Early Spring?

Good Morning. 🌸Warmer temperatures this week will make you think of all the Cherry Blossoms that are just a few weeks away. 2024 is a Leap Year and we get that extra day this week on Thursday. The one thing leaping this year is Nvidia which everyone seemingly owns. We’ve almost made it through the coldest months of the winter and while there was actually some snow this year, it was a bit disappointing unless of course you live in Buffalo!

The News
Taken Too Soon

💔Flaco, the majestic Eurasian eagle-owl who captured the hearts of New Yorkers after his daring escape from Central Park Zoo, has passed away, zoo officials revealed on Friday. Tragically, just over a year since his taste of freedom following an unsolved criminal release from captivity, Flaco met his end in a collision with a building on the Upper West Side, as reported by the zoo.

His untimely demise marks the end of an incredible journey that saw him soaring through the skies of Manhattan, enchanting all who caught a glimpse of his remarkable flights. New Yorkers will truly miss him and I hope he is in a better place watching forever above us over the city.

Planning To Move?

👮New York City's borough-based jails, intended to replace Rikers Island, will now accommodate more detainees than initially planned. Each of the four jails in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan will have space for 1,040 beds, an increase from the previous plan. This brings the total capacity of the new jails to 4,160 beds, but falls short of accommodating all roughly 6,000 current detainees at Rikers Island.

As the city prepares to relocate its jails, it is also facing a legal battle to prevent a potential federal takeover of Rikers. Since Mayor Adams took office in 2022, thirty incarcerated individuals have died in city custody, leading to allegations from the federal monitor overseeing Rikers that city officials have not effectively managed the system.

The new detention facilities located in the Bronx (745 East 141st Street), Brooklyn (275 Atlantic Avenue), Manhattan (124-125 White Street), and Queens (126-02 82nd Avenue). Keep these addresses in mind if you are planning to move.

Back To The Office

⌨️Were you getting comfortable rolling out of bed and starting work just a few feet away at your home office? Looks like things are changing and it’s time to update that wardrobe.

If you want to earn $200,000 or more annually, expect to return to traditional workplaces, as remote work options for high-wage earners have decreased since the third quarter of 2022. A report by Ladders, a career site for North American professionals, shows that listings for jobs paying at least $200,000 now represent only about 1 in 10 opportunities.

Things to do

• Disco is back at Byrant Park on February 27^th at Bryant Park. If you prefer Salsa that will be on the 28^th .

• UNIQLO and MoMA has a free event on March 1^st but you need to sign up first.

• Karaoke anyone? Even if you’re not Taylor Swift you can still sing in Brooklyn on February 28^th .

• A chance to lace them up for free at Central Park on Leap Day, a special event on February 29^th .

• Learn how to play Mahjong for free in Greenwich Village on February 26^th .

Let’s Eat

• Get transported back to 1950 at SAPPE, a new Thai restaurant by the team behind the highly successful and delicious Soothr. They hope to their guests back to a time considered to be the golden age of fun in Thailand.

• Smashburgers have really taken off the last few years in the city. Gotham Burger Social Club was founded by a former Wall Street restaurant analyst. Guess all that number crunching helped him find the perfect recipe!

• The Krapow Smashburger from Little Grenjai in Brooklyn puts a special Thai twist that the traditional burger to another level.

• Paris in New York? Buvette is a little piece of France in the West Village. Popular for their breakfast and brunch this tiny bistro is actually opened until 12am, perfect for that after dinner drink.

The Hood
Cherry Blossoms

🏨For $2,600, you’ll be only a few blocks away from Central Park on East 85^th street. Just in time for Cherry Blossom season in a few more weeks. For a studio, it doesn’t seem too small and it has a 24-hour doorman to get all your Amazon packages!

Did They Really Leave?

🤷‍♂️I keep reading that everyone is leaving New York so I’m not sure why home prices keep going up here. While it’s not the hottest market in the country, it is number eight in annual increase. Who are these phantom New Yorkers pushing prices up over 11.5% from last year? Maybe if they didn’t leave we might have been #1!

The Escape
Chasing The Sun

☀️This spring, get ready for a breathtaking show in the sky as the moon slides between the sun and Earth, creating a total solar eclipse. On April 8, 2024, the last opportunity for Americans to witness this awe-inspiring event from the US mainland for the next two decades, the skies will darken momentarily, revealing the sun's corona in a special display.

One airline is helping umbraphiles catch this amazing event. Delta recently announced a special flight from Austin to Detroit on eclipse day. This flight is designed to maximize the duration of the eclipse experience by literally chasing the path of totality. The journey begins as the eclipse emerges from Mexico, crosses Texas, sweeps through Detroit and upstate New York, before continuing into Canada. Passengers aboard the Airbus A220-300 won't need to worry about missing the view—this aircraft is equipped with extra-large windows, ensuring everyone has a prime seat to witness this celestial extravaganza.

Winter Wonderland

🚂It’s still cold in New York and you’re probably looking for somewhere warm to travel to instead of somewhere even colder! The views from this train ride in the heart of the Rocky Mountains with views of the San Juan National Forest might change your mind. It only runs for a couple of more months while the snow is still blanketing the mountains.

The Deals

• The National Parks have free entrance dates, the next one is April 20th. See the entire list here.

• The French ethical fashion brand, Apparis, has a sample sale starting on February 27^th .

• Internet slow? This router will definitely make things faster.

• Sony Pictures has a movie lovers sweepstake where you can win a 75” TV, a PlayStation 5, a Blu-ray player and a lot more.

• Want to go to the Oscars? Kelly and Mark give you a chance.

• Need a backup hard drive? You can reformat this to work for your Windows or Mac PC.

The Numbers
Back Up

Rents had been on a steady decline since peaking last August but the latest data suggests they’ve bottomed. The Federal Reserve stopped raising rates and that’s likely stopped rents from falling further. If they actually start cutting rates, as they are expected to in the next few months, it’s possible we’ll see a climb towards last year’s peak again.