Earlier this year, Normandy Real Estate Partners and Five Mile Capital Partners picked up Boston's tallest building Hancock Place, better known as the John Hancock Tower, for nearly $661 million (a bit of a steal considering it sold for $1.3 billion in 2006). Now the partners have announced some plans for the glass skyscraper. The owners have obtained city approval to go forward with a $20 million renovation inside the building. The proposal will fill 90,000 square feet of unused space on the high-rise's ground floor and lower levels with three restaurants, shops and underground parking. The Boston Herald reports that a two-level 10,200-square-foot eatery will be located along the Stuart Street side of the tower. A second cafe is planned for the St. James Street side of the tower and 1,960 square feet of space for a small restaurant or retail tenant with another 8,800 square feet of retail is on the lower level. No word yet on what businesses might be potential tenants.

The list of the most expensive cities in the United States is now out, and unsurprisingly, New York has taken the top spot, with a cost of living that's double its closest follower. Of course, the financial crisis has put a bit of pressure on real estate prices and the cost of goods all over the country, but there are still some places that just cost a fortune.

New York: a two-bedroom luxury apartment (unfurnished) now costs a mere $4,300, off $200 from last year. And, there are other signs that the most expensive city is becoming less expensive, including the shuttering of Café des Artistes and the opening of our first J.C. Penney (ugh).

Los Angeles: this is where you go if you can afford only half the cost of living in New York. Unlike the most expensive city in the country, it makes sense to have a car out there, but get a nice one: you'll be spending a lot of time in it. LA has some of the longest commutes in the country.

Washington, D.C.: in this part of the country, take advantage of a 3.8 percent unemployment rate for the metro area. That's a hell of a lot better than the nationwide 9.8 percent (expected to break 10 percent early next year).

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The next luxury condo building in Boston is going to be closer to the ground than expected. Local windbag controversial real estate developer Don Chiofaro has been fighting a losing battle over the new building and is finally yielding to pressure from the community. The $1 billion plan involves two towers, with commercial space in the shorter sibling of the residential tower.

A decorative arch atop the residential building (which would also include a hotel) would push the building from 690 feet to 780 feet. Removing the arch and cutting the size brings it down by 155 feet – to the 625 feet that the Massachusetts Port Authority will allow. Anything higher, Massport says, would get in the way of nearby Logan International Airport's air traffic.

Chiofaro tells the Boston Globe, "I have no problem with 625 feet, if that's where [we] end up," leaving room for a small victory that would put this Icarus a touch closer to the sun. Given how scarce his friends were when he nearly lost his International Place towers a few years ago, I'm betting he isn't likely to get much above the Massport cutoff.

When the building is finally finished, residents will get fantastic views of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, along with unbeatable bragging rights.

A couple of readers sent me the Boston Globe story on one of Boston's biggest properties. The Ames-Webster mansion in Boston's pricey Back Bay neighborhood is at 26,000 square feet, one impressive building. The mansion, which was built in 1872, has 50 rooms including 28 fireplaces. The property is currently owned by Reality Realty Trust and could be used as a single family home, multiple units or commercial office space. Right now it is full of office suites.

Details include a stained glass skylight by John La Farge and murals by painter Benjamin Constant and a high arches of intricately carved wood. According to the Globe article, Landvest, the real estate company with the listing, is hosting a cocktail party for brokers in town for Christie's Great Estates 2009 Annual Conference to show off the property. It is expected to sell for between $18 million to $25 million and the listing has a bid deadline of December 15.



[Thanks, Tim and Chris]

For some people Thanksgiving is just a prelude to Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. For shoppers who want to get started right at midnight, one Boston hotel has a little help. The Fairmont Copley Plaza has partnered with Wrentham Village Premium Outlets for a midnight shopping extravaganza. The Midnight Madness Shopping Adventure includes elegant overnight accommodations and private transportation to and from the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. The hotel will also provide a special midnight picnic featuring turkey sandwiches and energy drinks. After returning to the Fairmont Copley Plaza, guests get a relaxing breakfast before a late check out. Rates start at $279.

For more Black Friday coverage, check out Black Friday Deals and other Black Friday 2009 stories today from Walletpop.com.

