Palm Beach society: Julia Koch reportedly behind two huge New York real estate deals

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, mostly.

Unless that girl is Julia Koch, who seems to have a thing for real estate.

More Palm Beach society news here.

Reports are that the Palm Beach winter resident is the much-speculated-about buyer in two giant real estate deals last month.

The first was an historic (real estate code for "old") properneighboring her current Southampton digs.

She reportedly paid a little below the $75 million asking price for the 15-bedroom home on 8 acres of land with 500 feet of beachfront, a guest cottage, tennis courts, a gym and staff quarters.

When the century-old pile first went on the market a year ago, it was described as a “22,000-square-foot Tudor-style fixer-upper."

Sounds like just the thing for Julia, who loves historic renovations. Longtime Palm Beachers will remember that her renovation of El Sarmiento, the Palm Beach home she shared with her late husband David, won the Ballinger Award.

The second deal was a pair of co-ops on Manhattan's East Side, bought in June from the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The apartments at 4 E. 66th St. include a penthouse and a full-floor unit beneath it.

The price tag was $101 million. A of money, but barely a nick in her multibillion fortune.

If she keeps on this track there will be a few New York real estate agents joining her on Forbes' rich list.

Feeling the love

Lots of celebrities come to Palm Beach during the season, and the Civic Association always seems to get good ones.

Take this year's guy, NBC co-anchor Willie Geist, who was the guest speaker at the annual awards breakfast.

We've loved Willie since we first met him in 2003, when he was a young, nervous bridegroom and we were covering his wedding for the New York Times' 'Vows' column. 

And 19 years later, at the awards breakfast, he returned the favor with a mighty fine shout-out to us. See the video at palmbeachcivic.org/videos. See the video of his hourlong tete-a-tete with Bob Wright here. The good part is at 54:54.

Big ink

While we've never shared the younger generation's desire to tattoo the name of one's sweetheart on one's body, we admire their commitment.

But we really have to hand it to Brooklyn Beckham, who reportedly decided to honor his new wife, Nicola Peltz, by tattooing their wedding vows on his body.

Think inking "I do" on the butt is no big deal?

How about "Nicola when you walked down the aisle you took my breath away. You look so beautiful tonight and always.

''Let me start by saying that words cannot even describe my love for you. Just looking at you I see my future and it feels like a dream. You are my world and I continue to fall more in love with you every single day.

''Having you in my life is the best thing that has ever happened to me as you have made me become the man I am today. I have been looking forward to this day for so long, because today is the day I get to marry you, my forever babe, my love and my best friend.

''Nicola, today you become my partner, my other half and my family and because of that I am the luckiest man in the world to be able to spend the rest of my life with you. I promise to be the best partner, the best husband and man and to always take care of you, to make you laugh, feel safe and more importantly loved.''

OK, ouch.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach winter resident Julia Koch invests New York real estate