Quest December 2014

$5.00 DECEMBER 2014

THE HOLIDAY ISSUE

YULETIDE FEAST STOWE, VERMONT PHOTOGRAPHED BY SLIM AARONS

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Sands Point, NY – New Construction

Huntington Bay – Stunning Waterfront Home

Lattingtown, NY – New Construction

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Shelter Island, NY – 180° Water Views

Shelter Island, NY – Waterfront Compound

Built in 2004, this Hamptons-style Colonial is set on 1.6 acres of beautifully landscaped property. Magnificent shingle and stone home boasts approximately 6,500 sq. ft. of living space. SD #4. MLS# 2691716. $3,850,000.

Marybeth Avallone, 516.627.4440 ext.112, c.516.650.0857

Magnificent custom brick Manor home set on 4+ acres, opportunity to customize. Graciously designed 6 bedroom, 5.5 baths, 4 fireplaces. Lattingtown beach (dues), golf rights. SD #3. MLS# 2689209. $3,500,000.

Tracey Murray Kupferberg, 516.759.4800 ext.143, c.516.233.0567

4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, waterside roof deck and gunite pool, spacious water’s edge deck, bulkhead, deep water dock with lift, sandy beach. Mature, serene landscaping for privacy. SD #1. MLS# 2677967. $3,100,000.

Susan C. Cincotta, 631.749.1155 ext. 207, c.631.514.9891

Hamptons shingle-style with water views from every room. Luxurious 1st floor master suite, state-of-the art kitchen, walls of glass. 400 ft. of waterfront, private beach with cabana. Wincoma Beach Assoc. SD #3. MLS# 2706406. $3,550,000.

Ruth Sansiviero 631.427.6650 ext.246, c.516.449.6472

5-bedroom, 4.5-bath French Provincial. Fine woodworking, tray ceilings, 3 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen and master suite with terrace, dressing rooms and bath. 2 landscaped acres with gunite pool and patio. Enhanced Listing. SD #3. MLS# 2714169. $3,400,000.

Kathryn (Cottie) Maxwell Pournaras, 516.759.4800 ext.131, c.516.857.3011

Beautiful sunsets from this waterfront compound with sandy beach. 3,137 sq. ft. shingled Traditional with water side pool and gazebo, open cathedral floor plan in move-in condition. SD #1. MLS# 2685460. $2,999,000.

Susan C. Cincotta, 631.749.1155 ext.207, c.631.514.9891

Each office is independently owned and operated. We are pledged to provide equal opportunity for housing to any prospective customer or client, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.

Real Estate. Real Integrity. Since 1922. danielgale.com

Shelter Island, NY – Light Filled Waterfront

Dix Hills, NY – “Country Pointe”

Shelter Island, NY – Nostrand Parkway

Sea Cliff, NY – Waterfront Perfection

Lloyd Harbor, NY – Beautiful Architecture

Shelter Island, NY – Water View & Barn

5-bedroom, 4-bath spacious Contemporary with waterside pool and dock, cathedral ceiling in living room, fireplace, 2nd floor master suite, 1st floor guest rooms, and waterside den with water view windows. SD #1. MLS# 2717132. $2,500,000.

Susan C. Cincotta, 631.749.1155 ext.207, c.631.514.9891

Hamptons Traditional on 2.3 pastoral acres, light filled with Gambrel windows, French doors, and vaulted ceiling, garden courtyard, and pool. SD #1.

MLS# 2711298. $2,290,000.

Linda L. McCarthy, 631.749.1155 ext.202, c.631.745.2626

Soaring ceilings, walls of glass, 2-story foyer. Master suite with fireplace, sitting room and 2 full baths. Pool house with 75 ft. 2-lane pool, tennis court, Lloyd Harbor Assoc. beach/dock. CSH SD #2. MLS# 2716517. $1,799,000.

Ruth Sansiviero, 631.427.6600 ext.246, c.516.449.6472

24 hour gated community with pool, tennis, golf and fitness compliment this stunning custom residence. Enhanced Listing. HHH SD #5. MLS# 2718522. $2,495,000.

Deborah T. Hauser, 631.692.6770 ext.328 Catherine (Kate) Cronin, 631.692.6770 ext.235

Custom eco-friendly home with 4 bedrooms and 4 full baths. Outside dining terrace with kitchen, salt water pool and outdoor shower. SD #1. MLS# 2715458. $2,200,000.

Pat Zebrowski, 516.759.6822 ext.220, c.516.384.9504 Samuel Marcus, 516.674.2000, c.516.456.1664

Clost to water access. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, spacious living room, mason built fireplace, eat-in kitchen, move-in condition, generous sunroom and bedroom/ office and full bath on 1st floor. SD #1. MLS# 2697508. $785,000.

Susan C. Cincotta, 631.749.1155 ext.207, c.631.514.9891

Each office is independently owned and operated. We are pledged to provide equal opportunity for housing to any prospective customer or client, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.

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106

CONTENTS The holiday i ssue 100

SEASON’S GREETINGS

A selection of cards, as sent to Quest by

the readers who make us merry and bright.

106

by

elizabeTh Quinn brown

GROWING UP WITH CHRISTMAS IN HOLLYWOOD

Maria Cooper Janis

recounts her many Christmas memories, including sleigh rides out to Trail Creek. by

112

Maria Cooper Janis,

as

Told

YOUR DINNER WITH DANIEL

To

david paTriCk ColuMbia

In Dinner Diaries: Reviving the Art of the

Hostess Book, Daniel Cappello talks great dinner parties.

118

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, HOOKED

by

lily hoagland

A versatile actor who has been in movies

as diverse as The Deer Hunter to Annie Hall, Christopher Walken is set to tackle a formidable role: Captain James Hook.

124

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

ChuCk pfeifer

Words about the season, as shared

by generations of Quest’s nearest and dearest.

128

by

MEMORIES OF A CORINTHIAN SUMMER

by

elizabeTh Quinn brown

Our author recounts his summer

aboard Constellation, competing for the America’s Cup in 1964—with a message from Commodore James Gubelmann.

by

diCk enersen

112 128

cellini dual time

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74 84

144

CONTENTS

78

C olumns 22

SOCIAL DIARY

64

SOCIAL CALENDAR

68

HARRY BENSON

Oscar de la Renta, a true luminary of the fashion world, in his studio in 1974.

70

OBSERVATIONS

The ladies (and men) go crazy for a sharp-dressed man.

72

CANTEENS

74

CHARITY

76

PERFORMANCE ART

78

PHILANTHROPY

80

OPEN HOUSE

Melanie Delman continues a tradition of excellence with Lila Delman Real Estate.

82

REAL ESTATE

Biscayne Beach—the 399-unit development—partners with Bonhams Auction House.

84

GIFT GUIDE

140

YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST

144

SNAPSHOT

Starting with an evening at the Park Avenue Armory...

by

DaviD PatriCk Columbia

Our guide to the greatest galas, luncheons, and events this holiday season.

by

taki theoDoraCoPulos

Primola is prime for uptown Italian fare and perennial people-watching. by Daniel CaPPello

The best way to raise funds is by making sure people return.

by

Joan Caraganis J akobson

Shen Yun’s magic comes to the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center.

Meera Gandhi’s Giving Back Foundation crosses borders and cultures for education.

From gold leaves to gold-leaf everything, we’ve found gifts for everyone.

The month culminated in a birthday at PH-D.

by

by

Daniel CaPPello

elizabeth Quinn brown

Like great music, A Visit From St. Nicholas only improves with familiarity.

by

alex r. travers

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P OIS MOI COLLECTION

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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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HILARY GEARY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HARRY BENSON DARRELL HARTMAN BILL HUSTED PAUL JEROMACK JAMES MACGUIRE ELIZABETH MEIGHER LIZ SMITH TAKI THEODORACOPULOS MICHAEL THOMAS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

TERRY ALLEN DREW ALTIZER HARRY BENSON LUCIEN CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY MIMI RITZEN CRAWFORD BILLY FARRELL MARY HILLIARD CUTTY MCGILL PATRICK MCMULLAN JULIE SKARRATT ANNIE WATT

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You Deserve To Sparkle

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All rights reserved. Vol. 28, No. 12.

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Masterful Monograms

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Clockwise from top left: The classic tale A Visit From St. Nicholas, better known as Twas the Night Before Christmas; Daniel Cappello, author of Dinner Diaries, photographed here by Julie Skarratt; the slopes of

have our very own Daniel Cappello laying out the silverware to show us how to be the perfect host—or guest—in his new book, Dinner Diaries: Reviving the Art of the Hostess Book.

And we have a Christmas card round-up (which can serve either glad tidings or a bit of schadenfreude realness).

Now, to relax. As Kenneth Grahame put it, “The best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working.” u

WE ALL HAVE our preconceived notions of what the holidays are supposed to look like, and how they are supposed to make us feel. (While stereotypically that feeling is akin to some version of joy, there are just as many grinches who delight in being miserable this time of year. One member of my family practices her “Bah! Humbug!” routine weeks before the season begins.) Case example: This year, the lackluster 50-foot Christmas tree decorating downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, was deemed “sad” and called “a Charlie Brown tree,” leading the town to chip in for a new one. As the old adage says, if thy Norwood spruce offends thee, cut it down.

We need everything for the holidays to be not just festive, but the most festive possible.

Which is where the Quest Holiday Issue comes in! We have festivities sitting on stacks. First, we have some of our readers’ favorite Christmas memories, including a detailed account by Maria Cooper Janis of what it was like growing up with Gary Cooper as her personal Santa Claus. We also 20 QUEST

Lily Hoagland

ON THE COVER: Three skiing waiters make their way down the legendary slopes of Stowe, Vermont, with the man in the foreground carrying a bird on a tray, the second man toting wine in an ice bucket, and the third holding a menu, circa 1960. Photograph

by Slim Aarons.

J U L I E S K A R R AT T

Sun Valley, where Maria Cooper Janis spent many childhood holidays.

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO A PURCHASE CONTRACT AND THE OTHER 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 CONDOMINIUM UNITS IN ANY STATE WHERE PROHIBITED BY LOCAL LAW AND YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR PURCHASE WILL DEPEND UPON YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCY. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. NOT FOR OFFER IN NEW YORK STATE.

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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 ’TIS THE SEASON. Well, it’s finally here.

Doesn’t it seem like it’s been about 15 minutes since December 2013? It’s because the world is moving faster and faster. From November through mid-December, the calendar in New York is jam-packed with galas, exhibitions, art sales and auctions, cocktail parties and cocktail parties, book signings, and champagne celebrations.

Masquerade, at the Park Avenue Armory.

At the very end of October, the Park Avenue Armory held its annual black-tie fundraising gala. They honored the director Peter Sellars, who recently staged Bach’s “St Matthew Passion” at 66th and Park. This gala draws several hundred guests and they always attend with anticipation of seeing what it will look like.

This year, master event designer David Monn turned the Wade Thompson Drill

F R E N C H H E R I TA G E S O C I E T Y AT T H E P I E R R E H OT E L

Roy Kean and Ann Rapp 22 QUEST

Penny Grant

Margaret Russell and Charles Myers

J.R. Penn and Nicole DiCocco

Caroline and Louis Brownstone

Deborah Royce and Elizabeth Stribling

Bruce Horten and Barbara de Portago

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

CeCe Black and Ann Van Ness

Jim Amaral | Riddle: Two Spheres, 2014 | Bronze | 46 x 28 x 28 cm | © Diego Amaral

Jim Amaral | Riddle: Two Spheres, 2014 | Bronze | 46 x 28 x 28 cm | © Diego Amaral Jim Jim Amaral Amaral Jim | Riddle: Amaral | Riddle: Two | Riddle: Two Spheres, Spheres, Two2014 Spheres, 2014 | Bronze | Bronze 2014| 46 | Bronze | x46 28xx28 | 28 46 xcm 28 x 28 cm |© x Diego 28 | © cm Diego Amaral | © Amaral Diego Amaral

JIM AMARAL JIM JIM JIMAMARAL AMARAL AMARAL JIM AMARAL 8 BIS RUE JACQUES CALLOT 75006 PARIS | T +33 1 56 81 83 51 | WWW.AGNESMONPLAISIR.COM OLGA DE AMARAL | JIMCALLOT AMARAL | MARCOS COELHO BENJAMIM GIROLAMO CIULLA | DANIEL HOURDÉ 8 BIS 8 BIS 8RUE BIS RUE RUE JACQUES JACQUES JACQUES CALLOT CALLOT 75006 75006 75006 PARIS PARIS PARIS | T| +33 T |+33 T 1+33 56 1 56 81 1 56 81 8383 81 5183 51 ||WWW.AGNESMONPLAISIR.COM |51WWW.AGNESMONPLAISIR.COM | WWW.AGNESMONPLAISIR.COM DOJACQUES KÖNIG VASSILAKIS | IGORPARIS MITORAJ | RASHAAD | IURI SARMENTO 8 BIS RUE CALLOT 75006 | T +33 1 56 81 83NEWSOME 51 | WWW.AGNESMONPLAISIR.COM NÁDIA TAQUARY | TODD & FITCH |BENJAMIM MANUELA OLGA OLGA OLGA DEDE AMARAL DE AMARAL AMARAL | JIM | JIM |AMARAL JIM AMARAL AMARAL | MARCOS | MARCOS | MARCOS COELHO COELHO COELHO BENJAMIM BENJAMIM | GIROLAMO | GIROLAMO | ZERVUDACHI GIROLAMO CIULLA CIULLA CIULLA | DANIEL | DANIEL | DANIEL HOURDÉ HOURDÉ HOURDÉ DO KÖNIG DO KÖNIG KÖNIG VASSILAKIS VASSILAKIS VASSILAKIS | |IGOR | IGOR | IGOR MITORAJ MITORAJ MITORAJ | RASHAAD | RASHAAD | RASHAAD NEWSOME NEWSOME | IURI | IURI |CIULLA SARMENTO IURI SARMENTO SARMENTO OLGA DE DO AMARAL | JIM AMARAL MARCOS COELHO BENJAMIM | NEWSOME GIROLAMO | DANIEL HOURDÉ NÁDIA NÁDIA NÁDIA TAQUARY TAQUARY TAQUARY | TODD | TODD | TODD & FITCH & FITCH &| FITCH | MANUELA | MANUELA | MANUELA ZERVUDACHI ZERVUDACHI ZERVUDACHI DO KÖNIG VASSILAKIS | IGOR MITORAJ RASHAAD NEWSOME | IURI SARMENTO NÁDIA TAQUARY | TODD & FITCH | MANUELA ZERVUDACHI

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A M A S Q U E R A D E TO H O N O R P E T E R S E L L A R S AT T H E PA R K AV E N U E A R MO R Y

Steven and Cynthia Brill

Hall into something theatrically spectacular and even wondrous. (Last year, the space was so affecting that I wondered—as I’m sure many others did—how he could top it.)

Everyone gathered for cocktails in the gallery, the meeting rooms, and the library to anxiously await the opening of the doors. When the doors were opened for us, it was like entering a drama, a movie, or even an opera. This vast, cavernous room had been transformed into another world. It was a dinner, of course, and the table settings were part of the drama. The entire room became the stage.

The “entertainment” was an 24 QUEST

Elizabeth Harrison

Michael Barclay and Inga Kozel

Heidi McWilliams and Chuck Royce

environmental performance experience entitled “Masquerade.” We were given masks when we picked up our seating cards. The atmosphere was inspired by the historic tales of Dante Alighieri and his Venetian masquerades, and the choreography was created

by Desmond Richardson of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. The lighting design by Al Crawford created a sense of being on a stage in the midst of the drama. The Park Avenue Armory is a stage that, upon entering, takes you into another world.

The following Wednesday, the Frick Collection launched the American tour of paint-

Kathryn Steinberg and Veronica Hill

Nancy and Morris Offit with Nancy Marks

“Lady Agnew of Lochnaw”

by John Singer Sargent.

ings from the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, including works by artists such as Botticelli, El Greco, Velázquez, Raeburn, Watteau, and Sargent.

The press release referred to the Scottish National Gallery

Jamee Gregory and Gayfryd Steinberg

Nanna Stern

as “distinguished for its holdings of works by the greatest masters of Western art and for its comprehensive collection of Scottish art.” But it was the John Singer Sargent portrait, “Lady Agnew of Lochnaw,” that drew to my attention. I’m sure I was not alone in my reaction because the Frick Collection has used the portrait in publicizing the exhibition.

My familiarity with Lady Agnew of Lochnaw is scant in background. She graces the cover of a book of Sargent portraits that I own. Commissioned by her husband, Andrew Noel Agnew (a barrister who inherited a baronetcy and the estates of Lochnaw in Gal-

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

Michael and Tara Rockefeller

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A loway) the portrait was painted in 1892. The Frick Collection press release described it as “the lively personality of the then 27-year-old beauty and social hostess” who “comes across directly through a combination of assertiveness and ease captured in Sargent’s simple yet masterful composition and bravura brushwork.”

I lack that ability to describe a portrait with artistic or scholarly ease. I couldn’t help wondering about the personality of the lady—whose name at birth was Gertrude—and what it was like to be in her presence.

