At the close of a year, we just can’t resist making a list. Blogs across the world have been filled up this month with every kind of list imaginable. We too have succumbed to the temptation to list out our favs of any kind of category we can dream up. How about a list of our lists?
The Most Memorable Venues Lost
A Run Down of Favorite Meals in 2009 by Those Who Know Food Best
Top 10 Most Expensive Art Pieces to Sell at Auction
2009’s Top Five Cars Sold at Auction
In an effort to keep you abreast of what it appearing in the No. 1 spots, we bring you yet another list. Complied by A Small World, here are some of the hautest clubs and lounges throughout the world. Rounding out the top three spots in the “Chic and Classic” category, ASW deems The Doheny and The Lobby Bar at the Chateau Marmont, both in L.A., as well as The Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York worthy of the winners’ circle.
Hipster favorites naturally come out of Paris and Tokyo: Le Baron, Paris, Le Baron, Tokyo, and Le Montana, Paris.
Top three internations destinations for “Eurotrashing Stopping Grounds” are: Annabel’s, London, Jimmy’z, Monte Carlo, Monaco, and Club 55, Saint-Tropez.
For those of you who want to get “Swanky” around the world try these top three: Lillie’s Bordello, Dublin, Ireland, LUX, Lisbon, Portugal, and Favela, Sydney, Australia.
And finally, for the “Dance Dance Revolution” category, check out Reina, Istanbul, Turkey, Pacha, Madrid, Spain, and Berghain, Berlin, Germany.
Here are some interesting stories in real estate news.
First, The famous trial lawyer who represented Al Gore in the contested presidential election of 2000, David Boies, who also has Michael Moore, George Steinbrenner, Calvin Klein, and Harvey Weinstein on his life of high-profile clients, has picked up a new apartment on Fifth Avenue.
Boies and his third wife Mary spent $7.75 million on the 35th-floor apartment at the Sherry-Netherland, and for a good deal, too. The seven-room pad first went on sale for $9.95 million in April.
Next, the estranged wife of Julian Schnabel, and former model/actress and designer, Olatz Schnabel, has closed on the purchase of a new home for $5.5 million on a 4,256-square-foot townhouse at 38 King Street in the West Village.
Lastly, Blackstone senior managing director Prakash Melwani has finally sold off a former apartment after he had spent $27.5 million for Christine Wasserstein’s co-op at 1030 Fifth Avenue last year. The three-bedroom co-op that is located at 876 Park Avenue, and was first listed for $7.895 in May, sold for $5.875 million to Greg Mondre. Mondre is a managing director at Silver Lake Partners, and his wife Alexandra is a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Via: Cityfile
Get ready to indulge inside the exclusive world of W Hollywood Residences.
The Filice Group has partnered with the brokers of the W Hollywood Residences in Hollywood. Opening in January 2010 at the corner of Hollywood and Vine, the W Hollywood Residences will bring the extraordinary W lifestyle combined with contemporary modern design with 143 delightfully appointed residences. Residents will benefit from having access to Delphine, a French brasserie by Innovative Dining Group (IDG), Drai’s Hollywood nightclub by Victor Drai, Bliss Spa, Sweat Fitness, in addition to W’s legendary Whatever/Whenever services.
Prices range from $800,000 – $9,000,000
Contact Russ Filice @ 310.780.2877 or russ@russfilice.com. Or visit www.myhollywoodresidence.com.
Looking to ring in 2010 Gaga style? Better act now. Tickets to hear the chart-topping and always theatrical Lady Gaga poolside at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach are going quick.
According to newyearseve.com, the Fame Monster’s New Year’s eve bash is the hottest ticket in town, reportedly selling more than $1 million. It is expected to be the bestselling New Year’s eve show in America. Oh Gaga!
Only a few seats are left for $25,000 and a few are still available in general admission at $425. The glam rocker is reportedly earning $300,000 for the show. The top-priced ticket buys a poolside cabana and VIP passes for 25, four magnums of Belvedere Vodka and Dom Perignon.
Delay on Gaga and you might get stuck celebrating with one of the less appealing tickets in town. Brody Jenner, reality TV star and son of nipped and tucked Olympian, Bruce Jenner, is also hosting a South Beach shindig. To date, he’s sold around 50 tickets. I’ll pass.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN: Brooklyn, New York
HOW LONG IN NEW YORK: In NY all my life
NEIGHBORHOOD: As an adult: Manhattan – midtown
OCCUPATION: Chief Creative Officer, Sony Music Entertainment
FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Four Seasons Restaurant, Monkey Bar and Balthazar in Manhattan; Pasta Nostra in South Norwalk, CT
BEST SUSHI: Nobu
BEST ITALIAN: Primola, Sette Mezzo, Scalinatella in NYC; and Pasta Nostra, South Norwalk, CT
BEST PLACE FOR LATE NIGHT DINING: Smith & Wollensky and Balthazar
BEST DESSERT: Sette Mezzo’s Tartufo and Serendipity’s Ice Cream Sundae
BEST PLACE FOR A ROMANTIC DATE: Four Seasons Restaurant and Bedford Post Inn in Bedford, CT
BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH: Norma’s in the Le Parker Meridien Hotel
COOLEST CLUB/LOUNGE: None
BEST PLACE FOR A POWER BUSINESS MEETING: Four Seasons Restaurant
ALL-AROUND FAVORITE SPOT IN NEW YORK: Madison Avenue (59th Street to 82nd Street)
IF YOU HAVE OUT OF TOWN GUESTS, WHICH HOTEL WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? St. Regis Hotel
FAVORITE SHOPPING VENUE/BOUTIQUE: Bergdorf Goodman Men’s Store
FAVORITE CHARITY EVENT: Carousel of Hope Ball in Los Angeles
FAVORITE CULTURAL EVENT: Broadway show opening of what turns out to be a classic.
