cityfile

Spotted

cityfile · 03/31/09 09:22AM

Whitney Port and (ex-boyfriend!) Jay Lyon walking together in the West Village ... Sarah Jessica Parker leaving her townhouse with her mail in hand ... Julianne Moore walking along Sixth Avenue with husband Bart Freundlich and their kids ... Liev Schreiber carrying his son and a stroller in the East Village ... Paul McCartney getting out of an SUV on the set of Have You Heard About the Morgans? ... Sean Connery walking on the Upper East Side ... Jennifer Aniston carrying a script on the set of The Baster ... Ozzy Osbourne heading into an interview on Howard Stern's radio show ... and Kiefer Sutherland arriving for dinner at the Waverly Inn.

Anderson Loses to Olbermann in More Ways Than One

cityfile · 03/31/09 09:04AM

It looks like you won't be seeing any less of Keith Olbermann on MSNBC anytime soon. Back in January, Phil Griffin, the network's president, told the Times that finding a new show to replace the rerun of Olbermann's Countdown at 10pm was a "top priority." But MSNBC's plans have changed, it seems. Griffin now says he's putting an "indefinite hold" on the search for someone new, which may have something to do with the fact a canned Olbermann still usually beats out CNN's Anderson Cooper:

Exercise Won't Make You a Size Zero

cityfile · 03/31/09 08:32AM

In these dark times, we'll take good news from wherever we can, let alone spectacular news like this. Basically, any guilt you were harboring about not having been to the gym since the beginning of the new year you can replace with smugness, because scientists now say that exercise isn't going to make you thin. In fact, it might even make you fat! "Your appetite goes up when you start to exercise," according to one physiologist. "Your body is telling you it needs more calories, so you eat more."

Tinsley and Topper's Mini Cash Crunch

cityfile · 03/31/09 08:09AM

Blogger ChiChi212 says that Tinsley Mortimer turned up at Pastis over the weekend with her on-again, off-again husband Topper in tow, but Tinz's credit card went missing—gasp!—and they had no way to get home, so "the bartender had to give them $20 from the bar so they could take a cab." This supposes Tinsley carries a single credit card in her oversized wallet and that Topper carries no money of his own, but before you go and dismiss it as a silly rumor, you're more than welcome to take a moment to savor the thought. [ChiChi212]

A Recession-Proof Consumer Demo: Little Girls

cityfile · 03/31/09 07:47AM

Sign of the apocalypse number 567: It's not only teenage girls who are joining adult women in spending vast sums on make-up, hair products, and beauty treatments. Nor is it only tweens. According to research by Experian, 43 percent of 6- to 9-year-olds use lipstick or lip gloss, 38 percent use hairstyling products, and of course there's the now-notorious Dimples Kids' Spa in Brooklyn Heights (run, natch, by a Russian woman), where girls from 0-12 can get expensive mani-pedis and facials. So who or what is to blame for turning the nation's girl children into monstrous little patsies of the beauty industry? It's the internet, like you even needed to ask!

Calypso Founder Offers Up a Discount

cityfile · 03/31/09 07:32AM

Christiane Celle, the founder of the Calypso boutiques scattered across Soho/Nolita, and her husband, fashion photographer Antoine Verglas, have lowered the price of their duplex penthouse at 129 Lafayette Street. The four-bedroom loft (left), which went on the market for $13.995 million in January, is now priced at $11.999 million. [Cityfile, CBHK]
• Disgraced investor Gerhard Andlinger was hoping to set a new record a few months ago when he put his 8,300-square-foot condo at the Time Warner Center on the market for $65 million. Now he just wants to get a deal done. Andlinger is now looking to unload it for $49 million. [NYO, BHS]
• Visa senior vice president Darren Parslow and art director Justin Durongsaeng have paid $1.9 million for an eighth-floor condo at 133 West 22nd Street. [Cityfile]

Happy Birthday

cityfile · 03/31/09 06:52AM

Christopher Walken turns 66 today. The former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, is 61. Rep. Barney Frank is 69. Ewan McGregor is turning 38. Nutty radio host Michael Savage is 67. Film director Gary Winick is turning 48. Bergdorf fashion director Linda Fargo is 52. Legendary theater impresario Jimmy Nederlander is 87. Rhea Perlman is 61. Actor Richard Chamberlain is turning 75. And Travel Channel host Samantha Brown is celebrating her 40th today.

