ON THE ROAD with Miller Motorcars – and Miss Connecticut
explorations ARTIST LEANDRO ERLICH
DIRECT FROM GENEVA
Docks at the Neuberger Museum
Patek Philippe’s timely exhibit
TRAVELING THE NEW SILK ROAD
J.J. ABRAMS
‘Lost’ in Yonkers
A COUPLE’S JOURNEY
Israel to Palestine
JUDGED A
TOP
MAGAZINE
IN NEW YORK STATE 2014, 2015, 2016
WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE
JUNE 2017 | WAGMAG.COM
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CONTENTS J U N E 2017
14
Now, voyagers
16
A famed route’s reincarnation
18
At home, around the world
22
Illusory harbors
24
Going once, going twice, sold
26
At home in a Scarsdale classic
30
Destination: success
34
50
38
52
A bridge to peace
Be his guest
42
A standard-bearer for childcare
44
The narrative journey of J.J. Abrams
46
Think globally, act locally
Still serving up ‘American Pie’
A global tragedy that hits close to home
56
No ‘kidding’ around
60
The edgy city
62
Beauty for the busy
64
Dressmaker designs a new life in U.S.
66
Journey along the Eighth Wonder of the World
120
Travels with Hemingway
68
COVER STORY
KING OF THE ROAD
This page Leandro Erlich, “Port of Reflections,” 2017. Mixed media installation. Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York. © Photo: Jerry Thompson.
FEATURES H I G H LI G HTS
72
WAY Old World meets new in mid-country Greenwich
76
WARES Is personal style born or made?
78
WEAR Dress-up days
79
WEAR Tassel takeover
86
WANDERS The eternal traveler
88
WHERE’S EUROPE? ‘Ich bin Europäische’
90
WANDERS A Capri to-do list
92
WANDERS Crystal Cruises: Sailing on a dreamboat
94
WANDERS The quintessential Cape
96
WONDERFUL DINING A foodie's paradise
98
WINE & DINE Touring the lush, lovely Loire
100
WHETTING THE APPETITE Red, white and blueberry
102
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Sparkling at Saks
104
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Time travel
106
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Bienvenue to Lyndhurst
108
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? A WAG ‘cover’ guy’s second act
110
WELL Reaching new heights
112
WELL Fishing for the perfect supplement
114
PET OF THE MONTH Deep in the heart of Dixie
116
WHEN & WHERE Upcoming events
122
WATCH We’re out and about
136
WIT What is your favorite place or activity to explore?
COVER: ON THE ROAD with Miller Motorcars – and Miss Connecticut
explorations Docks at the Neuberger Museum
ARTIST LEANDRO ERLICH
Patek Philippe’s timely exhibit
DIRECT FROM GENEVA
TRAVELING THE NEW SILK ROAD
‘Lost’ in Yonkers
J.J. ABRAMS
A COUPLE’S JOURNEY
Israel to Palestine
JUDGED A
TOP
MAGAZINE
IN NEW YORK STATE 2014, 2015, 2016
WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE
JUNE 2017 | WAGMAG.COM
Olga Litvinenko, marketing manager at Miller Motorcars and Miss Connecticut, with a Ferrari Lusso from the dealership. Litvinenko models a dress from Hobbs in Greenwich, with hair by Luigi Pirri for Pirri Hair Studio. See story on page 68. Photograph by John Rizzo.
90
86 94
COVER STORY
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104
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Founded by Yulia and Andrey Omelich, COUTUREDossier has been providing its customers with the highest echelon of designer brands for over six years. “We brought to life the finest alternative to luxury retail: the Wall Street-like model of buying and selling. At COUTUREDossier our customers learn how to manage their fashion portfolios successfully. Customers can not only buy gorgeous items, but also sell their designer pieces, exchange them for something that catches their eye, or ‘UPCYCLE’ them by making them better”, said Yulia Omelich. Customers can now take their handbags to our Spa for reconditioning, restyle and upgrade their furs and even repair their luxury cashmere fabric knits right in house. CODO’s new irresistible collection of Chanel, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton has earned numerous awards, nationwide recognition and customer loyalty across the globe. Yulia Omelich is also a recognized designer of winter coats and accessories. Her creations can be spotted in different cities, with celebrities purchasing her designer pieces and high profile local clients placing private orders.
As of June 1st, 2017, COUTUREDossier will be located at 43 Greenwich Avenue (right above the Granola Bar) with the following phone numbers (203) 900-1600, or (888) 877-CODO. Connect with CODO online at www.facebook.com/COUTUREDossier
PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dee DelBello
Dan Viteri
PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR dee@westfairinc.com
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR dviteri@westfairinc.com
EDITORIAL Georgette Gouveia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ggouveia@westfairinc.com Mary Shustack SENIOR WRITER
Audrey Ronning Topping FEATURES WRITER
ART Michaela Zalko ART DIRECTOR mzalko@westfairinc.com
Sebastian Flores ART DIRECTOR sflores@westfairinc.com
PHOTOGRAPHY Anthony Carboni, Sebastian Flores, John Rizzo, Bob Rozycki
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marta Basso, Jena A. Butterfield, Alexandra DelBello, Ryan Deffenbaugh, Jane K. Dove, Aleesia Forni, Phil Hall, Debbi K. Kickham, Jane Morgan, Doug Paulding, Danielle Renda, Giovanni Roselli, Bob Rozycki, Gregg Shapiro, Brian Toohey, Seymour Topping, Jeremy Wayne
Peter Katz COPY EDITOR
Billy Losapio ADVISER
ADVERTISING SALES Anne Jordan Duffy SALES MANAGER / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER anne@westfairinc.com
Susan Barbash, Lisa Cash, Barbara Hanlon, Marcia Pflug, Patrice Sullivan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Rebecca Freeman EVENTS MANAGER rfreeman@westfarinc.com
Danielle Renda DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR drenda@westfarinc.com
Robin Costello ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER rcostello@westfairinc.com
Marcia Pflug DIRECTOR, PROMOTIONS AND SPONSORS mpflug@wfpromote.com
Marcia Rudy CIRCULATION SALES marcia@westfairinc.com
Sylvia Sikoutris CIRCULATION SALES sylvia@westfairinc.com
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JUNE 2017
Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.” We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.
HEADQUARTERS A division of Westfair Communications Inc., 3 Westchester Park Drive, White Plains, NY 10604 Telephone: 914-694-3600 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff. No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call 914-694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at 914694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com
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WAGGERS
TH E TALENT B EH I N D TH IS IS SU E
COVER STORY, PG.68 PHIL HALL
MARTA BASSO
JENA A. BUTTERFIELD
ROBIN COSTELLO
RYAN DEFFENBAUGH
JANE K. DOVE
ALEESIA FORNI
DEBBI K. KICKHAM
DOUG PAULDING
DANIELLE RENDA
JOHN RIZZO
GIOVANNI ROSELLI
MARY SHUSTACK
AUDREY TOPPING
SEYMOUR TOPPING
JEREMY WAYNE
NEW WAGGER
Alexandra DelBello is a second-year student at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, studying fine arts. This is the second summer in which she’s teaching at the Katonah Art Center. Alex is the oldest granddaughter of WAG Publisher and Creative Director Dee DelBello and divides her time between Bedford and New York City, the subject of her essay in this issue. Her spare time revolves around four-legged creatures. “Like Grandma,” she says, “I’m obsessed with dogs.”
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EDITOR'S LETTER GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
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JUNE 2017
As we present our annual travel issue in our year of “Explorations,” we find America at the crossroads of globalism and isolationism. And many of our stories reflect this tension. As our resident Sino watcher Audrey Ronning Topping writes, China is implementing a “One Belt, One Road” $1 trillion infrastructure program — a New Silk Road — that will link 60 countries. Already experts are proclaiming this the Chinese century, much in the way historians speak of the 20th century as having been the American one. As if to counter this, many in this country are reaching out to go in, turning inward to reach out. This is what Jena discovered when she interviewed Yumi Kuwana, whose Greenwich-based Global Citizens Initiative brings high school students from around the world together to find creative solutions to challenges in their own hometowns. Call it, as Yumi does, acting “glocally” (globally and locally). But really, globalism is a no-brainer. The genie is already out of that bottle. And it makes socioeconomic sense. In these pages, you’ll read Mary’s stories on international players like Frette, the Italian table and bed linens company headed by French-born Hervé Martin, and Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe, whose long-awaited exhibit opens in Manhattan next month. Aleesia’s piece on Balducci’s, its latest market is in the Rye Ridge Shopping Center, illustrates how one industry depends on goods from around the world for its success, just as the iconic Pierre hotel thrives by serving the specific needs of an international clientele, under the meticulous eye of Francois-Olivier Luiggi, the general manager and Corsican native. The tourist trade is, of course, the essence of globalism, as demonstrated in our story about the charming Tarrytown tour company Travellati, which
brings Hemingway’s Paris — and Papa himself — to life. Here we’d also like to give a shout-out to our own intrepid Wanderers. Jeremy’s dry, self-deprecating Brit wit and sophistication has taken us to the most luxe accommodations in the most unusual locales. Hey, it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it. And Jeremy — who’s off to London, Paris, Dublin and Mexico in this issue — has done it by enlightening as he entertains. Meanwhile, the glam Debbi — bless her heart — has never met a spa or beauty product she isn’t willing to try as she sails the high Cs — this month Capri, where she purchased sandals à la Jackie; Cape Cod, where she had the quintessential beachy, clam shack experience; and Crystal Cruises, which she describes as the ne plus ultra in luxury. Talk about taking one for the team. They are one with Walt Whitman — voyagers sailing forth to seek and find. But you don’t have to be a professional wanderer to have that Whitmanesque spirit. White Plains residents Bob and Sheila Friedland joined other Jews recently on a listening tour of the Palestine territories sponsored by the Manhattan-based Encounter organization. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is as complex as situations come. But the Friedlands were determined to build a bridge through it. They followed in the footsteps of the great American patriot Thomas Paine, who said, “The world is my country, all mankind is my brethren and to do good is my religion.” It isn’t easy. Terrorism and hard economic times have caused many to shrink within themselves. But that isn’t practical. (You can’t survive by trading only within your own community.) And it isn’t psychologically healthy. This is about fear — a subject we discuss in our opening essay, which looks at the intrepid Queen Christina of Sweden and two equally gutsy queens of Hollywood, Greta Garbo and Bette Davis. Fear, as I write in my newly released novel, “The Penalty for Holding” (Less Than Three Press), is a funny thing. It can paralyze you or it can set you free. The question is: Which would you rather be? For more on Georgette Gouveia’s novels or her blog, visit thegamesmenplay.com.
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Now, voyagers BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
“The untold want, by life and land ne’er granted, Now, Voyager, sail thou forth, to seek and find.” — Walt Whitman’s “The Untold Want,” from his “Leaves of Grass”
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In his seminal book, “The Hero With a Thousand Faces,” Joseph Campbell — mythologist and onetime Sarah Lawrence College professor — writes of the journey to growth and enlightenment that is the essence of the hero’s story. The exiled Moses wandering in the desert for 40 days before he comes to accept his life’s mission — to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land. Jesus venturing into the desert for the same period to confront earthly temptations and prepare for his ministry. The Buddha renouncing his princely powers in India and setting forth on the road to his awakening. But you don’t have to have a name written in time to be on a quest. We are all on a journey, the greatest aspect of which is the voyage within. We head out into the world and discover what we’re made of. We dig deep within to go out and serve others. Call us Ishmael. For like Abraham’s dispossessed son and Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” narrator, we are wanderers. But as J.R.R. Tolkien noted in “The Lord of the Rings,” “Not all those who wander are lost” — even if they think they are. In the 1942 romantic drama “Now, Voyager,” Bette Davis stars as Charlotte Vale, a woman adrift in her own world of blue-blooded Boston. The unloved only daughter of a domineering matriarch (Gladys Cooper at her iciest), Charlotte is calcified in dowdy self-hatred. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, she is taken in hand by a kindly sister-
in-law and an equally compassionate psychiatrist (Claude Rains). This being a Hollywood movie — the modern equivalent of the myths Campbell so loved — Charlotte is soon transformed into, well, Bette Davis at the height of her Bette Davis-eyed glamour, swathed in Orry-Kelly fashions, and sets sail on a South American cruise. On board, she meets Jeremiah Duvaux Durrance (Paul Henreid), a gallant would-be architect with troubles of his own, whose love helps her to blossom. It’s here that the story admirably departs from the typical romance. Charlotte and Jerry do not live happily ever after, at least not conventionally so. He has an unyielding wife and a daughter, Tina, who is the unhappy child Charlotte once was. To save Tina, Charlotte must sacrifice a life with her father. Yet she finds the strength to do so. Buoyed by Jerry and the memory of their affair, Charlotte comes to understand that she is indeed worthy of love — in both the giving and receiving of it. She transforms the mausoleum of a family townhouse in Boston and Tina’s life into wellsprings of joy. But not before she confronts her mother. In perhaps the film’s most moving moment, she tells her, “I’m not afraid, Mother.” Then she looks off as if realizing something for the first time and repeats the line “I’m not afraid.” Charlotte has come full circle. She is truly home. For others, the journey “home” leads somewhere else. “Queen Christina” (1933) tells the highly
François-Jospeh Navez’s “Hagar and Ismael in the Desert” (1820). Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
fictional story of the real-life 17th-century Swedish queen, who renounced her throne for a life of the mind as a free woman and Roman Catholic convert in Rome. The papacy would deem the outspoken historical Christina “a queen without a realm, a Christian without faith and a woman without shame.” But how could that be when she’s played by fellow Swede Greta Garbo at the height of her Garbo-esque mystique? Garbo’s Christina commands the screen in alternately sumptuous femininity and intriguing androgyny, falling for onetime real-life love John Gilbert as the Spanish envoy Antonio. It’s all a lot of romantic hooey. But then, “Queen Christina” is really a metaphor for 1930s America — with its racist distrust of foreigners and anyone who was “other” — as well as for Garbo in all her singular self-possession. By then it was apparent to anyone who had bothered to pay attention that she would never marry Gilbert — or anyone else — anymore than she would stay in Hollywood forever. After her career fizzled in the 1940s, she became an American citizen and moved in 1953 to the city of reinvention, New York. There she lived for the rest of her life in pink-and-green comfort amid her books and multimillion-dollar art collection in a seven-bedroom apartment at 450 E. 52 St. that recently went on the market. But not before leaving an indelible impression as Hollywood’s Swedish queen. In a twist that prevents this film, too, from becoming a conventional romance, Christina renounces the throne to run off with her lover only to find him mortally wounded by one of her countrymen on the ship bound for Spain. What to do — turn back and recapitulate, or go on? “The tide is with us,” one of her courtiers observes. “Oh, the tide is with us,” she says, looking upward, glimpsing something that we cannot yet see. And that has she has just realized: Her lover was never the point. He was — to paraphrase the poet/ songwriter Leonard Cohen — just a station on her way. Christina goes on — to bury Antonio in Spain and make a life there for herself. Where we end is not necessarily where we began, even as we come full circle. And where we long to be we might achieve, though not in the way we expected. None of us is promised Spain. What we are promised is the opportunity to chart our life’s destiny if we have the courage and imagination to try. For we were born for this moment. And the tide is with us. WAGMAG.COM
JUNE 2017
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Echoing Hill, a desert outside Dun Huang, China, on the Old Silk Road. Courtesy dreamstime.com.
a famed route's reincarnation BY AUDREY RONNING TOPPING
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f any place deserves to be haunted, it is the Old Silk Road, for along its ancient routes there have occurred more mysterious happenings, rich pageantry, magical rituals, sinister intrigue, epic battles and cruel massacres than mortal imagination can encompass. The ghosts of the past, however, are giving way to modern globalism as the legendary Old Silk Road that once joined Imperial China to the Roman Empire is morphing into a New Silk Road. The global project was envisioned by China’s President Xi (pronounced “She”) Jinping in 2013 when he revealed his “China Dream,” dubbed “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR), which, according to The New York Times, “… is aiming to create a new kind of globalization that will dispense with the rules of aging Western-dominated institutions.” For centuries, the iconic mile-long camel caravans connected Chinese traders with buy-
ers in the Middle East and Europe by way of the Eurasian steppes, Palestine and Turkey. Today the reincarnated, embryonic initiative looms at a scope and scale unprecedented in modern history involving more than $1 trillion in infrastructure and spanning more than 60 counties. If delivered as planned, it would create a global building spree and the greatest travel event on earth. The One Belt refers to a land-based Silk Road Economic Belt from China to Europe, One Road symbolizes Beijing’s concept of a “21st century Maritime Silk Road stretching from Australia to Zanzibar. Ships will sail from Guangdong and other ports on China’s southeastern seaboard through the Indian Ocean, along the east coast of Africa to the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea, ending in Venice. As Pepe Escobar wrote in The Nation: “Think of it as Marco Polo in reverse.”
The plan has had Xi — whose wife is the contemporary folk singer Peng Liyuan — turning to musical metaphors to describe its benefits, equating his plan to a symphony of economic cooperation. Xi’s dream reached a crescendo of sorts when he hosted world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, from 30 countries for a two-day “OBOR Summit” May 15 and16 to discuss his globalization blueprint and trade agreement. China insists that its initiatives will benefit all of humanity. “One Belt, One Road” will create a kind of Pax China through everything from pipelines to ports backed by Chinese money and industry. Domestic companies will find new markets, and recipient nations will have a source for much-needed investments. Yu Xiaoxian, a businessman with six companies playing on the OBOR brand, said the plan will help big and small investors: “When big rivers have water, small streams are also full,” he told The Wall Street Journal. The grand scheme could reshape the economic order in Asia, create incentives for the global economy and reinforce regional ties among countries. The project will recreate the land and maritime trade routes that centuries ago were the network of overland routes used by silk traders and others to transport merchandise from China to northern Europe, Rome and Venice via Central Asia and the Middle East. Another branch will convert the Trans-Siberian Railway into a rapid rail line, cut-
ting the travel time between Beijing and Moscow from 156 hours to 33, with Moscow as a key hub. The train travel from China to Europe would be cut from 21 to two days — compared to several years on the Old Silk Road. The high profile initiative is slated to be completed by 2025 and will, according to Xi, “answer the call of our time for regional and global cooperation.” According to diplomats, China received support for most proposals but failed to secure European endorsement of a planned statement on trade. France wanted more transparency about stakeholders and reciprocal market access. Daniel Rosario, the EU spokesman on trade, said the bloc couldn’t support the trade agreement. The United States echoed European attention to international fair trade rules, adding that ensuring transparency in bidding “would benefit Silk Road projects.” Robert Hormats, vice chairman of Kissinger Associates, advised the U.S. to find ways of working with China as the initiative is “very comprehensive, visionary and historically important.” In this implementation of soft power, China intends to support partner countries and improve connections with Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Some economists question if China’s global development is financially sound. Chinese experts proposed a diversified financial system to link more than 60 countries. The Export Import
Bank of China loaned $80 billion; Asian Development Bank, $27 billion. “The new kid on the block,” New Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), China’s answer to the World Bank, advanced $100 billion. In spite of American reluctance, at least 65 countries are included in the OBOR initiative, and 47 have joined as founding shareholders. Already projects worth more than $900 billion are underway. A February report of “Meeting Asia’s Infrastructure Needs” estimated costs of $26 trillion. Western companies, including General Electric and Honeywell, are angling for a piece of the action. Honeywell hopes to obtain contracts from oil deals and infrastructures like hotels relying on Honeywell services. GE Vice Chairman John Rice said that OBOR should boost sales by $5 billion annually. Chinese officials estimate that it should create $10 billion to $20 billion annual in sales for companies. Wang Min, chairman of China’s largest manufacturing company, said the project makes them feel “like a tiger with wings.” China’s Dream was launched two years after President Barack Obama initiated the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trading bloc around the Pacific Rim. Now that President Donald J. Trump has withdrawn from TPP, the expectations are that OBOR will expand China’s economic and geopolitical sway across the Middle East, Europe and Africa. With the TPP in trouble, OBOR — and China — become more important.
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JUNE 2017
17
at home,
around the w rld BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY FRETTE
Hervé Martin has been known to say he’s “French by birth and Italian by adoption.” Martin is indeed a Frenchman heading up an Italian brand of luxury home linens.
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When WAG catches up with him on a recent morning, it’s in Lower Manhattan — and our chat touches on locales ranging from Paris to London to Milan. Clearly Martin, the elegant CEO of Frette, has a worldwide perspective that in today’s marketplace is not only smart but necessary. Martin — who joined Frette in 2014 after years of work for international luxury brands ranging from Baccarat to Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton to Cartier — says that customers today are quite savvy. Travel broadens horizons and shapes tastes, and New York, he says, is a sophisticated market that values legacy brands. Since 1860, Frette has been producing linens and home furnishings from bases in Monza and Milan, Italy, using the finest fibers and artisans. The company states that its products have come to embody luxury, comfort and creativity, with Frette bed linens found in some of the world’s most prestigious hotels from Claridge’s to The Peninsula as well as “discerning” private homes, yachts and aircraft. This is a brand, after all, that throughout its history has been featured everywhere from the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica to the dining car of The Orient Express, with more than 500 European royal dynasties sleeping between its sheets.
Today, the company has more than 100 boutiques worldwide, including a Madison Avenue New York flagship, is sold online and provides bespoke services. A sign of constant growth, a flagship opened in London this past autumn, designed by the Italian architectural firm DiMore Studio, with the first Frette store in Shanghai joining the lineup in January. The current collection — available throughout the summer — is called Tropic of Cancer, featuring designs inspired by the cultures found near or on the Tropic of Cancer. Flare, for example, spotlights the charms of the Indian subcontinent, while Kala and Shield explores Niger. Tattoo Diamond takes a look at the design elements of Mexico, while Dome and Helix draws on the graphic elements of United Arab Emirates. A special edition is Monsoon, which draws the tropics together in a blue bedspread and reversible (white) silk that offers a contemporary take on ikat, the Indonesian dyeing technique. Next up? The Fall/Winter 2017—2018 Collection, The Golden Deco, is devoted to “art and glamour of style moderne.” Billed as a collection that brings back the spirit of 1920s glamour, The Golden Deco is expected in stores in August with a sneak peek offered on this day. “It’s a very good presentation of everything we
Frette CEO Hervé Martin was in New York to unveil the luxury home linen brand’s latest collection.
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are doing,” Martin says of the pillows and throws, sheets and towels, candles and more that add a soft sophistication to a tony model apartment on Barclay Street. It’s just the latest step for Frette, which Martin says is about offering “high-quality simple bedding” ideal for customers who are “more and more trying to combine… In fashion terms, we say mix and match.” Geography does affect taste, he adds. “We still witness the difference between clients here and there,” he says of the various countries where Frette is sold. “In very international cities like New York, we have the same as there,” he says, referencing Europe while mentioning London in particular. With the world seemingly growing ever smaller — with increased travel and exposure to different cultures — Martin says people are becoming more adventurous, even if it’s just for a signature element. It’s always about helping clients find “a sense of what is right for their style,” he says. And no matter the setting, he adds, “One piece makes the whole story.” He tells of a recent design-week event in Milan where Frette created a vignette inspired by the “seven capital sins.” Playing off the theme, a rich treatment was featured on top of basic white sateen. But those simple white sheets were not so simple after all — “1,000—thread count,” Martin says with a knowing smile. Lust, anyone? For more, visit frette.com. 20
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Clockwise from above left: Frette showroom in Milan, showcasing the Spring/Summer Chiné pattern in the gold/ ivory colorway includes Euro shams ($225), border shams ($190), duvet cover $1,450 (queen) to $1,550 (king), silk Euro shams ($400) and light quilt ($3,200); BiColore is a continuative/classic item offered in seasonless neutrals like ivory and cliff gray and seasonal colors such as sage green. The colored border can be changed to one of more than 20 colors available in the Bespoke program including pink, lavender and peacock blue. Prices for the standard BiColore sheet sets range from $1,150 queen to $1,200 in king. Bespoke offerings are priced upon request and made to order; Bespoke table linens, pricing upon request, made to order; and a mix of linen and silk in classic Frette jacquard in the pattern of intertwining leaves shown in beige, ivory and antique blue ($3,200 each).
