Assuming no surprises, the 2nd Avenue Subway will open on January 1, 2017. What a way to start the new year! The first subway train will leave the new station at 96th Street on the UES at 6:04am. And when commuters descend into the new station on 96th Street as well as 86th, 72nd and 63rd, they will discover the fruits of MTA’s contemporary art projects. Now who says, subway can’t be a museum of sorts?
by Riccardo Ravasini Harlem is adding another celebrity to its mix: Canadian Soprano Sharon Azrieli has purchased a large four-unit building in Harlem, paying $3.7 million for 111 West 128th Street. The four-story building currently features 24 rooms, 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms across 6,000 square feet and four units. The seller was sculptor Gregg LeFevre who has created over 120 public art works in cast metal around the U.S. Notably, his work has been collected by Meryl Streep.
by Riccardo Ravasini 
Renderings for the makeover of Pier 26 in Tribeca (located between North Moore Street and Hubert Street) has been released for the first time. The Hudson RIver Park Trust, which oversees the management of the pier, recently presented to plans to the public at a community board meeting as reported by Tribeca Citizen. The design is compelling and depicts a futuristic park that will be full of activities for residents to enjoy — including elevated walkways, lounging areas, distinct green …
by Riccardo Ravasini 
With Miami more than a year deep into a housing market slowdown, many brokers are urging luxury homeowners to drop prices. As reported by The Real Deal, October was Miami’s worst month for luxe home sales since 2011 as only 94 houses and condos priced above $1 million sold that month, marking a drop-off of more than a third from the 145 sold in 2015.
The market is still contending with an inventory of 4,100 luxury homes listed for sale …
by Riccardo Ravasini 
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger catapulted into Hollywood stardom, he was making a good living in the late 1970’s with $100,000 he invested in real estate.
As quoted in a new book by Tim Ferriss: “I did not rely on my movie career to make a living. I realized in the 1970s that the inflation rate was very high and therefore an investment like that is unbeatable. I benefitted from a [magic decade] and I became a millionaire from my real estate …
by Riccardo Ravasini 
A report from commercial brokerage CBRE reveals more than half a billion dollars worth of Asian cash flowed into Miami real estate during the first six months of 2016, making it the country’s fourth most popular destination for investments from across the Pacific. Asian investors spent $665 million on real estate in Miami during the first half of this year, marking a massive jump in volume from the $34 million during the same time period in 2015.
The flow of …
by Riccardo Ravasini