Where to Watch NYC’s July 4th Fireworks – for Free!

Are you in town this Fourth of July weekend? If you don’t have a rooftop of your own to watch from (or a friend’s to mooch off), have no fear — there are plenty of free, primo spots to watch the fireworks in four out of the five boroughs. Macy’s 40th annual Fourth of July fireworks show is set off from five barges: one double barge south of the Brooklyn Bridge and the remaining four along the East River, spread between 23rd and 37th Streets. Sparks will begin to fly around 9:20 p.m. and last for about 30 minutes. Jersey City’s Freedom & Fireworks Festival can also be seen from certain parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn and will begin at 9:30 p.m. In case of rain, start times will be delayed — but rest assured that the show will go on.

Pro tip: It’s generally easier to see fireworks from low-rise Brooklyn and Queensthan it is from within Manhattan. See our picks for the best (free!) places to watch below.

Manhattan

South Street Seaport | Financial District

The South Street Seaport hosts their Festival of Independence all day long, so why not make a day of it? Not only will you secure a riverside viewing spot, but you can dabble in all the festival has to offer, including live music, an exhibit by The Parsons School of Design, family programming, and Seaport Smorgasburg, which now includes an outdoor bar. What better way to celebrate America than by day-drinking and eating to your heart’s content until the fireworks start? Designated viewing areas include the FDR via Dover Street, with less stellar views from Fulton Street and Peck Slip.

FDR Drive | Lower Manhattan

The area between Houston Street and Midtown East is a great spot for viewing; access to the highway opens around 7 p.m. with entry points at Houston, 23rd, 34th and 42nd Streets. The elevated portion of the FDR Drive is also an official viewing site, with entrances at Broad Street (ground level), Old Slip (upper level) and Pearl and Frankfort Streets.

Running alongside the FDR and the East River from Montgomery to East 12th Street, the John V. Lindsay East River Park is a great viewing spot for the fireworks display, as is the waterfront area between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, AKA Two Bridges. If you’re looking for a family friendly place to watch,Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island is hosting a Family Fireworks Celebration from 5 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. The event is free, butadvance registration is required and opens on June 27.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bridge Park

According to TripExpert’s data scientist, Brooklyn Bridge Park is the best spot to watch the fireworks. Not only are there fantastic views of the fireworks unfolding over the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, but watching from Brooklyn gives you the added bonus of the Manhattan skyline lit up at night. Access the park at Old Fulton and Furman Streets, Joralemon and Furman Streets or Old Dock and Furman Streets and claim your spot early. You can also access the park through the entrance at Atlantic Avenue and Pier 6 until 4 p.m. Limit your picnic supplies to blankets and small bags; the NYPD won’t allow chairs in any official viewing areas and will be checking all bags. Be aware that park attractions like Jane’s Carousel and the Pier 2 Pop-Up Pool will close at 4 p.m, so if you plan on staking out a spot early, prepare for hours of downtime.

Coney Island

Coney Island hosts a July 4th Fireworks Spectacular each year, preceded by the Annual Fourth of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Around 9:30 p.m, the fireworks begin off the beach near Steeplechase Pier, so grab a picnic blanket and hunker down at Steeplechase Plaza or the Coney Island Boardwalk.

Pro tip: The best seating can be found along the boardwalk or beach between West 10th and West 15th Streets. Not interested in shlepping to Coney for the Fourth? No problem. They’ll be hosting a free fireworks show every Friday night from 9:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. through Sept. 3.

The Brooklyn Heights Promenade is an extremely popular viewing location that boasts a more elevated view of the fireworks than Brooklyn Bridge Park, with an equally stunning view of the Manhattan skyline. Grand Ferry Parkand East River State Park are also good options, though their locations don’t lend great views. Since these Williamsburg waterfront parks put you farther from the action, they might be your best bet for viewing if you prefer to avoid crowds that rival the L train at rush hour. For the same reasons, Greenpoint’s WNYC Transmitter Park is also a good option. An added bonus to watching from Transmitter Park is The Brooklyn Barge, a waterfront barge bar right next to the park that will be hosting a Fourth of July party for the Macy’s fireworks show. The party is all you can eat and drink, so it’s not free — but tickets are still available.

Queens

Gantry Plaza State Park | Long Island City

Since the fireworks are over the East River this year, the view from this Long Island City waterfront park is not ideal. But hey, it still beats watching the show from a screen inside your apartment! We’d only suggest going to Gantry Plaza State Park if you live nearby and won’t be crushed by a less than stellar view of the fireworks display. If nothing else, you’ll have a great view of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.

Staten Island

The Staten Island Philharmonic will perform “American Salute” at 6 p.m. at theAlice Austen House on the water, followed by a viewing of citywide fireworks displays until 10 p.m.

If you’re attending the fireworks with an elderly or disabled person, Macy’s has a great map outlining which areas have been reserved for handicapped viewers, including the Murry Bergtraum High School Track and Vietnam Memorial Park. A full list of access points for these viewing areas can be found here.

