Donna Karan: “That amazing panoramic view when you’re coming back to the city. You see the skyline, the bridges, the lights of the city . . . and you’re home.”

Susan Sarandon: “It’s the New York kids you can’t find anywhere else—downtown kids with their overdeveloped senses of humor, their wise-ass remarks, their irony. They’re survivors. You can’t fake a New York kid.”

Joe Torre: “Walking down Fifth Avenue at Christmastime, past St. Patrick’s Cathedral, then to the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center—to me, it brings out a type of unique human spirit that can only be found here.”

Chuck Close: “The galleries. The richness of visual materials, the smorgasbord of things to look at. It’s an incredible gift.”

Wynton Marsalis: “On Seventh Avenue in Greenwich Village, you’ll see a long red awning. Down a narrow set of creaky stairs is a tiny stage and a buzzing crowd of jazz seekers. For 50 years, the Village Vanguard has been the place to hear it all.”

Dan Rather: “My favorite crosstown bus, which runs across 79th Street, through the park, past the Museum of Natural History, and then west, toward the Hudson and the setting sun.”

Daniel Boulud: “Biancardi’s on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. It transcends fads and maintains its Italian roots. It’s an essential part of the melting pot.”

John Turturro: “The Brooklyn Bridge. I dream about it, and I like to walk over it. Not every day . . . but once in a while.”

Related:

• Archive: “Cover Story”
• Table of Contents: Dec 23, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!