Crain's New York Business articles from March 2007

Crain's New York Business archives from March 2007

Global convulsion rocks Wall Street mainstays; Investors rethink speculative stakes; firms better-prepared than last time.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Aaron Elstein Over the past few years, as investors regained their appetite for super-speculative stocks, hedge fund manager Jonathan Moreland put together a portfolio with some of the most obscure stuff on offer. But when...

E-learning programs earn mixed grades; New School goes to head of class; NYU plays catch-up.(Education Report)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Lisa Goff Kate fox got a bachelor's and a master's degree from The New School, and last semester she taught a journalism class for the university. Thanks to the most sophisticated online learning program in the city, she did it all...

More executives become leaders in the classroom; Practitioners sought in all fields; students value first-hand experience, insights.(Education Report)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Margaret Jaworski Despite his 20 years in business, including stints as president of Seagram U.S.A., Tropicana, and Sterling Winthrop's Consumer Health Group, Willie Pietersen experienced something close to stage fright the first...

Companies cutting back on tuition aid for workers; Part of general cost control of benefits; burned by those who take it and split.(Education Report)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Stan Luxenberg A decade ago, few students in Fordham University's executive M.B.A. program had tuition worries. Employers typically picked up the entire tab for the program, which targets professionals, who attend classes while...

Fast-track route to teaching teachers; Programs solve some problems, but low retention is an issue.(Education Report)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Tina Traster In the 1970s, New York City began having a problem drawing enough teachers to low-performing schools. In the late 1990s, the city tried attracting new blood by offering temporary teaching licenses to people who wanted...

B-SCHOOLS' DILEMMA.(Education Report)
March 5, 2007... The influx of professionals and nonacademics into higher education is likely to grow. That's particularly true at business schools, as fewer M.B.A.s pursue doctorates and academic careers. Within the next five years, about 20% of business...

What retirement? Seniors not only still working, but loving it.(Business Lives)(aged people continue to work)
March 5, 2007... Byline: TOM FREDRICKSON Five mornings a week, Gene Meisner, 86, boards the bus in Brooklyn to head to her job as a financial adviser at Smith Barney in Manhattan. She has several reasons for working, as well as to stay vigorous and...

Liz Claiborne shedding excess; New chief gets rid of weak retail chains; will overhaul outlet unit, expand abroad.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Elisabeth Butler As demi moore might say, a younger man is all one needs to rekindle that youthful glow. Liz Claiborne Inc. is trying to follow that advice as its new, 42-year-old chief executive inaugurates sweeping changes. ...

Ski fever; snow bound.(Business Lives)
March 5, 2007... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli It's a little-known truth among New Yorkers that March can be winter's best month for skiing and snowboarding. "After Presidents Week, ski areas become a different place,'' explains Joe Cutti, deputy editor of...

Correction.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
March 5, 2007... Liz Claiborne Inc. operated a Liz Claiborne store at 650 Fifth Ave. until 2003, when it remade the location as a Mexx store. The year was misstated in the Feb. 26 "At Deadline'' column.

ELDER-FRIENDLY; What NYC offers senior workers:.(Business Lives)
March 5, 2007... 1. Superior public transportation, including express buses 2. Large number of retailers that hire older people 3. Major financial services center with sales opportunities 4. Office buildings with openings for mailroom and security...

Best of Bob Lape.(Business Lives)(Mai House)(Stone Park Cafe)(Tempo)(La Cantina Toscana)(Tini)(Tre Dici)(Beppe)(Borgo Antico)(Parea)(Seven)(Trestle on Tenth)(24 Prince St.)(Restaurant review)
March 5, 2007... Here are other recently reviewed neighborhood restaurants. La Cantina Toscana (2.5 stars) 1109 First Ave. (between East 60th and East 61st streets), Manhattan. (212) 754-5454. Perhaps New York's purest Florentine food in a casual,...

Spitzer's next prey: insurers; Bid to restore rate regulation alarms health plans, hospitals.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Gale Scott Gov. eliot spitzer's battle with the state's hospitals over how to reform the health system is spilling over into a new arena: the regulation of insurance rates. The governor recently alarmed health insurers by...

The Weeks Ahead.(Business Lives)(Calendar)
March 5, 2007... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events march 6 Association of Real Estate Women holds lunch on life after MoMA in Long Island City. 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 101 Park Ave., main floor. Fee: free for members and $100...

