Netflix will lease 100,000 square feet at 888 Broadway in the Flatiron District, where the company reportedly already signed a lease last fall for 38,000 square feet, says Crains. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that Netflix is planning to invest as much as $100 million in order to grow its presence in New York, with a production hub in Brooklyn and a corporate office in Manhattan.
“The expansion of the streaming platform and media studio is expected to create 127 jobs in fields such as marketing and production development, the governor’s office said. The Los Gatos, Calif.-based company also will build out a production hub in Brooklyn that will include six new sound stages within five years,” reports Crain’s New York Business.
Netflix will lease 100,000 square feet at 888 Broadway in the Flatiron District, where the company reportedly already signed a lease last fall for 38,000 square feet, says Crains. “The streaming giant will take advantage of state incentives in the expansion. Cuomo said the company has been offered up to $4 million in performance-based Excelsior Tax Credits over 10 years. To receive the full incentive, Netflix must create 127 jobs by 2024 at its new executive production office and retain those new jobs and their existing 32 office jobs for an additional five years.”
The streaming giant says it will build a new production hub in Brooklyn and expand its Manhattan headcount with 127 new high-paying positions, says Cheddar.com. “Netflix, which already produces hit shows like “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Orange Is the New Black” in the five boroughs, will spend $100 million on the New York expansion. The announcement came after the company reported earnings that showed its highest quarterly subscriber growth in history. That was tempered by Netflix acknowledging a weaker outlook, as the competitive streaming landscape heats up later this year with entries from Disney ($DIS) and Apple ($AAPL).”
The tax breaks Netflix is receiving from New York State come under the same program it offered Amazon to open a major East Coast office in Long Island City, Queens. “Amazon was set to get a $1.525 billion tax credit contingent on the creation of 25,000 jobs but bailed on the plan this February after political opposition to the ecommerce giant’s move into Queens, according to Variety. “For Netflix, the expanded NYC outpost is the latest in a series of recent real-estate moves beyond its headquarters in Los Gatos, Calif.”
“Bottom line,” noted Techspot.com, Netflix “has already produced several shows in NYC including Orange is the New Black, She’s Gotta Have It, Russian Doll and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, among others. Given its smaller footprint and history, the company isn’t likely to experience the same sort of pushback that Amazon did.”
Rents in Manhattan rose 2.6 percent to $3,217, while Brooklyn rents increased 2.2 percent to $2,608. Rents in Queens jumped 2.5% to $2,173. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Rents in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan have all reached record-setting highs, with rates increasing in the first quarter of 2019, according to Streeteasy. Rents in Manhattan rose 2.6 percent to $3,217, while Brooklyn rents increased 2.2 percent to $2,608. Rents in Queens jumped 2.5% to $2,173.
This winter was a harsh season for renters — unlike years past.
“We’re coming out of an unusually competitive winter rental season in which many renters found themselves in a weaker negotiating position than in years past,” said Grant Long, the Senior Economist at StreetEasy. “As would-be buyers opt to embrace renting while sale prices are falling, the competition that new grads and other transplants entering the city’s workforce would typically bring this time of year will be even more pronounced. This spring, landlords will have the upper hand, and renters should be prepared to move quickly to make sure they get a place they love.”
Landlords were less likely to offer discounts as rents increased, according to Streeteasy.
Rents only declined in North Brooklyn — because of the shutdown of the L train.
“Manhattan home prices have reached lows we haven’t seen since 2015, and inventory levels are at historic highs, leading many to believe that now may be the time to buy. But with a median price above $1 million, purchasing a home in Manhattan is still too expensive for many in this market,” said Nancy Wu, an economic data analyst at Streeteasy. “Many would-be buyers are opting for the flexibility of renting in some of the most expensive areas of the city — which in turn is creating an unusually competitive winter rental season.”
The amount of concession from landlords in Manhattan dropped 8.6 percent since last year. In Brooklyn, rental concessions dipped 10.6 percent since last year. Rental concessions in Queens decreased 5.2 percent in the last year.
StreetEasy economist Grant Long said that the city’s rising employment rate has contributed to increased rental rates.
“It’s putting more money into pockets of some folks and helping to push rents up,” Mr. Long said. “For people able to participate in that, it can work out.”
Mr. Long called the rental increases “not terribly dramatic.”
“But for some people who haven’t enjoyed the same type of wage increase, it exacerbates the affordability crisis,” he added.
New York’s buyers market continues to struggle, according to Jonathan Miller, a local real estate appraiser. He described the behavior of prospective buyers as “camping out” in the rental market.
Magnier reports that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah believes that the U.S., Britain, and Arab states could take part in the next conflict. Photo Credit: Ynet News
“The possibility of war with Israel is very high this summer and I may no longer be with you,” Nasrallah reportedly told commanders.
Is Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warning of a war with Israel in the summer, and worried that he might be killed?
According to Elijah J. Magnier of the Kuwaiti Al Rai newspaper, Nasrallah told commanders: “The possibility of a war with Israel is very high this summer and I may no longer be with you.”
However, Hezbollah sources are cited by Lebanon 24 as denying the report, saying that all of it is a “fabric of the writer’s imagination.”
In the Al Rai report, the Hezbollah chief is quoted as warning that Israel could be ready to attack “with the objective of removing the threat on its borders once and for all.”
Nasrallah cautioned that “our people should know and…be prepared for the worse-case scenario.”
In December, Israel launched an operation to neutralize attack tunnels dug along the Lebanese-Israeli border. The U.N. backed up the Israeli position that the tunnels were a violation of an agreement reached ending the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel launched the 2006 military campaign after two of its soldiers were abducted and killed along the border.
According to Al Rai, Hezbollah believes that Israel would evacuate its communities located near the Lebanese border before the launching the next military operation in order to prevent the possibility of kidnappings.
Magnier reports that Nasrallah believes that the U.S., Britain, and Arab states could take part in the next conflict. The U.K. recently extended its classification of Hezbollah as a terror group to include the entire organization, as opposed to just its military wing. The official European Union position categorizes only the military branch as terrorist in nature.
