Asian culture doesn’t have the same connotation attached to Friday the 13th (with 4 being the bad number in Asian cultures) and the expats in the crowded store also didn’t seem to mind – which much excitement being made of an event on a Friday night, rather than the usual “school night”.

COACH put on a great “NY-esque” celebration, with cookies, pretzels, mini cupcakes and burgers, branded photo booth, tattoo artist carving luggage tags and obligatory French Champagne, alongside NY drinks “Manhattan’s” for the boys and “Cosmopolitan’s” for the girls.

Monk’s Coffee Shop

Yes it’s been photographed in 1000′s of tourist shots (you can see mine on the left), with everyone looking for their piece of Seinfeld memorabilia. But we can’t seriously write about famous NYC outposts as featured in the show without mentioning the real life Tom’s Restaurant. Located at 2880 Broadway at 112th St. exterior shots where the only thing used on the show.

The diner was the “Central Perk” meeting spot for the gang to sit face-to-face and discuss mostly nothing, it also has the distinction of being the only place where Elaine can get her favorite “Big Salad”.

 

Jerry’s Apartment

The official street address Jerry Seinfeld always used, 129 W. 81st St, is in fact the location where the real Jerry Seinfeld lived back in his New York stand-up comic days before becoming a big TV star. However, his neighbour was not the real-life Kramer, a.k.a Kenny (not Cosmo) Kramer. That honor belonged to writer Larry David, who the character George Costanza is based off, who lived in an apartment building on 43rd St and 10th Ave.

West Side YMCA

Located at 5 West 63rd St, this is where Jerry and George meet baseball player Keith Hernandez. Jerry discusses how men just do not make “new” friends and treats Keith like the two of them are dating. Meanwhile, Kramer and Newman hate Hernandez, believing he once spit on them after a Met’s loss, re-inacting the spit “JFK” shooter style. Was there a second spitter??

In Part Two of the episode, Keith is attracted to Elaine and breaks a date with Jerry to take her out, but eventually the two (Jerry and Keith, not Keith and Elaine) end up breaking up after Jerry thinks the relationship is moving too fast, after Keith asks for his help to move apartments.

Roosevelt Hospital

The hospital located at 10th Ave & 59th St, is the scene of many a Seinfeld mishap, that many in fact, we had to steal the full-list from Greg Gattusos book, The Seinfeld Universe:

Jerry and Kramer watch an operation and accidentally drop a Junior Mint into the patients open body cavity; George finds a perfect parking spot only to have a suicide jumper land on his car; Kramer sees a pigman; Elaine goes for stitches after being bitten by a dog; Kramer promises a sick child that Yankee Paul ONeill will hit two home runs for him in exchange for a birthday card signed by the Yankee organization; George tries to get Marisa Tomei’s phone number from Elaine’s ill friend; George begs Susans cousin – who is in labor – not to name the child Seven.

Champagne Video

Champagne Video at 213 West 79th is visited frequently by the Seinfeld posse, having appeared in six different episodes. Most famously, this is where George rented Home Alone and Rochelle Rochelle (tag-line: an erotic journey from Milan to Minsk).

This is also the place where Eliane falls in love with one of the store employees. Due to his impeccable taste in movies, she thinks they are destined to be together, until it turns out he is a 15 year old boy named Vincent, discovered after being busted by his Mom buying him cigarettes, vodka and fireworks.

H&H Bagels

A NYC landmark in its own right, this UWS institution (2239 Broadway between 79th St & 80th St) is where we found out Kramer really works, albeit, has been on strike for the past decade.

The bakery was actually moved to no-mans land opposite the Intrepid at 46th and 12th Ave, but the UWS remains its most famous location.

Mendy’s

Mendy’s is a Kosher deli chain dotted around NYC, with the Rockefeller Centre site where Jerry took Banja for a meal in order to pay Banja back for an Armani suit that Banja gave him. However, all Banja ordered was soup. Kenny tells Jerry, “Soup isn’t a meal.”, and tells him he needs to buy him a meal later.

Kenny later spots Jerry and George at the coffee shop and sits down with them and has a bowl of soup and a sandwich. Jerry tells him, “This is it. This is the meal.”. Kenny tells him that soup and a sandwich isn’t a meal and he needs to take him somewhere else.

To this day countless arguments have ensued as to whether soup constitutes a meal… (supermodels aside).

1st and 1st – The Nexus of the Universe

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer has to start a “long distance” relationship when his girlfriend moves downtown. He gets lost while visiting her, and calls Jerry freaking out “Hey, Im on 1st and 1st. How can the same street intersect with itself?”

Jerry: What’s around you?
Kramer: I’m looking at Ray’s Pizza.  Do you know where that is?
Jerry: Is it Famous Ray’s?
Kramer: It’s just Original Ray’s.
Jerry: Famous Original Ray’s?
Kramer: It’s just Original, Jerry!

Here at GofG we do love ourselves a slice of Ray’s Pizza, most commonly found downtown at West 11th and 6th Ave and 3rd Ave and St Marks. Famous Original Ray’s on the other hand is located in Seinfeld’s main hood UWS, at 462 Columbus Ave.

Yankee Stadium

The Yankees was George Costanza’s most famous place of employment, after he tried out a period of doing everything the opposite, he landed his dream job.

The Yankee’s sub-plot was made even more memorable with Larry David himself providing a non-stop talking, crazed version of recently deceased team owner George Steinbrenner.

Royale Pastry Shop

237 West 72nd between Broadway and West End Ave.  Jerry and Elaine cannot get an all important chocolate bobka as Jerry contemplates racial relations as he eats a black and white cookie.  Jerry also ends a 13 year streak by throwing up in the bathroom.

The thing about eating the Black and White cookie, Elaine, is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate. And yet somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie all our problems would be solved.

