NYC Reveals Outdoor Dining Plan For Phase Two

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday released a preliminary plan permitting restaurants to use open streets and parking spots for outdoor dining service, allowed during the New York City’s second phase of reopening. The mayor said the “Open Restaurants” program would streamline the process for restaurants to set up sidewalk seating, let restaurants to convert adjacent parking spots into seating, and allow seating areas on streets currently closed to cars. The city, which is preparing to enter phase one of reopening on Monday, could be ready for phase two in early July, according to the mayor.

“New York’s restaurants are part of what makes us the greatest city in the world. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19–and there’s no recovery without them,” de Blasio said in a statement to NBC. “Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.”

There are currently a total of 45 miles of open streets, about halfway to the city’s goal of 100 total miles. The Open Restaurants plan allows for restaurants to add seating areas on these streets, many of which sit next to city parks. The mayor on Thursday said new streets will be identified that are in commercial areas “with a high volume of restaurants.”

The program also streamlines the permitting process with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Consumer Affairs for restaurants to create sidewalk seating. For curbside restaurant seating, no permit will be needed if restaurants self-certify.

On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said outdoor dining would now be allowed to open under phase two, instead of phase three as originally expected. According to state guidelines, outdoor tables must be spaced six feet apart, staff must wear face coverings, and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.

Restaurants in the seven regions that have already entered phase two, including the Capital Region, Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country, the Southern Tier, and Western New York, can reopen for outdoor dining on Thursday.

While de Blasio said the city will be entering phase two in early July, the governor has been moving regions into the next phase in two-week increments, which would be June 22 for the start of the city’s second phase.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that restaurants in the Garden State would be allowed to open for outdoor dining on June 15. In Connecticut, restaurants and hair salons got the green light from Gov. Ned Lamont to open on May 20.

25 Sutton Place South, Unit 3G

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25 Sutton Place South, Unit 3G

SUTTON PLACE, MANHATTAN

3 Bed  |  3 Bath | Co-op

Offered At $3,250,000

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Make breathtaking East River views your daily backdrop in this impeccable three-bedroom, three-bathroom cooperative in coveted Sutton Place.

Beautifully renovated throughout, this expansive waterfront home boasts wonderful custom closet space, premium finishes and picture-postcard views from nearly every room. A gracious foyer opens to the jaw-dropping great room where walls of windows to the east and south frame the river and 59th Street Bridge. Enjoy open, airy living and dining areas topped with recessed lighting and integrated speakers while gorgeous herringbone hardwood floors run underfoot. The kitchen is a masterwork in modern minimalism thanks to sleek blonde cabinetry, crisp white countertops and an army of stainless steel and integrated appliances, including a six-burner gas range, dishwasher, two wine refrigerators and a built-in microwave.

Wake up to tranquil water views in the master suite, designed with two California closets, custom built-ins and an en suite bathroom featuring radiant heat flooring and a walk-in rain shower with a bench and handheld sprayer. Secondary bedrooms offer roomy closets, world-class views and easy access to two well-appointed full baths with radiant heat. Smart home controls operate zoned HVAC, sound, lighting and window treatments in this superb Sutton Place haven.

Cannon Point North is an exceptional postwar co-op offering a live-in resident manager and full-time doorman and concierge service. Residents enjoy a fitness center, laundry, private storage, on-site garage, bike room, free Wi-Fi and a renovated private terrace overlooking the East River and bridge. Maintenance includes utilities. Co-purchasing, gifting and pieds-à-terre allowed. Sorry, no dogs.

Nestled within the sought-after Sutton Place enclave, this home offers the perfect combination of Midtown accessibility and residential serenity. Here, you're just inches from the newly rebuilt Sutton Place Park and the East River Esplanade. Enjoy excellent local shopping and dining and easy access to transportation, including E, M, 4/5/6 and N/Q/R/W trains and the FDR.

The Monthly Update - June 2020

Buying and Selling in Manhattan: New Methods for Positive Positioning COVID-19 and Beyond

As the proverb says, “necessity is the mother of invention” and the recent pandemic has seen the real estate industry rise to the occasion with creative ways to do business. “Virtual” will likely become a normal term in the days to come as well as adopting these technological strategies for the future in the housing market.

The good news is, despite the shutdown, there are potential buyers out there. These buyers are tech savvy and are letting their fingers do the walking and virtual walk-throughs do the talking. The old face-to-face business model of real estate transactions is going through a change and it looks as if this change is here to stay. 

So how can sellers stand out with listing and buyers find and close in today’s environment?

From Virtual closings to virtual viewings, let’s look at alternative methods for positive positioning in New York for both buyers and sellers during COVID-19 and beyond.

Virtual Showings

New York classified real estate as an essential business at the beginning of April. Guidance under the new ordinance mandates that any real estate transactions take place virtually. Virtual viewings were just taking off before the pandemic and are now replacing the walk-throughs with sales happening sight-unseen. According to HomeLight, a survey taken before the crisis showed only 5% of buyers were making sight-unseen offers whereas today this is the new normal in many areas. 

Video and photography are the current hot home selling tools. Sellers can ask their agents how to create a stunning video using a tripod and smartphone camera. There are even professional processors to help get the best results. Technologies such as Cupix, EyeSpy360, and Matterport are available to relators and sellers to aid in the virtual rendering of listings. 

With your agent’s help, Zoom, Skype or FaceTime allows you to host a virtual open house or walkthrough in real time for potential buyers. Hearing the owner tell their story about a property helps form emotional connections. This flexibility on the seller’s part reaps many rewards, lending an authenticity to the virtual process.

Virtual Closings

New York Governor Cuomo on March 20, 2020 gave an Executive Order allowing ‘Virtual Notarization’. The new notarization process uses tools like Zoom and Skype to help facilitate the process online. 

