Night+Day cities are chosen because they have a vibrant nightlife scene, standard-setting and innovative restaurants, cutting-edge hotels, and enough attractions to keep one busy for six days without doing the same thing twice. In short, they are fun. The quintessential urbanista experience wouldn’t exist but for the creativity and talents of many people and organizations. In honor of all who have played a role in making these the world’s greatest cities, Night+Day is pleased to give special recognition, and our Urbie Awards, to individuals and organizations whose contribution is exemplary.
AMSTERDAM: Concrete Architectural Associates (Architecture and Interior Design)
As much as the Golden Age can be credited with giving this city its
worldwide reputation as a hotbed for classic arts and culture, Rob
Wagemans and his colleagues at Concrete Architectural Associates
can be regarded as having cemented Amsterdam’s place in the global-cool modern consciousness. Their design for the now-famous
SupperClub restaurant and lounge earned them instant accolades,
and from that point onwards this city hasn’t looked the same.
Concrete’s design sensibilities mean that the décor shares top billing
with gorgeous, worldly patrons, and the room—be it a restaurant, bar,
lounge, dance club, or all-in-one space—is not only a staging ground
for a chic evening of dining and dancing, but a scene-stealing backd
rop for the emerging modern international culture. Nightclubs like
the high-wattage More are instant classics, restaurants like Blender
and Envy have appeal with the culinary savvy, hyper-stylish crowd, and
conceptual dining-lounge spaces like the SupperClub Cruise ship transcend cultures as much as they do conventions.
Perhaps the greatest measure of Concrete’s contemporizing influence
on Amsterdam’s public spaces is the proliferation of up-to-the-minute
design beyond the traditional domain of restaurants and bars: Measure
the city-wide embrace of Concrete’s work where even mundane retail
spaces are rendered magnificent—the most obvious example being
the stunning design for the Lairesse Pharmacy, which garnered
Concrete a prestigious Lensvelt Architecture Prize. Their reputation
has a global reach, and more recently their style does too: witness
SupperClubs in Rome and San Francisco, and the Bremen, Germany’s
Hotel ÜberFluss. But it’s Amsterdam that Wagemans loves, and as
he’s said, “Everything that makes life worth living you can find here. ”
ATHENS: Petros Kostopoulos (Media Stylemaker) and Dakis Ioannou (Art Collector and Hotelier)
Petros Kostopoulos has risen from magazine editor and radio commentator to cultural innovator over the last decade, putting his own indelible mark on the aesthetics of the capital along the way. Through
Klik, a groundbreaking magazine he edited, and later through Nitro
and Downtown, titles published by his own Imako publishing group,
he introduced Greeks to lifestyle concepts that helped reshape
Athens from a London wannabe into a vibrant city with its own edgy
personality. "We are trendsetters, almost pathologically giving birth to
and searching for new ideas," he has said of his cadre of provocateurs.
Okay, so Greek excess has taken lifestyle fads to a ridiculous
extreme, giving outsiders the impression that Greek society, once
politically aware, is now starstruck and preoccupied with celebrity
gossip. But the fact that innovative chefs like Lefteris Lazarou came
back to open Michelin-starred restaurants like Varoulko is largely the
result of Kostopoulos’ ability to create a market for haute cuisine and
trendy bars. Kostopoulos even served as Donald Trump on Greece’s
version of the reality show, casting out hopeful apprentices with
“Efiges,” slang for “You’re out.”
Dakis Ioannou, an art collector of international renown with a sharp
eye for the avant-garde, proved his acumen as a connoisseur and
businessman by endowing the city with landmark establishments like
the Semiramis Hotel in Kefalari—a place that has taken concept
design to new levels with striking results. His DESTE Foundation for
Contemporary Art introduced intellectually starved young Greeks to
Jeff Koons and proved that art, style, and leisure can happily coexist
under the same roof—in this case the oh-so-cool Cosmos bar-restaurant—without being starchy.
CHICAGO: Terry Alexander (Restaurateur and Nightlife Impresario)
When Nebraska native Terry Alexander opened his first nightlife venture
in Chicago, Bucktown’s Danny’s Tavern, in 1989, he tapped into
the city’s desire for innovative entertainment void of pretension. He
also pinpointed the next frontier in the city’s hot neighborhoods. Then
an underdeveloped residential area, Bucktown is now the red-hot epicenter of Chicago’s dining and nightlife scenes.
Alexander worked as a waiter and bartender while studying journalism
at Northwestern University, which gave him firsthand knowledge of
what makes a restaurant, bar, or club successful: Get ahead of trends
by creating a unique concept, and then translate those ideas to the
customers so they feel like they’re part of the action. Alexander’s next
p roject fulfilled these missions flawlessly. Mia Francesca was his first
dining strategy, based on simple Italian dishes done well and served in
a bustling, exciting trattoria environment. His plan paid off, and there
are now 14 Mia Francesca locations throughout the Chicago area.
