Pennsylvania

Leather Luggage from Galt, Handmade in Italy

Galt is a new company based in Pennsylvania specializing in luxurious leather luggage hand-crafted in Italy by skilled artisans using the finest natural leathers and Swiss-made hardware available. Unadorned by logos of any kind, the quality of the pieces is allowed to speak for itself. The firm's first collection consists of several different styles and sizes finished in classic black full-grain leather. The elegant, understated pieces range from a hardsided suitcase trunk to a doctor's bag, weekender, messenger bag and backpack, and are priced from about $800 - $1,450 each. The premium price is justified by the high quality and Italian origin, the company says.

Gallery: Galt Luxury Leather Luggage

Tags: bags, Galt, Italy, leather, luggage, Pennsylvania, trunk

Spiritually Surrender to Weight Loss at The Lodge at Woodloch

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

If the summer has left your jeans a little snug, The Lodge at Woodloch, a destination spa in Hawley, Pennsylvania that's popular with health seekers on the New Yorker to Philadelphia corridor, may have a solution. Spiritual guru Marianne Williamson will be putting in an appearance in early November, to mark the publication of her new book, A Course In Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever. Four of Williamson's nine books have become New York Times bestsellers, and while I've not cracked its cover, it doesn't take a marketing genius to realize that the title contains words likely to make it very popular indeed.

The weekend package runs November 5th-6th, 2010, and includes Williamson's lecture, a signed copy of her book, and a weekend of activities at the resort. All details here.

Tags: pennsylvania, spa, spirituality, weight loss

What Will Become of Lynnewood Hall?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

One of Pennsylvania's most beautiful old mansions has been in the news recently after an AP story on Lynnewood Hall came out. Once one of America's grandest homes, the mansion is over 100 years old but has not been given the love received by some other older homes of its size. The huge building that once welcomed presidents and the wealthiest and most aristocratic of guests is now an elegant crumbling ruin.

The 110-room mansion is said to be the largest surviving Gilded Age mansion in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. It is built from Indiana limestone and was famous for its large art gallery. The home's collection was on public display at Lynnewood Hall from 1915 to 1940 but in 1940, the collection of more than 2,000 sculptures, paintings, decorative art, and porcelains were donated to the National Gallery of Art. The home also had a ballroom, swimming pool, wine cellars and its own electrical power plant.

Tags: lynnewood hall, pennsylvania, philadelphia

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Wine Kiosks Get Trial Run In Pennsylvania Supermarkets

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Liquor laws vary by state and for some struggle under some pretty strict laws. In Pennsylvania individuals can only buy wine and liquor for home consumption at state-owned stores (some are inside grocery stores). Corner stores, delis, bars and restaurants sell beer to go. But now a pair of wine-vending kiosks have put wine directly in supermarkets for the first time. To buy wine customers need to swipe their driver's license, look into a camera and blow into a breathalyzer.

If the program is a success, the Liquor Control Board has said that the kiosks could be available in many more stores. Some complain that the process is too cumbersome but consumers, who'd like to buy wine in the same place they buy a meal, seem willing to give it a shot. The machines keep the wine at room temperature and are closed on Sundays and holidays. Currently the machines stock the most popular brands and are targeted at those just looking to pick up a decent bottle of everyday wine. After the pilot program is over there could be a $1 per bottle convenience fee charged and the amount and types of wines could be expanded.

Tags: kiosks, pennsylvania, wine

Benchoff Estate, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate offers you the chance to be somewhat distant neighbors with the Presidential retreat of Camp David. On June 12, Concierge Auctions will host a luxury real estate auction of a 150-acre equestrian estate. The J. Martin Benchoff Estate is a family compound located on Old Route 16 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, only a 90-minute drive from both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, and 3 hours from Philadelphia.

The compound has four residences including the main house, a 15,000-square-foot custom home built of native stone and positioned for beautiful views. The main house has five bedroom, two kitchens, a master suite with a Jacuzzi room and separate redwood sauna. The great room on the lower level can accommodate more than 100 people for entertaining and has a wet bar, kitchen with wine cellar, and a library with built-in bookshelves. Outside a flagstone patio circles the house and leads to an in-ground swimming pool with pool house and a fenced tennis court.

The property includes mature forests stocked with wildlife including deer and wild turkey and there is also an equestrian facility with stables and outbuildings and a working farm on the property. Access to the Appalachian Trail is an estimated 100 yards away.

The home was originally listed for $7.9 million and is selling with a reserve of $3 million and a pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $5.8 million.

UPDATE: This auction has been moved to June 25.

Gallery: Benchoff Estate Auction

Tags: estate of the day, luxury home auction, pennsylvania, pennsylvania real estate

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More Philadelphia Condos Up For Auction

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

After a long and drawn out history of bad luck and bad timing the 10-unit condo project dubbed Cu257 in Philadelphia has finally been finished. Unfortunately the building took so long and went through so much turmoil on its way to completion that it missed its 'window' and interest in it has all but disappeared, leading the bank to put the nine remaining unsold units up for auction next month for a deep discount. The auction will take place at 1pm on May 15th at the Hilton Philadelphia Airport Hotel with minimum bids set at $200,000 for each of the two penthouses (previously listed for $1.2 million) and $95,000 for the 7 condos ($698,400-871,255). If interested sign up and get an information package at maxspann.com.

