philadelphia

Washington Square Park, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate is a classic American townhouse. An old Federal townhouse in Philadelphia's historic Washington Square. The townhouse, which is over 200 years old, is situated directly on Washington Square Park. It has five stories (there is an elevator) and is 25 feet wide and 60 feet deep with high ceilings throughout. The four bedrooms all have private baths and fireplaces. The home boasts original wood floors and fireplaces as well as antique chandeliers and sconces. The 60 foot black and white marble entrance hallway spans from the front of the house to the back. A small, brick-surrounded garden offers privacy and a lower-floor room offers your own private tavern. This home is listed at $6.15 million.

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

Gallery: Washington Square, Estate of the Day

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, philadelphia, washington square park, WashingtonSquarePark

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Philadelphia Museum Revamps As Events Venue

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

These days museums are struggling harder than ever to make ends meet and one way to host weddings and other events. The Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia takes this to a new level. The museum had a $100,000 makeover and has a designated website, Events at ISM, that includes information on the variety of spaces available including not just the galleries but a theater that seats 63, a 530-seat auditorium and outdoor space that includes a 3,000-square-foot amphitheater patio. The museum has partnerships with a variety of vendors for offering related services.

In profiling the changes, the Philadelphia Inquirer quotes museum president Lori Dillard Rech who said she wants the museum to "become the top-rated and top-used, unique rental space in the city." The Seaport Museum courted meeting planners, wedding consultants and other party professionals at a gala to show off the renovated spaces.

The museum's move to brand itself as an events venue may also be a way to distance itself from past scandal. A couple of years ago former the former museum president, John S. Carter, pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and tax evasion, accused of appropriating more than $1 million in funds from the museum and is currently serving a 15-year prison term.

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Tags: events, independance seaport museum, IndependanceSeaportMuseum, ism, museum, philadelphia

Residences At Ritz-Carlton Opens In Philadelphia

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

This week a dedication ceremony was held to mark the official opening of The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia. The 48-story, 270-residence building is being called the most luxurious residential project ever built in the city. The residences have five-star Ritz Carlton amenities and the building includes a restaurant by celebrity chef Eric Ripert in the lobby. Units are listed from $500,000 to $12 million and offer amazing views like the one shown above.

Residences at Ritz-Carlton developer Craig Spencer told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he turned down a "$1.3 million all-cash sale from a buyer who wanted me to cut the price by $50,000." Spencer, whose Arden Group poured around $300 million into the project isn't planning to let the current economy dim his outlook. He says that 80 units have closed but that he'll likely lose half of 37 pending agreements for a variety of reasons, including the main issue plaguing so many top-tier luxury condos, the fact that jumbo mortgages have become scarce. Spencer says he can afford to wait, unlike other developers who have just a whisper of a cushion between projected sales and possible disaster, he has five years to completely sell out the building. The building is located on One Meridian Plaza where three firefighters died and 24 were injured in a fire in 1991 and a memorial will be placed by the entrance.

Thee 10,000-sq.-ft., $12 million penthouse will be a contender for the the most expensive condominium ever sold in Philadelphia. The current record is $7.678 million for a unit on the 46th floor of the Two Liberty complex. It's main competition will be the duplex at Two Liberty that is on the market for $30 million. Hopefully they will have better luck than the Ritz-Carlton residences in Boston are currently experiencing.

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Tags: condominium, condos, philadelphia, real estate, RealEstate, ritz-carlton

Philadelphia Tries For A Record With $30 Million Penthouse

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Real Estate Developments

Can a $30 million condominium sell in Philadelphia? If so, Two Liberty Place is probably the place to try it. Back in March, a buyer spent $7.678 million for a unit on the 46th floor of the Residences at Two Liberty Place and the purchase set a record as the highest price ever paid for a Philadelphia condominium. At that time the top unit for sale was the $15 million penthouse for sale on the 57th floor and there was a rumor that a businessman might buy both and create a duplex. It looks like that deal didn't happen but someone must have thought that it was a good idea because there is now a listing for the 56th and 57th floor duplex. The $30 million listing indicates that the new owner can customize the 16,000 square-foot space with the architects and designers of his or her choice. Other residents at Two Liberty include millionaire and former Philadelphia mayoral candidate Tom Knox, Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora and Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels. The building offers luxurious amentities including concierge service and the owner's club.

Two Liberty has fared far better than other projects in Philadephia. Many luxury projects in the area have been put on hold or canceled altogether. But $30 million still seems a bit of a stretch in this economy for a city that hasn't even cracked the $10 millioon mark on condo prices yet.

Gallery: The Duplex at Two Liberty

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Tags: condominiums, philadelphia, real estate, RealEstate, two liberty, TwoLiberty

Pennsylvania Hospital Opens Luxury Section

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia is the latest healthcare facility to get a luxury inpatient area. The Pavilion at Pennsylvania Hospital opens on Tuesday offering eight tastefully decorated private rooms with gourmet meals, fine linens and concierge service. Patients will have access to DVD players, daily newspapers, an in-room safe and convertible furniture for family members. There is also a family business center with computers for visiting family members. Patients will pay an additional $400 a day. Funds raised by the program will help finance other non-income-generating hospital programs.

