Penthouses.com: The Weblog

A stunning selection of two bedroom apartments and penthouses designed by Charles Church sits in its new development, Alwoodley Gates in Alwoodley - a prestigious suburb of Leeds. Blending excellence and exclusivity the two elegant apartment blocks Balmoral House and Sandringham House each have ten luxury two bedroom apartments and penthouses spread over three storeys.

The development provides residents with private parking within the electronically gated and secure environment which consists of ample lawned areas and feature flower beds. Ground floor apartments have direct access to the gardens via French doors to the living room and most first floor apartments have private balconies and an option of an en-suite to the master bedroom.

Properties in Balmoral House are priced from only £249,995 to £358,995 and in Sandringham House from only £309,995 to £339,995.

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Once it was a city penthouse, with a villa somewhere hot and a chalet somewhere cold. The Mercedes 4×4 was for the school run, while the £200,000 convertible was for weekends with friends in the country. A cook and two nannies took care of the children, leaving plenty of time for lunches with ladies for her and the best wine and cigars for him. Ah, the sweet smell of excess.

But - whisper it as softly as the purr of the limousine waiting at the end of the gravel drive - times are changing. The world’s super-rich are having a tough time. Plunging stock markets, the impact of 11 September and accounting scandals, and now fear of war and a prolonged recession have left the world’s millionaires watching their fortunes shrink. Down to their last few hundred thousands, the richest people on the planet are being forced to do the unthinkable - tighten their belts.

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William Beaver House is rising 47 floors above the historic Wall street area. Inside, there will be 258 simplex residences, 48 furnished residences, 10 duplex residence, each with a private terrace, and 3 penthouses with private terraces. Beaver House bosts the most spectacular views downtown. Most apartments have water views and at the top part of the building you can see all of Brooklyn, Statue of Liberty and Jersey! 26 out of the 28 unique layouts have direct southern light at some point during the day.

The famous Pushkin Golden Autumn Ball will be held on 11 October 2008, at the Catherine Palace in the town of Pushkin, so named, because this is the place where the great poet studied and made his first impressions as the future star of Russia.

Guests will also have the extraordinary opportunity to tour the splendors of the Palace including the world renowned Amber Room. The most elegant and glamorous event of the fall season in St. Petersburg, the Pushkin Golden Autumn Ball attracts elite Russian and international guests from the realm of business, politics, and culture.

You can get a three night stay at the Grand Hotel including tickets to the Ball for 65,100 RUB per person.

The package includes:

• 3 nights stay at the Grand Hotel Europe
• Airport transfer to/from the Hotel
• Daily Grand Buffet Breakfast
• Tickets to the Pushkin Ball
• Glass of Champagne in the Lobby Bar
• Transfer to/from the Catherine Palace
• Dinner in L’Europe restaurant (excluding beverages)

Get on the elevator of your own imagination and take it to the top floor. There, in the nosebleed heights of your wildest expectations, your penthouse awaits, with its top-perch status, sweeping views, luxury accommodations and easy living.

Whether they are apartment rentals or condos for sale, penthouses can be found at established buildings such as the Madison and Bellefield in Oakland, at the Trimont on Mount Washington, and in Downtown buildings such as Chatham Tower.

And Downtown, a few new high-profile penthouses include the new Heinz Lofts restored from the former H.J. Heinz factory buildings on the North Side, 100 Seventh St., a 151-unit apartment building on Fort Duquesne Boulevard, and First Side Place, a 17-story condo that will towers over Fort Pitt Boulevard and the Monongahela River.

“I’m not convinced that, by and large, Pittsburgh people really have a complete understanding of what a penthouse is, I think people consider penthouses to be the top floor of buildings. But I’m not so sure that has to be the case.” Said Kevin Keane, senior vice president of Dallas-based Lincoln Property Co.

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Four out of every 10 counties in the UK have seen house prices more than treble over the past decade, reflecting the long boom in Britain’s housing market up until the past few months.

The annual Halifax county house price survey reveals that all of the UK’s 104 counties and unitary authorities have recorded at least a doubling in their average house price.

