Bubble Wrap

New Open House Planner!

For those who haven’t stumbled upon it yet, check out the new version of our Open House Planner on the site. You can now add custom appointments from any listing page on StreetEasy, add meetings with your broker or clients, and sync with your Outlook/Google Calendar! Check it out here

A TV Show gets NYC Apartment Hunting Right

We got a kick out of this episode of Louie, featuring Louis C.K., where the main character engages in his NYC apartment search and encounters the usual predicaments we real-estaters have grown to know and love. Skip to the 4th minute or so for the good stuff.

Check it out here

Rooftop Cinema

If you are not one of those incredibly lucky few who have screening rooms in their buildings, you know the pain of having to fork over $15 for a movie ticket (treats excluded). Well, fear not movie goers for its time to bring the romance back into going to the movies without breaking the wallet. Just bring a white bedsheet, a projector and your latest bootleg to your rooftop and voila- instant cinema magic. Class it up on a warm summer night with plush pillows, wine and a cheese platter to make an experience that is truly yours. Who needs screening rooms anyway?

How did it start?

Was it from a pile of drying dishes, or a child’s K’nex creation? Did it start after a failed metal-working shop, or is it the genius creation of a Delorean enthusiast? Regardless of it’s inspiration, I think most can agree that HL23 truly stands out as a bold statement in Chelsea (Kanye seems to agree)

A Clue!!!

We are looking for Steve’s House! We are looking for Steve’s House!! We are looking for Steve’s House!!! Because we’re really smart!!!!

NYC's Ten Worst Tenants

Probably should have posted this last week, but anyway, the Village Voice has put together a list of the City’s top ten worst tenants. We’ve all had to deal with brutal neighbors, so it feels good every once in a while to read about some people who’ve had it off worse. Then again, who hasn’t lived next to a Hoarder or a Landlord Murderer?? Well done VV.

Original Link on the Village Voice

Rules too important to overlook!

Christine Miller Martin of Warburg Realty recently published a list of tips for purchasing a co-op in Manhattan. Our favorite tip – get a pedicure!

Village Voice brings back the Shelter Column

We’re all big fans of The Voice here at SE, so we wanted to give them a shout-out for the return of their Shelter Column online. Here’s the whole shpeel:

Why is it completely appropriate to walk into an apartment in NY and ask questions regarding the cost of rent, square footage and lease terms…we’re OBSESSED with evaluating others’ abodes. So, from one New Yorker to another, thought you would enjoy this week’s Village Voice feature – the revival of “Shelter,” an inside look into how New Yorkers live at home. Would you institute a “no sex” rule if you shared a loft with 4 folks and no bedroom walls reach the ceiling? How much space can you get if you set up shop in Staten Island? What does an apt that cost under $1k/mo almost 15 years ago look like now?

Formally a weekly feature that started back from ‘97, the Shelter Column will resume weekly installments, online. To “celebrate” the comeback of Shelter, 5 different dwellings are profiled, including a revisit of the first Shelter tenants. Check out the links below to see “how the other 8 million live” and keep up with future episodes at The Voice or by following the Shelter Column on Twitter @ShelterVoice.

Boom Boom Pow

Anyone who has lived in New York for an extended period of time can recall walking down a street on a beautiful, mildly quiet day, only to walk past a bar touting its speaker system. Everyone in the bar seems to be having a great time, but the passers-by are often surprised by the impressive volume coming from the bar. Bowery Boogie offers an interesting perspective however of those who are fortunate enough to actually live in the same building as these loud watering holes. One does wonder how these people get by in such a noisy environment, in an already noisy city. The secret…amazing earplugs!

A beautiful garden...on the roof?!

Many building residents are under the impression that the sole purpose of a rooftop is a small common area and a (hopefully) magnificent view. However many buildings are beginning to shift the focus of the rooftop to the roof itself. The New York Times writes about Zeckendorf Towers at One Irving Place – a building with a roof that immerses its guests into a lush green getaway, complete with grass, various plants, seasonal flowers and lights in the summer. It can be easy to lose oneself in the maze of New York’s buildings and pavement, yet features like this provide amenities that are simply inaccessible for some residents. Who knows…maybe one day the floors of the StreetEasy offices will FINALLY be carpeted in grass. One can only dream!

NYC's #1 Google Search!

We don’t like bragging in general, but we thought this was pretty cool:

According to Google Zeitgeist 2010 we were the top search for NYC in 2010. Thanks for all the support; it’s been a crazy year, and we appreciate you guys sticking through it with us!

Williamsburg Waterfront Growth Still Coming

The Real Deal writes about the changes along the coast of Willy-burg, as developers predicted fast growth and have seen their prophecies half-fulfilled. Developments like The Edge (where we actually ran into TRD during the project’s “House party” last week) have sold some units over $1,200/ft, though smaller units have gone closer to $700/ft. Check out the article, the list of different projects is pretty cool.

