August, 2014

City Council approves NYC's first-ever pro soccer stadium in Queens

Fifth Avenue's tallest residential tower launches sales, from $1.7M

Double turreted condo in a Central Park West castle is a quirky NYC dream home for $10.5M

August 31, 2014

Chinon Legato Amplifier Provides an Eco-Friendly Way to Play iPhone Tunes

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

There are plenty of cool iPhone amplifiers around the web, and they come in many different materials including cardboard, wood, bamboo, plastic, and even molded vinyls and vintage brass horns. But we especially love the Chinon Legato amplifier because it has a cute, graceful design shaped like a mini gramophone. Crafted from ash hardwood, it amplifies sound naturally, without the use of electricity.
More details on the wooden iPhone amplifier

August 30, 2014

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

By Dana Schulz

From failed suicide attempts to accidental plane crashes, we uncover the wild and dark history of the Empire State Building. Is Ridgewood NYC’s “next big thing?” We take a look at the rise of the Queens neighborhood. You know those weird outcrops, stairs, doors and out of place architectural adornments that just have us going “huhh??” […]

Uncategorized

August 29, 2014

Turn-of-the-Century Firehouse with Eclectic Past Has an Extraordinary 21st Century Presence

By Stephanie Hoina

It was built as a water tower, was home to the NYC Fire Department Engine 256, designated a civil defense bomb shelter, and housed the production studio of a celebrated film maker for 20+ years, but now this former firehouse at 124 Dekalb Avenue in Fort Greene has been converted into two glorious duplex loft apartments ready for someone new to put their own personal stamp on the building’s historical footprint.
Go inside this unique space

Distinctive Homes

August 29, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Katz’s Is Selling Its Air Rights; 9/11 Memorial Will Open to the Public for a Night

By Diane Pham

The World Trade Center Memorial Plaza will open to the public on September 11th from 6 p.m. until midnight, allowing visitors to admire “the Tribute in Light” twin beams up close. [Crain’s] Here’s a video featuring a luxury 2-bedroom apartment set up for 22 people. [NYP] New Yorkers are heading to Jackson Heights. All units at the Roosevelt, located […]

Real Estate Trends

What It Takes to Maintain the Fraunces Tavern Museum

Image credit: MAAP

August 29, 2014

What It Takes to Maintain the Fraunces Tavern Museum

By Alyssa Alimurung

The Fraunces Tavern Museum at 54 Pearl Street in FiDi has a long history of use, changing hands and purpose countless times since it was constructed back in the 18th century. What started as a simple rental home was later turned into a dance studio, eventually finding itself as a popular tavern-slash-boarding-home-slash-community center throughout and after the Revolutionary War. The […]

August 29, 2014

Study Finds That Most People Who Live in Glass Buildings Keep the Shades Drawn

By Dana Schulz

When we talk about apartments in glassy towers we always emphasize the stunning views, ample natural light, and cross ventilation. But according to a study from the Urban Green Council, most residents in these all-glass buildings are not taking advantage of those attributes. The "Seduced by the View" study surveyed 55 glassy buildings around New York City and found that on average, 59% of the window area was covered by blinds or shades. And over 75% of buildings had more than half of their window area covered. Results were similar regardless of time of day, direction the window faced, and whether the building was commercial or residential."
More on the study here

August 29, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Bonnie Slotnick Takes Us Through Her Greenwich Village Cookbook Store

By Susan Cohen

Amongst the endlessly expanding restaurant options in Greenwich Village, there is another culinary experience cooking on West Tenth Street. Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is devoted to out-of-print cookbooks of all shapes, sizes, and cuisines. And while Bonnie isn’t offering the latest cronut-esque obsession, she provides New Yorkers, and customers all over the world via the internet, something much more special--a chance to leaf through bygone cooking eras and own a piece of culinary history. Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks has been a go-to location for out-of-print books since opening in 1997 in a Village basement, when perusing the stock was by appointment only. In the current location, shelves are brimming with books from all over the world that date as far back as the 18th century. Bonnie was even called upon to provide cookbooks for the film Julie & Julia starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child. 6sqft recently stopped by to speak with Bonnie about the world of out-of-print cookbooks and what it means to live and work in Greenwich Village.
Read our full interview with Bonnie

