If James Bond star Daniel Craig wanted a respite from the intrigue and mayhem that surrounds his captivating film character, he picked the wrong building.
There’s a real international man of mystery who lives in the Park Imperial on West 56th Street alongside A-list neighbors like Craig (who we recently reported is renting for $38,000 a month), Sean “Diddy” Combs and Deepak Chopra.
The man we speak of is a young, Asian finance professional going by the name “J. Lo” (we’re told that Lo is his actual last name). He’s been renting a $100,000-a-month Park Imperial condo that belongs to Kobi Alexander, a former technology executive-turned-fugitive who’s on the lam in Namibia. And now Lo seems to be starting a real estate buying spree in Manhattan.
We hear he’s signed a contract on a seven-bedroom, 7,758-square-foot condo at the Park Laurel building on West 63rd Street for close to its $28 million asking price. The seller is philanthropist and former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot Ephraim Gildor.
Lo also put a bid of close to $40 million on a Time Warner Center apartment owned by Internet pioneer Todd Wagner (who co-founded Broadcast.com, which Yahoo! bought for $5.7 billion in 1990). Problem is, that residence isn’t on the market. Wagner doesn’t seem eager to sell the 4,800-square-foot penthouse, which he bought from serial real estate investor Michael Hirtenstein in 2007. Hirtenstein, who paid $15.7 million for the condo, made headlines for renting it to Jay-Z before finding a buyer.
Lo also checked out a $31 million penthouse at Trump Park Avenue but has yet to make an offer there.
Lo has told people he’s a hedge-funder — and he’s spending money like a master of the universe. He’s had shopping bags from Bergdorf Goodman and other stores delivered to his rental, and he’s been running up big bills at nearby restaurants like Nobu 57, Jean Georges and Patsy’s. And he’s been parking his fleet of black Cadillac Escalades outside the Park Imperial.
Ullman joy
Pharmaceutical mogul Richard Ullman has just sold his condo at One Central Park West for around $17 million. The 4,415-square-foot, four-bedroom apartment — on the 45th floor of the Trump International building — is being purchased by an undisclosed buyer. Ullman bought the residence, where he has been living, five years ago for $8 million.
Ullman also owns a condo at 15 Central Park West, which he bought for $23.5 million and then tried to sell for a sky-high $75 million price tag that found no takers. We previously reported that location scouts for “Wall Street 2” inquired about filming there, but their request was denied. Too bad. That full-floor condo, above Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein’s apartment and below former Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill’s residence, could have been a perfect home for Oliver Stone’s fictional villain.
Ullman sold his company, National Prescription Administrators, for more than $500 million in 2002. But putting both apartments on the market in the current economic climate has left some observers speculating that his fortunes might be dwindling a bit.
808 state
The new rental building at 808 Columbus Ave. has gotten some star power. Residents in the luxury building include “American Pie” stunner Shannon Elizabeth and “Law & Order” actor Anthony Anderson.
Elizabeth has a one-bedroom, and Anderson has a two-bedroom. Studios in the building start at $2,580, one-bedrooms begin at $2,871 and two-bedrooms start at $4,113.
The building is part of Columbus Square, a group of five rental buildings from 97th to 100th streets between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues. The complex, with views of Central Park, the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline, is also the site of a new Whole Foods.
The complex comes with a large rooftop, barbecue grills, a 70-foot salt-water indoor/outdoor pool and a children’s playroom. There’s also valet parking and a residents’ lounge (with a private dining room and catering kitchen) designed by Andres Escobar.