In a grand bank turned catering hall, Cipriani 42nd Street — noted for its “marble columns and carefully reconstructed socialites,” by film and stage star Nathan Lane — the New York Landmarks Conservancy named six New Yorkers “Living Landmarks” Tuesday night.

“Why do I love New York City? There must be at least a thousand reasons,” opera diva Jessye Norman, said on a video introducing the honorees.

At 85, Living Landmark John Whitehead said, “the living part of it is nice to me.” Beth Rudin DeWoody presented him with an award named after her late father, Lewis Rudin.

Lauren Bacall, who lives in a landmark building on the West Side, said, “I’m a great believer in preservation” and called for New York not to tear down any more buildings in order to preserve its character.

The chairman of the Shubert Organization, Gerald Schoenfeld, got a serenade from Patti LuPone, then talked about his hands-on role in preservation. “I am the custodian of 16 Broadway theaters,” Mr. Schoenfeld said. His company has restored many of these.

The host of the festivities was legendary celebrity and gossip columnist Liz Smith. She counseled this year’s honorees on how life changes once one becomes a Living Landmark.

“You’ll get a new vision of yourself. You’ll imagine your name in the book the Statue of Liberty holds,” Ms. Smith said.

Ms. Norman said the honor would make her “walk taller and pay more attention to strangers.”

The conservancy has helped hundreds of buildings in New York City stand taller and be admired by strangers. Since it was founded in 1973, the organization has distributed more than $30 million in grants and loans to owners of historic homes, businesses, schools, houses of worship, theaters, affordable housing units, and community centers.

Vogue’s editor, Anna Wintour, and its editor at large, André Leon Talley, introduced honoree Oscar de la Renta.

“Oscar is a fixture of New York society at its most philanthropic and glamorous and cultured,” Ms. Wintour said.

The modest fashion designer deferred that designation to the female company he keeps. Seated at his table were his wife, Annette de la Renta, his stepdaughter, Eliza Bolen, and fellow honoree, interior designer, and philanthropist, Mica Ertegun. And similarly glamorous female company was scattered throughout the room.

Mr. Lane had the crowd roaring in advance of Ms. Bacall’s stage entrance.

“Last year I went to the Dead Landmarks dinner. It was a real downer,” Mr. Lane said.

This event was just the opposite: living, breathing, jovial.

agordon@nysun.com