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Leonardo DiCaprio Buys Green Condo In Battery Park City

Leonardo DiCaprio wants to be an environmentally friendly New Yorker. DiCaprio is well known for his love of the planet, so it should come as no surprise that he chose a house that is green to fullest extent.

Among the features making the tony residence perfect for one of Hollywood’s first hybrid owners: a pholtovoltaic grid atop the building allowing tenants to soak up plenty of solar energy; park-style foliage planted atop 75 percent of all open roof space; 264 units decked out with locally obtained renewable materials and low- or nonpollutant paints, sealants and adhesives; and air and water filters to make sure its well-heeled residents aren’t sucking in anything nasty with their morning breath of fresh air.

Although DiCaprio wouldn’t say which amenity is most appealing to him—the 50-foot lap pool, the fully equipped fitness center, the dog spa, the in-house branch of the New York Public Library or the ground-floor storefront recently leased by the Action Center to End World Hunger—he did indicate via his publicist he’s impressed with what Riverhouse has to offer.

It’s great to see a high profile celebrity like DiCaprio be so environmentally aware. I guess it won’t be long until we see a wave of green condo sales popping up like organic weeds.

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Jay-Z And Beyonce Party In New York

Jay-Z and Beyonce have reportedly tied the knot, and they went out and celebrated in New York fashion. Rumor has it that the couple got married Friday in Tribecca.

Signs of preparations started early Friday as paparazzi and fans gathered outside the building where Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, reportedly has a penthouse loft apartment.

Gossip sites showed photos of orchids being delivered to the building and a tent set up on what was said to be the balcony of Carter’s home.

E! News quoted the owner of Amy’s Orchids in Thailand as saying her company shipped orchids to New York for Knowles’ and Carter’s wedding Friday. A designer in the city used 60,000 orchids to create “eight-foot garlands that hung down from the ceiling to make the location look like an orchid palace.”

Not everyone is convinced the union is real. Some skeptics insist the whole thing was just a publicity stunt engineered by Ashton Kutcher.

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Apple Versus New York

Apple goes after New York City due to a new logo being used to promote green living. Apple is being picky, too, because the logo really isn’t that similar.

The Big Apple’s GreeNYC campaign features an emblem–an apple with a stalk and leaf–that has started to appear on city bus shelters, hybrid cabs, and even Whole Foods shopping bags, according to a story first reported by Wired.

Apple says the emblem resembles its own signature logo, and will thus confuse people and “seriously injure the reputation which (Apple) has established for its goods and services,” according to the January filing with the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board obtained by Wired.

Representatives of New York seemed none too worried by Apple. A spokesperson told AP, the new logo “meant to invoke thoughts of upstate New York’s bucolic rural areas, where apple orchards once delivered much of the nation’s crop.”

What do you think? Is it too much like Apple’s logo?

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Long Island City Rising Up

If you are looking for a new place to call home, complete with a waterfront view, Long Island City - referred to as “LIC” might be worth looking into. Located on the East River, the city has underwent revitalization in the past decade.

Long Island City is the home to many folks that work in Manhattan and is serviced by the New York Subway, running trains 7, E, F, G, N, W and R.

Residents and visitors will find plenty of dining and entertainment, with plenty of museums including
SculptureCenter, New York’s only non-profit exhibition space for sculptures.

LIC is also home to a number of specialized high schools, including Aviation High School and the Frank Sinatra School of the arts.

Hunter’s Point is seeing a resurgence in new condos and apartments which could give those looking to
move the perfect spot to relocate to - with all the amenities within reasonable distance.

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New York Real Estate Sees Gain In January

January ended up being a decent month for New York real estate. 21 out of 25 other US markets saw a decline, but January showed sales that were slightly up for New York.

The company’s RPX Monthly Housing Market Report found that for January the change in price per square foot for properties sold varied widely – ranging from gains of 3.9% and 2% in Charlotte, N.C., and New York, respectively, to losses of 25.4% and 27.8% in Las Vegas and Sacramento, Calif. Two metro areas – Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, showed little or no change. Washington, D.C., and Seattle, which had been showing year-over-year appreciation in other months, showed depreciation in January.

