Oldest Cheese Store Closes in Little Italy

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From the NY Post:

This 130-year-old business’s Manhattan storefront is parma-gone and mozzarel-ocating to the Garden State. 

Alleva Dairy’s longtime 188 Grand St. home may be gor-gone-zola, but the over-one-century-old Italian grocer isn’t letting the grate become the enemy of the good. Instead of throwing in the cheesecloth, they’re up and moving to New Jersey. 

“After serious consideration, Alleva Dairy at 188 Grand Street will close on Wednesday, March 1 at 6 P.M.,” said owner Karen King, who bought the fromage factory with her late husband John “Cha Cha” Ciarcia — a friend of Tony Danza and descendent of Alleva’s founding family — in 2014. “I am so thankful for the support I have received from my devoted customers, neighbors, the news media and strangers from across the country.” 

Alleva Dairy.
The closure follows a court battle over the more than $500,000 worth of back rent owned to the building’s landlord.
Alleva Dairy
Alleva Dairy’s longtime 188 Grand St. home will be moving to New Jersey.

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alleva dairy moves to jersey
Karen King in a truck with Alleva’s signs.

Nothing gouda can stay in New York, it seems, as Alleva — which opened in 1892 and is billed as the nation’s oldest cheese store — is now banking on doing feta beyond the boroughs.

“Thanks to the vision, generosity and commitment of businessman and developer, Jack Morris, President and CEO, of Edgewood Properties, Alleva Dairy will be opening a 3,700-square-foot store at 9 Polito Ave. in Lyndhurst, NJ,” King continued, adding that “One thing is certain, Alleva Dairy will continue and will be bigger and better than before.”

Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) Releases Report Measuring Visitation Rates in Office Buildings in Manhattan

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This report was recently released by REBNY:

To date, much of the discussion of NYC’s office visit and/or the rate of return to office has focused on estimating a single market average. Such headline rates have been helpful to gauge the direction of the overall market, and in fact show gains in workers being in the office from 2020 levels. However, a single rate does not capture significant differences between buildings. To get a fuller perspective, REBNY performed a preliminary analysis of Placer.ai location data. Results indicate that this location data provides a more nuanced and comprehensive picture of Manhattan’s office building visitation rates.

Preliminary analysis of Placer.ai data in 2022 indicates*:

  • Average building visitation rates in 2022 surpassed 60% of pre-pandemic baselines
  • Visitation rates in nearly two-thirds of buildings exceeded 50% of pre-pandemic baselines
  • Class A properties displayed stronger growth (66.3% average visitation rate) in comparison to Class B properties (53.6% average visitation rate)

*All totals are based on Placer.ai location intelligence data for 250 office buildings from January to mid-December in 2021 and 2022, compared to the same period in 2019.

More information on this study was reported by the NY Post.

Montauk Oceanfront Trailer to Sell for Record $3.75M

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An off-market listing for an 800-square-foot oceanfront Montauk trailer is in contract to sell for a record $3.75 million, which equates to a cool $5,000 per-square-foot, The New York Post has learned. Located in Montauk Shores, the price point is several times the previous record in the area, where the last highest recorded sale was $1.85 million for a trailer that traded hands in 2022. It’s a high price to pay for sure. When compared to New York City’s luxury market, roughly the same price per square foot — $4,998 — is getting a deep-pocketed buyer a 3,951-square-foot penthouse at the Robert A.M. Stern-designed 30 Park Place in Tribeca that’s now also in contract, according to StreetEasy. However, that Hamptons trailer’s price per square foot pales in comparison to that of a nearly 17,550-square-foot penthouse that listed at Central Park Tower in late 2022 for a colossal $250 million — $14,249 per square foot — which would set the record for the priciest home ever sold in the US if it trades hands for that royal sum. Will Gold with The Atlantic Team at Douglas Elliman represented the unidentified buyer.

“The Ditch Plains area in general is very special. It is an oasis for surfers and beachgoers, and in the past several years has been subject to an extraordinary amount of growth and transformation,” Gold told The Post.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom mobile home was specially built by John Hummel and features upscale finishes with a contemporary beach vibe. The living room and back deck both have 180-degree views of the ocean. Other features include a gas fireplace, a private deck, a grill, and an outdoor shower. The main suite has a private bathroom.

“Especially since COVID, individuals and families have realized the value of oceanfront communities and are paying up for it,” Gold added. “This beachfront row of units in ‘Montauk Shores’ is the perfect exclusive opportunity to enjoy everything Ditch Plains has to offer.”

