L I V I N G H I G H I N L O W E R M A N H AT TA N
The global restaurant titan serves up his recipe of commitment to TriBeCa
De Niro and Rosenthal’s TriBeCa Film Festival Turns 10 The hottest films, coolest events and newest community programs
A color-crammed Spring Fashion Preview Exclusive interview with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly
SPRING 2011
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DOWNTOWN
Volume 2, Issue 1
spring 2011
11
Letter From The Publisher
13
Letter From The Editor
14
Contributors
16
Calendar: On The Town Spring 2011
ENTOURAGE INSIGHT
40
18
Manahatta Discovering the battery
20
Ray Kelly, Protector of the People
22
Elizabeth Berger, Planner for the People
24
The Luxury of Investing with Purpose True financial and social return
26
Living High Without Leaving Home Downtown’s luxury residences leave little to the imagination
CULTURE CODE 28
Top 10 Neighborhood To-Dos
30
Jen Bergstrom, a Below Canal Street Kinda Gal
31
Reading List Cozy up with these new reads
38
DOWNTOWN ON: TriBeCa
54
32
Getting to Know TriBeCa Past and present
34
Giving Back Through Film Behind the scenes with TriBeCa Film Institute’s Beth Janson
36
Popcorn Picks TriBeCa Film Festival 10th edition hot tickets
38
Style of Dannijo The scoop from two Downtown designers
40
COVER STORY The Lower Manhattan Project TriBeCa restaurant titan, Drew Nieporent has built a global empire but never left his dedication to building…and rebuilding the neighborhood behind
Make sure to visit our website at downtownmagazinenyc.com
46
STYLE VAULT Wes Gordon, Boy Wonder Urban elegance
48
Gold Standard
50
Trend Alerts for All!
54
Objects of Desire Gadgets that cost more than a pretty penny
57
Lights! Camera! Fashion! As the 10th TriBeCa Film Festival gets underway, DOWNTOWN suitably plays homage to some of Hollywood’s greatest New York movie scenes with marquee modern looks
64
Bold Mood Mod Accents Illuminate Your Living Room
66
Three’s Company Beauty and hair looks from the runway, everyday
67 68
Makeover Bliss Enhancing haircuts for the shape of your face Aging Gracefully Beauty tips from Dr. Don Roland
36
CITY BITES 71
Inside Corton A taste of avant-garde dining
72
Spring Picnic
74
Magic in the Kitchen 3 different professional chefs’ home cookin’ favorites add up to one great meal
75
Last Call When the hour grows late, plan a date in or a night out on the Downtown scene
77
Downtown Eats
EXTRA! EXTRA! 80
Hidden Gem Found artifacts from the first female doctor in America
82 84
Rearview Mirror Views from New York by Gehry Soapbox Street Talk with Downtown Dogs
71
48
DOWNTOWN CEO AND PUBLISHER GRACE A. CAPOBIANCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrea Tullman EDITOR-AT-LARGE Shari Hartford EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mike Hammer CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ala Ennes ART DIRECTOR Mia Macfarlane FASHION EDITOR Amanda Orlinsky FOOD EDITOR Murray Yanker COPY EDITOR Jacqueline Grupe DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Shayna Macklin ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Lauren Matina DESIGN CONSULTANT Guiv Rahbar PHOTOGRAPHERS Lana De Doncker, Dzemo Halilovic, Alex Hon, Morgan Miller, Chris Ragalie, Philippe Reynaud, Tony Shi CONTRIBUTORS Umber Ahmad, John J. Capobianco, Suzanne Corso, Tara Drake, Nick Jabbour, Stacy Seiler, Alison Simko TECHNOLOGY Bradley Kirkland, Stefan Lucut, Nicu Iordachescu ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Lindita Capri OFFICE MANAGER Simone Babb ADVISOR TO THE PUBLISHER Andrew Wheatcroft LEGAL COUNCIL Thomas Farley FINANCIAL MANAGER Nancy Frey VIDEOGRAPHERS Dan Giangiulio, Ben Saud ASSISTANT FOOD EDITOR Amy Matlock ADVERTISING INTERNS Lindsy DeLanoy, Jordan Kunis GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNS Morghan Andrews, Jane Gardner, Haley Newman, Essence Rodriguez LIFESTYLE INTERNS Andrea Cortese, Louise Hahn, Alaina Hernadez, Jacquelin Mckay, Matt Scotto, Todd Singer
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Grace A. Capobianco CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Michel Pécou DOWNTOWN Magazine NYC, INC CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 64 Fulton Street, Suite 501 New York, NY 10038 Phone: 212.962.1916 Fax: 888.761.0937 www.downtownmagazinenyc.com Copyright 2011 by DOWNTOWN Magazine NYC, Inc. All rights reserved. DOWNTOWN Magazine is published four times a year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 212.962.1916 or visit downtownmagazinenyc.com. For customer service, please inquire at customer@downtownmagazinenyc.com. To distribute DOWNTOWN Magazine at your business, please email distribution@downtownmagazinenyc.com.
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9
PUBLiSHeR’S LETTER
A Downtown State of Mind First and foremost
we showed in our first issue, this is a different
I have to use some of my 600 words to say
kind of magazine. We’ve thrown caution to the
thank you to my entire team. What an incredible
wind and old publishing rules out the window.
group of individuals, who just happened to be
We don’t just say we represent our community,
thrown together for better or worst. Lucky us,
advertisers and readers, we live it.
it was for the better. Most employers search for experienced employees, yet they forget that they photography by Lana De Doncker. hair and makeup by christo Salon. Dress and shoes courtesy of karen Millen. bracelet courtesy of Dannijo.
too were once inexperienced. I happen to gravitate towards young raw talent, with a burning desire to make their mark. Yes, I took a chance,
OuR nEighbORhOOD iS LEADing ThE wAy, TAking chAncES whEn MAny pEOpLE ThOughT OnLy Of wALking AwAy. This is your magazine, a guide to the best the
but I’m sure you’ll agree that it has paid off…
neighborhood has to offer. Downtown is grow-
many times over.
ing, and with your support we can grow along
I recently read that in the next 10 to 20 years,
with it. Help us celebrate and navigate the best
Lower Manhattan will be the new epicenter
old and new neighborhood in the Greatest City
of New York City. It is a community forging
on Earth.
forward, always evolving, with new luxury
Downtown is here to stay!
and progress revealing itself in every nook and cranny below Canal Street. Our neighborhood is leading the way, taking chances when many people thought only of walking away. We are a diverse group of people who have all found a special place to live, to work, to flourish.
Grace A. Capobianco publisher
If someone had suggested to me that I would launch a magazine at a time of my life when most people are thinking about retirement, I would have said “You’re crazy.” But what an inspiration our little slice of heaven has proven to be! The opportunity to do something focused on Downtown was irresistible. And as
spring 2011
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Fine Jewelry HandcraFted
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editoR’S LETTEr
From Fortune Cookies to Treasure Island Long story short, one Saturday night, while battling the pre-winter chill, I opened two fortune cookies after a Chinese dinner. Fortune one read: “Determination will get you through this,” while number two said: “A thrilling time is in store for you.” Though not one to take these cookies seriously, I found both rather profound considering the transitional time in my life. So much so, that I took a picture and proceeded to upload it to all of my social media accounts. Several weeks later, I found myself in the hands of DOWNTOWN.
Photography by Lana De Doncker. Hair and makeup by Christo Salon. Necklace courtesy of Dannijo.
Come January, I had discovered New York’s
town’s outdoor attractions: perhaps a picnic in
fortune: Lower Manhattan. So it goes, New
one of Lower Manhattan’s parks? We provide
Yorkers are some of the proudest around. I
expert tips on how to make it chic and child
say, Downtowners are in a class all their own.
friendly.
Downtown is a small slice of a bustling island
With that, we sew together a tribute to
oozing with rich stories, zeal and excitement;
TriBeCa and bow down to the 10th annual
its residents personify all of these ingredients,
TriBeCa Film Festival and its positive impact
making the area an even more alluring smor-
on the community in our DOWNTOWN On
gasbord. Those that I have met and interviewed
section and later in our film-inspired fashion
in my first quarter are inspiring. Their accom-
shoot. Not to mention, we spend time with res-
plishments and wisdom are humbling. Their
taurateur and TriBeCa royalty, Drew Nieporent.
dedication to and passion for Lower Manhattan is contagious. As we greet the approaching season, it’s finally time to share all the spring news the DOWNTOWN team has been collecting for
We complete the spring tapestry with fashions for all and beauty trends to brighten your mood. Buoyant hues like those of fresh spring flowers crop up all over. If we have left you wanting more, I invite
months. A launching pad for the rest of the
you to venture to our relaunched website,
island, Downtown is bursting at the seams with
where you can find an ever-growing treasure-
history. Tuck yourself into a comfortable chair
trove of content to keep you busy until the next
and get lost in the tale of uncovering “Mana-
issue arrives.
hatta.” Then explore the story of the first female
So, Manhattanites, cheers to the new season
doctor in America. And while you’re at it, delve
of April showers, May flowers and so much
into a new spring read.
more. See you in the summer!
We weave in luxury by presenting a glimpse into Downtown’s ambitious residences, lavish gadgets and plentiful eats from top chefs. Em-
Andrea Tullman
brace spring by taking advantage of Down-
Editor-in-Chief
spring 2011
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DOWNTOWN Contributors
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD ■ DONALD ROLAND, MD, FACS
Dr. Roland is a resident of the Financial District and a local business owner, with a Cosmetic Surgery practice on Wall Street. He advises the magazine in the areas of health and beauty and has articles in DOWNTOWN Magazine in print and on line. The DOWNTOWN Magazine Advisory Board coming June 2011
■ NICK JABBOUR New York City native, Nick Jabbour has been a real estate broker for over six years, closing over 120 properties in that time, while consistently earning production and volume awards along the way. His interests include travel, politics, volunteerism and non-profit board governance. He eats, lives, works and breathes the Financial District. He can be reached at nick@nickjabbour.com.
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■ MORGAN MILLER New York City based fashion and fine art photographer, Morgan Miller has quickly become an in demand talent. Originally from Woodstock, New York and discovered by legendary photographer Peter Beard, Miller’s work is appearing in magazines and private collections around the world. His goal as a photographer is for people who see his work in a magazine to stop, tear it out and hang it on their wall, allowing him to connect with people in a personal and profound way.
■ UMBER AHMAD Umber Ahmad specializes in the origination and execution of private transactions. As a partner and co-founder of two international private investment firms, she focuses on long-term controlling stake investments in the areas of aerospace and defense, luxury and agriculture. Ahmad started her career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and later joined the Goldman Sachs Private Equity Group before co-founding her first firm. She spends most of her time focused on investments that address both critical social and financial issues.
■ SUZANNE CORSO Suzanne Corso is an author/ screenwriter/producer. She is currently working on the sequel to her latest book, Brooklyn Story (Simon & Schuster). Corso loves living Downtown and the feeling of sunshine creeping through the neighborhood’s unique architecture. For more information about Corso, see suzannecorso.com.
■ LANA DE DONCKER Lana De Doncker is from Antwerp, Belgium, and has been in United States for a little over two months. She began studying photography four years ago. She comes from a creative background. In Belgium she attended Dé Kunsthumaniora, where she studied art. In addition to photography, De Doncker loves skiing, which she has been doing since she was three years old.
■ TARA DRAKE Tara Drake is a freelance makeup artist, born and bred in New York. She works in all aspects of major media: editorial, television, film, fashion shows, celebrities, music videos and special events. Her clients have appeared on VH1, Comedy Central, Oxygen and E!, in People En Español magazine, on the runways of New York Fashion Week, and on the red carpet at the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. Tara is currently developing her own line of beauty products, which will be released in 2011. She resides on the Lower East Side and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!
■ PHILIPPE REYNAUD Fashion photographer, Philippe Reynaud began his career as a model, with his first shoot for Versace. His latest dream is a move to the other side of the camera. Philippe has been perfecting his lens skills, focusing on “real moments” and getting to know his subjects. When asked who he’d most like to photograph, he mentions someone very close to his heart—his dad. His current studio, Union Square Studios, doubles as an event space.
■ STACY SEILER Stacy Seiler is a New Yorkbased artist whose work has been exhibited at key cultural institutions including Sotheby’s, The Fashion Institute of Technology and the Swiss General Consulate, New York. Her passion for writing emerged as a means of documenting her time spent living and working in Italy, France and Switzerland. Seiler is currently a professor of Art and Design at Parsons The New School for Design, from where she holds a MFA.
■ SAMUEL A. SOUTHWORTH Samuel A. Southworth was born and raised in Manhattan and attended The Episcopal School and The Buckley School. He was also a member of the Knickerbocker Greys. He is a military and espionage historian now completing his fifth book, as well as a poet and songwriter. Southworth’s hobbies include archery, canoeing and diplomacy.
■ ALEX HON Almost a native New Yorker, Hon refused to come into this world because he knew he’d be bored. Unfortunately, his mom vetoed his request. So, to keep himself entertained, Hon got himself degrees in psychology and IT management, worked in the corporate world, and has now moved on to being a freelance IT consultant and photographer. In addition to pursuing his multiple sports passions and volunteering in a local school, Alex spends his time doing his favorite activity – doting over his kids.
DOWNTOWNMAGAZINENYC.COM
The tallest residential building in the western hemisphere, by the world’s most celebrated living architect. Now renting. 212.877.2220 Eight Spruce Street NewYorkbyGehry.com
on the tow
Spring 2011
APRIL
20 TRIBECA Film Festival Begins
Visit tribecafilm.com/festival for a full list of events and activites at the 10th TriBeCa Film Festival.
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30
Downtown Dinner
TriBeCa Film Festival Street Fair
6 p.m. Cipriani Wall Street 55 Wall Street lmcc.net $1000 A celebration of arts and culture Downtown, this annual gala benefits the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
10 a.m. Throughout the streets of TriBeCa tribecafilm.com Free Walk the red carpet, watch puppeteers, stilt-walkers and sand sculptors and enjoy the elaborate festival on the Downtown streets.
MAY
PHOTOGRAPH BY TANYA CODISPODI
1
7
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South Street near Peck Slip newamsterdammarket.org Free The first market of the season. Enjoy a variety of delectable foods from farmers and bakers to mongers and butchers. PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBIN RILEY
8 Uncle Rock’s Mother’s Day Extravaganza
Mother’s Day Card Workshop 10:15 a.m. Skyscraper Museum 39 Battery Place skyscraper.org $5
New Amsterdam Market
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM
Create architecturally themed cards for Mom that are one-of-a-kind!
DOWNTOWNMAGAZINENYC.COM
11 a.m. 92Y 200 Hudson Street 92y.org $15 Robert Burke Warren, aka Uncle Rock, dazzles audiences with his musical genious, inspired by Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein. Having received accolades from L.A. Times, The New York Times and Cookie Magazine, Uncle Rock keeps people laughing with his offbeat approach.
21 Taste of TriBeCa
photograph courtesy of taste of tribeca
11:30 am tasteoftribeca.org See website for ticketing information. The streets of TriBeCa are turned into a foodie’s delight for the annual fair benefiting two local elementary schools. Sample dishes, watch food competitions, taste wines and play in the kids’ zone.
27
28 Great Hudson River Swim 8 a.m. Starts at Pier 45; finishes at North Cove nycswim.org Free Watch the 1.3-mile swim at Christopher Street and cheer on the competitors.
Opening of Governors Island govisland.com Free Minutes from Lower Manhattan via free ferry, this historic island is now open to the public every Friday through Sunday until September 25.
June
9-11
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A Solider’s Tale (L’histoire du soldat)
16th Annual Poetry Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge
7 p.m. Schimmel Center for the Arts Pace University 3 Spruce Street knockerbockerorchestra.org $15, $20 Join Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra and Jody Oberfeider Dan Projects as they perform a story about a fiddle-playing soldier, based on Russian folk tale set to music by Igor Stravinsky.
6:30 p.m. Poets House 10 River Terrace poetshouse.org $250 Support Poets House programming while reciting famous words of Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes and other literary legends. Pay tribute to poetry and the Brooklyn Bridge with a celebratory dinner at the walks’ end.
