Restaurants, bars, and clubs don't just shut down these days. They "close for renovations" for a few weeks or months. Then they announce that they are not, in fact, planning to reopen and they've been shuttered for good. Below: a few recent examples of what is sometimes the result of a series of unexpected events, but is often a face-saving public relations technique.
It's not all bad news for Bank of America today. Sure, the financial giant announced a $1 billion loss for the third quarter following heavy losses in its mortgage and credit card divisions. But it made some of it back within hours. Property records filed with the city today indicate the bank sold off its corporate apartment in the Time Warner Center for $7.2 million, and it purchased the place for $6.35 million three years ago. So if you're a Bank of America shareholder and it makes you feel any better, feel free to adjust the loss downward to 999,150,000. [NYT, NYO]
It isn't easy being the son of Bernie Madoff, clearly. On Wednesday night, a "stressed-out" Mark Madoff got into an argument with his wife, stormed out of the apartment, hopped on his Vespa scooter, and disappeared into the night. Fearing the worst, Stephanie Madoff called the cops to report him missing. But he turned out to be okay. He returned to the apartment the next morning and explained that he'd spent the night at the Soho Grand. And he proved that despite all the psychological pressure he says he's been under—which us supported by the slovenly look he's been sporting in recent months—he's still a Madoff at the end of the day. He reportedly checked into the hotel under a fake name and paid the bill in cash. [NYP]
Earlier this week, it was reported that just three floats had been registered for the Greenwich Village Halloween parade, which will undoubtedly make the annual event more a picture of lameness rather than one of guts and gore as it was in years past. Now it turns out that the number of people planning to celebrate the holiday this year is down to just 62 percent. Of those revelers, a measly 33 percent are dressing up, and only 42 percent are planning to carve a pumpkin. What's next, no more pumpkin pie?
Sienna Miller walking her dog ... Brooke Shields running errands around town ... Lindsay Lohan shopping at Curve on Mercer Street in SoHo and later heading off in an SUV ... Hilary Duff walking to the Gossip Girl set ... Jessica Szohr shopping at The Limited in SoHo ... Matt Damon filming scenes for The Adjustment Bueau in the rain ... Naomi Watts posing for a photo shoot outside the Cooper Square Hotel ... Shia LaBeouf spitting on the sidewalk outside his trailer on the set of Wall Street 2 .. . Michael Urie and America Ferrera shooting scenes for Ugly Betty ... and Jessica Simpson leaving Nobu after having dinner with hair stylist Ken Paves and her mom.
The Huffington Post has an "exclusive" interview with Patrick Liotard-Vogt, the 25-year-old heir/spoiled brat from Switzerland who just bought the also-ran social network ASmallWorld from Harvey Weinstein. Curiously, the interview was conducted by Sabine Heller, who actually works worked for ASmallWorld, a fact she doesn't bother to mention. But that only makes it all the more amusing when Liotard-Vogt uses the discussion to mock the movie mogul who has fallen on hard times:
It looks like bling isn't dead after all. (Or if it did recede a bit during the recession, it's since returned.) Per the Post: "Bling-loving hip-hop mogul Diddy accidentally flung a diamond-studded ring into a raucous crowd as he hurled bundles of cash off a stage at a Midtown studio—sparking an audience frisking that had attendees feeling like common criminals." Sadly, the search didn't turn up the ring, so Diddy is now out $20,000. But if he can just resist the temptation to order 50 bottles of Cristal when he goes out tonight, he'll have made up the difference by tomorrow morning. [NYP]
• After more than two years on the market, Gisele Bundchen has finally found a buyer for her triplex penthouse at 347 West 11th Street. The supermodel didn't make out nearly as well as she'd been hoping when she first put the 1,700-square-foot apartment up for sale. Originally priced at $10.9 million in Sept. 2007, the pad was listed for $4.5 million when it went into contract last week. Hopefully she'll have better luck with the Barrow Street townhouse that she wants to sell. It's still on the market for $13.95 million. [WSJ, PDE]
• Dave Barger, the CEO of JetBlue, has taken a loss on the sale of his 11th-floor apartment at The Plaza. The two-bedroom pad, which Barger picked up for $10 million in 2007, just sold for $9 million. [Cityfile]
• Daniel Radcliffe has paid $5.65 million for a five-bedroom townhouse at 339 West 12th Street. The 3,000-square-foot property comes with six fireplaces and a balcony that overlooks a 39-foot-long backyard. [NYO]
• Publishing heir James Fairchild and his wife Whitney, who sold their Sutton Place apartment last year for $9 million, have picked up a new home in the Hamptons. The couple has gone into contract to buy a "fixer-upper" in Southampton for "well under" its asking price of $11 million. [NYP]
Andre Leon Talley, Vogue's inimitable editor-at-large, turns 60 today. Actor Tim Robbins is turning 51. John Mayer is 32. Angela Lansbury is 84. Sports commentator Tim McCarver turns 68. JetBlue founder David Neeleman is turning 50. David Zucker, the man who directed Airplane! and The Naked Gun, is 62. Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller is 45. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is turning 47. Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead turns 62. Mega-art collector Donald Jonas is 80. And Suzanne Somers turns 63 today. Below: A list of people celebrating their birthdays this weekend.