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illusory hArbOrs: Leandro Erlich’s artistic sleight of hand BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
A window onto a city thousands of miles away. A house rooted in the air. A mirror that reflects everything but the person gazing into it. People walking and talking under water or hanging out — on the outside of buildings. They’re all part of the illusory world of Leandro Erlich, a peripatetic polyglot from Argentina who’s one of the most magical installation artists around. But the soft-spoken, unassuming Erlich, who made a stopover at Purchase College’s Neuberger Museum of Art recently for his latest show, “Port of Reflections,” isn’t interested in fooling the public. “I think that revealing the trick is crucial,” he says in a quote accompanying the exhibit. “That revelation transforms the ‘deception’ into something positive. I want the spectator to think and discover.” In “Port of Reflections” (through July 30), Erlich — winner of the 2017 Roy R. Neuberger Prize for conceptual art — pulls out all the stops to consider the fluidity of appearance and reality, and our perceptions of both. He has transformed half of the Neuberger’s 5,000-square-foot Theater Gallery into an indoor harbor complete with five rowboats that bob in the “nighttime water,” their bright colors as brilliantly reflected as if this were Claude Monet’s 1874 oil on canvas “Sailboats on the Seine at Petit-Gennevilliers” (pictured in the accompanying catalog) come to three-dimensional life. Of course, the installation is neither a 3-D Monet or an actual harbor recreated indoors. The effect of 22
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boats rocking in the water at night was created using black felt and an electromagnetic system, says Patrice Giasson, the Neuberger Museum of Art’s Alex Gordon associate curator of art of the Americas, who organized the show with Helaine Posner, the museum’s chief curator. Erlich fashioned the boats so that the bottoms are the wavy reflections of what the boats would look like were they in actual water. That they came to the Neuberger by boat is an irony not lost on the curators. “They were shipped by ship,” Posner says. It took a month to complete the installation, which includes a ramp that gets you in the mindset for boarding your adventure. Once inside the darkened space, the ramp becomes a “boardwalk” and “pier.” You can almost scent the tang of the saltwater tantalizing the nostrils, the damp night air pricking your skin. And yet, you know the scene is not real. The boats are pristine in their creamy, gumdrop colors — with nary a barnacle in sight. The scene is at once theatrical and ordinary, with the line between the two as thin as the vaporous blue edge where the sea meets the sky. Curator Giasson locates Erlich’s illusory art in his architectural background. (His brother is the architect Esteban Erlich of the New York firm studio ai architects.) In the late 1990s, Leandro Erlich participated in the Core Residency Program at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Glassell School of Art. Then he moved to New York, where he had his first show in a commercial gallery. Erlich took part in the Whitney Biennial (2000) and represented Argentina in the 49th Venice Biennale (2001). He lived and worked in Paris for a few years, then came back to Buenos Aires. There he returned to the idea of engaging the city’s historic
Obelisco (Obelisk), which stands in the Plaza de la República at the intersection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio. He “decapitated” the obelisk by placing a box made of similar material and containing cameras over the top of the impenetrable, enclosed 220foot structure. He then placed a pyramid resembling the top on the ground near MALBA, the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires, and installed monitors in it that presented the images being recorded by the cameras on top of the Obelisco. The effect of “La Democracia del Simbolo (The Democracy of the Symbol)” (2015), as documented in images of its construction, is at first dizzying, disorienting and disturbing. But then you realize that Erlich gave citizens and visitors something they never had before — a view from the top. So it goes for Erlich. For “Paris-Delhi-Bombay” at the Centre Pompidou in 2011, he gave viewers “Le Regard (The Gaze),” a typically bourgeois apartment in Paris that opened onto a street scene — in Bombay (Mumbai). He has given Cubans in Havana an opportunity to play at being Swiss ski bums, thanks to the magic of Polaroids (“Turismo,” 2000); New Yorkers at MoMA PS1 a chance to walk and talk under water, thanks to an acrylic sheet covered by a few inches of water (“Swimming Pool,” 2004; 2008-10) and everyone from Londoners to Ukrainians a moment to hang from a building. (It’s done with mirrors, in this case a huge one set at a 45-degree angle that reflects the building façade created on the ground.) For Erlich, it’s all about place and displacement and knowing that when you understand that everything is constructed, even reality, then you are in the place just right. For more, visit neuberger.org.
Leandro Erlich, “Port of Reflections,” (2017), mixed media. Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York. Photograph © Jerry Thompson.
Drawing of a book sale in progress at Messrs Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge of Wellington Street, the Strand, London, 1888.
Going once, going twice, sold From Sotheby’s auction house to your home BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
t is one of the most famous businesses in the world — a British multinational corporation, headquartered in Manhattan that specializes in everything from wines to watches to Whistlers. So it’s no surprise that Sotheby’s should launch a luxury real estate company in 1976. Gotta have a place, after all, to display all those treasures. That addition has helped make Sotheby’s one of the largest brokers of, well, stuff on the face of the earth, with 90 locations in 40 countries and art sales alone in the billions. Not bad for a business that began in 1744 in 24
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London as Baker and Leigh. (First auction — several hundred rare books from the library of the baronet John Stanley.) Samuel Baker died in 1778, leaving his estate to partners George Leigh and John Sotheby. They continued as book dealers, even auctioning the library Napoléon took with him into exile on the island of St. Helena. It was the Sotheby family that broadened the auction house’s interest to include prints, medals and coins. Fine art wouldn’t enter the picture until 1913 when the auction house sold a Frans Hals for 9,000 guineas. Four years later, Sotheby’s moved to its present London home, 34-35 New Bond St. The U.S. office, at Bowling Green, wouldn’t follow until 1955. The 1980s proved a turning point for the company. A sales slump spurred the North American flagship’s 1982 move to 1334 York Ave., now Sotheby’s world headquarters. A group of investors led by developer Alfred Taubman bought the company a year later, privatized it, incorporated it as Sotheby’s Holdings Inc. and then took it public in 1988, making it the oldest company to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2006, Sotheby’s Holdings Inc. was reincorporated as Sotheby’s. Over the years, Sotheby’s — whose offerings range from private sales to corporate art and museum services to an Institute of Art that is a gradu-
ate school of art and its markets — has had its share of scandals (price-fixing, illegal antiquities) and successes. Nothing has grabbed headlines the way the record breakers do, like the version of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” that sold at Sotheby’s for almost, yes, $120 million. (Wonder if the guy in the painting is holding his hands to his ears screaming, “Oh, no, someone just paid $120 million for me.”) For sheer international interest, few sales could top the four-day April 1996 extravaganza that was the auction of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ estate. Everyone from the tabloids to The New York Times to the major networks thronged York Avenue, working their notepads and flip-top phones — this being before the internet took off. The press was roped off to the side of the main auction room, craning and straining to catch the action. The first night ended on a note of high drama as the bids for John F. Kennedy’s humidor — an inaugural gift from comedian Milton Berle — went for an unheard of $520,000 to Marvin R. Shanken, the New Haven-nurtured editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado magazine. The whopping and hollering sounded like Yankee Stadium. It probably could’ve been heard at Yankee Stadium and was yet further proof that Sotheby’s is like no other place in the world. For more, visit sothebys.com.
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At home in a Scarsdale classic BY JANE K. DOVE PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO AND JULIA B. FEE/SOTHEBY’S
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The gracious stone Georgian Colonial home on Quaker Center in the Heathcote section of Scarsdale is what many admirers see as the quintessential residence of its time and place. Built in 1938 and now something of a local landmark, the home has been owned by Wendy and Ira Weinstein for 30 years. It has embraced their family, served as a repository for the couple’s extensive collection of Modern and contemporary art and been a gathering place for adult friends and children to enjoy the tennis court and natural-form pool. “We have absolutely loved living in this home,” Ira Weinstein says. “We raised our four children here and the place was always full of fun and laughter. As our children grew older, their friends flocked here, enjoying the pool and, depending on the season, turning part of our big backyard into a soccer, football, lacrosse, football or baseball field. It has always been a busy, happy place.” Weinstein says when he and his wife looked at the iconic home with its classic half-circle driveway for the first time, their immediate reaction was “This is it.” They did not look at another house. The 4,500-square-foot home had everything the couple wanted — classic proportions, plenty of spacious rooms and more than two acres of rolling green lawns with mature specimen trees and plantings. STELLAR DISPLAY OF ART Inside, the Quaker Center house is home to the couple’s extraordinary collection of art, acquired over the past decades. “We have been collecting since the early 1980s,” Weinstein says. “We tend to look for contemporary art. We have well over 50 pieces in all media, including sculpture. Some sculpture is displayed outside.” Some of the best-known artists in the couple’s collection include Lichtenstein, Warhol, Johns, Chagall, Miro, Stella, Calder and Rothenberg. There are dozens of other luminaries’ work displayed throughout the home, including oil paintings, photographs, sculptures and ceramics. The art was acquired from major auction houses, including Sotheby’s and Christie’s, as well as the private market. “We make adjustments to the collection from time
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to time,” Weinstein says. “Although large, it is still a work in progress.” All of the art on display in the Weinstein home is presented in beautiful context, with plenty of wall space left bare to offset the art to the best effect. DESIGN ELEMENTS The graceful flow of the rooms in the home heightens the effect of peace and repose created by architect Hunter McDonnell, well-known in his time for his orderly, classic design and careful attention to detailing such as beautiful, deep-silled windows, some with window seats, and French doors. White walls and burnished wood floors link the home’s foyer, with its gracefully curved staircase and fan-lit front door, to the large living room and den, both with fireplaces, and the grand formal dining room. A study is located adjacent to the foyer. A spacious modern kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances and cabinetry, a morning room and a generous connecting family room with a cathedral ceiling complete the first floor. All of the rooms are bright and many look out onto the home’s lovely flagstone patio and other outdoor amenities. The upstairs includes six bedrooms with a large master suite that has a marble-floored luxury bath and walk-in closets. Family bedrooms and additional bathrooms complete the second floor. Reflecting on his 30 years in his home, Weinstein says it provided much happiness to his entire family and still does. “We now have nine grandchildren and they come here often. From the start, we have always wanted the house to be full of kids, their friends and our friends. Now that everyone is a bit older, it’s the youngest generation who are the most frequent visitors. Our rooms are ample in size, no one ever feels constricted and we have our wonderful grounds outside to provide plenty of space and things to do.” When the kids are not around, Weinstein says he and his wife love the generous acreage and its quiet ambiance. “The grounds are beautiful and the specimen trees and plantings lovely at all times of the year.” But as much as they love their home, Weinstein says it’s now time to downsize. “All of our kids are on their own and it's two people living in a big house that goes three-quarters empty. We do have a few pangs, because we have been very happy here.” The house is now listed with Jennifer Baldinger of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty at $3,750,000. For more, email Jennifer.baldinger@juliabfee.com or call her at 914-713-2022. Center: Ira Weinstein and views of his and wife Wendy's home, graced by their art collection. 28
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STILL WORKING FOR YOU UNTIL THE INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR PLANT POWERS DOWN IN 2021, WE’LL CONTINUE PRODUCING ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF THE ELECTRICITY FOR NEW YORK CITY AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY, WITH VIRTUALLY NO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
The Indian Point Energy Center has been powering New York’s downstate region for about 40 years. Today, many New Yorkers have questions about the plant’s early and orderly shutdown — What will change? What will stay the same? For the next few years, much will stay the same. Until 2021, we’ll continue safely generating clean, reliable power round-the-clock for New York City and Westchester County. That power makes Indian Point the single largest source of clean electricity in New York State. Safety will continue to be the top priority for everyone at the plant. Under Entergy’s ownership, Indian Point has established a strong safety record that we’re committed to maintaining. Until shutdown in 2021, Indian Point will remain fully staffed with our team of approximately 1,000 nuclear professionals. We will continue to invest in the facility, and independent full-time inspectors from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will remain on-site to review operations. Indian Point will continue to generate significant tax revenues and expenditures in the local economy. We’ll also continue to play an important role in the wellbeing of our community through the contributions we provide to many charitable organizations in the region, as well as the thousands of hours our employees volunteer and donate to these important causes. At Indian Point, we’re still working for you, and it will continue to be an honor to operate one of New York’s cleanest and most reliable sources of electricity. If you have questions, please visit us at SafeSecureVital.com
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DestinatiOn: succesS Michael Bruno transforms a region BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY TUXEDO HUDSON CO.
In a manner perfectly befitting this issue’s theme, WAG recently hit the road with Michael Bruno. Moments after meeting the selfproclaimed “serial entrepreneur” — and Larchmont native — in his Orange County office, we settle into his BMW for a whirlwind overview of his latest project.
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“We’re going to go for a little tour,” Bruno, a study in casual cool in jeans and aviators, says. “It’s more fun that way.” And he wasn’t wrong. It’s a quick stop for coffee — to go, of course — then it’s all about Bruno and his Tuxedo Hudson Co., an outgrowth of his moving to Tuxedo Park, one of the nation’s oldest (1880s) gated communities, some five years ago. Have we ever been beyond the gates? Sadly, no, but they’ve captured our imagination for years. With that, Bruno treats us to a quick spin through the village, accompanied by his knowing commentary. He’ll point out the Tiffany stained-glass windows of St. Mary’s-in-Tuxedo Episcopal Church and explain why the historic enclave is filled with Gilded Age mansions of such diverse architectural styles, from English manor to French chateau. “Everyone came back from different parts of Europe. ‘I want one of these. I want one of those.’” Our tour touches not only on these historic gems but also on the sheer natural beauty. We’ll hear about the storied Tuxedo Club nestled along one of three lakes, zoom past Bruno’s stately 1901 Georgian-style brick mansion and even one of his other properties, the Loomis Lab, a stone castle with a history tied to World War II scientists. It’s all part of the allure of Tuxedo Park, one that had Bruno relocating from Manhattan when all he was planning to do back then was move within the city to be closer to his job. “Instead of being walking distance to work, I live
an hour to work,” he says with a laugh. Winding our way back into the town of Tuxedo on Route 17 — a road that ties Rockland and Orange counties in this Hudson Valley region — Bruno says he quickly realized something once he moved in. “The stretch between Sloatsburg and Tuxedo, not much has happened there since… well, since the Thruway opened,” he says of the decades since the 1950s. He quickly realized for all that Tuxedo Park provided within its community, there was a dire need for “more amenities” nearby — and not just for locals. “After about four years of thinking, I realized no one was going to do anything,” he says. The idea was born to create a regional destination, a “gateway to the Hudson Valley” and home base of sorts for the surrounding 70,000 acres of parkland. First, Bruno, who also heads up Tuxedo Hudson Realty, purchased a building that housed a poorly run bodega. “I said ‘Well, if I’m going to buy that, I might as well have that one, too,’” he says with a laugh. And he was off, eventually purchasing some two dozen properties in the area — more than a dozen within that corridor — with a master plan to redevelop the commercial stretch. THE ROAD TO TUXEDO Bruno, it seems, always had his eye on what was next. He was a pre-teen when his family relocated to
LaJolla, California, but says, “I’ve always felt Larchmont was home,” and eventually returned to the metro area. In California, he studied business at San Diego State University before moving to San Francisco to work in luxury real estate. In 2001, he moved to Paris to start a new internet venture. “Everyone thought it was counterintuitive to move from San Francisco to Paris,” he laughs. But walking through a Parisian flea market proved the pivotal spark that would find him creating 1stdibs.com, the famed online marketplace for luxury goods, including antiques, furniture, jewelry and fine art. A worldwide success, Bruno would eventually come back to America. The internet and real estate entrepreneur would go on to launch the Housepad app, a communications tool for households, and most recently, Art-Design-Carta, a private marketplace for design and art professionals.
Top: Michael Bruno. Photograph by Jill Swirbul. Above: The historic Loomis Lab within Tuxedo Park is now owned by Bruno.
A SINGULAR VISION Bruno, a longtime preservationist who’s been an admirer and restorer of many historic properties, was captivated by the raw materials he found in the Tuxedo area. “To me, one of the greatest things about it was that… mostly, nothing had been done,” he says of the buildings. “They don’t have to ‘fake’ history.” As we pull off the road, Bruno points out some buildings in the near distance, part of 12 acres dotted with structures, one of which, he notes, “has 25foot vaulted ceilings.” “This is going to become the art and antiques center,” he says. “This is a year away.” Our tour next heads to 7 Lakes Inn, which Bruno assures will open by July 1. This showpiece complex is fronted by a series of Victorian homes being transformed into a unified bed-and-breakfast. Behind, as Bruno explains, “It’s all about creating a village green.” It already has the feel of what’s to come, as we wander through the courtyard and surrounding buildings. Mature trees, he says, are soon to be planted. Throughout, the goal is to create an atmosphere that’s “very modern, fresh, bright, clean.” “Watch it. These roses will get you,” he says, leading the way past a thorny bush to further explore the plans that embrace design, the arts, recreation, farm-to-table living and more. Within the complex will be a bike shop, gym, WAGMAG.COM
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coffeehouse, juice bar and garden grill. Blue Barn, an organic market, made its debut last summer, the first step in the long-term project that will include a hotel and other locally oriented shops and services. From the rear access road, visitors can easily walk to both the train station or, as envisioned, bike right onto Seven Lakes Drive and into Harriman State Park. With this phase geared toward cyclists — and another proposed to cater to hikers visiting Sterling Forest State Park — it’s all about creating not only excitement but also awareness. “It really became about access points,” he says. Bruno says he feels his project has already helped spark renewed enthusiasm for the area. He points to the new Warby Parker Optical Lab that opened in Sloatsburg in January and a new taproom on Route 17. The New York State Department of Transportation’s $4 million road project in the area plus his Tuxedo Hudson Co. securing a $750,000 grant for economic development from New York state are all clear signs, he says, of the area’s economic viability. As we zip through the scenic vistas of Harriman State Park, Bruno pointing out attractions and sharing further details, we think back to an earlier question we had posed. Was the ambitious project based on something he saw in his travels? No, he said. “This is a place I’ve never seen before. It doesn’t exist.” Yet. For more, visit tuxedohudsoncompany.com; 7lakesinn. com; or tuxedohudsonrealty.com.
Tuxedo Hudson Co.’s Rose Courtyard. Photograph by Sean Zanni-Patrick McMullan Inc.
PRINCE WILLIAM HAS PRINCE HARRY, SNOOPY HAS SPIKE – YOU KNOW, THE BAD-BOY BABY BRO WHO’S A CHUNK OF CHARM AND A TON OF TROUBLE. That’s what WAG Weekly is to WAG. In our e-newsletter, we let down our hair (and occasionally, our grammar) to take you behind behind-the-scenes of the hottest parties and events, offer our thoughts on the most controversial issues of the day, share what couldn’t be contained in our glossy pages and tell you what to do and where to go this weekend – all while whetting your appetite for the next issue. If you can’t get enough of WAG — or you just want to get WAG unplugged — then you won’t want to miss WAG Weekly, coming to your tablet each Friday a.m. 32
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A bridge tO peace American Jews on a listening tour in the West Bank BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
Many people spend their vacations at the beach or touring glamorous sites. Sheila and Bob Friedland spent part of theirs delving into one of the most nettlesome geopolitical issues of the day.
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During a recent trip to Israel, the White Plains couple recently spent four days on a listening tour in the West Bank, absorbing the Palestinian perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The tour was sponsored by Encounter, a nonpartisan educational organization based in New York City and dedicated to peace and human dignity that seeks to cultivate an informed Jewish leadership on the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through an understanding of various perspectives. Encounter focuses on American Jewish leadership, and most of the approximately 30 people on the tour were rabbis and other religious leaders as well as educators. The Friedlands were the only lay couple. He has several companies — Westrock Development, a real estate firm; Shleppers Moving & Storage; and Sensible Auto Lending. She is a social activist, particularly in regard to issues affecting girls and women, who oversees the family’s philanthropic activities and also lectures on the relationship of art and Jewish history.
Skyline of the Old City at the Western Wall and Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel. Courtesy dreamstime.com.
What drew them to Encounter? “I would say for me curiosity,” Sheila says. “We talk about the Palestinians all the time. But we don’t get to see and meet them on their own terms and hear their stories.” Adds Bob: “There are three sides to any situation — your side, my side and the truth.” Traveling by bus, the Encounter group spent two days in Bethlehem, one in East Jerusalem and one in Ramallah, the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority. (The group was accompanied by a Palestinian security team that made them feel “totally safe,” Sheila says.) What she and Bob discovered was that there is a complex situation tinged with both despair and hope. “(The Palestinians) have a high unemployment rate, extraordinarily high, which is apparent when you see people walking around during the day,” Bob says. They blame this in part on the West Bank wall, the 440-mile barrier that the Israelis built at the turn of the 21st century as a deterrent to the wave of suicide bombings that characterized the Second Intifada, or uprising. The Palestinians see the wall as a symbol of apartheid designed to deny their political and socioeconomic
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sovereignty. “They do not accept any responsibility for the wall being built and that was disheartening to us,” Bob says. But responsibility is not one-sided, he adds. As a developer, he was disturbed by an experience in a village the group visited in Area C, which is controlled by the Israelis. “The mayor of the village complained that they had applied for a building permit beginning 12 years ago and have been denied it every time,” Bob says. “But the Israelis are building all around them. This was a village of 650 families and, if someone got married, because they couldn't build, there was no room for them to live there.” Both Bob and Sheila stress their love for Israel. But, Bob adds, “We as a group were shocked by the restrictions placed on the Palestinians by Israel.” He keeps coming back to three words that characterize what the Palestinians expressed — “despair, indignity, hopelessness.” Bob has a friend who lives in Ramallah whose son just graduated from college but is not looking too much toward the future. “The Palestinians say they are living just for today,” Bob adds. “They don’t know if there will be a tomorrow.”
And yet, Sheila says, “There are pockets of hope….Ramallah and Bethlehem are thriving, vibrant cities — the foods, the smells of baked goods, the vegetable markets, girls in fashionably skinny jeans. Life goes on.” More important, she says, are the “terrific people” they met who want to live side by side with the Israelis in peace; who understand the modern state of Israel in the context of the Diaspora and the Holocaust; who see their own situation in the cultural-historical light of centuries of empires and conquests; and who now look to nonviolent agents of change — Mahatma Gandhi, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela — as role models. These include the director of the Alrowwad cultural center in Bethlehem’s Aida refugee camp, which seeks change through creative, nonviolent means. “It’s a situation of enormous complexity,” Sheila says of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “that isn’t going to be solved by us. The two parties are going to have to figure it out.” And yet, listening to the Friedlands talk, you can’t help but think that such “encounters” are among Sheila’s “pockets of hope.” For more, visit encounterprograms.org.
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Be his guest
Pierre GM is a true internationalist BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY THE PIERRE
Francois-Olivier Luiggi — the new general manager of The Pierre, one of Manhattan’s most iconic hotels — has been welcoming people to luxury establishments around the world for more than 22 years. While at Four Seasons, where he was the brand’s corporate food and beverage training specialist, he launched 19 hotels and resorts, including some in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In Manhattan, he’s been GM of Langham Place, Fifth Avenue (formerly The Setai) and hotel manager of The Mark Hotel. A native Corsican who’s fluent in English, French and Italian, Luiggi graduated from ESSEC Business School in France with a joint MBA in hotel management from Cornell University. Recently, he ventured into our neck of the woods for a talk on “Civility at the Best Hotels” at The Ferguson Library in Stamford, part of the “Civility in America” series sponsored by the library, The Dilenschneider Group and Hearst Media Group in Connecticut. Being eminently civil, he graciously answered our questions during his travels: The Pierre has always been an iconic hotel, but what makes it special to you, its general manager? 38
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“What is special are the people who make the Pierre work 24/7 since 1930….There is a strong connection with the social life of New Yorkers…. That is due to the amazing team of dedicated employees, most of them with long tenure (10-plus years, the most senior employee joined the hotel in 1966) that has adapted to the changing trends over and over again in order to remain the leader in the market. Everyone cares deeply about The Pierre and its success. Every team member is a stakeholder. I have rarely seen such dedication, such a sense of belonging and purpose, in an established hotel like this." Describe the perfect stay at the hotel. “The perfect stay starts (and is defined) within the first five minutes. Doormen open the door of your car with curbside check-in (if we have your arrival time), and you are swept away to your suite. There awaits the perfect amenity. Early check-in after a long-haul flight? Continental breakfast is waiting for you. Arriving late, with only a few minutes to change before a meeting? Water, tea setup and some light savory canapés. Here for a special occasion? A chilled bottle of Champagne. Walking all day and through museums, etc.? A fresh basket of fruit and water. It is our understanding of why you are here that will make your stay perfect. If we have managed to impress you (and show you we understand you) within 10 minutes, your stay will be perfect."
