The heir (a still from the documentary Born Rich).

As a child born into one of the country's most powerful publishing families, it can be hard to escape from the shadow of one's overwhelmingly successful antecedents. It appears that Samuel I. Newhouse IV didn't want to be in the literal shadow of the family offices, soon to relocate to the World Trade Center, either. He's jettisoned his trendy Tribeca loft at 55 North Moore Street for $2.7 million, according to city records.

Mr. Newhouse bagged the three-bedroom, 2.5-bath co-op for $2.4 million back in 2009;  a nice newlywed nest for him and his brand new bride. As you might expect, the fourth-floor pad is packed with authentic industrial touches that give a faint whiff of the neighborhood's working class history but none of the odor: industrial pendant lights, a tin-pressed ceiling, steel and mesh doors leading to the master bedroom (custom, of course) and Cuban hand-rubbed white washed brick walls. And don't forget the vintage industrial ladder that leads up to a sleeping loft, right next to the industrial sliding steel doors opening into "the cozy third bedroom," according to the listing, held by Elika & Associates broker Yael Dunsky.

Newhouse's old house.

If so inclined, buyer John Woodby will be able to continue the fantasy of long days of punishing physical labor in the kitchen, where there are plenty of props for the pretend chef: Leche de Luna stone countertops, deep double sinks, a Viking refrigerator, Fisher/Paykel dishwasher and Wolf range with double ovens. He could even buy a few more, if so inclined, with the few hundred thousand he shaved off the $2.99 million ask.

Where will Mr. Newhouse's new house be? We're not sure, as no purchases under his name have hit city records in the last few days. He could be cutting expenses in solidarity with the 60 staffers that Conde Nast just laid off—if he moved to Cobble Hill he could save some cash and kick it with fellow media scion A.G. Sulzberger. But heirs to vast media fortunes usually stretch their spending wings as they get older.

kvelsey@observer.com

Walking away from MSNBC and his Tribeca loft.

Is it really surprising that former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan is fleeing his Tribeca loft? The political pundit and anti-Wall Street crusader was definitely a little too close for comfort to those Greedy Bastards living at 55 North Moore Street, so we're not shocked to see that he's sold it for $1.38 million.

Mr. Ratigan announced in June that he was leaving his eponymous show, a move telegraphed by what appeared to be his growing frustrations with the limitations of talking things out on cable news. Now, he's appears making an even bigger move. Either Mr. Ratigan is fleeing Manhattan, cesspool of corporate thieves that it is, or he's shopping for something a little more in line with a man of his prominence. After all, Tribeca and loft sounds impressive, but his one-bedroom was scarcely more than 1,000 square feet.

Did Ratigan finally see the light? These windows might be South facing, but they're hopelessly second floor.

Perhaps Mr. Ratigan was just depressed walking by the Zuccotti Park and the dregs of the once-promising movement that lived there? He bought the loft for $999,999 back in 2004. With 14-foot high beamed ceilings, South-facing windows and limestone floors, we're sure it will make a lovely home for buyer Jason Tauber, even if he did pay more than the $1.32 million ask.

The spread, listed with Brown Harris Stevens broker Sophie Ravet, is right near by the Tribeca waterfront. It would seem an ideal place for healthy walks, something Mr. Ratigan is appear to be in sore need of—he told Rachel Maddow that his frustrations with the corporate welfare were such that he'd gained weight and started smoking.

And the co-op, besides the fact that is increasingly playing home to the rich and entitled—media scion Samuel I. Newhouse IV bought a loft there in 2009—has quite liberal admittance policies that allow pied-a-terres, pets and parents who want to buy for their children.

True, we still don't know what Mr. Ratigan will do next, but we can be sure that he won't be doing it from apartment 2F.

kvelsey@observer.com