July 17, 2012 | Daily News
A final word of caution: Do not rely on what the seller’s real estate agent tells you, says Doug Heddings, president of The Heddings Property Group. Read More
June 18, 2012 | Brick Underground If you’re a suburban empty nester considering a return to the city, you are not alone. “Over 50 percent of the apartments in The Residences at 400 Fifth above the Setai Hotel, are occupied by empty nesters….Who wouldn’t want to live in the center of the universe, walk to the theater, movies, shopping, restaurants?” Read more…
In New York City, most events organized on Independence Day are extravagant, imposing, and ultimately, entertaining. There are a lot of new parties, but also plenty of old traditions. Those who want to have a lot of fun on the Fourth of July should check out the following events:
Macy’s Fireworks Show
One of the most expected events is the Macy’s Fireworks show. It takes place along the Hudson River and it begins at 9 p.m. The theme of this spectacular light show is “The Gift of Freedom” and it is organized in honor of the Statue of Liberty, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. The fireworks will be accompanied by some great music. This event also has an official radio station, 1010WINS, which is will broadcast live the whole show.
The Hot Dog Eating Contest
A very famous event that takes place in New York is the Hot Dog Eating Contest. This competition is organized on Coney Island in Brooklyn at Nathan’s, between Stillwell and Surf Avenues. This is an annual party and it’s extremely funny and interesting to see how much women and men can eat for the big prize. This year, the competition celebrates its 97th anniversary. The contestants usually eat a lot more than a couple of hot dogs. Joey Chestnut is a 3-time champion, but no one knows if he’s going to win this year as well. The competition begins at 12 p.m. and there will be more than 50,000 spectators.
The Revolutionary New York Walking Tour
The Revolutionary New York Walking Tour is another interesting event that takes place on the Fourth of July in NYC. The tour starts at the City Hall Park and will include sites that had an important role in the War of Independence. Big Onion Walking Tours is going to take visitors to sites associated with Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, the Federal Hall and Alexander Hamilton’s grave.
The Cruise Fireworks
The Cruise Fireworks show is also an extremely special and appealing event to consider. The celebration is organized by the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise at Pier 83 and it allows individuals to see the spectacular fireworks from a boat. The ship leaves the harbor at 4:30 p.m. and it features music, drinks and good food. This is without a doubt the best place to see the light show. The cruise will be back by 11 p.m.
Fireworks Viewing Party, Hudson Terrace
A very interesting Fireworks Viewing Party is held on Hudson Terrace, on 621 West 46th Street. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and will last until 2 p.m. The location will offer amazing views, excellent music, authentic barbecue, and an open bar.
City, at Pier 17, South Street Seaport
Last but not least, people who want to have some real fun must go to Clipper City, at Pier 17, South Street Seaport. They will be sailing in the America’s largest passenger boat and they will have one of the best summer holidays ever. The individuals will benefit from champagne, open bar and a great BBQ. The fee is quite high, but everything will be well worth the cost. The boat will be leaving the harbor at 5.30 p.m. and the party will last almost 5 hours.
June 18, 2012 | NY1 Many sellers believe summer is a bad time to put their property on the market, but that might not always be the case. NY1’s Jill Urban filed the following report with Doug Heddings…http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/163253/summer-listings-can-heat-up-property-interest
To live in any home rumored to be a former pad of a famous actor, singer, writer, or politician is always alluring. It’s something to brag about, and the imagination can run wild with visions of what these celebrities did in the same place you’re living in. But they don’t become available every day.
However, a townhouse where one of the most popular rock and roll bands of all time once crashed and wrote several of their biggest hits has just come on the market. At 17 feet wide and once owned by renowned painter Tony Sarg, the townhouse is located at 54 West 9th Street in Greenwich Village. The current owner of the home, Stefan Peter, listed the home at $7.95 million.
The house, designed by acclaimed architect Reuben R. Wood, is over 150 years old and was originally owned by Christian H. Lilienthal, a wealthy tobacco merchant. Sarg, who owned the home in the 1930s, was an illustrator and puppeteer in addition to being a painter. He owes his much of his fame to being the creator of the giant inflatable figures used in the initial Macy’ Thanksgiving parade that marched down Broadway.
