Last month when I wrote about the fate of Boston-New York shuttle flights I touched on the subject of the popularity of luxury bus lines between the two East Coast cities. Well the deal just got a bit better on one of them. One of the most popular bus options, the luxurious LimoLiner, which we first wrote about way back in 2005, has just cut their one-way ticket price, from $89 to $49. The offer is good until January 31 and you have to buy a ticket at least two weeks in advance to get that rate. The LimoLiner has reclining leather-seats, satellite TV and radio, sockets and plugs at every seat, cell-phone signals, two separate wi-fi areas, free snacks and drinks and a clean washroom with fresh flowers.

[via NBC New York]

For a long time Boston's Beacon Hill has been its priciest area and a recent article in The Real Deal points out that while volumes of sales may have been affected by the real estate slump, prices are still up. And in fact, the more expensive homes are still selling strong simply because larger homes will always have a lure in an area where there isn't much room for expansion. But can the area handle the sale of the 10-bedroom Appleton-Parker House? The large property isn't on the Hill but is located nearby on Beacon Street opposite Boston Common. The brick structure was built in 1818 and was formerly home to the Women's City Club. The property is listed as a development opportunity for a single family user or to break up into condos. The Greek Revival building, known as the Appleton-Parker House is on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is currently used as a single family residence but is broken into four condos, with gated access to three garaged parking spaces and six outdoor spaces. It's listed at $27.5 million and if it sells for anywhere close to that it would be the highest sale in Boston this year.

Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art has announced it will host the first museum survey of Shepard Fairey's provocative street art. The exhibition is aptly named Supply and Demand (recall how tricky it was to get your hands on Fairey's Obama gear) and will chronicle Fairey's 20-year reign as the guerrilla multi-media operative he is. It will also include a new mural commissioned specifically for the museum. Fairey is heavily involved in the plans -- he'll be plastering lucky Boston with public works of art and will even DJ on opening night.

Known for his shape-shifting tendencies -- the artist regularly jumps the boundaries between commercial and fine art -- Fairey's point of view is unwavering. "The real message behind most of my work is 'question everything,'" he told ICA curators.

The exhibit opens February 6 and will run through August 16.

Boston's Ritz-Carlton residences are some of the most luxurious in the city which is why the news of a foreclosure in the complex is surprising to many. The residences associated with the luxury hotel have been home to Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and other former Red Sox players as well as many of Boston's wealthy residents. The foreclosed one-bedroom, eighth-floor unit in the Ritz-Carlton Residences should still sell for about $600,000 at resale. Other units in the building are currently on sale from $795,000 to $4.25 million.

After my colleague Jared Paul Stern mentioned Boston's most expensive real estate listing, I thought it might be fun to check out another pricey home in the city. October always makes me long for Boston and crisp fall days. Walking up Commonwealth Avenue on a sunny cool autumn day, one can't help but admire the stately townhomes that line the grandest part of this thoroughfare. This Beaux Arts home was built in the mid 1800s and renovated and combined into one gorgeous single family home in 2005. The home is five levels and includes three private decks and an impressive five parking spaces, two in garage parking spaces which occupy the garden level and three outdoor spaces.

The home has arched glass windows and beautiful marble and stone inlaid floors. The parlor reception room has arch bay windows facing the street with 15 foot ceilings and 12 foot pocket doors and the mahogany wainscoting billiards room / library is an elegant place to enjoy cocktails and conversation after dinner. The gourmet kitchen has a 15 foot granite island and a gorgeous handmade La Cornue range. The master bedroom suite has a fireplaces and two large wallk-in closets, one which is currently in use as a gym and a huge onyx / marble bath with a Jacuzzi, steam shower, double vanity and an intricately designed floor with radiant heat. On another level, a private three bedroom suite includes a formal and an informal living room or study and full kitchen, wet bar and lounge. The den leads to a deck with a Jacuzzi. This home is listed at $11.95 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

An investment group has listed Boston's most expensive penthouse, atop the brand new five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel (above), for $17 million - a new record for the city. The investment group paid $13 million for the 8,000-sq.-ft. spread prior to the hotel's completion, and just relisted it for $4 million more. Calling it "Boston's most awe-inspiring penthouse ever," the sales material reads, "Fourteen stories above Back Bay, this 8,000-square-foot oasis features floor-to-ceiling windows on four sides, providing unmatched and unobstructed views," the Boston Herald reports.

The space includes two private terraces and decks, a private elevator, and four parking spaces in the garage, but the interior is "customizable" - i.e. unfinished. The Mandarin, which just opened this month and combines luxury condos with a five-star hotel and luxury boutiques like Gucci, is "fast becoming Boston's most prestigious address," the paper notes.

Oh, this isn't going to help the relations between Boston and New York. Over the weekend thieves in Attleboro, Massachusetts stole up to $2 million in gold, gems and other valuables including some of the New York Giants Super Bowl rings from a jewelry manufacturer. The thieves disabled the alarm system at E.A. Dion, then cut a hole in the roof and managed to lift a 1,000-pound safe out. The rings, which were manufactured by the company and designed by Tiffany and Co. are white gold set with 1.5 carats of diamonds and valued at $25,000 . Luckily the players and coaches received their rings last month.

Boston is my favorite place to spend the fourth of July but finding a great spot to view the fireworks and hear the concert on the Esplenade can be challenging if you don't have a local friend with a great roof deck. The Liberty Hotel, once the Charles Street Jail, offers a a one-of-a-kind way to experience Boston's Fourth of July celebrations. Their Independence Day Perfect View package comes with up to four seats on the Community Boating Dock for the Boston Pops! performance and Charles River fireworks display,dinner for up to four people at Clink, the hotel restaurant, and Veuve Clicquot champagne and dessert at turndown. Prices start at 1,515 per night with a two-night minimum booking.

