#woolworth fortune

[mote-historie]

Farrah Fawcett as Barbara Hutton: Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987).

The true story of one of the richest women in America - heiress to the Woolworth fortune. She had vast wealth and seven husbands, but never found lasting love.

IMDb 6,9

[citizenscreen]

Cary Grant and Barbara Hutton, heiress to the Woolworth''s fortune, were married on July 8, 1942. They divorced in 1945.

[70s80sandbeyond]

Cary Grant and Barbara Hutton, heiress to the Woolworth’’s fortune, were married on July 8, 1942 and divorced in 1945

[criticalthinkingsociety]

"I cursed the fact that I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet."

By Saadi

The quote is not a proverb in Persian and in fact is a part of an important book called Golestan written by Saadi Shirazi. He was a poet who lived between 1210-1291in central Iran.Famous for the deep meaning of his writings, both social and moral.

I have come across several websites that cited the quote: “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet” and its variants.

Sadly, the claims of the origin of this quote vary. Some cite it as Chinese, Indian, Jewish, Irish, etc. Usually, it is quoted as anonymous with source unknown.

In Goodreads, we find two instances of the quote. One says Helen Keller said it and another says it was said by Wally Lamb.

In her book “EFFECTIVE LIVING,” Lois Smith Murray says on page 154:

Tolstoy wrote, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met  a man who had no feet.”

In his book “A FOR ARTEMIS,” Sutton Woodfield says on page 44:

Over Goldie’s bed, tacked on the wall, was one of those mottoes you can buy at Woolworths for a bob. This one said, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”

However, the most common claim points to the Persian poet Abū-Muhammad Muslih al-Dīn bin Abdallāh Shīrāzī (Persian: ابومحمد الدین بن عبدالله شیرازی‎), better known by his pen-name Saʿdī (Persian: سعدی‎) or Saadi Shirazi or simply Saadi. Born in Shiraz, Iran, c. 1210, he was one of the major Persian poets and prose writers of the medieval period.

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His best-known works are Bustan (The Orchard) completed in 1257 and Gulistan (The Rose Garden) in 1258.

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Saʿdī composed his didactic work Gulistan in both prose and verse. It contains many moralizing stories like the fables of the French writer Jean de La Fontaine (1621-95) and personal anecdotes. The text interspersed with a variety of short poems contains aphorisms, advice, and humorous reflections. It demonstrates Saʿdī ‘s profound awareness of the absurdity of human existence.

In Persian lands, his maxims were highly valued and manuscripts of his work were widely copied and illustrated. Saʿdī wrote that he composed Gulistan to teach the rules of conduct in life to both kings and dervishes.

In Chapter III – On the Excellence of Contentment, story 19, Saʿdī  wrote:

I never lamented about the vicissitudes of time or complained of the turns of fortune except on the occasion when I was barefooted and unable to procure slippers. But when I entered the great mosque of Kufah with a sore heart and beheld a man without feet I offered thanks to the bounty of God, consoled myself for my want of shoes and recited:

‘A roast fowl is to the sight of a satiated man Less valuable than a blade of fresh grass on the table And to him who has no means nor power A burnt turnip is a roasted fowl.‘

In the case of Helen Keller the quote “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet” derived from Saʿdī ‘s story had been her credo. It helped her overcome self-pity and to be of service to others.

By T. V. Antony Raj

[rockislandadultreads]

Women’s History Month: More Nonfiction Recommendations

The Barbizon by Paulina Bren

Welcome to New York's legendary hotel for women.

Liberated from home and hearth by World War I, politically enfranchised and ready to work, women arrived to take their place in the dazzling new skyscrapers of Manhattan. But they did not want to stay in uncomfortable boarding houses. They wanted what men already had - exclusive residential hotels with maid service, workout rooms, and private dining.

