APARTMENT AUCTION AT 225 FIFTH AVENUE, THE GRAND MADISON.

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 18th, 2011 Last night I attended the auction of a park facing apartment at the Grand Madison located at 225 Fifth Avenue once owned by an ex Credit Suisse employee whose new home is a lot less elegant…. The 9th floor, approximately 1,600+sf apartment featuring 2 bedrooms and substantial… [Read More]

CHELSEA'S WALKER TOWER AT 212 WEST 18th STREET COMES TO LIFE

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 14th, 2011 The Verizon building known as Walker Tower, located at 212 West 18th Street, just west of Seventh Avenue between 17th and 18th Street is in the process of being converted to a high end condominium. 55 residences with exceptional views and superb 12ft+ ceiling heights will sit… [Read More]

THE NEW YORK TIMES MISSES THE STORY ON REAL ESTATE TAXES (AGAIN!)

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 13th, 2011 In today’s real estate section of the New York Times, the cover article addresses the subject of expiring tax abatements that result in monthly taxes on new buildings that are super-high. In my opinion, this article does not get the story right and misses some very important points: Real estate… [Read More]

TIME FOR A HOUSING TRUTH AND RECONCILLIATION COMMISSION?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 7th, 2011 Mayor Bloomberg recently passed most of the blame for the Housing crisis on Congress. Occupy Wall Street is blaming Wall Street. I grew up in South Africa in the 60’s and 70’s, a time when the country was plagued by a host of sins. was a court-like… [Read More]

HERMES SALES RISE 18.2%: SUPER-LUXE IS STRONGEST

Posted on November 7, 2011 So you thought the world’s luxury market was in trouble? Think again. French luxury group Hermes raised its full-year sales forecast on Friday after third-quarter growth beat its initial target, pulled by buoyant demand for the 174-year-old brand in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The maker of 10,000-euro leather bags… [Read More]

BY 2050 THREE QUARTERS OF POPULATION WILL LIVE IN A BIG CITY

Posted on November 6, 2011 Mega Cities as a trend will continue to grow through 2050, positioning New York very well for the future: High-density cities are creative, thrilling and less environmentally destructive than sprawling car-based suburbs typical of America. Cities are passports from poverty. They attract poor people, rather than creating them. They are… [Read More]

JOBLESSCATED!

Posted on November 3rd, 2011 Jobless claims numbers came out to-day with a slight improvement…..but the fundamental problem of our unemployment may be that we have a huge class of people who are highly educated but jobless, because they do not possess the skills the world needs to-day: the JOBLESSCATED. A degree in liberal arts… [Read More]

THE UNREALITY OF REALITY: ITS OVER!

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on 11/1/11 Now that the SHOCKING announcement of the Kim Kardashian divorce has hit the streets, can we PLEASE all acknowledge that there is no reality in REALITY TV. Its for the most part poorly scripted, Jerry-Springer-of-our-time style television. Yes, including those annoying real estate shows about New York real estate that are… [Read More]

IS HIGH SECURITY THE NEXT BIG BUILDING AMENITY?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 30th, 2011 With “the 1%’” under attack by “the 99%” and OCCUPY WALL STREET spreading around country and the world, I think the next really important feature to any high end building will be high security and discretion. So while the first 10 years of the new millenium for… [Read More]