With construction crews breaking ground all across NoHo, one might say this historical district is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. The designers of the new luxury condominium development on the shady street of East 4th are apparently trying to one-up the other builders. Set back from the road quite a piece, this fifteen-story building distinguishes itself with a private, gated entrance (including a pull-up driveway) and a parking garage. Of course, the building’s modern appearance also serves to separate it from the 19th-century style constructs nearby.

The interiors of 52 East 4th were designed by Andres Escobar, one of the premier designers in the world; his company also designed Harsen House and Chelsea Club, and innumerable retail and corporate structures. For this particular development, Escobar used 13′8″ ceilings, large combined spaces and full-size windows to add an expansive feel. White oak flooring adds character to the minimalist design, and it’s all about atmosphere in the windowed master bath, where a structural steel beam reminds residents that they are living in industrial-style luxury.

Residents of the development will be afforded a few extra efficient conveniences, which will be intelligently incorporated into individual room designs. The kitchen, already provided with the standard package of luxury appliance brands and stylish cabinetry, will also have a 180-degree swinging island which can be adjusted to fit the needs of the family chef. A retractable glass table will make good use of the remaining space. A newly patented Barisol ceiling system using fiber-optic lighting will provide a softer light than traditional or recessed lighting. The central heat and air system will include three-zoned control, so that naturally hot rooms like the kitchen can be set differently than cooler areas of the home.

As nice as the fourteen full-floor units are, modern residents want more than a comfy home with a few amenities. They want to experience a sense of community, and 52 East 4th will offer a multitude of social activities for residents, both in the building and around the neighborhood. Out and about, there are reams of boutiques and lounges, in addition to a number of artistic venues, like the Bowery Poetry Society and the New Museum of Contemporary Art. For homebodies, the roof-top terrace will be the place to be. Residents will be able to lounge under the curtained cabanas or swim laps in the “endless stream” spa-pool. A tempered-glass railing will ensure safety.

Out of the fourteen original condos for sale, there are eight still available, including two penthouses. Most of the units have approximately 1,350 square feet of living space, with the exception of two smaller apartments that have a combined indoor/outdoor area of 500-700 square feet. These smaller units start at $795,000, with common charges of almost $500 per month. The larger apartments range from nearly $2.8 million-$3.5 million. Garage space is limited and sells for $175,000. The development is slated for completion in the latter half of 2008.

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This 38-unit building is a piece of architectural history. Originally designed by the renowned Italian-American architect Rosario Candela, Cetra/Ruddy has helped convert it to a luxury condominium development. Located on the desirable Upper East Side of Manhattan, 40 East 66th isn’t chock full of amenities and glaringly obvious extravagance. The combined living/dining room serves as a soothing distraction to outside worries, while a wood-burning fireplace, constructed of beautiful limestone, invites the family to the hearth. Herringbone-style flooring adds elegance throughout. Cetra/Ruddy treated this development like a baby, each room attended to like a doting mom.

Comfort is the theme throughout the units. The kitchen is bright, cheery and pristine, with a spice rack next to the stove for easy reach. A Large master bedroom and wide, bright master bath with heated towel rack provides every convenience, and well-placed, oversized windows throughout create a connection to the real world without sacrificing privacy. Three units per floor allow for quiet evenings and weekends. And it’s a reader’s paradise, with ample light and plenty of large, airy rooms to relax in. A library with loads of bookshelf space provides seclusion when necessary.

With Central Park a simple block away, residents of 40 East 66th have a massive amount of outdoor space to play in. But on rainy days, it’s always good to have an alternative to board games and television. Children will love the huge indoor playroom, while parents might prefer to get their exercise in the fitness room with a private trainer. And storage room for bikes and strollers makes it easy for those impromptu trips to the park. Miele washer and dryers adorn each unit, while extra space in the apartments allow for versatility.

40 East 66th is located on Madison Avenue, THE place for high-end shoppers to unite. There is no end to the shops, museums and cafes located within walking distance, and names like Armani, Godiva and Guggenheim are daily sightings. Prices for the neighborhood are high, no doubt about it, with the three-bedroom units averaging $2500/square-foot, (just around six million dollars for units of 2,400 square feet). Add to that the common charges and monthly fees and the prices easily soar. The development is being marketed by Corcoran Sunshine. This premier marketing group has been planning, marketing and selling real estate throughout the United States and the world for more than twenty years. Its collective sales has surpassed $15 billion.

