Green, Liquiteria, Juice Press, Juice Generation, and Bowery Market. For top-notch workouts, don’t miss NoHo SoulCycle, Yoga Vida, CLAY gym, or Mile High Run Club, at 28 East 4th Street—all are phenomenal places to get your body strong, lean, fit, and fierce. As for hotels, Andre Balazs’s The Standard, East Village, at 25 Cooper Square, and the Bowery Hotel on Bond Street are hands-down two of the best hotels in New York City for food, drinks, architecture, events, and restaurants. As for other nighttime endeavors, check out Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, Blue Man Group, and cocktails at Temple Bar, BBar & Grill, ACME, and Madam Geneva. NoHo feels likes its own city within only a very few blocks. It’s ebullient and inspiring, each and every day. —Genevieve Bahrenburg

J U L I E S K A R R AT T ( P O RT R A I T O P P O S I TE )

GENEVIEVE BAHRENBURG

This page: Genevieve Bahrenburg in Ralph Lauren Collection’s fluid dressweight velvet evening dress and tulip-top chandelier earrings. She stands on the roof-deck of her apartment building at 2 Cooper Square, which offers a sweeping view of the Carlos Zapata–designed 25 Cooper Square, home to The Standard, East Village. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Some of Genevieve’s neighborhood favorites include The Public Theater; the Strand bookstore; Gemma, at the Bowery Hotel; and Screaming Mimi’s.

This spread: An installation shot of Elizabeth McIntosh’s Bricks Are Heavy show at CANADA, New

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York, on view through October 23.

NEW YORK’S ART SCENE HEADS DOWNTOWN And we’re helping you find the best shows. 106 QUEST

BY ALEX TRAVERS

CANADA 333 Broome Street; 212.925.4631 Currently at CANADA, you’ll find an exhibition by the Vancouver-based artist Elizabeth McIntosh. Her show, filled with colorful paintings with abstract shapes that often appear figurative, is called Bricks Are Heavy. It’s actually McIntosh’s first solo exhibit in New York. (Her works reside at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.) As you’ll see, McIntosh is an expert at combining her interest in geometry with a personal narrative and elements from historical painting.

A view of Ellen Cantor’s three-channel video installation, titled “Be My Baby” (1999), on view at Foxy Production through October 23.

FOXY PRODUCTION Foxy Production is known for its vibrant, though-provoking exhibitions. On view until October 23 is a video and photography show by Ellen Cantor, an artist who strives to “reveal the hidden nuances of life.” Cantor’s multi-channel video installation “Be My Baby” (1999) comprises three screens of montaged image and sound, including excerpts from independent American cinema, Hollywood, pop music, and documentaries of space exploration. And her photo-collages (1995–1996) consist of multiple snapshots of people filmed in the throes of passion. Don’t miss this one.

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2 E Broadway #200; 212.239.2758

Paulina Peavy’s media on paper.

ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY 212 Bowery; 212.206.9723 Andrew Edlin Gallery’s current exhibition is titled “Paulina Peavy: The Artist Behind the Mask”—on view from September 16–October 30—and it is the artist’s first show with the gallery. The title is taken from a self-produced film released in August 1985 that espouses Peavy’s personal beliefs on the nature of the universe and the existence of particular UFOs with whom she collaborated. The 24-minute film features Peavy’s drawings, paintings, and masks with super-imposed images of ancient statues, airplanes, and other visual effects. Be sure to see what else the gallery has in store this fall. 108 QUEST

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“Untitled” (1984), mixed

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243 Bowery; 212.979.0001 This is artist Lorna Simpson’s third solo exhibition at Salon 94 Bowery, an impressive downtown gallery located a stone’s throw away from the New Museum. On view until October 22, Simpson’s paintings and mixed-media works combine printed photographs, ink, and acrylic on multi-paneled clapboard to make monumental and midsize work. Simpson’s painting practice has its roots in a series of photographic collages culled from vintage Associated Press photographs from the late ’30s through the ’70s, as well as from the pages of Ebony and JET magazines of the same era.

An installation shot of Lorna Simpson’s solo exhibition at Salon 94 Bowery.

An installation view of Heliotropes, a group show that was curated by Matthew Nichols; Ayse Wilson’s “Duck” (far left).

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GEARY CONTEMPORARY 185 Varick Street; 347.901.9197 On view at Geary Contemporary through October 8 is a solo show by artist Vadis Turner titled Burn Piles and Bells. Turner, a Nashville native, uses many materials in her new work, including acrylic resin, breast milk, charred sticks, and ash along with her former use of textiles. The artist’s exhibition at Geary Contemporary celebrates the feminine and the maternal through a simultaneous deconstruction and rebirth of the pregnant bell form. By weaving together materials typically germane to the decorative world of the home, Turner channels a character on the edge, standing before the flames, ready to welcome something new into the world. OCTOBER 2016 109

Artist Susan Derges’ 25 Years (1991–2016) at Danziger Gallery is one of the great retrospectives to see this season. From her 1991 series The Observer and The Observed to her current work creating images based on the teeming life of rock pools, most of Derges’ work has revolved around the creation of visual metaphors that explore the relationship between the self and nature or the imagined and the real. She endeavors to capture invisible scientific and natural processes: the physical appearance of sound vibration, the evolution of frogspawn, the cycles of the moon. The results are fantastic. “Master Tide Pool” (left); an installation view of Susan Derges’ 25 Years (right).

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DANZIGER GALLERY / 95 Rivington Street; 212.629.6778

Simon Preston Gallery (left); Jessica Mein’s “desvio cinco” (2016), part of the artist’s DESVIOS

SIMON PRESTON GALLERY 301 Broome Street; 212.431.1105 Located on the Lower East Side in New York, Simon Preston Gallery opened in March of 2008. The gallery’s program presents exploratory and challenging work by both emerging and established international artists. The presentation of ambitious exhibitions, in a flexible and spontaneous context, remains the integral focus of the gallery. Simon Preston has participated in major art fairs internationally, including Frieze Art Fair in London and New York, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Hong Kong, Artissima, and The Armory Show. Its current exhibition by artist Jessica Mein is titled DESVIOS and is on view until October 30. 110 QUEST

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exhibition (right).

Two artworks from McGough and McDermott’s Velvet Rage, Flaming Youth, and the Gift of Desperation: “Walhalla Hall (Fairies, Women, and Boys)” (above); “The Pink Cell” (below).