Gallery: The Pavilion at Pennsylvania Hospital:

Would You Pay More For A Luxury Hospital Room?
Yes	88 (54.7%)
No	26 (16.1%)
It would depend on the situation.	47 (29.2%)

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Tags: healthcare, hospital, medical, philadelphia

Philadelphia Sees Condo Record Set At Two Liberty

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

The condo market may be in the doldrums across the U.S. but there are still people buying. Someone just spent $7.678 million for a unit on the 46th floor of the Residences at Two Liberty Place in Philadelphia. The purchase set a record as the highest price ever paid for a Philadelphia condominium. The condo at Two Liberty Place is 5,850 square feet with 2,040 square feet of balcony offering some of the best views around. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the buyer may be H. Chase Lenfest, chairman and CEO of Lenfest Enterprises L.L.C., of West Chester, son of philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest.

Things must be good at Two Liberty, it is said that the record will only be in place a few weeks because another buyer on the 46th floor, allegedly millionaire and former Philadelphia mayoral candidate Tom Knox, is set to a pay a few hundred thousand more for his unit. Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora also has an apartment in the building, his home on the 52nd floor cost $2.5 million ($3 million-plus with the furniture). Sambora is letting his well-decorated pad serve as a model unit until the rest of Two Liberty is sold and then he will move in. Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels will also be moving into a three-bedroom unit which cost more than $2.2 million.

The top unit for sale is a $15 million penthouse on the 57th floor but a businessman from Brazil may buy the 56th floor below it and create one lavish bi-level residence.

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Tags: condominium, philadelphia, two liberty square, TwoLibertySquare

Philadelphia Museum of Art Makes Staff Cuts

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is working to balance its budget in this economy. Philly.com finds that the museum is seeking to cut around $1.7 million from its operating budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. The cuts will take the form of staff and salary cutbacks, deferred exhibitions and, pending city approval, an increase in admission fees. The museum is trying to avoid a deficit in the next year which has been forecast to be as high as $5 million. The museum will eliminate 30 jobs which is about seven percent of the staff. Chairman H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest warns that if the value of the museum's endowment continues to fall more reductions may be required. Like other large museums the museum is dependent upon the interest and earnings generated by its endowment. The value of its endowment was at $346 million in July but by the end of December it had been reduced to $256 million. The museum also owes around $60 million in loans for expansion. The city of Philadelphia may be reducing its support of the museum as well, down from $3 million to around $2.4 million for fiscal 2010.

Gallery: Culture in Trouble

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Tags: art, culture in trouble, CultureInTrouble, philadelphia, philadelphia museum of art, PhiladelphiaMuseumOfArt

Bluecoat American Dry Gin from Philadelphia

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We recently had a chance to try Bluecoat (right), the only American dry gin, after seeing it recommended by several top mixologists. The citrusy nature of Bluecoat, which is distilled in Philadelphia, is particularly appealing. They use organic American orange and lemon peel, combined with a "proprietary blend" of other US-sourced citrus.

The five times distilled spirit in a dashing cobalt blue bottle is crafted using a custom-built, hand-hammered copper pot still. It's distilled to be an extremely pure spirit, without the harshness of impure alcohols often present in other gins, and uses triple-filtered water combined with grain neutral spirit created from rye, wheat, barley and corn.

Only certified organic botanicals are used in order to ensure no outside influences on flavor, and Bluecoat uses only organic juniper berries which, in comparison to the typical berries used in most gins, transmit spicy, earthy notes as opposed to pungent evergreen ones. The blue bottle with gold highlights personifies the historic blue jacket and gold buttons of the Bluecoat Revolutionary soldiers.

Tags: Bluecoat, Gin, Philadelphia

Vintage Racing Cars On Display In Philadelphia

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

It can be argued that vintage racing cars are art and they are showcased as fine works at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia. The Hartford Courant reports on the priceless collection of Fred Simeone. He kept the collection private for more than 20 years but now the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is a permanent home for his 60 rare racerss including models by Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Stutz and Hudson. The cars are displayed in huge dioramas including a three-dimensional Italian village which are designed to show how car racing has evolved. Simeone says his collection was only possible because he started early that it would be out of his league to buy them today. The museum had its formal dedication a few weeks ago and racing legend Mario Andretti got his own private guided tour. Tickets to the museum are $12 for adults.

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Tags: philadelphia, simeone foundation, SimeoneFoundation

Great Houses of Philadelphia

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Books

The latest book from Acanthus Press, publishers of lavish tomes on classical architecture, is titled Great Houses of Philadelphia: Chestnut Hill and the Wissahickon Valley, 1880 - 1930. The book (right), from their superlative Suburban Domestic Architecture series, covers the marvelous landscape that "became the setting for glorious estates that celebrated the connection between the natural and the built environment."