August 29, 2014

Sprawling Wedge-Shaped Loft Near Union Square Asks $5 Million

By Aisha Carter

Earlier in the year, this uniquely shaped apartment at 840 Broadway was for sale by owner, asking $5.8 million. However, it appears that after months of sitting on the market and a few price drops, said owner has called in the experts at Douglas Elliman, headed up by Fredrik Eklund, to save the day. The one-of-a-kind listing, currently priced at $4.95 million, is quite the marvel, with 14 giant windows, cast-iron columns, and closet space conveniently hidden around every corner.
Let's take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

August 28, 2014

Thomassons: Those Peculiar Architectural Relics That Serve No Purpose

By Diane Pham

We've all seen them. They're those weird outcrops, stairs, doors and out of place architectural adornments that just have us going "Whaa?" As it turns out, these urban vestiges that serve absolutely no purpose have a name. They're called "Thomassons." Inspired by the recent the Roman Mars 99% Invisible podcast which talked about the urban phenomenon, we decided to scope out some of the Thomassons around New York. What we uncovered is pretty amusing.
All of our findings here

Architecture And Design

Distinctive Homes

A fashion designer's cozy converted 1920s barn in upstate NY asks $2.9M

For $665K, this little upstate home is the answer to your log cabin fantasies

Tiffany-blue walls and de Gournay designs surround a $1M UES co-op with Deco-era glamour

Longtime UES home of Barbara Walters back on the market for $17M after deal falls through

This $5.75M Clinton Hill two-family home is five floors of brownstone perfection

Cozy Brooklyn Heights co-op has pre-war charm and a bright, sunny kitchen for $1.5M

Love is a large, lovely $2.9M Lispenard Street loft

Modern architectural details make this $2.75M West Village co-op a turnkey urban refuge

Double turreted condo in a Central Park West castle is a quirky NYC dream home for $10.5M

$8.2M Soho penthouse loft feels like an airy beach house surrounded by terraces

VIEW ALL

August 28, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Construction on NYC’s Tallest Modular Tower Stalled Again; Yankees’ Martin Prado Moving to the Atelier

By Diane Pham

NYC’s tallest modular tower located at Pacific Park (formerly Atlantic Yards), and designed by SHoP Architects, has been stalled again due to a dispute between the developer, Forest City Ratner, and the contractor, Skanska USA. [Crain’s] New condos will replace a Williamsburg parking lot located at Union Avenue and South 3rd. [Curbed] This week the New York […]

Real Estate Trends

August 28, 2014

More and More Brownstone Owners Are Turning Their Homes into Condos

By Diane Pham

For all of you who've stared down a four-story brownstone and wondered "What family needs all that space?", the answer appears to be not many. According to the folks over at Douglas Elliman, more and more owners of Brooklyn brownstones are carving their homes into multiple condos for resale. The piecemeal move they say not only manages to bring in more bucks than an individual sale, but also welcomes more housing without compromising the integrity of a neighborhood—i.e. they help keep tall, glass towers at bay.
More on the trend here

Real Estate Trends

August 28, 2014

Leroy Street Studio’s Louver House is a Contemporary Interpretation of the Traditional Barn

By Dana Schulz

Leroy Street Studio was tasked with creating a contemporary Long Island home that responded to their client's passion for barns. The firm infused traditional barn qualities like spacious rooms and repetitive timber frames into the project, while developing a modern structure that was sensitive to its adjacent corn field and close proximity to the ocean. The client also has an affinity for woodworking and asked the architects to build a woodshop on the site. To meet the challenge, several external buildings and interior gardens were added to the plan, creating a separation of space under a unified whole. The result is the Louver House, named for its exterior skin comprised of a series of louvers that let plenty of natural light in while still maintaining privacy. They also create a stunning effect at night, when interior light cascades onto the many outdoor spaces.
More on the modern barn design here

Architecture And Design

August 28, 2014

Daily Link Fix: The Javits’ Massive Rooftop Garden; What’s The Best Way To Get Around The City?

