Party Pictures 1/29/07 - Generosity on NYSD ...

Generosity on NYSD ...

Generosity Event Committee

Last Monday evening, about 200 people attended a cocktail and dinner party to benefit the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, hosted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It was the 3rd such evening over the past 3 years and has always been sold out.

The Gracie Mansion Conservancy was founded in 1981, its mission to preserve, maintain, and enhance this Landmark. Built in 1799 by shipping merchant Archibald Gracie, its original purpose was a summer home for his family. It is the last of the great mansions that once overlooked the East River, and is one of the last remaining wooden structures in Manhattan.

In 1823, Gracie was forced by financial pressures, to sell the home to Joseph Foulke. New York City appropriated the estate in 1896, incorporating the its 11 acres of grounds into East River Park, which was renamed Carl Schurz Park in 1910. The house was used for decades as concession stand and restrooms for the park. It was restored and became the first home to the Museum of the City of New York. Parks Commissioner Robert Moses convinced City officials to designate it the official Mayoral residence, and Fiorello H. Laguardia became the first New York City Mayor to take residence.

Yang Wang and Jane Pyon from Buddakan

The Susan E. E. Wagner Wing was added in 1966. it contained the ballroom in which the dinner portion of Monday's evening took place. In 1981, Mayor Ed Koch felt the house should be painted yellow, as it would look more in line with the Federal period, and so it has remained since.

In 2002, the house underwent another restoration. Accessibility to the public, as well as City agencies, has made Gracie Mansion the "People's House.” The current Mayor has chosen to remain in his own East Side residence during his tenure as Mayor. It has been used to house visiting officials. Recent guests have included Nelson Mandela and Rosalyn Carter.

Tours for school groups are free, and Tuesday's and Thursday's tea tours are given for groups of 25-50 people. There has been a 30% increase in student visitors over the past year, and the Conservancy is increasing its efforts to bring more classes of New York City children to Gracie Mansion.

On Monday night a small group was given a tour by Docent Diana Carroll. She pointed out that the house is filled with many pieces from different periods, much like the City in which the house rests. New York City is a mix of culturally diverse people, all living harmoniously.

In addition to the evenings chairs; Oscar De La Renta, Deborah Krulewitch, and Pam Schafler, seen in the crowd: Diana Taylor, Mercedes Bass, Annette De La Renta, Michael Gross, Elaine Sargent, Ray Kelly, Joel Getz, Megan Sheekey, Melissa Ferguson, Charles Bergman, Joan and John Jakobson, Jamie Drake, Susan and Jack Rudin and many others.

Some participating restaurants whose chefs were represented included: Blue Fin, Cafe Sabarsky, Buddakan, Cafe Botanica, Roberto's, and Lenz Vinyards. The food was delicious. A favorite: Chestnut soup, served in small shot glasses.

Leaving the mansion as snow was lightly falling, I could only imagine what it must have been like to have lived in that wonderful house, in a much different time, when things were much less complicated then they are now.

-- Liz Finkle

Jeef and Liz Peek with Mayor Bloomberg

Kenneth and Josie Natori with Mayor Bloomberg

Mayor Bloomberg with Gail Marquis and Audrey Smaltz

Peter and Deborah Krulewitch with Mayor Bloomberg

First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris and Michael Meehan II

Jean-George Vongerichten mixing it up

Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Chef Daniel Del Vecchio

Kurt Gutenbrunner

Malia Simonds and Annette and Oscar de la Renta with Mercedes Bass

Mary Erdoes and Vincent La Padula with Leslie Lassister

Mayor Bloomberg and Megan Sheekey with Stephen Sans and Liz Finkle

Sutton Foster and Marc Kuddish

Malia Simmonds and First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris and friend

Guests in Parlor

Jonathan Capehart and Erana Stennett and George Klein with Mayor Bloomberg

Cheese by Fairway Market

Raw Bar by Blue Fin

A week ago last Thursday, the UJA-Federation of New York brought together more than 700 Jewish singles in their 20s and 30s for an evening of dessert, dancing, and premium open bar at its annual Generosity event at The Puck Building. The Generosity event was created to enable these future leaders to foster a sense of community based on an emerging commitment to Jewish philanthropy. The evening was chaired by Marc Elkiner, Lindsay Sobel, and Evan Weinberg.

