The 7,493-square foot duplex penthouse at 145 Hudson Street is the perfect home for scofflaws who hate the idea of laying low. Not only is the penthouse's size in violation of landmarks regulations (it had to be partially torn down to fit a smaller footprint, although it still managed to get 7 more feet of airspace than it should hvae), but it is currently owned by ex-con William Duker. Mr. Duker, who pleaded guilty in 1997 to defrauding the FDIC, paid $30 million for the property in 2008 (a downtown record at the time).

Also, a price jump of $18 million in just 4 years seems a little criminal to us (especially after it spent a month on the market at $45 million last year. But if Corcoran brokers Darren Kearns and Davina Rosenbaum actually manage to sell the four-bedroom pad for $48 million, it would blow Superior Ink's $31.5 million downtown record out of the water.

Why brag about the Park views you have from one of your many windows when you can have an apartment that is essentially all windows and offers 360-degree panoramic views? There are "museum-quality polished concrete" and teak floors (just like the "museum quality" glass!). Who knew that museum quality could be applied to building materials in addition to housewears and objects d'art?

But you know what? The apartment does kind of look like a museum? We can definitely see the huge, durable balconies accommodating large, camera-clutching crowds, or catering crews working in the impersonal, open-plan kitchen. The hot tub and "private outdoor shower" do give the condo something of a more intimate feel... if your idea of intimate is standing naked on a Tribeca terrace.

kvelsey@observer.com