May, 2015 | 6sqft

Two apartments, units 408 and 309, are now available at the Mill Building, 85 North 3rd Street in Williamsburg, with the potential to create a massive loft apartment. When we first saw this listing, only one unit was up for grabs, but now a buyer will have two floors and 3,600 square feet to work with, as well as the potential to build out as many as five bedrooms alongside a media room and library. How much for the opportunity to create this mega loft? The asking price is $4.775 million.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

May 22, 2015

Fully-Furnished Rentals Launch at One57

In the past when we've talked about the latest occupancies at billionaires' row blockbuster One57 we were referring to the record-breaking $100 million condo sale (the most expensive in the city ever) or Bill Ackman's $91.5 million flip attempt. But now those looking to get in on the city's most expensive condo building can do so without dropping seven figures in one fell swoop. Extell Development, after selling most of the condos at One57, has quietly listed 38 fully-furnished apartments for rent on the building's seven lower residential floors. But don't get too excited if you're not in the billionaires' club; asking prices range from $13,350/month for a one-bedroom unit to $50,366 for a three-bedroom.
More details ahead

Real Estate Trends

May 21, 2015

‘Girls’ Star Zosia Mamet Buys Unimpressive Upper West Side Co-op for $1.2M

By Annie Doge

When we took a look at the real estate of the stars of "Girls," we said the characters "live in Greenpoint, not the Upper West Side." The same cannot be said for their real-life digs, as evidenced by Zosia Mamet's (she plays Shoshanna on the hit show) purchase of a pretty bland Upper West Side co-op. According to city records released today, she paid $1,225,000 for the two-bedroom apartment at 522 West End Avenue. We knew she was looking to relocate–she and her boyfriend listed their Bushwick house back in October, and it recently sold–but we can't deny that we're a little surprised by her choice.
See Zosia's new home here

May 21, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 5/21-5/27

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers, beginning tonight! It's almost Memorial Day, which means your weekend is probably already chock full of picnics, barbecues and outdoor drinking activities. But in case it isn't, we've rounded up some arty- and some Memorial Day-themed activities to keep the long weekend packed full of fun. Cool off with some public art in Brooklyn Bridge Park, be the first to hop over to Governors Island this season, or see Tom Cruise on the deck of the Intrepid. You can also get outside of your borough comfort zone and head to Far Rockaway to celebrate surf and photography, hear from some women in downtown rock, or try out your best dance moves at a hip hop party sponsored by the Museum of the City of New York. Then round out the weekend with the serenity—and opulence—of Buddhist art from Kashmir. There, weekend sorted.
All the best events here

Events & Things To Do

May 21, 2015

MAPPED: Here’s What Americans Love to Eat the Most by State

Though we often chalk American cuisine down to hamburgers and apple pie, in reality folks across the country indulge in foods far more diverse. Foursquare and Mapbox have created a new map that reveals what foods Americans are statistically eating more of in every state. To make the map, they used an algorithm that analyzed Foursquare’s data set of menus, tips, and ratings—which represent stats from some 55 million users and two million businesses worldwide over the span of six years—and zoomed in on the food and drink items that appeared to be "disproportionately popular" across the states. In addition to getting what was uniquely popular to each state, they were also able to use the algorithm to determine just how much more—represented as a percentage—individuals seek out that favored food or drink item as compared to the national average. So, what do New York inhabitants crave the most? Hint: It's not pizza.
FInd out here

City Living

May 21, 2015

The Price of History: Looking at NYC’s Biggest Landmark Condo Conversions

This year is full of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Law, and in marking this milestone we tend to look at all of the historic buildings that have been perfectly preserved in their appearance and function. But what about those that retain their original character, yet have a new use? The folks over at CityRealty have taken a look at this group, focusing on city landmarks that have been converted from commercial spaces into condominiums. Zoning in on the five largest landmarks (by number of units), they found that owning a piece of history will cost you. In fact, the average unit price in these Manhattan landmarks was 45 percent higher than other condos; in Brooklyn, 26 percent.
Check out the full infographic here

Real Estate Trends

May 21, 2015

Auction.com Allows Chinese Investors to Buy U.S. Real Estate from Home; NYC Remains the World’s Most Global City

A Time exec has bought Million Dollar Listing star Fredrik Eklund’s West 27th Street pad. [NYP] Ziel Feldman’s HFZ Capital Group recently purchased one of the most expensive development sites ever sold in Manhattan, but he doesn’t plan on putting ultra-expensive condos up there—he’s opting for a small project instead. [Crain’s] Pierhouse blocked from being constructed […]

Real Estate Trends

May 21, 2015

studioMET Architects Turn a Brooklyn Parking Garage into a LEGO Art Studio

For most creatives, waking up and building things with LEGOs every day sounds like a dream. For artist Sean Kenney, it's a reality. Self-described as a "professional kid" who builds everything from lamps to portraits to entire rooms with the colorful bricks, Kenney needed a studio where he and his team could construct the fanciful works. He employed studioMET Architects to transform an old Brooklyn parking garage into his dream work space. With a project budget of less than $250,000, the firm designed a 4,000-square-foot artist studio with just as much personality as its owner's sculptures. The bright white, open space allows the fun creations and bins of colorful bricks (4 tons of them to be exact!) to stand out while still maintaining a logical, functional layout.
Find out more about this fun and functional artist studio

