This $1.55M Former Ballroom Is Right out of Cinderella’s Dreams
March 18, 2015

This $1.55M Former Ballroom Is Right out of Cinderella’s Dreams

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Trust us. Nothing’s turning back into a pumpkin at midnight here. This two-bedroom loft-style apartment at the Broadmoor used to be an extravagant 1920s ballroom, and it still has a number of the original details. The $1.55 million pad features 14-foot ceilings, original arched windows, original moldings and beams. And probably best of all, it has tons of light streaming in from 11 windows and three exposures.
More pics inside
Orlando Bloom Sells Tribeca Loft in Less Than One Month
March 18, 2015

Orlando Bloom Sells Tribeca Loft in Less Than One Month

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We speculated last month that Orlando Bloom's decision to list his Tribeca loft for $5.5 million, just five months after purchasing it for $4.88 million, might have had something to do with celebrity neighbor Taylor Swift, and it looks like that's the general consensus. The Daily News reports that the actor has sold his three-bedroom apartment at the Sugarloaf Warehouse building less than 30 days after it hit the market. Apparently, Swift and her A-list pals have turned the building into a paparazzi frenzy, which might have proved too much for the more low-key Bloom.
Take a look around the former Bloom abode
Interview: McSorley’s Historian Bill Wander Fills Us In on the Secrets of NYC’s Oldest Bar
March 17, 2015

Interview: McSorley’s Historian Bill Wander Fills Us In on the Secrets of NYC’s Oldest Bar

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Undoubtedly, there are hundreds of New Yorkers and out-of-towners planning to stop by McSorley's Old Ale House today for a St. Patrick's Day round of beers. But beyond the brews and bros, there's a deep history rooted in this East Village institution, and we've found the man who knows it all. The official historian of McSorley's, Bill Wander can give you the full timeline that dates McSorley's to 1854, making it the oldest bar in the city. He can also fill you in on all the tchotchkes adorning the walls of this Irish tavern, none of which have been removed since 1910. But more important than the textbook facts related to McSorley's, Bill has an undeniable passion for this watering hole, for both its important cultural history and the unique social atmosphere that keeps the bar a neighborhood mainstay after all these years. We recently chatted with Bill to find out some of the lesser-known details about McSorley's and what the title of "official historian" entails.
Read our full interview with Bill Wander here
Slab of Plexiglass Dislodges at One57 and Falls on Two Cars Below

Image © Wade Zimmerman courtesy of Agence Christian de Portzamparc (ACDP)

March 17, 2015

Slab of Plexiglass Dislodges at One57 and Falls on Two Cars Below

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Watch where you walk when treading near supertall towers. The WSJ reports that a stop work order has been issued at One57 after a kitchen table-sized piece of Plexiglass fell from the 22nd floor of the tower on Sunday, smashing into two parked cars down below. Thankfully no one was injured in the incident, but the accident is just one in a slew of construction mishaps that have plagued the building. In late February, glass from the tower landed on a neighboring building’s terrace, and last May, a windowpane fell from the 22nd floor, hitting a truck below. The building was also creating precarious conditions back in 2012 during Super Storm Sandy, when all of New York City looked on in horror as the support cable of an 80-ton crane at the top of the building broke, causing it dangle above their heads.
Is one57 cursed? Find out more here
25 Epic Buildings That Were Never Constructed
March 17, 2015

25 Epic Buildings That Were Never Constructed

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While we all love to ogle the latest and greatest rendering reveals, it's a shame how quickly we forget about the incredible architecture that could have risen once their plans get scrapped. To give a small consolation to the architects who spent countless hours and sleepless nights scribbling skyscrapers with the hope of transforming the built landscape, Rubberbond has created a nifty infographic showing 25 ambitious projects that today, for better or worse, only live on in drawings. From a pyramid-shaped mausoleum in London designed to hold five million corpses to a Sagrada Familia-like hotel Gaudí fashioned for NYC to a giant Bucky dome that could have covered Manhattan, have a look at all the lost designs ahead and then weigh in—was it a good idea these were dumped or would they have been great architectural additions?
See the whole thing here
Bookniture Is a Moleskine That Turns into a Handy Pop-Up Stool
March 17, 2015

Bookniture Is a Moleskine That Turns into a Handy Pop-Up Stool

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After the terrible snowstorms and generally freezing weather we went through this winter, it goes without saying that spring can't come soon enough. And one of the best ways to enjoy warmer times is to be out in the park, hanging with friends, having an alfresco picnic, or catching up on some work. For these outdoor occasions, Hong Kong-based designer Mike Mak created Bookniture, a light and stylish Moleskine-like stool/table that combines books and furniture in one pop-up design that you can bring on the go.
Learn more about this book-furniture piece
Peter Brant Files Work Permits for Converted Con Ed Station; Mad Men Sculpture Coming to Midtown
March 17, 2015

Peter Brant Files Work Permits for Converted Con Ed Station; Mad Men Sculpture Coming to Midtown

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In addition to transforming his East Village home and former Con Ed substation into a gallery and art study center, Peter Brant plans to restore the building’s façade and add a roof terrace, among other alterations. [EV Grieve] The city’s “Taxi Kingpin” can’t pay his bills thanks to Uber. [NYP] A permanent “Mad Men” sculpture is being […]

Supermodel Freja Beha Erichsen Snags a Stunning $3M Carroll Gardens Townhouse
March 17, 2015

Supermodel Freja Beha Erichsen Snags a Stunning $3M Carroll Gardens Townhouse

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Supermodel and one-time Karl Lagerfield muse Freja Beha Erichsen has just scooped up a gorgeous Carroll Gardens townhouse for $3 million, according to city records. The edgy model's purchase comes as a bit of a surprise—as we would have guessed her to be more of a Williamsburg loft buyer than one looking in crunchy Carroll Gardens—but with one look at the gorgeous brick home, it's easy to see what pulled the Danish beauty in.
have a look inside

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Will the Luck of the Irish Help This $18M, 17-Room UES Maisonette Finally Find a Buyer?
March 17, 2015

Will the Luck of the Irish Help This $18M, 17-Room UES Maisonette Finally Find a Buyer?

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From four leaf clovers to corned beef and cabbage, today’s the day to celebrate all things Irish, and with a bit of luck maybe the seventeen rooms of this grand residence located at 120 East End Avenue at the corner of 85th Street in Yorkville will finally find a buyer. Initially listed in 2012, this magnificent six-bedroom, sun-flooded, full-service cooperative offers an elegant, sophisticated living experience rarely available in Manhattan.
More photos of this exquisite home
March 16, 2015

Looking Back at the Gansevoort Pumping Station, the Building the New Whitney Museum Replaced

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As we all await the opening of the new building of the Whitney Museum for American Art in May, it might be interesting to see what's underneath it—or was. There's an old saying, "To create, you must first destroy," and so long as it doesn't specify how much of one and how good the other, the statement generally slips by without challenge. So it was with the Whitney's new site along the High Line in the Meatpacking District. There wasn't a lot that needed to be destroyed. There was, however, this little building, the Gansevoort Pumping Station, a small, classically inspired edifice with arches separated by pilasters. It was designed by Michael and Mitchell Bernstein, brothers who were widely known for turn of the twentieth-century tenements. Designed in 1906 and completed in 1908, it was built as a pumphouse for high-pressure fire service by the City of New York and later served as one of the area's quintessential meat markets.
Read the entire history of the site here
$7.25M East Village Building Boasts Rustic Charm (and 12 Income-Producing Apartments)
March 16, 2015

$7.25M East Village Building Boasts Rustic Charm (and 12 Income-Producing Apartments)

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While it’s true this six-story building located at 276 East 10th Street in the heart of the East Village is an incredible investment opportunity, we think the prospect of actually living here offers a different kind of reward. So, we’ll let the accountants and business gurus of the world calculate the financial upside of the rental income derived from the twelve apartments within, and the expansion potential the additional FAR of 2,306 square feet affords—we’re far more interested in the property’s absolutely gorgeous rustic charm that makes it feel worlds away from the city that never sleeps.
More photos this way
New Maps Show How Much You Need to Work in Order to Own a Home in NYC and Other Major Metros

Image via CityLab

March 16, 2015

New Maps Show How Much You Need to Work in Order to Own a Home in NYC and Other Major Metros

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Have you been thinking about buying a home in NYC? Well if you're single, get ready for a life of mortgage-gouging hardship. A new study conducted by the Martin Prosperity Institute takes a look at how much Americans spend on housing, where in the United States we're spending the most, and how many years we'll need to put in if we want to own a home in a big city.
maps and results here
‘No-Shadow’ Skyscraper Could Solve the Problem of Towers Blocking the Sun
March 16, 2015

‘No-Shadow’ Skyscraper Could Solve the Problem of Towers Blocking the Sun

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It's been one of the biggest criticisms of all of New York's new supertall towers–their shadow-casting, sun-blocking tendencies and the fact that there's nothing in place to regulate this. But a new skyscraper proposed for London may solve this urban dilemma. Architects at the London-based firm NBBJ digitally designed a pair of towers that are precisely aligned with curved and angled facades that act like mirrors to reflect down toward the street. According to the National Post, "In theory, one of the towers would reflect sunlight into the shadow of its sister tower, reducing the area of shade caused by the project as a whole."
More details ahead
Railfan Atlas Maps Train Porn Photos from All Over the World
March 16, 2015

