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nypost.com Worldly wise From FOREIGN BUYERS on Page 32

are quickly vanishing. The average sale price of a Manhattan apartment rose 12% in the second quarter hrdy Jl 2, 2021 29, July Thursday, of 2021, topping $1.9 million, according to a report from Douglas Elliman.

The speed off the rebound also served as Alamy an advertisement for the long-term One57 strength of the NYC market, experts said. “In their home countries, buyers might find it unrewarding to park money in avail- increasing prices, many international buy- e Yr Ps, Post, York New able instruments such as stocks, which ers have realized that the opportunity to might be too volatile at this juncture of purchase and finance an apartment at his- global economy,” said Kunal Sawhney, torically low rates won’t last,” he said. CEO of the Kalkine Group, a Sydney-based Compass broker Charlie Attias agrees. independent equities research firm. “Foreign buyers are definitely back,” At- “America’s housing market is among the tias said, noting two recent international brightest pieces in the economy during the deals at the Plaza Hotel for $8.9 million and tough pandemic times. This has made the $20 million, both sold via virtual tours. landscape attractive for foreigners.” But not everyone is quite so optimistic While Russian, Chinese and Canadian that the foreign buyers’ frenzy has re- citizens were always major players in the turned in earnest to NYC. NYC market, Tabler noted that recently “I just got back from a trip from Europe he’s spoken mostly with buyers from Tai- and a lot of [potential buyers] don’t feel wan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. comfortable coming back to the states,” Stefano Giovannini for NY Post NY for Giovannini Stefano Cat Liu, director of sales at Extell’s new said Douglas Elliman’s Tal Alexander. “The waterfront condo One Manhattan Square majority of them will not arrive until the Artist on the Lower East Side, added that the borders are officially open.” Allison Eden building has recently sold to residents Nevertheless, Kazuyo Matsui, 64, who created a chaotic from the Netherlands, France, Canada, has worked in film and television in Japan palace of pattern in China, South Korea and Japan. for 47 years, felt the Empire State’s lure her art-filled Upper “Investors are still eager to capture during the pandemic. Working with Patri- West Side COVID-19 discounts,” she said. cia Parker at Sotheby’s International Re- On the West Side, John Tashjian, a man- alty, Matsui conducted the entire home home. aging partner of Centurion Real Estate buying process remotely. She settled on a Partners, said that there has been a 33% one-bedroom, 1½-bathroom residence at spike in international traffic from January One57 for the price of $2.9 million. to June at 212 W. 72nd St., a 20-story condo “I wanted to help New York recover from tower near Lincoln Square. the pandemic,” she said. “This is my way of After a decade of white-box boredom, “With the vaccine becoming readily showing how much I love the United available, an easing of travel restrictions States. New York is the most exciting city New Yorkers go all out for eye-candy and the anticipation of in the world for me.” By shivani Vora proudly touts her techni- as I did,” she said. color wonderland of an The bold pattern trend ROM the East Village apartment — a three-bed- started during last year’s to the East End, clean room on the Upper West lockdown and the home and contemporary in- Side with an asking price of renovation craze that fol- teriors are getting big $3.99 million. lowed — where cabin fever and bold, pattern- Her entryway is painted led to an aesthetic overhaul Fheavy makeovers. in bright yellow and fea- of the homes of thousands Brokers told The Post tures multi-colored mosaic of design-obsessed New that listings mentioning arches and a couch with Yorkers. Courtesy of Kazuyo Matsui; Evan Joseph (inset) Joseph Evan Matsui; Kazuyo of Courtesy patterns as a design feature palm trees and florals. On Stark white walls gave are now getting more inter- top of it all are dozens of way to stimulating stencils est than apartments with cartoon-style artworks. and wallpapers. Minimalist the ubiquitous contempo- Eden is selling because décor was replaced with rary white-box look. she is moving out of the eye-catching eclectic col- “You rarely used to see city to either Long Island or lections. Even layers of pat- homes for sale with splashy Florida. She plans on taking tern, with competing prints prints, but they’re popping her equally festive furniture on rugs, walls and head- up more frequently since and outrageous artworks boards are suddenly every- COVID,” said Allison Chi- with her, but the walls and where. aramonte, a real estate other patterned design ele- Now those homes are agent at Warburg Realty. ments will remain intact. starting to flood the market “When I tell my clients “I’ll have a fresh canvas to with loud and proud listing about them, they’re keen to work with in my next home photos. schedule a showing.” and leave behind another Shanan Campanaro, That’s good news for one for the new owner who JAPAN: Earlier this month, Kazuyo Matsui closed on a one-bedroom unit at the glass mosaic artist Allison will hopefully get as much See BOLD ABODES Billionaire’s Row tower One57 (inset) for $2.9 million without ever setting foot in the city. Eden, 51, a seller who happiness out of the space on Page 35