new york city

Herbert Katzman: Skyscapes Painter

Filed under: Art

Glorious Sky: Herbert Katzman's New York at the Museum of the City of New York is the first major museum retrospective of this American artist. Who's Katzman? Never heard of him --- not surprising as he is hardly a household name. Yet in the 1950s Katzman was considered one of America's best artists. He was the one to watch exhibiting along with Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko. But like Edward Hopper a generation earlier, Katzman was a figurative painter at a time when artistic diversity was on the wane. Katzman peaked in terms of public awareness in the 1950s. After that, he was in effect doomed to semi-obscurity by the overwhelming preference of art critics, notably Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg, for Abstract Expressionism. And collectors followed suit chasing after the big names favored by critics. Although he was once considered one of the most promising painters of his time, Katzman (1923-2004) by the 1960s was deemed unfashionable.

Tags: art, Clement Greenberg, figurative art, Harold Rosenberg, new york city, NYC paintings

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Rarest Macallan Bottle Fetches Record $460,000 At Sotheby's Auction

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A bottle of Macallan 64-year-old scotch, housed within a Lalique crystal decanter, far exceeded its pre-sale estimate of $100,000-with a winning bid of $460,000-at Sotheby's in New York, this week.

With all proceeds of the sale going to benefit charity: water, the one-of-a-kind bottle, made by Lalique using the cire perdue ("lost wax") method, did a multi-city charity tour before the final event in New York. Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water, spoke before the auction of the idealism behind his organization and the impact that the evening's sale would have on helping to bring clean water to communities in developing countries. He then handed the microphone off to Sotheby's Head of Wine in the US and Asia, Jamie Ritchie, to perform the auctioneer duties.

A gentleman in the crowd eagerly placed the opening bid, sparking a cascading ping-pong of responses from around the room. Bidding quickly passed the $300,000 mark, with phone bidders setting the tone, outpacing most on-hand. Ritchie kept the mood light, cracking an "Only $5?!" joke when a Sotheby's rep asked if he would accept an increase of $5,000 from a potential buyer on the phone. Reminding everyone that the evening's sale would support a good cause, Ritchie broke the $400,000 barrier to a delighted response of the crowd. With everyone's mind wondering if the lot would reach the half-million mark, bidding slowed around $450,000 before finally settling on $460,000. Giving everyone one last chance, Ritchie brought the gavel down to mark the record sale, which went to an anonymous US bidder.

Tags: auctions, charity water, lalique, macallan, new york city, scotch, sothebys, whisky

Cire Trudon Opens In New York City

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

The world's oldest candle company, Cire Trudon, has finally gotten around to opening a second store... after 126 years.

The Parisian wax purveyor opened its doors in the 6th Arrondissement in 1884 and held off on expansion plans until recently, when a Bond Street location became its US home (perhaps they were waiting to see how the Sino-French war would turn out). Cire Trudon's history stretches even further back than the Belle Époque though, as founder Claude Trudon started his candle business in 1643 and was providing wax to the French royal family by the beginning of the 18th century. Modeled after the Galerie des Glaces at Versailles, the boutique's hand-aged mirrors, stucco walls and Amish furniture are meant to evoke a centuries old Paris shop, one that mixes antiques with new pieces dedicated to all things melted wax.

Cire Trudon's Bowery location offers a playful selection of candelabras, snuffers and wax busts of Napoleon, along with their signature candles, and will surely satisfy stateside fans of the brand who have been waiting, for a while.

Tags: Bowery, candles, cire trudon, france, new york city, paris

The 13th Annual New York Chocolate Show

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Services, Events

The 13th annual New York Chocolate Show, presented by Event International and running from Thursday, November 11 - Sunday, November 14, at The Metropolitan Pavilion (125 W. 18th St.), is the largest show in the United States completely dedicated to chocolate. Considered the chocolate hub of North America, the show brings together more than 65 fine chocolate companies that will present an array of fine chocolates and chocolate-inspired products that will reach 12,000 consumers, members of the trade, and press.

This year's Chocolate Show will feature book signings by award-winning authors; cooking demonstrations in two culinary theaters featuring renowned chocolatiers and pastry chefs who will share secrets of the trade; a Kid's Zone, presented by Young Chefs Academy; and -- something I'm sorry I missed on the 10th -- a Chocolate Fashion Show.

