It Happened Like That

Ok, before I forget: Check out the review the nabe's Peri Ela restaurant received this week in The New Yorker. The food got high ratings. The place was compared to a date palm that's cropped up around a desert well (that'd be the 92nd St. Y). Hm, Upper Lex as "cultural wasteland" at night? Well, can't really argue with that. But, Central Park sure is nice by moonlight.

Circumstances lead us to changes that can be good. In YGAT's case, I walked to work a few mornings last week, and home a few evenings. In Costa Rica, on a wild boogie board ride, I took a chunk out of my knee when it hit a rock hidden beneath the ocean's surface. The gash sent me to the clinic in need of stitches. I returned home with stitches in my knee, a limp, and instructions to not run for a few weeks. So, thought I'd give walking a go.

On the evening walks home, I gave people quite a shock by calling them just to say "Hello". After a few days of this, by the time my 45-minute walk up Madison from E. 52nd to 89th Street was complete, I was caught up with friends. I saw the gorgeous gowns in Valentino's windows, the Window in Progress sign at Ralph Lauren, where young guys and gals dressed in black were hard at work undressing the elaborate holiday windows to make room for new displays. I saw the sale signs at Barbour, and The Body Shop, and decided if there's one UES restaurant I'd like to try in the next few months it's Centolire. Hm, maybe on Valentine's Day? I passed by Pier One's sale, and Bombay's closeout sale (get over there fast, shoppers!) and Ann Taylor Loft's sale.

On my morning walks, I discovered a most vivacious new way to start the day. I imagined what it would be like to start every day reading the Times in its entirety at Le Pain Quotidien (which has replaced my once favorite coffee shop, the shuttered DTUT, as favorite neighborhood place to read the paper). I saw taxis dropping precocious kids off at school.

And, I had my first celebrity sighting since I have lived in New York City. It happened just like that, in the blink of an eye. On one morning jaunt, I decided to take Park instead of Madison Avenue down. It was just before coming upon E. 68th Street that he passed me. He was wearing a pageboy cap, and his eyes darted down so that all I saw was the top of his head, except for that one brief second when he looked up and our eyes met. He was wearing dark-rimmed glasses and what looked like corduroys. Hurriedly, he walked past. It was only after he passed that I realized the close encounter I had just had with ... Woody Allen!

Upon realizing this, I looked back once, twice, three times. There was no one else walking along Park Avenue at this time, around 9 a.m. Nobody I could rub elbows with to say, "Did you see him, too? It was, ahem, him ... wasn't it?"

It just was. I knew it. I wanted to shout from the rooftops -- I saw Woody Allen! He walked right past me! We made ... eye contact!

It was then that it struck me. It really wasn't such a big dealio. I mean, he just walked past me like anybody else would. Perhaps the reason I haven't seen any other celebs pass me on the streets became clear. They probably had. Throngs of celebs have likely passed by me on the sidewalks of the Upper East Side. They probably just had their heads down, or were walking too fast, or looked too much like any one of us and I failed to notice.

Though I'll soon be able to run again, I may just keep up with this walking-to-work gig once a week or so. And may even try that morning paper routine at Le Pain. Wouldn't mind spotting a few more celebs on the streets of the Upper East Side.

Get to know your hood -- and your celeb neighbors! -- on the Upper East Side.

YGAT