
Major trend in urban living. You don’t have rolling meadows, so the residents have to have a romper room. Like playroom at the The House, furnished with plenty of toys for big boys.
Spectacular pool area so great I have an idea for the Germans: sell three-month pool memberships to non-residents. But make them submit vanity photos with the application.
“King and Queen” chairs on the fifth floor resident’s room at The House. Right off this room is the pool deck. I presume one players checks or backgammon only while sitting on these thrones.
These are the post and Yoo boxes for residents at The House, kind of a signature Starck silly-ism, almost a take-off of high school lockers with those feet. That’s David Griffin checking the mail box.
Very sleek kitchens with high-end appliances, Jenn-Aire if memory serves, Wolf ranges. I wonder if the folks who live in these units —The House, The W, One Arts Plaza – actually ever cook because they are within walking distance of so many great restaurants. The Hard Rock Cafe is now open across from The House, and when I was there last week, it was hopping. The best part besides the great food: $15 on lunch doesn’t exactly break the wallet.
When I lived in NYC, I hated schlepping groceries from the store up to my apartment, so we ate out much more often. Of course, we didn’t have concierge service. But then, when you downsize and it’s just one or two in The House, who needs a Sam’s closet?
The pool at The House, on the fifth floor overlooking everything. HOA’s at The House are .47 per square foot of space you own, that includes water and a blanket insurance policy. You will have to pay your own electricity. There is 24 hour valet and security, two concierge on staff in the day, one at night. Premier Communities is the condo manager. David Griffin says financing has been arranged through Wells Fargo at market rates. The units are non-warrant-able like all condos: Fannie Mae guidelines prohibit them from buying mortgages (on the secondary market) from condos that do not have 51% of the units sold but Fannie Mae buys only conforming mortgages — that is, mortgages at or below $417,000. That would make the only units at The House eligible for Fannie Mae the one bedroom units priced at $399,000.
Here’s a sample of living inside the House and what your home might look like day and night. The beauty of high-rise living is, of course, having that dramatic backdrop of glittering lights come sundown. Each unit also has generous balconies.
At last, the long-awaited The House by Starck and Yoo at Victory Park is complete and ready for move-in. This is Victory’s final and most dramatic chapter, at least for a while. Yes, it’s another high-rise condo—with 28 stories of units to sell—but this one boasts the whimsical influence of Philippe Starck, including a white-draped lobby with a huge, gleaming, silver mailbox cluster that is reminiscent of school lockers, but the whole unit is on legs. Plus, the pool deck is one of the most glorious I’ve seen. This is going to be what we called a “meat market” when I was single. You won’t dare appear up here without plenty of lipo, though the broad lounge cushions may camo the cellulite. But here’s the best part: broker David Griffin says the Germans mean business. (The German real estate fund US Treuhand has taken the reins of Victory and hence is selling these units.) They are ready to cut a deal, which means you can own a house at The House for less than $400,000—one bedroom, one-and-a-half bath, about 1,000 square feet—with an impressive finish-out with a European feel and generous closets. The building amentities will spoil, from the work-out room to the apartment for overnight guests. As for financing, well, just how deep are those pockets? Let’s make a deal.
So Billingsley told our buddies to the west. Her project, One Arts Plaza, is the only downtown Dallas mixed-use 24 story high rise condominium.
First Highland Park Village, then this. I’ve got to check on those stained glass windows in Westminister Presbyterian. I recall designer to the rich and famous Trisha Wilson telling me that one of her very first jobs, besides selling furniture at Titches Department Store, was designing stained glass windows for local architect Harry Hoover. Westminister was designed by architect Herbert Miller Greene. Wonder if they ever traded windows?
Tim already has all this on Frontburner, but I just want to add two things: one, this is the second news of the day that is going to keep our property values nice and shooting upwards come the next boom and two, a lady at last night’s event noted that “Calatrava has more expensive shoes than I do.” I am DYING to know if his shoes are more expensive than my Choos Todds Manolos.
16.7 million in federal stimulus funds going to Woodall Rogers Park, our city’s first real urban park, and a move all but guaranteed to bolster the values of those downtown condos. (Nice to have our tax dollars in our own backyard, too: great work, Linda Owen!) Which reminds me: shopping for a Ritz residence? You’ve now got 95 even more mind-blowing choices –where to begin? Card-Smart elevators, highest end fixtures, wine tasting and storage room, personal concierge, move me in:
I have such bad manners — I invited myself to a hard-hat D staff tour of the under-construction Dallas Center For The Performing Arts, then didn’t show. I ended up 25 miles west at a sports real estate tour in Arlington, those pics will be up shortly. If I couldn’t be in two places at the same time, I knew my collegaues would get you all the scoop on the Winspear and Wyly. (Kyle Kearbey video forthcoming.) Does this place not look awesome? What a boost for living in the Dallas Arts District!
And it is Bobby Dhillon, who you may recall seeing not too long ago selling off The Residences at The Ritz Carlton. Dhillon returns to Dallas from Atlanta where he helped launch The Residences at The Mandarin Oriental in Atlanta. Jump for the press release and expected ground-breaking date of Museum Tower.
This is a great 36-hour look at Dallas in today’s New York Times, and our city comes out shining as much as Reunion Tower. Even the Dragon Street arts district was lauded. But one sad note: Gerald Peters is shuttering its doors, as we reported on Dallas Dirt.