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Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

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Eating & Drinking: Friday Edition [Roundup]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:15:00 -0700

• More than 200 places will be taking part in New York Restaurant Week, which kicks off on Sunday. Here's a list of some of the notable newcomers. [Zagat]
• The outdoor courtyard at Locanda Verde has opened. [GS]
• A rendering of what the "sophisticated cocktail lounge" on the ground floor of the Empire State building will look like when it eventually opens. [Eater]
• Scandal! "Law enforcement officials are investigating several restaurants in the Hamptons where cheaper booze is poured into top-shelf brand bottles and served to clueless customers who can't taste the difference. [P6]
• A Q&A with Klaus Ortlieb of Table 8 and the Cooper Square Hotel. [Eater]
• Bottled water may be worse for you than tap water. Who knew? [Reuters]
• Rachael Ray had minor surgery to remove a benign cyst from her vocal cords. The good news/bad news, depending on what you happen to think of her: She'll be able to speak again in about a week or so. [People]

It Ain't Easy Being 18 [Reality TV]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:54:00 -0700

And you thought PC Peterson lived a charmed existence. It seems things did not go well for the NYC Prep castmember when he turned up at last night's launch party for Three-O vodka, hosted by Kim Kardashian: "Jessie and PC from the show turned up and tried in vain to join their friend Ally Zarin from The Real Housewives of New York inside. Publicists refused to let them in because they were underage—even though Zarin, who also is not yet 21, was partying away inside." [Daily Intel]

New York vs. Udaipur [Surveys]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:34:00 -0700

Exciting news! For the ninth year in a row, Travel & Leisure has named New York the "Best City in America." It's the magazine's readers—not its editors—who determine the rankings. And clearly we have a ways to go if we have any chance of winning the title of "World's Best City." NYC came out just eighth on that list. The winner? Udaipur, India. Naturally. [NYDN]

The Times, Jay-Z, Moneyball & Speaking Fees [Media Roundup]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:58:00 -0700

• Desperate times, desperate measures: The New York Times is thinking about charging a $5 monthly fee for access to its Web site. [BN, NYP]
• Jay-Z is close to signing a book deal with the Spiegel & Grau imprint of Random House; the book will include "the stories behind his lyrics." [NYO]
• Moneyball lives: Sony Pictures is attempting to salvage the movie by hiring Aaron Sorkin to polish the script and adding Scott Rudin as a producer. [NYT]
• A list of prominent media/web people and their public speaking fees. [PC]
• The media moguls in Sun Valley may not be interested in buying Twitter, but there is some good news: The British royal family has signed up! [AP]
• Discovery Channel has been promoting "Shark Week" by sending out bloody swim trunks and personalized obituaries to reporters. Charming. [Movieline]
• Depressing news: Ryan Seacrest makes a lot more money than you do. [THR]
• Great news: NBC's Jeff Zucker says we may have reached bottom. [B&C]

Office Space Available, Price Negotiable [Real Estate]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:37:00 -0700

If you're in need of office space and you're not at all superstitious, bear in mind that Bernie Madoff's old office is now available. One of the three floors that Madoff's firm occupied in the Lipstick building is now available for lease. The 17th floor space is 16,182 square feet and comes with lovely river views. If you move into the former CEO suite, you won't even need to bring a TV: "Only a pair of built-in cabinets and a wall-mounted television, easily 10 years old, remain." [AP]

Summer Vacation Plans, Fashion Edition [Q&A]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:29:00 -0700

Over the past couple of weeks, Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall has asked a few figures in fashion about their plans for the summer. What Chanel Iman, Fern Mallis, Thom Browne, Minnie Mortimer Gaghan, and Bonnie Morrison had to say below.

Chanel Iman
Model and co-host of MTV's House of Style
Q: What are you doing this summer, Chanel?
A: I'm still trying to decide what I want to do. I just had an amazing vacation in La Jolla, California and it was crazy. It was me and my best friend—I brought her along with me. We went paragliding in the sky and it was so much fun. So I want to do something crazy and wild. Like jump out of a plane or something.
Q: Are you an adrenaline junkie?
A: I guess you could say I'm an adventurist.

Fern Mallis
Senior vice president of IMG Fashion and judge of The Fashion Show on Bravo
Q: Do you have any exciting plans this summer? Fun travels, perhaps?
A: I'll be in LA to film the finale of The Fashion Show in July. It's happening at the same time that we're doing our Miami swim shows, so I'll probably have to miss that. But I'm happy to spend as much time in Southampton as I can during the summer.

Thom Brown
Designer
Q: What are your plans this summer?
A: It's a lot of travel for work, but I always mix the two. So I'll be in Italy for work, but I'll probably go to the coast while I'm there and then come back here. I'll be relaxing and getting ready for September.
Q: Do you ever go out East at all or are you a Hamptons-avoider?
A: Not an avoider, really. You know, I go occasionally, but it's not my normal thing. I do different things during the summer.

