With the High Line, an elevated railway reborn as a park, set to transform New York’s far west side when it opens in spring 2008, 10th Avenue is poised to take off as boutiques and restaurants give the boot to parking garages and auto body shops. East Villagers who consider Fifth Avenue their western frontier may balk at trekking all the way across the island on a Saturday, but the stretch of 10th Avenue between 23rd and 19th streets is worth the hike. Organic wine? Limited edition posters and artists’ books? Churros con chocolate (chocolate donuts) at Tia Pol? There’s more to Chelsea than gallery-hopping.

1. Empire Diner: Empire draws the occasional tourist with its classic railcar charm (devoted fans of Kieran Culkin may remember it from “Igby Goes Down”), but the local crowd dominates, spreading out the Times on weekends and meeting to discuss gallery business on weekday mornings. Part of the charm lies in the tough-love service: “Eat the crust. Use your napkin. Don’t kick your sister,” the menu commands. But the kitchen handles customized orders with ease (A brie and avocado omelet? No problem) and never skimps on the bacon (Empire may be the only restaurant in Manhattan that refuses to serve diet soda and artificial sweetener). Stick to the basics – eggs, burgers, G.A.C. (grilled American cheese) – and you’ll leave happy.

2. 192 Books: Walking into 192 Books has the calming effect of entering the personal library of a good friend. And in a way, that’s exactly what you are doing: Patrick Knisley, who mans the store most Saturdays, rarely rings up a sale without wryly critiquing your choice or bookmarking a favorite passage. When I bought Seamus Heaney’s Opened Ground, he chose the poem “Mint”: “Unverdant ever, almost beneath notice. But, to be fair, it also spelled promise.” The store is the intellectual heart of 10th Avenue, with evening readings by neighborhood residents Ethan Hawke and Annie Liebovitz, as well as authors of the caliber of Jane Smiley and Salman Rushdie. Be sure to reserve a spot in advance and catch up on your David Foster Wallace.

3. Cookshop: When the ‘rents are in town, look no further than Cookshop for a dinner destination. During the week the bar scene lures editorial assistants in Marc Jacobs and skinny jeans, but the dining room is a magnet for a slightly older crowd. The American menu is right on trend, with seasonal ingredients drawn from local farmers and artisans, but the restaurant’s warmth and deceptively simple dishes suggest staying power. Start with the Hudson valley venison sausage, then try the Maine diver sea scallops, and finish with the vanilla bean and roasted pear bread pudding. Mmmmm. Dinner on Daddy’s dime never tasted so good.

Ever wonder why they call it ‘office cube’? It’s because they think you’re square. Dull, boring and quite happy with four metal walls decorated with some gray or green linoleum-like fabric. Have you every met a New Yorker happy to step into his cubicle?

If I were staring at a wall studded with push pins artfully arranged to resemble starry night, I’d probably start reaching for the Prozac bottle too. Come on, let’s face it: you’re married to your work. Which means you’re probably married to your old, coffee-stained keyboard, push pins, stapler, and metal cabinets with manila folders.

I think the life of Saving Private Ryan was a lot more colorful, folks.

So, let’s fix ‘er up, shall we? Here are some of our picks from NYC stories to lighten your “home” up.

A cheerful lamp
Get a really elegant lamp like the Etruscan lamp from Anthropologie or Barley Twist Lamp from Pottery Barn to dress up your cube. That little investment can translate ‘dungeon-ville’ to ‘glamor-ville’ in seconds, plus make your colleagues super jealous.

(Pottery Barn has three store locations in New York. Visit www.potterybarn.com)

Anthropologie
5 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212.627.5885

Cool Stationery
Check out quintessentially New York’s La Brea, which houses tons of gifts, home décor and stationery fit for your glam cube (visit www.labrea.com for locations). Or try monogramming your initials on some hefty stock from Kate’s Paperie which will make you look like a CEO even if you get no work done.

I was elated to receive my first assignment since being asked to join BNNYC until my editor sent me the topic. I then panicked and felt faint. Arming my nervous self with a bottle of Bordeaux (that I couldn’t afford) and a resolution-busting cigarette (yes, I am a rebel !) I decided what the hell -and jumped in, fear in my heart. I invite you to join me on my journey down the rabbit hole called – organization.