JAMES FUENTES GALLERY

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55 Delancey Street; 212.577.1201 Creating work as a collective since meeting in the East Village in 1980, David McDermott (1952, Hollywood, California) and Peter McGough (1958, Syracuse, New York) investigate subjects of homophobia and the politics of nostalgia. Recognized for their multidisciplinary practice, their work is projected through the lens of an anachronistic immersion into Victorian lifestyle. Focusing strictly within the period of the late 19th century to the 1930s, the two existed within the confines of these decades stylistically, fashionably, and technologically. They resided in a personalized home without electricity or plumbing in Alphabet City, and fashioned themselves as Victorian dandies, wearing top hats, cutaway suits, and detachable collars. OCTOBER 2016 111

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DINNER DOWNTOWN BY ALEX HITZ

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EVERYONE COOL lives downtown, and everything cool happens downtown—and downtowners rarely come uptown because everything is so much cooler downtown. And vice-versa. Let’s just say, I don’t go downtown that often without significant hue and cry because I live on the Upper East Side and have now for more than 20 years—and it’s a long way off for being such a short way off. Plus, I admit to being one of the un-coolest people I know. Am I missing everything cool? Perhaps. And perhaps not. You tell me. When a friend offers an adventure, a change, or even a suggestion as benign as, “Let’s do something different for dinner,” more often than not, I have a full-blown anxiety attack. It’s not to say I don’t go—I do, more often than I’d like—but what a lot of trouble it all seems. A 45-minute cab ride EACH WAY—$80–100 in round-trip fares—before I’ve bought the first glass of wine or dinner is, to me, excessive. And being treated like an infrequenter, l’inconnu in places that thrive on les connus—see note on cool people above—even if the food is superb, frankly, doesn’t make me want to sign up for Opposite: Balthazar, Keith McNally’s landmark restaurant on Spring Street in SoHo, has been bustling since the day it first opened in 1997. Above: At Ilili in the Flatiron District, it’s all about cold and hot Lebanese mezza and main plates. OCTOBER 2016 113

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look of it, for openers, is magical and buzzy, glamorous, a through-composed symphony—with superb lighting and tons of warm wood paneling and mirrors. The “inspired Mediterranean cuisine” they boast of is truly superb: bold in flavor, appeal, and timelessness, and fun to be shared with the table. One feels welcome and comfortable at Ilili even though it’s a large restaurant and could be, in the hands of a less adept design and culinary team, unwieldy. Carbone, an Italian-American restaurant all the way down on Thompson Street, is at once clean and modern with its dark and stylish interior but like stepping in time to a joint in Vegas circa 1960, with a menu that Frank and Sammy and Dean would have loved: Baked Clams, Lobster Fra Diavolo, Ribeye Diana, and Veal Marsala. It’s small and cozy and super-expensive but the quality is there. More daunting than the prices are the portions, but it’s so delicious you’ll wish you could eat all of it. If you’re serious about dining downtown, Keith McNally is a name you should know. In 1997 he debuted Balthazar, an open-all-day authentic French brasserie with onion-soup-andsteak-frites fare served in a tiled and glittering salon, which is almost as challenging to get a table at today as it was from the start. Another of Keith’s ventures is Minetta Tavern—a ’40s haunt of Hemingway, Dylan Thomas, and this writer’s stepfather, Robert Shaw—which McNally reimagined as a grill and chop house non-pareil. It’s simple, unassuming, and cozy, but don’t be fooled by its simplicity: Minetta Tavern is an American

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this kind of activity all that often. It’s not even an option to me during the holidays, when the travel times already cited become a fraction of the whole—and, as for the solutions of convenience that are Uber, Via, and Lyft, even they aren’t immune from that wrong location, that surprise storm, that sudden harrowing blast of wind or snow. Call me a wussy if you’d like, but I’m just not the guy who likes to suffer. I wouldn’t say I’m unadventurous—I spend most of my life on the road—but the seduction of a “spectacular” evening downtown falls flat on me nearly every time because rarely, even super-rarely, does it ever fulfill its promise. Having disclaimed all that, after all these years, there are still some classic and wonderful places that are exceptions to my premise, and my defaults whenever I’m pressed to make the trek. Downtown experts beware! Don’t roll your eyes and scoff at my convention because by no means do I suggest that these are the cutting-edgest-bestest-nextest-latest-greatest-of-thenewest, ’cause with the exception of Le Coucou, where I haven’t been yet, those probably wouldn’t be my thing in the first place. It’s not a function of age—I’ve always been the same— but I enjoy relaxing comfortably, hearing the conversation of my tablemates, and recognizing what’s offered on a menu and put forth to me. Suffice it to say, I do not want to discuss my food allergies, and I’m not one for dinner from the science fair. Ilili is a splendid Lebanese restaurant with extraordinarily delicious food—and, as a plus to the UESers, it’s in the more-convenient-than-downtown Flatiron District. The

This page, clockwise from top left: Evening hours at Carbone, Alexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pick for Italian-American with Rat Packâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;era flair on Thompson Street; performative tableside preparation at Carbone; the unwaveringly reliable French brasserie menu at Balthazar; exposed brick and art surround you at Da Silvano, down on Avenue of the Americas; warm wood paneling and mirrors make the interior at Ilili in the Flatiron District; leave room for dessert, like flourless chocolate cake, at Balthazar. Opposite page: From arctic char to trout, fresh fish at Ilili is prepared with Lebanese flavoring, including tahini.

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you yourself get played, it’s fair to say you never exactly know who’s playing whom. I choose to write last about Raoul’s, an Alsatian New York instutition in SoHo, because as an adult it was my first downtown restaurant experience. I am certain as an UESer I am not alone because it is legendary. It’s everything a downtown restaurant should be: dark, mysterious, its very walls marinated with life. The bistro menu is simple and good but it’s the place that gets you. The magnetism and romance pulls you from whatever day you’ve had, in whatever traffic you’ve endured to get there, and invites you to relax, to enjoy. Take note: there’s no gluten-free section of this menu and never will be. For one reason or another, every restaurant on this list is special to me in one way or another—but the permeating lesson here is atmosphere. Experience. In every case, simplicity—a straightforward message, or vision. Uncomplicated quality. There is no trendy gimmick to hide behind in any of these places, and, by the same token, each one is a classic in its own way. As you venture out—through the trouble and consideration that a trip from uptown to downtown will undoubtedly bring—ask yourself what on earth is wrong with having a good experience in a great atmosphere even if the menu doesn’t have kale, quinoa, or kimbachi? To me, absolutely nothing. u

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Chez L’Ami Louis, and, like its Paris counterpart, the food and clientele are formidable and powerful. And so’s the wine. It would be irresponsible of me to write about downtown restaurants without mentioning Graydon Carter and The Waverly Inn, the one I like the best of his restaurants. Another New York institution, The Waverly Inn is a speakeasy and super-exclusive in its reservation-granting. Rumor has it there’s a list, and if you’re not on it when you try, forget it. The food is plain and well-prepared, and while not extroardinary or inspired, the atmosphere is so inviting and charming it almost doesn’t matter. This is a gin joint from the ’20s and not to be missed. I love Il Cantinori for many reasons—not the least of which is that when the weather’s right, you can sit outside. The Northern Italian fare is passable, but the scene is super-charming, warm, and inviting. And its waiters know the regulars and have been there for years. The maître d’, when given a name that he may or may not know, always replies, “Of course,” and it’s a really wonderful favorite of mine that I enjoy every time I go. Dinner at Il Cantinori is simply a great evening. Da Silvano is a really fun Italian joint with delicious simple food and a cozy atmosphere. The only trouble about the restaurant is that for years, as rumor has it, members of the staff would call in scandalous stories to Page Six about its guests. Then again, maybe guests wanted it that way. Until

This page, clockwise from top left: The charm of West Village streets greets you at Graydon Carter’s Waverly Inn, which feels like a step back to the time of New York speakeasies; the stalwart menu at Minetta Tavern; warm lighting enhances the ambiance at Minetta Tavern; no Italian meal is complete without a good Italian wine, like those on offer at Da Silvano in Greenwich Village; the cozy and inviting atmosphere at Il Cantinori; the walls at Raoul’s in SoHo are “marinated with life,” thanks in special part to the lively artwork that adorns them. Opposite page: The artist Edward Sorel created the spirited murals on the walls of The Waverly Inn.

