Kyoto Grand Sells, Biography of the Thomas Guide

Image via Stephen Friday

LITTLE TOKYO: In April, the Kyoto Grand Hotel came out of a bankruptcywith plans to become a Doubletree. That change-up is still in the cards, but it'll happen under a new owner. A tipster sends in this from the subscription-only Real Estate Alert newsletter: "UBS Realty is paying $45 million for the Kyoto Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The price for the 434-room prop­erty translates into $104,000/unit. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels is representing the seller, 3D Investments of Los Angeles. The transaction is scheduled to close this week. UBS plans to add a DoubleTree flag and bring in Rim Hospitality of Newport Beach, Calif., as the manager. Rim already manages several hotels in the area, including the Sheraton Downtown Los Angeles and the Sheraton Universal." [Curbed Inbox]

LOS ANGELES: Pre-iPhone, you pretty much never got into a Los Angeles car that didn't have a Thomas Guide in it. Now that the Guide is an artifact of a lost way of driving, The Daily traces the map book's rise and fall. It was perfectly situated to catch the wave of newcomers and car-drivers in mid-century LA, but didn't make a smooth transition into the GPS age. [The Daily, via LAObserved]

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Tribeca House Now Just $12.5M

Wednesday, October 5, 2011, by Sara Polsky

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Guess the whiff of scandale hasn't done much for the sales prospects of 153 Franklin Street, the now-notorious Tribeca townhouse rented by Dominique Strauss-Kahn for the duration of his house arrest earlier this year. The place, the product of a Leopoldo Rosati renovation, was previously for sale at aPriceChopped ask of $13.995 million—and it's been hanging out with the PriceChopper again. The new ask is $12.5 million, a cut of 11 percent, or $1.495 million. The home's still for rent at a cool $50,000/month. If anyone needs a house arrest home base, full gallery right over here.
· 153 Franklin Street #BLDG [StreetEasy]
· 153 Franklin Street coverage [Curbed]

Buy Ellen Degeneres' Beverly Hills Compound For A Bargain $49 Million

We reported this summer that Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi were selling their their enormous compound in Beverly Hills and the listing price has been on a roller coaster ride ever since.

The main home was reportedly initially listed for $49 million and the entire 2.87-acre compound was listed at $60 million, according to Curbed, and the price for the whole thing was later bumped up to $63 million, Homes of the Rich reported at the time.

But now, the official MLS listing is out, and the whole kit and caboodle will cost you $49 million, a relative bargain (via Curbed).

The new listing comes with some great new photos of the home's interior, including a huge marble bathtub and a game room.

Ellen picked up the main house in 2007 for $29 million, and over the next few years, the couple bought up the surrounding mansions and expanded their massive compound to over 24,000 square feet, costing them about $50 million.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ellen-degeneres-portia-rossi-house-photos-2011-10#ixzz1ZvzYWpst

House of the Day: September’s Most Popular (Video)

By Sushil Cheema

From a former foreclosure in Boulder, Colo., to a Richard Neutra design in California that is faces demolition, the four most popular houses of September included a variety of notable details.

The owner of the first home, in Nashville, Tenn., spent nine months constructing the home, designing it around a pool. Completed in 2006, the three-bedroom house measures about 6,500 square feet. The owner, a builder, found inspiration from his travels in Europe and appreciates the home’s ‘old-world’ feel.

The California-based owner of the next home, in Boulder, Colo., bought the property without even seeing it after hearing his sister and brother-in-law rave about it. The former foreclosure was in a state of disrepair, and wild animals had taken up residence in the house. It now has five bedrooms and features a great room with a 10-foot-wide fireplace, as well as wood decks with glass railings.

In Beverly Hills, Calif., a nearly 7,000-square-foot home designed by famed architect Richard Neutra in 1955 faces demolition if it fails to sell soon. It’s located on nearly two acres of prime real estate off Sunset Boulevard and features the geometric glass structures that Mr. Neutra was known for. The current owners are offering $50,000 toward moving the house, should a buyer want to do so.

The final house, a contemporary built in 1955, sits on Puget Sound in Seattle and has private beach access. The 4,320-square-foot house has five bedrooms and a pool. It also offers views of Mount Ranier and the Olympic Islands, as well as Blake Island and Vashon Island.