This visionary restaurateur continues to launch new internationally
known hot spots, including Sonotheque, a European-inspired lounge promoting local and international DJs; and his newest arrival, del Toro, a Surrealist dream of an authentic Spanish tapas cafe and wine bar.
D.C: Abe and Irene Pollin (Philanthropists and Community Leaders)
D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood today is a far, far cry from what it
was just one decade ago, when this downtown district was a place of
office buildings and not much else. Come sundown, most folks got
the heck out of Dodge. Around that time, a couple named Abe and
Irene Pollin, owners of the Washington Wizards basketball team and
the Washington Capitals ice hockey team, decided to build a new
sports center in the heart of downtown, financing the $200 million
cost themselves. The MCI Center, now called the Verizon Center,
opened on December 2, 1997, to a sellout crowd. “I had two goals
when I decided to build this building,” says Abe Pollin. “The first was
that if I was building in downtown Washington, the nation’s capital,
it had to be the best building of its kind in the country.
The second
was to be the catalyst that turned the city around.”
And that’s exactly what happened. By constructing their sports arena
in the middle of D.C.’s desolate downtown, the Pollins gave office
workers an enticement to stay on after dark, and Washingtonians in
other parts of the city good reason to head here. Entre p reneurs took
notice of all this activity and started to set up shop; one savvy shop led
to the next fine restaurant, which led to the next hot bar, which led to
the next chic hotel, and pretty soon, an enormous new convention center
had been built, sealing D.C.’s fate as a top-draw city. Visit the Penn
Quarter today, and you’ll find yourself on the pulse of the capital’s
hippest neighborhood, where fashionistas, urbanistas, and happy revelers
fill the streets night and day. Abe and Irene Pollin, whose
achievements in business, philanthropy, and public service are both
legion and legendary, may perhaps be best known for building the
Verizon Center and in so doing, spearheading Washington’s phoenixlike
transformation from a deteriorating ruin into an urban star.
Casino mogul and proud bachelor George Maloof Jr. epitomizes the
“work hard, play hard” mantra that fuels Las Vegas. Maloof Jr., known
as much for his business savvy as for his Playboy Playmate girlfriends,
is a Steve Wynn for a new generation, living every bachelor or single businessman’s
fantasy in both the board room and the bedroom.
Maloof Jr. is the visionary tycoon behind The Palms Resort and, some
would say, the brains behind the billion-dollar Maloof family empire ,
which includes the NBA Kings, the WNBA Monarchs, a beer distributorship,
a film production company, and a record label. He parlayed the
sale of the family’s Fiesta Hotel and Casino into the $270 million Palms
in 2001. His goal was simple: Return the “sin” to Sin City.
“I wanted to create a place that represented, to me, the real reason people
came to Las Vegas,” Maloof Jr. has said, “That’s to come and party
and have fun.”
While competitors focused on families and older folks, the Palms
catered to the MTV generation, especially the hot, young, rich, and
famous, using his family’s crossover connections to draw stars from the
NBA, NFL, Hollywood, and hip-hop worlds. His first stroke of genius was
allowing MTV to film its popular reality show The Real World here in
2002. The move put The Palms on the pop culture map.
His latest venture (thus far) is the Palms’ 40-story Fantasy Towers, with
the first Playboy Club in over 25 years. The $600 million expansion is a
huge risk for the grandson of a Lebanese immigrant.
“As they say in poker, ‘All in,’” has said Maloof, a former late-night gambler
in his college days at UNLV. “We’re all in.”
Designer David Collins has left his mark on London’s dining scene in
no uncertain terms, and his work graces some of the capital’s most
famous restaurants. His great talent lies in creating luxurious modern
environments that are as memorable as the food without eclipsing it,
and that’s reflected in the way the restaurant critics give him as many
column inches in their reviews as they give the chef’s more ephemeral
creations. His commissions are a roll-call of the city’s most glamorous
destinations: The Blue Bar at the Berkeley, perhaps his most famous
design; Claridge’s Bar; The Wolseley; Pétrus; Nobu Berkeley; J
Sheekey; and so on. With their clever use of color and lighting to create
just the right mood, these aren’t just desirable places to eat and
drink; they’re sophisticated venues where it’s a pleasure to just be, or
to see and be seen. Even better, his style is constantly evolving, making
each new interior a much-anticipated and always delightful surprise.
