Notes From The City: An Abundant Lfe - Let's Hear It For The Men

Every week I write about amazing women and men I am blessed to know, but last week's post had a title and message about women, so I thought it was only fair to balance it out this week with a celebration of some of the men who have brought abundance, beauty, style, class and delicious food into the world and have done it steadily and faithfully for many years.

Eyes Of Perfection

I have been wanting to write about Jean Paul Knott in these pages because after meeting him in 1999, my life has never been the same. I was introduced to this amazing couture designer by another amazing man who I am blessed and honored to call a friend, the interior designer, photographer, talent scout and public relations and marketing guru Eugene Gallegos. Because of that introduction, I found myself in a showroom wearing the most gorgeous, glamourous, luxurious and unique creations available with all of the top fashion buyers and magazine editors visiting for each new season's collection in New York, and I was given the opportunity to stay in Paris during fashion week. Through my experiences over those years my whole understanding of clothing, design and fashion went through a transformation that has affected the way I feel about myself and the clothing I wear and has informed my choices in the way I buy clothing and wear it. I could write pages about Jean Paul Knott, and even more pages about Eugene Gallegos, but let me stop here to let you see for yourself. Their work is so excellent that they could easily be unapproachable as people, but they are two of the dearest, kindest and most humble men I know. They hold themselves to high standards and help to raise others up.

Couture Designs By Jean Paul Knott

Spring Summer Collection 2001

Photography By Eugene Gallegos

Signature Design From First Collection

Photographed By Eugene Gallegos

In The Showroom

First Collection

Photography And Interior Design

Eugene Gallegos

Signature Pieces By Jean Paul Knott

Photography By Eugene Gallegos

Visionary Vision

I met photographer Tommy Flynn when I was living in SoHo. Then as now I walked everywhere, and I used to see Tommy around the neighborhood with his camera. One day when I was walking in so many different areas, I saw Tommy three times, and I decided that was a sign that I had to say hello. That meeting blessed me then and continued to bless me over the years, and then just recently when I was in SoHo I saw some familiar photographs on a sidewalk table, and found myself face to face with the artist himself. The excellence of Tommy's work is truly astonishing, especially when you put that together with the humble, friendly and kind person that he is. His art is his own unique vision, created with precision, care and hard work.

Tommy Flynn On Prince Street

Perfection In Taste

The Taj restaurant has been on East 6th Street since 1985. The first time I went there, the year that they opened, it became my favorite place and has remained that way all these years. I was in college then at Sarah Lawrence, and I came into the City to meet a friend and go shopping at a store on the same block, Back From Guatemala, that is no longer there. Someone I knew had bought a shawl there and so I planned my trip around shopping and trying one of the Indian restaurants. I don't know why all those years ago I chose The Taj, but I know now that there are no coincidences or accidents. Even before I was aware of God, He was still guiding my steps to the places where I would be blessed. The Taj is a gem - the best Indian food I have had anywhere, with prices that have not changed much if at all over the years. There is always live music from the most talented and exquisite musicians, and the staff and owner do their best to make everyone feel like royalty.

Always The Best For 30 Years

The Taj Indian Cuisine

310 East 6th Street, NYC

(212) 505-8056

Weekdays 4pm-midnight

Weekends 4pm-2am

Dinner, Private Events, Catering, Free Delivery

Inderjit Singh Sher Puri And Sukhdev Singh Dhaliwal

Tandoori Clay Oven

Creative Force

I wrote about Ed Ramirez a few weeks ago in the post Community Building, and yesterday I visited with him at the location of his new coffee shop, Harry Street Coffee on the corner of Duncan and Bergen Avenue in Jersey City. As always, Ed has created a community space to bless the neighborhood and beyond, transforming the place where he is with grace, class, style and heart. All of the men I have written about here are hard working, and Ed is another. I don't know when he sleeps and don't know how he does it all, especially because he does everything he does with such excellence. A visit to Harry's Coffee or to any of Ed's spaces is to be brought into a world that is closer to heaven than earth. In preparation of the grand opening, Ed will be there daily from 8am-10am giving out free coffee. Stop by to say hello and get your refill of peace and joy.