Surprise double release
Astor penthouses, Gjelina, Rosella, Four Twenty Five, Foul Witch, FOUND SF & MIAMI, Florida Keys, playoff tix, best metaphysical shops, MORE
WORK • Housekeeping
New to the FOUND family this week: FOUND MIAMI and FOUND SF. With NY and LA, that makes a quartet of FOUNDs from coast to coast. It also means we’re looking to expand the team, with savvy local contributors in each market, as well as growth, sales, and editorial operations contributors here at (metaphorical) HQ. Want to join us as we unlock these four great American cities for our subscribers? Drop us a line at found@foundny.com.
→ FOUND SF • Wednesdays • Subscribe
→ FOUND MIAMI • Thursdays • Subscribe
→ FOUND LA • Thursdays • Subscribe
→ FOUND NY • Tuesdays & Fridays • Subscribe (or upgrade!)
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Astor’s new nests
The second in a trio of new duplex penthouses built atop Upper West Side grande dame, The Astor, hit the market last week, asking $13.95M.
The unit makes ample use of The Astor’s rooftop, with two terraces covering 1700 square feet — one wraps around the great room and kitchen on the east, and the other faces west off the primary bedroom. There’s also a private elevator, floating staircase, and four more bedrooms, all en suite.
PH2 is the second of the three penthouses up for grabs, each of which was designed by Pembrooke & Ives, who also overhauled the rest of The Astor late last decade. The first of them (3438SF, 4BR) sold last summer before it even made it online. The buyer of that unit also bought another apartment in the building, with plans to combine the two, per the NYP. The third penthouse is expected to be listed later this year.
Downstairs, eight more units in the building are currently listed, from a $999K studio to a $6.75M three-bedroom.
→ 235 W 75th St PH2 (The Astor, Upper West Side) • 5BR/7BA, 4805 SF condo • Ask: $13.95M • skyline views, separated eat-in kitchen • Monthly taxes: $10,397 • Monthly maintenance/cc: $7833 • Days on market: 11 • Agents: Michael Kafka, Katherine Gauthier, and Kyle Egan, Elliman • Image: Binyan Studios.
NYC REAL ESTATE LINKS: Boomers bought up all the big homes, now they’re not budging • New renderings revealed for Midtown supertall 350 Park Ave • In East Harlem, design revealed for new esplanade and 107th St pier • Do New Yorkers need earthquake insurance? • New York City’s smallest neighborhood is very, very odd.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
Springtime at Gjelina
SHELLEY ARMISTEAD • CEO • Gjelina Group
Neighborhood you work in: East Village, NYC & Venice Beach, LA
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
It’s a mix of everything: 1. Construction is full steam ahead at Gjelina NY. 2. Gjelina LA, GTA, and Gjusta are in full spring-break mode, which is super fun because we get to meet people from all over the world. 3. We’re hanging artwork at Vittorja. 4. Buckets of tulips are coming into the flower shop. 5. Bread class with chef Nicky, and tasting strawberries with Bethany.
What’s on the agenda for today?
I’m writing two cookbooks simultaneously, which is a little silly, but I can't seem to slow down. Also, in no particular order: Signing off on a new custom paint color that I created, begging chef Juan and chef Nicky to come up with a thinner burrito, praying that the design of a new lampshade I’ve been dreaming about works out, a parent-teacher conference, and an interview with a publication about the future of hospitality.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
In LA, it's a funny one — and no one talks about it because supposedly it isn't considered “new” or “cool” — but the food at Cecconi's West Hollywood is just so consistently good, it's a comfort to eat there. I’ll stop in for agnolotti and half glass of white at some point during the week. The staff are phenomenal and I never run into anyone. In NY, Rosella always.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Both the NY Philharmonic and the LA Phil are always my go-to. I like to go by myself, and particularly at 11 a.m. on a Friday if there is a piece I love being performed. Also: 92nd St Y for conversation in NY, ICA in LA, Salon 94 in NY. And I’ll break up my work day with 45 minutes of art somewhere.
Any weekend getaways?
I love going Upstate. Favorite places: Talbot & Arding in Hudson, Montage Antiques in Millerton, Stissing House in Pine Plains, and Wassaic Project in Wassaic.
What was your last great vacation?