DOWNTOWN SHOPPING DESTINATIONS BY THE EDITORS

Whether you find yourself in SoHo or at the FiDi’s latest shopping marvel, Brookfield Place, we’ve picked out the hottest retailers to visit downtown. From playful accessories to high-end luxury goods, New York offers the best of the best.

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MULBERRY 134 Spring Street 646.669.8380 / mulberry.com/us Mulberry has been making leather goods in Somerset, England, since 1971. In fact, it all started at a kitchen table, where the brand’s founder, Roger Saul, made the first Mulberry leather belts. But the brand has evolved over the decades, opening one factory and then a second. Mulberry’s two British factories are called The Rookery, based in Chilcompton, and The Willows, in nearby Bridgwater. The Rookery was opened in 1989 with 100 employees, and was named after the rooks’ nests in the surrounding buildings. The Willows opened in 2013, named after the nearby Willow Man sculpture and the area’s history of willow basket making. You can shop all of Mulberry’s accessories at its SoHo location.

RALPH LAUREN 109 Prince Street 212.625.1660 / ralphlauren.com Here’s a store in SoHo that you won’t want to miss. Boasting a towering entrance that leads to one of New York’s most impressive selection of quality products, this retail wonder welcomes you to the world of Ralph Lauren. New Yorkers flock here to outfit themselves in the latest offerings from America’s favorite designer. From short-sleeved polos for the golf and tennis courts to elegant evening wear for nights on the town, you’ll find it all at this beautiful boutique. For fall, look out for great double-breasted blazers and embroidered gowns. What began over 40 years ago with a collection of ties has grown into an entire world, redefining American style.

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE DOWNTOWN

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203 Vesey Street 212.978.1698 / saksfifthavenue.com He’s the man who created the million-dollar shoe. But that’s just one of Stuart Weitzman’s many achievements. After 30 years of designing footwear and being honored with a lifetime achievement award by Footwear News, it’s no wonder Stuart Weitzman is embraced by the shoppers of New York. From flats to pumps to wedges, the brand is known for breathing new life into classic looks. So if you find yourself at the new Brookfield Place, be sure to stop by Saks, a showcase for several Stuart Weitzman and for the very best designer handbags, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, and gifts the world has to offer. OCTOBER 2016 119

ACNE STUDIOS 33 Greene Street 212.334.8345 / acnestudios.com Acne Studios is a Stockholm-based fashion house with a multidisciplinary approach. Through founder and creative director Jonny Johansson’s interest in photography, art, architecture, and contemporary culture, the brand carved an alternative fashion path, turning Acne Studios into a well-respected creator of ready-towear clothing, magazines, furniture, books, and artistic exhibitions. The collections are defined by Johansson’s attention to detail, with an emphasis on tailoring and an eclectic use of materials and custom-developed fabrics.

J. PRESS 304 Bleecker Street 212.255.6151 / jpressonline.com J. Press began on the grounds of Yale University over 100 years ago and has been a fixture of the campus ever since. When the company started making its first pieces of clothing, founder Jacobi Press believed in quality above all else. It’s a belief that earned him the esteem of U.S. Presidents, statesmen, scholars, and captains of industry who selected J. Press items for their wardrobe. Today, like their fathers and grandfathers before them, gentlemen step into J. Press stores to be expertly fitted in hand-crafted clothing that holds true to a Classic American ideal yet remains well suited to their contemporary lifestyles. The brand’s New York location is a real joy to browse.

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO 200 Vesey Street, Space 114 212.267.2720 / ferragamo.com Salvatore Ferragamo dedicated his life to crafting the perfect shoe. When he studied human anatomy in the United States, he spent time examining the distribution of the body’s weight over the joints of the foot. “I discovered,” he wrote, “that the weight of our bodies when we are standing erect drops straight down on the arch of the foot. I constructed my revolutionary lasts, which supporting the arch.” Ferragamo is now in its third generation. Today, footwear remains the brand’s core business, but also be sure to stop by the Brookfield location and see all they clothing and accessories they have in store.

LOUIS VUITTON 116 Greene Street 212.274.9090 / us.louisvuitton.co In 1837, a 16-year-old Louis Vuitton arrived in Paris and started apprenticing for Monsieur Maréchal, a successful box-maker. At the time horse-drawn carriages, boats, and trains were the main modes of transportation. Baggage was handled roughly. Travelers called upon craftsmen to pack and protect their individual objects. Vuitton quickly became a valued craftsman at the Parisian atelier of Monsieur Maréchal. These were the roots of his highly specialized trade, the beginning of his career in an industry that called upon skills to design boxes and, later, trunks according to clients’ wishes. Today, Louis Vuitton still upholds the same high standards of craftsmanship across its ready-to-wear and accessory platforms.

LACOSTE 98 Greenwich Avenue 203.422.0180 / lacoste.com There are many reasons to visit Lacoste’s SoHo boutique: stock up on the brand’s classic piqué polos, test the latest fragrances, check out items from the latest runway collection, try on some new shoes. But alternatively—if faced, say, with a sudden urge to take a trip to the country—you can also find great outerwear (for men and women), along with a colorful selection of bags to pack everything you may want to bring along for your trip. And if you need a pair of sunglasses (the new ones even float) for any occasion this fall, Lacoste has you covered. The brand’s primary goal is to be the leader in the premium casual wear market, but they also produce excellent sportswear, partnering with several elite athletes around the globe. In 2014, Lacoste even started working on a few film projects, which have received international film awards.

OPENING CEREMONY

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35 Howard Street 212.219.2688 / openingceremony.com Opening Ceremony was founded in 2002 by two college friends, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, as a place to share their passions for travel, art, and fashion. Inspired by a trip to Hong Kong, the two decided to leave their jobs in corporate fashion to realize their unique dream. What began as a single store on a quiet street in downtown New York is now a global community with outposts in New York and Los Angeles, a department store in Tokyo, a wholesale showroom, an inhouse clothing line, a blog, and an e-commerce site. Taking its name and mission statement from the modern Olympic Games, founded by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, Opening Ceremony adopts a multinational approach to retail.

