IN MY SHOES: Living In These Mad, Mad, Madoff Times
The ultra-wealthy have been suffering financial anxiety for months. This New York Times article about the requests concierges working at some of Manhattan's toniest buildings are fielding nowadays, illustrates the latest manifestation of their attempts at penny-pinching:
The phones are still ringing at the desks of residential concierges around the city, but the conversations have a different timbre than they did before the recession was officially declared.
The days of seemingly carefree excess are gone. In their place are requests that involve quieter times spent more economically and very likely closer to home.
Instead of reservations at Daniel or Per Se, residents are asking their concierges for recommendations for more reasonably priced neighborhood restaurants.
Instead of holding a party for their 100 closest friends at a club, they’re opting for a dinner party at home for 20.
Instead of center orchestra seats at the Met, any seats are fine as long as they’re on opening night.
Instead of a long weekend at Canyon Ranch, maybe a day at the Cornelia Day Resort will do the trick.
Free wine-and-cheese mixers presented by the concierge service that might have drawn at most a dozen people in the fall are now pulling in upward of 60 people, as residents - especially those who have recently lost jobs or who are afraid they might be next to get laid off - look for new ways to network. …
Tony Abrams, the president of Four Hundred, which works with residents in about 10 condos where apartment prices start at $2,500 to $3,000 per square foot, said that requests for private jets had dropped off and that clients who might have flown privately were flying first class instead.
And – horrors! – instead of buying new Manolos or Jimmy Choos whenever the whim strikes, the “Ladies Who Lunch(ed) But Now Eat Takeout Like The Rest Of Us” are actually getting their fancy footwear repaired. The Stiletto’s heart pumps piss for these folks, especially when she considers that in nine states COBRA health insurance premiums equal or exceed unemployment insurance compensation for a family plan and in 32 states the cost consumes (.pdf) at least three-quarters of what the out-of-work get to tide them over until they can find another job or when the benefit runs out (whichever comes first).
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