Quest Magazine June 2021 by QUEST Magazine

$5.00 JUNE 2021

THE GREENWICH ISSUE

ELISABETH HALL AT AMARPALI IN GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT

questmag.com

33 sunset avenue westhampton beach (631) 288-4800

14 main street 2287 montauk highway 26 montauk highway 764 - 4 montauk highway southampton village bridgehampton east hampton montauk (631) 283-5050

(631) 537-5454

(631) 324-7575

(631) 668-2211

“Saunders, A Higher Form of Realty,” is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Please refer to our website for the names under which our agents are licensed with the Department of State. Equal Housing Opportunity.

622HalseyNeckLane.com

elegant estate section home, moments to the ocean Palm Beach meets the Hamptons in this special gated estate created with weekend entertaining in mind, located a block to the ocean. Features include a heated gunite pool and 2-story pool house with cabana, 2 full pool baths and an expansive second floor studio.

Southampton Village | Exclusive $12.5M

Michelle S. Berman

Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker C: (917)

749-1697 | MBerman@Saunders.com

O N

V I E W

E X H I B I T I O N S

N E W

A L S O

Y O R K

A V A I L A B L E

O N L I N E

Hugo Grenville | Memories and Reﬂections | oil on canvas | 46 x 38 in.

EST. 1870

ART FINDLAY

JUXTAPOSITION / COMPOSITION

F I N D L AY GA L L E R I E S

32 E A S T 57 T H S T R E E T , 2 N D F L O O R , N E W Y O R K , N E W Y O R K 10022 · (212) 421 5390

VIEW OUR GALLERY ONLINE

| WWW. FINDLAYGALLERIES. COM

O N

V I E W

E X H I B I T I O N S

P A L M

A L S O

B E A C H

A V A I L A B L E

O N L I N E

Nicola Simbari (1927 - 2012) | Along the Sea | 1977 | acrylic on canvas | 39 5/8 x 43 1/2 in.

NICOLA SIMBARI MEDITERRANEO | EXHIBITION ON VIEW

F I N D L AY GA L L E R I E S

165 W O RT H AV E N U E , PA L M B E A C H , F L O R I D A 33480 · (561) 655 2090

VIEW OUR GALLERY ONLINE

| WWW. FINDLAYGALLERIES. COM

“Forté will evoke a unique sense of place within the traditions and tranquility of Palm Beach.” — Jean-Louis Deniot, Interior Designer

O N

F L A G L E R

VISIONARY DESIGN IMPECCABLE STYLE Legendary architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia, paired with internationally celebrated designer Jean-Louis Deniot, crafted an iconic new address at the pinnacle of Palm Beach living. This collection of just 41 exquisite residences features sweeping views of Worth Avenue, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, and offers the boutique scale that is authentic to the storied community.

Select Inventory Remains | Over 50 50% % Sold

This project is being developed by Flagler Residential LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, which was formed solely for such purpose. Two Roads Development LLC, a Florida limited liability company (“Two Roads”), is affiliated with this entity, but is not the developer of this project. This condominium is being developed by Flagler Residential LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Developer”), which has a limited right to use the trademarked names and logos of Two Roads pursuant to a license and marketing agreement with Two Roads. Any and all statements, disclosures, and/or representations shall be deemed made by Developer and not by Two Roads and you agree to look solely to Developer (and not to Two Roads and/or any of its affiliates) with respect to any and all matters relating to the marketing and/or development of the Condominium and with respect to the sales of units in the Condominium.

When Experience Counts - Condon Since 1982

PALM BEACH BROKERAGE | 340 ROYAL POINCIANA WAY, PALM BEACH, FL 33480 | 561.659.3555 | SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM © 2021 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. The Sotheby’s International Realty network fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice.

Your Palm Beach Experts

Breakers Row Direct Ocean

$1 6 . 50 0 , 0 0 0 | BreakersRowDirectOcean.com

KEVIN CONDON

CRISTINA CONDON

Broker Associate

Senior Global Real Estate Advisor

kevin.condon@sothebyshomes.com 646.457.8919

cristina.condon@sothebyshomes.com 561.301.2211 | cristinacondon.com

BOSTON OSTERVILLE NANTUCKET MARTHA'S VINEYARD NEWPORT WATCH HILL EAST HAMPTON SAG HARBOR SOUTH HAMPTON ROWAYTON GREENWICH OYSTER BAY NEW YORK CITY CHICAGO HARBOR SPRINGS

WASHINGTON DC ANNAPOLIS CHARLESTON VERO BEACH JUPITER PALM BEACH BOCA RATON FT. LAUDERDALE MIAMI KEY LARGO ISLAMORADA NAPLES BOCA GRANDE SARASOTA

The Sea is Our Clubhouse

Experience a lifetime of memories with a membership aboard the B&G Fleet. With over 50 Hinckley Yachts from Nantucket to Palm Beach, all captained, all provisioned and all at your beck and call, yachting has never been better. bartonandgray.com | (617) 728-3555

88 100

CONTENTS The G reenwich i ssue 88

A DAY OF PLAY IN GREENWICH

Elisabeth Hall, Tiara McIntosh, India Ellis,

Grace Puchert, and John George Brakatselos revisit their suburban roots. brooke kelly, phoToGraphed by Julie skarraTT

produced and wriTTen by

PERCY STEINHART CELEBRATES MODERN ELEGANCE

Chatting with the Stubbs

& Wootton founder about his past—and the brand’s bright future. by alex Travers

100

PROVENCE, A DAZZLING BLEND OF EUROPEAN CULTURE

Publisher Assouline

releases a brilliant book highlighting the chic scenes of Provence. by alex Travers

106

THE BLOSSOMING CAREER OF CLAIBORNE SWANSON FRANK

How photography

helped the artist cope with a crazy year. by elizabeTh kurpis

110 116

THRIVING MARKETS

FILLING IN THE BLANK

Sarah Blank.

120

Updates from our favorite brokers. by brooke kelly

A conversation with the talented kitchen designer

alex Travers

TOP SHOPS GREENWICH & BEDFORD From clothing to floral arrangements, our annual guide to the boutiques on and around Greenwich Avenue and Bedford.

120

ASPREY.COM

Enamelled Silver Cocktail Shaker Bubbles Martini Glass

london

new york beverly hills miami

southampton palm beach

CONTENTS

C olumns 22

SOCIAL DIARY

RESEARCH

HARRY BENSON

TAKI

FRESH FINDS

DESIGN

Catching up with talented Palm Beach designer Celerie Kemble.

FASHION

A groundbreaking collaboration between Ralph Lauren and Major League Baseball.

ADIRONDACKS

REAL ESTATE

OPEN HOUSE

WEDDINGS

SOCIAL CALENDAR

124

YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST

128

SNAPSHOT

As the weather warms up, New York City, comes back to life. by DaviD PatriCk Columbia

Scientists at Hope for Depression Research Foundation help tackle mental health issues. Our photographer captures George W. Bush in the Texas Governor’s Mansion.

Always entertaining: Taki on “undoing of America.”

t aki t heoDoraCoPulos

Summer fashion is now in full bloom. by alex travers anD elizabeth meigher by

r obert J iangiJian

A look at how Nelson Rockefeller helped save the Adirondacks. by tony hall Field Point, a stunning Greenwich gem, hits the Connecticut real estate market. New York is bouncing back with a new meaning of home.

Couples say, “I do.” A look at our favorite weddings of late.

brooke kelly

The best events to enjoy now that summer has officially begun. Our favorite party people enjoy in-person events. by brooke kelly

The old guard vs the new guard on what’s hot in Greenwich at the moment.

ON VIEW MAY 8–SEPT 26

The Fisher Dollhouse: A Venetian Palazzo in Miniature Explore ten rooms filled with an eclectic range of historical and contemporary craft, art, and design rendered in miniature. 2 C O L U M B U S C I R C L E , N YC | M A D M U S E U M . O R G

The Fisher Dollhouse: A Venetian Palazzo in Miniature was curated by Caroline Hannah. This exhibition is made possible through Joanna Fisher’s support and efforts. Photos: Jenna Bascom

questmag.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA DEPUT Y EDITOR

ELIZABETH MEIGHER MANAGING EDITOR

ALEX TRAVERS ART DIRECTOR/ PRODUCTION MANAGER

TYKISCHA JACOBS SENIOR EDITOR

BROOKE KELLY CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

ROBERT BENDER P H OTO G R A P H E R - AT - L A R G E

JULIE SKARRATT SOCIET Y EDITOR

HILARY GEARY INTERN

JARED BRILL CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HARRY BENSON KATE GUBELMANN TONY HALL ALEX HITZ ROBERT JANJIGIAN JAMES MACGUIRE HAVEN PELL CHUCK PFEIFER DAISY PRINCE LIZ SMITH (R.I.P.) TAKI THEODORACOPULOS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

HARRY BENSON CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY BILLY FARRELL MARY HILLIARD CRISTINA MACAYA

bfa.com

CUTTY MCGILL PATRICK MCMULLAN NICK MELE ANNIE WATT

questmag.com PUBLISHER AND C.E.O.

S. CHRISTOPHER MEIGHER III A SSI STANT TO THE C.E.O.

KATHLEEN SHERIDAN ACCOUNTING MANAGER

LUWAY LU

Exquisite Country Compound. Brick Georgian Manor House. Barns. Artist Studio. Pool. Tennis. Pond. Stonewalls. Gardens. Views. 187± Acres. $5.995.000. Peter Klemm. Carolyn Klemm. 860.868.7313.

Private Estate. 4 Bedroom Main House. 2 Guest Cottages. Har-True Tennis Court. Pool. Multiple Garages. 2 Barns. Pond. Magnificent Views. 57.19± Acres. $5.950.000 Carolyn Klemm. 860.868.7313.

Private Estate. 5 Bedrooms. 3 Fireplaces. Pool. Terrace. 3-car Detached Garage. 20.2± Acres. $4.995.000. Tim Tierney. 860.868.7313.

Stunning Ehrick Rossiter Designed Home. 7 Bedrooms. 6.5 Baths. 4 Fireplaces. Screened Porch. Pool. Cabana. Views. Abuts Steep Rock. 5.4± Acres. $3.495.000. Peter Klemm. 860.868.7313.

MARKETING SERVICES

ROXANNE UNRATH

ext .

106

PA L M B E AC H & M I A M I

LINDA LANE SOPER 612.308.4159 CHICAGO

TIMOTHY DERR 847.615.1921 HONG KONG

BINA GUPTA 852.2868.1555 MILAN

#1 Boutique Firm in Connecticut 2020

EMILIO ZERBONI 011.39.031.267.797

KLEMM REAL ESTATE

A R T S & C U LT U R E

LISA ROSENBERG 917.576.8951 DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL S ALE S

JODY REISS

LITCHFIELD COUNTY’S PREMIER BROKERS

Lakeville/Salisbury 860.435.6789 > Litchfield 860.567.5060 > Roxbury 860.354.3263 Sharon 860.364.5993 > Washington Depot 860.868.7313 > Woodbury 203.263.4040

klemmrealestate.com

Source: SmartMLS, CC & DC MLS, MHMLS and Klemm Private Sales 1/1/93 – 5/13/21 BOARD OF ADVISORS

CRISTINA CONDON JED H. GARFIELD KIRK HENCKELS KATHY KORTE PAMELA LIEBMAN HOWARD LORBER ANDREW SAUNDERS WILLIAM LIE ZECKENDORF © QUEST MEDIA, LLC 2021. All rights reserved. Vol. 35, No 6. Quest—New York From The Inside is published monthly, 12 times a year. Yearly subscription rate: $96.00. Quest, 420 Madison Avenue, Penthouse, 16th floor, New York, NY 10017. 646.840.3404 fax 646.840.3408. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Quest—New York From The Inside, 420 Madison Avenue, Penthouse, 16th Floor,

Call 646.840.3404, ext. 106

1st

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES

New York, NY 10017.

For article reprints, contact Wright’s Media: 877.652.5295

Inc

HE ATO R OF T

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Clockwise, from top left: Ralph Lauren throws out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium; Quest Editor-in-Chief, David Patrick Columbia; Julie Skarratt and Brooke Kelly at this month’s Greenwich shoot; Nelson Rockefeller scouting the Adirondacks Park’s High Peaks region, 1965; Percy Steinhart, Stubbs & Wootton’s founder; interior designer Celerie Kemble; Quest Contributing Editor Robert Janjigian.

20 QUEST

ically astute Editor Hall gives much credit to then Governor Nelson Rockefeller for literally saving the Adirondacks, with which I wholeheartedly agree. With the Eastern Seaboard finally reopening, and the end of the pandemic coming into view, we can rejoice in this next phase of our life’s journey. But let’s also remember those insightful moments that helped get us through these past 15 months, and the priorities we rediscovered and vowed not to forget. During some pretty dark times, we soulfully identified the importance of so many lives—those dear friends and family (and pets!) who add enduring value to our daily existence. For the near term, we’ve been granted a “reset” to embrace what remains essential to each of us. Let’s not waste this moment, dear readers; being a person with renewed purpose is a fitting response for the postCovid year. u

Chris Meigher

ON THE COVER: Elisabeth Hall at Amarpali in Greenwich, Connecticut, which is listed by Compass. Photographed by Julie Skarratt for “A Day of Play In Greenwich” (page 88). Produced by Brooke Kelly.

CO U RTE S Y O F R A LP H L AU R E N ; PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N ; CO U RT E S Y O F R I Z Z O L I

IT’S JUNE, it’s summer, it’s Greenwich, and our world feels somewhat settled. Even more comforting is to be back in New York, enjoying the emerging normalcy of it all. Last week I dined with my esteemed Editor, David Patrick Columbia—our first lunch at Michael’s in over a year. It was a bluebird day in Manhattan, and we both remarked at how energized the City looked and felt, and how genuinely thrilled New Yorkers were to be reunited with one another. It was a Wednesday—the unofficial “Media Day” at Michael’s—and the spontaneous greetings among the regulars and new-bees alike made it feel like a high school reunion. As our readers well know, June is our annual snoop into Greenwich, Connecticut—still the most celebrated of American suburban villages. The British-borrowed name itself connotes a lifestyle of genteel country living, amateur sportsmanship and crisp, sun-kissed afternoons. Quest’s crackerjack Senior Editor, Brooke Kelly, has skillfully directed our Greenwich coverage for the past five years. This year, Brooke was well supported by Quest’s Photographer-at-Large (and ex-supermodel), Julie Skarratt, who’s just returned from her hometown of Sydney, Australia, where she rode out the pandemic with her lovely family. Julie’s keen eye captures Greenwich’s classic style and features the magnificent Amarpali estate, a Lake Avenue masterpiece designed by the brilliant Dinyar Wadia. We also welcome back our highly valued Contributing Editor Robert Janjigian, who has penned an insightful profile of taste-mistress Celerie Kemble and her new book celebrating the Caribbean lifestyle of Playa Grande in the Dominican Republic. Further into the issue, Managing Editor Alex Travers captures the subtle entrepreneurial genius of Percy Steinhart, the former white-shoed banker who brought the velvet slipper aesthetic to everyday life, and recently opened a Stubbs & Wootton emporium on Greenwich Avenue. And kudos as well to Tony Hall, Quest’s Contributing Editor for all things “Upstate” who has carefully parsed the dicey political process that created the now impregnable Adirondack Park. Our polit-

THE METROPOLITAN TOWER PENTHOUSE C 146W57.com

Nikki Field & Mara Flash Blum Associate Brokers | 212.606.7669/212.431.2447 | NikkiField.com Photography by Eitan Gamliely

© 2021 Sotheby’s International Realty (SIR) . All Rights Reserved. The SIR trademark is licensed and used with permission. Operated by SIR, Inc. The SIR network fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Real estate agents affiliated with SIR are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of SIR.

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

David Patrick Columbia

NEW YORK SOCIAL DIARY FROM THIS VIEWPOINT, as Spring is turning into Summer, it looks like the City is coming back to life. More traffic and more people and more of everything else we’ve been living without for the past year. It is a relief to those of us who live here full time. No doubt it is also a relief for those who fled the “pandemic” for

life in the country (or in Miami or Palm Beach). PB’s been described as a tropical mob scene with so many New Yorkers and otherwise northerners have taken shelter. Business couldn’t be better. The number of “hot” restaurants has multiplied and they’ve all been jammed every morning noon and night. The town is said to be flood-

ed with the “new” money buying multimillion dollars houses and apartments and looking for some place to hang out. The private clubs are all filled to capacity and have waiting lists (with families waiting for the elders to knock off so they can join as eligibles). Such will be an important PB problem: all those millions for tropical

mansion (for 8 and 9 figures) and no place to go and entertain their guests. Now, up here in the warmer temperatures—at least at the time of this writing—the (HOT) summer is just two or three weeks away. And the ordinary northern mobs are already beginning to disperse for “cooler” climes.