Banks are joining in the support by accepting desktop appraisals as appraisers and inspectors included in the Order can conduct their work by following certain distancing rules.

With a virtual closing, the gap created by using an escrow agent is closed. Everything is done electronically from the signing of documents to sending funds. Notarization is now performed using video conferencing technology. The document to be notarized gets sent by email, gets notarized, then sent back to the person who signed it. Within 30 days of the electronic transaction, the notary re-notarizes the original signed document and files it along with the electronically notarized copy.

The pandemic is allowing the real estate industry time to catch up to the consumer standards keeping their listings relevant in today’s world. In cities like New York, nimble agents like The Hoffman Group make sales while ensuring the safety of their clients and their families.There may be a learning curve to tackle regarding the new technology but many of the changes being made now will improve the buying and selling process in the future.

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Compass in the News

It's no surprise that the global pandemic has had a deep impact on real estate. The pandemic prompted a dramatic decline in listings going under contract across every major Compass region, followed by an equally dramatic increase in these agreements after the region hit bottom. Read Inman's coverage (here) and our full, detailed report (here) that gives a market-by-market look at the pandemic's effect on real estate.

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Lifestyle Tips & Tricks

Simple Summer Decorating Ideas 

Summer is officially here and whether you have a beach house or a city apartment, House Beautiful is sharing 30 easy summer decorating ideas that'll lighten the look of your home for warm-weather months and vacation vibes! 

Home Organization Hacks to Keep Your Space Tidy 

Need a summer project? Get organized! As we continue to social distance, our homes have never been more important. Here, Curbed editors share some of their favorite strategies and hacks for home organization so you can feel calm, cool, and collected. 

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As Seen On TV: The American Dream NYC 📺

NYC Now Has 45+ Miles of Open Streets, The Most In The U.S.

In his press conference this morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city is adding 13 more miles of open streets, bringing the total across the boroughs to 45 miles and exceeding his goal of opening 40 miles by the end of May. After stating that this is the largest amount of protected streets in the nation, he assured New Yorkers that “it won’t stop there.” When the mayor first announced the program, he committed to opening 100 miles of streets throughout the pandemic. The latest batch will open tomorrow and includes tons of park-adjacent streets across Queens and the first open streets in Greenwich Village and Red Hoo

“Now that we have sufficient enforcement capacity,” said de Blasio, referring to the fact that most city agencies including the NYPD are back up to their pre-coronavirus levels of personnel, the city has found “that sweet spot where we can do the open streets, keep them safe, make sure there’s enforcement when needed, and allow people to enjoy it, especially in strategic locations where it’s going to help avoid crowding–parks and other areas.”

The first set of open streets opened in early May. They dealt with 4.5 miles inside parks and 2.7 miles adjacent to parks. The second set, 1.9 miles, was opened in collaboration with Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). The third set, announced last week, includes some streets managed by BIDs (1.3 miles), as well as some overseen by local police precincts (7.6 miles) and more adjacent to parks (2.8 miles). The latest group sees the same combination: 1.8 miles will be managed by BIDs, 2.7 miles will be adjacent to parks, and 8.8 miles by local precincts.

Here is the full list of open streets; those bolded will open tomorrow.

Manhattan

• 114th Street: Manhattan Avenue to Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Harlem)

• 115th Street: Park Avenue to Third Avenue (Harlem)

• 117th Street (Harlem)

• 138th Street (Harlem)

• West End Avenue: 87th Street to 96th Street (Upper West Side)

• 75th Street: Broadway to Riverside Drive (Upper West Side)

• 51st Street (Hell’s Kitchen)

• Broadway (Times Square)

• Broadway: West 36th Street to West 41st Street

• Broadway: West 25th Street to West 28th Street

• Broadway: East 21st Street to East 23rd Street

• 2nd Avenue Service Road (Kips Bay)

• Hudson Yards, Hudson Boulevard East & West: 35th Street to 36th Street

• 17th Street: 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue (Meatpacking District)

• 13th Street and Little West 12th Street: Ninth Avenue to Washington Street (Meatpacking District)

• Greenwich Street (Hudson Square)

• Doyers Street (Chinatown)

• Ludlow Street: Delancey Street to Houston Street (Lower East Side)

• Orchard Street: Delancey Street to Houston Street (Lower East Side)

• Rivington Street: Allen Street to Essex Street (Lower East Side)

• Stanton Street: Allen Street to Essex Street (Lower East Side)

• University Place, MacDouglas Street (Greenwich Village)

• Pearl Street (lower Manhattan)
  Adjacent to Parks

• Lt. William Tighe Triangle: Dyckman Street from Broadway to Seaman Avenue

• Stuyvesant Square Park

• Carl Schurz Park: East End Avenue from East 83rd Street to East 89th Street

• Highbridge Park: Laurel Hill Terrace from Amsterdam Avenue in Highbridge Park

• Morningside Park

• Charles Young Playground

• Jackie Robinson Park: Edgecombe Avenue from St. Nicholas Place to 145th Street
  Inside Parks

• Fort Tryon Park: Margaret Corbin Drive from Fort Washington Avenue to Cabrini Boulevard

Brooklyn

• 1st Place: Smith Street to Henry Street (Carroll Gardens)

• 2nd Place: Smith Street to Henry Street (Carroll Gardens)

• 4th Place: Smith Street to Henry Street (Carroll Gardens)

• 4th Street: 5th Avenue to 4th Avenue (Park Slope)

• 6th Avenue: 44th Street to 51st Street (Sunset Park)

• East 7th Street: Caton Avenue to Ditmas Avenue (Kensington)

• 9th Street (Red Hook)

• Arlington Place (Bed Stuy)

