The Jetson's Floorplan...

Just when you thought you'd seen it all in Manhattan, something comes along that blows your mind. At first glance, you could mistake the floorplans to the left for a birds-eye view of a pinball machine. The duplex apartment conversion at 123 W 15th Street has been described as "Wonka-riffic" on the popular blog, Curbed.com. I couldn't think of a better word to describe this floorplan. The duplex boasts 2,054 square feet and is asking $2,995,000. Own a piece of history today, before flying cars and robot maids take the world over.

Are people really willing to pay $1,953 s/f?

You better believe they are. If you thought the market was flatlining, think again. NY Post reports that the Lucida, the Upper East Side's first LEED-Certified Green Building on the southeast corner of 86th Street and Lexington Avenue, is approximately 69% sold after two months of sales! There have already been four pricing amendments and rumor has it that they are considering a fifth. Apartments in the family-friendly Lucida are fetching a staggering $1,953 per square foot. Who's paying these egregious prices? Lawyers and private equity hedge fund managers. Some are buying multiple units and combining them. I can't wait to see how the combined units appreciate in years to come. It will certainly be interesting to see. Apparently, the "sterile" Upper East Siders have been longing for the hip, glass-facade developments only seen south of 59th Street, until now.

“I’ll have Johnny Walker… Blue Label”

New Yorkers have always been a couple of notches above the average consumer. Their desire for the best is apparent in all the aspects of day-to-day life in the big apple, and more recently, in the real estate market. David Rockwell, Andy Pepper, Phillipe Starck, Richard Meier, Deborah Berke, Costas Kondylis, Bruce Fowle and Ismael Leyva, to name a few, have revolutionized how Mr. and Mrs. Jones feel when they enter their designer homes at the end of a busy day. What’s in a name? The arguments both for and against are compelling, and we will make no attempt to address the matter here, other than to say that there is indeed something that we associate with these “designer” names, which continues to drive the buzz and hype around these starchitecturally designed buildings, more so than their no name counterparts.

Authored by Matthew Knee (Guest Author)

South Beach comes to South Manhattan...

The developers of the Setai, Miami are altering the condo's South Beach Art Deco aesthetic for a classier corporate look, with wood and stone for the Setai, New York. After two months of sales, the Setai, New York is 30 percent sold. The 30-story condo conversion is located at 40 Broad Street, between Beaver Street and Exchange Place, with prices averaging $1,350 s/f to $2,000 s/f. The real selling point is the outdoor terrace (common area), which has tropical bamboo, oversized daybeds (think Duvet, NY and Nikki Beach, FLA), 2 Jacuzzis and gas grills. Word has it that the co-founder of the Setai Group is "trying to get a cigar room there." This condo conversion has done a spectucular job differentiating itself, hence the surging sales in a two-month period.

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

"I have a blue house with a blue window...I'm blue (da ba dee)"

The Lower East Side's Blue Condo sticks out like a sore thumb. It would seem more appropriate along the water on the West Side, across from Chelsea Pier and adjacent to the Nouvel Chelsea new development. Nonetheless, it makes it's mark on the Lower East Side's skyline and could be an indication of what's to come for this slow-to-modernize neighborhood. The average unit in the Blue Condo sells for $1,200 to $1,300 per square foot, a lofty sum for the neighborhood, but in tandem with the rest of the city.

There's no doubt about it, when friends and family visit for the first time, it'll elicit a, "Wow." The question is, will it be a good "wow!" ("Very cool!") or a bad "wow" ("You live in that thing?")? For more information, visit http://www.bluecondonyc.com.

The most innovative new development EVER...

I can't say it better myself, so here is an excerpt from the Web site:

100 Eleventh Avenue is a "vision machine," with every angle and structural detail designed to create visual excitement. Approximately 1,650 different windowpanes comprise the most highly engineered and complex curtain wall ever constructed in New York City.

