Celebrity Sightings in Rhinebeck, New York

The Chelsea Clinton wedding put the tiny Hudson Valley village of Rhinebeck, New York on the map, and the media came to the area in droves that weekend, hoping for lots of celebrity sightings. For a few days in late July 2010, Rhinebeck, a small Hudson Valley town about two hours north of New York City and a haven for wealthy weekenders, was turned upside down when Chelsea Clinton married Marc Mezvinsky at an estate just outside the Rhinebeck village.

Celebrity sightings in Rhinebeck were all the rage, and locals and those in town for the Chelsea Clinton wedding went wild spotting celebrities and politicians, and speculating about which public figures were actually in Rhinebeck that weekend.

Rhinebeck celebrity sightings for the Chelsea Clinton wedding included Bill Clinton (eating lunch at town favorite Gigi Trattoria) and Hilary Clinton, as well as Maria Menounos, John Oliver and Wyatt Cenac from Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Vera Wang (designer of Chelsea Clinton's wedding gown), actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, and Madeleine Albright (Oprah, Obama, Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg were not spotted).

Seeing stars in Rhinebeck is really nothing new, they've been descending on the village and outlying areas for years, buying expensive houses and coming into the Rhinebeck village to hang out. Famous people like famed photographer Annie Leibovitz own houses in Rhinebeck, and Upstate Films and the yearly Woodstock Film Festival draw actors, directors and filmmakers.

My So Called Celebrity Sighting in the Village of Rhinebeck, New York

Celebrity sightings are a bit like UFO sightings: if you blink you might miss it, then you poke your companion in the ribs saying "Hey did you see that or was it just me?" and then they don't always believe you really saw anything. I love film, I'm familiar with who is hot in Hollywood, and I live near Rhinebeck. I recently had my own celebrity sighting in this quaint village. I'm pretty sure I saw a popular young movie star eating lunch one October afternoon at an outdoor cafe in Rhinebeck, New York.

On Columbus Day in October 2010, I believe I saw actress Claire Danes sitting at a table outside the Rhinebeck restaurant Starr Place. There weren't too many people sitting along the street at the outdoor cafe at Starr Place that Monday, so Danes and her companions caught my eye as I walked past the restaurant, which is located right next to Upstate Films, a local movie theater that shows independent films.

Claire Danes is a respected film actress who is perhaps best known for starring in the teen angst ridden TV drama My So Called Life, and recently, she's been seen in the print and commercial ads for eyelash enhancing beauty product Latisse. There were four people in Danes's party at Starr Place in Rhinebeck that day.

I immediately made the celebrity sighting of Claire Danes in Rhinebeck, as Danes was seated facing toward the street. I thought I recognized her husband British actor Hugh Dancy sitting opposite her (with his back to the street). I didn't spot any other celebs in the group, but I believe I saw actress Claire Danes (or could it be her Doppelganger?) enjoying a quiet lunch at Starr Place that Monday.

Fortunately for Claire Danes, Rhinebeck has had enough celebrity sightings that locals are very cool about seeing stars in their community, and when I went by, Danes and company were not approached by any weekenders or residents. Claire Danes discretely kept her head down while I saw her eating, which makes me wonder, if a star wishes to avoid a celebrity sighting, why sit facing the street?

On summer weekends in Rhinebeck, New York, I've also had a few other celebrity sightings, like The View TV host Joy Behar (outside a real estate office near Samuel's coffee shop) and actor Griffin Dunne. Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy are my most intriguing Rhinebeck celebrity sighting, proof that young Hollywood is in the mood to hang out in Rhinebeck after all the hoopla over the Chelsea Clinton wedding.

Will Rhinebeck turn into the new Hamptons of the Hudson Valley? Anything's possible after this little town was thrown into the spotlight after the Chelsea Clinton wedding. One thing is for sure: Rhinebeck, New York will continue to be a hot destination for stars and I'm sure there will be lots more celebrity sightings in Rhinebeck.

Sources:

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/08/01/just-married-chelsea-clinton-wedding-draws-celebrities-politicians-onlookers/

http://starrplace.com

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101003/NEWS/10030330/-1/news