The Rise of the Roman Penthouse

Nice view...

 

Penhouse in Rome, wsj.com

 

 

The Rise of the Roman Penthouse

 

If you've ever been to Rome, the thought that it might be nice to live there may have crossed your mind.

 

But what does real estate cost in the Eternal City?

 

Well, a 2,900-square-foot duplex penthouse overlooking the Colosseum, for example, is on the market for $8.9 million, according to J. S. Marcus' report on wsj.com.             
          

Marcus wrote that a Roman street is a pageant of cars, scooters and architectural splendor, but a glance upward can reveal the edges of a secret world—that of the Roman penthouse.

Italy's residential real estate prices are in a funk, with prices down 20 percent or more since prerecession peaks in 2007 and 2008, Marcus wrote.

But the prices of Rome's penthouses are holding their own, he reported.

For more, including a slideshow:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304101504579543883970368434?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304101504579543883970368434.html