AOL Real Estate - Blog http://realestate.aol.com/blog AOL Real Estate - Blog http://realestate.aol.com/blog/media/feedlogo.gif AOL Real Estate - Blog http://realestate.aol.com/blog en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Minor Kitchen Renovations Help Sell Your Homehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/07/23/minor-kitchen-renovations-help-sell-your-home/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/07/23/minor-kitchen-renovations-help-sell-your-home/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/07/23/minor-kitchen-renovations-help-sell-your-home/#commentsJudy McLendon of Bay Head, N.J. knows why home sellers often put their money into kitchen renovations. "Redoing the kitchen is probably the best thing you can do," she says.

McLendon should know. She has sold many of her own homes without the help of a realtor. Years ago in Summit, N.J., McLendon was a city council member known for having lived in four homes within a 10-block area, and she enjoyed completing home renovations.

One of the things she learned along the way: Bigger is not always better. The important thing is to have a sensible work space, with the sink and the fridge and the oven "all within a few steps," McLendon says.

Yes, big kitchens have become a status symbol. But home sellers should know that wise buyers will also look at layout. "If they are smart buyers, they would be impressed with the design of a kitchen," McLendon says.

She also says that cost does not have to be crazy. "You can put together a very good-looking kitchen -- and a practical kitchen -- without spending millions," McLendon argues. Our team of experts agrees. So what exactly should sellers do to renovate their kitchens? What is on the to-do list for a kitchen upgrade?



The first step: Look at your kitchen and come up with a candid assessment.

"You have to take a look at what you have first," said Robert Kleinbardt of New Heights Realty in Manhattan. His simple advice: "It's always easier to sell something that's been fixed up."

Kleinbardt thinks that kitchens and bathrooms are still "where you get the best return for your dollar." In fact, kitchen renovations net a higher profit in resale than upgrading the basement or adding on to a deck. But don't go too far or spend recklessly. Kleinbardt cautions against spending $70,000 to fix the kitchen in a $300,000 apartment.

Hitting the same theme, Ainslie Dougherty, a RE/MAX broker in Colorado, said never spend more than 10 percent of the value of a property on the kitchen improvements.

Her first step: de-clutter. "You want to have no more than two things on your counter: your coffee pot and one other item," Dougherty said.

Other tips for kitchen remodeling:


Fix faucets and light fixtures.

"It's a cheap update," Dougherty said. "If they're more than 10 years old, update them."


Replace cabinets -- or at least update them.

If it's not cost-effective to do a complete overhaul, then do a paint job and make less expensive improvements. Kleinbardt remembered a client with so-so cabinets. "Some were in good shape, some were not," the New York realtor recalled. The seller painted the cabinets a nice driftwood gray color. Then new knobs were added to the cabinets, complete with an attractive ceramic design. "There was really a major difference in the way you thought about the place," Kleinbardt said.


Be careful with color.

"Don't say, wouldn't it be cool to have a bright orange kitchen?" Kleinbardt said. When picking colors, think about what will attract the most people.


Think about the function of a kitchen.

"Is there a place to work?" Kleinbardt said. He's seen kitchens with Sub-Zero appliances where there is not enough work space. So he argues: "Get yourself as much work space as you can. The kitchen is a place where we spend a lot of time -- at least most people do. Some people just use the kitchen to heat up the Chinese food."


Go granite.

At least that's the advice from RE/MAX Realtor Bill Gassett in Massachusetts. He said granite is becoming incredibly popular, and often expected in homes selling for $600,000 and above. "That's really one of the hot-button things here," Gassett said. "People really want to have granite in their homes." Gassett shares his expertise on his blog and has written about getting homes ready to sell.

Keep current when picking a style.

Know what's popular in the neighborhood where you are selling your home. Gassett said that currently in Massachusetts, wood cabinets are popular. Lighter cherry, maple, birch are all seen in for-sale kitchens. "The pickled kind of stuff is out," Gassett said. "Real dark is out."

McLendon fixes up houses to live in, not necessarily to sell. But over the years her homes certainly did sell and her renovations made the sales profitable. McLendon believes, and our panel of real estate experts would agree, that a large part of that success was being smart about kitchen renovations.


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]]>DIYhome improvementhome saleshome+improvementHomeImprovementHomeSaleskitchen remodelingkitchen renovationsrenovationrenovationsChristopher Moore2010-07-23T13:13:00 00:00Painting to Sell: What Color Homes Sell Best?http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/07/16/painting-to-sell-what-color-homes-sell-best/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/07/16/painting-to-sell-what-color-homes-sell-best/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/07/16/painting-to-sell-what-color-homes-sell-best/#commentsWilma Horner said no to blue. And it paid off.

Horner, a broker for RE/MAX in Bridge City, Texas, had a client with a blue-colored facade. "I said we need to make a change because that's not going to attract people," Horner recalls of her exterior painting suggestion. Her clients agreed to go with a more neutral color. "It's turned out to be a positive," Horner says of the home's new look, which netted more than $100 per square foot. That is the going rate for a much newer home in the neighborhood, the Texas Realtor says with considerable pride in her voice.

Call it exterior painting to sell. Horner's basic rule, one underscored repeatedly by others with firsthand knowledge of what's selling, is to go mainstream. Try to appeal to the widest possible swath of buyers. This is no time to be idiosyncratic.

Or as Jackie Jordan, the director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, puts it: "Get rid of anything that's kind of obnoxious."

What are the color expert's other suggestions?
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After all, Jordan is not just a color expert at one of the world's most famous paint companies. She's also a Dallas-based professional who has bought and sold many homes over the years. She always looked to make sure the color of the home she was selling had broad appeal. "Anything I thought would not appeal to the masses ... I painted over it," Jordan said.

Aaron Hart, a RE/MAX broker in Colorado, championed cream and light green and light brown for exterior paint color schemes. As someone who invests with others in properties, Brown has seen how brash colors can turn off his business partners. "They're typically more hesitant to look at the house and sometimes even skip it," he said.

Other tips on exterior painting to sell:

o. "Drive around your neighborhood," suggests Sherwin-Williams' Jordan. "Get inspiration that way."

o. Think about your part of the country, but don't get too stuck in that mindset. "There's definitely regional color," Jordan explains. Spicy tones might work in the Southwest; tropical areas might be more used to a little blue. But with more and more transients landing in new places, some newcomers do not necessarily adapt to their new neighborhood. Some take their style (and their furniture) with them from one part of the country to another.

o. Earth tones abound. They should, according to Ainslie Dougherty, a RE/MAX Realtor in Colorado. "What I suggest to all my sellers is that they start with earth tones, nothing too bold and nothing too taste-specific." No lime greens. No oranges. "No pink unless you have an old Victorian and you are fixing it up," Dougherty says.

o. Look at new home construction, Dougherty suggests. Copy what the builders of new construction are doing.

o. "Make sure that your front door is beautifully painted," advised Jordan. Front doors matter, which is an argument underscored by at least one company, Therma-Tru Doors, of Toledo, Ohio. Heather Sonnenberg, the director of product management at Therma-Tru, says the biggest hurdle is getting someone into your home. When it comes to painting the door, Sonnenberg advises: "You can add a little drama, but you want to steer clear of going too far." And don't put a Craftsman-style door on a contemporary house.