C E N T R A L PA R K C O N S E R VA N C Y ’ S T E N N I S TO U R N A M E N T I N N E W YO R K

Renee Rockefeller and Allison Aston 22 QUEST

Betsy Smith, Patrick McEnroe and Yesim Philip

Katie and Liz Peek

Tracey Huff, Blair Husain and Leslie Brille

Deb Dowling, Erin Friedland and Emma Frelinghuysen

MaryKate Boylan

BFA

Beth Kojima, Lise Evans and Melissa Randall

2345 SOUTH OCEAN BLVD. AT THE PAR 3 GOLF COURSE PALM BEACH 561.273.4130 • ALFRESCOPB.COM

Renato’ s PALM

BEACH

87 VIA MIZNER • WORTH AVENUE 5 61- 6 5 5 - 9 7 5 2 • RENATOSPB.COM

14 VIA MIZNER • WORTH AVENUE 561.832.0032 • PIZZAALFRESCO.COM

2 8 7 5 S O CE A N B LV D 5 61. 5 47. 0 0 0 5 • ACQ UAC A F E P B .CO M

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 T H E M A R FA I N V I TAT I O N A L I N T E X A S

Cynthia Rowley

One of the many areas of loss and disappointment has been the Social life. It evaporated with the arrival of the “pandemic.” That goes for each and every one of us. Although the ones with the jack left town for sunnier (and snazzier) places, to continue living their version of the good life. If they were lucky. (One’s troubles usually travel well with the possessor.) However, things are beginning to feel like the old town’s around. There couldn’t be a better medicine for all. The main attraction of New York is not the art, not the architecture, or the financials, or the universities. It’s The People. It’s the energy that all visitors comment on in retrospect. In the past few weeks we’ve been slowly moving into a more lively atmosphere. It began this past April. Now, little more than a month later, the 24 QUEST

Yvonne Force Villareal and Lacey Dorn

Ashley Wick and Elizabeth Rose

neighborhoods are booming both inside and out. On a warm Tuesday early evening I went to dine at Sette Mezzo. It was a perfect night for outdoor dining. Also with many there is a natural need right now to eat outside, as we return to the real world. My guest and I sat out amongst many others. And there were lots of familiar faces around us: Karen and Richard LeFrak with Hilary and Wilbur Ross; Fernanda Niven in for a couple of days from Palm Beach, with Sydie Lansing; Kathy Sloane, Rochelle and David Hirsch; Emilia Saint Amand; and dozens of others just like ’em. Neighbors New York style. The draw that night was the warmer weather (mid-70s), but you could see

Melissa Bent, Michael Phelan, Tammy King and James King

Alistar and Blair Clarke

Molly Boyd, Haley Bowen and Nicky McNaughlin

the attitudes beginning to lift. That same day was also the first day of the 39th annual Frederick Law Olmsted luncheon, popularly known as the Hat Luncheon, hosted by the Women’s Committee of the Central Park Conservancy. The annual celebration of the millenary side of life is the major draw (besides the fund-raising for the Park). The “Hat Lunch” title is not the official one but everyone calls it like it is. It’s a celebration of the Springtime, and the Park, and the simple joy of it. This Committee started with one woman’s idea back in the 1980s. The Park by then was getting old and worn. It needed restoration, renovation, a mother. The idea came to five or six

New York women who made it happen. They organized a small luncheon to raise maintenance funds, and to honor those who’d contributed to restoring and maintaining the Park. By 2019, now under a big tent covering the Conservatory Garden lawn, was now attended by 1500 men and women, with more than $2 million was raised at the event. It was the “hats” that turned it into a pleasure of an event. Funny too, from because so many of the chapeaux were “statements” such as wit and irony, architectural, haute couture and Easter parade. You were watching the pleasure of the Park represented by hats. It’s the best side of us. This year’s luncheon was held at tables of 8 or 10 in different locations across the Park. The arrangement lacks

BFA

Maggie Borders and Sarah Lynne Keys

The Koch Team is to real estate what Palm Beach is to northerners... in demand.

Ranked by sales volume by

Real Trends The Thousand, as published in The Wall Street Journal

1 # 4 # 32 $ 370M+ #

PA L M B E A C H

FLORIDA

N AT I O N W I D E

#PALMBEACHPROVENLEADERS

SOLD & PENDING 2021

Transform your vacation destination into your own slice of paradise. Owning a home in Palm Beach has never been more valuable. Contact The Koch Team to navigate the market with the Island’s proven real estate leaders.

@ KochTeam

The Plaza - Renovated Double Unit FEATURED LISTING (above): 4BR | 3.5BA | $3.85M | Web# 13933

Paulette Koch Broker A ssociate m 561.34 6.8639 | paulet te.koch@corcoran.com #14 Nationwide by Wall Street Journal / RealTrends 2019

Dana Koch Sales A ssociate m 561.379.7718 | dana.koch@corcoran.com #32 Nationwide by Wall Street Journal / RealTrends 2020 Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Corcoran makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice. All dimensions provided are approximate. To obtain exact dimensions, Corcoran advises you to hire a qualified architect or engineer.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A the excitement of the Hats in full flower. That provided a certain energy that was naturally lacking with the crowd dispersed. Nevertheless, again this luncheon raised a sum well into the six figures. And being there in the Conservatory Garden was a brand new experience for me—a part the Park that was part of the original design. It was just beautiful, like being in another world in the thick of the Green. And then there is Michael’s. On Wednesday, the 21st of April, Michael’s restaurant reopened. Michael’s has been a main lunchtime destination weekdays for years. A lot of the world of media, banking and society come through those doors, so it is rife with news, thoughts and interesting faces

to conjecture over (and maybe write about). I hadn’t been there in more than a year! Re-opening was like anticipating a homecoming. I didn’t have a lunch date, which meant I might just lunch solo. That’s okay with me. It’s the being there which is the one time only thrill. And I’m thrilled for the staff, many of whom have been waiting to get back to work! When you patronize certain businesses, such as restaurants (or bars), you tend to develop a business relationship where you know the individuals’ personalities. They’re like special friends. The staff -- the desk and coat-check, the manager, the bus boys, the bartenders,

even the chef, become familiar. Thus their service and menu is personal. So, on the opening day, not expecting much because that part of Manhattan was—and to some degree still is—ominously quiet; many offices remain closed. However, Michael’s staff is ready and eager. The room looked spanking fresh, the walls are hung with the property of some of Michael McCarty’s great art collection (including work by Kim McCarty, Michael’s wife). On the opening day, they had about thirty lunches. Not bad for a year out-of-work for a media and social center returning to the action in little ole New York. After lunch I walked over to

Fifth and 55th to check out the neighborhood. Most striking were the many buildings and stores closed down and covered over. As if waiting for a change, or just abandonment; a dramatic reaction, I realize, but the vibe delivers it. But then I got to the Dolce & Cabbana windows on 56th and Fifth. They were alive! And beautiful, and engaging like art. And colorful. I couldn’t resist getting a shot of two of the windows. They were a welcome sign unlike the same block on the west side of the avenue where the doors and windows (Henri Bendel, Harry Winston) were covered over, closed down. I first heard of Michael’s in Los Angeles, where its chef-owner Michael McCarty

“DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY” BENEFITING C ANCER ALLIANCE IN JUPITER, FLORIDA

Frank Trugio 26 QUEST

Chrisine and Stephen Schwarzman

Chris and Mike Cox

Sara and John Stephenson

Michelle and Greg Bernardo

Jack and Barbara McGregor

ANNIE WATT

Soula Rifkin and Cece Burke

Nothing compares.

9 East 88th Street

80 Columbus Cir, Apt NT67D 765 Park Avenue, Apt 6A

CARNEGIE HILL | $38,000,000

COLUMBUS CIRCLE | $9,680,000

UPPER EAST SIDE | $7,995,000

9EAST88.COM

SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM/ID/QN98TW

765PARKAVENUE6A.COM

ROBERTA GOLUBOCK 212.606.7704

ELIZABETH L. SAMPLE 917.364.2371

S EREN A B OARD M AN 2 1 2 .60 6.7 61 1

BRENDA S. POWERS 917.921.3463

40 East 66th Street, Apt 9B

80 Riverside Blvd, Apt 6-BL 52 East 72nd Street, Apt 3AB

UPPER EAST SIDE | $7,995,000

LINCOLN SQUARE | $6,900,000

UPPER EAST SIDE | $5,000,000

40EAST66-9B.COM

SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM/ID/TNQBXS

52EAST72STREET.COM

MICHAEL BOLLA 917.957.6630

EVA J. MOHR 212.606.7736

S EREN A B OARD M AN 2 1 2 .60 6.7 6 1 1

BRIGITTE GOLDENBERG 212.606.7636

GREG SCHRIEFER 212.606.7788

M ARIA B AZO 2 1 2 .60 6.7 64 7

784 Park Avenue, Apt 9C

161 East 79th Street, Apt 8A 8 East 96th Street, Apt 16C

LENOX HILL | $4,600,000

UPPER EAST SIDE | $3,750,000

UPPER EAST SIDE | $3,495,000

SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM/ID/BKLTHM

SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM/ID/ZQS6JT

SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM/ID/TPK37Z

MICHELE LLEWELYN 917.847.6967

THE AMM TEAM 212.606.4129

DIANNE M. WESTON 917.693.8442

LEANN M. WALDRON 212.606.7775 CLAIRE GROOME 212.606.7739

EAST SIDE MANHATTAN BROKERAGE | 650 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10022 © 2021 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. The Sotheby’s International Realty network fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice.

SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM/NYC

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A F R I E Z E N E W YO R K ’ S O P E N I N G DAY

Christy Turlington

first opened a restaurant with his name out there in the early 80s. From the start it had a reputation of being so exclusive that they had an unlisted telephone number. Of course, in L.A. (i.e. Hollywood), an unlisted number was something you had to have if you were somebody. I wasn’t, and besides that it was known as a high-end eatery hosting the stars and the swells around them that I couldn’t afford., being a poor struggling writer. I did have friends who dined there and they all raved about the food. Although one friend who took his wife there to celebrate an anniversary, complained about the prices. He was especially miffed by his raspberry cream dessert at $2.95! I understood, at the time. This was in 1982. Michael’s “unlisted” phone number turned out to be an 28 QUEST

Sarah Arison and Agnes Gund

accident made by Pacific Tel which put the Reservation line in the ladies room, and the ladies room line at the front door. This was the “unlisted” number that became a prize to all those moguls and their willing slaves. Michael’s still resides in Santa Monica and recently re-opened. Speaking of California, on a Friday noontime I went to lunch with Maria Cooper Janis at Sette. I also hadn’t seen Maria in at least a year. And she’s been right here all that time, at home with her husband, Byron, with whom she celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary a couple of months ago. Maria still doesn’t look like she’s even old enough to have been around that long. Her manner of comportment and conversation always make

Bill Powers

Rachel Feinstein

me think that she had a good mother. I know she had a good father for she remains his most devoted fan. I never met Maria until after I’d come back from LA in the early ’90s. Although because of my life out there, she and I knew several people in common with her life growing up in Hollywood. To me these “people” were figures, personalities from another time in our 20th century American history. To Maria they were people she’d known as friends, and neighbors who lived and worked and played in the same world. In the first half of that century, the film industry had all the markings of a “company town” when filmmakers settled like a community and worked in different factories (studios), in Los An-

Catherine Dunn and Angela Westwater

Terry Skoda

geles and thereabouts. Maria’s father, Gary Cooper, was one of the biggest, most beloved male stars for decades until his early death at age 60 in 1961. The ideal American man’s man Over lunch Maria talked about Edie Goetz (Gets) who was a good friend of Maria’s parents Gary and Rocky Cooper. Edie was the eldest of two daughters of Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. At one time when “talkies” were in full flourish from “Silents” Mr. Mayer’s Studio was the crème de la crème of stardom, glamor and “more stars than there are in Heaven….” And Edie was First Princess, and wore the role like a pro, or rather, a royal; her version. Mayer started out in the business in Haverhill, Massachusetts around the turn of the century, running a Nickelodeon. This was at the very be-

BFA

Kate Levin with Jill and Peter Kraus

CHOOSE BETTER. MOVE BETTER. How you move is why we’re here. We’ve been U.S. #1 in Orthopedics for 11 years in a row. Here are a few of the reasons why: More successful surgeries on joints and spines than any other hospital The highest expertise in nursing pre- and post-care The lowest readmission rate in orthopedics The fewest orthopedic post-op complications To learn more about our in-person appointments, virtual visits, and enhanced safety protocols, visit HSS.edu

NOW IN FLORIDA NY • NJ • CT

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A ginning of the motion picture technology when the public was first getting a look at the “moving pictures.” These were just up from miracles. He soon branched out and within a decade, having become an active player in the budding industry, Mayer and his wife Margaret and two daughters, Edith and Irene, eleven and ten respectively, moved to Los Angeles in 1919. He was 30—and already fully a recognized member of this new business that would grow beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. The two Mayer sisters had a sibling rivalry that never “righted” itself. It’s difficult to say who was wrong but they communicated briefly for most of their adult lives. Irene married David Selznick the great film producer, (Gone With The Wind). Within their parents’

later prosperity, and in the nature of the growing business, the girls had access to New York business and even Society among the younger set who were the first to grow up with the industry. There was always a “competition” between the two. Irene was the pretty one but Edie was the princess, and as her father prospered and became the mogul that he was indeed, Edie, then married to Billie Goetz, a founding executive at 20th Century-Fox and later owner of Universal which he sold to Jules Stein, was now the authentic Princess of Hollywood. What always intrigued me, the northeastern boy of an Irish son and a Polish daughter, was how the second generation of the

film industry, the Mayer sisters, etc., took on very comfortably, the role of the Social Lioness. I learned from Edie, that Dorothy Hirshon, nee Hart, Hearst, Paley, was the example of how and what in that department. She was the Southern California girl who went East with her first husband, Jack Hearst and had the learning eye. Mrs. Goetz became the role. She gave great dinner parties. Everything was done for the all the right reasons: pleasing the guest, each of whom appreciated by Madam. The guest list even late in her life, long a widow, was always interesting to this young (late 30s starting out) guest. Her chef was once considered the greatest chef in Southern California. The service was

impeccable and matter-of-fact to make anyone feel comfortable. I remember a dinner when one of the guests was a young art director in from New York on a job and brought by Gregory Peck and his wife. Edie’s table setting always had fingerbowls at the placement. When everyone was seated, the visiting art director picked up his finger bowl with both hands and drank from it. There was no sniveling at the table of course, but no one missed the move. Then, as he set it down, our Hostess picked up her fingerbowl, and briefly drank (or seemed to) from it. Her butler, Lodge, came from the Royal Household staff at Buckingham Palace. The house, spacious and comfortably grand, on mansions-size in dimensions, Technicolor like a set from an MGM musical

C H AT E AU D ’ E S C L A N S H O STS PA R T Y AT L A G O U L U E I N PA L M B E AC H

Sharon Bush

30 QUEST

Ed Carter and Paul Chevalier

Amanda Polk and Hollis Bradley Pica

Mehmet Oz, Lisa Oz, Ed Carter, Jayne Chase and Patrick McMullan

Mitch Brown and Tim Cobb

Sarah Wetenhall and Michael Reinert

ANNIE WATT

Ivey and Bobby Leidy

517 King Street, Unit 3 | King Street Lofts | Charleston, SC | 2 Beds | 2 Full Baths

1,599 Sq.Ft | Renovated with a beautiful new kitchen, white interior, and renovated baths Located Near Iconic King Street Shopping and Dining | $949,000 | Listed By: Deborah C. Fisher | 843.810.4110

Love Your Location...

91 East Bay Street

3 Beds | 3 Full & 1 Half Baths Approx. 4,160 Sq.Ft | $3,499,000

South of Broad | Charleston, SC Deborah C. Fisher | 843.810.4110

Charleston!

