New Map Reveals Which Luxury Skyscrapers Are Siphoning Your Tax Dollars
March 13, 2015

New Map Reveals Which Luxury Skyscrapers Are Siphoning Your Tax Dollars

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By now it's no secret that there's an unbalanced tax system in place for those living in the city's luxury towers, but exactly how much is being lost–and where–has for the most part been a mystery. To shed some light on just how much of our money goes into subsidizing the likes of One57 and its eye-poppingly expensive friends, the Municipal Arts Society (MAS) has created a map (h/t Gothamist) that shows not only how much tax each of the city's top buildings skip out on annually under the 421a tax abatement, but how long their exemption will last—which together can add up to staggering amounts for many. Last year alone, MAS found that we forfeited $1.1 billion in tax revenue and 60 percent of that went to building apartments in Manhattan targeted at the 1 percent.
Find out more here
New Micro Apartment Communities Are Flexible but Not Cheap

Is this the dorm-itization of NYC? via 20071110_0213 via photopin (license)

March 13, 2015

New Micro Apartment Communities Are Flexible but Not Cheap

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With shared office spaces like WeWork taking the city by storm, it's no surprise that the residential real estate community is looking to get in on the commune-style action, especially considering the city's push for micro housing. The Daily News reports on "communal living hubs with micro-apartments for young professionals," calling it the "dorm-itization of New York City." Instead of traditional one-year leases, these new setups are offering month-to-month contracts where tenants came rent a room at the snap of a finger and move out just as easily. They can also freely apartment hop between buildings of the same owner. In theory, it sounds great for first-time New Yorkers, fresh-out-of-college twenty-somethings, and just about anyone with an uncertainly factor to their lives. But the News notes that a standard, five-bedroom micro apartment community has a lease of about $10,000/month, meaning that the modern nomads renting out rooms are still paying roughly $2,000/month, pretty steep for a single bedroom in a unit shared with a stranger.
Find out more about the new real estate trend
Infographic: The Tallest Buildings of the Last 5,000 Years Charted
March 13, 2015

Infographic: The Tallest Buildings of the Last 5,000 Years Charted

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From the pyramids of Teotihuacan to One World Trade, here are the tallest buildings of the last 5,000 years. Slovakian artist and designer Martin Vargic created six infographics that chart the history of buildings across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania. The infographics, which date buildings (and a few notable monuments) as far back as 2,650 B.C., give a pretty complete look, highlighting the construction's name, shape, height (which does account for a tower's spire), the year it was erected, and the years it was its continent's, if not the world's (denoted by a red shading), tallest building. The charts also give a good snapshot of the great skyscraper race that took hold in the early 20th century, as well as shifts in global money as seen in the emergence of Asian skyscrapers like Taipei 101 and the Burj Khalifa in the mid-2000s. You can get a closer look by expanding the image ahead.
This way for the complete picture
Did the Seagram Building Ruin Modern Office Towers?; Remembering Postmodernist Architect Michael Graves
March 13, 2015

Did the Seagram Building Ruin Modern Office Towers?; Remembering Postmodernist Architect Michael Graves

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Hate your soulless office tower? Maybe you should blame the Seagram Building. [Fast Co. Design] Attend a lecture tonight to learn about the history and renovation of High Bridge, the oldest standing bridge in NYC. [NYC H2O] Michael Graves, postmodernist architect who designed towers and teakettles, dies at 80. [NYT] There’s some passive aggressive blog feuding […]

Jendretzki-Designed Greenwich Village Rental Offers Spa-Like Sanctuary for $25K/Month
March 13, 2015

Jendretzki-Designed Greenwich Village Rental Offers Spa-Like Sanctuary for $25K/Month

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A few short years ago this charming home at 530 LaGuardia Place was the epitome of an old school artist’s loft and on the market for $2.7 million. The wide-open space with soaring ceilings and hardwood floors was punctuated by original columns, an abundance of natural light, and the requisite exposed brick. Scattered among the apartment’s classic details and integral to the home’s design theme were trappings of the prior inhabitants, two artists who had lived and worked in the home for 40 years. In-progress paintings, canvases, work tables, and paint supplies all contributed to the home’s bohemian aesthetic. Fast-forward to 2015. While the traditional loft architectural elements all remain, this three-bedroom 3,300-square-foot Greenwich Village loft is nearly unrecognizable from its more understated predecessor, the result of an impeccable redesign by Pablo Jendretzki.
Check out more of this spa-like home
New Yorker Spotlight: David Brooks, Illuminating the City One Bulb at a Time
March 13, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: David Brooks, Illuminating the City One Bulb at a Time

