manhattan: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! - 11/22/07 08:39 AM
Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and colleagues in the rain and to all my consumer readers and clients.
Manhattan this time of year is particularly beautiful and there are many fun things to do this time of year.
Tis the Season!
Below are some recent pictures around town. 
The first picture was just taken this evening (Thanksgiving Eve). It is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ballons lined up on the ground on West 81st Street and Central Park West. They are ready to take off in the morning down Central Park West around Columbus Circle down Broadway to Macy's on 34th Street.
The Next picture is of ice … (28 comments)

manhattan: Good News for Manhattan: High Salaries and Low Property Taxes - 11/21/07 04:08 AM
Two recent national studies report more good news for Manhattan. A national salary survery from the bureau of labor statistics just released and a national property tax study from The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research report were reported by Rueters in The NY Post. 
Manhattan Salaries Highest in the country:
Equivalent to nearly $147,000 per year, average weekly pay for Manhattan residents of $2,821 is up 16.7 percent from the same period of 2006, maintaining its spot as the wealthiest county in the United States.
Nationally, the average rise was 5.1 percent to $885 per week, or $46,000 per year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
(2 comments)

manhattan: Hillary's 60th Birthday at the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side - 10/29/07 03:18 AM
While former NYC Mayor and new Red Sox fan Rudy Giuliani is getting Bronx cheers all the way to Brooklyn along with tabloid headlines: "TRAITOR" Daily News "RED COAT" NY Post ...
Hillary Clinton celebrated her 60th Birthday to a packed house at the landmark Beacon Theatre on Manhattan's Upper West Side Thursday night.

The celebration was hosted by Billy Crystal with entertainment by the Wallflowers and Elvis Costello.
 
The lead singer of the Wallflowers Jakob Dylan is Bob Dylan's youngest son.
 

 
Chelsea and Bill Clinton celebrated Hillary's 60th Birthday on stage.
Elvis Costello and the Wallflowers … (18 comments)

manhattan: Halloween Celebration for Young, Old and In Between New Yorkers - 10/20/07 05:45 AM
HALLOWEEN in MANHATTAN                                                                        
THE NEW MEL BROOKS BROADWAY MUSICAL YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN:
 
Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is the hot ticket on Broadway this fall. The production stars Roger Bart (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Megan Mullally (Elizabeth), Sutton Foster (Inga), Shuler Hensley (The Monster), Fred Applegate (Kemp) and Christopher Fitzgerald (Igor).
If you can get a ticket, what a great way to celebrate Halloween! The new Broadway musical Young Frankenstein is at The Hilton Theatre on 42nd Street.  If you're lucky enough to get tickets here you will enjoy it. I saw it last week in previews -  It is Fabulous!
Based on the hit 1974 film the show's score includes … (4 comments)

manhattan: A GREENER, GREATER NEW YORK - Blog Action Day - 10/15/07 07:14 AM
On Earth Day, Mayor Bloomberg outlined PlaNYC, a series of 127 proposals aimed at helping New York meet the challenges of adding nearly one million people to the City's population between now and 2030, while at the same time reducing the City's greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.
Lower Manhattan has already gone green. The Solaire, located at the north end of Battery Park City built in 2003 is the nation's first "green" residential highrise.
Green features include: Advanced central air-filtration system; In-building air quality monitoring system; Carbon monoxide monitoring in parking garage; Central water-filtration system for entire building; Energy conserving designed … (21 comments)

manhattan: Happy Fall: Manhattan Real Estate: Business As Usual? - 09/05/07 03:29 AM
It has been a very busy year and summer. The busiest August I can remember. Manhattan has been very fortunate this year compared to the rest of the country.
Our market continues to be very strong. While most of the country has been down 20% we've been up 20% Can it continue? I'm cautiously optimistic. Is Manhattan really an island?The fall out from the sub prime mortgage meltdown during the last several weeks is now affecting the  mortgage, credit and financial services industries. The stock market has been volatile the feds added liquidity to the markets and lowered the prime rate. What … (8 comments)

