Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

Just in case one list wasn't enough, we present to you a second roundup of what a bunch of celebrities (Robert De Niro, Amy Winehouse), socials (Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Amanda Hearst), art moguls (Larry Gagosian, Aby Rosen), and the occasional billionaire (Jonathan Tisch), and publicist (Nadine Johnson) have planned for the holidays. The full list—which is based on various press accounts, TV interviews, and the excellent research of blogs like Park Avenue Peerage—is after the jump. More

You may be planning to stay home this holiday season with a bottle of vodka and a fistful of Xanax and have little more to look forward than the soft glow of the Yule Log on WPIX, but needless to say other people have more exciting plans in store. A totally random (and occasionally jealousy-inducing) roundup of vacation destinations after the jump.More

Last week, we dialed up a few luxury hotels in places like Aspen and Vail to see how they were faring this holiday season amid the recession. The abundance of rooms didn't strike us as a very encouraging sign, especially since many of them had already slashed room rates compared to previous seasons. But that was two weeks before Christmas—maybe there would be a rush of well-heeled travelers who would take advantage of the low prices at the last minute? With Christmas Eve just a week away, we thought we'd check back in and see if business had picked up at all.More

The Spitzers' Hopeful Holiday Card [NYDN]

Time Warner Cable Spreads the Cheer | Time Warner may seem like a grinch laying off thousands of staffers less than two weeks before Christmas, but the company isn't lacking holiday spirit entirely: Time Warner Cable is giving all employees (as well as customers who request one) a pin-up calendar featuring its cable repairmen in a variety of suggestive poses. Just what you've been waiting for, we're sure. [NYDN]

Citigroup has had a rough time recently. But the bank wouldn't want all the grim news to discourage the bright-eyed college students who signed on to join Citi's investment banking analyst class this May, would it? Of course not! Above you'll find the warm, fuzzy e-card the bank sent to its new recruits this week, which was accompanied by animated snowflakes. One thing it didn't come with, unfortunately: a guarantee that Citigroup will still exist by the time graduation rolls around.

Hedge Funders Keep Up Their Classy Reps | Billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones isn't letting the crappy economy stop him from going all-out this holiday season. This past weekend Jones unveiled his annual Christmas display outside his Greenwich mansion, which features 15,000 lights syncronized to a four-minute looping soundtrack. (If you pull up near the house, you can listen to the music by tuning your radio to 90.5 FM.) The display will be open to the public from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Dec. 20. And if you're one of the people who invested in Jones' fund and you've since been notified that Jones is no longer permitting clients to withdraw their cash? Well, you can always walk up to the front door and try asking in person! [Greenwich Time via Dealbreaker]

There weren't too many signs of doom and gloom at Google's holiday party last night. The shindig at Penthouse 15 on West 37th Street featured "top shelf liquor (but no shots), filet mignon, and had the sickest game room set up," reports ChiChi212, who somehow managed to sneak her way into what was supposed to be a staff-only event. "There was a moving screening room, a game room with every console imaginable, karaoke. I mean these people were not kidding." Guess not! Unfortunately, she also says the room was filled with "tons of socially awkward people," which is probably because Google decided to schedule separate holiday parties for its engineering and sales staffs. (This was the one for the engineers, obvs.) And it was still a step down from last year's fête, which took place at the Rainbow Room and cost $300 a head. Still, most companies aren't exactly breaking out filet mignon for their employees this year—if they're having a party at all, of course—although you can always refer to this handy roundup that The Business Sheet put together if you feel like reliving the lavish holiday parties of years past.

With the holiday season upon us (and with the first snowflakes beginning to fall), we thought we'd check in with some of the luxe hotels at ski resorts around the country—you know, the ones in places like Aspen that book up months or years in advance—to see how they're faring this year. The answer? Three of the five hotels had availability, an ominous sign given it's high season and Christmas is just two weeks away. The good news, of course, is that if you're one of those people who waits until the last minute to book a trip, you'll have no trouble securing a deluxe room at the St. Regis in Aspen. (Assuming you still have money left in your bank account, that is.) Our survey of the five hotels after the jump. More

Holiday Cards: Less Glitter, More Cheese | How is the greeting card industry adjusting to the economic downturn? Designers are toning down the glitter ("That's just not the mindset anymore"), and sticking with more traditional colors, like deep reds and greens. Cards with "a lot of shopping bags or gifts piled high" are out. Most depressingly, tacky is back in big way: "The text is deliberately long-winded. Before, cards had shorter, snappier messages. 'Now people want longer copy,' says Rochelle Lulow, creative director of American Greetings' editorial studio. 'During difficult times, we see people wanting to connect on a deeper, emotional level that goes above and beyond.'" [WSJ]

Tourist Advisory Notice | The annual tree lighting at Rockefeller Center takes place tonight beginning at 7pm. Fifth Avenue between 47th and 50th will be closed to traffic for much of the evening, so be sure to stay far from Midtown. Or go mingle with the tourists and make them feel welcome, assuming you have nothing better to do. [NY1]

The Swiss Never Pass Up an Excuse to Go Wild | It's not all doom and gloom on Wall Street! You'll be happy to hear that Credit Suisse's annual Christmas party is still taking place next week. [Dealbreaker]

Many companies have been busy cancelling their holiday parties in recent weeks. But if your firm is still searching for a little entertainment to spice things up (and you're not interested in having a losing contestant from Top Chef make an appearance), here's one more option to add to the list. Donald and Allison, who operate a site called SopranosLookalikes.com and claim they served as James Gandolfini and Edie Falco's photo doubles on the HBO show, say they still have some availabilities for upcoming holiday events. The couple promises to offer up quite a show if you hire them. They'll happily meet and greet your guests, "present awards," and "do toasts." They're also willing to "argue with each other" and "Tony can humiliate those you want made an example out of," which, come to think about it, might come in handy if the CEO of your company just slashed the budget and fired a big bunch of people.

More Parties Cancelled | No holiday celebrations this year for employees of CB Richard Ellis and Cushman & Wakefield: Both real estate firms have decided to forgo their annual Christmas parties. But CBRE says it's going to give employees a half-day off from work instead, which might very well be a better deal. [NYO]

Christmas Not Canceled After All | If you're planning to be in the vicinity of Rockefeller Center tomorrow, keep in mind that a 115-foot long trailer will be depositing an eight-ton tree in the middle of the Midtown during the early morning hours. Did your company cancel its annual holiday party and/or festive office decorations? Consider this your substitute! [NYDN]