Hello friends!

 

(Sing-along) It's the most wonderful time of the year, with the kids trick or treating and everyone telling you to be of good (or ghoulish) cheerrrrrr, its the most wonderful time of the year! 

 

Yes yes yes Halloween is here, which is my favorite, making this the most wonderful time of year. Whether you dress up and head out (as I would truly like to do every day), or stay in and dole out candy to the neighborhood ghosts and goblins, this is the official kickoff to the holiday season and a reminder that there are only a few months left to enjoy this year ... and this DECADE! 

 

I'm pleased to highlight the newly launched Unit 4 at our oh-so-chic New Dev Project at 3 East 3rd Street plus many more. Me and my team truly have a listing for everyone from Penthouse's in Tribeca, to townhouses in Soho and Park Slope to luxury 2 beds in Hell's Kitchen, Fidi, and the West Vill to incredible VALUE one beds in Soho, Kips Bay and Chelsea.  Plus we have a bunch of amazing amazing rentals including this massive Village loft.

 

But enough about me and my listings let's get to some super important stuff - Wegman's at Brooklyn Navy Yard has finally arrived, yessssssssssssss! Plus Compass' third-quarter reports are now available. Whether the results are a trick or treat depends on which side of the transaction you're standing on (more on that below). And I've wrapped up this month's newsletter with great Halloween events and some scary-good (Dad jokes are getting stronger) restaurant recommendations, thanks to the hot-off-the-presses New York City Michelin guide for 2020.

 

Wishing you and yours a spooktacular Halloween season. 

 

 

According to the Manhattan Market Report for last quarter, economic uncertainty was the key driver in real estate activity in the borough. With trade wars and political strife the new normal, buyers and investors are taking a cautious approach. Even so, in this climate of "market normalization," there were 2,826 sales and 2,513 contracts signed during the quarter. Sales dipped 12 percent year over year, and units priced over $3 million were especially sluggish, comprising only 9 percent of all sales in Q3, the fewest since 2015.

 

The Brooklyn Q3 report summarizes the market as "pressured stability," indicating a cooling off after several quarters of strong growth. After the mansion tax rush of Q2, Brooklyn saw 3,022 sales with an average sale price of $959,176 and average 148 days on market in the third quarter. Among the 4,824 active listings last quarter, 48 percent were houses and townhomes, and prices were flat across all sectors except the under $500,000 category where both average and median prices ticked up 6 percent.

 

Compass has also issued a Queens Market Report for Q3 2019, indicating that even without Amazon HQ2, average price and median price in the northwest section of the borough increased 19 percent and 15 percent, respectively, year over year.

 

Download the Q3 reports or keep real-time data at your fingertips with Compass apps for iOS and Android.

 

Unit 4 at the illustrious 3 East 3rd Street has now hit the market with bold, industrial chic styling and a perfect location in the heart of the Bowery. This three-bedroom, three-bathroom showplace features a generous full-floor layout, abundant floor-to-ceiling windows, premium finishes and top-of-the-line appliances by Miele, Sub-Zero and Wolf. White oak radiant heat flooring and soaring exposed concrete ceilings underscore the dramatic minimalism. Video intercom entry, private storage and tax abatement are the icing on the cake in this new-construction home ready for occupancy this fall!

 

 

An effort more than 8 years in the making has finally reached its much-anticipated conclusion — the grand opening of New York City's first Wegman's grocery store at Brooklyn's Navy Yard! The 74,000-square-foot supermarket will open its doors at 7 a.m. on October 27 to offer its signature restaurant-quality prepared foods  plus more than 4,000 organic products, fresh seafood delivered daily, hundreds of produce items and 300 varieties of imported and domestic cheese. The Navy Yard store will also include a second-floor mezzanine serving food, beer, wine and spirits.

 

The massive store opening also propels a next chapter in the slow unveiling of the 300-acre Navy Yard campus. In addition to Wegman's, visitors can head to Building 77, a business and manufacturing hub that also features a Russ & Daughter's outpost and Transmitter Brewery. Bldg 92 serves as a visitors' center/museum with a Brooklyn Roasting Co. location. Kings County Distillery offers a distillery and whiskey tasting room on the premises, and the Naval Cemetery Landscape is a 1.7-acre burial ground transformed into a bucolic meadow alongside raised boardwalks. 

 

In addition to stocking your pantry and fridge with great Wegman's finds, partake in the the array of great on-site Navy Yard events and tours to learn more about this burgeoning Brooklyn mega-development. And, of course, don't forget to check out the fleet of self-driving autonomous vehicles! 

 

 

Gourmets and gourmands, start your engines! The 2020 Michelin star ratings for New York City have arrived!

 

Originally published in 1900 to encourage motor tourism, the Michelin guides have become synonymous with the upper echelon of fine dining experiences. The organization's scrupulous inspectors evaluate every detail of the dining experience, from ambiance and wait times to staff courteousness and knowledge, and of course, the quality, creativity and presentation of the food. Even one star is considered an outstanding achievement in any chef's career, and only 120 restaurants in the world enjoy three-star honors.

 

The biggest news in this year's list of New York fine dining outposts is the addition of Westchester County to our region's contenders. While Michelin inspectors scoured the county for the first time, only Blue Hill at Stone Barns made the cut, debuting with an impressive two Michelin stars. To visit Blue Hill, you'll need ample patience, an empty stomach and a fat wallet. The multi-course meals run $278 per person, can take hours to consume and are fully booked through December.

 

At the upper reaches of the list, three-star restaurants in New York City have remained unchanged. They are Masa, Per Se, the Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin. Among the high-profile deletions in the 2020 list are scandal-ridden Babbo, Bushwick's Farro, Daniel Boulud's casual location Cafe Boulud, and Junoon, the popular Flatiron Indian eatery. In a snub to much-maligned Hudson Yards dining, none of its restaurants were awarded in their first year of eligibility. Newcomers to the list this year include casual establishments Estela, Four Horsemen and Oxalis, and upscale entries Atomix, Le Jardinier and Benno.

 

Eater has arranged New York's Michelin-starred restaurants on a handy map that you should bookmark immediately. And diners on a budget will appreciate the list of Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants which recognize high-quality food at reasonable prices. At these establishments, two courses and a glass of wine or dessert will total less $40 (excluding tax and tip).