November, 2014 | 6sqft

November 6, 2014

Lenox Hill Townhouse Near Andy Warhol’s Last Residence Asks $14.5M

Superstar broker Ryan Serhant has just listed a five-story townhouse at 56 East 66th Street, asking $14.49 million. This multi-family home has a lot going for it with a prime gold coast location, beautiful original details, and the potential to become a colossal 8,032-square-foot single-family conversion. So grab your architect and a little imagination because this prewar pad is just waiting to become somebody’s dream home.
See what else this mega-home has to offer

Distinctive Homes

November 6, 2014

Artist Transforms Decrepit Woodstock Property into a Psychedelic Playground and Home

By Rebecca Paul

We know Woodstock, New York is an upstate haven for creative types, but we still had to look twice when we saw this rainbow-colored house gracing its woodsy landscape. Artist Kat O'Sulllivan, also know as Katwise, is the mastermind behind the psychedelic transformation of this barn-home. When she first purchased the property it was a decrepit looking house from the 1840s, far from the graphic masterpiece that it is today. The exterior of her home boasts a vibrant spectrum of colors and patterns, and the interior is equally spectacular and whimsical.
Take a look around the colorful abode

Architecture And Design

November 6, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Four Floors of a Brooklyn Office Building Up for $100M; Effort to Storm-Proof 70K NYC Buildings

By Diane Pham

The top four floors of a six-story Downtown Brooklyn building have hit the market for $100M. The property, located at 180 Livingston Street, comes with 165,000 square feet of fully leased office space and the potential to add another 140,000 square feet, possibly for residential use. [Crain’s] The Federal Emergency Management Agency will look into storm-proofing 70,000 NYC buildings. […]

Real Estate Trends

Fulton Center via Grimshaw Architects

November 6, 2014

Fulton Center Subway Station to Open This Monday with Its Impressive Oculus

By Dana Schulz

It's a busy couple of weeks for the Financial District. On Monday, Condé Nast moved in to One World Trade Center, and this coming Monday, November 10th, at 5:00pm, the Fulton Center subway station will finally open. The new station, which connects ten subway lines, was first conceived in 2002 as part of downtown revitalization efforts following 9/11, but also because the station had needed improvements for decades. It was initially supposed to open in 2007, but funding hurdles and escalating costs delayed the progress. More recently, Hurricane Sandy and systems testing problems pushed back the opening further. But the $1.4 billion transit hub is now ready to welcome commuters and dazzle them with its giant 120-foot-tall oculus.
Take an advance look inside Fulton Center

November 6, 2014

KAPOW! A Punching-Bag Keyboard for the Disgruntled Cubicle Worker

By Diane Pham

We've made it past hump day but now here we are counting down the seconds until the clock strikes six. For those who find themselves grumbling over long days and irksome coworkers, this amazing punching-bag keyboard by German design studio Bless is exactly what you need to relieve some of that work-induced stress.
We've got a video of the keyboard being used here

November 6, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Makes Journey to NYC; Light-Up Loaves of Bread Run on Batteries, Aren’t Edible

By Dana Schulz

This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, an 85-foot Norway Spruce, is on its way to Midtown. The Daily News has great photos of the tree being cut down in Hemlock Township, Pennsylvania. Who doesn’t love a good loaf of bread? Even if it’s not edible. Japanese designer Yukiko Morita created Pampshades so we can all light […]

Uncategorized

November 6, 2014

BKSK Proposes an Undulating Glass Topper for the Landmarked Tammany Hall

By Diane Pham

The landmarked Tammany Hall at 44 Union Square East could be getting a modern makeover in the form of a restored facade, brand new storefront, 27,000 square feet of office space, and, most notably, a two-story glass dome topper that would bring the height of the building up to 85 feet. BKSK Architects presented their plans to gut and revamp the historic building this week to the Community Board 5’s Landmarks Committee. And though no one could argue with the design's glassy allure, board members were otherwise not all that thrilled.
Find out more here