What are some of the new features that returning guests would be delighted to discover? “The iconic Rotunda was returned as a lounge last August, after being used solely for weddings and receptions. In addition, a new casual French restaurant called Perrine took over where Café Pierre was located. The Rotunda, Perrine and our new Rosé Terrace form a great new venue and have brought new life to The Pierre’s public spaces.” What are the trends that you see in the hotel business and how is The Pierre capitalizing on them? “The biggest trend is having unique and interesting facilities (public spaces, restaurants, bar, etc.). It started with boutique hotels 20-plus years ago. But now everyone wants to experience a great lobby with seating, bar, lounge, etc. That trend will continue as guests change the way they socialize. Iconic hotels like The Pierre, with large public spaces, have or will reconfigure and capitalize on their history/heritage (as we did with the Rotunda). “The other trend is the slow disappearance of anything transactional (check-in, check-out, simple requests, booking a car transfer). Technology will — if it has not yet — replace all these functions. The challenge for luxury hotels will be to find new ways to engage the guests. The focus will be much more on better understanding who the guest is and how we can anticipate and/or provide a unique, tailored experience. We will not be able to rely on the traditional ‘check-in’ to find out what
Elevator operators are crucial to The Pierre’s success.
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we can do, or wait for the guest to approach the concierge. It will be too late.” The Pierre has also been a residential hotel. What percentage of its clientele are permanent residents and how does residency shape service for all of your clientele? “The Pierre has 75 apartments and 140 rooms and 49 suites. Of the 49 suites, we have at least 10 to 20 percent occupied for three weeks or more, sometimes for three to four months at a time. After a few days, guests really change what they expect from a five-star hotel. It is no longer a hotel room or suite. It is your apartment. Elevator operators are a very traditional amenity in a luxury apartment building in New York. They are probably the most visible sign that The Pierre has permanent or long-term residents. Elevator operators completely change the dynamic of the hotel. After a couple of times in and out of the building, you immediately understand their crucial role. In a world where automation has or will replace anything transactional, the elevator operators welcome you, recognize you and genuinely engage with you. It is beyond the obvious security. It is what makes you feel at home. The other (aspect) is that we have 24/7 laundry, dry cleaning service and tailoring service. All in house. Our seamstress can tailor anything and has.”
Francois-Olivier Luiggi.
What is a day in the life of the general manager like? “It all starts with a morning lineup, at the very beginning of the day, with the senior management team. The day revolves around the arrival list, the most vital document in a hotel. It is reviewed twice a day, the day of, and it takes hours
and hours to compile. It has all the relevant information about each guest, their room allocation, etc. Our day, week, month is planned around our guests, events, etc….Along with the hotel manager, we decide who will greet which guests, and if any special considerations (security details, etc.) are necessary. Then I write dozens of welcome cards, by hand, trying every time to acknowledge the reason for the visit. “A good part of the day is spent answering guests’ requests for stays, a large portion of our most regular travelers will call my office directly to make their bookings, and I help them with the planning of their visits when necessary. “The rest of the day is spent with the team, having breakfast or lunch with them in our employee restaurant, ‘managing by walking around,’ visiting every department at least once a day and every couple of months, coming to meet the overnight crew either for dinner (start of shift) or breakfast (end of shift). “Every day is a different weekly review meeting with a different division, sometimes as a team, or one-on-one. Lots of walk-through inspections of the front and back of house take place all day — all the time.” For more of our Q&A, visit wagmag.com. And for more on The Pierre, visit thepierreny.com.
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Polly Peace with one of her charges. Photograph by John Rizzo.
A standardbearer for childcare BY JANE K. DOVE
dom to play, imagine, pretend and learn in an unstressed and natural environment like the one I enjoyed growing up,” she says. “It is a big responsibility, but I just love it. Every single day is a pleasure and I know I am a lucky woman to be doing this as my life’s work.” The Country Childrens Center is marking its 50th anniversary this year. It has grown and flourished from a modest start in Katonah’s Fellowship Hall to include five different sites.
HAPPY DAYS
olly Peace has a magical connection with children. They are drawn to her warm, gentle, playful presence and give her the full measure of their attention and affection. As executive director of the Westchester County-based Country Childrens Center for the past 30 years, Peace believes she was born to do her job of guiding the daily care of some 500 youngsters, ranging from infancy to school age. “Having had a wonderful childhood myself, my motivation each day is to try to give our children as many opportunities as possible for the same free42
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Peace grew up in the New England town of Southboro, Massachusetts. “My father, a builder, purchased part of the magnificent, old Kidder Estate when it was sold off. He renovated a house for our family, which included me and my three sisters, and we grew up surrounded by its incredibly beautiful grounds, which we were free to roam.” Peace had her first experience with childcare when her parents had a “surprise” baby, Lisa, when she was 13. “I just loved the fun of having a baby sister and showing her the beauty all around us,” she said. “Caring for Lisa when I got home from school and studying nature with her was what led to my interest in teaching children.”
Peace went on to study history and education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and started teaching high school students. “I then met Frederic (Ric), my husband, when we were in our early 20s. He enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War, which, fortunately, was winding down. After months of separation, we got married while he was still in the Army and (he) finished his tour of duty in Hawaii.” After Hawaii, it was on to Syracuse where Ric got a degree in architecture and the couple had two children, Kristin and Deric. Syracuse was home for nine years, followed by Vermont, where Ric worked as an architect. When Ric got an offer from IBM in Tarrytown, the couple decided he should take it and they moved to Somers, where they live today. “Somers is so gorgeous. It reminded me of where I grew up,” Peace says. “Our house was originally a one-room Somers schoolhouse, which we expanded. I was back to teaching, this time at a nursery school in Ossining. I also taught Sunday School at St. Luke’s Church in Katonah.” It was St. Luke’s that led to Peace’s current role at the Country Childrens Center. “Somewhat miraculously, a board member asked me if I wanted to be the executive director of the
Country Childrens Center, then a small, churchbased program.” Peace was called in for an interview and got the job in 1987.
LIKE AN ARROW “My happy childhood, my little sister, my love of nature and children — everything was like an arrow pointing me in this direction,” she says. When Peace took the helm at the Country Childrens Center (CCC), she realized the time had come to move forward from church basements. More and more women were entering the workforce and there was an ever-growing need for excellent childcare. “We wanted to find our own home for the program but needed funding,” she says. “Fortunately, an IBM parent told us about a special IBM fund that had been created, and they eventually put up the funding for our first dedicated site in Katonah. PepsiCo also put funds into the effort.” CCC bought the property, a single-family brick home with a barn on four acres of a mostly wooded area on Route 35 in Katonah, and the model of childcare Peace envisioned was born. The center called The Farm opened in 1991. “Once The Farm was a reality we saw what a homelike environment could provide for the children under our care. Inside, we kept the home’s architectural details intact as much as possible. Outside we created gardens and hiking trails and added ducks to a pond on the property. The barn was renovated and is used for science and nature exhibits and other activities and events.” The Farm served as a model for all that was to
come over the next two decades. “At this point in time, corporations wanted to invest in quality childcare services,” Peace says. “They recognized that excellent childcare leads to a more productive workforce.” Next, IBM took the lead in helping CCC open the White House site, also on Route 35 in Katonah, in 1997. Once again, it was a single-family house, this time with a swimming pool. The Bedford Hills site followed on the success of The Farm and the White House and opened in 1999. CCC began providing before- and after-school childcare and now has programs in the Katonah-Lewisboro, Bedford Central and Yorktown school districts. But more was still ahead in completing Peace’s vision. “The IBM Corporation decided it wanted its own, on-site childcare,” Peace says. “Because of our history with them, they were well-acquainted with the quality of our programs and believed the single-family home model would work for them.” As a result, IBM established its first on-site childcare facility for employees and chose CCC to operate a center in a spacious, beautifully renovated house on the grounds of the T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights. The center was opened in 2001 and had a large waiting list right from the start. To this day, Baby Blue is the only IBM on-site childcare center in the U.S. But unmet demand at IBM was still strong, so CCC looked for another site close to Watson and
GOLF OUTING
found a home on spacious grounds on Route 134. Known as The Barns at Kitchawan, the center opened in 2009. One third of the children are from IBM. The center has a separate dedicated building just for infants and toddlers. Looking back over her 30 successful years at CCC and the love and affection the children display toward her, Peace says, “They do seem to like me, and I think it’s because I love them. Children will accept you if you show them love and respect. And I do enjoy having fun, like dressing up in a full bunny suit as the Easter Bunny each year or putting on a plaid flannel granny gown and reading ‘The Polar Express’ to groups of children at our annual holiday celebration.” A focus on diversity is also high on Peace’s list on a daily basis, with children also marking special days like Chinese New Year, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and Cinco De Mayo. CCC also runs an inclusion nursery school program for children with special needs. Peace says the children she tends at the Country Childrens Center deserve the best care she and her staff can provide. “It is often said that children are our future. However, they are also our present. We need to think about this every day as we make plans for them. I love being with the children. They give me hope and joy and a glimpse into that wonderful world called childhood that we have all experienced, where everything is a possibility and we have the freedom to imagine what we will.”
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J.J. Abrams. Photograph by Andrew Eccles. © 2009 Paramount Pictures/All Rights Reserved.
The narrative journey of j.j. abrams BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
ilmmaker J.J. Abrams, creator and sustainer of fantastic worlds (“Alias,” “Lost,” “Mission Impossible III,” “Star Trek” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) has always been fascinated by storytelling and technology. When he was a child, he asked his maternal grandfather — Harry Kelvin, who had an electronics company — for a Super 8 movie camera. It was his grandfather who had gotten him interested in technology by revealing the inner workings of radios and other equipment, he said in a 2007 TED Talk. The camera request was bolstered by his grandmother. “Harry, it’s better than the drugs,” Abrams told the TED audience, recalling his grandmother’s words of wisdom.
But when it came time for film school, Abrams enrolled instead at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, based on the advice of his TV producing father, Gerald W. Abrams: “It’s more important that you go off and learn what to make movies about than how to make movies.” “Sarah Lawrence, for someone who grew up in L.A. and never went to private school, was a different world, a far more intimate educational experience,” J.J. Abrams says in a phone interview from the offices of his production company, Bad Robot. “The small size of the classes and the quality of the teachers placed an enormous emphasis on following your passion. Sarah Lawrence was the first time I felt I was a writer.” Abrams also reveled in the beauty of a place
where the female viewpoint was the majority and where the city of his birth, New York, was in close proximity and yet removed. Recently, Abrams returned the favor by speaking at the college’s commencement. At press time, that event had not yet transpired. But if his speech was anything like his TED Talk, it was sure to be filled with self-deprecating humor and the balance that Sadie Lou grads always seem to strike between emotion and analysis. In that Talk, he remembered visiting a magic store with his grandfather and buying Tannen’s Magic Mystery Box, which promised $50 worth of magic for $15. Abrams has never opened it, “because the idea of what’s inside is more important than what’s inside, because imagination is more important than knowledge,” he adds, echoing Einstein. There is an element of mystery to storytelling but only an element, he says. You don’t want to spoon-feed your audience. You must withhold some aspects of the tale to keep them on the journey. But at the same time, there has to be some resolution and an under-
THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF MYSTERY TO STORYTELLING BUT ONLY AN ELEMENT, HE SAYS. YOU DON’T WANT TO SPOONFEED YOUR AUDIENCE. YOU MUST WITHHOLD SOME ASPECTS OF THE TALE TO KEEP THEM ON THE JOURNEY.
standing of narrative’s two-track structure, so that the viewer recognizes that the ostensible story isn’t the actual one. “Alias” was not merely a TV series about a double agent but one about a young woman’s quest to find her true identity. “Lost,” set amid a spectacular plane wreck and intrigue on a deserted isle, was largely about how you recreate community after catastrophe. What may come as a surprise to casual fans is that Abrams is not only a writer, director and producer; he’s a composer, too, having written the themes for “Alias” and “Lost” as well as his series “Felicity.” Music — which, like writing, is an art form organized in time — is “51 percent” of moviemaking, he says. “It makes you aspire to certain feelings,” he adds, not just in postproduction, when the score is added to the soundtrack, or when an audience is watching the film but in the beginning, when it’s an inspiration to get the creative juices flowing. Abrams listens to music when he’s writing. Still, he says, “I dabble in music. When I’m around true composers, I keep my mouth shut.”
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Think globally, act LOcally BY JENA A. BUTTERFIELD PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY GLOBAL CITIZENS INITIATIVE
When Yumi Kuwana was growing up outside Boston, her Japanese heritage often made her feel different from the other kids. She learned painfully early on to question her cultural identity.
Yumi Kuwana joins a student-led discussion. 46
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At age 8, Yumi’s family moved to Japan. Though she’d been raised to speak Japanese competently, it was clear to peers in her new school that she was American. She didn’t belong in Japan either and suffered a rejection worse than she felt in the States. Why? Yumi was raised by her parents to be multilingual and globally savvy, a citizen of the world. Most would consider this an enviable advantage for future success. Yet from one side of the ocean to the other, Yumi’s multicultural background seemed an unnecessary obstacle. “I was bullied,” she says as she explains what fuels her sense of purpose. “And so was my brother.” The bullying was largely driven by the narrow worldview she experienced in school. It led Yumi to what she now views as a quintessential problem of today — the lack of an education system that will nurture our young to operate on a global playing field. And it further led her to found the Greenwich-based nonprofit Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) in 2012. This is a yearlong program that gathers 28 students from around the world and helps in the development of a “Glocal Service Project.” “Glocal,” Yumi explains, “is thinking globally
but acting locally.” The program’s participants — high school students from 21 different countries — launch a year of social enterprise during an intensive nine-day summit on the Harvard University campus. The kids then take what they’ve learned from each other back to their home communities and get to work changing the world, town by town. Students who are accepted into the program focus on a global issue they feel passionate about and work together to brainstorm solutions. Yumi knows that the exposure they gain from one another during the program is life-changing. “Their worldview has been challenged,” she says with excitement. She sees firsthand that the young scholars’ problem-solving is benefited by perspectives that differ from their own. During the summit, students are guided by educators from Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, a school that uses the Harkness method of teaching. This nurtures critical thinking through discussion-based learning. The idea is to empower these kids to drive change themselves. When they leave the summit, the students work in collaboration with mentors to develop and implement sustained change in their hometowns. The results of the program so far have been inspiring.
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Bushra is reframing mindsets about recycling in Jordan. David is building showers for the homeless in Los Angeles. Esmatullah is promoting the rights of students in Kabul schools. Jenny is starting conversations among LGBTQI youth in Hong Kong. Lara is broadening educational access for young women in Turkey. And Molly from Greenwich Academy is “empowering Connecticut youth through the joy of dance.” “It’s transformative for kids from Connecticut, too,” Yumi says of the mix of socioeconomic backgrounds. “The kids have a responsibility to each other. Bridging together the haves and have nots is important.” One critical requisite of the program is that students then return to their local schools and engage their peers, leading the charge for the next group of scholars to carry the torch of global change. It is a ripple effect. Yumi thinks that a program that engages the world’s youth to forge deeper connections with one another is critical for creating the next generation of ethical global leaders. To move that process along, GCI will next focus on connecting global innovators. Not only will they be duplicating this program in Japan with 28 different students but there
Student scholars learn from one another through the Global Citizens Initiative.
are also plans to create a teacher-training workshop and teacher exchanges among the growing network of schools. GCI’s recent launch of an online platform, GCI EdGE, will facilitate project management, social networking, coursework delivery and job opportunities. Yumi’s hope is that parents and educators will join the discussion, strengthening collaboration between scholars and their mentors and con-
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necting ambassadors from different years. “We are dealing with a globally disparate group,” Yumi says. “How do we keep them connected?” In the end, Yumi’s dream is that her children will feel at home and confident wherever they choose to go in the world. And that, to her loyal team at Global Citizens Initiative, is a dream worth striving for. For more, visit globalci.org.
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Still serving up ' american Pie ' BY GREGG SHAPIRO
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merican Pie,” written and recorded by New Rochelle native Don McLean, is one of the most enduring songs of the last 50 years. Described by McLean as simply being about America, it’s as famous for its irresistible chorus as it is for its many references to pop music icons. McLean also wrote several other songs that have become a part of the American songbook, including “And I Love You So” and “Vincent,” his poignant ballad about Vincent van Gogh and the artist as misfit. We spoke with McLean about his career in advance of his 2017 concert tour that will bring him back to Westchester County:
The Library of Congress recently added your 1971 hit “American Pie” to the National Recording Registry of 2016. “I never thought I’d receive an honor in my life, and I’ve had a fairly good amount. ‘American Pie’ has lasted all these years. Now the government is awarding me things. I’m being noticed as a historical figure. It makes me feel proud. It makes me feel old. It makes me feel that I gave something to people that they could use and enjoy.” What did you think of Madonna’s cover version of “American Pie” from the movie “The Next Best Thing”? “Madonna gave the song a huge shot in the
arm. I had a beautiful four- or five-year period where the song was relevant to young people. Madonna is a major artist in the world of entertainment and music. To have her do a song of mine was an honor.” Regarding cover versions, your song “And I Love You So” was covered by Elvis Presley, Shirley Bassey, Perry Como and others. “It’s always amazing to hear Johnny Mathis do ‘And I Love You So.’ He has such a unique style. He has that echo chamber in his mouth and he does that song and it knocks you out. Elvis knocked me out with his version. He performed it every night for the last year of his life. It was the last song he ever recorded (live). Elvis was, of course, an especially huge influence on me. That I gave him something that made him feel good, happy and gave him something back is a thrill.” Do you have an all-time favorite? “I love Fred Astaire’s version of ‘Wonderful Baby.’ That’s probably my favorite cover. Of course, I love Elvis’ ‘And I Love You So.’ Cliff Richard did a good job on ‘Empty Chairs.’ Pearl Jam used to do ‘American Pie,’ too.” What’s the trick to keeping your songs
fresh for you and for the audience after all these years? “As a young performer, you think that the audience really cares about you, (but) they don’t. The audience loves what you do. But they come to see you to forget their troubles. If you go onstage and start to sing in a bad way, talk about your divorce or your cat (that) died, it’s going to get old with them. They paid a babysitter, parking and took their girl out to dinner. They don’t want to hear your troubles. Your job is to go onstage and be a professional. Put everything you have into every song you sing. Completely focus your attention on that performance. When it’s over, you can go on worrying about your cat or the disease you have.” How much of the material in your concerts are the classics versus new material? “It’s about 60/40. I have thousands of songs in my head. I have hundreds that I’ve written. I’ll sing songs that are obscure off an album somewhere and also do the songs that people want to hear. Especially ‘Vincent,’ ‘American Pie,’ ‘Crying,’ ‘And I Love You So,’ ‘Castles in the Air.’ ‘Crossroads’ is a very big song in the show.” Is there a memory you’d like to share as a na-
tive of the Westchester County region? “I wanted to get out of New Rochelle. Everybody wants to get out of their hometown. When I look back now, I have a lot of fond memories. I had a wonderful experience, because I went to Orienta Beach Club for a few years. I was able to be on the swimming team and compete in the summertime. I had good friends. We sat around and played guitars. There were a lot of characters in New Rochelle, different kinds of people who were in show business, especially in the ’50s and early ’60s, when showbiz was in New York. There were great movie theaters. It was really good.” Music biopics are still quite popular. If there were a biopic made of your life, who would you want to have portray you? “(Big laugh) I was going to say Steve Buscemi, but I’m kidding. He could portray some of the kids I knew in high school. I’m a weird bird. There are a lot of talented actors out there that could probably take a crack at it.” Don McLean performs Sept. 15 at Paramount Theater Hudson Valley in Peekskill. For more, visit paramounthudsonvalley.com.
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A global tragedy that hits close to hOme BY RYAN DEFFENBAUGH
A Pulitzer-winning opera pushes Americans to reckon with the devastating world of exploitation for profit.
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In “Angel’s Bone,” composer Du Yun considers the searing cost of human trafficking. A lecturer at the School of the Arts at Purchase College, Du Yun won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music for the work. In making the award, the Pulitzer committee praised “Angel’s Bone” as a bold piece “that integrates vocal and instrumental elements and a wide range of styles into a harrowing allegory for human trafficking in the modern world.” “Angel’s Bone” was first produced in January 2016 at the Prototype Festival in New York City and includes a libretto by Royce Vavrek. It tells the story of two fallen angels who are found by a Middle American couple. The angels are nursed back to health but then forced into prostitution to regain their plucked feathers. Reviewing “Angel’s Bone” at the Prototype Festival, Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim of The New York Times described it as “an appallingly good work when you consider that it takes on the
subject of child trafficking and mixes in elements of magic realism and a musical cocktail of Renaissance polyphony, electronica, Modernism, punk rock and cabaret.” Du Yun was born and raised in Shanghai, where she was educated at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music before going on to Oberlin College’s Conservatory of Music and Harvard University. In 2011, NPR (National Public Radio) named her as one of the top 100 composers under 40. She spoke with NPR following the Pulitzer announcement. In the interview, she said human trafficking isn’t just someone else’s problem. "When we look at human trafficking, we always think that it's far away from us," she told NPR. "We all have our own narrative of what human trafficking is supposed to be, but if you do a little research, human trafficking happens, in many different forms and shapes, right in our backyard." The U.S. Justice Department estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people — from children to adults,
Du Yun’s opera “Angel’s Bone.” Courtesy the Protoype Festival.
Du Yun. Photograph by Matthew Jelacic.
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citizens to foreign nationals — are trafficked into this country each year. The U.S. State Department says that there are almost a quarter-million American children and youth that are at risk for sex trafficking each year. Du Yun started at Purchase College’s School of the Arts in 2006 as a classical composition lecturer. She now teaches electroacoustic music and introduction to world music at Purchase’s Conservatory of Music. In a press release from the school following the Pulitzer announcement, James Undercofler, director of Purchase’s Conservatory of Music, said Du Yun’s “music, her teaching and she, herself, demonstrate a far-reaching imagination and cunning spirit. She is a treasure, without question.” Purchase College President Thomas J. Schwarz added that he is “grateful that she is equally dedicated to teaching the next generation of composers at Purchase College.” For more, visit channelduyun.com.
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Photograph by Louisa Conrad. Courtesy Big Picture Farm.