KIRNA ZABÊTE 477 Broome Street 212.9411.9656 / kirnazabete.com Kirna Zabête is an essential fashion destination in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood and is shopped globally at kirnazabete.com. Founded by two best friends in 1999, Kirna Zabête is currently owned by Beth Buccini who perosnally selects each item sold at the boutique with the intention of impressing every client who walks through the door. Through Buccini’s smart selections, Kirna Zabête offers one of the best edit of the most exciting designers of today and tomorrow in a warm and welcoming environemnt. Kirna Zabête’s designer boutique has been described as a “pop art-bedazzled, light-hearted shrine to everything that is fun about fashion. Drop in and and see for yourself.

LULULEMON 250 Vesey Street, Space 115 212.786.0315 / lululemon.com Athletic wear is everywhere, and Lululemon—with its vast selection of tops, yoga pants, swimsuits, accessories, and “gear to sweat in”—has helped pioneer the movement. Grab outfits for the gym, for a workout class, for a long run...or even for just running errands. This stuff is the best, and it lasts. Doesn’t shrink. Doesn’t crinkle. Plus, it’s super comfortable. Offering clothing and accessories for both sexes, Lululemon prides itself on garment construction. Most pants and tops, for example, feature hidden pockets so your phone doesn’t hobble around or fall out. Some jackets even have little cuffs to keep your hands warm, in case you’re out on a cool night. Stop by the brand’s new location in Brookfield Place to see what’s in store.

GUCCI

Influential, innovative and progressive, Gucci is reinventing a wholly modern approach to fashion and accessories. Under the new vision of creative director Alessandro Michele, the house has redefined luxury for the 21st century, further reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most desirable fashion houses. Eclectic, contemporary, romantic—Gucci products represent the pinnacle of Italian craftsmanship and are unsurpassed for their quality and attention to detail. And the recently opened Gucci boutique in Brookfield Place offers a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. 122 QUEST

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200 Vesey St, Space 119 212.634.8500 / gucci.com

WARBY PARKER 121 Greene Street 646.568.3720 / warbyparker.com Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. Buying glasses should be easy and fun. Warby Parker belives that the experince should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your pocket. They also believe that everyone has the right to see. According to their data, almost one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses. Which means that 15 percent of the world’s population cannot effectively learn or work. To help address this problem, Warby Parker partners with non-profits like VisionSpring to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

JOHN VARVATOS 315 Bowery 212.358.0315/ johnvarvatos.com John Varvatos founded his eponymous company in 1999. Previously, Varvatos had been the head of menswear design at Calvin Klein as well as the head of menswear design for all Polo Ralph Lauren brands, where he was responsible for the creation of the Polo Jeans Company. His debut clothing line was launched in early 2000—a “black-less collection” in which Varvatos went against the popular fashion trends of the time. The success of his first ready-to-wear line helped Varvatos win the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Perry Ellis Newcomer Award for Menswear. The well-known John Varvatos boutique on the Bowery, which used to be the CBGB nightclub, is one of New York’s most exciting retail destinations.

MONCLER

PHU CO OTO RTECSRYEO D FI TRGEO SE PS E CHTEI V RE BRANDS

90 Prince Street 646.350.3620 / moncler.com Founded in 1952 in Monestier-de-Clermont, France, Moncler’s headquarters are now located in Italy. Over the course of the years, the brand has merged style with technological research, harnessing the knowledge of mountaineering experts. Moncler collections combine extreme needs with day-to-day city life. Beginning in 2003, when Remo Ruffini entered in the Group, a process of repositioning of the brand was initiated. Now, Moncler products take on a more distinctive and exclusive aspect. Moncler’s flexible business model is geared toward having direct control of the phases of production that add the greatest value, putting the pursuit of quality at the heart of all its work.

“But for my money,” says Wylie, “you could give the Lettres galants to your maiden aunt (assuming she reads French because that’s the only way they come) without fear of causing offense. The promise of doing it on paper is largely unfulfilled in my view. Oh yes, there is a sug-

A SCHOOL’S GLOBAL VISION

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is proving to be one of the best ways to prepare students for college and, more importantly, a well-rounded life outside the classroom. And so once these facilities can be realized (campuses in China, India, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Pacific Rim), Avenues—which just graduated its first senior class in June— will be at the forefront of changing the standard of education. “As we prepare to open a new state-of-the-art ‘Early Learning Center and Co. Lab’ facility on West 26th Street in Fall 2017,” notes Jeff Clark, president and COO of Avenues: The World

AV E N U E S : T H E WO R L D S C H O O L

THE VISIONARY CURRICULUM occupies a unique place in the modern world, as evidenced by the growth of for-profit academic institutions with international campuses. And one school pioneering the way students experience learning in a global setting is Avenues: The World School, which opened in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood in Fall 2012. To Avenues, the big picture is about a paradigm shift—the shift to global education, which in the school’s mind should be a given, because teaching and operating outside of a single campus

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This page: Avenues: The World School is located in the heart of New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art gallery district. Opposite page: A video wall

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inside the school.

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This page: Inside Avenues: The World School, located in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. Opposite page: The gym at Avenues, which boasts inspirational quotes, like Wayne Gretzky’s: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take”; Grace Church School (inset left); students in class

School, “we also continue to work diligently on expanding Avenues’ global footprint in multiple cities around the world including São Paulo, as well as in China. We have made positive progress to date and look forward to officially announcing specific planned openings at the appropriate time.” Thirty years from now, Avenues predicts there will be numerous institutions following this global education model. One advantage of a system of schools (versus a single-site school) is that certain core competencies can be built up at a system level 126 QUEST

that would be economically difficult—impossible, even—for a single school to develop. The school especially encourages its teachers to spend a year overseas working at another Avenues campus, ensuring that each campus is both infused with faculty from abroad and faculty who have worked abroad. For students, time spent in other countries, learning languages and absorbing the culture, is invaluable. Avenues’ stated mission is to “graduate students who are accomplished in the academic skills one would expect, at ease beyond their borders.” It adds a few more specifics, but stresses the importance of living lives that “transcend the ordinary.” It’s also a great fit for families who’ve made downtown New York their home. “Avenues is proud to be an active part of the vibrant Chelsea community,” says Clark. “We are now in our fifth year and I am proud of the progress we have made toward realizing our mission to graduate students who are global citizens at ease beyond their borders while establishing ‘A New School of Thought.’” u

C H R I S CO O P E R ; CO U RTE S Y O F AV E N U E S : T H E WO R L D S C H O O L

at Léman Manhattan (inset right).

ALSO GOING GLOBAL: LÉMAN AND GRACE CHURCH There are, of course, other schools in New York that are grooming their

Group, a U.K.–based research consultancy, suggests there is a way for stu-

students to become global citizens. At Grace Church School, Mandarin IV

dents to increase their chances of admission at top colleges and universities

students won the Gold Medal at the annual N.Y.U. Rock That Movie compe-

like Harvard and Stanford: enroll in the IBDP, an established curriculum that

tition in early May. And at Léman Manhattan, a private school with fantastic

students can begin at the start of their junior year. As a new school, Léman

amenities located in the financial district of New York City, several students

Manhattan sees its dedication to the IBDP as an opportunity. With a diverse

have been enrolling in the school’s International Baccalaureate Diploma

student body and a sustained mission to promote internationalism, Léman

Program. A study published in 2012 by the International Graduate Insight

hopes to teach its students to become outstanding global citizens. OCTOBER 2016 127

R E A L E S TAT E CHELSEA EAST VILLAGE FINANCIAL DISTRICT FLATIRON GREENWICH VILLAGE MEATPACKING SOHO TRIBECA WEST VILLAGE

THE NEW DOWNTOWN PRODUCED BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

Quest invites its brokers—who are as versed in the downtown markets as they are in the uptown markets—to explore the “new” areas that are beckoning to our readers. Here, a chance to tour these properties, with a focus on the best of the New Downtown: FiDi and TriBeCa.

