Rare UES Townhouse Addition Coming to Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile
July 29, 2015

Rare UES Townhouse Addition Coming to Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile

By
New buildings along Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side are hard to come by, but a rare development prospect may be in the works for a small site on a dormant stretch of the avenue in Carnegie Hill. Building permits filed yesterday detail the construction of a five-story residential addition atop an existing eight-story, 30-foot-wide townhouse at 1143 Fifth Avenue, between 95th and 96th Streets. The brick and limestone building designed by J.E.R. Carpenter, was erected in 1923, and up until recently, housed staffers of the French Embassy. Last June, the 16,000-square-foot, seven-unit property was unloaded by the French government for $36.4 million and picked up by a buyer listed as 1143 5th Ave LLC.
More on the potential development ahead
Bringing Back Drinking Fountains in NYC; Run Your Gadgets on Solar Energy with a Simple Outlet Adapter
July 29, 2015

Bringing Back Drinking Fountains in NYC; Run Your Gadgets on Solar Energy with a Simple Outlet Adapter

By

Can drinking fountains make a comeback in NYC? [CityLab] There’s a tiny island called Tinian, 8,000 miles from New York in the Pacific Ocean, where you’ll find NYC locations like Broadway, Central Park, Greenwich Village, and Riverside Drive. [Gothamist] A table lamp designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his 1911 Taliesin house in Wisconsin is now available […]

July 29, 2015

POLL: Should the MTA Get Money from the State Before LaGuardia Airport?

By

Yesterday, we learned of Governor Cuomo’s plans for a major, $4 billion overhaul of LaGuardia Airport. The project includes consolidating the four terminals, moving the entire facility south, introducing a 24-hour ferry service, and launching AirTrain service that’ll connect travelers to the 7 line in Willet’s Point. Today, however, the revelry took a turn when it […]

Airbnb Is Gobbling Up 20 Percent of Apartments in Popular Manhattan and Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Photo courtesy of Airbnb via Facebook

July 29, 2015

Airbnb Is Gobbling Up 20 Percent of Apartments in Popular Manhattan and Brooklyn Neighborhoods

By
As if it wasn't challenging enough to find a reasonable apartment in New York City, Airbnb is now taking up 20 percent of available units in popular Manhattan and Brooklyn zip codes, reports the Daily News. According to a study from New York Communities for Change and Real Affordability For All, the East Village is the most affected, with 28 percent of its apartments being rented as illegal hotel rooms on Airbnb. Additionally, the 20 most popular neighborhoods on the room sharing site "have lost 10% of their available housing units to Airbnb."
Find out more here
$1.75 Million Bed-Stuy Townhouse in a Future Historic District Has Location, Space and Charm
July 29, 2015

$1.75 Million Bed-Stuy Townhouse in a Future Historic District Has Location, Space and Charm

By
For anyone looking to bet on Bed-Stuy–not a bad idea, we hear–this classic three-family townhouse at 44 Macon Street could be a fine opportunity. While the $1.75 million ask for this 2,720 square-foot, 13-room home might have been unheard-of even five years ago, anything this charming under $2 million in brownstone Brooklyn is going to get some attention these days. The multi-family layout gives you lots of options–while still getting the 1-3 family tax break. Currently set up as an upper duplex with two floor-through apartments below, there is one catch: There's a tenant in place in the garden apartment, which won't be delivered vacant; this should certainly be considered, but that leaves three floors, all tastefully renovated with a laid-back, loft-like aesthetic, to do as you please.
Check out this classic Bed-Stuy bet, this way
Governor Cuomo Reveals Renderings for $4 Billion LaGuardia Airport Overhaul
July 28, 2015

Governor Cuomo Reveals Renderings for $4 Billion LaGuardia Airport Overhaul

By
After much anticipation, Governor Cuomo unveiled his plan yesterday to overhaul LaGuardia Airport, which he called "un-New York" in its current state. The $4 billion project includes consolidating the four terminals into one hub and moving the entire facility south the length of two football fields, according to Crain's. Additionally, Cuomo's controversial AirTrain, which will connect travelers to the 7 line in Willet's Point, will be put into effect, as will a 24-hour ferry service that will operate out of the landmarked Art Deco Marine Air Terminal. The development will be handled by LaGuardia Gateway Partners, a new public-private partnership formed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who will oversee the construction, financing, and operation of the new terminal under a 35-year lease.
Lots more details and renderings this way
Eero Saarinen’s Iconic JFK Terminal to Be Reborn as the ‘TWA Flight Center Hotel’
July 28, 2015

Eero Saarinen’s Iconic JFK Terminal to Be Reborn as the ‘TWA Flight Center Hotel’

