Ken Laub made millions in real estate but his true love is music

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - New York businessman Ken Laub says New York is a special place. From the moment he arrived, he fell in love with New York. Ken expresses that love through his music that has been performed at Carnegie Hall and in Las Vegas.

"There's no place that can touch New York," he says.

Born in Brooklyn, Ken moved back to New York in his early 20s after serving in the Army and started his career in commercial real estate.

"I was writing music in college, but I abandoned it to make it in the real estate business in New York," he says.

And he was extremely successful brokering some of the biggest deals in New York City real estate including space at the original World Trade Center. Ken worked with just about every mayor including Abe Beame, John Lindsay and Ed Koch.

He went from living in a studio apartment to owning what is now referred to as the Versailles of Manhattan, an 8,000-square-foot townhouse with an elevator and outdoor garden on the market now for about $20 million.

But writing music was always tugging away at his heart.

"I wanted to, but there was always another real estate deal," Ken says.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he produced several Broadway and off-Broadway productions. His friends included acclaimed choreographer and dancer Bob Fosse, legend Bob Hope, and actress Liza Minelli.

"Bob Hope was one of my dearest friends," Ken says.

He even threw an engagement party for Minnelli and Peter Allen.

Ken says he finally got serious about his music, his love letter to New York, about six years ago. One of his many songs is called "Another Time, Another Place."

"I kept going to places that weren't there anymore," he says. "It's another time, another place."

The song "The Lady's Lookin' Good" represents the Statue of Liberty overlooking Lower Manhattan after September 11.

"It is a tribute to the city and how we pulled together after 9/11," Ken says.

Grand Central, Times Square and carriage rides through Central Park have also been inspirations for Ken's music. 

At 79, Ken is just getting started. He hopes his music touches hearts and makes people smile.