• Berry Street: North 12th Street to Broadway (Williamsburg)

• Grattan Street: Morgan Avenue to Bogart Street (Bushwick)

• Hall Street: Park Avenue to Myrtle Avenue (Clinton Hill)

• Joralemon Street: Hicks Street to Furman Street (Brooklyn Heights)

• Lawrence Street: Fulton Street to Willoughby Street

• Newkirk Avenue: Coney Island Avenue to East 17th Street (Midwood)

• South Portland Avenue: South Elliot Street Dekalb Avenue (Fort Greene)

• St. Marks Place: 3rd Avenue to 4th Avenue (Boerum Hill)

• Willoughby Street: Pearl Street to Lawrence Street
  Adjacent to Parks

• Prospect Park: Parkside Avenue from Park Circle to Ocean Avenue

• Prospect Park: Prospect Park West from 3rd Street to Garfield Place

• McGolrick Park

• McCarren Park: Nassau Street

• Maria Hernandez Park: Suydam Street

• Cooper Park: Sharon Street

• Sternberg Park: Leonard Street

• Korean War Veterans Plaza: Cadman Plaza East

• Dome Playground: 38th Street

• Cobble Hill Park: Congress Street

• Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr. Park

• Carroll Park

• Green Central Knoll Park

• Betsy Head ParkInside Parks

• Callahan-Kelly Park: Sackman Street from Truxton Street to Fulton Street

Bronx

• 140th Street: Brooke Avenue to Willis Avenue (Mott Haven)

• East 148th Street: Willis Avenue to Bergen Avenue

• West 238th Street: Tibbett Avenue to Irwin Avenue

• Creston Avenue: Fordham Road to Kingsbridge Road

• Pugsley Avenue (Castle Hill)

• Rhinelander Avenue from Williamsbridge Road to Bronxdale Avenue (Morris Park)

• Willis Avenue: East 147th Street to East 148th Street
  Adjacent to Parks

• Williamsbridge Oval: Reservoir Oval East/West at Bainbridge Avenue

• Quarry Ballfields/Belmont: Oak Tree Place from Hughes Avenue to Quarry Place

• River Park: Boston Road from 180th Street to Bronx Park South

• River Park: Bronx Park South from Boston Road to Bryant Avenue

• St. Mary’s Park: Jackson Avenue from 143rd to 147th Streets

• Claremont Park: Clay Avenue from 173rd Street to Claremont ParkwayInside Parks

• Grant Park: Grant Avenue from 170th Street to 169th Street Full Block

Queens

• 27th Street: Hunter Street to Queens Plaza South (Long Island City)

• 5th Street: 46th Avenue to 49th Avenue (Long Island City)

• 34th Avenue: 69th Street to 77th Street (Jackson Heights)

• 34th Avenue: 78th Street to Junction Boulevard (Jackson Heights)

• 39th Avenue: Woodside Avenue to Barnett Avenue (Sunnyside)

• 46th Street: Queens Boulevard to Greenpoint Avenue (Sunnyside)

• 50th Avenue (Sunnyside)

• Skillman Avenue: 39th Place to 43rd Street (Sunnyside)

• 60th Street (Maspeth)

• 66th Road (Forest Hills)

• Ascan Avenue (Forest Hills)

• 99th Street (Rego Park)

• Peck Avenue: 137th Street to Main Street (Flushing)

• Roosevelt Avenue: 155th Street to Northern Boulevard (Flushing)

• 107th Avenue (Jamaica)

• 108th Avenue (Jamaica)

• 109th Avenue (Jamaica)

• 159th Street (Jamaica)
  Adjacent to Parks

• Astoria Park: Shore Boulevard from Ditmars Boulevard to Astoria Park South

• Court Square Park: Court Square West from Jackson Avenue to Dead End

• Hunters Point Park

• Gorman Playground

• Painters Playground

• Plaut Triangle

• Yellowstone Park

• Baisley Pond Park
  Inside Parks

• Forest Park: East Main Drive from Metropolitan Avenue to Overlook Parking Lot

• Forest Park: Freedom Drive from Park Lane to South Myrtle Avenue

• Forest Park: West Main Drive from Band Shell Lot to Golf Course Lot

• Flushing Meadows-Corona Park: Meadow Lake Drive from Model Airplane Field to Meadow Lake Bridge Parking Lot

Staten Island

• Adjacent to Stapleton Waterfront Park: Front Street from Canal Street to Edgewater Street

• Inside Silver Lake Park: Silver Lake Park Road from Forest Avenue to Victory Boulevard

• Adjacent to North Shore Esplanade Park: Bank Street

As the Department of Transportation details on its website:

Open Streets are available daily, 8 am to 8 pm (unless otherwise noted) for pedestrians and cyclists to use the roadbed of the street while maintaining at least six feet of distance from others. Opening hours may vary by location due to NYPD staffing.

You can find out specific details of a given street closure here. If you’d like to have a street considered for the program, you can fill out this survey.

As for the protected bike lanes that will open throughout May, they are as follows:

Manhattan

• Broadway: Barclay Street to Morris Street (Financial District)

• 38th and 39th Streets: 1st Avenue to 11th Avenue (Midtown)

Brooklyn

• 4th Avenue: 1st Street to Flatbush Avenue (Boerum Hill)

• Ashland Place/Navy Street: Hanson Place to Sands Street (Clinton Hill)

• Flatbush Avenue: Grand Army Plaza to Ocean Avenue (Prospect Park)

Queens

• Crescent Street: Queens Plaza North to Hoyt Avenue North (Astoria/Long Island City)

Regional Roundup ZOOM Call | Tuesday, May 19th @5PM

Regional Roundup ZOOM Call

Tuesday, May 19th @5PM

Five regional experts will give insight into the current real estate market and also answer your questions!

