Private equity guru Chris Flowers is probably best known for scoring the most profitable private equity deal of all time.
So we bet that the co-op he just bought into for $20 million (according to the WSJ) is a really good deal.
The 6 bedroom apartment boasts 6.5 bathrooms, a large library, gym, staff rooms, and wood burning fire places.
Kathy Sloane of Brown Harris Stevens had the listing.
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China has taken the concept of the mobile home to a whole new level.
Beijing’s People’s Architecture Office (PAO) and People’s Industrial Design Office (PIDO) have designed and built a mobile home so small that it can be folded up, accordion-style, and carted around on the back of a tricycle.
The fact that housing has become unbelievably expensive in China is not new news by any stretch of the imagination, and residents of Beijing have been living in much smaller spaces for years now. But due to severe overcrowding and the need for sustainable residences, it seems the tricycle house could be an innovative—though not necessarily comfortable—solution.
Somehow, they still manage to make everything fit.
I read an article a few months ago about a new niche group of clients for interior designers — single and divorced men looking to create more stylish living spaces.
The standard-issue down comforter, Star Wars and Bob Marley posters, and thrift store sofas are being traded in for something a little more sophisticated. My own single brother asked for art for Christmas, so it looks like some growing up has happened.
My mother and I recently set out to create a sophisticated and stylish bedroom for my bro, and here's what we came up with. — Sarah from The Estate of Things
More From Houzz:
Thom Filicia has a way with casual and modern rooms. This is a great example of the mix of neutral, muted tones in what I consider to be a masculine space.
I keep seeing the wool camp blanket over and over again. I love its homespun appeal mixed with a classic stripe.
The marriage of upholstery and wood on this bed will stand the test of time.
Lots of people are questioning whether minting a trillion dollar coin could solve the country's debt ceiling crisis.
Specifically, people are intrigued by a law which says that the Treasury has the ability to create coins of any denomination out of platinum, and use that to fund the government.
The debate over the economics and legality of this option is being hotly debated.
But let's take a step back. How do you literally create a new coin.
We put together images from a Science Channel and History Channel special on how our coins get made.
We hope you find it instructive.
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Deliveries of the the long anticipated Pagani Huayra are finally beginning, and car lovers are thrilled, even if they are not among the very few drivers who will get behind the wheel of the next great supercar.
The name "Huayra" comes from the Incan term for "God of the Winds," and Horacio Pagani, the carmaker Car & Driver called a "maniacally obsessed perfectionist," says it was inspired by a jet barreling down the runway just before taking off.
Pagani makes only about 40 vehicles a year, but it has already secured orders for 105 Huayras, including 18 in the United States.
The cars Pagani does deliver will cost about $1.2 million each: a lot of money for a machine that can rarely be used to its full, 230 mph capacity, and maybe not at all in the U.S., where it has not even street-legal yet, according to CNBC.
But apart from the six pieces of fitted luggage that come with the Huayra, there are plenty of ways to justify the sky high price tag.
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Apologists for the GOP argue that using the debt ceiling as "leverage" to reshape fiscal policy isn't dangerous brinksmanship.
They say that nobody is talking about "default" because even if the government couldn't borrow anymore, there would still be plenty of revenue coming in for the government to make sure that our interest payments were made on time, assuring the full faith and credit of the United States were maintained.
But a new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center should make people think twice about being sanguine.
The basic gist is: If we hit the "X Date" (as they call it), when there were no more special measures that the Treasury could use to avoid hitting the debt ceiling, we would be in a situation of unprecedented legal and economic chaos.
Even if the Treasury could "prioritize" interest payments over other payments, you'd have a massive technical problem (you'd have about 100 million computerized payments that are scheduled to happen between February 15th and March 15th, you'd have a huge legal fight (various parties demanding that they get paid first) and you'd do huge economic damage, due to huge austerity and extreme financial market austerity.
You can see the full presentation here, but we wanted to isolate the part specifically about hitting the "X Date".
One of the top New Year's resolutions is always to find love. And though there are plenty of ways to attract the opposite sex and plenty of bars to check out, it's online dating sites that tend to reap the rewards of the post-holiday slump.
January is a huge month for online dating websites, with OkCupid seeing a 30% rise in membership, HowAboutWe seeing 40%, and Match.com seeing a rise of 55% on January 2nd alone last year.
Whether you're looking to hook-up or mate for life, there is a website out there that fits your lifestyle.
Which dating site should you be using?
Grouper uses Facebook to set up groups of three guys and three girls for drinks based on age, educational background, profession, interests, and lifestyle.