Some of the public viewing areas have limited capacity and the NYPD may redirect you accordingly. If you have your heart set on a certain spot, it’s best to post up early.

Not in town this Fourth of July weekend but still want to see fireworks soar across the NYC skyline? Control your FOMO — there are plenty of opportunities to see free fireworks throughout the summer.

*Asterisks indicate unofficial viewing areas. While you are generally permitted to bring lawn chairs or other large items to these locations, it’s possible that some or all of the parks may close. If you’re planning on going the unofficial route, prepare a plan B to avoid total disappointment.

Brexit Has Staten Island Councilman Calling For Secession, "Regardless of Cost"

The world has Brexit fever, which is both a metaphor and an actual virus that causes xenophobia, nationalism and demagoguery in its sufferers. Now that Britain has voted to leave the European Union, plenty of geographic regions are wondering "Hey, why don't we go it alone?" Texas? New York? Uh...Alaska?

New York City councilman (and Trump campaign apparatchik) Joe Borelli took to Facebook to beat the drums of Staten Island secession once more on Thursday. If he gets his way, does that mean that Staten Islanders who move here become transplants?

On Facebook, Borelli applauded Great Britain's vote, taking it as an opportunity to revive the dream of an independent Staten Island, "regardless of cost":

The CSI that Borelli was referring to isn't the hit CBS drama, but rather the College of Staten Island, which studied the issue in 1991 and 1992, then released a paper in 1993 endorsing the decision. Buried in there is the gem that back in 1992, 68% of Staten Islandites thought the city would be a worse place to live in five years, which haha, whoops.

If you're too young to remember, or just didn't pay attention to New York City politics before you moved here from Davenport, you should be aware that the potential for New York City becoming four boroughs instead of five is a possibility. The 1993 vote for secession got 65% of the "Yes" vote, and Staten Island only remained a part of the great city of New York due to Mario "The Good Cuomo" Cuomo's insistence that any referendum be approved by the state legislature, which ultimately didn't grant the island its independence. Since then, the idea has been revived occasionally but hasn't gone anywhere.

"Regardless of cost" is certainly an interesting way to look at whether breaking away from the city is a good idea, but when you've got a bad case of freedom fever you're too busy throwing up blood to really think things through. The comments on Borelli's Facebook post suggest the idea still has plenty of support, so get ready to spend the rest of the summer talking about Staxit.

This Week’s 5 Most Expensive Listings

In the past seven days, 12 new listings priced at $10 million and above hit the market, according to StreetEasy. From that list, these are the crème de la crème, otherwise known as the five most expensive residential listings to hit the Manhattan market.

18 Gramercy Park South #Ph

Address 18 Gramercy Park South #Ph
Price $47,500,000
Type/Size Condo: four bedrooms and five bathrooms
This Gramercy Park duplex penthouse is this weeks most expensive listing. The 6,329-square-foot spread last sold in 2012 to Ceas Holdings Ny I, LLC, who paid a cool $42 million, and according to The Observer the man behind the LLC is Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander. Check out all the blue accents and the private pool.

12 East 73rd Street

Address 12 East 73rd Street
Price $42,500,000
Type/Size Townhouse: five bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms
This Henry Allan Jacob-designed townhouse is owned by real estate bigwig Andrew Farkas. The home’s 10,410 square feet are spread across five floors plus an English basement and according to the listing the boldly-decorated house has undergone a complete state of the art renovation by designer Daniel Romualdez.

240 Riverside Boulevard #7A

Address 240 Riverside Boulevard #7A
Price $40,000,000
Type/Size Condo: five bedrooms and seven bathrooms
This gargantuan 10,500-square-foot triplex is at 240 Riverside Boulevard aka The Heritage at Trump Place. It was last bought in 2005 for a little under $3 million (bargain) making this current price tag an impressive 1254 percent price increase. The home comes with three private terraces, a restaurant-quality kitchen and sushi bar, a billiards room, and a spa.

980 Fifth Avenue #18AB

Address 980 Fifth Avenue #18AB
Price $20,825,000
Type/Size Co-op: seven bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms
This listing is for a combination of two neighboring apartments at the 26-story 980 Fifth Avenue. When joined, the homes will total approximately 6,000 square feet and will enjoy Central Park views.

180 East 73rd Street

Address 180 East 73rd Street
Price $16,750,000
Type/Size Townhouse: four bedrooms and four bathrooms
Built in 1890, this three story carriage house has little information and few photos. According to the listing the home has two entrances, a side entrance and a center entry that is accompanied by a show window once used for commercial purposes.

Luxury contracts down 15 percent during Q2

From top: 400 East 67th Street PH31. Bottom: 141 East 88th Street PHG

The number of contracts signed on luxury pads priced at $4 million and up dropped nearly 15 percent during the second quarter year-over-year, according to Olshan Realty’s weekly market report.

In all, there were 343 contracts signed during the quarter, down from 402 last year even as prices jumped 6 percent to $8.2 million from $7.7 million. Meanwhile, the average number of days on market increased nearly by 24 percent to 274 from 221, and the average discount ballooned to 7 percent from 4 percent.