Bill and Melinda Gates Purchase Southern California Mansion for $43 Million

Now that they’ve bought the ultimate beach house, Bill and Melinda Gates are certainly ready for summer.

The billionaire philanthropist couple purchased a jaw-dropping property in Del Mar, California, a beach town just outside of San Diego. The Microsoft cofounder and his wife paid $43 million for the home—surpassing San Diego County’s previous record home purchase record by $8 million—according to Brian D. Guiltinan from the Guiltinan Group. The deal closed on March 27, 2020. [Source: T&C]

The pair purchased the six-bedroom, four-bathroom home from Madeleine Pickens, the former wife of Texas oil tycoon and billionaire T. Boone Pickens. Ms. Pickens put the 5,800 square foot home on the market in early 2019, listing it for $48 million.

According to the San Diego Reader, the home is not your average beach house. It features “a family residence, a health spa, theater, pool, tennis court, greenhouse, and two guest houses.” All of these amenities push the total square footage to over 10,000.

The article also notes the home’s luxe mahogany wood, limestone flooring, sandstone patios, and Getty stone accents. The patio features a 10-person spa, gas fire-pit, and glass-tiled pool. Not to mention the property’s stunning 120 feet of direct oceanfront views.

The property has a sizable, ocean-facing patio, perfect for entertaining.Indeed, this home is yet another addition to the Gates family’s stacked real estate portfolio. While the family is based at their Medina, Washington compound, according to Architectural Digest, the couple also owns an $18 million equestrian estate in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and two properties for their daughter, Jennifer: a $16 million Westchester horse farm and $5 million New York City condo.

Even among the Gates’s other stunning homes, though, this unforgettable property certainly stands out.

NYC Fun Fact - May 1st Was Moving Day

Moving Day 1827

Moving is always hell. Now imagine if a million fellow New Yorkers were also schlepping their stuff to new living quarters on the same day you were. Crazy, right? But this was a tradition in New York since colonial times, lasting until World War II.

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1869, a customer asks a cartman: "Can't you take a few things more?" (Harper's Weekly)

On February 1 of every year, landlords let tenants know how much their rent increase would be, to take effect three months later. If they couldn’t afford the new price, tenants had that time to scout new digs within their budget.

With the new rent due May 1, tenants waited until that day to vacate their old premises. Moving van (pulled by horses) companies and warehouse owners jacked prices; getting around the sidewalks was a serious chore.

“Old beds and rickety bedstands, handsome pianos and kitchen furniture, will be chaotically huddled together,” The New York Times reported in 1855.

“Everybody in a hurry, smashing mirrors in his haste, and carefully guarding boot boxes from harm. Sofas that go out sound will go in maimed . . . bedscrews will be lost in the confusion, and many a good piece of furniture badly bruised in consequence.”

The May moving day custom began to die down in the 1920s, as new rent laws gave tenants increased protection, and more Manhattanites decamped for new neighborhoods in the outer boroughs.

NYC Subways Will Shut Down From 1am-5am For Nightly Cleanings

After Governor Cuomo asked the MTA to step up its subway disinfecting schedule from every 72 to 24 hours, the agency came back with what it’s calling the “Essential Connector Program.” This initiative will stop service from 1:00am to 5:00am every night during the pandemic, starting Wednesday, May 6. New York City is one of the few cities in the entire world (and the only one in the U.S.) that has a public transit system that runs 24/7, but the governor has said that it is the city and state’s responsibility to disinfect more frequently in order to keep our essential workers safe and ensure that they feel comfortable riding the subway.

As the governor explained, the disruptions are coming at a time when overall subway ridership is down 92 percent. These hours, 1am to 5am, are the lowest ridership times, with about 11,000 riders using the system during that time. For those essential workers who rely on public transportation during these hours, the city will provide buses, for-hire vehicles, and compliant “dollar vans” at no cost.

Trains on MetroNorth and the Long Island Railroad, as well as city buses, will also be disinfected every 24 hours; because of their ridership numbers, this can be done with no disruptions to current service schedules.

In addition to disinfecting each night, the MTA will have time to continue testing innovative cleaning solutions that include UV, antimicrobials, and electrostatic disinfectants.

The entire initiative is a partnership among the city, state, and MTA, as it will require a “robust and sustainable NYPD presence to secure the stations and manage closure of train service.”

Governor Cuomo did admit that this is a task that “nobody had ever imagined before” and explained that we clean trains, but how do you disinfect? “This is a whole new process, these are new chemicals, this is new equipment for workers, it’s new methods.” He added the challenge of needing to disinfect “every place that a hand could touch on a subway car,” such as every rail, pole, door, as well as any place that a droplet could land for sneezing or coughing. “So you have to disinfect that entire interior of the car, and then you have to disinfect the stations, the handrails, everything that people could be touching.”

According to a press release, “The MTA will resume overnight service between the period of 1-5 a.m. when customer demand returns, and innovative and efficient disinfecting techniques have been successfully deployed systemwide.”

The Monthly Update - May 2020

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Priority One: Health and Safety, Then Real Estate. 

As New York State prepares to gradually lift the stay-at-home order starting around May 15, there are many pressing questions on the minds of New Yorkers. Specifically, how will reopening affect specific industries and our way of life as a whole? 

In real estate, there’s certainly no shortage of questions. How are we going to move forward with the business of buying and selling homes in New York City, which will likely reopen well after less-densely populated areas Upstate.

1. Open Houses & Showings Safety: We’ll definitely be following a host of new rules when it comes to these cornerstones of the real estate process. Masks, gloves and booties will become the standard as buyers have consistently shown during the lockdown that they want to actually see the properties (in-person) before they offer or sign. 

