Summer This, Summer That (1 of 2)
I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my life, but never have I ever had a summer quite as crazy as this one. After 7 trips, 9 cities, 20+ flights, lots of insane parties, 4 major new listings and a couple big sales, I’m finally getting a chance to write about it. Way too much went down for me to fit into one post, so I’m breaking this up into two parts, this being the first. Enjoy. 😊
In case you didn’t know, June is my birthday month which makes it, by default, my favorite month of the year. If I didn’t have a birthday (which is technically impossible!), my favorite month would be December as I’m a sucker for the holidays. I genuinely believe that people are nicer in December than any other month of the year, and with all that’s going on in the world, we need more nice people around…….but anyway, back to June.
Being born on the 19th makes me a Gemini, one of the more controversial signs out there. Whenever I tell someone I’m a Gemini, I invariably get the “oh, so you’re one of those two-faced ones” look of skepticism and disdain. This is so not true! Geminis are some of the most caring, compassionate and loyal individuals out there and I’m not just saying that because I’m one myself. We do have many different sides to us, but that’s just because we’re special 😉
This year, I celebrated my 29th with a big birthday bash and was lucky to have had all my close friends there – including a few who flew in just for the weekend.
An even bigger birthday highlight was the quiet afternoon I got to spend one-on-one with my mom. This doesn’t happen as often these days, and as great as parties are, it’s the little moments with loved ones that still mean the most to me. ❤️
Real Talk
June was a busy month all around. My colleague, Shamon Campbell, and I launched sales for a 100-acre community called Lyford Hills with a total sellout north of $40 million. Lyford Hills has all the ingredients to be a world class community: good infrastructure, a great location near other luxury enclaves, and a superb amenity package (still under construction). It has suffered though, from poor marketing and the lack of a true identity. A few months ago, the developers of the community asked us to step in and take over the marketing and sales after a couple years of lackluster activity. You may not think so, but launching a brand new product is a lot easier than redefining an existing product to buyers who are already somewhat skeptical about what you’re selling. I’m proud to say that we had a successful launch party with roughly 100 attendees and 2 contracts signed! I also closed three other sales for a total just shy of $3,000,000 in June and July.
Where in the World
If you follow me on social media, you should know that Miami and New York are two of my favorite cities to visit. One of my new spots in Miami is The Deck at Island Gardens. I just love this place! It’s like a taste of St. Tropez just 30 minutes from Nassau. One by one, a bevy of beauties and dapper gents waltz through the entrance in what seems like an endless parade of just downright cool people. What starts off as a fancy brunch by day turns into a full-blown feté by night. Advice: if you plan to stay for the party, make sure you dress the part. The Deck gives a whole new meaning to wearing your “Sunday best.”
New YAWK (as pronounced by native New Yorkers) will always be the greatest city in the world to me, and anytime I have a reason to visit, I go. So when a good friend who lives there invited me to his birthday festivities, I was thrilled. BUTT… I had a foreign client flying into Nassau that same week to buy a condo, and as much I love NYC (and my friend), work comes before play. It was touch and go until the 11th hour, but luckily I managed to sneak away for a quick trip. The fact that I managed to catch up with two other friends, check out a concert, and make my flight the following morning is nothing short of a modern day miracle. This is what 36 hours in NYC looks like in emoji speak, and below that, in pictures:
👜🚙✈️🚙🗽🍴🍤🍸🎊💃🏽👻🌃😴🌇☕️🍩🚿🏃🏾🌂🎤🎹🎸👏🏽🍴💃🏽🌃😴🌇🚿☕️🚙✈️✌🏽️
Morale of the story: quickies can be great too ;)
MONTREAL
There are parties, there are PARTIES, and then there are FREAKIN’ PARTIES like the one at the Ritz Carlton in Montreal during F1. My good buddy Yanik tipped me off that this event is THEE event of the Grand Prix weekend, and although I paid a steep price for waiting till the last minute to buy tickets ($800 pp to be exact!) it was worth every single Canadian penny. When you can leave a party saying you danced with a robot, took pictures with gladiators, did an impromptu interview with a local TV station, and watched an epic performance by a group of Chinese skater chicks, you know it was a bomb a** party. Mission accomplie. 💃🏽
Outside of F1, Montreal is a bustling city with lots of culture, a thriving food scene and the perfect amount of French influence. I was also surprised at how diverse it is. Definitely GO if you haven’t been before!
Prêt a Manger
Finding a good restaurant while on vacation can be tricky. Here are my #ryanknowlesbest picks for Miami, New York and Montreal.
Miami - River Oyster Bar - Amazing seafood, sensibly priced.
New York - Le Bilboquet - Upper East Side staple. Go for the food, or to see and be seen.
Montreal - Maison Boulud & the Dom Perignon Bar at The Ritz - Opulence x 10.
Property Picks
Wishing you love, light and laughter.
Until next time.
xx
Ryan