Name: Gayle King
Age: 56
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Occupation: Host of The Gayle King Show on Oprah & Friends Sirius/XM radio; editor-at-large of O, The Oprah Magazine, which is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary. She’ll be celebrating in NYC next weekend with Oprah, Dr. Oz, and others, at the Live Your Best Life extravaganza, which features a charity walk.
Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Wynton Marsalis. His passion for jazz and all things Lincoln Center is infectious.
What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?
The tasting menu at Per Se made me say, “Help me, Jesus.” It was THAT good.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
Meetings, meetings, meetings.
Would you live here on a $35,000 salary?
I’d prefer not to. Couldn’t it at least be over $40,000?
What’s the last thing you saw on Broadway?
FELA! — it’s a very different kind of Broadway experience.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
Yes.
What’s your drink?
The Half-Circle at the Mandarin Oriental: It has pomegranate juice, pineapple juice, and Sprite. Enough said.
How often do you prepare your own meals?
Rarely.
What’s your favorite medication?
Lipitor, for my high cholesterol.
What’s hanging above your sofa?
Nothing, because it sits against a window overlooking the Hudson River.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
Over $200, especially if that doesn’t include highlights.
When’s bedtime?
Around midnight.
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
I see advantages to both.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
The last time I saw him, he and Melania were rockin’ out at a Lady Gaga concert — what’s not to like about that?
What do you hate most about living in New York?
Traffic. And the parking-garage prices are ridiculous.
Who is your mortal enemy?
I don’t like anyone who is a “cheater, cheater, pumpkin-eater.”
When’s the last time you drove a car?
The other weekend in Greenwich, Connecticut.
How has the Wall Street crash affected you?
Not mortally.
Times, Post, or Daily News?
All three, plus USA Today.
Where do you go to be alone?
My closet.
What makes someone a New Yorker?
Attitude — good and bad — and a huge love for the city and fellow New Yorkers.