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Tags: auction, condo, condo auction, condominium, cu257 condo project, max spann, pennsylvania, philadelphia, real estate

Model Trains Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

There comes a time in every collector's life when it is time to decide what to do with what has been amassed. For Wayne Burkholder, a collector of trains, that time has come and tomorrow his vintage train collection will be auctioned off by Gateway Gallery Auction in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Burkholder and his wife are moving to Florida and his sons and grandsons weren't interested in the product of years of collection.

Burkholder spent the last ten years perfecting a layout of three train sets spread out over an 8'x21' layout. His collection has been cataloged into over 400 lots that include engines, tenders, cars, cabooses and accessories like Mel's Diner, Ford sales, Sinclair gas, a car wash, oil derricks and more. Model train collecting isn't a hobby that attracts as many fans as it once did but for hobbyists with an eye toward the past, Burkholder's trove offers much to admire. Check out more at the online catalog.

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Tags: auction, collectible, model trains, ModelTrains, pennsylvania, trains

Crefeld Street, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home is another grand Pennsylvania manor. This home in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania was built in the 1930s in the Norman style. It sits on nearly five acres. The home has been restored and updated but includes many older details some that date from before the home was built like the wood paneling in the great room which was taken from a 1650 hunting lodge of King James II. The home's features include a formal dining room, game room, 'speakeasy' bar, bowling alley, country kitchen and eight bedrooms. The master suite has a fireplace and a sitting room with another fireplace. There are also his and hers offices and a conference room. The property includes a four car garage, a three-bedroom cottage and a pool. It is listed for $4.75 million.

Gallery: Crefeld Street

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Glenmede, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate is a historic tudor in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Glenmede was built in the late 1800s and designed by architect William Price. It was originally built for a Pennsylvania congressman but has been home to the Pew family since 1904. The home is on 15 acres that include a pool house, gardener's cottage, carriage house and gate house. The home includes original murals by William Van Ingen and has stained glass and other original fixtures and hardware.

The Pew family named the estate Glenmede and in the 1990s they bequeathed it to Bryn Mawr College which updates the mechanicals and infrastructure and it still carries the look of a university hall. The house has oak pilasters, a Gothic style billiard room, many fireplaces and arched windows. It is listed at $15.5 million.

Gallery: Glenmede

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Pennsylvania Resort Showcases Gingerbread Village

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

I've been chronicling a series of massive gingerbread houses this season. At the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania a whole gingerbread village is on display. The village has more than a half-dozen gingerbread structures which are made from 100 pounds of gingerbread, 200 pounds of powdered sugar, 40 pounds of egg whites, 5,000 jelly beans and hundreds of peppermints, gum balls, candy canes, chocolates, marshmallows and pretzels. The village is on display through January 6. The hotel sells a gingerbread house kit for $65 so you can make your own.

The resort has a ski mountain with snowboarding, skiing, snow tubing and other winter sports which opens Christmas day. The resort also has spas for adults, children and even dogs. Rates start at $229 during December.

[via ABC News]

Gallery: Nemacolin Gingerbread Village

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Tags: gingerbread house, gingerbread houses, gingerbread village, GingerbreadHouse, GingerbreadHouses, GingerbreadVillage, nemacolin woodlands resort, NemacolinWoodlandsResort, pennsylvania

Main Line Mansion, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

It's in Wayne, Pennsylvania so of course I want to refer to it as stately Wayne Manor but this home is a bit of new mixed with a bit of old. The listing calls it an "artisan revival-style" home, a nod to the fact that it mixes modern home design with a few classic touches like stained glass windows and decorative moldings and wainscotting. There's a lot of stone in this house, Pennsylvania granite, a slate roof, limestone balustrades, bluestone-brick terraces, statuary and monumental steps. This seems like a wealthy executive's home, it has a music room, paneled library, a dining room that seats 36 and a family room that has a more casual decor. There's a refreshing lack of television in the home, another detail that gives it a bit of an older feel. There are two large offices and four bedrooms. A guest suite has a separate kitchen. The downstairs is given over to an entertainment area and exercise rooms. An elevator reaches all four levels. The home is on three acres and there is a pool and a pool house. This home is listed at $14.7 million.

Gallery: Main Line Mansion

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, pennsylvania, wayne

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Timberhill Road, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The Wall Street Journal's Private Properties column reported earlier this week that Jeffrey M. Lipton, the former chief executive of Nova Chemicals, has listed his Pittsburgh-area house for $7.75 million. Lipton's home is in the pricey suburb of Sewickley Heights. He tells the Journal that he spent around $6 million to build the home and buy the land in 2002. He is moving his family to Scottsdale, Arizona.

