September, 2015 | 6sqft

Built-in book cases can take any space from drab to fab. Unfortunately, these custom-built units are often expensive—and if you don't own your home, not worth the investment. Now thanks to the Japanese design firm Nendo, and their new shelving unit called Nest, you can have a set of book cases adjusted exactly for your living space. This ingenious shelf stretches to accommodate any size. Each unit is made from carbon fiber materials, so it will hold up under extremely large amounts of weight. Plus, unlike built-ins, when it's time to move, you can take these customizable pieces with you to adorn your new home.
learn more about the design here

September 22, 2015

A Gigantic Duplex Loft Is Priced at $14.95 Million in SoHo

By Emily Nonko

When it comes to this condo listing at 158 Mercer Street in SoHo, it is go big or go home. The apartment is actually a combination of two units, making for a duplex with an impressive 7,000 (!) square feet. Throw in five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and direct elevator access, and you've got one very fancy, very huge loft apartment. As you may guess, something like this doesn't come cheap. It's now on the market for $14.95 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

September 22, 2015

Americans Are Spending More on Rent and There’s No Relief in Sight

Complaining about high rents is nothing new for New Yorkers, but we're actually not alone in our misery. According to a new study from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and Enterprise Community Partners, reported in the Washington Post, "nearly 15 million [U.S.] households could be 'severely cost-burdened' by 2025, meaning they'll be spending more than half their money on housing." Today, that statistic applies to 11.2 million households (one in four households), which increased by three million since 2012.
What's leading to this staggering rise?

September 22, 2015

Subway #PizzaRat Takes Over the Internet; New Play Recounts the Demolition of Penn Station

If you haven’t yet seen the video of a rat carrying an entire slice of pizza down the subway stairs, you must watch immediately. [DNAinfo] The Pope will cruise through Central Park in a tricked-out Jeep Wrangler. [NYP] Searching for the “grey market” foods of NYC, the allegedly illicit provisions that range from Fujianese rice wine to Mimolette cheese. […]

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September 22, 2015

Andy Cohen Picks Up Fourth Co-op in West Village Building, Is Now Neighbors With Sally Field

By Annie Doge

The "Real Housewives" franchise must be doing well, because Bravo brainchild Andy Cohen has picked up a fourth apartment in his West Village building, 2 Horatio Street. And his latest buy, a $900,000 studio, makes him next door neighbors with none other than Sally Field, reports Variety. According to the source, Cohen's other real estate holdings in the pre-war co-op include a high-floor studio that he bought in 2003 for an unknown sum, a not-contiguous two-bedroom unit on the same floor that he bought in 2010 (and which was photographed for the New York Times) and another two-bedroom, directly above the one previously mentioned, for which he shelled out $2.6 million in 2014. His most recent acquisition is directly next door to the 2014 pad. Though this sounds a bit like a game of Jenga, we're sure there's a method to the reality guru's madness.
See the studio interior

September 21, 2015

VIDEO: The History of the Upper East Side Mansion Where the Pope Is Staying

Talk surrounding the Pope's Upper East Side crash pad has been mainly focused on street closures and insane security precautions, but this video by Regis High School (h/t Carl Quintanilla) provides the interesting history of the townhouse, providing a behind-the-scenes look at Pope Francis' "home away from Rome." Built in 1894, 20 East 72nd Street was originally home to Julia Murphy Grant, daughter of U.S. Senator Edward Murphy of New York, and Hugh J. Grant, the youngest man ever elected mayor of New York City. When Grant died in 1910, he left behind a $9 million estate to his wife. Being devoutly Catholic, she used the money to establish Regis High School before her death in 1944. In 1975, their son Hugh Grant, Jr. donated his parents' former home to the Archdiocese of New York. Since then, it's been the home of the Vatican's representative to the United Nations, and beginning with Pope John Paul II’s visit to New York City in 1979, it has served as the official residence of visiting pontiffs.
Watch the video here

History

September 21, 2015

This Beautifully Preserved Park Slope Brownstone Was Once a NYC Mayor’s Mansion

By Michelle Cohen

On an impossibly lovely landmarked brownstone block near the border between north Park Slope and Prospect Heights, the 1890s townhouse at 212 Saint Johns Place is a testament to the idea that they don't make them like this anymore. This historic brownstone, on the market for $3.895 million, will definitely appeal to anyone smitten with the idea of living in a beautifully preserved home from the 19th century rather than constructing a modern interior with contemporary flair. Once the home of New York City mayor William J. Gaynor (1910-1913), this two-family neo-Grec townhouse is filled with original architectural details from parquet wood floors, richly-carved mahogany trim and ten-foot parlor floor doors to the exquisite wood-carved cabinet built into the third floor landing.
Tour this historic home, this way

