Dialogic Canon: Live From New York, It’s Rachel Aschalew
Among her community and her friends, Rachel Aschalew, luxury broker and creator of the Rare in New York podcast, is described as the “Mayor of Dumbo,” a title well deserved for her over fifteen years of expertise in New York commercial real estate. Based currently in Dumbo, Brooklyn, Aschalew is an expert on all things New York. In her Instagram bio, Aschalew writes, “Brooklyn’s been my playground #Dumbo since day 1.”
Aschalew’s storied background in finance began when she graduated from Pace University in New York, and worked afterwards as a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. With her passionate project, Rare in New York, Aschalew merges neighborhood storytelling and hyper-local community advocacy to produce raw and personable media featuring guests who are tastemakers and leaders in culture. With a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts, Rare in NY facilitates compelling conversations to paint a more intimate portrait of New York’s one-of-a-kind vibrance. Aschalew has spoken to a range of guests from local business owners, like the master furniture maker Mark Jupiter of Mark Jupiter Designs, food creators, like model turned James Beard recipient Hawa Hassan, and culture shapers with unique backgrounds like Ian Jarvis, an ex-felon who now coaches Fortune 500 CEOs.
Ashchalew’s love for grassroots community activism and love for human connection can not be overlooked. In fact, it drives everything she does. Her brokerage firm, Find What’s Rare, was created to mend the gap between the real estate industry and community awareness. Find What’s Rare describes itself as a vital hub of local expertise for the communities they serve, while also being well-connected to a wide range of high-end apartments for rent and for sale. Moreover, as a cultural advocate, she is an active participant and Board Member in community support efforts like Urban Arts, a nonprofit organization that teaches game design to underserved students in the city and encourages them to explore the media and technology industries as potential pathways in college and career. This, in conjunction with her community efforts with local businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic, cements that Aschalew’s work lies in being a spokesperson for her city.
Rare in New York is a deeply reflective, compelling multimedia platform that mirrors Aschalew’s activism efforts. She challenges traditional, transactional real estate content focused solely on financial reports and market trends by inviting unconventional guests to speak about their New York experiences. A typical episode is no frills and right to the point — Aschalew jumps straight into interviewing her guest, and from there, the conversation flows based on the guest’s interests and the nature of the content discussed. While the content of the conversations varies, Aschalew typically first asks what is rare to them about New York, and from there, an intimate, unguarded conversation ensues.
The latest Rare in New York episode features Preeti Sritatana, the cofounder of @modellus_novus, an architect who builds dining rooms that reflect culture, inviting community, and inspiring a sense of belonging with interior spaces. Aschalew and Sritatana have much in common. Not only are they friends with similar interests in community organizing and activism, but they also have a deep love for the New York City landscape. In the episode, they speak lovingly about their favorite dining spots in New York City and how restaurant culture shapes the city and has enriched their relationship with it.
Typical of a Rare in New York feature, Aschalew’s conversation with Sritatana presents as a warm conversation rather than a typical, structured interview with prepared questions. Aschalew’s open, attentive manner comes through in the thought-provoking questions she asks to transition the conversation from Sritatana’s involvement during the pandemic with Apex for Youth, a non-profit focused on empowering low-income Asian American youth, to more personal stories about his family life. With ease, Aschalew navigates a wide-ranging dialogue about how fine dining establishments like the acclaimed Tatiana, an Afro-Caribbean eatery in Lincoln Center, and the buzzy Nami Nori, a casual temaki bar located in the heart of the West Village, create spaces of belonging for New York’s diverse cultural fabric.
Rare in New York, like the rest of Aschalew’s impressive portfolio, drives the discourse about the importance of meaningful work that serves the communities she is a part of.
“Supporting locals means understanding the needs of your neighborhood. It’s about knowing the people and the businesses and fighting for the New York you want and keeping the New York you love,” Aschalew writes on the homepage of Find What’s Rare.
In the end, Rachel Aschalew's work proves that real estate and storytelling have the same instinct: paying attention to a place and the people who make it matter. Whether she's brokering a deal or asking a guest to recall a story about what makes them feel so connected to New York, the throughline is the same. As Rare in New York continues to bring new voices into the conversation, the podcast stands as proof that a city is as much about its best cultural features as it is about its people and their stories. For Aschalew, this is the whole point. New York isn't just where she works or lives; it's the community she's spent over fifteen years fighting for and celebrating.
