Interview by Rachel Brunet, director and editor-in-chief of Le Petit Journal New York

BARNES New York invites you in its series of articles untitled “New York City Neighborhoods”, where you can regularly discover the different districts of the city, in the eyes of French speakers who have settled there. They tell us all about their neighborhood, in their words, their tastes, their habits. Today we explore Turtle Bay — a district located in Midtown East, with Lidia Del Pozo, Senior Business Development Officer, VP at Bank of the West BNP Paribas Wealth Management. She tells us about the neighborhood she has lived in for over a year with her family.

Lepetitjournal.com New York : You live in Turtle Bay. What attracted you to this neighborhood?

The reason I decided to live here is not for the neighborhood itself, but especially for its location in Manhattan. Before moving to New York with my husband and daughter, we took just five days to decide on the neighborhood and apartment we would live in. The Turtle Bay neighborhood stood out for us because of its central location in the city. We thought that it would be the best way to be close to all the city’s points of interest. The other reason, which confirmed our choice, was the proximity of my workplace. Indeed, I work for BNP Paribas Wealth Management which is also located in Midtown, and therefore a few blocks away from home.

Can you tell us about life in this neighborhood, the atmosphere? What makes it live, what drives it?

I would say that this neighborhood doesn’t have just one identity. I would be unable to say if this is a residential area only or an office district or an embassy district. Turtle Bay is a bit of everything at the same time: there is simultaneously a neighborhood life, with its small local shops, its small bars and restaurants, nurseries, playgrounds, but also an office district, therefore very lively Monday to Friday, with a lot of people in the streets very early in the morning and during lunch breaks. And in this mixed landscape sits the headquarters of the United Nations and a few embassies that revolve around this majestic building, the most beautiful in the city, in my opinion. Obviously, when General Assemblies take place, the district takes on a new face. The district is then under very strict protection and becomes a little locked down and paralyzed. These few days are not very pleasant but not unlivable either. The organization is quite impressive!

And it’s exciting! That’s what makes this district extremely lively and international.

You live near the United Nations Headquarters, where French is one of the official working languages. Do we hear Molière’s language a lot in the streets of Turtle Bay?

Yes, indeed, French is a language that’s heard very regularly on the sidewalks, between two colleagues who go to their office at the United Nations, who we can easily identify in the street because they very often wear their access badge to the building around their neck; or the families I meet when I go to the playground with my daughter, for example. There are a lot of francophones in Turtle Bay. To give a fairly representative example, at the nursery my daughter attends, in her class, out of 10 students, 4 come from French-speaking families! Being able to speak French is of course very practical, especially at first, and always a good way to create new relationships very quickly, although it makes me practice my English less.

Your favorite places in Turtle Bay?

One of my favorite places in my neighborhood is probably the Grand Central Market, which is located on the grounds of Grand Central Station itself. It is a single alley where we find a succession of small stands who offer fresh and good quality products. Despite the fact that it is indoor, the atmosphere is close to that of a traditional market and the merchants are very nice. What I love most about this neighborhood is the fact that it is right on the East River. I am lucky to have a nice river view from my apartment and to be able to witness some really beautiful sunrises. Simple walks along the river are very pleasant and a bit of a change of scenery from the urban, city life.

Is this a neighborhood that you recommend for those who want to buy or rent?

I am not an expert in the real estate market, however what I can say intuitively when it comes to renting, yes it is a neighborhood that I recommend, because it is good to live and as I already have mentioned, it is ideally located in Manhattan to discover the city. Among the other reasons, the proximity to the river, the security and safety brought by the presence of the United Nations headquarters and finally, the very cosmopolitan aspect of the neighborhood. Regarding the purchase of a property, I would evoke the same motivations with the addition of the fact that it is a neighborhood quite popular with expats working at the United Nations, therefore with a certain demand on the market.

If you had to describe Turtle Bay in three words? 

If I had to describe Turtle Bay in three words, I would say that it is lively district, a very cosmopolitan district and therefore conducive to meetings and a multi-faceted district where personal and professional lives mingle.

Experts Discuss – Turtle Bay

Rental market:

In March 2021, the median rent for an apartment in Turtle Bay was $ 2,200 for a studio (-40% over one year), $ 3,200 for one bedroom (flat), $ 4,000 for two bedrooms (-20%) and $ 6,200 for three bedrooms (+ 24%).

