September 11, 2014

Let Architect Kevin Bergin Create Your Dream Home in this Minimalist Chelsea Pad

It looks like someone is trying to accomplish a pretty impressive flip. Since September 2012 an investor has gradually acquired the three units that occupy the sixth floor of the Porter House, paying almost $13 million. Now the entire floor is back on the market as one potential dream home package for a whopping $22 million. (Now that’s appreciation if we’ve ever heard of it.) While the nearly double asking price may raise a few eyebrows, there are a few incentives for prospective buyers in the form of a fresh paint job and a masterfully crafted floor plan by up-and-coming NYC architect Kevin Bergin. Admittedly, it’s not a complete remodel, but it’s a start. Let’s take a look inside so you can judge for yourself.
Take a look inside, here
September 10, 2014

From the Majestic Stair to Its Well-Dressed Walls, $20M Upper East Side Home is Pure Elegance

This extraordinary residence in The Ruxcroft at 20 East 64th Street is so classically elegant we almost felt like we had to get dressed up just to look at its pictures. One of only two units in this full-service 25-foot wide mansion condominium, its 2010 renovation was careful to restore many of the original period details, most notably the sweeping staircase winding its way through the home. How can anyone not feel elegant gliding down that majestic flight?
More pure elegance right this way
September 10, 2014

Gluck+ Architects’ Scholar’s Library is a Cubic Retreat for Studying in the Woods

Now that school's back in session, we've found the perfect solitary haven for reading, writing, and studying. A minimal cube in the woods, the Scholar's Library by Gluck+ Architects is located in a serene, forested area of Olivebridge, New York. The design is enclosed on the bottom, but open with wrap-around windows on the top. It's "walls" change with the seasons, turning green in the summer, orange in the fall, and white in the winter.
Learn more about this cute studying retreat here
September 10, 2014

For One Day Only, Tour 300 Acres of Freshkills Park

Freshkills Park is the largest landfill reclamation project of its kind in the world, and aside from a weekly public (but escorted) program, it remains a closed site during its massive transformation. Now, the park is ready to give New York inhabitants a better look at what's underway, letting visitors roam free across more than 300 acres of the 2,200 acre park on September 28th from 11AM-4PM. The event, which celebrates the New Springville Greenway, will be like no other, offering up a flurry of fun outdoor activities and music and, above all, a chance to experience the impressive infrastructural project as it moves forward.
More on the sneak 'peak' event here
September 10, 2014

Real Estate Wire: $13M for Bed-Stuy’s Tallest Apartment Building; Aby Rosen is Creating His Own Mansion

A ‘seven-star hotel’ will rise on the former site of the Rizzoli Bookstore near Central Park. [WSJ] Aby Rosen wants to turn an 11-unit co-op at 1025 Park Avenue into his personal 19,000-square-foot mansion. [NYDN] Owners of a 13-story, 23-apartment rental at 11 Spencer Court in Bed-Stuy are looking to make $13 million sale—50% more than […]

September 10, 2014

Anatomy of a Killer Flip: The Townhouse Everybody Wanted Heads Back to the Market

In January of 2013, in the dead of winter, an 1899 detail-laden Italianate townhouse fixer-upper at 102 Gates Avenue hit an inventory-starved rising market. The listing price of $1.295 million, was a double-take for many, even though it was less than what properties like it were selling for in the area. Fast forward to September 2014, where renovations, which commenced almost immediately after the sale, are nearing completion (and according to reports, they’ve been done right). Word is that the house is about to head back to the market—at more than twice its winter selling price.
Find out why 375 people waited in the cold for the first open house
September 10, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Time to Claim Your .NYC Domain; Artists Sue Mobile-Library Nonprofit Booklyn Shuttle

Starting next month you can claim your .NYC domain! Booklyn is as cool as Brooklyn. According to the New York Post, a group of book-boosting artists from Booklyn Artists Alliance (spelled with no “r”) is suing the new mobile-library nonprofit Booklyn Shuttle over unauthorized use of its name. City Lab reports on why it’s important that people in […]

September 10, 2014

You May be Able to Print Your Own Solar Panels Soon

Are you one of the many eagerly awaiting the iPhone 6 and iWatch? Well, pretty soon, you may be able to print your very own solar panel to serve as an energy-generating skin or case for your new device. Scientists at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, along with those at Melbourne and Monash universities, report that they hope to offer the printed solar panels for low-power applications within the next few years. Printed on plastic--and faster, cheaper, and easier to use than traditional silicon panels--they could mean big things for a gadget-obsessed world, as well as for simple building and design applications.
More on the technology here
September 10, 2014