It isn’t clear exactly when the Stones lived there, but it is believed that they lived there in the late 1960s, right in the early stages of their long career. Though reported in previous news reports that the famed rock band lived there, it’s never been confirmed unconditionally to be true. They are rumored to have written several of their more popular songs in the townhouse, including “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Paint It Black”.
The five-story property is currently an investment property currently configured as five rental apartments with one bedroom and one bathroom apiece, but the listing agent reports that it could be easily modified back to a single-family residence, which was its original status.
The brownstone is nearly 5,000 square feet, many of its original details have been kept. It has nine fireplaces with white marble mantels and a small but lush garden that faces south. It also has such detailed appointments as elaborate plaster medallions and crown moldings. There are skylights, twelve-foot ceilings, and an elliptical stairway. A cast iron balcony sitting outside the huge windows of the second-floor parlor links the other row houses facing west. There is no garage, but there is potential for a rooftop deck.
Current owner Peter also owns two other townhouse properties, including a larger brownstone in Brooklyn. He declined to offer information about why he is selling the West 9th Street brownstone, nor did he reveal the price he paid when he bought it in 1997. He previously listed the property in 2009 and 2010 for prices ranging from $6 million to $7 million.
Claire Danes and her husband, Hugh Dancy, are selling their spacious Soho penthouse on the market for a stunning $6 million.
The “Homeland” actress, who has lived there for fourteen years, has decided to part ways with the beautiful home that’s situated in the trendy Soho neighborhood.
The 3,851-square-feet home was built in1882, with restored wood and beams, renovated floors, a central air, and a fireplace. The master suite has a walk-in closet, and the house also offers a free-standing entertainment center and an 85-feet long main living space. The living room features over-sized windows and caramel-colored tiles for the ultimate tactile experience. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, although it could easily be transformed to a 4-bedroom easily. The contemporary-designed house also boasts of direct elevator access, expansive floor boards, and an 11-feet ceiling.
It is not known where Danes and Dancy plan to move to.
The blond beauty, who was raised mostly in New York City, became popular in mid-1990’s in the hit television, My So Called Life. The show has garnered Danes numerous recognition including an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe award. It didn’t take long for Hollywood to coming knocking at her door, and Danes quickly moved to mainstream cinema with great parts in Little Women, Romeo + Juliet, the Terminator, and How to Make an American Quilt.
She quit show business for some time to concentrate on getting a Psychology degree in Yale, and purchased the loft before heading to the university and living with typical college freshmen in a dormitory. However, Claire decided to drop out of Yale after two years to focus on her film career. She married Darcy in a quiet ceremony in France in 2009.
10 Columbus Cir
(between Broadway & W Central Park)
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhoods: Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West
(212) 823-9335
About Per Se
Per Se is one of the few glitzy restaurants in New York that has kept its quality and standards high despite the rave reviews and influx of tourists as patrons. Sometimes restaurants in this category can lower their standards after a few years on the radar. They decide to ride the name all the way to the bank, and the dining experience no longer warrants the price tags. This isn’t the case at Per Se. This French restaurant is a favorite of the elite in Manhattan. For most of us, Per Se is the type of restaurant we visit when celebrating a milestone or promotion.
What to Order
It’s French food at its finest, so expect small portions of fatty dishes. This doesn’t mean the food is greasy. It’s quite the contrary with French cuisine since it’s all-natural fat that adds major flavor to each dish. You won’t be disappointed with the food at this restaurant and nearly every review is four stars or higher, even when rated by people who don’t consider themselves foodies. You may want to do yourself a favor and not look at the ingredients in each dish, since we eat with our eyes. Sometimes the idea of two things don’t sound like they work, but they do once they’re on the palette.
There’s a string of amuse boush that are served before dinner. They range from salmon and creme fraiche in a sesame cone to puff balls filled with creamy cheeses, you’re sure to satisfy your taste buds at Per Se. One of the most reviewed entrees is the pulled pork, which is incredibly tender and has just enough fat to make most diners devour the 2 oz. portion quickly. The lamb chops are also a sure thing, as are the various fishes on the menu. Keep in mind the portions are small and most meats and fishes are 2 oz., so this isn’t the place to go when you’re ready to chow down.
