1) The Soho Mews team is thrilled with the work of their architects, Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, and believe this building represents their comeback after the bomb that is the Sculpture for Living. Just don't tell that to Charles Gwathmey, who says, "I think Astor Place is great. This is not a comeback building. That's his perception as a developer, which is fine, but I don't think of it that way. Astor Place has its own identity. SoHo Mews is much more of a mural and streetscape-oriented." [Posting/Lisa Chamberlain]
2) After spending months hunting for a great Harlem apartment, an Ohio woman with New York City dreams and a desire to get off of her relatives lumpy sofa bed lands a floor through rental on West 128th Street for $1,400 a month. [The Hunt/Joyce Cohen]
3) A historic grain silo in Red Hook may return to active use after 40 years of dormancy as part of a cement facility. This is just fine by the silo's longtime admirer Jake Dobkin, who says "there's something about the solidity of it." [Red Hook Report/Jake Mooney]
4) Two milestones were recently reached in New York. One in three households now own their homes and there are now over 1 million homeowners in the area. Congratulations! [NY Times/Sam Roberts]
5) As the national foreclosure rate increases, some New York City homeowners are also struggling to fight off foreclosure. Even though the foreclosure rate in the city has fallen, lenders are reporting an increase in pre-forclosures, meaning homeowners have missed multiple payments. Unlike some other cities, New York's homeowners benefit from the city's strong real estate market, allowing them to sell before a foreclosure occurs. [Fighting Off Foreclosure/Christine Haughney]