As they did in Manhattan, home sales in Westchester County jumped in the first three months of 2007. Sales were up more than 18 percent from the fourth quarter of 2006 through the first of this year, according to the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. In the first quarter, in fact, Westchester recorded 10,250 home sales—more than what Manhattan typically sees in an entire year.  read more »

Like in Manhattan, home sales in Westchester County jumped in the first three months of 2007. Sales were up more than 18 percent from the fourth quarter of 2006 through the first of this year, according to the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. In the first quarter, in fact, Westchester recorded 10,250 home sales—more than what Manhattan typically sees in an entire year.  read more »

• MTA mulls sliding glass doors for Second Ave. Subway.
[NY Times]
• Atlantic Yards work under way as doubts, suits dog it.
[NY Times]
• Upper East Side residents argue over dog run.
[NY Sun]
• Foye: ESDC may lower developer subsidies.
[NY Sun]
• Loehmann's opens Upper West Side location.
[NY Sun]
• Jean Nouvel's condo rising in Chelsea a 'vision.'
[NY Sun]
• City may create a historic district out of NoHo.
[NY Sun]
• Pension funds feast off Manhattan real estate.
[NY Sun]
• Scorsese sells Upper East Side townhouse.
[NY Post]
• Newer lower Westchester high-rises draw city buyers.
[NY Post]

Did we miss any New York City real estate news this morning? Please send along tips and links.

]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35965#comments Real Estate Manhattan New York City The New York Times Company Westchester Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:47:24 -0400 Observer Staff 35965 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/31940 Some of Eliot Spitzer's budget decisions are not going down so well in Westchester.

Here's part of a dramatically worded letter sent today by Democratic Assembly members from Westchester to Paul Francis, the governor's budget director, about the new school funding formula:

"We racked our brains to find a single example of the use of the education formula to harm an individual municipality. We often find ways to single out a community for help. Never before, never before has a community been singled out for harm. It is a terrible precedent that once unleashed, can be turned against a community that has fallen from political favor, or which is sacrificed on the alter of expediency, even if that expediency is a timely budget, as you suggest in your letter."

The entire letter is here.

-- Azi Paybarah]]> http://www.observer.com/node/31940#comments Politics Eliot Spitzer Paul Francis Westchester Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:21:53 -0400 Observer Staff 31940 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/35885

• The car parking at Soho's 123 Baxter is "hidden from view and lacks human operators." (Lasers steer the cars into spots, or something like that.) Better yet, it's now open to the public instead of the owners of the 24 condo units. [Metropolis]
• The genius firm Architectural Artifacts is selling off (plus disassembling, shipping, and reassembling) the carved limestone entryway from a Westchester estate. And it only costs $135,000.00! [Luxist]
• The attractively-named Solid Waste Management Plan ("'the swamp' in waste-savvy lingo") aims to get 25 percent of NYC's waste out of landfills/trash-burners this year, and 70 percent by 2015. Luckily for us, recylcing is a hoot. [City Limits]
• An artist (with a lot of time and talent on his hands) drew every fire escape in lovely eastern Soho [above]. Click on all his Web site's little boxes if you really like the fiery rustication between Broadway, West Broadway, Houston and Canal. [The Fireladders of Soho, via Gothamist] - Max Abelson]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35885#comments Real Estate Gothamist LLC Houston New York City Westchester Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:35:37 -0400 Observer Staff 35885 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/31737 Inspired by the state comptroller succession controversy, Assemblyman George Latimer has pre-emptively come out with a new proposal on how to fill the lieutenant governor's position in case of emergency. With one interesting catch. It has to be approved by the state Senate.

  A Democratic Assemblyman wants a constitutional amendment to give the governor the power to pick a new lieutenant governor should that office become vacant during his or her term. Right now, the state constitution is unclear how that vacancy would be filled, according to Assemblyman George Latimer of Westchester.

  "I don't see the senate confirmation process as being devious," Latimer told me just now in a telephone interview.

  When asked if this provision could be used to block the governor from selecting his preferred candidate for that position, Latimer said, "I think it's consistent with what you've seen before. And anything can happen. Unless you get to a position at some future time that the well is so badly poisoned that it's impossible for any of us to work together at all, but I don't envision that happening at all. Not for lieutenant governor where everyone will grant that the governor should have his partner."

