The Steeple Times

Tag: Manhattan

  • Morons of the Moment – Mortimer and Jacqueline Sackler

    Morons of the Moment – Mortimer and Jacqueline Sackler

    Self-entitled drug flogging billionaires Mortimer and Jacqueline Sackler were rightly roasted by ‘Guest of a Guest’ for their (latest) bleating email

    Mortimer D. A. Sackler is a spoilt berk from a family who have galleries named after them. This drip and his ghastly oik of a wife, Jacqueline, hang out with royalty and are part of one of America’s richest dynasties, but there’s something utterly grating about them: They constantly moan.

     

    In July, Jacqueline wrote to her lawyers. In her pathetic missive, this tedious tepid woman whined about the £9.98 billion ($13 billion, €11.99 billion or درهم47.74 billion) the family had gained from flogging dodgy pharmaceuticals including OxyCotin as having destroyed “our work, our friendships, our reputation and our ability to function in society.” She bleated: “And worse, it dooms my children. How is my son supposed to apply to high school in September?”

     

    Now, according to Guest of a Guest, Jackie and her hubby have “been increasingly blacklisted by the upper crust” in New York. “Aren’t they just the worst?” they asked in an email to subscribers. With even the Met museum refusing to take any further donations from them, this vacuous pair have flogged their “ritzy Upper East Side townhouse” and fled to “winter term” it (their words, they wouldn’t come from anyone else, after all) in Gstad, Switzerland.

     

    According to the site, the duo emailed friends and told them: “We would love to see you either in Gstaad, if you are here or nearby, or elsewhere in Europe (taking advantage of the ease of travel here vs ours in NYC).”

     

    A spokesman for this pair of pillocks then followed up to announce that anyone suggesting they were siphoning off funds to Switzerland might be telling untruths and announced: “They fully intend to return to the US in the near future.” Guest of a Guest quite correctly responded: “Here’s hoping they don’t!”

     

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  • A Moral Vacuum

    A Moral Vacuum

    Billionaire Brexiteer James Dyson (yet again) shows himself as nothing but a self-serving prick in relocating his HQ to Singapore

     

    Yesterday, in the wake of the crappy hoover manufacturer Sir James Dyson announcing he’d be relocating his headquarters to Singapore, the journalist Tim Walker tweeted: “Need a moral vacuum? Get a Dyson” and followed up with: “People are becoming legitimately angry about the sheer hypocrisy of the Brexiteers. We see them for what they are.”

     

    A Moral Vacuum – Brexiteer Sir James Dyson is nothing but a hypocrite – Billionaire Brexiteer James Dyson (yet again) shows himself as nothing but a self-serving prick in relocating his HQ to Singapore.
    Journalist Tim Walker tweets about James Dyson’s “moral vacuum”

     

    This morning, in a similar vein, a spoof news site named Evening Harold ran a story titled ‘Dyson launch moral vacuum’ in which they declared the billionaire’s products to have: “100% less integrity than rival products and comes in cordless, bagless, spineless and gutless models.”

     

    They are right: This tax avoider – whom also recently spent £57 million ($74 million) on a Manhattan penthouse – and his dreary overpriced rugmaker wife Deirdre are the finest examples of hypocrites on the planet; they pompously tell the populous what to do and do exactly the opposite. It’s time this “it’s one rule for us and another for everyone else” duo just bogged off to whatever tax haven they feel most comfortable in.

     

    #BoycottDyson #MoralVacuum #ExitBrexit

     

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  • A Silo in SoHo

    A Silo in SoHo

    Penthouse in SoHo, New York for sale for 48% more than it was marketed for in 2007; it comes come complete with structures resembling a barn and a silo on its roof

     

    This week the popular New York real estate blog 6sqft reported that a 1,250 square foot condo loft had gone on sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million). What makes it unusual is that it comes with structures resembling a silo and a barn on its roof deck.

     

    Described as being “in need of updating” but featuring ceiling heights of upto 20-foot, the propery includes living and dining spaces along with an open plan “sleeping nook”, walk-in closet, an office area and a bathroom on one of its two levels. Above, one finds an 800 square foot outdoor space with a built-in bar and pergola. The apartment was previously offered for sale in 2007 for £1.367 million ($1.795 million, €1.546 million or درهم6.590 million).