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2011/10/05/house-of-the-day-septembers-most-popular-video/

Source:

$14.995 Million Waterfront Estate In Shelter Island, NY

This spectacular 3.25 acre estate is sited on 325 feet of waterfront with lushly landscaped gardens and rolling lawns. It is located at 10 Lari Lane in Shelter Island, NY and boasts a deep water dock. The estate includes a 16-room main house, guest house, St. Barth’s pool house and an infinity edge swimming pool. There is a total of 16,000 square feet of living space between the main and guest houses. The main house has 6 bedrooms, living room, formal dining room, wood paneled library, glass enclosed conservatory, gourmet kitchen, garden room, elevator, office, gym, media room and more than 2,000 square feet of stone terraces and mahogany decks. The guest house has 3 bedrooms, spacious living room and a 3-car garage. The pool house boasts a studio, living room, kitchen and bathroom. It is listed at $14,995,000 down from a high of $21,900,000.

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO TOUR

CLICK HERE FOR THE LISTING

Newly Listed $34.95 Million Mansion In Los Angeles, CA

This newly listed gated modern estate is located at 755 Sarbonne Road in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles, CA. It was built in 1951 and boasts over 15,000 square feet of living space with 6 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, 16′ ceilings, grand hallway, marble walls, huge living room, wood paneled library, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen, family room, home theater, gym, wine cellar, 181′ infinity edge swimming pool and an attached guesthouse with living room and kitchen. It is listed at $34,950,000.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LISTING

Rosie O'Donnell's New Chicago Home: Take a Look Inside

Looks like Rosie O'Donnell will be joining LeAnn Rimes and her BFF Giuliana Rancic in Chicago!

Realtor Janelle Gordon confirms to E! News that O'Donnell is "under contract" to buy a $2.5 million rowhouse in the Windy City.

Sounds nice, right?

READ: Watch Out, Chicago! LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian Are Comin' for Ya!

Located in the heart of the Southport Corridor in Chi-town, the 6,000 square-foot home includes five bedrooms and five bathrooms, 11-foot ceilings, extensive millwork and custom cabinetry, along with a security system, sports bar and home theater.

The listing describes the vibe of the house as "rich designer flare."

Aside from the interior, the property has a 2,000 square-foot roof deck outdoors and a three-car heated garage. Cars need some warmth, too, ya know.

There's no word whether or not Rosie's new lady will be moving in with her, but we're sure she'll pay the new digs a visit.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/rosie_odonnells_new_chicago_home_take/265535#ixzz1YkVzjtad

Rosie O’Donnell’s new talk show, “The Rosie Show,” premieres October 10, 2011, her first chat venture since the leaving the panel of “The View” prematurely in 2007. The new gabfest, which will become a centerpiece program on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network, is already building a slew of media buzz.

In fact Oprah has such high hopes for the program that she turned over the use of her famed Harpo Studios in Chicago, located at the intersection of Washington and Carpenter streets, for taping purposes.

Along with the comedienne and personality’s lofty new gig comes the purchase of a lofty new home in the Windy City’s Lakeview neighborhood, a trendy, upscale community known for pricey residences where yours truly grew up. O’Donnell recently closed on a lavish brownstone, furniture included, costing the star a reported $2.5 million.

All Images Courtesy of Zillow

Erected in 2007, the new construction property boasts five bedrooms and six bathrooms - plenty of room to accommodate the Flintstones actress and her four children. The property encompasses 6,000 square feet on three levels of living space.

The house is a stunning piece of architecture with 11-foot ceilings (pictured below), a home theater, rooftop deck and heated three-car garage. And as befits a person of O’Donnell’s fame, the home comes equipped with a state-of-the-art security system. And no, it’s not just to keep the likes of Elizabeth Hasselback and Donald Trump at bay.

O’Donnell’s original plan was to commute to Harpo Studios from her home in New York, but she apparently had a change of heart after viewing the beautiful property, currently possessed by an OWN staff member.

Speaking from personal experience, anything that shortens a working mother’s commute is an asset.

What do you think of Rosie’s new Chicago residence? Is it fit for the new would-be queen of daytime?

Read more: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/spending/blog/home-equity/rosie-odonnell-purchases-chicago-home/5664/#ixzz1YkWkpfLs