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What Cuba has done for me. Part 1
When I graduated The Culinary Institute of America, in 1984, all I wanted to do, was to get into a great kitchen and cook!
My parents had an alternative idea. They told me that I needed to get a business education, so I could understand more than just food.
I was pissed, at first, but their suggestion was perfect.
I headed to Miami, to go to Florida International University.
It was an incredible experience. It taught me to look at food, not only as an art, but also as a business.
While I was working at The Grand Bay Hotel, in Coconut grove, and hanging out in different areas of Miami, I immersed myself into The Latin Culture.
I frequented, Calle Ocho (otherwise known as 8th street) for the delicious, "inexpensive" food, to get my shirts from, Ramon Puig Guayaberas and of course, to check out the Latinas and listen to the incredible music of Cuba.
I graduated in 1986 and my mom came down to see me.
We went to http://lacarreta.com/ on 8th street and when the bill came, I paid.
It was such a great feeling to pay for me and my mom.
This was the beginning of how Cuba altered my life.
Stay tuned for part 2 of what Cuba has done for me.
The Dillon, 425 West 53rd Street, 402 - Clinton, New York
Move right into this sleek and stylish, 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo in the heart of the vibrant Clinton neighborhood! This spacious home has an open layout with 9-foot ceilings and wall-to-wall windows for a bright and airy feeling. The chef's kitchen sparkles with honed white quartz countertops and features a suite of Miele appliances, including a vented stovetop and separate convection and combination ovens, dishwasher, and Liebherr refrigerator. The expansive open living and dining room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows facing East with charming treetop and eastern city views. With excellent closet space, the serene, north-facing master suite has a spa-like ensuite bath with radiant heated floors, deep soaking tub and separate standing shower with decadent rain shower head. The sleek finishes include a double vanity, Hansgrohe fixtures, white mosaic tiles and Toto toilet. Also north-facing, the 2nd bedroom is spacious and quiet and is adjacent to the second full-bath with deep-soaking tub, crisp white subway tiles and Toto toilet. This stunning home even has central air conditioning and its own German-engineered Bosch washer and dryer. 425 West 53rd Street, the full-service Dillon Condominium, showcases an iconic glass façade with a sleek and functional design. Luxury amenities include a 24-hour doorman, fitness center, playroom, garden plaza, parking garage and residents lounge outfitted with a dining room and large chef's kitchen including all Miele appliances--ideal for hosting larger-scale parties! Residents enjoy the restaurants and nightlife on 8th and 9th Avenues and the easy proximity to transportation, Central Park, the theater district, and the gallery district in West Chelsea.
This listing courtesy of Douglas Elliman
Here are 4 short videos of our favorite places, that we frequent, when we are at our country house, upstate.
At the end of the summer, our Daughter and I wanted to give Zweben Ranch sweatshirts, sweatshirts that we had made for when it is chilly upstate and people come, underdressed.
to our favorite people in Hudson, who happen to be amazing at what they do.
After we made the 4 videos, I started to think what all of these purveyors had in common.
It’s not because they have the best bread, the best produce, the best restaurant of the best gourmet products, but that certainly helps.
What they all have in common, is how they make us feel. They always have time to stop and welcome us, play with Olivia and always have a smile.
The bottom line
111 Main Street
Philmont, NY 12565
518-672-7801
516 Spook Rock Road
Hudson, NY 12534
518- 851-9629
748 Warren Street
Hudson, NY 12534
518-822-0277
449 Warren Street
Hudson, NY 12534
518-828-6923
We have just released," the leading resource on the state of the Manhattan sales market. As always, our market reports are produced in conjunction with Miller Samuel to provide you and your clients with the most comprehensive and neutral market insight available.
While Manhattan sales did not keep up with the high levels experienced last year, activity remained well above long term averages. Re-sale housing prices showed modest increases while the market share of bidding wars slowed from last year’s record to more sustainable conditions.
