Neighborhood News Check

China Institute Moving Downtown

Despite occupying its current location for 70 years, the China Institute has put their Upper East Side mansion on the market for $32 million. The move will take the China Institute to a commercial condominium in the Financial District, which is cheaper and offers four times the space for galleries, multi-media displays and classrooms for learning Mandarin. The move has reportedly been two years in the making. The original mansion was purchased in 1944. Wall Street Journal

U.E.S. Man's Apartment Cleared Out By Mistake

Last year Nilay Shroff, a resident on the Upper East Side, returned from work only to find that his apartment was cleared of all of his belongings. Apparently, the landlord was supposed to clean out apartment 2B, but actually cleared Shroff's apartment 2D. Shroff is suing the management company and seeking an undisclosed amount of money. He estimates that about $40,000 was thrown away, including priceless objects like photos of his late mother. He has since replaced most of his belongings out of pocket. New York Daily News

Cops Who Saved Baby Honored

Two Harlem police officers who recently saved an Upper East Side baby's life were honored by police commissioner Bill Bratton last Monday. The two officers responded to a 911 call and found the baby had turned blue. While rushing to the nearest hospital, one of the officers gave the baby mouth-to-mouth. The baby burped and began to breathe again. "Officers Konatsotis & Roussine are the epitome of public servants," Police Commissioner Bill Bratton tweeted. New York Post

White Sox Hat bandit Robs one Bodega A Month

An armed man in a White Sox hat has robbed one bodega a month since November on the Upper East Side and Upper West Side. Police say the man always brandishes a gun and makes off with cash, cigarettes and lottery tickets. Police estimate that the thief has taken over 10 grand worth of cash and items since he began. The man always wears a black and white White Sox hat with the word "Chicago" on the front. NBC New York

Far Upper East Side Prices Soaring

While the Upper East Side has always been synonymous with high living, a recent real estate trend is seeing prices in the far Upper East Side rising. The New York Times reports, using cityrealty.com, that a non-descript block on First Avenue had a penthouse sell for $37.94 million, more than doubling a condo at 170 East End Avenue in 2009. "Second Avenue Subway will have a major impact on the perception of the whole far eastern area of the Upper East Side," said Brown Harris Steven broker Amanda S. Brainerd. First Avenue "will be much more of a through corridor than it has been in the past, where it was more off to the side." New York Times