No 'kidding' around Farm has 'Big Picture' on goats BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
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I
n “So Big,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the sterile nature of greed, Edna Ferber identifies two kinds of people — wheat, those who express their creativity through nature; and emeralds, those who express it through the arts. But perhaps there is a third kind — those who bridge the two. At Big Picture Farm, an 86-acre spread in Townshend, Vermont, Louisa Conrad and husband Lucas Farrell raise goats to make hard cheese, dark chocolate truffles and flavored caramels made from their milk. But the couple also has their artistic side. Lucas has an MFA in poetry from the University of Montana, while Louisa holds the same degree from the California Institute of the Arts. The daughter of Bedford-based painter Whit Conrad — who has a show at The Lionheart Gallery in Pound Ridge — Louisa also embroiders luxury tea towels that are sold at ABC Carpet & Home in Manhattan and online. Big Picture Farm was the impetus for the road trip my sister Gina (wheat) and I (emeralds) took with Fausto, her ever-feisty Chihuahua mix, on a rainy, spring weekend when the trees, still filling in the variegated green and pastel landscape, had the feathery quality of American Impressionist paintings. We had first heard of Big Picture Farm last fall when we stayed at Four Columns — a serene inn
owned by the Greenwich Hospitality Group — for a story that appeared in WAG’s December issue, but the timing was off for a farm visit. I could see my sister’s disappointment and was determined to make good on a promise that we would return to the inn in the spring to do a story on the farm, which I knew would also appeal to our equally animal-loving publisher, Dee DelBello. The farm, made up of six cheery red buildings, lies midway up a high road that winds about Peaked Mountain. There Louisa and Lucas — with a fulltime staff of seven and some part-timers — have a herd of about 40 milking goats, including Saanens, Alpines and floppy-eared Nubians. Our visit was some three weeks past kidding season, when some 50 to 60 babies were born — although Gina was thrilled to hold a newborn that had arrived in the world just hours before we visited. Kids have a five-month gestation, Louisa said. A buck visits — the farm keeps no males — around Nov. 12. And around April 12, offspring begin appearing. About a half-dozen female kids are separated from their mothers to be bottle fed so that they are docile enough to be handled by the goat-herders, mostly young women. (Though goats have a gentle temperament, they would be too skittish otherwise, Louisa
said.) And though their mothers searched for them, bleating plaintively, they did not realize, she added, that they are the lucky ones. Their kids will stay on at the farm to become good milkers. The rest of the females will be sold to dairy farms. The males will be sent to Long Island for meat. Goat is the most popular meat in the world, a gamier version of lamb, Louisa said as we chatted in the modern office addition to the farm’s 1800 barn, which housed Morgan horses in the 1950s. “Goat milk is different than cow’s milk,” she added. “It’s easier to break down, easier to digest. For confections, it has a smoother, more velvety texture.” We can attest to that, having sampled some luscious dark chocolate truffles as well as creamy, dark chocolate-covered caramels — featuring cocoa butter drawings of does with names like Junebug, Manhattan, Eclipse, Fern and Cicada. (Familial lines are named for children’s book heroines and artists. Mathilda and Cy Twombly, anyone?) That’s the other aspect of goat appeal — the human factor. Though the males like to test themselves and punch above their weight class by butting heads, goats are basically docile creatures, much easier to handle than cows. “They’re like pets,” Louisa said. Still, it’s daunting work. The goats are let out at night to an enclosed pasture that moves higher up the mountain once kidding season is over. They are watched over by two Maremmas, the Italian version of Great Pyrenees, named Elvis and Josie, who keep coyotes at bay. The goats return in the morning for
milking, are let out to pasture again and return to be milked in the afternoon. We watched — well, mostly Gina watched — as the goats were lead into a room with buckets of organic grain. (Contrary to popular belief, goats, which are herbivores, will not eat just anything. These are quite picky, Louisa said.) As they feed, their teats — each doe has two — are disinfected before pumps are attached. As they’re milked, the goats may also get the equivalent of a goat pedicure, as overgrown hooves can interfere with everything from playtime on the rocks to getting to the chow line. (It’s this kind of care that has made the farm Animal Welfare Approved.) The milk goes into a tank where it must be cooled to 38 degrees within 30 minutes. Then it goes into a cheese vat where it is warmed, rennet is added and the curds are separated from the whey, which is fed to the farm’s three little pigs, the latest addition to the menagerie. (There are also 30 chickens and a rascally tomcat named Thunder.) The hard cheese ages four months and is sold mainly locally to the Londonderry Farmer’s Market and Brattleboro Food Co-op. The goat milk is also blended with organic sugar and flavorings in caramel cookers to produce eight kinds of caramels — sea salt vanilla, maple, cocoa latte, raspberry rhubarb, brown butter bourbon, cider and wild chocolate mint truffle — that are packaged at a local warehouse for sale at 600 to 800 stores nationwide and online. The chocolate truffles are a new venture this year and are sold online and at farmers’ markets.
Did we mention that the couple also has a 4-month-old daughter, bright-eyed Maisie, who, Lucas said, enjoys tugging on the goats’ ears? The pair didn’t start out to be farmers. The two met at Vermont’s Middlebury College then went their separate ways for graduate school. Vermont, they soon realized, was where they could be together. When their dream of teaching college collapsed along with the economy during the Great Recession, they apprenticed at Blue Edge Farm, a goat farm in Salisbury, Vermont, then went to work on their property’s previous iteration, a sheep farm named after its Peaked Mountain locale, in 2010. “We came to help them make cheese, and they said we could bring some goats,” Louisa recalled. She and Lucas have owned Big Picture since 2012. As we took our leave, my wheat sister — oh, the irony, as she is gluten-free — congratulated me on stepping, gingerly, out of my comfort zone. But my sister had done the same for me. On our journey up to Vermont, we stopped for savory soups and salads at Haymarket Café in Northampton, Massachusetts, where we also briefly toured the Smith College Museum of Art’s small but fine exhibit on Nero’s villas near Pompeii (Greco-Roman art being my idea of heaven). There my sister, more of a Modernist, enjoyed seeing the nautical ladies’ room and mythic men’s room by contemporary artists Ellen Driscoll and Sally Skoglund respectively. It was a perfect wheat and emeralds weekend. For more, visit bigpicturefarm.com.
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The edgy city BY ALEXANDRA DELBELLO
have a love-hate relationship with New York City. The lights and skyscrapers are in all the magazines and movies, which make it feel like an unreachable place for the average person and then truly unbelievable when you’ve finally reached it. I’ve loved and hated the constant competition, the rat race back to your apartment so that you can “relax” amid the continuing commotion outside. It’s a thrill, truly. It’s an ongoing fashion show. It’s an all-day commute. It’s a happening with as much opportunity as you push yourself to find. Over the few months I’ve lived here, I’ve learned that in order to really live, you have to find your personal New York experience. For me, that experience is the city that few know, when it’s napping — we know it’s the City That Never Sleeps — and from the outside looking in. My boyfriend and I were in a cab racing up the FDR to get to Grand Central to get away for the weekend. It was almost dusk, and the orange light spilled over the buildings and shone on the Brooklyn Bridge. The lights of the skyscrapers were just beginning to twinkle, relieving the sun of its duty. The city looked enormous. It felt like a movie as the cab driver sped alongside the East River, switching lanes like crazy to get us to our destination as if we were famous. My mind was like a camera lens, zooming across the river to train itself on Brooklyn and then back on us as we snaked along one of the most famous cities in the world. I turned to my boyfriend who was gazing out the opposite window while he held my hand. It was a romantic moment in a city that does not wear its heart on its sleeve. A few weeks later, we found ourselves walking downtown in the middle of a cold, windy night. From the Freedom Tower, we threaded our way along the cobblestones to the historic South Street Seaport. We cut through to the water, hopped the barricade and walked to the end of the dock, taking the full measure of the wind. With the Brooklyn Bridge to our left, we turned around to see the downtown skyscrapers clustering about us, like eager children, their lights yellow-diamond hard against the inky night. The two of us there on that pier, staring at the tip of Manhattan, felt like we owned the city. It no longer dwarfed us but enveloped us, reminding us that it’s only with distance that you gain perspective on anything — whether it be a skyscraper or life. 60
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8 Spruce St., seen from Gold Street, otherwise known as New York by Gehry.
OVER THE FEW MONTHS I’VE LIVED HERE, I’VE LEARNED THAT IN ORDER TO REALLY LIVE, YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL NEW YORK EXPERIENCE.
Later on that season, we had a signature midnight walk from my boyfriend’s apartment building next to the shimmery ziggurat that is New York by Gehry, one of the tallest residential towers in the Americas, to the newly finished Oculus, the Santiago Calatrava-designed World Trade Center transportation hub that is like being in the inside the
belly of a great white whale — or sheltered beneath the poised wings of a dove. The wide, white hallway continues underground, crossing beneath West Street, which led us back up the escalator onto Brookfield Place. Sometimes we sat beneath the indoor palm trees that strain for half the height of the ceiling. Most of the time, however, we walked out the back doors and sat at the end of the dock where all of the megayachts berth and watched the endless procession of planes flying over the Hudson. We guessed where they went and where they came from, as they left our field of vision as lights in the sky. I wondered if we were both dreaming of all of the places we could go from here. Maybe it’s because I’m from the suburbs that I felt the need to escape the congestion and run to the water. Maybe it’s my love of nature. Maybe these are my boyfriend’s favorite places to go and I fell in love with them, too. Too funny: These were the New York experiences I was hoping for when I moved here, but it was not until I wrote this that I realized they all occurred at the edges of the edgy city.
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Beauty for the busy BY DANIELLE RENDA
h my, when makeup meets purse, the sparks that fly. Unfortunately for us ladies, it’s a most trying affair. Ideally, we’d like to access our lipstick — or lip-liner, eye shadow and blush — when it’s needed most. But the effort often requires digging through a mishmash of free-floating cosmetics buried among our necessities, rarely to resurface in times of need. Noticing a call for organization, Gail Sagel, owner of Westport-based Faces Beautiful, created Faces with a Case, a makeup fashion accessory offering beauty for the busy. “I listen to women all day long and women are always rushing, going here, going there, and they always need a little help with getting themselves organized,” Sagel says. “I thought that if I could find a way to organize a makeup case, maybe with a wallet at the same time and make our lives easier, it would be greatly appreciated.” Faces with a Case, described as “the perfect solution for our disorganized makeup bags,” is a clutch-sized accessory that functions as a cosmetics case and wallet. Available in sleek black, champagne gold and wild leopard, the case offers a selection of two palette options — nude neutrals and plum neutrals — that are vegan, paraben-free and cruelty-free. Each palette contains a blush, bronzer, six eye shadows, a lip-gloss, two applicator brushes, a mascara and a cosmetics mirror, neatly housed in a portable magnetic case that is secured shut by a clasp. The wallet portion contains slots to hold credit cards and cash. 62
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Pictured here is the Face with a Case palette in plum neutrals, which includes a blush, bronzer, six eye shadows, a lip-gloss, two applicator brushes, a mascara and a cosmetics mirror. Photograph courtesy Faces Beautiful.
Each palette offers colors designed for dayto-evening glam. The lighter eye shadows with a pearl finish can double as a highlighter, and Sagel includes a set of instructions for three eye shadow techniques for those interested in trying new looks. “When I really listened to my clients, I heard that they need someone to help them choose what colors go together right,” Sagel says. “I balanced the colors to enhance a woman’s skin tone and to make her eye color pop.” Who better to design a remedy for disorganized cosmetics than a beauty biz aficionado — and busy mom of twins. Sagel, a former Wall Street trader, is a makeup artist, cosmetics developer, author of “Making Faces Beautiful” and CEO of a cosmetics company, now in its 17th year of business. Throughout the years, her passion remains fueled by a desire to help others feel good, both inside and out. “It puts a smile on my face remembering college friends lined up outside my dorm room getting glamorous nightclub makeup before we would go out dancing every Saturday night,” she says of her days at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “I wanted to bring that feeling back into my life, the feeling where help-
ing another woman to realize her beauty made her feel more beautiful and, in turn, made me feel happy. Women helping women has always been a concept that I cherish and value above all else.” It wasn’t, however, until she skirted tragedy that the path to this crystallized for her. “What happened was that I was working with a hedge fund in Connecticut and I would drive back and forth to work every day, and one day I had a near-fatal accident and I woke up and said it was time for a new career.” Sagel’s key suggestion for feeling good is as simple as devoting five extra minutes in the morning — to ourselves. “I think that whenever you put makeup on, take a few extra minutes to put on your makeup, to brush your hair and to put on your outfit,” Sagel says. “When you have extra confidence about how you look, you exude extra power.” In addition to Face with a Case, Faces Beautiful offers an array of cosmetics and services, including makeup application, eyebrow and eyelash services and anti-aging skincare treatments. Faces Beautiful is at 208 Post Road West in Westport. For more, visit facesbeautiful.com or follow Faces Beautiful on Instagram @facesbeautiful.
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Albanian immigrant Geraldina Shabani at her year-old dress shop in Hartsdale.
Dressmaker designs a new life in u.S. BY ALEESIA FORNI | PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROZYCKI
here is an evening gown that adorns a mannequin near the front of Geraldina’s Couture, the dress and alteration shop in Hartsdale. The long, blue-sequined dress with bustled sleeves and an ornate collar was custom-made by the store’s owner, Geraldina Shabani, with a specific client in mind. While the client gushed over the eye-catching dress during an initial fitting, Shabani knew she could do better. So she created a second gown — similar, but more suited to the client’s silhouette. The client, of course, loved the second dress even more. Shabani, a native of Albania, opened her store at 12 E. Hartsdale Ave. in March last year. Drawing on her years of experience, it specializes in everything from customized bridal gowns to alterations and restoration of vintage pieces. “I create from nothing, I make something,” Shabani says. 64
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The seamstress exudes a quiet pride as she walks around her Hartsdale shop, pulling fabrics and sharing the stories behind each dress. One diamond-covered dress was handmade for a pregnant bride who could not afford the designer gown of her dreams. That bride would go on to call Shabani her “fairy godmother.” Another is simply bunched-up lace Shabani placed on a child-sized mannequin to showcase a floral belt. She is now rushing to recreate that “dress” to meet the demands of brides-to-be who’ve entered her store. For Shabani, the Westchester storefront is the realization of a decades-long dream, one that has made the journey with her halfway across the globe. Having grown up in a family of tailors and seamstresses, Shabani fell in love with fashion and design at a young age, creating her first dress when she was 10. At 18, she managed a full staff at her uncle’s fabric business in Albania.
But the Albanian civil war in the late 1990s led Shabani and her husband, Arjan, to flee the country with their 13-month-old son, Redi, and move to Greece. “People lost their jobs, and it was not quiet anymore,” she says. “We saw no future there. We felt we are doing the right thing” by moving. Though the couple had family in Greece, Shabani found it difficult to find work in her new country. Much of the employment was seasonal and many business owners were hesitant to hire a woman with a young child. “I would go there with my son in my arm and they would say no.” To find work, Shabani made the difficult decision to return her son to Albania so he could stay with family while she worked in Greece. That decision would prove a turning point for Shabani, who was then unable to gain the required documentation to return to Albania to be with her son. “It took me 5 ½ years” to reunite with her son, she says, emotion creeping into her voice. “My son didn’t know me. I promised I would never leave him again.” She was able to find work as a seamstress in an interior design store, a job she kept until, she says, “I got lucky.” In 2010, Shabani was selected as a winner of a Green Card lottery and made the decision to come to America, along with her son and husband, in search of a better life. “I had no second thoughts in my mind,” she
says. “I had to take this opportunity for my son and maybe for me.” Speaking to family and friends in her home country, Shabani learned about the fashion mecca in Manhattan. She was able to find an apartment in Poughkeepsie and wasted no time looking for work. “The next day, my son found a job for me on Craigslist.” Just two days after arriving in New York, Shabani and Redi took the train to New York City for an interview with design label Peggy Jennings. Because she spoke no English, 13-year-old Redi served as his mother’s translator. “They took me to the showroom and they asked my son, ‘What does your mom know to do here?’ and I say, ‘I know everything,’” she recalls with a smile. “So they says, ‘Show us what you know.’ So I took a dress they gave me (to alter) and in two hours, I was done.” Shabani was offered the job on the spot and began working the following day. From there, she worked for a number of high-end designers, from Christian Dior to Dolce & Gabbana to Fendi. “But always I was looking for more.” Shabani treated her long rides from Poughkeepsie to Manhattan as classes in the English language. “Commuting daily, I was trying to listen to people on the train,” she says. “They were talking and sometimes I felt bad because they feel like I’m nosey.” She recalls sitting near a group of teachers as they were heading into the city, chatting excitedly about their plans for the day.
“I was sitting across (from them) and I was watching. They would catch my eye looking at them and I say, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m just trying to hear how you make the pronunciation. I want to learn English,’” she says. “They say, ‘Of course,’ and they bring me into their conversation and start teaching me.” Other commuters would help Shabani with text messages she was hoping to send or teach her correct verb usage. “I came here with no English at all and I had to make it,” she says. “So I tried to learn English first, so I can show my best side.” Redi also played a large role in ensuring his mother would learn her new country’s language. “He would prepare every day a dictionary for me, and I would have to read when I commuted on the train,” she says. “At night, he would ask me if I know them.” Though working in the bustling city was exciting, Shabani felt her work lacked the creativity she so desperately hoped to share. “Working for the big brands was very stressful,” she says. “There was not room enough for me to show my skills.” During that time, Shabani also did alterations for friends and acquaintances from her home in Poughkeepsie. When a client, a woman she met through another chance encounter on the train, persuaded her to visit Hartsdale, Shabani fell in love. “I looked at this location and said, ‘This will be my future,’” Shabani says of Hartsdale, the hamlet in Greenburgh to which she and her family moved in 2014.
During her many walks along Hartsdale Avenue, a vacant storefront caught her eye, evoking visions of a store of her own. “I said, ‘Stay there, wait for me,’” she recalls, laughing. Those dreams became reality last year, when Shabani was finally able to open her own shop in that same storefront. “One day I say, 'I have to take a risk and try before it's too late.'” Redi, now a student at SUNY Stony Brook, was again by his mother’s side, programming her website, helping with social media and creating her store logo. “I feel so proud,” Shabani says of her son. Shabani continues to work on her grasp of the English language and, while she has a permanent resident card, is preparing for a U.S. citizenship. She also takes classes with the Women's Enterprise Development Center, the White Plains nonprofit that assists women entrepreneurs in building their businesses. “This was very helpful (for learning how) to be an American businesswoman,” she says. “I’m learning a lot. I want to give my heart to my business.” Shabani hopes to put her skills to use in Geraldina's Couture, both on her business' back end and with a needle and thread, if for no other reason than for her son. “He has grown up taking care of me, translating for me,” she says. “For him, I came here. I promise to him I will make him proud.” For more, visit geraldinascouture.com.
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Journey along the Eighth Wonder of the World BY SEYMOUR TOPPING
It had taken 20 years — and the life of at least one worker per mile — to carve through the towering Himalayan and Karakorum mountains, around hanging glaciers and across isolated valleys to build a 810-mile paved highway from Pakistan to China. Today, this “Silk Road” trade route is the supreme challenge for the adventurous tourist, ready to spend about $6,000 for a guide and bus transport through the world's most scenic but precipitous mountain passes, at elevations of around 15,000 feet. Some 810 Pakistani engineers and 200 Chinese laborers died during the construction, enduring avalanches, glacial mudslides and falls from great heights. The financial cost was also staggering, about $46 billion shared by Pakistan and China, strategic allies in both Russian and Middle Eastern confrontations. Today, instead of the camel caravans, tourist buses, trucks, heavy tanks and other military equipment travel this route. In 1979, my wife Audrey and I had the opportunity to be the first Western journalists to travel the full length of the Karakorum Highway (KKH). The New York Times Magazine had assigned us to write an article. I was then The Times’ managing editor 66
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and received permission from Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, president of Pakistan, who had inaugurated the highway on June 18, 1978, as a “marvel of civil engineering.” He dubbed it, “the Eighth Wonder of the World.” From our plane, the KKH resembled nothing more than a black ribbon twisting along the steep gorges of the Indus River. We were struck by the incongruity of forces — the dauntless efforts of 25,000 heroic men against the vast rock cliffs and hanging glaciers of the world’s highest mountains. In Islamabad, Zia, a compact man with dark rings around penetrating eyes and a sleek mustache welcomed us into his ornate palace for a briefing and black coffee in silver goblets. He was most noted for spreading the Muslim religion into mainstream society within Pakistan. A year earlier, Zia had overthrown Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a coup called “Operation Fair Play” and declared martial law. Bhutto, a friend of the United States, was tried and executed. Then in 1988, Zia himself was believed assassinated when his airplane exploded, killing him with most of his cabinet. So much for “fair play.” Before we left Islamabad to travel the KKH, Begum Vicky Noon, Pakistan’s flamboyant, redhaired, English-born ambassador to Portugal and wife of the vice governor of Pakistan, hosted a farewell party. The fashionable guests entertained us with tales of catastrophes, rockslides, avalanches, earthquakes and moving glaciers. Lady Noon said the cost was “One dead man per mile.” When Audrey asked if she thought it was too dangerous to proceed, she laughed and said, “Yes, of course, but isn’t that the name of the game?” It was then with some trepidation that we boarded a sedan with an escort of armed Pakistani soldiers to travel up the spectacular, dual carriage thoroughfare, stretching north from Havelian (60 miles from Rawalpindi) in Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, upward through the Karakorum Mountains, following the trails of the rivers flowing below from the glaciers of Tibet. Instead of rolling around the mountains, like the rivers, the road tunneled under the precipices alarmingly close to the edges of steep cliffs over remote valleys. First stop was Pattan Junction, where a memorial reads: "Some time in the future when others will ply the KKH, little will they realize the amount of sweat, courage, dedication, endurance and human sacrifice that has gone into the making of this road. But as you drive along, tarry a little to say a short prayer for those silent brave men of the Pakistan Army who gave their lives to recognize a dream." After a night in a military camp, we passed through Swat and Kohistan in the northern areas under the shadow of the snow-capped, 26,600-foot-high Mount Na Mount Nanga Parbatt nga Parbat. Screeching to a stop to avoid being hit
by a rockslide avalanching down the mountain, we heard another rumble and saw flying debris of another slide behind us. Caught in the middle! The driver radioed for a helicopter and, after 15 minutes of hugging the mountain, we flew over K2 (Karakoram 2), the second-highest peak in the world after Mount Everest, and were rewarded with a spectacular view of 19 peaks in the Karakorams, exceeding 25,000 feet, with the spectacular hanging glaciers cascading down. Landing in a rock-strewn tableland high above the Hunza River, we were served yak-butter tea with buffalo milk by heroic workmen while we waited to get back on the road to continue along the ancient trans-Asian invasion route through Thakot, Chilas and Gilgit. “Beyond Gilgit,” wrote a Dutch explorer in 1926, “civilization ends.” The KKH continues through remote valleys with tribes living by archaic laws who trace their ancestry to the armies of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and the Mughal emperors of the 12th century. The road is now safer from the fierce warriors who preyed on camel caravans by avalanching boulders and kidnapping survivors for ransom, but we had a close encounter with armed tribesmen. The market in Kamila was filled with men in flowing robes and colorful turbans, haggling with merchants. Audrey aimed her camera at a bearded fellow buying tobacco. When he heard the camera click, he aimed his rifle at us and demanded the picture. A ring of armed men surrounded us. Our guide, Swali, kept shouting, “They are Americans, not Russians.” They marched us to the car where Audrey had a Polaroid camera. They surrounded the vehicle while I found the camera and Audrey took a photo of the red-bearded tribesman. The photo shot out of the camera and she handed it to the scowling man fingering the trigger. The photo was blank. We jumped into the car and Audrey reached out the window to turn over the picture in his hand. We held our breath until his image gradually appeared. He gasped and roared with laughter. He had never seen a photo of himself before. Now they all wanted a photo — or else. Audrey was running out of film. She began taking their photos through the window, handing them out while we drove slowly. When the film ran out I yelled, “Step on it.” Looking back we saw them laughing at their pictures, but Swali, our blue-eyed guide who was the son of the Swali of Swat, was pale as a ghost. When I asked him why, he wiped his brow and said, “Last week they killed two Russians for less than what you did.” The road leading to Hunza was closed so we helicoptered to the mysterious valley believed by some to be the model for James Hilton’s Shangri-La in “Lost Horizon,” where time stands still and people never grow old. The story continues at wagmag.com.
EVERYTHING WE DO IS BUILT AROUND MAKING YOUR WEDDING A SUCCESS! TO BOOK YOUR EVENT OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT OUR WEDDING AND EVENTS SPECIALISTS 914-821-1377 66 HALE AVENUE, WHITE PLAINS NY WWW.CPWESTCHESTER.COM
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KiNg of the ROad BY PHIL HALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO
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Olga Litvinenko - the marketing manager at Miller Motorcars, who’s also Miss Connecticut - wears a dress from Hobbs in Greenwich as she strides by an Aston Martin DB11 at the dealership. Litvinenko’s hair by Luigi Pirri for Pirri Hair Studio.
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If you ask Richard Koppelman about the car that he drives, don’t be surprised if his answer is merrily evasive. As the co-founder and president of Greenwich-based Miller Motorcars, Koppelman’s company sells and services a nonet of the world’s most celebrated luxury automobiles: — Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins, Bentleys, Bugattis, Ferraris, Maseratis, McLarens, Paganis and Rolls-Royces. And Koppelman is not one to play favorites. “Which car don’t I drive?” he asks back, with a gentle laugh. “I drive everything. When someone says, ‘Which is your favorite car?’, I say, ‘Which is your favorite child?’ If you really love cars, not one car does it for you.” Indeed, the word “love” seems to permeate the Miller Motors operation, especially when potential customers are able to turn their long-held wish of owning a smart, sexy automobile into a reality. “When people come in, they can be very emotional,” Koppelman continues. “They’re not just buying transportation — they’re buying a dream. Some people say, ‘I saved all of my life for this.’” And on some occasions, Koppelman closes the sale with a Champagne party to help the new car owner savor the joy of making a dream come true. But it wasn’t always Champagne and luxury cars for Koppelman, who literally began his automotive career in the dirty end of the business. “I worked at a car wash when I was in high school,” he recalls. After graduating from college, Koppelman made the move from soapsuds to showrooms, selling Dodges out of a dealership in West Hartford. His wife, Cyndi, was also in the business, selling Triumphs and Fiats. The Koppelmans decided to create their own business, and in 1980 opened a West Hartford dealership selling preowned BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes. Years later, the Kopplemans still work together, with Cyndi as the sales manager of Miller Motors’ Aston Martin operations. (She received the 2003 70
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Olga Litvinenko, in an Aston Martin DB11, wears a dress from Richards in Greenwich.
