The Great Jay Gatsby — he remains the man, the myth, the legend of the Roaring Twenties.
But what if this larger-than-life literary character lived outside
the Jazz Era? How would his lavish lifestyle — from those sprawling
private parties and swanky speakeasies, to the flashy mansions, cars and
fashions — translate to a different decade?
Well, we're finding out — by dropping the distinguished Gatsby
(hypothetically, of course) into the twenty-first century. Here's how we
would imagine the big spender rolling in present-day New York.
The Girl:
For Gatsby, it all starts with the apple of his eye. Perhaps he would find his modern-day Daisy Buchanan in a socialite like Olivia Palermo. She's not like those loose flapper girls — she's sophisticated, stylish and, most importantly, posher-than-thou.
The House:
Gatsby would masquerade as a millionaire in an East Hampton mansion, where he would call such Hollywood royalty as Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, and Russel Simmons neighbors.
And the amusement park-sized mega manse be adorned with the works, from
several bedrooms, bathrooms, and guest homes, to a pool, a tennis
court, and maybe even a golf course.
The Club:
A run-of-the-mill country club out on the Island would be far beneath
the Great Gatsby. The prodigal would instead opt for Manhattan's most
prestigious members-only spots, like SoHo House — where he'd rub
shoulders with VIPs like Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman, and Robert DeNiro — and would even wiggle his way into The Harvard Club, in a bid to protect his highly-educated front.
