October, 2014

Since FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) updated its flood-zone maps after Superstorm Sandy, we learned that it could cost the city $5 billion to comply with the new regulations, as 60,000 additional buildings were identified as being within the flood zones. This brings the total to 84,000 buildings worth over $129 billion, according to a new report released by the Office of New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer on the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy.
What does this mean for the city?

Policy

October 31, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Bjarke Ingels’ 57th Street Apartment Tops Out; Landmarked Dudley Townhouse for Sale

David Wolkoff, the developer of the residential building replacing 5Pointz, has sold his 791 Park Avenue home for $10M. [NYO] BIG’s 57th Street pyramid gets its topper. [Curbed] A Bowery development site sold for $45M. [TRD] The Port Authority has lost the $175M Hudson Yards tower deal. [Crain’s] Landmarked Dudley Memorial townhouse at 118 Amity Street in Cobble […]

Real Estate Trends

October 31, 2014

Tsao & McKown Re-Tailor an 1850s Derelict Farmhouse into a Charming Weekend Retreat

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

When Brooklyn-based architecture firm Tsao & McKown arrived to this farmer’s cottage in upstate New York, they found the 1850’s building in a complete derelict state. They made all efforts to preserve its original charm, paying special attention to the materials and details found in every corner of the house. Located in Rhinebeck, this woodland retreat is full of endangered crafts and classic pieces by the likes of Victorian designer Christopher Dresser and Danish designer Hans Wegner.
Learn more about this charming renovation filled with classics

October 31, 2014

Live-Work Loft in SoHo is a Museum for Luxury Living

This live-work loft, currently home to a prominent art dealer and his a notably impressive art collection, was recently put on the market for $6.5 million. Located in the heart of SoHo at 84 Mercer Street, this galley-style home occupies a full floor that was gutted and rebuilt with the help of loft architect Todd Ernst. The building was first constructed in 1884, and in 1978 was declared a National Historic Landmark. The cast-iron structure features massive windows, 16' ceilings, a private elevator, and a definitively cool interior style.
Tour this spectacular loft

Distinctive Homes

October 31, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Where to Get Your Halloween Fix All Year Long; The City’s Charming One-Block Streets

Metro New York rounds up spooky spots in NYC where it’s Halloween all year. And Curbed has a list of city sites that have been turned into houses of horror courtesy of Hollywood. A new website can tell you about yourself based on your zip code, and it’s pretty accurate. More on Business Insider. Have […]

Uncategorized

Animated GIFs Remembering the Post-Sandy Devastation

Before-and-after views of Staten Island

October 31, 2014

Animated GIFs Remembering the Post-Sandy Devastation

This week marks the two-year anniversary since Hurricane Sandy devastated New York City and the surrounding coast lines. In its wake, the storm forever altered our coastal areas. These before-and-after satellite images from the Huffington Post taken via Google Earth, show just how dramatic the damage was—and they ask us to consider the progress we've made recovering from the destruction over the last two years. Our rebuilding efforts in the post-sandy aftermath have been significant, however our work is far from over.
More details here

City Living

October 31, 2014

Visit This Quirky Museum Hidden in a Chinatown Elevator Shaft

Looking for something off-the-beaten-path to do this Halloweekend? Mmuseumm might be right up your alley. And speaking of alleys, it's located on Cortland Alley in Chinatown within a single, abandoned elevator shaft. The 60-square-foot Mmuseumm is a modern natural history museum that exhibits contemporary artifacts, illustrating "the complexities of the modern world." Its eclectic collection of everyday items includes toothpaste tubes from around the world and papers left behind in copy machines. It even manages to fit a gift shop and café in its tiny footprint.
More info on the museum here

Events & Things To Do

Distinctive Homes

Take the elevator from the gym and English garden to the roof terrace in this $13.5M UES townhouse

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

A diplomat's lofty home in a historic FiDi co-op asks $2.9M

Enjoy a short commute to the office in this $2.85M Nomad loft

This $795K Hudson Valley farmhouse has clean, classic curb appeal–and a guest house in the back

This $7M limestone townhouse brings restored Park Slope perfection to historic beauty

At former Streit's Matzo Factory, a Lower East Side penthouse with two terraces asks $4.35M

19th-century townhouse in Hudson, NY has three units, retail space, and a three-bay garage for $2M

For $55K, spend a post-modernist summer in a designer's Long Island home and studio

Behind this $9.9M Chelsea townhouse, a secret path leads to a backyard carriage house

