If you’re strolling through Rumsey Playfield in Central Park between Oct. 20 and Nov. 9, and you stumble across a grounded UFO, don’t panic. It was sent by Chanel (not the Sci-fi Channel) as a nomadic exhibition of artistic interpretations on its classic 2.55 quilted-style handbag, named not for its price but for its debut month of February 1955. Coming off stops in Hong Kong and Tokyo, the 7,500-square-foot space donut will round up its voyage in London, Moscow and Paris.

The pieces inside the mobile museum come from origins as international as the trip’s itinerary. The Russian arts collective Blue Noses submitted a collection of boxes with a series of satirical handbag videos called “Fifty Years After Our Common Era or Handbags Revolt.  read more »

As the Politicker's Azi Paybarah reported this morning, all New Jersey cheese-rock fans will descend upon Central Park on July 12 for the Jon Bon Jovi concert. It's free but you'll need tickets. Where can you get 'em? We're half way there!

According to a press release posted by Brooklyn Vegan, beginning tomorrow, July 2, tickets will be distributed at baseball parks and events throughout New York City. The bulk of tickets distributed at the ballparks will be found at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, with others made available at Shea Stadium in Queens, KeySpan Park in Brooklyn, and at the home of the Staten Island Yankees at 9 a.m. In addition, tickets also will be available in Manhattan at DHL All-Star FanFest at the Jacob K. Javits Center on Friday, July 11. MLB.com also will be conducting a random drawing for tickets.  read more »

It’s a rainy day, but hopefully the 150th anniversary of the day Central Park’s design was selected won’t be a total washout. In honor of America’s first major public park, the city has christened the 72nd Street Cross Drive "The Olmsted & Vaux Way" after the park's two architects, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.  read more »

The New York Post is reporting [via Eater] that venerable Central Park eatery San Domenico is shutting its doors this summer.

Owner Tony May told the Post's Steve Cuozzo that the nearly 20-year-old Italian institution couldn't reach a new deal with its landlord, who wanted $1 million in annual rent. (The eatery currently pays around $200,000.)

May said the landlord’s latest offer would cost him $600,000 - "but if we stay here at the rent they want, we’re not going to generate a sufficient amount of income."

May said he hopes to move San Domenico to a new Midtown address he won’t disclose. He said that to survive in today’s environment of high rents and tougher city regulations, he needs a location that will generate more volume - at least $8 million a year, compared to $4 million on Central Park South.

The best place to come from, if you want a fair crack at buying really immense Manhattan condos, is either the United Arab Emirates or the Internet.

City records filed this week show that Sultan Ahmed Al-Qassimi, who apparently belongs to the ruling family of Sharjah--Dubai's neighboring emirate--spent $4.95 million late last month on a low-floor apartment at the Robert A.M. Stern-designed Fifteen Central Park West. (Tune into this week's Manhattan Transfers column to read about a haute broker who bought a place one flight up.)

But across the park, that was overshadowed by a mystery buyer named CPW EXODUS REALTY, LLC, whose October deed for a $16.6 million apartment purchase was filed in city records four minutes later than Mr. Al-Qassimi's.  read more »

We just got an email invite to the "World Premiere Party" for 111 Central Park North, the luxury condo going up on what you know better as 110th Street. It's on Nov. 15, by invite only, and hosted by developer the Athena Group.

In an era of condo-as-neigbhorhood-changer, 111 Central Park North represents the pinnacle, though it may be a while before we know for sure. Not only does it have to change in New Yorkers' collective mind the name of 110th to Central Park North, it has to convince people to pay luxury rates to live in an area that's, as they say (for better or worse), still emerging. Along 110th above the park, the condo juts out like a very sore thumb.

It's a gutsy gamble and, if it works, no area of the city may again be off-limits to luxury development. Every market-rate home developer hence will be able to toss off the line, "Well, Athena made it work with 111 Central Park North."

The Observer donned a hardhat in June and took some snapshots of the views from the still-under-construction condo.

More on that Crain's report about sexual and racial harrassment charges levied against iconic Central Park eatery Tavern On The Green.

Court papers assign blame to the famous restaurant's former operations director, Leon Drogy, who allegedly made "frequent sexual comments" to female employees, such as "wanting to 'fuck black pussy' and wanting to know whether 'black pussy' was 'smooth'."

The suit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, further accuses Mr. Drogy of repeatedly playing grab ass with one female employee, in particular, and also making many derogatory remarks toward "fucking bitches," "fucking niggers," and "fucking immigrants."

Certainly not the kind polite dinner conversation we've come to expect from the late Warner LeRoy and company, especially since his young daughter, Jennifer Oz LeRoy, now runs the place.

In a statement, the restaurant told Crain's that management learned of the allegations about two years ago and an internal investigation determined the claims to be baseless. (Criminal charges were also dropped.)

Nonetheless, the restaurant suspended Mr. Drogy. He later resigned.

The fancy condo 111 Central Park North opens this fall, and The Observer on Wednesday went inside and up to snap these glorious shots of Manhattan spreading south, courtesy of recent buyer George Hirsch. Will other luxury high-rises join the condo soon?

Under trolling clouds, some 1,200 ladies sashayed through Vanderbilt Gate on Wed., May 2 to the 25th annual “Hat Luncheon.” Hosted by the Women’s Committee of the Central Park Conservancy, the list of upper-class attendees included Grace Hightower DeNiro, Malaak Compton-Rock, Amy Fine Collins, Blaine Trump, Muffie Potter Aston, and Harper’s Bazaar editor Glenda Bailey.  read more »

You know the drill: The Prospect Park Audubon Center offers the kids some  “interactive exhibits” (let’s hope that doesn’t include that baboon family) with music, crafts and general whoop-de-do.  read more »