Category: Luxury

The idea for this post came to me last Wednesday morning, as I was thumbing through the various newspapers that were gathered at my doorstep. The oldest paper in town, The New York Post, just launched a section called “Alexa Luxe Living”. Like the name suggests, this new section is focused purely on the luxury real estate market.

Alexa Luxe Living showcases the most exclusive real estate for sale in and around the city. Wednesday’s first edition took its readers inside Manhattan’s elite properties, offered brokers and buyers gossip and curated new design ideas and trends.

The cover story featured some of the most gorgeous photographs of the most expensive apartments currently on the market, such as a $95 million (no this is not a misprint) 8,000-square-foot seven-bedroom at the Sherry-Netherland, overlooking Central Park; or a $75 million 14,547-square-foot triplex in the Heritage at Trump Place.

For the more “frugal buyer”, Luxe Listings showed seven glamorous apartments for under $20 million throughout the issue. Thee was also an exclusive look inside writer Susan Fales-Hill’s apartment on Park Avenue. Housed in a 1908 Edwardian building, one of the first apartment houses on Park Avenue, the 2,000-square-foot classic seven with 10-foot ceilings, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a maid’s room and a formal dining room, is meticulously decorated in bright and cheery colors with Fales-Hill’s family memorabilia and books adding her personal touch. But the East Side is not Susan’s final destination. She says, “I’d like to die on the West Side. I want to be an old lady at Zabar’s with my walker knocking people out of the way.”  Celebrity chef Eric Ripert designed the Poggenpohl kitchens at Chelsea Green on West 21st Street, including energy efficient appliances and ultra-sleek grey and white cabinetry.

The “On the Flip Side” column features the tale of club and restaurant owner and New York’s wildest property fanatic Michael Hirtenstein. Despite his most recent dust-up with Extell Development’s Gary Barnett over an apartment at One57, Hirtenstein has done well flipping multi-million dollar apartments in Manhattan.

Last but certainly not least, is a section that I find most interesting. New York City’s top tastemakers show what’s hot now in home design. This included tips from Thom Filicia, Celerie Kemble, Brett Beldock, Ron Wendt, Michael Patrick Smyth, Margaret Russell, Newell Turner, Amanda Nisbet, Ellie Cullman and my good friend, David Scott.