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A block from Bloomingdales, on 60th right off of Third, is a store that every New Yorker should know about. The store sells 36,000 kinds of one thing, and its name gives it away: Just Bulbs. Just Bulbs has been taking care of New York’s light bulb needs in one variation or another since 1945. It's currently owned and run by David Brooks, who began working at the family business back in 1982. Since he hit the register at Just Bulbs over thirty years ago, he has learned as much about bulbs as people. And when it comes to people, they are often buying the wrong bulbs. Wanting an insider's look into the world of bulbs, I recently visited Just Bulbs to speak with David. In between questions, he was ringing up customers and answering questions over the phone. For David, today was just another day helping New York keep the lights on.
Read our interview with David here
World’s Skinniest Tower 111 West 57th Street Will Offer $100M Condos
March 13, 2015

World’s Skinniest Tower 111 West 57th Street Will Offer $100M Condos

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Poised to become the world's skinniest tower and one of the hemisphere's tallest, it's no wonder that 111 West 57th Street will ask around $100 million for its condos, not to be outdone by other nine-digit supertalls like 220 Central Park South's $175 million penthouse, the $150 million penthouse at the Sony Building, and One57′s record $100 million sale, which currently holds the title for the most expensive unit ever sold in the city. Curbed has uncovered filings with the Attorney General's office that show the preliminary price list for the SHoP-designed 1,421-foot tower, which is being developed by JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group. The records indicate that there will be condos in the landmarked Steinway Hall, as well in the tower addition. "The 'landmark units' will be smaller and cheaper, starting at $1 million for a studio, while the 'tower units' will start at $13 million for a three-bedroom."
More details and the price list ahead
Going Up: Uncovering the Art Deco Elevators of Landmarked Building Interiors

Chrysler Building elevators via Wally Gobetz on Flickr

March 12, 2015

Going Up: Uncovering the Art Deco Elevators of Landmarked Building Interiors

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Earlier this week, we visited the New York School of Interior Design's latest exhibit, Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York's Landmark Interiors, which, on the 50th anniversary of New York’s landmark legislation, features photography and information about more than 20 public spaces, known and little-known, that have been designated as interior landmarks. Looking through images of restored Broadway theaters, perfectly preserved coffered rotundas and period furniture, we couldn't help getting stuck on one often-overlooked element–the elevator. For most of us who live in a high rise or work in a typical office building, the elevator doors are just another blank wall that we stare at, only paying attention when they open and usher us in. But when the city's great Art Deco buildings were rising, the elevators were an extension of the lavish ornamentation and geometric details of the façade and interior lobby. We've rounded up some of our favorite Art Deco elevators in landmarked interiors, which means they're all publicly accessible so you can check them all out first hand.
Go up in style here

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$3M Tribeca Loft Boasts Gorgeous Brick Arches
March 12, 2015

$3M Tribeca Loft Boasts Gorgeous Brick Arches

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There’s a new loft available at 35 Vestry Street that literally oozes New York character while having just the right amount of polish to still be a luxury pad. The full-floor loft is described as a “2.5-bedroom” because it has two bedrooms and a section that could serve as a nursery or an office, as well as a modern kitchen and a closet straight out of Carrie Bradshaw’s dreams. Now if only we can scrape up the $2.995 million for it and still make it to daily brunch with our girlfriends...
More pics inside
Pikettyscrapers: What You Call Those Expensive Supertall Buildings Nobody Lives In

Image: NYC’s 2018 future skyline via CityRealty

March 12, 2015

Pikettyscrapers: What You Call Those Expensive Supertall Buildings Nobody Lives In

