Crain's New York Business articles from May 2004

Crain's New York Business archives from May 2004

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
May 3, 2004... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events May 4. Human Resources Association of New York holds compensation seminar. 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., The New York Helmsley Hotel, 212 E. 42nd St., third floor. Fee: $210 HR/NY members, $160...

Making records d'Or; Indie label shows majors a profitable alternative.(News, Or Music)
May 3, 2004... Byline: valerie block On a sweltering August night in Austin, Texas, two New York record executives waited for a local band to take the stage at a dingy nightclub, lured by a promising demo tape. Not the hottest ticket in town, the...

Crain stories on databases; find published articles.(News)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Crain's New York Business is available on several electronic databases for readers wishing to locate published stories. Full text can be found on Nexis and Dialog. Dow Jones also carries full text on Dow Jones Interactive, Newsbank CD-ROM...

Reprints of Crain's stories; reprint, post published articles.(News)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Crain's new york business offers reprints of the articles it publishes. To obtain an estimate of the price and the turnaround time for a reprint, please contact Lori Noffz at Reprint Management Services, (717) 399-1900, ext. 104, or...

Silverstein retreat looms at WTC; Jury cuts payouts, financial pinch likely for developer's plan.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: christine haughney Larry Silverstein will be under intense financial pressure to reduce his role in rebuilding the entire World Trade Center site now that a jury has decided that most insurers owe him just half the amount he was...

NY's bid a shoo-in as Olympic finalist; But vocal opposition to West Side stadium a problem in race with London, Paris.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: anne michaud New York is almost certain to be among the finalists to host the 2012 Summer Olympics once the executive board of the International Olympic Committee narrows the field later this month. The applicant list will be pared...

Creating an attainable object of desire; Brooklyn Museum's new looks succeed in drawing more attention and gifts.(In the Boroughs)
May 3, 2004... Byline: anita jain The stately brooklyn museum of Art may not have much in common with reality television, but like those dissatisfied with their appearances on Extreme Makeover, it chose to go under the scalpel. Like the show's...

Wallse's Austrian classics arranged with modern steps; Kitchen and staff turn in exceptional performances; desserts are a must.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
May 3, 2004... Byline: bob lape Wallse, kurt gutenbrunner's splendid Austrian restaurant in the West Village, glides toward its fourth birthday with the happy harmony of outstanding food, a felicitous setting and winning service. It observes culinary...

Is the party over at Puck Building? Owner seeks retailer to fill event space; downtown law firm expands.(Real Estate)(The New York Metropolitan Transit Council, Laboratory Institute of Merchandising )
May 3, 2004... New york's party circuit may be losing one of its pre-eminent private spaces in the landmarked Puck Building. Kushner Cos., which owns the elegant red brick building at 292 Lafayette St. at East Houston Street, is shopping 40,000 square...

Queens housewife Estee knew how to sell dreams.(Viewpoint)
May 3, 2004... Byline: James Brady Half the magazines in the country, certainly every women's magazine, ought to run black ribbons across the covers of their next issues. Estee Lauder is dead. The family said she was 97. I can't imagine that...

HHC head, health commissioner address New York City's policies; Crain's breakfast forum, may 14.(Real Estate)
May 3, 2004... New york city's top health officials will discuss the Bloomberg administration's wide-ranging efforts at the next Crain's New York Business Breakfast Forum, taking place on Friday, May 14. Dr. Benjamin Chu, president of the Health and...

Getting into the space race.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... The idea behind the temporary office business-to lease cheaply, subdivide, furnish and rent out the pieces at elevated prices-has a certain visceral appeal that can be hard to resist. Just ask David Rotman. A year ago, he was in the...

Government Alert: Bipartisan effort eyed for mandate commission; Group would assess costs versus benefits; GOP to pick Mills for U.S. Senate.(Briefs)
May 3, 2004... The chairmen of both state legislative insurance committees are looking at creating a commission that would perform cost-benefit analyses on any proposed health insurance mandates. At least 21 states have such commissions. Businesses say...

Executive Moves.(Profiles)
May 3, 2004... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli accounting & consulting Berdon: Hamilton Dimaya, 40, joined as principal in the benefit plan and labor group. He was formerly senior manager at Ernst & Young. Charles A. Barragato & Co.: Angelo...

