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Please Vote: What Are The Best Colleges in America?

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College Graduates Jumping For Joy

College tuition has reached record highs and grads are still struggling to get jobs and pay off mounds of student debt.

So, it's more important than ever to have a ranking that asks a simple question: How much will a college help you succeed in life?

Last year, MIT earned the top spot in our list of America's Best Colleges, with Stanford and Harvard trailing close behind.

But have things changed?

To create the fourth annual Business Insider list of the Best Colleges, we need your help. We have selected what we consider the 60 best colleges in America and we want you to help us rank them. Please rate at least 10 of the colleges on this list—and let us know who you're furious that we left off. Also please take this opportunity to sound off on which colleges you think are total ripoffs and which are actually worth your money.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

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UCO Stormproof Matches

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Say hello to UCO's Stormproof Matches.

Why We Love It: These are the matches you want around if your power goes out during a storm. They are waterproof and windproof, burn for 15 seconds, and will even burn after being dunked underwater.

Seriously, it would take some extraordinarily harsh conditions to keep you from lighting these matches. An excellent addition to anyone's survival gear or E.D.C. kit, each box comes with spare strikers and 25 matches.

UCO Stormproof Matches

 

Where To Buy: Available through Amazon.

Cost: $5.24

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: Fisheye Pro Lens From Mujjo

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The Most Iconic American Houses On The Market

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redfin most iconic homes in america philadelphia

Real estate listing service RedFin hosted a "Most Iconic Homes In America" campaign this fall, corresponding with the presidential election.

The company narrowed down a list of three iconic homes in 19 regions that they felt embodied the feel, culture, architectural style, and surroundings of those areas.

Readers then voted, and the winners were announced yesterday.

The contest oddly left out New York City.

ATLANTA: This traditional home, with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, is on sale for $277,900. Atlanta is known for its heavy influence of American architects and Victorian homes.

Source: Redfin



AUSTIN: Spanish style heavily influences Texas, and this hacienda really fits the bill. The home, which spans 9,000 square feet, and has six bedrooms and eight bathroom, is on sale for $3.495 million.

Source: RedFin

 

 



BALTIMORE: This Cape Cod-style home is on sale for $384,900. It looks like it belongs right on the Baltimore harbor. The house has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

Source: RedFin



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Former Doorman Dishes On The Billionaire Residents Of 740 Park Ave

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doorman, 740 park avenue"This is great, come Christmas time I'll get $1,000 bonuses from each of the residents," a former doorman at 740 Park Avenue said.

After all, the building houses more billionaires than any other building in America.

But he thought wrong.

In the new documentary "Park Avenue: Money, Power & the American Dream,” a former doorman of 740 Park Avenue, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed some of the quirks of the building's residents and what it was really like to work there.

The documentary airs on PBS Nov. 12.

"The building is only 31 units, so it's not a lot of residents," the doorman says in the documentary. "But they are high tempered and you need a thick skin to work there. Some are detestable people and they are billionaires."

The doorman revealed:

  • David Koch was the worst tipper. The doorman would load his two vans every weekend, when Koch was heading to the Hamptons, and he never tipped him.

  • Some residents would only give a $50 check as a Christmas bonus.

  • You need to know someone in the business to get a doorman job there.

  • You had to know which residents liked to open their own door, whose car belonged to whom, which person sat on the passenger side, and who sat in the back seat.

  • Steve Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Corporation, has 25 Christmas trees delivered to his apartment for his annual Christmas party — one for every room of his home.

  • The children are all friendly and have special high-fives with the doormen. When they reach about 12 years old, they start ignoring the building's help and start "walking like their fathers." "It's like their parents sat them down and said 'Look this is your life, you are a billionaire. They are not your friends,'" the doorman says.

"One mishap, and you're fired," the doorman says in the film.

740 Park Avenue, on the corner of 71st Street, is currently home to the likes of David Koch, Steve Schwarzman, Ex-Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, and Vera Wang. The storied building was constructed in 1929 by the grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

"Park Avenue" is a film directed by muckraking documentary vet Alex Gibney and is inspired by Michael Gross, author of a book about the rich and famous residents of 740 Park Ave.

