The New York Observer » Upper West Side

A-Rod’s Apartment Hits a Homer at the Rushmore

Aside from his oft-discussed, revolving door of high-profile girlfriends, Alex Rodiguez is known for being a playboy on an entirely different field. No, not on the baseball diamond—that ninth inning strike out won't be forgotten any time soon—but in the real estate market. After bowing out of his 15 Central Park West rental, Mr. Rodriguez bought a full-floor spread at the Rushmore for $5.5 million last spring.

The third baseman is in the process of taking a walk, but it appears he will score on the place after only 8 months. Read More

UWS Fights Back Against Chain Stores

Maybe the Fulton Mall just needs some zoning changes to save its mom and pop shops. That's what they're doing on the Upper West Side, tired of all the giant Duane Reades and Chases. New zoning requirements would limit the size of stores on Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, protecting the character of the neighborhood and possibly discouraging national retailers, who tend to prefer bigger spaces.

Not surprisingly, landlords are not happy about the proposal, according to The Journal. Read More

Winos Sell Lincoln Center Townhouse for $11 M.

While their first love may be organic wine, Dana Johnson and Mark Nelson must have a special place in their heart for real estate. As owners of the Ovid vineyard in Napa Valley, the couple boast impressive holdings in wine country, and, until quite recently, also had a nice full-bodied pied-a-terre on the Upper West Side, though the oenophiles have spilled their townhouse at Lincoln Center.

The 20-foot-wide brownstone located at 48 West 69th Street, was built in 1898. The California-based couple bought it almost a century later in 1997, paying a mere $1.67 million dollars for the property at the time, according to StreetEasy. While we cannot vouch for their Chardonnays, the home was a worthy investment: Ms. Johnson and Mr. Nelson have sold it for a full $11 million, according to city records. Read More

Shlomi the Money: How Shlomi Reuveni, International Man of Mystery, Became Manhattan’s Best Selling Broker

It was a clear fall day on the Upper West Side as Shlomi Reuveni walked briskly down Broadway. Rising on either side were the Art Deco and Gothic buildings with their enduring cornices and hand-laid bricks, the quintessence of Uptown living.

Mr. Reuveni was headed for the Laureate, a recently completed condo building that has been quietly commanding some of the top prices in the neighborhood, thanks largely to his efforts as the building’s broker. High profile notwithstanding, The Observer almost walked right past the place. It may have been Mr. Reuveni’s broad stride that distracted us from the entrance on 76th Street. Or perhaps it was the luxury building’s understated glory. The Laureate is camouflaged, almost theatrically so, to match its surroundings. The faux prewar detail is impressively comprehensive, from the painted iron balconies to the granite and limestone facade.

“Hey Shlomi!” the man at the front desk called out. “Hello!” Mr. Reuveni responded, beaming brighter than the lights of the lobby’s artificial Christmas tree.

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Maurice Mann, Apthorp Developer, Buys Rival Condo for $7 M.

Maurice Mann knows a thing or two about luxury real estate. A developer himself, Mr. Mann was involved in the purchase of the Apthorp, and while that venture has hit one or two road bumps, Mr. Mann has found his way into another luxury building. After selling his place at The Eldorado for $3 million in September, Mr. Mann has finally settled on a new abode. Like so many of his uptown peers, he has purchased a penthouse at the Laureate. Read More

Hollywood to The Carlyle: Paramount Boss Brad Grey Buys for $15.5M

Sitting on the board of N.Y.U.'s Stern Business School, hedge funder Peter Schoenfeld knows a thing or two about economics: buy low, sell high.

Back in 2007, Mr. Schoenfeld and his wife Charlotte bought the the entire 26th floor of the storied Carlyle Hotel for $6.4 million from Allbritton Communications, the publisher of Politico. It was the height of the real estate boom, so you would think Mr. Schoendfeld had overpaid. Not so! According to city records, he has just flipped the property to none other than Hollywood power broker Brad Grey. Read More

Cyborg-Loving Uterus Artist Sells UWS Penthouse

The very notions of "green" and "penthouse" seem to be at odds. When considering the lifestyle one expects from a penthouse resident, eco-friendly is certainly not the first quality that comes to mind, being up in the clouds as the owner is. Leave it to an artist to reconcile the two! Actor/artist to be precise. Carson Grant has sold his environmentally conscious penthouse at 255 West 90th Street. Read More

Midwood Rabbi Takes $3.4 M. Vow at the Rushmore

It seems that we're in the wrong profession. Although The Observer has long considered a career in rabbinical studies, we fully intend to pursue our religious calling after noticing a recent real estate transaction involving Rabbi Alvin Kass. Rebbe Kass, who also serves as the NYPD's head chaplain, and his wife Miryom have just Read More

Coach King Lewis Frankfort Leaves The Olcott, Buyer Assembling a Palace

This season was not a hit for Lewis Frankfort.

Although the CEO of Coach has transformed the stodgy bag maker, turning big profits for his company in recent years, the businessman doesn't exactly show the same prowess when it comes to his real estate dealings. Mr. Frankfort and his wife, Roberta, have sold their place at the The Olcott, and the deal was not a great fit. Read More

Another Seven-Figure Deal for UWS’ Laureate

Everybody's favorite uptown development The Laureate is at it again. Last week a $12.5 million deal came through, the largest so far at the new Upper Broadway building, and this week another penthouse has sold, this one for $10 million.

Although the buyers purchased through an LLC, The Observer traced their Marlboro, NJ address to Tamar and Gary Tolchin. Mr. Tolchin keeps himself busy in investing while the couple divide their time between philanthropy, horse-breeding and The Mill, an upscale New Jersey restaurant they co-purchased in 2001. Read More

Laureate Lands $12.5 M. Penthouse Deal

Is The Laureate New York's new It building? After a series of pricey sales over the summer, it yet another blockbuster sale has just closed in the building, for one of the massive penthouses.

One of the two top-floor penthouses—there are, inexplicably, at least six "penthouses" in the building—sold last month, according to city records. The developer asked $13 million for the place and ultimately fell just short: the 3,558-square-foot condo sold for $12.5 million, a new record for the building. Read More

Dorothy Parker’s Childhood Home Could Be Torn Out

Although Harold Ross' home may soon find a new loving owner, it seems that a residence belonging to his friend and colleague Dorothy Parker will meet a more tragic fate. An Upper West Side home, located at 214 West 72 Street, where the author and literary critic lived as a child, may soon be demolished, DNAinfo reports. The home suffered heavy damage during the construction of The Corner, a massive highrise recently erected next door. Read More

‘First Time Around’ on Upper West Side for Bravo’s Fashion Hunters Retailer

Second Time Around, the upscale consignment shop—and now star of Bravo’s new reality show Fashion Hunters—inked a lease for 1,200 square feet at 233 West 99th Street, The Commercial Observer learned exclusively. Read More

Clive Davis Buys at The Rushmore

We know Brooklyn may be too costly for Jay-Z, but has it priced out Clive Davis as well? The Brooklyn-born music executive has just purchased a new place not in his native borough, but on Manhattan's Upper West Side. At tony condo The Rushmore to be more precise.

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Author’s Son Goes Big on Broadway

We told you last week that the estate of noted musical historian Joan Peyser had sold her pristine townhouse. It looks like her son, Tony Peyser, has been busy on the real estate front as well. Mr. Peyser and his wife, Suzanne Horn, just bought a place at 2150 Broadway. Read More