New York real estate in January sold for $292.07 per square foot.

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First No Broker Website for the New York City Real Estate Market Launched

The first No Broker website for New York City Real Estate has been launched. The idea is simple: it’s basically a site where “For Sale By Owner” listings can be perused. For those looking to save money, it could be a great way to do business.

“In today’s uncertain real estate market, sellers may think that settling for a smaller profit on the sale or taking their home off the market to wait for more favorable conditions are their only options,” says Reggie Grayson, CEO of Ownersandbuyers.com. “However, there is a better option: ditch the broker and sell the apartment yourself. By adopting a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) strategy, a seller can look forward either to pocketing the 6% he would have paid a broker (a big deal in Manhattan where the average sales price of $1.4 million typically translates into an $84,000 broker’s fee), or pricing his home as much as 6% below similar properties, thereby attracting buyers, while still achieving the same profit he would have received using a broker.”

The site is brand new, so it doesn’t boast too many listings, but that will change as word gets out.

For more information: OwnersandBuyers.com.

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Carnival Cruise Lines Offers Caribbean Cruise Leaving New York

Do you have an itching to get away from the hustle and bustle of New York life?

Well, Carnival Cruise Lines is bringing New Yorker’s the chance to enjoy an 8 day cruise to the Caribbean on their cruiseship The Miracle. This cruiseship accommodates over 2,000 passengers. Ports of call include Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; the private island of Half Moon Cay; and Nassau in the Bahamas.

“We’re always seeking exciting and attractive itinerary choices for our guests and the Carnival Miracle’s new eight-day cruise option combines the opportunity to visit three distinctively different tropical destinations with the convenience of departing from New York, one of America’s great
cities,” said Lynn C. Torrent, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest services.

This route will be offered approximately once a month from May until September 2009.

To find out more about this cruise, please visit Carnival.

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New York Flight Sale

It’s that time of the year when flights in and out of New York City go on sale. American Airlines and American Eagle are offering discounted flights through April 7, 2008.

Tickets are good for domestic travel through May 20, 2008. Here are sample one way fares departing from New York:

New York City - Washington, D.C. $54
New York City - Boston $59
New York City - Orlando $79
New York City - Chicago $79
New York City - Miami $89
New York City - Los Angeles $129
New York City - San Francisco $139
New York City - St. Maarten, N.A. $135
New York City - Montego Bay, Jamaica $144
New York City - London, Heathrow $201
New York City - Barranquilla, Colombia $235
New York City - Zurich $240
New York City - Belize City, Belize $245
New York City - Tokyo Narita $385
New York City - Shanghai $409

Better hurry to lock in a flight deal. Visit AA.com to book online.

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Whitney Museum Presents 74th Biennial Show

Biennial - what’s known as the most controversial art show is going to be on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

The Biennial showcases the work of 81 artists, most of which work in New York City. Other artists come from San Francisco or Los Angeles. It consists of the visions of artists and seeks to show life in a different light.

The 74th Biennial Show runs now through June 1, 2008

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Worst Sales Decline In 18 Years For Manhattan Condos

Condos in Manhattan have generally known only one direction for their prices in the last 18 years and that has been up. But all that has changed lately, as the mortgage crisis hits new lows. Prices for condos in Manhattan have suffered their worst decline in 18 years.

Sales fell 34 percent from a year earlier and inventory rose 4.6 percent to 6,194 units, New York-based real estate appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and broker Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate said in a report today. The median price of a Manhattan co-operative apartment or condominium increased 13.2 percent to a record $945,000.

“If it continues along this pattern, we’re in a period of transition to a weaker market,” Miller Samuel President Jonathan Miller said in an interview. “You typically see a slowdown in sales activity precede a slowdown in pricing.”

The big problem, of course, has been fallout from woes in the financial industry, which have been facing very unprofitable times. Unless profits improve for Wall Street firms, the local real estate market could face further lows.

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