Founded in 1997 by Sylvie Douce and Franois Jeantet, French entrepreneurs with a passion for chocolate, The Chocolate Show was quickly adopted by New York City as one of its favorite shows, and has become the largest and one of the most popular events devoted to chocolate in the United States. The New York Chocolate Show is one of many international Salon du Chocolat events produced annually by Douce and Jeantet. In 2010, shows were or will be presented in Paris, Tokyo and six cities in Japan, Shanghai, Madrid, Cairo, and Moscow.

The New York show is open this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and this Sunday till 6 p.m. Get tickets here.

Tags: chocolate, food, New York, New York City, The Chocolate Show

The Fashion Statement: What are These Guys Doing in Fashion?

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style, The Fashion Statement

What is the "Fashion Capital of the World," you ask? Paris? New York? Mayor Bloomberg is leaving nothing up to chance.

This week, the New York Mayor (pictured above with Diane von Furstenberg) announced six initiatives to give the $55 billion industry a boost. After a yearlong look study, the city is starting an NYC Fashion Fund to help emerging designers get capital and support services. Another initiative, Project Pop-up, will be an annual competition to promote and foster new and unique retail concepts. The New York City Fashion Draft will recruit fashion students to get into fashion management. Fashion Campus NYC will offer business seminars to summer interns led by industry executives. New York City Fashion Fellows will honor 30 rising stars in fashion business (the business side of the business often gets overshadowed by the creative side in award ceremonies). Finally, there will be a Designer as Entrepreneur program that will help emerging designers with the business side of things by teaching them how to draft business plans, their financial management and how to participate in e-commerce.

Whew! It's a lot to take in. We can only hope it helps New York's Garment District that has been decimated by production going overseas.

Tags: Bloomberg, Chad Hurley, ForbesMagazine, Garment District, Hlaska, New York City, Silicon Valley, YouTube

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Hyatt Announces New Park Hyatt Hotel In New York City

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

Hyatt Hotels has announced plans for the new The Park Hyatt New York which will be the brand's flagship hotel when it opens in 2012. The newly-constructed hotel will be designed by world-renowned, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc. The hotel will be located at 157 West 57th Street between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue, across from Carnegie Hall. The 210-room hotel will be part of a 90-story mixed-use tower that will also have 135 Thomas Juul-Hansen-designed luxury condominiums with Central Park views.

The property also will feature a bar and restaurant and 5,000 square feet of retail space as well as a meeting facility with a grand ballroom and distinctive event space, spa, fitness center, and an indoor swimming pool in a three-story aerie at the top of the hotel. The hotel will have interiors designed by the design firm Yabu Pushelberg. Twelve previously announced Park Hyatt hotels are under development, which, when completed, will increase the number of Park Hyatt properties worldwide to 38 over the next five years.

[via Hotel Chatter]

Tags: hyatt, new york, new york city, new york city hotel, new york city hotels, park hyatt

New Chef & Fall Excursions at Richard Gere's Bedford Post Inn

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Celebrity Design

The Bedford Post Inn, actor Richard Gere's perfectly restored eighteenth-century country inn (above) located an hour outside New York City near the actor's Westchester estate, has a new chef and some special offers to welcome the fall season. Situated on 14 acres, the bucolic property is home to an exquisite eight-room luxury inn featuring marble baths, fireplaces and Frette linens, two restaurants and a yoga studio. Gere and wife Carey Lowell recently hired Jeremy MacMillan, formerly of A Voce Columbus and A Voce Madison in Manhattan, as the new chef at the Inn, where he will emphasize high-quality seasonal local ingredients at both its restaurants.

MacMillan will offer classic seasonal country cuisine at The Barn, the more casual of the Inn's two eateries, and hearty Mediterranean-influenced American fare at The Farmhouse. To celebrate the season the Inn is offering a number of different packages combining overnight stays with various dining options and yoga instruction, with rates ranging from $295 per night for a basic bed and breakfast experience to $630 per night for the Inn's King Deluxe room with a terrace, breakfast at The Barn, the Chef's Tasting Menu at the Farmhouse and a yoga class for two guests.

Gallery: Bedford Post Inn

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Bedford, Bedford Post Inn, celebrity, chef, cuisine, inns, New York, New York City, restaurant, Richard Gere, Westchester, yoga

Hotel Chelsea Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

New York's famous Chelsea Hotel is up for sale. The hotel's website delineates its history, much of which is told on the plaques outside the hotel. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Another plaque commemorates the fact that author Thomas Wolfe (writer of Look Homeward, Angel and other books stayed here during the later years of his life). Other plaques celebrate the hotel's legacy that includes Brendan Behan, James Schuyler and Arthur Miller. The hotel was more infamously, the site of the murder of Nancy Spungen (she of "Sid and Nancy" fame).

