Damn, that Sting has bite ...

Or at the very least his Upper West Side NYC apt does ... it's currently on the market at Halstead if you're so inclined to drop a few million ... if anything, it may get you an introduction to the famous artist - at the very least, a note closer to where he and Trudi practice endless hours of [yoga]?

Those windows make for quite some voyeuristic dwellers ...

Hot Stats:

Price: $19,000,000.00
Maint.: $9,437.00
Financing: 50%
Listing Type: Cooperative
Type: Duplex

Address:

88 CENTRAL PARK WEST 2/3S
Cross Streets: 68/69 Sts

Astor Place

[The Lovely Mrs. Astor]


[Famed Albert Hadley Library]


[Close Up in the Library]


[Astor's Bedroom]


[Street Front]

The property to which I am referring is the famed estate of late New York City philanthropist and former House & Garden editor, Brook Astor. The Astor home, located at 778 Park Avenue (at 73rd and Park) is beyond valuable. Not because of its ideal Park Avenue location, but for the legend of the beloved Astor that it helps to preserve. Following Astor's death in August of 2007, the sale of this specific property in her vast estate involved a great deal of speculation and concern. There was embittered fear and duress surrounding the revered library and formal sitting rooms. Speculation swirled that the apartment, following its resale, would be entirely dismantled.

While the listing did find a new owner, there is still uncertainty as to whether key aspects of the famed 14 room apartment would be safeguarded.


[14 Room Floor Plan]

Astor, a philanthropist, author, editor and New York City icon shared the Park Avenue apartment with her third husband, Vincent Astor. The property, which went on the market at $46 Million (100% up front in cash no less) showcases a living room with breathtaking views (a modest 28' by 19'), a library with red lacquer shelves (21' by 17', which is said to be one of New York's most photographed rooms), full pantry (larger than most NYC studio apartments: 15' by 8'11"), formal dining room (19' by 10'), five wood-burning fireplaces, a vault, a private landing, 30-foot-long gallery (wet bar and elevator included, naturally), 20 closets, a dressing room in addition to the walk-in-closet off a guest bedroom, servant's hall (3 maids' rooms) and six terraces. Listed on Corcoran real estate's web page, it has quickly become no secret that the duplex's monthly maintenance is more than $17,000 dollars.

But coming up with the $46 Million? My dear that's the easy part - now try impressing the gents who sit on board of the building's co-op.


[Formal Sitting Room]


[Formal Dining Room]


[Private Study]



[View off the Terrace]



[Second View off the Terrace]

An Ode to our Economic Crises

While the rest of the country hurriedly consolidates (what's left of their) assets, sells homes, refinances mortgages and streamlines their daily spending, a very select few have the luxury of ignoring the economic crises (or perhaps benefiting from it). While I hadn't initially imagined straying from the blog's central theme (impressively famous, creative and inspiring homes and interiors), the current state of the nation begs for a bit of finger pointing. Please excuse this act of spontenaity.

Thanks to the golden parachutes available to the CFOs, CEOs and senior executives at failed investment institutions, making new investments on multi million dollar homes is hardly worth yawning about. The former head of Lehman's mortgage banking group, Kurt Locher, paid $5.25 million for a five-bedroom apartment at 500 West End Avenue. Meanwhile, his former apartment at 1165 Park is still on the market for $2.495 million. The property is apparently one of the grandest homes on the market on the Upper West Side, boasting a maid's room, living room, library, windowed, eat-in chef's kitchen, formal dining room and multi-million dollar address. Locher's mortgage? A paltry 3.224 million.

Mortgage crisis, what mortgage crisis?

Yawn, yawn, scoff, scoff.