     

    The penthouse at 118 Wooster Street is within a 6-storey, 13 unit building and is offered to the market by City Realty. Of it, the firm comments: “You won’t be able to duplicate this unit anywhere in Manhattan. This quiet space can be configured to your exact needs [and the roof deck offers] potential for a second-level addition.”

     

    A Silo in SoHo – 118 Wooster Street, #PHB, Between Spring Street and Prince Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012 – For sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million) through City Realty. A Silo in SoHo – 118 Wooster Street, #PHB, Between Spring Street and Prince Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012 – For sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million) through City Realty. A Silo in SoHo – 118 Wooster Street, #PHB, Between Spring Street and Prince Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012 – For sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million) through City Realty.A Silo in SoHo – 118 Wooster Street, #PHB, Between Spring Street and Prince Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012 – For sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million) through City Realty.A Silo in SoHo – 118 Wooster Street, #PHB, Between Spring Street and Prince Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012 – For sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million) through City Realty.A Silo in SoHo – 118 Wooster Street, #PHB, Between Spring Street and Prince Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012 – For sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million) through City Realty. A Silo in SoHo – 118 Wooster Street, #PHB, Between Spring Street and Prince Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012 – For sale for £2.018 million ($2.649 million, €2.282 million or درهم9.726 million) through City Realty.

  • The Icing on the Cake

    The Icing on the Cake

    Octagonal Victorian Gothic landmark in Westchester County, New York available for rent; Bono was filmed there and it includes the only domestic Egyptian Revival room in existence

     

    A Victorian Gothic house in Irvington, Westchester County, New York that resembles a wedding cake has been put on the market to rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month).

     

    Built for a financier named Paul J. Armour between 1859 and 1860, this octagon shaped and domed landmark was subsequently home to the author Carl Carmer (1893 – 1976) – best known for his widely praised book Stars Fell on Alabama – between 1940 and his death. The building was later the main setting for the less popular (and seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959) 1981 horror film The Nesting and then completely renovated by the award winning conservationist architect Joseph Pell Lombardi.

     

    The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty
    The Octagon House in 1882 and 1975

    The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty
    The Octagon House in the 1981 film “The Nesting”; the then owner launched a $1 million lawsuit against the filmmakers after they supposedly trashed the building

     

    Known alternatively as the Armour-Stiner House, the Carmer Octagon House, The Octagon House or simply 45 West Clinton Avenue, the National Register of Historic Places listed residence is being marketed by agents William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty as “one of the most visually unique homes in the world.” It stands on a plot close to the Hudson River of 3.05 acres, provides 8,400 square foot of accommodation and has a drawing room, dining room, ballroom, 7 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Within the grounds is an original Lord & Banham conservatory and a carriage house that provides garaging for 4 vehicles.

     

    Especially impressive architectural features of the building number the only domestic Egyptian Revival room still in existence, an attic with a staircase to a stunning cupola and a wraparound veranda with 56 columns. In the 2007 film Across the Universe, the billionaire Irish singer-songwriter Bono (playing a character named ‘Dr Robert’) described The Octagon House as the “Headquarters of the League of Spiritual Deliverance.” It most definitely abounds in such.

     

    The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty

  • Big Shorting Gatsby

    Big Shorting Gatsby

    Long Island mansion with links to ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘The Big Short’ for sale for £13.1 million (or 152% more than it sold for in 2011)

     

    F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940) set his ‘Roaring Twenties’ classic The Great Gatsby in the fictional locations of East Egg and West Egg on Long Island and now one of the homes that inspired him is available for sale.

     

    Owned by Cornwall Capital founder James Mai – a man whose firm ironically made over 80 times its capital by buying credit default swaps on CDOs prior to the 2008 financial crisis – and his wife Chiara since 2011, 235 Middle Neck Road at Sands Point on Long Island’s Gold Coast was built in 1926 and home to the Rumsey-Harriman railroad dynasty from 1929.

