My name is Peter Santiago. I own and operate a boutique real estate firm called Raven New York in SoHo. I’m a native and proud New Yorker. Choosing to become a real estate broker in New York City has allowed me to embed myself seamlessly and effortlessly into the dynamic tapestry of New York City. It has allowed me to explore New York City and share those moments with those who want to make New York their home.
To be a New Yorker is not just about the topography - it’s an idea, the notion that you live in a special place where magnificent things happen everyday. It really is a state of mind. Sure there are many fantastic and interesting places in the US and fabulous international cities dotting the globe, but New York City, Gotham, it’s sublime.
I understood this intuitively as a child.
I was born in Columbia hospital in Washington Heights a hilly neighborhood in the upper-west side of Manhattan. I grew up in a classic pre-war building on Amsterdam avenue. Constructed with elegant masonry, ringed with a majestic limestone cornice, and guarded by gothic gargoyles.
One of my favorite things to do as a kid was to climb to the very top of my building at twilight, open the heavy steel door to the rooftop and marvel at the universe of blinking lights and soaring buildings. A birds-eye view reveals hidden cobblestone streets, the scenes of daily life playing out in the windows of apartments, the blur of yellow taxis, buses, and cars vanishing into the multiplicity of boulevards and avenues.
Even now, I often guide my adventurous clients like a Himalayan sherpa to the rooftops of buildings we’re viewing. It adds an element of awe and beauty to the experience of searching for a new home in New York City.
I never tire, in fact, I’m always amazed by the diversity of people who are either New Yorkers or soon to be New Yorkers. Hailing from different states, different countries, from all walks and varying stations of life: students, financiers, educators, writers, actors, film makers, designers, photographers, singers, dancers, musicians, entrepreneurs, politicians, poets: all dreamers.
Best,
Peter Santiago.