Want to be all about color? Do it later. "People are more brave with color when they know they are going to stay for a while," Jordan said. "They'll go with the chocolate-brown or bright-red dining room."

Or as RE/MAX's Dougherty puts it: "After the house is yours, do what you want."

In the meantime, Horner insisted that it's all about curb appeal. Too often sellers think about what they would want, the Texas broker says. "If it's a bright person, they think about that bright color." Her suggestion: Don't.

Think about painting the exterior to please. After all, as Horner has learned about selling homes: "It's a business, not an emotion."

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]]>DIYExteriorPainthome saleshome+improvementHomeSalespaint colorsPaintColorspaintingremaxrenovationselling your homeSellingYourHomesherwin williamsSherwinWilliamsChristopher Moore2010-07-16T15:10:00 00:00Andrew Lloyd Webber Selling His Piece of Trump Towerhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/06/24/andrew-lloyd-webber-selling-his-piece-of-trump-tower/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/06/24/andrew-lloyd-webber-selling-his-piece-of-trump-tower/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/06/24/andrew-lloyd-webber-selling-his-piece-of-trump-tower/#commentsFiled under: ,,


Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is packing up and leaving New York. At least Donald Trump's piece of New York.

Lloyd Webber is selling his Trump Tower apartment for $19 million. The news comes via the U.K.'s Telegraph, where the knighted composer netted plenty of attention recently with the London opening of his latest show, "Love Never Dies," which is a sequel to "Phantom of the Opera." (Although "Phantom" does not really need a sequel, since it's still running at Manhattan's Majestic Theatre on West 44th Street.)

If Lloyd Webber is as successful in this real estate transaction as he's been in theatre, then Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber will be saying goodbye to a stunning view of Central Park, among other pleasures.

But what exactly does $19 million buy these days?The view from the apartment ofAndrew Lloyd WebberTo begin with, the place has 5,300 square feet.

"The residence offers such significant square footage, which is rare for a condominium in New York," according to Kathleen Coumou, vice-president of Christie's Great Estates. Yes, in the U.S. real estate market, $19 million might just sound insane, but in New York, where space remains a premium even in the nicest places, the Lloyd Webber duplex is arguably priced to sell.

Still, this is a big-deal apartment, even in the world of Trump. CityRealty reported that three-bedroom apartments in the building, as of last May, started at $5.9 million. For their part, the Lloyd Webbers have on their lower level no less than "four sleeping quarters," including a master bedroom with "enthralling three-directional views."

Lady Madeline Lloyd Webber was quoted in the Telegraph as saying that her friends were "always in awe at our view." She also told the paper that "the location is fantastic, and the building is very well run with a brilliantly-trained and helpful staff."

The real estate listing promises an apartment with "breathtaking vistas of Central Park from almost every room, as well as southern and western views that stretch as far as the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson River." There's plenty of space for both living and entertaining.

Guests will know where they are as soon as they get to the front door. Trump Tower is a structure that became emblematic of the 1980s. Arguably, Trump Tower is the building that most helped turn Trump into Trump -- a real celebration of The Donald, where he holds forth on "Apprentice" to this day.

It's more than an NBC backdrop, though. It's also a full-service condo with all the advantages of upscale NYC living: doorman, gym, concierge service. And it's not too far a walk to see "Phantom of the Opera."

Critics did not necessarily love "Love," which is expected to make it to Broadway sooner or later. This spring there was plenty of snarky chatter on both sides of the Atlantic about when and whether the show would open on Broadway. With at least two daily papers reporting the production's arrival has been delayed, maybe Lloyd Webber is in less need of immediate New York City digs. The Telegraph says simply: "It is not known whether the Lloyd Webbers plan to remain in New York."

See homes for sale in New York, N.Y. and luxury homes selling elsewhere at AOL Real Estate.






 

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]]>andrew lloyd webberChristies Great EstatesDonald TrumpLove Never DiesPhantom of the OperaTrump TowerChristopher Moore2010-06-24T15:03:00 00:00Green Lessons From the 'House of the Year'http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/06/08/green-lessons-from-the-house-of-the-year/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/06/08/green-lessons-from-the-house-of-the-year/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/06/08/green-lessons-from-the-house-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under:

Like Dorothy's place in "The Wizard of Oz," another house has landed in an unlikely spot. The country abode this time has come to the big city, drawing crowds eager to see what Country Living magazine calls "The House of the Year."

Betty Lyn Walters-Eller, a consultant on the project, said visitors to downtown Manhattan come armed with smart questions about how much "green" thinking went into this blue-gray structure. The 1,600-square-foot cottage, on view at at the World Financial Center through June 17, arrived at the plaza on May 18 and then was turned over to experts like Walters-Eller for decoration.

Walters-Eller stood on the cottage porch last Friday afternoon and chatted about her work it. She said she gets quizzed as to why there's no solar paneling, which she insists starts to degrade the day it's installed. She likes the eco-sensitive siding and trim done by James Hardie.

Walters-Eller says there are other tips for homeowners in the home. And Americans seem ready to hear the suggestions. "Green," the House of the Year's project consultant said, "has gone mainstream."

So who built this place and what lessons does it hold for the rest of us?
The house is the creation of a company called New World Home, which focuses on the construction of environmentally-sensitive residences. The company's co-founder, Mark Jupiter, gave tours on opening day, emphasizing that "this house was built in a factory" and that it rose speedily on the plaza.

Jupiter, a charming tour guide, said durability was key. "For example, the siding on this house will last 50 years," he said. His company plans to build homes like this model, which is named "Hudson" and, according to a project press release, "will be built on the shores of the Hudson River." The home features a wraparound porch of 1,100 square feet. Also impressive: the lovely landscaping by Jon Carloftis, which reminds us that one great green addition to a home is ... greenery. A simple but valuable reminder.

There are lessons inside, too, for homeowners eager to make smaller moves toward a greener existence on the home front. Among the suggestions that Walters-Eller says the house manages to highlight: replace windows, install foam insulation, choose a metal roof that will reflect light, and even do something as simple as adding a ceiling fan on the porch to circulate air. Walters-Eller also pointed to soy-based foam used in the kitchen.

All the emphasis on "renew and re-use" need not mean tremendous expense, she said. "It doesn't have to be precious price-point antiques," she argued, adding that affordable alternatives have become the new status quo. "The building products industry has made great advances," Walters-Eller said.

Natalie Warady, the style and market director at Country Living, hit similar themes in an interview this week. She said that in her work covering the changing market, it's been fun "just to see the extent and the number of manufacturers embracing eco-green-sustainable."

She agrees the House of the Year will yield plenty of ideas. "You can definitely take some of the tips from the home," she said. Among the suggestions she highlights: recovering classic chairs, updating style with vintage pillows, redecorating and (our favorite old standby) painting. Warady said that expert Carol Kemery taught the Country Living team how to paint over items that have a patina, the kinds of objects that might otherwise inspire doubt about whether they can be successfully redone.

