Type: 325m2 duplex penthouse in an ancient Istanbul building on the coast of the European Bosphorus. The apartment comes with 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a sauna and a separate maid’s quarters.

The high ceiling living room houses  a mezzanine floor on top used as a home office, both overlooking the Tarabya Bay. The living room also opens to a considerably large terrace.

Price Tag: Approx. USD 2.3m

Location: 203 E. 13th St., New York, NY (between 2nd and 3rd ave.)

Type: One of the very few roof-top townhouses constructed around Manhattan. Built on top of the Historic Kiehl’s Building built in 1851, this compact penthouse home is set on two floors.

The first floor has the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. The second floor has the roof deck.

Price: USD 1.1m

Location: 9th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in New York.

Type: 6,965-square-foot townhouse with 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 3 powder rooms, a family room and a separate dining room. Set on five floors the house comes with an elevator and 9 fireplaces.

Price Tag: USD 15m

Type: An estate constructed by Damussis, which refers to buildings constructed with volcanic rocks. The complex has a main house, which is not a Damussi, consisting of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large living room, a separate dining room and a large infinity pool. Aside the main house are 4 separate Damussi guesthouses (one with its own private swimming pool), a garage, a sauna and a Turkish bath.

The estate stands on 6 hectares of land with multiple exterior lounge/relaxation spots and is considered one of the largest on the island of Pantelleria. It could almost be used as a small luxury hotel, giving its proprietor the option to stay permanently at the main house.

Location: Set right between the tip of Italy and Tunisia on the Mediterranean Sea, the island of Pantelleria is known for its ancient volcanic activities. Although the last recorded volcanic activity was back in 1891, the island is tapped with rich soil and volcanic structures.

Pantelleria has no source of fresh water and relies completely on rain water, requiring its construction to include collection structures. It is also famous for its sweet Moscato wines, which (as I wrote earlier) are one of my favorites. There were several Neolithic findings on the island and they are permenantly on display at the museum in Syracuse, Sicily. Visitors can reach Pantelleria with a ferry from Trapani, Italy.

Price Tag: USD 14.6m

The sky and the  currents of the Bosphorus are no longer colored with the white of the Moon but also with the pinks, yellows, greens and blues of mesmerizing rooftop light shows. From corporate offices to hotels, shopping malls and private residence complexes,  the city is bombarded with the undeniable fashions of metropolitan living. The historic, carefully crafted buildings make way to rapid, sharp and plain modern towers.

Spacious living spaces with high ceilings pass their legacy onto the smart compact studio apartments. Just like all the other social capitals around the world, Istanbul welcomes this modern change with great appreciation. With all this rapid change, one begins to wonder if we should have paused a second to digest all we have eaten so far? On the fast lane to modernization, has the city of seven hills been running too fast to catch up and forgetting what it might be leaving behind?

Istanbul has always been a great host to the ancient and the modern. It has been able to preserve and innovate in harmony. I have always appreciated that character. The Byzantine structures welcomed the Ottoman architecture, just like the Ottoman welcomed the modern Turkish. I believe this will always be the case. Yet, I can not help, but wonder if the new structures the city is bombarded with, capture the true essence of this ancient city, which has so much vision, history and culture to offer. It is true that most of the new developments take place around the “modern” neighborhoods of the city such as Etiler and Maslak, but in any case the modern has a lot to take from the ancient and use it to revitalize one of the most sophisticated and intelligent cultures in the world, ridden with the innovation of the Romans, Arabs, Russians, Ottomans and Turks.

The recent boom in luxurious “eat, enjoy, entertain and shop where you live” complexes have been playing a major role in shaping Istanbul’s new look.

Akmerkez, Metocity, Suzer Plaza, Kanyon, Levent Loft, Sapphire, Istinye Park, Trump Tower, Kempinski Towers, Mashattan and the soon-to-be completed Zorlu Center are sprinkled all around the city with their massive complexes including individual shopping malls, sports centers and office towers.

Multiple architecture firms have been hired to construct these modern marvels with their multiple design and ecology awards. Millions of dollars have been spent to lay them on the ground. Nobody can deny the merit of having their global publicity and their contribution to the city’s entertainment. Yet, it is also hard to deny their contrast with the long-lasting landmarks of a city that has been around for centuries. Unlike the previous residential complexes, these new massive structures are visible from almost every angle and make a significant impact on Istanbul’s silhouette. It is a privilege to have them, but it is also necessary to somehow rework them into the mystical and historical aspect of the city.

A few examples which have successfully crafted this detail are the Macka Palace, Istanbul Modern, Pera Museum, the building of the Nu Pera bar & restaurant, the new W Hotel and the Four Seasons.

Having lived in New York for a few years, I am able to see the residuals of the transfromation happening currently in Istanbul. Generic luxury residential towers popped out from every corner of the city until the time came when the majority of the residents decided to rework/renovate the ancient landmarks, such as the lofts in SoHo and the shops in the Meatpacking district and started to choose them as their new modern home. Similar amounts of capital were spent to reenergize the original. I believe this will and should also be the case for Istanbul when enough infrastructure will be applied to revitalize the ancient neigborhoods of the city such as Beyoglu and Karakoy. I hope until then these massive modern complexes we come to love so much will have enough identity to preserve the uniqueness of a city filled with culture and history.

The price tag is close to USD 10m.

I first saw this building as the penthouse residence of Russel Crowe in the movie “A Good Year”. I believe it came up again in “Match Point”. Both of the units were equally impressive. Set on the top floor, they are washed with light and filled with expansive river and city views through their curved floor-to-ceiling windows.

Located right across from Chelsea on the other side of the Thames, Albion Riverside was designed by the famous architect Norman Foster and was completed in 2003. Foster is well-know for his office building designs such The Gherkin in London and The Hearst Tower in New York. So, it is no wonder that Albion is mostly too cool to warm up to. Its ultra-modern look is completed with a glass/metal exterior and light tones of gray.

The first two floors of the 11-story building are dedicated to restaurants and shops. The top floor houses 12 duplex penthouses. 2 bedroom apartments start around USD 3m with penthouses reaching close to USD 20m. Each floor houses approximately 26 individual units.

Buy “Foster 40: Projects / Themes” on Amazon to learn more about the architect’s vision and most famous projects.

Type: Ultra-modern chalet with 4 bedrooms and a living room equipped with a Bose home theatre system. The large terrace comes with a hot tub and the basement houses a hamam, a sauna and a massage room. It is at walking distance to the slopes and the village.

Location: Haute Savois, Rhones Alpes/ Megeve, France

Price: Advertised for rent at EUR 10,000 – 40,000 per week.

Type: Chalet with 8 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms encompassing approximately 700m2 of living area. The property includes an indoor and an outdoor pool, making it appealing both for summer and winter vacations. It also houses multiple fireplaces and a wine cellar with a tasting area right in front. The indoor pool is located in a separate, guest-house chalet with the main bedroom overlooking the pool. The living room is my favorite. The property is close to ski slopes, but is not ski in/out, which is a turn-off especially for its price tag.

Location: The chalet is located in Megeve, known as one of the most famous ski resorts in Europe. It is an hour away from Geneve by driving. Megeve became popular after the Rothschild family became tired of the Swiss resorts and built a high class hotel here in 1900s. Located near the Mont-Blanc, the resort houses some of the best slopes in the world.

Price: N/A (estimated to be above USD 20m)

Yet another favorite at Gramercy Park. The top floor of 2 Gramercy Park West houses one of the best private roof terraces in the city. I can only judge from what I see on the exterior, but this roof apartment is certainly in my list of best place to live in Manhattan.