For the week of June 20-26, there were 25 contracts signed on properties $4 million and up, with a total weekly asking price sales volume was $192.8 million. The average number of days on market was 326; average asking price was $7.7 million; and average discount was 8 percent.

The No. 1 contract signed last week was a penthouse at 400 East 67th Street, asking $16.95 million, down from $21 million in July 2014. With 4,073 square feet, the duplex penthouse has three bedrooms and a 53-foot great room, plus two terraces totaling 3,000 square feet. One is planted with grass and trees, and has an outdoor kitchen and fireplace. The unit last sold for $11.2 million in 2011.

The runner-up was a penthouse at 141 East 88th Street, asking $16 million. The 4,710-square-foot duplex has four bedrooms and a 1,211-square-foot terrace.[Olshan Realty] — E.B. Solomont

Richard Gere Sells Hamptons Mansion For Close to $36M

But it is now in contract to “a high-profile profile mystery buyer” for close to the $36.5 asking price, according to the New York Post.

The property is composed of a 12-bedroom 12-bathroom main house originally built in 1902. However, the “Pretty Woman” star converted the mansion into green, energy-efficient, “eco-chic” paradise.

The estate’s pool faces the Peconic Bay, and the grounds also include a basketball court, lush landscaping, a deep-water dock, beach and a pair of guest houses. Oh and there is waterfront pond with a bridge and an “island inspired tea house” for your super spiritual tea ceremonies

Top 500 Real Estate Agents/Brokers In The Country - Dylan Hoffman #101

June 24th, 2016

There are over 2,500,000 real estate agents/brokers in the United States, Dylan Hoffman was ranked number 101 out of all of them based on transaction volume. 

The REAL Trends 500, now in its 29th year, remains the undisputed leading report ranking the performance of the top residential real estate brokerage firms. Firms are ranked by both transaction sides and sales volume. Due to the requirement that all information be independently verified, the REAL Trends 500 remains the trusted source for information about the performance of these firms. For the 2016 REAL Trends Survey firms needed to close a minimum of 1,702 transaction sides in 2015 to place in the top 500. Click on the links on this page for a full list of these 500 elite brokerage firms ranked by sides, as well
as a ranking of the top 500 by sales volume.

Brexit Solidifies New York City's Standing As Global Financial Capital

A decade ago, it looked as if London would replace New York as the world’s financial capital. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Charles Schumer even endorsed a 2007 report that said New York needed to emulate how London did business or risk losing further ground.

But the financial crisis a year later damaged London’s bid for global financial supremacy. And Friday’s Brexit outcome ended it.

Even before the Brexit vote, London’s bankers and brokers had been seeing business evaporate. The city’s share of the world’s initial public offerings had slipped to 8% from 2007’s 13% through the beginning of this week, according to Thomson Reuters. The value of all companies listed on London's stock exchange has slipped to 6% of the world's market value from 7% in 2007, according to the World Federation of Exchanges. Meanwhile, the value of New York-listed companies accounts for about 40% of total capitalization, up from 36% in 2007.

Fears that more financial activity will migrate to Frankfurt, Hong Kong or New York drove down shares in U.K.-based banks Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds by more than 20% Friday. New York-based banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup fell by less than half as much.

The Brexit vote "represents the high-water mark of the European project," said Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, on a conference call Friday in which he also said he feared such aftershocks as Scotland separating from the United Kingdom.

The U.K. has consistently been New York’s largest source of tourists for many years, accounting for 1.2 million or about 10% of all international visitors. With the pound plunging to its lowest level in more than 30 years, many people in Britain will probably cancel or postpone trips and put off big-ticket purchases of all kinds. Tiffany & Co., which does 40% of its European business in Britain, saw its shares fall by 4% Friday.

Bankers were as stunned as everyone else by the outcome of the referendum. On Friday, Morgan Stanley denied a BBC report that it would start relocating 2,000 staffers to Frankfurt and Dublin, observing that there are two years until Britain formally exits the European Union.

A decade ago, business in the Square Mile, Canary Wharf and Mayfair districts was so strong that London seemed poised to capture the title of world financial capital from Wall Street. The city was a center for innovative financial products, such as credit derivatives. (AIG collapsed in 2008 because of doings at its London derivatives division.) In any case, a report prepared in 2007 by McKinsey at the behest of Mayor Bloomberg and Senator Schumer praised the British city for its easygoing approach to regulation and—hard to believe now—immigration.

“The European Union’s free movement of people, for instance, is attracting more and more talented people to their financial centers, particularly London,” the report read.

Goodbye to all that.