Those who cannot make it to downtown Manhattan for a look at the house can see it in Country Living's November issue. In the meantime, experts like Warady are excited that green choices no longer have to be either stark or minimalist. She's seeing more environmentally-sensitive creations on the market that have a traditional or country bent. Her verdict: "It's exciting."

 

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]]>Battery ParkBattery Park Citygreengreen designgreen homesshow housesustainablesustainable livingChristopher Moore2010-06-08T15:00:00 00:00Apartments To-Die-For: Onstagehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/05/14/apartments-to-die-for-onstage/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/05/14/apartments-to-die-for-onstage/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/05/14/apartments-to-die-for-onstage/#commentsFiled under:

Oh, those love-at-first-sight moments. You fall for both the space and the design. Especially the design, which somehow evokes the sophistication of New York City in the perfect way.

Those book-lined shelves call to you. There is little or no feeling of being cramped into a small space in the big city. Instead, the apartments sell themselves with perfect proportions and so much space for entertaining that you could fit a theater audience in there with you.

Oh, wait ... there is an audience in there with you. Because you are in a theater. These spaces are works of the imagination, created by a playwright and a scenic designer.

Such Broadway and off-Broadway stage sets are perfect, except that they are fictional. Or is it that they perfect because they are fictional?

The New York Times' theater writer Patrick Healy got us to thinking about this with his recent article "Spaces to Lust For."

He started his article at exactly the right place, with the aforementioned bookshelves featured in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of "Collected Stories."

Linda Lavin stars as a witty but slightly bitter writer, ensconced in a gorgeous Greenwich Village apartment. Lucky her. The set design by the great Santo Loquasto is getting reviews that are almost as Lavin's. I saw an earlier production starring Uta Hagen downtown in 1998 and still have not stopped wanting to live in that apartment, fictional space or no.

Did "Collected Stories" net a Tony nomination for Loquasto, who told the Times that he "wanted to create this romantic bohemian ideal of a West Village home" for the show? Will the man who brought us those 12-foot-high bookcases take home Broadway's big honor for that set?

Nope. But he did get nominated for another show, "Fences." In this Broadway production, Loquasto recreates a part of the Hill District in Pittsburgh in 1957. Other nominees for set design include: John Lee Beatty ("The Royal Family"), Alexander Dodge ("Present Laughter") and Christopher Oram ("Red").

Apparently both "The Royal Family" and "Present Laughter" represented well the glitzy New York of another age, inspiring a fair amount of envy on the part of theatergoers. We shall see if that translates into a win on Sunday, June 13 at the Tony Awards.

One theatergoer who has given some thought to all the fake apartments he's seen: Michael Musto, the longstanding and lively columnist for The Village Voice. He explained to me this week that by necessity a stage set is going to look a lot larger than your average New York apartment. Because, um, a stage set is a lot larger than your average New York apartment.

"Sets are going to look bigger and better than anything we live in," Musto said. "Also, we come to theater for a slightly grander sense of reality -- especially in shows that aren't naturalistic to begin with -- so we willingly go along with the exalted real estate we're looking at, no matter how inconceivable."

Sometimes the sets almost drive producers to pick certain plays, Musto argued. Like in the case of Noel Coward's "Present Laughter," which Musto said promises the inevitable "fabulous winding stairway with a golden banister."

There's also, he added, "the reverse going on, too. Thanks to the recession, you can look at a bunch of dirty mirrors and some projections of Wisteria trees and convince yourself that this is the way 'A Little Night Music' is supposed to look."

If that seems a tiny bit mean, well, that's what makes Musto a must-read. He's got a point. Even those of us who loved "A Little Night Music" wondered why they hired the most beautiful woman in the world, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and then turned off the lights.

Surely Musto is right about heading to the theater for a grander version of things. Critics have been deriding unrealistic sets for years -- and not just on the Great White Way. Most of us are still trying to figure out how the "Friends" ever afforded their digs.

 

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]]>Broadway set designCollected StoriesMichael MustoTony AwardsTony Awards set designChristopher Moore2010-05-14T16:06:00 00:00Jane Fonda's Atlanta Loft for Sale or Renthttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/05/07/jane-fondas-atlanta-loft-for-sale-or-rent/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/05/07/jane-fondas-atlanta-loft-for-sale-or-rent/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/05/07/jane-fondas-atlanta-loft-for-sale-or-rent/#commentsFiled under:

Jane Fonda loft for saleTalk about taking the direct approach.

Jane Fonda wrote in her blog this week about how she's ready to sell or rent her Atlanta loft. First, she wrote a thoughtful, personal assessment of why she is leaving town. Then she followed that up with some lovely photographs of her abode that shows off the stunning Southern space.

Fonda, 72, sounded like a kid as she explained why she's leaving behind Atlanta, her adopted hometown, to return to Los Angeles, where she's lived the past nine months with boyfriend Richard Perry. "This is a hard blog to write," she told readers of JaneFonda.com in explaining her decision.

The film legend basically wants to break back into the movies, but the former fitness guru sure does not look like she's going to be nabbing those "Driving Miss Daisy" old-lady roles any time soon. She's looking fabulous. (But let's just hope she aims higher than her last features "Georgia Rule" and "Monster-in-Law.")

And how much does it cost to live like Jane Fonda, anyway?The loft is for sale for $4.5 million or can be rented for $10,000 a month, according to what Laura Crumley, Fonda's financial manager, told me on Thursday. Crumley was not surprised that avid blogger Fonda took to the web to talk up her own property. "She's pretty open on her blog," Crumley said.

The property boasts views of both downtown and midtown. And Fonda was instrumental in every aspect of the design process at the loft. "She loved that home and she thought she would be there forever," Crumley said.

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That makes sense, given that Fonda wrote movingly in her 2006 memoir, "My Life So Far", about her love for Atlanta. Her marriage to business biggie Ted Turner initially drew her to town, but she wound up feeling passionate about, and very much at home in, the city. She's established deep roots there, from family and friends to what she calls "my two non-profits," namely the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and the Jane Fonda Center at the Emory School for Medicine. She wrote on her blog about how she will be back for meetings there.

But once an actor, always an actor...and Fonda writes candidly about how she wants to back in the movie game. She evidently realizes she needs to be in L.A. with the Hollywood types in order to stay on the radar. So while she's promising to return frequently to Atlanta, she's planning on more California dreamin'...and working...at this stage of her life. "Already my work situation has changed," she wrote this week. "I will be in several movies this year, with several more in the works." Previously, she said, she did two movies in 10 years. That's "too few," she said.

I agree, having pretty much grown up on Jane Fonda movies. And, yes, also grown up on news accounts about how controversial she was. "My Life So Far" was so good because Fonda has had one heck of a life, and she had so many interesting stories to tell about everything from politics to aerobics to an emotionally distant dad and an array of interesting romances. Turns out the "So Far" part was important, and Fonda is planning another high-profile act.

That, in turn, leaves the lovely loft up for grabs.

