Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 116539 articles
Browse latest View live

Here's What The New Tallest Skyscraper In Singapore Will Look Like

$
0
0

Tanjong Pagar center SingaporeSkidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, the 75-year-old American architecture, interior design and urban-planning firm better known as SOM, has revealed its design for Tanjong Pagar Centre, set to become Singapore’s tallest building upon its completion in 2016.

Reaching 951ft (290m), the 64-story, mixed-use tower will house offices and high-end apartments, a luxury hotel, retail units and a sheltered event space in Tanjong Pagar City Park; in total the development will measure 1.7m sq ft.

Located at the intersection between China Town and the Central Business District, the development is also intended to be a catalyst for further enhancements to the surrounding area.

Major improvements are to be made to surrounding public spaces, including the complete redesign and refurbishment of Tanjong Pagar Park, and the creation of a 32,000sq ft “city room” which will act as a public meeting space.

Singapore’s rapidly changing skyline is currently dominated, in terms of height, by One Raffles Place, Republic Plaza and United Overseas Bank Plaza One, which are 919ft (280m) tall; the tallest residential building is the 803ft (245m) Marina Bay Tower.

SOM can already claim authority in developing superlative buildings as it is the firm behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Measuring 2,717ft (828m), the 163-storey skyscraper is the tallest building in the world.

 Tanjong Pagar Center Singapore

Now read the Telegraph's expert Singapore city break guide.

SEE ALSO: I Was Totally Blown Away By Singapore's Skyscraper Infinity Pool >

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    



Tricks Restaurants Use To Make Diners Order More

$
0
0

menus restaurant

It's not always easy trying to read a menu while hungry like the wolf, woozy from aperitif and exchanging pleasantries with a dining partner.

The eyes flit about like a pinball, pinging between set meal options, side dishes and today's specials.

Do I want comforting treats or something healthy? What's cheap? Will I end up bitterly coveting my companion's dinner? Is it immoral to fuss over such petty, first-world dilemmas? Oh God, the waiter's coming over.

Why is it so hard to decide what to have? New research from Bournemouth University shows that most menus crowbar in far more dishes than people want to choose from. And when it comes to choosing food and drink, as an influential psychophysicist by the name of Howard Moskowitz once said: "The mind knows not what the tongue wants."

Malcolm Gladwellcites an interesting nugget from his work for Nescafé. When asked what kind of coffee they like, most Americans will say: "a dark, rich, hearty roast". But actually, only 25-27% want that. Most prefer weak, milky coffee. Judgement is clouded by aspiration, peer pressure and marketing messages.

The burden of choice

Perhaps this is part of the joy of a tasting or set menu – the removal of responsibility. And maybe the recent trend for tapas-style sharing plates has been so popular because it relieves the decision-making pressure if all your eggs are not in one basket. Is there a perfect amount of choice?

Bournemouth University's new study has sought to answer this very question. "We were trying to establish the ideal number of starters, mains and puddings on a menu," says Professor John Edwards. The study's findings show that restaurant customers, across all ages and genders, do have an optimum number of menu items, below which they feel there's too little choice and above which it all becomes disconcerting.

In fast-food joints, people wanted six items per category (starters, chicken dishes, fish, vegetarian and pasta dishes, grills and classic meat dishes, steaks and burgers, desserts), while in fine dining establishments, they preferred seven starters and desserts, and 10 main courses, thank you very much.

Nightmare menu layouts

Befuddling menu design doesn't help. A few years back, the author William Poundstone rather brilliantly annotated the menu from Balthazar in New York to reveal the marketing bells and whistles it uses to herd customers into parting with the maximum amount of cash.

Professor Brian Wansink, author of Slim by Design, Mindless Eating Solutions to Every Day Life, has extensively researched menu psychology, or as he puts it, menu engineering. "What ends up initially catching the eye," he says, "has an unfair advantage over anything a person sees later on." There's some debate about how people's eyes naturally travel around menus, but Wansink reckons "we generally scan the menu in a z-shaped fashion starting at the top-left hand corner." Whatever the pattern, though, we're easily interrupted by items being placed in boxes, next to pictures or icons, bolded or in a different colour.

The language of food

The Oxford experimental psychologist Charles Spence has an upcoming review paper on the effect the name of a dish has on diners. "Give it an ethnic label," he says, "such as an Italian name, and people will rate the food as more authentic." Add an evocative description, and people will make far more positive comments about a dish's appeal and taste. "A label directs a person's attention towards a feature in a dish, and hence helps bring out certain flavours and textures," he says.

