CurbedWire: One of Boston's Priciest Rentals; a Listing With a Job; More!

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Photo by Tim Schreier/Curbed National Flickr pool

BOSTON—A newly listed three-bedroom apartment rises immediately to the top of the pile as one of Boston's priciest rentals. How pricey, you ask? Oh, just $16,750-a-month pricey. No biggie. [Cubed Boston]

MERCER ISLAND, WASH.—Curbed Seattle notices a five-bedroom home on offer for $4.75M, and its 4.25-acre lot happens to come with a shiny caboose. According to the brokerbabble, the buyer is "to act as steward for property including pioneer cottage & renovated caboose!" Careful what you sign up for, folks: don't wanna be tagged as "hired help" in this pristine, monied billionaires' enclave. [Curbed Seattle]

NYC—Another crazy promo video from the guys at Curbed NY, this time a $50K production that includes a flamethrower and a roof deck that looks like Manhattan's High Line. Can't anyone sell $8.95M apartments the old-fashioned way anymore? [Curbed NY]

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CurbedWire: Jonathan Adler for Kravet; HGTV's New David Bromstad Show

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, March 22, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

Photo: sara.moss/Cubed National Flickr pool

EVERYWHERE—Designer and ceramicist Jonathan Adler has plans to release a fabric line with Kravet later this year. The collection represents Adler's "colorful approach to design: bright bold colors, retro patterns and happy designs." [Apartment Therapy]

THE INTERNET—Times are tough, both for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and for print publishing. Which must be why Living Social has a deal: for the next two weeks, $19 buys you an one-year subscription to both Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food. [Living Social]

EVERYWHERE—HGTV has announced The White Room Challenge, a new show that asks designers to overhaul a 10-by-10-foot white room "using such outrageous elements as candy treats, dumpster-dived treasures or more than 1,500 flowers." Premiere date: April 24 at 9 p.m. EST; network personality David Bromstad will host. [CurbedWire]

MALIBU, CALIF.—Cheech Marin one half of Cheech & Chong, sold his beachfront home for $5.34M. [Luxe Living]

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CurbedWire: Cool Small Spaces; Preserving Boston; Condos in San Fran

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, March 26, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

Photo via Apartment Therapy

THE INTERNET—On Thursday, Apartment Therapy will kick off its 8th Annual Small Cool Contest in hopes of finding the best small space in the country. [Apartment Therapy]

BOSTON—There's a new campaign underway to preserve an icon of Boston architecture: the triple-decker. Curbed Boston has more. [Curbed Boston]

THE INTERNET—CB2 has launched its outdoor-furniture catalog. [CB2]

SAN FRANCISCO—The guys over at Curbed SF compiled a solid list of the best places to buy a condo in San Francisco right now. [Curbed SF]

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CurbedWire: Happy Birthday, Mies; Art Linkletter's Place For Sale; More!

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, March 27, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

Illustration of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House by architect Tadao Ando; via The Philip Johnson Glass House Blog

EVERYWHERE—Modernist master architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe would have been 126 years old today. Happy birthday! [The Philip Johnson Glass House Blog]

BEL-AIR, CALIF.—The midcentury-modern home of the late TV host Art Linkletter has hit the market for $10.25M. Designed by Philmer J. Ellerbroek, the five-bedroom was featured in Arch Digest in 1959. [Realtor.com]

THE INTERNET—Trulia has just launched its Housing Barometer, which measures indicators of the housing recovery: new construction starts, existing-home sales, and the delinquency-plus-foreclosure rate. February's data shows construction starts only 22 percent of the way back from their April 2009 low; home sales 48 percent back from their Nov. 2008 low; and delinquency/foreclosure rate 32 percent back from its Jan. 2010 high. In total, the housing market is about a third of the way back to normalcy, with 100 percent not expected until late 2015. [Trulia via AOL Real Estate]

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CurbedWire: 2012 Homie Awards; Qazzoo Preps for Launch; HGTV Gardens

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, March 13, 2012, by Rob Bear

A shot of the Bower family's sitting room, from Bower Power.

