Tag: Media and Marketing

Jennifer Lawrence apartment
Lawrence has looked at a Tribeca apartment just like this; photo shows the model unit.

Jennifer LawrenceBoulevard reviews the latest media coverage of the Oscar-winning Louisville native in our exclusive Jennifer Lawrence Diary™. Today’s news, rated on a scale of 1-5 stars:

Five starsLet’s just go for the jugular: Lawrence, all of 25, is kicking the tires at a paparazzi-proof four-bedroom, four and one-half bath condo in New York City that’s on the market for:

$14,400,000

And that’s just the asking price, because buyers often bid way above in white-hot markets like New York, San Francisco, and the city where Lawrence already has at least one home: Beverly Hills.

The building is in the Tribeca neighborhood, downtown on the west side and snuggled up to the Hudson River. Specifically: 443 Greenwich St. It’s apartment 3A — meaning, incredibly at that price: No. River. View. And hello, street noise.

Do dish more, Curbed New York:

“The swankified 1880s book bindery-turned-condo has been an easy sell among the monied elite. ‘We’re creating an environment that is genuine TriBeCa yet also paparazzi-proof,’ MetroLoft principle Nathan Berman said in a statement. Those private amenities include drive-in, drive-out underground parking and a second lobby for residents wanting to take private elevators. The building also features a central courtyard only for building residents.”

In other words, Lawrence needn’t worry about an East Coast version of the 10 paparazzi camped outside the West Coast home she bought in October 2014 from comedian Ellen DeGeneres for a mere $8.2 million. Plus, the paps would have plenty of other prey in the neighborhood: Celebrities who’ve lived there include mega Grammy-winner Beyoncé, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and his ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow. Besides, Lawrence can always fall back on her Donald Trump-hunting bodyguards.

Compared to other prices in the building, apartment 3A is a steal. The penthouse is on the market for $55 million; that would be a record for downtown, Curbed says. For more perspective on 3A’s $14.4 million ask, consider the priciest home up for grabs here in Louisville is $16 million (and a recent price cut from $20 million suggests the seller is motivated).

The bottom line: For this condo’s sheer gorgeousness, Boulevard awards Curbed a rare, and coveted five-star review!

Here, by the way, is the curb appeal of Greenwich Street in front of the building; yup, that’s a loading dock on the left-hand side:

Greenwich Street

Related: how Tribeca became New York’s most desirable neighborhood.

Why Ford will slam Tesla; Yum stock whips Mickey D’s, and Hut launches S’mores cookies

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Pizza Hut’s new S’mores cookies are $6.99.

A news summary, focused on big employers; updated 5:57.m.

FORD: Why Ford will beat Tesla, even as electric cars gain a toehold (Barron’s).

YUM: The company’s stock has overthrown McDonald’s as the hottest fast-food stock around. Year to date, shares have surged 9% vs. 4% for McDonald’s and a skinny 0.2% for the S&P 500 index. (The Street). Also, former Chairman David Novak says workers are “starved for recognition” from their supervisors (Business First).

PIZZA HUT today introduced 8-inch Hershey’s Toasted S’mores Cookies for a limited time at $6.99 (press release).

AMAZON has started hiring up to 500 employees for a new distribution center in Florence Township outside Trenton, N.J. “They want to be up and running in time for the Christmas holiday,” Township Administrator Richard Brook said last week (Burlington County Times).

GANNETT: Tribune Publishing’s shares dove 15% today on fears that Courier-Journal owner Gannett may rescind its $15-a-share takeover offer; Gannett’s stock fell 2.4% (Talking New Media). The chances Tribune would pursue a “Pac-Man” defense takeover of Gannett had already eased when Tribune decided to share confidential information that could pave the way for Gannett’s $864 million purchase of Tribune (Reuters).

KFC: A 29-year-old man was arrested last night in Columbus, Ga., after he allegedly approached the KFC drive-thru on Manchester Expressway completely nude (Ledger-Enquirer).

BROWN-FORMAN said today it will release fourth-quarter financial results on June 8, followed by a conference call with Wall Street analysts (press release). Meanwhile, Boulevard is sad we missed the chance on Saturday to celebrate World Whisky Day, where everyone was invited to “try a dram and celebrate the water of life” (Hot Rum Cow).

TEXAS ROADHOUSE opens one of its newest restaurants today, a $1.3 million outlet in the college town of Ithaca, N.Y. (Ithaca Voice).

CHURCHILL DOWNS: Thoroughbred racing’s now increasingly international, as NBC Sports made clear during Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, when the network teased its coverage of the Royal Ascot meeting in Britain starting next year (Chicago Now). Ascot got a big publicity boost in 1964’s “My Fair Lady.” The women’s dress code for the royal enclosure is super-strict, including this admonition: “strapless, off the shoulder, halter and spaghetti straps are not permitted” (Ascot).

Photo, top: Pizza Hut.