VIEW ALL

October 31, 2014

The City’s Priciest Rental is a $500,000/Month Suite at The Pierre

Because if you've got the cash, why buy a $6 million home when you can rent one for a year at the same price? The WSJ reports that the newest most expensive rental in the city is located on the the 39th floor of The Pierre and it's going for a cool half-a-million dollars a month. The floor includes the 2,000-square-foot Presidential Suite, which can combine with other rooms for a total of 4,786 square feet (or six bedrooms with six-and-a-half bathrooms), or be rented separately for $400,000 per month with the additional rooms ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 per month.
Find out more here

Distinctive Homes

October 31, 2014

This Brooklyn Heights Pad Brings a Touch of the Countryside to the City

By Aisha Carter

There are a million reasons to move to Brooklyn Heights: it’s one of the most coveted locations in Brooklyn; its quiet tree-lined streets are enhanced by scenic landscapes and beautiful architecture; and most importantly, it was the setting for the Cosby Show--although it turns out the façade of the Huxtable’s brownstone was actually a residence in Greenwich Village. The horror! Well, now there’s another reason to head over to Brooklyn Heights, and it’s this beautiful co-op at 76 State Street, asking $995,000. This two-bedroom apartment makes its mark by managing to seamlessly bring a little country living to the upscale urban backdrop. What more could you ask for?
We'll show you here

Distinctive Homes

<b>6 of New York’s Spookiest, Scariest and Downright Strangest Homes</b>

You can live here!

October 30, 2014

6 of New York’s Spookiest, Scariest and Downright Strangest Homes

Every day at 6sqft we pretty much find ourselves in awe saying "We can't believe people live like this!" But every so often we come across a home that has us muttering "People live like this??" In celebration of All Hallow's Eve, we've rounded up six spooky and scary Manhattan and Brooklyn residences. One is filled to the brim with dead animals, another hides a secret underground portal, and another harbors an incredible tale of murder and deceit. Jump ahead to see all six them all—and if you'd ever dare live in one of these petrifying pads, you're in luck because several of these homes are for sale. Lucky you?
For these homes, it's Halloween year-round

October 30, 2014

Townhome in Hidden English Tudor Village on Upper West Side Asks $2M

By Aisha Carter

It would be easy to walk right past Pomander Walk on a trip down 95th street, between Broadway and West End Avenue. The quaint little enclave is well concealed by an unsuspecting gate. However, walk through that gate and you’re in for quite a treat. Behind it is one of the most unexpected co-ops on the Upper West Side—an enclave so enchanting that it won the hearts of American treasures like Rosalind Russell, Lillian Gish, and Humphrey Bogart. And right now, one of those co-ops is available for $1.995 million.
Let's take a look

Distinctive Homes

October 30, 2014

President Obama’s College Apartment is Now Renting for $200 Cheaper

Live like a president—back when that president was a struggling student in college. The tiny two-bedroom apartment President Barack Obama once shared with another student while at Columbia is now renting for $2,300 a month, a couple hundred bucks less than its previous $2,500 a month listing price. The quaint home located in a rental building at 142 West 109th Street comes with an old photo of the prez standing in the doorway, and according to the listing, living here could be the road to political greatness: "who knows you might end up at the WHITE HOUSE one day!"
Inside Obama's college digs here

October 30, 2014

Real Estate Wire: A Dip in the Luxury Market Coming?; The Value of a Central Park View

Extell’s Gary Barnett predicts a small dip in the luxury market. [Crain’s] What’s the value of a Central Park view? [Curbed] A peek inside One57’s model home. [TRD] Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams wants to revive an affordable housing development on a 30-acre piece of land known as the Broadway Triangle. [Brownstoner] The New York City […]

Real Estate Trends

October 30, 2014

East Village Condo’s Celebrated Design Will Make Your Dreams Come True

On any given day New York City has the potential to make all of your dreams come true, and this beautiful three-bedroom East Village condo, located at 211 East 3rd Street, might make that dream a little sweeter. This amazing property underwent an all-inclusive renovation just two years ago, and the result is an exquisitely curated interior enhanced by architectural sophistication that is sure to grab your attention. The renovation also garnered features in Martha Stewart Living, the Wall Street Journal and several other magazines and papers.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

October 30, 2014

Relax in This Giant Birdsnest by OGE Creative Group

Since there's snow predicted for tomorrow, we're starting to get in the mood to curl up in a warm, comfy chair with a good book. But while we've been dreaming about La-Z-Boys and plush sofas, the imaginative designers at OGE Creative Group were busy coming up with the ultimate cozy lounger--the Giant Birdsnest. Known officially as the "Giant Birdsnest for creating new ideas," this bed/couch hybrid was conceived as a new and inspiring social space that fuses furniture and playground.
More on the fun-loving Giant Birdsnest here

October 30, 2014

Construction Halted on Karim Rashid’s Harlem Condo After Buddha Statue Gets Decapitated

Karim Rashid's condo at 329 Pleasant Avenue just can't seem to win. Weeks ago, the designer was forced to scrap the building's cyan and magenta color scheme for a more subdued palette, and now DNA Info reports that the city has issued a partial stop-work order on the building. The halting of construction comes after the city received complaints from neighbors that their foundations were being damaged by digging and careless workers. But the greatest victim in all of this? How about this Buddha statue which was decapitated by a construction worker.
More on the drama

POLL: Would You Live Next to a Cemetery?

