Sunday, October 31, 2010 at 6:00PM 
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 10:59PM 
Tonight was to have been one of animal activist Wendy Diamond's biggest and best Howlaween celebrations to date. The annual event is regarded as a must-attend party by dog-lovers and Halloween revelers alike, attracting a celebrity crowd that is beautiful, fun and of course, canine friendly.
This year's venue, brand-new danceteria District 36, on West 36th Street, is one of the fall's most-buzzed-about openings. And yet, the nightclub preview that guests expected to have this evening was simply not to be. Instead, thanks to a negative ruling by the NYC Board of Health concerning dogs and food occupying the same space, guests arrived at District 36 to closed doors plastered with signs redirecting them 20 blocks south, to 14th Street. It was there that another new spot, Snap, owned by Matthew Isaacs, had generously come to the rescue. Coincidentally, Snap was celebrating a low-key friends and family preview before its own opening next week and agreed to host the party at the 11th hour. But no sooner than you could say "Oh, snap," the redirected guests told that here, too, dogs would not be allowed inside. Thank you, New York City Health Department.
With a "show must go on" attitude that only a dynamo like Diamond could muster, she and her longtime friends Sandra DeFeo and Anne-Marie Karash from the Humane Society of New York decided to hold the dog costume contest and judging right on the sidewalk. (Much to the chagrin of the NYPD.) In front of a hastily arranged step and repeat affixed to a plywood construction barricade, celebrity judges Dylan Lauren (daughter of Ralph and founder of the delightful Candy Bar); high-society gal Tinsley Mortimer (in pigtails); and ubiquitous TV personality Sara Gore, looking glam and Gatsbyesque, presided over a contest that included purebreds and mutts dressed as everthing from Cleopatra to a centipede.
It was most certainly not the sort of night anyone had imagined it would be, and yet, tempers remained calm as the good dog people in attendance mixed and mingled just as they would have in a nightclub. (Albeit sans cocktails and thumping house music.)
Despite the circumstances, every dog did indeed have his day, with multiple prizes awarded before the group went home with tales (and tails!) to tell to loved ones of a crazy New York night.
Want to see who won? Watch for the top dog and his owner to appear with Diamond on the Today show this Friday.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 4:14PM Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 12:00PM 
Like most New Yorkers, I avoid Times Square like the plague. Even with the Bloomberg-mandated closure of Broadway, the area is a traffic-snarled den of caricature artists, slack-jawed tourists and bad chain restaurants. Were it not for theatre, I wonder whether I'd ever visit this part of town. And yet, it was not always so. I remember my early fascination with Times Square, its bright lights and 24/7 excitement. To me, it represented the pulsing heartbeat of New York, the energy epicenter that gave the city life.
Last night, for 90 minutes, I found myself in love with Times Square all over again.
As a passenger on a new attraction called The Ride, I got to see the city from an atypical vantage point--sideways. The Ride is a coach bus with outward-facing stadium seating for 50. With a floor-to-ceiling view of the cityscape outside, The Ride is deliciously voyeuristic. But what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Literally, because pedestrians get to gander right back in at you.
With a tight-looped route that that sticks primarly to the West 40s and 50s, The Ride is conducted by two perky, New York-savvy guides. For sardonic comic relief, their commentary aided and abetted by input from the bus, who is given a Knight Rider-style voice and personality.
But the real treat to be experienced aboard The Ride are the pop-up street performances that unfold before passengers' eyes. A UPS delivery guy who drops his packages to do a spontaneous break dance and a sailor and nurse who perfectly recreate Alfred Eisenstaedt's iconic image of a couple locked in a never-ending kiss are among the surprise attractions viewers will get to see on their journey. As delightful, if not more, are the stunned reactions of passersby, who have no clue as to what is happening, but who whip out their cameras to film the action faster than you can say iPhone.
It's a great addition to the Great White Way, a wonderful experience for tourists--and believe it or not--locals, too. Tickets from $59. For more info, click here.
Sunday, October 10, 2010 at 2:00AM 
Friday, October 8, 2010 at 10:57PM 
Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 11:38AM 
michelin guide in Book Parties, Unveilings Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:31AM 
Feeling in the mood for a little tiki but also think it's a little tacky? Get yourself to The Hurricane Club, the brand-new bar and eatery from the Fourth Wall Restaurant Group (the same folks behind Quality Meats; Park Avenue Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter; and the Post House).
It's too tempting to resist saying that I was blown away by The Hurricane Club, particularly in the way it achieves such a cozy elegance despite its large scale. The soaring main dining room is buttressed by several smaller "cave rooms," which despite being on the sidelines still provide great people-watching.
The tiki touches are subtle but fun; most of the Polynesian design elements require close inspection to suss them out, which makes the Hurricane Club experience all the more intriguing. Don't miss the ten-foot-high barnacle chandelier suspended--not in the entryway, but in the single-person bathroom in the seahorse-sconced Lagoon Lounge. The cocktails are plentiful...so much so that they are numbered rather than named, with your choice of poison coming in everything from drilled-out coconuts to large bowls for sharing.
Watch out for a swank, still-to-be-named lounge next door as well as a private space called the Volcano Lounge. Let the lava (though not the lava lamps!) flow.
For my Citybuzz tour of the Hurricane Club, including our interview with Fourth Wall owner Michael Stillman, click below.
