Real estate mutual funds are rising, Aloft Harlem postpones opening … and more

1. Real estate mutual funds are rising, driven by improved outlook for commercial market [The Street] 

2. Aloft Harlem officially postpones opening to Oct. 15 from Aug. 19 [Harlem + Bespoke] 

3. Is the Department of Buildings helping or hurting small business owners? [Crain’s] 

4. Strains on CMBS loans are becoming more widespread: Trepp [National Real Estate Investor] 

5. D.C.-based Busboys and Poets restaurant and bookstore may be planning expansion into Harlem [Harlem Condo Life] 

6. Hispanic homebuying on the upswing, as they move up in the workforce [North Jersey Record] 

7. House sizes shrink along with consumer priorities in the recession [Housing Watch] 

8. W Financial lists embattled townhouse at West 86th Street for $6.35 million [WSJ] 

9. Mayor Bloomberg’s popularity suffers over his support for Ground Zero mosque, and Gov. Paterson says he would offer state-owned property as an alternate location [Crain’s]  and [NYT] 
10. High Line helps revive stalled projects and encourage new ones in neighborhood [NYT] 

11. A glimpse into the Gramercy Park Hotel’s rooftop garden [Eater] 

12. Lehman Europe sues Dubai real estate group over the value of swap transactions [Bloomberg]