Built in 1927, at the height of the Roaring Twenties, the Barbizon Hotel was designed as a luxurious safe haven for the "Modern Woman" hoping for a career in the arts. Over time, it became the place to stay for any ambitious young woman hoping for fame and fortune. Sylvia Plath fictionalized her time there in The Bell Jar, and, over the years, it's almost 700 tiny rooms with matching floral curtains and bedspreads housed, among many others, Titanic survivor Molly Brown; actresses Grace Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Ali MacGraw, Jaclyn Smith; and writers Joan Didion, Gael Greene, Diane Johnson, Meg Wolitzer. Mademoiselle magazine boarded its summer interns there, as did Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School its students and the Ford Modeling Agency its young models. Before the hotel's residents were household names, they were young women arriving at the Barbizon with a suitcase and a dream.

Not everyone who passed through the Barbizon's doors was destined for success - for some, it was a story of dashed hopes - but until 1981, when men were finally let in, the Barbizon offered its residents a room of their own and a life without family obligations. It gave women a chance to remake themselves however they pleased; it was the hotel that set them free. No place had existed like it before or has since.

D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose

In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was on the front lines. To “set Europe ablaze,” in the words of Winston Churchill, the Special Operations Executive  (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharpshooting, was forced to do something unprecedented: recruit women. Thirty-nine answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France.

In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently de­classified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the thrilling story of three of these remarkable women. There’s Andrée Borrel, a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who blew up power lines with the Gestapo hot on her heels; Odette Sansom, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the SOE as her ticket out of domestic life and into a meaningful adventure; and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE’s unflap­pable “queen.” Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence - laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war.

Heiresses by Laura Thompson

Heiresses: surely they are among the luckiest women on earth. Are they not to be envied, with their private jets and Chanel wardrobes and endless funds? Yet all too often those gilded lives have been beset with trauma and despair. Before the 20th century a wife’s inheritance was the property of her husband, making her vulnerable to kidnap, forced marriages, even confinement in an asylum. And in modern times, heiresses fell victim to fortune-hunters who squandered their millions.

Heiresses tells the stories of these million dollar babies: Mary Davies, who inherited London’s most valuable real estate, and was bartered from the age of twelve; Consuelo Vanderbilt, the original American “Dollar Heiress”, forced into a loveless marriage; Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress who married seven times and died almost penniless; and Patty Hearst, heiress to a newspaper fortune who was arrested for terrorism. However, there are also stories of independence and achievement: Angela Burdett-Coutts, who became one of the greatest philanthropists of Victorian England; Nancy Cunard, who lived off her mother's fortune and became a pioneer of the civil rights movement; and Daisy Fellowes, elegant linchpin of interwar high society and noted fashion editor.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly 

Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South’s segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America’s aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam’s call, moving to Hampton, Virginia and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.

Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley’s all-black “West Computing” group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens.

Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future.

[itgirlspectacle]

Barbara Hutton

Barbara Hutton, sadly encapsulates another common thread between these “it” girls, a tragic past. Ms. Hutton, mockingly called “poor little rich girl,” had a consistently rocky life (London, n.p.). She is the daughter of Edna Woolworth and Franklyn Hutton, making her an heiress of Woolworth’s five-and-dime stores and E.F. Hutton and Company, her fortune amounting to about $50 million at the time (around a billion now) (Jennings, 17). Barbara found her mother dead at the age of four (Gressor & Cook, 260). Of course, being a high-profile family, the tabloids speculated whether or not Edna’s death was a suicide, following her knowledge of her husband’s affair (Plunkett-Powell, 131). However, even after experiencing such a tumultuous upbringing, her family gave her a lavish debutante ball for her eighteenth birthday where members of the Astor and Rockefeller family were guests and Rudy Valle and Maurice Chevalier were among the entertainment (Lambron, n.p.). While this may have appeased New York’s wealthy, the public was livid. Her ball took place at the beginning of the Great Depression which invited so much public scorn that she had to flee to Europe to avoid the press (New York Social Diary, n.p.). After she turns eighteen, she exhibits another habit of the “it” girl, an affinity for prestigious and/or wealthy men.  Hutton had a total of 7 marriages to a plethora of men ranging from princes and barons to Hollywood royalty.  Some of the most notable are Cary Grant, Alexis Mdivani, one of the marrying Mdivanis, and Count Kurt Haugwitz-Reventlow, the father of her only child (Heyman, n.p.). A few of her husbands were known to be abusive or after her fortune.. Hutton was notorious for her failed marriages and with her marriage to Porfirio Rubirosa, Phyllis Battelle of the Milwaukee Sentinel wrote, “The bride, for her fifth wedding, wore black and carried a scotch-and-soda." Along with her extremely public, failed relationships, she was known for excessive drug and alcohol use as well as her excessive spending. Barbara Hutton encapsulates the tragic, nepotism baby brand of “it” girl.

