Nobody Does It Better: Christmas in NY

After Nashville, I hit NYC for a few meetings and to catch up with a couple of old friends.  It's been such a busy month that Christmas has barely registered on my holiday meter--until I hit the Big Apple.  It was exactly what I needed to put me in the holiday spirit:  carolers on the street, an explosion of Christmas decorations, and the chaos of Rockefeller Center.  It was a great reminder, no one does the holiday season better than New York City.  Come join me for a quick tour in pictures:

The show isn't that good anymore, but people still camp out in 20 degree weather to wait for Saturday Night Live tickets. Jeff Bridges was the host this week:

The hustle and bustle around the Rockefeller tree:      

     

I'm home!  Times Square:

Believe it or not, this show is selling out:

Thanks to my friend, Ken, I was able to take in Colin Quinn's one man show directed by Jerry Seinfeld. It was an uneven performance with the best material saved for the last twenty minutes of the show.  The show is running through February 2nd.  My recommendation?  Save your money.

 St. Patrick's Cathedral always has the prettiest manger set up each holiday season.

My real church is Sak's Fifth Avenue's 10022.  Here is their holiday window display:

With a divine pair of Jimmy Choo sparkly silver shoes that are perfect for New Year's Eve:

Ugh, the crowds:

I didn't have a chance to see the Radio City Christmas Show, but just the sight of the theatre makes me excited for the holidays:

A magnificent view from the upper level of the Time Warner Center overlooking Columbus Circle.  For you SATC fans, the center fountain is where Aidan and Carrie realize that their wedding will never happen despite the picture perfect moment and outfit.  

Don't forget to enter the Holiday Makeup Giveaway.  You have until 11:59 PM PST tonight.  Happy Holidays!

Let's Hear it for New York

"In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,

Lets hear it for New York, New York, New York."

-Jay-Z, Alicia Keys

My trip to NYC this weekend became a trip down memory lane because for the first time since I lived in NY, I actually stayed at a downtown hotel.  I work in NYC a few times a year, but I am usually put up at a midtown hotel.  Given that I am an NYU grad, it was such a pleasure to be back in my old stomping ground.  I am a bit of a downtown snob as I don't like to go above 14th Street. So, here a few photos of my downtown existence from my time at NYU along with a few anecdotes:

This was my very first apartment in Manhattan at 5 St. Mark's Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenue.  I list the entire address because those who know NY will understand that this is probably the most chaotic block of St. Mark's Place.  The apartment was cramped with two girls living in a one bedroom with a lofted bed.  Ah, the joys of a NY apartment:  no space, high rent, and lots of people living in one room. The building used to have a huge pop art mural on the West side of the building, but it is now painted an unsightly white.  Check out the steamy Susan Sarandon/James Spader movie, White Palace, to see what it looked like.

I lived in NY so long ago that I was here when the show, STOMP, first opened.  No one had ever seen anything like it before and it was the talk of NY, now the idea seems pretty commonplace.  If you saw Step Up 3D, there are a lot of similar choreographic ideas.  What is old is new again!

                                                

The 2nd Avenue building of Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.  This houses the Grad Acting and Dance Departments and it has a legendary history as the rehearsal hall for Broadway shows like West Side Story.  I owe a lot to the grocery store below for selling me a bagel and a banana everyday for fifty cents.  I was so broke, but they kept me fed while I was a student.

There's now a security desk at the front (What?!), so I couldn't get in.  We used to only have an elevator operator for protection.  Yes, the elevators are that old in this building that they have an operator and an creaky, retracting door. In fact, 111 2nd Avenue is getting a major facelift in the next few years and I imagine it is much needed at this point.

I used to curse at this bakery for baking while I was in ballet. The delicious smells would waft up to the dance studios.  Yes, a dancer thinks about food a lot and this certainly didn't help, but their Hamantaschen was to die for.

For any Tisch student, 721 Broadway is the heart of your existence while you are at NYU.  It was nice to see that door again.

I can't believe that Webster Hall still exists.  I was there when this club opened.  It stole the thunder away from a dying Palladium club, former home of Club MTV back when MTV played music videos, not reality shows.  The Palladium was torn down for NYU dorms.  "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."-Counting Crows.

My love affair with NY really began my senior year at NYU when I moved to the West Village.  I used to look downtown from the corner of Christopher Street and 7th Avenue and see the Twin Towers.  Alas, it's just an empty skyline now.

