Thursday, February 21, 2008

Now YOU Can Buy A Place at the Chupi

SELLER: Julian Schnabel
LOCATION: W. 11th Street, New York, NY
PRICES:
Duplex: $32,000,000 (raised from $27,000,000 in April 2008)
Triplex Penthouse: $32,000,000
SIZE: 3,850 square feet (duplex) and 3,845 square feet (triplex)
DESCRIPTION: Influenced by the scale and finishes of European palazzos and the character of Stanford White's cottage architecture, 360 West 11th Street, designed by Julian Schnabel, is New York's most unique residence. These homes have an atmosphere and aura unmatched in the city. Beautiful views of the surrounding city, down to the harbor and across the Hudson river provide bright sunlit rooms. Handmade details include cast bronze door handles, stone fireplaces and cast stone railings. Grand room finished with beamed ceilings, terra cotta tile floors and plaster walls open onto colonnades, terraces & balconies. Amenities include concierge service, an indoor swimming pool with steam room, and private on-site parking.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Bearded, bespectacled and often be-robed artist/film maker/provocateur Julian Schnabel was hoping to people his much maligned and visually pugnacious Palazzo Chupi with hand selected and big money residents culled from his wide circle of friends and associates who could afford to cough up a colossal sum of cash to buy into his one man real estate whirligig on West 11th Street in New Yorks' far West Village. Mister Schnabel's original intention was that the units at the Chupi would never be listed for sale on the open market and that the invitation only status would have New York's super-rich arty farty types bitch fighting for the opportunity to live up next to the artistic genius and shameless self promotion machine that is Mister Schnabel. But alas, even the best laid plans sometimes go awry, and as the always well informed property-philes at Curbed noted last week, the two remaining unsold units have hit the open market with ear piercing price tags of 27 and $32,000,000 respectively.

Before Mister Schnabel decided to offer the two remaining units to the great unwashed but filthy rich masses, he managed to convince some finance guy at Credit Suisse to spend a reported $15,500,000 to move into Schnabeltown, and he was successful at wooing the once smoking hot and still lovely to look at Richard Gere and his wifey Carey Lowell, who where without a Manhattan outpost after they sold their Greenwich Village townhouse in June of 2007 for $12,850,000.

There were all sorts rumors flying around that rock star and wannabe world saver Bono was going to vacate his Upper West Side aerie and move into the Chupi, but that rumor turned out to be just rumor after all. Then came the whispers and hush-hush scuttlebutt that ex-pat material mommy Madonna looked at the building. Your Mama is not surprised the ladee looked and we're even less surprised that she declined to purchase because big living Madge seems to prefer much larger digs than those available at the Chupi. Not only does the music mogul need to house her multi-culti family of five, she's also got to have enough space for the various staff people required to run errands, make phone calls, and answer the door, because you just know Miss Missy herself is not about to greet the Chinese food delivery guy at the front door with a twenty.

Anyhoo, if anyone were to ask Your Mama, which of course no one did, we think Mister Schnabel has some serious real estate cajones to be asking such big numbers for the two remaining units in the controversial Palazzo Chupi. Don't any of your moe-rons misunderstand Your Mama. We are on record as being an admirer of this cockamamie building with its quirky "Pompeii Red" exterior that looks like it's melting, and we giggle with glee over the wacky fenestration and the wonky articulation of the thing as it precariously balances itself like a drunk gurl doing the Sunday morning walk of shame on a pair of chunky platform heels.

