South O' the Highway (and the North too)

Piano Man Billy Joel has added to his oceanfront Sagaponack digs, closing on a 1.6-acre lot with 140 feet of beach frontage located adjacent to the home he bought from Roy Scheider last spring.

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It seems that Christie Brinkley's Bridgehampton mansion, on the market for $30 million, has started a little real estate feud. An agent at the real estate firm Stribling listed the home as her exclusive, which was news to Brinkley's Corcoran broker. Gossip folks have suggested that Brinkley's soon to be ex-husband Peter Cook, an alleged friend of the agent, may have given Stribling permission to sell the home, even though he isn't its owner.

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A bevy of Hamptonites turned up for the Lia Sophia jewelry preview at Manhattan's Gold Bar last week, including Fabiola Beracasa, Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, and Stacey Bendet. Even queen of the scene Tinsley Mortimer showed up with her rarely seen in the spotlight husband Topper Mortimer.

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Young Southampton actor Emanuel Sylvano, who made his stage debut at The East Quogue Theater last spring, has snared the lead role of King Solomon in the upcoming off-Broadway musical Bathsheba, the famous biblical saga about David & Bathsheba as told through her eyes. Performances will start Valentine's Day 2008.

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Last Saturday, Tim Kelley, head of the Ross School, read from his new novel Twice Removed at Wines by Morrell in East Hampton. Other authors who read their work that evening include Heather Buchanan, Tom Clavin, Cindi Cook, Randye Lordon, Tony Marr, Leanne Shear and Tracey Toomey.

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Steve Florio, the former chairman of the Conde Nast Publishing Company and owner of the popular Italian restaurant/Sag Harbor hotspot Tutto di Giorno, has been in the hospital since he suffered a heart attack two weeks ago. Florio retired from Conde Nast eight years ago after suffering his first attack and having cardiac surgery.

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East End restaurant owner Eric Lemonides closed his Wainscott Mexican spot Almondito last week. Lemonides, who also owns Almond in Bridgehampton, promises to reopen Almondito's doors but with Northern Italian style and a new name - Almoncello.

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The home of the late Howard Gittis, who served as vice chairman for Ron Perelman's holding company until his death last September, is now hitting the real estate market for a cool $59 million. The sprawling Southampton estate on approximately 14 acres is just under 16,000 square feet with two pools and a tennis court.

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Filmmaker Paul Hasegawa-Overacker's, documentary Guest of Cindy Sherman, an ode to his ex-girlfriend, East Hampton artist Cindy Sherman, has finally been completed after years of work, funding and discussion. Guest of Cindy Sherman chronicles Hasegawa-Overacker's role the great artist's un-famous boyfriend and includes interviews with Carol Kane, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Molly Ringwald, Eric Bogosian, Julian Schnabel, Eric Fischl, and John Waters. The film was partially inspired by an unpleasant incident at a dinner party where Hasegawa-Overacker received a place card dubbing him "Guest of Cindy Sherman." In the film, Elton John's husband David Furnish recants a similar incident when he once had to persuade John to move Uma Thurman so they could sit together.

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John Varvatos has been named Designer of the Year by GQ. The bold fashion designer and East Ender with a store in East Hampton, was given the title for bringing back the classic American rock 'n roll aesthetic. His influence will grow when his store opens next year on the Bowery, at the old home of the legendary CBGB.

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Albert Maysles, director of Grey Gardens, the infamous documentary about the decrepit East Hampton mansion shared by Jackie O's quirky relatives, is still making relevant films. At eighty years old, the documentarian is touring with pop punk favorites Fall Out Boy for a new film about the band.

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Tommy Hilfiger knows how to turn a buck. The fashion mogul has reportedly made more than $8 million in just a year and a half. Hilfiger, who bought his oceanfront contemporary on Further Lane for $18 million in May 2006, just sold it for $26.5 million. The estate, equipped with five bedrooms, 12 baths, a media room, an outdoor pavilion with a fireplace, an infinity-edged pool and more than 150 feet of beachfront, also earned more from the home by renting it to Mariah Carey last August for $350,000.

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