If you want to see a celebrity in Los Angeles, you are going to. They are both ubiquitous and predictable. Their omnipresence is what attracts tourists and locals alike to the all the places featured in the latest US Weekly (and provokes them to buy it) and why non-famous people make reservations at The Ivy (definitely not for the food) or shop at Maxfield (definitely not for the fashion). You'd be hard pressed to find a time when there isn't at least one Hollywood starlet haunting Robertson Blvd., or a week when at least one former Friends star doesn't drop by for some overpriced sushi at Nobu in Malibu. These spottings, however, are obvious and strategic on the celeb's part; these are the places they go when they want to be seen.
I'll never forget the time I saw MKA at Crosscreek in Malibu, looking amazing and strutting for the paparazzi on a Sunday morning when any normal person would be looking hungover and exhausted. Or when Christina Agulaira sat across from my friend during her birthday dinner at the Ivy, dressed to the nines. Mandy Moore, Jennifer Anniston, Justin Timberlake- these are just a few of the stars I've been privy to, none of which were anything less than camera ready when recognized. The same, however, cannot be said of the stars haunting the New York City streets.
Balancing out the conspicuousness of LA, is the anonymity New York. The City offers liberating to stars who would rather not have their personal space invaded by the threatening paparazzi. Here, celebs walk amoungst us mortals with little notice (and even less make-up). The spontaneity of experience is what makes a celeb spotting in New York unique. So much so, in fact, that you often don't know it is happening until it is over.
Seeing Meg Ryan walking around an East Village movie theater, looking like she just rolled out of bed, was one of those "did that really just happen?" moments of my life. Or better yet, who would of thought Agy Deyn would be drying off her newly shaved head just as I was heading off to spin at the Union Square Crunch? And there's no way I ever would have thought I'd see Penn Badgley completely engrossed in his journal while downing copious amounts of coffee while I sat enjoying my omlette at Gramercy Cafe. These stars were all completely casual and relaxed, a striking contrast to the contrived "A-Game" glamour of an Los Angeles spotting.
In New York, the big city allows for everyone, even the famous people, to get lost in a crowd. And that's what makes seeing a celebrity in New York all the more exciting- the chance of it all. Seeing someone in LA takes skill and a subscription to Star, but in New York you'd better have a keen eye, a lot of luck, and a tendency to expect the unexpected. Happy hunting...
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