New Details and Final Rendering for 45 Park Place, Condo Tower at ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Site

Rendering of 45 Park Place via Williams New York (L); Aerial view of 45 Park Place in the downtown skyline via CityRealty

September 28, 2015

New Details and Final Rendering for 45 Park Place, Condo Tower at ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Site

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In July, 6sqft revealed that 12,000-square-foot lot at 45 Park Place in Tribeca (the former site of the controversial Ground Zero Mosque that was shelved four years ago by developer Sharif El-Gamal) was cleared to make way for a huge new condo. The lot is owned by El-Gamal’s SoHo Properties, who, just today, unveiled the final design for the slender, SOMA Architects-designed tower, along with new details, including its 665-foot height and sky-high pricing. As Bloomberg reports, the 70-story glass tower "will include at least 15 full-floor units of 3,200 to 3,700 square feet, and average prices higher than $3,000 a square foot... Prices at that level would be at least 13 percent more than the second-quarter average for new-development listings in the borough."
More details ahead
This Sweet and Sunny East Village Co-op With a Terrace Asks $635K
September 28, 2015

This Sweet and Sunny East Village Co-op With a Terrace Asks $635K

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The East Village–particularly the far-eastern, garden-filled Alphabet City part of it–may be the poster child for change in New York City. For better or worse, there are things we miss, and things we adore. But the neighborhood retains its small-village vibe while being in one of the city's most exciting locations. This second-floor one-bedroom walk-up at 317 East 3rd Street, tucked into a little-of-everything street between Avenues C and D looks the part of the perfect East Village nest, with its exposed brick, small but fun and functional outdoor space, multi-tasking modern kitchen and bright, sunny bedroom. For $635,000 it doesn't break the bank, and you'll really save on the monthly co-op fees if you meet the HDFC guidelines.
See more of this cute, sunny East Village home
Interior Designer Hilary Robertson Brings British Charm to Her Brooklyn Brownstone
September 28, 2015

Interior Designer Hilary Robertson Brings British Charm to Her Brooklyn Brownstone

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Interior designer Hilary Robertson moved from a four-bedroom Victorian in Hastings, England to Brooklyn about nine years ago with her husband and infant son. Prior to her departure west, she had to get rid of most of the objects and furniture she had used to make her house a home for many years. Attempting to settle into her new space in Brooklyn, she found it challenging to recreate the same feeling of home she was accustomed to back in England. That was until she and her husband made their first trip to the Brimfield Antiques Flea Market in Massachusetts where Ms. Roberston's passion was reignited. Her home is now a sprawling tribute to her own personal style and is packed full of beautifully curated rooms.
Look around the home
The Most Expensive Home in Every State; Billionaire Peter Morton Nabs Two Village Condos for $25.5M
September 28, 2015

The Most Expensive Home in Every State; Billionaire Peter Morton Nabs Two Village Condos for $25.5M

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Whole Foods is cutting 1,500 jobs, reportedly as a way to reduce prices for its customers. [Gothamist] From North Dakota to New York, here are the most expensive homes in each state. [BI] The Brooklyn Bar Barge is finally open. [B+B] Three historic Manhattan churches were denied landmark status. [Crain’s] Billionaire Peter Morton, the co-founder of the […]

These Brightly Colored Rugs Are Inspired by Graffiti and Patterns in Nature
September 28, 2015

These Brightly Colored Rugs Are Inspired by Graffiti and Patterns in Nature

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When we think about decorating an apartment, most of us start with our walls, but with these new rug designs from Swedish artist Jonathan Josefsson you might want to consider your floor first. Josefsson is based in Gothenburg and has a background in graffiti. His brightly colored rugs take cues from his street art days and depict organic and playful patterns that will certainly liven up even the drabbest living space.
Find out more about the rugs
City Will Use Eminent Domain to Seize Coney Island Land for New Amusements

Image © Daniel Fleming

September 28, 2015

City Will Use Eminent Domain to Seize Coney Island Land for New Amusements

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Eminent domain, defined as "the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use," is typically enacted to build projects such as bridges, highways, or schools. But the De Blasio administration plans to use it to erect an amusement park. According to the Post, the city is "frustrated by stubborn Coney Island landowners" and "plans to seize property under the city’s rarely used power of eminent domain in order to spur long-stalled economic development in the People’s Playground." The land in question is three vacant beachfront sites and two smaller adjacent sites on West 12th and West 23rd Streets that total 75,000 square feet, largely comprised of the 60,000-square-foot site where the original Thunderbolt once stood (immortalized in Woody Allen's "Annie Hall"). Under the plan, the Parks Department will oversee new amusements and amenities, details of which haven't been shared.
READ MORE
Photographing the Sukkahs of Brooklyn; Details Revealed for Anthony Bourdain’s Food Market
September 28, 2015