Minnie Mortimer Gaghan
Designer, socialite
Q: What are your summer plans?
A: I'm going to London for a little bit in July with my husband who is doing research. [Minnie's husband is Oscar-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan.] He's going to talk to old spies and some people for a movie he's working on, so I'm going to tag along. Then I'm going back to LA and I'm going to surf until I get to Southampton because the waves are big in LA/Malibu. I'm going to be in Southampton for August.

Bonnie Morrison
Fashion publicist, girl about town
Q: What are your summer plans?
A: I'm always really bad about summer plans because I'm not terribly organized, so I always get to summer and don't have anything organized. But I am going to Rome next week. I'm sort of tagging along with a friend who's going for work. We're going to explore. We're going to do the Eternal City, the Vatican, all that stuff. So it's going to be super hardcore sightseeing, the sort of thing you can't stand to do when you are with your parents. But now I'm older.
Q: That's fun! Anything else?
A: Other than that? I think I'm just going to sort of let it rip.

The Publicist/Hacker and the Scheming Decorator [Scandal]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:28:00 -0700

We've received a bit more info on Ali Wise, the Dolce & Gabbana publicist and social fixture who was arrested this week for allegedly hacking into the voicemail account of interior designer Nina Freudenberger. And it looks like Freudenberger may not be quite as innocent as she's led on. As Page Six reported today, the man at the middle of this little squabble is Josh Deutsch, the founder of Downtown Records.

Both women were romantic with Deutsch, as Freudenberg confirmed to the Post today. The feud started, our source tells us, when Freudenberger caught wind that Wise had gone on a romantic weekend getaway with Deutsch—back when she was still involved with her boyfriend of several years, hotel owner Jason Pomeranc.

When a jealous Freudenberger learned that Wise had cheated on her boyfriend, we hear she took the initiative to call up Pomeranc and brief him on this news personally, which led Pomeranc to end his relationship with Wise. Naturally, Wise wasn't all that thrilled that Freudenberger had turned her in, and she retaliated by hacking into Freudenberger's voicemail account. "The paranoia started from there," the source tells us, which is why, as Page Six's source indicates, Wise has since "been targeting people who have been with Jason and her ex-boyfriend."

So no one is really innocent here. Not that anyone who travels in these circles ever is, of course.

WHOLE LOTTA HACKIN' GOING ON [NYP]

Spotted [Out & About]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:45:00 -0700

Blake Lively and Leighton Meester walking down Prince Street yesterday where they were filming scenes for Gossip Girl ... Hugh Jackman playing with daughter Ava at a playground in the West Village ... Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban leaving their downtown apartment separately ... Vanessa Williams walking in Midtown ... Daniel Radcliffe signing autographs for fans on his way into Regis and Kelly ... Naomi Watts carrying shopping bags in NoHo ... Kate Mara filming scenes for Happy Thank You More Please downtown ... Kat Von D arriving at MTV's studio in Times Square ... Penn Badgley standing on the sidewalk in Midtown ... and J.K. Rowling leaving Monkey Bar on East 54th.

Thin Will Be In This Fall [Fashion Mags]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:27:00 -0700

If you were thinking you could save a little money by canceling your gym membership and lifting the September issue of Vogue over your head in sets of 10, well, you're probably going to need to come up with a new plan: "You won't need a forklift to pick up those typically thump-heavy September fashion magazines this year. As publishers approach their closing deadlines next week, most are resigned to the fact that the issues will be about a third lighter than in years past." [WWD]

Loral CEO Sells on East 61st [Buyers & Sellers]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:51:00 -0700

• Michael Targoff, the Loral Space & Communications CEO who paid $10.25 million for a penthouse at 778 Park Avenue last year, has finally sold off his old spread—a 3,800-square-foot townhouse at 211 East 61st Street (left). The four-story manse sold for $6 million. [Cityfile]
• Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has sliced $4 million off the price of his East Hampton estate. The six-bedroom mansion, which Alexander bought from Democratic lobbyist Liz Robbins for $15.45 million in early 2007, is now listed for $20.5 million. [Newsday, PDE]
• Miami real estate developer Tibor Hollo and his wife Sheila have paid $2.1 million for a 38th-floor apartment at the Trump Plaza on 61st Street. [Cityfile]

Albany Goes Back to Business (As Usual) [Politics]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:26:00 -0700

So the ridiculous standoff in Albany ended yesterday after the Democrats took back majority control of the New York Senate. So everyone can get back to work now, right? Right. Hope you enjoyed the show, though, because it didn't come cheap: "The Senate's monthlong descent into chaos wasted more than $5 million in state tax dollars and potentially robbed local governments of $150 million in expected revenue." [NYT, NYP]

