Winter blooms
Palm House, Carnegie Hill listings, Flowers by Ford, the Cotswolds, Cozy Royale, Spencer’s Spa, best gloves, MORE
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
In full bloom
MOLLY FORD • owner • Flowers by Ford
Neighborhood you work in: Bushwick
Neighborhood you live in: Bed-Stuy
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
I’m the owner of Flowers by Ford, a flower design company that specializes in events, brand activations, set design, select weddings, and custom floral arrangements. I also just launched my first collaboration with a lovely jewelry company, Starling. We created three flower charms: peony, sweet pea, and cosmo.
When I have a work-free weekend, I love to start my day with a leisurely morning at home. I usually head downstairs to brew a cup of coffee, then sit in my garden to read. When I have a work event, my day starts before sunrise at the New York City Flower Market. From there, I head to our floral production studio to work with my team of florists. We spend the day prepping for the weekend's event while enjoying plenty of coffee and music.
Where are you drinking or dining this weekend?
When in the city, my go-to dining spot is Corner Bar, followed by drinks at Swan Room. For a late-night adventure with friends, we often head to Clandenstino or Le Dive.
In Brooklyn, Cozy Royale's steak frites and manhattans are always a good idea. Allswell is another favorite, especially the outdoor corner seat, which offers prime people-watching opportunities. My order there is the house salad with grilled chicken and a glass of orange wine. Some of my favorite places to grab a drink in BK: Rhodora Wine Bar, Frog Wine Bar, Five Leaves, Minnows, and Hotel Delmano.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I love a day surrounded by nature — it's the ultimate form of leisure. This usually includes the New York Botanical Garden, Central Park, or Prospect Park. I also love shopping with my girlfriends. We recently walked all over the Upper West Side, window shopping. We stopped at The Row and TOTEME. Also thrilled to see KHAITE coming soon on Madison Ave. And I recently visited the New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx with my best friend to see their chrysanthemums display.
Any weekend getaways?
My favorite is INNESS in Accord, NY. Stay for dinner overlooking the beautiful upstate landscape and sit by the bonfire on top of the hill with a glass of wine. They also just opened a spa on the property. Accord is a very cute town! Here are a few of my local favs: Westwind Orchard, Arrowood Farms, Mill & Main Restaurant & Provisions, Cherries Roadside and General, and Ollie's Pizza. There are also plenty of small shops and vintage stores to explore.
What was your last great vacation?
In celebration of my 30th birthday, I took an unforgettable trip to the Cotswolds with my girlfriends. Among the many highlights of our adventure was an exquisite dinner at The Ox Barn. We went on a captivating tour of the Highgrove Gardens, where we immersed ourselves in the beauty of nature and indulged in a delightful high tea with champagne. Our journey continued as we explored the charming antique shops nestled in the heart of Tetbury.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Something that I haven’t purchased yet but will be my next big-ticket purchase is this belted canvas bucket bag khaki green from TOTEME. It’s perfect for the winter and feels so classy with that canvas green fabric and brown leather.
What store or service do you always recommend?
In an effort to prioritize self-care, I’ve made a concerted effort to receive a massage every month, as well as maintain regular mani-pedi appointments. My go-to place for massages is Graham Spa in Williamsburg. Despite its modest appearance, they offer excellent massages for $50. It’s always such a treat.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three for-sale co-ops in Carnegie Hill that came to market around $5M in the last 10 days.
→ 1075 Park Ave #3D (Carnegie Hill) • 4BR/3BA, N/A SF co-op • Ask: $4.999M • pied-a-terres allowed case by case • Days on market: 10 • Monthly maintenance: $4608 • Agent: Ann Cutbill Lenane, Elliman.
→ 21 East 87th St #2C (Carnegie Hill) • 3BR/3BA, 2500 SF co-op • Ask: $4.495M • classic 8 with renovated baths and beds • Days on market: 5 • Monthly maintenance: $4608 • Agent: Liz Chiang, Compass.
→ 1155 Park Ave #10NE (Carnegie Hill, above) • 3BR/2.1BA, N/A SF co-op • Ask: $5.5M • pre-war with 17 oversized window • Days on market: 5 • Monthly maintenance: $5850 • Agent: Eva Penson, Sotheby’s.
REAL ESTATE LINKS: Wall Street Watch: Sales launch at residential condo One Park Row… and renderings revealed for new residential skyscraper 100 Gold • Brick facade reaches pinnacle at 300 East 50th St • Carrie Bradshaw’s West Village apartment stoop will get a gate.
GETAWAYS • Palm Beach
High bar
The entrance to the new Palm Beach hotel Palm House isn’t well marked, and there isn’t really a lobby. The first room you’ll encounter is more like a lounge for the bar, a stone sculpture that lights up the right side of the room, partitioning it off from the restaurant just behind it. It’s gorgeous, but we’re not there quite yet.
