Kelly Ripa and hubby Mark Consuelos gettin' frisky!

Given that it was our second evening in a row at Cipriani's – albeit at the midtown franchise on this occasion – our usual penchant for the venue had been dampened somewhat, and the inclement weather certainly wasn’t helping. But the UNICEF Snowflake Ball managed to turn our well plucked frowns upside down in a glittering evening of philanthropic revelry, with celebrities in a multitude of fields pitching in to lend a hand. The sumptuous menu was designed by revered chefs; the entertainment led by a veritable swing legend, and the auction prizes donated by some of America’s hottest talent. It is fair to say that UNICEF, like the bartenders, got the mix just right.

Katy Perry was the evening’s surprise A-List attendee, swishing through the foyer’s revolving doors in a fishtail dress designed by another of the evening’s guests, Naeem Khan. The couturier’s wife, jewelry designer Ranjana Khan, recently ventured into reality TV land with several appearances on The Real Housewives of New York and was quick to dispel her involvement with any of the cattiness the show has become famed for.

“Being on RHONY was fun, but I didn’t get caught up in the drama,” she told The Observer on the red carpet. “My friend Carole [Radziwill] wanted me to be involved with the last season, and she’s returning for the next one, so I know she might want me to do something again.” Did Mrs. Khan just let an inside secret slip, perchance? Ms. Radziwill is yet to officially confirm her involvement with season six, but you heard it here straight from the jeweler’s mouth. The Observer 1, RHONY 0.

Indeed, spilling secrets seemed to be a trend throughout the evening, with Manhattan’s favorite crooner Tony Bennett revealing: “Lady Gaga called me last night from Peru. She wants to do an album together and we’re going to do it, just me and Gaga. It’s going to be a big swinging album with a big hot band.” Well, perhaps it wasn’t quite the juicy nugget we initially imagined, given that Mr. Bennett has been quoted as saying that the "Poker Face" singer called him the previous night from New Zealand with the idea for a collaborative record. That quote happened three months ago.

Given that Mr. Bennett is at the ripe old age of 86 and still put on a glorious show – some of which was without a microphone – we’ll forgive this little slip. But please be more careful next time, Tony, when toying with our Gaga-fueled emotions.

From genuine secrets to recycled ones, there was one couple on the red carpet who weren’t attempting to hide a thing – step forward Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. The fruity pair didn’t miss a beat when volunteering to talk about their ahem, romantic interludes, with Ms. Ripa divulging: “We have an Indonesian holiday themed bedroom, and a bed from Bali. Which may or may not have broken once.” Quick, somebody call Poirot, we’ve got a cryptic case of too much information on our hands.

After the duo’s domino effect of smut polluted The Observer’s innocent mind, we went in search of some good clean fun at our table, where we dined with the chefs who put the menu together. Best-selling author and UNICEF ambassador of 12 years Marcus Samuelsson had drafted in help from fellow restaurateurs Michael Anthony and Marc Murphy, who co-created a meal trumped in deliciousness only by their company. As they wined and dined us with a feast of truffle lobster salad and Wagyu steak, the flavors of the food were perfectly enhanced by the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, whose jazzy tunes rose to the very top of Cipriani’s lofty ceilings.

Just edging out the edibles in terms of success was the auction, which contributed to the event's staggering $2.5m raised for the very deserving charity. A backstage pass with Selena Gomez, who was decked out in a floor length Dolce & Gabbana number for the event, scooped two high bids of $20,000 apiece, contributing to the money raised by other high bidders on lots for Lady Gaga tickets and a day on the Knicks’ court as player Tyson Chandler’s personal guest. The guests were not left wanting when it came to an eclectic mix of goods, and spunky auctioneer Courtney Booth of Sotheby’s coaxed the cash from the crowd’s pockets with ease.

There was just time to honor Harry Belafonte before the evening came to a close, and he undoubtedly made a deserving recipient of the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for his commitment to the charity over the past quarter of a decade. With the audience on their feet as he took to the stage, the emotion in the room was palpable.

