Photo Credit: Courtesy Pembroke & Ives

212 Fifth Avenue is a building that bridges the gap of modernity. It is a relevant link between centuries, a thread of continuity between the industrial and technological revolutions. The building was envisioned using thoroughly modern concepts; it is an early example of an open plan skyscraper with oversized windows, built at a time and place in history when the logical formal outcome of that concept was too radical a proposition for its moment.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Pembroke & Ives

The penthouse spans 10,000 square feet with an addition of 5,000 square feet of outdoor space. The bronze staircase, terrace with a copper parapet and high-end finishes are details Pembroke & Ives are renowned for.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Pembroke & Ives

The triplex penthouse has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, smart home technology, four exposures, a chef’s kitchen, and enough closet space the richest man in the world could want. The gallery walls also make the crown jewel an art lover's paradise. The real highlights of the home include the observatory on the top floor, the huge skylight, a marble-and-glass fireplace in the library, and the two pools. Yes, we said two.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Pembroke & Ives

Building amenities include a fitness center, yoga studio, treatment room, playroom, game room, lounge, dining/meeting room with catering kitchen, and screening room.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Pembroke & Ives

The post Peek Inside Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ New York Penthouse By Pembroke & Ives appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Rocky Grimes / Shutterstock.com

AMAZON DOWNTOWN

Fortune 500 company Amazon is making waves in Santa Barbara. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder and the richest man in the world, has decided to set up shop in the once-prominent Saks Fifth Avenue building in downtown Santa Barbara. Over the last few years we have seen how Amazon has grown its presence in Santa Barbara, with its ownership of Whole Foods, the Amazon@IslaVista pick up location, and through the company's acquisition of the Santa Barbara startup Graphiq (formerly FindTheBest) to further develop its virtual assistant, Alexa.

The 47,000-square-foot Saks building on State Street is getting a facelift in anticipation of its new tenant set to move in later this year. Construction crews set up scaffolding around the building as they prepared to widen the windows to create more sunlight for the second floor. The interior of the building has also been gutted — gone are the escalator and other interior features. Sources have estimated that Amazon will pay more than $2 million in annual rent for the building, the highest of any tenant in Santa Barbara history. A portion of the ground floor will be retail space and the rest for a growing local Alexa research team. Jobs for the Alexa team have been posted and are drawing tech talent near and far.

A strong retail presence for Amazon would rattle the retail landscape downtown. The arrival of the company itself adds a layer of prestige to a city that has struggled to keep its downtown vibrant and relevant, amid a slow but sure exodus of large retailers and independently owned restaurants. Analysts say more hybrid, mixed use, and innovative ideas are going to emerge in the next two years in the struggling retail area.

LEASING DOWNTOWN

Hayes Commercial Group released a report that shows downtown Santa Barbara is growing into a hotbed for technology companies, a rising trend since the 2008 recession with nearly 70 technology companies emerging in downtown Santa Barbara over the past 10 years.

In the State Street corridor downtown, there are many concepts being evaluated. They include more seasonal pop-up store clusters as shoppers saw in the former Macy's site on State and Ortega. The city is also seeing if there is interest in occasional full-block street closures with more outdoor dining patios, entertainment, and new lighting to attract foot traffic and create a new environment. A trial to test that concept is expected before summer this year.

Leasing is surprisingly up considering the attention the large vacancies have been receiving; 22 leases including renewals were signed in 2018. Large vacancies that are still up in the air include the Macy's space, the former Verizon store, the empty Tonic nightclub, the closed Aaron Brother's store and the Staples building. All are in a four block area. This year, expect to see additional tech companies arriving, along with breweries, restaurants and home furnishing stores.

10 year increase of technology companies leasing office space in downtown Santa Barbara | Image: Hayes Commercial Group / Noozhawk

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Commercial real estate broker Greg Bartholomew said more tech companies will boost downtown. "Amazon will have the positive economic effect of a few hundred more tech employees working downtown, frequenting eating and drinking establishments, shopping, etc.," he said. "Having a tech giant open an office downtown becomes a point of prestige for the the city and other companies hiring tech employees." He said he doesn't expect any negative effects from the presence of the corporate giant.

"I don’t see Amazon driving up real estate prices," Bartholomew said. "Amazon is primarily converting a large retail building to creative office space and paying rent comparable to what a major retailer like Saks probably would pay. Given current retail demand, Amazon’s office conversion is not crowding out any retailers, and since they are creating new office space, the impact on other office users is negligible. Tech companies rarely compete directly against traditional office users for space in our market."

by S. Borisov

More tech employees also could lead to more housing. "The tech companies that are located downtown are generating built-in demand for housing that is within walking distance of State Street," he said. "Adding housing will increase the prospects for making downtown a neighborhood in addition to a business district, which most agree would have positive economic and cultural impacts on State Street. The challenges of adding significant housing to the downtown core are substantial, however — much easier to envision than to execute."

