nb02p01.qxp 1/11/2008 8:07 PM Page 1 TOP STORIES BUSINESS LIVES This NY inventor T-shirt claims tech giants supports stole his idea the troops PAGE 2 ® PAGE 47 Broadway bounces back poststrike as box office bulges VOL. XXIV, NO. 2 WWW.CRAINSNEWYORK.COM JANUARY 14-20, 2008 PRICE: $3.00 PAGE 2 Customers defect as crisis engulfs NewYork anxiety attack FreshDirect PAGE 3 Poll shows sharp NEW YORKERS’ OPINIONS, 2002 AND 2007 Storied Riverdale increase in worries Is New York headed in the Do you trust city government Press is up for sale, since ’02; City Hall right direction? to do what is right? loses big-time ’02 ’07 ’02 ’07 and News Corp. Right direction 50% 46% Just about always 1% 3% has come knocking BY ERIK ENGQUIST Wrong direction 30% 36% Most of the time 34% 22% NEW YORK, NEW YORK, P. 6 Neither 16% 13% Some of the time 52% 65% in the last five years,New York City has rebounded from the Sept. Don’t know 4% 5% Don’t know 13% 9% 11 attack, seen serious crime de- Source: Charney Research cline, added a quarter of a million jobs and attracted about 150,000 ment than they were five years ago, the city are getting worse, up from ernment, and give low ratings to new residents. Yet by many meas- according to a Crain’s New York 30% in 2002. An increasing num- mass transit, public schools and the ures, New Yorkers are more dissat- Business poll. ber call Gotham dirtier and noisier, police. Housing has surpassed the isfied with their city and its govern- Some 36% believe conditions in say they have little faith in city gov- See NEW YORK on Page 9 REPORT REAL ESTATE THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT 2008 G Lower Manhattan tries to reinvent itself PAGE 23 G Little India suffers Readers from success PAGE 36 vote G Jersey City waits for NYC migration PAGE 37 against AT DEADLINE politics NEW YORK FILMMAKERS WILL High-profile books ACCOUNT FOR 16 OF THE 56 English-language features disappoint without premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, which opens RECORD EFFORT: Bush in the race Indie label owner Thursday.The movies include Mike Muse has a big August, a story about two emotional stake in BY MATTHEW FLAMM brothers working at a Wall Barack Obama’s Street startup the month campaign. president george w. bush may before Sept. 11, starring Josh buck ennis be remembered as one of the most Hartnett, and Blind Date, with polarizing chief executives in re- Stanley Tucci. Film analysts cent history. But one thing’s for expect heated bidding wars at sure: The book business isn’t the Sundance this year from same without him in the presiden- studios seeking new product in HIP-HOP’S CANDIDATE tial race. the wake of the writers’ strike. The 2008 campaign is shaping stop until he gets sworn in as pres- up to be one of the most exciting in A MERGER OF J.P. MORGAN Apolitical stars, music execs embrace ident.” recent memory. But in stark con- CHASE & CO. AND Obama with public support, contributions Such emotions are nothing new trast to the last election, the pas- Washington Mutual Inc. could on the campaign trail, but the sions the race has inspired are not probably be done without tional roller coaster for the past groundswell of support that the the sort to make people buy books. divesting any branches in the BY SAMANTHA MARSHALL week and a half. The 29-year- senator from Illinois is receiving The last time around, readers New York area, says research old—an energetic volunteer for from members of New York’s hip- roiled by red state, blue state angst firm SNL Financial. Shares of independent label owner and the Barack Obama campaign in hop community is unprecedented. were flocking to titles by Michael See AT DEADLINE on Page 2 hip-hop radio and TV personality New York City—went from giddy Music executives, rap artists, Moore and Al Franken on the left Mike Muse has been on an emo- excitement when his candidate media bosses and fans have be- and Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter won the Iowa Democratic caucus- come so politically engaged that on the right.Small left-wing press- 02 es to somber resolve when his man they’re not just talking about the es were ordering large-publisher 5 placed second in the New Hamp- rising politician in nightclubs. print runs. Conservative imprints shire primary last Tuesday. They’re also writing checks, can- were blossoming at the big houses. “We have to work harder now,” vassing voters and publicly sup- Publishers are feeling the dif- ELECTRONIC EDITION says Mr. Muse. “The job doesn’t See OBAMA on Page 8 See POLITICAL BOOKS on Page 8 MORE POLITICS Viewpoint: Feb. 5 showdown in NY Page 12 / Alair Townsend on learning to love the polls Page 13 