[oragift]

The most expensive Mom jewelry in the world

https://oragift.shop/collections/mom-jewelry

Mom jewelry is a special category of jewelry that celebrates motherhood and family. It can be personalized with names, initials, birthstones, or photos of loved ones. It can also be symbolic of the bond between a mother and her children, such as a heart, a circle, or a tree. Ora Gift Mom Jewelry can be a meaningful gift for mothers, grandmothers, or any woman who has a maternal role in someone's life.

While mom jewelry is generally sentimental and affordable, some of it is exceptionally rare and expensive. These pieces of mom jewelry are made with the finest materials and craftsmanship, and often have a unique history or significance behind them. Some of them are owned by celebrities, royalty, or collectors, who are willing to pay a fortune for these exclusive pieces. Check out some mom jewelry.

In this blog post, we will explore the most expensive mom jewelry in the world, and what makes it so special. We will also look at some of the other expensive mom jewelry that have been sold or auctioned in the past.

The L'Incomparable Diamond Necklace - $55 Million

The L'Incomparable Diamond Necklace is the most expensive mom jewelry in the world, with a staggering price tag of $55 million. It is also the most valuable necklace in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. The L'Incomparable Diamond Necklace was created by Mouawad, a Swiss luxury jewelry brand, and features a 407.48-carat yellow diamond, the largest internally flawless diamond in the world. The diamond is suspended from a 18-karat rose gold chain that has 230 smaller diamonds, totaling 91.8 carats.

The L'Incomparable Diamond Necklace is a masterpiece of nature and art, and it has a fascinating story behind it. The diamond was discovered by a young girl in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1980s, who found it among a pile of rubble from a nearby mine. The diamond was later acquired by Mouawad, who named it L'Incomparable, meaning "the incomparable" in French. The diamond was then set in a necklace that took four years to complete, and was unveiled in 2013.

The L'Incomparable Diamond Necklace is a one-of-a-kind piece, and it is a perfect example of mom jewelry, as it was found by a child and represents the beauty and rarity of motherhood. The necklace was sold to an anonymous buyer in 2013, who reportedly bought it as a gift for his wife. ¹²³

The Cartier Art Deco Diamond Bracelet - $2.5 Million

The Cartier Art Deco Diamond Bracelet is another expensive mom jewelry, which was sold for $2.5 million at a Sotheby's auction in 2015. It is a stunning example of the Art Deco style, which was popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and influenced by geometric shapes, symmetry, and elegance. The Cartier Art Deco Diamond Bracelet was made in 1937, and it features a platinum band with the name "Cartier" spelled out in diamonds. The bracelet has 46.30 carats of diamonds, including a 10.48-carat emerald-cut diamond in the center, and two pear-shaped diamonds on each side. The bracelet also has a hidden clasp, which allows it to be worn seamlessly.

The Cartier Art Deco Diamond Bracelet is a rare and beautiful piece, and it reflects the craftsmanship and prestige of Cartier, a French luxury jewelry and watch brand founded by Louis-François Cartier in 1847. Cartier is known for its elegant and timeless jewelry designs, and has a loyal clientele that includes celebrities, royalty, and aristocrats.

