NY nesting News

Looks like Rosie O’Donnell is taking a page out of arch-enemy-business-magnate Donald Trump’s book and playing the real estate game. Since listing her 3,202-square foot duplex for a whopping $11 million earlier this July, Rosie is ready to end the month by dropping her 2-bedroom condo in the 43-story Platinum near Times Square at 246 West 46th Street.

It comes as no surprise that in today’s economy rent-controlled apartments are the most highly fought over properties in New York City. Who wouldn’t love the stability and promise of rent not increasing in a market where inventory is low and prices are constantly rising. Renters have somewhere stable to live (secure supply), and owners have a full building of tenants (constant demand) who want to stay for many years, so what is the controversy about?

Trinity Church reveals plans to redevelop its ministry offices right behind the church and top them with a 25-story condo tower. 

The mixed-use tower would replace the 90-year-old buildings located at 68–74 Trinity Place. The church has been presented two designs, from two different architecture firms—Cook Fox and Pelli Clarke Pelli, DNAInfo reports.

It’s been less than a year since Rosie O’Donnell purchased her Village duplex penthouse and already she’s trying to sell it for $11 million. Rosie purchased the penthouse, located at 130 West 12th street, in September of last year for $8 million, which was even then slightly over ask.

Leonardo DiCaprio is out and about in New York City on an unorthodox search for an apartment: seemingly, he has only one criterion in mind—a budget of up to $30 million. The New York Post reports that Leonardo was looking at properties on the Upper East Side, Downtown, Nolita, and Soho, which couldn’t be any more unusual.

Breaking news for all Lady Gaga’s little monsters in New York City. Pop Queen Lady Gaga has just rented a luxury duplex penthouse at 40 Central Park South for $22,000 a month. The New York City–born superstar is coming back to her roots. Her new apartment is her first New York City home since she left her $1,100-a-month Lower East Side apartment right before she rose to fame.

“Weeds” star Mary-Louise Parker has finally flipped her fancy Greenwich Village duplex at 32 Washington Square West for $7.45 million, curbed reports. Mary-Louise initially listed the 10-room co-op for $7.995 million in the spring of last year but pulled it off the market in August.

Noho’s latest superstar, the Schumacher at 36 Bleecker Street, just listed its first penthouse, PHB, for $23 million. The Schumacher, which is currently hidden under netting while being restored by star architect Morris Adjimi, is getting surprisingly more buzz than expected.

Just a short while ago, Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former president Bill Clinton, and husband Marc Mezvinsky bought a beautiful $10.5 million condo at 21 East 26th Street. We speculated at the time about how a Ph.D. candidate would ever be able to afford such a grand pad.

The luxury 60-story condo tower, One Madison (Park), may return to the market as soon as August. The distressed luxury tower was first put on the market in 2007. It sold a few apartments but promptly became a magnet for all kinds of troubles. Trouble with buyers, countless lawsuits, and bankruptcy took the building on and off the market.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for actress Chloë Sevigny in selling her East Village apartment. Initially, she loved the apartment, but eventually she decided to sell in order to avoid co-op rules and get an apartment with more light. Chloë first listed the apartment roughly 13 months ago. It’s been on and off the market ever since with slightly different prices. But nothing could move anyone to sign a contract, until now.

We could write a whole blog just about Russell Simmons’ penthouse. It’s located at 114 Liberty Street and has been on and off the market for what seems like an eternity in a desperate search for a buyer. The highlight of the apartment saga was when Sean Combs, known as Diddy, actually contracted to buy the pad over 10 years ago.

“The Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus has bought the penthouse at 136 Baxter Street in Little Italy for $3.8 million. Just this January, Norman sold his 1,558-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment in the same building for $2.08 million. His new duplex penthouse has 2,579 square feet, two bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a home office.

Grammy award–winning artist Kanye West is “secretly” selling his New York City digs at 25 West Houston Street for $4.5 million. Lovebirds Kanye West and Kim Kardashian flipped their $11 million Bel-Air mansion in February and have been seen mansion hunting in the Los Angeles area frequently over the last few days. On top of that, Kanye West obviously sees no need for maintaining a bachelor pad in the Big Apple.

Financing problems and an arrested development seem long forgotten as Franklin Place, formerly known as 5 Franklin Place, just released new renderings and put ten units on the market. 

Originally designed by Dutch architect Ben Van Berkels, Franklin Place was a dark and rather gloomy-looking building but, admittedly, it was unique. The New York–based architecture firm ODA is responsible for the new design and apparently took an entirely different approach choosing a more conventional design.