Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 30th, 2011 OIl companies scream DRILL BABY DRILL, as it will be good for the USA, create jobs, generate tax revenues, yet Transocean denounces their USA ownership status, moves to Switzerland, and avoids $ 2 billion in taxes. 35% corporate tax rates are amongst the highest in the world,… [Read More]
MANHATTAN: WIND CITY vs. NUCLEAR CITY
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 29, 2011 Living on the river’s edge has exposed me to how much wind New York City experiences: The other day as I turned the corner onto the West Side Highway, I leaned my full body weight into the wind to propel myself forwards. Thats quite a lot of… [Read More]
THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF EVERYTHING, INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT
\ Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 26, 2011 With the events unfolding in the Middle East indicating a significant shift in the power of the people to alter things around them through their access to communications that are not easily controlled by governments and those in power, I started to think on how here… [Read More]
LUX-CRITIQUE: The proposed addition to Chelsea Market
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 26, 2011 This is our first critique of a building…..Last week Jamestown Properties made a presentation to Community Board 4 showcasing the proposed addition to the rooftop of Chelsea Market which involved an additional 90,000sf for a boutique hotel and about 250,000sf for office space. While I think it is… [Read More]
OVERHEARD IN THE MARKET…THE BILLIONAIRE BUYER IS BACK!
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 23, 2011 Overheard tonight at a little gathering in a swell penthouse overlooking all of Manhattan, amidst dramatic lightening and ice/hail….A 3-unit combination apartment st THE PLAZA has gone to contract for around $ 48million….and a rather swell pad at TIME WARNER has gone to contract for around $… [Read More]
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS: I WAS WRONG!
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 20, 2011 For years I said the upscale Manhattan crowd would never travel ALL THE WAY to Brooklyn to live in what are arguably neighborhoods as refined and desirable as the West Village, Tribeca and the Upper East Side: I was wrong. About 3 years ago, a friend of… [Read More]
ALL ABOUT OIL….
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 19, 2011 As we witness fighter jets over Libya, again we are asked why are we so horribly dependent on foreign oil? What forces exist that bind us to this commodity that allows monster-thugs like Gaddafi to affect the welfare of the entire globe? Lets face it, if Gaddafi… [Read More]
HOME OWNERSHIP STILL HIGHLY DESIRABLE
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 19, 2011 A new survey reveals that 70 percent of Americans would advise friends and family to buy a house, Thomas Wilson, CEO and chairman of the insurance company Allstate Corporation, told CNBC Friday. “The underlying demand for houses has not changed, despite the fact that consumers are more conservative… [Read More]
2007 RETURNS?
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 18, 2011 The number of millionaires is almost at the level of those in 2007 reports the Wall Street Journal to-day. Bidding wars are back. There is a shortage of un-affordable housing. Kelly bags are wait listed at Hermes. Manhattan luxury pricing is breaking some records on even some… [Read More]
SOME LESSONS FROM JAPAN
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on March 16, 2011. In the wake of the horrible tragedy unfolding in Japan, there are lessons that can be learned, although nothing can really fully prepare you for the a natural disaster as mammoth as this one. Here are some thoughts: 1) How amazing is the resilience and tone… [Read More]