Pretty Rad, Part 3

Liliane Through Broken Glass

My occupation often affords me the opportunity for a bit of fun. I occasionally meet individuals using my product who have been to my showroom, know me by name, yet have never met me in person. Through a series of questions, I let them discover our connection for what I hope will be a very surprising first encounter. This was the case with Gaby Lampkey, whom I wrote about on September 8, 2010 in On The Road.

Recently, I met Liliane le Prévost, hooping in Washington Square Park. I asked about her equipment and where she got it, letting her discover that I was the owner of the manufacturing company who made her hoop. She basically went wild, even stopping passersby to let them know of my celebrity. A big fish in a very small pond, perhaps, but certainly not worthy of public announcements. However, my philosophy is to take your 15 minutes of fame when you can get it.


I learned that Liliane was born in Bayeux, Normandy - extraordinarily cool to me for two reasons. One, I rarely meet first generation French living in New York City, and two, I am of French ancestry myself. So, overall, this was a remarkable connection in more ways than one. Liliane's father is a trained chef living in Europe and, although not having trained at a formal school, has worked with some of the world's greatest chefs and is part of a well-known family in the region, famous for its milk and cheese. I also learned that her mother is a professor.

A conversation ensued regarding this website and my photo excursions. Lilie seemed very animated by the prospect of exploring the city, so I promised I would include her in a future urban safari. We went on two such trips, and this excursion was our third voyage out at sea in the wilds of New York.

She was unfamiliar with the piers in Red Hook. The area is quite scenically dramatic and I was up to another visit, so this seemed a good area to introduce someone as well. My intention was not to spend time shopping indoors, but Liliane was unfamiliar with Fairway and in a fortuitous twist, I was very pleased at my decision to explore this most amazing food emporium. So much so, that our experiences there became the subject of the first two parts of this three part story - you can read about Fairway and Charles Knapp.

But it was time to go back to our main feature, so after our exploration of Fairway, we ventured out to the Beard Street piers of Red Hook. Behind Fairway, there are abandoned trolley cars. Using flashlights, the interiors looked like a made to order film set - rusted, delapidated with chipped paint, broken glass, and strewn with trash. Lilie convinced me to crawl through a missing window. Inside, the place was amazing. Ever the impromptu entertainer, Lilie struck a number of poses in the trolley. She is quite photogenic, with a mane of hair that, once unfurled, is a show stopper. See more photos here.

In a previous email to a friend, Liliane referred to me as pretty rad which, from a 22 year old, I took as a compliment of the highest order. To be able to make any impact on someone her age is not easy. I hope this excursion to Red Hook met her expectations, because I am not sure I am able to keep this level of entertainment up forever. For now though, I hope I remain Pretty Rad :)