By
For the last 14 years, JFK's most beloved structure has mostly languished vacant, reopened intermittently for public tours or to serve as the backdrop of some Jet Age fashion shoot. While there has been plenty of talk surrounding the TWA Flight Center's transformation into a hotel, details have remained sparse until now. As Curbed has it, the city has finally revealed that MCR Development will be taking the reigns alongside JetBlue and the NYNJ Port Authority, bringing the iconic terminal back to life as a 505-room LEED-certified hotel with restaurants, 40,000 square feet of meeting space and a 10,000-square-foot observation deck. The project will aptly be called "The TWA Flight Center Hotel."
FInd out more here
$4.4M for Turnkey Updates and Designer Flair in an Historic Brooklyn Heights Townhouse
July 28, 2015

$4.4M for Turnkey Updates and Designer Flair in an Historic Brooklyn Heights Townhouse

By
All told, $4.4 million isn't really a lot to ask for a four-story townhouse in prime Brooklyn Heights–in fact, the longtime sales record-holder, Truman Capote's former home at 70 Willow Street, sold for $12.5 million back in 2012 and was recently bested by the $15.5 million sale of a Cobble Hill townhouse. And this landmarked home at 73 Joralemon Street is no fixer-upper; quite the opposite. A top-to-toe, no-expense-spared redesign was just completed, helmed by designer Nick Olsen. Not only were the home's interiors transformed with dramatic flair, modern updates took place throughout: new windows were installed, stairs replaced and hardwood floors refinished; all mechanicals were replaced including central heating and air.
Take a look inside, this way

Distinctive Homes

VIEW ALL
Where to Find the NYC Haunts and Houses of Famous Writers
July 28, 2015

Where to Find the NYC Haunts and Houses of Famous Writers

By
New York City has always been a hub for writers. Whether they were living in luxury or getting their start as starving artists, famous writers have lived and worked all across New York, and you can still see many of these writerly abodes today. Whether you're a fan of the Beat Generation, Sci-Fi, or even Southern Gothic, you might be interested in tracking down a famous writer's home.
See where writers lived and worked here
Office of Architecture Brings Individuality and Adaptability to a Brooklyn Row House
July 28, 2015

Office of Architecture Brings Individuality and Adaptability to a Brooklyn Row House

By
Usually, there isn't much individuality to be found among Brooklyn row houses, at least not until you step inside. When a Brooklyn couple approached Office of Architecture about gut renovating their row house, the firm took it upon themselves to create a home that not only would stand out, but would be adaptable to the pair's needs as their life progressed.
Get a closer look
Quirky Park Slope Duplex with Charming Backyard Asks $629K
July 28, 2015

Quirky Park Slope Duplex with Charming Backyard Asks $629K

By
Talk about quirky... this is a property you don't see in Brooklyn every day. The unit in question is located at 429 7th Avenue, in Park Slope. It's a duplex with a kooky sleeping loft instead of a bedroom, a unique layout, and a really nice private backyard. It's not going to be for everyone but that outdoor space, plus a location two blocks west of Prospect Park, will certainly appeal to some. Don't mind the idea of curling up in a loft to go to bed? Well, the apartment is now for sale by owner asking $629,000.
See the rest of it
Renderings Revealed for Bjarke Ingels’ Curved Harlem Apartment Building
July 28, 2015

Renderings Revealed for Bjarke Ingels’ Curved Harlem Apartment Building

By
Now that the hoopla surrounding his design for Two World Trade Center has simmered down, we've got a fresh set of renderings from Danish starchitect Bjarke Ingels. NY Yimby revealed the preliminary designs for his firm's 11-story East Harlem apartment building at 146 East 126th Street, which show a T-shaped structure that cantilevers over the Gotham Plaza retail center on 125th Street. The real fun is on the 126th Street side, though, where Bjarke employs a play on the conventional street wall with an undulating facade that seems to be a modern interpretation of the surrounding brick buildings. The project is being developed by none other than Extell, along with the Blumenfeld Group.
More details and renderings here
Photographing Street Art on NYC Doorways; The Last Remnant of the Original Penn Station
July 28, 2015

Photographing Street Art on NYC Doorways; The Last Remnant of the Original Penn Station

By

Photo series “Doorway Galleries” documents the spray-painted, stenciled, and stickered doorways of NYC buildings. [BK Mag] Active uses, street furniture, and first-floor windows–are these the three traits shared by the city’s most walkable streets? [CityLab] A mysterious building on West 31st Street is the last remnant of the original Penn Station. [Scouting NY] This device […]

Donald Trump Gets $21M for Trump Park Avenue Penthouse
July 28, 2015

Donald Trump Gets $21M for Trump Park Avenue Penthouse

By
When you have $1.4 billion in assets, $21 million is a drop in the bucket, but the Wall Street Journal reports that's what Donald Trump just got for the sale of his penthouse in his namesake building Trump Park Avenue. The apartment is not too exciting, but it does boast 6,200 square feet, ten-foot ceilings, five bedrooms, seven-and-a-half bathrooms, and a private elevator. Trump bought the full-floor penthouse in 2002, when his company converted the Upper East Side building to condos, but never lived there. It first hit the market back in 2013 for $35 million and most recently got a price chop to $24.99 million.
Look around the whole place here
Should NYC Implement San Francisco’s ‘Pee-Proof’ Paint to Deter Public Urination?

