In their words...
The month’s funniest and most insightful comments on real estate
“You must stop this blatant harassment of your tenants.” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, in a letter to developer Joseph Chetrit demanding that he stop construction at the Hotel Chelsea.
“Matzah sucks. Why can’t my people work with Cadbury for a tastier treat during these important spiritual times?” David Schechtman, executive vice president, Eastern Consolidated.
“Sometimes it feels like it would be faster to commute from Connecticut.” Greenpoint resident Jennifer Jones, summing up her feelings about the G train. (New York Post)
“I’d rather live in squalor in New York City than a mansion anywhere else in the country.” Douglas Elliman broker Sarah Williams, on what she tells clients who express concerns about the city.
“Some of the lobbies haven’t been touched since ‘Ozzie and Harriet.’” Halstead Property broker Gerard Splendore, regarding mid-century buildings on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. (The New York Times)
“The main thing is that Sutton, for more than seven years, called me every week.” Abe Goldstein, a co-owner of 529 Broadway in Soho, explaining how investors Jeff Sutton and Joseph Sitt eventually secured the property for around $150 million. 30 April 2013 www.TheRealDeal.com
“She said her daughter was going to go to Columbia, or NYU or maybe Harvard ... and that was why she was picking this one particular apartment. So I said: ‘Oh, how old is your daughter?’ and she said: ‘Well, she’s two.’ And I was just shocked.” Sotheby’s International Realty broker Kevin Brown, on a Chinese client who bought a $6.5 million condo at new luxury tower One57. (Telegraph)
“My main tip is you need a lot of money.” German historic building specialist Bernd Neuhäuser, on what it takes to buy and maintain a castle. (Wall Street Journal)
“You kiss a lot of frogs before you find the apartment you want. But once I found it — I walked in and I thought, ‘Oh, this is my apartment.’” Andy Cohen, a Bravo TV executive and host of the show “Watch What Happens Live,” on his two-bedroom apartment in a Bing & Bing building in the West Village. (The New York Times) www.TheRealDeal.com August 2006 00