Hydra every year with my best friend Maia for swimming, reading, eating, and hiking. Last year I explored Paris with my boys (who are both very romantic humans). I’ve been many times, but to see it through their eyes was extra special. Avoid the lines at the Eiffel Tower and do a double ride in the Ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde — it’s more personal space, and the views are phenomenal. I love Les Enfants du Marche for dinner and Folderol for ice cream after.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Playoffs Baby
76ers vs Knicks • NBA playoffs first round • Madison Square Garden (Midtown South) • Sat @ 6p • section 107, $1163 per
Capitals vs Rangers • NHL playoffs first round • Madison Square Garden (Midtown South) • Sun @ 3p • section 107, $799 per
Ask Roulette + Special Guests • Strangers ask each other questions live on stage. Featuring Jody Avirgan, Jon Ronson, Caitlin Cook, more • Caveat (Lower East Side) • Thurs 4/25 @ 7p • GA, $23 per • #foundpartner
Interested in becoming a #foundpartner? Hit reply or email found@foundny.com.
CULTURE LINKS: Lineup revealed for comedy festival Marxfest • Heads roll in new High Line installation • Venice Biennale’s halo effect is real • New ‘Wiz’ on Broadway: ‘pleasant, serviceable’ • Caitlin Clark ticket effect reaches NYC • Why Taylor Swift’s publicist is a cult figure in her own right.
GETAWAYS • Florida Keys
Today’s Getaway is courtesy FOUND MIAMI, which debuted yesterday. Looking for a little more Miami (and surrounds) in your life? Subscribe to FOUND MIAMI, with new issues dropping each Wednesday.
Change in latitude
There’s something about the angle of the spindly palm trees on the beach at the Casitas at Cheeca Lodge & Spa, each bending towards the sea as if caught in a persistent breeze. On this private expanse of white sand beach in Islamorada about a two-hour drive from Miami, 11 cottages dot a property where meandering paths lead to a lap swimming pool and tennis court, and hammocks dangle lazily between those palms.
This addendum to Cheeca Lodge — the modern resort that evolved from a storied 1940s-era fishing lodge — was formerly a part of next door neighbor The Moorings Village, Islamorada’s longtime treasured cottage retreat. (To complicate matters, The Moorings still operates with eight cottages on the property it held onto south of Beach Road.) The acquisition by Cheeca Lodge, which took place in 2020, came with two restaurants across the Overseas Highway: Pierre’s, for a French fine dining spin on Keys cuisine, and the laidback Morada Bay Beach Café — both with sunset views.
At the Casitas, barefoot luxury charm is on order. Guests have exclusive domain over the annex, plus access to all the amenities at Cheeca proper — especially useful when it comes to dining. Up the beach and through a private gate, find three restaurants and two tiki bars. (Butlers also ferry orders to cushioned lounge chairs on the beach.)
On a recent stay in an oceanfront casita, we walked outside onto our patio every morning to the aquamarine water, spreading out to eternity, with no one else in sight. While South Florida doesn’t lack for spectacular waterfront resorts, few offer that kind of vantage. –Shayne Benowitz
→ Casitas at Cheeca Lodge & Spa (Islamorada) • 81801 Overseas Hwy.
GETAWAYS LINKS: East Hamptons’s Hedges Inn may become East End outpost of private club Zero Bond • Montauk’s Dome Home hits the market for $2.99M • Bark launching luxury airline for dogs, with flights from HPN to Vegas, London • American planning new business class cabin design • Yolo’s Marrakesh Black Book • A beloved Copenhagen cafe gets serious about dinner.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Metaphysical shops
Enchantments (East Village), oldest occult store in NYC
Aum Shanti (East Village), large assortment of sacred objects and books; private psychic readings
The Alchemist’s Kitchen (East Village), incense, Tarot decks, and tonics
Stick Stone & Bone (West Village), crystals, and items made by Native American craftspeople
Namaste Bookshop (Union Square), sacred objects, candles, crystals, oracle and Tarot cards, plus private psychic readings
Rock Star Crystals (Flatiron), enormous collections of crystals, jewelry, and metaphysical objects
Scent Elate (Theater District), incense, oils, and palo santo
Quest Bookshop (Midtown East, above), Midtown haven with wide array of books, crystals, oils, and private psychic readings
The Oracle Shop (Bushwick), unique crystals, bath, and body products, plus candles, jewelry, and more
Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@foundny.com.
LOST & FOUND • Behind the Paywall
Dispatches from the frontline, from FOUND subscribers for FOUND subscribers:
→ Three FOUND subscriber dining reports from the field, including the coordinates of Bushwick’s best tamale stand:
Four Twenty Five was super fire. Big bill, but definitely worth it for corporate entertainment. People don't forget meals like that easily. The Grill has been a little tired and overpriced, this felt like a fresher version. Menu had serious breadth and options while keeping it straightforward and not too fancy. Fine food! The scene was a little older, but it felt comfortable and refined.
Had a friend in from London who hadn’t been to the city in seven years. The challenge: Take them to an incredibly au currant NYC restaurant on a Wednesday night with five hours notice.