MATT DAMON The Upper Westside of Central Park is one of New York City’s premiere “yuppie-puppy” neighborhoods where the residents are a caricature of what the Midwest thinks is a “liberal” New Yorker: almost entirely loyal liberal Democrats (with a few exceptions), extremely open-minded (except when someone wants to do something in their backyard which they disagree with, then WATCH OUT! They will cut you down in a second with their organized protests, rallies and boycotts. The streets are FULL of Moms, Dads and Nannies—--many yoga class vegans--all pushing their children in the latest prams, listening to the latest songs on their I-Pods, while wearing the latest fashions. It’s almost a cartoon depiction of a certain lifestyle. When I first moved to New York City as a youth, we lived on The Upper Westside…but this was early 1980’s—definitely “pre-Giuliani” and this once grand old New York City neighborhood had become a low-rent, run-down section of town with gorgeous old buildings begging to be discovered and renovated. I’ve recently learned that Lady Gaga grew up around the corner from my old apartment on W. 68th St and still lives there occasionally with her parents (W. 70th St.). Jerry Seinfeld, Glenn Close, Helen Gurley Brown, Celine Dion, Denzel Washington, Sting, Regis Philbin and many others live on the Upper West. Also, it’s come to my attention that movie-star Matt Damon, his wife Lucy and their brood, has now made the Upper Westside his home, after many years of living in a loft downtown in the Village on Lafayette Street. It was so funny when one of his Bourne movies developed a billboard with the headline: BOURNE GOES HOME…it was even funnier when the billboard ran on the side of the building where Damon lived and a paparazzi photog got a great picture of Damon entering the building! LOL So now he’s moved the entire brood (wife and several daughters) up to W. 86th Street in a gorgeous old building built by John Jacob Astor (Titanic victim). What happened to Boston? I thought Damon was a loyal Massachusetts resident and Red Sox fan…so why does he spend “down” time in New York City…land of the evil NY Yankees?

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