Shaping the Skyline

A behind-the-scenes account of the brilliant real estate mogul Julien StudleyJulien Studley is responsible for completing megamillion-dollar deals around the country, including the Citicorp Tower in midtown Manhattan and the NASDAQ sign in Times Square. Shaping the Skyline examines his long and distinguished career and reveals his unique approach to real estate, negotiating strategies, leadership, and management that have led him to create one of the most successful commercial real estate companies in the nation. Readers also discover the man’s more personal side through the fascinating account of how Studley fled Nazi capture in 1942 by sailing for Cuba–eventually arriving in New York to work in the diamond district at age sixteen. With insights into many of Studley’s largest and most lucrative deals, this engaging book is a revealing look at how the biggest brokerage deals are conceived and executed and how the quirky culture at Studley, Inc. enables the individuals within the company to pull off successful deals, time and again.Peter Hellman (New York, NY) is a journalist and author who was a features writer for New York magazine and today contributes to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, and other publications. The pioneer of a new style of real estate writing during the early years of New York, Hellman brought a wide audience to real estate reporting with finely crafted large-scale stories that accentuate human drama.