The Playground Partners and Patrons committee of the Central Park Conservancy hosted its third Annual Leaf Sweep on a gorgeous autumn day in the Park, with crisp wind and bright sunshine. The Park was at the height of its autumnal beauty so it was no surprise that more than 500 including 180 children (a record turnout) came out to sweep leaves and plant bulbs near the East 96th Street Playground.
The enthusiastic sweepers included members and friends of the Playground Partners and Patrons Committee, Chairman Gillian Miniter with husband Sylvester Miniter and children Serena and Quint, new co-chairs Jennifer Saul Yaffa and Carol Herring with their children Caroline Yaffa and James and Campbell Herring, Adelina and Bill Ettelson with son Tyler,Liz Finkle Eliot with daughters Victoria and Caroline, Nina Bauer and Andrew Shapiro with daughter Eliza, Elizabeth and Dave McCreery with their little girls, Sallie Abelow with her son Campbell, and Amy Schrader, Norm Champ and Sally Shreeves with their children in tow.
Eager families arrived at 10:00 a.m. Moms, dads and children picked up their rakes and their gardening gloves and got to work. Wthin two hours there was not a leaf in sight and the group had planted a couple hundred bulbs. Afterwards, the children enjoyed the fruit of their hard labor, playing in the squeaky clean playground. They drank hot cider and hot chocolate and snacked on Krispy Kreme doughnuts. By the end of the event, many future playdates were made and the families went home overjoyed with their work and the beautiful day.
Playground Partners and Patrons is a group of the Central Park Conservancy’s Women’s Committee that is dedicated to keeping Central Park’s 21 playgrounds clean, safe and well maintained. The group created the Leaf Sweep event to get people out in the Park and to introduce children to community service and park stewardship. Look out for their next community playground event, a mulching project in the spring.
Gillian and Serena Miniter with Nile Cohen
Madeline Evans and friend
Ace Crary and son Gardner
The cutest helper
Serena Miniter
Liz Eliot with Victoria and friend
Lira Lee and daughter Nile
Liz Eliot and Caroline
Nina Bauer and Andrew Shapiro with Eliza
Playground Partners and Patrons Co-chairs Gillian Miniter, Jennifer Saul Yaffa, and Carol Herring
Amy Schrader and daughter
Suzie and Ainar Ajila with son
Sallie Abelow and Campbell
Sylvester and Quint Miniter
Working hard
Time to put up the rakes
The Kagan Family
Palm Beachers are mad about (some would call it notorious for) wanting to get inside the newest, latest, greatest house, and every season one seems to emerge as the must-see manse. So when two Boston-based designers Lee Bierly and Chris Drake opened their spectacular "Magnolia House" for cocktails kick-off benefiting the Historical Society of Palm Beach- the valet parking line crept down Tangier Avenue like a Hollywood awards gala.
The event was sponsored by Town & Country magazine and Patek Phillippe in honor of the committees of the upcoming 6th Annual Archival Evening tribute to Slim Aarons, chaired by Steven Stolman and Ross Meltzer, and January's 2007 Palm Beach Design Fair, chaired by Kathy Bleznak.
Tracy and Matthew Smith
Crissy Poorman and Doug Luce
Tom McCarter and Frances Scaife
Among the crowd: Frannie Scaife and Tom McCarter, Andrea Stark, Geoffrey Thomas, Nancy and Michael Peacock, Jackie and Beau Breckenridge, Bonnie Lieberman, Mark Gilbertson, Candy and Bill Hamm, Sandy and Bob Krakoff, Liz Finkle and Steve Sans, Talbott Maxey, Sandy and Buddy Thompson, Constance Hughes and Bob Skinner, Susie Dwinell, Nancy and Michael Peacock, Ken Wyse, M.A. and Chip Quinn with their kids Liz and Ryan, Meg Cunningham, Kae Jonsons, Jack Young, Kay Rybovich, Roz Clarke, Mac and Jamie Zahringer, Sonja Abrahamsen and Mark Stevens, Lori and Michael Bernstein and scores more from the NY/PB shuttle set.
The Friday after Thanksgiving has become a sort of Worth Avenue "Trick or Treat" night with more and more of the toniest shops throwing open their doors for cocktail parties to fete the chairmen of the upcoming season's events.
Andrea Stark, Ross Meltzer, and Sandy Krakoff
Bob Skinner, Constance Hughes, and Skip Quinn
Hope and Ed Gropper with Steven Stolman
Allan Reyes, Talbott Maxey, and Geoffrey Thomas
Mac and Jamie Zahringer
Buddy and Sandy Thompson with Wally and Betsy Turner
Sonja Abrahamsen and Mark Stevens
Bill Secord and Jennifer Risdon
M.A. Quinn, Mark Stevens, and Chip Quinn
Ryan Quinn, Liz Quinn, and Dennis Cunningham
Stephen Sans and Elizabeth Finkle
Candy Hamm
Michael and Lori Bernstein
Chris Drake, Barrie Olsen, and Lee Bierly
Jackie Breckenridge, Lauryl Guse, Beau Breckenridge, and Connie Shackelford
To mark the milestone of its 100th Anniversary of business and the beginning of its second century, the Benensons, one of New York’s most prominent real estate families hosted a three day celebration at the landmark FletcherSinclair mansion, home to the Ukrainian Institute at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue. A highlight of the event was the exhibition of priceless masterpieces from the collection of the late Charles B. Benenson, many of which had not been seen by the public for almost four decades.
