A completely opinionated, totally random, loosely curated, shot from the hip, collection of stuff I love downtown – right now.

January 2019


Fiaschetteria Pistoia Brings Rustic Fare to West Village
While the original location was forced to close after a fire on December 23, the Tuscan restaurant added a second location in the West Village the same week. Now open at 114 Christopher St., near Bedford Street, the new Fiaschetteria Pistoia also focuses on comforting Tuscan food and serves a similar menu of antipasti, fresh pastas, and main dishes.
Click  here
Retro H&C Dinette Opens On
Hudson Street
The butchers behind Hudson & Charles on the Upper West Side and the West Village opened a retro diner at 524 Hudson St., an expansion of their West Village store.  H&C Dinette  will use grass-finished meats from local, sustainable farms for lunch and dinner in dishes such as burgers, weekly steak specials, and a monthly pig-to-plate event.
Click here
Omakase Restaurant
Hits Soho
David Bouhadana protege Takeshi Sato has branched out on his own with omakase (translates to “respectfully leaving another to decide what is best” in Japanese, refers to a meticulously crafted dinner curated by a head chef) restaurant  Takeshi , where omakase options range from $45 at lunch for 8 courses to $130 at dinner for 16 courses. Located at 28 Grand St., between Sixth Ave and Thompson St.
Click here .
GITANO Jungle Room at the James New York Hotel
The bohemian restaurant that arrived in NYC last summer closed its outdoor space at 76 Varick St. for the season in October and was only expected to reopen next year. But Gitano is now open inside the James New York Hotel - 23 Grand St., between Sixth Avenue and Thompson Street. The hip venue made its way from Mexico to NYC earlier this year, and its popularity followed it from Tulum to Soho .
Click here
Taylor Swift’s Former Carriage House is Under Contract
Swift’s onetime West Village rental, a carriage house at  23 Cornelia Street , is in contract to sell, the  New York Post  reported. The property was last listed for $14.9 million, a dramatic drop in price from the  $24.5 million  it was listed for in April 2017. The star rented the pad in 2016 for  $40,000 per month  while her Tribeca home was under renovation .

Click  here
West Village Parking Garage Seeks $49.95M
The property at 332 West 11th Street is asking a whopping $49.95 million.
Currently, the site is home to a parking garage and an auto detailing shop, one of the few businesses of that kind in lower Manhattan. The seller is Jack Jakub, the owner of the parking garage, whose past clients have reportedly included Leonardo DiCaprio and Julianne Moore .

Click  here
Marie’s Crisis Café  
Located at 59 Grove Street, it has been around over forty years. At this show tune piano bar you can find musical theatre lovers singing the night away at the “happiest bar in the city.” It got its name from former establishment owner, Marie Dumont and from the 1776 pamphlet “The Crisis,” written by Thomas Paine, which was an essay about why America must break free from England. What do a piano bar and Thomas Paine have in common? Well, Paine died at this Grove Street location at the age of seventy-two in 1809. In 1923, the Greenwich Village Historical Society installed a plaque on the building’s exterior wall honoring the revolutionary.
Click  here
The Wall Street Bath & Spa
I have never been to the Russian Baths on Wall Street at 88 Fulton Street, but when a colleague invited me there for her birthday party - yes that's right, her birthday party - I had to go and check it out. It was quite the experience. The Wall Street Bath & Spa is an Old World BathHouse for both men and women. They offer a comprehensive menu of services for the relaxation connoisseur as well as all the booze and food one can eat and drink during your time there. With your daily admission, you gain entry to the Spa and unlimited use of the facilities as well as personal slippers and as many towels as you might need!

Click here
I ran into Doris, who lives around the corner from me last week when I was out walking Scout. She had been reading about the slowing NYC real estate market and asked, "How's the market?" To which I replied, "All depends on what you're looking for?"

I was thinking about this more after our conversation and here is what I believe 2019 has in store for the New York RE market.
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Yes - Doris is right, the market has softened over the last year for sellers, but many, many transactions are happening every day, in every neighborhood and in every season. We are not in panic mode.

For Buyers:
It Is A Buyers' Market - If you want to buy but have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the market to be in your favor, NOW is the time. Buyers have leverage for the first time in years: still low interest rates, available financing, more choice, adjusted seller expectations, time and negotiability are a buyers' best friend. 

Ultimate Time To Upgrade - A 10-20% loss on a $1 million home is easily off-set when buying that $3 million home for 10-20% less. Focus on the balance sheet, not just the transaction.

For Sellers:
Pricing Is Key - It is not just key, it is critical as over-pricing leads to stale listings that don't sell. That said, even when you price right, it's not all that needs to be done. Remember to work with a broker who will be honest with you, not one who promises the highest price to get the listing but can't deliver.

Your Apartment Must Be Show Ready - In the past, if the apartment needed some work, sellers would still get offers as the inventory was so tight. That is not the case now. Buyers want move in ready almost 100% of the time. Painting, staging, decluttering are just a few of the items that must be addressed when listing your home. Ask me about Compass Concierge - a perk only at Compass where we pay for upgrades needed allowing the client to get the home listed. The client pays these costs back at closing.

Top-Shelf Marketing Plan - A thorough and thoughtful high-end marketing strategy - photos, show sheets, social media ads, videos and more - are not just an added bonus, they are a necessity. An experienced broker will know how to use these tools so the property stands out and gets as many looks as possible.

I ncentivize the Brokerage Community - Lower commissions won't help entice other brokers to bring their clients to your property if the commission from you competition is higher.

If you have any market questions, give me a call. I would love to buy you a coffee and discuss - or just stop me on the street when I am out and about with Scout!
150 Charles Street, Unit 1BN

Townhouse living with private garage in a luxury full-service West Village Condominium. 1BN is a sprawling duplex with three bedrooms, three full baths and two powder rooms featuring an incredibly rare private garage and entrance on Charles Street. Click  here .
53 Downing Street
53 Downing Street is a recently completed, gut renovated single-family townhouse with a garage. The landmarked Italianate house was originally built in 1857 and has undergone a complete re-design by CWB Architects to transform it into a showplace with superb finishes, detailing and proportioning, expertly installed by master craftsmen. Click here .
6 Bedroom Barn Conversion
Harrogate Road, North Rigton, UK

The sale of Rigton House presents a very rare opportunity to acquire a particularly fine country estate, stone built detached residence with six bedrooms, spectacular hand carved oak interiors, extensive outbuildings including a stable block, a four car garage with a gymnasium above and probably the best southerly views in Yorkshire with approximately 22.5 acres of land including a lake. Click  here .
A Bit About Me
A New York City resident for over 20 years and a West Village home owner for over 15, I am passionate about this city and am devoted to making each client interaction an exciting and rewarding experience. It is a passion of mine to assist buyers, sellers, renters and investors to help them achieve real estate success. An expert in marketing, communication and negotiation, I skillfully guide clients with extensive market knowledge and my unfailing can-do attitude. A full-service agent, I work closely with top-tier real estate attorneys, mortgage bankers, architects, financial advisors and stagers to facilitate all aspects of of my clients' needs.

For the past 10 years, I have served as a member of my coop board and have a deep knowledge for running a building in NYC. I currently live on Charles Street with my husband, Shuki, and our rescue dog, Scout. I am passionate about giving back to our NYC community and continually support and volunteers with many charities and nonprofits include AIDS Walk NY, Cycle for Survival and The Sato Project.

I am here to help in any way I can with your real estate needs. Please reach out - I would love to hear from you.