Designed by Pritzker-Prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel and developed by celebrity hotelier André Balazs, owner of the hip Mercer Hotel, as well as the Standard and Chateau Marmont hotels in Los Angeles, this project opened at the end of 2007 in the heart of Soho with much of downtown's best night life and restaurants just footsteps away.

This sleek 15-story building dazzles outside and in, starting with a jewel-like glass exterior, dramatic double-height lobby lounge and private block-through garden.

Upstairs, the 40 loft-style units deliver state-of-the-art style and technology while keeping faith with the cast iron buildings and cobblestone streets of this historic art district. In addition to high ceilings, massive triple-glazed windows, and sprawling open layouts, each apartment is finished with exquisite materials and appliances, and here's the kicker a high-tech, motor-driven window that slides away at the touch of a button to turn the interior living space into an open-air terrace.

All of the tenants have use of the M40 club on the "amenity" floor, with a 50-foot T- shaped lap pool, sauna, steam room, gym, a lounge with catering bar and projection screens, and a terraced sky garden. For the very modest and rich, two of the penthouses have private pools. If that's not enough, 24-hour hotel-style concierge service should keep the residents thanking their lucky stars.