18 Children’s Day 12 p.m. South Street Seaport Pier 17 childrensdaynyc.com Free The “best kids fest,” as voted on by NYC parents, includes free concerts, a train ride, fireworks and other family-oriented entertainment.
photograph courtesy of poets house
19 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim 9:30 a.m. Starts at South Cove Free A 28.5 mile counter-clockwise swim around Manhattan.
Brewfest 3:30 p.m. Governors Island nybrewfest.com Free (tickets requires) Just in time for Father’s Day, celebrate craft beer from New York’s breweries.
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history
ENTOURAGE INSIGHT ■ DOWNTOWN REWIND
Manahatta DISCOVERING THE BATTERY
P
erhaps the great cities of the future are currently just a clearing on the tip of an island in a huge bay; that was what Verrazano glimpsed in 1524, and Henry Hudson confirmed in his voyage of 1609. No, it was not the Northwest Passage to Cathay (China) that exploratory mariners had searched for vainly, but it was one of the finest natural harbors in the world, fed by a massive river and shielded from the worst of the North Atlantic’s icy blasts. If geography is destiny, then here was a remote and wild locale with enormous potential. All the major European powers had been attempting to infiltrate this vast hemisphere, and while their main agenda was establishing trade across the Pacific, Hudson and others noted the remarkable population of beavers to be found in this New World, whose warm pelt was a fashion staple from London to the Vatican. One of Hudson’s men named the island “Manahatta,” from an uneasy and garbled talk with the Native Americans
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DOWNTOWNMAGAZINENYC.COM
who found themselves facing a danger they could scarcely conceive. They may not have wished to reveal their true name, although it seems now they were of the Lenape Tribe. While the English colonies stretched across harsh New England, and the Spanish were all over South America, Mexico, California, Texas and Florida, and the French were pressing into present-day Canada, oddly enough it was the Dutch who sent a small group of French-speaking Walloons to settle the very tip of Manhattan Island. They were cleverly attempting to drive a wedge into the New World and to play out European politics on a new shore—hardly the last time such an attempt would be made. Our first view of the modest settlement shows a star-shaped fort, a windmill and a cluster of low houses. By 1626 the Dutch had a foothold and were expanding up the Hudson, establishing trading posts and forts as far as Albany and dealing with the natives for beaver pelts, which would establish the first fortunes to be
derived from the New World. Did Peter Minuit actually buy the island of Manhattan for $24 on behalf of the Dutch West India Company? It seems the real price was 60 guilders (about $37) as well as farming implements and colored beads, and that Minuit only was mentioned tangentially as part of the deal. Such legends die hard, and the notion of purchasing the entire shebang for pocket change is an attractive one. Doing some tricky math and allowing for inflation, experts suspect this was worth about one thousand dollars— with the proviso that then, just as now, a given entity is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it—like your Aunt Lucy’s beat-up chair, which turns out to be a Hepplewhite. There is a very good chance that no one had ever offered the Lenape Tribe any monies or goods whatsoever for the land and an even better chance that they did not understand the transference of property anyway.
Nuw Amsterdam (The Vischer View), Museum of the City of New York, J.Clarence Davies Collection Map of Original Grants, New Amsterdam 1642 by H.D Tyler, Museum of the City of New York, Prints & Photographs Department
LINGERING IN TIME There is almost nothing left of New Amsterdam, as the Dutch called their settlement, due to the depredations of fire and the cyclical swirl of change that has always been a landmark of Lower Manhattan, from 1626 to today. But the names remain, such as the fact that Wall Street actually marks the line of a wooden palisade built to defend the Walloons from the provoked and sometimes violent local peoples. And Broadway itself, winding thirteen and a half miles south from Spuyten Duyvil to the Battery, is the track of an old Indian trail. A “bowerie” is an orchard, and the word was attached to many of the small farms that popped up north of the protective wall. You can find 19th century buildings that mimic the high-stepped gables of houses in Amsterdam, but none of the original wooden structures have survived 400 years of relentless disaster, building and rebuilding. As Thoreau told us, it’s not what you see, but what you make of what you see, and with the right sort of eyes you can see Henry Hudson’s ship, Half Moon, sailing up the harbor in 1609. And with the right map you can visit some of the original streets, such as Nassau Street and Maiden Lane. And with the right imagination you can scour the modern buildings from the landscape momentarily and picture the candles glowing through the small multi-paned windows of 30 small houses by 1628, and imagine the warm hearthsides of some 200 Walloons who were the first New Yorkers. From a seemingly trackless wilderness they built the start of what was to become the greatest city in the world. —Samuel A. Southworth
Peter Minuit (15801638) is one of those old New York names that we never quite fully comprehend––but we should. He
the purchase of Manhat-
was a Walloon from present-
tan Island on May 24, 1626,
languages.
day Germany who moved to
though it is suspected
name can be found at Peter
Holland to escape religious
that he was not the main
Minuit Plaza by the Whitehall
persecution. Minuit came
dealmaker. There is also a
Ferry Terminal, on a granite
across the Atlantic and was
wonderful line of specula-
flagstaff base in Battery
the Director General of New
tion that he actually bought
Park and in the name of the
Netherland—a grand title for
the island from a tribe that
Peter Minuit Chapter of the
a somewhat modest settle-
did not own it––the Canar-
Daughters of the American
ment based at the southern
see Tribe from Long Island.
Revolution. Director General
tip of Manhattan. Addition-
This latter myth, redolent of
Minuit has also appeared
ally, he helped to consolidate
subsequent purchases of the
countless times in cartoons
outlying settlements, such as
Brooklyn Bridge by unwary
and films, perhaps most no-
the Dutch who went up the
investors many times over, is
tably being played by native
Hudson as far as Albany in
perhaps too good and too
New Yorker Groucho Marx in
search of beaver, and after
funny to be true. It may be
the 1957 comedy The Story
being relieved from his post
that both sides thought they
of Mankind. If his story is a
(1633) went on to found New
were getting the better of
myth, it is a darn fine one,
Sweden on the banks of the
the other, making this the
especially if one imagines
Delaware River. Eventually,
primordial “New York Deal.”
the Canarsee canoes on the
he died at sea—a common
“Let the buyer beware!” has
East River paddling back
obituary in a time of poor
always been a Manhattan
to Long Island––with their
navigation and wonky ships.
proverb in Latin, Dutch, Eng-
laughter ringing out over
His enduring legacy is
lish and about seventy other
the waters.
Today Peter Minuit’s
“If geography is destiny, then here was a remote and wild locale with enormous potential.” SPRING 2011
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ENTOURAGE INSIGHT ■ LEADERS IN TIME
Ray Kelly,
PROTECTOR OF THE PEOPLE Ray Kelly is the commissioner of the 52,000-member New York City Police Department, the nation’s largest. He is the first Commissioner to serve twice in the post and will have served the longest when his current term ends in 2013. Kelly is also a recipient of 13 honorary degrees from a multitude of institutions.
As someone born and raised on the Upper West Side, why did you choose to live all the way Downtown?
The decision by Manhattan College, my alma mater, to name its new student center after me—it was a surprising, humbling honor.
Battery Park City is one of New York’s best kept secrets. My wife Veronica and I love everything about it: the residential and commercial mix, great restaurants, and its proximity to the Hudson River and Port of New York. It’s really spectacular. Like all New Yorkers, we were shocked by the catastrophic losses on 9/11, and saddened to have to temporarily leave our home there. But we’re excited to see the great comeback going on Downtown.
What do you consider to be
What do you think is your
your most influential work?
greatest achievement?
I established the first-ever municipal Counterterrorism Bureau in the wake of 9/11 and drove crime to record lows in New York City.
It’s really Veronica’s: James and Gregory Kelly, our sons.
What drives you?
Trying new apps on my iPad and exercising.
The outstanding work and often unappreciated individual acts of heroism of the men and women of the New York City Police Department. As Police Commissioner, I see this extraordinary performance on a daily
Where is your favorite spot in
You have received numerous honors and accolades through the years. Which award sticks out
“Battery Park City is one of New York’s best kept secrets... its proximity to the Hudson River and Port of New York. It’s really spectacular.”
basis, and it’s truly inspirational.
the most? Which is the most meaningful to you?
How do you unwind? What are your hobbies?
Lower Manhattan?
One Police Plaza, of course. What book are you currently reading?
Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. What was the last movie you saw? What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
Join the Marines. What does Downtown mean to you?
A great place to live and work. What is something people may not know about you?
I was a balloon handler in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in my youth. —Andrea Tullman
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Photographs courtesy of New York Police Department.
The Social Network
31 N. MOORE STREET, TRIBECA, NY 10013 TEL: 212-226-3665 www.artetmaison.com
ENTOURAGE INSIGHT ■ NICKEL & DIME
The Luxury of Investing With
PURPOSE
TRUE FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL RETURNS True luxury is not about the most expensive watch or the most exclusive residence. Rather, it is about finding a way to bring together what matters most, what feels the best, what results in abundance for the person in question. This is true in most facets of our lives, including how we invest. In finance, true luxury today is about investing for both financial return and social good. Opportunities that are at the crossroads of capitalism and philanthropy bring a newfound sense of purpose to seeking a good return. For the economic animal in us, this model is a means to a strong financial return. For our social conscience, these opportunities create untold social benefits and returns. With social investing, or impact investing, an investor commits to strategies and opportunities that make investments in enterprises that combine financial and social returns. These investments, while creating a meaningful financial return, provide social benefits on a scale that philanthropy alone cannot, thus redefining the definition and true nature of “value.” By investing in these opportunities, we are moving toward an economy of abundance—abundance of financial returns, social benefit and incremental investment potential. The idea of a business with social considerations is not new.
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Timberland’s philosophy has long been one of addressing both social and environmental causes through the sale of their footwear. Ali Hewson and her husband, Bono, created Edun, a fashion line with clothes made in sub-Saharan Africa with proceeds from sales going back to into the African economy. What is gaining importance is that these businesses must create marketcompetitive, high-quality products. First and foremost, a business can’t focus too much on the mission and neglect creating a meaningful, relevant, quality offering. Investors and
respect the intellect of the investor by creating a relevant, quality product that both entices the consumer and produces meaningful financial and social returns. Investors no longer have to choose between significant financial upside and creating social benefit. On the forefront of such impact investing
Luxury began as a way to create your legacy, its origins dating back to ancient Egyptian times. consumers alike care most about the end product. These businesses must put forth the effort to be great operations first, and vehicles for the social causes second. A strong business model with meaningful product is the single strongest advocate for driving good. When seeking impact investments, it’s critical to focus on companies that have created a strong and relevant product, one that seduces the investors and consumers alike into being a part of a new brand. This is the new world of finance:
DOWNTOWNMAGAZINENYC.COM
is a new catalytic brand, Fonderie 47. Entrepreneurs Peter Thum and John Zapolski joined forces to address the destructive effects of the 20 million assault rifles in Africa. Working with local and international experts on disarmament, Fonderie 47 removes and destroys AK47s from Africa, transforming the destroyed guns into a new material showcased as exclusively designed jewelry, watches and other luxury accessories. The resulting products will serve as a catalyst to inspire global leaders
to act on this issue and the sales will fund investments in multiple programs committed to disarmament and local economic prosperity. Through Fonderie 47 and other emerging brands, the landscape of impact investing is evolving. Investors no longer need to choose between making money and doing good. They need now only choose the strongest of brands. Luxury began as a way to create your legacy, its origins dating back to ancient Egyptian times. Over time, brands have given people the opportunity to tap into their heritage and history by owning a piece of that brand. This was a way to partake in that institution’s legacy. Today, investment opportunities that bring together financial returns and social advancement can provide a more enduring and satisfying product. With this experience, the opportunity exists to create your own legacy going forward. This is investing in innovative brands that are changing the landscape. This is creating your legacy. This is true luxury. —Umber Ahmad
Alexander Hamilton: Lineage and Legacy On view April 5 – July 12, 2011
March – May 2011 Events Calendar
Alexander Hamilton’s general’s portrait. Collection of The New-York Historical Society.
48 Wall Street New York, NY 10005 www.MoAF.org 212-908-4110
Mar 9
Henry Kaufman Series: David Birnbaum on “Gemstones: Business, History and Lore of the Ultimate Currency,” in partnership with the Harvard Business School Club of NY. 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Museum members and students free; non-members $15. Q&A, reception and gem viewing following presentation.
Mar 16
Walking Tour: Wall Street History. 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $15 includes admission to Museum and the Lunch and Learn event with Joseph Calandro, Jr.
Mar 16
Lunch and Learn Series: Joseph Calandro, Jr. on Applied Value Investing. 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. $5 includes Museum admission. Feel free to bring your lunch.
April 6
Walking Tour: Alexander Hamilton’s New York. 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $15 includes Museum admission.
April 7
Henry Kaufman Series: “Alexander Hamilton: Lineage and Legacy” panel discussion followed by reception and exhibit viewing, in partnership with the AmericanScottish Foundation. 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Museum members free; $40 general admission includes Museum membership.
April 8
Lunch and Learn Series: Pierre Fricke on “The History of Collecting Confederate Paper Money.” 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. $5 includes Museum admission. Feel free to bring your lunch.
April 28
Henry Kaufman Series: “Will We Choke on China’s Smog? Finance, Energy and the Emerging Markets’ Growing Needs,” in partnership with the Sierra Club. 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Members and students free; non-members $15. Q&A and reception following presentation.
May 18
Walking Tour: Crashes and Panics. 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $15 includes admission to the Museum and the Lunch and Learn event with Matthew Algeo.
May 18
Lunch and Learn Series: Matthew Algeo on “Grover Cleveland and the Panic of 1893.” 12:30 – 1:30 pm. $5 includes Museum admission. Feel free to bring your lunch.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: @FinanceMuseum
Now Showing
For information and reservations, please call 212-908-4110 or e-mail info@moaf.org.
Present this coupon to receive
2-for-1 admission
to one event or walking tour. Valid through June 2011.
Solid Gold Jeweled Monopoly Set Through October 2012
Scandal! Financial Crime, Chicanery and Corruption that Rocked America Through October 2011
Tracking the Credit Crisis Ongoing
48 Wall Street New York, NY 10005 www.MoAF.org 212-908-4110
ENTOURAGE INSIGHT ■ BLUEPRINT
living high without leaving DOWNTOWN’S LUXURY RESIDENCES LEAVE LITTLE TO THE IMAGINATION
Apartment living has evolved dramatically since New York City’s first tenements were built in the late 1830s. Even with the introduction in 1884 of the Dakota, one of the first “luxury” apartment buildings, it is doubtful that anyone could have foreseen that apartment buildings would become today’s branded destinations. In the past 10 years, the areas of Battery Park City, TriBeCa, SoHo and the Financial District have become vibrant, thriving residential neighborhoods, some for the first time in hundreds of years. New York City developer Alex Kafenbaum says, “In developing or converting apartments, amenities are important when considering your target demographic, and sometimes help to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’ ’’ While in newer construction in-house gyms and roof decks are standard offerings, recent luxury developments and conversions south of Canal Street have positioned themselves at the very head of the curve when it comes to offering extravagance at home. Philippe Starck-designed Downtown, located
at 15 Broad Street, garnered attention as one of the most amenity-heavy luxury buildings in the city. Standing at the corner of Broad and Wall Streets, Downtown offers a squash court, lap pool, automated bowling alley, business center and a roof deck. Just around either corner, luxury abounds at the Setai Wall Street at 40 Broad Street and at Armani Casa-designed 20 Pine Street. Both offer in-house spa services. At 20 Pine Street, Complete Body & Spa provides everything from Sports Massage to Gentleman’s Skin Fitness. Even further south, 200 Water Street’s breathtaking city and water views are a luxury in themselves. Cipriani Residences at 55 Wall Street offers a complimentary membership to the Cipriani Club which entitles members to nearly unlimited haircuts and spa services. Dwellers of the Cipriani Residences and Setai Wall Street enjoy clubs at their locations, providing discounts on dining and spa services, as well as access to VIP events and parties.
In developing apartments, amenities are important when considering your demographic.
Indoor pool at 20 Pine.
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Exterior of Downtown at 15 Broad Street.