January is GET ORGANIZED MONTH month and our topic is how a professional organizer can change your life. OK, so we’re not talking Extreme Makeover and multi-million dollar lottery winning life-changing but this is useful information just the same. Especially for those of you, who like me are a ‘mess” in the broadest sense of the word! Using the information found on the National Association of Professional Organizers website I searched for an organizer in my area. You can specialize the search based on your needs: I chose “chronically disorganized” which I thought encapsulated a whole host of issues. It seems that the pros can help you with everything from setting up your filing to sorting out the inner workings of your mind. I must admit I am doubtful.

There is hope!
According to Lisa Zaslow, a NAPO member and owner of Gotham Organizers I am not alone in being organizationally challenged. She believes that everyone can learn to put their life in order by following a few simple guidelines. In a most enlightening conversation, Ms. Zaslow spoke about the psychology of organization and how it’s absence can detrimentally affect other areas of our lives. (Like sex when you can’t find the condoms or work when you forgot (again!) to make those reservations your boss requested). Disorganization costs us money, time and energy as well as bleeding over into our work and personal lives. It wreaks havoc – causing us undo stress, lost jobs, bank overdrafts and very often resulting in mind numbing hangovers. It has even been scientifically documented that our brains have a problem with taking in large amounts of cluttered information, contributing to the problem on a physical level. According to Lisa it simply takes looking at the situation with fresh eyes and making things as simple as possible. Confident this would start me on the road to recovery I grew energized and ready to change my life with visions of a (hipper, hotter) Martha Stewart Me dancing in my head. As Ms. Zaslow puts it, “Life is hard enough, it shouldn’t be hard to find our keys”!

One Mess at a Time!
A professional organizer can help you see through the haze of clutter and break it down accordingly. A common problem is that when people are overwhelmed things become “invisible”. They do not know where to start and very often just give up. Her first recommendation is to step back, analyze your area and define your “prime real estate”, (the areas that would provide easy access to your belongings). Why put something far out of reach that you use frequently? Keep it at chest or eye level. Use this concept accordingly – things that only see the light of day once in a while can be out of sight and reach, etc. Next, analyze what you can let go of – do you really need to keep your ConEd bills from 1999? Or your high school boyfriend’s ratty sweatshirt? Toss it girl! Its time to be discerning (perhaps you can carry this exercise into other areas of your life – that inattentive boyfriend perhaps? Or maybe your unstable girlfriend who stood you up once again?). Finally, thinking in terms of systems, the most important tenet, a place for everything and everything in its place. Find homes for your possessions and make sure they return there when you are done with them. The purpose is defeated if you fail to follow up the initial clearing and keep up with it on a regular basis. Words to live by.

A lot to think about and a big commitment – but one whose benefits we should continue to reap throughout our lives. If we’re able to keep it up. As for me, rummaging through closets and drawers stirred up a myriad of memories (I’ll save that for another article!) but after throwing out a few things and labeling a few more I actually did feel…lighter, and more confident. Over the next few days I found it easier to make it through my usual morning mélée by having my makeup and closet in order. Bill paying has now been simplified – I have labeled file folders and an up to date planning calendar to get me through! I have yet to conquer a plethora of boxes in my storage space or my ADD issues, but secure in the knowledge that I could – should I want to – is comfort enough!

Lisa Zaslow has been named one of New York’s top professional organizers and is regularly featured on television and in print extolling the virtues of organization. Her Ebook, “Can’t I just shred it all? 101 tips to file and find your important papers” is available for order on Gotham Organizers website www.gothamorganizers.com or by calling their office at 212.866.9493.

The National Association of Professional Organizers will help you find or become a professional organizer. There are many helpful tips also included on their website at www.NAPO.net.

It’s Oscars time again. And everyone’s eyes and ears will be tuned in on that favorite of cities…Los Angeles. It’s about time Hollywood moved over to the East Coast. Let’s face it, folks, New York has everything to offer: cuisine, clothes, the four seasons…and yet we can’t seem to host one freakin’ silver screen event. The S.A.G. Awards? Not a chance. It’s the Screen Actors guild, and that belongs in tinsel town. The Golden Globes? Nah. Golden, remember? Not the Frosty Globes. The Emmys? Nope. So what does New York have?

