January 18, 2015

Lovely Eco-Friendly Yurt in Newfield Offers a Unique Camping Spot in Nature

If living simpler is on your 2015 to-do list, a few days away in this delightful yurt might show you the way. Located just 12 miles south of Ithaca in Newfield, New York in a luxury glamping spot surrounded by greenery, this yurt-for-rent comes with a garden full of goldfinches and sunflowers visible from every window. Perfect for getting away from the busy city life, this Mongolian-inspired retreat offers the perfect spot for unwinding upstate.
Learn more about this yurt
January 17, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Get Free Access to 33 Museums with the New NYC Municipal ID Checking In on 56 Leonard: The Rising Star in the Downtown Skyline Chelsea Apartment Is Flea Market Chic with a Pop Art Punch 111 West 57th Street: The World’s Skinniest Tower Will Also Be the Hemisphere’s Tallest Residential Building New Public Art Piece […]

January 16, 2015

$100 Million Condo Sale at One57 is NYC’s Most Expensive Ever

Expect another blockbuster year for the super-luxury tower that launched a slew of other wannabe developments across the city. A palatial unit occupying the 89th and 90th floor of One57 has just sold for a record-breaking $100,471,452.77—the most expensive condo purchase ever recorded Manhattan. The buyer of the massive 10,923-square-foot penthouse apartment remains a mystery—city records simply show an […]

January 16, 2015

How the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion Went from Private Home to the Ukrainian Institute of America

Earlier this week, the Ukrainian community rang in the new year, so we thought it appropriate to take a look at one of the city's largest centers of Ukrainian-American life. Located at 2 East 79th Street at the corner of Fifth Avenue, the Fletcher-Sinclair mansion was built in 1897 by famed architect Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert (C. P. H. Gilbert) as a single-family home for Isaac D. Fletcher, a banker, broker, and railroad investor. Today, the French Gothic masterpiece houses the Ukrainian Institute of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the art, music and literature of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora. But how did this massive home become home to the Institute?
Find out here
January 16, 2015

City Exceeds 2014 Affordable Housing Goals, but Few Apartments Are Below 96th Street

Photo via Pexels The Mayor announced yesterday that the city had exceeded its affordable housing goal for 2014 by 1,300 apartments, building or preserving 17,300 affordable units. This represents 8.6 percent of de Blasio's larger goal of 200,000 units over 10 years. But on the heels of the announcement, a report by New York University's Furman Center shows that only 6 percent of new subsidized affordable rental units have been built below 96th Street since 2000, compared with 16 percent in the '70s. The city says it's ramping up its building and preservation efforts to 20,000 affordable units per year, but this likely won't do much to sway the numbers above 96th Street.
More on the affordable housing news here
January 16, 2015

Patrick Stewart Wants a “Stroller Lane” in Park Slope; Harlem’s Renaissance Ballroom is Unsalvageable

Patrick Stewart wants a “stroller lane” in Park Slope and is willing to back a bill to make it happen. [NYO] It’s curtains for Harlem’s renaissance ballroom. To many’s dismay, the building’s owners have deemed it “unsalvageable”. [NYDN] A massive 40-story mixed-use building is coming to Coney Island. [TRD] It might have great views from the […]

January 16, 2015

Could These Portable Temporary Homes Help Solve NYC’s Affordable Housing Crisis?

As the De Blasio administration struggles to find ways to remedy the city's affordable housing crisis, here comes a solution from overseas that could help solve their woes while also putting the city's nearly 15,000 revitalization-ready vacant lots to use. Dubbed Heijmans ONE, these Dutch-made prefab homes are easily portable, easily deployable, and are designed specifically to provide cheap housing for those who need it.
More details on the beautiful design here
January 16, 2015

Sportscaster Marv Albert’s Lincoln Square Penthouse Sells for $13M, $2M Less Than Initial Reports

