Developer Vornado Plans to Spend Hundreds of Millions on Revitalizing Penn Station Area
April 8, 2015

Developer Vornado Plans to Spend Hundreds of Millions on Revitalizing Penn Station Area

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Most New Yorkers only venture to the area around Penn Station when it's absolutely necessary–traveling to New Jersey or Long Island, going to a business meeting at Penn Plaza, or seeing a Rangers game. Otherwise, we avoid it like the plague. But Vornado Realty Trust, one of the country's largest office landlords–they own roughly nine million square feet around Penn Station worth $5.5 billion–is hoping to do a complete 180 on the area by "investing hundreds of millions of dollars in new retail space, public plazas and other infrastructure, according to real-estate executives briefed on the plans," according to the Wall Street Journal.
More details ahead
REVEALED: 900-Foot Norman Foster-Designed Condo Tower Coming to Sutton Place

Rendering of the new tower (L); The four-building assemblage at 426-432 East 58th Street (R)

April 7, 2015

REVEALED: 900-Foot Norman Foster-Designed Condo Tower Coming to Sutton Place

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First spotted by the eagle-eyes at SkyscraperPage, a New York Press article has given us our first look at a potential 900-foot skyscraper reportedly designed by Foster + Partners and developed by the Bauhouse Group. The New York City-based real estate development and investment firm had recently closed on the three-building $32 million rental portfolio in tony Sutton Place at 428-432 East 58th Street. In March, the firm acquired a fourth property at 426 East 58th Street. According to the New York Press story, "A sales brochure put together by Cushman and Wakefield dubs the project as the 'Sutton Place Development'... there are indications that Bauhouse is looking to offload the site to another developer, and that whoever winds up buying the lot could build even higher than 900 feet." Bauhouse is expected to release further details and renderings to the community this spring.
More details ahead
Tracing the Colorful History of Madison Square Park from the 1800s
April 7, 2015

Tracing the Colorful History of Madison Square Park from the 1800s

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Recent reports show that NoMad has taken over the top spot for priciest neighborhood in the city in which to rent, with a one-bedroom unit going for an average of $4,270/month. For most real estate aficionados this isn't shocking, as the neighborhood has been growing into one of the city's hottest spots for the past several years, but few know of the area's fascinating past. Named for our fourth president, James Madison, the 6.2-acre Madison Square Park was first used as a potter’s field, then an army arsenal, then a military parade ground and finally as the New York House of Refuge children’s shelter, until it was destroyed by a fire in 1839. After the fire, the land between 23rd and 26th Streets from Fifth to Madison Avenues was established as a public park enclosed by a cast-iron fence in 1847. The redesign included pedestrian walkways, lush shrubbery, open lawns, fountains, benches and monuments and is actually similar to the park that exists today.
Find out how our beloved madison square park came to be
Beautiful 17th Century Barn Shipped Over from England Asks $3.3 Million
April 7, 2015

Beautiful 17th Century Barn Shipped Over from England Asks $3.3 Million

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Yes, New York is filled with history, but this Hamptons estate is a piece of history that is unlike anything you've ever heard. The 17th century English barn at 83 Narrow Lane is just one of five or six in the U.S. exported from the Willow Farm in Windsor Berkshire, England. The entire barn and its timber beams were shipped across the Atlantic in the early 1980s just before the British National Trust halted their exportation, making this a rare gem with a premium price tag of $3.295 million.
More pics inside
One World Observatory Opens on Friday, May 29th!
April 7, 2015

One World Observatory Opens on Friday, May 29th!

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Yesterday, an insider over at Curbed noticed entrance signage for One World Trade Center's observatory. And now, just a day later, it's been officially announced that One World Observatory will open on Friday, May 29. The press release also shares that tickets, which will cost $32 for an adult, will go on sale tomorrow at 10am. The three-floor observation deck will sit 1,250 feet above ground on floors 100, 101, and 102 and cover 125,000 square feet.
More details here
Keith McNally’s Village Townhouse Now Renting for $6K Less; Pearl River Mart in Soho Will Close
April 7, 2015

Keith McNally’s Village Townhouse Now Renting for $6K Less; Pearl River Mart in Soho Will Close

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Chef Keith McNally’s gorgeous Greenwich Village townhouse gets a price cut. The pad is now renting for $18,950 a month, down from $25,000. [Elliman] The famed Pearl River Mart on Broadway in Soho will shutter due to rising rents. The landlord wants $500,000 a month for the three-story space after the retailer’s lease ends this year. [Crain’s] A […]

Los Angeles Has Designed the Perfect Parking Sign–Can NYC Take Note?