Aston Martin International Sales Person of the Year Award and the 2007 International Viscount Downe Memorial Award by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust and is on the Aston Martin Dealer Advisory Panel for the U.S.) For Richard, his greatest accomplishment after four decades in business is the ability to maintain a sense of joy and wonder in his company. “We have a lot of fun doing business,” he explains. “We sell great cars to nice people. People come in here and become happy and excited.” And Miller Motors ensures that the excitement continues even after the sale is completed. “We have rallies for our customers,” Koppelman continues. “We pick a destination here in Connecticut that would be reached by a circuitous route, mostly through the backgrounds. When we get there, we bring them to visit someplace special, maybe a museum, and then to a lovely inn for lunch.” But keeping this distinctive corporate culture
SOME PEOPLE BUY AN ALFA ROMEO FOR $40,000 TO $50,000, WHILE PAGANIS AND BUGATTIS CAN COST UP TO $3 MILLION. SOME PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR TRANSPORTATION BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. SOME JUST PUT IT ASIDE AS THEIR SPECIAL WEEKEND CAR. — F. Bailey Vanneck
MISS CT’S TIPS FOR TRAVEL COMFORT
alive requires special people within the company, and Koppelman is particular about who is part of his team. “We need to have somebody who can relate to the clients, who is honest and who loves cars,” he insists. “And they must have a passion for what they do.” F. Bailey Vanneck, Miller Motors’ general manager, notes the Miller Motors staff is willing to go that proverbial extra mile for current and future customers. “When children come in here, we love to talk to them about cars,” he says. “We had a 13-yearold who was fascinated about how engines work. So we took him back to the service section where we are working on engines.” Vanneck adds that the love for the Miller Motors’ brands even expands across cyberspace. “We get quite a bit of business through the internet,” he says, recalling customers from Boston, Florida, Texas and California. Some of the distant inquiries are based on the exclusivity of certain vehicles.
Some of the manufacturers might only turn out a mere 50 vehicles in a single line, Vanneck says, with Miller Motors being among the rare dealerships to offer these prized possessions. The thrill of the classy vehicles helped to lure Olga Litvinenko from running her own marketing agency to becoming Miller Motors’ marketing manager. “It seemed like a perfect fit. I’m loving it,” she says, adding that she has quickly acclimated herself to the Miller Motors culture. “I wouldn’t say that I’m a petrol-head, which is the term for people who are very, very geeky about cars. But growing up here (in Greenwich) and going every year to the Concours (a local, annual vintage car festival), and being fascinated by technology and engineering, there was always an inkling to get involved and want to get to know more.” Of course, it would seem the Miller Motors’ inventory could sell itself, given names like Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce. Yet Litvinenko observes it is not quite that easy. “Every person has their own unique desires and personalities, and a car is the same way in that sense,” she explains, noting that community events and an online presence — not just social media sites, but videos — are essential to differentiate the various brands’ respective appeals. Litvinenko points out that customers can range from those looking for daily transportation to those seeking an investment vehicle. “Some people buy an Alfa Romeo for $40,000 to $50,000, while Paganis and Bugattis can cost up to $3 million,” Vanneck adds. “Some people are looking for transportation back and forth to work. Some just put it aside as their special weekend car.” And Koppelman, ever the car salesman, offers a friendly, see-for-yourself invitation to help erase any lingering modicum of doubt: “If you ever need to come for a test drive, we’re here.”
In addition to being the marketing manager at Miller Motors, Olga Litvinenko was crowned the 2017 Miss Connecticut USA last November. This is not her first foray into the pageant world — she was Miss Connecticut Teen USA in 2007 while still a junior at Greenwich High School — and her duties representing the Nutmeg State have required a great deal of travel, including the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas last month. So how does she keep her vibrancy while traveling? “Number one: Stay positive,” she says. Litvinenko also stresses the importance of staying hydrated during long trips and maintaining a sense of emotional serenity in unfamiliar surroundings. “Be sure to bring something with you that makes you feel comfortable,” she continues. “I bring a blanket and my neck pillow and my laptop. I like to do my work or do some reading.” Litvinenko also recommends having an upbeat routine when acclimatizing to unfamiliar hotel surroundings. “Have a nice dinner. Make sure you are satiated and feel full,” she adds. “Take a shower before you get into bed. Take a good book with you or put on a good movie before going to bed. Hotels can almost be like a second home — and every hotel that I’ve been in has been happy to provide extra pillows.” Furthermore, she stresses, make the best of a different environment rather than complaining about perceived problems. During a recent trip to Pakistan, she realized that it would be difficult to indulge in her passion for running. (She completed last year’s New York City Marathon.) Instead of taking to the streets, she hit her hotel’s gym and was able to maintain her exercise regimen. Optimism is key to Litvinenko’s outlook and it permeates her work as Miss Connecticut USA, in which she uses her celebrity to call attention to several nonprofit organizations, including the T.J. Martell Foundation for cancer research and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She politely disagrees with the notion of pageants as being anachronistic, noting that they “promote and empower young women and allow them to amplify their message.” As for the most upbeat aspect of being Miss Connecticut, she laughs and answers with a question: “Can I say everything?”
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WAY
Old World meets New in mid-country Greenwich 72
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PRESENTED BY SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
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The stately stone Georgian that commands the prestigious cul-de-sac that is Meadowcroft Lane is a reminder that you can have your cake and eat it too. You can have traditional elegance and stateof-the-art dynamism, all wrapped up in a luxurious 1928 dwelling that is at once formally refined and casually comforting. Restoration and renovation of the 10,553square-foot, 18-room structure have created a sunny, airy and open space with a spectacular front-to-back entry hall leading to public rooms. With high ceilings and antique fireplaces these include a formal dining room, a gracious living room and a paneled library. A new, fully equipped 74
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gourmet kitchen and a butler’s pantry adjoin the family room, with its fireplace and breezy dining area, making this home ideal for all kinds of entertaining. There are eight and a half bathrooms and six bedrooms, including a stunning master suite with doubles of everything — dressing rooms, offices, bathrooms and fireplaces. You’ll have to share the private, screened porch, however, and won’t that be romantic. Or have fun in the spacious playroom that is the third floor. While you play, the house keeps you comfy with a new geothermal heating and cooling system. But don’t spend all your time indoors. You’ll want to revel in the 8.07-acre park-like setting that’s adjacent to 3 acres of conservation land. Or stroll over to the six-bedroom carriage house, which consists of two guest apartments, two en suite staff rooms and space for six vehicles. Or take a dip in the pool or bring out your inner Roger Federer on the all-weather tennis court. Did we mention the two-car detached garage? And all for $16.5 million. When should we drop in? — Georgette Gouveia For more, contact agent Leslie McElwreath at 917-539-3654 or 203-618-3165.
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WARES
Interior designer Jane Morgan discovered a panoply of color, print and texture in Guatemala that is now part of her personal style. Courtesy dreamstime.com.
is personal style born or made? BY JANE MORGAN
ining the qualities that make you you, and then translating them visually is what true style is all about. Personal style is both born and made, because identity emerges over time, honed by experiences. The first new sofa I ever bought was for a bachelorette pad I rented in my mid-20s. I had previously lived with roommates, lounging on garage-sale finds and exercising first-job thrift. I was finally becoming a grown-up with a career in the city, and I wanted my apartment to look as groovy as my idol Mary Tyler Moore’s digs on TV. She was the consummate professional woman, after all. Mary’s bright studio apartment with the tiny kitchenette and dual platform dressing and sleeping areas was a bold, modern statement. Although shag carpeting was out of favor at this point, I knew I wanted something cool. So I set out to shop for furniture, excited by the chance to show the world who I was. Well, a trip to one store led to 76
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a second and, by the third one, I was facing a fullon existential crisis. What is this sofa going to say about me? What do I want it to say about me? What color should I choose and why aren’t I married yet? Even I, who had gone to design school, was paralyzed. Who was I? I decided to enlist the support of a friend. Surely, two heads were better than one. The quest commenced and we combed through dozens of swatches. We debated the options for weeks. Exhausted, I finally pulled the trigger on a fabric and placed the order. Twelve weeks later, I was the proud owner of the most nondescript, epically beige couch in existence. As it turns out, this endeavor wasn’t about design at all. My personal issues slugged it out on the sales floor of every furniture store in town and when the tussle was over, I was punch-drunk with ambivalence. Since our outer world is merely a reflection of our inner world, I was not able to come up with a clear picture of who I was because, at that age, I was still waiting to find out. No wonder I chose furniture suitable for a waiting room. Years later when I bought my first place, I felt so self-assured that I went out and got a modern, deliciously splashy red sofa. It was so me. TRAVEL AND INSPIRATION One of the greatest ways to develop your sensibilities and broaden your influences is through travel. During an excursion to London, also while
in my 20s, a new facet of my taste was born. Walking down the Strand in Covent Garden, I discovered the eponymous Twinings teashop, a stalwart of English commerce for centuries. It has since been renovated for a more hipster effect, but back then it was stuffed to the hilt with a staggering array of old-timey tea-making paraphernalia and darkly painted portraits of ye olde Twining family. I was absolutely charmed by all of it. There and then I developed a lifelong appreciation for beautiful teapots and teacups, which not only fueled a collection but also mitigated the sharpness of my essentially modern bent. A decade or so later, an important trip to Guatemala unexpectedly nourished a passion for interesting textiles — a departure from my proclivity for solid colors. I was there to meet my newly adopted son and, as I toured the city to shake my nerves, I learned all about the local, deeply rooted tradition of handweaving. Complex patterns in brilliant colors adorned everything from tables and chairs to floors, windows and people, exemplifying the cultural aesthetic. Bringing home a stunning assortment of fabrics, my style surged toward the eclectic approach I embrace today. An American fashion maven was once quoted as saying, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” Summoning up a sense of wonder and adventure is really all it takes to express who you are now and who you have the potential to become. For more, visit janemorganinteriordesign.com.
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Dress-up days BY DANIELLE RENDA
he season of airy fabrics and vibrant colors is finally upon us. And we’re giving it a warm welcome with a selection of chic, sexy, cool dresses in the latest styles. Keep it simple and pair each look with trendy sliders, a classic clutch and some bold accessories. (Now all you’ll need are events that merit these fabulous finds.) POPS OF COLOR(BLOCK) Hot pink, fuchsia and raspberry: Team the season’s most ravishing sunset and sherbet shades and you’re ready for a sure statement, no introduction needed. Get the look (1): Color-Block Gown in rose/cherry by Jill Jill Stuart, $298.
FLOWER POWER The garden isn’t the only place that flowers are gracing. This season, head-to-toe looks — accessories included — feature budding blooms. Floral appears on delicate silhouettes, vibrant prints and subtle lace trim to continue the garden party all summer long. Get the look (2): Sadie Floral-Print Dress in “All in Bloom” by Black Halo, $345.
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Photographs courtesy Bloomingdale’s.
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Tassel takeover BY DANIELLE RENDA
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t’s out with minimalism and in with extravagance for accessories. Tassels are taking fashion on a tour of color, culture and design this season with globally inspired styles. And what better way to exude a Bohemian, free-spirit vibe than with free-flowing accessories? Just in time for beach trips, sunset cruises and backyard barbecues, these stand-alone pieces will surely add character to any ensemble. THE JEWELRY CORNER Every tassel-wearing woman should feel like royalty. And that’s because tassels were historically worn as symbols of love, protection and power in various cultures around the world. Select one statement piece (yes, only one) and add some oomph to your sundress without overdoing it. For those
glamorous occasions, opt for a timeless necklace by David Yurman. (1) Tassel Drop Earrings by Chan Luu, $110. (2) Tassel Necklace by Trina Turk, $198. (3) Mystique Tassel Necklace with Pink Opal, Citrine and Pink Tourmaline in 19K Yellow Gold by David Yurman, $5,200. THE PURSE CORNER Tassels surely do not discriminate, having made their way onto all handbag sizes and styles. Accessorize your everyday look with a tassel-embellished drawstring tote by Loeffler Randall and your beach trip with a straw tote adorned with tassels, pom-poms and embroidery by Kate Spade New York. And for those nights out, opt for this multicolor and metallic woven tweed clutch by Milly. Pom-Pom
Drawstring
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Loeffler Randall, $450. (4) Collection Tassel Tweet Clutch by Milly, $255. (5) Lewis Way Pom-Pom Large Tote by Kate Spade New York, $298. THE SHOE CORNER One of WAG’s many mottos is, “when in doubt, buy the shoe.” And so far, it’s never done us wrong. We’ve got you covered with styles fit for daywear, day to evening and date night. (6) Jabow Tasseled Sandals by Stuart Weitzman, $398. (7) Salsa Ankle Tie High Heel Sandals by Charlotte Olympia in real red, $695. Isle Lace-up Tassel Mid-Heel Sandals by Rebecca Minkoff, $150. For more similar styles, visit bloomingdales.com. WAGMAG.COM
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A glance at our travel section participants CROWNE PLAZA WHITE PLAINS-DOWNTOWN 66 Hale Ave. White Plains, N.Y. 10601 914-682-0050 • cpwestchester.com CUISINART P.O. Box 2000, Rendezvous Bay Anguilla, British West Indies 264-498-2000 • cuisinartresort.com
ETHAN ALLEN HOTEL 21 Lake Avenue Extension Danbury, Conn. 06811 203-744-1176 • ethanallenhotel.com FORT WILLIAM HENRY HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER 48 Canada St. Lake George, N.Y. 12845 518-668-3081 • fortwilliamhenry.com INN AT MYSTIC 3 Williams Ave. Mystic, Conn. 06355 860-536-9604 innatmystic.com
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It's time to show off your home Painting, wall covering & specialty finishes for NYC, Westchester, Rockland & Fairfield counties. Learn more at finglaspainting.com.
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Always Have An Escape Plan 1114 E. Putnam Ave. Greenwich CT, 06878 203.698.6980 jhousegreenwich.com WAGMAG.COM
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The Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson, located just 25 miles north of New York City, is a historic estate that blends its classic charm with modern amenities to create a one of kind lodging and meeting experience. With two historic 19th century mansions – King Mansion and Biddle Mansion – residing on 26-acres overlooking the Hudson River Valley, the Tarrytown House Estate features many impressive amenities to facilitate numerous events, such as corporate retreats, meetings, galas, bar and bat mitzvahs, and weddings. Located in the Historic Hudson Valley and surrounded by wineries, breweries, Historic Mansions and parks, the Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson is ready to welcome your weekend retreat or sojourn out of the City: • • • • • •
30 Banquet and meeting rooms Complimentary 1 GbG internet bandwidth Outdoor Tennis Courts Fitness Center with indoor and outdoor pools Indoor racquetball court Jogging and hiking trails
Special offer for our New York City neighbors: Book a Family Reunion or gathering and to occur in 2017 and Receive 15% off Mention Code TTH15 Please contact our sales office at 914-591-3100 or info@tarrytownhouseestate.com for more information
Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson l 49 East Sunnyside Lane l Tarrytown, NY 10591
THE J HOUSE GREENWICH 114 E. Putnam Ave. Greenwich, Conn. 06830 203-698-6999 • jhouserestaurant.com
ROYAL REGENCY HOTEL 165 Tuckahoe Road Yonkers, N.Y. 10710 914-476-6200 • royalregencyhoteny.com
THE LODGE AT WOODLOCH 109 River Birch Lane Hawley, Pa. 18428 800-966-3562 • thelodgeatwoodloch.com
SAYBROOK POINT INN & SPA 2 Bridge St. Old Saybrook, Conn. 06475 860-395-2000 • saybrook.com
TARRYTOWN HOUSE ESTATE ON THE HUDSON 49 E. Sunnyside Lane Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591 914-591-8200 • tarrytownhouseestate.com
Upgrading a Category from the Inside Out
SS-15
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The eternal TRAvELER BY JEREMY WAYNE
I travel for a living, but that doesn’t mean I get bored with traveling. On the contrary: Every time I board a plane, it’s almost as exciting as the first. “What about the hassle, the lines at security?” people ask me, the relived horror of some recent bad experience writing itself in clearly visible longhand across their agonized faces. For me, no horror. All I see is the miracle of flight and the brilliance of serving lunch or dinner to 400 people at 30,000 feet, even if the food isn’t all that great. (After all, I can barely manage serving dinner to four on the ground). To be honest, I find traveling the 30 miles from my home in Westchester County to Manhattan on Metro-North more stressful than the 3,000-mile hop across the Atlantic, which perhaps is why my travel scoreboard in the first three months of this year read, “Europe: 3, New York City 0.” And don’t just write me off as a pampered hack with business class bragging rights, because nine and a half times out of 10 I fly coach. The payoff for knee-to-chin airline seats — not, as you know, that I’m complaining — is that I do get to stay in some pretty lovely hotels. Among my top half dozen in the last few months is the spiffy new Four Seasons London at Ten Trinity Square, with a picture-postcard view of the Tower of London. A view 86
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to lose your head over, you could say. This is the hotel you want to stay at if you have business in the City — which is what London calls its Financial District — or even if you don’t. No other hotel in the area comes close. It has beautifully appointed rooms and bathrooms, with the sort of attention to detail usually lacking in trendier “design” hotels, a terrific, full-service spa and a buzzy rotunda bar, where they mix a martini so darn dirty it should come with an R rating attached. I’m also a fan of the on-site restaurant, La Dame de Pic, run by celebrity chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who has three Michelin stars at her stylish gaffe in Valence, southeast France, and another at her Paris restaurant. It’s swoony stuff. In Paris itself, the Shangri-La Hotel, while not new — it opened in 2009 — is new to me. Located in the patrician 16th arrondissement, opposite the Eiffel Tower, this ornate — one could almost say excessive — mansion has a sumptuous interior, by designer Pierre-Yves Rochon. Extravagant moulding and plasterwork, with monogrammed RBs raised in gilt, attest to the fact that this was once the home of Roland Bonaparte, Napoleon’s great-nephew. If you’re feeling cash-happy, you can actually book La Suite Impériale, which was Roland’s own private apartment. Shangri-La’s L’Heure du Goûter, its weekend teatime extravaganza served in La Bauhinia restaurant (and a snip at 48 euros, or $52, as you will not need to eat for another week) is spectacular, with its kaleidoscope of cakes, pastries and other sweet dainties. The cuisine in the hotel’s Shang Palace, the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Paris, is the
equal of anything I have eaten in Beijing or Shanghai. I thought I had a handle on Paris grand hotels, but the Shangri-La, with its Asian-inspired service coupled with French savoir-faire, blows even the stiffest competition right out of the water. Please stay here if ever you have the chance. In Paris on a more modest budget? La Clef Louvre — in a super-central location between the Comédie-Française and the Palais-Royal, just off Rue de Rivoli — may be the one for you. One of a small chain from the prestigious Crest Collection — La Clef Tour Eiffel and La Clef Champs-Elysées are its two sister properties — this apartment hotel, housed in a beautiful 1908 Art Nouveau townhouse, comes with full concierge services but otherwise leaves you pretty much to your own devices. I stayed for five nights, felt like a Parisian doing my own grocery shopping and loved it. (I loved the price, too.) A fully fitted kitchen and charming small salon are standard, along with the bedroom, of course, with its ample closets. And La Clef’s breakfast, included in the room price, is excellent. For anything longer than a two- or three-night stay in the City of Lights, La Clef has to be a serious contender. Dublin has long been one of my favorite cities, and it’s certainly no slouch in the hotel department. The Irish capital is full of good places to stay across the spectrum. But I’ve only recently been introduced to the Westbury, a minute’s walk from Grafton Street. This hotel is a veritable grande dame, only I suspect it would not like to be called that, because while on the one hand it is luxurious and old-fashioned (in the best sense) as well as excep-
Four Seasons London at Ten Trinity Square. Photograph courtesy the hotel.
tionally comfortable, it is also quirky, original and extremely stylish. The Westbury’s afternoon tea is a good enough reason alone to visit Dublin and the head concierge is a walking encyclopedia. The guy puts Google to shame. Back on this side of the pond, Rosewood Mayakobá sits on one of the most beautiful beaches on Riviera Maya, Mexico, a few miles from Playa del Carmen. Even the most modest rooms here are vast, while the oceanfront suites have you out of bed and into the warm turquoise water of the Caribbean in 15 seconds flat. Heaven. The Punta Bonita restaurant specializes in regional Mexican cooking, and I happily whiled away a couple of evenings in the resort’s Agave Azul, a sushi bar with a rather sophisticated tequila “library” attached. But at the end of the day, Rosewood Mayakobá’s greatest asset is its smiling staff, for whom nothing is too much trouble. They are warm and sincere, each and every one devoted to making your stay as enjoyable as possible. It’s Mexican hospitality at its most natural.
No, you can’t teach this kind of thing and nor can you buy it, at least not in the conventional sense. It comes straight from the heart.
FUTURE HAUNTS The day to book a vacation, say I, is the day you come home from one. I realize this flies in the face of reason, good housekeeping, financial accountability and general restraint. I’m also aware that one shouldn’t wish one’s life away waiting for the next great thing to happen. But dammit, I like vacations, and not for nothing do we say that to travel hopefully is better than to arrive. The looking forward is all part of the fun, which is why, although I’m all for spontaneity, when I can I like to book my travels some way out. So where next? Later this year, the covers will come off the fabled Hotel de Crillon in Paris, after a three-year mega-makeover. And early next year, in Lyon, France’s second city, InterContinental will open the Hôtel-Dieu, a 15th-century former hospital,
as a luxury hotel. The recently unveiled Hotel Eden in Rome, with its peerless views across the Eternal City and magnificent two-year refit, should go to the top of your must-see list, while Sikelia, an upscale, sophisticated and thoroughly chilled new property on the volcanic Italian island of Pantelleria, “the Black Pearl of the Mediterranean” — between Sicily and Africa, where I’m told the sunsets are like nowhere on earth — is certainly going right to the top of mine. Almost as dramatic, there are exceptional sunsets to be had, too, at the gorgeous new Park Hyatt, St. Kitts, thoroughly in tune with its Caribbean environment; and, half a world away, at the new W in Jaffa, as urban chic comes to the ancient and beguiling port of Old Jaffa, with thrumming Tel Aviv on the doorstep. Speaking of doorsteps, the “new” Lowell, with its fabulous new restaurant, Majorelle, is right here on our own doorstep, on 63d Street in Manhattan. I haven’t yet been but June is the month I plan to go. I really must get to the city more often. WAGMAG.COM
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WHERE'S EUROPE?
'ich bin Europäische' BY MARTA BASSO
ust a couple of hundred miles on an American highway. A breezy evening even though it’s summer. Half past eight on the clock, Pacific Daylight Time. Four friends on a road trip to Los Angeles. A world away, it’s morning in England. Or is it? Suddenly, a phone rings. It is Selene’s (who also happens to be my CTO, or chief technology officer, in real life). A hot blonde, she always has a grin on her face — and the one she has now I will never forget: “So, they’re out? Like, for real?” She gasps at the news of Brexit, looking at us with eyes as dead as bright blue eyes can possibly be. This piece of news lands on us suddenly, just like the fast food restaurant that had appeared exactly in the middle of nowhere a couple of minutes before. But this unexpected development is definitely not as comforting. I take out my phone, open the Facebook app and decide to share my thoughts on the spur of the moment: “If just a few months ago I had been told I would be in the middle of nowhere while receiving a piece of news like this, I would have surely not believed it in my wildest dreams. We are just four economists in a gas station in California, staring speechless at our phones, calling home, checking the main headlines. It just does not feel real. … The day has arrived. This will probably be the major macroeconomic event of the decade, and one of the biggest of the last 50 years. … I read young people have massively voted remain. Therefore, the result makes me even sicker, because they, and us, are the ones who will have to live the longer with these effects.”
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The morning after the referendum, the passport sign at Heathrow Airport already read “UK/EU Passports."