FAVORITE CULTURAL INSTITUTION: Equal: Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
BEST ASPECT OF NEW YORK: The theater; the Yankees; the incredible quality and variety of restaurants; the museums; the shopping; and the unique melting pot of its people.
BEST STEAKHOUSE: Minetta’s Tavern, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, BLT, and Peter Luger – all in NYC
BEST PIZZA: Trattoria Dell’Arte and Orso
BEST LUNCH: Sony Club
BEST LIMOUSINE/DRIVING SERVICE: Music Express
FAVORITE HISTORY/LEGENDARY PLACE TO SEE OR EXPLORE: Washington Square Park and the immediate neighborhood north of it
To get full access to all Haute Secrets, click here to become an exclusive member.
The Royal Bank of Scotland is contemplating on whether or not to selling parts of its estimated GBP15 million art collection when the art market improves, as pressure continues to climb on state-owned banks to get rid of non-core assets.
The collection of the bank, which is majority-owned bank by the U.K. government, consists of works by artists LS Lowry, Anne Redpath, Jack Vettriano, Patrick Caulfield and Peter Howson. The bank is planning to loan some of these works to public galleries next year. Much of this art was inherited through the Royal Bank’s merger with NatWest in the year 2000. The collection has been valued at between GBP10 million (about $16 million) and GBP15 million (close to $24 million).
Pictured above: A Market Place, Berwick upon Tweed by LS Lowry
Via: WSJ
Two years ago Swatch Group announced that the division responsible for the watch movements, ETA, was no longer going to sell watch movements to watch makers who are not within the Swatch Group brands in 2010. As 2009 quickly fades behind us, this dramatic news gets ready to be enforced.
ETA is the largest and most popular watch movement maker in Switzerland, and it supplies its product to most Swiss watch brands, and many other brands that uses Swiss movements. Chairman of Swatch Group, Nicolas Hayek, has just reaffirmed his position that ETA will “cease providing movements to competitors.” The decision has shaken up many in the watch community, and ETA has even been under investigation by Swiss government authorities to explore whether this move is illegal and anti-monopolistic.
With this change coming into effect, it’s anyone guess as to where watch brands will go now to get their movements. It could create chaos for the wide range of brands that rely on ETA to offer “Swiss Made” watches. On the other hand, it is a prime time for competitors to come in and provide watch movements to those who can no longer get a hold of ETA’s product. It’s possible that the Japanese, who have been making quality movements for years, may be getting an incredible boost in business from Swatch Group’s actions.
The exact date in 2010 that ETA will cease or begin to stop selling watch movements to outside Swatch Group brands remains unknown, but what is known is that it’s coming; it’s only a matter of time.
Simon Hammerstein is taking his risque show on the road to Moscow. This nightclub manager has plans of opening a temporary station of his Lower East Side hot spot, The Box, and taking it overseas. Why? Well, for one, it’ll be a great spot to throw his New Year’s Eve bash and will certainly feature his X-rated performers. The Box in Manhattan will also remain open. Thank goodness.
Via: NY Post
The city of New York partnered with the Signature Theatre Company and Related Companies to build a Frank Gehry-designed theater at Related’s new residential building and hotel (where CEO Stephen Ross spends a great deal of time working) located at 440 West 42nd Street at 10th Avenue.
According to Bloomberg, the city is going to reportedly contribute $25 million toward the construction of the $60 million theater, and the new arts facility will serve as a new home for the Signature Theatre Company, allowing it to more-than-double their numbers of audience members. The new $800 million, 59-story residential complex in which the theater will settle in will have 800 housing units, which includes 160 low-income residences, and will create 700 construction jobs.
Construction of the residential complex is expected to be complete by 2011, and the construction of the theater is expected to be finished some time in 2012. “There was a period when the future of the project was in question-as were its 700 construction jobs and hundreds of units of much-needed housing,” Bloomberg said. “Today it’s serving as a prime example that despite the national economic downturn, large-scale projects are still happening.”
Via: The Real Deal
The estimates for security costs for the upcoming trials of terror suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others who are charged with war crimes are expected to dramatically surpass initial estimates.
New York police commissioner Raymond Kelly drafted a security plan on December 18 for the upcoming trials of the September 11 terror attack suspects in a New York federal court and it is reported that the costs are going to far exceed the initial estimate of $75 million. All four men have been charged with war crimes.
Kelly wasn’t specific as to just how much the expected total will end up being, however the $75 million estimate given on November 18 was apparently nowhere near what Kelly expects will be needed to handle the trials security. The NYPD notes that there simply aren’t enough officers to handle the trial security, so “a lot of the cost will come from overtime and it will be impossible to accomplish without federal funds.”
The trial date has not yet been set, and no decision has been made yet as to how the cost of security will be paid.
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Los Angeles
Jan/Feb 2012
