16 AMERICANWAY
DECEMBER 15 2008
WH A T ’ S H O T N OW
Yes, it’s called
the Liquor
Store, but no, it isn’t
that
kind of liquor store. It’s
actually J.Crew’s
Tribeca
Men’s Shop at the Liquor
Store
inNewYork (235
West Broadway, www
.jcrew.com/liquorstore), a
men’s-only store offering
high-end, fashion-forward
clothing from J.Crew (think
limited-edition pieces, slim-
cut suits, collaborations
with outside designers) and
rare and unique collectibles
like vintagewatches, first-
edition books, LPs, and a
wide array of art. Located
in an 1825 townhouse in
Tribeca, the shop occupies
the former space of the
extremely popular Liquor
StoreBar (whichwas, in
fact, a liquor store at one
time, hence the name). In
renovating the shop (Andy
Spade, KateSpade’s hus-
band, weighed in on the
design), J.Crew incorpo-
rated the original wooden
bar into its decor, outfit-
ting itwith an assortment
of barware, knickknacks,
and vintage glasses. All of
which are also for sale.
beauty
AMiraculous
Discovery
One of theworst feelings in theworld
for awoman iswhen she is stand-
ing in front of theTSA agents at the
airport, begging them not to throw
away her face cream just because it
won’t fit in her already jam-packed
plastic baggie of liquids, hair spray,
lotions, and the like. Begging turns to
negotiating:What if I come back for
it in two days?Couldn’t you just put it
aside? Then, horror of horrors, casual
as can be, the face cream is confiscat-
ed and tossed in the trash bin (usually
next to awhole lot of other face
creams). This ismade all theworse
when the cream is something like La
Mer’s Crème de laMer, an extremely
pricey (butworth every penny)mois-
turizer that’s the equivalent of liquid
gold for the face. Luckily, the beauty
company has kindly introduced the
travel-friendly
LaMerMiraculous
Beginnings collection
for its legion
of followers. The set contains seven
of the brand’smost covetedproducts,
includingTonic, EyeConcentrate, and,
yes, Crème de laMer. Now, if only
Kérastasewould follow suitwith their
hair products. $325, www.lamer.com
If youwant
a truly luxe hotel experi-
ence, head to the
Setai SanDiego
(from$300; www.setaisandiego
.com), which is throwing open its gi-
gantic (9,000pounds!) bronze doors
thismonth. On top of having a record-
ing studio, a private screening room,
a rooftoppool anddeck, and a ridicu-
lously large amount ofmeeting space,
the hotel also offers an around-town
chauffeur service. The hotel’s urban
chic decor (the building itself is all
steel andglass) places an emphasis
onmodern art, and themassive “Finn
Wave” installation that greets guests
on theirway into the hotel’s Suite&
Tender Bar Lounge andRestaurant
only reinforces the concept.We
especially love the rooms, though,
which are outfittedwith leather fur-
niture, Brazilianwalnut floors, plasma
TVs, and Jerusalem-bone limestone
accents in the bathroom. Trust us
whenwe say this: You’ll want to stay
forever. (Book a LuxeSuite, which
comeswith a kitchen,Miele andSub-
Zero appliances, full living rooms, and
balconies, and you could.)
On the opposite coast, the recently
debuted
MandarinOriental, Boston
(from$525; www.mandarinoriental
.com/boston) is celebrating its open-
ingby offering the “We FanBoston”
package (from$710), which gives one
free night’s stay to guestswho book
two ormore nights in a row. Daily
breakfast at the hotel’s renowned
restaurantAsana, aswell as admis-
sion for two to theMuseum of Fine
Arts is also included. Located inBos-
ton’s illustriousBackBay, the 14-floor,
148-room hotel boasts an impressive
16,000-square-foot spa— the per-
fect place to unwind after a longday
spent exploringBeantown.
shop
TheLiquorStore
hotels
BookaNight(orThree)
SpaSetai
Room at theSetai SanDiego
