"Stick house" gelato is a unique Italian artisanal process that creates hand-crafted gelato on a stick in small batches of twenty four units. The partners, Daniel yaghoubi and Reuben benjehuda, are the first to introduce the product to the New York City market. They believe they offer a "memorable, fun, and personable experience" that other gelaterias are unable to replicate.
"Stick house" gelato is a unique Italian artisanal process that creates hand-crafted gelato on a stick in small batches of twenty four units. The partners, Daniel yaghoubi and Reuben benjehuda, are the first to introduce the product to the New York City market. They believe they offer a "memorable, fun, and personable experience" that other gelaterias are unable to replicate.
"Stick house" gelato is a unique Italian artisanal process that creates hand-crafted gelato on a stick in small batches of twenty four units. The partners, Daniel yaghoubi and Reuben benjehuda, are the first to introduce the product to the New York City market. They believe they offer a "memorable, fun, and personable experience" that other gelaterias are unable to replicate.
responsible for blazing a pathway to success. Daniel Yaghoubi and Reuben BenJehuda are headed down that path with the inception of Pop Bar in May 2010. They are the purveyors of fine stick house gelato and sorbetto the first to introduce the product to the New York City market. Stick house is a unique Italian artisanal process that creates hand-crafted gelato on a stick in small batches of twenty four units. Neither Reuben nor Daniel has had any formal training as a ptissier, but when they decided on their concept they perfected their recipes through the age old method of trial and error.
Once ready to open their first store, they considered a wide swath of Manhattan Neighborhoods. Their Real Estate Services Advisor, had found their current location on Carmine Street when the former tenant, Beard Papas Cream Puffs, permanently shut their doors. They said they were undaunted by the failure of another artisanal dessert shop in the same location because they felt strongly that their product would touch a larger demographic then Beard Papas ever had. Before opening, they laboriously studied the foot traffic near 5 Carmine and found that the demographic encompassed various groups including tourists, straphangers on their way to and from local subway stations, neighborhood residents, NYU students, but especially those that appeared to be taking leisurely after meal strolls from the myriad dining CONTD.
Frank Cuneo Inside Vertical Living July 2011 | Manhattan Real Estate is a Lifestyle 5 Carmine Street, between Sixth Avenue
and Bleecker Street. (212) 255-4874 www.pop-bar.com establishments on Bleecker, Carmine, Bedford, and Downing At this point the partners are also not sweating their competition in the neighborhood (which includes Grom Gelato and LArte del Gelato amongst others) as they believe they offer a memorable, fun, and personable experience that other gelaterias are unable to replicate.
Within their partnership, roles were divided based on natural talent and inclination. Both must still approve of all decisions but Daniel generally takes the lead on design while Reuben spearheads the financials. Jokingly put by Reuben, Daniel likes to spend money and I try to save it.
Even though their roles were divided on paper, when it comes down to it, [we each] have to be able to do every job, and when the store opened they regularly worked up to 14 hours per day to build their business. Because their core product is intrinsically seasonal, introducing items that will be popular in the colder months is important. However, Daniel and Reuben are adamant that such additions should never distract from their core product, but rather, compliment it. They experimented with coffee but found that it interrupted operations, resulting in lines for the popbars while each drink was prepared. They have found that a better compliment is the popular hot chocolate on a stick which is made with Belgian chocolate and available in dark chocolate and caramel flavors.
Through their first winter season they have learned an important lesson about their business there is still a high demand for frozen artisanal desserts, but consumers tend to enjoy them in different places, namely home.
With this insight they have begun pursuing external sales to other gourmet retailers as well as to consumers interested in having them at weddings, birthday parties, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, corporate events, and other special occasions.
Additionally, they are now offering pre-made Variety Packs and miniPops at the store. The Variety Pack is intended to be taken home to enjoy and consists of a six pack of pops with different flavors that are packaged in a custom designed thermal bag for convenient travel. The miniPops are half the size of the original and are generally made to order.
Daniel and Reubens Two Tips to small business owners: Youre never going to get it 100% right. Get it 100% right in your head, but be ready for things to change very fast. And of course, you have to love your product.
