Midtown Manhattan Magnates

by Edsel Little

It shouldn’t be too surprising to bump into celebrities here and there in Midtown Manhattan.  Just last week rapper J. Cole was hanging around near the area’s Footaction store.  Some people even came from as far as New Jersey to get a glimpse of the star. One fan even referred to him as “relatable,” saying that he “connects with his fans,” and greets them.  Many others do not. Cole was in the area for the concert he played at Irving Plaza.

For those who want to try to get a glimpse of celebrities on a regular basis in Midtown Manhattan, The Polo Bar – owned by Ralph Lauren –could be the place to go. It appears that Christie Brinkley amongst others has been spotted there.  Enjoy a relaxing sip of a Moscow Mule with your roast chicken, smoothed mashed potatoes and head of garlic.

New York’s Caribbean Week

The aim of Caribbean Week – that takes place in New York between June 1^st and June 7^th – is to “showcase the warmth, spirit and vibrancy of the Caribbean.” To do that, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) that organizes the week-long festival, offers wonderful events for the city’s inhabitants and tourists. 

For example, Caribbean chefs will be teaching about their skills and work at the Celebrity Chef Program throughout midtown.  Then there is the Caribbean Diaspora Forum which today is assembling midtown government officials with Caribbean New Yorkers to talk about tourism and developments and how that impacts those living there.

And then there is the Rum and Rhythm Benefit and Auction designed to help midtown’s students. 

The entire week is a lot of fun and a fascinating way to learn about life in the Caribbean, from the heart of New York City.

Midtown Crossing

by Jeffrey Zeldman

Next week marks the fifth anniversary of Midtown Crossing.  In celebration and recognition, net week will witness the launch of  ‘Spreading Our Roots: A Community Art Celebration.’  The Tress of Midtown will also be featured as a pledge to work on the renewal of Turner Park, one tree at a time.

At the celebration, guests will be able to get a firsthand glimpse of the artists working on their trees.  There will also be acoustic musicians and specials at eateries, as well as a Farnam Street sidewalk sale. Those in the market for property purchasing can enjoy an apartment and condo tour at the same time.


This is a great way to truly mark the Midtown Crossing anniversary.

Mad Men Statue

Kristin Dos Santos

‘Mad Men’ show is about to be immortalized in Manhattan. Well, at least for the summer.  A statute of the show was just unveiled outside the Time Life building at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan.

The building currently houses Time Inc. magazines.  In the show the offices move to Manhattan from Madison Avenue.

The sculpture has been designed by Pentagram and fabricated by DCL.

Britain Braces Midtown

Britain has for many years, earned itself a reputation of making extraordinarily bad food.  Indeed, historically British cuisine has been the butt of many jokes among their American friends.

Well Manhattan may start seeing the end to this myth since Zuma opened its doors in midtown last week. The restaurant – that originated in London and has been the recipient of various cuisine-related awards – incorporates food from three different kitchens via its izakaya style. The spicy beef is a must have and the whole lobster – while not cheap – is definitely worth the money.

In addition, the ambiance – enhanced by the interior design with booths that look like private huts – makes Zuma a true out-of-this-world experience and negates any ideas that British food should be avoided at all costs.

Renewal of High Line Park

Although it has been in decline since the 1930s, today the High Line is a popular park attracting some five million people annually.  This has resulted in a total transformation of the area.  Thus the owners of Terminal Stores are trying to benefit from this, becoming an office-restaurant hub like nearby Chelsea market.

According to Watefront NY managing partner (that owns Terminal Stores in conjunction with GreenOak Real Estate investment firm) Coleman P. Burke believes, “everybody loves this neighborhood, and it’s just going to become more spectacular each year.”  Potential future tenants include: Uber (app firm for hailing rides) and Danny Meyer restauranteur.  This is known as a “hip” location.

Last year GreenOak purchased a 49 percent stake in Terminal Stores, valued at $300 million.

GreenOak has a wealth of experience in properties in America and around the world.  For example, just last year, together with Grupo Lar, the firm agreed to acquire a portfolio of Spanish shopping centers from Vastned Retail N.V. This comprises seven shopping centers and one retail park. 

Rentals at the High Line area will be $50 a square foot, as compared to greater Chelsea where prices were $59 a square foot at the end of 2014.

Snowstorn Juno: More Like a No Shnow

There was so much hype about the upcoming snowstorm, they even gave it a name.  But in the end, Snowstorm Juno didn't really have much of an impact.  At a mere 8 centimeters of snow, it didn’t really warrant a name. 

People in midtown and around New York were gearing up for the storm.  But in the end it just affected the northeast, specifically people in Boston where residents were stuck with two feet of snow.  Midtown did not exactly encounter the snow storm its name intended.

But the one thing that the “snowstorm” in Manhattan was good for, was the reuniting of Burt – a dog who had gone missing back in August 2014 – with his owner Lauren Piccolo, who said:

"I am tremendously grateful for the efforts of the FDNY to recover Burt. Burt had been running loose in the city for more than five months and managed to evade capture by friends, family and many Good Samaritans. While Burt is a resilient dog, I don't think he would have survived such a fierce storm. The FDNY's efforts were incredible and timely! Burt is resting at home and is expected to make a full recovery."