NYC

NYC's Stuyvesant Town To Be Sold at Auction

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

NYC's behemoth apartment complex Stuyvesant Town will be sold at auction on October 4. A state appeals court ruled against hedge fund manager William Ackman on September 28, paving the way for bondholders to sell the apartment complexes Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village in a foreclosure auction. About 25,000 people live in the 11,277 apartments, which are on the East Side near the FDR Drive between 14th and 23rd Streets.

The ruling denied a request by a joint venture between Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management and Winthrop Realty Trust to reverse a lower court ruling that barred them from elbowing past holders of $3 billion in mortgage bonds to take control of the properties.

Tishman Speyer made news when it bought the 56-building complex for $5.4 billion in 2007 and again when it defaulted on its loans. Read about the complex's long history here and about its financial woes here.

Tags: auction, auctions, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, Stuyvesant Town, Tishman Speyer, William Ackman

Tourneau NYC Watch Sample Sale = Big Luxury Discounts

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The details above pretty much sum it up. Tourneau's sample sales are one of the best kept secrets to getting a luxury watch at an affordable price from a major retailer. If you are in New York City on September 11th, I highly recommend you go. Please note that the sale is not located at the Tourneau store. This exclusive event will be held at Soiffer Haskin at 317 West 33rd Street, in New York City. The event runs from September 11th - 16th, but you really (really) want to get there on the first day. Why? Because this is a limited quantity sale, and the best stuff goes quick - trust me.

What brands will be there? Very hard to say. Tourneau pulls unsold inventory from area stores, and each store can have different brands. You won't be disappointed with the selection, and the prices are 50-70% off - if not more. So check it out, then come back and brag about the deal you got.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: 2010, new york, nyc, sample sale, september, tourneau

101 Warren Street Sells Out; Last Unit Ekes Out $13.2 Million

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments, Architecture & Design

101 Warren Street Sells Out; Last Unit Ekes Out $13.2 Million

Real estate blog Curbed reported a few days ago that NYC/TriBeCa's 101 Warren Street has finally sold out, after four years, racking up $650 million in sales and becoming the "most successful condominium offering in the history of downtown Manhattan" in the process. Of the 35-story, 227-unit, the last one to sell was Skyhome 3460, a 4,518-square-foot duplex that sits in a glass box atop 101 Warren's granite facade, with uninterrupted views and wraparound terraces. According to StreetEasy, the 4-bedroom/4.5 bath condo was first listed for $15,664,000 in 2006, buying off a floorplan. It lingered, but as the building went up and the boom continued, the price inched up to $16,350,000. Then came the market's fall and with it a price cut to to $15,950,000. The unit was listed in contract in early August and sold a week later for $13,237,250, 15.5% below the original asking price and 19% off the peak price. The buyer is Maryland-based technology entrepreneur Robert Baruch and his wife, Kathy.

Tags: 101 Warren Street, condo, New York, NYC, real estate

Own a Piece of the Statue of Liberty

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

You can buy anything these days, especially in New York City. To wit, Guernsey's auction house said a copper chunk of nose crafted to fit the Statue of Liberty's face during her 1980s restoration will be auctioned on September 24 at the Park Avenue Armory. The two-foot-long section was one of four created to replace the Statue of Liberty's nose, and it's the only one that likely ever will be sold. Of the other three, one currently adorns the statue, one was destroyed, and another is in a private collection.

Other iconic items up for auction that day include a motorcycle from President John F. Kennedy's Dallas motorcade, James Dean's sunglasses, the last home run ball from the original Yankee Stadium, Barbra Streisand's first test record and a photo negative from Marilyn Monroe's nude calendar shoot.

Tags: auction, auctions, guernseys, guernseys auction house, icon, icons, New York, New York City, NYC, Statue of Liberty

Pricey 'Crack Pie' Sweeping the Nation

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Have you tasted Crack Pie? If you live in NYC and haven't tried it yet you're fast becoming a minority as this simple but apparently addictive little baked good is taking over NYC (and seems to have eyes for the rest of the country too). Available at Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar in Manhattan, its humble appearance and simple ingredients are deceiving as it carries a whopping price tag of $44 per pie. And no, there's no actual crack in there jacking up the cost. The pie has an oatmeal cookie crust base with a filling that includes egg yolks, sugar, butter and heavy cream. Some have likened it to the Southern favorite, chess pie.