Every apartment will feature floor-to-ceiling window walls including operable windows oriented to the south and west. Along these window walls, floors will be finished with an extra layer of nearly imperceptible transparent gloss, to boost incoming sunlight into rooms.

Sun-lovers rejoice! Your new address awaits on the West side. Not to mention, it's LEED Green certified, so you're doing the environment justice.

For more information about this astonishing new development, visit http://www.nouvelchelsea.com.

"One day we'll all live in pods..."

Well, that day has come, thanks to Mick Jagger's (The Rolling Stones frontman) daughter, Jade Jagger, and her new development, Jade at 16 W 19th Street. According to the Web site, they are "jewel-like lacquered boxes that seem to float in each residence. Enclosed within this single cube are your meticulously laid-out kitchen and bathroom. When opened, the pod reveals a glamorous interplay of sparkling tiles, vivid colors and textures." An interesting option for those who like to think outside of the box...but who like to live inside the box.

To learn more about this new development, visit http://www.jadenyc.com.

"People who live in glass houses, shouldn't walk around naked..."

When world-famous architect, Philip Johnson, built his New Canaan Connecticut home in 1949, he was light years ahead of his time. The Glass House, as it was called, was a turning point in American architecture - a house built with a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall glass exterior. Nearly 60 years later, that vision is commonplace here in New York City and all over the world, as vertical versions of Johnson's glass house stretch toward the sky. Some New York examples include Richard Meier's Perry Street towers, which give the illusion of floating on the Hudson; Gwathmey Siegel's Astor Place condos, with it's curved glass facade; and Ian Schrager's 40 Bond Street, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Herzog & deMeuron. The only drawback for these see-thru gems is that squeegee's are not included.

Authored by Matthew Knee (Guest Author)

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...

SoHo/TriBeCa loft-like living in Midtown East...

Finally, Midtown East has something to brag about. Thought you couldn't find loft living anywhere but downtown? Think again. Enter...310 East 53rd Street (corner of 2nd Avenue), a stellar new development by renowned developer, Macklowe Properties.

This is a luxury doorman building, a stone's throw from the E, V, and 6 Subway entrance beneath the Lipstick building on 53rd and 3rd Avenue. It features a 24-hour doorman and concierge, Zen garden/courtyard, state-of-the-art fitness center and valet parking in the building. The handsome loft-like apartments (pictured) feature soaring 17' ceilings, Carrara marble kitchen and baths, and oversized windows, which allow the natural sunlight to radiate throughout the apartment. The coolest feature is the automated window treatments that descend over the windows at the push of a button. A perfect bachelor pad, if you ask me.

To learn more about this new development, visit http://www.threetencondo.com. And if you bump into Bill Macklowe on the street, give him a pat on the back and congratulate him on a job well done.

Penchant for debauchery? Buy here now...

"New York is the ultimate power city. And now, with the introduction of Platinum, New York has its signature power residence." Please join me in welcoming Midtown West's hippest new glass tower by Costas Kondylis, with a holier-than-thou attitude. Don't drive a Ferrari? You need not apply. Life in the fast lane, baby. You wouldn't expect a hotshot hedge fund trader to move to your Grandmother's pre-war co-op on the Upper East Side, would you? If you thought Atelier was cool, wait 'til you get a load of this one.

For more information about this new development (floorplans, amenities, luxury appointments), visit http://www.platinumnyc.com, or call me on my mobile phone at (631) 848-8868 to arrange a viewing.

$2,000 per SF? Only in Manhattan...

Soaring 60 stories over Madison Square Park and at the foot of the Avenue will be a building with unparalleled views, luxury, services and amenities. Edging upwards of $2000 per square foot (!) for 1 and 2 bedroom residences, and even more for high-floor, full-floor residences and the crown jewel triplex penthouse, One Madison Square is sure to make quite a splash on the New York City real estate scene when it’s seventy or so units debut in the summer of 2007. According to developer Marc Jacobs, “this building is going to be like the Time Warner Center on Madison Square Park.” Along with his business partner Ira Shapiro, Marc hopes to hit the ground running with their development company Slazer Enterprise’s first marque on Manhattan soil. Keep your ears open and your eyes to the sky, this one’s going to be great!