  -- Azi Paybarah]]> http://www.observer.com/node/31737#comments Politics Google Inc. The New York Times Company Westchester Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:29:46 -0400 Observer Staff 31737 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/35730 On Tuesday afternoon, The Real Estate got a strange email from Westchester-based PR man Rich Roher.

  Today's decision by the NYS Appeals Court, reversing a June 2005 NYS Supreme Court decision, effectively says that a landlord cannot compel a leasee to acquire terrorism insurance if terrorism is not specifically included in the lease's named perils policy. In other word's [sic], landlords must specifically state in a lease if they will require leasees (or their assigns) to have terrorism insurance.

  Frankly, we didn't know landlords ever had the chance to force terrorism insurance upon anyone. But, apparently, they can't anymore.

  More to come from Warren Estis of Rosenberg & Estis, the lawyer who represented the Appellant from 9 West 57th... - Max Abelson]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35730#comments Real Estate New York State Unified Court System Warren Estis Westchester Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:00:20 -0500 Observer Staff 35730 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/31423 From the prepared text of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion's State of the Borough speech today, this:

  "We need to redouble our efforts and my friends, continue to fight against initiatives like the proposed closing of Westchester Square Medical Center and other so called cost-cutting measures that put our community in further danger. And so I pledge to you today that I will join members of the City Council, the Chair of the Health Committee, Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera and the Bronx delegation, as well as members of the State legislature to fight these cuts as we enter this year's budget discussion. Please count on me to testify before your respected bodies and help you make the case for the people of the Bronx and the City."

  If it's not clear enough what he's talking about here, this line on Carrion's website states the premise more neatly:

  "CARRION TOURS WESTCHESTER SQUARE MEDICAL CENTER Vows to Put Pressure on Governor Spitzer"

  UPDATE: 1199 piles on, issuing a statement saying that Carrion "realizes that the closing of facilities and cutting of healthcare programs do not represent reform, and certainly don't put patients first."

  -- Azi Paybarah]]> http://www.observer.com/node/31423#comments Politics Adolfo Carrion The Bronx Westchester Fri, 09 Feb 2007 07:52:20 -0500 Observer Staff 31423 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/35567
  • Libet Johnson's 1840 brownstone, which she recently bought from Meryl Streep, is on the market for $16 milion. The five-story townhouse, on West 12th Street, has eight bedrooms and a "two-tier garden." [WSJ]
  • By the time May rolls around, Chelsea's High Line will be so hip that people without ironic mustaches will not be allowed up. David "Ziggy Stardust" Bowie (above) will be hosting the 10-day-long HighLine Festival, bringing hip indie stars like Daniel Johnston to the 'hood. [Brooklyn Vegan]
  • The "scorched earth" left behind by bartha bartha's townhouse violence has apparently gone to contract for around $8 million. [New York]
  • The Westchester/Bronx border is "sprouting new residences so fast that the breathing space between one home and the next... is already becoming a memory." Will Williamsbridge become the new Williamsburg? Probably not. [City Limits]
  - Max Abelson]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35567#comments Real Estate Brooklyn Meryl Streep The Bronx Westchester Mon, 08 Jan 2007 11:39:14 -0500 Observer Staff 35567 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/31033

  George Pataki will tour the capitol because, astonishingly, he hasn't seen enough of the place yet.

  When Pataki leaves, some transportation upgrades won't be finished.

  Ben challenges an aspect of today's Times story on Basil and David Paterson.

  A lot of tourists have come to New York.

  The lawyer monitoring the Independence Party's reorganization in Westchester will cost the IP $350 per hour.

  Mystery Pollster looks at President Ford's approval ratings.

  Amy Taylor on DMIblog wonders, purposefully, if workplace raids "are part of a larger conservative agenda aimed at creating a climate of fear to undermine union organizing efforts."

  Greg Sargent sticks stubbornly to the notion that the war in Iraq doesn't help President Bush.

  The Economist measures your happiness.

  And pictured above is Mike Bloomberg with a very small bridge. -- Azi Paybarah]]> http://www.observer.com/node/31033#comments Politics David Paterson George Pataki IP Westchester Wed, 27 Dec 2006 12:25:26 -0500 Observer Staff 31033 at http://www.observer.com