Now go inside 740 Park Avenue >

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How Restaurant Mogul Danny Meyer Coped When The Power Went Out

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Danny Meyer

When Hurricane Sandy took out the power in New York City's Union Square neighborhood, famed restaurateur Danny Meyer got creative to keep in touch with the restaurants in his empire.

According to The New York Times' Glenn Collins:

When the power failed at his apartment in the Flatiron district, his office at Union Square and his downtown restaurants, he said, he established himself in a makeshift office in the bathroom of the Madison Square Club gym on Fifth Avenue at 26th Street.

“For some reason they had power,” [Meyer] said, adding, “there was one outlet and I plugged in, and fortunately there was a chair to sit on rather than just the toilet.”

Meyer, whose company owns 16 restaurants in New York City as well as the Shake Shack burger chain, told the NYT that he was creating a disaster-plan task force to make infrastructure changes, buy generators, and improve communications systems so they could be better prepared when the next disaster strikes.

Drew Nieporent, another well-known restaurateur in New York City, estimated he lost some $600,000 in revenue at his three restaurants that were shuttered by Sandy, as well as $30,000 in spoiled food.

While some restaurants in parts of the city that kept electricity throughout the storm saw a boom in business, those located in the city's "dark zones" are still coping with the losses, both in terms of lost revenue and physical damage.

(h/t Eater's @kludt)

DON'T MISS: What Goes On Behind The Kitchen Doors Of New York's Gramercy Tavern

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European Scientists Want To Ban Chanel's Most Popular Perfume

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brad pitt chanel no. 5 adEuropean scientists have called for a ban and reduction of potentially harmful ingredients used in perfumes such as Chanel No.5 and Miss Dior.

Iconic 90-year-old perfume Chanel No.5 is one of a host of well-known perfumes that could be banned following research into the allergy-inducing ingredients they contain.

An EU advisory committee has identified 100 allergens regularly included in fragrances that they believe put EU citizens at risk. As a result, they are calling for new measures to protect citizens from the potentially harmful substances.

WATCH: A brief history of Chanel No.5

The committee has called for tree moss, which provides the woody notes in Chanel’s signature scent and also Dior’s Miss Dior fragrance, to be banned outright. They are also requesting that when any of the 100 noted allergens are used it must be detailed on the product’s packaging. Currently, manufacturers are only required to state the presence of 26 allergenic substances.

“Chanel No 5 has never done any harm to anyone,” said Sylvie Jourdet of the French perfumer’s society. “It is the death of perfume if this continues. The more you use natural ingredients, the more there is a risk of allergies. Lemon, jasmine, bergamot all contain allergenics.”

READ: Chanel spring/summer 2013 show report

Other famous fragrances that could be affected include Guerlain’s Shalimar and Angel by Thierry Mugler.

Additionally, the advisory committee have proposed a reduction in the use of 12 specific substances to just 0.01 per cent. These include citral, found in lemon and tangerine oils; coumarin, found in tonka beans; and eugenol, a component of rose oil.

“It would be the end of beautiful perfumes if we could not use these ingredients,” said Françoise Montenay, non-executive chairwoman of Chanel.

WATCH: Brad Pitt's starring role for Chanel revealed

The European Commission are expected to propose new regulations within the fragrance industry in January 2014, reports The Times, but says they will consider both the economic importance of perfume – it reportedly earns £1.5 billion a year for France alone – and also the actual number of perfume-induced allergies that occur, which is thought to be low.

Luxury conglomerate LVMH, which owns Dior and Guerlain, has called for the Commission to consider “Europe’s olfactory cultural heritage”.

DON'T MISS: The Ultimate Guide To Exploring Paris In Style

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A Whimsical Floating Bridge Held Up By Giant Balloons

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A French artist has created a bridge suspended by three large helium balloons in the UK.

The design is courtesy of French installation artist Olivier Grossetête and is called Pont de Singe. It is located over a lake in the Japanese Garden at Tatton Park in Cheshire, England, as a part of the Tatton Park Biennial 2012: Flight of Fancy.

Sadly, the bridge is uncrossable and cannot hold a person's weight. The project is an extension of the artist's earlier 2007 work Pont Suspendu where he floated scale model bridges with large helium balloons. 

Grossetête says of his design that the goal is to recall "the power of daydreams and their ability to transform reality." The bridge is meant for contemplation rather than function, and design separate from engineering. 

