cityfile

When Hedge Funders Win, We All Win

cityfile · 07/13/09 11:18AM

You may still be dealing with the nasty effects of the economic downturn, but the pain and misery appears to be over for the hedge funders who were forced to momentarily put off plans to buy a new jet or private Caribbean island earlier this year. The Post reports the first six months of 2009 were very good for the likes of Steve Cohen, Paul Tudor Jones, Phil Falcone, and John Paulson as "hedge funds overall turned in their best performance in a decade, with funds up 12 percent through the end of June." Before you immediately brush this off as just another example of the rich getting richer while the less fortunate continue to struggle, consider four reasons why it's actually great news that Phil Falcone may end the year with a net worth north of $3 billion:

Ruth Madoff: Incognito, Nervous

cityfile · 07/13/09 10:39AM

A tipster writes in to say she saw Ruth Madoff late last week: "Saw Ruth Madoff on Thursday at 5pm on chambers street on the corner of Greenwich in Tribeca. Wearing slacks, sweater, and loafers. Also had on dark sunglasses, but I know for sure it was her. Looked upset and was walking in a hurry." It's unclear where she was in such a hurry to get to. That rendezvous at California Pizza Kitchen, perhaps?

Ali Wise Gets Technical

cityfile · 07/13/09 10:13AM

Ali Wise's lawyer is responding to the charges she hacked into the voicemail account of fellow social butterfly Nina Freudenberger. Attorney Mark Jay Heller says Wise didn't do anything wrong—or at least commit the crimes she's been accused of—since the charge of eavesdropping only applies to conversations that were overheard and/or recorded, not voicemails. And she couldn't have engaged in "computer trespassing" if phones—and not computers—are involved: "He [Heller] said authorities had misapplied new laws governing technology. The eavesdropping charge should be dismissed because, among other reasons, Wise had not overheard or recorded a conversation, Heller said. Of the computer trespass charge, he said authorities had not alleged or proven, 'that Ali engaged in any 'unauthorized' conduct in conjunction with a computer or computer service.'"

Spotted

cityfile · 07/13/09 08:33AM

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban crossing the street in Midtown ... Orlando Bloom checking out motorcycles at the Ducati dealership on Sixth Avenue ... Haley Joel Osment riding the subway ... Rachel McAdams running on the set of Morning Glory in Midtown ... Pierce Brosnan talking on his cell phone during lunch ... Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber arriving at JFK with sons, Alexander and Samuel, and Liev’s mom ... Mark McGrath eating lunch with girlfriend Carin Kingsland at Delicatessen on Prince Street ... Jessica Szohr shooting scenes for Gossip Girl in Soho ... Heidi Klum leaving her hotel with a big cup of coffee ... Hugh Jackman eating lunch at Da Silvano with his wife and kids ... Emilie de Ravin walking on the set of Remember Me in Cobble Hill ... and Tim Robbins pushing his bike downtown.

Marc Dreier, Bad Neighbor

cityfile · 07/13/09 08:16AM

Marc Dreier pleaded guilty in May to charges he bilked investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars, and he's been under house arrest since then. But today is judgment day and the disgraced lawyer will find out his fate in shortly. In the meantime, though, it looks like he has other problems: "Investment scammer Marc Dreier has been paying $70,000 a month for security guards to make sure he doesn't leave his NYC penthouse. Apparently they don't do dog-walking. Spies say Dreier's terrace is covered with pooch poop." [NYDN]

Googler Buys Prospect Park Townhouse

cityfile · 07/13/09 07:32AM

• It turns out Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick aren't moving to Brooklyn after all. Shooting down a story that first appeared in the Post, the Times reports that the mystery buyers behind the $8.45 million purchase of Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany's townhouse at 17 Prospect Park West are actually "a wealthy Google engineer and his wife," who bought the home through a company called Harken Pretty and "asked that their names not be published." [NYT]
• Philanthropists Amnon and Caren Heller Barness, who paid $12 million for a penthouse at Trump Park Avenue last year, have sold their former apartment at 1016 Fifth. The two-bedroom co-op was purchased for $4.2 million by attorney Peter Sloane and his wife, real estate agent Jaar-mel Sloane. [Cityfile]
• After more than a year on the market (and a $10 million price cut), the Sloane Mansion is officially off the market. The 18,500-square-foot home had been listed with Paula Del Nunzio for or $54 million. [NYO, previously]

Weiner Commits

cityfile · 07/13/09 07:13AM

Now we know why Anthony Weiner wasn't too eager to run for mayor (and not just because he would have lost, although there's that, too): It's because he's settling down. A spokeswoman for Weiner revealed over the weekend that the congressman proposed to Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, back in late May. Now we just have to wait for a photo to surface of the two of them standing next to each other, and it'll be all but official. [NYP]

Happy Birthday

cityfile · 07/13/09 06:33AM

Harrison Ford turns 67 today. Stephen Glover, who you probably know by the name "Steve-O," is turning 35. Actor Robert Forster is 68. Patrick Stewart is turning 69. Writer/director Cameron Crowe is 52. DailyCandy founder Dany Levy is turning 37. Hedge fund manager Dinakar Singh is 40. Writer Dale Peck turns 42. Cheech & Chong's Cheech Marin is turning 63. And retired basketball player Spud Webb turns 46 today.

Is Brangelina NYC-Bound?

cityfile · 07/13/09 06:02AM

• Are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie moving to NYC and into a giant apartment at the Apthorp? That's the rumor! [NYDN]
• The good news/bad news for Madonna: She's getting along much better with her ex, Guy Ritchie, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, the reconciliation isn't making Madonna's boyfriend, Jesus Luz, very happy. [DM]
• After six months in St. Lucia, Amy Winehouse is lonely, homesick, and deeply unpopular with the locals. So now she may return to the U.K. where she's totally adored, naturally, [DE]
• Boys will be boys: Leonardo DiCaprio looked like he was "on the prowl" in NYC last week. And Jeremy Piven looked like he was "ogling" Hayden Panettiere the other night. [P6, P6]

Eating & Drinking: Friday Edition

cityfile · 07/10/09 03:15PM

• 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

cityfile · 07/10/09 02:54PM

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

cityfile · 07/10/09 02:34PM

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

cityfile · 07/10/09 12:58PM

• 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

cityfile · 07/10/09 12:37PM

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

cityfile · 07/10/09 11:29AM

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.

The Publicist/Hacker and the Scheming Decorator

cityfile · 07/10/09 10:28AM

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.

Spotted

cityfile · 07/10/09 08:45AM

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

cityfile · 07/10/09 08:27AM

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

cityfile · 07/10/09 07:51AM

• 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]