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Florida now in Ontario

Richard Florida, the urban affairs wonk famous for positing that the prosperity of cities like Boston, SF and Austin (more or less) directly correlates to the number of gay people, artists, musicians, and bohos in them (Or something like that...I still haven't cracked the book yet!) has moved to Toronto and is now writing a blog and occasional column for the Globe and Mail.

In his column today, titled "Wake up, Toronto - You're bigger than you think," he describes his move Toronto and the weirdness that ensues in everyday conversations with locals. "Everywhere we go we are met by Torontonians who either seem mystified that we would move to what they imply is a second-rate city, or seem to be seeking some kind of validation in our answer...there is so much going on here that the city and its people are unaware of the scope and power of Toronto. This place is really, really big and getting bigger. It just needs to recognize it in itself."

He brings up an interesting point in that piece -- the self-conscious attitude that so many people in Toronto seem to have. Coincidentally I recently wrote a piece on my time in Vancouver and mused on the same issue Florida sees in Toronto. "My New York friends wouldn’t be caught dead in Canada, and my friends in Vancouver -- a city that is perhaps Canada’s most self-conscious -- can’t figure out why I'd ever want to spend my time in British Columbia when my other home is New York City."

Posted by Sebastian / Toronto / October 27, 2007 /

Things I Love: Kimpton Hotels

I live for Kimpton Hotels. I would cheerfully live in one if I could. The hotels are all so cozy and the staff over-the-top accommodating. When traveling and staying in hotels, Kimpton is always my first choice (well, unless I'm in SF and someone else is paying -- then it's the Mandarin!).

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the relaunch party of Kimpton's recently renovated Hotel Muse on 46th Street near Times Square. The old industrial space-turned hotel is fabulous, with some of the biggest rooms I've seen in a New York boutique hotel. The balcony rooms have to-die-for views of Manhattan -- and for the prices they command, they should. If only I didn't already have a New York apartment, I'd live here (well, if I could afford to).

Posted by Sebastian / NYC / Things I Love / October 26, 2007 /

A wedding dilemma

When you get to my age, you start getting invited to weddings left and right. This month I had one, and next month I have two. I ran into a friend on the street tonight, and we ended up commiserating about the whole affair. His take is an interesting one: He's simply boycotting weddings until marriage for same-sex couples becomes a reality. Instead, he's making donations in the name of each newly hitched couple to Marriage Equality, the national non-profit. I think he's on to something.

Those weddings I have coming up? Guess what gift the couples are getting?

What do you think?

Posted by Sebastian / Marriage for the Gays / October 17, 2007 /

Jones on Mitt

All the most unlikely suspects seem to be falling head over heels for my former governor, Mitt Romney. Today Bob Jones (you know, of crazy university fame), said he endorses Mitt. Well, sort of: "What is the alternative,” Jones replied when asked if Romney’s Mormon faith was a concern. “Hillary’s lack of religion or an erroneous religion?"

Posted by Sebastian / Politics / October 17, 2007 /

San Francisco

I usually try to avoid any place that travel writers rave about, but the Ferry Building in San Francisco is one exception. It's one of my favorite spots in the city and yesterday I had the pleasure of spending a few hours poking around the stalls and pushcarts of the Saturday morning farmers' market with friends from Maine. The variety of flowers and fruits and veggies and breads and organic everything is just astounding. I was back again this morning for my SF ritual: an early morning croissant and "twinkle" from Acme Bread Co. + a Peet's iced coffee.

Posted by Sebastian / San Francisco / October 14, 2007 /

Singapore seats

Everyone knows I'm a sucker for an international lie-flat first class seat, and last night I got to check out one of the best. Here I am in Singapore's 35-inch-wide seat, er, love seat, at the Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards (hosted by Alan Cumming and Debra Messing) at the Cooper-Hewitt in New York. These seats are sick! You can really fit two people in them. I hung around for a bit of the after-party, because the mag assured celeb sightings: the only people I saw were LL Cool J and Liam Neeson. Of course as soon as I left, Kim Cattrall showed up. Wire Image Pics

Posted by Sebastian / Aviation / NYC / October 11, 2007 /

Darah ties the knot - oh my!

Just back from a fabulous wedding in Connecticut. My college friend Darah -- whom our circle jokes is the woman who brought the term "holla" to podunk western New York -- tied the knot with her man Wil (and none of us could approve more) in a seaside ceremony that perfectly matched Darah's hilarious personality. Who else would ever think to use Heavy D's "Now That We've Found Love" or Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" as wedding songs? Love you D!

Waterside with my college friends Alison and Maria.

Posted by Sebastian / Alfred / Etceteras / October 8, 2007 /

Local vs. "from away"

Just about every summer colony faces the same social reality: a pervasive "local" vs. "from away" attitude that pits residents against each other. The New York Times explores this phenomenon in an interesting piece on how it's playing out in the Hamptons. While visitors to many summer communities try for years or decades to become accepted and feel a part of the year-round/local social fabric, the Times points out that "East Hampton is now also home to the kind of new money and celebrity that doesn’t care if it is local or not."

Posted by SW / Hamptons / Summer Colonies / October 5, 2007 /