Sales market:

At the end of Q4 2020, across Turtle Bay as a whole, the median asking asking price of sellers stood at $ 950k (when the Manhattan average is $ 1M) showing a significant increase in the order of 20% over one year with $ 1,207 / square foot and around sixty transactions over the quarter.

Interview by Rachel Brunet, director and editor-in-chief of Le Petit Journal New York

Read the article in Le Petit Journal New York

Interview by Rachel Brunet, director and editor-in-chief of Petit Journal New York

BARNES New York invites you in its series of articles untitled “New York City Neighborhoods”, where you can regularly discover the different districts of the city, in the eyes of French speakers who have settled there. They tell us all about their neighborhood, in their words, their tastes, their habits. Today we explore the Upper East Side, with JC Agid, founder of 37EAST, a media and development consulting agency in the United States, Mexico and France.

Rachel Brunet for Le Petit Journal New York: You live in the Upper East Side. What attracted you to this neighborhood?

JC Agid : by chance, of course, on a September day years ago. During my first stay in New York, last-minute trip decided in less than 48 hours, with one week to fill between the end of my studies and my job in Bry-sur-Marne. I was waiting on the sidewalk of a street on the Upper East Side, not far from Central Park, for the arrival of a family that a Parisian friend had introduced to me by phone to put me up for two or three nights. I returned two years later to New York and with the exception of one year spent on 113th Street in the Columbia University neighborhood and another at the top of a soulless tower at the intersection of Central Park North and West, I ended up always living in the Upper East Side.

But I moved to different floors, different horizons too. After having lived for a long time in an apartment in one of those little townhouses that line the peaceful streets to the west of the Upper East, a paradise for mice and either boiling hot or icy showers, I settled on the top floor of a huge apartment building near the East River. In front of me, an ambitious view, gigantic even, with the Carlyle, the treetops of Central Park, Columbus Circle, Times Square and New Jersey in constant spectacle.

Can you tell us about life in this neighborhood, the atmosphere? What makes it live, what drives it?

The atmosphere ? That of a district without tourists, of a tidy, almost monotonous city. We live in Yorkville, but we don’t visit it. There are little shops here and there, faces that we meet every day, stories that we share. But we are far from the charm of the neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill or Morningside Heights. There is in Yorkville a strange and family quietness and calm brought by the surrounding schools.

You live near the French High school (Lycée Français). Do we hear Molière’s language a lot in the UES?

Like everywhere in New York, you hear all kinds of languages, and sometimes English. Many French families live near the LFNY (French High school of New York) and the high school students a very particular sound bring to this district. This is not a neighborhood where you can show off, on the contrary, you would almost tend to hide there.

Your favorite places, your good places to go or maybe even your habits?

Les Frenchies, on 75th Street, between York Ave and FDR, the door next to LFNY, for croissants, is the best in town along with another bakery on 78th Street. But in addition to croissants and pains au chocolat, quiches and coffee éclairs, I meet the boss Michèle Saint Laurent and her partner, Aksana Ivaniuk there. All my friends spend some time there with their children at all hours of the day. More than a bakery with its terrace, Les Frenchies has become the small French grocery store in the neighborhood. There is always a smiling, family and happy atmosphere. Les Frenchies are the heart of my discreet village. This has no price. The best address in the neighborhood.

There was another cafe too, with a more American feel, but this one, Beanocchio’s, was an economic victim of Covid19 and closed permanently. I liked its provincial atmosphere.

On 76th Street, almost at the corner of 1st Avenue, Jones Wood Foundry for a long drink at the bar and remake the world with friends.

A little further, Mission Ceviche on Second Avenue and 72nd Street, arguably one of the best restaurants in the area. Right next door, La Esquina and its tacos whose ambiance projects me into the streets of Coyoacan in Mexico City, the village of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

I also love this tiny — and it’s already a big word — Saturday morning market on 82nd Street between York and 1st Avenue, as long as you are particularly patient in these times of social distancing. A few meters away, on York Avenue, I often stop at the butcher Ottomanelli, thanks to whom I was able to cook veal paupiettes during a full lockdown; a little further up York, I sometimes go to Dorian’s for the pleasures of the sea and holey wallets, and across the street, above all, is the Logos Bookstore, an old-fashioned bookstore — of the resistance itself — where the smell of books and wood dominate, the perfect place to hang out or search for a gift that the owner will wrap for you, a rarity in New York.