Authored by Matthew Knee (Guest Author)

I'll bet nobody ever told you what to expect at closing...

So, here goes. When buying new construction, you can anticipate many or all of the following costs:

• Real Estate Attorney: approximately $1,500 to $3,800
• Mansion Tax: 1% of the purchase price (if the property is over $1 million)
• Financing Application Fee: approximately $1,000
• Mortgage Recording Tax: 1.8 to 1.925 percent of the mortgage
• New York City Real Property Transfer Tax: 1 to 1.425 percent of the purchase price (yes, transfer tax is paid by the BUYER, when purchasing direct from the Sponsor of a new development)
• New York State Real Property Transfer Tax: 0.4 percent of the purchase price
• Title Insurance: 0.5 to 0.8 percent of the purchase price
• Recording Fees: $5 per page or $17 per document
• Move-in Fee: approximately $1,000
• Contribution to the Building Reserve/Working Captial Funds: 3 to 5 months' common charges
• Contribution for the apartment of the live-in Superintendent: approximately $4,500
• Portion of the Developers' Legal Fees: approximately $1,500 to $3,000

I like to prepare all of my buyers with this information up-front, so they can determine what type of apartment they can REALLY qualify for. A good rule of thumb is as follows: Add 4 to 5 percent of the purchase price for closing costs if paying all cash, and add 6 to 7 percent of the purchase price for closing costs if financing...this applies to purchasing new construction ONLY!

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.

The English Bulldog of the Upper East Side...

Finally, a proper English-themed condo on the Upper East Side, 30 seconds from the 4, 5 and 6 train. Not to mention, a stones throw from Central Park and Museum Mile. Rumor has it that the doormen will sport Burberry coats and umbrellas. Cool. As the push toward lifestyle condominiums continues, Related makes its mark, appealing to the high-end, family-oriented buyers on the Upper East Side, seeking that international flavor.

For more info, visit http://www.thebromptonnyc.com. Cheerio!

Image is EVERYTHING...

Your parents' condominium is out. Lifestyle condominiums are in. What's your lifestyle? Are you an uber-hip trendsetter who attends chic gallery events and mingles with the fashionistas? If so, the Chelsea Modern in West Chelsea is just your speed.

For more, visit http://www.chelsea-modern.com.

How cool is your condo?

Probably not as cool as the new Atelier condominium, a towering glass structure in Midtown West by architect, Costas Kondylis, and developer, The Moinian Group. The lobby of the Atelier was packed with fashion insiders for the Alice + Olivia show, the closing show at Fashion Week in 2007. Celebrities Carmen Electra and Molly Sims sat front row as models paraded in Andy Warhol-inspired outfits. A fashion show and celebrity endorsement that fit the new development's chic image...can you think of a better publicity play?

The coolest thing that happens in my lobby is when the delivery guy from Fresh Direct shows up. Not cool.

For more information, check out http://www.ateliercondos.com.

All-inclusive, resort-style living in Manhattan...

Miraval Living. Lucky owners in this awesome Upper East Side condominium will be pampered to their heart's content. So, what makes this condo so special? Hold your breath - here's a partial activity schedule: Aqua Circuit (a combination of cardiovascular and resistance work in a non-impact water environment), "Dive In" Movies (float around the pool on an innertube on a Friday night while watching a movie projected on the wall), Digital Photography Workshop, "Artists In Residence" Showcase (a showcase of the artwork done by Miraval residents), Latin/Rhythm Dancing Lessons, Poetry Reading & Writing, Scrapbooking, Ashtanga Yoga Intensive, Tea Ceremonies, among others. Mind you, this all takes place on the condominium premises! These high-end spa amenities are just an elevator ride away...

Apartments range in price from $645,000 to $4,285,000. For more information about this unique lifestyle condominium, visit http://www.miravalliving.com.

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