Name: Preston Bailey
Age: 60
Occupation: Top New York event and wedding designer. Bailey is also the author of the books Design for Entertaining, Celebrations, Inspiration, and Fantasy Weddings. He was also name-dropped on Gossip Girl!
Neighborhood: Gramercy Park
Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
My shrink is my favorite New Yorker, with all of his guidance and commitment.
What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?
The best meal I have ever had is my sisters Aminta and Olivia’s Panamanian comfort food, which I eat most Sundays.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
All day I listen and give direction.
Would you still live here on a $35,000 salary?
I definitely would not live in New York on $35K. Maybe 30 years ago or without fashion.
What’s the last thing you saw on Broadway?
Billy Elliot. I love a musical with big happy endings.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
I have my favorite panhandler close to my apartment that I give $20 to. She is often waiting for me, especially on cold winter days. She calls me her “honey.”
What’s your drink?
My favorite drink is water. However, I was addicted to Diet Coke until my partner Theo showed me the ingredients.
How often do you prepare your own meals?
I recently discovered the Crock-Pot — that completely changed my culinary abilities. I cook on Sundays and freeze the food.
What’s your favorite medication?
My favorite medication is three hours of the gym doing intense cardio.
What’s hanging above your sofa?
There is nothing hanging above my sofa. However, I have a pedestal with a bougainvillea plant on it.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
My expenditure for a haircut comes in the form of expensive razors. I shave daily.
When’s bedtime?
I go to bed when I run out of steam. 10, 11, or midnight.
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
I miss the old Times Square big-time, with all the “real living” that took place.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
Donald Trump is “the man.” He is a client and an inspiration. I would even buy the Brooklyn Bridge from him.
What do you hate most about living in New York?
I hate the constant humming noise, even living on the sixteenth floor.
Who is your mortal enemy?
It is my addictive self.
When’s the last time you drove a car?
Moving from Panama as a kid and always living in New York, I never learned how to drive. I love being driven; it is the one place I give up total control.
How has the economic downturn affected your life?
It has only affected me in the need to have more celebrations.
Times, Post, or Daily News?
New York Times.
Where do you go to be alone?
When I need to be alone, I go to my apartment. I am fortunate to have a view of the sky, and I lay down and look up to relax.
What makes someone a New Yorker?
In order to be a New Yorker you have to be adaptable. This is such a dynamic city.
