Yesterday, over a thousand people flocked to the Javits Center in hopes of landing a deal at the city's first home foreclosure auction. The NY Times, which said 1,400 were in attendance, described the atmosphere:
On the floor, four men called the bids, screaming, blowing whistles, thrusting their arms into the air and using their fingers to signal how much more was being offered over the last bid...Continue reading "Foreclosed Home Auction Draws Bidders, Protesters"
Where else can you get a $500,000+ home for five figures? The Real Estate Disposition Corp. is holding a foreclosure auction for 375 homes in NY, NJ, and Pennsylvania at the Javits Center today. The Post explains that while the auction is free, "but buyers need a $5,000 cashier's check and valid ID. Only cash will be accepted for some homes." A spokesman told Crain's, "In the past, there weren’t enough foreclosed New York homes to hold an auction. This year I suspect that there will be a second and third auction in the city." While some of the homes may be great deals—this graphic shows a $740,000 house in Port Chester with a starting bid of $149,000—many of the homes are not in very good shape. And there is criticism of foreclosure auctions: A group will be protesting while Rep. Carolyn Maloney noted that the House passed a measure to make mortgage payments affordable, "In these tough economic times, we need to preserve the American dream, not auction it off."
It's the final day of New York Comic-Con, and there are still tickets left for today! The fans have been flocking to the Javits Center since Friday to get their fill of their favorite comics, graphic novels, anime—you name it! The hungry Watchmen fans got to see a never-before-seen 30 second clip of the very anticipated film (more details here). And Pixar devotees certainly got their money's worth with Disney screening four clips of Up (totaling 46 minutes!) of their next summer blockbuster.
Over the weekend, NY Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff took the opportunity offer his list of buildings for demolition:
Even the most majestic cities are pockmarked with horrors. There are countless dreadful buildings in New York; only a few (thankfully) have a traumatic effect on the city. So I propose we knock down the structures that not only fail to bring us joy, but actually bring us down.Continue reading "NY Times Architecture Critic's Tear Down Wish List"
Attention passengers: The next stop on this westbound 7 train extension will not be 10th Avenue and 41st Street. Due to a sick economy, MTA officials will bypass plans for a 10th Avenue station. However, they're still going through with building a new station at 34th Street and 11th Avenue to accommodate the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. City Room reports that last fall the MTA signed a $1.14 billion contract with a company to dig a new 7 train tunnel and build the 34th Street station; a second station at 41st and 10th would have cost $450 million, and officials say the budget won't allow it. The city defended the change, explaining that "a 10th Avenue station is not necessary to drive growth there." But Andrew Albert of the NYC Transit Riders Council scoffs to NY1: "Is that the only reason we build subway stations now, to spur development? How about to serve the people that are already in a neighborhood?" The extension is expected to be finished in 2013. Please be patient.
How much would you pay for a sweaty, worn-in baseball hat? What if it were Babe Ruth's? Yesterday one of the player's old navy-blue flannel caps went for $328,000 at auction (nearly double what it was expected to bring in); the auction of Yankee memorabilia was held at the Javits Center. The NY Post notes that the hat is one of three in existence that the Babe wore during games, and his initials (G.H. for George Herman) are embroidered inside. One of the other caps belongs to ex-Yankee David Wells, who got his for a mere $35K.
As part of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game celebrations, the DHL All-Star FanFest opened today at the Jacob Javits Center. Running through Tuesday, FanFest offers activities that any baseball fans of all ages can enjoy.
While the Unfancy Food Show held its humble affair in Williamsburg this past Sunday, the Fancy Food Show (yes, actual names) has been holding court this week with its annual massive event over at the Jacob Javits Center. Over 6,000 vendors from around the world will give out close to 200,000 samples in what is North America's largest specialty food event.
New York Comic Con took place at the Javits Center this weekend and drew thousands of fans to meet authors, artists, actors, and characters of pop culture. It's also an opportunity for professionals in the industry to mingle and do business. This is the third year that the event has been held in New York.
Oenophiles envious of the big wine expos held in Boston and D.C. can stop whining; this weekend marks the first annual New York Wine Expo at the Javits Center. Friday night and Saturday are open to the public, where more than 600 wines from over 170 vintners will be available for tasting. Here’s the list of all the wineries and vineyards at the Expo.
Just because Mayor Bloomberg has denied running for governor in 2010 doesn't mean it has to be true! The Sun's Davidson Goldin thinks that for Bloomberg, "Running for governor is likely, and becoming more so."
Governor Spitzer is facing opposition in his attempt to snuff out any Javits Center expansion by selling land surrounding the center to fill budget gaps. The administration still plans to renovate the convention center, but it will result in far less space than what was originally envisioned for the expansion, which would have cost between $1.8 billion and $3 billion. Senator Charles Schumer, Mayor Bloomberg and City Council speaker Christine C. Quinn oppose the land sale, which would effectively eliminate the possibility of any future expansion.
Last week we learned that all New York taxis will soon be held to higher fuel efficiency standards; starting next October new cabs must get at least 25 miles per gallon. But the cab changes don’t stop there – in addition to upcoming GPS and touch-screen video technology, the Taxi and Limousine Commission is considering selling an unlimited card for cab riders, which may feature “fare integration” with buses and subways. Over half the city’s 13,000+ cabs are equipped with credit card readers; the TLC expects all of them to take your plastic by spring ’08 – and Metrocards are being proposed as a next step.
