Renovation of Brooklyn Heights Gothic Revival Townhouse Will Make You Want to Say Hallelujah!
November 24, 2014

Renovation of Brooklyn Heights Gothic Revival Townhouse Will Make You Want to Say Hallelujah!

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People are constantly moving back and forth from New York City to different cities on the West Coast like Los Angeles and San Francisco; with everything these great cities have to offer, who can blame them? This was the case for one family who moved back to New York after a five-year stint in San Francisco. Their plan of action was simple: Buy a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, do moderate remodeling, and be chillaxing at home in a year's time, max. However, as many of these stories go, that wasn't the case, and in the end it took them three years to find the right property for purchase and another three years to complete the remodel. With 1100 Architect at the helm, what they lost in time was made up in style and elegance. This five-story Brooklyn Heights Gothic Revival will make you want to say "Hallelujah! That's some good design!"
Have a tour inside here
Real Estate Wire: Renée Zellweger Sells Hamptons Home with a Tidy Profit; The Rockefellers Are Moving from 30 Rock
November 24, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Renée Zellweger Sells Hamptons Home with a Tidy Profit; The Rockefellers Are Moving from 30 Rock

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Renée Zellweger has found a buyer for her Hamptons home. After a bidding war, the actress banked an extra quarter-million dollars on the deal. [NYP] Since 1933, the Rockefellers have been taking up space in their namesake building, but they’ve just announced they’re moving to a space across 49th Street. They “got a deal,” they say. [NYT] […]

Float Is an Exquisite Coffee Table That Looks Like a Lotus Pond
November 24, 2014

Float Is an Exquisite Coffee Table That Looks Like a Lotus Pond

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Float is a unique coffee table designed as an exquisite optical illusion for the home. Created by London's Central Saint Martins graduate Olivia Lee, it appears as a levitating lotus pond supported by a trio of intertwining stems. In addition to providing tranquility for the eye, it creates some surprising visual effects when objects are placed on it.
Learn more about this charming lotus table
IDEO’s Three Concepts for Self-Driving Cars Will Change How We Work, Live and Play
November 24, 2014

IDEO’s Three Concepts for Self-Driving Cars Will Change How We Work, Live and Play

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Self-driving cars are definitely in our future. Some states–Nevada, Florida, Michigan, California–and Washington, D.C. are already allowing them on their streets (at least for testing purposes) and a number of others are considering doing the the same. Though the road to a hands-free life has been paved, the future of it all is still up in the air. What would allowing self-driving cars on the road en masse mean for our safety? How will we communicate our needs to them? In what ways will they change how we live day to day? And can they enrich our lives? International design group and think tank IDEO wants to explore what this new technology could mean for urban life over the next 15 years. With their study "The Future of Automobility" they offer up a wildly vibrant vision through three concepts grounded in the use of autonomous vehicles.
Check out their fantastic proposal here
Daily Link Fix: The City’s Landmarked Lampposts; NYC Named America’s Snobbiest City
November 24, 2014

Daily Link Fix: The City’s Landmarked Lampposts; NYC Named America’s Snobbiest City

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There are 62 lampposts that are designated city landmarks. Who knew?? [GVSHP] Local artists design markers for the South Bronx Culture Trail. [DNAinfo] Ever wonder where the nickname Gotham came from? Turns out, it might have started as an insult. [Ephemeral NY] NYC is America’s snobbiest city. We politely disagree. [Fortune] On the one-year anniversary of […]

Supermodel Gemma Ward Lists East Village Apartment for $2.25M
November 24, 2014

Supermodel Gemma Ward Lists East Village Apartment for $2.25M

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Australian supermodel Gemma Ward bought her East Village apartment in 2007 for $1.5 million, when she was only 20 years old, undertaking a gut renovation of the three-bedroom pad at 232 East 6th Street. But considering that, at age 16, she was the youngest model ever to appear on the cover of American Vogue, entering the NYC real estate game at 20 isn't that shocking. And she has now listed the pre-war apartment for $2.25 million, according to the Daily News.
Tour the stylish pad here
Opulent Pad in Building Where Barbara Walters Once Lived Drops Price to $12.5M
November 24, 2014

