June, 2014 | 6sqft

Row after row of wood-framed houses fill the quaint, tree-lined streets of Brooklyn's Windsor Park neighborhood. Many are decades old and like this cozy home on Reeve Place, require a bit of a face-lift after many years of wear and tear. In 2013, the owners enlisted the architects at Brooklyn's Barker Freeman Design Office to give the semi-detached house a makeover, complete with a brand new wood-paneled exterior.
See how they mix the old with the new straight ahead

June 13, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Watch Counter at Christie’s with Mr. Reginald Brack

By Susan Cohen

Reginald Brack is keeping watch... On the international watch market that is. As Senior Vice President, International Head of Retail, Watches at Christie's, he travels the world in pursuit of that perfect watch. He focuses his time in private sales where he assists clients from New York to Geneva to Hong Kong with their buying and selling needs. Reginald's role at the auction house includes curating private boutiques, hosting events, and vetting watches for the newly launched Christie's Watch Shop. From this brief job description, it's clear that he has an expertise in things time related. Beyond his work at the auction house, I was interested in learning more about Reginald. How did he translate a love of watches into a career? My curiosity also extended into New York's relationship with timepieces. 6sqft met with Reginald in his office at Christie's to learn more about watches, collecting, and where Christie's fits into the watch market.
Read the interview with Reginald

June 13, 2014

GLUCK+’s Showstopping Facade on This Midtown Townhouse Hides a Space-Efficient Home

There's no doubt that the aluminium facade of this Midtown townhouse is a showstopper. Set between two traditional red brick homes on East 51st Street, the building's shiny, punctuated front is sure to get every passersby's attention. But it wasn't designed just to become talk of the town — it's also meant to give the owners some much-needed privacy.
The interiors are just as unique

June 13, 2014

$17.25M Greenwich Village Townhouse Not Just Another Multi-Million Dollar Listing

With its conversion completed only a few months ago, and dubbed “Vaux Mansion”, a nod to Calvert Vaux who designed the russet neo-Gothic structure that is part of the property, the eclectic mix of exteriors at 215 Sullivan Street make a stately presence in its Greenwich Village neighborhood. And in a city filled with multimillion dollars homes, this 39’ wide townhouse sits at the head of the class. We’ve taken a peek inside many a gorgeous residence, but this one is truly lovely. The interior of this six-bedroom, seven-bath home is everything you would expect – 6,861 square feet of soaring vaulted ceilings, rift-sawn wide plank white oak flooring, and exquisite finishes.
See why this home is not just another multimillion dollar listing

Distinctive Homes

June 13, 2014

Light Up Your Rooms with David MacMaster’s Blooming Beauties

Fans of floral centerpieces can now decorate their homes with blooms that won't wilt thanks to David MacMaster's flower-inspired pendant lights. They're part of the British designer's Bloom series, a line of elegant, wood-crafted lamps that will easily brighten up any room.
Details on the Bloom lights straight ahead

June 13, 2014

NYC Events 6/13: Rock Out at the River to River Festival; 90s Bad Girls Exhibition Opens

By Lori Zimmer

Multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary art is at your finger tips this week in New York! Catch a flick featuring interviews with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Commo and Questlove; experience the reprise of a 90s Bad Girls exhibition; or check selfies from the Austrian Cultural Forum. The week ends with the kick off of the River to River Festival, which will bring tons of art, performances and music to venues all across Lower Manhattan- all for free. Enjoy!
All the best events here

June 13, 2014

Infamous Greenwich Townhouse with ‘Explosive’ Past for Sale Again, Now $13.5M

Lovers of NYC landmarks rejoiced just last week when it was announced that Justin Korsant of Long Light Capital would be keeping the frontage of his recent Greenwich Village buy intact. But even with plans in the works to gut the interior and start fresh, Long has no intention of living in the home at 18 West 11th. The soon-to-be-updated pad and was just listed for $13.5 million over at Urban Compass. Long originally paid $9.25 million for the property. Downtown flip, anyone?
See the new floorplan and renderings here