Around 3rd Avenue and 76th Street, another butcher faces Sables, the ideal address if you like smoked salmon and bagel brunches. For Sushi fans, Sushi of Gary on 78th between York and First Avenue is renowned for being one of the best in town. Finally, Sotheby’s on 72nd and York Avenue gives a little importance and vanity to these remote streets of the city.

Is this a neighborhood that you would recommend for those who want to buy or rent a place?

It’s up to everyone to make a decision, depending on the New York they are looking for… As far as I’m concerned, my exclusive atmosphere is this exceptional view, at dawn when the sun is reflected on the windows of Manhattan, at the end of the day of course, and at night , when the city seeks sleep in vain.

Each block has its own style and just above 79th is East End Avenue, a bourgeois destination for celebrities seeking discretion.

The Q train, the recent subway line on Second Avenue, brings this neighborhood, sometimes considered the start of a suburb, closer to the rest of Manhattan. Union Square is less than 30 minutes and Carnegie Hall 20 minutes.
 

If you had to describe the Upper East Side in three words?

Chic and unassuming on the Central Park side. Discreet and ambitious along the East River.

Experts Discuss – the Upper East Side

Rental market:

In January 2021, the median rent for an apartment on the Upper East Side was $ 1,900 for a studio (-16% over one year), $ 2,404 for one bedroom (-11%), $ 3,300 for two bedrooms (-2% ) and $ 6,000 for three bedrooms (-4%).

Sales market:

In December 2020, across the Upper East Side, the median asking price of sellers stood at $ 1.4M, down around 2% year-on-year to $ 1,300 / square foot. On the other hand, the recorded sale price is $ 1.1M given the negotiations related to the Covid-19 pandemic in this uncertain context. Note that condos held up more with a median asking price of $ 1.7M for an actual sale price of $ 1.622,000.

Interview by Rachel Brunet, director and editor-in-chief of Petit Journal New York

Read the article in Le Petit Journal New York

Interview by Rachel Brunet, director and editor-in-chief of Petit Journal New York

BARNES New York invites you in its series of articles untitled “New York City Neighborhoods”, where you can regularly discover the different districts of the city, in the eyes of French speakers who have settled there. They tell us all about their neighborhood, in their words, their tastes, their habits. Today we explore the Upper West Side with the sculptor Gaelle Hintzy-Marcel who has lived there for four years with her husband, Laurent, and their three children.

You’ve lived in the Upper West Side for four years. What attracted you to this neighborhood?

Clearly, what initially appealed to us was the proximity to Central Park above all, but also to Riverside Park. Another reason why we chose this neighborhood was to be close to our children’s schools; and not too far away by subway from Colombus Circle, where I work, and Chelsea, where my husband works.

Can you tell us about life in this neighborhood, the atmosphere? What makes it live, what drives it?

For us, the Upper West Side is above all a green and quiet neighborhood. Traffic is less intense there than elsewhere, and it is rare, except when we are on Broadway, to hear sirens! We overlook a green corridor between two streets, and it is the singing of birds that wakes us up in the morning.

The Upper West Side is bustling with a plethora of family-friendly, casual, and sometimes a bit trendy restaurants. A multitude of bars and cafes too. People stroll in the evening mainly on Amsterdam and Colombus Avenue to go out, settle on the terraces in summer. The sidewalks are wide and traffic is rarely heavy, the atmosphere is relaxed. There are all kinds of deli shops, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Grestedes, Agostino or Fairway. There aren’t many clothing stores, to find them you would have to go south of the Natural History Museum or on Broadway.

There is a real neighborhood atmosphere, warm, between the florist who also serves cafes – Plantshed – the cafe that serves macaroons – Macarons Parlor – and the Upper West Side Yoga And Wellness yoga center which has created and brought together a real community of very diverse and positive people in the neighborhood.

You are a mom. How is life with kids and family on the Upper West Side? Are there many families?

Life is very pleasant with children there. Proximity to green spaces, calm but also safety. Even young children go to school on their own. The neighborhood is regularly crisscrossed around schools by parents’ associations to ensure safety when leaving schools. There are seldom concerns.

The restaurants are kids friendly, there is even an educational toy store – West Side Kids in Amsterdam on 84th Street. There are also many schools, public and private, there are two French-English bilingual public schools. PS84 Elementary School and Lafayette Academy Middle School. Therefore, many French families have settled in the neighborhood. For children, proximity to the Natural History Museums and New York Historical Society is a must.

For extra-curricular activities, in addition to those offered by schools, there are two famous football clubs, the famous West Side Soccer League, very family-friendly, which offers tournaments run by parents on a voluntary basis, but also the famous Manhattan Soccer Club with bus departures for training just in front of the Upper 90 football store in Amsterdam. There are also plenty of outdoor tennis opportunities in Central Park and Riverside Park, with adult and children’s memberships that are really affordable.

You are an artist. Can you show us this neighborhood with your own words? Is this a neighborhood that inspires you?

In fact, I like the peace, the birds, the greenery and the neighborhood life. I love to walk around the Reservoir in Central Park, and admire the view of the San Remo, a beautiful building with two sister towers that is located in Central Park West. This sight has a special resonance for me, because the San Remo looks strangely like several buildings that we used to see when we lived in Moscow. At the end of the day, when night falls, the view from the north of the Great Lawn, in Central Park, on the midtown skyline is very photogenic. But my favorite corner in Central Park is located on the 86th, at Arthur Ross Pinetum with its pine scents and many birds. It is a great place to do outdoor yoga. Between Columbia and Lincoln Center, the Upper West Side has a little nerd-bohemian side! During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were even small impromptu concerts, groups of musicians of all ages and styles setting up on their doorsteps to give mini-concerts on Sundays to the applause of 7 p.m. This neighborhood inspires me yes!

Can you describe where you live, what attracted you, what you like about your apartment?

I live on 88th Street, between Central Park and Columbus. I occupy, with my husband and 3 children – the eldest one is a student now, he is home much less often, the lower part of a brownstone. It’s like a little house. We enter from the basement, a private entrance only for us. On the ground floor, the living areas open onto our little garden, which is very, very pleasant in summer and winter. As we are on the ground floor, the space is admittedly quite dark, but the garden is like a living room. Upstairs, the bedrooms are brighter. What attracted us? The garden of course with its little shrubs, but also the feeling of living in a house and not a small apartment.

As a European, do you find a little European side to this district through the inhabitants, the shops, the schools?

As a European, I feel good in the Upper West Side. I’m not really trying to find my European benchmarks here, but I appreciate the beautiful buildings of Central Park West, the “human-sized” side of neighborhood life, and getting to know the merchants, restaurateurs and a multitude of people who are in my daily life. We also have a thriving neighborhood social life around schools and activities, with a lot of very different people, which is very cool.

Your favorite places in the UWS?

Plantshed for its flowers and its little coffee. Space Market is our favorite deli, the shops are very friendly, and there is a bit of everything, and everything is better presented there than elsewhere. Bella Luna, our favorite and family-friendly neighborhood restaurant, a place with large windows to let the light in, even in winter, offering simple and good Italian dishes, quick service and an incredible tiramisu! But, there is also The Consulate with its brasserie side, the Osteria Cotta with its cozy bar counter, the small French wine bar Vin sur Vingt, Bodrum and its Mediterranean cuisine, Mermaid Inn and its American dishes, but also Storico, the restaurant of the New York Historical Society for its sophisticated and luminous decoration. For a drink in the evening with friends, the very simple E’s Bar with a room at the back, less noisy, and a terrace in summer, letting a feeling of the old bar from our student years. For a drink in a trendy place, I like to go to the bar at Jacob Pickles, or next door to the Tiki Chick. For pastries, I love Levain Bakery for its cookies to die for, as well as Orwashers Bakery. For yoga, Upper West Yoga and Wellness with the two owners, Stephan and Ingrid, who manage their neighborhood studio with sensitivity and kindness. The list of my favorite places on the Upper West Side is so long … I end it here, with the best Indian dosas at Saravanaa Bhavan!

Is this a neighborhood that you recommend for those who want to buy or rent?

Of course, this is a neighborhood we recommend! But a neighborhood is also a practical choice depending on where you work and where you go to schools, if you have children.

If you had to describe the Upper West Side in 3 words?

Relaxed, calm and lively!

Thank you Gaëlle Hintzy-Marcel for showing us your Upper West Side!

Experts Discuss – the Upper West Side

Rental market:

With an average monthly rent of $ 4,668, the Upper West Side is 11% higher than the average for all of Manhattan.

Sales market:

Regarding sales, the median price in Q1 of 2020 was $ 1,175,000 ($ 1,265 / sq ft), down 3% year on year. To be compared with Manhattan’s median price of $ 1,060,000.

Interview by Rachel Brunet, director and editor-in-chief of Petit Journal New York

Read the article in Le Petit Journal New York