MAYOR DE BLUNDER? JANUS SNOWSTORM CLEANUP DISAPPOINTING

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on January 22nd, 2014 I have received far too many calls today about New Yorkers angry at the City, and especially Mayor De Blasio, for the dreadful post-storm clean-up: why is it that the streets of Manhattan were so poorly ploughed? A visiting Chicago resident said ‘this would never happen in Chicago’…..TODAY SHOW Al… [Read More]

DID ANYONE NOTICE….?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on January 20th, 2014. Was I the only one who noticed two extraordinary ironies this past week? 1)  Mayor de Blasio was completely silent as New York real estate taxes on condominiums were raised almost TWICE the amount of single family townhouses? A TALE OF TWO OWNERSHIPS? A $ 1,36million 644sf new condominium at… [Read More]

TALE OF TWO CITIES: CONDO TAXES RISE DOUBLE OF TOWNHOUSES!

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on January 16th, 2014 The new tax rolls came out and SHOCKINGLY the disparities are on clear display: you see, in New York City we are all unequal. Some get breaks and other have to pay for it. This is Mayor de Balsio’s TALE OF TWO CITIES, PART 2, the other… [Read More]

MAYOR DE BLASIO: THE FIRST WEEK

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on January 8th, 2014 Mayor de Blasio has been in office now for just one week: many are already saying “I told you so!” after the rather divisive and disrespectful tone of his inauguration and the disappointing snow clean-up of Manhattan that was relegated to second priority after the outer boroughs, even though… [Read More]

TALE OF TWO CITIES CONTINUES, ALTERED?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on January 4th 2014 Did you notice during the snowstorm how poorly the streets in Manhattan had been plowed? Mayor de Blasio proudly exclaimed in a press conference that Queens and Brooklyn and the outer boroughs were the focus of City snow plows: is the TALE OF TWO CITIES that he so vehemently… [Read More]

IS AIR MORE VALUABLE THAN LAND IN NEW YORK CITY?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on January 2nd, 2014 Has the air above a building become as valuable or even more valuable than the land it is built on?  It appears so…. Transferable air rights have soared in price to $500 a square foot, making them worth more than the dirt below. Donald Trump made buying air… [Read More]

A GREEN THANKSGIVING: DE BLASIO’S GREEN VISION FOR NEW YORK

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 27th, 2013 Thankfully under Mayor Bloomberg’s outstanding leadership New York City has been a shining light in green initiatives to save energy, protect the environment, and build green jobs for our economy. Bill de Blasio intends to build on that history and expand sustainability initiatives throughout the five boroughs…. [Read More]

HOUSING CONTINUES TO IMPROVE

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 26th, 2013 Housing continues to improve, and for anyone who believes housing is not the key to the welfare of the US economy, think again: Permits for future U.S. home construction hit a near 5-1/2 year-high in October and prices for single-family homes notched big gains in September, suggesting… [Read More]

MAYOR-ELECT DE BLASIO AND TAXES: THE REALITY?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 6th, 2013 Its official: Bill de Blasio is the mayor-elect of New York City. Getting elected was relatively easy, but now its down to work. He is smart enough to know that botching Bloomberg’s successes will almost certainly lead to a fiscal mess and prevent the very things that… [Read More]

NEW YORK REAL ESTATE TAX MESS EXAMPLES

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 4th, 2013 This week’s Olshan Report showcases 23 properties that went to contract in the past week over $ 4million….including a 2013 record for the penthouse at 212 West 18th Street. While the pricing of these properties may be impressive, what is even more so is the huge disparity… [Read More]