REVEALED: Bjarke Ingels Design for 2 World Trade Center
June 9, 2015

REVEALED: Bjarke Ingels Design for 2 World Trade Center

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Last week it was made official that starchitect Bjarke Ingels would replace Norman Foster as the designer of 2 World Trade Center, as News Corp. and 21st Century Fox closed in on a decision to move into the downtown tower. Now, without delay, Wired has revealed exclusive renderings of the Ingels redesign for the site, which will top out at 1,340 feet, just 28 feet shy of One World Trade Center. The glass tower is defined by its striking setbacks that retract from the spot of the 9/11 attacks. Bjarke said in a statement, "To complete this urban reunification (the) tower will feel equally at home in Tribeca and the World Trade Center. From Tribeca, the home of lofts and roof gardens, it will appear like a vertical village of singular buildings stacked on top of each other...From the World Trade Center, the individual towers will appear unified, completing the colonnade of towers framing the 9/11 Memorial. Horizontal meets vertical. Diversity becomes unity."
Watch a video of the architect discussing his new design
Are Yuccies the New Hipsters?

Yuccie illustration via Bob Al-Greene for Mashable

June 9, 2015

Are Yuccies the New Hipsters?

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Yuccies = Young Urban Creatives. And according to Mashable, they're the new iteration of hipsters. The author describes his self-created and self-describing class as "a slice of Generation Y, borne of suburban comfort, indoctrinated with the transcendent power of education, and infected by the conviction that not only do we deserve to pursue our dreams; we should profit from them." Just think of your friends moving to Brooklyn these days. They probably work for a startup rather than as a furniture maker and they likely do Flywheel instead of hot yoga. It's a new type of free spiritedness, the love child of yuppie and hipster that is rooted in personal fulfillment while still maintaining a successful lifestyle (and Instagraming it along the way).
More on the yuccie trend ahead
Jil Sander CEO’s 5th Avenue Apartment Gets an Ultra Minimalist Renovation by Thomas Phifer
June 9, 2015

Jil Sander CEO’s 5th Avenue Apartment Gets an Ultra Minimalist Renovation by Thomas Phifer

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Jil Sander's CEO, Constance Darrow, and her husband, Angelo Lombardi, are constantly traveling between Milan and New York. But when they stay in the Big Apple they have a stunning, ultra contemporary space to rest their heads. Located in a prewar building on Fifth Avenue, the couple's love nest is a modern renovation by Thomas Phifer and Partners that opts for the scant over the ostentatious. Though living in such sparse quarters would make many feel uncomfortable, this space embodies a very powerful air by having almost nothing in it.
Learn more about this ultra minimal Fifth Avenue Apartment
Second Avenue Subway May Open Sooner Than Expected; 70 Years of the Circle Line Boat Tour
June 9, 2015

Second Avenue Subway May Open Sooner Than Expected; 70 Years of the Circle Line Boat Tour

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The Feds say they’re confident the Second Avenue Subway will open in early 2017, sooner than the most recent February 2018 estimation. [NYDN] A photographer documents New York’s diversity through “No Parking” signs. [Animal] The city’s Circle Line boat tour celebrates its 70th birthday. Here’s a look back at its impressive history. [Mashable] Daredevil Tattoos […]

Karim Rashid Asks Facebook Followers to Choose the Facade of His Next Building
June 9, 2015

Karim Rashid Asks Facebook Followers to Choose the Facade of His Next Building

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With all the controversy currently swirling around Karim Rashid's colorful design of a residential building in a historic Harlem neighborhood, it looks like the designer is looking to avoid any additional headache with the public as he moves forward with a brand new project in Soho. Rashid recently took to Facebook, asking his more than 419,000 followers to vote for one of four facades being considered for a building slated to rise at 30 Thompson Street. "It is a great opportunity to get feedback for my work," he said. "I believe we live in the age of 'the empowerment of the individual' where we all have a voice in the digital age."
Find out more here
Luxury Parisian Hotel May Be Coming to Chetrit’s Sony Building Conversion
June 9, 2015

