Lockhart Steele, More Than Just A Cool Name

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEmwK-cuTQQ[/youtube]

I heart Lockhart Steele. I have from the moment I laid eyes on him (on YouTube of course!) over a year ago. (I also thought his name was ridic). This love is, of course, strictly from an editorial standpoint (he already has his lovely girlfriend), but it is a strong one no less. From day one, Lockhart has been an encouraging mentor in this journey of mine, from positive words of wisdom in the basement of Chinatown Brassiere; in the weeks before I gave my final notice at my "real job", to the support the whole Curbed team shows gofg...this guy's the real deal...also, word on the street is that he LOVES Balthazar, a favorite of mine STILL (those decadent oyster platters just don't get old, come on!)

Lockhart had the balls to leave Allah Denton, back when Gawker was still, you know, Gawker. And thank god for that. Everyone involved in real estate in this city has heard of Curbed, even the really serious mogul-y types that would never give off the impression that they read blogs (I know this because I have asked around). He has created a network that thousands turn to for information on everything from what's going on in their neighborhood to where the best mexican food in the city can be found. Which is why, when I saw him on the Observer's list of The 100 Most Powerful People In New York Real Estate, I couldn't help but smile.

The same list that includes names such as Michael Bloomberg, Josef Ackermann, Lloyd Blankfein, Bill Rudin, Robert De Niro, Billy Macklowe, Donald Trump, Mort Zuckerman, and Bill Rudin just to name a few. It isn't, of course, surprising to me at all, Curbed has had an unprecedented effect on the way we look at real estate news. Congrats are in order of course, as we have also recently heard wind of the team expanding their kingdom on to Chi-town.