NY TImes real estate: the Hunt

If you can't find ANYTHING you like in the $1 million to $4 million price range, you're too damn picky.

For such a fussy couple, it's funny that she forgot to get dressed for the New York Times photographer.

Actually, you'll be surprised at how tough it is to find good quality real estate.

For instance, chelsea has a lot of nice buildings with great amenities, but the area is subpar at best. Same goes for battery park city. And better neighborhoods like tribeca or upper west don't have a lot of high quality buildings.

What is "subpar" about Chelsea?

And define "high quality buildings".

It is not the quality of NYC real estate that's lacking, it's that couple's imagination and intelligence. My heart bleeds for the poor put-upon euroskanks, really it does.

"He bid $3.9 million, but when he spoke about it to her, “he was having this long face,” she said. She couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t more excited."

Honestly, how did the reporter write this story with a straight face?

DivineComedy is rufus. Another day, another ID. Sort of like our New Jersey friend Alpine.

When I read that story, I interpreted it as a hatchet job by a reporter who hated his subjects. He really wanted to make them look like a******* and he succeeded.

If you're a reporter and you want to get back at people you don't like using print, you just quote them completely accurately--albeit rather out of context--and string it together the right way, set it up with the right kinds of transitions, and every perceptive person who reads it thinks, "Those people are such jerks!"

Whether those subjects really are jerks or not who knows, but the reporter obviously thinks they are. If you know how, you could make Mother Theresa look selfish.

If they're nice people and you're doing a story assignment like that, but their English is a little stilted, or they're just unaware in a child-like way, you write it so they don't come across as spoiled brats. (I was a journalist for over 20 years.)

{Manhattan real estate agent}

Chelsea & Subpar & Filthy all in the same sentence?

I'm sure Steve is close to a boiling point right about now.

Steve will consider the source as did everyone else. Rufus is as easy to dectect as dog s**t on a hot summer day, not the only thing he has in common with that substance.

have you idiots even been to the area around the chelsea stratus? It's really dirty, lot of empty stores, not much retail. Those of you who think chelsea is a nice area are just delusional.

if you don't like it, why do you purportedly visit it repeatedly (via google maps, of course)? have you read about the difficulties facing the high-end sellers in Chicago?

lizyank, he stinks?

"have you idiots even been to the area around the chelsea stratus? It's really dirty, lot of empty stores, not much retail. Those of you who think chelsea is a nice area are just delusional."

I agree...was just over there this weekend.

Re: "not much retail"

Are you kidding? What do you need -- Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Saks and DWR in your frickin' lobby? Some of the best shopping in Manhattan is all within 5 blocks of that building. Walk your lazy asses one block east and you're in the 5th Avenue shopping Distric. And just off the top of my head, there's a Gracious Home right there, a Duane Reade, and Jensen Lewis a coupleblocks away on 7th along with a Whole Foods. I could go on and on. You can shop all day in that nabe and then stuff your face at Hill Country right up the street! Woohoo.

Granted, to me those blocks on 6th just north of 23rd still carry melancholy ghosts of Billy's Topless and the original Fleamarket ;-(, but to say there's not much retail is just asinine. How much "retail" is on CPW, prime Park Ave, Gramercy Park, Riverside Drive?

Oh, and I forgot about the Home Depot and PC Richard on 23rd right around the corner, and Bo Concept and West Elm toward 7th! "not much retail"? what a fu*kin' idiot

west34, fifth avenue in the 30's is not exactly quality retail. and to brag about home depot and gracious homes is pretty laughable. NYC is the only U.S. city where you can pay $3 million for a condo to live in a dirty area full of bums and crappy retail.

Oh, I forgot, you shop at "Douchebags R Us". Maybe your peabrain can understand this: walk one block east on 23rd street -- when you get to 5th avenue, turn right. It's called the "Flatiron Shopping District". And for your tranny dress up sessions, I would recommend the Bebe boutique on 15th.

DC -- did you have a horrible tunnel bunny experience in Chelsea once? Rejected by a gogo boy? They didnt let you past the velvet rope at Splash?

sorry west. i'm straight. and speaking of clubs, the girls at the chelsea clubs or manhattan in general, are pretty ugly and can't even compare to Los Angeles, Vegas, or Miami.

"the girls at the chelsea clubs or manhattan in general, are pretty ugly"

if anyone doubted this was Rufus...