Autumnal New York: The NYC Neighborhoods We're Fall-ing For
There may be no more cinematic season than fall in New York. No wonder "When Harry Met Sally" and "You've Got Mail" filmed here at the height of the harvest. When that coveted sweater weather arrives each year, roasted chestnuts begin to appear in street vendor carts and the trees - a reported 5.2 million of them - transform every borough of Gotham into a pumpkin spice wonderland. And while every neighborhood feels worthy of a stroll and a chai latte at that first burst of fall, don't forget to also explore toward the end of October, says Grant Braswell, licensed associate real estate broker at Compass. "One of the biggest things in Park Slope in the fall is Halloween," he says. "Everyone gets in on it, houses get decorated, there’s lights, there’s giant eight foot spiders on huge nets that people put out… it’s just something that everyone loves." Here, a few favorite places to take a bite out of the Big Apple pie.Table of ContentsFall in New York: 6 Top Neighborhoods for Foliage and FoodInwood, Manhattan"Being right on the water and all of the parks that both neighborhoods have, [Inwood and Riverdale are] sort of the perfect places for fall," says Stephenie Skyllas, licensed real estate salesperson for the Bizzaro Real Estate Agency, who lives at the border between Kingsbridge and Riverdale. One of Stephenie's top riverside restaurants for an autumnal nosh in Inwood: The Hudson, which serves lobster grilled cheese and Wagyu burgers on brioche buns. "You can sit outside and see all the leaves changing across the water on The Palisades," she says. Just north of there, Inwood Hill Park is Skyllas' favorite green space in town. "It is one of the last sort of natural parks in New York City, and what I mean by that is there’s still amazing playgrounds and ball fields and all of that, but there’s untouched forests. It’s not like Central Park where it was designed by humans." (Bonus: the park also offers a topnotch farmer's market, Inwood Greenmarket, on Saturdays year-round, where local delights range from 1857 - a handcrafted potato vodka from Schoharie County, New York - to apple cider from Samascott Orchards & Nine Pin Ciderworks). Inwood Homes Under $850K On StreetEasy Article continues below Inwood 270 Seaman Avenue $475,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 585 West 214th Street $419,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 251 Seaman Avenue $400,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 50 Park Terrace West $389,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 687 West 204th Street $539,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 67 Park Terrace East $689,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 Inwood 100 Park Terrace West $460,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 95 Park Terrace East $300,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 70 Park Terrace East $250,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 571-579 Academy Street $399,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 581 Academy Street $399,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Inwood 75 Park Terrace East $829,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 "In the fall, all the apples start coming," Skyllas says. "You can get fall foods like your apple cider and your apple cider donuts and all of that sort of yummy stuff direct from the people who are making it, and then you can go sort of on a little hike through Inwood Hill Park." Finally, don't miss one of her other farm-to-table go-to restaurants of choice, The Inwood Farm. Current dishes include brussels sprouts with green apple, prosciutto and hot honey and Faroe Island Salmon with beurre blanc sauce. It may seem too good to be true, but it's fall-real.Park Slope, BrooklynRow of sunlit Park Slope brownstones in autumn."One of my favorite things anytime of year, but especially once it’s a little cooler and not as wet as spring, is going into Prospect Park," Braswel says. "Especially in the fall, I prefer meandering more in the fields because then you get the open views of all the leaf changes and everything, and some cool breezes coming through and getting down to the Nethermead [rolling meadow]. You really don’t feel like you’re in the city in the fall." Plus, as a particularly storied section of Brooklyn, Park Slope is chockablock with bakeries and coffee shops that put national chains to shame, including Velvette Brew-a barista-owned spot that offers buttery Italian cookies with their highly Instagrammable lattes. Just a few minutes walk away on the border of Park Slope: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden may get most of its fanfare in spring and summer, but fall is no slouch. You may see fiery orange 20-f00t-tall Japanese maple trees and a century-old sweetgum tree dressed in cherry-read leaves as you wander through the 52 acre grounds. Park Slope Homes Under $1M On StreetEasy Article continues below Park Slope 25 Plaza Street $975,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 468 17th Street $599,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 575 Fourth Avenue $970,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 390 14th Street $995,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 343 Fourth Avenue $999,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 118 Sterling Place $937,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 64 Seventh Avenue $360,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 186 Prospect Park West $689,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 712 Sackett Street $949,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 162 16th Street $999,999 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 Park Slope 423 15th Street $975,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 3 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Park Slope 575 Fourth Avenue $970,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Riverdale, The Bronx"Van Cortlandt Park is one of the biggest parks in the city, with several old houses and a bunch of old creepy graveyards," Skyllas says of the manicured expanse. She often makes a beeline, though, for the horse stables. "You can go up there and go hiking all around the north end of Van Cortlandt Park, and you really have no clue that you’re in New York City. So for everybody who wants the trees and the nature, but needs to take public transportation or doesn’t have all day, you can just go up there. My little secret is to go to the northwest corner of the park and it’s not busy. You almost never see other people if you’re out there hiking, which I think is amazing in New York." Another favorite green (and red, orange, yellow) space of Skyllas is Riverdale Park. "I’m a big water person, so I love the parks that are near the water - especially in the fall, because of course, across the other side of the Hudson is The Palisades, and all of those leaves are stunning." Nearby, her favorite restaurant in Riverdale is the farm-to-table Moss Café. They source from local farms for dishes like heirloom tomatoes and herbed goat cheese on peasant bread. "It’s a kosher restaurant, so they’re closed on Saturdays," she notes. "The food is incredible. And it’s seasonal because they get food from farms all throughout the Hudson Valley." Riverdale Homes Under $850K On StreetEasy Article continues below Riverdale 3750 Hudson Manor Terrace $389,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 Riverdale 6495 Broadway $275,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 Spuyten Duyvil 629 Kappock Street $399,500 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 Spuyten Duyvil 3215 Arlington Avenue $360,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Riverdale 3840 Greystone Avenue $325,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Spuyten Duyvil 60 Knolls Crescent $227,845 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 3 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Spuyten Duyvil 640 West 231st Street $499,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 3 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 Riverdale 5415 Netherland Avenue $199,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Spuyten Duyvil 3215 Arlington Avenue $220,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Spuyten Duyvil 2727 Palisade Avenue $635,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 Spuyten Duyvil 510 Kappock Street $199,995 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Spuyten Duyvil 3135 Johnson Avenue $659,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 3 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 If you enjoy "spice, spice, baby" with your desserts, stop in at the iconic Lloyd's Carrot Cake for what may be the most delectable carrot cake of your life, thanks to their optional walnuts and raisins and signature cream cheese frosting. (You know it's good when they ship nationally, from right here in Riverdale.)Windsor Terrace, BrooklynBraswell lives in Windsor Terrace, where many street-facing gardens set it apart from other neighborhoods and make it a great place to take in the onset of fall in New York. "You have some of these really big trees with leaves that sweep down the street," he says. "That’s when you’re like, like, 'Oh, winter’s coming. That big breeze coming in over the cemetery and through the street." One of Braswell's coffee shops of choice in Windsor Terrace is the ELK Cafe, on the Southwest corner of the park, which has its own working fireplace for the coziest feel imaginable. "I like flat whites everywhere I go," he says. "It’s a coffee shop where I think they do it right and it’s cute, and it’s right by the park." If you're craving a seasonally inspired dinner, Della Valle is locally beloved for their tagliatelle bolognese and leafy outdoor patio. Windsor Terrace Homes Under $1M On StreetEasy Article continues below Windsor Terrace 82 East 5th Street $950,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Windsor Terrace 81 Ocean Parkway $599,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Windsor Terrace 221 Mcdonald Avenue $630,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Windsor Terrace 243 Mc Donald Avenue $649,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Windsor Terrace 202 Seeley Street $425,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Windsor Terrace 111 Prospect Park South West $649,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Windsor Terrace 221 Mcdonald Avenue $474,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Windsor Terrace 221 Mcdonald Avenue $519,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Greenwich Village, ManhattanColorful fall trees line a walkway at Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.If