Ian Simpson Reisner (born June 27, 1968)“Gay and straight couples dance in Vienna for AIDS fundraiser,” Terra Daily, May 21, 2006. is an American entrepreneur, and hotel and real estate developer. He is the founder of Parkview Developers, and co-founder of Watch World International and The Out NYC hotel & resort.

Early life and education Reisner was born and raised in a Jewish familyJP Updates: "Jewish Republican Holds Reelection Fundraiser For Wisconsin Senator" by Suzanne Vega April 16, 2015 in New York City.Michael Cook, “The OUT NYC Interview With Owner Ian Reisner,” Get Out! Magazine, October 18, 2012. He graduated from Cornell University in 1990,.“Out & About: Ian Reisner ‘90,” Cornell Alumni Magazine, September / October 2014.

Career Watch World In 1994, while still working at Salomon Brothers,“How Ian Reisner Got Into Real Estate Development,” AOL Real Estate. Accessed March 18, 2015. Reisner, his partner Mati Weiderpass and Paul Dominguez founded Watch World International,“Watches as Fashion: It's Later Than You Think,” The New York Times, September 14, 1997.Beth Greenfield, “A Resort for Gays Rises in Manhattan,” The New York Times, August 17, 2010. opening the first Watch World store in New York City's SoHo neighborhood that year.“A Watch for Every Mood And Fashion,” The New York Times, October 20, 1996.Abby Ellin, “Some Time on Their Hands,” The New York Times, June 25, 2000. By July 1997, they had opened nine New York locations. By 2000, Watch World had become a national chain of 119 stores.“Sunglass Hut Doubles Watch Business With Acquisition,” The New York Times, June 8, 2000. On June 8, 2000, Sunglass Hut International announced that it had purchased Watch World for $30 million in cash, stock and debt.

Parkview Developers and The 505 Reisner is the founder, managing partner and president of Parkview Developers, a developer of residential and hotel properties, primarily in New York City, which he founded with Mati Weiderpass in 2000.“Real Estate Mogul Ian Reisner Dishes on the East End,” Dan's Papers, February 18, 2015.

In 2007, Reisner and Weiderpass launched a 109-unit luxury condominium constructed on the site originally built for the New York Central Railroad in the 1930s.Josh Barbanel, “Secret Gardens Grow in Hell’s Kitchen,” Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2010.

Parkview Developers owns 20 units in the 230 Central Park South building in New York City.Christopher Gray, “Central Park South, the View That Sneaked Up on the City,” The New York Times, August 15, 2013.Luis D. Ortiz, “Luis Will Do What It Takes for Ian’s Trust,” bravotv.com, May 14, 2014. Starting in the early 1990s, Reisner and Weiderpass bought roughly half of the apartment units in the 19-story building. They combined, renovated and sold many of the units, including a penthouse sold for $11.9 million in 2014.Chris Pomorski, “Home at Last? Developer Duo Drops Central Park Penthouse for $11.9M,” New York Observer, July 11, 2014. Reisner lives in one of the penthouses in the building.Sarah Portlock, “Inside the home of Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass of Parkview Developers,” The Real Deal, June 2, 2009. Parkview Developers formerly owned and operated the Carnegie Hotel in Manhattan, near Columbus Circle.

The Out NYC In 2007, after spending a few nights at the Axel Hotel Barcelona, part of a small chain of upscale hotels aimed at a gay clientele, Reisner decided to open a similar type of hotel in New York. He located a vacant space in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood and secured a 49-year lease. The property was originally home to a Travelodge in the 1960s, and was later used as a Red Cross homeless shelter.

