Visit High Line Section 3 during OHNY weekend 15/16 October

openhousenewyork Weekend, America's largest architect and design event, opens doors throughout New York City each October. The 9th Annual openhousenewyork Weekend will be held October 15 & 16, 2011.

Among the pages and pages of tours and programs, I discovered one that immediately caught me eye:

The High Line

W 34th St/11th & 12th Aves, Midtown

 

James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2009. The High Line, an historic elevated rail viaduct that runs through the Meatpacking District, was renovated and reopened as a public park last year. Take a tour of the still unopened portion of one of NYC’s most talked about open spaces. Subway ‣ A, C, E to 34th St–Penn Station. Bus ‣ M11, M34.

For more information visit: http://www.ohny.org/weekend/

Today is new headshot day

Happy Monday everyone.  In celebration of the back to school season upon us, I've decided to update my profile picture.  I had this head-shot taken earlier this summer to use on marketing materials.  So, here it is...now my blogger profile picture as well. 

For the rest of the story....I spent this summer with my hair piled on top of my head to beat the heat.  This past weekend it was finally a bit cooler but my hair kept blowing into my eyes, my nose, and my mouth.  So I am now seriously contemplating a shorter sassy cut for the fall.  The bottom line?  New Headshot Day may come again before the end of the year.  Stay tuned.  =)

StreetViewed!

Remember when "google" became part of our vocabulary?  You know, after meeting someone all the sudden, it was time to go home to google them?

Not long ago, another google word crossed the boundary into my own vocabulary - StreetViewed.  Well, I've always been a big user of Google maps.  I've used the 'my places' feature to visualize sales data - current listings, recent sales, development sites, etc.    I've also used StreetView to explore neighborhoods during a home search - neighborhood features, building facades, and nearby properties.

So, I've known for awhile that the unexpected can be preserved as part of the image for a particular address.  But until recently, I'd never actually seen the image capture in action.

Picture this (no pun intended):  My business partner and I were standing in front of a building for a pre-closing walk thru.   As we chatted, a little green and white car with California plates and a huge apparatus (best word I could come up with here) motored up and idled in front of the building.  It paused long enough for me to get a picture of it - and then it moved on.

My conclusion:  Being 'StreetViewed is the ultimate in candid camera!

Here's the photo I took of the StreetView car.  Now, I'm curious how often do street view images capture people taking a picture of the StreetView car itself? :)

The MTA is on Flickr - and posting updates on the 7 Train extension!

This morning, I read an update regarding the 7 train extension to 11th Avenue and 34th Street.  It was, as usual, short & informative local news from DNAinfo.  Here's the link:  Future 7 Train Station and Tunnel Revealed in Photo Tour - DNAinfo.com.  


Best fact?  The extension & station is scheduled to open in December 2013. Thats only a little more than 2 years away!


The best part of the article was the link to some very cool photos from the MTA's flickr stream (how cool is that?) showing progress.   

 

Also posted by MTA - Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access construction updates.   


I am constantly amazed by all that goes on behind the scenes, or under the ground, or tucked out of sight to create and maintain the buildings and the services for this city to be living, breathing place that it is. 

Road Rage

What do a harrowing encounter with a disgruntled NYC Yellow Cab driver and smart real estate decisions have in common?   Before yesterday, I would have never thought about it.  But, now I have.

Yesterday, I jumped into a Yellow Cab to head up Sixth Avenue to 34th Street.   As the cab zipped passed 34th Street - I asked my driver to pull over since we just past my requested stop.  The driver wanted a confrontation, and I faced a choice.  I could focus on getting this irrationally angry man to acknowledge that his rage was misdirected toward me.  To 'win' this confrontation, I would risk escalation of the berating and physically intimidation without having done anything wrong.  Or, I could exit the situation as quickly as possible and avoiding further threat to my physical safety.   

I chose to exit the situation.  My priority was my physical safety.

I saw a lesson that applies to all the decisions I make - including real estate decisions.  Focus on priorities to significantly increase the likelihood of achieving desired results.  Here's the bottom line:

• Criteria reduce the role of luck in achieving the results you want.
• Terms ensure that money is made going into a deal so the market works for you.