Image via YouTube/St. Pauli Peeback

July 27, 2015

Should NYC Implement San Francisco’s ‘Pee-Proof’ Paint to Deter Public Urination?

By
Normally, urinating in public comes with a hefty fine, but in San Francisco, offenders might be spending their money instead on a new pair of clothes and shoes. The problem has apparently gotten so out of hand in the city that the Public Works Department is implementing "pee-proof" paint on walls that are hot spots for people to relieve themselves. The special superhydrophobic coating called Ultra-Ever Dry is liquid repellent, and therefore splashes the urine right back on the person.
More details and a video on the technology
Entertain on Three Levels in This $2.5M Modern Chelsea Loft
July 27, 2015

Entertain on Three Levels in This $2.5M Modern Chelsea Loft

By
While most lofts offer a spacious open interior, this recently-listed $2.5 million Chelsea triplex extends vertically as well; a stylish recent renovation gets creative with windows and skylights to maximize light flow throughout all three floors. The 1,797-square-foot, two-bedroom condo at 251 West 19th Street–known as Chelsea 19, the classic loft building was built in 1910 and converted to condos in 2002–is just the spot for a three-story soiree (or a well-divided live-and-work space).
Check out all three floors...
Pitch a story icon Know of something cool happening in New York? Let us know:
New York in the ’60s: Domestic Yearnings, Yorkville Hangouts and Bartenders

Our series “New York in the ’60s” is a memoir by a longtime New Yorker who moved to the city after college in 1960. Each installment will take us through her journey during a pivotal decade. From $90/month apartments to working in the real “Mad Men” world, we’ll explore the city through the eyes of a spunky, driven female. In our first installment, we went apartment hunting with the girl, and now that she’s moved in on the Upper East Side, we learn how she went about decorating her first NYC apartment, her favorite haunts of early 1960s Yorkville, and her bartender boyfriend.

July 27, 2015

New York in the ’60s: Domestic Yearnings, Yorkville Hangouts and Bartenders

By

Read the rest of the story here
VIDEO: Go Behind the Super Antiquated Switchboard of Today’s NYC Subway
July 27, 2015

VIDEO: Go Behind the Super Antiquated Switchboard of Today’s NYC Subway

By
The MTA is showing its age in a new video put forth by the public benefit corporation. "People know the system is old," the narrator of MTA's video opens, "but I don't think they realize just how old it is." The New York City subway system has been running since 1904, and as we previously reported in December, it's been running on the same technology used in the 1930s. In the video, computers are noticeably absent from the West 4th Street Supervisory Tower, which is in control of all of the train movements around the area. Instead there are plenty of pens and papers, as well as old, lever-operated machinery that the railroad industry has long stopped manufacturing. It's no wonder that the MTA has put out this video promoting their Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, a project that aims to modernize the subway.
Watch the incredible video here
IKEA Is Selling a Placemat with a Pocket for Your Phone
July 27, 2015

IKEA Is Selling a Placemat with a Pocket for Your Phone

By
We're having a hard time deciding whether this design is brilliant or just plain depressing. These new placemats come courtesy of IKEA and are part of their upcoming SITTNING collection, a limited edition series made up of 40 pieces focused in on "the joys of sharing a meal with those you love." The new mats—which will reportedly be called "Logged Out"—will feature a convenient little pouch for you to tuck your smartphone away so you can finally enjoy a meal with your friends without checking Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, email...
More on IKEA's new design here
Harlem Townhouse Rental Mixes the Old and the New for $7,500/Month
July 27, 2015

Harlem Townhouse Rental Mixes the Old and the New for $7,500/Month

By
Here's a historic Harlem townhouse, at 30 East 130th Street, now up on the rental market. From the exterior, it has pretty much retained its 1900s-era features. But the interior is a mix of the historic and the new as the result of a 2012 renovation. It's the type of place we picture a bunch of young professionals pooling funds to rent–at $7,500 a month with six bedrooms, you'd get decent bang for your buck. And what young New Yorker hasn't dreamed of renting a townhouse with all of their friends?
See more of the space

Our Mission

More than just current events, here you'll learn about the places, people, and ideas that are shaping your city.
Pitch a story icon

Pitch a Story

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

Distinctive Post Form

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544
Contact us image

Get in Touch

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Send us a tip image
Delivering New York stories focused on design, lifestyle & real estate.

Send us a Tip

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams. It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo
or Call (212) 755-5544

Thinking about selling your home?

We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert.

CityRealty Logo

Sell a Home (Footer)

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Subscribe for NYC's Lastest Design, Lifestyle,
and Real Estate Trends!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.