The Liberty Hotel in Boston is celebrating its second anniversary with their 222 Anniversary Package. The anniversary is today, September 5, but the package runs the rest of the year. The weekend package has an early check-in at 2 p.m. and a late check-out at 2 p.m. The package includes overnight accommodations in a luxury king guestroom starting from $222. It's worth staying in this hotel just to stand in the center atrium, shown above, and imagine what it must have been like when it was the Charles Street Jail.

What is the flavor of Boston? Boston has become the third city to be chosen by Absolut Vodka to get its own flavor. Like the old Absolut ad above, it celebrates Boston's history with a little tea. The limited edition flavor will be black tea and elderflower vodka in a glass bottle that has a backdrop that is reminiscent of Fenway Park's infamous Green Monster. As part of the launch Absolut will display a "Wall of Pride" on Boylston Plaza at the Prudential Center for 10 days. The wall features quotations from famous Bostonians including sports stars and celebrities. Individual tiles will later be auctioned off to raise money for the Charles River Conservancy. Previous Absolut flavors include black pepper and mango in New Orleans and pomegranate, blueberry, acerola cherry and açai berry for Los Angeles.

A piece of prime Boston real estate is up for auction next week. The Boston Yacht Haven is located on Boston's waterfront and offers around 4.75 acres of land and tideland. The site which has boatslips and a 15,000 square foot boathouse was scheduled for a foreclosure auction back in April but the sale was canceled when the owner MGM Commercial Wharf LLC, declared bankruptcy.

Paul E. Saperstein, the Holbrook auctioneer who will auction off the property on August 14 told the Boston Herald that there was a lot of interest in the property and that it could go for anywhere from $6 to $9 million or even more. The bankruptcy trustee says the primary lender, Northern Bank & Trust, is owed about $11 million. Yovette Mumford, the principal of MGM, pleaded guilty in Middlesex Superior Court to forgery charges last year and spent three months in jail. Her company bought the property for $10.7 million in 2005 and has been running it as a marina/bed and breakfast complex but was unable to meet the mortgage payments. A deposit of $250,000 by certified or bank check will be required at the time of the sale with a 30-day close.

UPDATE: It sold for $8 million which is less than what creditors were owed.

The Morgans Hotel Group, which in addition to the ultra-chic Morgans in New York also owns the Royalton, Hudson, St. Martins Lane, Clift, and Shore Club, will open its newest property dubbed the Ames this fall in central Boston. Described as "Benjamin Franklin meets a supermodel", designed by Rockwell Group in collaboration with the Morgans' design team, the Ames is "a rich blend of "historical ingenuity and innovative and awe-inspiring modernism," as well as a mix of "old-world aesthetics and contemporary luxury, and of dedicated homage to history and forward-thinking innovation." Housed in a 19th-century Romanesque building (above) formerly operated as the headquarters for the Ames tool company, the 113-room hotel offers 95 guest rooms, one apartment and six deluxe one-bedroom suites as well as the Woodward, a luxe new restaurant-bar concept.

Many towns are cutting back on fireworks and other public events and another public draw nearly ended up cancelled. The Boston Globe reports that Sail Boston, the international regatta of tall ships, has been saved after the state agreed to provide $1 million to cover security costs. Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Governor Deval Patrick worked on a deal to get the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to pay for the event, In 2000, the Sail Boston event ended up costing the city $1.6 million. But this time Boston will receive $750,000 directly from the state and Sail Boston is also paying $250,000 toward state police costs.

This year's event will be smaller. The event will no longer include the parade of sail, the most striking event when 50 ships fill the harbor watched by throngs of people. Related fireworks displays have also been canceled. This time they will sail in on a staggered schedule and dock for five days. But visitors can still get on board the ships and meet the crews from around the world. The event takes place from July 8-13.

Some wonder whether the downsized Sail Boston event will attract major tourism. It is more likely that the event will attract day visitors more than those staying overnight especially since the event has been up in the air for months. The event remains free for spectators.

One of Boston's more elegant dining institutions has become as victim of the economic slump. Aujourd'hui, the fine dining restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston will close at the end of June, leaving the more casual Bristol Lounge as the hotel's main dining option. The beautiful, if slightly staid, Aujourd'hui space will be reconfigured for use as a private function venue. The Boston Herald quotes Four Seasons Hotel Boston public relations director Kristan Fletcher as saying that Aujourd'hui's formal (and expensive) style doesn't fit with the way people are dining today.