Though it was originally reported that famed sportscaster Marv Albert sold his sprawling penthouse at 150 Columbus Avenue for $15 million, city records released today show that the 3,553-square-foot pad actually sold for $13 million after being listed in May. Marv and his wife, former ESPN producer Heather Albert, originally purchased the home in 1996 for $2.39 million, turning a pretty impressive profit in time for their move downtown to Tribeca.
Take a look inside here
January 16, 2015

$2M Tudor City Place Penthouse Will Get More Than Your Spidey Sense Tingling

If you missed the opportunity in 2013 to snap up this one-of-a-kind Midtown East penthouse that played home to Spiderman’s green nemesis, you’re in luck. Back on the market for a cool $2 million–$400,000 more than when it was last listed–this duplex residence at Windsor Tower features dramatic proportions, which made it the perfect pad for Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin in the popular movie.
Learn more about this one-of-a-kind home
January 16, 2015

Last Low-Rise Buildings Along Delancey Street Will Likely Be Razed for Condos

It looks like the home of Get Set, Happy Wok, Taj Gold, and Sneaktip will soon be no more. Bowery Boogie reports that Ashkenazy Investments, the owner of the commercial stretch, has just listed their site at 156-164 Delancey Street for $7.5 million. Ashkenazy purchased the property two years ago simply leasing the units out, but as one would expect, they've just been waiting for the right moment to make a flip. With this week's reveal of the SHoP/Handel Architects/Beyer Blinder Belle/Dattner Architects-designed mega-development Essex Crossing just across the street, the timing couldn't be better.
Find out more here
January 15, 2015

111 West 57th Street: The World’s Skinniest Tower Will Rise to 1,421 Feet

That's a lot of accolades for one building, but the SHoP Architects-designed tower at 111 West 57th Street is looking to sweep the supertall competition. Originally planned to rise 1,397 feet, the tower will now soar to 1,421 feet, surpassing 432 Park Avenue (the current tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere) by 24 feet, according to city records uncovered by Crain's. It will also retain its title as the world’s slenderest tower.
More details ahead
January 15, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Carol Paumgarten of Steps on Broadway on Training World-Famous Stage Stars

Atop the hustle and bustle of 74th Street and Broadway, three flights of stairs above the busy Fairway Market, is the famous dance studio Steps on Broadway, renowned for its teachers, dancers, classes, and, of course, the large flag that hangs outside the building. Presiding over the studio is owner and artistic director Carol Paumgarten. Carol opened the studio with a partner in 1979, and over the years developed Steps into a much sought-after studio for professional dancers, budding stars as young as two years old, and anyone who just feels like dancing. The studio is part of a larger world of dance that sits center stage on the Upper West Side. With Lincoln Center and the musicals of Broadway right down the street, there's a lot of movement and creativity happening in this neighborhood. We recently spoke with Carol to find out how Steps on Broadway made the leap from a small studio with a few classes to a dance institution known worldwide.
Read the full interview here
January 15, 2015

Take a Drone Tour of the Hearst Building with Starchitect Norman Foster

In 2006, the doors of the Hearst Tower were swung open for business. The design of starchitect Norman Foster, the building was one of the most cutting-edge of its time, lauded for its diagrid form, its green construction, and the then-radical approach of marrying the old with the new. Apart from becoming one of New York's most iconic structures, the building also holds a special cultural significance in city's history: It was the first skyscraper to break ground after September 11th. Now, a decade later, Foster has returned to the Hearst Tower to mark its anniversary and reflect on his creation.
Watch the film here
January 15, 2015

Chelsea Apartment Is Flea Market Chic with a Pop Art Punch

There's no shortage of trendy flea markets in the city these days. From Brooklyn Flea to Green Flea, New Yorkers can easily deck out their entire apartments in retro, second-hand finds. And that's exactly what Brazilian design entrepreneur Houssein Jarouche did in his Chelsea pied-à-terre. But to keep the studio loft from looking like one big antique store, he enlisted the help of his friend and New York-based interior designer Ana Strumpf and infused the space with punches of contemporary, pop art and quirky pieces that reflect his passion for the American Industrial Era.
Take a tour around the flea market-chic apartment
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January 15, 2015

