Town & Country Presents New York New York

Last night I attended the Town & Country event for the release of New York New York, a book of amazing photographs by Harry Benson with text by Hilary Geary Ross.  The book showcases prominent society doyennes, politicians and movie stars in New York from the early 60′s to today.

Harry Benson is a scottish-born photojournalist known for his contributions to Life magazine.  He has photographed every US President from Eisenhower to Obama.  Hilary Geary Ross is the Society Editor for Quest and Q magazines.

The event was held at the majestic event space of the Hearst Tower on the mezzanine level.  This was my first time inside the Hearst Tower and was delighted to see how the Historic Landmark base of the building is very much on display.  The six-story, cast-limestone façade of the original landmark building meets glass and steel support beams in what is truly a work of art in its own right.

The well-dressed crowd shmoozed and mingled throughout the night while checking out the large framed photos from the book.  Some of my favorites are shown below.  These photos capture a moment in time and in many ways have grown in significance over time.

Al Pacino and Diane Keaton filming the Godfather outside Radio City Music Hall

Chevy Chase - East Hampton, NY

Mayor Michael Bloomberg riding the subway

The event was filled with beautiful people who were most likely watching their figure, which translated into more hors d’oeuvres for me and my +1.  All in all, it was a charming event and I met some delightful people.  I look forward to many more events in the Hearst Tower in the coming years.

Bright Lights, Big City.

Living in Clinton – West 55th Street

Central Park - Southwest Corner - Midtown West

For the past 12 years, I have lived in Manhattan.  For the past four years, I have lived happily in Clinton on West 55th Street, and I cannot express how surprisingly positive the experience has been.  West 55th Street between 8th & 9th Avenue is the best block in Clinton.  It is the only block in the neighborhood that is 100% residential which makes it a calm oasis and an escape from the hustle and bustle.

West 55th Street - Between 8th & 9th Avenue

Everyday, I walk to and from work which is located in Midtown on the east side.  In the summer, while my co-workers emerge from the subway sweating bullets from the horrible underground humidity, I am able to arrive at work cool as a cucumber from my leisurely walk across town.  Sometimes, I don’t step on the subway for over a month which not only keeps me cool but also saves a lot of money on transportation.  During the summer, I often walk past Rockefeller Center where the Today Show is being filmed.

Bruce Springsteen Performing - Today Show

From free concerts (James Taylor, Maroon 5, Cold Play, Sting) to interviews with celebrities, everyday is something fun and interesting.  Not to mention the fact that walking nearly 2 miles a day keeps you feeling healthy, especially on weeks when you can’t make it to the gym.

Kristin Davis - Today Show - Rockefeller Center

Living near the Theater District is special treat for anyone who enjoys Broadway shows.  No longer is it a huge project to swing by TKTS or even going straight to the box office to buy tickets.  Instead, one can just have a serendipitous night of dinner and a show on short notice.  The same can be said for shows at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, Roseland Ballroom and New York City Center.

Lincoln Center - Midsummer Night Swing

My apartment on West 55th Street makes for easy access to go running and biking Central Park.  While my building has a bike room, there is so much price competition in this area that bike rentals can be very inexpensive.  For instance, Liberty Bicycles at 55th and 9th Avenue offers bike rentals at just $6 per hour.  And for those that want to eat healthly, lets not forget about Whole Foods located conveniently at Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle.

View of Central Park - Time Warner Center

For those that like to get out of the City on a regular basis, Midtown West is walking distance to major transportation centers like Port Authority and Penn Station.  But also, if you are a car owner, Midtown West offers some of the most reasonable prices for parking garages.  I currently pay just $280 per month for an indoor 24/7 garage whereas most garages in Manhattan are closer to $500 per month.

9 Restaurant - 53rd & 9th Ave

Some of New York’s finest restaurants are located in Midtown, and I am able to walk to all of them.  From Per Se to Nobu 57, I can easily pop in for a late dinner with no reservation necessary.  In addition to fine dining, Midtown West is tops for casual dining options as far as diversity and affordability.  Ninth Avenue is restaurant after restaurant with every ethnic cuisine you could want.  Thai, Italian, Mexican, Greek, Afghan Kebab, Ethiopian, Brazilian, and Indian food are all available for your nightly dinners.