The Chelsea Hotel has been owned by three families for 65 years. The Hotel Chelsea's board has said that it hopes that a new owner would re-energize and revitalize the hotel but keep the spirit of the hotel as a haven for artists alive. Some have expressed concern that the sale means that the hotel's unique character will be destroyed, others say that the hotel has already changed from what it was.

The 12-floor, 250-room hotel was built in 1883 on 23rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues. It is a mix of transient hotel rooms and residential units but also has retail space and an 8,000 square foot terrace with river views. It was converted to a hotel in 1905.

Tags: hotel chelsea, new york city

Heather Mills Lists New York Apartment

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Last year we mentioned that Paul McCartney's infamous ex-wife Heather Mills was selling her London flat with a list price of £3.75 million, now she's selling in New York City.

As Curbed NY reported earlier this month, Heather Mills paid $4.9 million for the full ninth floor of 173 Perry Street, the northernmost building in architect Richard Meier's trio of sleek West Village waterfront towers. Mills, who has reportedly faced money troubles despite a large financial settlement from McCartney and high profile gigs including a turn on "Dancing With The Stars," owns a dramatic two-bedroom condo.

The 1,808-square-foot apartment has panoramas north to the Empire State Building, south to the Statue of Liberty and west to the Hudson River and runs the full length of the building. It has two terraces. The open kitchen has a center island perfect for entertaining. Every detail has been designed by Richard Meier including temperature controlled window shades, heating system, Multi-zoned A/C, entertainment and sound system. Mills is asking $5.3 million and the property is listed with Prudential Douglas Elliman.

Gallery: Heather Mills in New York City

Tags: celebrity real estate, heather mills, new york city, new york real estate, perry street, richard meier

River House, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

I first saw today's home in the River House building in New York City listed last December when Cityfile brought it to our attention. At that point the home, the 14-room duplex belonging to Arlene Farkas, the ex-wife of real estate/retail heir Bruce Farkas, was listed with Stribling. The five-bedroom apartment was first listed for $15 million in 2008 and now has a new broker but the same price as it did nearly a year ago, $11 million.

The NY Observer points out that the River House hasn't always been the hottest property and certainly we've seen some units there linger on the market but it certainly does have some beautiful views. The Art Deco building was built in 1931 and overlooks the East River. The apartment has 10'6" ceilings and large windows. Rooms include a large living room, library, formal dining room, a chef's kitchen with a breakfast room and a second floor with five bedrooms plus three maid's rooms.

Gallery: River House

Tags: arlene farkas, estate of the day, new york, new york city, new york city real estate, new york real estate, real estate, river house

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Winner Announced in Olympus PEN E-PL1 Contest

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Video

Amongst fierce competition, roller blading enthusiast Kevin Dowling went on to win Olympus' "PEN your story challenge" contest which we wrote about back in May. Dowling won the prize of Olympus' great new compact PEN E-PL1 digital camera (above) and $5,000 to make his documentary video Blading, in addition to an all-expense-paid trip for two to New York City to attend the Olympus-sponsored US Open National Tennis Championships where a sample of his video was displayed on the giant board in the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium before an audience of thousands. Selecting a winner from the finalists wasn't easy – Olympus received hundreds of proposal submissions which were eventually narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists and then six finalists. Dowling's selection was based on a combination of popular vote and the panel of Olympus judges, and his video showcased the professional-grade digital single lens reflex (DSLR) image quality, point-and-shoot simplicity and high-definition (HD) video capabilities of the amazingly compact camera. You can see all of the finalists' submissions in the "PEN your story challenge" playlist at http://www.youtube.com/getolympus and view Kevin's Grand Prize Winning submission on the main page video player.

