New York, New York – the most famous city in the World is also the most expensive to live in the USA. It’s been said that if your budget can make it in Manhattan, where the cost of living is more than double the U.S. average, it can make it anywhere.

With a population of 17,800,000 and housing costs  more than 4 times the national average, few people seem deterred to move and live in this city known as a hub of culture, luxury,  artistry and invention.  With that said, where does the upper crust live and how much do they have to pay for those spectacular views?

Can you imagine living on the top floors of  one of New York’s most luxurious hotels and this being where you and your guests would enter?

This just being the bath in the Tata Suite at the Hotel Pierre, I wonder what would the private residence penthouse look like?!

Well we’re in luck because the penthouse is for sale! This 16-room duplex apartment has 360 views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline!

If you notice, there is an organic feeling throughout the home with natural products and a repetitive leaf design found in most rooms.

The library spans 42 ft. along Fifth Avenue!!

Living on top of such a swanky hotel,  my favorite part would have to be the services and amenities offered such as concierge service, housekeeping, a pristine gym and room service!!!

The layout includes two enormous master bedroom suites with custom wood paneled dressing rooms, spacious sitting rooms and luxurious marble bathrooms.

Now I could get used to that!!! Listed at 70,000,000, this extraordinary residence could be yours for a mortgage payment of $31,163 a month!

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One of my favorite residences I found was that of Paul and Bunny Mellon, heir to one of America’s great banking fortunes. This extraordinarily beautiful townhouse in the Upper East Side was built in 1965 and featured in The World of Interiors magazine.

Designed in the neo-French classic style evoking the charm of the French countryside, this townhouse reflected the passions of its owners. My favorite part of this home, listed for $41,000,000 has to be the amazing painted floors!! Well thought out, the patterns change from room to room.

Bunny, who designed the White House’s rose gardens, loved to entertain! Being a friend to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, I wonder if she dined here?

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The townhouse  has 5-8 bedrooms, all so quaint, but most rare is that it has 3 full exposures; affording brilliant sunlight into some of the most beautiful rooms on the Upper East Side. Although I would love to purchase, this one is under contract!!!!!

If you would like a bit smaller of a place to call home, this penthouse apartment, measuring 5345 Square ft., includes two story ceilings and sprawling views!

Listed for $13,900,000, it includes a new state of the art kitchen with marble counters and back splash and opaque glass upper cabinets.

This newly designed,  4,800 square ft. elevator townhouse designed by FLANK Architects, is being sold for $11,995,000. Including 3 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms and a brand new garden terrace complete with solarium, the interior design brilliantly places furniture that functions well with the home’s long and narrow footprint.

Clean and crisp, the kitchen has ample storage behind closed white cabinetry and coordinating Calcutta marble counters. Luxury finishes such as the Nanz Hardware and appliances aside, the star of this kitchen is the far wall that can be folded unto itself to expand the space to the garden terrace outside.

An eclectic interior, my favorite feature is the custom floor to ceiling doors, made from mahogany not metal, which overlook the neighborhood just steps away from Central Park!

This powder bath left no detail overlooked. I wish I had the source for that decorative vent cover! Before you hit purchase for this little beauty, keep in mind that the annual taxes are estimated at $65,849! I hope you enjoyed my little tour of what’s for sale in New York!! Happy House hunting on your next trip there!!

My New Years Resolution update!!!!

Well, it’s been two weeks since my goals were set and I so appreciate all the emails, well wishes and support from my new living a healthier life email buddies! I have exercised 4 times a week and cut down on my eating. I haven’t been perfect; night time is the hardest for me!  The yoga hasn’t taken place of the wine at night!!!!  I have created a recipe with my daughter that we both love!! Cauliflower mashed potatoes!  I like it more than regular mashed potatoes and it’s so much lower in calories – much healthier.

So easy to make!!! I just chopped up a head of cauliflower into small pieces, put it in a cup of low sodium, organic chicken broth and cooked it for about 10 min. until soft. Then I placed the whole mixture in Kirby’s Nutra Bullet with some kosher sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and our favorite seasoning – which, yes, is called Special Shit (only in Texas-haha). We liked it so much the first time that we made two heads the second.  I think pureeing it rather than just mashing it gives it a wonderful texture.  The first time we tried it we served steamed spinach and sea bass on top!  It was beautiful and tasty enough for dinner guests!!

I am so excited to start the new year with a book signing at the lovely River Oaks Bookstore! Join me Saturday, 4 – 6pm at  3270 Westheimer – I hope to see you there!!

Remember we have a whole new look!!! I hope next week you don’t have any issues.  To be safe, you might want to go ahead and re-sign up at the top right-hand corner of the page above the title to insure you get the latest posts.  Please email jessica@segretofinishes.com if you have any issues at all! I may not be tech savvy enough to help.  I would love your feedback!  Until next week!