Nick Churton from the Houlihan Lawrence London office has his head in the clouds but feet on the ground with a spectacular penthouse apartment with New York skyline views.

The Penthouse:   1 Renaissance Square, PH2EGF

The Broker:        Houlihan Lawrence

The Agent:          April W. Saxe

New York means the world to millions of people. To live on top of this world, one might look for a lofty apartment in Manhattan. But that will come with a very lofty price tag.

There is an alternative. White Plains is within sight of New York City. By train it is only thirty minutes away. At the top of the splendid Ritz Carlton, Westchester is a fabulous penthouse with 300-degree views to the New York skyline and Long Island Sound. It is well worth a look. In fact you don’t just look at a place like this, as much as try it on, because penthouses wrap themselves around one like a comfortable and extremely chic cloak.

Penthouse living should come with deep-pile luxury as standard, and it doesn’t get more deep-pile than here with all the sumptuous, white glove facilities of the hotel on tap. These include full service spa, fitness centre, steak restaurant and housekeeping services.

But let’s head into the apartment. Good penthouses hold an exciting place in the real estate world. They feel special from the very start. They immediately suggest a hushed luxury and sophistication with a dash of élan.

With lustrous bespoke wood panelling and cabinetry, the apartment seems to reference glossy and glamorous Hollywood movies. It may be me, but when I closed my eyes I could swear I saw a cardigan clad, Carry Grant, holding a Martini glass, and then Jack Lemmon with, of course, his gap-toothed grinning, valet, Terry Thomas. But this is what penthouses, like movies, are all about – they conjure up glamour!

This is sophisticated high life living within easy reach of Manhattan. In fact White Plains railway station is only a few minutes walk away, so getting to and from Wall Street or a Broadway show is a doddle. So, try it on. You will soon realise that the movies don’t have the monopoly on glamour – you’re wearing it!