It was clear that UNICEF was close to the hearts of all of the evening’s attendees, including Uma Thurman and Téa Leoni, and as we slunk out of Cipriani’s once more, the prospect of returning didn’t seem quite such an imposition.

According to the story, Mr. Consuelos is on the brink of success ever since landing a job with The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Ms. Ripa has been picking fights about their future. Mr. Consuelos might want to move to Chicago, but Ms. Ripa is refusing to leave New York. One recent spat escalated so much that Mr. Consuelos "stormed out," flew to Chicago, and left Ms. Ripa "in tears." 

"Kelly doesn't want Mark to succeed without her," an unnamed source tells the tabloid. "She becomes upset every week when he has to travel from New York to Chicago and spend the night away from the family to appear on Oprah's show."

We find the whole thing a little hard to believe, or perhaps just blown out of proportion. It was just Monday night that we saw the couple at the premiere of Cadillac Records.  They arrived holding hands--and not just in front of the cameras. As Ms. Ripa twirled around in her Elizabeth and James dress, declaring her love for the Olsen twins, Mr. Consuelos looked on smiling. They giggled and touched and happily chatted with reporters, rather than doing that thing where couples arrive together but then walk the carpet several feet apart--a typical foreshadowing of what's to come in celebrity marriages. 

Then again, what do we know. We didn't believe that whole story about John Edwards' affair with Rielle Hunter that the Enquirer broke last year, and we all know how that turned out. 

No sooner do we report that Kelly Ripa has sold her Soho apartment than the buyer puts it on the market again. With the same agent Ripa used (Alida Rubin, of the Corcoran Group). For half a million dollars more than Ripa got for it. Within weeks of closing the deal with Ripa.

The flipper in this case is former Goldman Sachs investment banker Michael Rubinoff. He's got something on Ripa trying to sell the place, being a big-time deal maker who just recently invested in a consortium with Seagram's scion Matthew Bronfman.

But he probably doesn't need the half a million in profit. Why isn't he moving in to the extensively-renovated apartment in a celebrity-filled Soho building?

Could it have been the ongoing construction on the upper two floors--where Ripa and Consuelos now reside--that made the sleek condo lose its luster?

Mr. Rubinoff's broker did not respond to calls from The Real Estate seeking answers.

The whole Soho flipfest began ages ago in real-estate-speculation years: April of 2002, when Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos dropped $2.8 million on the trendy downtown pad, abandoning their New Jersey home.

After buying the apartment, the couple embarked on a massive renovation. They hired architectural firm Deborah Berke & Partners-a company that has recently worked on the Marianne Boesky Gallery in Chelsea and Jon Stewart's Tribeca duplex-to overhaul the 5,000-square-foot apartment.

Yet, despite the flashy renovation, Ripa and Consuelos were enticed by a duplex penthouse that became available upstairs.

Once owned by Tennis great Boris Becker, and later rented by Nicole Kidman, the apartment came on the market one year ago for close to $10 million. (Film mogul Harvey Weinstein also bought into the same Soho building last year).

Over the summer, Ripa and Consuelos dropped $9.5 million on the duplex, which is situated on the top two floors, directly above their previous pad.

But a triplex was out of the question; the couple put the full-floor loft on the market for $7.5 million in late October. By Nov. 18, Mr. Rubinoff signed a contract; the deal closed exactly two months later.

Inside, Ripa and Consuelos (and now Rubinoff) are leaving behind three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. There is a library/den, office, small gym, and a spacious eat-in kitchen-which features 2 Sub Zero refrigerators, double Gaggenau ovens, and double Gaggenau cooktops.

On Feb. 6, less than three weeks after closing the deal with Rubinoff, Ripa and her husband filed plans with the Department of Buildings for an interior renovation that includes plumbing, mechanical, and structural work.

Again, Ms. Berke's architectural firm was retained.