Luxury Parisian Hotel May Be Coming to Chetrit’s Sony Building Conversion

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It's definitely been a big number game at Chetrit's Sony Building conversion–from the 96 luxury condos they'll add to floors 14 to 33 of the 37-story tower, to the planned $1.8 billion sellout, to the $150 million triplex penthouse, which, if sold, would be both the city's priciest unit in history (if not eclipsed by the $175 million unit at 220 Central Park South) as well as the largest at 21,504 square feet. And now the Post reports that Chetrit is going to up the ante at 550 Madison Avenue by turning part of the commercial space on the lower floors into a luxury Parisian hotel.
Get the scoop
Former Tribeca Commercial Space Is Now an Extravagant Modern Loft Asking $8.2 Million
June 9, 2015

Former Tribeca Commercial Space Is Now an Extravagant Modern Loft Asking $8.2 Million

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This Tribeca loft is really something. It's located at 88 Franklin Street, a former textile factory turned commercial space. The New York Times profiled the current owner who decided to buy the commercial space and work to convert it himself into a residential loft apartment. The result, after a thorough renovation, is a modern pad with big windows and unique bathrooms.
Check it out

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Three UES Townhouses List for $120M, Could Be Single-Family Mansion

12-16 East 62nd Street via NYDN

June 8, 2015

Three UES Townhouses List for $120M, Could Be Single-Family Mansion

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Most of us can only dream of owning a townhouse on the Upper East Side, so the idea of having three of them seems downright silly. But that's exactly what's for sale on East 62nd Street–three adjacent townhouses that are being sold as a package deal for their potential to be combined into one giant, 30,000-square-foot mansion. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the $120 million listing, and the Daily News revealed that the billionaire Safra family, of Brazilian banking fame, is behind the company listed as the seller. Currently, the three limestone, six-story homes at 12, 14, and 16 East 62nd Street are divided into 13 apartments with one doorman, though they can be delivered vacant. Together they boast 23 fireplaces, 11 terraces, and two roof decks. What makes the trifecta perfect for a combination is the fact that the homes are pretty much identical, with their cornices, ceilings, and floors all lining up.
More details ahead
Own a Charming Wood Frame Church in the Catskills for $99,000
June 8, 2015

Own a Charming Wood Frame Church in the Catskills for $99,000

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We're all keen on the trend of buying religious institutions for use as residential buildings. But in Manhattan, living on hallowed ground often means shelling out millions to nab just a room or two in one of these holy structures. Well, if you're on a budget and have designs on living in something a little more divine than a church attic studio (and don't mind giving up the city life), then feast your eyes on this amazing wood frame church located 90 minutes from Manhattan in the town of Harris in the Catskills. Priced at a mere $99,000, this 2,500-square-foot cutie was constructed in 1920, comes with half an acre, and according to its Craigslist listing, is in "excellent shape!"
Have a look inside
Harlem Rents Jump 90 Percent over the Past 12 Years, Bed-Stuy Not Much Better at 63 Percent
June 8, 2015

Harlem Rents Jump 90 Percent over the Past 12 Years, Bed-Stuy Not Much Better at 63 Percent

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Take everything you think you know about "affordable" alternatives to pricey neighborhoods and throw it out the window. This map from the Community Service Society (first shared by the Daily News) analyzes newly released census data that compares median rents between 2002 and 2014. The data is drawn from a New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Urban Development survey of 18,000 New Yorkers every three years who had recently moved, which "eliminates the tendency of lower rents paid by long-time tenants to smooth out market changes and mask the changes that affect tenants who are looking for a place to live," according to CSS. The report shows that rents citywide have increased 32 percent over the past 12 years, not a new or surprising figure. But it also shows drastic increases in neighborhoods that have been traditionally thought of as more affordable. Central Harlem saw the biggest jump at 90 percent; the average rent in 2002 for new residents was $821 and now it's skyrocketed to $1,560. Other no-longer-affordable neighborhoods are Bed-Stuy at a 63 percent increase and Washington Heights/Inwood at 55 percent. The other 'hoods topping the list include less surprising areas like Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO/Fort Greene at 59 percent and Williamsburg/Greenpoint at 53 percent.
More findings from the report
Skyscrapers Signal Economic Doom; South Street Seaport Tower Design to Be Revised
June 8, 2015

Skyscrapers Signal Economic Doom; South Street Seaport Tower Design to Be Revised