Southern Hospitality (9th Ave) - Owned by Justin Timberlake

In conclusion, living in Midtown West can be a wonderful experience because of the tremendous access that it affords its residents.  From walking to work to walking to nightlife and entertainment, Midtown West allows one to live a truly green lifestyle.  There is something to be said for being close to everything.  It’s easy to go Uptown, it’s easy to go downtown, and crosstown is walkable.  If you are looking for a new lease on life, try Midtown West.  I’m sure you will love it.

The Critical Path

In dealing with any task or challenge in life, there is an inherent critical path.  In the world of real estate development, we define the critical path as “the sequence of activities that must be completed on schedule for the entire project to be completed on schedule.”  In short, the critical path recognizes which items need to be addressed, and in what order, to minimize the time till completion.  I believe that this concept of a critical path can be very useful in finding a suitable mate.  The cat and mouse system of courtship, the mind games, and dating itself can be time consuming, expensive, and often frustrating for men. So why don’t men do the specific things that would put themselves on a more efficient path to finding a partner?  In this article, we will examine a few high percentage activities that could be an effective part of your critical path.

Dancing:

We all know what its like to be at a party or a wedding and there is one guy out on the dance floor winning over the ladies while we are sitting there staring down at our drink.  Many guys have an “I don’t dance” policy because they want to feel macho.  But when it comes right down to it, would you rather impress your macho cousin Eddie who hasn’t danced since 1986 or the ladies at the party?  If we think about things rationally, men everywhere should be learning to dance like Usher with the hopes of wooing the ladies.

Target Rich Environment:  

There are many activities and places that are frequented predominantly by females and where men would be a commodity by just showing up.  For instance, yoga classes, salsa lessons, farmers markets, and Bloomingdales just to name a few.  Make no mistake, most fellas that I know would rather sit home watching the game than go any of these places.  But its not about thoroughly enjoying the farmers market, its about giving yourself a few at bats while you buy some fresh fruit and veggies for the week.  With respect to salsa lessons, there is often a shortage of guys in the class to a point where girls are dancing with girls.  A man doesn’t have to be good at salsa in order to find himself in a spicy situation.

  

Party Hard, Party Right

There is a misnomer that women want a man who appears to be settled or settling down.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Woman want a wild man who they can attempt to tame down and whom they can try to change.  Many men feel that they are better off showing off their maturity or the depths of their wallet.  But neither of those, on their own, can compete with a wild night out that is more fun than classy.  To ensure that you on the right path, put forth the illusion that you are somewhat of a party animal.

Note that being a party animal doesn’t mean drinking too much and passing out at Burger King at 4am.  In this case, it means frequenting the newest hot spots and showing an interest in having night out on the town that are memorable.  Most people in their 30′s don’t go out as often as they did while in their 20′s because they don’t have as much energy and they likely have less people to go out with.  As such, wild and crazy memorable nights can be hard to come by.  In some ways, a memorable night is like a work of art, and finding a way to show that you can paint a beautiful picture on the palate of life is sure to win her over.

Overall, it is obvious that people generally make choices based on their comfort level and their preferences rather than taking the route that they know deep down will likely produce the best results.  In this world we live in where luxuries are all around us like the remote control and the internet, I am not surprised that most men do not think in terms of a critical path.  We are all spoiled by convenience and we want finding a significant other to be convenient as well.  However, that just leaves more opportunity for those who follow a critical path.

So next time you are at a wedding, tell your cousin Eddie to hold your drink while you cut a rug with the brides maids.  And when Eddie gives you a funny look, tell him that if he doesn’t like the new you, he can go watch Lord of the Rings back at the house.

Bright Lights, Big City.

Just A Dream. Downtown

For those of you who are looking to beat the heat, you may want to avoid the Dream Downtown’s rooftop pool bar.  For I am afraid the scene is red hot.  On June 13th, Vikram Chatwal unveiled his latest creation, Dream Downtown.

While New York’s elite are probably summering in the Hamptons, Dream Downtown has slowly but surely been building some well deserved buzz.  The pool area has the feel of an oasis with plush landscaping and also has a separate sandy beach area for those who like to feel the sand between their toes.

In addition, the pool has portholes on its floor which see straight through to the lobby below.

The Dream’s modern build-out and interesting decor create an ambiance that is reminiscent of South Beach.  Spend 5 minutes in this hotel, and you will start to wish you were better looking.  Once you get past the self loathing, you will realize that there is no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  The pool is packed with beautiful people, and the bar menu serves plenty of cool and interesting drinks.  Don’t let the summer end without taking the plunge.  Dream Downtown is located at 335 West 16th Street, New York, NY.