Breathtaking Views of the Hudson River and Palisades for $2M–in the Bronx

It’s time to visit (or revisit) one of our favorite posts–Seven Cool Things You Probably Didn’t Know About NYC’s Northernmost Borough–because after you take a look at this magnificent two-story home with glorious Hudson River and Palisades views you are going to be further intrigued by the only borough special enough to be preceded by a definite article –“the” Bronx.
Take a tour of the home
January 15, 2015

Daily Link Fix: A Weighted Blanket That Hugs You; Watch Frank Lloyd Wright Compete on a Game Show

Because we all need a hug sometimes…here’s a weighted blanket that gives you a warm embrace. [Design Milk] Dinner parties inside a dumpster aim to change the way people see food waste. [Untapped] Watch Frank Lloyd Wright compete on the game show What’s My Line in 1956. [Archinect] Staten Island’s deer population has increased 3,304 percent in just […]

January 15, 2015

First Four Essex Crossing Buildings Revealed

After 45 years of sitting vacant on the Lower East Side, the failed SPURA (Seward Park Urban Renewal Area) project site is being transformed to a $1.1 billion, 1.65 million-square-foot, mixed-use mega-development anchored by 1,000 residential units and a mix of cultural, community, and retail facilities. We've gotten snippets here and there on what the Essex Crossing project will look like–such as the Andy Warhol Museum and a 14-screen movie theater–but now Curbed has revealed renderings of the development's first four buildings. Construction on phase one of the project, which will occupy sites one, two, five and six (there are nine sites in total), is expected to commence this spring, and the notable architects who will spearhead the charge are SHoP, Handel Architects, Beyer Blinder Belle and Dattner Architects.
See what these architects have planned for Essex Crossing
January 15, 2015

REVEALED: HWKN Will Bring a Shiny and Shingled YOTEL Hotel/Condo to Williamsburg

One of our favorite New York architects will soon be making their mark in Williamsburg. HWKN has just revealed new renderings for a brand new 14-story YOTEL coming to Brooklyn at 646 Lorimer Street. The images, which give us a taste of the exterior, are right on the mark with the YOTEL style and the rapidly changing neighborhood—and the design is what exactly you'd expect from HWKN: an eye-catching form with lots of greenspace.
Find out more here
January 15, 2015

Tribeca Bachelor Pad with Pool Table Asks $3.5 Million

It’s pretty clear right from the start that this loft at 81 Walker Street is a bachelor pad built for entertaining: partial walls, fluid floor plan, questionable bathroom artwork that would make your mother blush. It’s all there. But don’t let appearances fool you. This $3.475 million renovated full-floor condo has original loft details and quality finishes that make it ideal for any party.
Take a look inside, here
January 14, 2015

Home Temporary Home: Picturesque Park Slope Rental Makes Perfect Short-Term Retreat

If you’ve ever wanted to try out living in one of the city’s most sought-after neighborhoods without making a long-term commitment, now is your chance. This picturesque Park Slope two-bedroom located at 473 13th Street beautifully combines traditional touches with modern conveniences—and "stays" available from one month to twelve offer a rare opportunity to decide if one of Brooklyn’s premier locales is the right place for you. Even better, since it’s fully furnished all you need to do is move in and enjoy!
See more of this picturesque rental
January 14, 2015

A Madcap Engineer Wanted to Pave Over the East River to Create a “Mega-Manhattan”

The East River may not be the most beautiful body of water we've ever witnessed, but that certainly doesn't mean we'd like to see it paved over. That's exactly what T. Kennard Thomson, an engineer and planner, proposed in 1911, hoping to create a mega-Manhattan. Plus, he wanted to add a long hunk of infill at the southern tip of Manhattan, creating a new peninsula bolstered by Governor's Island, add more new land in the Hudson between Bayonne and Manhattan, and relocated the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Let's take a closer look at this ambitious, but never realized, plan

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