SATC2 At The Empire Hotel

After several days of shooting in studio, Sex And The City 2 was back on the streets of NYC today.

SATC2 took over the Empire Hotel on 63rd and Broadway. I saw some glammed up extras emerging from the hotel and caught a fleeting glimpse of Kim Cattrall. The ageless Samantha Jones looked fit and fabulous in slim fitting dark jeans, a beige jacket and matching boots.

Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker delighted fans when she emerged from her trailer with smiles and a friendly wave.

SJP wowed the small crowd in front of her trailer

SJP even stopped briefly to wish one onlooker a happy birthday before returning to the set.

And in the best-kept-secret department, it seems there is more than just one sequel in the works. SATC2 extra Cayte Grieve told Blackbook magazine--

“There will be a Sex and the City 3. They are currently filming both SATC 2 and SATC 3, as told to me by a few other extras who overheard it from crew members.”

Looks like we’ll be enjoying the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw & Co. for years to come.

Singles Event Pick: Summer Sundays

Summer may be winding down, but the singles event scene in NYC continues to heat up. This weekend, the Empire Hotel’s popular rooftop lounge is hosting Summer Sunday.

The Empire Hotel Rooftop: Enjoy Summer Sundays right here

A seasonal series, Summer Sundays offer sunset cocktails, a view of Central Park and house Djs spinning down tempo and chill beats. The free six-hour event kicks off at 5pm and you can RSVP here.

I learned about Summer Sundays through a fabulous Facebook group co-founded by hostess with the mostess April Lynn Martin. From fashion events and charity galas to gallery openings and art parties, this is the group to sign up for if you’re a single New Yorker and want to be in the know.

Coming up…a memorable tribute to TV’s longest running show and a taste of France right here in Gotham.

Girls Night Out: Upper West Side

Last Wednesday, I met up with fabulous and fun travel writer/author Karen Schaler on NYC’s Upper West Side.

After a pair of heavenly pear martinis at the Empire Hotel’s swanky lobby bar, we headed over to Karen’s favorite neighborhood haunt, Riposo 72. A cozy wine bar with a friendly and vino-savvy staff, Riposo also serves up a mean cheese platter and tasty flatbread. I learned the hard way that ordering both is an exercise in overindulgence.

Riposo 72: A cozy haven for oenophiles on NYC’s Upper West Side (photo courtesy: Time Out New York)

Over the course of the evening, Karen and I talked about the highs and lows of our previous lives as TV reporters, the power of serendipity and the impact of dreaming big. Karen is one of those inspiring people who doesn’t ask why, but instead, why not?

In addition to our shared past in front of the lens, we found common ground in life-changing trips (Afghanistan for her, Australia for me) and industry connections -- it turns out the agent I met with last month was Karen’s first agent when she was pitching her new book, Travel Therapy.

Deciding it was definitely kismet that our paths crossed, we made a toast to our new connection and to sharing future successes.

“This is only the beginning,” she texted me after we said goodnight. “Just believe and it will happen!”

That’s the thing about dreaming big -- when you’re lucky enough to have good friends cheering you along, anything is possible.

Singles Event Pick: Spring Tuesdays

One of my favorite rooftop bars is at the Empire Hotel on New York’s Upper West Side. From a Time Out New York summer soiree to a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, I’ve enjoyed many memorable evenings here.

NYC's Empire Hotel is hosting Spring Tuesdays

The Empire Hotel Rooftop is currently hosting Spring Tuesdays - Sunset Cocktails and (Free) Jazz. Music is performed by the Stephane Wrembel trio from 6:30 to 9:30pm and you can RSVP for the event here.

Spring Tuesdays run through May 26th. For a look at the swanky crowd that has attended so far, check out the Sunset Cocktails feature at GuestofaGuest.com.

Drinks With A Dexterous Travel Writer

Tuesday night, I headed over to the Empire Hotel’s swanky lobby bar for drinks with Michael, a producer on Showtime’s irresistible hit “Dexter” who moonlights as a travel writer.

The Empire Hotel’s lobby bar: cozy chic on NYC’s Upper West Side

Michael was just back from visiting my Paris client, the fabulous Hilton Arc de Triomphe. It turns out his travel writing career began in France’s capital, when a friend of his randomly dispatched him there to go shopping and write about it for NY’s Daily News. And so began a “hobby” that has led to regular bylines in the News and top lifestyle publications like Spa Magazine.

