January 2021

January is the time for new beginnings. It is in this month that you get a clean slate, a chance to reflect, relax and set new goals. These things are important to set your mood for the whole year, so there's no point in dwelling on the January blues you may be experiencing. Happy New Year New York City!

Although it may seem like there is nothing to do in NYC, my having a 2.5 year old has made me quite resourceful. We have identified tons of fun, safe activities to do on the weekends this Winter in Manhattan and we are here to share them with you.(Listen up, parents!)

1. Museum of Natural History in Manhattan - book your time slot online and explore the Dinos! (our favorite exhibit)

2. Ice Skating in Bryant Park or Brookfield Place - reserve your spot online and remember the hot cocoa at the end!

3. Bronx Zoo - always a fun New York activity no matter what age.

4. Carousel in Central Park - a classic way to spend a cold afternoon in Manhattan. 

5. Color Factory - an interactive exhibit that celebrates the discovery, serendipity and generosity of color.

6. Sloomoo Institute - the ultimate interactive playground for the slime experience, from science to creative DIY slime.

Market Update

Despite difficulties in today’s world, the real estate market is on fire. Low interest rights, reduced sales prices, and the vaccine on the horizon are all positive signs for NYC’s comeback. Real estate contract activity is up 4% compared to Q4 in 2019 and inventory increased 29% year-over-year, attesting to seller's trust in the market. There are tons of transactions happening so if you are ready to buy an apartment or house in New York, call us so you don't miss out on the action!

Property of the Month

Welcome to a pre-war treasure, Residence 9G at The Parc Vendome in NYC. This one bedroom, one bathroom beauty features vast casement windows, an oversized layout, and preserved architectural details. Entering into the large gallery equipped with a coat closet, North through a romantic arch is the dining room and kitchen; illuminated through the kitchen’s exposure and residual light from the living room. While to the West is your tremendous living area. Past the gallery to the East is the restroom and expansive bedroom. The master bedroom includes two deep walk-in closets and is illuminated through the sizable North facing exposures.

The Parc Vendome offers dramatic pre-war living, perfect for Manhattan. Walk through its magnificent private garden, or go shopping at one of the many W. 57th Street & 5th Ave shops nearby the property. The Parc Vendome’s amenities offer the opportunity to play Billiards, Backgammon, Cards in the club room, a book from the Library or just sit back and enjoy the piano in the Music Room. The Parc Vendome is secure twenty-four hours a day with doormen on duty in each of the four lobbies. A state-of-the-art security control center with the most modern electronic equipment is monitored around the clock.

December 2020

The Ronita Kalra Team has joined Compass! Thank you all for your kind words of support and for the warm welcome. 2020 has been a crazy year and so to shake things up I thought it was the perfect time for a change. My New York team is here to continue to service our clients, family and friends with all of their real estate needs here in NYC and upstate NY. We are your advisors, with boots on the ground we are living and breathing this real estate market and we are here to give you the pulse in real time. Looking forward to crushing our goals with all the new tools we have at our fingertips in 2021!

We know this year we are not celebrating as we normally do but it's still a time to reflect. Gifts and trips are not the priority for our family (and I'm sure many of yours) this year and I'm finding myself a little lost with this change of pace. However, I do feel as if the universe gave us a good shake and took us out of our routines and traditions for a reason. Our family is now more patient, more understanding and content with just spending time with each other. In the end, thats all that matters anyways, right? From my team and my family to yours, we wish you healthy and safe holidays. Hold your loved ones tight this year. Better days are ahead New York!

Pfizer and Moderna have released their vaccines here in the US and already thousands of New Yorkers have been injected. There is a lot of fear in NYC and beyond around taking a vaccine that was rushed... and who can blame them?  I am not a medical professional however I trust that if they are the first ones getting the vaccine they must feel confident and comfortable with the vaccine. Let's put this damn pandemic behind us and get back to big gatherings, eating indoors, open houses and HUGS! I am looking forward to a world where this pandemic is no longer a global crisis and just another disease to add to the list of ones we have eradicated or at least lessened with a vaccine. 

Restaurants are the fabric of NYC. Hospitality and dining in New York City lives to take care of us, and now it's our turn to return the favor. Therefore, this month I'd like to highlight an organization that I believe is doing critical work during these tough times in New York - Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants or ROAR. ROAR is partnering with the non-profit organization, Robin Hood to raise donations for an NYC restaurant employee relief fund. Visit their website here, to see how you can get involved!

November 2020

GIVE THANKS!

We hope you had a safe Thanksgiving. Although plans may be a little different this year we should remember to count our blessings. I am thankful for the food we got to eat, the family I was able to feed and the fact that we all are in good health.

Speaking of food, If you are in New York City and are looking for specialty deserts or pastries check out Butterfield Market. They offer the best of New York, offering delicious sweets from Harlem Baking Co, David Burke, Tates of SouthHampton, etc. the gourmet marketplace also has bagels, pizza, sushi and a full deli.
This year we are sadly missing our soup kitchen volunteer work at Holy Apostle. Although, we can not donate our time out of precaution for our families who we are seeing over the holidays, we are still committed to helping however we can. Check out this webpage to see how you can also help feed the homeless of our city of New York . https://donate.holyapostlessoupkitchen.org/
On behalf of my real estate team, Nancy, Brenda and myself we hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving and thank you to all of our friends, clients and colleagues for trusting us with your real estate transactions. We appreciate you and are so grateful to you all for everything!

RTWR & @IsaacBoots founder of TORCH’ED

Speaking of giving back and being thankful, this month I had the pleasure of speaking with Isaac Calpito on Real Talk with Ronnie, who is a celebrity trainer, former Broadway star and avid philanthropist. Over quarantine, I was doing his workouts daily and was so thankful to him as he would go live everyday, throw on a sick soundtrack and make me move my body which ultimately did keep me sane. I realized quickly he was a man of many talents and I knew I had to bring him on my Real Talk with Ronnie podcast. Listen to the full podcast here (iTunes) (Spotify) or watch on IGTV and learn how he turned quarantine free workouts into a way to raise over a million dollars for @nokidhungry. It's inspiring and he is everything we need to put a smile on our faces this holiday season.

DEAL OF THE MONTH
106 West 123 #PH

     106 West 123 Street #PH has finally CLOSED! Covid season within the real estate industry is definitely going to have its own collection of stories that can never be replicated. This Manhattan property is no different. From the start it was super attractive in terms of pricing, location and layout for New York. At $1,650,000 I received an offer after my first open house. “Amazing”, I thought; I knew I had it priced right since I recently sold something else on the block. This offer only solidified that theory. The deal ended up falling through because the buyer brought a contractor and decided what he wanted to do to customize the space was over his budget. Mind you this Harlem place is turn-key but he wanted to make cosmetic changes to the kitchen. “Ok, back to square one” I said to myself. Then I had another offer from a couple right before the lockdown. Guess what? During quarantine they backed out. “Ok, once we can start working again I’m back to square one” I tried to reassure myself. Months later we go back on the market at a lower price, $1,495,000. I received an offer right away, a lovely couple with two kids who only needed two bedrooms since one was an adult child and he did not live with them. During negotiation their poor son lost his job, so they backed out as they were now in the market for three bedrooms, since their son needed to come back home. “Back to square one, again”. Finally, after a few weeks of countless NYC showings I had the perfect candidate. Each deal, each sale, has its very own story and this one - I almost sold three times before it actually closed. Fourth time's a charm for this Harlem duplex. We closed at $1,350,000 and due to the pandemic, the buyer got an amazing deal, especially for New York City.