THE INTERNET— After two weeks of nominations and voting, Apartment Therapy has announced the winners of it's 2012 Homie Awards, aimed at recognizing the best home blogs of the year. The winner in the home design category is Bower Power, a blog that follows an Atlanta couple's design challenges and solutions. Click over to AT for the rest of the winners. [Apartment Therapy]

THE INTERNET— The nonsensically-named new real estate site Qazzoo is currently in beta testing and is set to hit the web on April 1st. While the name might sound like an April Fool's joke, the site is very real and aims to connect brokers with potential clients, rather than buyers with particular properties. [CurbedWire Inbox]

THE INTERNET— In still more internet news, HGTV has just launched a new site, HGTVGardens.com, with gardening tips for seasoned green thumbs and newbies alike. Just in time for spring, the TV channel-turned-home media behemoth unveiled the new product at the ever-trendy SXSW festival. [CurbedWire Inbox]

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CurbedWire: Champ d'Or's Official Auction Reserve; Redfin Amps Up Apps

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, March 2, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

Photo by Harris Graber/Curbed National Flickr pool

EVERYWHERE—Home Depot has extended its contract with Martha Stewart, in fact expanding its licensing deal to include a new line of craft furniture. [Furniture Today]

HICKORY CREEK, TEXAS—More intel about the troubled Champ d'Or megamansion: it's headed to the auction block with a reserve of $10.3M. What a deal, considering the fact that it first hit the market for nearly $70M in 2002 and was most recently PricedChopped by 50 percent. [WSJ; previously]

THE INTERNET—Listings site Redfin has added new features such as Facebook functionality and access to local agents to its iOS apps. [CurbedWire Inbox]

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CurbedWire: Foreclosures En Route to Rentals; Pinterest and Shelter Media

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, February 27, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

Photo by Pearce_Pics/Curbed National Flickr pool

NATIONWIDE—It's happening: the process to convert foreclosed properties into viable rentals, that is. Fannie Mae has plans to sell off 2,500 homes throughout L.A., Riverside, Calif., Southeast Florida, Vegas, and more. [WSJ]

THE INTERNET—Looks like newish social media site Pinterest is for more than just making fun of Mitt Romney's penchant for luxury hotels: a bunch of national magazines, including Elle Decor, Country Living, and House Beautiful, report it drives a massive amount of traffic to their respective websites. [previously; Fishbowl NY]

THE INTERNET—It's that time again for Apartment Therapy's Homies awards, honoring home and design blogs. Head over to vote. [Apartment Therapy]

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CurbedWire: Fancy Fish Tanks; Eisenhower Memorial Debate Rages On

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, February 29, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

The impressive paint-chip wall in Curbed SF editor Sally Kuchar's San Fran apartment.

NYC—This week New York design editor Wendy Goodman profiles Richard Christiansen, an ad exec. Christiansen's party pad of a rental is filled with "a once-­lima-bean-green banana-leaf bed from the eighties" that's been lacquered in a dark color and a 1,000-pound fish tank. [New York]

BRIDGEHAMPTON, N.Y.—People are none too pleased that mega-builder Joe Farrell hopes to add yet more ridiculous amenities to his already-ridiculous "Sandcastle," as the estate is called. Calling Farrell the "neighborhood bully," a letter of protest argues that "it is not even clear why he thinks he is within his rights to apply for the horse barn and riding facility since 10 acres is the minimum requirement and he only has 8.6." [Curbed Hamptons]

WASHINGTON D.C.—The National Civic Art Society, one of the most vocal opponents to Frank Gehry's planned Eisenhower Memorial, has released never-before-seen photos of the very steel "tapestry" design element that has everyone in up in arms. Some arguments: it's a "rat’s nest of tangled steel, a true maintenance nightmare," it will be impossible to clean, and, far from the "permanent" memorial that Congress calls for, it will decay from acid rain. [National Civic Art Society previously]

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CurbedWire: Star Wars Locations; Singles; Be Russell Simmons' Neighbor

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, February 14, 2012, by Rob Bear

