Unique Homes Blog

ON LOCATION

No matter how vibrant, virtual worlds still pale in comparison to the real thing. Without the turquoise blue of the Caribbean shimmering in the background, soft breezes caressing one’s shoulders or the flash of pink as you pass a flamingo idling in a pond, it’s easy to underestimate the appeal of the British Virgin Islands, especially Oil Nut Bay, a new ultra-luxe development on Virgin Gorda, the third largest island.

For the affluent today, the value of real estate comes from the experience. A multi-generational focus at Oil Nut Bay invites families and friends to gather in an atmosphere that emphasizes learning, wellness, a reverence for nature and, most especially, having fun. Along with all of this comes a large measure of privacy and the freedom to enjoy, because Oil Nut Bay’s peninsula is only accessible by boat or helicopter. Even nearby Biras Creek Resort is a short jaunt on the water.

David Johnson and his team from the developer, Victor International, are taking their cues from the land as much as they are from the new values of affluent consumers. Only 88 homesites are scattered throughout the resort’s 300 acres, leaving miles of sandy beaches, hiking trails and open space. In addition to beachfront villas, roughly a quarter of the sites range from 1.5 to 10 acres and are nestled into hillsides, hug ridgelines or stand on high plateaus. Here, panoramic views include the Caribbean Sea, North Sound, Atlantic Ocean and the coves of
Virgin Gorda as well as nearby Neckar and other islands.

“Oil Nut Bay is not only unique in that it is one of the few communities offering freehold ownership in the British Virgin Islands, but with its low-density master plan and commitment to protecting the national beauty of the land, the homesites are like 88 pieces of art, each one spectacular and different of every other,” said Johnson, chairman of Victor International.

The architecture is designed to melt into the terrain. During a recent visit, workers were putting finishing touches on the beach club’s main building, a dramatic open air palapa, which includes four private dining/meeting spaces … all in preparation for a December 2010 opening.

GOING GLOBAL

Geneva, Switzerland

Seven Nobel laureates slept at the Hotel Du Parc on Mont-Pelerin in the Vevey-Montreux region of the Swiss Riviera overlooking Lake Geneva before it was shuttered at the turn of the cen-tury. Now the grand 140-room hotel is being restored, not just to its former glory, but to an even higher plane, with, among other luxury amenities, two levels of concierge service.

The circa-1907 building has been saved from the wrecking ball by the Swiss Development Co. and is being turned into Du Parc Kempinski Private Residences, including 21 two- and three-bedroom apartments and three penthouses, each with unobstructed views of the lake and the French Alps beyond. All layouts will face south. Otherwise, each will be unique, custom-fitted to “very demanding” clients, including “elite retirees, trendsetting entrepreneurs and home collectors who demand the very best.”

The goal here, says award-winning developer Nicolas Garnier, is “to create an environment in which owners might live the way they feel.” On-site amenities will include a Davidoff cigar lounge, Givenchy spa, lifelong membership to Lavaux golf, indoor and outdoor pools, a putting green and a private theater.

Kempinski, the world’s largest European-based luxury hotel operator, will handle on-site concierge services from its close-by hotel, Le Mirador Kempinski, while Quintessentially, the private members club with 24-hour global services, will cover all “lifestyle needs,” no
matter how extraordinary or challenging.

Prices range from $4 million to $20 million U.S. One third of the units are already claimed — deposits escalate as the property nears its anticipated spring 2012 completion.
—Lew Sichelman

FABULOUS FINDS

An Oasis in New York City

Once upon a time, Hell’s Kitchen in New York City was exactly what its moniker implied: a little hellish.

So the timing couldn’t have been better for the development of 505 West 47th Street, or The 505. It’s a rare find for the neighborhood: a hip new building with a plethora of amenities, stellar views and generous amounts of outdoor space. Suddenly, Hell seems almost heavenly.

“It’s unbelievable how [buyers] want to be here,” says Vince Rocco, the exclusive broker of The 505, which has sold more than 95 percent of its 108 units. “This is a neighborhood of old housing stock; you don’t find doormen, an elevator, amenities. And because it’s affordable, they’re able to do it.”

With affordability in mind, it became developer Ian Reisner’s goal to create “the lowest-priced condos that felt both efficient and luxurious.” Prices range from $425,000 to $2.695 million.

The 505 offers a different approach to space that isn’t often seen in urban environments, Reisner says. “It’s criminal [how] most developers don’t get involved in design. There’s a beam here, a beam there and everything comes across as OK-ish. If you’re building from scratch, why have a hallway to the living room? Why separate?” Instead, each unit has a constant flow to each room, creating what Reisner describes as “clean, walk-right-in, loft-like living.”

If the indoors aren’t enough, there’s the stunning courtyard — a 6,000-square-foot “urban oasis,” that “makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a garden in Europe,” Rocco adds. “It’s quiet and no one knows it’s there. When I sell this place, it’s not hard to do. I just look out my window.”
—Jessica Decina

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