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

Introducing the Upper East Side’s New CORE
In celebration of CORE’s new Madison Avenue office, our good friends at The New York Observer hosted a night of mingling, good food, and outstanding conversation last Wednesday at Rouge Tomate.  The New York Observer was also celebrating the launch of their new lifestyle section “NYO”, with guests of the party getting a first look at the new publication.  Guests included CORE brokers and staff, industry professionals, developers, architects, members of the media, and other invited guests.

Living Large:  A Townhouse in the Sky
Adrian Noriega’s penthouse listing at 15 West 20^th Street was the highlight of last week’s “Living Large” segment with Emily Smith.  The Flatiron District home, equipped with over 2,000 square-feet of terrace space, private elevator access, and several other upgraded amenities, represents the best in luxury city living.

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Last July, New York City’s Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced his adAPT NYC contest for proposals on the development and design of micro-dwellings based on the idea of accommodating the housing needs of the City’s growing population. Shortly after, CORE’s CEO, Shaun Osher, was interviewed by CNN on the contest and overall concept of micro-apartments in Manhattan.

Since then, 33 development teams submitted renderings, floor plans, and other visuals in the hopes of winning the first NYC contest focused on facing the challenges of space and a growing population within an urban setting. In early 2013, Bloomberg announced the winning group from the adAPT NYC contest which includes Monadnock Development, Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation and nARCHITECTS. The winning team’s design will be constructed on a city-owned site at 335 East 27th Street and will consist of compact residences ranging from 250-375-square feet.

Although this project hasn’t even broken ground yet, the response generated from the contest by developers, architects, real estate professionals and the general public has proved Mayor Bloomberg’s housing goal to be valid and in many ways necessary. Yesterday, the New York Observer reported that the Department of Housing Preservation and Development is hoping to have another request for proposal (RFP) out on another 2-3 micro-unit developments throughout the City this year. We can’t wait to see what the next round of proposals for micro-apartments will look like, and we’re excited about this small new development trend within one of the world’s greatest cities.

In 2009, there were more than 10,000 Manhattan apartments for sale. This year, there aren’t even half that many. On Tuesday, April 2nd, Jarrod Guy Randolph was featured on a CNN Money segment about the creative measures brokers must take in Manhattan’s current low inventory market. In the segment, “NYC Brokers Get Creative to Score Listings,” Jarrod was interviewed by CNN reporter, Zain Asher. Strategies Jarrod has employed include schmoozing with doormen who know “everything that’s going on in their building” to sending strategically targeted letters. Jarrod has been able to remain successful even in one of the worst markets. His creativity even allowed him to score a gorgeous $1.975M listing at 456 West 19th Street. Watch Jarrod’s interview on CNN Money below.

Last week, CNN showcased Michael Graves’ $17.5 million listing at 105 Chestnut Ridge Road in its “Unique Homes” feature.  The state of the art French manor house with a Corinthian stone exterior is located in one of Saddle River’s most prime locations and offers ultimate luxury and sophistication.  At 25,000-square feet, this sprawling home features radiant heated floors, custom moldings, an elevator to each floor, a universal Crestron home entertainment system and USTA grade tennis court, just to name a few of the homes’ amenities.  This home’s most impressive feature, however, has to be the indoor swimming pool, located in the middle of the living room, accommodating up to 40 people.  Watch the video below to get a look at this stunning new property.

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

Worth It! Innovative App Lures Buyers to Tribeca Luxury Condo
New York Daily News
93 Worth’s interactive app was featured on the cover of the Daily News’ real estate section.  With the use of Aurasma, the app showcases unique features that allow users to experience the history and amenities of the new development.  Shaun Osher sits with Daily News real estate Editor Jason Sheftell to discuss the innovative digital marketing campaign.

Living Large
CBS 2
Tony Sargent and Emily Beare take us on a tour of their $5.4 million exclusive, duplex penthouse at 39 Fifth Avenue.  CBS’ Emily Smith follows them throughout the home, complete with intricate finishes and features, including hand-painted wallpaper and walls.

Unique Homes
CNN
At 105 Chestnut Ridge Road, Michael Graves’ $17.5 million dollar listing is showcased in CNN Money’s “Unique Homes” feature.  A truly one-of-a-kind listing, this mansion is most noted for its grand entry and in-ground swimming pool in the home’s living room.

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

“Buyers in a hurry to buy at One Murray”
Real Estate Weekly
CORE’s new Long Island City condo development, One Murray Park (right), is off to a quick start, with 40% of the building’s 45 units already in contract. “Price ranges are like 2006, 2007 levels,” says CORE’s Doron Zwickel, who is marketing the building. “Some prices are even higher.”

“Living small in New York City”
CNN
Watch Shaun Osher comment on Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to build 300-square-foot “micro-apartments” in Manhattan on CNN, and read Osher’s additional thoughts on the topic in his CORE Blog post last week. CORE’s Jarrod Guy Randolph also commented on the Bloomberg plan in the New York Daily News.

“Love letters”
New York Post
A feature story on surging prices and interest in the Alphabet City portion of the East Village includes some analysis of the neighborhood’s real estate market by Elizabeth Kee. “Never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine [prices would be this high], but it’s a simple supply and demand curve,” says Kee.

This week, Mayor Bloomberg initiated a competition for developers to design a rental building filled with efficient studio “micro-apartments” no bigger than 300 square feet each. The current zoning precludes anyone from doing this, so it would be a change to the law — and even though it’s illegal, everyone knows that there are people who live in the confines of space smaller than this. How many people are there in this city who share an apartment of 600 square feet with 2 roommates?

I love the Mayor’s idea, as you may tell from my enthusiastic response on CNN, seen above. New York is a city filled with single professionals who are being priced out of the housing market. Even the surrounding boroughs are expensive, and I think that this initiative will keep some of these people here where they belong. Hopefully this will be the start of something new, and why stop at rentals? I look forward to the day when developers can build “for-sale” housing in the city of this size. This will make the entry level into home ownership easier to those who cannot afford $600,000 for a starter studio, not to mention encouraging smart design and creative architecture.

Shaun Osher is the founder and CEO of CORE.