I take a deep breath and try to look at the big picture. What will this mean in everyday life? A question I am still asking myself as a European almost every day. Not only have I always been used to visa-free traveling, but I also have lived in London for a year. My generation takes for granted not only the possibility of traveling freely around Europe but also moving anywhere indefinitely almost as freely. We are called the “Erasmus Generation” — referring to the European Union student exchange program — for a reason. I look at my travel companions, three girls like me enjoying what is most American on earth — a burger in a gas station amid a random state landscape. And I cannot help but think: “This is not what our grandfathers and grandmothers have fought for and, as my classical education tends to make me think, this is not what the Greeks meant to teach us — to force us to stare at the ultimate victory of ignorance and of fear. As for myself, I never liked boundaries, and I will still hope, one day, to see the rise of the most powerful state ever — the United States of Europe….” Speaking of the United States, I consulted my friend Peter Hjertsson, who has a master’s in international business like me. He’s a big foreign policy expert, half-Swedish and half-American (out of Michigan). “As an American” he says, “I think relations
will get better due to Brexit, as the UK will try to lean heavily on the U.S.” Then looking at the dark side, he adds, “As a European, I fear that the UK will see a decrease in travel. Fewer people will want to go, because things are crazy. And companies will want to leave London” and move to Amsterdam, Berlin or his hometown, Stockholm. What Peter, my colleagues in London and I foresee as the most likely scenario is that UK will go in for a softer Brexit — where it would expect no EU trade tariffs but where it will also tend to close borders to EU nationals, especially workers. The morning after the referendum, the passport sign at Heathrow Airport already read “UK/EU Passports.” It might be possible that when Brexit really does happen, the UK will opt for a waiver program for vacationers — most likely similar to ESTA, which expedites identifying those who may be able to waive the U.S. visa requirement. Speaking of which: Will Europeans “gain” visa-free travel in the UK and lose ESTA for the States? Quite a depressing perspective for us young Europeans. All in all, as Peter would say, “I will still go (to the UK), because I still love London.” As for me, I almost want to paraphrase President John F. Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech instead, more loudly than on that day in June in the middle of California, hoping that our sons and daughters, too, will feel part of a second Erasmus Generation and say proudly: “Ich bin Europäische"
WANDERS
A Capri to-do list BY DEBBI K. KICKHAM
t
here’s an old saying that no trip to Capri is complete without purchasing three souvenirs — Capri sandals, Limoncello liqueur and local perfume. So here’s how to spend your day in this glorious Italian town — after you’ve browsed all the designer shops on the Via Camerelle, had an espresso at the Piazzetta and treated yourself to a gelato, of course. You’ll also want to rent a scooter to visit the lighthouse, Blue Grotto and the Church of San Michele, featuring an ornate, hand-painted floor depicting Adam and Eve. And you must have a cocktail — and watch the beautiful people — at the bar of the five-star Hotel Quisisana. No doubt that cocktail should be made with Limoncello, the delicious, sugary lemon liqueur. This is what I love about buying gourmet goodies abroad: They are treats in every way, not expensive and they make unusual souvenirs for yourself or others. Probably the world’s best is Limoncello di Capri, from the only company in the Italian industry that embraces strict control over the whole production process. On the rocks or mixed with other ingredients, Limoncello is also yummy on ice cream and fruit salads and in pastry-making. Thanks to its versatility, this is probably the best-selling drink in bars and restaurants all over Italy. Next, head over to Carthusia, which has two perfume stores in town along with a factory. Here, you can explore, explore and explore before purchasing the specialty fragrances that were first created in 1380 by nearby monks at the Monastery of St. Giacomo. Indeed, “Carthusia” is the Latin word for “cloister.” Today, the limited production and handmade methods used by the Carthusian monks are still in practice. The brand’s best-seller is the Fiori de Capri, with notes derived from lily of the valley along with carnations. Other scents include Aria de Capri, containing the essences of lemons and oranges; and, for men, Mediterraneo, containing citrus and green tea. Just sampling the merchandise is quintessentially Italian. The fragrance strips, which you can spritz to your heart’s content, are beautiful, colored depic-
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Capri Island. Photograph © Fototeca ENT.
tions of female characters from the nearby Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. The opera house even has its very own Carthusia fragrance, called Prima, which is a mix of bergamot and rose. Lastly, you need to purchase a pair of the handmade, custom-fit sandals that Jacqueline Kennedy made famous in the 1960s. Who can forget the inimitable shots of her strolling the Italian island’s cobblestone walkways, looking oh-so-chic? The tony streets of Capri boast several sandal-makers, but the most prestigious company is Amedeo Canfora on the sun-splashed Via Camerelle. Today it is owned and operated by Costanzo Canfora, whose grandfather, Amedeo, founded the company in 1946. Amedeo Canfora’s shoe business shot to international prominence back in 1962, when Jackie, visiting the island as first lady, made a stop at Canfora while on a trip to the Amalfi islands. She apparently was traveling with friends, who suggested that she procure a pair of the elegant sandals that Canfora was known for — and which the store had previously made for Princess Margaret and Grace Kelly. “Mrs. Kennedy came around midnight... She ordered several pairs of sandals, which we shipped to her,” Costanzo Canfora recalls, speaking inside the tiny shop. “My grandfather made a style especially for her, called the ‘K.’” That style consists of a webbed design of silver interlocking chains, which today would cost about $390. Inside the store, there are several large photos of Jackie gracing the walls, which were taken that
memorable night when she stopped by the sandal boutique. There’s also a fascinating store log book — number 19 to be exact — which displays the page where she had her right foot traced so that Amedeo Canfora could know her precise foot measurements. The page says, in Italian, “Wife of President Kennedy” at the top, and also her foot’s measurements. Today, Amedeo’s two daughters, Angela and Rita, still handcraft the sandals in the same way that they always have, sitting in cramped quarters surrounded by a sea of Italian leather, shoe boxes, wooden foot lasts and staple guns. Prices start at about $189 for a simple thong and go up to about $550 for the most expensive pair, in crocodile or extensively jeweled. If you purchase on the internet, the store ships internationally via UPS, and promises you’ll receive your sandals in anywhere from four to 15 days. The “K” in gold or silver is the bestseller, says Costanzo, but other glamorous styles abound, from the “Gail” sandal with a simple T-strap, to the bejeweled “Sophie,” bearing fake rhinestones, even to sandals with little authentic Capri bell charms attached — so everyone can hear you coming. Bells are also one of the traditional symbols of Capri, which ring in good fortune according to local legend. These historic lucky charms have designs inspired by the landscapes of Capri and Sorrento. So, happy walking and sightseeing. For more, visit italiantourism.com. And for more on Debbi, visit gorgeousglobetrotter.com and marketingauthor.com.
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Crystal Cruises: Sailing on a dreamboat BY DEBBI K. AND WILLIAM D. KICKHAM
et us start this article by telling you an interesting story about a production we saw on Crystal Serenity, which demonstrates the acclaimed service that Crystal Cruises provides to its guests. While we’ve seen a lot of shows at sea, this unforgettable evening of opera highlights featured not only the Serenity’s own singers but two professional opera singers that Crystal flew in specifically for this performance. Backed by the ship’s orchestra, the show featured Met-worthy music that ranged from “Phantom” to “Pagliacci.” To say this production was fantastic is an understatement. Dozens of passengers not only saw the first pre-dinner show but went back after dining to see the second performance. This one example makes it no wonder that the cruise line repeatedly has been named “World’s Best” in the small-to medium luxury cruise sector by travel industry publications. Under the supervision of CEO and President Edie Rodriguez, Crystal Cruise guests are assured that when they get on board, they will have an experience unequaled elsewhere. Crystal is where affluent cruise aficionados go when they wish to mingle with passengers-with-panache. One unmarried passenger we met — Myrna — was taking her 28th Crystal Cruise, and she was sailing with a male friend whom she had met on a previous Crystal Cruise. She raved about how the staff fixed her broken stiletto. If you want to maximize the luxury experience, book one of the four penthouses (at a cost of about $2,000 per day), which comes with amenities that include butler service, complimentary laundry, pressing and internet, a bottle of Champagne and many more choice goodies. “They go fast, especially for people who book the World Cruise every year,” says Crystal Serenity Hotel Director Hubert Buelacher. Many passengers who opt out of the World Cruise still take an extended cruise — a hot new 92
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An artist's rendering of a Crystal River Cruise vessel. Courtesy Crystal Cruises.
trend in the industry — as sophisticated travelers understand that a seven-to-10 day cruise would never be enough. We totally agree. We were on a 28-day Antarctica cruise through South America and, even after that number of days, it was hard to disembark. The cuisine onboard is extraordinary, under the direction of Executive Chef Werner Brenner. The ship flies in fresh food, like lobster from Maine, “no matter where we are in the world,” Buelacher says. One restaurant, the Vintage Room, features foodand-wine pairings for $250 per person. If you desire the Ultimate Vintage Room experience, including Crystal’s own signature brand of wine and Nobu cuisine from Silk Road, the price is $1,000 per person. If you want to “give back” — and who doesn’t? — take part in Crystal’s admirable “You Care, We Care" program. Crystal has developed "volun-tourism" programs in which guests and crew get directly involved in destinations visited. Crystal makes all the arrangements and offers these opportunities for free to guests and crew. Opportunities include poverty relief, education, workplace training, cultural preservation, environmental conservation, animal welfare and much more. Regular daily activities range from engaging excursions when you are in port to nonstop onship action. Not only were there lectures by a former CIA director and an American ambassador as well as “Magic Castle” shows at sea but a writer, Joe Kita, who offers classes in memoir writing. This
daily class is a popular benefit for people wishing to write for grandchildren and future generations. It’s thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining — and, with added humor, you’re also sure to have lots of laughs. We sure did. P.S.: When we departed from Buenos Aires, we treated ourselves to a stay at the Holiday Inn Buenos Aires at the airport. Don’t let that mislead you. This is one of the world’s best Holiday Inns, and we were delighted by the accommodations, the complimentary breakfast, the gym and spa, the hospitality of General Manager Hernan Kenseyan, and the hotel’s signature steak restaurant, El Mangrullo. Here’s where you can indulge in all kinds of Argentinian specialties such as empanadas, grilled provolone and a terrific tenderloin brochette. This modern business hotel is just 14 miles, from downtown, so make sure to visit the leather manufacturer’s street. Holiday Inn is also part of IHG Hotels (which also own Kimpton, Intercontinental, Hotel Indigo and other brands), and they all are “IHG Green Engage Hotels,” which means that there are more than 200 initiatives in place to reduce energy and waste and improve their effect on the environment. It sure is the right way to go. For more, visit crystalcruises.com or IHG. com or call 888-HOLIDAY. For more on Debbi, visit gorgeousGlobetrotter.com and marketingauthor.com.
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WANDERS
The quintessential Cape BY DEBBI K. AND WILLIAM D. KICKHAM
ho doesn’t love a vacation that incorporates wonderful accommodations, great food and terrific natural resources that offer atmosphere — and more atmosphere? We’re talking, of course, about the Lower Cape — specifically the towns of Eastham, Wellfleet and Truro, Massachusetts. These charming towns, which are naturally and ruggedly beautiful, are famous for a lot of things, specifically for what they don’t have — big-box stores, urban overgrowth and franchises. Unlike many Cape Cod towns where you’ll find every store and hotel under the sun, these towns have no supermarkets, maybe — just maybe — a Dunkin' Donuts’ franchise and just one resort. (More on that in a minute). Instead, what you will find is all the natural, untouched beauty of the National Seashore. The Cape Cod National Seashore was created on Aug. 7, 1961, by President John F. Kennedy, for which the world should be forever thankful. (Without Kennedy’s influence, this part of the Cape would otherwise be overrun by skyscraper hotels and Walmarts.) The Cape Cod National Seashore is comprised of 43,607 acres on Cape Cod that include the ponds, woods and beachfront of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens eco-region. The CCNS embraces nearly 40 miles of seashore along the Atlantic-facing eastern edge of Cape Cod in the towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans and Chatham. The CCNS is run by the National Park Service, with the dual goal of protecting precious, ecologically fragile land while allowing the public to enjoy a unique natural resource. Among its notable sites is the Marconi Station, the setting for the first two-way transatlantic radio communication between the U.S. and Europe on Jan. 18, 1903. CHECKING IN TO CHECK IT OUT By far, you should stay at the only resort on the Lower Cape — the Four Points by Sheraton in Eastham. The truth is, the Lower Cape is filled with budget motels and inns that haven’t been remodeled since the Kennedy administration. But the Four Points is a little slice of luxury. Cape Cod Life maga94
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The Bourne Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal, with the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in the background.
zine agrees, having named it “The Best” resort/hotel on the Lower Cape many times. What gets us so excited? Well, it’s that this nonsmoking property offers terrific services and amenities to Lower Cape vacationers and, added to that, gets it all right. Even more, it is always upgrading and making everything — the staff and service — even better than before. Let’s start with the rooms. Bright, cheerful and modern, these, well-appointed rooms feature Four Comfort beds — Sealy beds with thick pillow tops, which make every night (and every nap) a dream. Aside from comfortable rooms, the Four Points also has oceans of amenities that we love — indoor and outdoor pools (the heated indoor pool is a hit with families, even in the winter); an exercise room with a cardio theater; a business center with complimentary internet; free tennis/basketball courts; and Bellamy’s Grill & Bar for dinner. There are also two Nauset Suites priced from $550 to $650 per night in high season. These are two-bedroom apartments (1,100 square feet each) which sleep eight, if you come for a wedding, reunion or just with your extended family. Other rooms range from $265 to $425 in high season. Major renovations to the entire hotel are planned for after this season. Of course, of most importance in the summer months is the fact that the hotel is just five minutes away from two fantastic beaches — the Nauset Light Beach and Coast Guard Beach, which is an award-winner selected as one of the Top Ten in the world by Dr. Beach. In other words, when you stay
at the Four Points in summer, you’re going to get the beach experiences of your dreams. (And the parking lots are always filled with cars from Connecticut and New York.) Coast Guard Beach features coarse sand, cliffs, lots of beach grass and the old picturesque Coast Guard station. Bring your wetsuits — the Atlantic waters of the Cape reach only about 70 degrees, if you’re lucky. Spend time at the Salt Pond Visitor Center, where, for free, you can discover a wealth of historical information about Cape Cod and this area in particular. There’s a museum where you can learn everything you’d like to know about whaling, scrimshaw, fishing and mollusks. Short films are also shown throughout the day. Bring your sneakers and hike the 1.5mile trail around the salt pond, where you can take in all of the Cape’s natural beauty quite easily. After beaching it, it’s definitely worth the short trip to Gull Pond, one of the Cape’s famous “kettle ponds,” where you can rent kayaks or just take a dip in the crystal-clear water. The water is so clean, clear and soft, you won’t want — or need — to shower afterward. Also a must-do — Art’s Dune Tours. You’ll view gorgeous sand dunes and the shacks where famous artists and writers like Eugene O’Neill created their work. You will also pass the remains of the lifesaving station and learn how brave workers here saved the lives of thousands from doomed shipwrecks in days gone by. For more on Cape Cod, see the full story at wagmag.com. For more on Debbi, visit gorgeousglobetrotter.com and marketingauthor.com.
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WONDERFUL DINING
A foodie's paradise STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEESIA FORNI
“Food is all about exploration.” That’s the motto of John Coleman, a man who has traversed the globe to sample some of the most coveted wine and cheese on the planet as a merchant for Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market. “We have to work harder to get this stuff and we have to educate the customer, because the ingredients aren’t cheap, and the labor to maintain it isn’t easy. It’s worth it for us, because this is what we do,” he says. “We’re not in the commodities business.” The high-end chain of grocery stores opened one of its newest markets at Rye Ridge Shopping Center in Rye Brook earlier this year. More than a grocery store, the 18,000-square-foot Balducci’s offers the delicious delights of travel right in your backyard. “Ethnicity is cool,” says Jason Miller, corporate executive chef at Balducci’s. “People want to try stuff from France. They want to try stuff from Italy. They want to try stuff from wherever.” For Balducci’s, which Louis Balducci opened as a farm stand in 1916, the goal is to offer its customers the highest-quality food available. “There are cheaper ways to do this, but those aren’t the right ways,” Coleman says. He adds that traveling to visit the purveyors, farms and vineyards that produce the store’s offerings is an important step in Balducci’s process. 96
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Balducci’s seafood selection is “top-of-the-catch,” meaning only seafood sourced from the final day of a fisherman’s catch is served.
Top: To ensure quality, cheeses are flown in at their peak ripeness from countries that include Spain, France and Switzerland. Bottom: Seasonal, restaurant-quality prepared foods are made in store daily by Balducci’s chefs.
TRAVELING TO VISIT THE PURVEYORS, FARMS AND VINEYARDS THAT PRODUCE THE STORE’S OFFERINGS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN BALDUCCI’S PROCESS.
“Learning the history behind each item is amazing,” he says. “The story behind them — how they evolved, how they grew up — and the fact that you can’t replicate that here. It’s not an industrial business. You literally cannot make a matching taste anywhere else in the world, and that’s what makes it special.” Miller, who frequently dry-cures his own salami at home, takes a special pride in the store’s vast array of charcuterie offerings. “We have dry cures from all over the planet,” Miller says, referencing Mangalica ham from Spain or Prosciutto di Parma from Italy. There is also a curated assortment of more than 300 cheeses from across the globe, including Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal. “That’s for someone who doesn’t want to turn their oven on, who doesn’t want to cook. They just want something for a picnic or an outdoor festival,” Coleman says, though he adds, “Sometimes that’s all I’ll have for dinner.”
The store’s seafood selection features “top-ofthe-catch” fish, a term coined to describe the freshest seafood offered from the final day of a fisherman’s catch. “It means we buy the most expensive ones,” Coleman says with a laugh. “But you can see the difference. You can taste it.” Along with traditional grocery offerings, the store features a variety of restaurant-quality prepared foods that are made in store daily by the shop’s chefs. “We really try to focus on simple things done the right way,” Miller says, “so we’re not reinventing the wheel. That’s kind of my whole philosophy.” Bordered by a large open kitchen, the shop gives customers a firsthand look at the preparation of each item offered at the store, from hot and cold sandwiches to veggie-filled salads and sushi plates. “People say food is an art, but it’s a craft,” Miller says. “Just like a carpenter, just like a bricklayer. We’re taking raw ingredients and we’re making something out of it.” Among the prepared offerings, a plate of carrot risotto is delightfully creamy, with subtle hints of citrus, and beef tenderloin, which is perfectly roasted to medium-rare. “We’re doing restaurant-style food but you can come in and customize it,” Miller says. “And it’s convenient.” Those looking for a more hands-on customization for their lunch or dinner needs can head to the salad, ramen noodle or mezze bars. “A lunch stop is quick and easy,” Coleman says, gesturing to customers who are doing just that as we tour the store. “You’re in, you’re out, or you can stay and eat it here.” Café tables line the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the store, enticing patrons to enjoy their purchases in house. The store can also offer meals for a larger gathering. Balducci’s full-service catering department can coordinate everything from food to floral arrangements. “They’ll do anything,” Coleman says. “They’ll design your menu. They’ll staff your party. Whatever you need, they’ll take care of it.” Those catering services can be customized for functions that include small office parties or large holiday dinners. “We literally sell you a Thanksgiving dinner in a box,” Miller said. “You just need to go home and reheat it.” For Balducci’s, the target customer is anyone who has a passion for food and makes that passion a priority. “Are we the least expensive place to buy stuff? No. But it’s for a reason. It’s because we have to work harder,” Coleman says. “I drive a terrible old car, because I don’t care about my car. It gets me from A to B. But I will spend $300 on oysters in Grand Central Oyster Bar as a snack before dinner and not bat an eye.” For more, visit balduccis.com. WAGMAG.COM
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WINE & DINE
Touring the lush, lovely Loire STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG PAULDING
The Marquis Charles-Andre de Cossé-Brissac, proprietor of Château de Brissac, one of 300 Loire Valley Castles.
h, the Loire Valley: I’ve heard many appreciative comments about the region. And over the years, I have met many winemakers and winery owners from the Loire and tasted many of their wines. In the 1970s, I had served Vouvray and Sancerre, two of the Loire Valley’s signature wines, in my first restaurant job but didn’t give them much thought. Now, however, I’ve returned from a whirlwind Cliff Notes tour of the valley and have a firsthand perspective. The Loire River enabled relatively easy access from Paris to the countryside, making the Loire Valley the perfect retreat for royalty and the aristocracy. The lush countryside delights but then you go around a corner and get gobsmacked by the sight of a castle, with turrets, spires, defensive garrisons, gardens and dungeons, dating back many centuries. The region boasts 300 châteaux and more than 4,000 wineries. We spent two full days and part of a couple of others in Central Loire near Saumur, residing at the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that, by itself, was well worth the transatlantic flight. Originally constructed around the year 1100, it remained a deeply religious community, replete with cathedrals, cloisters, gardens and vineyards, until the French Revolution when it was plundered and then became, of all things, France’s harshest prison for a couple of centuries. We also visited one privately owned castle, circa 1054, known as the Château de Brissac, owned by Charles-Andre de Cossé-Brissac, the Marquis of Brissac, with a promotion to the title of duc (duke) in his future. A guided 90-minute tour and 98
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wine-tasting will cost 10 euro, or $11. The Marquis told us, “The Loire Valley is quite simply the most versatile winemaking region in all of France and, quite possibly, the world.” The Loire is the second largest sparkling wine production region in France. It’s the second largest producer of Rosé AOC-certified wines and the third largest AOC winemaking region in all of France, contributing 380 million bottles per year to worldwide consumption. These include whites, Rosés, reds and sparkling wines all over the dry/sweet continuum. From an oenological standpoint, the area is challenged by the colder northern weather, sometimes not allowing for full ripening and saturation of the fruit. The whites, the Rosés and the sparklers do just fine as chaptalization is allowed. Chaptalization is adding small amounts of sugar during fermentation, which would have been produced by the grape with a longer growing season, to get wine of proper heft and alcohol. In the past the reds have been fresh and fruity, ready to drink when bottled. The Loire producers are now growing and harvesting red grapes from Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Malbec, known locally as Cot. And as they do in Bordeaux, they will blend individually vinified grape types until they have a wine of style and substance. The terroir remains special. The Loire River runs east to west, spilling into the Atlantic well north of Bordeaux. The Loire and its many tributaries create weather pockets of comfort to vineyards all over the region. And the soil is perfect for creating wines of structure and flavor, beyond the typical fruit flavors. The regional soil consists of volcanic
rock, gneiss, granite, schist, chalk and limestone and each of these will impart that certain je ne sais quoi to the wine. It is not a regional propensity to use much oak for aging. Some producers use none. Some employ the judicious use of oak for balance and structure but rarely flavor. And some really good news: It would be difficult to find a wine costing more than $50. The wines near the Atlantic tend to be exclusively white, usually made from Muscadet, an easy drinking wine perfect for virtually any seafood pairing. As you move inland toward the east, white wines made of Chenin Blanc will be found and Rosés become part of every winery’s inventory. Farther west and south of Paris, we find reds made mostly of the aforementioned varietals. These are carefully crafted wines that can be opened young but patience will be rewarded. We listened to one presenter of Loire Valley wines who summed up the region thusly, “In the Loire you will find wines of fruit, fresh and elegant. Loire Valley offers red wines from the freshest, fruity expression of the grape to more mature, nuanced wines with depths of flavors. We do not like oaky dominant wines. And in the Loire we speak ze purest, unadulterated French. We have no accents here,” he told us in his heavily accented French. For your next event, pick up a Muscadet from Nantes, a Chenin Blanc from Savennières, a Rosé from Anjou, a couple of sparklers from Saumur and a red or two from Champigny or Chinon. Throw in a sweet wine from virtually any Loire producer, and you have a party. For more, visit loirevalleywine.com. And write me at doug@dougpaulding.com.
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MUSCOOT
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One of New York States Top 15
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Stop in and experience the charm of this historic eatery, a neighborhood favorite since the Roaring ‘20s! Enjoy our cozy tavern where it’s always lively and cheerful or relax on our patio overlooking our horseshoe and bocce ball courts. Live music on Saturdays and some Fridays On Sundays, enjoy outdoor live music from 4 to 8:30 Happy Hour Daily from 4-6 and again from 9-11 on Thurs, Fri and Saturday nights.
105 Somerstown Turnpike, Katonah, NY (Corner of Rt. 100 and Rt. 35) www.muscoottavern.com 914 • 232 • 2800
WHETTING THE APPETITE
Red, white and blueberry he month of June is full of celebrations, including Flag Day (June 14). What better way to celebrate than with an All-American favorite? You won't be disappointed. You can also serve this decadent dessert with vanilla ice cream for those who have an extra sweet tooth.