This corner makes me weep with joy and nostalgia.  I loved this neighborhood and it brings back incredible memories each time I walk through the streets.  I fell in love for the first time in this neighborhood and nothing can ever top falling in love in NY. Watch the "I Heart NY" episode of Sex and the City, you will get it with that first falling leaf.

Ah, my old apartment building.  I paid $705 for a rent-stabilized studio that was the size of my master bathroom in my current home.  You don't understand the meaning of space until you have lived in a Manhattan apartment.

My tour of the Village ended with as all good NY things do with a street fair!  What do you want to buy? Clothing, food, jewelry all in three city blocks.  Some of the best bargains and trendy clothes are found in these NY fairs.  So, be sure to find your treasure the next time you stumble upon a NY street fair.

I hope you enjoyed my tour of nostalgia, memories, and my poor college years. Even though I grew up in Massachusetts, I will always consider Manhattan my heart and my home.

Finally, I want to thank The Cooper Square Hotel for hosting my stay.  I am not sure what made me happier about the hotel:  the location, the glass of wine upon my arrival, or that huge bed to jump into.  I can guarantee, I will be back.  

The 36th Annual Saturn Awards

On Thursday night I headed out to the Castaway in Burbank for the 36th Annual Saturn Awards honoring the year's best in science fiction, fantasy, and horror films.  It proved to be an interesting night with Mingle Media TV:  sexting, flirting, and Spock blocking.  Let's take a look at a few of my favorite interviews and photos from the evening.

We will start with the downright bizarre with Billy Dee Williams.  I don't know about you, but his iconic turn as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars trilogy is enough to get my jaded red carpet heart excited.  Well, I don't know if Billy was hitting the Colt 45 hard in the limo, but this interview was, um, interesting.  It starts right off the bat with sexting on the iPhone 4:

Saving the day was the incredibly sweet Mark Pellegrino who played Jacob on Lost.  Now, I honestly didn't ever watch the show, but my boyfriend was obsessed with every detail surrounding it.  I, on the other hand, considered myself a Lost widow on Tuesday nights.  However, Mark kindly indulged me in a photo for my boyfriend and made a friend for life in me.  You can see our interview here.

Leonard Nimoy stopped by as well that night.  He looks great, in shape, spry, and his wife is a little spitfire too.  We managed to share an interview with the Space network out of Canada, but we were "Spock Blocked" from our own individual interview by the persistent creator of an upcoming animated film.  I won't name him, but you know who you are.  If a star of huge wattage walks on the red carpet, step aside, the media outlets will always get back to you, but we need to get the money shot.  It truly is a food chain in Hollywood and when you "Spock Block" us from getting our individual interview, we don't interview you afterwards.  (Thanks to JD Piche for coining the term "Spock Block" which I happily stole for this post.)
**Update**  We have the "Spock Blocked" video for all of you to enjoy.  See how it all unfolds:

Finally my favorite interview of the night, James Remar.  He was there representing Dexter, while I wanted him there representing Sex and the City.  I shamelessly flirted with him and I made him blush.  A successful evening on the red carpet!

You can catch all of the interviews including Lance Reddick, Shaun Toub, and Malcolm McDowell on Mingle Media TV and all of the photos from the evening on Flickr.

Don't forget to post your comments below.
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Memorial Day Weekend

Besides the traditional Memorial Day Weekend barbecues and outdoor activities, I attended some pretty spectacular events outside of the three day weekend norm.  Here are a few photographs from the Sex and the City 2 party and the Houdini Mansion/Chilean Consulate Party:

Sex and the City 2:

This was a fun and well-attended event thrown by The Henley Company, The Party Goddess, and Pink Carpet Parties in honor of every gal's favorite series, Sex and the City.  It was the perfect night to get dressed up, slip on your hottest stilettos, and hang with the girls to celebrate another round with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte.  While the movie was a mediocre extravaganza, the pre-party at the Shangri-La Hotel in Santa Monica was exactly what you wanted a night out with the girls to look like:  cocktails, gift bags, and a lot of pink!  Be sure to follow The Party Goddess for great tips on your next fabulous soirée.  Photos courtesy of Jen O'Sullivan.