At Douglas Elliman, we are constantly looking for ways to provide our clients with better information, empowering them to make more informed decisions. Our efforts to create this market report series reflect our strong belief that access to timely information is a vital resource in a market that is constantly changing. Committed to providing the best information in the industry, we are proud to offer this service to our clients. Explore our full market report series covering Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Northwest Queens, Long Island, The Hamptons, North Fork, Westchester, Putnam & Dutchess Counties, Fairfield County, Greenwich, Miami, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Los Angeles and Aspen at http://www.elliman.com/marketreports
3rd Quarter Residential Market report for New York City- #TheZwebenTeam
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President and CEO, Douglas Elliman
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| Paul Zweben |
| Douglas Elliman Real Estate |
| DIRECT: 212.769.9807 |
| OFFICE: 212.362.9600 |
| MOBILE: 917.653.5749 |
| PZWEBEN@elliman.com |
| 1995 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 |
It is humbling to get 6 Zillow reviews, all with 5 stars! We work hard for our customers and it shows!
★★★★★ Highly likely to recommend
08/30/2016 - user30045
Written about Paul Zweben on 08/30/2016
Sold a Cooperative home in 2014 for approximately $1.6M in Upper West Side, New York, NY.
Paul and his team at Douglas Elliman are the best in the game. They want the extra mile to help get us a quick sale at top dollar. . While we initially had doubts with their pricing strategy, it worked just as they said it would. . Paul and Carolyn also made the process of buying and selling a co-op a smooth process and took care of all those annoying details for us. I have recommended them to other friends and only hear praise.
★★★★★ Highly likely to recommend
08/26/2016 - dbw79
Written about Paul Zweben on 08/26/2016
Sold a Cooperative home in 2014 in Upper West Side, New York, NY.
Paul and Carolyn Zweben are a powerhouse and the most amazing real estate agents you could dream of working with. They are the most hard working and honest people you could dream of working with. Their knowledge of the market is unsurpassed and they get the deal done. They have helped us purchase an apartment and sell an apartment and both experiences were a pleasure. You can have confidence when you work with them that nothing is going to fall through the cracks and they will do what has to be done to make things happen. Whether you are looking to buy or sell you have found the right team. If you are a first time home buyer/seller or a veteran you are in the best hands.
★★★★★ Highly likely to recommend
08/15/2016 - sloanjust1
Written about Paul Zweben on 08/15/2016
Sold a Cooperative home in 2014 for approximately $1.55M in Upper West Side, New York, NY.
Paul is extremely focused, knowledgeable, and approachable. We were confident being in his hands and he got us great results, while making the process as painless as possible. He's a true expert in his field who literally does not rest until his clients are happy.
★★★★★ Highly likely to recommend
08/04/2016 - zuser20150610071825688
Written about Paul Zweben on 08/04/2016
Sold a Cooperative home in 2016 in Upper West Side, New York, NY.
Paul and Carolyn were fantastic throughout the entire process. I had a terrible broker before who was unable to screen buyers and get a buyer through the coop process. Paul bought me three offers within the first open house and put together a meticulous coop package. The whole transaction was complete in two months. Don't go anywhere else.
★★★★★ Highly likely to recommend
07/27/2016 - MrsCKK
Written about Paul Zweben on 07/27/2016
Sold a home in 2014 in Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York, NY 10024.
I've recommended Paul Zweben and the Zweben Team to everyone I know! They were tireless in their search on our behalf for an apartment on the inventory-poor UWS. They made spot-on recommendations about appropriate bids and negotiated brilliantly on our behalf, helping us secure our dream apartment. And in selling our apartment, they showed us how to market it appropriately and stage it to best showcase its assets. They also did a terrific job of managing our expectations about what offers we could expect and, in the end, managed to get us way over our asking price. In my dealings with Paul and the Zweben Team, I found them to be unfailingly honest and fair, which is rare in this business. I cannot recommend them more highly.