In the spirit of Halloween, yesterday we took a look at whether or not living near a cemetery affects real estate prices in New York. Apparently, on average, homes close to cemeteries were slightly smaller, but sold for more due to a higher cost per square foot. And though this is what the research suggests, […]

Real Estate Trends

October 30, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Floating Pool Could Happen Soon; Toxic Gowanus Canal Is Quite Photogenic

Slate sits down with Jake Dell, the 27-year-old heir to Katz’s Delicatessen, to talk about how the world-famous establishment has stayed in business against the odds. The floating +Pool proposed for the East River is closer to realty than you think. More on Dwell. Should we call it pollution photography? Business Insider showcases strikingly beautiful […]

Uncategorized

October 30, 2014

Tour the Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead and Cemetery, Queens’ Oldest Private Residence

In a world where you can virtually tour real estate listings, it's nice to know that the good, old-fashioned house tour hasn't gone out of style. And this Saturday, one of the oldest homes in Queens is opening its doors for a tour of its refurbished interior, exceptional gardens, and historic cemetery. The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead in East Elmhurst was built circa 1656 by Abraham Riker, an early settler of New Amsterdam. Its current owner Marion Duckworth Smith still lives in the home, which makes the property the oldest private residence in the borough. She and her late husband Michael Smith began restoring the home in 1980, and since then Smith has offered the occasional tour, giving guests a glimpse into the Riker burial ground, which holds the remains of 132 descendants, the interior living areas, and the picturesque gardens, which include a gazebo and workshop designed to look like a gingerbread house.
More on the house's history and the upcoming tour

October 30, 2014

Bruce Willis Buys $12 Million, 22-Acre Site in Bedford, NY

By Annie Doge

Lots of Hollywood celebrities are making waves in Bedford, New York this week. Just after it was reported that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones sold their home in the woodsy Westchester town for $7.5 million, in turn closing on a nearby property for $11 million, it's now making headlines that Bruce Willis has dropped $12 million on two Bedford parcels totaling 22.32 acres. The actor has been very busy with real estate lately. He recently listed his Sun Valley ski house and Beverly Hills estate and bought a Central Park West apartment. Willis and his wife Emma Heming will now get to enjoy the 8,000-square-foot, shingle-style home, as well as the adjoining property's antique house and two renovated guest cottages.
Take a look at Bruce's Bedford digs here

October 29, 2014

Forget Showrooms, Developers Turn to Oculus Rift to Virtually Immerse Buyers in Pricey Properties

Though more and more house hunters are back to buying off of blueprint in this hot real estate market, that hasn't stopped developers from tricking out their sales offices with hopes of trumping the competition. Ultra-detailed scaled models line spaces, and the priciest of couches and countertops fill life-sized mockups blocks away from the actual address. More recently, buildings like 50 West have built out entire theaters wrapped with screens intent on showing buyers the panoramic city views their shelling out millions for. Clearly, cost is not a concern. But watch out, there's a new group on the scene ready to really shake things up. Architecture visualization firm ArX Solutions has turned to a piece of virtual reality tech that everyone seems to be talking about: Oculus Rift. With their specially designed virtual reality tours, clients can see exactly what its like to walk through a home with all their sensations engaged. Cool? Absolutely. But this tour doesn't come cheap. Like the lofty homes it features, a trip with Oculus Rift rings in at a jaw-dropping $95,000.
Find out more about taking an Oculus Rift real estate tour

October 29, 2014

Real Estate Wire: 3 WTC Back on Track with New Funding; Jackson Pollock’s Village Apartment Sells

3 World Trade Center is back on track and is slated to open in 2018. Larry Silverstein sold $1.6B in unrated debt to fund the tower. [NYP] Jackson Pollock’s former Greenwich Village apartment has sold for $1.46M. The home hit the market just over a month ago for $1.25M. [NYDN] A handy guide on how to […]

Real Estate Trends

October 29, 2014

Bike Activists Demonstrate the Absurd Size of Cars for Single Drivers