Curbed alerted us to a new satirical blog "Stuy Town's Lux Living" written by a resident of the rent-stabilized housing complex as it makes its transition to fully market-rate. Though Stuy Town's new landlord Tishman Speyer is never mentioned by name, the blog does a good job of taking the developer to task with sardonic, over-the-top posts about the gentrification process.

Our favorite post from May 3, "Illegal Immigrants? No way Jose," details the Stuyvesant Town management's effort to keep undocumented foreigners from "raiding the complex" with an "elaborately cloaked, rusty chain link fence."  read more »

New York City Councilman and Peter Cooper Village resident Dan Garodnick helped Stuy Town (square) dance its way toward landmark designation on Saturday night, as tenants of the 110-building, World War II-era housing complex officially (re)launched their landmarks campaign.

We stopped by the party after 6 before any real dancing had begun, but the Gramercy Park church hall was already packed with mainly elderly residents decked out in denim, flannel, and other Western regalia, fuelling up on dinner before the main event.

Gaining protective status for Stuy Town is not a new idea. The Historic Districts Council first endorsed the proposal seven years ago and five years later told the Tenants Association that the complex was eligible for honorary state landmark status.

But the square dance was the first push to get the landmarking process off the ground since Tishman Speyer paid $5.4 billion for the planned community in 2006, though the tenants we spoke to Saturday night insisted the campaign is not related to their new landlord.  read more »

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, Councilman Dan Garodnick, and assorted community groups are hosting a town hall meeting on Thursday evening to discuss the issues facing Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village residents.

The non-renewal notices from landlord Tishman Speyer that are allegedly flooding the mailboxes of both legal and illegal rent-stabilized tenants will be on the agenda; so will rent protection for market-rate tenants, roof improvements, and development concerns for the Con Edison site along First Avenue, according to a release issued today.  read more »

The Speyers are pulling out all the stops to lease Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village apartments at market-rate rents.

The leasing office there is offering a free, all-inclusive trip to Cabo San Lucas to the broker who closes the most deals at the mega-complex, according to a report from brokerage The Real Estate Group. The five runners-up each win an iPhone.

• Moving in New York for the food.
[NY Times]
• A century of changes along East 63rd Street.
[NY Times]
• Living at the nexus that is Stuyvesant Square.
[NY Times]
• Tax assessments turn city spreads into bargains.
[NY Times]
• Slower market spurs seller financing.
[NY Times]
• Inside Stuyvesant Town, Cooper Village megadeal.
[NY Times]
• Clock winds down on Coliseum Bookstore.
[NY Times]
• Preparing New Yorkers for New York in 2030.
[NY Times]
• Expanding definitions for broker, agent roles.
[NY Times]
• What determines rent-stabilization?
[NY Times]
• At work and play in Google's Chelsea offices.
[NY Times]
• Ivanka, Don Jr. didn't want to be on Dad's TV show.
[NY Times]
• Over-$10 million Manhattan market tight now.
[NY Times]
• Speyer now chairman of a Fed Bank. [halfway down] [NY Times]
• Joshua Muss builds big in the outer-boroughs.
[NY Times]
• City construction permits set to drop for '06.
[NY Post]
• Worst of housing slump still ahead?
[NY Post]
• Where does Manhattanville begin and end?
[Daily News]
• Higher rents close Upper West Side bookstore.
[Daily News]
• Times Square hotel sells for $68.5 million.
[Crain's]

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

]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35533#comments Real Estate Fed Bank Manhattan Stuyvesant Town The New York Times Company Mon, 01 Jan 2007 03:23:28 -0500 Observer Staff 35533 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/52965 New York Gets to Work  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/52965#comments New York City Peter Cooper Village Stuyvesant Town Tishman Speyer Properties LP Sun, 26 Nov 2006 19:00:00 -0500 Observer Staff 52965 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/35377 Well, it's official: Stuy Town and Cooper Village is a closed deal. So much for all those reports of a snafu.

Wow, that was fast - literally, one month to the October day that owner MetLife agreed to sell the apartment complexes to an investment group led by Tishman Speyer.

The new owner's official word: "Tishman Speyer is honored to become the steward of this wonderful property."

And MetLife's giddy announcement after the jump.  read more »

- John Koblin ]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35377#comments Real Estate MetLife Inc. Peter Cooper Village Stuyvesant Town Tishman Speyer Properties LP Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:29:17 -0500 Observer Staff 35377 at http://www.observer.com