A Split for the Countess, A Suit for the Queen

cityfile · 03/31/09 06:06AM

• Sad news for those of you who expected "Real Housewife" Luann de Lesseps to be with her count in shining armor forever. The couple is now splitting up, reportedly because the count is getting serious with an "Ethiopian woman in Geneva." On the plus side, Luann should be able to hold on to her title as "Countess," which is the only thing that matters anyway. [P6]
Queen Latifah has been sued by her former "beauty and style consultants" for not paying $1 million in fees. [NYP]
Jennifer Lopez brought 11 pieces of luggage with her on her weekend trip to Japan. Even worse: They were of the cheap, non-designer variety. [DM]
• Soho House is kicking out the finance-types and says it plans to get back to its "artsy roots." Good luck with that. [P6]

The First AIG Arrest?

cityfile · 03/31/09 05:31AM

• The markets were down big yesterday—the Dow shed 254 points—but stocks should do better today as the first quarter of '09 comes to a close. [CNN, WSJ]
• ABC News reports that the FBI and federal prosecutors are "closing in" on AIG's most notorious exec, Joseph Cassano, who made as much as $300 million running the company's disastrous Financial Products Division. [ABC]
• Wondering what Andrew Cuomo has been up to? Here's your answer: He just forced JPMorgan to refund a group of customers $4.4 million. [DJ]
• Morgan Stanley is set to raise $6 billion for a new global property fund. [BN]
• France is now looking to limit executive compensation, too. [WSJ]
• The 15 largest global banks are expected to shrink their balance sheets by about $2 trillion in 2009. [Reuters]
• Google plans to commit $100 million to a new venture capital fund. [WSJ]
• One more victim of the recession: the sanctity of contracts. [NYT]
Carl Icahn is taking a gamble: He's bidding on Atlantic City's Tropicana. [DB]

Kelly Cutrone's Guide to Life

cityfile · 03/30/09 09:30PM

Fashion publicist/MTV reality show regular Kelly Cutrone has a book in the works! Aimed at "young women who have their sights set on power and success but lack the know-how to attain them," her co-author will be Observer reporter Meredith Bryan. Whatever you do, though, don't compare the "power girl's guide" to anything by Candace Bushnell: "It's a real girl's guide to the real fucking world... Sex and the City was a lot of frosting. I like Candace, and I think she's a good writer, but this isn't four girls holding hands running around New York. It's the real thing." [NYO]

Naomi Gives Back, Vera Under Pressure

cityfile · 03/30/09 06:43PM

• And you were thinking Naomi Campbell was devoid of sympathy and compassion. The supermodel has been all over Mumbai's Lakmé Fashion Week, where she's raising money for victims of last year's terrorist attacks. [SF]
Vera Wang's Lavender label may be in trouble now that Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue appear to be dropping the line for spring. [NYM]
• Sketches of Gwyneth Paltrow's collection with French label ZOEtee—"a mélange of Seventies glamour, rock inspiration and men's casual suiting"—are now available for your viewing pleasure. [WWD]
Anna Wintour was in Miami to see Roger Federer this past weekend. [FWD]

Eating & Drinking: Monday Edition

cityfile · 03/30/09 02:41PM

• Monkey Bar doesn't open for another week—and good luck getting it once it does—but The Feed nabbed a copy of the menu at a friends-and-family dinner on Friday night. You know, just in case you're interested to see what Graydon Carter's friends will be eating for the next few months. [TONY]
• For its part, Eater has a sketch of where the important and not-quite-as-important will be seated once Monkey Bar opens. [Eater]
• A Shake Shack does not appear to be destined for Central Park, alas. [GS]
• Shake Shack is, however, open at Citi Field, and served up people who attended the Georgetown-St. John's game yesterday. [NYM, NYDN]
• A fire will keep David Rabin's Los Dados closed for at least a week. [Eater]
• In this week's issue of New York, Adam Platt gives Chelsea's Txikito and the Flatiron district's Bar Breton one star apiece. [NYM]
• Bob Lape is signing off after more than 20 years of food reviews. [Crain's]
• It was six years ago today that the smoking ban went into effect, FYI. [EVG]