Images courtesy of Parkwhiz (L) and LA Mayor’s Office (R)

April 7, 2015

Los Angeles Has Designed the Perfect Parking Sign–Can NYC Take Note?

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If you own a car in New York, you know that parking can be a downright nightmare. Finding a spot is like hunting for a needle in a haystack, and when you do find one, it's hard not to approach it with trepidation: Why is this spot empty? New York City parking signs typically run the gamut of perplexing to misleading at best, requiring a Rosetta Stone and a prayer to keep a parking ticket from happening. But there's a beacon of hope shooting through all of that confusion in the form of well-designed signage.
MOre on the new signs here
Architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Buy $1M Co-op at Hotel des Artistes
April 7, 2015

Architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Buy $1M Co-op at Hotel des Artistes

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If you've been following the controversy surrounding the American Folk Art Museum and its demolition by MoMA, you know of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the husband-and-wife firm who designed the now-razed, but much-loved structure. In some less disparaging news, city records released today show that the couple has scooped up a $1,075,000 million co-op at the iconic Hotel des Artistes in Lincoln Square. Unit 415 is a one-bedroom duplex, and they already own unit 414, which they bought in 2008 for $1.6 million, so we can only assume they plan to work their architectural magic and combine the two adjacent apartments.
More here
Where Bill Nye the Science Guy Lives; Edward Snowden Hologram Pops Up in Fort Greene Park
April 7, 2015

Where Bill Nye the Science Guy Lives; Edward Snowden Hologram Pops Up in Fort Greene Park

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New website consolidates information about donations and resources following the Second Avenue explosion. [East Village Relief] Calling all ’90s kids–check out the most special items in Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Chelsea apartment. [NYT] A Buffalo restaurant offers a 10 percent discount to patrons who stay off their smartphones. [NYDN] 35 years ago this week, the MTA went […]

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Donald Trump’s New Luxury Golf Course Opens atop a Former Bronx Dump
April 7, 2015

Donald Trump’s New Luxury Golf Course Opens atop a Former Bronx Dump

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Grab your golf clubs and head northward because Donald Trump's brand new luxury golf course is open for business. After decades of delays and cost overruns, The Donald has finally made the city's dream of a public golf course in the Bronx a reality. Called the Trump Gold Links at Ferry Point, the 7,400-yard course has been constructed atop a one-time landfill. And though its former use is anything but five-star, you wouldn't guess it by the admission price—Trump is charging nearly three times as much to use his greens as other city courses.
Find out more here
Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Condo Relists for $32M, Is So Large Owners Can’t Find Each Other
April 7, 2015

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Condo Relists for $32M, Is So Large Owners Can’t Find Each Other

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Imagine this: You and your spouse have both been home for three hours, but neither one of you knows the other is there because your home is that big. It's a "problem" most New Yorkers can't fathom, but for one Brooklyn couple it's encouraged them to relist their 11,000-square-foot triplex for $32 million, making it the borough's most expensive condo listing ever. Stuart and Claire Leaf originally listed their home in May, but then took it off the market in February after getting cold feet about moving. As the Wall Street Journal reports, "The apartment is a combination of no less than nine units spanning the 10th, 11th and 12th floors of the waterfront condo One Brooklyn Bridge Park." It includes six bedrooms, two deeded parking spaces, a 3,500-bottle wine room, a gym with a rock-climbing wall, a screening room, and a 75-foot-long terrace.
Take a look around the mega-home here
Exposed Brick Abounds in This Full Floor Soho Loft Renting for $10K/Month
April 7, 2015

Exposed Brick Abounds in This Full Floor Soho Loft Renting for $10K/Month

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There's a hot new rental available at 93 Crosby Street for anyone looking to enjoy the high life in Soho. This 1,300-square-foot full-floor loft is the perfect live/work space for any artist. Get inspired by the sunrise or the sunset with oversized windows on the east and west sides of the apartment. Plus there are all the classic loft essentials like exposed brick walls, high wood beam ceilings, and hardwood floors.
More pics inside
Interior Renderings for SHoP’s 111 West 57th Street Tower Revealed
April 6, 2015