The restaurant overlooking Boston Garden opened in 1985. It served refined French cuisine and offered tasting menus and elaborate desserts as well as putting on a spectacular Sunday brunch that included a raw bar.

UPDATE: As Aqualung pointed out in the comments, another fine restaurant in Boston, Great Bay in the Hotel Commonwealth is also closing.

Maybe, society has had enough. In Spokane, Washington, even non-smokers came to the defense of the cigar community when public golf courses tried to implement a ban. Other places are relying on creativity, such as tobacconist De La Concha's cigar dinners. In New Hampshire, the legislature is getting involved – a bill may legalize the sale of liquor in cigar bars.

In most places, it's tough to find a social setting where you can enjoy a cocktail and a cigar at the same time. The "live free or die" folks are looking to change that. If tobacconists are able to receive liquor licenses, the resulting store traffic could offset much of the damage being done by the financial crisis.

For Two Guys Smoke Shop in Salem, New Hampshire – where I used to go when I lived in northern Massachusetts – sales have fallen since the state banned smoking in restaurants two years ago, with particular effect in the winter. The ability to sell drinks would make the venue more enticing to customers, keep them in seats longer and likely result in an increase in sales.

There aren't many cigar venues left in New England or elsewhere in the country where you can smoke and drink at the same time. In Manhattan, we have a few spots, and Boston has Cigar Masters. Many cities have their hidden gems, but you have to find them. For the cigar smokers of New Hampshire, however, this could change. And, if you believe that Dixville Notch chooses the president every four years, expect to see similar laws pop up in other states.

Controversial Boston real estate developer Don Chiofaro is running into resistance. His plan to raise what would be two of the city's largest towers has been the subject of ire for local residence who would hate to see their views obstructed and other do-gooders who don't want to sacrifice the character of the waterfront.

In his latest round of battle, Chiofaro heard criticism that the two buildings would simply be too large for Boston. Currently, the city's tallest building is the Hancock Tower, totaling 61 stories. It's followed by the Prudential building and Chiofaro's One International Place (Two International Place is not as high).

In an unusual show of restraint, the developer has not called his opponents "pirates."

Proponents are excited not only by the prospect of 860,000 square feet of office space, a hotel and 100 condo units but also the likely 4,000 construction jobs that would result from the $900 million project.

Even if he makes it past the locals, one problem remains: money. Boston Mayor Tom Menino, who hasn't been terribly sympathetic with Chiofaro in the past, has said that he'll require that the builder prove he has the financing lined up ... if the project gets that far. Five years ago, Chiofaro almost lost his crown jewel, International Place, when Tischman Speyer (the "gang of pirates" from New York) tried to foreclose.

This fight is far from over, but I wouldn't make plans to move into those new units yet. This could take a while.

The Benjamin Mansion is one of the most lavish homes in Boston. The home is located on the flat of the elite Beacon Hill neighborhood directly across from the Boston Public Garden. The residence is an exquisite renovation of an 1828 row house. The home now has six bedrooms, an au pair suite, wine cellar, media room, gym, elevator and a stunning rooftop infinity pool that appears to drop off right into the trees in the garden below. The home blends modern style with certain allowances for the quirks of this grand home. The master bathroom with its huge glass box of a shower is one of the most intriguing bathrooms I've seen in a long time. The home has Smart House technology and an entire house water purification system. This home is listed at $14.95 million.

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

Boston's relatively new Greenway area may get a dramatic modern new museum and shopping complex. The $120 million Boston Museum would be a five-story glass and terra cotta building in the Haymarket area near Faneuil Hall. The bottom floor would be a food market and the top four floors be a museum of Massachusetts history with a gift shop, cafe, theater, and classroom and community space. The market would operate alongside the Haymarket pushcart vendors which set up shop on weekends in the area and would offer the vendors a little shelter in the form of large awnings. The building was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates and will have a curved glass facade facing the Greenway while the other side will be terra cotta to blend in a bit with the traditional brick buildings in the area.

The nonprofit group behind the Boston Museum sees it as an educational institution both to help children learn about local history and to bring tourists to the area. The Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority owns the property and is seeking proposals from developers. If approved construction of the museum and market building Could be completed in 2014.

It's a lovely building but I wonder if it represents a shift from the more experiential way of learning about Boston history by walking the Freedom Trail.