But people are more than willing to pay for this sweet treat. Crack Pie has grown so popular, in part due to recent celebrity endorsements (Anderson Cooper went crazy over it on Regis & Kelly and Martha Stewart featured the bakery and recipe on her show), that the bakery has begun selling the pies online and shipping them via Fed Ex.

So no more excuses for an Iowan like me, I know what I'm putting on the top of my b-day wish list this year!

Source

Tags: baked goods, BakedGoods, bakery, crack pie, CrackPie, dessert, desserts, nyc, pie, pies, sweets

Expert-Guided Prom Shopping in New York City

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Services

If you know a young lady who deserves the very best for this year's prom, ShopNYC Tours has created a specialized prom shopping experience for her which is budget-conscious, fun and guided by a New York City shopping expert, Natasha Malinsky. Here's more about what the tours include:

Watch videos highlighting the hottest prom trends for 2010
Visit a variety of boutiques that carry Contemporary Prom Dresses, Vintage Prom Dresses and Celebrity Consignment Prom Dresses
Enjoy spot-to-spot transportation while sipping "teeny" (alcohol-free) cosmos and enjoying world-famous cupcakes
Sightsee some of the hippest NYC neighborhoods with a savvy tour guide
Get a prom make-up tutorial at Makeup Forever with a professional make-up artist

Natasha was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about shopping tours and how she stays in touch with what's cool for school:

Luxist: What inspired you to create a prom shopping tour?

Natasha Malinsky: Our Teen Fashion Tour is extremely popular and a lot of the people interested in that tour started to inquire about prom shopping in NYC. I thought it would be cool to not only offer a tour for prom dress shopping, but for everything prom including dresses, accessories, and even makeup. Shopping for prom in NYC gives teens the opportunity to stand out and have something unique that no one else will have, which is really exciting to them.

L: What kind of girl is this for?

NM: I'm hoping to attract a wide range of teens -- everyone from NYC locals to domestic tourists. And since the tour is so diverse, covering everything from contemporary prom to vintage prom to consignment prom, there will be an opportunity for everyone to find something that fits their own style and, more importantly, budget.

L: How do you keep up with teen fashion trends?

NM: Teens look up to a lot of celebrities, so it's important to keep the red carpet in mind when researching teen trends. It's also important to keep the youth factor in mind. Teen fashion should be young, fun and affordable. The runway shows can be an inspiration for teens, but often times, ready-to-wear is too sophisticated and definitely too expensive. Fashion magazines like Teen Vogue and shows like "Gossip Girl" are great sources for teen fashion trends along with shows like Extra and Access Hollywood. Oh -- and giving Teen Fashion Tours helps me to stay on top of what teens want to wear.

Where was Natasha when we were in high school? (We mean that figuratively ... she was in high school.)

If you'd like to send a teen on the prom shopping experience of a lifetime, the cost is just $59 for groups of 10 or more, and $99 for smaller or private tours. Visit ShopNYC Tours or call 1-800-619-2795 for more information or to book.

Tags: Natasha Malinsky, NatashaMalinsky, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NY, NYC, Prom, ShopNYC Tours, ShopnycTours, Shopping, teens

"The Best of Beef & The Beauty of Barolo" With Chef Michael Lomanaco, February 9

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Services

A few months ago New York's famed Time Warner Center opened a new culinary club, Circle of Taste, free to join.

COT has just announced its first ticketed event -- "The Best of Beef & The Beauty of Barolo" -- a dinner to be hosted within Porter House New York's wine cellar by Chef Michael Lomanaco (shown) and Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn. All the wines will be a selection of highly-sought-after and difficult-to-acquire Barolo wines produced in limited quantities.

