The thought of fashion makes me miss Barneys. I frequented both locations—Chelsea and Madison Avenue—regularly, even when I couldn’t afford a Barneys-label tie or lunch at Fred’s. I am also getting ready to list a quintessential loft in a building adjacent to the old Chelsea Barneys, and I got nostalgic, as I often do about New York. The only thing I miss more about the ’90s in NYC is my fantasy of living in NYC in the ’70s (yes, I was a toddler).

Barney Pressman opened his first store, a men’s discount clothing shop, in 1923. It was only 500 square feet, with 20 feet of frontage on Seventh Avenue and 17th Street, where the Chelsea store remained until its closure. He raised the $500 to pay the lease by pawning his wife’s engagement ring. The Barneys slogan was “No Bunk, No Junk, No Limitations.” He sold only discount samples from overstocks and offered free alterations!

During the 1960s, Barney’s son Fred was instrumental in transitioning the store from a discount shop to a luxury retailer. Fred took the store from a basic discount suit shop that sold roast beef sandwiches in its pub to a purveyor of European designers, complete with a café serving Perrier and light salads. Eventually, Barneys expanded its physical space, encompassing the entire Seventh Avenue block between 16th and 17th Streets. Fred built a fifth floor onto the original building, which we used to refer to as the “penthouse at Barneys.” Women’s clothing was added in 1976, and in 1977, the in-store restaurant called “The Café” began selling light fare (later to become Fred’s, both in Chelsea and at the Madison Avenue flagship store).

Over the years, many stores opened and closed, accompanied by multiple bankruptcies starting in 1996. In 2004, the Pressman family sold its remaining ownership interest to a large apparel conglomerate. In 2019, Barneys New York filed for bankruptcy for the final time, and the brick-and-mortar format was eliminated. Today, only six full-line stores and four outlet stores operate in Japan, along with two “store-within-a-store” concepts in the U.S., both in Saks Fifth Avenue.

While I still miss Barneys, Nordstrom is not a bad substitute (please don’t go bankrupt). Despite the pandemic, online shopping, and luxury sale fatigue, New Yorkers (like me) still demand fashion. Nordstrom and other brick-and-mortar retailers are still alive and well in NYC.

Some fashionable newcomers to check out include Ven Space in Brooklyn, which carries elegant mainstay designers as well as emerging brand (maybe a new Barneys emerging?) LuisaViaRoma has a huge flagship in NoLiTa, which includes an appointment-only V.I.P. salon. Also cool is the Danish menswear brand NN07, which opened last year on Lafayette Street. I am loving the relaxed, stylish look of their items. Arc’teryx, the fashionable Canadian technical outerwear brand, recently expanded its SoHo store to over 14,000 square feet!

The smash ABBA jukebox musical Mamma Mia!, one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, will return this summer for a six-month engagement at the Winter Garden Theatre, where it originally ran from 2001 through 2014. Or to paraphrase the old song: ABBA's seeing you in all the old familiar places. 

“Last year, Mamma Mia! celebrated 25 successful years in the West End, and it’s truly fantastic to bring the original production back to its Broadway home after 24 years," said the show's creator and producer, Judy Craymer said. "Despite the glowing reception we received [in earlier markets], nothing could have prepared us for the outpouring of love and acclaim (and dancing in the aisles!) that overwhelmed us when we arrived in New York at the magnificent Winter Garden Theatre."

The Mamma Mia! revival will begin previews on August 2 and open on August 14, 2025. This unusually short preview period reflects how closely this production will mirror the original. The entire original creative team is back on board for this latest trip to the Greek Isles: director Phyllida Lloyd, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, musical supervisor Martin Koch, set and costume designer Mark Thompson, lighting designer Howard Harrison, sound designers Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken. Casting for the production has not yet been announced.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 14 at 10am. Fans who sign up for priority access can buy tickets one day earlier, and Capital One credit card holders can buy them as early as March 11. You can find out more (and sign up for early access) at the production's website, MammaMiaBway.com. Bon voyage and many happy returns!

