Stephanie Hoina

July 7, 2014

Ready for Its Close-up: $19.5M Park Avenue Apartment With Interior Staging by Jed Johnson Associates Does Not Disappoint

Park Avenue is synonymous with luxury living and this 3BR/4.5BA apartment at the corner of 71st Street does not disappoint. The sprawling residence at 737 Park Avenue features over 4,300-square-feet of perfection starting the moment you step off the elevator onto your own private landing. We won't blame you for doing a little fist-pump after taking possession of the keys. Expertly staged by Arthur Dunnam of renowned interior design firm Jed Johnson Associates (whose work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, and Interior Design), the home is beautifully divided into public and private spaces.
Take a closer look at Mr. Dunnam's interior vision

Distinctive Homes

July 7, 2014

Resolution 4: Architecture Brings Modernism to the Bronx Waterfront

By Stephanie Hoina

Waterfront views and innovative architecture: San Francisco? Manhattan? Miami? How about the Bronx? Residents of many Throgs Neck neighborhoods have happily traded off expansive living spaces and large backyards for the spectacular views of the Eastchester Bay and the bridge whose name the community bears. Though spaces can be a bit compact along the water, a challenging lot size didn’t stop Resolution: 4 Architecture from creating a home whose beauty rivals that of its view. Among the modest homes tucked neatly into small parcels along the waterfront, the Bronx Box stands out as a proud example of how infill housing is an innovative way to make the most of narrow lots in urban areas.
Learn more about this beautiful home

July 3, 2014

Stunning Penthouse Illustrates Why “Time and Again” The Dakota is One of Manhattan’s Most Treasured Residences

By Stephanie Hoina

Author Stephen King considers Jack Finney’s classic novel, Time and Again, to be “THE great time-travel story” ever, and figuring prominently in the main character’s attempts to travel back to the late 1800’s is the building that still sits prominently at 1 West 72nd Street, The Dakota. Its significance in the plot is not simply because it was completed around the time of the story’s setting, but rather for a more interesting notion: The Dakota faces a section of Central Park which, when observed from the apartment in the story, remains relatively unchanged from the day it was completed in 1884. A timeless view.
see how 19th Century charm meets 21st Century chic

Distinctive Homes

July 2, 2014

$6.5M Flawless Merging of Two Gretsch Condominium Units is Music to Our Ears — and Our Eyes

By Stephanie Hoina

In our humble opinion putting down roots in New York City should be on everyone’s bucket list. And that’s exactly what Friedrich Gretsch, an immigrant from Mannheim, Germany did in 1883, when he founded a small musical instrument shop in Brooklyn that later became a dynasty still in existence today. In 1916, as The Gretsch Company expanded, his son moved the operation to a mammoth ten-story factory at 60 Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, now the site of this luxury residential condominium conversion by architect Karl Fischer and interior designer Andres Escobar & Associates completed in 2003.
Read on to see why this apartment is music to our ears - and eyes

Distinctive Homes

July 1, 2014

With a Shamir Shah Designed Interior, $5.25M West Chelsea Duplex Is a Work of Art

By Stephanie Hoina

Smack dab in the middle of the West Chelsea Arts District sits this exquisitely appointed 3BR/3.5BA duplex at 456 West 19th Street. We couldn’t think of a more perfect location for this glorious work of art which showcases the wonderfully creative and tasteful touches of world-renowned interior designer Shamir Shah and offers huge canvases of wall space tailor-made for your own artistic influences.
Tour the home here

Distinctive Homes

June 27, 2014

Soho Square Poised to Get Multimillion Dollar Makeover

By Stephanie Hoina

Coming on the heels of a rezoning last spring that will yield much more residential and retail development in the area just north of Canal Street, the Hudson Square Connection Business Improvement District embarked on an ambitious $27 million campaign to create more open space and beautify the neighborhood’s streets. First up was a $200,000 investment at Freeman Plaza West a few months after the City Council approved the rezoning. The vacant property near the entrance to the Holland Tunnel was magically transformed into an unexpected but charming garden respite with the addition of umbrellas, tables, chairs and trees.
What are the plans for Soho Square?