128 Bull Street

3 Chisolm Street, Unit 406

Harleston Village | Charleston, SC Deborah C. Fisher | 843.810.4110

South of Broad | Charleston, SC Deborah C. Fisher | 843.810.4110

4 Beds | 4 Full & 1 Half Baths Approx. 4,875 Sq.Ft | $2,299,999

Deborah C. Fisher , Broker in Charge

Downtown | 843.727.6460

handsomeproperties.com

1 Bed | 2 Full Baths Approx. 1,560 Sq.Ft | $799,000

285 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401

handsomepropertiesinternational.com

IS THE PANDEMIC OVER? A LOOMING MENTAL HEALTH PANDEMIC POINTS UP NEED FOR ACTION Scientists at Hope for Depression Research Foundation Answer the Call BY LOUISA BENTON OPTIMISM IS BUILDING that we are on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the power of science to develop vaccines that are effective and safe. While there is much to celebrate, experts agree we are beginning to see the contours of a second pandemic to come. The threat is no longer a physical virus, but a global mental health crisis triggered by the upheaval and distress of the past year. “Not since the Great Depression and World War II has the world faced such economic, social and health challenges,” said Dr. Eric Nestler, head of the Brain Institute at Mount Sinai and a world leader in psychiatry. “We’re just beginning to see a depression, stress, and anxiety pandemic.” Rates of PTDS and clinical depression always rise after a disaster, research shows. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is a once-in-a-century global event, and early surveys by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are ominous: 32 QUEST

•

40% of adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic, up from 10% in 2019. • 13% of adults reported starting or increasing substance use, and 11% of adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past 30 days. • The greatest burden falls, as always, on the most vulnerable among us—marginalized groups, women, the poor, and the isolated. In light of this historic challenge, leaders in multiple arenas— from politics to health—must step up to strengthen mental health infrastructure. Key to this endeavor are the scientific leaders like Dr. Nestler, whose biomedical research will pave the way for new and better treatments for depression that can reach a wide population. Recently Nestler met with colleagues on the Depression

H O P E F O R D E P R E S S I O N R E S E A R C H F O U N DAT I O N

Task Force at the non-profit Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF). The Task Force is an international team of top scientists from different universities who are pooling expertise and data to find new targets in the brain for treatment. They have been working together since 2012, and their annual meeting this year was set against the backdrop of COVID. The meeting radiated optimism and wisdom. There are no overnight discoveries in science, Nestler stressed, pointing out that even the new COVID vaccines grew out of decades of painstaking research that happened before the virus hit. However, the Depression Task Force was uniquely poised to lead the way forward on the last frontier of medicine: the mind and brain. They have identified the most important targets in the brain to study, and they have discovered several new potential precision treatments, two of which are in clinical trials. Several others are in the pipeline. “The Depression Task Force has largely defined the entire field of depression research over the past decade,” said Nestler. “We’ve made progress across the spectrum.” He closed with a historic overview: “We believe that the field and the Depression Task Force in particular is now at

an inflection point, at the beginning of a revolution in brain research,” he said. “So for the first time in history – in my lifetime—there’s a rational basis for optimism in better understanding and conquering depression.” u Clockwise from above: The HDRF Depression Task Force: Conor Liston, M.D Ph.D., Helen S. Mayberg, M.D., Michael Meaney, Ph.D, René Hen, Ph.D., Elisabeth Binder, M.D Ph.D., Kafui Dzirasa, M.D Ph.D., Eric Nestler, M.D., Ph.D., Huda Akil, Ph.D., Jonathan Javitch, M.D., Ph.D.; Dr. Eric Nestler in his office at Mount Sinai; Audrey Gruss, founder of Hope for Depression Research Foundation; Dr. Eric Nestler. Opposite page: Dr. Nestler with researchers in his Mount Sinai lab. JUNE 2021 33

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A G A LVA N L O N D O N ’ S T R U N K S H O W AT T H E C O L O N Y PA L M B E AC H

Maria Brogna

where the “star” lives. The art was everywhere but only as a part of the décor; it was a living room for entertaining—Monet, Manet, Renoir, Mondrian, van Gogh, Picasso, Corot. Degas, Vuillard, Bonnard, Gauguin, all with soft-ish lighting like an MGM movie set. After dinner came the screening: when everyone was comfortably seated, and the lights of the room slowly began to lower, and in the distance you could hear an orchestra playing, coming closer as the room grew dimmer; and at the other end of the room the ceiling opened and a wide screen slowly descended into the increasing darkness to the floor, with the MGM orchestra playing as if they were in the room. And then it stopped, the room was dark, and the film credits suddenly lit up the screen, and 34 QUEST

Bettina Anderson and Elizabeth Munder

Mary, Daisy and Tessa Baker

we were the captivated Monet. Over the latter years of her life, I came to know Edie more clearly. At my suggestion, and amazed that she agreed, I I interviewed her on a weekly basis (a Saturday afternoon) about her life and her family and her husband with whom she had a lasting and important relationship. She had a reputation in the community as it was in all its glory (1930s through 1970s), and from adolescence. She could be snobbish, but as I got to know her, right underneath that was the the little girl from Haverhill who made the big trip across the continent to become a princess, and acquired a “mid-Atlantic” accent and lived in a make-believe empire that flashed through the 20th

Samantha Cerny, Falco and Amanda Cerny

Lisa Kornman Avila

century for all to see. It so happened that Maria’s mother, Rocky Cooper was a close friend of Edie Goetz. The couples very often dined together back in the late ’40s through the ’60s with the Coopers, often also with Anabella and Tyrone Power, and Gloria and Jimmy Stewart. So there we were a lunch, Maria and I, exchanging notes and anecdotes about Edie. Their community in which Maria grew up, had a number of international connections so that people visiting from New York, or Europe, or South America, if they had the right connections or celebrity, often stayed with the Goetzes and people of their ilk. Years after all that, back in the mid-80s when I was

Inger Anderson

frequently interviewing Edie about her life (and taping it), one night she invited me to go with her—to take her to RJ Wagner’s 53rd birthday party. When I went to pick her up, I had to wait in the library (under the controversial van Gogh self-portrait). Her butler (Harold) Lodge—Edie preferred the sound of the g—came into the room to tell me when Madam would be down. Waiting, I asked him how he liked living in Southern California after being Yorkshireman who’d worked for the “Family” in London. “Oh very much, sir, very much….” And then I had the temerity to ask him very casually how he liked “working for Madam….” Expecting something complimentary, although…. And he replied again, “Oh

NICK MELE

Meg McCartney

ALAVONAUERSPERG.COM @ALA_VON_AUERSPERG.COM

original prints timeless style

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A very much sir, very much. She’s very much like the Queen,” he added. “Like the Queen?” I asked somewhat puzzled. “How is she like the Queen?” I wasn’t going to laugh but it makes me laugh thinking about it now. Because I knew Edie would have been very impressed to hear that. “Oh, not Her Majesty,” he corrected, “much like the Queen Mother. “And how is she like the Queen Mother?” “Staff, sir,” Lodge politely added, “Staff comes first.” I could see he meant it. And I thought of Edie and her ten in staff even as her hostess days had been wound down with

time. That night as we were driving over to Wagner’s house (that he shared with his wife Jill St. John) in Mandeville, I decided to tell Edie about my conversation with Lodge and how he compared her to the Queen Mother. I can still see her in the car as she put both palms to head and like young woman overcome by a compliment, “Oh my God!” I’d made her day. While on the subject of Hollywood and the star life, I recently made a “comparison” of Caitlyn Jenner with Ronald Reagan in referring to Jenner’s bid for a governorship in California. A friend sent me

a video of her interview with Sean Hannity about her decision to run for governor. I was surprised by Jenner’s “certainty of purpose” in seeking the elected post. That’s partly because I’ve never thought of his public image as political. Watching her respond to Hannity’s questions,I was reminded of a moment in my life about Ronald Reagan. I never knew, or even met him, except to see him in the movies when I was a kid, and on television and on one brief “social” moment. He had a natural ease with his convictions about the product and as a leading man, he was a “good” man.

The scene. In December 1979, then living in Los Angeles, I was invited last minute to dinner dance given every year upstairs at the Bistro by Lorena Nidorf, the widow of Louis B. Mayer, who had a senior stature among the social life of Los Angeles and the entertainment industry moguls. She was a glamorous and gracious. This particular evening was her annual pay-back party held at holiday time. Black tie. A male guest had dropped out two days before and Lorena needed to fill that seat. I was a friend of a friend of hers, and thus the last minute invite. The Bistro back in those days was the hottest restaurant in Beverly Hills and a haven

R EC E P T I O N AT G I L W A L S H I N T E R I O R S I N PA L M B E AC H

Scott Snyder and Bruce Helander

36 QUEST

Gil Walsh and Lauren Stango

David Feinerman and Dionne Schneider

Liz McDermott, Maribel Alvarez and Jacqui Michel

Alex Hamilton Suarez, Molly Robbins and Geary Stonesifer

Anne and Steve Logiudice

ALISSA DRAGUN

Ellen Urive and Melanie Werner

635 PARK AVE., 8TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10065 $12,388,000 | 5 Beds 4.5 Baths | Cooperative Take the unique opportunity to restore this eighthfloor Italian Renaissance beauty to its original elegance. Prepare to be stunned by the sunlit magnificent circular foyer as well as the palazzo faade wrapping the corner of East 66th Street and Park Avenue. ANNE FLANAGAN | Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 917.363.4142 | 646.677.1026 | AnneFlanagan@bhhsnyp.com LARRY KAISER | Senior Global Sales Executive, Associate Broker 917.859.3602 | 646.677.1039 | LauranceKaiser@bhhsnyp.com

959 FIRST AVE., 8P NEW YORK, NY 10022 $2,700,000 | 2 Beds 2.5 Baths | Condominium Light grey Venetian plaster walls surround the beautiful gallery and living room with high-glossed lacquered doors and the finest finishes. For the discerning, this turnkey home has been upgraded from its original form. REBA MILLER | Senior Global Sales Executive, Associate Broker 646.210.3177 | 646.677.1067 | RebaMiller@bhhsnyp.com

200 EAST 66TH ST., B201 NEW YORK, NY 10065 $1,828,000 | 2 Beds 1.5 Baths | Condominium

Located in one of the most iconic buildings in Manhattan, this spacious and brightly lit condominium features a gracious entry gallery and open-style living and dining areas. SONIA BENDT | Associate Real Estate Broker 646.303.5191 | 646.677.1017 | SoniaBendt@bhhsnyp.com

590 Madison Avenue, New York, New York @bhhsnewyork

BHHSNYPROPERTIES.COM

©2021 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Information not verified or guaranteed and subject to change. Equal housing opportunity.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A T H E C O LO N Y H OT E L ’ S E N D O F S E A S O N PA R T Y I N PA L M B E AC H

Care you can trust, at a moment’s notice. Castle Connolly Private Health Partners’ comprehensive concierge programs give you exclusive access to a range of amenities designed to provide for your total, holistic wellness— enhancing the elite care provided by select top doctors.

(914) 580-4151 ccphp.net/quest

Robert Caravaggi and Bruce Seigel

Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall

for the stars and the film executives, not to mention the bankers and billionaires and their ambitious and talented wives. The restaurant’s second floor was where people entertained at private parties. As guests arrived for the cocktail hour, Lorena stood at the entrance to greet. When I introduced myself, she was very welcoming and thanked me for accepting her invitation. After our meeting I moved on to the bar for a drink to occupy myself. Many of the guests were famous movie stars and I “knew” all of them from their movies, but they had no idea who I was. So there was nothing to do but wait til we sat for dinner; then I’d have a dinner partner or two to have some kind of conversation with. At that moment, I noticed that across the room from our hostess, a white-haired woman, tall and tan, with stature wearing a soft, multi-colored chiffon gown, was holding a kind of court, with guests lined up to say hello. Noticeably older than the crowd, I recognized her: Dorothy Chandler, the widow of the owner of the Los Angeles Times and mother of Otis Chandler, then the current Publisher of the Times. Over time I came to learn that Mrs. Chandler was a powerful member of the community

Marta Weinstein

Homer and Bitsy Marshman

and had the stature that demanded respect. I decided to move myself with my drink to a spot behind with my back to her where guests were gathering. With my back to Mrs. Chandler, I stood on the edge of a crowd. She was not aware of my presence not more than five feet from the lady, because she occupied by meeting and greeting. For me it was a way to possibly catch a phrase or two from the great lady and her “guests.” Shortly thereafter, Nancy and Ronald Reagan were standing there humbly/graciously greeting Mrs. Chandler. They were still very familiar off-camera although “smaller” than their image on the screen. An older version of themselves, no longer a movie star, Nancy was very thin, and almost delicate in appearance, although still her attractive self. Mr. Reagan had some color and his cheeks were rosier, and his hair was the color it might have been at 21 but not sixty-one. If that seems overly critical, it is except when you’re observing a movie star off-screen. The on-screen image on screen is very powerful. But then when you see the aged version in real life, it’s like judging the art. Both Mr. and Mrs. Reagan were showing their age but also their professional stature. Not bad.

ANNIE WATT

Blaine Caravaggi

Care you can trust, available to you

at a moment’s notice.

Castle Connolly Private Health Partners’ unparalleled concierge programs give you exclusive connectivity to a range of wellness amenities and care enhancements. Every membership offering is carefully designed to deliver the most personalized, connected and convenient care by select top doctors. Member amenities include:

• Unlimited complementary health coaching appointments

• Member-exclusive wellness events, tips, and newsletters

• Extended office visits

• Connectivity to nearly 60,000 Castle Connolly Top Doctors®

• 24/7 communication directly with your physician

• Same-day or next-day appointments regardless of medical necessity

Call: (914) 580-4151 or visit ccphp.net/quest to be matched with a concierge physician.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A Their presence was particularly interesting to me because in the L.A Times that same day was a very small article on an inside page, stating that the former Governor Reagan was planning on throwing his hat into the 1980 Presidential Race. (Just ten days before the New Year!) In my mind, I was now eavesdropping on an exchange with a Presidential candidate. And that impressed me; thinking this was as close as I’d ever get to any Presidential candidate. Also, it so happened that same day in the LA Times, there was an editorial deploring the fact that President Jimmy Carter would not allow the deposed Shah of Iran entrance into the country because of the Iranian Hostage situation of US govern-

ment officials being held at ransom by the Iranians. The Times’ editorial criticized the President on humanitarian grounds (the Shah was suffering from Cancer which finally killed him). At the time, my unimportant opinion of the matter was in defense of President Carter trying to achieve a safe release of the hostages. Mr. Reagan’s opinion, however seemed superficial and inadequate to these ears. I was a Carter fan. I was also amazed that Ronald Reagan seemed inadequate for the role of President. That was my snap judgment at the time. I recall writing friends here in New York reporting what I’d heard from the new Presidential

candidate. I was certain he’d never be elected President, he wasn’t even Presidential. Too much makeup. Of course, within a year or 18 months, I learned that I was wrong. Not only did he win, but he became almost a folk favorite. He also conducted himself seamlessly even when it seemed dubious to this listener. Over the years that I lived out there, I came to know more about the man and his career and other sides of him that were never publicly apparent. I was never a fan, from a political point of view, but I could only admire and respect his great ability to conduct himself in the Role of a life-

time for any man (or woman). He carried out an image of empathy for others’ needs, even if he couldn’t or wouldn’t provide it. There were other sides to him, as it is with all of us, that were not so empathic, but he was driven and ambitious and an American boy who grew up to make the most of it. That “certainty of purpose” was always activated. All this came back to me watching Caitlyn Jenner talk about running for office because when I first heard about it, in my imagination, I wasn’t aware of the woman’s “certainty of purpose.” I could see she has it too. She certainly had it when she was he. There’s no reason to think it has changed. Still a champion, in her case it’s the results and the resolve of

P R OM I S E F U N D O F F L O R I DA H O STS C O C K TA I L S I N PA L M B E AC H

Jeffrey Tousey and Billy Gilbane

40 QUEST

Chip DiPaula and Lauren Ross

Blair Brandt and Dana Koch

Benjamin Curley and Rory McCarthy

Justin Domer and Jessie Pulitzer

Daniela Dello Joio and Henry Rauch

CAPEHART

Nancy Brinker and Don Burns

SOLD

278 Old Black Point Road Old Black Point | $2,000,000

410 Hamburg Road Lyme | $1,150,000

223 Old Black Point Road Old Black Point | Land | $1,250,000

SOLD

UNDER CONTACT

239 Old Black Point Road Old Black Point | $5,000,000

176 St. Ronan Street New Haven | $2,200,000

30 Prospect Street Essex | $1,000,000

NEW TO THE MARKET

18 Hemingway Road | Old Black Point | $1,695,000

JAMIE CHILDS m: 860.501.2110 o: 860.767.7488 jchilds@williampitt.com jameschilds.williampitt.com 13 Main Street, Essex, CT

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY’S ANNUAL FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED AWARDS LUNCHEON IN NEW YORK 1.Betsy Smith and Yesim Philip 2. Eileen Judell and Barbara Tober 3. Tom Kempner and Patti Harris 4. Anna Kennedy, Eleanora Kennedy,

