VUE

Lincoln Harbor was better marketed to those seeking leisure and ambiance. Once he purchased the marina, he began marketing it for dinner cruises. Six are currently operating out of Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club. "I realized right away that's a spectacular use for this place because every tourist wants to see the empire state building and the statue of liberty," said Israel. However, just as cities and real estate trends change, Israel is seeing new potential in Lincoln Harbor. "I see this place certainly now...as a great place to live because you're just in this high demographic area where every young person wants to live in this area," he explained. With so many college graduates and young professionals opting to live on the Jersey side of the Hudson, demand for housing makes rents and home values high. Walking around Lincoln Harbor, slip for a profit. This is ideal for the perpetual boater and fisherman for whom a boat slip is as important as a driveway, but ultimately markets fluctuate and trends falter, especially in markets where there is a less active boating community. When ownership changed hands to Israel, he purchased 246 of the 250 slips so that he could rent them and have more control over the property. "With marinas, they're very, very unique. People always try to look for generalization but you have to analyze the demographics of each individual marina, compare them," explained Israel. For example, the Sag Harbor Cove Marina caters to a more affluent community, while Port Tarpon in Tampa is predominantly middle class. Lincoln Harbor is at an interesting crossroads regarding demographics. Despite being a great location for fisherman, Israel determined that VUE ON LIFESTYLE FA L L | W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 62

• Cover