Photos by Nathan Martin - www.nrmcreativemarketing.com

 

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]]>atlantaCelebrityRealEstateJane FondaloftrentalChristopher Moore2010-05-07T17:15:00 00:00The Newlywed Nest: Design for Coupleshttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/23/the-newlywed-nest-design-for-couples/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/23/the-newlywed-nest-design-for-couples/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/23/the-newlywed-nest-design-for-couples/#commentsFiled under: ,

newlywed nest designThe only thing better than finding the right apartment is finding the right spouse. Or is it the other way around?

Either way, once you have both, it's time to play the real estate version of "The Newlywed Game" and face the daunting challenge of melding two homes into one. Brides magazine evidently realizes the risks involved and has joined with Ikea and interior designer Inson Dubois Wood to unveil the "Newleywed Nest" apartment at 311 East 11th St. in Manhattan.

And while the two-bedroom triplex penthouse (with a 2,000 square-foot private deck and a $3.545 million price tag) may be an anomaly for most young, just-married couples, there's much that can be learned from the show home's interior design.During the opening reception, interior designer Wood offered some clearheaded advice for any couple brave enough to share space. He even took on the hot question: what is the biggest mistake that newlyweds make in their new homes?

Answer: They bring too much stuff.

The first step in combining households is for both sides to toss out a lot before the mutual move. Simple but crucial.

"The biggest issue is bringing everything you own," Wood said. "The number-one issue is to purge as many pieces as possible, because once it's there, it's clutter." Ah, clutter, our old and not-so-dear friend.

Wood thinks clutter turns out to be tops on the list of contentious issues facing couples.

Wood, the brainchild behind another creative showroom gig last fall, understands that his job is part psychiatrist. This time around, Wood was "thinking about newlyweds," probably in their mid-20s to mid-30s, as he designed what Brides calls "The Newlywed Nest." Woods used Ikea furniture (haven't we all?), but also threw in a few beautiful accessories from his own collection.

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While the show house is open to all, it is targeted to newlyweds, soon-to-be newlyweds and, well, anyone who is thinking of shacking up. And when it comes to design for newlyweds, Wood has some other recommendations: multi-purpose furniture and pieces that will endure.

"I emphasize buying furniture that you can store stuff in," he said. That may be a pretty popular concept already here in the big city, where space is at a premium.

The East Village-based "Newlywed Nest" will be on display to the public on Saturdays and Sundays through May 2. And it's not simply a static showcase -- activities for brides and grooms are part of the housewarming. Those include wine-tastings, flower-arranging and design classes, and much more.

 

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]]>Brides magazineInson Dubois Woodinterior designnewlywedsThe Village GreenChristopher Moore2010-04-23T17:00:00 00:00'Mad Men' Decor: Live Like Don Draperhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/19/mad-men-decor-live-like-don-draper/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/19/mad-men-decor-live-like-don-draper/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/19/mad-men-decor-live-like-don-draper/#commentsFiled under:

Mad Men designDo you want your house or apartment to evoke "Mad Men," only without the alcoholism, boxed-up emotions and season-ending split of your relationship?

You are not alone. Some fans of the AMC dramatic series love the look almost as much as the plots that play out in the stunning settings. From its start in July 2007, "Mad Men" won attention for more than Jon Hamm's hotness and January Jones' coolness. Creator/producer Matthew Weiner's well-crafted drama about Don Draper and company instantly reminded some and introduced others to the striking mid-century style of clean lines and simple looks.
With a fourth season in production, "Mad Men" design is bigger than ever, stretching into the American heartland where it arguably always had some of its most fervent supporters. But after a new-century recession, can anybody afford to get a piece of that look? And can we do it without winding up with as much gray in our lives as Don Draper? Can color and mid-century style co-exist?

Sure they can.

And evidently these questions are being asked across the nation. In the Fargo Forum this month, Tammy Swift did a fantastic piece quoting locals about how they wish they could actually live in the series instead of just watching it. Sure, we sometimes accuse people in the Midwest of living precisely in the middle of the last century. This, though, is different. This is actually a case of the red and blue states agreeing on the appeal of a series known for its grays, blacks and browns. In the Forum, we meet Crystal Maus, a 28-ear old resident of West Fargo. She's not being nostalgic for traditions she knew firsthand. She's more like the New Yorkers I know, the ones who are fascinated with what they see as a retro-cool chic look.

That is exactly the kind of person who might approach Nick Olsen, a New York designer with a super-eclectic style and a growing design reputation. While Olson admits that nobody has come to him and demanded "Mad Men" design by name, he says he would not mind if that happened. "If they did," he says, "I would be totally game for it."

He appreciates the impact of the show on design culture. Olsen describes himself as a fan of the drama, quickly mentioning the squared-off look favored by Edward Wormley in those understated but overwhelming sofas. "I do think it's the most stylish show on TV," Olsen says. "It's so crisp, but it's also colorful. It's not grayed out or browned out in any way. There's major punch in there."

That's the key: Give a little colorful assistance to the low-key backgrounds that are such a mainstay to the "Mad Men" scenes, both in the Madison Avenue office of Sterling Cooper and in the Draper home. Olsen likes how the design team seems, when using color, to "go three steps back on the color wheel" and amp things up a bit. So there's not tons of color on the show, but when it's there, the shades have a real impact.

When he's helping his clients, Olsen sometimes starts by asking about their favorite colors. Even that simple question can help customers to visualize how they could spruce things up. For those eager to replicate the "Mad Men" look in their homes, Olsen points to Room & Board for sofas and suggests browsing at CB2, where "everything is kind of low and angular with a lot of white lacquer." For high-end shoppers, he champions Wyeth on Spring Street in Manhattan. And West Elm would be a good outlet for a modern take on the low-slung coffee table.

But to recreate that complete Draper lifestyle once they get home, shoppers will have to supply their own anguish, resentment and passive-aggression. Even great design takes us only so far.

 

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]]>Mad MenMad Men designChristopher Moore2010-04-19T16:26:00 00:00Barbra Streisand, Design Divahttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/05/barbra-streisand-design-diva/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/05/barbra-streisand-design-diva/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/04/05/barbra-streisand-design-diva/#commentsFiled under:

Barbara Streisand My Passion for DesignPeople who love design books by pop culture icons are the luckiest people in the world.

At least they are now, because Barbra Streisand is coming out with My Passion for Design, a tome to be published by Viking on November 16. Maybe this is the diva's big career move for 2010, closely following the 2009 release of "Love is the Answer," the CD of her intimate and successful Village Vanguard concert.

Now there will be another relatively rare public appearance in New York for Barbra Streisand. And it will bring together two of my very favorite things...

What are these two things? Well, Streisand herself, of course. But also the not-dead-yet book industry, since Barbra will be the opening act on May 25 for BookExpo America, the industry's annual gathering. As a child of independent booksellers, back when there were independent booksellers, I used to go to BookExpo. I waited outside hotel ballroom doors to hear and almost be able to see some big names: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton...come to think of it, they were mostly former Democratic Presidents. But I remember Shirley MacLaine being there too at the book convention, back before it got the sexy BookExpo name.

