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1. House of the Week
Living the High Life: Residing at the Ritz
$1.2 million
Annual property taxes: $14,589
1 Renaissance Sq, White Plains
If you’re interested in living the high life—literally—you’ll want to add this condo to your New Year’s wish list. There’s no question that a Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, condo will land you in luxury. And here’s your chance with a three-bedroom, three-bath unit in The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester that just hit the market. A corner unit on the 36th floor—what’s not to like? “After all it’s the Ritz!” says listing agent Paul Sarlo. “It’s living on vacation every day. I’ve represented Ritz-Carlton ever since the building first opened in White Plains and I love showing the properties, they’re beautiful.” In addition to the incredible panoramic views through nine-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows from every room of this bright and airy space, features include a gourmet kitchen with Viking Range with walnut cabinetry, walnut floors, a Crestron audio/video control system, and automated shades throughout. Then there are the amenities fit for the Ritz. “The services are shared, but it’s like having your own personal staff,” Sarlo explains. Those services and amenities are a mere phone call away whether it’s room service, maid service, shoe-shine service, the front desk, the concierge, or the spa. And, like the posh hotel, they’re all handled as a house charge. So, go ahead, order lunch while you’re sitting by the pool. In the heart of downtown White Plains, convenience is a given. Since you’ll probably need to work to pay for your resort life, a chauffeured shuttle will transport you to the train. The icing on the ownership cake: owners receive a 30-percent discount at any Ritz-Carlton hotel worldwide! For more information, contact Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage listing agent Paul Sarlo at (914) 906-0716 or visit www.luxuryhomeswestchester.com.
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2. SOLD! Westchester’s “Most Beautiful Home” Sets Record for Scarsdale
We knew the Colonial at 9 Heathcote Rd in Scarsdale was an extraordinary house. That’s how it landed on our cover as one of Westchester’s 10 Most Beautiful Homes in 2010. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones who were impressed. After selling for $10.884 million, the stunning home now has another point of distinction—setting the record for the highest sale in Scarsdale in MLS history. “It set a new milestone,” says listing agent Dawn Knief of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty. “The house is magnificent throughout—the craftsmanship to the impeccable choices the owner made are the best money could buy.” Built in 2006 on 2.5 acres by Scarsdale-based Cal Petrescu Architecture & Design, this 11,600-square-foot beauty features seven bedrooms, nine baths, and every amenity a dream home should have, including a home theater, billiard room, tennis court, swimming pool, and pergola. “The seller came to us because of our global reach—our ability to reach the broadest spectrum of buyers possible,” Knief notes. Knief describes the buyer (whose identity has been carefully guarded) as “someone who had seen a lot of houses and appreciated the quality craftsmanship and standard of excellence.” As Lisa Pitt, vice president of Paddington Stone Realty, who represented the buyer, states, “This magnificent estate now has a beautiful family to fill the soul of the home.”
3. 2011 Architecture Design Award Winners
Kudos to the visionary architects who ended the year with AIA Westchester Hudson Valley Design Awards. Among the winners of this coveted annual recognition are six Westchester-based firms. Presented with Honor Awards were Peter Gisolfi Associates of Hastings-on-Hudson for the restoration of the Hackley School’s Goodhue Memorial Hall in Tarrytown; Earl Everett Ferguson Architect PLLC of Irvington for the renovation of the Rakhaus residence in Bedford; D.arc Group/RBA LLC of Pelham as a design partner in the overhaul of the Williams Selyem Winery in Sonoma, California; and Old Greenwich, Connecticut-based Dodaro Ross Architects in restoring the historic Innis Arden Cottage. Receiving Citation Awards were Carol Kurth Architecture PC, of Bedford, for both the renovation of a farm-to-table residence in Katonah and the Chelsea 24 Loft in New York City, and honored in the Sustainable Architecture category for the expansion and renovation of Westchester County’s Corporate Aviation Facility was Sullivan Architecture PC of White Plains.
4. Antique and Fine Art Auction
If your home is looking a little ho-hum after the holiday decorations have been removed, it may be time to consider a refreshing. You may luck into just the right pieces at the New Year’s Antique & Fine Art Auction on Sunday, January 8, at the Clarke Auction Gallery, 2372 Boston Post Rd in Larchmont. Available pieces from grandfather clocks to silver tea sets to oil paintings can be previewed on Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7 from 12 pm to 6 pm, and Sunday, January 8 (day of sale) from 10 am to 2 pm when the sale begins. For more information, call (914) 833-8336 or visit www.clarkeny.com.
5. Quote of the Week
“It’s important to have global reach. I think there are a lot of foreign buyers on the high end. It’s important to understand that and not just focus on the market at the local level. You have to give yourself every possible opportunity to reach buyers. The high-end market seems to be moving despite the economy and buyers at this level are looking for options for their money. Not only are interest rates exceptionally low, but many of these are cash buyers.” Dawn Knief, Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty
We welcome information about fascinating homes on the market or real estate/home-related news and events—send to Karen Odom at kodom@westchestermagazine.com.