Even in a city blessed with so many talented chefs, hoteliers,
and designers, David Collins thoroughly deserves the London Urbie
for bringing so much fun and excitement to the important business of
going out.
If you’re sitting in the latest Los Angeles restaurant, hotel, or nightclub,
and you’re feeling hip, sexy, and peaceful at the same time, the chances
are pretty good that Dodd Mitchell did the interior design. The man who
heads Dodd Mitchell Design, the firm responsible for the look of more
than 20 sleek L.A. hot spots (Katana, Dolce, Sushi Roku, and the
Roosevelt Hotel are a few of our favorites), is known for indulgent textures—black-leather tablecloths, red-velvet drapes, alligator-covered
chairs, and mood-enhancing lighting (flattering light being a must in
camera-ready Los Angeles).
Mitchell, a high school dropout who started as a floor sweeper at a
design company, doesn’t limit himself. “I don’t have a formal education
in this,” he has said, “so I don’t have any rules.” In the case of the
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel redesign, he was able to pay homage to the
original ’20s architecture without being handcuffed by it. The attitude of
the city often influences how Mitchell goes about his aesthetic decisions.
He uses natural materials whenever possible to combat the superficial
vibe that permeates the land that humility forgot. He also makes
sure the space takes into account the stressful nature of life in the big
city. “It’s always helpful for those with chaotic schedules to feel as if
they are somewhere else,” Mitchell has said, “away from their troubles,
escaping from daily stress while relaxing in the privacy of their
own home.”
Until now, Dodd Mitchell has focused his creativity mostly on Los
Angeles destinations. But his services are in demand elsewhere (Las
Vegas, New York, Mexico, and Europe beckon—his schedule is booked
years in advance), so L.A.’s residents and visitors alike should enjoy him
while they can.
MEXICO CITY: Carlos Slim (Developer and Community Leader)
Downtown Mexico City used to be a bit of a dive, but one man—Carlos
Slim—changed that and helped usher in new development and a sense
of sophistication that has transformed the heart of the Distrito Federal
( D. F.), as the locals call the city, into a world-class destination.
Slim is best known as a business tycoon and the wealthiest person in
Latin America, not to mention one of the richest in the world. His visionary
father began buying inexpensive colonial buildings that would later
become desirable property when Slim was just a boy. Slim inherited this
property, along with his father’s real estate acumen. He continued to
hunt down bargains that could be turned profitable with time, effort, and
foresight, including the now-famous Sanborns, a chain of stores and
restaurants that he purchased because “they were very cheap.”
In 2001, Slim turned his energy toward fixing up downtown Mexico City
by creating the Fundación del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México
(Mexico City Historic Downtown Foundation), which recently celebrated
five years of working alongside the government in what is now being
called the most important Latin American downtown renovation.
Indeed, downtown today is a bustling, trendsetting area where people
both live and visit. Buildings and public areas have been restored,
streets and sidewalks replaced, and new lighting and security systems
installed. More and more cultural events—like concerts, art exhibitions,
and culinary festivals—are taking place downtown. These happenings
have attracted art galleries and young artists to the area, and helped
transform it into a cultural hub.
Slim once said, “You can’t wait until you die to leave a legacy,” and
he has made certain to live that motto by creating a downtown that is
as vibrant and sophisticated as that of any capital city in the world.
Jack Penrod has not only watched South Florida go from a sun-and-fun
capital to a sophisticated global getaway for Beautiful People—he’s
responsible for engineering much of its transformation. Penrod catered
to beer-drinking, fun-loving spring breakers when he opened his first
beach club in Fort Lauderdale in 1983, soon expanding into other bars
and hotels. He then set his sights south, debuting Penrod’s Beach Club
on the tip of South Beach in 1988. The area was hardly home to the eye
candy it hosts today—Miami Beach was then a decrepit retirement community
dubbed God’s Waiting Room. But Penrod, envisioning a sexy
beach destination, marketed the palmy sands to those who knew him
best: college kids. And once he built it, they started to come.
A decade later, South Beach had become a magnet for trendy Beach
partygoers and an expanding population of European models,
photographers, and fashion-industry folks. Penrod opened Nikki Beach
at the same location, and the recipe proved irresistible. Cool tepees amid
swaying coconut palms, cozy lounge chairs, and warm ocean breezes
provided an ideal backdrop for weekend beach parties, attracting
gorgeous, scantily clad visitors, celebrities, and jet-setters. In 2000, he
added Pearl Restaurant & Lounge, a sophisticated, upscale dining and
nightlife venue, to the sprawling beachfront party place, giving visitors
the best of both worlds—casual beach parties and an elite see-and-beseen
restaurant lounge where the Cristal flows freely.