There’s a no-nonsense kind of certainty in the eyes. And the lips could break into a smile or just as easily part with perhaps a quick harsh word, suffering no fools.

Yes, she is beautiful. The waist is small and delicate, and exquisitely wrapped in

lavender silk. And the crossing of the legs indicates her backbone, which is evident in her gaze. I’m sure not a few gentlemen of her world were quite taken (or scared away).

Then there is the Sargent flourish. I read somewhere that he charged by the hour, that he knew exactly how long it would take for him to “get it” and be done. Her hand on the chair is, to me, what Sargent “got.”

The portrait was exhibited six years later at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1898 and it made Sargent, launching him as the portraitist of English society. Rodin, on seeing it, referred to his contemporary as the “van Dyck of our times.” It also launched the social career of the beautiful Lady Agnew of Lochnaw.

One small anecdote I can’t leave out. Henry Clay Frick, in

his collecting, filled his mansion with a number of paintings of upper-class British women by the greats: Reynolds, Gainsborough, Romney, Lawrence, and Whistler. But never Sargent, though Frick did make a request at some point to make an appointment with the painter in London.

Sargent wasted no one’s time, responding to the American steel tycoon that, if the appointment were to discuss a “commission for portraiture,” he was “not taking any commissions and not adding any promises to those I have already made for the future.”

So that was that. However, in 1922, three years after Frick died, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, now in her late fifties and a widow (she would die 10 years later), offered the portrait to the Trustees of the Frick Collection. Lady Agnew

of Lochnaw needed the money to pay her debts. She was turned down. Frick’s daughter, Helen Frick, always known as “Miss Frick,” explained in the refusal that the trustees were not purchasing at that time.

The Scottish National Gallery acquired it three years later.

More galas. On a Monday night early in the month was the big social event of the week: the New York Public Library’s Library Lions Gala.

They honored (as Library Lions) Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, Kazuo Ishiguro, Robert Silvers, and Anna Deavere Smith.

The dinner is held in the library’s mains branch, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. The program is traditional. There is a cocktail reception in Astor Hall, the threestory-high main entrance

“ EG O S ” BY N A N C Y E L L I S O N FO R S U S A N G . KOM E N AT TA G L I A L AT E L L A G A L L E R Y

Nancy Brinker and Paul Boskind

Michael Grossman and Roberta Blumberg 26 QUEST

Donna Ross and Lauren Ross

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A gallery. The invitation called for 7 p.m., but guests were still arriving after 8 p.m. At the end of cocktail hour, people usually move to the Rose Main Reading Room, except there had been an accident in this majestic public space that David Monn and Gayfryd Steinberg usually turned into a fantastic wonderland. Their work is always the “entertainment” at this dinner. This year, the awards part of the evening, which precedes the dinner, was held in Astor Hall.

The event was A-list philanthropy (like the Central Park Conservancy, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and Carnegie Hall) and it is co-chaired by a group

who produces results that make the difference. This year, the dinner raised $2.4 million with 415 guests in attendance.

The co-chairs for the evening were: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar de la Renta, H.R.H. Princess Firyal, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Marron, Mr. Bayo Ogunlesi and Dr. Amelia Ogunlesi, Mr. and Mrs. John Paulson, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Schwarzman, Mr. James S. Tisch and the Honorable Merryl H. Tisch, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Wachenheim III, and Mrs. John L. Weinberg.

(Oscar de la Renta had died two weeks before at his home in Kent, Connecticut. Anthony Marx, in opening the evening, spoke of the late design-

er and his contribution to the New York Public Library. He announced that the evening honored him.)

The late Brooke Astor, who was a writer and a reader, was a major proponent in the library’s development in the last quarter of the last century.

It was her presence and influence that secured a variety of philanthropic offerings that are still active today. She also stimulated interest by promoting the use of the library’s vast and priceless collections, which are available to any and all who come to in their work or curiosity to learn. The board of trustees numbers 60, including chairman Neil Rudenstine and vice-chair-

men Evan Chester and Abby S. Milstein.

In his opening remarks, Marx spoke of the “unprecedented numbers of students who haven’t had access to after-school activities, delivering enriching experiences that include customized homework help and skill-building through one-on-one and group tutoring in reading, writing, math, and other subjects.” As computer literacy continues to grow, they are increasing and improving technology training and expanding online access for the one-third of all New Yorkers who lack Internet at home. Marx also pointed out that the library is visited by 20 million people per year—more

L U N C H E O N F O R T H E H O R T I C U LT U R A L S O C I E T Y O F N E W YO R K AT T H E M E T R O P O L I TA N C L U B

Ursula Lowerre and Nancy Paduano 28 QUEST

Andrea Fahnestock, Paige Sutherland and Liz Kogen

Alison Strong and Jill Ross

Nikki Brown and Kate Hemphill

Kamie Lightburn and Thomas Woltz

Barbara Cates and Lindsey Pryor

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

Evelyn Tompkins and Bronson van Wyck

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A PA R T Y F O R T H E S O C I A L C L I M B E R ’ S B I B L E B Y D I R K W I T T E N B O R N A N D J A Z Z J O H N S O N AT OM A R ’ S

Robin Brouillette

than any other institution or sports team in New York. It is a living testament to the joy of learning, and its necessity to the success of our future.

A few nights later, down at Omar’s, the bar and restaurant on West 9th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, there was a party for Dirk Wittenborn and Jazz Johnson and their book, The Social Climber’s Bible: A Book of Manners, Practical Tips, and Spiritual Advice for the Upwardly Mobile.

That party was called for 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and I got there a little after 9 p.m., expecting that it would be winding down. Not so. Omar’s is 30 QUEST

Olivia Sandelman, Jamie Johnson and Ben Schulman

LuAnn de Lesseps

one of those cozy, low-ceilinged places with ample rooms to handle a big crowd, and there was still a big crowd of well-wishers. Among them, I am told, there was a number of members of the Johnson Family, which could easily fill a few restaurants.

I first heard about the book at lunch at Michael’s, when Peggy Siegal came up and handed me a copy and said, “This is perfect for you.” (By which she meant perfect for me to write about.) I accepted it with feigned interest, thinking, “Why would I even want to read this?” Nevertheless, a job is a job.

So, I go to the party. I meet

Diana Kellogg

Jimmy and Gretchen Johnson

Sasha Lazard and Alexandra Styron

the authors to take their picture. Jazz is a beauty and Dirk is a rather dashing-looking man with a smile that is naturally ironic. They look like they’re having a good time at the party, which was filled with their friends and relatives, almost none of whom I knew. Jazz is a Johnson (as in Johnson & Johnson—a family of billionaires) and Dirk is her uncle.

There’s a blurb by Plum Sykes on the back of the book: “Any social climber coming to America should read this hilarious book on the plane in.

Jazz and Dirk will show you how to win friends, influence people, and never have to fly

commercial again.” Plum’s obviously a friend, and a friend would obviously say something nice, right?

The thing is, the guide is serious. It could be helpful to a lot of people. Not just in social climbing per se, but in getting along in life and with other people. And it is hilarious. I’m laughing just thinking about it. To illustrate, here are a couple of paragraphs right at the beginning of the book to give you an idea of the voice and the consciousness of the authors. Incidentally, it’s a perfect Christmas gift for the person who has “everything.”

Here, they make the case for the Social Climber:

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

Dirk Wittenborn and Jazz Johnson

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A “How is it our culture can forgive banks their debts, the Kardashians, their toxic bad taste, and Donald Trump his hair but still discriminate against the social climber?”

“Know that social climbing is an expression invented by snobs to make other snobs feel superior to you.”

“Turning dreams into reality is what The Social Climber’s Bible is all about.”

Then, they turn to the subjects of irony and hypocrisy—a rich orchard of laughs waiting to be plucked: “How to Sound Like Somebody: The rules have changed since My Fair Lady’s Eliza Doolittle had to learn how to talk fancy. The era when

an accent could hinder your climb is fortunately behind us.

Sounding as if you come from somewhere when you come from nowhere can be a plus.

Texas twang, southern drawl, English, Australian, Pakistani, whatever, don’t lose it, go with it. It will make you seem more authentic. The one caveat to this rule, of course, is if your accent is ‘Jersey Shore.’ In this case, if elocution lessons are not an option, the quickest way for you to get respect is to let your host or hostess know that your family is in organized crime.”

I could go on for another 3,000 words, quoting their hilarious observations that are jam-packed into this tiny tome with its wisdom for the

masses—and even you, too!

Sykes is right. Take it on the plane, or anywhere you’ll need a book to get away for a laugh and a hunch. (The wedding tips alone are worth the price.)

Then, on the next night, a Thursday, at the Plaza Hotel, the New York Landmarks Conservancy held its 21st Living Landmarks Gala with several hundred guests—its largest attendance to date.

They honored Gael Greene, Leonard Lauder, Dr. Mitch Rosenthal, Daryl Roth, Jordan Roth, and Mort Zuckerman. Liz Smith was emcee.

Peter Duchin and his orchestra played. Roberta Fabiano, his vocalist and guitarist sang.

Tommy Tune took to the stage

to assist Liz before reprieving his song-and-dance rendition of Cole Porter’s “Don’t Monkey With Old Broadway,” which he performed at the dinner four years ago. They raised more than $1.3 million for the cause. This is a wonderful evening, exclusively a New York moment for the small town it is.

On another Monday night, mid-month, the New York Public Radio’s 9th annual benefit gala at 583 Park. This is the first time I’ve attended.

It happened because, a few months ago, I was seated at a luncheon at the American Museum of Natural History next to Susan Solomon, who is on the board of trustees. When I

“ MOT H E R S O F T H E YE A R ” AT T H E P L A Z A H OT E L

Diana Feldman and Katie Couric 32 QUEST

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

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A C E L E B R AT I N G L U C Y O ’ D O N N E L L A N D C A N C E R I S MY T E AC H E R AT S OT H E BY ’ S

Lucy O’Donnell and Miranda Dunbar-Johnson

Alfred Taubman and Ariadne Platero

learned that she was involved with the New York Public Radio, I happened to tell her that I listened to WQXR all the time, streaming it on my computer. I also told her how the best cab rides in town usually include WQXR. She invited me then to attend this benefit to see what they were doing.

I tune in when I turn on my computer in the morning and at many other times when I am at my desk and not required to focus. I didn’t know until I went to this dinner that WQXR is part of New York Public Radio, which includes WNYC 93.9 FM and WNYC AM 8320 as well as a Bach channel and 34 QUEST

Isabel Rattazzi

Sibilla Clark

the Jonathan Channel.

I am a longtime radio listener, having grown up in a world before T.V., when the first thing my mother did when she went into the kitchen to make breakfast was to turn on the radio (Bob Steele for WTIC in Hartford, Connecticut).

At night, as a kid lying in bed with the lights out before going to sleep, I’d listen to the shows like Suspense, The Shadow, Ozzie and Harriet, and The Lone Ranger, which commanded your visual imagination. With the entrance of the computer in my life, I found a vast selection of radio to listen to. But like most of us, I am a creature of habit. WQXR is

Jennifer Joyce, Willie Lamarque and Angelica Boss

Bettina Zilkha, Amy Hoadley and Tiffany Dubin

part of that because it’s great for calming the nerves that the metropolis jangles ordinarily.

Plus, I love the performances of the great musicians with the great composers.

What I learned at this dinner (and I’m sure I’m way behind on this) is that radio is alive again. It’s being listened to the way it was listened to when I was a kid, by millions and millions—but differently. Radio is new again. It’s a new audience. The table favor at the dinner was a little speaker item that you can plug into your computer to charge and then plug into your cell phone in order to listen wherever you go.

Deborah Voigt was emcee with T.V., stage, and film actor Oliver Pratt. They were followed by Cynthia Vance, chairwoman of the board of trustees, and Laura Walker, president and C.E.O. of New York Public Radio. Both women talked about the progress and the dazzling future of the endeavor.

It’s not free, all that talent.

We have to contribute. They have a lot to offer and there’s a big budget required to offer it, but people like me (and there are more than 200,000 of us) donate some sum. I donate $11 a month. It keeps it going. WQXR, itself, is fantastic.

Unlike old-time radio, there is

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A A L Z H E I M E R ’ S D R U G D I S C O V E R Y FO U N D AT I O N ’ S SYM P O S I U M AT T H E P I E R R E H OT E L

Howard Fillit and Michael Weiner

Ann and Dick Solomon

John Loring and Ellen Graham

much more to listen to, thanks to digital technology, including recent public concerts and archival anthologies of composers. Every Saturday afternoon, of course, there’s opera, often live from the Metropolitan Opera House.

After the brief speeches and dinner, we were treated to a presentation by Radiolab (Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich). If you know Radiolab, you know that it’s compelling with wit and humor and sociology that evidently is an enormous hit. On-demand episodes of Radiolab are accessed about 8.5 million times a month, and it’s carried on 520 stations across the U.S. It’s called a “unique brand of storytelling.” A pleasure, too.

At the end of the evening, we were given a concert by the beautiful Deborah Voight, who has the soprano voice to match her good looks. She opened with “I Could Have Danced All Night” followed 36 QUEST

by “I’m Losing My Mind” from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. She closed with Irving Berlin’s “I Love A Piano.” She finished the number by joining her accompanist on the keyboard—and she was good!

On November 17, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children hosted a wine dinner at the Metropolitan Club. Joan Granlund served as the evening’s dinner chair with dinner co-chairs: Lou Buglioli, Neil and Amanda Friedman, Maarit and Thomas H. Glocer, Penny Grant, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Valesca Guerrand-Hermès, Tania Higgins, Deborah Norville and Karl Wellner, and David and Mary Alice Sherrill.

Proceeds from the event will benefit The NYSPCC’s Trauma Recovery Program.

And there’s the long and the short of it—the reason for being. The Trauma Recovery Program provides free mental

Robert Belfer

Dan Gasby and B. Smith

health treatment for children who have experienced traumatic events, such as physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and family violence.

The same night, at the Museum of the City of New York, American composer Philip Glass was presented with the 2014 Louis Auchincloss Prize.

The ceremony was attended

by Glass’s long-time collaborator, artist and musician Laurie Anderson and filmmaker Godfrey Reggio, and presided over by Susan Henshaw Jones (the Ronay Menschel director of the museum). There were also special performances of Glass compositions by Face the Music (the only teen ensemble in the U.S. dedicated to the creation and performance of music by living composers) and Andrew Sterman from the Philip Glass Ensemble.

Glass regards himself as a composer of “music with repetitive structures” and a Classicist trained in harmony

Norma Dana

William Lauder and Bonnie Evans

and counterpoint. He studied Schubert, Bach, and Mozart with the legendary Nadia Boulanger. I had the privilege of attending the first award ceremony when Louis Auchincloss was the recipient in 2007.

I have long been a great admirer of his work as a writer, the literary descendent of Edith Wharton. I never knew the man except to be introduced to him, but he was fully expressed in his works, including the autobiographical and social history pieces. He was a literary representative of an era at its end when Glass was born in 1937. It occurred to me that Auchincloss would have been proud to be linked by respect and admiration with the work of Glass, which articulates (classically) the succeeding era which we now call post-Modern.

The Louis Auchincloss Prize comes with $10,000 and is awarded to writers and artists whose work is inspired by

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

Leonard Lauder

IS IT TIME FOR COUPLES COUNSELING? An interview with Patricia Harteneck, PhD, MBA, Senior Psychologist at the Seleni Institute, a mental health and wellness center for women on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

How can I tell it might be time for us to talk to someone about our relationship?

While it differs for every couple, you might first examine your feelings and thoughts right now. Maybe you find yourself wishing your partner would change in some way, or perhaps you’ve noticed that old arguments keep popping back rather than come to resolution. Or maybe you’re just feeling that you’ve reached a “stalemate” in your relationship. And certainly, if worries about your relationship cause you stress, anxiety, or depression, then you may find that couples counseling provides relief. Deciding to seek couples counseling can be difficult, but asking for help can often make all the difference.

differences rationally. You’ll be able to ana- When you decide to try a session, it’s underlyze your relationship and better understand stood that you are doing just that – trying it out. You should never feel pressured by your conflicts. someone to keep working with him or her.

What if my partner refuses to go to counseling?

If you don’t feel comfortable in your ſirst If your partner is resistant, you can absolutely session, move on and try someone else. go by yourself and benefit by talking about Decades of research confirm that the best your reactions and behavior in the relationtherapeutic work is rooted in a trusting conship. You can make a lot of progress in a nection with your therapist. relationship and gain a lot of insight, even if you’re the only one in the therapy session.

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What exactly happens in couples counseling?

Couples counseling is most usually solution-focused. When working together with your therapist, it can often be easier to communicate, solve problems, and discuss

environment make Seleni Institute the only

What’s the most important thing we should consider when finding a therapist?

Therapy is all about taking control of your life and moving it forward in a positive direction. That begins with choosing a therapist you like. You are allowed to (and should) feel like your therapist can help you and your partner get through your difficulties. Ask friends for referrals or look at some professional profiles to get a feel for different therapists’ approaches.