Take a look at some surreal images of the floating bridge below.

Helium Balloon Bridge - concept

Helium Balloon Bridge

See Also: A Proposed Trampoline Bridge Would Let Parisians Bounce Across The Seine

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3 Ways To Make Your Space Look Like That Photo From A Design Magazine

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the decorista

So, you've been pining over a photo of a bedroom or living room you saw in a magazine or on a design blog, but you're not sure how to translate that into your own space.

Ashlina Kaposta, an interior decorator and the blogger behind the The Decorista, gave us some tips on how to design a own room based on that photo you cut out for inspiration.

  • Pick three things you like in the photo and emulate just those items. Choose the end table, the lamp, and the wall art. Or it can be the bedding, throw pillow, and wall color. This instantly gives the feel of redecorating, while keeping your core furniture in place.

  • Remember what you actually use in your current space day-to-day, and make sure that's incorporated into the re-design.

  • There's always a way to do it for less. Target, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods have "great sections with designer items and tend to carry what you see in the magazines," Kaposta said. 

"All of those things really make a difference, and just three accessories from the photo will help remind you of it. So then you have a home from a magazine that's really yours," she said.

DON'T MISS: How An Ex-AOL Sales Rep Turned Her Food And Fashion Blog Into A Book Deal

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Art.sy Is Changing The Way The World Views Art

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Picasso painting

Do you like Vincent van Gogh? That means you'll also probably like art by Henri Rousseau, Edouard Vuillard, Maurice Utrillo and even contemporary artists like John Currin and Laurie Simmons—artists you may have never heard of.

So how can you discover these new artists? With Art.sy, a free website that lets users browse through thousands of artworks to find new art and artists.

Art.sy works with hundreds of galleries around the world to catalogue art and expose it to potential buyers. The company has been around for a few years—mostly researching and building its extensive database of art—but it launched publicly just last month.

The way it works is simple: browse through artworks and click on art that piques your interest. The site will provide information on the piece of art and the artist, and then suggest similar works by other artists that might appeal to you—much like Pandora works with music. You can save searches and follow specific artists. Some of the art is for sale, though not all of it.

The company uses what it calls the "Art Genome Project" to sort and classify works by time period, style, medium, artist, and region. This enables users to search for art by more than 800 "genes," as Art.sy staff calls them. It's also useful to people who are looking to collect works from a specific time period or genre.

Art.sy's goal is to "expose as many people as possible to art," according to its website. Art.sy COO Sebastian Cwilich knows that the company faces a formidable task.

"It's an ambitious enough vision that I expect it will take years to realize," Cwilich said. "Eventually this will be a resource that can benefit anyone who loves art, but this is especially valuable for people who are more removed from major art cities and don't have easy access to the galleries and museums we take for granted."

It's an ambitious goal, but bigshots in the tech and art worlds like Wendi Murdoch, Larry Gagosian, Eric Schmidt and Jack Dorsey—all of whom are partners, investors, or advisors in Art.sy—think the company can do it.

In short, whether you're buying or just browsing, Art.sy is making art accessible to everyone.

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The Best Burgers In 12 Cities Around The US

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Burger and fries

The hamburger is arguably America's favorite food and burger-aficionados are fiercely opinionated about what makes a good burger.

Whether it's the consistency of the bun, the quality of the meat, or the condiment-to-meat ratio, people have very strong opinions on what makes a great burger and which places serve the best burgers.

In honor of Burger Week, the editors at Zagat have been devoting continuous coverage to the burger and have been compiling lists of the top burgers in major cities around the U.S.

From Atlanta to New York to San Francisco and the Bay Area and beyond, and from upscale eateries to greasy burger joints, here are the most succulent, flavorful, mouth-watering hamburgers near you.

Zagat ranks restaurants on a 30-point scale based on food, decór, and service. Ratings of 26 to 30 are considered "extraordinary to perfection," according to the company.

ATLANTA AREA: Vortex Bar & Grill

878 Peachtree Street Northeast

Food: 24
Service: 20
Cost:
$19

Vortex is famous for its succulent burgers and its wide selection of beer. The restaurant is biker-friendly with an alternative and wacky vibe.