The Cartier Art Deco Diamond Bracelet is a unique and exquisite piece, and it is a great example of mom jewelry, as it was owned by a famous mother and daughter duo. The bracelet was originally owned by Mary Scott, the wife of Woolworth heir Franklyn Laws Hutton, and the mother of socialite and actress Dina Merrill. The bracelet was then inherited by Merrill, who was also a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. Merrill sold the bracelet at a Sotheby's auction in 2015, along with other pieces from her jewelry collection. ⁴

The Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet - $1.5 Million

The Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet is another expensive mom jewelry, which was sold for $1.5 million at a Christie's auction in 2011. It is a magnificent piece of jewelry, featuring a 18-karat gold band with a floral design, adorned with sapphires and diamonds. The bracelet has 27.64 carats of sapphires, including a 14.28-carat oval-cut sapphire in the center, and 14.36 carats of diamonds, including round, marquise, and pear-shaped diamonds.

The Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet is a splendid and versatile piece, and it showcases the style and quality of Tiffany & Co., an American jewelry brand famous for its diamond engagement rings and high-quality innovative designs. The bracelet was designed by Jean Schlumberger, one of the most influential jewelry designers of the 20th century, who worked for Tiffany & Co. from 1956 to 1970. Schlumberger was known for his colorful and whimsical creations, inspired by nature and art.

The Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet is a stunning and unique piece, and it is a wonderful example of mom jewelry, as it was owned by a legendary mother and daughter pair. The bracelet was originally owned by Elizabeth Taylor, one of the most famous and glamorous actresses of all time, who had a passion for jewelry and a collection of over 10,000 pieces. The bracelet was then inherited by Taylor's daughter, Liza Todd, who was also an actress and producer. Todd sold the bracelet at a Christie's auction in 2011, along with other pieces from her mother's jewelry collection.

[jamietukpahwriting]

On the first day of January 1931 the department store heir Lee Adam Gimbel jumped from the sixteenth floor of the Yale Club, having seen his fortune disappear with the economic downturn. In February the once-wealthy owner of a shoe company poisoned himself in a downtown hotel. In March a plumbing supply manager jumped from the ninth floor of the New York Athletic Club. In April the broker-husband of heiress Jessie Woolworth killed himself with mercury bichloride. In May a law firm partner dived out of his third-floor room at the Hotel Commodore, dying of a fractured skull.

—The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum

[bestmelbourneblog]

Add Color to Your Life: Discover the Cheapest Places to Buy Flowers in Melbourne

Everyone loves the vibrancy and joy that flowers bring. They're a simple, elegant way to liven up any space and can serve as the perfect gift for all occasions. Yet, buying flowers regularly can become quite expensive. But what if you could fill your world with the vivid hues of nature without spending a fortune? Melbourne, known for its cultural diversity and vibrant lifestyle, has numerous places to find beautiful and affordable blooms. This blog post, courtesy of the Best Melbourne Blog, will guide you through the cheapest places to buy cheap flowers in Melbourne. Let's explore and add some color to your life!

Melbourne Flower Market

The Melbourne Flower Market is a great place to find everything related to flowers. You can discover a wide variety of flowers at wholesale prices, including roses and lilies. If you're ever in the mood for a lively Japanese buffet in Melbourne, why not grab some affordable flowers there?

Local Florist Shops

As you wander through the city, take notice of the amazing best formal dress shops in Melbourne that catch your attention. But don't forget to explore the many charming local florist shops throughout the city. These shops often have flowers available at much lower prices compared to high-end florists. Additionally, when you support local businesses, it adds another element of satisfaction to your purchase.

Supermarkets

When looking for cheap flowers in Melbourne, make sure you don't forget about supermarkets. Coles and Woolworths are supermarkets that frequently have reasonably priced flower bouquets available. While they may not offer the same variety as the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne, they are perfect if you're looking for a quick and affordable floral option.

Online Flower Shops

With the advent of the internet, even shopping for flowers has transitioned to the online realm. In Melbourne, you can find plenty of online flower shops that offer affordable flowers. Why not take the opportunity to browse online for affordable flowers while you wait for your cake and balloon delivery in Melbourne?

DIY Flower Picking

If you enjoy pottery classes in Melbourne, you might also enjoy the creative activity of selecting your flowers. Many farms are located on the outskirts of Melbourne, where you can go and pick your flowers at a very reasonable price.

