March, 2015 | 6sqft

One of the Upper West Side’s widest landmarked brownstones is available to rent for $45,000 per month. The four-story, seven-bedroom townhouse at 37 West 87th Street has been renovated by architect Alexandr Neratoff, who focused on highlighting the home’s Victorian details–like carved wood moldings and original fireplaces–while giving it modern updates -- like a massive solarium and rooftop patio.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 11, 2015

Candy Factory Loft Full of Leather and Animal Skins Wants $11.5M

Mitch Alfus—self-proclaimed Leather King, owner of a leather and animal skins supplier, and man we would cast in a remake of "Crocodile Dundee"—has just listed his loft at 285 Lafayette Street for $11.5 million. Alfus purchased the unit ten years ago for a considerably less $3.4 million and has since renovated the pad, adding a fourth bedroom and an interestingly placed master bathtub.
Take a tour of this fun home

Distinctive Homes

Photo: Shin, Yuka and Ron Swanson

March 10, 2015

My 780sqft: Inhabitat Editor Yuka Yoneda Invites Us into Her Quirky Greenpoint Love Nest

Our new series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Greenpoint. What do you get when you join a green-design-blogger-slash-DIY-enthusiast and a finance guy in Greenpoint? How about a mash up of modern-meets-quirky with an eco-conscious bent? 6sqft recently dropped by the home of Inhabitat.com's NYC editor Yuka Yoneda to get a glimpse of the little love nest she's created with her fiancé Shin, and to see how seemingly divergent styles can indeed come together to create the perfect home. And because she and Shin recently got engaged (yay!) she's offering up some sweet stories—sure to serve both as advice to other couples looking to share a home, and hope for NYC singles who've given up on love—that range from their missed connection to a chuckle-worthy first date to an early relationship mishap that later yielded her a cozy little escape to call her own. There will also be plenty of fun little design details for you to fawn over. Onward we go!
Inside Yuka's home here

Home Tours

March 10, 2015

Here’s a Map of Where the World’s Insanely Rich Live

Ever wondered where the world's richest people live? While London and New York are ol' standbys, as you may have guessed, it looks like the wealthiest of the wealthy are popping up in completely new locales. CityLab recently took a look at Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2015, which identifies the world's "ultra-high-net-worth individuals" (UHNWI), a set of the global population that accounts for those with more than $30 million or more in net assets, and found that there are roughly 173,000 people in the world who fall in this category. To put that number in perspective, these folks make up the upper 0.002 percent of the world's 7 billion inhabitants and hold over $20 trillion of its money.
Find out more here

Uncategorized

Inside Lauren Bacall’s Incredible Dakota Apartment

Photo courtesy of Curbed

March 10, 2015

Inside Lauren Bacall’s Incredible Dakota Apartment

Last fall we showed you staged photos of Lauren Bacall’s $26 million apartment at the Dakota, but what you didn’t get to see was the real thing. Now, thanks to Curbed, we have pictures of the apartment as it was while the iconic actress was living there, during the final 53 years of her life. Bacall purchased the home in 1961 for an amount rumored to be from $28,000 to $48,000. After her death, her possessions went to Bonham’s and will be auctioned off at the end of this month. These pictures will show you more than just 13-foot ceilings and 100 feet of Central Park views. You’ll also see a more human element of a woman who collected antiques and artwork (quite possibly to the point of being a packrat), and clearly adored her late husband Humphrey Bogart.
More inside

Distinctive Homes

March 10, 2015

190 Bowery Being Stripped of Its Graffiti as We Speak

Image courtesy of Lori Zimmer We all knew this day would come. 190 Bowery is currently undergoing a deep cleaning as its new owners prime it for its next life as a luxury mixed-use condo/retail development.
More here

March 10, 2015

The Tower Replacing the Famed Roseland Ballroom; Air Shafts a Coveted Amenity?

