On the Market: For the first time in 40...

× 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 28, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

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? Previous: Come, Let's Tour Photographer Mario Testino's L.A. Abode

? Next: 90-Acre Oregon Country Estate Close to "Private Jet Service"

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AM Linkage: "Comfort Corner" For Sixth and Market; Plum Blossom Prettiness; Parkway Theater First Look; More!

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Curbed Cup 2011: Curbed Cup First Round: (7) The Panhandle vs. (10) La Lengua

× 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, December 15, 2011, by Sally Kuchar

The Curbed Cup, our award to the San Francisco neighborhood of the year, is kicking off with 16 'hoods competing for a glorious JPEG of an illustrated trophy. This week we'll have two matchups per day, and all the results and full tournament bracket will be reviewed on Friday. Voting for each pairing ends in the wee hours the next morning. Let the eliminations commence!
[Photo via Jason Rosete]

The Panhandle (or NoPa if you're into naming an entire neighborhood after a newish restaurant) didn't receive a ton of buzz this year. Most young things call it home because of its central location and inexpensive housing. It's true, the Panhandle has a slew of sensible and even quirky condos that are decently priced around the 600K mark. And hey, it has San Francisco's first parklet.

Many a microhoods are creating each year, but how many stand the test of time? And more importantly, how many get a mention on local television? When La Lengua first popped on the scene people were skeptical, but then the Google Gods acknowledged it and most haters quietly accepted its existence. It's a fun nabe, one you can read more about here. Another reason it made the list: It helps out its neighbor during a time of need.

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My First Rental: Interior Designer Jonathan Adler on Sleeping in a Nursery

× 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, November 10, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

"My first rental apartment was kind of a bittersweet affair. It was sweet because I roomed with the most divine girl named Julia, whom I love—she's a really good friend of mine—in a very, very glamorous doorman building on 9th Street between 5th and 6th [avenues in NYC]. The bitter part was that I was sleeping in the nursery, which had baby-blue infant wallpaper with little balloons and elephants, and it was just big enough to fit my full-size—wait for it—futon. So needless to say I couldn't sleep for a year because I was sleeping on a futon but it was a very, very pleasant place to spend sleepless nights staring up at the happy balloons and elephants."

· Jonathan Adler [official site]
· All Renters Week 2011 posts [Curbed National]

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First… Occupy Reality

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Toys 'n' Games: Guy Builds World's First Lego Greenhouse Using 100K Pieces

× 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, September 21, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

Photo via Co.Design

Oh, Lego: wherever will you go from here? You've conquered classic American architecture and climbed the world's tallest building and now you're playing a part in global agriculture. The world's first-ever greenhouse made entirely of Legos has debuted at the London Design Festival, where industrial designer Sebastian Bergne has used 100,000 pieces—50,000 clear ones for the roof and walls and 50,000 brown ones for the "soil"—to form the translucent structure. Impressive, right? It gets even better: Bergne told Co.Design, which first covered the story, that he threw the project together "in just one night, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m." Jeez, now you're just making us feel bad. Over here for more mindblowing photos.

· Lego to Immortalized Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House [Curbed National]
· Lego Announces Newest in Architecture Series: Burj Khalifa [Curbed National]
· A Greenhouse Made of 100,000 Legos [Co.Design]

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First Home Advice: Where Do Renters Draw the Line?

Vickie is an Apartment Therapy reader who is looking for advice. She is 23 years old and has recently moved out of her family home and into an apartment. She and her boyfriend have a year lease and the ok to make some decorating decisions and general home improvements. But she's wondering where the line should be - how much work, money, and time is too much to invest?

Here is her question in her own words, from her blog:

My main question is where do I draw the line with home improvement? Our property manager told us we can paint the walls and put holes into it (wooohooo!) as long as it returns back to its original state (or forfeit our security deposit of course). If the possibilities are endless, where do we stop? Should I change the kitchen and bathroom faucet fixtures? Would I want to remove them and take them with me whenever I move out? And if I did that, would they look good in the new place? Would I want to design this 'new place' the same way with the things I already own or see it as a fresh clean slate? Should I only make small changes?

I know I must consider the length of our lease, my financial situation, the costs of the improvements to be made, the cost of redecorating a future apartment (if I left certain goods behind), the labor and cost of returning the apartment to its original plain state, how much you love your apartment, how comfortable do you want to feel in it, and many other factors I have yet to think of. Just because my dinky couch looks good and fits in my current apartment doesn't mean it will in the next. So many options to weigh!

