We found this simple, elegant light fixture in the bathrooms of a hotel in Italy and thought it to be the best lighting for a bathroom. “This lighting is both super-efficient and also did not give you that hideous blue-white, sickly appearance created by the average fluorescent lighting fixture found now in too many bathrooms,”… [Read More]
DOES BEST LOCATION = WORST QUALITY RESTAURANT?
I am currently traveling in Europe researching trends and getting a breather: it ceases to amaze me how many restaurants located in the very best, most desirable, attractive locations seem to have the worst food and service. Is this an international phenomena? Thinking of New York City, I guess the definition of ‘best location’ helps… [Read More]
BIG CITY FEDERAL TAX CREDIT ESSENTIAL!
The Obama administration is about to define ALL single persons earning $ 200,000.00 or more or ALL couples earning $ 250,000.00 or more rich: It is time we stand up to this sheer stupidity. Yes, these incomes would definitely qualify you as rich in Oklahoma City or a small town in Vermont, but it is… [Read More]
EATALY: MANHATTANS NEW FOOD COURT
Yesterday I visited EATALY for the first time, the new food emporium of Mario Batali…..what an experience! The line at the front door was the reminiscent of Studio 54: who would be chic enough to get past that velvet rope from a line stretched around onto 5th Avenue? I had to negotiate hard, explaining a… [Read More]
WHAT'S REPORTED HAS ALREADY HAPPENED
In this morning’s Wall Street Journal, an interesting article talks about the timeliness of real estate data. We have been talking about this for years…. “We have repeatedly cautioned anyone to use real estate quarterly reports to get the best gauge of what is really happening in the markets right now,” says leonard Steinberg of… [Read More]
MAJOR MANHATTAN SKYLINE CHANGES COMING?
It is now certain that within the next 10 years, the Manhattan skyline will look very different. Plans for a spate of significant high rise buildings appear to be moving forward now as the economy slowly un-locks. Developers are readying two residential towers that will rise above most of Midtown. The massive mixed-use development planned… [Read More]
BIRTH RATE DIPS, GDP DIPS, DOW DIPS, CONFIDENCE DIPS…
The USA may indeed be following another European trend: The birth rate has dipped due to the recession according to a report on Yahoo news. This is an alarming trend: While reducing population that may require welfare, it is usually the more educated , wealthier citizens who cut back on family size thus reducing the… [Read More]
HOUSE SWAP, ECONOMY-BOOSTER STYLE?
The economy is experiencing a unique problem: unemployed people who are able to find good jobs in alternative cities are unable to take the jobs as they cannot sell their homes as many mortgages are worth more than the homes in this current market. Why not introduce a NATIONAL HOUSE-TRADE BANK/DATA BASE, whereby someone could… [Read More]
WE SAY TO BALDUCCI’S: GO WEST!
In CRAIN’s it is reported that Balducci’s is seeking to return to Manhattan, searching for a 10,000sf flagship store as well as some smaller outposts. We say: HEAD WEST! The area in far West Chelsea around the Highline Park desperately needs a Balducci’s. “We think the perfect location would be at the corner of 23rd… [Read More]
HOME SIZE DEFLATION?
According to a report on CNNMoney, the American home is shrinking. Toll the bell for the McMansion. After years of growth, the Census Bureau recently reported that median new home size fell to 2,135 square feet in 2009 after peaking at more than 2,300 earlier in the decade. That is a significant drop….almost 7%! “As… [Read More]