Want a home that’s sleek in design with a small carbon footprint? Then a European designed microhome may be just up your alley. Long before being green was popular in America, Europeans embraced the idea of small space living and have lately designed a spate of projects with sleek and modern sensibilities. Take a look below to see how small space living has become the new way to live large in Europe.
Micro Compact Homes
Richard Horden’s Micro Compact Homes have become very popular in Europe these days, with an entire village of them in Munich. The homes are lightweight compact dwellings designed to house one or two people, and are adaptable to many sites and circumstances. With influences from aviation and automotive design, these homes are manufactured in Austria and can be delivered throughout Europe. The design is informed by the classic scale of Japanese tea-houses, but tricked out with modern technology and design. And it’s not only the home that’s tiny – the price comes in at just around $62,000. The result is a modernistic, tiny home that has taken Europe by storm.
“Wardrobe in the Landscape”
An Italian architect named Enrico Scaramellini built himself a getaway in the Italian Alps, and managed to squeeze it between two historic farmhouses. The final product is a 376 square foot home that is best described as a “wardrobe in the landscape”. The home features sleek, silver-gray painted panels with a natural wood interior. Most of the interior space is taken up by a staircase and narrow hallway, but the building does widen at the back to create space for a single room. What the architect succeeds at creating is an intimate and special place that allows the beauty of the surrounding landscape to take focus. The micro-retreat was created for weekends away and as a place for quiet contemplation.
London’s Microflat Project
Developed by Piercy & Company Architects, the Microflat Project was a series of modular, 355 square foot units that were to be joined together into an entire housing complex. The tiny apartments were meant to house first-time home buyers, and they represented about 2/3 the space of a traditional, inner-city, one-bedroom flat. They were meant to appeal to young professionals and those just getting a start who might not be able to afford traditional housing. The idea was to provide an affordable solution for Londoners who wished to live int he city center and enjoy the benefits of city-living without paying city prices.
To get the project started, one unit was installed in a shop window at Selfridges’ department store, and one brave couple lived in it for two full weeks in full view of the general public. Sadly, this publicity stunt did not have the desired affect, and the project never got off the ground.
75 Wall is a dynamic condo building located in downtown Manhattan that provides a luxurious standard of living and a long list of amazing amenities. Many condos in the 75 Wall building provide unsurpassed 360 degree views of the city. The 75 Wall Building is 42 stories in which the first 18 floors are 250 hotel suites maintained by the Hyatt Corporation which is recognized for its well-appointed standards and the remaining floors are condominiums.
Residents of 75 Wall reap the benefits of hotel amenities and services such as 24-hour room service, valet laundry services and much more. 75 Wall is not only a condo building but serves as its own community with the expansive amenity areas, public spaces, bar, and dining options. This building is considerable new as construction was completed in 2009 and is known as one of the leading residential and multi-use properties south of Canal Street.
75 Wall is ideally located in the center of the Financial District which is considered to be one of New York’s most thriving neighborhoods. This area is well known for the first class boutiques, fine dining selections, and beautiful parks.
Building Amenities and Features:
- Concierge
- Doorman
- Elevator
- Gym
- Laundry in Building
- 24-hour Room Service
- Catering
- Housekeeping
- Valet laundry
- Live-in Super
- Parking Available
- Pets Allowed
- Roof Deck
- Air Conditioning
- Cable/Satellite TV
- Dishwasher
- Hardwood Floors
- Microwave
- Washer/Dryer (some units)
- Controlled Access
- Library
- Restaurant/Bar/Cafe
- Spa (Jacuzzi/Sauna)
- Sports Complex
Flatiron District Becomes More Residential
The Flatiron District is a neighborhood in New York that surrounds the distinctive, triangularly shaped Flatiron Buildings. While this zone was once largely commercial in nature, it has in recent decades become more residential in outlook
The businesses that are still here tend to be specialty stores, local boutiques, and higher end chain stores. The mix reflexes the upper middle class nature of the district. There are also a number of luxury hotels and trendy restaurants.
The Flatiron Building is located at 5th Ave., Broadway, and 23rd St. The Flatiron District runs from 25th St. and NoMad on the north to 20th St. and Greenwich Village, Union Square and 20th St. on the south. Grammercy Park and Lexington Ave. are on the east. Chelsea and 7th Ave. are to the west.
