Feed

Ed Koch

By Daniel Edward Rosen 1/17 10:30am

Commercial Observer

Bernard Resnick, Sheldon Silver and Steven Spinola, circa 1996.

Reeling in the Years With the Real Estate Board of New York: In their own words, brokers and owners tell the tale of REBNY’s past half century

Since it started with a roll call of 27 members in 1896 with the goal of “facilitating transactions in real estate,” the Real Estate Board of New York has indisputably been the city’s most influential real estate organization, with its annual gala being to brokers what the Vanity Fair Oscar party is for Hollywood: If you’re there, it means you’re somebody.

Sure, some may lovingly write it off as a veritable men’s club (men are thought to outnumber women five to one), chide it as “The Liar’s Ball” (each year is a broker’s best year, no matter how wretched the marketplace) and speak ill of the food (nearly everyone avoids the chicken and filet mignon).

But the REBNY gala is as essential to a real estate person’s reputation and status as the buildings and bricks he works with. A dozen of the city’s most legendary players spoke to The Commercial Observer about the blurry nights and boom years that helped make the event what it is today. Read More

By Reid Pillifant 4/25/11 8:11pm

2012

Ed Koch, Reluctantly for Obama

In 2004, former mayor Ed Koch committed an act of Democratic treason and endorsed George W. Bush in his re-election bid against John Kerry. In Koch's estimation, Bush could be counted on to keep the country safe, and that pre-empted any concerns about their domestic policies.

In an email to his mailing list this afternoon, Koch Read More

By David Freedlander 4/15/11 5:40pm

Drawing Lines

Shelly Silver Says Ed Koch’s Redistricting Robocalls Are Falling On Deaf Ears–Update

Earlier this week, former mayor Ed Koch announced that he would begin to robo-call legislators who violated a pledge to back non-partisan redistricting.

Most of the renegers were Senate Republicans, and one, an Assembly Republican, reneged on his reneging decided to in fact support the reforms once Koch started calling his district.

But Assembly Speaker Read More

By Azi Paybarah 4/12/11 2:27pm

Redistricting

Koch Calls Out Enemies of Reform [Updated]

Ed Koch says he'll send out robocalls today and will reach 100,000 voters in the 42 legislative districts represented by lawmakers who are reneging on their pledge to support independent redistricting.

The lawmakers are mostly Senate Republicans (who are backing a plan to change redistricting rules through a constitutional amendment, which won't go into effect Read More

By David Freedlander 4/05/11 3:05pm

Announcements

Ed Koch to Albany: You Lie!

Ed Koch is mailing letters today to Albany lawmakers who signed on to his New York Uprising pledge to support non-partisan redistricting but are now reneging on their word.

The timing, Koch says, is because some lawmakers said that they wanted to wait until after the budget to take up the issue. Now, with the budget Read More

By Azi Paybarah 3/18/11 12:46pm

Polls

Poll: New Yorkers Want a Wal-Mart, Not an Ed Koch Bridge; Partisan Divide on Bike Lanes

Quinnipiac is out with a hodgepodge of numbers on NYC issues:

Wal-Mart
57-36 percent say electeds should allow a Wal-Mart to open here.

68-29 percent say they'd shop there once open.

Last In, First Out
78-16 percent say teacher layoffs should be NOT done based on seniority [corrected].

63-32 percent of union households agree.

Bike Lanes

59-35 percent of GOP say bike Read More

By David Freedlander 3/17/11 8:23pm

Decisions

Ed Koch: I’m For Ray Kelly. Or Christine Quinn

Former Mayor Ed Koch addressed the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association yesterday, and according to two sources there, he made his feelings about 2013 pretty clear, telling the crowd that he supported police commissioner Ray Kelly for Mayor in 2013. And if Kelly doesn't run, Koch said he plans to back City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

According to Read More