cityfile

Eddie Murphy Cuts; Designer Adam Lippes Lists

cityfile · 10/21/09 07:51AM

• Nearly five years after putting his New Jersey home up for sale for $30 million, Eddie Murphy has slashed $15 million off the asking price of 5-acre estate in Englewood. The 25,000-square-foot Colonial-style mansion, which features a bowling alley, theater, racquetball court, indoor pool, elevator, carriage house and recording studio, can now be yours for $14.99 million. [NYDN, Sotheby's]
• Fashion designer Adam Lippes is trying to sell his penthouse at 37 West 12th Street. According to the listing (which describes the apartment's owner as "a young rising star of NYC fashion"), the two-bedroom pad was designed by Eve-Lynn Schoenstein and David Schefer and has been featured in Elle Decor. It's currently on the market for $5.75 million. [Cityfile, Corcoran]
• More than a year after art dealer Daniel Wildenstein sold his family's mansion at 11 East 64th Street for $42.5 million, the 29-foot-wide townhouse has reportedly gone back on the market for $37 million with Carrie Chiang. [NYO]
• Michael and Amanda Salzhauer have sold their 10th floor apartment at 860 Park Avenue for $7.7 million. Michael is a principal at the real estate firm Benjamin Partners; Amanda is the daughter of Steve Roth, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, and his wife Daryl. [Cityfile]

Happy Birthday

cityfile · 10/21/09 06:57AM

Kim Kardashian officially turns 29 today, even though she got paid $50,000 to celebrate the big event in Las Vegas last week. Judith Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, turns 67. Saturday Night Live co-producer Marci Klein is turning 43. Actress Carrie Fisher is 53. Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, turns 57. Jade Jagger, social scenester and daughter of Mick and Bianca, is turning 38. Former Xerox CEO Anne Mulcahy is 57. Liliane Bettencourt, heir to the L'Oreal fortune and the second richest person in France, is 87. And Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu turns 60 today.

Salman Strikes Back

cityfile · 10/21/09 06:27AM

• Yesterday, Broadway actress Pia Glenn slammed Salman Rushdie, saying her ex-boyfriend was "dysfunctional" and was still obsessed with his ex-wife, Padma Lakshmi. Today, it's Rushdie's turn to hit back. Not has he "long ago turned the page and moved on" from Lakshmi, he says, he would also like you to know that Glenn is "a large, radioactive bucket of stress," "an accomplished liar," and also happens to be "broke and unemployed." So we're guessing a reconciliation is totally out of the question here? [P6]
• Expect to see an angry video by Tricia Walsh-Smith posted to YouTube any minute now. A state appeals court rejected the rage-filled divorcée's motion to undo her pre-nup to theater mogul Philip Smith yesterday. [P6]
• A California teenager has been charged with burglarizing Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Patridge's homes and making off with $170,000. [People, NYDN]
• Is Ali Wise's PR career over now that four women have accused her of voicemail hacking? That's what the Post suggests today, with a source telling the paper that "Wise is now radioactive in the industry." Then again, if there's anything we can learn from Lizzie Grubman's not-so-pretty past, it's that people who work in PR tend to be a very forgiving bunch. [NYP]

Bernie Madoff Makes Friends, Munches on Pizza

cityfile · 10/21/09 05:37AM

Bernie Madoff's life behind bars sure sounds, uh, colorful. A new lawsuit against the fraudster, which includes details from a recent visit to Madoff at a federal prison in North Carolina, says that he "shares a cell with a 21-year-old inmate convicted of drug crimes" (Madoff has the lower bunk); "eats pizza cooked by an inmate convicted of child molestation"; goes "walking around the prison track at night" for exercise; and spends his free time hanging out with "former Colombo crime family boss Carmine Persico and Jonathan Pollard, who was convicted of spying for Israel." [NYP]

cityfile · 10/20/09 05:22PM

• Barack Obama had lunch today at Craftsteak, just so you know. [NBC]
• Corsino, the latest restaurant by Jason Denton of 'ino and 'inoteca fame, has opened in the space previously occupied by Frederick's Downtown. [UD, GS]
• Unfortunate news for new NYT restaurant critic Sam Sifton: His predecessor, Frank Bruni, says it's impossible for critics to be anonymous these days. [CNN]
• Did you know LA has surpassed NYC as the "deli capital of America"? That's what the author of a new book on the delicatessen says, at least. [LAT]
• Megu is the latest restaurant to get slapped with a labor lawsuit. [GS]
Bon Appétit isn't following in Gourmet's footsteps and closing down. But it did reportedly hand out pink slips to a bunch of staffers today. [Gawker]
• Fashion stylist Robert Verdi, who says "thin is in," isn't the most tolerant guy in the world: "I think food is for fat people and poor people," he says. [Cut]

cityfile · 10/20/09 04:40PM

Attack of the Blondes: Taylor Momsen, Lindsay Lohan, and Donatella Versace at the Whitney Museum of American Art annual gala last night.

