July 26, 2007 — Manhattan
BATTERY PARK CITY $3,145,000
30 West St.

Four-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath condo, 3,104 square feet, with Brazilian cherry-wood floors, washer/dryer, mahogany entry doors with Valli & Valli accents, programmable thermostats and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic Hudson River and Battery Park views; Millennium Tower building is LEED-certified and features 24-hour doorman and concierge, fitness center, valet parking and childrens playroom. Asking price $3,145,000, on market one day. Broker: Pierre Moran, DJK Residential

CHELSEA $1,716,000
165 W. 18th St.

Two-bedroom, two-bath condo, 1,200 square feet, with open kitchen with Sub-Zero and Bosch appliances, marble countertops, glass and lacquer cabinets and cherrywood details, limestone-and-marble bath with soaking tub and floor-to-ceiling windows; Slate building features 24-hour concierge, parking, fitness center, landscaped garden, pet spa and storage. Common charges $1,410, taxes $239. Asking price $1,725,000, on market five weeks. Broker: Gavin Fries, Manhattan Residential

FINANCIAL DISTRICT $435,000
130 Water St.

Studio condo, 530 square feet, with central AC, high ceilings and northern exposure; building is pet-friendly and features 24-hour doorman, roof deck and laundry. Common charges $418, taxes $241. Asking price $435,000, on market one week. Broker: Melissa Giordano, Manhattan Apartments

LOWER EAST SIDE $925,000
151-53 Stanton St.

Three-bedroom, two-bath duplex condo, 1,200 square feet, with washer/dryer, dishwasher, storage room and southern exposure; building is pet-friendly and features garden and security guard. Common charges $370, taxes $264. Asking price $995,000, on market 165 days. Broker: Sandra Balan, The Corcoran Group

TRIBECA $3,900,000
47 Walker St.

Prewar four-bedroom, three-bath duplex co-op, 2,407 square feet, with glass-curtain wall and fireplace in living room,

14-foot ceilings, skylights, central AC, Philippe Starck-designed en-suite master bath with radiant-heat marble floors, fireplace, steam shower and deep soaking tub, Bulthaup kitchen with Sub-Zero and Miele appliances and 1,000-square-foot private terrace; building is pet-friendly, allows pied-a-terre use and does not require board approval. Common charges $1,699, 63 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $4,000,000, on market 3 months. Brokers: Wilbur Gonzalez and Mumzie Franklin, Brown Harris Stevens

TUDOR CITY $593,500
325 E. 41st St.

Renovated one-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 700 square feet, with marble bath, windows in every room and E/W exposures; building features full-time doorman, laundry and storage. Maintenance $1,197, 56 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $595,000, on market four weeks. Brokers: Barbara Harris, Weichert, Realtors - Mazzeo Agency and Robert Taub, Prudential Douglas Elliman

UPPER WEST SIDE $432,500
44 W. 62nd St.
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THE threat of an all-out strike that could have paralysed bus services in Aberdeen was lifted yesterday after talks between union leaders and management.

The dispute flared last week after the bus company First Aberdeen advertised for agency drivers to help meet a temporary staffing shortage over the summer.

The drivers were incensed because the agency staff were to be offered 10 an hour - 50p more than staff are currently paid.

Last week, 380 drivers voted to ballot for industrial action should the dispute not be settled.

However, the threat of a strike was averted yesterday after talks between management and representatives of the Transport and General Workers’ Union in Aberdeen when the company agreed that it would not be using agency drivers.

The bus company now plans to enter into further discussions with existing staff to resolve the staffing shortage.

A union spokesman said the company had agreed to look at paying staff drivers overtime instead. He said: “Agency workers will not come into First Aberdeen.

“That’s now off the table and we are going to have further talks about the existing workforce meeting the shortfall.”

July 26, 2007 — Whats the first thing youre going to make in your new kitchen? Bart Simpson once asked his mother, Marge, after a two-year kitchen renovation.

How about cooking up some money, because this stupid kitchen cost a hundred-thousand dollars, Homer chimed in, bursting into tears.

Oh, Homer . . . $100,000 is nothing.

Its not hard to spend many times that figure on the kitchen of your dreams.

Kitchen design has strayed so much from the basics, says Andrew Heiberger, founder and CEO of Buttonwood Real Estate. It has become disconnected from reality.

What might have seemed like an over-the-top kitchen five years ago is de rigueur today. And even if youve never made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and have no interest in a splashy kitchen, youre probably going to get one anyway if youre in the market for a new apartment.

Tricked-out kitchens with ultra-luxe appliances have become standard in new condos and conversions. Sub-Zero, Miele and Viking appliances are expected - as are custom cabinets and high-end finishes.

The kitchen is a showpiece, says Elisa Orlanski Ours, vice president for pre-development at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing. But its also functional, as well. So the appliances have to be very thoughtfully chosen.

In some cases, home kitchens rival those in city restaurants.

When I started JoJo, it was a 50-seat dining room and it was $120,000 kitchen that was fully equipped, says super-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten of his 16-year-old eatery. Now, $120,000 is nothing special for an above-average apartment kitchen.

When Eric Mann, a partner at The Developers Group, moved into his $3 million Fifth Avenue two-bedroom condo last year, the kitchenette was a cramped, tiny space. It had a four-burner stove, a beat-up metal counter and a mini-bar instead of a full-size refrigerator. Mann spent 10 months renovating, took out the apartments

master bath and turned his new kitchen space into a gadget-filled extravaganza. >PAGE 1>