Executive Moves.(Business Lives)
March 5, 2007... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING ExlService Holdings Inc.: Sridhar Kadaba, 55, joined as vice president, risk advisory services. He had been director, global financial services, at Parson Consulting. ...

Spitzer gets what Pataki didn't.(Viewpoint)
March 5, 2007... Eliot spitzer showed last week what a difference an activist governor can make, prodding previously recalcitrant business and labor leaders into an agreement on workers' compensation. The contrast with the workers' comp record of former Gov....

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM 101.(News)
March 5, 2007... Under the current 421-a program, the city gives affordable housing developers a tax exemption for each unit they develop. This exemption is in the form of a certificate, which affordable housing developers then sell to market-rate developers....

Chilly reception for B'klyn rink; Mayor's plan calls for bigger complex; skaters protest loss of openness, views.(Neighborhood Journal)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Erik Engquist When mayor Michael Bloomberg went to Brooklyn's Prospect Park last month to unveil plans to replace the 46-year-old Kate Wollman Rink with a spiffy new Lakeside Center with not one but two rinks, he anticipated that...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Smith & Wollensky sold.(Briefs)
March 5, 2007... Byline: from staff reports and bloomberg news reports Famed steakhouse chain Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group agreed to be acquired by Patina Restaurant Group for $79.6 million. The $9.25-per-share offer tops a rival $7.50-per-share bid...

The Insider.(Briefs)(on presidential candidates)
March 5, 2007... Pataki presidential run still alive Reports of the departure of George Pataki (above) from the presidential race have been greatly exaggerated, say sources close to the former governor. Mr. Pataki released his New Hampshire staff and...

Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)
March 5, 2007... Byline: erik engquist WANTED: legislative director organization New York Public Interest Research Group JOB DESCRIPTION Advancing the good-government group's reform agenda in Albany MOST IMPORTANT TASKS Creating public...

News and politics: It's all about Daddy.(Viewpoint)(Americans support male candidates makes it tougher for Ms. Hillary Clinton)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Valerie Block Americans have spoken. They want to get their evening news from a male anchor. At least that could be inferred from the ratings race among the big three networks. While Brian Williams on NBC's Nightly News and Charles...

Developers sprint to beat; Close to two dozen projects will be started over the next several months.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Julie Satow Kenneth horn has one eye trained on the clock and the other on his construction workers. He is rushing to get his foundation in the ground for a condominium development before December, when a lucrative tax break will...

SCHOOLS CHIEF Keeping control.(Briefs)
March 5, 2007... Schools Chancellor Joel Klein (below) is pressing the case for continuing mayoral control of public schools, arguing that anything else would be going backward and that critics favor the "status quo.'' Addressing 300 business people and a...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Wyckoff Heights Hospital issues I owe you's)(The Oyster Bar & Restaurant)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002)
March 5, 2007... Troubled Wyckoff Heights Hospital in Brooklyn gave several senior executives and clinical staff members IOUs instead of paychecks when it had trouble meeting payroll late last month. In a statement, the hospital said it is "currently...

Broker case looms; At issue: liability for termination notices.(News)
March 5, 2007... New york's highest court is expected soon to settle a long-simmering battle over how much legal protection brokerages have for statements they make on termination forms. The forms are used to report details about a broker's reasons for...

Tech firm tracking road to riches; Medidata makes it to top of drug trial field and now eyes a public offering.(News)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Amanda Fung Seven years ago, Medidata Solutions had eight employees working in a 1,000-square-foot office in midtown. Today, the software company boasts a staff of 434 and satellite offices in Edison, N.J., Houston, London and...

New York, New York.(Briefs)
March 5, 2007... Byline: edited by Valerie Block Reservations over e-phone Could zagat.com get Skyped? A source says that master foodie Tim Zagat (left) wants to make audio a bigger part of his Zagat Survey empire. Adding eBay's Internet telephone...

Building code blues; Tangle of rules, ensuing costs frustrate hospital architects.(News)(Department of Health's Bureau of Architectural and Engineering Facility Planning)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Gale Scott Construction projects tend to cause headaches for architects. But when the ventures involve New York's hospitals, watch out for pounding migraines. Negotiating the maze of federal, city and state codes is bad...

