Editor’s note: Welcome aboard

Greetings, all four corners of the Tri-State kingdom! Like thousands of Tri-State residents who ride Metro-North, New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Rail Road, this train is officially leaving the station for suburbia.

The mission of this inaugural issue is to bring you the usual data-driven reporting and analysis on brokerages, companies, developers, markets and personalities that you expect from The Real Deal. But there’s a twist: We’re staying out of Manhattan and its outer boroughs.

As a native Staten Islander who grew up visiting friends and family in northern New Jersey, southern Connecticut, Long Island and perhaps, every now and then, the big city, I have a special affinity for the Tri-State region, as well as those who may, perhaps at one time or another, feel overlooked.

In that spirit, each quarter we’ll aim to uncover some of the key issues in the real estate space that affect our readers, whether they be in the commercial, financial, hospitality, industrial, legal, residential, retail or technology sector, or beyond! 

In this issue, C.J. Hughes walks us through the projects coming to the Tri-State’s Opportunity Zones. He also took a look the fractured retail landscape amid the continued struggles of crumbling retailers who are leaving vacant big box spaces in their wake. Meanwhile, Judith Messina dove into how co-working is evolving in suburbia. Our research team ranked the biggest trades in New Jersey’s hot industrial market. Leslie Hendrickson examined the state of senior living in the region, and Elaine Pofeldt looked at Westchester’s top luxury brokers. Maya Rajamani also caught up with Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

Enjoy the issue, and I look forward to your feedback!