October, 2015 | 6sqft

The townhouse that neighbors actor Ethan Hawke’s Boerum Hill pad is on the market for $3.4M. [NYP] New York City has launched a neighborhood-specific website the lets people find out more on what’s happening locally. [neighborhoods.nyc] Urban B&Bs are on the rise. [CityLab] Investment in real estate is at its highest level since 2007 and […]

Real Estate Trends

October 15, 2015

Grid System: Ying Chang’s Customizable Mesh Desk Adapts to Your Busy Life

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

With limited space, New Yorkers need to be smart about the way they live and work. So if you often find yourself multi-tasking at home, this design may be right up your alley. Royal College of Art graduate Ying Chang has come up with the modular "Grid System," a piece of furniture that allows users to plug and unplug different storage boxes and trays according to their needs.
Learn more about this clever design

October 15, 2015

Studio Cadena Turns a Cramped 600 Square Foot Bushwick Loft Into a Three-Bedroom Artist Residence

By Rebecca Paul

Bushwick is a rapidly changing artists' neighborhood and much like other popular neighborhoods in New York City, is experiencing an increasing scarcity of affordable living space. That being said, it's easy to understand why this group of just-starting-out youngsters decided to transform a 600-square-foot, awkwardly subdivided loft into a bright open space they could share comfortably. With a limited budget and help from the architects and designers at Studio Cadena, their apartment is now a modern and dynamic living space.
Check it out here

October 15, 2015

POLL: Taxi TVs Are Gone. Were You Part of the 29 Percent Who Turned Them Off?

It’s official. Taxi TVs are no more. The Daily News reports that the Taxi and Limousine Commission voted unanimously to remove the screens in favor of a pilot payment system that will use tablets or smartphones. As 6sqft reported earlier this week, “officials have been ‘flooded’ for years with complaints about the TVs and they’ve also been […]

October 15, 2015

Why Only Some Subway Doors Open When You Push Them; Inside Target’s Manhattan Office

Ever wonder why some subway doors reopen when you try to squeeze through, but others close right on you? Here’s why. [CityLab] Fewer people in New York state register as organ donors than in any other state in the nation. [WNYC] Move over Google, there might be a new coolest office in NYC. Interior designer […]

Uncategorized

October 15, 2015

Pollution Cleanup Park Taking Shape at Gowanus Canal

The Gowanus Canal isn't the first place that comes to mind when one thinks about lush waterfront parks, but that's exactly the vision behind the long-planned Gowanus Canal Sponge Park, an 18,000-square-foot public space that will be built with engineered soil to absorb (hence "sponge") stormwater that would otherwise pollute the canal, as well as plants to break down toxins and floating wetlands. It was first conceived back in 2008 by the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and Susannah Drake, principal at the landscape architecture firm DLANDstudio (who's also responsible for the Queensway). Now, seven years later, DNAinfo reports that state officials announced on Tuesday that construction has officially commenced on the $1.5 million project at the notorious Superfund site. The park will sit on city-owned land at the point where Second Street dead-ends at the canal. Workers are on site, digging out five feet of contaminated soil that will be sent to a special facility that handles toxic materials; during the next 90 days, the metal walkway will be installed; and plants will arrive in the spring.
More on the park and the Gowanus Canal cleanup

Architecture And Design

October 15, 2015

Make Beautiful Music in Ira Gershwin’s Noted UWS Penthouse, Listed for $6M

By Annie Doge

If these walls could sing, they'd probably belt out a Gershwin brothers tune. One of the two adjoining penthouses occupied by George and Ira Gershwin has just hit the market for $5.99 million, The Post reports. The two apartments, located at 33 Riverside Drive, were quite the party pad for the two brothers back in the day; a famed locale that welcomed legendary celebs like Ethel Merman (incidentally, the brothers were said to have written "Girl Crazy" within its walls). The pair called the two penthouses home from 1929 until 1933, and now Ira's space is up for grabs.
More photos inside the home this way

