Urban Legend: Why Times Square (Still) Matters

“Whether an urban dream or an urban nightmare, Times Square is the city made manifest.”

Read the Full Article here: http://observer.com/2016/02/times-square-at-a-crossroads/

Muhammad Yunis on the future and how to change the world

“We’re in a moment of tremendous change – not linear but exponential – and we need to bring our society through a transition process to one of more evenly distributed wealth and power. This is summed up in my three focus areas that are foundational to everything else: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions. ”

Read the interview with him @HuffingtonPost here.

Historic Hotel Chelsea on the Market

The Hotel Chelsea, once home to playwrights Arthur Miller and Thomas Wolfe, is up for sale.

When it was built in 1883, Hotel Chelsea was the first co-op apartment building in New York City, and the building served as both a 101-unit co-op and 125-room hotel. Throughout its history, it has housed musicians like Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, and it was also infamous for the death of Dylan Thomas and the stabbing of Nancy Spungen allegedly by her boyfriend Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols.

Hotel Chelsea shareholder and board member Paul Brounstein told the Associated Press, “It is time to let a new owner, with perhaps some new innovative ideas and resources, to re-energise and revitalize the Chelsea.”

Some residents like Tim Sullivan are anxious about the sale, warning potential buyers, “They’re going to have to deal with a hundred people who have lived here 30 years, and we don’t take too lightly to, you know, turning it into a McDonald’s.” Other residents like David Linter aren’t as worried. When asked how he felt about potential changes, Linter shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I’m sure that’ll affect me, but that’s okay by me. I don’t mind being affected by things. I just go with it, you know? I’m a ‘60s guy. I go with the flow.”

To take a look inside the Hotel Chelsea, check out the Associated Press’ video and interviews with residents at http://www.smh.com.au/world/remembered-well-chelsea-is-now-for-sale-20101021-16vyg.html?autostart=1, and read more about the Hotel Chelsea’s history on the building’s website at http://www.hotelchelsea.com/history.php. Also, you can check out other residential buildings in Chelsea at Neighborhood NYC at http://neighborhoodnyc.com/category/chelsea/.

New York’s Best Trick-or-Treating Neighborhoods

New York City can be a really fun place for adults to party on Halloween, but trick-or-treating for families can get a little tricky. Some neighborhoods and buildings make more of an effort to welcome trick-or-treaters, and it is important for parents to know these neighborhoods ahead of time so they don’t waste time and the kids have good memories (and a bag full of candy) at the end of the night.

Mommy Poppins, a fantastic website for New York parents, has experience with New York Halloweens, and they have trick-or-treating spots all over the city from Chelsea to the Upper West Side and out to Brooklyn and Queens. We couldn’t do a better job than they did, so we encourage our parent readers out there to check out their Halloween neighborhood list at http://mommypoppins.com/ny-kids/keeping-the-magic-in-halloween-for-kids-in-nyc.

For our readers that don’t have kids or don’t want to go trick-or-treating, never fear. This week, Neighborhood NYC will be featuring the best Halloween events in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and believe us when we say that Neighborhood NYC’s Halloween coverage will have something for everyone.

Check out Mommy Poppins, and comment below with your favorite spots to trick-or-treat in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn!

Justin Timberlake: Oscar Buzz + New Penthouse = Best Week Ever

The past few weeks have been an exciting time for actor/singer Justin Timberlake. His performance in The Social Network is garnering Oscar buzz, and he is rumored to be selling his loft in Tribeca and picking up a new penthouse in SoHo.

Timberlake purchased his 3 bed/3 bath loft only two years ago. Located at 414 Washington Street, he is currently within walking distance from St. John’s Park, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in Tribeca, and the Hudson River Greenway. According to reports, Timberlake will be moving to the SoHo Mews.

Whether this move is real or not, it is sure to shake up the paparazzi for a little while, and Timberlake’s fans will be flocking to SoHo, hoping to see the famous singer/actor out and about.