Now it is Streisand's turn. She will be interviewed at the conference, even though she may not have written the book her fans really want. That would be the tell-all autobiography about the musical journey from the Village Vanguard in 1961 to, well, the Village Vanguard in 2009. Or about the men or the stage fright or the Democratic presidents she helped elect or the movies she directed or the Oscars she was denied. Nope. Instead, Barbara Streisand is going all design on us. And maybe she's right. Maybe we will, in the end, learn more about Barbra Streisand by learning about her at-home creative choices.

Certainly she's given design a lot of thought over the years. The Los Angeles Times said that Streisand talked about her "evolving design sensibility" with writer David Keeps back in November. She said her book would focus on the California home where she lives now, a place steeped in the architecture of a century ago.

Over the years, Barbara Streisand has had an array of digs. Over at Theatermania.com, they remembered last week that Streisand started out in a small Brooklyn apartment with her mother, brother and grandparents. She's traded up along the way, at one point owning a 25-acre property in Ramirez Canyon Park in Malibu. That included a Craftsman home that now serves as the office for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. And she is counted among the former residents of The Plaza in Manhattan.

It's not just the properties, though, it's all about the design. Like the rest of us, Streisand apparently used to wonder how she could spend $45,000 for a Tiffany lamp. But she managed to get over it. "You look at it," she told the Times, "and that just cannot be duplicated today. God is in the details, to me."

The details of her May 25th appearance will be a little bit of a let down to the general public. As the press statement from Book Expo America states: "It is a business convention, open only to members of the book trade." Here's hoping that includes a few bloggers, too.

 

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]]>barbara streisandBarbara Streisand homesBarbaraStreisandHomesbookexpoamericaMy Passion for DesignChristopher Moore2010-04-05T11:05:00 00:00Historic 'America's Living Room' for Sale, Does Anyone Care?http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/03/03/historic-americas-living-room-for-sale-does-anyone-care/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/03/03/historic-americas-living-room-for-sale-does-anyone-care/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/03/03/historic-americas-living-room-for-sale-does-anyone-care/#commentsFiled under:

Georgetown Evermay EstateThe largest remaining privately held estate in Georgetown is for sale. That's the word from Audrey Hoffer in the Washington Examiner. And from Long & Foster Realtors, which has a handy web site devoted to selling Evermay for $39.5 million.

Dubbed "America's Living Room," the Georgetown 18th century estate offers views of the Washington Monument, the Potomac River and the Watergate complex. The 13,000 square-foot home with 8 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms features amenities such as a 40-seat dining room, a tennis court-sized ballroom, a pine-paneled drawing room. Also included is the 2,300 square-foot gatekeeper's house.

The only problem with buying the three and one-half acre property: Georgetown doesn't actually matter any more.

At least that's what The New York Times suggested this week. Which begs a couple of questions: Could the grand old neighborhood come back? And could the sale of Evermay lead the way?
It won't be easy.

For generations Georgetown was the neighborhood where Democrats and Republicans could actually sit down together for a drink or a meal. So said David Carr in his column for The New York Times. Carr reports on how and why the The Washington Post has decided to end its party column. Apparently the famous Post scribe Sally Quinn no longer needs to report on the social scene for the simple reason that there is no social scene left. (Another problem with Quinn's column: the response from her piece about how her son's wedding was scheduled on the same day as the nuptials featuring a grandchild of her husband, former Post editor Ben Bradlee. Weird goings-on in D.C.) Carr insists that these days, instead of putting aside partisan political passions for a few hours in the evening, the big-time pols would rather spend their nights appearing on cable and blasting one another. Welcome to the 21st century, folks. This state of affairs is not so great for creating a congenial atmosphere in which to tackle the nation's business. And it's probably not so great for the reputation of Georgetown either.

Ah, but what glory days Georgetown had. Imagine the days and nights of the late and great Katharine Graham, the Post publisher who died in July 2001. Her Georgetown home was Salon Central. She brought power brokers from around the city to her living room. In the early '80s, she dared become close and public pals with Nancy and Ronald Reagan, with Graham introducing the new arrivals to the establishment. It was all part of what looks now like a golden age of bipartisan socializing-and of Georgetown itself. This was a time when D.C. realtors could just say the word "Georgetown" and it conjured up images of grand get-togethers.

No more. Ana Marie Cox, founder of the political blog Wonkette and current Washington correspondent for GQ, told Carr that she cannot remember the last time she was in Georgetown. "Power in Washington," she says, "has been dispersed geographically, demographically and politically, and I think establishment Washington is having trouble coming to grips with that."

It will be a challenge for D.C. realtors, too, who have in Georgetown a product with a changing dynamic. Does a would-be hostess really need as much room in a gorgeous Georgetown townhouse if nobody is coming over? Certainly there is plenty of room over at Evermay, where the property offers landscaped gardens, elm and wisteria trees, and a guest list that has, over the centuries, included The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, plenty of presidents and the aforementioned Katharine Graham. America's Living Room has been in the same family for four generations. Now the Belin clan is letting go, but it will be fascinating to see if anybody is there to catch what could be a falling legacy.

Georgetown, like so many of us, could use a little boost about now. So somebody needs to cough up the $39.5 million and throw a good bipartisan party.

 

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]]>D.C. realtorsestatesEvermayGeorgetownKatharine GrahamChristopher Moore2010-03-03T12:29:00 00:00The Hampton Rentals of the Wealthy Now on the Auction Blockhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/24/the-hampton-rentals-of-the-wealthy-now-on-the-auction-block/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/24/the-hampton-rentals-of-the-wealthy-now-on-the-auction-block/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/24/the-hampton-rentals-of-the-wealthy-now-on-the-auction-block/#commentsSea Spray CottagesPaul McCartney's girlfriend may have to find a new place to hang her summer hat. And Nancy Shevell, better known to some New Yorkers as a board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, is not the only one who could lose her beachside spot at an upcoming auction.

East Hampton Village has decided that after almost three decades of leasing its 13 Sea Spray Cottages to pretty much the same old crowd...well, the process is going to open up at month's end to the waiting list of about 300 interested parties. The hot topic for the Hamptons real estate scene: an auction is set for Feb. 27, according to the reliable Fred A. Bernstein of The New York Times (and Aol Real Estate).

When it is over, Shevell, who Bernstein calls "a trucking company executive who has been dating Paul McCartney since 2007," could be without her cottage. Bernstein also focused in on the tale of woe of Peter Brown, who once managed the Beatles. Of course this being the Hamptons, everybody is wondering and maneuvering about exactly who will win on Auction Day.The news comes as the Hamptons, like the rest of us, tries to survive the Great Recession. Unlike the rest of us, the Hamptons has a lot of people saying that things are actually going pretty well. The Times itself reminded us all, right before Presidents Day, that the holiday is the perfect time to check out real estate options in the Hamptons for the summer. Writer Susan Stellin got word from appraisal company Miller Samuel, which issues reports for Prudential Douglas Elliman, that Hamptons prices are back at 2006 levels. All in all, good news during tough times.

