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Apartment City: 40 Bond

12 Jan, 2010 | Apartment City

On Christmas Eve, I made a trip downtown to complete an in-store pick up of the very last Xmas gift on my list. I was not happy about this trip as it was cold-as-hell that day.

After picking up the gift, I decided to walk east of Lafayette St., hoping I would have an easier time hailing a cab on Bowery (btw – def going to try the resty Gemma in the Bowery Hotel Anyone been? Anyone want to go with me??).

I turned on Bond Street and on my walk towards Bowery, the most amazing aluminum structure caught my eye…

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When I looked up, I saw that the building had a stunning facade made of greenish, vintage soda bottle-colored glass.

But…was this building residential or commercial? I had no idea. Besides open views into some of the lit rooms (yes, was a total peeping MG), I noticed a huge “40″ over the entrance. Wow.

Simply breathtaking…

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Effortless Luxury Living is the essence of 40 Bond, a sophisticated new concept in urban living created by Ian Schrager. The building, designed by the eminent Swiss architects Herzog de Meuron, is an architectural masterpiece.

40 Bond Street contains twenty-seven unique apartments, many with terraces, five townhouses which are the first built in generations, as well as the city’s most extraordinary penthouse.The living spaces are organized as a series of gathering places, discarding the old formal model of the luxury apartment for the flowing energy of the modern loft space.

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Atop the building, and overlooking all neighboring structures, is a unique glass house—the crown of a triplex penthouse like no other in New York, with landscaped gardens.

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About Ian Schrager:

Since the 70’s, entrepreneur Ian Schrager, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ian Schrager Company, has achieved international recognition for concepts that have revolutionized both the entertainment and hospitality industries. His groundbreaking hotel concepts have changed the business and set industry standards that continue to be imitated throughout the world.

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Price? Doesn’t matter…all residences are SOLD.

kissies,

18 Comments / Add Yours

Apartment City: "10 NYC Neighborhoods That Changed the Most This Decade"

29 Dec, 2009 | Apartment City

I can tell you by personal experience that there have been obvious changes in some of my fav neighborhoods over the last few years…

A few years ago, when I hauled myself back into the dating scene, I used to meet 1st dates in quaint Brazilian resty’s located in Alphabet City. Partly bc the resty’s had authentic food, but mostly bc it shuffled my date & I out of commercial E. Village traffic.

Now, if I stop by any of my former spots, they are filled with suits on match.com dates…sooo NOT joking.

One night a gf & I had stopped by a former fav spot for an early dinner. We walked in and literally half the resty was filled with Finance Guys who were shooting down caipirinhas & mint mojitos like tap water.

And…we just happened to have been seated next to one couple, who definitely met online. How could I tell?

Convo:

GUY: “It’s great to finally meet you.”
GAL: “Me too.”
GUY: “Wow. You look just as amazing in person.”
GAL: “Thank you. You look…….nice.”

LOL.

(BTW, in this particular resty, the tables are placed so close together that you can actually tell the time by looking at the person’s watch next to you. I know this bc I did it myself. Whatevz!)

I heard GUY also say to his date:

GUY: “Yea, I love this place. I like going to spots no one knows about.”

Dude, if YOU are here - EVERYONE knows about it!

Pssshaw. I kid. Ok, no I don’t.

Anywho, Midtown East hasn’t changed too much besides having a few shops close and now re-open as pet stores. There are more specialty pet shops in my area than there are Duane Reades! Midtown Pups couldn’t be happier about this change.

I, however, NEED my Duane Reade – a.k.a. my lifeline.