Despite its terror activity, Hezbollah is a member of the Lebanese government.
Israel welcomed a call by a billionaire from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to establish ties with the Jewish state while singling out Iran as the real enemy. Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS on 22 April, 2019
Israel welcomed a call by a billionaire from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to establish ties with the Jewish state while singling out Iran as the real enemy.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, a tycoon from the UAE, called on the Gulf States to seek “peace and cooperation with Israel,” economically and scientifically, as well as in agriculture and defense.
Al Habtoor posted a video on Twitter calling on the Gulf States to declare peace and with Israel while underscoring that the biggest enemy is Iran and not Israel.
“There is no need for compliments and lies to ourselves,” he said, noting that even the more than two million “Palestinians” have acquired Israeli citizenship and that Jordan and Egypt have already made the move.
“Why do not we make peace and be clear, rather than hiding and being unclear,” he demanded.
“Israel is not an enemy. Cooperation with it will to Benefit Everyone,” he stated.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday welcomed the invitation and posted his clip on its official Twitter page in Arabic
“Israelis are not enemies and cooperation with Israel will bring good to the region,” the Foreign Ministry stated
Israeli journalist Shimon Aran also praised Al Habtoor’s position, describing his enthusiasm for normalization with Israel as “the voice of reason.”
Israeli Minister of Communications Ayoub Kara lauded Al Habtoor’s statement and invited him to Israel.
“One cannot remain indifferent to Al Habtoor’s call for open relations between Israel and the Gulf States,” he stated, saying “he shared his belief.”
“It is time to end the hypocrisy in the Middle East, Iran and only it is the enemy of the Saudi coalition and Israel is a true seeker of peace,” he added.
This is not the first time Al-Habtoor has spoken positively of Israel. In March, he provoked controversy by praising the Israeli democracy, commenting on the Israeli attorney general’s investigation into corruption charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Al Habtoor is a 70-year-old billionaire from Dubai, founder and chairman of Al Habtoor Group and Chairman of Dubai National Insurance Company.
Al Habtoor was a former member of the Federal National Council and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. His wealth is estimated at $ 2.3 billion.
A 43-year-old El Al Airlines flight attendant was rushed to a hospital with measles and has reportedly lapsed into a deep coma after coming down with a fever on March 31. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
A 43-year-old El Al Airlines flight attendant was rushed to a hospital with measles and has reportedly lapsed into a deep coma after coming down with a fever on March 31.
The woman is now said to be suffering from encephalitis and breathing with the assistance of a respirator at Israel’s Meir Medical Center, according to CNN.
Israeli health officials said the woman may have been infected with measles in New York, Israel or a flight between the two locations, both of which are experiencing active measles outbreaks. No other passengers appear to have contracted measles, CNN added.
“She’s been in a deep coma for 10 days, and we’re now just hoping for the best,” Dr. Itamar Grotto, associate director general of Israel’s Ministry of Health, told CNN in an interview.
It has been reported by CBS News that the flight attendant had been vaccinated against measles as a child but only received a single dose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that all children get two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine since 1989.
The New York City Board of Health is issuing civil summonses for three parents who didn’t comply with the mandatory measles vaccination order. They are subject to fines of up to $1,000 apiece.
The continuing order for vaccinations applies to children ages 6 months and older with fines for non-compliance. City officials announced an emergency vaccination order for four ZIP codes in Brooklyn last week to stem the measles outbreak.
“A lawsuit challenging the order mandating measles vaccinations in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was dismissed by a state Supreme Court judge on Thursday. The suit was filed by five anonymous parents who claimed the order was unnecessary and infringed on religious rights, also claiming vaccines are dangerous,” reports Fox News.
According to the latest measles statistics coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from January 1 to April 11 there were 555 reported measles cases in 20 states. In the past week alone, the CDC has received reports of 90 new cases, mainly in New York state.
“That means there have already been more measles cases in 2019 than any year in the last five years. And given that it’s only April, we’re well on track to set a record for the highest number of cases in the US since the disease was eliminated here two decades ago,” says vox.com.
The Shabbat Dinner project will match tourists of any religion and cultural background with local host families for a meaningful night around a Shabbat dinner table. Photo Credit: Kfir Bolotin
The Shabbat Dinner Project will take place on Friday, May 17, the eve of the Eurovision Final
The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest is expected to attract over 10,000 international tourists between the 14th and 18th of May, and for many, this will be their first visit to Israel. The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality In collaboration with Eatwith would like to offer the incoming tourists of all backgrounds the unique experience of an authentic Shabbat meal at the home of host families in Tel Aviv.
Shabbat dinners, held at sunset on Fridays, are a cultural staple of many Israeli families–secular and religious. Most local families gather together with family and friends on a weekly basis. The Shabbat Dinner project will match tourists of any religion and cultural background with local host families for a meaningful night around a Shabbat dinner table. Tourists from around the world will take part in a unique immersive experience and will enjoy a home cooked meal while learning about Jewish traditions that have been observed for centuries. This project aligns with the growing travel trend of experiential tourism, where tourists seek to be immersed in the local culture and are on the lookout for authentic experiences.
Ron Huldai, The Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo: “We are working hard in order to make sure that the Eurovision Song Contest will be an unforgettable experience for everyone, including the local residents who wish to be a part of this major tourism boom. The Shabbat Dinners Project is one of the many ways to connect the thousands of tourists to Tel Aviv families and introduce them to the wonderful Jewish tradition of Shabbat in Israel. By the way, I already told Yael, my wife, to not make plans on the Friday before the Eurovision final, because we will be cooking!”
