Finally, some good news for the Plaza Hotel. Princess's valuables may not be safe there, and the last Oak Room guests might have been too vulgar but at least the condo/hotel has a good thing going underground. Though people apparently weren't interested in buying pricy baubles in the Plaza's underground concourse it seems they love buying pricy food there. So not only is the Plaza Food Hall by Todd English getting an expansion (and new name) today—next year 17 more food options ranging from Sant Ambroeus desserts to Luke's Lobster rolls to No. 7 Subs will be turning the space into a giant upscale food court. more ›

The storied Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel is closing soon, but not without a good old fashioned sexual harassment suit first. Former pastry chef Melissa Rodriguez has named the restaurant and her former boss, ex-executive chef Eric Hara, in a $25 million lawsuit claiming, among other things, that she was canned on a daily basis. As in literally picked up and put in a garbage can. more ›

Less than three years after reopening, the storied Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel is closing, and, as in all things, brunch is the cause of the problem. Lease negotiations have broken down between the hotel and the Gindi brothers, who operate The Oak Bar and The Oak Room, where the lucrative and obnoxious "Day and Night" brunch parties have reportedly annoyed the Plaza's long-term tenants (and anyone else who has seen photos depicting the appalling behavior at these parties). more ›

In October there was a rumor going around that Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino (of Jersey Shore fame) would be pairing up with The Plaza and possibly becoming a partner and the face of a luxury gym there. But apparently the posh hotel, and national landmark, had enough bad press from the Charlie Sheen incident, and now the NY Post reports that the reality fameball won't be G, T, or L'ing there anytime soon. In fact, he "has been barred from getting involved"! more ›

Capri Anderson, the porn actress and escort found naked and locked behind a door in Charlie Sheen's Plaza hotel suite earlier this week, is also Christina Walsh, a 22-year-old girl from Brooklyn by way of the Bronx. Her secret life was kept hidden from her family until she was exposed earlier this week during the media frenzy around Sheen's breakdown at the hotel. more ›

Arthur Emil, the man behind the late Windows on the World and The Rainbow Room, has won the coveted contract to operate the famous Oak Room and Oak Bar (pictured) in the Plaza Hotel, which is near the end of a three-year, $400 million makeover. The 18 story landmark building opened in 1907 and operated as a hotel until 2005, after being sold for $675 million. After delays blamed on “red tape”, the Plaza is expected to open by the end of March as an upscale condominium with retail space and a smaller hotel. more ›

Manhattan real estate sales set a record in the fourth quarter of 2007, with residential sales averaging out to be $1.4 million (according to data from Prudential Douglas Elliman), an increase of 17.6% over 2006's fourth quarter. However impressive that statistic is, the growth was primarily driven by super high-end sales of at least $10 million. more ›

As noted earlier today, a number of consumer activists, sweatshop protesters and anti-capitalist agitators have for years been working to turn Black Friday into Buy Nothing Day. Spearheaded by the anti-advertising gadflies at Adbusters, the event calls on individuals to suspend purchases for 24 hours and engage in creative activism to highlight the unsustainable patterns of mass consumer culture. Naturally, New York’s anti-corporate performance icon Reverend Billy is all over this. We spoke with... more ›

The Plaza, you know that place where the kids in Gossip Girl hang out, is turning 100 years old today. The date is marked by the first guest to ever check in to the famed establishment. Who was it? The fancy-named Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, and of course a PR-driven hotel manager was behind that. The NY Times reports that "His arrival was orchestrated by the Plaza’s first manager, who wanted the new hotel to open with a splashy, attention-getting stunt." more ›

Anthony Marshall and his wife Charlene buried his mother, Brooke Astor, with an Episcopal priest as the only other person in attendance. A day after a very public funeral service in Manhattan, that had an audio webcast online and several news outlets liveblogging the event, Marshall buried Astor at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetary yesterday. Other family members were not told of the burial arrangements. more ›

Recently Rolling Stone took a 60-second tour of The Beatles' New York, with a little help from Google’s Street Maps feature. more ›

Well, perhaps it's not a wise idea if you have a studio. Today is the last afternoon you can view various objects on sale from the Plaza Hotel at Christie's (the viewing is open until 5PM), but you can look at the catalog online and get ready for tomorrow's auction. Gothamist imagines some restaurant or hotel - or maybe a props department - will go for the furnishings, as well as some people who may have gotten married or engaged or met at the Plaza, because most of the stuff is really rococo - gilded, clunky and big. Maybe the buyers will have a 30,000 mansions they need to furnish. There are bellman uniforms available ($200-300), as are some red shoes from Eloise and even towels, while a Louis XVI style table is the most expensive (starting bid at $12,000). Want a Savonnerie style carpet? You got it. But what's certain is that none of this stuff will appear at Fishs Eddy. more ›

Donald Trump, who had previously owned The Plaza, was surprised that it was losing money. "No kidding. That's one I did well with. It's a wonderful building." Gothamist is surprised that Donald Trump is going about feigning surprise at money losing ventures when his hotels are going belly up. Trump sold the hotel to the prince and the hotel group for $325 million. more ›