New York City were a band in need of an album cover photo, they'd no doubt shoot it in Greenwich Village. In the fall (of course). At a time of year synonymous with back to school and bibliophiles, Greenwich Village is autumnal perfection, thanks to historic Washington Square Park and a plethora of college students on their way to class. (It's creepy and ghastly, but near Halloween, don't miss the Hangman's Elm-it's more than 300 years old and was reportedly where "traitors" were dispensed with during the American Revolution.) On Sullivan Street, Third Rail Coffee makes note-perfect cortados and iced lattes with local Battenkill Dairy Farm milk. Head to Mille-Feuille for some of the best pastries this side of Paris, including the extremely autumnal chausson aux pommes (a puff pastry pocket filled with de facto apple pie). Greenwich Village Homes Under $1M On StreetEasy Article continues below Greenwich Village 88 Bleecker Street $835,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Greenwich Village 77 Bleecker Street $980,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Greenwich Village 63 East 9th Street $635,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 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Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Greenwich Village 175 Bleecker Street $525,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Greenwich Village 101 West 12th Street $795,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Upper East Side, ManhattanAs the leaves in Central Park swirl, there may be no more iconic place to take them in than the Met's Temple of Dendur gallery. Behind the circa 10 B.C. stone temple, glass spans the entire wall - overlooking a prime panorama of the trees. While on the Upper East Side, it's worth trekking to 787 Coffee, which has locations on both east 70th and 80th, to indulge in a rum-infused espresso or dulce de leche latte, which are exactly as debauched and delicious as they sound (and not actually alcoholic, since the booze evaporates). Upper East Side Homes Under $1M On StreetEasy Article continues below Yorkville 505 East 79th Street $595,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Lenox Hill 181 East 73rd Street $769,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Lenox Hill 225 East 76th Street $725,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Yorkville 505 East 79th Street $595,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Lenox Hill 315 East 65th Street $860,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Upper East Side 1036 Park Avenue $515,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Yorkville 327 East 93rd Street $700,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 2 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Yorkville 80 East End Avenue $675,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Carnegie Hill 64 East 94th Street $699,999 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Lenox Hill 419 East 78th Street $350,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Lenox Hill 304 East 73rd Street $399,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. Studio | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Lenox Hill 353 East 72nd Street $645,000 beds@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 | bath@1.5x Created with Sketch. 1 Stop in at Levain Bakery for a pumpkin ginger spice loaf cake - only offered seasonally - Orwashers, which has perfected babka with their Sticky Bun Babka Muffins drizzled in caramel schmear. Central Park’s Mall and Literary Walk lined by trees in fall colors.And finally, you can't do fall in New York right without walking the iconic Mall and Literary Walk in Central Park. Enter at 66th street to stroll under two towering rows of American elm trees that were the fanciful imaginings of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the 19th century. Squint, and you can picture Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal there, snuggled up in cable knit sweaters and each other. Thinking of buying in NYC? Chat with our complimentary, licensed Concierge to learn about the buying process and get matched with a top agent.GET STARTED
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The NAR Settlement's Implications for the NYC Market: What We Know
Ever since the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) agreed to settle the Sitzer-Burnett lawsuit in March 2024, real estate agents nationwide have felt uncertainty about how it will impact the industry. New York City agents in particular, most of whom aren't members of NAR, might be under the impression that the agreement won't affect them. But with the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and several national brokerages that operate in NYC opting into the settlement, that may no longer be the case.StreetEasy® is here to support NYC agents like you in these moments of change, helping you adapt your business to succeed. Here's what we know about the NAR settlement’s implications for the NYC market.StreetEasy is closely monitoring the NAR settlement and its impact on the NYC market. We'll be updating this article as more information becomes available.For a list of known implications for the national market, see 9 Important Agent Takeaways From the NAR Lawsuit Settlement from Zillow.NAR's policy changes go into effect August 17, 2024Following the announcement of the settlement in March, NAR has established a set of policy changes applying to any REALTOR® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and its members or participants. These new policies will take effect August 17, 2024.Non-REALTOR® MLSs opting into the settlement must implement the policy changes by September 16, 2024Non-REALTOR® MLSs that have opted into the settlement are required to implement the NAR policy changes by no later than September 16, 2024. For precise information, see the NAR settlement timeline.With non-REALTOR® MLSs that operate in NYC opting into the settlement, the policy changes would apply to many NYC agents. For instance, should REBNY reach an agreement to join the settlement, its Residential Listing Service (RLS) would be a non-REALTOR® MLS subject to the settlement’s rules. Agents should work with their brokerage or brokerage's attorney to confirm their compliance needs and effective dates.MLSs and non-REALTOR® MLSs opted into the settlement can no longer display commission offersOn both REALTOR® and non-REALTOR® MLSs that have opted into the settlement, listing agents and sellers will be prohibited from displaying offers of compensation to buyer's agents.In practice, this means agents won't be able to see or communicate offers of commission on MLSs covered under the settlement. However, as NAR explained in March, buyer's agent compensation offers can be an option consumers pursue outside the MLS. For more on compensation offer policies per the NAR settlement, see their FAQ.For REBNY members, offers of compensation to the buyer's agent must originate from the sellerIndependent of the NAR settlement, REBNY introduced five revisions to its Universal Co-Brokerage Agreement (UCBA) effective as of January 1, 2024. One of these revisions, that of decoupling commissions, directly impacts REBNY-member NYC agents. The revision requires offers of compensation to the buyer's agent to originate from the seller, not the listing agent, even if it's on the seller's behalf:To promote transparency and consumer confidence in the residential marketplace, the UCBA will now require offers of compensation to the buyside broker to originate from the Seller/Owner. Listing Brokers will no longer be permitted to make the offer of compensation to the buyside broker – even if it is on the Seller's/Owner's behalf.Furthermore, buyer's agents must be compensated by the seller (not the listing agent):Assuming there is an offer of compensation from the seller and the buyer's broker has accepted the offer, the buyer's broker will be directly compensated by the seller or owner of the exclusive property, which should occur at the closing as is customary in the New York City area.For more information, see REBNY's FAQ on decoupling commissions.Many agents will be required to sign a written agreement with buyers before touring homesA condition of the NAR settlement requires "MLS Participants working with a buyer to enter into a written agreement with the buyer prior to touring a home." This will also apply to any NYC brokerage or non-REALTOR® MLS opting into the settlement. Written agreements are an opportunity to add transparency, promote open conversation, and set proper expectations with your buyer clients. In light of this, StreetEasy created a short-term, non-exclusive Touring Agreement to help agents adhere to the new industry standard - without having a potential buyer sign an exclusive agreement before a tour. Meant as an introductory, consumer-friendly agreement and drafted with New York State compliance in mind, it sets expectations for the buyer concerning representation, and helps lay the foundation to discuss compensation and exclusivity in a subsequent agreement when you and the buyer are ready. For more information, see StreetEasy's Touring Agreement: What Agents Need to Know.Some NYC brokerages have introduced their own brokerage-specific agreements for use ahead of a tour, separate from StreetEasy's Touring Agreement. Buyer's agents are free to use either agreement.There is rising consumer awareness about commissionsDespite the media buzz around the settlement since March, in terms of policy, much of the settlement agreement isn't anything new. For example, commissions have always been negotiable, and agents were already prohibited from filtering listings by compensation offer. That said, many consumers have been paying attention to the news as well, and are increasingly aware of the factors that affect them - like their ability to negotiate commissions.Agents nationwide, including in NYC, can reasonably expect this shift among buyers and sellers. Accordingly, agents should approach the first conversation with a buyer knowing how to show their value and turn a prospect into a loyal client.NAR must create and update educational materials to reflect the changesThe settlement requires NAR to develop educational materials that are consistent with the policy changes, and eliminate any previous materials that are contrary to them. To stay up-to-date, see their NAR Settlement: Get the Facts hub containing the latest materials, resources, and news pertaining to the settlement agreement.For more information and resources on how to adapt and thrive in today's changing industry landscape, visit our Latest Industry Standards hub for agents.
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