Bright Lights, Big City.

High Marks for the High Line

Wednesday was the hotly anticipated opening of the second section of the High Line, which added more than 10 extra blocks to the elevated park.  The addition runs from 20^th to 30^th street along 10^th ave, which actually doubles the existing park. But, perhaps the best addition is the Lot at 30^th Street, which is a temporary public plaza underneath the northern entrance to the park and includes the new Colicchio & Sons “Lot on Tap” beer garden.

This new beer garden boasts domestic wines, non-alcoholic sodas and local beers – even featuring a beer made exclusively for Lot on Tap by the Brooklyn Brewery, called Brooklyn High Line Elevated Wheat.  Drink prices are enough to keep away your alcoholic Uncle Charlie, but just right for New York’s young and fabulous with a beer costing $7 and wine $9.

You can tell that the Lot wants to keep the historical feel of the High Line as the Lot on Tap bar is flanked by the original girders of the High Line and both bars and some benchs and tables are actually made out of the original High Line beams that were removed during the building of the park.

Along with the drinks, the Lot on 30^th has a rotating series of food trucks, including lobster rolls from Red Hook Lobster, dumplings from Rickshaw, and ice cream sandwiches from CoolHaus.

Additionally, next to the Lot on Tap there is an open area currently housing “Rainbow City” presented by AOL that is an open area filled in with colorful, inflatable balloons and moon bounces.

Rainbow City

The lot will be open seven days a week with food and drink available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

After having a few brews, head out and enjoy the newest section of the High Line.   Don’t be surprised if someone with a robotic voice starts giving you life advice while you are at the drinking fountains.  Thats right, the drinking fountains talk as a sound piece of public art by Julianne Swartz called “Digital Empathy.”  Its gonna be a hot summer, so be sure to stay hydrated.  And who doesn’t like some free advice while they sip from a fountain?

Sweet Lights.  Sweet City.

Gotta Go To Yo

Last night was the official launch party for Yotel New York.  For those of you who have never heard of Yotel, its a hotel brand from the UK which draws its inspiration from first class airline travel and Japanese capsule hotels.  I had the opportunity to tour the hotel and its amenities at the launch party, and I was nothing short of impressed.

First of all, Yotel’s decor, while ultra modern, has an informality about it which is welcoming.  From the moment that you enter the hotel to an area they call Ground Control and see the Yobot (a robot to store your luggage before check-in or after check-out), you are having fun.

After checking in at a kiosk, much like an airline kiosk, you take an elevator to the 4th Floor to an area they refer to as Mission Control.  The friendly staff will make you feel at home with their informal, yet stylish dress of jeans and white button down shirts.  With all this talk of Ground and Mission Control, you will be tempted to ask for Major Tom and I’m sure they won’t mind.

The 4th Floor houses most of the hotel’s entertainment options including the Dohyo Restaurant, The Club Lounge and Bar, private lounge cabins, and a terrace bar.  Yotel has one of the largest, if not the largest, outdoor terraces of all New York City hotels.  Note that all food and beverage service is provided by the renowned restaurateur Richard Sandoval who is the genius behind restaurants like Pampano, Zengo and Maya. He also is behind Pampano Taqueria which I wrote about last year.

I was both surprised and delighted to see that the rooms of Yotel do not seem cramped.  Technically, they are on the smaller side, but their efficiency and high quality finishes more than make up for the lost space.  According to Yotel, the average hotel room cost in New York City is $250 a night, and they are offering their cabins starting at $150 a night.  As you take a closer look at the room, you find that it has many interesting and useful features that other more expensive hotel chains do not have.  For instance, the bed can adjust to sit up (like British Airways first class) or it can be completely horizontal like a typical bed.  In addition, there are built in reading lamps over the bed and the bathroom has a heated towel rack.

The launch party included a truly inspirational speech by Simon Woodroffe where he discussed how and why he started the Yo! brand and Yotel in particular.  He talked about when he started the Yo! Sushi brand and how market research was useless when there is not an existing market for the product you are selling.

Woodroffe joked “how could I prove that people would enjoy eating sushi from a conveyor belt and drinks served by a robot when it had never been done before.”  I had the opportunity to speak with Woodroffe after his presentation, and he talked about how people are more likely to regret not taking risks to follow their dreams than they are to look back and say ‘i’m sorry I took that risk.’  He followed it up by talking about how the statistics of entrepreneurship don’t give the entire picture.  He spoke of how you can’t just look at the success ratio in a vacuum.  ”How many of these people end up succeeding on their second go-around because they had the guts to follow their dreams?”

