UPDATED: 2 Cooper Square Has Tenants?

A women ready to assist residents in a newly opened lobby of 2 Cooper Square on the east 4th Street side

2 Cooper Square, one of Bowery's most watched residential development, has been the topic du jour for bloggers in the East Village and environs for years, with Lockart Steele's Curbed.com excitedly covering it's development and construction. Everyone seemed to be waiting for the first tenants imminent arrival. So imagine my surprise when the woman at the front desk of Cooper's finished lobby confirmed some apartments are already occupied, as of "a couple of months ago."

$1200 Crappy Apartment Next To Fish Store (Chinatown / Lit Italy)

At least they were honest, which counts for a lot. It's definitely more than you could expect from some real estate brokers, who are infamous for being misleading and disingenuous.

Pictures of the presumed crappy apartment and smelly fish store below...

Citizens And Pols Rally At Rent Guidelines Board Meeting

Watch video of Brooklyn's District 45 City Council Member Jumaane D. William address residents and media outside of The Great Hall at Cooper Union during a rally outside the Rent Guideline Board hearing yesterday, June 17, 2010.

Avalon Bowery Place For Only $7,495 A Month

From left to right, the floorplans above feature one and two bedroom units available at Avalon Bowery Place, the new luxury buildings erected on the east corners of Bowery and Houston. It is there you will find:

"...Manhattan living—the way you always dreamt it would be. Set on the famed Bowery, this luxury rental residence puts you in the center of an all-encompassing lifestyle."

And how much will this "Manhattan living" set you back? According to the most recent listings, $3,500 a month for a one bedroom, and $7,495 for a two bedroom. But it's worth it; Zipcars are kept on the premises, and there is also a billiard room.

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Is Downtown Brooklyn the new Williamsburg?

That's the optimistic question posed last week by The New York Observer in their April issue of the Luxury Rentals Monthly special advertising supplement.

The answer comes in part from a commenter at Curbed who preemptively answered that question in a "Comment Of The Day" on an unrelated post on March 12:

"Downtown Brooklyn? Are you kidding me?? Have any of you guys actually BEEN there at night? It's probably the most depressing places in the city. It feels like Hartford, CT on the weekend. Yes, Brownstone Brooklyn proper is much nicer than Williamsburg for a bunch of reasons - but trying to say Downtown Brooklyn is better than Williamsburg - sorry, not buying it."

Dare to dream, Downtown Brooklyn. But serious, if the universe is a kind and living being, you will forever be spared this fate.

Looking For Affordable Housing In Manhattan? The City Recommends Going Somewhere Else

From the New York City Rent Guidelines Board website, housingnyc.com:

How Can I Find Affordable Housing?

Look Outside of "Core" Manhattan - Bear in mind that New York City has many housing sub-markets. If you are looking for moderately priced apartments, very little will be found in Manhattan south of 96th Street on the East Side and below 110th Street on the West Side. Nonetheless, parts of the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, upper Manhattan and Staten Island offer more affordable apartments. The median rent for a newly vacant apartment in Core Manhattan is typically double that found in the rest of the city.

What Every New Yorker Needs to Know About Rental Housing [Housingnyc.com]

290 Mulberry St: Art Project, Residential Apartments Nobody Wants, Or Both?

According to their website, Arts Corporation is a multimedia laboratory interested in the intersections of art, architectural design, and technology. It seems they might also be responsible for the colorful light display previously seen at 290 Mulberry, if the placard at right seen affixed to it's sidewalk shed is accurate. (click through for larger version).

It identifies the multi-color light show as an art project—indeed it identifies the whole building— (a la Paul Richard) as an art project titled: Your Lights Are On But You're Not Home, 2009. An installation of "indefinte duration," consisting of Halogen and Neon Lamps, Times, Electrical Cord, Concrete, Brick, Glass, Steel, and Plastic: 40' x 60' x 140'. It was made possible "courtesy of Cardinal Investments," the developer behind 290 Mulberry. It seems a little cheeky in light of the big problems the building is facing. As well, the placard was haphazardly affixed with double sided tape, and I never noticed it there prior. Arts Corporation did not respond to an email inquiry looking for confirmation.

For more information on 290 Mulberry, check Curbed.com for complete coverage where their most recent post on the building reports the project's lender "is attempting to foreclose on the building and force a sale," "the building's construction manager filed its own lis pendens seeking over $1.7 million in unpaid fees," and "no apartments are listed as being in contract."

