By Matt Chaban 3/23 11:09am

Checking in

The mysterious Mr. Chetrit. (DNAinfo)

Mysterious Joseph Chetrit Spotted in the Wild Pushing His Hotel Chelsea Transformation

As readers of The Observer know, Joseph Chetrit might be the most secretive big-time developer in a city full of the type. The guy owns part of the Willis Tower, for God’s sake, and still nobody really know who he is.  Oh, and as of not to long ago, the Chelsea Hotel, which he is thoroughly mucking about in. Well, his minions are, since Mr. Chetrit has never publicly been seen at the hotel.

But he did make an unexpected appearance at a local community board meeting last night, to defend ongoing renovations, including a penthouse he hopes to add to the landmarked hostel. According to DNAinfo, Mr. Chetrit said little during the three hour meeting, though he eventually broke in near the middle to make his case for the project. Read More

By Molly Fischer 4/27/10 3:14pm

FSG to Publish Marilyn Monroe

FSG isn’t the first publisher you’d associate with celebrity books. But when they do go the movie-star route, they do it in the most old-school way possible.

Promising to reveal “a very different side to a great star,” FSG announced today in a press release that they’ll be publishing a collection of Marilyn Monroe’s writing Read More

By Reid Pillifant 7/06/09 2:52pm

The Grande Dame of New York City Land Use

The way Doris Diether tells it, she was the last holdout in her Waverly Place building a few years back, when the landlord moved in someone new to intimidate her.

“Every time he’d go by me, he growled. Then one night he banged on my door and said, ‘If you think you’re getting any Read More

By Matthew Grace 1/09/06 12:00am

Upper East Side Gets Shaft-33B, To Be Precise

There’s no question that the East Side will be getting shafted—it’s just a question of where and for how long.

The Department of Environmental Protection, along with the Department of Design and Construction, is currently scoping out sites for the location of Shaft 33B, the latest infrastructure project for the long-awaited Water Tunnel No. 3, Read More

By Matthew Grace 1/09/06 12:00am

Upper East Side Gets Shaft— 33B, To Be Precise

There’s no question that the East Side will be getting shafted—it’s just a question of where and for how long.

The Department of Environmental Protection, along with the Department of Design and Construction, is currently scoping out sites for the location of Shaft 33B, the latest infrastructure project for the long-awaited Water Tunnel No. Read More

By Matthew Grace 1/09/06 12:00am

Upper East Side Gets Shaft—33B, To Be Precise

There’s no question that the East Side will be getting shafted—it’s just a question of where and for how long.

The Department of Environmental Protection, along with the Department of Design and Construction, is currently scoping out sites for the location of Shaft 33B, the latest infrastructure project for the long-awaited Water Tunnel No. Read More

By Matthew Grace 1/09/06 12:00am

Upper East Side Gets Shaft- 33B, To Be Precise

There’s no question that the East Side will be getting shafted—it’s just a question of where and for how long.

The Department of Environmental Protection, along with the Department of Design and Construction, is currently scoping out sites for the location of Shaft 33B, the latest infrastructure project for the long-awaited Water Tunnel No. 3, Read More

By Matthew Grace 11/28/05 12:00am

Neighbors Strike Plan To Support N.Y.U. Strikers

As the New York University graduate-student strike entered its second week, organizers were expanding its reach by enlisting support from unlikely allies.

To that end, last Thursday, Nov. 17, at Community Board 2’s monthly meeting, organizers from the United Auto Workers, which represented the N.Y.U. grad students until earlier this year, pleaded with the Read More

By Matthew Grace 11/28/05 12:00am

Neighbors Strike Plan To Support N.Y.U. Strikers

As the New York University graduate-student strike entered its second week, organizers were expanding its reach by enlisting support from unlikely allies.

To that end, last Thursday, Nov. 17, at Community Board 2’s monthly meeting, organizers from the United Auto Workers, which represented the N.Y.U. grad students until earlier this year, pleaded with the Read More