For individuals whose creature comfort is fine wining and dining at home, look no further. Consider Michelin Star dining right in your lobby. SHO Shaun Hergatt’s eponymous restaurant calls the second floor of the Setai Wall Street home. For those who love a good book, 20 Pine Street and Greenwich Club at 88 Greenwich Street have lending libraries, but Riverhouse, in Battery Park City, leads their 45,000-volume library is known as “Poets House.” For a truly unique experience, residents of TriBeCa’s 101 Warren Street may visit the “forest-floor”, where 101 Austrian pine trees reside in piles of river stones. While luxurious facilities are a way to create buzz about new developments, it is surprising how little they are utilized. It is more common for a buyer to be unwavering if their next home has a pool or a gym included, as the membership savings can be substantial. Prudential Douglas Elliman Executive Vice President, Ariel Cohen says, “Building amenities are a great draw, and sometimes will tip the scale, but a buyer should always start their considerations with where they will spend the majority of their time: the apartment.” —Nick Jabbour Photography by Lana De Doncker.
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Top 10 Neighborhood To-Dos
1
A SAlute to South Street SeAport Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport hosts many walks in support of diseases and disorders. Join in or just watch the fun as New Yorkers stretch their legs to aid and honor those with MS, Lupus, Autism and other life-altering conditions. And while you’re there, enjoy street performers, shopping and dining in the Fulton Stall Market! southstreetseaport.com.
Story time
2
Once upon a time, Downtown dwellers of all ages would gather for story time around the neighborhood. The first Wednesday of every month at 11 a.m., you can visit crewcuts at 50 Hudson Street in TriBeCa for a citibabes-sponsored hour of children’s book reading. If you’re searching for a mystery, hit The Mysterious Bookshop (58 Warren Street; mysteriousbookshop.com) for conversations with authors.
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Find your Green thumb Kids: grab your gardening gloves and head to Rockefeller Park on Tuesdays. At Young Sprouts Gar-
pHoToGRApH BY WELLINGToN LEE
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dening classes, kiddies ages three to five can plant seeds, water the plants and eat fresh veggies starting at 3:15 p.m. At 4 p.m., older kids can develop gardening skills with the Children’s Gardening Club. They’ll also learn about composting, critters, the lifecycle of plants and ways to keep the environment green. Also check out the activities at Wagner Park, like bird watching and fishing. bpcparks.org.
it’S All About the benjAminS Explore the Museum of American Finance. Get an inside audit of financial scandals at the “Scandal!” exhibit, or take a fresh look at the newest addition: “Alexander Hamilton: Lineage and Legacy,” a look at the life of one of the nation’s founding fathers. Don’t dilly-dally––the exhibit is on display until July 12. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the $2 million, 18-karat gold and jewel-encrusted Monopoly set or take one of the museum’s 90-minute walking tours of Wall Street and FiDi. You can also pick up a three-day Downtown Culture Pass ticket, which provides admission and discounts at eight
4
PhotograPh by JImmy katz
PhotograPh by rob Stroud
Downtown museums and more south of Chambers Street. 48 Wall Street; moaf.org.
Image courteSy of the New york hIStorIcal SocIety
can Indian. Pick from a variety of insightful movies throughout the day. One Bowling Green; americanindian.si.edu.
5 7 9 6 8 10 Toe-Tappin’ Fun
Ditch yer blues during Jazz Night with the Alex Levin Trio every Friday at 7 p.m. at the Downtown Community Center. 120 Warren Street; manhattanyouth.org. If you are craving more jazz, groove on over to the TriBeCa Performing Arts Center for their “Lost Jazz Shrines” performances. 199 Chambers Street; tribecapac.org.
on DemanD
View one of the daily screenings at the National Museum of the Ameri-
Brush sTroke
Review the new Russell Sharon Exhibition at Cheryl Hazan Gallery through May 14. Inspired by ponds and prairies surrounding his Minnesota farm, Sharon explores landscape through oil paint. 35 N Moore Street; cherylhazan.com.
Fly away wiTh me
Find your inner acrobat with the Trapeze School New York. Stay tuned for outdoor classes in TriBeCa in May. trapezeschool.com.
Image courteSy of cheryl hazaN gallery
music @ 1
Drive-in
Take a lunch break for a Concert at One at historical landmark, Trinity Church. Every Thursday at 1 p.m., enjoy a unique concert from chamber orchestras to pianists to youth choirs. Located at Broadway and Wall Street; trinitywallstreet.org.
Grab a snack, your beverage of choice and snag a seat at the World Financial Center Plaza for an outdoor movie night…or three. Enjoy three nights of drive-in movies as part of the 10th annual TriBeCa Film Festival. Admission is first-come, first-serve and free to all. Choose from the 1980s classic Fame, a Haitian documentary entitled When the Drum is Beating, which includes a performance by a Haitian-Caribbean-Jazz fusion band, or join Kermit and company for an adventure in The Muppets Take Manhattan. Programming beings at 6 p.m.; screenings start around 8:15 p.m. as dusk arrives. April 21 to April 23; artsworldfinancialcenter.com.
PhotograPh courteSy of trIbeca fIlm feStIVal
—Andrea Tullman
downtownmagazinenyc.com
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CULTURE CODE ■ I’M TALKIN’
Jen Bergstrom, a below Canal Street kinda gal RESTAURANT: The
Odeon (you can find her there every summer Friday, outside with a bottle (or two) of rosé. BAR: The Ear Inn GYM: Equinox on
Murray Street
I may be biased because she’s the publisher of my first book, but Jen Bergstrom is not only sexy and smart; she is also a friend and a mentor. What makes her so great? For starters, she is Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster where she specializes in publishing hip, pop culture books. He’s Just Not That Into You was the first big book that put her on the map. Jen remembers reading the proposal and knowing she had a winner when she missed her Canal Street stop on the 1 Subway. Since then she has published best selling books by Chelsea Handler, Lewis Black, Tori Spelling, Tim Gunn and Snooki, to name just a few. When she’s not working in S&S’s midtown offices, Jen spends every possible minute Downtown, where she lives in a fabulous TriBeCa apartment, tastefully done in what she calls a “modern
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Swedish dollhouse design.” Single but not alone (she has a rescue dog named Lily), Jen bought her apartment five years ago but is quick to point out: “I’m one of the ‘newcomers’ here. That’s what I love most about this neighborhood: the people! Most have been here for years––the artists and actors, writers and designers––some dating back to the 1970s. They keep this neighborhood real.” Why not live closer to her office?
“It’s only a 10 minute subway ride and besides it’s way too noisy up there! Downtown is my sanctuary,” she explains. While working with celebrities keeps her busy, Jen takes most of her meetings Downtown at hotspots such as The Soho Grand Hotel (they allow dogs!), Locanda Verde and Nobu. Jen’s zest for life is palpable, as is her love for her neighborhood. Her favorite place to hang is The Odeon and the best
DOWNTOWNMAGAZINENYC.COM
to go anywhere but because I work with such great content, I’ve always wanted to see if I could make it in the movie business. Most of what I publish I tend to look at with a cinematic eye and publishing is a lot like producing. Hey, who knows, maybe I’ll bump into Robert De Niro in the hood someday! What would you say to the young women out there who want to be like you? What does it really take?
career. Did you always want to
“Passion, passion, passion! Find what you love and the money and power will follow. Also have opinions and surround yourself with great people. I always say that the secret to my success is that I hire people who are smarter than I am and then I get out of their way.
Let’s switch gears to your be in the publishing business?
Does your family love what
I was 21, living in Paris as an au pair, eating croissants and speaking terrible French when I answered an ad in The NewYork Times for a publisher’s assistant. Back then that’s how you got a job. I’ve been in the business for 21 years since. I was blessed because I loved what I did from day one.
you do?
Why Simon & Schuster?
people who want to move down
To me it’s the perfect size for a publishing house. Not too big, not too small. And my bosses are not afraid to take risks and allow me to publish books that not everyone in this business would be allowed to publish. I can publish everyone from reality television stars to serious first-time authors like you!
here and why?
What is your next major step?
I love what I do and I’m in no rush
Let’s put it this way: my dad spends most of his days going to bookstores and rearranging my books, making sure they face out on the shelves. He also reads just about everything I publish (even the women’s fiction). What would you recommend to
It’s safe and private, close to the water, and you don’t feel like you’re in a big city. Oh, and did I mention the TriBeCa Film Festival? I mean it’s right outside my front door! What makes you smile?
A dirty Kettle One martini straight up! That and working with great authors like you. It feeds my soul! —Suzanne Corso
Photography by Lana De Doncker.
JB’s FAVORITES
nail salon in the city (according to her) is conveniently located right on Greenwich and North Moore. But it’s more than just the places: “Tribeca is a mindset, a spirit, a style. But don’t tell anyone,” she says with her bright smile. “I don’t want it to get too crowded.” It is the intimacy of the neighborhood that drew her from Uptown in the first place and allows her to spend her weekends on quiet cobblestone streets. “I get away from it all down here. There’s an authenticity in the architecture and the people.” As she shows me around her spacious apartment, Jen laughs, “Let’s put it this way Sue, all the cool people live Downtown.”
cULtURe code n page turners
Reading List
Cozy up with these new reads
Author Camilla Morton’s Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty re-invents the memoirs of the reknowned fashion designer in a charming combination of imagination and haute couture. ($22. Harper Collins; harpercollins.com.) Suzanne Corso’s Brooklyn Story is a powerful coming of age tale of a young girl’s lost innocence and dreams later found across the Brooklyn Bridge. ($24. Simon & Schuster; simonandschuster.com.)
Illustrator Stephen Savage uses his wit and graphic illustrations in the picture book Where’s Walrus? to portray a Walrus’s escape to the outside world and all the adventures he encounters. ($17. Scholastic Press; scholastic.com.) In his first-ever monograph, New York Photographs 1968-1978, Paul McDonough powerfully reveals the intimacy of actions and relationships in a surprisingly engaging collection of street photography. ($45. Umbrage Editions; umbragebooks.com.) —Andrea Tullman
Photography by Lana De Doncker.
In The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923, Robert Weintraub tells the untold tale of the Yankees’ most memorable season. Filled with stories of New York City and the team that may have been the best of all time, the book vividly brings to life the singular year that made the Yankees franchise it is today. ($27. Little, Brown and Company; hachettebookgroup.com.)
Kay Thompson is chiefly remembered as the author of the Eloise books but in From Funny Face to Eloise, Hollywood director Sam Irvin writes an entertaining biography describing Thompson’s dynamic personality and wild personal lifestyle. ($27. Simon & Schuster; simonandschuste.com.)
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ARCHITECTURE TriBeCa is notable for its unique architecture. Many Italian Renaissancestyle stores and lofts of Tuckahoe Marble from Westchester County were built on Broadway between the 1850s and 1860s. Cast iron structures popped up in the 1860s and 1870s. (Leonard Street between Broadway and Church Street has several noteworthy cast iron row buildings.) A new wave of architecture—Romanesque Revival-style brick and case stone—followed suit in the 1880s and 1890s, primarily in what is now considered TriBeCa West. At the end of the 19th century into the 20th century, large multi-block warehouses were built, many of which can be found in the north section of TriBeCa.
DOWNTOWN ON ■ TRIBECA
Today, cast iron lamps in the historic district perpetuate the design that once was. Cobblestone streets mark
Getting to Know
some of the architecturally rich build-
PAST AND PRESENT
TRIBECA IN BRIEF
TriBeCa has been divided into four historic districts: TriBeCa North, South, East and West. The neighborhood’s boundaries are: ■ Canal
Street to the north
■ Broadway ■ West
to the east
Street/Hudson River to
the west
TriBeCa, referred to as the Lower West Side during the city’s inception, has
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
■ The
gone through tremendous growth over several centuries of discovery and city
The name TriBeCa originated with
recorded as being several different
planning. In 1705, Queen Anne of England granted Trinity Church the area
Lispenard Street artists and residents
streets including: Vesey Street, Bar-
west of Broadway. (The Lispendar family owned much of the eastern land.)
living on tax block 210. Taking a
clay Street and Chambers Street.
Wealthy residents flooded the farmland, transforming the neighborhood. In
lesson from neighboring residents
the early 1800s, elegant mansions sprouted along Duane Park and Hudson
who coined the name “SoHo,” this
Square. By the mid-19th century, the residential milieu morphed into a com-
group adopted the name Triangle
mercial landscape. This new industrial center served as a transfer point for dry
Below Canal Block Association, which
goods and textiles. A century later, gentrification brought residents back to
they then shortened to TriBeCa
the area.
Block Association. The triangle they
The Washington Market Urban Renewal Project in the early 1960s played
referred to was at Lispenard Street,
a major roll in district restoration, particularly the western sphere. During the
for its intersections created a triangle
following two decades, vacant factories and warehouses attracted artists who
rather than a rectangle. A journalist
then converted the empty spaces into livable lofts. Going forward, TriBeCa
from The New York Times reported
blossomed into a quaint, trendy, celebrity-studed neighborhood filled with
on TriBeCa, referring to the whole
boutiques, restaurants and lofts.
neighborhood rather than the single block. Soon the acronym stuck.
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BORDERS & BOUNDARIES
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southern boundary has been
TRANSPORTATION ■ Subway
Stations: Canal
Street; Chambers Street; Franklin Street ■ Buses:
M20, M6, M1, M22
■ Holland ■ Did
Tunnel
you know? There was
once an elevated train line at Greenwich Street called the IRT Ninth Avenue Line. It was demolished in 1940.
Photography by Lana De Doncker.
TriBeCa
ings that are still standing.
RESIDENTIAL POPULATION
the trading floor where goods like
1970: approximately 400
butter, cheese and eggs were traded.
1980: approximately 5,950
The building was designed in Queen
1990: approximately 9,000
Anne style with Romanesque Revival
2000: approximately 10,400
elements.
2011: A recent study determined that
■ The
27,356 people reside in TriBeCa
Renaissance building built in 1901 by
Textile Building is a neo-
Henry J. Hardenbergh. (66 Leonard
LANDMARK BUILDINGS
Street)
■ Woolworth
■ The
Building at 233
Powell Building, once called
Broadway was the world’s tallest
the Pierce Building, is located at 105-
building from 1913 to 1930, until
109 Hudson Street. It was designed
40 Wall Street replaced it in height.
in a Beau-Arts style by Carrere and
Frank Woolworth commissioned the
Hastings and built in 1892.
building in 1910; it was constructed
■ Clock
in the neo Gothic-style and owned by
ally registered historic place. The
the Woolworth company for 85 years. ■ The
FUN FACTS 2006, TriBeCa’s 10013 zip code was named New York City’s most expensive by Forbes.
■ In
■ One
study found that 800 trees are planted in the neighborhood.
are 496 restaurants in TriBeCa giving the neighborhood the distinction as having more restaurants per resident than anywhere else in America. According to Pinpoint Demographics, the 10013 zip code has .018 restaurants for every person who lives there. With a population of 27,356 residents, TriBeCa is host to 360 fast-food restaurants and 136 full-service restaurants.
■ There
■ Staples
Street was named for “staples” like eggs, butter and cheese that were unloaded by ships.
Supposedly Harrison Street was named after Harrison’s Brewery located near the river during pre-Revolutionary days.
■
Tower Building is a nationfeatures two theaters (54 Varick Street
building was home to the New York
POP CULTURE DESTINATIONS
Life Insurance Company. It is notable
■ TriBeCa
■
row of restored 18th century town-
for the gargoyles that watch over the
was instrumental in putting TriBeCa
John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his wife
houses originally located on Wash-
city from the roof. Inside, the marble
on the map. It is co-owned by Drew
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. They
ington Street. These red brick homes,
lobby, 13-story stair hall, banking hall
Nieporent and Robert De Niro and
lived at 20 N Moore Street until their
which are the oldest in the area, were
and other features make it a unique
has an extensive, awarding-winning
deaths in 1999.
relocated to 25-41 Harrison Street
locale. (346 Broadway)
wine list. Many famous celebrities
in the 1970s due to construction on
■ Tweed
have both invested and dined here.
FESTIVALS
Washington Street.
government building built after City
It is located on the first two floors
■ TriBeCa
Harrison Street houses are a
old cobblestone on Franklin
Courthouse was the first
at Laight Street)
Grill, open since 1990,
Moore Street was once home to
Film Festival and Street
Hall. It is associated with William M.
of the TriBeCa Film Center and is
Fair (April 20 - May 1)
Street is well worth noting.