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The extinction of a quintessential NYC architectural facet has commenced: An architect pushing to remove fire escapes from two Soho buildings has received permission from the city to move forward. [DNA Info] Blue Bottle is expanding operations into NYC. The California-based brewer is opening up a roasting plant in Bushwick. [CO] A 392-rental project backed by Japanese […]

The Ultimate Williamsburg Loft Is on the Market for $7,500 a Month
June 8, 2015

The Ultimate Williamsburg Loft Is on the Market for $7,500 a Month

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Coming straight from Williamsburg, the Brooklyn neighborhood that's perhaps best known for its stock of loft apartments, is the ultimate loft at 330 Wythe Avenue. This is at the Esquire loft building, a pre-war building that now has its own dog washing station, common terrace, and compost center. While the building's gone condo, this apartment is up for rent asking $7,500 a month. It's been billed "the coolest loft apartment in Williamsburg," according to the listing. Do you think it fits the bill?
Take a look inside
Livin Studio Designs Innovative Fungi Cutlery for Eating Their Futuristic Sustainable Food
June 8, 2015

Livin Studio Designs Innovative Fungi Cutlery for Eating Their Futuristic Sustainable Food

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After their successful Fungi Mutarium (aka FU), a novel fungi food product grown on plastic waste, Austrian designers Livin Studio just had to come up with a specific Fungi Cutlery as new types of foods demand new ways of eating. Developed in close collaboration with Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Katharina Unger and Julia Kaisinger created a set of four silver cutlery pieces they call Drip Dropper, Round Chops, Hollknife, and Moon Spoon. These beautiful utensils can be used for drizzling sauce, slicing, slurping, and reaching even the tiniest bit of fungi, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
Learn more about this precious cutlery of the future
Fill Your Home with the Scent of ‘Hot Garbage Radiance’ and Other Summertime City Fragrances

© Mashable, Vicky Leta

June 8, 2015

Fill Your Home with the Scent of ‘Hot Garbage Radiance’ and Other Summertime City Fragrances

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Before you get too excited (which we really hope you're not), let us tell you that these candles don't actually exist. They're a funny series from Mashable that parodies the stench of the city during a season when pleasant candle scents like "ocean breeze" and "fresh-cut peonies" take over shelves. While NYC doesn't generally smell like roses, the heat and humidity do a fine job at intensifying all of the gag-inducing odors one encounters while navigating a typical day. Candle scents illustrated here include Underfed Alley Cat Seduction, Eau du Subway Passenger, Rotting Produce, Formerly Fresh Baked Pizza, and a Gentle Gust of Garbage Truck, among some even more horrendous offenders.
Check the rest out here
No One Will Dare Challenge Your Throne in This $29M Palatial Pad
June 8, 2015

No One Will Dare Challenge Your Throne in This $29M Palatial Pad

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Here's a particularly gaudy apartment for those who want to literally feel like a king and queen of their palace. This six-story, 13,000-square-foot mansion at 7 East 84th Street came on the market for the first time in almost two decades in 2013, asking $30 million. It appears that after two years and no takers, it has finally lowered the price by a whole million, landing at $29 million. It's appropriately located inside the Metropolitan Museum Historic District, so its statues must feel right at home. Plus, it has a temperature-controlled wine cellar and tasting room in the basement that looks like it's straight out of "Game of Thrones," so we had to take a look.
More pics inside
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Energy Star-Rated Green Woods House in Amagansett Was Passively Designed
June 7, 2015

Energy Star-Rated Green Woods House in Amagansett Was Passively Designed

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When the owner of an existing house located in the woods in Amagansett approached Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, he requested a modern family residence that was as energy-efficient and sustainable as possible. With this in mind, the architects created the Green Woods House, a passive solar design that opens up towards the south, keeping the north-facing façade well insulated and private from the road. Read on to find out how the Bridgehampton-based studio managed to make someone's dream home a reality with a limited budget and sloppy terrain.
Learn more about this passive, stunning family home
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
June 6, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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A Trashcan Inspired the Design of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue $18 Million Townhouse in Greenwich Village Will Speak to Your Inner Historian and Artist Interior Renderings Revealed for Central Park South’s Brand New 1,210-Foot Supertall Bjarke Ingels Confirmed to Replace Norman Foster in the Design of 2 World Trade Center Elizabeth Roberts Brings Light […]