Today, Jack Penrod has taken his lounge party clubs global, with Nikki
Beach clubs located in Los Cabos, Sardinia, Marbella, Puerto Vallarta,
St. Barts, and midtown Manhattan, among other stellar destinations. But
it all started in South Beach, where the original Nikki Beach remains the
destination of choice for beautiful people who want to spend lazy afternoons
and nonstop nights in a dreamy haze of surf, sand, and skin.
NEW ORLEANS: Donald Harrison Jr. Tipitina’s Foundation (Musician and Community Leader)
New Orleans would not be New Orleans without its music—from jazz to
brass bands, it’s sound that moves the soul of the Crescent City. In this
time of post-Katrina uncertainty, music is the thread that connects the
past, present, and future—the constant that runs throughout the town’s
evolution and brings hope for rebirth. Donald Harrison Jr., who directs
the Tipitina’s Foundation, which supports both professional and aspiring
musicians, is a leader in protecting New Orleans’ musical heritage.
A native New Orleanian and graduate of the New Orleans Center for
Creative Arts/NOCCA Academy and the Berklee College of Music in
Boston, Harrison is an accomplished musician who spent the early years
of his career in New York. His music mixes a wide range of influences—
bebop, R&B, funk, traditional jazz, hip-hop, and Mardi Gras Indian
chants—into a style he calls “nouveau swing.” In recent years, Harrison
has returned home and taken on his father’s role as a Mardi Gras Indian
Chief of the Congo Nation tribe. He fronts his own group and holds down
saxophone duties in the seminal funk band the Headhunters.
In his offstage role as director of the Tipitina’s Foundation, with its mission
to “work diligently to uplift the music community of New Orleans,”
Harrison leads all musical instruction for the foundation, hosts regular
“ Master’s Seminars” at the Uptown Tipitina’s club, and acts as artistic
director for the Tipitina’s Internship Program, which helps aspiring New
Orleans area high school musicians. The Foundation’s Instruments
A-Comin’ program raises awareness about public music education and
donates musical instruments to area schools. On the first anniversary of
Hurricane Katrina, the Foundation donated $500,000 worth of new
instruments to help rebuild music programs in the city’s devastated
schools. It also created an Artists’ Relief initiative to help provide for
musicians’ immediate needs. Says Harrison, long ago a young local
hopeful himself, “The Tipitina’s Foundation has proved vital and necessary to the growth of New Orleans, especially for the city’s youth.”
There are some great restaurateurs in New York City, but when it
comes to well-conceived, service-oriented eateries that appeal
equally to foodies and scenesters, few compare to Urbie recipient
Steve Hanson.
To have a successful restaurant in the Big Apple is quite an achievement.
To have opened 15 restaurants, a thriving nightclub, and a successful
health club in New York City alone over the past 18 years is
awesome. Hanson and his BR Guest group never seem to run out of
energy or ideas. (Hanson’s empire outside of the city includes, among
others, Las Vegas’s Fiamma and the Blue Water Grill in Chicago.)
What’s most impressive about Hanson’s endeavors is that they exemplify
the importance of teaming ambition with adventure. Whether it
be Barca 18’s Spanish cuisine, Vento’s Italian entrees, the fresh fish
of Blue Fin, Ruby Foo’s inventive take on Chinese dining, or the Dos
Caminos Mexican eateries, no two of his ventures are alike.
Another remarkable characteristic of New York’s Urbie winner is his
continuing drive to give back to the community that’s been so good
to him. Hanson is a board member for both City Harvest and the
Exploring Program, two non-profit groups that connect high school
students with professional role models in the businesses that interest
them most.
“While New York City is the most exciting restaurant scene in the
world, it is also the most competitive,” says the New York University
graduate. His mantra: “Remember to always go that extra mile for
your guests.” It works.
NEW YORK 2nd Edition: Keith McNally (Restaurateur)
What’s the secret to longevity in a city that changes with every New York minute? Ask prolific restaurateur and Urbie recipient Keith McNally, whose restaurants aren’t just stylish, but also have serious staying power. Spend a weekend in New York, and chances are you’ll dine and drink (and flirt) at least once, if not several times, in one of McNally's perennially popular hangouts. And, like most New Yorkers, you’ll return again and again. Although he claims not to have any formula for his success, he says "I just build places that I'd like to go to—simple as that. But I hate snobbery and everything that's connected to it in the restaurant world."
McNally has unveiled his savvy formula—plush, lively venues oozing European character, reasonably priced brasserie fare, and expertly mixed cocktails—across Manhattan, from the elegant, Parisian-tinged Balthazar in Soho, the grande dame of his empire, to the happening Schiller's Liquor Bar on the Lower East Side, to his latest creation, the breezy, buzzy trattoria, Morandi, which opened in 2007 in the West Village.