Conclusion

Melbourne, known for its Asian restaurants Melbourne and vibrant city life, also offers a variety of places to buy cheap flowers in Melbourne. From markets to supermarkets, there's a range of options to find cheap flowers in Melbourne. Whether you're sprucing up your home, surprising a loved one, or adding a finishing touch to a dinner party, there's no need to break the bank.

Visit Best Melbourne Blog to discover more about where to find cheap flowers and other must-visit spots in Melbourne, from the best dental clinics in Melbourne to the best kindergarten in Melbourne. With so many options, adding a splash of color to your life in Melbourne has never been easier or more affordable.

[biglisbonnews]

This psychic chicken will tell your fortune! A shop called Orange Dracula, in Seattle, is definitely on my list of places to visit when I head up to the Pacific Northwest this summer. Orange Dracula describes itself as "The Woolworth's for weirdos," and it's located at #319, in the lower level of the Pike Place Market. — Read the rest https://boingboing.net/2023/02/20/this-psychic-chicken-will-tell-your-fortune.html

[rufusdawes]

Dough Nuts

I am not a cook. There is not the faintest tingle of an itch that needs scratching when it comes to the kitchen. Mine is a place where a kettle is boiled and only the occasional, reluctant dalliances with the gas hob, mostly as a way to curb the expense of dining out too often. However, I am supremely fortunate that many of my good friends are not just adept in the culinary department but masters and mistresses of their respective domains.

For a few years, I would be a regular at the home of Aaron and Kate, he the finest barbecuer of steak in all the land and she, a black belt in the world of sourdough. Sunday dinners chez A & K were akin to some of Australia's greatest grill houses except with an Italian grandmother's attention to serving sizes. However, since their move to Western Australia, the closest I now get to wagyu and sourdough is a pub’s own McBurger.

At Walker Street, Laura, Thalia, and Madura would often present multi plated feasts using pots and pans that carried fancy French names, herbs and spices sourced beyond the Coles and Woolworth staples, and ingredients that had to be explained to me like I was five years old. But then Thalia moved to Adelaide and Madura got a girlfriend. It's been several months since a Walker Street dine in.

Fortunately, the void has been oft filled. Not by me, obviously. I'm good for bringing a bottle of red just expensive enough to not be cheap, but nothing more. Instead, it is AJ who has assumed the crown, expert as he is in the art of the homemade pizza.

I don't know if making dough is easy or hard, or even how to do it. Both Kate and AJ make it look second nature. There's an aura watching people in their element. Latterly, watching AJ turn out his pizza base creations is not dissimilar to watching some Olympic gymnast twirl across the floor, what with all those spins, tosses, and flicks. He's just a backflip shy of tens across the board. Toppings are sourced, created, and combined beyond those that I could and would conceive of. If I was ever to shop for a pizza night, I'd be returning with frozen bases, grated cheddar, a squeezy tomato based sauce, some processed meat and, if I was feeling really fancy, maybe some rocket. After all, it's important to eat your veggies. Actually, let's be honest, if I was ever to shop for a pizza I'd be coming home with a frozen McCain.

AJ, on the other hand, is prepping for his toppings by bringing out knives and their sharpeners. At arm's length, the blade is drawn down against the tool's edge and up again ensuring both sides are equally keen. The sound of a dozen Death Star doors opening and closing is made as the swoosh, swish of metal gliding against metal occurs. Once satisfied with the honing of the steels, it's time to put them to action.

Apparently, there's a technique for slicing and dicing with a knife. As with every other time, AJ takes time out to show me the position of the fingers on the non-wielding hand, the pivoting of the knife as it moves swiftly up the object of its laceration. The lesson ends, as always, with recognition of my feigned interest, especially since the only time I might practice my knife skills are for help on opening up a box of cereal.

Garlic, prosciutto, mozzarella, capsicum, chilli, and potatoes are among the ingredients brought out for preparation. Olive oils with a particular provenance may be favoured. I'm watching, still trying to work out how the dough is made. Is it just flour and water?