Orbitz gets spa day; Travel giant nearing deal with NYC's Spa Finder to give users access to network.(News)(Orbitz L.L.C. will use Spa-Finders Travel Arrangements Ltd. huge network)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Matthew Flamm Orbitz could soon be adding spa treatments to its travel packages, thanks to publisher and marketer Spa Finder Inc. The two companies are close to an agreement to give Orbitz's millions of users access to Spa...

Fancy stores flocking downtown; Suit-maker joins movement; Pfizer arranges sublease at headquarters.(Real Estate)(Canali S.p.A. moves to a new location)(Pfizer Inc. subleased its space to Quebecor Inc.)(C and J Clark America Inc. moves to a new location)
March 5, 2007... Another luxury retailer is setting up shop in the financial district. Italian suit-maker Canali has signed a 10-year lease for 2,600 square feet at 25 Broad St., at the corner of Exchange Place. Canali will have such ritzy neighbors as...

Lighting firm switches to Queens; Nesle flees high Manhattan rents; Web site, reputation help stem client losses.(Small Business)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Gwen Moran After running her high-end lighting company for 30 years, Nancy Nesle still loved the business. But she wasn't thrilled about having to work so hard just to pay the rent on her showroom and office at 151 E. 57th St. ...

Wined Up for the Punch; Neighborhood favorite adds comfy wine bar; main kitchen spans globe.(Business Lives)( PRINT THIS STORY EMAIL TO A FRIEND RSS FEEDS REPRINTS MOST POPULAR SEND A TIP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Punch/Wined Up )(Restaurant review)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Bob Lape Punch/wined up is a one-two hospitality formula of great appeal and affordability. On the ground floor is the popular, 10-year-old Punch, newly furbished and decorated with blowup covers of Punch magazine and panels of...

Area firms lose billions in market value; Biggest index drop in 3 years; a few big caps do OK.(In the Markets)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Tom Fredrickson What do a maker of hyperviolent video games, a publishing and licensing company and the owner of a leading stock exchange have in common? Shares of all three--Take-Two Interactive, Marvel Entertainment and...

Designing Liz Claiborne; Creative chief will look for brands to acquire, help existing labels appeal to customers.(Business Lives)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Elisabeth Butler On the hit cable TV show Project Runway, co-host Tim Gunn can make or break young designers' careers with his sharp critiques of their creations. As chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne Inc., he'll do much...

All aboard the crowded train.(By the Numbers)
March 5, 2007... Noticed fewer empty seats on the train back to the burbs lately? That might be because ridership on each of the region's commuter lines rose last year, continuing the trend of the past few years. Metro-North announced last week that it had...

Progress report: charter schools; Advocate offers tips for success and points to stumbling blocks.(Education Report)(New York City Center for Charter School Excellence)(Interview)
March 5, 2007... Byline: Cynthia Rigg In 1998, New York state approved the formation of charter schools. By 2003, 18 charter schools had opened in the city. Since then, with the very active support of schools Chancellor Joel Klein and Mayor Michael...

DOES LAST WEEK'S ROLLER-COASTER RIDE ON WALL STREET SIGNAL THE END OF A LONG BULL MARKET? CRAIN'S ONLINE POLL.(Viewpoint)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... The majority of the 105 respondents to the Crain's poll expect the market to recover from last week's steep decline. Nearly 50% believe that the wild fluctuations caused a merely temporary setback; another 39% anticipate that stocks will move...

A dog's life.(Business Lives)(King Pup a business providing services for dogs)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Byline: whitney west James Phillips, 33, has walked dogs professionally for four years. His business, King Pup, has 12 to 15 clients--all in downtown Manhattan--and Mr. Phillips generally walks two to three dogs at a time. Charging $20 for...

Investors decide there may be plenty of profit in Lehman Brothers yet.(In the Markets)(Financial report)
March 12, 2007... The best way to describe Lehman Brothers' recent stock performance is strictly subprime. Two weeks ago, the shares plummeted 8% on fears of big losses from Lehman's exposure to the cratering subprime mortgage market. Last week, those fears...

REPRINTS OF CRAIN STORIES; reprint, post published articles.(Small Business Report)(lnoffz@reprintbuyer.com)
March 12, 2007... Crain's New York Business offers reprints of the articles it publishes, which can include photos accompanying the stories. To get an estimate of the price and the turnaround time, contact Lori Noffz at Reprint Management Services, (717)...