Tweed’s embezzlement scandal. The
attached to TriBeCa Screening Room,
■ Taste
■A
■ The
row of white neo-Renaissance
story goes that Tweed, the boss of
a 72-seat theater. The restaurant also
buildings built at the end of the
Tammany Hall, used the construction
houses a gallery of artwork by De
Civil War in 1865 reside at 73 Worth
site for embezzlement. The struc-
Niro’s father. (375 Greenwich Street)
Street.
ture is also known for its American
■ Hook
Victorian-style design. (52 Chambers
was the famed firehouse featured in
■ The
New York Telephone Com-
—Andrea Tullman
and Ladder Company #8
pany is a Mayan-inspired art deco
Street)
building constructed in 1927. (140
■ Bordering
West Street)
City Hall is the oldest of its kind in
ters for TriBeCa Film Festival and
■ From
America that still houses its original
TriBeCa Productions, De Niro’s film
1885 to 1997, before relocat-
of TriBeCa (May 21)
Ghostbusters. (14 N Moore Street) TriBeCa, present day
■ TriBeCa
Film Center is headquar-
ing to the World Trade Center, the
branches, including the mayor’s office
company. (375 Greenwich Street)
New York Mercantile Exchange
and the city council. New York’s first
■ TriBeCa
stood on 2-6 Harrison Street. The
city hall was built on Pearl Street.
participating venues for the TriBeCa
second story windows opened onto
(260 Broadway)
Film Festival. This old-fashion venue
Cinema is one of the
NOTABLE RESIDENTS: PAST & PRESENT Edward Albee Carolyn BessetteKennedy Beyoncé Alexis Bledel Eric Bogosian Lorraine Bracco Ed Burns Naomi Campbell Nick Cannon Mariah Carey
Jennifer Connelly Billy Crystal Robert De Niro P. Diddy Hilary Duff Bethenny Frankel James Frey James Gandolfini Sarah Michelle Gellar Mariska Hargitay
Josh Hartnett Michael Imperioli Jay-Z Scarlett Johansson Harvey Keitel John F. Kennedy, Jr. Karolina Kurkova Nathan Lane Cyndi Lauper David Letterman Jodi Long
Chris Martin Taylor Momsen Gwyneth Paltrow Freddie Prinze, Jr. Jane Rosenthal Duncan Sheik Kevin Spacey Jon Stewart Meryl Streep Christy Turlington Kate Winslet
SPRING 2011
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DOWNTOWN ON ■ TRIBECA
GIVING BACK through film
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH BETH JANSON
Beth Janson is a self-proclaimed “film geek.” As the newly appointed Executive Director of the TriBeCa Film Institute, she is also a champion for bringing funding, support and education to up-and-coming film enthusiasts of all ages. This year alone the TriBeCa Film Institute (TFI) will award over $1,000,000 in grants to independent filmmakers. In addition, TFI is launching a citywide initiative with the New York City Department of Education, providing 100 New York City public school classrooms with TFI Teaching Artists as a means of integrating media arts into the educational experience. Janson’s philosophy is simple: “Culture should be something that everyone can participate in.” Over the past 10 years, TFI has gone to great lengths to make Janson’s statement a reality. The TriBeCa Film Institute is a nonprofit arts organization founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff. In the wake of September 11th, TFI came into fruition to organize the inaugural TriBeCa Film Festival as a means of revitalizing Lower Manhattan. Following the Festival, TFI spun itself off as an independent affiliate focusing on year-round support for individual artists. Now in its 10th year, TFI administers a dozen major programs annually, empowering filmmakers through grants and professional development. Programs such as TFI’s TriBeCa All Access, awards directors and screenwriters of color and women of any race the following: a project development grant of $10,000; aid of project realization through oneon-one meetings with industry representatives; career development workshops and exposure to narrative and documentary informational panels. In particular, the support of women filmmakers is very impor-
tant to Janson. As she explains, “Only seven percent of films are currently directed by women. A woman has a better chance of being head of a Forbes 500 company than being a film director. When you think about how accessible the [filmmaking] tools are, that’s an astounding number. It’s something we’re really passionate about changing.” TFI is equally passionate about their Youth Education Programs, which introduce underserved New York City students to the career options available in the filmmaking industry. In TFI’s TriBeCa Film Fellows program, 20 high school juniors and seniors are selected to explore the realm of cinema and develop their voices through film. Along with the chance to receive a $1,500 scholarship and access to one-on-one support in preparing college applications, Fellows are exposed to a series of workshops, creative filmmaking exercises, screenings, panels and mentoring by TriBeCa Film Festival (TFF) film directors. In addition, the Fellows collaborate on a short film that captures the essence of all five boroughs through their eyes. Their work serves as the introduction to Our City, My Story, TFI’s annual screening series during TFF that showcases outstanding film and video made by New York City teens. As Janson concludes, “Our goal isn’t to just celebrate our students, but to make sure we are seeding the next generation of audiences with the ability to appreciate independent media. In a city that creates so much media and inspires so many films, we really want to be a resource that allows independent filmmakers the necessary support to grow and flourish.”
This year alone the TriBeCa Film Institute (TFI) will award over $1,000,000 in grants to independent filmmakers.
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To learn more about TFI, visit tribecafilminstitute.org.
—Stacy Seiler
Left and center photographs courtesy of TriBeCa Film Institute; right photograph courtesy of TriBeCa Film Festival.
New York City youths on their way to becoming award-winning film makers.
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filmfestival
Title: The Union category: Special Events (Documentary) Director: Cameron Crowe The Buzz: The celebrated director’s world premiere is the big ticket opening event at the festival. The film chronicles the collaboration between Elton John and his idol Leon Russell as they create the album that provides the film’s title. Elton John will perform live after the film’s debut showing on April 20th, which will be screened outdoors with no admission at North Cove at the World Financial Plaza.
Title: Newlyweds category: Special Events Director/Writer: Ed Burns The Buzz: The latest film from one of our favorite neighbors (and DOWNTOWN cover star) closes the festival. The film follows the tribulations of a couple’s marriage and the drama they inherit from each other’s families. The cast includes Caitlin Fitzgerald, Max Baker and Kerry Bishé. Title: Donor Unknown category: Viewpoints (Documentary)
TROLLHUNTER (Trolljegeren)
The Swell Season
Black Butterflies
Director: Jerry Rothwell The Buzz: As one of the first in a generation of “test-tube babies,” JoEllen Marsh grew up knowing her father as Donor 150. She feels the urge to connect with unkown siblings and turns to the Internet to expand her family tree. After finding and connecting with dozens of siblings across the country, JoEllen decides to track down Donor 150. A North American Premiere.
Title: The Swell Season category: Viewpoints (Documentary) Director: Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis The Buzz: The camera follows Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova—also known as Oscarwinning songwriters and former lovers from Once—during a two-year world tour that wrecks the romantic bond that began on screen. A world premiere filmed in black and white. Title: Angels Crest category: World Narrative Feature Competition Director: Gaby Dellal Writer: Catherine Trieschmann
The Union
The Buzz: Ethan (Thomas Dekker), a young father in the working-class town of Angels Crest, is forced to raise his three-year-old son Nate on his own because the boy’s mother (Lynn Collins) is an alcoholic. One day, the community is rocked when Ethan’s momentary lapse in judgment results in tragedy and his neighbors have to decide where to place blame. The all-star cast includes Jeremy Piven, Elizabeth McGovern, Mira Sorvino and Kate Walsh. Title: Black Butterflies category: World Narrative Feature Competition Director: Paula van der Oest Writer: Greg Latter The Buzz: The true story of the woman considered to be South Africa’s Sylvia Plath. As Apartheid tears apart Cape Town in the 1960s, young Ingrid Jonker (Carice van Houten) finds herself besieged by conflicts with her lovers and her government-censor father (Rutger Hauer), and turns to poetry as her escape. Title: Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
9 years of award-winning movies at TFF
Top Line: Best Documentary Features Bottom Line: Best Narrative Features
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The Man Who Stole My Mother’s Face and
Chiefs
A Normal Life
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Roger Doger
Arna’s Children
Blind Shaft
El Perro Negro
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The Green Hat
Stolen Life
The War Tapes
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images courtesy of TriBeca Film Festival.
popcorn Picks TRIBECA FIlm FESTIvAl 10th Edition REEl HIGHlIGHTS
Rabies (Kalevet)
Angels Crest
Puncture
Donor Unknown
Black Butterflies
The Bang Bang Club
category: Spotlight director: Michael Rapaport the Buzz: Fellow New Yorker and actor, Rapaport, who makes his directorial debut, spent eight months uncovering the personal lives behind seminal MCs from Queens. This is the New York premiere, with appearances by De La Soul, Kanye West, Common, Mos Def, Ludacris, Beastie Boys and other industry stars. title: A Good Old Fashioned Orgy category: Spotlight director/writer: Peter Huyck & Alex Gregory the Buzz: A thirty-something party animal, Eric (Jason Sudeikis) is notorious for his summer parties at his father’s sweet Hamptons home. Now, his friends are settling down and his dad decides to sell the beach house. The solution? One last blowout bash! Among the party guests are Lindsay Sloane, Lucy Punch and Will Forte. title: Higher Ground category: Spotlight director: Vera Farmiga writer: Carolyn S. Briggs and Tim Metcalfe the Buzz: Vera Farmiga stars and makes her
the Buzz: When a group of teens crosses paths with a serial killer, people begin to die. This unconventional horror flick is Israel’s first-ever slasher movie. and a North American premiere; in Hebrew with English subtitles.
directorial debut in an adaptation of Christian fundamentalist Carolyn S. Brigg’s memoir of love and relationships during the height of feminism in the 1960s in a close spiritual community. The cast includes John Hawkes, Donna Murphy, Bill Irwin and Joshua Leonard. A Sundance favorite, the film is making its New York debut. title: Puncture category: Spotlight director: Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen writer: Chris Lopata the Buzz: Based on a true story about corruption in the health care system, Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) plays an atypical tattooed, drug-addicted lawyer representing a safety-needle inventor in a suit against a monopolistic medical supply corporation. Mike struggles to keep his own life together while fighting to win a case to end mistreatment of health-care workers. This world premiere has a strong cast including Vinessa Shaw. title: Rabies (Kalevet) category: Cinemania director/writer: Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado
Higher Ground
Newlyweds
A Good Old Fashioned Orgry
title: TROLLHUNTER (Trolljegeren) category: Cinemania director/writer: André Øvredal the Buzz: A string of bear poaching incidents in the Norwegian countryside leads a group of film students to Hans, a hunter in charge of containing the troll population. A horror film with fantastic visual effects; in Norwegian with English subtitles. title: The Bang Bang Club category: Special Screenings director/writer: Steven Silver the Buzz: A true story of four young combat photographers who chronicle the first free elections in post-Apartheid South Africa and the violence that ripped the nation. The film explores friendship and the challenge to portray the truth through journalism. Staring Ryan Phillippe, Taylor Kitsch and Malin Akerman, this film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.
To see this year’s winners, go to: downtownmagazinenyc.com
Pray The Devil Back to Hell
When We Leave
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My Father My Lord
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Monica & David
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About Elly
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Pray The Devil Back to Hell
Taxi to the Dark Side
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style of
THE SCOOP FROM TWO DOWNTOWN DESIGNERS
DANNIJO Hidden in the middle of the fashionable Meatpacking District a stylish sister duo is busy at work designing brilliant jewelry for women of the world. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Danielle, 25, and Jodie, 28, Snyder began their fashion jewelry line, Dannijo, in New York City in 2008. They have built a company from the ground up, invading the fashion scene from all angles, all while enjoying the Downtown neighborhood. Not to mention, they are some of the sweetest, most
down-to-earth people. Danielle and Jodie with their self-taught jewelry skills are the brains behind their intricate, bold creations that are Dannijo (a friend of Jodie’s imagined the name.) From a young age, they discovered their father’s medical pliers and other tools and began to play with wires, modeling and twisting to create wearable designs. Having a background in informal jewelry making, the Snyders feel their creativity is not bound by convention. “Sometimes having a background in jewelry design restricts and limits you in terms of materials.” Dannijo combines metal, leather, crystals, mixed beads and vintage elements in ever-evolving ways. The girls’ distinct styles contribute to the uniqueness of their line. Jodie describes her style as classic and sophisticated; Danielle, bohemian and rock-and-roll. Their fashions and shared affinity for vintage is immediately obvious upon entering their workspace. Dress forms dressed in pink frilly skirts adorned with chunky, edgy necklaces personify the mixed style of Dannijo. In addition to jewels, the two are working on handbags and a tech line.
MAKING MOVES When the Snyders brought their creations to New York, they went directly to Bergdorf Goodman. It was there that they made a cold stop and asked for five minutes of their time. The face time was what helped them seal the deal. “Bergdorf was a good fit and a great launching pad. It’s a window to the world for a lot of other buyers,” they explain.
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Jodie’s favorite piece from Spring 2011. BellaTrix necklace ($420).
Dannijo is versatile. Handmade in New York, Dannijo pieces are designed for all types of girls. “We start by designing jewelry we want to wear. It’s ageless,” says Danielle. Their jewelry is made in hopes that pieces will be passed from mother to daughter. “Women love accessories, be it jewelry, handbags or shoes. They tell your personality. Women get emotionally attached to jewelry,” says Jodie. They see jewelry as something that is really fun; it is a great way to make a look your own.
DANNIJO DOWNTOWN In addition to working together, the duo is fortunate to call the same TriBeCa apartment building home. In fact until recently they even lived together. Now they live one floor apart, but still spend free time together. “We get along 99.9 percent of the time,” Danielle says. After a smiling glance at each other they decide it might be more like 98 percent. They do agree that the great part of Downtown is simply walking around and popping into cute stores. You can find Danielle and Jodie ducking in and out of the Lower East Side’s mom-and-pop shops and hunting for treasures at the area’s boutiques. Jodie, who loves interior design, frequents a favorite: Billy’s Antiques on Houston Street. When asked who their favorite designers are, they came up with a slew of brands: Vena Cava, Isabel Marant, Rag and Bone, Hunter Dixon, mixed with Alternative Apparel T-shirts, a lot of vintage and of course, Dannijo. It is all about mixing and matching high and low. They pull inspiration from elements, travel, books and inspiring women like Natalie Portman and their stylish mother, after whom a pair of clip-on earrings was designed. Even more, music is major. As an example, check out their handpicked playlists on the Dannijo blog, some of which are matched with Dannijo pieces, to help you dress for your music mood. When they are not designing, Danielle enjoys music festivals and concerts, skiing, staying active and discovering new things. Jodie likes Soul Cycle classes, yoga, antiquing and interior design. One is in the middle of Open: An Autobiography (Knopf) and the other just finished it. The girls are foodies and self-titled “sweet
freaks,” preferring vanilla to chocolate when it comes to cake. Kitchenette ranks as their favorite brunch locale, while Smith & Mills is a top spot to grab drinks with friends. Danielle and Jodie agree that finding a happy equilibrium between business and personal life is imperative to happiness and success. They wear many different hats at once; with all of that responsibility comes the need for stability. “Finding balance. Making time for yourself and not letting any one overtake the other,” says Danielle, is advice both Snyders keep close. They strive to find balance in all aspects of life; it is about prioritizing and reprioritizing.
Danielle’s favorite piece from Spring 2011. Coppola Cuff ($375).
their intern project—the assignment was to create a documentary that spoke to their generation. After spending time there, Danielle and a friend co-founded LWALA—Living With A Life-Long Ambition—in 2006. The goal is to help women in underdeveloped countries escape poverty through jewelry making. In one year, through fundraising efforts, LWALA made close to $100,000.
“Bergdorf was a good fit and a great launching pad.”
