These 10 NYC Seders offer a fresh take on Passover tradition

These 10 NYC Seders offer a fresh take on Passover tradition

Vornado reveals new renderings for 62-story office tower at 350 Park Avenue

Vornado reveals new renderings for 62-story office tower at 350 Park Avenue

NYC reveals design for esplanade and new 107th Street pier in East Harlem

NYC reveals design for esplanade and new 107th Street pier in East Harlem

Infographic: The 12 Most Expensive Condo Buildings Rising in NYC
November 30, 2015

Infographic: The 12 Most Expensive Condo Buildings Rising in NYC

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While it seems like every block in the city is host to a construction site throwing up some luxury condo building or pricey rentals, not all of these developments are created equal. Following up on their last infographic which rounded up the city's top five most expensive new developments, the data gurus over at CityRealty have culled an even more extensive list which pinpoints the 12 priciest structures going up right now. While the number of zeros that follow their combined $20,000,000,000 sellout will make your head hurt, what's even more mind-boggling is that these 12 buildings alone will count for nearly HALF of the money that'll be generated by the 200+ condo projects underway in Manhattan.
All the details here
A Co-op at This Striking Freestanding House on City Island Asks $600K
November 30, 2015

A Co-op at This Striking Freestanding House on City Island Asks $600K

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You definitely don't see listings like this everyday. This freestanding home comes all the way from City Island, a small Bronx neighborhood that also happens to be an island about a mile and a half long by a half mile wide. At this seaside village (where about 4,500 New Yorkers live), Victorian homes with porches aren't all that rare. Still, despite the fact you can access Manhattan by the 6 train and then the bus, it does feel like this whole area is a secret hideaway in New York City. Although the property at 33 Tier Street is a freestanding home, this listing is for a co-op apartment within the residence. The apartment in question holds two bedrooms, 1,200 square feet, and waterfront views. Plus, residents have access to the dreamy front porch. The asking price? $599,021 with a monthly maintenance of $700.
Check it out
Tiny $9 Lamp Shade Transforms Your Smartphone Flashlight Into Functional Furniture
November 30, 2015

Tiny $9 Lamp Shade Transforms Your Smartphone Flashlight Into Functional Furniture

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Our smartphones provide us with a plethora of conveniences that make it hard to remember how we lived without them. Now the design team at Peleg Design, who recently teamed up with the founder's alma mater Holon Institute of Technology in Israel, have added desk lamp to the list. More formally known as Luma, this mini lamp is made from acrylic and was designed to clip on to your device and diffuse the light coming from a smartphone flashlight.
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Brooklyn’s Sketchbook Project Has a Library of 34,000 Doodles You Can Browse
November 30, 2015

Brooklyn’s Sketchbook Project Has a Library of 34,000 Doodles You Can Browse

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It claims to be the world's largest collection of doodles, and it's located right in Williamsburg (h/t Atlas Obscura). The Sketchbook Project is a "crowd-sourced library that features 33,903 artists' books contributed by creative people from 135+ countries." Located at a storefront space in the Brooklyn Art Library, the project encourages artists (or anyone with an artistic inkling) to order one of their blank sketchbooks, fill it up with their drawings, and send it back to be added to the physical and/or digital library for creatives from all over the world to view.
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NYC Building Boom Yields Rise in Construction Deaths
November 30, 2015

NYC Building Boom Yields Rise in Construction Deaths

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All you have to do is look up to see that New York City is in the midst of a building boom; but this surge in development comes with a price. The New York Times reports that construction-related deaths and injuries over the past two years, most of which affect undocumented immigrant laborers, "far exceeds the rate of new construction over the same period," a testament to the inadequate safety systems at job sites. City records show that there were ten construction-related fatalities in the most recent fiscal year (July 2014 - July 2015), nearly twice the annual average. This time period also saw a 53 percent spike in injuries, up to 324 instances, and a 52 percent rise in accidents, up to 314.
Find out more ahead
This Cozy, Elegant UES Duplex Is the Perfect Manhattan Winter Retreat
November 30, 2015