Ian Schraeger has closed on 357 West Street, the site of planned 12-story, 88-unit residential building designed by Herzog & de Meuron. [The Real Deal] Here’s the tower that will rise in place of the demolished historic Roseland Ballroom. [Curbed] Two Trees has created a virtual open house for their 60 Water Street apartment building. [6sqft inbox] […]

Real Estate Trends

March 10, 2015

Renderings, Details Revealed for Massive $1B Industry City Redevelopment in Sunset Park

For the past year or so we've heard plenty of chirpings about Industry City, the former Bush Terminal on the Sunset Park waterfront that Jamestown Properties plans to transform into "a dynamic 21st century innovation and manufacturing community that balances existing manufacturing tenants with those centered on creative and innovation economy fields." But now, Jamestown, along with fellow owners Belvedere Capital, and Angelo Gordon, have announced that the overhaul of the 32-acre complex's 16 buildings will cost $1 billion and include a hotel, along with a huge amount of retail and tech start-up space. They also want an additional $115 million in infrastructure improvements like a massive new parking lot, as well as some rezoning concessions.
Find out more about the future of Industry City

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

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

Asking $2.8M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse looks like a good place to spend a sunny afternoon

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

For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton

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

Filmmaker John Sayles' former Hoboken townhouse lists for $2.5M

This $3M Williamsburg home is the rare condo with all of its loft charm intact

Live in a former Park Slope bank for $5.5M

For $2.45M, an artist's downtown Manhattan loft is a blank slate with a modern frame

The highest penthouse in Brooklyn's tallest residence lists for $16.75M

VIEW ALL

March 10, 2015

$2.25M Cobble Hill Brownstone Duplex with Cathedral Ceilings is Gorgeous at Any Angle

By Stephanie Hoina

The wonderfully tall cathedral ceiling running throughout this gorgeously renovated three-bedroom co-op in a mid-19th century brownstone at 222 Clinton Street in Cobble Hill will simply take your breath away, with every room in the home taking advantage of its lovely angles and big, beautiful skylights.
See every angle of this gorgeous home

Distinctive Homes

March 10, 2015

New Exhibit Explores the Sounds of Iconic NYC Interiors; An Apple Store Architecture Tour

Soundscape exhibit, which opens tonight, highlights the actual sounds of iconic New York interiors, such as Grand Central Terminal, the Seagram Building lobby, and the Guggenheim. [MCNY] The MTA wants to turn token booth clerks into subway concierges with eyes on the platforms. [Gothamist] Take a global tour of the 50 most eye-catching apple stores. [Curbed] When […]

Uncategorized

March 10, 2015

‘Taxi’ Star Judd Hirsch Buys $400K Greenwich Village Studio from His Former Assistant

By Annie Doge

Assistants have been known to fetch coffee or pick up dry cleaning for their bosses, but usually not sell them their apartments. Marlene Mancini, production assistant and acting teacher, however, has just sold her Greenwich Village studio to her former boss, actor Judd Hirsch, best known for his role as Alex Rieger on "Taxi," for $400,000 according to city records released today. Hirsch also owns a larger one-bedroom at 345 East 93rd Street, which he bought in 2013 for $500,000, so we're guessing his latest purchase is more of a downtown pied-à-terre. We're also guessing he'll have to bring a big bucket of spackle with him on move-in day, as Mancini has the walls completely covered in quirky frames.
Tour the studio

Skyscraper Museum Exhibit ‘Ten Tops’ Explores the Uppermost Floors of the World’s Tallest Buildings

Image via Skyscraper Museum

March 10, 2015

Skyscraper Museum Exhibit ‘Ten Tops’ Explores the Uppermost Floors of the World’s Tallest Buildings

It seems like every other day now we're discussing the latest supertall tower, whether it be 432 Park topping out or the pricing information for visiting One World Trade Center's observatory. These stories always include the basics -- the tower's height, number of stories, and architectural design; but we usually discuss these facts in relation to the building as a whole, not focusing on what it is that really sets these skyscrapers apart–their tops. A new exhibit at the Skyscraper Museum hones in on just that, the uppermost floors of the world's tallest towers. Ten Tops looks at buildings 100 stories and higher, analyzing "the architectural features they share, including observation decks, luxury hotels and restaurants, distinctive crowns and night illumination, as well as the engineering and construction challenges of erecting such complex and astonishing structures."
More on the exhibit ahead

