Ross Ellis

With the holidays upon us, it's a time to give gifts to our loved ones, friends and customers.

In a volatile economy gift buying could decrease for some. And at the same time there are wonderful groups doing important work whose donations are suffering.

This holiday season, rather than buying expensive gifts, I will be making donations to charity in the names of my loved ones, friends and customers. It's like giving twice!

Here is a list of top registered charities you may want to consider:

Alzheimer's Associaton
To eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.

American Heart Association
Our mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. That single purpose drives all we do.

America's Second Harvest (New name is FEEDING AMERICA)
The nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity

Brokers Build
Brokers Build is a campaign for real estate brokers to raise $1M to build homes with Habitat For Humanity in New York City
(Full Disclosure - the writer of this blog is a Broker Who Builds)

Darfur - Not On Our Watch
Focusing global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world.

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation seeks to prevent pediatric HIV infection and to eradicate pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs.

Feed The Children
Feed The Children provides food, medicine, clothing, educational materials and other essentials to children and their families domestically and internationally.

Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.

Love Our Children USA
The national nonprofit leader in breaking the cycle of violence against children. It has become the ‘go-to' prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect against children in the U.S.
(Full Disclosure - the writer of this blog is the founder and chief executive officer of this charity)

March Of Dimes
Dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

MS Society
The MS Society is a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS now-to move together toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. They help each person address the challenges of living with MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, and providing programs and services that help people with MS and their families move their lives forward.

North Shore Animal League
North Shore Animal League America, headquartered in Port Washington, NY, is the largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization in the world.

ONE
ONE is Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life - united as ONE - to help make poverty history

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly. All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay.

Stand Up To Cancer
Stand up to cancer raised funds for research in unprecedented effort to end cancer's reign
as a leading cause of death

Starlight Starbright Childrens Foundation
Enhancing the lives of critically and terminally ill children through granting wishes and hospital programs
(Full Disclosure - the writer of this blog is a volunteer with this Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation)

Susan G. Komen For The Cure
The largest grassroot network of people working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care, and energize science to find a cure.

UNICEF
Raises funds for programs and increasing awareness of the challenges facing the world's children. The oldest of 37 national committees for UNICEF worldwide, they are part of a global effort to save, protect and improve children's lives.

For other registered charities please visit www.guidestar.org

November is a wonderful time in New York City. The election is over and a new administration will soon be in place.

Friday (November 7^th) was the opening of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. It's a feast for the eyes and ears of every child and even adults during the holidays. The show runs through December 30^th.

Yesterday (November 8^th) volunteers planted 15,000 trees across the city for the Million Trees NYC Fall Planting Day.

Holiday Shopping

November 15 - December 29
The Grand Central Holiday Fair

In its 10th year, The Grand Central Holiday Fair continues to attract New Yorkers and tourists alike. It is known for its exceptional product mix with a choice of 76 specialty vendors. The fair consistently impresses people from all walks of life. Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall is a great destination for an elegant indoor shopping experience.

November 22, 2008 - December 28, 2008
The Holiday Shops At Bryant Park

The Holiday Shops and The Pond make Bryant Park the perfect place for shopping with over 100 boutiques, artisans, designers, and food merchants from around the world.

November 22nd until Wednesday, December 24th
Holiday Shopping in Union Square

Shopping at the popular Union Square Holiday Market offers a variety of unique items such as handcrafted jewelry, fine art, clothes, handmade ornaments, and toys for kids of all ages.

Market Hours:
Mon - Fri - 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday - 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Sunday - 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Thanksgiving Day - Closed
Christmas Eve - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

November 25^th

The Metropolitan Museum of Art unveils its Christmas tree, decorated with hundreds of candles, and an 18th-century Neapolitan nativity scene.

And across the park, the American Museum of Natural History decorates its tree with more than 500 origami animals.

November 27

The 82^nd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

It's like no other parade in the world!

And of course it's a time to give thanks with family and friends for all of our blessings!

November 28^th

Black Friday
The official kick-off of the holiday shopping season with stores offering major sales and Black Friday deals to lure shoppers.

From small boutiques to the big department stores, it's a shopping feast!

Bergdorf Goodman - Fifth Avenue @ 57th Street
Bloomingdales - Third Avenue @59th Street
Lord & Taylor - Fifth Avenue @ 39th Street
Macy's Herald Square - 34th Street and 7th Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue - Fifth Avenue @ 49th Street

There's also great shopping at:

Madison Avenue @ 57th Street -90th Street
57th Street between Park and Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue from 39th Street to 57th Street
Boutiques in Soho and Tribeca
The Upper West Side on Columbus Avenue

For Black Friday 2008 Shopping Deals Visit
http://bfads.net/
BlackFriday.info
Bargainist.com
DealTaker.com
TheBlackfriday.com

November 28^tha

Watch the tree-lighting ceremony at South Street Seaport for its 50-plus-foot tree, complete with caroling by the Big Apple Chorus.