This Cozy, Elegant UES Duplex Is the Perfect Manhattan Winter Retreat

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With its toasty fireplaces–including one in the master bedroom–elegant pre-war details, dark chocolate floors and walls of casement windows for watching the snowflakes fall on gorgeous historic homes, this duplex at 170 East 78th Street looks like a prime spot to make the most of a Manhattan winter. The designed-to-the-nines 1927 co-op is asking $2.995 million, with a considerable monthly fee of almost $5,000; interestingly, the ask is less than the $3.5 million price that accompanied its turn on the market in 2010. On a gorgeous Upper East Side Block, this pre-war home is as classic as it gets; though it's listed as a two-bedroom, a look at the floor plan shows possibilities for one or two more with ease. Rooms are gracious and bright, and we can totally see boughs of holly, New Year's Eve merriment and snow days before a roaring fire in just about any of them.
Step inside where it's warm
Secrets of the Eldridge Street Synagogue Tour; An App for Oyster Happy Hours
November 30, 2015

Secrets of the Eldridge Street Synagogue Tour; An App for Oyster Happy Hours

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Celebrate the Festival of Lights with an after-hours tour of the Eldridge Street Synagogue where you’ll learn about architecture and hidden history and enjoy a wine reception. [Untapped] Someone left free, homemade scarves in Tompkins Square Park. [EV Grieve] Chain restaurants must start adding sodium warning labels to their menus beginning tomorrow. [DNAinfo] Ride a 1930s […]

Distinctive Homes

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November’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features
November 28, 2015

November’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features

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November’s 10 Most-Read Stories Iconic Halston House Where Andy Warhol Partied Hits the Market for $40M The World’s Most Expensive Dollhouse Will Be On Show at Columbus Circle This Month Rent a Literal Dumpster Apartment in Williamsburg for $1,200 a Month–or $200 a Night 432 Park in Numbers: New Renderings and Superlatives Will Blow You […]

Architect-Owner of This Polished-yet-Casual Village Loft Asks $3M
November 26, 2015

Architect-Owner of This Polished-yet-Casual Village Loft Asks $3M

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Century-old bones and clean white walls frame the well-proportioned interior spaces of this warm, sophisticated two-bedroom loft in Greenwich Village, the result of a recent gut renovation by the architect-owner. John Berg of BergDesign Architecture, with his wife Jennifer Desmond, purchased the sunny downtown co-op at 250 Mercer Street for $1.5 million in May of 2013, two years and an impressive renovation ago. The bright high-floor unit is now on the market for $2.9 million. We’ve featured some of the architect’s projects, and this apartment's renovation is detailed on the BergDesign site, with the imperative of keeping "three priorities: durability, casual living and contrasting rich materials" for a family with small children in mind.
Have a look at how a gut renovation transformed the space
$40M Penthouse Occupies the Clock Tower Dome of Nolita’s Famed Police Building
November 25, 2015

$40M Penthouse Occupies the Clock Tower Dome of Nolita’s Famed Police Building

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Who doesn't love to take a look inside the Police Building, the 1909 Beaux Arts NYPD headquarters converted to condos in 1988? Back then, residents were sure to maintain the building’s fantastic architecture and created varied floor plans with soaring ceilings and open layouts. Today, it's known for its uber-unique apartments. This is the building that brought us the wood-paneled, domed master bedroom and this funky loft with 18-foot ceilings. And now, take a peek inside the 6,000-square-foot penthouse apartment that occupies the building's clock tower dome. This was once the home of Calvin Klein and Steffi Graf, but the current owners pulled off quite an impressive renovation—one that uncovered a secret room. The grand renovation comes with an even grander asking price, a whopping $39.9 million (h/t Curbed). And as you would expect, it is as drool-worthy as can be.
See inside here
America’s Top Thanksgiving Searches Are More ‘Tattoo Shops’ Than ‘Turkeys’

Infographic via CityLab

November 25, 2015

America’s Top Thanksgiving Searches Are More ‘Tattoo Shops’ Than ‘Turkeys’

