6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

State lawmakers reached a "conceptual" agreement on the 2025 budget on Monday, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who hosted a celebratory press conference touting the deal. Since the bills have not been printed yet, details remain scarce. However, according to the governor, the $237 billion budget, now over two weeks late, includes "landmark" policies to address the dire housing crisis statewide, particularly in New York City. Hochul announced efforts to boost housing production, including a new tax break to succeed 421-a, and protect tenants, with the framework for "good cause" eviction included in the deal.
READ MORE

Policy

Photo credit: Shannon Dupre/DDreps

April 16, 2024

This compact $2M Red Hook home embodies the neighborhood’s unique, inventive spirit

The waterfront community of Red Hook is known for the fresh, unconventional vibe represented by the industrial-era buildings and wood-frame homes that line its streets. Built in the 1920s, this single-family home at 145 Van Dyke Street, asking $1,995,000, is simple and compact, yet offers the flexibility of city townhouse living. Set back from the street, modern architectural flourishes define the home's nearly 1,500 square feet. Perks include a private garage/studio, outdoor space, and four bedrooms.
see it here

Distinctive Homes

Jane’s Walk NYC returns with nearly 200 free walking tours across all five boroughs

A 2023 Jane’s Walk tour. Photo by The Municipal Art Society of New York/Aslan Chalom on Flickr

April 15, 2024

Jane’s Walk NYC returns with nearly 200 free walking tours across all five boroughs

Jane's Walk returns to New York City next month, with more than 190 walking tours in all five boroughs led by New Yorkers. Presented by the Municipal Art Society of New York, the volunteer-led three-day festival, which runs from May 3-5, offers free guided tours through some of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods. This year's events include bike rides in the Bronx, a walk of World's Fair sites in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in time for the event's 60th anniversary, and architecture tours of Central Park West, Brutalist Tribeca buildings, and Queen Anne-style homes in Richmond Hill.
learn more

Events & Things To Do

New Windsor Terrace rental opens lottery for 95 units next to Prospect Park, from $874/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 15, 2024

New Windsor Terrace rental opens lottery for 95 units next to Prospect Park, from $874/month

Steps from Prospect Park, a new rental building in Windsor Terrace is accepting applications for 95 affordable apartments. Located on the southwest side of the park, the 13-story mixed-use building at 11 Ocean Parkway, called 1 Park Point, has 375 rental units with thoughtful layouts, a suite of luxury amenities, and a prime location right next to Prospect Park. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income, or between $33,806 for a single person and $152,500 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $874/month for one-bedrooms to $2,832/month for two-bedrooms.
find out more

Affordable Housing

Photo credit: Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph’s Photography

April 15, 2024

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

The five-story loft building at 85 Mercer Street sits at the heart of Soho's Cast-Iron Historic District; the iconic co-op residence embodies the essence of a half-century of downtown loft living. Occupying the top floor, this stunning duplex penthouse, asking $8,180,000, adds the sort of luxury and outdoor living you'd find in a modern Hamptons beach house, lifted high above downtown New York City.
Outdoor living, penthouse views

Distinctive Homes

NYC releases details for ‘City of Yes’ housing reform, with new affordability mandates

Image courtesy of amanderson2 on Flickr

April 12, 2024

NYC releases details for ‘City of Yes’ housing reform, with new affordability mandates

The city this week released updated text for its major housing reform proposal, with new mandates for deeper affordability levels. The Department of City Planning (DCP) on Thursday released the annotated draft zoning text of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Eric Adams' plan to add housing in every neighborhood through various zoning changes. The text includes revising the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program to allow for the deep affordability choice to be a standalone option. Plus, under the proposal, developers who utilize the Universal Affordable Preference to make their buildings bigger must make all additional homes permanently affordable.
learn more

30+ best wellness products to add to your self-care routine

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

April 11, 2024

30+ best wellness products to add to your self-care routine

By Terri Williams

Whether we actually are or not, Americans feel like we’re busier than ever. According to Daniela Wolfe, a burnout prevention, self-care, and work/life balance expert at Best D Life, we often feel like we have a never-ending to-do list and can’t take a moment to relax because there is always something that needs to get done. “However, by planning your time at home - just like you would at work - and creating a schedule and some structure around where your time goes, you can find productivity, success, and the freedom to have the space for fun and relaxation every day,” she says.
READ MORE

