SATURDAY  in  MANHATTAN 

The Upper East Side is like a multicultural village. Buildings themselves can be a vertical village where everyone knows everyone else. And there are more dogs and babies than people. Big guys with tiny dogs, and vice versa! Lots of designer dogs too. All adorable. And it seems if u have a baby u get a dog too!

The play park opposite is always full of buggies and black (African American to be proper) nannies, but on Saturday one can occasionally see a dad or 3. The queue from BagelWorks trails across the sidewalk with multi millionaires as eager as the Mexican delivery boys. Sam the magic & speedy shoe repair man is from the Ukraine; the helpful pharmacist Russian; the copyshop guys Coptic Egyptian, the laundry Chinese of course, the seamstress Asian, dressmaker Greek, my wonderful hairdresser Gloria is from Colombia, restaurants Persian, Italian, Jananese & French, and the local Farmer's Market star attraction foodwise, are the Amish from Pennsylvania. The market also has stalls selling everything from food, nuts, scarfs, socks, $10 orchids (normal shops 40 dollars) to wonderful jewellery: second hand, Indian, South American and new. The new is sold by a Russian lady. I get a pair of big diamond earrings. Irresistible. More fun that Bulgari. us.bulgari.com  No wonder I love the Saturday market! 

"Beautiful. I don't know much, but I know Beautiful," the orchid seller tells me. He's right, his plants are beautiful so I buy a white one.

Churches and synagogues abound. The nearby beautiful church serves the Yugoslav community and services are always full. The nice thing about a neighbourhood is that they deliver. And u are supposed to "send out" for stuff. I never do. But I should.

Fifth Avenue is always near and the famous glass cube Apple Store available 24/7 when u need a new  laptop cord. A multilevel activity extravaganza - my husband says "So many people it would almost suggest things are being given away." 

 Bergdorf Goodman windows are the best in town. Diane Vreeland's new book "Memo" is celebrated currently with lots of witty quotes along with 1960s models.

Best restaurant L'Absinthe . Best exhibitions Magritte at MoMA, Postdigital at MAD, Armory at Historical Soc, Valdes at Marlborough - and next week VERMEER at the FRICK!