Erpacrife Nebbiolo Metrodo Tradicionale

Bollito Misto
Tender poached filet mignon, cotechino sausage and salsa verde
La Querciola Barolo Donna Bianca 2004 'cru Costa di Rose'

Brasato al Barolo
Homemade Pappardelle Pasta, Braised Beef Short Ribs
Scarzello Barolo 2004 'cru Sarmassa'

Arrosto di Costata
Roasted Dry Aged Prime Rib of Beef
Cascina Ebreo, Torbido VDT 2001 'Novello di Monforte'

Dessert - Torta al cioccolato alle pere
Pears with mascarpone and chocolate
Ca'de' Mandorli, Brachetto d'Acqui 2008

Dinner begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $175 per person, and the multi-course tasting menu is all-inclusive. COT members may reserve two seats. Perhaps get an early start to the Valentine's Day weekend!

Tags: beef, Circle of Taste, CircleOfTaste, food, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NYC, Time Warner Center, TimeWarnerCenter, Valentines Day, ValentinesDay, wine

François Chocolate Bar at Mauboussin in NYC

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Services

François Chocolate Bar at Mauboussin in NYC

If you live in the NYC metro area or will be visiting for the holiday season, and love chocolate, let me share with you a sweet spot I recently learned about: François Chocolate Bar. Famed pastry chef and chocolatier François Payard has teamed up with Parisian jeweler Mauboussin to open the François Chocolate Bar on the fourth floor of Mauboussin's Madison Avenue flagship boutique. Described by Payard as "a chocolate jewelry shop," the Chocolate Bar is entirely devoted to chocolate and features signature pastries from Payard as well as a new line of verrines, macaroons, and the "François Quatre Quarts" (pound cakes), along with hot chocolate, tea, coffee, and cappuccino. All the chocolate items are reasonably priced -- from $2.00 for the macaroons to $6.50 for the verrines. The Chocolate Bar also offers signature gifts.

The Chocolate Bar is running a special holiday promotion. Until December 24, customers who spend $100 or more at the store (or a bit more if ordering online) will receive a complimentary Payard signature Voyager Bag and a 15% discount at Mauboussin. One idea for how to ring up $100 is a gift basket. The Chocolate Bar's baskets range from $100 to $200, or you can customize one starting at $15. See the gallery for photos of the Chocolate Bar as well as four gift basket options.

François Chocolate Bar
714 Madison Ave. (between East 63rd and 64th Streets)
Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
212-759-1600

There are 11 tables of two and three seats at the bar. Save me a spot!

Gallery: Francois Chocolate Bar at Mauboussin in NYC

Tags: chocolate, chocolate bar, ChocolateBar, Francois Payard, FrancoisPayard, Mauboussin, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NYC, payard

Bette Midler Helps Restore New York

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Charity, Big Givers

Bette Midler is more than a woman -- she's like an army. We're not just talking about the power of her singing voice; she's also a dancer, an actress, a comedienne, and a well-known humanitarian, and a champion of both the arts and the Earth.

Since 1995, she's been working on her New York Restoration Project (NYRP -- she founded it), which has been helping NYC get greener and cleaner. Just recently, Bette herself planted the 250,000th NYRP tree in a Queens neighborhood and unveiled a new garden near Yankee Stadium. Now, she's auctioning off some very unique experiences with celebrities on CharityFolks.com, experiences which would make unbeatable holiday gifts.

Among the current gifts available are:

Meet John Stamos Backstage at Bye Bye Birdie & Enjoy 2 VIP House Seats - $1,500.00
Private Lesson with Tennis Great John McEnroe & Roundtrip Travel on JetBlue Airways! - $2,750.00
Meet Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Winwood, One of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time According to Rolling Stone, with 2 VIP Tix to a 2010 European Show Date - $1,500.00

Those are current bid prices; buyouts are available at higher numbers. All the proceeds will benefit NYRP, which plans to plant 1 million trees by 2017 (and totally will). Other items include a chance to meet Cher, a walk-on role with Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd, a getaway to Richard Branson's Necker Island, and more. She's convinced nearly 100 of her celebrity friends to contribute, so keep your eye on the NYRP CharityFolks page to see what's up for auction next.

"We've turned 55 vacant lots into beautiful community gardens and planted more than 250,000 trees, and we're just getting started, so I hope you'll join in the merriment by placing a bid today!" says Midler.