manhattan: Wachovia Upper West Side: Co-op Equity - 08/20/07 07:16 AM
Back in July I wrote a post "Say NO to DRUGS" Store Chains when I discovered that on the block between west 87th and west 88th Street on the west side of Broadway a new Walgreens Drug store is coming.
I live between 86th and 87th on Broadway. I first discovered something going on when I went to have dinner at The Malaysia Grill a restaurant at my corner and found out they were closing going out of business. The next morning I went to the Korean Grocer that had been there for many years, the place was gutted and the family that owned the store was … (2 comments)

manhattan: What you get for $225,000 in Manhattan: A parking space If you're lucky! - 07/15/07 03:53 AM
In many markets throughout the country $225,000 gets you a three bedroom house with perhaps a nice back yard.
There have been many new developments in Manhattan the last several years. Many do not have garages which can be a deal breaker for some new condo buyers.
Many buildings that do have garages usually have an outside vendor running the garage and anyone can rent a spot if they are available. A parking spot can cost any where from $350 to $600/month or more depending on the location. Some coops own garages and the spaces are for residents only.
New York Towers … (16 comments)

manhattan: New Condo Kitchens and Baths: What's Hot and What's Not - 07/13/07 02:26 AM
Luxury condos going up throughout the city, the latest trend is subtelty. Large spaces with quiet, subtle luxury is being seen in the newer condo projects.
Designers are creating kitchens that conceal major appliances. Flaunting appliances such as the Sub-Zero, the Viking, the Wolf are out. Today many buyers are looking for kitchens to be more sleek and concealed they don't want to see appliances anymore.
 
Many of the new condos are featuring kitchens that look like a built -in-piece of furniture; dishwashers are covered, refrigerators are covered.
Instead of traditional ovens, many condos have flat, sleek oven tops. Sleek (and often smaller) appliances … (10 comments)

manhattan: "SAY NO TO DRUGS" Store Chains - 07/03/07 01:35 AM
"Don't it always seem to go that you dont know what you've got til it's gone....
They paved Paradise and they put up a Duane Reade Walgreens
 (Joni Mitchell -Big Yellow Taxi - 1970)
The other night I called The Malaysia Grill a restaurant at my corner for dinner they told me they were closing. This morning I went to my local Korean produce grocery store right next to The Malaysia Grill where I have been going for at least the past 10 years and the place was gutted.
The Korean family that owns the place were packing up. I asked what happened even though … (25 comments)

manhattan: Coop Rights Bill: Update - 06/27/07 09:15 AM
The NY Sun reported about the bill that would affect coop boards that has long been stalled is now getting support from law professors.The proposed law would require coops boards to put in writing their reason for rejecting a purchaser applicant from their coop. There is still opposition saying the law goes to far. I was quoted in the article.They called me about the board interview process and how I prepare a buyer for the interview.It's best to really keep your mouth shut, only answer questions, and not elaborate on things," a broker with Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy, Mitchell Hall, said. … (3 comments)

manhattan: Hot Town, Summer in the City - 06/27/07 09:09 AM
Summer is here and the Manhattan Residential market has not cooled down. Sales activity remains strong, especially among the priciest properties reports The Real Deal.While new condos hit the market, co-ops are in short supply. Listing inventory is up, but less than last year and the upper end of the market is thriving.On May 15th I posted the REBNY Residential city wide sales report that reported a 23% increase in apartment sale prices in NYC for the 1st quarter of 07 compared to 06. According to the REBNY report the average first quarter sale price rose to $1,107,000 in Manhattan.Jonathan Miller, … (4 comments)

manhattan: In the Zone: Manhattan Congestion Boundaries - 06/26/07 11:17 AM
Traffic and parking in Manhattan is a major issue. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has a plan to charge motorists to drive below 86th Street in Manhattan.If approved, many real estate brokers are already saying it may do more than simply reduce traffic, noise and pollution in the Manhattan business districts. They are saying that it could add an extra sense of exclusivity to what is already some of the most expensive residential real estate in the country.Mayor Bloomberg's plan for what he calls "congestion pricing" would impose fees of up to $8 a day for cars and $21 a day for … (2 comments)