International guests will be able to choose from three options:
Shabbat Dinner at a host family (up to 6 guests)
Proud Shabbat Dinner: Eatwith and the Tel Aviv Municipal LGBTQ Center invite guests to attend a LGBTQ friendly Shabbat dinner at a host family
Community Shabbat Dinner: Locals and tourists are invited to attend one of the communal potluck Shabbat dinners hosted at community centers around the city
Guests will be charged a small courtesy fee of 50NIS in order to secure their place; all proceeds will go to the hosts. Guest registration will open at the end of the month via this link: Visit.Tel-Aviv.gov.il
The Progressive Left, still reeling from the tremor of the 2016 election results which registered double figures on the political Richter Scale, has just suffered another major seismic hit with the release of the Mueller Report’s coming to the (reluctant) conclusion that President Trump did not commit treason by colluding with the Russians. For more than 2 1/2 years we’ve been hammered by frantic politicians and the hysterical mainstream media’s constant bullhorning that “Trump colluded with the Russians!” to steal the presidency from Hillary and his conspiracy with them was cause for…..impeachment. The report issued last Thursday, should have paved the way for all of us to resume our lives, ditch collusion and impeachment fantasies for the time being and for Congress to finally regain its sanity to do what they were elected to do: legislate for the benefit of the nation. No such luck!
The report’s bewildering disclosure changed the battle cry of the die-hard anti-Trumpers from “Collusion” to “Obstruction.” Mueller’s team of 16, composed of 13 staunch Democrats and 3 with no party affiliation, left a mass of confusion in their report’s wake by bringing up the topic of “obstruction” which was not at all in the committee’s original investigatory spotlight. Although these conspiracists failed to uncover any hanky-panky between the Russkies and Trump prior to the election, they strangely note that they were unable to “conclusively determine” that no criminal conduct occurred in regards to obstruction of justice. “While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” What the hell does that mean? If there was no evidence of a crime of “collusion” how could there have been any “obstruction” of justice? And why was this statement included?
Was it to stir up the likes of Jerrold Nadler, Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff and Elijah Cummings to get on the new bandwagon for impeachment and to continue their rants of hatred and to neglect their duties to govern from now until the next election? Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) had it right when he stated, “For example, when (Mueller) talks about obstruction, I think it’s odd to say, ‘I’m not going to make a recommendation, but I’m going to sound like I’m making a recommendation. There’s not real evidence that I can point to but nonetheless, I couldn’t get there even if I did.’ He adds, “It’s full of double negatives. It’s kind of confusing.” Add this threat of impeachment to the Democrats’ radical, new agenda of Jew-Christian hating and you have a Trump landslide in 2020.
This Easter Sunday's slaughter of over 300 Catholics worshipping in churches throughout Sri Lanka by Muslims, the 120 Christian Nigerians killed by Muslims, the terror strikes launched against Christians across Africa, the torching of Notre Dame, the disappearance of Christian Europe, and the close extinction of Christianity throughout the Middle East perpetrated by Muslims should send a warning signal to all. Photo Credit: khybernews.tv
We Jews have experienced enough hatred. We’ve been demeaned, ostracized in Ghettos, forced to migrate from one land to another and experienced wholesale humiliation and slaughter throughout our existence. And it’s still going on. Look at the attack on the Aitz Chaim shul in Pittsburgh and Israel’s day to day battle for existence. So that’s why we’ve got to stand by the worldwide Christian community who are now experiencing the same.
This Easter Sunday’s slaughter of over 300 Catholics worshipping in churches throughout Sri Lanka by Muslims, the 120 Christian Nigerians killed by Muslims, the terror strikes launched against Christians across Africa, the torching of Notre Dame, the disappearance of Christian Europe, and the close extinction of Christianity throughout the Middle East perpetrated by Muslims should send a warning signal to all that the old Muslim adage, “First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people,” is the calling card of the present and sadly, the future. We’ve got to stick together for survival.
There are over one billion Christians and a little over fourteen million Jews occupying this world. No comparison. We are a tiny minority but look at our accomplishments in society. We are the modern day Davids. Small in number but strong. We have clout. And we are proud that Israel, the only Jewish state in the world, sitting right dab smack among hostile Muslim nations, is the only safe harbor for Christians in that area.
We’ve got to stand united, together against annihilation. Forget about those who claim Islam is a religion of peace. To those who know the score and are brave enough to state it, the common enemy of Jews and Christians are…..Muslims. To state the truth is not easy when the threat of being labled an Islamophobe, thusly tagged as a bigot is the current “social justice” retaliation to putting one’s cards on the table.
We here in the U.S. face the same fate. Read Martin Gerstenfeld’s piece, “North American Imams Calling to Murder Jews” in Israel National News, 12/28/2018. Domestic terrorists are listening but branched out, including in their death wishes, ordinary Americans. Recall, San Bernardino, Ft. Hood, Ft. Lauderdale Airport, Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, 9/11 and on and on.
The sudden prominence of newly elected radical Muslim Congresswomen Rahsida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and their dangerous toady, AOC boldly speak out against Jews with the shrug-of-shoulders-support of the Democrat Party. Christians are starting to feel the heat as well. Look at the grilling Supreme Court nominee and Knights of Columbus member, Brett Kavanaugh received at the hands of anti-Catholic Senator and presidential candidate, Kamala Harris (D-CA).
Throw in the sad tale of the Christian school boys from Covington, KY. when they were castigated by the MSM for boldly standing up to bullying. Add in the vile attack on Chick-fil-a restaurants when they stood tall for their Christian beliefs regarding abortion. A religion’s downfall starts with the dismantling and weakening of their base beliefs and ends with outright terror to destroy its survivors. Look again at Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Do you like what you see? If not, let all of us, Christians and Jews begin the educating of our people to reality….and it better be soon.
Drip, drip,drip, watch your tax dollars go down the drain. Have you also seen all the “Don’t Let Tax, Water, Or Repair Charges Come Between You and Your Property” full page ads in many daily and weekly neighborhood newspapers? Even worse, was the 108 page supplement which appeared in the New York Daily News on Wednesday, April 17th. It lists line by line the name of every New Yorker who owes real estate tax water sewer, emergency repair or other property–related charges “the City of New York may sell a lien on your property” advertisement. Is this the best way the NYC Departments of Finance, Environmental Protection along with Housing Preservation and Development can spend taxpayers dollars?
Why can’t all three agencies compare their respective lists of people who owe money with those filing city and state tax returns? Surely the technology exists to place a lien on any tax refunds? You could also extend citizens the courtesy of a telephone call, letter or E-mail informing them of their overdue obligations.
