The Tamesis
Architectural gems: The newly renovated Frick Collection, located in Henry Clay Frick’s 1914 mansion, is beautiful. I am sad that Flora Juchnovitch’s The Four Seasons has disappeared, but Whistler’s gauzy portrait of Francis Leland can be found sitting under the glass domed roof of the garden courtyard.
Best time to visit (weather conditions): Consider Billie Holiday’s “Autumn in New York,” but don’t miss the parks covered in pink confetti during the spring cherry blossoms.
Must skip/don’t bother: If you need to wait in line for frozen yogurt…
exercise: An infinite loop around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. My best friend and I called it a “walk of desperation.”
Cheap dates: Concerts at SummerStage and French Green Film Festival – free and outdoors in Central Park. And if you’re waiting in line for tickets, Shakespeare Park is always the place to go!
Worth the splurge: Marcel’s Restaurant Under Joan Mitchell’s “King of Spades”, this new restaurant is located in the Brutalist Breuer building, now Sotheby’s. I’m a little biased because I got married at La Mercerie in Soho (we lived there for two years), so I’m in awe of anything Robin and Stephen Alesch design – their latest creation is elegant and charming.
Best places to people-watch: Sorry, the bar at the Polo Bar. (Hi Nelly!) Favorite sight is [Aryna] Soon after Sabalenka won the 2025 U.S. Open.
Secret spots known only to locals: Named after the Proust character, Albertine is a charming French bookstore housed in a Beaux-Arts mansion. The hand-painted celestial ceiling features gilded zodiac signs, and its selection of French poetry is equally soothing.
Spa or Salon: I rarely have time (endless deadlines!), but recently, before a photo shoot, a friend sent me to Georgia Louise, who was wearing me down in ways I didn’t know existed.
Favorite movie about New York: There are many to choose from, but the 1964 movie world Henry Orient blissfully captured another era and received a mention in the book. (I first watched it with my mom.) There’s a classic scene in Central Park where teenage girls spy on Peter Sellars in a bar. Alice in Wonderland statue, but I often think of the heartbreaking shot of Val walking alone through a snowy funeral field.
Some things you should know about my city: While the Upper East Side has gained new attention, it has been unfairly criticized. Especially when I was a struggling single playwright living in a rent-controlled loft, I was always dazzled by the rich tradition of women writers who had lived and written here: Sylvia Plath, Shirley Hazzard, Dorothy Parker, Wendy Wasserstein. And, of course, there was Joan Didion, who in her infamous article described living in a “monastic” place in a residential area. I love this quote: “I remember walking down Sixty-second Street one evening that spring, or the next spring, and they were the same for a while.”
How the city influences my writing: New York is in relentless motion, it’s passionate, wild, and full of energy. I love disappearing into the rave of strangers while remaining attuned to the wild, unexpected moments of everyday life. I wrote most of it plummet As I’ve been alone in the city during the pandemic, I’ve been inspired by the city’s resilience in its darkest moments. For writers, the tension of New York—the grit and glitter; the chaos and loneliness—provides a vibrant space in which stories can unfold.
