Anyone who has ever wandered down Flinders Street in Melbourne and looked at a cobalt blue super-slim “pencil” tower and wondered “what is that?” need wonder no more.

In fact, you can buy a two-bed flat in the block at 82 Flinders St, if you’re quick and have about $2.6million lying around doing nothing.

At just 6.8m wide, the Phoenix Melbourne tower is considered the city’s only true pencil tower, where every home has a full floor to itself, as well as its own private lift access.

All of which means the apartments are surprisingly big at 134 sqm. You can read all about it HERE.

Meanwhile, if you are in a high-rise where the architects and developers “forgot” to include a way of washing the exterior, help may be on the way … from the skies.

Cleaners in the USA have been filmed using a drone and a high-pressure hose to clean the outside of an apartment block. Sounds good – but what are all the abseilers going to do for a living now?

That’s just two of the quirky stories in this week’s feed from LeftField Communications.

The Knightsbridge townhouse loved by London’s elite

The best kind of history is rarely confined to plaques and footnotes. Sometimes, it lives behind a facade, in the rooms where conversations once flowed, music played late into the night, and legends came and went.

Private hangars and runway access: Homes for aviation nuts

Enjoying lunch with your neighbours on a runway, beside your private plane, seems more like a bucket-list experience than an ordinary weekend plan. But for the 100-plus residents of the Temora Airpark, in the NSW Riverina region, this could be any Sunday.

‘What are all those for?’: Woman discovers ‘mystery’ feature in her new flat

When Angelina Schott moved into her apartment, there was one room that instantly stood out. In a video posted to social media, Schott explained she had recently settled into her retro property in San Diego in the United States.

How the ‘hidden paradise’ neighbourhood of North Oaks finally got mapped

An influencer in the US claims to have achieved what Google could not: mapping one of the country’s only ‘secret’ cities. Chris Parr explained that despite the colossal search engine mapping out tens of billions of images of places in the world, one American city has remained off its radar.

Interest rate hike worries? Here’s some good news

The French sage, who published his most famous work, Les Prophéties, in 1555, was expected to live and die by his forecasts.

The Carters and Sartoris mark 70 years of marriage and 70 years as next-door neighbours

In the late 1950s Broken Hill’s population was booming at around 31,000 and the city was still humming after Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip’s visit two years earlier. Among the milestones and celebrations, two other events were set to take place in early 1956: two weddings between two couples who would become lifelong next-door neighbours.Coquohalla Connor and Sarah McConnell

Sydney residents most likely to eye regional move

Sydney residents are the most likely city dwellers in Australia to move to a regional area, according to new research commissioned by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI). Forty-one per cent of Sydney residents said they would consider moving regionally. This was above the national average of 37 per cent of metropolitan Aussies with their sights set on leaving a major city.

Hidden costs of downsizing leaving some Boomers worse off

Pushes to encourage retirees to free up larger homes for younger families still risk opening many up to increased financial security concerns that will create even more economic drag.

Retro resurgence: Is the sunken lounge making a comeback?

Once a hallmark of mid-century architecture, the sunken lounge, or conversation pit, vaulted back into the pop culture lexicon in the 2010s, thanks in part to its scene-stealing appearance in Don Draper’s apartment in Mad Men. Since then, the retro design feature has resurfaced across screens, from the latest Fantastic Four instalment to the Alien: Earth TV series.

NRL star Stephen Crichton buys new $2.1m Sydney home

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton and wife Leone have bought a family home in Western Sydney over the summer break, ahead of the couple announcing they are expecting their first child, a daughter.Jonathan Chancellor – Sydney

Georgie Stevenson offloads lavish beach mansion for almost $2m below asking price

Wellness entrepreneur Georgie Stevenson has sold her beachside mansion for $8 million after more than a year on the market.Viva Hyde –

Canberra Airport Boss Calls for CBD Special Economic Zone

A looming tsunami of office vacancies in the Canberra CBD might be stemmed if a special economic zone is implemented in the commercial heart of the national capital, says a senior executive of the city’s privately owned airport.

Tom De Koning’s $1.7m St Kilda move and Jan Juc beach retreat revealed

St Kilda’s newest $1.7 million recruit, Tom De Koning, is making waves off-field with the reveal of his coastal getaway in Jan Juc, managed as a holiday rental.

From putting greens to golf simulators, former MAFS groom Clint Rice lists golfer’s dream home

A luxury home owned by former Married at First Sight contestant Clint Rice has hit the market in Tasmania.

Pay-walled

The 500-room Melbourne luxe hotel that’s been empty for three years

More than three years after the 62-storey skyscraper was built, Melbourne’s much-anticipated luxury Shangri-La Hotel sits empty without fittings, fixtures or guests after an expensive fit-out stalled amid a post-pandemic construction cost surge.

