Carl Spielvogel

It would take tightly shut eyes and a gargantuan leap of faith to not be at least slightly panicked about the tiptop of New York City’s high-end real estate. Lawsuits over record-breaking condos at the Plaza are flying back and forth; star townhouses are languishing on the market; and brokers who barely six months ago wondered aloud when we’d be seeing $100 million deals are quietly complaining about having to sing lullabies to angst-ridden clients.

But all is not lost. A source said Monday that the Democratic Party fund-raising stars Carl Spielvogel and Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel are in contract to sell their seventh-floor apartment at 720 Park Avenue for around $37 million, though they paid only $20 million just two years ago.  read more »

Residents of the Hamptons will be doing their part to raise money (and the average contribution figure) for Barack Obama's Victory Fund at an August 17 fund-raiser with special guest Caroline Kennedy, according to an invite sent in by a reader. (Obama will not be in attendance.) The hosts of the event are Ross Bleckner and Dorothy Lichtenstein, and the co-hosts include just about everyone in Hampton's society.

According to an invite, illustrated with an Obama portrait and bearing a "Carpooling Encouraged," reminder, co-hosts in alphabetical order include Alec Baldwin, Christy Turlington Burns & Ed Burns, Barbara Lee Diamonstein-Spielvogel and Carl Spielvogel, Laura Durning, Jason Epstein, Katie Lee and Billy Joel, Ellen Chesler & Matt Malow, Obama veteran donors Jay Johnson and Brian Mathis, Isaac Mizrahi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rosie Perez, Jane Rosenthal, Russell Simmons, and Robert Zimmerman, among others.  read more »

• Edie Falco has just signed a lease on a four-bedroom home near Sag Harbor. Also, there is further evidence that Adelaide de Menil may be unloading her 40-acre estate, for $100 million. (New York Post)
• Democratic fund-raisers Carl Spielvogel and Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel have found a buyer for their $20 million apartment at 720 Park. In December, The Observer reported that the power couple were moving 10 floors below, and had put this apartment on the market. Also, Johnny Damon has been spotted at The Empire, the same luxury condominium that Jason Giambi calls home. Perhaps, Mr. Damon used our handy roundup for his apartment search. (New York)
• Lastly, a two-bedroom apartment is now on the market for a whopping $27.5 million! Well, it is at 740 Park (which calls for an obligatory comment from the building's biographer, Michael Gross). (New York Times)