As the real estate market continues to feel the squeeze of low inventory, listings in New York City are becoming few and far between.  Today’s “Three of a Kind” features 2-bedroom homes under $2 million, highlighting a few CORE gems still available in today’s search for quality properties.

Where: 240 West 23rd Street, 3B/4B
Asking: $1,495,000
Listed by: Maggie Kent

This serene 2-bedroom loft duplex is located in the heart of Chelsea. The home boasts balconies on each level, high ceilings, hard wood floors and ample storage. The two levels are connected by a wide, meticulously designed wood and metal staircase.  Equipped with gorgeous wooden and modern finishes throughout, the lower level features an entrance foyer, a beautiful chef’s kitchen, including Poggenpohl kitchen cabinets, a Subzero refrigerator, a Viking gas range and a Miele dishwasher. The second level has the master bedroom with a balcony, a wall of custom built-ins and an interior room with a closet currently used as a guest bedroom. (more…)

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

House of the Day: 7 Bond Street, PHAB
Wall Street Journal
Michael Graves’ stunning listing at 7 Bond Street was showcased in “House of the Day.”  Featuring stunning views of downtown Manhattan, an open, modern floorplan and a well-suited rooftop terrace, this home represents the epitome of luxury living in Noho.

Nate Berkus’ Greenwich Village Apartment For Sale
Forbes
Emily Beare and Christian Rogers’ listing at 32 Downing Street was featured in Forbes as well as several other media outlets last week.  The one-bedroom West Village home was recently placed on the market by noted interior designer, Nate Berkus.

Dream Homes: 15 Union Square West, 5DE
The New York Post
Vickey Barron, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ralph Modica’s listing at 15 Union Square West continues to gain exposure, as it is featured in the latest installment of “Dream Homes.”

Despite being on the market only a few days, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding Emily Beare and Christian Rogers’ listing at 32 Downing Street. As of last week, unit 4D was placed on the market by owner and interior designer Nate Berkus. The listing, already making headlines in The Huffington Post, Forbes, AOL.com and other media outlets, is currently listed at $699,000. Featured in Oprah at Home magazine, Nate Berkus personally designed and thoroughly renovated this one-bedroom home, which is located in the West Village. This home features a renovated kitchen with new appliances, a pristine new bath with Carrera marble floors and gleaming white subway tile, vintage hardware throughout, custom wire-glass doors which separate the bedroom from the living room, custom closets and painted wood flooring throughout.

See more photos of this listing after the break.

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A picture is worth a thousand words, and this newly listed 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment on Perry Street has all of us commenting on its beautiful photos – inside and out. Located at 166 Perry Street, a unique new development where each residence is a corner unit, this modern home is perched above a classic, tree-lined street in the West Village. Floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings and an open layout make this apartment effortlessly warm and welcoming.

See more pictures of this new exclusive below.

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Now that summer’s peak is in the rear-view, it’s time to start thinking about spending more time indoors. Just because the temperature dips doesn’t mean that your entertaining has to as well. Fall brings the crowds indoors, to kitchen, dining and living room spaces. With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of our favorite apartments on the market with flowing spaces to make entertaining a breeze.

Where: 210 Lafayette Street, #5
Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Asking: $2,700,000
Listed by: David Beare

With its open spaces and fabulous proportions, a boutique SoHo loft is a natural fit for entertaining in the home, and this one — located inside the 51 Crosby Street portion of the beautiful 210 Lafayette development — was conceived by the master of entertaining, famed hotelier Andre Balazs. The apartment has direct elevator access that opens right in the kitchen, dining and living areas, and for anyone seeking a respite from the crowd, the bedrooms are tucked away in the other wing.

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The East Village, Greenwich Village and the West Village have their own distinct personalities, but the boundaries between them tend to be elastic (or downright invisible, to some people), and together these neighborhoods collectively create one dynamic and vibrant downtown scene — each with charms and attractions that bolster the other two. Here are our favorite properties from the three downtown neighborhoods that make up the Villages.

Where: 11 Fifth Avenue, #20K
Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Asking: $2,650,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron

This apartment represents everything that lower Fifth Avenue, affectionately referred to as downtown’s Gold Coast, represents. A spacious two-bedroom in the lauded and full-service Brevoort, this co-op unit has a massive living and dining area with expansive views. Grand, elegant, and almost bringing an uptown feel down to Greenwich Village, this is a perfect example of white-glove living in a downtown setting.

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You wouldn’t know it from this week’s weather, but the unofficial start of summer is just hours away. We’re on an outdoor spaces kick because of that, and there’s really no need to stop now! Memorial Day is the kickoff to all things summery, meaning warm weather and outdoor entertaining. And if grilling is a part of that for you, then the West Village townhouse at 38 Bethune Street is definitely a dream house. At $14,950,000, this spectacular 5-bedroom house has a lot more to offer than just this lovely deck, but for now, let’s simply enjoy the view, and we’ll see you after the long weekend.

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.

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.

Photo collage of CORE's Vickey Barron, matchmaker Samantha Daniels and 256 West 10th Street via The Real Deal.

What makes a person really tick? Just ask their real estate broker. People share everything with their brokers — their hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, wants, desires and, of course, their financials. In fact, you could argue there’s no one more qualified to pair a single person up with the perfect mate than that person’s house hunter. With that in mind, and with Valentine’s Day approaching, CORE Managing Director Vickey Barron is setting out to prove that home truly is where the heart is. The Real Deal reports that Barron has teamed up with professional matchmaker Samantha Daniels for an event called “Love and Real Estate.” The invitation-only event, held at Barron’s listing at 256 West 10th Street, will include a group of her single clients as well as some of Daniels’. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.

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