Get help at the Seleni Institute.

Call (212) 939-7200 or find us online at seleni.org/care.

At the Seleni Institute, we support women and couples by providing a 360-degree ap-

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are best able to care for themselves, their children, and their families.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A and enhances the five boroughs of New York City. Disciplines eligible for consideration include literature, architecture, art, music, playwriting, and photography.

Distinguished recipients of the award have included architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable; lyricist Sheldon Harnick; photographer Elliott Erwitt; and Lynne Meadow, artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all the galas, there was a major auction sale about to get underway at Sotheby’s of the estate of the late Rachel Lambert Mellon, known to her friends and her fans and the general public as Bunny Mellon.

I did not know Mrs. Mellon, nor do I ever recall meeting her. I know as much about her as anyone observing or hearing from others who knew her well, or reading about her life. She was famous to Americans of the last half of the 20th century

Bunny Mellon

era mainly because of her friendship with Jackie Kennedy, which dated back to the early days of the Kennedy White House.

We learned that Mrs. Mellon—who was not a celebrity socialite—was highly regarded as a woman of taste. And very rich.

Both of these are agreeable characteristics

in the best of all possible worlds and even in some of the worst.

I am naturally suspicious of single-line descriptions of anybody because we are all, at one time or another (or very often), not above suspicion. To err is human, etc.

But from what one could gather, even in terms of gossip (meaning sotto voce chats among friends, backstairs canals, and what have you), Mrs. Mellon came off very well. And always with the reminder: exquisite taste.

I’m never quite sure what that means—“exquisite taste”—but I do know that comfort is one of its rewards. Easy on the eye. Change of attitude, change of latitude. Mother Nature’s blessing. Everything that imaginations can create, some of which only money can buy. Mrs. Mellon could do both, which is rare.

In more recent years, we’ve heard more about Mrs. Mellon because (1.) She’d

FO U N TA I N H O U S E ’ S FA L L F Ê T E AT A R M A N I F I F T H AV E N U E

Jennifer Oken and Angela Clofine 38 QUEST

Charlotte Ronson and Dani Stahl

Jane Pelletier, Ken Dudek and Mary Ingriselli

Jonathan and Marjaleena Berger

Katie Zorn

John Low and Jamie Birkenhead

Bill Manger and Elizabeth Pyne

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

Graziano and Valerie de Boni with Cliff Brokaw and Mark Gilbertson

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Peter Gregory and Clelia Zacharias

grown to a great age and was still participating in her raison d’être, and (2.) She had an eye and an ear for men who charmed the girl.

I use the noun girl because it seems obvious that Mrs. Mellon never lost her girlishness, despite her very long life. The girl remained firmly and permanently ensconced in the woman’s psyche. That, it seems to me, might have been the key to all that she appeared to be—and all that she was rightly appreciated for. I’m sure that if there were an authentic memoir of the woman, we would see all sides of a girl in that personality. But her essence is pure, as demonstrated by her aesthetic choices.

I’m not in the financial realm of those who can buy 40 QUEST

Ann Barish and Martin Gruss

Margo Langenberg, Stephanie Stokes and Marina Pellecchi

at auctions, so the interest for me (and it is great interest) is in the individual’s choices of those things that are being sold. However, the Sotheby’s catalogue of her collections is a great addition to the library

Julie Barish

Joanna Goldenstein and William Flaherty

deal of information about the lots as well as the history of the lady and her interests.

Of all the famous auction sales of prominent individuals, such as Jackie Kennedy, Betsey Whitney, Greta Garbo,

Bunny Mellon’s home was the epitome of taste and restraint.

of anyone interested in decorative arts, painting, china, antiques, gardens, jewels, and what have you. It is pricey at $300, but beautifully published and edited with a great

Helen Mayberg and Audrey Gruss

and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, nothing matches that of Mrs. Mellon in terms of artfulness and aesthetics, as well as whim and wit and sheer natural beauty. It is a treasure.

It’s a beauty and I regret that I can’t share the beautiful images that record the extraordinary life of this extraordinary girl. You would be able to see that she had the good fortune to be blessed with the means to pursue her fantasies with passion. Furthermore, she had the even greater fortune to be in possession of an almost poetic imagination about her life.

Naturally, amidst all this beauty, I wondered about the hardships and heartbreaks and losses—the disappointments, irrationalities and the betrayals that visited her, as happens for all of us. Was she able to wear her challenges and hardships with alacrity because of her deep personal commitment to her “art”—the environment she created with

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

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those fantastic independent means?

It’s not about being rich. Being rich has nothing to do with taste. The photographs of all things that she loved—that she acquired, inquired after, cultivated, and created—revealed that she was a woman who looked. Not so much in the mirror, but all around herself. That may have well been the guiding light in her long life. And her savior. She saw the beauty, plain and simple. Beauty.

The sale of the art was the first of what were mainly three sales (the catalogue has two volumes for the interiors items). The jewels and interiors sales took place on November 20, continuing until the 23rd.

The art sale totaled $158,737,250. Two paintings by Mark Rothko fetched prices well beyond their estimates. The first, Untitled was painted in 1970, the last year of the artist’s life and was purchased

by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon the following year from the Marlborough Gallery.

It brought $39.925 million despite an estimate of $15–20 million. The second, also Untitled, was painted in 1955 and also purchased from the Marlborough Gallery in 1970. Estimates on the work were $20–$30 million, but it went for $36.565 million.

The prices of Mrs. Mellon’s art were not nearly as spectacular as some of the prices at other sales in that week with auctions going on all over town. At some, the total reached $1 billion or so. These are historical numbers in more ways than one, considering the state of the economy in cities and towns across America.

I was told that all the proceeds from this estate sale are going to the Mellons’ charitable foundations. Mrs. Mellon’s heirs and family members have been bequeathed even greater treasures. This is

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A hearsay, but it makes sense.

One can see from the way she lived that the family fortunes were vast. The Mellon fortune has always been regarded as Pittsburgh fortune, because in addition to banking and steel interests, they had holdings in Gulf Oil and Alcoa aluminum. Obviously, it rivaled the Rockefeller fortune (and with less family members).

What amazes (and charms) me is that Mrs. Mellon was endlessly acquisitive about things that took her eye, caught her fancy, and yet it never looked like too much.

For most of us, it was way more than we might ever even use in a lifetime. But she lived a lifestyle that clearly provided

occasions to put much of it to use and much of it on display (as a collection item). But her display suggested a modesty and simplicity, throughout.

She was surely one of those women whom retailers literally were thrilled to see coming into a shop, because she could spend and did. This is not uncommon among the very rich, just as it wouldn’t be uncommon among a lot of us who aren’t rich at all but think we would like to be.

Getting and spending are the two bywords that motivate a lot of aspiration.

However, despite all she possessed, acquired, and owned, she had a strong sense, an artist’s sense of economy

about her things. You see it in the way she displayed everything. You see it in even her most spectacular jewels. You can see it in the way she managed her gardens, her fields, her groves, and her forests.

It was all in the care and the pruning. She was, after all, an artist of the “art of high living.” Everything was a tool, an implement in expressing that very sophisticated sensibility.

It’s not phenomenal.

Throughout history, the rich and the powerful have acquired or developed that “natural” ability or talent when the result of their interest has an ever-lastingness to it. Louis XIV. Marie Antoinette. Catherine the Great.

William IV. Even Henry Clay Frick, for starters.

Being American, and a woman of the 20th century, she would naturally eschew the splendor of the aforementioned royals. Her houses and their interiors never lent themselves to grandeur, but actually the opposite: coziness. But the sensibility, the fascination she demonstrated, was similar to that of the monarchs: a love of beauty, a normal human condition.

When it is.

It was a highly unusual life led by a woman who had a modest bearing in her photographs and yet made a big life at which she was the center at all times. u

C O C K TA I L S FO R T H E N E W YO R K B OTA N I C A L G A R D E N AT B A D G L E Y M I S C H K A

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF MICHAEL’S

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Michael Wolff and Victoria Floethe

Rhett and Carol Austell

Steve Millington and Cindy Adams

George Farias and Wendy Stark

Clancy McCarty and Chaz McCarty

John Jacobson and Betsy Perry

Les Moonves and Matt Blank

Kath and Les Hinton

Deborah Roberts, Al Roker, Judy Licht and Jerry Della Femina

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Francesco Clemente, Sandra Brant and Ingrid Sischy

Courtney Cohen and Samantha Perelman

Cynthia Rowley

Zach Weiss and Sophie Simmons

Alex McKenna, Margarita Levieva and Jessica Joffe

Anthony Michael Hall

Steve Carell and Bennett Miller

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Brooke Davenport and Christian Leone 50 QUEST

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Cameron Silver and Jane Ross

Sarah Gavlak, Daniel Cappello and Beth DeWoody

Michael Landes and Wendy Benson-Landes

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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 C L U B C O L E T T E I N PA L M B E AC H

Dan Ponton and David Mack

Tom McCarter and Frances Scaife

Vicky and Sam Hunt with Kit Pannill 52 QUEST

Don Burns and Karin Luter

Jerry Seay and Pauline Pitt

Frank Chopin with (a masked) Dudley and Peggy Moore

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The Top Doctor Is In

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A: It is extremely common for women to develop a separation of the abdominal muscles after pregnancy, known as diastasis recti. This muscle separation results in a bulge of the anterior abdomen and occasionally hernias as well.

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While healthy diet and lifestyle, exercise and core strengthening are always recommended, the separation of the midline muscle groups and resulting bulge often require correction.

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A TO A ST I N G T H E P U B L I C AT I O N O F PA L M B E AC H P EO P L E

BY H A R R Y B E N S O N A N D H I L A R Y G E A R Y R O S S AT M A L L E T T A N T I Q U E S

Frank Melhado and Hilary Geary Ross

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Quincy Fennebresque and Tatiana Smith

Jack Gaery, Sarah Pontius and Ted Geary 56 QUEST

Leonard Stern and Nicki Harris

Julia Hansen and Robert James

Linda Buckley and Scarlett Robertson

John and Lauren Veronis with Wilbur Ross

Grace Meigher and Deborah Norville

Lucy Webster, Steve Rak and Victoria Hansen

Mai Harrison and Christina Merrill

Richard McFadden

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

Harry Benson and Kelly Klein

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Carolina de Neufville and Alvin Valley 58 QUEST

Monique Lhuillier and Gretchen Fenton

Kelly Turlington and Brian Burns

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D R E W A LT I Z E R

Stephanie Marver and Nancy Kukacka

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Piers North, Zanna Rassi and Rachel Roy

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Christine Allen and Arriana Boardman

Caroline Dean and Ritchey Howe 62 QUEST

Annika Glover with Johnny Justice

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CALENDAR

DECEMBER seniors of Palm Beach County, will hold its dinner dance at the Mar-a-Lago Club at 7 p.m. For more information, call 305.674.1292.

7

LIGHT ’EM UP

The annual Park Avenue Tree Lighting will take place outside Brick Church (1140 Park Avenue) at 6:30 p.m. The trees are traditionally lighted on the first Sunday evening of December, and continue to be illuminated every evening until January 18. For more information, call 212.280.3380.

BLESSED PETS

Blessing of the Animals, a holiday event hosted by Cindy Adams for precious pets, will take place at Christ Church (520 Park Avenue) at 2 p.m. For more information, call 516.829.8374.

TRIUMPHANT THERAPIES

The Autism Project of Palm Beach County will hold its annual Renaissance Dinner for Autism at the Mar-a-Lago Club at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 561.748.3299.

8

YULE HAVE A BLAST

The Food and Allergy Ball, benefiting food allergy research and education, will celebrate its 17th dinner dance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 212.836.1542.

9

TO THE RESCUE

1

3

4

Welcome Aboard! A Journey with Sailors for the Sea, an evening dedicated to our ocean, will take place at Christie’s (20 Rockefeller Plaza) at 6:30 p.m. The night will also include a discussion about cutting-edge news in ocean health between luminaries in conversational and sailing. Honorees include Steve Curwood and Julie Packard. For more information, call 401.846.8900.

New Hope Charities will hold its annual holiday bazaar at the Beach Club at 6 p.m. The organization provides programs and services to men, women, and children living in remote, impoverished communities. This year’s event will feature music, fine cuisine, and holiday shopping at various vendor booths.

For more information, call 561.366.5093.

The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation will celebrate its annual Collaborating For a Cure benefit dinner at Cipriani Wall Street at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 212.967.6900.

AHOY THERE

64 QUEST

HELPING HANDS

SEARCH FOR A CURE

5

A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

MorseLife, a charitable, nonprofit organization offering health care, housing, and support services for

10

LET IT SNOW

The Palm Beach Junior Assembly/ Junior League of the Palm Beaches will celebrate its Snowflake Ball at the Mar-a-Lago Club. For more information, call 917.913.6125.

11

FAMILY HISTORY

Daughters of the American Revolution will hold its Palm Beach chapter’s Christmas Cabaret with the Four Freshmen at the Colony (155 Hammon Avenue) at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 202.628.1776.

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

On December 3, the lighting of the 2014 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will feature special live performances from 7–9 p.m. at Rockefeller Plaza, between West 48th and West 51st streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues. For more information, call 212.332.6868.

The Humane Society of the United States will honor its major donors at a private residence. For more information, call 202.452.1100.

21 FLO ORS FACING THE FUTURE A neighborhood s teeped in his tor y welcomes a contemporar y architec tural s tatement of light and air. Bordering the Financial Dis tric t, 19 Park Place lives on the same block as the cherished Woolwor th Building and the new Four Seasons Hotel. 24 full and half floor residences from one to three bedrooms, ranging from $1,350,000 to $11,995,000. Sales by appointment.

2 1 2 . 3 8 1 . 2 5 1 9 1 9 P P T R I B E C A .C O M E XC LU S I V E M A R K E T I N G & S A L E S

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.

CALENDAR

DECEMBER

On December 29, the 60th International Debutante Ball, sponsored by Piaget, will take place at the Waldorf=Astoria at 7 p.m., where young women of distinction from the United States and abroad will make their bows to society. For more information, call 914.763.3843.

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach will hold its membership luncheon and Ballinger Award presentation at the Breakers at noon. The Ballinger Award commemorates a restoration or renovation that best exemplifies the traditions of Palm Beach’s original houses. For more information, call 304.695.0766.

Palm Beach; Washington D.C.; New York; Chicago; and Miami to help benefit the American Red Cross. For more information, call 561.655.2090.

29

WOMEN OF DISTINCTION

The 60th International Debutante Ball, sponsored by Piaget, will take place at the Waldorf=Astoria

at 7 p.m. This year, young women of distinction from the United States and abroad will make their bows to society. Each debutante will be accompanied by her own escort in white-tie with tails and a military cadet, who will carry the flag of the country or state which the debutante represents. For more information, call 914.763.3843.

The Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach will hold a cocktail reception at the Mar-a-Lago Club at 6 p.m. For more information, call 561.379.6773.

7

The Palm Beach Island Cats will celebrate their annual Cat’s Meow Ball at the Beach Club at 7 p.m. For more information, call 561.317.6209.

CHRISTMAS MELODIES

Now in its 16th season, the Pipes of Christmas will kick off its concert series at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (921 Madison Avenue) at 2 p.m.

Featured performers will include James Robinson, Paul Woodiel, Christopher Layer, Jennifer Port, and Major Kevin Ray Blandford.

For more information, call 561.659.0537.

9

SUPPORTING OUR HEALTH

The Hospice Foundation of Palm Beach will host its 2015 Hospice Evening at the Flagler Museum at 7 p.m. For more information, call 561.655.6611.

10

26

PRETT Y IN PINK

RED CROSS, RED HOT

66 QUEST

MUSICAL MERIT

LOVECATS

20

The Red Cross Beach Bash, sponsored by Lilly Pulitzer, will take place at the Beach Club at 8 p.m. Known as the season’s hottest party, this year’s event will attract young socialites from

JANUARY 6

On December 26, the annual Red Cross Beach Bash, sponsored by Lilly Pulitzer, will take place at the Beach Club (755 N County Road) at 8 p.m. For more information, call 561.655.2090.

Susan G. Komen For the Cure, a breast cancer organization in the United States, will hold its Perfect Pink Party at the Mar-a-Lago Club at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call 561.307.8000.

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N ; CO U RTE S Y O F L I LLY P U L I T Z E R

RESTORATION REWARDS

FUNDING THE BEST MINDS, TO HEAL MINDS.TM

The late, great Oscar de la Renta in his office, 1974.

H A R RY B E N S O N

IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, THERE have been hundreds of tributes to Oscar de la Renta. I can add nothing new to what has been said.

Oscar always dressed impeccably, in the manner of the British aristocracy, and to me, that set him apart from many of the American designers whom I photographed. And when the master couturier succumbed to his long courageous battle with cancer, I decided to go back into my archives to see the photographs I had taken over the years.

