The city has been buzzing about the new Greek and Roman Galleries that just opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so when an art aficionado friend of mine came into town last weekend I considered it a “must-do” while she was here. Saturday morning we excitedly met up on the vast front staircase leading up to the Metropolitan Museum. Before we walked in, my friend informed me that the stairs leading up to museums symbolize the aspirations we all should have to the artists inside.

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As I walk down Law and Order Way (named for the television show filmed there) to the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, I think to myself exactly how many glasses of wine I will allow myself to imbibe at this event – an important event entitled “A Second Helping of Life” benefiting SHARE – an organization dedicated to self-help for women with Breast and Ovarian Cancer. I’m pretty sure my grandmother is a survivor of both breast and ovarian cancer, but she is very quiet about the ovarian cancer so I’m not 100% sure. I know she did survive breast cancer, however, and I know how serious an issue it is. Which is why, even though the event consisted of the Top Chefs and Top Wine Companies in New York City dedicating their time to tantalize our tastebuds, I knew I needed to keep it as simple and sober as possible – while still having fun.

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My first night out in New York City, three years ago, began at my friend Tess’s Upper East Side duplex apartment. I quickly changed into my best going-out attire and Tess and I left for Chelsea, where we would begin our evening. First stop: Le Singe Vert. Despite Tess’s newly taken status, she had managed to meet a very accomplished and charming media hound, who joined us for the evening. As we ordered our first round of Cosmos (at 4 p.m., no less), Tess got me up to speed on how they met on a ferry coming back from the beach that weekend. Tess mentioned that one of her friends (me) was coming to New York to interview and he insisted on going out for a pre-interview, pre-job celebration.

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Who had the best week ever? No, not Justin Timberlake. This September, Manhattan brought sexy back. The city became a magnet for anybody with fashion, music or sporting sense. This is the month you can’t believe that you don’t live here and the month that I can’t believe I do. The 2006 US Open powered through fall showers, Olympus Fashion Week revealed Spring dos and don’ts on the runway and the beats at the MTV VMAs could be heard from Radio City to Rockefeller Center.

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Each time I find an amazing new place in New York, I debate sharing it with others and potentially “ruining” it, but I can’t help but mention my newest favorite wine bar - Xicala - in Nolita. Xicala is a tiny Spanish wine bar with about 8 high tables and a bar. It’s especially nice in the summer or when it’s raining because the front opens up and there are small tables outside under a rooftop. Behind the bar, the walls are wine racks, and looking at the bottles all lined up made me very thirsty. I had a fantastic full-bodied red wine suggested by the bartender - and coupled it with several of the vegetarian choices from their tapas menu.

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A white picket fence and pristinely sculpted topiaries are the last thing I expect to see as I tromp down 14th Street. Nonetheless, they are the welcoming adornments that face visitors to month-old restaurant Gin Lane. Blending in with the topiaries was the Afro of a bow-tied door man (one of two permanent gatekeepers) who immediately gave me the once-over and asked if I had a reservation. Yes I do, thank you very much, and I hope you enjoyed the eyeful because I look hot tonight!

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