History

November 6, 2014

Lauren Bacall’s Dakota Apartment Will Go for a Jaw-Dropping $26 Million

By Diane Pham

Since Lauren Bacall passed away this summer, many have been watching the iconic actress’s longtime Dakota home in hopes of catching a glimpse of the interior—and a chance at owning Hollywood history. Now word has it that the residence will hit the market any minute now with Warburg Realty brokering what is expected to be a $26 million listing. […]

November 6, 2014

Carmelo and LaLa Anthony Step Up Penthouse Search and Tour a $48M Tribeca Duplex

By Annie Doge

If you were impressed by the $15 million Chelsea penthouse that Carmelo and LaLa Anthony toured last month, you're definitely going to think their latest real estate interest is a slam dunk. The couple recently toured a $48 million duplex penthouse in Tribeca's Sky Lofts at 145 Hudson Street. James Carpenter, the same architect responsible for 7 World Trade Center, designed the four-bedroom glass house atop an historic Art Deco loft building. And with 7,500 square feet of interior space as well as a 4,500-square-foot wrap-around terrace, the home set a record for highest-priced Manhattan apartment south of Columbus Circle when it was originally purchased for $30 million in 2009 (a record later broken by the $50.9 million sale of the Walker Tower penthouse).
Tour what may be the future house of Carmelo

Distinctive Homes

Steve Madden's former Trump Palace pad lists for $11.5M

This $15M penthouse is a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the Midtown sky

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

This $2.7M Chelsea duplex condo feels like a modern house with a private back garden

$4M Prospect Heights penthouse has three bedrooms, a wraparound terrace, and views in every direction

For $2.2M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse has three levels of outdoor space

For $8M, this newly-constructed Williamsburg townhouse has every design trend covered

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

For $6.75M, everything you'd want in a Park Slope brownstone

This $9.75M Harlem brownstone reflects neighborhood history with five floors of 19th-century elegance

VIEW ALL

<b>Peter Stuyvesant’s NYC: From the Bouwerie Farm to That Famous Pear Tree</b>

Monument to Peter Stuyvesant in Stuyvesant Square via edenpictures via photopin

November 5, 2014

Peter Stuyvesant’s NYC: From the Bouwerie Farm to That Famous Pear Tree

By Dana Schulz

A few quick facts from New York City history 101: The island of Manhattan was originally settled by the Dutch, and therefore officially named New Amsterdam in 1625. It was part of the larger settlement of New Netherland. Pieter, or Petrus, Stuyvesant (we know him today as Peter) was the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded to the English in 1664. His work greatly influenced the city's expansion northward from the southern tip, and he was responsible for many major historic events, such as the erection of a protective wall on what is today Wall Street and the creation of a canal on today's Broad Street and Broadway. Now that it's November–the month when the city celebrates its Dutch heritage through 5 Dutch Days–we decided to take a look at the old stomping ground of General Stuyvesant, as well as his lasting legacy in the city today.
Read about Peter Stuyvesant's NYC

History

November 5, 2014

Andrew Franz Transforms an Old Soap Factory into a Tranquil Tribeca Oasis

By Rebecca Paul

Architect Andrew Franz is known for his nature-inspired designs, and he has successfully infused his signature aesthetic into the tranquil interior of this Tribeca home. Franz transformed a 19th century Manhattan soap factory into what is now a gorgeous example of adaptive reuse. The designer's goal for this project was to create the feeling of being outdoors when inside the walls of the Romanesque Revival building, while also maintaining as much of the original structure as possible. By combining modern clean lines and open spaces with rustic wooden columns and raw brick walls, Franz creates a visual narrative celebrating the preservation of something old in the creation of something new and beautiful.
READ MORE

November 5, 2014

$3.58M Forsyth Revitalization Project Will Bring an Elevated Park Off the Manhattan Bridge

