The Times Critiques the Design of the New Whitney; Gorgeous Four on Degraw Townhouses Listed
April 21, 2015

The Times Critiques the Design of the New Whitney; Gorgeous Four on Degraw Townhouses Listed

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Architecture critic Michael Kimmelman reviews Renzo Piano’s design of the Whitney Museum. [NYT] Visualizing Manhattan’s income inequality in two charts. [The Atlantic] Writer and 6sqft contributor, Emily Nonko launches The Bed-Stuy Blog. [The Bed-Stuy Blog] 20 NYC institutions shuttered by rent hikes. [Curbed] The remaining three townhouses at the new development Four on Degraw in Boerum Hill, have hit […]

First Look at MCNY’s New Exhibit ‘Saving Place: Fifty Years of New York City Landmarks’

The exhibit’s title image © Iwan Baan for the Museum of the City of New York

April 21, 2015

First Look at MCNY’s New Exhibit ‘Saving Place: Fifty Years of New York City Landmarks’

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Last night we attended the Museum of the City of New York's symposium, "Redefining Preservation for the 21st Century," which explored the challenges and the opportunities of the preservation movement today and in the future. The event included such distinguished speakers as New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman, starchitect Robert A.M. Stern, preservation guru Roberta Gratz, and president of the Real Estate Board of New York Steven Spinola (needless to say, it was quite the lively discussion), and it kicked off the opening of the museum's exciting new exhibit "Saving Place: Fifty Years of New York City Landmarks," which marks the 50th anniversary of the landmarks law in NYC. As part of the symposium we got a first look at the exhibit, which opens to the public today.
Check out Saving Place here
The Rise of Single People Hurts Affordable Housing

Photo: Barry Pousman

April 21, 2015

The Rise of Single People Hurts Affordable Housing

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NYC's affordable housing crisis makes headlines daily, but while most are quick to point to the exploitation and mismanagement of existing apartments as the root of the cause (which to a great degree it most certainly is), the Washington Posts asks us to consider the effect single folks have on a city's housing inventory. Today, more and more folks are living longer and marrying later (if at all), and living alone at any given age no longer carries the stigma it once did decades ago. 26 percent of modern American households consist of just one person now, compared to the 1940s when this number topped out at just seven percent. While this dynamic shift seems more like a cause for celebration (yay, we're evolving and defying convention) it does have some serious implications when it comes to available housing. "Our housing stock wasn't built for a society full of singles," says reporter Emily Badger.
more on the issue here
New York Times Invents a Conference Table That Takes Notes for You; The Ramones Guide to NYC
April 21, 2015

New York Times Invents a Conference Table That Takes Notes for You; The Ramones Guide to NYC

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When hip-hop first went corporate: to rappers in the early ’90s, starring in a malt liquor commercial “was a sign of cultural legitimacy and upward mobility.” [The Atlantic] The New York Times has invented the Listening Table, a conference table that not only transcribes meetings, but knows when they’re important. [Fast Co. Design] From a small […]

NYC Apartments a Better Investment than Gold, Says Expert

A midtown apartment filled with modern art designed by Robert Couturier

April 21, 2015

NYC Apartments a Better Investment than Gold, Says Expert

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Laurence D. Fink, chairman of Blackrock Inc., the world’s biggest asset manager, said at a conference today in Singapore that luxury apartments in cities like New York, as well as modern art, have trumped gold as a store of wealth. According to Bloomberg, Fink said, "Gold has lost its luster and there’s other mechanisms in which you can store wealth that are inflation-adjusted...The two greatest stores of wealth internationally today is contemporary art... and I don’t mean that as a joke, I mean that as a serious asset class. And two, the other store of wealth today is apartments in Manhattan, apartments in Vancouver, in London."
READ MORE
Extell’s ‘Poor Door’ Building Receives a Staggering 88,000 Applicants
April 21, 2015

Extell’s ‘Poor Door’ Building Receives a Staggering 88,000 Applicants

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Poor doors be damned. It looks like the anger and public outcry swirling around Extell's new 50 Riverside Boulevard condo didn't do much to deter New Yorkers from vying for a low-income unit at the building. The Times reports that the development company received a whopping 88,000 applications for the building's 55 affordable apartments after they opened up the lines back in February. The overwhelming demand is most certainly a win for developer Gary Barnett, who found himself in the hot seat for creating a separate entrance for low-income tenants, away from the market-rate residents. When speaking to the paper, Barnett called the whole poor door ordeal a “made-up controversy” adding to that “I guess people like it. It shows that there’s a tremendous demand for high-quality affordable housing in beautiful neighborhoods."
So do poor doors really matter?
Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