The transaction is expected to be completed early next month. The neighborhood, on the other hand, has a basketball court, a playground, a recreation center, and swimming pools. The region is known for drawing well-known and wealthy visitors like Jimmy Buffet, who once engaged in a bidding war for a mobile home on the beach. However, for the extremely wealthy, this neighborhood of trailer parks has come to represent an unusual status symbol. Three people have invested in a trailer in the neighborhood: movie producer Karen Lauder, hedge fund manager Dan Loeb, and co-founder of Vitaminwater Darius Bikoff. Apart from the previous record sale, at least 10 mobile homes there have sold in the past year for amounts ranging from $675,000 to $1.4 million. Additionally, the cost of trailers located nearer the beach is higher.

Article from the NY Post

Hilton Grand Vacations has Purchased a Timeshare Hotel in Midtown

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According to Commercial Observer, Hilton Grand Vacations paid $136 million to buy a 161-key timeshare hotel in Midtown Manhattan from private equity firm 54 Madison Partners. The troubled property, located at 12 East 48th St., was first constructed by developer Hidrock Realty just before the pandemic. Hilton Grand Vacations is the most recent in a long line of different owners. Hidrock was unable to “substantially complete” the 31-story hotel before the end of 2019; 54 Madison Partners provided mezzanine debt; and Midland National Life Insurance served as the senior lender. 54 Madison Partners later used this information to claim that Hidrock had defaulted on the loan in January 2020. Later that year, it took control of the property. The Hilton-operated The Central at 5th hotel opened its doors in the summer of 2021 with rooms starting at $350 per night. With the acquisition of the hotel from 54 Madison Partners, Hilton Grand Vacations has acquired its fifth timeshare hotel, a deal that enables owners to stay for a specific amount of time each year by purchasing a share in the property.

Latest Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

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The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.5 percent in January on a
seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.1 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 6.4 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for shelter was by far the largest contributor to the monthly all items increase, accounting for nearly half of the monthly all items increase, with the indexes for food, gasoline, and natural gas also contributing. The food index increased 0.5 percent over the month with the food at home index rising 0.4 percent. The energy index increased 2.0 percent over the month as all major energy component indexes rose over the month. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in January. Categories which increased in January include the shelter, motor vehicle insurance, recreation, apparel, and household furnishings and operations indexes. The indexes for used cars and trucks, medical care, and airline fares were among those that decreased over the month. The all-items index increased 6.4 percent for the 12 months ending January; this was the smallest 12-month increase since the period ending October 2021. The all items less food and energy index rose 5.6 percent over the last 12 months, its smallest 12-month increase since December 2021. The energy index increased 8.7 percent for the 12 months ending January, and the food index increased 10.1 percent over the last year.

Second Legal Dispensary Opens Tuesday in Union Square

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From NBC, New York:

The dispensary will be the state’s first to open owned by a New Yorker “with a cannabis conviction or a close relative of someone with one” The second legal dispensary opens in New York City on Tuesday, and the governor says its the first pot shop run by someone “previously criminalized by cannabis prohibition. “The 144 Blecker Street location of Smacked LLC is set to open the following week after a nearly month-long “soft” opening in Greenwich Village. Doors should open at 10:00 a.m. The first legal dispensary opened last month off Broadway in Manhattan after three dozen businesses received the first round of marijuana retail licenses. For the first round of licenses, New York only granted some nonprofit organizations and applicants with prior marijuana convictions or their relatives. With the assistance of the Bronx Cannabis Hub and the New York Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund, Roland Conner is launching Smacked LLC with his wife and son.. “I am so excited to become a part of history as the first individual to open a legal cannabis dispensary in New York City. Given my experience with cannabis, I never could have imagined that I would be opening a store like this,” Conner said in a statement. “But this is not just about me and my family. This is about everyone who was harmed by the draconian drug laws of the past. New York’s commitment to righting those wrongs through the law is inspiring. I am proof of that commitment because I’m standing here today,” he added. Conner’s shop opening is part of the state’s “Pop-up” program to help stores receive an initial capital boost before a permanent opening down the road. “As with some other initial dispensaries to be supported by the Fund, this will provide licensees the opportunity to open on a short-term basis to fast-track sales and start generating capital for their businesses, after which they will close for final construction and then re-open on a long-term basis,” the governor’s office said Thursday.

