The GofG Summer Memories 2009 - The Official Roundup From Our Friends!

[Photo by Ben Watts] Need a break from Fashion Week? Check this out: I asked all of my friends to send me their favorite memory from Summer '09 and they obliged!  Below, in no random order (I swear!), are the best memories from some of our favorite movers and shakers in NYC.  The Guest of a Guest Staff is at the top. Want to add yours? Email me. duh.

Stanley Stuyvesant (Team GofG): Searching the east end the past three months for his friend, the Montauk Monster. The search proved unfruitful, but there's always next summer.

Rachelle Hruska (Team GofG): Spending week with my family at Ten Mile Lake (Northern Minnesota) and catching Northern pikes worth well over $2k. It was the first time in two years I didn't have my computer connected to my hip. Also, watching movies in pj's with the hamptons girls and running on the beaches of Quogue.

Cameron Winklevoss (Team GofG): Cooking dinner and making Michelada's for Team Hamptons on the last night of Summer '09.

Sarah Mandato (Team GofG): Launching the newsletter!

James Brooks (Team GofG): Visiting Nantucket for the first time was my favorite summer memory. The little island is truly a paradise and, when there, you feel like you’ve entered a different world and time, filled with manners, beauty, civility and a whole lot of fun! Everything “on island” is so charming and quaint – from the beaches to the juice bar to the cobblestone streets that adorn this oasis in the middle of the Atlantic – makes one hard pressed to want to return to “America.” It is for all of these reasons, that I have a fantastic summer memory and have truly fallen in love with the ACK.

Sarah Kunst (Team GofG): Playing on the Timoneer sailboat in Nantucket with team Guest of a Guest.

Chiara Atik (Team GofG): Getting tickets to Shakespeare In The Park (you don't want to know how early we had to get  there....), sneaking wine into water bottles, and watching the best actors in the world perform for free.

Kendra Seay (Team GofG Hamptons): One of my favorite summer memories was attending the Russell Simmons Art for Life party with Carson, Kristin, and Sarah M...We were unaware it was a black and white attired event...We were dressed in head to toe color.

Carson Griffith (Team GofG Hamptons): Meeting Christie Brinkley and having her tell me I look like I could be her daughter (she said we had similar bone structure!)

JT White (GofG photographer): My first time ever at Surf Lodge. It felt like home with surf flicks playing everywhere and surfboards scattered all over. But it was when we got outside to the deck when I realized how awesome this place really was. Stephen, Julian, and the rest of the Marley family were all performing their fathers classics. (and what seemed like the entire town of Montauk singing along). I don't think it could have been a better first time...

Hayley Bloomingdale: Too many! But probably lobstering in Newport, Rhode Island. Catching lobsters from the sea and putting rubber bands on their claws is a surefire way to officially show a California girl and east coast summer!

Kelly Cutrone (People's Revolution): playing frisbee at night with a light up frisbee with my daughter ava on the fourth of july on the side of the hudson river

Daniel Maurer (Grub Street): The backroads odyssey across Pennsylvania that started with an Italian hot dog (topped with fried potatoes and peppers) from Jimmy Buff’s in New Jersey and ended with a Primanti Bros roast beef sandwich (topped with fried potatoes and cole slaw) in Pittsburgh. In between: An abandoned amusement park, an active amusement park, a ghost town atop a 50-year-old coal mine fire, a paddlewheel ferry across the Susquehanna, ostrich farms, Amish buggies, a giant plate of chipped beef gravy, and (at a gas station farmers’ market) the best peach I ever ate.

Jen Gatien (Producer): My favorite memory this summer was to spend the last days of August in Paris and then getting to see the Cathedral of Saint Gatien. Plus I scored a Slick Rick limited edition tee shirt while I was there-- love Rick the Ruler!

Keith Lissner (Fashion Designer): Oh...is it summer already? I guess I missed it...

David Wasserman:Reviewing big time llc agreements while Everyone was out at a party Then going out to the party.

Ari Seth Cohen (Advanced Style Editor): I spent the day at Brighton Beach enjoying the sun and scouting out Advanced Style. While walking to the Subway I met the two most amazing sisters in bright floral jackets. They spent 20 minutes talking to me about their love of fashion and meetings with Valentino, Liberace and others. My heart raced as I felt the love between the two older woman and their shared passion!