Naturally, we love a sleek glass tower as much as the next urban sophisticate, but all new builds in New York simply can not (and should not) be Meier or Dubbeldam designed glass towers and quite frankly, it is just so damn refreshing to see a building that aggressively thumbs its nose at current architectural trend and in the process secures a funky foothold in the too often banal architectural landscape of New York. Have y'all seen the many under-whelming and intensely ordinary "luxury" apartment towers that now line Sixth Avenue in the Twenties? Yes, well, Your Mama would much rather look at the deranged Chupi-cabra on West 11th Street than one of those phallic monstrosities on Sixth Avenue any day of the week.
Amenities at the Chupi include access to the garden patio, private on-site parking (and excellent and rare luxury), and of course there is the indoor swimming pool and steam room. The world wants to know if clothing is required or optional in the pool and steam room areas or if residents can expect to see Mister Schnabel sweating it out in his all together and Your Mama wants to know if we could expect to see Mister Gere sitting in the steam room wearing nothing but his gorgeous grey hair.

But we digress. Currently two of the five units at the Chupi remain unsold, and according to listing information one is a duplex and the other is a triplex penthouse. Listing information for the duplex unit (pictured above) indicates it measures 3,850 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms and carries a stunning $27,000,000 asking price with $10,367 in monthly taxes and maintenance charges. Listing information also indicates that the unit includes a washer and dryer, a big ass fireplace, at least one balcony.

We don't L.O.V.E. the terra cotta tile floors but they have a certain Pablo Picasso-esque quality that makes them work in this building even if they would fail miserably in another. Check the fire hole that sits at the end of the tremendous soaking tub, which we imagine is nice for people who like to soak in a bathtub. It's unfortunate (and somewhat surprising) that the interior photos are not of better quality that would allow us eager beaver looky-loos to get a good long look at the the kitchen. We love the over size window and we're certain the appliances are top quality, but we're just not sure what to make of the dark cabinets and the green looking counters and back splash. We are definitely not loving the way it looks in that picture, but we'll reserve real judgment until we can get a better look.

Upstairs and according to listing information, the triplex penthouse (pictured above) measures 3,845 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms and carries a somewhat unlikely asking price of $32,000,000 with $9,268 in monthly taxes and maintenance charges. Mister Schnabel and his people have graciously included the juicy floor plan for the triplex with the listing. The floor plan reveals that the owner of the Chupi penthouse unit will be the proud owner of 4 balconies, two north facing sliver terraces and a whopping 1,300 square foot south facing terrace on the main floor that should make all New Yorkers who pine for just a tiny piece of outdoor space disturbingly jealous.

Despite the oxygen tank Your Mama would require to daily navigate all those stairs in the triplex, we are actually quite fond of the penthouse floor plan. We love the elevator opening to a huge French door and a small Juliette balcony in the entrance hall. We dig the large living room with its massive fireplace and access to that spectacular and bizarro black and white tiled terrace. We appreciate that the kitchen is large enough to cook comfortably and separate enough from the living room that we don't have to look at the dirty dishes while we settle in to an evening in front of the boob-tube. However, we are concerned about the serious lack of closet space. The children will note the paltry amount of closets in the third floor master bedroom and the total lack of built in closets in the secondary bedrooms. All due respect Mister S. but for $32,000,000, we want closets large enough to park our big BMW and still have room for our sneaker collection.

All the real estate gossip sit on pins and needles to find out just who might be interested in dumping around $30,000,000 for these condos and how long will it take in a market where you can still get a beautiful townhouse in the West Village or a massive co-operative apartment on Fifth and Park Avenues for the same price. And heaven forfend that Mister Schnabel will eat crow and (gasp) reduce the asking price for lack of qualified buyers willing to shell out more than $7,500 per square foot to shack up in the Chupi.

P.S. Your Mama thanks B.S. Beaverman for the assist on this one.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Madonna with a twenty for the Chinese delivery guy,now that's a funny thing to picture!

Anonymous said...

I live just a couple blocks away from this building & really hate[d] it until last week when I was on nymag.com & saw the interiors & for some strange reason it started to grow on me. I'm in no way in love with it but like I said before the interiors have a Chateau Marmont'esque feel about them which I love - I'd change a few things but all in all I quite like it ...

I'm not surprised about Bono not buying in it ... Who in their right mind would leave a triplex at the San Remo? I mean, I hate the U.W.S but the S.Remo is one of the most spectacular buildings in Manhattan ... On nymag.com a journalist spoke to Madonna about Chupi & she didn't buy because the apartments were not child friendly ...

