Men of Distinction

FROM LEFT: with Uma Thurman; Charles Gwathmey

There are heroes in our midst (far too few, as my father-in-law once told me). Former President Bill Clinton is one local who never ceases to amaze. He and Al Gore spearheaded the August release of American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling (sister of my old friend Lisa) after they crossed into North Korea while on assignment and were jailed. Clinton’s diplomatic visit with reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, who last met with an American official nearly 10 years ago, laid the foundation for their release. Although we can’t predict whether Clinton’s mission will restore broader relations with North Korea, one thing is for certain: It’s refreshing to see a private citizen accomplish what was seemingly impossible for the government.

Closer to home, kudos to Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his 2008 sting staged to quell cell-phone usage among New York City cab drivers. (Cabbies have been banned from using phones since 1999.) Matthew Daus, head of the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission, says the sting was a deterrent, and that much of the actual enforcement is still left up to passengers. (I have no problem with that!) Speaking of Bloomberg, be sure to read our interview with the woman behind the mayor, Diana Taylor (“Wits’ End: Private Office”).

Finally, an homage to the late Charles Gwathmey—one of the greatest architects of this century and a meticulous aesthetician of the high Modernist kind who hailed from the school of Le Corbusier. An NYC resident, his local cityscapes include the addition to Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue, the new Astor Place glass condominiums in the East Village, the International Center of Photography in Midtown, the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, the New York Public Library’s Science, Industry and Business Library on Madison Avenue and the new United States Mission to the United Nations on First Avenue, which is still under construction. We will bask in the glory of Gwathmey’s work for years to come.

You’ll find a sexier side of the city with our cover star, Uma Thurman, the alluring lead of this month’s Motherhood and nearly every man’s favorite. And don’t miss our lineup of 100 New York bachelors, ripe for the picking.

Enjoy the issue.

CRISTINA GREEVEN CUOMO

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIMI CELESTE/PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM (GWATHMEY); BEN WATTS/ART MIX PHOTOGRAPHY (THURMAN)