November 28, 2008 - January 3, 2009

The season opening of George Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" at the New York City Ballet... a must see for everyone at least once in their lives. Contact the Box Office at 212-870-5570 or CenterCharge at 212-721-6500

Whether you live in New York City, are visiting or are here to look for your new home, do make it a point to participate in the festivities of November in New York City!

I am pleased to provide the Manhattan Sales 3rd Quarter Market Report.

While the luxury market played a large role in increasing the value of the real estate market. The sales from those apartments have continued to aide the market, even as the national business media focuses on the ailing national economy.

Manhattan condo sales have slowed and inventory has grown, leaving developers to negotiate but not slash prices.

ABOUT NEW YORK CITY

New York City is the largest most diverse metro area with 8.275M residents. Its rich history, the landmarks such as Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty tell the world of our ancestors. Wall Street, the global financial market and economic ruler is home to the top 6 global financial firms. It has been a dominant global financial center since World War II and is home to the New York Stock Exchange. The city has been home to several of the tallest and most famous buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building and formerly the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.

New York is one of the world's major centers of commerce and finance. It is also the force of global influence in the arts, media, education, entertainment, fashion and advertising. The city is also a major center for International Affairs, hosting the headquarters of the United Nations.

Many of the city's neighborhoods and landmarks are world renown. New York is the birthplace of many cultural movements, including the Harlem Renaissance, abstract expressionism, hip-hop, salsa and Tin Pan Alley. It is the home of the Broadway Theater in the heart of Times Square, in the theater district.

Surrounded mostly by water, the city's residential density and high real estate values in commercial districts saw the city amass the largest collection of individual, free-standing office and residential towers in the world. It boasts almost 6000 skyscrapers.

Culture is in the New York air!. The city is the second largest center for the film industry in the United States. With more than 2,000 arts and cultural organizations and more than 500 art galleries of all sizes, the city government funds the arts with a larger annual budget than the National Endowment for the Arts.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, the Vivian Beaumont Theater. the Julliard School and Alice Tully Hall is the largest performing arts center in the United States. Central Park Summer Stage presents performances of free plays and music in Central Park and 1,200 free concerts, dance, and theater events across all five boroughs in the summer months. New York City is considered by many to be the heart of stand-up comedy.

Retail statistics offer clues about the items New Yorkers value: clothes and food. City dwellers spend relatively large sums on apparel. And the city's restaurants and bars are expected to take in $14.9 billion in 2008, more than food stores' $12.6 billion.

The diverse neighborhoods of Battery Park City, Carnegie Hill, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Harlem, the East
Village, Flatiron, Gramercy Park, Greenwich Village, Harlem, Kips Bay, Lenox Hill, Lincoln Square, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, Manhattan Valley, Midtown East, Midtown West, Morningside Heights, Murray Hill, Noho, Soho, Spanish Harlem, Sutton Place, the Theater District, Tribeca, Turtle Bay, the Upper Eastide, the Upper Westside, the West Village, Yorkville and more offer the best of New York's neighborhoods.

Manhattan Real Estate

Manhattan Outlook

Average asking office rents are forecast to drop about $15 a square foot by 2012; vacancy rates are expected to climb through 2011, then improve slightly.

Fresh Housing

NYC Construction Spending

Construction expenditures were up across the board in the past five years. The nonresidential sector had the biggest percentage increase.

The current real estate market across the U.S. is one of the worst we've ever seen however, that is not the case for Manhattan. Real estate in Manhattan, although a bit slower, is thriving.

When thinking of purchasing a home in Manhattan, many watch what happens in Wall Street. People think that Wall Street dictates Manhattan real estate. It doesn't! The good news is that real estate is something that always has value.

So if you or someone you know is thinking about purchasing property in Manhattan, think again. Hire a trusted broker today.

Even with clouds and light rain, New York City's July 4^th celebration was spectacular. A few million spectators watched the amazing spectrum of colorful fireworks.

The views which are synonymous with the New York City skyline were called "million dollar views and temporarily stole the spotlight. This year the festivities were moved from the Water Club to a barge in Brooklyn.

More than 35,000 shells sparkled over the East River. Sponsored by Macy's this annual event is the world's largest fireworks display.

With performances by Gavin Degraw, Jordin Sparks, Natasha Bedingfield and Katherine McPhee, and music that ranged from Broadway shows, to rock and roll and patriotic fare, the night was wonderful. Seeing the amazement on children's face said it all.

There's nothing like the 4^th of July in New York City!