Please share your wisdom and advice with Vickie in the comments below...thanks!

Image: Jess Watson/from the tour of Emily and Meeko's Sunny First Apartment

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Introductions: First Look at the Missoni for Target Home Decor Offerings

× 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, August 10, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

Missoni is launching a mass-market collection for Target next month, and people are freaking. Out. Target's keeping quiet on this one—we had to sign a fancy non-disclosure agreement at the press preview—but they peppered some of the stuff throughout a Vogue spread and they've just started releasing dribs and drabs of the line to a company Tumblr called All the Way Up Here. (The gist of this Tumblr is that a doll named "Marina" is covering the collab—let's not get into it.) Above: please find the four home products currently on view, as well as a cool bike and some luggage. Then head over to Racked National to do what our cousins over there do best: ogle at clothes.

· Target Sets Sights on Missoni Collaboration For Fall [Curbed National]
· Missoni for Target [Curbed National]
· All the Way Up Here [Tumblr via Racked National]
· Missoni for Target Patio Furniture [Curbed National]

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10 Things Every First Apartment Should Have

Although the internet existed when I rented my first apartment, it was mainly chat forums and wasn't exactly full of the helpful information it is today. Ready to move out on your own for the first time? Here's a check list to get you started. Old pro? Add your basics to ours and help out those moving newbies!

1. Kitchen Basics: The important things that might top this list might be a can opener, sharp knife or wooden spoon. Check out this list at The Kitchn for more ideas on these essentials.

2. A Toolbox: You'll at least need a screwdriver (or two), a hammer, a tape measure, a level, adjustable wrench, and set of allen wrenches for all those IKEA purchases. The rest is up to you.

3. A Plant: Even if you kill it in a few months, the breath of life they bring to a space is unmistakable. If your thumb isn't exactly green, try a succulent that only has to be watered every few weeks.

4. Books: Even if you have a Kindle, a few books are always good to have around. Sometimes you just want to flip through the pages for inspiration or a little reading. If you're not big on collecting such things, make them classics that even a visitor might enjoy picking up.

5. Baking Soda & Vinegar: It doesn't matter what mess, mold, or grime the last tenant left, this combination of ingredients can clean just about anything. Save your money for other things like food and curtains to block out the view of your neighbor who refuses to wear a bath robe.

6. 3 Light Sources: Many apartments can feel lacking in light and often your first apartment isn't as awesome as you wanted it to be. Remember 3 light sources for your main room and it will always feel more like home. Plus, as a rule of thumb, all overhead lighting in apartments is ill-placed, too harsh, or too dim.

7. A Place To Lay Your Head: Yes it seems overly basic, but it's easy to get caught up in the smaller things you might need. Just because you think you can get away with sleeping on a futon doesn't mean your back will agree. Sleep comfortable and everything else, even the smallest space with the worst bathroom is suddenly tolerable.

8. 5 More Extension Cords Than You Think You Need: Unless you designed and built your own home, there's a 99% change your outlet ratio to products that require them will suck. Having a few extension cords or power bars on hand will save you frustration and trips to the hardware store later on.

9. A Box Knife: This small simple tool will save you a great deal of headache when it comes to opening moviing boxes, unpacking furniture or taking off zip ties held into new packaging that needs to be disassembled. You won't need it until you have no other choice but to go buy one and then you'll think back and say, "Apartment Therapy was right."

10. $50 Emergency Money: It doesn't matter if you keep it in the bank or stashed in your secret hiding spot, every first apartment has some sort of emergency. It might be the need to escape and have a night out, a lamp you didn't think you'd need or possibly a fan due to the lack of air circulation. Big or small, there will always be something.

Image: Flickr member certified su licensed for use by Creative Commons

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First Alert 3040DF Digital Security Box, Black/Silver

Honeywell Security Lock Box with Digital Keypad. Lock it up... from important documents to your prized autographed baseball to your laptop, with the Honeywell Security Lock Box. And while you get BIG peace of mind, thieves just find one aggravating obstacle after another. 48" security cable. State-of-the-art digital keypad. Double-steel wall construction. Plus, fire-retardant insulation provides added insurance when the unexpected becomes your reality. Play it safe and spend less here at The Guide! The rest: Large enough for laptops up to 17"; Foam pad and inside security strap for protection; Programmable digital electronic lock and override key; Security cable features a torque strength of 660 lbs. ; External dimensions: 5 5/8 x 17 9/16 x 12 13/16"d. Internal dimensions: 4 3/8 x 16 5/8 x 11 5/8"d. 10 lbs.; Act Now! Honeywell Security Lock Box

Price: $72.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Buying Power: Happening right this second: the first...