PATH as an alternative for the subway

The New York Times reported today on a semi-pitch that the PATH is a reasonable alternative for the NYC subway system. At $1.75 per ride, it is cheaper than a regular ride on the MTA (especially with the impending increase in monthly pass rates), AND it always presents the option of staying on the train a bit longer to fulfill that trip to Jersey you’ve been dying to go for.

If you work off the PATH, and you’re looking to buy a new apartment, this search might not be the worse place to start: http://bit.ly/aEM4eN

More Space for the Arts in Manhattan

With commercial real estate vacancies up, owners are looking to use this as an opportunity to fill their spaces with renters from art and cultural organizations, Shelley Banjo reports for The Wall Street Journal . New York has been seriously at risk of losing many of its artists who couldn’t afford to pay exorbitant rental prices according to a report by Jonathan Bowle and presented by the Center for an Urban Future and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Bowle suggests turning empty office space into large art areas, similar to what now is 120 Wall St.; a building filled with non-profits, an initiative of the 1990s. The study explains that the flight of artists could produce serious consequences for other creative industries such as film and graphic design. Eric Gural, executive managing director at commercial real-estate firm Newmark Knight Frank who is leasing his space to 12 budding fashion designers for under market value sees it as an investment opportunity. As Mr. Gural states:

“Although I took a loss on the rent, these talented people could become very successful…I could come out ahead financially and also integrate designers into my building and build my brand.”

Divorce is Expensive...Unless you Married Steve Wynn

As reported by The Observer , Vegas hot-shot Steve Wynn’s divorce cost him his full-floor Fifth Avenue condo. Listed last year by Sotheby’s for $25M, the property was on Streeteasy for a few months, though according to Sotheby’s broker Roger Erickson the deal might not include any furniture. Mrs. Wynn may be furious about this detail, but the divorce’s value was likely around $1Billion; she should be able to afford a new couch or two!

Here’s the listing on our site

StreetEasy's Secret to Success

The Real Deal is now offering us a new opportunity to hone our real estate skills and learn more about the market…they’ve made their crossword puzzle interactive online! So if you’re ever looking for a fun game to pass off for “studying the market” this is our formal recommendation for you. What else do you think we do over here at StreetEasy? (Just kidding). TRD

Heathrow Airport Bagel Shop Can't Make Up Original Sandwich Names

We’re as amused by clever sandwich names as any other patriotic Americans, though a bagel stand in London’s Heathrow airport begged the New Yorkers in us to scream “Jeez Luîz!” As reported by Curbed , the Brits have named each sandwich after a neighborhood in the city. They seem to have left out many popular neighborhoods, but I guess “The Midtown East” doesn’t have much of a ring to it.

” ...what is with these non-traditional selections? Bacon and cream cheese (“Harlem Nights”)? Sweet chili sauce (“The Soho”)? Grilled vegetables (“East Village Veggie”)? They almost make us yearn for Germany’s NYC cupcakes. Almost. At least there’s a shred of authenticity: The Soho is the most expensive one.” (see the picture here )

Proposals due on Friday for shot at LIC Waterfront Development

Friday could mark an important day in the development of the Long Island City Waterfront, as at least three major developers plan to submit proposals for “Hunters Point South”, as reported by Crains . L+M Development Partners, Douglaston Development, and The Durst Org./Jonathan Rose Cos are expected to give their pitches for a $175 Million Residential and retail development, including a high school for 1,100 students and 5,000 apartments.

When Hunters Point South is complete, the project will become the largest affordable housing complex built in the city since the 1970s, when Co-op City in the Bronx and Starrett City in Brooklyn opened. The planned apartments are part of the city’s $7.5 billion New Housing Marketplace Plan, which calls for the preservation and creation of 165,000 affordable housing units across the five boroughs.

New Developments worries New Yorkers about change in Skyline

Despite recent opposition to buildings like 15 Penn Plaza blocking the view of the iconic Empire State Building, it seems that the New York skyline is going to be changing within the next few years, throughout the entire city. Anton Troianovski from the Wall Street Journal reported that while some construction has already begun, much more will take place all around the city as soon as the economy turns around. Developers, politicians and businessmen all agree that new developments are essential for both the economic progress of the city as well as ensuring that the city continues to keep up with the other progressive modern cities around the world.

“The idea that nothing is happening on the West Side that has any impact on the Empire State Building views that would allow that postcard to remain frozen in time is not the case,” (City Council Speaker) Christine Quinn said at the press conference. “There are already buildings that the city has acted upon that will go up when the market bears that will change the views from…New Jersey.”

Russell Simmons’ focuses on coexistence amid clash over mosque at ground zero

Whether politically you agree or not no one can doubt that Russell Simmons has a knack for using his personal real estate for an additional purpose then as his home. While some are not happy with the impending construction of the mosque near ground zero, Simmons uses is home to help remind us of the importance of unity and acceptance among all of us who share New York as our home. The Nydailynews quotes Simmons :

“I hope some yogi sees om. I hope that some Christian sees the cross. I hope that some Jewish person sees Star of David. I want people to see their images,” Simmons said. “That’s the idea to coexist and to learn to love each other.”