Magic in Atlanta

Former NBA great Earvin "Magic" Johnson is teaming up with two companies to build Plaza Midtown, two 20-story residential and commercial towers in downtown Atlanta. The complex will have 452 condo units and 70,000 square feet of retail space, according to Allan Worthington, president of Daniel Corp., a Birmingham, Ala., developer and one of Mr. Johnson's partners in the project (the other partner is Atlanta's Selig Enterprises).

Since his brief 1995-96 NBA comeback, Mr. Johnson has backed movie-theater complexes, shopping centers and Starbucks and Burger King franchises through a firm he heads, Johnson Development Corp. Mr. Johnson, 45, wasn't available to comment.

Stores in Plaza Midtown are due to open next fall, and construction on the towers is scheduled for completion in 2006. The units will sell for $200,000 to $450,000, according to Bobby Turner, managing partner at Canyon Capitol Advisors LLC, a Los Angeles-based financial group that is advising Mr. Johnson on finding business deals. The 3.3-acre site in Atlanta's midtown area will run along Peachtree Place, near Technology Square.

From High Seas to Big Apple

Shipping executive Peter Georgiopoulos has purchased one of the largest townhouses in New York's Greenwich Village for $7.7 million. Mr. Georgiopoulos is chief executive of General Maritime Corp., a large transporter of crude oil. New York developer Daniel Kohs sold the house, public records show; the asking price was $8.1 million. Messrs. Georgiopoulos and Kohs couldn't be reached for comment. Corcoran Group, the New York real-estate firm that handled the sale, recently released details of the July purchase of the 8,000-square-foot residence on Charles Street. The residence includes two townhouses and a carriage house recently converted into one living space, according to Corcoran's Joan Kaplan, the agent on the sale. Built in the 1850s, the home underwent extensive renovations in 2002 when it was first put on the market. The four-story residence has seven bathrooms, eight wood-burning fireplaces, a large garden and two rooftop terraces. MTV Networks leased the house in 2003 to film several "Making the Band 2" episodes. The deal adds to an already strong real-estate market in New York, where the median price for a Manhattan apartment surged to $649,000 in the third quarter of this year, an increase of 34% over the year-earlier quarter, according to a report by Brown Harris Stevens.

A Basic Instinct to Sell

Actress Sharon Stone put her 10,000-square-foot Sea Cliff, Calif., estate on the market last month for $15 million. The "Basic Instinct" co-star bought the home in 1998 and shared it with her husband at the time, San Francisco Chronicle editor Phil Bronstein; the couple divorced earlier this year. The seven-bedroom, nine-bath residence has panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. Phoebe Hearst, the mother of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, once owned the home, which was built in 1908. Ms. Stone, 46, is relocating to Beverly Hills, according to Gloria Smith of Sotheby's International Realty in San Francisco, who is handling the sale. Ms. Stone, who appeared this summer in the film "Catwoman," wasn't available for comment. Ms. Smith says the actress undertook "extensive" renovations including a spacious, fully equipped kitchen.

Home View / Cold Comfort

Gardeners don't have to retreat in winter: There are plenty of ways to keep a full, colorful garden, say the five top-selling books heading a search of "winter garden" titles on Amazon.com.

The Winter Garden: Plants That Offer Color and Beauty in Every Season of the Year by Rita Buchanan

Gardens in Winter by Elizabeth Lawrence

The Winter Garden: Planning and Planting for the Southeast by Peter Loewer

The Winter Garden: A Seasonal Guide to Making the Most of Your Garden by Richard Rosenfeld

The Overlook Guide to Winter Gardens by Sonia Kinahan

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