$19Million Penthouse in Brooklyn

        On a regular night of running the town,  EastBrookFamilia made our way back to Brooklyn via the Manhattan Bridge. I hate to make people look off when they're driving or passed out in the back seat, but... I had to tell everyone to look --I fell in love. Since I'm new to the city, I haven't seen all the glorious things it has to offer, but when something good exists, you can bet your last dollar I'll point it out.  & You can also garuntee it's the "most expensive". Smh. Good taste is a curse.

 

     On 1 Main Street, in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, sits the ClockTower Building - my future crib :) The 20-floor building was built in 1914 by Robert Gair, functioning as an extension of his cardboard box factory and studio space. The building was originally called, "Building No. 7". in 1998, the building was converted into 124 condominiums featuring a 3-floor penthouse at the very top. The renovation was overseen by David Walentas of the Two Trees management group.

          I've never seen the building up close but, as you drive across the Manhattan Bridge, it surely is a sight to see. Originally priced at $25M, the price has now come down to $19M (DISCOUNT!). Supposedly, Mr. Shawn Jay-Z Carter looked at the building (obviously) but decided not to buy. The realtor, David Walentas, described the space as "a showplace, a party place, a statement." I've never really needed glasses, so with the lights on, you can see straight through to the staircase that adorns the center of the place. To top it off, there's an elevator -___- I mean... this is how you live.  I love houses. I'm the girl who can be satisfied on a date of take-out food if we can ride around and look at mansions. (I'll marry you, faithfully, if you buy me one!) I take the scenic route everywhere. Homes interest me because they are certainly a reflection of your character. I'm also a big entertainer. I love the hostess stuff, I just wish I had more space and... a chef and a maid.

        

        Someday, I'll have myself a crib just as impressive as this one --if not this exact one. You've got to give yourself goals! Some might consider this a waste of money but... take a look at the photos. This is what living in New York is supposed to look like.  Some things, we're just supposed to do. *shrugs*

Concrete Jungle Fashion Show (VIDEO, PICS, RECAP) - NYC

Nuyorican Poets Cafe 
 11.17.12

Sooo ummm... Can you find ELLA in the video?

          When I showed up at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 90% of the outfits were gone. The thing with runway stuff like this is girls show up & they're dressed. When all of the outfits are gone, you're assed out --literally. I was wearing almost nothing. My favorite piece was  was really sewed together elastic (no offense) in colors bold enough to match. Now, I can't say I'd wear this out of the house (unless I have black stockings underneath, which could be fab, but I felt so... untouchable. I had never felt that way in my life. I walked up and down a hallway of strangers, then down a runways of possible judges to be condemned for my attire --or praised for it? 

But that battle is not mine, it is of the designer(s). Or is it mine, too?

         Eunika Simmon's line, Naked Roots, started off the night. Simmon's line focuses on natural elements, always nodding in reverence to the world's roots and African ancestry. You can see some pieces of her collection in the video above. I also caught her collection a while ago at another show at the Empire Hotel CLICK HERE), so it was a pleasure and honor to walk in one of her designs.  Second down the runway was, GKU Soul -- who's eclectic composition of outfits is the first time I've been able to use "eclectic" and mean it, followed with an endless supply of clothing with variety fit to fill an empty closet to its bring in choices. 

      The most brilliant thing about fashion shows are the mess you don't see. The girls lined up in a dusty stairwell ready to steal your hearts and perhaps your innocence? The missing models. The new models. The models with boyfriends, managers, or both rolled in one. The insecurities covered in makeup. The nerves calmed with strong water. For a couple of minutes, everyone's beauty is on the runway... whether appreciated or not. "We did it," one yelled as we applauded and walked back down into the Nuyorican's debonair dungeon."We killed it," a model added. The Concrete Jungle Fashion Show was gritty. It was real. It tested both the viewers and participants. It provided all variations of "beautiful." 

      As we cleaned up and I took my time as usual, all that was left were smiles. Unfortunately, the venue ended the show early, unexpectedly. Dyme, coordinator of the event, sat next to me, apologizing but I couldn't understand why. There was nothing but happiness and smiles, so I begged her to look around. What people rarely understand about fashion shows is the opportunity they provide regular girls, like me, to feel pretty, like we more often should.

I had an amazing time at this show Concrete Jungle Fashion Show. It was a super busy morning for me & honestly, I feared not being able to pull it off, but it happened anyway. Started my day out with a fashion film and ended it with a fashion show, my day was perfect & so was everyone in it *shrugs* 

Thank you, Dyme. I enjoyed walking my a$$ off. 

<3