Most people see bottle service with VIP treatment at a hot club in a big city a special treat and a perk of being able to afford spendy bottles of booze. But one Boston official disagrees and is cracking down on the clubs that offer bottle service to their clients. His argument? That the price of the bottle causes patrons to feel they have to down the whole thing before the night is over which, consequently, steps on the toes of the "happy hour" law of a two-drink max per patron. Club owners and VIP's agree that it is an important part of high-end establishments. Personally, I've only seen people partake in bottle service -- and typically there are more than enough people at the table to help decrease individuals portions.

More real estate auction news, this time from Boston where two condo buildings will be auctioned off in the next two months: the Broadluxe, a loft project in the Financial District near the waterfront, and The Modern, at the fringes of the South End will be holding separate auctions.

This isn't the first time we've seen a condo auction in Boston, we reported on one back in 2006, but since then the market has shifted lower and the condo boom has turned into a condo bust for some of the projects.

The Modern is home to 25 units on the fringe of the popular South End, a trendy neighborhood that borders some less desirable areas. Fifteen of the units in the building have been sold but the remaining ten will be auctioned off on May 18. The minimum prices the developers will accept for many of the units are in the mid- to high $300,000 range.

The Broadluxe was seized in a foreclosure last summer by TD Banknorth. The developer of the Broadluxe ran out of money and the Boston Globe says that the project is now the subject of several lawsuits between and among contractors and other principals. Now the project located on Broad Street is nearly completed and all of the building's 44 units will be auctioned in early June.

It's not all bad news in Boston, some buildings such as The Clarendon, at the corner of Clarendon and Stuart streets, are selling well. In these tough times the buildings that are located in unassailable neighborhoods continue to move but projects in less hot areas have been suffering.

The Colonnade Hotel in Boston is taking advantage of the current stock market volatility with their Bull and Bears package which gives guests a discount depending on the stock market trend of the day. The package, which is available Sunday through Thursday gives guests 20 percent off their stay if the market goes down, or 10 percent if the market goes up. The package is designed for the business traveler and includes a double occupancy room, in-room breakfast, high speed Internet access, an overnight shoeshine and parking. Rates start around $300 and the hotel does have a great feature for summer, it's one of the only hotels in the area with a rooftop pool.

For the next couple of weeks we will be checking out some homes in the most expensive zip codes in the United States, up today, 02114. This zip code is in the Beacon Hill area of Boston, Massachusetts has a median price of $2,070,000 and an appreciation rate of 271% since 1990. In this part of Boston, you are paying for history, convenience and also for the picturesque beauty of the area.

Today's selection is a townhouse located near Charles Street, Beacon Hill's main drag which is backed with antique stores, small cozy restaurants and small gourmet grocery stores. This four-bedroom home has a bottom floor with a sitting room, kitchen, and a classic shuttered bay windo. The second floor includes a southern-orientated music room with s its own wood burning fireplace. The second floor also features the formal living room with moldings and hardwood floors. The master suite is on the third floor and has a marble vanity, his and her sinks, and a dual shower as well as a separate office/dressing room with built in shelving. The au-pair suite is on the lower level and has a living/kitchen area that could be converted to a media room. This home is listed at $4.25 million.

While not as dramatic perhaps as other city skylines, Boston's view from above has its own charms. Experience them with the new Fly Above Boston package from Hilton hotels. The package is available through five different Hilton and Doubletree hotels in the Boston area and includes an overnight stay, transportation to the Aquarium for pick up, then a helicopter ride above Boston and an 11 Lighthouse tour for two followed by dinner for two at a hilltop golf club overlooking Boston. The package starts at $1,600 per couple.

Homes like this in Boston don't come on the market too often. This stately brick townhouse is located on Beacon Street opposite the Public Garden. The home was built in 1846 for former Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Crowninshield and must have been the height of fashion and luxury at the time. The home went through a major renovation in 1990. The renovation seems to have included the large kitchen that has French doors opening out onto the garden. Other features include a library, a billiard room with a wet bar, a dining room with a dumb waiter and a caterer's kitchen. The top floor includes a large modern gym that includes a hot tub and steam shower. There is also a roof deck with great Back Bay skyline views.The listing says that there is outdoor parking on a private street. This might mean some major parking hassles in the winter, but what you are paying for here are all the vintage details, the curlicued plaster medallions on the ceiling, nine Tiffany-designed stained glass windows and some of the most gorgeous woodwork I have ever seen. The staircase alone is worthy of poetry and those tufted velvet built-in seats next to the huge fireplace are so evocative of the time period this house was built in that they seem to be part of an oil painting.. There are five bedrooms total and ten fireplaces. There are some strange quirks, too, such as a rather coffin-like bathtub. But with an old beauty of a house like this, you have to embrace the quirks. It is listed at $6.9 million.

The spa condo concept comes to Boston with the announcement that the exhale mind body spa will open its newest Boston location at the new residential project known as 45 Province. The full-service, 138-unit luxury condominium project is located at 45 Province St. between Boston's Downtown Crossing Shopping District and the Boston Common. The building's amenities include a multi-level gym and a 40-foot indoor/outdoor lap pool, a rooftop meditation garden, a parlor with a library, a lounge and screening room, a dining room with a catering kitchen, a concierge and a restaurant. The residences start at a 993-foot one bedroom up to a 2,610-square-foot three-bedroom and prices start at $724,000. The building is set to be completed in 2009.

[via Boston Business Journal]