Crain's New York Business articles from January 2008

Crain's New York Business archives from January 2008

Obama's NY allies move into spotlight; African-American pols bucked party; Hillary supporters eye Feb. 5 fight.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Anne Michaud The handful of New York politicians who defied the powerful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to support Sen. Barack Obama for president feel that their gamble is paying off, following his victory in the Iowa caucuses last...

Flocking to the Big Apple, at least for now; Another banner year expected, but visas a a problem for many international visitors.(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher With its red double-decker buses jammed with tourists, Gray Line New York Sightseeing spent $6.5 million last year to buy 13 new vehicles, increasing its distinctive fleet to 80. The company expects the additions...

C&W gets green star; Real estate firm's sustainability chief will ensure that buildings make the grade.(Business Lives)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Theresa Agovino The times have caught up with Eleni Reed. Constructing green buildings and communities has become the rage, but Ms. Reed has been focused on the subject since 1987, when she was a college student. That year, The...

Longtime DJ leaves Lite FM; Losing Smaldone could hurt station as ratings decline.(Investing)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Matthew Flamm Valerie smaldone, the top-rated DJ at 106.7 Lite FM, left the station last week after 24 years on the air, as parent company Clear Channel Communications continues to cut costs in preparation for going private. ...

NEW BOSS Lieber sets his priorities.(Briefs)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Robert Lieber, who takes over as deputy mayor for economic development on Tuesday, promises continuity on so-called megaprojects like the Javits Center, Willets Point, Coney Island and Moynihan Station. But he says his priority over the...

At Deadline.(Late News)
January 7, 2008... Disney's latest Broadway production, The Little Mermaid, opens Thursday, and sources say it has already booked $15 million in advance ticket sales. The musical has been selling out in previews. For the week ended Dec. 30, it broke a house...

Local damage mounting in writers' strike; Thousands jobless, suppliers take hits; pilot season could be jeopardized.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar David letterman and Conan O'Brien might be back on the air, but the Writers Guild of America strike that put them in reruns for the past two months continues to wreak havoc on New York's film and television...

Best of Bob Lape.(Business Lives)(Restaurant review)
January 7, 2008... Other recently reviewed restaurants featuring Italian food: L'Impero (3 stars) 45 Tudor City Place (between East 42nd and 43rd streets), Manhattan. (212) 599-5045; www.limpero.com. Chef Michael White brings his full-flavored...

Urban wear maker studies growth; Akademiks founder researches markets.(Small Business)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Victoria Rivkin To tailor hit products; was smaller better? Sometimes ignorance pays. When 24-year-old Donwan Harrell was tapped by Nike to be head designer for its Organized Team Sports for Asia Pacific unit in 1995, he had...

ITT places its bet with defense buy; Selling equipment to Army pays off.(Investing)
January 7, 2008... Courtesy of the war in Iraq, demand for ITT Corp.'s night-vision goggles and radio sets has soared. The defense-industry division of the big conglomerate has seen revenues jump by 20% in each of the past three years--more than double the unit's...

Italian veteran worth the trip; Food, affordable wines shine at Brooklyn neighborhood spot; a grand impresario.(Business Lives)(Tommaso restaurant)
January 7, 2008... Tommaso of brooklyn marks its 35th anniversary this month. If the only reason to seek out this astonishing neighborhood restaurant were its treasure trove of stunningly affordable wines, that would be motivation enough. It's worth a trip from...

Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)
January 7, 2008... Byline: andrew buck WANTED: director, New York office organization Appleseed JOB DESCRIPTION Direct fundraising activities, recruit volunteer attorneys and business professionals, and manage public interest education programs ...

WEEK IN REVIEW.(Briefs)
January 7, 2008... Byline: from staff reports and bloomberg news reports Manhattan bucks housing trend Sale prices for Manhattan apartments remained on an upward trajectory in the fourth quarter, driven by sales at luxury properties like the Plaza Hotel...

Up in arms over gifted programs; New rules could halve admissions; some parents threaten to sue.(News)(Board of Education)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar Frantic parents are teaching their 4-year-olds how to fill in the circles on standardized "bubble'' tests and hiring tutors to quiz the kids using multiple-choice questions. They are shelling out thousands of...

