Changes of the Seasons

Having settled his four-year battle with the Toronto-based Four Seasons hotel group, Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner is planning to turn 50 of the 368 rooms at his iconic I. M. Pei-designed Manhattan hostelry into up to 50 apartments, according to the New York Post.

“The units would cater to full-time residents who will be paying hefty maintenance fees,” a source tells the Rupert Murdoch tabloid.

It’s not clear whether the eponymous 4,300 square foot Ty Warner Penthouse on the 52nd floor, which has 360-degree views of the city, four balconies, 26-foot cathedral ceilings, a Chinese onyx bathtub, and a Bösendorfer baby grand piano, is one of the apartments reportedly being put up for sale.

Reps for the Four Seasons and Warner aren’t commenting.

Stay tuned…

But How’s the Song?

Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry had her own “break the internet’ moment when she stripped down to a tiny white bikini to promote her own big musical comeback.

Katy, 39, showed sexy photos shot by British photographer Jack Bridgland as she launched ‘a new era’ with the announcement of her ‘empowering’ upcoming single, “Woman’s World.”

Now insiders have revealed the secret behind her jaw-dropping new look – British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom.

The “Roar” hitmaker has been using the 47-year-old actor’s diet and exercise routines in preparation for her first album release in four years, cutting out processed food and curbing her drink intake.

“Orlando has been her right-hand man and has helped her out,” says a friend. “They eat the same and work out the same. She has cut out tons of processed food and doesn’t drink that much.”

House Available

Former Montecito resident Michael Douglas and his Welsh actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones have put their 1920s-era mansion in New York’s Westchester County up for sale.

The 79-year-old Oscar winner and the 51-year-old Chicago star have listed the 12,000 square foot space for $12 million.

The sale could net the tony twosome a $7.5 million payday as Zeta-Jones bought the home in 2019 for only $4.5 million.

The home is in the oh-so exclusive enclave of Irvington, New York – about 20 miles from the Big Apple – and boasts an impressive 12 acres running along the picturesque Hudson River. There is 130 feet of frontage between the Georgian-style house and the river.

Sutherland Reflections

Montecito actor Billy Baldwin has reflected on the life and career of actor Donald Sutherland, who has died at the age of 88.

Of his more than 200 films and TV roles, Billy, 61, got to work alongside the late actor on three productions, including the action-drama Backdraft in 1991, the sci-fi thriller Virus in 1994, the ABC drama series Dirty Sexy Money (2003-2009).

“Donald was a complex, complicated and quirky man,” he reflected on X. “He had a gentle, childish and boyish streak in him that I absolutely adored.

“His person onscreen and his personality in life were as interesting and original as the features on his face. He was a true original. A one of a kind.”

House Sold

Former Google honcho Eric Schmidt, who owns Montecito’s Solana estate – formerly the aerie of Bill and Sandi Nicholson – has offloaded his Silicon Valley estate, barely two months after putting it on the market.

The beautiful property in the ritzy enclave of Atherton was initially listed at the end of April for $24.5 million.

Details of the buyer remain under wraps as the sale records have not been made public.

Schmidt, 69, and his wife – philanthropist and businesswoman Wendy – painstakingly assembled the three-acre estate over two decades, starting in 1990 when they bought the 5,265 square foot main house, built in 1969, for $2 million.

Atherton consistently lands on the richest cities list. Median prices in May hit $13.9 million, a staggering 50 percent jump from last year.

Stardom Cemented

It was a reunion of two icons.

Montecito comedy legend Carol Burnett, 91, and Dick Van Dyke, 98, gathered in Los Angeles last week as Carol left her hand and footprint in the cement at the Hollywood TCL Chinese Theatre, joining stars such as Sidney Poitier, Marilyn Monroe and Van Dyke’s Mary Poppins co-star
Julie Andrews.

Van Dyke’s prints were also there, having left them in 1966.

He appeared in 11 episodes of The Carol Burnett Show, which aired between 1967 and 1978.

Sayonara ‘Yellowstone’

It’s the end of the road for Carpinteria actor Kevin Costner after confirming he is done for good with his Paramount hit show Yellowstone.

In a short clip shared on his media accounts, the Oscar winner, 69, made it official he’d not be returning for an appearance on the hit Western crime series when it returns for Series 5B.

A sequel with Matthew McConaughey and Michelle Pfeiffer is now being developed.

In other Costner news, he has also revealed “a very sweet connection” with William, the Prince of Wakes, 15 years after nearly casting his late mother, Princess Diana, in a sequel to his $411 million grossing blockbuster The Bodyguard from 1992.

Tragically, Diana was killed at the age of 26 in a 1997 Paris car crash, one day after the first draft of the script was completed, so Costner scrapped the project.

But in an interview with People, he revealed more behind-the-scenes details, noting Prince Andrew’s wife Fergie, Duchess of York, had helped broker Costner’s meeting with Diana about possibly doing the sequel.

Years later, Costner happened to be in England and Prince William reached out to him for a meeting.

“And we meet in this room. It was just us. There was nobody else. We sit down and shake hands. The first line out his mouth was, “You know, my mom kind of fancied you.”

Blushing, Costner replied: “I know” to William and they spoke for about half an hour.

“I’ll never say what we talked about, but it was a very special thing. And we just chatted. We’ve never been pen pals, or anything like that. But I’ve had such fond memories of who he was, how I was approached, and what we talked about.

Hayes Retires

After a successful 43-year career in commercial real estate, Steve Hayes is retiring from the business and from his namesake brokerage of 31 years.

He leaves a legacy of team-focused leadership, integrity, skillful deal-making, and enduring friendships with clients, colleagues, and competitors alike.

“It has been a long road of challenging and rewarding work,” says Hayes. “But what I will miss most is the people and the camaraderie. Real estate is about buildings, but the real estate business is about people.”

After graduating from USC, Hayes started in corporate sales at Xerox before deciding to try commercial real estate.

He got his feet wet during four years at Coldwell Banker Commercial before switching to Grubb & Ellis, where he worked for eight years. He moved to our Eden by the Beach in 1981 and has called it home ever since.

On April Fool’s Day in 1993, Hayes did something some of his colleagues considered foolish. He launched a private brokerage with John Blair in a small office in downtown Santa Barbara.

Taking the leap from a large “big name” brokerage to a two-man shop was indeed risky, especially considering the economic situation in the early 1990s, but the firm took root and added clientele.

The rest is history…

Seeing Stars for Years

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has received its 12th consecutive four-star rating from the nonprofit evaluator, Charity Navigator.

The rating – Charity Navigator’s highest – indicates superior financial efficiency and transparency in scholarship foundation operations.

The foundation has now received 21 four-star ratings in 22 years.

Sightings

Actress Meg Ryan strolling on State Street… Comedian-actor Sebastian Maniscalco and wife Lana noshing at Olio e Limone… Bo Derek at the Filming Italy Festival in Sardinia.

Pip! Pip!