He says,
McNally's forte also lies in predicting the rise of trendy neighborhoods: His hip French Pastis was one of the first top-notch restaurants to open its doors in the Meatpacking District. "When I opened Pastis, the area was desolate. There was no one on the streets except transvestites and hookers (and various well-to-do people picking them up). But I liked the area enormously because of its bleakness and because it very much reminded me of Europe." Now, nearly ten years on, it's still the hottest restaurant in what has become the hottest after-dark district in what many would say is the hottest city in the world. Not bad.
London-born McNally’s success could well lie in the fact that he’s done it all, from oyster-shucker to maitre d', until he introduced his first restaurant—the Odeon—in 1980. Proof that this Urbie winner has made it? Every restaurant McNally has opened is still operating. In fickle New York, that’s nothing short of a miracle.
PARIS: Gilbert and Jean-Louis Costes (Hoteliers and Restaurateurs)
Lipp, the Deux Magots, and the Café de Flore were all started by
entrepreneurs from the inhospitable Aveyron region. But all this is
nothing compared to the empire created by the Costes family.
Brothers Gilbert and Jean-Louis moved up to Paris and worked as a
waiter and bartender respectively in their twenties. Now, with seven
prestigious addresses and part ownership of around 20 others,
they’ve created a name that’s synonymous with Parisian chic and
glamour. The Costes brothers can be credited for changing the very
face of Paris restauration and hotelery.
The firstborn was the Philippe Starck–designed Café Costes in 1984.
It closed in 1993, but Paris was hooked. Soon after, Hôtel Costes,
Café Beaubourg, Café de la Musique, Café Marly, Café de l’Esplanade,
and Georges restaurant on top of the Centre Pompidou proved the
Costes had conquered the capital. Their winning formula was all-day
dining on light, international-flavored cuisine; staff who all look like
models; and spectacular design. Models, fashion designers, and film
stars flocked to drape themselves on the tasseled velvet banquettes.
The Costes also secured some fabulous locations: few of the world’s
museums can boast people-watching like that of Café Marly or
Georges. To top it all, Hôtel Costes started bringing out its own musical
compilations, which traveled worldwide as ambassadors of Parisian
lounge culture. Now there’s also the high-fashion Costes magazine.
From morning coffee at the new Le Village café to late-night cocktails
around the Hôtel Costes bar, the in-crowd loves Costes just as much
as it did ten years ago. To join the club, just swish through those dark
glass doors and order a dry martini.
When Bill Kimpton opened his first boutique hotel in San Francisco
in 1981, he launched a trend that has changed the way visitors stay
in the City by the Bay, and in fact, around the world.
Kimpton Hotel Group is known for its commitment to rejuvenating
older properties and turning them into stylish, contemporary haunts
for sophisticated travelers. “Our guests are as individual in personality
and style as our hotels,” explains Kimpton CEO Tom LaTour. "In the
past, most travelers were either on the road for business or pleasure.
Today, however, many guests want to combine diverse elements of
work and play into a single visit.”
Kimpton boutiques share five elements—care, comfort, style, flavor,
and fun—recognizable by public spaces that encourage guests to
socialize, nightly wine and cheese gatherings, destination restaurants,
and even a pet goldfish to keep you company for the duration
of your stay. They take the “home away from home” philosophy to
heart by emphasizing comfort and convenience—yoga accessories,
deluxe pillows, exercise equipment in the room, and extra-long beds
for tall guests. “We build strong emotional connections with our
guests one interaction at a time,” says Latour. Although Kimpton
himself passed away, the boutique concept he pioneered continues to
grow, and there are now 39 Kimpton properties in the United States and Canada.
In 1987, 26-year-old visionary Chip Conley opened the grunge-meets-glam Phoenix, today one of San Francisco's most iconic hotels, in the heart of the Tenderloin. With next to no experience and a driving
wish to individualize the travel industry, Conley created a home away from home for a who's who of
international celebrities. Even then, no one could know that the Phoenix would someday rise to the top
of a hotel empire—now Joie de Vivre Hospitality, California’s largest boutique hotelier.
Hanging tight to his core belief that a traveler's favorite hotel is a reflection of his or her personality, Conley and his team have conjured a variety
of idiosyncratic experiences—from the "post-hip" luxury four-star Hotel
Vitale to the newer Hotel Tomo, a vividly hued Japantown must-stay for
young gaming and anime lovers. This sense of individuality, and an
unflinching creative dogma, sets Joie de Vivre apart. With an innovative
design program, Conley's approach defines a new hotel by a congruent
newsstand magazine (i.e., the Phoenix Hotel equals Rolling Stone) and
establishes five creative adjectives that will distinguish its style, design,
and services. The result is nearly 35 California hotels, each with distinct
appeal, plus an online "matchmaker" to connect travelers with their perfect retreat. Stylish nightlife options and customized amenities add to
Joie de Vivre's je ne sais quoi.