Nearly half of Gen Zs consider leaving cities

Overall, one in three (37 per cent) of adults living in capital cities say they would consider a move to regional Australia, the YouGov survey of 1048 people, conducted in partnership with View Jobs, found.

On a car-congested island, would you accept money not to drive?

Valletta, Malta: How much cash would you ask for if you were paid to stop driving? On a stunning island in Europe, crowded with history but choked with cars, the government came up with an idea to fix the traffic.

Thousands of new homes planned for former athletes’ village site

The Northshore Hamilton riverfront is set to be redeveloped with restaurants, bars, retail space and thousands of new homes under a new plan for the area. More than $100 million is being spent on infrastructure, including new roads for the public land, which takes in the once-touted site of the Olympic athletes’ village.

High-pitched noise used to deter rough sleepers under trouble-plagued Perth bridge

The Cook government was surprised by a City of Perth and Public Transport Authority decision to install speakers and play a high-pitched noise to deter people from setting up tents at a popular homeless encampment site on a cycle path in East Perth.

Casey Council to decide fate of 500-home estate near active landfill

A former Carlton premiership player’s property group faces fierce local opposition over plans to build nearly 500 homes close to a working landfill, with council to decide on the project this week.

Cold War-era bunker lists for $2.8m in regional US

A Cold War-era bunker has hit the market in the US, with limited details about the property made public.

Sneaker moguls more than double their money on $18m Rose Bay pad

Hype DC co-founders Danny and Cindy Gilbert turned a hobby into a business 28 years ago, and that move appears to have paid off in the property world.

James Van Der Beek bought his family’s $6.7m rented ranch a month before his death

The Dawson’s Creek star and his young family had been renting the property since 2020.

Is multigenerational living the answer to domestic bliss?

For decades, the Australian dream has been neatly mapped out: grow up, move out, buy a home and raise a family of your own. Yet as house prices continue to climb, multigenerational living is increasingly being seen as a viable option – often discussed as if it were a new trend despite being considered both ordinary and essential across much of the world.

Grey Goose nephew finds a buyer for his $35.2 million country estate

John Frank, a former executive of the multibillion-dollar Grey Goose brand, has found a buyer for his lavish US country estate. Frank, a key figure in the Sidney Frank Importing Company (SFIC) family, is in contract to sell his 10-bedroom, 14.5-bath mansion, which features a massive 30-car garage, the New York Post reports.

‘Conscious decision’: How Peta created a screen-free space for her family

When renovating her home, Peta Proudford wanted to create a respite from the busy world outside. The solution was to keep technology to a minimum throughout, except where it was needed for work. Wi-Fi doesn’t reach the bedrooms, there is a single, rarely used television, and there’s a room designed for gathering family and friends to socialise without distraction.

To mow or not to mow: The Australian lawn dispute dividing neighbourhoods

It begins with a whirr, the familiar scent of freshly cut grass, and the satisfying sight of a neatly trimmed lawn. But then, the engine cuts out, not at the fence line, but at an invisible boundary.

Inside the ‘Youth Retirement Home’ offering an escape for under-35s

They’ve barely entered the workforce and are far from retirement age but a groundbreaking property venture in Malaysia is redefining what it means to retire early – offering Gen Z and Millennials an escape from the daily grind.

School mates who bought $82.5m house list investment property

A Dover Heights residence owned by two millennial mates is set to be offloaded under the hammer in March after the professional pair paid an eye-watering sum for their latest purchase.Kirsten Craze – Sydney

Maggie Tabberer’s ‘typically stylish’ $4.5m home sold

The Bellevue Hill apartment of the late fashion, publishing, television and property icon Maggie Tabberer has been sold.Jonathan Chancellor – Sydney

Late doctor leaves powerful legacy with $10.4m auction gift

A house auction in Sydney has raised more than $10 million for a children’s education charity in a generous final gift by a revered doctor remembered for her philanthropy.Benn Dorrington – Sydney

‘Thought long and hard’: Rachael Finch’s huge move

Wellness entrepreneur Rachael Finch and her husband Michael Miziner have made the move to the Gold Coast to be closer to Finch’s mother, Colleen Zablocki.Jonathan Chancellor –

Inside new Liberal leader’s property empire

New Liberal leader Angus Taylor’s property portfolio includes farming interests spanning close to 3,000 hectares and a $6.77m mansion sale. Newly elected Friday to lead the Liberal Party of Australia, Mr Taylor holds interests in an estimated nine properties across New South Wales, the majority structured through a network of private companies and family trusts rather than in his personal name.

