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Costas Kondylis' Newest Project, The Continental

Rising 53 stories in Manhattan is Costas Kondylis' newest project, The Continental. The 338-unit luxury rental tower is located at 885 Sixth Ave. (corner of 32nd Street) in Manhattan.

One of the core amenities is the Continental Club & Spa which has a 50-foot indoor infinity-edge lap swimming pool with heated hydrotherapy spa, set within a double-height, glass-enclosed atrium and extending onto a sun terrace furnished with lounge chairs. A fitness and cardio center, yoga studio, his-and-hers locker rooms and his-and-hers treatment rooms are also be available to residents. The Club's lounge with a fireplace opens out onto a landscaped terrace with seating and dining areas and there is also a catering kitchen. The space has wifi and also includes a gaming lounge with billiards and LCD displays. For really amazing views, on the 48th floor, there is another sundeck and outdoor terrace lounge. Other amenities include a 24-hour doorman, concierge service, on-site valet services, on-site parking, and bicycle storage.

Apartments have floor-to-ceiling tinted windows, ceilings as high as 10 feet, white oak flooring throughout and Asko washers and dryers in every residence. Kitchens have tile flooring, quartz countertops and high-end stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms include marble vanities and Kohler tubs.

Studio, one-bedroom, one-bedroom with home office, and two-bedroom apartments are available. Monthly rental prices range from approximately $2,550 to more than $6,110. Last month Curbed took a tour and commented on the building's luxe amenities. One of the nicest features seems to be the amenity that nature (sometimes) provides, beautiful bright sunlight streaming through glass windows.

Gallery: Costas Kondylis' Newest Project, The Continental

Tags: costas kondylis, new york, new york apartments, news, The Continental

Economy Spurs Knock-Offs of Lesser Known Brands

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

First the shoppers, then the retailers, and now the counterfeiters. It's official: the recession really is affecting everybody. The economic downturn hasn't exactly hurt the multi-billion dollar knock-off industry but what it has done is change the way counterfeiters do business. The usual victims, high-end retailers like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Coach, are being replaced by less expensive luxury brands like Samantha Thavasa, Anya Hindmarch, and Kooba. Smaller labels are appealing to counterfeiters for many reasons: they're easier to sell online, can often be priced higher, and because the designers run smaller operations they're less likely to trigger a lawsuit. One of the most common new tricks is to offer brand name bags at fairly small discounts, i.e. $190 for a $250 bag, on small but well-designed websites. The result is unwitting consumers who think they've found a good bargain on a genuine article and buy, often being none the wiser until it's too late.

Unfortunately there's not a lot that can be done as there will always be crooks out there looking to make a buck (and the internet is notoriously difficult to patrol) so your best bet is to always buy from reputable retailers you trust and to remember: if that bargain looks too good to be true it probably is.

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Tags: counterfeit, economy, fake, knockoff, news, recession

Louis Vuitton Opens at Santa Monica Place

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Shopping

Louis Vuitton opened its 137th North American store and first one on the westside of Los Angeles last week on Friday (August 6th) in the newly renovated Santa Monica Place mall. Located in a prominent corner of the ground floor the design boasts a beautifully sweeping curved glass storefront and hardwood floors. The 4,139 sq ft interior is broken down into three distinct regions: a women's area with a Louis Vuitton "bag bar" along with a leather goods display and accessories spot, an elegant lounge for rare items and women's shoes, and a men's area for shoes, leather goods, accessories, and luggage.

And as if you needed another reason to go check it out it's also Louis Vuitton's first ever LEED-certified eco-friendly store.

Via ILVOELV

Gallery: Louis Vuitton at Santa Monica Place

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Tags: louis vuitton, news, santa monica, santa monica place, shopping

Even the Rich are Hitting Pawn Shops

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Normally pawn shops are reserved for the seedy and desperate, and the occasional middle-class divorcee looking to unload bad memories and a diamond ring, but in these tightening economic times even some of the country's wealthier individuals are turning to pawn shops to keep their high-end lifestyles and struggling businesses afloat. Since the banks aren't lending, pawn-brokers are seeing increased business from upper class individuals seeking short-term loans to fund everything from elective surgery to business payroll obligations, and they're putting up their diamond jewelry, watches, and even boats as collateral.

That can't be a good sign.

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Tags: economy, news, pawn, pawn shop, pawn shops, PawnShop, PawnShops, wealthy

$10 Million for the Shoes Thrown at Bush

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Shoes

In case you haven't already seen it, here is the clip of a journalist in Iraq pelting George Bush with his shoes at a press conference (courtesy of YouTube user LenonHonorFilms).

Well, now there's more news. A Saudi man has offered $10 million for the shoes of Iraqi journalist/shoe thrower Muntadar Al Zaidi. The offer comes from sixty-year-old Hassan Mohammad Makhafa of Aseer (south west of Saudi Arabia). He's prepared to sell all his properties - which would be going to his sons - to purchase the shoes, which he describes as a "medal of freedom."

He apparently has plans to enshrine the shoes.

[via GulfNews.com]

Tags: bush, iraq, Muntadar Al Zaidi, MuntadarAlZaidi, news, president bush, shoes

More Luxury Bad News: High-Income Women Shopping Less

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Women love to shop...it's like a law of nature or something. But it's no secret that lately the economy has been slowing down and the luxury market has been taking a hit -- high-income women may still love shopping but they're doing it a lot less. So how do luxury retailers plan to weather this storm? By making their products so compelling and irresistible that other purchases are put on hold to make room. High-end shoppers on a budget are not likely to trade down and start shopping at cheaper retailers, but instead they just become choosier with what they buy. In other words they may be buying less, but they're not stopping completely. So that awesome new handbag may have to yell a little louder to get attention, but it can still call your name like it always did.

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Tags: economy, luxury, news, retail, shopping, spending, women

What Is Stealth Wealth?

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

The days of the over-the-top and "in your face" styles of being rich (think Donald Trump) are numbered it seems, as the trends of wealth and luxury are leaning ever more toward quiet, discreet, and as invisible as possible. A team from Newsweek has done some research and exploration of this latest move toward ultra-exclusive living, with their findings published in the July 2-9 edition of Newsweek (available on newsstands now). Getting a glimpse at some of what goes on is truly a treat, as everything from building and real estate architecture to the names and addresses of exclusive bars and clubs are going so understated as to be nearly invisible. And worn and used by the superrich? Obscure brand names, often without labels and logos, that are only known by those who can afford to know and appreciate their quality.

As fun as it is to witness some of the ridiculous extravagance some celebrities are so open about, I think this trend is definitely a good one as far as taste and class go.

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Tags: celebrities, celebrity, famous, luxury, magazine, news, newsweek, rich, stealth, stealth wealth, StealthWealth, stealthy, trend, trends, understated, wealth, wealthy