Bradley Nitkin – 50th Reunion Essay

Bradley Nitkin

Date of Death: 29-Mar-2009

College: Berkeley

(The first part of this memorial was published in Greenwich Time in 2009. The second part was published in the Hartford Courant in 2017.)

2009—Bradley Nitkin of Greenwich, Connecticut died on March 29, 2009 after a courageous battle with gastric cancer. Bradley graduated from Cornell Law School and became a successful owner and developer of real estate through his company The HB Nitkin Group. His loss has been felt by many but leaves a legacy of greatness behind him.

2017—When Front Street developer Bradley Nitkin died in 2009, the project was still mostly a vision for connecting the riverfront to the rest of downtown. Today, the restaurant and entertainment district is nearly all leased; an apartment building is all but fully rented; and the University of Connecticut’s new downtown campus is on track to open this fall. Construction is expected to begin on the fourth and final phase of Front Street—apartments and retail space—this year. On Friday, Nitkin’s wife, Helen, unveiled and dedicated a plaque in her husband’s memory mounted near the entrance of the Front Street Lofts. Helen Nitkin co-founded Greenwich-based HB Nitkin Group and stepped in to lead it after her husband’s death from cancer.

From Alexander Rechter: Brad Nitkin’s lifetime was full of love and achievement. He and his wife Helen created a warm family and a very successful business. Our friendship blossomed during three weeks of summer vacation between our freshman and sophomore year. I was an Israeli at loose ends in New York. He invited me to be a guest at his parents’ home in Purchase, New York. Those weeks transformed what had been a lonely and dreary period for me into a vibrant and exciting vacation. Brad gave me a firsthand taste of what an American college vacation was all about.

During the next three years, Brad and I shared classes, football weekends, road trips to Vassar and Smith—the Yale experience. He went on to law school at Cornell, joined the law firm Weil, Gotshal, and Menges, and then started his own firm Nitkin, Alkalay, Handle, and Robbins.

Brad had a strong interest in real estate, and so did Helen. Together they founded HB Nitkin. Their partnership produced a powerhouse, with significant investments in Connecticut and New York. Helen and their son Andrew now run the company.

Over the years, Brad and I never lost touch. We saw one another often, at class reunions, on my trips to the US and his to Israel. He retained his keen sense of humor, his unassuming wit and his deep interest in others. We were close friends for forty years, a friendship I cherished. His life ended far too soon, but it was a rich and satisfying one. He lives in the memories of Helen, his children Sophie and Andrew, and his many friends.