Distinctive Homes

Take the elevator from the gym and English garden to the roof terrace in this $13.5M UES townhouse

For $665K, this little upstate home is the answer to your log cabin fantasies

Asking $800K, this notable modern Princeton home once belonged to Joyce Carol Oates

For $2.95M, this parlor floor Chelsea co-op has brownstone charm and a private terrace

Chelsea's most expensive listing is this $40M penthouse at The Cortland

Tiffany-blue walls and de Gournay designs surround a $1M UES co-op with Deco-era glamour

Yorkville duplex has five balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a philanthropic tie for $6.5M

$14M penthouse atop landmarked Astor building has pre-war details and palatial private terrace

This $3.5M Westchester estate is a private refuge surrounded by village life

A diplomat's lofty home in a historic FiDi co-op asks $2.9M

VIEW ALL

May 21, 2015

$2M Historic Park Slope Triplex Looks Out onto Prospect Park

After Prospect Park opened in 1867, a wave of development hit the surrounding area, now known as Park Slope. The stretch of Prospect Park West, which bordered the park, was dubbed the "Gold Coast" for its many lavish mansions. Today, the stretch is still home to some of Brooklyn's most impressive buildings. This townhouse at 103 Prospect Park West is one of them. A triplex co-op there is on the market for $1.995 million, and it retains much of its pre-war detailing.
See the interior here

Distinctive Homes

May 21, 2015

Roosevelt Island Gets a Technicolor Swimming Pool; Inside the Secret Subway WiFi Basement

Minnesota-based artist HOT TEA used 120 gallons of rainbow-colored paint to transform a Roosevelt Island swimming pool. [Colossal] Geodesic dome creator Buckminster Fuller had a pretty hefty FBI file. Find out what these documents say. [Gizmodo] Go inside the secret basement that powers New York’s wireless subway network. [Fast Co.] How the Twin Towers went from […]

Uncategorized

May 21, 2015

Actor Benjamin McKenzie Eyes a Glitzy High Line Duplex

By Annie Doge

Star of "Gotham" (or Ryan from "The O.C." for our 20-something readers) Benjamin McKenzie was seen checking out a glitzy duplex at 420 West 25th Street, reports the Post. The $2.5 million pad near the High Line is located in the pre-war Ink Press building and features two bedrooms, double-height ceilings, and a private terrace. It's currently decked out with crystal chandeliers, gold decor, and elegant fabrics, a style we think would well suite the handsome actor.
Take a look around the home here

May 21, 2015

Park Slope Townhouse Sporting Woody Interior Asks $1.5M

By Aisha Carter

There's something intriguing about this $1.5 million two-family townhouse at 326 15th Street in Park Slope. The home almost looks like an upscale tool shed with wood everywhere you look: wooden built-ins, wooden beams, hardwood floors. But with the right owner and enough tender love and care, this 1,800 square-foot beauty could be a dream home in the making. Built around 1899, and available for the first time in 35 years, it can be yours for $1.5 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 20, 2015

Santiago Calatrava ‘Treated Like a Dog’ After WTC Transportation Hub Takes a Toll on His Reputation

Starchitect Santiago Calatrava has taken a media beating for the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, the long-delayed (it's nearly six years off schedule), incredibly-over-budget (final construction costs ring in around $4 billion, twice what was projected, making it the world's most expensive train station), flying bird-looking (though some critics think it looks more like a "rack of lamb") PATH station project that he designed as part of the WTC revitalization. It was recently announced that the hub would open next month, but as it comes to a close, Santiago Calatrava is stuck at a dead end, noting that the project has taken a major toll on his reputation. After living in NYC for 12 years, Calatrava has stopped being commissioned for work in the U.S. "I could not compete because people have not asked me to compete," he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview at his Park Avenue townhouse. "I have been treated like a dog."
How did Santiago Calatrava get here?

May 20, 2015

Great Neck Home Where F. Scott Fitzgerald Started Writing ‘The Great Gatsby’ Lists for $4M

Instead of just driving around Long Island's Gold Coast and ogling the Jazz Age mansions, pretending to be a character in The Great Gatsby, you can now live within the walls of perhaps the Gatsby-est home of them all. The Wall Street Journal reports that 6 Gateway Drive in Great Neck, the Mediterranean-style mansion where F. Scott Fitzgerald started writing his iconic novel, is for sale for $3,888,888. The author and his wife Zelda lived in the 5,174-square-foot home between October 1922 and and April 1924, smack in the middle of the Roaring Twenties scene that he depicted in his book.
Take a look around F. Scott Fitzgerald's former home