10 NYC Neighborhoods That Changed the Most This Decade
by Izzy Grinspan
source: from www.racked.com here

It’s hard to crown a winner: Williamsburg has undergone full reconstructive surgery since 1999, but the Meatpacking District is also a strong contender. (Remember when the trannies threw eggs at Samantha’s window on Sex and the City? That episode first aired in August of 2000.) So instead of ranking them, we’re just going to let the experts make their cases for the title of most altered neighborhood of the Aughts. If you’re home and bored this Christmas Eve, do let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Madison Avenue: “Madison Avenue is quite sad with all the for-rent signs and empty storefronts—all of which transpired in the last year and half!”—Alexis Maybank, founder, Gilt Groupe

The Bowery/the LES: “The Bowery and the Lower East Side are growing and changing the fastest.”—John Bartlett

Soho: “I feel that Soho has changed the most for retail shopping. It’s almost entirely big brands. Soho feels a bit like a shopping mall now…just a teensy scoochy bit.”—Toni Hacker, designer, Hayden-Harnett

Eighth Street: “Eighth Street was always tacky and vibrant and kind of fabulous. Now most of the shop-fronts are for rent.”—Simon Doonan, creative director, Barneys

source: Berk2804/Flickr

Williamsburg: “Ten ago the big highlight used to be buying second-hand clothes for $2 a pound on Driggs. Now you can get a vibrator for $200.”—Marsha Brady, creative director, American Apparel

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The Meatpacking District: “Where else can you find luxury co-mingling with the scent of rotting flesh? The meatpacking district! Only in New York will we pay top dollar to live and play in a neighborhood that still houses functional meat packing plants. Not so bad in the winter, but in the summer, that smell wafting by Alexander McQueen is not exactly the next new fragrance. Wow. And ladies, watch your heels. Mind the blood—slippery when wet.”—Andy Salzer, designer, Yoko Devereaux

source: Jay Woodsworth/Flickr

South Brooklyn: “I’m cheating a bit since it’s not just one neighborhood, but Brooklyn. At the beginning of the decade I lived in Boerum Hill, and Butter on Atlantic Avenue was pretty much the only game in town. These days I’m back in Manhattan but some of my favorite stores are there: Dear Fieldbinder, Bird, Erie Basin. If there’s any truth to the rumors of a Barneys Co-op opening up on Atlantic Avenue, I won’t be at all surprised.”—Kim France, editor, Lucky

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Bleecker Street: “Marc Jacobs was the sole pioneer of Bleecker Street, but I like to think that we, being a few blocks away, contributed to the growth of one of the city’s chicest shopping neighborhoods.”—Cynthia Rowley

Dahlings…have any of your fav neighborhoods changed?

City kissies,

p.s. – special SHOUT-OUT to Sasha from Little Pink Book PR for listing Midtown Girl in her “Top 10 To Follow in 2010″ post here!!

Heart you tons, Sasha!! XOXO

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Holiday Wishes to Midtown Girls All Over the World!

24 Dec, 2009 | Holidays in NYC

Dahlings…

I cannot believe next week, we will be in 2010.

I also cannot believe my Christmas gift shopping was relatively stress-free.

And speaking of Christmas - have I shared pics of my Apt. Christmas Tree?

5 yrs old now, it is resident Xmas tree that goes up the day after Thanksgiving – small enough to be stored out of site, but still big enough to exude ample Christmas Spirit - I adore it.

(WTF - My Star tree-topper stopped working…for hell’s sake!)

My Horchow Santa – I want his coat!!

Last year, I was fortunate enough to snag a Pomeranian ornament, from Neiman Marcus (on sale – yay!), as a tribute to Midtown Pups.

She told me loves it

AND…SURPRISE!

I received a wonderful, awesome surprise delivered to me on Christmas Eve: An ah-may-zing friend gifted me a personalized Ginger Bread House!!!

When I saw UPS come up the stairs carrying this huge box I told him he had the wrong apt:

ME: “You have the wrong apt. I definitely didn’t order anything.”
UPS: “You’re Amy right?”
ME: “Ah, yes.”
UPS: “Well it says ‘To Amy’.”
ME: “Oh, okay. AWESOME!”

LOL – thank you, wonderful friend for sending me my own Ginger Bread “Amy’s Place”!!!

I heart it & I heart you, love!

Midtown Girl & Midtown Pups wish all of our fabulush & amazing readers, bloggers, besties, friends & family, a gorgeous & heart-warming Holiday!

LOVE YOU X 100.

Christmas kissies,

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Apartment City: How Small is Too Small?

14 Dec, 2009 | Apartment City

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Wow.

Ok…when I read this article on nypost.com early this morning, I could not BELIEVE the things peeps would sacrifice in order to live in Manhattan. It’s unreal.