 

 

Updated Sales Listing - 211 East 3rd Street, Unit 1B | Improved Price

East Village, Manhattan, NY, 10009

211 East 3rd Street, Unit 1B

1 BED

1 BATH

NOW $795,000

CC: $210  |  RET: $409

One bedroom with home office and Juliette balcony in the heart of the East Village. Unit 1B features slate flooring, custom built-ins, central air, stainless steal kitchen and sound-proof windows. The unit also includes its own vented washer and dryer within a large walk-in closet. The home office is versatile and has three sky lights and a large sliding glass door leading to your private Juliette balcony. 211 East 3rd Street between Avenues B and C is a well-maintained second floor walk-up building with low monthly charges in the vibrant East Village. The excellent location is in the heart of trendy shops and restaurants, art galleries, historic architecture and convenient public transportation, with the F, B, D and 6 trains right nearby. You'll also enjoy easy access to Whole Foods, Tomkins Square Greenmarket, several parks and other great local attractions. 

Wealthy New Yorkers Are Purchasing Vacation Homes Down The Block

You may not immediately think to purchase a vacation home in the same city as your permanent residence, but more and more real estate agents are saying this is a growing trend among homebuyers.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported examples of this phenomenon in major cities across the US, including couples with two homes in Miami and Los Angeles. 

But why spend the money for another place just a few miles away?

Victoria Shtainer, a New York City-based realtor with Compass, said that some of her clients purchasing homes in Brooklyn say they want a change of scenery from their Manhattan neighborhoods.

"It's a different feeling and a different mindset," Shtainer said to Business Insider. "You feel like you're away from your everyday problems and work and you are able to take yourself to a different place."

Buying another home in a different borough allows homeowners to experience a new neighborhood's nightlife and restaurants. Instead of rushing back to their permanent address, they'd have more freedom to spend the night or the weekend at their second home. She said her clients enjoy changing their everyday routine.

"You go to the same streets, same doorman," Shtainer said. "Here, you have all your things in a different place and you transform yourself."

Gill Chowdhury, a New York City-based broker with Douglas Elliman Real Estate, said he has clients who are based uptown, but who are using a second home in Tribecca as a "test run" before purchasing a larger home in the same neighborhood.

"They want to get a better sense of the neighborhood, more so than just going in the neighborhood and going home everyday, but really to experience and immerse themselves in what it's actually like to live downtown," Chowdhury said.

This lifestyle, of course, comes at a price. Shtainer describes these clients as people who "have disposable income."

"It's a luxury that few of us can afford, but they love it," Shtainer said. "They would not have it any other way."

Sotheby's International Realty

Chowdhury also acknowledges that clients must be of a certain economic background to be able to purchase second homes.

"There are various reasons why people with the money would want to and end up making that decision," he said. "I think for the most part that there's that 'staycation' aspect."

Shtainer has also seen clients who might want a beach vacation, but who don't want to go too far from Manhattan.

"There's people that live in the city and they have a summer residence in Brooklyn on the water," Shtainer said. "You could take the train and be there in 45 minutes and you're on the boardwalk, you're beachfront, and you spend the whole weekend on the water."

A home on the beach in Brooklyn is not only closer, but is also much cheaper than purchasing a home in the Hamptons.

"They want to be beachfront, and these apartments are affordable because they are under $1 million, and you have the beach downstairs," Shtainer said. "To replicate this in the Hamptons, you need at least $5 million, plus it's more of a commute."

Zillow/140 Oceana Dr.

To separate the living experiences in clients' permanent homes and vacation homes, Shtainer said the homes often have a very distinct feel to them.

"One house has a beachy feel, compared to the home in Manhattan with a modern feel to it," she said. "The second home is usually more casual."

So if you're a New Yorker looking for a "staycation" experience without the cost or travel time to the Hamptons, perhaps a second home nearby is a new purchase you should consider.

This Week’s 5 Most Expensive Listings

In the past seven days, 15 new listings priced at $10 million and above hit the market, according to StreetEasy. From that list, these are the crème de la crème, otherwise known as the five most expensive residential listings to hit the Manhattan market.

1060 Fifth Avenue #10BC

Address 1060 Fifth Avenue #10BC
Price $73,800,000
Type/Size Co-op: eight bedrooms and eight-and-a-half bathrooms
With an impressive $73.8 million price tag this “potential combination opportunity” is this week’s clear winner. Splash out and you may be able to (the listing points out this is subject to approval) combine an adjacent B and C line. While there are no pictures yet we suspect, with a price tag as high as this one, the pads are pretty swanky.

641 5th Avenue #46/47C

Address 641 5th Avenue #46/47C
Price $33,000,000
Type/Size Condo: five bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms
We reported on this spread hitting the market a few weeks ago, and now it’s appeared on StreetEasy. The 7,750 square foot Olympic Tower duplex was rented by Anne Hathaway and her then-boyfriend Raffaello Follieri — who has since been jailed and deported to Italy — in the mid-2000s. It comes with a media room with an eight-foot projector, a 12-seat dining room, marble kitchen counters, 360 degree views of Manhattan and a white-gloved, uniformed doorman and concierge.

15 Leonard Street #F6ph

Address 15 Leonard Street #F6ph
Price $26,500,000
Type/Size Condo: nine bedrooms and nine-and-a-half bathrooms
Both information and photos are unfortunately sparse when it comes to the penthouse at this boutique condo building. But if the floor plans are anything to go by – it looks as though this 7,200 square foot spread spans an impressive four floors.

