Yesterday, the sun came out, and we took a walk up 5th Avenue to a favorite old haunt of mine, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  When I lived here, my fifth floor walk-up apartment was in a run-down brownstone around the corner, and I visited the place often. The Met is an amazing place, with the Rembrandts, Goyas, Miros and paintings that you would have to spend days to really see and appreciate.  There is also an impressive collection of Egyptian art and sculpture, Greek and Roman, Renaissance and Baroque - then you get to the home decor and fashion sections, and you gotta go "Wow!"  But there is one section of the Met that is an absolute must if you ever visit New York with a child.  Since I went with a big kid, we had to stop by the hall with all of the medieval armour. It's a whole ... 11/16/2007

It seems to be a common thread my generation to ask "Where were you on September 11th, 2001?" For generations such as my parents and their parents it used to be "Where were you the day that JFK was shot?" or "Where were you when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor?" Some people these days feel that we should just brush the "dust" of 9/11 under the rug and quickly move on as if nothing had ever happened.  Maybe it's because the wounds are still just too surreal even though it's been almost 6 years since that beautiful September day on the southern tip of Manhattan.  I've heard people say "Oh just move on already." I happen to live by a different motto "NEVER FORGET."  But just in case you have forgotten click here and view this very eye opening account of the events in still images repres... 09/09/2007

Yesterday I posted My Memories From 2001 and told you it would be continued...Here are my memories of the Memorial in 2002 at Ground Zero. July of 2002, I called my mom and begged her to come to Upstate NY. I told her I wanted to spend my birthday at Ground Zero at the 9/11 Memorial. She could fly into Albany and we would drive down to NYC the day before and get a hotel room. She said yes, she would come.September 10, 2002 Mom and I arrived in NYC and met a co-worker-friend of hers at our hotel. We walked to the garment district and went shopping. This firetruck was the first sign of the events from the year before that we saw. The morning of September 11, 2002 we awoke at 4AM to make sure we would get a good spot at Ground Zero for the Memorial. We arrived at the subway station along w... 09/05/2007

If you are familiar with Ground Zero in the city of New York, then you know that hundreds of people visit this site to pay homage to the bravery of the people who we lost on 9/11.David Rockwell headed the group of designers and architests who designed the Ground Zero Platform. Kurt Andersen, a journalist, interviews David Rockwell about the quiet, dignified and powerful memorial that was designed by a group of architects and designers.  In this 25-minute emotionall charged interview, he recounts the process of designing and constructing the platform. This moving interview will teach us to appreciate the creative caring minds of the designers in our midst: architects, interior designers, stagers...  David Rockwell discusses the concepts, ideas, feelings and dialogue behind the platform. ... 07/19/2007

  No matter where you choose to live in New York City, living here is like no other place in the world. New York City offers Broadway, entertainment, world class museums and art galleries, fashion, shopping, restaurants, finance, diverse and interesting neighborhoods, sports, Central Park and so much more.No matter what you're looking for, you'll find it in New York City. Learn more below about the Manhattan neighborhood you want to live in. Should you have any questions about living in any of these neighborhoods, please feel free to contact me and I will be delighted to assist you.Battery Park City Lying on the southern tip of Manhattan, Battery Park City offers expansive greenery, tree-lined streets and spectacular water views. The quiet calm of this self-contained neighborhood feels ... 07/08/2007

According to the National Association of Realtors, 98% of real estate agents sell homes and close deals. Only 2% of all For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) sell on their own.Home owners know their homes, thus the idea "we can sell it ourselves and save the commission." But what do sellers really save?And for buyers, the idea of viewing apartments on their own and making an offer is a breeze. How breezy is it when the seller isn't flexible or there are complications?When you hire a real estate agent to sell your home or represent you in purchasing a home, you get a lot.Real estate agents are thoroughly trained and experienced. You might think you know a lot about real estate, but wouldn't you rather have a person who knows more than you do when selling homes and making that important decision to ... 07/07/2007

  The average sale price for Manhattan apartments set a new record in the second quarter, reaching $1,300,212. This figure was 7% higher than a year ago. The median price also reached a new high, and at $840,000 was up 11% from the second quarter of 2006.Demand for apartments has surged over the past few months, indicated in the 31% increase in the number of closed deals in the second quarter of 2007 from a year ago. At the same time, the supply of available apartments has fallen, which has led to sharp increases in prices.At $1,132,726, the average sale price for co-ops was down 10% from the second quarter of 2006. Part of this decrease is due to an 8% decline in the average size of co-ops sold during this time. One segment showing particular strength were four bedrooms and larger coop... 07/07/2007

FREE CMAWould you like to identify your market value of your home compares with others in the same neighborhood, price range, amenities and layout? Would you like to receive a FREE COMPARATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS (CMA) REPORT? Simply click the following link FREE CMA  and send us an inquiry. Remember that a truly practical CMA always involves an assessment of the property by a real estate professional. This is due to the fact that every property value is affected by a "perceived" value which requires visual inspection 07/02/2007

Last August, a state law went into effect allowing the city to make co-op sale prices available to the public. I wrote a blog about the new transparency Coops sale prices public record. I've also wriiten several times about ACRIS the city's Automated City Record Information System. While it is great that the information is public it is difficult to use and understand by most non real estate professionals. First you need to know the block and lot number for records you are looking to locate once you find the record it only has a sale price and does not give any information as to the size of the apartment or the room count for coops. It does give square footage for condos but condo sales have always been public. A page on the Web site of the city's Department of Finance - under the "Recen... 06/02/2007