And I have to tell you dahlings, that even though I am still a renter, I must come home to a place that makes me feel comfortable & relaxed. AND, it must be aesthetically pleasing to me.

Otherwise – coming back to my apt would be absolutely effing miserable.

Last year I spent a lot of energy re-decorating my apartment to suit my taste and it has made my life so much more positive & bright. It has turned my apt into an environment that is conducive to developing new project ideas, completing current work projects & overall a great place to live.

Of course, if I had an absurd amount of dispensable income, I would love to live in a penthouse in a lux high-rise (one day dammit!) . But for now, my apt suits me just fine and is actually one of my fav places to be – in Midtown of course!

There are however, a few things I cannot sacrifice:

separate kitchen (mine is tiny as hell but it’s still separate);
separate bedroom (unless your apt is a large studio, who wants to live & sleep in the same room?); and
enough space so I don’t feel claustrophobic (of which, I actually am!).

The folks in this article seem to be just fine without these things and even less….

Small Price to Pay

By ANGELA MONTEFINISE
SOURCE: nypost.com

They do their dishes in the shower, sit sideways on the toilet and need to watch their weight just to fit into their bathrooms.

But these cramped New Yorkers wouldn’t have it any other way.

A week after The Post told the story of Zaarath and Christopher Prokop and their 175-square-foot micro-studio on Sunday, other New Yorkers lined up to share their tales of living small, including a 55-square-foot apartment in Hell’s Kitchen and a 90-square-foot home on the Upper West Side.

“To me, it’s all about location,” said Eddie Rabon, 24, who lives in a microscopic Hell’s Kitchen abode. “I’m in an amazing neighborhood, and the money I save on rent alone lets me really enjoy New York for what it is. My apartment is a place to hang my hat and catch a few hours of sleep. That’s it.”

55 sq. ft., Hell’s Kitchen

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When freelance event planner Eddie Rabon talks about his itty-bitty pad — just one square foot larger than a Rikers Island jail cell — the excitement is clear in his voice.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s a great neighborhood in the greatest city. It’s about $800 a month. You won’t find that price anywhere else in this area. I feel like the money I save not having to get on the train to get around because I’m in the center of everything is worth it.”

Rabon said the longest wall in his apartment is 121/2 feet, and that includes the apartment door. At its narrowest spot, he can spread his arms and almost touch both opposing walls. He said he has trouble turning around in his little shower, and said taller friends have been unable to close the bathroom door if they need to sit.

“The bathroom has an airplane sink turned lengthwise,” he said. “So I can’t actually fit in over the sink.

90 sq. ft., UWS

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The first night Felice Cohen, 39, slept in her tiny apartment — with a full-size loft bed only 23 inches from the ceiling — she had a “panic attack.”

“But now I love it. It’s cozy,” she said of the 12-by-7-foot place, which rents for just over $700 a month.

Her tiny bathroom is a challenge, though: “I had to learn to sit sideways on the toilet so I don’t bang my leg on the tub.”

105 sq. ft., Greenwich Village

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Genevieve Shuler, 31, always knew she wanted to live near Washington Square Park, the neighborhood her parents once called home. “When I first walked in, I thought, ‘This is really incredibly tiny,’” she said of the $780-a-month pad. “There were no closets, no real kitchen. But I knew I could do more with it . Once I knew my loft bed could fit, I took it.” When it comes time to do the dishes, because the kitchen sink is so small, “I do them in the shower.”

Q: Would you dahlings sacrifice comfort for location?

kissies,

p.s. – The winner of MG’s Daffy’s Giveaway is – Very Married! Congrats darling, send me your email!! AND

p.p.s – I have a new giveaway that I will be posting about later today – so please look out for it! AND

p.p.p.s – Since Wed is SIMC, I will be sure to write up my date from this weekend, on this Thursday’s post…just so you know my sched, dolls – LOL! XOXO

27 Comments / Add Yours

Solo Living in the City…

4 Nov, 2009 | Apartment City

I recently read this NY Post article & wanted to share it with you dahlings…

source

Poll: Half of Manhattan residents live alone

By CHUCK BENNETT - Last Updated: 10:31 AM, October 30, 2009

New Yorkers have no excuse for dateless Friday nights.