Interior Renderings for SHoP’s 111 West 57th Street Tower Revealed

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Hot on the heels of last week's release of a new teaser site and rendering showing just how tall, slender and skyline-changing SHoP Architect's new tower at 111 West 57th Street will be, comes brand new renderings of the exterior and, for the first time, a look at the interiors. The images, uncovered by YIMBY, show the bronze and terra cotta supertall's elegant column-free spaces, as well as the incredible unobstructed views afforded by its 1,428 feet.
Inside the supertall here
Historic Prospect Heights Townhouse with Glass Addition Wants $4M
April 6, 2015

Historic Prospect Heights Townhouse with Glass Addition Wants $4M

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Want to live in an awesome Prospect Heights townhouse and earn money at the same time? This gorgeous home built in 1910 is currently set up as an owner's triplex with a one-bedroom income suite on the garden level. It must've undergone a pretty intense renovation considering the owners paid $900,000 for it back in 2007, and now it's back on the market asking $4,075,000. And it has some pretty impressive features, like floor-to-ceiling windows and a floating staircase in the back of the house, which was positioned to join the original building with the four-story glass curtain wall addition. You'll find exposed brick throughout the home, whether original, whitewashed, or boasting a deep blue hue. There are also keystones with a man's face carved in them at the entrance.
More pics inside
EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Get Inside 432 Park Avenue

Image © dbox

April 6, 2015

EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Get Inside 432 Park Avenue

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We've all seen more than our fair share of 432 Park Avenue's facade around town, but finally here comes an opportunity to get inside the building. The Storefront for Art and Architecture has just announced that the Viñoly supertall will be the site of their 2015 spring benefit, TRANS. The gala, being held Tuesday, April 21st, 2015, will be the first public event hosted at the unopened building, and by the looks of the program, it also promises to be as starchitect-studded and "transcendent" as these things get.
Find out how to attend here
How Pier 55’s Futuristic Park Plan Came to Be; Observation Deck at 1 WTC Gets a Street Entrance
April 6, 2015

How Pier 55’s Futuristic Park Plan Came to Be; Observation Deck at 1 WTC Gets a Street Entrance

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How Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg came up with the idea for a futuristic offshore park for Pier 55. [NYT] One World Trade Center’s observation deck moves closer to opening. New signage marking the entrance has appeared. [Curbed] Robert A.M. Stern discusses “poor doors” and Mayor de Blasio’s urban revitalization and affordable housing plans for NYC. […]

Mercer Street Loft by DHD Interiors Brings a Bit of Whimsy to a Classic Soho Space
April 6, 2015

Mercer Street Loft by DHD Interiors Brings a Bit of Whimsy to a Classic Soho Space

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After looking at a few projects from the talent over at DHD Interiors, we're realizing that what draws us to the firm's work is their ability to infuse an unexpected sense of whimsy into otherwise classic spaces, and their Mercer Street Loft is no exception. From the curious wall mural to the fanciful oversized chair in the living room, this Soho space surprises you when you least expect it. DHD was commissioned by the client to create a home that "celebrates both classic, historical elements and modern twists." They were also asked to incorporate art and the client's "adventurous, eclectic tastes," while maintaining original features like the hardwood floors, stripped cast iron columns, and tin ceilings.
See the end result here
Rich People Sleep More, Researchers Say

Image: Timothy Krause via flickr

April 6, 2015

Rich People Sleep More, Researchers Say

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Money may not buy happiness, but it does get you more sleep according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers at the CDC examined results from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and found that there is indeed a positive correlation between dollars and zzzs earned.
FInd out more here
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Can a Thai Restaurant Convince New York Hipsters to Move to Detroit?

Photo via Katoi

April 6, 2015

Can a Thai Restaurant Convince New York Hipsters to Move to Detroit?