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MELISSA ZIWESLIN Managing Director, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group / corcoransunshine.com

Q: How have downtown real estate opportunities changed in the past few years? A: The downtown luxury market has roared to life and has definitely become a destination for purchasers looking for views, high design, and services. The rise of the ultra-luxury tower has offered buyers the opportunity to live in soaring towers with incredible amenities and views that rival those in prime midtown—for the first time ever. Q: What differences do you find in the types of people looking to buy downtown nowadays versus 20 years ago? A: Historically, buyers seeking the convenience of a full-service lifestyle were shopping uptown. That has completely changed in the past few years, and it is especially apparent with the opening of great new retail and restaurants downtown. At 30 Park Place, Four Seasons Private Residences New York Downtown, residents have access to exclusive amenities and the white-glove service

of Four Seasons. Plus, a meal at Wolfgang Puck’s CUT restaurant is just an elevator ride away! Q: What makes the area an attractive place to buy for couples and new families? A: With new shops, restaurants, schools, and green spaces, downtown has become the most desired and fastest growing residential neighborhood in Manhattan. With the arrival of Saks Fifth Avenue, Eataly, and the shops at Westfield World Trade Center and Brookfield Place, the neighborhood supports the demands of a broad audience of luxury buyers, all with different needs. It is drawing people from across the city and across the globe, who now consider it a first-choice destination. Q: Is there any listing you would like to mention? A: The completion of 30 Park Place, Four Seasons Private Residences New York Downtown, is a major celebratory milestone for downtown Manhattan. With more than 75 percent of the 157 residences sold and the first residents moving in, 30 Park Place is now marketing the Penthouse Residences. This includes a collection of 11 half-floor and full-floor homes, starting on the 75th floor—all with outdoor space and truly spectacular views. Two model residences by internationally renowned interior designers will be launched in the fall to celebrate the dramatic views from these elegant homes.

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30 Park Place, Four Seasons Private Residences New York Downtown, in TriBeCa.

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F L AT I R O N F L AT I R O N F L AT I R O N F L AT I R O N

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MARA FLASH BLUM Sotheby's International Realty / 212.431.2447 / maraflash.blum@sothebyshomes.com

Q: How have downtown real estate opportunities changed in the past two decades? A: Twenty years ago, buyers searching for more space, lofts, and non-traditional floor plans such as duplexes and triplexes came downtown to explore their options. The excitement began when top chefs Bobby Flay and Danny Meyer ushered in the gentrification of downtown. In the early 2000s, Upper East Siders explored their real estate options and discovered value in the downtown market in comparison to the Fifth Avenue/Park Avenue corridor. When Starchitects Richard Meier, Gywathmey Siegel, Philip Johnson, and Jean Nouvel put their imaginations to work in downtown's most coveted neighborhoods, it opened the door to what we see today in NoHo, SoHo, West Village, Flatiron, Chelsea, and TriBeCa. This, ultimately, changed the landscape and the types of people who live in these neighborhoods from artists, writers, actors, poets, educators, and liberals to bankers, entrepreneurs, techies, and foreign buyers.

Q: What makes the area an attractive place to buy for couples and new families? A: Downtowners can walk between neighborhoods and experience a diversity of cultures from Little India, Little Italy, and Chinatown to the Lower East Side. There is a certain energy about downtown that doesn’t exist uptown. It emanates from Washington Square Park and moves down to TriBeCa and up north to Madison Square Park and the iconic Eataly.

140 Fifth Avenue on "Lower Fifth" in Flatiron.

Q: Is there any listing you would like to mention? A: I'm very excited to be offering two large, full-floor, corner lofts on Fifth Avenue in prime Flatiron: 140 Fifth Avenue (which boasts 24 windows, high ceilings, and spans 160 feet,was home to a renowned artist) and 142 Fifth Avenue (a south/east-facing 2,700-square-foot loft with 14 windows, exposed brick walls, and a chef's kitchen). Both are fabulous downtown finds at great prices.

CO U RTE S Y O F S OT H E BY ' S I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E A LT Y

Q: What’s the most surprising thing about downtown Manhattan real estate? Why? A: The most surprising change is the revitalization of West Chelsea, which began in the early 2000s as artists left SoHo for bargain prices. West Chelsea expands now to the West 30s with a walk along the Highline. It is one of the most charming and exciting neighborhoods to live in, with proximity to Chelsea Piers and the waterfront bike path. What is surprising is how this neighborhood (once home to parking lots, car washes, and after-dark clubs, touted as the “ugly duckling” neighborhood) has become a beautiful swan on the Chelsea’s waterfront. What you see is visually spectacular with breathtaking buildings—modern sculptures created by the architects of today.

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WEST VILLAGE WEST VILLAGE WEST VILLAGE

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MARY ELLEN CASHMAN Stribling & Associates / 646.613.2616 / mcashman@stribling.com

Q: How have downtown real estate opportunities changed in the past few years? A: There is much more variety in terms of inventory these days. I have been selling residential real estate in downtown Manhattan since the mid-1980s, when condominiums were a rare commodity in the city. One of the first condo conversions I worked on was the Silk Building, which was a mixed-use condo with Tower Records and Island Records as the anchor tenants. That conversion changed the streetscape of lower Broadway. Today, all new development is condo, which is more attractive to an international or pied-à-terre buyer

tate. Some of the most desirable public and private schools are downtown now: Avenues was a game changer and Léman Manhattan is the first boarding school in the city.

Q: What differences do you find in the types of people looking to buy downtown nowadays versus 20 years ago? A: Downtown has always had a cool factor that attracted creative people and arts-related organizations looking for large live/work loft spaces. Today, we see a cross section of buyers from all over the world in all lines of work, as well as buyers who have lived uptown most of their lives and are now empty nesters wanting to have a different New York experience. In addition to the cool factor, downtown now is home to some of the finest restaurants, shopping, galleries, and museums in the city.

Q: Is there any listing you would like to mention? A: If I were in the market for a home in the range of $10 million, I would buy 160 West 12th Street #96 at the Greenwich Lane. It is the most beautiful home and Greenwich Lane is the new gold standard in residential living.