Nur Khan (Rose Bar): My favorite memory of summer was Glastonbury festival w my friends...always a summer highlight...

Elisabeth Edelman (Cooke+Co.): My brother’s engagement party this Labor Day weekend was a close runner-up, but the winner was my impromptu trip to the Hamptons in July. With zero planning, three friends and I hopped in the car and drove out to Bridgehampton for a glorious fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. On the way, we surprised Paige Gamble with a stop at her pop-up shop, then hit a friend’s pool party to start the day in a relaxed manner. While sitting poolside, we decided to spend the night and just up and booked a hotel. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fundraiser that evening was a huge success – there we met more friends for a late-night dinner and some additional poolside lounging the next day. All in all, the perfect easy weekend: friends, sun, no stress and lots of fun, fabulous parties and things to do.

Kelley Hoffman (Refinery 29): Baking an apple pie from scratch with my 86 year-old grandmother.

Douglas Friedman, Photographer: Its a toss up...I think there were three truly unforgettable moments this summer. The first involves my handsome boyfriend Bradley, and that's all I'll say on the subject. The second was climbing a Volcano in Indonesia and watching the sun rise from the summit. And the third was seeing the movie Paper Moon for the very first time, in the Hollywood Cemetery, on my birthday, with 80's heart throb Tatum O'Neal. Unforgettable...

Annabel Tollman, Stylist: Getting completely pummeled by the waves bodysurfing on two mile hollow beach, riding my bike down tree-lined country roads, watching the moonlight on the ocean Saturday night at an end-of-season party on indian wells beach, and laughing an awful lot.

Devorah Rose (Social Life Mag): Nick Stahl somehow ended up staying at my house for a couple days. A group of us were driving around and I asked Nick to read my favorite monologue out loud. It's from a movie called "The Quiet," and it's the lunchroom scene where Elisha Cuthbert (Nina Deere) reveals a dark secret to Camilla Belle (Dot). The writing is creepy yet hysterical. Nick didn't know what he was getting into but we all laughed so hard that we cried. I'm a laugh-till-it-hurts connoisseur and Nick's delivery was truly a 10 on the LOL scale.

Emma Snowdon-Jones: I think it is fortunate that I have no memory. Better for all involved. Perhaps my favourite memory will be over labor day but, that being said, still better not to share it.

Eric Spear: As much as I love the summer out in EH, my FAVORITE summer memory has to be ministering the wedding of Now Mr. Damian and Liz DeMartino in Tortola... I feel personally responsible for the marriage of Spin and Rolling Stone!!!

Jason Willard: My favorite memory of summer was ... summer....... where the F*** did it go?

Kipton Cronkite (Kipton ART): Catching my first trout while fly fishing in the frigid waters of northern California.

David Gruning: This Summer I changed up my plans to spend time with great friends and family, as opposed to committing to one specific weekend destination. It was the perfect mix of Hamptons & Rhinebeck with friends, L.A.(learning to play canasta at Dennis Hopper's house was a riot), Charleston (for a wedding), friends visiting from abroad, and as much time as possible in Fairfield, CT with my family. Aside from welcoming my niece Coco in the late Spring, teaching my nephew Pearson to swim for hours and hours while he laughed hysterically was truly priceless. I suppose it was more about simple pleasures this year. xx.

Dan Rosen, musician: My favorite summer memory is almost starting a one-hit wonder cover band

Lelaine Lau (403):July 4th weekend: Getting to spend time with old and new friends at the special, spectacular, and soulful Shelter Island home of the wonderful Richie (leader of sunset samba at Sagg Main beach) and his lovely wife Nancy, and, of course, dancing on the beach at sunset samba on a full moon. Tied would be all the Sundays dancing poolside at Fannie's party at the LES Thompson!

Jonathan Sollis: Losing My Virginity!!!

Scott Buccheit, ArtwingNY: well besides the two months of non stop rain? i can't pinpoint a moment and say it was my favorite. The summer was filled with amazing times. Starting with Lifeball and Britney Spears concert, then onto the berkshires, hamptons, wytoon and atlantic city, and finally ending with Britney Spears concert and the US Open. The moments I will remember are the times with good friends having great times. To single out one would minimize the rest.