I remembered the time in Connecticut with his first wife Franรงoise de Langlade when I was startled by seeing Oscar holding his pet skunk and later galloping on his favorite horse; the time backstage with Christy Turlington in Paris in 1993; and the time in his New York office in 1977, surrounded by his favorite muses, all of whom loved working with Oscar. But I had forgotten the photograph of Oscar nonchalantly leaning on a mannequin in his office in 1974, shown here. He looked so handsome, so young. So this is my tribute to Oscar de la Renta. I think perhaps he would approve. u DECEMBER 2014 69

TA K I

DRESSING THE PART THE LEAVES ARE falling non-stop, like This page: Joe Alsop, whom John Steinbeck called a “justly famous critic of places and events.”

Opposite page, from left: The natty Gay Talese; Princeton University, the setting of This Side of Paradise; the dust jacket cover of the book’s first edition.

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names dropped in Hollywood, and it has suddenly turned colder than the look I got from a very pretty girl in a downtown restaurant. I had gone outside for a cigarette while dining with writer Gay Talese, when two men and a lady came out looking for a cab. The scene was straight out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald story: “I love you, I’ll take you home,” said one of the young men. “I love you more, let me take you home,” said the other. Both were well dressed and spoke proper English. There was nothing else to do but to butt in—so I did. “I love you the most, and I’ve got a car and driver waiting,” I said to her.

That’s when I got the cold stare (although to their credit, the two preppies laughed).

The three of them wandered off into the cold night looking for a taxi. I went back in and had a very good night with Gay and a beautiful African-American model. Such are the joys of the Big Bagel.

Anything can happen at any moment.

Speaking of Fitzgerald, in 2010, a new musical adaptation of his 1920 novel This Side of Paradise opened on 42nd street. I had planned to see it...if I found the girl that gave me the cold look on that freezing night in Soho.

She had looked like an upper-class flapper—a perfect companion for a pre–Jazz Age cocktail, then hitting the Great White Way and enjoying Scott’s autobiographical novel set to music. In a review, I read that the musical takes place in Princeton’s ivied halls, and—if

TA K I

memory serves, I read the novel when I was in prep school—Amory Blaine, the hero, is in hot pursuit of Rosalind and finally gets her at the end. Fitzgerald called himself the romantic egotist in the novel, one that put him on the map at an age when his contemporary, Papa Hemingway, was a starving unknown living in a cold flat in Paris.

We tend to forget how unbearably young and attractive those writers were back before the booze got to them and what perfect manners they affected.

And how well-dressed!

Today’s scribes tend to equate slovenly dress and boorish manners with talent. The aforementioned Gay Talese is an exception, but he is, after all, 83 years of age. Gay is a dandy. During dinner, he recounted how his father, an Italian immigrant who became a tailor, never managed to save any money because he insisted on tailoring beautiful suits with very expensive material few people could afford. (His mother kept the family afloat.) The 30 or more years I’ve known him he’s never without a perfectly cut suit and waistcoat, and always wearing a hat, the way men used to do when manners were still more important than money. One trend I’ve noticed recently, especially on some less-attractive men, is porkpie hats, which they never tip, remove indoors, or in the presence of ladies.

That’s something that Joe Alsop would not have been caught dead doing. Alsop

was an American aristo and a very powerful columnist of my political persuasion.

A relation of Teddy Roosevelt, his Sunday night dinners in Washington, D.C., were more sought after than a White House invite. Joe, whom I met in Greece on a couple of occasions when he covered Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos’s coup d’état, was as charming a cosmopolite as there was on this side of the pond.

He was also a closeted gay man who, when “honey trapped” by the Soviets in Moscow, immediately went to the CIA and told the truth. A sharp dresser, he was obviously envied by lesser hacks for his background and good connections. According to a review by one Louis Menand of a book about the Cold War period when Joe and his brother Stewart reigned supreme in Georgetown: “When he showed up for work at the Herald Tribune in the middle of the Depression, he was wearing a bespoke suit, silk shirt, and hand-sewn shoes from Peal in London.” How to stick the knife in without getting blood on one’s hands, I call it. What’s wrong with wearing a bespoke suit or silk shirt, as the hack intimates? He also writes about an ostentatious air of upper-class refinement that Alsop affected. Well, not to me. Joe liked me and thought I was cute 45 years ago.

He once drank quite a bit in an Athenian taverna and started to look me up and down, and I said to him, “Now, now, Mr Alsop, no funny business. It wouldn’t be fair to Greek girls.” He burst out laugh-

ing and bid me goodnight.

Once upon a time, a poor farmer came to the big city, put on his only suit and his best foot forward. Back then, only criminals, hooligans, and wasters who went out in public dressed like slobs, in order to make spectacles of themselves.

It was also thought of as “unmanly” to display too much emotion. Now, the opposite is true. People dress as badly as possible (I call it “contrived dishevelment”) and cry at the drop of a name.

Looking like homeless bums, letting it all hang out, and openly revealing things one wouldn’t tell a shrink—that’s what modern man is like nowadays. In the meantime, human decency (which in reality is good manners) has gone the way of the dodo bird...whatever that is. u For more Taki, visit takimag.com DECEMBER 2014 71

CANTEENS

PRIMO ITALIANO: PRIMOLA ON SECOND

BY DANIEL CAPPELLO

TRY GOOGLING Primola restaurant, on Second Avenue, and you’ll find yourself on the road to Google Maps, which these days is inserting snippets of the famous Zagat food bible into its search results. “Upscale clubby haunt for Italian fare” is how the ping result reads for Primola, and that is just about right. Primola is a buzzy boîte indeed—merging the Swifty’s social set with the Michael’s media mafia, all wrapped up with an inimitably Italian bonhomie.

The unpretentious yet still upscale staple for Upper East Siders is primo when it comes to reliable Italian food (and

even more reliable people-watching). Bathed in dark woods, proper white tablecloths, and a sea of convivial Croatian waiters, the atmosphere is elegant but electric. Owner Giuliano Zuliani lights up and shouts out to patrons as they throng through the front door. He’s firm but friendly in his assessments on the wait. Even regulars who’ve forgotten to reserve in advance will happily wait it out at the bar, spending up to several hours in anticipation of a table.

The restaurant’s soft white walls are lined with mounted plates (an appropriately Italian touch), as well as 14

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CANTEENS

of the author Linda Fairstein’s book covers, all in frames.

Fairstein’s presence is palpable, as is that of so many other famous names associated with Primola: the Duchess of Marlborough, the Mack brothers (David and William), Frayda and George Lindemann, Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, Leonard Lauder, Julia and David Koch, Lord Charles Spencer Churchill, Leslie Stahl, Liz Smith, literary-agent legend Esther Newberg. Millionaires mill with Hollywood celebs and sports greats alike, yet it still feels

out in succession throughout the night: bresaola slivered exquisitely thin; veals and chickens pounded to perfectly rounded gourmet slenderness; lusciously lobed and dressed arugula leaves; and sides of spaghettis (Saturday night’s spaghetti-and-meatballs special alone could land Primola the title of New York’s best Italian food) and pastas that balanced traditional cooking with just the right amount of inventiveness (a mixed-cheese, cured-beef pasta was calling some diners back for a return visit). At one point, a round of

somewhat like a rarified Cheers—the kind of place where everybody knows your name.

Besides your name, they also all seem to know what you’ll be having. “I’m feeling like a good red,” one diner mused on a recent Saturday night, but before being able to pinpoint his wine, was greeted by a smooth, full-bodied Italian born in Piedmont. His envious dinner partner, herself sipping a perfectly picked prosecco, took one look at the full-bowled glass and exclaimed, “That looks so good, I could swim in it!” Equally swoon-worthy were the plates of food that came

“Happy Birthday” broke out across the room and interrupted conversation everywhere. Still, one of the regulars carried on, shouting over the boisterous outburst. “What?” he said to his companions. “Every night is a birthday at Primola.” u This page: Servers seem to know your name—and what you’ll be drinking; the dinner menu. Opposite page: Warm woods, an impressive reserve of Italian wines, and white-linen tablecloths speak to the upscale yet inviting ambiance. Primola: 1226 Second Avenue (between 64th and 65th streets), 212.758.1775. Dinner every night until 11 p.m.; lunch weekdays.

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CH NA A RMI E TY

THE BEST WAY TO GIVE

BY JOAN CARAGANIS JAKOBSON

I BELIEVE IT’S TIME to rethink our charity lunches and dinners and how we organize them. Most causes are worthy of as much money as they can raise by selling tickets, but the message should be presented in a way that might actually make us want to come back the next year.

Some of the people in charge of these events are apparently saying to themselves, “In order to raise money, we have to make our guests feel miserable from our guilt-inducing stories, then feel ashamed for not contributing enough.” Of course we should be moved by the mission of the charity—but not to the extent that we make a vow never to buy tickets for the next year because the stories of hardship that we’ve had to listen to are so relentlessly depressing.

We know why we’re there and what we are supporting, but the hosts seem to think that their cause can only be thoroughly understood through heartbreakingly sad speeches and videos and thus, our suffering is part of the price of admission. Sympathy and consideration for the human condition are not dependent on experiencing the actual pain. Yes, the organizers have to provide us with a reason to be there and donate to their cause, but in a way that makes us feel hopeful and gratified for trying to help.

And please, do the fundraising appeal before the main event. Don’t badger the guests during dinner to contribute still This page, clockwise from top left: The author, Joan Caraganis Jakobson; charity events should have a brighter tone to encourage giving; Clive Davis, Barbara Bush, and Liz Smith. Opposite page: Childrens choirs are a great way to lend a festive atmosphere for the holidays.

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NAME comics the ones who make us laugh about what scares us the most? Or if you’re working on a tighter budget, get the a cappella singing group from the local high school or nearest college. And if you really want to see your guests again next year, hire a DJ, push the dinner tables close together and have a rock-and-roll dance. Lift us up, don’t bring us down.

Several years ago, a friend was chairing a benefit in a local hotel ballroom for the Stutterering Foundation of America and I was anticipating a long evening of speeches about the hardships of stammering. Instead, there was one short talk to remind us why we were there and then, to everyone’s joy, the Boys Choir of Harlem appeared on the stage and sang their hearts out. We left feeling happy and enthusiastic. We had helped a worthy cause, and certainly looked forward to the next year’s dinner.

Barbara Bush, in a CNN interview, was discussing her Points Of Light charity and being honored at its benefit. “We’re hoping it will be more music and dancing and not too much talking,” she said. “We’re hoping that people will be entertained and will be amused and they won’t say, ‘Oh, not another night.’”

Of course you can make your donors cry, but in a good way.

Make the tears come because your guests have just watched a glee club performance by a group of seventh and eighth graders from a local high school, who not only sang but also used sign language that they learned from a hearing-impaired classmate. Their closing song? “Thank You For The Music.”

Come on, it’s the good tears that bring us back next year. u

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

more by mounting financial charts on a giant screen behind the speaker’s podium. And don’t go from table to table at dinner, promising the guests more balloons for the centerpiece if they make an additional pledge between the salad course and dessert. Let us chat with our dinner partners without interrupting our conversations by promising to put our names up on the television screen if we’ll make another contribution.

When that happens, the guests will feel as if they’re at a dinner party where the annoying host interrupts lively conversations by banging on his glass with a spoon, demanding silence, and insisting that we go around the table and have everyone give an opinion on raising the debt ceiling. We, as patrons, will be layered with guilt for not making another donation. But not enough guilt to get us to come back the following year.

I do have a suggestion to attract more guests for charitable events: Remember that this is not a meeting of the staff or the board of trustees, all of whom are professionally and emotionally involved in the cause. A benefit should be considered similar to having company in one’s living room. You wouldn’t sit your guests down and only tell tales about an alcoholic uncle or a cousin who hasn’t had a job in three years. You would amuse them with uplifting and sometimes funny, interesting stories.

At a charity dinner, one brief but moving speech from the head of the organization to welcome everyone and remind them of the mission is enough.

For entertainment, if you’ve got extensive resources, hire Elton John to sing or Jerry Seinfeld to tell us stories. Aren’t

DECEMBER 2014 00

P E R F O R M I N G A RT S

THE SHOW YOU CANNOT SEE IN CHINA TODAY

MISCHIEVOUS MONKS SAVE the emperor. Courageous generals bring peace and prosperity to their land. Heavenly maidens sow a tapestry of brilliant flowers for the people on earth. These are just some of the stories from China’s authentic, traditional culture—a treasure trove of legends and myths rooted in 5,000 years of history, numerous dynasties, and a fundamental connection to the heavens above.

For thousands of years, Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist beliefs lay at the heart of traditional Chinese culture. The virtues of loyalty, honesty, compassion, and tolerance were lauded across the Celestial Empire, as well as a shared belief that good is rewarded while evil is punished.

Recent history, however, has witnessed an unfortunate change of course.

These tenets, once glorified across the country, have been largely destroyed under the communist rule in China today.

Political movements (like the Cultural Revolution) enveloped society in the fury of fear, burning temples and killing millions who refused to give up their spiritual beliefs. Remarkably, though, the essence of the human spirit could not be extinguished, and many continued to long for a free and meaningful life.

In 2006, a group of Chinese artists who had immigrated to the 76 QUEST

West came together with a wish to revive the authentic, divinely inspired heritage of China. Based in New York, they formed Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Their mission was bound by a common spiritual practice called Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong. This spiritual practice is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and includes gentle exercises, meditation, and teachings based on the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

Upon its introduction to the public in 1992, Falun Dafa was embraced by tens of millions across China and lauded by the Chinese government for its widespread health and mental benefits. By 1999, however, some of the top members of the Communist Party began to feel threatened by the growing popularity of the practice and how it epitomized traditional Chinese culture—the very culture they were trying to suppress. They thus instigated a brutal persecution, leading to an onslaught of illegal imprisonment, torture, and deaths of Falun Dafa practitioners across China. This brutality has continued to this day, largely hidden behind the state-controlled media.

While Falun Dafa practitioners in China continue to suffer horrific abuse, the Communist regime has also extended its persecution outside of China, which includes harassing Falun

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Shen Yun in New York January 2015

“Inspirational. It was wonderful.”

—DaviD h. Koch, executive vice PresiDent Koch inDustries

oF

Scenes from Shen Yun’s magical performances.

Dafa practitioners and Shen Yun artists through various means even within the U.S. In contrast, Shen Yun has not only flourished but has also been warmly welcomed in cities around the world. Shen Yun’s mesmerizing choreography, exquisite costumes, animated backdrops, and original orchestral scores have won critical acclaim all over the world, with sold-out shows at Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and many more. Yet, the company is still not allowed to perform in China, where the Communist regime continues to suppress authentic, divinely inspired Chinese culture that Shen Yun celebrates on stage.

Artists in ancient China believed that to create true beauty worthy of the heavens, one must cultivate great virtue and the purity of mind and heart. Today, Shen Yun’s artists follow this noble tradition in their craft and daily lives.

This winter, Shen Yun returns with a brand-new world tour to share its inspiration with audiences once more. u

“Mesmerizing! Reclaiming the divinely inspired cultural heritage of China.”

—Donna Karan, Fashion Designer

Shen Yun will perform at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on January 9-18. For more information, please visit ShenYun.com/NYC or call 800.818.2393.

DECEMBER 2014 77

GOODWILL

GIVING BACK ACROSS CONTINENTS Gandhi’s coffee-table book, Giving Back, which will be and founder Meera Gandhi, is now five years old and is launched in major cities throughout India.

On March 19, 2014, the Giving Back Foundation held its making great strides and seeing some new and fulfilling developments in its charitable outreach. With philanthropy now very first annual gala fundraiser at the Pierre Hotel. Barbara addressing global issues, bridging continents makes much Tober, Museum of Arts and Design’s chairman emerita and chairman of its Global Leadership more effective use of people, serCouncil, and Nimesh Kampani, vices, resources, and timely actions. chairman of JM Financial, were the Says Meera Gandhi, “Education is evening’s honorees. Actor/director the right of every human being. Each Phylicia Rashad was the emcee for of us should have the ability to betthe gala, which was well-attended by ter ourselves through education. The a large and enthusiastic New York Giving Back Foundation was created crowd. The gala was featured on to ensure that, through the best of our four television outlets and received ability, this will happen.” This importcoverage in the New York Times, ant point of view supports the foundaamong other news outlets. Among tion’s motto: “We are to the universe the co-chairs for the event were only as much as we give back to it.” singer Priyanka Chopra, designer In India, the ongoing total care Elizabeth Emanuel, CNN’s Alisyn that the foundation provides — Camerota, His Highness Maharaja including food and shelter of Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodphur, St. Michael’s School for Girls in actor Tim Blake Nelson, Inside New Delhi—continues to uplift Edition’s Deborah Norville, Olympic the young students. In the United gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, and States, the support and education of Arshad Zakaria. young women and the arts involves In New York City, Meera Gandhi’s five-year commitments to several home is the historic Eleanor Roosevelt worthwhile organizations, including This page: Meera Gandhi is the CEO and founder of House on the Upper East Side leadership programs for young girls The Giving Back Foundation. Opposite page: Meera (Eleanor Roosevelt’s last home). The and grants to immigrant college stubelieves in the importance of education for all. ever-energetic Meera has also recently dents in Manhattan. In the United Kingdom, the foundation continues its enthusiastic support and lovingly restored the Gandhi home, “Ledgewood on the of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, and is now Hudson,” an historic 1796 colonial property and acreage in involved with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation; the Hyde Park in the Hudson Valley of New York.