What’s next, will the City send out Marshals going door to door serving subpoenas?
When will NYC Comptroller and 2021 Mayoral-wanna-be Scott Stringer audit and put an end to this waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayers dollars?
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
More Thoughts on Gambino Loan Shark
Dear Editor,
After reading “Gambino Member Sentenced to 28 Months for Loan Sharking at 54% Interest Rate,” I was happy to see justice but couldn’t help but think about how the interest rates remind me of payday lenders, who get to operate legally.
Of course payday lenders may not come around and break your legs or kill you if you don’t pay, but they will take advantage of the most desperate and trap them in an endless and insurmountable cycle of debt.
Why is it that these payday lenders are allowed to slap customers with APRs that are sometimes around 500 percent! Good luck paying off that interest when you get paid so little at your job that you had to take out the loan in the first place just so you could get some food or take your kid to the doctor.
With that said, of course it’s good that the Gambino loan shark was sentenced, and this is also why legalized gambling is important. It brings us one step closer to trying to eliminate these particularly kinds of dark aspects of the black market, though of course there would still be plenty of incentives to try getting a mafia loan. Little by little, lawmakers and law enforcement can hopefully chip away at organized crime activity in order to weaken these groups and their members.
Sincerely,
Carlina Kahn
Excited About Vegan Restaurants in Israel
Dear Editor,
Thanks for the article “13 of the Best Vegan Restaurants in Israel” because I not only find it very interesting but have wanted to try more vegetarian and vegan options. I want to up my intake of nutrients from food sources I don’t normally eat, try some different dishes, and eat in a way that’s more environmentally sustainable. So what better way to start on that path by learning about how it’s done best in Tel Aviv? I also am well overdue for an Israel trip and am already watering at the mouth at the thought of visiting these restaurants.
The paper said that Tel Aviv is the top spot for vegan dining in the world. There are even vegan dining tours available that bring you to all the best spots for milk-free gelato or plant-based Mexican food. And the best news is that the roots of this movement are spreading into other cities and towns throughout Israel.
But while Tel Aviv does boast the most vegan restaurants per capita in the world, the trend is also on the rise throughout other cities and towns in Israel as well.
I’m getting hungry just looking at the menus, and I’m even a picky eater. I’d love some shawarma and shish kebabs, but how about rice, beans, hummus, pita bread, and falafel? Sounds so delicious, and it’s loaded with nutrition and fiber. Animal farming practices, especially factory farms, require a lot out of the environment it uses. A lot of waste is produced, and it takes a lot of energy to grow the plant food that then gets fed to the animals.
Cows in particular release considerable amounts of methane, which isn’t good for the surrounding area and is a hydrocarbon that traps heat even better than carbon does, so it’s a climate change contributor. The good news about methane though is that it can dissipate quicker than carbon does. It also doesn’t hurt to not have to kill some animals or overmilk them or force them to keep producing eggs so that I could enjoy my meal.
New York is certainly a great place to start for some tasty meals and inspiration for my own kitchen. It’s a fun journey that will also help my goal of eating different foods and working in more vegan meals for the sake of the environment especially. Now if I could just get to Tel Aviv one day. Then I’d really be set.
Sincerely,
Devin Reiss
Passover Greetings to One & All!!
Dear Editor,
I just wanted to wish everyone a very warm and dear happy Passover from the bottom of my heart. I have enjoyed the newspaper’s coverage of all events from all corners of the globe and want to take this time to slow down, give my thanks, and say that I hope everyone has some downtime to enjoy some Seders with family members and others who are close to heart.
Passover is one of those holidays and traditions that are so deeply engraved into my memory, into my very being and existence. It is a nice annual holiday, and while I would like to be able to eat leavened bread, I like being reminded for about a week that I’m really lucky to have the things that I have. That is one of the takeaways I get from not eating bread. It makes me thankful to not be stranded in the desert, thankful to have food, and thankful to not have gluten sensitivities. I also feel good at the end knowing that I had the discipline to follow through with a plan.
Moreover, it is important to take the parts of Passover like eating matzah instead of leavened bread and remember the history of the Jews being persecuted and how special it is that I can come together with loved ones in the comfort of a home to enjoy a meal and a recounting of our ancestors’ struggles. What fortune to be in such a position.
Don’t take anything for granted this Passover, and make sure to hug those you love extra hard on this special occasion. Chag sameach, everyone, and if you are like me and are the first-born son and will not be at services on the first day, have a safe and easy fast!
Democrats, their handmaidens in the mainstream media and other Trump haters are apoplectic that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation found “the evidence was not sufficient to charge that any member of the Trump Campaign conspired with representatives of the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election.”
Trump haters continue deranged obsession — by other means
The overblown Russian collusion balloon has burst. Democrats, their handmaidens in the mainstream media and other Trump haters are apoplectic that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation found “the evidence was not sufficient to charge that any member of the Trump Campaign conspired with representatives of the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election.” However, the Trump haters will never give up trying to unseat him by any means possible. They now are latching on to the Special Counsel’s evidentiary findings relating to possible obstruction of justice, even though the Special Counsel’s Office “did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President’s conduct.” The Mueller report admitted that the evidence it “obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgment.”
Nevertheless, the report concluded with tantalizing language that excited the imaginations of Democrats, the mainstream media and others who want to take President Trump down. The report’s authors stated that “if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”
The New York Times ran a lead editorial on Friday entitled “Mr. Mueller’s Indictment.” NBC similarly called the Mueller report “a brutal indictment” of the president. Of course, there was no such indictment. The Trump haters claim the reason was only because of the Justice Department’s long-standing opinion that a president cannot be indicted while serving in office. It would be unfair to reach a conclusive determination that the president was criminally liable for obstruction of justice without the ability to charge him, the report’s authors argued, since he would not have the opportunity to clear his name in an independent adjudicatory forum. Nevertheless, the Mueller report proceeded to unfairly raise suspicions regarding the president’s intent to commit an obstruction of justice offense with a one-sided prosecutorial narrative based on a worst-case interpretation of “circumstantial evidence.” The report emphasized that it was not ruling out the possibility that the president did commit obstruction of justice, pointedly refusing to “exonerate” him.