Certainly the famous continue to flock to the area, or are planning a return in 2010 and beyond. The ever-present Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick are, according to the New York Post earlier this month, are "expanding their oceanfront compound to three buildings." Broderick is going the extra mile for the 'hood by getting ready to star in an NBC sitcom set in pretty much the same locale. In real life, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick probably will not have to be around for the East Hampton Village auction of the Sea Spray Cottages, where everyone is wondering how high the bids will go.

Not that this is breaking news in the Hamptons, where the news was reported in November by 27east.com, the web site powered by The Southampton Press and the East Hampton Press. "We looked long and hard at this process," Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. said. "Please don't take it personally."

But that is exactly what people are doing, especially those who have long rented at Sea Spray Cottages and got word last fall that they would not be automatically allowed to renew their leases. Fighting words for longtime renters, some of whom were used to leaving their stuff in the cottages in the off-season. The Times said that Nancy Shevell was among those who were told to vacate. At 27east.com, the estimate was that Sea Spray tenants have shelled out more than $4 million in rent over the past quarter-century, with many paying for improvements to the units themselves. The village has reportedly netted as much as $51,000 a year for the summer season rentals. Expect much bigger dollar amounts at auction.

What exactly is being auctioned? The quality of the cottages themselves depends, as so many things do, on personal perspective. Some more monied (and picky?) people might think of them as shacks by the sea. Others could point to the compelling history of Sea Spray Cottages, which were once part of a hotel property and were purchased by the village in 1979. That's what we have to call a smart, long-term investment.

 

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]]>East HamptonspsnotreqdHamptons realspsnotreqdestateMatthew BroderickNancy ShevellPaul McCartneySarah JessicaspsnotreqdParkerChristopher Moore2010-02-24T12:45:00 00:00The Right District for Divashttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/16/the-right-district-for-divas/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/16/the-right-district-for-divas/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/16/the-right-district-for-divas/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Metropolitan Opera in NYCFamed soprano Catherine Malfitano has reportedly sold her Laight Street duplex, netting $2.6 million, according to a report earlier this month from the New York Observer.

The story was almost as impressive as the pedigree of the reporter who wrote it: Chloe Malle. She is the daughter of the late, great French director Louis Malle and Candice Bergen. Malle told her readers that the delicious duplex in question had three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, double-height windows and a wood-burning fireplace. The whole thing sounded about as dramatic as the performances that have made Malfitano a co-star of Placido Domingo. But the former "Salome" star and her husband, fellow performer Steven Holowid, have said goodbye to their Tribeca loft.

All this made me wonder: What was such a fierce and fabulous soprano doing that far downtown anyway?I thought we kept our most delicious divas uptown. Many past opera greats have had views of Central Park and-far more importantly-speedy access to Lincoln Center (home of the Metropolitan Opera) at 66th Street. It has only made sense for many of opera's biggest stars to call the Upper West Side home.

And they have. Beverly Sills, the crossover soprano success who went on to run City Opera (the center's other opera company) and serve as chairwoman of Lincoln Center itself, died in July 2007. That was awful for music fans, but at least she had the good sense to die in the beautiful Beresford on Cental Park West in a $5 million property she left to her daughter. The lovely Marilyn Horne, who appears at fundraisers for her own foundation, also has a place with views of Central Park West. Or at least she did when she was interviewed by Jay Nordlinger back a bit more than a year ago.

Sills and Horne were hardly alone in picking the area, but the truth is that opera stars were living uptown even when the Metropolitan Opera House was down at Broadway and 39th Street. I learned that much from Steven Gaines, in his fabulous 2005 chronicle of New York real estate history, "The Sky's the Limit: Passion and Property in Manhattan." Gaines, in a smart-gossip style, includes tales about how the Ansonia drew artists of all stripes, but especially musical figures. "If real life at the Ansonia had operatic overtones, it was appropriate to the dramatic music that seemed to fill its every room," Gaines writes. "It has been written, apocryphally, that [William Earl Dodge] Stokes intentionally built the Ansonia for musicians, which is why the doors to each apartment were double width, so grand pianos could easily be moved in and out, or that he built the hotel to be soundproof to attract musicians." West Side historian Peter Selwen called the building a "palace for the muses." Our friend Wikipedia tells us that conductor Arturo Toscanini lived there, as did Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, musician Igor Stravinsky and two super singers, Teresa Stratas and Eleanor Steber.

Today, though, there are surely other, hipper palaces for muses of the 21st century. So the obvious choice facing a modern-day diva is clear: keep up the tradition and stay in the oh-so-convenient Lincoln Center realm or head downtown with all those crazy kids. Malfitano would not tell the Observer exactly where she and her hubby were headed, so fans who want to see her in a dramatic setting will just have to wait for her next performance.

 

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]]>ansoniabeverly sillsCatherine MalfitanoCentral ParkspsnotreqdWestlincoln centermetropolitan operanew york cityoperaopera starsUpper West SideChristopher Moore2010-02-16T15:27:00 00:00Millionaire's Cheap Rent for a Park Ave Penthousehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/10/millionaires-cheap-rent-for-a-park-ave-penthouse/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/10/millionaires-cheap-rent-for-a-park-ave-penthouse/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/10/millionaires-cheap-rent-for-a-park-ave-penthouse/#commentsFiled under:

A new lawsuit filed by an unhappy Park Avenue resident with a seemingly charmed life has us wondering: how many millionaires have fantastic rental deals? Or, more to the point, how many of us have a grandfather who will leave us with a deluxe duplex?

It's hard to say since people in New York City with cheap rents, millionaires or not, tend to have the good sense to not divulge what they are not shelling out each month. But at least one sweet deal has gone public, leaving tongues wagging and real-estate obsessed New Yorkers wondering about other much cheaper-than-expected arrangements.



Last week the New York Post put the word out, loud and clear, about hedge fund bigwig Ross Haberman, who is fighting to protect his $380-a-month deal on a duplex at 737 Park Avenue. Haberman argues that the board at the building has no legal right to change the arrangement, which apparently came about because his grandfather, a real estage biggie, owned the building.

And what a building it is. I've been in 737 Park Avenue and it is everything a Park Avenue palace should be. Stunning, with the kind of doormen who take you up in the elevator themselves. 740 Park Avenue, an address so impressive that Michael Gross wrote a book about it. CityRealty.com calls this spot between East 71st and 72nd the "prime Upper East Side." At 737, the setting seems quiet and classy and exactly the kind of place where the residents probably do not want to read about their building in the New York Post. (Or online at AOL, for that matter. Sorry, 737.)

That may be why several people in the real estate business passed on the chance to chat publicly about the Haberman case. But a high-profile realtor from the commercial end of the business, Faith Hope Consuelo of Prudential Douglas Elliman, bravely held forth on the matter, which she says is an unusual one. She doesn't think there is an epidemic of millionaires paying such low rent. As the chairman of the retail leasing and sales division, she says she rarely sees anything like that on the commercial side.

