Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

• The Cipriani family is planning to close the Rainbow Grill on January 12th, although the bar and banquet space will remain open. [AP]
• The troubled Palm Court inside the Plaza closed last week. [Eater]
• A pizza-making school is coming to Bleecker Street. [NYT]
• Upright Citizens Brigade is contemplating an East Village outpost. [GS]
• The success of Simon Hammerstein's The Box is leading more nightclubs to consider adding live entertainment. [NYP]
• Restaurant Week reservations are now being accepted. [NYCGo]

♦  New York takes a long look in this week's issue at The Box, Simon Hammerstein's infamously sleazy club. Don't read it if you're eating or you're easily offended by tales of snot and/or raw sewage. [NYM]
♦  Fresh trouble for the Cipriani family: The head of the State Liquor Authority, Daniel Boyle, says an aide to Governor Paterson tried to "intimidate" him into renewing the family's liquor licenses. [NYP]
♦  Opening this week: Macao Trading Co., brought to you by the team behind Employees Only; Carroll Gardens' Buttermilk Channel; and Perle on Pearl Street. [NYM]
♦  The Observer has put up its list of top 10 new bars. [NYO] More

♦  Yesterday evening the New York Women's Foundation Fall Gala took place at Gotham Hall: Michael Bloomberg and Diana Taylor, Iman, Joel Klein and Nicole Seligman, Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower, Felicia Taylor, Jamie Niven, Herbert Wachtell, and Jonathan Farkas ate, drank, and watched a performance from the American Ballroom Theater Youth Dance Company. [Wireimage, PMc]

♦  Last night Donna Karan celebrated her 60th with a party at The Box worthy of someone a third her age. Joining the debauchery: her daughter Gabby, Simon Hammerstein, Alan Cumming, George Wayne, Andre Balazs, David Furnish, Nadine Johnson, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Kelly Klein, Jackie Astier, Steven Klein, and many more. [GoaG, PMc]More

We've done it! We've figured out just what set into motion the financial crisis that has led to billions in losses, demolished two investment banks (so far), and led to tens of thousands of lost jobs. It all goes back to Friday, March 7th when sleazy club owner Simon Hammerstein, headband-wearing scenester Arden Wohl, gay party boy Derek Blasberg, heiress Amanda Hearst, and gala staple Claire Bernard turned up at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the closing bell. Clearly, their mere presence at the exchange unleashed some sort of vicious curse on the markets. Don't believe us? Below you'll find a chart that shows the price of Lehman Brothers since that fateful Friday—or "Black Friday" as the day will henceforth be known—and you'll have all the proof you need that this visit was what doomed the storied firm. More

• It seems The Box's Simon Hammerstein is quite the pervy, depraved boss, at least judging by all the complaints from female ex-employees. [Gawker]
• The probably-fake nightclub El Bano already has a probably-fake competitor called El-Elevator. [GoaG]
• Scott Conant is a fan of Anthony Bourdain and Jean-Georges; he's not so much a fan of restaurants in China. [Big Think via GS]
• The owners of Patsy's pizzeria in Harlem have won the legal battle with Patsy's in Midtown over rights to the famous name. [NYP]
• Four employees at 230 Fifth are suing the lounge's owner, Steven Greenberg, for paying below minimum wage and skimming tips. [GS]
• Greek superchef Michael Psilakis says he has weakness for rice pudding and he'll eat just about anything. [NYT/Diner's Journal]
• On-the-job injuries aren't restricted to professional athletes and coal miners—bartenders have it pretty rough, too. [TONY]

Simon Hammerstein, the hipster founder of the LES hotspot The Box, paid $1.27 million for a Financial District loft, according to property documents posted this morning. The fourth floor pad—located at 265 Water Street—features two bedrooms and 1,650 square feet of open living space. Check it our for yourself after the jump.More