Pros:
Cons:
eHarmony claims to use a scientific method for matching singles based on their patented 29 Dimensions of Compatibility.
Pros:
Cons:
PoF uses an algorithm based on how you respond to the questions on their Chemistry Quiz to match you with potential dates.
Pros:
Cons:
For many people, the word "sales" has something of a negative connotation. They think of someone pushy, or who's trying to deceive them in some way.
In his new book, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others, Daniel Pink argues that we need to do away with that, because every person in the world is now engaged in sales. It's not about going door to door selling products, but about moving people, convincing them to go along with your idea, project, or with you personally.
We've broken out the best of Pink's tips on why knowing how to move others is so essential in the modern world, and how the best of social science can get you there.
When you spend your time, as Pink puts it, "persuading, influencing, and convincing others," you're in sales.
Obviously, it's defined that way if you try to convince others to purchase things. But you're also in sales if you run your own business, no matter how small, whether it's through the products themselves, pitching investors, or motivating employees by selling your vision.
In a survey of what people actually spend their time doing at work, Pink finds that about 40 percent of time is spent in "non-sales selling," regardless of profession.
Source: To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
Now, anyone who wants to to buy a car, for example, is armed with prices and information from dozens of sources. The balance has shifted away from the seller towards the buyer.
You have to be just as aware and cautious as buyers used to be. They won't accept you as an authority figure, so the science of psychology, connection, and sales is more important than ever. Honesty, directness, and transparency are crucial.
Source: To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
Trying to persuade someone is an incredibly complex interaction, and a lot of it hinges on being able to take their point of view. When you understand where somebody's coming from, you do a much better job of responding to their concerns and anticipating problems. Researchers have found that when people are encouraged to feel powerful, they're much worse at taking others' perspectives.
When you feel like you have all of the power and information, you tend to focus too much on your own point of view. By assuming you're in the lower power position, you can focus on understanding someone, rather than trying to coerce them.
Source: To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
In order to survive, spies have to be really good at their jobs.
They're required to gain their opponent's trust and respond to a crisis quickly.
In the book "Work Like a Spy: Business Tips from a Former CIA Officer," J.C. Carleson writes about her experience as an undercover agent for the Central Intelligence Agency and the business and career tips she gained during those eight years.
From her experience, we compiled nine career tips that can help any employee reach the top of their professional game — and survive.
"You may diligently read all of the business journals, faithfully study your industry's breaking news, be able to recite from memory your competition's last SEC filing, and still be missing the whole picture."
Basically, you need to gain as much knowledge as possible in your industry and see how everything connects with one another.
Look for trends and try to predict what will happen in the future for your industry. This will help you become an expert in your field.
Source: Work Like a Spy: Business Tips from a Former CIA Officer
"CIA officers spend a great deal of time formulating personalized hooks for their targets. A proper hook contains three elements:
A reason to meet once.
A reason to connect.
A reason to continue to meet.
"A good hook allows a case officer to establish a mutually beneficial relationship quickly — even if this relationship is based on deception."
Similar to a CIA agent, if you want to meet someone in your industry, find a reason for them to want to take the time out to meet you. What can you offer them? Always approach the relationship with what you can do for them before asking for favors.
Source: Work Like a Spy: Business Tips from a Former CIA Officer
"Your cubicle neighbor may suddenly be chattier than usual because he is competing with you for a promotion."
Carleson says you should never let your guard down and you should always know why someone is being nice to you — even if you are familiar with them.
In fact, "your most talented, hardest-working, most gregarious, best-liked co-workers are your biggest threats. That might sound a bit nasty, but he fact of the matter is, you are constantly being compared to your colleagues when it comes to decisions about promotions, bonuses, or career-enhancing opportunities."
Source: Work Like a Spy: Business Tips from a Former CIA Officer
Hooters built an empire by hiring young and attractive waitresses.
But a former server told us there's a lot people get wrong about the 450-restaurant chain.
Brittany, 28, told us everything she knows about about working at Hooters.
She addressed breast size requirements, what customers are like, and how she was taught to succeed.
NOTE: We only used Brittany's first name to protect her identity.
A: It was just like any other restaurant. You fill out an application and they talk to you, you wear what you want. I didn't have to try on the uniform or anything.
A: No, the funny thing is that I was about the smallest bra size you could be when I worked there. A lot of my coworkers were flat-chested as well. I never heard about any kind of standard and you didn't have to have a big chest to work there.
A: Yeah, in their own way. It's not like everyone was blonde and tan. Our clients all had different tastes and I would say that there was someone for everyone. We had all kinds of women, with different races and features.
In one of the many traditions that makes European soccer more grandiose than American sports, FIFA held its annual gala to present the Ballon d'Or in Switzerland today.
