Dan Adams, state Sen. Will Brownsberger and Caroline Reeves at the Charlesgate Alliance Silent Auction

Bid Till it Hurts

Despite the Emerald Necklace being the crown jewel of Boston, Frederick Law Olmsted’s system of parks has one unloved link, namely Charlesgate Park—the green space that separates Back Bay from Kenmore Square.

Enter the Charlesgate Alliance, which has plans underway to turn the ugly duckling into a swan worthy of the Public Garden, and to raise money for the project, they held their second annual Silent Auction in the lobby of an opulent Comm. Ave. apartment building.

Evan Bradley, Jamie Santuccio and Kristen Mobilia at the Charlesgate Alliance Silent Auction

Present and accounted for: fanatical fisherman Jesse Greenstein, latter-day Sebastian Flyte William Charleton, ink-stained mensch David Jacobs, smoldering architect Dan Adams, the incandescent Hélène Vincent, Statehouse denizen Will Brownsberger, Brahmin restaurateur George Lewis and the flawless Claudine, and unapologetic feline-lover Terri North, who proudly admitted to throwing her cat a bar mitzvah.

The wine flowed freely, which upped the bidding on everything from cashmere shawls and sports tickets to dinner at a restaurant that one guest somewhat incredulously described as “somewhere outside of Back Bay.”   

Discussing a particular personal quirk, one guest said, “I thought that was your first wife,” to which the man responded, “There seems to be a pattern.”

However, the afternoon’s best remark came from the woman who said, “I told my wife, ‘If you send me to a silent auction by myself, don’t be pissed off if I come home with a sailboat.’”◆

Avez-vous dish? Dirt? A spectacular social occasion? Call J.S. at 617-859-1400, ext. 303, or send an email to jonathan@improper.com.