Tags: camera, contest, digital camera, New York City, Olympus, PEN E-PL1, US Open, video

Carriage House Redux, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The listing says that this renovated carriage house on East 92nd Street in Manhattan is "a wow from the moment you enter" and I can see why. The 25-foot wide carriage house has had a gut renovation that took two years and created a very modern urban dwelling with the look of a sophisticated boutique hotel. The first floor has a great room with fireplace and a rear glass wall. Outside, the garden features an outdoor kitchen. The second floor living room has a fireplace and ceilings that soar over 18 feet. The third floor dining room has a terrace overlooking the garden. On the fourth floor you'll find three bedrooms and baths. The fifth floor is given over to a master suite with a fireplace, skylight, luxurious bath, huge dressing room, and a home office. The finished basement has a gym, bath, laundry room, and storage. A large commercial grade elevator and steel staircase help you navigate the home's many floors. It is listed at $19 million.

Gallery: Carriage House Redux

Tags: estate of the day, manhattan real estate, new york city, new york real estate

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400 West Street, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate of the day is one we've been looking at for a while. Bob and Cortney Novogratz, who now star on Bravo's "9 By Design," created a truly unique residence at 400 West Street in New York City's West Village. In 2009 we heard that the six-story townhouse, which was then listed at $25 million, was headed to contract, but it wasn't meant to be and the colorful home is still on the market. This summer we learned that Heidi Klum, Seal and their four children stayed there.

The modern home has always attracted attention for its modern looks and its fun details including an indoor basketball court that converts to a screening room and a two-car garage, things that can be a little rare in New York City. The home overlooks the Hudson River and has gorgeous views from different floors. The home opens into a mosaic entry hall and mud room. From this level a stainless steel and glass stair ascends all the way to the top of the home. The parlor floor has a huge open kitchen and dining room and a living room opens to outdoor space. The master suite is on the third floor and there are two bedrooms each on the fourth and fifth floors. The best part of the house might be the stone and wood rooftop terrace with a wet bar and space for a hot tub. This home is now listed at $18.95 million. This home is now listed as a co-exclusive at $18.95 million with Paula Del Nunzio of Brown Harris Stevens and Raphael De Niro of Prudential Douglas Elliman.

Gallery: 400 West Street

Tags: 9 by Design, bob and cortney novogratz, Bob Novogratz, cortney novogratz, estate of the day, new york city, new york city real estate, new york real estate

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"Earth Leak": Art Brings Disaster to Manhattan

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

As I walked the aisles of New York's Affordable Art Fair this past weekend, hoping to meet artists who'll someday become the mainstays of the auction scene, a powerful installation stopped me dead in my tracks. Black paint dripped from a white orb, which was suspended above a pile of once-white everyday household items. A milk carton and shoe, among other things, slowly turned black, as did the map of the world upon which they rested. An entanglement of pipes spread out from the dirtying action, and a quiet man sat on the floor beneath one of them, looking content and relaxed.

So, I had to interrupt his piece.

This is how I met Kamol Akhunov, the artist responsible for "Earth Leak". Inspired by the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Akhunov's installation drives home the message that a disaster thousands of miles away can affect our daily lives, as suggested by the black paint falling upon the pile of household goods, as well as the map beneath them.

Gallery: Earth Leak at the Affordable Art Fair

Artist Kamol Akhumov with Earth Leak at the Affordable Art Fair

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art exhibit, Art Exhibition, art exhibits, art fair, art show, artist, Artists, artwork, gulf of mexico, Gulf of Mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Gulf of Mexico spill, manhattan, new york, new york city, oil, oil spill

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Five Ways to Protect Your Purchases at New York's Affordable Art Fair

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The Affordable Art Fair starts on September 30, 2010, and it comes with plenty of opportunities to pick up pieces by emerging artists. Featuring works priced from $100 to $10,000, the right choices can turn into astounding art investments down the road. While collectors are drawn to the pieces themselves first, it's hard to overlook the financial appreciation that can occur, especially as the art market claws its way back from financial crisis lows.

What happens if your artwork is damaged? Collectors don't always spend enough time thinking about the financial side of their holdings, and art insurance can be an afterthought. So, it might not be a bad idea to invest a little in protecting your work.

"After taking the time to evaluate a work of art, but before making a purchase, it is important that collectors consider how they are going to protect their investment," said Andrew Gristina, Fine Art Specialist, Travelers Inland Marine. "Most people buy art because of the aesthetic beauty, however, it's also a financial investment, which is why insurance coverage and proper handling should be a consideration with each purchase."

Here are three five steps you can take to protect what you pick up at the Affordable Art Fair (or anywhere else):

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art fair, art work, artist, Artists, awards-main, decor-pedia, emerging artists, financial crisis, insurance, luxist-awards, main-pedia, manhattan, new york, new york city