Yotel New York has done a marvelous job building out their hotel.  Rooms are expected to open to the public on June 1, 2011.

Several years ago, I flew first class on a business trip to London.  The first class flight experience was unique and exciting.  I believe that Yotel has captured that same essence and travelers to New York will soon be going out of their way to stay there.  With affordable prices, a high level of service, and a fun atmosphere, Yotel is a win, win, win.

Yotel New York is located at 510 Tenth Avenue in Manhattan.

Bright Lights, Big City.

Maybe We Just Need Tails

“Man is the only animal that blushes.  Or needs to”

- Mark Twain

Air, water and food are the metabolic requirements for humans.  Shelter and clothing provide protection from the elements and are strongly desired, but not required for humans to live.  As much as we don’t want to admit it, we are animals.  Sure, we may have split the atom and found a way to put a man on the moon, but we are still just animals.  In fact, there are many humans who have been born with a tail.  Humans have a “tail bone” (the coccyx) attached to the pelvis, in the same place which other mammals have tails.

Sometimes, a child is born with a “soft tail”, which contains no vertebrae, but only blood vessels, muscles, and nerves.  People, especially New Yorkers, like to believe that they are a cut above the rest and that “their” way of life is the best.  But if we slow down to analyze what we really need as animals, not just as the persona that is ‘I,’ then we may see a different side of ourselves and the people around us.

I have written in past posts that people generally tend to not go after exactly what they want for fear of failure.  Instead, they settle for something less, but generally which is also less of a hassle to attain.  How many of us wanted to be professional athletes but realized it was a long shot, so we played in High School or College but then never took the time to hone our skills to the professional level?

How many of us would like to write a book someday but have yet to even write ten pages of that book?  For some, the path of least resistance is to not try at all, and its certainly understandable.  Do we owe more to the part of ourselves that is purely animal?  What would happen if we acknowledged that our needs go beyond generally accepted protocols of interaction?  Would we be happier or less happy?

One thing is for sure.  We don’t really consider ourselves animals anymore.  We take pride in the many ways that we differ from the animals around us.  Whether it being delaying gratification through monogamy or by establishing a 401K, we take pride in all the ways that we are sophisticated, while repressing our animal instincts.

I fully understand all of the reasons that we, as a society and a species, would do such a thing.  The animal kingdom, while filled with honesty of character, is not what you would call democratic and protective of individual rights.  I’m sure a gazelle is not all that surprised when a lion tries to kill it, and a lion never pretends to be anything other than a lion.  It is a killer and unapologetic about it.  In our society, we don’t just say “Tommy is a killer.  Thats just how Tommy is.”  If Tommy started killing our citizens and eating them, we would lock Tommy up.

In conclusion, I think we live in a society where we repress our animal instincts and then like to act surprised when they come out.  I believe there is potential for us to lead happier lives if we own up to the fact that we are in deed animals.  Make no mistake, the answer is not to act with the same reckless abandon as your dog Fido.  The answer is to understand that you and Fido have a lot more in common than you think.   If you give Fido a doggie treat, he will eat it.  If you give him two, he’ll eat two.  So why should you be surprised when you have a hard time eating just one Thin Mint cookie when you have an entire box at your disposal.  You are just an animal and you are flawed.  Period.

Maybe if we had tails, we would better understand ourselves and the people around us.   Maybe we could truly accept each other as our true selves, not just the persona that is ‘I.’

“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

- Mark Twain

Bright Lights, Big City.

You Can Find Me in the Club, Bottle Full of Bub

For anyone who has ever gone out to a club in the Meatpacking district, one thing is clear.  The line to get in is filled with a predominantly good looking crowd, especially the ladies.  The women seem to have all gotten the same memo and are wearing some derivation of a tight little black dress, though it may be in a different color (you know…to show off their creativity).  As a guy, it can be very difficult to get into these clubs, especially if you are sans women.  But if you are a woman, you can likely get in even if you aren’t much of a looker.

Guy at Tenjune

So it struck me as interesting that there weren’t too many non-lookers ladies on the line.  Is is because non-looker ladies don’t want to feel out matched?  Typically, the ratio of non-looker men is quite high comparatively.  What are the causes that lead to this difference among the sexes.  Lets examine.