2. Pricing & Market Activity: When will the industry rebound and/or how will prices be affected? This happens to be the elephant in the room! Frankly, it’s too early to say at this time, but there is sure to be some reduction in price and activity, at least in the short term. How much and for how long? No one really knows. 

3. Bank Financing/Lending & Rates: The industry will most certainly need interest rates to stay extremely low to help spur the real estate market along. Banks will also need to ease restrictions and ensure a wide range of lending options are available after people return to work.

4. Board Package & Sales Application: A month ago, some of our team members were buying printers for their home offices. Others were mastering the art of the Adobe PDF or learning to navigate online board package portals and third-party applications, such as BoardPackager. Bottom line: Real estate professionals need to be nimble and adapt to the industry’s evolving best practices. At this point, I’m convinced that digital packages will be more of the norm moving forward. 

5. Appraisals: Drive-by or desktop appraisals could also be the wave of the future.

6. The Wet Notary & Closings: A silver lining in all of this is the hope that, just maybe, the notary and closing process will all be done virtually and digitally in the future. The cost savings have the potential to be enormous with little to no downside!

All these issues need time to play out before the industry decides on our new normal. The upcoming summer months will most likely see a thinly traded adjustment period in the market. If you are a buyer and expecting a 50 percent reduction in pricing, you will be disappointed. If you’re a seller hoping to pick right up where we left off in February, when the housing market was very strong, you will also be disappointed. The dust needs to settle, and expectations must remain in check. This summer is going to be proving ground for the sellers and buyers who are first to wade into uncharted waters. 

But, none of these adjustments will matter until we can contain the virus in New York City. For now, let’s focus on making sure our friends, families, neighbors and co-workers are safe.

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Virtual Happenings

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Parks@Home

You can enjoy NYC parks from home! While you're socially distancing and/or staying home, explore our city's parks — online. Experience live park tours, meditation, fitness, art classes, fun activities for kids, and more! Learn more here to virtually connect with the parks we know and love. 

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Brooklyn Brainery Virtual Courses 

Brooklyn Brainery is accessible education, crowdsourced to our local community.  They host affordable classes on anything and everything! From dumpling and pie-making to watercolors and screenwriting, there is something for everyone. Peruse the course calendar here! 

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NYC's Virtual Nightlife 

Dancing is a major part of NYC nightlife, so if you miss hearing a thumping baseline on a Saturday night, don't fret! There is an entire nightlife ecosystem that's still happening through the digital ethers. Read-on here for the best virtual clubs where you can dance off your pent-up quarantine energy. 

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News, Tips & Tricks

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In April, Compass Welcomed Greg Hart, Our New Chief Product Officer

Hart comes to us from Amazon where over the course of his 23-year tenure he built, launched, and scaled some of Amazon’s most successful ventures. A true entrepreneur, Greg helped build Alexa and Amazon Music, and led both Books and Prime Video. 

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Greenify Your Home With These Online Plant Delivery Services 

The benefits of indoor plants are impossible to deny, from scrubbing the air of toxic pollutants to the incredible psychological benefits. As we continue to social distance, you can still turn your home into an oasis thanks to these plant delivery companies! 

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50 Small Patio Design Ideas for a Dreamy Outdoor Oasis 

Your new favorite hangout is likely just outside your door. As sunny days and warmer nights approach, Elle Decor lists some tips you can utilize to spruce up your patio. Your patio is an extension of your home, so make sure to give it some love!

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Margaritas & Market Talk - Cinco de Mayo Zoom Call

As Seen On TV: The American Dream NYC

The American Dream is the only TV show that goes against the negative sensationalist style of journalism often seen in media. The American Dream’s mission is to Educate, Empower, and Engage its audience across the country with business leaders, accomplished entrepreneurs, finance experts, and top producing realtors. The show is produced by Ignite Now Media in San Diego, California in conjunction with hundreds of partners, videographers, and studios. Featured Guests: Benjamin Dixon, Matthew Mackay, Dylan Hoffman, Matthew Melinger & Michael Shapot

To subscribe to The American Dream TV YouTube Channel please use the following link: http://tinyurl.com/lv33g4h

The Met Opera Will Live-Streamed A Gala With 40+ Artists

The show must go on. The Metropolitan Opera on Monday announced plans to host a virtual “At-Home Gala” this month with over 40 artists participating around the world. On Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m., leading Met artists will perform live from their homes for a free three-hour concert. The event comes after the venue was forced to cancel the rest of its season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Peter Gelb, the general manager for the Met, will be producing the event from his Upper West Side apartment alongside music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, from his home in Montreal.

“While the Met is famous for its high-definition transmissions into cinemas, this will be a great artistic but low-tech operation, Gelb said in a press release. “We will be providing operatic uplift to our audiences, as well as for our singers, who are eager to connect with their fans.”

With an expected loss of $60 million due to the COVID-19 forced closure, the virtual gala is part of an urgent fundraising campaign, “The Voice Must Be Heard,” that aims to support the company in the future.

The gala will start at 1 p.m., the time of the Met’s regularly scheduled Saturday matinee performances, on the Met website. The program will be available to view until 6:30 p.m. the following day. Featured artists hail everywhere from New York and New Jersey to Latvia and South Africa. See the line-up here.

The Met is also offering free virtual performances every night of the week. Streams go live on its website each night at 7:30 p.m. and remain up until 6:30 p.m. the next day. “We’d like to provide some grand opera solace to opera lovers in these extraordinarily difficult times,” Gelb said. “Every night, we’ll be offering a different complete operatic gem from our collection of HD presentations from the past 14 years.” More details on this week’s screenings can be found here.

