July 14, 2011 Weather: Sunny, High of 83 Degrees.
News:
A 13,779-square-foot penthouse with 11 full bathrooms is now for sale at 535 West End Avenue. It could set a record for the highest sale price north of 15 CPW if it sells at or near its asking price of $37.5 million. (Wall Street Journal)
An Upper West Sider is begging Mario Batali to open a restaurant in the neighborhood. “Mario Batali and other restaurateurs need to capitalize on the fact that as a species, Upper West Siders generally do not leave their neighborhood.” (Eater)
Dakota resident and hedge fund manager Alphonse Fletcher Jr., who accused the famed co-op of racism for blocking his attempt to buy another apartment in the building, is now being investigated by the SEC. The Dakota may have had a hand in that: the board had said it was rejecting Fletcher because of his sketchy finances, not his race. (New York Times)
Mayor Mike says the city is studying the effects of a car ban in Central Park. Local community boards have said they want to test the plan this summer, but the city has been unwilling to endorse it. You know what happens when DOT says they’re going to spend some time considering an idea. Nothing! (Transportation Nation)