The Tulip Experiment: Week Three

Last Fall, my daughter and I planted bulbs as part of the Charles Street Green Team. I love tulips, and also planted a few in a container that I hoped would end up outside my window. My friend, the internet, showed me that I could put the container in the refrigerator until spring, when I could bring them outside to sprout - and hopefully bloom.

I brought them out a few weeks ago, and they have been growing on the windowsill outside my bedroom window ever since. Yes, these are later than the other tulips that have sprouted all over city this spring. Hopefully, they will appear just as I miss their spring blooms the most.

Week #3 and they are still going strong!

Not the 'Doink Doink', the 'Thu-thunk thu-thunk'

Several months back, I came home to a ConEd emergency crew working on my street. It turned out to be a gas leak that required jackhammering on the street in front of us for days to fix the leak.

Over the past two months, we heard 'thu-thunk thu-thunk' all night as cars drove over the steel plates covering the in-ground work site. Last week, I noticed fewer plates on the ground.









Today, I peered out my window and noticed that *all* the plates were gone. Now, I will need to get used to not hearing the noise. It made me think about my own assumed requirement of a garden-facing bedroom for quiet sleeping. I want to share that tip for your own search.

Real Estate Tip: When considering a move to a new home, pay attention to your routines. This will help to prioritize your requirements for features. For example, if you like to finish up a meal while guests are present, you may prefer an open concept floor plan.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monkey Bread: A super-sweet end to food as art at David Burke Kitchen

Scene: Friday night. David Burke Kitchen. Fabulous meal, from beginning to end. Food as art. Then the dessert menu is handed out. 

I glanced down the list, and saw ..... Monkey Bread.


I know Monkey Bread as fair food from county grange fairs in Pennsylvania. It was one of the yummy gooey treats in the same category as funnel cake. It is a cousin of the Grilled Stickies from Penn State too.  

Do you see that tin of ooey goodness?  It was DELISH!

Conclusion:  David Burke Kitchen is definitely worth a visit

The Gilsey Hotel - Spacious Lofts, Emerging Neighborhood, Historic Preservation

Today, I walked through the Flower District to Broadway. I happened upon the Gilsey House, a landmark building at 1200 Broadway that was converted from a hotel to a cooperative in the 1980s.

I viewed one of the apartments in this building last year and found it spacious, interesting, and beautiful. I vividly remember two details about the building - even 12 months later. First, within the apartment, the most memorable feature came from the high ceilings inside the unit. The previous owners had renovated the kitchen to include a loft space between the kitchen and master bedroom storage. My daughter immediately claimed this space as her own play space - even though we never closed on this apartment.

The second feature called out to my love of history told through building. 1200 Broadway was originally constructed as the Gilsey Hotel. The Gilsey catered to the entertainment district that was centered between Herald Square and Madison Square. Inside the lobby of this fully-sold cooperative, the original elevator - with the hand control still present - is maintained on display.

Anyone that loves the gentle patina of history should view the homes currently available in this building. If you want to find a home steeped in the history and grandeur of the golden age of cast-iron buildings, this should be on your top ten list.

Here are few more pictures that I snapped of this unique piece of history that recalls the days of "auld land syne." http://www.flickr.com/photos/plusplusnow/sets/72157626170700101/with/5538235656/

A Slice of Life - March 2, 2011

Work continues to ebb and flow into the rhythm of my days. Each moment is a opportunity to connect with someone else, and help them do more than they thought possible. I walk my daughter to school at PS33. I run (FINALLY!!!!! after a badly sprained ankle last fall) along the Hudson River. I volunteer at the PTA. I read the neighborhood newspaper at Hudson Bagel. I walk around the city and enjoy the living and breathing beauty around every corner. I drink coffee at different coffee shops I discover. I follow the back and forth at Community Board 2 about the fate of Saint Vincent's Hospital and the 2011 San Gennaro festival route. I watch the sun rise and set. I root for the NYC Elite and Chelsea Piers gymnastics teams at local competitions. I point tourists in the right direction. I visited the Limelight Marketplace and had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc on the second floor. I love that I've found my home in NYC.

If you are interested in learning more about the characteristics of different neighborhoods, or would like to see the available properties in your perfect piece of Manhattan, call or email me today to experience best-in-class service and a smart agent that is going to find you the “right” place.