manhattan: Grand Central Terminal: Restored, Rejuvinated and still Spectacular! - 06/16/07 04:26 AM
 1871 Originally Grand Central Depot Reborn "Grand Central Station"
Constructed of glass and steel, it rivaled the Eiffel Tower and Crystal Palace as one of the most dramatic engineering achievement of the 19th century. When the steam locomotive era ended the existing station was demolished to create a new double level terminal for electric trains.
Re built "Grand Central Terminal"
In 1913 Grand Central Terminal opened and became an anchor for the real estate development in the midtown Manhattan neighborhood.
During the 1920's, hotels and apartment buildings began to rise on Park Avenue, skyscrapers simultaneously were erected along East 42nd Street. On Lexington Avenue, the Hotel Commodore opened  and the … (20 comments)

manhattan: Upper West Side Residential Update: - 06/15/07 03:26 AM
UWS News: Rezoning Battle
The Department of City Planning is proposing the first comprehensive rezoning of the Upper West Side in almost 50 years. The battle mostly started by the Ariel Condominiums - two 30 plus story towers currently rising on Broadway between 99th and 100th streets. The buildings have led to some neighborhood opposition because of their height. The rezoning calls for height limits on new construction that would see most future developments rise less than half the height of Ariel Towers, the New York Sun and The Real Deal reported.
In my Morningside Heights Market Report there is more information … (0 comments)

manhattan: New Residential Developments: West Chelsea - 06/11/07 04:55 PM
 Chelsea New Construction update:
175 Ninth Avenue (No condo towers for Seminary)
The General Theological Seminary has reversed course on a plan to build a 15- story condominium tower on its campus after news of the plan met with fierce community opposition as reported in the NY Sun. The seminary wanted to build a 151-foot tower to generate $21 million in revenue for renovation of its existing 19th century buildings. Community activists charged the tower would have been out of place in the neighborhood. Officials are now presenting a plan for a seven-story mixed-use residential building.
IMHO tax exempt landmark churches have no business … (6 comments)

manhattan: Welcome Fleet Week to New York City - 05/23/07 11:07 AM
Thousands of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and international navy ships will participate in Fleet Week NYC this week.
Seven ships sailed up the Hudson River this morning to moorings in Manhattan and Staten Island. All, ships paid honor to the world trade center site by calling  for a hand salute of all sailors topside as the ships passed the site.

Hosted every year Memorial Day week, Fleet Week New York is the City's celebration of the sea services. This annual event also provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding … (7 comments)

manhattan: 1st REBNY Five Borough NYC Residential Market Report - 05/15/07 10:41 AM
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 … (8 comments)

manhattan: REBNY to launch ResidentialNYC.com in September - 05/10/07 02:56 AM

 
REBNY  to Launch ResidentialNYC.com in September
 
 
A new web portal for REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) members to market exclusive listings directly to the public will be launched in September. According to REBNY the purpose is to drive consumer traffic directly to the broker.
Inclusion in this new venture is being offered exclusively to REBNY Listing Service (RLS) firms at a cost and is voluntary.  REBNY will be aggressively marketing ResidentailNYC.com to the public.
I first wrote about this in a blog back in November Web portal for public still no MLS for Brokers when it was first announced by REBNY. … (7 comments)

manhattan: Manhattan Residential Architecture: From Townhouses to Apartments - 05/06/07 02:25 AM
Manhattan Residential Architecture from the 19th Century to the 21st Century:
New Yorkers lived in townhouses during the 19th century.
 19th Century Single Family Townhouses were made of Brownstone and Limestone.
 
The luxury apartment house was actually invented in New York in the late 19th century. Upper-class New Yorkers lived in townhouses and single-family mansions during the 19th century. By 1930, 90% percent of Manhattanites lived in apartments. To lure potential tenants, developers borrowed the word "apartment" from the French to make the new buildings sound more fashionable. The word and the lifestyle stuck.
In 1890 The Dakota was the first luxury apartment building … (6 comments)

 
Mitchell J Hall, Lic Associate RE Broker - Manhattan & Brooklyn

Mitchell J Hall

Lic Associate RE Broker - Manhattan & Brooklyn

Manhattan, NY

More about me…

Address: New York, NY, 10024

Office: 212-877-6268

Mobile: (917) 312-0924



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