HOSTS SOUGHT FOR HIGH SCHOOL GROUPS; exploring careers.(Economic Outlook Report)(Greater New York Councils)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... The Greater New York Councils' Exploring program is seeking businesses to host educational sessions offering high school students the opportunity to explore various industries and make better decisions about possible career choices. The...

Credit crisis puts market in unprecedented territory; More write-downs and layoffs expected, with no painless remedy for turmoil.(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Aaron Elstein Late in the summer of 1998, a credit crisis was consuming Wall Street. The Russian government had defaulted, which sent debt markets crashing. Speculation abounded that Lehman Brothers was spiraling into bankruptcy,...

OPTIMISTS SEIZE OPPORTUNITY.(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... Todd Sullivan thinks this is the perfect time to be stocking up on Wall Street. The 39-year-old entrepreneur and author of a blog, ValuePlays, believes investors have become too pessimistic about the economy and the stock market. In the...

Putting 'great' back into A&P; Pathmark purchase gives grocer big lift.(Investing)
January 7, 2008... In recent years, the only thing great about A&P, once the nation's largest grocer, was its formal name: Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. For five straight years ending in 2005, the Montvale, N.J.-based company rang up nothing but losses....

Warding off the chill.(Business Lives)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Byline: steven a. shaw Some foods just go better with cold weather. Here are four restaurants to help warm up the winter. Landmarc at the Time Warner Center most restaurants are indoors, but this one is doubly insulated. You'll be...

Crain's picks top '08 stocks.(Investing)
January 7, 2008... Byline: AARON ELSTEIN With the housing sector in a tailspin, the credit crisis hampering bank lending, and oil prices rocketing to record highs, it's tough to feel upbeat about the outlook for business and the fate of the economy in...

Escaping winter doldrums; 10 activities to banish the postholiday blahs.(Business Lives)
January 7, 2008... Byline: louise Kramer There's constant talk of an impending recession and the subprime mess, and you have already blown your New Year's resolutions. Before you sink into a megacase of the blues, here are some activities that will cheer you...

seasonal prescription.(Business Lives)
January 7, 2008... Shorter, darker days; cold weather; and postholiday letdown can all contribute to winter blues. "It is a real phenomenon,'' says Alan Manevitz, a psychiatrist on the faculty of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. His...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Weighing options for obese teens.(Viewpoint)(Letter to the editor)
January 7, 2008... assessing the risks of gastric procedures the dec. 17 article "Soaring surgery'' touches on the controversy of bariatric operations in teenagers. One of the major hurdles is for the public to understand the huge risk difference between...

DO YOU THINK MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG SHOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT? CRAIN'S ONLINE POLL.(Viewpoint)
January 7, 2008... Of 612 respondents, a slim majority want the mayor to run for the White House. About a quarter say they're not impressed with the existing candidates; a little over 30% like the idea of someone who's not indebted to special interests. On the...

Unaffordable NY: tough choices at $150,000; Costs are biggest culprit as more areas gentrify; steep taxes play major role, too.(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Judith Messina Dr. vatsal thakkar, a psychiatrist at New York University Medical Center, and his wife, a clinical psychologist, make a total of about $150,000 a year. Even so, the couple had to move farther up the West Side from...

UNPRECEDENTED PROSPERITY, BUT MOOD WORSENS.(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... Many of New Yorkers' affordability woes stem, ironically, from an extended period of unprecedented prosperity that has induced families to stay in the city and has attracted many immigrants, all competing for housing. The good...

Rules of journalism at Crain's New York.(Viewpoint)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Greg David The arrival of the new year brings this annual column that outlines what Crain's New York Business is and describes its journalistic philosophy. After years of prosperity, the city is confronting a significant...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
January 7, 2008... Sphinx Organization founder Aaron Dworkin's name was misspelled in the Dec. 17 story "Giving where it will do the most good.'' A photograph with the Dec. 24 story on St. Vincent's Midtown misidentified the pictured hospital, which was St....