The Ladies Mile Historic District is within the boundaries of the Flatiron District as is the birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt which is a National Historic Site. There is not a lot of history behind the appellation. The name was basically thought up in the 1980’s by realtors looking for a designation of an enclave that was becoming an increasingly popular place to live. The zone had previously been referred to as the Toy District.
Old Name No Longer a Good Fit
After the Second World War, most toy manufacturing moved to countries outside the U.S. When such firms started to leave this portion of Manhattan, much space became available. This had the effect of driving down rents for commercial space. Many photographers set up studios here, and they were followed by attendant industries such as film processing and camera shops. This emphasis has waned in recent decades and so realtors began referring to the area as the Flatiron District.
The Flatiron District houses a significant portion of the New York City publishing industry. As with the photography industry, this presence has brought in associate firms such as literary agencies, editing services, and book binders and dealers.
New Business for Reinvented Locale
The Flatiron District has lately been attracting businesses that reflect the economy’s increasing reliance on information technology. There have been a large number of start ups in Web design and computer programming. There have been so many Internet related firms coming into the area that some have suggested calling the zone “Silicone Alley.” The collapse of the dot.com bubble at the start of this century lowered the desire to do this.
There is still some talk of calling the place “Multimedia Gulch.” This is due to the number of new businesses that work in this portion of the communications industry.
There is certainly much new life coming into the Flatiron District. Huge new skyscrapers such as One Madison Park clearly display the building boom underway. It is somewhat more difficult to build such towering structures here than in other portions of Manhattan where the underlying bedrock lies closer to the surface. In the Flatiron District an overlaying zone of broken rock called schist makes for a more unstable sort of grounding.
NoLita a Diverse Neighborhood
NoLita is a New York neighborhood that lies just north of Little Italy, and that is how it gets its name, from the No in North, the L in Little, and the ita in Italy. The boundary on the north is Houston St. The Bowery is on the east. Broome St., is the southern edge. Lafayette St. is the western limit. In addition to being north of Little Italy, NoLita is east of SoHo, west of the Lower East Side, and south of NoHo.
The neighborhood had long been a part of Little Italy, but it began to loose much of its ethnic character as many Italians moved out of the area in recent decades. A sizeable population of elderly Italians remains. A feast day is still celebrated after Labor Day every year along a section of Mulberry St. between Houston and Grand Sts. in honor of Saint Januaries.
Starting in the mid 90’s, a large number of young professionals moved into the area. There was also an influx of expensive boutiques and stylish restaurants. As the neighborhood grew more upscale, realtors searched for a new designation to call the place. The New York Times carried an article on May 5, 1998 declaring that NoLita was now the official name for the district.
Historic Sites Aplenty Here
St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral can be found in NoLita where Prince, Mott, and Mulberry Sts. meet. The church originally opened in 1815. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1868. The church was the Catholic Cathedral for New York City until the completion of the new St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Ave. in mid town in 1879. To honor the old church, it was rechristened in 2010 as the Basilica at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. The site also contains a Catholic School.
The Puck Building is an ornate structure that sits at Houston and Lafayette Sts. It was built in 1885 and used to house the offices of Puck Magazine.
The 14th Ward Industrial School is a stand out piece of public architecture. Saint Michael’s Russian Catholic Church is another religious building of stunning design.
Many Notables Live in the Area
NoLita is becoming an increasingly popular address for many in the entertainment field. Singer Vanessa Carlton lives here. She even dedicated a song to the district, “NoLita Fairytale.” The musician Moby resides here as well.
Director Martin Scorsese was born and grew up on Elizabeth St. between Houston and Prince. His immigrant grandparents had settled here.
David Bowie maintains a home in NoLita, and so does the singer and song writer John Mayer. Actor Gabriel Byrne also lives in the district.
NoLita seems to be growing more popular. Real estate is fetching increasingly high prices throughout the district. The area is centrally located to many of the most job rich portions of the city. Many young people appreciate being able to walk to work and live in this portion of Manhattan that is home to so many shops and restaurants.
Living in New York is the ultimate American dream. But for NYC settlers, they dream of having the best apartment existing in the place. What’s a perfect loft then? Is it the one with the spectacular view of midtown Manhattan? Will a piece of iconic work of art in the living room do the trick? Well, for sure, a Prime Columbus Circle location will be neat.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most incredible NYC Loft you just won’t believe. Although you’ll have to climb up to a 70-foot ground floor, this will not be much of a problem once the loft is reached. Unfortunately, this is not an long-term lease, or not an actual lease. It’s not a real residence home since it is the latest creation of the Japanese artist, Tatzu Nishi. The artist turned the Columbus monument to a conceptual art.