But we are seeing a backlash against the menu cliches (drizzled, homemade, infused) that have arisen from this thinking. For some time now, at Fergus Henderson's acclaimed restaurant, St John, they have let the ingredients speak for themselves, in simple lists. And if you eat at one of Russell Norman's Polpo group of restaurants in London, you will see almost no adjectives (or boxes and other "flim-flam", as he calls it), and he's doing a roaring trade. "I'm particularly unsympathetic to florid descriptions," he says.

However, Norman's menus employ their own, subtle techniques to reel diners in. Take his flagship restaurant Polpo's menu. Venetian dishes are printed on Italian butchers' paper, which goes with the distressed, rough-hewn feel of the place. I don't use a huge amount of Italian," he says, "but I occasionally use it so that customers say 'what is that?'" He picks an easy-to-pronounce word like suppli (rice balls), to start a conversation between diner and waiter.

Sound and atmosphere

Research has shown that classical music increases sales of expensive wines and overall spending in posh eateries, while French and German music increases sales of French and German wines, respectively (the diners are unaware of these influences). Slow music, and the scent of lavender, makes people spend longer in restaurants and pop music at 70-90dB will up the consumption of soft drinks. And, less surprisingly perhaps, in 1997 Edwards found that diners ate more at a breakfast buffet if the room smelled of grilled bacon, and less with the odour of boiled cabbage wafting around.

It's all relative, right? In his menu-deconstruction exercise, Poundstone refers to the £70 Le Balthazar seafood plate as a price anchor. "By putting high-profit items next to the extremely expensive anchor, they seem cheap by comparison." So, what the restaurant want you to get is the £43 Le Grand plate to the left of it. It's a similar story with wine. We'll invariably go for the second cheapest. Set menus, or "bundles", meanwhile, seem like good value and therefore give us an excuse to eat and spend more. Everyone's a winner.

Vast menus make me particularly nervous in, say, gastropubs, where they scream: "FRESH FROM THE DEEP FREEZE". And Norman finds any mention of "chef's special sauce" offputting (don't ask). What dampens your appetite on menus? And how do you decide what to order? Gut instinct, methodically weighed up pros and cons, eliminating items with unwanted ingredients? Or do you always just get the burger?

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

SEE ALSO: 15 Etiquette Rules For Dining At Fancy Restaurants

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


The Sexiest Nationalities In The World

$
0
0

Shakira

Everyone knows that Brazilian women are among the hottest in the world, but what other nationalities do we think of as universally sexy?

MissTravel.com conducted a poll to discover the sexiest nationalities in the world.The travel blog polled over 30,000 single American women and over 13,000 American men, asking which nationalities they found sexiest.

The results weren't exactly surprising: Men voted Colombian women as the hottest in the world, and women voted on British men as the hottest in the world. Americans also ranked high on both lists: The American men voted American women as the third-hottest nationality, and American women voted American men as the fifth-hottest nationality in the world. The results of the survey are below.

The Sexiest Women (according to American men):

  1. Colombian
  2. Brazilian
  3. American
  4. Spanish
  5. Russian
  6. Dutch
  7. French
  8. Bulgarian
  9. Swedish
  10. Italian

The Sexiest Men (according to American women):

  1. British
  2. Irish
  3. Brazilian
  4. Swedish
  5. American
  6. Spanish
  7. Scottish
  8. French
  9. Greek
  10. Puerto Rican

SEE ALSO: The Sexiest Scientists Alive!

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


Someone Paid $1.2 Million For A Gorgeous Old Toyota

$
0
0

1967 Toyota 2000GT

A 1967 Toyota 2000GT sold for $1.16 million at auction in April, defying the Japanese brand's image as a maker of affordable vehicles and becoming the most expensive Asian car ever sold.

The 2000GT has been called "Toyota's E-Type" — a reference to the gorgeous Jaguar sports car from the 1960s — and "the best car you've never heard of."

The record-breaking car is one of only 351 examples ever built, and has been fully restored to its original condition, according to RM Auctions, which sold the car on April 27 as part of the Don Davis collection.

The 1967 beauty has a 2,000 cc six-cylinder engine that produces 150 brake horsepower, good for a top speed over 135 mph. It has only only 62,000 miles on the odometer.