Wendy Carduner, and Kara Ross 5. Taylor McKenzie and Stephanie Hessler

6. Katrina Robinson 7. Frances Schultz 8. Anne Harrison 9. Marisa McGaughey and Jennifer Ezring 10. Hilary Geary Ross, Audry Gruss, and Jamee Gregory

42 QUEST

4 7

6 5

1. Kalliope Karella and Christine

Schwarzman 2. Norma Dana 3. Lisa McCarthy and Penny Ashford 4. Emilia Saint-Amand 5. Muffie Potter Aston 6. Sarah Britton 7. Alexia Leuschen and Lauren Santo Domingo 8. Noel Momsen and Shannon Henderson

9. Blair Husain, Laurie Costantino, and Ainsley Earhardt 10. Barbara Scott, Margo Ressa, Robin Bell

Stevens, and Kathleen Tait

SEAN ZANNI; GETTY IMAGES AND MATTEO PRANDONI

BFA.COM/JOE SCHILDHORN; GETTY/JARED SISKIN AND

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 O N AT L O N G H O U S E R E S E R V E I N E A ST H A M P TO N

Make Your Vacation Home a Retreat When one of our clients buys a (second) vacation home, they are looking for a place to escape the pressures of their everyday life. They are Hilda Longinotti

looking for that getaway retreat where

Alexandra Munroe, Peter Olsen and Victoria Munroe

Toshiko Mori and James Carpenter

they can reconnect with

their

family,

friends or even just themselves. It can be in the mountains, by the ocean, or a tropical paradise. So many choices. They usually want their ‘holiday’ home to be furnished for relaxation and casual entertaining. We create comfortable spaces that are inviting and spice them up with colorful décor. Sometimes we use a sectional sofa, an upholstered couch or loveseat even plush chairs, all perfect

Kathleen and Charlie Marder

Caroline Baumann and Helen Drutt English

and a coffee table for their mug or glass of wine and an area rug is a must for tiled or hardwood floors. The plan is for the homeowners and their guests to kick off their shoes! Add a bookcase or TV entertainment center to organize their books, games, remotes or whatever. We arrange several lamps, maybe recessed lighting and if they are lucky, they will have an abundance of natural light. We fill it with adventure, serenity and clutter free to help keep stress at a minimum. And we always keep it stylish! —Gil Walsh, Where Style Lives

PHOTO BY KIM SARGENT PHOTO BY KIM SARGENT

www.gilwalsh.com

44 QUEST

his athletic career. And hey! it’s California. A friend sent me an article about “life” in the Hamptons. It was about how a lot of the locals aren’t fond of the supercilious and/or pretentious behavior of some characters of the “displaced” out there by escaping the virus. It’s the ladies who occupy the multi-million dollar houses who tend to most annoy the locals who do business with them. It also probable that there are a lot of the “displaced” aren’t particularly happy away from the hustle-bustle of city life, also. It is a habit and a hard one to shake for some of us. It’s also true that the Hamptons “industry” is actually the city people who own property and/or rent big time for much of the year. They are what is called the “leisure class.” Now. That is not all individuals who fit the bill but only few (as in whew). The population of the Hamptons has grown enormously over the last three decades because of the financials. And so have the prices and the wages of the service providers. Their clients often require more attention than usual, and often are not exactly a day in the country, let alone a year round pain in the pratt (as my Ma used the term when she was annoyed). Aside from little woe here and there, the article left me thinking about the Hamp-

tons I knew as a very young man looking to make a life as a grownup. Southampton still has families who are descended directly from those who first built houses and were staying there during the duck hunting season in the late 19th century. In the 20th the Summer colony had grown and had a “religious” side to its popularity. There were a number of Roman Catholics who presided in their own Society which included the Murrays, McDonnells and Fords. East Hampton had the WASPs as well as some RCs. The nature of exclusion aka selection via religious beliefs was still very strong throughout all areas. Family was the byword for the earlier “settlers.” Meaning they socialized with each other and “their own kind.” This was generally true of the world in America at that time. When the changes began in Southampton in the mid-1960s, real estate was by today’s standard, dirt cheap. I remember going to look at a very old house on the corner of South Main and Gin Lane; Victorian, two stories, four or five bedrooms, a half acre, and the beach just down the sandy path on the other side of the road: $35,000. Yes, and it needed work, but today that same restored house is a multimillion-dollar property. And now has a life in the fast lane. ◆

PHILIPPE CHENG

for curling up and relaxing. We add side tables

WHERE STYLE LIVES

T O L I S T E N . T O E N V I S I O N . T O C R E AT E . T O C O L L A B O R AT E . W W W. G I LWA L S H . C O M

PALM BEACH | MARTHA'S VINEYARD | NEW YORK

561.932.0631

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A F R E N C H H E R I TA G E S O C I E T Y ’ S L U N C H EO N I N PA L M B E AC H

CeCe Black and Camille Langlois

Elizabeth Stribling and Barbara Price

Linda Hoffman, Guy Robinson and Jane Gaillard 46 QUEST

Melissa Patrylo and Denise-Marie Nieman

Friederike Biggs, Brewer Schoeller and Jennifer Loving

Jean and Don Wolff

Barbara and John Schumacher

Liz McDermott Barnes and Suzanne Stoll

Charlotte Kellogg and Ronald Lee Fleming

ANNIE WATT

Marcel Arrouet and Roger Lourié

N O T H I N G C O M PA R E S

248 ACRES OF NIANTIC RIVER WATERFRONT | $29,000,000 | EASTLYMEWATERFRONT.COM The largest privately held waterfront parcel in the state of Connecticut. This spectacular deep water property encompasses one mile of coastline. Joseph Barbieri | 203.940.2025

6 WINDROSE WAY | $15,750,000 | 6WINDROSEWAY.COM Stunning waterfront home in the exclusive, 24hr guard-gated Mead Point association. This breathtaking custom-built home is nestled alongside a private 5-acre park with a 160’ deep-water dock. Joseph Barbieri | 203.940.2025

31 VISTA DRIVE | $15,500,000 | 31VISTADR.COM To be built: Sophisticated Shingle-style home by Jesika Estepanian on idyllic 3-acre waterfront lot with private dock capturing spectacular views from a promontory overlooking Indian Harbor. Joseph Barbieri | 203.940.2025

OLDFIELD FARM | $14,900,000 | 160JOHNSTREET.COM Amid the pastoral beauty of Greenwich’s great estates, ‘’Oldfield Farm’’ is an equestrian estate without peer. On 18.39 carefully groomed acres, it hosts a classical villa on lush grounds, superior horse facilities and a stick & ball field. Joseph Barbieri | 203.940.2025

STONE HILL | $21,995,000 |435ROUNDHILL.COM Handsome stone manor with seven bedrooms on four parklike acres with expansive lawn and fruit orchards. Infinity-edge pool, a pool house and a pool pavilion. Tennis court and indoor basketball/squash court. Leslie McElwreath | 917.539.3654

MARTIN DALE | $4,795,000 | 12MARTINDALENORTH.COM A classic five bedroom colonial home completed in 2009 and flooded with natural light on three levels of living space. Situated on a tranquil cul-desac with a large level lawn all walking distance to downtown Greenwich. Leslie McElwreath | 917.539.3654

GREENWICH BROKERAGE | 203.869.4343 | One Pickwick Plaza | Greenwich, CT 06830

sothebysrealty.com

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

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A Q U E ST ’ S L U N C H EO N AT A S P R E Y I N PA L M B E AC H

Lesly Smith and Pauline Pitt

Nancy Stone and Kim Isaly 48 QUEST

Mary Dawkins and Grace Meigher

Valerie Potvin, Blaine Trump and Hilary Geary Ross

Diane Myer

Kate Gubelmann and Julie Simmons

Melissa Sullivan

Darcy Gould and Mary Davidson

CAPEHART

Frances Scaife

VISIT GINNEL.COM/SUMMER COME SEE OUR EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION OF PROPERTIES IN NORTHERN WESTCHESTER

SUM M E R IN THE COUNTRY 40 MILES FROM NEW YORK CITY

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A A N N I E W AT T ’ S P H OTO G R A P H Y E X H I B I T I O N AT T H E C O L O N Y PA L M B E AC H

Ron Burkhardt and Julie Hayek

Krystian von Speidel and Danielle Rollins 50 QUEST

Annie Watt and Bruce Seigel

Stephanie Stokes

Nick Mele

Jennifer Borg and Michel Witmer

Eleanora Kennedy and Karen Klopp

Elaine Kay and Nancy Goodes

ANNIE WATT

Alex Donner and Annette De Lorenzo

Two Side-by-side Buildings in Prime WV 801-803 Greenwich Street. $24,500,000 Pamela D’Arc + Stephen McArdle 917.509.8315

13 Room Corner Duplex Facing Park Ave

Gold Coast Mansion with Water Views

730 Park Avenue. $11,000,000 Christine Miller Martin + Deanna Lloyd 917.453.5152

297 Mill Hill Road, Mill Neck. $27,000,000. Mary Ellen Cashman + Leslie Davidson 917.710.2655

4,500 SF of Beautifully Proportioned Rms 4 East 72nd Street. $11,000,000 Kirk Henckels 917.291.6700

Light-filled Brownstone, Fplcs & Garden

40 Foot Mansion with Garden & Garage

169 State Street, Brooklyn Heights. $5,300,000 Robert Faust 917.837.7403

160 East 81st Street. $26,000,000 Alexa Lambert + Patricia Farman-Farmaian 917.213.7690

compass.com Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

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

Valerie Harris and Dick Brickley

Lauree Simmons, Carol Williams and Nancy Brickley

Victor Moore and Robin Freidman 52 QUEST

Danielle Rollins and Tom D’Agistino

Webb Egerton and Tom Shaffer

Valentine Hernandez, Yaz Hernandez and Greg Dryer

Don and Cher Kasun

Eliza WIlliams, Lindsay Strafuss and Porter Allen

Alexis Graham and Bobby Zeitler

ANNIE WATT

Bob Murray and Sharon Bush

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A O P E N I N G E V E N I N G AT L A N A M A R K S I N PA L M B E AC H

Neville Marks, Lana Marks and Martin Marks

Stacey Leuliette, Emily Dryer and Andrew Frazer

Dusty and Johnny Dodge 54 QUEST

Daphne Oz and John Jovanovic

Tara DeBie and Frances Peter

Caroline Rafferty and Kristin Vila

Jayne and Chris Chase

Molly Tilton, MK McCloskey and Elizabeth Meigher

Nick Mele and Krystian von Speidel

Kristina and Austin Bryan

NICK MELE

Bobby and Ivey Leidy

M A D I S O N W O RT H A R CH I T E C T U R E

DP C

Architec t ure - Design - Pl anning

w w w. M a d i s o n Wo r t h A r c h . c o m

4 8 5 M a d i s o n Av e n u e , S u i t e 2 0 0 - N e w Yo r k , N e w Yo r k 1 0 0 2 2 - ( 2 1 2 ) 3 5 5 - 3 2 6 1 1 2 5 Wo r t h Av e n u e , S u i t e 3 0 6 - P a l m B e a c h , F l o r i d a 3 3 4 8 0 - ( 5 6 1 ) 8 3 3 - 3 2 4 2

PA L M BE A C H - N E W Y O R K C I T Y - G R E EN W I C H - L O N G I S L A N D

56 QUEST

H A R RY B E N S O N

IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY THE REPUBLICAN presidential nominee in 2000, George W. Bush, was still the Governor of Texas when I photographed him for the first time at the governor’s mansion, an imposing home in the center of Austin with huge white columns …. possibly to hold up the roof or more likely just for the design effect. As I recall the day, after a serious interview with a very young student reporter, the governor became quite gregarious. During an afternoon reception he pointed a can of Wacky Spray at me as I photographed him. Remember Wacky Spray? It was all the rage at children’s parties at the time. When I was about to start taking photographs in his office, the governor asked me where I was from, as he could hear my Scottish accent, then asked if I was an American citizen. “Yes, I said, I had become an American citizen in 1999, and by the way, I was married to a Texan.” (Even though the governor was actually born in Connecticut, most people think of him as being a Texan). He thought for a moment, then pointed his golf club at me, saying, “You are an American citizen and that means you can vote … and I am asking for your vote in the upcoming presidential election.” I paused before answering and replied, “Well, let’s see how the photography goes today.” Then we both laughed … And we all know what happened next … George W. Bush became the 43rd President of the United States. u George W. Bush at the governor’s mansion in Austin, Texas, 2000. JUNE 2021 57

TA K I

THE UNDOING OF AMERICA From above: A view of Central Park in New York; the Groton School in Massachusetts.

WITH THE KARAMAZOVIAN hangover now only a weekly occurrence, the healthy life rules supreme. Well, most of the time. Up early, I go for a brisk thirty-minute walk before breakfast in the park that stretches out two blocks away. I finish off with two sets of twenty pushups on a park bench, a few kicks and punches against leaves as targets, then cross Fifth Avenue going east. (Karate is now a three-night-per-week occasion, and I’ve given up judo as it takes up too much time and needs too many partners.) I then buy the papers from a friendly Indian, have the first coffee of the day 58 QUEST

from a friendlier Greek, and return to my flat in the 1928 art deco marvel that is my Park Avenue abode. I exchange jokes with the three uniformed doormen who are from Puerto Rico, Howard Beach, and Montenegro about their sex life, followed by a hearty breakfast prepared by Margarita, the Colombian lady who has been with me for forty years in New York, brought up my two children, and still cannot speak a word of English. Hence I was surprised while crossing Park Avenue the other day when a nice-looking young man asked me in English if I was “Taki.” In fact more than

surprised, as I was wearing a mask. He turned out to be as pleasant and as nice as he looked, and later in the week he sent me a book about the boarding school he attended, Groton. Ted Leonhardt is coauthor of the book on his alma mater, and is a practicing lawyer. Groton is the American Eton and then some. In his book Ted explains how Groton’s old-boy network actually made the American cen-

TA K I tury, how the relationships among Groton boys went on to shape American Cold War policy. The book’s title is Divine Fire. Uncle Sam indisputably became numero uno during the 20th century. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Sumner Welles, Averell Harriman, Dean Acheson, John Hay Whitney, Kermit Roosevelt, William Bundy, Stewart and Joe Alsop, Douglas Dillon, and other WASPs like them made the country what the fawning lefty media and the degenerate New York Times are doing their best to deny and undo at present: a Christian nation that saved Europe twice, rebuilt the old continent with its capitalist wealth, and destroyed the Marxist dream of

Am I being cloyingly old-fashioned and reminiscing about an arcadia that never existed, a Norman Rockwell America? If you believe media lies, I suppose I am. But I lived in the idealized country long ago, so if you don’t agree all you have to do is read today’s newspapers or watch American television. I lived in a two-parent family with traditional beliefs and had a religious upbringing. I now defend a world where pronouns were all-important, and mother and father were not words to be avoided at all costs. I went to restrooms marked Men, pursued women, and never knowingly gave a bad sporting call in my life. I was taught all that at home and in a WASP-run

But again, that was then. Today we have the Sacklers, subjects of a new book out that exposes their crimes. In Empire of Pain, the secret history of the Sacklers is meticulously exposed, and what a callous, entitled, and tonedeaf bunch these bums are. Owners of the company that made OxyContin, and recipients of tens of billions, the Sacklers continue to try to manipulate the media and the Justice Department. Oxy has killed more Americans than the Nazis and the Japanese did in World War II, 500,000 and counting, yet the Sacklers paid a little more than $2 billion in fines while pocketing more than 10 billion greenbacks. They’ve bribed—an

From left: Franklin Delano Roosevelt; demonstrations outside of Purdue Pharma

L I G H T RO C K E T V I A G E T T Y I M A G E S

S H U T TE R S TO C K ; G E T T Y I M A G E S ; E R I K M CG R E G O R /

headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

world socialism. What are now referred to as superannuated WASPs managed it all while their impeccable manners hid their will of iron. After them came LBJ, Vietnam, social unrest, too much migration, and the deluge. All great states fall from within and America is no exception. Uncle Sam’s fifth column targeted the family and religion. The monopolies of Silicon Valley turned against those two institutions, as did Hollywood and the media. Once Biden packs the Supreme Court and adds a couple of Democratic stars to the flag, the undoing of America will be complete.

boarding school. This today makes me a superannuated fool and bigot. I never felt the psychic consequences of inequality because I was privileged, but nor did I ever feel envy for those more privileged than me. The so-called robber barons who created American wealth left a hell of a legacy behind. The Ford, Rockefeller, and Carnegie foundations have given away billions and continue to do so, alas to mostly leftist causes. Museums such as the Frick and Whitney, medical research, scientific inventions, and so on all came from the wealth that once upon a time poor men created.