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The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line may get inundated with calls on Thanksgiving and the days leading up to the holiday, but when it comes to internet searches there are no turkeys in site. Google Maps analyzed Thanksgiving trends from the past three years to reveal some hilarious and unexpected topics. For example, the top national day-of search is "buffet restaurants," and in New York City specifically, Thanksgiving is apparently a day to find tattoo shops (matching ink for the whole family?). The folks over at CityLab compiled the data into two fun infographics that show the surprising priorities of Americans around the holiday.
More trends this way
New Renderings of Prospect Heights’ Hello Townhouses, Construction Reaches Street Level
November 25, 2015

New Renderings of Prospect Heights’ Hello Townhouses, Construction Reaches Street Level

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Here's another look at Brooklyn's Hello Townhouses rising at 22-36 Underhill Avenue between Dean and Pacific Streets in Prospect Heights. Developed by Eli Karp's Hello Living, the townhouses will be in line with much of the company's brand of modern, clean and minimalist buildings, with muted exteriors of brown and gray, pattered by an alternating arrangement of large windows. The full-service real estate development firm was founded by Karp in 2005 and purchased the 8,000-square-foot parcel that previously held a one-story warehouse for $2.1 million in 2013. Now with foundation work wrapping up, parts of the development are emerging above street level. Ultimately, the buildings will climb 32 feet and the entire project will encompass 15,516 square feet of zoning floor area. Zambrano Architectural Design is serving as the architect of the record, while Brooklyn-based Loadingdock5 are the designers.
See all the renderings here
200 Calories of Thanksgiving Foods; Ride the 95-Year-Old Wooden Escalators at Macy’s
November 25, 2015

200 Calories of Thanksgiving Foods; Ride the 95-Year-Old Wooden Escalators at Macy’s

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Here’s what 200 calories of your favorite Thanksgiving foods looks like. [Business Insider] Though Macy’s is emerging from a four-year, $400 million renovation, shoppers can still ride the store’s historic wooden escalators. [NYT] Nine things you didn’t know about Frank Gehry. [Fast Co. Design] The strange history of New York’s Thanksgiving ragamuffins. [Ephemeral NY] You can […]

Historic Palace Theater to Get Raised 29 Feet to Accommodate New Retail Space
November 25, 2015

Historic Palace Theater to Get Raised 29 Feet to Accommodate New Retail Space

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At a public hearing yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a plan drawn up by Platt Byard Dovell White Architects (PBDW) for Maefield Development to raise the historic 1913 Palace Theater 29 feet in order to accommodate expanded facilities and new retail space underneath. The decision isn't sitting well with preservationists, but the exterior of the theater was replaced in the early 1990s to make way for the 45-story adjacent DoubleTree hotel, and as the Wall Street Journal reports, the actual theater space is an interior landmark and the $2 billion redevelopment project will restore the decorated interior and add 10,000 square feet of theater facilities.
More on the history and future of the Palace Theater
The Most Important Towers Shaping Central Park’s South Corridor, AKA Billionaires’ Row

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. This week Carter kicks off a nine-part series, “Skyline Wars,” which will examine the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city’s silhouette. To start, Carter zooms in on the biggest developments shaping the southern corridor of Central Park.

November 25, 2015

The Most Important Towers Shaping Central Park’s South Corridor, AKA Billionaires’ Row

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They did not come from outer space when they landed on our front yard while the NIMBY folk and the city’s planners and preservationists weren’t looking. Some are scrawny. Some are dressed like respectable oldsters. They’re the supertalls and they’re coming to a site near you.
read more here
The City’s Prettiest Food Emporium, Famous for Its Guastavino Tiles, Is Closing

Photo by missvancamp on Flickr

November 24, 2015

The City’s Prettiest Food Emporium, Famous for Its Guastavino Tiles, Is Closing

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Guastavino tiles–a design technique for thin-tile structural vaulting brought to New York at the end of the 19th century by Spanish architect and builder Rafael Guastavino and his son Rafael Jr.–can be seen at 250 locations throughout the city. Most of these spots have grand public purposes, such as Grand Central, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, or the Municipal Building. But one locale has gained famed for its very un-grand function as the home of a grocery store. The Food Emporium underneath the Queensboro Bridge has occupied one half of the Guastavino-tiled arcade known as Bridgemarket since 1999. This Saturday at 5:00 p.m., though, it will close its doors for good, according to Bloomberg, which leaves the fate of the historic interior up in the air.
Find out more
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This One-Bedroom Rental in Carroll Gardens Boasts the Loft Aesthetic
November 24, 2015