[Arts Corporation]
[290 Mulberry St]

The November 2009 Manhattan Rental Market Report

Forgot to post this when it was released on Nov 30, so here it is; TDG/The Real Estate Group NY's November 2009 report on the Manhattan rental market.

Some highlights from the report make note of "deals" to be had in the Lower East Side, Soho, and the East Village. If $4,000 for a two bedroom is your idea of a deal. I'll take a studio in Harlem for $1,300 thank you very much.  Read the full, detailed report here.

Harlem World

• The George Washington Houses in East Harlem lived up to their reputation for having the worst elevator breakdowns Tuesday when firefighters had to rescue yet another trapped resident. <NY Daily News>
• Jazz Feet Part 1 <Sekou Writes>
• Awesomely, Skateboards Rule the Heights! <The Gay Recluse>
• A reader at Trainjotting wants to know, Is it safe to ride the 6 train in Harlem? <Trainjotting>
• Major League Baseball Deal in Harlem Strikes Out <Uptown Flavor>
  
• Green Rental Breaks Ground in East Harlem <Globe St>
  
• 8 reviews of popular eating spots in Harlem <Yelp.com>
• ...And one foodie ads their own opinion upon hearing word of a new 'exlusive VIP only lounge', "And they say there’s no progress in this country! Just twenty years ago, who would have thought that Harlem would have a douchey, members-only VIP lounge where dissipated oligarchs can pay $500 for bottles of shitty vodka? <The Feedbag
• Is FDB becoming the restaurant row in Harlem? <Harlem Condo Life>
  
• He wakes up everyday at 4 a.m., completes his morning routine, and leaves his home near LaGuardia airport so he can open up his newsstand down at the subway stop on 116th Street and Broadway by 6 a.m. <Columbia Spectator>
  

Put Your City On

Photograph courtesy of arvindgrover

• The Village Pour House, having recently opened up a outpost at 982 Amsterdam Avenue, btw 108 and 109th, sends word that you can take a cab there from anywhere in the city, and if you produce the receipt at the bar, they will pay for your drinks in the amount of your fare. As a commenter at Feedbag noted, "Are you kidding? This is an insane deal… So I can go out downtown and take a cab home to have some free drinks??"
• Graffiti Writer With Daddy Issues Bombs Subway Station <Animal>
  
• Since 2003, the city has been experiencing a historic building boom. But that prosperity has come at a high cost. So far this year, 27 construction workers have died. <WNYC>
  
• Night Shift: Lincoln Tunnel <City Room>
  
• NYU Uses Magic Accounting to Fudge Dorm Crime Stats <WSN via Gothamist>
  
• Streetfilms: A New Vision for the Upper West Side <Streetsblog>
  
• Local Craftspeople Make Art About Books for NY Public Library <Runnin' Scared>
  
• Free museum hours in NYC for Fall/Winter 2008/2009 <Newyorkology>
  
• Matt Harvey at the NY Press has been filing a series of first hand reports on encounters with the Real World cast, his latest caused quite a scene. <Fifth Column Blogs>
• Rich People Now Trying to Fit In by Acting Broke <The Cut>

Mayday Mayday. Can Not Compute Press Release. Please Help Parse.

Fitch Downgrades 1 Class of LB 2006-LLF C5; Assigns Outlooks

"The Praedium Rental Portfolio's I, II, and III (8.0%) are primarily secured by 27 five and six story multi-family properties built in the early 1900's and located throughout the northern Manhattan markets of Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, and Harlem. The current sponsor acquired the properties in August 2005 and budgeted $19.5 million ($14,275/unit) in renovation costs to improve the portfolio. Based on mid-year 2008 financials, the properties have not experienced the increase in rental income expected at this point in the sponsor's business plan."

The above paragraph was really the only one NYC The Blog understood in this hot mess of a Press Release.

Curbed, The Real Estate, The Real Deal, Dealbreaker, Clusterstock...Are you there? Internets? Can any of you help us understand this barrage of numbers and math equations, and what it might mean?