The six-bedroom home is roughly 13,000 square feet and is on 11 wooded acres. The home has a terrace, pool, five-car garage and vegetable gardens. It's a beautiful, modern family home with plenty of light and room and a far more gracious interior than the blocky exterior might suggest. The open floor plan and high wood ceiling make the home seem both spacious and warm. A large stone fireplace serves as a divider between living and dining areas and the kitchen is open to the rest of the space. The sunroom has another stone fireplace and does the media room which also includes a wet bar.

Gallery: Timberhill Road

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Tags: jeffrey lipton, JeffreyLipton, nova chemicals, NovaChemicals, pennsylvania, pittsburgh

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Cigar Beef to be Settled in the Ring: All Win with Publicity Stunt

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

A cigar deal gone wrong will end in the ring on June 26, 2009. Tim Carr, Famous Smoke Shop retail store manager, and Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars (which I do enjoy) will pull on the gloves and swing like hell to settle a dispute.

It's all pretty simple. Carr says that Johnson committed to be one of the featured vendors at Famous Cigar Expo in June. According to Carr, the Tatuaje pseudo-celebrity "readily accepted." Later, Johnson called a different manager at Famous Smoke Shop to back out. Carr considered this an insult, particularly when Johnson wouldn't accept his phone calls.

To drive the message home, Carr told Johnson that he wasn't acting like a man.

Eventually, the two agreed to settle their differences, in fact, like men. Both will swing furiously at each other in a boxing match to be held at Famous Smoke Shop headquarters in Easton, PA.

While only one man's hand will be held aloft in victory, both will emerge winners. Though Tatuaje won't be at Famous Cigar Expo in June, he'll instead participate in a major publicity stunt occurring at the same time.

Brilliant, gentlemen. Brilliant.

Tags: boxing, boxing-gloves, boxinggloves, cigar, cigars, easton, easton pennsylvania, eastonpennsylvania, fight, fighting, fights, pennsylvania, publicity stunt, publicity stunts, PublicityStunt, PublicityStunts

Cigars, Golf and Happy Hour in Pennsylvania

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

What are you doing on April 24? If you're a golfer, you're about to get a new answer to that question. That's the first day of the Famous 2009 Golf Tour, sponsored by Famous Smoke Shop and ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley. So, clean your clubs and get ready to head out to the Riverview Golf & Country Club in Easton, PA in a few weeks.

The golf tour itself stretches all the way to the Championship Round on October 9, so if you have a decent swing, you could spend close to six months chasing a little white ball around a carefully manicured lawn.

"Each match will be a two-man 'Best Ball Scramble,'" according to Famous Smoke Shop store manager, Tim Carr. "If a player doesn't have a partner, we will assign them one. Players' handicaps will also be used as a guide for creating the foursomes and pairing-up singles, but not for scoring of the rounds, which will be based on a points system," he added.

If, like me, you don't play golf, Famous Smoke Shop has a few other events planned for the summer, so you'll have no shortage of reasons to light up a cigar (as if you need one).

Golf Round 1, April 25: Classic Car Show
Golf Round 2, May 29: Motorcycle Show
Golf Round 3, June 27: Cigar Expo 2009
Golf Round 4, July 25: Classic Car Show
Golf Round 5, August 29: Motorcycle Show
Golf Round 6, September 19: TBD

The events will be held at the Famous Smoke Shop store in Easton, PA.

If you're planning to enter the tournament, the cost is $89.99 per round, and there are pro-rated discounts available for volume. A Happy Hour follows each event, where food and drinks will be served ... with featured cigars from event sponsors Drew Estate (ACID), CAO, Camacho, Cusano, Rocky Patel and Los Blancos.

Tags: camacho, cao, cigar, cigars, country club, country clubs, CountryClub, CountryClubs, easton, easton pennsylvania, eastonpennsylvania, golf, golf tour, golf tournament, golf tours, golfer, golfing, GolfTour, GolfTournament, GolfTours, lehigh, lehigh-valley, pennsylvania, rocky patel, RockyPatel

Cigar Expo 2009 Tickets on Sale

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Tickets for Cigar Expo 2009 are now on sale. The event takes place on Saturday, June 27 – starting at 2 PM. If you pony up for a VIP ticket, you'll also get to attend a dinner with the cigar manufacturers the night before. So, if you're in Easton, PA and have $150 to burn ($225 for the VIP level), this is an event to check out.

Famous Smoke Shop, the operation behind the festivities, will celebrate its 70th anniversary this year – as guests are likely to notice. "We're going to give this year's attendees the royal treatment," said Famous Smoke Shop Retail Store manager, Tim Carr ... and he gives some pretty compelling examples. "Not only will every guest receive at least 50 cigars, but we'll have plenty of entertainment, waitress service, a cigar menu, fantastic food, and some amazing raffle prizes."

The list of vendors participating this year is long and distinguished, including Altadis, Avo, CAO, Camacho, Davidoff, Joya De Nicaragua, Rocky Patel and General Cigar – along with many others. There's a good chance you'll find something you'll like.

Tags: altadis, camacho, camacho select, camachoselect, CAO, cigar, cigar accessories, cigar dinner, cigar shop, CigarAccessories, CigarDinner, cigars, CigarShop, davidoff, easton, pennsylvania, rocky patel, RockyPatel, tobacco

Pennsylvania

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