May 20, 2015

This Massive Soho Loft Has Great Windows and a True Artist’s Vibe

The checklist for every good loft apartment reads as follows: big windows, high ceilings, and plenty of space. This Soho loft, located at the Hohner Building at 46 Mercer Street, checks off all three boxes. First of all it's massive, at 4,500 square feet. You've also got 14-foot ceilings and 16 windows throughout the unit. The listing calls this place "an artist's dream," but the artist will have to shell out $5 million to live here.
See the interior here

Distinctive Homes

May 20, 2015

Woolworth Condos Come to Market; July 4th Fireworks Will Return to the East River

The Woolworth condo apartments have hit the market. [Curbed; listings] Things New Yorkers wished they were told before moving here. [Brick Underground] The NYPD is moving several of its divisions into the Verizon building on Pearl Street. [NYP] The 39th annual Macy’s 4th of July fireworks will return to the East River this year. [Gothamist] Images: […]

Real Estate Trends

May 20, 2015

POLL: Do You Agree with the Central Park Skyscraper Moratorium?

Yesterday we reported that Community Board Five’s Sunshine Task Force is calling for “an immediate, temporary moratorium on any new construction of 600 feet or taller that is not already undergoing public review, particularly with those threatening to cast shadows over Central Park in an area bounded by 53rd Street and Central Park South, and […]

NASA-Inspired Green Wheel Lets You Grow Your Own Food Indoors

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Growing your own food is the first step on the self-sufficiency journey, and it can never hurt learn having fresh food close at hand. But as we New Yorkers know, it's not always easy to create a lush garden on the fire escape. To tackle this subject, Italian studio DesignLibero created The Green Wheel, a rotary, hydroponic garden that provides a constant supply of micro-herbs and salad. Its futuristic aesthetics are sleek and modern; in fact, it takes direct inspiration from a 1980s NASA idea.
Learn more about this wheeled vegetable patch

May 20, 2015

New York State Pavilion Documentary Premiers; Blogger Photographs Bed-Stuy’s Trash

Head to the Queens Theatre on May 22 and 23 for the world premier of “Modern Ruin: A World’s Fair Pavilion,” a documentary about the history of Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion. [Brownstoner Queens] Like your burger delivered to you by a waitress on roller skates? Here’s a list of drive-in restaurants near NYC. [Gothamist] Hudson Yards […]

Uncategorized

Photo via Le Travelist

May 20, 2015

Four Seasons Renovation Plans Shot Down by Landmarks Preservation Commission

Aby Rosen's plans to update the Four Seasons has been squashed by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. According to Crain's, the only upgrade that received a nod from the commission was a request to change the carpet. Bigger renovations, like replacing a non-original fissured glass partition with planters and to replace a fixed walnut panel between the public and private dining rooms with a movable one, were all rejected. "There is no good reason why they should make these changes," said Meenakshi Srinivasan, the commission's chairwoman, Crain's reports. "There's no rationale. The space could function perfectly well without these changes, so why do it?"
Find out more

May 20, 2015

Charming Ansonia Court Duplex with Flexible Floorplan Asks $1.6 Million

By Aisha Carter

Here's a head-turner just two blocks away from Prospect Park in Park Slope's coveted Ansonia Court loft building. The $1.575 million third-floor duplex offers exposed brick, oversized arched windows, and wood-beamed ceilings, along with a floor plan that can accommodate two or three bedrooms.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

The High and Low: Sweet Bohemian Cottage with Dreamy Private Garden

38A Windsor Place (l); 110 Clinton Avenue (r).

May 19, 2015

The High and Low: Sweet Bohemian Cottage with Dreamy Private Garden

By Michelle Cohen

Spring has finally arrived, and our spring fever has been replaced by a yearning to dine al fresco, savor morning coffee in the sunshine and—for the gardening-inclined—start hitting the dirt. For lucky city folk with private garden space, there's a just-right element: You get to enjoy the flowers but you don't have to mow the grass. These new-to-market charmers have all the boxes checked when it comes to the European-style cottage vibe with whitewashed walls and loads of DIY potential. They've also got enchanted gardens you won't want to step out of 'til the snow starts falling. The first, in south Park Slope, a block from the park, is a three-story townhouse with income potential and plenty of vintage details, listed for $1,800,000. The second, a two-bedroom garden duplex co-op in Clinton Hill for $895k, is as adorable as it is unusual inside and out, and the garden looks to be pure magic.
Read on for these two springtime finds

Distinctive Homes

May 19, 2015

Community Board Wants Moratorium Placed on Central Park Skyscrapers Taller than 600 Feet

Those looking to build a behemoth along Central Park may have to look elsewhere. The Manhattan Community Board Five's Sunshine Task Force has voted in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate, temporary moratorium on any new construction of 600 feet or taller that is not already undergoing public review, particularly with those threatening to cast shadows over Central Park in an area bounded by 53rd Street and Central Park South, and Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. The board voiced their concerns and outlined the ban in a policy brief (via DNA Info) which made its way to the desks of the Department of City Planning and the mayor last week.
FInd out more here

May 19, 2015

Brooklyn Heights Apartment Has Amazing Windows for Amazing Views