By Jordyn Taylor 5/07 5:00pm

NYOPROFILE

holmes

Holmes in New York

If a typical break-up calls for vats of Ben & Jerry’s and repeated viewings of The Notebook, then we suppose a highly publicized divorce from a top Hollywood actor and devout Scientologist calls for a cross-country move and a gorgeous new apartment. That’s pretty much what Katie Holmes got last summer when she took up residence at the Chelsea Mercantile—the spectacular, star-infused, 21-story building at 252 Seventh Avenue. The actress reportedly signed the lease just a few days after announcing her split from husband Tom Cruise in June 2012. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 3/19 7:14pm

Shindigger

Katie Holmes and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Ronald Perelman: ‘This is the Best Collection of New Yorkers I’ve Seen in 20 years!’

Last Thursday evening at New York’s perch of power dining, the Four Seasons Restaurant, billionaires could be found clinking glasses with politicians, actors could be seen rubbing shoulders with news correspondents, and throngs of notable wordsmiths quaffed copious amounts of liquor at The New York Observer’s 25th anniversary soiree.

“I think this is the best Read More

By Drew Grant and Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 3/15 5:41pm

25th Anniversary

Jared Kushner, Katie Holmes and Mike Bloomberg (PMc)

Scenes From a (New York Observer) Party

- The intimidatingly assiduous Peggy Siegal greets people at the door; thanks us for coming to celebrate party with The New York Observer. “We are The New York Observer!” We cry. She doesn’t even pause. “Well, it’s great to see you anyway.”

-Terry McDonell: I’ve always loved the Observer, I have great respect for Peter Kaplan. The coverage of everything I was interested in New York in the past 25 years was reflected in The Observer at the highest level.

- Ray Kelly recalls the last time he was at the Four Seasons. “[We] feel like you never leave,” we tell the Police Commissioner. His reply: “A lot of people feel that way.” Read More

By Patrick Clark 11/27/12 7:30pm

on the rebound

By Alex Fine.

Hoops Hoops Hooray! Knicks, Nets Make New York a Basketball Town Again

Basketball is back. Three weeks after opening night was canceled in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, four months after the Knicks let Jeremy Lin slip out of town, 13 years since the Knicks’ fluke run to the NBA finals, and two decades since Pat Riley’s tough-guy team captivated New York in the early years of the Giuliani era, fans in the world’s greatest basketball city care without cynicism again.

The Isiah Thomas era and the Knicks’ failed pursuit of LeBron James are old news. The Nets’ long struggle for big-city relevance got lost somewhere in New York harbor. When the teams squared off Monday night in Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center, the city had plenty to cheer about: real stars, the top two spots in the Atlantic Division standings and the eyes of millions upon us. Read More

By Daniel D'Addario 8/29/12 10:49am

celebrity politics

Only Sherri and Barbara escaped unscathed!

Market Research Group Finds View Celebrities to Be America’s Most Divisive

Apparently drama works in daytime. E-Poll Market Research has released a study (unscientific, it would seem) of the most politically divisive celebrities–those preferred disproportionately by either Republicans or Democrats. Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the conservative voice on The View, is the most disproportionately loved by GOP members–with a difference of 51 percent in her approval by right- Read More

By Drew Grant 6/19/12 8:01pm

Spike Lee Joints

Spike Lee and Mike Tyson on 'Today' (NBC)

Spike Lee: Insane Genius, Or Just Insane? (Video)

We’re starting to believe that Spike Lee is either a genius or has gone absolutely insane. (Kind of like Peter Jackson, n’est pas?)

First he spends years jerking us around about an American version of Old Boy, even threatening to put Steven Spielberg in charge and giving Will Smith the lead role of Oh Dae-Su. (For those who haven’t seen the film, that’s akin to doing a remake of Schindler’s List where Zac Efron plays Oskar. And it’s directed by Rob Reiner.)

Thankfully, this idea was scrapped and the two leads will now be Josh Brolin and the South African guy from District 9. Still iffy, but it has the potential for genius.

And then we read what Mike Tyson is saying about his upcoming Broadway show, which Spike Lee directed, and the needle swings back to “crazy.” Read More

By Ted Gushue 1/23/12 5:03pm

Sundance Film Festival

Deadmau5 takes Park City Live by storm.

Christina Hendricks Likes the Giants, Justin Long’s a Mom Magnet and Deadmau5 Blows a Speaker at Sundance

While it seemed most of the action at the Sundance film festival had been happening at night behind colossal bouncers, The Observer caught wind that there was an equally exciting, yet slightly bizarre, scene taking place in the light of day: celebrity gifting suites. We took the opportunity to start our day a bit earlier to see what all the commotion was. Read More

By Elise Knutsen 9/27/11 7:40pm

Shindigger

6 Photos

Tonya Lewis Lee, Spike Lee

A Multicultural Melange

The Observer arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last night as the first guests were arriving for the Multicultural Gala. A small protest had gathered outside, but guests braved their way past the blaring whistles, careful not to tread on the hems of their evening gowns as they ascended up the front staircase. The Read More

By Reid Pillifant 10/07/09 10:27pm

Who’s the King in Sharpton’s Court?

Sounds like there was an awkward moment between Governor David Paterson and Reverend Al Sharpton last night at Soho Grand, where Sharpton was celebrating his 55th birthday with Spike Lee, State Senators John Sampson and Malcolm Smith, and Council Speaker Christine Quinn, among others.

According to the Daily News, Paterson tried a joke about Read More