 More than half of all Manhattan residents are living alone — and the number of singles in the city is continuing to rise to historic levels, new Census Bureau data show.

 That means you’ve got a 50-50 shot that the cute neighbor down the hall is looking for love.

 The borough now resembles some kind of “Sex and the City” fantasyland with a majority of households, 50.3 percent, with just one resident — no roommate, no spouse, no family, no kids.

 When the other four boroughs are factored in, the single household rate drops to 33.5 percent — a little closer to the national average of 27.5 percent, according the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

 New York first passed the 50 percent mark in 2007 in what sociologists called an inevitable trend.

 There are numerous forces turning Manhattan into an isle of singletons, explained William Helmreich, deputy chairman of City College’s sociology department. The factors include high-paying jobs, the expense of raising a family, longer-living widows and widowers, and, of course, a celebrated culture of singledom.

 “Singles attract more singles,” he said. “They participate in a lifestyle that is mutually reinforcing. The more single people engage in that lifestyle, the more acceptable it is, and the more acceptable it is, the more people are going to do it.”

 Sociologists now call the time people in their 20s and 30s spend solo “early adulthood” to differentiate it from the period before they marry and have children — which is happening later and later.

 Manhattan real-estate agents have long been profiting from the borough’s lonesome ways.

 There were 376,916 single households in Manhattan in 2008 — that’s up several thousand from the year before, according to the Census data.

 “The biggest evidence of that trend, the biggest proof, is that it’s easiest to rent a studio or small one-bedroom. Those are far and way the most popular apartments we rent,” said Stu Greenberg, owner of the 15-year-old Fireside Realty in Manhattan.

 Ladies, however, are at a disadvantage.

 There are 212,000 single female households compared with 165,000 male single.

 Many of those women are lonely hearts, but they aren’t all Carrie Bradshaws.

 “It reflects the large number of elderly in the city’s population, and many live by themselves when their partner dies,” noted Richard Alba, a sociology professor at the CUNY Graduate Center.

 chuck.bennett@nypost.com

 

Lonely with just his dog

 Ben Seiter lives alone, but can’t wait to share his East Village place with that special somebody.

 “Living with a girlfriend would be better. It would keep me more stabilized,” said the 28-year-old real-estate agent.

 “When you live with a girlfriend, they tend to keep you on your toes and keep you in line.”

 Seiter searches for his perfect match while roaming the neighborhood with his English bulldog, Olivia Newton-John.

 One upside to living without a male roommate is that it is easier to look for Miss Right.

 “I think girls are lot more comfortable dating someone who lives alone. You look more responsible,” he said.

 “You don’t have to worry about someone walking in on you.”

Amber Sutherland

 

Grateful for her freedom

 Gemma Alvarez, a 30-something personal trainer, can’t imagine living any other way than solo.

 “I’ve been alone in Manhattan since 2003,” said Alvarez, who pays $1,850 a month for an East Village studio.

 “I love living alone. I can focus on being fit, being healthy and building my business.”

 She said she is dating and just broke up with a boyfriend last month.

 But for now, cohabitation is the last thing on her mind.

 “It feels good to be free and not preoccupied with anyone else. I don’t have to answer to anybody,” she said.

 “And Manhattan is the best borough. Everything is at your doorstep.”

Amber Sutherland

New Yorkers have no excuse for dateless Friday nights.

More than half of all Manhattan residents are living alone — and the number of singles in the city is continuing to rise to historic levels, new Census Bureau data show.

That means you’ve got a 50-50 shot that the cute neighbor down the hall is looking for love.

The borough now resembles some kind of “Sex and the City” fantasyland with a majority of households, 50.3 percent, with just one resident — no roommate, no spouse, no family, no kids…

There are numerous forces turning Manhattan into an isle of singletons, explained William Helmreich, deputy chairman of City College’s sociology department. The factors include high-paying jobs, the expense of raising a family, longer-living widows and widowers, and, of course, a celebrated culture of singledom.