The second annual Giving Back Foundation Gala will be Zoological Society of London in its quest to save the Asian lion; the Harrow School, to which it donated a brand-new, held at the Pierre on April 15, 2015. Tickets are available by state-of-the-art telescope; and the British Red Cross. The contacting ellen@thegivingbackfoundation.net, or visitingtheyear 2015 will see the new updated Indian edition of Meera givingbackfoundation.net. u

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R A M S H E R G I LL

THE GIVING BACK FOUNDATION, established by CEO

NAME

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

“Education is the right of every human being. Each of us should have the ability to better ourselves through education.”

MONTH 2013 00

OPEN HOUSE

MELANIE DELMAN: THE KEYS TO RHODE ISLAND same level of attention, spending time getting to know people. She was the opposite of “cookie cutter”—a true individual.

Melanie Delman, Kimberly Doherty, and Catherine Gazder of Lila Delman Real Estate International.

ESTABLISHED IN 1964, Lila Delman Real Estate International serves the state of Rhode Island—from Newport and Narragansett to Jamestown and Watch Hill to Providence and Block Island— and beyond. Here, Quest speaks with president Melanie Delman: Q: Tell us about the beginnings of Lila Delman Real Estate International.

A: I believe my mother, Lila Delman, was a Renaissance woman. She was ahead of her time, opening a non-smoking real estate office in 1964. Her office was decorated with antiques and unusual artifacts, reflecting her love for anything unique; it was not your typical sales environment. Lila had a wonderful talent as a matchmaker of people and properties, making her a natural in the business. To me, she was a pioneer.

Q: What was it like to grow up with a realtor for a mother?

A: My best and most cherished memory of my mother was how she greeted people. Her curiosity and interest were genuine and she treated everyone with the 80 QUEST

Q: How has Lila Delman Real Estate International evolved with the times?

A: It has been full speed ahead since the days of my mother working from the playroom of our house in a time when a handshake sealed the deal. We’ve grown to six offices in strategic locations to best serve our clients. We have designed an award-winning website and developed a marketing department with a dedicated digital communications staff.

I enjoy collaborating with our talented associates. I look forward to carrying on the Lila Delman culture for many years to come.

Q: Why is Rhode Island so attractive to buyers?

A: Rhode Island’s unique offering of rich history and natural beauty has historically made it attractive to those who could live anywhere in the world. Rhode Island has a tidal shoreline of 384 miles, offering endless opportunities for water sport and enjoyment while providing access to New York and Boston. Newport hosts world-renowned music festivals while serving as home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a variety of regattas. It is this incredible quality of life that leads many second-home buyers to eventually make Rhode Island their main base. Personally, I never grow tired of the beautiful shoreline with white sand beaches separated by a spectacular and protective rocky coast. u For more information, contact Melanie Delman of Lila Delman Real Estate International at 401.284.4820 or melanie.delman@liladelman.com.

Melanie Delman, president and broker of Lila Delman Real Estate International.

This page, clockwise from above: Seafair in Newport, R.I. ($19 million); the Lila Delman corporate office; Salt Acres in Stonington, Conn. ($13.75 million).

Lila Delman Real Estate International boasts a local legacy with an international reach, licensed in Rhode Island as well as Connecticut and Massachusetts.

DECEMBER 2014 81

R E A L E S TAT E

BISCAYNE BEACH—the 399-unit condominium development to be completed in December 2016, located in the heart of East Edgewater in Miami—is partnering with New York–based Bonhams Auction House to display “The Art Of Fashion” during Art Basel 2014 in December. The popup exhibition includes photography by David LaChapelle, Frank Horvat, Kelly Klein, Miles Aldridge, and Irving Penn, which echoes the aesthetic and culture of Biscayne Beach and its Thom Filicia–designed features. (Following the exhibition, the works will return to New York, where they will be sold to bidders at Bonhams Auction House.)

“We chose Biscayne Beach as our first Miami presence partly due to the thousands of local and international guests that visit the area during Art Basel,” says Jon King of Bonhams Auction House. “It’s the perfect location to debut our collection of contemporary art with a cosmpolitan edge.”

The partnership between Biscayne Beach and Bonhams

Auction House is the answer for Miami, which continues to be abuzz with a demand for real estate and an enthusiasm for art.

“As the winter season kicks off, we wanted to bring our real estate project and the art world together for a one-ofa-kind preview auction exhibition that ties the two worlds,” says Reid Boren of Eastview Development Group on behalf of Biscayne Beach. “Both have a great impact on the city of Miami and we are excited to showcase some of the leading contemporary fashion photographers at our Biscayne Beach Sales Center.”

A reception will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on December 3, with “The Art Of Fashion” running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 4–7, at 245 NE 30th Street in Miami, Florida. u For more information on Biscayne Beach in Miami, Florida, please visit biscaynebeachresidences.com.

CO U RTE S Y O F B I S C AY N E B E AC H

BUZZ AT BISCAYNE BEACH

This page, clockwise from above: Views of the Atlantic Ocean from a penthouse in Biscayne Beach; a duplex, with interiors by designer Thom Filicia; a bedroom that presides over East Edgewater—and beyond. Opposite page, clockwise from above: A pool with some privacy; the bathrooms feature state-of-the-art amenities; sunrise or sunset, Biscayne Beach is the place to be.

DECEMBER 2014 83

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

BY DANIEL CAPPELLO

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MAKE A LIST. Check it twice. Then check it against our finds for the season—with something for everyone, from shimmering golds for her and cool-hued blues for him. From stocking stuffers to statement gifts, we’ve found it all.

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This page: 1. She’ll get misty-eyed when she unwraps Stuart Weitzman’s Gemma clutch in misty gems. $795 at select Stuart Weitzman boutiques and at stuartweitzman.com. 2. Make the season sweeter with delicacies from La Maison du Chocolat’s Wonders of Christmas limited-edition gift box. Three sizes, from $49–110: 1018 Madison Ave., 212.744.7117.

3. Malin + Goetz offers a packaged trio of their best-selling candles in a holiday box, including the Dark Rum and Tobacco scents (pictured) and Vetiver (not shown). $40 for all three: 1266-B Madison Ave., 212.328.9347. 4. Reiss offers up a bouquet of holiday offerings, including these Peony sandals in rose gold. $265: 309–313 Bleecker St., 212.488.2411.

Opposite page: 1. Necklines will rejoice at the sight of Roberto Coin’s Black Jade large pendant in 18-kt. rose gold with diamonds. $6,700 at Neiman Marcus stores. 2. Carry fall’s foliage with you through winter with Verdura’s extraordinary Maple Leaf brooch in gold and colored stones. $58,500: 745 Fifth Ave., Suite 1205, 212.758.3388, or verdura.com. 3. Carolina Herrera knows how to dress ladies for all occasions—especially the holidays, in this two-tone Daisy jacquard sleeveless dress. $2,690: 954 Madison Ave., 212.249.6552.

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2

1. Hueb’s Chameleon earrings in white gold, red onyx, and diamonds.

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$6,040: 717 Madison Ave., 212.486.2890. 2. Handmade and -painted slate-engraved Christmas Pewter Art molds (Christmas Eve scene, $125; Nutcracker, $75) at Scully & Scully make a most unique gift: 504 Park Ave., 212.755.2590. 3. First Harbor Company reinvents the wreath in classic New England style.

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$75 at firstharborcompany.com. 4. Bloomingdale’s stocks the Father Christmas and Rudolph Reindeer ornaments filled with truffles from legendary London chocolatier Prestat. $22 per bauble: 800.232.1854.

5. Settle in to Timothy Oulton’s Bandaged armchair in Vintage Union Jack. $2,200 at ABC Carpet & Home, 646.602.3273. 6. Send thank-yous on handengraved Christmas tree cards by Pickett’s Press. $45 for set of 10 at pickettspress.com.

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1. Casa de Campo’s Spring, Sports & Savings package includes a fourth night free and $100 sport credit, so book now: 800.877.3643. 2. Get carried away with Cartier’s Jeanne Toussaint tote bag in palladium and red obsidian. $14,800 by calling 800.CARTIER. 3. Tabula Rasa’s Albion cushion makes a cushy gift. $515 at tabularasa-ny.com. 4. They’ll snuggle up to the Happyeti bear hat from Crewcuts by J.Crew. $55 at jcrew.com. 5. Wempe’s Corolle BY KIM ring in rose gold and antique-cut praziolite sparkles all season. $5,645 by calling 212.397.9000. 6. Step it up in Michael Kors’ Warren wedge sandal. $150 at select Michael Kors lifestyle stores. 7. Get dressed up in Dennis Basso’s linen lace embroidered gown (price upon request) and gray mink jacket ($9,500): 825 Madison Ave., 212.794.4500.

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 5 DECEMBER 2014 87

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

1. Stand out in Hunter’s Original Reversible Beanie in neon and

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chartreuse wool. $60 at hunterboots.com.

2. Emilio Pucci is celebrating six fashionable cities of the world with a new line of silk scarves, like this one, adorned in honor of Florence. $375 at emiliopucci.com.

3. With 12 grams of protein and only 110 calories per bottle, it’s no wonder Botan’s vegetable protein beverages—in three different flavors—are a hit among Hollywood celebs.

Available at drinkbotan.com. 4. Nothing says “I love you” like Elsa Peretti’s Open Heart pendant for Tiffany & Co. in gold and green jade. $3,000 at tiffany.com. 5. Surprise the family with an escape to the Italian countryside and a stay at Toscana Resort Castelfalfi. For details, visit castelfalfi.it. 6. A makeup-bag essential, Tory Burch’s Face Brush makes bronzer and blush a breeze. $48 at toryburch.com.

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1 1. Eric Javits’ scratchproof Italian calf pouch in pewter is a foolproof gift. $345 at ericjavits.com.

2. Fairchild Baldwin’s Bella necklace goes effortlessly from day to night. $395 at fairchildbaldwin.com. 3. Patek Philippe’s Ladies Calatrava in rose gold ($29,300) is ultra-thin and ultra-chic. Visit patekphilippe.com for authorized retailers. 4. Oscar de la Renta recently renovated the villas at Puntacana Resort & Club’s Tortuga Bay (tortugabayhotel.com), making them a stylish choice for a holiday getaway. 5. Go for gold with Sandi Miller Burrows’ hammered yellow gold bangle bracelet with diamond monogram ($25,300) and

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RickRack polished yellow gold bracelet ($29,000), available by calling 212.996.6217.

6. Midinette slipper in gold from Belgian Shoes. $375 at belgianshoes.com. 7. MOSCOT’s special-edition Mensch shades in vintage gold are available exclusively at MOSCOT stores and at Dover Street Market NY (646.837.7750).

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1. When Art Meets Design, by Hunt Slonem, $75: assouline.com. 2. The World We Create: A Message of Hope for a Planet in Peril, by Frances Beinecke, $24.95: rowman.com. 3. Elsie de Wolfe’s Paris, by Charlie Scheips, $50: abramsbooks.com. 4. What Jackie Taught Us, by Tina Santi Flaherty (Commemorative Edition), $25: penguin.com. 5. The Social Climber’s Bible, by Dirk Wittenborn and Jazz Johnson, $20: penguin.com. 6. The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson, by Joseph A. Califano, Jr. (reprinted edition), $30: simonandschuster.com. 7. Almonds: Recipes, History, and Culture, by Barbara Bryant and Betsy Fentress, $21.99: gibbs-smith.com. 8. Palm Beach People, by Harry Benson and Hilary Geary Ross, $85: powerhousebooks.com.

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GIVE THE GIFT OF

50%off subscriptions: $48 for one year, $75 for two years.

For more information, please email: info@questmag.com.

1. Puiforcat’s backgammon set is the ultimate in luxury gaming. $35,000: 855.240.9740. 2. Saint-Louis Thistle 100 Year Anniversary Vase in

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gold. $5,300: 855.240.9740. 3. Get a retro gift in Ball and Buck x SOTA’s Moonbeam turntable. $1,098 at ballandbuck.com. 4. Box up a delectable offering of chocolates from beloved New York confectioner MarieBelle: 484 Broome St., 212.925.6999. 5. The Brilliance Tungsten carpet in 100% silk is one of Tufenkian’s most luxurious handcrafted creations. Price upon request: 212.475.2475.

6. A pair of solid carved marble Roman emperor busts—of Marcus Aurelius (pictured) and Lucius Verus—adds an air of authority to any home. $65,000 (pair): William R. Eubanks, Palm Beach, 561.805.9335.

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1 1. Morning espresso sings in support of the Metropolitan Opera with the Musical Notes espresso set. $24 for two sets (saucer pictured), at metoperashop.org. 2. Let diptyque fill your home with scents of the season: Résine and Hiver mini candles. $34 each at diptyqueparis.com. 3. Lalique + Caran d’Ache’s black Coutard fountain pen in ceramic, silver, and crystal. $4,000: 609 Madison Ave., 212.355.6550. 4. Allow French Presse to clean and care for all of your luxury linen needs: 917.864.9711 or sarah@frenchpresse.com.

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5. Spruce up the study with Atelier Delalain’s Bertrand desk. $12,880: 917.328.5896.

6. Give someone a rest on Virginia Johnson’s Indigo Ikat and Black Zig Zag pillows. $70 each at virginiajohnson.com. 7. Christofle’s Oh de Christofle collection takes cocktail hour to new heights: champagne cooler ($490), fruit bowl ($570), ice bucket ($390). At christofle.com.

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1. Not your mother’s pearls: Hirotaka’s Akoya pearl arrow earrings in 10-kt. yellow gold offer a fun new take on the jewel of the sea. $320 (pair) at hiro-taka.com.

2. When the elements strike, don’t settle for the ubiquitous black umbrella—pick up Fortuny’s colorful answer to mother nature. $450 at shop.fortuny.com or 212.753.7153. 3. Put a fashionable foot forward in the sparkle platinum Sabrina pump by Oscar de la Renta. $770 at Oscar de la Renta Madison Avenue, 212.288.5810. 4. The Grand Tourista Scarf by Jason Wu for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts celebrates the upcoming opening of The St. Regis Istanbul—and well-dressed travelers everywhere. $195: jasonwustudio.com or stregis.com/boutique.

5. Get a glimmering swagger on with Giorgio Armani’s gold leather handbag on your arm. $995 at Giorgio Armani boutiques nationwide.

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PRIVATE BROKERAGE & ADVISORS

Springhurst Stone Manor -

Incredible old-world architecture carefully converted to phenomenal country house. Beautifully-scaled rooms with high ceilings, exposed beams and original barn doors.

Impressive 40’ x 26’ Living Room. Formal Dining Room. Renovated Kitchen. Former milking room converted to whimsical Wine Cellar. Four/Five Bedrooms. Four pastoral acres with Pool, Cottage and Barns.$2,995,000

Sugar Hill Farm - 24 glorious acres with two private lakes. Magnificent 1700’s Colonial beautifully updated and expanded. Wide board floors, handhewn beams, extensive built-ins and five fireplaces. Incredible Great Room with 30’ beamed ceiling, herringbone floors, fireplace, pine paneling and wet bar. Five Bedrooms. Professional Home Theater featured in the Robb Report.

Pool. Pool House. Tennis Court. Two Cottages. Barn. Orchard. $3,350,000

Stunning Ivy-Covered Stucco - The grandeur of the past! Grace- 1929 Stone Manor - Fabulous Croton setting with incredible distant ful lines and perfect proportions. Carefully sited to bask in a sunny, southern exposure. Majestic Stucco Manor with high ceilings and substantial millwork.

Elegant Entrance Hall. Formal Living and Dining Rooms. Five Bedrooms.

Professional Home Theater. 2000-bottle Wine Cellar. Four landscaped acres in desirable neighborhood of country estates. Private Pool with Spa. $2,950,000

views of the Hudson Highlands! Majestic Stone Manor rich in period charm. Spacious Living Room with Fireplace and Dining Area. Incredible stone-walled Sun Room. Five Bedrooms. Central air. Gated drive to thirteen acres with babbling brook, rolling lawns, spectacular trees and stone walls and terraces. Pool. The quintessential country estate. $1,149,000

Stunning & Stately -

Tally Ho Farm - In the heart of horse country. Incredible access to the

Impressive Stone and Clapboard Colonial with over 8000 square feet of impeccably finished living space. Elegant Entrance Hall. Beautifully-appointed Living Room. Formal Dining Room.

Country Kitchen open to Family Room with Fireplace. Five Bedrooms.

Fabulous Bonus Room. Recreation Room, Billiard Room, Gym and Wine Cellar. Over four acres in top Mount Holly estate area. $2,599,000

(914) 234-9234

finest of the Bedford Riding Lanes trails in a foremost estate area. Charming Turn-of-the-Century Farmhouse with rocking chair porch, wideboard floors and period details. Side Hall Entry. Sun-filled Living Room with Fireplace and built-in shelves. Nearly five acres with paddocks and 70’ x 120’ riding ring.