Jon Bon Jovi Puts Waterfront NJ Mansion On The Market For $20M

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Fifteen acres, an 18,000-square-foot main house designed by Robert A.M. Stern, a dock and boat lift, a pool with two cedar cabanas, a personal pub, a recording studio–and that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find at Jon Bon Jovi’s incredible Central Jersey mansion. First spotted by Mansion Global, the rocker’s property on the Navesink River in Middletown has just hit the market for $20 million, and as Christie’s listing agent Kathleen Coumou told MG, “He’s looking for the right buyer, someone who will appreciate what he’s done to the house.”

The New Jersey native enlisted famed architect Robert A.M. Stern to design this home for his family in 1999. Known as High Point Estate, the stucco and limestone house is an “elegant French-inspired chateau,” writes the listing. It is “rich in architectural symmetry” and boasts a brick courtyard with a double-wide entrance driveway, oversized windows with French balconies, arched alcove windows, wrought iron accents, and a slate roof.

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The home comes with 750 feet of river frontage, which can be enjoyed from the large slate patio, complete with an outdoor fireplace. Off the patio is a French-inspired courtyard that leads to the three-car heated garage.

Under another pergola, you’ll find a second patio, this one overlooking the heated in-ground pool. The area around the pool has two full cedar bath cabanas, a separate kitchen, and a laundry room.

In total, there are four outbuildings on the property. One is a 1910, three-bedroom carriage house. The second is called the “Shoe Inn” Pub and comes complete with a pool table, “a period designed imported bar from France,” and a one-car garage. The original stables have been converted to a recording studio above with a seven double-door garage on the first floor. There’s also a separate stable building with a laundry room, workshop, and storage area.

The 15 acres of professionally landscaped grounds include gardens, open lawns, stone walkways. Another major perk of the property is its private dock and boat lift.

Inside, Bon Jovi’s love of French furniture is on full display. He enlisted internationally acclaimed painter Pierre Finkelstein to take on the entire house, adding realistic wood graining, 18th- and 19th-century patinas, gilding, plaster finishes, custom-cut stenciling, architectural trompe l’oeil (a technique that uses realistic imagery to create 3D illusions), and hand-painted Venetian plaster, which is on display in both the first- and second-floor foyers.

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The 50-foot living room has 12-foot ceilings, a marble fireplace, and painted woodwork. There is also a custom-designed movie theater.

Off the living room is “the elegant river view bar,” which has a large French mirror reflecting the water and hand-painted carved wood details done by Pierre. The dining room also has beautiful river views and can fit a table of 18.

The kitchen very well might be the home’s true gem. It’s highlighted by handcrafted brick barrel-vaulted ceilings with hand-painted beams. There is an incredible amount of cabinet space, as well as honed alabaster counters, an enormous center island with a prep sink, and multiple ovens and refrigerators.

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Off the kitchen is a charming breakfast room with a vaulted brick ceiling.

More hand-painted ceiling beams are in display in the family room. The fireplace here is the inside of the outdoor fireplace.

Up the curving staircase with a wrought-iron rail is the large second floor. Though not pictured, it consists of two wings–the family wing and the guest/staff wing. The former has four bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms. This includes the master suite, which has a balcony, his-and-hers walk-in closets, a seating area, a private hallway, and a kitchenette. The other wing has a private entrance, two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a kitchen. The house also benefits from an elevator that goes from the basement to second floor.

The Monmouth County location is considered quite exclusive (Bruce Springsteen lived nearby in Rumson for many years). It’s just an hour to Manhattan and close to the SeaStreak Ferry.

A little over two years ago, Bon Jovi sold his West Village duplex for $16 million, soon after he purchased a $19 million condo nearby. We’re not sure why he’s selling this gorgeous property, but we can’t imagine he’ll completely leave the NJ area as he and his wife Dorothea run two nearby locations of JBJ Soul Kitchens, non-profit community restaurants that operate on a cash-only donation model.

Q1 2020 Manhattan Market Report

Your Q1 2020 Manhattan 

As we continue to experience these unprecedented times, we are here to provide valuable insights into the real estate market so you can stay educated and informed. We are pleased to share Compass' Q1 2020 Manhattan Market Report, highlighting the prevailing trends shaping the market.

Please remember we are always here to talk and or answer any questions you might think of.

The Monthly Update - April 2020

Love + Peace. Health + Safety.

First of all, I hope everyone is well, healthy and safe. Three agents on The Hoffman Team have caught COVID-19 thus far, but thank goodness, they are almost at full recovery. 

Hats off to all the doctors, nurses, physicians assistants, staff, orderlies and volunteers who are working so hard during this daunting, uncharted time. There is a shortage of meals for these heroes of ours, and a friend of mine started www.meals4heroes.org to help. Please check it out. These hospital heroes are doing selfless, miraculous work for all of us. So let’s feed them!

The head-spinning about-face on not just the markets but on life as we know it. 

During the strong real estate activity in December, January, and February, buyers (finally) made a real push to buy. Sellers (finally) adjusted price points to meet those buyers. And the New York City real estate market was (finally) coming back … and then the coronavirus began wreaking havoc on life as we know it.

So, where do we stand now? In New York City real estate — as with everything — it’s too early to tell. It's day by day. 

The first week of the lockdown showed almost 1,200 apartments taken off the market by agents. At the time I am writing this newsletter, sales inventory in New York City shows about 5,600 units on the market. Normally at this time, we would have about 7,500 units available, a figure that would grow rapidly through April and May as the spring market plowed ahead. But not this spring. 

 Currently, some contracts are still getting signed. However, we won’t have details on discounts or percent off asking price for these deals until late Q3 2020. 

 The industry is acclimating to virtual listings and virtual showings. It’s learning how to orchestrate virtual board packages, virtual board interviews, and virtual closings. It’s all new territory. Everything is fluid. All aspects of life are day by day. We’re all learning as we go — and we’re doing it safely, from a distance, in our homes. As the days, weeks, months go on, we will get a clearer picture of things to come. 