The $380-a-month rate is more typical of a space in a garage than a space for a human in New York, Consuelo says. "I've seen $700 a month as a rock-bottom price in Inwood. Anything lower than that has to be rent-controlled, and thus is passed on by inheritance," she says. That's exactly what happened with Haberman. Conseulo says there are "lots of legends about Fifth Avenue penthouses for $1,000 a month or some such figure, but very few people will admit to it."

Unusual or not, the Park Avenue case may be fodder for the city's never-ending battle over rent control. Back in 2003, housing economist Henry O. Pollawski argued in a report for the right-leaning Manhattan Institute that "the vast majority of the benefits of rent stabilization" go to higher income spots in the city, like lower- and mid-Manhattan. Those are fighting words in New York, where rent control still retains significant political power. But the best insurance may still be being born into the right family.

 

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]]>Park Avenuepenthousereal estaterent controlrent stabilizationChristopher Moore2010-02-10T17:06:00 00:00Upper East Siders Suing Over Subway 'Bait and Switch'http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/02/upper-east-siders-suing-over-subway-bait-and-switch/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/02/upper-east-siders-suing-over-subway-bait-and-switch/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/02/upper-east-siders-suing-over-subway-bait-and-switch/#commentsFiled under:

One group of New Yorkers is doing something that millions of others might like to try: suing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

But the residents at 233 East 69th St., left, have a very specific reason, according to last week's report in The Real Deal.

The Upper East Siders argue that the MTA illegally changed the plans for ventilation structures, dramatically increasing their size. The move is a "bait and switch," according to an East Side Council Member who says the neighbors "have a right to be upset."


Back in 2004, an environmental impact statement reportedly called for units that would be about "the same size as a typical row house - 25 feet wide, 75 feet deep, and four- to five-stories high, although some may be wider." The neighbors say the current design calls for a structure up to 10 stories high. That's not thrilling the neighbors, who Council Member Jessica Lappin says are "getting something dramatically different" than what was promised.

A week after the lawsuit went public, the MTA still has no response. "We're not commenting at this point," said MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz on Monday. But he did add that the agency needs "a chance to review the legal documents."

Might be good to read speedily, MTA lawyers, and get out your side of the story. The ventilation units are part of the Second Avenue Subway project, which is in itself a long-running drama. The New York Times reminded us a couple of years ago about the travails of the project that began with Mayor John F. Hylan trying to kick things off in the 1920s. The groundbreaking didn't take place until 1972. So there isn't too much hysteria about the latest lawsuit slowing things down.

Still, the MTA's latest no-comment move resonates because the neighbors have been unhappy that the the agency's been unresponsive to their concerns, according to Lappin. "The neighbors feel like they went to the MTA and the MTA basically ignored them," Lappin said. Either the MTA should explain why the change in design was made or go back to the previous plan, she said, adding, "It's a bait and switch and it's not right."

It's hardly the only sad story along Second Avenue, where Lappin notes that residents and merchants have had to move to make room for the subway and its construction. The case at 233 East 69th Street is only, she said, "adding some insult to injury."

 

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]]>mtanew york subwaySecond AvenuespsnotreqdSubwayspsnotreqdupper east side new york real estateupper east side subway lineUpper EastspsnotreqdSideChristopher Moore2010-02-02T15:30:00 00:00In NYC, A Hospital Emergencyhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/28/in-nyc-a-hospital-emergency/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/28/in-nyc-a-hospital-emergency/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/28/in-nyc-a-hospital-emergency/#commentsFiled under: ,

Proximity to a hospital isn't something house-hunters typically give much thought to. Unless that is, the hospital is a high profile one, in the middle of lower Manhattan, and happens to be on the verge of closing.

That's the challenge facing downtown New York residents, and would-be residents, after The New York Post reported Tuesday morning that St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village may be shutting down.


According to the front-page report, Continuum Health Partners has unveiled a plan to take control of the 160-year-old hospital and shut it down. As the Post points out, "The death of St. Vincent's would leave the lower West Side without a full-service hospital."

The change could make the always-trendy (and super-pricey) Greenwich Village just a tad less appealing, at least for anyone who believes they might someday need to visit the emergency room.

Tuesday's headline netted speedy responses; by Wednesday the city's top politicians had lined up against the plan.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the Upper West Side liberal who might otherwise have been concentrating on health care reform, issued a statement asking the state to halt the move.

"St. Vincent's is an essential resource for New Yorkers," Nadler said in a statement emailed to HousingWatch. The Congressman reminded us that the hospital has the only Level-1 Trauma Center below 59th Street. Nadler said the state should work with the hospital, community members and elected officials to find an alternative plan that would "preserve St. Vincent's excellence in health care."

For his part, Manhattan's borough president, Scott Stringer, wants to make sure that nothing happens in the dead of night. "We cannot allow tough financial times to once and for all close the doors to St. Vincent's Hospital," Stringer said.

In the battle of issued statements, though, the most intriguing came from Continuum Health Partners itself. The company, which runs three other hospitals in Manhattan, put forth a don't-blame-us argument, saying that its plan "was intended as an alternative to financial liquidation. If St. Vincent is able to continue to meet its mission on its own, they have our full support."

 

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]]>greenwich villagespsnotreqdhospitalgreenwich villagespsnotreqdrealspsnotreqdestatemanhattan realspsnotreqdestatenew yorkspsnotreqdhospitalsnew yorkspsnotreqdrealspsnotreqdestatest. vincentsspsnotreqdhospitalChristopher Moore2010-01-28T14:50:00 00:00Barneys to Brooklyn: The End Is Near!http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/18/barneys-to-brooklyn-the-end-is-near/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/18/barneys-to-brooklyn-the-end-is-near/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/18/barneys-to-brooklyn-the-end-is-near/#commentsFiled under:

You would think the economic slowdown would have meant Brooklyn would stop turning into, well, Manhattan. But with Barneys looking to stake a claim in Cobble Hill and your parents making inroads into Williamsburg, it looks like the borough's hipster cred is in serious jeopardy.

I'm a 212 guy. But many of my best pals are on the other side of that physical and psychological divide. They love Brooklyn so much that they hate leaving it to go to work in Manhattan (although I have heard that actual jobs exist within Brooklyn). I can respect their quirky passion and sometimes even understand it, like last summer when I had that yummy iced latte from Baked on Van Brunt Street. There's a nice funky vibe on that side of the Brooklyn Bridge.
But the recent Crain's New York Business report of Barneys possibly adding an outpost in Brooklyn is a sure sign that even a recession cannot stop this insidious Manhattan-ization. And the really shocking thing is that Barneys is evidently looking at Cobble Hill, an authentic and warm and wonderful 'hood. So we are not talking about another Manhattan-like maneuver on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, which already seems completely Upper West Side-y. (Hey, that's a compliment from me, but it would not be coming from the outer borough's in-crowd.)

The Brooklyn allure is certainly not lost on the older set either. Last week, New York magazine reported that a new influx of baby boomers searching for the fountain of youth were setting up house in the once-edgy Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. One could almost hear the collective groan of indie-rock enthusiasts and newly minted MFA's upon learning that their new neighbors could very well turn out to be their parents' friends -- if not their own parents.