Photo: Los Apos

TUNISIA— The southern Tunisian desert served as a stand-in for the mythical planet of Tatooine in the Star Wars trilogy and now there's a totally comprehensive guide to the shooting locations that made it happen. GPS coordinates make it easy to plan your own trip, if you're inclined to follow in Luke Skywalker's footsteps. [Los Apos]

NATIONAL— Just in time to stave off a lonely Valentine's Day, Trulia has mapped out the neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of singles in five major American cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami. [Trulia]

NEW YORK— NYC's Financial District isn't exactly known as a high-end residential hub, but that hasn't stopped one building from packing in both star power and high prices. This $7.65M loft, with a whopping 5,800 square feet and six bedrooms, sits just one flight down from the Manhattan pied-a-terre of Russell Simmons. [Curbed NY]

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CurbedWire: Casa.com Launches; Great Architecture Out East; Avatar

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, February 15, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

Photo via The Kitchn

THE INTERNET—Please welcome to the dancefloor Casa.com, a new home site that sells cookware, bedding, small appliances, tabletop pieces, and more. Good news: they've got a 365-day return policy. [CurbedWire Inbox]

THE HAMPTONS—Some good architecture up for grabs out East: a Norman Jaffe-designed rental and a Bates Masi contemporary asking $895K. [Curbed Hamptons]

KISSIMMEE, FLA.—In order to differentiate itself from 2009 Oscar-winning James Cameron smash hit, builder Avatar has changed its name to AV Homes. Per the release, "Could it be the first time a company has had to change its name because of a blockbuster movie of the same name? Probably so." Then: "But the story does have a happy ending, as did the movie." [CurbedWire Inbox]

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CurbedWire: The Ice Hotel; Huguette's Disputed Will; $88M Sale Closes

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, February 17, 2012, by Rob Bear

Photo: Architizer

SWEDEN— Ice hotels aren't exactly novel, it seems like every country with a shred of land above the Arctic Circle is home to one these days. That said, Room 339 at the ICEHOTEL has been transformed into something extra special: a blinged-out, multi-faceted approximation of a diamond, designed by French artist Antoine Weygand and architect Roland Toupet. Better hurry up and visit though, it's all set to melt away come summer. [Architizer]

NATIONAL— As might be expected with $400M at stake, distant relatives have raised a legal challenge to the last will and testament of the late copper heiress Huguette Clark. At the heart of her estate are three incomparable residences, including the largest-ever Fifth Avenue spread in NYC and a Santa Barbara mansion thought to be worth $100M. [MSNBC]

NEW YORK CITY— The sale of most expensive apartment in New York history, Stanford Weill's $88M penthouse, has closed, with ownership officially passing to a trust in the name of Ekatarina Rybolovleva, a 22-year-old college student and daughter of a Russian fertilizer billionaire. According to the Wall Street Journal, the "sale generated close to $2.5 million in city and state taxes, and produced what brokers said was a record commission on a residential sale of about $3.5 million." [WSJ]

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CurbedWire: Karim Rashid For BoConcept; Million Dollar Listing New York

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, January 27, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

BoConcept's new Ottawa Collection, designed by Karim Rashid. Photo via Contemporist

WORLDWIDE—New from BoConcept is the Ottawa dining room collection, which was designed by Karim Rashid. [Contemporist]

NYC—Bravo's Million Dollar Listing New York, a spinoff of the network's original series profiling high-rolling agents and brokers in L.A., will kick off March 7. [Curbed NY]

WORLDWIDE—House Beautiful welcomes two new contributing editors: Blair Voltz Clarke, a private art dealer, and Rebecca de Ravenel, a designer and stylist. [Editor at Large]

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CurbedWire: Shyamalan Sells Penthouse; S.O.M. Opens Office in L.A.; More!

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, January 16, 2012, by Rob Bear

The luxe, 1,700-square-foot terrace of Shyamalan's former NYC pad.