‘Bad’: Dark side of buying $2 home in Italy

Buying a fixer-upper home in Italy for just one euro might sound like a dream come true, but for many who made the leap it has been nothing but a nightmare. Italy’s One Euro House Program has made headlines a number of times in the last few years as people consider the possibility of snapping up a home for the equivalent of AUD $1.67.

‘Powerful’: $10.4m Sydney home sale to support 1,300 students

Over $10m was raised for a charity at a heartwarming sale in Clovelly on Saturday morning in the highlight of Sydney’s Valentine’s Day auctions.Owen Raymond – Sydney

El Jannah founders’ $11m home for sale

The founders of iconic chicken shop El Jannah are selling their Sydney mansion, with an asking price of around $11m. Andre and Carole Estephan, who founded the beloved chicken outlet in 1988, have listed their two hectare, seven bedroom home in Dural in Sydney’s north-west.James MacSmith – Sydney

NSW government reveals net zero housing plans

A new net zero display home has been unveiled by the one state government as part of a sustainable estate, offering a glimpse into the future of state-backed housing developments.Owen Raymond –

High-profile KC John Keenan lists historic $4.65m Brighton home

The Brighton home of high-profile retired King’s Council John Keenan, the brother of AFL legend Peter “Crackers” Keenan, has hit the market.Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

YouTube stars the Norris Nuts list North Bondi home bought for $15.2 million in 2022

Former Newcastle-based YouTube family the Norris Nuts are on the move again. The family of eight, comprising former Olympic swimmer and bronze medallist Justin Norris, wife Brooke and their six children Sabre, 21, Sockie, 19, Biggy, 17, Naz, 15, Disco, 7, and Charm, 6, have listed their freshly renovated beachside property in North Bondi.

From shagadelic to sophisticated – Balmoral labour of love restoration for 1960’s home

In a Brisbane market increasingly defined by knock-down rebuilds and fast, design-led flips, one Balmoral homeowner has taken the opposite approach and buyers are taking notice.

Are Sydney singles postcode snobs and what’s behind the $4 million love divide?

Research from iSelect shows 34 per cent of Australians have never experienced a break-up. But for those who have, especially after living together, the financial fallout can be severe, as can the challenge of meeting a new partner.

Sizzler is back: Australian comeback announced for icon

Sizzler is returning to Australia, six years after closing its doors in Down Under. Minor Hotel group will open the all-you-can-eat chain at their new NH Collection Hotel at Sydney airport in coming months.

Inside Wilkes Station: The toxic Antarctic ghost town Australia must now fix

Australia may just own the coldest ghost town on Earth – a frozen, toxic fixerupper slowly rotting under ice. Welcome to Wilkes Station, a 33hectare waterfront “suburb”, located more than 3000km away from Australia, where the roofs poke through metres of snow and the backyard is a minefield of asbestos and leaking fuel.

Ex-Footy Star’s Barossa Golf Getaway Rejected Second Time

Downsized plans by a South Australian football champion for a luxury Barossa Valley golf resort have been refused by the state’s planning gatekeeper with a decision-maker saying the design of the two-storey project is still “incredibly intense”.

Pay-walled

Justin Hemmes faces council showdown over popular Club Rose Bay beer garden

Pour one out for billionaire hotelier Justin Hemmes. It’s a hard thing having fun in Sydney, just about everything in the Harbour City is set up to stop it, whether it’s eye-watering property prices or just a $12 schooner.David Ross and

Rabbit Proof Fence producer loses court battle over bungled Bondi property deal

A famous film producer, a McKinsey consultant and a Goldman Sachs banker go into business together. Things go spectacularly awry and, as ever, the lawyers end up the true winners.Max Aitchison and

Grand designs: Charity run by stabbed bishop plans luxury six-bedroom home

A religious charity run by controversial Sydney bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel has lodged plans to spend $2.2 million building a luxury home with six bedrooms, a library, a music room and an extensive underground garage.

‘An incredibly rare proposition’: Sydney Harbour island up for sale

An Aboriginal land council is leading a push for a small but historically significant island in Sydney Harbour to be returned to traditional custodians after the site was listed for sale as part of a sweeping $3 billion sell-off of surplus defence land.

My suburb is quiet, green and close to dumplings – it beats its better-known cousin hands down

“With all the dumplings and the high-rises!!” This is usually the response when I tell people I live in Box Hill South.

Clubhouse legends: Why a share in this golf club recently sold for $74,000

As you follow the winding, two-kilometre driveway that leads from the pot-holed Boneo Road to The National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula, a fit-looking man in his 50s can sometimes be seen working on the fence that borders the farm next door.Sam McClure

‘Major downfall’: Concerns for people with disabilities as council moves to sell care centre

There are fears the lives of vulnerable adults with disabilities will be upended after the City of Stonnington council voted to sell off a prized pocket of land in Melbourne’s south-east used by a much-loved disability centre and food bank.