This artwork is known as “Discovering Columbus”. It stands in a 27-ft by 30-ft living room, equipped with a couch, lamps, a coffee table, as well as a television. The furniture surround the statue, and the artwork is placed in the busiest intersections in Manhattan’s Central Park. It is surely a sight to see.
Starting this Thursday, 25 people at a time can enter and be within the living room premises, with the use of the stairs. Enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity to see the 1892 marble figure of Mr. Christopher Columbus, the great Italian explorer. For those who cannot climb the stairs, an elevator is available.
The living room with enough space, designed with contemporary furnishings all looks real and authentic. Once you’re standing in the room, you might forget that you’re not in an actual living room. The pink wallpaper is also designed by Nishi, painted with the drawings of famous icons such as Mickey Mouse, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and other popular pop culture illustrations.
However, not everyone is pleased with this magnificent artwork. John Mancini, the Executive Director of the Italic Institute of America commented, “It looks like a trailer park. The only thing missing are the pink flamingos”. He also noted that there were some safety concerns with regards to the installation of the artwork. Indeed, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He doesn’t enjoy the idea of Nishi in reinterpreting an original artist’s work. He said that the statue will not be visible or will not be highlighted normally during the 8th of October, Columbus Day Parade.
However, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is quite pleased with Nishi’s work. He believes that this is a chance for the people to do more than just exploring, and they get the chance to view the statue up close too. He also added that the statue was made to be viewed.
Tatzu Nishi is a talented artist who is quite known for transforming historical monuments by surrounding them with his own piece of creativity. But the “Discovering Columbus” artwork is his very first public art project within the United States. One of his other works includes the “Villa Victoria”, a functional hotel around the monument of Queen Victoria, located at Liverpool.
According to data released from Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller most recent home price index, home prices in the United States have increased in June compared to numbers from June of 2011. These consistent increase is due to the growth in the housing market noticed in the beginning of the year and the amount of recent foreclosures.
Properties being sold by lenders are generally sold at highly reduced rates which may seem great to the buyer but depletes the value of surrounding homes in the process. Since the real estate market has seen a lower amount of properties owned by lenders, investors and traditional buyers will be forced to compete for the homes are listed.
Listed below are America’s best and worst performing housing markets.
Five Best Performing Housing Markets:
1. Phoenix’s activity is up 13.9%
The mix of less foreclosures being introduced to the market and the high demand investors have placed on lender-owned properties, bidding wars and increase home prices have increased activity in Phoenix. However, sales of bank-owned properties have decreased to the lowest point seen in over 4 years in August.
2. Minneapolis’s activity is up 5.7%
Within the first quarter of 2012, sales of distressed properties have increased 33%. Even with this increase, Minneapolis has a surplus of close to 20-months worth of foreclosed properties.
3. Miami’s activity is up 4.4%.
Local investors as well as foreign buyers have continued to increase home sales in Miami. July’s sales have reached a five year peak but the Miami market is still holding onto a 20.3-months worth of foreclosures.
4. Denver’s activity is up 4%.
Home sales in Denver have reached the highest they’ve been since February. Close to 21% of home sales were from buyers purchasing second homes which leads us to believe that these are all investment properties.
5. Washington’s activity is up 3.9%
The DMV area of Washington, Maryland, and Virginia have continued to have a thriving job market due to government contracts. The demand for real estate continues to grow as the foreclosures in this region have declined since the first first quarter of this year.
Five Worst Performing Markets:
1. Atlanta’s performance has declined 12.1%
The unemployment rate in Atlanta has reached 11% which may be due to the fact that the Atlanta economy is based heavily on construction and real estate. The Atlanta housing market is also still holding on to close to a 12-months worth of unsold properties which is double the amount of a healthy market.
2. New York’s performance has declined 2.1%
This decline in the New York market is partly due to the fact that buyers cannot afford the high priced properties here. Even distressed properties with major price cuts are considered expensive to the average buyer. Another reason for this decline is the fact that it takes close to 3 years for the entire foreclosure process to be completed which essentially defers distressed sales.
3. Las Vegas’s performance has declined 1.8%.
The lack of inventory of lender-owned properties has cause sales to stagger. High unemployment rates and an economy based on tourism has deterred many Las Vegas buyers.