The hotel opened on March 1, 2012.“Gay friendly, 105-room THE OUT NYC open for business in New York City,” Today, March 1, 2012. The $30 million entertainment complex consists of a three-story, 70,000 square-foot hotel with 105 rooms, the 11,000 square-foot XL/BPM Nightclub, the Mediterranean-inspired KTCHN Restaurant, an art gallery, outdoor gardens, a spa and a bar.Steven McElroy, “To Be a Hotel and Gay in New York,” The New York Times, March 16, 2012.Chadner Navarro, “6 hot resorts for adults only,” CNN, May 14, 2013.David Kaufman, “Not Just Gay-Friendly: Here Come the Ultra-Gay Hotels,” Time, December 8, 2010. The Out NYC was built after five years of planning.Tony Peregrin, “Chicago may get a gay boutique hotel,” RedEye, April 8, 2013. It won a Trendsetter Hotel Award from Fodor's in 2012,“Hotel Awards 2012: Trendsetter,” Fodor's, 2012. and in 2014 Fodor's named its garden one of the world's 10 most beautiful hotel gardens.“World’s 10 Most Beautiful Hotel Gardens,” Fodor's, April 8, 2014. Past performers at The Out NYC and the XL/BPM Nightclub include Alan Cumming, Cyndi Lauper and Ariana Grande;Marc Malkin, “Ariana Grande Performs at Gay Club After Saturday Night Live: Yup, Boyfriend Big Was There!” E! Online, September 28, 2014. celebrity guests include Lady Gaga, Perez Hilton, James Franco and Nick Jonas.Diana Cooper, “’This is Like Every Girl’s Dream Right Here’,” Life & Style, April 5, 2014.Dan Avery, “Nick Jonas Shows Off Killer Abs At NYC Gay Nightclub,” NewNowNext, September 9, 2014.

Reisner was sued by architect Paul Dominguez in 2013 for his failure to properly compensate Dominguez for work on the Out NYC.Paul Dominguez, "OUT hotel co-founder sues former business partner over ownership stake" "The Real Deal", May 31, 2013.

Fire Island Pines On January 22, 2015, Reisner and Sip-N-Twirl nightclub owner P.J. McAteer purchased a strip of commercial real estate along the harbor on Fire Island Pines, a gay destination on Long Island, New York, for $10.1 million at auction.

Television and film Reisner appeared on season 3 of Million Dollar Listing New York on Bravo. His penthouse duplex at 230 Central Park South has appeared on 30 Rock and in the film Did You Hear About the Morgans? The Out NYC was featured on the sitcom Happily Divorced.David Vincent, “The Out NYC – New York’s new all singing, all dancing gay hotel,” The Guardian, March 15, 2012.

Controversy On October 29, 2014, 23-year-old Sean Verdi died of an apparent drug overdose at St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan after being found unconscious in a Manhattan apartment owned by Reisner.

On April 20, 2015, Reisner and Weiderpass hosted a private discussion with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz at Reisner’s apartment.Maggie Haberman, "Ted Cruz Is Guest of Two Gay Businessmen", The New York Times, April 23, 2015. Cruz’s positions on LGBTQ+ rights prompted criticism from some in the LGBTQ+ community after news of the meeting became public. In response, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS canceled a planned fundraiser at XL Nightclub."Broadway Bares Solo Strips Canceled" , Broadway Cares, April 21, 2015.Maggie Haberman, "Ted Cruz Event in New York Prompts Boycott Threats", The New York Times, April 24, 2015. Reisner later issued a statement on his Facebook page expressing regret, calling the decision to host the meeting “a terrible mistake” and acknowledging “poor judgment.”Maggie Haberman, "Gay Businessman Who Hosted Ted Cruz Event Apologizes", The New York Times, April 26, 2015.Michelangelo Signorile, "Why the Boycott Against Ted Cruz’s Gay Hosts Is a Watershed Moment", The Huffington Post, May 4, 2015. Some additional attention followed remarks he made in an interview, where he described parts of his clientele as “frugal” and “entitled.”Jeff Swanson, "The Owners of the Out Hotel on Why They Hosted Ted Cruz and the Backlash From the Gay Community", New York Magazine, May 1, 2015.J. Bryan Lowder, "The Reisner/Weiderpass Scandal Reaches New Depths", Slate, May 29, 2015.

Personal life Reisner's brother, equestrian Ross Reisner, was murdered in September 2013 by Brett C. Knight. Knight was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the crime.Ryan Bonner, "Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison For Ross Reisner Murder in Setauket," Port Jefferson Patch, February 11, 2015.

References

External links Parkview Developers

Fire Island Pines