Q: What’s the most surprising thing about downtown Manhattan real estate? Why? A: Downtown continues to evolve because there has been room to grow. We are finally seeing the realization of the long anticipated evolution of the Financial District, which is being touted as the New Downtown. The explosion of development is attracting an impressive roster of “star-chitects” with notable buildings like the condo conversion of the top of the Woolworth Building and 45 Park Place (a collaboration from Michel Abboud of Soma Architects and Piero Lissoni). Annabelle Selldorf, Raphael Vinoly, and Renzo Piano also have projects in the pipeline.

160 West 12th Street #96 at the Greenwich Lane in the West Village.

CO U RTE S Y O F S T R I B L I N G & A S S O C I AT E S

Q: What makes the area an attractive place to buy for couples and new families? A: Downtown has much to offer families and empty nesters. There has been an explosion in schools, culture, and real es-

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SUSANNE COLUMBIA Corcoran / 212.941.2610 / susanne.columbia@corcoran.com

Q: How have downtown real estate opportunities changed in the past few years? A: The opportunities downtown have increased over the past few years with more extraordinary new developments designed by exceptionally talented, worldclass architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, Shigeru Ban, Annabelle Selldorf, Piet Boon, Zaha Hadid, and Jean Nouvel. These buildings are undeniably alluring for buyers with a desire for amenity-driven, luxury homes with exceptional design—inside and out. The bar has been raised for downtown luxury. Q: What differences do you find in the types of people looking to buy downtown nowadays versus 20 years ago? A: New York City has become much more of a global city where incredibly talented, passionate, and creative people from all over the world come to live, work, and play. So, just as the idea of what it means to be a New Yorker has changed over the past 20 years, so has our diverse clientele. One of the most interesting aspects of what we do is getting to meet and work with incredibly smart and fascinating people—from across the globe and down the block.

people look for in a neighborhood. But things really began to change a decade ago whenWhole Foods came downtown and changed the center of TriBeCa. And they plan on doing it again in the Financial District, with a Whole Foods store on Wall Street! There are incredible cultural venues that never existed before, like the Whitney, the Flea Theater, and (coming soon) the Ronald Perelman center. Q: What’s the most surprising thing about downtown Manhattan real estate? A: What's most surprising is how fast and how far both the Financial District and Battery Park City have come since 2001. These are neighborhoods that weren’t on most buyers’ radar but are now drawing many new buyers seeking value and investment potential. The restaurants are great, the shopping is beyond fabulous, and the lifestyle is still much more relaxed than other neighborhoods. With the opening of Brookfield Place, Westfield World Trade Center, and the highly anticipated Howard Hughes Corporation’s redevelopment of South Street Seaport along with Jean-Georges Vongerichten's 40,000-squre-foot seafood market and restaurant,downtown is more dynamic than ever. 56 Leonard Street #20A in TriBeCa.

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Q: What makes the area an attractive place to buy for couples and new families? A: Downtown has become appealing to people of all ages because of the conveniences that are now available to residents. Years ago, downtown had few conveniences that

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RICHARD ORENSTEIN Halstead Property / 212.381.4248 / rorenstein@halstead.com

Q: How have downtown real estate opportunities changed in the past few years? A: The addition of super highend luxury condominiums, laden with amenities, has widened the audience for downtown properties. Q: What differences do you find in the types of people looking to buy downtown nowadays versus 20 years ago? A: We are seeing an influx of tremendous wealth downtown—both domestic and international—as savvy buyers are demanding full-service amenities in the area. Ultimately, uptown has come downtown.

Q: What’s the most surprising thing about downtown Manhattan real estate? A: The most surprising thing is that buyers used to come downtown to find large spaces for less money. Now, one pays a premium to be downtown. Regardless of world events, New York City real estate—and, particularly, downtown real estate—has continued to appreciate in value. There is a texture and energy down here that has proven hard to resist! Q: Is there any listing you would like to mention? A: I have several listings that capture the unique nature of downtown. One is a 4,000-square-foot loft located in a former lantern manufacturing warehouse in historic TriBeCa—a massive, four-bedroom space offering breathtaking light and views from 22 windows. Also of note is a brilliant 3,250-square-foot, corner, five-bedroom condominium loft at 129 Grand Street in SoHo. 129 Grand Street in SoHo.

CO U RTE S Y O F H A L S T E A D P RO P E RT Y

Q: What makes the area an attractive place to buy for couples and new families? A: There are many neighborhoods downtown with each offering a distinct personality. Single professionals and couples are drawn to the vibrant energy and lifestyle associated with downtown, including: great restaurants, amazing shopping, galleries, the Highline, and the Meatpacking District. Families are drawn to large-scale condominium “lofts” with four or more bedrooms in quiet neighborhoods such as TriBeCa and the West Village, whose close proximity to the multi-recreational Hudson River Park is an added bonus. Empty nesters are flocking downtown from uptown—or back from the

toniest of suburbs—to enjoy the spirit and dynamism that downtown has to offer. Foreigners, too, are investing in upscale condominiums as pied-à-terres or as an opportunity to expand their real estate portfolios.

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CLAUDIA & MARK FROMM (TOWN RESIDENTIAL) Claudia: 646.790.7954 / claudia@townresidential.com; Mark: 646.998.7487 / markdavid@townresidential.com

Q: How have downtown real estate opportunities changed in the past few years? A: There are more and more larger apartments coming to market as families decide to stay in the city to raise their children as opposed to heading to the suburbs. The truth is that new developments have positively transformed the landscape and provided tremendous options in prime areas like West Chelsea, Hudson Yards, and the Lower East Side. Q: What differences do you find in the types of people looking to buy downtown nowadays versus 20 years ago? A: Twenty years ago, areas like TriBeCa or West Chelsea were not the destinations that they are now. Downtown attracts a wide range of buyers—extending from families with children of different ages to empty nesters, and local to international buyers—who are inspired by the energy and dramatic views of these flourishing areas.

Trade Center. And then, there is the ultimate amenity of space: you can always get more square footage in loft buildings downtown versus uptown. Q: What’s the most surprising thing about downtown Manhattan real estate? Why? A: One of the most surprising things that we have seen is a marked increase in real estate value west of 10th Avenue, which is primarily credited to the opening of Avenues. Q: Is there any listing you would like to mention? A: We are really excited about 46 Laight Street, a beautiful 5,200-square-foot triplex that offers luxury, townhouse-like living within the comfort of a doorman building. 46 Laight Street in TriBeCa.