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

March 10, 2015

Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion Getting the LED Light Treatment

Last Friday, we journeyed to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for the Panorama Challenge at the Queens Museum. When the evening of trivia was over, we walked out into the park to find the Unisphere and the Museum, both World's Fair relics, glowing. But in the distance, Philip Johnson's iconic New York State Pavilion was barely visible. That's about to change, though, as electricians and preservationists have been testing new ways to illuminate the "modern ruin" for the first time in decades, according to the Daily News. The update comes thanks to a wave of public support to restore the icon, as well as a renewed interest in its architectural merit and the history of the 1964-65 World's Fair. As we wrote over the summer, the pavilion's restoration task force secured $5.8 million for repairs, $4.2 million of which came from Mayor de Blasio. Now, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz has pledged to get the site illuminated by the end of the year. "We will restore this national treasure into a visible icon befitting 'The World's Borough' for generations of families and visitors to enjoy," she said.
More details on the lighting project

Architecture And Design

March 9, 2015

Owner of $100M Apartment at One57 Only Pays $17,268 in Property Taxes

Remember the $100 million apartment at One57, the most expensive ever in New York City? Well, the (presumably) billionaire buyer pays just $17,268 in annual property taxes on the unit, or 0.017 percent of its sale price, as if it were worth only $6.5 million, according to the New York Post. In contrast, the owner of a $1.02 million condo nearby at 224 East 52nd Street is paying $24,279, or 2.38 percent of its sale price. This is just one example of the fact that the owners of the city's ten most expensive apartments pay effective rates that are unbelievably lower than those paid on cheaper properties. How is this possible? It's in part due to the 421-a tax abatement, but more so due to the city's convoluted method of assessing market value for condos and co-ops.
More on the tax inequality here

#SaveNYC: Campaign Urges New Yorkers to Band Together to Save City from Superrich

Image via nyc.go

March 9, 2015

#SaveNYC: Campaign Urges New Yorkers to Band Together to Save City from Superrich

"Small businesses in New York City have no rights. You’ve been here 50 years and provide an important service? Tough luck—your space now belongs to Dunkin’ Donuts. You own a beloved, fourth-generation, century-old business? Get out—your landlord’s putting in a combination Chuck E. Cheese and Juicy Couture." – Jeremiah Moss in today's Daily News. With out of control rents, insane land prices, and properties trading hands for tens of millions–if not hundreds of millions–New York has become a playground (and a bank) for the ultra-rich. While most of us complain about the rising the cost of living with little action beyond a grumble, others are far more affected, namely the "mom and pop" shops forced out to make way for high-rent-paying tenants such as Duane Reade, Chase and Starbucks. But all is not lost. The issue of small business survival seems to be gaining some traction, particularly with a new campaign called #SaveNYC launched by Jeremiah Moss of Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York.
READ MORE

The High and Low: Two Picture-Perfect Bow-Front Townhouses Go Head-to-Head

66 Morton Street, $17M (left); 280 Park Place, $3.5M (right)

March 9, 2015

The High and Low: Two Picture-Perfect Bow-Front Townhouses Go Head-to-Head

By Michelle Cohen

A classic bow-fronted Prospect Heights townhouse (above, right) offers many of the things we love about this star-studded $17 million West Village home (above, left)–for a lot less. The big-ticket Manhattan beauty set records and made movies. But for $3.5 million, a new-to-market gem in one of Brooklyn's most coveted neighborhoods is just as charming, and even offers some perks the Manhattan home lacks.
Compare these four-story homes with very different prices

March 9, 2015

Is South Bronx the Next Williamsburg/DUMBO?; Bjarke Ingels on the ‘New York Dryline’

