Social Diary 1/19/05 - It was a real cold one in New York yesterday

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

201 1/2 East 29th Street: A carriage house dating back to c. 1790 which has braved many a cold winter.

It was a real cold one in New York yesterday; the kind of day that kept people off the streets or bundled up as best they could.

Anu Tali: Action/Passion/Illusion. Click on image to order.

Shirley Lord Rosenthal had a lunch in her big and sun-filled duplex for the Estonian twins I wrote about in yesterday’s (Tuesday) Diary, Anu and Kadri Tali and a group of Shirley’s lady friends – many of whom are editors – and me. Ene (pronounced Eh-na) Greenfield, who gave the cocktail for the girls on Monday night, and Shirley have taken the twins under their wing to get the word out to New York and as much of the world as possible.

The concert hall in Talinn was destroyed by Soviet bombing during the Second World War. It has since been completely re-built, and beginning just a few years ago, for the first time in decades, it had its symphony orchestra which the young Talu sisters started. It is now called the Nordic Symphony Orchestra and it is attracting musicians from all over the world to play with it five times a year. Anu’s concert with the New Jersey Symphony last weekend brought them additional talent from here who wish to play there.

Ene Greenfield, who is a native Estonian (although she’s lived outside of the country since her parents left during the War) met them first. She was so impressed by what they had accomplished on their own, without the world knowing, that she decided to do what she could to help them. Before they leave the United States tomorrow, they may well have signed on with a major talent agency to handle Anu’s bookings.

Last night I went out to an early cocktail party that Ellen and Dr. Dick Levine gave for Donna Hanover and her new book My Boyfriend’s Back; True Stories of Rediscovering Love with A Long-Lost Sweetheart (Hudson Street Press). Mrs. Hanover, as you may remember was Mrs. Rudolph Giuliani for eighteen years including when Mr. G. was the Mayor of New York.

My Boyfriend's Back, by Donna Hanover. Click on image to order.

The marriage break-up was shared (not by choice) with the public in detail, and one could surmise just from reading about it that it was not easy for the lady, before, during or after.

However, as it happened, and I borrow from Ms. Hanover’s first chapter:

It was August 2002, a stifling hot afternoon in New York ... Nothing stood out about that day until the phone rang.

“Donna, it’s Ed Oster.”

I sat down. Ed Oster was my high school love. He was also my college love – until he broke my heart. I tried to hear Ed’s voice over the pulse pounding in my ear.

“I was wondering,” Ed asked tentatively, “if you’re planning to go to the Stanford reunion.”

This was interesting to say the least. What was going on here? This was the guy who had dumped me freshman year and had spoken to me for maybe two minutes at our reunion five years ago.

“Yes,” I said and then waited. Silently I prayed, “Please don’t let this be about fund-raising.”

“Well, the reunion isn’t until October,” Ed said, “but my work is bringing me to New York next week. I was wondering if I could take you out for coffee.”

I thought to myself, “I gotta call somebody – no one’s going to believe this.” Oh-so-casually I responded, “Let me check my calendar.” After flipping through several weeks of blank “date” pages, I said, “I think I can free up a little time.”

And the rest ... well, you’ll have to buy the book and read for yourself. Although I can tell you that they are now Mr. and Mrs. and sharing a bi-coastal life together. Ed lives in Newport Beach, Donna lives in New York with her children and each week he comes to New York or she goes to California. My Boyfriend’s Back tells their story as well as stories of many other couples across the country who have reunited after years apart. Hope, is the word that comes to mind, for a lot of people who will read this book.

I saw Nicole Miller, Gayle King, Joan Hamburg (who’d been at Shirley Lord’s luncheon), Liz Smith, Lisa Caputo and Rick Morris, Linda Stasi and Sid Davidoff, Fredi Friedman, Valerie Salembier, Jessica Kleiman, Andrew and Ann Tisch.

Donna and Ed Oster

Valerie Salembier and Fredi Friedman

Pam Gentile and Diane Crook

Jessica Kleiman

Dr. Dick Levine, Liz Smith, and Kate Coyne

Ellen and Dr. Dick Levine

From the Levines I went down to 72nd and Madison to the Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller’s LTMH Gallery for an opening of two of Leila’s artists – Shiva Ahmadi and Richard Bruce.

