Last night, sadly, our family at CORE, our industry, and the world, lost a very special man. An authentic man who was a leader in our business for many years. A man I was proud to be associated with, and honored to have as a part of what we have built.

From the first time I met Michael, almost 15 years ago, his energy and zest for the business, and life, was inspiring. His leadership and understanding of marketing was invaluable to the people around him, and he made a huge positive impact on everyone he worked with and for.

In an interview with Michael one year ago, I asked him how he would like to be remembered. His answer to me was, “As a guy who tried to do the right thing.” Well Michael – you were truly that… and that is how the people who knew you will remember you. We will miss you.

Shaun Osher is the founder and CEO of CORE.

L-R: CORE's Natalie Rakowski, author Jennifer Gilbert and DivaMoms founder Lyss Stern

Last night, in collaboration with the DivaMoms Book Club, One Museum Mile hosted “I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag” – an event celebrating the exciting new memoir penned by socialite and acclaimed event planner, Jennifer Gilbert.

Founder of the award-winning event management company Save the Date, Jennifer Gilbert is a well-known entrepreneur and true survivor. During the private event, Jennifer read selections from her new book, “I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag: A Memoir of a Life Through Events — The Ones You Plan and the Ones You Don’t,” sharing her extraordinary life story with an intimate group of guests on the rooftop of One Museum Mile. After listening to selections from her inspiring memoir, Jennifer encouraged guests to ask questions, both personal and professional. Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and expansive views over Central Park from the rooftop of One Museum Mile.

For more information on One Museum Mile, please contact the sales office at (212) 996-1280 or visit the website at onemuseummile.com.

How can you still get some enjoyment out of a rainy New York City day? Set up a camera inside the penthouse of a famously glassy architectural icon to capture how light flows in and out with the clouds. That’s precisely what Curbed recently did at CORE’s rental listing at Blue on the Lower East Side, which recently hosted an event for our own Jarrod Guy Randolph. Check out the time-lapse video above for a moody look at downtown Manhattan. The amazing apartment is still available for $14,000 per month.

There’s nothing like a multi-level apartment to make you feel like you’ve escaped the tight confines of the city. Owners love being able to split up common areas and bedrooms, or just the ability to create a large master suite with total privacy. Here are our favorite duplexes (and one that’s larger) on the market right now.

Where: 211 East 51st Street, PHB
Size: 3 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms
Asking: $5,750,000
Listed by: Tom Postilio

This Midtown East penthouse has a lot going for it besides its central location and vast interior space. Both levels are surrounded by over 1,600 square feet of private terrace space, nearly wrapping around both levels. The inside is in mint condition, and we love the generous proportions of all the rooms. And, of course, you can’t forget the ceiling height, which make the spaces apper even more grand than.

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Welcome to Ten, CORE founder and CEO Shaun Osher’s rapid-fire interview series with prominent CORE figures. Read on to find out how this week’s subject deals with being on the hot seat.

Reba Miller joined CORE as Senior Managing Director of Sales last year after owning her own company for almost 30 years. She is an industry icon, and I am enjoying getting to know her as someone who works side by side with me. She has a sharp sense of humor, a unique sense of fashion, and a style all of her own.

1) How long have you been selling real estate?
27 years and then some!

2) How did you get involved in the business?
My father had retail stores and was a “jobber,” buying, negotiating, and reselling. So real estate was an easy fit for me.

3) How has the industry changed in that time?
The firm of Whitbread-Nolan was one of the premiere companies at the time, and the entire business was based on books of 3 x 6 index cards inscribed with each type of apartment that the firm had to offer. Your books were your listings and the pay phones were your form of communication!

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What: 10 East End Avenue 3E
Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Asking: $1,025,000
Listed by: Win Brown and Ivana Nikolic

Located on the Upper East Side’s quaint East End Avenue, this mid-century modern apartment has just been renovated, and the floor plan allows for great flexibility. Currently the gracious foyer is being used as a dining room, but reverting it back to an entry would be simple and grand. The top-to-bottom renovation also includes custom built-ins and new bamboo floors throughout, giving a fresh and contemporary feel to the two-bedroom apartment, and a top-of-the-line kitchen. It’s asking just a shade over $1 million, which is significantly less than what you’d expect to be paying for an apartment of this quality on the Upper East Side.

A sampling of last week’s press coverage of CORE and CORE properties.

“‘Burg’s New Most Expensive House Comes With Loading Dock”
Curbed
The new listing for 257 Berry Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the neighborhood’s most expensive single-family townhouse, made a big splash on NYC’s most popular real estate blog. CORE’s Doug Bowen and Vickey Barron have the listing. The Real Deal also wrote about the unique house, seen at right.

“Gimme Shelter”
New York Post
Olympic hero Shaun White toured a $5.75 million loft at TriBeCa’s 72 Reade Street listed by Michael Graves. The full-floor apartment has 3,360 square feet, which might be just big enough for a snowboarding half-pipe.

“Harlem becomes magnet for wealthier New Yorkers”
New York Daily News
The sale of a $3.1 million penthouse at CORE’s One Museum Mile luxury condominium development is proof of a big shift on upper Fifth Avenue.

“Living Large: A Penthouse Apartment With A Slide”
CBS
CBS’s Emily Smith took an on-camera tour of the A Building duplex that comes complete with an indoor slide for her Living Large series.

Lately we’ve been focused on Central Park as seen from Fifth Avenue, but we can still appreciate other spots that are great for gawking. Sitting on a corner lot with a curved facade featuring floor-to-ceiling panoramic views, 200 Central Park South provides some great looks at Manhattan’s green masterpiece. Unit #15H in the white-glove co-op, listed by CORE’s Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon, is an oversized 1-bedroom (convertible 2-bedroom), 1.5-bathroom apartment with an amenity to die for: a large balcony with views just above the tree line. It’s a perfect pad for someone who wants stunning vistas without breaking the bank.

Our look earlier this week at a gorgeous Park Slope townhouse has us thinking about the Borough of Kings more and more, so once again we’re jumping across the river for a look at some of our favorite homes currently on the market in Brooklyn.

Where: 257 Berry Street
Size: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms
Asking: $3,790,000
Listed by: Doug Bowen and Vickey Barron

Williamsburg is now firmly entrenched as Brooklyn’s own version of Soho, with converted warehouse buildings, a dense population of artists, and places to see and be seen. Large townhouses in this area are not widely available, and this one — which is new construction, measures 5,000 square feet and includes a gallery space — is a blend of house living with a loft aesthetic. Located right off Bedford Avenue, it’s near everything Williamsburg has to offer while still being situation on a peaceful and calm block.

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Recently we highlighted the very active spring at One Museum Mile, and now the New York Daily News has a follow-up report with some huge news: A penthouse in the luxury condominium tower, at 1280 Fifth Avenue, has just sold for $3.1 million, or around $1,767 per square foot, a staggering amount for the Central Park area above 96th Street. The Daily News writes that the Central Park Conservancy found that home values around 110th Street in Harlem have jumped 39% from 2007 to 2012, and new luxury product, like that found at One Museum Mile (where the Museum for African Art will occupy the base of the building), is a big reason why. But how does the neighborhood compare with the rest of Manhattan? The paper puts it all into perspective:

The price per square foot record puts the area on the same playing field as Chelsea, the East Village, and parts of the upper West Side.

One Museum Mile, located at the northeast tip of Central Park, has more in common with the multimillion-dollar prewar co-ops 20 blocks south than its neighbors. The price per square foot for the sprawling three-bedroom, three-bath doubles and triples current sale prices in and around El Barrio and Central Park North.

To see CORE’s active listings in the 116-unit new development, click here.