Yahoo!'s new e-mail interface remains optimistic about the stock market

Noted

Forbes released their annual list of most expensive zip codes.

How a prolonged decline in the finance sector will affect next year's list is unknown, but there's already been slowing in prime areas around New York that depend on Wall Street cash. Amagansett (11930), on Long Island, home to mansions, sailboats and big cars, fell $375,000 this year to $1.675 million. Great Neck, N.Y., (11024)--the model for F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby--on the landed North Shore, dropped $310,000 last year to $1.03 million.

Crain's broke it down for us.

[Long Island] claimed five of the Top 25 wealthiest ZIP codes in the country . . . Two of the Top 25 were in Manhattan, and one was in Westchester. The rankings were based on 2007 median home prices.

Taking the cake for New York state was Mill Neck, ZIP code 11765, in Nassau County, which ranked third overall with a median sales price of $3 million. Water Mill, ZIP code 11976, in Suffolk County ranked fifth with a median sales price of $2.7 million, and Wainscott, ZIP code 11975, in Suffolk County ranked eighth with a median home price of $2.6 million.

Manhattan joined the list at No. 14 with TriBeCa, ZIP code 10013, which had a median sale price of $2.2 million in 2007. ZIP code 10007, also in TriBeCa, came in 17th with a median sales price of nearly $2 million. Bridgehampton in Suffolk County, Purchase in Westchester County and Old Westbury in Nassau County came in 19th, 20th and 22nd, respectively.

Bars and quality of life

Time Out tackles community boards and liquor licenses:

It was only a decade or so ago that the presence of restaurants and bars in neighborhoods like the East Village and Lower East Side defined a new quality of life there. Now . . . those same establishments are degrading neighborhood conditions. The fears usually amount to sidewalks littered with noisy smokers, loitering cabs and loud cell-phone conversations at 4am.

Maybe this will seem funny in a few years

National Debt Too Big for National Debt Clock to Handle (Gothamist)

Today's Post fails to instill confidence in the economy

The Dow's Damage: 13 percent in Five Days (WSJ)

Seen in the Bad Timing Department

At Whole Foods on Union Square.

Doing what New Yorkers do best

I'm all for good causes, supporting our public schools, helping with the education of our children, etc. Still, given this recessive economy, is this the best time to be encouraging people to go shopping? And check out the walk-off line for this Fund for Public Schools ad..."help support public schools by doing what New Yorkers do best -- shopping." Really? Is this what people think we do best? What does this say about what NYC has become?

Seeing this prompted me to revisit Jeremiah's shopping essay from July. Maybe we should be encouraged to save some money.




Spotted on Avenue C near 8th Street. Note the "this is light pollution" graffiti.

"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" on Wall Street

A (rather eerie, if you ask me) version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" performed on the steps of Federal Hall on Wall Street across the street from the New York Stock Exchange.



We can probably read into this in many ways...

Looking at old Wall Street

Well, old as in 1966, with this spot for Shearson Hammill. Love the ticker tapes and punch buttons on the NYSE floor. And the fat cat getting a shave...

A peace offering at Cooper 35?

At 35 Cooper Square, who, of course, has a big new shiny neighbor...

Rich people to share space with kids

At 20 Pine in the Financial District.

A comment

There's a lengthy comment about the coming global depression on my post from Friday that was titled From a gilded age to a great emptiness...