GIVING BACK
A GROWING BUSINESS
“Focus on what you do best, pick the right opportunities and always stay true to your brand,” says Jodie. Danielle and Jodie have done just that. They fuse together their passion for culture with charity. They have created a business model of fashion and philanthropy, using jewelry as a vehicle to combat global issues and as a platform for the world and business. Several years ago, Danielle interned with Janet Hansen, the founder of 85 Broad. Danielle and her fellow interns traveled to Lawala, Kenya, for
Danielle and Jodie have been featured across global media outlet and have been named trailblazers. “It’s amazing to see Dannijo catch on,” they say modestly. Seeing people wearing their designs on the street is always exciting. Still, it is important to stay two steps ahead, trying not to get stuck in the moment. “We don’t consider anything to be the ‘Ah ha’ moment.” They are proud of special moments, which include their segment on the Today show, Beyoncé wearing their necklace on tour and off, editorials in Elle and WWD and a custom-made necklace for Natalie Portman. Dannijo jewelry has also graced magazine covers and was prominent on the Fall 2011 Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week runway. As for the best piece of advice they have received through their whirlwind of success, they say: “Find experts to help and realize you are not going to be good at everything. Focus on what is good for your brand.” The talent Danielle and Jodie employ is unprecedented; their commitment to the Dannijo brand and global efforts, admirable. —Amanda Orlinsky and Andrea Tullman Dannijo is sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Intermix, net-a-porter.com, shopbop.com, Henry Nichols, Holt Renfrew, Bloomingdales and other stores. For more Dannijo, visit dannijo.com.
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THE
LOWER
PROJECT
Tribeca restaurant titan, Drew Nieporent has built a global empire but never left his dedication to building...and rebuilding the neighborhood behind. By Mike Hammer
COVER STORY
Photographs by Morgan Miller
DREW NIEPORENT HIS ELEMENT IS IN
The global restaurant visionary, known better locally as “the Mayor of White Street,” is a multi-tasking maestro—dictating direction to anyone within earshot. He is perched at a front table in the famed Tribeca Grill, now in it’s 22nd year as an iconic landmark of the neighborhood. There is an unlit cigar in his mouth and what amounts to a vat of iced green tea in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He reviews a list of potential interview candidates, jokes with his driver of more than 20 years, takes time to give his kitchen staff an evening pre-game speech. And at the same time, he is virtually directing the magazine photo shoot for our story. “Did you know that bar was the one that helped put Maxwell’s Plum [the infamously flamboyant ’80s nightspot where Nieporent helped build his larger than life persona] on the map. I think it’s still a magnet for memorable moments.” All the while, he never loses full command of any aspect of the whirlwind going on around him in one of the most popular restaurants in one of the biggest cities on the planet. He even takes the time to charm a couple of visiting diners from out of town who wanted to meet the man behind the menu. “I still spend a lot of time taking phone reservations,” he says. “If people take the time to seek our place out, I believe it is my role…hell…my responsibility to personally look out for them.” This is a guy who may not have been born in a Downtown restaurant, but he’s spent so many hours, days and years building these kinds of businesses to unparalleled heights in this particular area, that his efforts have practically defined the area. His Myriad Restaurant Group was born and grew up in TriBeCa and is still based there. His reputation for hard-work, successful results and a big-personality now stretches from coast-to-coast and across the globe. With restaurants on 57th
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Street, San Francisco and now London, Nieporent’s establishments have connected with a huge fan base wherever his doors have opened. But it is Downtown—and TriBeCa in particular—where he has dug his roots and where his loyalty remains. “I’ve made a commitment to this neighborhood and I’ve stuck with it,” he says waving his hand in the general direction of Greenwich Street, where he’s both seen and made a lot of history. “We’ve been through two attacks on the World Trade Center and rejected the realization that we could have made a lot more money if we had focused on Midtown. This is our home. We created jobs here. We were a big part of nurturing our neighbors and volunteers during hard times. We’ve helped bring about rebuilding efforts and given our friends places and personality they can rely on. We believed that’s important…I still do.” Drew and his growing fleet of top-flight restaurants have played a critical role in the revitalization of the area both before and after the cataclysmic tragedy of 9/11, that could have leveled its spirit and rebirth. “Obviously, that was a profound event for all of us,” he says with growing gravity in his voice. “We knew we had a responsibility and offered the Tribeca Grill as a base of operations where we would ferry food to the cruise ships to feed the emergency workers and other respondents in the weeks and months after the disaster.” His commitment did not stop there. He continued to help his little-known business partner in the Tribeca Grill, Robert De Niro, to support and grow the TriBeCa Film Festival…with an even greater resolve after the disaster. “TriBeCa, as a neighborhood, is an important part of New York,” he says with a rising sense of urgency in his voice. “Robert De Niro is an important citizen in the world. He started small, but it has grown exponentially—both in scope and the influence and positive effect on the community. We have to be involved.” The so-called Maestro of the Myriad Group has thrown himself into support of the festival, year after year, hosting screenings, after-parties and the annual Juror’s Luncheon, which has become the high profile kick-off event. “Whether it’s an event like this…that brings the arts to help promote our neighborhood, or just providing fine dining establishments to our neighbors,” a fired up Nieporent says, “We’re here for the long haul.” The festival takes on greater significance this year because he is integrally involved in the production of one of the highly-anticipated films, which puts a spotlight on his partner and star chef at his most recent neighborhood success, Corton. A Matter of Taste is directed by Australian filmmaker, Sally Rowe, and meticulously traces the challenges that come with launching a new restaurant (which >
DREW Continuing Education During and after college, Nieporent hit the high seas to seek a global education as a waiter on cruise ships that hit such exotic ports of call as Moscow, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Dublin and Oslo. "It was the best education I could've gotten," he says.
Taking On The Tavern
AN EARY START Drew was performing at a very young age. As an infant, he sampled product as the national television spokesbaby for Ivory Snow. "My mom was in the entertainment business, so I was always around it." As he matured he more followed his father's influence and focused on restaurants.
As a former manager of the Central Park landmark, Nieporant is appalled at Tavern on the Green's abandonment. "It's the most important influence on my career." he says. "That's enough motivation to take it over. If the city came to me and said we think you should run it, I'd be thrilled."
Building a Reputation Bon Appetit zeroed in on Drew and several other top New York restaurateurs as the 'producers of the restaurant world,' hailing their ability to build business cartels around fine food and grabbing the starring spotlight from celebrity chefs.
Early Fan-Fair Vanity Fair celebrated the Tribeca Grill scene as "Hollywood on the Hudson" back in 1990 when it pictured Drew as having the recipe for attracting a celebrity clientele that included Liza Minelli, Christopher Walken, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sean Penn and partner, Robert De Niro.
is in the same location as Drew’s first success, Montrachet), amid the down economy of recent years and the slow recovery from the devastation of 9/11. “It’s very personal to us,” he says. “You’ll see that the significance of this film is that it puts a window on the hardships of the neighborhood and this restaurant. I think it illustrates our dedication, to not only our success…but the neighborhood around us.” While not born in TriBeCa, he grew up in nearby Peter Cooper Village on the Lower East Side. A man who has a long trail of close business and personal relationships with celebrities of the highest echelon, Nieporent’s attraction to the spotlight is easy to trace. His mom, Sybil, was a radio actress in the 1950s, starring on a popular kids’ show called Let’s Pretend. “It was the Sesame Street of it’s era,” he says. “Our house was filled with theatricality and actors and actresses. So I was used to relating to celebrities.” The impact his father, Andrew, had on him was just as profound. A transplanted Parisian, he was an attorney for the State Liquor Authority, who helped other immigrants apply for and (more-often-thannot) receive their restaurant licenses. “My dad cared about people whom he knew needed his help. He had a way of taking applications from the bottom of the pile and putting them on the top of the pile,” he says with a wistful smile, remembering the man who meant as much to Drew as all the people he helped. “These people put their life savings in these restaurants and getting a liquor license was vital. My dad knew that, and he cut through the bureaucracy to help them start off their new lives.” His Good Samaritanism didn’t come without its rewards, though. “My father had endeared himself to a lot of new restaurant people, so we were invited to a lot of wonderful places to eat all over town. I learned
the two Bobbies: Drew and brother Tracy with Yankee star Bobby Murcer in the '70s (opposite page); Drew with partner Bobby De Niro in the early days of the Tribeca Grill (this page).
a lot about good restaurants back then and just fell in love with the atmosphere of the business…and let’s not forget the food. I would take the menus home and we’d try to figure out how much we would have had to pay if they gave us a check. I felt very privileged.” The many wonderful experiences stuck with him. Not only did he learn about good food, he also experienced the excitement that came with a good restaurant…where he had the occasional Forrest Gump Moment. “We used to eat at this wonderful restaurant called China Song across the street from the Ed Sullivan Theatre. We were there the night the Beatles played. We saw it unfold in front of our eyes.” His mom suggested the hotel management program at Cornell and Drew began his voyage in a
I'M HERE TO STAY. "WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR 26 YEARS. I WANT TO PROVIDE FOR MY NEIGHBORS. I WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE JOBS."
literal fashion. “When I was 18, I was walking in a corridor on campus and I see this sign advertising for student waiters to ports of call from Moscow to Oslo and Copenhagen. Not only did I learn a lot about being a waiter, but I saw the world.” From there he was offered a life-changing manager’s position at Maxwell’s Plum and then an opportunity to work at the historic Central Park landmark, Tavern on the Green. This gave him the opportunity to learn at the side of a legendary restaurateur, War-
ner LeRoy, and placed him among a galaxy of luminaries who remain dedicated to his vision today. He rattles off nights when John Travolta stopped by still bathing in the glow of superstardom from Saturday Night Fever. “It was like Beatlemania,” he smiles. Then there was the day in 1982 when he oversaw a breakfast for the recently released American hostages from the American Embassy in Iran. As his own legend grew, even the great Tavern on the Green was too small to hold Nieporent’s potential
and he turned his attention Downtown. “I saw a real potential to this area, even in the mid-eighties,” he says. “So I opened Montrachet in 1985 for $150,000 on West Broadway and I stayed there for 22 years.” The allure of Montrachet brought in an impressed Robert De Niro who asked if he wanted to open another neighborhood place: Tribeca Grill. He suggested interviewing Nobuyuki Matsuhisa for the chef at Tribeca Grill––this didn’t make sense to Drew; however it led to the idea of a TriBeCa sushi joint and later, the foundation of the Nobu empire. But Drew has no intention of going…anywhere. TriBeCa has become his professional home and the neighborhood and its people, his personal passion. “We’re not a flash in the pan," he says. “We’ve been here 26 years. I would have made more money Uptown, but I want to grow with this area. I want to provide something for my neighbors. I want people to find jobs here. There’s nothing more thrilling to me than signing a paycheck. This is where I want to be.”
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StyLe VaULt n FAsHiOn FiLE
Wes Gordon, Boy Wonder Urban ElEgancE
W
es Gordon has created a timeless self-titled women’s line. Gordon, a 24-year-old Atlanta native, uprooted from the south and brought his chivalry with him to the Big Apple. This designer, talented beyond his years, finds himself smitten with the city. A Downtowner, he calls a loft on Nassau Street his studio. “The factories here are fantastic and the workers are so talented. We are a small company. To have quality control and to be able to see what they are working on makes it much easier. Our client expects the best quality and I am convinced we have it right here in New York City,” he says. Gordon cites his mother as the inspiration behind his designs. He used to pay a mindful eye to his mother’s dressing technique. “She always looks so elegant,” he says. The discussion reverts back to the woman for whom Gordon designs: “I think we are unique in that we have a diverse clientele—anywhere from 18 to 88.” From young girls who buy separates to older women like his mother, Gordon has found his niche, designing with the graceful female in mind. “I like to design for the idealized woman in my head and what she would like to have in her wardrobe. Still, he makes sure to balance his romanticized lady with a trendy,
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real-world girl. “You have a client and it’s a fun business but at the end of the day you have to sell the product.” To further weave together polished sophistication with modern
“Our client expects the best quality and I am convinced we have it right here in New York City.”
appeal, he mixes feminine fabrics like tweed and silk with edgy materials like mesh. Covered buttons and delicate loops on blouses add chic dimension. Gordon’s awareness of the female figure, tailoring and attention to detail stem from his young-adult experiences. An alum of Central
downtownmagazinenyc.com
Saint Martins College of Art and Design, in London, Gordon spent his summers interning for iconic designers Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford. Hitting tHe Scene After his debut at Fall 2010 Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week, Saks and Harrods immediately picked up his works; Neiman Marcus also sells his designs. As a result, the Wes Gordon house has blossomed into an international player. As the fashion world geared up for Fall 2011 New York Fashion Week, Wes Gordon was all the buzz, and rightfully so. His “Uptown” collection, which fittingly previewed in the elegant Fontainebleau Room at the St. Regis Hotel, exuded city stylishness, with polished, retro designs showing cutting-edge flair. All of Gordon’s extraordinarily detailed designs make a strong, feminine statement. His spring color palette, which includes pale pink and grey, is delicate; his silhouettes, empowering. Even more, his understanding of practical fashion is appreciated—the wearability of the each collection is unquestionable. In addition to creating stunning collections and preparing for upcoming Fashion Week displays, Gordon spreads himself across all aspects of his company. He spends
months at a time on the road for trunk shows (where his Kindle keeps him company). He also channels his creativity as a superhero columnist in the “Adventures of Wes [lightning bolt] Gordon” for Chic Report, on thedailyreport. com. He is also featured in the new book Couture in the 21st Century: In the Words of 30 of the World’s Most Cutting-Edge Designers (A&C Black). Gordon’s playful yet dedicated demeanor is infectious. Reflecting on his high-speed success, the passionate designer says, “It is important to stay true to yourself and stay passionate and believe in what you are doing.” —Amanda Orlinsky
Gold STANDARD Statement shoes are an elegant way to uplift an outfit, making them the latest trend. With a gold rush of metallic tones, finding a perfect match should be easy. From textures to skins to towering platforms, there is a luxurious pair for every fashionista. —Amanda Orlinsky
for your Fashion File fix downtownmagazinenyc.com
Photography by Lana De Doncker.
Gold Leather Lace-up Bootie, Giuseppe Zanotti Design ($850). giuseppezanottidesign.com.
Jeweled Front Strap Heel, Rene Caovilla ($895). renecaovilla.com.
Nude Mini Glitter Point-Toe Platform, Christian Louboutin ($695). christianlouboutin.com.
Gold Platform Sandal in Tabac Metallic Leather and Python, Gucci (price upon request). gucci.com.
Spider Sandal, Alegandro Ingelmo ($795). alejandroingelmo.com.
Sasha Heel, Micheal Kors ($225). michaelkors.com.
Martina Peep-Toe Pump, Brian Atwood ($689). brianatwood.com.
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Bidermann
COLOR
Pair electrifying pigments for a brilliant look With a nod to the 70s, fashion houses have brightened this season with saturated hues of poppy, chartreuse and magenta. Transporting runway looks to the Downtown streets, designers geometrically juxtapose vivid colors on separates and accessories, catching the attention of passersby. —Amanda Orlinsky
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a Prad Viscose Hat, Missoni ($495).1009 Madison Ave.; missoni.com. Blue, Green and Pink Cobacabana Necklaces, Aurélie Bidermann ($1,260). Kirna Zabete, 96 Greene St.; aureliebidermann.com. Jige Elam 29 Clutch, Hermès ($4,250 each). 15 Broad St.; hermes.com.
Max Mara
wave
STYLE VAULT ■ FASHION FILE
“A spring trend we
dress CODE walk Wall Street in style
are seeing for 2011 is pearl grey wool serge suits in an elegant 1-button, peak lapel styling. It’s a very fresh, modern look.” —Paul Stuart styling tip
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Silk Trout Dot Tie, Issey Miyake ($250). 119 Hudson St.; isseymiyake.com. Da Vinci Chronograph in white gold on brown alligator strap, IWC ($26,000). iwc.com. Brown Calf Leather Monk Straps, Salvatore Ferragamo ($930). 124 Spring St.; ferragamo.com. Thoroughbred Shield Cufflinks, David Yurman ($395). Bloomingdale’s, 504 Broadway; davidyurman.com.
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Ferragam
o
off the RADAR
relaxed looks for well-deserved
weekends
Spring leisure relies on classic silhouettes with vibrant accents. Easy go-tos like casual shorts, lightweight tops and comfortable footwear make packing for getaway days a breeze. So head for the sand and sun and get that R&R you’ve been dreaming of all week long.
ink
as P
Thom
—Amanda Orlinksy
Fur
la
Brave
Persol
“This spring I’m interested in hot colors—muskmelon, raspberry, coral—and balancing them with neutrals. For key pieces, make sure to have a hybrid swim trunk that can take you from beach to
er
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by
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ARED
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—John Crocco, Perry Ellis Creative Director
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boardwalk.”