• Lindsay Lohan could use a little good news today, especially since she's still dealing with the aftermath of her disastrous outing at Paris Fashion Week. Today is not going to be that day, unfortunately. Lohan is set to appear in court in LA a little later to answer questions about whether or not she's violated the terms of the probation she was given after she was busted for DUI a couple of years ago. Let's hope her powers of persuasion are in full effect. The judge could potentially sentence her to jail time, which would not only suck for LiLo, but would also leave Emmanuel Ungaro directionless, clearly. [TMZ, E!]
• Are John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston back together? Is she simply powerless to resist his advances? And have they spent the last few weeks meeting up for secret, romantic escapades around town? For the sake of Aniston's long-term mental health, let's hope none of those things are true. [Us, People]
• Go set your DVR. Tyra Banks plans to air the "first-ever televised colonic" on her show today. Just don't watch it while you're eating. [Dlisted, Tyra Show]
• Todd English's troubles with Erica Wang, his former fiancée (and the woman he was supposed to marry last weekend) continue: The chef filed a criminal complaint against her earlier this week, claiming she clocked him in the eye, a wound that he says required seven stitches to close. [NYP]
• A bit of better news for English: Juliet, his new club/restaurant on West 21st Street, is on track to open to the public next week. [TONY]
• Steve Hanson's latest venture, Bill's Bar and Burger, opens tomorrow. [GS]
• A list of other recent openings, including Daniel Boulud's Bar Pleiades. [Eater]
• Purgatorio, the giant club/theater/haunted house in Times Square brought to you by The Box's Simon Hammerstein opened tonight. The extravaganza features "more than 100 performers swooping from rafters, screaming obscenities and gushing fake blood." Sounds like fun, doesn't it? [NYP]
• Is New York magazine up for sale now that Bruce Wasserstein has died? There's no reason to assume so, but that isn't stopping people from tossing around the names of some very unlikely "contenders." [NYP, AdAge, DF]
• Related: David Carr of the Times details how Wasserstein benefited the magazine; Daniel Gross of Slate focuses on his commitment to journalism; and New York's editors offer up their own heartfelt tribute to the mag's late owner.
• The cuts at Condé continue: Golf World felt the pain today. [Gawker]
• SNL has cut a deal with Anheuser-Busch to stick beer ads into the show. "Maybe if we drink enough the show will actually seem funny." [LAT]
Ivanka Trump is no longer just a real estate executive, jewelry designer, proponent of "fresh-tasting, healthy" microwaveable meals, and real estate heiress about to settle down with a real estate heir. She's now a published author, too! Ivanka's motivational book, The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life, is now here (with a blurb by her almost-boss Anna Wintour, no less), and last night she celebrated its publication with a party at—where else?—Trump Tower. Naturally, all the Trumps turned out for the fête. But while papa Trump wasn't necessarily in tip-top shape (he's "put on a bit of weight around the middle," reports David Patrick Columbia), Ivanka was "radiant and remarkably composed," reports Vanity Fair, even though she's getting married in a mere 10 days. Her advice to other women who might have to juggle a wedding merging two billionaire families while also promoting a soon-to-be bestseller at the same time: "Be relaxed, try to enjoy the moment, and remember: it's just a great party!" [VF, NYSD]
Ken Lewis, the outgoing CEO of Bank of America, won't be collecting a salary or bonus for 2009, according to the Wall Street Journal. Why? Because the Treasury Department's pay czar, Ken Feinberg, demanded it and the bank conceded rather than put up a fight. Don't shed any tears for Lewis: His retirement package is still worth between $69.3 million and $120 million. But there's reason to believe Citigroup chief executive Vikram Pandit is quaking in his Ferragamo loafers this evening:
Bungalow 8's demise has been rumored for a couple of years now—and years since it's been a serious hotspot—but the venue that helped revitalize the western edge of Chelsea (and turned it into a mob scene) is finally finished, a source tells us. Amy Sacco's lounge supposedly closed "for renovations" a couple of weeks ago. But after nearly nine years in business, we've been told that Sacco does not have any plans to reopen the club that served as celeb central in the early to mid-'00s. We contacted Sacco's publicist by phone and email for comment and have yet to hear back. But a call to Bungalow 8 confirms the obvious: The line has been disconnected.
Hiram Monserrate, the state senator who sliced up his girlfriend's face with a broken glass during a fight (and is officially New York's most evil politician) was found guilty of misdemeanor assault this afternoon. But was cleared of the two more felony charges against him, which means he'll be able to keep his seat in Albany. Sigh. [NYT]
Bravo announced today that it plans to add not one, but two new ladies to the cast of Real Housewives of New York: In addition to Sonja Morgan, a former hostess and the ex-wife of J.P. Morgan's great-grandson, the network is also tossing in an event planner named Jennifer Gilbert. Some fresh blood can't hurt, sure, but the much more exciting New York-centric reality TV news today has nothing to do with the Housewives. Page Six reports that a reality show about bizarro fashion designer Lloyd Klein is now being pitched to networks. The show would be about Klein and "his clients," which may not sound like the best premise for a program, particularly since his most famous client these days is LaToya Jackson. But any show about Klein would almost certainly have to include appearances by his BFF, Jocelyne Wildenstein, the woman who holds the title of most over-surgerized New Yorker. Join us in saying a little prayer that a gutsy TV exec out there takes a chance on Klein's show. (Are you paying attention, Animal Planet?) This could be huge!
