Jafri Journal

We are so excited to announce our feature in the New York Real Estate Journal as the next-generation real estate media company! Thank you to Steven Rotter from JLL, Christopher Okada from Okada & Company, Jeffrey Znaty from Kings Capital and Seth Weissman from Urban Standard Capital for your praise of The Journal. Shahid Jafri founded The Jafri Journal and with Principal Ellie Kimmes leading the way, we are confident this is just the beginning and cannot wait for what is to come. #createyourowndemand #realestate #media

Savannah, Georgia Overview: The oldest city in the state of Georgia is none other than Savannah. Back in the early days of the United States, Savannah was an incredibly large port city for the original 13 colonies, and was an important city in many wars in the U.S. Savannah, being a coastal town, has plenty to do from nightlife to beaches and everything in between. It has many historical areas to view from a tourists perspective; some popular destinations are places like local lighthouses. There is a rich history of homes, parks, and especially forts, so there’s a wide variety of cool things to try out in the city. Neighborhoods: Midtown Midtown Savannah is as historic as it gets – you can see horse-drawn buggies all around town, charming architecture, and more. The historic Grayson Stadium is located right in the middle of Midtown, as well, so if you were looking to catch a baseball game (more on that on Wednesday), you’re in luck! Tybee Island This relaxing yet universally-loved beach is a quiet place to get away from the bustling city. Tourists may check out the Tybee Island Lighthouse for a fun attraction; the area is a small peninsula located right near the border of South Carolina. There’s a handful of hotels and restaurants around the area so there’s plenty of places to stay! Forsyth Park This park is famous for having plenty to do for adults and children alike while also being located in a very historic area of Savannah. There’s recreational fields, courts, play areas, and a large fountain for all to enjoy – making it one of the more popular places to relax in the city.

There were plenty of amazing deals this week (as seen on the @JafriJournal Instagram account)! Tom Brady scored a massive loan from Citizens Bank for his waterfront Indian Creek estate in Florida. Staying within the realm of luxury, Lou Lambert sold his completely-renovated upscale Clarksville home, which is situated on the outskirts of Austin, TX. Finally, as our Instagram displayed, two big commercial deals went down this week - in the Big Apple, Carlo Bellini's firm 99c purchased an office building, whereas in Texas, Manchester Financial Group secured a loan for a hotel. Stay up to date with the latest deals by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram! #realestate #deals #Createyourowndemand

Scientists have often said that Lightning can���t strike the same place twice. The Tampa Bay Lightning, however, completely defied those odds.    The Lightning of the National Hockey League are one of Tampa’s most successful sports teams and have completely reignited the sports scene in their bay area. Winning back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2020 and 2021, their core worked tirelessly to return the championship to the city of Tampa, even making a finals run in 2022 as well (even though they couldn’t get it done.   The Lightning play at Amalie Arena, who gained the naming rights of the 1996-opened arena back in 2014. The building was formerly known as the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Much unlike the Rays (who go under the Tampa name even though they play in St. Pete), the Lightning find their home in Downtown Tampa, making for a fun evening outing for fans not far from the heart of the busy city.    As a lesser-known fact, the Lightning decided to share their space with an NBA team for the first time; Toronto Raptors called Amalie Arena home back in 2020 during the season affected by COVID-19. Due to not being able to travel across the Canadian-American border because of tight travel restrictions, the Raptors settled in Florida for the limited season.   Despite winning the championship in 2020 and 2021, they also took home the Stanley Cup Championship back in 2004. Crucial pieces of their championship-caliber success is their well-known core, made up of captain forward Steven Stamkos (who recently signed with the Nashville Predators), touch defenseman Victor Hedman, point-producers Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, and finally, award-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.    All of these players had massive stakes in the success the team has brought to Tampa. Stamkos specifically has been in Tampa since the very early stages of his career, and assumed he’d be a member of the team for life before the Lightning denied him his desired contract.    The Lightning are a proud piece of culture in the Tampa Bay area, and have a proven track record of bringing title-winning glory back to Tampa.

(Post 2/2) Tampa Sports In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Tampa has turned itself into a title-winning city. They have representation in all big-4 professional sports leagues except for the National Basketball Association.   A heart of Tampa Bay/St. Pete culture is the Tampa Bay Rays of the MLB; they made the world series championship back in 2020 and have had some great consistency ever since. The Rays, formerly known as the Devil Rays, are in the process of building a massive, multi-million dollar entertainment area outside of a brand new stadium.    The Lightning of the NHL won back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2020 and 2021, and have had generational playoff runs before and after their title success. They bring the true, winning nature to the city of Tampa and have been huge catalysts in creating interest for hockey in Florida.    Finally, the NFL has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with their namesake being a tribute to the rich culture and history in the Tampa area. Tampa used to be a hotspot for pirates back in the 17th century, which is a part of Tampa’s history that is still celebrated today with the well-known event called Gasparilla Pirate Fest.   Back in 2021, legendary quarterback Tom Brady left the New England Patriots to play in the Sunshine State, bringing with him famous tight end Rob Gronkowski. Together, they helped bolster the Bucs’ offense and bring the Super Bowl home to Tampa. In short, 2021 was a special year for Tampa Bay area sports.   

(Post 1/2) City Spotlight: Tampa   Overview   Tampa is one of, if not Florida’s most prominent and fastest-growing cities. Situated alongside Tampa Bay, the city is a center for business, culture, and nightlife.    Besides Jacksonville and Miami, the bayfront city is the third most populous in the state of Florida. Right around the West Coast of the state, Tampa is situated around cities like St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Pinellas Park across the bay. Though Tampa is known for more of a city vibe, St. Pete and Clearwater are mostly associated with their great beaches.    The city originally developed because of its strong port presence, leading to an injection of economic growth in the area. Ybor City, named after Vicente Martinez Ybor, had a huge influence on the local economy with its cigar production.    Famous Neighborhoods   Ybor City Ybor City has plenty of cultural influence from Cuba and Latin America. If you’re looking for amazing food choices, Ybor City may be the place to look – not only that, but it is surrounded by plenty of history as well. Ybor City is the “cigar capital of the world”, and features a ton of cobblestone streets, factories, and other great areas to explore.    Historic Gas Plant District Ever been to a game at Tropicana Field? Well, the Tampa Bay Rays are building a brand new stadium in its place. Their massive stadium will feature a huge entertainment district for fans to explore before and after games, which will help improve the fan experience at every level. The Gas Plant District’s redevelopment comes in at over a billion dollars, but will completely reinvent the area with new nightlife opportunities alongside the Ray’s Stadium.    Downtown Tampa The best part of downtown Tampa is that you’re right in the middle of the city’s action. It’s a busy city that has great nightlife and great food always available. It’s right along the water, too, so it’s a beautiful area to relax or hang out. Obviously, there are plenty of businesses located in Tampa as well, making it the perfect mix for visitors.   

It's official: We've finally launched our Luxury Residential News page on our website! Take a look by clicking the link below. You'll find in-house written content on some luxurious houses from big-name celebrities, athletes, and businesspeople. We'll be reposting our new blogs here on LinkedIn every single week, as well!

To our loyal subscribers:    Thank you for being a supporter of the Jafri Journal! As our Daily Round Up email newsletter begin to grow its presence into different American cities, we're in the process of transitioning to a different email marketing platform. Due to this, our emails that you receive daily will be taking a week-long pause while we change over to the new service; thank you for your patience during this time, and we promise that the new-and-improved Daily Round Up will be back and better than ever! - The Jafri Journal Team

City Spotlight: New York City (Part 2 of 2) New York Sports New York Sports come in both quality and quantity, and are one of the most culturally well-recognized parts of life in NYC. The teams are spread out across different boroughs and all bring a rich history to each. Starting with Manhattan, the Rangers and Knicks represent the NHL and NBA, respectively, and are both very storied franchises. They split time together in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.    Down in Queens, the New York Mets (only one of two MLB teams in the city) play in the modern Citi Field. In Belmont Park, right outside of the Queens border, the New York Islanders additionally represent the National Hockey League.    After playing in The Bronx for some years, Major League Soccer’s New York City Football Club (NYCFC) will begin playing in their brand new Queens stadium. The MLS also has the New York Red Bulls, but their stadium is actually located right across the Hudson River in Newark, NJ.    In Brooklyn, the Barclays Center plays host to two basketball teams: the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, and the WNBA’s New York Liberty. The Bronx hosts one of the most culturally iconic sports organizations of all time in the New York Yankees, who play at the world-famous Yankee Stadium.    In terms of the National Football League, there are no teams that play directly in the city of New York. However, both the New York Giants and the New York Jets share time in MetLife Stadium, which is a massive stadium in New Jersey’s meadowlands. Though the stadium is in New Jersey, both teams hold the New York namesake and are still proud members of the New York Sports world. 

City Spotlight: New York City (Note: This is Part 1 of 2 posts)   Overview Our most anticipated City Spotlight wouldn’t be anywhere else but New York City, the very place where Jafri Journal gets its roots!    The Big Apple, as New York City is commonly referred to as, may just be one of the most popular cities in the world. It epitomizes everything America is, and serves as both a symbol of opportunity as well as a hub for all kinds of business.    Outside of being a global center of trade, commerce, and banking, life in New York City is as vibrant as can be. The city earns its nickname, as its residents seemingly never sleep; there is plenty to do from great nightlife, seemingly limitless choices of restaurants, and larger-than-life sports franchises in famous arenas.    NYC is made up of five (5) boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. By area, Queens is the largest of the five and juts into the Long Island area, whereas Manhattan is the smallest but most densely populated. Plenty of suburbs surround the city and provide easy public transportation into the more densely populated areas like Manhattan.   Famous Neighborhoods Instead of the traditional approach of outlining suburbs & neighborhoods around the city, we’ll be taking a look into the most famous ones, right in the heart of the city.    Central Park Central Park is a perfectly-rectangular area carved out of the city’s grid that provides a quieter, more serene escape from all the noise. The area is densely packed with trees, bodies of water, and other gathering spaces for people to relax, and many events are hosted in Central Park regularly. Wollman Rink is well-known as a place for people to skate during the wintertime, but the Central Park Zoo acts as a fun family outing in the warmer months.    Times Square Commonly known as one of the busiest areas of the world, Times Square is NYC’s consumerism capital; thousands of illuminated advertisements are displayed all around the square. There’s plenty of tourist stops, restaurants, and other things to see in Times Square, like the famous steps. It’s a space that can easily be considered one of the most well-known examples of American popular culture.    SoHo Nestled closer to Downtown Manhattan, SoHo gets its fitting name from being just south of Houston Street. The area features all things luxury, from artwork to fashion and everything in between. A great array of nightlife and gastronomy round out the famous neighborhood. If you’re looking to shop at some high-end stores or just looking to explore the more-charming side of NYC, SoHo is a formidable first stop.