Aptera Hybrid

Keep an eye out for the Aptera Hybrid.

Below is more of the nuts & bolts of Aptera...

Solar Trees

Ross Lovegrove for Artemide

Monkey Waiters!

Carbon Free Luxury Living for the Super Fabulous!

Watch this video if you are interested in living a fabulous eco-friendly lifestyle.

Foster + Partners has designed the World's first 100% Carbon Free Community. Masdar is being built near the airport in Abu Dhabi and is likely to open in 2009. It will become the home of 47,500 lucky people and 1,500 businesses fortunate enough to get their foot in the door.

The city will produce all of it's own energy through a field of solar panels. All waste will be recycled and waste water will be purified and 

reused to grow tree plantations contributing to the bio-fuel strategy. Even the city's food supply will be grown within the city walls which surround the entire community.

You really need to watch the video to get a full appreciation to get a sense of all the perks for living or working in Masdar. Private transportation pods shuttle people from place to place.

However, walking and bicycling will be the most popular modes of transportation. In a world where children are being raised on fast food and video games, Masdar will host a fit and healthy population. Universities will help to educate people in the new age of sustainable living and business development.

The Masdar Initiative is merely the first of many sustainable communities to be built around the world. We are so excited to have friends involved in this project and will keep all of you abreast of the latest developments. One day all cities will be built like this.

Skycar by Moller International

George Jetson Never Had It So Good!

 Skycar is the transportation phenomenon of our lifetime. Not only will it run on any form of diesel (including biofuel), natural gas or gasoline it gets a surprising 20+ mpg with a range of 750 miles. This is a far cry from its jet fuel guzzling cousins exclusively owned by the military with a price tag potentially less than the sticker price of most luxury automobiles.

Skycar is capable of vertical take-0ff and landings making it ideal for urban use. Although it generates 30% less noise at 50 feet than the standard Cessna 150 I grew up with it's still not suitable for this environment until it becomes much less noisy. if only the construction crew across the street had the same standard!

As for safety, it has every base covered. Skycar comes equipped with a whopping eight engines. If one engine fails it has little to no affect on the performance or superior agility making it more reliable and safer than a helicopter. Believe me, a helicopter is the last place you want to be when the engine fails. At least with a Cessna, an expert pilot can glide the plane to safety given there is a flat area. If for whatever reason skycar loses all its power then its dual parachute system, one in the front and back, will guide the skycar safely back to Earth regardless of the terrain.

Skycar has a ground form which can drive on any highway just like a car. When traffic gets bad the driver simply inputs the end destination just like using Mapquest and the computer does the rest. Using GPS and cooperation from Air Traffic Control the Skycar will safely take its passengers from point A to point B without ever having to lift a finger.

Currently, the price is set for $1million but as the volume of Skycars increases the sticker price can easily drop to a mere $60K. What's keeping this miracle machine off the market? Good ole Uncle Sam, of course. Legislation is currently in the works to approve Skycar for operation in the U.S. market but all the technology is here and they are ready to go. Perhaps our friends in Duabai might have better luck getting this ultimate Bling onto the showroom floor.

An Illuminating Experience

Photo: View from the COLE & GARRETT Loft

The Old Police Building gets a New Facelift.

For those of you who live downtown, you may have recently noticed the broken clock tower on the luxury condos known as the Old Police Building to locals is finally working again. What's even more spectacular is the illumination that takes place each night at sunset.

Any Europeans planning to visit the fashionable SoHo area should definitely take a peek at the Old Police Building on Center Street between Broome and Grand. At sunset the stone structure absorbs the colors of the sunset and begins to glow wonderful pinks, lavenders or whatever performance the horizon has to offer that evening.

Dining with Style

 Arthur

Bagutta

   Brasilia

    Striped

Hole in The Wall

Fox's new show Hole in the Wall. This episode featured the Sweet Georgia Peaches vs The New York Spicy Meatballs.

Pic-glasso

Residents of a small village near Stourbridge England have been waking up to find mysterious milk bottles on their doorsteps. Is this the work of Banksy or some new guerilla artist?

According to the Daily telegraph, Jackie Dimock, 55, from nearby Kingswinford, discovered a bottle on her doorstep on Monday morning. She said: "I was putting out the empties and I noticed there was an extra one on the doorstep. "When I picked it up I saw there was this amazing picture on it. The milkman came to collect the bottles, but I didn't want to give him the one with the picture on it, I'm going to keep it. "Who knows, it might be worth something one day."

The etchings have got the town talking about who could be behind them. Residents have been staying up all night trying to spot the artist removing and returning the bottles.

Lehman Brothers Gone Wild!

Two guys consoling each other on national television after losing their jobs.

Sleeping beauties

   Doze

   J Martin

   Simple Hi

   Silence

Best prices are through Cole & Garrett, some of these are quick ship. Have you seen or slept in any nice beds lately? Let us know.

POP-UP RESCUE for BANKERS!!

Another kind of hurricane has hit Wall Street earlier this morning. A state of panic and fear has uprooted two mighty redwoods we call Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. This not so natural disaster will affect nearly every aspect of all our lives.

Have no fear! POP-UP RESCUE is here!!

It is no secret to our closest banker friends that we have been developing mobile banking units for just such an occasion. Anyone with half a brain saw this hurricane coming but only the very few made the proper provisions necessary to sail straight on through without sinking to the bottom of the sea. Goldman Sachs is one of the few genii out there who has properly navigated themselves through one of the most tumultuous storms in Wall Street's history.

Below are a variety of shells and prefab structures we can utilize

to customize your very own BLOOMBERGpod.