BALTIMORE AREA: Linwoods

25 Crossroads Drive, Owings Mills

Food: 27
Service: 27
Cost:
$56

This sophisticated modern American restaurant in Owings Mills serves great burgers from the restaurant's open grill. The dining room is modern and elegant and the staff is attentive.



BOSTON AREA: Mr. Bartley's

Food: 24
Service: 15
Cost:
$17

Mr. Bartley's is famous for its enormous, reasonably priced burgers and milkshakes served in a casual setting with communal tables.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Take A Walk Through Donald Trump's Incredible Collection Of Penthouses And Mansions

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donald trump real estate

Donald Trumprecently announced the launch of a luxury residential real estate firm, Trump International Realty.

What does The Donald know about the world of residential real estate?

Aside from running some of the best-known apartment buildings in the country, he also owns an impressive personal portfolio of homes from Manhattan to Palm Beach.

Donald Trump calls Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue "home" the majority of the time. Trump Tower is a 68-story skyscraper, and Trump sleeps in the penthouse.

Source: Trump



Trump's penthouse has a gold- and diamond-covered door, an indoor fountain, a painted ceiling, and an ornate chandelier.

Source: Refinery 29



During an episode of Trump's realty show "The Apprentice," he allowed the show's contestants to visit his home. They were in awe, to say the least. Check out the video below.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: A Custom-Built Party Villa In California Is A Steal At $6.9 Million

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Camarillo, Calif. house on sale for $6.8 million

A property perfect for any entertainment mogul just hit the market for $6.9 million. 

The 12,000-square-foot custom-made residence in Camarillo, Calif. has a recording studio and space to fit about 300 people comfortably for a party.

Don Boehm, of Estate Design and Construction Inc, started building the ornate property in 2007. He moved in the next year, and has enjoyed the perks of a spa, recording studio, and a massage parlor within his home.

The home, better known as Villa Boehm, sits on 2.75 acres of land. It has five bedrooms, and six bathrooms.

"The first thing you notice when you enter is the grandness," said Janet Caminite, the listing agent on the property. "The home has a lot of unique stone and mosaic tiling. All of the wood that is in the house is hand cared, and Don (Boehm) did the crown molding himself."

Welcome to Villa Boehm. The current owner, Don Boehm, is selling because he has ideas for a new project and home to build.



"Even though it was built in 2008, the homes I do have a very old-world style, but new-world technology," Boehm said.



The ceilings have mosaics on them.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SPOTTED: A Mystery Dubai Buyer Gets A $1.2 Million Pagani That's Not On Sale Yet

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Deliveries of the $1.2 million Pagani Huayra, which AutoBlog called "the most lovingly built exotic on Earth," are set to start in April 2013.

But Jesse J Ode, who owns the site Tech Circle dxb, spotted a Huayra being delivered to a resident of the Dubai tower next to his own. In an e-mail, Ode explained he did not want to reveal the new owner's identity due to privacy laws.

Leaving us wondering: Who has enough pull to get one of the world's most expensive cars before deliveries are scheduled to begin?

Have you spotted a rare or unusual way of getting around in your travels? Did you take a photo? Do you like sharing? Let me know via e-mail: adavies@businessinsider.com or on Twitter@adavies47.

2013 pagani huayra dubai

SEE MORE: Maserati Just Revealed Its Most Beautiful Quattroporte Ever

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Americans Are Spending More Than Ever To Turn Back Their Biological Clocks

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aging-costs-express-scripts

Americans' obsession with turning beating their biological clock is growing by leaps and bounds. 

People with insurance are currently spending more to keep their bodies wrinkle-free and sufficiently hairy than treating diseases that could actually pose dangers to their health. 

The proof is in the numbers.

Since 2006, insured Americans upped their spending on prescriptions for "aging conditions" like like sexual dysfunction, wrinkles, and hair loss by 46 percent, according to a recent study by Express Scripts–– an average of $73 per person.

The only treatments that managed to outrank aging medications were diabetes and high cholesterol.

Here's what we're spending the most on:

Mental alertness
Sexual dysfunction
Menopause
Aging skin
Hair Loss
Hormone replacement therapy
Insomnia

And it's not just tradtionally insured consumers that are paying the most. Medicare patients spent 32 percent more on age-related prescriptions from 2007 to 2011, making it a faster growing treatment area than high cholesterol and high blood pressure combined. 