The fourth annual DigitalLife event kicks off today at the Javits Center. Featuring over 200 exhibitors, it is easily the best preview of digital gadgetry coming to life in the fall quarter. Today saw new product releases from Palm (with the Centro - a $99 Treo follow up targeted to new smart phone users exclusive to Sprint), iRobot (new cleaning robots!) , Gateway (a sleek new all-in-one called "One"), and Microsoft (Extenders for Windows Media Center).
Ooh - NY1 has the exclusive on this exciting bit of subway news: The MTA is planning on installing subway platform doors on the 7 line extension. The platform doors are not only a safety feature, they create savings with energy bills and keep stations cooler. Additionally, they would prevent people from being able to litter in the tracks (and that litter can cause track fires, which is a major cause of subway delays).
In response to the annual Fancy Food Show taking place July 8-10 at the Jacob Javits Center, Marlow and Sons buyer and fromager Tom Mylan, along with artisanal cheese expert Sasha Davies, will be staging the first ever New York Unfancy Food Show, to be held at the East River Bar in south Williamsburg this Sunday afternoon from 1 to 7 PM. For a $5 suggested donation, attendees will be able to sample a score of products from mostly local producers. It should be a day of small batch, hand-made, farm-to-table, heirloom, and award winning food; all just steps away from the illustrious East River, and definitely free of the blitz that occurs when anywhere from 19,000 to 32,000 food industry folk descend on Jalepeno Popper Pavillion at the Javits Center every year for the golden-fried, cream cheese and bacon flavored kind. The smaller scale, Unfancy Food Show participants include Mateo from Jasper Hill Farm, Roger Rephol from Bronx Bee Honey (made in the South Bronx!), and Jon Orren from Wheelhouse Pickles. Representatives from Gorilla Coffee, Consider Bardwell Farm, and Taza Chocolate will also be on hand with samples of their products, and it is likely that some grass-fed beef will be grilled up by Josh and Jessica Applestone from Fleischer’s Meats. As if the mere prospect of attending the culinary underdog event of the summer season isn’t compelling enough on its own, some assorted trophies (size, shape, meaning and purpose as yet to be determined) will be given out to best-in-show participants; all purveyors currently signed on for the Unfancy Food Show seemingly qualify for the title. It is needless to say that eating local is a win-win situation, and this is a great, no nonsense opportunity to meet the people who actually produce local food. It's also taking place at a bar. Go and talk about sustainability, washed rind cheese, or just the weather. Mark your calendars now.
Videographer Kelly Loudenberg headed to the Javits Center to check out some of NY International Auto Show scene. And what a scene: Not only did she see the folks from Freedom From Oil scaling the walls to hang a protest sign, she also found out how tween girls only get to choose pink.
The New York International Auto Show opened its Javits Center doors to the press today. While lots of car manufacturers were showing off more environmentally friendly models, one activist group made its distrust of Toyota's claims known.
Car makers are flocking to the city with the New York International Auto Show opening this weekend (media previews start tomorrow) at the Javits Convention Center, and there's one particularly NYC-focused exhibit: Taxi '07.
He made his name in London, Paris, Madrid, and Tokyo, and now he's making his mark on New York, too, with four major projects in development. Richard Rogers, one of Britain's handful of architect-knights, has just been awarded the 2007 Pritzker Prize, architecture's top honor.
It's difficult to know quite what to say about the huge transformations on the horizon for the Far West Side. That's partly because major negotiations and plans regarding the future of Madison Square Garden, the Farley Post Office, the Javits Center, the 7-train extension, and rezoning are taking place behind closed doors. Another reason is the uneven pace at which the planning proceeds-- years of plodding speculation followed by the sudden unveiling of a proposal, and merely a few months for public review before the deal is sealed.
The Mayor unveiled his Fiscal Year 2008 Preliminary Budget and was very upbeat, if cautious. Mayor Bloomberg said of the $57.1 billion budget:
“Because of our strong economy, tax revenues are running higher than expected this year. That’s good budgetary news, including $1 billion in tax cuts for the people of New York City. If conditions permit, we’ll propose extending that tax cut in the future. But with slower job growth and other indications of economic uncertainty on the horizon, it’s wiser to take a wait-and-see approach, while also putting $500 million more into our Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund and using $1.4 billion to close the expected budget deficit in 2009.”What's impressive is that there is a projected $3.9 billion budget surplus for this fiscal year, plus another $1.4 billion surplus next year, thanks to what the NY Times calls a "boom in property transfer taxes, including mortgage recording taxes, which can generate millions of dollars when large properties change hands." Well, at least the city is getting something out of the Stuyvesant Town deal.
"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed - Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.'" - Deep Thought, Jack Handy
-- Remembering New York bookstores lost.
Wired Magazine's yearly traveling technology shindig, NextFest, plants its roots in NYC this weekend. After starting in San Francisco in 2004 the show finally makes it to NYC. Billed as a WIRED's vision of a new world's fair, here you can
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