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

More than 700 guests continued National Jewish Health’s 43-year tradition of support from New York’s real estate and construction industries’ leaders with a holiday event Dec. 8 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel that, this year, raised more than $1.5 million.

All of the funds raised during a special silent auction at the event were earmarked for Hurricane Sandy rebuilding efforts, while organizers honored Robert J. Ivanhoe as its National Jewish Health Humanitarian Award recipient.

Photography by Steve Friedman.

To see all the pictures, click here.

BY THE EDITORS

More than 900 prominent borrowers and lenders sampled former pro basketball legend Michael Jordan’s juiciest steaks at Cooper-Horowitz’ 48th annual holiday party Dec. 12 at, where else, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse in Grand Central terminal.

Names no less impressive than Howard Lutnick of BGC Partners and Leslie Himmel of Himmel + Meringoff Properties mingled with brokers from M&T Bank, Saber Real Estate Advisors and Westerman Ball Ederer Miller & Sharfstein, just to name a few of the lenders on hand during a night of festivities and holiday cheer.

Photography by Steve Friedman.

To see all the pictures, click here.

BY THE EDITORS

Nearly a thousand real estate professionals and executives crowded the convention floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel Dec. 12 for the 14th annual Empire Ball, which this year raised a whopping $1.2 million for cure-focused Diabetes research.

Beside fundraising for DiabetesResearch.org, a research facility at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine where proceeds are now headed, event organizers honored Trinity Real Estate Chief Executive Jason Pizer with its Leadership Award.

Meanwhile, David Ushery, an anchor from NBC4 New York and host of “The Debrief with David Ushery,” emceed the black tie gala.

To see all the pictures, click here.