For more, contact the Saucy Realtor at jacquelineruby@hotmail.com.
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LEMON BLUEBERRY DESSERT INGREDIENTS: • 2 large eggs • 1 cup sugar • 1 cup sour cream • ½ cup olive oil • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • ¼ teaspoon salt • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1 medium lemon (zest and juice) divided • ½ tablespoon cornstarch • 16 ounces fresh blueberries • ¼ cup chopped walnuts • Powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS: 1. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper. 2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 3. Beat both eggs and the cup of sugar on high speed for 5 minutes or until mixture is light in color and thick. 4. Add the sour cream, olive oil, vanilla extract and salt and beat on low speed until combined. 5. In a separate bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. Then add mixture slowly into batter and beat until blended. 6. Finally, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and zest ½ lemon. Stir in walnuts. 7. Rinse blueberries and drain well. In a bowl, toss berries and cornstarch. Mix and then add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and stir until no white cornstarch remains. 8. Pour half of batter into springform pan and spread evenly. Top with half of the blueberries. 9. Spread remaining batter on top of berries and then sprinkle the rest of the blueberries evenly over the top. 10. Bake 50 to 60 minutes — or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Let the cake rest 20 minutes. 11. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Proprietor, Bobby Epstein of the legendary Muscoot Tavern in Katonah, invites you to experience his newest restaurant—
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Lunch & Dinner 7 days a week Sunday Brunch 11-3 Happy Hour Daily from 3-6 222 East Main Street • Mount Kisco, NY 10549 914 • 218 • 3877 info@Kiscoriver.com www.kiscoriver.com Free Parking Around Back
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
SpArkling at Saks BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
t’s hard to pick one highlight from the recent launch party of Saks Fifth Avenue The Vault, part of The Saks Shops at Greenwich. The elegant jazz duo purring “Fever”; the shimmery, luxe black-and-white, gold-and-silver décor; the quarter-size savory pancake and tuna ceviche hors d’oeuvres; or the flawless, emerald-cut 12.5-karat diamond ring by Graff that runs about $3 million. OK, let’s go with ring-a-ding-ding for roughly 3 mill. And don’t forget the ice-blue topaz and diamond cuff by Robert Procop whose hinges replicate the Eiffel Tower. More on these in a bit. The 6,000-square-foot Vault — the only Saks store dedicated solely to fine jewelry — marks the latest chapter in the evolution of The Saks Shops at Greenwich, WAG’s February 2016 cover story. The Shops include the existing women’s designer store, across the street from The Vault on Greenwich Avenue, which will undergo a renovation in November; The Collective, featuring contemporary women’s wear, active wear and accessories, adjacent to The Vault; and Elm Street’s 10022-SHOE, the suburban answer to Saks’ signature Manhattan shoe store — a place so large that it has its own zip code, as we wrote in our October 2016 issue. The Vault, however, takes the proverbial cake. Delicate diamond jewelry by Anita Ko. Stones in saturated colors and angular designs by Nikos Koulis. Crystalline creations by Aurélie Bidermann. Floral offerings by Stefere. Dazzling
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The Vault at the Saks Shops at Greenwich. Courtesy Saks Fifth Avenue.
statement pieces by Etho Maria. Mother of pearl bracelets and necklaces by Nina Gilin. And that’s just up front, where you have barely set a manicured, Manolo Blahniked foot in the door. The side galleries feature anchor designers and sitting environments (the better to shop til you drop, my dear). The fab décor by the Saks Fifth Avenue Store Design and Planning Team in collaboration with design firm FRCH lets you, bedazzled you, glide through the space where Robert Procop’s unparalleled pairings of gemstones awaits. The Art Deco-style ruby and pink sapphire bracelet from the Bella Collection — an hommage to the Mediterranean woman — had us lusting, as did that blue topaz cuff and a pink
ruby ring. (Rubies are actually a kind of sapphire. Who knew sapphires could be so complicated?) Holding pride of place at the head of the store is Graff, its salon featuring a private viewing area with exquisite silver floral wallpaper and textured furnishings. Homero Nino, Graff general manager at The Vault, says Graff and Saks have had a successful relationship since 2001. It’s the only retailer where you’ll find the jewelry, apart from its standalone shops. Time for another look at that 12.5-karat diamond ring. “It’s perfect,” we pronounce. “You said it,” Nino responds. The same might be said for The Vault. For more, visit saks.com.
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
thegamesmenplay.com
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Time travel BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY PATEK PHILIPPE
n exploration of the storied history of Swiss watchmaking is about to land in Manhattan, with Patek Philippe’s “The Art of Watches, Grand Exhibition New York 2017.” Back in the January issue, we shared the announcement of what promises to be a summer highlight — the Geneva-based company welcoming watch collectors, antiques lovers and history buffs into its world during a July 13-23 exhibition at Cipriani 42nd Street. As the event nears, the organizers have shared some additional details about this sweeping exhibition devoted to luxury timepieces. Designed to showcase the brand’s tradition of high-precision watch manufacturing, the exhibit will offer an elaborate journey into the 178-year-old company’s history, complete with the recreation of a Geneva workshop. Patek Philippe will fill more than 13,000 square feet of exhibition space as it examines the history of both pocket and wristwatches through 10 themed rooms. As previously announced, these will range from the Film Theatre room, where the Patek Philippe historical movie will be shown, to the Current Collection room that will replicate the Patek Philippe Salon on the Rue du Rhône in Geneva to the Rare Handcrafts Gallery, where artisans will demonstrate the company’s dedication to craftsmanship and time-honored techniques. In the latest update, the company has announced details of a U.S. Historic Room, where Patek Philippe has curated a collection of notable timepieces from iconic U.S. collectors. The room will feature 27 timepieces on loan from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston and private collections. “The United States has been an extremely important market for Patek Philippe collectors since the 1850s,” Larry Pettinelli, president of Patek 104
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Philippe U.S., shares in advance of the show. “We hope to showcase some of these extraordinary timepieces… putting into context the evolution of Patek Philippe within the U.S. market.” Highlights from the U.S. Historic Room will include 11 timepieces from two of the most legendary Patek Philippe collectors from the early 20th century, New York banker and fine-arts enthusiast Henry Graves Jr., and Ohio automobile magnate James Ward Packard. In addition, the room will feature a historic desk clock on loan from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. The autonomous quartz desk clock was commissioned by German retailer Heinz Wipperfeld and manufactured by Patek Philippe for President Kennedy and presented to him in 1963 by Willy Brandt, the mayor of West Berlin. Sports fans will also delight in a timepiece owned by baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. Guided tours will be offered throughout the exhibition’s run, when a Patek Philippe Café will also be available. For more, visit patekphilippe.com.
From top, a Henry Graves Jr. pocket watch and “The Packard,” a 1927 James Ward Packard watch.
5TH ANNUAL
The Current State of Risk Management June 21 / Stamford, CT Keynote Speaker:
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY American Historian and Best-Selling Author and Presidential Historian, CNN
riskconference.business.uconn.edu
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Bienvenue to Lyndhurst BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY LYNDHURST
he French accent will be even stronger when this year’s incarnation of the costume exhibition opens June 15 at Lyndhurst. Jay Gould may have been the famed railroad baron and financier in residence at the Tarrytown mansion near the end of the 19th century, but “Defying Labels: New Roles, New Clothes” will again spotlight the women in his life. Exploring how their travels and their Paris-sourced fashions and accessories reflect the dramatic shift in women’s roles from the 1880s to the 1940s, the latest edition of “Defying Labels” — we featured the inaugural edition in our June 2016 issue — will again focus on Gould’s daughters, Anna Gould, Duchess of Talleyrand, and philanthropist Helen Gould, as well as daughter-in-law Edith Kingdon Gould, a former actress. Set to run until Sept. 24 in Lyndhurst’s carriage-house gallery, the exhibition’s international outlook is further fueled by a trio of items secured in a French auction conducted in March by Christie’s, the international auction house. Featuring personal accessories, home furnishings and decorative goods that belonged to the Lyndhurst heiress Anna Gould and her first husband, the auction offered a captivating glimpse into their lavish Parisian life. Successful bidding by executive director Howard Zar in the “Boniface de Castellane et Anna Gould — A Way of Life” auction increased Lyndhurst’s Gould family holdings. “The items have indeed arrived and they will be displayed in the second iteration of the ‘Defying Labels’ exhibition,” Zar tells us. These delicate treasures include a French Art Deco evening bag from the 1920s with a diamond-and-ruby clasp; a gold Tiffany & Co. pocket watch made in 1895, Anna Gould’s wedding gift to her first husband; and a pair of gold cufflinks with pictures of Gould’s children with her second husband, the Duke of Talleyrand. 106
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Anna Gould
AS ANNA WISHED “My father loved it, as did my sister, and as I do. We loved its broad acres, its stately trees, its unsurpassed view, and particularly the atmosphere of peace, of quiet, and of contentment which prevails… The days of my childhood spent there, I count among the happiest of my long life… And as our family enjoyed this wonderful estate for so long it is now my desire, and my wish, that the residents of Tarrytown enjoy it, and its boundless possibilities… as a memorial to my father, Jay Gould.” — Anna Gould (1875-1961), speaking at age 82, on her desire for Lyndhurst to become a museum.
In other Lyndhurst news: • Zar shares that the property received a $1 million grant to restore its lower landscape, the area between the mansion and the Hudson River. The renovation of the historic land, which is document-
ed as far back as 1840, is underway. Already, work has been completed related to fire hydrants and water service with landscape work, including the replanting of trees, to follow. “A big part of that is planting a cherry orchard,” Zar says, plus completing a large kitchen and flower garden and offering related horticultural programming. The grant was secured through the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation through the Environmental Protection Fund. • Specialty tours highlight a variety of newly restored areas. In the mansion, a Backstairs Tour takes participants up to the fifth-floor Tower, which offers panoramic views of the region, and continues down the back stairs through the Butler’s bedroom, pantry and down into the newly restored kitchen proceeding to the newly restored laundry and servants’ bedroom. Tours also touch on renovation work throughout the mansion. In addition, the bowling alley and pleasure pavilion will be open to the public after a restoration spanning some 30 years. The 7,000-square-foot shingled cottage features a wide veranda and two parlors, as well as the fully operational twolane bowling alley, said to be the oldest regulation bowling alley in the country. For more, visit Lyndhurst.org.
I FEEL SO POWERLESS. WE HAVE TO WATCH HER EVERY MINUTE. FAMILY AND FRIENDS STOPPED COMING AROUND. HE KEEPS SAYING: “THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.” IT’S DESTROYING OUR FAMILY. I FEEL SO GUILTY WE HAVE TO MOVE HER INTO A HOME. IT’S SO HARD TO CARE FOR SOMEONE WHO’S MEAN TO YOU. HE HIDES THINGS ALL THE TIME. I’M GRIEVING THE LOSS OF SOMEONE WHO’S STILL ALIVE. WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START.
LIVING WITH FTD IS HARD. LIVING WITHOUT HELP IS HARDER. THERE’S COMFORT IN FINDING OTHERS WHO UNDERSTAND. WE FINALLY FOUND A DOCTOR WHO GETS IT. I GOT SO MUCH ADVICE FROM OTHER CAREGIVERS. UNDERSTANDING MORE HELPS ME DEAL WITH HER SYMPTOMS. SEEING THAT OTHERS MADE IT THROUGH, I KNEW I COULD TOO. WE HONOR HIM BY ADVOCATING FOR A CURE. NOW I’M BETTER AT ASKING FOR HELP. NO MATTER HOW BAD IT GETS, WE KNOW WE’RE NOT ALONE. It can feel so isolating and confusing from the start: Just getting a diagnosis of FTD takes 3.6 years on average. But no family facing FTD should ever have to face it alone, and with your help, we’re working to make sure that no one does. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) is dedicated to a world without FTD, and to providing help and support for those living with this disease today. Choose to bring hope to our families: www.theAFTD.org/learnmore
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
a WaG 'cover' guy's second act STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID BRAVO
(Editor’s note: When Dee DelBello launched the revamped WAG in 2011, David Bravo was her director of photography, shooting most of our compelling covers. Though he’s since moved on, we’ve kept in touch and asked him to tell us a bit about what he’s been up to.)
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’m as active as ever in the photography scene, but I wanted to do more marketing and advertising work, so I reached out to a longtime colleague and friend, David Klang, about expanding my agency, David Bravo Creative. We’re both creative directors, but I’ve concentrated on small and mid-sized businesses, while he has worked mainly with Fortune 500 companies, so there’s an interesting synergy there — kind of a Madison Avenue comes to Main Street thing. It will be a lot of fun, like Lennon/McCartney (before the “White Album.”) Our goal for the agency is to take a holistic approach to marketing — to look at every aspect of a client’s business and find all the places we can add value, instead of just pouring money into media. There’s a fascinating creative tension between us, something that drives us to create unusual harmonies and unexpected solutions. One of our first projects was a pro bono fundraiser for The Kennedy Center in Trumbull, featuring a book of photographs that includes
some images from my stint as WAG director of photography. The Kennedy Center is dear to my heart. My brother benefited from its programs for the disabled throughout his life, and my whole family has been active in our support for decades. The organization provides vital services to some of the most vulnerable people in our community (at a fraction of the cost of government-run programs). But with the financial situation in Hartford and Washington, D.C., public funding is drying up and Kennedy will wind up shouldering more of the load. It needs everyone’s support more than ever, so we were glad to have the opportunity to help. We’ve already been able to make a noticeable difference — that’s what has always attracted me to marketing and advertising — so I’m looking forward to what the future holds. For more about David Bravo Photography, visit davidbravo.com. For more on the new advertising and marketing services, visit davidbravocreative. com. David can also be reached at 203-520-3075.
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Reaching new heights BY DANIELLE RENDA
must admit that I’ve always been intrigued by pole dancing. Not as an entertainment but as an art form. Maybe it’s the ability of the dancers to support their body weight in a manner that appears effortless. Maybe it’s the toning and conditioning benefits that follow the mastery of each new technique. Or perhaps it’s the celebration of femininity, conveyed through sensual movements. But regardless of what the reasons may be, there’s no denying that it’s just plain sexy. When I finally decided to pursue this experience, I chose to visit Pole Position, a boutique dance and fitness studio located in the heart of White Plains. New to the exercise entirely, I anticipated a studio of tall, voluptuous females reminiscent of Victoria’s Secret models — and experts on the pole, to say the least. But I was pleasantly relieved to see that all shapes, sizes and ages were represented in the class, each woman beautiful in her own way. And I had no trouble fitting in and feeling comfortable. In fact, the atmosphere was anything but intimidating. Brimming with support, each woman was quick to applaud when a fellow classmate completed a new move or successfully made it through a routine. “Most of the time, we’re just barefoot, dancing our souls out,” said Taylor Starke, owner of Pole Position. Starke, a warm spirit with a bubbly personality, led the class, which entailed a full dance routine, a pole climb and a suspended pole spin, designed for beginners. Though she made each move look natural, the techniques required upper- and lower-body strength, focus — and, most import110
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Taylor Starke, owner of Pole Position in White Plains, shows off her moves. Photograph courtesy Pole Position.
ant, a desire to let loose, flow with the music and embrace your sexy. If there was any confusion, Starke was more than attentive, breaking down the moves into individual, slow-motion steps for everyone to tackle at her own pace. “I think it’s really important to know that pole dancing is just dance,” Starke says. “If you keep going to class, you’re going to do some hard, athletic stuff.” And not only athletic, but artistic and sensual as well — the three main types of pole dancing, according to Starke. In February, she purchased the business, which originally opened in 2015. Before that, she had attended one of the studio’s classes — and became hooked. It was an unanticipated business move for Starke, an equestrian who graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a journalism degree just a few years prior. But it was a decision inspired by a lifelong passion for dance. “I always wanted to be a dancer,” she said. “But for a lot of forms of dancing, you miss the boat if you
don’t start very young. The thing with pole dancing is that most people start in their 20s and older.” Between her love for equestrian sports and dance, Starke keeps busy. She now divides her time working days as a barn manager in South Kent, Connecticut, and nights as a pole instructor at Pole Position. “I love what I do,” she said. And I undoubtedly loved the experience. It’s not everyday that you are able to exercise while feeling sexy and build confidence to boot. Despite being a newcomer, I was able to follow Starke’s instructions, learn new moves and thoroughly enjoy every minute of the class. The studio offers a variety of classes, ranging from beginning pole to intermediate, aerial fly gym, flexibility and exotic pole, as well as private events for birthdays, bachelorette parties and girls’ nights out. Pole Position is at 110 Mamaroneck Ave. For more, call 914-615-9450 or visit polepositiondanceandfitness.com.
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WELL
Sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Courtesy dreamstime.com.
Fishing for the perfect supplement BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI
When it comes to adding supplements to your nutrition, Mark Hyman, M.D., may have said it best in his book “The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First.” He wrote that if people “eat wild, fresh, organic, local, nongenetically modified food grown in virgin mineral and nutrition-rich soils that has not been transported across vast distances and stored for months before being eaten…and work and live outside, breathe only fresh unpolluted air, drink only pure, clean water, sleep nine hours a night, move their bodies every day and are free from chronic stressors and exposure to environmental toxins,” then it is possible that they might not need supplements. 112
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But, as we all know, that’s a big if. Hence the supplements. There are hundreds of companies selling thousands of these products nowadays. Let’s keep it simple and focus on one good supplement that we could all probably benefit from. Recent research has gotten behind taking fish oil daily, specifically Omega-3. Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids. The body can only produce so much polyunsaturated fatty acid on its own that you need to get it through your diet, too. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are the two most useful kinds of Omega-3s. They’re found in salmon, tuna, shrimp, herring, seaweed and some grass-fed meats. The third Omega-3, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), is found in plant sources like flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp, walnuts, kale and spinach. Since the body can’t produce this one at all, it has to come from food. Unless you are eating ample amounts of these foods daily, there’s a good chance that you could use some supplementation. Why Omega-3s? They produce hormone-like substances that reduce inflammation. An inflamed body manages blood sugar and insulin poorly, disrupts proper cell function and signals fat storage and muscle destruction. With this decreased inflammation, Omega-3s can also be looked at as helping with pain management, especially for those dealing with orthopedic challenges.
Omega-3s reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes and support good cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids are also highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for cognitive functioning. Indeed, infants who do not get enough Omega-3s from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems. Omega-3s enhance cell structure by improving the number and function of insulin receptors, thus aiding gut health. They also turn on lipolytic genes, which increase the ability of the body to burn fat, and turn off lipogenic genes, which decrease the body’s tendency to store fat. Finally, Omega-3 calms and soothes skin due to its role in the immune system, bolstering the body’s production of proteins called cytokines. Before embarking on any type of supplement routine please consult with your doctor. There are blood tests available that can determine if you are deficient in Omega-3s. Symptoms include fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression and poor circulation. Given the benefits and the symptoms of deficiencies, it is worth looking into. It may in fact be a missing link in your overall health, wellness and longevity. Reach Giovanni on Twitter @GiovanniRoselli and at his website, GiovanniRoselli.com.
PET OF THE MONTH
Photograph by Sebastian Flores.
Deep in the heart of Dixie
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f there’s ever been a pooch that’s been to the School of Hard Knocks, it’s the SPCA’s sweet Southern belle Dixie. The 13-year-old Pointer/American Staffordshire Terrier mix was rescued during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 after being separated from her family. She and a bunch of other dogs made the long journey from Louisiana to the SPCA to find new homes. Dixie was adopted for many years but was sadly returned as the family could no longer care for her. She became the SPCA office dog after that and two years later was adopted again. The SPCA was thrilled she was going to spend her golden years in a loving home, as every dog should. However, her adopter went through some life changes shortly after taking her home and could no longer keep her. So once again, Dixie finds herself back at the SPCA. She is a gentle giant and spends most of her days napping. She loves getting a good belly rub and some
TLC in between her naps. Although she is not a fan of other animals, she gets along well with people, from whom she wants nothing more than a warm bed and some yummy treats. She is available to foster forever, which means she doesn’t have to be adopted officially if someone is willing to take her into his or her home and love her for the rest of her days. The SPCA Clinic will continue to care for her medical needs at no cost to the foster “parent” and keep her comfortable. So how about it? Don’t you think Dixie finally deserves a break? To meet Dixie, visit the SPCA of Westchester at 590 N. State Road in Briarcliff Manor. Founded in 1883, the SPCA is a no-kill shelter and is not affiliated with the ASPCA. The SPCA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. To learn more, call 914941-2896 or visit spca914.org.
SPCA Adoption Day Saturday July 15th from 12-3
WHEN & WHERE
Through June 14 The Greenwich Library’s Flinn Gallery presents “Cambodia: Looking Back on the Future,” an exhibit that takes a deeper look at contemporary art in Cambodia, exploring notions of time, identity and history. 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 101 W. Putnam Ave., Second floor, Greenwich; 203-622-7947, flinngallery.com
Through June 17
For “Aerial Perspectives,” architect Richard Parrish developed works in kiln-formed glass. Inspired by aerial photography, they provide a bird’s-eye view of landscapes. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Bullseye Glass Resource Center, 115 Hoyt Ave., Mamaroneck; 914835-3794, bullseyeglass.com
June 4 Beechwood Arts and Innovation presents its first Arts
June 2 The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum’s First Fridays: A Contemporary Cocktail Party presents “Celebrating All Things Beatles.” This rock ‘n’ roll show, with Tim Currie and Norwalk’s Suns of Walrus, features classic Beatles hits. Catering company Festivities will provide fare to accompany a spirits tasting by Bridgeport’s Asylum Distillery. Top off the evening with a tour of the new exhibits. 7 to 9 p.m., 258 Main St., Ridgefield; 203-438-4519, aldrichart.org
Pelham Art Center hosts “The Twelve,” an exhibit of
June 2 and 4 Hudson Chorale concludes its season with Mozart’s “Requiem,” as well as a selection of works that illustrates how composers have used the universal language of music to express emotions associated with death, loss and mourning. 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday, Church of St. John the Evangelist, 148 Hamilton Ave., White Plains; 914-462-3212, hudsonchorale.org
June 3 Experience the sound of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras outdoors on the Great Lawn of the historic Pequot Library in Southport. Music lovers can enjoy selections performed by the GBYO String Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and Wind Ensemble. 3 to 5 p.m., 720 Pequot Ave., Southport; 203-259-0346, pequotlibrary.org works by Sammy Chong, the Center’s 2017 Alexander Rutsch Award & Solo Exhibition winner. Chong’s works explore stereotypes and preconceptions of immigrant workers. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; 155 Fifth Ave.; 914738-2525, pelhamartcenter.org
Through July 1
Immersion Salon of 2017: “Giving Voice - Telling Stories That Need to Be Told,” through a collaboration of music, art, film, performance, writing and culinary arts. 3 to 6 p.m., 52 Weston Road, Westport; 203-2269462, beechwoodarts.org/Upcoming.html The Dobbs Ferry Historical Society holds its sixth Historic House Tour, covering five historically significant properties in the exclusive neighborhood of Clinton Avenue and Broadway (near The Masters School) in Dobbs Ferry. 1 to 4 p.m., Tour starts at Mead House, 12 Elm St.; 914-674-1007, DobbsFerryHistory.org
June 6 Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County has its second
June 3 and 4 Peekskill Arts Alliance presents Peekskill Open Studios, during which more than 100 artists throughout the city will participate in group exhibits, collaborative performances and open studios. Times and locations vary; peekskillartists.org/openstudios2017 RiverArts presents RiverArts Music Tour, with 80 musical acts performing at 25 venues throughout Westchester’s Rivertowns — Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington and Tarrytown. Offerings include folk, rock, jazz and more. Times and locations vary; 914412-5120, riverarts.org
Kelli O’Hara. Photograph by Laura Marie Duncan. annual Arts & Culture Empowerment (ACE) Awards breakfast at Norwalk’s Shore and Country Club. Tony Award-winning actor and singer James Naughton is master of ceremonies, and the keynote speaker is Kelli O’Hara, the Tony Award-winning actress and singer. 7:30 to 9 a.m., 220 Gregory Boulevard, Norwalk; 203256-2329, cafcaceawards.eventbrite.com
June 8 Through 17 The Schoolhouse Theater presents “L.O.V.E.R.,” a one-woman show by Lois Robbins, who details her journey from childhood to adulthood through her sexual history, charting how she ultimately discov-
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TYLER HENRY
THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE for movies and the performing arts
JUNE
Non-profit 501 (c) (3)
2 Comedian Paula Poundstone 5 The B-52s 6 Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue Special Guest New Breed Brass Band
11 Ramsey Lewis
Grammy Award Winning Jazz Master Special Guest Steve Clarke Trio
21 The Airplane Family & Friends with Live Dead ‘69 Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love!
27 The Gipsy Kings 29 The Wallflowers
JULY
7 JJ Grey & Mofro 9 Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs 16 Peter Yarrow & Noel Paul Stookey
of Peter, Paul and Mary
20 Toad The Wet Sprocket Special Guest Beta Play
23 Judd Apatow
25 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo 26 Thunder from Down Under
THE HOLLYWOOD MEDIUM JUNE 25 JULY
27 Preservation Hall Jazz Band 28 Dave Koz and Larry Graham Side By Side Summer 2017
29 Bernie Williams and His All Star Band 31 Choir! Choir! Choir! As seen on YouTube!
AUGUST
1 Dweezil Zappa
Plays Whatever The F@%k He Wants
3 Sara Evans
Special Guest Cross Atlantic
4 Echoes of Sinatra
Starring Steve Kazlauskas With Jack Lynn as Dean Martin
5 8 12 13 16
Tommy Emmanuel Don Felder Formerly of The Eagles Brett Dennen An Evening with Colin Hay The Beach Boys
20 Chris Botti 23 Kenny Wayne Shepherd 24 Robert Randolph & The Family Band 25 An Evening With The Neal Morse Band 27 The Bacon Brothers
203.438.5795 • RIDGEFIELDPLAYHOUSE.ORG
ered herself. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays at The Schoolhouse Theater & Arts Center, 3 Owens Road, North Salem; 914-277-8477, schoolhousetheater.org
of storytelling and performances features hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Caz and DJ Grandwizzard Theodore. 7 p.m., ArtsWestchester’s Gallery, 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains; 914-428-4220, artsw.org/ fromthestreets
June 9
June 18
Ramsey Lewis. Photograph by Universal Attractions. Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens presents, on the Great Lawn, “Elisabeth von Trapp in Concert.” Born and raised in Vermont, Elisabeth is the granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Georg von Trapp, the inspirations behind “The Sound of Music.” 5 to 6:30 p.m., 151 Brookdale Road, Stamford; 203-322-6971, bartlettarboretum.org The newly renovated Wall Street Theater in Norwalk presents “The Garcia Project,” showcasing classic Jerry Garcia Band shows from the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. 8 p.m., 71 Wall St.; 877-987-6487, wallstreettheater.ticketfly.com
June 10 Connecticut Open House Day - Explore many free, special events across Fairfield County at leading museums, including 1750 Ogden House, (fairfieldhistory. org), the Greenwich Historical Society (greenwichhistory.org), The New Pond Farm Education Center (newpondfarm.org) and the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (lockwoodmathewsmansion.com). See websites for details.