Premiers. Perhaps the MTV Awards. But THAT….ladies and gentlemen…is IT. I think something should be done about this void. We have celebrities purchasing real estate in New York, hosting parties like The Great Gatsby in the Hamptons, and being spotted in Starbucks cafes in the city. So who’s stopping them from gracing the red carpet in Lincoln Center? Of course, you might have to close the entire city down because traffic and security will be sky high, but for a glimpse of Drew Barrymore or Cate Blanchette showing up in strapless gowns and collecting their awards…it’s worth it, baby!

OK, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let me focus on the real story. Who’s gonna be clutching that golden statue come February, and who will be practicing their smiles of gracious defeat? We think we’ve got the inside track on all the winners this year, so listen up. The nominees of this year’s Academy Awards and BeautyNews’ predictions in the major categories are:

Best Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
To play Idi Amin? That’s chutzpah baby!

Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Alan Arkin and heroin-addiction are as fun a combo as salt and peppa.

For those who never go above 14th street…listen up. Never say never: Bruno Jamais, a restaurant club on the Upper East Side will now be open on Sundays. From 6pm you can dine, dance, and disco until the early Monday morn. So why leave downtown? Think of it as an escape into a more mixed, new crowd – still sophisticated but lacking hipper-than-thou pretensions. Still need more convincing? Sunday nights come with a reduced prix-fixe on a delicious contemporary French cuisine and live music. And if you’re a lady (and print this offer out), you’ll get fifty-percent off that price. See you downtown this weekend!

Bruno Jamais
24 East 81st Street
212-396-3444
www.brunojamais.com
Reservations Required

Hours:
Mon-Sat: 6pm – close
Sun: 6pm – 2am

Like every major event in entertainment, the only thing that really matters is the “3 W’s”: Who Wore What. The Sundance Film Festival, as lofty as its ideals may be, is no exception.

The great thing about Sundance is that the duration of the festival as well as the chilly temperatures don’t particularly cater to the glamorous red carpet moments that are hard for the “little people” to replicate anywhere else (sequined strapless gown in Aisle 9? I don’t think so). Instead, celebs and pseudo-celebs alike hunker down to more practical winter gear for the sake of artistic expression, big screen-style. So while you may not be able to benefit from a goodie stocked hospitality lodge, you can at least bid farewell to Sundance with some real world winter fashion tips from those who did.

Unlikely Pairings: Accessorize with an unexpected detail

Billy Crudup and his borderline pornographic mustache…Lance Bass attending rapper Nelly’s very hip hop infused shindig…MC Hammer back from the dead and posing with a snowboard. These were some of the more confusing images out of Sundance; I didn’t understand them, but I think I liked it.

Perhaps mixing a little of the absurd into our everyday lives isn’t such a bad idea. Slap a Slinky on your wrist and work it like the paparazzi know your home address. Winter’s already as “blah” as an Alicia Silverstone comeback, the worst you can do is have a little fun with yourself.

Neck Work: Use your scarf to its full potential

Parker Posey and Dennis Hopper let their tails hang. Sienna Miller kept hers loose. Gretchen Mol gave hers volume. Everywhere in Sundance, scarves were getting the kinky treatment: knotted, twisted, draped and tied. The scarf is a highly unappreciated accessory but can hold its own and define your look with a simple toss. Don’t take it for granted!

Coat Check: Invest in at least one knock ‘em dead coat

To be honest, the fashion at Sundance this year was pretty basic. I almost longed to see Pamela Anderson in a pair of those hideous furry boots just for kicks (no fear, I quickly recanted once I googled up the image). Jeans and plain sweaters were in no short supply and who could blame them…it’s COLD! What sets any fashionable femme apart from her contemporaries, however, is an awesome coat; either very well made, or completely funky and fun. Take your cue from Sienna Miller (love that girl) who showed off in a sleek belted number, Bijou Phillips’ leather lined hounds tooth, or Regina King’s blazing white trench.

Unleash the beast: Men get hairy

Clearly embracing the mountain, men took up the call and put down the razors. I’m not sure if it was the fresh air, or simply sheer laziness, but facial hair was all over the place. 3rd Rock’s Danny Masterson very Grizzly Adamsesqe face came as no surprise, but it was actually refreshing to see so many other men going beyond the scruff. Now how will you tell whose hair is in the sink?

Skincare treatments typically come in bottles the size of pill jars. So it’s no surprise that beauty products can weigh us down while we go on trips. Or even to the gym.

Lisa Hoffman (yes, Dustin’s better half!) has the antidote for compulsive packers. She had a dream once that when she was packing for a trip, she had the exact amount of skincare treatment neatly organized into daily packettes.

