June 12, 2015

Thomas Phifer’s Ethereal Woodland Retreat Hides Behind a Rippled Silver Curtain

Standing on an idyllic clearing within a nine-acre woodland parcel in the Hudson Valley, the Salt Point House boasts an ethereal beauty that is still strikingly contemporary. Designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners for a New York City couple, this stunningly simple weekend retreat consists of a glass and wood box sandwiched between two rippled silver curtains. Made from perforated stainless steel, the shades not only keep the interiors private but also filter the excess brilliance mediating the home with its luscious surroundings.
Learn more about this ethereal home in the woods
June 12, 2015

Laser-Engraved Rolling Pins Leave Fun Prints on Your Baked Goods

Why waste your time with sprinkles and icing when you can fancy up your cookies with nothing more than a rolling pin? These laser-engraved models from Valek are embossed with fun patterns like moustaches, deer, and swirly leaf motifs. There's even miniature versions for the kids that feature dinosaurs or robots. With just a roll of the pin, your dough instantly becomes a piece of art.
More here
June 12, 2015

How to Play an Historic Building; NYC Is Pretty Polluted Says the EPA

Forget the drums, why not play an historic building instead? Yup, Soho’s cast iron buildings can be used as musical instruments. [Off the Grid] Charting the age distribution at the top social networks. The youngsters really love Snapchat. [BI] A new interactive map from the Environmental Protection Agency shows neighborhood pollution, and the results aren’t […]

June 12, 2015

Former Tribeca Mansion Now Holds Spectacular Triplex Penthouse Asking $85,000 a Month

144 Duane Street in Tribeca has an interesting history behind it. The 150-year-old limestone building was originally used as a shoe factory and was later transformed into an insane single-family mansion. The 23,000-square-foot home was outfitted with a basketball court in the basement, a landscaped roof deck, and a crazy glass staircase. It hit the market in 2011, asking $45 million, and when a buyer never turned up it hit the rental market, asking $100,000 a month. It eventually sold in 2013 for $43 million, according to public records. The owner then converted the mansion into four rental apartments asking between $12,500 and $85,000 a month. Are you keeping track? This unit, a triplex penthouse, is the one asking $85,000, and it's just as insane as you'd expect it to be, with a massive 10,829-square-foot footprint, five bedrooms, and a crystal-like glass topper.
Take a look inside
June 12, 2015

Own a Charles Gwathmey-Designed Mid-Century Marvel in East Hampton for $2.5M

If you've always dreamed of owning a piece of mid-century modern history, now's your chance. Located at 19 North West Landing Road in East Hampton, this abode was designed by famed New York Five architect Charles Gwathmey in 1968 for the graphic artist Joe Sedacca, hence its name the Sedacca House. It was only Gwathmey's third commission in a long line of projects that would include the addition to Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum, 445 Lafayette Street, and the United States Mission to the United Nations. The current owner of the home, Paul Amador, bought it in 1993 for only $245,000, reports Curbed Hamptons. At the time, he was quoted in the Times saying, "I feel like I won the lottery. I'm buying a piece of art for the cost of the raw materials." He's now looking to make a steep profit, asking $2.495 million for the "living sculpture."
Take a look around here
June 11, 2015

98 Percent of Manhattan Rentals Are Occupied, Rents Keep Rising Everywhere

Looking to change apartments? Well apparently so is everyone else in the city as they get slammed with rent hikes. According to Douglas Elliman's latest rental report prepared by real estate guru Jonathan Miller, there was an 85.1 percent increase in new leases signed last month with units lingering on the market an average of only 41 days before being scooped up by a new tenant. Landlord concessions have also pretty much disappeared, they report, and the city's vacancy was a mere 1.65 percent in May. The takeaway: Even in the face of insane, and ever-rising rents—we're now talking a median $3,380 in the city (up for the 15th consecutive month)—Manhattan's is still full of crazy people (including us) willing to pour their paychecks into one-bedroom apartments with no views. Brooklyn, of course, was no better, with median rents also climbing to $2,961.
more here
June 11, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 6/11-6/17

