cityfile
Spotted
cityfile · 02/09/09 01:18PM
Renee Zellweger and boyfriend Dan Abrams walking around on the Upper East Side ... Hugh Jackman having a picnic in Central Park with his wife and kids ... Daniel Radcliffe leaving Morandi on Waverly Place ... Agyness Deyn walking in the Village ... Kirsten Dunst smoking on the sidewalk ... Isla Fisher arriving at JFK with her daughter Olive ... Whitney Port getting coffee with City co-star Allie Crawford in the West Village ... Sarah Jessica Parker leaving her townhouse on Charles Street ... Lauren Hutton walking with a friend in the East Village ... Madonna, Guy Ritchie, and the kids heading into the Kabbalah Center ... Amy Adams arriving at JFK ... and Samantha Ronson leaving the Bowery Hotel.
Magazine Sales Fall, The Times's Survival Strategy
cityfile · 02/09/09 12:46PM• Magazine newsstand sales tumbled during the second half of 2008. [NYT]
• The Grammys were seen by an estimated 19.1 million people last night. [AP]
• The Times reports on the Times's recent troubles, conveniently concluding the paper's "positioned itself well to ride out another year of recession." [NYT]
• Steve Brill has a few thoughts on how the Times can save itself. [Poynter]
• Not surprisingly, SI is milking every last dollar out if its swimsuit issue. [WSJ]
• Following the news last week that Universal and DreamWorks were parting ways, Disney announced today it would distribute DreamWorks's films. [THR]
• Jim Cramer's ratings are up; his stock picks are as lousy as ever. [Barron's]
• A Queens hairstylist is suing the Daily News after the paper accidentally identified her as "Manhattan Madam" Kristin Davis. Twice. [Regret the Error]
In Defense of Beleaguered Bankers
cityfile · 02/09/09 12:18PM
If you're a banker facing the very dire prospect of having your salary capped at $500,000 a year, it probably seems as if the absolute nadir has been reached. Sadly, though, there's yet a further spiritual level to sink to: the one where Slate's Jacob Weisberg comes riding in on his chariot to defend your honor with an earnest editorial.
Arden Wohl Makes Her Debut
cityfile · 02/09/09 12:04PM
Headband-loving socialite Arden Wohl's short film, Two Other Dreams, premiered this past weekend. What's it about, you ask? "Drugs, strange spirituality, co-dependency between female friends," and, uh, necrophilia, which means it probably won't be appearing on cable in the near future. Luckily, the film will be on display at APF Lab until February 28th, so there's still time for necrophiliacs to take in the masterpiece before it disappears forever. [NYM]
Rich People Hate Eye Contact
cityfile · 02/09/09 11:40AM
Ever wonder why the CEO of your company barely looks up at you when you greet him/her on the elevator? Here's a possible explanation: According to a new study in Psychological Science, rich people are much less likely to make contact with others. "The study concludes that nonverbal cues can signal wealth—or lack thereof—to others, just as effectively as the clothing they wear or the cars they drive." [Canwest, WSJ]
Sully Gets the Key
cityfile · 02/09/09 11:19AM
Michael Bloomberg presented keys to the city this morning to Chesley Sullenberger and four other members of the crew of Flight 1549 for their heroic efforts in saving the lives of 155 people a couple of weeks ago. "These true professionals are not there to just serve drinks and snacks. They are there to keep us safe," the mayor said in his opening remarks. It's nice to see Sully receive an honor he rightfully deserves, but "drinks and snacks"? What airline is Mayor Bloomberg flying? Oh, right, that's the one. [NYT]
Activists Converge on John Mack's House
cityfile · 02/09/09 10:49AM
You can bet John Mack didn't have a very peaceful weekend. The Morgan Stanley chief was one of two banking execs subjected to a protest yesterday when members of the non-profit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America turned up in bright yellow t-shirts bearing signs that read "Fix Our Loans, Save Our Homes" and "Shame on You, CEO." (The protesters gathered outside Mack's home in Rye, left; the other target was Greenwich Financial Services CEO William Frey.) No word on Mack's reaction to the event, although we're going to go ahead and assume the protestors weren't invited inside for tea and cookies. [Greenwich Time]
How Mort Zuckerman Helped Out a Friend in Need
cityfile · 02/09/09 10:26AM
Last October, Maureen White, the former finance chair for the Democratic National Committee and wife of Steve Rattner, was arrested for drunk driving. According to the police report, White was pulled over in her Mercedes at the Throgs Neck Bridge and failed a field sobriety test, registering a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit. (She subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges, paid a fine, and had her driver's license suspended for 90 days.) That the Democratic fundraiser and wife of one of the city's most prominent financiers had been arrested was certainly news, and the Daily News covered the arrest a day later in an article titled "Democratic Money Queen in Booze Bust." But the paper pulled the article down soon after—it was originally located here—and now we know why. A source inside the News tells us the order came from "the very top," namely Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman.
The Misshapes: Still Here, Still Scintillating
cityfile · 02/09/09 09:34AM
Since you first saw photos of the Misshapes, that scowling chick with the black hair and those two vaguely interchangeable gay guys who also sometimes had black hair, you've had so many burning questions about them swirling round your head, right? No? Oh well, the people at Page Six magazine, for reasons best known to themselves, have interviewed the DJing/party promoting group during the final 15 seconds of their relevance anyway. And it's a decision for which future cultural historians will doubtless be grateful, judging by the startling revelations that pour forth.
