South O' the Highway (and the North too)

Billy Joel's "Last Play at Shea" concerts scheduled for July 16 & 18, when the Long Island native will sing his songs at Shea Stadium before the baseball stadium crumbles for good, were both sold out in less than an hour. The first band to play the stadium was The Beatles in August 1965.

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Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., owned by East Hamptonite and matriarchal magnate Martha Stewart, has just purchased the products of rival chef Emeril Lagasse for $45 million in cash and $5 million in stocks. Stewart's company bought the rights to Lagasse's franchise of cookbooks, television shows, and kitchen products. Lagasse remains the host of "Essence of Emeril" and "Emeril Live."

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East Hampton's Jerry Seinfeld and his wife Jessica, author of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Getting Your Kids Eating Good Food, have a new superstar lawyer, Christopher Seeger, filing suit against them. He is the lead counsel in a slander and plagiarism suit that has been filed in federal court. Seeger was previously lead negotiator in the unprecedented class action $4.85 billion settlement against Merck concerning Vioxx, and has been retained by Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals. Seinfeld is being sued because he embarked on a national media campaign of "malicious defamation" against Lapine after her accusations of plagiarism.

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Post-Oscars, Elton John threw his annual AIDS fundraiser at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. At his table were Long Islanders Billy Joel, Interview editor Ingrid Sischy and Donna Karan.

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Montauk's Julian Schnabel won Best Director at the Independent Spirit Awards for his moving movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Brooklyn-based director Dan Klores won best documentary for Crazy Love.

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Hamptonite Kim Catrall was allegedly the hold-up for Sex & The City: The Movie due to personal matters - and a demand for a higher salary. Thankfully, however, her demands were met and she's also been credited as getting her co-stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis more money as well. All of which is probably not a problem for Catrall's neighbor down Montauk Highway, Amagansett's Sarah Jessica Parker, who likely still got paid the highest salary by replaying the iconic Carrie Bradshaw in the upcoming movie.

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Entertainment Weekly threw its annual Oscars party at Elaine's in Manhattan while the Academy threw its own party at Café Carlyle, attended by Shirley Knight, Elaine Stritch and Erica Jong.

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Vanity Fair editor and owner of Sag Harbor's Tutto Il Giorno, Graydon Carter, cancelled his annual post-Oscars bash in LA this year. The newlywed and socialite on temporary leave is preparing for a baby with his wife Anna.

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Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins last week at North Shore University Hopsital in Manhasset. With husband Marc Anthony, the Bronx-native plans to raise the twins at her Brookville, Long Island home.

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The Bridgehampton estate of Lyor Cohen, the chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group, is soon to be listed for around $10 million. The 12-room mansion includes six bedrooms, eight baths, a gourmet kitchen and four acres with a pool and tennis court.

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