But one thing is for sure — when we get this coronavirus under control (and we will!), we will be on the road to what many say will be a swift recovery! And we’ll also have a lot of knowledge and tools that we can use if trouble should arise in the future.

However, for now, all we can do is focus on our immediate goals, which are to stay safe, stay quarantined, and show love and patience to your family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. We will get through this together. #worldstrong

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Virtual Happenings

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Travel the World...From Your Couch!

Although we may be temporarily grounded, thanks to the internet, we can tour the world right from our living rooms! Explore our country's beautiful National Parks, zip over to Chile to explore its Natural Wonders, and even get a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Read Thrillist's full list of virtual travel experiences here. No passport needed!  

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Virtual NYC

Experience the best of NYC virtually! NYC & Company has launched Virtual NYC, an online resource that rounds up museums, galleries, comedy clubs, theaters, and other venues that you can experience virtually. Click here for dozens of ways to connect with your favorite NYC attractions from home or wherever you’re socially distancing right now.

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Virtual Family Attractions Across the US

Visit your favorite zoo, aquarium, or theme park — and explore new ones — virtually with the whole family! Forbes has rounded up a list of destinations across the country that you can explore today. Click here to view the full list.  

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Keep New York working!

By donating, you are not only providing a much-needed service to the medical professionals but also keeping New York City's small businesses alive.

Why meals?

Every hospital in the city has been transformed by the coronavirus and the overwhelming number of patients in need.

With the long hours and endless need, the hospitals are overwhelmed and the medical professionals have little time to care for themselves to meet their own basic needs. By providing meals, we are caring for their health and showing we appreciate the work they do to help keep us safe. 

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News; Tips & Tricks

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Congratulations, Compass! 

Last month, The Wall Street Journal / REAL Trends, named Compass the #1 independent brokerage in the United States and the #3 brokerage by sales volume for the second year in a row. See the rankings here. 

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Trend Alert: Mixing Neutrals With Emerald and Aqua

Whether you're looking for the light brightness of aqua or the rich dimension of emerald, these two jeweled hues are guaranteed to amp up your. While designers often suggest sticking to neutrals for your main furniture pieces, one statement piece in a bold color choice takes your living room from ho-hum to dazzling. HGTV's trend alert is everything we needed and more.

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Missing Restaurant Quality Dining?

Check-in with your favorite restaurants and see if they offer 'cook at home' meals or meal kits like The Capital Grille.

Which now offers their finest wine and prime steaks for pick-up or delivery which can be ready-to-eat or prepared for cooking at home. More information here.

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This Is How to Set the Most Beautiful Springtime Tablescape

Spring has finally sprung; the robins are emerging, and leaves and blossoms are beginning to unfurl on trees. U.K. illustrator Robin Lucas takes Architectural Digest into his abundant garden to find inspiration for the perfect seasonal party backdrop. 

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Stay Connected!

@HoffmanTeam

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Edge Observation Deck at 30 Hudson Yards Officially Opens to the Public

Edge observation deck, the most anticipated public-facing component of the Hudson Yards megaproject, is finally open. Perched 1,131 feet above Tenth Avenue on the 100th floor of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s 30 Hudson Yards, Edge galvanizes the new mixed-use neighborhood with an attraction unlike any other in New York.

YIMBY got an early tour of the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, a cantilevering steel structure that protrudes nearly 80 feet outward from the sloped profile of the 1,296-foot-tall commercial office supertall. Rockwell Group designed the interiors that include Peak, a restaurant, bar, and event space operated by hospitality group RHC. Peak will open tomorrow and is accepting reservations. Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group are the developers of the skyscraper, which is the tallest in Hudson Yards and the third-tallest completed building in the city overall.

Much like the redesigned visitor flow at the Empire State Building, Edge was designed to educate and entertain visitors while they wait for the elevators, making the queue process feel less like waiting in line. As they progress through the lower levels, guests pass through immersive audiovisual presentations that explain the process of creating a modern urban neighborhood from scratch. “This really a story about optimism and the future of cities,” said Melissa Hoffman, principal, studio leader of The LAB at Rockwell Group. “Along with the incredible views, we’re going to take you on an immersive experiential journey that celebrates the thrill of transformation.”

Once inside the elevator, it only takes 52 seconds to ascend to the top. On the ride up, the video-lined walls play an animation that begins with an architect’s sketch of the skyline and gradually becomes filled in and rendered as the car rises.

After arriving at the 100th floor, guests pass through an interior section before stepping outside onto the 7,500-square-foot outdoor platform that juts out to the East. On the northern end of the platform are granite bleachers and stairs where visitors can sit and take in the view to the south of the Hudson River, Lower Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty. Towards the outermost corner of the platform is the 225-square-foot triangular glass opening that looks all the way down to the streets below. This will certainly be one of Edge’s most popular photo opportunities.

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Edge provides views in all directions, including north to the George Washington Bridge, Central Park, the supertalls of Billionaires’ Row; east to the beloved Empire State Building and Chrysler Building, and One Vanderbilt; and south to One World Trade Center and the Financial District, Downtown Brooklyn, Jersey City, and the Atlantic Ocean past the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

The Edge is made of 15 sections that were preassembled in Italy, each weighing between 35,000 and 100,000 pounds. The platform is lined with 3,000 square feet of nine-foot-high glass divided into 79 panels that weigh 1,200 pounds apiece. They were manufactured in Germany and finished in Italy, and were installed with a 6.6-degree outward tilt so people can get a better view down.

Edge officially opens to the public today at 1pm, with access located on the fourth floor of The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards.