Whimsical Chelsea Duplex with Hot Tub Asks $3.9 Million

There’s something about the grotto-esque garden duplex at 121 West 15th Street that makes us feel like we just stepped into a Disney movie. Perhaps it’s the soft edges and delightfully crooked banisters, or the whimsical fireman’s pole—yes, there’s a fireman’s pole. Whatever the case, this magical apartment may not be “the happiest place on earth,” but it will undoubtedly put a smile on your face.
Take a look inside here
September 9, 2014

Junior’s Isn’t Going Anywhere, Owner Turns Down a $45M Offer to the Dismay of a Hungry Developer

Lovers of cheescake, rejoice! Downtown Brooklyn's Junior's diner will stay put. According to the New York Times, the restaurant's owner, Alan Rosen, has turned away all offers for the space located at the corner of Flatbush Avenue Extension and Dekalb Avenue. Rosen put the property on the market back in February and, unsurprisingly, was met with plenty of interest from hungry developers looking to build luxury condos atop site. After a summer of sleepless nights and much agonizing over his decision, Rosen has shot down the offers, including a whopping $45 million bid. Why? Sentimental value.
More on Rosen's heartfelt decision
September 9, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Mac Sillick and Sandy Hall of Black Tree, the LES ‘Farm to Sandwich’ Favorite

Plenty of new restaurants and bars have been popping up on the Lower East Side over the last few years, but one of the more recent standout eateries to appear is Black Tree. This Brooklyn transplant has only been around for a little more than a year, but their incredible menu has drawn in everyone from food critics at the Wall Street Journal and Zagat to Guy Fieri—who by the way can be seen dusting Black Tree sandwich crumbs from his goatee in an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We recently caught up with Mac Sillick and Sandy Hall, the owners and culinary creatives behind the delicious Downtown venture, to chat about their business. Find out about their "farm to sandwich" approach, why they only use locally sourced food, and why they moved their business from Crown Heights to the Lower East Side. **GIVEAWAY**: The fellas are also offering up one lucky reader 'drinks for two' at the Black Tree bar. Keep reading to find out how you can enjoy some organic cocktails on the house!
The interview and giveaway here
September 9, 2014

Bushwick is the 7th Coolest Neighborhood in the World According to Vogue

Bushwick's star continues to rise amongst fashionistas. Not only does the neighborhood have its own candle, but Vogue magazine just named it the 7th coolest neighborhood in the world. The article, which appears in the September issue, cites cutting-edge art galleries, "Jay Z–approved restaurants" like Roberta’s, and quirky pop-ups in unexpected spaces as some of the items drawing cool kids in. Centro in Sao Paolo, Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, and Brera in Milan are just a few of the other nabes that round out the top 15. Another silly list, yes, but the story does beg the question: Has Anna Wintour even been to Brooklyn?
What do you think? Weigh in here
September 9, 2014

New Adaptive Architecture Project Explores How Physical Spaces Can Morph Based on Heat

Generally, if a building starts moving, it's a very bad thing. But a new shape-shifting architecture concept from the students at Barcelona’s Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalunya proves otherwise. Responding to the notion that as buildings become smarter and greener they should also be responsive to their external environments, the project, dubbed Translated Geometries, explores how physical spaces could someday morph based on various environmental inputs.
More on the new technology here
September 9, 2014

The Met Museum Officially Opens Its Newly Renovated $65 Million Plaza

A dramatically redesigned plaza in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue was dedicated today and named in honor of its sole donor, David H. Koch. The four-block long plaza, which flanks the museum’s famous entrance steps, includes two fountains, alleys of trees, new paving and red, angular canopies/parasols over seating benches. The redesign of the plaza space was two years in the making and cost $65 million, contributed entirely by Mr. Koch, a trustee of the museum. In his remarks inside the museum at the Temple of Dendur, Mr. Koch said that when Daniel Brodsky, the museum’s chairman, asked how the new plaza was going to be paid for he said he “had a good idea – why don’t I do it?!” Mr. Koch, who attended the ceremony with his wife, Julia, and three children, said that the plaza “became a passion for me.” He had lived nearby when it was under discussion and he said he hoped it will last for 50 years until a future philanthropist funds another renovation.
More from the event here
September 9, 2014

Cobblestone Quaintness and Modern Comforts Await Tribeca Penthouse’s Lucky New Owner