“Singles attract more singles,” he said. “They participate in a lifestyle that is mutually reinforcing. The more single people engage in that lifestyle, the more acceptable it is, and the more acceptable it is, the more people are going to do it.”

source

Sociologists now call the time people in their 20s and 30s spend solo “early adulthood” to differentiate it from the period before they marry and have children — which is happening later and later…

Ladies, however, are at a disadvantage.

There are 212,000 single female households compared with 165,000 male single.

Many of those women are lonely hearts, but they aren’t all Carrie Bradshaws….

~Huh. Interesting read & stats, right?~

Well CHECK OUT some comments posted under the article – DAMN

From Comment Section:
( sourced but I refuse to list the commenter’s name – aww hellz naw)

From ‘C’- “The women of NYC are complete slobs or golddiggers! Who wants to date some fat, sloppy cow with no class. Hip Hop Culture, Activism and Liberalism.I say stick to Latin American women and Slavic women, but never a NYC born hag.”

‘C’ again - “Most women in NYC dress and look like crap. When you women start dressing like Russians: straight hair, high heels, pretty face, make up and thong, then perhaps I will consider going after you. As for Latinas, you girls need to a get over your self-important independent mindset. Having a job and making 50k does not make you a catch. And no, I do not want to be bother with any drama from that for real, we is, we was? ghetto ex boyfriend of yours. In conclusion, most of you women need to grade yourself on a global scale to know your true value. Meaning: dress hot (straight hair, thong, fit), speak proper and have class and style. There are many good guys there in Wall St, who do honest work and dress sharp and are good people….why should we settle for anything less than a 9.5?”

Response to that last ‘C’ comment: “You don’t need to worry about women not living up to your standards. Guess what? We have no interest in your type. You could look like a GQ cover model or make millions, you are still an egotistical bore. Women love men who love women, not men who put them down. Period. And guess what? According to this article (and many of my single friends) lots of women love living alone, meaning without an idiot like you who requires “straight hair” and a “thong” I suggest you simply pay for it, jerk.”

Whoa. Okaaay…Thoughts???

kissies,

p.s. Don’t forget to Enter the Midtown Girl & Perricone MD Cold Plasma Giveaway ($150 value) HERE!!!

And SPEAKING of Giveaways…
The beautiful Savvy Gal from Savvy Mode
informed me that I won her
Oversize Watch Giveaway!
HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!?!

So freakin’ excited – thank you tons Savvy Gal &
dahlings, please go check out her fab blog!

25 Comments / Add Yours

Current Stat: Lease RENEWAL & the City…

26 Oct, 2009 | Apartment City

Ok…

So, remember my original lease post I did a few months ago? Well, I finally renegotiated my lease & I was able to keep my current rent – with NO increase!

I guess its kind of a win except…I’m still RENTING! Dammit.

Which means no pastel candy colored walls just yet, for moi…

In the mean time however, here is some eye candy
‘Candy Color Combinations’ from the Sofia Coppola 2006 film-

Marie Antoinette

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Pale turquoises, light lilacs, butter yellows, creamy pinks…
Aren’t these colors just decadent?

One day I hope to have these..pretty PLEASE?

kissies,

23 Comments / Add Yours

Neighbor Rant.

12 Oct, 2009 | Friend-iquette

To my New Neighbor across the hall,

Welcome and congrats on moving into the Apt of Love! I see (hear) that you have a dog, which is great bc I have a dog too. Actually, I’m not sure why I think that’s great bc according to the unwritten NYC Apt Living Code, you & I will prob never speak more than 5 words to each other whilst we co-exist in the same building.

Anywho, I must admit that cordial greetings are not the only reason for writing you this letter.

You see, every time you leave your apt in the evenings & wkdns (esp. 6am on Sunday morns) your dog starts to cry. Let me rephrase this – he starts to WAIL UNCONTROLLABLY of what sounds to me cries of desperation and/or abandonment.

This in turn, makes my own Midtown Pups bark loudly as a response.

You see, I don’t mind if your dog (whom I can hear through 3 closed doors) cries bc he misses you, I just can’t deal with the incessant wailing for HOURS on end.

Bc I am a good neighbor, I will offer you some suggestions: