Who Is Barney New York

Barney Pressmen 

Native New Yorker from the born 1895 in the Jewish Community of the Lower Eastside of Manhattan had a dream to open a clothing store and sale designer suits for men at a discount price he figured out how to get the items at a cheap price and charge discounted price without losing money on his ROI. By purchasing his inventory at:

• Sample Sales 
• Buying Overstock Retail 
• Buying Manufacturer's Closeouts at Auctions 
• Buying inventory from Bankruptcy Sales 

In order for Barney get cash to lease the front on 7th avenue and 17th street, he pawned his wife's engagement ring. History was in the making.

The first Grand Opening of Barney's clothing Store he only had 40 suites in stock and a Big sign with the slogan " No Bunk, No Junk, No Imitations.

So, how did he get such fashionable suites at a discounted? Custom Fit was his niche so, Barney offered free alterations with the purchase so that suit could be custom tailored fitted to size and that sold.

When Barney Pressmen died in Miami Florida 1991; His son Fred Pressmen took over the business in 1975(since Barney retired but still active on the Broad) and his sons worked in the business financial and Merchandising departments.

Fred’s Daughter Louise Sunshine is the Co-founder of the one of the nation’s Premier marketing leasing
Real Estate Company for luxury residential and condominiums hotels called The Sunshine Group.

The Beginning of the Luxury Department Store for the Wealthy

Fred Pressmen was Barney’s son who changed Barneys New York from a men’s discount suit shop in a sanctionary for designers fashion retail paradise for luxury clients to purchase in 1968.

Therefore Fred dedicated 5 floors at Barney’s for International designers to display and sales their craftsmanship.

Then he later implemented other Departments in the store such as women clothing, elegant housewares, Unique cosmetics, and luxury gifts.
Therefore Barneys New York becomes the Luxury Department store for the well to do.

In the 1970’s Fred’s sons, Gene and Bob helped run the family business which gave Barneys New York an Urban Chic feel for the wealthy Hipsters.
So, in the 1980’s they created a floor for Women’s garments. Celebrities like Grace Jones, Madonna and etc., Barneys was their personal stylist in New York City.
When they were home in NYC first stop was Barneys and you were guaranteed to see them there as well.
Barney’s Financially was doing great. So, Barney’s decided to partner with a Japanese company called Isetan Company so that they could get international exposure globally;
but it did not work as well as they thought. Therefore Barney's ended up filing for Chapter 11 to end the partnership with Isetan Company so that they could keep the company in the family.

The End of the Real Barneys New York

Fred Pressmen died of Pancreatic Cancer July 14th, 1996 at the age 73 yr old.Fred’s definition of retailing was “ Product and merchandise not merchandising ledger book but from the feel of the fabric and instinct.He also believed that the best value you can offer a customer is personal attention to every detail and they will return again and again.He said in his interview with the New York Times” Ultimately the customer cares the most about how he or she is treated”.I say amen, that’s why I only Guide 15 guest around New York City so I can serve everyone and give my undivided attention to everyone no matter what.

Coming to New York - Click Here I would love to show you New York, Yeah!

Tammay Morton

E.J Korvettes "Korvettes"

Established in 1948 in New York 

by two World War II Veterans Eugene FerKauf & his War Brother Joe Zwillenberg

Korvettes was the first department Store to broke all the rules and regulation of 

suggested retail prices anti-discounting laws

Korvettes was the first department Store to broke all the rules and regulation of suggested retail prices anti-discounting laws. Therefore, you could buy luxury items for one-third of the suggested retail prices; that was sweet. 

Korvettes was running the Five and Dime Stores retailers such as Woolworth's, McCrory's, and S.S. Kresge ran out of business. Macy's, Gimbels, Gertz were having it hard too; because they were not able to provide their customers with the same discounts for the same items Korvettes was selling them for.  Macys & Gimbles took them to court several times on the act of the "Trade Fair" law, but they always got off the Lawsuits.  Therefore, New Yorkers  believed  Korvettes was owned by the Mob. 

In the 1970's  Arlen Realty and Development Corporation ( Land Developer) brought Korvettes so they could use the fifty (50) Korvette stores for cash flow in their Real Estate investments.

Then, in 1979 Korvettes was sold to  Agache-Willot Group of France, whose goal was to get as much money as they could (get their money back plus make a profit). Therefore, they closed the stores that made the least amount of capital, sold everything in the stores down to the fixtures and equipment, and even the Property (Real Estate) in which, Korvettes had profitable locations.

Then in 1980, they declared Bankruptcy on December 24th, 1980; I remember that people were doing all of their Christmas shopping at Korvettes because they were closing for good on Christmas Eve, and the price was so right! All of the 17 Stores closed. Korvettes died and Alexanders, Macy's, Gertz, Gimbels, and Saks were back in business for good.

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If your looking for a Guide to Guide you in NYC send me an email at tammaymorton@lvunewyork.com and if you have time check out my website www.lvunewyork.com 

Smile, Peace and Love your NYC Tour Guide Tammay Morton

Native American Indians Part 1

Mohawks

aka

Keepers of the Eastern Door

Live in the areas of Lake Ontario, the St Lawrence River in Canada and Upstate New York.

Mohawk Iron and Steelworkers of New York

What made me write this post? One night I was Guiding the night tour and after the tour, my guest from Canada came to me and mentioned they were the Fifth generation of Mohawks, that their community built all the buildings I pointed out on the tour and I did not mention the Mohawk Skywalkers who built those buildings.Even though I know of their great works; I felt bad that I did not mention them.

So this blog is dedicated to the Mohawk community In New York and Canada. God bless you all and thank you for your great works that we see, love, take pictures of, but again the Mohawk community is not commended for it.

In New York and Quebec in the early 18th to the mid-20th-century construction of skyscrapers was done by the Mohawks. The Mohawk men were real Iron and Steelworkers who built the bridges and skyscrapers; like the Empire State Building, both World Trade Centers, and the George Washington Bridge just to name a few. Therefore, because of their fearlessness of being skyscraper iron and Steelworkers, they were nicknamed "Skywalkers”.

There is a film curator at the National Museum of the American Indian, located in the former US Customs House in Lower Manhattan by Battery Park.

Mohawk skywalkers also helped rescue people from the burning towers, and dismantle what was left of the buildings after 911.There were 200 Mohawk iron workers (out of 2000 total iron workers at the site) participated in rebuilding the One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.

When they are building skyscrapers here in NYC they drive at least 360 miles from St. Lawrence River in Quebec to work the week and then head home for the weekend to be with their families.
Nowadays the community of  NYC Mohawks is still in Brooklyn New York

For Private Guided Tours email me 

tammaymorton@lvunewyork.com or www.lvunewyork.com. 

Your New York Experience!

Riverbank State Park Smells Like Poop

Photo by Lv U New York

28 acres developed over the New York City Sewage Treatment Plant on the Hudson River which has been visited by 4 million people since it opened in 1999. The Address is 679 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10031

Photo by Lv U New York

Riverbank State Park houses a skating Rink, two pools, an Amphitheater, Garden plots, playing fields and a giant sewage plant that processes millions of Manhattanites wastewater before it goes into the Hudson river.

So, how did this plant came about? At first in the early 1960s during the development of Lincoln Center. There were plans to develop the wastewater treatment plant between 70th and 72nd street on the Hudson river. They decided not to because:

1. Double-Deck was needed
2. It would be too expensive to build the plant
3. It would interfere with the City plans for the areas New housing projects, cruise ship terminal and the then envision Lincoln Center of the Arts creation.

Therefore in 1965, NYC raw sewage from the west side of Manhattan was going directly into the Hudson River polluting the air, and water quality. Hundred of thousand of people living on the west side of Manhattan became aware of the unsanitary environment issues and demanded new laws for environmental standards.

Photo by Lv U New York

Now, Martha Stewart the perfectionist who now has a place in The Heights ( Washington Heights or Upper West Side) right across from Riverbank State PK  is complaining about the smell of millions of people's poop. I went to the Riverbank State Park and it did smell like horse poop, but I was inside the park. I guess the Environmental Agency has its work cut for them!  

For Private Guided Tours email me tammaymorton@lvunewyork.com or www.lvunewyork.com. 

Your New York Experience!

Home Of "Buffalo Soldiers" & The Chelsea Studios

Have you ever heard of the "Buffalo Soldiers" their Motto is "We Can, We Will". Well, the Chelsea Studios  @ 221 West 26th St. btw 7th & 8th Avenues; was the Armory of the 9th Cavalry Regiment. One of the first African American regiments in the United States. It was here because the area was part of the Tenderlions( an African American community in New York City) 1866-1914. The regiment was first organized September 21, 1866, in New Orleans, Louisiana(So, the Third Sunday in September is The African American Parade in Harlem, New York) and the African Americans from all states come and march in Harlem which is now the home of the 9th and 10 Regiments.

When The 9th Cavalry Regiment moved to 14th Street in 1914. The building was bought by Adolph Zukor it was called the Famous Players Film Company which later became Paramount Pictures and Adolph sold the building in the 1950's to Himan Brown and it became The Production Center Studios. Therefore Mr. Brown Renovated the Studio by making two Studios out of one.

Photo By Lv U New York

Photo By Lv U New York

The Studios is the home to the "Wendy Williams Show" and the "Rachel Ray Show".

For Private Guided Tours email me 

tammaymorton@lvunewyork.com or www.lvunewyork.com. 

Your New York Experience!

The Standard HighLine Hotel

The Standard High Line
Photo by Lv U New York

I heard The Standard Highline Hotel was for Sale; so Saturday I walked the Highline and got off at 14th Street to visit the Hotel. I ran into a long line of people waiting to get into the elevator to go to the Bar on the Roof called Le Bain. So I am thinking why is this hotel for sale? So, here are some facts about The Standard Highline below.

The Standard Highline in the Meatpacking District is 57 feet(17m) tall from the ground up, with 18 floors and is considered a Luxury Boutique Hotel its located at 848 Washington Street which is between 13th Street and Little 12th Street and houses 337 rooms. Was Erected In 2009.

The Standard Highline Hotel was designed by Ennead Architects their main objective was to keep the historical vibe of the Meatpacking district. It's Made of concrete and glass. Now the concrete serves as the frame of the building and water-white glass which gives the look of a curtain wall structure facade and this was done to show the image of New York City.The Architecture of the Building is Modern Architecture or Modernist Architecture; which started after World War II. If I am right Modern Architecture is a bunch of building materials that are combined; for instance, glass, steel, and reinforced concrete. Therefore, In the 1980’s Modern Architecture became the norm in Architectural style in New York City. So if you look at the Standard Highline Hotel, you would have thought it was built in the 1970’s or early 1980’s. Brillant!

The bottom of the Standard Highline is called the "Ground Level Public Plaza" which was created as a living room for the neighborhood locals and guest to mingle (I like that). Therefore, there’s The Standard Restaurant, The Standard Grill and if you like beer The Standard Biergarten; in which these venues are all under the Highline.

Now, The Standard Highline is up for sale. The Balazs who owns 80% of the Hotel is looking to develop Unique hotels in the Elite Luxury Market. Balazs says The Standard Highline is an affordable hotel now) and is ooking to sale it the asking price is $400 million.

If you have any question leave comments below and If your looking for a Tour Guide In NYC, please don't hesitate to contact me tammaymorton@lvunewyork.com or www.lvunewyork.com

The Fred F. French Building

The Fred F. French Building
Photo By Lv U New York

The Frederick Fillmore French Building you may know it as; The Fred F. French Building and it probably got your attention for a minute and you just forgot about it. Not anymore I am about to tell you a little something about it and how it or Mr. Fred F.French helped a lot of New Yorkers live comfortably by being what we(New Yorkers) call Slum Lord. 

Knickerbocker Apartments LES of NYC

Tudor City photo by Lv U New York

The Knickerbocker on the Lower East Side and Tudor City in Midtown by the United Unions; was the Slums at first when Fred F. French developed them it was the beginning of apartment buildings in Manhattan. Fred F. French intention was; for those buildings to be for "junior Wall Street Executives". It did not end up that way so, whoever moved in those apartments was living in unlivable conditions and in turn, the tenants withheld the rent. Therefore, New York created Rent Control with rules & regulation that nowadays Land Lords must abide.

The Fred F. French Building was built between 1926 & 1927. The Architectural firm was Sloan & Robertson & H. Douglas Ives,  It's a 38 story skyscraper office building Art Deco & Eastern Architectural motifs. At the top of the building, you will see Rising Sun, two griffins which symbolizing integrity and watchfulness; the beehives which symbol Industry and the Mercury is the Messenger

Now, if you go inside the Lobby there is no picture taking; before you go inside look at ornate metals work above the two doorways. This Building is Beautiful and Enjoy; this was H. Douglas Ives &Sloan's, Baby.

If you have any question leave comments below and If your looking for a Tour Guide In NYC, please don't hesitate to contact me tammaymorton@lvunewyork.com or www.lvunewyork.com