It is not the responsibility of a prosecutor to “exonerate” someone suspected of committing a crime. To the contrary, the presumption of innocence means the burden of proof is on the prosecutor to prove that the suspect committed the alleged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Special Counsel Mueller fell far short of meeting that standard of proof or of even presenting sufficient proof to satisfy the lesser standard of “clear and convincing” evidence. He had the option of asking a grand jury to name President Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator, which was what happened to former President Richard Nixon. Despite an attempt at a self-serving justification for not doing so in this case, it is more likely that Mr. Mueller decided he did not have enough evidence to support such a request to a grand jury.
Corrupt intent is a necessary element for a prosecutor to prove an obstruction of justice offense. As the Mueller report defined it, quoting cases, the word “corruptly” means acting “knowingly and dishonestly” or “with an improper motive” or in a “wrongful, immoral, depraved, or evil” manner. The Mueller report repeatedly stated that the evidence it cited “could” support a finding of improper motive. The word “could” means to “express possibility esp. slight or uncertain possibility,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary definition. In the context of describing what the evidence “could” show about President Trump’s intent, the evidence is simply being used to suggest one possible explanation amongst several.
The report also referred on various occasions to “evidence” that it claimed “supports” an inference or “supports” a conclusion. “Evidence” can be used to “support” one theory of a case. However, it does not rule out other equally plausible possibilities based on the same evidence or on other evidence. The Mueller report acknowledged that “the evidence does not establish that the President was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference” – i.e., no underlying crime by the president to try and cover up – but argued nevertheless that “the evidence does point to a range of other possible personal motives animating the President’s conduct.” (Emphasis added) All that the Mueller report did, in other words, was to present a list of worst-case possibilities regarding what the president might have intended in casting around for ways to halt or influence the direction of the ongoing investigations, all to no avail.
With one exception, the report did not fully address equally plausible but innocent motives for the president’s actions described in the obstruction of justice portion of the report. It is that one overriding exception, however, which undercuts much of the rest of the report’s discussion of the president’s intent. The Mueller report admitted that, with respect to the Russian collusion portion of the investigation, the “evidence indicates that the President was concerned about the impact of the Russia investigation on his ability to govern. The President complained that the perception that he was under investigation was hurting his ability to conduct foreign relations, particularly with Russia.”
The report acknowledged the president’s frustration with former FBI Director James Comey’s refusal to publicly acknowledge what he had told the president in private – that the president was not under investigation by the FBI for conspiracy with the Russians to improperly influence the 2016 presidential election. “Substantial evidence indicates that the catalyst for the President ‘s decision to fire Comey was Comey ‘s unwillingness to publicly state that the President was not personally under investigation, despite the President’s repeated requests that Comey make such an announcement,” the report said.
(Front Page Mag)
(To Be Continued Next Week)
Joseph Klein is a Harvard-trained lawyer and the author of Global Deception: The UN’s Stealth Assault on America’s Freedom and Lethal Engagement: Barack Hussein Obama, the United Nations & Radical Islam.
David Jolovitz, judge, spotting Joseph Mazon, division winner.
The enthusiasm of the audience that filled the room was matched only by the determination of the competitors. The pre-competition hype, advertised on various social media platforms, promised a very special evening. And the 2019 Sephardic Community Center Bench Press Contest did not disappoint.
Bench Press Contest Winner, Judges and Staff
Held annually at the Sephardic Community Center during spring since the early 1990s, the contest has drawn the better weightlifters in the community for a generation – as they compete for a title, a very heavy trophy, and right to lay claim as “the strongest.”
Often recognized as the best demonstration of testing one’s strength, the bench press had become popularized during the annual NFL Combine, where the best college football players are tested before the annual NFL draft. Now well established beyond the traditional gym scene, the bench press still remains, after a century, as the premier chest-building exercise of choice, as well as the exercise that offers the participants of all ages the opportunity for “bragging rights,” male and female.
The recently established ‘1901 Fitness’ at the Center was the setting for the community’s 28th annual test of strength, bringing out a mix of some long-time veterans and yet others who were competing for the first time. At this year’s gathering, the youngest competitors were 15 and the oldest athletes, seventy years older. For the mathematically challenged – yes, that’s 85 years old. To allow a fair competition, the athletes are divided into different divisions: 114 lb., 123 lb., 132 lb., 148 lb., 165 lb., 181 lb., 198 lb., 220 lb., 220+ lb., Women and Senior. Given three opportunities to lift the weight, with the heaviest lift registered as that competitor’s “best lift,” each division winner took home a powerlifting trophy – the same one that is awarded at some of the nation’s premier competitions. From among the division winners, an “overall winner” was then chosen.
As announced at the beginning of the contest, this competition is very different than the game of golf or tennis, where a certain quiet decorum is expected. At any bench press competition, the audience that comes to watch is strongly encouraged to make its presence felt – to scream and cheer while music often blasts as a backdrop. Invariably, the participants and the audience are pumped up, lending to an excitement that could be heard far from the room where the contest was staged.
With several local weight class lifting records set this year, the 2019 contest did not fail to impress or entertain. In fact, there were more 300 lb.+ lifts than had been recorded in any of the previous 28 competitions.
The Center’s newly-crowned division winners were:
Isaac Taub, 114 lb.
Alex Taub, 123 lb.
Isaac Sweid, 132 lb.
Benny Levy, 148 lb.
Chaim Dayan, 165 lb.
David Sutton, 181 lb.
Arthur Kofman, 198 lb.
Joseph Mazon, 220 lb.
Sol Setton, 220+ lb.
Betty Esses, Women
Howie Hoffman, Seniors over 60
Jamie Dabah, Seniors over 80.
The overall winner was Chaim Dayan who impressively benched 310 lb. at a weight of 164.