     

    Fitzgerald is said to have spent time at the residence learning about “the lifestyle of the moneyed aristocracy of Old Westport, Long Island, and their involvement in the movement of eugenics” from the Rumseys and ironically, James Mai, is also representative of a clash between ‘old’ and ‘new’ money. In 2008, he and his partner are said to have been the ones “screaming about [the coming crash] as loud as they could, but everyone turned a deaf ear.” The character Jamie Shipley, played by Finn Wittrock in the 2015 film The Big Short, is loosely based upon him.

     

    Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
    Current owners Chiara and James Mai are said to have spent vast sums on the renovation of the estate

     

    Featuring 11,955 square foot of renovated accommodation that includes formal and informal entertaining spaces, 13 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. There is also a 6-car garage with a 3-bedroom caretaker’s cottage, a 4-bedroom beachside cottage and a boat house.

     

    Outside, on a plot of some 5.3 acres, there is a 391-foot private beach, a tennis court and in spite of its seeming isolation, the property is situated just 29 miles from Downtown Manhattan and 25 minutes by boat.

     

    235 Middle Neck Road is listed by Nava Mitnick of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International. In December 2016, of it, she commented: “Obviously, it’s so imposing – you drive down and see the sweeping views. But when we entered the house, I described it as a ‘glorified cottage’, because it’s so homey.”

     

    235 Middle Neck Road – The Numbers

     

    August 2017 – Relisted for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million).

     

    December 2016 – Listed for sale for £15.4 million ($19.8 million, €16.6 million or درهم72.7 million).

     

    June 2011 – Sold for £5.2 million ($6.675 million, €5.6 million or درهم24.5 million).

     

    February 2011 – Listed for sale for £7.7 million ($9.9 million, €8.3 million or درهم36.4 million).

     

    Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.Big Shorting Gatsby – The Rumsey-Harriman Estate, 235 Middle Neck Road, North Shore, Long Island, Sands Point, NY 10050 – For sale for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million) through Compass and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty – Owned by James and Chiara Mai of Cornwall Capital and said to be inspiration for Egg Point in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

  • The Pumpkin House

    The Pumpkin House

    Eccentric Hudson Heights, New York cliffside residence for sale for £3.33 million; at certain times of day it resembles a pumpkin

     

    16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York certainly doesn’t sound like an inspirational place to live. Though mention of this address won’t set pulses racing and despite one previous owner joking: “It’s not the White House”, whoever buys it will actually get something quite breathtaking situated on the highest natural point in Manhattan.

     

    Offered for £3.33 million – a figure 202% higher than it sold for 17 years ago in 2000 – ‘The Pumpkin House’, as the residence is more famously known, is a freestanding cliffside structure that is described by selling agents Sotheby’s International Realty as having a “seemingly jack-o’-lantern face that glows across the Hudson [River] reflecting the light of the setting sun”.

     

    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty
    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America

    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty
    The building in the 1930s

     

    It is spread over 4 floors, extends to 3,144 square foot and includes 2 reception rooms, a library, a home office, a “French country style” kitchen, 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A basement flat provides 1 reception room, a kitchen, 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom and in addition to a 2-car garage, there is a small garden, a balcony and a vast, part covered 66-foot long roof terrace.

     

    Built on a steel foundation in 1925 by an engineer and “sort of a dreamer” named Cleveland Walcutt and referenced by The New York Times in 2008 as “a face in the crowd”, ‘The Pumpkin House’ was owned by an interior designer named William Spink from 2000 to 2011. During the renovations he orchestrated, a construction worker fell off the building and was seriously injured but what potential buyers will either love or loathe about this architectural miracle suspended over a 265-foot drop is that it truly is utterly eccentric.

     

    The Numbers – The Pumpkin House

     

    2000 – Sold for $1.10 million (the equivalent of $1.56 million, £1.22 million, €1.39 million or درهم5.73 million today).

     

    2005 – Listed for $3.45 million (the equivalent of $4.32 million, £3.38 million, €3.86 million or درهم15.87 million today). Failed to sell.

     

    2010 – Relisted for increased price of $3.90 million (the equivalent of $4.38 million, £3.43 million, €3.91 million or درهم16.09 million today).

     

    2011 – Sold for an undisclosed sum.

     

    August 2016 – For sale for $5.25 million (£4.11 million, €4.69 million or درهم19.28 million).