By Diane Pham

If you've ever walked or biked across the Manhattan Bridge, or simply tried to make your way past the off-ramp on foot, you know that it can be a heart-thumping jaunt that often requires expert maneuvering to avoid collision. A new design proposed for a triangular section of land beside the Manhattan Bridge along Forsyth Street could bring some much-needed calm to the frenetic energy of this area. Tomorrow, the Department of Design and Construction will present their plan to transform this elevated space into a public green space that's being likened to the High Line Park.
Find out more here

Architecture And Design

November 5, 2014

Real Estate Wire: How Housing Shifts Demographics; Piet Boon’s Oosten Takes Shape

By Diane Pham

Piet Boon‘s Oosten is rising rapidly on its Williamsburg site. See how far construction has come along. [Brownstoner] Learn how housing can shift the demographics of an area. [Curbed] Brooklyn’s development boom is spreading to Clinton Hill. This map shows a handful of new projects in the pipeline. [DNA Info] The LES Lobster Joint will close to […]

Real Estate Trends

November 5, 2014

Easily Outfit Your Home in Greenery with Plant Wall Design’s Vertical Garden

By Diane Pham

Urban gardeners rejoice! Your chance to truly flex your green thumb has come with Plant Wall Design's Live Vertical Garden. This lovely design comes in mahogany wood with an oil or painted finish and is ready to enliven the most elegant to the most industrial of homes. Plants can be even be grown on both sides of the wall, so if you've been looking for a colorful and creative room partition—or if you're just looking for a new centerpiece—this garden wall is the way to go.
See some of the modular designs waiting for you here

An image of the 2013 NYFOL event in Nolita

November 5, 2014

New York Festival of Light Is Illuminating DUMBO Starting Tomorrow Night

By Dana Schulz

There's never a shortage of artsy events taking place in Brooklyn, but the New York Festival of Light (NYFOL) is a first-timer on the block. The curated collection of lighting installations will take over DUMBO from the night of November 6th to the 8th, and is being put on in partnership with the DUMBO Improvement District. Free and open to the public, the event will take place in and around the archway under the Manhattan Bridge, spilling out onto the surrounding plaza. The array of multi-sensory installations created by more than a dozen artists includes projection mapping, laser lighting, video art, illuminated sculptures, and wearable light technologies.
More details on NYFOL here

Events & Things To Do

November 5, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Photographers Capture One WTC From Every Angle; Electronic Ballet Shoes Make Beautiful Patterns

By Dana Schulz

Photographers Iwan Baan and James Ewing capture the completed One World Trade Center from every angle, and the results are stunning. See them all on designboom. Sandwiches are serious business. See if you agree with Refinery 29’s list of the ten most iconic New York sandwiches. Electric Traces are electronic ballet shoes that allow dancers to digitally […]

Uncategorized

November 5, 2014

POLL: Can One World Trade Center Get to 100% Occupancy?

By Dana Schulz

On Monday, anchor tenant Condé Nast moved into One World Trade Center. It was, of course, a significant day for many reasons, but it left a lot of people wondering if they would feel comfortable working in the 104-story tower. And since the building is currently only 58% leased, we want to know if you think One WTC […]

Real Estate Trends

November 5, 2014

Live Like Hamptons Royalty in the $4.3M Red-Brick Castle

By Dana Schulz

Yes, this Southampton Village home is palatial, but "castle" is not being used here as just an adjective; the historic home is actually titled "the Castle." And it's a fair moniker, as the red-brick residence is covered in romantic ivy, features a dreamy turret and sits on 43 acres. Famed Manhattan interior designer William Sofield of Studio Sofield purchased the estate in 1999 for $830,000 and spent over a decade restoring its original Arts and Crafts style. He has now listed the house, which was built in 1911 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, for $4.3 million.
Tour the Castle

Classic Loft with Retractable Door in Historic Tribeca Asks $3.1 Million

By Aisha Carter

Something about this one-bedroom renovated loft at 55 Walker Street seems to define understated character. Of course the floor-through unit has the typical soaring ceilings, oversized windows and exposed brick walls you would expect in a quintessential Tribeca loft. But this special 1,850-square-foot space has a few unexpected features that work together to give it the personality of a larger home, while still maintaining its stylish New York vibe.
Take a look inside, here