At the same auction, a 1967 Ferrari 300 GTS sold for $1.9 million, and a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing went for $1.2 million.

Here's more of the now famous 2000GT:

1967 Toyota 2000GT

1967 Toyota 2000GT

1967 Toyota 2000GT interior

SEE ALSO: Lincoln's New MKZ Looks Nice, But Has A Lot Of Flaws

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


How NYC's New Bike Share Program Will Change Your Life

$
0
0

new york city nyc citi bike share station

Bike share is finally coming to New York City.

On May 27, 6,000 bikes at 330 stations will become part of NYC's already extensive transportation system.

Memberships (available to those 16 and over) can be purchased for 24 hours ($9.95), one week ($25), or a year ($95). You can take out a bike from and return it to any station.

To start, the stations will be in Manhattan below 59th Street, and in Brooklyn neighborhoods DUMBO, Fort Greene, Clinton, Brooklyn Heights, and parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The program will change the look of the city, and it will also change a lot of people's lives, whether they know it or not.

Many people — cyclists and others — will benefit.

Others will lose out.

So, if you fall into any of these categories, here's what to expect.

The Winners

People who already bike in New York: While a glut of possibly inexperienced bikers could clog up existing bike lanes, the greater presence of cyclists will fuel the continued expansion of NYC's bike lane network. You'll be safer, too.

People who would like to bike, but don't want to make a big investment:Citi Bike lowers the entry bar for those who want to reap the health benefits of cycling, but don't have a few hundred dollars to spare and a safe place to keep a bike.

For $95 a year, you have a bike wherever you want it, whenever you want it, and you never have to worry about having it stolen.

People who are visiting NYC and want to move around on the cheap — while still seeing the sights: Riding the subway is a quintessential New York experience, but it's not a good way to see the city.

If you have $25 to spare, get a week-long pass and spend your time in the Big Apple biking around, and be the tourist you want to be. Do keep your eyes on the road, though.

nyc citi bike sharePeople who own property in NYC: Co-op residents who believe Citi Bike Stations are hurting their property values might be surprised by a study by the National League of Cities that found that a bike share program "boosts retail exposure and home values."

People who stay out late and don't want to pay for a cab home: Sure, the subway runs 24 hours a day. But at 4 a.m., trains are few and far between. The middle of the night is also a great time to bike with fewer cars around.

Note: Citi Bike rules forbid cycling while intoxicated.

People who use public transportation: More bikes means more people biking, which means less crowded subways and buses. Good for you.

People who care about the deficit: Sky-high health care costs are a major driver of the national deficit. A 2010 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found "the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving" — even taking into account the risk of accidents.

Better health, less healthcare spending. That's a nice benefit for a program that's run purely on private money.

The Losers

Street vendors: Here, you may lose out: some food carts are likely to lose their regular spots to new bike stations. But if you can relocate nearby, you could benefit from more foot traffic and potential customers who have worked up an appetite cycling.

People who don't have a credit or debit card: All membership plans require a Visa or MasterCard, and there's no way to get a bike without one.

People who are under 16 or over 260 pounds: Sorry, you're not allowed to use Citi Bike, though the weight limit probably won't be enforced.

People who drive in New York City: There will be fewer cars between you and where you're going, but you will have to be more aware of cyclists on the road.

Even though the 330 initial stations won't take up too many of the more than 80,000 metered parking spaces in New York City, some will disappear, and they'll be in areas where parking is already sparse.

As Sommer Mathis of The Atlantic Cities notes, the city has made a conscious and public decision to prioritize cycling over driving. Time to face reality.

SEE ALSO: The 20 Most Bike-Friendly Cities On The Planet

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


Celebrity Moms Offer Their Best Parenting Advice

$
0
0

Gwyneth PaltrowWhat makes a good parent?

Chances are you've witnessed or practiced some of the same mom moves as the some of the most famous women in the world.

Here's our roundup of familial advice from ladies who balance life in the public eye with life as a mom.

See The Parenting Tips From These Celebrity Moms >

More from Zimbio:

Julia Roberts: Be a good son/daughter yourself.

"I try to call my mother, Betty, with more regularity because I think, 'What if Hazel didn’t call me for two weeks?' I’m able to see her mothering now from a different vantage point.”



Heidi Klum: Remember, kids will be kids.