Battery Park City’s Hurricane Maria Memorial Revealed

Puerto Rico-based architect Segundo Cardona and artist Antonio Martorell will design the Battery Park City Hurricane Maria memorial to honor the Puerto Rican community, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. The pair’s design is the result of a review and selection process by the Hurricane Maria Memorial Commission, which selected the winning submission. Over one hundred proposals were submitted in response to a call for entries that began last August.

As 6sqft previously reported, Cuomo announced plans for the project last September, on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s landfall. He established the Hurricane Maria Memorial Commission to solicit designs for a memorial honoring the victims and to stand as an international symbol of the resilience of the Puerto Rican community. The commission is overseen by Reps. Nydia Velazquez and Jose Serrano, Assembly Member Marcos Crespo, Assembly Member Maritza Davila and New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado.

The Esplanade and the Chambers Street Overlook in Battery Park City were chosen as potential sites, and applicants were invited to submit a design for one or both, or as many as two distinct ideas for each site. The memorial will be completed and on public view by the first quarter of 2021.

Cardona and Martorell’s design is comprised of an “ascending glass spiral,” which brings to mind both a hurricane and a shell, “a symbol of protection for living organisms against a hostile environment.” At the apex of the spiral is an upward rotating star–the star of the Puerto Rican flag. The poem “Farewell from Welfare Island” by one of Puerto Rico’s most beloved poets, Julia de Burgos, is painted on the memorial’s glass panels. The poem tells of the resiliency of the Puerto Rican people. The piece is an organic combination of art, architecture, and literature.

Segundo Cardona is a Puerto Rican architect and developer focused on “bringing the urban landscape, nature, architecture and art together to create accessible and impacting spaces.” Antonio Martorell is a longtime artist-in-residence at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey and a member of the Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española who has had work exhibited around the world.

“We witnessed firsthand the terrible experience of Hurricane Maria and its aftermath,” Cardona and Martorell said in a joint statement. “It was an honor to collaborate on the creation of our proposal for the memorial. Our idea was that the memorial needed to be visually strong, accessible and sensitive to the site. We felt committed to work hard to bring together architecture, art and literature into one single powerful message that we hope will engage and invoke reflection on the fate of the many victims.”

The Hurricane Maria Memorial is part of Governor Cuomo’s broad response to a series of natural disasters in Puerto Rico. New York State has dedicated approximately $13 million to help displaced victims of Hurricane Maria who are living in New York. Governor Cuomo has also directed critical resources to communities in need following Hurricane Maria’s landfall in September 2017.

505 West 47th Street, Unit 3AS

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505 West 47th Street, Unit 3AS

HELL’S KITCHEN, MANHATTAN

1 Bed  |  1 Bath | Condo

Offered At $750,000

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Perfect for homebuyers or investors, this sleek one-bedroom, one-bathroom home features fantastic southern light and unrivaled building amenities in the heart of Hell's Kitchen.

A wide expanse of windows draws you inside this perfectly arranged home to find a large living surrounded by tall ceilings and gleaming bamboo floors. A symphony of form and function, the open Pullman kitchen features Mastri La Cucina cabinetry, Calacatta Gold marble countertops and top-notch appliances by Miele, LG, Bosch and Fisher & Paykel, including an in-unit washer-dryer. The king-size bedroom offers more great southern light and a roomy reach-in closet, while the contemporary bathroom is finished in premium stone and fixtures with a large rain shower/tub. Another large closet and central heat and air make this home the perfect Midtown West retreat.

At The 505, you'll enjoy attentive full-time concierge service, a live-in superintendent, storage, bike room, a state-of-the-art fitness center topped in atrium windows, and Wi-Fi in all common areas. The modern condominium features abundant outdoor space in the landscaped Zen courtyard or up on the two roof decks flanked in magnificent skyline views. This pet-friendly enclave permits unlimited subletting with board approval and features ultra-low common charges and 421a tax abatement until later this year.

Nestled in vibrant Hell's Kitchen/Midtown West, this home is surrounded by fantastic venues for dining, nightlife, entertainment, shopping and open space. The Theater District unfolds right outside your door, amazing Hudson River Park offers miles of waterfront outdoor space and recreation, and dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants fill the nearby blocks. Make a beeline straight down to the phenomenal Hudson Yards and Manhattan West developments, and enjoy fantastic access to transportation with A/C/E, N/R/W and 1 trains all nearby.

• Sublet Policy: unlimited subleasing allowed. 12-month+ leases only.

To offset Coronavirus-related dips in attendance, tickets for six Broadway hits will be only $50

As Coronavirus fears begin impacting Broadway attendance, producer Scott Rudin is slashing ticket prices to keep theatres full, Deadline reports. Starting this Thursday at noon, all remaining March tickets for Rudin’s popular productions—To Kill a Mockingbird, West Side Story, The Lehman Trilogy, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and The Book of Mormon—will be available for only $50.

“As long as New York City is open for business, its beating heart remains the Broadway stage. This is an unprecedented opportunity for everyone to see a show that they otherwise might not have had easy and affordable access to,” Rudin said in a statement. “I can’t pretend that great theater is the panacea we’ve been waiting for, but in the meantime, I think we could all use a few hours away from the evening news.”

Rudin’s shows have held very stable attendance numbers so far (West Side Story and the preview of The Lehman Trilogy sold out last week) but that might quickly change in the days and weeks to come.

As the Wall Street Journal reported, box office dips have mostly impacted Disney musicals like The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen which rely more heavily on tourist traffic. In response, Disney Theatrical Group announced it would begin waiving its $15 exchange fee through the end of the month and refunding tickets through April 19.

The $50 tickets will be available for performances taking place between March 12 and 29 at Telecharge.com and Ticketmaster.com.

[Via Deadline]