It’s been an unseasonably warm winter in New York, and the historic former McBurney YMCA is dressing accordingly. Exterior maintenance work on the building, which was converted to a handful of massive loft apartments a few years ago, is now complete, and the Beaux-Arts beauty at 213 West 23rd Street has shed its scaffolding and is once again shining. Today the Daily News takes note of the building, specifically its epic penthouse. Dubbed Chelsea Skyhouse, the 6,000-square-foot apartment — with a 30′ atrium and a layout currently configured as a four-bedroom, each having access to terraces — also includes a staggering 7,000 sq. ft. of private outdoor space. It’s listed for $8.95M by CORE’s Christian Rogers and Emily Beare, who cracks to the Daily News, “People in the suburbs don’t have backyards this big.”

The paper’s Gina Pace adds, “With exposures in four directions, tons of floor-to-ceiling windows and no neighbors on the floor, the space feels like it has been airlifted from the west coast and placed on top of the Beaux Arts-style building.” Click over to the Daily News story for some great photos, and check out the floorplan for the Chelsea Skyhouse below. (more…)

To get away from the chaos and noise of the city without actually leaving Manhattan, many residents choose homes that take on a more pastoral feel. Nobody is claiming that city life is quaint, but a little bit of quiet can totally revolutionize your outlook. Here are three homes that offer a bit of urban oasis mixed in with all the excitement that Manhattan has to offer.

Where: 246 West 17th Street, 1-C
Size: 2 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms
Asking: $2,575,000
Listed by: Stuart Sussman & Tom Postilio

Sunlight splashing in from massive windows looking out onto a verdant private garden: sounds like a perfect escape to us. And who would’ve thought that such an experience was possible in a neighborhood like Chelsea, with all of its nightlife, culture and downtown vibrancy? But it is possible, in this townhouse-like condo featuring 14′ ceilings and design by award-winning architect Ed Rawlings.

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Note: Interior photo is from a model apartment.

Location, location, location the old mantra goes, which is perfect for a building like 305W16, sitting on the edge of three exciting neighborhoods: Chelsea, the Meatpacking District and the West Village. The brand new 53-unit building, where CORE is the exclusive sales and marketing agent, is now over 70% sold and in contract, and move-ins have begun. But that doesn’t make 305W16 an old story. In fact, one of the newest listings, for apartment #6B, is also one of the best — just ask the building’s buyers. Every similar apartment in this line has already sold. What’s the secret? The one-bedroom apartment is in the rear of the building, and the back of 305W16 looks out over a lovely park, which means apartments are flooded with light. Additionally, #6B boasts a 25-foot-long private terrace, a rarity for a one-bedroom home. Plus, the price tag is under a million bucks, which means this new listing might not last long. See the floorplan below, or head to the 305W16 website for more photos and info. (more…)

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

“The luxury list”
The Real Deal
In its first ranking of the top luxury real estate brokers in Manhattan based on sales, The Real Deal magazine tapped CORE Managing Director Emily Beare as one of the top dealmakers in Chelsea, highlighting her $7 million sale at the neighborhood’s iconic Chelsea Mercantile building.

“Houses of the Week”
New York Post
Speaking of the Chelsea Mercantile, Michael Garr’s listing in the building–a great 1,500-square-foot loft priced at just over $2 million (above)–was one of the Post’s featured properties last week. The six large tilt-and-turn windows have some stunning city views, if that’s your thing. (It’s certainly ours.)

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

“The Market That Never Sleeps”
New American Luxury
CORE founder and CEO Shaun Osher was interviewed about trends in the New York City real estate market and how CORE stays ahead of them. Here’s Osher on what people want right now: “Clients are looking for quality—something they’ve become so used to seeing a lack of in this market. New Yorkers want turnkey, well-conceived, perfectly finished apartments and homes.”

“So You’re Priced Out. Now What?”
New York Times
The historic Ladies’ Mile section of Chelsea is offered up as a more affordable version of SoHo in an interesting Times story that looks at five pairs of neighborhoods, one expensive, one cheaper. Part of what gives the Ladies’ Mile its SoHo feel is the conversion of old department stores into lofts, like the Cammeyer, where the Times highlighted Kirk Rundhaug’s $2.8 million listing in the building (right).

“Watts up”
New York Post
Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts checked out three of Vickey Barron’s townhouse listings in the Village, but in the end the celebrity couple decided to buy a loft in TriBeCa.

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

“Where History Meets Industry”
New York Times
The Times‘ “Living In” column took a trip to Brooklyn over the weekend, to the historic neighborhood of Wallabout. CORE’s Doug Bowen, who lives in the neighborhood, gave the paper a primer on what real estate sells for in the area. We’ll have more on this story on the CORE Blog later today.

Listing of the Week
MSNBC
The press can’t get enough of Parul Brahmbhatt’s Steampunk-inspired loft listing at 120 West 29th Street (right), and neither can we. The latest outlet to cover the quirky pad is MSNBC’s The Bottom Line blog, which calls it a “dramatically-inspired space straight out of a Jules Verne novel.”

“Three Developments Change the Stigma of Upper Fifth”
New York Condo Blog
CORE founder and CEO Shaun Osher was interviewed about the changes along Upper Fifth Avenue, where there’s been a boom in construction, including the new CORE project at 1280 Fifth Avenue. Here’s our take on the piece and the neighborhood’s transformation.

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

“Added Life, Costs on West 29th Street”
Wall Street Journal
The WSJ included Parul Brahmbhatt’s quirky listing at 120 West 29th Street (right) in its look at how the boutique Ace Hotel has transformed the neighborhood now being referred to as NoMad. We took a closer look at the topic last week.

“Manhattan Sales and Rental Projects Hitting the Market in 2012″
Curbed
The 54-unit Walker Tower, an ultra-luxury Art Deco condo conversion being brought to the market in the spring, is highlighted in Curbed’s map of new developments to watch in 2012.

“Development updates”
The Real Deal
The Real Deal reported that just two apartments remain available at 83 Franklin, the new Tribeca luxury rental building that starred on an episode of “Selling New York” last month. Apartments in the building have rented for up to $22,500 a month.

Manhattan can never be described as average, but these apartments can. According to the latest market reports, the average sale price of a Manhattan apartment is $1.45 million. What does average look like? Pretty great, if you ask us. Here’s a look at three CORE listings priced around that magic number.

Where: 650 Sixth Avenue #5-A
Size: 1 bedroom/1 home office/2 bathrooms
Asking: $1,575,000
Listed by: Kirk Rundhaug, Mark Lynch and Ryan Fitzpatrick

There’s not much else that can be called average about this expansive (over 1,200 square feet) space that straddles Chelsea and the Flatiron District. The Cammeyer, a pre-war jewel that was once the world’s biggest shoe store, is one of the best loft buildings downtown. The finishes and location are second to none, the layouts are impressive — here there’s a 35′ x 12′ Great Room — and the building’s white-glove service goes above and beyond any concept of “average.”

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