+ ART, 540 West 28th Street, 3C - Chelsea, New York
LUXURY. DESIGN. LOCATION. Come and experience this bright and spacious, mint 1-Bedroom at the cutting edge +Art Condominium. Email me for a private showing: pzweben@elliman.com
This meticulous home with bright northern light and open contemporary layout, has been thoughtfully designed by the owners who are professional designers. The +Art Condominium offers residents a comfortable, luxurious lifestyle with a nod to the industrial backdrop of West Chelsea's roots. This juxtaposition accurately characterizes the hip, booming, eclectic neighborhood in which new construction continues to emerge and blend with the warehouses and low-rise buildings from years past. Expansive walls of windows and high ceilings create a light and airy quality to this stunning home, while state-of-the-art finishes are both pampering yet understated. Enjoy multi-zone central air conditioning, wide-plank white oak floors and a sleek chef's kitchen with Subzero fridge, Bertazzoni range, Bosch dishwasher, honed black granite counters, and walnut cabinetry. The pristine bath has a soothing soaking tub, stainless steel fixtures, and custom black lacquered vanity. Look no further for a mint, new 1-bedroom home in one of the hottest new condominiums. +Art features a 24-hour attended lobby, fitness center, 2 common outdoor areas, stunning roof deck and landscaped yard and is set amongst the Highline Park, art galleries, flower district, as well as the some of the city's best restaurants, shopping and night life! Pets are welcome.
This listing courtesy of Douglas Elliman
What makes a good Real Estate team?
I have been reading a lot of articles lately on teams. One in particular was very interesting. The article showcased Amy Kite’s team, a Chicago powerhouse, Ranked number 138 nationally for closed transactions in the rankings, the team had its best year ever last year, with 341 closed transaction sides, more than double its previous year’s performance. 341 transactions???? #OMG
What she wrote about Real Estate being no Part-time gig, resonated with me.
Real estate is no part-time gig
Having children led Kite to start her career in the industry. She came from a high-flying career in head hunting, where she used to say she was a Realtor — but she sold people.
“I’ve always been in sales, I’ve just always sold different products. I changed from headhunting to real estate because I had just given birth to our second child and I wanted to be able to drop in at home any time,” said Kite.
Endorsed by Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran as her go-to agent in Chicago land, the former corporate executive has never approached real estate as a part time gig. She was in no doubt about wanting to take real estate seriously.
“The fact is that it’s a business. Too many people don’t look at it that way; they treat this as a hobby.”
Which brings me to our team and how we got here.
5 years ago, my wife was pregnant with our Princess, Olivia. Pryor to Olivia’s arrival it was me, Carolyn and Heather Burns. We were mean and lean.
We wanted to prepare for growth, both in our personal life and professional lives. We had already cracked the $1,000,000 Gross Commission level, with just the three of us, but wanted to get to the next level.
In the last 5 years, we have moved to grossing over $2,500,000 in gross sales commissions, which is the equivalent to $100,000,000 in annual sales volume and ranking #18 out of over 6000 Douglas Elliman real estate agents.
We now have two assistants and 6 agents on our team. We are constantly focused on our customer’s needs, from the minute we start working with them, until the transaction is completed.
So, how do we do it?
My training as a Chef for 18 years of my life and working in the restaurant business for over 31 years has helped me in my Real Estate career. From developing and running the Calle Ocho concept, to working with Laurent Tourondel at BLT Prime and BLT Steak DC, to working with David Burke at the River Café. It taught me the following:
~The customer is always right
~No day is ever the same
~Customers want to be communicated to, in a quick, precise way, with accurate responses.
~If there is an emergency, ie. Short staffing, running our of food, special orders; FIGURE IT OUT! The customer doesn’t care that two cooks didn’t show up and you ran out of chicken.
~treat people with respect. Every person in the restaurant is important. It is a living, breathing machine and it must operate on all cylinders. If you derail one employee by screaming at them, the machine will not run smoothly.
Here are my tips on running a successful real estate team and being the team leader:
~Always be positive, no matter what. If the team leader is in a bad place, the entire team is in a bad place.
~ Have at least one monthly team meeting, if no more. You should have topics to discuss. Ideas, how to help each team members business to grow. Talk about the current markets we are in. what is each team member doing for future business? Are there any positive or tough situations that can be shared, for the entire team to learn from? During the meeting, all phones are off and everyone is 100% attentive. Bring in guest speakers.
~Keep tabs on all individual sold and closed and pending deals.
~Be a part of all deals. I want to be cc’d on the majority of communication with the buyer, sellers and renters for the customers that the team member has generated the business. This model makes us stronger and allows me to participate with negotiations on all deals and maintain outstanding customer service.