- Michael Calderone

When talk-show host Kelly Ripa, and her husband Mark Consuelos purchased a Soho duplex in the same building they already owned a full-floor loft, they needed to make decision that only the wealthy entertain: Do we really need a triplex?

Instead, they put the 5,000-square-foot loft, just below their new duplex, on the market for $7.5 million last October. (The couple had purchased it for only $2.8 million in 2002).

And it didn't take long to find a buyer.

In Dec., The Observer reported that a finance professional had signed a contract on the sleek apartment, but the deal just closed in late Jan. for $7.25 million, according to deed-transfer records.

Architect Deborah Berke-who also was hired to work on Jon Stewart's Tribeca pad-renovated the ritzy loft, which includes appliances by Sub Zero and Gaggenau.

The trendy, downtown condo is also home to film mogul Harvey Weinstein, who dropped $7 million on his own 5,000-square-foot loft a few floors below.

It's a good thing that Mr. Weinstein is all settled in Soho. His ex-wife, Eve Chilton Weinstein, just put the couple's former Central Park West co-op apartment on the market for $25 million.

- Michael Calderone

City records show that the search ended on April 29, when Ms. Ripa and her husband, fellow soap star Mark Consuelos, bought a $2.8 million condo in Soho. Although the condo is smaller than the couple's old house in Franklin Lakes, N.J., the 31-year-old Ms. Ripa and the 32-year-old Mr. Consuelos have been bunking together on the small screen for years: The characters they play on the ABC soap All My Children are married, too.

Their new real-life apartment, a full-floor loft, should have just enough space for their two children, 5-year-old Michael and 1-year-old Lola.

Mr. Consuelos recently took an indefinite leave from All My Children to film a movie in Australia and was not available for comment at press time; Ms. Ripa declined to comment through a representative.

The new place is a far cry from Franklin Lakes, a one-block walk from such Soho destinations as the restaurants Balthazar and Canteen, the day spa Bliss and Prada's new Soho branch.

Since assuming her co-hosting duties at Mr. Philbin's side, the Live with Regis and Kelly show has consistently enjoyed higher ratings than it did during Ms. Gifford's reign. In addition, Ms. Ripa and Mr. Consuelos have both been nominated for daytime Emmys for their performances as Hayley Vaughn and Mateo Santos.

Jon Stewart Settles Into $2.6 M. Do-It-Yourselfer

On the June 12 edition of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart , Mr. Stewart scored a mini-coup by landing an interview with Mike Bloomberg-the Mayor's first appearance on a late-night talk show.

"You're not even living in Gracie Mansion, am I right?" Mr. Stewart chided the Mayor. "You must have a nice house, to be able to say, 'That mansion, ehhhh … '"

"Suffice it to say," Mr. Bloomberg responded coyly, "I'm comfortable."

Well, suffice it to say, Mr. Stewart is going to be comfortable, too, once he moves into his own newly constructed bachelor-pad penthouse in Greenwich Village. In mid-April, the longtime New York native closed on a $2.6 million condo loft off tony lower Fifth Avenue. Mr. Stewart's new place has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a 1,500-square-foot set-back terrace.

Mr. Stewart's spokesperson declined to comment on the purchase, as did the building's director of sales, Michele Conte of Brown Harris Stevens. Ms. Conte did confirm, however, that each of the building's penthouse units hit the market "several cuts above Temporary Certificate of Occupancy finish," meaning that they have more than just running water and lights. The standard kitchens, for example, come with granite countertops, maple paneling and top-of-the-line appliances.

"Our kitchens are nothing that will appear in Architectural Digest , but they're nice enough to live with for a short period of time," Ms. Conte said. "But if you chose to rip them out and do some elaborate, fabulous kitchen, you don't lose sleep thinking that the sale price [included] 150 grand in the kitchen-because it doesn't."