Image: View Grand Concourse via photopin (license)

April 20, 2015

Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

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“Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning." The infamous phrase, uttered in a 1977 broadcast of a Bronx fire, has stuck in the mind of many New Yorkers even today. Indeed, the Bronx saw a sharp decline in population and quality of life in the late 1960s and 1970s, which culminated in a wave of arson. By the early 1980s, the South Bronx was considered one of the most blighted neighborhoods in the country, with a 60 percent decline in population and 40 percent decline of housing units. Although revitalization picked up by the '90s, the Bronx never quite took off like its outer-borough counterparts Brooklyn and Queens. While media hype, quickly rising prices and a rush of development has come to characterize those two boroughs, the Bronx has flourished more quietly. The borough, nevertheless, has become home to growth and development distinct from the rest of New York City. Innovative affordable housing, adaptive reuse projects, green development and strong community involvement are redefining the area. As Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said during this Municipal Arts Society discussion in 2014, this is "The New Bronx."
Keep Reading About What's Going on in the Bronx
Interior Pictures Revealed for Demi Moore’s $75M San Remo Penthouse
April 20, 2015

Interior Pictures Revealed for Demi Moore’s $75M San Remo Penthouse

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We learned on Friday that Demi Moore's triplex penthouse at the San Remo would be hitting the market for $75 million, and now the listing has finally gone live, reports Curbed. While last week's exclusive story in the Times revealed many details about the 7,000-square-foot Central Park West residence which Moore bought in 1990 with ex-husband Bruce Willis, we only had black-and-white photos of the apartment from 1937. There aren't a ton of new pictures, but they show how the couple updated the Emory Roth-designed home in a "Southwestern Mission motif dominated by cherry wood" and give us a look at the unparalleled views.
See all the pics ahead

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New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential Building in the World

Rendering via NY Yimby

April 20, 2015

New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential Building in the World

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It's been relatively quiet on the Nordstrom Tower front since we saw some skyline renderings in September. But now YIMBY has uncovered the official renderings for Extell's 217 West 57th Street, the 92-story, 1,775-foot supertall that will take the title of tallest residential building in the world when completed, surpassing Mumbai’s World One Tower by 29 feet. The images continue to show how the tower will dominate the skyline, but they also give us a detailed look at the façade and a peek into one of the penthouses.
See all the renderings here
April 20, 2015

VIDEO: Has the ‘Misguided’ Landmarks Law Bulldozed New York City’s Future?

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Concerted efforts to preserve the city's buildings are a relatively new phenomenon; it wasn't until 50 years ago that the NYC Landmarks Law was enacted, providing protection for the city's most storied structures. While many of us feel that New York wouldn't be half of what it is today if developers were allowed free range of our urbanscape, a video by ReasonTV contends that the Landmarks Act is actually keeping the city from its true potential.
Find out why they detest the landmarks law
The Nation’s Largest Wealth Gap Is In…; Eco-Activist Plans to Swim the Gowanus on Earth Day
April 20, 2015

The Nation’s Largest Wealth Gap Is In…; Eco-Activist Plans to Swim the Gowanus on Earth Day

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The nation’s largest wealth gap is in Manhattan. Surprised? [Crain’s] A clean-water activist plans to take the ultimate plunge on Earth Day, swimming 1.8 miles through Brooklyn’s toxic Gowanus Canal. [Brooklyn Paper] Five real estate myths that snag buyers and sellers. [Washington Post] Real estate crowd funding firm Prodigy Network has plans to develop shared […]

1 WTC Observatory Elevators Will Give Riders a 515-Year Time-Lapse View of NYC Skyline

The Lower Manhattan skyline in 1796

April 20, 2015

1 WTC Observatory Elevators Will Give Riders a 515-Year Time-Lapse View of NYC Skyline

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Tourists and die-hard New Yorkers who plan on shelling out $32 to take in the vistas from the One World Trade Center observation deck will also get the unique experience of taking in the city's skyline through the last 515 years. The Times reports that the five elevators servicing the building's 102nd-floor observatory will be equipped with three wrapping, high-tech monitors that will display a time-lapse view of Lower Manhattan as its takes its patrons on a 47-second, 23 mph ride to the top. The screens will project everything from Manhattan's start as a verdant, marshy wonder to its rise as the world's capital in all its sky-scraping glory. But, most notably, the ride will highlight the south WTC tower brought down by terrorists on 9/11.
Watch a video of the experience here
Famed Author Peter Straub’s UWS Townhouse on the Market for First Time in Thirty Years
April 20, 2015

