Being Middle Class Bites

Just a few days ago we were discussing the period between the World Wars when the middle class lost their live-in servants.  Now, the economic crunch is forcing the middle class to let go their daily staff, too.

In September, Cathy DeVore, a real estate agent in Larchmont, N.Y., whose business has been at a standstill lately, began taking gradual steps to lay off her longtime nanny and housekeeper … “I was worried about having to cut her back more,” Mrs. DeVore said. “In October I started a no-overtime policy; in November I told her that as of Jan. 1, I am cutting her back to 20 hours a week, and that as of June 30, I probably won’t need her at all.”

Domestic Workers United estimates there are more than 200,000 nannies, housekeepers, personal chefs and other domestic workers employed in the New York metropolitan area alone.

Ai-jen Poo, an organizer at Domestic Workers United, [said] “domestic workers’ wages are often the first thing that gets compromised … Essentially, 10,000 jobs lost at Lehman Brothers means 10,000 domestic workers’ jobs that are in jeopardy.”

If they can find another job, the wages may well have been cut.

Jaime Hochhauser, who runs the Right Staff, an agency that places nannies and housekeepers with families throughout the tri-state area, said the compensation being offered right now is about 20 percent less than it was six months ago, a decrease that’s consistent “even among the wealthiest clients” … Employers are also combining positions, asking for nannies who will watch their children and do the cleaning, for example, or switching from three days a week of help to just one, according to Ms. Hochhauser and several other agency owners.

The New York Times piece stresses just how hard this is for the middle class employer; the angst they suffer, etc.   I think their main anguish is about losing their last tiny grip on the coat-tails of the super-rich — those who, today, really are the only ones who can afford service of any kind.

Hard To Believe …

… in this challenging financial environment that anyone is seriously contemplating spending $65million for an 8,000 square foot condo — even if it does have the finest views in New York.

The penthouse at 25 Columbus Circle atop the Time Warner Center

features 14 ft. ceilings throughout, elegant and dramatic entertaining space and warm and inviting private sanctuaries. A master bedroom suite encompasses an office, his and her dressing rooms, gym and his and her bathrooms. The 41 ft.-long living room with floor to ceiling windows has the most incredible view of Manhattan. The red lacquered corner library/office also commands a special place of solitude in this apartment. A full dining room with views of the Hudson River is a room of understated luxury. A chef’s kitchen and pantry, a full laundry center, four full bedrooms with en-suite baths and a screening room, round out this amazing property.   25 Columbus Circle represents the ultimate in five-star living and dining, pampering its residents with a complete array of luxury amenities: from a white glove concierge service, access to the gym, spa and pool of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, private screening room and a discrete basement garage, to the outdoor roof deck, children’s playroom, board room with Park views, private storage and ballroom.

$65 million for white-gloved concierge service — you got me right there.  My check’s in the mail.

The Wonders of Advertising Technology

This story is from WCBSTV in New York:

New York’s transit agency is testing digital advertising screens on the sides of buses.  The screens can target ads for specific neighborhoods. The ads, which resemble TV commercials, could even advertise coffee in the morning, and beer after work.  Titan Worldwide has a 10-year, $800 million contract to sell ads throughout the city’s bus and commuter-train systems. The company says GPS technology allows it to change the ads based on the buses’ locations.   The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is testing the system on a Manhattan route, with an eye toward 200 buses in the first quarter of next year.