Bill Benenson, Frederick Benenson and Lawrence B. Benenson, sons of Charles, and partners in Benenson Capital Partners were on hand each night to welcome the hundreds of political, civic, religious and cultural leaders, business associates and friends who came to toast the anniversary , pay tribute to the much respected and much loved “Charlie” Benenson and to admire the Picassos, Dubuffets, Legers, Rodins, Kandinskys, and Basquiats the family had amassed over the last half century, and which is now going at Charles Benenson’s request to Yale University, his alma mater.
On the opening evening, Senator Charles Schumer who spoke eloquently about the family’s support of the city, achievement in business and their deep sense of civic responsibility. Reynold Levy recalled that “Charlie,” as he was known to all, was a passionate music lover was in the audience at the first performances ever at both the Metropolitan Opera House and Philharmonic Hall, now Avery Fisher.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg had proclaimed October 24, 2006 as “Charles B. Benenson Day”, noted “Charles was a man of impeccable taste who led one of the city’s most storied and successful real estate companies, Benenson Capital Partners, to great heights.” He added that although Charles Benenson’s achievements in real estate are impressive, it is his art collection and philanthropy that sets him apart from most. The mayor cited Benenson’s long history of commitment to New York through his leadership in the Association for a Better New York, his co-founding of the Lincoln Center Real Estate Council, major support of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center and the Museum of African Art which he founded.
The third and final evening ended with a very typical Benenson touch as Lawrence Benenson introduced Richard Ronga, principal of P.S. 166 on the Upper West Side, the very school Charles had attended in the 1920’s. Accepting a generous gift from the family to purchase art books and materials for the school, Ronga said, “This gift will help us improve the teaching of Art and the arts.”
Over the three days, the historic mansion was filled with the members of New York’s important real estate families, leading figures in banking, brokerage, museum directors and art enthusiasts. Among the hundreds of guests each night were: Beth Rudin DeWoody, Laurie Tisch, Billie Tisch, Eric Vacca, Jonathan Tisch, Faith Hope Consolo, Jeffrey Gural, Charles Millard, M/M Daniel Rose, Robert Arnow, Adam Rose, Peter Malkin, Tony Malkin, Mary Ann Tighe, M/M Thomas Tisch, Lynn and Sy Syms, Bill Rudin, Constance and Hank Schwartz, Stuart and Vicki Match Suna, Alan Suna, Nicole B. Brewer, Michael Stoler, Andrea Siben, Patricia Kennedy, Dorothy and Lewis Cullman, Angela LaGreca and four generations of Benensons.
Judith Bruce and Beth Rudin de Woody
Laurie Tisch
Bill and Laurie Benenson
Patricia Kennedy and Lawrence Benenson
James E. Stifel and Burton Resnick
Paul Keller and Jami Baldwin
Bill Langford, Neal Rodin, Leslie Friedman, and Eric Vacca
Jane Benenson, Lawrence Benenson, Meryl Cayne, and Alice Tisch
Maureen Clancy, Bill Rudin, and Andrea Stewart
Lewis Cullman
Lawrence Benenson and Senator Charles Schumer
Patricia Kennedy and Caroline Lieberman
Adam Marsh and Richard Laskowski
Richard Kessler, Pat Goldstein, Vicky Match Suna, and Stuart Match Suna
Susan Kirschbaum, Montgomery Frazier, and Phoebe James
Steven Benenson, Tanya Benenson, Bill Benenson, Lawrence A. Benenson, Lawrence B. Benenson, Freddy Benenson, Alexander Benenson, and Raymond Benenson
David Dinkins and Lawrence Benenson
Mary Boone and James Salamon
John Wegorzewski and Krzysztof Kastrzyk (Consul General, Republic of Poland)
Edward Callaghan, Lawrence B. Benenson, and John Wegorzewski
Todd Richman, Anita Waxman, Lawrence Benenson, and Scott Perrin
Richard Kessler and Michael Stoler
Leslie, Scott, and Robyn Perrin
His Excellency Bishop Gerald Walsh and Lawrence B. Benenson
Bruce B. Benenson, Richard A. Kessler, Lloyd Stabiner, Lawrence B. Benenson, Frederick Benenson, and James E. Stifel
Portrait of Charles B. Benenson by Mavis Smith
The Ukrainian Institute
The 19th Annual Holiday Bazaar at Sotheby’s – a Lenox Hill Neighborhood House fundraiser, is an Upper East Side tradition. It opens the Saturday before with a Preview Party attended by more than 500 New Yorkers, followed by two festive days of shopping, with something for everyone. This year’s new Designer’s Boutique also had exclusive items from the “secret cachets” of several internationally prominent interior designers. There was also a silent uction and a Flea Market. Swifty’s catering provided the food and drink.
John Rosselli, the interor design guru was the Honorary Chair. Designer Boutique Chairs were Miles Redd and Bunny Williams. Co-chairs were Wendy Cebula and Juliette Janssens. They raised more than $300,000 for the Neighborhood House.