Co
Brown Leather Kingham Billfold Wallet, Thomas Pink ($185). 63 Wall St.; thomaspink.com. Wyatt Belt, Brave ($85). Big Drop, 174 Spring St.; braveleather.com. Sprint Grid Mid Shoes, Converse by John Varvatos ($145). 122 Spring St.; converse.com. 2994S Black Sunglasses, Persol ($310). Ilori, 138 Spring St.; iloristyle.com.com. Bahia duffle bag in jute and textured leather, Furla ($495). furla.com.
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STYLE VAULT ■ GADGETS
Royal Diamond Chess, Charles Hollander ($500,000). charleshollandercollection.com.
Luxury Toys: Top of the World, Patrice Farameh ($60). teNeues; teneues.com.
Pen of the Year 2011, Graf von Faber-Castell ($3,995). graf-von-faber-castell.com.
objects of
DESIRE GADGETS THAT COST MORE THAN A PRETTY PENNY
—Andrea Tullman
Gold Bike, Aurumania ($100,000). aurumania.com.
High Polished Black Horn Wine Opener Gershon Jewelers ($125). gershonjewelers.com.
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The Emotive Robotic Avatar, Hammacher Schlemmer ($65,000). hammacher.com.
SPRING SENSATION PS/IS 276 AUCTION & EVENT TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2011 THREE SIXTY ˚ 10 DESBROSSES STREET for more information on the event, please visit:
WWW.BPCSCHOOLBENEFIT.ORG to make a donation or to help, please email us at:
SPRING.AUCTION@BPCSCHOOL.ORG to learn more about the school, please visit:
WWW.BPCSCHOOL.ORG West Village: 230 W 13th St 212-807-0518
Tribeca: 40 Worth St 212-374-1489
NURSERY SCHOOL Now in our 30th year, Buckle My Shoe integrates the Reggio Emilia model in our curriculum, supporting each child’s creative exploration through Art, Music, Language, Movement and Yoga. Tours by appointment: www.bucklemyshoe.org
STYLE VAULT â– FASHION FILE
All clothing from Aminah et les Amis. 2 World Financail Center; aminahetlesamis.com.
FRENCH FASHION FIT FOR ROYALTY
CLOSET
Dress: Dress, Red Fish ($68). Capri red leggings, Ewers Collection ($20). Rectangle studded clips, Bari Lynn ($12).
HUDSON (Him) Casual: Plaid jacket, Fore!! Axel and Hudson ($57). Courier T-shirt, Alfa Industries ($25). Cargo pants, Alfa Industries ($48). Sunglasses, Teeny Tiny ($12). Hat, Fore!! Axel and Hudson ($25).
Dress: Sweater, Fore!! Axel and Hudson ($53). Roll cuff shirt, Fore!! Axel and Hudson ($46). Pants, Fore!! Axel and Hudson ($52).
Photography by Lana De Doncker.
kiddie
REMY (Her) Casual: Faux fur vest, Blush ($94). Block studded top, Ragdoll & Rockets ($32). Knit Mila Skirt, Saurette ($59). Bangles, Bari Lynn ($12). Brown boots, Miss Sixty ($125).
Lights! Camera! Fashion!
As the 10th TriBeCa Film Festival gets underway, DOWNTOWN suitably pays homage to some of Hollywood’s greatest New York movie scenes with marquee modern looks. Photographed by Philippe Reynaud Styled by Sofia Karvela
Jacket, Skar. Pants, Rag and Bone. Belt, What Come Around Goes Around. Vest, Paul Smith. Shirt, Topshop. Hat, Borsalino Rome. Tie, Ermenegildo Zegna.
“Say it isn’t so, Serpico.” —Cop
Inspired by Serpico
Vest, Penfield. Shirt, Umit Benan.
Her: White knit dress, Jen Kao. Trench coat, The Row. Him: Jacket, Robert Geller. Pants, Issey Miyake. Sweater, Paul Smith.
“He was too romantic about Manhattan, as he was about everything else. He thrived on the hustle bustle of the crowds and the traffic. To him, New York meant beautiful women and street smart guys who seemed to know all the angles.” —Isaac Davis Inspired by Manhattan
Tangerine Gia Clutch, Michael Kors. Bracelets, Dannijo. Gold jacket, VPL. Silver cowl neck dress, Wayne.
“It’s all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation.” —Gordon Gekko
Inspired by Wall Street
Shirt, Issey Miyake. Pants, Dolce and Gabbana. Shoes, Paul Smith. Tie, Ermenegildo Zegna.
“Now there’s a man and a woman. He’s a cook. She’s a waitress. Now, they meet and they don’t connect. Only, she noticed him. He could feel it. And he noticed her. And they both knew it was going to happen.” —Johnny
Inspired by Frankie and Johnny
Her: Dress, Steven Alan. Necklace, Tiffany & Co. Him: Blazer, Paul Smith. Scarf, Paul Smith. Shirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs. Hair by Christo Salon. Makeup by Tara Drake. Photography Assistants: Yann Dejardin, Anastasiya Kurokhtina. Photo Retouching by Corine.
STYLE VAULT ■ FASHION FILE
“Brilliant pink, vibrant orange, clear blues and vivid yellows look stunning against clean white walls. A little color goes a long way to create beautiful fresh interiors. Keep things clean and spare...but don’t forget the color.” —Ghislaine Viñas, owner of Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design
PHOTOGRAPHED BY FRED MARCUS DESIGNED BY GHISLAINE VIÑAS
Titan Chair, Carlos Gaselum (price upon request). Dune, 156 Wooster St.; dune-ny.com.
MOOD bold Mod accents illuminate
Paint Palette Pillow, CB2 ($35). 451 Broadway; cb2.com.
your living room —Amanda Orlinksy
Green Toobe Lamp, Kartell ($620). 39 Greene St.; kartell.it.
Organic Vase Collection Free flowing, hand blown, one-of-a-kind art glass, LLeDom Contemporary Art Glass by Abby Modell. 6” Vase Iridescent Clear ($900). 8” Vase Green Tint and Orange Tint ($1,300). 13” Vase Iridescent Clear ($1,800). 20” Vase Purple Tint ($2,300). lle-dom.com.
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Organic vase collection: photography by Fred Marcus. Titan chair: photography by Albert Vecerka.
Sumo Dining Table, Alessandro Pascoli (price upon request). Property Furniture, 14 Wooster St.; propertyfurniture.com.
‚stella„
EXQUISITE HOME TEXTILES BED - BAT H - BA BY - TA BLE
138 WEST BROADWAY 212.233.9610 MON-SAT 11AM - 6PM
STYLE VAULT ■ BEAUTY AND MORE
HYPER-INFUSED SHADES OF CORAL, ORANGE AND PINK IN MATTE FINISHES Cynthia Rowley
9
Vena Cava
LARGER THAN LIFE BARRETTES
3
AND NUDE HUES TO BALANCE
Diane Von Furstenberg
Carolina Herrera
1
5 2
Monique Lhuillier
4
8
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three’s COMPANY
1. Rich Lip Color SPF 12 in Guava, Bobbi Brown ($22). bobbibrown.com. 2. Gel Lip Colour in Dollface, Laura Mercier ($22). lauramercier.com. 3. Serum De Rouge in Pink Coral, Dior ($32). dior.com. 4. Fard À Lèvres Rouge Pur in Tropical Pink, Yves Saint Laurent ($30). yslbeautyus. com. 5. Topless and Barefoot, Essie ($8). essie.com. 6. Naked, Deborah Lippmann ($16). deborahlippmann.com. 7. Butter-Me-Up, Dashing Diva ($8). dashingdiva.com. 8. Nude Attitude, Studio Makeup ($10). studio-make-up.com. 9. Rectangle Volume Barrette in Nacro White, Nacro Bright Pink and Nacro Orange, France Luxe ($21 each). franceluxe.com.
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Photography by Lana De Doncker.
6
STYLE VAULT ■ BEAUTY AND MORE
makeover
BLISS
ENHANCING HAIRCUTS FOR THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE —Christo
MEGAN
MEET CHRISTO The hair-stylist to the stars is head and shoulders above the competition
Christo is a world-renowned hair stylist with a
Face Shape: Oval Cut Before: The long cut that Megan had was too
heavy for her face and did not give her any style. Cut Fix: I used the versus cutting technique to give Megan a short, sexy style with lots of movement around the face; diagonal layers give her curls freedom to take shape and move as they wish. Color Before: A dull dark brown with no shine. Color Fix: I used a dark glaze to make Megan’s curls glow.
signature approach on how to make hair of any type look and feel beautiful. He has estab-
SIMONE
lished a unparalleled reputation of educating
Face Shape: Oval Cut Before: Simone had long, damaged hair that had
industry professionals, major celebrities and consumers on how to achieve the best looks
been relaxed for years. Cut Fix: Simone decided to go natural so I had to cut all the damaged ends. She is fortunate to have an oval shape face, as this face shape can carry off any hairstyle. I gave her a short sophisticated cut that accentuates her beautiful face. Color Before: Her old highlights were breaking off from damage. Color Fix: Simone’s new look is all about being natural so I simply enriched her color with a custom blend of glaze by using a hair rehab deep treatment.
possible with his PsychoHair-Analysis sessions. Christo’s makeovers and hair expert blogs have been featured in top consumer, fashion and beauty publications which include The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, American Salon, Glamour, Teen Vogue and Marie Claire and many more. Christo has been styling hair since the age of twelve in his hometown on the island of Cyprus. His intimate Fifth Avenue salon in New York City opened in 2002, and features
Photography by Lana De Doncker.
a styling team of top wave masters who cut, color and style any coif into it’s best possible presentation. The salon also features its own product line, Curlisto Systems, a complete line of botanical shampoos, conditioners, and styling products specially designed for curly hair, but effective on all types and textures.
JORDAN
Face Shape: Triangle Cut Before: Jordan had a single-length haircut,
which was unexciting and did not add anything to her style. It also emphasized her triangular face. Cut Fix: I cut long layers and gave her swept bangs to frame her face. Color Before: Jordan’s base color worked well with her skin tone; we simply spiced it up. Color Fix: I used caramel highlights to liven Jordan’s color and give more dimension to her new layers.
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style vault n beautY and more
This question is the crux of plastic surgery today. The battle against outward aging can be won on three fronts: lifestyle choices; non-invasive means; surgical procedures. Before subjecting yourself to non-invasive alternatives or going under the knife, it is important to understand how internal (inner body changes involving hormones, cells, fat and muscle composition, etc.) and external factors (environmental and life choices) can impact our looks over time.
We blossom during puberty and maintain tight skin, strong muscles and hard bones during our 20s. Starting in our 30s, we see gradual loss of facial volume and weakening of the corresponding support system designed to hold the soft, fleshy parts of the face firmly against facial bones. As we enter middle age, environmental influences begin to catch up with internal factors and aging seems to accelerate. As we progress in age, women begin to produce less estrogen, and men, less testosterone.
NutritioN is the cornerstone of aging well. Americans gain at least two pounds per year over their lifetime. That is about 100 calories each day. Therefore, if we burn off those 100 extra calories each day, or do not ingest them at all, we will not gain weight. Even more, eating the right foods is imperative. Look to the food pyramid for healthy eating guidance.
SuN avoidance is a no-brainer. Rays
Taking preemptive measures by controlling external factors early in life is the first step towards aging gracefully. Just think A-N-S-W-E-R to remember the basics to making good lifestyle choices.
wreak havoc on skin cells. Using sunscreen on a daily basis is an effortless precautionary step anyone can take. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and avoiding going out in mid-day sun, if possible, are two other easy measures by which we should all abide.
Alcohol and smoking are
WAter comprises between 60 and 70
two of the biggest external factors that cause premature aging. Alcohol is a diuretic, which has a drying effect on the body; this can cause facial skin to become dry, flaky and deflated. Alcohol also depletes the body of vitamin A, causing a shallow, unhealthy appearance. Smoking speeds up skin aging by producing free radicals, which are highly unstable, powerful molecules that cause damage to DNA. The cells of the body begin behaving erratically, producing a range of cellular responses that make skin age fast.
percent of the body, yet most people walk around chronically dehydrated. To figure out if you are drinking enough water, take your weight in pounds divided by two. The result is how many ounces of water you should drink daily. When drinking alcohol you should drink an equal amount of water to combat alcohol’s diuretic effect.
relAxAtioN
ironically, can be one of the most difficult lifestyle choices to make. Mental chatter––thoughts about responsibilities swirling in the brain––can make it very difficult to sleep at night as the mind tries to make sense of it all. It also keeps us distracted from the world in front of us. As little as five minutes a day of mindful breathing can begin to reset the circuitry in the brain, making peace amongst all the chaos. These six areas incorporated into daily life may be enough for you to go about your days with renewed energy and confidence. If not, you can visit downtownmagazinenyc.com for both non-invasive and invasive alternatives. —Donald Roland, M.D. Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
exerciSe
is the key to keeping weight off as we age. It can be difficult to dedi-
aging
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cate thiry minutes to an hour a day three to five times a week to exercise. Exercising throughout the day is often easier than stressing about making time to go to the gym. So, think creatively and try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. For example, leave the house a little early and walk instead of taking the subway. The average person walks at about three miles per hour; that is 60 north-south city blocks. Or, sit on an exercise ball at your desk instead of in a chair. This helps posture and the body’s core.
Gracefully spring 2011
n
downtownmagazinenyc.com
Photography by morgan miller. makeup and hair by Scott mcmahan.
AgiNg grAcefully: oxymoroN or mANtrA?
FOREHEAD
Gravity causes the forehead to lower, making the eyes seem smaller over time. The fat over the brow atrophies, giving a bony look. Forehead lines appear as a result of the millions of times the forehead muscles are flexed in expression.
EYELIDS
The skin on the eyelids is some of the thinnest on the body. Consequently, eyelids are the most vulnerable to the sun’s effects. Lid support weakens and the protective fat that keeps the eyeballs cushioned begins to pop out. This, in conjunction with the muscle around the eye that causes blinking contracts 17,000 times a day (or 6.25 million times a year), eventually creating dreaded crow’s feet.
CHEEKS and FOLDS
JOWLS
Jowls are simply cheeks going south. This combined with a gradual weight gain over the course of your lifetime can make it hard to see the nice chiseled jawbone you had in your high school yearbook.
In youth, cheek fat is thick and sits high up beneath the lower lid. With time, the fat diminishes and the small ligaments supporting the fat stretch, revealing a flattened area next to the nasal bridge beneath the lid. Now, the bone is seen just beneath the skin. The whole area gives the appearance of tiredness. Nasolabial folds––the lines connecting the nose to the corners of the mouths––are fixed to the many expression muscles just below. This acts as a sort of anatomic dam preventing cheek fat from passing through it. Instead, the fat tries to overflow, deepening the folds with age. The corners of the mouth begin to turn down as the cheeks descend and the lips thin from the atrophy of muscle and fat.
NECK
SKIN
In most cultures, the skin of the face and hands is exposed on a daily basis to the sun’s harmful effects. Ultraviolet rays damage skin cells, resulting in a roughened texture, increased wrinkles, loss of skin’s snappiness and uneven pigment changes. This in turn adversely affects all other areas, because the skin is the fabric covering our facial architecture.
An aged neck can be caused by an assortment of factors. The same system of facial expression muscles on the face extend down the front of the neck. These are apparent when one sticks their neck out or forcefully turns down the corners of the mouth. As we age, these two muscles tend to separate right down the middle, leading to the inner edge of each falling away from the neck. This looks like two strings, or neck bands, under the skin. Excess fat and loose skin also tends to accumulate in the neck.
sales@rosettawines.com
40 Exchange Place New York, NY 10005
ONLINE
212-361-0007
D ER R O
www.rosettawines.com
F RE ED E
ROSETTA WINES Purveyors of Fine Wines & Spirits TORE TASTIN S N GS YI R VE I L
CITY BITES ■ FOODIE FIND
CORTON 239 West Broadway 212-219-2777 Monday-Thursday 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m.
A TASTE OF AVANT-GARDE DINING
inside
Photography by Richard Pare.
