Photos by Richard Caplan

Where: 11 Fifth Avenue 20-A
Size: 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Asking: $1,475,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron

Lower Fifth Avenue feels like old New York, with historic brick co-op buildings lining both sides of the street, and Washington Square Park serving as its starting point. And this apartment in The Breevort at 11 Fifth Avenue, one of the block’s best buildings, puts you right in the thick of it. This bright, high-floor unit with a double exposure also has a private south-facing terrace with great views. The Brevoort features a 24-hour doorman, concierge, porters, live-in resident manager, a brand new gym, laundry room, private storage, bike room, a garage and a convenient circular driveway. This just might be the best one-bedroom apartment on the market downtown. Here’s a glimpse inside the living room:

(more…)

Where: 133 West 14th Street, #6
Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Asking: $1,795,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron

Being on a “border” has its perks. When 133 West 14th Street was built in 1920, its owner probably had no idea that one day the property would straddle the line between two of Manhattan’s most in-demand neighborhoods. Now this wide-open 1,600-square-foot loft — with high ceilings, a 25-foot-wide living room and amazing over-sized windows — has views north into Chelsea and south into the West Village, and enjoys the finer qualities of both neighborhoods. And while the setting is great, so too is the apartment itself, with a chef’s kitchen, a wood-burning fireplace, maple hardwood floors, central A/C and heat, and more. The boutique building has only 7 residential apartments total, so privacy is also a plus.

Now that spring seems to be settling in quite well, we’ve got the urge to take our lunch meetings outside. With that in mind, our focus today is on homes that are best for enjoying a taste of the outdoors.

Where: 203 East 72nd Street, 21-D
Size: 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom
Asking: $1,475,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron

This Upper East Side corner apartment has a perfectly cozy balcony perched up on the 21st floor, with a spectacular vista of the New York skyline. A morning coffee break would definitely take on new meaning from a space such as this. In addition, The Bayard House is a renowned full-service co-op building located in the heart of the neighborhood.

(more…)

HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #509, which first aired on March 22, 2012. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In “Strategic Marketing,” CORE Managing Director Vickey Barron was faced with the challenge of listing a Fifth Avenue penthouse that two brokers had previously failed to sell. With her seller stressing the importance of getting the $6.995 million penthouse into contract quickly to facilitate his move to Florida, and with a fairly strict building policy of no public or broker open houses, Vickey had to get her creative juices flowing. In order to come up with new ideas on how to market and sell her new listing at The Brevoort in Greenwich Village, Vickey decided to enlist the help of her fellow CORE brokers by hosting a friendly marketing competition. The two teams of two toured the penthouse and partnered up with architects and designers to create a new marketing strategy.

After a few weeks, both teams regrouped and presented their marketing strategies to a group of colleagues, potential buyers and the competition’s judges – Vickey, CORE CEO Shaun Osher and The Brevoort’s board President, Diane Nardone. Each team presented a variety of marketing strategies that ranged from architectural renderings of possible renovations to historic information on the building and surrounding neighborhood. After much debate the judges picked a winning team, and just three weeks later, Vickey had an accepted offer on the penthouse and a very happy seller. Keep on reading for some exclusive behind-the-scenes information about what didn’t make it into last night’s episode of “Selling New York” and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling!

(more…)

Where: 440 West End Avenue, 1B-2B
Size: 8 bedrooms/5 bathrooms (post-combination)
Asking: $4,495,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron & Mara Isbey

Currently two separate corner units totaling over 3,700-square feet, these co-op apartments have a townhouse feel at the pre-war 440 West End Avenue on the Upper West Side, and are waiting to be combined into what could be a grand duplex. Why do we say a townhouse feel? Because the lower unit includes an optional entrance from the street, creating a townhouse feel in a full-service building. This canvas is far from blank: hardwood floors, high beamed ceilings and prewar details abound, and for a buyer seeking value, this much space for under $5 million in a prime part of the Upper West Side will be too good to pass up. Here’s a look at the building’s classic Georgian facade:

(more…)

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

“Dial C for Condos”
New York Times
CORE’s Walker Tower project, the conversion of a classic pre-war Art Deco telephone building into 53 luxurious residences, made a splashy debut in the New York Times over the weekend. The paper wrote: “The developers say they are sparing no expense in the furnishings and finishes. The 12- to 15-foot-high ceilings will be coffered. Radiant heat will course through French-oak herringbone floors.” Curbed and the New York Observer also weighed in on the initial Walker Tower details, and The Real Deal added that CORE’s Emily Beare and Vickey Barron will head up the sales team.