FDA reviewer landed a lucrative job a year after approving the deadly drug; a U.S. attorney who raised alarms quickly became a company consultant—like the Mexican drug dealer El Chapo, but here’s the rub: The Mexican is rotting away in jail and his moola’s gone. The Sacklers are in Gstaad and Florida and have all their money. Where’s the RICO justice? This is the America the degenerate Times should be railing against, not the America Groton and other WASP schools made great long ago. u For more Taki, visit takimag.com. JUNE 2021 59

QUEST

Fresh Finds BY A LE X T R AV E R S A N D E L I Z A B E T H M E I G H E R

WHO SAYS summertime is about going easy? Some of our favorite designers, for their part, have been hard at work, crafting only the best products possible so the rest of us can enjoy a long weekend or few. Ladies have a host of innovations for accessorizing, even at home. And guys have just as much to be excited about, from Ralph Lauren’s new MLB collaboration to Stubbs & Wootton’s latest slipper and accessory offerings. Show off this summer in J.McLaughlin’s stunning Paola Midi Skirt ($168), sure to be a hit at any outdoor event. Shop the full look at jmclaughlin.com. This year, Rolex is presenting three gem-set, colorful versions of its Oyster Perpetual DayDate 36, swathed in diamonds and fitted with a polished leather strap. Price upon request at Wempe: 700 Fifth Ave., 212.546.0976.

Hit the fashion bull’s eye this summer with the Target Earclips by Verdura, first worn by New York society swans Millicent Rogers and Dorothy Paley. Visit verdura.com for more information.

Impress your guests this summer with Asprey’s stunning Butterfly Cup, Saucer, and Plate. $1,065 at asprey.com.

Love golf and needlepoint? Grab this 2021 U.S. Open hat from Smathers & Branson, sporting the

Go on hiatus from the everyday with award-winning Hiatus tequila, available in Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo. Starting at $48.99 at shophiatustequila.com.

Set sail on one of Barton & Gray’s Hinckley yachts, where you’ll be treated to an unforgettable experience on the water aboard its fleet of over 50 captained yachts in nearly 30 harbors. For membership information, visit bartonandgray.com.

Give dad the gift of style this Father’s Day, with new looks and chic accessories from Emporio Armani. Shop the full look at armani.com.

The Polo Bear can do it all! Get this new Ralph Lauren Yankees Sweatshirt ASAP, because they’ll go faster than Chapman’s two-seamer. $148 at ralphlauren.com.

We can’t get enough of these Croquet slippers from Stubbs & Wootton, sure to be a summer staple in Greenwich. $500 at stubbsandwootton.com. JUNE 2021 61

Fresh Finds

We’re in love with this Elizabeth Gage 18-ct. yellow gold Valois ring, set in a rounded rectangular plinth with a richly colored faceted oval dark mandarin garnet. $7,242 at elizabeth-gage.com.

Spruce up your home with Astir’s Rattan We can’t get enough of Brandon Maxwell’s Spring 2021 collection, and we’re sure you’ll agree. Shop the

Hanging Chair, an inviting piece for any room—or even great for outside. $995 at ourboathouse.com.

look at brandonmaxwellstudio.com.

Take good care of your hair— and smell great, too. Le Labo’s Hinoki Macadamia shampoo will do more than get the job done.

A fashion favorite: Polkadot England’s

$30 at nordstrom.com.

Liberty Print Robe in pink and orange. $178 at polkadot-england.com.

62 QUEST

Get ready to tase summer: Bacardi’s Lemon Real Rum Cocktail is a backyard party favorite. Visit bacardi.com to find local retailers.

Exclusively at Betteridge—Lucie Campbell’s Briolette-cut diamond chain necklace. Price upon request. Visit betteridge.com for more information.

It’s simple, but it’ll spruce up any outfit: Loro Piana’s Alsavel Suede belt. $565 at neimanmarcus.com.

Kiton’s Spring 2021 collection defined effortless style and luxury. Shop this look and more at kiton.com.

Louis Sherry Truffle Hound 12-piece tin, designed by well-known decorative artist Harrison Howard. $40, at louis-sherry.com.

LOCAL FLAVOR BY ROBERT JANJIGIAN

CO U RTE S Y O F R I Z Z O L I

DESIGN

WHILE THE title of the new book by decorator Celerie Kemble is Island Whimsy, there is a certain seriousness and thoughtfulness to the project it documents. Kemble has been designing the Playa Grande resort on more than 2,000 acres in a formerly undeveloped part of the Dominican Republic since the project was first conceived in 2004. Kemble had done hotel and club work before, but had never faced a project of such scale from the ground up, with no client besides herself and the Playa Grande partners. Luckily, she had some familiarity with the DR, having spent lots of time at Casa de Campo, owned and operated by friends from New York and her hometown of Palm Beach. And she, with extremely limited Spanish language skills, had a close friend who was able to assist her in navigating the island nation’s local building regulations, and communicate her ideas to craftspeople and others involved in realizing the clubhouse and the six onebedroom bungalows and three three-bedroom cottages that encompass the seaside venture. “We didn’t want to close off from the surrounding area,” Kemble explains. “The idea of gates didn’t seem right.” The resort is, after all, built where locals used tp park their cars when headed to the beach.” Kemble didn’t conceive of Playa Grande as a traditional resort, but as a boutique hotel, with a sense of history, even though there

This spread: The chapters of Island Whimsy are organized around the different ways Celerie Kemble (left) sought to braid her family’s story into the larger landscape of Playa Grande and to provide inspiration, joy, and respite to all who come; Island Whimsy Designing a Paradise by the Sea (Rizzoli). JUNE 2021 65

DESIGN

is no particular Dominican style of architecture. “The biggest asset is the inclusion of the local culture and traditions,” she says. And Kemblel looked to the style of houses built in the hills rather than hotel architecture as a guide. “I wanted everything to look real,” she reflects. But her touchstones, especially in the decoration department were more in keeping with her familiar PalmBeach stomping grounds. It’s not a Disneyfied version of the DR; instead it’s a melange of Victorian and ideas from the eccentric, yet relaxed and comfortable place she grew up in—the deconsecrated church her mother, Mimi McMakin, also a successful interior designer, transformed into a spectacular and extremely sophisticated-charming family home. “My family’s house in Palm Beach is essentially a series of rooms created from porches, surrounding a big central space, the former church sanctuary.” For Playa Grande, Kemble strived to achieve what she calls a non-decorated look. “I wanted it to look like it’s been there for 50 years, and to celebrate the authentic Dominican artisans.” So there is wicker furniture from an island factory capable of reproducing classic pieces, metalwork created by locals, and hand painted tiles from local suppliers. This spread: Throughout this lovingly crafted book—featuring images of Kemble’s Playa Grande pictiured here—ideas abound for anyone decorating a sunny home or fantasizing about spending time in one. Kemble shares inspiration for creating a sense of openness to the sea and sky, offering places to wash sandy feet or perfect viewing spots for a sunset-saturated drink; and infusing spaces with invitation, welcome, and magic. 66 QUEST

In the summer of 2004, Kemble laid eyes on a wild swath of jungle in the Dominican Republic next to minty-blue water and an endless stretch of golden sand—and she fell madly in love;

CO U RTE S Y O F R I Z Z O L I

two interiors designed by Kemble at Playa Grande (insets).

DESIGN

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

Most of the furniture is vintage. “Formality is the enemy of tropical,’ Kemble states. “Luxury today is about being delighted.” She made it a point to integrate a fantastical quality to the quarters, to make the spaces seemingly evolved over time. “I wanted the place to feel authentic,” she says. And so, with the book presenting her side of the PlayaGrande story, Kemble shares ideas for creating a comfortable and attractive home interior, while sharing her quite touching experience working and “living” an incredibly personal design journey. u

J U N E 2 0 21 19 6 09 0

FASHION’S ACE: RALPH LAUREN AND MLB

RALPH LAUREN just hit a fashion home run. On Monday May 10, the brand announced a new partnership with Major League Baseball, designing three special collections in collaboration with some of baseball’s most iconic teams—and we’re gushing over the results. Celebrating the rich heritage of America’s favorite pastime, the first capsule will include the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. (The collections will later expand to incorporate additional teams, including the Boston Red Sox.) A lifelong baseball fan, Mr. Lauren has always been inspired by the authentic legacy of the national pastime. Growing up in the golden age of baseball in the Bronx, Mr. Lauren idolized iconic Yankees players like Mickey Mantle, and his love of sport has stayed with him throughout his life. In Fall 2018, the Yankees invited Mr. Lauren to throw a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium in honor of the company’s 50th anniversary, and Ralph Lauren created a special limited-edition Yankees collection that sold out instantly. We predict this one will go fast, too. This summer, the first multi-team capsule will feature Polo shirts, satin jackets that are inspired by what Ralph Lauren wore throwing out the first pitch, fleece sweatshirts, and New Era 70 QUEST

caps in team colorways for adults and children. Additionally, classic Ralph Lauren colors have been integrated into the collection, such as red/navy and green/ white for the Yankees, green/ blue for the Cubs, and green/ white for the Dodgers and Cardinals, along with special teamthemed Polo Bear Polo shirts and crewneck sweatshirts. The partnership will come to life in unique ways, leading with a digital-first global campaign inspired by vintage baseball cards, accompanied by OOH wallscapes and artist murals in key cities. Additionally, the Ralph’s Airstream will go on a cross-country tour, making stops in select locations from New York City to Chicago’s Gallagher Way, and will offer ballpark-themed food and beverage options. The collections will be available for purchase on May 10th at specialty stores globally, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, the MLB Flagship Store (NYC), select MLB Club stadium shops, and select Ralph Lauren stores globally, as well as on RalphLauren.com, MLBShop.com, and The Polo App. Two additional capsules will be released for the upcoming Fall and Holiday seasons, each uniquely different and building on the excitement of the partnership as the season progresses. ◆

FA S H I O N

Clockwise from above: Ralph Lauren and MLB’s fashion collaboration with the Los Angeles Dodgers; a Ralph Lauren Cub’s hat, with RL signature; Yankee’s jacket and hat; the Ralph Lauren Cardinals polo. For more information and to shop the collection, visit ralphlauren.com.

How Nelson Rockefeller Saved the Adirondacks BY TONY HALL IN 1892, a cartographer employed by the New York State legislature picked up his pen and drew a circle around several counties where deforested lands had recently been seized in lieu of taxes. The legislators, somewhat fancifully, called the enclosed area the Adirondack Park. Today, that park comprises 2.6 million acres of constitutionally protected, second growth forests abutting summer resort towns, ski centers, and camps ranging in size from 600-squarefoot lakeside cottages to 36,000-acre estates. 72 QUEST

But without Nelson A. Rockefeller, who governed New York State from 1959 until 1973, the Adirondack Park would be nothing more than a fractured mosaic of public and private lands. Rockefeller wanted a living park, not an abstraction or one that existed solely on paper. His vehicle was the Adirondack Park Agency, which he established in 1971 as a regional land use board to protect wilderness and promote outdoor recreation while channeling development toward the struggling communities scattered

TO MAKE A PARK

ADIRONDACKS

throughout the region. Within a few years of signing the legislation creating the new agency, Rockefeller would approve its public and private land use plans. Together, they constitute “the most ambitious land use plan ever attempted,” according to Brad Edmondson, author of a new book about the origins of the Adirondack Park Agency, “A Wild Idea: How the Environmental Movement Tamed the Adirondacks.” Edmondson adds: “Nelson Rockefeller might have been the most powerful governor in New York’s history. His power, combined with overwhelming public support for environmental protection, pushed the Adirondack Park laws over the finish line.” Edmondson’s praise is the exception to the rule. Rockefeller seldom receives the credit he deserves, not only for the protection of the Adirondacks but for his environmentalism. Environmental protection was something deeply interesting to the Governor. His initiatives to address air and water pollution, for instance, anticipate the federal Clean Air and Clean Water Acts of Richard Nixon, now ranked as one of America’s most

environmentally progressive presidents. The Adirondacks, however, were something Rockefeller loved, a place he first came to know as a boy, spending summers at family camps on the Upper Saranac. The future governor grew up with a belief common among American elites in the first decades of the 20th century, which is that wild nature should be preserved for its aesthetic and spiritual value, not just for fire, flood and drought control. Rockefeller’s concern for the future of the Adirondacks can be traced in part to the completion, in 1967, of Interstate 87, the Northway, which placed the once remote region within a day’s drive of the northeast’s major metropolitan centers. To address the dangers of over-development, before rather This spread: The 6 million acre Adirondack Park consists of 2.6 million acres of Forest Preserve lands protected by the state constitution from destruction and 3.4 million acres of privately owned commercial timber lands, great camps and communities large and small, clustered along lakes and rivers; The Trails of the Adirondacks (Rizzoli). JUNE 2021 73

ADIRONDACKS

From left: Laurance Rockefeller and Gov. Nelson Rockefeller on horseback in the Adirondack High Peaks; Andy Warhol’s 1967 Portrait of Nelson Rockefeller. Opposite, from above: Fred O’Neal, Peter S. Paine, Jr, Stewart Kilbourne, Henry Diamond, Robert Hall; Richard Lawrence; seated: Harold Hochshild, the Commission’s chairman; Nelson Rockefeller scouting the

than after they manifested themselves, Rockefeller used his power to create by fiat something he called “The Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks.” Its charge was to recommend policies to maintain the ecological and scenic integrity of the Adirondack Park, no small task given that it is roughly the size of Vermont and more than half of it privately-owned. When appointing the Study Commission’s members, Rockefeller chose “people who had good college credentials and memberships in exclusive clubs,” writes Brad Edmondson.(Though in addition to appointing to the group such eminently clubbable men as a relative by marriage of Russell Train, chairman of Nixon’s White House Council on Environmental Quality, and a son of Laurance Rockefeller’s Princeton roommate, the Governor also named a former communist-turned country editor, a founder of the liberal organization Americans for Democratic Action, and globe-trotting journalist Lowell Thomas.) Its chairman was Harold Hochshild, head of a multi-national mining corporation and according to another historian of the 74 Q U E S T

Adirondack Park, “by wealth and experience equipped to deal with Nelson Rockefeller on equal terms.” When the Commission released its final report in January 1971, the Governor was “delighted.” “It is brilliant and comprehensive,” he told Hochshild. Rockefeller affirmed his support in his June, 1971 message approving the Adirondack Park bills, writing, “I commend the Commission for its imaginative proposals for preserving the wild and natural splendor of the Adirondack Park while fulfilling its enormous recreational potential.” The most far-sighted of the Commission’s 181 recommendations was, of course, the creation of an agency with the power to develop regional land use plans, to this day models for sustainable development. Rockefeller could easily have shelved that recommendation as too controversial, but he chose instead to publicly endorse it; he then spent political capital on its behalf. To enact the private land use plan, which limited development in rural and environmentally-sensitive areas, Rockefeller went so far as to veto legislation by Republican majorities that

CO U RTE S Y O F R I Z Z O L I

Adirondacks Park’s High Peaks region, 1965.

would have delayed its adoption by years. “Time is of the essence,” he said, if the Adirondacks were to be saved. Rockefeller also embraced the Commission’s recommendation to uphold Article XIV, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution, the so-called Forever Wild clause, which prohibits the destruction of the park’s publicly owned forest lands. Atmospheric scientists have long believed that the Adirondack forests filter the air of pollutants, making the park something of a sanctuary from pollution. We now know that the trees also inhale and sequester the heat-trapping carbon that contributes to climate change. With its 2.6 million acres of Adirondack Forest Preserve lands, New York is better situated than all but a few states to utilize its forests to reduce our carbon footprint. It is one more reason—if more reasons are needed—to be grateful to Nelson Rockefeller for giving lasting protection to, as he said, “one of the State’s and the Nation’s most precious resources—the Adirondack Park.” ◆ JUNE 2021 75

R E A L E S TAT E

FIELD POINT, an exquisite custom-built stone Georgian with 340 feet of private Long Island Sound shoreline and breathtaking panoramic views was designed by the award-winning architecture firm, Shope Reno Wharton Associates, to exemplify luxury waterfront living at the highest caliber. Ideally situated on 2.46 pristine acres of land in the exclusive guard gated Field Point Circle Association in Greenwich, Connecticut, this unparalleled estate embodies the essence of strategic architecture with stylish interiors, while featuring a deep-water dock, indoor pool, outdoor pool, private beach, English gardens and more. Elevated, protected and privately positioned, Field Point offers the ultimate in luxury lifestyle. A masterpiece of craftsmanship, this eight-bedroom home is light-filled and graced by soaring ceilings, walls of windows and expansive covered porch affording idyllic waterviews. Grand-scale entertaining and everyday living are equally at home in this elegant home with interiors by Thomas O’Brien of Aero Studios. Amenities include hurricane impact resistant Tischler windows, a water filtration system and a back-up generator for the entire house. There is an attached garage with electric vehicle charging station. 76 QUEST

Introduced by a long, radiant heated cobbled drive leading to a landscaped forecourt, this property offers beautiful, chemical-free landscaping by Cummin Associates. Extensive fruit and vegetable gardens and fruit tree orchards highlight the grounds, along with two beehives and a chicken coop. Lined with sycamore trees, the outdoor pool is spanned by a stone terrace with BBQ and pergola with wood-burning outdoor fireplace. The garage is flanked by a sports court with basketball hoop. At the edge of the sweeping lawns is an electric-powered dock with freshwater bib protected by a 180’ stone jetty. There is also additional mooring off the main dock, a storage shed for kayaks, and private beach-front seating. From this panoramic viewpoint, enchanting scenery stretches over the open water, observing the vessels sailing to and from the entrance to Greenwich Harbor and the Indian Harbor Yacht Club. ◆ Field Point is listed for $55,000,000. For more information, contact Joseph Barbieri at 203.940.2025 or Leslie McElwreath at 917.539.3654.