Architecture And Design

June 25, 2014

$3.3M Lenox Hill Condo: Almost Versailles… But Then There’s That Kitchen

By Stephanie Hoina

Remember the Sesame Street segment called “One of These Things is Not Like the Others”? (If you don’t, click here for a reminder). Well, it’s exactly what came to mind as soon as we saw photos of this gorgeous Upper East Side apartment located in Bridge Tower Place at 401 East 60th Street. The lush details in every room conjure up the French baroque style of Versailles with its lavish decoration and romantic elegance. Every room that is, except the beautiful but sorely out of place kitchen.
See why the kitchen doesn't seem to belong

Distinctive Homes

June 17, 2014

A Garden So Private No One Has The Key? Now We’ve Heard It All

By Stephanie Hoina

Forget the legendary and uber-privileged access to the oasis known as Gramercy Park. The newest wave of private gardens are apparently so exclusive even residents can’t enjoy a stroll through the lush greenery. Take the 2,400-square-foot courtyard currently being designed at The Sterling Mason, a new Tribeca loft building where an apartment can set you back up to $24 million. In a city where even the tiniest bit of green space is viewed as the ultimate amenity, turning what would have been a barren airshaft into a verdant outdoor sanctuary seems like a terrific idea. Tapping Deborah Nevins, one of the world’s most sought-after landscape designers to do it, an even better one. Keeping residents from enjoying more than a visual inspection of the rich white blossoms, lush green leaves, ivy walls and sculptural stream? Eh, we’re not so sure about that.
What's up with this off limits trend?

Architecture And Design

May 28, 2014

The Hidden City in Manhattan’s “Other” Skyline

By Stephanie Hoina

As any fan of Spiderman knows, the “corridors” created by Manhattan’s tall buildings are a perfect way to beat traffic through a little web-swinging. But look more closely and Spiderman’s transportation of choice reveals a secret city like none other. One of the most famous and ubiquitous skylines in the world has seen its share of changes — most recently the rise of the Freedom Tower in place of the twin towers of the original World Trade Center — but has remained one of the most recognizable. Yet hidden among New York's tallest buildings is another skyline as unique as the city itself created by the negative air space formed between the granite and steel structures reaching for the sky on each side of the street.
READ MORE

May 20, 2014

Park Yourself at this $32M Brooklyn Bridge Penthouse and You May Never Leave

By Stephanie Hoina

In a city where parking is always at a premium, one might consider this $32 million penthouse at One Brooklyn Bridge Park for the two deeded spaces alone — although fortunately, that record-breaking price tag comes with a tad more to pique your interest. There's a long list of reasons to never leave this beautiful one-of-a-kind residence at 360 Furman Street in Brooklyn Heights, so let's just start with the view — or should we say "views". The Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, New York City's glorious skyline... take your pick. Because in addition to the terrace's breathtaking panorama, you'll enjoy incredible views from just about every room in this sun-drenched 11,000-square-foot, 6BR/6BA home located on the waterfront.
See why a picture is worth a thousand words

Distinctive Homes

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, No… It’s Sebastian Errazuriz’s Giant Golden Cow Piñata!

By Stephanie Hoina

Undeniably, there is much symbolism attached to artist designer Sebastian Errazuriz’s giant golden cow piñata on display in Industry City in conjunction with NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s official citywide celebration of – you guessed it – design. One look at the suspended shimmering beast and you’re likely to be reminded of the infamous golden calf Bible story about idolatry (Exodus 32:1–6, if you’re interested) or notice its uncanny resemblance to Wall Street’s iconic charging bull.
See more of this oversized golden pinata

May 16, 2014

Greene Street SoHo Loft Will Cast a Spell on You (Sorry, Quirky Fireman Statue Not Included)

By Stephanie Hoina

Greene Street in SoHo is the kind of block you walk down and can’t help but marvel at its rich collection of cast-iron architecture — arguably part of the most extensive of its type in the world. Close your eyes and you can almost (okay, maybe at 3AM, but work with me here) hear the clip-clop of the horse drawn buggies reminiscent of the year 1880, when this undeniable gem was built. Fortunately, although modern in its amenities (it was converted to loft condos in 2000), 20 Greene Street and the apartments within retain much of their 19th century charm, from the building’s classic facade to unit 2B’s high ceilings with exposed piping and cast iron Corinthian columns.
See why this SoHo loft will cast its spell on you

Distinctive Homes

May 15, 2014

The Dakota: Extraordinary Views, Architectural Grandeur…and Yoko Ono

By Stephanie Hoina

Maybe money can’t buy you love but it can buy you this beautifully renovated and carefully restored apartment at 1 West 72nd Street in the legendary Dakota listed at $14.5 million. Designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and completed in 1884, the Dakota is one of the world’s most renowned residential buildings. Designated as both a New York City Landmark and a National Historic Landmark, its residences boast many of the building’s original 19th-century details including 13-foot ceilings, soaring doorways, plaster moldings, exquisite hand-carved woodwork, hardwood flooring, pocket doors, shutters framing the windows, and wood-burning fireplaces – and at least one interesting 21st century detail: Yoko Ono calls it home.
Imagine what it would be like to live here

Distinctive Homes

Stephanie Hoina

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