4. Chicago’s performance has declined 1.7 %.
The unemployment rate in Chicago has decreased to 9.4% in June compared to 10.9% calculated in June of 2011. On a good note, the amount of short sales has increased and the supply of bank-owned homes has fallen to roughly 19 months.
5. Los Angeles’s performance has declined 0.6%
Over the past year, the housing market in Los Angeles has began to balance out. The unemployment rate has been slowly declining and sales have increased for properties that have not hit the point foreclosure point.
They say summer is the favorite season of the teens and the younger ones, with all those sunshine and the unlimited supply of ice cream. But do you know that fall or autumn can be ten times greater than the summer season? People of all ages thirst the breathtaking scenery during the fall. The view of bright, fall colors is priceless and here are some places where these magnificent autumn sights can be seen.
New Hampshire’s Lakes Region
It is best to visit the lakes region in this area during the late September up until the late October. The best of autumn can be seen with the falling leaves from the branches of trees. The New Hampshire region is said to be more beautiful than the all other known lakes such as the Lake Ossipee, Squam Lake, Mirror Lake and the rest. The best view of the scenery is in the middle of the lake. Visitors are encouraged to bring a kayak right to the center of the lake.
Belleplain State Forest
A simple rule when it comes to autumn and the falling leaves is that these leaves change later the more people go south and closer to the coast. This is because the weather in the south is warmer and lower in elevation. If the weather stays better and cooperates, the leaf season in Southeast New Jersey can be seen up until the early days of November.
John Boyd Thatcher State Park
Late September to mid October is the best time to visit the New York’s Adirondack Mountains, and the finest view of the mountains is at John Boyd Thatcher State Park. Within the mountains of this place, marshes, river valleys and hardwood forest can be seen. The geographic diversity is indeed splendid here. There are also a number of sugar maple trees around, which are considered to be most beautiful during the fall. Aspen, Birch, Oak and Silver maple, which all turn yellow are popular species too. When all the said trees are combined, the variety of colors is surely a beautiful sight to see.
Grafton Notch State Park
Autumn season is quite short for the view in Western Maine, the weather is often cold and the location is quite remote. But where is all the excitement when getting a good view would be easy? Get a good look through Grafton North State Park, it is one of the biggest in Maine. People can go hiking and make their way to Screw Auger Falls, as they go hike, the leaves will follow.
Vermont’s Green Mountains
There are very few places on Earth where all colors are more beautiful as people usually see, and a place that offers such beauty Vermont’s Green Mountains. The reds are always deeper, golds brighter, and oranges more attractive. Here, people can see the brightest and prettiest of all fall colors, combined with chilly yet comfortable night temperatures. It is surely one of the best places to be during the autumn season, the breathtaking view is worth the time spent.
110 Central Park South Luxury Condos are highly sought after units situated in the perfect location of Midtown. These condos provide unsurpassed views of the Central Park and the extensive skyline of New York city. 110 Central Park South was originally designed and constructed in 1927 by world renowned architect James Carpenter. In 2004 this building was transformed into 68 luxury condos and three additional penthouse floors were added. The entire interior was destroyed and all of the mechanical components and plumbing were replaced.
New floorplans were introduced in which condos ranged in size from 1,000 square feet to 4,500 square feet. 6,000 square feet of the first floor was purchased by the Gentleman’s clothier Ascot Chang and used as retail space for its flagship store. The residential portion of this renovation was completed in 2006 and only 18 short months after, all units were sold. The sales for the 110 Central Park South luxury condos surpassed original forecasts by 40%
Most of the condos come equipped with designer cabinetry and appliances. They are also decked with lush eat-in kitchens that have alluring views of Central Park. The bathrooms in these luxury condos have Sycamore vanities and are trimmed in marble. This building has always been known for it’s elegant attributes as it was originally the Ritz Carlton Hotel and prestigious Inter-Continental Hotel.
The 110 Central Park South building is mostly made up of expansive 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms, most with stunning Central Park views. 110 Central Park South features a state of the art security system in which elevators in the building can only be triggered by using an electronic key that are only given to residents of the building.
