1) Once again, Suzanne Slesin goes comparison shopping, this time at the Artisan Lofts and Hit Factory, to investigate what modern loft living is really all about. Her tour of the House That Rock Built left her a bid unnerved, especially since the elevators weren't operational and some of the views were nonexistent. The penthouse duplex was more her scene, especially Penthouse C, which features an interior-exterior fireplace on a large terrace off the living room. The Artisan Lofts seems more her speed, combining the high ceilings and multi-functional spaces that defines loft living. Sadly, she still hasn't found that special something that will take her out of Window Shopping mode. [Window Shopping/Suzanne Slesin]
2) New York City brokers may have run afoul of the law when trying to describe properties to their clients. It is potentially unlawful for brokers to mention a building's tenant mix, resident or buyer occupations, marital status, even the school district a building sits in. While it may seem over the top, real estate discrimination does exist. See, brokers really don't have all the answers. [Questions Your Broker Can’t Answer/Vivian S. Toy]
3) A couple seeking more space for themselves and their 2 children ditch Times Square and head up to Harlem, settling into a 3 bedroom ground floor condo at the Langston for $660,000. [The Hunt/Joyce Cohen]
4) The New York State Pavilion from the 1964 World's Fair was recently added to the World Monuments Fund's list of 100 endangered sites, making it the only New York entry and one of only seven places in the U.S. Despite this designation, there is little chance of actually saving this structure, with Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe citing a lack of viable reuse plans and capital. [Flushing Meadow Report/Jake Mooney]
5) Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan may have one unintended benefit: adding exclusivity to the Upper East Side. At least that's what some brokers think, like Corcoran's Sharon E. Baum, who says, "Reduced congestion could be a selling point. It could make a high-rent district an even higher-rent district." Maybe brokers do have all the answers. [Big Deal/Josh Barbanel]