     

    June 2017 – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million).

     

    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty

  • Staging the Dollars

    Staging the Dollars

    Prominent banker attempts to sell San Francisco mansion for a sum 205% higher than it achieved in 1993; it comes with an outdoor theatre

     

    Built in 1904 of brick on a wood frame and subject to a seismic upgrade in 1994, 3444 Washington Street in Presidio Heights, San Francisco was sold for $15.2 million in 2006 (the equivalent of £11.8 million, $18.4 million, €13.9 million or درهم55.8 million today) and before that for $5.9 million in 1993 (the equivalent of £7.8 million, $10 million, €9.1 million or درهم36.7 million today). It is currently owned by the banker David A. Coulter and his “social entrepreneur” wife Susan Weeks Coulter and has recently been placed for sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million).

     

    Offered by Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company, the 9,074 square foot “Georgian-style residence” comes with not only 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms but also an outdoor amphitheatre complete with terraced seating and an al fresco kitchen with a barbecue. The 4-storey building was last remodeled in 2008 and also includes a media room with wet bar and views of the Golden Gate Bridge, a wine cellar with capacity for 1,600 bottles, a lift, staff quarters and a 2-car garage.

     

    Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.
    Susan Weeks Coulter and her husband David A. Coulter (left and right)

    Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.
    3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America

    Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.
    The garden features an amphitheatre complete with terraced seating

    Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.
    The view from the house

     

    Property taxes on the house were a not insubstantial sum of £154,959 in 2015 ($199,685, €182,686 or درهم733,690). Mr and Mrs Coulter attempted to sell 3444 Washington Street in 2008 but subsequently withdrew it from the market after reducing their then asking price from $17.5 million to $12 million (the equivalent of £13.6 million to £10.6 million, $19.9 million to $13.6 million, €16 million to €12.4 million or درهم64.3 million to درهم50 million today). They also own reportedly bought a penthouse at 55 East 72nd Street in New York in 2012.

     

    Pennsylvania born, Carnegie Mellon University educated Mr Coulter, currently a special limited partner at Warburg Pincus, was previously vice chairman of JP Morgan Chase & Co. from 2001 to 2005. He was chairman and CEO of Bank of America Corporation for two years from 1996, but was unceremoniously fired when that organisation was “eaten alive” by Hugh McColl’s NationsBank in October 1998.

     

    Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter. Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter. Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter. Staging the Dollars – 3444 Washington Street, Presidio Heights, San Francisco, California, CA 94118, United States of America – For sale for £14 million ($18 million, €16.5 million or درهم66.1 million) through Linda Mayne of Mayne & Company and owned by banker David A. Coulter and his social entrepreneur wife Susan Weeks Coulter.

    https://vimeo.com/212072933

  • Pete Cashmore (AKA ‘The Sage of Media’)

    Pete Cashmore (AKA ‘The Sage of Media’)

    Born in Banchory, Aberdeenshire in 1985, Pete Cashmore founded Mashable, a “one-stop-shop” digital media news and blogging site, in his bedroom in 2005 with the aim of “changing the world”. The firm now has over 120 employees, is based in New York and has 9 million followers on Twitter and achieves over 45 million unique views per month. He was once described as “one of the most influential voices of his generation – on and offline” and was also called “more than just a superb head of hair” by Hearst’s Town & Country magazine in 2016.

     

  • Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’

    As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?”

     

    Last May, the acerbic Spectator columnist Taki wrote a brilliant opinion piece bemoaning the ghastly affair he believed New York’s Metropolitan Museum Gala had become. It perfectly summed up the vulgarity of an age where Kardashians have replaced Vanderbilt Sloanes and where Anna Wintour and her condescending ‘club’ have seized the mantle. This week, Primates of Park Avenue author Wednesday Martin took the debate one stage further and asked: “Is it time to say bye-bye to the black tie charity ball?” in an article for Town & Country magazine.

     

    Whilst Martin quoted a “titan of finance” as saying: “No one really wants to attend a gala”, she also suggested that “showing up feels somehow retro, tangible, genuine”. Society is still forced into the routine of putting on black tie and parading out in both America and Britain yet in reality, everyone would most likely rather be down their local spit-and-sawdust.