NEW YORK—The film director M. Night Shyamalan has found a buyer for the penthouse he's been trying to unload in the ritzy NYC neighborhood of Tribeca. The duplex, which was sold by Robert DeNiro's mega-broker son Raphael, had previously been listed for as much as $18.5M, but sold for just $9.5M. [The Real Deal]

LOS ANGELES—The prolific architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill has just announced the addition of a Los Angeles Design Studio to their expansive empire. This is the second California office for the 75-year-old firm, whose previous West Coast foothold was in San Francisco. [CurbedWire Inbox]

FLORIDA—Unable to recoup more, the government has settled on $10 as a sale price for Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein’s Fort Lauderdale mansion. No, that's not a typo. The home, which had previously been appraised at $5M, was transferred to the mortgage holder for a single Hamilton. [The Real Deal]

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CurbedWire: HGTV Magazine's Second Issue; Foreclosure Stats

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, January 12, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

The Feb/March cover of HGTV Magazine

NATIONAL—The second test issue of HGTV Magazine hits stands Jan. 17; in it, a story about the family who lives in the pristine white house featured in the 1991 Steve Martin comedy Father of the Bride. Apparently tourists flock to the Pasadena, Calif., Colonial so much that the owner consciously tries to keep it looking sharp. “I feel guilty on trash day,” she says. [CurbedWire Inbox]

NATIONAL—According to new data released by RealityTrac, the 10 states faring the worst in terms of number of foreclosed properties are: Ohio, Utah, Delaware, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, California, and Nevada, where 1 in 177 homes is foreclosed. [Business Insider]

LONDON—UK architecture and urbanism nonprofit The Architecture Foundation is playing around with the way "sound is used to transform the physical environment, creating a temporary, invisible, yet penetrating architecture." The installation, entitled "Olduvai Theory," will take place for only one night: "on the day statistically noted to be the most depressing of the year, ‘Blue Monday.'" Oh, architecture and urbanism nonprofits. [The Architecture Foundation]

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CurbedWire: Art on Market Street Poster Series; Grenade Scare in Noe Valley

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, May 4, 2011, by Sally Kuchar

MARKET STREET—The 2011 Art on Market Street Poster Series goes up today. The posters, which will decorate bus shelters on Market Street, show important moments in San Francisco history. There's six posters, which were designed by local artists Elisheva Biernoff and Ian Huebert. The posters also feature a map of the Market Street area that highlights sites of lost landmarks, according to the San Francisco Arts Commission. You can check them out on bus shelters on Market Street between 8th Street and the Embarcadero from today through Friday, July 29. [SFAC]

NOE VALLEY—A woman was cleaning out her newly moved-into home on Fountain Street in Noe Valley on Monday and found a grenade in one of the bedroom cabinets, police said on Tuesday. The grenade was secured and removed, and no one was injured, police said. [SF Examiner]

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CurbedWire: Work Begins On the Metreon Today; Presidio History Lessons

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, May 5, 2011, by Sally Kuchar

[Photo via San Francisco Redevelopment Agency]

YERBA BUENA—The Metreon's makeover breaks ground today. The project includes a new 85,000 square foot CityTarget store, a new "Dining Terrace" overlooking Yerba Buena Gardens, dozens of new retailers and eateries, and major improvements to the AMC Theatres and Westfield's City View event space. "This is a perfect example of smart redevelopment that works," said Mayor Lee. "At a time when growing our economy is a top priority, the Metreon project will create hundreds of new jobs, generate millions in tax revenues, and will be the home of the City's first Target Store. I am proud to kickoff the start of this significant project." [Curbed Inbox]

PRESIDIO—The Presidio Trust is launching a new lecture series this month featuring some of the nation's pre-eminent historians. Contemporary Historians at the Presidio: Voices and Views debuts Wednesday, May 11th at 7pm at the Golden Gate Club. Admission is free. The annual series will explore issues specific to the Presidio, as well as themes in American and world history which put the Presidio's past into a larger context. "Because the Presidio's history is particularly connected to national and international history it is the perfect platform for this type of programming," Dr. Randolph Delehanty, the Presidio Trust' historian said. [Curbed Inbox]

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