Put Your City On

Looking east in the 20's towards 3rd ave

• Video: How Madison Avenue Shoppers Cut Back in the Downturn <The Cut>
  
• Drinking a beer on your stoop will get you a ticket <City Room>
  
• Manhattan Apartment Building Sales Drop From '07 <The Real Estate>
  
• Ad Agency's Epic Fail at "Revitalizing" I ♥ NY Logo <Gothamist>
  
• Winning Bike Rack Design Revealed! <Gothamist>
  
• John Liu Wants Federal Bailout for MTA, Calls Bridge Tolls a "Distraction" <Streetsblog>
  
• Best Buy Opens Bronx Store Before Inevitable Bankruptcy <Runnin' Scared>
  

"I paid $35,000 for the apartment in 1994"

Those are words that casually came out of a friends mouth, while at his one bedroom apartment in Murray Hill this week. (not pictured in photo at right)

"I bought it at foreclosure in 1994. Actually, someone else did. Some woman placed the winning bid, sight unseen, for $29,000. After giving it some thought, I offered her $35,000 for the apartment after the auction ended."

"After giving it some thought"? Like what? You went home and batted the idea of buying an apartment in NYC for $35,000 and were like, I don't know, that's a lot of money, its not worth a dime over $30,000!?

Uggh. "I bought the apartment for $35,000", "Do you like my new Coach bag?" and "That restaurant is very exclusive. It has a doorman and velvet rope" are all little sequences are words that make me want to kill myself.

Dear God please help me find an apartment for an equivalent price. Also, thanks for blessing my friend.

Harlem World

• A Brief history of Graffiti, from Philly in the 60's to it's migration to Washington Heights in 70's <Rail Car Graffiti>
  
• "...a development team that plans to transform a weedy site in East Harlem into a 12-story rental apartment building had cause to celebrate last week." <NY Times>
  
• Malik 16 - My Block Harlem, (this was linked here once before, but whatever, it's good enough to share twice <Nah Right>
  
• My favorite Boutique resides in Harlem <Posh Glam>
  
• Joe Budden goes shopping on 145th for "a leather" <YouTube>
  
• An update now on former Development Du Jour East 120th Street Townhouses <Curbed>
  
• Applications Surge for Courses at CUNY’s 2-Year Colleges <NY Times>
  
• Deiwy Cruz recently celebrated the first-year anniversary of Net Plaza Café Internet, an East Harlem business he opened with his two brothers. <NY1>
  
• Dia Art Foundation held their fall gala at the Hispanic Society of America on 155th and Broadway, raising $625,000 and treated their guests who braved the trip to rose pedals, candle lit entrance, and dancers from the Trisha Brown Dance Company who performed between the tables during dinner. <Biz Bash>
  
• "In response to the recent economic downturn, the state’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program has expanded its services to two new centers in Harlem." Columbia Spectator>
  

Harlem World

Hungarian Pastry Shop on 111th And Amsterdam

• Whatever you want to call 12th Ave in West Harlem, "it's going to be the same hazy and nameless row of bars and clubs where you wish you hadn't started a tab."
  <Fifth Column Blogs>
• Median home prices in Harlem and East Harlem were down nearly 20 percent, to $440,000 at the end of this year’s third quarter. Median prices in Hamilton Heights and Morningside Heights dropped 30% <NY Times>
• Harlem Moms Offer Support In Wake Of Violence <NY1>
  
• Good Senegalese Food in Harlem <Harlem Condo Life>
  
• November Events @ East Harlem Cafe <Uptown Flavor>
• Letters to President Obama from Fourth Graders in Harlem <HuffPo>
  
• Harlem Tenants Council 2nd Annual Housing Conference <Narmer's Page>
  
• Philip Reed, Ex-Councilman who represented East Harlem and Manhattan Valley, and parts of the Upper West Side and the South Bronx, is dead at 59 <NY Times>
• The off-duty police officer who nabbed the shooter on St Nicholas Ave last week says, "I'm no hero." <Daily News>

Put Your City On

Milford Plaza on 8th ave btw 44 and 45th

• Last night the obituary was celebrated at New York Public Library <Art.Cult>
  
• Historic photos of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade <Animal>
  
• Fact: No shortage of Obama shirts in Union Square <Urbanite>
  
• Tracy Colburn: Driving the night shift of a NYC Transit bus, <City Room>
  
• NYC Advocacy Group: Homelessness Getting Worse <1010 Wins>
  
• December tour of NYPL 'stacks' will be last ever <Newyorkology>
  
• NBA Union Square Event "Lame," Rainy <Runnin' Scared>
  
• He thought he was in the true-Blue UWS, but JOHN H. TUCKER discovered not everyone supported Obama’s campaign <8 Million Stories>
  