     

    Aside from the rubber chicken (and vomit inducing wine), the likelihood of being stuck with nine crushing bores and the inevitable raffle of rubbish, such affairs are now mostly the preserve of a club of Z-listers and desperados. At such gatherings, you’ll find trolleyed trailer trash like Dawn Ward of The Real Housewives of Cheshire clucking with titleless tosspot twits like David Furnish and each and every Friday’s ES Magazine bears testimony to this fact. The black tie bash deserves to come to its natural end, but what on earth will replace it?

     

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    The inevitable rent-a-crowd that now dominates at black tie gatherings in Britain these days is focused on daytime TV presenters and obscure reality wannabes

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    Tamara Ecclestone and husband Jay Rutland (pictured with Donna Air behind them) might be moneyed, but where’s the class?

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    Stephen Fry and husband Elliott Spencer are a duo willing to turn up to the opening of an envelope

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    If you really want to lower the tone, invite champagne swiller Dawn Ward and her ex-footballer husband

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    Alexa Chung is the ultimate guest if you want to make it to the ‘ES Magazine’s’ party pages (in spite of the fact she’s actually pretty pointless)

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    No party is complete without legendary crasher and shopping aficionado David Pun; last night he was spotted lingering outside the entrance to the opening night of the 2017 London Motor Show and given his antics he even has a Twitter account named in his honour

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey used to host an annual ball in their garden; their marriage is now toast and the ball, for them at least, is most definitely over

  • Gilded Glory

    Gilded Glory

    New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion” for sale for £38.75 million; it comes with a room that cannot be wiretapped

     

    An Upper East Side “Beaux Arts palace on a small scale” described as “Manhattan’s last intact Gilded Age mansion” has gone on sale for £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman.

     

    Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”
    854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America

     

    Offering 20,000 square foot of accommodation over nine floors, 854 Fifth Avenue stands opposite Central Park and between 66th and 67th Streets. It was built in 1905 for a stockbroker named Robert Livingston Beeckman and constructed by architects Warren & Wetmore at a cost of $60,000 (the equivalent of $1.6 million, £1.2 million, €1.5 million or درهم5.9 million today). The residence was landmarked by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as a “superb example of the French classic style of Louis XV” in 1966 and to this day, the 32-room property retains original features including hand-carved balustrades of white marble, ceiling frescoes of angels and clouds, an original working stove and two of the city’s first private elevators.

     

    Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”
    Robert Livingston Beeckman (1866 – 1935), Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White (1852 – 1946) and Henry White (1850 – 1927)

     

    Sold next to George Grant in 1912 after Beeckman – later 52nd Governor of Rhode Island – abandoned New York to spend more time at his Newport estate, Lands End, for a then record sum of $725,000 (the equivalent of $18.3 million, £14.1 million, €16.8 million or درهم67.2 million today), 854 Fifth Avenue was then offloaded to Henry White and his heiress wife Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White for the much lower sum of $450,000 in 1925 (the equivalent of $6.3 million, £4.9 million, €5.8 million or درهم23.1 million today).

     

    Twice married financier of New York’s Sloane Hospital for Women Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White and her ambassador husband are said to have “added their own touches” to the mansion and after she died, 854 Fifth Avenue was sold to the then nation of Yugoslavia. It has served as a government building since and was most recently used as the Permanent Mission of Serbia and Mission of Serbia to the UN.

     

    Bombed on 11th July 1968 but thankfully subject to little damage in that attack, the mansion still to this day features a ‘Faraday Cage’ – a secret metal-padded room where officials could meet without the fear of being wiretapped – as well as bulletproof windows to its Central Park elevation.

     

    Last week, of the property, Tristan Harper of Douglas Elliman told The Real Deal:

     

    “Everything is virtually intact. Whoever buys it will own a piece of New York history. [The six individuals who have already expressed interest in purchasing 854 Fifth Avenue are] all extremely high-net-worth individuals of different backgrounds”.

     

    Once bordered by houses of a similar scale, 854 Fifth Avenue is now adjoined by two behemoth-like apartment complexes. It stands sturdy and represents a little reminder of the glorious era of Carnegies, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Whitneys.

     

    Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion” Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”