New Yorker Spotlight: Michael Schneider on Telling Tales of Immigration on Ellis Island Using Technology
June 5, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Michael Schneider on Telling Tales of Immigration on Ellis Island Using Technology

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Modern-day storytelling ranges from the age-old tradition of oration to the modern take of 140 characters. But what happens when the story is a mix of old and new and is intended for an audience that ranges from elementary school students to centenarians? That's where ESI Design, a firm dedicated to enriching the human experience, steps in. ESI was founded in 1977 by Edwin Schlossberg. Their unique focus on melding traditional techniques with modern technology made them the perfect fit to design the recently launched Peopling of America Center at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. The center–conceived with the vision and support of the Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation and its president Stephen Briganti and the National Parks Service–highlights journeys undertaken before Ellis Island opened in 1892 with "Journeys: The Peopling of America - 1550s-1890," which opened in 2011. On May 20th, another wing called "The Journey: New Eras of Immigration" opened to give visitors the chance to look at immigration that took place after Ellis Island closed in 1954. One of the visionaries at ESI is senior designer of media and technology Michael Schneider. For the Peopling of America Center, he was responsible for figuring out which of the available technologies worked best for the new exhibits and their audience. We recently spoke with Michael to learn how ESI approaches storytelling and, specifically, how the firm designed the galleries for the Peopling of America Center.
Read our interview with Michael here
Inventor D.H. Burrell’s Little Falls Mansion Will Transport You Back to the Victorian Age
June 5, 2015

Inventor D.H. Burrell’s Little Falls Mansion Will Transport You Back to the Victorian Age

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Comfortably nestled within the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, the Burrell Overlook Mansion is seemingly untouched by time. This former farmstead built between 1886-1889 was the home of inventor and engineer D.H. Burrell. Burrell, a quirky genius in his own right, paired the Victorian mansion with a self-sustaining hydroelectric power generator that amazingly remains functional to this day. But while the mansion once served as a playground for madcap ideas, today it operates as a peaceful bed and breakfast and historical hideaway for those passing through the valley. And now, for a mere $725,000, you can make this beauty your very own personal retreat.
Read more about this historic home
QUIZ: Play 6sqft Trivia to Test Your Knowledge of NYC History, Architecture, and Real Estate
June 5, 2015

QUIZ: Play 6sqft Trivia to Test Your Knowledge of NYC History, Architecture, and Real Estate

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On Tuesday, 6sqft celebrated its first birthday with a party attended by some of our biggest supporters and readers. The evening included an intense three-round game of trivia, where our guests tested their knowledge of New York City history, architecture and real estate. Some of the questions stumped all ten teams, while others turned out to be well-known factoids. Didn't make it to the party? We've created an online version of our trivia game just for you. No Googling allowed!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Pier55 Floating Park Gets New Renderings and Updated Design Details
June 5, 2015

Pier55 Floating Park Gets New Renderings and Updated Design Details

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Back in April, the city introduced a plan B for Barry Diller's Pier 55 floating park, but it was far less exciting than the original futuristic design. Thankfully, the latest set of renderings, revealed by Curbed, show that the whimsical nature of the park hasn't gone anywhere. Mathews Nielsen, the landscape architect for the project who is working with designer Thomas Heatherwick, unveiled the latest set of images at a meeting this week. They take into account concerns from the local community board, including its height (the platform will now be 62 feet at its highest point as opposed to 70), circulation (the winding pathways are being designed with congestion in mind), and the issue of people jumping off (the periphery will be lined with shrubbery and a fence).
More details ahead
Jon Bon Jovi Unloads His Mercer Street Penthouse for $34M
June 5, 2015

Jon Bon Jovi Unloads His Mercer Street Penthouse for $34M

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It's official, rocker Jon Bon Jovi is now free of the 158 Mercer Street digs he's been trying to unload for the past for two years. First reported by The Real Deal, city records filed this afternoon show that the home traded hands for a whopping $34 million; although at first this seems like a pretty penny, it's actually way down from its original ask of $42 million. The buyer is Austrian-American businessman and investor Gerhard Andlinger, who previously called a sprawling 8,300-square-footer at the Time Warner Center his home.
Have a look inside the penthouse

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