Eventually, flavour combinations are created, and the pizzas are ready for their brief repose in the crematorium that has been assuming its high temperature throughout the evening. Each will see just a couple of minutes inside, enough to crisp that base up to perfection, the briefest of chars mottling the fluffy edging. Half a dozen or more pizzas will go through this process, each offering infinitely more thoughtfulness and flavour than any local options.

The chatter subsides as we fortunate recipients that have been crowding the workbench get our chops around our first slice, replaced instead by the satisfied moans on behalf of our contented gullets. Once sated, we can return to our inexpensive reds and, if like me, contemplate how flour and water can be made to taste so good.

As with ever other occasion when I am so fully fed and inspired, I return home full of an eagerness to perhaps crack open one of the handful of cook books that sit in my kitchen. I think of what it is I might one day be able to adequately bring to a table. I've always felt I should eat more fish so perhaps this should be my entree into the culinary world. I'd wow my guests with my filleting skills and they'd go home and write about my inventive marinades. Or, more likely and as has always been, the inspiration will run dry. I'll wake up the next morning, put the kettle on, get some bread out the freezer to warm before adorning it with a raspberry conserve. Coffee, and jam on toast. You know, in my own limited way, I too can make flour and water taste good.

[apicturewithasmile]

I’ve been trying to get hair clippers for a week now and it is impossible. They are either sold-out or you have to queue for an hour to get into Mediamarkt - which would probably prove itself to be a useless endeavour, too, bc I guess they are also sold-out there.

And pre-ordering it to pick-up at their service station is what I did for my new kettle and the queue there was 40 minutes which is only marginally better than a whole hour.

So.... I decided to order it online and have it send to the tea shop because if this gets delivered to my home address when I’m not home and I end up having to queue at the post office for an hour I will literally slap someone.

I just wanna get rid of my hair please ffsbfskkbnkfnbsfbnbnkfl

[helpwithredtape]

BAUBLE

Roman tradition to hang fruit on trees led to Christmas baubles.  Apples, candy canes & pastry stars, hearts & flowers decorated trees until glass baubles were invented in mid-16th c. in Lauscha, Germany.  Queen Victoria's tree, with baubles from her husband's native Germany, appeared in a London newspaper & set off a trend. FW Woolworth made his fortune importing them to the US. What have the Romans ever done for us?

Guess the Word?        Series 52 (3/6)          pic: Krebs/bobbi7

[st-just]

