I looooove New York. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Last night the ugly was the nearly complete shut down of Midtown East due to the UN General Assembly.

The Good.

Lately I have been invited to a great many NY celebrity and society parties, restaurants and venues.

The latest occurrence was last night. I had dinner with a big movie/Broadway producer at Le Cirque 2000 (considered by many of the best restaurants in the world). The food was absolutely amazing. I had a fresh seafood platter appetizer (shrimp, oysters, clams, lobster tail) and a almost perfect Black Angus Steak. Dessert was over the top. My friend ordered 7 different desserts for us and we simply passed them around. Creme Brulee, Chocolate souffle, a a black chocolate sculpted pastry oven and some exquisite cream puffs among other things.

The atmosphere was lively and very much that of the exclusive resort of the very rich, very famous and very well connected. Two tables away sat Woody and Soon Yi. Also in attendance were Barbara Walters, Tatum O'Neill, Gina Gershon and Dominick Dunne.

Somehow whenever I am in these places I feel like I am on some sort of sociological safari, watching how these these very beautiful, very rich and very famous people interact with each other and the world.

I grew up in a middle/upper middle class town in New Jersey and live the life of a solidly middle class New Yorker, but these folks exist on a completely different plain. Not neccesassily better or worse, just different.

I often wonder what it must be like, but I never really wish for it. I know enough to know that every person, income category, and level of fame or anonymity carries with it its own set of problems and rewards.

I have found among these people the same basic division of good and bad, kind and mean, loving and hateful, as people in any other group.

Nonetheless, I do have a blast and feel very lucky and fortunate to be around these nicer things in life when I have the opportunity.