Shop

NYC unveils secure sidewalk locker program to prevent package theft

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 11, 2024

NYC unveils secure sidewalk locker program to prevent package theft

New York City is installing secure package lockers across the five boroughs to prevent theft and reduce delivery truck traffic. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced "LockerNYC," a pilot program to install seven package lockers with 25 safe compartments and security cameras to combat theft. The lockers will be installed on sidewalks at select locations and available for free through a variety of delivery carriers. New Yorkers can sign up and manage orders here.
find out more

Distinctive Homes

This $3.25M Gramercy two-bedroom comes with expansion potential–and a key to the park

This $5M Riverdale home is like a house in the Hamptons without the crowded commute

Beneath 16-foot ceilings, this $4M Tribeca loft condo has unexpected Gothic details

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

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

Ethan Hawke's former Chelsea townhouse lists for $5.98M

Step from the glass-clad conservatory onto a magical tea porch in this $7.25M Brooklyn Heights townhouse

This compact $2M Red Hook home embodies the neighborhood's unique, inventive spirit

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

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

VIEW ALL

Queens Theatre to celebrate 60th anniversary of the World’s Fair with special tours, food tastings

Photo by Roger W on Flickr

April 11, 2024

Queens Theatre to celebrate 60th anniversary of the World’s Fair with special tours, food tastings

A new event series celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 1964-1965 World's Fair in New York is set to kick off later this month. Queens Theatre on Thursday announced Theaterama!, a monthly series of special events looking back at the wonders of the World's Fair in Flushing Meadow Corona Park. Starting in April and running through October, the events include historical tours, pop-up performances, film screenings, food tastings, and more.
discover more

Events & Things To Do

NYC to redevelop Grand Concourse library with 100% affordable housing

Photo courtesy of NYC Housing Preservation and Development

April 10, 2024

NYC to redevelop Grand Concourse library with 100% affordable housing

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York Public Library announced plans to transform the Grand Concourse branch into a state-of-the-art library with affordable housing on top. This week the city kicked off the community engagement process for the project, which falls under Mayor Eric Adams' "24 in 24" plan to advance 24 affordable housing projects in 2024.
find out more

This $1.4M Astoria home is all about flexible, fabulous, and fun townhouse living

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography for The Corcoran Group

April 10, 2024

This $1.4M Astoria home is all about flexible, fabulous, and fun townhouse living

Astoria has become a favorite for home buyers seeking urban townhouse living and a (relatively) affordable chance to expand beyond cramped quarters while staying in a vibrant New York City neighborhood. This multi-family townhouse at 23-23 33rd Road, asking $1,399,000, checks all the boxes. Built in 1945, this three-floor brick home offers incredible flexibility: Currently configured as a floor-through one-bedroom atop an owner's duplex, it could easily work as a single four-bedroom home, or a single residence with a separate garden-floor guest/in-law/teen suite. Completing the picture are a back garden, patios, a private parking spot, and a heated garage.
take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

One Madison Avenue unveils lush rooftop garden and stylish steakhouse by Daniel Boulud

One Madison Avenue Rooftop Exterior. Courtesy of SL Green, by Neoscape

April 10, 2024

One Madison Avenue unveils lush rooftop garden and stylish steakhouse by Daniel Boulud

An office tower in Midtown is luring tenants with food and lush outdoor space. SL Green this week unveiled plans for a steakhouse by Chef Daniel Boulud at One Madison Avenue, an adaptive-reuse commercial building facing Madison Square Park. In addition to La Tête d’Or by Daniel, the first-ever steakhouse from the French chef, the tower will feature a sprawling event and rooftop space designed by David Rockwell and catered by Boulud.
find out more

Visit the studios of 150+ artists in Dumbo this weekend

Photos by Giles Ashford

April 10, 2024

Visit the studios of 150+ artists in Dumbo this weekend

This weekend, over 150 artists will open their Brooklyn studios to the public. Taking place on April 13 and 14, DUMBO Open Studios provides a behind-the-scenes look at the neighborhood's art scene as well as conversations with artists about their latest creations. The annual event also features interactive guides on this year's participant artists and their artworks and 11 gallery exhibitions. The event will conclude with video art projections on the Manhattan Bridge and along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