× 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, May 24, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

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? Previous: Treme Star Wendell Pierce Makes a Plea For Modernism

? Next: Heidi Klum Decorates!

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Showhouses: First Look Inside Elle Decor's Modern Life Concept House

× 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 12, 2011, by Sarah Firshein Photos: Will Femia

There aren't many things that will have us hauling over to the far-west edge of Manhattan, but the Elle Decor Modern Life Concept House, which opens to the public May 20, is most certainly one of them. It's all happening in two adjacent two-bedroom units on the 10th floor of +aRT, a not-yet-finished condo building whose marketing brochure encourages would-be residents to "gaze out of the wall-sized windows to gape at the collective passersby, plot your next buy at Balenciaga, or curl up in the Art Yard with a friend." (Also, we're prompted to "walk barefoot across the white oak floors.") Elle Decor editor in chief Michael Boodro, dressed in his Tuesday best, gave Curbed a tour through the magazine's first-ever NYC showhouse.

Unlike us, though, Boodro doesn't actually call it that—"It's the idea of young designers and that's why we don't call it a showhouse, we call it a concept house," he said, adding that there's no narrative or imaginary resident who's supposed to live here (unlike their showhouse in San Francisco). "We pair them up with brands that have supported the magazine and they work with them. This is an apartment that most of our readers, and probably most of your readers, would live in."

The designers are all the magazine's A-List Designers to Watch, five from this year and five from last. "We wanted people who had a little bit of a history," Boodro explained as we sat in the kitchen of unit 10B, a space designed by Katie Lydon with Bosch. "We were looking for designers who sort of had our aesthetic in the sense that they're sort of eclectic and young with an appreciation of tradition—and ones that we felt had staying power and had proven themselves enough that weren't just flashes in the pan but also brought something a little bit different and distinctive to the scene. They're people who really have demonstrated that they've gotten their acts together, and now only have vision and creativity but can sustain a business." Ah, if only all our interviews could be conducted around marble-top Saarinen dining tables!

On deck: a Gilt Home sale (or rather five of them) selling off some of the items in the Modern Life Concept House, plus an entire, full-fledged showhouse to correspond with Design Miami in December. The NYC space will be featured in a 12-page spread in the magazine's September issue; in the mean time, though, have a look at the photos above. And if you prefer to watch a video tour, head over here.

(Oh, and proceeds from Modern Life Concept House ticket sales benefit Housing Works.)

· Sketchy Sneak Peek at the Elle Decor Showhouse [Curbed National]
· All +aRT coverage [Curbed NY]
· Elle Decor Announces Designers for NYC Showhouse! [Curbed National]
· The Modern Life Concept House [Elle Decor]

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Real Estate Sold: You Heard It Here First: 850 Bay Sold For Close to Asking

× 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, May 10, 2011, by Sally Kuchar A tiny little bird who's very close to the sale has confirmed that 850 Bay Street sold today for an amount that was close to the original $6,500,000 asking price. The "we're going to blow your mind" part: the lucky buyer paid cash. What makes 850 Bay unique: it's a party house. There's a bar in every bedroom and the roof deck will provide a perfect setting for watching the America's Cup. The backyard has a separate building that's being used for a yoga studio. Like we originally said, this house is a mullet. A business, Victorian in front, and a beautiful, modern party in the back. Bummed you didn't get in on the sale? 1826-1832A Mason Street are on the market and were developed by the same company, so the design style is quite similar.
· Sneak Peek of 850 Bay [Curbed SF]
· Entertainer's Paradise at 850 Bay [Curbed SF]
· 1826-1832A Mason Street Has Arrived After Some Serious Nipping and Tucking [Curbed SF]

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Bull Trip!: GDP Report Q1 2011 (First Rough Estimate)

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Gender Studies: Is This Sad, Slumped Mess the World's First Openly Gay Sofa?

× 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, April 12, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

As with postulating about the sexual orientation of people, postulating about the sexual orientation of furniture involves a good deal of stereotyping and speculation. Just recently, for example, our cousins over at Curbed NY declared a fiberglass Eames La Chaise "the gayest chair of all time," no doubt because of its coiffed, sculpted, and streamlined physique.

