One of the greatest living American architects, Robert A.M. Stern is also the only contemporary architect to have designed two buildings along Central Park: 15 Central Park West, the two-tower limestone complex regarded as the most successful condominium of all time, and 1280 Fifth Avenue, home to the Museum for African Art and, above, the residences of One Museum Mile. CORE founder and CEO Shaun Osher sat down with Stern, who is also the dean of Yale University’s School of Architecture and an accomplished architectural historian, to talk about the unique design of One Museum Mile, the history of Central Park, and the similarities and differences between Stern’s pair of buildings along New York’s most iconic park. For more on Stern’s work, visit his firm’s website, and for more on One Museum Mile, click here.

It’s impossible to sum up Colin Cowie with just one title, but “master of ceremonies” is a start. For over 25 years the South Africa native has been known on these shores as the party planner to the stars, and that love of hospitality and design has turned Cowie into much more than an event planner. He is now a lifestyle guru, interior designer, product developer, television personality and best-selling author. Cowie recently sat down with CORE Managing Director Emily Beare (who sold Colin his first home in New York City!) to discuss holiday entertaining tips, his favorite neighborhood stores for picking up party supplies, his ideal Manhattan kitchen, and more. It’s all in the latest CORE Talks video, seen above.

Celebrity party planner, interior designer and lifestyle guru Colin Cowie sat down this week with CORE Managing Director Emily Beare for an upcoming CORE Talks webisode. The two chatted about Colin’s entertaining “must-haves,” trends to watch and, of course, his tips for throwing a great holiday bash — even in a tight New York City living space. Look for the interview on the CORE Blog next week, and to learn more about Colin’s expanding empire of entertaining, check out his website.

The push for transparency in the real estate industry has been a big reason why the listings and real estate data website StreetEasy has become such a force so quickly, racking up over 15 million pageviews per month on its way to becoming New York City’s most-searched real estate website. That same drive for transparency has always been an important part of CORE’s view of the evolving real estate marketplace (and it’s also what made CORE an early industry supporter and friend of StreetEasy), so it was only natural for the two companies to get together and collaborate on a cool new toy. It’s called CORE Control, and it’s the first listing and client management platform built in collaboration with StreetEasy.

As StreetEasy CEO Michael Smith told The Real Deal today in its story about the launch of CORE Control, “It is clear to everyone that the role of the broker is changing; it’s about service now.” CORE Control will help bring that service to new levels. Here’s how.

(more…)

One of the challenges of showing an unfurnished unit in a new construction is that prospective buyers have a hard time visualizing what the apartment might look like when they are living in it. It has never been occupied and therefore doesn’t have the character or energy of a space that has been called “home,” so buyers are skeptical. As the date approached for the filming of Penthouse A at 350 West 23^rd Street for HGTV’s new series “Selling New York,” I faced this exact challenge—and, after conferring with CORE’s CEO, Shaun Osher, I decided that the best way to handle it was to stage the apartment. Staging is a delicate task: If done in a careless way, the design can look contrived and can misrepresent the space. Not only must the furnishings chosen for staging fit the space in terms of size; they must also complement the angles, materials and textures of the apartment as well as draw in the natural landscape beyond the unit’s windows and terraces. The latter point is especially important in a space such as Penthouse A, with its broad floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive terraces and park views. I chose my pieces the way buyers choose their furniture and artwork when preparing to settle in to a home for many years or generations. I followed an aesthetic that reflected the unique vibe of Chelsea—modern and sophisticated yet warm and approachable. I owe a great debt to Laurie Messman and her team at Ligne Roset, who provided pieces that perfectly captured the look and feel I was going for. One of Laurie’s brilliant ideas was to borrow artwork and music memorabilia from the Sony Archives. The fact that she was able to secure historic platinum records, limited-edition photographs of famous musicians and entertainers such as Jimi Hendrix and Ertha Kitt, and classic guitars was an enormous feat. I recall thinking that the buyer I was searching for “could hang his own guitar in its place,” and while the buyer from the episode did not have a guitar herself, I imagined that perhaps one day her son would hang his there. In upcoming episodes of “Selling New York” I deal with other aspects of this “home energy,” of which staging is just one part. Tune in and enjoy!

Welcome to Core Talks. Get ready for some interesting dialogue about the fascinating world of real estate and everything connected to it. This will be an open forum to share our ideas, thoughts, opinions, happenings, and expertise. We welcome your input and comments. Let’s start talking……….