FIRST-EVER CITYWIDE SURVEY TO LEARN ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS More Than 1.8 Million Parents, Teachers, and Students were sent surveys this month to Weigh In On Schools' Performance and Environment. Each school is going to be graded and the surveys are being factored in to each schools progress report. "For any successful organization, finding out what customers and users think works - or needs work - is key to improvement," said Mayor Bloomberg. Bloomberg along with his appointment of Chancelor Joel Klein has already made changes to the school system and has improved the schools dramatically.  About 1.8 million people have received one of these questionnaires - a population as big as the entire city of Philadelphia. This is the most extensive effort in the history of American education to so... 05/31/2007

(photo Edward Reed) Mayor Bloomberg: Taxi Fleet to Be Fully Hybrid by 2012 PlaNYC Goal for Greener Taxis Will Reduce Emissions from Cabs By 50% in the Next DecadeYahoo! Donates 10 Hybrid Taxis Which Will Replace Existing Gas-only Powered Cabs Mayor Bloomberg announced the other day as part of PlaNYC, the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) will implement new emissions and mileage standards for yellow taxicabs that will lead to a fully hybrid fleet by 2012 The largest, cleanest fleet of taxis on the planet. The new standards will be phased in over a four-year period and will reduce the carbon emissions of New York City's taxicab and for-hire vehicle fleet by 50% during the next decade, and will also save individual operators an average of $10,000 a year in fuel costs. Read the press release 05/27/2007

REBNY Issues  New York City Wide Five-Bourough Residential Sales Report In a five-borough residential report released by the Real Estate Board of New York, the average price of an apartment jumped 23 percent, while each borough recorded a higher average price for one- to three-family dwellings in the last 12 months. According to the quarterly report, the average price for New York City apartments rose 23 percent, to $745,000, in the first quarter of 2007, compared to a year earlier, while the median price for city units rose 20 percent, to $450,000. At $1,107,000, Manhattan had the highest average, with Brooklyn second, at $441,000, and Queens third, at $257,000. In the one- to three-family category, with a significant number outside Manhattan, the average price increased 7 percent, to ... 05/15/2007

As technology steamrolls ahead, new barriers are being broken.  Each day professionals in every field are experimenting with new applications and techniques that claim to make life easier.  With "transparency" being the buzz word of '07, seasoned real estate professionals continue to test the waters and see what marketing techniques are most effective.While I have been involved in real estate video productions for nearly 3 years, I am an absolute newbie on Active Rain.  So, my question(s) for any of you AR pros out there is...do podcasts and vidcasts work?Are they just to wow a seller, ("yes sir, we are going to setup a vidcast of your home, to be distributed internationally") or do they create actual leads? As an agent or broker, would you offer this to your client or is it a waste of ... 04/29/2007

Why rent when you MAY be able to own a home.  Free seminar in New York City.  Find out HOW to determine where you stand financially with regards to owning a HOME.  Perhaps you need not rent.  Think about the freedom of home ownership.  The seminar is free. You only need to provide your time.  It will be well worth listening and understanding the process. ** SEMINARIO GRATIS DE COMPRAR CASA ** •Ø       ¿ESTA USTED CANSADO DE ALQUILAR?•Ø       ¿HA TRATADO DE COMPRAR UNA CASA?•Ø       ¿SABE USTED SU PUNTO DE CREDITO?       · COMPRANDO UNA CASA ES MAS FACIL QUE USTED PIENSA   · APRENDA COMO LEER SU REPORTE DE CREDITO   · OBTENGA LA INFORMACION DE OBTENER UN PRESTAMO                 *  CUANDO:    26 DE ENERO, 2007                                *  LUGAR:       NEW YORK BILINGUAL INSTITUTE   ... 01/09/2007

is athttp://thehamptons.wordpress.com/see you there!Michael 12/30/2006

 As a home owner looking to sell, price will ultimately determine how long your house will stay on the market; this is one of the most important decisions you will make when selling.     A home priced too high can result in buyers who don’t come back for a second showing, or even worse will not come at all.  This is especially true because buyers are becoming more diligent in educating themselves on the neighborhoods they’re interested in, and will recognize a home that is priced to high.  Not to mention all of the missed sales opportunities while doing your price adjustments, even if you drop the price later, it may be to late to attract the buyer again.  On the other hand a price too low will leave you without a fair return on your investment.   If you live in Greater New York, this i... 09/12/2006

Today is a day, just like December 7, that will live in "infamy". On this day five years ago I was waking up for another day and went out to the living room to find my dad sitting on the couch. Not expecting to see him gave me good morning surprise. He was on the East Coast and wasn't expected to airline home until later in the day on Sept, 11 but he was able to catch an earlier flight. We started to chat but the conversation instantly turned to "I can't believe this is happening". Being groggy from just waking up, I turned to the TV and stood there for what seemed like hours watching as smoke poured from the top of tower 1. Rubbing my eyes, trying to comprehend what I was seeing took forever, 6 cups of coffee and years of trying to understand.Watching the live news about the first towe... 09/11/2006

New York City ended fiscal 2006 with a record $6.1 billion surplus from Wall Street profits and surging real estate values. Wall Street firms paid workers in the city a record $21.5 billion in bonuses in 2005. Wall Street bonuses fuel the manhattan real estate market. NYC Real estate tax collections were $1.2 billion more than anticipated, personal income tax collections exceeded estimates by $1.3 billion.Mayor Bloomberg has done a great job keeping the city fiscally strong. I wish George W. Bush had the fiscal discipline of Mike Bloomberg.When the city is strong financially so is NYC real estate. The real estate market in NYC has cooled or changed to a buyers market due to a surplus of inventory from a huge boom in new construction. The same thing happened in the late 80's and early 90... 07/26/2006