“Stalled LIC condo set to hit market in April”
The Real Deal
Walker Tower wasn’t CORE’s only big reveal last week. Long Island City’s One Murray Park was also unveiled on the CORE Blog, and The Real Deal spoke with CORE’s Doron Zwickel about the launch of sales. Curbed also shared the initial details about the project, which is the first new LIC development in over a year.

“House of the Day”
Wall Street Journal
Adrian Noriega’s colorful loft listing at 15 West 20th Street was spotlighted by the Wall Street Journal, which explains that the design is inspired by an Indian color palette. Click through for an excellent slideshow.

We hate to play favorites, but the world below 23rd Street will always be special to us. Beautiful spaces of all types are prevalent, and the energy of downtown Manhattan just can’t be duplicated. If you’re setting out on a search for the perfect Downtown pad, we’ve got some very different suggestions.

Where: 60 Beach Street, PH 2
Size: 3 bedrooms/3.5 bathrooms
Asking: $7,640,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron

With over 3,000 square feet flanked by two terraces, this penthouse duplex that has been expertly customized by its owner is currently one of the most exceptional TriBeCa properties on the market. It’s a turn-key dream home, in a fantastic setting. TriBeCa is known for its charming cobblestone blocks, and Beach Street is one of the neighborhood’s best. This building was built in 1930, and converted to luxury condominiums — amenities include a roof deck, fitness center, children’s playroom, bike storage, laundry room and pet spa — in 2007.

(more…)

With all the gray skies and bitter winds, we’ve been on a bit of an escapist’s kick lately. And looking ahead to spring, the daydreams of grilling and outdoor picnics with close friends are ramping up. The above photo isn’t helping our workplace productivity, but we had to share it. It comes from one of our favorite townhouses, 38 Bethune Street, in the heart of the West Village. There are two outdoor spaces measuring 1,600 square feet in total, and the house isn’t strictly limited to being a warm-weather fantasy. The $14.95 million townhouse has a wood-burning fireplace out back that can keep everyone toasty, even in February.

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

“Scene”
Manhattan
The unveiling of the amazing duplex penthouse at 211 East 51st Street, listed by CORE’s Tom Postilio, made the Scene society pages of Manhattan. Check out the slideshow for great shots of the apartments, as well as the crowd that turned up to see the place. At right, CORE founder Shaun Osher and Postilio, courtesy of Jeff Fried Photography.

“CurbedWire”
Curbed
Wrote Curbed about CORE’s joining the rapidly growing social bookmarking site Pinterest: “Notable because this is the first brokerage we’ve seen with its own Pinterest page, and because there’s a section for Selling New York fans.” You can find and follow us on Pinterest by clicking right here.

“Haute Event: Love & Real Estate”
Haute Living
Vickey Barron’s and matchmaker Samantha Daniels’s Love & Real Estate party, which aimed to add a little romance to the world of real estate, was featured as a Haute Event.

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

“Real estate broker brings matchmaking skills to the dating world”
New York Daily News
Valentine’s Day may not be until tomorrow, but romance was in the air at Vickey Barron’s Love and Real Estate event, held at her listing at 256 West 10th Street. The Daily News has a full recap, including quotes from matchmaker Samantha Daniels, and the happy news: more than one love connection may have been made. Barron’s Love and Real Estate event even got a mention from the wildly popular women’s blog Jezebel.

“Walker Tower Gets Windows”
Curbed
Curbed tipsters are keeping a close eye on Walker Tower, the residential conversion of a beautiful Ralph Walker-designed Art Deco gem in Chelsea that CORE will bring to the market this spring. Some new window openings are being punched into the facade (right), which will add to the spectacular views.

“So Eager to Get Foot in Real Estate’s Door, They Work Without Pay”
New York Times
College students are so eager to get their foot in the door of luxury real estate, they’re willing to work for free, the Times reports. The paper’s look at the world of real estate interns includes CORE managing director Emily Beare and her former intern, Maxine Fouladi.

“211 East 51st Street Unveils Totally Renovated Penthouse”
Curbed
A party report from the unveiling of the newly renovated duplex penthouse at 211 East 51st Street, listed by CORE’s Tom Postilio. The “Selling New York” cameras were also in the house, Curbed notes.

“Chelsea penthouse wows with 7,000 square feet of outdoor space”
New York Daily News
An inside look at the incredible Chelsea Skyhouse, which we recapped last week.