October 14, 2015

Art Titan Larry Gagosian Sells His Upper East Side Carriage House for $18M

Art mogul Larry Gagosian has just closed a deal on the sale of his Lenox Hill mansion at 147 East 69th Street, according to property records just released. Gagosian sold the sprawling home to fellow art buff Sasha Bauer, chairman of the SculptureCenter in Long Island City, for an impressive $18 million. Gagosian purchased the property back in 1988, transforming the former carriage house (of a late 19th century millionaire, nonetheless) into a single family residence called "House for a Bachelor." The renovation, which was completed by architect Francois de Menil, made way for Gagosian's multi-million dollar collection of artworks that included pieces by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Picasso. The redesign of the property even won a 2000 AIA New York Design Award for interior architecture.
See inside the stunning home here

Distinctive Homes

For $6.75M, everything you'd want in a Park Slope brownstone

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

Live in a former Park Slope bank for $5.5M

10 listings 6sqft readers loved in 2025

NFL luminary Chris Simms' Greenwich farmhouse asks $8M

This $1.5M Woodstock compound was a recording studio for rock icons from Ozzy Osbourne to R.E.M.

This $4.5M Lenox Hill duplex combines pre-war elegance with architectural drama

For $2.45M, an artist's downtown Manhattan loft is a blank slate with a modern frame

VIEW ALL

October 14, 2015

Tell NYC Officials What Neighborhood Improvements You Want to See Using the ‘Idea Collection Map’

There's a lot to complain about in New York, but few of us have the opportunity to make our voices heard. As such, the New York City Council has created the Idea Collection Map, a handy map tool that allows you to suggest improvements you'd like to see in your neighborhood, and anywhere else, right from your computer screen.
How to send in your suggestions here

October 14, 2015

Spiffed-Up Williamsburg Loft Has Killer Views and Brilliant Built-Ins for $6,500 a Month

By Michelle Cohen

Williamsburg was once a neighborhood known for its big, open loft spaces. While those lofts may have gone condo and acquired dog-washing stations and compost centers, they’re still very much in existence. Case in point: this cavernous loft in the totally 21st century Esquire Lofts at 330 Wythe Avenue, just a hair south of the 'burg's decidedly factory-to-fancy Northside, on the rental market for $6,500 a month. This impressive space in a former shoe polish factory–built in 1914 and converted to condos in 2000–is listed as a one-bedroom, but it’s a duplex (in the loft sense of the word), and though there’s no floor plan, it claims a sizable 1,600 square feet. One of the best things about lofts–even well-groomed ones–is that no two are alike; former residents have carved out unique living and sometimes working spaces, and this is no exception. The standout feature here would have to be that custom-milled raised wooden storage platform.
See what else is cool in this loft

Distinctive Homes

October 14, 2015

$100M Penthouse Listing at City Spire Is No More; Williamsburg’s Futuristic Hotel Tops Out

The owner of City Spire’s $100M penthouse listing has removed it from the market. [NYP] Williamsburg’s architecturally-forward William Vale Hotel has topped out. [Brownstoner] Five of the U.S.’ coolest tiny homes. [NYP] Airbnb can push rents up by as much as $69 a month in neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Greenpoint, a study has found. [TRD]

Real Estate Trends

October 14, 2015

These Bike Helmets Are Designed to Resemble the Human Head

By Rebecca Paul

Bike culture in NYC is a vibrant part of the city, so we love any quirky bike swag that might make heads turn. These crazy bike helmets called Project:Human Helmet from Dubai-based designer Jyo John Mulloor are a great example. The conceptual gear doesn't look like a regular helmet, but rather it was designed to resemble the surface of a human scalp. Weird, right?
Find out more about these helmets