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

FIELD POINT IN GREENWICH

Clockwise from top left: The spacious living room; the home’s front entrance; a rear view of the home, which sits on Greenwich Harbor; a view of the front of the house, which features landscaping by Cummin Associates, and extensive fruit and vegetable gardens; the kitchen. Opposite page: Field Point in Greenwich, Connecticut at dusk.

OPEN HOUSE

40 EAST END AVENUE is a newly built 20-story boutique condominium from developers Lightstone, offering 28 bespoke residences on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A stately combination of classic elegance with modern luxuries and sought-after amenities, the building boasts two- to five-bedroom apartments, a maisonette with a private courtyard and outdoor kitchen, and a duplex penthouse with a private rooftop terrace. Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Deborah Berke Partners and Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects, 40 East End Avenue has a textured façade, composed of charcoal and gray brick detailed with elegantly tailored handcast ornamentation, which evokes an intended timelessness with a contemporary lens. “It was important to us to design a building that contributed, in a 21st century way, to the context of the neighborhood,” 78 QUEST

explained Deborah Berke, Dean of the Yale School of Architecture and long-time East End resident. “The façade materials are substantial and grounded, textured and rooted in quality, and designed to embrace the outdoors.” Mitchell Hochberg, President of Lightstone, added, “With her intimate understanding of the neighborhood, she and her team have designed a building with exceptional details and the highest level of finishes that harnesses the tranquil and welcoming feel of East End Avenue.” The amenities offer both convenience and luxury, while extending the meaning of home. Whether walking through signature bronze filigree entry doors on East End Avenue or the marble paneled porte-cochere for a discreet, covered vehicular entrance, residents are greeted by an intimate and welcoming lobby with a 24-hour doorman-concierge. Off the lobby is the

CO U RTE S Y O F L I G H TS TO N E

NEW YORK IS BOUNCING BACK WITH A NEW MEANING OF HOME

This page, clockwise from above: The kitchen in one of 40 East End’s residences; the living room; the family room and dining area. Opposite page: A spacious and modern living room at 40 East End Avenue, which boasts sweeping views of the East River and the city skyline.

double-height Parlor Lounge with a wet bar, dramatic chandelier, and sculptural marble staircase with bronze cladding. The second-floor suite of amenities includes: a well-appointed library, a sophisticated game room, a gourmet catering kitchen for entertaining, and a fully equipped state-of-the-art fitness center. Each home is equipped with Juliet balconies and private terraces, inviting effortless continuity between indoor and outdoor living, and oversized casement windows with sweeping views of the East River and city skyline. u For more information, visit 40eastend.com or call 212.682.4033.

Joanna Scholtz & Ryan Weldon

May 15, 2021 j Newport, rhode IslaNd photographed by tIM wIlloughby

Wedding Season B Y B R O O K E K E L LY

Joanna and Ryan were married before 130 guests at St. Mary’s Church, where Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s wedding to John F. Kennedy took place. Joanna donned a dress by Monique Lhuillier, and carried a bouquet of Lily of the Valley, delphinium blossoms, and stephanotis, rich with greenery. Her father, Peter Scholtz, whose family boasts a long history in Newport, walked her down the aisle. The ceremony was followed by a reception at Castle Hill Inn, where guests enjoyed dinner, cake, and watched the couple share their first dance to “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke. The evening concluded with an afterparty at 41 North. The newlyweds plan to travel to South Africa for their honeymoon in September.

JUNE 2021 81

Maria Delgado & Robert Hottensen III April 17, 2021 j Tola, Nicaragua j photogrAphed

enmAnuel bArquero

Maria and Robert were married at the Chapel at Santana before 100 guests. The bride carried a bouquet of Hydrangea, donned a dress by Nicaraguan designer Erick Bendaña, and earrings gifted by the groom’s mother. Her father, Giovanni Delgado, walked her down the aisle. Maria’s daughter, who was supposed to be her maid of honor, tested positive for COVID-19 days before the wedding and was unable to attend. They plan to relive the moment with her in the same outfits when it is safe to do so. After the ceremony, attendees enjoyed a reception at the Rancho Santana clubhouse. Three days later, the newlyweds departed for a magical honeymoon in Oaxaca.

00 8 2 QUEST

Sarah Flint & Sean Beresini

November 28, 2020 j mishaum PoiNt, massachusetts j PhotograPhed

0 04 Q U E S T 8

Zev Fisher

In an intimate ceremony, Sarah and Sean were married at her family’s estate in Buzzards Bay. The couple originally planned a wedding in England in June but their plans shifted due to the pandemic. The bride carried a bouquet of flowers that she collected from a local farm, and wore a dress by Reem Acra. Her parents walked her down the aisle. The ceremony, which was attended by immediate family members, was followed by dinner and dancing in the home’s living room. The couple will travel to Porto Ercole, Italy for their honeymoon in July.

CALENDAR

JUNE

On June 12, this year’s Sonic Innovations artists at Caramoor Greenwich will host the official unveiling of Trimpin’s in“C,” an outdoor event that will give demonstrations of the many new pieces commissioned by Caramoor. For more information, visit caramoor.org.

EVERYBODY DANCE

The performing arts series at The Guggenheim, Works & Process, will host two live performances of Unveiling by choreographer Sonya Hashem Tayeh, with music by Moses Sumney on June 1 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum as a part of New York state’s “Safely Bringing Back the Arts” pilot program. For more information, please call 212.758.0024.

After a year-long postponement, Gala guests will finally get to experience Yayoi Kusama’s immersive and multi-sensory exhibition that will be spread across NYBG’s iconic 250-acre landscape. Proceeds will support the New York Botanical Garden and its education and outreach programs. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Anita Hall at 914.579.1000 or NYBGEvents@buckleyhallevents.

The Boys’ Club od New York will hold its Golf Outing at The Creek Club at noon. For more information, please visit bcny.org.

it is today. YWCA Greenwich and the women who have led this great institution have always understood the need for a local voice for women and girls.

YWCA Greenwich will hold its annual Gala to honor Gretchen Carlson, who has made YWCA Greenwich the community treasure

The Old Greenwich Merchants are proudly sponsoring the 2nd annual Art in the Park event, happening in Binney Park in Old Greenwich on Sunday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Rain date will be Sunday June 13.) The event will have over 30 local, up-and-coming artists, exhibiting and selling their works to the public, featuring oils, acrylics, mixed media, photography, watercolors, wood carvings, drawings, gicle prints, decoupages and much more. For more information, visit ogmerchants.com.

ON THE COURSE

FOR THE GIRLS

OUT TO THE MARKET

From June 2 through November, the Greenwich Historical Society will open its Tavern Garden Markets, which will continue on alternating Wednesdays. Tavern Garden Markets will feature all things “Home”—from food and flowers to specially curated items that enrich life enjoyed with family and friends. For more information, visit greenwichhistory.org.

THE BRUCE

GALAS ARE BACK

The New York Botanical Garden will hold its Spring Gala on June 3, featuring a black-tie evening in celebration of KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature. 86 QUEST

ART IN THE PARK

On June 17, Turning the Page—the Historic House Trust of NYC’s first-ever virtual gala experience—will take place from the comfort of your home. To learn more or to purchase tickets, please visit historichousetrust.org.

The 34th Bruce Museum Gala will take place on June 12 at 6 p.m. The event will take place outdoors, in accordance with all COVID health-safety guidelines, and will also be live-streamed for those wishing to attend virtually. The Museum’s signature fundraising event of the year will include a

CALENDAR

JULY 4

FREE AT LAST

The Clamshell Foundation Fireworks over 3 Mile Harbor will take place at dusk. The Fireworks Show is a three-decade long tradition staged over Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton. The fireworks almost faded into history, but in 2009, The Clamshell Foundation revived the event and has taken it over every year since. For more information, visit clamshellfoundation.org.

MUSIC FILLS THE AIR

The Newport Music Festival will be opening for it’s 54th year with festive venues in both Newport and Jamestown. For more information, call 401.846.1133. From June to August, acclaimed music performances, dances, and family events will take place at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. Visit lincolncenter.org for more information on the Summer 2021 schedule. seated dinner featuring local and seasonally inspired farm-to-table ingredients, in addition to cocktails, entertainment, and live and silent auctions of fine art and special experiences. Please contact Melissa Levin, Special Events Manager, mlevin@brucemuseum.org, 203.413.6761. with any questions.

BOOK WORMS

The Nantucket Book Festival will be open starting June 17 and will include award-winning authors as well as local talent. For more information, email info@nantucketbookfestival.com.

NEWPORT FLOWERS

The Preservation Society of Newport County will host its annual Newport Flower Show at Rosecliff through June 18. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit newportmansions.org.

MOVIES ON NANTUCKET

The annual Nantucket Film Festival will take place and promote the cultural awareness and appreciation of the art of screenwriting in the world of cinema through June 23. Visitors come from all over to experience the preview screenings, unique signature programs, and stand out hospitality on a magical

island rich with history, a friendly atmosphere, and beautiful sandy beaches. For more information, visit nantucketfilmfestival.org.

SARATOGA SINGS

Opera Saratoga’s 60th Anniversary Season will present its Quixotic Opera, a concert of scenes from operas inspired by Cervantes’ novel, in partnership with Pitney Meadows Community Farm on June 24 and 25, 2021 at 7 p.m. Working closely with a team of medical professionals and a dedicated COVID Safety Officer, Opera Saratoga is committed to bringing audiences and artists together safely for the 2021 Summer Festival, which will be produced outdoors during June and July in partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Spa State Park, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm to provide three unique performance spaces for audiences to safely enjoy two fully staged productions and a special concert. For more information, visit operasaratoga.org.

START YOUR ENGINES

On June 26, the Saratoga Automobile Museum will host its Pontiac-Oakland-GMC Vintage Lawn Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with judged event trophies awarded, a 50/50, raffle, Dash Plaques for all cars, “DJ Andy” Narzynski and a selection of Food Trucks. For more information, please visit saratogaautomuseum. org or call the museum at 518.401.5185.

BEST OF THE BEST

The Soroptimist International of Saratoga County will hold its Secret Gardens Tour. This year’s tour will boast beautiful and unique gardens in Ballston Spa, Saratoga Springs and Schuylerville. Visitors will find a wide variety of designs and plantings for both shade and sun. Some include water features, and others offer landscapes that incorporate oneof-a-kind mosaics and sculptures in both stone and metal. For more information, please visit soroptimistsaratoga.org.

HORSEPOWER

The Mashomack International Polo Challenge and Luncheon will take place Saturday June 26 at 11:30 a.m. For more information and tickets, please visit mashomackpoloclub.com.

From June 2 through November, the Greenwich Historical Society will open its Garden Markets. For more information, visit greenwichhistory.org. JUNE 2021 87

PRODUCED BY BROOKE KELLY PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIE SKARRAT T BEAUT Y BY HOPSCOTCH SALON HAIR BY ALLY RUOTOLO AND MIN MIN CHEN MAKEUP BY MONICK PEREZ AND MEGI KANTO

A DAY OF PLAY IN GREENWICH FOR OUR annual photoshoot, we spent the day with a group of centennials—Elisabeth Hall, Tiara McIntosh, India Ellis, Grace Puchert, and John George Brakatselos—who revisited their suburban roots. Our setting was the beautiful Wadia & Associates–designed Amarpali estate (listed with Shelly Tretter Lynch and Amy Balducci of Compass). The home is located at 471 Lake Avenue in Greenwich, a market as desired as ever for families looking for a sanctuary throughout the last year. The area itself matches the youthful spirit of those in our shoot, as many young adults have also moved back to their childhood Greenwich homes to ride out the pandemic.◆ —Brooke Kelly From left: Grace Puchert in Polo Ralph Lauren’s Sleeveless Crepe Dress in yellow; India Ellis in Ala von Auersperg’s Rachel Mesh Poncho in Monarch; John George Brakatselos in Stubbs & Wootton’s Classic Skull Slippers in black; Tiara McIntosh in Shoshanna’s Sleeveless Floral Foil Burnout Dress in white ; Elisbaeth Hall in Look 30 from Carolina Herrera’s Spring Summer 2021 collection and Manolo Blahnik’s Racita heels in gold. The group stands in front of a RollsRoyce, which is available at Carriage House Motor Cars in Greenwich, Connecticut. All jewelry was provided by Betteridge. 88 QUEST

AS REGAL AND WELL-DRESSED as they may appear, behind

closed doors the storied families of Palm Beach are all about having fun. They laugh and joke (inside jokes are hysterical), little ones get tickled, dogs are beloved (and remarkably well-behaved), and grandparents (the “Pop Pop’s”, the “Gagas”, the “Mimis”…) are always the best- just ask their grandchildren. Most importantly, families love each other. Simple moments spent together are the sweetest moments: a family gathering before dinner, a playful walk in the garden, tea and cookies while Dad reads a favorite book, and a breakfast bar-b-q at the beach. Memories are created that will be shared at dinner tables through generations. If you’re lucky enough to see behind the walls of Palm Beach’s tasteful houses, buildings, and hotels, you will find that families are J A NAUPA RR IL Y 22 00 22 01 0 0

00 QUEST 9

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

This page: Tiara McIntosh, India Ellis, and Elisabeth Hall on the swings. Elisabeth wears Ala von Auersperg’s Lana Cotton Jacket in Dahlia, paired with the Audrey Cotton Pants in Dahlia. Opposite page: John George Brakatselos in Stubbs & Wootton’s Scotch Slippers, India Ellis, Grace Puchert in Look 9 from Polo Ralph Lauren’s Spring Summer 2021 Collection and Manolo Blahnik’s Cable heels, Elisabeth Hall in Ala von Auersperg’s Lana Cotton Jacket in Dahlia (paired with the Audrey Cotton Pant in Dahlia), and Tiara McIntosh; Tiara McIntosh in Shoshanna’s Sleeveless Floral Foil Burnout Dress in white and Grace Puchert in Polo Ralph Lauren’s Sleeveless Crepe Dress in yellow (inset).

J A N U A RY 2 0 2 1 0 0

This page: Elisabeth Hall wearing Shoshanna’s Almma Dress in Floral Vine Print and holding Polo Ralph Lauren’s Eyelet Leather Mini Bellport Tote, India Ellis with J.McLaughlin’s Olivia Wicker Clutch in Stripe by her side, and Tiara McIntosh in Shoshanna’s Helena Misty Floral Dress. Opposite page: Grace Puchert wearing Look 9 from Polo Ralph Lauren’s Spring Summer 2021 Collection, and John George Brakatselos in Stubbs &

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

Wootton’s Martini Slippers.

JUNE 2021 0 90 3

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

9 4 QUEST 00

This page: Elisabeth Hall wearing Look 30 from Carolina Herrera’s Spring Summer 2021 Collection, jewelry from Betteridge, and Manolo Blahnik’s Racita heels in gold. Opposite page: John George Brakatselos in Stubbs & Wootton’s Scotch Slippers, Grace Puchert in J.McLaughlin’s Carly Dress in Zanzibar Garden, Elisabeth Hall in Veronica Beard’s Atari Chambray Dress in Light Indigo with J.McLaughlin’s Ruby Leather Belt in Natural, and Tiara McIntosh in Shoshanna’s Eden Valley Floral Cosmo Mini Dress in green; Grace Puchert in J. McLaughlin’s Britt Linen Shirt in Bermuda Palm, J.McLaughlin’s Lexi Jeans in white, and Stubb’s & Wootton’s Basket Mules in gold, and John George Brakatselos in Stubbs & Wootton Martini Slippers (inset).

