Faces of East Midtown
Like so many places across the country, the past several months have been challenging and unpredictable for our community. That’s why we wanted to do something special to spotlight the amazing people that make up our unique district.
Faces Of East Midtown is photo and interview series aimed at celebrating the humanity of our neighborhood and providing a real, raw and honest look at the faces behind the locally-owned businesses that have gone through unimaginable changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anelle Miller
Executive Director
Society of Illustrators
128 East 63st Street
East Midtown Partnership: Tell us about your business or place of work. When did you originally open or start and what was your vision?
Anelle Miller: The Society of Illustrators’ mission is to promote the art of illustration, to appreciate its history and evolving nature through exhibitions, lectures and education, and to contribute the service of its members to the welfare of the community at large.
Founded in 1901, the Society of Illustrators is the oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of illustration in America. Notable Society members have been N.C. Wyeth, Rube Goldberg, and Norman Rockwell, among many others.
Our Museum of Illustration was established in 1981. We offer year-round themed exhibits, art education programs and annual juried competitions. Our Permanent Collection houses 3,500 pieces that are cataloged for scholarly use and displayed periodically. In 2012, we created the MoCCA Gallery with a focus on curated exhibits of comic and cartoon art.
Read More about The Society of Illustrators and about Annelle.
Terri Daly
Director
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum
421 East 61st Street
EMP: Give us an overview of what things have been like for you and your staff during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Teri Daly: Immediately after we closed our doors, with staff working from home, we began converting our programs to virtual experiences, so for the first few months we were operating at a frenetic pace to offer schools remote field trips, launch our first online exhibit, and try to continue all of our public programming for the community. Now, with restrictions ongoing, we have been forced to reduce staff, and for all of us, it is a little sad to not be able to share our beloved museum in-person with visitors.
Read More About the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Teri.
Alex Tubero
Executive Chef
Amali
115 East 60th Street
EMP: When did you reopen, and how did/does it feel to reopen your doors to the district?
Alex Tubero: We reopened on September 30th. It was truly an emotional experience seeing everyone in the neighborhood excited for us to reopen. It's nice to know that people missed us and saw us as an important part of the community.
Read More About Amali and Alex.
Barbara McLaughlin
President
The Fund for Park Avenue
EMP: After being shuttered for months, several more businesses are slowly starting to reopen in the district, what does that mean to you?
Barbara McLaughlin: That more people can enjoy the seasonal plantings – the tulips, begonias and the flowering trees were especially beautiful this spring and summer. It’s nice to feel some of the energy on the streets coming back.
Read More About The Fund for Park Avenue and Barbara.
Geralynn Madonna
Owner
Madonna & Co. Boutique and Beauty Bar
202 East 60th Street
EMP: What's one thing you've either learned, grown to appreciate or adjusted in your business practices moving forward as a result of the pandemic?
Geralynn Madonna: The one thing that never changes is we will always have problems and it’s how you deal with them that matters most. No, we haven’t been through anything like this before but we have certainly overcome other problems. So, we need to adjust all aspects of our business and try to move forward. With foot traffic down we have increased our website traffic, with no trade shows we now sell our wholesale collection in virtual showrooms, our salon has adjusted scheduling to allow for extra sanitizing between clients. We have also increased our virtual shopping service, especially for our out of town clients who aren’t traveling. No... there isn’t anything easy or “normal” about this and it will take some time, but NYC will come back!
Read More About Madonna & Co. and Geralynn.
Noel Donovan
Owner
Blooms Tavern
208 East 58th Street
EMP: What is your hope for the future of your industry in the city in the coming months?
Noel Donovan: It is devastating to see so many places closed. The 25% occupancy rate starting September 30th is too small and counterproductive. Sadly, this will result in a more expensive dining experience. I hope the Government can see the damage they are doing to people’s livelihoods. I feel we should give guests the choice if they are comfortable dining indoors or not.
Read More About Blooms and Noel.
Lana Bargraser
Owner
Allure Day Spa
139 East 55th Street
EMP: Any other thoughts you want people to know as they venture out into the neighborhood?
Lana Bargraser: We hope our neighbors and tourist come back to us and enjoy the best restaurants, great personal services, museums, and architecture. After all, that’s what New York is known for.
Read More About Allure and Lana.
David Hanouna
Sales Director
Modani
942 Third Avenue
EMP: Tell us about your business or place of work. When did you originally open or start and what was your vision
David Hanouna: Modani Furniture was founded in Miami in 2007 by three entrepreneurs with an affinity for design. The concept of selling modern furniture at friendly prices both in-store and online is what helped shape the successful brand and is something that we all take pride in today. I joined the team in New York with previous experience in real estate, art, and sales. Currently Modani has 19 stores in key cities and states, which gives national coverage and allows for organic growth. We are excited about the future of the company as we look for new markets and find new ways to engage with our current customers.
Read More about Modani and David.
Amy Babic
Owner
Kurant Wine Bar
1091 Second Avenue
La Cava
939 Second Avenue
Copinette
891 First Avenue
EMP: Give us an overview of what things have been like for you and your staff during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Amy Babic: Like most restaurants, we fully closed March 16th. We knew takeout would not even come close enough to sustain anything. We tried to stay optimistic as best we could. Holding on for one or two months is such a different mindset than what we know now to be six-plus months.
Read More About Kurant, La Cava, Copinette, and Amy.
Emma Bengtsson
Executive Chef
Aquavit
65 East 55th Street
EMP: Any other thoughts you want people to know as they venture out into the neighborhood?
Emma Begntsson: I feel like sometimes Midtown and Midtown East may be underrepresented. There are so many neighborhoods in the city with high foot traffic but no one really talks about Midtown East. It’s so much more than just office buildings. There are beautiful restaurants and shops here. It's a vibrant neighborhood and for those shopping on Fifth Avenue, Aquavit is just a few steps away and perfect to take a break and have a nice meal or a drink.
