NEW YORK: the Manhattan School for Children had a grand opening for its Greenhouse, built on the school’s roof. This a public school on Manhattan’s West Side. CBS’s Russ Mitchell officiated, there were local council people, and Broadway star Brian D’Arcy James of “Times Stand Still” and “Shrek.” Sam Robards--son of Lauren Bacall and Jason Robards–and his beautiful wife Sidsel were among those who helped raise around $800,000 over the last few years. Lauren Bacall, held court and met everyone. Bacall is just finishing her rehab from a fractured hip, but she’s walking like a pro and throwing around bon mots like crazy. You can’t keep a Hollywood legend down! PS We had a long fruitful chat with a 5 year old kindergartener-scientist named Lucas who told us all about Pest Control. Already, the Greenhouse is a success!
…How ridiculous: there are now two Gansevoort Hotels in New York. One in the meatpacking district, on Gansevoort Street. The other is on Park Avenue South and 29th St. At the former, the staff is uncooperative. At the nightclub around the back, called Provocateur, they’re just rude. When I arrived at the other Gansevoort, a helpful staffer explained that it’s now a chain of hotels, that it started in Europe, and that Gansevoort is a European word. Too funny. Anyway, better to stay away from these monolithic hip hotels. And PS it’s a Dutch word, the “chain” is just on Gansevoort Street, and they should change the name of the one on Park Avenue.
...NO FOOL ON THIS HILL: I just got this message: “CSI: New York” star Hill Harper is putting a together a “Toys for Tots” drive tonight in Hollywood. Harper and Nate Parker, from “The Great Debaters,” are tossing the event at Teddy’s in the Roosevelt Hotel from 7 to 11pm. Harper, a formerclassmate of Barack Obama’s at Harvard Law School, also runs his own charity, called Manifest Your Destiny (www.manifestyourdestiny.org)…