This $6M Tribeca loft has bedrooms surrounded by terrace and sky

Photo credit: Yale Wagner for Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage

April 9, 2024

This $6M Tribeca loft has bedrooms surrounded by terrace and sky

If you're looking for a classic Tribeca loft, this duplex penthouse condominium atop 355 Greenwich Street offers 3,400 square feet of perfection. On the top two floors of an 1891 building, this iconic residence has the luxurious bonus of a top floor surrounded by 1,100 square feet of terrace overlooking downtown New York City. Asking $5,995,000, the three-bedroom home has thoroughly modern interiors, massive skylights, and state-of-the-art technology, framed by the prewar authenticity of brick walls and original wood beams.
tribeca loft living, this way

Distinctive Homes

Poetry pops up in five New York City parks

“Trappings,” by Noelle Kocot at J. Hood Wright Park in Manhattan. All photos courtesy of NYC Parks

April 9, 2024

Poetry pops up in five New York City parks

To celebrate National Poetry Month, poems are popping up in parks across New York City. The city's Parks Department and the Poetry Society of America unveiled five new installations with poems in parks and playgrounds. The poetry is part of "Park Poems," an annual initiative transforming poems into site-specific works of art.
poetic parks, this way

Events & Things To Do

Renovation of Eero Saarinen’s modernist Midtown skyscraper is complete

Photos courtesy of Colin Miller

April 9, 2024

Renovation of Eero Saarinen’s modernist Midtown skyscraper is complete

One of New York City's most iconic modernist skyscrapers has been revitalized for a new era. Designed by renowned 20th-century architect Eero Saarinen, the 38-story Midtown Manhattan office building 51W52, also known as the CBS Building, received a $128 million renovation by Harbor Group International (HGI), which acquired the building from CBS owner Paramount in 2021. HGI says the upgrades, which includes an updated lobby and lounge, conference center, and cafe, have helped the building see 350,000 square feet in new leases and renewals after an increase in vacancies last year.
see it here

Architecture And Design

The Set. Rendering courtesy of Related Companies by JORG

April 8, 2024

Hudson Yards high-rise with five-star hotel perks opens lottery for 135 units, from $848/month

A luxury high-rise building in Hudson Yards opened a lottery this week for 135 mixed-income apartments. Developed by Related Companies, The Set at 455 10th Avenue offers 270 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments in a hotel-like setting. For the below-market-rate homes, New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $848/month to $3,473/month.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYC experiences its strongest earthquake in 140 years

No, it wasn't merely the rumbling of a subway train or a nearby construction site. At roughly 10:23 a.m. on Friday, New York City experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake, marking the largest quake felt across the five boroughs in 140 years, since a 5 magnitude quake shook the city in 1884. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) identified the epicenter in northern New Jersey, about 50 miles from the city. No major damage to infrastructure, injuries, or deaths have been reported so far, according to city and state officials.
find out more

City Living

Black Comic Book Festival returns to NYC this month

All photos courtesy of Bob Gore

April 5, 2024

Black Comic Book Festival returns to NYC this month

A festival highlighting the work of Black comic book creators is back and bigger than ever. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will host the 12th annual Black Comic Book Festival on April 26 and 27, attracting thousands of comic enthusiasts and giving a platform to Black comic book and graphic novel creators. Attendees can immerse themselves in panel discussions, workshops, a cosplay showcase, and more fun activities during the two-day event.
see more

Events & Things To Do

A 100% affordable rental opens in Greenpoint

Photos courtesy of Lester Ali

April 4, 2024

A 100% affordable rental opens in Greenpoint

A fully affordable apartment building officially opened in Greenpoint this week, bringing income-restricted homes to one of Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhoods. City officials on Wednesday cut the ribbon at 35 Commercial Street, a 22-story tower with 374 affordable apartments, including 57 units for formerly homeless New Yorkers. The building is the 11th completed building in Greenpoint Landing, a 22-acre development with 5,500 new homes and five acres of public open space.
details this way

Affordable Housing

Historic Crown Heights school is now a 40-unit luxury rental

Rendering courtesy of PKSB Architects

April 4, 2024

Historic Crown Heights school is now a 40-unit luxury rental

A former Catholic school in Crown Heights is now a 40-unit rental building. The Gregory at 991 St. John's Place sits within the St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church complex, designed by Frank J. Helmle and Harvey Wiley Corbett in the 1920s. GEMA Capital Partners and PKSB Architects oversaw the conversion of the historic schoolhouse into a multi-family rental. Leasing has kicked off for the project's mix of studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, starting at $3,437/month.
discover more

