Sarah Ferguson is buying a two-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath Cipriani Club Residences unit at 55 Wall St., near her beau, restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani, the New York Post’s Braden Keil reports. The duchess of York already had been staying at the apartment on Manhattan visits. Ferguson reportedly has a regular “Today” show gig, so she decided to purchase the condo just one floor below cellphone- throwing supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Who said kids programming doesn’t pay well? “Dora the Explorer” co-creator and head writer Eric Weiner has purchased a $4.4 million penthouse on upper Broadway, the Post’s Keil reports. Weiner, 49, bought a four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath penthouse at Ariel West, a new condo development between 99th and 100th streets.
Billy Joel has dropped the asking price on his Centre Island mansion $5 million to $32.5 million, the New York Post reports. Joel bought the 14.26-acre property in 2002 for $22 million and spent millions on renovations for his 2004 marriage to Katie Lee Joel. The deal-breaker for potential buyers may be the $300,000 annual property taxes.
Producers provided Hilary Swank a farmhouse north of Baton Rouge, La., to stay in during shooting of the new thriller “The Reaping,” due out Friday. According to Cindy Adams of the New York Post, the nearest neighbor dropped by offering some Southern hospitality, a fresh-baked pecan pie and a hearty greeting of “Y’all welcome to our town.” Before leaving, she added, “And be careful of the ghosts in the house.”
The new Atelier development on West 42nd Street in New York used Lindsay Lohan’s star power to lure buyers, the Post reports. Lohan was offered the use of an apartment in exchange for ad campaigns featuring the actress. The plan worked: tennis star James Blake, former volleyball star and model Gabrielle Reese and actor Jesse L. Martin bought units in the same building.
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-People compiled by Greg Henry from wire and Internet reports