PERCY STEINHART IS MODERN ELEGANCE BY ALEX TRAVERS

WHEN PERCY STEINHART first started working on making the velvet slipper relevant back in the early 1990s, he figured might need a name for his brand. He floated an idea he had for a while: Holden & Caulfield. “But,” he jokes, “I was told that J. D. Salinger might not be too happy.” Back then, he had around 400 slippers in a Palm Beach apartment he was eager to sell, many adorned with elegant sporting themes. Steinhart’s slippers looked brilliant with a tuxedo. They also paired perfectly with shorts and jeans—and everything in between. He just needed a name that would stick. “Since a lot of our first motifs referenced Equestrian subjects, the name Stubbs came to mind,” he says, referring to George Stubbs, the 18th-century English artist known for his paintings of horses. Having grown up with friends that collected sporting pictures, he then went through a repertoire of names that would work with Stubbs. He searched and searched and finally came across another English painter of sporting subjects named John Wootton. Seeing the double consonant and hearing double vowels come out of his mouth, Steinhart realized that the name just fit. From that moment, he was able to take footwear once destined for Royals and Clerics and make it available to all. Steinhart grew up in both Cuba and Palm Beach, often pinballing back and forth. Back then, slippers and fashion were not on the forefront of his mind. “I was destined to go into banking because my maternal great grandfather, Narciso Gelats, founded the prestigious Banco Gelats in the midnineteenth century. Our clientele included the original Spanish families—and even the Holy See. My other great grandfather, Frank Steinhart, was a “Rough Rider” and later first Consul

From above: A selection of Stubbs & Wootton slippers on display at the Greenwich Avenue boutique; Frank Steinhart, a “Rough Rider” who later was Teddy Roosevelt’s first U.S. Consul. He was the owner of the Havana Electric Railway, and also had ties to The Banco Territorial de Cuba. Opposite: Percy Steinhart, Stubbs & Wootton’s founder. JUNE 2021 97

General … and Teddy Roosevelt’s confident. Along with owning the Havana Electric Railway, he was also a partner of the Banco Territorial de Cuba.” Percy says he was fortunate to have these great jobs and experiences, but it wasn’t for him. “It was a decision to change careers that made me think of going into the auction business—which was unaffordable—and in the end the slippers happened.” It’s been a nice run for Stubbs & Wootton, even in recent years. “Our most loyal clientele allowed us to survive 2020 and are seeing quite an upsurge in 2021. Fortunately, the slipper can be worn at home just as easily as it can be worn out in a ballroom. We are getting ready to see them worn with shorts and bathing suits as the Northern temperatures surge.” “We were successful in Southampton for years,” he adds, “and have often considered Greenwich to be our next location. I have a house in Litchfield and noticed more and more people are wearing our slippers in the Northwest part of the state. We seem to be growing in Southern California, Texas, and all over Europe—particularly in London.” Steinhart is very proud of the Stubbs & Wootton boutique in Greenwich. “We love the location of our Greenwich showroom, where the existing boisserie and pendant lights lended itself to making a very attractive space, which is for once a bit more masculine.” This year Stubbs & Wootton has developed striking new tote bags for both men and women, iconic espadrilles, and the rebirth of the women’s slide sandal—perhaps the next shoe Steinhart can make even more prevalent.◆ 98 QUEST

Stubbs & Wootton’s Greenwich Avenue boutique; a selection of Stubbs & Wootton slippers, all of which hand made. Opposite: A few 2021 looks from Stubbs & Wootton, the purveyor of fashionable footwear and accessories.

This spread: The ochre buildings of La Roque Alric; style on the streets of Marseille (right); Provence Glory (Assouline).

PROVENCE, A DAZZLING BLEND OF EUROPEAN CULTURE B Y A L E X T R AV E R S IMAGINE THIS: You’re swimming waters of the Calanque de Sormiou you drive with the top down through Valensole. Then you get to experience the-oven fougasse.

in the crystal-clear in Marseille. After, fields of lavender in a bite of just-out-of-

JUNE 2021 101

It sounds like something almost every American would want right now—a chance to travel, to feel the Mediterranean sun on our skin. And with a blend of landscapes, architecture, and culture so vast, Provence truly has something for everyone. Located in the South of France, Provence is uniquely positioned to be a cultural mix of all the Mediterranean. Roman landmarks still prevail from the 1st century A.D., alongside châteaux from medieval times—a varied legacy brightened by the indigenous mimosas and cypresses. But it’s also hard to comprehend, writes Provence Glory’s

Clockwise, from left: A mas (Provençal farmhouse) near Gordes; bouquet provençal; a painter in front of the Saint‑Bénézet bridge, also known as the Pont d’Avignon; view of Mont Ventoux from Lacoste. Opposite: The effortlessly chic Provençal style.

10002QQUUEES STT

Photographer Jamie Beck in Provence. Opposite, from above: The history of Château de Cassis dates to the Middle Ages; Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, in Gordes.

104 QUEST

(Assouline) author, François Simon. (Simon is a French scribe and food critic who spent many years writing for Le Figaro. He also contributed to GQ, Casa Brutus, and Le Monde and has written novels, where previously collaborated with Alain Ducasse on the 2001 Assouline title, The Provence of Alain Ducasse.) Simon says that it is a land “beyond borders,” one that “quivers with life.” And he’s right. Since the region is well known for its ability to inspire, it’s home to a plethora of festivals such as Rencontre d’Arles, Festival d’Avignon, Festival d’Aixen-Provence and more, all celebrating the arts. Artists who have praised the unique Provençal light include Cézanne, Van Gogh, Matisse, and Picasso. Alexandre Dumas and Jean Giono are among the writers who were drawn to write in the shade of the plane trees. You’ll see all these (and more) in the pages of this stunning tome. The images Assouline finds for their books are so colorful and vivid, you want to lick the pages. In Provence Glory, there are scenes of people dancing in the street, pastoral lands, and stunning architecture that makes the mind wonder what lies inside. The book is a true joy. u

THE BLOSSOMING CAREER OF CLAIBORNE SWANSON FRANK WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH KURPIS PH OTO S B Y C L A I B O R N E S WA N S O N F R A N K

Clockwise from top: Purple Iris from the HUES Series; Delphinium I from the HUES Series; Ranunculus from the HUES Series. Opposite page: Self Portrait by Claiborne Swanson Frank.

WHETHER IT BE American beauties, young Hollywood, or mothers with children, Clairborne Swanson Frank has shot them all. For her newest body of work, the portrait photographer was inspired by yet another kind of natural beauty, those of the floral variety. She most recently focused her camera on Flowers for a series of fine art prints that brought her serenity and peace in a time of COVID chaos. Below we take a look behind the lens, as Swanson Frank and I discuss life’s passions, pursing your dreams, and most importantly, family time. Were you formally trained in photography or did it resonate with you as a hobby that then blossomed into a professional career? My mom was a hobby photographer—that was her passion. She had a natural way with the camera and often carried her Nikon on family trips. I went to art school for Fashion in San Francisco, where I took a photography class. It turned out to be effortless

for me. The professor gave us free reign for our final project, and I decided to style and shoot my friends, which ended up being my first book. I’ve always had a silent dream of being a photographer, but fashion felt safer. So after leaving Vogue, I put it out into the universe to see where it would go. You’ve produced a number of books with Assouline that consist of portraits of various women in different stages of their lives. What prompted you to transition to still life? Was this transition easier or harder than photographing people? I try to be thoughtful with all my book work. But during COVID, I didn’t have an agenda or concept of what this project was. After homeschooling with the children each day, I was looking for some alone time and a creative escape. The idea came to me at a moment when we were isolated at home—nature was the space I went to for comfort and peace. I really fell in love with flowers at a new level during quarantine. Having Spring flowers JUNE 2021 107

blooming around me during those uncertain times was inspiring. They became my people—I even styled them the same way I do my subjects. Flowers are an extension of my storytelling, just told in a different way. How has your experience in the fashion world influenced your perspective when taking photographs? I was in love with imagery and magazines growing up. The biggest gift I took from working at Vogue was having the ability to watch the creatives bring a story to life. At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller and I love to tell each one in my own, original way. Being exposed to that world for so long has definitely had a big influence on my work. I love that you collaborated with one of your sons on the project. It’s such a wonderful way to spend quality time with your child, while also being productive professionally. Was this an organic experience or did your son express a prior interest in photography? Hunter is used to me having the camera around. It was sweet because he always wants to be involved with everything that’s going on, while he is also a creative soul at heart. It all started with me photographing tulips in our garden, which later became this larger project each afternoon. Most often my son and I would go into our dining room with different flowers we had collected from the side of the road, or ones we had picked up at Whole Foods or McArdle’s (a beautiful nursery here in Greenwich). My six-yearold became very much my assistant, my flower handler, my light catcher, and hand muse. But then he became a pricey assistant—charging me $2 a flower! 00 QUEST

There is a minimalistic nature to your photographs, in that each flower is shot against a white background, at different angles through varying degrees of light and shadows. The overall effect is less traditional, still-life portraiture and more “modern elegance.” I just felt that these flowers were so beautiful they didn’t need to be dressed up. It was about documenting the power of their natural beauty. It’s incredible to think that a flower starts as this little seed that develops into something so remarkable—as we watch it go through different stages of growth. I find flowers analogous to our journey in life as women, as we go through various stages until reaching full bloom. And soon after I photographed each flower, I noticed how quickly each bloom would wither and die. A reminder of how fleeting life can be. Did you plan to shoot over a longer course of time or during specific seasons to ensure you could include a wider variety of flowers? The process was spontaneous. I photographed the flowers that inspired me, or ones I felt were really loved. Although the project is ongoing, the heart of it is done. I have always embarked on projects that have a definitive end. I’ll probably shoot through the summer with flowers that I feel are still missing, although you really can just go on and on. What made you choose to start selling prints rather than books as you’ve done in the past? I wanted to move into fine art. I also wanted to create art that could be accessible to people—that could exist in their living spaces. Having the right partners was also key in my decision. I’m selling my work on Chairish and Moda Operandi, as well as some designs geared toward children on Maisonette. The reach goes so much further online than it would in an art gallery, and it helps me put my art out into the world in a new, modern way. I hope to continue doing the work I love by creating ad campaigns with exceptional brands. I also plan to publish more books, and I am inspired by this new rising fine art business, which I hope will expand with a new body of work every few years. ◆

A self portrait of Claiborne Swanson Frank with her two young sons, Hunter and WIlder, from her third book, Mother and Child (Assouline). Opposite page, from top: Yellow Peony I from the RAYS Series; Hydrangea I from the HUES Series; Orange Iceland Poppy

PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE

IV from the RAYS Series.

N O V EJ M UN BE E R2 20 02 1 8 1 0 9 0

R E A L E S TAT E PA L M B E A C H

WESTCHESTER

NEW YORK

CONNECTICUT

PA L M B E A C H

WESTCHESTER

THRIVING MARKETS B Y B R O O K E K E L LY

AS PEOPLE fled the city in droves over the past year, many families settled in surrounding suburbs in Hudson Valley and Connecticut, which offer tranquility, outdoor space, and security. Now that summer is upon us, these areas are as popular as ever, serving as escapes from the hustle and bustle of metropolis living. With the ability to work remotely, the markets in warm-weather destinations to our south like Palm Beach also saw record-breaking sales. Once a seasonal destination, many have decided to move to Palm Beach permanently as the social season carries on through the summer. As vaccination rates rise and New York City lifts restrictions, those who have been longing for a more fast-paced lifestyle are returning to the city. With buyers focused on space and amenities, the luxury sector has surpassed its pre-COVID activity.

110 QUEST

PA L M B E A C H

R E A L E S TAT E

PA L M B E A C H

LIZA PULITZER & WHITNEY MCGURK Brown Harris Stevens / 561.373.0666 / lpulitzer@bhsusa.com & wmcgurk@bhsusa.com

CO U RTE S Y O F B RO W N H A R R I S S TE V E N S

Q: How would you summarize the record-breaking sellers’ market in Palm Beach that we’ve seen this past year, and what does the market look like as we head into summer? A: We are still going strong as ever! The prices continue to increase but for people looking to renovate, it has become a problem. Most builders are so booked that they are not taking on new projects for the next year and a half and trying to buy building materials has been problematic and expensive. So, with that said, clients are starting to focus on rentals once again and there is not a lot to choose from.

A: Most properties today never come on the market. Whitney and I were both born here near the island and have a vast network of friends who live here. We reach out to them regularly to check in to see what price they would be willing to sell and direct them where to go if they did. It’s a real challenge! Q: What advice do you have for buyers? A: We still anticipate a strong market and don’t see it slowing down in the near future. Whitney and I would advise, if they could get their foot in the door as a transitional home and wait for the right property to come on, it would be worth it. Q: Anything else we should know about Palm Beach? A: We live in one of the most unique, safest, and beautiful places in America. The diversity, the amazing beaches, shopping, and cultural opportunities are unparalleled!

Q: Are there any big openings to look out for this summer? A: We have become the new destination for galleries and restaurants that continue to migrate both from New York and Miami, and the commercial buildings are now mostly leased. At this time, people are starting to return to the north to enjoy cooler weather so in the next few weeks we will start to experience a relatively quieter summer than last year. Q: What can sellers do to make their listings more desirable?

576 Island Drive in Palm Beach, Florida; $27,900,000.

JUNE 2021 111

WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER

R E A L E S TAT E

WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER

DAN & BENJAMIN GINNEL Ginnel Real Estate / 914.216.2600 or 917.566.7792 / dginnel@ginnel.com or bginnel@ginnel.com

Q: What can sellers do to make their listings more desirable? A: The most important thing a seller can do is price their property competitively and to clean it up and make it as “move-in ready” as possible.

A: Most of the buyers in the market right now are coming from the city, we’re still seeing strong demand for Bedford and our surrounding towns which offer land and endless outdoor activities. Q: Anything else we should know about Bedford? A: Bedford is beautiful at all times of year, but the summer is really incredible. With all the flowering trees and everything turning green, it’s really the best time of year here in Bedford. The greatest thing about Bedford is that it’s really the first town as you drive north out of the city that really feels like the country. With mostly four acre zoning and a lot of conservation land, the density is low. But with Metro North, 684, and the Saw Mill Parkway right here, you have multiple options and can be into the city very quickly, usually under an hour!

Q: What is your advice for buyers? A: The key is to be organized before you start looking. Start the process of pre-approval so you have your financing squared away. The market is moving quickly, so buyers have to make decisions within a matter of days or even hours. That’s why it’s very important to be ready, as a lot of our sales are competitive bidding situations. Q: How would you describe the recent buyers in the area?

112 QUEST

128-136 Mt Holly Road in Katonah, New York; $3,500,000.

G I N N E L R E A L E S TAT E

Q: What does the Bedford market look like as we head into Summer? Do you expect the momentum to continue? A: The Bedford market continues to be very strong with many interested and qualified buyers and low inventory—so things are moving very quickly.

NEW YORK

R E A L E S TAT E

NEW YORK

NIKKI FIELD

CO U RTE S Y O F S OT H E BY ’ S I N TE R N AT I O N A L R E A LT Y

Sotheby’s International Realty / 212.606.7669 / nikki.field@Sothebys.Realty / nikkifield.com

Q: What does the Manhattan market look like as we head into summer? A: The year of 2021 is delivering new indicators of a recovering Manhattan residential market. A surge of Residential Market activity has resulted in record numbers of signed contracts. All signs point to the dawn of the strongest year in Manhattan residential real estate since 2007. All indicators are that the Spring/Summer real estate buying season will be on overdrive as first quarter numbers proved that New York is back! Analysts are predicting that New York City is on a steep upward trajectory and that the overall economy will continue to grow over the next three to five years. Q: Tell us about the Luxury Market in New York City. A: The 10M+ market is way up, year to date, from last month and from last year. Buyers are more active at this price point than they have been since the height of the market in 2007. The major difference in the market between then and now is pricing. Luxury inventory during that period was in short supply, which lead to aggressive pricing in the ultra-luxury tier. Currently, inventory in this tier is extremely high, a significant number of which is in preferred new developments. That has

kept pricing down and luxury buyers are more active than they have ever been, but have more negotiability and choices than ever before. The properties that are selling are pricing appropriately to the market and selling quickly. Specifically, The Field Team has seen a greater increase in upper-tier activity altogether; likely the result of buyers who were previously sidelined by the uncertainty revolving the pandemic now re-entering into the market arena with great pent-up purchasing demand. The trends we note in the market vary and are segment specific: indeed sales volume is up over 100% year over year, which is not a huge surprise as last year at this time activity was only from opportunist investors mining for distressed sellers. Even so, from a historical perspective, transaction volume is significantly elevated at all price points.

