Here's some good news: New York is only the world's 22nd most expensive city, according to the consulting firm Mercer. As outrageous as it may seem to live in a city where a 500-square-foot apartment will run you a million bucks to buy (or $3,000 a month to rent), at least you don't live in Moscow! Or Tokyo. The list of the 21 even more painful places to live below.
Amy Sacco, the former NYC nightlife queen whose reign on top is now (we believe) pretty much over, still has a bunch of fans at BlackBook magazine. In a new interview-one that describes Sacco in glowing terms that would have been more appropriate three years ago-she talks up her Bungalow 8 club in London. Sure, it had a rough start, and hasn't gotten the greatest reviews, but she points out that "we have a hundred more bathrooms than in New York, so, fabulous!" Ha, [cocaine joke]. But what do Sacco's customers in London have to say in their own reviews?
While at the Tate Museum in London, actress Reese Witherspoon politely asked if the person who just took a picture of her could delete it. Witherspoon felt it was kind of weird to sneak a photo right behind her back like that, then suggested if they wanted a photo to simply ask for one. The person told Witherspoon that she wasn't taking a photo of the actress, but of her child who happened to be standing behind her. Witherspoon quickly apologized and returned to her family. The woman leaned over to her friend and whispered, "Sucker. I was so taking her picture."
America's Got Talent judge David Hasselhoff got off to a rousing start of his second job, scaring tourists on London's South Bank. Hasseloff explained that he really isn't scaring the tourists as much as offering them a pleasant surprise and the opportunity to have their picture taken with a celebrity. Hasselhoff did admit that we were a rough patches in the beginning where he popped up from behind the embankment and there was nobody there. Hasselhoff felt a bit embarrassed, but he said that there's a learning curve with every new venture. Hasselhoff opened to have all the kinks worked out by lunch time on Thursday.
Bloomberg staffers in London received a company email recently advising them how to handle the newfound responsibility of caring for the plastic water bottles each employee had been issued. "'These bottles are yours to look after and as stated in the original message, you will only get one,' it says. To ensure 'your bottle does not go walkies and [you] are drinking out of your own one and no one elses [sic]' it might be an idea to mark them with your name. 'There are permanent markers in the stationery cupboards you can use.'" Well then. Quite an embarrassing place to work. [Times UK]
"Rob Knox, 18, was stabbed after he got caught up in a fight outside a bar in southwest London early Saturday, London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Knox plays Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby in the upcoming film 'Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince,' the sixth installment of the popular series set for release in November." [AP] Very sad news video after the jump.
Twitter is, uh... a microblogging thing, where you tell everyone what you're doing at any given moment. It's basically a colossal waste of time. But if you subscribe to ONLY ONE FEED let it be this one: the Twitter account of London's Tower Bridge. It makes all other Twitter feeds utterly redundant.
Bungalow 8 founder and Manhattan nightclub soothsayer Amy Sacco is being humble! "Most everything's overrated [about NYC nightlife]," she says. "Even I'm overrated!" She thinks that London is now "much more interesting than NYC." Funny, because last time we checked in on her London branch of Bungalow 8, local reviewers were calling it "empty." Surely those days are past? Well, recently they haven't been calling it empty, exactly—just overpriced, overcharging, and helmed by an ill-mannered doorman!:
"It's a first for mass transit in the United States. NYPD officers, armed with rifles, submachine guns, body armor and bomb-sniffing dogs will begin patrolling the city's subway system thanks to a 50 percent increase in a homeland security grant." Well, good thing we're putting that to good use! Turning an already problematic police force into a paramilitary organization? What could go wrong! If there's any of that grant money left we should use it to create androids that subdue anyone attempting to dance at a non-licensed bar. With a force as restrained and well-trained and not-roided out of their power-corrupted minds as the NYPD armed to the fucking teeth, what could go wrong? Should we be grateful it's just a ceremonial show of force, like those speeding cop car motorcades that wailed through midtown after the bicycle bombing? Or should we be worried!
In the UK, entertainment reporters have a reputation for being tough and heartless when it comes to reporting on celebrities. But you have to give them this: They're also horny sleazebags. At least one is. His name is Rob Grainge, and he works for the London Paper. Now that French first lady Carla Bruni is getting so much press for her tour of England and other endeavors, the London Paper is trying to get some renewed interest in Grainge's interview with Bruni last year, when she was still a simple model and celebrity. And it is interesting, as a case study in a reporter being unable to control his metaphorical boner while interviewing a pretty woman.
"Why is my teenage daughter dressing like Yasser Arafat?" asks Jonathan Goldberg, London NW3 to Hadley Freeman, Guardian fashion lady. Uh, Jonathan, they're cool! DOY! Geez, people are soooo slow here! Also, khaki green is slimming. And finally, as per Hadley, "[D]esigners love other nationalities!"
