New shop alert: Fort Greene’s Feliz

by Alex Robertson Textor on

The sparklingly new Feliz (185 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-797-1211) is Fort Greene’s latest home furnishings shop. Fort Greene, a National Register of Historic Places-listed neighborhood in Brooklyn, is a popular neighborhood of classic brownstones, good restaurants, and strong arts facilities.

Owner Genevieve Platt opened Feliz on May 15. The shop is so new that there isn’t even a sign outside announcing the shop’s name yet. Inside, Platt has curated a comfortable collection of objects that nods gently to South America, the Middle East, and down-home Americana.

The collection is folksy and imaginative. “I call it a variety store because I’m not good at classifying things. We sell everything from fish plates to sandals,” says Platt, adding: “I’m sure the collection will evolve over time.” Her objectives are simple. She seeks to stock her shop with attractive, well-made, affordable, and functional items, avoiding knick-knackery that will just gather dust on forgotten shelves.

Some of the best items are the least expected, like the shelf of yerba maté from Argentina and Uruguay or the collective-produced Senegalese baskets from Fair Trade Federation member Swahili Imports.

Other standouts include piles of cottage industry-crafted espadrilles from Spain’s La Rioja region and vintage American kitchen and dining products. Some of the latter are quite whimsical, and include a butter mold and a tea bag holder that looks like it is part of an antique chemistry set.

Beyond these, there’s a deep collection of other highly useable objects throughout: Tocca‘s bath and body beauty line products, cards, books, contemporary jewelry by local artist Naaima Z, candles, candle holders, and incense. A few items are produced in-house, as well: some beautiful pillows (raw silk and denim) and refurbished furniture.

Platt, who has lived in the neighborhood for ten years, hopes that Feliz will be the sort of shop that everyone in the neighborhood will feel comfortable visiting. She’s off to a good start.

Yu Interiors, with its outstanding mix of vintage modernist and smart new items, is located just two blocks away. With two carefully selected home furnishings shops in close proximity, this Fort Greene microhood (what would it be called? GreLaDe?) is slowly strengthening its home furnishings credentials.

America’s Top 10 Beaches: Coopers Beach in Southampton, NY takes the top spot in 2010

by Leigh Caldwell on

Coopers Beach, Southampton’s stretch of white sand on New York’s Long Island, has been named 2010’s best beach in the America by Dr. Stephen Leatherman.

“New York has world-class beaches, but I don’t think a lot of people in the United States know about them,” said Stephen Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research.

Leatherman cited the fine sand, availability of parking and amenities, and Southampton’s long history as a beach community in his announcement.

Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” announced his Top 10 picks for this year just in time for Memorial Day weekend, as has been his tradition since 1991. The coastal scientist says he uses more than 50 criteria — including water quality, temperature, sand quality, cleanliness, safety and environmental management.

Dr. Beach listed two Florida beaches this year — Siesta Key Beach and Cape Florida State Park — despite the oil spill still leaking in the Gulf of Mexico.

He told the Associated Press that Cape Florida State Park, near Key Biscayne, “doesn’t get the wave activity” that would encourage tar balls to wash ashore. As for Siesta Key, in Sarasota, Leatherman said he studied currents and does not believe the oil will reach the shores in Southwest Florida.

%Gallery-93850%Here are Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches in America for 2010:

  • 1. Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York
  • 2. Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida
  • 3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California
  • 4. Cape Hatteras on North Carolina’s Outer Banks
  • 5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York
  • 6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
  • 7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
  • 8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
  • 9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii
  • 10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida

%Poll-47218%

Win a free trip to NYC in 30 seconds

by Annie Scott on


Love New York City? Me, too. Consequently, I am delighted to inform you of a killer, free luxury trip giveaway that takes about 30 seconds to enter.

The AT&T Interactive Voice It. Share It. Win It. contest, which is promoting the latest mobile local search (YPmobile) app, has the unbearably fabulous prize of:

  • A paid transportation to NYC
  • A 3-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton
  • Dinner at Nobu
  • Field-level Yankees tickets
  • Tickets to a Broadway show

Holy Rockefeller Skating Rink! Even locals should jump at that prize package.