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The box-like building of red brick located on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth Streets isn’t intended to turn heads. Instead the designers, Roman & Williams, made it a point to incorporate the building’s design into the other structures of the neighborhood. This stress on authenticity adds substance and personality to the luxury condo development that is hard to come by in an age when the futuristic look is utilized at the expense of aesthetics.

This respect for tradition is as important inside the homes as out. Designed by the same company that built the exterior’s personality, the interiors take on a pre-war ambiance that leaves a distinct mark on each unit. Nine-foot high glass doors separate the living and dining rooms, and a large wood-burning fireplace serves as the focal point of the family area. Walnut herringbone parquet flooring adds a unique charm to the units.

Historically, designers provide contrast in different rooms to separate area functions. It’s no different here. The kitchen, with dark woods and old-style hanging lights is a world away from the master bath and its sterile efficiency; walls and floors of Calacatta gold marble in the bath whisk the resident away to modern Europe, where double vanities and mirrors encourage intimacy during even the most mundane of tasks.

Each unit of 211 Elizabeth is crafted to be unique. This is especially true of the 2,189 square-foot penthouse; it is a building in its own right, sitting atop the Elizabeth structure like a sentinel. Twelve glass doors are spaced evenly across the unit, each leading to the full-length terrace. Above, there’s room to entertain with a trellised grilling area and solarium, complete with wood-burning fireplace. Finally, a hot tub and shower area can be a good place for a relaxing moment of meditation.

211 Elizabeth is located in the little-recognized Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan. Originally part of Little Italy, Nolita has evolved to become its own unique corner of New York, with trendy boutiques and restaurants, and a family-friendliness that is standard across the city.

Showings have just begun for the fifteen units of 211 Elizabeth, which is being marketed by Stribling Marketing Associates. This talented group of more than 200 brokers has been offering help to buyers and sellers since 1980. Typical one and two-bedroom units range from 785-1,820 square feet in area. The small one bed/one bath unit is $1.5 million, and the highest non-penthouse unit is $3.9 million. This is one development where the 421-A tax abatement really makes a difference in cost. For example, the monthly taxes on a two bedroom unit are $146 with the abatement and over $2,500 without. The two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath penthouse is listed at $6.95 million.

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Get lost in a time-warp at Vestry, located at 33 Vestry Street in the creative Tribeca area of Manhattan. The facade is translucent glass and marble, hardly compatible with the browns and tans of the neighborhood brick buildings. But with a style like Vestry’s, residents of these seven units won’t need to fit in with everyone else. Starting with the car elevator that will take your vehicle to private parking, Vestry is a unique addition to the area. The building was designed by the Dutch architect Winka Dubbeldam, a visionary in her own right. She includes a mixture of apartment styles, including single-level units, townhouses, three and four-bedroom triplexes and a duplex penthouse.

Dubbeldam saw Vestry’s unique potential to speak to its residents and went with it. Spacious floor plans leave plenty of room for residents to discover their own style, while classic additions like a 5′ gas-burning fireplace (with Pompeii stone hearth) brings with it the high standard of design expected in luxury developments. Mafi hardwood oak flooring is used throughout, a darker shade of wood that envelopes the home in elegance. In the kitchen, stainless steel countertops mingle with fully-incorporated brand name appliances to take residents into the future, when efficiency will dictate that everything have its own place. Bathrooms add to that futuristic appeal; they are large and pristine, with heated limestone flooring and a comfortable, six-foot soaking tub. A separate shower and toilet area allows for increased privacy. Recessed lighting throughout the home adds ambiance.

Outdoor space is important in today’s green-conscious world, and Vestry has included terraces or balconies with all of their apartments. The penthouse, with a 1900 square foot roof deck, comes out ahead of everyone, especially with its private 16′x8′ heated pool and Ipe wood flooring, but in New York, it’s not the space that counts, but what can be done with the space. And even a small 100 square foot terrace is room enough to enjoy a little extra peace and quiet.

Since they first started sales in April 2007, four units have sold or gone into contract; therefore, there are currently three units still available, ranging from $6.2 million for a large full-floor apartment with 3,252 square feet, to the extravagant penthouse with over 7,000 square feet inside and 3,693 square feet out, priced at an equally extravagant $22 million. Units come with private storage areas, walk-in closets and insulated glass windows, in addition to private laundry facilities. The development is only block away from Tribeca’s many eateries and entertainment.