This One-Bedroom Rental in Carroll Gardens Boasts the Loft Aesthetic

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When it comes to square footage, this apartment falls short of a traditional loft, but it's certainly got the aesthetic down, with high ceilings, exposed brick and exposed wood. The one-bedroom unit–which the listing says could be converted to two bedrooms–is located in a brick townhouse at 282 Sackett Street in Carroll Gardens, a neighborhood known for its brownstones, not warehouse buildings. This is a railroad apartment, with the living room, kitchen and bedroom stacked on top of each other. And it is currently on the rental market for a grand total of $3,000 a month.
See more
New Architecture Competition Looks at Demolishing Buildings for the Production of Voids
November 24, 2015

New Architecture Competition Looks at Demolishing Buildings for the Production of Voids

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These days, the architecture conversation in NYC is all about the tallest, slenderest, and priciest towers. But while everyone has their eye on what's going up, no one seems to be talking about what's coming down to make it happen. That's why this new design competition from the Storefront for Art and Architecture is so intriguing. "Taking Buildings Down" wants to expand the context of new development to include the entire life cycle of our built environment, and proposals are being accepted for "production of voids; the demolition of buildings, structures, and infrastructures; or the subtraction of objects and/or matter as a creative act."
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Inside a Manhattan Couple’s Modern Woodland Escape Designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture
November 24, 2015

Inside a Manhattan Couple’s Modern Woodland Escape Designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture

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A city couple commissioned Resolution: 4 Architecture to come up with a site-specific home for escaping their busy Manhattan lives on the weekend. Located on a sloped wooded terrain in Kent, not too far from the city, the beautiful Lakeside House combines wooden interiors, classic furniture items and privileged views onto the mirrored waters of the Sagamore Lake. Although bright and airy inside, the modern dwelling is grounded and strong and relates to its site through the use of natural materials.
Learn more about this traditionally modern home
Photographer Barry Rosenthal Designs Home Accessories Inspired by Nature
November 24, 2015

Photographer Barry Rosenthal Designs Home Accessories Inspired by Nature

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NYC resident and photographer Barry Rosenthal is known for finding inspiration in the great outdoors (you may remember our spotlight on him here), and now he's taking that inspiration beyond the lens just in time for the gift-giving season. Mr. Rosenthal has recently released a series of home accessories, including a set of rocks glasses and decorative pillows, so you can bring the beauty of nature into your living space permanently, or share it with your friends and family.
Check out the products
Compost Bins Disguised as Newspaper Boxes; The Origins of the Wishbone
November 24, 2015

Compost Bins Disguised as Newspaper Boxes; The Origins of the Wishbone

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The New York Compost Box Project takes newspaper boxes around the city and transforms them into compost drop-off sites. [Inhabitat] Located in Borough Park, Masbia is the only Kosher soup kitchen in the city. [Tablet] These candles melt away like glaciers to symbolize climate change. [CityLab] For New Yorkers who don’t want to speak to anyone, […]

$4.25M Greenpoint Waterfront Penthouse Adds Up to 3,168 Square Feet of Historic Loft Perfection
November 24, 2015

$4.25M Greenpoint Waterfront Penthouse Adds Up to 3,168 Square Feet of Historic Loft Perfection

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If you want real loft living without many of the sacrifices (except the $4.25 million ask, of course) that often come with it, this stunning full-floor Greenpoint "historic penthouse" atop 190 West Street is your unicorn. Modern, stylish and well-crafted finishes, comforts like central air and radiant floor heat, windows and views that never quit, and a prime location add up to a dream loft. Wait, did we mention the 3,600 square feet of private outdoor space?
Check out pre-war historic loft perfection, this way

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