Watermill Residence is Topped With Wildflowers and Powered by Geothermal Energy
October 26, 2014

Watermill Residence is Topped With Wildflowers and Powered by Geothermal Energy

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Andrew Berman Architect PLLC is a New York-based practice focused on the realization of unique and finely executed spaces, and the stunning Watermill Residence is not an exception. Created for a family of three generations, it features lovely, light-filled interiors and plenty of outdoors space for enjoying nature. It's made from an elegant combination of wood and polished concrete, is topped by a green roof made from local wildflowers and grasses, and is powered by geothermal energy.
Learn more about this stunning green-roofed residence
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
October 25, 2014

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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If we’re ever going to get a new Penn Station Madison Square Garden will have to move, so a group of urban planners has proposed relocating the arena to a nearby post office. Ghislaine Viñas’ colorful and eclectic loft design seamlessly blends together in Tribeca. Ever wonder about those strange faces on the Woolworth Building? We’ve […]

<b>Terra Cotta in New York City: Beautiful Buildings Adorned in Ceramic</b>

Image © NewYorkitecture

October 24, 2014

Terra Cotta in New York City: Beautiful Buildings Adorned in Ceramic

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Glazed terra cotta (a clay-based ceramic) became a popular architectural material in the United States between the late 1800's and 1930's thanks to being sturdy, relatively inexpensive, fireproof, and easily molded into ornamented detail. Plus, it was easy to make it look like granite or limestone, much more expensive materials. Terra cotta really took off when some of Chicago and New York's great architects, Cass Gilbert, Louis Sullivan, and Daniel H. Burnham, incorporated the material in to their most famous works such as the Woolworth Building, Bayard-Condict Building, and Flatiron Building, respectively. Additionally, Rafael Guastavino adorned many of the great Beaux-Arts masterpieces with his famous terra cotta tiled vaults. There are countless buildings in New York City that owe their elegance to glazed terra cotta, and we've put together a list of some of our favorites.
Explore terra cotta in NYC
New Yorker Spotlight: Scott Liroff Sheds Light on His Century-Old Family-Run Business, City Knickerbocker

Scott with his father

October 24, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Scott Liroff Sheds Light on His Century-Old Family-Run Business, City Knickerbocker

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Tucked away on the second floor of a building on 11th Avenue and 48th street is City Knickerbocker, Inc., a small lighting business with a long history. Founded in 1906 founded by Adolph Liroff, a Russian immigrant whose trade was converting gasoliers and sconces to electric lamps, this business has lasted for four generations. Today, Scott Liroff, Adolph's great-grandson, proudly carries on the family tradition serving as City Knickerbocker's Vice President. To appreciate Scott's role in both his family and the business, one needs to go back over one hundred years to Brooklyn in the early 20th century. When Adolph's Brooklyn-based business took off, he headed to the city and rented a space on 42nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. After the Metropolitan Opera rented his light fixtures, Broadway started calling to rent lights too. As early as 1912-1913 City Knickerbocker's primary source of business was rentals. When Adolph's son, Seymour, took over the business in the 1950s, the store provided lighting for shows including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Milton Berle Show. 6sqft recently spoke with Scott to learn about City Knickerbocker and what it means to carry on a legacy in New York.
Read the en-light-ening interview here
Real Estate Wire: Brooklyn Lyceum Sells at Auction; Kiefer Sutherland’s Former Village Townhouse Lists Again for $20M
October 24, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Brooklyn Lyceum Sells at Auction; Kiefer Sutherland’s Former Village Townhouse Lists Again for $20M

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A new type of post-recession real estate fraud is wreaking havoc on Brooklyn neighborhoods like Canarsie, East New York, and Cypress Hills. [Brooklyn Brief] Landmarked Brooklyn Lyceum sells at auction for $7.6 million. [Brownstoner] Appraiser Jonathan Miller looks at what would happen if we eliminated rent regulation. [Bloomberg] Kiefer Sutherland’s former Steven Gambrel-designed Greenwich Village […]