Four stall Barn with heated tack room, hayloft and carriage barn. $1,495,000

493 BEDFORD CENTER RD, BEDFORD HILLS, NY SPECIALIZING IN THE UNUSUAL FOR OVER 60 YEARS

WWW.GINNEL.COM

QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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1. Pack and go with Ghurka’s handsome Blazer No. 278 in vintage chestnut leather. $1,395 at ghurka.com. 2. Sporty chic: the blue-gray Lusso hat in custom buffalo plaid by Goorin Bros. $35 at goorin.com. 3. Bronson van Wyck’s collaboration with Arrowhead Farms has resulted in the first-ever bottling of the famous Bloody Mary cocktail from The St. Regis New York: $28 at stregis.com/boutique.

4. It’s time to offer him Rolex’s Cellini Time in 18-kt. Everose gold with double bezel and brown leather strap. $15,200: rolex.com. 5. Treat the family to America’s finest family plantation, Pine Creek Sporting Club, offering quail, pheasant, and dove hunting on private ranch compounds: 561.346.9365. 6. Ralph Lauren Purple Label is the epitome of refined and casual elegance alike: dark charcoal cashmere sweatpants ($1,695), crewneck sweater ($1,695), and topcoat ($6,995), all at select Ralph Lauren stores.

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1. Barton Perreira’s Breed Love sunglasses in navy snake leather and polarized gradient-mirror lenses redefine the meaning of cool. $525 at Neiman Marcus. 2. Suede detailing distinguishes Ascot Chang’s merino wool v-neck gray sweater. $185 at ascotchang.com. 3. The preppy elves at Stubbs & Wootton have crafted these navy wool Christmas Gnome slippers just for you. $495 at stubbsandwootton.com. 4. Known for luxurious cashmeres, Brunello Cucinelli also offers affordably dapper stocking stuffers, like this cotton pocket square. $130: 379 Bleecker St.,

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212.627.9202. 5. The Land Rover LR4 SCV6 is a return to classic form for the ultimate British SUV luxury brand. Visit landroverusa.com for delearships.

6. Purchase a home at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach, and give the gift of tropical modern living: TheResidencesMiamiBeach.com

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or 305.953.9500.

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1. The New England shores beckon even in winter at the five-star, five-diamond Ocean House resort: 888.552.2588.

2. Nina Griscom, known for her style on the scene, introduces a handbag line, including the pebbled-leather Lily bag with calfskin gussets and horn zipper pulls.

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$1,800 at ninagriscom.com. 3. LJ Cross white gold and diamond cobblestone crosses. $54,000: 994 Madison Ave., 212.472.5050.

4. Fashion label Veronica Beard just keeps getting better, and this navy mesh zip dress and metallic wovenfoil swing coat prove it. Visit veronicabeard.com for more. 5. Think you know New York?

Get your game on with “I Know New York”: $29.99 at iknownewyork.com. 6. Wrap up with Charlotte Kellogg’s black and white cashmere knit scarf. $350: 561.820.2407. 7. Your ears will thank you for Elie Tahari’s Parker hat in shearling and lamb fur. $298 at elietahari.com.

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ROBERTA.McCAFFREYREALTY ROBERTA.McCAFFREYREALTY Garrison • Cold Spring, NY • 60 Mins NYC Westchester,Putnam,DutchessMLS Garrison • Cold Spring, NY • 60 Mins NYC Westchester,Putnam,DutchessMLS

143MainStreet,ColdSpring,NY10516 143MainStreet,ColdSpring,NY10516 Tel:845.265.4113•www.mccaffreyrealty.com Tel:845.265.4113•www.mccaffreyrealty.com info@mccaffreyrealty.com info@mccaffreyrealty.com

GARRISON, NY – In addition to stunning Hudson River views, this spacious home, a mix of traditional and contemporary style, offers peace and privacy on 9.12 acres. The open living/dining room features 20 foot ceiling, a soaring stone fireplace and wall of windows. The generous kitchen includes a more informal dining area and access to the screened porch.

Outdoors, expansive decks provide the ideal spot to relax and enjoy the calming mountain and river views. Offered at $1,999,000.

GARRISON, NY - Enjoy the ultimate in condo living in THE CASTLE, a well-known landmark high above the Hudson River. This luxurious 2 floor, 2 bedroom unit offers breathGARRISON, NY - Enjoy the ultimate in condo living in THE CASTLE, a well-known taking views from Bear Mountain Bridge to Newburgh Bay. It has huge open rooms, 12 to 15 landmark high above the Hudson River. This luxurious 2 floor, 2 bedroom unit offers breathfoot ceilings, 4 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen, and sumptuous baths. It also offers outdoor spaces, taking views from Bear Mountain Bridge to Newburgh Bay. It has huge open rooms, 12 to 15 central air conditioning, and garaging for 2 cars. Offered at $2,999,999 foot ceilings, 4 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen, and sumptuous baths. It also offers outdoor spaces, central air conditioning, and garaging for 2 cars. Offered at $2,999,999

EAST FISHKILL, Dutchess County, NY - Wiccopee House. Circa 1894, this beautiful estate on 17.6 acres, includes the 7000 square foot Georgian style main house featuring EAST FISHKILL, Dutchess County, NY - Wiccopee House. Circa 1894, this beau6 bedrooms, gleaming wood floors, multiple fireplaces, period details and a gourmet tiful estate on 17.6 acres, includes the 7000 square foot Georgian style main house featuring kitchen. Additional features include a 100’ x 30’ barn with a 2 bedroom apartment, pad6 bedrooms, gleaming wood floors, multiple fireplaces, period details and a gourmet dock, pool, and tennis court. Offered at $2,495,000 kitchen. Additional features include a 100’ x 30’ barn with a 2 bedroom apartment, paddock, pool, and tennis court. Offered at $2,495,000

GARRISON, NY - Spacious and open country home with fabulous HUDSON RIVER VIEWS to the west and north to Storm King Mt and Newburgh Bay. The living room features GARRISON, NY - Spacious and open country home with fabulous HUDSON RIVER cathedral ceiling and stone fireplace, and all living areas enjoy the views and access to stone terVIEWS to the west and north to Storm King Mt and Newburgh Bay. The living room features races. 4 bedrooms and 2 ½ baths, includes huge master suite privately located on its own level. cathedral ceiling and stone fireplace, and all living areas enjoy the views and access to stone terThe in-ground pool and cabana further enhance the 5.6 acre property. Offered at $1,995,000 races. 4 bedrooms and 2 ½ baths, includes huge master suite privately located on its own level.

The in-ground pool and cabana further enhance the 5.6 acre property. Offered at $1,995,000

COLD SPRING, NY - Masterfully designed contemporary offers massive two story entry, living room and dining room sharing a grand floor to ceiling stone fireplace, large COLD SPRING, NY - Masterfully designed contemporary offers massive two story chef’s kitchen and 4 bedrooms. Walls of French doors lead to deck cantilevered over rushentry, living room and dining room sharing a grand floor to ceiling stone fireplace, large ing mountain stream. Delightful details and high quality materials are evident throughout chef’s kitchen and 4 bedrooms. Walls of French doors lead to deck cantilevered over rushthe home which is sited on almost 5 acres. Offered at $1,875,000 ing mountain stream. Delightful details and high quality materials are evident throughout the home which is sited on almost 5 acres. Offered at $1,875,000

GARRISON, NY - Courtside. This rustic stone barn, whose distinctive architecture sets it apart from the ordinary, has been converted into 10,000 square feet of luxurious GARRISON, NY - Courtside. This rustic stone barn, whose distinctive architecture living space. The home features large public rooms, country kitchen, 7-8 bedrooms and sets it apart from the ordinary, has been converted into 10,000 square feet of luxurious a separate 2 bedroom apartment. The beautifully landscaped 4 acre property also offers living space. The home features large public rooms, country kitchen, 7-8 bedrooms and a tennis court and gunite pool. Offered at $1,650,000 a separate 2 bedroom apartment. The beautifully landscaped 4 acre property also offers a tennis court and gunite pool. Offered at $1,650,000

Putnam Valley, NY - Lovely country retreat on almost 5 acres. This C. 1935 home offers 4356 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, 2 working fireplaces, hardwood floors, and numerous Putnam Valley, NY - Lovely country retreat on almost 5 acres. This C. 1935 home offers window seats, nooks and crannies for added character. The glorious backyard features an in4356 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, 2 working fireplaces, hardwood floors, and numerous ground pool with spa and sizeable barbeque and patio area. The property also includes a forwindow seats, nooks and crannies for added character. The glorious backyard features an inmer dairy barn and pond. Offered at $1,300,000 ground pool with spa and sizeable barbeque and patio area. The property also includes a former dairy barn and pond. Offered at $1,300,000

COLD SPRING, NY – This magnificent cedar home, designed and built

by Robert Filipek, sits on a natural plateau that provides extraordinary mountain views. The home is built in three sections, linked by glass walled corridors. The center section houses the great room, a sweeping space with cathedral ceiling and centerpiece fireplace. An expansive deck surrounds the house, pool and spa with views of mountain ranges as backdrop. Offered at $1,999,000.

COLD SPRING, NY – One level modern home, designed to maximize indoor/outdoor living, is sited on 5.75 lush woodland acres. The energy efficient passive solar design features open living/dining/kitchen area with 25 feet of glass wall that fully opens to screened patio and provides abundant light and woodland views from every room. The 3200 SF home is designed for low maintenance, but is convenient to shopping and train. Offered at $1,350,000.

Member of Westchester/Putnam, MLS • Mid-Hudson MLS (Dutchess County) Greater Hudson Valley MLS • (Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Sullivan Counties) Member of Westchester/Putnam, MLSand • Mid-Hudson MLSmany (Dutchess County) Greaterand Hudson • (Orange, Ulster, Sullivan Counties) For more information on these other listings, with full brochures floor Valley plans, MLS visit our website:Rockland, www.mccaffreyrealty.com For more information on these and other listings, many with full brochures and floor plans, visit our website: www.mccaffreyrealty.com

SEASON’S GREETINGS PRODUCED BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

“Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty; it was the season of hospitality, merriment, and open-heartedness; the old year was preparing, like an ancient philosopher, to call his friends around him, and amidst the sound of feasting and revelry to pass gently and calmly away.” —Charles DiCkens

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“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” —Dale evans

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“Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” —Washington irving

GROWING UP WITH CHRISTMAS IN HOLLYWOOD

BY MARIA COOPER JANIS,

WHEN I WAS A SMALL CHILD, we lived in Brentwood on Chaparral Street, just above Sunset Boulevard. My parents had bought eight acres of what was originally lemon, grapefruit, and avocado groves, and built a house with a tennis court and a swimming pool. They kept most of the trees, so we had fresh fruit. We also had a large garden where they grew corn and tomatoes. During World War II, it was turned into a victory garden where we grew a lot of vegetables. We had a lot of chickens, too (my mother raised Rhode Island Reds), so we always had a lot of fresh eggs. There were also a couple of ducks and a big tortoise as well as a kennel, where they raised Sealyham terriers before I was born.

The neighborhood was a little enclave of friends who also worked in the film industry. Tyrone Power and his wife, Annabella, lived across the road, as did Keenan Wynn and his 106 QUEST

wife, Evie (who later married Van Johnson). Frank Capra and his wife lived at the end of the road. Across from him was the director William Wellman, and next door was film director, Watson Webb (editor’s note: Watson Webb was the son of Electra Havemeyer Webb and grandson of sugar baron Henry Havemeyer). Also next to them was Cesar Romero, and next to him was Laurence Olivier.

As a small child, you knew it was Christmas when you saw Santa Claus driving his eight reindeer on a giant display arching over Wilshire Boulevard. Then, the Pitch and Put, the local golf range on Sepulveda Boulevard in Westwood, would suddenly be filled up with Christmas trees.

I would go with my father and my mother to pick one out.

We’d take it home and put it up right away, although it was never decorated until Christmas Eve, after I had gone to bed.

RO B E RT C A PA

A S TOLD TO DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

This page: Gary Cooper and Maria Cooper Janis leaving Sun Valley to catch a bus ride to the bottom of Baldy Mountain, 1948. Opposite page: Gary Cooper and Veronica Balfe get Maria Cooper Janis’s pitching arm ready.

(I never saw it with its lights and Christmas balls until the following morning.) I knew Santa Claus was coming, however, and so we set out milk and cookies for him.

On my first Christmas—when I was old enough to speak, probably around three or four—I came out into the living room and my first words on seeing the decorated tree, according to my parents, were: “Well, I’ll be goddamned...!”

Everyone thought it was very funny.

Once, I was taken to I. Magnin & Company to visit Santa 108 QUEST

Claus, but I hated meeting Santa and sitting on his lap. I hated dolls, too. One of my first presents was a bicycle. I was about six. We took it outside and my father taught me how to ride it, running along beside me down Chaparral Street to the Capras’ house. I remember the freedom I felt for the first time riding it.

A couple of years later, I wanted a horse, because all of my girlfriends had horses. That matter was couched in a discussion with my mother about learning to anticipate that you don’t always get everything you want when you want it. “You have to learn to wait.” I was told I could have a horse when I was 14, but by that time I couldn’t have cared less.

When I was older, the tree became part of a Christmas Eve party, and I was allowed to attend and be part of the decorating process. It was always a family Christmas. There would be one or two couples, including my maternal great-uncles: Cedric Gibbons (who was the art director and production designer at MGM Studios) with his wife, Hazel Brooks, and Elliot Gibbons (who was married to Irene, the costume designer at MGM Studios).

On Christmas morning, we’d go to mass at Saint Martin of Tours, which was right next door on the corner of Sunset and Saltaire.

Another family Christmas tradition: On New Year’s Day, when we were in Los Angeles, we’d go down to Santa Monica and hit the ocean for a swim. The water was about 52 or 53 degrees. Brrr! Wearing our bathing suits under terry-cloth bathrobes, we could take the dogs with us and park anywhere.

We warmed up by running in the surf and throwing sticks for the dogs. Then we’d hit the water. After a few minutes, we were back in our warm, dry bathrobes, taking off our suits, jumping into the car, and driving back home. It was a kind of rite of passage: You were tough enough to swim on New Year’s Day.

This page, clockwise from top: An aerial view of the house Maria Cooper Janis’s parents built in Brentwood; Gary Cooper and Ernest Hemingway in Sun Valley, 1940; Gary Cooper barbecuing for Maria Cooper Janis and Pia Lindstrom (far right). Opposite page: Gary Cooper and Maria Cooper Janis packing a snowball atop Mount Baldy, Idaho (above); more fun in the snow (below).

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Often we’d go to Sun Valley for Christmas or right after, my father’s shooting schedule permitting. Sun Valley was more colorful and unusual. There were hayrides with horses in big sleighs with bales of hay and lots of blankets. Everyone would travel by horse and sleigh to meet up at Trail Creek Cabin, about a mile up the valley from the lodge. That’s where all the big, fun parties were held.

Christmas Eve would begin with a sleigh ride out to Trail Creek Cabin for dinner. Afterward, we’d go to midnight mass in the opera house, where they also ran the movies. On those clear winter nights, the sky was so close down upon you—the beauty of nature (“Did you see the Christmas star?”)—and having a mother and father on either side of you kept you warm. Outside, after mass, with no ambient lights, you could just grab the stars.

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Sometimes they’d keep me out of school for a few days so I could be with my parents when they were on vacation. They put me in Ketchum grade school for a month while my father went hunting and fishing with Hemingway, my mother and I would go skiing. He also would go off and meet friends like Bud Purdy, who had a big, big ranch. My father would be out there all day or go down to Twin Falls and hang out in the local coffee shop. He had grown up in Montana and so this part of the country was most homelike for him.

Christmas was always a day of love—that’s what it was for me, not about how high the gifts were piled under the tree.

What obviously was a very special life was normal for me, as it was all I knew. We loved doing simple things together as a family and with friends. The “Hollywood Stars” were just my parents’ pals. It was a day of love and of, somehow, real joy. u

This page: Maria Cooper Janis, the budding Olympic racer (above); the family’s grapefruit-eating boxer, Arno, tries to plant a sloppy kiss on Gary Cooper.

Opposite page: Maria Cooper Janis and Gary Cooper share a New Year’s Eve dance at Trail Creek Cabin, 1950s.

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CO U RTE S Y O F

YOUR DINNER WITH DANIEL B Y L I LY H O A G L A N D

IT BEGAN WITH a playlist. “I had classical music going that night, which I normally don’t do, but it was a very small group,” says Daniel Cappello, as he recounts the dinner party that became the genesis for his new book, Dinner Diaries: Reviving the Art of the Hostess Book (Assouline). “It was sort of impromptu, but in a very fancy setting. I wanted it to be a little respite in the city.” Suddenly, a guest got up to change the playlist.

“I was horrified. This was a good friend of mine who’s a good host himself and prides himself on having good manners. It horrified me that someone would try to change the music at someone else’s dinner party.” The classical stayed on, and, by evening’s end, that musical decision was vindicated. “Everyone had such a nice time and felt like they were so removed, which they wouldn’t have if he’d changed the music.”