June 13, 2014

Your Daily Link Fix: The Kentile Sign Is Coming Down; 345 Carroll Street Launches Sales

Kentile Sign to Come Down: Sadly, the Kentile Floors will have to come down, but it won’t be destroyed. The New York Times has more on the sign’s fate. A Lone Pie Protestor: When the Orange is the New Black themed truck started handing out free pies, we seriously doubt they expected to be protested. […]

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Distinctive Homes

Rare historic Greenwich Village 'Renwick Row' brownstone with intact details asks $12.5M

Park Slope 'pink house,' now in a more muted hue, asks $5M

From cozy to bold, this $10M Soho condo embodies post-loft luxury

This $7M Gilded-Age mansion on the Upper West Side has a private garage and a theatrical history

From the pool to the pergola, this $1.1M Hudson Valley home blends Colonial with contemporary

This $2.85M Crown Heights townhouse is an unspoiled historic beauty on an extra-long lot

Ricky Martin sells Upper East Side apartment for $6.15M

Asking $2.8M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse looks like a good place to spend a sunny afternoon

$2M mid-century modern home in Westchester has 21st-century energy efficiency and zero carbon footprint

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

VIEW ALL

June 13, 2014

The Unveiling of 101 Tribeca Is Better Than Expected

If you didn’t like the renderings revealed earlier this year for the much-anticipated tower at 101 Murray Street, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that they were incorrect. New renderings – the right renderings- have been released to New York YIMBY… and she’s a beauty. 101 Tribeca, as she’ll be called, is being developed by Fisher Brothers and The Witkoff Group, and designed by Kohn Pederson Fox. The building is set to soar over Tribeca at roughly 950 feet tall with a sleek, slender design that elegantly bevels out at the top. The 63-story structure will house 129 condominiums, totaling 433,800 square feet. Its tall ceilings, coupled with its sheer height, promises to deliver unobstructed views that will stretch as far as New Jersey and Long Island.
Find out more about this record-breaking structure here

NYC Trying to Preserve Low Rents in Stuy Town, Asks CWCapital Asset Management to Hold Off on Sale

Photo via Wiki Commons

June 13, 2014

NYC Trying to Preserve Low Rents in Stuy Town, Asks CWCapital Asset Management to Hold Off on Sale

Photo via Wiki Commons Here we go again. Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village on Manhattan’s east side have a long history of being an affordable option for middle-income workers. But these days its hold on that place in the city’s housing landscape appears tenuous at best. Though rent-stabilizations laws have been in effect for many units and about half are below-market rates, the remainder is comprised of luxury apartments, with one-bedroom units fetching as much as $2,900 a month, more than double the rate in 2006 when nearly ¾ of the units were below market. And with the property poised to sell for billions of dollars, the trend towards more luxury rentals seems likely.
More on the city's plan to keep rents low

Uncategorized

June 13, 2014

Downtown Flips: Four of the Biggest Moneymakers of All Time

By Dana Schulz

At any given hour when you turn on a home design television channel you have about a 50% chance of landing on a realty show about flipping houses. In real life, though, it's not all hunky property brothers and fairy tale endings; trying to flip a house is a gamble, which is why oftentimes the most successful flippers are those on the inside, like real estate developers and seasoned brokers. For anyone looking to make a flip, New York is ripe with opportunity thanks to low inventory and a constant race to be bigger and better. Within the city, Downtown Manhattan is the ripest fruit on the vine. Full of highly desirable, trendy neighborhoods, it's a hot bed for investors. There's no textbook definition of a flip, but it's generally thought of as a three-year turnover. Downtown there have been 58 apartment swaps within the past three years. We take a look at some of the greatest hits.
This way for all the triumphant flips

Real Estate Trends

June 12, 2014

This Narrow Greenwich Loft Makes Up for Its Slim Lines with Dramatic 16-Foot Ceilings