The New York Times quoted Peter G. Peterson, co-founder of the private equity firm Blackstone Group, as saying, "My Goodness. I've been in the business for 35 years, and these are the most extraordinary events I've ever seen,".

POP-UP RESCUE isn't offering $50 billion dollars to bail out Merrill Lynch but we are offering independence and freedom for bankers looking to carry on despite the loss of job without much hope of finding new employment. Indecision in times such as these is almost certain death. A well-executed plan is always necessary for anyone looking to return to safer waters.

POP-UP RESCUE should be a part of that plan!

Let me tell you how it works. POP-UP RESCUE is a mobile banking unit which can be placed on a Manhattan rooftop, your backyard in the Hamptons or even a mountain retreat in the Catskills. The mobile banking unit includes a 250 - 1000 sq. ft. shell housing one to four Bloomberg Terminals, a state of the art kitchenette, a spa-like bathroom with Dornbracht fixtures and mosaic tile and, of course, solar panels to keep it all running smoothly on or off the grid. Each unit varies slightly depending upon your own specific needs and taste. Moreover, you can take your mobile banking unit practically anywhere in the world you choose.

No design firm to date has ever tapped into this most unusual of luxury markets, mobile banking. 

We want to thank all of our banker friends who gave us feedback and encouragement during those early days of development. You will be thrilled to learn that we have been negotiating the terms for a bulk sale of BLOOMBERGpods in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack on the city. We have also received many requests from individual bankers looking to trade independent of any firm.

We have a saying on Wall Street, "The difference between

a PITBULL and a BANKER is his BLOOMBERGpod"!

Please contact cole@cole-garrett.com to design your very own BLOOMBERGpod today or to learn about investment opportunities in this newly emerging market.

"Mural Mural on the Wall..."

Of course, Harley Michael Davidson is the fairest of them all, but we're talking murals here.

Cavemen started painting murals over 32,000 years ago. We have no way of knowing why murals were all the rage back in those prehistoric times but the fashion is still with us today in the form of street graffiti and murals.

Here in the concrete canyons of New York City we use murals to add color and uniqueness to our clients homes. A well executed mural sets the mood for the entire space whether it be a Penthouse or a beach house. Murals can be painted directly on your walls or on canvas to be taken with you if you are so inclined.

A residential mural should reflect the character and values of the people who live there. A bamboo mural offers a sense of strength and grace. In Chinese philosophy, the straight stem of bamboo symbolizes the path towards enlightenment, the segments of the stem being the steps along the way. This being the perfect backdrop for the interior of goal oriented people who enjoy the calmness nature brings to our lives.   

       

  

Others, prefer less symbolic gestures and prefer more literal imagery such as the street scene mural at the Hit Factory. We worked with a street artist by the name of KET and his artistic posse to create an exciting graphic of a Hell's Kitchen neighborhood where the apartment is 

located.

Less illustrative graphics can also bring color and dimension to an otherwise boring space without the expense associated with more complicated designs. Stripes of all sizes and angles using carefully chosen colors bring a space together by accentuating accents and base colors used throughout the room. This technique can be as subtle or as bold as you like. Each client has different needs and a Cole & Garrett Mural caters to that individuality.

We recommend wallpaper to clients quite frequently but nothing communicates one's own personal style and taste as a bespoke mural. Imagine living with a creative work of art unlike anything found elsewhere in the world. It's truly a life experience you will take with you for years to come not to mention all the flattering compliments you will receive from your friends and guests to your home.

Our murals vary in price depending upon the size and complexity of the design. Contact cole@cole-garrett.com to receive a free quote for your very own Cole & Garrett Mural.

Rugs of the Month - September 2008

For those of you that are bored with the rugs on offer out there, we've managed to find some gorgeous pieces for clients over the summer. 

The Rug Company has a great range of rugs of various sizes that are ready to ship. Designs have been created by amongst others Lulu Guiness and Vivienne Westwood. Our favorites are the Yamamak rugs composed entirely of recycled pieces of antique Turkish carpet bound together.

They are available exclusively via Cole & Garrett as The Rug Company's SoHo store does not stock them and we get them airshipped from the London store. Various colors are available including reds, blacks and blues. Prices start at $2,500

Amy Hefland offers beautifully designed rugs from Brooklyn. We stumbled across her at ICFF and the colors, fibers and graphics can jazz up any space. They are available in multiple sizes and some are ready to ship. Amy' rugs range from $3000 - $12000 depending on size, materials and design.

Swoon arrives at Epstein Penthouse

Construction at the Industrial Gardens nearing completion

Stay tuned for details.

It's almost time for another Rooftop Movie Night here at the
Industrial Gardens. We're open to suggestions.

"Blog'm if you got'm!"

Power of the Pudge

Super Pudge

Recycled Gift Wrap!

Sikh Temple Brooklyn - 2006 Pics

We've enlisted the support of our Sikh network around the world to push the concept of a Sikh Gurudwara/Museum in Manhattan into a physical reality. With the grace of God, we hope that momentum and support from there will widen rapidly. Here are pictures of the Sikh Community's current representation in NY. This Gurudwara is far our in Brooklyn and about an hour's trek door to door from the Cole & Garrett loft in SoHo.

The A Train from Canal St. This is the one that heads toward JFK but veers towards Lefferts Blvd.

   

   

   

   

The ''President'' of the gurdwara came over after hearing a rumor that there was a strange man walking around taking pictures of the Gurdwara. He was convinced I was from the New York Times and asked politely but firmly that I take his picture. In an another eventful moment, a child came running, slipped and fell SPLAT in my tray of food.

The temple attracts a mainly local congregation and I did not observe anyone from Manhattan and there were certainly no tourists.