Search

The article discusses U.S. luxury real-estate developments that offer access to nature preserves during the early 21st century. It discusses the San Clemente, California, development Sea Summit, the Georgia development Serenbe, and homes near Spring Island, South Carolina. The article presents comments from Atlanta, Georgia, photographer and Serenbe home owner Rob Brinson.

The article discusses Los Angeles, California, luxury homes on the real estate market as of early October 2015 that were once home to several significant actors and actresses including Bert Lahr, Betty Grable, and Don Johnson. The article also discusses privacy desired by actors, the challenges of selling homes owned by movie stars, and the impact of the sale price of homes previously owned by actors. The article presents comments from Los Angeles real estate agent Edward Fitz.

The article discusses the architectural design of luxury ranch houses in the early 21st century. It profiles the Scottsdale, Arizona, home of small business owner Amy Ross and her husband, Matt Ross, the Glen Ellen, California, home of videogame executive Greg Ballard, and the Amagansett, New York, home of architect Kevin O'Sullivan.

The article discusses luxury homeowners who display unique exterior paint colors and designs on their homes. It discusses the exterior painting and designs of the Santa Clara, California, home of product manager Hosam Haggag and his family, the San Antonio home of radiation oncologist Bryan Lin and and internist Gabriela Brzankalski, and the architectural concept of Midcentury Modern design. The article also discusses complaints about the color scheme of Haggag's house.

The article discusses the fates of mansions owned by white-collar criminals including former communications company Worldcom chief financial officer Scott Sullivan's Boca Raton, Florida, mansion, a British Columbia property owned by former Worldcom chief executive Bernard Ebbers, and a New York City duplex apartment owned by former corporation Tyco chief executive officer (CEO) L. Dennis Kozlowski.

The article discusses the luxury real estate market, focusing on demand for upscale properties with guest houses suitable for aging family. Topics include a discussion the particular interest of Asian buyers in such features; the effect of accessory-dwelling units on home value; and changes to zoning laws making it easier to add apartments or new buildings to homes.

The article discusses real-estate coaches. Services coaches can provide real-estate agents include motivational talks and assistance with technology. Coaching firms Tom Ferry-Your Coach and Buffini & Company report having over 1,800 clients and 10,500 clients, respectively. Real-estate agent Jane Fairweather credits coach Ken Goodfellow with substantially improving her business practices.

The article discusses the intersection of food culture and residential real estate in the U.S. The Healdsburg, California home of chefs Bruce Aidells and Nancy Oakes includes a 1,000-square-foot commercial-quality kitchen. Property developer Related Urban is planning a mixed-use project in New York City that will feature several restaurants. Developer Brookfield Residential is building 100 condominiums next to the Packing House food market in Anaheim, California. INSET: Places With Good Taste: A Sampling of Neighborhoods Where....

The article discusses luxurious, so-called off-the-grid homes that provide their own utilities such as electricity and water. Derek Ferguson spent $3.5 million designing and building a home in Costa Rica with solar panels, well water, and no neighbors in sight. Susan and Ken Crawford had to spend $550,000 on an access road to their self-sufficient home in New Mexico.

The article discusses people who buy second or vacation homes in their childhood home towns. Real-estate broker Christina Clemans in Cape May, New Jersey says about 30% of her clients fit into that category. Information is presented about the homes purchased by Wanda McDaniel and Al Ruddy in Macon, Missouri, and John and Helen Pauly Shiely in Prescott, Wisconsin.

The article discusses the appeal to retirees in the U.S. of college towns and describes the experiences of several retired couples. John and Nancy James were drawn to Austin, Texas by great restaurants, interesting music, and the cultural stimulation of the University of Texas. In Portland, Oregon, home to Reed College and Lewis & Clark College, Patricia Cliff and Karl von Frieling enjoy the progressive politics and a vibrant lecture circuit. INSET: College Town Perks for Seniors.

The article discusses the market for pied-à-terre apartments intended for part-time occupancy in three major cities. Alexander Kraft of Sotheby's International Realty estimates that apartments for sale in Paris, France are selling for up to 20% below asking price in the fall of 2013. Information on prices and inventory is presented for New York City and London, England as well. INSET: Big City Getaways.