"To kind of roll with the flow. Our house is full of life, laughter, and mayhem.

Every dinnertime something spills. Or they are wearing uniforms for school, and when we have breakfast in the morning, food gets all over their hands. You can tell them a thousand times 'Do not wipe it on your pants,' and sure enough they wipe it on their pants.

But that’s when you roll with it. My house is not like a museum. You can see that children live there."



Salma Hayek: Cherish every moment.

“When Valentina was not even 1-month-old, my aunt [told me]:

‘Put her to sleep yourself every night. Sing to her and cradle her in your arms and sit by her side – every night. Because one day you won’t be able to, and it’s going to happen really fast.'”



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

    


DEAR APPLE: We Don't Want A Smart Watch Because The Classic Wrist Watch Will Never Die

$
0
0

handsome man wearing a watch

Hey Apple head honchos, we don't care about smart watches, so don't even bother trying. 

Watches have been around for over 500 years, surviving wars and tech revolutions. We may have advanced past the technology of the classic mechanical wrist watch, but we're far from trading our OMEGAs for Apples.

It doesn't matter that Google, Apple, and Samsung are all rumored to be patenting smart watches that could theoretically threaten the luxury watch market.

Brands like A. Lange & Söhne, Piaget, Harry Winston and Rolex all continue to excel  and are showing no signs of slowing down despite the potential added competition of the tech giants. 

Watch brands understand, along with watch lovers, that strong sales and consumer demand will continue even if smart watches and new technology flood the watch market. 

Here's why the classic wrist watch will never die.

The Bond effect

Since soldiers were first given "Trench Watches" during WWI, the mechanical wrist watch has evolved into a major luxury market.

Big brands like Rolex, Cartier, Harry Winston, and A. Lange & Söhne are sought out because of the quality of the product, but also because the brand name has a history which suggests affluence, good taste, and a cultured past.

“Rolex in the United States is first and foremost a status symbol. Many people want a Rolex for what it says about them rather than for the product itself,” explained Ariel Adams, Editor-In-Chief of aBlogtoRead.com and WorldWatchReport contributor. "And these people want to buy this status for the cheapest price possible."

Apart from history and brand recognition, pop culture is a huge factor in a watch's status. It's not uncommon for major brands to secure celebrity endorsements to attract consumers.

James bond wearing an Omega WatchFor instance, there was a 45% increase in consumer interest on WorldWatchReport for the OMEGA Seamaster collection after the James Bond movie "Skyfall," according to Digital Luxury Group. Men scrambled to buy the watch 007 wore not only because the Seamaster was a high-quality product, but because it symbolized an aspirational lifestyle.

"Brands make heavy investments in securing the right 'Brand Ambassadors' and event sponsorship," explained Laetitia Hirschy, a WorldWatchReport Project Manager at Digital Luxury Group. "It's to help ensure a maximum of visibility and aspiration from current and potential consumers who 'look up' to these celebrities and associate them to the watch brand they are wearing."

And it's not just Hollywood. Thanks to brand ambassadors like Michael Phelps during the 2012 Olympic Games, watch searches skyrocketed on WorldWatchReport.

Replace an iPhone, but not a watch

Mechanical watches have remained popular through the digital age because of their craftsmanship and superior quality.

"We're all extremely attached to our cameras, our phones, our computers, our iPads, and I think there's something charming about owning something analogue," Stephen Puvirent, associate editor of the online watch publication HODINKEE, told us. "I'm going to replace my iPhone sometime in the next few years. But a really high-quality watch I can wear and enjoy on a daily basis."

lincoln watchWatch buyers accept that they're paying tens of thousands of dollars for what went into making their watch because they expect it to last.

It takes master watchmakers months and sometimes years to create the elaborate interior mechanisms that make mechanical collectors' watches so special, such as a split-second chronograph (two second hands to time different events) and perpetual calendars (which are designed to display the correct date on any given day in the future).

"For our collectors, it's something that they admire as a collectible, they see these pieces as art," A. Lange & Söhne PR Manager Alexander Haxton told us. 

Because watches are of such high-quality, the market for vintage watches has also remained strong. "These things come to you with a story," Pulvirent said. "You may get a vintage diving watch from the 1970s that was actually on the wrist of a professional diver for 20 years by the time it gets to you. I think in our current society, watches offer a unique opportunity to be a part of an extremely long life span of a beautiful object."

Watches span generations

Never underestimate the power of history and nostalgia. 

