12/04/08

• Home

• The Magazine

• Archives

• Webcasts

• Advertising

• Job Board

• South Florida

• Subscribe

Condos make cameos

The Setai Club at the Setai New York features a wine cellar. The developers said they’ve been approached for photo shoots in the event space.

Many New York City developers have mastered the art of conjuring up fashionable and stylish images through their advertising campaigns.

But it seems it's not just buyers who are taking the bait. A number of high-profile projects are also catching the eye of magazine editors and directors, who are using the new spaces as the backdrop for photo and television shoots.

At the Setai New York, a condo at 40 Broad Street in the Financial District, the building's developers deliberately put the project's sales center inside the Setai Club, an event space that includes a bar, lounge, wine cellar and dining room. Since the building opened in April, the developers said they have been approached for several shoots.

"We've gotten tons of press inquiries about using the space," said Atit Javeri, director of investments at Zamir Equities, the building's developer.

The space has been featured in the pages of Gotham Magazine, which is geared toward an affluent readership.

Last month, Mariah Carey's manager approached the developers about using the club for her new album cover, according to Javeri. The deal didn't pan out, but the Setai, where 60 percent of the condos are sold, is now in talks with her reps about making her a member of the club's board, a panel that already includes celebs like Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz and Heidi Klum.

Meanwhile, another new condo farther uptown has also attracted attention from photo editors. The Atelier on 635 West 42nd Street has been featured in the magazine Lucky, said Jason Gohari, an associate director with the Moinian Group, the building's developer.

The building's 28th-floor model home was featured in a spread for a jewelry line, and Gohari said the 360-degree views from the building's lounge have also been on the receiving end of editorial attention.

"Our views can't be replicated in a studio," said Gohari. "Editors have reached out to us."

So has media buzz helped put the Atelier on the radar of more buyers? "Sure," said Gohari. The building, where prices started in the mid-$600,000 range, is now 85 percent sold.