Williamsburg’s porcelain-clad condo One Domino Square launches sales, from $1.25M

Renderings courtesy of Two Trees Management

April 4, 2024

Williamsburg’s porcelain-clad condo One Domino Square launches sales, from $1.25M

Sales launched this week at One Domino Square, a new residential tower within the former Domino Sugar Factory site on the Williamsburg waterfront. Developed by Two Trees Management and designed by Selldorf Architects, the building, clad in a "pearl-like porcelain tile," consists of a 39-story tower with 160 condos and a 55-story rental with 400 units, the tallest building in Williamsburg. Condos range from one- to three-bedrooms, with prices starting at $1,250,000.
see more

New Developments

Book fair will feature rare photos of the chaotic and complex early construction of the NYC subway

Broadway & 116th Street. All photos courtesy of Capitol Hill Books

April 4, 2024

Book fair will feature rare photos of the chaotic and complex early construction of the NYC subway

The ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair (NYIABF) will be back at the Park Avenue Armory for its 64th year this month. A highlight of the fair is Capitol Hill Books' photographic archive of 37 albumen photographs that show the very first branch of the NYC subway system being built. Taken in 1901 and 1902, the photos reveal the complex first stages of the city's transit system, which has been running without interruption since it opened to the public in 1904. The rare photos show now-defunct sections like the Elm Street Route and the laborers who built the system, largely by hand.
More NYC Subway construction photos

For $8.85M, a condo with Central Park and Manhattan skyline views from every room

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow for Corcoran

April 3, 2024

For $8.85M, a condo with Central Park and Manhattan skyline views from every room

Want priceless views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline? It will cost you $8,850,000. Every room of this newly available corner condo unit at the Deutsche Bank Center at 25 Columbus Circle, provides front-row urban and park vistas, high above it all. Sprawling and sunny, the 67th-floor apartment measures 2,400 square feet and contains three bedrooms.
views and more views

Distinctive Homes

MTA wants NYC Marathon to pay $750K for Verrazzano Bridge tolls

The TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

April 3, 2024

MTA wants NYC Marathon to pay $750K for Verrazzano Bridge tolls

The New York City Marathon's spectacular starting point on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge may have a spectacular price tag. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants the New York Road Runners, the organizers of the race, to cough up $750,000 a year to make up for lost toll revenue when the bridge closes to traffic for the marathon, as the New York Times first reported. The MTA threatened to restrict the race to just one level of the bridge if the organization refused to agree to some form of payment.
learn more

50+ streets in NYC to go car-free for Earth Day

Image courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

April 3, 2024

50+ streets in NYC to go car-free for Earth Day

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

New York City's car-free Earth Day event is back and better than ever. On Saturday, April 20, 53 streets and plazas across the five boroughs will be closed to cars and open for pedestrians and cyclists, nearly doubling the number of locations from last year. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the annual Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day includes seven signature event locations and 46 partner-produced open street locations, featuring public art, community programming, live performances, and more.
find out more

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

10 Ways to Decorate an Exposed Brick Wall Without Drilling

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

10 Great Places to Buy Affordable Art in New York City

VIEW ALL

April 3, 2024

Sammy’s Roumanian Steak House will reopen on the Lower East Side

A legendary Lower East Side restaurant known for its Jewish Romanian dishes and vodka-fueled party atmosphere is making a comeback after closing during the pandemic. Sammy's Roumanian Steak House announced plans to reopen at 112 Stanton Street, with service starting on Passover, as EV Grieve first reported. Daily service is expected in June.
READ MORE

Food & Dining

Unidentified photographer, Manhattan: the Hippodrome, Sixth Avenue between, 43rd Street and 44th Street, 1905. Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, New-York Historical Society

April 2, 2024

New-York Historical Society exhibit looks back at NYC’s lost landmarks

A new installation at the New-York Historical Society explores the forgotten places that once defined New York City. The installation, called "Lost New York," brings to life the city's lost landmarks, including the original Penn Station, the Croton Reservoir, the Chinese Theater, and river bathhouses, through more than 90 items from the museum's collections and first-hand accounts from community voices. On view from April 19 through September 29, the museum is launching a new pay-as-you-wish program on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to coincide with the new exhibition.
find out more