10-year story.(News)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... New york city added 62,200 jobs in 2006-10,700 more than previously reported. The official annual average of 3.66 million stands only 53,300 jobs below the peak reached in 2000. Every March, the state Department of Labor revises the data from...

Foreign exchange.(News)(show transfer plans of Broadway Asia Entertainment)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... In a twist, some producers are planning to transfer Broadway shows in Chinese back to New York. Broadway Asia Entertainment is in discussions to bring the Chinese version of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, with English subtitles,...

Making the case for 'loopholes'.(Viewpoint)
March 12, 2007... In December, the embattled chief executive of Citigroup assured investors that he was serious about cutting costs. Charles Prince said he wouldn't spend on small, symbolic moves such as eliminating "magazine subscriptions and black cars.''...

Shriveled profit margins make bank un-thrifty buy; NY Community stuck with high dividend and piles of mortgages.(In the Markets)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Tom Fredrickson Give new york Community Bancorp credit for trying. It has done more than other big thrifts to diversify away from the mortgage lending that most such institutions specialize in. In the last two years, NYCB has...

Spitzer rethinks Javits; Could ax current expansion plan to get bigger bang for buck.(News)(Jacob K. Javits Convention Center)(Governor Eliot Spitzer)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Anne Michaud Gov. Eliot Spitzer is considering scrapping a $1.8 billion expansion of New York City's convention center in favor of a bigger design. The governor will meet today with Sen. Chuck Schumer, who says the current...

Restaurateur finds hospitality in high-rise oasis; Nobu partner waiting on construction of his 3-bedroom condo to be completed.(Business Lives)
March 12, 2007... Byline: louise kramer When he was a teenager, Richie Notar worked at Studio 54, partying with regulars like Liza Minnelli, Halston and Andy Warhol. Later on, he helped his Studio 54 bosses Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell open hip hotel...

Broadway hitmakers heading to China; Nederlander latest to find huge market irresistible; creating show infrastructure.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar New York's most famous Broadway family is heading to China. Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment plans to announce next week that it is forming a company that will present tours of Broadway shows...

Effort to rein in pay gathering steam; Shareholders target 60 companies over CEO compensation.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Aaron Elstein In the coming weeks, nearly 60 leading companies will be asked to sign on to a seemingly straightforward proposal: Top executives should get supersized pay only if they produce supersized financial results. The...

NY outfit charges up green market; Gaia at forefront of cleantech; more education about products needed.(Small Business Report)(Gaia Power Technologies introduces PowerTowers)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Victoria Rivkin Last year, buyers ranging from a Times Square hotel and a chain of coffee shops to a dental office in Connecticut snapped up Bige Doruk's state-of-the-art energy storage and management devices. This year, buyers are...

Childless by choice; More of city's 2-income couples opting out.(Business Lives)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Samantha Marshall Manhattan lawyer Craig Lamster always knew he didn't want kids. He was so adamant that when he and his childhood sweetheart got engaged, he made not having a family a condition of their marriage. A decade later,...

Executive Moves.(Business Lives)
March 12, 2007... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli accounting & consulting AlixPartners: Steve Faas, 45, joined as director of information technology. He had been vice president and chief information officer at ITT Corp. Alvarez & Marsal: Mark...

Renaissance man; Heading up hotel's revamp: young GM with easygoing style and Katrina cred.(Business Lives)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher Thomas foti dresses more like a model in a Kenneth Cole ad than like a typical, button-down hotel manager. At meetings, he often sits with one leg folded under the other. The executive will also hang out...

Inept kitchen spoils Tavern; TriBeCa's Devin features rustic setting, capable bar, but food prep unsteady at best.(Business Lives)(Devin Tavern)(Restaurant review)
March 12, 2007... Devin tavern is a conundrum. The eight-month-old TriBeCa restaurant is one of the better-looking hospitality havens in the area. Created by the folks who gave us Dylan Prime Steakhouse, Devin has a rustic look--the work of Chris Smith of...

Now arriving: A380; Passenger plane will test capability of JFK Airport.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Hilary Potkewitz The long-awaited Airbus A380, the giant new plane that can carry more than 800 passengers, is scheduled to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport today after its first full-blown trans-Atlantic flight. The...

