GET A PIECE OF THE PLAZA. Today I tasted the bittersweet beauty of the Plaza Hotel's liquidation sale.

There are at least two good reasons to go before the sale ends on Sunday. First, you might want to take away "a piece of the Plaza," such as its little wooden end tables (priced today at $50), which would be fine as gifts, furniture, and conversation pieces in settings from apartments to second homes. Second, even if you're not interested in buying anything, this sale is a golden opportunity to wander through the hotel's rooms, saying "adieu" amid a Shining-like atmosphere of faded opulence brought down to earth by the clusters of Plaza remnants--wardrobes, pianos, TV sets, vacuum cleaners, lighting fixtures, etc.--available for purchase. It's a worthwhile and unusual experience.