In 1938 the original Bowlmor Lanes opened its doors in the heart of Greenwich Village at 110 University Place. During the golden age of bowling from the '40s to '60s, Bowlmor Lanes was at the forefront of the bowling revolution, hosting the prestigious Landgraf Tournament in 1942 and one of the first televised bowling tournaments in 1955. In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon famously bowled at the lanes. Through the 70's and 80's Bowlmor Lanes was home to the top bowlers in the sport and became a regular hangout for village hipsters. But towards the 90's, as the popularity of bowling as a sport declined, so did the condition of the bowling alley. In 1994, Darden Business School Graduate Tom Shannon attended a birthday party at the then dilapidated and financially strapped Bowlmor Lanes. The young entrepreneur was instantly inspired by its character and history. Shannon, although not knowing right away what kind of challenges the current owners of Bowlmor Lanes were dealing with, knew that this was the type of place he wanted to use his creativity and instincts to transform. After three years of research and planning on how to build a viable business out of bowling, Shannon secured financing and purchased Bowlmor Lanes. His vision - to inject the tired business with hip design elements, dramatic architecture and a complete remodel of the internal operations. In essence, Shannon's goal was to make bowling cool again. By 1999, Bowlmor Lanes became the highest-grossing bowling alley in the United States. Today it stands as the longest contiguously running bowling alley on the East Coast. Following the incredible success of Bowlmor Lanes in New York City, Shannon knew that he could bring the Bowlmor concept across the country and in 2001, STRIKE Bethesda opened to accolades in suburban Washington, D.C. a year later, STRIKE Long Island was unveiled, a cavernous underground space housing 35 lanes of bowling, a full-service restaurant and four bars. In November 2004, the 34 lane STRIKE Miami opened in the Dolphin Mall in the Doral section of the city, featuring a giant, state of the art sports themed restaurant. STRIKE Cupertino (Silicon Valley) , CA opened in the summer of 2007 and STRIKE Orange County, CA opened in the summer of 2008. In the fall of 2010, Bowlmor Lanes plans to unveil its most ambitious project to date InTimes Square. All properties now operate under the Bowlmor Lanes name. Frank Cuneo Inside Vertical Living July 2011 | Manhattan Real Estate is a Lifestyle
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Men - No baggy jeans and/or attire, work boots, baseball caps, athletic gear or jerseys, plain white t-shirts, clothing with offensive or discriminatory content Women - No baseball caps, work boots, clothing with offensive or discriminatory content NYCs 10 Best iPhone & iPad ParkShark. Free Ideal for large cities like New York City, this iPhone and iPad application tells you where there is free and cheap parking available and allows you to share your parking spot with other ParkShark memb ers. iMovie. $4.99 Designed for the new iPhone 4, this application allows you to create HD movies of your journeys through New York City.
Hipstamatic. $1.99 A new photography iPhone application that turns your iPhone into an old school camera. Choose the type of film, flash, and lense you want to use for the desired effect. You can also purchase additional lenses, films, and flashes for more effects. Perfect for your pics around the city.
NY Times The Scoop NYC. Free This iPhone and iPad application is brought to you by staff writers of the New York Times. Writers feature their favorite bars, events, and attractions along with basic reviews.
yelp. Free Designed for your iPhone and iPad, you can search for businesses in your vicinity of New York City. Many filter options and the best way to learn about the best restaurants, bars, shopping, and services and other businesses in the area. Includes user reviews.
OpenTable. Free Easily make reservations to your favorite NYC restaurants with your iPhone or iPad.
NYC Way. Free For tourists and New Yorkers, this iPhone application is all about New York City. Learn about events, traffic cameras, and even NYC WiFi locations and more.
Time Out NY. Free Another application that helps you find things to do in NYC. Features critic pics, free, and cheap options in your vicinity. It even works when you do not have a signal.
Yahoo! Sketch a search. Free Draw a circle on the map with your iPhone or iPad touchscreen and instantly see all the restaurants within the area.
Exit Strategy NYC Subway Map. $4.99 An interactive subway, bus, and street map that shows you what subway entrances, exits, and train car to use in order to save time on your travel through New York City. Works while you have no connection in the subway.
Central Park NYC for iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone. $2.99 A detailed interactive map of New York Citys Central Park with paths, roads, and landmarks. Even shows park entrances, subway stops, and bike/boat rental locations. Selecting locations like Strawberry Fields and Sheeps Meadow provides more information on the area.
CabSense NYC. Free Analyzes GPS information from local taxi services to determine the best location to find taxis in New York City. Provides directions and looks for the best places to catch a cab at time you plan to ride later in the day.
NYC 311. Free Allows you to report a condition throughout the city using a still image from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Conditions include but are not limited to graffiti, potholes, taxi complaints, food establishment complaints, and public school maintenance problems.
NYC Alternate Side Parking Application. $.99 Lets you know when you are able to park in New York City. You will know if alternate side parking is in effect or suspended.
Frank Cuneo Inside Vertical Living July 2011 | Manhattan Real Estate is a Lifestyle T * O
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Frank Cuneo Inside Vertical Living July 2011 | Manhattan Real Estate is a Lifestyle
Frank Cuneo Inside Vertical Living July 2011 | Manhattan Real Estate is a Lifestyle
AT first glance, 255 Hudson Street looks like a typical SoHo condominium, with a soaring glass facade, million-dollar listings and a chic designer lobby. But despite having housed entertainment figures like Bethenny Frankel and Kirsten Dunst, this building has more in common with a conservative Park Avenue co-op than a celebrity-friendly downtown high rise.
