SUBURBANIZED CITY

Posted by Leonard Steinberg, president of COMPASS, on March 14th, 2015 Traditionally, couples who lived in New York City migrated to the suburbs, or at least to the Upper East Side, to raise a family. This has changed drastically over the past decade. With the gentrification of Downtown neighborhoods, schools, parks, services, amenities and property… [Read More]

SEEN FROM THE WINDOW OF 146 WAVERLY PLACE.

Posted by Leonard Steinberg of URBAN COMPASS on September 14th 2014 As you peer out of the window of 146 Waverly Place, the remarkable townhouse being renovated to perfection, designed by architect Wayne Turett, you catch a glimpse of the property at 27 Christopher Street a few doors away that just traded hands for $45… [Read More]

150 CHARLES STREET: HALF A BILLION IN SALES IN 4 WEEKS

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 16th, 2013 The New York Times ran an article for this weekend’s REAL ESTATE section talking about the ‘Downtown Spring awakening’:  150 Charles Street, the Witkoff Group developed, CookFox-designed building in the West Village achieved over HALF A BILLION in sales in 4 weeks, certainly a record for New… [Read More]

GREENWICH VILLAGE: THE GILDED GHETTO?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on September 5th, 2012 This month Vanity Fair termed Greenwich Village the “GILDED GHETTO”:  is this the appropriate description of the neighborhood everyone, including foreigners, Uptowners and Downtowner’s, agree is the ultimate New York living environment? The area’s unique combination of (guaranteed) low lying buildings that provide the best light in… [Read More]

ANOTHER WEST VILLAGE MEGA-MANSION?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 15th, 2012 We have heard that a contract has been signed on the building at Washington and Charles Street? Will this become the next Gottesman/Bass-style mega mansion that has infiltrated the area and made the West Village the best location downtown….by far?

ST.VINCENT’S GREENWICH VILLAGE CONSTRUCTION SITE MESS

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on June 14th, 2012 While I am thrilled that the Rudin’s have started construction on the old St. Vincent’s Hospital site in Greenwich Village, converting and re-building to create high end condominiums, I am somewhat outraged that their builder thinks its OK to stop all the traffic on Seventh Avenue so… [Read More]

SEX AND THE CITY HOUSE RE-SELLS: IMPORTANT TOWNHOUSE MESSAGE?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on April 24th, s012 The 64 Perry Street house noted for its appearance on ‘Sex and the City’ has re-sold (after the original buyers won an intense bidding war 6 months earlier) for $ 9.85million. The house had traded above the asking price 6 months ago (and again it traded this… [Read More]

THE MEGA-MANSION RISES AGAIN….EVEN IN NEW YORK

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on February 11th, 2012 While the Occupy Wall Street movement exposed the deep divide between the 1% and the 99%, bonuses dropped sharply even for some of the wealthiest and President Obama announced a new budget that includes raised taxes on the wealthy, the super-wealthy have been building some exceptionally large houses around the… [Read More]

NEW WHITNEY MUSEUM TO BRING AT LEAST 300,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on December 6th, 2011 The opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville Arkansas reminded me of the power a strong art museum has in attracting the crowds…. The Whitney Museum currently attracts 300,000 visitors annually to its uptown location. When the new Whitney opens on the West Side… [Read More]

SUPER CITIES – THE ‘VIRTUAL CONTINENT"

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on June 4th, 2011 A dislocation between a few  “super cities” is emerging, where international money moves markets, and national counterparts that are still closely linked to economic inertia. In to-day’s Financial Times it is reported that a separation has become marked over the past two years, with strong price growth in some major… [Read More]