London in New York

I know you are alone
Alone in your pain
I can see it but you will not let me feel it
There is a pain in my chest
Tears well in my eyes
When I wonder how you feel
Whether you can sleep at night
What goes through your mind
Do you know how much I love you
Do you know how much I care
Does it even matter to you
Can you battle another day, because
I cannot imagine this world without you
I am strong but your weakness weakens me
I know you are lost
I do not need you to find me
Nor do I need you to love me or care for me
All I care is that you find a way to love yourself
Love yourself as much as I love you
Because then my pain will go away

I wanna be nice because there is no point in being mean
I wanna love because hating hurts
I wanna believe more deeply in the grace of god because then maybe some of this will all make sense
I wanna feel what it is like, for a day, to be in the heart, mind and soul of Ghandi, Jesus, Springsteen, Lennon, RFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., the lonely girl who nobody talks to, the alcoholic, the sick man, the insane man….
….because I wanna understand
I wanna reach into the soul of our society, beyond the facade, and find out how much we really all have in common
I already know what divides us
I wanna embrace the rights of god fearing individuals as well as those who have no faith
I wanna love what we are and never be afraid of what we are not
I wanna maybe be a vegetarian because..
deep down I feel like a heathen eating god’s creatures
The problem is I am human, and
in being human I am a hypocrite.
Maybe its enough if we all wanna…….just sometimes

ManhattanSociety.com has a philanthropic purpose to focus and highlight people, places and things in New York of social, cultural and/or charitable significance. But at the end of the day, a good deal of this process involves attending parties and taking pictures.

Accept that Society as a social construct is by design and in reality basically gay. That is ok. There is a reason for everything. And in truth gay men look better, are better to photograph and much more fun to talk to at cocktail parties. There has got to be a reason, however, for a straight man to go to all these gay parties in New York right? So on an average week in NYC, who else gets my camera worked up to snap away? Who do I hope is on your Guest List? Whether it is your A, B, C or D List? Do you really want to know?

Let me provide a little full disclosure first. While I truly and deeply respect the craftsmanship and creativity of fashion designers like Maggie Norris, Tiffany Koury, Marchesa, Vivienne Tam, Nicole Miller, Vera Wang, Zac Posen et. al etc, I am no fashionista and have simply lost interest in attending Fashion Week. I shop at Brooks Brothers, J Press, Jos. Bank, Banana Republic, The Gap, Abercrombie and Macy’s Herald Square, occasionally Lord & Taylor and have made only brief forays into Thomas Pink. While I am no Tom Ford, I do love Gucci shoes but my preference is increasingly Alden of Carmel. Although, Mr. Shiny Shoes himself, the effervescent Micah Jesse turned me on to a pair of silver shoes from Shane and Shawn.

What gets me worked up to snap away? Writers, journalists, philosophers, thinkers…people who have the authority, power and vision to profoundly reshape our culture, that is who I want to photograph. With all due respect to other social photographers including those who work under PMC’s umbrella, Bill Cunningham and even those who work under the growing social monopoly of Getty and Wire Image, I aspire to be more of a Magnum Photographer. The foregoing being said, my brother, Prince Gregory and I have a great deal of respect for the work of Allan Barry and Steve Mack.

Magnum Photographers—that is what I aspire to be. Trust me I know that I am no where near that level… yet. Shooting Hollywood celebs? Perhaps shooting the Vanity Fair party? Not so much interested in that at all. And that is no disrespect to craft of acting. I am just far more interested in Broadway performers. Definitely. You see it is what my friend Tia Walker has defined as The Quest for “it”—-Rocky’s “eye of the tiger” that I see in the eyes of emerging talent on Broadway. This intrigues me and lights up my eyes more than Hollywood Establishment posing on the red carpet.

So without further adieu: This is my list, unaffected and not the result of schmoozing with publicists.

MANHATTANSOCIETY.COM’S: THE LIST OF TOP 10 HOTTEST WOMEN IN NYC

1-Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss: This New York based fashion designer and socialite defies labels and is definitely one of the more polite, well mannered, friendly and beautiful ladies to encounter while covering society events. She is well grounded, married to a gentleman who most right minded people would consider an upgrade over former beau Jerry Seinfeld. Shoshanna seems to have fun with her beauty, and it obviously has not gone to her head. Her heart is in the right place. She supports among other things, the Hassenfeld Center at NYU and Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. With all due respect to Cityfile that states that she bares a striking resemblance to Jerry Seinfeld’s wife, Jessica, Jessica bares as much of resemblance to Shoshanna as First Wok does to Shun Lee Palace or that Brother Jimmy’s does to The Palm.

2-Olivia Palermo, the City Star: for her beauty, definitely not her acting. Olivia gets credit for being one of the first paisan’s to legitimately crack the upper echelon’s of New York Socialites and in the process made covering society a tad more interesting.