A Sharp Increase in Reports of Young Children Sickened by Edibles with More Legal Weed On the corner of Broadway and Astor Place, the first recreational marijuana dispensary in New York opened its doors on December 28. It signaled the long-awaited start of one of the nation’s most lucrative marijuana industries. And there will be more. Another dispensary called “Union Square Travel Agency” has an opening date set. It will debut in a former Chase Bank building close to the Union Square subway stop. On February 13th, a soft opening is scheduled. The Doe Fund, which offers housing, career training, and counseling to marginalized people living in NYC, will receive 51% of the proceeds. In March 2021, marijuana use for recreational purposes became legal in New York.

Ceiling Collapses in Bed-Stuy NYCHA Building

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A NYCHA building’s ceiling collapses in Bed-Stuy.

Bed-Stuy residents criticized NYCHA on Saturday for failing to stop a leak that led to a portion of the building’s ceiling collapsing this week. On Wednesday night, Marlene Ritter, a resident of a NYCHA building on Willoughby Avenue, claims she was in bed when she heard a loud crash. She claims to have witnessed a portion of her apartment’s ceiling collapse. “This is sickening, the smell is horrible…I’m embarrassed,” said Ritter. The building’s tenants claim that no repairs have been made since the ceiling collapsed on Wednesday and that they have been without heat or hot water ever since.

New McDonald’s Opening in Times Square

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McDonald’s has signed a lease at the former Duane Reade location on the northwest corner of West 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue at 681 Eight Avenue. The store is currently being built out. This new location is across the street from the Five Below and Target stores on West 4McDonald’s Moves into Former Duane Reade at W. 42nd and Eighth Avenue.

All-Time High Set for Rents in Manhattan in January 2023

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January saw an all-time high for Manhattan rents. As a result of a robust job market and a shortage of available apartments, Manhattan’s median rents increased in January, setting a new record. According to a report from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel, the median rental price in January increased 15% to $4,097 from the year prior. This was the highest monthly figure ever. In Manhattan, the median monthly rent increased by 13% to $5,142 in January 2022. Following record increases in late last year, analysts and real estate specialists had predicted that rents would begin to decline in January. But despite a slowing economy and well-publicized layoffs in finance and technology, Manhattan’s rental market is still in high demand. According to Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel, a real estate appraisal and research firm, “We’re not seeing rents fall in any appreciable way.” In reality, they are merely moving sideways. According to analysts, a healthy job market is what primarily drives Manhattan’s rental market. Despite headline-grabbing layoffs at major tech firms and Wall Street banks, New York’s overall job market and wage growth are still strong. More employees might be returning to the city as more people go back to work. New leases increased 9% in January 2022 compared to January 2022 and by 8% over December, indicating that despite high rents, tenants are still willing to pay them. At the same time, despite growth, there are not a lot of apartments available. According to Miller, the vacancy rate, or percentage of apartments available for rent, was 2.5% last month, which is lower than the 3% rate that is more typical for Manhattan.

The rental strength is “a tale of two cities,” according to Joshua Young, executive vice president and managing director of sales and leasing at Brown Harris Stevens. According to him, there is a high demand for brand-new, top-notch rentals that are entering the market in desirable areas, which is resulting in a shortage of luxury apartments. While they wait for the price of apartments to drop, an increasing number of prospective apartment buyers are choosing to rent. They are waiting for rental prices to decrease, he said. They don’t want to be the ones who pay too much for a house that will be worth less in a year. Since many prospective buyers of luxury properties opt to rent, there is a particularly high demand for rentals in this category. According to Miller, there were bidding wars over nearly one in five luxury rentals in January. Analysts predict that rents won’t decrease much, if at all, in the upcoming months unless the job market and economy slow down. In terms of the rental market, “I think 2023 will be just as strong as 2022,” Young said.

Source: CNBC

90-year-old owner of Ray’s East Village Candy Store beaten by Two Suspects

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As reported by the NY Post, according to police and sources on Saturday, two men were detained in connection with the vicious assault and attempted robbery of the elderly owner of Ray’s Candy Shop in the East Village. The sadistic assault on Ray Alvarez, 90, whose injuries were so severe he now needs to eat through a straw, he told The Post, led to the arrest of Luis Peroza, 39, and Gerald Barth, 55. According to the sources, Barth and Peroza, who are both from the East Village, are thought to have gone on a rampage through the area and damaged Alvarez’ Avenue A store as part of their crimes. According to sources, Barth, who is no stranger to law enforcement, was detained on Wednesday in connection with the attempted robbery of Alvarez as well as a separate robbery. The NYPD reported that Peroza was arrested and charged with assault on Friday, hours before he was led from the 9th Precinct stationhouse on East 5th Street. The tough store owner can only eat through a straw after the attack broke bones in his face and dislocated his jaw. If there had been more police officers in the area, he railed, the beating would never have taken place.