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar)
March 12, 2007... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events march 13 Women's Venture Fund holds workshop on skills for growing a business. 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., 545 Eighth Ave., 17th floor. Free. (212) 563-0499. march 13 Bedford...

STUDENTS SEEK HOST BUSINESSES; exploring careers.(New York city councils Exploring program)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... The greater new york councils Exploring program seeks businesses to host sessions offering high school students the chance to explore various industries and make better decisions about career choices. Exploring puts together groups of 15 to...

Happy meals not required.(Business Lives)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Child-free couples don't pay for tuition or orthodontists, but they help keep many other industries in New York healthy. Designer clothes, alcohol, and pets and their accessories are just a few things on which dinks spend discretionary dollars....

Fulton Fish starts fresh; Cooperative structure a boon after move; all-for-one attitude prevails.(Small Business Report)(New Fulton Fish Market Cooperative )
March 12, 2007... Byline: Cara S. Trager Things got off to a rough start for Warren Kremin after the Fulton Fish Market moved to its home in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. When the sprawling facility opened 16 months ago, the space that Fathers...

Rudy's law firm makes run for space; Bracewell & Giuliani expands on Sixth; fashion house opens local flagship.(Real Estate)
March 12, 2007... The law firm of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is gearing up for a 2008 presidential bid, is doubling its office space in midtown. Bracewell & Giuliani has leased an additional 24,500 square feet at 1177 Sixth Ave. for a total of 49,000 square...

WEEK IN REVIEW.(Briefs)
March 12, 2007... TV news producers out NBC and CBS replaced the producers of their evening news shows to boost the programs' ratings. NBC removed John Reiss, the executive producer of NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, after ABC's evening show, anchored...

ABC Home's letter-perfect; CEO restores furnishings retailer with unique items, unusual events.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Sitting on a tiny stool, shawl-maker Vankar Nanji Bhimji fingers a skein of indigo silk beside his loom as he chats with passersby. For generations, his family has done much the same in the Indian district of...

Bronx courthouse acquitted at last; Building to open in April; project for vacant Brooklyn site.(Neighborhood Journal)(Bronx County Hall of Justice)(Dormitory Authority of the State of New York)
March 12, 2007... Next month, six years after construction began, the huge, $396 million Bronx County Hall of Justice will finally open--nearly two years behind schedule. The project has been plagued by setbacks. Plans called for the building to straddle...

CEO pay exposes health care truths.(Viewpoint)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Greg David Herb pardes has made New York-Presbyterian the best as well as the biggest hospital in the New York area, winning U.S. News & World Report's endorsement as the sixth-best facility in the entire nation. The institution he...

Public lawyer pay wars; Agencies, interest groups hike entry-level salaries.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Hilary Potkewitz Nasrina bargzie was ecstatic when she began her job at the American Civil Liberties Union in September. It was her dream job--working on high-profile civil rights cases. What's more, it paid $59,000 a year. ...

st. Patrick's day dos and don'ts.(Business Lives)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Drinking is a wonderful thing--it gives you courage! But stay away from straight liquor, and stick to one type of alcohol; stop mixing. And don't drink Car Bomb after Car Bomb. Have one or two, but don't be a pig. Quite a few--including...

7 steps for passing it on; Detailed plan will help business survive into next generation.(Small Business Report)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Tina Traster In the mid-1980s, Joel Buckstein and his brother inherited GenevaWorldwide, a Manhattan-based translation company, from their father. The problem was that he had left no written instructions as to who should actually...

Hits & Misses; Fledgling firms' key moves.(Small Business Report)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Lisa Goff Small price to pay for overseas calls Back when she was a vice president of business development at J.P. Morgan Chase, Jenny Fielding was constantly running down to the corner market to buy calling cards in order to...

Starrett City bidder makes last-ditch pitch; Clipper says plan ensures low rents; foes want Mitchell-Lama protected.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Julie Satow The prospective buyer of Starrett City is making a last-ditch effort to save its bid for the Brooklyn housing complex by preparing a proposal to preserve low rents for the complex's 6,000 apartments and develop unused...

FIGHT BREWING Banks vs. governor.(Briefs)
March 12, 2007... New York banks are mobilizing support to defeat a proposal by Gov. Eliot Spitzer to close what he calls "loopholes'' that allow banks and other financial institutions to avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes each year. Announced...