Marc Elkiner, Lindsay Sobel, and Evan Weinberg

Lindsay Sobel, Aaron Zises, and Abby Levin

Dan Silvers and David Baron

Peter Stern, Amanda Schwartz, Jeff Zalaznick, and Michael Olshan

Adam Bergman and Tamar Kaiserman

Marc Elkiner, Pamela Wohl, and Dean Matus

Nicolas Goureau, Abby Levin, Josh Levin, and Loren Levin

Jon Schulman and Evan Weinberg

Adam Bergman and Jaclyn Stevens

Jon Schulman and Leah Schottenstein

Sarah Mohr and Harron Zimmerman

Matt and Joanna Weiss

Brooke and Ken Lande

Abby Levin, Pamela Wohl, and Aaron Zises

Michael Baron and Christine Pope

Callae Brownstein and Teddy Wasserman

Marimekko, the Finnish textile company, opened its second concept store in Miami Beach last week. The opening coinicided with the Beaux Art’s Art of Table Decorating taking place at the Lowe Art Museum March 9th -11th. Marimekko will be among the participants designing a table that reflects their brand.

Beaux Arts was founded in 1952, coincidentally, a year after Marimekko was founded, by fifty founding members under the direction of Ann Atkinson, then Assistant Director of the newly built Joe and Emily Lowe Art Gallery. The purpose of the group was to promote and create an interest in art and art appreciation throughout the community, as well as to provide improvements, equipment and financial assistance to the Lowe Gallery (renamed Lowe Art Museum in 1968).

Marrimekko was made famous in the 1960’s by the legendary Design Research store and by the late First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy who used to wear Marimekko’s vivid prints.

Throughout the evening as guest sipped on Snow Queen vodka cocktail they reminisced about favorite Marimekko memories – a favorite umbrella, a set of sheets, an oversized coffee mug. Hostesses Courtney Parmenter (current president of Beaux Arts), Sussannah Shubin (chair of the upcoming Art of Table Decorating) and Beaux Arts members Raphael Bastian, Leslie Hoy, Nicole Lozano and Marlen Pernetti were all attired in Marimekko. Miami Beach Marimekko owner Cristina Dominguez, a newlywed was in attendance with husband Mike Grunwald. Also in attendance for the evening from Finland was CEO of Marimekko, Kirsti Paakkanen. Guests were given wonderful gift bags each with its own Marimekko mug.

Alison Robinson and Christy Falco

Patton Group girls

Michele Battle and Jennifer Quinton

Carol Bell, Cristina Dominguez, and Marysol Patton

Kristin Monroe, Abby Zanarini, and Kristin Dolan

Selmin Arat and Sarah Pendergast

Yossie Bitton and Paivi Lonka

Courtney Parmenter, Marlen Pernetti, Leslie Hoy, and Kirsti Paak

Shari Liu

Last Tuesday night at the Neue Gallerie, Dr. Cem Kinay, Chairman and CEO of the O Property Collection, celebrated the New York launch of the luxurious private island resort and residential destination Dellis Cay at a cocktail hour that ran from 6 to 8.

Located in the heart of Turks and Caicos Islands, Dellis Cay is OPC’s debut development, and features the designs of an eminent selection of architects that include Shigeru Ban, David Chipperfield, Carl Ettensperger, Zaha Hadid, Kengo Kuma and Piero Lissoni.

The occasion also brought the international team of Kinay (Viena), Ettensperger (Singapore), Kuma (Tokyo) and Lissoni (Milan) together in New York for a very rare appearance. Guests attending included Michael Douglas, Donna Karan, Angela Janklow, and Jennifer Creel.

The evening was set against the priceless Austrian art of the Klimt Gallery at the Neue and present modern Viennese delicacies by acclaimed chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, a nod to Dr. Kinay’s Austrian home, from which he was recently awarded with the State Medal of Austria this past December. The event also featured a performance by internationally renowned pianist Gabriela Montero, evoking the luxurious simplicity of Dellis Cay.

Dellis Cay will set new standards of lifetyle and hospitality in an untouched area of the Caribbean. Located in the Turks and Caicos Islands, this exclusive destination will consist of island residences, over-water villas, a Mandarin Oriental hotel, marina, spa and nature conservatory, among other unique amenities. Dellis Cay coveris located 575 miles southeast of Miami, 30 miles south of the Bahamas and 90 miles north of the Dominica Republic.