The penthouse at 240 Park Avenue South in New York; $30,000,000.

JUNE 2021 113

CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT

R E A L E S TAT E

CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT

JAMIE CHILDS William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty / 860.501.2110 / jchilds@wpsir.com

live without. Also, consider using an escalation clause in your offer. Q: How would you describe the majority of recent buyers in the area? A: The primary driver has been the growth in the influx of New York City buyers in our marketplace amidst the ongoing pandemic. Our markets became intensely active as New York City residents flocked to the area. A deeper analysis exploring the motivations behind New Yorkers choosing to relocate has shown that quality of life was the number one priority in purchasing in Connecticut.

Q: What is your advice for sellers? A: Buyers will see the exterior of your home first. You want the first impression to be a good one, which is why you will need to do your best to increase your curb appeal. Taking care of your lawn and gardens, touching up paint, improving the landscaping and consider adding a pool. All of these things should be a priority. Q: What is your advice for buyers? A: My advice to buyers is to submit the cleanest offer possible. Try to eliminate any contingencies that you can

114 QUEST

Old Black Point along the Southeastern Connecticut shoreline.

CO U RTE S Y O F W I LL I A M PI T T S OT H E BY ’ S I N TE R N AT I O N A L R E A LT Y

Q: What does the Southeastern Connecticut shoreline market look like as we head into Summer? Which towns does the area consist of? A: New listings taken in 2021 are comparatively few and far between, and there aren’t enough of them to meet the incredible demand still surging out of New York. The lack of listings has created an environment where bidding wars are commonplace and well priced properties are accepting offers significantly over ask, often all in cash. The towns that area consist of are Essex, Old Saybrook, Fenwick, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Black Point, and East Lyme.

CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT

R E A L E S TAT E

CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT

SHELLY TRETTER LYNCH Compass / 203.550.8508 / shelly.tretterlynch@compass.com

CO U RTE S Y O F CO M PA S S

Q: What does the Greenwich market look like as we head into Summer? A: The Greenwich market is still moving with rapid speed. The velocity of multiple offers, contracts and even sales above the listing price are driving prices higher. I do have to say, though, that even with these situations, Greenwich remains a tremendous value with regard to price and lifestyle. Having suffered from high DOM over the last ten years, we are seeing that homes are still great opportunities for buyers due to the reduction in prices that we experienced during this time frame.

fabulous lifestyle. The public schools’ system is revered and the property tax base is very low. We are still a fraction of the cost of Manhattan, yet we have a sophisticated and international community with all of the amenities. If you are looking to finance your purchase with an attractive mortgage rate, one must be pre-approved. Q: How would you describe the recent buyers in the area? A: Our buyers are predominately young families from Manhattan or the West Coast and are used to a fast-paced purchasing environment. Many of these buyers have great business acumen but purchasing a home is still emotional. They want all documented details (which they should have), but they also need guidance in the purchasing process. ◆

Q: What can sellers do to make their listings more desirable? A: When a homeowner has enjoyed their home over a period of years, it is difficult for them to understand why a substantial edit and staging is requested in order to bring the property to life. As the buyers are coming from all over the United States, the expectation of ‘move-in’ ready is extremely important to how these purchasers are currently living. Q: What is your advice for buyers? A: Although the market is moving quickly, know that in Greenwich, one is still getting a good opportunity and a

471 Lake Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut; $24,900,000.

JUNE 2021 115

FILLING IN THE BLANK BY ALEX TRAVERS 116 QUEST

From above: A Sarah Blank–designed kitchen in Darien, Conn.; Sarah Blank. Opposite: Blank designed this kitchen for the Kips Bay

C A R M E L B R A N T LE Y; N E I L L A N D I N O

Decorator Show House in Palm Beach.

SARAH BLANK says that any good designer or architect must have an excellent understanding of space. That may seem obvious, except that sometimes it’s the answers to the simplest questions that reveal just how much we may or may not know. And with 40 years’ experience as a kitchen designer—one who has worked on a multitude of projects, and often on more than just kitchens— Sarah’s ability to transform a home, all while keeping it practical, is truly remarkable. Sarah started her design studio business in 1981 in Fairfield County, where she began specializing in kitchens. (“I always loved architecture, but I somehow ended up going to interior design

school,” she tells me.) Quickly, she realized there was a lot more to a kitchen than cabinets. “Yes, there’s the functional part,” she explains, “but the aesthetic part of it really comes from the architectural aspects of a home—and the kitchen has to be integrated into the architecture.” Clearly, there’s a delicate balance between incorporating a kitchen into the original architecture of a home and making sure that it’s extremely functional … and fitting in appliances with fixed sizes that sometimes aren’t user friendly to the proportions of the room. “You’re always tweaking to make sure that once you understand the room itself, that all the dimen-

118 QUEST

wonderful architectural names. And one of the things about Greenwich is there’s something about this community that really respects its history.” Sarah recognizes that there’s so much involved in good design, and the ability to visualize what a kitchen or room is going to look like. “I know where there’s going to be trouble; my mind becomes an encyclopedia of past experiences. People will express what they want and I’m going back into my library and pulling out thoughts and idea—keeping a homeowner in mind, but also resale value.” Sarah’s mindset and knowledge has allowed her business to thrive. Sarah says that education is extremely important, too. (She is involved in both the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and the Decorators Club of Manhattan, where she has worked on the education committee, giving scholarships to students for interior design schools in Manhattan.) “You’re born with the direction you’re going to take,” she says when asked about if design is a skillset you inherit or are taught. “But then,” she says, thinking back on her own education and practices, “you really fine tune it.” u

C A R M E L B R A N T LE Y; N A N C Y H I LL ; CO U RTE S Y O F S A R A H B L A N K

sions work—and it’s harmonious.” That sentiment goes for other rooms in the home as well. During a phone call, Sarah tells me about a project she recently worked on in Palm Beach, at an apartment in a condominium complex. This apartment, while filled with large floor-to-ceiling windows, had no light coming in from the sides. “It was all windows in the front and back; we had to get more light.” She racked her brain and thought of a solution. “The way it was built—it had all these large walls, so we designed etched glass walls and sliding glass doors to let the light in.” She then took those walls and removed them, which made the living room and kitchen wider. Light now filled the room—and there was more space. After the project, Sarah’s client brought in three architects; one said Sarah had aptly solved the problem many people had in this condominium. Although she has completed projects in many cities, the Sarah Blank Design Studio works mainly in Greenwich, a town filled with wonderful estate homes that date back to the 1920s—with some even built in the late 1800s. “You have Carrère and Hastings, you have Mott B. Schmidt—really

Clockwise, from above: A Spanish Revival kitchen; the Sarah Blank showroom; a modern Palm Beach kitchen designed by Blank. Opposite, from left: Sarah Blank’s design for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach—Sarah says that “any good designer or architect must have an excellent understanding of space.”

AUGUST 2019 00

TOP SHOPS IN GREENWICH & BEDFORD BY THE EDITORS

Our guide to the best boutiques on and around Bedford and Greenwich Avenue.

J.MCLAUGHLIN 55 East Putnam Avenue 203.862.9777 / jmclaughlin.com The first J.McLaughlin, located in an Ivy League enclave on the Upper East Side, was a homey, wellbred shopping destination with a welcoming feel. People instantly fell in love, and it quickly acquired a cult following. The retailer has expanded its presence tremendously since then, and now has more than 100 stores throughout the country— from metropolises like Dallas to suburban outposts like Palm Beach and Greenwich—and a thriving e-commerce presence. The clothes, as they have since 1977, are preppy and traditional and, in J.McLaughlin’s own words, innovatively nostalgic.

VILEBREQUIN 200 Greenwich Avenue 203.869.6989 / vilebrequin.com Stepping into Vilebrequin will brighten anyone’s day. You will immediately find yourself surrounded by cheerful colors and patterns that reflect the sunny days of a summer in St. Tropez. The store has been buzzing since 1971 when Fred Prysquel created the brand. The themes of the initial 1970s designs have been reimagined year after year to maintain their youthful energy. Inside the store, you are bound to come across the Moorea cut— Vilebrequin’s legendary men’s swim style. You will also find a large selection of polos perfect for sporting during a weekend getaway in Nantucket, Newport, or the Hamptons.

STUBBS & WOOTTON

CO U RTE S Y O F R E S P E C T I V E S H O P S

371 Greenwich Avenue 203.930.2408 / stubbsandwootton.com Here’s a fact: Influential people in the fashion world will credit Percy Steinhart, the man behind the hand-made slipper and accessory brandy Stubbs & Wootton, for bringing the slipper back in style. But it’s his designs— immensely likeable for their eye-catching embroideries and elegant simplicity—that keep Stubbs & Wootton shining. This year Stubbs & Wootton developed striking new tote bags for both men and women, iconic espadrilles, and participated in the rebirth of the women’s slide sandal—perhaps the next shoe Steinhart can make even more prevalent. Be sure to stop by their Greenwich Avenue boutique this summer to see what’s in store.

BETTERIDGE 239 Greenwich Avenue 203.869.0124 / betteridge.com Betteridge prides itself on being America’s most trusted jeweler since 1897. The retailer carries the most coveted pieces from Rolex, Cartier, Chanel, Patek Philippe, Bulgari, Verdura, David Webb, and more. The jeweler also has a “By Betteridge” collection with classic, clean, and elegant pieces that are guaranteed to withstand the test of time. The pieces are created by Betteridge’s own highly skilled craftsmen—right here in Greenwich. Visit if you’re searching for an extra-special gift for a loved one, be it a watch for a graduation, a ring for an engagement, or a diamond necklace for a big birthday or anniversary celebration.

HOPSCOTCH SALON 1800 E Putnam Avenue 203.661.0107 / hopscotchsalon.com Helping you look good, feel good, and do good. That’s Hopscotch Salon’s mission. And it’s a pursuit that goes well beyond grooming and appearances—the salon truly has a passion to nurture a sense of well-being and quiet confidence for its clients, one that supports and strengthens the community. In fact, it’s a commitment the salon has pursued for more than 26 years. Because, as they say, “giving back never goes out of style.” Now that we’re heading back to inperson events this summer, be sure to stop by the salon to get ready for all those weddings and parties we missed last year.

RESTORATION HARDWARE 310 Greenwich Avenue 203.552.1040 / restorationhardware.com The warm weather tends to rustle up a craving for change. Restoration Hardware is here to offer both modern and timelessly classic pieces to update your summer home. The store also functions so that you can actually see your future décor instead of trying to imagine it—the multi-level space features showrooms and a rooftop park and conservatory. At this location, Restoration Hardware offers indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting, textiles, and bathware. Regardless of the extent of your home makeover, Restoration Hardware can provide high-quality personal advice.

BEDFORD HOUSE 182 Katonah Avenue 914.241.0415 / bedfordhouse.com Located in the quaint northern Westchester village of Bedford Hills, Bedford House is a jewel of a home furnishings store. Created by Dennis Anderson, the shop features an eclectic collection of furniture, textiles, area rugs, tabletop accessories, wall art, and lighting. Furniture and objets range in a variety of materials; throws and blankets are tactile and made of natural and nubby textures; colors are earthy; and glass pieces are vibrant as well as simple in design. The furniture range includes antique to modern, traditional to transitional. Bedford House takes great pride in offering products with New York style, all without getting on a train!

HEDGEROW 70 Westchester Avenue 914.764.3666 / hedgerowandco.com Hedgerow— founded by Dana Warlock in 2000 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and now located in the quaint village of Pound Ridge—specializes in creating unusual combinations of flowers, branches, and other interesting flora for special events. Their signature style is lush and dramatic flower decor with a modernist bent. Hedgerow’s goal is to find harmony in the balance of dissimilar elements, gathering inspiration from art and nature. Rather than merely decorating a space, Hedgerow aims to create an all-encompassing feeling driven by palettes, textures, and moods in close collaborations with their clients.

CO U RTE S Y O F R E S P E C T I V E S H O P S ; B E R N A D E T TE D U R H A M P H OTO G R A P H Y

RIDE 648 Old Post Road 914.234.7433 / ridebedford.com Having had a passion for horses since she was born, owning her own equestrian shop was a lifelong dream for owner Courtney Caverzasi. RIDE opened its doors in Bedford, New York, in 2014— the year of the Horse! Caverzasi’s concept was to create an unparalleled shopping experience in the equestrian industry through a superior and unique assortment, exemplary client service, and a beautiful shopping environment. Fusing a retail designer showroom with a unique assortment of technical and lifestyle goods not found in other equestrian shops quickly made RIDE a one-stop shop for equestrians and non-equestrians alike. RIDE has quickly become Westchester’s equestrian lifestyle destination. ◆ JUNE 2019 00

K E L LY

YGL

THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST BY BROOKE KELLY

Co-chairs Molly and Nick Mele with Maggie, who found her forever home with them.

Clockwise from top left: Austin and Kristina Bryan; Farley Rentschler and Rich Anderson; Patrick Mitchell and Kristin Vila; Stacey Leuliette and John Hogan Gidley.

CAPEHART

DINNER WITH THE YOUNG FRIENDS OF PEGGY ADAMS IN PALM BEACH LAST MONTH, the Young Friends of Peggy Adams hosted the second annual Party Animal Gala at the Flagler Museum. The black-tie evening included dinner and entertainment, and raised critical funds for the organization’s mission to rescue and help care for thousands of dogs and cats in the area. “We really appreciate working with the younger generation of philanthropists who are passionate about the welfare of animals,” said Rich Anderson, CEO of Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. JUNE 2021 125

YGL

CELEBRATING SPRING AT ALICE + OLIVIA IN DALLAS ON APRIL 29TH, Stacey Bendet hosted a cocktail reception at Alice + Olivia in Highland Park Village where guests could shop her spring collection. The event was co-hosted by Nicky Hilton Rothschild of French Sole and Tina Craig of U Beauty, who also gave guests the opportunity to peruse their brands. Proceeds from the sip and shop benefited North Texas Food Bank and an exclusive dinner was held at Park House following the event.

Rachel Zalis, Brooke Davenport, and Elizabeth Savetsky

BFA

Kathy Hilton

Nastia Liukin, Stacey Bendet, and Nicky Hilton Rothschild 126 QUEST

Tina Craig

FRIEZE X CULTUREWORKS DINNER IN NEW YORK TO KICK OFF Frieze in New York City, CultureWorks hosted an intimate dinner at Veronika. CultureWorks recently acquired Fotografiska, a photography museum, and NeueHouse, which offers collaborative work and social spaces for creators, innovators, and thought leaders to gather and connect. The merger has allowed the group to reimagine possibilities for creative minds. u

Josh Wyatt, Stephanie Nass, and Vajra Kingsley

BFA

Alexander Hankin and Molly Krause

Tina Leung and Ezra J. William Afrodet Zuri JUNE 2021 127

SNAPSHOT

Greenwich blends the charm of New England and the polish of New York—a town where the grass is always greenest. Here, an exercise in clichés as we compare the Old Guard to the New Guard.

OLD GUARD

Favorite cocktail

NEW GUARD

Southsides ›

White Claw ›

Country club

Round Hill Country Club (est. 1924)

The Stanwich Club (est. 1964)

Best in show

‹ Golden Retriever

Beagle

Never discussed

‹ Venmo

Metro-North

Tesla ›

“Pearls are always appropriate.”

“Pearls? My maid wears pearls.”

Rolex ›

Shinola

Ash Blonde

Rich Brunette

Greenwich Time

FairfieldCountyLook.com

Method of payment

Mode of transport

Stance on pearls De rigueur watch brand

Request at the salon

Descending media

Mom uniform

Something faded and/or fraying ›

Coffee Stop

Coffee Luca

‹ Ada’s Kitchen & Coffee

Sweetgreen

‹ Garden Catering Polpo

128 QUEST

Lululemon ›

Le Penguin

We look forward to welcoming you to our Pink Paradise—a place where everyone feels at home. And while you are here, take the experience al fresco at Swifty’s POOL. 15 5 H A M M O N AVEN UE PALM B EACH FL 33480 (5 61) 65 5 - 5 430 T HECOLON YPALMB EACH.COM

When t he answer me ans t he world.

GREENWICH

PA L M B E A C H

b e t ter i d ge .com

VA I L

ASPEN

Quest Magazine June 2021

Articles inside

THRIVING MARKETS Updates from our favorite brokers by brooke kelly

PROVENCE, A DAZZLING BLEND OF EUROPEAN CULTURE Publisher Assouline

THE BLOSSOMING CAREER OF CLAIBORNE SWANSON FRANK How photography

PERCY STEINHART CELEBRATES MODERN ELEGANCE Chatting with the Stubbs