NY nesting News

Steve Madden: Steve Madden, the footwear giant, and his wife, Wendy Ballew, have just listed their luxurious Italianate style townhouse for $9 million. The townhouse, which is located at 175 East 73rd Street, originally consisted of three separate units. The couple purchased the first apartment in 2006 for $3.6 million, the second in 2009 for $2.2 million, and the third only a few months ago for $1.9 million. Strangely enough, right after the couple finishes consolidating the three apartments into the house of their desires, it goes right back on the market.

There has been widespread speculation for almost a year now about Jon Bon Jovi’s Soho penthouse:  Is he selling it or not? Well, now it’s official. His duplex penthouse at 158 Mercer Street hit the market yesterday for an astounding $42 million. So let’s assume that he finds someone flush enough to take the deal. That would bring him a surplus of $18 million! He originally purchased the apartment for $24 million back in 2007.

The tallest residential building in the western hemisphere, set for completion in 2015, is hitting the market with record-breaking prices. The 126 new apartments will rake in a combined $2.7 billion—a sum that has never been reached before. This amounts to an average of $6,742 per square foot. It is the third time 432 Park Avenue has increased its price forecast; the last prediction was set at $5,941 per square foot.

Major New York-based real estate owner and developer Alchemy Properties has finally unveiled the rendering design of 35XV, located (as the name would suggest) at 35 West 15th Street in the Flatiron District. The project, which was announced in 2008, hasn’t had an easy history. Neighbors, especially from the nearby condo building at 16 West 16th Street, have complained about the plan. Things calmed down, however, and the good news is that Alchemy is proceeding.

We reported a few months ago that Ichiro Suzuki picked up a four-bedroom apartment inside the Laurel at 400 East 67th Street for an astounding $35,000 a month. Considering the fact that he made approximately $17 million last year, 40k should be peanuts. Regardless, Ichiro has decided to move out of the great twenty-fifth-floor apartment with amazing views and hired Adam Modlin of the Modlin Group to find him a new pad.

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former president Bill Clinton, and husband Marc Mezvinsky have signed on the dotted line to buy a four-bedroom luxury condo inside The Whitman at 21 East 26th Street in Gramercy Park. Bill and Hillary Rodman Clinton are just coming off an especially busy year with Bill backing the Obama campaign and helping keep him in office, and Hillary’s involvement in the Benghazi affair and eventual hospitalization.

The City of New York opens a huge waste-transfer station on 91st street along the East River in Yorkville in 2015 — and it’s already threatening the surrounding real estate business. New York has decided to place its very first such waste-transfer station in a flourishing Manhattan neighborhood with many luxury condominiums.

James Frey and his wife Maya have sold their Soho duplex at 505 Greenwich Street for $3.9 million. It would appear that James needs a change of scenery after all the “Million Little Pieces” scandal. Let’s backtrack a bit. James published his memoirs, A Million Little Pieces back in 2003. In them he wrote about his addiction, his troubled life, and his time in prison.

Broadway's beloved musical director and producer Harold Prince (82), who has won 21 Tony Awards in his 60 year career, has listed another of his properties in Manhattan. This time for $21 million. He seems to have two gifts, that of bringing theater goers wonderful entertainment, as well as turning over luxury pads. No less than 7 in the past 10 years.

New York Knicks Star Carmelo Anthony and his wife LaLa have been going through a rough patch. After their reported split and near divorce, what better way to restart their marriage than with a new luxury apartment! Estrangement belongs to the past—Melo and LaLa are looking to reconcile in style.

A beautiful, Greenwich Village duplex at 32 Washington Square West owned by the star of Showtimes' “Weeds” is up for sale again with an ask of $6.99 million. This is the third time Mary-Louise Parker, the mom in the comedy about a suburban mother turned marijuana dealer, has listed her co-op. The first time for $7.25 million in spring of last year and again at a chopped price of $7.25 million in the summer.

Food Network's famous chef and restaurateur, who in 2006 opened the ill-fated (it closed within a year), up-scale, casually elegant, Greek restaurant “Parea” (group of friends in Greek), together with his lovely wife Elizabeth have purchased a pad in the Gramercy neighborhood. They already own a condo in SoHo, which they have put on the market with an ask of $3.5 million.

New York's very own “Spic-tacular” comedian, producer, actor, and playwright, John Leguizamo, whose new Kick-Ass 2 film where he plays “Javier” is due for release this summer, has put his 4 story East Village townhouse up for grabs for a mere $3.995 million.

Handsome and talented actor Bruce Willis best known for the box office winning “Die Hard” film series, has contracted to buy a grand apartment for $8.695 million in the Upper West Side's beloved landmark, the twin towered, El Dorado building at 300 Central Park West, and “grand” is precisely the correct way to describe it! The building also has central air, a 24 hour doorman, concierge services, a gym and a mini-basketball court.

What's a million or three to Madonna, the hyper-rich, material girl who is the ever changing, controversial and talented Pop icon? Not much it would seem. Maybe she didn't count on others not appreciating her scheme to sell her co-op for $23.5 million. She has now drastically cut the price. I guess being a material girl isn't all it's cracked up to be.