In 1993, Conley founded the annual Celebrity Pool Toss to benefit the
Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) and is still
dedicated today to the needs of the San Francisco community.
Committed to keeping the city at the cutting edge of hospitality design,
Conley is among the most influential leaders in the travel industry and is
changing the face of San Francisco for the better.
In San Francisco, we recommend the following JDV properties: Hotel Vitale, Hotel Tomo, Phoenix Hotel, and Kabuki Springs and Spa.
The most distinctive architectural feature in
Australia is undoubtedly the Sydney Opera
House, and since its creation, it has changed the
way the world views this city. The building, with
its famous curving, white-sailed roof, was the
result of a design competition in the 1950s,
aimed at giving Sydney a centerpiece for the performing
arts. No one realized just how iconic it
would eventually become.
The renowned Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, is the creator behind this
landmark, and a man credited with changing the way Australians
think about architecture and design. He has said that he likes “to be
on the edge of the possible.” When he first put forward his plan for a
building modeled after a ship at full sail, the judges loved it.
However, there was one problem: It was beyond the capabilities of
engineering at the time. By 1961, Utzon had solved the problem of
how to build the most distinguishing feature—the “sails”—and construction
began. But it was far from smooth sailing. Utzon fought with
the government of New South Wales about everything from payment
to interior design. The building was eventually completed in 1973,
but the interior had strayed so far from Utzon’s vision that he vowed
never to return to Australia to see his finished project.
Then, in 1999 Utzon was re-engaged as the Opera House’s architect,
charged with re-designing the interiors in line with his original plans.
Utzon produced a bold proposal for the building exterior too. He
urged that the Western foyers be opened up onto a new colonnade.
This would extend and enliven public areas, and develop closer links
between the building and the harbor. It would also extend his imprint
on this city far into the future.
Piers Handling has transformed staid and respectable
Toronto into a sexy and desirable city—not just in the
eyes of the numerous travelers and tourists who come
to the largest city in Canada, but to the residents whose
traditionally cautious nature has made it such a conservative metropolis
for the past 20 years. With his effortless grace and presence as the artistic
director of the Toronto International Film Festival, Handling has
transformed a small regional festival into a world-renowned event.
Handling attended the world’s film hot spots every year—Hollywood,
Cannes, New York—and cajoled the movers and shakers into putting
Toronto on their annual schedule to showcase their films in the number
three movie market in North America. For ten days each September,
heavyweight producers, dazzling red-carpet mainstays, and obsessed
movie viewers crowd the streets. And Toronto has a chance to preen
before the world. Having ascended the ranks to become artistic director
of the festival in 1994 and now in transition to become its CEO,
Handling continues his promotion of TIFF and the city of Toronto to a
global network of influencers. TIFF’s glow extends far beyond the festival
itself. Residents are taking renewed pride in their hometown, and the
entire city is experiencing a renaissance: the downtown core is vibrant
with trendy condos, upscale shopping, and lively nightlife. The arts
scene is thriving. Impressive restoration projects have created the underground
glories of the Gladstone and Drake Hotels. The Crystal at the
Royal Ontario Museum and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts gave the city a huge cultural boost. The redevelopment of forgotten
19th-century relics like the Distillery District and the Brickworks have
encouraged restoration, while on the horizon sits the reinvention of the
Art Gallery of Ontario by native son Frank Gehry. Thanks to Handling’s
shining the spotlight on Toronto, the city has fallen in love with itself
again—and is more eager than ever before to show off to the world.
As much as the Golden Age can be credited with giving this city its
worldwide reputation as a hotbed for classic arts and culture, Rob
Wagemans and his colleagues at Concrete Architectural Associates
can be regarded as having cemented Amsterdam’s place in the global-cool modern consciousness. Their design for the now-famous
SupperClub restaurant and lounge earned them instant accolades,
and from that point onwards this city hasn’t looked the same.
Petros Kostopoulos has risen from magazine editor and radio commentator to cultural innovator over the last decade, putting his own indelible mark on the aesthetics of the capital along the way. Through
Klik, a groundbreaking magazine he edited, and later through Nitro
and Downtown, titles published by his own Imako publishing group,
he introduced Greeks to lifestyle concepts that helped reshape
Athens from a London wannabe into a vibrant city with its own edgy
personality. "We are trendsetters, almost pathologically giving birth to
and searching for new ideas," he has said of his cadre of provocateurs.