Corrections.
May 3, 2004... * Phat Farm President Bernt Ullmann's name was misspelled in the April 26 "New Executive'' profile. * The April 26 listing of New York billionaires cited by Forbes shows world rankings, not U.S. rankings.

Small Business: Rebuilt business nails down a niche; Construction pro Barbara Kavovit repairs to retail with tool kits for women.(Small Business)(Company Profile)
May 3, 2004... Byline: rebecca reisner If the true measure of entrepreneurship is an uncanny ability to turn defeat into victory-a lousy lemon into lucrative lemonade-then Barbara Kavovit deserves to stand with the best. Three years ago, as her...

Denim craze increases stretch in NY jean pool; Upscale brands multiply, retailers fit them in.(News, Koos Manufacturing )
May 3, 2004... Byline: louise kramer It's been only a year since Mavi opened its first U.S. store, on Broadway near New York University, but the Turkish denim company is already eager to grab a bigger piece of New York. To exploit the relentless...

Deceptive-ad lawsuits reaching fever pitch; More cases hitting courtrooms.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: tommy fernandez At first blush, commercials portraying a grudge match between two phone books wouldn't seem to be the topic likeliest to lead to courtroom fisticuffs. Yet three Yellow Book USA ads are doing just that. Verizon...

Publisher wields political power; Simon & Schuster writes success story with titles that focus on central issues.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: matthew flamm The Bush administration knew that former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill was talking to reporter Ron Suskind, and providing him with documents for a book. But the White House was unprepared for the firestorm of...

City's education dropouts.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... The resignation last week of school safety czar Ben Tucker is just the latest in an exodus of senior staff at the city Department of Education. Only two administrators remain from the original staff of Schools Chancellor Joel Klein: Deputy...

Tiny Google competitor searches for a niche; By compiling results from major sites, BlowSearch draws users, advertisers.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: anita jain Call it the little search engine that could. From a small office in a hardscrabble neighborhood in southern Brooklyn, an upstart company is taking on Google-the tech behemoth that dominated last week's headlines with...

After bad patch, temp offices back on the job; Occupancy, rents rising as execs choose furnished suites; new faces enter game.(Real Estate)(Occupancy rates)(Bevmax Office Centers)
May 3, 2004... Byline: judy temes Over the last dozen years, Randall Hensley's branding business has had its exuberant ups and its life-threatening downs. What it no longer has is the burden of carrying the cost of an office in tough times. Two...

At Deadline.(Late News)
May 3, 2004... TV production ready for action three pilot shows competing for places on the fall television schedules will be shot in the city if they are picked up later this month, according to the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. The...

Profits ignite Wall Street's hiring engine; Wanted: bankers, brokers, traders.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: aaron elstein Wall Street is hiring again, after a brutal three-year slump that wiped out about 40,000 jobs in Manhattan. From Merrill Lynch & Co. to the smallest boutiques, securities firms are adding bankers, brokers, traders...

Oxford takeover shaking up insurance buyers, providers; Worry about rising premiums, smaller payouts; AG investigates.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: gale scott UnitedHealth Group's agreement last week to buy Oxford Health Plans is widely believed to be the first wave in a tide of industry consolidations, one that will bring more national players to New York. The $4.7...

Hawkers walk all over new street vending law; Midtown restrictions ignored; group of veterans sue the city over license issues.(News)
May 3, 2004... Byline: lisa fickenscher A vendor was hawking sunglasses at Grand Central Terminal's Lexington Avenue side one recent morning, taking advantage of the rush hour, when thousands of commuters stream out of the building on their way to work....

City giving tax breaks, incentives; Projects will spur capital spending, help retain jobs.(News)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Byline: wendy blake The city has given preliminary approval for incentives to enable two industrial firms to stay in the Bronx, help a Bronx-based commercial developer and assist three nonprofits with their real estate plans. Big Apple...

VC moneybags lag; biotech is tops.(News)(Venture Capital)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2004... Venture capital investments in the New York area fell 38% in the first quarter versus levels in the last three months of 2003, according to the latest MoneyTree Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers/Venture Economics/National Venture Capital...

City Opera's a downtown hit.(Viewpoint)
May 3, 2004... When the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. selects cultural institutions to occupy new buildings at the World Trade Center site, it must keep one consideration paramount. The goal is to jump-start the emergence of a cultural district downtown....

New York, New York.(Briefs)
May 3, 2004... Byline: edited by Valerie Block A spirited production In the new Broadway musical Bombay Dreams, when a waiter carries in a bottle of gin during the party scene, it isn't just a prop. As part of a marketing partnership with Bombay...

New Executive: Getting busy with leisure; Rebound in hotel industry puts PwC's hospitality practice director on the road.(Profiles)
May 3, 2004... Byline: lisa fickenscher Cheryl boyer's recent promotion to director of the hospitality and leisure practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers could not have been timed better-unless one asks how her family feels about canceling a planned vacation...

Merger fairy tale comes true.(Viewpoint)
May 3, 2004... Byline: Greg David Just about 10 years ago, Crain's published a story based on the premise that Oxford Health Plans and other local HMOs would be acquired. I remember the story well, because Oxford founder Stephen Wiggins spent the better...

The Best of Bob Lape.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
May 3, 2004... Other restaurants in the Village, as well as in SoHo and Chelsea, that Bob Lape has reviewed. Mirchi (2) 29 Seventh Ave. South (between Morton and Bedford streets), Manhattan. (212) 414-0931. The Greenwich Village specialist in the...

Annual Small Business Awards; crain's seeks nominees.(Workplace)
May 10, 2004... Crain's is seeking nominations for its ninth annual Small Business Awards. The six winners will be recognized for their entrepreneurial excellence. The winners will have distinguished themselves by demonstrating a pattern of growth in...

BAM project picks tenants for downtown community; Arts groups get space; first phase of $630 million cultural district.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar The BAM Local Development Corp. has chosen the initial 12 tenants for the first project to be completed in the $630 million cultural district it is developing in downtown Brooklyn. The groups include the...

GOP heading to Tavern; $1 million in business; others wait.(News)(Tavern on the Green)(Grand Old Party )(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: lisa fickenscher Tavern on the Green seems to be the No. 1 choice of Republicans who are planning parties during the convention this summer. While many venues are still waiting for contracts and deposits, the landmark...

Stock Watch: Smith & Wollensky's shares are in rare form; Rising economy, low-carb dieters steer sales higher; expansion costs.(Stocks)
May 10, 2004... Byline: tom fredrickson The stock of smith & wollensky Restaurant Group Inc. has more than sizzle going for it. Encouraged by the company's strong revenue gains, investors have gobbled up the shares, driving their value up 65% in the...

TV upfront pessimism; Media buyers predict low network gains compared with 2003.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Byline: From Advertising Age, a Crain publication. This year's prime-time broadcast TV upfront selling period is expected to grow by only 3%, according to media buyers, a far cry from last year's budget-busting 15% gain for the networks....

Crain's Health Pulse.(News)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Crain's new york business offers free two-week trial subscriptions to its daily Crain's Health Pulse fax. The Pulse fax covers the business of health care, supplying information on mergers, contracts, executive appointments, regulatory actions...

Health officials to speak; Crain's forum this friday.(News)
May 10, 2004... New york city's top health officials will discuss the Bloomberg administration's wide-ranging efforts at the next Crain's New York Business Breakfast Forum, taking place on Friday, May 14. Appearing are Dr. Benjamin Chu, president of the Health...

Brooklyn studio sees big picture; Navy Yard's Steiner Studios inks movie deal and seeks more; will Queens rivals suffer?(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar When Jonathan Sanger produced the film Vanilla Sky four years ago, he convinced the city to close down Times Square for two hours for a special on-location scene with Tom Cruise. But when it came time to do...

Scandals cost Wall St. firms; Profits slammed by new regulations, client defections; Google stirs alarm.(News)(securities)
May 10, 2004... Byline: aaron elstein A lot has changed at Morgan Stanley. At its headquarters overlooking Times Square, research analysts' electronic access cards no longer work on floors housing investment bankers. In fact, analysts, who once worked...

Liz Claiborne's eponymous line shows wrinkles; Falls out of favor with retailers going hip.(News)(Company Profile)
May 10, 2004... Byline: louise kramer A new magazine ad for Liz Claiborne shows five thirtyish women, presumably friends, sitting in a country living room. They're all dressed in white skirts and tops, some with lace edges. The clothes are not too...

Silverstein can't do it alone.(Viewpoint)(Larry Silverstein)
May 10, 2004... Larry Silverstein's decision to rebuild 7 World Trade Center and construct the Freedom Tower on the actual Ground Zero site is courageous. He is doing so without tenants in hand and with his finances hostage to court decisions on insurance...

Government Alert: Vicarious liability toll is $132 million; Groups pushing to repeal law; new phone provider for MTA stations.(Briefs)
May 10, 2004... Vicarious liability laws cost New York car buyers about $132.5 million in the past year, according to the New York Automobile Dealers Association and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. The groups calculated the impact on car purchasers...

Progress on health care bills.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... A series of health care bills, generally opposed by business groups, are gaining ground in the state Senate. State Senate Mental Hygiene Committee Chairman Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, says he will introduce an alternate version of...

Employee insurance at a premium.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... While tenants have certainly regained their appetites for prominent real estate, insurers have not. Tim Brady, a managing director at giant Manhattan-based insurance broker Marsh, notes that there was a "sea change'' in the insurance industry...

Garden State's unlikely star; Transportation, rents garner attention.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: jeremy quittner Newark Can success strike in the same place twice? Heritage Management Corp. is betting that it can do just that in Newark. There, the developer is in the midst of a $5 million makeover of a dilapidated...

Banks corner market for top sites in boroughs; Explosion in branches drives up prices.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: kerry murtha The great landgrab waged in Manhattan over the past couple of years by some of the area's fastest-growing banks is extending to the far corners of the city. Last year, Commerce Bank Chief Executive Vernon Hill...

Once-quiet E. Harlem heats up; Revival brings in residents, retailers; new tower slated for Park Avenue.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: victoria rivkin When Philip Grossman's great-grandparents ran a small grocery store on 116th Street decades ago, East Harlem was a quiet place far removed from the radar screens of the city's real estate developers. No more....

Top-drawer furnishings for less; Buying new pieces no longer a given.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: shira boss-bicak There was no question that thriving law firm Olshan Grundman Frome Rosenzweig & Wolosky desperately needed more space. But when it moved to its new 37,000-square-foot midtown office, did it really have to throw...

Small Business: Franchise owners boxed in by UPS; New agreement boosts volume but cuts margins, they say; suit pending.(Small Business)(The UPS Stores)
May 10, 2004... Byline: laura koss-feder For nearly a decade, joe Wightman figured he had a great thing going for himself as the owner of a Mail Boxes Etc. franchise in Manhattan. His good fortune, however, came to an end. The first warning signs...

Schools facing crucial test.(Viewpoint)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Alair Townsend There's fierce wrangling in Albany over how much state money should be earmarked for New York City schools to comply with a court order that our children be provided with a sound basic education. Huge sums are under...

WTC insurers covered by courts.(News)(World Trade Center)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Developer Larry Silverstein argued that the destruction of the World Trade Center involved two separate attacks and that his insurance companies should pay twice the face amounts of his policies. Insurers claimed the policies under which they...

Teaching business as a third language; La Guardia program one of best in aiding immigrant entrepreneurs.(In the Boroughs, La Guardia Community College)
May 10, 2004... Byline: tommy fernandez With chefs clamoring for his bamboo shoots, star fruit and water chestnuts, it was only natural that Kevin Tay would want to see if he could also bring his imported Asian delicacies to retailers. But he needed...

NY Post's surging circ threatens arch rival; No. 2 tabloid closing in on Daily News, but big retail advertisers remain elusive.(News)(new york)
May 10, 2004... Byline: matthew flamm Like a rug merchant haggling at an old-fashioned bazaar, the New York Post won't take no for an answer. As if its 25-cent newsstand price weren't already a bargain, readers can sign up for daily home delivery at $1 a...

Trophy towers outshine all others in midtown; Don't lose luster in sluggish markets; rents edging up.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: lorraine kreahling Next year, a gaping hole will open in the tenant roster at the 1950s-vintage Seagram Building. Vivendi will vacate 160,000 square feet and a taker for the space has yet to emerge in a market still far from...

Executive Moves.(Profiles)
May 10, 2004... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli accounting & consulting Find/SVP Inc.: Marc C. Litvinoff, 43, joined as chief operating officer of the advisory, research and consulting firm. He was formerly president and chief executive at RHK. Rick...

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
May 10, 2004... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events May 12. Naked Meetings holds business networking meeting. 6:05 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Slate, 54 W. 21st St. Fee: $39.55. (866) 388-6599, ext. 704, or www.nakedmeetings.com. May 12. Amper...

Banking on upturn; Financial firms sign deals for bigger offices, pull space from sublease market; some doubt rebound's strength.(Economy Watch)
May 10, 2004... Byline: christine haughney In an early sign that Manhattan's commercial leasing market may be on the verge of a turnaround, financial institutions are signing deals for office space, inquiring about space to rent and pulling their excess...

HQ buyer forgives lovable quirks.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)(headquarters)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... When Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft's partners decided that the time had come to leave their headquarters at 100 Maiden Lane, they feared that the 75-year-old property would be a tough sell. After all, it is really three buildings sharing one...

How Cadwalader capped historic downtown deal; Law firm calls on Studley to craft big post-9/11 lease.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: christine haughney This week, more than two dozen of the city's top real estate deal makers will convene after hours to formally toast the biggest transaction downtown since the terrorist attack of Sept. 11: law firm Cadwalader...

Playboy seeks top edit talent modeled on Hefner's vision; Director must keep British lads at bay; CUNY opening.(Workplace)(City University of New York)
May 10, 2004... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar The media world is buzzing over who will get the next chance to remake Playboy magazine and try to bring it back to its former glory. Less than two years ago, James Kaminsky was brought in from lad...

Madison Ave.'s cachet corroded by vacancies; Empty stores pock most prestigious strip in the city; renters resist rises.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: lisa goff The faces of aging fashionistas aren't the only things sagging on Madison Avenue these days. Like some of its wealthiest patrons, the city's premier shopping strip has seen better days. Rents that used to top out at...

Decking out the waterfront; Hudson Park anchors redevelopment.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: stan luxenberg Yonkers When they park their vehicles for the night, Yonkers school bus drivers get a breathtaking view of the Hudson River and the Jersey Palisades beyond. But the days of that scenic parking lot and other...

Triumph of the Tenant Brokers; Market forces conspire to provide momentum as brokers wrest deals from full-service firms.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)(Wickersham & Taft)
May 10, 2004... Byline: Andrew Marks When cadwalader Wickersham & Taft began its quest last year for space for its new headquarters, the law firm's search committee screened eight brokerage firms. "We were looking to make a very big move, and it was...

At Deadline.(Late News)
May 10, 2004... FAO Schwarz ready to play fao schwarz is staging its comeback. Last week, the famed toy merchant held a "casting call'' to hire staff for its shuttered Fifth Avenue flagship, which is slated to reopen by the end of summer. A Manhattan...

Where 2 Yalies parted ways over U.S. military service.(Viewpoint)(Dick Cheney, John Chafee)(Column)
May 10, 2004... Byline: James Brady Let's call this column "A tale of two Yalies.'' Both men were Yale dropouts, both were Republicans, both became politicians, and both were elected to great offices. But when the nation went to war and young men put...

New Executive: Improving Eye's visibility; WCBS news hauls in co-anchor with star power for a ratings lift.(Profiles)(WCBS, New York, New York (Television))
May 10, 2004... Byline: valerie block When roz Abrams made the leap from television station intern to on-camera reporter in 1972, she got a queasy feeling. In fact, she threw up three times before her first appearance on Lansing, Mich.'s WJIM. "There...

Heavy traffic for Class A space; Prices soar, demand exceeds supply.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: laura koss-feder Long Island One of the biggest buyers of Long Island commercial real estate says he is hungry for more. After spending $200 million last year to purchase the 1.1 million-square-foot EAB Plaza office complex in...

