<b>Holiday Field Trip: Where to Find Christopher Columbus in NYC</b>
October 13, 2014

Holiday Field Trip: Where to Find Christopher Columbus in NYC

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It's easy to forget that Columbus Day is more than just a day off from work (which we're not complaining about), but rather a holiday celebrating Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1942. But if you need reminding, look no further than these memorials scattered around New York City.
Take a tour of where to find Christopher Columbus monuments in NYC
Studio Swine Makes Extraordinary Objects from Human Hair
October 13, 2014

Studio Swine Makes Extraordinary Objects from Human Hair

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Anglo-Japanese designer Studio Swine makes luxurious objects and furniture that sit at the intersection of culture and the future of resources. Their latest project is a collection of extraordinary objects inspired by the 1930s Shanghai-deco style translated into all sorts of objects, including boxes, vases, mirrors, screens and hair combs. But there's something in particular that makes them stand out. Called Hair Highway, their weirdly enchanting aesthetic can be attributed to the use of resin and human hair!
Learn more about these hairy designs
$4M LES Loft Mixes 19th Century Architectural Details with Contemporary Design
October 13, 2014

$4M LES Loft Mixes 19th Century Architectural Details with Contemporary Design

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While we always love a good listing in a Soho cast iron building, it's always exciting to see this type of architecture sprinkled throughout other neighborhoods. 345 Grand Street on the Lower East Side is one such example, built in 1888, and an available loft in the building has hit the market for $3.85 million. The 2,349-square-foot, full-floor apartment elegantly combines original 19th century architectural details with contemporary design elements like large, globe lanterns, sleek teak built-ins, and top-of-the-line appliances.
Tour the rest of this past-meets-present pad
Daily Link Fix: Vintage Photos of Hipsterless Brooklyn; Shoppable Construction Barriers by Kate Spade
October 13, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Vintage Photos of Hipsterless Brooklyn; Shoppable Construction Barriers by Kate Spade

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Hipsterless Brooklyn: If the title wasn’t great enough, the vintage, post-WWII photos in Time’s online collection are pretty amazing. The Park Slope home of Dwell Magazine’s Editor in Chief Amanda Dameron is everything we’d expect, from hand-blown glass wind chimes to children’s book displays. Take the virtual tour on the New York Times. Archiwindows illustrations by […]

7,000-Square-Foot Soho Penthouse Sells for $10M
October 13, 2014

7,000-Square-Foot Soho Penthouse Sells for $10M

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As far as Manhattan apartments go, even penthouses, 7,000 square feet is palatial. And with 16 rooms, 13-foot ceilings, and a 2,600-square-foot planted terrace with rooftop kitchen this duplex penthouse takes the cake. Located at 54 Thompson Street in Soho, the home was featured on HGTV's "Selling New York." It was designed by architects Adam Yarinsky and Stephen Cassell of ARO and published on the cover of Interior Design magazine. The mesmerizing penthouse has now sold for an impressive $10.35 million, according to recently released city records.
More on the multi-million-dollar digs
A Google Maps Comparison of How Much Williamsburg Has Changed Since 2007
October 13, 2014

A Google Maps Comparison of How Much Williamsburg Has Changed Since 2007

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My, the difference a few years makes. Never was that more apparent than with Google Maps Street View’s new function that allows you to take a peek back in time and see how much your neighborhood has gentrifi--err--transformed since 2007. The photos culled by the WSJ ahead focus in on the unprecedented changes Williamsburg has undergone over the last six years. The alterations are particularly apparent at Bedford Avenue and North 7th Street, where some cosmetic improvements have been made to the building facades. However, the transformation is rather mind-blowing when you see the difference new developments by the waterfront have made to the neighborhood’s aesthetic.
Take a look at Williamsburg's astonishing transformation here

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Tour Andrew Franz’s Mid-Century Modern Glass-Walled Hideaway in Upstate New York
October 12, 2014

Tour Andrew Franz’s Mid-Century Modern Glass-Walled Hideaway in Upstate New York

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Andrew Franz's philosophy is that "design should inspire, incite compliment and celebrate our lives. It should serve our legacies and our relationship with the environment." That philosophy is reflected in the renovation of this mid-century modern house, located upstate in Palisades, NY. The remodeling of the home involved updating the wood floors, the exterior walls and the kitchen, and Andrew's hand gave way to a design that's modern, warm, and in touch with the picturesque forest surrounding it. In other words, the clients got the perfect vacation hideaway they were wishing for.
Inside the home here
<b>An Architect’s Gift from the Jet Age: The TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport</b>