Watch brands recognize that even if people aren't necessarily wearing watches to tell time, the watch can still be a symbol of something more personal.

"I can give my watch to my children and they can give it to one of their children," Pulvirent said. "It's something that works in perpetuity since watches aren't something that needs to be changed constantly."

askmen best watches 2013Because it's so common to pass watches down from generation to generation, brands have integrated this into their marketing: Patek Philippe's motto is, “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next generation.”

Haxton explains, "For the people who are buying our watches, it's a collector's item, something they'll be passing down." 

Part of our national social consciousness

For some people, wearing a watch is a habit they've retained since they were children with their first Mickey Mouse watch. For others, it's a memory of a special graduation or wedding present.

"I don't wear my watch to tell time, I wear it because my wife's father gave it to me as a wedding gift," Business Insider Senior Editor Chris C. Anderson said. "It's my way of showing respect to him. I'm a non-watch person who wears a watch."

And despite new technology, the luxury watch industry is still going strong.

"I don't think the watch industry is going anywhere," Haxton agreed. "There's a lot of newer technology like Apple's smart watch, and of course, everyone has their cellphones. But people are still appreciating watches and have been for awhile, including the younger generations."

The classic wrist watch isn't going anywhere. 

DON'T MISS: The 7 Hottest Watches At The World's Biggest Timepiece Fair

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    

Former Hotel Maid Dishes On The Grossest Things She Saw At Work

$
0
0

hotel maid chambermaidIt's one of those subjects we just can't seem to get enough of—hotel housekeeping. We love to hear stories about your experiences with the staff, good or bad.

But even better, we adore it when the maids themselves dish the literal dirt on what they've seen with their own eyes.

We happened to check out this story called "Sh*t the Hotel Maid Says" and we thought it was high time we interviewed someone in the industry, because the stories we read were hilarious (a spider monkey hiding in the vent??).

A pal of ours (we'll call her "Maid Marian") did a housekeeper stint at a boutique hotel that happens to be on the PGA Tour circuit. It's not a big chain, so she requested anonymity.

Here's her lowdown on the best and worst things she saw, and tips on how to be a great guest.

HotelChatter: Worst guest pet peeve? 

Maid Marian: No tipping. Or tipping literal pocket change. Or leaving stuff all over so we can't clean because we cannot touch guests' belongings.

HC: Who are the best guests? 

MM: The ones who know how housekeeping works. Items are put in one spot for easier cleaning. Those who have friendly faces instead of disdain for "the help".

HC: What's the nastiest thing you've seen in a hotel room? 

MM:The guest who apparently hadn't flushed the toilet in days.

HC: How much is a good tip and where's the best place to leave it? 

MM: I had a lady who lived in the hotel who gave me $8 a day! But that's unusual. $2-3 is good. Best place to leave it is on the tray with cups/ice bucket. It's pretty obvious that way. We can't assume money left in random places is for us. In the bathroom underneath the waterglass is good, too. It's like a restaurant--you leave it where it's obviously for the recipient--like a $20 on the nightstand for a hooker!

HC: How much time are you given to clean a room? 

MM: We had 14 minutes. Bathroom, wash cups, coffee pot, change sheets and towels, comforter only once a week unless it's got spills on it. Dust and vacuum.

HC: OMG. Was that enough time with your more..slovenly guests? 

MM: Not enough time. At all. That was for singles, doubles, and suites!

HC: How has your experience affected your own hotel stays? 

MM:I am super neat as I have more sympathy for the housekeeping staff. But, I will no longer sit in a hotel bathtub. When we cleaned the bathrooms, we sprayed everything down with cleaner, started filling the tub with hot water, wiped down sink and counter, took the toilet brush to the toilet, then used the toilet brush to clean the tub.

HC: You may have just traumatized a lot of people with that one. 

MM: Yeah, lol.

SEE ALSO: Why You Should Never Trust The Photos Hotels Post Online

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    



Dubai Police Add A Camaro SS To Their Incredible Fleet Of Cars

$
0
0

dubai police chevy camaro ss

The Dubai Police are amassing quite a stable of amazing rides.

They have a Lamborghini Aventador. A Ferrari FF wears the green and white livery.

There's even an ultra-rare Aston Martin One-77 that's recently joined the fleet.

Both a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and a Bentley Continental GT are said to be up next for the Dubai rozzers.