Go to http://neighborhoodnyc.com/category/soho/ to check out other residential buildings in the SoHo area, and go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/06/justin-timberlake-moving-_n_752558.html#s151317 to see pictures of Timberlake’s Tribeca apartment.

From the Strange World of Real Estate…

Real estate agent Brad J. Lamb has been seen on HGTV’s Big City Broker, but he has been getting more publicity as of late for a bizarre poster ad for his business.

Playing off of his last name Lamb, his head is photoshopped onto a lamb’s body, and he is shown with his “team of experts,” which I guess are the four other normal lambs in the ad. Online, his ads have been called “totally creepy,” and some have suggested that Brad Lamb “needs help.”

What do you think? Is Brad Lamb’s campaign funny or creepy? Will it attract new customers or scare them away? Comment below and let us know what you think!

Derek Jeter’s $20 Million Apartment for Sale

There have been rumors about Derek Jeter proposing to girlfriend Minka Kelly, and with Jeter putting his apartment on the market, those rumors are looking more likely.

Jeter has been living in his 4 bedroom, 5.5 bath penthouse apartment at Trump World Tower since 2001. He originally purchased the apartment for $12.6 million, and it comes with a chef’s eat-in kitchen, dining room, den, and living room with fireplace.

To see pictures inside the apartment, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/09/derek-jeter-lists-apartme_n_710534.html, and check out other apartments in Midtown East at Neighborhood NYC at http://neighborhoodnyc.com/category/midtown-east/.

Renter’s Rights: Getting Out of a Lease

Finding and moving into a new apartment takes a lot of work, time, and money. It is supremely frustrating when after all this hassle the new apartment has all sorts of problems, especially after paying a security deposit, first month’s rent, and fees to a broker.

In this week’s Apartment Guru, Bitten and Burned paid out a sizable amount of money for her new apartment, but when she went to move, she discovered that the apartment has a flea infestation and severe water damage in the kitchen. Instead of moving in, she took pictures of the apartment and then compared them to the pictures of the apartment when she went to see it with her husband.

Go to http://wwfefw.rentedspaces.com/2010/09/03/how-to-get-out-of-the-lease-for-a-flea-bitten-water-damaged-apa/ to read Apartment Guru’s advice, and go to Neighborhood NYC at http://www.neighborhoodnyc.com to find your next home.

NY1 Teaches Buyers and Sellers How to Counteroffer

Rented Spaces, The Real Deal, and NY Curbed get a lot of attention on our blog, but we wanted to point out a great news story put together by NY1.

When purchasing or selling an apartment, it can be difficult sometimes to know when you are asking too much or not enough and when to say yes to an offer. NY1’s video and written news story walks buyers and sellers through the negotiation process and offers advice to both sides on reaching a fair deal that will leave everyone satisfied.

To read the full story, go to http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/real_estate/. Also, you can read about residential buildings on our informational website Neighborhood NYC at http://www.neighborhoodnyc.com.

Trend: The Real Estate Entourage

A recent trend at bridal shops is a suggested limit on the bride’s entourage because having too many voices and opinions can be overwhelming. Lately, many New York City real estate agents wish that they could put a similar limit on their clients’ entourage as folks are bringing their parents, friends, decorators, and casual acquaintances before deciding on an apartment.

Last month, New York Magazine covered this trend in their article Just One More Look. They interviewed Jeffrey Schleider of Miron Properties and Adriano Hultmann of Prudential Douglas Elliman, both of whom have experienced wishy-washy buyers.

Schleider tells New York Magazine, “I had one person come back three additional times. First he came with his mother, then a girlfriend and co-worker, and then an interior design and a painter. This is all before putting together a number.” The most frustrating part was that after all this work and time, the client decided not to buy the apartment.

Why are clients feeling more comfortable taking their time? Schleider thinks that the poor economy is a major factor. Buyers want to be more cautious with their investments, so they want confirmation that they are making the right decision from lots of people who have their best interests at heart. Schleider explains, “They want to make sure that if they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it right.

To read more about this trend, check out New York Magazine’s full article at http://nymag.com/realestate/realestatecolumn/67486/.