Most New Yorkers are used to squeezing into small quarters, but few of those spaces boast dramatic ceilings like this beautiful little home at 67 East 11th Street in Greenwich Village. Measuring approximately 950-square-feet, this duplex loft is perfect for a single or for a no fuss no muss couple that wants to live minimally. And unlike the other tiny spaces of Manhattan, this loft is a light-filled abode with 10-foot tall windows and southern exposures that ensure every day will be a sunny one in the village.
Take a peek inside the Greenwich digs here

Distinctive Homes

June 12, 2014

Crazy Futuristic Hotel at 55 Wythe in Williamsburg Now Under Construction, Developer Zelig Weiss Scores a $18.4M Loan for the Site

The new Level Hotel planned for 55 Wythe in Williamsburg wasn't much more than a rendering when it was revealed last month, but one of 6sqft's intrepid reporters swung by the site recently only to find that construction on the Jetson's-like building had commenced. Permits for the 320,000 square foot hotel were approved in early April, and according to locals, heavy equipment arrived on the scene a few weeks ago with groundwork now well underway. Now, further cementing Level's status as a hotel of the future, the hotel's developer, Zelig Weiss, closed on an $18.35 million loan from Madison Realty Capital to purchase the site for about $30 million, according to Crain's.
More details and photos here

June 12, 2014

These Hamptons Houses by James Biber are Made for Both Summer and Winter Living

James Biber's portfolio features plenty of famous and easy-to-recognize works. In New York, the acclaimed architect has made his mark with designs like the Fashion Center kiosk and CUNY's Macaulay Honors College. Outside of the city, he's been on board projects that include the Harley-Davidson Museum and Arizona Cardinals Stadium. These big-name clients are the result of nearly 25 years in the industry, but often it's the smaller ones that leave the strongest impression. Case in point: Biber calls these three houses in Long Island "a seminal course in building."
Details on the three buildings here

June 12, 2014

Walmart Heiress Alice Walton Buys a $25 Million Park Avenue Pad

Walmart heiress, philanthropist, and the 14th richest person in the world, Alice Walton, will be moving into a $25 million duplex condo at 515 Park Avenue. The Post reports that the Walton claimed the 30th and 31st floors of the Lenox Hill co-op building — a unit with 6,346 square feet of space hosting five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a grand staircase, and 52 windows that offer up panoramic views of the city. 515 Park also has its own exclusive kitchen and caterer, Chef Daniel Boulud, and 15 private, climate-controlled wine cellars.
Take a look inside here

June 12, 2014

The Beautiful Condos at Naftali Group’s Brand-New Gramercy Tower Have Hit the Market

Do you think too many of the new buildings coming up nowadays look like glassy, reflective eyesores? Then you'll be happy to set your eyes on this brand-new tower located at 234 East 23rd Street developed by the Naftali Group. With floor-to-ceiling casement windows, the facade is plenty modern, but the building is most striking because of its red brick nod to the Gramercy neighborhood it calls home. The units in the building just were just listed today, and you can get your first peek of the interiors right here.
Your first look inside the new building right this way

Distinctive Homes

June 12, 2014

Your Daily Link Fix: Rediscovering Beacon; Are Architects Ruining Skylines?

12 Architects You Should Recognize By Their Sketches: Architizer tests your architecture knowledge, while examining the dying art form. Rediscovering Beacon: The New York Times explores the quaint city of Beacon, about an hour outside of New York City. Are “Starchitects” Ruining Skylines?: Bryan Lehrer interviews Witold Rybcznski about star architects who design buildings in cities […]

Architecture And Design

Chelsea Modern’s Angular Exterior Contrasts Fine Lines of $9.85M Penthouse

No two ways about it. The blue tinted exterior of the Chelsea Modern, sitting quite majestically at 447 West 18th Street, certainly gets your attention. All angles and edges, with windows that open outward parallel to the façade, it’s not quite like anything else in an area fast becoming known for its interesting and celebrated architecture. The same could be said for this ridiculously sumptuous penthouse duplex. The exterior of this home will grab your attention in a very different way – namely, three beautifully landscaped terraces seamlessly connecting you to sweeping river views to the south and breathtaking city views to the north. And with elegant touches such as a formal dining area, a luxurious daybed, intimate seating area and an outdoor kitchen, the terrace space is literally a home unto itself. But we think the interior of this spectacular residence has plenty to bring you inside every now and again (well, we know the New York winters will!).
See why this stunning penthouse will grab your attention