Bjarke Ingels and Oliver Wainwright talk about the New York Dryline. [The Guardian] Marc Jacobs exec Robert Duffy sells his West Village townhouse for $5.5 million. [NY Post] A map of all the developments coming to Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene. [The Real Deal] Modular housing developers may be getting a boost from the de […]

Real Estate Trends

$4M Soho Loft Features Rebellious Mirrored Windows

There’s a new listing in the landmarked building at 53 Crosby Street in Soho, asking 3.995 million. If being on the market were a professional career, this quintessential loft would be the one others would go to for advice, because between rentals and sales listings, it’s been a regular since 2012. Nonetheless, it’s a nice bright pad with original oak floors, high ceilings, prewar details, and a flexible layout that even allows for some of your own creative input. And there’s one other daring detail that sets this place apart…
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

March 9, 2015

VIDEO: ‘A Couple of Blocks’ Is Really Five Miles, ‘SNL’ Rants About What’s Wrong with City Living

We've all been there–an out-of-town visitor asks us how far of a walk it is to dinner and we tell them, "Oh, just a few blocks," but by the time they arrive they're famished, their feet are blistered, and they want to scream at us for our skewed sense of distance. This is just one aspect of living in NYC that comedian Leslie Jones addressed in a hilarious rant on this week's "SNL." Others include the difference in length between avenues and blocks ("I've been on Fifth Avenue for ten hours!"), the east side versus the west side ("The last East/West thing I understood was Biggie and Tupac."), and the grime of the subway ("Did rat feces dust just fly into my mouth?").
Watch the hysterical video here

City Living

What if NYC Offered Subway Riders Free E-Books?

M Subway Library scan. Image via Fast Co. Exist

March 9, 2015

What if NYC Offered Subway Riders Free E-Books?

Here's a cool idea we'd love to see implemented in Manhattan: A free e-library for folks who ride the subway. Earlier this year, Beijing subway operator Beijing MTR rolled out a new digital library that would allow its underground commuters to download a book, at no cost, by simply scanning a QR code inside a train car. As you may have guessed, the initiative is looking to get citizens to spend more time reading over mindlessly watching videos or playing games.
More on the new program

March 9, 2015

City Launches Educational Website to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the Landmarks Law

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and thereby the Landmarks Law, the city has launched a new educational website, landmarks.nyc, that will grow its content throughout the year. The site offers digital features, a schedule of free- and low-cost events at landmarked sites throughout the city, slide shows from the agency's historic photo archives, various blog posts, and walking tours.
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March 9, 2015

Master Ruin Porn Photographers; Do You Have Better Navigation Skills Than a Taxi Driver?

Samsung’s new smart home for dogs has a hydrotherapy pool, treadmill, and built-in tablet. But it’ll cost you $30,000. [Treehugger] Take a look at the 20 top ruin pornographers on the internet. [Architizer] Thanks to GPS, NYC taxi drivers are no longer tested on their geography skills. See if you’re smarter than your iPhone technology with this New York geography […]

Uncategorized

March 9, 2015

Luxurious, Fully Furnished Greenwich Village Rental Comes with an Incredibly Cool Bathtub

By Stephanie Hoina

Moving into your dream apartment just got a little easier. Not only does this $7,500/month Greenwich Village rental come fully furnished, but its beautiful kitchen is stocked with all your cooking and dining essentials, and the bedroom and bathrooms include fresh linens. All you need to do is pack up your picture frames and clothes and move in. Featuring impossibly tall windows, hardwood herringbone floors, two intricately carved wood-burning marble fireplaces and 13-foot ceilings with absolutely stunning arched molding, this 1,500-square-foot parlor floor-through unit at 62 West 11th Street off of Fifth Avenue is a wonderful mix of both pre-war and contemporary details.
See more of why you can move right in

Distinctive Homes

March 8, 2015

$3M Hamptons Home Was Designed by Robert A.M. Stern in an Unorthodox Shingle Style