Famed Author Peter Straub’s UWS Townhouse on the Market for First Time in Thirty Years

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With accolades like the Bram Stoker Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the International Horror Guild Award to his name, one might proceed with caution when entering the home of American author and poet Peter Straub. But we can assure you that his literary penchant for things dark and mysterious doesn’t extend to the distinguished Queen Anne-style townhouse that he’s lived in for thirty years. The single-family residence at 53 West 85th Street on the Upper West Side is one of a series of three similar brick townhouses built in the late 1880s along 85th between Central Park West and Columbus, and it's now available for $8.2 million.
See inside the author's home
The City’s Plan B for Barry Diller’s Pier 55 Floating Park Is Far Less Exciting
April 20, 2015

The City’s Plan B for Barry Diller’s Pier 55 Floating Park Is Far Less Exciting

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In February, the futuristic Pier 55 floating park planned for the Meatpacking District moved forward with a lease deal between the Hudson River Park Trust and a nonprofit group controlled by Barry Diller, the billionaire media mogul who pledged $130 million back in November to fund the $151.8 million park. Diller is allocating the funds through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation (his wife is fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg), but under the agreement he can pull his support if he feels renovations at neighboring piers aren't up to par. And according to DNAinfo, the city's backup plan in this event is quite underwhelming, completely scratching the floating island and creating a $30 million park similar to others along Hudson River Park.
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190 Bowery’s New Tenant Plans to Keep Iconic Graffiti on the Facade
April 20, 2015

190 Bowery’s New Tenant Plans to Keep Iconic Graffiti on the Facade

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Those who have been mourning the loss of 190 Bowery to the clutches of the rich can breathe a slight sigh of relief. Just a month after having some of its graffiti removed, the WSJ reports that the former Germania Bank—and former home of photographer Jay Maisel—has just inked its first lease. The tenant, "a company made up of agencies representing creative professionals in the industry of luxury and fashion image-making" has signed on for nearly 30,000 square feet and says that it will maintain all of the building's historic touches, from "its marble wash basins to the graffiti covering the lower part of the facade."
Find out more
Eye-Catching Soho Loft with Multiple Skylights and Rhino Head Wants $5M
April 20, 2015

Eye-Catching Soho Loft with Multiple Skylights and Rhino Head Wants $5M

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Maybe we've just been watching too much Discovery Channel, but when you see a fun and quirky detail like a rhino head in the kitchen you can't help but want to take a look. That's one of the reasons we are so drawn to this industrial loft at 284 Lafayette Street, asking $4.995 million. This flexible three-to-four-bedroom loft features eight oversized windows, skylights, exposed brick, high ceilings, and original maple floors. The co-op also has enough built-ins for an expansive literary collection.
More pics inside
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Brooklyn Designer Katy Skelton Crafts Storage-Friendly and Stylish Furniture for City Dwellers
April 19, 2015

Brooklyn Designer Katy Skelton Crafts Storage-Friendly and Stylish Furniture for City Dwellers

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It's a dilemma that almost everyone has faced — where do we find a media console that's storage-friendly, but isn't a complete eyesore? Enter Brooklyn-based designer Katy Skelton, whose Desi cabinet brings us the best of both worlds. Made from solid walnut, the beautiful console features two drawers and two cabinets, each with removable shelves that owners can move and adjust according to their needs. Doors are equipped with soft-close hardware and cabinets boasts cord management cutouts to help organize all the different video and stereo systems.
See more of Skelton's timeless designs here
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
April 18, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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Never-Built Hudson River Bridge Would Have Been Twice the Length of the George Washington Bridge Construction Update: SOM’s 252 East 57th Street Getting Its Glass Skin $1,795 LES Rental Proudly Features a Shower in the Kitchen Enormous ‘Authentic and Locally Curated’ Food Hall Coming to Downtown Brooklyn This Map Lets You Explore NYC’s 592,130 Street […]

New Yorker Spotlight: Getting the Scoop with Jennie Dundas of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream

Blue Marble co-founders Alexis Gallivan (L) and Jennie Dundas (R) in one of their scoop shops, via Blue Marble

April 17, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Getting the Scoop with Jennie Dundas of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream

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Spring may have taken its time this year, but the sun is shining, the trees are finally starting to bloom, and this means one thing–it's officially ice cream season. If you're looking for the perfect local scoop, which also happens to be consciously sourced and organic, then you might just stop by Blue Marble Ice Cream's Cobble Hill or Prospect Heights shops or pick up one of their pints on your next grocery store trip. Blue Marble Ice Cream was co-founded in 2007 by former roommates turned entrepreneurs Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan. For Jennie and Alexis, who originally connected on Craiglist, a love of ice cream inspired them to open a scoop shop. And while neither had a business background, they were determined and opened up in Brooklyn. Fast forward several years, and Blue Marble is ready to expand nationwide after being picked up by a number of major supermarket chains. On a local scale, they're part of a wave of businesses helping to transform Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, something of which the company is extremely proud. We recently spoke with Jennie to get the scoop on Blue Marble's founding, its headquarters in Industry City, and of course, to find out why ice cream is everyone's favorite warm-weather (or year-round!) treat.
Read our interview with Jennie here
April 17, 2015

Demi Moore Puts Famed San Remo Penthouse on the Market for $75M

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It's been nearly a year since word got out that Demi Moore would be listing her triplex penthouse at the landmarked San Remo on Central Park West. Now, the Times is reporting that the co-op will be entering the market for the first time in 25 years, priced at a hefty $75 million. Included in the price is the crowning unit, PH26C, as well as a lobby-level maisonette, 1H. Moore bought the 7,000-square-foot residence in 1990 with ex-husband Bruce Willis (who's also been making the real estate headlines), and the couple then renovated the interiors "in a Southwestern Mission motif dominated by cherry wood" before splitting up in 2000. Adam Modlin of the Modlin Group will be handling the listing, and, though it has not been made public yet, we have some old 1937 black-and-white photos from the Museum of the City of New York to give you an idea of the bones of this one-of-a-kind home.
Check out all the photos here
Rupert Murdoch Lists One Madison Penthouse for $72M, Is Reportedly Buyer of $25M West Village Townhouse

Rendering of the penthouse, which occupies the tower’s top three floors

April 17, 2015

Rupert Murdoch Lists One Madison Penthouse for $72M, Is Reportedly Buyer of $25M West Village Townhouse

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The Wall Street Journal reports today that News Corp. and 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch has listed his penthouse at One Madison for $72 million. He bought the 6,850-square-foot triplex last February, in conjunction with a full-floor unit on the 57th floor below, for $57.25 million. He originally intended to use the smaller apartment as a guest suite, and moved into it while architect Jose Ramirez built out the penthouse. But Murdoch has now shifted gears, putting the penthouse on the market, keeping the 57th-floor unit, and buying a $25 million West Village townhouse where he plans to live full time. Interestingly, the townhouse is reportedly the former purple bed and breakfast turned single-family mansion, which hit sales records on Wednesday.
More details on Murdoch's real estate moves
Staten Island’s Revival Offers Brooklyn Cool Alongside $600,000 Six-Bedroom Homes
April 17, 2015

Staten Island’s Revival Offers Brooklyn Cool Alongside $600,000 Six-Bedroom Homes

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It's only a matter of time before Staten Island gets pinned as the next Brooklyn. As new developments pop up along the northern tip, the oft-forgotten borough is seeing the tides turn in its favor. Today the Times ran a piece on some of the biggest projects coming to the island, and unlike those popping up in Manhattan, this bunch is far more focused on livability and community building. Moreover, with rooftop beehives, shared vegetable gardens, small-batch espresso, pet spas, artisanal shops shilling specialty olive oils, and cheese caves in the pipeline, Staten Island is also starting to sound a lot like some of the city's most hipster-run areas. In fact, in casting its net for local testimonials, the Times was able to find Ridgewood and Bushwick refugees that have already high-tailed it southwest. And it's no wonder, with real estate being offered at just a fraction of the price—one couple in the story closed on a house with "numerous porches and six bedrooms, for $620,000"—it's only a matter of time before we turn to our significant others and say, "Let's move to Staten Island!"
More on Staten Island's next steps here
Own a Verdant Garden Oasis in Park Slope for $2.5M–and a Gorgeous Home,Too
April 17, 2015

Own a Verdant Garden Oasis in Park Slope for $2.5M–and a Gorgeous Home,Too

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As our hundreds of prior Cool Listings can attest, there is no shortage of stunning multi-million dollar homes in New York City. Day after day we marvel at interiors filled with exquisite details–and this single-family brownstone at 722A Union Street in Park Slope is no exception–well, at least as far as the inside is concerned.
See why this home is perfect inside and out

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