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The NY Times' Styles section describes the lonely existence of new residents of the Plaza Hotel condos. Why lonely? Well, if you can afford the pricey digs ($6,400 per square foot!; an owner interviewed paid $5.8 million for a two bedroom), your neighbors are also rich people who probably have other residences and don't live there very often.
In other words, does the Times seriously expect us to feel sorry for these people? Maybe a little: "Like anyone else, they long for a community, albeit a community of the megawealthy." Elad Properties, which owns the Plaza and has been busy renovating it, confirmed "Only a half-dozen residents live there full time and another three dozen residents live there on weekends." Oh, boo-hoo - these people could totally pay their friends to hang out with them there!
You also can laugh or cry (or both) at one family, who owns two apartments in the building and whose younger members have found the Plaza to be lacking. Apparently the owners encouraged their 17-year-old grandson to stay there, a la Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, but he ended up hanging out with the security guards and turning in early, explaining, "It was a little bit spooky because it was totally dead. It was this huge hotel, and I was the only one up there.” Uh, it's not a hotel, it's not Melrose Place, it's an expensive apartment building.
And then his sister Kelley, who had transferred to Columbia, moved into the apartment because she was lonely (!) in Columbia's dorm housing (Kelley's roommate spent time at her boyfriend's). After being dubbed Eloise by the doormen, she "transferred back a shoe-box-size room at the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house" at UCLA. No word on whether her grandparents wanted Kelley to have an tearful encounter with an ex outside the Plaza, a la The Way We Were or Sex and the City.
Here's the website for either hotel condominium residents or private residence condominiums at the Plaza. And the Plaza Hotel will reopen on March 1, after its $400 million renovation.
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And then his sister, who had transferred Columbia, moved in because she was lonely (!) in dorm housing since her roommate spent time at her boyfriend.
Why did you transfer Columbia?
Because my roomate spent time at her boyfriend.
Great.
I read this yesterday and while the ridiculousness of ultra-wealthy lifestyle often leaves me floored, I feel like this post mischaracterizes the article.
I feel the Times did a good job of humanizing the residents who are part of this exclusive socio-economic group that are commonly dismissed as inhuman and totally out of touch with reality without making it seem like they are pitiable at all.
It almost seems like the poster's own feelings regarding the topic got in the way of the real content of the article. Which is fine if this were represented as an editorial inside of a "happenings" blog, but we all know how blurry that line is. I thought the article was interesting, one way or the other.
Yeah, wealthy people don't deserve to have friendships. Goddamn those people who are lonely and unhappy with their living situation. Don't they know they deserve to be miserable because they have money?
I thought the residents seemed, well, presumptuous that they would have a thriving social life because they live at the Plaza. The hotel isn't even open yet, and the residences seem to be more about privacy and luxury - not friendships by default because you're neighbors.
How many people move into NYC apartment buildings thinking they are going to be friends with their neighbors? Knowing who they are would be a good first step, and in many cases, that's unusual.
Then again, maybe I've become used to living in bigger buildings where anonymity is common.
Don't these people know that all the friends one needs can be found in "online chat rooms" ??
Jen Chung. Haven't you ever seen friends? Everyone in New York is friends with their neighbors. Duh.
Duh, Jen, haven't you like seen Friends??? When you live in NYC your bestys reside directly across the hall from you, the funky coffee shop is downstairs, and like you're always just hangin' and hilarity ensues.
Crap, and I've seen Seinfeld too, where the wacky neighbor across the hall is always in your apartment that you don't lock! Jesus, after five years, I'm losing my edge.
Matty, that was kind of creepy.
uhm, sorry...but if you have that kind of money and you are still unhappy or lonely, you're doing it wrong.
Well, I am available to be your ghost friend at the Plaza. For a goodly sum I'll pretend to live there. I'll roam the halls and go to the gym. I'll attend your parties and be your gossip monger. For an even bigger fee I'll even stay at the Plaza at the lesser of 2 apartments you own. And if I'm feeling nice, I may take you to parts of the city that doesn't suck. You know, where real people live.
uhm, sorry...but if you have that kind of money and you are still unhappy or lonely, you're doing it wrong.
i think one lesson we learned from this is that to be popular you can't just be rich but you need to be good looking. Good looking people transcend race and money.
can't one buy friendship? isn't that the basis of hanger on's? these people aren't even trying.
Give me a mil a year and I'll be your friend. Otherwise you are just a dumb shit rich person and no one likes you because you are basically a boring stiff.
PS: I like boring people if the price is right.
A message to all residents of the Plaza Hotel:
For a limited time only, I would be willing to fly to New York City (I live in western Canada, so the airfare will probably run you about $600, equivalent to the cost of one of your dinner plates) and crash on your sofa. If you are able to cover the cost of my subway pass, meals, drinks and perhaps a little spending money, I'd be totally happy hanging out with you in the evenings and keeping you company. Nothing kinky, of course, I'm just there to be your friend. I'm pretty good in the kitchen, and can cook up a mean dish of steak and fries. Anyway, the offer to be your friend is there. Thanks for considering it . . .
Cost of an apartment in the Plaza Hotel: $5.8 million
Flight from Vancouver BC Canada to New York: $600
Cost of room and board: $350
Cost to have a nice Canadian guy crash on your couch, eat your food, drink your booze, and keep you company as a "friend": Priceless.
See this? This is the tiniest violin in the world, and it's playing just for them.
So the only people they see are the people milling about the Apple Store and the Plebes who do the manual labour. Me, I have so many friends I have to fight them off. Geez, I wish I could get rid of some of them or go somewhere to be alone. Hey...wait a second..This may sound crazy, but you want friends and I want your apartment at the Plaza...This just might be crazy enough to work! If you can tear yourself away from watching the people at the Apple Store, give me a call.
Who on earth expects to know your neighbors? That is sitcom shit. The beauty of NY is that you don't have to talk to your neighbors - ever. Your friends visit - then they leave and you go on with life.
This is possibly one of the most bizarre complaints I've heard lately. I've never heard of someone expecting to work their social life around their potential neighbors. It's an apartment building, not a commune or a college dorm where you're there to make friends. If I ever had enough money for an apartment at The Plaza, all I'd want is for my neighbors to leave me alone. In my building the neighbors all keep to themselves and everyone's happy that way.
Heck...even Eloise didn't hang out with her neighbors, she just harassed the staff.