Now there's a guy in Austin who's doing as most guys in Austin do and selling things on Craigslist, like the $100 he's asking for a sofa named Joepha. "I'm pretty sure my couch is gay," he writes, "which in my tolerant household is fine and that's really not the reason I'm selling him—I swear."

Here's the seller's reasoning about Joepha's sexual identity:

Clue #1) He's obsessed with his fitness. Unlike his owner, he's always trying to stay in shape. Granted, he's only three but he's constantly flexing his handsome springs and impressing neighboring couches with his stuffing. Honestly, what heterosexual sofa can reel off his measurements at the drop of a hat? 84 Long (he's really proud of that one), 37 deep, 30 high…I've heard it so many times he's even got me reciting them now. This is embarrassing.

Clue #2) Joepha (oh, that's his name—Joepha the sofa) does nothing but bask in the sun. Just look at this golden tan! He maintains this color year round although I suspect I've seen some lowlights during the winter months, he contends it's just to stay neutral and go with everything. Riiiight.

Clue #3) Joepha is no fan of children. He stubbornly refuses to let the little rug rats get near him. I've had discussions with him about his attitude but all I got in return was a Z snapped in my face and a lecture on taking care of my skin. (sigh) Joepha contends children are a menace to his mocha dermis and as such doesn't permit children, drinks, smokers, or pets anywhere near him. To quote him: ghurl, you don't look this good by letting just anyone crawl up on you. (Two things here: number 1, I'm a guy and number 2, for full effect you should whip your neck back and forth, kind of like a cobra, when you read that sentence)

Clue #4) While filing his nails on his big, chocolaty feet, he breezily suggested I change the word handsome to gorgeous in this ad's title. Type up something that suggests a Roche Bobois and then back off that just a hair he added. Yeah, I had to look it up too.

And, finally, despite a strict curfew, Joepha arrived home from last night's Lady Gaga concert at 4AM, promptly texted in sick to work and relegated me to the club chairs until he'd had his “disco nap”.

While we know plenty of straight people who secretly love Gaga and take disco naps, here's the clincher: Joepha "responds well to prolonged exposure to HGTV, OWN and (sigh) anything on Bravo." And finally, the seller emphasizes, the couch is in need of a "good, tolerant, loving home where his new parents will not try to change him."

· High Above the High Line at 245 Tenth Avenue's Shiny Shindig [Curbed NY]
· GORGEOUS HOMOSEXUAL SOFA FOR SALE - $100 [Craigslist Austin via Buzz Feed]

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City Scapes: Sixty Years On, Revisiting the First True American Suburb

× 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, April 11, 2011, by Rob Bear

Welcome to CityScapes, a column in which we explore some of the nation's oft-overlooked cities and towns: their local history and real estate offerings. Have a suggestion? Do let us know.

From 1947 to 1951, the development firm of Levitt & Sons constructed the massive development of similar Cape Cod-style homes that would become known as Levittown, N.Y. While not America's first suburb—that honor is usually bestowed on the NYC neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights—Levittown was among the first in the wave of homogeneous developments that swept the nation following the Second World War. Built to meet demand from servicemen returning from the war flush with "G.I. loans," the first batch of 2,000 homes sold out before construction had even commenced, which compelled Levitt to build an additional 4,000, all arranged around serpentine streets to maximize buildable acreage. For efficiency, an abandoned rail line was reopened to ship in lumber and zoning regulations were altered to allow for concrete slab construction. By July 1948, Levitt & Sons were turning out an astounding 30 houses per day. Though marketed as the "new form of American living," Levittown wasn't fit for all its future residents.

? So this is what a typical Levittown block looked like back in the '50s, a row of identically sloped roofs interrupted only by the occasional dormer. That homogeneity carried over to the tenants, too, as a discriminatory lease clause forbade non-whites from renting in the community. Contemporary critics honed in on the racist lease policy and uninspiring, sterile architecture, but people still poured into the newly minted community. In 1949, the developer transitioned to selling rather than renting, and sold off these new "ranches" for $7,990 a piece.

? Despite the homogeneous origins, the Levitt houses have evolved since their construction. Thanks to additions from the subsequent owners, the town now boasts a surprisingly wide range of architectural styles, most based on the original structure. Maureen Hare (above) told the New York Times that she and her husband had expanded their house into a Victorian-style spread almost twice as large as the original "ranch." This sort of rampant remodeling has led to wildly variable pricing for the formerly set-priced homes.

