How would you describe a perfect day in NYC?
Oh my gosh. Well, today was one of those days. I had a nice walk with my husband and my son this morning. The weather is 75 degrees (24° C), sunny, straight after the rain so everything’s clean. One of the things we like to do is let our son lead so if he wants to go down a subway, we go to the subway. If he wants to get out of the subway car, he gets off and we get on the bus.
Favourite museum?
I’ll just say The Met (Metropolitan) because there’s always something good coming out of The Met.
As a New Yorker, is there a cliché about the city or the people that isn’t true?
I don’t know what the current clichés are. Can you throw one out?
Maybe that everyone’s rude?
Yeah, really? I thought New Yorkers were relaxed! I think if you know how to get around the city you’d probably escape that kind of attitude. New Yorkers are tough. New Yorkers call it as they see it. There’s a directness here that I really like so I don’t think of it as rude, I think of it as authentic.
You always look so fashionable … which designer are you wearing?
Michael Kors, head-to-toe. I stole it straight off the runway (laughs). He’s a New Yorker, of course!
Favourite bookstore? There’s one downtown called Three Lives & Company Bookstore that I really, really love. They have a wonderful poetry section and there’s a cute area where you can sit and they’ll let you read for about 45 minutes before giving you a dirty look to buy something or get out.
What is the quintessential New York film?
Taxi Driver. But I always get it confused with Taxi, the old sitcom. They are very different animals – one is a very intense, dark film and the other a comedy, but both portray New York City very well. I once went up to Robert De Niro, who of course stars in Taxi Driver, and said, “I loved Taxi!” He was very sweet about it and didn’t correct me.
Favourite kid-friendly activity?
Central Park! We look at the horses going by. There are so many things to do – you never run out of activities in New York. Also, I love to go to the theatre, especially just before the Tony Awards.
Most romantic place in New York?
New York is a really romantic place to be alone. Some of my most romantic memories are when I dreamt of living in the city when I was a little girl. I grew up in Brooklyn and I lived up the street from a train track. If I walked to the top of the hill, I could see the city lights [of Manhattan] at night. I would look at the city and say, “That’s where all my dreams live!” When I was doing a play at the Public Theatre, I remember walking to rehearsal the first day and checking in with my 16-year- old self, and being, “We’re doing it! We got here! We did it!” So that was a pretty romantic moment for me.