You can meet her today at Bergdorf Goodman, where is unveiling her new line from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Go to the cosmetics beauty floor to learn more about her brand new 24 Hour Skincare line. We’ll be covering it in depth in our February issue, so stay tuned. And worry about bigger things – like getting your beauty sleep, for instance – than packing the amount of skincare that’s perfect for you.

Bergdorf Goodman
754 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
Cosmetics beauty floor

A belly dancer, an ebay addict and a writer all walk into a West Village bar…no, seriously. Who can help but be amazed at the, er, variety that our fair city boasts, all living in some kind of harmonious stew? Every day, even without our being aware of it, we are surrounded by the kind of people one would never think actually existed outside a Law and Order marathon (side note: I’m Lt. Anita Van Buren, the tough and quick thinking police lieutenant with a soft spot for justice). Whatever your passion, vice, or mildly off-putting mania, there’s a place for you here and chances are you’re not alone. Enter Meetup, possibly the best thing to happen to any major city since the Starbucks takeover. Meetup is, simply, a craigslist-like activity board, but if you’ve never heard of craigslist, let me introduce you to a thing called: 2007. Ask around.

Simply log on to the site, choose your city and enter an interest, be it salsa dancing, everything Italian, or good old bar-hopping. Don’t find your particular interest? Create your own, but if you’re open to something new, browse the list of hundreds of groups that get together through the website. The Scrabble Meetup group? I’ll take two please, but hold the Fight Club group; I bruise quite easily.

Registration is free and pretty painless, even for the easily bored and distracted (there’s probably a club for that as well) and the pay-off is well worth it. As large and overwhelming as the city may feel sometimes, there are ways to connect with others and step out of the worlds we’ve come to know, if only for a day or two. Where else could you tap your inner ghost chaser, foodie, or ukulele player? Welcome to New York City.

There are some pretty great things that cross the pond: Tea & Scones, the Sex Pistols, Hugh Grant, and excellent diction. Heck, if you want to be honest about it, the fact that they took Madonna off our hands is reason enough to love the whole of the United Kingdom.

This Friday and Saturday you’ll have even more reason to be chuffed, as they say. Körner Skincare is a luxury skin care line out of Australia that’s quite popular with the Brits. With devoted users such as Sienna Miller, Linda Evangelista and Tamara Mellon, the line graces some awfully amazing faces. This Friday and Saturday, January 26th and 27th, Körner Skincare is treating patrons of their Bergdorf Goodman counter to a complimentary one hour facial treatment with any two purchases from the line.

Buy an eye cream and cleanser, get a one hour facial. Buy their sensational night cream and a body cream, get a one hour facial. It’s as easy as one, two, …actually, it’s just as easy as one two. Hell, it’s enough to make us forget they stuck us with Naomi Campbell!

Appointments are available between 10 am and 7 pm. Call Tanja for an appointment at 212.872.2663

Perhaps because of my years in the theater, I always dress the part. I make a point to be elegantly disheveled at Sunday brunch, fashionably demure in the office, and self-consciously undone at a Williamsburg loft party. When I go to a wake, my insoles match the coffin lining. What can I say? It’s a gift.

Being profoundly appropriate requires a choice. Do you want to be a part of the scene, or stand out in the crowd? Ideally, both, right? Unfortunately, it takes a degree of celebrity or radiance to rival Our Lady of Guadalupe for most of us to have it all. You’re best off picking a strategy and running with it. Commitment, zeal, cold hard cash – in Manhattan, this is what it takes if you just want to belong.

Last Tuesday, I slipped. I started out on point, wearing a baggy V-neck grey merino sweater over black jeans and blue patent-leather flats. I was going to a friend’s apartment for dinner and planned on calling it an early night. As usual, I didn’t. After several glasses of wine and, later, whatever sauce was in the freezer, we found ourselves at the velvet ropes of Room Service, on 21st and Park.

(Photos by Tricia Romano)

You won’t find the typical club scene here on Tuesday nights. Michael Musto, the esteemed Village Voice columnist, describes it best: “The night is growing in freaky allure, attracting something akin to the old Happy Valley crowd, but darker, louder, and distilled to just the eight-wigs-and-nine-genitals bunch.” I walked in, and what should have been a disorienting sight – strobe lights and sequins galore – was, to me, quite sobering. “Oh God,” I thought, “I’m wearing the wrong outfit.”