Spotting Celebrities on His Lunch Break

In all of my visits to NYC, I've seen a few film shoots, but never celebs. It was only on my last trip in October that I saw Adrien Brody slip out of a limo and run into an apartment while walking down 5th Ave. The one thing I did notice was that often doormen would often act as look outs before tenants ran out of buildings into waiting limos. I wonder how many of them were celebs?

I worked on Park Avenue and 56th Street in 1988 for a small medical foundation and I had the exact experiences you did wandering around at lunchtime. My favorite on west 57th and Park at lunchtime was Ashford and Simpson. She was tiny and dressed sexy chic but understated in black leather, as I recall. Nick Ashford was very tall and dressed head to toe in a full length red fox fur coat. Solid as a Rock! That's what our love is, that's what we've got! #1 song that year I think?

Thank you NYT for giving me bragging rights on my celebrity spotting.
Around 1969, summer, saw Marlon Brandon on the escalator at the old Pan Am Bldg. Saw Ben Gazarra walking alone on Central Park South. Shopped with the late Princess Grace at the cosmetics counter at Saks Fifth Avenue, around 1977 and the earliest memory I have is spotting Tony Randall riding the subway sometime in the early '60s.

Once a friend and I were at at a Broadway matinee, where Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick were spotted, a couple of rows ahead of us: "were spotted," passive form, because I am not sure where the buzz started in the surrounding seats. In NY form, they were left in peace.

As I was sitting on the top step in front of the Met Museum, Jackie Kennedy Onassis walked right past me, just inches away. This was sometime in the early 1980's. I had watched as she exited a limo and walked up the many steps, before stepping into the grand lobby adorned by the huge bouquets of flowers she was responsible for. From where I sat, it looked like, among the many people sitting and / or milling about, no one else had noticed her.

Like the author, I spent my seven years in NYC scanning the sidewalk. Celebrities are everywhere; I'd usually see two or three a week. It was like a safari. I forget most of them now, but two for one was always fun (Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker next to us looking into the pet store window on Lexington). Ric Ocasek towering over everyone else at the Union Square Greenmarket, sporting the same shades and haircut he did in the 80s videos I grew up on. Fun to remember these now. Thanks for the Diary entry!

Living in Hawai’i our next door neighbors are “celebrities,” billionaires--now we have Mark Zuckerberg on his 750 acre compound on Kauai with 6 foot rock wall! (Thanks for obstructing the view Mark!)

Richard Chamberlain moved here with his partner and they immediately cut down 200 trees on state watershed land. They didn’t stay long.

If you’re out in the ocean you will see Pierce Brosnan as he paddle boards. From 1980-88 Tom Selleck rode his bike or jogged down our street, Kahala Ave. He also played a lot of volleyball--out on the sands of Waikiki or in Klum gym on the UH campus. (He played volleyball for Pepperdine.) NO local ever interrupted him...but tourists? Thought he was an “attraction.”

One thing we NEVER do is walk up and introduce ourselves or stop them. They are here to relax, whether working- H5O, Magnum PI, Lost etc, or vacationing. I saw Selleck nearly every day, same with Jack Lord before he died as they both lived on Kahala Ave. Maybe once I raised a shaka sign (hang loose)as Selleck jogged past me.

Leave celebrities ALONE! As James Comey would say “Lordy! Leave them in peace!” If it “makes your day” to spot a “celebrity” you guys REALLY need to get a life!

When Barack Obama came back in 2008 when his tutu (grandmother) was dying...he was able to walk the sidewalks of two major streets without interruption. One person took a photo from 3 blocks away...Barack was walking, head down, by himself. We knew he was mourning, so let him be.

I look at everyone too, because you never know who you run into in LA. In fact, I hear Bob Dylan was in town on Sunday, recording his Nobel speech!

On the same day in Bloomingdales I saw Sylvester Stalone marching through the store in a big fur coat surrounded by a bunch of little kids and then saw Jack Nicholson quitely chatting with Candice Bergen in the sunglass department.

My daughter, a native Long Islander had moved into the City. When her first child was an infant, a friend of hers, similarly situated with child, drove into the City to meet her for lunch. Afterwards, with two carriages they went for a stroll in Central Park and the friend (much more provincial) asked, "Do you ever see any celebrities?" My daughter casually responded, "Of course! For example, on that bench over there are Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David." And there they were!

A gratis NYC treat - my favorite among many - many (MANY, obviously!) years ago - a buddy and I, both rabid Beatlemaniacs, were spending the usual Friday night wandering around town, commenting on how everyone's long hair made them look like a Beatle. Says she: THAT is a really good George. To which I said: That's because it IS George....which led to us discreetly (we thought) following him and his friend. When we reached a street where the oblivious crowd thinned and they realized they were busted, they broke into a trot - as did we. Trot turned to jog to run which ended with them ducking into a doorman building. Doorman smiled, apparently used to this, nodded and let us know we might a well give up - they would not be re-emerging! That's one of my faves...!

Just an observation but I think men can get away with looking everyone in the face more than women.

John--
Ha. I'll betcha there are many celebs milling about, unrecognized because folks are not looking for them, and they are not dressed as expected. If Winkler had been in his white tee shirt with his hair slicked back, there would have been a mob around him.

You are observant and have a good eye!

Tune of Happy Days theme song

Monday lunch break - famous name
Tuesday lunch break - famous name
Wednesday lunch break - famous name
Thursday too!
Friday, you -
Join me and meet guess-who

We met a sta-a-a-a-ar (who did you see)
A real live sta-a-a-a-ar (a celebrity)

These famous names are yours to find
In New York
Every day!

This is a good one!!!

Growing up in Bombay a few decades ago, I had a friend like you. She noticed every single movie or tv star that lived in our neighborhood. I was always the one looking around after she'd clutched my arm, noticing only the disappearing car whose window she had looked into.

Many years ago, on my first visit to New York, I spotted Gary Cooper walking along Fifth Avenue. Great thrill.