Distinctive Homes

5Pointz Developer Wants to Use Iconic Name for New Residential Towers

A photo capturing the 5Pointz demolition via changsterdam via photopin

November 4, 2014

5Pointz Developer Wants to Use Iconic Name for New Residential Towers

By Dana Schulz

The whitewashing and subsequent demolition of Long Island City graffiti mecca 5Pointz was painful enough for the arts community, but now G&M Realty, the developer responsible for the loss, wants to trademark the 5Pointz name and use it for their new residential towers at the site. And artists are not happy, saying the developer is trying to bank off their name. G&M is planning two towers for the site, at 41 and 47 stories, that together will hold 1,000 rental units. The developer submitted an application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in March to trademark "5Pointz," but it was initially rejected in June for being too similar to another registrant. G&M now has six months to respond to the decision.
More on the story here

November 4, 2014

Dennis Mehiel Re-Lists Carhart Mansion Condo Asking $35 Million

By Aisha Carter

Dennis Mehiel, corrugated cardboard magnate who ran against Gov. Cuomo in a 2002 election for lieutenant governor, has put his sprawling 10,350-square-foot duplex at the Carhart Mansion on the market, asking $35.9 million. This, after attempting to claim $35 million for it back in 2008, just a few years after he purchased the pad for only $15 million in 2005--"only" being a relative term, of course. The award-winning condo has a two-story master, an 1,100-square-foot grand salon, and the potential for six more private chambers..
Take a look inside, here

Distinctive Homes

November 4, 2014

How the Historic Apartments and Hotels of the Upper West Side Came to Be

By Michelle Young

It's hard to imagine today that people had to be lured to settle on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but such was the case at the turn of the 20th century when the first New York City subway line opened. The Interborough Rapid Transit Line (IRT) started at City Hall, with the most epic of subway stations (now closed off to the public except on official Transit Museum tours). The Astors and other enterprising investors owned the land uptown, purchased in a speculative property boom. Now, the question was how to brand the area.
The history behind the opulent doors of the Upper West Side

Architecture And Design

November 4, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Pearl Paint Building on Canal Sells to Vornado; Tips for Cohabiting Couples

By Diane Pham

Vornado has purchased the Pearl Paint building on Canal Street for $16.4M. [TRD] Tips for couples cohabiting for the first time. [Brick Underground] The Brooklyn Public Library is pondering knocking down its one-story Sunset Park branch library and replacing it with an eight-story building boasting a bigger library topped with affordable rental apartments. [DNA Info] Checking in on the […]

Real Estate Trends

November 4, 2014

Bates Masi’s Northwest Harbor Residence Rises on 16 Piles above a Floodplain Terrain

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

In a post-Sandy world, waterfront residents are faced with the choice of whether or not to raise their homes. Some may worry about the esthetics of this type of renovation, but Bates Masi + Architects' Northwest Harbor residence shows that raised homes can be strikingly beautiful. The green-minded firm works with the environment and not against it. Instead of modifying this East Hampton terrain, they allowed the natural landscape to take the lead. The stunning result is supported by 16 sturdy stilts that raise this wooden dwelling right above an unsettling floodplain terrain while improving the overall environmental quality of the unique wooden home.
Learn more about this stunning high up home

November 4, 2014

1/2 Stool by WITAMINA D Mixes Wood and Metal

By Dana Schulz

If we had to pick out the ugliest items in our house, the step stool would probably top the list. Typically an unattractive hunk of plastic or miniature-ladder-looking apparatus, these pieces are extremely functional (especially in New York where we have to build up), but not usually designed with style in mind. That's why we love the 1/2 Stool by Malgorzata Knobloch and Igor Wiktorowicz of WITAMINA D. It's an appealing combination of half a tree trunk and a technical, laser-cut metal base. And it's certainly sturdy enough to endure the wear and tear of an urban abode.
More on the 1/2 Stool

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