Celebrities Invade My Neighborhood
Big-name celebrities, most of whom moved downtown in New York a few years ago, are slowly crawling back up to the Upper West Side, the neighborhood where I live. How do I know this? Because I see them on the street all the time lately. Not just temporary residents like Angelica Huston (in town to shoot “Smash”) or shoppers on the street (I keep seeing Ryan Gosling, for some reason: a hardship, for sure), but permanent citizens here. Matt Damon (pictured) is my favorite of this last category. (Gus van Sant, who directed Matt to an Oscar for “Good Will Hunting”‘s script, once told me that I resembled Matt “from the mouth down.” I wish.) The New York Post reports on an incident involving him at an UWS Coffee Bean the other day. The barista asked him to give his name. When this happens to me, I make shit up. Usually, I’m “Alexander” but sometimes I’m in a Frenchier mood and reply “Alexandre” or “Pierre” to the clerk. Matt gave his real name. The folks behind him emitted lots of giggles.