• Pinsky Says New Yankee Stadium "A Home Run"; We Cry Foul <Runnin' Scared>
  
• Hanging out with Chet from The Real World <Fifth Column Blogs>
  
• Where Manhattan's $1 M. Home Sales Happen <The Real Estate>
  
• Time Out NY covers the activities beat for deaf people <I, New York>

Harlem World

Manna's moving notice, West Harlem, New York, photograph by Eating In Translation.

• Harlem condo sales plunged a staggering 76 percent annually in the third quarter of 2008 <NY Observer>
• Hunter College Social Work School to Move Uptown <City Room>
• BEST HEADLINE AWARD: Except for the Displaced, Many Neighbors of Planned Hunter College Building Seem Pleased <NY Times>
  
• Animal Welfare Approved is sponsoring a Thanksgiving meal at the Community Kitchen of West Harlem, located at 252 West 116 Street, Manhattan for an estimated 700 low-income New Yorkers. <Market Watch>
  
• The Future of an Arts House Collective in Manhattanville, Sitting In C.U.'s Expansion Footprint, Does Not Look Good <Columbia Spectator>
  
• East Harlem Intersection Gets Traffic Light Thanks To Efforts Of Local Teen <NY1>
  
• The St. Nick's Dog Run Coffee Bark happens this Saturday, November 1st from 9am-11am, at one of the city's largest Dog Runs with some coffee, donuts and fun
  
• The Taco Mix, where cooks in Spanish Harlem eat <The Feedbag>
  
• A new Harlem resident declares, "I am the face of gentrification. It's not something I aspire to be, just something I am." <And How>

Harlem World

Windblown Bronze, photograph by CarbonNYC.

• Harlem Hybrid Takes A Quick Tour Thru Manhattanville <Harlem Hybrid>
  
• Rev Earl Kooperkamp: Look to 125th Street, Not Main Street <Columbia Spectator>
  
• Columbia Stages to Present The Canterbury Tales Starting Nov.13 <Broadway World>
  
• Basketball Club formed to serve the needs of Harlem teenagers has put out a call for help in finding space to play once a week <City Year New York Corps>
  
• Reports that Ottomanelli Brothers' restaurant in East Harlem is open, and with low prices. <Eater>
  
• "The East Harlem market, where small condo buildings are popping up before we can even question whether or not anyone wants to buy there, is now looking even more volatile." <Curbed>
  
• FDB btw 112 and 113 might be getting another eatery to join all the other new additions n that area. <Harlem Condo Life>
  

Harlem World

Hair on 125th Street, photograph by specialkrb.

• Harlem fire kills man, 90 <Daily News>
  
• Harlem's Apollo theater to create oral history <Newsday>
  
• Studio Apt. on 148th and Broadway, $950 <Univision Classifieds>
• Cash for Guns Today, $200 Bank Cards for Each Gun Returned <Uptown Flavor>
  
• Photos from the Morningside Height’s Farmers Market <Harlem Condo Life>
  
• Harlem Church Hosts Gay Wedding Expo <Harlem World Magazine>

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Put Your City On

Running in Central Park in August

• An Artist’s Guide to Obtaining Public Housing <BushwickBK>
  
• What will become of the 55,000 videos from Kim's Video on St Marks? <Art.Cult>
  
• Legalize prostitution in NYC? <Urbanite>
  
• Answers About the History of Wealth, Part 2 <City Room>
  
• Overheard in New York: Biking Up 35 Percent in 2008 <Streetsblog>
  
• Snooty Brit Paper Shows Morons Enjoying Banksy Show <Runnin Scared>
  
• On the Street...West 18th Street, NYC <The Sartorialist>
  
• Serious, fuk CMJ. Jeez.<Fifth Column Blogs>
  
• New condos by the hundreds are going unsold. Should you stand clear—or dive in?
  <NY Mag>
• Matt Everett, 27, is the visual coordinator at the new Brooks Brothers store on Broadway and 65th Street, in charge of windows <NYTimes>
• NYTimes Company Stock Hits 52-Week Low<NY Observer>

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