1) Of all the oversize, outlandish developments being planned for Williamsburg and Greenpoint, this one has to be our favorite (right). A former congressman and his developer partners are trying to get the go-ahead for "Williamsburgh Square" (not sure if the "h" is a typo or not), a 675,000 square-foot complex featuring four towers of 38, 36, 20 and 12 stories. There would also be a charter school, day-care center, two floors of retail and?so best?a "semi-public" park. The running-on-fumes L will be spared, too. There's over 300 underground parking spaces. [NYPost]
2) A story that could only have been written in New York: "It can be upsetting to discover that an apartment was the site of a murder or suicide. Others see it as a chance for a bargain." Also, check the handy homicide G-Map mashup! No, really! [NYTimes]
3) Has the glass tower finally jumped the shark? The Oculus Condominium, a 10-story building under construction at 50 West 15th St., will have a terra-cotta exterior, because the president of developer Alchemy Properties said, "We don't find glass buildings that interesting." Burn! [Dakota Smith/NYPost]
4) A gay couple go on an extensive summer home search on Fire Island, which suceeds in the end, but we're more into their broker's use of real estate slang: "winter water view," when you can hear the ocean without seeing it, and an "upside-down house," when the bedrooms are on the ground floor and the living rooms are upstairs. [Joyce Cohen/The Hunt]
5) Everything you ever wanted to know about the Stanhope Hotel conversion, laid out in all its pretentious detail. Beware: "The doorman will know your names and your kids' names." Or else! [Suzanne Slesin/Window Shopping]
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