Houdini Mansion:

When I received this invitation, my BF and I cancelled our day trip to Santa Barbara and leaped at the opportunity to see the restored Houdini Mansion on Laurel Canyon.  I was glad we changed our plans when we walked up through the breathtaking gardens and came upon a circular driveway housing a vintage Rolls Royce.  The grounds include three homes, a pool, extraordinary gardens, and lots of hidden porches, paths, and hideaways.  The Chilean Consulate held a party in the main house which was not Houdini's original home.  I later learned that there were two floors sealed off underground just below where we were standing and that Houdini's original home is now a private museum.  The public will get a glimpse of the hidden treasures as many of the Houdini artifacts will be seen at the Skirball Center retrospective this fall.   The company was fantastic and I picked up a lot of salacious gossip not fit for print, so I call that a successful evening.  To learn about the history of the Houdini grounds, check out Weird California.

Some of the gorgeous wildflowers and grounds at the Houdini Mansion:

It's hard to tell because it is so dark, but that is an oversized chair á la Lily Tomlin size.                        Photo Courtesy of Cristian Olave

                                 A cool last shot by the fountain in the entranceway of the mansion.  
  

KB is in the Big Apple!

I am finally back in NYC after an 8-month absence.  As an NYU alum, I consider Manhattan my home.  And this is how my home greets me......with lots of rain.  Ugly, ugly rain.  The kind that blows your umbrella inside out and makes sure your jeans are soaked from top to bottom.  Thanks for the welcome, NY!  I think it was a great reminder as to why I traded my winter coat for palm trees.

Of course, I did remember to bring my bright, shiny, yellow rain boots that everyone teased me about in Atlanta. Now that we have traveled to the next city, the only person laughing is me.  I can walk in puddles while my co-workers have wet socks.  However, I made a major fashion faux pas by doing the LA thing of rolling my jeans.  After experiencing soaking wet cuffs, I know why those fashionable Manhattanites tuck their skinny jeans into the boot.  Rookie move on my part.  I forgot how this rain thing works.

I ran through Times Square once called the "Crossroads of the World", but I think they need to rename it the "Crosswalk of the World" now that they have closed down parts of Time Square to accommodate the pedestrians and the constant roadblocks....yes, the tourists, who love to come to a dead stop in the middle of the sidewalk.  I know the city is sensory overload and it can be overwhelming, but "MOVE, dammit!"  Phew, I think I got my NY edge back, no LA fluff for me. I am back on my home turf.   Oh yeah, I got sidetracked.  I went and picked up my ticket to see Promises, Promises starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.  4th Row, Center Seat.  NICE.

Holy cow!  This show is STILL running??!!  Hasn't everyone seen it by now?  Mamma Mia plays at The Winter Garden Theatre much like Cats, it is "Now and Forever".

A Times Square staple, Colony Music, a fantastic old-school music store guaranteed to make any musical theatre geek's heart sing.  I spent many Friday nights sorting through the sheet music and Broadway posters during my first semester at NYU with my fellow Massachusetts pal, Ken Davenport.  Where is he now?  Check out his site and be sure to follow him for some of the most valuable and innovative marketing tips around: Davenport Theatrical Enterprises.

The lovely view from my hotel....that's what I get for asking for a corner suite.  I forget how New Yorkers live on top of each other.  So little space, so many people.

After a jaunt to Times Square and a quick stop at my hotel to change out of my wet jeans, I ran over to Macy's Herald Square to shop for Streamy Awards shoes.  I was happy to see the annual Macy's Flower Show was in full bloom on the first floor.  It was fragrant and springy inside.

                                      

While I didn't have any luck at Macy's, I knew I would find some serious shoes at 10022. The place is so spectacular, it warrants its own zip code, the Saks Fifth Avenue Shoe Department.  The 8th floor isn't for the faint of heart.  The shoes are works of art and they cost an arm and a leg.

                                             

This pair of Jimmy Choo shoes would be the perfect accessory for my Streamy Awards dress.  However, the price of the shoes is close to 4 times the price of my dress.  So, no Jimmy's for me.

                                                     

So I picked up this pair:  soft, buttery leather, delicate strappy sandals with.....a red leather sole.  Yep, I picked up a pair of Louboutins.  Oh, I wanted these shoes so badly.  They were even better accessories than the Choo's, but darn, they were 5 times price of my dress.  Boo!  They went back on the shelf.

                                                  

So, I traded my Louboutins for a cupcake at the best place in the world, Magnolia Bakery, a Sex and the City staple.

                                        

And this is my favorite cupcake:  chocolate cake with loads of pink frosting and jimmies on top!

                                            

Then it was off to the show and a view that will never get old to me:  Hello, NY, so glad I am back!

xo kb

                                            

Stick around for more NY updates now through April 10th!