50 Riverside Boulevard #Ph5

Address 50 Riverside Boulevard #Ph5
Price $19,950,000
Type/Size Condo: six bedrooms and eight-and-a-half bathrooms
This full-floor penthouse at One Riverside Park has almost 10-feet-tall floor to ceiling windows. Along with a lot of glass this home has a private landing, a library and, unusually, two dishwashers.

 

40 East 67th Street

Address 40 East 67th Street
Price $19,250,000
Type/Size Condo: four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two half bathrooms
This 20 foot wide townhouse 20 wide townhouse is nestles between Park and Madison Avenues. Built in 1910, it comes with an elevator, two staircases, plenty of original features and a very pretty garden.

Ben Stiller Picked Up $15M Apartment at 150 Charles Street

Like all good models, Derek Zoolander (aka, Ben Stiller) has made the move to the West Village. The actor and his wife, “Zoolander” co-star Christine Taylor, paid $15.1 million for the apartment in the celebrity-filled building, 150 Charles. Peter Zaitzeff, Raphael De Niro and Darren Sukenik all of Douglas Elliman had the listing.

According to the Observer, which first spotted the sale, Stiller and Taylor sold their 4,000-square-foot apartment on Riverside Drive at a loss in 2013. 

Their new apartment has 3,395-square feet, with four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, fifty feet of western-facing windows with views of the Hudson (including some in the master suite), and a 78-bottle wine refrigerator. 

150 Charles also offers pretty great amenities like a 75-foot lap pool in the building, a hot tub, plunge pool, a gym with a sauna and a juice bar. Perhaps that is what has attracted so many celebrities to its grounds: In addition to Stiller, model Irina Shayk and the one and only Jon Bon Jovi also own apartments in the building.

9 things to do when you first meet someone if you want them to remember you forever

We all strive to be memorable. But leaving a lasting impression on someone we've just met isn't always easy.

It also isn't impossible.

As it turns out, with the right words and actions, almost anyone can create a captivating presence.

To help you figure out how to do this, we looked at the answers posted on Quora in response to the question "How do I become more memorable when meeting someone for the first time?" 

Here were some of our favorite tips for making yourself memorable when you first meet someone new:

1. Put on your talking hat

It's easy to stand there and let other people carry on the conversation, but you will never stick out in people's minds if you just listen, writes Julian Reisinger, dating expert and founder ofLovelifesolved.com.

Don't let the fear of looking like a fool keep you from speaking up and asking questions, telling your own stories, and sharing your own opinions. Go for it, and make a lasting impression. 

2. Be blunt, slightly controversial, and completely honest

Most people avoid saying anything controversial — especially when meeting someone for the first time — because they want to play it safe to ensure everyone likes them.

But if you really want to be memorable, you may want to make a statement — without insulting anyone or saying something offensive, of course.

"People remember extremes, not mediocrity," writes Reisinger.

He recommends speaking up and stating your opinion firmly and clearly, even if it makes some people slightly uncomfortable or mad. This will make you more interesting — and thus more memorable.

3. Be a little bit unusual

Breaking out of the cultural norm is an easy way to stick out, Reisinger writes, but try to stick out in a positive way. 

For example, he suggests coming up with humorous and unusual answers to the typical introductory questions such as "How are you?" or "What do you do?"

While coming up with scripted answers may seem like a pain, he points out that you will have to answer these questions thousands of times throughout your life anyway, so it's well worth the effort.

4. Use confident body language

Rob Riker says confident body language does more than make you look good — it makes you more memorable.

To do this, Riker, the founder of The Social Winner blog, suggests having a firm handshake, standing up straight, and maintaining eye contact both while listening and speaking.

If you aren't talking with anyone for a few minutes, then he says you should look out in front of you, rather than at the ground. "You are engaging with the world, not hiding from it," he writes.

He also says you should "own the space around you." This means not sitting on the edge of a bench so other people have more room than you, or acting embarrassed if your arm touches someone else's arm. "Take what's yours without being a jerk," he writes.

5. Trigger emotions

This piece of advice from Reisinger stems from author and poet Maya Angelou's famous quote: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

In order to leave a deep impression on someone, you need to make them feel something — preferably something good.

How do you do that in a casual conversation? Reisinger suggests showing vulnerability, making them laugh, making a mistake and apologizing for it, stroking someone's ego, telling stories, being helpful, or discussing a topic in a heated manner.

6. Be an engaged listener

We mentioned earlier than you should talk — not just sit back and listen the whole time. But when you are listening, be attentive and engaged.

"The most popular and memorable people in the world are those who give us their undivided and full attention," says journalist Becky Blanton.

This is harder than it seems. Most people are constantly thinking of what to say next and looking for a break in the conversation for when they can jump in and say it.

Like Reisinger, Blanton says we remember how people make us feel, and when you truly listen to someone, you will make them feel important — and they'll remember that.