A deputy mayor's agenda.(Viewpoint)(Viewpoint essay)
January 7, 2008... The new deputy mayor for economic development, Robert Lieber, completed his first marathon in New York last November. Now he starts an even more arduous run: a two-year push to complete the agenda set by his predecessor, Daniel Doctoroff. It's...

New York, New York.(Briefs)
January 7, 2008... Byline: edited by Valerie Block Welch wife goes solo Suzy welch (right), the highbrow home-wrecker who authored the best-selling business tome Winning with her husband, former General Electric boss Jack Welch--they also co-write a...

Virgin America hits heavy headwinds; Expansion plans at JFK stymied by new traffic caps.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: HILARY POTKEWITZ Barely five months after Virgin America launched cheap but classy flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport to the West Coast, the upstart airline's expansion has encountered stiff and unforeseen...

Bad loans start piling up; Charge-offs mount in 3rd Q; problems spreading beyond subprime mortgages.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Tom Fredrickson Bank charge-offs on bad commercial and industrial loans more than doubled in the third quarter--evidence that problems in subprime mortgages have extended to other lending activities. In aggregate, the 50...

Packaging firm wraps up remake; Overseas plants help firm fatten margins.(Investing)
January 7, 2008... Perhaps the only thing better than getting a gift in the mail is popping the Bubble Wrap protecting it. Unfortunately, owning shares of the company that makes the ubiquitous stuff, Sealed Air Corp., hasn't been nearly as much fun lately. ...

Drugmaker set to rebound; New drugs likely to cure firm's blahs.(Investing)
January 7, 2008... Like many big pharmaceutical companies, Wyeth has a bad case of the blahs. Over the past five years, earnings have gone exactly nowhere. No wonder the company's stock shed more than 10% of its value last year. The source of the misery is...

Comtech's winning streak; Equipment maker outperforms rivals.(Investing)
January 7, 2008... Defense contractor Comtech Telecommunications Corp. has been one of the stock market's biggest winners over the past decade: Its share price has soared to more than $50, from less than $1 back in 1997. Yet there is room for this little-known...

Literary title moving to Hudson Sq. NY Review of Books heading downtown; fashion firm cuts out of garment district.(Real Estate)
January 7, 2008... Trinity real estate has attracted another high-profile media client to one of its buildings. The New York Review of Books signed a 15-year lease for 15,000 square feet, about half of the third floor, at 435 Hudson St., between Leroy and Morton...

Executive Moves.(Business Lives)
January 7, 2008... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli and sarah studley ACCOUNTING & Consulting Friedman: Jeffrey P. Agranoff, 30, joined as director of recruiting, a new position. He had been director of human resources at Perelson Weiner. advertising &...

The Weeks Ahead.(Business Lives)(Calendar)
January 7, 2008... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events January 8 Camba Small Business Services holds workshop on starting a business. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., 884 Flatbush Ave., second floor, Brooklyn. Free. (718) 282-2500, ext. 242, or...

Presidential Bloom-o-meter.(Briefs)
January 7, 2008... A weekly look at Mayor Michael Bloomberg's progression to the March 1 deadline to run for president. Mayor michael bloomberg's most definitive denial yet--"I will not run'' for president, he said at Times Square on New Year's...

City on tenterhooks: Uncertainty looms; NYC better off than in former downturns, but importance of Wall Street still pervasive.(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Tom Fredrickson The economic slump that gripped New York City in the 1970s amid a fiscal crisis, a plunge in manufacturing jobs and middle-class flight lasted eight years. The downturn that followed the boom of the 1980s...

Anti-immigration fervor casts city out; Nation wants fewer workers, while NYC needs more; political heat intensifies split.(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Macbride Locals turned around and looked when Cira Angeles and some friends walked into a restaurant in Kansas last summer. "They were very courteous,'' says Ms. Angeles, a New Yorker originally from the Dominican...

SANCTUARY FOR ILLEGALS?(Economic Outlook Report)
January 7, 2008... New Yorkers are more conflicted about illegal immigrants--the issue that's driving the debate on Capitol Hill--than people are in other parts of the country. Residents here tell pollsters that they oppose measures to help illegal...

