When Mayor Joe Ganim woos developers to do business in the city he can say hey, I invested in my own city. How about staying at my place? The mayor has an interest in two condominium units, one as his own residence on the West Side and another at 65 Ellsworth Street in Black Rock that he’s showcasing on Airbnb, a marketplace for renters, as a “comfy quiet condo near water in historic district.” Unknown to Ganim, a reporter for a national publication booked the place. Unknown to the reporter, the landlord was Mayor Joe.
When the guest arrived at the furnished unit the other day, according to the reporter, the mayor was attentively on site “waiting for the towels to dry.” Does Joe also change the linen?
Joe left, but then the WiFi did not function. So the reporter called the mayor’s personal cell phone asking him to connect it. Joe returned and managed to ready the wireless connection for her electronic device. Who knew Joe was a techie? The mayor has a nephew who also assists with bookings.
On Monday the reporter had called OIB to ask questions about the state of Connecticut politics.
As we chatted she did an internet search on Mayor Joe and presto: in so many words, she said, holy crap I just learned the guy who runs this place is the mayor.
Once the reporter realized that she had booked a place involving a mayor who could end up in her story, she bailed for another location.
She kindly shared some tidbits about her stay but, “My editors don’t want us involved, so feel free to write about, just don’t use my name or company, if that’s okay. Also, if you wouldn’t mind waiting ’til Wednesday–I am going to try to grab Ganim for an interview and don’t particularly want him mad at me beforehand–I think he was pretty chagrined about being caught out!”
That’s okay, Joe, we know being mayor is a 24-hour job so it’s okay to slip out once in a while for landlord duties.
If you’re wondering about the cost to book Joe’s place, it’ll run about $100 a night. And just think, you’re just a short walk from Black Rock Harbor.
And he can fix the WiFi. And dry the towels.
interesting way to find income to pay steep Black Rock taxes. I’m waiting for the city car used as an Uber car with the mayor at the wheel story.
My WiFi is not working. I need Lisa Parziale, Donald Day and Anna Parisi to call me ASAP.
203-345-9597
Is that your phone number?
Yes. Don’t get any dumb ideas, Frank. I’ve posted my home number for years on OIB.
Joel, you have nothing to worry about.
Be right there!!!
Talking about rental property, taxes, and CAN TIIN.
Remember Two Boots leaving without paying their taxes? Did CAN TIIN pay their taxes?
$100 A DAY?
www .bing.com/videos/search?q=loveshack&&view=detail&mid=42F814A94AEDC857ABE142F814A94AEDC857ABE1&rvsmid=42F814A94AEDC857ABE142F814A94AEDC857ABE1&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV
I recently represented a client who purchased a unit in that complex. You never know. I’m sure the owner of the unit mentioned in the above article makes use of the daily rental concept himself. It beats bringing his personal “business” to the Cartright condo; they’re very vigilant in that complex and know the activities of all living or renting there. Privacy is nonexistent in Cartright, however the other complex is perfect if one wants to remain anonymous. Hmmm!!!
Come on and bring your jukebox money! Hilarious!
$100/day = $3000 per month. Isn’t he getting by on his mayoral salary? Come on Bridgeporters, pony up. Just a passing thought but shouldn’t he be spending his day at work trying to salvage the City rather than playing a bellhop at his rental property?
For about the same price, in Bridgeport, $100 per day … you can …
(A) have a 12-acre towering mini-mountain range of concrete, asphalt, Portland cement, Lord knows what, dusty HEAPS … (i) polluting the area and Yellow Mill channel; (ii) increasing the likelihood of pulmonary disease in residents and people who work in the vicinity, (iii) violating city, state, and federal regs, and (iv) creating a monstrous eyesore–O&G for its Seaview Avenue facility.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=A6U-AKg1I7I
OR …
(B) for that $100, you can rent a Black Rock townhouse from the mayor; and, if you’re so fortunate, have him meet you at the door with towels and the low-down, and provide you well-reviewed innkeeper care.
Thank you to John Lee for juxtaposing these for me in a brief conversation today. Only in Bridgeport or the twilight zone.
Pete, if it weren’t so true, it would be laughable! I still know that cozy, isolated complex unit will serve as a gathering place for secret meetings held by Ganim, out of view of the public. Secrecy is important to him.
BTW, if anyone wants to help fight O&G’s plan to move their poison pile from Seaview Avenue to Howard Avenue/West End/Burr Creek/Black Rock Harbor, PLEASE PLEASE take a look at the FB site NO TO O&G. We need your help.
is this really important? It must be a slow news day. BIG PICTURE: if there are some people who are willing to put together a challenge slate for the DTC in the spring, should be easy to beat Dan Roach, and other districts, and then the BIG GAME CHANGER, the City Council elections in 2017. Not a moment to spare.
Frank, we’re on it, and you will be an important part of the coming plans!
I’m getting registered voters lists for the 130th CC district. The Presidential race is over. DTC in the spring and the CC in the fall. I have lots of time on my hands and I’m fighting the O&G attempted move to the West End.
Good start. Identifying who voted in the last three DTC races will give you the voters to convince to vote for your slate. You have a slate, right?
Frank, selecting a slate of nine requires time, identifying people willing to work, avoiding anyone with a conflict. The goal must be to insure a TC capable of endorsing candidates based on their knowledge and integrity of issues relevant to their respective districts and the City in general. I made a grave error (another one) when I invited members to form a TC slate in the 132nd district. It was done hastily and I didn’t spend the time I should have in vetting and explaining the responsibilities involved. I knew better since I have been a member and district leader in the 132nd since 1980, but again I learned sloppiness doesn’t return results. Had I used my experience in this matter, Tom Mac, Mario Testa and John Stafstrom assisting my opposition would have had no effect on the outcome. I know how to win, I just wasn’t focused enough to see this coming. I tell you and others intending to challenge the status quo, it’s important to seek and identify individuals who want what we want. Testa will be a distant memory if this is accomplished.
Lisa Parziale, THANK YOU for the wise and experienced words. I appreciate it.
Frank Gyure, take your meds, sit back, relax, and stay in touch with the opposition of the regrouped status quo. The DTC organizing should be a year ’round effort. Fall is the ideal time to start picking up the pace in preparation for a DTC challenge that takes place closer to winter. If you or any other can’t handle the grueling campaigning in winter weather, I suggest you and others find another person to serve as your/their “spare” snow tire.
It’s NEVER TOO EARLY.
Maybe I’ll move to Indiana and keep on making comments about what is happening in Bridgeport, hundreds and hundreds of miles away.
Better yet Frank, you could move to Ellsworth Street and for $10 a day act as Joe’s “Towel Boy!”
Bang, bang, bang on the door, baby!
You’re What?
Pat Coyne?
I own my own house.
Not really if you have a mortgage.
🙂
This posting is being treated humorously, but there are some serious points to question.
– Does the condo association allow rentals through Airbnb?
– Do City zoning regulations allow daily rental of furnished rooms?
– Is Ganim involved in a hotel operation? Does he have the necessary health code credentials?
His former sister-in-law claimed he did not live in Bridgeport. In the olden days, a gum-shoe reporter would go to his claimed residence and see if he actually lived there.
Tom, it’s common knowledge Matty’s Corner has a weekly 50-50 drawing Sunday mornings worth thousands. Everyone knew the massage parlors were sex trade businesses, how long did they exist? Ruby’s, and the Boston Ave gentlemen’s clubs, suspected operating drugs, money laundering and sex trade and those are impossible to shut down. While they all seem to be petty infractions of the law, as in whom do they really hurt, because overall they cause little public annoyance, it all adds up to the unsavory reputation of Bridgeport, where anything is legal as long as you don’t get caught. Who knows if the Mayor is within his rights to offer his condo on Airbnb, you are correct, too much of what goes on in Bridgeport is treated like a joke, Bridgeport’s reputation is based on the very bad behavior of a few unsavory characters and not reflective of the majority of the citizens. So why does the majority sit behind closed doors and allow this to happen?
What is really mind-boggling is the Mayor is renting a condo by the night. What are the implications of that? Does he also rent by the hour? This is our MAYOR.
“In the olden days, a gum-shoe reporter would go to his claimed residence and see if he actually lived there.”
It doesn’t have to be in golden days or a gum-shoe reporter. Remember the late Carmen Franco? When I was on the council, he did just that and more to me. He once filed an Ethics Complaint questioning my residency. He should have filed the complaint with State Elections Enforcement.
Tom White–good points you have here. Perhaps someone needs to contact the condominium association. I know most condos usually do not allow transient short-term renters. Seems as if he wants to turn this unit into a rooming house.
You can do it too–contact the Condo Assoc. You’re a great choice if I had to pick someone to do it. Use a fake name like Godivanonymous Gonzalez or GG for short. Here’s one thought that crossed my mind:
This posting is being treated humorously, but there are some serious points to question.
Problem is you’re questioning the wrong and soft points. This is what’s going to really hurt Joe Ganim. The cat is out of the box. I’m talking about what Jimfox had been pointing out for years as far as the connected getting very low assessment on their properties. Hurry and make copies before it’s too late:
gis.vgsi.com/bridgeportct/Parcel.aspx?Pid=1950
gis.vgsi.com/bridgeportct/Parcel.aspx?Pid=1951
Joel, one unit is 700 square feet and one is 1300 square feet–size does matter.
I noticed that. These are just two units being compared and before Frank Gyure has a heart attack, the taxes on the units don’t include land assessment. As for “size does matter,” I plead the fifth.
Joel Gonzalez, ma bonne petite homme, those condos appear to be very nice, but I have no idea where they are. You are a master sleuth, so you would be far better suited than I. You can call me Candy Cadbury if you like, I’m all in for anonimity. I toast your efforts with Godiva chocolate liquor, chin chin!
Godiva, they are nice; they’re snuggled in an area close to Bloodroot. I estimate 90% are owner-occupied, from what I saw when working with my client, the occupants are younger, working class who seem to tend to their own business. The complex is quiet, first level are ranch-style 700 sq ft in size, the second level are town houses. The perfect spot for privacy and easy access, although set apart from the surrounding real estate. I’m sure a look at the association rules would say this type of use would not be permitted.
Maybe he should apply some of his creativity to his job!
Brian Lockhart best tweet–maybe Mayor should Airbnb city hall to help cut deficit.
I served on the Board of my condo and there is not a condo out there that would allow this. The bylaws would absolutely require a minimum of a 6-month lease but the vast majority would require an annual lease.
In order for buyers to obtain conventional mortgages for purchase, Condos do have to follow strict FannieMae guidelines which include the % of owner-occupied units vs rental units, including the lease requirements of rental units. You are correct in your assumption.
Hmmm. Cartright St was bought in March this year, then listed “for rent” in June at $1200 for only eight days before being withdrawn from the market!
Mayor Ganim stopped by the Firebird Society cookout Saturday afternoon with his arm in a sling. He made his rounds saying hi but he never came anywhere near me. Ralph Ford and Tom Coble came later and did the same thing. I wonder why? Could it be they didn’t want me to tell them to their face what l’ve been saying on OIB about them?
They’re cowards, Ron. I can’t wait for that opportunity, but I don’t travel in their circles, God Forbid!
What an f’n disgrace. The mayor of the state’s largest city is running a rooming house when he is supposed to be doing his job. And you can be sure he is not the only one who is doing things like this while collecting salaries paid for by the taxpayers. I can think of four others who are probably doing the same.
And people want to know why the city is such a mess.
Why city finances are such a mess.
We don’t need a Financial Review Board, we need some babysitters to keep an eye on these clowns all day.
I can remember during the Ganim corruption trial it came out when Ganim was first elected mayor he would leave City Hall and go up to the family law practice to put in some billable hours. I guess I should have seen this coming since he can’t practice law anymore.
Leopards and their spots. Some things never change. Won’t be long before he comes up with more of his old tricks to make money on the side.
Bubba, I mentioned in another post if he used his ingenuity to come up with these money-making ideas for himself, why can’t he use that “talent” to enhance the fortunes of Bridgeport.
The answer to that question should be obvious. He, as always, is more concerned about his personal wealth and well-being than he is about the well-being of the residents of BRIDGEPORT.
That condo unit is not the address Ganim used as his BPT address when he ran for mayor, is it? If it is a rental unit he owns, it cannot be his home address.
BOE, when he was running he was renting the unit he later purchased, and closed May or June, after the election. I know this because I moved a client of mine into Cartright shortly before Ganim moved in as a renter. Real Estate Agents have a way of knowing what’s going on, and I’m all over Bridgeport with my business. Ironically, I had clients in both his domains.
So does he have a BPT address where he actually lives? I mean Mario doesn’t but the mayor should.
Mario does.