New York has always attracted the wealthy and predatory, dating back at least to our most famous pirate, Captain Kidd. Coming here was seen as a sort of arrival, for individuals and businesses alike. Long a “headquarters town,” as early as 1901 New York was home to sixty-nine of the nation’s two hundred largest corporations. Their owners lined Fifth Avenue with their fairy-tale mansions—some of them later converted into museums or elegant stores—or filled luxury apartment houses such as the Dakota. They hired the most renowned architects to erect gigantic advertisements for their transformative, world-conquering enterprises, including many of the most memorable structures ever built in the city: Grand Central Terminal; the Chrysler, Woolworth, Empire State, and Seagram buildings, among others. Noxious as the old robber barons could be, they at least dropped vast amounts of money into the local economy in the form of property taxes and purchases in elite shops. They employed people in droves—small armies of domestics, vendors, and workers at all levels—to service their needs and businesses. They contributed to the city through their building and philanthropy—Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall, the Morgan Library, and the Frick Collection, to name just a few examples. The new rich infesting the city, by contrast, are barely here. They keep a low profile, often for good reason, and rarely stick around. They manufacture nothing and run nothing, for the most part, but live off fortunes either made by or purloined from other people—sometimes from entire nations. The New Yorker noted in 2016 that there is now a huge swath of Midtown Manhattan, from Fifth Avenue to Park Avenue, from 49th Street to 70th Street, where almost one apartment in three sits empty for at least ten months a year. New York today is not at home. Instead, it has joined London and Hong Kong as one of the most desirable cities in the world for “land banking,” where wealthy individuals from all over the planet scoop up prime real estate to hold as an investment, a pied-à-terre, a bolt-hole, a strongbox. For most of a decade now, like lava flowing inexorably from some deadly volcano, the residences of the superrich have moved east from the Time Warner Center to create Billionaires’ Row, the array of buildings on 57th Street and several adjoining streets and avenues that is already dominating much of the Manhattan skyline. These “supertall” skyscrapers are defined as buildings taller than 984 feet: One57, at 157 West 57th Street (1,004 feet); 432 Park Avenue (1,396 feet). Well on their way to being built: 53 West 53rd Street (1,050 feet), 111 West 57th Street (1,428 feet), and 217 West 57th Street (1,550 feet). Finished or not, many of the apartments were—at first—snapped up as soon as they went on the market. The Times used to tick off their record-setting sales in its Sunday real estate section, down to the absurdly exact dollar and cent: one recent lower-end example, $47,782,186.53! Nor are the records these sales set likely to remain for long. A triplex at the forthcoming 220 Central Park South will reportedly be sold for $200 million, and a four-story apartment at the same address is priced to move at $250 million. These would be the largest home sales ever recorded anywhere in the United States. Who spends this sort of money for an apartment? The buyers are listed as hedge fund managers, foreign and domestic; Russian oligarchs; Chinese apparel and airline magnates. And increasingly, to use a repeated Times term, a “mystery buyer,” often shielded by a limited liability company. This is not the benevolent “gentrification” that Michael Bloomberg seemed to have had in mind but something more in the tradition of the king’s hunting preserves, from which local peasants were banned even if they were starving and the king was far away. Or, to use a more urgent analogy, these areas are now the dead zones of New York, much like the growing oxygen-depleted dead zones of our oceans and lakes, polluted with pesticide runoff and deadly algae blooms.

Kevin Baker

[jonathanmilliondollarsmile]

#GorgeousOldHomes #Repost @circahouses with @make_repost ・・・ A fortune built on nickels and dimes -- it's the F.W. Woolworth mansion!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ (AUCTION / Glen Cove, NY)⁠⁠ -⁠⁠ From the listing with nsteeves@maxspann.com: AUCTION | By Order of the Estate of Martin T. Carey⁠⁠ “Winfield Hall” Former F. W. Woolworth Estate⁠⁠ Previously Asking $19.95M | Guaranteed Minimum Bid $7M⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Former F. W. Woolworth Estate | Numerous Possibilities – Renovate, Repurpose, or Subdivide⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ – 47,098+/- Sq. Ft. on 16.4+/- Acres⁠⁠ – Grand 32,098+/- Sq. Ft. mansion with 12 bedrooms designed by the renowned architect, Charles Gilbert⁠⁠ – Clock Tower building with ample room for the Car Collector! 15,000+/- Sq. Ft. with garage capacity for 11+/- cars⁠⁠ – Sweeping lawns adorned with classic statuary⁠⁠ – Once in a lifetime opportunity to rehabilitate an existing Gilded Age Mansion – one of the few remaining privately owned estate homes of this era⁠⁠ – 2-Acre zoning offers a possible exclusive residential enclave⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Property Previews: Sunday June 20th and Sunday June 27th By Appointment Only⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ (Call 888-299-1438 for an Appointment or Email auctions@maxspann.com)⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Online Auction concludes Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 11:00AM⁠⁠ -⁠⁠ #circaoldhouses #oldhouses #dreamhouse #circaoldhousesny https://www.instagram.com/p/CQbZhGTAHlr9tVE2UBAuyiQ6sTlpKLzbGGrx1U0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mikepots83]

I'm so excited! My buddy and I just installed a new display unit in my booth at Woolworth Walk. I'm really fortunate to have generous friends willing to take time out of their day to help me build my display. Thank you, Dave and Stan ! . . . #woolworthwalk #artdisplay #ceramics #pottery #handmade #craterglaze #maker #avlartist #asheville #art #selfemployed #flowervases (at Gerton, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNV8SzujRBa/?igshid=1g5gh76xbgq35