October 14, 2015

Historic Townhouse With a Glassy Add-On Asks $3.5 Million in Brooklyn Heights

By Emily Nonko

This mid-19th century Greek Revival townhouse at 29 Joralemon Street is located on a cobblestone block of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. And the listing says that the sellers have lived in the garden and parlor floor duplex since 1969, when Brooklyn wasn't such a hot commodity. These days, things are different, and the property is asking $3.5 million. The house has got lovely historic elements still intact, a new glassy addition, and a deep landscaped garden. (Not to mention a tenant upstairs who's getting the deal of the year on their apartment.)
See more

Distinctive Homes

October 14, 2015

REVEALED: First Look at GDC Properties’ Townhouses Coming to Long Island City

After the record snatch-up of Red Hook's King and Sullivan Townhomes last month, another not-so-Brownstoney neighborhood is joining in on the townhouse craze. Westchester County-based GDC Properties is slated to bring eighteen two-family townhouses to Long Island City, and here we have a first look at what the ensemble's 11th Street frontage will look like.
READ MORE

October 14, 2015

Katz’s Is Expanding to Brooklyn; Exhibit of Jacob Riis’ Tenement-Life Photos Opening at MCNY

After selling its air rights last summer, Katz’s is opening an outpost in Downtown Brooklyn’s Dekalb Market. Co-owner of the pastrami empire Jake Dell said it will be easier to get to than the LES location. [Gothamist] An artist is building driftwood chairs and placing them on Staten Island beaches to commemorate the 24 people […]

Uncategorized

October 14, 2015

Gracie Mansion Reopening for Public Tours Next Month With a New Art Collection

Gracie Mansion will reopen for public tours starting next month, and visitors will be welcomed with a new, diverse art collection. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife wanted the art and objects inside the 1799 home where her family now lives—one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in New York City—to be a broader and more accurate reflection of the city as it looked in the late 1700s and early 1800s." She therefore brought in 49 new works that include "portraits of freed slaves, historic documents, imported goods and items traded to American Indians." The new installation is called "Windows on the City Looking Out at Gracie’s New York" and will be unveiled at an open house on October 25th.
READ MORE

October 14, 2015

REVEALED: Karl Fischer Pens Another Bottom-Line Design for East Williamsburg

Here's our first unfortunate look at a 12-story residential building slated to rise within a rapidly gentrifying corner of East Williamsburg. The block-through parcel at 46 Cook Street, between Graham and Humboldt Streets, will give way to a 34,000-square-foot mixed-use development designed by Karl Fischer Architect and Brooklyn-based developer Joel Braver, under the LLC Cook Properties. The project replaces a one-story brick warehouse building and is located just two blocks from the Flushing Avenue J/M subway station.
More info ahead

Robert A.M. Stern’s 520 Park Avenue Finally Reaches Street Level, $130M Penthouse on Its Way

Two years since its groundbreaking, Zeckendorf Development's tower o' opulence at 520 Park Avenue has finally emerged from its cavernous trench. Set for completion in 2018, the Billionaires' Row building will climb 54 floors and 780 feet into the Manhattan skyline, becoming the tallest and likely the most prestigious building on the Upper East Side. Envisioned by William Lie and Arthur Zeckendorf, 520 Park Avenue inherits the classically-inspired taste of the real estate dynasty's prior projects. In the '80s, their father William Zeckendorf Jr. erected some of the city's largest post-modern apartment complexes such as Worldwide Plaza, Zeckendorf Towers, and the Park Belvedere. Here, the developers commissioned the esteemed architect/historian and dean of the Yale School of Architecture Robert A.M. Stern as the designer and SLCE as the architects of record. This team also collaborated together on 18 Gramercy Park South and 15 Central Park West, which shattered apartment records when it opened in 2008. Intent on replicating its west side counterpart's success, the Zeckendorfs again gathered the now-not-so-secret ingredients: a powerful address, palatial apartments, and most importantly, the coveted Central Park view, all of which will culminate in a jaw-dropping $130 million penthouse.
More on the project's status