Photo courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle

October 11, 2014

An Architect’s Gift from the Jet Age: The TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport

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The TWA Flight Center at what is today John F. Kennedy International airport represents both the ephemeral and the ageless; our vulnerability at the end of the "American century" and the enduring beauty of inspired modern design. The work of mid-20th century Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, the historic terminal is among the city’s most beloved architectural treasures. It first opened in 1962, a year after the architect’s death, and Saarinen posthumously received the AIA Gold Medal award for the design in 1962. Despite its storied past and widespread reverence, since the demise of TWA and its subsequent purchase by American Airlines in 2001, the terminal’s iconic “head house” has remained eerily vacant, and its future continues to be a point of contention.
More on the terminal's past and uncertain future
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
October 11, 2014

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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We talk to architect Andrew Franz about his ability to blend the old with the new through thoughtful material choices and a unique use of light and space–a modernist not a minimalist. New 39-story Tribeca condo tower could be an architectural stunner. Sukkot Architecture: New York City’s sukkahs come in all shapes, sizes, and locations. The first part […]

<b>Living on Hallowed Ground: NYC Religious Buildings Being Converted to Luxury Housing</b>

The Anshei Meseritz
 Temple soon to be turned into condos © LuciaM via Panoramio

October 10, 2014

Living on Hallowed Ground: NYC Religious Buildings Being Converted to Luxury Housing

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New Yorkers know it often takes some divine intervention to land a great apartment. Luckily, with dozens of churches and synagogues now being partially or totally converted into luxury residential buildings, high-end apartment hunters can go straight to the source. As congregations grapple with changing demographics, shrinking memberships, and costly upkeep of historic buildings, many religious institutions are concluding that it makes better financial sense to sell off a portion of their development rights, relocate to a more affordable site, or even close their doors for good.
Here's a look at New York’s hottest and holiest developments
Girls Star Zosia Mamet Lists Bushwick House for $1.6M
October 10, 2014

Girls Star Zosia Mamet Lists Bushwick House for $1.6M

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In November 2013 Girls star Zosia Mamet (you may know her as Shosanna) and her boyfriend, actor Evan Jonigkeit, purchased a multi-family house at 896 Flushing Avenue in Bushwick (of course she wanted to live in the world's seventh coolest neighborhood) for a little over $1 million. The couple had planned to convert the entire 2,500-square-foot home as one single-family dwelling, but less than a year after moving in it's back on the market, now asking $1.6 million.
Take a look inside the short-lived Girls pad
Real Estate Wire: 432 Park Officially Tops Out Next Week; Don’t Blame Foreigners for Rising Prices
October 10, 2014

Real Estate Wire: 432 Park Officially Tops Out Next Week; Don’t Blame Foreigners for Rising Prices

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The Vinloly-designed tower at 432 Park Avenue will officially top out next week. The buidling is the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere, and the second tallest tower in NYC. [Crain’s] BIG’s pyramid at 625 West 57th Street will also top out in the coming weeks. [NYDN] Foreign investors aren’t driving real estate prices up, […]

Throw Your Crap in the Gap of Line Depping’s Table
October 10, 2014

Throw Your Crap in the Gap of Line Depping’s Table

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Computers, phones, paper, books, pens, lamps, keys, food, hot drinks... We use tables for so many different reasons and they're usually flooded with stuff. But what happens when you have unexpected guests or if you just need to quickly clear a space? The clever 'Borrod' by Line Depping is designed specifically for that. Now you can magically hide everything sitting on your tabletop by simply pushing all that crap into the gap!
Find out more about this table with a gap
Brooklyn Courtyard House by DXA Studio Is Arranged Around a Central Atrium
October 10, 2014

Brooklyn Courtyard House by DXA Studio Is Arranged Around a Central Atrium

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It's not often that a New York City architect gets to work with an extra-wide townhouse, but the Brooklyn Courtyard House afforded DXA Studio just that opportunity. The client had purchased a standard 17-foot-wide townhouse in Cobble Hill, as well as the adjacent vacant lot, giving DXA over 30 feet of developable space. The firm used this chance to create a 5,600-square-foot, three-story home that blends with its Italianate neighbors from the outside and is entirely arranged around a central courtyard inside.
Check out the Brooklyn beauty
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$3M Park Slope Brownstone is Perfect for Multigenerational Living
October 10, 2014