My suburb has a reputation for sleaze. But now Sydney and Melbourne want to emulate it

People talk about living in the Valley like they might talk about doing time. You sign up for a two-year stretch.

Brisbane outranks Sydney, Melbourne as world’s most family-friendly city

Brisbane parents can sit at home with a smile on their face, knowing their kids are growing up in the world’s most family-friendly city. New data from Compare the Market analysed green spaces per capita and safety to identify the top cities in the world to raise a family.

The brutal reality of neighbourhood tree disputes sees one get a chainsaw and one get a bill

Two backyards, two disputes: So why did James, fighting for sun, ultimately lose, but Antonia won back her harbour view? See how two Land and Environment Court judgments reveal the devil in the detail.

How Preston Mosque Sheik Ahmad Ayad, fugitive underworld identity Samir Chaarani planned to build $245m Muslim enclave in Melbourne

The alleged head of murderer and drug lord George Marrogi’s money laundering syndicate and a fugitive underworld wheeler-dealer hatched an audacious, $245m plan to build a 1000-home Muslim enclave on Melbourne’s northern outskirts.

South East Queensland jobs boom outpaces Sydney and Melbourne

More than one in five of Australia’s new jobs have been created in South East Queensland, defying expectations as skilled workers reject traditional city centres.

‘Exciting times’: The Queensland gold and silver rush fuelled by record prices

A modern gold – and silver – rush has gripped Queensland as soaring precious metal prices trigger fierce competition among mining companies to find the next big strike.CITY BEAT

Fate of Rainbow Bay and Snapper Rocks masterplan to be decided

A councillor says it is too late to stop the controversial Rainbow Bay redevelopment despite nearly 10,000 signatures calling for the surf club to remain untouched.

Why a Trump Tower on the Gold Coast is a risk we cannot afford to take

I’m all for sprucing up Surfers Paradise, but the last thing it needs is to tag itself with another bad name.

Sizzler a fizzler? Will the popular all-you-can-eat chain really return to Wollongong

It was a 90s buffet icon, but some lean years, and the pandemic, saw restaurant chain Sizzler shut all its Australian locations.

Why big tech’s ‘Bunnings sheds’ are the next NIMBY nightmare

AI doesn’t care where it goes to school, but voters will when the power-hungry infrastructure begins to pop up in their backyards. Power, water and noise are the three big factors and although state governments are happily bidding for new data centres and announcing them, they’ve never faced up to it as a hot political issue.Chanticleer

Pub matriarch claims children never paid for Gold Coast apartment

Pub baroness Robyn De Angelis alleges her children never paid for a multimillion-dollar Gold Coast apartment they are now fighting over, and it should remain part of the $700 million fortune held by she and her estranged husband.

Liberals pin hopes on housing to turn fortunes around

Home ownership is shaping as central to the latest Liberal Party narrative reset sketched out by a new-look leadership. In his first full day as opposition leader, Angus Taylor visited the home of a young couple in regional NSW to frame up his economic message.Poppy Johnston and

State govt tells council trying to buy contaminated Beverley land for park that $1.5m isn’t enough

Mums desperate for a park near their homes are stunned after the state government said $1.5m wasn’t enough for a small patch of contaminated land.

$400m student accommodation tower planned for North Tce by Journal Student Living

Work is set to start this year on a huge new addition to Adelaide’s skyline dubbed a “city-shaping tower” as a prime piece of CBD land is sold to developers.

AUKUS: Inside the $30bn Adelaide Osborne yard where robots will build Australia’s nuclear submarines

Australia’s $30bn nuclear submarine shipyard will deploy cutting-edge technology and house-sized machines to build enormously complex vessels in Adelaide. See the plans and timeline.

Former Eagle Tom Barrass puts multimillion-dollar Peppermint Grove home up for sale during AFL Origin visit

Eagles premiership star turned Hawthorn premier defender Tom Barrass is selling his multimillion-dollar Peppermint Grove house.

House That! Nic Nat’s record $4.8m Mt Lawley sale trades city life for coastal living in Sorrento

AFL legend Nic Natainui and partner Brittany Bown are trading inner-city life in Mt Lawley for a beachside pad in Sorrento. The former West Coast champion sold his five-bedroom Mt Lawley home for a record-setting $4.875 million in December last year.

House That! Matthew Pavlich hits rental record with his $3400/week Swanbourne home

Matthew Pavlich is behind many football records and now he seems to have set one for leasing the most expensive home of the month. Pavlich has just rented out his Swanbourne house for a price believed to have matched the advertised price of $3400 per week.

Stories curated from LeftField Communications daily feed.