Stephen M. Ross, the billionaire developer, was taking a victory lap at last week’s V.I.P. opening of the Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards, a day before the $25 billion neighborhood-in-a-box opened to the Instagram masses.
“It’s the largest project ever done in America,” Mr. Ross, the chairman of the Related Companies, said on the red carpet, with evident satisfaction. “What I’m wondering is, I’m 78, what can I do next?”
But what of criticism that the gilded precinct, with its multi-million-dollar penthouses and mall full of luxury boutiques and pricey restaurants, is affordable only to fellow billionaires?
“When you’re building something new, of this quality, obviously it’s not for those. …,” said Mr. Ross, choosing his words carefully. “It obviously takes a high income to afford it.”
An estimated 13,000 members of the New York gentry stepped out of their carriages and attended the private opening, including, Coco Rocha, Anne Hathaway and Dylan Sprouse, waggishly nursing an unlit cigarette. Inside Neiman Marcus, Liza Minnelli and Charli XCX performed for a crowd that included Karlie Kloss, Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenberg and Katie Holmes.
At Estiatorio Milos, a nearby Greek restaurant known for its exotic seafood market, diners included Marla Maples, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen.
Everywhere amid the chaos — it felt like a Black Friday shopping spree for the 0.01 percent — stores and waiters were feeding the multitude with tapas, oysters, sushi, charcuterie and endless refills of wine and liquor. Considering the scale, it all went off rather smoothly.
Back on the red carpet, those who stand to profit from Hudson Yards were insisting how affordable it was.
“It’s not that expensive to live here,” said Pamela Liebman, the chief executive of the Corcoran Group, which is handling the sale of approximately $1 billion worth of real estate at the development. “The entrance price at Hudson Yards was just under $3 million.”
You don’t consider $3 million for the cheapest one-bedroom apartment exorbitant? “Yes, it’s expensive,” Ms. Liebman added. “But it’s not billionaire expensive.”
Hotel Horrors
There was chaos of a different kind in “Hotel Mumbai,” a docudrama directed by Anthony Maras about the 2008 terrorist attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and other landmarks in India’s commercial capital.
The two-hour film is gripping enough by itself. But the Sunday night screening at the Museum of Modern Art, coming just days after the terrorist attacks in New Zealand, was particularly challenging.
“It’s unfortunately timely,” said Armie Hammer, who plays a fictional American caught up in the incident. “The message of the film is the humanity present within an attack like this. In the face of abject terror, all of these people were able to put aside their differences to try and survive something hellacious.”
His onscreen wife, played by Nazanin Boniadi, said: “The film is about extremism, which can take hold in any ideology. And how important we recognize that this isn’t confined to any country or faith.”
The after-party took place at another hotel, Ian Schrager’s recently opened Times Square Edition, where fellow cast members, including Dev Patel, Anupam Kher and Jason Isaacs, were joined by Damian Lewis, Ryan Eggold, Clive Davis and Katie Couric.
Mr. Hammer voiced his support for Will Connolly, a.k.a., “Egg Boy,” the 17-year-old Australian who became a viral sensation last week for smashing an egg against the head of an anti-immigration politician.
“That kid is my hero, we need more of that,” Mr. Hammer said. “This guy” — meaning the Australian senator who blamed the recent terror attack on Muslim immigration — “deserved it. We’ve had enough of this isolationism and xenophobia.”
