Revealed: how New York's old money shuts its doors against the nouveau ric

[emad]

Revealed: how New York's old money shuts its doors against the nouveau riche
By James Langton in New York
(Filed: 12/06/2005)

Even for a rock star used to playing before vast crowds, it was one of the most intimidating audiences of his career.

At stake was an apartment worth many millions of dollars at one of Manhattan's most exclusive addresses, and Sting was prepared to do anything to win the approval of his snobbish neighbours.

On the orders of his estate agent, the singer took a limousine to the establishment tailor Brooks Brothers, on Fifth Avenue, and bought himself a suit. Only then did he present himself to the interview board at the prestigious 88 Central Park West.

Sting passed muster; he was one of the lucky ones. New York's notorious co-op boards - residential committees that guard the entry to Manhattan's most upmarket flats - have claimed the scalps of stars from Cher and Billy Joel to Diane Keaton and Mariah Carey.

Now, the author Stephen Gaines has set the city talking by lifting the lid on the rarefied world of Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue and Central Park West, and the lengths to which the stars will to go to win entry.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/06/12/wny12.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/06/12/ixportal.html

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Steven's a pal of mine

An absolutely wonderful guy, brilliant researcher and writer, and unrelenting in his pursuit of the real story.

This book is a great, great read, as are all of Gaines's works. Check out his "Philistines At The Hedgerow."

Steven knows his stuff. He really does.

[emad]

5. Good luck to him and his latest tome...

Love these 'eyeopeners'.......

[alarimer]

2. What a bunch of rich snobs

Now they know how normal people feel about rich people.

[northzax]

12. well, there's actually a reason for a lot of it

these are coops, primarily owned by people who value privacy, and having a celebrity in the building is often detrimental to that. (you want paparazzi stalking the front of your apartment building day and night?) The value of the property is tied to that. And it's a private building, you agree, upon buying in, that you will only sell to people approved by the coop board. I have a friend who just moved into a small co-op in the Village and had to prove liquid assets of $750,000, above the purchase price to do so.

[alarimer]

13. I owuld never want to live in a place like that

Obviously I will never have the money for that but some condo associations or neighborhoods have all kinds of rules that I would never want to live by. Like what color you can paint your trim or something. Something just sticks in my craw about being told what to do with my own property. Not my cup of tea at all. Guess I just won't live in those places.

still it struck me kind of funny that celebrites, who lord it over the rest of us little people, can still get treated this way. I laughed.

[northzax]

14. well, there's a difference between an exterior community

and sharing an apartment building with people, but you're right, in general. I can easily say I would never live in such a building, but then I'll never have the cash, so it doesn't matter, does it?

[katty]

15. Read Edith Wharton's books on old$/families of NYC

the rich are everywhere-but old money and family dynasties are a very different breed than those that 'strike it rich'. Old money does not sing for their lavish suppers-others do the work, as they collect the revenue.

[Bob3]

3. why the hell would anybody do this to themselves?

what's the bloody point? Haven't we all outgrown fucking high school?
I guess not.

[Name removed]

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[formercia]

6. I used to live in a town like that

in Southwerstern CT. The nuveau Riche were the assholes in the community. Most of the 'Old Money' folks were decent sorts because they didnt have to impress anyone. I live outside of Bar Harbor now and there's a locally famous tale about martha going into an establishment downtown and demanding to use the phone. The cashier told her to use the pay phone across the street. She screamed "Don't you know who I am?" Just then an elderly gentleman Piped up "do you know who I am?" Martha replied "no, who are you?' He said" I'm David Rockefeller and I use the pay phone across the street"

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[formercia]

8. Absolutely

Martha doesn't go downtown much anymore. The locals harass her mercilessly.

[AX10]

9. Sound like a good read.

However, I would not piss away one once of my resources to appease the ARYAN MAFIA!

[Rich Hunt]

10. does look fascinating

:rofl:

[sadiesworld]

11. Will they taste different? n/t