From the mid-19th through the mid-20th century, "three generations of prominent regional and national architects designed houses [there] that have endured as magnificent examples of their own time, and remain eminently livable homes to this day." The book examines 40 properties in detail with over 300 archival and contemporary photographs, drawings, and floor plans.

Gallery: Houses of Philadelphia

Tags: Acanthus Press, AcanthusPress, Architecture, Mansion, Philadelphia

Waldorf=Astoria Plans Philadelphia Project

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Waldorf=Astoria Hotel has announced their latest project, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Residences in Philadelphia. The $420-million development will be 58 stories and will include a 175-room hotel and 136 private residences starting at $1 million each. The property will also be home to a spa, conference room, a boutique shop and a restaurant. The granite and glass tower is to be designed by Cope Linder Architects of Philadelphia and the most desirable units will be the eight custom Bi-Level penthouses with internal private elevators, grand staircases and some of the highest walkout terraces in the city.

Some are wondering if there are enough buyers for all the condo projects being built in Philadelphia. While Philadelphia does have less construction than other large cities it also has a large inventory of condos for sale and plenty of projects currently underway which will push more units into a crowded marketplace. Perhaps by the time these condos are ready in 2012, the condo market will be a bit warmer.

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Tags: condominiums, condos, philadelphia, waldorf astoria, WaldorfAstoria

Diamond Ring Scavenger Hunt Planned For Philly

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

We've seen this once in Boston, now a Philadelphia-area jeweler is holding a scavenger hunt with a diamond ring as a prize. The Robbins Diamonds Dash pits teams from Philadelphia against each other searching for the prize, a Hearts On Fire diamond ring, valued at $20,000. This scavenger hunt has a tech twist, clues will be sent via text message and the teams can interact in the game by texting codes such as <hint> or <score> to receive help or standings. The event will be held Saturday, October 18. Teams gather at Thomas Paine Plaza at 10 a.m., the final clue will be given at 12:30 p.m and the afterparty starts at 2 p.m.. You can register your team online at the Robbins Diamonds Dash website. Happy hunting!

[via JCK News]

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Tags: diamond ring, DiamondRing, philadelphia, robbins diamonds, RobbinsDiamonds, scavenger hunt

1706 Rittenhouse Square

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

A few weeks ago I mentioned the rise in luxury condominiums in Philadelphia. One of the most lavish is 1706 Rittenhouse Square. This new 32-story glass tower has 29 full floor units, wide open apartments with floor to ceiling windows, 10 ft. ceilings and two terraces for each unit. Each unit has over 4100 square feet of customizable space. Amenities include a fitness center with sauna, massage rooms, endless pool, private boardroom and garden. The unit price also includes an onsite parking space in the fully automated underground garage that will store cars underground on a rock system, and retrieve cars by swiping a card reader in the passenger elevator. Unit prices vary based on floor level with unit #2901 listed at $6,849,085 while unit #4 is listed at $4,180,850.

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Tags: condominiums, pennsylvania, philadelphia, rittenhouse, rittenhouse square

Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel, Philadelphia Remodels for Spring

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia, PA has just finished with $15 million dollars in remodeling projects, and is re-opening this Spring with a whole new look. All guest rooms will have Sleep Number beds (you can adjust bed's firmness to your particular taste), granite counter tops in the bathrooms, and 32" LCD televisions. But the penthouse suite is where the real luxury is, with 3 two-bedroom suites overlooking the city, several larger 42" LCD televisions, and plenty of spacious living areas for entertaining or just bumming around in.

Sounds dreamy.

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Tags: hotel, journey, PA, Philadelphia, plaza, radisson-warwick, resort, sleep number, SleepNumber, travel

Residences at Two Liberty Place

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

We've already seen a bunch of high-end condo projects in Philadelphia but developer Art Falcone is hoping there is room for one more. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Falcone, a Florida-based developer is turning the top 20 floors of the landmark Two Liberty Place into condominiums. The building was originally office space but when the office space went vacant Two Liberty was put up for sale. Falcone Group picked up the space and plans to create 122 condos. Four sample units are already done and buyers may be able to move into The Residences at Two Liberty this fall. A one bedroom on the 40th floor costs $800,000, two bedroom unit sells for between $2 and $4 million and a penthouse will cost $15 million. Units will have a cappuccino machine, Snaidero kitchen cabinetry, and Miele appliances. There will be a spa and sauna, pool, gourmet restaurant, and "pet concierge" service on the 37th floor. Yes, it's a tough market but as the Inquirer points out, Two Liberty Place does have one advantage, even the lowest floor is seven floors above the highest residential building in Philadelphia.

For some great shots of Two Liberty Place and its sister building One Liberty check out the Flickr pool.

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Tags: condominiums, development, philadelphia, skyscraper, two liberty square, TwoLibertySquare

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