Opulent Pad in Building Where Barbara Walters Once Lived Drops Price to $12.5M

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A renovated duplex maisonette in the same building Barbara Walters once called home has been struggling on the market since it was listed earlier this year. Now, after eight months and a few price drops, the price has landed at $12.5 million. The opulent space has four bedrooms, parquet de Versailles floors, and imported French First Empire fireplaces, all just steps from the iconic Central Park.
Take a look inside, here
Sprawling Penthouse in Leonardo DiCaprio’s Eco-Friendly Village Building Gets a $10M Price Chop
November 23, 2014

Sprawling Penthouse in Leonardo DiCaprio’s Eco-Friendly Village Building Gets a $10M Price Chop

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Kim Kardashian checked out this penthouse at Delos Living's eco-friendly building at 66 East 11th Street back in August when it was listed for $50 million, but we guess she wasn't sold by the handcrafted “floating” metal staircase and beautiful glass atrium ceiling. Or maybe its health-centric amenities, including vitamin C-infused showers, circadian rhythm lighting, posture supporting floors, and a built-in herbarium, were too much for her. Another theory is that she didn't want to share the spotlight with celeb neighbors Leonardo DiCaprio and New Age guru Deepak Chopra. Whatever the case may be, though, she surely missed out, as the 7,693-square-foot Greenwich Village triplex just dropped its price by $10 million, now listed for $39.8 million.
Take a tour of what it would feel like to be Leo's neighbor

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Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
November 22, 2014

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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Futuristic floating park may come to the West Side thanks to a $130 million pledge from billionaire media mogul Barry Diller. New rendering for 111 West 57th Street shows what will become the slimmest building in the world. NYC getting pay phones of the future with free WiFi, charging stations and more. Robert Pattinson checks […]

Study Says Brooklyn Bridge Park Towers Will Have Insignificant Environmental Impact

Rendering of the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront via Brooklyn Bridge Park

November 21, 2014

Study Says Brooklyn Bridge Park Towers Will Have Insignificant Environmental Impact

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Critics of the two new residential towers planned for Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park have made complaints that the structures' environmental impact needed further analysis, but a new study, completed by environmental engineering firm AKRF and set to be released today by the city-controlled Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation asserts that the towers' environmental impact will be insignificant. In a statement, Brooklyn Bridge Park said: “After evaluating the potential impacts on 19 distinct environmental categories—including schools, flood resiliency, traffic and open space—and incorporating any relevant updated changes to the project, the environmental regulations and background conditions, the technical memorandum concludes that the Pier 6 uplands project would not have any additional significant impacts.”
More on the planned towers here
<b>Happy 112th Birthday to the Algonquin Hotel, A NYC Literary Landmark</b>
November 21, 2014

Happy 112th Birthday to the Algonquin Hotel, A NYC Literary Landmark

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In a town overrun with fancy hotels, the Algonquin–which turns 112 tomorrow–has true staying power, proving that history and heritage are every bit as important as plush bedding and sweet-smelling bath products. Designed by Goldwin Starrett in a Renaissance limestone and red brick façade, the 12-story Algonquin Hotel, at 42 West 42nd Street, opened on November 22, 1902, initially operating as an apartment hotel with year-long leases but switching to a hotel after the owner failed to find enough renters. Today, the Algonquin–both a literary landmark and a New York City Historic Landmark–remains one of New York’s most cherished institutions, drawing a mix of artists, tourists and cultural elites.
Read the full history of the storied Algonquin
Breathtaking Upper East Side Townhouse Boasts Four-Year Renovation Well Worth the Wait
November 21, 2014

Breathtaking Upper East Side Townhouse Boasts Four-Year Renovation Well Worth the Wait

