The Luxembourg House in New York

My Orchids. Laleia. Photo ET

The Luxembourg House in New York

On July 19, 2013, the New York Times reported this: "Big Ticket | Turtle Bay'Game Changer' Sold for $34.35 Million". What the heck, let's throw in another $650,000 for the furniture. Total $ 35 million. Of course that poked my interest. For several reasons.

First of all that price is quite a number. Across from that town house on Beekman Place is an even more perfect and nicer one. I would think that one is worth at least $50-55 million in comparison. Well, I bought that one 20 years ago for $5.6 million. Unfortunately I couldn't afford it for myself, but the Luxembourg government could. It is now the Luxembourg House in New York with its Consular offices, the Board of Economic Development, the Luxembourg Mission to the UN, and even the Luxembourg-American Chamber of Commerce. It is a famous building built by the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, and it was acquired then by an American National Monument who is Irving Berlin. It is where he created God Bless America, I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, and Call me Madam.

In 1992 I knew we had a good deal, when the town house across the street, the one that sold now, came on the market. I briefly lobbied the government to allow me to negotiate a similar deal for a residence for the Ambassador to the UN, which would have been a wild 30% less than asking, which I believe was $4.5 million. The Luxembourg government passed, in favor of an existing apartment uptown.

The Qatar House of New York

The New York Times reports that: "The buyer of 21 Beekman Place, identified in city records as the State of Qatar, the sovereign Arab emirate on the Persian Gulf that Forbes has named the richest country in the world, thanks to its deposits of oil and natural gas, was so enamored of the period furnishings selected by Mr. Novello and his design team that it bought them for an additional noncommissioned $650,000. "

Yes you know, Qatar, our friends from BIL, KBL, Cargolux and more. Now we can have a street party, Christmas trees, carols, and White Christmas and all. Qatar can bring the Three Kings.

                                         

Volunteers needed

I go there from time to time, such as when I need a new passport. And I was shocked by what I saw. I knew that we had those new wealthy neighbors, and that the Grand Duke also would stop by as the recipient of the Path to Peace Award 2013. I took these pictures, with which I intend to torture your hearts and prompt you to come and volunteer to repair and clean the outside at least. 

There is that rusty and unstable fence, the soiled facade and entrance door, and, the uneven sidewalk. The sidewalk is a slip and fall trap. Do you know that Luxembourg would be liable, and that there is no diplomatic immunity, if someone falls on that sidewalk in disrepair? Let me guess for how much a New York lawyer would sue Luxembourg: $50-55 million "for pain and suffering" sounds reasonable in the New York Upper East-Side.