As senior director of suburbs for Reckson, a division of SL Green, John Barnes is one of the region’s most prolific brokers, in both Westchester and Fairfield counties. Mr. Barnes, 44, spoke with The Commercial Observer about how each region has weathered the downturn, positive indicators and what they’re showing, and the deals in his pipeline.
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New York designers, editors and stylists could die if they held their breath, waiting for an invite to Vogue contributing editor Andre Leon Talley's home in Westchester County. He never has guests, according to his "Dispatch" turn in the Times' Sunday Review.
"It's a sanctuary and I want it to be my own personal Ali Baba cave of delight," he said.
The treasures therein include china and silver from Lena Horne's estate sale and cupboards "jammed" with porcelain from Paris, linens, and crystal, but he's never had a dinner or luncheon party.
If one does score the rare invitation (only in summer), he or she will be received on the front porch, with wicker trays found at Pottery Barn, and served iced beverages. There will be "a tray of canapes or Planters peanuts, jelliyied candy from Paris, and a good bottle of Sancerre."
Among the other pleasures of the suburban life, according to Mr. Talley, is driving his S.U.V. to The Container Store at the Westchester mall. Read More
The Commercial Observer: Fill me in on how the market is doing in Westchester:John Barnes, Reckson senior vice-president: Well, we're starting to see some movement in the Westchester market in a positive direction. One of the indicators for Westchester County is the White Plains CBD; and we're starting to see the occupancy numbers tighten up Read More
In recent years, the outer office markets of the tri-state area--Long Island, northern New Jersey, Westchester County and Connecticut's Fairfield County--have provided refuge for companies looking to flee Manhattan, whether because of 9/11 or prohibitively high rents. But for the first time in recent memory, the suburbs are competing directly with the city as Manhattan Read More
Well, the Rudins have their latest prize—a bankruptcy court judge yesterday approved the august real estate family's purchase of the shuttered St. Vincent's hospital campus for $260 million.
The plan is somewhat controversial for not including full emergency care or inpatient services, though the judge in the case would not allow a community Read More
The bed bug's dominance over the scary nature news cycle has begun to wane, but don't worry--looks like we'll have coyotes to take up the slack. Police in Rye Brook killed a rabid coyote last Sunday. This was no charming but hapless rogue from the desert southwest searching out eternally elusive roadrunner Read More
The Wall Street Journal reports today that very important Wall Street people in very big American mansions are having very big foreclosure woes. "Houses with loans of $5 million or more will likely see a sharp rise in foreclosures this year," says the paper. In February, for example, there were 352 houses in that Read More
Rain fell. Wild turkeys shuffled by. An owl hooted. It was like a Victorian Read More
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 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 Read More
"We racked our brains to find a single example of the use of Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