Randall's Island deal gives new meaning to pay-to-play; Money buys access to city-owned sports fields.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Tina Traster Frederick douglass academy in Harlem is a typical inner-city school, built in the 1960s, with no gymnasium. Had it not been for access to sports fields on Randall's Island over the past decade, the school would not...

HIP-HOP'S CANDIDATE; Apolitical stars, music execs embrace Obama with public support, contributions.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Samantha Marshall Independent label owner and hip-hop radio and TV personality Mike Muse has been on an emotional roller coaster for the past week and a half. The 29-year-old--an energetic volunteer for the Barack Obama campaign in...

GARDEN PLOT Will arena move?(Briefs)(New York, New York. City Council imposes tax for Madison Square Garden )(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Even as the City Council tries to end an $11 million annual property tax break for Madison Square Garden ( right), insiders say controversy over the issue is not what's holding up an agreement to move the arena to Moynihan Station. Rather,...

Presidential Bloom-o-meter.(Briefs)(political activity of Michael Bloomberg)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... A weekly look at Mayor Michael Bloomberg's progression toward the March deadline to run for president. the week started badly for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's presidential prospects. The chattering class was not impressed with his appearance...

Enduring popularity might be Little India's undoing; Established retailers pinched by rents in Jackson Heights commercial district.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Doaa Elkady Thirty-five years ago, Subhash Kapadia opened the Sam and Raj appliance store on 74th Street in Jackson Heights. Mr. Kapadia's business catered to Indians looking for small appliances that ran on 220 volts that they...

New York, New York.(Briefs)
January 14, 2008... Byline: edited by Valerie Block Bronx paper to ink deal An era could soon be ending in the Bronx: The family-owned, Pulitzer Prize-winning community weekly The Riverdale Press is up for sale. Co-publishers and brothers Richard...

FAST TRACK.(Small Business)
January 14, 2008... Most of the recent growth in Chase's and Citibank's SBA lending volumes has come via SBA Express loans, which range up to $350,000. Banks participating in the Express program use their own forms and criteria. That makes processing much easier,...

Literary spot has rustic touch; Irving Mill serves fresh, reasonably priced food near Union Square; wicked noise in bar.(Business Lives)
January 14, 2008... The delightful new neighborhood restaurant Irving Mill, near Union Square East, is neither sleepy nor hollow. It's named for Washington Irving, and text from his "Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' is imprinted on banquettes in the roomy eatery done in...

Rinkside.(Business Lives)
January 14, 2008... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli Whether you're a safety-bar clinger or the next Kristi Yamaguchi, the city's ice rinks can fill the need. Here's a selection of choices for those who want to avoid freezing on long lines for the chance to glide...

SEEKING DEAL INFO ON LEASES, SALES.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... COSTAR GROUP INC. is compiling data for two lists covering the 2007 real estate market: a list of the largest office leasing deals in Manhattan, ranked by square feet; and a list of the largest commercial property sales in the five boroughs,...

Citi and Chase boost SBA lending; Target a cross section of city businesses, including retailers, auto shops, manufacturers.(Small Business)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Stan Luxenberg Each year, thousands of New York area entrepreneurs with perfectly good companies have their loan applications rejected. Last year, Maribel Lieberman was among them. Sales at MarieBelle New York, her luxury...

OFFICE MARKET MAY TURN DOWN.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... While the downtown economy is becoming more diversified, it is still dominated by Wall Street. That has raised fears that the continuing fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis could result in layoffs that will derail the office market just...

REBNY readies to honor its own; Awards to industry leaders presented at annual fete.(Real Estate Report)(Real Estate Board of New York)
January 14, 2008... The real estate board of New York will honor these seven industry professionals at its annual banquet on Jan. 17. AWARD Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian RECIPIENT Jonathan Mechanic TITLE Partner, Fried Frank Harris Shriver...

Saving energy to save Bronx houses; Effort to lower bills, stem foreclosures; B'klyn triangle tussle.(Neighborhood Journal)
January 14, 2008... How many subprime mortgage lenders and politicians does it take to help homeowners facing foreclosure? In the northwest Bronx, the answer is zero. There, a community group is helping homeowners reduce their monthly payments without relying...