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Eclectic is the word for 15 Madison Square North. Its design has been called neoclassic, and that style pretty much spreads through the whole development. The 24-hour attended lobby introduces the building nicely, with its mix of traditional and modern decor. Extravagant sofas take visitors back to an easier age, while the Tibetan rugs remind them that there is a whole other world out there.

Similarly, the interiors of 15 Madison Square North units, boasting the contemporary designs of Nathan Egan interiors, will leave the senses straddling two worlds. Chocolate brown walnut floors definitely draw the mind to the times of old, when furniture and cabinetry were constructed of this straight-grained wood. If you follow the flooring into the kitchen, the ambiance changes in front of you. Professional-grade, stainless-steel appliances put the family chef fully into the 21st Century. Neat lines and an efficient design add to the modern theme.

Finally, enter a fantastical world in the master bath, with its combination of marble finishes and Waterworks designs throughout. On a different note, the room has one of the only double-vanity sinks in the world of new condo developments. Something so simple shouldn’t make such an impact, but when a couple can stand frozen in the same room for the short twenty minutes it takes to get ready for work and bed, it can make a big difference in communication value.

There are some community-wide opportunities for socializing, whether with your significant other or neighbor friends. Like most other developments, 15 Madison Square North has a health club. This gym, designed with the help of CLAY Fitness & Spa, is 2,200 square-feet of space equipped to help you get in shape. And after all of the hard work, a full-roof deck makes a good place to relax and catch a social life. A children’s playroom makes a good rainy-day spot for the kids. Of course, on a nice day, residents can enjoy one of the biggest front yards in the city. Madison Square Park allows plenty of recreational activities, from the rousing game of Frisbee to a tanning session on the grass.

15 Madison Square North will attract a lot of families, although the development doesn’t specifically cater to such folk. It is located in the Chelsea/Flatiron district, close enough to artistic venues to attract residents who live in the prison of the creative mind, yet also close enough for them to delve into normalcy at area eateries and shopping centers.

As of March 2008, twelve of the original eighty units are available for sale. The one, two, three, and four-bedroom lofts average $2000/square foot, with park-facing units obviously demanding higher prices. Numerically, one bedroom, two-bath units with just over 1,100 square feet start at $1.85 million, and the 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath unit is $9.5 million for 3,626 square feet. Some units have a home office and/or terrace to add to the appeal. 15 Madison Square North is located at 15 E. 26th Street in Chelsea.

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The cobble-stoned streets of Tribeca take the mind back to the day of the horse and carriage. So, too, should Pearline Lofts, since the site of the building was a soap factory back then. The brown-brick building fits well with the other buildings in this historic area of Manhattan. But the vision of the developers and designers here is anything but old. With its arched windows and barrel-vaulted ceilings, this seven-resident building (originally designed with nine residences) only creates the illusion of age. Residents have 3,000 square-feet of living space to enjoy, including a 52′ x 26′ living room/dining room. Combined with 10.6′ ceilings, the units successfully draw the mind back to the idea of original New York lofts, without the broken pipes and concrete floors.

Contrary to its façade, the interiors of Pearline Loft units boast modern luxury. Apartments have four-inch Brazilian teak wood flooring, their sleek look blending well with the kitchens’ walnut wood cabinetries and islands. Bathroom floors and walls have the distinctive and more-water-compatible travertine tile, with radiant heat flooring to warm any chilly bath-time experience. The six-foot deep-set tub allows for the occasional pampering, while a private rain shower serves its purpose on workdays or hurried evenings when there’s too much to do to linger in the shower.

North Tribeca is an historical district, yet primarily an area intended for manufacturing, so the designers of Pearline Lofts had to apply for a zoning variance simply to permit residential housing. Interpreted for the resident, this means not a lot of local traffic, making spontaneous nights on the town stress-free. And since this area is one of the ritziest places in town, it’s not unheard of for residents to run into celebrity neighbors who are also out and about, especially at such eateries as the Tribeca Grill, with its Mediterranean cuisine, and Nobu, a Sushi-lovers hangout. Of course, families might prefer to spend some time playing basketball or tennis at Washington Market Park.

Low on luxury amenities, Pearline Lofts seems to be marketing more to those who simply want a nice home. Buyers won’t find a heated pool or a pet spa here, but little conveniences easily replace those sporadic shows of bravado. Residents will much prefer their ever-present Sonos stereo system and Lutron HomeWorks lighting control capabilities. Other convenience items include a stacked Miele washer and dryer and automatic window shades. This automation can save a lot of legwork, since each loft contains more than ten floor-to-ceiling windows.