Leasing begins at luxury Chelsea rental with a ground-floor Target, homes from $4,500/month

Renderings courtesy of Redundant Pixel

April 2, 2024

Leasing begins at luxury Chelsea rental with a ground-floor Target, homes from $4,500/month

Leasing launched this week for 190 luxury apartments in the heart of Chelsea. Located at 280 West 24th Street, Chelsea Canvas is a new block-long rental building offering modern homes with interior design by INC Architecture and Design, an exclusive amenities package, and a Target on the ground floor. The building has a mix of studios, one, two, and three bedrooms; pricing currently starts at roughly $4,500/month.
see more here

New Developments

Major East New York development opens lottery for 203 low-income apartments, from $465/month

Rendering: NYC Department of Housing Development and Preservation

April 2, 2024

Major East New York development opens lottery for 203 low-income apartments, from $465/month

Applications are now being accepted for 203 affordable apartments at a new residential development in East New York. The development is the final part of phase four of Nehemiah Spring Creek, a decades-long project led by the city to transform former marshland and landfill into a sprawling mixed-income and mixed-use community. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $18,480 for a single person and $122,000 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments. Units start at $465/month for studios, $591/month for one-bedrooms, and $700/month for two-bedrooms.
FIND OUT MORE

Affordable Housing

Photo credit: Anastassios Mentis for Brown Harris Stevens

April 2, 2024

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

John Berry, the former Ambassador to Australia under President Obama, has just listed his renovated FiDi co-op at 145 Nassau Street for $2,895,000. Located in the landmarked cast-iron, terra cotta, and red brick Potter Building, constructed in 1886 near City Hall (then known as Newspaper Row), this one-bedroom-plus-mezzanine apartment combines downtown loft living with the opulence of the city's grandest residences.
Tour the quintessential downtown manhattan home

Distinctive Homes

See inside the Brooklyn Paramount as historic theater reopens after 60 years

Image courtesy of Evan Joseph

April 1, 2024

See inside the Brooklyn Paramount as historic theater reopens after 60 years

Fort Greene's historic Brooklyn Paramount Theater, which once hosted legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Duke Ellington, reopened last week for its first season in 60 years. A multi-million dollar restoration modernized the venue while preserving its opulent latticework ceiling, hand-crafted statues, and other Baroque features. For its first show in six decades, the Paramount hosted brothers Damian and Stephen Marley, who performed at the theater during their co-headlining Traffic Jam Tour.
see more

Photo courtesy of Evan Joseph

April 1, 2024

Brooklyn Tower faces foreclosure

Despite setting a record for Brooklyn's most expensive studio last week, the Brooklyn Tower is facing foreclosure. JDS Development has defaulted on a $240 million mezzanine loan issued by Silverstein Capital Partners in 2019 for the 93-story development, as reported by The Real Deal. Silverstein has scheduled a foreclosure auction for June 10.
find out more

Real Estate Trends

How to make beautiful bouquets for cheap with flowers from Trader Joe’s

All photos courtesy of Joe’s Florist on Instagram

April 1, 2024

How to make beautiful bouquets for cheap with flowers from Trader Joe’s

By Lidia Ryan

Joe’s Florist on Instagram is not actually an official Trader Joe’s florist at all. Rachel, the New York City woman behind the account that has amassed 245,000 followers (plus 37,000 on TikTok), works in the tech industry and makes bouquets as a hobby. "My earlier career was more creative pursuits, but now it's a more tech-heavy space, so I was looking for something creative to fill that hole,” she said. “It had been a while since I flexed that muscle, so I was intimidated to go back to painting or something like that, so I went to flower arranging." Rachel relies on flowers from Trader Joe’s because they are among the most affordable; she shows her followers how to combine the low-cost bundles of flowers into beautiful arrangements that look much more expensive than they are. Rachel also offers tips and tricks and answers floral arrangement questions from her commenters.
READ MORE

