February 21, 2024
What Up Family?
Welcome to The Edit with Aaron Seawood, a lifestyle letter serving a weekly dose of real estate, culture, and wisdom—all in three minutes or less. Let’s dive in.
Real Estate Remix
Due to soaring housing prices, the NYT reports that the era of the 400-square-foot subdivision home is upon us. They’re calling it the Great Compression, and it’s the result of several colliding trends (economic, demographic, and regulatory) that have led to this shift. A move towards smaller, more affordable housing seems a viable solution to providing singles and younger generations with the opportunity for affordable home ownership. In New York City, we can all relate that 400 SF sounds more like the norm than an outlier, but in general I agree that more homes across the U.S. should be built with the single homeowner in mind (currently homes under 500 SF are less than 1% of those being built). This was an awesome read and something I’m seeing echoed in my client requests (one-bedroom homes/apartments, smaller environmental footprints).
NYC Insider: What’s Happening This Week
The Brooklyn Museum is my go-to museum (no surprise there…), and their newest exhibit is right up my alley. Giants showcases the epic art collection behind one of my favorite powerhouse music couples, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz. Their private collection features works by legendary artists and creators like Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson, Kehinde Wiley, and Nina Chanel Abney. I’m stoked that this exhibit blends two of my favorite topics—music and art—and I can’t wait to head there. I’m probably going this weekend…sign up if you want to join me and let’s find a time!
Weekly Gem ?
Old keys don’t unlock new doors. If you want different, you have to move different.
Fam, you can’t keep doing what you’ve been doing if you want to get somewhere new. As humans, it’s imperative that we keep evolving and growing. You have to try new things. I believe it was Einstein who said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. So, take a beat and think about how you got here in life. What got you here, won’t necessarily get you there. What are you going to do today to unlock your next door, your newest level? Write back with your goals, I’d love to hear them!!
A WOW townhome in Greenwich Village
Listing courtesy of my Compass colleague, Rachel Glazer
109 Waverly Place ($19.95M) is a stunning six-bed, six-and-two-half bath 25’ Greek Revival townhouse that spans 8,300 SF (certainly a far cry from the 400 SF homes I featured up above!) on one of the most iconic blocks in Manhattan. On top of being featured on the cover of Interior Design Magazine, 109 Waverly boasts a plethora of amenities including:
- Glass-enclosed, skylit, indoor lap pool, custom home gym and steam room.
- Enormous eat-in kitchen that’s flooded with sunlight through the floor-to-ceiling windows that gaze out onto the landscaped garden (which houses its own kitchen and grill).
- Extraordinary roof deck with views of the Chrysler Building and Clock Tower.
- Private office with keypad entry, wine cellar, and state-of-the-art elevator.
- Who wants a tour?
Before you go…
?: Turns out women are winning real estate.
?️: 50 places to eat and drink before you die. There’s a few from NYC (no surprise there) that I’m adding to my list immediately! (Shout out to Mei Lai Wah…after all, their pineapple pork bun is EPIC.)
?: The Hamptons is already getting an early buyer/rental start.
?: Black Art Jazz Collective is celebrating their 10th anniversary release with “Truth to Power.” Lookin’ for Leroy is on repeat, give it a listen!
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Looking to Buy, Sell, or Rent? Let’s talk.
Like I ask GOD every day, who can we help next?