The 2025 TCS New York City Marathon gets ready to gear up for this November, and applicants officially heard the results of the extremely competitive lottery this week.

A record number of marathon applicants put their name in the hat this year, totaling 200,000 runners—the most recorded in the race’s entire history and a 22% increase from 2024.

Of the record amount of applicants, a mere 2-3% were actually accepted, meaning you had the same odds as being accepted into Harvard University.

“More than ever, people want to experience the magic of the TCS New York City Marathon,” said NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer in a press release.

“The TCS New York City Marathon is a special event that brings together people of all backgrounds…all united by the transformative power of running.”

This year’s New York City Marathon is scheduled for November 2nd, 2025, and will feature well over 50,000 runners. Amongst them, professional athletes, celebrities, charity runners, and many others.

Central Park's six-mile loop is getting a major facelift starting this month as part of a city plan to give walkers more space and quiet the long-standing battle between pedestrians and cyclists.

Crews will begin repaving the drive on St. Patrick's Day and the transportation department expects work on the loop's southern section to conclude by the end of April. Hostilities between bike riders and pedestrians play out on the city sidewalks and bike lanes daily, but are perhaps nowhere more pronounced than in Central and Prospect parks.

Collisions between cyclists and pedestrians on the Central Park loop have left at least two people dead since 2014 and two others critically injured.

“As we banned vehicles to be inside Central Park, the question now is the interaction between cyclists and pedestrians,” Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in an interview. “As the father of two daughters, it's so critical that we do our paving, separating more of the space for pedestrians and cyclists.

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E-bikes have become significantly more popular since 2018, when cars were banned in Central Park. The transportation department worked with the Central Park Conservancy to figure out a way to keep the speedier bicycles in a lane designated for faster travel, according to David Saltonstall, the conservancy’s vice president for government relations.

“There's going to be an inside lane for pedestrians and joggers. There'll be a middle lane for slower bikers and then a speedier lane on the outside, which is reserved for emergency vehicles, for work vehicles, but also for all the e-vehicles that are now very much in the park," he said.

Welcome to Apartment 8A at 160 Riverside Drive, a magnificent high-floor corner home boasting breathtaking panoramic views of the Hudson River, Riverside Park, and the iconic Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. This sun-filled, grand-scale residence is currently configured as a sprawling seven-room home, featuring four bedrooms and four bathrooms across a layout that offers both elegance and flexibility.

A gracious formal gallery sets the tone for this sophisticated residence, leading seamlessly into the expansive common living areas. The sun-drenched living room provides unparalleled Hudson River views, where you can enjoy warm afternoon light and breathtaking sunsets. Across the gallery, the formal dining room—boasting eastern exposures and open Upper West Side views—offers an ideal space for grand entertaining.

The large, windowed kitchen enjoys open city views and ample space for a breakfast table, making it perfect for casual dining. Adjacent to the kitchen, a staff bedroom with an en-suite bath and laundry provides incredible versatility—whether as a fourth bedroom, home office, media room, or an extension to create a dream kitchen.

A private bedroom wing offers three spacious suites, each with oversized windows and abundant closet space. The corner primary suite features a luxurious en-suite bath and open views of the Hudson River and Riverside Park, stretching as far as the eye can see. A second corner suite, equally suited as a primary bedroom, offers an en-suite bath and sweeping eastern city views. The third bedroom, with magical Hudson River vistas, enjoys abundant closet space and easy access to an additional full bath.

This one-of-a-kind residence awaits your personal touch to enhance its already magnificent scale, layout, and character. Enjoy glorious sunsets over the Hudson, serene tree-lined views of Riverside Park, and the timeless elegance of classic prewar design.

160 Riverside Drive is a prestigious full-service prewar cooperative offering a 24-hour doorman and attentive staff, a resident manager, a central laundry room, a bike room, and storage.

Nestled in one of the most coveted locations on Riverside Drive, this exquisite home offers a rare blend of historical charm, modern potential, and breathtaking views.