Blaze Makoid’s Elegant Residence is Inspired by Long Island’s 70s Rustic Modernism
October 24, 2014

Blaze Makoid’s Elegant Residence is Inspired by Long Island’s 70s Rustic Modernism

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This quiet and elegant residence by Blaze Makoid Architecture was created for a father with three children who wanted a house that wasn’t 'extraneous or busy’. Located in Sagaponack, this stylish oceanfront dwelling takes inspiration from two iconic 70s buildings: Tod Williams’ Tarlo House (1979) and architect Norman Jaffe’s Perlbinder House (1970)—the latter credited for bringing 'rustic Modernism' to Eastern Long Island. Named Daniels Lane, this home's simple clean lines are a modern reflection of its client's wishes.
Learn more about this stunning 70s inspired home
Karim Rashid Tones Down His Signature Style in the Bedroom with ‘Kosy’
October 24, 2014

Karim Rashid Tones Down His Signature Style in the Bedroom with ‘Kosy’

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Karim Rashid is well-known for his uninhibited use of color, but his latest design destined for the bedroom takes on a much more muted palette. Although there are no pops of pinks and blues, Rashid's love for the unexpected does show in this striking collection through sensuous curves and a sleek finish that creates for a cozy yet upscale escape for sleep. Called Kosy, this bedroom collection is a combination of wood, leather and glass, in—of all things— grayscale!
More on Rashid's new design here
Gorgeous Ditmas Park Craftsman Brings Romance Home for $1.75M
October 24, 2014

Gorgeous Ditmas Park Craftsman Brings Romance Home for $1.75M

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Ditmas Park is like the love song of Brooklyn. Okay well maybe not, but this Craftsman is a seriously romantic piece of property to say the least. The single-family home was built in 1907 and is located at 633 East 19th Street in the recently designated Fisk Terrace-Midwood Park Historic District. The property is currently listed for $1.75 million, and everything from the tiger oak mahogany staircase to the extra large backyard is a beautiful example of what makes Craftsmans so desirable.
See more of the historic home here

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Billionaire Real Estate Developer Leonard Stern Sells Soho Penthouse for $15M
October 24, 2014

Billionaire Real Estate Developer Leonard Stern Sells Soho Penthouse for $15M

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Leonard Stern, billionaire businessman and real estate developer and namesake of NYU's Stern School of Business, has sold his "ultimate Soho penthouse" for $14,650,000 according to city records released today. In April 2014, a year after Stern originally listed the apartment, New York Magazine released a video tour of the 4,315-square-foot, four-bedroom duplex, revealing everything from a zen solarium to a restaurant-caliber kitchen. Stern bought the penthouse of 459 West Broadway in 2010 for $14,250,000, but the small profit likely won't affect him too much since his net worth is estimated at $3.8 billion.
Check out the billionaire digs and watch the video tour
Urban Planners Propose Moving Madison Square Garden to Nearby Post Office
October 23, 2014

Urban Planners Propose Moving Madison Square Garden to Nearby Post Office

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If there's one thing that all New Yorkers can agree on it's that Penn Station is pretty awful. And if we're ever going to get a new home for NJ Transit, Amtrak, and the LIRR, Madison Square Garden will have to move (just don't tell any die-hard Rangers fans that). The Alliance for a New Penn Station, a coalition of the Municipal Art Society and the Regional Plan Association, is proposing in a new report (revealed at this morning's MAS Summit) that the world-famous venue take up residency in the Morgan Post Office and Annex, occupying the block bound by 9th and 10th avenues and 28th and 30th streets. The mail sorting facility site is large enough to accommodate a new state-of-the-art arena and is just a quick walk to Penn Station. The coalition told Capital New York: “Relocating the Garden to this site will provide the city with a new arena and allow for the reconstruction and expansion of Penn Station, each of which can be designed to vastly improve the conditions of the district.”
More on the proposal and renderings of what the new site could look like
<b>Accounting for the Strange Faces That Adorn the Woolworth Building (And Other Fun Facts)</b>
October 23, 2014

