Industry insiders whose legs were cramping after last year’s Real Estate Council in New York can rest easy: Next time, they’ll have a place to sit.
A REBNY spokeswoman confirmed our tip that the 2022 roaming event will again be a sit-down dinner, though “not quite going back to the banquets of yesteryear.” After dinner there will be a walking networking segment.
REBNY moved the mid-winter bash from the Hilton Ballroom last June to the West Side venue. Celebrities such as Douglas Durst, Scott Rechler, Mary Ann Tighe, Bruce Mosler, Woody Heller and Joan Podell nibbled on the snacks under the watchful eye of Daniel Cloud.
Not everyone liked the new format. One dealer told me, “There was no place to put dishes other than small table stands. I want a place to sit for 1400 dollars for a ticket. Our source said the tab will be $2,000 this year, which REBNY would not confirm.
A retail failure has claimed another legendary New York institution. Hammacher Schlemmer will close permanently on Jan. 14 after 97 years at 147 E. 57th St.
The store, known for its cutting-edge electronics and mechanical gadgets — once even a miniature submarine — will continue to sell its wares online.
.