Distinctive Homes

Filmmaker John Sayles' former Hoboken townhouse lists for $2.5M

This $3M Williamsburg home is the rare condo with all of its loft charm intact

For $8M, a proper Park Avenue penthouse with an artistic pedigree

This $7M Gilded-Age mansion on the Upper West Side has a private garage and a theatrical history

NFL luminary Chris Simms' Greenwich farmhouse asks $8M

From the pool to the pergola, this $1.1M Hudson Valley home blends Colonial with contemporary

Rare historic Greenwich Village 'Renwick Row' brownstone with intact details asks $12.5M

Doors of steel and glass make this $3M Soho loft feel like a box of light

For $2.2M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse has three levels of outdoor space

This $3.7M Greenwich Village co-op puts the 'classic' in classic seven

VIEW ALL

Infographic: The Most Popular Housing Typology in Major Cities Across the U.S.

Created by the Washington Post

September 21, 2015

Infographic: The Most Popular Housing Typology in Major Cities Across the U.S.

The American dream may be to own a sprawling single-family home with a picket fence, but clearly very few New Yorkers are interested in that fantasy. Instead, as this fascinating infographic breaking down the most-popular housing typologies across the 40 largest U.S. cities points out, less than 10 percent of NYC inhabitants live in a detached single unit. The majority, in fact, reside in buildings with 20 or more apartments.
See how 40 of America's largest cities stack up against one another

Architecture And Design

September 21, 2015

St. Mark’s Last Record Store to Shutter; Negotiating Rent When You’re Up for Renewal

The last record store on St. Mark’s Place will shutter. [EV Grieve] Can you negotiate with your landlord when you’re about to get a rent hike? [Brick Underground] How Frank Gehry got his start—and to where he is now. [Bloomberg] The tallest building outside of Manhattan will be mostly rental units. [TRD]

Real Estate Trends

September 21, 2015

Üllo Purifies Wine to Remove Sulfites and Hangovers One Glass at a Time

It's probably safe to say that many New Yorkers enjoy a good glass of wine (we certainly do), and who doesn't want to appreciate it just as the winemaker intended? James Kornacki, the mastermind behind Üllo, wants to make sure this is possible with every opened bottle, and according to him it's all about purity. That's why Kornacki teamed up with the award-winning product development and brand incubation firm MINIMAL to create a product than can remove the sulfites used to preserve wine when sold commercially.
More on the product

September 21, 2015

Beautiful Boerum Hill Townhouse Has a Whimsical Kids’ Playroom and an Impeccable Garden

When it comes to Brooklyn townhouses, we often find ourselves ogling their immaculate renovations; incredible undertakings that always somehow manage to perfectly balance the beautiful and historic roots of a construction with the whimsical and wonderful details of modern homes. This gorgeous four-story row house in Boerum Hill is no exception. Renovated by CWB Architects back in 2010, the project included a gut renovation of the two lower floors, and the family room, guest room, playroom, bar and mechanical space were all redesigned. A large opening was also inserted into the southern facade facing the garden, and a sunscreen was integrated into the structure to shield the interior spaces. What came to be was a home that's both cohesive and inviting.
READ MORE

Building More Housing for the Homeless Would Save Us Money in the Long Run

Image via Wiki Commons

September 21, 2015

Building More Housing for the Homeless Would Save Us Money in the Long Run

Today, proponents of building more supportive housing will meet with the de Blasio administration to convince them that New York is in dire need of 35,000 new housing units statewide—and both the state and city should fund it. Currently, there are over 80,000 individuals without homes, including a number here in the city who are employed but still have salaries too small to afford NYC's skyrocketing rents. While there has been plenty of talk about how the issue needs remedying, action has yet to be taken. In an op-ed written this morning for Crain's, Enterprise Community Partners' Judi Kende sounds off on why, though we may think that building all these homes is way too expensive, ignoring the problem will cost us more financially in the long run.
More on what she said here

Policy

September 21, 2015

Water-Filtering Garden Floats in the Gowanus; It’s the Best Month to Go to the Farmers Market

GrowOnUs, a water-filtering garden that also collects rainwater to irrigate the plants growing atop it, is floating in the Gowanus Canal. [Inhabitat] Speaking of the Gowanus, here’s an interview with Joseph Alexiou, author of the forthcoming history book about the polluted canal. [Brownstoner] Local politicians want to make Christopher Park, across from the Stonewall Inn, a […]

Uncategorized

September 21, 2015

This Park Slope Rental, Asking $8,750 a Month, Tries to Nail the Loft Look

By Emily Nonko

This Park Slope townhouse at 362A 14th Street is less Brooklyn brownstone and more downtown Manhattan loft. That's because the whole building has undergone a total renovation, modernizing the fixtures and revealing those exposed bricks and ceiling beams. The property hit the market way back in 2011, asking $2.1 million, sold later that year for $2 million, and is now trying its hand on the rental market asking $8,750 a month.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