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Supertall, pencil tower, megatall, superslim, skinnyscraper... As we struggle for new ways to describe all the glass and stone towers popping up in Manhattan, we've come to notice that not one person has come up with a way to describe all those skyscrapers being scooped up, floor by floor, by the superrich, never to be lived in. Now enter the Skyscraper Dictionary, a cheeky reference site (created because "The world needs one.") that's coined all the vocab you need to throw around next time you find yourself talking about NYC's skyscraper boom. So, what do you call those super-luxury towers that nobody lives in? How about pikettyscrapers.
Find out how the term was coined
Prospect Park West Townhouse May Be Brooklyn’s Most Expensive; Studio Rents Are Way Up
March 12, 2015

Prospect Park West Townhouse May Be Brooklyn’s Most Expensive; Studio Rents Are Way Up

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Prospect Park West townhouse once home to Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany could be Brooklyn’s most expensive sale. [Curbed] The landmarked One Chase Manhattan Plaza will get a newly renovated plaza and storefront. [WSJ] The NYC task force going up against Airbnb may be tripled in size. [NYP] Manhattan studio rents have jumped 10 percent year-over-year. [TRD] Images: 17 […]

65-Story Residential Tower with Sky-High Gardens Coming to 37th Street
March 12, 2015

65-Story Residential Tower with Sky-High Gardens Coming to 37th Street

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There's a new 65-story pencil-thin tower coming to 37th Street slated to rise 700 feet into the sky. Perkins+Will publicly announced the building in a press release today, which came alongside news they had won the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Award for the unbuilt tower at the annual MIPIM real estate gathering in Cannes, France. The press release described the new skyscraper as a structure "emerging from its shimmering, angled curtain wall...organized with five clusters of shared amenity and park spaces for residents to enjoy, at specific intervals along the tower's rise."
find out more here
$2M Forest Hills Home Is So Exquisite We’d Be Happy Living in the Laundry Room
March 12, 2015

$2M Forest Hills Home Is So Exquisite We’d Be Happy Living in the Laundry Room

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We kid you not. Every inch of this impeccable $2M residence at 69-54 Groton Street in Forest Hills featuring magnificent new construction is absolutely stunning, including the laundry room which is considerably nicer than many of the studio apartments we’ve seen for rent in the city—and where we’d be more than happy to camp out for a few weeks….or a year.
More about this impeccable home
Kelly Ripa Revealed as Buyer of $27M UES Townhouse
March 12, 2015

Kelly Ripa Revealed as Buyer of $27M UES Townhouse

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When it made headlines that Kelly Ripa had sold her posh Soho penthouse at 76 Crosby Street for $20 million ($4.5 million under the asking price), most people assumed the fun-loving, down-to-earth talk show host would swap the apartment for another downtown home. But in a surprising twist of celebrity real estate, the Daily News revealed today that she and her […]

Nonprofits Urge the U.S. Treasury Department to Scrutinize Foreign Real Estate Buyers

The Time Warner Center, a hotbed of anonymous foreign investment

March 12, 2015

Nonprofits Urge the U.S. Treasury Department to Scrutinize Foreign Real Estate Buyers

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The media has been abuzz lately with talk of international mystery property buyers and the shell companies they use to hide their real names. Tired of the shady tactics, a group of 17 nonprofits is calling upon the U.S. Treasury Department to harder scrutinize foreign real estate buyers by verifying their actual identities and screening them for any risk of money laundering. The request came in the form of a letter sent to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network on Tuesday that asks for a repeal of a 2002 exemption from the Patriot Act that was granted to the real estate industry. The Patriot Act was signed into law in 2001 following 9/11 to heighten security and allow for broader means of investigation. Under the act, real estate professionals would be required to "conduct due diligence checks on their customers," according to the Times. But after the industry lobbied against this, they were exempted from the regulations.
More details ahead
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Jessica Chastain Snags a Gorgeous Osborne Co-op Once Owned by Leonard Bernstein
March 11, 2015

Jessica Chastain Snags a Gorgeous Osborne Co-op Once Owned by Leonard Bernstein

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Jessica Chastain, who has been on a house hunt for over a year, has finally found the home of her dreams. The Post reports that the Oscar-nominated actress will be joining the world's upper crust at the landmarked Osborne at 205 West 57th Street. Chastain is said to have paid $5.1M for the home which itself also boasts a legendary story, being once owned by famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein for more than a decade—a highlight that was apparently one of the biggest draws for the Juilliard-trained actress.
Take a peek inside
City Proposes New Zoning Plan to Increase Affordability, Current Height Limits to Be Lifted
March 11, 2015