At the moment, however, there's just been a dash of American Muscle crashing the cool cop car party thanks to the addition of a Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina is the Chief Major General of the Dubai Deputy Police, and it's his job to amass the exotica that enters the fleet. Most of the ultracars will be put on display in areas heavily trafficked by tourists. It seems the Camaro might be called into actual police duty, however, because the lead cop in charge sounds quite enamored with the capability of the 6.2-liter V-8 engine mounted under the hood.

Still, it's 426 horsepower motor pales in comparison to what most of the other makes are packing. This is one hefty fleet both in terms of performance figures and, well, dollar figures. It's still nice to see an American vehicle get a little bit of love on a foreign coast. We hope the Camaro is used to take down a few supercar-cruising joyriders that are pushing their exotic machines just a bit too far over the limit.

SEE ALSO: The World's 20 Best Airlines For Flying Economy

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


Raffles Dubai Just Unveiled The Middle East's 'Most Luxurious Floor'

$
0
0

Raffles Dubai LoungeRaffles Dubaiput the world's most expensive dress on display last fall, and leave it to them to outdo themselves in a matter of months (who else could, really?).

This spring Raffles is introducing what they call the Middle East's most luxurious floor— a 21,500 square-foot "space" that takes up most of the 14th level of the hotel. That's right, a private floor with six rooms, a spa, hair salon, majlis (that's meeting room, in basic terms), three private kitchens and a cinema that seats nine. Damn! (but watch your language if you see it, ok?)

Click here to go straight to the pictures >

Not impressed, you snort? Pfft. Fine. How about access via a private elevator, 24-hour check in, a private limousine service and chauffeur, customized linens, a private chef, and a dedicated butler? Sound good? Sounds like another case of Dubai being as flossy as they wanna be. Don't hate!

"A lot of the hotel guests travel with a big entourage and sometimes book half a floor," a hotel employee has said. "The Dubai Floor is perfect for this type of guest as they'll have a whole floor for themselves and privacy. This what makes it unique."

Check out the photo gallery of the über luxurious floor. Are you impressed? Raffles thinks it's a nice spot for large families, newlyweds, and private screenings. Ohhkay.

Prices aren't yet available for this floor, but considering the current starting room rates at Raffles are around $1,295 a night, the full beauty of this floor will probably not be realized by short-pocket people.

Still, it looks good, though, huh? And eye-candy doesn't put pounds on your hips.

Here's an aerial view of the Raffles Dubai.



The Dubai Floor is enormous.



The living room is spacious.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

    


9 Things That Can Tear Down The Value Of A Home

$
0
0

Sinkhole Underground Crushed

With the real estate market as shaky as it is, homeowners can't afford to deal with more problems.

And yet there are always problems, ranging from noisy neighbors to sinkholes.

We've rounded up some of the biggest threats to the value of a home.

Sinkhole damage sucks property values down a staggering 30%.

The prevalence of reports of sinkhole damage in the U.S. this year has raised questions about the impact on property values. 

It's not the threat of a sinkhole that damages property value –– there's insurance coverage specifically for sinkhole damage. In fact, a 2007 study found no statistically significant difference in home values in areas prone to sinkholes. Like earthquakes, it's only after sinkholes hit your property that problems arise. 

Rob Arnold, a Florida real estate investor and realtor who has bought and sold more than 30 sinkhole properties in the last five years, told CF13 News he tells owners of damaged homes to knock 30% off their asking price, plus the cost of any repairs. 



City dumps and power plants can drag down your home value by about 7%.

Pick a home in close proximity to a dump or a power plant and watch your property value get dinged.

When researchers looked at five municipal landfills on residential property in Cleveland, Ohio, they found the stench was enough to drag down property values by 5.5 to 7.3%. Landfills are most hurtful in populated, expensive, residential areas. The effect was basically nonexistent in sparse, rural areas. 

Likewise, the University of California at Berkeley found homes within two miles of a power plant saw values drop 4 to 7%.



Hoarders knock property values down 5 to 10%.

A nearby property's overgrown yard, peeling paint, and clutter can easily knock 5 to 10% off the sale price of your home, said Joe Magdziarz, the president of the Appraisal Institute and a real-estate appraiser with 40 years of experience. A true disaster — a junky home in deplorable condition and a yard packed with debris — could cost you even more.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

    


Make A 'Pizza Cone' With This Nifty Baking Set

$
0
0

This is the Pizza Cone Maker from Pizzacraft.