Here’s all you have to do to enter. Two options:

1. With an iPhone, download and install the new voice-activated YPMobile app, then:

  • Tap Businesses, then tap Find and search by voice or by typing Nobu New York City near New York City.
  • Tap on Nobu on Hudson Ave. or Nobu on 57th Ave.
  • Scroll to the bottom of Nobu’s info page and tap Share with my Friends to email your results to win@yp.com.

2. No iPhone? No problem. Just email win@yp.com with the words “ENTER ME” in the subject line. Include your name, phone number and email address within the body of the email.

Do it right now, because the first 2,500 participants will receive a $10 iTunes gift card. Awesome! Entries will be accepted through June 21 and travel must be booked for a trip taking place by September 26.

Good luck!

Daily Pampering: Souk Seeker at New York City’s Marrakech Hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

Navigating the New York fashion scene can be exhilarating, and downright exhausting. Tribeca, SoHo, Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue – the options are endless and overwhelming – and that’s just for the high-end shoppers. New York is full of deals, sales and bargains, but if you don’t know where to go you’ll end up paying more for you faux item than the real thing. Fear not New York shoppers, Manhattan’s Marrakech Hotel has the solution.

Enter the Marrakech Hotel’s Souk Seeker, a team of personal bargain hunters whose mission is to shell out complimentary tips, suggestions and maps of the fashion capital’s most affordable shopping spots. This exclusive, year-round service is available only to guests of the Moroccan-themed hotel. The Marrakech Hotel‘s retail gurus will offer recommendations to New York City’s top bargain shops and retailers from Canal Street to the Brooklyn Flea.

Launching just in time for the debut of Sex and the City 2, when the girls take on Morocco, the Marrakech Hotel will offer fashionistas-in-training one complimentary Skyy Vodka “Shop ’til You Drop” cocktail* from May 27, 2010 through June 30, 2010 at the hotel’s Kazbar Lounge when presenting their movie stub.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Daily Pampering: St. Regis Hotels & Resorts ‘Aficionado Experiences’

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s one way to proclaim your luxury status, and then there’s the St. Regis way of proclaiming your luxury status. The luxury hotel group just rolled out their new events calendar and it’s nothing short of dreamy.

The St. Regis Aficionado Experience calendar hosts some of the most elite experiences, offered exclusively to St. Regis customers. Some of the Aficionado experiences are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, so listen close luxury-lovers:

  • The St. Regis New York introduces the Costume Institute experience celebrating The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition, American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity with a guided tour of the exhibit, a chauffeured and an exclusive shopping experience curated by influential stylist Cameron Silver. Furthermore, with the offer guests will stay in the hotel’s luxurious and fashionable Bottega Veneta Suite.
  • The Lanesborough in London invites guests to experience celebrated polo event, the St. Regis International Cup in Cowdray. With this offer, available in May, guests will have access to a personal stylist and shopper to get dressed for the exciting sporting event and exclusive VIP access and seating at the match.
  • Enjoy a day at the Sport Driving School at The St. Regis Atlanta where guests will receive private driving lessons from a professional instructor and experience firsthand Porches’ newest 911 Turbo model.
  • Throughout the year at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, guests can discover Mexico City’s most tantalizing cuisine with a private tour of the region’s charming San Juan Market led by the resort’s chef and topped off with an intimate four-course dinner.
  • A private tour of Beijing’s world-renowned modern art districts 798 and Caochangdi, where a cross-cultural exchange of cutting-edge contemporary art reflects visions of the future.

Other St. Regis Aficionado Experiences include the rare opportunity to taste the world’s most distinguished private label cognacs at The Lanesborough; a tour of Fendi’s design studios and the opportunity to custom design a coat available at The St. Regis Grand Hotel, Rome; a personalized luxury shopping spree featuring private showings at Prada, Gucci and more at The St. Regis Aspen Resort; a skating lesson with Kristi Yamaguchi at The St. Regis San Francisco; golf on the same course as Vijay Singh at The St. Regis Bali Resort, and so much more.

This is pampering at its best. If you crave a taste of the luxe-life, grab your Louis Vitton vintage, put on your Prada pumps and make a reservation with the St. Regis for a day of ultimate extravagance.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.