Comments on: The Pierre

The Pierre

vronsky — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:22:35 -0800

The Penthouse Wondering what to do with the $70 mil. that Granny left you in her will? You could buy that private tropical island you have had your eye on but that's a 30 hour trip in your private jet. Wouldn't you really be happier here?

By: DesbaratsDays

DesbaratsDays — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:29:13 -0800

Its not the $70mil purchase that gets you. That $44k/year really starts to add up after a while... Cool apartment though.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:32:59 -0800

I dont understand why this worthy of a post. There's lots of interesting properties around the world for sale - enormous penthouses, islands, castles etc. What is this, a real estate directory?

By: wumpus

wumpus — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:33:12 -0800

vronsky, are you a real-estate agent? why do you keep trying to sell us properties?

By: frogan

frogan — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:34:35 -0800

I think it would be kind of strange to walk around a huge city and always be able to point to my house. "There it is. There it is again. Oh, it's behind that other building. Move over this way. See? There it is again." Of course, if I'm wealthy enough to own the top floors of a skyscraper, I'm also wealthy enough to rename it the Baxter Building and fly around in my Fantasticar.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:37:58 -0800

vronsky, are you a real-estate agent? why do you keep trying to sell us properties? With all the mefites sitting around wondering how to blow $70 million The bizzare thing is, vronsky actually mentioned this place in his last post, so why make two posts at all?

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:39:36 -0800

It actually looks rather small from the outside.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:40:13 -0800

That's what she said.

By: wumpus

wumpus — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:44:27 -0800

oh snap, interrobang!

By: cell divide

cell divide — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:47:15 -0800

... or, he said.

By: raysmj

raysmj — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:49:18 -0800

The Pierre Hotel offers every conceivable service twenty-four hours a day. English-to-Icelandic translation of 100 page-plus documents at an instant, at 3:30 a.m., and on glossy stock paper, delivered to my door with a mimosa, just because? Plo chops?

By: Iron Rat

Iron Rat — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:49:30 -0800

It looks like a good place from which to cast down large stones upon my enemies heads but I am unsure of its giant ape proofiness.

By: bim

bim — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:57:12 -0800

MeFi has turned into Curbed.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:58:02 -0800

Screw that, $70M penthouses are for paupers. Try this $135M Aspen estate on for size.

By: George_Spiggott

George_Spiggott — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:02:57 -0800

crash, if that house doesn't have a geothermal heating system then it should be considered a crime against humanity to occupy it during an Aspen winter.

By: dame

dame — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:11:09 -0800

The $44k is per month.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:14:04 -0800

...and covers crimes against humanity.

By: lobstah

lobstah — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:21:18 -0800

It makes you wonder who would buy such a place...just how many people are in the market for a $70M penthouse ?

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:25:46 -0800

If I can get a guanteed Spider-Man sighting once a day, I might think about it. (I'll take a moodey-lookin' Batman perching, but you're going to have to knock the price down a bit. And that cape better be swaying dramatically in the wind.)

By: xod

xod — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:57:25 -0800

The Aspen ranch ... I threw up a little bit.

By: twsf

twsf — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:00:10 -0800

Yeech! That's not a house it's a hotel...

By: landis

landis — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:00:51 -0800

just how many people are in the market for a $70M penthouse ? I can think of 400.

By: swell

swell — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:01:45 -0800

The Hala Estate is Bandar ~~Bush~~ bin Sultan's place. Save the vomit for next time at the pump, xod. (better RMN description)

By: chef_boyardee

chef_boyardee — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:03:44 -0800

The $44k is per month. $52 million for 100 years. Chump change to some elites... but still, when you're talking that kind of money there's going to be some wiggle room.

By: xod

xod — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:10:30 -0800

swell, thanks. Now I have some on me. I'm gonna go wash up.

By: monju_bosatsu

monju_bosatsu — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:11:42 -0800

The Hala Estate is Bandar Bush bin Sultan's place. Save the vomit for next time at the pump, xod. (better RMN description) A couple of the guys I work for have been there. Apparently it's pretty nice.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:11:58 -0800

Bandar bin Sultan is also a good friend of Jimmy Carter.

By: xod

xod — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:21:31 -0800

This penthouse post combined with the Vatu Vara island for sale yesterday ... vronsky, here are some Ex-hospitals and nursing homes you might be interested in.