The tasting menu is the way to go for most diners at Per Se. This lets you taste many items and since you most likely won’t be back for a number of years, it’s a great way to get feel for the restaurant without ordering tons of food. It also navigates the ordering process for you.
How Much?
The five course tasting menu runs a little under $200, so use that as a way to figure out the prices at Per Se. This restaurant isn’t cheap and it’s a place you visit when touring New York City and wanting to check out a top restaurant or, if you live in New York and want to have a special outing. Per Se is also known for their stellar desserts. If you find yourself on Columbus Circle and want to pop in, but aren’t ready to drop $200 or more per person, consider stopping by for the dessert tasting menu. At a reasonable $65 per person, it gives you a tour of the desserts the pastry chefs create at this fine dining French restaurant.
TriBeCa NYC in Focus
If you are looking for a quieter, less commercialized neighborhood in downtown Manhattan, look no further than the TriBeCa community. The acronym comes from the neighborhood’s location description—“the Triangle below Canal Street”—and locals spell it either with or without the mixture of upper and lower case letters. Located in Lower Manhattan, the specific boundaries are Canal Street, West Street, Broadway and Vesey Street, but often streets just outside these boundaries participate in its lower crime rate, excellent access to transit and Hudson River waterfront accessibility. Tribeca sits just north of Ground Zero.
Historically, Tribeca was industrial and vestiges of its past are apparent in its loft-style living spaces carved from former commercial shops and factories with metal fire escapes, higher ceilings and grand facades. Other historic relics of its past include wooden water towers and cobbled streets. The transformation began in the 1970s with the influx of artists, but slowly transformed into a vibrant, high-end neighborhood, due in part by post 9/11 investors like Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, with their TriBeCa Film Center and TriBeCa Grill. The annual TriBeCa Film Festival each spring exposes independent films, short films and documentaries to millions of festival attendees and boosts the neighborhood’s economy.
Known for boutique shopping and local fare, the neighborhood’s fun vibe took a new turn in 2012 with the announcement of the planned opening of a massive European food hall feature coffees, meats, chocolates, frozen treats and baked goods with continental flair. Some additional newcomers joining the dozens of local eateries include Blue Smoke, an urban barbecue; Atera, billed as “cutting-edge” cuisine; and, François Payard Bakery, where you can indulge your sweet-tooth or enjoy salads, sandwiches and savory quiches. Joining local specialty shops and services is a new bathhouse located on Franklin Street. Aire Ancient Baths offers a variety of thermal and ritual baths, steam rooms, jetted tubs and massage services.
Schools serving the Tribeca neighborhood rate high among parents, making the area popular with young families. Other family friendly venues include the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, which offers artistic entertainment and educational programs and Moomah, a café offering arts and crafts classes, and creative workshops.
Families also enjoy the neighborhoods many mini triangular parks such as Duane Park, Finn Square, Tribeca Park and Washington Market Park—that features a larger playground and hosts the weekly farmer’s market.
Subway Stations providing access include:
- 1 to Canal St.
A,C,E to Canal St.
- 1 to Franklin St. | N,Q,R,W to Canal St.
- 1,2 to Chambers St.
- A,C to Chambers St.
- R,W to City Hall
- 2,3 to Park Pl.
- E to World Trade Center
Notable sights include the Harrison Street houses, featuring restored Eighteenth Century townhouses; the former New York Mercantile Exchange (now); and the pedestrian bridge spanning two buildings above Staple Street.
Best US Cities for Real Estate Deals
Because many U.S. real estate markets continue to be somewhat sluggish, sellers might not see the bright side, but buyers looking for a great deal should check out these locations for the best bang for their buck. Real estate Website Zillow identified several upper Mid-West and Southeast communities from among 137 metropolitan areas where the combination of available listings that had lowered their prices and the sales of foreclosures, means bargain hunters could find a prize. Data used came from March 2012 sources.