At Deadline.(Late News)
March 12, 2007... SoHo is the most popular shopping neighborhood in New York City, according to the 7,500 people polled for Zagat's new shopping guide, which comes out Tuesday. Newcomers such as Uniqlo, Ugg and Alessi have helped make SoHo a hot spot. This is...

New York, New York.(Briefs)
March 12, 2007... Byline: edited by Valerie Block George's deal: twice as nice Abc news' chief Washington correspondent and famous overachiever George Stephanopoulos just struck a deal to write two books for two different publishers. The former...

Security firm's proven angles.(Small Business Report)(Peace of Mind Technologies)(Company overview)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Jon ecker learned a lot about how to ruin a sure thing from his former employer, a security company that went bust in late 2002. "There was incredible demand for our services after 9/11, but the video cameras we were using just didn't...

Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)
March 12, 2007... Byline: kira bindrim WANTED: executive director organization New York AIDS Coalition JOB DESCRIPTION Responsible for the coalition's development, fund-raising, financial management, administration and external relations MOST...

The Insider.(Briefs)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Erik Engquist and Anne Michaud New green rules taking root The city department of housing preservation and Development is moving toward adopting a green building standard that would apply to all of its housing projects, sources...

WILL RECENT COMMENTS BY RUDY GIULIANI'S SON DAMAGE the ex-mayor's PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS? CRAIN'S ONLINE POLL.(Viewpoint)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... More than half of the 564 respondents say Andrew Giuliani's comments that he and his father are estranged will have serious repercussions and put the spotlight back on Rudy Giuliani's personal life. More than a quarter of participants say the...

Best of Bob Lape.(Business Lives)(Axia Taverna)(Kobe Club)(Megu Midtown)(Brief article)
March 19, 2007... Following are other spots that garnered three-star reviews. Axia Taverna (3 stars) 18 Piermont Road, Tenafly, N.J. (201) 569-5999. An appealing new Greek restaurant from builder Michael Parlamis, whose firm has done a thousand of them....

OLYMPIC PAYOFF; City lost the 2012 bid, but development projects move ahead anyway.(Real Estate Report)(Mayor Michael Bloomberg's efforts to restore confidence in New York)
March 19, 2007... Byline: Anne Michaud It was 1994 when daniel doctoroff, then an ambitious investment banker, began researching what he described as "underused'' city neighborhoods. One thing that struck him was that New York was sitting on miles of prime...

Public Service pays off powerfully as big utility charges to 52-week highs.(In the Markets)
March 19, 2007... It's official: Investors have forgiven Public Service Enterprise Group for last summer's aborted merger with Exelon. Shares of the Newark-based power producer and distributor were among the few that hit 52-week highs last week, boosted by a...

SPITZER TO SPEAK ABOUT ALBANY REFORM; CRAIN'S breakfast FORUM, April 19.(Real Estate Report)
March 19, 2007... NEW YORK Gov. ELIOT SPITZER will discuss his first three months in office and provide an update on his efforts to reform Albany at the next Crain's New York Business Breakfast Forum, on Thursday, April 19. The forum will be held at the New...

How do I get into fantasy baseball?(Business Lives)
March 19, 2007... To start a league, you need six to eight friends who are similarly crazy about the sport. Major sites like mlb.com and espn.com host leagues that you can join or create, and they will form a team for you based on your player rankings. The...

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar)
March 19, 2007... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events march 20 The Real Deal holds forum on the science of real estate. 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Columbus Avenue and 65th Street. Fee: $30. (212)...

Wall Street's leading bull ready to charge ahead; Subprime buy weighs heavy on Merrill shares, but outlook is bright.(In the Markets)
March 19, 2007... Byline: Aaron Elstein When business historians assess Stan O'Neal's tenure as Merrill Lynch & Co.'s chief executive, his $1.3 billion acquisition of subprime mortgage lender First Franklin in January is unlikely to rank as one of his best...

At Deadline.(Late News)(New York City Opera and Brooklyn Academy of Music are holding a joint gala event)(law firms are hiring more staff)(Citigroup Inc.'s cost cutting plans)
March 19, 2007... The New York City Opera and the Brooklyn Academy of Music are holding a joint gala event on May 24, a first for the organizations. Cunard Line is hosting the benefit, called the Britannia Ball, on its Queen Mary 2 ocean liner the night before...