Accounting for the Strange Faces That Adorn the Woolworth Building (And Other Fun Facts)

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The 101-year old Woolworth Building has been in the news quite a bit lately, especially since it was first announced that the top 30 floors would be turned into 34 apartments; one of which is a nine-story penthouse is expected to hit the market for a record $110 million. But the Woolworth has long been at the center of New York life with its storied past and lofty 792-foot height. It cost $13.5 million to erect the tower in 1913, and the building was the world's tallest when it first debuted. Though a number—50 to be exact—have surpassed it in height, the Woolworth Building has remained one of the world's most admired for its detailed and compelling ornamentation. Like other prestigious companies of its time, Frank W. Woolworth wanted something unforgettable and the building's architect, Cass Gilbert, certainly delivered. The tower is filled to the brim with mosaics, stained-glass, golden embellishments and of course tons of those carved faces and figures.
See the faces of the Woolworth building
Real Estate Wire: Luxury Tower Rising Along the AirTrain; No Picket Fences for This Generation
October 23, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Luxury Tower Rising Along the AirTrain; No Picket Fences for This Generation

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Someone is building a luxury residential building next to the AirTrain station. The Crossing, as it’s called, will host 580 units with roof terraces and a 24-hour doorman among other amenities. [DNA Info] “No Picket Fence”. New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s are increasingly looking for appealing rentals as opposed to buying, and developers are […]

2.5³ is a Multifunctional Living Cube for Contemporary Nomadism
October 23, 2014

2.5³ is a Multifunctional Living Cube for Contemporary Nomadism

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2.5³ is Maciej Chmara and Ania Rosinke's proposal for living minimally. The multifunctional space reduces life’s material needs down to the bare essentials and follows ideas of utopian thinking from the 60s and 70s, when many architects and designers were working on modular and mobile living structures. Perfect for small homes or as a functional island within a large loft or warehouse space, this cubic wooden structure will let you sleep, eat, relax and work within its reduced design.
Find out more about this multifunctional space
Old World Charm and 21st Century Finishes Combine Seamlessly in This Spectacular Tribeca Penthouse
October 23, 2014

Old World Charm and 21st Century Finishes Combine Seamlessly in This Spectacular Tribeca Penthouse

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Located at 55 North Moore Street, in a prewar building dating to the 1800's on one of the most charming cobblestone streets in the heart of Tribeca, and impeccably renovated in 2007, this gorgeous four-bedroom penthouse boasts the kind of quintessential old-world charm that will never go out of style. An abundance of exposed brick walls (we can’t get enough of them), elegant white tin ceilings (truly exquisite), and original wood beams, columns, and ceiling rafters (gorgeously rustic) immediately set a cozy and welcoming tone.
See how 19th-century charm merged with 21st-century finishes in this penthouse
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Jason Kidd Puts His Hamptons Mansion on the Market for $7.995M
October 23, 2014

Jason Kidd Puts His Hamptons Mansion on the Market for $7.995M

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Retired NBA star Jason Kidd is getting ready to start his new gig as the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks and he's just listed his Hamptons home in Water Mill, N. Y. for $7.995 million. Located at 100 Flying Point Road, the four building luxury compound is just one mile from the beaches of South Hampton and Watermill. While he's keeping his Brooklyn apartment known for its off the hook amenities (and currently available for rent), the Hamptons home is up for permanent grabs.
READ MORE
October 23, 2014

Pin Your Favorite Interiors with Us on Pinterest

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Visit 6sqft’s profile on Pinterest. We know you love perusing our site to swoon over pretty photos of celebrity penthouses and historic landmarked brownstones. Keep them at a click’s reach by joining us on Pinterest! Here’s a quick sample of our pins so far, but we want to be inspired by you. Follow us on […]