Correction.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
January 14, 2008... Rene Jones is chief financial officer of M&T Bank. His title was incorrect in the Jan. 7 story "Bad loans start piling up.''

Buyouts on the rocks; 6 dodgy deals struck last year could cost their Wall Street backers dearly.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: aaron elstein With easy credit a thing of the past and the economy slowing, dozens of planned corporate mergers that investment bankers cobbled together in happier times are now in jeopardy. "I've never seen things come so...

Staking his claim; Inventor says Apple, others are violating his patent.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: AMANDA FUNG He's going up against some of the giants in the tech industry, but that's nothing new for Judah Klausner. Last month, the Manhattan inventor sued Apple Inc. for $360 million in damages and future royalties for...

Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)(wanted a public relations director by American Bible Society)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Byline: amanda fung WANTED: public relations director organization American Bible Society JOB DESCRIPTION Lead a team of communications professionals and establish relationships with media outlets MOST IMPORTANT TASK Raise...

New York anxiety attack; Poll shows sharp increase in worries since '02; City Hall loses big-time.(News)(Survey)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Erik Engquist In the last five years, New York City has rebounded from the Sept. 11 attack, seen serious crime decline, added a quarter of a million jobs and attracted about 150,000 new residents. Yet by many measures, New Yorkers...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Governor promises change.(Briefs)
January 14, 2008... Byline: from staff reports and bloomberg news reports Gov. Eliot Spitzer (left), in an attempt to regain the popularity he enjoyed as attorney general, gave a conciliatory speech in his second State of the State address. In a complete...

Downtown advantages not always apparent; Neighborhood's progress obscured by misconceptions.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... As the new president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, the city's largest business improvement district, Elizabeth Berger, 47, oversees an annual budget of $15 million and a staff of 45. Ms. Berger spoke recently about the future of lower...

Assessing downtown prospects; Changes keep area humming; tasks remain, and stakes are high.(Real Estate Report)(forecasts and trends of real estate industry)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Downtown is buzzing with activity. Office construction is running at a feverish pace, vacancy rates have fallen, and rents are rising. New stores and restaurants are moving in. At the same time, the population is growing and making new demands...

BOOMERS GIVE BACK.(Business Lives)
January 14, 2008... At 45, Don Moody isn't a member of the millennial generation. But older professionals are also building businesses that give back. The former advertising executive founded WordWorld, which in September launched a show of the same name on PBS...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Unaffordable at almost any price.(Viewpoint)
January 14, 2008... commuting from the country i want to thank Crain's for the Jan. 7 story "Unaffordable NY: tough choices at $150,000.'' I can totally relate. It seems to me that the city couldn't care less about the middle-income working people. I live in...

Executive Moves.(Business Lives)
January 14, 2008... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli and sarah studley accounting & consulting Dempsey Myers & Co.: Christopher J. Giovino, 52, joined as managing principal, investigative services. He had been associate, special agent in charge, New York, at...

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar/Datebook)
January 14, 2008... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events January 15 Association of Real Estate Women holds seminar to meet the real estate press. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., First American Title Insurance Co., 633 Third Ave. Fee: $25 members, $35...

New titles at Hachette; Fresh COO, editor in chief signal publisher is pushing for growth; 3 divisions launched.(Business Lives)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Matthew Flamm At some publishing companies, hiring a new chief operating officer and a new editor in chief within months of each other might be considered a sign of turmoil. But at Hachette Book Group USA, the moves are indicative...

City struggles to iron out tangled transportation; Crucial plans to improve mass transit, traffic move slowly, may prove inadequate.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Judith Messina The first part of New York City to be settled because of its strategic location on New York Harbor, lower Manhattan still bears the marks of its nearly 400-year history, including a smattering of cobblestone streets....

Broadway strike shows no lasting effects; Theater business bounces back as productions break box-office records.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar Six weeks since the 19-day stagehand strike shut down Broadway, business on the Great White Way has bounced back, with many shows recovering to set box-office records. Grosses during the typically...

