At Graydon Carter's Party, Swells Swill as Stocks Slide
MORE The Transom
On Monday, Sept. 15—the day the Dow dropped 504 points—some of the well-heeled guests at a party for Graydon Carter’s Vanity Fair: The Portraits, A Century of Iconic Images seemed a little rattled. “I think it’s great, I think it should happen every day,” said IAC chairman Barry Diller, who recently split his company in five parts. “Yes, I’m joking. Sorry,” he barked as he quickly excused himself.
Others were more sanguine. “I think it’s a correction. If you take the long-term view of things, the ups and downs don’t seem so dramatic,” said svelte Vanity Fair contributor Amy Fine Collins. “I remember in 1987, there was this big Christian Lacroix party and it was right around the time that the stock market crashed. The world didn’t end, it just went into a different phase.”
“I’m checking Hamptons real estate ads!” joked Mr. Carter, seated at a table signing copies of his hefty photo book. “This is going to happen periodically, and the city levels off and ultimately becomes better.”
Author Fran Lebowitz developed a mischievous smirk when the Transom asked her about the economy. “Are you kiddin’? I can’t wait!” she exclaimed. “Just when you think how horrible New York has become in terms of things interfering with the tone of the city, they’re finally leaving!”
Who is leaving?
“The rich people! They’re leaving! They’re leaving! And all these tourists, they be gone!” Ms. Lebowitz did admit she feels sympathy for lower-level employees who have lost their jobs at the big firms.
Architect Richard Meier, who lately has become known for designing costly Manhattan apartment buildings, seemed somewhat more disturbed by the news. “I don’t know how to deal with it or what it means. Certainly, it’s going to have a serious effect on my work here.”
When asked just how long our economic troubles might last, Mr. Meier said, “Hopefully, two or three more hours.” Then he tilted his head back and took a swig of Champagne.
ialeksander@observer.com
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Isn't Ms. Lebowitz one of the rich? I hope she defaults on her toenhouse.
The rich people are leaving? Oh noooooooooooooo!
Fran's right in the middle of all those people who have made New York unbearable.
Damn, what 2 ugly people.. stay in New York City. If Vanity Fair doesn't want tourism in New York City, why don't they take a public stand on it, write an article,, dare you
There's an old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it." Well, I agree that the recent influx of the super rich has had, in some ways, a detrimental effect on the common man's life in the city. In other ways, it hasn't all been bad. How many remember how things were in the 70's and early 80's? You were greeted at every stop light by squeegee men, crime was rampant, the streets were filthy (you think they're bad now?), no one wanted to come here, the subways were impossible and dangerous, and the city was broke. No one in their right mind wants to see those conditions again. Face it, New York isn't gong to be a manufacturing town it was when it supported armies of workers and their families again any time soon. Now we have tourism as a much larger part of the overall economy than it ever was in the past. Like it or not, only a fool would want to ignore that fact.
What a hypocrite Fran Lebowitz is! She is so one of "them." Get a clue lady! And the tourists won't leave! The worse the dollar gets the more tourists from other countries invade the city.
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