La Casa Nostra: A real estate story

Authors Note: Below is the opening for a 12,000 word essay that I’ve written on real estate and New York City. I may keep it in essay form or turn it into my next book. But first, I wanted to share it exclusively, for a limited time, on Medium, and see what you guys think of it. I will also be releasing other sections of the essay that deal more directly with covid, urbanism and the future of NYC. So let me know — article, book, keep posting it here, or fuhgeddaboudit?

By Jason Haber

I’m dressed the part. Black button down shirt. Blue jeans. Allbirds on my feet. Nothing that screams attention. Yet at the same time I don’t look out of place. That’s exactly how I want it.

For most in midtown Manhattan, it’s quitting time. The markets have closed. Once upon a time this would be considered rush hour and a frenzied descent of humanity would spill out from skyscrapers onto the city streets. A generation ago that crescendo was at 5pm, more recently it happened at 6pm. Then along came COVID. There’s no longer a manic mad dash to the exits. Now, it’s a scattering of souls.

Not that it matters when people leave their offices. The work day doesn’t really end anymore. It’s a 24/7 world. Forget WFH (work from home). It’s now WFE (work from everywhere). Office. Home. Subway. Street. Bike. Toilet. It’s all basically the…