Florida Deals
In the Southeast, the best finds were in Sarasota and Punta Gorda, Florida. The Sarasota market, comprising North Port Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice, has seen the percentage of its real estate inventory with that cut its prices in crease by more than five percent over last year. The median price cut is at 6.8 while the number of listings slashing their prices rose to 34.2 percent. At the same time, buying property in the Punta Gorda region is an even better deal, since its listings with price cuts is 36.4 percent, while the averaging drop in price is 7.6 percent.
Upper Midwest
Two Illinois regions made the list. Rockford had nearly forty percent of its listings (39.5 percent) cutting their prices. This is an increase over last year of 5.6 percent. The price cuts averaged eight percent. The numbers speak to some drawbacks, however, since the unemployment rate is much higher than the national average, at 11.7 percent, which contributed to the price adjustments.
The country’s third largest city, Chicago, showed even steeper price cuts. It median price cut sits at 7.2 percent, while the number of listing that cut asking prices is a whopping 38.1 percent. The ratio of sales to list prices is 0.947 percent.
More Great Lakes
Further East in the Great Lakes region, Cleveland, Ohio came in third place in the top five cities with price cuts similar to those in Chicago, at 7.3 percent. Driving this number is a 26 percent rate of among foreclosed properties that resold. The number of listings reducing asking prices sat at 35.5 percent. The real estate market region for Cleveland, situated on Lake Erie in the northeast part of Ohio, includes several cities as well as Cleveland proper: Cleveland Heights, Elyria, Euclid, Lakewood, Lorain, Mentor and Parma.
While these might seem like bargains, however, buyers should proceed cautiously. Before jumping into any of these markets, would-be purchasers should calculate all other economic factors, such as the job loss or growth rate and the relative cost of living in non-housing areas like utilities and groceries, into their decision.
The “Architectural and Cultural Guide of Pyongyang” is an amazing book written by Philip Meuser, a German architect. Both the author and the book offer an impressive, yet rare glimpse inside the world’s most secretive and intriguing country of North Korea.
Philip Meuser offered an interview for Dwell. He told the reporter Aaron Britt that the motivation that drove him to write the book, was that the place he was talking about cannot be visited. So, it is quite fascinating and stimulating creating a guide book with impressive pictures and details about something people will have the chance to see only in photographs. It is a one of a kind publication with the purpose to demonstrate that both Pyongyang and North Korea are real.
The Americans and probably the rest of the world see these places as virtual. The author compares them with Google Street View. This special program allows you to visit places all over the globe, but your visit is virtual, because you never leave the room and the computer. It’s the same with North Korea. This place exists, people can see images of it, but no one can get there to see it for real.
Meuser also declared that following the Korean War, most of the Pyongyang was destroyed. For this reason, its landmarks and buildings were reconstructed within the last 60 years. They are interpretations and representations of the old Korean architecture, but they are still impressive and spectacular.
The book comes in 2 volumes. The first volume features a photographic gallery of the North Korean capital city and its buildings. The structures are divided into the most important architectural categories: monuments, urban planning, transport infrastructure, residential buildings, department stores / hotels, sport and education, and cultural venues. Only some parts of the interiors are shown, but readers can see all the exteriors. The buildings are constructed in the spirit of North Korean communist ideology.
So, there are no artistic features, fine materials and elegant details. Instead, people can see gross architectural styles and forms which are equally impressive since they cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. The author says that the architecture in North Korea is either monumental (symbolic structures, commemorative structures or statues) or functional (government buildings or apartment buildings). The second volume includes illustrated essays about the Pyongyang architecture.
Some of the most spectacular pieces of architecture in North Korea and Pyongyang are the government buildings situated in Kim II Sung Square, a place for rallies and military parades, the Red Torch on the Juche Tower, the Grand Monument and Kim II Sung’s bronze statue on Mansu Hill, the Grand People’s Study House, and the Party Foundation Monument. Other points of interest are the Arch of Reunification, the Yongwang subway station (opened to foreigners), the Arch of Triumph, Koryo Hotel (one of the tallest buildings in Pyongyang), the ice rink in Pyongyang (that has about 6000 seats), the Mansudae Assembly Hall, the Pyongyang Circus ( with over 3,500 seats), and the Mangyongdae School Children’s Palace.