October 13, 2015

This $30/Week Grimy Lower East Side Bar Bathroom Is a Hot Ticket

There's not a lot we haven't seen in terms of less-than-ideal but overpriced real estate, from an $1,800 Manhattan rental with a shower in the kitchen to a $1.2 million trailer in the Hamptons. And just last week, a story surfaced about a cupboard-like rental underneath a London stairwell going for $750 a month. To poke fun at the absurd lengths people go to in order to live in the city's best neighborhoods, Alana Reali, a bartender at Lower East Side dive bar Local 138, posted an ad on Craigslist advertising the bar's 15-square-foot graffiti-covered bathroom as a $30/week rental, reports the Post. Calling it a "hip artist loft," the listing says "room includes a window, a door, your very own bathroom and walls dressed with authentic NYC street art. Hot water included. I provide a space heater for the winter months." Shortly after posting, Reali was inundated with requests, like this one from a gullible NYU student: "This place is perfect for me and I am interested, only I did not really understand how the situation works. Can you please elaborate a bit?"
Read the full

City Living

October 13, 2015

18th Century Farmhouse, With Art Gallery and Pool Additions, Costs Less Than Most NYC Apartments

By Emily Nonko

Does the price of New York City real estate get you down? Then consider this: an organic farm nestled within the Catskill Mountains with additions like a pool and art gallery, plus barns, an equestrian facility and enough land to hold 200 cows. And this isn't just any farm–Charlotte Valley Organic Farm, as it's called, has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest and this very website for the merits of the modern residential addition built in 1992. So what's the cost for this unique upstate property? Take a deep breath. The price tag comes in at $998,000 for the house, garage, two barns and 10 acres -- the price of many small one-bedroom apartments in Manhattan. For $1.75 million, you get the entire property, which spans 464 acres.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

10 Imaginative and Inexpensive Ways to Frame Your Favorite Art

6sqft’s new series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we take on framing artwork for the home without spending a lot of money.

October 13, 2015

10 Imaginative and Inexpensive Ways to Frame Your Favorite Art

By Andrea Zlotowitz

If you're familiar with 6sqft's post 10 Great Places to Buy Affordable Art in New York City, then you're probably now considering framing your new acquired artwork. Whether you are trying to get something framed, or you have a collection of frames just lying around, knowing how to approach the framing process will help make sure that your home decor and your efforts are on point. From where to find great frames on the cheap to creating your very own DIY editions from materials bought at your local hardware store, 6sqft has rounded up some inventive and inexpensive options to help you decorate your walls.
Start framing here

October 13, 2015

This $5.5M West Village Pad Has a Glass Catwalk and Will Make Your Frienemies Very Jealous

By Michelle Cohen

Whether or not it’s your actual dream apartment, this three-bedroom co-op at 377 West 11th Street in the lovely and leafy West Village has New York City dream apartment written all over it. It’s that one you’d want if you were going to throw a casual cocktail soiree and invite your ex, your ex-boss, those mean girls from the eighth grade or pretty much anyone you wanted to impress to the point of torment with your perfect life, starting with your perfect $5.5 million apartment. The one with a glass-encased floating catwalk. Says the listing, "At 3,200 square feet, this sprawling home has everything you could want in a New York apartment.” Everything, except your extremely envious ex.
Let’s give the party guests a tour

Distinctive Homes

October 13, 2015

Why NY Apartments Are Priced $999,999; The Development Story of the Central Park Tower

A timeline of how Extell pieced together the land and air rights it needed to build the Central Park Tower. [TRD] Why people list their apartments for $999,999 rather than $1 million in today’s hot real estate market. [NYT] Renderings for a 49-story residential tower along Fulton Street have been revealed. [Curbed] Soccer legends Paolo Maldini […]

Real Estate Trends

October 13, 2015

252 East 57th Street Tops Off Construction Ten Years After Innovative Public-Private Partnership