Artshot: John Fraser & Terri Brooks

1. John Fraser, U-U at Roy Boyd Gallery

2. Terri Brooks, Orange and White

Snug As a Bug: Clinton

Wow! I'm busy!! Previewing is on hold while I'm showing clients around the city, but I did go back to this Clinton studio last night after seeing about six units in the 1600.00 to 1800.00 range. This studio, while not huge, has a good hallway that leads, on the southern end, to what I'd describe as an open walk-in closet. As you head north, toward the street, you have the bathroom and the living area with a small, seperate kitchen. It's a clean, well-lit and freshly painted unit.

Location: 50th Street, Clinton

Size: Studio

 Special Features: Open, walk-in closet and seperate kitchen

Rent: 1,750.00/mo

In the Dark: Greenwich Village

I've been meaning to write a blog entry about dark walls and paint colors in apartments that are more or less "blank slates"- the bigger, post-war spaces that have parquet floors, no decorative moldings or architectural elements. If your willing to have it painted (warning, if you're a renter, you'll have to paint them back to the original wall color before you leave or hand-over all or some of your security deposit), it really adds a good deal of drama! The photos I took (below) were of a one bedroom in a building that I really like in Greenwich Village near 14th Street. It's a doorman, elevator building and, when I went to shoot the vacant apartment, they hadn't gotten around to painting it- it looked great! I listed a unit in that very building today (they are gut renovating the unit, so I'll post those pix at the end of the week), but I'll use it as an excuse to show you some inspiration!

1. via Design Addict NY

2. I have no idea where I grabbed this from, but I love it and will attribute soon!

3., 4., 6., 8. Greenwich Village Doorman One Bedroom

5. via Four Walls and a Roof

7. via House Beautiful

9. via Four Walls and a Roof

Rosemary's: Greenwich Village

So I've been showing apartments non-stop for the past few days...long story short, I haven't previewed (and I think it's rude to snap photos with my clients present...just a personal thing). I did, however, try Carlos Suarez's Rosemary's On Greenwich. Rosemary's is a great space that has a rustic elegance and an open, breezy feel. The food? Good. We had the tuna and shrimp frutti di mare to start...the former being the bigger hit at the table. For a midcourse we tried the orecchiette which was wonderful...heartier than most pastas around with great spices, sausage. For dinner, two of us had the skirt steak and the other had a pasta special with herbs, tomatos and corn from the garden upstairs. The steak was fine, nothing to brag about and the portions were small. Our potatos were cold, so they brought us a new plate that was hot and wonderful. The pasta was wonderful...citrusy and fesh tasting, nothing too heavy, but still somehow hearty. We had tiramisu, an apple/mint ice with almond creme and olive oil cake for dessert. The latter two were wonderful. It's young (open for two weeks), so we'll go back when they work out the kinks, but overall it was, well, good.

Where? 18 greenwich Avenue (at 10th)
What? Italian. See above for, well, what we had. Try the pastas and the desserts!

When?  No reservations and it's new, so get there earlyish. I got there at 6:30 and it was empty...chock full by 8:30.

Love Levain Bakery: Upper West Side

Where? 167 West 74th
What? Bakery. OMG, the cookies!! Waiting to pick up keys to show an apartment, I walked down to get a cup of coffee and was taken aback by the smell of butter and sugar and goodness...the cookie (c'mon I had to get one) was chewy and warm, sweet and gooey and wonderful. Three cookies later, I'm hooked and confidently I write that you will be too.
When? M-Sat, 8am- 7pm, Sunday 9am-7pm. There was a line every time I tried to get in on Saturday, but no one was complaining.http://www.levainbakery.com/about/our-story/

Artshot: Jack Beal

 Jack Beal, The Sense of Hearing

 Jack Beal, The Return of Spring at the Times Square/ 42nd Street MTA Station

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 Jack Beal, The Sense of Smell

Give Me Park Avenue! Part 2: Murray Hill

This is one of the gorgeous one bedrooms I teased you with yesterday and, as it turns out, my photos don't give it justice. You'll have to trust me, the finishes are lovely and both the building and apartment are pristine. Great size and views from every window....if you need access to Grand Central, it's in walking distance!

Location: Park Avenue in Murray Hill

Size: One Bedroom, 951sf

 Ammenities: Doorman, Elevator, Laundry

Special Features: Immaculate Stainless Kitchen, Closet Space, Dark Wood Floors, Views from Living Area, Bedroom and Kitchen, Marble Bath

Rent: 4,300.00/mo

Give Me Park Avenue! : Murray Hill

 These photos area bit of a tease....my camera ran out of battery power a couple of minutes into shooting!! I'm posting the kitchens and some of the views of two gorgeous one bedrooms on Park by Grand Central Station! I'll update tomorrow after I have more shots of these beautifully finished apartments in a doorman building. Both are around 900sf (one a little more, one a little less), but they are both knockouts! Stay tuned!

Bright Ideas

I always think that the wonderful paradox of living in NYC is, as expensive as it is, it can also be wildly inexpensive with a little creativity. Housing Works and other thrifts (I'll give you my top ten later) are key to good living at a reasonable price...the window auction that just closed, from their Columbus and 74th location is a great example. I love the idea of taking traditional shapes and transforming them, creating an aesthetic that is uniquely yours! Take a look:

1. Kate Spade Store Interior via Lonny

2. Wonderful Gallery Wall with Neutral Sofa via Lonny

3. Mason Art Sofa sold for $325.00, Housing Works

4. Pamela Bell's Grafitti Sofa via Fibercopia

5., 6., 7. Great Wingchair sold for $350.00, Housing Works

8. Via Home Decor and Interior Design

Up and Down: Gramercy

This is really one of the cutest studios I've seen in a while! Clean and crisp with skylights (it's bright) in an elevator building. A triplex, you walk into a hallway which has the kitchen and the bathroom (behind a pocket door- nice touch!), up the stairs to the living area and then up another to the sleeping area whick fits a full-size bed. The nice thing is, the stairs are actual stairs and not ladders that make you feel as if your on top of the bunk bed...it's cozy, but still feels adult!

Location: Gramercy

Size: Triplex Studio

 Ammenities: Elevator, Laundry

Special Features: Skylights, Closet Space, Full Kitchen (small, but complete)

Rent: 2,550.00/mo
Rented