in New England, he and conductor Arthur Fielder were regular, public fixtures in the haute couture scene around Boston/NYC. They may have been friends, can't recall off hand.

Reprinted from late editions of yesterday's Globe.

The first concert Leonard Bernstein ever heard was by the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler , and the first professional orchestra he ever conducted was the Pops, back in 1940. Even after he became America's foremost classical music celebrity, he returned to conduct the Pops for his 25th and 50th Harvard class reunions.

Thursday night Keith Lockhart and the Pops performed an all-Bernstein salute, which focus ed on his five Broadway scores. Six of this summer's Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows performed alongside prominent pros, and more than held their own.>>>

http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/06/17/bernsteins_music_powered_by_pops/

More: https://jewishjournal.org/2018/04/26/boston-pops-to-celebrate-the-magic-of-leonard-bernstein/

strong appreciation of the arts, I miss that about the place, but I don't know if I could live there again.