So, you've moved into a "green" building, now what?

So, you've moved into a "green" building, now what? Now it's time to furnish your new nest with environmentally-friendly products. The easiest way to do that is to visit Low Impact Living on the Web. Pick out a set of organic bed linens, a water-saving showerhead, an energy-saving lightbulb (mind you, it lasts 10x as long as a typical lightbulb and uses 1/3 of the energy!), among other products. You're halfway there [to "going green"]...now go all the way!

Shop online at http://www.lowimpactliving.com.

Honey, I Blew Up The Townhome...and now it's going green!

Just when you think there's not one more parcel of land in Manhattan to develop on, somebody creates one. Recall, Dr. Nicholas Bartha, who intentionally blew up his $6 million townhome on the Upper East Side (34 East 62nd Street), as an act of retribution against his ex-wife, who had won a divorce judgment.

Now, RIGroup is building a green townhouse on the site of the (once inhabited) vacant lot. Greening the townhouse is cost-effective (lower energy bills) and should add significant value to the property. In particular, RIGroup plans on installing water conservation and energy efficient features and finishes, and using formaldehyde-free products and recycled materials, in the hopes of earning the coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designation. According to The Real Deal, it will be a 6-story, 8,000 square foot single-family home.

Only in New York City...

The first of its kind...

It was only a matter of time before the Upper East Side caught on. The conveniently-located Lucida condominium will be the first LEED-certified "green" building on the Upper East Side. It is across the street from the 4, 5, nd 6 Subways, not to mention a stone's throw from Starbucks, Best Buy, Staples, Barnes & Noble, Best Cellars, Jamba Juice, Victoria's Secret, ALDO, Steve Madden and more. The 86th Street area is starting to feel a bit like the 59th Street area, with its desirable shopping and dining.

For more information, visit http://www.thelucida.com.

This Just In: President Elects New World Cabinet...

Founded in Italy in the early 1980’s, Valcucine cabinets immediately distinguished themselves by refining the design and quality of their product and thereby revolutionizing the standard for residential kitchens. With over sixty styles available you’re sure to find something that is not only fine-looking but functional. Their trademark Lift-up Door wall cabinets are a great space saver as they can be attached to walls or hang freely over center islands. Or, for something more traditional, their “Ricicla” cabinet doors are made of all recycled materials and use only 1/10 of the resources needed in other types of doors.

Valcucine is dedicated to ensuring that their products don’t endanger the health of anyone, from those who make them to those who use them, they don’t’ use formaldehyde or synthetic varnishes. Valcucine is also a supporter of Bioforest, an association dedicated to biodiversity and the regeneration of natural environments.

One of the most notable purchases, perhaps of Valcucine kitchens, and a testament to their fine quality was by the Extell Development company for use in one of their flagship buildings, The Orion Condominium. Soaring sixty stories above Manhattan’s west side and appropriately nicknamed “Hell’s Kitchen,” is one of the finest examples of craftsmanship and design I have seen in a long long time, and oh yeah some of the nicest kitchens I have seen yet.

For more about Valcucine, visit http://www.valcucine.it.

Authored by Matthew Knee (Guest Author)

Going...going...GREEN!

According to Bruce Fowle, Senior Principal of FXFOWLE Architects, "There's a greater concentration of green buildings here (Manhattan) than anywhere else." Consumers are increasingly eager to "green" their environment and new developments are meeting those demands in high style. Some of the coolest advances in "greening" new developments include: ventilation systems that provide filtered and humidified air, photovoltaic cells that generate a percentage of the building's electric load, on-site water treatments, recycled steel/wood/concrete drawn from local resources, solar rooftop panels, and landscaped rooftop gardens that capture rainwater for re-use.

Most importantly, green homes are much healthier than standard homes, because they are constructed without traditional toxic building materials -- like formaldehyde-laced particle board, toxin-laden insulation, and dioxin-filled vinyl flooring -- that have been shown to cause everything from sore throats to asthma and other repiratory illnesses, and even cancer. Not to mention, green homes mean lower energy bills!

For more information on "going green," visit the following sites:
http://www.nyc.greenhomeguide.com
http://www.earthpledge.org