What the study leaves out, however, is how much consumers are shelling out for over-the-counter treatments and those that aren't generally covered by insurers, like laser hair removal and plastic surgery. Market research firm Global Analysts predicts Americans' fear of aging could drive them to spend as much as $114 billion on these types of treatments by 2015.

Although Express Scripts, which happens to be one of the largest pharmacy management companies in the country, didn't exactly call this trend frivolous, Bankrate.com's Jennie L. Phipps was quick to read between the lines.

"...It did raise some sticky questions that anyone thinking about ways to control health care costs should also consider. The study suggested that if people spend all their money on drugs to treat normal aging, they may not have enough left over for more critical health needs. It also speculated that a system like Medicare that devotes large amounts of money to treat age-related ailments might be forced to reduce what it spends on other, more serious health problems if there were a funding shortage."

See Also: 15 ways to better you body without breaking the bank >

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Mayor Bloomberg Calls On AirBnB To Help Sandy Victims Find Housing

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airbnb-sandy

When apartment rental site AirBnB started making waves across the U.S. last year, New York City officials were quick to draw a line in the sand –– making it illegal and punishable by as much as $5,000 to rent rooms for longer than 30 days. 

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, it looks like they've agreed to bury the hatchet, at least for now. Mayor Bloomberg announced today his office will support AirBnB's efforts to put free roofs over the heads of some 40,000 New Yorkers displaced by the superstorm. 

AirBnB had already offered discounted lodging for Sandy survivors, but it's now created a landing page for entirely free Sandy listings.

By Wednesday afternoon, there were already dozens of listings to choose from.

Hurricane Sandy was downgraded to a superstorm when it made landfall in New York and New Jersey early last week, but the damage is far from repaired. Public transit is only now chugging back to full speed, with some downtown areas still without normal service.

But it's the tens of thousands of residents who lost their homes or were forced to leave in the wake of the storm that have posed the largest problem. Temperatures are dropping each day and with Wednesday's Nor'easter dumping a pile of unexpected snow and slush on the city, it's no wonder the city has ramped up its efforts to find these people a safe and warm place to stay. 

For anyone willing to offer up space in their homes to people in need, sign up here.

See Also: What it was like to live in the dark of Manhattans' projects after Sandy > 

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A Circus Performer Was Seriously Injured At The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

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contortion, bending, victoria secret fashion show 2012, armory, bi, dng

Yesterday I went to the taping of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

It's an epic production that gets more elaborate with each passing year. Everyone can watch the show when it airs December 4.

But there were a few things that happened during the show that probably won't make it to the heavily-edited television special.

The show tapes twice so the network can take the best parts and create a flawless finished product.

Here are a few:

  • The show's "Circus" opener included acrobats, a sword-swallower and a man on stilts. One of the men was doing tricks with a hoop and appeared to hit his head. He made a face when it happened, but thinking he was joking, many people in the audience laughed. But then he started bleeding profusely and ran off the stage.
  • Rihanna was wearing a long, flowing cape and tripped slightly during her performance of "Diamonds In The Sky." But like a true professional, she played it off and even managed to walk backwards in the difficult ensemble.
  • When Justin Bieber got onstage, he got more screams than the other performers, Rihanna and Bruno Mars, even though the audience was composed of adults. Women continued to scream throughout his set.
  • Many women in the audience wore sequined cocktail dresses, but because of the nasty nor'easter in New York, also wore boots instead of heels.
  • Adriana Lima began dancing with Rihanna during the closer on the runway.
  • Bieber performed an acoustic version of "As Long As You Love Me" when the crew rushed to set up for the next portion of the show.
  • It may not be clear on TV, but the light fixtures in the audience changed for each section of the show. There were lanterns for the "Angels In Bloom" portion and silver stars for the "screen sirens" part.  
  • At the end of the show, all of the models stormed the stage. Huge, star-shaped balloons poured down from the ceiling, which the models kicked into the audience. Many audience members kept the balloons.

If you want even more from the show, you can check out our photos from the big event.

DON'T MISS: 18 Years In The Evolution Of The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show >

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NY Prep School Sells A Monet For $44 Million

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pond monet water lilies

It's good to have alumni like billionaire investment banker Herbert Allen, Jr.