September 21, 2015

Units Finally Hit the Market at Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower

The time has finally come. After years of setbacks and teasers, units at Jean Nouvel's 1,050-foot-tall MoMA Tower, now officially known as 53W53, have hit the market. Nine listings (out of 139) went up on Corcoran, according to Curbed, ranging from a $3.17 million one-bedroom 19th-floor unit to a $50.9 million four-bedroom, 63rd-floor unit. When construction started earlier this year, rumor had it that the listings wouldn't be made public, but now that we know otherwise, we've got plenty of floorplan porn to ogle, as well as lots more interior renderings courtesy of designer Thierry Despont.
Renderings and floorplans right this way

September 20, 2015

Bioscleave House Uses Architecture to Extend Lifespans and Strengthen Immune Systems

New Yorkers are always looking for new ways to stay young, and the next health craze may be just a bridge or tunnel away in Long Island at the Bioscleave House in East Hampton. Arakawa and Madeline Gins are the masterminds behind the house, which is also referred to as the Lifespan Extending Villa. The duo's design philosophy is to combat mortality by creating architecture that makes people use their bodies in unexpected ways, challenging them to maintain equilibrium, in turn stimulating their immune systems. “They ought to build hospitals like this,” Ms. Gins told the New York Times in a 2008 interview. Although the idea sounds fascinating and beneficial for all, their out-of-the-box methods might not be exactly what you'd expect. With undulating floors–possibly unsafe for children–and a variety of other disorienting details, the verdict is still out on whether or not their methods will, in fact, reverse the aging process as they claim.
Plenty more on the Bioscleave House ahead

Architecture And Design

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

VIDEO: Take a Sweeping Drone Tour of Bjarke Ingels’ West Side Pyramid Russian Castle on Long Island With 35 Bathrooms Asks a Whopping $100M Gorgeous Roof Garden Atop This $3M Flatiron Loft Has an Outdoor Cinema and Cinematic Views New Details of Tribeca’s Mysterious Skybridge House Emerge, Including Floorplan Lang Architecture Updates a Carroll Gardens […]

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It’s Official! JetBlue Will Turn the Iconic TWA Flight Terminal at JFK Into a Hotel

Image courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle

September 18, 2015

It’s Official! JetBlue Will Turn the Iconic TWA Flight Terminal at JFK Into a Hotel

No longer will the fate of Eero Saarinen’s architectural masterpiece sit in limbo, Crain's reports that the iconic structure will indeed be made into a hotel, developed through a partnership between MCR Development and JetBlue. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chose the pair amongst a "field of several competitors" bidding for the job, and the decision will be formally announced at the agency's board meeting next week. As we previously reported, the new destination will be known as the TWA Flight Center Hotel.
more details this way

September 18, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Chris Gallant of the Bronx Brewery Brings Craft Ales to the Boogie Down

By Susan Cohen

Brooklyn is no longer the only borough making a name for itself in the local craft beer industry. Thanks to the Bronx Brewery, the northernmost borough is staking a claim in the market with a fun spot dedicated to making pale ales. Founded in 2011 by co-presidents Chris Gallant and Damian Brown, the Bronx Brewery is located in Port Morris, a mixed-use neighborhood near the Major Deegan Expressway. While still young, the brewery in the Boogie Down is certainly finding a following with its impressive lineup of year-round and seasonal beers that can be found on tap and in stores throughout the tri-state area. With a tasting room, tours, and a backyard to sit back and relax in, it's quickly becoming a popular spot for both locals and Manhattanites looking for a day trip. We recently spoke with Chris to learn how the Bronx Brewery came to be and how the company has evolved and grown over the last few years.
Our convo with Chris right this way

September 18, 2015

Nets Rookie Shares a NJ Apartment With Two Roommates Because He Can’t Afford NY Rents

You aren't going to sucker Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson into shelling out thousands and thousands a month just for a NYC zip code. As the Journal writes, the 20-year-old has called the city's rents "ridiculous," and even though he's earning $1.33 million for his first year with the NBA team, he'd rather have roommates than blow all that cash on an apartment.
more on what the Nets Rookie said here

September 18, 2015

Egloo’s Terracotta Dome Will Heat a 215-Square-Foot Room for Just 10 Cents a Day

Egloo was created to offer people a more efficient alternative to the traditional methods of heating one's home. The candle-powered terracotta dome takes advantage of the material's natural ability to store heat, then gradually releases it by radiation even after the candle is no longer burning. The structure consist of four elements: the base, grill and two domes.
More here

Policy
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September 18, 2015

Grandiose Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown Helps You Relax and Restore Medieval-Style