This incident led to Cappello examining the art of hosting. If someone who Opposite page: Party given by Mrs. Grace Wilson Vanderbilt at her home, 1946. This page: The seating plan for a dinner hosted by President and Mrs. Truman (left); seating plan for the Whittier Dinner, 1877 (right).

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This spread, clockwise from top left: Giancarlo Giammetti’s dinner party questionnaire; miniature cakes from Cynthia Rowley’s CuRious candy store; Daniel Cappello’s Dinner Diaries (Assouline); Amy Fine Collins’ questionnaire; Cynthia Rowley at home for an after-party, 2011.

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supposedly knows the ground rules of a dinner party is doing this, he asks, “do we have to examine if the dinner party is changing—is it dying, and are old rules worth hanging on to?” During a discussion with Martine Assouline (who exclamed, “Daniel, are you stuck in the ’50s?”), he decided there needed to be a book looking at the state of dinner parties today. He sent a Proust-style questionnaire to the best hostesses in society, and thus Dinner Diaries was born.

He discovered that the hard-and-fast rules of dinner party etiquette were proving to be eternal. “What surprised me was that a lot of the people I thought would be young and new and adapting are actually very traditional. Whether it’s Hilary Geary Ross throwing a lavish party in Palm Beach, or someone in an apartment in New York that can only fit six people, the same rules apply.” Instead, we should unring

the death knell on proper hosting manners and find a way to refashion them for the times. “The dinner party isn’t dying in that form, but you have to adapt or else people of our generation aren’t going to want to go to formal dinner parties all the time.”

One of those new trends he’s noticed: people dancing in their apartments after dinner instead of having coffee. “In small apartments with small living rooms, making a lot of noise, having the neighbors come down and yell at you,” he describes. “That’s something that’s young and fun.”

So, from where did the new playlist-changing attitude arise? Cappello believes that the problem stems from our current ability to control our environment wherever we are.

“I call it the ‘custom hotel effect’: When you go to hotels now, you can request your own kinds of sheets, soap, whatever you

want. But part of the joy of traveling is to go to a hotel and discover something, and, for me, that’s what dinner parties are too. I like to see how hosts and hostesses do things, so that you can learn from it.”

Quizzing Cappello on his own hard-and-fast dinner party rules, he felt strongly about the question of whether to split couples or keep love together. “I always split couples. You spend your life with someone; for an evening, you can share your insight with someone else. I think when couples are separated, the individuals become liberated and they become more interesting guests.” u

This page: Circa-1880 table à la russe. Opposite page: Cornelia Guest thinks “anything goes” for seating arrangements (above); Patricia Lansing believes no party is complete without a drunk (below).

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setting for a modified dinner

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN,

HOOKED!

BY CHUCK PFEIFER

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN is a generous actor and dancer, both with his time and talent, and gives credit to fellow actors for their help along the way. I met Chris over 30 years ago, and it is always with great pleasure and anticipation that I see him. I sat with Chris recently at the Baryshnikov Arts Center on West 37th Street in New York City to hear about his current and future projects, as well as some of his past endeavors, and we had a great time reminiscing. Time hasn’t changed him much.

His sense of humor is very much intact and his candor and forthrightness are refreshing.

Chuck Pfeifer: What’ s up? On my way here, my elevator operator told me to ask you that. He and just about everyone else want to know.

Christopher Walken: Now we are in the Baryshnikov Arts Center, where I am rehearsing the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan, which will air December 4 on NBC. It is unusual, really, as it is totally live, with no audience and just one show. They did it last year with The Sound Of Music and it got a huge audience.

It’s a lot of fun—sort of like a sporting event.

CP: I like calling you Christo, but I know your real name is Ronnie, but I’m not going to call you that.

CW: Not many people do.

CP: We have been friends for almost 30 years. Although I am not an actor, I have done 30 films with some great directors, including Oliver Stone, Sidney Lumet, and the Hudlin brothers.

I have always worked as an anthropomorphic prop. I heard there’s not a movie you wouldn’t make.

CW: No, no, that isn’t exactly true. I’m sure there is. There are a lot of different reasons I might turn down a role—such as location, materials, people involved. Director and other factors.

I like to work, so before I would turn down a role I would consider all aspects. I’ve made movies that have gone to the theatres and I’ve made movies that have never been seen. I was asked to make something in Las Vegas, which I turned down. I would have been there for two months and, although Vegas is fun, it is someplace I don’t particularly like to go for long periods. I’ve heard Hollywood is making fewer movies, but they are making big ones, sequels and so forth.

CP: Where is your biggest market internationally?

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CW: I don’t know really. Japan is always a big market. It would be interesting to know that though. I hear the Chinese go to the movies a lot. They like certain kinds of movies, like action movies. The movies I make today are small and are not the action type.

CP: High concept?

CW: Usually well-written and young directors. It’s pretty typical because the younger directors don’t have much money to make them.

CP: What type of work is available right now? I never hear of the great directors—Stone, Scorsese, Spielberg and Tarantino, just to name a few—doing anything. What’s going on?

CW: They do though. It takes a lot of time to get movies going.

To me, getting a movie made is somewhat of a miracle because so many things need to come together to make it happen: availability of actors, of course, and a certain amount of serendipity and luck. So when people make a movie, it is pretty amazing.

CP: Have you done anything creatively appetizing lately?

CW: I have done a lot of movies—two this year.

CP: Are there no great writers available, or is Hollywood catering to the younger demographic that wants the flashy pictures with no concept?

CW: I hear people talking about that. There are some great writers working in television. Think of The Sopranos. Some of the flashy Hollywood movies are obviously very popular.

Someone said that if you want to make money, make movies for kids. That’s always been true. If you opened a time zone, sometimes a dozen or so movies open that week—some from other countries—and they have some great actors. I remember Marlon Brando 30 years ago on The Dick Cavett Show saying movies are a roll of the dice.

CP: Sometimes you can have the greatest directors, the greatest writers and you put it all together and it just lays there. Then sometimes it goes the other way. You may have unknown actors and it goes through the roof.

CW: Absolutely. Remember American Graffiti and Diner?

Nobody knew any of those guys.

CP: In my generation, without question, you are one of the world’s greatest actors. What was your favorite project?

CW: There are overall favorites that have made a big difference.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA CROSBY

This page: Academy Award– winner Christopher Walken, notable actor, screenwriter, and director, discussing his career with the author.

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Fiction and King of New York, and they got me started.

CP: What roles have you turned down that you wish you had taken?

CW: I can’t think of anything I turned down. There were a lot of roles I didn’t get. I screen-tested for Love Story with about 200 other guys. I screen-tested for a part in Star Wars that went to Harrison Ford.

CP: It is hard to make a movie, isn’t it?

CW: Yes, it is. There are things like those unsung people in movies. Take editors, for example. You don’t hear a lot about them, but in any movie, it is all about how it is put together. People say to me, “Would you like to be a director?” They always ask that of an actor and my response is always, “No, I wouldn’t. I don’t want that kind of responsibility.” If I were anything other than an actor, I think being an editor would be very interesting.

Putting all that stuff together and rearranging it, putting the back in the front and the front in the back, and making a story

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The Deer Hunter obviously made a big difference career-wise. I have made a lot of movies that I thought were good that never amounted to much. Sometimes I make a movie because of the people, sometimes because of the location, sometimes because I am paid a lot of money, and sometimes I like it because I turned out good in it. You know that with certain directors and great writers you are going to be good.

CP: Oliver Stone certainly.

CW: Yes, sure. They take care of you. So, there are lots of reasons for a favorite.

CP: You have won over 50 awards worldwide for your craft, including your Oscar for your role as Nick in The Deer Hunter.

CW: That, and I made a really obscure musical movie in Israel in which I played the cat in Puss and Boots. I sang, I danced, and I thought I was as good in that as anything and nobody saw it.

I’m told now that you can get it on Amazon. There were a lot of movies which I have been in for just a few minutes, like Pulp

This page: Walken is set to battle Allison Williams as Captain Hook in NBC’s upcoming live production of Peter Pan. Opposite page: Known for his sense of humor, Walken never takes himself too seriously.

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Opposite page: Walken was in more than 100 films and television shows, including The Deer Hunter, Annie Hall, The Dogs of War, A View to a Kill, True Romance, and Pulp Fiction.

CP: In 1968, I was a West Point decorated combat captain in Mac Sog in Vietnam. We fought main forces North Vietnam, not in Vietnam, but in Laos. It took me years to recover emotionally.

Then, 10 years later, I saw The Deer Hunter. [Director Michael] Cimino did an unbelievable job of creating the reality of war in Vietnam. I knew several guys like your character, Nick, all ScotsIrish, like yourself, mostly from the South and very brave, not to mention very tough.

CW: That was a powerful movie. You know how that happened? That was really my first big break, and I was very surprised when I got the part. I went in and met them and thought, “If I’m in this movie, I’ll be very lucky.” I was there with [Robert] DeNiro, [Martin] Sheen, and [Meryl] Streep and they helped me.

CP: How did you research the part? What was your main instrument to create the character, if you will, and was it you alone, or did Cimino help you?

CP: You know, when you are good in a part, sometimes it’s a matter of casting. They saw me and saw something useful they could use, and it all has less to do with me than it has to do with a certain place or a certain time. As for how I prepared for the role: I did go to the V.A. hospitals and talk to veterans and people there. I also talked to some drugged-out ones. I’m not sure it sunk in. I heard some pretty sad stories.

CP: Lastly, “more cowbell.” You were a popular repeat guest star on Saturday Night Live.

CW: I did six. Those guys were fantastic.

CP: What makes you so funny?

CW: I don’t know, I think musical comedy…that is my acting training. Even now when I’m in a rehearsal situation and the conversation turns a certain way, I don’t know what they’re talking about. To me, it’s about getting out there and showing off. I just watched Wall Street again. The one with [Frank] Langella. You were in that. You looked great and you wore your own clothes.

CP: On Saturday Night Live I always liked [Jon] Lovitz and [Dana] Carvey.

CW: Me too.

CP: On the show who were some of your favorite skits that you liked the best?

CW: “Colonel Angus,” and “The Continental,” which was based on a real T.V. show when I was a kid. I did one called “Googly Eyes,” which wasn’t very famous but I liked it. Remember that one about a tree with eyes? I did a lot of skits.

CP: I know about the show because sometimes Lorne Michaels would have my production company shoot those little films they used from time to time.

CW: Oh yeah. I did one of those in a garage in the ’80s. I had a big rubber tire and I attacked someone with it and then there was another—a Viagra commercial I think. Your people might have shot that one, I’m not sure.

CP: Chris, thanks for your time today. u

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out of it that people would enjoy watching would be interesting and rewarding.

CP: Why do you like dancing so much? Unquestionably, it takes you to another dimension, which, frankly, no other current actors have. Fred Astair is only one of a few actor/dancers who, like yourself, had undeniable talent in both categories.

CW: Well, I started out in musicals. That was my training, and I became an actor by accident. I started getting acting jobs, but I still enjoy musicals.

CP: What type of musicals?

CW: Broadway. Touring. I toured in West Side Story. That’s where I met my wife: she played my girlfriend. I did a lot of musicals as a teenager and through my 20s. That was my training. Dancing is something you get slower at—your legs and all that stuff don’t work as well, but you never forget how to do it. Also, it affects your life in the sense that you become more aware of your body. I exercise every day, and if I don’t, I hurt, feel lousy, and get depressed. I use a treadmill.

CP: What would you change about your career, knowing what you know now?

CW: Oh, I don’t know. People have said to me, “That’s an interesting choice you made. Why did you make that choice?” I never make choices—the choices find me. I say “yes” and I have a tendency to go for an opportunity. I am very bad at making good opportunities. Lots of people make good opportunities. There are guys who make their own opportunities by going out and creating their own projects, forming their own companies, and optioning their scripts. I have never had that kind of talent, but I am pretty good at saying “yes” and that’s how my career has gone. So what would I change? I wouldn’t do anything. When you are lucky, don’t push it. I have been lucky.

CP: You have made your own luck.

CW: To a certain extent, yes, but when you get a little luck and are able to take advantage of the opportunity that in and of itself is a talent. Take yourself. You have been in wars. Think about it. An inch here, and an inch there. I feel that way about life. I love to go to England, as it is a beautiful country, but I am always looking the wrong way. As soon as I get off the plane I think, “Oh my god, I’m in England and it scares me to death. They are going the wrong way.”

CP: Remember Elaine’s? That was our ruckus room and, like yourself, I always felt free to do anything in that room. If it got too loud, Elaine would give us a severe look, with a smile, meaning hold it down. That was her tacit response that let other diners know everything was okay. Constant laughter and amusement always seemed to be the prevalent factors there.

CW: I agree. Elaine was an intimidating and formidable person.

She was very tolerant and smart and had great judgment. She gave you a dirty look and you got scared. I remember I went to a music festival—Deauville [Island Music Festival], I think—and she was there and I spent some time with her. I was scared of Elaine, but she was a great person.

CP: You don’t have to answer this. You would have been a great dad, but you and Georgianne never had children. Any reason?

CW: It was nothing planned. It just worked out that way. People who have been married a long time with or without children for some reason tend to know other people like that.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES PRODUCED BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

It’s the family of readers—past and present—who define the tenor of quest.

And isn’t family what the holidays are about? Here, we share a story from december 2001, featuring several generations of our nearest and dearest. we asked about presents—the ones that count—and delighted in their replies. today, their words are even more charming, harkening back to a time before uber and reminding us of what matters the most: time with loved ones.

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JOAN RIVERS The best gift ever was my dog Spike. I got him from my daughter’s ex-governess the year Melissa went off to boarding school.

“You’ll need something to love,” she told me.

KENNETH JAY LANE Friends who used to send me a case of “Baron de L” (the top wine of the Ladoucette vineyard) started sending the normal Ladoucette, which is very good. But last Christmas, I received “Baron de L” again. I was delighted to have been upgraded. This year, I’ll be lucky if I get a bottle of Mondavi!

ALEX HITZ I love to get things I wouldn’t normally buy for myself.

What I really like is Spring Green Vitabath. I love getting it and it’s the only thing I ever want for Christmas.

ALEXIA HAMM RYAN My favorite Christmas gift was the little silver Buccellati pig that one of my closest friends gave to me years ago. She knew how much I have always adored pigs. It is a darling pig, lying down with big, floppy ears. I just love it!

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MARIO BUATTA Once a client gave me 10 hours of car service to use around New York. It was especially great because I could use the car anytime I needed it. I also love giving and receiving really funny joke gifts.

PAT BUCKLEY My new hip, I just got it. By Christmas I should be dancing again!

NAN KEMPNER Last year, Tommy and I gave each other a David Hockney drawing of his dachshund called Stanley. He’s a wonderful dog and doesn’t need to be taken for walks in rainy or snowy weather!

COURTNEY ARNOT This Christmas will be the best Christmas present I ever received. My husband, two children, and I are all safe and healthy, as are the rest of my family and my husband’s family. I couldn’t ask for anything better.

BROOKE HAYWARD In 1947, my parents gave me a puppy for Christmas: a black Collie with a white ruff. He was the first dog of my very own.

HILARY CALIFANO The love of my husband, children, and grandchildren really means the most for Christmas. One year, though, my husband gave me a wonderful octagonal-shaped greenhouse that had been made in England, which I now call Mrs. Blanding’s Greenhouse.

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BOAZ MAZOR The best Christmas gift is something I get every year from Sid and Mercedes Bass, a gift certificate for Farrell’s Limousine Service.

I once was late for a dinner with the Basses and called to let them know I could not find a taxi cab anywhere that night, hence the beginning of their annual gift. Each Christmas, along with the gift certificate, comes a little black toy limousine that I keep on my desk.

TONI GOODALE For Christmas last year, my husband organized a trip to London and Paris to celebrate my birthday with my kids and son-inlaw. Just before we left, my husband got sick and couldn’t go, but my son organized five days of parties in my honor in London, including one with Prince Andrew as a surprise guest. My children gave me a diamond and ruby pin, we saw My Fair Lady, and we went to Tramps, where I danced on the couches.

PATRICIA PATTERSON The nicest, most useful gift I ever received was 50 hours of limousine service. It is something that really came in handy on rainy or snowy days. The best gift though is family being together.

My daughter is married to a Norwegian man, so we celebrate Christmas with him on Christmas Eve, and then the next day out in the country.

DOMINICK DUNNE When my daughter, Hannah Dunne, was nine years old, I took her to Venice for Thanksgiving. For Christmas, she gave me a scrapbook of pictures and notes from our trip. It was such a dear, thoughtful present and meant more to me than any fancy gift. I have it on a table in my living room, displayed as my prized possession.

BLAINE TRUMP My best Christmas gift ever was my little puppy, Pearl, given to me three years ago by my friend Greg Jordan. There is nothing better than a warm, cuddly, peaceful puppy.