But I agree Mama, I'd much rather have a large brownstone in the west village & hire an amazing architect to renovate .... & still have enough spare change for a little piece of Malibu [I hate the hamptons!]

Anonymous said...

The river view is nice, but I would not want to live in that place without ripping out every floor and wall surface and starting over. It is UGLY, people! The kitchen is especially so, with its green tiles and timber cladding. I am shuddering at the sight of it. The marble tub is pretty, but you know how I feel about free-standing tubs with shower heads, don't you? I hate the very thought of having to traipse through my wardrobe (that the clothes closet to you transpondians) in the dead of night in order to go take a pee, so I'm going to find fault with the floorplan too.

Anonymous said...

Palazzo Chupi would feel as though living in an illustration. Does that make sense? For me, the colors and textures and subtleties are almost emotional. Those tall sexy glass doors, the Venetian chandeliers, the controlled distress, exposed brass plumbing, and on and on -- I love it all.

I look forward to spring, when the terraces will fill with greenery.

Thanks Mama. This was fun.

Anonymous said...

I'm with Sandpiper on this one -- something very special about the effect of the finishes -- nothing I'd choose on my own if starting from scratch, but really wonderful all the same.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this, Mama. There are a number of features I like but the kitchen is depressing. With the right lighting it might be transformed but not with those overhead bare lightbulbs! Isn't that a bare lightbulb sticking out of the wall in the bathroom? This is not my idea of acceptable fixtures. I don't understand this choice and given my sensitivity to certain types of lighting, especially overhead, I shutter. I agree with the closet comment.

Esslingvier

Anonymous said...

BGD is out of danger but not out of the woods yet - this episode is going to be a long haul.

Thanks to those of you kind enough to ask about him.

Took the kindly advice of one we all know and love and took a break; BGD is undergoing lengthly tests right now so I quickly stole home for a peek here and a nap.

Love this building; despite its "Whore Of Babylon" facade, there's something about its Cotswold/Venice/Algarve interiors that is quintessentially Manhattan.

Wonder who the new neighbors will be? Any guesses?

Off to dreamland and then back to the hospital - see you soon.

Anonymous said...

That place is hideous. The kitchen looks like something you'd see in a dark, dank 70s basement...cheap wood paneling and the like. Yuck!

Anonymous said...

Godspeed, LGB.

Anonymous said...

another crazy nut selling a bamboo shack at crazy prices !!!!

all I know is when the market really crashes, it hasn't yet, the crazy nuts will turn into reasonable folks.

Then I am ready to buy, why buy one now when I can buy 10 or maybe even 20 later ?

Anonymous said...

Hang in there LGB, We'll be thinking about you and BGD.

luke220 said...

It looks like it would be very cold in the middle of winter.

so_chic_darling said...

LGB if you're reading this my thoughts are with you and for the health of your partner,hang in there.


Regarding Chupi,I still love it BUT the kitchens look like something out of a double wide.What's with that wood crap?

so_chic_darling said...

Pierre,with all due respect,we are talking about MANHATTAN here it is a small island that everyone from all over the world wants to live on,just talk to the bitter people who have been pushed out to Jersey City and Long Island City!
Things may level off a little,but like the stock market in the long run there is only one Manhattan end of story!

Anonymous said...

Yeah I don't think that people will be stripping the Chupi for the copper pipes anytime soon like in Cleveland.It's just not going to happen.

Anonymous said...

Little Buddy,
My thoughts are with both of you. Hang in there.

xoxo

Anonymous said...

One more comment, please ... then I'll shush.

I see a lot of green design and construction in this new old place.

It's a repurposed (1910 +/-) structure -- that's cool enough. Add to that the thoughtful application of passive solar on the south elevation; exactly where it should be for optimized efficiency.