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Great architecture, whether it's here in New York or elsewhere, is fully realized when the physical shape of the building, the interior design, and the surrounding landscape are brought together through great design, and this amazing Upper East Side townhouse is an impeccable example of this magical combination. Led by Steven Harris Architects and interior designer Rees Roberts + Partners, the house recently underwent a four-year renovation and re-decoration, and the results were clearly well worth the wait. The property boasts over eight stories and 8,500 square feet of living space, and it includes a bedrock basement pool, wine cellar, gym, and workshop.
You've got to see the rest of this home
Real Estate Wire: Most Expensive Townhouse Lists for $63M; High-Rise Towers Could Rise Along Gowanus Canal
November 21, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Most Expensive Townhouse Lists for $63M; High-Rise Towers Could Rise Along Gowanus Canal

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Morris Adjmi will design condos to replace the Brooklyn Heights Cinema. [BK Heights Blog] New York’s most expensive townhouse officially hit the market for $63 million. [Curbed] Queens real estate is getting a lot of attention lately. [NYT] An $18 million Williamsburg warehouse sold for $434/square foot, among the highest sales ever in the borough. [Crain’s] Gowanus […]

Bring a Bit of the ‘Burbs Into Your City Home with Suburbia Wall Storage
November 21, 2014

Bring a Bit of the ‘Burbs Into Your City Home with Suburbia Wall Storage

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Swedish Note Design Studio has re-designed the iconic Uten.Silo by Dorothee Becker for Vitra in a playful architectonic way. The hyper-functional wall storage was originally made from ABS plastic and featured plenty of pockets for pens, makeup, toys and tools. But the new, more sustainable wooden version called Suburbia features a small neighborhood in which small objects can find a home.
Learn more about this sustainable storage redesign
The Verrazano Bridge Opened 50 Years Ago, but There’s Still a Myth About Its Toll

Verrazano Bridge via Sue L C via photopin cc

November 21, 2014

The Verrazano Bridge Opened 50 Years Ago, but There’s Still a Myth About Its Toll

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Bridges and tolls are on everyone's mind these days, thanks to the MTA's latest proposed fare hikes. If approved, this would raise the toll of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to $16. And today, on the 50th anniversary of the bridge's opening, most Staten Islanders still think that driving across the bridge was supposed to become free once it was paid off. No one's really certain where this myth came from, but those who believe it are quite passionate about the subject.
More on the urban myth here
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REVEALED: SHoP’s Scaled-Back South Street Seaport Tower
November 21, 2014

REVEALED: SHoP’s Scaled-Back South Street Seaport Tower

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This week, the Howard Hughes Corporation gave a presentation to the South Street Seaport community about their residential tower planned for the waterfront beside Pier 17. The original design by SHoP Architects was 52 stories and 650 feet, but to satisfy concerns by neighborhood residents and elected officials about the tower's appropriateness, the firm scaled back the design to 42 stories and agreed to also build a middle school and waterfront esplanade. But even this revised plan was met with much criticism at the community meeting; Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council member Margaret Chin both expressed that they would not support the tower and likened it to plopping a high-rise in the middle of Colonial Williamsburg. The luxury residential tower is part of Howard Hughes's overall $305 million plan for the Seaport, which, if approved, would include a restoration of the historic Tin Building and a new home for the Seaport Museum.
More details on the project and revised design
Meticulous Maya Lin Renovation at the Curzon House Asks $60K/Month
November 21, 2014

Meticulous Maya Lin Renovation at the Curzon House Asks $60K/Month

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The holiday season is fast approaching, which means there are undoubtedly plenty of festivities on your calendar. Well, if you happen to have $60,000 a month in your pocket, perhaps you’ll enjoy this sprawling condo at The Curzon House; it's warm enough for the winter months and large enough to spread out in when you’ve had enough family time. Internationally renowned architect, Yonkers jail converter, and designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Maya Lin spent several years painstakingly renovating this spectacular pad. The end result is a showstopper that has been featured in a number of publications.
Take a look inside, here
<b>Forest Hills Gardens: A Hidden NYC Haven of Historic Modernity</b>