CORTON I remember having my first date with my husband at the old Montrachet restaurant many years ago. Corton is there now, exuding a special, romantic, elegant-style restaurant. Be it a seat at the hip bar or one of the chic tables, if you have a hankering for a thoughtful gastronomic experience, Corton is a must-try spot. Chef Paul Liebrandt is an intense kind of guy. He is a hands-on cook who practices his craft daily. He is the first in and last out, and he produces what I describe as food art—although he is not an artist in the traditional sense. Remember, he is a cook. Liebrandt is a goodlooking guy with a large ego
and a lot of self-confidence. I appreciate his intensity and focus and I love his food. It is beautiful, tasty and perfectly presented in small bites. Liebrandt was born in Zimbabwe and raised in London. When he came to New York 10 years ago, he was cooking combinations that people had never before experienced. His “European Progressive” cooking genre can be a curveball for diners. The food at Corton is nontraditional. For example, with a dish as classic as white wine mussels, Liebrandt takes his own approach. He transforms white wine into a fluid gel and dips mussels into it. This changes the texture, yet the same balanced oceanic flavor exists. Among the range of ingredients and flavors, Liebrandt’s favorites are citrus/acidity and umami. Plus, he has a great deal of respect for quality and seasonal changes; Liebrandt collaborates
SPRING 2011
with local growers to obtain specialty products. He is also dedicated to working with his team on menu design, technique and style. When I asked Liebrandt about being a mentor and boss, he told me that he demands a lot. He requires attention to detail, a great deal of focus and loyalty. He will commit to passing along a wealth of knowledge and training to his cooks, but they must commit to him and the restaurant. “Put a lot in—get a lot out,” are his words. I saw the softer side of Liebrandt when I asked him what he was most gratifying in his career. He feels proud when people he has trained become successful on their own. He expects himself and his staff to do everything better than they did yesterday. Aside from cooking, Liebrandt enjoys swimming and gains quite a bit of inspiration from travel. He notices the little things in a new culture—food, style of service, special ingredients and customs—and brings his ideas back to his own kitchen. Liebrandt is the subject of a documentary film covering eight years of his life called A Matter of Taste, which premiered at South by Southwest, and is being screened at TriBeCa Film Festival this spring. You can view the trailer at amouthfulthefilm.com. His food is delicious, fun and a little left of center, which is the way it should be. Dining at Liebrandt’s Corton is an experience that makes you want to go back for more. —Murray Yanker
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WHERE TO FIND PREPARED FOODS Barbarini Mercato 225 Front Street 212-227-8890 Battery Place Market 77 Battery Place 212-786-0077 Inatessa Café 8 Little West Street 212-267-7000 Picnic Basket formerly known as Jin Market 111 Hudson Street 212-226-9310
Spring
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS ■ HISTORY LESSON
PICNIC
Make the most of the great weather. Have some fun, get some outdoor exercise, and have some food under the sun. Whether you’ve found a park, a playground, a peaceful rooftop or your own terrace—with friends or family—here are some delicious ideas.
Fulton Stall Market South Street between Fulton and Beekman Streets (Opens May 28, 2011)
—Murray Yanker
Photography by Lana De Doncker. Flowers courtesy of Verdant Floral Studio. Blanket and pillows courtesy of Stella.
Studio B 130 West Broadway 212-608-5829
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CITY BITES ■ SEASONAL FARE FIND MORE IDEAS AT
PICNIC POINTERS
PICNIC CHECKLIST
Picnicking in your own ‘hood is always fun for kids. My own really enjoy the process of packing and later setting up all the accoutrements of a family picnic. And they love to do it in a tea party style. Yes, I do have girls, but boys can have fun with this as well. When we go to the park, I like to pack my kids’ food in a new bucket that they can later use at the sand park. I also bring along a large drawing pad for my little ones to create a placemat for each person. If you are enjoying some alone time in the park or a picnic a deux, bring along a comfy blanket and some small pillows. Sit back and relax and enjoy the season!
❑ Plates ❑ Cups/Beverages ❑ Utensils ❑ Small knife and cutting board ❑ Antibacterial gel and/or wipes ❑ Cloth napkins ❑ Bottle opener or corkscrew ❑ Ice (I like to make my own cold packs for food by putting ice cubs in plastic freezer bags. Then, I can use the ice in beverages later and use the plastic bags as trash bags.) ❑ Condiments (salt and pepper, mustard, etc.) ❑ Entertainment (cards, iPad, books, etc.) ❑ Blanket and/or pillows ❑ Trash bags ❑ Bug spray and sun screen ❑ And, of course, the picnic food
FRIENDLY AND FUN PICNIC FOOD IDEAS ❃ Gazpacho—pour in a thermos and serve in cups
CUCUMBER SANDWICHES
❃ Cold noodle salads
16 slices of white bread
❃ Panzanella bread salad with tomatoes
8-ounce container of light cream
❃ Tabbouleh or grain type salads
cheese (or flavored) 4-5 small Kirby cucumbers, sliced thinly Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons chives, minced
❃ Antipasta, cheese, olives, etc.
CORN ON THE COB WITH FRESH CILANTRO
❃ Fresh fruit skewers
5 ears of corn, shucked, cleaned of silks Remove crusts from white bread. Spread
❃ Edamame
and cut into 3 or 4-inch pieces
a thin layer of cream cheese on all pieces of
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
bread. Place thinly sliced cucumbers on top
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
of one side of bread, sprinkle with salt and
Kosher salt, to taste
❃ Corn on the cob ❃ Sandwiches (ham, salami,
turkey, PB & J, etc.)
❃ Leftover cold meat or fish,
served with fresh sauce or a squeeze of lemon juice
pepper and top with the other cream cheese bread. Slice sandwiches into fourths then
Place corn in large pot of boiling water for
❃ Popcorn, crackers, pita or
spread a little cream cheese on one edge of
10 minutes. Drain and toss with melted butter,
the triangle.
chopped cilantro (or parsley or chives) and salt.
Dip edge of triangle into chopped chives for added flavor and “snappy” presentation.
Wrap corn in tin foil to keep warm and for
chips for dipping—plus the dip
❃ Leave dessert to the ice cream truck!
easy eating.
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CITY BITES ■ RECIPE ROLADEX
KITCHEN 3 Different Professional Chefs’ Home Cookin’ Favorites Add Up To One Great Meal
APPETIZER Open Face B.L.T. (2 servings) (Brioche, Lox, Truffles)
Pair with Prosecco Lychee Martini 4 slices brioche bread 2 tablespoon butter 4 teaspoons goat cheese 8 slices of gravlax Fresh truffle shavings, to taste Freshly cracked pepper, to taste Salt, to taste Toast brioche on both sides with butter in a skillet until light golden brown. Spread one teaspoon of goat cheese on each. Top with gravlax, shaved truffle, cracked pepper and salt, to your taste or luxury.
Place lychees and simple syrup in a blender jar; puree until smooth. Add more simple syrup, if desired. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Divide lychee mixture evenly between two martini glasses; top with Prosecco and serve immediately. Chef Jehangir Mehta has two restaurants in New York City: Mehtaphor in the Duane Street Hotel (130 Duane Street) and Graffiti (224 East 10th Street). His cookbook is Mantra: The Rules of Indulgence (Ecco)
Prosecco Lychee Martini (2 cocktails) 2 cups canned or fresh lychees, peeled ½ cup simple syrup, add as needed Prosecco, chilled, preferably
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MAIN COURSE Pollo al Avocado (2 servings) Pair this with a crisp white wine 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt, pepper and oregano, to taste 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped ¼ of a small Bermuda onion, sliced thinly ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved ½ green bell pepper, diced 8 sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly ¼ cup white wine ½ cup chicken stock 1 avocado Slice each chicken breast in 3 strips and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Dust strips with all-purpose flour. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Brown chicken strips on both sides for a total of 3 minutes. In the same pan, lower heat and add garlic and onion, sauté until transparent. Add cherry tomatoes, bell pepper and sundried tomatoes and simmer, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high, add wine and scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon for any brown bits. Add chicken broth, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice avocado into strips or chunks, drizzle olive oil over avocado, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cooked chicken on serving dish and top with fresh avocado. Chef Rolando Mendez is part owner of Il Giglio Italian Restaurant (81 Warren Street).
DESSERT Strawberry Shortcake Cookies (Yield: About 4 dozen) Pair with a Sparkling Cava Topping and Filling Pint fresh strawberries, diced ¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 pint heavy cream Sprinkle diced strawberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar and vinegar and toss lightly to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate. Whip heavy cream on mediumhigh speed. When cream starts to thicken, slowly pour the ¼ cup of sugar into cream. Continue to mix until cream holds medium-firm peaks. The whipped cream and strawberries can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. To Assemble the Cookies 1 recipe Vanilla Cookie Dough (see our website for complete recipe) To assemble cookies, spoon or pipe about 1 teaspoon of whipped cream onto each cookie, and then top each with 1 to 2 pieces of diced strawberries. Serve immediately. Rachel Schifter Thebault is owner and head confectioner of TriBeCa Treats (94 Reade Street). Her new book is Sweet Chic: Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion (Ballantine Books). —Murray Yanker
Photography by Lana De Doncker.
magic in the
CITY BITES ■ NOCTURNAL
WHEN THE HOUR GROWS LATE, PLAN A DATE IN OR A NIGHT OUT ON THE DOWNTOWN Photography by Lana De Doncker. Wine courtesy of Rosetta Wines. Macaroons courtesy of La Maison du Chocolat.
SCENE
last
CALL
ST-GERMAIN COCKTAIL 2 parts Champagne (or Sauvignon Blanc) 1 part St-Germain liqueur Top with a splash of club soda or sparkling water Serve chilled Garnish with a couple of fresh raspberries
ON THE TOWN AFTER HOURS New York Vintners 21 Warren Street 212-812-3999
Smith & Mills 71 N Moore Street 212-226-2515
If you are looking to expand your knowledge of wine and have a date night, check out NY Vintners. It is “more than just a wine shop.” They offer wine education classes, a series of dinners with winemakers, pizza-making classes, lunch/ brunch tastings and more.
A great atmosphere for late night cocktails or dinner––they stay open until 2 a.m. or later.
Weather Up TriBeCa 159 Duane Street This cozy bar in TriBeCa is the perfect spot to meet for a drink. While you are there, try the warm, roasted oysters or the homemade potato chips.
Duane Park Restaurant 157 Duane Street 212-732-5555 Duane Park offers a unique jazz and burlesque show every weekend. Even more the restaurant offers a slice of Paris or should I say New Orleans in our own backyard. —Murray Yanker
SPRING 2011
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Photography by Lana De Doncker.
ATTERY PARK CITY CHINATOWN TRIBECA FIDI SOUTH STREET SEAPORT BATTERY PARK CITY CHINA ATTERY PARK CITY CHINATOWN TRIBECA FIDI SOUTH STREET SEAPORT BATTERY PARK CITY CHINA
Downtowneats
CITY BITES n Dining guiDe
BATTERY PARK CITY Au Mandarin, Chinese. World Financial Center, 212-385-0313; aumandarin.com Battery Gardens, American. Opposite 17 State Street in Battery Park, 212-809-5508; batterygardens.com Battery Place Market, Gourmet Grocer/Prepared Foods/Cheese. 77 Battery Pl., 212-786-0077 Financier Patisserie, Café. World Financial Center, 212-786-3220; financierpastries.com Gigino Wagner Park, Italian. 20 Battery Pl., 212-528-2228; gigino-wagnerpark.com The Grill Room, American. World Financial Center, 212-945-9400; thegrillroomnyc.com Inatesso Café, Italian. 38 West St., 212-267-7000; inattesocafe.com
CHINATOWN Dim Sum Go Go, Chinese. 5 East Broadway, 212-732-0796 Doyers, Vietnamese. 11-13 Doyers St., 212-513-1521
Burger Shoppe, American. 30 Water St., 212-425-1000; burgershoppenyc.com
Forlini’s, Italian. 93 Baxter St., 212-349-6779
Café Sage, Thai. 108 John St., 212-925-7440; cafesage.com
Fuleen Seafood, Chinese. 11 Division St., 212-941-6888
Liberty View, Chinese. 21 South End Ave., 212-786-1888; libertyviewrestaurant.com
New Bo Ky, Chinese. 80 Bayard St., 212-406-2292
Ulysses Folk House, Pub. 95 Pearl St., 212-482-0400; ulyssesfolkhouse.com
Pongsri Thai, Thai. 106 Bayard St., 212-349-3132; pongsri.com
FIDI Adrienne’s Pizza Bar, Italian. 54 Stone St., 212-248-3838; adriennespizzabar.com Alfanoose, Middle Eastern. 8 Maiden Ln., 212-528-2669; alfonoose.com Ancora, Italian. 11 Stone St., 212-480-3880; ancoraristorante.com
COURTESY OF NOBU
Church & Dey, New American. 55 Church St. (3rd floor Millenium Hilton), 212-312-2000; hilton.com Cipriani, Italian. 55 Wall St., 212-699-4096, cipriani.com The Country Kebab, Turkish. 76 Fulton St., 212-349-4290; countrykebab.com Crepes du Nord, French-Scandinavian. 17 S William St., 212-422-9500; crepesdunord.com Delmonico’s, Steakhouse. 55 Beaver St., 212-509-1144; delmonicosny.com Financier Patisserie, Café. 35 Cedar St., 212-952-3838; financierpastries.com Fino, Italian. 1 Wall St. Center, 212-825-1924; finony.com Fraunces Tavern, American. 54 Pearl St., 212-968-1776; frauncestavern.com Fresco by Scotto On The Go, Italian.114 Pearl St., 212-635-5000; frescobyscotto.com Giardino D’Oro, Italian. 5 Gold St., 212-514-6400; giardinodoro.com
P.J. Clarke’s, American. World Financial Center, 212-285-1500; pjclarks.com
Hana, Japanese. 59 Nassau St., 212-732-9250
SouthWest, NY Tex-Mex. World Financial Center, 212-945-0528; southwestny.com
Harry’s Café and Steak, Steakhouse. 1 Hanover Sq., 212-785-9200; harrysnyc.com
Merchant’s River House, American. 375 South End Ave., 212-432-1451
Harry’s Italian, Italian. 2 Gold St., 212-747-0797; harrysitalian.com
Two West, American. 2 West St., 917-790-2525; ritzcarlton.com
Haru, Japanese. 1 Wall St. Center, 212-785-6850; harusushi.com
Yushi, Japanese. World Financial Center, 212-945-3096; yushi.com
SPRING 2011
COURTESY OF CIPRIANI
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Merchants NY Café, American. 90 Washington St., 212-363-6000; merchantsnyc.com SHO Shaun Hergatt, French-Asian Fusion. 40 Broad St. (Setai), 212-809-3993; shoshaunhergatt.com
Trinity Place, Bar & Restaurant. 115 Broadway, 212-964-0939; trinityplacenyc.com
Picasso Pizza, Pizzeria. 303 South End Ave., 212-321-2616; picassopizzany.com
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The Libertine, Pub. 15 Gold St., 212-785-5950; thelibertinerestaurant.com
Joe’s Shanghai, Chinese. Pell St., 212-233-8888; shanghairestaurant.com
Pho Viet Huong, Vietnamese. 73 Mulberry St., 212-233-8988; phoviethuongnyc.com
Kaijou, Japanese. 21 South End Ave., 212-786-9888; kaijounewyork.com
Les Halles, French Brasserie. 15 John St., 212-285-8585; leshalles.net
Stone Street Tavern, American Pub. 52 Stone St., 212-785-5658; stonestreettavernnyc.com
Grand Sichaun, Chinese. 12 Canal St., 212-625-9212; thegrandsichaun.com
Peking Duck, Chinese. 28 Mott St., 212-227-1810; pekingduckhousenyc.com