CO U RTE S Y O F TO W N R E S I D E N T I A L

Q: What makes the area an attractive place to buy for couples and new families? A: Downtown has attracted more families due, in part, to private schools like Avenues and Léman Manhattan and the new public schools like 75 Morton. The area is also more convenient than ever, with prime dining from celebrated chefs and flagship retail—not to mention Westfield World

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STAN PONTE Sotheby's International Realty / 212.606.4109 / stan.ponte@sothebyshomes.com / stanponte.com

Q: How have downtown real estate opportunities changed in the past few years? A: I started my career in the downtown market nearly 20 years ago and, over these past three to five years, the changes and growth have been nothing short of extraordinary. In addition to an increase in apartment, townhouse, and loft inventory, entire new neighborhoods have emerged. NoMad, the Highline, Flatiron, and now Hudson Yards have all attracted the most talented architects in the world! And, as we speak, the Financial District has emerged as what many are calling the New Downtown. What was once primarily office space has now been transformed with the recent opening of both Westfield World Trade Center and Brookfield Place, which offer a retail environment equal to Madison Avenue. World-class chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Tom Collichio are both opening restaurants and joining the ranks of Nobu, Tribeca Grill, and Jungsik (one of the best Korean dining experiences that I've ever had). Even the Woolworth Building—one of our city's most historic and beloved towers—is undergoing a transformation, converting her top 28 floors into 33

exclusive, ultra luxury condominiums designed by famed architect and designer Thierry W Despont and developed by Alchemy Properties. Q: What differences do you find in the types of people looking to buy downtown nowadays versus 20 years ago? A: Twenty years ago, moving downtown was considered cutting-edge but, today, it is the place to be! The opening of the Avenues school and the Google Building as well as the move of Condé Nast to One World Trade Center have all combined to attract the best and the brightest to search for a new home south of 42nd Street. Q: What makes the area an attractive place to buy for couples and new families? A: Empty nesters in particular have been flocking to downtown as they move back to the city from around the tri-state area. These buyers want to live life to its fullest and are attracted by the vibrant restaurant scene and culture. Q: Is there any listing you would like to mention? A: Yes, I would like to extend an invitation to any of Quest’s readers who are interested in joining me me for a tour of the Woolworth Tower Residences. I can guarantee that they will not be disappointed and they may just find themselves joining the migration to “Downtown Living.” u

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The Woolworth Tower Residences at 2 Park Place in TriBeCa.

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DOWNTOWN FUNK These bands—Katie Schecter, the New Apollos, and VHS Collection—have created careers with their charisma and music talents. Here, we chat with these artists about their successes and their memories of New York... BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

James Bohannon, Conor Cook, and Nils Vanderlip Q: Tell us about the formation of the band… A: Conor and I grew up across the street from each other and went to Buckley together. We played music together as kids. Nils and I went to the Kent School together for high school and were in a band there called the Curfew Refugees. After Trinity College, I was recording music independently and Conor was in a popular cover band called Roctopus. I joined forces with Conor and Nils and we played their first gig at a house party in Quouge. It was so fun, so we kept doing it. Q: How has your music been influenced by this city? A: New York has an amazing music scene—from the dives to the mainstream venues. Also, as a subject matter, it provides endless material. There is no place more interesting and gritty and complex. Our sound is grounded in rock with electronic nuances, which is everywhere. 136 QUEST

Q: What’s happening with VHS Collection? A: It’s an exciting time right now. We are all back in New York working on our debut full-length album, which we hope to put out in Spring 2017. We are playing Austin City Limits next weekend as well, which should be fun. Q: Who do you consider to be some of your biggest influences? A: Talking Heads, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Phish, M83, and Modest Mouse. Q: What is one of your favorite memories of creating? A: The process started using my acoustic songs and translating them into a full-band, electronic rock sound. Now, we all write independently and collaborate at different stages of the song. We each have our specialties and instruments of choice. We tend to do these wintertime, hardcore writing sessions in Connecticut. We will hole up for four or five days in a cabin in the woods and do nothing but write and record demos. We will stock up on firewood and local food and not leave until we have a handful of fully thought-out ideas.

CO U RTE S Y O F V H S CO LLE C T I O N

VHS COLLECTION (www.vhs.nyc)

This spread: VHS Collection is comprised of Bohannon (vocals), Cook (guitar), and Vanderlip (synthesizer).

Q: What is one of your favorite memories of performing? A: First show we did was at a house party. We were all dressed as Native Americans. I had all the lyrics taped to a tent pole. Nils played drums back then. It was a total mess and so fun. Our second show was at the Stephen Talkhouse on the Fourth of July, which was packed. Our friends have been super supportive since day one, which has made any success we have had possible. Q: Tell us about your current news... A: We are playing at The Studio at Webster Hall on October 15. And our music will appear in a T.V. show this fall. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;An interview with James Bohannon

This page: The New Apollos is comprised of MacCallum (vocals, guitar), Walker (keys), and Ward (bass).

THE NEW APOLLOS (www.thenewapollos.com) Neill MacCallum—who was raised on the Upper East Side—is a veteran of New York’s music scene. Since 2015, he has been collaborating with Karen Walker (of Greenwich, Connecticut) and Isobel Ward to create music for The New Apollos. According to Neill, the band is “a New York City–based rock ’n‘ roll group whose raw sound is surfy, and garage-y—like a blend of ’90s alternative rock and ’60s experimental pop, with lots of other influences in between. Think Beck and Kurt Cobain go to John Lennon’s crib for a jam.” This summer, The New Apollos released three EPs: In the Shade (May 2016), Against the Wind (June 2016), and Green Light (July 2016).

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CO U RTE S Y O F T H E N E W A P O LLO S

Neill MacCallum, Karen Walker, and Isobel Ward

KATIE SCHECTER (www.katieschecter.com)

G I LE S C LE M E N T; C H U C K D O N G ; DA I S Y J O H N S O N ; M AT T H A N M I N S TE R

Q: Tell us about the band… A: Currently the band is just me and, when he’s not on tour with Cage the Elephant, my very talented boyfriend, Nick Bockrath. He plays every instrument very well and has impeccable taste. Q: How has your music been influenced by this city? A: New York is a city that’s grand and gritty, a dichotomy that has influenced my songwriting and my personal style. I fall somewhere in between the Metropolitan Museum and St. Mark’s Place. There’s a track off my debut album Feline called “Elizabeth Street,” which mirrors my time working in a clothing shop in NoHo after prematurely leaving college. I listen to that song and I remember those days perfectly. I couldn’t have written that album anywhere else: New York City was my first great love. Q: What’s happening with Katie Schecter? A: After 27 years in New York City, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee, with my boyfriend, Nick. His band was making an album

there and, after my first visit, I didn’t want to leave. How could I not live in Music City? After all, it is becoming more and more difficult to be an artist and live in New York City. Q: What’s your sound/style? A: I like to think of my style as “old soul, new sound.” I definitely identify with the genre of Cosmic American music. I’m influenced by Gram Parsons, the Beatles, Dan Auerbach, Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Rayland Baxter—clearly, I want to be like the boys. I’m a blend of rock, country, and a bit of the blues. I write songs mostly on acoustic guitar and I am very meticulous about keeping journals, which document the journey of my lyrics. Q: What is one of your favorite memories of creating? A: I got a gig singing on someone’s album many years back at the Woodstock studio of Levon Helm (late drummer of The Band). The engineer stopped in the middle of a take to set up a mic to outside. I guess the crickets were particularly loud that night, but they were in key and ended up as a textural track on that song. Q: Tell us about your current news... A: I’m making a new record! Nick and I have been working with an amazing producer, Adam Landry, and the three of us have been recording at Adam’s studio in Nashville. We’re lucky to have really talented friends in awesome bands who are down to work with us. So, it’s just been a revolving cast of our favorite musicians contributing to the music, which is a wonderful vibe. We are just trying to make as much cool music as possible, with people we love and admire artistically. —An interview with Katie Schecter (Instagram: @schecibaby)

This page: The talented Katie Schecter with her boyfriend and producer, Nick Bockrath.