Organized by the Center’s Health and Wellness Director, David Jolovitz, and officiated by Meir Jolovitz, who maintained the tradition when he judged his 24th competition, the 2019 contest was an outstanding success. Now in the record books, the nearly 30 competitors and the two-hundred-strong audience who cheered them on during the two-hour competition – and joined by several hundred more who watched it via live-stream – would collectively agree that the 2019 Bench Press Contest might well be remembered as the best yet.
For the first time, 74 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, a traveling exhibition dedicated to the historical significance of the camp will be presented to a U.S. audience.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust today announced plans to present the most comprehensive Holocaust exhibition about Auschwitz ever exhibited in North America. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. is produced in partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland and the international exhibition firm Musealia. The groundbreaking exhibition was curated by an international team of experts led by historian Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt. It will open in New York City on May 8, 2019 and run through January 3, 2020.
Image of the entrance popularly known as the ‘Gate of Death’ in Auschwitz II-Birkenau (today turned into a symbol of the camp and the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi regime) after World War II. Photo Credit: Auschwitz.net
For the first time, 74 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, a traveling exhibition dedicated to the historical significance of the camp will be presented to a U.S. audience. The exhibition’s opening on May 8 marks the anniversary of VE Day or Victory in Europe Day, 1945, when the Allies celebrated Nazi Germany’s surrender of its armed forces and the end of World War II.
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. will arrive in New York City after the exhibition completed a successful run at Madrid’s Arte Canal Exhibition Centre, where it was extended two times, drew more than 600,000 visitors, and was one of the most visited exhibitions in Europe last year. The exhibition explores the dual identity of the camp as a physical location—the largest documented mass murder site in human history—and as a symbol of the borderless manifestation of hatred and human barbarity.
Featuring more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs, the New York presentation of the exhibition will allow visitors to experience artifacts from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum on view for the first time in the North America, including hundreds of personal items—such as suitcases, eyeglasses, and shoes—that belonged to survivors and victims of Auschwitz. Other artifacts include concrete posts that were part of the fence of the Auschwitz camp; fragments of an original barrack for prisoners from the Auschwitz III-Monowitz camp; a desk and other possessions of the first and the longest serving Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss; a gas mask used by the SS; Picasso’s Lithograph of Prisoner; and an original German-made Model 2 freight wagon used for the deportation of Jews to the ghettos and extermination camps in occupied Poland.
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. traces the development of Nazi ideology and tells the transformation of Auschwitz from an ordinary Polish town known as Oświęcim to the most significant Nazi site of the Holocaust—at which ca. 1 million Jews, and tens of thousands of others, were murdered. Victims included Polish political prisoners, Sinti and Roma, Soviet POWs, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and those the Nazis deemed “homosexual,” “disabled,” “criminal,” “inferior,” or adversarial in countless other ways. In addition, the exhibition contains artifacts that depict the world of the perpetrators—SS men who created and operated the largest of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camps.
Travelling memory of the Holocaust “Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away” Photo Credit: Twitter
The Museum of Jewish Heritage has incorporated into the exhibition more than 100 rare artifacts from its collection that relay the experience of survivors and liberators who found refuge in the greater New York area. These artifacts include: Alfred Kantor’s sketchbook and portfolio that contain over 150 original paintings and drawings from Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and Schwarzheide; the trumpet that musician Louis Bannet (acclaimed as “the Dutch Louis Armstrong”) credits for saving his life while he was imprisoned in Auschwitz; visas issued by Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania often referred to as “Japan’s Oskar Schindler”; prisoner registration forms and identification cards; personal correspondence; tickets for passage on the St. Louis; a rescued Torah scroll from the Bornplatz Synagogue in Hamburg; and dreidels and bullets recovered by Father Patrick Desbois in a Jewish mass grave in Ukraine.
“Six million Jews were murdered and Jewish ways of life were nearly stamped out forever. Documented facts of this history, original records and photographs, and witnesses’ accounts are our strongest answers to those who deny or minimize the Holocaust. We must ensure that the horrors of the Holocaust are not lost to fading memories,” said Michael S. Glickman, President & CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. “Learning the history of the Holocaust as a history of individuals is an act of resistance. The Museum will present this groundbreaking exhibition to ensure that we mobilize the painful lessons of the past to create a world worthy of our children’s futures.”
Also on display from the Museum of Jewish Heritage collection will be Heinrich Himmler’s SS dagger and helmet and his annotated copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, as well as an anti-Jewish proclamation issued in 1551 by Ferdinand I that was given to Hermann Göring by German security chief Reinhard Heydrich on the occasion of Göring’s birthday. The proclamation required Jews to identify themselves with a “yellow ring” on their clothes. Heydrich noted that, 400 years later, the Nazis were completing Ferdinand’s work. These artifacts stand as evidence of a chapter of history that must never be forgotten.
Not long ago. Not far away” in Madrid. It’s the largest exhibition of that kind dedicated to the topic of Auschwitz and the Holocaust in history. Photo Credit: Twitter
“As the title of the exhibit suggests, Auschwitz is not ancient history but living memory, warning us to be vigilant, haunting us with the admonition ‘Never Again.’ It is a prod to look around the world and mark the ongoing atrocities against vulnerable people,” said Bruce C. Ratner, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. “While we had all hoped after the Holocaust that the international community would come together to stop genocide, mass murder, and ethnic cleansing, these crimes continue. And there are more refugees today than at any time since the Second World War. So my hope for this exhibit is that it motivates all of us to make the connections between the world of the past and the world of the present, and to take a firm stand against hate, bigotry, ethnic violence, religious intolerance, and nationalist brutality of all kinds.”
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was conceived of by Musealia and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and curated by an international panel of experts, including world-renowned scholars Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, Dr. Michael Berenbaum, and Paul Salmons, in an unprecedented collaboration with historians and curators at the Research Center at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, led by Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz.
