An arctic blast pierces through my Irish knit sweater as I navigate my way down Fifth Avenue against the tide of revelry that is the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. March 17th in New York City is usually a harbinger of spring after a long, dark winter. Whether Irish by birth or just for the day, there seems to be a general lightness in attitude and footstep. Nevertheless, in an effort to keep warm from the biting cold with my quickening pace, I bump into one such merry-maker who’s dressed as a leprechaun. He is obviously intent on finding his “pot of gold” at some Upper East Side watering hole. I am just as determined to secure that perfect chapeau for this year’s Easter Parade at Dora Marra’s hat shop in the Chelsea Market. A mere two weeks from now this iconic avenue, currently teeming with the “Wearin’ of the Green” will be transformed into the go-to haute runway for all the swells of New York donning their most chic and imaginative spring haberdashery.
The leprechaun and I exchange awkward smiles. He offers a polite apology and we continue going our separate ways. Two ships passing in the night as it were. I hear a faint moan of a distant bagpipe as I make my way past the New York Public Library at 42nd and Fifth. I pay homage to Patience and Fortitude, the world renowned pair of lions that stand proudly before the majestic Beaux-Arts building. It is said that “March comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb.” I cross my fingers and hope that the presence of these towering beasts portend a more gentle “roar” into spring, filled with lucky 4-leaf clovers, sun-filled, warmer days and most importantly, the perfect hat!