Jodie Lynn Snyder, DANNIJO: I always love summertime in New York. Going out east on the weekend and relaxing on the beach or boat never gets old. I have to say catching my 30lb striped bass is the highlight so far.

Danielle Snyder, DANNIJO: My favorite memory of summer 09: duh adventures of Rashdan: highschool track practice on Quogue beach, sloppiness @ TalkHouse and SurfLodge, and (drum Roll) decopauge rooftop party at Rachelles... and losing my voice everytime we hung with Ein. Oh and getting Malia (my orange bike) and trips to Brooklyn flea market.

Sabine Heller (ASW): Decimating a pinayata with Serena Merriman

Susan Kilkenny, Vogue Every summer I spend the end of August on the beach with my family, paging through highly anticipated September issues deciding on my "must haves" for fall. But this summer needed a change...so my highlight was most definitely speeding off to Sao Paulo in late August to carelessly dance the nights away with friends old and new! bonito!

Derek Koch, (Day & Night): I know that one thing is certain, Summer ’09 will definitely go down in the books as my most memorable one to date.. To define, the coincidence that July 4th fell on a Saturday this Summer it couldn’t of been better… What a “Day & Night” party it was for everybody who was there to witness the insanity… Thank you for all the support this Summer guys! Truly the best! -Derek

Tim Morehouse, Olympic fencer:Derek Blasberg getting "stabbed" at our Summer fencing clinic and harassing him to get a tetanus shot (Our bad Derek!). Enjoying the empty city on the weekends while all the "cool" people went to the Hamptons...ok, I went there a few times also. And, making great new friends! Sam Hamadeh, Emma Snowdon Jones and Courtney Dawson!

Carter Cramer, stylist: Meeting Polly Jolie at the Parish Art Museum's Summer Benefit: a 70-year-old woman with an eerily similar fashion sense to mine....best person I've met in the Hamptons, bar none.

Ryland John Hilbert IV: Going to Castlestock and partying all night at Sir Ivans. The decorations, people, and house were amazing. Cannot wait till next summer to party it up with the Ambassadors!!!

Ben Lerer (Thrillist): July 4th at my house was probably the best day in human history

Nick McGlynn, photographers: I would say that the Thrillist Bus Trip to the Hamptons Party was an awesome time, the ride was unforgettable the people were fun and the party was unforgettable. The other thing i did this summer that was amazing was my motorcycle ride across the country, feeling free from everything and riding like the guys in easy rider, the people i met and places i saw was another favorite 2009 summer memory!

Francesco Civetta: Djing at Surf Lodge on the weekends, Hanging with Fresko and his pregnant wife Fiver on the deck drinkin' all day in the sun.. Playing along side with G love and the special sauce indoors on a rainy night at Surf Lodge, Performing with The Big Bounce numerous times on the outdoor deck at Surf Lodge, Lounging with my friends after djing drinkin Frozen Margaritas till we couldn't stop laughing, crashing Polo Matches with my sister and Hedi, even though we had tickets, stealing bottles of vodka and self serving during the match when the bartenders gave us attitude. Art show with myself, Hedi Ferjani and Harif Guzman at TBD in Southampton. Having certain weekends where we felt like gypsies in a Jaguar, Ceva Nights, Locos Only thursday nights at Ella in NYC. BBQ's at Mike Stillman's house in Sag eating the best steak and shrimp from Smith n Wollensky, summer nights at Jane. Amongst many other things... The saddest memory of the summer... Loosing a great amazing person to an accident on the Williamsburg Bridge... R.I.P. Josh Link your were the best!

Theodore Cleary: The opening of the Jane Hotel!

Jason Rogers, Olympic fencer: Relaxing on the beach during my one week home in LA. Warm sand and a cold drink beat hot cement and honking taxis any day!!!!!

Richard Blakeley (Gawker): When my friends threw me a surprise 30th birthday party with a 3 hour sailboat ride around Manhattan

Kat Goencz: The insane surf from Hurricane Bill out east, Bebel Gilberto at Surf Lodge, teaching our dog to catch a frisbee, my 30th bday party at Sojourn, the cinnamon buns from Ye Olde Bake Shoppe and my boyfriend proposing to me at mile ten of the NYC half marathon.