First, we need to check in at the discrete podium in the corner, where a lone worker usually stands greeting guests. We arrived at this scene on New Year’s Day, barely a month after the hotel opened on the site of what was once the Heart of Palm Beach hotel (which had been closed for 17 eventful years). It’s the first U.S. location in the Iconic Luxury Hotels portfolio, which numbers a half dozen luxe UK properties and one in Venice.
The anti-fast casual vibe they’ve cultivated here is what we want from our getaway hotels, and it’s tricky to get right. Arriving as we did, after a flight delay in our travel wear with carry-ons on our shoulders, into this elegant, pasteled room, is a jarring transition. And as we waited to sort out a minor issue with our rooms, we felt it.
But once we were settled, Palm House’s ample charms warmed in the Florida sunshine. The lighting is exquisite, the hallways are lined with art, and the rooms are sumptuous, with plush bedding, two-sink bathrooms, and excellent showers. The staff — valets, bartenders, pool servers — is accommodating and gracious.
It’s a half-block walk to the guarded public beach and also to town. La Goulue is on the corner, the famed Worth Ave. five blocks south (though we favored Surfside Diner, Buccan Sandwich Shop, and West Palm’s The Blue Door on this trip). It’s not the kind of resort where the guests are held captive onsite.
The renovation included an upgrade of the moderately sized pool with expertly tiered pink loungers and daybeds. There’s an event space behind the outdoor bar, which wasn’t open on this early visit (but will be for friend-of-FOUND Brad Inman’s Livelong Experience in March). The Dining Room at Palm House serves Japanese-Peruvian cuisine (“Nobu-style”), the sushi and Japanese A5 Wagyu set against patterned-tile walls.
But that bar. It’s a work of art and a prime perch for taking in the local scene in all of its over-the-top glory. Over pre-dinner cocktails, we watched newly arrived hotel guests check in, recalling fondly that time when we hadn’t yet crossed over into the sunshine. –Josh Albertson
→ Palm House (Palm Beach, FL) • 160 Royal Palm Way • 79 rooms • Rates from $1260/weekend night.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Chef Francis Mallman plans restaurant at forthcoming Faena in Chelsea • How Bucks County became a celebrity hotspot • Touring the Nobu Beach Inn & Nobu Barbuda with Robert De Niro, opening later this year • Andaz Mayakoba closing in March for year-long makeover • 50 holidays to take in 2025.
CULTURE & LEISURE • FOUND Spa
Soho silence
→ Spencer’s Spa (Soho): For those seeking a design-forward spa experience that doesn’t break the bank, Spencer's — which opened this fall in a fourth-floor loft at Prince and Broadway — offers a new, elegant place to relax.
Entry price: Booking a service is required for entry, with massages and facials ranging from $179-$269. Additional discounts and specials are available for members.
What’s inside: For sitting above such a busy intersection, it’s surprisingly quiet inside. What distinguishes Spencer’s is its waiting area lounge. The spacious room is filled with art, books, large-scale sculptures, textural vintage seating, and Murano glass bowls filled with European hard candies or Andes mints. Taking a moment to thumb through the books pre- or post-treatment is reason enough to visit. Founder Ryan McCarthy wants Spencer’s to thread the needle between “cheap and cheerful” basement-level spas and upscale hotel treatments that start at $400. His hope is that Spencer’s is priced moderately enough to become a ritual for its customers.
Food: Tea, cucumber-mint-infused water, and a small selection of snacks are available free of charge. Follow your appointment with a matcha at Enly or a more substantial lunch at Balthazar, both just a block away. –Caitlin Pangares
CULTURE & LEISURE • Trading Places
T'wolves v Knicks • Madison Square Garden (Midtown South) • Fri @ 730p • sec 107, $604 per
Sarah Silverman: Postmortem • Beacon Theatre (Upper West Side) • Sat @ 730p • orchestra center, $170 per
Cool School & Hard Bop: The JLCO with Wynton Marsalis • Rose Theater (Lincoln Center) • Sat @ 730p • orchestra prime, $197 per
CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: Nick Cave inaugurates Jack Shainman Gallery’s Tribeca flagship • How A Complete Unknown recreated a long-lost New York • LA museums launch $12M fund for fire-affected artists • Italian museums will watch your dog for free.
LOST & FOUND • Behind the Paywall
Before we get to today’s Nines (below), dispatches from the frontline, from FOUND subscribers for FOUND subscribers.
→ Regarding last Friday’s elevated soup Nines, a FOUND correspondent emails, “I have two additions, as I’m very passionate about soup: