Crain's New York Business back issues from February 2009:
Warm Treats on Frigid Days.(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2009; ... maribelle is one of the best spots in the city to indulge yourself with a cup of hot chocolate. If you want to be immersed in the tea culture, the T Salon in the Chelsea Market has every kind of tea you can imagine, from infusions and herbs to ...
The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar)
Feb 02, 2009; ... Byline: maia blume This Week's Events February 3 B'nai B'rith Real Estate Unit holds lunch with speaker Anthony E. Malkin, president of W&H Properties. 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Cornell Club, 6 E. 44th St., Ivy Room. Fee: $60 in advance, $70 at the door. (212) ...
NJ spot passes test of time; At 38, Roberto's II keeps serving large portions of Italian food; price is right.(Roberto's II restaurant)
Feb 02, 2009; ... Byline: Bob Lape Many new jersey mayors and other public figures may be seen toting bags of food from Roberto's II in Edgewater. There is nothing untoward about that. Almost everyone who dines at Roberto's will take home a healthy helping of the overwhelming portions of ...
No rescue plan for newspapers.(Viewpoint)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Valerie Block In the past few months, the United States has bailed out bankers, car companies and insurance giants deemed too big to fail. But what about the newspaper industry? Are our newspapers too important to fail? Can a democracy function without a vibrant free ...
New York, New York.(Briefs)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: edited by Valerie Block Bloomberg LP's new game Bloomberg lp is creating a product dedicated to the one subject that excites its mostly male customers almost as much as money. No, not that. Sports. According to an e-mail from a staffer ...
In the Markets.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Erik Ipsen Polo dresses down for the times Polo ralph lauren corp., an outfit long associated with the good times, is running a surprisingly good race in bad times. As Americans trade down, Polo has emerged with some of the labels of the moment--value brands ...
GIVING OTHERS A CHANCE.(Business Lives)
Feb 02, 2009 ... After experiencing the difficulties and expense of the adoption process firsthand, one couple decided to start a nonprofit to help other families who can't afford it. Becky and Kipp Fawcett launched HelpUsAdopt.org a year and a half ago, offering grants of $500 to $15,000 to ...
Caritas nears reckoning; Queens system headed toward bankruptcy after millions spent.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Barbara Benson After months of intense negotiations among hospital executives, local politicians and state leaders about how to save Caritas, the two-hospital system in Queens appears headed for bankruptcy court within a week. Even the best-case scenario, reorganization, ...
CORRECTION.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
Feb 02, 2009 ... John Calvin Slemp is managing director of global security and privacy solutions ...
The Insider.(Briefs)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Erik Engquist and Matthew Sollars 2009-10 election flowchart Despite gov. david paterson's recent struggles, Democratic strategists don't believe that he will be challenged by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in the 2010 Democratic primary. Political ...
New clues to asthma causes; Researcher IDs gut bug as possible player.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Gale Scott For years, New York City's medical researchers have been puzzled by the prevalence of childhood asthma, the rate of which has doubled since 1930. The ailment afflicts 300,000 children here, results in about 200 deaths annually and consumes millions of dollars ...
In Brief.(Tremont Group Holdings invested assets of $6 billion)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2009 ... A hedge fund that lost billions with Bernard Madoff ceased operations and laid off most of its staff last Friday. Rye Investment Management, a division of Tremont Group Holdings, was responsible for more than half of its parent company's invested assets of $6 billion. Though billed as a ...
Private high schools multiply; Trendy Greenwich High isn't the only newcomer to sprout during the downturn.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Amanda Fung Posh greenwich Village High School, which boasts media bigwigs like Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair on its advisory board, will make its splashy debut in September. But it won't be the only new private school in town this fall--Claremont Preparatory ...
Company delistings on NYSE, Nasdaq head toward peak; Two exchanges relax their standards to stem the losses.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Hilary Potkewitz The nation's two largest stock exchanges are getting smaller by the day. At both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq, companies are being delisted at the highest rates in five years as fleeing investors trample the prices of scores of stocks to ...
WALL STREET 2.0; First hints of revival provide peek at the future.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: AARON ELSTEIN Don't look now, but amid the darkest times to hit Wall Street in nearly 80 years there are stirrings of life. As the new Obama administration races to repair the shattered banking system, investors are beginning to place their bets. They are abandoning big ...
Diane Keaton memoir gets $2 million bid; Book will focus on actress's relationship with her mother.(Business Lives)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm Diane keaton is shopping a memoir, but in keeping with the self-effacing character of the 63-year-old actress, the book will not be just about her. Ms. Keaton wants to write a memoir of herself and her mother, Dorothy Hall, who succumbed to ...
Mayor's dicey tax proposal; Plan to hike city sales tax faces fierce opposition.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Erik Engquist Mayor michael Bloomberg stepped further into a political minefield last week with his proposal to increase the sales tax and take other unpopular steps to plug a $4 billion hole in the city's 2010 budget. The path he must navigate to balance the books is ...
WINNERS & LOSERS Stimulus Edition.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Congress is closing in on a stimulus package. Last week, the House passed a bill worth $819 billion. The Senate still has to pass its own version, and a compromise bill must be drawn up. But the differences are not vast, and the legislators have reached consensus on many of the main ...
A budget balancing act; Ritz-Carlton GM tries to revive occupancy but stay posh; good pedigree, tough times.(Business Lives)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher As layoffs piled up last November, Greg Mendoza landed a plum job in New York. But the new general manager of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Battery Park didn't have much time to celebrate. He was immediately pressed into crisis mode. The ...
Harlem housing complex goes green; Buyer of W. 135th St. buildings will follow up with eco-upgrade costing $4 million.(Real Estate)
Feb 02, 2009 ... An affordable housing complex is set to go green now that it has been acquired by an investment fund specializing in transforming buildings into environmentally friendly properties. The Rose Smart Growth Investment Fund I bought 198 units of affordable housing and about 4,500 ...
Bankers, beware: D.C. calls the shots; Bonus furor gives taste of life with feds in charge.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: AARON ELSTEIN Lavish bonuses, as central to life on Wall Street as BlackBerrys, dinners at Bobby Van's Steakhouse and late-night rides home passed out in a Town Car, are under siege. Outrage over news that banks had showered their New York City employees with ...
Once-bustling W. Broadway turns into retail afterthought; Losing tenants as merchants follow customers to B'way.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: Adrianne Pasquarelli Two years ago, upscale shoe store Te Casan seemed like a perfect fit for West Broadway. The retailer built out a dazzling 5,500 square feet on the downtown corridor for its first boutique and promoted limited-edition footwear from celebrities like ...
Suggestions.(Special Report: The Future of NYC)
Feb 02, 2009 ... From encouraging incubator space to creating an idea factory PReinstate tax incentives for converting commercial space to residential use in lower Manhattan. --Barry Gosin, CEO, Newmark Knight Frank PCreate a New York idea factory to be able to go out there ...
Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: amanda fung WANTED: president ORGANIZATion Brooklyn College JOB DESCRIPTION Oversee one of the City University of New York's fastest-growing colleges MOST IMPORTANT TASKS Guide the college through the current economic challenges, while ...
Picture darkens for city's museums; Funding cuts, shrinking endowments, tourism decline make this recession worst.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Byline: MIRIAM KREININ SOUCCAR As a way to save money, the Queens Museum of Art will no longer provide visitors with exhibition brochures. The American Museum of Natural History has canceled its popular Friday night jazz concerts. And the Brooklyn Museum is planning more ...
James Brady: an appreciation.(Obituary)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2009; ... Byline: Greg David editorial director Longtime journalist and Crain's New York Business columnist James Brady died last week at age 80. When rance crain decided to start Crain's New York Business in 1984, he knew he needed a name columnist to give the paper ...
PARSING THE PLANS.(News)
Feb 02, 2009 ... The comprehensive health care plans aimed at small businesses from Aetna and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield offer more affordable premiums than previous programs, but with generally higher co-pays, including hundreds of dollars for inpatient hospital care. Premiums for Empire's ...
Mets beat Yankees in stadium game; All of Shea should be down by home opener; honorary markers in parking lot.(Neighborhood Journal)
Feb 02, 2009 ... In new york's megadollar stadium deconstruction game, it's no contest. Flushing's finest have a commanding lead, and they're bringing in their closer. As of last week, only the slice of Shea Stadium behind home plate remained standing. A Mets spokesman says the club is on track ...
NY's economic success stories.(Viewpoint)(Viewpoint essay)
Feb 02, 2009 ... Believe it or not, there is good news about the New York economy. Although we're in the worst national economic downturn since the Great Depression, three industries in the city are doing well. And therein lie a number of important public-policy lessons. Success story: The movie ...
Protection against Online Threats.(Business Lives)
Feb 02, 2009 ... ***** Correction: John Calvin Slemp is managing director of global security and privacy solutions at Protiviti. His title was misstated in the Jan. 26 "Expert Opinions'' column. ***** Cyberthreats tend to prey on people's navete. False Web sites will ask ...
Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar WANTED: chief executive Organization The Children's Aid Society JOB DESCRIPTION Running a 156-year-old nonprofit children's services agency MOST IMPORTANT TASK Keeping the organization fiscally strong during the ...
Best of Bob Lape.(Directory)(Brief article)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Other Asian attractions: Tengda Asian Bistro (3 stars) www.tengdaasianbistro.com 286 Katonah Ave. (next to the post office), Katonah, N.Y. (914) 232-3900. A colorful and appealing pan-Asian attraction serving hefty portions of delicious food ...
Was it right to cap executive pay at companies receiving bailout funds? CRAIN'S ONLINE POLL.(Viewpoint)
Feb 09, 2009 ... 527 VOTES Date of poll: Feb. 4 82% Yes. Executives cannot be receiving multimillion-dollar compensation packages when their companies are receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer ...
Ideas to help NY's economy.(Future of New York City conference)(Conference news)(Brief article)
Feb 09, 2009 ... In a telephone call preceding the Future of New York City conference, one of the panelists said he didn't want to sugarcoat the economic difficulties facing the city. At last week's event, sponsored by Crain's New York Business and the Partnership for New York City, no one did. ...
Down and out in NYC on $500,000 a year; So, how quickly would you burn through half a million?(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Hilary Potkewitz When president Barack Obama last week announced a $500,000 salary cap on pay for top brass at institutions receiving federal bailout funds, a collective shudder went through the corner offices of Manhattan. And the private clubs. And the trading floors. ...
Developer seeks to sublet pricey HQ; Broadway Partners will move out of Seagram Building if it can find a renter.(Real Estate)
Feb 09, 2009 ... After missing its $750 million loan payment last month, Broadway Partners is trying to save a little bit of cash where it can--at home. The highly leveraged real estate company is attempting to sublet its hugely pricey headquarters at the landmark Seagram Building, at 375 Park Ave., ...
NYC film industry at risk as Albany tax breaks run out; Allocation for state incentives, set to last until 2013, depleted.(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm A state tax credit program that brought film and television production in New York to a record high last year has run out of money, threatening jobs in the one sector of the city's economy that had been expected to thrive during the recession. ...
Even displaced Wall Street workers need some help; Initiatives help pros retool, open new paths, transition to self-employment.(www.careerlinknyc.com)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Matthew Sollars New york has launched a new effort to ensure that bankers and other professionals laid off in the Wall Street meltdown stay in the city. A Web site provides guidance for the recently unemployed on how to apply for benefits and links to job ...
Learning new language; Head of Univision's digital division needs to tap growing Hispanic market.(Business Lives)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Amanda Fung When he became the head of AOL's broadband business in 2003, Kevin Conroy was given the option of commuting to work. Instead, he relocated his wife and three daughters to Washington, D.C., from New York City. He realized that he could do a better job of ...
That's a lot of face time; For married entrepreneurs, Valentine's is just a day.
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: AMANDA FUNG Serial business owners Michael and Kass Lazerow started their first company, Golf.com, before they tied the knot. Since they were both working and living together, Mr. Lazerow had to pop the question in an e-mail in order to surprise his future wife. ...
Book deal for Swayze; Atria to publish actor's memoir.(Business Lives)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm Patrick swayze's much-sought-after memoir has found a home. Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, acquired world rights for the book, according to a publishing industry executive with knowledge of the deal. The memoir, which ...
Korean eatery joins the crowd; Boka serves `drinking food' on hopping St. Marks Place; service can be slipshod.(Business Lives)
Feb 09, 2009 ... The sun seldom sets on St. Marks Place in the East Village. Young and lively night owls troll narrow, jam-packed eateries of all kinds at all hours for food and drink. Add yet another Asian attraction to the block between Second and Third avenues. Boka is Korean-owned, and one ...
Newspapers rewrite the future; Politico, GlobalPost, others get pickup as major outlets downsize staff.(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm As newspapers crumble around the country, shoring them up and plugging their holes is becoming an industry of its own. A host of enterprises has sprung up to offer in-depth coverage for papers stretched thin by cutbacks. These new ventures are ...
The Insider.
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Erik Engquist and Matthew Sollars Hiring spree won't help mayor Republicans say Mayor Michael Bloomberg has hurt his chances of winning the party's ballot line this fall by filling his campaign staff with Democratic operatives. In December, Mr ....
Scion slips up; Golden boy Kent Swig's swagger now a stagger.(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Theresa Agovino kent swig seemed to have it all. The scion of a prominent West Coast real estate clan, he started scooping up downtown office buildings at bargain prices a decade ago and established himself as an industry force. The blond, handsome Mr. Swig lives in one ...
Misery Meter; Weekly reading on the direction of the city's economy.(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Feb. 9 Day that Treasury Secretary Geithner will unveil banking overhaul plan 1 pt. Gain in consumer confidence in NYS in ...
The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: maia blume This Week's Events February 10 American Business Women's Association holds networking dinner. 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Domenico's Restaurant, 120 E. 40th St. Fee: $30 members and first-time guests, $40 nonmembers. (212) 387-8134 or ...
Mayor: Innovators are the key; Insists NYC well-situated to attract major talent.(The Future of New York City)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Daniel Massey New york city's greatest asset--its human capital--will come up with innovative ideas to fuel growth and help prevent the city from returning to the dark days of the 1970s, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Improved budget management, record ...
Aiming to weather tourism dip; Drop in foreign visitors hurts most; hotels here hold up better than others.(The Future of New York City)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher The record-setting days for New York City tourism are gone, at least for 2009. A new estimate puts the number of visitors to the Big Apple this year at 44.5 million--5% fewer people than came here last year, according to Emily Rafferty, chairwoman of ...
Traditional media stymied; One-two hit of Web migration, recession has industry execs looking to 2010.(The Future of New York City)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm New york will continue to be home to traditional media businesses, insisted three top industry executives at the Future of New York City conference, sponsored by Crain's New York Business and the Partnership for New York City. But no one was ...
Creating a user-friendly development process; Effort to modernize will unclog systems, but builders say more is needed.(The Future of New York City)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Theresa Agovino As the economic crisis brings construction activity to a virtual standstill, the city plans to streamline the development approval process with such steps as computerizing portions of the procedure so builders can save time and money. Deputy ...
Dimon on offensive, but with some caveats; Says banks are gun-shy, calls for more regs.(The Future of New York City)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Aaron Elstein j.p. morgan chase & co. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon says his bank is lending aggressively as federal scrutiny grows over how institutions like his are deploying their billions in bailout money. "Are banks lending? They are,'' Mr. Dimon said at ...
New York, New York.(Briefs)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: edited by valerie block Legal battle on high seas Haggling with somali pirates may not be part of a typical job description for New York lawyers, but that's exactly what Bruce Paulson and Larry Rutkowski were up to last month. The partners in ...
Brooklyn residents want jailbreak; City plans to reopen, expand Atlantic Ave. facility; efficiency isn't convincing.
Feb 09, 2009 ... Boerum hill residents are waiting anxiously for a court decision on the Brooklyn House of Detention. Locals have sued to lock down the city's plans to reopen and double the size of the block-long facility on Atlantic Avenue. When the city moved the last of the inmates out of the ...
In the Markets.(Stock price indexes)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Aaron Elstein & Adrianne Pasquarelli Mr. Market? He's just not that into you Things aren't so rosy at 1-800-Flowers.com Inc. After posting a profit drop of 23%, to $14.9 million, for the quarter ended Dec. 28--the holiday shopping season--compared with the ...
OUT OF NECESSITY.(entrepreneurs Shenan Reed and Alex Golimbu startup with internet servics)(Brief article)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Some couples end up working together as a last resort. The dot-com bust of 2000 propelled Shenan Reed and Alex Golimbu into co-entrepreneurship. When Mr. Golimbu's Internet startup folded during the crash, he took a job as Shenan's assistant at ad agency Mass Media Interactive ....
Diminished mogul; Investors express disappointment in News Corp.'s once-revered chief.(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Matthew Flamm It isn't just the media business that is going through unprecedented change. Media moguls aren't what they used to be, either. That includes Rupert Murdoch. Like former Olympian media figures Sumner Redstone and Mel Karmazin, the News Corp ....
Fashion Week's new digs; Uptown move could unravel struggling garment district.(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Adrianne Pasquarelli As mercedes-benz Fashion Week preps for its Friday entrance and clothing designers try to reinject their garbfest with glam, industry insiders are greeting with both cheers and jeers the announcement that the eight-day event will have a new home. ...
Recession-time job hunting.(Business Lives)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Approach the job search like it's a job itself, and think like a marketer: How are you going to sell yourself while keeping your pitch professional? Pick three things to highlight about your career to capture a recruiter's attention. Be prepared, and have your resume and list of references ...
No, they're not crazy; They're entrepreneurs.(Small Business Report)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Steve Garmhausen Crain's found four businesspeople who, by circumstance and choice, are launching companies in the teeth of the recession. Bath Junkie is counting on the idea that people will want to indulge, even in hard times. A brash young real estate salesman, Jack ...
Squaring optimism with NY's reality.(New York City conference)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Alair Townsend This, too, shall pass. That mood of defiant optimism was palpable at last week's Future of New York City conference, sponsored by Crain's and the Partnership for New York City. Indeed, "we are very lucky to be New Yorkers,'' declared Mayor Michael ...
Harassed companies swat at gadflies; AIG, Citigroup, Time Warner seek to silence vocal group of investors.(News)
Feb 09, 2009 ... Byline: Aaron Elstein After last year's stock market collapse, it's no surprise angry investors are ready to storm the gates. What's striking is how far companies will go to lock investors out. More than a dozen of the nation's largest and most troubled corporations, ...
Stacked system allows huge salaries.(Viewpoint)(Viewpoint essay)
Feb 09, 2009 ... In a perfect world, company boards would hold executives accountable for failures and reduce or eliminate bonuses. Given the abject failures of the companies requesting bailouts, you would have expected that to have been done, but it was not. So in the words of Marie Antoinette, "Let them ...
NYC, London vie for the bottom; British capital seen as harder-hit.
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Daniel Massey To sunil hirani, the first hint of London's troubles comes in the form of empty seats on his twice-a-month flights from New York. Upon arrival, he notes other tell-tale signs: the empty streets, the omnipresent 70%-off sales, the cabbies complaining about a ...
Take a sick day already!(Business Lives)(Brief article)
Feb 16, 2009 ... if you aren't feeling well, don't go to work. You don't want to contaminate your office, and you aren't likely to be as productive. To avoid catching someone else's cold, keep your distance and avoid shaking hands. Use ...