The article discusses an early 21st century U.S. real estate trend in which luxury home purchasers buy homes that are marketed and treated as teardowns in order to build new luxury homes featuring technological innovations and modern amenities. It discusses the razing of a 19th-century mansion in Darien, Connecticut, teardowns in a section of Beverly Hills, California, known as Trousdale Estates, and a house in Chicago, Illinois, near the baseball stadium Wrigley Field.

The article discusses the luxury real estate housing market in Los Cabos, Mexico, during the early 21st century. According to the article, the Los Cabos market suffered due to the U.S. housing crash and the financial impact of Hurricane Odle on the Los Cabos tourist industry, but a recovery in U.S. luxury-home prices was driving a luxury real estate comeback in Los Cabos. The article discusses the Los Cabos real estates investments of venture-capitalist Jonathon Fischer, Dallas, Texas, couple Joel Ray and Terry Ray, and California property developer Fred Hearn and his wife, Diane Hearn.

The article discusses the remodeling of bedrooms by empty nesters that housed children who have moved out of luxury homes in the U.S. and the reaction of some of those children to the changes in their former bedrooms. The article discusses the repurposing of bedrooms as home offices, yoga studios, and snore rooms. It discusses the Great Neck, New York, home of interior designer Evelyn Benatar, the Carmel, California, home of homeowner Elizabeth Smith, and the home of Dix Hills, New York, attorney Darlene Javits.

The article discusses attractive bargains for U.S. buyers of real estate in Paris, France, Barcelona, Spain, and Tuscany, Italy. A combination of falling prices and a declining euro has resulted in substantially reduced home prices for those converting U.S. dollars to euros. Information is presented about several home purchases including those of Lane Auten in Barcelona, and Amanda and Michael Drinnan in Paris.

The article discusses parents who cater to their young daughters' enchantment with princesses by building elaborate, princess-themed playrooms and bedrooms. Lindsay Dickhout spent $70,00 on a playroom for her daughters Stella and Presley. Designer Dahlia Mahmood says she once created a $200,000 room for a two-year-old in Virginia. Designer Evelyn Miller spent nearly $100,000 on a princess room for her daughter.

The article discusses Plum Hill, a plantation in South Carolina owned by Dr. Ann Kulze, her parents, and her siblings. Details are presented about the property’s history. Particular attention is given to the Kulze family’s conservation efforts which have included building homes and roads, and raising cattle. An easement will forever limit residential development at Plum Hill.

The article discusses the trend to make homes' outdoor entertaining spaces useful in the cold winter months. Topics include details on the use of heaters and fire pits to keep people warm, images of several outdoor decks and patios are presented, and details on the use of outdoor furniture to make a space more inviting.

The article discusses craftsman-style architecture and a resurgence in the popularity of certain craftsman features. Buyers and builders tend to like the stone, woodwork, and beams common to the style, but not the dark colors and low ceilings. Developer Mark Stapp is building a residential community in Cave Creek, Arizona with craftsman flourishes, although he prefers to call his style contemporary in the style of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The article presents photographs and descriptions of several luxury homes for sale. An island off the coast of South Carolina with two dwellings on it has been listed by media mogul Ted Turner for $23.777 million. Investor Robert Haas and his wife Candace have listed a home in the Caribbean for $48 million. A property in Montecito, California owned by actor Don Johnson is available for $14.9 million.

The article discusses the members-only clubhouse amenities and services used by some real estate developers to attract clients to their communities as of August 2014. Social activities are mentioned which include golf, theater, and film. Comments are included from community members such as Pat Ryan and community officials such as John Resor, the founder of the Shooting Star community in Wyoming.

The article discusses wealth advisers, derivatives traders, hedge-fund executives and others from financial fields who have quit to work as brokers selling luxury real estate. Information is presented about several including former hedge-fund executive Jack Drapacz of brokerage Douglas Elliman, former wealth adviser Sharran Srivatsaa of Teles Properties, and former banker Daniela Sassun of brokerage Corcoran.

The article discusses commercial and residential development in the downtown area of San Antonio, Texas. Real-estate development firm Weston Urban, co-founded by Graham Weston and Randy Smith, is creating a 120,000-square-foot communal workspace for professionals in the technology industry. Public infrastructure planned or under construction includes a streetcar project and an expanded convention center.