“Auschwitz and the Shoah are not just another single, dramatic event in the linear history of humanity. It is a critical point in the history of Europe, and perhaps the world,” said Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. “While commemorating the victims of Auschwitz we should also feel moral discomfort. Antisemitic, hateful, xenophobic ideologies that in the past led to the human catastrophe of Auschwitz, seem not to be erased from our lives today. They still poison people’s minds and influence our contemporary attitudes. That is why studying the Holocaust shouldn’t be limited to history classes. It must become part of curricula of political and civic education, ethics, media, and religious studies. This exhibition is one of the tools we can use.”
“Seventy-three years ago, after the world saw the haunting pictures from Auschwitz, no one in their right mind wanted to be associated with Nazis. But today, 73 years and three generations later, people have forgotten, or they never knew,” said Ron Lauder, Founder and Chairman of the The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation Committee and President of the World Jewish Congress. “This exhibit reminds them, in the starkest ways, where anti-Semitism can ultimately lead and the world should never go there again. The title of this exhibit is so appropriate because this was not so long ago, and not so far away.”
The exhibition features artifacts and materials—never before seen in North America—on loan from more than 20 institutions and private collections around the world. In addition to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, participating institutions include Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim, the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg, and the Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide in London.
“Auschwitz did not start with the gas chambers. Hatred does not happen overnight: it builds up slowly among people. It does so with words and thoughts, with small everyday acts, with prejudices,” said Luis Ferreiro, Director of Musealia and the exhibition project. “When we had the vision to create the exhibition we conceived its narrative as an opportunity to better understand how such a place could come to exist, and as warning of where hatred can take us to.”
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. will be presented in the symbolic, hexagonally-shaped building at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. This 18,000 square foot exhibition will introduce artifacts and Holocaust survivor testimony through 20 thematic galleries. At the conclusion of this presentation, the Museum will debut its new permanent core exhibition.
Throughout its presentation of Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away., the Museum will host a series of related public, educational, and scholarly programming, featuring world-renowned experts on the Holocaust. The Museum will also expand its work with students in the tri-state area and introduce complementary educational tools for in-class and onsite use.
“All through the exhibition there are stories—stories about individuals and families, stories about communities and organizations, stories about ideologies that teach people to hate, and responses that reveal compassion and love. There are stories of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders, stories with heroes and villains—stories that all merge into an epic story of a continent marked by war and genocide,” said Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, Chief Curator, who has published several books on the camp—including the award-winning Auschwitz, 1270 to the Present (1996) and The Case for Auschwitz (2002)—and participated as an expert witness in Deborah Lipstadt’s case against Holocaust denier David Irving.
Following the New York presentation, the exhibition is intended to tour other cities around the world.
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is made possible with lead support by Bruce C. Ratner, George and Adele Klein Family Foundation, Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert, and Larry and Klara Silverstein & Family. The exhibition is presented in part with major support by The David Berg Foundation, Patti Askwith Kenner, Oster Family Foundation, and The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust. The New York premiere is made possible in part by Simon & Stefany Bergson with additional support from The Knapp Family Foundation.
“The seed of a creative idea does not fade in the mud and filth. Even there, it will sprout and spread its flower like a star shining in the dark.”
Peter Ginz (Prague, 1928-Auschwitz-Birkenau, 1944), Terezin, c. 1943
The display includes works by artists who were already accomplished at the outbreak of World War II, alongside those of younger artists who were just beginning their artistic journey in this period. Photo Credit: Yad Vashem
Last week, Yad Vashem opened a special exhibit entitled “New on Display” in its Museum of Holocaust Art. The exhibit presents works of art that have been added to Yad Vashem’s 12,000-piece Art Collection in recent years, and are now revealed for the first time to the general public. The works were created by artists from a wide range of backgrounds and genres, who were active in Europe and North Africa during the Nazi German occupation under varying circumstances: in hiding, in concentration camps, in prisoner-of-war camps, and in the ghettos.
The display includes works by artists who were already accomplished at the outbreak of World War II, alongside those of younger artists who were just beginning their artistic journey in this period. For both the more experienced artists and the novices, continuing to create art was a means of personal expression, as well as testimony during this time of terrible pain and crisis. Groups of works from these collections are integrated into this exhibit, allowing for a fuller understanding their daily struggle and the life story of the artist who created them.
“Each piece in the exhibition tells at least three stories: the story of the artist and his fate in the Holocaust, the content of the work and what is described within it, and the story of the physical embodiment of the work and how it survived and reached us,” remarked Art Department Director Eliad Moreh Rosenberg. “The ‘New on Display’ exhibit connects many artists who on the surface have nothing in common except with their undying drive to create, in spite of the difficult conditions and often at great physical risk. The art they produced gave them the inner strength to live, and expresses faith in the spirit of humanity even when evil and cruelty prevailed all around them.”
Yad Vashem’s Museum of Holocaust Art is dedicated to the world of Jewish creativity during the Holocaust, and presents works by artists who were active in ghettos, camps, hiding places and forests. Photo Credit: Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem’s Museum of Holocaust Art is dedicated to the world of Jewish creativity during the Holocaust, and presents works by artists who were active in ghettos, camps, hiding places and forests. The works in Yad Vashem’s unrivalled Art Collection will soon be preserved and stored in Yad Vashem’s new Shoah Heritage Collections Center, the heart of the new Shoah Heritage Campus being built on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. The new Collections Center aims to preserve, catalogue and display these items as everlasting witnesses to the horrors of the Holocaust.
“The Germans Nazis were determined not only to annihilate the Jewish people, but also to obliterate their identity, memory, culture and heritage,” remarked Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. “For many, all that remains are a treasured work of art, a personal artifact that survived with them, a photograph kept close to their person, a diary, or a note. By preserving these precious items – that are of great importance not just to the Jewish people, but also to humanity as a whole – and revealing them to the public, they will act as the voice of the victims and the survivors, and serve as an everlasting memory.”
The Hospital for Special Surgery is starting a $300 million expansion plan — to construct doctors offices and patient rooms above FDR Drive, according to Crain's. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The Hospital for Special Surgery is starting a $300 million expansion plan — to construct doctors offices and patient rooms above FDR Drive, according to Crain’s.
The proposed building will be constructed by E. 71st Street and E. 72nd Street, according to Crain’s New York.
