Hotelier Eric Goode grew melancholy over four tortoises on display in an oversize tank at his Turtle Conservancy gala Tuesday night at the Bowery Hotel, which he co-owns. “I don’t like seeing them in there,” he told us, concerned that the noise and lights could bother the rare reptiles. “I wanted people to see the turtles but, the next time, I don’t think I’ll have them [here].” Goode’s Turtle Ball, which has caught the imagination of the downtown set, drew boldfaces including Graydon Carter, Parker Posey, Gina Gershon, Karlie Kloss, Fisher Stevens, Gretchen Mol, Stavros Niarchos and Sandra Bernhard. The event raised $500,000, boosted by the $52,000 sale of a sketch by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat during the auction. Goode, who has owned hotels including the Maritime, the Bowery and the Jane, has become one of the world’s leading turtle conservationists. He owns a 5-acre compound in California, the Behler Chelonian Center, which is devoted to the care and breeding of endangered turtles and tortoises.
Turtles check in for night