Hilary Rowland (Project Migration): My birthday. I woke up in a tent in remote Kenya, then drove through a park saturated with all types of animals, taking photos from our open-air safari vehicle. It took us two hours to arrive at the small airfield, stopping to observe a cheetah and her baby. I then flew 4 separate flights in various planes, one in particular was shockingly old (from the early 70's, and it looked like it hadn't been serviced since its creation), to get to a very special refugee camp in the far north of Uganda. I was greeted after an hour long drive by 20 women, all dressed in bright blue, who are creating necklaces for my brand (ProjectMigration.org), who proceeded to dance and sing Happy Birthday for me. After several hours at the camp I hopped on another plane to get to the nearest hotel, which was in Paraa, Uganda. I finished the day by watching the sun go down over the seemingly still waters of the Nile, to the sound of hippos calling to each other, which to me sounded like a deep, hearty laugh.

Cristina Civetta: Summer sunday at surf lodge with big bounce and dj francesco civetta while munching on fresh lobster rolls. Fourth of july with robert and co at the lewis estate dancing the night away with waves as a back drop. Ceva nights launch and especially summer soiree at park avenue summer. Driving to the beach with hedi constantly stopped for speeding or crossing barriers just smile and u get away with murder. Catching up with good friends and enjoying the sun, well at least from july on. Starting Pspr. And launch of tbd in south with artwork by hedi ferjani, ben moon, francesco civetta, and harif guzman with afterparty at Nello.

Adrien Field: I'll always remember this summer as the one where I threw out 320 pages of manuscript and rewrote my entire novel, mainly between the hours of 12AM-5AM every night for six weeks.

Max Stein: Stephen Star and Julia Willinger's glorious birthday aboard the Annastar in Sag Harbour. A beautiful July Saturday and a wonderful way to celebrate birthdays amongst friends.

Porter Hovey, photographer: My favorite summer memory is when my sister and I were featured in the NYTimes about "The New Antiquarians." The whole process was so much fun -- totally odd having the camera turned around to me!

Rachel Sterne (The Ground Report): Swing dancing at Baleine Bleu on Saint-Martin-de-Ré in France. Running our sailboat aground in front of Sunset Beach. Talking to Ferran Adria in the kitchen of ilBulli after dinner.

Megan Zilis: There was laser tag at the duck pond in East Hampton, movie marathons with Jack (over 100), lighting hot air balloons on Bowery, wine tours, my grandmother’s 80th birthday party/lasertag in Wisconsin, my sister Caitlin’s first trip to NY (she’s 15!) However, the memory that stands out the most from this summer, no, the entire year, is walking out of my store after dissolving my partnership knowing I will never return. I felt such exhilaration during that final walk home, like I was floating on a cloud of freedom.

Scott Lipps, One Management: chilling poolside at the sunset marquis in LA with my friends...

Carol Han, StyleCaster: Chocolate chip pancakes at Mr. John's Pancake House, Sole East insanity in room 2something, running from zombies with Kays and Karchy, 4th of July temper tantrums, my favorite crazy summer fling, StyleCaster team weekends in Montauk, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Panties, watching the Ditch Plains surfers, bizarre coincidences/stalking DJ, adventures on a baseball field, loving every single second, knowing that life is about as good as it gets.

Keren Eldad: Walking home in 4 inch heels and amidst summer rain - 40 blocks, from Pastis - after a first date. Date is now my boyfriend.

Ben Fink Shapiro, photographer: Teaching myself how to change a flat tire on the belt pkwy after a photo shoot with 5 ppl (4 women) in my car including model + designer and telling the model she had to actually get out of the car while I jacked it up!

Bronson Lamb: Getting to work alongside my idol, M. Scorsese, every day.