3-Ashley Alexandra Dupre: While I supported Eliot Spitzer, was saddened to see him resign, Ashley did not kill anyone. She is not a criminal. She is hot, deal with it. See also, Ashley’s blog on Global Grind Surviving Spitzer.

4-Valeria Tignini: Renaissance model, actress, writer, blogger and founder of ValSecrets.com. You just do not expect women this beautiful to be that talented, soulful, intelligent or to be that nice to everyone. Val is just REAL. That women like Val exist should be comforting to men everywhere that God when he gets things right can design such beautiful and soulful creatures with great values. Galileo and Silvana Tignini should be commended for the fine job that they have done raising Val.

5-Rachelle Hruska, Founder of GuestofaGuest.com is like your goofy best friend who cracks you up and warms your heart but yet is clueless how hot she is. Happy Birthday gorgeous!

6-Linda Michelle of HDOnline.com: frequently seen as the hottest young thing interviewing folks at Micah Jesse’s parties. See her model card.

7-Ivanka Trump: Uber model beauty, an Ivy degree and the TRUMP name–enough said. In some people’s minds she is #1 on any list.

8-Philanthropist & NYJL Board Member, Amy Phelan tied with Salon TEA-emptress Tracy Stern and Vogue’s Valerie Boster.

9-CNN’s Soledad O’Brien: A serious journalist with megawatt smile and endless heart. A girl you could bring home to mom that Dad would also approve of. America has a love affair with this gifted and soulful lady.

10-Hamptons Magazine’s Christina Greeven Cuomo tied with Rory Tahari, the creative director of Elie Tahari

Let’s get real this is an imperfect process when you have the walking work of art Cristina Greeven Cuomo as #10. If I woke up on a different side of the bed this morning, she could be Number 1. Truth told there is no way that I want to put a family member of one of my heroes, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo at the bottom of any list. Capische? “The List” is not based upon what the Fashion Community or even Society would label #1. The perspective is that of a NY observer and social documentarian who just straight up can see and feel the highest levels of feminine beauty that radiates from well beneath the surface of the profoundly beautiful exteriors of these classic women. It is also a Real Housewives of NYC free zone, although we give a special nod to Kelly Bensimon and there is a special place in my heart for Bond Queen, Alexandra Lebenthal, a real wife, mother, philanthropist and Wall Street professional you can trust who’s star and stock will never stop rising. To all of you, thanks for giving me a reason to go out.

People are talking about last week’s story on New York Post’s Page Six entitled “He’s A Cronkite In Claim Only”. The story referenced Kipton Art founder, Kipton Cronkite or is it James K. Cronkhite who also happens to be Director of Investments at Bank of America’s–Alternative Investment Advisors Group. The story struck a nerve with many. Some are effusively supportive of Kipton, many less so and still others seem to be refraining from on the record commentary. If you are Kipton, you can only hope that the story broke as many in Society are more focused on the Madoff scandal, the relative state of their own finances, the American economy at large or distracted by Fashion Week, The Oscars or Baseball’s steroid scandal.

The New York Post Page Six story was timely and in fact newsworthy given that Kipton is working in the investment community at a leading global financial institution at a time when the American economy is in crisis and fraud is rampant. Some purporting to defend Kipton deflected this story as frivolous and left derogatory comments about Walter Cronkite, his son Chip Cronkite and Walter’s long time girlfriend, Joanna Simon on the comments section under the story. Defenders of Kipton would, however, be well advised not to attack the good name of the real Mr. Cronkite or members of his inner circle for merely disavowing any genealogical tie or family relationship with the man known locally as Kipton Cronkite. Likewise, I have nothing bad to personally say about the always well coiffed gentleman known as Kipton as he has always been nothing but polite to me, invited me to his parties etc. and the truth is I never personally heard him say or represent that he was related to Walter Cronkite. But then again, it never occurred to me to ask. I simply knew him as KIPTON, the entrepreneur behind KIPTON ART.

The social and philanthropic media from Vanity Fair, New York Social Diary, Quest, however, promoted Kipton’s genealogical ties to American news legend Walter Cronkite, hence making the question of the relation newsworthy for Page Six or the New York Times for that matter. And as we all know or should know social and society media get their information from a source, likely a publicist or representative close to the individual. The fabrication, distortion or misrepresentation of Kipton’s relationship with Walter Cronkite was never corrected. Instead it just got watered down over time as Kipton Cronkite’s relative social celebrity grew from Walter Cronkite’s grandson to…a distant relation. While I do not think that Kipton necessarily deserves to have his platform mocked as it has been with the current joke making the rounds– KIPTON ART Presents a Double Feature: The Talented Mr. Ripley and Six Degrees of Separation, his stratospheric social climb, with New York’s elite institutions and individuals makes him at least somewhat worthy of the title, The Talented Mr. Kipton.