Building Amenities:
- 24-Hour Doorman
- Pets Allowed
- Gym
- Parking
- Laundry In Building
- Elevator
- Attended Lobby
- Concierge
- Health and Fitness Club
- Private storage
- Outdoor terrace
- Breakfast bar
- Private garden for residents
- Conference room
- Viking catering kitchen
- Resident manager
- Vallet
Nearby Schools:
- P.S. 111 Adolph S. Ochs
- Middle 2-111
Location:
- Main Address: 110 West 59th Street
- Zip Code: 10019
- Zone: Central Park South
- Neighborhood: Midtown
- Borough: Manhattan
- City: New York City
- State: New York
Technical Data:
- Building Type: High-rise building
- Facade system: Applied masonry
- Facade color: Light brown
- Architectural style: Renaissance revival
- Height: 264.00 ft
- Floors: 25
- Construction start: 1927
- Construction end: 1928
- Architect: James Edwin Ruthwin Carpenter
- Developer: Anbau Enterprises
- Interiors: Costas Kondylis
Curbed's NYC Celebrity Map
Celebrity Heat Map Lets New Yorkers Track Their Stars
“Curbed.com,” the Website and blogs specializing in urban real estate, created a new feature to let New Yorkers stay up-to-date on celebrity living spaces. In fact, since New York follows a close second to Los Angeles for stargazing, knowing where theatre, movie, television, music, sports and business stars begin and end each day is a popular pass time. The “New York City Celebrity Heat Map” points out recent leases, purchases and sales on the New York landscape by celebrities of all stripes.
Stay Up on Your Favorite Celeb
Take a recent purchase by Olivier Sarkozy, half-brother to former French president Nicolas: the frenchman bought an East Village townhouse for a cool $6.35 million dollars. Speculation: he wanted to be nearer to his youthful celebrity sweetheart Mary-Kate Olsen.
In addition to your current favorites, you can follow favorite properties formerly housing A-listers, and maybe scoop one up for yourself. Frank Sinatra’s one-time penthouse on East 72 Street is newly renovated and on the market for an asking price of $7.7 million
Take Guests on a Celebrity Tour
Along with approximate locations on the actual map, the celebrity map includes addresses, summaries and links to the back story on each purchase, lease or sale. Anderson Cooper sold his West 38th Street penthouse this spring, but fans and paparazzi will find him in his new revamped (and possibly haunted) firehouse at 84 West 3rd Street when refurbishment is done. The new resident at the 38th Street duplex? It’s there too.
Along with purchase and sale histories, readers can find floor plans, photos and “Curbed” writers’ cheeky commentary.
People always forget things, no matter how old or how young they are. From keys to cellphones, even to important documents, they really tend to set things aside and forget about it after a while. This is quite common when it comes to property closure, despite of all the reminders like post-its, checklists and similar things. When the lawyers and responsible individuals announce that a house or property is for closure, it can be quite stressful for the affected people. Here are some of the main reasons for closing chaos and tips on how to avoid such events.
One common problem is the short notice from a layer. It can really be annoying when the seller claims that the property is for closing only a week before the actual event. Some tend to forget to file and order stock and lease from the bank. And these banks can be really slow in processing such documents. It may even take thirty days to months in order to get the needed documents or even to say that the documents are lost. These stock and lease documents should be the priority and be filed as soon as possible. During the waiting period for the stock and lease order, other unpredictable consequences might occur such as expiration of rate locks, the need of the buyer to vacate their own place, and more.
Both buyers and sellers should be mindful of the laws regarding selling a property. This is very important, and if the laws are not followed as required, many problems can occur later on. Another common problem is getting the “Firpta Certification”. According to the Federal Law, if the seller is a foreign citizen, he or she is required to withhold ten percent of the total selling price. This is covered on the Foreign Investment in Property Tax Act. The said certification will prove that the seller is not a foreigner, thus, no withholding is required. Ten percent of the price can be a pretty big deal, especially when it comes to huge properties. Although this is always, and always, required in real estate closing, there are still a number of lawyers to forget to bring one on the actual closing.
It is important to discuss trust ownership as well. In order to permit a trust ownership, it might need a number of documents to give the title to an entity, not just to an individual buyer. Some of these important documents are the occupancy agreement, personal guarantee by the beneficial owner, and opinion of the counsel. Like the other documents stated above, these things should be secured and filed in advance. Failure to do so might cause unnecessary delays and frustrations on both parties.
And when it comes to New York, most of the people who plan to sell properties are not primary residents of the city, or have not lived in the palace for the past five years. Thus, they are required to give an estimated capital gains tax payment. However, there is a form or document that certifies that the seller is or is not a resident of New York, which is referred to as the “TP-584”.
Selling and buying a property can be complicated sometimes, especially when it comes to properties around New York. To prevent delays and other problems, it is best to remember the said important documents and secure them at the earliest possible time.