This is where the geography of gentrification gets interesting. If Barneys is eyeing Cobble Hill and boomers are moving into Wililamsburg, then where is the line between the Upper West Side-y Brooklyn and the more authentic-seeming borough that Pete Hamill immortalized? And does that line keep shifting as the Manhattan vibe creeps deeper into the borough?

This week, in a decidedly more serious bit of news, we heard that Brooklyn will likely follow Manhattan in another trend: hosting terrorists. A few of the bad guys from Guantanamo are apparently likely to be tried in a Brooklyn federal courthouse. Will there be the same hue and cry that came when we learned about Manhattan being a trial location? Only time--and people from Brooklyn--will tell.

 

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]]>barneysboomersbrooklynhipstersmanhattannew york cityChristopher Moore2009-12-18T09:00:00 00:00New Look for UES Porn Palacehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/new-look-for-ues-porn-palace/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/new-look-for-ues-porn-palace/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/new-look-for-ues-porn-palace/#commentsFiled under:

Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione called the 27-room mansion on East 67th Street home. But its current owner is looking to turn back time with changes that were endorsed last week by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The Gold Coast address, 14-16 East 67th Street, sounds like the definition of class. But the mansion, the result of combining two gorgeous homes, has the reputation for being the lair of Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione, and Upper East Siders have long thought of the site as the porn palace in their midst.

Since 2008, though, the owner has been hedge-fund biggie Philip Falcone. And last week he proved he has plans for the place. Falcone and his lawyers went before the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission and won approval for dramatic changes. However, the commission only has jurisdiction over exterior changes, and extensive demolition work is also expected to take place in the mansion's interior, ending forever the Guccione era on the Upper East Side.

Falcone recently told our friends at Gawker that the inside of the mansion had taken a turn for the worse and that the proposed changes are going to restore the mansion to something much closer to its original look. So, while the house's biggest claim to fame might be its former X-rated owners, it looks like Falcone is working on restoring this formidable property to its tamer past.

Landmarks Commission OKs Death of UES Porn Palace [NBC New York]
Upper East Side Smut Castle Ruined by Uptight Hedge Funder [Gawker]

 

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]]>guccioneLandmarks Preservation CommissionPhilip Falconeporn palaceupper east sideUpperEastSideChristopher Moore2009-12-17T15:00:00 00:00A Recession Guide to Holiday Tippinghttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/a-recession-guide-to-holiday-tipping/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/a-recession-guide-to-holiday-tipping/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/a-recession-guide-to-holiday-tipping/#commentsFiled under:

In 21st-century New York, you can ask someone if she's having a threesome or using Botox, but it feels oddly off-limits to inquire about the dollar amounts being given to the super. One brave neighbor in my building recently weighed in on the subject, offering a view I used to subscribe to for several years: Take the monthly maintenance and divide it among the workers. But my maintenance costs have recently skyrocketed, and building worker productivity has not.

I'm not alone. Others are wondering about this stuff too. At Tipping.org, there's a list that dares to spell things out: Give $20 to $30 to the custodian, $25 to $100 each to the doormen, $20 to $30 to the handymen and $30 to $100 to the superintendent. The site says--as does everyone who addresses this issue with intelligence--that it "depends on how fancy the building" is. And for some tippers that might be the toughest task of all: coming to terms with exactly the kind of place you are living.
The low-on-cash crowd might be asking itself a question: Can we just substitute a fruitcake and be done with it? After all, at EmilyPost.com, the modern-day equivalent of the etiquette book, there's a wise reminder that we can only afford what we can afford. The site says: "If your budget does not allow for tips, consider homemade gifts; and if you're not good with crafts or in the kitchen, remember that words are always a great way to express your thanks for a year of good service."

I thought that this was not a move that would work in New York City, but Lynn Whiting, the director of management for Argo Corporation, says some baked cookies might not be such a bad move. Building staff members might be moved. "I think they would be very touched by that," she says. "Would they prefer cash? Of course. But I think they might go home and tell their family members that Mrs. So-and-So baked cookies for them."

Overall, Whiting says that owners and renters should both tip. She says that a rent-control tenant who plans to stay until he or she dies would probably not want to alienate the building staff. On the other hand, Whiting admits that a short-term renter might not invest as much in tipping.

Back in 2007, Sewell Chan of New York Times opened the City Room blog to this very topic. Chan said the question of how much to tip apartment workers stretched back at least to 1911. In 1965, according to this report, the Times recommended $100 for the superintendent and $20 to each staff member.

Looks like some of us are stuck in the '60s.

 

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]]>holidaysmaintenancenew york cityNewYorkCityrecessiontippingChristopher Moore2009-12-17T13:00:00 00:00Back to the Future: 535 West End Avenuehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/11/back-to-the-future-535-west-end-avenue/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/11/back-to-the-future-535-west-end-avenue/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/11/back-to-the-future-535-west-end-avenue/#commentsFiled under:

An ongoing showhouse featuring top-name designers inspired a Prestige magazine-sponsored cocktail party last week. The exhibited rooms, in turn, were inspired by the theme of "celebrating extraordinary women," icons like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Peggy Guggenheim, Ingrid Bergman and Dorothy Draper.

But the dramatic setting for all this, Extell Development's Company's shiny new offering at 535 West End Avenue, inspired something else among attendees: jealousy. Cause we don't live at 535 West End Avenue.
Sure, it's easy to make fun of the trend that's advertised on a banner out front at the intersection of West End and 86th Street: "21st-Century Pre-war Residences." You can tell yourself that's an oxymoron -- especially standing outside. From the intersection, the words seem mostly to promise only that the building will not be an ugly addition to the neighborhood.

But then you get inside one of these buildings and it really does look like the best of both worlds: the amenities of modern, upscale living, but with attention paid to classic-looking details. The view from the corner windows is positively inspired. As guests wandered into a living room inspired by Angelina Jolie (huh?) and tastefully decorated by the talented Inson Dubois Wood, more than one person could be heard exclaiming about the stunning view of the Upper West Side intersection.

Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group is the sales agent at 535 West End, where the service will be white-glove and the list of amenities includes an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, residents' lounge with catering kitchen, and the expected 24-hour doorman. The Rosewood and Oak flooring feels classy and contemporary at the same time.

Guests last week got floor plans for four remaining apartments in the building, which only has 26 total. The six-bedroom, full-floor residences listed were going for $25 million and $19 million; the five-bedroom, half-floor residences at $10 million and $9 million. Post-war prices.

The showhouse, your ticket into the world of 535 West End Avenue, runs through Dec. 13. Tickets, which raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, cost $25.


Bedroom designed by Cullman & Kravis


Kitchen designed by Patricia Fisher


Bedroom designed by Patrik Lonn

(Top photo: Living room designed by S. Russell Groves)

 

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]]>21st century prewar535 west end avenuemanhattannew york cityUpper West SideChristopher Moore2009-12-11T13:00:00 00:00