Plus, the use of so many sustainable and energy efficient construction products/materials ... recycled wood; terra cotta flooring (as a material and as solar energy storage); ceramic- and marble-clad bathrooms (again, material and solar benefits); ... and as our resident New York ear, so_chic_darling informed in Mama's December Chupi post, the pool is believed to use recycled NY subway tiles. So awesome, so_chic!

My eyes are jumping from Mama's floorplans to to my latest Vanity Fair's major Chupi feature with pics.

Thanks for tolerating my excitement.

Anonymous said...

That kitchen is from the stripped house in Cleveland! The building has no clear architectural winner. Big, PINK, Moorish? Manhattan Tudor? I don't want one, why wait to buy 10? The market is leveling, not crashing. If real estate becomes worth ten percent of what it is today the suicide rate would SKYROCKET. Recycled subway tile? YUCK!!!!! Rules out using the pool...........

Anonymous said...

This building does induce some awe-inspiring reactions, doesn't it?

Just got back from the hospital (thanks for all your good wishes). Wish I had better news, but BGD's condition is unchanged; but he's stable and comfortable and I can't ask for him to be in a better place for care.

As a matter of fact, while I was there, Ms. Jennifer Lopez was admitted to the same hospital (North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset) for an "undisclosed ailment."

BGD is friendly with the staff, being a retired doctor and all, so the only info we could get out of them is that she's been checked into a suite of two rooms on the 9th floor (their "hotel" floor); one room for her, and one for her mother. She was in nearby Manhasset when an ambulance brought her in.

Details to follow as BGD worms them out of the staff . . .

;-)

Anonymous said...

Sorry to post again so fast, but just talked to BGD; Ms Lopez is in late labor and the maternity ward is about 100 steps from his room - he'll keep me informed throughout the night as he's never been able to sleep in the hospital.

Twins on the way!

Anonymous said...

LB,
That's too funny. You kill me!
:)
SP

Anonymous said...

LGB: Warm wishes for a speedy recovery!

BP

Anonymous said...

LGB - hugs and health to you and your dearest.

Anonymous said...

Howzabout this LGB guy post his email address so all his fans and friends can email him directly rather than leave their greeting cards here? Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Howzabout you go do something nice for someone for no reason? Failing that, bite me. Whatcha think?

All the best, LGB.

Anonymous said...

Very strange vibe in this place. Not sure If I like it or despise it.

Need to see more. Can you hook us up, Mama?

I think it's my deep dislike of Julian Schnabel that's clouding my appreciation .

Anonymous said...

LGB,
We're sending you warm healing wishes from the West Coast.

Re: this property: I can certainly see his creative vision - he'd been to southern Europe, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and wanted to import that feeling back to New York. The main problem is "Context." This building looks completely out of place in NY. It's neither beautiful or horrible - it's just completely out of place.

Anonymous said...

anon 3:48 pay attention!This has been posted in past comments.

Bare light bulbs are not chic. Did he run out of money? That Kitchen counter is dumb. No overhang. No toekick. Lost opportunity for a bar. And what's up with all the doors to the stairs? One maybe for fire separation but not two.

Anonymous said...

Madonna with a twenty in her hand for the delivery guy is indeed a juicy image that i can see her appropriating for her next vid.

of course said delivery guy will end up on a cross, or pursuing her in unfathomable ways until she either rescues him, beats the shit out of him, or... both!

Anonymous said...

Aquaman, you left out in spandex, of course.

;-)

Anonymous said...

Boy, he was really going for the Palazzo look, even to the horrible kitchen. Obviously, some of the interiors could use work, uh, the kitchen, I mean, really...too dark. However, I love the building. Manhattan needs some color. The only problem is I wouldn't want to give any money to Julian Schnabel (congrats on the film reception, though), especially $30 million or whatever. Ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

That has to be one of the ugliest interiors that I have seen. What's up with the floors. Oh Julian!

I am on Perry Street and let me tell you, the building is a major eyesore. How he got rights to build that piece of crap is beyond me.