Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home
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6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home PAID POST Share Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home n downtown New York City, a native has spent about a I decade helping families find their dream homes in the picturesque TriBeCa neighborhood. An elevated park a few minutes away in trendy Chelsea is the spot where locals gather to take in the colorful tulips and breathtaking views of the Hudson River. And farther uptown, there’s a baker on the historic Upper East Side who’s grown up alongside the customers who come in for his tasty pastries. Whether you’re a lifelong NYC resident who wants to move up into new digs or you live overseas and are looking for a change of scenery, everyone expects a dazzling range of options for entertainment, culture and cuisine when they consider buying a home. But beyond glitz-and-glamour, it’s the people and experiences that make NYC neighborhoods unique. In fact, if you’re a potential homebuyer, chances are you value these as much as high-end condo finishes and renovated bathrooms. https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 1/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home Roschel Stearns, a licensed real estate agent in New York, says homebuyers aren’t just looking for the hustle and bustle of the city. Instead, they’re often focused on finding a “livable feel in a neighborhood that will distinguish it from the busiest sections of the city.” TriBeCa, the Upper East Side and Chelsea are three of the most sought-after neighborhoods in New York City— for homebuyers who want to purchase their first home to those looking to trade up. The people, places and features in these neighborhoods make them special for a variety of buyers. TRIBECA Family and Outdoor Space Artists and financial types might not be two groups you’d rush to put together, but they both live happily in TriBeCa, a neighborhood in southwest NYC whose name is an acronym for “Triangle Below Canal Street,” an apt descriptor of its ideal placement in the city. You can find many of them mingling together while enjoying a cocktail or brunch at the nearby Beekman Hotel, which offers luxury accommodations in a landmark 19th-century building. Its stunning nine-story atrium has original cast-iron work along with two restaurants, including Top Chef star Tom Colicchio’s Fowler and Wells. 360º IMAGE Click and drag to explore https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 2/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home Click and drag to explore The atrium in The Beekman Hotel, which was accidentally preserved after having been walled off in the 1940s, is open to the public. Visitors can enjoy the pyramid-shaped skylight or a collection of artwork on the ground level by Cathy Cone and curated by James Company Contemporary Art Projects. “There’s a mix of business people, families, tourists,” said Alex DiGregorio, sales coordinator at the hotel. “We get a lot of locals come in regularly; so much so that the concierge will know and say hi to the kids of some of the families.” The reason you’ll find so many residents with differing backgrounds in TriBeCa? It comes down to the old standard real estate consideration for both groups: location, location, location. The art crowd appreciates the open spaces in converted https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 3/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home warehouses where they can live and set up their studios; the bankers and stockbrokers enjoy the short commute to their offices in the Financial District. New developments along the Hudson are attracting a diverse group of residents, people who want to be in the thick of things without necessarily being reminded that they're in the middle of everything. They enjoy the less-crowded feel of the neighborhood, as well as leafy parks and the bike path and walkway along the river. They also enjoy the The 1886 New York Mercantile Exchange elegant old buildings with ornate has been converted into condominiums. ironwork that stand next to brownstones and refurbished factory spaces. “I started my xrst job in TriBeCa, and this neighborhood really has not changed since then, and that’s pretty amazing.” — Joseph D’Alessio, HSBC Mortgage Consultant Families are drawn to the good public schools, and everyone can appreciate the galleries and cultural offerings, such as the offbeat Mmuseumm, with its unusual exhibits and events. Joseph D’Alessio, a native New Yorker who’s been a HSBC Mortgage Consultant at HSBC Bank USA, N.A.’s branch in the heart of TriBeCa since 2002, says the https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 4/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home families and local businesses — places like Balloon Saloon, where he gets gifts — are what make the neighborhood unique. D’Alessio works with people interested in obtaining a home and guides them through the entire mortgage process — which can be particularly complex in NYC, from pre-approval to closing. He has helped over 1,000 people finance homes, including those who have no U.S. credit history. He says he loves the neighborhood he Sharon Hershkowitz is the owner of the works in: “I started my first job in TriBeCa, Balloon Saloon, which has been open for 30 years. and this neighborhood really has not changed since then, and that’s pretty amazing,” he says. More in Tribeca DUANE PARK ALBERT WASHINGTON CAPSOUTO PARK MARKET PARK The Ûrst public space acquired by the city speciÛcally for use as a The park features a 114-foot A public park that features a public park. fountain designed by a local basketball court, tennis artist. court, a community garden and a gazebo. https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 5/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home UPPER EAST SIDE Museums & Modern-Day It’s hard to believe that only 160 or so years ago this whole area was yet to be developed. First came rows of brownstones, then the mansions for the rich along the avenues, followed around 1910 by tall luxury apartment blocks. The Frick Collection, one of the pre- eminent small art museums in the U.S., is a testament to the early era of the Upper East Side: Henry Frick built his mansion in the early 1900s, with the intent that it would someday become the public museum it is today with a high-quality collection of paintings and fine furniture. 360º IMAGE Click and drag to explore Click and drag to explore https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 6/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home The West Gallery in The Frick Collection has hardly changed since Henry Clay Frick lived there from 1914 to 1919. Like Frick, many of America’s wealthiest families chose the Upper East Side as their home: Your neighbors might have been Roosevelts, Rockefellers and Carnegies. And Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor since 1799, is on the most eastern end of the neighborhood. History is still to be found — indeed, the neighborhood has its own Historic District — but it’s a thoroughly modern section of the city. Kemp Minifie, a personal kitchen coach and private chef, is an Upper East Side stalwart. She’s watched the neighborhood change from its old German roots (“All that’s left is the https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 7/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home Schaller & Weber butcher shop and the Bavarian Inn”) to a hub with a more cosmopolitan feel. Yet, she says one thing remains the same: “It’s still a neighborhood, with lots of families and kids.” In fact, if you want to feel connected to the rest of the city but also at home in the heart of your vibrant community, the Upper East Side might be perfect for you. The neighborhood boasts luxury doorman buildings, upscale townhouses and top-end towers, but if you head Chris Cunningham works at Schaller & toward the East River, away from the Weber, a German butcher and deli shop famous Museum Mile and millionaire that has been open since 1937. homes, you can often find more affordable apartments and a youthful vibe. “The UES has a little bit of something for everyone,” says Neal Blangiardo, who’s been living in the neighborhood for nearly a decade with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. “You have billionaire row to affordable apartments, old and new, culture and cuisine. And food-wise, you can get everything under the sun, from Taiwanese to Sicilian to Ethiopian. It’s the kind of place you can go to a modern- day speakeasy and have a drink that was invented in the 1920s.” https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/hsbc/finding-the-ideal-neighborhood-in-nyc-for-your-next-home.html 8/14 6/16/2020 PAID POST by HSBC — Finding the Ideal Neighborhood in NYC for Your Next Home Left: Herbert Glaser runs Glaser Bake Shop with his brother.