Met Board Steamed

cityfile · 03/30/09 02:28PM

Michael Gross's book about the Metropolitan Museum doesn't come out for a few weeks, but it looks like some members of the museum's board—including Henry Kravis, Henry Kissinger, and Annette de la Renta—are already unhappy with the tome. Although the Met refused to cooperate with Gross on Rogues' Gallery, a Met official conceeded recently that "some staff and alumni have answered questions." This probably means you won't be able to pick up a copy at the museum's official gift shop, although considering many of them are now closing, that may not matter all that much. [NYM]

Scarborough in Jeopardy?

cityfile · 03/30/09 01:50PM

Is Chuck Scarborough's tenure at WNBC coming to an end in the near future? He's been at the station for 35 years now, but Gawker reports his reported $3 million-a-year salary may be too rich for the local station, and it may be seeking to buy him out of his contract. In the meantime, a WNBC rep is denying the story: "He is not being bought out. Chuck is a big part of our station." [Gawker]

SL Green Looks to Raise Cash

cityfile · 03/30/09 12:52PM

SL Green, the real estate giant founded by Stephen Green, is reportedly looking to unload some of the 30 office buildings it controls around town. A sale will help the company deal with the $7.4 billion in debt it has accumulated. Also? The funds should come in handy when Mark Green asks his brother for some help mounting that political campaign he's been talking about recently. [The Real Deal]

Disability Seat Hall of Shame

cityfile · 03/30/09 12:20PM

If you see a man get on the subway with his foot in a cast and a crutches under his arms, and you happen to be sitting in a seat reserved for the disabled, get up and move. He might just take your picture and post it to his incredibly easy-to-remember blog. Unless, that is, you're elderly, "visibly pregnant," or you look like you have a disability, too, in which case you're safe. For now. [via Buzzfeed]

Vikram Pandit Will Remain at Citigroup Forever

cityfile · 03/30/09 12:05PM

Now that the Obama administration has drop-kicked GM CEO Rick Wagoner, can we expect other poor-performing chief executives to meet a similar fate? You'd certainly think so, especially when it comes to companies like Citigroup, which has received three government bailouts since last fall but has yet to figure out how to go a week without an embarrassing disclosure of one sort or another. Don't get your hopes up. According to "people familiar with the matter," Washington has considered ousting Citi chief Vikram Pandit, "but demurred, in part because of the paucity of candidates to replace him." Maybe Washington should consider pushing Pandit to move ahead with his plan to construct that executive Zen garden? That sure would be an attractive perk to add to the bottom of the job ad on Monster.com. [WSJ]

The Monday Party Report

cityfile · 03/30/09 11:22AM

Tyra Banks, Suze Orman, Keith Olbermann, and Phil Donahue were among the honorees at the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Marriott Marquis on Saturday night. A few of the people on hand for the occasion: Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan (left), Chris Noth, Clay Aiken, T.R. Knight, Tim Gunn, Christian Siriano, Cherry Jones, Robert Verdi, Heather Matarazzo and Carolyn Murphy, Vanessa Williams, Michael Urie, Ana Ortiz, Junior Vasquez, Jay Manuel, Hanna Storm, Brad Rowe, Jenny Shimizu, Stockard Channing, Judith Light, S. Epatha Merkerson, State Sen. Eric Schneiderman, and Hedda Lettuce. [PMc, Wireimage, Advocate, Access Hollywood]

More Trouble for the Times, A Losing Month for CNN

cityfile · 03/30/09 10:22AM

• Mark Bowden's 11,000-word profile of Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. for the May issue of Vanity Fair is now online. And it ain't pretty. [VF]
• In other Times news, the paper is scrapping its "City" section and has shut down the International Herald Tribune website. [NYO, E&P]
• For the first time, CNN will finish March behind MSNBC and Fox News. [AP]
• He's only been on the air two months, but Glenn Beck's "conservative populist anger" has already put him right behind Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. [NYT]
Adweek, MediaWeek and Brandweek may be folded together. [NYP]
• News Corp. is hiring ex-AOL CEO Jon Miller to lead its digital division. [WSJ]
• The Huffington Post is launching an investigative journalism site. [AP]
• MTV is bringing back music videos! Sort of. [NYT]