Men

Lets start with the men since they are much easier to figure out.  Beautiful women are a draw to men, so men go where the beautiful women are.   Yes, it really is that simple.  And considering what these ladies are wearing, window shopping is enough entertainment for most men even if their chances for romantic interaction are lessened.

Boom Boom Room - Standard Hotel

The Meatpacking District is dominated by bottle service, which means that it takes some serious coin party there regularly.  Most of the men are hoping to attract women just by showing up at these clubs.  Buying a bottle at a club is the bar equivalent of wearing a sign around your neck that says “I have money.”  Or at least, that would be the idea.  I ain’t saying that the women who attend these clubs are gold diggers, but they ain’t messin with (you know the rest).

Women

I believe that most women require three criteria for where they are willing to spend their free time.  Comfort, Friends and Fun or C.F.F.

Pastis

Comfort:  Women typically like to feel pretty, especially when they are all dressed up.  So it makes sense that the non-lookers would not want to feel like the ugliest duckling in the room.  The lookers have the confidence to feel comfortable around other lookers.

Gansevoort Hotel - Meatpacking District

Friends:  I’m sure we have all noticed how good looking people tend to have good looking friends.  And middle of the road looking people tend to have middle of the road looking friends.  So on and so forth.  With that in mind, these lookers go out in the Meatpacking district with their friends, and low and behold they are good looking as well.

Fun:  Girls just wanna have fun.  In truth, everyone does.  There was a recent study done by the University of Texas that concluded that beautiful people are happier than the plain Jane or even the ugly Joe.  Below is a testimonial from one of the readers of the study named Fermina:

“‘I’d agree with this. I’m a fairly attractive, feminine woman who helps herself out (figure flattering clothes, nice makeup, etc). I’m not a perfect 10 by any means, but I’ve also moved in circles in school/work that aren’t full of supermodels, and I’d say I’m usually one of the more attractive people in those groups.

I’m not hot enough to get by without work, but I do think the combination of being somewhat attractive with an outgoing personality has supplemented my accomplishments. I have a pretty good job for my field, considering that I’m under 25 and just starting grad school, I don’t have a problem finding attractive and interesting dates/hook ups, and I’m pretty happy with the little niche I’ve carved out for myself.”

As expressed by this testimonial, good looks can impact most areas of life including career.  I believe that it can generally be said that good looking people will generally have greater success, and generally more disposable income, and generally less worries.  Hence, they are more likely to go out partying in general.  Since the  Meatpacking District is on the higher end of the range, it makes sense that better looking people would party there, in particular, better looking women.

Dinner at Buddakan

Should we be surprised that Fermina admits that she hangs out in crowds where she is one of the better looking people?  Not really, because she is staying true to the C.F.F. formula.  It just so happens that the Meatpacking District women likely have a comfort level with people in their own looks bracket.  Perhaps that comfort level stems from the confidence boost of rolling into the club along side other lookers.

Club Griffin - Meatpacking District

In conclusion, there are many forces at play to explain the Meatpacking District phenomenon.  Some of these factors are ingrained in what makes us human beings.  We long to fit in, we long to feel safe, and we long to enjoy ourselves during our free time.  Most of us are not all that surprised that non-good looking people are not hanging out in the Meatpacking District.  Afterall, non-good looking people probably don’t go out as much in general.   But next time your ugly friend declines and invite to Tenjune, you can look them in the eye and say “I understand, it just ain’t in your C.F.F.”

Bright Lights, Big City.

Deviation and Standards

It is commonly accepted that people have different likes and dislikes.  However, I have noticed that as we reach our thirties we become more steadfast in those likes and dislikes.  Priorities tend to change accordingly, and we settle in to who we are and who we will become.  The concept of our legacy becomes an ordinary thread that permeates our subconscious and affects our day to day decisions.

I’m sure we have all stood by and watched our friends make seemingly poor decisions.  I’m not talking about standing by while your friend develops a cocaine habit.  I’m talking about a decision to move somewhere that makes very little sense or to always put work ahead of their social life.

In light of my frustrations, I have tried very hard to understand people and their motivations.  I believe that most people fall into one of the following three groups:

1) Evolvers: This is a group of people who feel that there is a specific time period where it appropriate to do certain things, and then they move on to something else.  This group might have enjoyed attending a keg party in college, but by 25 years old they were over it.  This group has many interests besides starting a family and settling down.  But those interests change regularly and are not meant to please anyone but themselves.

