celebz.

As a wise and mature 24-year-old female graduate student living in the greatest city in the world, I am clearly above the shallow and unimportant things such as the hoopla that goes hand in hand with celebrity and famous people, right?

Wrong.

Yours truly has seen quite a few famous (and "famous") people around these city streets and I am the first to admit that I hurriedly bust out my phone to tweet or mass text my friends regarding the latest sightings. So far, I have seen Macauley Culkin (walking near Union Square with groceries in hand), Maulik Pancholy of 30 rock (on the subway), Christine Taylor and her daughter (at the UWS Barnes & Noble), Sting (walking in Central Park with the wifey), and Anderson Cooper (standing outside the CNN building and looking as delicious as ever...)

Luckily, I have the good sense to leave these people the hell alone rather than be a crazed fan. These people are great, but they are just that - people. That said, however....there are a few individuals who I am just dying to spot. JUST DYING TO SPOT. I would definitely maintain my willpower and just gawk from a distance rather than ask for an autograph or picture but I truly feel that my New York experience would be complete if I could see even just one of these favorites. Are these shallow and unimportant aspirations? Definitely. Does that mean I'll let go of this list of desired celeb sightings? Definitely not.

Here are the fab four:

Bethenny Frankel.

Surprise? I mean, the woman is a reality TV star. Ew. No but seriously, I love her. She is ridiculously hilarious and bad-ass and is a self-made entrepreneur and I can't help but be glued to the screen each Monday night to watch her just do her thing (which usually involves a psychotic break-down only to be followed by endearing and relatable self-reflection). She also has an equally-funny husband who seems like the sweetest man on earth and they even have an adorable baby girl, Bryn. Bethenny's humor, self-made success, and completely relatable personality make me want to be her best friend. Running into her on a city sidewalk would only help initiate that process...

Ed Norton.

Uh...celebrity crush. What can I say? He may not have Johnny Depp's sex appeal or Matthew Macconaughey's abs, but don't tell me he's not a phenomenal actor and consequently hot in his own right. He's also way cool - I remember reading somewhere when he was up and coming that he never wanted to reach a level of celebrity in which he couldn't continue to ride the subway. Clearly, he's not into the fame and glamour and I know for a fact that he does a lot of charity work. Which I would be happy to help him with once I find him. Probably on the subway.

Natalie Portman.

The woman is on fire - multiple awards for Black Swan, a new fiancee, and a baby on the way. And yet, people have always loved her due to her stunning looks, natural charm, and ability to effortlessly transition between serious actor and outrageous comedian (see: SNL skit if you don't know what I'm talking about). She is the most talented person I can think of and I am dying to see her on a grocery run or a casual stroll around her Soho neighborhood (double points if spotted with her fiancee!).

Amar'e Stoudemire.

Amar'e is the MAN. Thanks to my sports-obsessed boyfriend, I know all about about this lad - an amazing power forward for the New York Knicks. The Knicks have sucked for quite a few years now but Amar'e has helped bring them back. Now with the recent addition of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks made it into the playoffs and are in the midst of trying to take down the Boston Celtics (the first game was a close loss, unfortunately). So while Amar'e is my favorite player on the team, I also happen to think he's ridiculously adorable. I mean, check out his STYLE. I just want to be his best friend, what can I say? I've seen him on the court, but now I'd like to see him up close and off court, perhaps shopping around for inspiration for the women's fashion line he is currently working on. Game 2 is tonight - let's go Knicks!

So, fingers crossed people. I'm shooting for all four sightings by summer 2012 but we know the chances of even just one sighting are slim (but a girl should dream big!). I'll keep you posted.