May 27, 2015

One Vanderbilt Tower Receives Unanimous Approval from City Council

This afternoon, SL Green's One Vanderbilt tower received the ultimate green light from the New York City Council, as members voted unanimously in favor of both the construction of the new 1,501-foot tall office building and the rezoning of a five-block stretch of Vanderbilt Avenue (the Vanderbilt Corridor) that would bring with it significant infrastructural upgrades to the area's public transportation. The vote was the last hurdle for the development and is a critical step in the rezoning of a greater area of Midtown East.
Find out more here
May 27, 2015

What Skyline Is This? Why Investing in Trailer Parks Is a Good Bet

Can you identify all the world’s skylines? Take this quiz. [Washington Post] A handful of city council members are in favor of the Central Park supertall moratorium. [Crain’s] Parents living in cramped quarters are asking friends to forgo giving their kids unnecessary gifts at birthday parties. [NYDN] General Assembly co-founder and entrepreneur Adam Pritzker (whose […]

May 27, 2015

Futuristic Pod Powered by the Wind and Sun–a Viable Housing Solution?

We've featured plenty of live/work and portable prefab spaces on 6sqft in the past, but this tiny house designed by Nice Architects might be one of the most efficient and adaptable housing solutions we've seen. Called the Ecocapsule, the sleek micro-house is a totally off-grid construction that's powered by solar and wind energy. Amazingly, at just 14.6 feet long and 7.4 feet wide, it has the potential to comfortably fit two adults. And on top of that, there's a kitchenette, a toilet, and a shower with hot water.
Find out more here
May 27, 2015

Why a Spanish Monastery Was Left in a Brooklyn Warehouse; ‘Tis the Season for Dumpster Diving

The Spotted Pig owners will officially open a four-story restaurant at the top of 70 Pine Street. [NYP] William Randolph Hearst stored a 12th century Spanish monastery in a Brooklyn warehouse for 26 years. [Untapped] Take a look inside this artist couple’s bright, floral, and fantastical Soho loft. [Curbed] It’s that time of year again… dumpster diving […]

May 27, 2015

A Brick Cottage in Brooklyn Is Up for Sale at the Warren Place Mews

The Warren Place Mews is one of the most charming blocks of Cobble Hill, if not all of Brooklyn. It's a gated street with 34 modest brick cottages that face a private courtyard. The mews dates back to the 1870s, when it was built by wealthy merchant and philanthropist Alfred Tredway White. White advocated for housing for the working class and built affordable housing all around Brooklyn. These homes in particular were used as workman's cottages. But the mews has come a long way since then. This home, at 21 Warren Place, is now on the market for $1.495 million.
See the interior here
May 27, 2015

NYC Households Spend $130 a Month Funding the MTA

Today's dose of disheartening news about the MTA comes via the Daily News, who reports that the debt-ridden city agency collects $4.8 billion a year from city taxpayers through taxes, fees, and the city budget. This comes out to $130 a month for the average New York household, even more than the cost of a monthly Metrocard, according to a new report by Comptroller Scott Stringer. Keep in mind this is in addition to the $5.3 billion they collect from fares and tolls.
Find out more here
May 27, 2015

Shabby Chic Soho Loft Featured in Elle Decor Asks $3M

There's a new two-bedroom Soho loft available at 292 Lafayette Street for $2.95 million. This shabby chic corner unit has been featured in Elle Decor and is surrounded by eight oversized windows, filtering in a ton of light from southern and eastern exposures. It also has rustic details we love, like original timbers and distressed wide plank white oak flooring. The home was purchased in 2010 by its current owners for somewhere around $1.8 million.
More pics inside
May 26, 2015

Own a Mansion with Celebrity History on a Private Island Overlooking NYC for $11M