This week I invite you to enjoy a free glass of wine while getting to know my curatorial side at the Roger Smith Hotel in Midtown. A shameless self-promotion, I'm excited to bring the work of Mark John Smith before the eyes of 47th Street. If you don't feel like meeting me, you can still catch Smith's work along with his colleagues on Rivington Street, or sample an interactive experience at the Park Avenue Armory. This week you can also catch a sample of short films about street dancing (What time is it? IT'S SHOW TIME!), or gear up on the joys of tech and design at the Hudson 3D fest in Lower Manhattan. Saturday, get outside and celebrate street art in Astoria, or take Van Alen-led tours of Central Park.
All the best events here
June 11, 2015

Bjarke Ingels Talks About His Design for 2 World Trade Center

If you were still itching for more after Tuesday's reveal of Bjarke Ingels' design for Two World Trade Center, you're in luck. The starchitect himself chatted with NY Yimby about his design process and inspirations behind the tower. He also revealed an interesting tidbit of information when asked when asked when he started the design process. "Let's say in December," he responded. Keep in mind, though, that word only broke about him replacing Norman Foster in April. Controversy aside, Ingels has a lot to say about this world-famous project, including why he thinks Foster's plan was scrapped for his.
More revealing details right this way
June 11, 2015

432 Park Will Offer Office Space; Heidi Klum May Purchase $11M Island

Billionaires living in 432 Park can have their minions work right below them. The supertall condo tower will also offer office space. [Crain’s] Remember this amazing island plus home combo going for $11M? Well, it might have a buyer. Heidi Klum has reportedly checked it out. [NYP] Foster and Partners break ground on their 425 Park Avenue skyscraper project. […]

June 11, 2015

Kodama Zomes: Hanging Geodesic Homes for Lazing the Summer Away

Are you ready for a relaxing summer? We've found a great piece of furniture floating around the Internet that we wouldn't mind having in our home. Meet the new Kodama Zomes, a unique hanging lounger shaped like a geodesic dome that offers the perfect space for relaxation, reading, meditating, or just snoozing your afternoons away. Designed by structural engineer Richie Duncan, the sturdy cocoon will help you unplug as it softly sways you with the summer breeze.
Learn more about these floating sofas
June 11, 2015

VIDEO: From Painted Caves to 3D-Printed Houses, Watch How Housing Has Changed Throughout History

With 3D printing taking hold as the hottest new building trend, it's worth taking a look back at how far humans have come in the realm of home construction. Over 16,000 years ago, mammoth-bone houses were the biggest thing in architecture, and that was only a step up from painted caves. These and other home construction milestones are highlighted in a short animated video by the Atlantic called "Home Is Where the Hearth Is: A Brief History." The astutely named video demonstrates how housing has changed from prehistoric times to the present.
Watch the video here
June 11, 2015

Photographer Bob Estremera Shows Us That Greenwich Village Is Still Full of Character

When we talk about the allure of Greenwich Village, we're often referring to it in past tense, reminiscing about the good old days of folk music, ridiculously cheap apartments for artists, and the free-spirited bohemians that transformed the enclave into a cultural hub. And when we do talk about the Village in present tense, it's often because we're examining gentrification, whining about those pesky NYU students, or looking at the ever-rising rents. But if we stop feeling bitter about the fact that we can't get a $600/month studio there anymore, the Village still has plenty of charming and quirky storefronts, buildings, and characters. Photographer Bob Estremera captured this essence of the neighborhood in an impromptu rainy-day photo shoot that reminds us to take the time to look around and appreciate the small things.
See all the amazing black-and-white photos here
June 10, 2015

$120M UES Townhouses-to-Mansion Combo Officially Hits the Market

On Monday, news broke that the three Upper East Side townhouses owned by the billionaire Safra family were being quietly marketed as a $120 million combination to be turned into one giant mega-mansion. Today, the listing at 12-16 East 62nd Street has officially hit the market, and there's some pretty impressive floorplans to give prospective buyers an idea of how their palatial home could look. Also up for grabs is the brownstone next door to the trifecta at 18 East 62nd Street. This wouldn't combine as easily as the other three, as their cornices, ceilings, and floors all line up, but it could make a pretty spectacular guest house.
Ogle the floorplans here
June 10, 2015