City Proposes New Zoning Plan to Increase Affordability, Current Height Limits to Be Lifted

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On the surface it sounds like a great idea: Adjust zoning regulations to better accommodate the Mayor's goal of preserving and creating 200,000 units of affordable housing. But some are angered that the proposal would lift current zoning protections and height limits by as much as 20 to 30 percent. According to the Department of City Planning, the newly released plan, called Housing New York: Zoning for Quality and Affordability, addresses the city's outdated zoning regulations that don't reflect today's housing needs or construction practices. However, an email from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation asserts: "The proposal would change the rules for ‘contextual’ zoning districts throughout the city–zoning districts which communities frequently fought hard to secure, to limit the height of new development and keep it in character with the surrounding neighborhood."
More information ahead
Tiny 500-Square-Foot Apartment Is as Fashionable as Its Chelsea Address
March 11, 2015

Tiny 500-Square-Foot Apartment Is as Fashionable as Its Chelsea Address

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Though we tend to focus on larger than life luxury apartments, we've certainly come to love the creative tenacity that comes with living small. Our latest gem comes from Foz Design, led by Fauzia Khanani, who worked to renovate this 500-square-foot pied-à-terre for a Dutch composer and Manhattanite journalist. Located in a pre-war, landmarked building in the heart of Chelsea, Foz managed to create a glamorous modern home with plenty of old world charm.
more interiors this way
70-Story Residential Tower Coming to Long Island City; Piero Lissoni Chosen to Design Interiors of 45 Park Place
March 11, 2015

70-Story Residential Tower Coming to Long Island City; Piero Lissoni Chosen to Design Interiors of 45 Park Place

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Long Island City’s skyline continues to take shape. A new 70-story tower is slated to bring hundreds of residential units to the area. [TRD] Italian architect Piero Lissoni will design the residences and amenities at stunner 45 Park Place, which is being designed by a team made up of SOMA and Jean Nouvel. [6sqft inbox] Billionaire David Bren […]

Artist Remko Heemskerk’s Graphic Urban Prints Are Inspired by His Personal Experiences in New York

East 10th Street, East Village © 2012 – 2015 Remko Heemskerk

March 11, 2015

Artist Remko Heemskerk’s Graphic Urban Prints Are Inspired by His Personal Experiences in New York

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It's pretty common to find photographs or paintings of iconic New York City landscapes and streetscapes, but there's usually not much of a reason behind the artist's choice other than that everyone knows these sites or they'll likely sell well. Netherlands-born artist Remko Heemskerk, however, created this print series from the inspiration of his personal experiences living in the city. Each site has a special meaning to him, whether it be the view from his apartment window or the spot where he and his wife kissed goodbye every morning. The visual element that sets Heemskerk's work apart is its bright, graphic composition. Rather than using realistic colors or traditional black-and-white, he chose a style that he feels reflects the vibrancy of New York City and its residents.
More ahead
Architect Marc Kushner Discusses How Social Media Will Dictate Future Architecture
March 11, 2015

Architect Marc Kushner Discusses How Social Media Will Dictate Future Architecture

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Marc Kushner's architectural star has been on the rise over the last few years thanks to his booming practice, HWKN (Hollwich Kushner), and his super popular web venture Architizer (maybe you've heard of it?). So it only makes sense that TED would invite Kushner to offer up his thoughts on the state of architecture today and what he sees in its future—which happens to involve more of your input than you'd ever guess. In what is a quite an enlightening and inspiring talk, Kushner takes us through the architectural styles of the last thirty years, and more interestingly, how social media is completely transforming the profession.
watch the video here
Biggie Mural Coming to Clinton Hill; How the NYC Subway Got Its Colors
March 11, 2015

Biggie Mural Coming to Clinton Hill; How the NYC Subway Got Its Colors

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Tour a prism- and plant-filled Brooklyn railroad apartment with an old school charm. [Design Sponge] Clinton Hill is getting a Biggie mural outside the Key Food where he once worked. [Brokelyn] Want to know what’s going on with a landmarks application in your neighborhood? The LPC now posts videos of its public hearings and meetings. [GVSHP] Check out […]

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