SELLERS: Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonaldLOCATION: Duane Street, New York, NY
PRICE: $4,595,000
SIZE: 2,311 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: ...The loft presents a beautiful open kitchen w/ a dark grey polished concrete floor set into maple, ebonized oak cabinetry w/ leather & blackened steel handles, custom concrete counters + a magnificent center island w/ Caesar Stone top + abundant built in storage...Bedrooms + baths are equally dazzling. The master suite encompasses a private study, customized dressing area, a Jacuzzi tub, a full glass shower w/ bench + a cram wood vanity with marble counter...
YOUR MAMAS NOTES: We feel like getting out of Los Angeles today so let's mentally wing across the great U-nited States of America and discuss the New York City loft apartment that Oscar nominated super producer and screenwriter Walter Parkes and his equally successful producer wife Laurie MacDonald recently put on the market with an asking price of $4,595,000.
For all the children not in "The Industry" let Your Mama provide a Reader's Digest on these two Hollywood hot shots. Back in the mid-1990s, the comely couple was instrumental in getting DreamWorks SKG up and running and Mister Parkes acted as president of the studio from 1994 until 2005. During that time the couple over saw the making of super successful cinematic Academy Award winners such as American Beauty, Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind. Since leaving DreamWorks, the couple have together produced The Kite Runner and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street among other projects.
Property records show that in July of 2006 the L.A.-based power pair paid $4,411,000 for their TriBeCa pied a terre. A few quick flicks of the well worn beads on our bejeweled abacus indicates that after all taxes, real estate fees, renovation and decoratin' costs, the couple is sure to loose a pretty penny on this real estate transaction even if they manage to get their full asking price.
The Duane Street loft sits just a few short blocks up from the giant hole in the ground that was once the World Trade Center and listing information shows the 9th floor unit measures 2,311 square feet and includes 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. The main living space is comprised of a 900+ square foot living/dining/kitchen combination room.
While we do note the large foyer and the long book shelf lined gallery that sweeps guests down into the living room and while we do appreciate that the powder pooper opens into the entrance gallery as opposed to directly into the living room or kitchen, we're not thrilled with the placement of the laundry closet. We understand from a space planning point of view why it is located where it is, but this is an unworkable situation for Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter. Our bossy house gurl Svetlana has a habit of spreading out the dirty clothes in little piles on the floor before washing and we really don't like the idea of having to step over all that nonsense every Tuesday and Friday.
The polished concrete floored kitchen features stunning ebonized oak cabinets and a gigantic work island with concrete counter top. While black cabinets can be a little difficult to pull off, here they successfully serve to provide a necessary visual anchor in the large and somewhat oddly proportioned room. There is, of course, a full complement of stainless steel appliances that we are certain all together cost more than a Mercedes.
The master bedroom occupies its own corner of the apartment and includes a small study/dressing room, south facing windows for maximum light, a windowless pooper with a Carrara marble counter top and a glass enclosed shower. The two secondary bedrooms are well located as far away from the master bedroom as they can be (parents do not like to be heard doing the dirty by their children) and share another small and windowless bathroom that listing information states has been done up with very expensive Waterworks fixtures and Ann Sachs tiles.
While Your Mama isn't really the traditional meets modern day-core type and we imagine that peachy striped wall paper (or a striped paint treatment or whatever it is) in the master bedroom would cause us to have a seizure, it's really tough to find much to beef about here. The rugs appear to be properly sized, the finishes are clearly high quality (note those a-may-zing leather and steel pulls on the kitchen cabinets) and the eclectic and very thoughtful selection of inviting upholstered furniture give the place a comfortable, put your feet up on the velvet sofa and sip champagne sort of vibe.
On the left coast, a peep into the property records reveals the couple currently own a 6,031 square foot house on a palm tree lined street in a swank section of Santa Monica which they purchased back in March of 1992 for $1,625,000. It appears they own a couple of condos in Santa Monica as well.
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