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MEMORIES OF A CORINTHIAN SUMMER

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IN LATE SEPTEMBER, we held a reunion lunch of the still upright members of the crew of Constellation, the 12 Metre yacht that defended the America’s Cup for the New York Yacht Club in 1964. The crew—Steve Van Dyck, Putter Brown, Buddy Bombard, and I—were joined by our wives and girlfriends as well as two supporters from long ago, Davey MacFarlane (who took care of Nereus, our prewar trial horse) and Jimmy Gubelmann, also a regular crew member aboard Nereus, where all of the alternate Constellation crew trained. The venue was a private dining room at Castle Hill Inn, which had served as our residence in the summer of ’64.

CO U RTE S Y O F C A S T LE H I LL I N N ;

BY DICK ENERSEN

This page, from above: Aboard Constellation, 1964; an invitation to The RTYC at The Breakers; crew celebrating their Cup victory, 1964; 12 Metre Intrepid sailing by Castle Hill Inn. Opposite page, from above: The crew, practicing for the America’s Cup; Constellation, on the water; crew member and author, Dick Enersen, 1964.

THE HEYDAY of 12 Metre racing in the U.S. ended in 1983 when we lost the America’s Cup to Australia in Newport.

The “second coming” for the fleet took place in 2001 when the Queen of England attended the Jubilee Regatta at Cowes, U.K. There were 39 12 Metre yachts at the starting line for that week’s long celebrations of America’s Cup boats, beginning with the original (1851) racecourse around the Isle of Wight. In recent years, our fleet of “twelves” has dropped from the 17 yachts assembled for the Jubilee celebration, to a present-day fleet of 10 boats. The mission of the 12 Metre Yacht Club, Newport Station is: “To provide and facilitate discussion and a social environment for 12 Metre owners and others interested in the history of the 12 Metre Class and to encourage continued This page, from above: Bannister’s Wharf during the 12 Metre North American Championships; 12 Metre Commodore James Gubelmann; Gary Jobson and Ted Turner at the 12 Metre North American Championships in 2012.

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involvement in preserving, restoring and racing 12 Metre yachts in the Newport area”—which means that our board is dedicated to supporting the North American Fleet headed by Herb Marshall, with events on and off the water and exposure for the class in general.

We are currently organizing—with the International Twelve Metre Class Association headed by Commodore Dyer Jones—the next World Championships to be held in the U.S. in 2019. We plan to renovate and restore numerous “twelves” in our own Narragansett Bay Fleet, bringing them up to par to race against the very proactive Northern European Fleet headed by Patrick Howaldt out of Copenhagen, and the slick Southern European Fleet headed by Luigi Lang in Milan.

This will be a spectacular event with 12 boats from America, eight boats from the Baltic, and six boats from the Mediterranean. Our modern rules allow each boat to carry 14 crew on board, with the

typical size of these boats ranging from 62 feet to 70 feet. This will be a spectacular series of regattas, as we are planning to invite the 12 Metres from around the world to put aside two and a half months in May, June, and July with races planned in four or five venues in New England, preceded by an inaugural regatta in the Caribbean!

Of interest this year, was our 12 Metre nationals in Newport, where we had a dinner for 100 crew at the Clarke Cooke House, our “12 Metre Yacht Club.”

From the original crews who raced for the America’s Cup in 1964 and 1974, over 55 people attended an additional event held at the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court. Believe you me, the 12 Metre class is coming back strong, and the heroes of yesteryear are back to support our mission! May the force (winds and tides) be with us.

Commodore James Gubelmann 12 Metre Yacht Club, Newport Station

S A LLYA N N E S A N TO S | W I N D L A S S C R E AT I V E . CO M

A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMODORE

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Most of us had seen the others over the years, including at a 40th reunion dinner at Harbour Court, so there wasn’t much catching up to do. The conversation at the table centered around what a wonderful time we had had in that house, in that town, and on that water—half a century ago.

One of us recalled our crew dinners in the spectacular glasswalled dining that still juts out in the direction of Beavertail State Park. Blazers and ties every night and, once a week— and with specific permission from the wife of our skipper—we could bring a date. Those were some of the best sunsets, ever.

That evening, we joined other veterans from the campaigns of ’64 and ’74 for cocktails and dinner at Harbour Court.

Counting plus-ones, there were about 50 people and, again, most of the chatter had to do with the good old days. Interestingly, there was almost no discussion about the current state of the America’s Cup. Most of us had written it off as a failing commercial endeavor, having little or nothing to do with the event we had experienced.

Like most of the crew from that era, I had been a college student at the time and had a good deal of sailing experience and size as well as a free summer vacation. The letter I got in December 1963 from our skipper, Eric Ridder, welcoming me to the crew, asked for my clothing dimensions and saying that everything would be provided. (It went on to add that all I would need to bring would be “socks, underwear, and a tuxedo.”)

That Selix tuxedo got a real workout from May until well into September, which speaks to a realization I had later about the nature of the America’s Cup. For those who paid for the This page, clockwise from top left: A campaign flag designed by Dick Enersen: “Beat the Bird”—a cry directed at competitor American Eagle; American Eagle, after she was reconverted to an offshore racing yacht; Constellation, engaged in a jibing duel with Nefertiti during the trial races; members of the crew with their wives and girlfriends in September 2014.

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This page, from above: Putter Brown, Steve Van Dyck, Dick Enersen, Davey McFarlane, Bobby Connell, and Jimmy Gubelmann gathered at Castle Hill Inn to celebrate the 40th anniversary in 2004; the crew in Mighty Mac jackets, 1964; a rendering of Constellation. Opposite page: The crew of Constellation heading out to the racecourse (Harold Vanderbilt

campaigns, in after-tax dollars, the competition on the water was really an excuse for more, and better, parties.

But this is not to say that the sailing wasn’t important.

It was vitally important to us, as competitors, and to a rather small group of people who went to sea on private yachts with “syndicate flags” in their rigging to cheer on their champions. Even going to watch the racing was an endeavor. It wasn’t a harbor cruise: the race course was 15 nautical miles out in the Block Island Sound.

In the evenings, after long days of sailing and caring for the boats, we went to their parties, gave them the “inside scoop,” and danced with their daughters. We were the show, the circus come to town. And we couldn’t have been happier.

The grandest party of the summer—and, indeed, of my entire life—was the Sovereign party, “at home” at The Breakers. Tony and Val Boyden, patrons of the British challenger, invited about 500 people to gather at “2200” for dinner and dancing (and whatever) until breakfast, which was served at “0400.” The only disappointment was that the Beatles, who had played in Jamestown the previous night, failed to appear. Needless to say, there was no racing scheduled for the next day.

Today, grinders are being paid like first-year lawyers. but, back then, money never changed hands. On reflection, if they had asked us, we would have paid to be included. Not only were we living like princes (never mind the mildew in the basement room that I shared with Putter), but we were sailing the best boats ever—with, and against, the best sailors on the planet. Those experiences, those associations, and those friendships made that summer and have shaped and enriched my life in ways I could never have imagined. I will be thankful for as long as I live. u 132 QUEST

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was one of the syndicate members).

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ABOUT FARE Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) is the nation’s leading organization working on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in

LIFE –

every 13 children in the U.S. – or roughly two in every classroom.

FARE is committed to improving the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and providing them hope through the promise of new treatments.

FARE’s education and advocacy initiatives

support the ability of individuals with food allergies to live safe, productive lives with the respect of others.

HEALTH –

FARE works to enhance the healthcare

access of individuals with food allergies to state-of-theart diagnosis and treatment.

HOPE – FARE encourages and funds research in both industry and academia that promises new treatments to improve the allergic condition.

FARE’s supporters – dedicated individual and corporate donors, members and volunteers – drive our achievements and ensure our success.

To learn more about FARE and the many ways you can get involved, contact us today or visit www.foodallergy.org!

FARE National Headquarters 7925 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 1100 McLean, VA 22102 800-929-4040

FARE New York Office 515 Madison Avenue, Suite 1912 New York, NY 10022 212-207-1974

info@foodallergy.org • www.foodallergy.org

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The 17th Annual Food Allergy Ball Benefiting Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Monday, December 8, 2014 The 17th Annual Food Allergy Ball, benefiting

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), takes place on Monday, December 8, 2014 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All proceeds will benefit FARE, the nation’s leading organization working on behalf of the 15

Sharyn T. Mann and Lianne Mandelbaum are the Gala Dinner Chairs. Todd J. Slotkin is the Chairman of the Board. David H. Koch is the Corporate Dinner Chair. Julie and Jason Ader, Liana Silverstein Backal and Arthur Backal, Abbey and Steven Braverman, Dr.

The Temple of Dendur. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Given to the United States by Egypt in 1965, awarded to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967, and installed in The Sackler Wing in 1978 (68.154).

million Americans who have food allergy.

The evening will honor Martin L. Edelman, of counsel, Real Estate Department, Paul Hastings LLP, for his commitment to FARE’s mission. Geoffrey Zakarian, the noted chef and restaurateur, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to an outstanding restaurateur for his commitment to excellence and compassion for diners with food allergies.

Patricia and James Cayne, Nina Rennert Davidson and Mitchell Davidson, Kathy Franklin, Abby and Robert Goldstein, Nicole and Marc Lenner, Roxanne and Dean Palin, Joelle and Jonathan Resnick, Diana and Ira Riklis and Stacey and Marc Saiontz are the Benefit Dinner Chairs.

Jessie Mueller, Tony Award-winning star of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” will give a special performance.

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The Food Allergy Ball 2

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1. Nick Valenti, Linda Valenti, Todd Slotkin, Judy Slotkin, Sharyn Mann, Drew Nieporent, Alain Sailhac; 2. Laura Tisch Broumand and Dr. Stafford Broumand; 3. David Koch, Julia Koch, Sean McManus, Maggie McManus, Tracy McManus and Jackson McManus; 4. Steven Braverman and Abbey Braverman; 5. Mati Sicherer, Dr. Scott Sicherer, Helen Jaffe and David Jaffe; 6. Todd Slotkin, Judy Slotkin, Sharyn Mann, and Stephen Mann ; 7. Sacha Lainovic, Rebecca Lainovic and Todd Slotkin; 8. Lori Stokes; 9. Leslie Cornfeld, Jane Preiser and Joan Hornig; 10. Alan Marchisotto and Mary Jane Marchisotto; 11. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff and David Wolkoff; 12. Dean Palin and Roxanne Palin; 13. Liana Silverstein Backal, Sharyn Mann and Nina Rennert Davidson; 14. Amie Rappoport McKenna and Stephen McKenna.

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PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N / J U L I E S K A R R AT T

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Julia & DaviD Koch salute

FooD allergy research & eDucation for honoring

Martin l. eDelMan Guest of Honor geoFFrey zaKarian fAre Lifetime AcHievement AwArd

ABOUT FOOD ALLERGIES Food allergy is a life-altering, life-threatening disease that affects up to 15 million Americans. There is no cure and no standard treatment to prevent anaphylaxis, a severe, potentially deadly reaction.

Even a trace amount of the wrong food can trigger a dangerous reaction within minutes. For people with food allergies, strictly avoiding problem foods is the only way to stay safe.

A food allergy develops when the body’s immune system mistakenly targets a harmless food protein (an allergen) as a threat. To fight this threat, the body releases histamine and other chemicals, causing symptoms that can range from mild to severe.

Mild symptoms may include hives, eczema, gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea; and an itchy mouth or ear canal. Symptoms of anaphylaxis may include swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat; shortness of breath or wheezing; a drop in blood pressure; or loss of consciousness. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is the only medica-

tion that can reverse the symptoms of anaphylaxis.

Available in an auto-injector, it should be administered at the first sign of a severe reaction. Even if symptoms appear to resolve, it is critical to call 911 and ensure that the patient is taken to the hospital for further treatment.

Although a person can be allergic to any food, the eight most common food allergens are milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. Anyone, at any age, can develop a food allergy, but the impact on children is especially severe. The numbers tell the story:

• 1 in 13 U.S. children have a food allergy – roughly two in every classroom.

• Nearly 40% of children with food allergies have already experienced a severe or life-threatening reaction.

• Every three minutes, a food allergy sends someone to the emergency room.

• Increase in food allergies among U.S. children: 50% between 1997 and 2011.

• Caring for children with food allergies costs families nearly $25 billion per year.

The need for a cure – and for greater understanding of food allergies – is urgent.

FARE is the leading national organization working on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies.

To learn more about food allergies and FARE, please visit www.foodallergy.org.

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

From left to right: Lianne Mandelbaum, Roxanne Palin, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Lori Stokes, Abbey Braverman.

SAVE THE DATE! Please join us for FARE’s 16th Annual New York Spring Luncheon Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Cipriani 42nd Street New York, NY

For more information, please contact FARE’s New York Office at 212-207-1974 or email Anne Horning at ahorning@foodallergy.org.

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THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST

BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

Dianna Agron looked white-hot at the American Museum of Natural History

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

on November 20.

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Al Roker, Questlove, and 50 Cent at the American Museum of Natural History on November 20.

Kate McKinnon and Taran Killam were among the SNL-ers at the Museum Gala.

Naomi Campbell and Derek Blasberg in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.

Our columnist celebrated her birthday with Caroline Coburn and more at PH-D on November 13.

Bee Shafer and Sarah Jenks-Daly at the Museum Gala, where Bruno Mars performed.

Tina Fey hosted the Museum Gala at the American

Ben Mills and Georgia Fowler in the

Museum of Natural History on November 20.

Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda.

TO QUOTE BRUNO MARS: ’Cause uptown funk goin’ give it

to you; Saturday night and we in the spot; Don’t believe me, just watch...

On October 30, ARTWALK NY was honoring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly at the Metropolitan Pavilion to benefit the Coalition for the Homeless. The event—chaired

by Genevieve Bahrenburg, Sofia Sanchez Barrenechea, Casey Fremont Crowe, Sarah Hoover, Chloe Malle, Bettina Prentice, Hilary Rhoda, and Nicholas Rytting and Carlos

Mota—included an auction with works by artists Chuck Close and Cindy Sherman, among others. For sparkle, Ca’ del Bosco—a favorite of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana—served as the Franciacorta Sponsor.

On November 13, it was to PH-D to toast to 28, thanks to the Rich Thomas. (And to my friends for gathering!) Aren’t birthdays for frolicking in da club, wearing Betsey Johnson shoes and a wreath of flowers? Ask Christy Meisner of Crowns By Christy (crownsbychristy.com)...

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On the 19th, a crowd of 950 thronged to music by Hannah Bronfman and Brendan Fallis at the Apollo Circle event in the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The theme? Cubism. For more information—and 234,098 pictures—please visit Instagram...

On the 20th: Live from New York, it was Saturday Night Live at the American Museum of Natural History. The cast—as well as host Cameron Diaz and musical guest Bruno Mars—attended the Museum Gala, where Naomi Campbell waltzed in a dress by Tom Ford and raven-haired Laura Prepon proved that orange is not the new black. “This institution is the best,” gushed Tina Fey. “Where else can you see a North American shrew and a prehistoric fighting reptile in one place? Maybe around the makeup counter at Bergdorf’s.” Bruno Mars offered “Uptown Funk” to the Upper West Side with a performance in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life attended by Dianna Agron and Eddie Redmayne. u 142 QUEST

Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly were honored for their contributions to Coalition for the Homeless .

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Kristy Caylor, Paul van Zyl, and Sabine Heller in the Temple of Dendur at the Metroplitan Museum of Art.

Brendan Fallis and Hannah Bronfman deejayed the Apollo Circle event.

Giovanna Battaglia and Erin Hazelton at the Metropolitan Pavilion on October 30.

Harley Viera-Newton at ARTWALK NY, which was sponored by Dolce & Gabbana.

Claire Distenfeld dressed artsy for the auctions at ARTWALK NY on Octrober 30.

Hilary Rhoda served as a chair for ARTWALK NY at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

Waris Ahluwalia, Michael Ruiz, and Chandra Kellison

Leandra Medine supported Coalition for

sipped Ca’ del Bosco on October 30.

the Homeless at ARTWALK NY. DECEMBER 2014 143

SNAPSHOT

An image of one of the four handwritten copies of A Visit From St. Nicholas known to exist; a more recent edition’s cover (inset).

A FATHER SETTLES into bed, his children already snug and asleep, dreaming of dancing sugar plums. Just as he and his wife get under the covers, he hears a noise, runs to the window, and opens the shutters. Startle turns to delight when he spots a miniature sleigh led by eight reindeer, its driver a lively, little old man. Surely, he wonders aloud, now convinced he knows the whistling charioteer, “he must be St. Nick.”

The opening scene from Clement Clarke Moore’s poem A Visit From St. Nicholas or, as it’s also called, ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, may have been written in 1822, here in New York City in what is now the High Line Hotel, but it has a 144 QUEST

universal setting. Moore, who at first anonymously published the piece in 1823, conveys a strong sense of home, of a family happily gathered at Christmas Eve. There’s snow. There are toys. And there is much excitement when a rosy-cheeked St. Nick enters the house through the chimney, dressed in fur.

What’s remarkable about A Visit From St. Nicholas is how well it holds up over the years. Like great music, it improves with familiarity. And the author’s lyrical rhymes continue to be read year after year, comforting generations of listeners, welcoming the holiday season. “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” —Alex R. Travers

COURTESY OF THE NEW-YORK HISTORIC AL SOCIET Y

TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT

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