Distinctive Homes

June 12, 2014

Airy $12 Million Soho Penthouse Offers Up a Premier Indoor/Outdoor Living Experience

If you’re wondering what to do with that extra $12 million, consider the stunning penthouse triplex at 111 Mercer Street. This condo offers more than gorgeous city views, it practically invites the city in for coffee. If you’re reading this we’re going to assume we don’t have to tell you this penthouse is flooded with light… unless, of course, you’re blinded by it. The main floor of the 3,500-square-foot ultra chic condo is framed in all glass NanaWalls that open to its expansive terraces, creating the ultimate indoor/outdoor living experience. The living room and dining area opens up to a 1,200-square-foot terrace — or let’s be honest — it’s an outdoor living room. Meanwhile the kitchen has its own terrace complete with an outdoor dining space… and a fireplace… and west facing sunset-ready views… of the Freedom Tower. Want more?
We've got more...

Distinctive Homes

June 12, 2014

Up Up and Away: Manhattan Rents Highest in Five Years

If you’re looking for a Manhattan rental you may want to act quickly as rents are trending upwards in the recently sluggish rental market. According to Douglas Elliman’s May 2014 Rental Report the median rent of an apartment in Manhattan will set you back $3,300, an increase of 3.1% over the same period last year […]

Real Estate Trends

June 12, 2014

Tribeca Loft That Wouldn’t Sell Will Be Just as Happy as a $45K/Month Rental

By Dana Schulz

When the going gets tough...put your massive Tribeca condo on the rental market for $45,000/month. Well, at least that's what the owners of Apartment 1 at 16 Jay Street recently did after trying to sell the pad since April 2011. Available immediately, the space can come furnished or unfurnished. Known in the design community for its sweeping cast-iron and mahogany staircase that was welded together inside the home in the shape of a double ellipsis, this floor-through apartment occupies the entire 4,200 square feet of 16 Jay Street's first floor. It has 3BR/3BA and a 900-square-foot patio that contains a 25-foot-high sculpture and heated limestone flooring.
The interior excitement continues here

June 11, 2014

Is Vinegar Hill the Next DUMBO? A Storage Warehouse Owner is Banking on It

By Annie Doge

In New York, if there is anything we talk about more than weather, it’s how “____ is the new ____”. Now, the owner of a storage building at 80 Hudson Avenue in Brooklyn is banking on Vinegar Hill becoming the new DUMBO. Globe Storage and Moving Co. just hired Dan Marks at TerraCRG to get the word out that […]

New Developments

June 11, 2014

Market Snapshot: The Week of June 11, 2014

Leading into summer, the market continues its roller coaster ride — we're seeing sharp increases in sales following an unexpected lull in the typically active spring season. For the week of May 12th, the city recorded 233 sales; Manhattan condos sold for an average of $3 million, while co-ops pulled in an average $1.3 million. One57 scored not one, but two of the most expensive sales of the week at $30.5 million and $17.8 million. But it was celeb favorite, 15 Central Park West, that staked claim to the top spot with a buyer paying $48 million for the keys to #1819B. The real-estate flip: We all know someone who knows someone who managed to buy at the right moment only to sell it months later for an exorbitant sum. We look at three of NYC's biggest moneymakers in the last three years. One of which comes courtesy of the Winklevoss Twins. For market trends, the latest real estate listings, and a dissection of one of New York's riskiest investment pursuits, we turn to CityRealty‘s Weekly Market Snapshot for the scoop.
Get the full report here

Uncategorized

June 11, 2014

A Modern Day Noah’s Ark by Architects Austin + Mergold Pops Up at Socrates Sculpture Park