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Can a Detroit Thai restaurant's New York City marketing campaign convince East Coast hipsters to move to the Motor City? That's what Philip Kafka of Prince Media Co., the boutique billboard company behind the campaign, is hoping. Business Insider reports that New York-based Kafka is a partner in a forthcoming Thai restaurant in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood called KATOI, and he's looking to hire between 15 and 20 people. Of course, the publicity for his new venture can't hurt, but he said it's really a separate campaign "to encourage people–particularly artists and young creatives–to move to the financially troubled city," where he owns property and feels a renaissance is occurring among millennials.
Check out the billboards here
‘Skinny House’ Nominated for National Landmark Designation; Is It Safe to Lean on Subway Doors?
April 6, 2015

‘Skinny House’ Nominated for National Landmark Designation; Is It Safe to Lean on Subway Doors?

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Third Avenue between 104th to 125th Streets in East Harlem is a relic of discount stores with audacious branding. Check out the best signage. [A Fine Blog] The “World Trade Center Ship” will dock permanently at the New York State Museum in Albany. [NYT] Five eclectic New York City-area places are nominated for the National Register of Historic Places, […]

Petite UWS Pad Features Big-and-Tall Storage for $449,000
April 6, 2015

Petite UWS Pad Features Big-and-Tall Storage for $449,000

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Here's an adorable apartment at 327 West 85th Street that makes the most of its space. Nestled in the area between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side, this apartment boasts original details like exposed brick, a working fireplace, 10-foot ceilings, and maple hardwood floors. And while it may not be of loft proportions, the home offers enough storage to make even the most jaded New Yorker swoon.
Check it out here
Landmarked Religious Institutions in Midtown East Look to Change Air Rights Rules

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, via Wiki Commons

April 6, 2015

Landmarked Religious Institutions in Midtown East Look to Change Air Rights Rules

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With declining memberships, it has become a common issue among New York City religious institutions that they're land-rich but cash-poor. To solve the problem, religious leaders are turning to the sale of air rights, allowing developers to build on unused land or above the existing structure or altogether transferring the rights to an adjacent property. It's the latter trend that's become the center of debate with St. Patrick's Cathedral, along with other landmarked institutions, as they're looking to change the air rights rules to allow transfers to properties that are not directly adjacent. The Wall Street Journal takes a close look at this trend and a city plan that would allow East Midtown landmarks to sell their air rights to sites that are several blocks away.
More details ahead
This Lofty East Village Penthouse by Manifold Architecture Studio Used to Be a Synagogue
April 5, 2015

This Lofty East Village Penthouse by Manifold Architecture Studio Used to Be a Synagogue

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New York City is teeming with breathtaking penthouses–from multi-floored apartments atop soaring skyscrapers to picturesque flats inside landmarked townhouses–but few have the spiritual history of this East Village abode: The 1,600-square-foot triplex was once a local house of worship. Originally built in 1908, the the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Anshe Ungarn synagogue was converted into a five-apartment condo in the 1980s. By the time current owners Dominique Camacho and Gary Hirschkron bought the penthouse in 2007, its design was terribly outdated, so they enlisted the team at DUMBO's Manifold Architecture Studio (MAS) to help bring it into the 21st century.
Click to see the entire space
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
April 4, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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This Trailer Home in the Hamptons Wants $1.2 Million New Rendering and Teaser Site Released for 111 West 57th Street Design Vidal’s Peter Hassler Breathes New Life into an Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone 10-Foot-Wide ‘Skinny House’ in Mamaroneck Is an Historic Work with a Heart-Warming Story Chinatown, Once Unchanged, Now Attracting Hipsters–and Real Estate Developers Believe […]

New Yorker Spotlight: Meet the Human Behind The Dogist, Elias Weiss Friedman
April 3, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Meet the Human Behind The Dogist, Elias Weiss Friedman

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Elias Weiss Friedman has devoted himself to photographing everyday New Yorkers. His subjects are diverse, come in all shapes and sizes, and they also happen to be dogs. In a city that is estimated to have 600,000 dogs, it's only fitting that Elias developed The Dogist, a photo-documentary series capturing New York's four-legged friends. His work highlights the canines that bring so much character to the city, yet rarely get the recognition they deserve. As a photographer, blogger, and "dog humanitarian," Elias is committed to introducing the Big Apple's dogs to the world. We recently caught up with Elias to find out how The Dogist came to be, and to find out what it takes for a pup to grab his attention.
Our interview with The Dogist here

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