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

Photos courtesy of Francisco Rosario at DDReps and Douglas Elliman

April 1, 2024

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

Once forest and farmland, the Jones Wood section of Lenox Hill is known for its "secret" gardens and historic townhouses. This five-story, 6,000-square-foot corner townhouse at 157 East 65th Street embodies the neighborhood's beauty, with a London-style private garden at the back and top-floor terraces in front and rear. Asking $13,450,000, the townhouse has been thoroughly renovated, with an elevator that travels to all floors, from the basement gym to the top-level loft.
take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

Rendering courtesy of Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous/ NYC Public Design Commission

March 29, 2024

City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

New York City is reviving a campaign to honor influential women integral to the city's history with monuments. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the city will resume the She Built NYC initiative, which includes building new statues of Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trías in the Bronx, Elizabeth Jennings Graham in Manhattan, Billie Holiday in Queens, and Katherine Walker on Staten Island. The four projects were announced in 2019 but were delayed due to the pandemic and never reached the first phase of planning.
learn more

Policy

$24M revamp of Lower East Side’s Nuyorican Poets Café is underway

Renderings courtesy of the NYC DCLA

March 29, 2024

$24M revamp of Lower East Side’s Nuyorican Poets Café is underway

The Nuyorican Poets Café, a beloved performance space on the Lower East Side for half a century, is undergoing a $24.1 million transformation. The city's Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Design and Construction on Thursday kicked off the project, which will renovate and expand the cultural institution's lobby, add new performance spaces and offices, improve accessibility, and perform extensive repairs on the building's exterior. Designed by Rice+Lipka Architects, the reconstruction project is slated for completion in spring 2026.
see the design

Architecture And Design

NYC to test gun detectors in the subway system

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

March 28, 2024

NYC to test gun detectors in the subway system

New York City will test weapon-detecting scanners in the subway system to make commuters feel safer after a string of violent incidents. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday unveiled a portable scanner designed to detect guns carried by riders. The pilot program can begin following a 90-day waiting period during which the public can share their thoughts on the technology. The mayor also said the city will hire more clinicians to connect people with severe mental illness in the transit system to treatment and care.
see more

NYC proposes new high-density zoning districts if state lifts floor-to-area ratio cap

The San Remo on the Upper West Side could not be built today under the existing 12 FAR cap. Photo by Bert Sagi on Unsplash

March 28, 2024

NYC proposes new high-density zoning districts if state lifts floor-to-area ratio cap

Mayor Eric Adams is calling on the state to lift a policy restricting the density of residential towers to allow for bigger apartment buildings and more affordable housing in New York City. Enacted in 1961, the existing floor-to-area ratio, or FAR, cap allows buildings up to 12 times the size of their lot. On Thursday, the Adams administration called on state lawmakers to eliminate the cap and proposed two new zoning districts in NYC that would permit buildings to be constructed up to 15 and 18 times their lot size, while also including affordable housing.
learn more

Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York announces 2024 designers

The 2023 NYC Show House at River Mansion, a Beaux Arts townhouse on Riverside Drive. Room design by GV Interiors. Photo © Nickolas Sargent Photography.

March 28, 2024

Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York announces 2024 designers

The Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York has just announced the 24 top designers and architects who will be helping to transform a historic Upper East Side townhouse at 125 East 65th Street. The annual Show House, a fundraiser for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, is one of the city's favorite design events, just ahead of spring's bounty of design and art offerings. The 2024 Show House will open to the public on Thursday, May 2nd. Read on for this year's participants and more information.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

The Ellis Island Museum to be ‘reimagined’ in $100M makeover

Baggage Room Rendering. Courtesy of Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation

March 28, 2024

The Ellis Island Museum to be ‘reimagined’ in $100M makeover

New York City's Ellis Island Museum is getting a $100 million makeover. The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation on Thursday announced a revitalization project to upgrade the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration and reimagine it for the 21st century by improving exhibits, preserving its 19th-century landmarked building, and offering a more immersive experience with stories of the 12 million immigrants who arrived in the country via Ellis Island. The project, slated for completion in 2026, will also expand the museum's Records Discovery Center, allowing millions more to trace their heritage.
find out more

Architecture And Design

Image courtesy of SoHo News International

March 28, 2024

NYC celebrates 85th anniversary of Batman with pop-up comic book giveaways

New York City is honoring the 85th anniversary of Batman with free pop-up giveaways. On Saturday, March 30, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics are giving away special-edition copies of "Detective Comics #27," the 1939 issue debuting Batman to the world, at a pop-up in Soho. The comic books will be given away one per person at SoHo News International, located at 186 Prince Street, starting at 11 a.m., while supplies last.
discover more