Richie Adomako: I went to a record party with a lady I was head over ‘soles’ for – we’re not together anymore or I wouldn’t disclose that. We decide on the spur-of-the moment to take up an invite to a boat party in Williamsburg. To our surprise, we were directed to a ‘gateway’ at a bar that was very much open and in session but empty. Pointed towards a backyard, we approached a man and woman who checked us off a list and directed us towards a van. Driven through small and dark streets, I am unable to recall, we arrived at a dock (hidden out of plain view behind some warehouses). A boardwalk led to a ferry, and once on board, we found amass a party on multiple decks with flame eaters, fire spinners, other performers and entertainers in costume with live music. Till the morning hours, this effort-of-a-party caught me off guard. The surprise in the very backyard of New York City heightened the experience of being at a place off the map, yet so close to home.

Anisa Hasani: Summer was full of surprises but the most significant memory was randomly finding my summer catch-- Wass S.-- and having that turn into something worth while. Another, was having Max Azria smooch me all over the face-- quiet a young ladies man he is!

Noel Ashman: Waking up in august & finally having a sunny 90 degree day lol better late then never

Malik So Chic: Getting on the infamous China Town Bus for like 15 bucks each way. To Philadephia for the weekend to see Beyonce for the Sasha Fierce I AM Tour w/ my best friend. We had like 3rd row seats! I had such a fabulous time shopping in Philly's South Street! The Best!

Malcolm Harris, designer: Happened at 5:30 a.m. when deciding to walk home to Soho after a magical night at The Jane in the West Village… As I strolled through the quiet city streets in a black blazer, full length vintage Chanel ball skirt and a Kiki de Montparnasse mask, I felt like an invincible “Couture Super Hero” out to save the world... Clearly the champagne at The Jane was flowing… LOL… But it was in that moment I realized how lucky New Yorkers are to live in a City where even misfits can attempt to create magic, mischief and even a bit of goodwill from dusk to dawn.

Steven Rojas (Archetype Showroom): Teen Wolfing the Ivy party bus. 24 Captain Kids Path. You know who you are. Kristin Rawsons birthday party. Sneaking on to someones yacht at Bens 4th of July party at the Montauk Yacht Club. Waffles, ice cream, whip cream and a giant glass of milk for breakfast at Johns Pancake house. The 10 mile bike run that I almost died on to the light house with Jared Flint, Creed Poulson, and Lauren Kondor. All the unspeakable things that happened at Sole East. Getting stuck on the LIRR with Jared Flint and Mike Townsend for 6 hours during peck hours for bringing our bikes. Skinny dipping in the ocean. The train ride home

Sean Glass: Most memorable... hours into my one vacation trip of the summer, finding out within minutes of each other that one of my best friends is in the hospital for swine flu and another for a broken neck after a car accident, cutting my trip short right away. I'll write something a little more cheerful later though haha.

Henry Lihn (LOLA): LOLA Gallery opening where the kids took to the streets and started chalking up the entirety of Jobs lane with fun drawings. Alexandra Richards spinning the Ralph Lauren store in east for the Nest foundation. And the giant hamburger truck from July 4th.

Vanessa Webster (Chadwick Bell): I usually try to cook from the green market every sunday at the studio. This summer I wanted to try something different. We invited our sunday dinner regulars over, moved the furniture around, and had a true summer dinner: sauteed corn and zucchini, jicama and orange salad, sauteed shrimp and peach cobbler.

Jack Bryan, screenwriter: Late night laser tag games in East Hampton. Wish you could have made a couple of them Rachelle. The idea, after all, was conceived at one of your parties.

Rachel Heller: My favorite memory was rushing into the city from Southampton to play the role of Jessica in the movie Trophy Kids and partying in St Tropez and the Axe Lounge with my new friend Avril and my brother Mike.

Kate Miltner: Singing "On A Boat" really loudly at Richard Blakeley's 30th birthday (which, of course, was on a boat). Nothing says classy like bellowing "motherfucker" on a beautiful schooner in the middle of NY harbor during sunset.

Kim Bates, KTG: The many Sunsets and Dancing until the wee hours at Sunset Beach with people close to my heart. Quality time with family. Intimate dinner parties with friends in the city because staying in is the new going out. The "White Haute" Birthday Bash of the year! And my prayers go out to the families of three great legends we have sadly lost...Farrah, MJ, and Ted Kennedy.

Leah Bourne: Dancing in Douglas Marshall's car while we party hopped our way through the Hamptons. Only Dougy could make getting lost on side roads and sitting in traffic into the best party of the summer. Plus no one does a better hair flip.

