A nice one-bedroom apartment in NYC rents for about $2,500/month. And for that same price you can get a shot -- yes, just a taste -- of Louis XIII Black Pearl Magnum cognac, a limited edition, natch, kept in a glass case and then offered exclusively at NYC's Rose Club at the Plaza hotel. The spirit, produced by Remy Martin, cannot be sampled anywhere else in the State of New York. The bottle, designed by Baccarat and hand-blown from black crystal, has not yet been uncorked since it was introduced in June. A recent Rose Club patron asked if he could buy the entire bottle, one of only 358 in the world. Rose Club manager Anthony Evangelista turned him down, and the man left without even tasting it. There are about 32 pours in the 1.75 liter bottle, meaning that the decanter contains $80,000 worth of cognac.
NYC seems to be surviving the housing market's slow decline better than most cities. Case in point: This $80,000,000 condo at 15 Central Park West. Located on the 40th floor, the home, built in 2007, is 5,276 square feet and has unobstructed views over Central Park West and the Hudson River. Of the 9.5 rooms, there are 4 bedrooms and 5.5 baths, and the major rooms have 14-foot ceilings. There's a library and a fireplace (only one?). The ground floor suite is 1,222 square feet with private street access that would work for owner staff offices. There's also the usual building amenities: doorman, courtyard, health club, pool, and garage. As with most condos and with many homes in NYC, you pay way more than the purchase price. This home requires monthly maintenance/CC of $5,425 and monthly real estate tax of $2,081. Too bad the photos only show you the view -- I'd love to see the kitchen and bathrooms in a home like this!
If you are -- or long to be -- part of the NYC social and moneyed scene, Quest is a must-read. Distributed around NYC, seemingly for free (though it has a $5 cover price), this sometimes snooty publication tracks the party scene with pages of pages of photos of dressed-up socialites and tuxedoed men, snapped by editor David Patrick Columbia at fetes and charity events. The magazine occasionally has a feature of some depth but mainly has light articles. For Luxist readers who love our "Estate of the Day" feature, Quest's Web site is great -- it is in magazine format and includes ads. That means you can scan ads featuring home listings in NYC, Connecticut, the Hamptons and so on, plus see ads for high-end jewelry, handbags, clothing, shoes, art galleries, luxury home accessories and cultural events. Click once on the page you want to view to make it bigger. You also can subscribe (tab at top of home page) if you want the hard copy ($36/one year/12 issues or $47.97/two years/24 issues).
Sometimes I think the word "luxury" gets batted around a bit too much ("luxury water"), but I was curious when I saw a small ad for String, a luxury knitting boutique in NYC, in an NYC lifestyle magazine. While the Web site isn't the most refined, it seems the store itself has everything the serious knitter would want, and gets its luxury reputation for selling cashmere and other refined fibers (more than 80 kinds of yarn); needles; patterns for high-end, expensive projects, including clothing, accessories and even home decor; and perhaps its Upper East Side location. You can shop online for anything knit-necessary, including the store's new book, Luxury Knitting, by owner Linda Morse, or visit at 130 E. 82nd St. Also check out String's blog for store happenings, and the gallery below for a few of the items the store sells.
City Winery is scheduled to open this fall in an unlikely place: right in the middle of Soho, New York. It will not only be the first winery in New York City but it's the first in any major urban area. City Winery will be a combination members-only winery and public nightclub -- only members will have access to where and how the wine is made. Three membership options will be offered starting at $5,000 and going as high as $15,000 annually, with membership owners getting the title of "barrel owner" with their own 50 gallon American oak barrel, 4 classes each year with wine makers, and a special venue to swap their vintages with other members.
The Gap is always a great place to find comfortable and breezy summer clothes, and this year is not only no different but it might actually be better. Gap has collaborated with a series of artists to come up with a line of limited edition t-shirts in celebration of the New York Whitney Museum of American Art's Biennial. The list of participating artists includes names like Glen Ligon, Barbara Kruger, Marilyn Minter, Kenny Scharff, and Kerry Marshall. You can buy them online or in a Gap store near you, $28.
Most expensive homes have extra built-in features that are meant to make the environment more comfortable, but not the $2 million Bioscleave House on Long Island. Husband and wife architectural design team Arakawa and Madeline Gins have made sure the "Lifespan Extending Villa" they created is specifically as uncomfortable and unsettling as possible. At the core of their campaign to defeat mortality is the idea that "comfort is the precursor to death." They believe that they have created an environment that keeps people constantly tentative, which in turns helps them stay young and cheat death.
So what makes it so uncomfortable? The floors are severely uneven and bumpy (you have to sign a waiver before you can enter and there are poles to grab onto in various places in case you lose your balance), all the light switches and electric sockets are placed at weird angles, and it's painted in an array of crazy colors (some walls include as many as 40 different shades).
Interestingly enough the couple doesn't seem interested in living in it themselves, as it's currently sitting empty waiting for occupants. That thing cost $2 million and now they aren't even going to live in it. What, they don't want to defy death after all?
Can't say I blame them. I hope to be nice and comfy in my old age, death precursor or not.
Groove with Me is a charity organization located in New York City that offers free dance classes and programs to underprivileged young girls. The goal is to give them a safe place where they can express themselves and develop the self-esteem, confidence, and leadership skills necessary to be successful later in life. The program is run by volunteer dance teachers and program directors who encourage the girls to develop cooperation skills, creativity, pride, and discipline, building the skills they'll need to face adversity. Many of the girls see improvements in grades, mood, conflict management, and school attendance as a result of being in the program. Originally founded in 1996, currently Groove with Me Inc serves 220 students spread over two locations -- one on the Lower East Side and one in Spanish Harlem.