Goodbye, Columbus.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... In a notable shift from the 1990s, Broadway has become more desirable than Columbus Avenue among fashion retailers. In the past, retailers chose Columbus because its smaller scale allowed stores to stand out more. By the early 1990s, rents...

Sub shop becomes big cheese.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)(Quiznos Sub.)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... When it comes to snapping up retail real estate in the areas beyond Manhattan in the past few years, the undisputed leader is Quiznos Sub. Since the Denver-based sandwich shop made its first appearance in Brooklyn in 2000, it has added nearly...

Sloping trophy is odd man out.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... With one notable exception, New York's trophy buildings all feature an enviable, if not illogical, combination of stratospheric rents and rock-bottom vacancy rates. The odd man out is the 50-story tower with the gently sloping facade of dark...

Taking on new roles.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... Happily for brokers, one problem common in many emerging market cities-an acute shortage of available space-has proved to be a major boon. Instead of simply brokering leases, the firms are helping clients to acquire raw land and to build their...

Legal solution to towering woe; Law firms fill void at Times Square accidental spec building; rents rise.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: steve garmhausen The era of big speculative office buildings-towers constructed before tenants are lined up-had been over for years. Or at least it was until 2002, when Boston Properties accidentally became the proud owner of a...

Tall buildings rebound as fear of heights abates; Rising rentals aided by better security.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: steve garmhausen More than two and a half years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Manhattan's tall buildings are no longer taboo. Three of the city's most prominent skyscrapers-the Empire State, Chrysler and MetLife...

Color that menu green; Upgraded salads help McDonald's outlets earn extra lettuce.(News)
May 10, 2004... Byline: lisa fickenscher On a recent afternoon, a school group in town for a Broadway play was seated at the McDonald's on West 42nd Street. The usual burgers, fries and sodas were spread out in front of the kids, but instead of merely...

Coro seeks leaders; june 4 deadline.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... The coro new york leadership center is accepting applications for the Leadership New York program. It seeks midcareer executives from the private, public and nonprofit sectors who are committed to strengthening New York City. Participants...

Upper W. Side retailers trying out for Broadway; Fashion stores, others push rents up on stretch from 60th to 110th.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: wendy davis Soon, people who live near West 107th Street-and have money to burn-will not have to travel far for their gourmet groceries. Upscale supermarket Garden of Eden, the kind of place that sells Rougie goose foie gras...

Brokers place their bets on India, outsourcing; NY real estate firms help clients set up shop in Bangalore; not at all like home.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: daniel gross The market for new office space in midtown Manhattan may be cool, but in Bangalore, India, it's red-hot. "Close to 2.5 million square feet of space has been absorbed in Bangalore alone in the past year,'' says...

Firms make offbeat hires to gain competitive edge; Historians, chefs, astrologers provide crucial services; a useful marketing tool.(Workplace)
May 10, 2004... Byline: tommy fernandez During the fiercest battles of the Civil War, American Express messengers delivered parcels to Union soldiers under blankets of cannon fire. The firm raced gold-laden ships to cash-strapped customers in London...

Reprints of Crain's stories.(Workplace)
May 10, 2004... Crain's offers reprints of its published articles. Please contact Lori Noffz at Reprint Management Services, (717) 399-1900, ext. 104, or e-mail her at lnoffz@reprintbuyer.com. Readers making their own reprints or posting a story should...

New York, New York.(Briefs)(Citarella restaurant)(Madison Avenue shop)
May 10, 2004... Byline: edited by Valerie Block Trump's advice at write price Donald Trump is going for a bargain. How to Get Rich, the Apprentice star's latest literary effort, is one of a growing number of Random House Inc. hardcover books that have...

Foreign buyers develop appetite for Chelsea; Lured from midtown by higher yields.(Special Report: Commercial Real Estate)
May 10, 2004... Byline: j. alex tarquinio Late last year, when the Chelsea Market got a new landlord, many real estate brokers were shocked. It is not that there is anything wrong with the 70-year-old, eight-story, 1.1 million-square-foot building. It...