1) What better way to remember 2006 than with the most in-depth report to date on how Tishman Speyer got the deal done for Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesant Town? Sample key detail: "Mr. Speyer’s team and MetLife then wrestled through the night over the terms of a possible sale, with an occasional round of five-card stud during the lulls." [Charles V. Bagli/NYTimes]
2) From the past to the future, namely the sizable slate of megaprojects in the queue for this year. Besides all the stuff you know about—Second Avenue Subway, Atlantic Yards, &c—there's more: "In the months ahead, the Bloomberg administration’s development agenda includes rezoning in Harlem as well as in Jamaica and Willets Point in Queens. The administration also wants to make another effort to gain approval for the transformation of the James A. Farley general post office building in Midtown Manhattan into a commuter rail hub called Moynihan Station." [Sam Roberts/NYTimes]
3) But amidst megaproject bullishness, there's bearishness on the individual building permit front. Last year was the first year since 1998 that the city saw a decline in the total number of building permits issued; total construction permits are also expected to be down for the first time in 11 years when final numbers are tallied. Fear not, though: crane permits were up a robust 6%. [NYPost]
4) Frontrunner for real estate scam of the year, even if it was foiled: the guy who filed a false deed to transfer ownership of the Soho Grand from real owners the Hartz Group to himself. Genius. [NYPost]
5) Why move to Queens' Jackson Heights Historic District? The food! [NYTimes]
6) Live from inside Google's Chelsea megaoffice, it's... Guitar Hero, natch. [Deb Schoneman/Sunday Styles]