1) The man on The Hunt this week is Vishaal, a 29-year-old financial hotshot, who tires of rent increases and decides to start looking for a place of his own, using all sorts of hotshot financial terms such as "upward potential," "investment," and "prices." He is immediately taken with the many amenities of Downtown by Philippe Starck, calling it "a cruise ship you never have to leave," but decides that the price for a 1,200-square-foot studio is bit too high at $1.15 million. He briefly considers the Lower East Side (too grimy) and Dumbo (no deals) before returning to the Starck studio, which, in the meantime, has been pricechopped thrice. He scoops it up for $1.04 million. Finance. [The Hunt/'A Goal of $1,000 a Square Foot (or Less)']
2) Experts do not believe that the effects of Hurricane Sandy will have any impact on the desirability of waterfront real estate, which has been among the most coveted property in the city. "I'm always struck by how quickly we forget — the collective memory, whether it's politics or real estate or anything else. When people are looking at property on the water with beautiful views, all that gets rationalized away," says Jonathan Miller. However, buildings will have to assuage the fears of potential buyers by increasing preparedness and safety measures in the event of another huge storm. The president of Citi Habitats notes, "[In Florida, people] have lived and learned through so many storms and had the opportunity to make changes where necessary. We have to start following those guides." It's exactly what we've been saying for years: New York should be more like Florida. ['Would You Buy on the Waterfront?'; photo by Several seconds]
3) It's a question that everybody struggles with at one time or another: How much am I allowed to annoy this celebrity I've sighted? The question becomes more intriguing when that celebrity lives in your building and you've "sighted" them in the elevator. "Familiarity breeds contempt," says Law and Order: SVU star Christopher Meloni. "No one is really going to bother you after the third or fourth time of running into you." Other celebrities seem to agree, saying that their neighbors are lovely and cordial, and the lovely and cordial neighbors have similarly glowing things to say about the celebrities. The only people who appear to be struggling with the whole thing are the brokers, who are never sure whether or not it's appropriate to divulge a famous person's address and whether doing so will turn potential buyers off or on. As always, the brokers have it the toughest. ['Stargazing in the Elevator']
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