Considering the fact that New York City townhouses go for tens of millions of dollars and luxury condos are climbing into the hundred million range, $11 million for an entire private island and mansion seems like quite the bargain. Tavern Island is a 3.5-acre piece of land located in the Long Island Sound near Rowayton, Connecticut, overlooking NYC. According to the Daily Mail, in the 1950s and '60s, theater impresario and lyricist Billy Rose owned the island and hosted lavish parties for the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Barbara Streisand. In addition to these epic bragging rights, the new owner of the island will gain a six-bedroom English Colonial mansion dating to 1900, private beach, swimming pool, and a docking area and boat for access the mainland.
Tour this unique island
May 26, 2015

Musicians of Tribeca: The City’s Hottest ‘Hood for Pop Stars

Though Tribeca has long been considered a haven for artists, this tends to refer to those in the visual arts, thanks to the neighborhood's chill vibes and spacious loft apartments. But over the last two decades, some of the world's most famous pop musicians have been gobbling up real estate on its cobblestone streets. From Katy Perry and Taylor Swift to Chris Martin and Justin Timberlake, the hit makers can't get enough of Tribeca.
Take a celebrity musician tour of Tribeca
May 26, 2015

Lovable Pied-à-terre on Bleecker Street Comes with a Landscaped Garden

Here's a really cool ground-floor pied-à-terre at 175 Bleecker Street with a private garden, available for $849,000. The fully-renovated loft has a crisp, clean feel with tall casement windows, white floors, and whitewashed exposed brick. And the landscaped garden is easy to maintain so it looks beautiful all year long—plus imagine stepping out into your own verdant space with a cup of coffee in hand.
More this way
May 26, 2015

The Future NYC Skyline of 2030; Urban Blight in the West Village?

Why are so many West Village storefronts shuttered? [The New Yorker] Here’s what the NYC skyline will look like in 2030. [Curbed] Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev’s $88M penthouse has been taken off the market. [NYP] Crown Heights residents saw their rents double last year. [Gothamist] Small biz Brooklyn owners are calling it quits as the borough sees property values […]

May 26, 2015

Report Poorly Parked Cars and Bad Drivers with the ‘TowIt’ App

Few things are as enraging and unnerving as the way New Yorkers drive. And although no one wants to be a tattletale, there's finally a way to help better patrol bad drivers right from our smartphones. Called TowIt, this handy app allows concerned citizens to snap photos of motor violations, geo-tag them, and then send them in real-time for ticketing or towing by law enforcement and city officials.
Find out more and where to download the app
May 26, 2015

Yayoi Kusama’s Polka Dot-Covered ‘Obliteration Room’ Shows for the First Time in the U.S.

This picture may look familiar to you, as the installation at the David Zwirner Gallery has been making the rounds on Instagram. The work of artist Yayoi Kasuma, "The Obliteration Room" is part of the larger exhibit "Give Me Love." It's the first time the wildly popular polka dot-covered room has been shown in the U.S., and New Yorkers are excited to be part of the interactive experience. The backdrop for "The Obliteration Room" is an all-white, familiar domestic setting located within a prefabricated suburban home. As guests enter the room they're handed stickers, round dots in various sizes and bright colors, and asked to place them anywhere they'd like.
More on the colorful installation
May 26, 2015

The Lost Dakota Stables; What Makes NY Bagels So Good?

Looking back at the lost Dakota Stables, built for the use of the Dakota tenants, as well as the UWS neighborhood. [Daytonian in Manhattan] Take a day trip upstate to Kykuit, the 40-room mansion and impressive sculpture garden that were once the Rockefeller family estate. [Curbed] Does NYC have the best bagels because of its soft water? Find […]

May 26, 2015

Starchitect Rafael Vinoly to Design a 10-Story Meatpacking District Building

Look out—not up—because there’s a new low-rise Rafael Vinoly-designed building coming our way. The architect mastermind behind the city’s tallest residential tower, 432 Park Avenue, has just been chosen to design a comparatively demure ten-story office-and-retail building in the Meatpacking District, reports The Real Deal. The new addition is being developed by Vornado Realty Trust and Aurora […]