The Ballon d'Or is like the MVP award.
Instead of simply holding a press conference to announce the winners, FIFA throws a big ceremony involving dancing, singing, mascots, and the inexplicable presence of small children.
It's oddly compelling, and we were pretty impressed, even if Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't.
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In just 10 short years Vizio has emerged as one of the top TV manufacturers in America.
Today, we had a chance to get a first look at what Vizio has planned for 2013.
Besides televisions, the company has expanded its line up to include PCs, tablets, streaming boxes, and smartphones.
The showroom was full of the latest Ultra High Definition 4K TV sets, the latest in LED technology, touch PCs, and even the latest Vizio Co-star.
Here's your first look at Vizio's 2013 line up.
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Morgan Stanley's tech analysts and retail analysts came together and published a big presentation on the eCommerce revolution.
The Morgan Stanley team expects the eCommerce opportunity – "retail sales disruption"– to get even bigger in the next few years, and says global eCommerce sales could top $1 trillion by 2016.
The presentation examines the five disruptive forces sweeping across the industry, breaks out the opportunities by region, highlights stock picks that stand to gain the most, and comes to five conclusions on where eCommerce is likely to go from here.
Note: Thanks to Morgan Stanley for allowing us to feature these slides.
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Interviews come in all shapes and sizes: Sometimes you’re with one interviewer, others you’re with five. Maybe you’ll be asked to lunch, expected to solve a problem, or invited to a Skype interview.
But no matter what the format, we’ll give you what you need to succeed. Over the next few weeks, we’ll show you how to nail every type of interview you might face.
Check out these 10 common interviews types and what you need to know about them, then check in all Job Search Month for even more advice.
This is the scenario you’ll face most often: You sit down with a solo interviewer and answer a series of questions designed to help her figure out if you’re a great candidate for the job.
What You Need to Know:
Asked for a phone interview? A call is typically a first-round screening to see if you’re a fit to come in for a full interview, so nailing it is key. You’ll want to prepare just as you would for an in-person interview, with some key adjustments for the phone format.
What You Need to Know
Skype video interviews take the phone-screening interview to the next level, and they’re becoming a regular part of the job application process for many companies. From choosing the right on-screen look to making sure all of your tech systems are a go, you’ll want to be 100% ready for your TV debut.
What You Need to Know
British photographer Tim Flach is known for taking human-like photographs of animals. His latest body of work, called "More Than Human," captures the emotions of wild creatures through intensely close shots — like the stunning picture of a gorilla on the right.
The intimate animal portraits, which feature everything from a featherless chicken to a pair of affectionate chimpanzees, are meant to illuminate the similarities between animal poses, gestures, and gazes, and our own.
Photographing animals on a set, as opposed to in their natural habitat comes with a unique set of challenges.
"You can never predict an animal's mood," Flach says on his website. "So you have to plan beforehand to get what you want." To make the animals feel as comfortable as possible, Flach may adjust the temperature of the studio or play music.
You can purchase a hardcover copy of Flach's animal portraits here or visit his website to see more of the award-winning photographer's work.
Until recently, the area north of New York City's Madison Square Park — dubbed "NoMad" by clever developers — was a black hole for food.
But with the arrival of trendy hotels like The Ace, The NoMad, and the Gansevoort Park Avenue Hotel, it's starting to become a dinner destination in its own right.
The neighborhood's boundaries are flexible, but we're defining it as the area between 25th and 30th Streets to the south and north, and Lexington and Sixth Avenues to the east and west.
Some of these spots are new and have generated tons of buzz, others are under-the-radar mainstays. But one thing is certain: they're all delicious.
The Ace Hotel, 16 West 29th St.
The Breslin is a modern take on the English pub: a gastropub that serves British-inspired dishes in a cool setting.
Executive chef April Bloomfield (of Spotted Pig fame) serves creative dishes like lamb scrumpets with mint vinegar and Caesar salad with anchovy croutons. But the best thing to order here is the grilled lamb burger with feta, cumin mayo, and thrice-cooked chips.
Located inside the Ace Hotel, the Breslin is a chic but relaxing room that has become one of the hottest late night spots in the city. They don't take reservations, so be prepared to wait.
The team behind Almond opened L&W Oyster Co. this fall in the former Bar Breton space on Fifth Avenue, and seafood lovers are thrilled.
The place is casual, with a quirky nautical theme and fun design components like magnet boards and lights that look like they were pilfered from a fishing boat.
But the real draw is the fresh oyster selection, with a rotating menu from both coasts and served with innovative accompaniments like a celery salt lime granita.