Why We Love It: Pizza now comes in a shape usually reserved for ice cream. The Pizza Cone Set includes non-stick molds and stands so you can work your dough into a cone shape before baking it in the oven.

Once the dough is crispy, place it in the spiral stand and fill with sauce, cheese, and anything else your heart desires before putting it back into the oven until the cone is golden, bubbly, and delicious.

Set comes with two non-stick molds, two stands, a crust crimper, and a mold for perfectly-shaped dough.

pizzacraft grilled pizza cone

 

pizzacraft grilled pizza cone

Where To Buy: Available through Amazon and Target.

Cost: $20.

Want to nominate a cool product for Stuff We Love? Send an email to Megan Willett at mwillett@businessinsider.com with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.

SEE ALSO: The Brolly Umbrella Leaves Your Fingers Free For Texting

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


14 Incredibly Tiny Works Of Art

$
0
0

Tiny Paintings Hasan Kale

Turkish artist Hasan Kale paints gorgeous, miniature paintings on teeny, tiny surfaces, ranging from small pills to the wings of butterflies and beetles.

His subjects are predominantly water scenes and cityscapes of Istanbul, and he hand-paints all of his art using a small artist's brush and no magnifying glass.

The paintings are so detailed that to prove their authenticity, Kale has uploaded numerous videos of himself at work to his Facebook page.

He shared some highlights from his collection with Business Insider.

Many of Hasan Kale's tiny paintings are on the wings of butterflies.



This could easily be a renaissance painting, except that it's on a cashew.



If you look closely, you can see a cityscape on the beetle's wings.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

    


The Coolest Buildings In Beirut

$
0
0

beirut architectureFollowing a brutal 15-year civil war that tore the city apart, Beirut has recovered remarkably; it was voted the number one destination to visit by the New York Times in 2009, and, more recently, received a similar title by Frommer’s.

The city is in the second phase of one of the biggest urban reconstruction projects in the world, run by Solidere, which has brought architects like Steven HollHerzog & DeMeuronZaha HadidVincent James, and Rafael Moneo to the local scene.

In less internationalized parts of the city sit the landmarks of the 1960s and 1970s, Beirut’s pre-war glory days, including buildings by names such as Alvar AaltoVictor Gruen, and the Swiss Addor & Julliard.

With a city growing as fast as Beirut it is impossible to have a final city guide, so we look forward to hearing your suggestions and building on this over the years.

CGM CMA Headquarters / Nabil Gholam



SJ Campus of Sport and Innovation / Youssef Tohme and 109 Architects



Holiday-Inn Beirut / Andre Wogenscky



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

    


These Are The Worst Rooms For Rent In Los Angeles

$
0
0

Los Angeles Worst Rooms Craigslist LA

Los Angeles is the city of dreams, Hollywood, and the paparazzi. It also has some really terrible rooms for rent.

Inspired by a Tumblr showing the most terrible rooms/shares on NYC Craigslist that recently went viral, we decided to comb the listings and see if things were as bad in LA.

The options we found were all far less than $1,500 — the standard monthly rent in Los Angeles — but most were shared rooms or creepy roommate situations you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

Silver Lake, LA, $450/a month: "It is a very cute and quite intimate space. Not much privacy."




West Adams, LA, $325/a month: "Beautiful big dorm house." Price per bed.



Hollywood, LA, FREE. "I recently got separated from my ex-wife and I have a dislocated shoulder so its very difficult for me to keep the front house where I live tidy. You will be cleaning mostly 2hrs a day M-F and every now and then do laundry."




See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

    



This Is The Car That Should Have Been Used In 'The Great Gatsby'

$
0
0

"The Great Gatsby" is now in theaters, and while the reviews are mixed, there's one thing the movie definitely got wrong.

In the movie, set in 1922, Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby drives a 1929 Duesenberg Model J.

As Jerry Garrett at the New York Times points out, it's unlikely that Gatsby would be driving a Duesenberg of any kind: The company had just gone into business in 1922, and the Model J — the car that made it a popular brand — did not enter production until 1928.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, Gatsby drives a yellow Rolls-Royce, and since the most popular model from the British automaker in 1922 was the 40/50 HP, aka the Silver Ghost, it's a good bet that's what the image-obsessed Gatsby would have purchased.

