SEPTEMBER The CULTURAL DIVIDE

23 OUR TOWN

Snapping back to a simpler time, the w ork of the late American photographer Rud Burekhardt captures the lyrical and blithe of everyday New York City living in a 67-image exhibition, "New York. N. Why? Photographs by Rudy Burekhardt, 1937-1940," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (9/23-114: met museu m.org)

Stylish Set

Fashion editors, starlets, and welldressed women of all walks take their seats in the tents at New York's Bryant Park for a week-long preview of the spring 2009 collections, beginning September 5. Two weeks later, the Milan shows debut with an added highlight from luxe leathergoods house Tod's, which screens a short directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Gwyneth Paltrow as a modern-day, pressbeleaguered Cinderella who, fleeing the paparazzi, leaves her darling Pashmy bag behind, (tods.com)

Naked Appetite

On September 10, the Upper West Side's beloved Cafe Luxembourg, a neighborhood spot known for flawless French cuisine and lighting that seems to bathe the whole world in a soft, pink glow, celebrates 25 years of delicious steak frites and cassoulets, unbeatable brunches, and happy customers, (cafeluxembourg.com)

Natures Harvest

If you are what you eat, then a bite or two at San Francisco's first The Slow Food annual Slow Food Nation event Nation icon. yOU healthy, socially conscious, and a champion of the environment— with discriminating taste buds. The convention will feature speeches by gourmands and grocers, policymakers and peaceniks, and an abundance of delicious foods while embracing the Slow Food culinary philosophy, based on serving local, organic, sustainable products. (8/29-9/1; slowfoodnation.org)

Photographs Legend

To celebrate his 100th birthday. Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh will be honored by Boston's Museum of Fine Arts with an exhibition of his work which includes portraits of some of the 20th century's most famous personalities Winston Churchill. Pablo Picasso, and Albert Einstein, among others. (9/23-1/18; mfa.org)

DINNER OF CHAMPIONS

Dine with a veritable team of champions at the 23rd annual Great Sports Legends Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, in N.Y.C. N.F.L. champion Jerry Rice, Grand Slammer Andre Agassi, and N B A. all-star Scottie Pippen will be among the heroes gathered (9/22, thebuonicontifund.com)

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, in Stratford, Ontario, now in its 55th year, puts on some of the best theater outside of Broadway and the West End. A highlight this year is George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, starring Christopher Plummer and directed by Des McAnuff. (8/17-11/9; stratford-festival.on.ca)