The NYC luxury condominium market is renowned for its high-rises. With over 45 luxury high-rise condos sprinkled throughout the city, blue-boarded scenes of constructions hoping to scrape the sky is nothing unusual. Indeed, what is unusual is when Manhattan mega-condos aren’t rising. Because the NYC condominium market rides in waves of booms and falls, glass towers shoot up somewhat cyclically. In 2011, Manhattan condominium developers have decided to throw their dice in on residential boutiques and conversions.

According to theReal Deal’s published statistics of the New York State General Attorney’s office (whose stamp approves condo constructions and conversions) only 466 new condo units have risen in Manhattan in 2011. In 2006, there were 10,660 new NYC apartments for sale. But what accounts for the fewer luxury apartments going up is the shrinking pipeline of submissions to the AG, and developers’ shift to the smaller, scaled-back amenity boutiques and conversions that have a shorter turnaround time and smaller price tags. As New York City condominium developers are given tricky budgets, less risky downsized Manhattan residential buildings with immediate ribbon-cutting ceremonies are more likely to get financed. Current federal loaning hurdles often require condo buildings to have closed substantial presales before backing a homeowner’s mortgage--smaller boutiques in  Manhattan districts like Tribeca and Chelsea with fewer apartments for sale can jump these hurdles easily.

The neighborhood of SoHo, or South of Houston Street, is known as one of the most popular -- and one of the priciest -- neighborhoods in Manhattan, alongside the trendy high-rise condos of Chelsea, the stalwart and pre-war Upper East Side, and raucous Greenwich Village. Back in the day SoHo was a haven of artists looking for low rents in the manufacturing district’s industrial work spaces. But now this NYC neighborhood is known less for its poor artists and more as a growing district of affluent families, lush boutiques and converted condo listings. With the demand for SoHo residences at a peak and many artists fleeing to cheaper pastures, some SoHo dwellers are crying foul about an old law that requires residential lofts to be set aside strictly for certified artists. SoHo residents say the law is -- wait for it -- certifiably nuts.

We’ve not been shy, in the past, about either our crush on Chelsea’s High Line or pointing out the huge boost that the beloved, beautiful Chelsea park has given apartments listings near The High Line. If you're just joining us, though, here's what you need to know: for Chelsea condo listings, proximity to The High Line has led to a spike in both value and demand. The good news, both for those browsing Chelsea condo listings in hopes of getting within hailing distance of NYC's tallest, hottest park and those of us who simply enjoy visiting the aforementioned park, is that The High Line keeps growing. Which means that the number of apartment listings near The High Line keeps growing as well. The sound you are hearing are Chelsea real estate developers and Chelsea apartment hunters high-fiving one another. With news -- and pictures -- of the ongoing High Line expansion reaching the New York Times yesterday, you may have to fight the urge to high-five yourself. It’s not easy for us, either.

Europe: it's a great place to visit, the food is almost uniformly delicious and their way of living frankly makes a lot more sense than ours. What Europe is not, or at least hasn't been lately, is especially economically healthy. You might've read about this in literally every newspaper printed, but if you haven't: here you go and here you go (and yikes). Long story short: a bunch of Eurozone countries are in pretty serious economic trouble, the Euro's value has declined precipitously, and economists are -- ominous music goes here -- concerned. Given that the rest of the world economy isn't in appreciably better shape, all of this would suggest that perhaps international buyers wouldn't still be snapping up Manhattan condos. You'd think that, but it isn't so. As Reuters reports, international buyers are still keen on high-end Manhattan condominiums.

Ah, the Trumps. If you were to ask them -- or ask that older, most-orange Trump with the cotton candy hair -- to describe themselves, they'd probably go with something along the lines of "American Aristocracy" or "New York City Real Estate Royalty" or "Manhattan Real Estate Maestros." And while that wouldn't be false, necessarily, it would also be hilarious. This is the paradox of the Trumps: as impressive as their achievements in New York City real estate have been -- and with a few exceptions, that's "fairly impressive" -- the hilarious grandiosity of the Trump brand always manages to make it look faintly ridiculous. Thus the confusion over the impending opening of Trump SoHo, the luxury condominium/luxury hotel development that the Trumps have been working on for years. On the one hand, it's a pretty impressive new condominium. On the other hand: LOL.