Rolls-Royce also produced the "baby" Rolls-Royce 20 HP in 1922, a less grandiose car unlikely to appeal to the Long Island bootlegger.

This 1922 Silver Ghost was sold by RM Auctions in 2012, for £112,000 (182,574 in 2013 USD). Imagine it in yellow, and that's what Gatsby should be driving:

1922 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost gatsby

1922 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost gatsby

In contrast, here's a Duesenberg Model J:

1930 Duesenberg Model J

SEE ALSO: Lincoln's New MKZ Looks Nice, But Has A Lot Of Flaws

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


The 11 Best Brunch Spots In New York City

$
0
0

Eggs benedict for brunch

Mother's Day is just a few days away. To make sure that you treat your mom to the perfect Mother's Day brunch, you'll need to make a reservation stat.

Opentable.com recently released its list of the 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America. The list is based on more than 5 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants in the U.S.

Of the top 100 restaurants that made the list, 11 are based in New York City.

From Manhattan to Brooklyn and Queens, these are the best places for a Mother's Day brunch—or brunch any time—in New York City.

Cookshop

156 10th Ave., Manhattan

Cuisine: American

Price: $31 to $50

Arrive early because the wait for brunch at Cookshop can be hours-long. That's because the brunch is incredible: Imagine buttermilk sour cream pancakes made in a cast iron griddle, hot fried beignets served with fresh ricotta, and gooey scrambled eggs with smoked trout and chives.



Corner Shop Cafe

643 Broadway, Manhattan

Cuisine: American

Price: $30 and under

The Corner Shop Cafe is a great spot for a quick, casual brunch. It provides a quiet refuge from the bustling crowds on Broadway.



Gramercy Terrace

2 Lexington Ave., Manhattan

Cuisine: American

Price: $30 and under

Located on the 17th floor of the Gramercy Park Hotel, the Gramercy Terrace has a retractable roof that opens on sunny days. Stumptown coffee is served at brunch, along with classic brunch dishes like poached eggs and French toast.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

    


You Can Rent Legendary NBA Coach Pat Riley's Malibu Beach House For $18,500 A Month

$
0
0

pat riley beachhouse

Legendary NBA coach Pat Riley has put his Malibu beach home up for rent for $18,500 per month, according to Trulia.com.

Riley purchased the beachfront home in 1989 for $1.6 million, and he and his wife own another home a couple doors down.

The home for rent has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and floor to ceiling windows with views of the Pacific. It's the perfect beach getaway house. The backyard is the beach.

Here's what the house looks like from the beach



The awesome back porch



It's huge



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

    


MAP: Here Are All The Craft Breweries Across The Country

$
0
0

American Craft Beer Week is coming to a tap near you later this month. In anticipation of the event, CraftBeer.com published this awesome map of the logos of hundreds of craft breweries across the country.

The map's motto: "No Red States. No Blue States. Only Brew States."

Craft brewing has gotten crazy popular in the past few years, and there are currently more than 2,300 brewers concocting their own ales, IPAs and lagers in the U.S.

There will be hundreds of beer tastings and tap takeovers going on nationwide in honor of the craft beer celebration week, which runs May 13-19. Find an event near you here.

craft beer map

SEE ALSO: The top 20 craft breweries taking over the U.S. >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

    


10 Pieces Of Tesla Gear Any Fanboy Would Love

$
0
0

Tesla Beanie

Electric carmaker Tesla is on a tear: The company just announced its first-ever quarterly profit, and its Model S got a rave review from Consumer Reports.

Tesla fans have a lot to celebrate. Fortunately for them, the company sells a ton of branded apparel, and makes millions of dollars doing so.

If you love Tesla but can't afford one, or own a Tesla and want everyone to know, get shopping in Tesla's online store.

Here's a roundup of our favorite Tesla gear.

Racing Stripe Tee

This cotton t-shirt sports a large Tesla logo on the front with a small red "T" on the right sleeve. 

It is available in black, grey, white, and red.

Get it for $28



Baby Onesie "Model S"

The perfect outfit for a Tesla fanboy in the making.

The "Model S" logo is small enough to not bring too much attention, while still displaying something cooler than Elmo.

Get it for $22



Infant TESLA Beanie

If you are considering the onesie, you need to get the beanie.

Every baby looks good in a beanie, especially a Tesla Beanie.

Buy it for $12



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

    


Viewing all 116539 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images