WHAT'S ON THE MARKET NOW:

? Of the more than 17,000 houses constructed by Levitt & Sons in the '40s and '50s, this 1948 four bedroom is one of the least significantly altered. Though it could use some help with the staging, the Mets-loving owner is asking $299K.

? On the next rung up on the alteration ladder, this $490K "ranch" has had a garage tacked on to the main structure. A swimming pool has been added, too, but are these improvements worth an almost $200K price jump?

? How does $7,990 become $925K? Just ask the owners of this overgrown Levitt. It has been revamped with new—though not necessarily stylish—fittings, but doesn't have a swimming pool. Still, the idea that the diminutive original framing is hiding somewhere inside this imposing facade is intriguing.

· Levittown Historical Society | History [official site]
· Levittown Through the Years [NYT]
· 49 Balsam Lane [Trulia]
· 179 Swan Lane [Realty Connect USA]
· Levittown [Elliman]

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43 Percent of Trulia’s Audience is First Time Homebuyers

photo credit: ralphunden

Today we announce the results of a comScore report, which shows that Trulia has the highest concentration of first-time homebuyers among the top real estate search engines. According to the report, 43 percent of Trulia’s audience consists of first-time homebuyers. Realtor.com’s audience has 31 percent first-time buyers and Zillow’s has 28 percent, making Trulia the #1 site to reach active and engaged first-time buyers.

According to the National Association of Realtors, nearly 50% of homes were purchased by first-time homebuyers in 2010. First-time homebuyers are new to the home search process and typically need more guidance than repeat buyers.  Savvy agents are using Trulia Voices and Trulia Pro as platforms to share knowledge and connect with first-time homebuyers on a daily basis. This is proving to be a good lead generator for agents that are active on Trulia.

“Out of all of the people who’ve contacted me through Trulia, about 90% have been first-time homebuyers,” said Deborah Bremner, an agent in Brentwood, CA. “What makes Trulia so appealing to homebuyers is that it allows a consumer who’s looking online for an agent to choose who they want to work with. On other sites, you don’t necessarily know the caliber of the agent you’re reaching out to, but with Trulia, you can determine who sounds like someone you’d like to work with. My client was extremely happy with the experience of being able to pick her agent on Trulia.”

“It’s not surprising that Trulia has the highest concentration of first-time homebuyers. Trulia serves as an invaluable resource for prospective buyers, providing rich home search data and access to more than 500,000 registered real estate professionals,” said Georg Gerstenfeld, VP of Business Services at Trulia. “Our goal is to help consumers make smart real estate decisions and connect them to agents who can help them through the home buying process.  Not only are agents providing consumers with valuable knowledge, but making these connections with buyers seeking help allow agents to win clients and close deals.”

Since being introduced in early 2007, more than 1.5 million contributions have been made in the Trulia Voices community. It is the largest and most active real estate community on the web.

Methodology

The first-time homebuyer data was pulled from ComScore’s November 2010 Plan Metrix report.  Per this report, a first-time homebuyer is defined as someone that bought their first home in the past six-months, or is very likely/somewhat likely to purchase a new residence in the next six-months.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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The Home of Cosmo Editor in Chief, In Brief:: "The first floor of Cosmopolitan editor...

× 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 21, 2011, by Sarah

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House of the Day: Perfectly Preserved Midcentury Modern Sees Market for First Time

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, December 28, 2010, by Rob

Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We'd love to see what you've got.

Location: Houston, Texas
Price: $1,795,000
The Skinny: Built for a prominent chemical engineer in 1960 and privately traded just once since then, this home has retained nearly all of its midcentury detailing and—if the staging is to be believed—many of the furnishings, as well. In fact, there's only the new dishwasher to distinguish this place from the day it was built. As impressive as this labor of preservation might be, the house could have some trouble finding a taker among the buyers of the new millennium. Granite countertops? No. Carpeted bathroom? Yep! There's even an old-school TV aerial on the roof. Hopefully, the choice location in one of Houston's finer neighborhoods will draw the sort of "preservation-minded buyer" sought by the seller. Besides, you'd have to be a real new construction fiend to drop $1.8M for a tear down.
· 3269 Reba Drive [Crosby Doe]

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This is what Scarsdale should have done in the first place

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