And so it draws to a close. 2009. One of the downright wildest years since 2008. And with everything that made the past 364 memorable, we thought we might step back and ponder the earth-shattering, world-changing, life-affirming moments—the foibles, fisticuffs and occasional lobster tossing—that reminded us that New York is the seductive mistress we know and love. Let the reminiscing begin.
Sully's Miracle on the Hudson kicked off 2009, a year of close calls. And then there was 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan, whose Manhattan apartment was damaged by a fire started by a light in his fish tank. We can only hope this wakeup call will lead to improvements in overall quality of life for celebrity fish.
Add, to the familiar cast of characters who flock to New York, a twentysomething Utah-bred con artist with an "I Love Beards" back tattoo. 2009 introduced us to Kari Ferrell, aka the Hipster Grifter, who preyed on trusting hearts and left little but depleted bank accounts and tight jeans in her wake.
When diplomacy fails, adversaries sometimes resort to fisticuffs. At a Met gala afterparty at SubMercer, Kiefer Sutherland opted for a more artful, more rarified gesture: the headbutt. On the receiving end was Jack McCollough, the Proenza Schouler designer who allegedly pushed, or argued with, or in some way offended…Brooke Shields. Chivalry is alive and well…
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others rack up $160,000 bar tabs and leave footprints on our hearts. Taek Jho Low, dubbed the "mystery Malaysian," proved that even chubby-cheeked non-celebs could collect swank apartments, party like Leo at Pink Elephant, shower Lindsay Lohan with Cristal, and fly cocktail waitresses to Malaysia on a whim. It's good to be the Mystery Malaysian.
You respect a man who speaks truth to power. Rest easy, Walter Cronkite. Fortunately, the venerable Fox 5 New York anchor Ernie Anastos stepped in to fill the gap left by Uncle Walter, with a now-famous live TV slipup that bravely reasserted the relevance of television news: "Keep f***ing that chicken."
Location, location, location. In choosing a Chelsea gas station for his Fashion Week party, Alexander Wang brought in bodega-style catering, Courtney Love and party guests lighting up near the pumps. Somewhere, Zoolander is smiling a Blue Steel smile.
In a predictably profane, refreshingly candid sit-down, Anthony Bourdain and David Chang gave their audience a privileged glimpse into the world of celebrity chefs. The pair weighed in on the hype surrounding them (bulls**t), the blogs (bulls**t), the critics—you get the idea. However, all agreed it was very sweet when they started tearfully quoting recipes from each other's cookbooks.
Nobody expects a flying lobster. But when a couple of unhappy customers at Brooklyn's Petite Crevette complained that their lobster wasn't fresh, chef Neil Ganic's retort entailed charging out of the kitchen and throwing a live—thus, fresh—lobster on their table. Ganic is on the record saying he has no regrets. The lobster, however…