New York's current issue works the well-worn "New York vs. [INSERT CITY HERE]" territory that local editors have been so thankful for lo these many years. This time around London is the other burg, and the questions are fast and furious: Who's the world's financial center? Who's got better food? Who's having better sex? It's essentially the stuff that you see in New York (or Time Out) each week, but this time with an opposing team. Sneaked in amongst the comparisons, though, is "Which City Is a Bigger Terror Target?," one of the more bizarre "mine's bigger" arguments we've heard in a while. The general consensus seems to be that New York is safer (See, advertisers? Nothing to worry about!), but can we just suggest that maybe we gather together in some kind of transatlantic alliance and point a finger towards Los Angeles? Or Dallas, maybe? After all, we've both already given at the office.
Sorry ladies, but he's off the market. Recovering nicely from his early-1990s bout with heterosexuality, Alan Cumming married boyfriend Grant Shaffer outside London over the weekend. The couple wanted to do the deed in America, but could not because of our prejudicial laws against Broadway actors. Check out the guest list:
Britrocker and Kate Moss manbutter supplier Pete Doherty may have been caught with heroin and crack in his car while ostensibly in drug rehab, but that's nothing a few hundred pounds and a break from driving can't fix. Making his weekly court appearance, Doherty didn't pretend to wince at this slap on the wrist, even enjoying a compliment from the judge for one of his songs. He now has a few days to try and figure out just what, exactly, one has to do in London in order to actually go to jail these days. We look forward to more progress from what must surely be the most tolerant (if not successful) rehab program in the world.
After managing to stay away from the authorities for over a week, Pete Doherty, Babyshamblet and Kate Mossifier, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of driving on crack. Apparently, Doherty and a couple pals were busted near his London home, meaning he was either on his way out or on his way home. Buzzkill. But at least this is a comfortingly familiar territory for Doherty and the rest of the world. You just know that baby can't wait to meet daddy!
Tomorrow's launch of the English-language Al Jazeera International news channel will present the world with a strange broadcasting animal. Funded by the Emir of Qatar, the channel will likely tone down the graphic and/or sensational nature of its Arabic-language parent, but it will still be free from commercial sponsorship or advertiser concerns. There will actually be four bureaus — one in the channel's home city of Doha, Qatar (studio pictured), plus outposts in London, Washington DC, and Kuala Lumpur. The Emir's deep pockets sent recruiters on a shopping spree for correspondents worldwide, netting a few overseas-famous names. The BBC is said to be defensively realigning in response to Al Jazeera's nabbing of "Scud Stud" Rageh Omaar and Sir David Frost, among others; Frost will inaugurate his show Wednesday by interviewing British PM Tony Blair. Various other Brits came aboard as well, including a few who are apparently a bit too fond of the sauce for the Emir's liking.
After a year's delay, the English-language version of al-Jazeera — the Arab television network based in Qatar — will finally debut on Wednesday. The Guardian has a complete rundown on the tangled backstory of how the channel has finally come about. Of particular note is the London-based crew of broadcasters al-Jazeera recruited from other networks and institutions from all over the world, some attracted to the commercial-free, ratings-proof nature of the channel (it's funded by the Emir of Qatar). Strangely, we haven't noticed al-Jazeera popping up on Time Warner cable guide just yet; if you know how to get the channel in New York without serious nerd science, let us know.
Serial beatdown artist Naomi Campbell was relaxing in her native London while trying to get her work visa renewed, when apparently the blood-rage took hold of her once again. Rumor has it that Campbell attacked her own drug counselor, inflicting "scratches all over her face." Campbell was arrested, then released on bail; she "rebailed" for an appearance later in October, but then rebailed again for a December appearance (good luck getting her to show up in court). No charges have yet been filed, and the unfortunate drug counselor hasn't been publicly identified. But she'd damn well keep her mouth shut, if she knows what's good for her. And next time, she'll fill that prescription a little more quickly.
The endlessly parodied and nevertheless nifty Sony ad from last year that featured thousands of superballs bouncing down a San Francisco hill gets yet another go-round with the above clip. This bouncefest takes place in London's Portobello Road and is sadly and obviously a mere animation. The twist — it's for the "Sphere" sex toy by luxury eroticist Myla. A ripoff it may be, but the image of a horde of cootchie-balls tumbling blissfully through a public space makes it all worthwhile. Perhaps they'll do a follow-up tribute to the new, more phallic Sony ad.
Just when fashion twigs thought they'd successfully fended off anti-skinny assaults, London mayor Ken Livingstone has declared he'll terminate the city's financial support of London Fashion Week if the fest doesn't ban anorexically thin girls (as Madrid did for their fashion week). It's a significant threat, as London has forked over 620,000 to Fashion Week during the last three years. No official response yet from LFW organizer British Fashion Council, but one commenter on the Daily Mail story adopts a variation on the Lagerfeld line: "These models only stand out because most people are overweight and eat far more than the body needs. There is a lot of jealousy involved." If only everyone else wasn't so goddamn fat, these tiny girls wouldn't look so weird, you see?