~If they are my buyers and sellers, then just my wife, Carolyn and our two assistants are copied on all communications.
~Be a great attentive listener
~Be proactive
~Treat every member with respect
~Share your knowledge. Share ideas. Share how you generate business.
~Teach your team members how to use video and social media to connect with current clients, past clients and future clients.
~The most important tip I can give you as a team leader is to be laser focused, passionate and have a fun running the team. If you can’t have fun in this business, maybe you need to get on another ride?
Best wishes-
Tavern on the green~
Tavern on the green has been one of those Iconic New York city restaurants, since, 1934.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From 1934, the landmark restaurant was managed by restaurateurs licensed by the City of New York's Park Department. In 1943 Arnold Schleifer and his nephews, Arthur Schleifer and Julius Berman, won the contract to operate the restaurant. During their tenure, the dance floor was enlarged and nightly music was enjoyed. A large outdoor patio offered dining al fresco. Trees were first wrapped in the well-known twinkling lights around the property, and the Elm Tree Room was built to surround one of the city's classic American elms. The menu was designed to be elegant but affordable for New Yorkers. Luncheon and dinner offerings changed regularly, and Mr. Berman would often add special desserts to celebrate family events, e.g., "Parfait Ruth" to honor the birth of his granddaughter.
The Berman-Schleifer family ran numerous restaurants they owned and other New York City concessions. Among these were the venues at Orchard Beach, the Claremont Inn (1934–1948) in Riverside Park, accessed from Riverside Drive, United Nations Caterers, Manny Wolf's 49th Street Chop House on Third Avenue, and New York City's first air-conditioned restaurant, Schleifer's Fashion Center on 7th Avenue.
In 1956, the infamous Battle of Central Park, a scandal instrumental in the eventual downfall of Robert Moses, occurred over Moses' attempt to expand the Tavern's parking lot by half an acre. The event is chronicled in Robert Caro's The Power Broker.[3]
In 1962, Joe Baum's Restaurant Associates purchased the Schleifer-Berman interest in the Tavern's operation.[4]
In 1974, Warner LeRoy took over the restaurant's lease and reopened it in 1976 after $10 million in renovations including the addition of a glass enclosed Crystal Room overlooking the restaurant's garden[5] (one of several dining rooms), which doubled the seating capacity to 800. According to city officials it was illegal but the city, wanting the restaurant expanded at a time when the city was having its own financial problems, did not stop the expansion.[6] Since LeRoy's death in 2001, it was managed by his daughter, Jennifer Oz LeRoy, until its renovation in 2009.[7]
Tavern on the Green was frequented by prominent actors, musicians, politicians, and writers. Regular patrons have included former New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, actresses Grace Kelly and Fay Wray and many others.[8] Tavern on the Green hosted the wedding receptions of several prominent Americans, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler[9] and film director Walter Hill.[10] John Lennon was a neighbor to Warner LeRoy and his son, Sean, was a playmate of Warner LeRoy's son, Max LeRoy. As a result, John and Sean celebrated numerous birthdays at Tavern on the Green during the late 1970s.[11]
When the restaurant finally reopened in 2014, I could hardly wait. Our entire Zweben Team was invited to the opening party, thanks to our dear friend and customer, Steven Hall.
The opening party was stellar and we were so grateful to attend. The food was delicious and the whose who of the food industry attended. The new folks we are now running the restaurant, just could not get their act together and made some very poor hiring choices of chefs. This is NOT to say the chefs that ran the kitchen from 2014 are not good, it is just a monster of a kitchen and you really need someone who understands volume.
They finally got it right and hired a true veteran, Bill Peet, who was most recently executive chef of Urbo, a massive Times Square restaurant, and an alum of Lutèce, was named chef of the Central.
On our last visit to the restaurant in June, we had a wonderful meal. It was a special occasion, the celebration of my father in laws birthday. The service was spot on and the food was simple and delicious.
The iceberg wedge was delicious and so was the New York Strip.
Everybody needs a second chance, so go to The Tavern on the Green and enjoy!
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The Zweben Team is a team of licensed real estate salespersons affiliated with Compass. Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage. New York State Fair Housing. New York Real Estate Standard Operating Procedures.