Pearline Lofts offers three-bedroom units, all with similar square-footage and monthly common charges. Prices start at $4.8 million and surpass $6 million. One single-bedroom, 1188 square-foot unit sits on the first floor, but this is black sheep of the building. A full-floor penthouse on the seventh floor includes a private 2000 square-foot rooftop terrace.

Do not confuse Pearline with its contemporary across the street (415 Washington Street); it may look the same, and both buildings are being built as one project; however, there are distinct differences between the two. Pearline is located at 414 Washington Street in North Tribeca.

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Located in the historic Upper West Side of Manhattan, Park Columbus is a ten-story family development, housed in a 119-unit red brick building. Its official address is 101 W. 87th Street, which puts it square in the middle of all that New York has to offer. In one direction lie Central Park and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. A few blocks away in the other direction, Riverside Park beckons. Of course, there are plenty of restaurants and specialty markets to make any food connoisseur happy. And for the little ones of the family, there’s a children’s playroom with outdoor space.

The designers of Park Columbus put a lot of thought into maintaining a calming effect in the homes when they came up with some of the designs. The kitchens emphasize smooth surfaces and muted colors; yet, these things don’t take away from the room’s efficiency. Recessed lighting soothes frazzled nerves and creates a sense of peace, whether the house is buzzing with activity or not. Luxury-name appliances like Miele, Viking, and Sub-Zero add the elegance that kitchens usually lack. Full-height pantries contribute space. Larger units also have a washer and dryer, for convenience.

The Master Bath follows the lead of the other rooms in the home. Smooth limestone walls and floors and subtle lighting make bath time almost sublime, especially with the Kohler Tea for Two Bathtub. For those who don’t want to share, the spouse can be sent to the separate shower across the way for a relaxing rain “massage.”

Park Columbus has plenty for residents to do when they just have to get out of the house. The focal point is a woodland garden with flowering shrubs, ferns and a veritable forest of birch trees. Residents may relax among the trees, or pass through them to get to the gym and lounge area with kitchenette. On warm, weekend evenings, the roof deck invites residents to sit and enjoy the unique New York breeze.

Park Columbus has a number of units still available, from studios to four-bedroom apartments. They range in size from the small and cozy 563 square-footer to the quite respectable 1,894 square-foot unit. Prices start at $643,000 and surpass $2.7 million. Occupancy is slated for Fall 2008.

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In a city full of sleek new condominium developments, finding one that is different from the rest is a challenge. At first glance, Lux 74 looks just like all the other condo buildings around, with its modern glass façade and trendy décor. But this development, which is located at 433 East 74th Street, promises to show residents something they haven’t seen before. One is atmosphere. The Upper East Side of Manhattan is one of the most luxurious, high-class neighborhoods in Manhattan. Those who live here at Lux 74 will have for their kids a number of quality public and private schools to choose from. Singles will enjoy the proximity of fun social spots and museums, including the Whitney museum and nearby Nicola’s Restaurant.

The other thing that separates Lux 74 from other developments is the designers’ focus on the outdoors. Landscaped terraces adorn many of the twelve residences, and a rooftop terrace serves as the focal point of social activity. Residences have an outdoor kitchen, complete with a grill and outdoor appliance package. Imagine the smells that would come off these terraces, with the variety of people who live in Manhattan, and it’s not hard to see how unique Lux 74 will be.

Josh Guberman and the Core Development Group put a lot of effort into designing the interiors at Lux 74. Attention has been given to providing each residence with luxury brand appliances and fixtures. The professional chef’s kitchen includes custom floor-to-ceiling cabinets of Italian walnut. Marble countertops add subtle elegance, and floor-to-ceiling windows offset this with their gritty view of the city outside. The master bath reveals more of the same commitment to quality. The gray efficiency of the Bianco Gioia marble walls complements the White Calacutta mosaic tile. Comfort is a consideration, too, with a special radiant floor system easing after-shower time, and handheld body sprays for convenient washing. After showering, a few minutes in front of the cozy fireplace will warm body and soul.

Marketing has just begun on Lux 74, but already two units have been sold. Buyers will have a variety of floor plans to choose from, but units are expected to move quickly. There will be studios for the single workers, one and two bedroom Maisonettes, a five bedroom townhouse with private garden and a number of full-floor and penthouse units. Sizes range from 538 square feet up to 5,896 square feet, with outdoor space in some units ranging from 120 square feet to 1,543 square feet. Studio prices start at $764,951.

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