By: jason's_planet

jason's_planet — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:54:49 -0800

Why thank you, vronsky! I was actually wondering what to do with the gazillions of dollars that just fell into my lap. I spent a good part of this evening thinking about your offer and ultimately decided to pick up a nice little brownstone in Brooklyn, for a fraction of the price of this apartment. And I'll spend the rest of my money on hookers and crack. (But don't mind me, vronsky. I'm just a philistine. I have no imagination . . . )

By: xod

xod — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:08:17 -0800

Here's some U.S. Forest Service fire lookouts for 9 dollars.

By: milnak

milnak — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:25:22 -0800

The thing I keep thinking is what kind of commission the real estate salespeople will make if this thing sells.

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:27:39 -0800

Crap post. And "French château" ??? GTF

By: dances_with_sneetches

dances_with_sneetches — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:44:52 -0800

Can someone explain the 42% tax deduction? The buyer can take 30 million off his/her taxes?

By: swell

swell — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:51:49 -0800

delmoi - Prince Bandar has formed close relationships with several American presidents, notably George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, who gave him the affectionate nickname "Bandar Bush". (wiki) In the May issue of The Atlantic, Robert Baer, a retired CIA agent, wrote that, around the Bush family Kennebunkport, Me., compound, the prince is known as "Bandar Bush." (NatPost via mattwelch) Can't find anything that indicates a particularly close relationship with Carter (or Ford, Reagan, Clinton, etc.) - but Bandar's unusually tight with W. Though by all reports he's quite a nice person.

By: blueloggy

blueloggy — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 20:26:15 -0800

d-w-sneetches: The 42% tax deduction refers to the percentage of the maintenance that is tax deductible. The monthly maintenance charge, in a co-op, pays for any common-area charges that everyone in the building shares: the doorman/concierge, cleaning of the common areas, heat/hot water, periodic repairs/updates/maintenance, etc. etc., and the underlying mortgage on the building*. So, in this case, 42% of the monthly $44k can be taken as a tax deduction. I believe the tax deductible portion is the percentage that pays for the interest on the underlying mortgage, though I may be wrong about that. But anyway, it will give the billionaire penthouse co-op owner a bit back on his taxes every year. Which is nice. * - when you buy a co-op, you're really only buying shares in a cooperative that owns the building. So the underlying mortgage on the building doesn't go away when the building goes co-op. You'd think a hugely fancy building from the 20s would've paid off its mortgage long ago, but something has to pay for all that frippery, doesn't it?

By: xod

xod — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 20:42:54 -0800

In 1948, Jimmy Carter was unofficially stationed at King Abdul-Aziz Naval Base in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Carter's frequent visits in late June, 1948, to Taif have been noted by none of his biographers. Needless to say, Prince Bandar was born in Taif on March 2, 1949. While the joint purchase of 1202 Mansion Woods Road in Annapolis made by a 16 year old Sudanese woman named Khizaran and Mr. Carter has not yet been fully documented, the house is currently for sale.

By: Relay

Relay — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 20:57:26 -0800

"The living room is considered the most magnificent privately owned room in the world. " Yeah, the Pope lives in such a hovel. Besides, if I were going to spend that kind of money, I'd buy more than one place. Starting with one of these. OK, maybe a place on the North Shore and Telegraph Hill for a start.

By: idontlikewords

idontlikewords — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:49:31 -0800

I heard that the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man insurance on that place is just ridiculous.

By: arialblack

arialblack — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 22:44:42 -0800

laundry in building: yes i can honestly understand how that might be a deal-breaker.

By: rvastag

rvastag — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:57:10 -0800

The penthouse is nice, but how about country estate living with some nature and your own barnyard with llamas??

By: craven_morhead

craven_morhead — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 08:16:14 -0800

They do like hyperbole. From the Aspen listing: "Perhaps the most magnificent property ever offered for sale anywhere in the world. " Come on. It's still a ranch.

By: Relay

Relay — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 10:53:35 -0800

"From the Aspen listing: "Perhaps the most magnificent property ever offered for sale anywhere in the world. "" Well of course craven_morhead, That Frank Lloyd Wright was such a little bitch.

By: ChasFile

ChasFile — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 14:23:46 -0800

Yeah, the Pope lives in such a hovel. The Apostolic Palace is owned by the government of Vatican City, and therefore includes, like the White House, one of the most magnificent publicly-owned living rooms in the world.

By: patricio

patricio — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:35:12 -0800

Come to London for stupidly priced houses - Lakshmi Mittal did...