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THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

“Tommy Pier” was one of the best Instagram opps at New

CO U RTE S Y O F TO M MY H I L F I G E R

York Fashion Week.

Clockwise from left: Gigi Hadid; Giovanna Ewbank and Jade Seba; Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl; Miroslava Duma; Yolanda Hadid, Anwar Hadid, Taylor Swift, and Martha Hunt, at Tommy Hilfiger’s Fall 2016 #TOMMYNOW show.

TOMMY HILFGER’S #TOMMYNOW AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK THE “IT” SET WERE INVITED to "Tommy Pier" (a carnival-themed construction at South Street Seaport with games and rides) for Tommy Hilfiger's #TOMMYNOW show at #NYFW on September 9. The event doubled as a debut for “Tommy x Gigi,” a collaboration between the designer and Gigi Hadid featuring a collection of new classics—riffs on the brand’s designs from the 1980s and 1990s. Guests of the starry,

starry event included Tommy Hilfiger's wife, Dee Hilfiger, and daughters, Ally Hilfiger and Elizabeth Hilfiger, as well as Hannah Bronfman, Miroslava Duma, Martha Hunt, Doutzen Kroes, Chelsea Leyland, Taylor Swift, and Harley Viera-Newton. The festivities were a welcome splash of red, white, and blue in the middle of an “exhausting" week—a Friday spectacle that put the "TG" in TGIF. OCTOBER 2016 141

dress of ombré chiffon; Courtney Love; Keren Craig, Harvey Weinstein, and Georgina Chapman,

▲ MARCHESA AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

▼ MILLY AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

MARCHESA IS KNOWN for presenting the sweetest con-

MICHELLE SMITH—WHO introduced her brand, MILLY, in 2001—presented her Spring/Summer 2017 collection (“Love Knot”) at #NYFW on September 9. Her fashion has evolved from its “Gossip Girl”–esque start (Attention, Upper East Siders!) to pieces that do, indeed, resonate with the vibes in her first row, which featured: Kelly Osbourne, Franchesca Ramsey, Skylar Samuels, and Teyana Taylor. The bows were the best (below)—and the necklines were neat, too!

fections, season after season, thanks to the design talents of founders Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig. The Spring/ Summer 2017 show, at #NYFW on September 14, featured an ode to the sun—a collection that was inspired by the shimmer of dawn and dusk, as demonstrated with yards (and yards) of tulle. Clapping from the first row: Olivia Culpo, Nina Dobrev, Karolina Kurkova, Courtney Love, and Coco Rocha.

From left: A MILLY model, before the show; Hannah Braddy and Skyler Samuels; a MILLY model with the best bows; Michelle Smith, at the MILLY Spring/Summer 2017 show. 142 QUEST

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

at Marchesa’s Spring/Summer 2017 show.

PAT R I C KM C M U LL A N . CO M

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From left: Nina Dobrev; a Marchesa model in a

Clockwise, from above: Mary Snow, Meredith Ostrom, Camilla Olsson, and Genevieve Barker; Chloe Lazard; Christian Campbell and Billy Magnussen; root, root, root for the home team; Ethan Hawke, at the New York City F.C. match against Chicago Fire.

NEW YORK CITY F.C. DEFEATED CHICAGO FIRE AT YANKEE STADIUM

B FA . CO M

NEW YORK CITY FOOTBALL CLUB trump’d (because, #elec-

tion) Chicago Fire, 4–1, on September 23. There, a VIP suite— which was hosted by Jon Patricof (president of NYCFC) and Andrew Saffir (founder of Cinema Society)—welcomed a team of celebs, including: Ethan Hawke, Jemima Kirke, Johan Lindeberg, Jennifer Creel, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Alexander Gilkes, and Timo Weiland. The throng at Yankee Stadium

(which is “home” for NYCFC) demonstrated an appreciation for the sport that extends past the realms of Europe... That said, the most exciting players were European: captain David Villa (who hails from Spain, where he won the World Cup in 2010) plus Frank Lampard (one of Chelsea F.C.’s best players—ever) and Andrea Pirlo (who hails from Italy, where he won the World Cup in 2006). Olé, Olé, Olé, indeed! u OCTOBER 2016 143

SNAPSHOT

From above: Chumley’s returns in mid-October; Nick Saluzzi, behind the bar at Chumley’s, April 16, 1945; the entrance to 86 Bedford Street—then and now.

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CHUMLEY’S, THE BELOVED BAR for creatives and other celebrated imbibers, is returning in mid-October with nods to the talents who, since the 1920s, have toasted at 86 Bedford Street, including: Willa Cather, E.E. Cummings, Theodore Dreiser, William Faulkner, Ring Lardner, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Eugene O’Neill, John Dos Passos, and John Steinbeck. But Alessandro Borgognone—the restaurateur with a knack for creating boîtes with elusive charm, like Sushi Nakazawa—is most impressed with Ernest Hemingway: “There are a ‘book load’ of people who actually came here but, for me, who I feel closest to is probably Hemingway. One of my favorites. I think the idea of salvaging all this history and showcasing it was the coolest part about it.” Borgognone has welcomed chef Victoria Blamey, who created a menu that harkens the era of Prohibition. Borgognone enthuses, “My favorite would be the steak for two. When you walk into this establishment, there is a very manly feeling. It gives you almost a ‘men’s club’ type of feeling. And the menu is old. You have the beef tartare and the oysters with caviar. You have head cheese with pickled vegetables. And we have our version of fried chicken with a Cognac sauce.” —Elizabeth Quinn Brown

CO U RTE S Y O F C H U M LE Y ’ S ( A B OV E )

THE NEW CHUMLEY’S

s tatement made of light and air. 24 full and half floor residences from one to three bedrooms,

A neighborhood s teeped in his tor y welcomes a contemporar y architec tural

ranging from $1 to $8 million. Sales by appointment begin Summer 2014.

2 1 2 . 3 8 1 . 2 5 1 9 1 9 P P T R I B E C A .C O M

The complete offering terms are in an offering plan available from sponsor. File no. CD13-0284. All rights to content, photographs, and graphics reserved to ABN Realty, LLC. 3D illustrations courtesy of McAuley Digital. Artist renderings and interior decoration, finishes, appliances, and furnishings are provided for illustrative purposes only. Artist renderings reflect the planned scale and spirit of the building. Sponsor reserves the right to make substitutions of materials, equipment, fixtures, and finishes in accordance with the terms of the offering plan. Equal Housing Opportunity.

21 FLO ORS FACING THE FUTURE

E XC LU S I V E M A R K E T I N G & S A L E S

TEFAF IS COMING OCTOBER 22-26, 2016

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7,000 YEARS OF ART HISTORY

MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART & DESIGN

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