A typical New York winter wouldn’t normally include the kind of Monday the city experienced this week, sunny and touching 60 on the thermometer. Global warming fears aside, it makes us think about those apartments in the city that have access to beautiful outdoor spaces built for lounging with family and friends. CORE’s jaw-dropping Chelsea penthouse at 166 West 18th Street, also known as Yves, is so massive and modern that some of the little things — like this private 230-square-foot terrace — tend to go unnoticed. But the way it’s been decked out makes it ideal for capturing those fleeting moments when the New York winter is wonderful.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but for some properties, a thousand words aren’t enough. For those, we have video. Please enjoy the above clip exploring the spectacular house at 38 Bethune Street, a one-of-a-kind private home located on the type of picturesque block that made the West Village one of New York’s most sought-after neighborhoods. Listed by CORE’s Vickey Barron for $14.95 million, 38 Bethune features 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms, a private garage, wood-burning fireplace, laundry room and finished basement with high ceilings. The outdoors are special as well, with two private outdoor areas totaling 1,600 square feet. The High Line and Hudson River Park are also just a short walk away, but for now let’s keep the focus where it belongs: on this meticulously designed beauty.

Where: 34 East 38th Street, 4-B
Size: Studio/1 bathroom
Asking: $429,000
Listed by: Elizabeth Kee

Who says you have to break the bank to live in a gorgeous brownstone off Park Avenue? This studio breaks the mold, offering loft living in a traditional brownstone in Murray Hill, a neighborhood filled with gorgeous historic townhouses that don’t get nearly the amount of press as their Upper East Side and West Village brethren. This isn’t your typical studio, and it’s a great mix of old meets new, with original moldings, a pass-through kitchen, new soundproofed hardwood floors and a full renovation. And our favorite part? The grand fireplace that draws one’s eyes immediately, harkening back to a different era. Speaking of a different era, here’s 34 East 38th Street and its lovely surroundings: (more…)

Architects have the ability to make you feel like you’ve stepped into another place in another time, and the legendary Emery Roth brought the English Countryside to downtown Manhattan at the Devonshire House. Earlier we highlighted a new CORE listing in the pre-war Greenwich Village condominium, and we couldn’t leave the building be without mentioning the lobby, which Roth designed in a Tudor Manor style. Imagine returning to this calm and quaint atmosphere after a long day and you’ll start to understand what makes this building special. Not seen: the beautiful interior garden just outside those windows.

Once a fringe neighborhood housing art galleries and little more, Chelsea has become one of the most in-demand and bustling neighborhoods in Manhattan, a bridge between Downtown cool and Midtown convenience. Here are our favorite available properties in the neighborhood that art created.

Where: 144 West 18th Street, 4-W
Size: 3 bedroom/2.5 bathroom
Asking: $3,850,000
Listed by: Win Brown

This is what many people move to Chelsea for: a huge airy loft with the high-end finishes of a luxury home. Located in the Chainworks Building, which dates back to 1888, this 2,688-square-foot condo has a 40-foot-long living/dining area that’s perfect for entertaining, and a decked out Archlinea kitchen to make cooking for the guests a pleasure. Great layout aside, the building also offers an outdoor lounge with a grill, a rooftop sun-deck, a bike room and more.

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Where: 28 East 10th Street Apt 9-C
Size: 1 bedroom/1 bathroom
Asking: $2,195,000
Listed by: Kirk Rundhaug and Paige Neuhauser

When Greenwich Village’s Devonshire House hit the market in 2009, with the real estate market in turmoil, it was an immediate hit (even with a celebrity here and there). Despite the uncertain global economy, buyers couldn’t pass up what the century-old building offered: A pre-war stunner with architectural pedigree, given a top-to-bottom upgrade by celebrated designer Victoria Hagan and converted to full-service condominiums. It’s a rare product, especially in downtown Manhattan. Now a charming ninth-floor apartment in the Emery Roth-designed building is on the market, showing off the best of this old-meets-new development: custom moldings and millwork, 4-inch white oak hardwood floors, custom Pella windows, E.R. Butler polished nickel hardware and kitchen appliances by Sub-Zero, Wolf and Bosch. The perfect pied-à-terre? It just might be. Below, a look at the Devonshire House’s classic lobby entrance:

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The neighborhood of Wallabout doesn’t have the same name recognition as nearby Brooklyn ‘hoods like Fort Greene, DUMBO or Park Slope, but it has plenty of history — thanks to its location near the 200-year-old Brooklyn Navy Yard — and now, a fledgling real estate boom of its own. That’s according to the New York Times, which highlighted the developing neighborhood and its charms over the weekend. One property featured by the Times is 141 Clermont Avenue (above), on the Fort Greene/Wallabout border, which is a pre-Civil War house that unbelievably still has its original wide plank wood floors in place. It’s listed by CORE’s Doug Bowen, who lives in the neighborhood. Have a peek inside below.

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Ever wonder why real estate near the Brooklyn waterfront sells for Manhattan-like prices? Then we direct you to this shot from the DUMBO neighborhood, where converted industrial loft buildings blend perfect with newer construction, all set against the East River and Manhattan skyline. Specifically this is the twilight view from the amazing penthouse at 189 Bridge Street, and it’s a view you can only get in Brooklyn. Sometimes an “outer” borough gives you the most “inside” New York feeling possible.

Lofts are perhaps the most New York way of living. Airy and spacious, they are the romantic manifestation of the city’s transformation from industrial grit into a chic urban utopia. High ceilings, wide open spaces and cast-iron never go out of style, and here are three of our favorites.

Where: 200 Mercer Street, 2-A
Size: 4 bedrooms/4 bathrooms
Asking: $4,500,000
Listed by: Patrick Mills and Evan Greenberg

This SoHo triplex makes the best use of combining the loft style with a more traditional, townhouse-like layout, creating a common area that is expansive and open but still allows the privacy of a separate floor for bedrooms and an informal media room. What really makes the place special, however, is the third level which simply consists of a large bedroom or office and a huge private outdoor terrace.

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Photo by Richard Caplan

A private piece of the great outdoors is an amazing luxury few in New York can claim to have, but that luxury doesn’t come without its limits. A backyard tends to lose its luster when those New York City winters roll in, and a property where you can enjoy the outside while staying cozy indoors becomes an even more prized possession. This historic Greenwich Village townhouse at 36 Bedford Street is just that, with serene outdoor spaces and enough glass to enmesh you in the outdoors even when the elements suggest otherwise. Your move, Mother Nature.