J.P. Morgan’s 120-Year-Old ‘Great Camp Uncas’ in the Adirondacks Can Be Yours for $3.25M

You can now own a piece of the Adirondacks that has provided serenity for so many others for over a century. The secluded Camp Uncas was built in 1895 by Brooklynite William West Durant, who is credited with perfecting the Adirondack "Great Camp" style. While the compound is unquestionably a spectacular work, its claim to fame is that it was once owned by financier J.P. Morgan. Morgan purchased the 1,500 acre property from Durant in 1897, and for the fifty years that followed, his family used it as a vacation home. Though the property has traded hands several times since the Morgans graced its grounds, its roster of owners is no less interesting—nor is its rustic architecture.
Explore the forest hideaway
June 10, 2015

Winston Marshall, Banjoist for Mumford & Sons, Buys $3.2M Nolita Pad

Fresh off the release of their third album, and in the midst of a national tour, Mumford & Sons has laid down some roots in NYC. Banjoist for the band Winston A. Marshall has picked up an impressive Nolita apartment at 237 Lafayette Street for $3.2 million, according to city records released today. The sprawling, 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom co-op definitely has room for the entire band to crash, and its charming downtown loft vibe will certainly impress any love interests (ahem, Katy Perry).
Take a look around the musician's new digs
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June 10, 2015

Trolley Map from the 1930s Shows How Easy It Was to Get Around Brooklyn

Long before there was a subway packed full of angry crowds and unidentifiable organisms, New Yorkers in Brooklyn enjoyed above-ground commutes serviced by a streetcar system. This map posted recently by a Redditor is a blast from the past, showing just how complete and comprehensive this network was. In fact, by 1930, nearly 1,800 trolleys were traveling along the streets of BK from Greenpoint to Gowanus to Bay Ridge and beyond. Though the system proved to be profitable (yes, NYC once ran a transit system that actually made them money), the streetcars were eventually forced out of the city by none other than the auto industry.
find out more and see the complete map here
June 10, 2015

An Apple Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and It Could Be in Your Own Backyard

Want to live in the city without giving up your greenery? This $1.45 million two-bedroom garden apartment in Cobble Hill might be the perfect solution. It offers 1,020 square feet of space in a 25-foot-wide brownstone co-op, with a beautifully manicured backyard and a gorgeous patio. We're talking enough green space to entertain you, friends and family, Fido, and your weedwhacker. Now that sounds promising.
More pics inside
June 10, 2015

Go Inside NYC’s Oldest Home; When Your Couch Won’t Fit Through the Doorway

Tour the Lent-Riker-Smith homestead, the oldest “inhabited private dwelling” in the city, and possibly the country. [Curbed] Watch an intricate pen-and-ink illustration of New York City get completed in just three minutes. [BK Mag] These “depressingly hilarious” cartoons show why life in your 20s and 30s isn’t that different. [WP] How two Vice Media employees live as roommates […]

June 10, 2015

Camera-Equipped Intelligent Oven Knows Exactly How to Cook Your Meal

Although it may look like a run-of-the-mill toaster oven, don't let its modest appearance deceive you. This little appliance will quickly turn a poor soul who can't fry an egg into a master chef—or something close to one. Invented by Ammunition Group, a team credited with bringing the iPhone, the FitBit, the GoPro, and Lyft to market, the June Intelligent Oven is a revolutionary kitchen appliance that harnesses the power of everything we digital age junkies love: computers, a HD camera, and a Google-like image search system that can determine what we're cooking and how it should be cooked.
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June 10, 2015

Wood Details Abound in This $1.3M Bed-Stuy Townhouse

Bed-Stuy is a Brooklyn neighborhood that's known for its stock of historic townhouses with incredible interior details. Here's one at 724 Macon Street, on the market for $1.299 million. The listing brags that the details are in "museum quality condition," and looking through the photos we'd have to agree. If you're someone who likes old homes, you will want to check out the extensive woodwork throughout the interior.
Right this way

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