The strength of CORE has always been its agents, who routinely go above and beyond their job descriptions, and who continue to revolutionize the way real estate is marketed, bought and sold in New York City. A shining example of these characteristics is Vickey Barron, who joined CORE as Managing Director and has been a consistent top-performing broker during her 12+ years in the business. Find out what makes Vickey so different in the short film above–from her deeply personal philosophies on the business of real estate to her sharp eye for design and people-first principles. (You might also catch a few glimpses of some of Vickey’s current top properties.) For more on Vickey, check out her profile page, as well as CORE CEO Shaun Osher’s interview with her last year.

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

“Living Large: $7 Million Manhattan Penthouse In Full-Service Boutique Building”
CBS
CBS 2’s Emily Smith goes inside the stunning 3,000-square-foot Chelsea penthouse in the Emory condominium (watch the video above), designed by star designer and party planner Colin Cowie. The duplex apartment, with custom hidden storage compartments, a wet bar and a private outdoor rooftop entertaining space, is listed by Emily Beare.

“Big Deal: Shooting for the Moon”
New York Times
CORE CEO Shaun Osher commented extensively on the next wave of trophy properties to hit the market in Manhattan, saying, “What makes a trophy property is the fact that it really is an intangible, priceless object, like a piece of art. This part of the market is not a rational decision, it is an emotional one.” CORE’s brand new Walker Tower project, and its upcoming $50 million penthouse, is singled out as a new trophy residence for well-heeled buyers. The story was also covered by The Real Deal.

“Tapping the Last Central Park Addresses”
The Epoch Times
A story about development along the north side of Central Park highlights One Museum Mile as the latest luxury development to take advantage of the burgeoning neighborhood.

“Inside New Chelsea Luxury Conversion Walker Tower”
Curbed
An extensive photo gallery inside the brand new, fully furnished model residence at Walker Tower.

“Open House”
NBC/LXTV
Michael Graves’ 72 Reade Street condominium listing in TriBeCa was featured as the intro property on LXTV’s “Open House.”

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.

We don’t often make it out to New Jersey, but when we do, it’s for something truly special, like this French-inspired mansion in an exclusive enclave within the Garden State. CORE’s Michael Graves has the listing for the newly constructed $19 million Saddle River estate, which features a 5-bedroom, 25,000-square-foot Corinthian stone manor on 4.4 beautiful acres of land. The mansion’s features and amenities — including a pair of double parking garages, a USTA grade tennis court and an indoor pool — are too lengthy to list here, but luckily CBS 2 reporter Emily Smith toured the property for a “Living Large” segment that aired last night. Check out the video below for a peek inside the palace:

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The popular “slide penthouse” in the East Village’s A Building, located at 425 East 13th Street, was back in the press in a big way last weekend. CORE’s Elizabeth Kee showed off the duplex penthouse listing, famed for its sculptural steel slide linking the two floors (there’s also a staircase), on LXTV’s “Open House,” which aired on NBC New York on Sunday morning. See the full segment above, including the 2,700-square-foot penthouse’s glass fireplace, game room, outdoor spaces, and, of course, the slide that has everyone talking. For pictures and more info on the apartment, check out the listing.

Marking a new focal point on Manhattan’s celebrated Museum Mile — home to iconic cultural institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York — is a distinctively designed limestone structure: One Museum Mile.

Located at 1280 Fifth Avenue and directly across from Central Park, One Museum Mile’s classic design and limestone relief façade are credited to legendary architect Robert A.M. Stern, who collaborated with Andre Kikoski Architect PLLC and SLCE Architects to create a structure which unifies this luxury condominium with the future home of the Museum for African Art, located in the building’s base.

The video above features an exclusive interview with Stern, who touches on Upper Fifth Avenue’s history and attractions, which influenced the design of One Museum Mile. Referencing his approach to “make an icon out of the museum and a very important neighbor out of the apartment building,” Stern has brought a quality of detail and charm that many new residential developments lack.

In a neighborhood rich with architectural gems, One Museum Mile compliments Fifth Avenue rather than competing with it. One Museum Mile offers a 24-hour full-service concierge, on-site parking, a landscaped roof terrace with outdoor pool, residents’ lounge with fireplace, fitness center with terrace, media lounge, children’s playroom, bicycle room and more.

For further information on this luxury development and its residences, please visit onemuseummile.com.

Who doesn’t love a popularity contest? The Wall Street Journal just published a video counting down the newspaper’s most viewed Houses of the Day in 2011, and CORE properties took the top two spots! Coming in second was the quirky and whimsical “Steampunk apartment” at 120 West 29th Street, known for its interesting antiques and sci-fi soul. The most popular House of the Day was also located in Chelsea, at 232 West 15th Street, a historic townhouse that happens to have a full-size swimming pool in its living room. Check out the video above to get a glimpse inside both one-of-a-kind homes.

The WSJ is also asking readers to pick their favorite 2011 House of the Day. Click here to cast your vote!

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.

You’ve heard of a swim-up bar, but what about a swim-up living room? It exists at 232 West 15th Street, an incredible 22.5-foot-wide Chelsea townhouse that boasts one of New York’s most unique amenities: An indoor swimming pool that’s eight feet deep and kitchen adjacent. CBS 2’s Emily Smith met up with CORE’s Maggie Kent and the house’s owner for a Living Large tour of the 5,000-square-foot property, which is on the market for $10.995 million—pool boy not included. Check out the video above for a look inside this amazing home.

What could make a building with a 34-foot-high stainless steel daisy planted on its rooftop stand out even more? How about fire breathers, models covered in body paint and a performance by some world-famous musicians? That was the scene last month on top of 305W16, the new residential condop developed by Centaur Properties and marketed by CORE. Located on the cusp of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, 305W16 made a splashy debut befitting these vibrant New York City neighborhoods. But enough talk. Check out the video above to get a taste of 305W16’s fun and artsy spirit, and click here to see what’s still available in the building.