Last but definitely not least, the location of probably one of the most loved Seinfeld episodes..

Soup Nazi

Re-opened in 2010 at  West 56th near 8th Ave., do not go expecting to see the original nazi Al Yeganeh.

Yeganeh – who calls himself “The Original SoupMan”, detests the “Soup Nazi” character” – despite it no-doubt being good for business (after the original location closed in 2004, he opened another 22 shops and served up his soups online) and banned Jerry Seinfeld from his stall after the infamous episode aired in November 1995.

If visiting the Soup Man/Nazi just to mindful of the rules. Made famous in the show, they are very much still in effect:

• Pick the soup you want!
• Have your money ready!
• Move to the extreme left after ordering!

Otherwise, ”No soup for you!”

In a hyper fast event, champagne and sparkling water (to sober up before heading back to work) was served as Cantonese models showcassed the limited edition bag. With only 150 made exclusively for the store, I am pretty sure almost half sold in the 2 hour event.

As the event cleared out after 2, guests departed with Chloe candle gifts, mini cupcakes and keepsake photos. Not a bad way to spend a Friday lunch break!

On Friday 10 June, 2011 event organiser’s and VIP guest list database holders the Dim Sum Girls, helped The Langham throw a 1st Anniversary Bash.

With the theme of  ‘Red, Hot and Beautiful’, aside from requisite red lighting, red cocktails (including chilli as a replacement for the guady paper umbrella) and the “hot” weather, the big drawcard for the evening was DJ Donni One  resident of uber fantashtic Ku De Ta Bali (no, I have never been…but have heard this is the resort to be if you do!)

The 130 sq meters shop if meant to inbude a ” Home-From-Home Store” feel, with European craft traditional design taking in references from Bourgeois homes from the 1950′s, including original furniture from the period.

Special guests - famed Hong Kong actors Louis Koo (also famed orange skinned tanner) and Charlene Choi were present for the ribbon cutting ceremony held at the store, alongside Hogan’s GM, Mr.Nicola Giorgi and Tod’s Asia Pacific GM, Mr.Mauro Malta and ifc’s retail leasing, Mr.Karim Azar.

The Hong Kong celebrity ambassadors Eason Chan, model Angelababy and Parkho Chau were in attendance in the expansive VIP section where guest enjoyed vodka in plastic cups, roaming Darth Vader and Stoormtroopers (nod to another adidas campaign that incorporated Star Wars) and highly danceable tunes spun by DJ Jus Ske and DJ Spenny.

The fashion show latest a good hour, interspersed with (in our ex-pat eyes) hilarious Canto-Pop, but the party kicked on for a few hours after that at least. I LOVE adidas parties, they are always the best!

There are some small images of myself and friends Lucy, Sandra and James having photos taken with the awesome Tory Burch. No idea what the article says, but think our caption is along the lines of “check out these photo hogs”.

Having lived in New York and also working for a gossip column at the time, I was well versed in all things Tory, and her huge following by Upper East Siders, who have helped make her ballet flats cult items and summer tunics the item du jour when off to their Hampton’s holiday houses. Burch has also been heavily featured on preppy Upper East Side high school dramedy Gossip Girl, with the character Blair Waldorf sporting many Burch designs on the show.

Although she has opened her first Asian store at Hong Kong’s IFC in December 2010, I was surprised to see how many people in the packed and excitable crowd at Hong Kong’s Four Seasons ballroom unfamiliar with the American fashion designer.

 I read a fantastic write-up on Hong Kong Hustle on this event, which firmly encapsulates what I thought of the event and lack of knowledge in Asia re: the Tory Burch brand. So rather than paraphrase, please see exert below:

“.. the brand is still establishing itself in the city, its first foothold in Asia. As is the case with most brands looking for expansion in flat economies, all roads point to China.

 The last few years have brought a wave of newer designers to Hong Kong’s shoppers. A kick-off event in the city is a good investment, as enlisting the right celebrities, models and personalities, covered by a broad range of media, helps disperse brand-awareness throughout the region.

Tory Burch fashion show

Though the event featured a presentation, rather than an actual fashion show (with the models just standing in place, slightly dancing,) the crowd responded to the music and got excited. Perhaps this alternative approach was a stroke of genius, as scores of iPhones and Blackberrys could be seen in the air, capturing the models’ outfits.

Using the same DJ who presided over American president Obama’s inauguration party, the skillfully chosen tunes kept things lively throughout the night. New York-based DJ Cassidy was a smart choice as his party-friendly music also appealed to the broad age range in attendance.

The designer, and brand namesake, Tory Burch, posed with party-goers for easily thirty minutes after the show. This kind of personal attention goes a long way in creating a bond with consumers, especially in today’s Weibo and Facebook social-networked climate.”

I have to agree with this assessment, I have never met a designer more warm and affable as Tory. I was so excited and thrilled after this event, that I’m waiting for the next pay-day to go clear out my wallet at one of her stores. That is how much a little good will goes folks, a bit of attention and warmth thrown the way to free loading fans, can actually translate into sales and brand loyalty. And I am the proof! Such a refreshing and different show, there are still 100′s of photos being tagged on Facebook days after the event and the talk is still about what a great night it was and how awesome Miss Burch is.

An extensive fashion show (normally fashion shows don’t go longer than 15 mins, this went for a good half hour) showcased The Swank’s Spring/Summer 2011 collections and featured all the lux high-end Italian brands known the world over, such as Gucci, Versace and Prada.

Complementing the fashion show was an exhibition by three leading Hong Kong artists (would have been more appropriate if they had kept to Italian artists I feel), huge encyclopedia Fashion dictionaries for all and shooters in green, red and white – the colours of the Italian national flag.