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Who Needs a House When You Have a Boat?

  • April 24th 2009

by Mark Wellborn

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Who Needs a House When You Have a Boat?: Figure 1
Photo courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

Famed New York chocolatier Jacque Torres has given new meaning to the term “boat lover.” The Wall Street Journal has a story today about how Torres moved from his two-bedroom Manhattan apartment in 2006 into his 39-foot speedboat.

While Mr. Torres still owns his Manhattan digs, he spends the majority of his time in the 300 square-foot two-bedroom, two-bath interior of his boat. The article notes that his expenses are minimal compared to the normal costs of living in the Big Apple: $600 a month for a docking spot, $4,000 a year on maintenance and a small amount on electricity and satellite television.

However, Torres, who rose to fame as New York’s “King of Chocolate,” did not make the move because he can’t afford New York City prices. (His four retail outlets in the city generate about $10 million in annual sales.) Rather, it sounds like it was for the views:

From The WSJ:

“The insulation is poor, and there’s no dishwasher. But every morning Mr. Torres enjoys a cappuccino on his back patio before a spectacular view of lower Manhattan before taking a ten-minute ferry ride to the city.”

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/who_needs_a_house_when_you_have_a_boat/841.

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