Friday night for me is generally the social sabbath. Once I leave my office rarely will you find me any place but the temple for my body or resting in the solitude of my apartment, alone in my bed on Friday evening. Navigating the work week and divying up the social calendar with Gregory in order to make it to Friday with my sanity in tact is a weekly exercise. As many New Yorkers know, unlike other cities, Friday Night is usually the least important of the social networking nights around town.
Social Life in Manhattan can be overwhelming at times. The volume of private parties, special events and charitable fundraisers is seemingly limitless, especially of late with the NYC Relief for Hurricane Katrina fully underway. What one chooses to patronize is a function of your interests, values, goals as well as obviously your level of access, not to say anything of whatever spare time and energy you have left after working like a typical New Yorker, which is quite hard. For many, not being on the list or being able to get in becomes the raison d' etre for going to a certain event. I am convinced that the success of certain events in this town is purely a result of a short guess list and then publicizing or leaking it to the world at large only to provide event planners and publicists the option to choose from among those who angle or beg for inclusion. (Photo: Shaun Rose, Alicia Post & Joe Richards of Fuel For Truth and Chris London at the recent American Red Cross fundraiser at Rock Candy for Victims of Hurricane Katrina sponsored by Theorice which raised nearly $10,000)
The week started out in promising fashion with a cocktail party to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the D&D Building. But, it was also Fashion Week, the United Nations was in session and it seemed like every dignitary on the planet was in the city for that or for the Clinton Global Initiative. Leave it to Bill Clinton to figure out how to remain the leader of the free world, a President without borders, wielding more power out of office than he had in office. An extraordinary volume of partying and fundraising continues around our town for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The most prevalent symbol on the New York social scene has been the logo of the American Red Cross. Even if some believe that "Charities Are For Suckers" and that Hurricane Katrina Relief should be best left to the federal government, the level of fundraising activity rivals that of post 9/11. Ironically four years later as we contemplate rebuilding the Gulf Coast region and New Orleans, there is still an empty space where the Twin Towers once stood. What really disturbs me beyond the obvious is the incompetence of a host of regional politicians who have not made rebuilding the towers a greater priority. As if traffic around town was not jammed enough, The Feast of San Gennaro on Mulberry Street contributed to the sense that everything important was in New York City all at once.
New York is buzzing yet I have remained a voyeuer on the sidelines for much of the past week, sucking up the news online and in the newspapers. I have been feeling somewhat introspective of late and desirous of greater intimacy than the volume of large scale events around town seem to provide. When I walked out of my office to get another Starbucks coffee on Friday, I could not help but notice how the Sheraton hotel which was location for the CGI was guarded like Fort Knox. So what did I do? I opted to mix amongst friends in more intimate settings.
On Thursday Night I was invited by friend, Susan Shin of "Shin Advisors" to cover The Grand Opening of the the Sara Tecchia Roma-New York Gallery on West 20th Street. The evening featured Water Flames by Makoto Fujimura. Mr. Fujimura's Water Flames Exhibition will continue through October 23rd with Artist Talk "A Journey Behind Water Flames" scheduled for October 7th from 7-9 PM. The vibe in the gallery was superb, a great mix of art connoseurs and a beautiful and ecelectic array of uptown and downtown movers and shakers who mixed, mingled and enjoyed the Oriel Wine served along with yummy passed hors d'ouevres. Afterwards, a cocktail party and a spectacular home style gourmet Italian dinner was held upstairs at Fiamma in Soho for friends of the gallery, and I am pleased to report that that I concur with the excellent reviews that Fiamma has already previously received. (Photo: Sara Tecchia, Makoto Fujimura & Susan Shin)
On Friday evening, I broke my cardinal rule and head to FIZZ to meet Mona Wyatt and friends for an intimate gathering to celebrate her birthday. The bubbly was poured, Veuve Clicquot to be precise, and we toasted the sexy and philanthropically inclined red head who admirably used her birthday to raise funds for one of her favorite charities, Stages of Learning. The three additional Bombay Sapphire gimlets on the rocks that I added to the bubbly made for a long slumber on Saturday. But you know I am feeling happy and relaxed when I order the Bombay ;-) (Photo: Dawn Palo, Mona Wyatt & Christine Cachot) more photos
*Note: Look for links to the full photo albums soon. Sorry for the delay.
Sounds like your a man about town.
Posted by: kennedy moore | November 17, 2005 at 05:00 PM