I am only Chris London (Christopher Dwight Mejia London), basically nobody significant, yet it has bothered me when enormously when in this age of incessant social networking, someone passed themselves off as a very close personal friend of mine to network with someone I know. Once I learned of this, I made a point of telling that person that they are not my friend and I do not know them. Accordingly, one might expect if you were Walter Cronkite, who is one of the most respected names in modern American life, that you and members of your family and inner circle might have a slight issue with people trading on your good name, especially if said individual was working in the investment community in wealth management at a prestigious financial institution at a time when the economy is in crisis, fraud is widespread and those in positions of trust are being exposed for being something different than they presented themselves to society.

We are living in strange and uncertain times, people and things are not always what they seem to be. Bernie Madoff was a respected member of the Jewish and Wall Street business community and a veritable pillar of Manhattan and Palm Beach Society, and yet his ponzi scheme turned out to make him one of the biggest scam artists since the man Charles Ponzi himself. Truth is that so many in society leverage off someone or something. There are many who are still running their “famegame” on the fumes of having partied with Andy Warhol or being BFF’s with Paris Hilton.

The perception that Kipton was a Cronkite, of the Walter Cronkite’s, one of the most trusted names in News, an American legend, without question gave Kipton an air of respectability and perhaps opened doors to high society, charity & museum boards and circles of affluence in New York and beyond and made him quite chummy with the editor of New York Social Diary and the publishers of Quest Magazine who in essence promoted and extended his social celebrity. But, I suspect that many who would invest with him because of the Cronkite name now may be less inclined to do so because they know that there was something not right about trading off someone’s name and brand.

Society is a funny thing. Many look for an angle, a perch from which to launch their social standing. Artist’s, creative’s, painter’s, literary types and designers have that platform regardless of their financial ancestry….and it does not hurt them if they are not from affluent or famous families. Many in Society do it to gain an air of respectability or credibility etc. Kipton is not the only one. That much is clear. Many social poseurs who have no gift or talent who are also of more moderate means often “pose” as trust-fundafarian’s who mysteriously got cut off, rather than just admitting they are regular people without much money. It’s so much less dramatic but suggests a sense of belonging, having come from a certain class, even if one no longer has the financial trappings associated with that life.

As I always joke, I may cover Manhattan Society, but I am 100% Bridge & Tunnel, have no trust fund to speak of and my ancestors came to Brooklyn on the D Train and Queens on the 7 Train and we all traveled through bridges and tunnels my whole life. My mom grew up in Chelsea when straight people, my grandparents, who worked for the phone company and the railroad could still afford to live there and send my mother to school.

New York Governor David Patterson has a difficult decision to make in choosing a replacement for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Senator Clinton was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, January 21st, sworn in and assumes the position of Secretary of State. As a former volunteer, supporter and fundraiser for then Governor Bill Clinton’s Presidential Campaign in 1992, I applaud her selection and confirmation to assume this rather significant and important role in American Government, especially in these strange and uncertain times. Truth told since working and voting for President Clinton, my support of the Clinton’s has been tested. I have wavered in my trust of their joint political aims and for me questions about them remain. So many questionable things have transpired since the 1990’s that I find it hard to give my unequivocal blind support to anything Clinton or any politician for that matter. I know that I am not alone. In this election cycle, while most of my family supported Hillary Clinton, I personally supported Barack Obama, not because I was certain he would win, but because in my heart and mind I knew that he was the right man at this time. President Obama’s ability to rise over petty political disputes to select Senator Clinton as his Secretary of State confirmed my trust in Obama’s Executive decision making. In many respects, Senator Clinton appears quite well suited to be Secretary of State. Hillary has a powerful intellect, is an excellent strategic thinker and her time as First Lady not only made her an Ambassador to the world at large but the consummate government insider, to a degree that is positively spooky!. Let’s be clear, from the KGB to the CIA and global organized criminal elements, we live in a crazy world of spooks where powerful people are not always who and what they seem to be, so perhaps it is not too strange a concept for America to have some positively compelling brains on our side as well. Hillary Clinton will thrive in the position of Secretary of State. And while many will disagree, I do not believe Hillary’s Presidential opportunities have expired.

Today, however, Governor Patterson’s decision was made a little less or more complicated depending on your political perspective, when Caroline Kennedy, who by most mainstream media accounts was the presumed leading candidate with the inside track to secure the appointment to fill for Hillary’s U.S. Senate seat, as reported by the New York Times, dropped out from consideration. But the Associated Press and others then reported otherwise, that Caroline Kennedy did not drop out. After midnight The NY Daily News reported that Caroline Kennedy officially dropped out. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was in the unenviable position of wanting to be considered but not wanting to lobby against a Kennedy, even though polls show that Andrew Cuomo is the preferred candidate of most New York voters to replace Hillary Clinton. Outside Manhattan Society’s cocktail circuit, an informal poll of family, friends and leading Democrats in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens shows Andrew Cuomo draws considerable strengths where Caroline is somewhat of an unknown and would be relying on the Kennedy brand. But this is New York and the Cuomo brand is not exactly chopped liver either. Notably, Caroline Kennedy’s support of President Barack Obama during the Democratic primary battle gives her a powerful friend with a level of access that would be helpful to New York.