$3M Park Slope Brownstone is Perfect for Multigenerational Living

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Not only is this rare 1882 brownstone situated in the heart of one of New York City’s quintessential family-friendly neighborhoods, the home itself is perfectly suited for familial bonding of another kind – multigenerational living. With an owner’s triplex over a floor-through garden apartment, this lovely residence at 107 St. John’s Place in Park Slope speaks to the time-honored tradition of sharing space with extended family. But if you’re not quite ready for the whole “Everybody Loves Raymond” scenario, having a sought-after income-producing rental is still a wonderful perk, and only one of the home’s many charms.
See more of this classic 1882 brownstone
$2 Million Loft in Historic Robbins & Appleton Building Returns to the Market
October 10, 2014

$2 Million Loft in Historic Robbins & Appleton Building Returns to the Market

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Is this a case of buyer’s remorse? Just nine months after selling for $1.925 million, apartment 2D at 1 Bond Street has found its way back on the market, this time asking $2.195 million. The 1,205-square-foot unit is a modern take on a classic loft with tall beamed ceilings, exposed brick walls, brand new oak hardwoods, and original cast-iron columns. Add to that, a strategic layout that makes the most of the natural light flooding in from the space’s four oversized windows, and you have a luminous haven in a prime location.
Take a look inside, here
New 35-Story DoubleTree Hotel by Gene Kaufman Coming to Midtown West

Rendering of DoubleTree Hotel via Gene Kaufman (L); The project site at 350 West 40th Street (R)

October 10, 2014

New 35-Story DoubleTree Hotel by Gene Kaufman Coming to Midtown West

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Fresh renderings have been posted for a new 35-story hotel currently undergoing excavation at 350 West 40th Street. Located just southwest of Times Square and directly across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the block-front between Eighth and Ninth Avenues has been the victim of a half-dozen mid-range hotels. With the large blank wall of the bus terminal on one side and an ungainly assortment of budget hotels, walk-ups, and parking lots on the other, the street may be a worthy contender for the "Ugliest Street in Midtown." The project was first revealed by YIMBY last spring. Permits call for a 315-foot, 594-room DoubleTree Hotel designed by Gene Kaufman and developed by Sam Chang of McSam Hotels. McSam--which already has several hotels up and running on the block including a Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites, and Hampton Inn--has been one of the city's most active and notorious developers in the last decade.
More on the project here
<b>Sukkot Architecture: New York City’s Sukkahs Come in All Shapes, Sizes, and Locations</b>

Photo © Paul Clemence

October 9, 2014

Sukkot Architecture: New York City’s Sukkahs Come in All Shapes, Sizes, and Locations

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The Jewish holiday Sukkot, which began on Wednesday evening, has architecture, construction, and design built into the festival. To observe the holiday, Jews around the world build and decorate temporary "booths" known as sukkahs, and spend Sukkot's eight days eating meals with friends and family inside them. Depending on one's level of observance, some individuals sleep in them as well. When it comes to sukkahs in New York, where backyards are few and far between, institutions and individuals take advantage of the space available to them. This includes having sukkahs in parks or courtyards, on roofs and balconies, and even on the sidewalk dining area of a restaurant. We wanted to highlight a few of the city's sukkahs with particular interest to either their location, design, or both.
See sukkahs we've spotted around the city
Former R.E.M Frontman Michael Stipe Unloads Soho Penthouse for $9.6M
October 9, 2014

Former R.E.M Frontman Michael Stipe Unloads Soho Penthouse for $9.6M

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Michael Stipe, former lead singer for the 80's rock band R.E.M., has sold his duplex penthouse at 533 Canal Street in Soho for $9.6 million, according to city records released today. Stipe listed the co-op in June 2012 for $10.95 million, after purchasing it in 2007 for $5.75 million while it was being renovating. The unit has an impressive celebrity past; Stipe bought it from Ben Affleck's younger brother Casey, who bought it from “Good Will Hunting” director Gus Van Sant. And recently actress Kirsten Dunst put her penthouse in the building on the rental market for $12,500 a month. The three-bedroom penthouse has a light-filled central atrium, 2,500-square-foot terrace with Hudson River views, and an industrial-style kitchen designed by Mario Batali. Stipe had said that he was looking to move further downtown to a loft/work space for himself and his partner.
Take a look at the rockin' digs

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