We talked a lot about travel – I did my usual raving about Australia and how it’s a must-see – and about our beloved hometown. Michael and I agreed that living in New York ruins you for any other city, London being the glorious exception.

We also got onto the topic of online dating. Michael often signs on to a female friend’s Match.com account as her, using “guy speak” to attract potential suitors. He told me “she” has been chatting with one guy for two years who’s never attempted an in-person date.

I admitted I wasn’t surprised – online dating sites seem to be a veritable breeding ground for men who prefer cyber communicating to anything else.

My response to those inclined only to be pen pals? Delete.

Up next…a gala preview of NYC’s Auto Show and a musical jaunt to Jersey City.

Mardi Gras In Manhattan

Tuesday night, I caught up with my cousin and soul sister Alexandra for a spontaneous girls night out.

Our evening began at delightful Upper West Side eatery Pappardella, where we enjoyed a three-course prix meal for $25 – butternut squash puree soup, sauteed salmon and dessert (TiramiSu for Alexa, strawberry and cream filled pastry for me).

Pappardella on NYC’s Upper West Side serves up tasty and traditional Italian fare with a hospitable staff

Over dinner, Alexandra and I dished about favorite recessionista bargains (Kohl’s and H&M top the list) and our love lives. She said she’s taking it slow with an on-again off-again old flame, while I filled her in about a few promising Match.com prospects – one of whom, if his picture is any indication, bears a resemblance to “Sex And The City” hunk Chris Noth.

From Pappardella, we headed down to the Empire Hotel for a Mardi Gras party benefitting Mercy Ships, a global charity that operates hospital ships in developing countries. Held at the hotel’s swanky rooftop bar, the soiree featured a live jazz band and interesting crowd of professional types.

Most of the men in attendance were either wearing wedding rings or engrossed in a guys night out, so we concentrated on people watching with cocktails in hand, and talking about plans for our annual girlfriends getaway. Still, I was happily surprised when a tall drink of water stopped me on our way out to ask for my number.

With a date tonight and plans tomorrow that might result in another, it seems that my romantic fortunes might be changing. Who knows? Maybe 35 is the new 25 after all, encroaching crow’s feet notwithstanding.

A TONY Rooftop Party, First Date Disasters

Last night, I trekked down to SoHo’s boutique chic Thompson Hotel for this season’s second Time Out New York (TONY)-sponsored “On The Rooftop” party. The popular weekly magazine hosts four rooftop soirees at swanky venues all around the city. Having attended last month’s party at the Empire Hotel and been underwhelmed by the cliquey crowd, I decided to give TONY’s sky high series another try.

During the elevator ride upstairs, my friend Bobbi told me about her last visit to the hotel, which began with a gaggle of paparazzi out front and a Lindsay Lohan sighting. Apparently, she looks like less of a vixen and more of a (short) high schooler in person.

When we reached A-60, the Thompson Hotel’s members-and-guests-only rooftop bar, we couldn’t help noticing the intimate size of the space. Thankfully, there are two bar areas to help offset space-dictated fraternizing.

We grabbed a couple of cocktails from the perky waitress handing them out and settled ourselves on a cushy couch to take in the view. Along with idyllic sunset vistas of the skyline, our seats offered the perfect spot for people watching. It was a very well-coiffed, very twenty-something crowd, most of whom kept to themselves. When it came time for us to get our gift bags, we couldn’t help but appreciate the irony of one included item--Roc anti-wrinkle serum. I think it’s safe to say we were more excited than the party’s more youthful contingent about trying it.

Our next stop was Barolo, a breezy Italian eatery with three spacious dining rooms. Over a plate of pasta and pan seared sea bass respectively, Bobbi and I compared notes about disastrous first dates.

For her, there was the dinner during which she found out her date was married—when his wife showed up. Equally surprising, the double date that culminated in the other couple making out and asking Bobbi if she and her date would like to join them. My worst first/last dates? The restaurateur who asked me if I wanted to hear about his broken engagement—and then proceeded to talk about nothing else all night. A close second would be the guy who went into florid detail about sexual escapades with his ex. Call me old fashioned, but I think any talk of past relationships on a first date should be in (very) small doses. As for asking about threesomes, foursomes and the like, whatever happened to leaving a little mystery for date number two?

Cost of attending TONY’s Rooftop party: $28. Laughing with a friend about the vagaries of bad first dates and inappropriate kinky requests? Priceless.