Izzy & Nats, American Diner. 311 South End Ave.; izzyandnats.com
Killarney Rose, Irish Pub. 127 Pearl St., 212-422-1486; killarneyrose.com
Smorgas Chef, Scandinavian. 53 Stone St., 212-422-3500; smorgaschef.com
Golden Unicorn, Chinese. 18 East Broadway , 212-941-0911 Goldenunicornrestaurant.com
Oriental Garden, Chinese. 14 Elizabeth St., 212-619-0085; orientalgardenny.com
Inatteso Pizza Bar Casano, Pizzeria. 28 West St., 212-267-8000; inattesopizzabar.com
Bobby Van’s, Steakhouse. 25 Broad St., 212-344-8463; bobbyvans.com Burger Burger, American. 77 Pearl St., 212-269-9100; burgerburgerny.com
Excellent Dumpling, Chinese. 111 Lafayette St., 212-219-0212
Nha Trang, Vietnamese. 87 Baxter St., 212-233-5948
COURTESY OF LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT
BLT Bar & Grill, American. 123 Washington St. (W Hotel), 646-826-8666; bltbarandgrill.com
DOWNTOWNMAGAZINENYC.COM
Ise Japanese Restaurant, Japanese. 56 Pine St., 212-785-1600; iserestaurant.com
Wall & Water, Contemporary American. 75 Wall St., 212-699-1700; wallandwater.com Waterstone Grill, Seafood. 79 Pearl St., 212-943-1602; waterstonegrill.com Zaitzeff, Burgers. 72 Nassau St., 212-571-7272; zaitzeffnyc.com Zigolini’s, New American Bar. 65 Pearl St., 212-425-3127; zigolinis.com
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT Acqua, Italian. 21 Peck Slip, 212-349-4433; acquarestaurantnyc.com Barbarini Alimentari, Italian. 225 Front St., 212-227-8890; barbarinimercato.com Bridge Café, American. 279 Water St., 212-227-3344; bridgecafenyc.com Bridgewaters, American. 11 Fulton St., 212-608-7400; theglaziergroup.com Buon’ Amici, Italian. 40 Peck Slip, 212-349-1400; buonamiciny.com Cowgirl Seahorse, Mexican/Southern. 259 Front St., 212-608-7873; cowgirlseahorse.com Fish Market, Seafood. 111 South St., 212-227-4468; fishmarketnyc.com Fresh Salt, Bar/Café. 146 Beekman St., 212-962-0053; freshsalt.com Harbour Lights, Seafood. Pier 17, 212-227-2800; harbourlightsrestaurant.com Heartland Brewery, American. Pier 17, 646-572-2337, heartlandbrewery.com House of Crepes, French. Pier 17, 917-421-2027
Il Brigante, Italian. 214 Front St., 212-285-0222; ilbrigantenyc.com
City Hall Restaurant, Steakhouse. 131 Duane St., 212-227-7777; cityhallny.com
J.P. Mustard, Deli. 22 Fulton St., 212-785-0612
Columbine, Deli. 229 West Broadway, 212-965-0909; columbine229.com
Keg No. 229, American. 229 Front St., 212-566-2337; kegno229.com
Corton, French. 239 West Broadway, 212-219-2777; cortonnyc.com
Mark Joseph Steakhouse, Steakhouse. 261 Water St., 212-277-0200; markjosephsteakhouse.com
Duane Park, Southern.157 Duane St., 212-732-5555; duaneparknyc.com
Meade’s Bar, Contemporary Pub. 22 Peck Slip, 212-227-4087; meadesbar.com Nelson Blue, New Zealand Bar & Grill. 233-235 Fulton St., 212-346-9090; nelsonablue.com Pacific Grill, Pan-Asian Seafood. 89 South St., 212-964-0707; pacificgrillnyc.com Paris Café, French. 119 South St., 212-240-9797; theparistavern.com Salud!, Latin. 142 Beekman St., 212-566-2220; saludrestaurant.com Sequoia, American Seafood. Pier 17, 212-732-9090 Stella Manhattan Bistro, French. 213 Front St., 212-233-2417; stellanyc.com Suteishi, Japanese. 24 Peck Slip, 212-766-2344; suteishi.com Trattoria Pizzeria, Italian. 214 Front St., 212-285-0222; ilbrigantenyc.com
TRIBECA Accapella, Northern Italian. 1 Hudson St., 212-240-0163; acappella-restaurant.com Blaue Gans, German/Austrian. 139 Duane St., 212-571-8880; kg-ny.com Bouley, French. 163 Duane St., 212-964-2525; davidbouley.com Bread TriBeCa, Italian. 301 Church St., 212-334-8282; breadtribeca.com
Dylan Prime, Steakhouse. 62 Laight St., 212-34-4783; dylanprime.com Ecco!, Italian. 124 Chambers St., 212-227-7074; eccorestaurantny.com
Pecan, Café. 130 Franklin St., 646-613-8296; pecancafeny.com Pepolino, Italian. 281 West Broadway, 212-966-9983; pepolino.com Plein Sud, French Brasserie. 85 West Broadway (Smythe Hotel), 212-204-5555; pleinsudnyc.com Roc, Italian. 190-A Duane St., 212-625-3333; rocrestaurant.com
Ruchi, Indian. 120 Cedar St., 212-227-8454 / 212-227-8455; Sazon, Puerto Rican. 105 Duane St., 212-406-1900; sazonnyc.com
Farinella, Italian. 90 Worth St., 212-698-3222; farinellabakery.com
Salaam Bombay, Indian. 319 Greenwich St., 212-226-9400; salaambombay.com
Filli Ponte Ristorante, Italian. 39 Desbrosses St., 212-226-4621; filliponte.com For de Sol, Tapas. 361 Greenwich St., 212-366-1640; flordesolnyc.com Gigino Trattoria, Italian. 323 Greenwich St., 212-431-1112; gigino-trattoria.com Greenwich Grill, Japanese-Italian Fusion. 428 Greenwich St., 212-2740428; greenwichgrill.com Greenwich Street Tavern, Sandwiches. 399 Greenwich St., 212-334-7827; greenwichstreettavernnyc.com The Harrison, New American. 355 Greenwich St., 212-274-9310; theharrison.com Il Giglio, Italian. 81 Warren St., 212-571 5555; ilgigliorestaurant.com
COURTESY OF BATTERY PLACE MARKET
Kori, Korean. 253 Church St., 212-334-0908; korinyc.com Landmarc, New American Bistro. 179 West Broadway, 212-343-3883; landmarc-restaurant.com Locanda Verde, Italian. 377 Greenwich St., 212-925-3797; locandaverdenyc.com Macao Trading Co., Asian Fusion. 311 Church St., 212-431-8750; macaonyc.com Marc Forgione, New American. 134 Reade St., 212-941-9401; marcforgione.com Max, Italian. 181 Duane St., 212-966-5939; max-nyc.com Megu, Japanese. 62 Thompson St., 212-964-7777; megurestaurant.com Mehtaphor, Asian. 130 Duane St., 212-542-9440; mehtaphornyc.com Mr. Chow, Chinese.121 Hudson St., 212-965-9500; mrchow.com
Centrico, Mexican. 211 West Broadway, 212-431-0700; myriadrestaurantgroup.com
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Peace & Love, American Seafood. 378 Greenwich St., 212-349-8500; peacelovenyc.com
Estancia 460, Latin American. 460 Greenwich St., 212-431-5093; estancia460.wordpress.com
Carl’s Steaks, Sandwiches. 79 Chambers St., 212-566-2828; carlsteaks.com
SPRING 2011
Kitchenette, American. 156 Chambers St., 212-267-6740; kitchenetterestaurant.com
The Palm, Steakhouse. 206 West St., 646-395-6391; thepalm.com
Rosanjin, Japanese. 141 Duane St., 212-346-7807; rosanjintribeca.com
Capsouto Freres, French Bistro. 451 Washington St., 212-966-4900; capsoutofreres.com
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Josephine Bakery, French. 40 Harrison St. Jerry’s Café, American Diner. 90 Chambers St., 212-608-1700; jerryscafenyc.com
O’Hara’s, Pub. 120 Cedar St., 212-267-3032
En Japanese St, Japanese. 435 Hudson St., 212-647-9196; enjb.com
Capri Café, Italian. 165 Church St., 212-513-1358; capri-café.com
Churrascaria, Brazilian. 221 West Broadway, 212-925-6969; churrascariatribeca.com
Ivy’s Bistro, American Italian. 385 Greenwich St., 212-343-1139; ivysbistro.com
Edward’s, American Bistro. 136 West Broadway, 212-233-6436; edwardsnyc.com
Bubby’s, American. 120 Hudson St., 212-219-0666; bubbys.com
Cercle Rouge, French Bistro. 241 West Broadway, 212-226-2652; cerclerougeresto.com
Industria Argentina, Argentinean. 329 Greenwich St., 212-965-8560; iatribeca.com
COURTESY OF PLEIN SUD
Il Matto, Italian. 281 Church St., 212-226-1607; ilmattonyc.com Il Mattone, Italian. 413 Greenwich St., 212-343-0030; ilmattonenyc.com
DOWNTOWNMAGAZINENYC.COM
Scallni Fedeli, Italian. 165 Duane St., 212-528-0400; scalinifedeli.com Smith & Mills, American Traditional. 71 N Moore St., 212-226-2515; smithandmills.com Souths, Pub. 273 Church St., 212-219-0640; southsnyc.com Stuzzicheria, Italian. 305 Church St., 212-219-4037; stuzzicherianyc.com Takahachi, Japanese. 145 Duane St., 212-571-1830; takahachi.net Tataki, Japanese. 3 Lispenard St., 212-965-0975; tatakisushi.com Tamarind TriBeCa, Indian. 99 Hudson St., 212-775-9000; tamarinde22.com Terroir TriBeCa, Wine Bar. 24 Harrison St., 212-625-9463; wineisterroir.com Thalassa, Greek. 179 Franklin St., 212-941-7661; thalassanyc.com Trattoria Cinque, Italian. 363 Greenwich St., 212-965-0555; trattoriacinquenyc.com
Nam, Vietnamese. 110 Reade St., 212-267-3777; namnyc.com
TriBeCa Grill, New American. 375 Greenwich St., 212-941-3900; myriadrestaurantgroup.com/tribecagrill
Ninja New York, Japanese. 25 Hudson St., 212-274-8500; ninjanewyork.com
Turks & Frogs, Turkish. 458 Greenwich St., 212-966-4774; turksandfrogs.com
Nobu, Japanese. 105 Hudson St., 212-334-4445; noburestaurants.com
Wolfgang’s, Steakhouse. 409 Greenwich St., 212-925-0350; wolfgangsteakhouse.com
The Odeon, American. 145 West Broadway, 212-233-0507; theodeonrestaurant.com
Zutto, Japanese. 77 Hudson St., 212-233-3287; sushizutto.com
eXtRa! eXtRa! n HiDDEn gEM “When Mr. Menkes first came to New York Downtown Hospital, he was very interested in exploring its history. He realized that our founding and historical narratives in many ways formed the institution that he would later come to direct. Mr. Menkes, his assistant and I spent a good deal of time going through a dusty storage room to recover records and objects that went back to the earliest days of the Hospital. We found journals of early board meetings; portraits, engraved plates and cor-
Elizabeth Blackwell, who was the first female physician in the United States, was born in Bristol, England in 1821 and immigrated to New York with her family in 1832. When Blackwell was 24 years old an idea began to take hold. A dear friend of hers had died and before her passing, the woman told Blackwell that had there been a female doctor she would have been put at ease. Blackwell began to read medical books and eventually apprenticed with John Dickson, a retired physician in North Carolina, in exchange for teaching music in his school. She later declined an offer from Dr. Joseph Pancoast of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia to attend medical school classes at the institution, but only if she disguised herself as a man. A resolute Blackwell was finally accepted to Geneva Medical College in upstate New York and began her two-year tenure in November 1847. The story goes that the administration would admit her so long as the students unanimously voted yes to the idea. Thinking it was a joke, her peers obliged, all voting in favor of her
respondence related to the founding Blackwell sisters. There were artifacts like their writing desk, the manufacture of which we were able to trace back to Bristol, England, at the time Elizabeth’s family came to the United States. It was most likely was used by her father on the way over and then handed down to Dr. Blackwell.” ––Anthony Ercolano, D.Min., Manager of Special Projects at the New York Downtown Hospital, on CEO Jeffrey Menkes’s arrival and group discovery of Blackwell’s belongings.
application. She raced to the top, proudly graduating first in her class on January 23, 1849. Later that year, while traveling in France, Blackwell was blinded when infected water from a syringe squirted into her eye. Her damaged eye was surgically replaced with a glass one. Her dream of becoming a surgeon was lost with her eyesight. Still, she persevered and returned to New York in August 1851. She rented a floor at 44 University Place to use as her home and office. In 1853, she set up a free dispensary at East 7th Street, and later relocated to 150 East 3rd Street where she then established the New York Dispensary for Poor Women and Children. At the same time, she visited slum dwellings to treat those too weak to go to the clinic. Her popularity grew—people often referring to her as the “doctress”—and her practice began to expand. She was able to raise enough money to buy
Blackwell’s desk where she wrote all of her correspondence was brought over from England in 1821.
Elizabeth Blackwell was the most significant female figure in the history of American medicine.
a house at 64 Bleecker Street where she opened a fully equipped female-staffed hospital specifically for women and children. With Blackwell acting as director, The New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children opened on May 12, 1857. The hospital grew and on November 2, 1868, Blackwell opened The Women’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary at 126 Second Avenue. The school was the first four-year medical program in the Blackwell’s citizencountry. ship papers launched In 1869, Blackwell left the a career which would open doors for city for England, believing that women in the U.S. she had completed her pioneering work in America. Blackwell entrusted the infirmary to her sister, Emily. In time, the it acquired its more familiar name: The New York Downtown Hospital.
hidden gem AmAzing ArtifActs from AmericA’s first femAle doctor
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downtownmagazinenyc.com
—Andrea Tullman
TRIBECA DENTAL STUDIO
212.561.5303 54 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007
www.tribecadentalstudio.com
Rearview MIRROR Views from New York by Gehry Photographed by Tony Shi
Photography by Tony Shi.
Enjoy the view from our back window. This is a sneak peak of the Downtown cityscape from the New York by Gehry tower (scheduled for completion in 2012). Looming a majestic 76-stories over 8 Spruce Street, the city’s latest landmark is already a fixture on the Downtown skyline. The mesmerizing northern vistas include a horizon-spiked by a slightly more established city fixture— The Empire State Building!
EXTRA! EXTRA! ■ SOAP BOX
SOAPBOX STREET TALK WITH DOWNTOWN DOGS
Local Lower Manhattanites sound off WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST DOWNTOWN LUXURY? My greatest Downtown luxury is Century 21 Department Store. It’s my very first stop for anything I want to purchase, and usually my last since I find almost everything I need there. When I travel abroad and return to NYC, I can’t wait to go to my favorite store in the world and get my “fix!” One can find luxury at a great price! —Daniela
MOZZI
CREAM PUFF
Breed: Labradoodle Age: 9
Breed: Golden Retriever Age: 5
Owner: Michael
Owner: Richard
What is your favorite season?
What is your favorite springtime activity? Lazing
Mike and I talked at length and I decided I
on the esplanade watching people go by while
particularly like the warmer months and taking
chewing on a stick, and I especially like going sail-
walks on the esplanade.
ing around the harbor.
Counting sailboats against a brilliant evening sunset on the Hudson. —Maryann
My greatest Downtown luxury is being able to look at the Statue of Liberty from every room in my apartment. —Janet My favorite Downtown luxury is walking from the apartment to The Harrison [on Greenwich Street] for date night, while enjoying the architecture along the way. —Kendel I think the greatest Downtown luxury is the ocean breeze you smell in the summer while sitting on the esplanade watching boats sail in front of the Statue of Liberty. —Alex Playing ball in Battery Park with my daughter on a nice summer day.
SURI
SYDNEY
Breed: Shih Tzu Age: 2
Breed: Australian Hunting Dog Age: 5
Owner: Seema
Owner: Heanttre
What does your dog like about living
What are your hobbies? Walks around the
Downtown? All the attention from the people
neighborhood make my tail wag. My favorite
living here is the best.
is hunting squirrels.
Leaving the kids with my husband, grabbing a single soy latte at Starbucks and getting my nails done next door at Ada Nails on West Broadway. —Sue Want to see your pet in DOWNTOWN? Visit us online to
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submit a photo. SPRING 2011
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Photography by Alex Hon.
—Sebastian
W NEW YORK - DOWNTOWN
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exclusive cocktail menu created by renowned mixologist
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Nibbles & Bites by BLT Bar & Grill
123 WAShINGTON STREET, 5 Th fLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10006 PhONE: 646.826.8646 WNEWYORKDOWNTOWN.COM/LIVINGROOM-BAR-TERRACE