NEWSPAPER 71486 01068 0 CNYB 01-14-08 A 2,3 1/11/2008 7:35 PM Page 1 AT DEADLINE Continued from Page 1 getting strong consideration WaMu, the nation’s sixth- from the commission writing a largest financial institution by congestion pricing plan. It deposits, jumped Friday amid would replace that part of the speculation that the Seattle- mayor’s plan that proposed based thrift had held charging a $4 fee for car trips preliminary merger talks with within the zone.The surcharge Chase, the nation’s second- would be paid primarily by largest bank by deposits. Manhattan residents, who Together, the two would have account for 70% of taxi users. about 1,100 branches and 29% of all deposits in the New York THE NUMBER OF NEW area, below the regulatory limit. TECHNOLOGY JOBS BEING Chase would probably close created in Manhattan continued offices because of duplication. to decline in the fourth quarter. The Pace University and FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE HAS SkillProof IT job index fell 33% RETAINED EMILY GISKE OF from the previous quarter, lobbying firm Bolton-St. Johns, marking the fourth consecutive who is close to City Council quarter in which job postings in Speaker Christine Quinn, to the area decreased. Problems in represent its interests as a the financial markets caused developer is selected for the 26- tech companies to cut back on acre Hudson Yards site.The hiring, according to the index. defunct rail line runs along part of the site, and the nonprofit ARTS HORIZONS, A NONPROFIT group wants all of it retained as PROVIDING ART CLASSES TO parkland.Three of the five 300 schools in the tristate area, JUDAH KLAUSNER, a Manhattan inventor, development plans keep all of is opening its first permanent says: “I’m not in the the High Line, while two retain Manhattan location. It recently business of interfering only part of it. signed a 10-year lease for 3,300 in anyone’s business square feet at 2785 Frederick model. I just want my A RECORD 46 MILLION Douglass Blvd., between West royalties.” VISITORS FLOCKED TO THE CITY 147th and West 148th streets, in last year, a 6% gain over 2006, Harlem.The Arts Horizons buck ennis the mayor’s office was LeRoy Neiman Center will scheduled to announce Sunday. offer classes for all ages and is Tourists are estimated to have slated to open in May. spent $28 billion. International Construction costs are expected visitors totaled 8.5 million, a to top $400,000. Matthew whopping 20% gain over the Gorman of New Street Realty Staking his claim previous year. Advisors represented building owner Bradhurst Apartments, A PROPOSAL FOR A $1 and Elizabeth Martin of E.L. Inventor says Apple, others are violating his patent SURCHARGE ON TAXI AND Martin Partners negotiated for livery cab rides that begin or end the tenant.The asking rent was in the central business district is $40 a square foot. BY AMANDA FUNG he’s going up against some of the giants in the tech industry, but that’s nothing new for CORRECTION Judah Klausner. René Jones is chief financial officer of M&T Bank. His title was incorrect in the Jan. 7 story “Bad loans start piling up.” Last month, the Manhattan inventor sued Apple Inc. for $360 million in damages and future royalties for infringing on one of his patents. He has similar lawsuits pending against Cablevision Systems, Comcast and eBay’s Skype for another $300 million. THIS WEEK IN CRAIN’S The 55-year-old Manhattan resident claims he invented the concept behind visual voice mail, which lets users see a list of voice messages on a display screen and then select ones they NEW YORK, NEW YORK----------6 want to hear.The feature is now being used in a number of products, including Apple’s iPhone. NEIGHBORHOOD Two years ago, Klausner sued Time Warner’s AOL for infringing on the same patent and See MANHATTAN INVENTOR on Page 10 JOURNAL------------------------------------------11 ALAIR TOWNSEND -------------------13 THE INSIDER------------------------------------14 WEEK IN REVIEW -----------------------16 Broadway strike shows no 49 SMALL BUSINESS ------------------- 18 THE WEEKS AHEAD ----------------20 Theater business lion each. Wicked sold more than from a business standpoint as a big 51 $1.8 million in tickets,and the three snowstorm,”says Kevin McCollum, REPORT: REAL ESTATE --------23 bounces back as Disney shows all broke house producer of Rent, Avenue Q and the records at their theaters,as crowds of recently shuttered The Drowsy DEALS--------------------------------------------------42 productions break people converged on box offices try- Chaperone. “We lost profit and dol- CLASSIFIEDS ----------------------------------44 ing to snag last-minute seats.