2) Extraordinaries : This is a group of people who want to leave their mark on the world.  They want to be able to look back at their life and have some very interesting stories to tell by anyone’s standards.  Whether it be telling the story of how they invented a product or dated a celebrity, they want their life’s story to be worthy of a memoir.  One of the most important features of this group is that they feel like they are serving the world in some way by living an interesting lifestyle.  After all, somebody has to be the next reality star or socialite featured on Page Six.

3) Family Brick Roaders: This is a group of people who’s time at the clubs was always intended to be fleeting.  Drinking and partying hard are not their forte deep down.  They long for the life that they consider the American dream and can’t wait for their 2.0 kids and 1.70 pets per household.

Which category do you fall in?  That is up to you.  I don’t think that most people consciously make a decision to live their lives in accordance with one category.  Rather, they just gravitate towards specific traits and values that they identify with per their upbringing and life goals.  If you take one person from each category at age 19, you would be hard pressed to tell them apart.  In fact, a Family Brick Roader might be the hardest partier of them all since the Family Brick Roader subconsciously feels like there is an expiration date on partying so hard.

Look around at your colleagues and friends.  Are they Evolvers?  Are they Extraordinaries?  What will be your own legacy?

Bright Lights, Big City.

The New York City Kool-aid

Lord Have Mercy

Several years ago, my aunt and uncle from Florida were visiting New York City for a dentistry convention.  As the keynote speaker, my uncle did not have time to meet for a meal, so instead I them both in their room at the Hilton on 6th Avenue and 53rd Street.  Given my uncle’s status at the convention, they were given a suite on a high floor of the hotel.  When I arrived at their room, it was the middle of the afternoon and the curtains were closed as though they had never been opened.  My uncle was typing on his laptop and my aunt was lounging on the couch in the living room area.  After some small talk, I asked if they would like me to open the shades.  They both agreed it would be nice to allow some natural light into the room.  I opened the shades and quickly realized that the view they had was nothing short of amazing.  This was the angels singing, lord have mercy, dead on view of Central Park that so many New Yorkers are obsessed with.  I implored my aunt and uncle to have a look out the window and they both obliged for about 7 seconds.  I was perplexed.  How could they be so ambivalent about this amazing view?  Sure they were from Florida, but wasn’t this view beautiful enough to transcend a State of origin?

Reggie Jackson over Central Park

Status Symbol

After much careful thought, I realized that the Central Park view is not coveted by New Yorkers purely because of its beauty, but also for what it represents.  In most cases, to have this view is to have achieved a high level of success.  Whether it be from a fancy hotel room or a penthouse on Central Park West, this view is mainly viewed by the rich and successful.  As a renowned dentist and keynote speaker at this convention, my uncle was no exception.  It all fit, except that he didn’t care about the view at all.

Much the way that a college student might work a little harder so that she can someday own a Porsche,  I have found that many New Yorkers use the Central Park view as the inspiration they need to put in long hours with a smile.  They think “someday I’ll have a Central Park view and I’ll have really made it.”

Obviously, everyone has their own concept of “making it” so it should have come as no surprise that my uncle did not care about the view.  Maybe he had always wanted a house with a pool or maybe he had always wanted to own a boat?  I’m not sure what kept him motivated to achieve success, but it certainly was not that Central Park view.

“These are the dreams I’ll dream instead.”   Annie Lennox

My uncle’s  indifference allowed me to ask the tough question of “why do I care about the view?”  You see, it had never occurred to me to not care about the view.  All I knew was that I liked the view, most New Yorkers I knew wanted the view, and therefore it would be stupendous to have this view that I liked and (seemingly) everyone wanted.  I had absolutely drank the Kool-aid.

But did I want the view or just the status that goes along with that view.  Much the way that some people long for the status of owning a boat or a Porsche, having a Central Park view makes you part of an exclusive club where you can guarantee that scores of people will envy you.  A guarantee of envy is a powerful position to be in.

Conclusion

This post is a general message to my readers who may be killing themselves with long hours to guarantee that someday people will envy them.  My message is not to work less hard or to shun all material possessions.  Rather, it is to understand from the start whether its the Porsche that you are after, or the jealousy of others.  As for me, it never occurred to me that someone would have the chutzpah to not care about the Central Park view.  My uncle’s audacity has opened my eyes and allowed me to regurgitate the New York City Kool-aid.  Why do I someday need to possess that Central Park view?  I don’t.  Maybe you don’t either.

Bright Lights, Big Glass of Kool-aid.