It never ceases to amaze us how effortlessly one can “time travel” from the sleek, steel, and thoroughly modern skyscrapers of Manhattan to the old-time charm of places like 463 Greenwich Street, otherwise known as The Romanoff. We guess that's part of New York City's magic, and it casts its spell on us daily as we meander through one of the most diverse real estate markets in the world. The idyllic cobblestone streets that greet you as you make your way to this triple-mint, full-floor penthouse loft in Tribeca offer a study in contrast to the contemporary tone of the exquisite four-bedroom home inside. Original details like exposed brick and ceiling beams combine with modern comforts and stunning finishes to perfectly bridge the home’s turn-of-the-century roots with its 21st century incarnation. The flawless design by Turett Collaborative Architects features soaring 17-foot ceilings, an abundance of wood-framed windows, and custom Arrigoni wide-plank Bavarian oak floors, all enveloping a vast open entertaining expanse.
See more of where this home's cobblestone streets lead
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September 9, 2014

Studio Garneau Creates a Morphing Home from a Tired Prewar Apartment

Why settle for a boring one-bedroom when you can live in a home that morphs to create different rooms? Inhabitat NYC recently featured Studio Garneau‘s Transformer, a cool mini-loft that can, you guessed it, transform to fit its tenants’ needs. The NYC-based architecture firm started with a dilapidated, multi-room prewar apartment, knocked down the walls, and then built a large, track-mounted sliding wall that acts as […]

September 9, 2014

Regal Penthouse at 1185 Park Avenue Returns, Asking $25 Million

The impressive penthouse at 1185 Park Avenue is back on the market. The palatial estate was listed last year, asking $27.5 million. However, buyers apparently felt that price was too expensive for a sprawling five-bedroom duplex with an astounding 2,850-square-foot wrap-around terrace. So, the Carnegie Hill prewar pad has returned with a $2.5 million discount and high hopes that history won’t repeat itself.
Take a look inside the pristine pad, here
September 9, 2014

REVEALED: $210 Million Upgrade for Grand Central’s Subway Station As Part of One Vanderbilt Tower

As part of a five-year, $210 million plan to significantly upgrade Grand Central's subway station, developer SL Green hopes to install new staircases to the train platforms, two new street-level entrances and a refurbished mezzanine level, and a 4,000-square-foot ground-level commuter waiting area. The improvements were conceived in conjunction with the MTA and the de Blasio administration earlier this year as the first component of the Midtown East Rezoning project. The transit upgrades must all be completed before tenants can occupy One Vanderbilt (planned for completion in January 2020), SL Green's new 65-story office tower planned for the entire block west of Grand Central and north of East 42nd Street. Designed by Kohn Pederson Fox, the tower will be the second-tallest building in the city when completed.
More on the upgrades ahead
September 8, 2014

Cliffs Notes on New York’s Most Famous Storied Residential Buildings

The newest apartment houses, be it now or some 150 years ago has always been of great interest to New York buyers and renters. And like today, their appeal make sell-outs as easy as pie. From Manhattan's very first apartment building to those that followed a decade or so later, those initial projects continue to remain the city's most coveted digs—not to mention the city’s most expensive. But what stands out among these famous buildings as the years passed was the introduction of not-yet-available services—ranging from running water and elevators to electricity and communal amenities. Whether we are talking about the Dakota or the luxurious the Osborne Flats, learn why these century-plus-old buildings continue to enchant the rich, the famous, and the rest of us.
Click here for Cliffs Notes on NYC's most historic homes
September 8, 2014

A Chef and a Sculptor Balance Work and Home in This Elizabeth Roberts-Designed Williamsburg Loft

After years of searching for an industrial space to use as a studio and a comfortable home, a married couple—he's a chef and food writer, she's a sculptor—transformed this 3,500 square-foot ground-floor Williamsburg Loft into a well-balanced live/work space that includes a top tier kitchen and plenty of light and space for creating art.
See how a creative couple makes use of this versatile, comfortable space
September 8, 2014

Torafu’s Koloro is a Cute and Functional Office Wrapped Up in a Compact Desk

If you work from home, you know how difficult it is to separate personal and professional life. But not if you have something like this—a desk that you can just turn over when you finish work, leaving all the clutter and to-do lists behind. The cute Kororodesuku (Koloro desk) is a brilliantly simple design by Japanese designers Torafu studio; it's made from wood and comes in any color you like.
Learn more about this cute little desk

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