Hotels seeking room downtown; Demand driving expansion; gains in room rates may slow as capacity increases.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Laura Koss-feder The hotel industry is in a mad rush to expand capacity in New York City, and lower Manhattan is a big part of its plans. About 3,000 of the 12,000 new hotel rooms slated to come on line citywide in the next...

Few are crossing the river for deals in Jersey City; Lower rents aside, state is seen as traffic-snarled, tax- burdened, expensive.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Joe Cavaluzzi As the cost of renting office space in downtown Manhattan grew nearly 30% last year, commercial real estate brokers in Jersey City waited for the phone to ring. And waited, and waited. Just as the downtown office...

At Deadline.(Late News)
January 14, 2008... New York filmmakers will account for 16 of the 56 English-language features premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, which opens Thursday. The movies include August, a story about two brothers working at a Wall Street startup the month before...

Ex-newshound hunts down customized pad; Penny Crone survives build-out travails of E. Side impulse buy in a return to NYC.(Business Lives)(Viewpoint essay)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Alix Strauss For more than two decades, Penny Crone covered Brooklyn fires and Jersey shootouts or dogged New York politicians for Fox 5 and WCBS-TV. But after the scrappy reporter got fired in December 2005, she took that energy...

Learning to relax and love the polls.(analysis of presidential campaigns coverage)(Viewpoint essay)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Alair Townsend The presidential campaign is like Law & Order: If you click around enough, you can find it on television virtually 24/7. But it's a mixed blessing, even for the politically obsessed like me. The coverage itself is...

WHAT SHOULD NEW YORK CITY DO TO FIGHT A PROJECTED $3.1 BILLION BUDGET GAP? CRAIN'S ONLINE POLL.(Viewpoint)
January 14, 2008... More than two-thirds of the 322 respondents to a Crain's poll think the city should cut its fiscal budget to fend off the wider-than-expected gap predicted by the Independent Budget Office. Another 31% say the city should raise taxes, primarily...

New York's Feb. 5 showdown.(political activity of Hillary Clinton )(Viewpoint essay)
January 14, 2008... For decades, New York's late-spring presidential primary was irrelevant because it took place long after the Democratic and Republican nominees were decided. With the primary moved up to Feb. 5, this year will be different. Winning it will be...

The Insider.(Briefs)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Erik Engquist and Anne Michaud New way to discard electronics A bill requiring manufacturers to take back electronic products discarded by consumers is finally moving through the City Council and could pass by the end of the...

Jamie Dimon's luck finally runs out; he faces likely first loss at J.P. Morgan.(In the Markets)
January 14, 2008... J.P. Morgan Chase has famously avoided the catastrophes that have clobbered rivals such as Citigroup. But that doesn't mean CEO Jamie Dimon & Co. are immune from rising loan losses, soaring credit card delinquencies and the host of other...

Downtown nightlife stops with dinner; More eateries, but residents also want clubs and culture.(Real Estate Report)(buildings and facilities of restaurants in Manhattan)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Diane Hess It used to be that when Luigi Rosabianca left his Wall Street office after 5 p.m., the financial district was a ghost town. If he wanted a bite to eat, he had to head to busier parts of the city, like Union Square or...

Bangles, BMWs elbow out delis and discount shops; Luxury retailers can pay rising rents, but residents need grocery stores, too.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Wendy Davis In a space downtown on Cortlandt Street that last housed a messenger service, Kian Kashani just opened a women's clothing boutique specializing in expensive designer labels. Mr. Kashani is betting that affluent...

Population growing faster than retail, service sector; More families call area home, but lack of basic shopping is a concern.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Andrew Marks Nowhere else in the city will you find a scene like the one outside the New York Stock Exchange at 3:30 p.m., when children spill out of the three-year-old Claremont Prep elementary school onto Broad Street, mingling...

A new mix of tenants settles in; Nonfinancial firms like downtown vibe; demand boosts rents, midtown has edge.(Real Estate Report)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Andrew Marks Pine street, deep in the heart of lower Manhattan's financial district, might seem an unlikely place to find Diversified Media Design. But that's where a search for a new office led the three-year-old marketing...