cityfile · 10/20/09 03:18PM

• It's Tuesday, which means fresh job cuts at Condé Nast have been revealed. In addition to the dozen Glamour staffers laid off yesterday, Style.com will cut Candy Pratts Price. And 200+ more layoffs could be ahead. [WWD, NYP, FWD]
• Maybe Condé Nast's fancy iPhone application, which was announced today, will stem the red ink? Maybe not. But it certainly can't hurt either. [AdAge]
BusinessWeek editor-in-chief Steve Adler says he will step down once the sale of the magazine to Bloomberg LP is completed in about a month. [BW]
• Sarah Palin will be Oprah's guest on November 16 as the former governor embarks on her book tour. Many of her fans aren't happy, unsurprisingly. [CT]
• The search for a Good Morning America co-host continues at ABC News. The front-runner at the moment seems to be George Stephanopoulos. [LAT]
Malcolm Gladwell says journalists shouldn't go to journalism school. [Time]
Harvey Weinstein's book publishing company is giving up its independence. It will be combined with Perseus Books starting December 1. [WSJ]

Hamish Bowles' Vacation From Hell

cityfile · 10/20/09 02:03PM

This could be because Condé Nast is determined to prepare its most overindulged employees for the exceedingly tough times ahead—or it could just have something to do with the fact Vogue's November issue has an environmental theme—but Hamish Bowles, the fashion mag's European editor-at-large, was asked to head to survival school "in deepest southern Utah" as part of an article in the new issue.

Working at Carnegie Hall Sure Has Its Advantages

cityfile · 10/20/09 01:05PM

Wall Streeters can expect to see annual bonuses jump 40 percent this year. But working for a bank requires you to wear a suit, sit behind a desk all day, and perform tasks that are often exceptionally boring. Why not become a stagehand at Carnegie Hall instead? You can show up in jeans, you'll get plenty of exercise, and while you won't make quite as much money, you'll sure come close!

The Good News/Bad News for Paterson

cityfile · 10/20/09 11:53AM

It looks like Gov. David Paterson's campaign to remake his public image by changing up his facial hair has yet to pay off, unfortunately. A new poll by Siena College indicates Andrew Cuomo would beat Paterson 70% to 20% in a potential Democratic primary, and 72% of New Yorkers would prefer to see someone else elected governor. But it's not all bad news: Paterson's job approval rating now stands at 19%, which is up a whole percentage point from last month. [NYDN]

Spoofcards For Dummies

cityfile · 10/20/09 11:37AM

Are you still a little confused how socialite Ali Wise managed to hack into the voicemail of four other women using a Spoofcard? You're in luck! The Post was kind enough to publish a guide to breaking into your bitter enemy's voicemail today. Proceed with caution! [NYP]

Goldman Sachs' Favorite NYC Private Schools

cityfile · 10/20/09 11:04AM

Goldman Sachs announced plans last week to donate $200 million to charity, a move designed to quell criticism over the firm's massive profits (and the massive bonuses that will soon handed out to the bank's employees). The donation isn't a gigantic sum for the investment bank—Goldman makes $200 million every three days or so—but it's a big step up from last year when the largest of the Goldman-affiliated foundations gave out about $12 million. So which non-profit groups stand to benefit the most from the firm's increased largesse? The institutions that Goldman wrote checks to last year runs about 25 pages. (You're welcome to go through it yourself; it's embedded below.) We focused on the dozens of elite private schools and fancy boarding schools that made the cut, a list you can review after the jump. But before you go out and start piecing together a conspiracy theory, we'll point out that the school that Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein's two sons (and his wife) attended wasn't anywhere close to the top. (Ethical Culture/Fieldston received a measly $10,000.) And as for Dalton, which is pictured above, it didn't get a dime.

