HOLY APOSTLES SOUP KITCHEN
Once a month my real estate team volunteers at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen in Chelsea. We are fortunate enough to have the time and resources to serve others and I feel it is our duty to do so. I came upon this organization a year ago and I love the work they do in New York City.
Every weekday at 10:30 a.m. sharp, hundreds of hungry and homeless New Yorkers walk through the doors of Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen to get a warm nutritious meal and seek help in finding their way. But 45 minutes beforehand, another crowd is gathering: 50-60 volunteers who will make sure that happens.
From greeting guests to serving food, cleaning tables to passing out haircut vouchers, it is the volunteers who enable them to be here for the guests every day. One of the most important things they do is to treat the guests with dignity and respect.
A warm smile or some friendly conversation can really help brighten the guests’ days – and as an NYC volunteer you might be surprised at how much this experience will brighten yours as well!
You can sign up to volunteer any weekday. You’ll need to be available from 9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Click Here to sign up and make a difference today!
BYE BYE BARNEYS
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just behind us, retailers and department stores are hanging on by a thread. By now you know that Barneys, the beloved department store that has enchanted New York shoppers since 1923, is closing. And while this is incredibly sad for the city — a long list of Midtown megastores have left us in recent years (Henri Bendel, Lord & Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein) — A cultural touchstone for generations of New Yorkers and followers of fashion, Barneys filed for bankruptcy protection in August, citing rent hikes as a factor.
Authentic Brands, which bid roughly $271 million for Barneys (what a real estate sale!) said it will turn the Madison Avenue location into a pop-up store. The firm plans to license the Barneys brand to Hudson’s Bay co-owned Saks Fifth Avenue and will open shops in Saks locations across the United States and Canada.
That will start with an attempted Barneys reboot on the fifth floor of the Saks Fifth Avenue location in Manhattan. Remaining Barneys stores are expected to close. Lucky for us, it was also announced Friday that the store’s flagship Madison Avenue outlet in Manhattan New York will remain open for at least another year in a slimmed-down form, which means we will be able to have our beloved Fred’s chopped salads and those ridiculously good fries a few more times. Phew! Who wants to schedule lunch!?
THE GAMECHANGERS
Speaking of food, I recently watched Game Changers. If you’ve seen this on Netflix you have probably turned your life around and are now plant based. I have watched, and have decided to stop eating meat. I was raised a vegetarian by Indian parents so for me its an easy transition. I only started eating meat while in college and was doing it because after refraining for so long the curiosity won and I had to give it a shot. Now that I've experienced it, I’m ready to go back to my roots.
Here’s more on the movie - Directed by Oscar®-winning documentary filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and executive produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic, and Chris Paul, The Game Changers tells the story of James Wilks — elite Special Forces trainer and The Ultimate Fighter winner — as he travels the world on a quest to uncover the optimal diet for human performance.
Showcasing elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons, and everyday heroes, what James discovers permanently changes his understanding of food and his definition of true strength.
PROPERTY OF THE MONTH
527A HANCOCK
527A Hancock is a magnificent, completely renovated two-family townhouse nestled on a quiet tree-lined street on one of the most beautiful blocks of Stuyvesant Heights, Brooklyn. Originally built in 1899, this gorgeous four-story Brooklyn brownstone has over 4,200 square feet of living space. The property is comprised of an exquisite owner's triplex with 5 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, plus a beautiful 2 bedroom duplex garden apartment, ideal for an in-law suite or an income-generating rental unit. This masterfully developed Brooklyn brownstone combines classic townhouse living with state-of-the-art technological conveniences for today's modern NYC lifestyle.
As you enter the parlor floor of the owner's unit, you are greeted with dramatic 10' high ceilings, over-sized windows, a spectacular decorative fireplace with ornate hand carved details and stunning 4-inch wide plank white oak floors. The breathtaking floor-through parlor level is the perfect place for either hosting parties or peaceful tranquility after a long day at work. The expansive open-concept living room and dining room are flooded with natural light and lead to an exquisite, state of the art eat-in kitchen. The kitchen boasts professional stainless steel appliances, including Electrolux ICON oven and microwave, Thor 6-burner range, LG Studio refrigerator and Bosch dishwasher. The imported Italian kitchen cabinetry are made of Palomino Noche & Cashmere Opaco by Stosa. The white-tiled backsplash and white Carrera Quartz counter tops complete the flawlessly designed chef's kitchen. Directly off the kitchen are beautiful french doors which open onto a spacious 16 ft. wide deck which overlooks the backyard and is perfect for entertaining or al fresco dining. The stairs off the deck lead down to a beautifully landscaped fenced-in garden.
The third floor is comprised of 3 spacious bedrooms, an en-suite bathroom, an additional spa-like bathroom and a laundry closet. The bedrooms offer walk-in closet space and over-sized windows.
The mouth-dropping top floor features a full-floor master suite where natural sunlight pours in through multiple skylights, as well as over-sized north and south facing windows. The extravagant en-suite bathroom is a place of tranquility and features a beautiful black, white & teal tiled floor with deep-soaking bathtub, a luxurious glass-enclosed rain shower and his-and-her vanity sinks. There is also a sitting room, which can easily be used as a home office, nursery, gym or library. A tremendous walk-in closet with dressing room is any homeowner's dream.
The duplex garden apartment boasts 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, access to the private backyard and a spacious open-concept living room and kitchen. The kitchen features stainless steel appliances, white subway tile and granite counter tops. The apartment has a private entrance, conveniently accessed by the tenant as well as the owner from the lower level. Additionally, the home features a huge finished basement with a recreation room, laundry closet, powder room and lots of storage space.
No expense was spared in this impeccable renovation. The NYC property has a new roof, all new electrical wiring, new plumbing, new mechanicals, new hardwood floors and new architectural-series Pella windows. The home also has modern amenities such as 5-zone central heating and air conditioning for year-round climate control, four high-res security cameras with smartphone integration throughout the exterior of the home and indoor/outdoor audio capabilities with a state-of-the-art 3-zone speaker system.
527A Hancock is conveniently located within a few blocks of some of Brooklyn's most popular restaurants, grocery stores, cafes and craft cocktail joints. Some local favorites nearby include Saraghina, Peaches, L'Antogoniste, Tepache, Nagle's Bagels, Eugene & Co. and Bed-Vyne Cocktail. The Decatur playground, the Raymond Bush playground and the Brooklyn Public Library Macon branch are also located within just a few blocks. The property has very easy access to Manhattan with close proximity to the Kosciuszko Street J train station and the Utica Avenue A and C train station. This is the one you've been waiting for!
Click here to see the listing