June 11 Celebrate the Philip Johnson Glass House at its annual fundraising Summer Party, featuring a festive picnic by South End, Champagne by Taittinger, lawn games, music and an auction. Also featured is the world premiere of “The Metamorphoses.” Noon to 4 p.m., 199 Elm St., New Canaan; 203-978-3011, theglasshouse.org Ridgefield Playhouse presents Grammy Award-winning pianist Ramsey Lewis, who has been an iconic leader in the contemporary jazz movement for more than 50 years and has hosted the “Legends of Jazz” radio program and PBS series. 8 p.m., 80 E. Ridge Road; 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org
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Westchester Philharmonic’s “Burgers, Beer & B-Flat Minor” program serves up conductor Andrew Litton and pianist Conrad Tao performing works by Tchaikovsky and Dvořák. The event is followed by an outdoor Father’s Day celebration that includes food, beer, music and more. 3 p.m., Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road; 914-6823707, westchesterphil.org
June 24 New Canaan’s Carriage Barn Arts Center presents The Madera Winds Quintet in an energetic concert.
June 15 Norwalk International Cultural Exchange (NICE) spotlights “Destination India,” an evening celebrating Indian culture with Bhangra dance, Sikh martial arts (Gatka), Indian cooking demonstrations and tastings, henna art and more. 5:30 to 10 p.m., The Barn at Fodor Farm, 328 Flax Hill Road, Norwalk; 203-919-3000, norwalknice.org/nice-festival-series-2017
June 16 The Klein Auditorium showcases the eighth annual “Hair of the Dog Extravaganza,” featuring Irish-American musicians and step dancers. 7:30 to 10 p.m., 910 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport; 800-424-0160, ext. 2, showclix.com/event/hotd-2017
There’s a post-concert reception. 4 to 6 p.m., Waveny Park, 681 South Ave; 203-972-1895, carriage barn.org Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts offers its American Roots Festival, a full day of American music, from folk and country to bluegrass and gospel. The night closes with performances by banjo player/fiddler Rhiannon Giddens and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz and her trio. 10 a.m., 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah; 914-232-1252, caramoor.org
June 29 Through July 1 The Capitol Theatre hosts three nights of stand-up comedy with comedian Bill Burr. He is best known for his role on “Chappelle’s Show,” his stand-up specials and his hit animated Netflix series, “F is for Family” 7 p.m., 149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; 914-9374126, thecapitoltheatre.com
ArtsWestchester presents “Stories & Sounds From Back in the Day,” one of several events associated with its current “From the Streets” exhibit. This night
Presented by ArtsWestchester and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County. For more, visit artswestchester.org and culturalalliancefc.org.
Travels with Hemingway: Touring Paris – with Papa at every turn BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
any people visit Hemingway sites in Paris. Not many get to meet him. Enter Elizabeth Kemble, founder of Travellati Tours in Tarrytown, whose “Papa’s Paris Tour” enables participants not only to visit the sites where elegantly economical author Ernest Hemingway lived, laughed and loved, but to encounter his “ghost” at Le Select, the literary café that figures in “The Sun Also Rises” and that is still a hangout, albeit for a more well-heeled crowd, on the Left Bank. You’ll also meet him at La Closerie des Lilas, a café where he did a lot of writing that’s now a brasserie/restaurant. Oh, look, there’s Gertrude Stein as well and the fighting Fitzgeralds, Scott and Zelda. It’s no séance. Rather, Kemble, as passionate about literature as she is about travel and adventure, has created a theatrical presentation — written by Angelo Parra, who has taught playwriting at The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center in Sleepy Hollow, and performed by professional actors — that the six to 12 tour members encounter with her as they take in the City of Lights. “The focus is on fun, not education per se,” Kemble says, though she adds “It’s fun for educated people.” Kemble has been having fun with French, travel and literature for as long as she can remember. She was born in Paris, where her father studied art on the GI Bill. “It was like ‘An American in Paris’ without the dancing,” she says. Her mother was a German au pair whom her father met while teaching English at the Berlitz school there. When Kemble was 6, the family moved to her father’s hometown of Cincinnati. There she remembers reading “The Old Man and the Sea” at age 10 under the porch overhang of her babysitter’s house on a warm afternoon, courtesy of the babysitter’s son, who was reading Hemingway as well as John Steinbeck in high school. “It was my first real experience of tragedy in literature,” she says. Kemble, who moved with her family to Edgewater, New Jersey, when she was 12, would go on to French area studies at Barnard College and an array of careers. She was in product management in Manhattan’s Garment District and a project manager in information technology with Chanel, La Redoute, Michael Kors, Avon and Kate Spade, which kept the 120
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A bouquiniste (bookseller) along the banks of the Seine. Photograph courtesy Travellati Tours.
Hotel garden and breakfast area in Latin Quarter. Photograph courtesy Henri Courtet.
bilingual Kemble on the move. Consultant work with a Dutch company took her to Amsterdam, a city she fell in love with. She also got involved in theater in Margaretville, New York, with The Open Eye Theater, founded by Jean Erdman, a Sarah Lawrence College graduate who had married one of her professors, mythologist Joseph Campbell. Kemble could say, then, with Tennyson’s farflung Ulysses, “I am a part of all that I have met.” “Project management has a lot in common with a tour presentation in that you have a start, an end, a budget and deadlines,” she says.
Still, it didn’t all click for Kemble until she watched “Midnight in Paris.” The 2011 Woody Allen movie finds a nostalgic, contemporary writer encountering Hemingway and the rest of the Lost Generation in the Paris of the madcap Jazz Age. “I said, ‘Oh, gosh, I so want to do that.’” And so she did, founding the company almost two years ago. On the latest tour, June 17 to 25, she and the group will meet up in Paris, where they’ll have an immersive experience via boutique accommodations, mom-and-pop eateries, public transportation and even the steeplechase races, a favorite Papa pastime. Can’t get in on the June trip? There will be another in September. Kemble is also developing a tour called “Bowie’s Berlin,” about the late singer David Bowie’s time there. But one tour in development is particularly close to her heart. “Picasso’s Pyrenees” will take tour members to the southern French town of Céret, a mecca for Pablo Picasso and other Cubists. It was there that her father met Frank Burty Haviland, an art patron and Cubist champion whose home, a former monastery called Le Couvent des Capucins, attracted many artists of the day. “I have a special connection to Céret,” Kemble says. For her, the past is always just a step away. For more, visit travellati.com.
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L.O.V.E.R. Baring It All! This is a world premiere play written and performed by Lois Robbins. It is a comic and poignant riff of love and lust from a #grown-up woman's P.O.V. - a treat for all!
June 8 - June 25 Thursdays through Sundays 3 Owens Rd, North Salem, N.Y.10560 Email: schoolhousetheater@gmail.com (914) 277-8477
X
TIX : www.schoolhousetheater.org We are in Croton Falls, Exit 8 off of I-684
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ICONS OF THE BRUCE More than 150 guests came out to celebrate artworld luminaries at the Bruce Museum’s annual Icon Awards in the Arts. The fundraising cocktail party and awards ceremony honored Rick and Monica Segal, Egbert Haverkamp-Begemann, Richard Haas, Philip Pearlstein, David P. Tunick, Joseph J. Rishel and Deborah and Alan Simon. The event was held at Belle Haven Club in Greenwich, where guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and libations. Proceeds from the evening benefit exhibitions and education programs at the Bruce. Photographs by Carola Muis.
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1. Egbert Haverkamp-Begemann, David P. Tunick, Deborah and Alan Simon, Monica and Rick Segal, Richard Haas and Philip Pearlstein 2. Susan Ball and Katherine Sokolnikoff 3. Ann Vassiliou, Barbara Tavrow, Suzanne Lio and RJ Vassiliou 4. Kathy Reichenbach, Richard Haas and Susan Mahoney 5. Gale Lawrence, Kathleen Metinko and Jan Kniffen 6. Jules and Janet Davis
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JILL SINGER HONORED Jill Singer, founder of Jill Singer Graphics, was recently honored as the Community Partner of the Year by the Association of Development Officers (ADO) during the organization’s annual Philanthropy Awards Breakfast at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown. Singer was recognized along with Betsy Steward (Fundraiser of the Year), Peter Samaha (Outstanding Philanthropist Award), the Pro Bono Partnership Board of Directors (Board Philanthropic Award) and David Singer (Outstanding Corporate Philanthropy). Each year, ADO showcases outstanding examples of philanthropy, fundraising and volunteerism and celebrates the effect that these have on the quality of life in our area.
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proud to be
exceptional .
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N AT I O N A L F O L K D A N C E E N S E M B L E O F C R O AT I A
“A n a u d i e n c e o f 5 0 0 0 c e r t a i n l y appreciated some of the most skillful and inventive performances of the national dance ever seen at the Royal Albert H a l l .” EVENING NEWS – LONDON
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 8PM
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, PURCHASE COLLEGE 735 Anderson Hill Rd, Purchase, NY10577 t i c kets: w w w.CroEx po .com
[800] 506-6898
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WALKING FOR HOPE Breast Cancer Alliance’s largest crowd ever was in pink as hundreds of supporters — from toddlers to grandparents — walked and ran to honor and remember those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer. Dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives to the disease and honoring the courage of breast cancer survivors, the event brought together families, friends and neighbors from Connecticut, New York and beyond. This year, the Breast Cancer Alliance presented the inaugural HOPE Award to Omnicom Group in recognition of its steadfast commitment and generosity as Platinum lead sponsor of the 5K Run/Walk for Hope. Dennis Hewitt, President and CEO Omnicom Capital Inc. spoke poignantly on behalf of the company. Photographs by Elaine Ubiña.
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1. Liz Herbert 2. Lisa Flemming, Mary Jeffery, Yonni Wattenmaker, Susan Weis and Courtney Olsen 3. Taylor Black 4. Yonni Wattenmaker and Dennis Hewitt 5. I Walk For My Mom 6. Save The Girls
NEWSIES The news was on the minds of many recently when the League of Women Voters of New Castle held its “Media and Politics: The Impact on Our Democracy” forum at the Chappaqua Library Theater. Jeanne Zaino — PhD, political analyst and professor at Iona College — moderated the engaging and informative conversation with panelists Jon Klein, Jerry McKinstry and Phil Reisman. The program was videotaped by New Castle Community Media Center and can be viewed online at lwvnewcastle.org. Photograph by Willa Kuhn.
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Named one of the region’s best hospitals for 2016-2017 by U.S. News & World Report and the highest on the list in Westchester
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At Country Bank Our Rates Were Raised! Historically Country Bank rates change when the Federal Reserve rate changes. How many banks can say that?
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FINE KLINE Recently, the Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation honored Oscar and Tony Award winner Kevin Kline at its “Loukoumi on Broadway” event. More than 60 guests enjoyed Kline’s performance in the Broadway hit “Present Laughter,” followed by a post-show reception at Sardi’s. There, he was presented with the Loukoumi Make A Difference Award. The Foundation honors those who set an example for children to emulate — in Kline’s case, not only a stellar career but charitable work with organizations such as The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Photographs by Jillian Nelson. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Peter Francis James, Kevin Kline and Nick Katsoris Kevin Kline and Voula Katsoris Kevin Kline (center) surrounded by guests Kevin Kline
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CHERISHED CHILDREN The St. Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation recently hosted its third annual “Cherish the Child” luncheon, honoring Larchmont resident Michele Caiola, at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in Yonkers. More than 160 guests attended the event, which featured a tour of the facility, a VIP sneak peek at the new facility addition and a three-course lunch catered by Foundation friend and restaurateur Peter X. Kelly of Xaviar’s Restaurant Group. 5. Janet Franco and Beth Leventhal 6. Diana Rotundo and Jamar 7. Diane Kenney and Kim Nicastri 8. Shannon and Michael Gallagher 9. Rachel Amar, Stephanie and Shari Grosso 10. Salvatore, Michele, Benny and Gianna Caiola 11. Mike and Susie Welling
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Rec og nized as one of Ame rica ’s 100 B e st Hosp i t al s f or Pa tie nt Expe rie nce by the Women’s C hoic e Awar d ® .
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Westmoreland Sanctuary
Floral Lecture & Workshop Series “FLOWER POTLUCK”
Bring Your Favorite Seasonal Flowers, Twigs, Weeds and Greens. Share in a Creative Community of Like-Minded Flower Lovers
Thursday, June 8th
10:00 am - 12:00 Noon AN EDIBLE LAWN FOR POLLINATORS Guest Speaker: Timothy J. Stanley Founder of Native Beeology Past President, NYS Outdoor Education Association Assistant Director, Fresh Air Fund’s Sharpe Reservation 10:00 am – 10:45 am FLOWER POTLUCK WORKSHOP Guest Speaker: Nadia Ghannam Bachelor of Fine Arts - Cornell University Masters of Arts - Queens University 10:45 am – 12:00 Noon Coffee, Tea and Cookies to Follow $35.00 – Materials Included To Register, Visit WestmorelandSanctuary.org 260 Chestnut Ridge Rd., Mt Kisco, NY 10549 914.666.8448
AUG. 3 Foraged Flowers
Series Dates SEPT. 21 Late Summer Bouquets
DEC. 7 Winterscapes
Westmoreland Sanctuary. Celebrating 60 Years of Preservation, Conservation and Appreciation of Nature. WAGMAG.COM
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BEING THE CHANGE Kicking off National Volunteer Month, more than 600 community members filled the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown to capacity to celebrate volunteerism and eight honorees, who were chosen for their exceptional example as volunteers and local changemakers. Among the honorees was Legacy Award winner George Troyano, who received the award for his exemplary service to the community. Last year, Volunteer New York! helped coordinate more than 299,000 hours of service, which were devoted to roughly 500 nonprofits at a value of some $8.1 million. Photographs by Paul Schneiderman and Doreen Hendley. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Doug Rogers and Maria Collins Noam Bramson and Jake Gallin Marissa Madonia and Marjorie Lang Celia Brown, Wendy Wollner and Kevin Plunkett Matthew McCrosson and Ed Forbes Andrew Sindell, Larry Krantz and Mike Snow Joanne Kirkpatrick, Henry King and Jane Solnick Michael Fosina and Sharon Salomy Douglas Tracy McVey and Tom Gottlieb Dennis Noskin, Robert Weisz and Robert Roth Gregory Varian and Mindi Lund Rob Astorino Jason Schiciano, Laura Picone, Sue Fuirst, Mike Sava and Ken Fuirst 14. Eric Lorberfeld and Joseph Ali 15. Devin Juros and Maria Collins 16. Joseph Roberto and Timothy Clark 17. Bob Knight, Janice Luber Kirschner and Howard Greenberg 18. Michael Armstrong, Alisa Kesten and Jared Rice 19. Rosie Samudio and Richard Thomas 20. Ciro Cuono and Clifford Weber
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Proud to be among just 7% of hospitals nationwide to achieve Magnet ÂŽ recognition for nursing excellence
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KENYA, TANZANIA, ETHIOPIA & RWANDA TOURS Exceptional Camps & Lodges | Authentic Experiences | Private tours for groups and families with children
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REINVENTING REAL ESTATE The Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals — WAG’s sister publications — convened a real estate panel at the C.V. Rich Mansion in White Plains to discuss “adapting land and structures for new and profitable uses.” Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson, partner at Thompson & Bender moderated the Q&A discussion with panelists Bruce M. Berg, CEO of Fuller Development Co. and The Cappelli Organization; Peter S. Duncan, president and CEO of George Comfort & Sons Inc.; Patricia Simone, president of Simone Development Cos., Paul H. Teti, partner at Normandy Real Estate Partners, and Andrew V. Tung, partner at Divney Tung Schwalbe. Photographs by Sebastian Flores. 1. Jennifer Smith and Norma Montel 2. Jesica Youngblood, Kristen Motel, Patrick O’Leary, Kevin Marbury and Tony Gioffre 3. Hilarie Siles and Cyd Smith 4. Rebecca Freeman and Marcia Pflug 5. Susan Goldberger and Susan Yubas 6. Arnold Bencosme, Genevieve Park Salvatore and Jorge J. Garcia 7. Richard Boggs and Barry Hersh 8. Maureen Funke and Chris Duprey 9. Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson, Anne Jordan Duffy and Patricia Simone 10. Dennis Ramey, Steve Couture and Gary Michael 11. Andrew Ewertz and Clinton Ma 12. Walter Murray and Danielle Della Pella 13. David Scotto and Robin Herko 14. Julie Fareri and John Fareri 15. Mary Amato and Paul Zullo 16. Colleen Quinn and Liz K. Tapia 17. Maggie Smith and Edward Reyman 18. Katelin Van Voorhis and Michael Spencer
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• International Wines, Spirits and Beers • Free Wine Tastings on Friday and Saturday • Daily Sales and Specials • Corporate and Client Gifting Programs • Event Planning Services • Classes, Seminars and Tutorials • Private In-Home Tastings and Classes
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A GALA EVENING The Masters School’s Spring Gala, held in the Fonseca Center on the Dobbs Ferry campus, set school records for fundraising and attendance. Emceed by Masters parent Catherine Zeta-Jones, the event was organized to help support a wide range of school initiatives. More than 500 attendees celebrated with dinner and spirited bidding during an auction. Entertainment was provided by several of the Masters’ student groups. The proceeds from the “Sustaining Our Future” event will advance the school’s mission by supporting the campus, faculty and programs. Photographs by Isaac Cass. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Catherine Zeta-Jones Michelle Delong and Keryn Mathas Michael Douglas Martin Scorcese, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Laura Danforth
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NETWORKING IN GREENWICH The Greenwich Chamber of Commerce recently hosted more than 400 guests and 70 tabletop exhibitors for an evening of networking and business promotion at its annual Business Showcase at Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. The event featured demonstrations, food sampling and prizes. Proceeds from this event are dedicated to the chamber’s mission of advocating, promoting, connecting and educating local businesses.
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MARIAN’S 108TH BIRTHDAY BASH The Bristal Assisted Living at Armonk recently hosted a party to celebrate resident Marian Henry’s 108th birthday. Henry has lived through two World Wars, the Great Depression and the Great Recession, 20 U.S. presidents, Lindberg crossing the Atlantic and men landing on the Moon. A Brooklyn girl by birth, she was raised in Queens. She was independent at a young age, attending business school, enjoying a career in law administration and later working as a broker on Wall Street until the age of 99. Congratulations, Marian: You’re a real WAG woman. 8. Rob Astorino, David Buchwald, Samantha Krieger, Marian Henry, Jose Berra, Margaret Cunzio, Barbara DiGiacinto and George Latimer
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Bennett Cancer Center – 40 hopeinmotion.org
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LISA CASH
ANNE JORDAN DUFFY
BARBARA HANLON
MARCIA PFLUG
PATRICE SULLIVAN
ou tstan d in g ac h ievem e n t
$95 BILLION in sales volume
celebrating an
extraordinary
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year
In 2016, the Sotheby’s International Realty network achieved the highest annual sales volume performance in the history of the brand.
gl o ba l growt h
70 countries & territories
20,000
880
sales associates
offices
s ot hebys r ea lty.c o m
22
million visits
54% increase from 2015
gr een wic h b ro k erag e Our agents are skilled professionals with local knowledge and a dedication to high-quality service for every client. They take great pleasure in discovering the aspects that make each home unique.
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.
WE WONDER:
WIT
WHAT IS YOU R FAVORITE PL ACE OR AC TIVIT Y TO E XPLORE? *
Sanjeev Avasthi
Peter Cole
receptionist at the Neuberger Museum of Art, Hartsdale resident
Neuberger Museum of Art visitor services associate, Port Chester resident
“The beach. The waves keep you calm and quiet.”
Collin McClutchy
Purchase College senior, arts management major, Sturbridge, Massachusetts, resident
“I really like to explore the woods behind the school. There’s a lot of random art back there. It’s also a little creepy.”
“I really like to draw insects. So I like to go into places like the Rye Nature Preserve to draw bugs. It gets me outside.”
Troy Peterson
tutor, Montrose resident
“Watching movies. They transport me to a different world, like a time machine.”
Darcy Gervasio reference coordinator, Purchase College library, Mount Vernon resident
sophomore, Purchase College, Albany, New York, resident
Elijah James
Daniel Kilkelly
“I really enjoy swing dancing. It’s improvisational, creative and a good way to socialize with people.”
“I enjoy exploring the beach, because you can spend all day there and not get bored. Plus I love the water.”
“Almost every single weekend I’m out to a different place. Anywhere within driving distance that I haven’t been to yet, I just go check out.”
Jared Stammer
Purchase College conduct officer, Wilton resident
“I like to explore the woods. The White Mountains in New Hampshire, the Catskills, really anywhere there aren’t any people.”
Robert Triscoli
Purchase College More Store cashier, White Plains resident
“I like video games. I am usually in my room playing 'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.'”
Purchase College marketing manager, White Plains resident
Dayton Tucker
chief of University Police Department, Purchase College, Westchester resident
“I have two small children and I enjoy playing with them.”
Elliott Lewis
Purchase College assistant professor of journalism, Bridgeport resident
“The Pacific Northwest Columbia River Gorge, because it puts me in touch with nature.”
Bobby Woody
Purchase College Student Government Association Senator and tech services coordinator, Baltimore resident
“The Baltimore Aquarium, because I’m in love with the manta ray tank. It’s just a pretty thing.”
* Asked by Curtis Brodner, Jeffrey Cabrera, Chris Gitner, Ethan Gresko, Ellie Houghtaling and Arielle Young of the Purchase College Community Reporting Team around the campus.
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