Tags: bette midler, BetteMidler, John McEnroe, John Stamos, JohnMcenroe, JohnStamos, New York Restoration Project, NewYorkRestorationProject, NYC, NYRP, Steve Winwood, SteveWinwood

Mackage Opens Second Pop-Up Boutique in NYC

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Shopping, Men's Style

Mackage Opens Second Pop-Up Boutique in NYC

Mackage is so pleased with sales in its first NYC pop-up boutique, in the Meatpacking District, that it has opened a second, this time in SoHo. Open through December, the store will carry the Canadian company's Fall/Winter '09 collection for men and women including butter-soft leather bombers, shearling styles, and its ever-popular Puffy down-filled winter coats. The line is popular with such celebrities as Hilary Duff, Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Hurley, Eva Mendes, Kristen Bell, Will.I.Am. and John Legend, to name a few. And a non-celebrity -- me. The coats are beautiful, practical, and better-priced than I expected for such style and quality. The SoHo store's details can be found in the photo above.

Gallery: Mackage Coats, Fall/Winter 2009

Tags: apparel, Canada, coat, coats, Mackage, mens fashion, MensFashion, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NYC, SoHo, winter

Sculptz Legwear & Shapewear Makes NYC Debut

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Legwear and shapewear experts Sculptz made their NYC and U.S. debut earlier this month with an upscale cocktail party and display at The Glasshouses in Chelsea. What made this show special was that there was a mix of mannequins and live models, so you could really see how the products worked and ask the models questions about their outfits. Hosting the event were Sculptz president Jean P. Vernor and "tastemaker" and celebrity stylist Robert Verdi.

Scultptz, which makes products along the same line as that other shapewear company (beginning with an "S" and ending with an "x"), only less strangling, more affordable, more colorful, and more wearable, has been in business since 1974 and is headquartered in Philadelphia. All products are made in the U.S.A. I tried one of the products, and like the slogan says, it was so comfortable I did indeed forget I was wearing it. (When I tried that other brand, I wanted to pull it off as soon as I got in the door.)

The NYC event was titled "A Girl for All Seasons" and featured models dressed in Sculptz products, à la iconic '40s and '50s pinup girls, in displays that represented the four seasons. Another model walked the room and a sixth was in a classic evening display complete with faux fur rug and garter belt. (See the gallery.)

Sculptz products promise to "flatten the tummy, lift the rear, and slim the hips and thighs, while providing the freedom and confidence to wear everyday styles from day to night." The collection features shorts, sheers, tights, slips, body shapers, camis, bras, and briefs. There also are sexy thigh highs and pants-friendly trouser socks. New for fall 2009 are leggings and capris in lots of fun, autumnal colors as well as classics like red and black. All the colors feature clever names, too. Black is "A Girl's Best Friend," for example, while copper is "All Spiced Up" and white is "String of Pearls."

Sculptz prices range from $15 - $70. Products are available only online right now, although plans are in the works to be in retail stores soon. Sculptz also has sites in Britain and Canada.

Special for Luxist readers: Get 25% off Sculptz shapewear and legwear from Sunday, November 29, 2009, until Thursday, December 10, 2009. Just enter promo code B809 at Sculptz.com.

Gallery: Sculptz Legwear & Shapewear Makes NYC Debut

Tags: bras, camisoles, leggings, legwear, lingerie, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NYC, Scupltz, shapewear, slips, tights

9½-Foot Swarovski Star To Adorn Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

9½-Foot Swarovski Star To Adorn Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Too much Swarovski is never enough, especially during the holidays, when we all want sparkle. And during the holidays in New York City, the most popular sparkle can be found at Rockefeller Center, where each year gaggles of locals as well as tourists stop by to view the Christmas tree, which has been topped by a Swarovski star each year since 2004.

This year's star is 9½ feet in diameter, 1½ feet in depth, weighs a whopping 550 pounds, and comprises 25,000 crystals with 1,000,000 facets. The star is high-tech and low-cost (energy-wise): It has enhancements such as a new cutting-edge computerized lighting system and energy-efficient LED bulbs. The star's 12 rays are outfitted with 720 bulbs on 3,000 feet of wire to create a twinkling effect through customized light sequencing programmed by a complex computer system.

Rockefeller Center officially began the Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1933, when a Christmas tree was erected in front of the then-RCA Building and covered with 700 lights. This is the first year, however, that the Swarovski star will feature dynamic light movement. A team of nine artisans and engineers spent three months (1,200 hours) installing, programming, and testing the star to ensure the effects would withstand the challenging winter weather conditions 76 feet above Rockefeller Center.

