BY THE EDITORS

» If the past month has seemed like a blur of tipsy evenings, long-winded thank-you speeches, spectroscopic ball gowns, a never-ending plea for charitable contributions and, above all else, a whirlwind of bestowed honors, that’s because it has been.

From the National Executive Service Corp. Gala last month to the 14th annual Empire Ball last week, the words “holiday” and “party” were sprinkled across the commercial real estate industry liberally, even if mention of the holidays themselves was artfully sidestepped. Hors d’oeuvres were devoured, business cards exchanged and, in our wildest imaginations, the opening salvos of next year’s biggest, six-digit transactions were fired at closerange, most likely in a dark corner at Cipriani. And all the while, Jonathan Mechanic was finding his way into every photo during Fried Frank’s wildly attended holiday bash.

Although it would be impossible to feature pictorials for every party thrown this season, we at The Commercial Observer are proud to present a few of our favorites, from Cooper-Horowitz’s 48th annual holiday gala, where none other than BGC Partners Chief Executive Howard Lutnick mingled with lenders, to Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s annual International Council of Shopping Centers soiree, where Silverstein Properties heir apparent Marty Burger chatted with NGKF’s David Falk.

Okay, so the ICSC event wasn’t necessarily a holiday party to most New Yorkers. But to a large number of the city’s most prolific retail brokers, it was every bit as spectacular as Christmas and Hanukkah rolled into a single day.

Mazel!

BY THE EDITORS

Don Peebles, owner of The Peebles Corporation, the country’s largest African American real estate development company, was honored Nov. 15 at the Yale Club by the National Executive Service Corps for his business achievements and his efforts to help nonprofit communities and the people they serve.

Mr. Peebles, who was honored alongside Marv Berenblum, the chairman and chief executive of National Executive Service Corps, was accompanied by more than 120 guests, who enjoyed the soothing sounds of the Young People’s Chorus of New York, whose cherub-like voices entertained a rapt Yale Club audience.

To see all the pictures, click here.

BY THE EDITORS

Nearly 500 guests, many of them heavily coveted retail tenants, swarmed lower Manhattan hotspot Beauty & Essex, for Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s annual International Council of Shopping Center party, perhaps the one and only soiree that every broker, owner and tenant truly wanted to sneak into during the retail organization’s two-day convention.

Executives from the Children’s Place and CVS Realty mingled with brokers who wanted their business, all night long.

Photography by Steve Friedman.

To see all the pictures, click here.

BY THE EDITORS

Once again proving itself as the undisputed commercial real estate industry’s must-attend event of the holiday season, Fried Frank’s annual soiree Dec. 4 at Cipriani 42nd Street drew more than 1,100 movers, shakers and brokers.

Machers including CBRE’s Mary Ann Tighe, Silverstein Properties’ Larry Silverstein and Tishman Speyer’s Rob Speyer tried their best at small talk as full time Fried Frank real estate lawyer and part-time party promoter Jonathan Mechanic greeted guests throughout the night.

Photography by Steve Friedman.

To see all the pictures, click here.