It's true! Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, previously home to famous names like Normal Mailer, Edie Sedgewick, and the guy who shot John Lennon (Mark David Chapman), is getting a remodel and soon will be a luxury hotel. Built in 1931 it's pretty perfect for the remake, with its location in Manhattan along the East River, its Italian Renaissance style, and even its "H" layout with hotel-sized rooms on long corridors.
Bellevue hasn't treated psych patients since 1984 when it was transformed into a homeless shelter, and now the plans for yet another renovation are well underway. No word yet on when they hope to have the hotel finished, but hopefully there's a developer locked in by the end of the year so renovations can get started by the middle of 2009.
Knowing all the history (and insanity) that happened in those walls, will you stay there?
When you think of Tuscan vineyards Staten Island is probably not first on the list of places that come to mind, or anywhere on the list of places that come to mind for that matter, but it may soon be. A large-scale educational vineyard is being planned for New York City in Staten Island, along with a signature wine called Super Staten Island Red.
The non-profit vineyard will be all of 2 acres, producing cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sangiovese varieties. It will be an educational effort in regards to how grapes are grown and how wine is made. Created with the assistance of its sister city in Italy, the Staten Island vineyard will take at least 4 years before it's expected to actually start producing grapes for wine.
Ok, so today is Valentine's Day and if you are the ultimate procrastinator and live in NYC, this may just save your bacon. Below are a selection of wine events which promise to entertain, educate and celebrate the love-holiday with bubbly, bordeaux and ... belly dancing?! Well, that's just one idea... Hopefully one of the wine tastings or dinners below will spark your interest and you'll be on your way to having a fabulous V-day.
Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe present Valentine's Day Champagne Dinner from 6:30 - 10:30 PM; $150 plus tax/gratuity. Featuring a four course dinner, each course paired with a specific Taittinger champagne.
Cupid Spears Tagine - Valentine's Day celebration at Manhattan Tagine Restaurant and Lounge from 7PM - Midnight; $65 per person. Five wines paired with five different dishes plus champagne, dessert, belly dancing and a raffle.
Chocolate is an easy sell for most lovers but dashing out to a local spot for a little decadence could add that bit of spontaneity and sweetness to your evening. New York Magazine has their top five chosen and the list already has me salivating -- remember, it doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to go out for a treat but its a good place to start the habit. Here are the top five dessert stops in New York City...if you're in the Big Apple for the holiday don't miss these.
Falai -- 68 Clinton St.: Known for chef Iacopo Falai's dark, rum-soaked baba cake
Café Sabarsky -- 1048 Fifth Ave: Bringing old world coffee together with Viennese tortes and strudels
Dessert Truck -- University Pl: Outside an NYU dorm, get a little chocolate-bread pudding and stroll through campus.
ChikaLicious -- 203 E. 10th St: A dessert-only stop, the sorbet floating in sparkling wine sounds divine (see picture above)
Chocolate Room -- 86 Fifth Ave: Anything chocolate you can think of...beer, tea, cake -- you name it!
Ever wondered which neighborhoods are experiencing the most growth and are the most lucrative in terms of real estate investing? Forbes has compiled a list of the top five neighborhoods that have grown above and beyond the rest. Whether the growth is due to a dramatic drop in crime or rezoning and infrastructure development, here are the top five and their percentage of growth since 1990 which make the rest of our hometowns look measly on the investment scale.
Miami Beach (City Center) in Miami, Florida -- 1532% growth
Ohio and Westgate Avenues in Los Angeles, California -- 3081% growth
Rosslyn/Highlands in Washington, D.C. -- 566% growth
Riverside Drive and 149th Streets in New York City, New York -- 4391% growth
Grove and Webster Streets in San Francisco, California -- 522% growth
Too many people out there dread the holidays in part because spending so much time with family is exhausting, but maybe you'd feel differently if you were enjoying the Buckingham Hotel's "Christmas Key to the City" package with your loved ones. A little luxury (or in this case a LOT of luxury) makes everything better, right? The package includes the following:
A gold and diamond Christmas key to New York City
Transportation to events in a private Christmas-themed Amtrak car and a white vintage Rolls-Royce
A penthouse suite at the Buckingham Hotel decked out in Christmas decor, including a Swarovski crystal star tree topper keepsake and cashmere pj's for everyone.
Individual green iPods loaded with classic Christmas tunes.
A nice one-bedroom apartment in NYC rents for about $2,500/month. And for that same price you can get a shot -- yes, just a taste -- of Louis XIII Black Pearl Magnum cognac, a limited edition, natch, kept in a glass case and then offered exclusively at NYC's Rose Club at the Plaza hotel. The spirit, produced by Remy Martin, cannot be sampled anywhere else in the State of New York. The bottle, designed by Baccarat and hand-blown from black crystal, has not yet been uncorked since it was introduced in June. A recent Rose Club patron asked if he could buy the entire bottle, one of only 358 in the world. Rose Club manager Anthony Evangelista turned him down, and the man left without even tasting it. There are about 32 pours in the 1.75 liter bottle, meaning that the decanter contains $80,000 worth of cognac.