Jones vs. Jones: A mystery over the true identity of Louisville’s biggest political donor

Business First logoBusiness First has a curious story about political campaign contributions in its current issue both in print and on its website. (We won’t link to the web version because it’s only for subscribers). The story lists the Louisville area’s top 30 individual donors for the 2016 election cycle — this includes White House candidates — and says whether their gifts went mostly to Democrats or to Republicans. The names were compiled for the business weekly by the well-regarded Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group in Washington that tracks campaign finance.

Here’s what’s odd; bear with us, because it’s complicated. The story says the No. 1 donor is a retired Dr. Mark Jones, who’s said to have given a total $200,950 primarily to Republicans. He’s far and away the most generous donor listed; No. 2 is the philanthropist Christy Brown, who’s given $76,600 (mostly to Democrats), according to the list.

But Boulevard wonders whether the center has erred. We used its searchable database to build our own list of the biggest Kentucky donors for the 2016 election cycle. At the top of our list: one David A. Jones, identified only as a Louisville retiree who gave $200,000 on Sept. 14 to the Kentuckians for Strong Leadership PAC.

David Jones Sr
Jones

He’s almost certainly Humana co-founder David A. Jones Sr.; the PAC lists his $200,000 gift, and his West Main Street office address in its annual 2015 Federal Election Commission report. (Moreover, if you search solely for any David A. Joneses, you turn up another five donations totaling $41,500 from a retired David A. Jones Sr., including $33,400 on May 27, 2015, to the Republican National Committee. However, it doesn’t look like these gifts were from his son, venture capitalist and Humana director David A. Jones Jr.; these appear to be from Jones Sr.)

Back to the Business First story. The center’s database does, indeed, show two contributions by a Dr. Mark Robert Jones of Louisville, but totaling only $950. And unlike Business First’s account, Jones isn’t identified as retired. The donations went to 21st Century Oncology; it’s unclear whether that’s a PAC.

Did the center mistakenly credit the $200,000 from David Jones Sr. to Dr. Jones and his $950, pushing the doctor to the top of the list? It certainly seems possible. That would mean the Humana co-founder is the real top donor, with a total $241,500. We’ll watch Business First for any clarification in the days ahead.

McConnell,Mitch-012309-18422-jf 0024
McConnell

This much is certain: The Kentuckians for Strong Leadership PAC is solidly Republican. “Our highest priority in 2014,” its website says, “was ensuring the reelection of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In 2016, we turn our attention to delivering control of Kentucky’s State House of Representatives to the Republican Party.”

In today’s Courier-Journal, a tale of two newspapers

CJ premium editionFor a glimpse of what the Courier-Journal can do when it really commits resources, consider today’s installment of the quarterly premium sections introduced in March. It’s devoted to all things food: from farmer’s markets to an impressive farm-to-table restaurant guide. It’s handsomely designed, as you can see in the photo, left, of the cover.

And at a $1 per-subscriber surcharge, the sections surely brings in tens of thousands of dollars in additional revenue. Plus, they’ve got a long shelf life, so readers are likely to keep them well after recycling the rest of the paper.

But that’s in the CJ’s printed version. Where’s all that special new content in the other, more important edition: the website and mobile app, where coveted younger readers spend most of their time? Boulevard can’t find it online in  the food section. Ditto for the farm-to-table section, or health and fitness. Strangest of all, it’s not in the subscribers-only Xtras section, even though that’s where the paper’s top editor directed readers when the first installment was published in March.

Newspapers everywhere are battling for business in a world turned upside down by online competition. But all too often, their digital distribution comes up way too short, especially when it involves content that, like freeze-dried food, has a long shelf life.

Jennifer LawrenceBoulevard reviews the latest media coverage of the Oscar-winning Louisville native in our exclusive Jennifer Lawrence Diary™. Today’s news, rated on a scale of 1-5 stars:

Three starsLawrence was trashing her Beverly Hills house — figuratively, at any rate — not long after she snapped it up for $8.2 million in October 2014. The 5,500-square-foot bachelorette pad’s provenance was apparently problematical. “It’s Ellen [DeGeneres]’s old house,” Lawrence said, according to Pop Sugar. “It was Jessica Simpson‘s old house. It’s like the neighborhood whore. I was outside and some girl was like, ‘I grew up in this house.’ Beat it, kid. Everybody’s lived in this house.”

Now, pushing two years later, that kid would have plenty of company on the street outside, according to this just-published MSN story:

“There are 10 [paparazzi] sleeping outside my house, and I see them every morning and it’s not lovely,” 25-year-old Lawrence says. “I’ve talked about it a lot with other actors who have the same problems, but we don’t really like to complain about it because if we do people go, ‘Shut up, millionaires,’ and say, ‘you’re so lucky.’ And yes, we are lucky, but I deserve the right to have control over my image. I would prefer that the only time somebody sees me is when I am in a film or in character or if I am promoting a movie.”

Curbed Los Angeles says Lawrence’s house in the guarded Hidden Valley enclave sold for $6.4 million only a year before she bought it from DeGeneres for nearly $2 million more. For those 10 men who’d love to come inside to snap pictures, Curbed offers this inside tour — including the entrance, with the garage gate open:

Jennifer Lawrence house

For not being all judge-y about Lawrence’s poor-me travails, Boulevard gives MSN three stars!