Results tagged “mandarinoriental”

If your basketball player fiance dumps you via email the day before the wedding, why not go out and take pictures with Tyson Beckford? Apparently that's what former Nets dancer Kesha Ni'Cole Nichols did after former Nets (now San Antonio Spurs) player Richard Jefferson basically stiffed her at the altar—the Post reports, "Nichols sported a bright pink party frock as she smiled and posed for pictures last Saturday with her would-be bridesmaids -- and model Tyson Beckford -- in Manhattan, where guests who'd been invited to the nuptials rallied to lift the former New Jersey Nets dancer's spirits." And TerezOwens.com has photographs of Nichols in her pink dress with her bevy of friends and Beckford. And during Nichols' outing, Jefferson, who took his side of the story to the media, was on his way to Europe with fellow NBA player Luke Walton and some other friends.

A former New Jersey Net dancer thought she was moving on up with a $2 million wedding all planned out with former Nets' star Richard Jefferson, set for last weekend at Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle. But RJ's engagement ring turned out to be a give-and-go when Jefferson told Kesha Ni'Cole Nichols in the days leading up the wedding that he would not be attending. That didn't stop Nichols from going ahead with spending her canceled wedding night in the Mandarin, where they upgraded her to a suite with a king-sized bed and a view of the park. But not only was the bride-not-to-be at the hotel, so were "(Jefferson's) boys" who claim they found out about the change of plans hours before, but apparently were already set with using his Black Amex card for the night. The Post says that according to friends, Nichols was "not entirely caught off-guard" and "just wants to keep this as quiet as possible and move on." Jefferson recently moved on up himself to San Antonio, where he joined the Spurs in a trade for Bruce Bowen.

The financial markets may be taking a hit lately, but Wall Street is still planning about $38 billion in bonuses this year. Bloomberg News reports that the money was thanks to "a record $9 billion of fees for arranging acquisitions and $5 billion for underwriting initial public offerings and sales of junk bonds." This translate to an average Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers or Bear Stearns worker getting over $200,000 in bonuses....

How much would you pay for a one-of-a-kind home dinner for ten with Chef superstars Mario Batali and Tom Colicchio? What if it was for charity? At the 12th Annual Bid Against Hunger sponsored by City Harvest, New York City’s only food rescue program, the highest bidder paid $24,000 for a meal by the culinary duo.

Bad news for East Side hotel lovers: The Drake (56th and Park) and the Mark (77th and Madison) are both closing! The Drake is going to be demolished to make room for a high-rise residential building. The Mark is also going residential, but the building won't be destroyed. The Post has the financial details:

A feng shui master was also present to make sure the hotel would have peace, harmony, and prosperity (the AP reports Pun Yin used incense, apples and two bronze lions, requisite items at most any feng shui ceremony). Good luck with that, considering they are across the street from The Donald's hotel.

Ladies and gentlemen, gourmands and those with expense accounts: The [AOL] Time-Warner Center Restaurant All-Stars! The Times' restaurant critic William Grimes looks at the wealth of cooking talent the new AOL Time-Warner Center boasts (but the Time Warner Center is NOT A MALL - it's One Central Park, okay?). The breakdown: