Town & Country’s Isiah Magsino Revels in the Upper East Side’s Gilded-Age Glamour

By David Graver View the full issue. The Style News Editor at Hearst’s illustrious Town & Country magazine, Isiah Magsino is acutely attuned to developments in the worlds of style, art and design. An etiquette expert, Magsino is also a youthful fixture at society events on the Upper East Side (where he lives) and across New York City, as well as throughout Europe’s cultural capitals. Prior to his editorial position at Town & Country , Magsino’s byline graced the pages of Vogue, Vanity Fair, W Magazine and more.   Can you tell us a little bit about your personal history with the Upper East Side? I’ve lived on the Upper East Side ever since I moved back from Paris. I’m the newbie in this neighborhood, but I’ve always lived around the park—Upper West Side and Central Park South before. I live in a townhouse across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I split my time between there and Connecticut. I’m originally from the West Coast, but find that the Upper East Side feels most like home. I’m not sure how that works out, but it does. Isiah Magsino What are the most appealing attributes of Upper East Side living for you? When I lived in Paris, I lived in the 7th arrondissement and fell deeply in love with it—its elegance, subtle grandeur, quietness and privacy. I find the Upper East Side, for the most part, embodies the same qualities. I also find the history of the neighborhood fascinating. The architecture! The art! And the gossip shared within! The Upper East Side has long been a spectacle in American culture, and that’s cool on its own. I grew up reading about Gilded Age glamour, and living in the neighborhood where many of those stories took place is surreal. I think there’s something to be said of the formality on the Upper East Side. In a casually dressed culture, I find that there is charm in areas that still find it important to dress up a little. I love when people obviously dress in a manner that shows they care about their appearance. At dinner, men still wear jackets and women wear jewels. I love that. That’s why we live in NYC. It’s also quiet. Nothing worse than leaving a party and coming home to one, too. Why do you think the Upper East Side continues to find young residents?   Despite the Upper East Side sort of glamorous lore, I think it’s actually a very cozy neighborhood. I think people are drawn to that. It’s a neighborhood of habit, and there is no better feeling when you’re at your go-to spot and run into a flurry of friends. It’s strange to say, but I think there are some pockets of the Upper East Side that have this suburban feel. Not in the aesthetics, of course, but in that sort of down-to-earth community type of way. I also think it’s a neighborhood of constant learning. Aside from the massive cultural institutions in the neighborhood, there are also frequent everyday run-ins with architecture, galleries and more where one could learn something new. I’m new, so it feels like a treasure trove of aesthetic discoveries.   Do you have personal recommendations? I’m a Carlyle person and love sitting in the gallery for a drink, snack or coffee. I prefer the interiors there more than any other part of the hotel. And, you can’t beat the people watching. Lévy Gorvy Dayan Gallery on 64th is always a hit for art. In the warmer months, I love to order from Boqueria and host dinner on my patio. Have you developed an Upper East Side routine? Double espresso at Sant Ambroeus —I can’t have coffee at home and refuse to walk too far for morning coffee—and a bagel from a place on 77th and Lex in the morning. I walk to the Hearst Tower through Central Park for work and back home. I will never forfeit that part of the routine because those 30 minutes to myself are valuable to me. If I’m not out for an event, I’ll usually head to The Carlyle for a martini and dinner, or order in from one of the diners nearby.