7. Smile

"When first meeting someone, you want to be smiling," writes Riker. "This shows that you are happy, in a good mood, enjoying life and happy to meet them. Smiling also triggers the other person's mirror neurons which produce the feeling that their own smile would provide — a happy feeling!"

8. Ask questions and be interested

Don't just listen. Show you're interested in the person.

"I'm a very memorable person, because when I meet someone I ask them about themselves, what they're interested in and what they enjoy doing," writes Quora user Kevin Moriarty. "I try to understand everything the other person says and ask significant questions related to whatever their discussion topics are. Plus, people love to talk about themselves, and this gives them the opportunity to do just that.

"On the flip side, when I'm simply speaking about whatever I'm interested in, I am a super intelligent weirdo who has developed an independent perspective on many topics rather than having assimilated cultural norms. It makes me memorable, offensive, or jarring, dependent on the listener and their intellect and developmental level."

9. Use their name in the conversation

It tells them you were paying attention and that you care.

"A really effective way to be 'memorable' to the other person is to use their name in conversation," writes Kara Ronin, a social skills expert and Udemy instructor.

"Our name is intrinsically linked to us. Whenever we hear somebody use our name we immediately think, 'Oh, he/she must really like me because they remember what my name is.' Of course, you don't want to use their name with a tone of voice that suggests you're reprimanding them."

First Section of Massive New York Wheel Put in Place

ST. GEORGE — The first part of the massive Ferris wheel expected to bring hordes of visitors eager for stunning views of the city to Staten Island is in place.

Crews spent hours pouring concrete foundation at the first section of the New York Wheel on Saturday.

About 450 trucks poured 4,000 cubic feet of concrete into the wheel's base that will hold up the 630-foot, 20-million-pound structure when it opens, which is expected to be next year.

"I would challenge anybody who doesn't believe to come down here and look at the $250 million we have in the ground," said Rich Marin, CEO of the New York Wheel.

"We're either delusional or something if we don't think it's real at this point."

The concrete pour was the first of two. The second is scheduled for June 25, Marin said.

The wheel's legs will be embedded into the concrete, which Marin expects to happen in October.

Crews worked for nearly 16 hours pouring 11 feet of concrete — making sure it stayed at the same temperature and dried evenly — that will eventually hold the $580 million attraction.

Despite the wheel moving a step closer to spinning on Staten Island's waterfront, the project has hit several snags including going nearly $300 million over budget andbeing embattled in a legal fight with two investors.

"Big projects have lots of bumps, everything seems to take longer than you think," Marin said.

"We're here and we're where we need to be to get this thing finished by the end of next year."

Marin called the lawsuits filed by the investors "petty annoyances," and added that "we're working through it."

Crews have been working at the site — adjacent to the St. George Ferry Terminal — for nearly 13 months, getting the foundation ready and building a 950-unit parking garage.

Marin hopes to get the first section of the garage, with 820 spaces for commuters and visitors, open in time for the Staten Island Yankee's opening day on June 24 this year.

When it opens next year, the center of the wheel will be slightly higher than the tallest building in the borough, the Castleton Park apartments on St. Mark's Place, Marin said.

Waldorf Astoria May Convert 1,000 Rooms Into Luxury Condos

The owner of the 47-story Waldorf Astoria New York may be planning to convert about 1,000 hotel rooms at the landmarked property into luxury condos, according to several sources.

China-based Anbang Insurance Group purchased the hotel, located at 301 Park Ave., for $1.95 billion in late 2014. After the transaction closed months later, the firm's chairman, Wu Xiaohui,alluded to conversion plans for the structure's two towers without delving into specifics.

According to sources, Anbang's vision is now coming into focus. Out of the hotel's nearly 1,400 hotel rooms, the company may be gearing up to covert about 1,000 of them into luxury condos.

A conversion of that scale would be consistent with a filing Anbang submitted to the city in early 2015, when it subdivided the building into different sections for condos, a hotel and retail. Anbang set aside 1.2 million square feet—approximately 75% of the building—for residential use, according to the document filed with the city's Department of Finance, though it did not specify how much space would be used for amenities or for hotel ballrooms.

A spokesman for Anbang said the filing was made over a year ago as part of the purchase process, and didn't actually reflect what would be done with the site. "We continue to explore all options, and no definitive plans have been finalized at this time," the spokesman said in a statement.

Currently, the Waldorf is split into two sections: the 1,232-room hotel itself and a 181-room boutique hotel called the Towers, which has its own entrance on East 50th Street and also features a number of one- and two-bedroom rentals.

Earlier this year, the company filed separate permits with the city to gut the 12th and 24th floors. Anbang indicated that the demolition was part of an exploratory process to discover how a broader renovation might be carried out. But until that survey process is complete, the firm said it has no idea how much of the residential set-aside it will actually end up using.

In order to convert hotel units into condos, Anbang would have to file plans with the state attorney general's office.