Allen's family donated one of Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" painting to his alma mater, the Hackley School in Tarrytown, N.Y.

The school turned around and sold the 1905 painting for $43.8 million at auction last night, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Monet sold at Christie's to an anonymous American collector.

The Allens are big art collectors, and the walls of Allen & Co.'s headquarters are filled with American impressionist art, the only type Herb Allen could afford when he was just starting out, according to Fortune.

Tuition at the Hackley School is $37,2000 for high school day students. Surprisingly it is not one of the 50 most expensive prep schools in America.

Disclosure: Allen & Co. is an investor in Business Insider.

DON'T MISS: The 10 Most Outrageous Things People Bought In October

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The Developers Behind 15 Central Park West Announced A New Luxury Tower Today

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50 united nations plaza

The developers behind luxury residential buildings 15 Central Park West and the new 18 Gramercy Park building are at it again.

Zeckendorf Development, in partnership with Global Holdings, today announced a new luxury residential tower at 50 United Nations Plaza.

The tower will be the first residential building in the United States designed by Foster + Partners, a London-based architectural firm.

The 87-unit building will be at 46th Street and First Avenue. The tower will be 44 stories tall and be completed in 2014.

Now tour the inside of the new 18 Gramercy Park building >

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Mogul In The Making: Inside Lauren Conrad's L.A. Office

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Lauren Conrad

It’s fair to say that Lauren Conrad is one smart cookie.

She’s managed to do the unthinkable: parlay reality TV fame and tabloid headlines into a bona fide empire, complete with two clothing lines (Paper Crown and LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s), a beauty book, a website, and a second fictional book series under her belt. Through it all, Conrad has also managed to stay true to the core sensibilities that made her so popular when she first burst onto the scene in MTV’s “Laguna Beach”—she’s approachable, no nonsense, and possesses a kind of self-awareness and sophistication that seems beyond her 26 years. She really does seem like the kind of chic, down-to-earth gal you’d want for a friend.

So how does the budding mogul get it all done? Conrad let us spend an afternoon in her offices to get an inside look at her process. The Paper Crown offices, as it happens, are located in the low-key college town of Westwood, Los Angeles, and upon entry, there’s no mistaking that it’s Conrad’s place. The decor is flirty, chic, and includes an array of countless design sketches, mood boards, ladylike trinkets, and racks of clothing.

Inside Lauren Conrad's L.A. office where she designs her clothing lines at Stylecaster >

Everything in Conrad's office telegraphs her brand of youthful sophistication—take, for example, the soft pink walls and glittery leather that bears the company's name.



Conrad's more than a designer and a beauty maven—she's also an author! Here, two of her books sit in her office.



The name "Paper Crown" has a rather sentimental story, according to Conrad. "When I used to go to my grandma's house, I would put on dress-up clothes," she says. "We had construction paper there, and we would make crowns. I love the idea of creating your own glamour out of something that was pretty simple."



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There's A New 'Billionaire's Belt' Emerging In Manhattan

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15 central park west drivewayNew York City is becoming a place where you're either very rich or very poor.

And in the coming years, the super rich will be moving to Midtown — the city's up-and-coming "Billionaire's Belt," as author Michael Gross calls it.

Gross, the author of 740 Park and Unreal Estate, said he had seen an uptick in the number of billionaires flocking to luxury buildings in the 57th Street and 59th Street corridors to the southern corner of Central Park, along to the Bloomberg building and 432 Park Avenue.

"This neighborhood never really defined itself before," Gross told Business Insider. "Now, it's becoming the new 'billionaire's belt.'"

Luxury towers of note in the neighborhood include One57 (made famous by the "dangling crane" during Hurricane Sandy), 15 Central Park West, the Timer Warner Center, and the Metropolitan Tower. And it will soon be home to Nordstrom's flagship NYC department store. Fifty-seventh Street and Central Park South form the “spine” of this belt.

"It's not uptown, but it's not downtown," Gross said, which prompted him to nickname the region.

"This area has the potential, in the next few years, to become the richest neighborhood in the country," he added. 

DON'T MISS: A Sneak Peek Inside One57, The Super Expensive Apartment Building Being Built Right Now

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