Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

There was a Robin Williams sighting at Broadway & 71st earlier in the month, but that may well have been the last one on the Upper West Side for a while.

Williams had been renting a $15,000/month apartment at the tony Rushmore since February while he performed on Broadway, but the show has come to an end and the The Real Deal recently reported that Williams has moved out of the apartment at 80 Riverside Boulevard. The new tenant is Matteo Battaini, CEO of Pirelli Tires in North America. My guess is he has no complaints about the new limo lanes outside the building.

Elsewhere in the neighborhood, Nellies spotted Tony Danza on Columbus, between 68th & 69th. Yes, it would be more impressive if it was 1987 and Alyssa Milano was with him, but celebrities come in all forms, big and small. Nellies reports: “He was leaning against a wall, making a phone call. He looked like he is from around here, carrying something from the dry cleaner or something like that.”

First I’m hearing that Tony Danza is an Upper West Sider, but it’s certainly possible.

Jamie & Drew spotted chef Carla Hall, from Top Chef, browsing the clearance sale at Loehmann’s on Sunday. Wikipiedia says she lives in Washington DC, but she’s also been tapped to co-host a new show on ABC that premieres in September. With ABC offices and studios on the Upper West Side, she might have moved to the neighborhood in preparation for the new show.

Finally, Motown legend Nick Ashford, of Ashford & Simpson, died on Monday. He had been battling throat cancer. Along with his wife, Valerie Simpson, Ashford owned Sugar Bar on West 72nd, which they opened in 1996. You can read the obit in the Daily News, which includes a short video package from CBS News. The New York Times has a more detailed write-up.

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Tags: 80 Riverside Boulevard, Ashford & Simpson, Carla Hall, celeb, Celebrities, celebrity, Matteo Battaini, New York City, Nick Ashford, NYC, Robin Williams, Sugar Bar, The Rushmore, Tony Danza, Top Chef, Upper West Side, UWS, Valerie Simpson