After ABC failed in its attempt to lure David Letterman away from CBS to host a talk show in the midnight-to-1-a.m. time slot left vacant after the cancellation of Bill Maher's show Politically Incorrect , ABC officials reportedly flirted with the idea of hiring Mr. Stewart to host the new show. But in the end, the job went to another Comedy Central talk-show host, The Man Show 's Jimmy Kimmel.

Joking with Mayor Bloomberg about the New York City's comparatively dismal past, back when he was just a struggling stand-up comic, Mr. Stewart said: "Fifteen years ago, if they had set off a dirty bomb on 10th Avenue, people would've been like, 'All right, I'll take the F.D.R.'"

upper east side

200 East 69th Street (the Trump Palace)

Three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom condo.

Asking: $1.2 million. Selling: $1.2 million.

Charges: $1,544. Taxes: $788.

Time on the market: one month.

For four years, the buyers of this Trump Palace condo-an American commodities broker in his late 20's who had married a Japanese woman in the same field and then moved with her to Singapore-would call their broker from Asia and tease her with promises of returning to New York. "He'd call intermittently and say, 'I think I'm ready,' and then he would change his mind and I wouldn't hear from him," said Terri Stone of Charles H. Greenthal. But after Sept. 11, the teasing stopped. "That was it for them," said Ms. Stone. "Seeing how the city came together, they said, 'We're coming back.'" Standing firm on a condo over a co-op, Ms. Stone's clients pored over the dozens of floor plans that Ms. Stone faxed to Singapore. When they came across this apartment at the Trump Palace with 1,500 square feet of indoor space and two small balconies, they called Ms. Stone up in the middle of the night and told her they were sold. "He wanted to be an American at home in this city," said Ms. Stone. "He wanted his child to be brought up here, and he wanted to participate in the city's rebirth."

upper west side

239 Central Park West

Three-bedroom, three-bathroom co-op.

Asking: $2.395 million. Selling: $2.129 million.

Maintenance: $1,541; 37 percent tax-deductible.

Time on the market: six months.

For the most part, you can't get outdoor space in a prewar co-op unless you buy the penthouse. So when Insignia Douglas Elliman sales agent Victor Principe came across this second-floor apartment whose 150-square-foot terrace had a grape-leaf-covered trellis, he decided to market the place as an alternative to a townhouse. "It'd be great," he remembers thinking, "for someone who wants [the outdoor space] of a townhouse, but doesn't want all the headaches of a house." The seller of this 2,300-square-foot co-op was a Neiman Marcus merchandise manager turned interior designer. He had had three artists spend several months painting an array of trump l'oeil domes in the entrance gallery, living room and bedroom hallway. The seller had also installed a barrel-vaulted ceiling in the apartment's gallery room, in addition to paneling the dining room in wood with dental molding. The living room's wood-burning fireplace-another rarity in Upper West Side prewar co-ops-had a marble mantle. "You felt like you were living in a palazzo," said Mr. Principe. He found his buyer in a divorced female executive at a financial-management company.

chelsea

143 West 27th Street

Three-bedroom, two-bathroom co-op.

Asking: $799,000. Selling: $795,000.

Maintenance: $1,312; 50 percent tax-deductible.

Time on the market: almost a year.

Although the northern end of Chelsea-sometimes called the flower district-is budding with new mid- to high-end residential development, this newly renovated, 2,000-square-foot loft spent almost a year on the market and sold for $300,000 less than the original asking price of $1.1 million. Listing agent Edward C. Ferris, a vice president at William B. May, said that the co-op's multiple partitions made it difficult for potential buyers to imagine the apartment's potential as a true sprawling loft. "It took a small intellectual leap of vision to see how the space could be opened up and improved," he said. The new buyers-an early-30's couple; he's in financial services, she's a physical therapist-are knocking down some non-structural walls to give their expected firstborn some real romping room. The apartment's previous owners were a Dutch couple who had relocated to Harlem-the suburb outside of Amsterdam that gave its name to the New York neighborhood. But before they left, they gave their apartment-on the sixth and uppermost floor-Miele appliances, a Sub-Zero refrigerator and maple floors.