The most expensive county is Surrey, where the average price is more than £364,000, but County Armagh in Northern Ireland recorded the fastest house price growth in the UK over the past 10 years. Homes in the county had risen by 331%, to an average of £220,229, by the end of 2007.

However London has led the way with house price falls and there are fears that price deflation could become widespread across the country as the outlook for the housing market darkens.

Click on the picture to see the areas most at risk  of negative equity by constituency in Greater London.

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The “Gold Flakes Supreme” is ultra-premium vodka produced in France. It is quadruple distilled using crystal clear underground spring water, however the basic ingredients are unknown. What’s unique about this drink is that we can see 24-carat gold flakes floating in it. The Gold Flakes Supreme will be imported and marketed in the U.S. by the Shaw-Ross Importers. The beverage costs around $60 per 750ml bottle in selected outlets in the U.S.

“DIVA Premium Vodka” is triple distilled vodka produced by the Blackwood Distillers of Scotland. The drink is unique because it is filtered through a sand of crushed diamonds and gemstones. And also, in the middle of each of the bottle we can find precious stones, including diamonds.The price per bottle is between GBP 2,000 (equivalent to $3,700) and GBP 540,000 (equivalent to $1 million), depending on the choice of precious stones used in the bottle, which is probably the most expensive vodka in the world.

I can’t help thinking that I’d rather a stone on my finger than in a drink, and with a price tag like that…i think i will be sticking to the trusty old smirnoff!

Claridge Hotel was built in 1898, and has recently been refurbished in a modern art deco style. Claridges is renowned for its tradition and respectability since its origins in 1812. It is now an Art Deco Jewel in Mayfair with every quality you would expect of a 5 star luxury London hotel. It also houses the Michelin starred ‘Gordon Ramsay at Claridges‘ restaurant. For exclusive use of the Chef’s Table, with up to 6 guests you will pay a charge of £690.00 for lunch and £840.00 for dinner and will include canapés  a glass of Champagne on arrival and lunch or dinner.

Too many glasses of champers to drive home? Splash out even more and pay to stay in the £6380.25 a night Brook Penthouse, an art deco apartment with roof terrace, cocktail bar and personal butler service.

Virgin Atlantic owner Sir Richard Branson purchased this previously uninhabited island between Tortola and Anegada in the ’70s. He has slowly developed several residences in addition to the main house, an airy Balinese Villa. Branson spent some $10million turning the 74-acre island into a top-notch retreat, including two private beaches and stunning views. A favourite with royalty, rock stars, and movie stars, Necker Island is the ultimate private tropical vacation getaway in the Caribbean.

On Necker you can eat whatever you like, whenever you like.  Chefs will prepare guests favourites, or wow them with their Michelin star cuisine. Every evening is an adventure as guests dine in some of the most stunning locations around the island - Beach BBQ’s on Turtle beach, Sushi in the pool or Gala evenings in The Great House.

And the cost of a trip to this exclusive island? Rates start from US $322,000 for 7 nights, there is a 5-night minimum stay and can also  be hired privately for up to 28 people for $47,000 per night.

Increasingly, the world’s superrich are buying big, big planes — the same kind of widebody Airbus jets the airlines use on long-haul flights — and outfitting them with everything from his-and-hers bathrooms to onboard movie theaters. “Private jets are becoming flying apartments,” says Jacques Pierrejean, a French designer who specializes in aircraft interiors.

These airborne penthouses cost plenty. New widebodies, such as the Airbus A340 and theBoeing 777, list for well over $100 million. With price tags like that, it’s no surprise that only five or six such planes are sold each year. But that’s enough to provide a steady business for Pierrejean, Doret, and a handful of other aircraft-interior specialists. Their client lists — held in strictest confidentiality — range from Middle Eastern sheikhs and Russian oil barons to Western corporate moguls and Hollywood stars. , and a handful of other aircraft-interior specialists. Their client lists — held in strictest confidentiality — range from Middle Eastern sheikhs and Russian oil barons to Western corporate moguls and Hollywood stars.

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