The article discusses a desire among some affluent home buyers for luxuriously-appointed dwellings that occupy relatively small footprints. Details are presented about the 2,085-square-foot home of Heidi Brunet in Dallas, Texas, and the 1,888-square-foot-house built by Joanne and Bruce Montgomery on Whidbey Island in Washington state. INSET: Going Small.

The article looks at cookbook publishing as of December 2013, focusing on the proliferation of macaroni and cheese cookbooks. It cites recent books including "The Mac + Cheese Cookbook" by Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade, published by Ten Speed Press. It reports on a trend of single-subject cookbooks and offers comments from representatives of publishing firms including Ulysses Press.

The article discusses how some condominium developers in the U.S. are using art to attract buyers or soothe discontent in neighborhoods over their buildings. Trumark Urban is designing a public art space to go with its 107-unit condominium building in San Francisco, California. Art-gallery owner Cristina Grajales was hired by the Schumacher condominium building in New York City to commission art work for the facility's common areas.

The article discusses the retirement of Americans in Central American countries such as Panama, Belize, and Nicaragua due to the luxury homes that can be built there and tax incentives that encourage real estate development. Topics include comments by Steven and Robin Fine who retired to Panama City, Panama, the development of community residency called Bella Vista del Mundo in Boquete, Panama, by Playa Chiquita Development Corp., and comments by retiree Tom Herskowitz. INSET: RETIREE VISA PROGRAMS.

The article discusses the St. Helena, California home of restaurant designer Pat Kuleto. His 762-acre estate includes a 7,800-square-foot house he designed, with a kitchen that extends the length of the living area. He has sold a winery that was once part of the property, and financial losses from a failed restaurant venture have prompted him to put 600 acres up for sale.

The article presents an introduction to a section of the issue devoted to companies that offer uncommon food-related experiences including a shopping tour with chef Alice Waters, a home-cooked meal by chef Anita Lo, and an opportunity to work as a sous chef in the Pump Room restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.

The article discusses the phenomenon of U.S. chefs who own farms to grow the food that they cook. Chefs noted include Jose Garces, Zakary Pelaccio, and David Bouley. Topics include the inexperience of the chefs as farmers, problems with crop failure, and the study of crops for nutritional and taste value by Bouley.

The article profiles fragrance house Givaudan SA and its efforts to develop aromatic dishes for Latin American food as of June 25, 2012. According to the article, food companies such as Nestlé SA, Unilever PLC, and Kraft Foods Inc. purchased food flavors for their products from Givaudan. The article also discuses Givaudan's interest in expanding to emerging markets. INSET: Rocket Science? No, but Rocket Science Never Produced Teriyaki....

The article considers so-called café gourmand, a restaurant menu item in France which is a small sweet served instead of conventional desserts. A trend is considered in which restaurants in France are increasingly offering and customers are ordering café gourmand, especially at luncheons. The trend is attributed to the added profitability of the smaller sweet and the declining amount of time spent at lunch by the French.

The article focuses on so-called pop-up restaurants, restaurants which open for short periods of time in other, permanent facilities such as hotel lobbies or other restaurants when those are closed. The use of pop-up restaurants for various purposes including testing of new menus by established restaurants or by their owners to attracting financial for a permanent restaurant are considered. Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen, a pop-up in San Francisco, California, is cited as an example INSET: The Market for Pop-Ups: What It Takes to Break Into the Business.

The article examines a trend among U.S. coffee shop chains and coffee industry retailers to market light-roasted coffees in addition to their core product of dark-roasted coffee. The introduction of light-roasted coffees by the companies Starbucks and Peet's Coffee & Tea is among the examples cited. The light-roasted coffee is intended to appeal to coffee drinkers who find the taste of dark-roast coffee too bitter.

The article discusses manufacturers who make beer-flavored candy. Nicole Greene owns Truffle Truffle, an online and wholesale operation that sells beer marshmallows and beer-and-pretzel truffles. A Web site launched by entrepreneur Steve Casselman sold $20,000 worth of candies flavored with hops and other items during its first year.