Daily Link Fix: The “Glory Days” of Port Authority; Block of 121st Street Named George Carlin Way
October 23, 2014

Daily Link Fix: The “Glory Days” of Port Authority; Block of 121st Street Named George Carlin Way

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Gothamist looks back at the glory days of Port Authority Bus Terminal One of today’s ugliest buildings, it was once considered “revolutionary” and “magnificent.” Huh?… After years of hurdles, a block of West 121st Street is renamed George Carlin Way, honoring the street where the famous comedian grew up. More on the Village Voice. The iconic […]

Carmelo and LaLa Anthony Check Out a $15M Chelsea Penthouse
October 23, 2014

Carmelo and LaLa Anthony Check Out a $15M Chelsea Penthouse

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Things must be looking up for Knicks hoopster Carmelo Anthony and his wife LaLa, because they were reportedly seen checking out a $15 million duplex penthouse at the Chelsea Enclave, 177 Ninth Avenue. The sometimes-troubled couple was last seen touring a $29,000 a month rental at 1212 Fifth Avenue, but it seems now they'd prefer to buy. Located on the transparent top two floors of the Chelsea Enclave, their latest real estate contender has four bedrooms, 3,452 square feet of indoor space, and 2,640 square feet of outdoor space spread across two terraces.
READ MORE
Brooklyn Nets All-Star Joe Johnson Shopping for a New Home in the Clocktower Building
October 23, 2014

Brooklyn Nets All-Star Joe Johnson Shopping for a New Home in the Clocktower Building

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Brooklyn Nets' Joe Johnson is hunting for a home and he's got his eye on a beauty at the Clocktower Building in DUMBO. According to the NYP, the 33-year-old shooting guard was spotted scoping out a two-bedroom renting for $9,500 a month at the iconic waterfront building. The corner loft home features concrete beamed 11-foot high ceilings, hardwood flooring and big, bright windows facing the Manhattan Bridge.
Let's have a look inside
Park Slope Townhouse Featured in ‘Moonstruck’ Asks $4.3M
October 23, 2014

Park Slope Townhouse Featured in ‘Moonstruck’ Asks $4.3M

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One of Park Slope’s most recognizable homes is available for $4.29 million. The 4,800-square-foot, semi-detached townhouse—which has been featured in numerous music videos, as well as in the movie Moonstruck—is one of a row of townhouses on 4th Street built by the Allan Brothers in 1892. A five-bedroom triplex with a beautiful garden, this red brick and stone Romanesque Queen Anne townhouse features such romantic details as a turret bay façade, a castle-style balcony, transom stained glass, and a Spanish-tiled spire with an ornamental finial. The terracotta roof of this landmark dwelling also stands out with elaborate cornices. And we haven’t even stepped inside yet.
There's more, here
<b>Goldilocks Blocks: Hope Street in Williamsburg</b>

Between hyper-developed hotspots, main drags in up-and-comers, and those genuinely avoidable areas, there can often be found a city’s “just-right” zones. They aren’t commonly known, but these micro-neighborhoods often hide within them real estate gems coupled with perfectly offbeat vibes. Continuing our Goldilocks Blocks series, this week we look at Hope Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

October 22, 2014

Goldilocks Blocks: Hope Street in Williamsburg

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It’s hard to imagine any corner of Williamsburg that doesn’t embody some form of the neighborhood’s upscale hipster paradise. With the opening of The Gorbals restaurant–to excellent reviews–atop the 6th Street Urban Outfitters on the North Side and the South Side sprouting condos and charter schools, the term “prime Williamsburg” has become meaningless. But in every district there are places that retain that charming, slightly unruly je ne sais quoi. The four blocks that comprise Hope Street fit this description.
What makes Hope Street so 'just right?'

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