San Francisco
"Don't be fooled by the postcards your friends send you. The rich and the poor are basically all that remain here. Few poor own any form of real estate so they're not contributing in the way of property taxes. The 20-something students certainly aren't contributing to this place. It's a topsy-turvy town right now. Generally, only the affluent own real estate or those who purchased it eons ago. ... Tourism is the primary... READ MORE»
By | April 6, 2007 | 11:29 am
'Wichcraft has returned to Flatiron. The upscale sandwich shop, started by Craft restaurant owner Tom Colicchio, opened an outpost earlier this week just west of Broadway on 20th Street. The store is the chain's eighth location in the city. In 2003, 'wichcraft opened its first outlet on 19th Street between Park Avenue and Broadway just around the corner from Craft, but had to move when the building was sold. "We have been looking... READ MORE»
By | April 3, 2007 | 8:19 am
Ever wonder why Starbucks opens so many locations so near one another? Because the tactic works, apparently. People, simply put, will not wait in long lines for their caffeine fixes. The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday noted Starbucks' success in West Coast cities like Vancouver and San Francisco: No matter how badly people wanted a latte, if the line looked too long, they'd keep walking. Opening another store nearby was the retail equivalent of... READ MORE»
If he cares to, Josh Wolf can claim his place in the Guinness Book of Records.... READ MORE»
By | January 24, 2007 | 9:01 am
New York tops Washington, D.C., survey says! Well, at least among very rich foreign investors and their preference to invest in commercial real estate here. The survey was conducted by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, based in--of all places--Madison, Wis. L.A., San Francisco and Seattle round out the top-five. The full release after the jump. - John... READ MORE»
By | December 7, 2006 | 4:02 pm
When tragedy befell them on Bear Camp Road in southwest Oregon, the Kim family was driving an all-wheel drive Saab 9-2X . Saab's website shows the sporting vehicle performing on a lot of mountain roads, at least one a little snowy, and in that one the car is carrying skis. SUV ads treat the outdoors like a tame pussycat. SUVs can go anywhere off-road. No, the Saab 9-2X isn't an SUV, but All-Wheel-Drive for... READ MORE»
By | December 3, 2006 | 7:00 pm
I spoke to Ivan Rezki, who still lives in the house where he grew up, in Bayside,... READ MORE»
By | November 14, 2006 | 9:56 am
"McDive" not as ubiquitous as golden arches. Yet. This week's Village Voice profiles New York-based Beauty Bar's emergence as the "country's first hipster bar chain." Yet, despite opening locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas and Austin, owner Paul Devitt is adamant about "not looking to be the Hard Rock [Cafe]." So he selects his new sites very carefully -- in a desperate attempt to not kill the cool vibe. Beauty Bar's owners choose... READ MORE»
By | October 2, 2006 | 11:06 am
Wherefore WiFi?Google settled in at 111 Eighth Avenue this morning. It's a giant space--more than 300,000 square feet, in fact. According to Crain's, the new location will have the company's largest advertising sales office and its second biggest engineering center (only behind its main headquarters). Google execs wouldn't say today whether their entry to their sleek Manhattan office would mean additional WiFi to the city beyond Bryant Park, where they already provide free service. "You'll... READ MORE»
By | September 11, 2006 | 1:38 pm
This past weekend, the New York Times published the first issue of Key, a quarterly real estate magazine packed with 150 pages of features and full-page color ads of new condominiums and modern furniture. Today, the paper officially killed The Walk Through, its real estate blog. The decision to discontinue the blog does not come as a complete surprise: There have been no new posts since Aug. 7. Launched in November 2005, the blog... READ MORE»
After the show, Justin Bond’s dressing room reeked with the powdery, meaty smell of foundation... READ MORE»
By | July 7, 2006 | 6:01 am
Hillary Clinton is on a Western fundraising swing today, scheduled to appear this morning at a benefit for Arnold Schwarzenegger's opponent in San Francisco and, tonight, at a cocktail reception for her Senate campaign at the Denver home of Laura and Bob Hill. The graphic shown above is Gregg Birnbaum's scrupulously understated take on the real reason for the trip. (Hint: It has very little to do with John Spencer.) -- Josh Benson... READ MORE»
By | April 23, 2006 | 7:26 pm
"People who make doughnuts or lattes or S.U.V.'s do not get to consume their products freely." —David Carr, The New York Times. Between the years 1987 and 1994, The Transom worked at: Al Gelato, Evanston, Ill.; Espresso Bongo, San Francisco, Ca. (underground in the Montgomery Street BART station, no less); Johanna's Wine Bar, Chicago, Ill.; World Coffee, Los Angeles, Ca.; The Bakery on Melrose, Los Angeles, Ca.; and at least a few other cafe/bakery/restaurant/bar-type places.... READ MORE»
By | April 23, 2006 | 7:15 pm
"People who make doughnuts or lattes or S.U.V.'s do not get to consume their products freely." —David Carr, The New York Times. Between the years 1987 and 1994, The Transom worked at: Al Gelato, Evanston, Ill.; Espresso Bongo, San Francisco, Ca. (underground in the Montgomery Street BART station, no less); Johanna's Wine Bar, Chicago, Ill.; World Coffee, Los Angeles, Ca.; The Bakery on Melrose, Los Angeles, Ca.; and a few other cafe/bakery/restaurant-type places. In... READ MORE»
Hyperbolic titles invite dissent.... READ MORE»