By Alyssa Alimurung

LOT-EK’s Shipping Container Cargotecture: WebUrbanist rounds up LOT-EK’s unique stacked container designs, one of which shows NYC’s Pier 57 as s Superpier, a 70,000-square-foot open-air, year-around food and retail market Betcha Didn’t Know This Fun Fact About the Javits: There’s a massive rooftop garden on top of the convention center in Chelsea. Inhabitat NYC has […]

Uncategorized

August 28, 2014

Become Your Own Meteorologist with BloomSky, A Crowdsourced Weather Information System

By Dana Schulz

While we love a good one-liner by Al Roker or staring at Sam Champion's perfectly coifed hair, we admit to getting a little frustrated when we get stuck in the rain with no forewarning. But a new product called BloomSky lets you control your own meteorology destiny through a crowdsourced, hyperlocal weather information system. The personal station comes with an outdoor module and an app, and its nifty functions include: a rain sensor that can tell exactly when it starts and stop raining; weather pattern push notifications (never be caught without an umbrella again!); a wide-angle HD camera that captures weather scenes; an auto-generated timelapse video of every sunset; and subscriptions to worldwide BloomSky stations.
More on the weather device here

August 28, 2014

Giant Magnetic Wall by Slade Architecture Stands out in the Home of Ricky’s NYC’s Former Owner

By Stephanie Hoina

Ricky’s NYC, by its own definition, is “an edgy, ultra-hip ‘beauty shop,’” which also has a somewhat, shall we say, eclectic range of products. So it should come as no surprise that the home of one of its former owners, co-founder Ricky Kenig, is all of those things - edgy, hip, eclectic, beautiful -- and more. Fully renovated by Slade Architecture, the three-story Brooklyn brownstone, known as the Kenig Residence, is full of surprises at every turn, including a gigantic magnetic wall.
More details on the artsy wall and the rest of the trendy pad

August 28, 2014

Rihanna Caught Eyeing this Full-Floor Apartment at One York in Tribeca

By Annie Doge

Surely ready to rest her bones after a whirlwind tour with Eminem, Rihanna was recently spotted scoping out the 10th floor at the Enrique Norten-designed One York in Tribeca. According to the Post, the pop star toured the luxurious $18 million listing along with her personal assistant and entourage. The 10th floor is currently made up of three units—which means a bit of work is required to adapt the space for the celeb—but when combined, the apartment will be a monstrous 5,350-square-foot floor-through home with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms.
take a peek inside here

August 28, 2014

Impeccably Finished Condo at the Plaza Asks $50 Million

By Aisha Carter

Just weeks after Tommy Hilfiger put his Plaza Hotel estate up for sale, another one is following suit, asking an astronomical $49.5 million, nearly triple the amount it was purchased for back in 2008. However, as ambitious as the price may be, this three-bedroom condo is pretty spectacular. The 3,413-square-foot Art Deco residence has exquisite details, 13-foot ceilings, and stellar views of Central Park—including those of the pond and Gapstow Bridge—from every major room.
Take a look inside this impressive residence

Distinctive Homes

HS2 Architecture’s Wooster Street Loft: Elegant Furnishings plus Industrial Details Add up to Perfection

