Lady Gaga and Me

People ask me all the time: “how do you find out where all the celebrities are in New York?” Here are some tips: Pay Attention- Everybody knows where certain celebrities are. This is New York, after all, and people like to talk and spread information. A friend of mine lived in Debbie Harry’s building, another friend of mine lived on a block with several notable people. Take a poll of your friends and NEVER miss the gossip or real estate columns. Limo & taxi drivers are a great source also. It’s important to update your celebrity information. Celebrities from 20 years ago are passe now. Reality TV stars are hot…also rock stars. I know some guides who are still telling people about Mia Farrow and Carly Simon living in the Langham on Central Park West! First of all, they both moved years ago…and secondly, WHO CARES? I had a group of younger couples yesterday. They were in their 30’s and they had no idea who Mia Farrow was, Lauren Bacall, Connie Chung or Alan Alda! They knew Carly Simon (a bit). Today’s groups want to know about Matt Damon, Jennifer Aniston, Kanye West, P. Diddy, Sarah Jessica Parker, the Real Housewives and more! I talk about Lady Gaga when possible-- everybody always wants to know about her. I found out where she lived by using some simple detective work. She was interviewed awhile back by Barbara Walters and she said she grew up on the Upper Westside of Manhattan. I remembered that I have a phone book (remember those?) from 10 years ago, covered in dust, on the floor. After googling Lady Gaga to see her real name and how she spells it (Stephanie Joanne Germanotta) I then flipped thru the phone book and…..there it was: “Joe and Cynthia Germanotta: 135 W. 70th St.” Underneath Joe and Cynthia, was a separate listing at the same address for 15-year old “Stephanie”! By the way, this is a fabulous building…Upper Westsiders will know it from the Egyptian statues that decorate the upper floors. It was a former Knights of Pythias Hall (a fraternal organization like the Shriner’s or Masons) transformed into condos in 1983-4. In a recent VANITY FAIR article, Gaga is quoted as saying: “I stay in hotels all over the world but when I’m in New York, I always stay with my parents in the same apartment where I grew up.” The Vanity Fair reporter noted that Lady Gaga was in the process of chopping tomatoes with her Mother to make homemade pasta sauce. The family just opened a restaurant: JOANNE on W. 68th St.

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