After completion, most patient rooms at HSS will become private, Crain’s reported, reducing the risk of infection.
“The River Building is a critical component of continuing to protect, invest in and modernize our main campus,” the Hospital’s CEO Louis Shapiro said in a statement. “Modernizing is sort of like trying to repave a New York City road: You need to shut down the road to pave it, and we can’t do that.”
The new offices in the building will allow for greater cooperation between experts in joint replacement and spine surgery, Shapiro told Crain’s. “It allows us to bring people together who are now scattered all over the place,” he said.
Shapiro said that they plan to start construction “within the next year.”
“These are the last air rights we own and have full rights to,” he said, adding: “We have full intention to construct this building.”
HSS will announce another project — the construction of the River building as part of a “transformation” of its campus later this year, according to Crain’s.
Multiple businesses and organization over time have sued the Hospital in an attempt the construction of the River building.
Most notably, Edgewater apartments, a cooperative across the street from where the building is slated to be constructed, has sued the hospital twice.
Edgewater apartments also sued the city’s City Planning Commission in 2008, in an attempt to stop the long-proposed project.
In a 2017 court filing, according to Crain’s, the apartment community’s lawyer said that the commission’s renewal of permits “means that a developer who obtains special privileges to build through issuance of a special permit can sit back for years before deciding to begin construction.”
New York Supreme Court Judge Carol Edmead dismissed the lawsuit last year against HSS.
“Our clients are planning to vigorously contest HSS’ right to put up the building they’ve proposed,” David Scharf, an attorney for Edgewater Apartments, told Crain’s. He acknowledged that the lawsuit is holding up the project.
“When you deal with land-use issues like this, the prevailing wisdom often is you don’t want to start and have to go back to zero,” he said.
New York City Councilman Ben Kallos appeared to suggest that he is willing to work with the Hospital on any concerns he may have.
“I think we can work with HSS to address any concerns,” he said, according to Crain’s. “They’ve been a really good partner.”
1 Bryant Park, built by the Durst Organization in 2010, was the first skyscraper to receive a "platinum" rating from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
New York’s city council has recently passed several environmental pieces of legislation.
The Climate Mobilization Act, which city council passed last week, imposes limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
The imposed limits will officially go into effect by 2024.
The piece of legislation provides exemptions for various buildings, including place of worship, hospitals, and power plants.
“This will be the largest disruption in the history of New York City real estate,” John Mandyck, the Chief Executive of the Urban Green Council, said in a statement. “Buildings will have to do deep energy retrofits or buy green power or eventually look at carbon trading. We get that it’s tough and that billions of dollars will need to be spent to reduce carbon emissions. But new technology and new business models will be invented to help buildings get there.”
The Urban Council recently created a working group to propose regulations on emissions, according to Crain’s.
“Unfortunately, [the legislation] does not take a comprehensive, citywide approach needed to solve this complex issue,” John Banks, the president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said in a statement. “A coalition of stakeholders including environmental organizations, labor, engineering professionals, housing advocates, and real estate owners came together and proposed comprehensive and balanced reforms that would have achieved these goals.”
1 Bryant Park, built by the Durst Organization in 2010, was the first skyscraper to receive a “platinum” rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
That, however, isn’t enough as a source tells Crain’s that under the new legislation, the building will be fined $2.5 million dollars in 2024.
“The fine will escalate annually from there,” Alexander Durst, the Chief Development Officer of the Durst Organization, told Crain’s.
Ed Ermler, the president of a Jackson Heights co-op told Crain’s that despite convincing the co-op board to invest in green features as of late — he doesn’t think he can reduce emissions much more and will likely become liable under the Climate Mobilization Act.
“We’re already at a minimal baseline, to begin with,” Mr. Ermler told Crain’s. “At the end of the day, I’m going to have my seniors—who are hard-pressed to pay their maintenance on a good day—getting hit with assessments. And I’m going to end up with a lot of co-ops I can’t sell.”
Actress Ramona Singer of “Real Housewives of New York” has reportedly dropped the price of her Upper East Side apartment from $4.9 million to $4.5 million. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Actress Ramona Singer of “Real Housewives of New York” has reportedly dropped the price of her Upper East Side apartment from $4.9 million to $4.5 million.
“The apartment has been totally renovated,” listing agent Pamela Nichols of Douglas Elliman told pagesix.com. “There are beautiful open views. The apartment has oversized windows, 9-foot-3 ceilings, stunning new oak floors and moldings and high door frames throughout. It’s beautiful!” The living space has been transformed from a four-bedroom apartment to a more contemporary space.
“The entry opens onto a gracious gallery with an updated light fixture that looks onto an open living area,” pagesix.com explains. “The living and dining room — featuring floor-to-ceiling windows — offer city views and high ceilings. The windowed and open eat-in chef’s kitchen features marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Retire to the private master suite, which includes a walk-in closet, and a marble bath with a soaking tub, and dual vanities. In a separate wing are three more bedrooms, one of which includes an ensuite bath.”
“I’m an empty nester,” Singer commented to the Daily Dish. “I think it just makes sense to move to a smaller place. I’m traveling so much more, and I still have the place in the Hamptons. So I just think it makes good, emotional sense for me.”
“Located on the 16th floor of the Richmond, the full-service, pet-friendly building includes a 24-hour door attendant and a live-in manager. Other amenities include a 4,000-square-foot landscaped roof garden with barbecue grills, a bike room, and private storage,” noted Page Six.
As she explains on her web site, www.ramonasinger.com, the reality star came from a small town in upstate New York “and traveled down to NYC to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. She was part of the first class to graduate from the honors four-year program, earning her BS in Marketing. She then went on to start her career on the elite training program for Macy’s executives and became a buyer for several ready to wear areas after successfully finishing the program. Ramona continued on in her career as the sales manager for such brands as Calvin Klein and French Connection. By the time she was 30, Ramona had launched her own wholesale business and was working with major retailers across the country.”
Singer joined the cast of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of NYC and continues to be a strong presence on this amazing show.