The condominium, just north of Canal Street, has a 13-page application that requires buyers to provide multiple years of tax returns, bank statements, and personal and business references. Tell me how this is much different than buying in a co-op? said a broker who represented an Italian man who bought a one-bedroom in the building earlier this year. As a foreigner, the buyer lacked much of the necessary documentation and had to spend weeks having his paperwork translated into English and converted into dollars before he could close. I now tell all my clients that condo applications are simply co-op applications with the word condo slapped on them, The Broker said. David Adler, the board president at 255 Hudson Street, who is also the chief executive and founder of BizBash Media, defended the buildings vetting process. Our board application is as standard as they come for condos right now, he said. We do best practices and our management company advises us if they see any red flags. In the wake of the recession, an increasing number of condominium boards are hoping to weed out financially questionable buyers by requiring extensive application packages. Demands can include years worth of federal tax returns, detailed lists of all assets and liabilities, several letters of references, and even board interviews. These buildings are waging a war of attrition, forcing potential residents to supply extensive documentation in the hopes that those who appear to be a financial risk will walk away of their own volition. Existing condominiums buying in a new building is still a relatively simple process are turning to this strategy because they have no real power to reject an applicant. The only tool at their disposal is the right of first refusal, which allows condominium boards that are unhappy with a buyer to purchase the unit themselves or designate a buyer for the same price. But few buildings can afford to do so. It is a bullying strategy condominium bullying, said Adam Leitman Bailey, a Manhattan real estate lawyer. If a condominium has a questionable buyer, theyll just keep asking for more and more information, dragging things out, until the buyer walks away. But condo boards say they are merely defending the interests of existing residents. In the downturn, many owners stopped paying common charges, and condominiums had little recourse to recoup their money. In case of a default, the city is first in line to recover outstanding real estate taxes or other charges, followed by the mortgage lender. The condominium is third in line, and usually all it can do is file a lien against the property and hope that it will be repaid when the apartment is sold. Because the condominiums power is limited, it is a matter of fiduciary duty to find strong buyers, said Carl Seligson, the board president of Carnegie Hill Tower, at 40 East 94th Street. In any given month, about three apartments in the 180-unit building have not paid their monthly charges on time; none have defaulted, he said. Among the buildings application requirements are tax returns, reference letters and a full description of all bank accounts and assets. It used to request board interviews, but we eliminated the interview process because we didnt think it was necessary, Mr. Seligson said. To limit transient residents, the building also requires that sublets be for at least one year. Condo board requirements run the gamut. At the Time Warner Center, where many buyers are foreign, it is not necessary to submit federal tax returns. The building does require that in addition to general liability insurance of $1 million, owners have a $5 million umbrella policy to Frank Cuneo Inside Vertical Living July 2011 | Manhattan Real Estate is a Lifestyle cover any unforeseen costs, like an accidental fire or damage incurred during a renovation. On the Upper East Side, 215 East 80th Street has a 67-page application that requires three business reference letters and three personal reference letters for each applicant. And at Towers on the Park, a condominium at 110th Street and Central Park West, the application packet requires potential owners to list all assets and two years worth of tax returns, to be certified by an accountant.
Some condo owners purchase through a limited liability company or other business entity, and in those cases a number of buildings require that the principal personally guarantee some expenses, such as monthly common charges and assessments. In other cases a condo may require a security deposit, said Ronald H. Gitter, a real estate lawyer. In the past, condominiums would just ask for a simple financial statement, said a seasoned broker, but now, due to the financial crisis, even the most exclusive luxury buildings are asking for supporting documents. Dani Bar-David was surprised that he had to submit reams of financial information when he bought two Manhattan condominiums as investments. Mr. Bar-David, who lives and works in New Jersey, bought units at 360 East 88th Street and 372 Central Park West, where the applications were 40 pages and 60 pages, respectively. They wanted so much information, you would think they were the ones who were going to own the apartments, not me, he said. The Broker who represented Mr. Bar-David in the purchases, agreed. The paperwork was extensive, especially given these were condominiums, he said. It is the condo boards, and not the management companies, that decide on the extent of the application package, said, the president of Cooper Square Realty, which manages 372 Central Park West and 360 East 88th Street. Some buildings are very particular, while others that are mostly investor-owned have very general requirements, he said. On the whole, the general flavor right now is that condominiums are growing more cautious. While it is still the exception, some condominiums are executing the right of first refusal more readily, said Stuart M. Saft, the chairman of the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums, a trade organization. In the last 12 to 18 months, Ive seen at least 10 situations where the board bought the apartment or designated another buyer to buy it, said Mr. Saft, who is also the chairman of the law firm Dewey & LeBoeufs global real estate department. A Seasoned broker said, The brokerage community is in la-la land if they think that just because its a condo, that every deal will go through. When the broker is representing sellers, he or she makes potential buyers submit a detailed offer form, to ensure that they are financially secure. And every time, without fail, where the property is a condominium, the first thing we get is an angry telephone call from the buyers broker telling us how dare we ask all this information. But it isnt just condos that are being more cautious. Co-ops also are strengthening their requirements, said Barbara Fox, president of Fox Residential Group. In fact, the only building types that dont have excessive application processes are new developments, brokers say. Right now in New York City, the only place that you are not being asked questions is when you buy in new construction.