The Kennedy and Cuomo clans have and continue to serve New York well. Despite the critique that Caroline’s record has received from some in the mainstream media, she has been a reserved and private but nevertheless remarkable citizen. The high profile divorce of Caroline Kennedy’s cousin, Kerry Kennedy from Andrew Cuomo has certainly created some tension between two prominent Democratic political families, but not for me. I choose to love and respect both the Kennedy and Cuomo families for their respective contributions to the lives of Americans and New York citizens in particular. Two of my hero’s are former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

The Kennedy family has suffered immeasurable tragedy and been subjected to an unprecedented level of public scrutiny. Caroline Kennedy’s record has been scrutinized and she personally critiqued for her private nature and her suitability to assume Hillary’s Senate questioned. The critiques have not resonated with me, because under the circumstances, Caroline has every right to be a little more withdrawn and distrustful of those who want her to be more public.

Long before I picked up a camera to photograph society or began to blog, I encountered Sweet Caroline’s brother JFK, Jr. several times on the streets of New York City, from the Upper East Side to Tribeca, either on his bicycle or on foot. He always gave a look, smiled pleasantly and twice said hello as if to acknowledge that I respectfully noticed him but did not seek to invade his space. When he launched George Magazine, like many I was impressed, impressed from the perspective that he chose to analyze politics in America. Mind you, I had no personal knowledge or understanding of John John’s mindset, was not a confidante, friend nor could I claim any special relationship with him, my limited interactions and my observation of him in the media made me see that this guy had “IT”— leadership combined with genuine interpersonal skills. Unless you were insecure or resentful person, he was the kind of guy you wanted to like. I hoped that it was simply a matter of time before he would campaign for political office. When JFK, Jr.’s plane went down over Martha’s Vineyard, for some reason it really disturbed me and made some of the more dangerous explanations, almost seem plausible. The world lost a special soul when JFK, Jr. died. Caroline Kennedy does not need to explain to me why she is a private and somewhat more reclusive citizen. What she brings to the table as a humanitarian, her intellect and perspective are sufficient for me to support her appointment, even if I respect Andrew Cuomo’s qualifications equally, if not more so. It is an embarrassment of riches that New Yorkers could get a Kennedy or a Cuomo.

Andrew Cuomo, appears to be the right man with the right resume at the right time. He and his family have a history of service to New Yorkers, he was elected to the office of Attorney General and has spent time working in Washington, DC as HUD Secretary in the Clinton Administration. Furthermore, he and his family have high profile relationships and they fundamentally understand the business of government. If Andrew is able to become even half the politician that was his father, Mario Cuomo, then New Yorkers will be well served.

Notably as reported by Elizabeth Benjamin of the NY Daily News. “In bidding a fond farewell to New York’s departing junior senator, Hillary Clinton, at his reception last night, Gov. David Paterson seemed to bemoan the fact that he’s having so much trouble settling on her replacement.” Governor Patterson was quoted:

“It will be the first time that an individual who is from a class of people who came to this country in chains, will now help to set it free, when we swear in President Barack Obama,” Paterson said.

“So in the midst of all the firsts we would like to celebrate a last. This is the last time that one of the all time favorite public officials in New York will see us as senator of our state.”

“But like so many events in her career, a last has only been a prelude to another first. She will distinguish herself and this country when she is confirmed on Wednesday as the United States secretary of state.”

“Never, in my opinion, in American history, has an individual who ran for office in 2000, and was questioned about the capabilities, ascended to such an extent that we can’t even find an apt replacement.”

With all due respect to Governor Patterson and the ascension of Hillary Clinton’s political career from First Lady to NY Senator and now Secretary of State, nobody has yet filled Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s shoes. New York needs a Senator who will fight and battle for New York and for whom this position is not a stepping stone to higher office. New York’s next Senator would do well to follow in the footsteps of Moynihan or Senator Chuck Schumer for that matter. Governor Patterson needs however to have a very strong Democratic ticket in 2010. Support from the Obama White House and City Hall wouldn’t hurt either. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Cuomo family in New York city campaigning for a Democratic Ticket of Andrew Cuomo for U.S. Senate and Governor Patterson would be a significant force as well. Surely, it must be a difficult decision. But then again, there is the woman’s vote and the rest of New York State, outside New York City, which is the reason why some believe the dark horse could be Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand