He's SUPER!!

Give Dermot Company’s Brooklyn super, Claudio “Lee” Parra some chewing gum, an old crayon, a paper clip and a frayed piece of string and odds are he will be able to get a broken boiler to work like it’s new. Property manager Jonah Rosenberg calls Lee, MacGyver.

Super Super, Lee Parra, shows off his trophy and gift card flanked by (right to left) Rick Lapidos, Rajive Maret and Jonah Rosenberg

This past week, our MacGyver was awarded the first ever Dermot Company Super of the Month Award for outstanding service that goes far beyond what a building superintendent is expected to do. Lee showed up at the Dermot office on 7th Avenue a little baffled why he was asked to come in, and even more confused when he was escorted by Jonah into the board room filled with applauding staff.

“Lee constantly impresses me,” Jonah shared before presenting Lee the silver trophy and a $500 Amex gift card. Each Dermot property manager had to nominate a building super and convince the other managers and execs why that super deserved the nod over their choice. “His work ethic and attitude make me feel that I have a great partner. He’s hard working, loyal and talented. Other supers could learn alot from him.”

Overseeing multiple buildings in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene, Lee is often seen biking between the two locations. During the three years he’s worked for Dermot he has become a favorite among the tenants.

Bushwick raised, Lee is number five of six kids. “None of the other [kids] were into what I do. I like to figure out how things work. I’ll take something apart once to see how it’s made and I remember it forever. I like to work with my hands.” He admits his curiosity almost got the best of him as a child when he put a 9 volt battery on his tongue and the jolt almost made him swallow both tongue and battery. Kids—definitely do not try this at home!

Clearly surprised and moved, Lee confided that he appreciated the recognition and that it would motivate him to work harder. As the winner of the Super of the Month, Lee gets to keep his shiny trophy until the next month (the Amex gift card is his forever), and then he must pass it on--like the Stanley Cup.

Hey, Lee, if you want to hold onto the trophy for a while, I guess you’ll need to win Super of the Month a few months in a row.



Pizza, Please!!

I don't know about you, but i love a really good pizza. Thin crust, medium crust, Chicago style--it's all good. So I was very happy, when months after I began working at Dermot Company, I discovered one of our West Village commercial tenants is Two Boots Pizza.

Two Boots is one of my favorite pizza purveyors. Famous Ray's (no matter which one you consider real or original) has got nothing on The Boots! The decor is pretty sweet--funky, eclectic, cozy, retro, fun. The West Village staff plays some of the best music one could ask for. The place is appealing to hipsters, anti-hipsters and the smart/lucky tourist/out-of-towner who stumbles on it.

Brilliantly crafted pies with fresh ingredients in awesome combinations. Something to satisfy every taste and every taste bud. Sure, you can order yourself a typical pie with typical toppings if you like; mushroom, spinach, sausage, anchovies (ick), but really, why bother when you've got a pizza place with offerings called, Cleopatra Jones (roasted peppers, Italian sausage, onions), Larry Tate (spinach, plum tomatoes, fresh garlic on a white pie), Tony Clifton (wild mushrooms, sweet red pepper pesto, vidalia onions), The Bird (as in Charlie Parker--spicy buffalo wings, blue cheese dressing, jalepenos, scallions on a white pie), and The Newman? (hellooo, Newman...) I like a place that names food after television characters and musicians. And, come on--sweet red pepper pesto!? I've got three letters for that: OMG.

Toppings are just part of the pie. A brilliant crust is the foundation of the pizza love and for me, the "some love it" "some hate it" element is the cornmeal dusting on the underside of that perfect crust. Oh baby--come to poppa!

Yup, they've got the calzone and the eggplant parm hero--Two Boots offers the stuff you expect at a good pizzeria, but they go one step beyond. They rock a Roasted Portabello Hero with goat cheese (yes!) and a Blackened Catfish Po' Boy. I haven't tried the latter, but by the looks and smell of it, i would have loved it in my non-vegetarian days!

The West Village is jam packed with great things to eat, but when it comes to one of America's favorite comfort foods, these guys kick proverbial butt. I've been a Two Boots fan for years, and they have locations strategically placed all over NYC. It just gives me a little bit of pleasure knowing one of our buildings is home to the one I frequent.

Hmmm...I wonder if I can get a free Tony Clifton to go in exchange for the unsolicited kudos...

~b

Changes abound at Dermot Company. Last week we said goodbye to a giant of a man--figuratively and literally.

David Sorise, Vice President of Operations and a seven year veteran of Dermot Company, cleaned out his desk and took his talents to another adventure on Thursday.

David headed up the property management group, overseeing property functions for all housing managed by Dermot. This included capital improvement, repair and maintenance, leasing, staff supervision, legal, budgeting, and reporting for Dermot properties in New York, Wichita, and Tucson.

He was also the tallest person in the company.

Taking David's place in this role is Rick Lapidos--Dermot wunderkind! Rick joined Dermot in 2003 as an Analyst for the Company’s acquisitions and asset management. As Director, Rick executes all of Dermot’s acquisitions, dispositions and refinancing. Rick has closed on 33 acquisitions and 9 dispositions accounting for more than $750 million in value and 5,550 apartments.

We're all sad to see our friend and colleague go, but we wish him the best of luck in his new venture...just as long as it's not in direct competition with us. ;)

And good luck Rick--you've got the vision and drive to take us places. And you have some big shoes to fill, if you know what I mean...

And the Winner Is...

This summer we had some fun with our colleagues in broker-land...

Not only did we tell agents we would reward them with an American Express gift card for renting certain apartments, but the agent who rented the most Dermot apartments in all of our New York portfolio, would receive their very own, hot off the assembly line 16gb iPad with WiFi +3G!

Well, let me tell you, friends, the competition was fierce! People like their electronics! After a month of slugging it out, Jonathan Gess of Brick Real Estate in Brooklyn, pulled it out with a last minute Hail-Mary.

Jonathan admitted that he would never buy an iPad for himself, but was VERY excited to have someone hand him a shiny new iPad of his own. That weekend he sent me a note saying it, "is the coolest thing EVER. I love it. Thank you so much!"

Hey Jonathan, you're welcome, and you earned it! It's nice to give people we like working with their props!

~b

New Dermot Digs -- Virtual and Literal!

Well, welcome to Dermot Company's less than formal communication with the world! Our hope is that while you can visit our corporate websites for apartment listings, property management and investment opportunities, this is the place where you can connect with the actual humans who make up Dermot Realty Management.

And just like our move to this web spot, at the end of July, the denizens of Dermot moved from our cramped, humble quarters in Columbus Circle, steps away from Central Park, to a FAB-u-lous new space at 729 7th Ave. Sure, it's in the heart of the Times Square area and surrounded by a billion tourists, and not steps from Central Park, but we are at the center of New York City's excitement. We're also insanely convenient to get to and in a beautiful work space. Our new home was designed by our own team headed up by proud papa, Michael DiGiacomo.

There's still some settling in to do--moving is never really done until you've been in a place for months. I think we're still waiting for the cable guy.

Anyway, we will be posting things from time to time that will not just have to do with our properties. There's a lot going on in New York so we will also be sharing that with you. Stuff in neighborhoods where our residents live and play, tips about surviving in this brilliant city, and, who knows, maybe someone in accounting has a stellar recipe for eggplant parmesan they want to share.

you never know...