Richard Branson Pranks Larry Page AwesomelyIvana and her fiancé seem to have some pre-wedding jitters, Tom Cruise and Sumner Redstone canoodle, and still more New Yorkers cop to encounters with Ashley Alexandra Dupre in our daily roundup of news from New York’s best gossip columns.
gossipmonger
City Free of ‘Sex and the City’ Movie! …For NowMets pitcher John Maine asked an attractive clubgoer at Touch if he could try on her black dress in the bathroom. Sex and the City wrapped up shooting in New York with a party at the Royalton Hotel. Bill Clinton swapped seats with Oscar de la Renta so he could sit next to Penélope Cruz instead of Anna Wintour at the Spanish Institute Gold Medal Gala. Lame duck Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz is annoyed that his name wasn’t included in a recent Post article about 2009 gubernatorial contenders. Tommy Hilfiger made $8.5 million when he sold the East Hampton home he bought a year and a half ago for $26.5 million. Bobby Cannavale dropped his 47-year-old girlfriend for 22-year-old Alison Pill. Fans of Law & Order: SVU are annoyed that Richard Belzer doesn’t have as much screen time as he once did.
gossipmonger
Lindsay Lohan Gives ‘Page Six’ the Chance to Use a ‘Retail Therapy’ Pun
Lindsay Lohan spent her Thanksgiving shopping in therapy and shopping in New York with her mom and sister, while her boyfriend spent it partying. David Wright bought jewelry for his mom for Christmas. Tory Burch has been dating both Paramount head Brad Grey and Katie Couric’s ex, Tom Werner. Whoopi Goldberg, who supports Bill Richardson for president, slammed John Edwards and Michelle Obama for canceling appearances on The View. Hayne Suthon, the owner of Lucky Cheng’s, has finally made peace with ex-husband Robert Jason. Jerry Seinfeld is planning to stick to stand-up, not movies. Alec Baldwin bought the cast of 30 Rock mozzarella sticks after their show at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
neighborhood watch
Coney Island Demolition Destroys Family Fun
Astoria: Use Astoria Park? Help take care of it. Start by attending a community meeting tomorrow night. [Joey in Astoria]
Chelsea: The Bourne Ultimatum was shooting on Seventh Avenue yesterday morning. Expect lots of dead CIA agents strewn around 25th to 27th Streets. [Blog Chelsea]
Cobble Hill: The Lamm Institute on Amity and Henry is for sale. What will the 13,750-square-foot building go for? [Brownstoner]
Coney Island: Good-bye, go karts. So long, mini-golf. Demolition (right) takes out some old favorites. [Gowanus Lounge]
Fort Greene: Outside, a shady-looking storage area. Inside, it looks like an antique post office. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Harlem: If you’ve been meaning to take yoga classes with your dog, then it’s time to move uptown. [Harlem Fur]
Red Hook: Gowanus Nursery will open in its new Summit Street location on March 31. [Brooklyn Record]
Williamsburg: While not yet open to humans, East River State Park is a prime resting area for migrating (and crapping) Canada Geese. [i’m not sayin, i’m just sayin]