Big Apple Buzz

By Flo Anthony

Looking stunning in a gown by Oscar de la Renta, Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff posed with Chelsea Clinton at the School of American Ballet's 2015 Winter Ball at Lincoln Center's David Koch Theater on Monday, March 9. The event raised $1.3 million. The evening was sponsored by legendary French jeweler, Van Cleef & Arpels for the eighth consecutive year. An annual event, the Winter Ball was a glamorous black-tie dinner dance attended by more than 500 patrons, including the School's board members and alumni as well as leaders from the New York corporate and social communities…

As was first reported in the New York property gossip columns, octogenerian Music Industry legend Clive Davis recently spent just over $3.4 million for a pair of mid-floor co-operative apartments at New York City's ultra luxe Ritz Tower on Park Avenue, where residents pay super-size monthly fees for five-star hotel amenities such as daily maid service. Each of the units, one right on top of the other, were both configured at the time of their sale with two bedrooms and two bathrooms in about 1,250 square feet. They were purchased in concurrent but separate transactions – the lower unit traded for $1.925 million and the one directly above it for $1.475 million. Together, they carry hefty monthly maintenance charges of $10,370. Clive already owns two units on the prewar tower's uppermost floors, as well as a small unit on the 14th floor and another modest apartment on the fifth floor…

On March 8, rap songstress and Notorious B.I.G. confidant, Lil' Kim, drove the crowd wild with a tribute to Biggie at NYC celeb hub, 1OAK NY. The petite powerhouse performed four songs for the crowd, who all showed up to pay homage to the Brooklyn native and hip-hop icon. DJ Jus Ske spun some of the Big Poppa rapper's biggest hits as the crowd danced all night…

The UN Women for Peace Association (UNWFPA) gave their annual awards this year to actor/director Paul Bettany, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group Robert Kraft and Bond No. 9. The Awards Luncheon ceremony celebrating International Women's Day was held recently at the United Nations Headquarters on the East Side. The event was in collaboration with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Academy Award-winner Ron Howard introduced Bettany before he received UNWFPA's Humanitarian Award. Jennifer Connelly, Bettany's wife, was also in attendance…

Hot new couple alert! Common and Lupita Nyong'o were photographed together at both this year's Golden Globes and Academy Award ceremonies. She even tweeted out that their mutual stylist Micaela and she were so proud of him winning the Oscar accompanied by a photo of the three of them. Well, recently, the two Oscar winners were spotted out on a romantic New York City date night that included theater followed by dinner. First, the rapper from Chi-town and Yale-educated actress from Kenya, were spotted in the audience of the off-Broadway play "Big Love" at the Pershing Square Signature Center in Times Square. The theater even thanked them for coming on Twitter. When the play ended, they headed around the corner to BEA Restaurant on West 43rd Street for some cocktails and a bite to eat. Stay tuned…

According to reports, Dr. Oz and Kenneth Cole celebrated with finance expert and TV personality Nicole Lapin at the release party for her new book, "Rich Bitch" at Nicole's Big Apple apartment…