Kravitz Pulls Pad Off the Market
cityfile · 02/09/09 09:00AM
• Lenny Kravitz has been trying to sell his penthouse at 30 Crosby Street for the past few years; most recently, he slashed the price of the loft from $18.75 million to $14.995 million. Is he now planning to give up entirely? Over the weekend, the listing for Kravitz's 6,000-square-foot pad (which used to be located here) was pulled down from the Corcoran website, although whether the rocker plans to try again with a new broker is anybody's guess. [Cityfile]
• Richard Gere and wife Carey Lowell aren't just trying to unload their apartment at Palazzo Chupi. They're looking to sell their farmhouse in Water Mill, too. The 1.2 acre estate, which includes a guesthouse, art studio, and pool, is currently listed at $8.8 million. [NYM]
Fairfield Greenwich Group: The Fire Sale Begins
cityfile · 02/09/09 08:11AM
Looks like times are getting tough for Walter Noel and Jeffrey Tucker, the founders of Fairfield Greenwich Group, the hedge fund that allegedly lost $7.5 billion to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. The Post reports that the pair has put its share in a private jet up for sale, the Tuckers are now selling off their horse farm in upstate New York, and poor Melanie Tucker has had to cut back on bridge habit. No word yet on when Marisa Noel Brown and her husband plan to put their townhouse up for sale. [NYP]
Happy Birthday
cityfile · 02/09/09 07:40AM
Mia Farrow turns 64 today. Mena Suvari is turning 30. Amber Valletta is 35. Author Alice Walker is 65. Nobel Prize-winning author J.M. Coetzee is turning 69. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz is turning 66. Physicist/author Brian Greene is 46. Real estate exec Frederick Peters is 57. Virginia Senator Jim Webb is 63. Actress Judith Light is 60. Chinese actress (and Vivi Nevo's girlfriend) Ziyi Zhang is turning 30. And Joe Pesci is celebrating his 66th birthday today.
Drama at the Grammys
cityfile · 02/09/09 07:21AM
• There was no shortage of drama at the Grammys last night. Chris Brown and Rihanna were both no-shows after Brown was arrested for allegedly assaulting the R&B singer. Usher failed to appear, too, flying down to Brazil to be with his wife, who suffered complications from a plastic surgery operation. One person who did make it to the show was M.I.A., who performed on stage with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I., and Kanye West despite being nine months pregnant. [NYP, People, EW]
• Courtenay Semel says she's been cut off by her dad, former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, and is now trying to land a reality show to pay the bills. [NYP]
• Salman Rushdie's new girlfriend is Pia Glenn, who's 29 years his junior. [R&M]
• Peaches Geldof and rocker Max Drummey are said to be divorcing after just six months of marriage. [The Sun]
Washington's New Bailout, UBS Stays in the Game
cityfile · 02/09/09 06:39AM• Details about the Obama administration's plan to revise the bailout are still sketchy, but more will be revealed by Tim Geithner tomorrow. [WSJ, BN, DB]
• UBS is slashing bonuses by 80 percent, but the bank says it does not have plans to get out of investment banking altogether. [BN]
• Barclays announced that quarterly profits exceeded analysts' estimates. [BN]
• More trouble for Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital. [DB, NYP]
• Goldman chief Lloyd Blankfein addresses what went wrong on Wall Street in a op-ed piece for the Financial Times. [FT, FT]
• Sunday's New York Times, meanwhile, provides an account of what went wrong between Merrill's John Thain and BofA's Ken Lewis. [NYT]
Tip Us
cityfile · 02/06/09 05:15PMAnother Model Branches Out, DKNY Scales Back
cityfile · 02/06/09 04:57PM
• Natalia Vodianova is collaborating with Etam on a lingerie and swimwear line. [Racked]
• Following in the footsteps of Marc Jacobs, DKNY has decided to cut down its Fashion Week guest list from 1,000 people to 400. [Fashionista]
• Diane von Furstenberg appears in fishnets on the new cover of the new issue of Purple. [DVF]
• Profits were flat for LVMH in 2008. [WSJ]
• A long list of reasons why women love to hate Gwyneth Paltrow. [NYP]
• Sarah Jessica Parker wears Uggs, items from her Bitten line. [HB]
• Rachel Zoe has trademarked "Bananas" and "I die," believe it or not. [NYM]
Eating & Drinking: Friday Edition
cityfile · 02/06/09 04:22PM• Rachael Ray says her long-awaited burger joint will open in 2010. [TFB]
• A roundup of all the restaurants that shuttered this week. [Eater]
• Eric Ripert says he is not planning to launching a line of prepared foods, despite what you may have read elsewhere. [TFB]
• Allen & Delancey is offering for half-priced cocktails on Tuesdays. [GS]
• Butcher Bay opens up on East 5th Street tonight. [Eater]
• Patrón is launching a new line of super high-end vodka. Great timing! [WSJ]
• A look inside the recently-reopened Holland Bar. [GS]
• The yellow eel in John Dory's fish tank has gone missing, but Joe Bastianich has some theories on where it went. [NYT]
DWI Trouble for Possible Car Czar?
cityfile · 02/06/09 03:07PM
Steve Rattner is the very prominent financier, the man who manages Michael Bloomberg's money, and a leading candidate to fill the post of "car czar" in the Obama administration. The nomination process, however, has stalled in recent weeks, according to today's Journal, and now there's a possible explanation for the delay: Rattner's wife, Maureen White, was arrested for drunk driving in October. Ironic, yes, and probably most unwelcome news for President Obama considering how many controversies have already been stirred up by his nominations over the past few days. But there's another layer of mystery to the story.