Bernie Kerik Sent to Jail

cityfile · 10/20/09 10:17AM

Former NYC police commissioner Bernie Kerik is on his way to jail this afternoon. A judge revoked bail in his trial on conspiracy and fraud charges today after he concluded that Kerik could not be trusted to honor an order barring him from disclosing confidential information related to the trial. (The judge described him as a "toxic combination of self-minded focus and arrogance," which sounds about right.) Fortunately for Kerik, the trial is taking place in Federal District Court in White Plains, not in Manhattan, so he won't have spend the forseeable future confined to a cell in a building that was once named the Bernard B. Kerik Complex. That could have been a bit awkward. [NYT]

Bethenny Frankel Comes Planning to Spawn, After All

cityfile · 10/20/09 10:03AM

Yesterday, Bethenny Frankel denied rumors she was pregnant. Today? The soon-to-be a real "housewife" now tells People—while "fighting back tears," no less—that the rumor is actually true, but she hadn't planned on revealing the news yet, since she's still in her first trimester. Or because it would get in the way of promoting her line of "Skinnygirl" margaritas or her book, which advises women to survive on a diet suitable for three-year-olds. Or because she hadn't had time to secure the cover of a tabloid to "announce" the news. In any event, she says she's now eating lots of pickles, so you can expect to hear she's been signed up as a Vlastic spokesperson any day now. [People]

Spotted

cityfile · 10/20/09 09:10AM

Bar Refaeli heading to lunch yesterday at Lure Fishbar on Mercer Street ... Madonna and daughter Lourdes arriving at JFK ... Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts getting on their Vespa last night ... Leighton Meester filming scenes with Blake Lively for Gossip Girl outside the Empire Hotel ... Lindsay Lohan walking downtown ... Hilary Swank leaving ABC Studios ... Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson holding hands on the street ... Jon Gosselin and Hailey Glassman walking on the Upper West Side ... Kristen Johnston leaving a theater ... Matt Damon shooting scenes for The Adjustment Bureau ... and Rihanna arriving at Milk Studios in the meatpacking district.

Gaultier For Target

cityfile · 10/20/09 08:53AM

Jean Paul Gaultier is the latest big-name fashion designer to sign on to do a collection for Target. You can look forward to buying pointy-bra tops and corsets along with kitchen appliances and kids' toys—all at one super-convenient location—beginning next March. [Cut]

Insider Trading Scandal Rolls On

cityfile · 10/20/09 08:29AM

The biggest insider trading scandal to hit Wall Street in years may be about to get even bigger. Bloomberg reports that as many as 10 more people could be charged in connection with the case as early as next week.

A Sale at 15 CPW; Bobby Flay's Hamptons Buy

cityfile · 10/20/09 07:39AM

• One month after he unloaded his Greenwich mansion for $18.7 million, former Goldman Sachs partner Donald Opatrny has shed himself of his apartment at 15 Central Park West, too. The 35th floor, three-bedroom condo, which Opatrny purchased for $11.6 million in January 2008 and listed for $26 million in June 2009, sold for $21.5 million to an unidentified buyer. [Real Deal]
Bobby Flay and wife Stephanie March have a new Hamptons home in mind. The couple paid $1.485 million for a 2.89-acre parcel of land in Amagansett, where they're reportedly planning to build a "green" home. [Newsday]
Steve Madden is spreading out at 175 East 73rd Street. The footwear mogul has paid $2.2 million for a second co-op in the five-story building. Three years ago, he paid $3.6 million for the apartment next door. [Cityfile]

Bill Thompson, Stealth Candidate

cityfile · 10/20/09 07:16AM

As if Bill Thompson doesn't have enough to worry about as it is as he faces off against Mike Bloomberg, it seems that some New Yorkers have yet to figure out that the low-profile candidate happens to be black: "Ask Malcolm Woods, an African-American barista at the Common Grounds coffee shop in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, if he is inspired that there is a black candidate for mayor, and you get a surprised look. 'There is?' he asked." [NYT]

Happy Birthday

cityfile · 10/20/09 06:00AM

Snoop Dogg turns 38 today. The Office's John Krasinski is turning 30. Tom Petty is 59. Danny Boyle, the man who directed Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and Slumdog Millionaire, is turning 53. Keith Hernandez, the former first baseman for the New York Mets and now a baseball commentator, is turning 56. Actor Viggo Mortensen is 51. Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin is turning 39. Dannii Minogue, the Australian singer/actress who's better known as the younger sister of Kylie, turns 38. And psychologist and advice columnist Dr. Joyce Brothers is turning 82. And Hilda Solis, the United States Secretary of Labor, is 52.