The Joys of a Heated Sidewalk; Dog-Lovers Seek Convenience

Welcome to It Happened One Weekend, our weekly roundup of The New York Times real estate section...

1) Rich people. What are they spending millions of dollars on? What are they complaining about? This is What's Up With Rich People?
Lest we all forget that rich people have it a lot easier than the rest of the world, here's an article all about how certain luxury buildings are now installing heated sidewalks. The whole process is kind of a pain and very expensive and not eco-friendly at all, but that's the price you pay to not have to walk through slush in the ten feet from your lobby to a waiting car. It also seems like a nice break for the buildings' doormen, who are excused from shoveling snow for hours upon hours in snowy conditions. NYC architect Peter Pennoyer has installed such systems for clients, but he seems reluctant, saying that, "A huge amount of energy is required to accomplish what one person can do with a shovel in 20 minutes . . . Maybe I'm old-fashioned." Yeah, get with the times, old man! ["Ditch the Snow Shovel"; photo via Scott Lynch/Curbed Photo Pool]

2) Every "The Hunt" column begins with the Hunters describing the apartment they want, and ends with them rationalizing whatever they came away with. This is The Hunt: Dreams vs. RealityThe Hunter: a couple looking for more space for themselves and their dogs
Price
Dream: $600,000
Reality: $725,000
Neighborhood
Dream: Midtown East
Reality: Gramercy
Amenities
Dream: elevator, dog-friendly, outdoor space, laundry room
Reality: elevator, dog-friendly, outdoor space, sunny, laundry room
Summary
This week's hunters include one Jackob Hofmann, one Hugh Kepets (who—let's be real—looks tremendous for 68), and their two adorable dachshunds, Pepper and Bebe. After twenty-plus years in a walkup in Gramercy, the couple sought a more convenient living space. They were initially going to move into a larger place, but decided to buy land in Connecticut for a country house. Instead, they looked for smaller places in the area, first focusing on Tudor City, and eventually finding an alcove studio in an elevator buildingon East 18th Street that fit their needs, paying $725,000. The apartment is sunny and has views of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. [The Hunt/"Easy on All 12 of Our Legs"]