This is Leila’s second gallery in her long career as a dealer and consultant.

She gave up the first one after she married, to raise her two boys. After that and up until this gallery’s opening, she was a private art consultant.

Mary Morris and Leila Heller

Leila and Henry Heller

Shiva Ahmadi

Betty Cuningham

Richard Bruce

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And then on down the avenue to Hermes where they were holding a cocktail reception for the School of American Ballet’s first annual winter gala “An Enchanted Evening” (Hermes is the corporate sponsor). Joanne and Roberto de Guardiola, Liz and Jeff Peek and Cindy and John Sites are the co-chairs. Chelsea Clinton and Jill Kargman are the Junior Committee Chairs. The theme is a 1940s dinner dance and there will be 400 guests at Jazz at Lincoln Center in the Time-Warner Building. The School of American Ballet students will perform (see NYSD Calendar for more details).

Our friend Nazee Moinian, one of the three sisters partnering in Melonie de France has lost her lease on her Madison Avenue store next to La Goulue. So everything must go at big discounts. A perfect time to pick up those beautiful artificial roses that everyone walking by the store always took for real. And the fragrances, like the room sprays that freshen up your senses. There is another Melonie on 60th between Madison and Park. The Madison Avenue rents are astounding. The landlord was raising the rent of this very small shop to $55,000 a month!

Cold night or no, the younger set was out and the place was jammed (and nice and toasty). I met Liz Walker and Liz Peek, one of the co-chairs, along with Roberto and Joanne de Guardiola (in Hermes couture).

I saw Felicia Taylor for the first time in what seems like months. She’s been spending a lot of her spare time in Palm Beach (where her mother lives), and in Southern California. Otherwise, you can see her on NBC News on weekends here in New York. Felicia is one of the main girls about town, one of the few in her position who doesn’t seem to be husband-hunting, although as long as I’ve known her there’ve been a line waiting to get a date with her and few steady ones along the way.

I have a feeling she loves ‘em and leaves ‘em. That’s my guess. Although I’ve never asked any of them so I could be wrong. But it wouldn’t surprise me. She’s probably also been down that “childhood sweetheart” road and maybe back again. When I ask her about such things, she just throws her head back and laughs that kind of gutsy laugh that makes you think you’re funny without intending to be.

But Felicia’s not telling. She’s the picture of discretion, at least around me. She says things to shut me up (when I ask) like, “you don’t know them.” Or, “they’re very private and don’t like publicity.” Felicia’s not that crazy about publicity either although she’s as camera-friendly as the pros. Of course acting runs in the family (her father is Rod Taylor). She’s nice about it just the same. Up to a point. And a charmer, so we fall into line. Just like the rest of the guys, I’m sure.

Krystian von Speidel, Amy Sullivan, and Jan-Roman Potocki

This was a photographer’s event for the fashion pages – Bill Cunningham of the Times was there, and Mary Hilliard, as well as Patrick McMullan’s man and a couple others. I met a man named Jan-Roman Potocki (Po-totsky) who has recently re-launched a family vodka (the Potockis are Poles). The vodka is called ... Potocki, as it was originally before the Soviets came along (like Estonia) and took the family business. That is all past now. Jan-Roman runs Potocki Spirits (Europe) Ltd out of London and comes to New York frequently to promote his new brand.

Otherwise it was just picture-taking for me. JH couldn’t make it so I was on my own, and as I may have pointed out before, it’s a most interesting way to go to one of these parties. There’s no pressure to make conversation with people you really don’t know, and everyone, or most everyone, likes having his or her picture taken. And it is a nice way to meet people in order to be able to come back and tell you about it, and about the School of American Ballet’s first annual winter gala sponsored by Hermes coming in March over at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Maybe you’ll be there?

And then it was back out into the fuh-reeezing cold streets of Manhattan and heading home. These are the hardest days for those of us without a roof over our heads, or a proper winter coat, hat and gloves, and a good meal. Don’t forget; give.