Forest Hills Gardens via Joe Shlabotnik via photopin cc

November 20, 2014

Forest Hills Gardens: A Hidden NYC Haven of Historic Modernity

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This unique sheltered enclave might be the perfect spot for residents who can handle the rules; just don't call it FoHiGa. Occupying a 175-acre wedge just south of the Forest Hills LIRR station and within the greater Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens is one of America’s oldest planned communities. Modeled after England’s “garden cities,” originally intended to create an ideal environment that incorporated shared green space with urban convenience for the working classes, the Gardens (as it's known) is home to about 4,500 residents. The private community is managed by the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, an organization made up of property owners. This unique community consisting of over 800 free-standing and attached houses and 11 apartment buildings as well as churches, parks and storefronts, dates from 1909, when architect Grosvenor Atterbury and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.–-son of Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect who helped design Central Park–-were commissioned to plan a new town. Though the community lies within the boundaries of one of the world’s most modern and populous cities, it has retained much of its co-operative, idyllic nature.
Find out more about this unique community
How One Man Created a 3D Map of Manhattan When It Was Just Hills, Rivers and Wildlife
November 20, 2014

How One Man Created a 3D Map of Manhattan When It Was Just Hills, Rivers and Wildlife

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Many of you probably recognize the image above, but what you may not know is that creating it required far more than a bit of Photoshop magic. The work of Wildlife Conservation Society ecologist Eric Sanderson, this incredible photo is a true-to-life depiction of what once grew on the island of Manhattan before it was all paved over. By using an 18th-century map, a GPS and reams of data, Sanderson has recreated, block by block, the ecology of Manhattan in the early 17th century. "We're trying to discover what Henry Hudson would have seen on the afternoon of September 12, 1609 when he sailed into New York Harbor," says Sanderson. Watch his riveting TED talk on the 'Mannahatta Project' ahead and see what used to make up areas like Columbia University, Greenwich Village, and even Times Square at the time of the American Revolution. You'll certainly look at what remains from our city's verdant, hilly and marshy past in a whole new way.
Watch the video here
Robert Pattinson Checks Out a $20M Chelsea Penthouse with Drive-In Elevator
November 20, 2014

Robert Pattinson Checks Out a $20M Chelsea Penthouse with Drive-In Elevator

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Perhaps the low-key lifestyle of an historic townhouse in Vinegar Hill didn't agree with Twilight Star Robert Pattinson. Because he's now reportedly been spotted checking out a much more high-profile pad in West Chelsea, according to the Post. In fact, the $20 million penthouse in the famous Sky Garage building is so impressive that it has its own private drive-in elevator. Yup, that's right, the Selldorf Architects-designed tower at 200 Eleventh Avenue is considered "paparazzi proof," since celeb residents including Nicole Kidman can drive right into their personal car elevators that take them directly to their contemporary apartments. Pattison toured the $20 million, three-bedroom, 3,598-square-foot penthouse of this unprecedented building, which has other jaw-dropping features like a glass floor that opens up with the press of a button to reveal a stairway that leads to the bedroom wing below.
Check out the rest of this Sky Garage penthouse
Real Estate Wire: Staten Island Has an App Designed for Reporting Complaints; NYC Still a Safe Bet for Foreign Money
November 20, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Staten Island Has an App Designed for Reporting Complaints; NYC Still a Safe Bet for Foreign Money

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Disgruntled Staten Island residents can now report problems directly to borough hall with a new app called BP Assist. [DNA Info] NYC real estate is still the safest bet for foreign investors. [CO] The de Blasio administration will sell a 25,204-square-foot plot on the southern side of West 53rd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues […]

Hush Earplugs Let You Block Out Noise Without Missing Your Alarm
November 20, 2014

Hush Earplugs Let You Block Out Noise Without Missing Your Alarm

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Does your roommate insist on slamming the doors at all hours of the night? Do you have an upstairs neighbor who decides to practice tap dancing at 3am? Whatever your noisy apartment horror story may be, there's a common conundrum we encounter when trying to block out the racket: how to wear earplugs but not miss the alarm. A group of engineers must have heard about our sleep-deprived woes because they've created Hush, earplugs that connect wirelessly to a smartphone, so users can hear the sounds they need to while blocking out the rest. Plus, they can play white noise, ocean waves, or a crackling fire if you need some soothing sounds to get you to sleep. And the charging dock doubles as a carrying case and phone charger (what can't these earplugs do?).
READ MORE

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