Karen Biehl: Going to the Paws for Style benefit for the Humane Society with Eli at the M2 Lounge - I had just been diagnosed with Strep throat, but the party was so fun and amazing that I didn't even care! Also, Eli's filming with Lorenzo Borghese for his web reality show - America's Next Top Dog: the Princess - was a blast! Eli got to hang out in a mansion, play with other dogs, eat a fancy spaghetti dinner, and go for a limo ride in Manhattan with Lorenzo and his pup Bond. Also great was going to Allison Parris' fall fashion launch party - once again with Eli - in the Hamptons. And, of course, going to Cape Cod for my birthday with Matt Wayne.

Laura Rubin: Singing along at the top of my lungs to Donovan Frankenreiter at Surf Lodge, surrounded by friends with the sun setting over the water.

Cajun Boy: About a block from my apartment there's a fruit stand run by this guy, he's Indian or Pakistani or something, I don't know, I never asked, but anyway there's this dark guy with a fruit stand near my apartment, and he calls me "boss" each and every time he sees me, even from across the street. He'll often yell out things like:

"Hello there boss."

"Isn't today a beautiful day boss?"

"How was the gym today boss?"

"I saved some great strawberries for you boss."

"You smell pretty today boss." (Yes, he really told me this once, I swear.)

Now, some people might find such things unsettling, but personally I find his greetings, even the somewhat awkward commentary about him finding my man-scent pleasing to his olfactory senses, to be very soothing.

However, there's one thing the dark, fruit stand-running foreigner does with regularity that never ceases to piss me the f@*% off: he's a relentless upseller. For example, over a large portion of the summer, I've been on a blueberries and strawberries kick. Almost daily, I'd stop by the fruit stand to pick up a plastic container of both, but each time I'd stop by, the guy attempted to sell me something additional that I didn't want.

Bananas. Grapes. Plums. Etc.

Now, don't get me wrong, I've nothing against any of these fruits, it's just that I was on a hardcore blueberry/strawberry kick and didn't want them at the time, but like a true jerkoff, I'd always cave and wind up buying the additional fruits out of guilt/cowardice. However, I really thought I'd draw a line in the sand and hold firm the day he tried to sell me peaches.

"I've got some great peaches today boss."

"Oh...no, I really don't care much for the peach."

"But you will like these peaches boss."

"No, really, you don't understand, I. DON'T. EAT. PEACHES. Except when they're cooked in a cobbler and smothered in vanilla bean ice cream. I'll eat the shit out of that, but something about the fuzzy skin on a raw peach just freaks me out."

"Well I'm going to give you a free sample and you will love them boss."

"No, really, I just..."

"Boss, please take these as a gift. You will love them, I promise."

And so it was that I trudged home that day with black plastic bag filled with blueberries, strawberries and peaches. Later that night, at roughly 3am-ish, after I'd exhausted my supply of other fruits and was still hungry for a tasty snack, I opened the fridge, eyed the peaches, said "aw what the hell" and decided to give the peach a chance. And guess what?! I LOVED IT! And now I eat peaches all the time. LIfe. Officially. Changed. Yaay summer!

The end.

Cary Randolph Fuller: We trekked up and down and across the city, searching for breaks of sunlight between incessant June rain, and every weekend we itched to escape, filling trains and cars, barreling north and east. In twenty years I will look back on these past three months as the summer that seemed always on the verge, always about to make its grand debut. Cold snaps and cloudy skies delayed its entree; when July finally delivered heat and sunshine, all of New York City celebrated. My favorite summer memories follow suit: counting second hands till the weekends officially began, sprinting and diving head first into the Rhode Island waves, those first seconds when dark became light as doors opened onto rooftop patios, and the skyline seemed but a backdrop painted for that particular evening, in the downtown that was our summer camp, our playground. Arrival was the seasonal theme. Arrival and the promise of greatness, of falling in love on that much-anticipated High Line, of falling asleep to the sound of the ocean. Every weekend became the best weekend ever. Every opportunity to dance under stars became an opportunity to live forever. Here, in this city, in these times, after a long winter when all things fell apart, summer arrived finally, my first as a New Yorker.