May 26, 2015

Rich NYC Buyers Now Requesting Luxury Panic Rooms

Call it the problems of 0.002 percent, but the Times reports that wealthy buyers are now requesting that "safe rooms" be installed as part of their multi-million dollar buys. Although when most of us envision these spaces we immediately think of the movie "Panic Room" where Jodie Foster and her on-screen daughter are hunkered down in a dark and cold metal encasement with bad lighting, the wealthy by comparison have no interest of slumming it even when under siege. The paper reports that these individuals are now putting their panic rooms in full view, and they're just as cushy as the rest of their ultra-luxe digs.
More on the trend here
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May 25, 2015

$700K Dutchess County Farmhouse Welcomed Four Presidents and Marie Curie

At first glance, you'll be drawn to this farmhouse's classic colonial facade and beautiful surrounding landscape. Once inside, you'll love the original architecture and old-time decor. But there's much more than meets the eye at this Dutchess County beauty. Located atop the historic Quaker Hill and built circa 1700, this home reportedly welcomed four Presidents–Washington, Coolidge, Hoover, and Roosevelt–and Marie Curie was a frequent house guest whose gifted backyard tree still stands today. And this amazing piece of history in Pawling, New York can be yours for $699,000.
Take a tour around the sprawling premises here
May 23, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Bradley Cooper Scopes Out an $8.5M Three-Bedroom in Tribeca’s Hubert Be the Third Family Ever to Own This 18th Century Dutch House in the Hudson Valley VIDEO: Preview the Interiors of Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower Ahead of This Week’s Sales Launch ‘Girls’ Star Zosia Mamet Buys Unimpressive Upper West Side Co-op for $1.2M Community Board […]

May 22, 2015

Soho’s Only Freestanding Home Sells for a Discounted $6.9M

Soho's only freestanding home has found new owners. Bonnie and Seth Harris paid $6.887 million for the Broome Street townhouse, which initially popped up on the market a year ago, asking nearly $10 million. The two-bedroom home, listed by "Million Dollar Listing" star Ryan Serhant, has 3,430 square feet of living space with a 280-square-foot terrace and an additional 2,600 square feet of building rights.
More pics inside
May 22, 2015

YOU’RE INVITED: Come Celebrate Our 1st Birthday with Us!

6sqft is officially one year old and to celebrate we’re throwing a party in Manhattan—and you’re invited! Join us on Tuesday, June 2nd for a night of trivia, prizes, photobooth fun, grub and booze. It’s the perfect opportunity to take a break from your weekly grind and party hardy with your fellow New Yorkers. See you soon! When: Tuesday, June […]

May 22, 2015

New York Public Library Releases Interactive Map of Its 80,000 Historic Photos

For us NYC history nerds, the New York Public Library's digital archive is one of the most valuable tools. We can search historic photos by address, building name, or neighborhood. This can get a little tedious, though, especially if a location no longer exists or we don't know the exact street number. But sleuthing for vintage pictures just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new mapping tool from the library's NYPL Labs team. OldNYC is an interactive map that features red dots on every location for which the collection has photos from the 1870s through the 1970s and lets you explore and interact with the images.
Find out more here
May 22, 2015

Paul McCartney Purchases a Fifth Avenue Penthouse for $15.5M

Paul McCartney has just nabbed a $15.5 million penthouse at 1045 Fifth Avenue, the Post reports. Laid out as a duplex, the unit was previously owned by developer Manny Duell who made a living turning rentals into co-ops. This particular unit was one of Duell's creations, assembled as a gift for his wife who lived in the home until her death last year at the age of 92. Duell himself passed in 1977. With its roots in the Beatles era, McCartney should quickly feel at home here. The unit was previously described by the Times as a “glamorous 1960s time capsule with a dash of Hollywood.”
Have a look inside
May 22, 2015

Space Saving Mobile Home Office Takes Inspiration from Mid-Century Aircraft

If you like the idea of a workspace that can be placed out of sight when it's time to shut down for the day, take a look at this design inspired by the planes of the 1950s. The Blackhawk Secretary is an aviation-themed working station wrapped in a patchwork of aluminum panels and accented with exposed steel screws. On sale at the upscale Restoration Hardware, this office-furniture piece not only shuts down so you forget about work, but you can even move it totally out of sight and into another room.
Learn more about this aviator-inspired working station

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