Happy Birthday [One Year Older]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:34:00 -0700

Adrian Grenier turns 33 today. Jessica Simpson is turning 29. City comptroller (and mayoral wannabe) William Thompson is turning 56. Former mayor David Dinkins is turning 82. Times film critic A.O. Scott is 43. Showtime chief Matt Blank is turning 59. Author and marketing guru Seth Godin is 49. Writer Alice Munro is 78. Actress Sofia Vergara is 37. Eunice Kennedy Shriver is turning 88. The Office's Phyllis Smith is 58. Socialite Lisa Anastos is 41. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is turning 52. And Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys is 55. Weekend birthdays below!

Saturday: Lil' Kim (34); Giorgio Armani (75); writer Jhumpa Lahiri (42); Bloomberg L.P. president Dan Doctoroff (51); political dealmaker Stephen Berger (70); Richie Sambora (50); Suzanne Vega (50); Lisa Rinna (46); literary critic Harold Bloom (79); Sela Ward (53); actor Justin Chambers (39); and Gossip Girl's Connor Paolo (19).

Sunday: Bill Cosby (72); Brian Grazer (58); TV anchor Ernie Anastos (66); Topher Grace (31); Michelle Rodriguez (31); model Natasha Poly (24); Kristi Yamaguchi (38); Cheryl Ladd (58); actor Cheyenne Jackson (34); and Richard Simmons (61).

Britney's Conversion, LiLo's New Career, Jerry's Pitch [Gossip]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:05:00 -0700

• In news that will delight Jews the world over, it seems Britney Spears is thinking about converting to Judaism. She's been seen wearing a Star of David necklace and has found a rabbi to, like, teach her about stuff, so she's well on her way, clearly. [Sun]
• Lindsay Lohan hasn't been getting too many acting roles what with all her personal problems as of late. But she may have found a way around that: She's starting her own film/TV production company. [THR]
• Jerry Seinfeld's rep says he not facing money troubles. But he is doing commercials for "a bank in the boonies of Australia," which can't be a good sign. [P6]
• Mariska Hargitay is back on the set of Law & Order: SVU after a mishap earlier this week sent her to the hospital for 13 stitches. [NYDN]
• Publicist Ali Wise was arrested earlier this week for hacking into Nina Freudenberger's voicemail. But she may not be the only victim out there. [P6]

• Ryan Seacrest made $100,000 an episode for his "work" on American Idol last season. But that wasn't quite enough, so he's getting a pay raise. [Reuters]
• Katie Lee Joel is opening a burger joint in the Village. Ex-record exec Charlie Walk will be her partner, along with Sean Largotta of The Charles. [P6]
• Don't try to take a photo of Beyoncé from behind. Just don't, okay? [NYDN]
• The dispute between Leo DiCaprio and his neighbors over his outdoor basketball court has been settled. Phew! [E!]
• Heidi Pratt's newest venture: a dowloadable workout series. [NYDN]
• Gwyneth Paltrow is reporting on the state of her bowels. Again. [People]
• Jamie Foxx and Rihanna aren't on the best of terms, it seems. [P6]
• Jeremy Piven is sticking to that whole mercury poisoning story and still won't touch a piece of fish. He's doing lots of yoga instead, though. [NYDN]
• Madonna is hanging out in Paris with the kids right now, in case you're interested. [Sun, Popsugar]
• Actor Edward Furlong and his wife Rachael Bella are divorcing. [NYDN]
• Jim Carrey's daughter is expecting, which means Carrey is about to become a grandfather. [People]
• Morgan Freeman plans to marry his step-granddaughter. Or at least that's what the National Enquirer is reporting this week. [National Enquirer]

The Making of Agy, Project Runway Cast Revealed [Fashion]

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:09:00 -0700

• How did a fish-and-chips waitress named Laura Hollins transform herself into supermodel Agyness Deyn? Cintra Wilson reports. [NYT]
• Crisis averted! The $5,950 alligator clutch that some people thought Michelle Obama was carrying in Russia earlier this week was a much more modest $875 leather one. [NYDN]
• Say hello to the 16 contestants who will be making it work (or not) when the new season of Project Runway debuts next month. [People]

• Marc Jacobs is opening another store on Bleecker Street. [WWD]
• Missing in action: A roundup of the editors and assorted fashionistas missing from Couture Week in Paris. [FWD]
• Teen designer Kira Plastinina is back in business (in LA, at least)—not that everyone is so happy about it. [Cut]
• Celebrity clothing lines aren't quite as hot as they used to be. [WWD]
• In addition to everything else he's got on his plate at the moment, Isaac Mizrahi is curating an art exhibit, too. [SF]