There's a reason why the world wealthiest man, Jeff Bezos, is drawn to Santa Barbara and has invested in commercial real estate, market stores and a startup company; he sees opportunity in what is fast becoming known as "Silicon Beach" right here in Santa Barbara, California.

The post Emily Kellenberger On How Amazon Will Affect Downtown Santa Barbara appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

With Amazon’s forthcoming HQ2 in Long Island City (LIC), many are wondering where their 50,000 employees will live. The previous artists’ haven burst onto the high-end luxury residential scene in the past few years. This Queens neighborhood offers an abundance of art and culture, an ease of transportation and killer views. LIC poses some pretty posh options to live and play. We have outlined six luxury residential buildings with excellent amenities that showcase what LIC has to offer.

GALERIE

Photo credit: GALERIE LIC

For art lovers and collectors, ODA Architecture’s GALERIE is described as “a curated collection of homes in the heart of the art district.” Located directly across the street from MoMA PS1, ODA and Paris Forino Interiors blend art and architecture seamlessly throughout the building.  ODA’s founder, Eran Chen, says “GALERIE utilizes three different window typologies to provide a collection of multi-dimensional living experiences. It offers diversity while fostering community, all in a forward-facing, ecologically responsible building.” The building’s amenities include a permanent art gallery space, called the ArtBox, a porte-cochere, a sculpture garden, lounge, party room with kitchenette, a library and workspace, a pool with outdoor access, children’s playroom, fitness center and landscaped roof deck.

ARC

Photo credit: Lightstone

ARC boasts that they are the anti-cookie cutter building. Specifically curated for urbanites’ appreciation for design and authenticity, ARC is located in the Dutch Kills neighborhood which is filled with museums and art galleries, restaurants and bars, boutiques, and charming residential streets. ARC’s onsite “Lifestyle Director” can help schedule gardening in their greenhouse in the private, interior courtyard garden, games in the indoor basketball court, pool parties in the outdoor, heated saltwater rooftop pool or cooking classes with a celebrity chef. All of this and ARC’s central location is also immediately adjacent to multiple subway lines, providing access to midtown Manhattan in less than 10 minutes.

Aurora

Photo credit: Aurora

One of Aurora’s show-stopping amenities includes a full rooftop level floor with soaring eighteen-foot full-height glass curtain walls. The Aurora Sky Lounge features plush seating, high-definition television, Wi-Fi access, entertaining kitchenette, and a live edge dining table with seating for 10. The lounge extends out to Aurora’s Sky Deck, a beautifully landscaped, rooftop sun terrace complete with an outdoor grilling station, misting shower, chaise lounges, and intimate seating. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center offering free weights, high-tech cardio and strength training equipment from Life Fitness. Aurora’s units boast fluid living, kitchen and dining spaces that are emphasized by white lacquer cabinetry and pure white quartz countertops, floor-to-ceiling windows that frame impressive views of the city skyline, white oak flooring and modern finishes unify both use and design.

ALTA LIC

Photo credit: ALTA LIC

Designed by luxury resort architect Stephen B. Jacobs Group Architects and Planners, ALTA LIC is a luxury high rise featuring flexible rents with co-living options, though never skimping on high level amenities such as a golf simulator, pool, roof deck, and lounge area. ALTA LIC offers some of the largest luxury rental residences available in LIC with spacious open floor plans and designer touches with superior views of LIC and Manhattan.

Jackson Park

Photo credit: Jackson Park

Jackson Park offers an outrageously extravagant 120,000 square feet of amenities including a 45,000-square-foot clubhouse dubbed The Club at Jackson Park, which overlooks a private park and features a lounge area with a fireplace and water feature, a demo kitchen accompanied by a private dining and conference room, a game area with golf simulator, poker table, billiards, foosball and flat screen television, a fully equipped tech bar and an outdoor patio and lounge outfitted with a wet bar, hanging garden and shuffleboard. The second level of The Club features an expansive fitness studio curated by gym guru Jay Wright, designer of the MoMA Tower, 15 Central Park West and 50 United Nations Plaza fitness centers (and many more). The Club continues on the third floor with a spa, sauna and steam rooms, a meditation lounge and changing rooms.  A 75-foot indoor lap pool, a professional grade full size basketball/volleyball and squash courts take up the entirety of the fourth floor. Topping off the Club is a rooftop with an outdoor social pool and hot tub surrounded by cabanas, chaise lounges and communal tables, all set against the New York City skyline.

1QPS Tower

Photo credit:MOSO Studio and Douglas Elliman Development Marketing

The sleek and modern residences at 1 QPS have stunning views from the apartments. Smartly detailed with premium finishes, the residences offer comfort and quality within a modern aesthetic and are flooded with light by day and skyline light shows at night. In addition to the views from the private residences, the zen-like pool has 360 views, a landscaped deck, a grilling station and a state-of-the-art sound system.

The post Luxury Living in Long Island City appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.