The article discusses a public-relations challenge to vegan bakeries in the U.S. Vegan establishments are becoming increasingly popular, but some are wary of advertising their vegan nature because they don't want to scare off non-vegan customers. In Columbus, Ohio Jenny Scheinbach's bakery has seen business steadily rise since she removed the word "vegan" from the store's name.

The article discusses how to spot restaurants that are headed for great popularity. The author suggests looking for a style of cuisine that is innovative, rather than just a refinement on an existing idea. The presence of culinary school graduates eager to intern with a chef for free at a restaurant is a promising sign as well. Descriptions are given of several restaurants from around the world said to be on the brink of greatness.

The article looks at a trend in which chefs at U.S. restaurants are replacing ingredients which contain high-fructose corn syrup with sweeteners such as honey, agave nectar, and palm sugar. Chef Matt Gordon of the Urban Solace restaurant in San Diego, California, discusses how he spent $15,000 to make sure his food and drinks all contain sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup.

The article discusses the increasing popularity of whole-animal cookery, inspired in part by the recipes of chefs such as Mario Batali and Fergus Henderson. Particular attention is paid to the act of grilling an entire steer, and to the misadventures of Jeff Bannister, whose 863-pound roast caught fire several times.

The article discusses clothes made out of food. The perfomer Lady Gaga drew attention to the category when she wore a "meat dress" to an awards ceremony. A holiday catalog for retailer Barneys New York featured cherry necklaces and an octopus hat. Designer Joelle Mahoney advises those making garments of chocolate to keep it away from the armpit area.

The article discusses celebrity chefs seeking to exploit the public's ongoing passion for hamburgers. Bobby Flay owns five hamburger restaurants, with several more planned. Emeril Lagasse and Marcus Samuelsson are among other chefs who have opened their own burger emporiums. Recipes vary, although some say the key to a tasty hamburger is high fat content.

The article discusses the efforts of French food organizations Omnivore and Le Fooding to promote French cuisine. Several factors including innovative dishes from Spanish and British chefs, as well as the emerging locavore movement have diminished the stature of French cuisine in some quarters. Founded by food journalist Luc Dubanchet, Omnivore has hosted food festivals that focus on French cooking.

The article discusses online services that allow diners to reserve tables at restaurants. OpenTable.com Inc. is the industry leader, able to take reservations for some 13,000 restaurants. A subsidiary of IAC is testing its own system in Seattle, Washington and plans to make it available in other large cities.

The article examines sourdough bread baking in the U.S. An increasing number of persons are using sourdough "starters," a mixture of dough and yeast, to bake their own bread as interest in home cooking has risen during the recession. The devotion of the bakers to their starters and the difficulties in maintaining the mixture are discussed.

The article reports that restaurants are optimistic about business prospects for spring of 2010. Expense-account spending has increased and consumers are beginning to return. There has also been a price reduction for some specialty food items, such as wild mushrooms, strawberries and asparagus. Restaurant owners have noticed an increase in the number of patrons compared to last year when the Dow Jones indexes were at their lowest levels.

The article discusses design features of some upscale restaurants in the U.S. that make them particularly noisy. Large cavernous dining areas with high ceilings, tables in close proximity to each other, and hardwood floors instead of carpets all contribute to a more cacophonous dining experience. Specific restaurants are noted, as is advice on getting a relatively quiet table.

The article focuses on luxury restaurant design and menu planning. A trend in expensive U.S. restaurant design involves restaurants being located in hotels, serving tapas-style menus, and focusing on the bar and the serving of alcoholic beverages. The restaurant the Bazaar by Jose Andres, located in the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, is cited as an example.

The article discusses cookbooks whose recipes often require equipment and skills beyond the capacities of the typical home cook. Chef Thomas Keller's book "Ad Hoc at Home" includes recipes that require restaurant-quality equipment to make. In contrast, television's Food Network says cookbooks written by chefs Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, and others with a more basic emphasis are very popular.

The article discusses chef David Chang. A cooking style that combines American, Asian, and French influences has transformed Chang into a celebrity chef with four restaurants and a forthcoming, profanity-laced cookbook, "Momofuku," due in October, 2009. Recipes from the book for roasted onions, ginger scallion sauce, and marinated hanger steak are presented.