Photographing the Sukkahs of Brooklyn; Details Revealed for Anthony Bourdain’s Food Market

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The city might be getting intelligent street lights that can take photos and collect data on driving patterns. [DNAinfo] Happy Sukkot! Take a photo tour of sukkahs around Brooklyn. [Brownstoner] Anthony Bourdain’s 100-vendor food market will open in 2017 at Pier 57 at 15th Street. Its “heart and soul” will be a Singapore-style hawker market. [NYT] Remember […]

Upper West Side Brownstone Co-op Packs In the Charm for $649K
September 28, 2015

Upper West Side Brownstone Co-op Packs In the Charm for $649K

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It isn't easy to find a charming Upper West Side apartment, a block from the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, for less than $1 million. But here's apartment #3R at 118 West 81st Street, a historic four-story brownstone. The co-op isn't huge, but it's still a lovely one bedroom that's asking $649,000. For a (relatively) affordable price, you can enjoy all the perks of Upper West Side living–historic pad, beautiful block, close proximity to Central Park, even private outdoor space.
See more
Funnyman Aziz Ansari Scopes Out a $4.9M Triplex Penthouse in the East Village
September 28, 2015

Funnyman Aziz Ansari Scopes Out a $4.9M Triplex Penthouse in the East Village

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As Tommy Haverford would say: Treat yo self! And it looks like comedian Aziz Ansari of "Parks and Rec" fame is doing just that. The NYDN reports that Ansari and his long-time girlfriend, Momofuku Milk Bar chef Courtney McBroom, have been spotted checking out a triplex penthouse at the LEED Gold certified Village Green, located at 311 East 11th Street, not once, but twice, drawn in by the home's gigantic 2,000-square-foot outdoor space. The listing describes the ultra-swank pad as "The ultimate in eco-indulgence and luxury."
get a closer look inside the home here

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This $6,500/Month Murray Hill Rental Says City Apartment in Front, Suburban House in Back
September 27, 2015

This $6,500/Month Murray Hill Rental Says City Apartment in Front, Suburban House in Back

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Here's a NYC apartment that's thoroughly Manhattan, but, if you're standing in the right spot, could be any suburban home. Located in a bustling East Side spot that's either Gramercy, Kips Bay, Murray Hill or Midtown South, depending on whom you talk to, this two-bedroom garden condop at 242 East 25th Street just hit the rental market for $6,500/month. And if you can't bear to part with it, you're in luck, it's also for sale (asking $1.995 million). The apartment is only 939 square feet, but it's well-configured, with bedrooms on either side of spacious common areas–and, more importantly, one of those areas is a glass-walled solarium that overlooks a 785-square-foot private deck and backyard that extends your space in a way most New Yorkers envy.
See more
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff
September 26, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

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VIDEO: The History of the Upper East Side Mansion Where the Pope Is Staying Richard Silver’s Vertical Panoramic Photos of New York Churches Are Vertigo-Inducing Andy Cohen Picks Up Fourth Co-op in West Village Building, Is Now Neighbors With Sally Field Downtown’s Beekman Residences Tower Is Ready for Its Crowns – Now 50 Percent Sold […]

Find Out What Businesses Were on Your Block Way Back in 1855 With This Interactive Map
September 25, 2015

Find Out What Businesses Were on Your Block Way Back in 1855 With This Interactive Map

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If you think your neighborhood has changed since you moved in, step back and have a look at this incredible map to get some real perspective. One of the many maps maintained within the NYPL's Map Warper project, this particular cartogram dubbed the 1855 New York Business Map shows the location of more than 3,000 mid-19th century New York businesses—as well as some other fun stuff like stables, churches and schools. Want to know what life was like in your neighborhood way back in 1855? Jump ahead for more.
Access the map here
New Yorker Spotlight: Corey William Schneider Turns New Yorkers Into Explorers at the NY Adventure Club

Corey and the Loew’s Valencia Theatre

September 25, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Corey William Schneider Turns New Yorkers Into Explorers at the NY Adventure Club

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When New Yorkers think about going on an adventure, they might envision heading west, abroad, or at least outside the city. In New York, the only adventure they're likely to take is navigating the grid (or lack thereof in certain neighborhoods) during rush hour. But Corey William Schneider is on a mission to turn the five boroughs into a land of exploration for city residents. As the founder of  New York Adventure Club, Corey helps New Yorkers get in touch with their inner explorers through unique walking tours and events. His goal is to awaken city dwellers' curiosity by offering them the chance to uncover, experience, and engage with the city and tri-state area's numerous hidden treasures. We recently spoke with Corey to find out why New Yorkers are secretly longing for adventure and how his club is helping them broaden their local horizons.
Our chat with Corey
Watch Videos of Morgan Stanley’s New Times Square LED Screens That Replaced Its Iconic Zipper
September 25, 2015

