April 27, 2007
Taking luxurious living to new heights
DOOR-STEP PARKING: An artist's impression of the sky garage for the 11th Avenue luxury tower. -- PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
SPECIAL amenities in new luxury apartments:
# 11th Avenue, Manhattan: A luxury tower with a lift that takes cars up to the apartment owner's floor where they can be parked near the entry door. The cost for 4,000 sq ft: US$16 million (S$24 million).
# Eighth Avenue, New York: The Platinum has rooms for billiards, a sauna and an indoor-outdoor yoga studio. There is even a golf simulator: A DVD player projects views of famous courses, such as St Andrews in Scotland, on a screen. The player hits a ball against the screen, and lasers trace its projected flight, showing where the ball would have landed on the actual course. Cost of each apartment: Up to US$7.5 million.
# Former Plaza Hotel, New York: Condominiums developed by Elad Properties will come with a handheld gadget for making restaurant reservations and ordering the valet to fetch the car. A video monitor shows residents when it's delivered.
# London: Knightsbridge building apartments priced at up to £12 million (S$36 million) contain cameras that take and store photos so residents can compare their appearance and outfits over time.
# Dubai: A 24-storey high-rise to be completed by 2009 boasts apartments that project scenic images, such as the Manhattan skyline, onto windows. Living and dining rooms in units costing up to 9 million dirhams (S$3.7 million) will also rotate 360 degrees, providing a variety of panoramic views.
BLOOMBERG