Okay, so Greek excess has taken lifestyle fads to a ridiculous
extreme, giving outsiders the impression that Greek society, once
politically aware, is now starstruck and preoccupied with celebrity
gossip. But the fact that innovative chefs like Lefteris Lazarou came
back to open Michelin-starred restaurants like Varoulko is largely the
result of Kostopoulos’ ability to create a market for haute cuisine and
trendy bars. Kostopoulos even served as Donald Trump on Greece’s
version of the reality show, casting out hopeful apprentices with
“Efiges,” slang for “You’re out.”
When Nebraska native Terry Alexander opened his first nightlife venture
in Chicago, Bucktown’s Danny’s Tavern, in 1989, he tapped into
the city’s desire for innovative entertainment void of pretension. He
also pinpointed the next frontier in the city’s hot neighborhoods. Then
an underdeveloped residential area, Bucktown is now the red-hot epicenter of Chicago’s dining and nightlife scenes.
D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood today is a far, far cry from what it
was just one decade ago, when this downtown district was a place of
office buildings and not much else. Come sundown, most folks got
the heck out of Dodge. Around that time, a couple named Abe and
Irene Pollin, owners of the Washington Wizards basketball team and
the Washington Capitals ice hockey team, decided to build a new
sports center in the heart of downtown, financing the $200 million
cost themselves. The MCI Center, now called the Verizon Center,
opened on December 2, 1997, to a sellout crowd. “I had two goals
when I decided to build this building,” says Abe Pollin. “The first was
that if I was building in downtown Washington, the nation’s capital,
it had to be the best building of its kind in the country. 
Casino mogul and proud bachelor George Maloof Jr. epitomizes the
“work hard, play hard” mantra that fuels Las Vegas. Maloof Jr., known
as much for his business savvy as for his Playboy Playmate girlfriends,
is a Steve Wynn for a new generation, living every bachelor or single businessman’s
fantasy in both the board room and the bedroom.
Maloof Jr. is the visionary tycoon behind The Palms Resort and, some
would say, the brains behind the billion-dollar Maloof family empire ,
which includes the NBA Kings, the WNBA Monarchs, a beer distributorship,
a film production company, and a record label. He parlayed the
sale of the family’s Fiesta Hotel and Casino into the $270 million Palms
in 2001. His goal was simple: Return the “sin” to Sin City.
“I wanted to create a place that represented, to me, the real reason people
came to Las Vegas,” Maloof Jr. has said, “That’s to come and party
and have fun.”
Designer David Collins has left his mark on London’s dining scene in
no uncertain terms, and his work graces some of the capital’s most
famous restaurants. His great talent lies in creating luxurious modern
environments that are as memorable as the food without eclipsing it,
and that’s reflected in the way the restaurant critics give him as many
column inches in their reviews as they give the chef’s more ephemeral
creations. His commissions are a roll-call of the city’s most glamorous
destinations: The Blue Bar at the Berkeley, perhaps his most famous
design; Claridge’s Bar; The Wolseley; Pétrus; Nobu Berkeley; J
Sheekey; and so on. With their clever use of color and lighting to create
just the right mood, these aren’t just desirable places to eat and
drink; they’re sophisticated venues where it’s a pleasure to just be, or
to see and be seen. Even better, his style is constantly evolving, making
each new interior a much-anticipated and always delightful surprise.
Even in a city blessed with so many talented chefs, hoteliers,
and designers, David Collins thoroughly deserves the London Urbie
for bringing so much fun and excitement to the important business of
going out.
If you’re sitting in the latest Los Angeles restaurant, hotel, or nightclub,
and you’re feeling hip, sexy, and peaceful at the same time, the chances
are pretty good that Dodd Mitchell did the interior design. The man who
heads Dodd Mitchell Design, the firm responsible for the look of more
than 20 sleek L.A. hot spots (Katana, Dolce, Sushi Roku, and the
Roosevelt Hotel are a few of our favorites), is known for indulgent textures—black-leather tablecloths, red-velvet drapes, alligator-covered
chairs, and mood-enhancing lighting (flattering light being a must in
camera-ready Los Angeles).
Downtown Mexico City used to be a bit of a dive, but one man—Carlos
Slim—changed that and helped usher in new development and a sense
of sophistication that has transformed the heart of the Distrito Federal
( D. F.), as the locals call the city, into a world-class destination.
Slim is best known as a business tycoon and the wealthiest person in
Latin America, not to mention one of the richest in the world. His visionary
father began buying inexpensive colonial buildings that would later
become desirable property when Slim was just a boy. Slim inherited this
property, along with his father’s real estate acumen. He continued to
hunt down bargains that could be turned profitable with time, effort, and
foresight, including the now-famous Sanborns, a chain of stores and
restaurants that he purchased because “they were very cheap.”