Watch Videos of Morgan Stanley’s New Times Square LED Screens That Replaced Its Iconic Zipper

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Last week, Morgan Stanley unveiled a set of seven modernized LED signs at the base of its headquarters building at 1585 Broadway in Times Square. The digital billboards, which took five months to replace, feature six million LED pixels that can display up to 281 trillion colors. The screens replace the iconic amber ticker that stood at the lower three floors of the Gwathmey, Siegel & Associates-designed building for more than 20 years. Since the sign was inspired by similar signage at Bloomberg's 731 Lexington Avenue, the bank spent nine months working with Bloomberg's internal creative agency to develop its content. With custom-built technology by British-based Framestore, the screens can display updated imagery and data at all times. The sign's fact sheet (PDF) notes that the displays will be operational 19 hours a day and will display 2,100 pieces of distinct content, including 855 news headlines and real-time data of eight global indices.
READ MORE
Noho Apartment Boasts Vintage Detailing and Doubles as a Performance Venue
September 25, 2015

Noho Apartment Boasts Vintage Detailing and Doubles as a Performance Venue

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New York City is known for its multi-functional spaces, but seeing how the concept is incorporated into homes on an individual basis is always an exciting venture, and this transitional space in Noho is no exception. Designed by Wettling Architects, the very cool apartment was renovated to be both a home and a gathering hall for performances and benefits. Plus, it's full of vintage accessories reminiscent of an an old school New York many of us have only seen on TV, an interesting fact considering it was once home to "Law & Order: SVU" star B.D. Wong.
See more of this fun space
Check Out These Insane Views From Brooklyn’s First 1,000+ Foot Tower
September 25, 2015

Check Out These Insane Views From Brooklyn’s First 1,000+ Foot Tower

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Seeing the boroughs from sky-high heights is nothing new thanks to all the supertall towers in Manhattan, but it's not as common to have a panoramic view of our main island, which is why we had to share this video. JDS Development posted the short clip on their Instagram stream yesterday that shows potential views from their upcoming mixed-use skyscraper planned for Downtown Brooklyn using air rights from the Dime Savings Bank site. If constructed as intended, it will be the first 1,000+ foot tower outside of Manhattan. The nine-second video, whose camera height seems nearly eye-level to the 1,368-foot roof of One World Trade Center, depicts far-reaching, panoramic views to the west and northwest over Manhattan and beyond.
Check it out here
VIDEO: Why Did the Nazis Want to Destroy This Secret Power Substation Below Grand Central?
September 25, 2015

VIDEO: Why Did the Nazis Want to Destroy This Secret Power Substation Below Grand Central?

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"In the past, if you'd stepped into this elevator by mistake, you faced being shot at the other end, in case you told anyone what you saw," says the narrator of this video from the Science Channel. And this is, essentially, what happened to two German spies when they tried to attack this hidden power substation below Grand Central. But let's back up. When Grand Central was built in 1913, part of the plan was to add a top-secret power substation. After tunneling down through ten stories of solid bedrock, engineers blasted and carved out a top-secret chamber known as M42, almost as wide as the terminal itself and covering 22,000 square feet. Here, nine rotary converters each weighing 15 tons and reaching heights of 20 feet, transferred 11,000 volts of alternating current to power the trains above. In 1941, when America joined WWII, the secrecy paid off.
Find out how Adolf Hitler almost destroyed the substation
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Gorgeous Brooklyn Townhouse Featured on the Cover of House Beautiful Asks $4.5 Million
September 25, 2015

Gorgeous Brooklyn Townhouse Featured on the Cover of House Beautiful Asks $4.5 Million

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Get ready to swoon. This Carroll Gardens townhouse at 396 Sackett Street was restored and renovated in 2011 by the Brooklyn firm Baxt Ingui Architects, and it is still looking fine. Gorgeous details, high ceilings, big windows and a fancy kitchen—what's not to like? The listing even says the home earned the cover of House Beautiful back in 2013. This impressive townhouse could be all yours, as long as you've got $4.5 million to spare.
Take a look around
Study Shows That 75 Percent of Manhattan’s All-Cash Buyers Have Chinese Last Names
September 25, 2015

Study Shows That 75 Percent of Manhattan’s All-Cash Buyers Have Chinese Last Names