Last year, the City Council passed a law banning hotels with more than 150 units from converting over 20% of the property into residences for two years without going through a lengthy city public review process. However, the legislation exempted recent transactions, including the Waldorf Astoria. Shortly after the legislation passed, Hilton Worldwide, which will continue to operate the hotel component, struck a deal with the Hotel and Motel Trade Council regarding severance pay for the service workers on site.

 

 

This Week in Celebrity Real Estate Transactions

Taylor Swift, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick and Molly Ringwald

Whether you're an A- or B-list celebrity with an address in New York City, your real estate is bound to be ogled and envied by other New Yorkers.

In the past several days, a star-studded purchase, rental and future sale were all up for scrutiny, with the largest price tag affixed to the brick side-by-side townhouses former "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker and actor husband Matthew Broderick bought for $34.5 million in the West Village, according to the Observer. Fused together, the houses at 273 and 275 W. 11th St. would create a 13,900-square-foot mansion with a 2,100-square-foot backyard. 

That's twice the size of the Greenwich Village townhouse at 20 E. 10th St. that the couple sold for $18.25 million last July.

Meanwhile, pop queen Taylor Swift has found sanctuary in a four-floor townhouse in the neighborhood while she renovates her $19 million TriBeCa pad, TMZ reported. The 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom rental, outfitted with a 2-story patio, a private garage and indoor pool, is costing her $40,000 a month (about half of the annual median incomefor the neighborhood). It's owned by SoHo House chief technology officer David Aldea.

Across town, John Hughes-muse Molly Ringwald has listed her two-bedroom, 1.5-bath East Village co-op at 122 E. 10th St. for $1.8 million, per an Observer report. The apartment features 10-inch exposed-beam ceilings in the living room, a skylight on the second floor, two wood-burning fireplaces, and marble mosaic floors — the accents of our wildest dreams.

Fed Opts Not To Hike Interest Rate

The Federal Reserve decided not to raise the fed-funds rate following its meeting Wednesday, with chair Janet Yellen citing “headwinds blowing on the economy.”

The central bank’s governors also signaled slower rate hikes to come, and lowered their forecast of U.S. economic growth. The Fed now anticipates growth of 2 percent in 2016, down from earlier projections of 2.2 percent, according to a new release.

Fed governors’ average predictions still point to two more rate hikes this year, but a larger number of governors than previously predicted there could be just one increase.

 

“We need to assure ourselves that the underlying momentum in the economy has not diminished,” Janet Yellen said at a press conference.

The non-action was largely as expected. Last month, three Fed officials known for their mainstream views suggested it was moderately likely the bank could raise rate, but that was before the Bureau of Labor Statistics released last month’s surprisingly weak employment data. — Ariel Stulberg

'Special District' Would Limit Big Chain Stores, Encourage Mom-and-Pops

EAST VILLAGE — A neighborhood organization is introducing a plan to create a “Special Purpose District” in the East Village to keep out big chain stores and support mom-and-pop businesses.

The East Village Community Coalition has drafted a study of retail in the neighborhood in response to community-wide anxiety surrounding the displacement of small businesses, and has proposed the creation of a district that would forbid or severely limit new chain stores.

Cutting down on so-called “formula retail” stores — spots with “standardized” merchandise and decor such as Duane Reade and McDonald’s — will help preserve the character of the neighborhood for the sake of longtime locals, said the organization’s executive director.

“We’re emphasizing the importance of preserving retail diversity in the neighborhood and ensuring the residents’ needs are met,” said Tehmina Brohi at Community Board 3’s recent Economic Development Committee meeting. “There are people that live in this neighborhood, and we want to make this a livable neighborhood where their daily needs are met.”

The study, shared on the community board's website, explores a handful of approaches to keeping chains to a minimum within the proposed district, spanning north to south from East Houston Street to East 14th Street and falling between Third Avenue and Avenue D.

According to a study conducted by the organization, the neighborhood currently has 63 large chain stores, comprising 3.6 percent of storefront spaces in the East Village.

One proposal seeks to ban “formula retail” altogether, while another would allow chains only in areas zoned with commercial overlays.

Another recommendation is to impose a 2,500-square-foot space limit to discourage the influx of stores, like Duane Reade, that use a lot of floor space. This approach would also forbid landlords from combining storefronts to increase floor space.

Lastly, the study puts forward a third option, which would require large stores looking to open in the East Village to apply for a special permit. The store’s permit request would be evaluated based on the surrounding retail landscape, taking into account such factors as the number of chain stores already in the area.

Community board members voiced concern that a request for a full ban on “formula retail” would be rejected by the city. However, allowing the chains within commercial overlays would limit the restriction only to side streets and largely residential areas, said district manager Susan Stetzer.

“It’s really not very limiting,” she said.

The community board is considering the organization’s suggestions as it seeks to propose a special retail district, though it is still early in the stages of development, Stetzer said.

New Sales Listing - 210 West 78th Street, Unit 2C3C

210 West 78th Street, Unit 2C3C

Offered At $1,695,000

3 Beds  |  3 Baths  |  Appx. 1,700sqft Duplex

A wonderful and rare opportunity to transform two spacious pre-war apartments into the perfect Upper West Side duplex home.