Jack Penrod has not only watched South Florida go from a sun-and-fun
capital to a sophisticated global getaway for Beautiful People—he’s
responsible for engineering much of its transformation. Penrod catered
to beer-drinking, fun-loving spring breakers when he opened his first
beach club in Fort Lauderdale in 1983, soon expanding into other bars
and hotels. He then set his sights south, debuting Penrod’s Beach Club
on the tip of South Beach in 1988. The area was hardly home to the eye
candy it hosts today—Miami Beach was then a decrepit retirement community
dubbed God’s Waiting Room. But Penrod, envisioning a sexy
beach destination, marketed the palmy sands to those who knew him
best: college kids. And once he built it, they started to come.
New Orleans would not be New Orleans without its music—from jazz to
brass bands, it’s sound that moves the soul of the Crescent City. In this
time of post-Katrina uncertainty, music is the thread that connects the
past, present, and future—the constant that runs throughout the town’s
evolution and brings hope for rebirth. Donald Harrison Jr., who directs
the Tipitina’s Foundation, which supports both professional and aspiring
musicians, is a leader in protecting New Orleans’ musical heritage.
There are some great restaurateurs in New York City, but when it
comes to well-conceived, service-oriented eateries that appeal
equally to foodies and scenesters, few compare to Urbie recipient
Steve Hanson.
What’s the secret to longevity in a city that changes with every New York minute? Ask prolific restaurateur and Urbie recipient Keith McNally, whose restaurants aren’t just stylish, but also have serious staying power. Spend a weekend in New York, and chances are you’ll dine and drink (and flirt) at least once, if not several times, in one of McNally's perennially popular hangouts. And, like most New Yorkers, you’ll return again and again. Although he claims not to have any formula for his success, he says "I just build places that I'd like to go to—simple as that. But I hate snobbery and everything that's connected to it in the restaurant world."
When Bill Kimpton opened his first boutique hotel in San Francisco
in 1981, he launched a trend that has changed the way visitors stay
in the City by the Bay, and in fact, around the world.
In 1987, 26-year-old visionary Chip Conley opened the grunge-meets-glam Phoenix, today one of San Francisco's most iconic hotels, in the heart of the Tenderloin. With next to no experience and a driving
wish to individualize the travel industry, Conley created a home away from home for a who's who of
international celebrities. Even then, no one could know that the Phoenix would someday rise to the top
of a hotel empire—now Joie de Vivre Hospitality, California’s largest boutique hotelier.
The most distinctive architectural feature in
Australia is undoubtedly the Sydney Opera
House, and since its creation, it has changed the
way the world views this city. The building, with
its famous curving, white-sailed roof, was the
result of a design competition in the 1950s,
aimed at giving Sydney a centerpiece for the performing
arts. No one realized just how iconic it
would eventually become.
Piers Handling has transformed staid and respectable
Toronto into a sexy and desirable city—not just in the
eyes of the numerous travelers and tourists who come
to the largest city in Canada, but to the residents whose
traditionally cautious nature has made it such a conservative metropolis
for the past 20 years. With his effortless grace and presence as the artistic
director of the Toronto International Film Festival, Handling has
transformed a small regional festival into a world-renowned event.
Handling attended the world’s film hot spots every year—Hollywood,
Cannes, New York—and cajoled the movers and shakers into putting
Toronto on their annual schedule to showcase their films in the number
three movie market in North America. For ten days each September,
heavyweight producers, dazzling red-carpet mainstays, and obsessed
movie viewers crowd the streets. And Toronto has a chance to preen
before the world. Having ascended the ranks to become artistic director
of the festival in 1994 and now in transition to become its CEO,
Handling continues his promotion of TIFF and the city of Toronto to a
global network of influencers. TIFF’s glow extends far beyond the festival
itself. Residents are taking renewed pride in their hometown, and the
entire city is experiencing a renaissance: the downtown core is vibrant
with trendy condos, upscale shopping, and lively nightlife. The arts
scene is thriving. Impressive restoration projects have created the underground
glories of the Gladstone and Drake Hotels. The Crystal at the
Royal Ontario Museum and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts gave the city a huge cultural boost. The redevelopment of forgotten
19th-century relics like the Distillery District and the Brickworks have
encouraged restoration, while on the horizon sits the reinvention of the
Art Gallery of Ontario by native son Frank Gehry. Thanks to Handling’s
shining the spotlight on Toronto, the city has fallen in love with itself
again—and is more eager than ever before to show off to the world.