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For wealthy Chinese, Manhattan real estate has long served as a secure place to stash their cash, with these investors gobbling up high-end properties. In fact, "foreign direct investment in U.S. real estate rose to $104 billion in a 12-month period ending March 2015, a 10.4 percent rise over the prior year," according to The Real Deal. Of these foreign buyers nationwide, the Chinese make up 16 percent. And accompanying this rise, at least in NYC, is the rise of the all-cash buy. To show just how prominent this trend has become, RealtyTrac released data that shows in the first half of the year, 75 percent of Manhattan's cash buyers had Asian surnames.
More details here
Soap Star’s Renovated, Family-Friendly Harlem Brownstone Back on the Market for $2.9M
September 25, 2015

Soap Star’s Renovated, Family-Friendly Harlem Brownstone Back on the Market for $2.9M

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There's something compelling about a great-looking home without a superlative in sight, neither painstakingly restored to historic glory, cutting-edge contemporary or irresistibly luxurious. And for a busy city family, kid-friendly good looks and low-maintenance comfort go a long way. This 4,000-square-foot Harlem brownstone at 136 West 130th Street fit the bill and then some when Emmy-nominated "All My Children" regular (and more recently talk show correspondent and reality TV host) Cameron Mathison and his wife, Vanessa, happened upon it in 2004, and subsequently purchased it for $1.2 million. The couple had ventured into Harlem when apartment hunting (with a new baby) and fallen for the neighborhood's "Sesame Street" vibe. A developer had done most of the renovation work, and they added the finishing touches. Interviewed in the Times in 2009, the actor explains that the couple had "envisioned being in this place forever;" that plan changed when the TV show moved studios to Los Angeles. Mathison listed the turn-key renovated home for $2.7 million and headed west. There weren't any takers at the time, and the four-story townhouse is back, asking $2.9 million–albeit in a very different market, especially in Central Harlem, than that of 2009.
See more of this turnkey uptown home
Richard Silver’s Vertical Panoramic Photos of New York Churches Are Vertigo-Inducing

L to R: Church of St. Francis Xavier, Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Monica’s Church

September 24, 2015

Richard Silver’s Vertical Panoramic Photos of New York Churches Are Vertigo-Inducing

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When 6sqft has mentioned vertigo-inducing photographs in the past, it's been in reference to the daredevil Instagrammers who climb to the top of some of the city's tallest structures. But this mesmerizing series (h/t Colossal) does the exact opposite, taking forward- and upward-looking vertical panoramic shots of New York City churches. And though they're not looking down a thousand feet, these photos still might send your head spinning. Photographer Richard Silver, a born-and-bred New Yorker, is known for his architectural and travel shots, where he likes to "present our everyday world in an altered visual context" through techniques such as Tilt Shift, Vertical Panoramas and Time Slice. And just in time for Pope Francis' historic visit to the city, he's released his church series.
See more photos and learn about Silver's process
VIDEO: Go Inside Rachael Ray’s Colorful and Unbelievably Cute East Village Home
September 24, 2015

VIDEO: Go Inside Rachael Ray’s Colorful and Unbelievably Cute East Village Home

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We're not quite sure what type of home we imagined Rachael Ray would be living in, but we definitely envisioned her kitchen to be way bigger. Ray, who is celebrating the 10th season of her talk show this year, as well as a mega-media empire that includes everything from cookbooks to pet food, recently invited the Journal into her home for an exclusive video tour of the adorable East Village abode she shares with husband John Cusimano and her pitbull, Isaboo. Though her property is six stories tall, it measures a mere 1,800 square feet (definitely small by celeb standards) with just one room per floor. And her kitchen? It's only big enough for a half-pivot! “When people come over for the first time to my apartment, I think they’re shocked at how tiny my kitchen is,” the award-winning celeb chef muses in the video.
Take the video tour here
$3M Mansion Has a 130-Foot-Long Bomb-Proof Underground Tunnel
September 24, 2015

$3M Mansion Has a 130-Foot-Long Bomb-Proof Underground Tunnel

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At first glance, this Voorhees, NJ home known as the Alton Estate seems like your average, over-the-top, suburban mega-mansion, with its ridiculous amenities like a Grecian-inspired pool, two-story pool house that connects to the main house via an above-ground ramp, 12-person Jacuzzi, DJ booth, full gym with cedar-lined sauna, soundproof movie theater, and 42-seat bar. But then it gets really interesting. First noted by Curbed, the listing touts a 130-foot-long, solid concrete, underground bomb-proof tunnel. It's not clear why the owners installed this insane panic room, but for those who live in fear of the Apocalypse, and have $2.9 to spare, here's your dream home.
See the rest of this eccentric mansion

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