For nearly a year, the cost of apartments for sale in Manhattan has remained pretty steady and pretty low because of the economic crisis, but not every building is doing poorly; some areas of Manhattan are actually beginning to thrive, seeing inclines in how much a New Yorker will pay for apartments for sale. These micromarkets can be found throughout Manhattan in just one building, on one street, or in a particular area, scattering the city’s prime real estate from north to south, east to west.

Certain types of apartments seem to be sticking out when it comes to this trend. What are people looking for that they’re willing to pay more to get? They want apartments that are ready for a move-in, family-sized apartments with three or more bedrooms and plenty of space, and unique apartments: ones that have something to make them stand out, i.e. a wrap-around terrace or excellent views. Condos that are in their first resale are also extremely popular. Many new construction buildings were built around 2007 and their apartments are once again for sale; buyers are attracted to these apartments because they are still very new and they’ve had residents that would have taken care of any issues that may have come up.

Mainland China is an ever-expanding economy of 1.3 billion people; and now, as explained in a NY Times article, a rapidly increasing amount of its wealthiest citizens are choosing to invest in Manhattan luxury real estate. What began roughly two years ago as a minimal increase in inquiries regarding these properties has ballooned into a large number of high-net worth Chinese businessmen searching for luxury condominiums in the $500,000 to $10 Million and more range. This is exciting news within the NYC real estate market, with these Chinese investors helping to strengthen property values, which could in turn lead to an increase in investments by both foreign and domestic parties. As sales to these foreign investors continue to rise, could we perhaps be witnessing a transformation of the Manhattan real estate market before our very eyes?

Basketball courts, bowling alleys, decked out lounges, lounged out rooftop decks, pools, state-of-the-art fitness centers, libraries, screening rooms, indoor baseball fields, children’s playrooms, catering kitchens, full-time concierges and doormen. What are ‘amenities in luxury new construction condominiums’, Alex?

Amenities make already luxurious new construction buildings ultra-luxurious, giving them ways of differentiating themselves from their neighbors. “We have a bowling alley, what do you have?” shouts one new construction building to its not-as-cool neighbor. “W-w-we…” stammers the neighbor and unable to finish the sentence, shakes its head, turning back to its duties of rising into the Manhattan skyline. What a skill, thinks new construction building number one. I rise just as tall, but I have some pretty awesome amenities to offer and you don’t. So, ha.

A small enclave in the northern reaches of the Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill is in many ways unlike any other neighborhood in New York City. Next to Central Park, quiet streets full of limestone rowhouses and pre-war co-ops are home to some of Manhattan’s most powerful residents, all of whom desire to claim this historic section of the Upper East Side as theirs. Yet Carnegie Hill wasn’t always like this; until Andrew Carnegie built his now-landmarked mansion on Fifth Avenue and 91st Street in 1901, much of the area was farmland. In turn, wealthy New Yorkers built their estates in the surrounding blocks, in doing so creating one of Manhattan’s most architecturally-significant neighborhoods. With the arrival of the subway a decade later, Carnegie Hill’s expansion continued at an even more rapid pace.