By combining these two available units, you'll create an approx. 1,700-square-foot duplex with spacious living spaces and a flexible layout. The building-approved plans include three large bedrooms, as well as three well-appointed, windowed bathrooms. 

On the main level, you'll be greeted by a gracious entry leading to an expansive living room, a fantastic windowed kitchen positioned conveniently near the dining area, and a massive master suite with en suite bathroom. Another full bathroom is positioned in the hallway for guests. The second level will include two additional bedrooms with walk-in-closets, a storage room and another roomy, windowed bathroom. Pre-war details throughout both homes — gleaming hardwood floors, beamed ceilings, glass doorknobs and high ceilings — will be retained to create a modern home that embraces both the past and the future. 

210 West 78th Street is a gorgeous Tudor-style building positioned on a quintessential, tree-lined Upper West Side block. The GREEN building (NYSERDA certified) has enjoyed many recent upgrades, including a renovated lobby, two brand-new elevators, new laundry facilities and a new boiler. Amenities include a storage room, children's playroom, part-time doorman and live in super. Positioned directly between the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park to the east and Riverside Park to the west, this home enjoys tremendous access to the wide open green spaces and cultural institutions the Upper West Side is known for. Enjoy convenient proximity to the Broadway retail corridor and amazing foodie destinations Zabar's, Westside Market and Citarella. Transportation is excellent, with 1, B and C trains nearby.

Here's What Wall Street Thinks of Microsoft Buying LinkedIn

Monday kicked off to a huge start with the announcement that Microsoft was buying social-media platform LinkedIn for $26.2 billion.

The move had wide-ranging impact, from the tech world to Wall Street.

Wall Street analysts were quick to break down the deal and what it means for the broader investing environment.

Overall, the mood seems to be positive. LinkedIn provides some good strategic opportunities for Microsoft, while the exit for LinkedIn investors is a solid boon, given the company's slowing growth.

We've collected the insights from a few of these analysts. Check out their opinions below:

Mark May and Walter Pritchard, Citi

May and Pritchard believe that the deal is a win for Microsoft.

"From an Microsoft perspective, we believe the strategic rationale makes sense," said the Citi analysts.

Their note continued: "LinkedIn has, for some time, been the 'Outlook address book' for most business professionals. There are likely new ways Microsoft can integrate/extend this franchise by owning it."

For LinkedIn, it appears that the sale price of the move is an admission that the company was facing strategic challenges.

The note said:

Not to take away from a nice exit for most LinkedIn investors, but the sale may also reflect an admission of the company's recent issues. LinkedIn management's guidance for [calendar year 2016] suggests that revenue growth will slow to ~20% in the second half of the year — down from ~45% just two years previously.

Brent Thill, UBS

Thill thinks that the deal fits in nicely with Microsoft's strategic direction.

"In our view, the deal makes strategic sense as it helps build out Microsoft's application layer, which has been looking for growth, and also ties nicely to Microsoft tools such as Delve (org analytics, data visualization), Office 365 Groups, and Power BI," he said in a note.

On the con side, Thill mentions that Microsoft has never done well with large merger deals — see: Nokia — and there could be a culture clash between the younger LinkedIn thinking and the mature Microsoft way of doing things.

Victor Anthony, Axiom Capital Management

Anthony loves LinkedIn, saying that the company has "one of the best business models on the Internet" and is bullish on the deal for three reasons:

  1. LinkedIn's Talent Solutions business in strong and is "only 20% penetrated into large enterprises."
  2. The Marketing Solutions and Premium Solutions have a "strong growth opportunity."
  3. LinkedIn's presence in China is growing, and it is "one of the few Internet companies we believe has a better chance of succeeding in that market."

The analyst also said that he expects Microsoft's size and cash to help LinkedIn's business to grow by leaps and bounds.

Additionally, Anthony said that this means every tech company outside of Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook, and Alibaba is a possible acquisition target.

Randle Reese, Avondale Partners

Reese does not think that LinkedIn customers are going to be happy with the deal, despite the benefits Microsoft could bring.

"We also expect the universe of recruiters, the key customer base of LinkedIn, to react negatively to this deal," the analyst wrote in a note.

"On the other hand, LinkedIn might benefit from the greater size and sophistication of the Microsoft enterprise sales force," he continued.

Brian Pitz, Jefferies

Pitz said that the deal is a key step in Microsoft's large-scale shift.

"The acquisition, which is expected to close later this year, further enhances Microsoft's transition from a desktop software firm to a cloud computing services provider," the analyst said in a note.

Additionally, Pitz believes that the deal underscores a new trend in technology mergers and acquisitions.

Pitz wrote:

LinkedIn's unique position and reach highlights the value of a differentiated asset in the Internet landscape.

We believe that M&A will continue to be a theme in the Internet with a focus on uniquely positioned platforms, 100% owned IP, and differentiated technology in fragmented industries.

Your new home awaits.