A replica of the Swarovski Star will be on display in Rockefeller Center to allow visitors to get a closer view of the detailing and craftsmanship. Swarovski is even offering a selection of star-themed holiday jewelry and ornaments on sale at the Swarovski holiday kiosk at Rockefeller Center, at Swarovski boutiques nationwide, and online.

The 77th Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 2, from 7-9 p.m. The ceremony will be televised live, locally on WNBC-TV from 7-8 p.m. and nationally on NBC from 8-9 p.m. Spectators can view the lighted tree each day from 5:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.; all day (24 hours) on Christmas Day; and from 5:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The last day to view the tree is January 7, 2010.

Sources: LuxuryLaunches.com and PR Newswire

Tags: Christmas, holiday, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NYC, Swarovski, swarovski crystals, SwarovskiCrystals

AIG Building To Become Luxury Condos

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Earlier this year, NY Post reported that AIG was trying to earn around $100 million by selling its 66-story Art Deco headquarters at 70 Pine Street in Manhattan (it actually sold to Young Woo for $150 million). Now it seems that the real-estate developer might have gotten a great deal. Young Woo will be turning the top 40 floors of AIG's 66-story headquarters near Wall Street into condo units. The Wall Street Journal does the math which shows that even including renovations and other costs the units could generate about $600,000 in profit each. This of course is providing that the Manhattan real estate market doesn't dip too much further down and eventually comes back up. Given that it will likely take the developer a while to prepare the condos for occupation and work up a snazzy marketing campaign, the timing might be ideal.

Source

Tags: aig, condominium, condos, manhattan, new york city, NewYorkCity, nyc, wall street, WallStreet, young woo, YoungWoo

Bottega Veneta NYCabat Bag, Limited Edition, Handbag of the Day

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Bottega Veneta NYCabat Bag, Limited Edition, Handbag of the Day

With a limited run of just 50, today's Handbag of the Day will go fast -- if you're willing to spend $7,100. Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier has taken on the classic BV woven bag and added a taxi twist, creating the NYCabat bag. It's woven in the signature BV hand-crafted leather and then hand-dyed yellow and black. Big enough to be a commuter bag and carry your purse essentials plus extras, like office shoes, a newspaper, gym clothes, and so on. The bag is only available through the company's Fifth Avenue NYC store (699 Fifth Ave., 212-371-5511). Scheduled to arrive in November, so you can, and should, preorder now.

Tags: bag, Bottega Veneta, BottegaVeneta, handbag, handbag of the day, HandbagOfTheDay, New York, NewYork, NYC, purse, taxi, tote

Fashion's Night Out - And Fashion's Morning After

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Charity

Fashion's Night Out, the largest shopping event in NYC history (brainchild of none other that Anna Wintour herself), took place on Thursday, September 10, and for those of us in the media (who try to be everywhere), it was a wild ride!

Over 700 shops participated in Fashion's Night Out; some selling Fashion's Night Out t-shirts to benefit the September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, some collecting clothing for the NYC AIDS Fund, some with special sales, deals, and live music, and most with free-flowing champagne.

Armed with an extra pair of stilettos for alternating, this Luxist writer managed to get to David Yurman, Prada (above, this DJ played until The Rapture went on), D&G, Tahari, Pucci, and Lord & Taylor, just to name a few. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the night of shopping, celebrity sightings, drinking, and celebrating. If they ever do it again, I suggest you all head for the Upper East Side where the parties were a little calmer and lots of fun -- Soho was a madhouse; in parts you couldn't even walk down the street, and it was unusually rampant with underage drinkers (capitalizing on the free alcohol). I saw them carding at D&G ... but that was the only place I saw. I'd imagine there were a lot of tearful explanations in the wee hours in homes across the tri-state area, and Fashion's Morning After was probably pretty rough for some. But that's not what the night was about. The night was about charity, celebrating fashion, and helping kickstart the economy. I think on the whole, New York City had a lot of fun!

If you weren't able to get to NYC, check out the gallery below for some photos of the festivities!

Gallery: Fashion's Night Out

Tags: fashions night out, FashionsNightOut, NYC, shopping

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