Railfan Atlas Maps Train Porn Photos from All Over the World

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Though many of us would rather not look at another train once we get done with our daily commutes, others of us revel in the images of railfandom, a subculture of train enthusiasts. One self-professed rail geek, Nick Benson, even went so far as to create the Railfan Atlas, a worldwide collection of Flickr train photos. The images are geotagged, and there's a heat map that shows the hottest spots for train porn.
Click here to see the most popular spots in NYC for railfandom
Love Hulten’s Senescent Desk Comes with an Enchanting Self-Sufficient Garden Built In
March 16, 2015

Love Hulten’s Senescent Desk Comes with an Enchanting Self-Sufficient Garden Built In

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If you feel you're spending too much time at your desk and too little time in nature, here's a way to bring a piece of the outside world in. Called the Senescent Desk, this whimsical work by Love Hulten comes with a self-sufficient gardening system that allows you to interact with a chunk of nature right at your desk—without all the work usually required when tending to plants.
Learn more about this desk with a garden
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Robert Durst Arrested for Murder; Try the Mayor de Blasio Lateness Excuse Generator
March 16, 2015

Robert Durst Arrested for Murder; Try the Mayor de Blasio Lateness Excuse Generator

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Go inside the studios of five Brooklyn artists. [BK Mag] On the final episode last night of “The Jinx,” HBO’s Robert Durst crime documentary, the real estate scion implicated himself in the murders of three people and was arrested Saturday in New Orleans. [Forbes] Space-saving takeaways from a 48-square-foot kitchen. [Curbed] Are you chronically late? Try the Mayor […]

5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

Brooklyn’s Pacific Park development, one of the pipeline projects examined in the report for it’s affordable housing offer. Rendering by COOKFOX

March 16, 2015

5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

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This morning the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) released a report today saying if the city fails to renew the existing 421-a partial tax exemption program, we could stand to lose thousands of affordable units. REBNY took a look at a sample of projects in the pipeline—including Essex Crossing, 5Pointz, Domino and Pacific Park, amongst others—and found that 421-a is responsible for 5,484 affordable apartments and 13,801 market-rate units in these developments. They argue that without the abatement the theses units would be in jeopardy and be "immediately be sent back to the drawing board." They add that some of the units could even end up as high-end luxury condominiums and some of the middle- and low-income housing now in the works would be lost forever.
Find out more
Sales Launch at the Long-Awaited 52 Lispenard Street in Tribeca
March 16, 2015

Sales Launch at the Long-Awaited 52 Lispenard Street in Tribeca

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Sales have finally launched at the much-anticipated 52 Lispenard Street, after we’ve spent more than a year drooling over its teaser site. The seven-story structure is a combination of two landmarked 19th century buildings on a short Tribeca street. So far, two of the building’s floor-through apartments—units 2 and 4—are available, asking $6.65 million and $7.5 million. The remaining four apartments include two more full-floor apartments with three to five bedrooms, one triplex townhouse, and one triplex penthouse, with prices ranging up to $11 million.
More pics inside
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
March 14, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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Here’s a Map of Where the World’s Insanely Rich Live ‘Taxi’ Star Judd Hirsch Buys $400K Greenwich Village Studio from His Former Assistant Pikettyscrapers: What You Call Those Expensive Supertall Buildings Nobody Lives In Tiny 500-Square-Foot Apartment Is as Fashionable as Its Chelsea Address Jessica Chastain Snags a Gorgeous Osborne Co-op Once Owned by Leonard […]

New Renderings for 212 Fifth Avenue Show a Whimsical Top-Floor Restaurant and Enormous Clock
March 13, 2015

New Renderings for 212 Fifth Avenue Show a Whimsical Top-Floor Restaurant and Enormous Clock

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With the debut of their newly-sharpened website, the visual-realization whizzes at AJSNY are seeking to steal some Apple Watch buzz with this stunningly whimsical rooftop addition atop the now-under-conversion 212 Fifth Avenue in Nomad. The conceptual vision, designed by the rendering team themselves, shows a bronze-clad, multi-story addition wrapped with sinuous ribbons framing an enormous south-facing clock. Below the steampunk-esque penthouse, AJSNY depicts a standard condo-conversion affair of open layouts and double-height spaces for the 1913 neo-medieval tower. The team's images also give us an idea of what the official owners–Madison Equities, Thor Equities, and Building and Land Technology–have in mind for this quintessential Manhattan address. The scheme is not official or approved, but it certainly is creative.
More details on the proposed design ahead
Colorful $2M Loft on the Edge of Little Italy Is Anything but Little
March 13, 2015

Colorful $2M Loft on the Edge of Little Italy Is Anything but Little

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There’s a spacious $2 million loft available at 118 Forsyth Street, right on the cusp of the Lower East Side and Little Italy. This home was purchased for $1.21 million in 2009, and while it currently has an open layout, there’s definitely plenty of room to add multiple rooms and additional bathrooms. So basically, this place is a turnkey build-your-dream-home. Winning!
More pics inside

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