Events & Things To Do

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

Photo credit: Russ Ross and Douglas Elliman

March 28, 2024

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

Brooklyn townhouses can seem like fairytale castles from the outside, but they often disappoint when it comes to interiors and livability. This massive 4,300-square-foot brownstone residence at 211 Greene Avenue in Clinton Hill is as much of a dream home on the inside as appears from the curb. Asking $5,750,000, the 19th-century townhouse has been thoroughly renovated with maximum architecture and design expertise. Five stories of living space include a two-bedroom garden apartment, a four-level upper unit, and a lovely landscaped backyard.
you'll want to see this

Distinctive Homes

NYC congestion pricing program gains final approval, with June start date

Photo by Jesús Mirón García on Pexels

March 27, 2024

NYC congestion pricing program gains final approval, with June start date

The plan to charge drivers entering certain parts of Manhattan received final approval on Wednesday, signaling the imminent start of the country's first congestion pricing program. The Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted 11-to-1 to approve the toll rates for the program, which includes a fee of $15 for passenger and small commercial vehicles entering below 60th Street from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Unless held up by the several legal challenges the program currently faces, congestion pricing is expected to start in June.
get more details

One Manhattan Square

252 South Street

Lower East Side

Sweeping views and endless amenities

1 beds starting at $1,230,000
2 beds starting at $1,990,000
3 beds starting at $2,790,000

Learn More

$905K Brooklyn Tower studio sets new sales record for the borough

Photo by Max Touhey

March 27, 2024

$905K Brooklyn Tower studio sets new sales record for the borough

The tallest tower in Brooklyn just broke another record. A studio apartment in the Brooklyn Tower has sold for $905,000, marking the most expensive studio sale on a price-per-square-foot basis in the borough. Situated over 720 feet above ground, the 440-square-foot apartment boasts soaring, unobstructed views of the city and way beyond. According to city records, the property fetched a little over $2,000 per square foot.
details this way

Real Estate Trends

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

All photos courtesy of Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

March 27, 2024

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

At the site of a former matzo factory on the Lower East Side, a shiny new penthouse is available for purchase. The seven-story condo building 150 Rivington Street replaced Streit's Matzo Factory, a neighborhood icon in operation for nearly 90 years before closing in 2015. Atop the brand-new project is a sun-drenched three-bedroom apartment with over 500 square feet of outdoor space and classic city views, listed for $4,350,000.
details here

Distinctive Homes

Greenpoint rental near the waterfront launches lottery for 24 homes, from $1,546/month

All renderings courtesy of StudiosC- studiosc.net

March 27, 2024

Greenpoint rental near the waterfront launches lottery for 24 homes, from $1,546/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 24 mixed-income apartments at a new residential development in Greenpoint. Located at 33 Franklin Street, the seven-story building, dubbed Franklin Court, has 80 apartments with spacious layouts, impressive amenities, and a prime spot in Greenpoint near the waterfront. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $55,680 for a single person and $165,230 for a household of three, can apply for the apartments. Units start at $1,546/month for studios, $1,620/month for one-bedrooms, and $1,881/month for two-bedrooms.
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY

Affordable Housing

25 spots to watch the solar eclipse in NYC and beyond

2017 solar eclipse at the Top of the Rock. Photo courtesy of Tishman Speyer

March 26, 2024

25 spots to watch the solar eclipse in NYC and beyond

On April 8, New York will experience its first total solar eclipse in almost a century. Five regions across the northern part of the state lie in the path of totality and will witness the moon passing between the sun and earth, blocking the face of the sun for up to four minutes. While only a partial eclipse will be visible in New York City, the event marks the last solar eclipse in the five boroughs until 2044. In anticipation of this once-in-a-lifetime event, the state is offering plenty of ways to witness the spectacle. Ahead, find the best ways to experience the solar eclipse across the state, from aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid and atop the city's highest outdoor observation deck to the banks of the Hudson River in Bear Mountain State Park and a Long Island beach.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

ODA-designed Crown Heights rental with 328 apartments secures $135M in financing

Rendering courtesy of ODA Architecture

March 26, 2024

ODA-designed Crown Heights rental with 328 apartments secures $135M in financing