Follow them up with a lobster BLT or Brooklyn Clam Chowder, and you're sure to leave satiated.
This fine restaurant inside the hotel of the same name opened just last year, but it has already created a lot of buzz in the NYC restaurant world.
The restaurant was created by the same duo behind the uber-successful Eleven Madison Park, which has 3 Michelin stars.
People are raving about the food — especially the $78 roasted chicken for two — served in this opulent, airy space.
We're just a few short weeks away from the big launch of BlackBerry 10, the new mobile operating system that will run on at least one new touchscreen BlackBerry phone.
Today at meeting away from the main Consumer Electronics Show floor, RIM gave us a look at the latest build of BB10 to show off all the newest features.
The version we saw isn't the final one that you'll get to use in a few weeks, but RIM tells us it's very close.
Our snap reaction after the quick 10-minute demo: It looks really good, just as smooth as iOS on iPhone and Google's Android. And BB10 has the best notifications center we've seen on a mobile device, letting you quickly "peek" at incoming emails, calendar notifications, tweets, etc. with a natural swiping gesture.
BB10 also has a cool time-shifting camera that lets you change the faces of individuals in case they blink during a shot.
Check out the gallery below to flip through a quick tour of some of the coolest features in BB10.
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Andrew Ellingson Beck III, managing director at D.E. Shaw Securities, has listed his luxurious duplex condo (complete with penthouse) in Tribeca for $24 million, according to Curbed.
Beck originally bought the condo, which has 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, for under $6 million in 2004. The condo takes up over 6,000 square feet, and includes a spiral staircase, an infinity pool with waterfall, an elevator, and stunning views of lower Manhattan.
Liz Dworkin of Brown Harris Stevens is the real estate agent associated with this property, which she describes as"a rare combination of move-in comfort and super star elegance."
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Every quarter, car navigation system maker TomTom releases the results of its Congestion Index, a breakdown of traffic in North American cities.
The results for Q2 of 2012 (April — June), compiled from GPS readings, may not be shocking (New York, LA, and Houston all make the list), but looking at the 20 cities in North America with the worst traffic, there are a few surprises.
The congestion figure, expressed as a percentage, represents the increase in overall driving times when compared to a "free flow situation"— when there is little traffic, such as at night.
Congestion: 15% increase in driving time over no traffic
Morning peak: 26% increase
Evening peak: 40% increase
Congestion figures from the TomTom report are found by comparing travel times (from TomTom's database of anonymous speed measurements) during peak hours with times while driving in no traffic.
Congestion: 16% increase in driving time over no traffic
Morning peak: 28% increase
Evening peak: 35% increase
Congestion figures from the TomTom report are found by comparing travel times (from TomTom's database of anonymous speed measurements) during peak hours with times while driving in no traffic.
Congestion: 16% increase in driving time over no traffic
Morning peak: 32% increase
Evening peak: 41% increase
Congestion figures from the TomTom report are found by comparing travel times (from TomTom's database of anonymous speed measurements) during peak hours with times while driving in no traffic.
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Small spaces are turning into the next big trend in real estate.
Due to overcrowding in cities and soaring prices in the housing market, it seems the natural solution is to think smaller.
Here are 20 of the smallest homes we could find, from all over the world. They're on roofs, on wheels, and in backyards.
They may make you feel claustrophobic, but their owners have found them to be quite livable.
Know of an even tinier living space? Let us know in the comments.
Size: 330 sq. ft.
Location: Hong Kong, HK
Gary Chang, an architect in Hong Kong, turned his family's tiny 330-square-foot tenement apartment into a sleek and efficient living space with 24 different room combinations, including bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and even a guest bedroom area.
So, how does he do it? Chang installed a number of sliding panels which he can move around the space to reveal hidden areas and storage. It's a system he calls the "Domestic Transformer."
Size: 300 sq. ft.
Location: New York, NY
Last July, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed a plan to createstudio apartments that will be no more than 300 square feet.
These apartments, which Bloomberg proposed to construct in the Kips Bay area of Manhattan, could be an affordable housing solution for young professionals and could hold a kitchen, bathroom, living area, and sleeping area.
The affordability is debatable, however, as the micro apartments will still cost around $2,000 a month to rent.
Size:300 sq. ft.
Location: San Jose, Calif.
In August, the San Jose Department of Housing built a development of 42 affordable single room occupancy apartments, each one 300 square feet or less. Designed by Studio E Architects, each unit measures about two parking spaces and will include a full kitchen, a bathroom, and a combined living/sleeping area. T
here is a long wait list for one of these studios, but at a price of $650 a month, the wait may well be worth it.