By Stephanie Hoina

Sometimes when we’re presented with a blank page, we aren’t sure where to start. Thankfully, when HS2 Architecture set out to transform the entire top floor of a classic Soho building, they knew exactly what they wanted to achieve. When they looked at their blank slate they saw the “opportunity to create a large central sunlit hall with a sculptural steel and walnut stair connecting the living areas to a large private roof-top garden.” This is why we write about architecture and don’t practice it. But lucky for us that means we get to bring you the stunning end result of their vision.
Check out the result of HS2's vision

August 27, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Penn Station Expansion Moves Forward; Price Chops Across the City

By Diane Pham

Plans to convert the James A. Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue into an elegant annex for Penn Station are finally moving ahead. [NYT] The Sunshine Hotel, one of the last operational Bowery flophouses, is downsizing one-third to make way for commercial lofts. [Bowery Boogie] Why Manhattan and Brooklyn apartment sellers have been cutting prices […]

Real Estate Trends

August 27, 2014

Torafu Architects’ Dice Furniture Goes from a Stool to a Shelf with Just One Roll

By Dana Schulz

If you've ever lived in a small space before you know the importance of having pieces that can multitask-- ottomans that work as both coffee tables and seating, couches that fold into beds, or counters that serve as dining tables and desks. The latest clever hybrid comes from Torafu Architects. Their Dice Furniture collection is designed to accommodate all ages, from toddler to adult, and can be used in three different ways depending on which side it is rested.
See how the attractive multitasker changes function with each roll of the dice

August 27, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Robot Becomes BFFs with Seniors; Learn Survival Skills to Help You Escape Any Capture

By Alyssa Alimurung

Women Street Vendors Serve Up A Labor of Love: In ethnically-diverse low-income neighborhoods, you’ll notice that most of the street vendors are women. Listen in on WNYC’s podcast about the history of women vendors and the native South American foods they sell. SunBeamer Shines Light Into Dark City Buildings: Most buildings in the city don’t […]

Uncategorized

August 27, 2014

Meg Ryan Snags Hank Azaria’s Spacious Soho Loft for $8M

By Annie Doge

End of summer celebrity moves abound, and this latest closing sees Meg Ryan scooping up a gorgeous Soho pad from Hank Azaria for $8 million. The full-floor, 4,000 square foot loft at celebrity (and misfit) favorite 84 Mercer Street has previously been featured in Elle Decor and boasts three spacious bedrooms, three bathrooms, a media room, a bright and airy 50-foot atrium hall, a key-lock elevator, and a private gym—amongst many other luxuries. Azaria himself gave up downtown living back in May when he moved his family into a more cozy and quiet $9.2 million Central Park West pad.
Check out Meg's new home here

August 27, 2014

Entertain Friends in the Giant Living Room of This Tribeca Rental

By Aisha Carter

Prospective renters looking to experience quintessential New York loft living will love this furnished artist's loft at 6 Varick Street in Tribeca. The open space features 12-foot ceilings with exposed beams and Corinthian columns. The exposed brick walls and hardwood floors have been freshly whitewashed, and new, oversized windows offer views from the south and the east.
Take a look inside, here

Distinctive Homes

August 27, 2014

New Exhibition at the Skyscraper Museum Reveals Unrealized Times Square Designs

By Dana Schulz

What's now a Disney Land-like mix of big-brand stores like M&M's and Hershey's, the televised location for Good Morning America, and home to everyone's favorite costumed characters, was once "the worst block in town." During the 1970's and 80's, Times Square was filled with peep shows and porn theaters and riddled with crime. In 1984, in an effort to build taller and reduce crime while preserving the frantic energy and cultural heritage of the area, a design competition was organized by the Municipal Art Society and the National Endowment for the Arts. The debate among architects, developers, and preservationists came after plans were revealed for four skyscrapers near the intersection of 42nd Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue. Now, a new exhibition at the downtown Skyscraper Museum will resurface the submissions from this design competition, exploring the history of Manhattan's most recognizable crossroads.
More about the fascinating new exhibit “Times Square, 1984: The Postmodern Moment”

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