Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff
December 19, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

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Get a Look at the NYC Skyline in 2030! NYC Municipal ID Card Holders Will Get Even More Free Stuff in 2016 Designer’s Boldly Renovated West Village Pad Asks $1.15M Living in a Micro Apartment Could Be Harmful to Your Health A 1924 Proposal Would Have Drained the Entire East River to Reduce Congestion Did […]

$13K Furnished Rental Is a Mix of All the Coolest Downtown Dwellings
December 18, 2015

$13K Furnished Rental Is a Mix of All the Coolest Downtown Dwellings

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The kitchen says Greenwich Village, the bedroom reads East Village, and the large living space is pure Soho loft. Located just south of Union Square and a few blocks from almost everything else in the universe, this good old fashioned "loft-style home" at 816 Broadway is the perfect mix of cool downtown dwellings. Unless you're seeking total peace and quiet (which rules out most of New York City) there isn't much downside–other than the $13K a month rent–to moving right in to this hip, well-stocked apartment with the world just outside your door. This furnished home is available for six months or less (January-September); weekly cleaning and utilities are included in the rent.
Get a closer look
Why Is the Face of This Clock in Central Park Rotating Backwards?

GIF created from a video by Scott Beale for Laughing Squid

December 18, 2015

Why Is the Face of This Clock in Central Park Rotating Backwards?

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At first glance, it looks like an ordinary 19th century street clock, but when you notice its movement, things get a little weird. Located at Central Park's Doris C. Freedman Plaza, the clock's face rotates backwards, while the second hand appears to remain upright and stationary at all times (h/t Laughing Squid). What'll really throw you for a loop is that the clock is displaying the correct time, but because of how accustomed we are to the regular rotation, it's almost impossible to read. Titled "Against the Run," the clock was created by Alicja Kwade for the Public Art Fund. The Polish-born, Berlin-based artist wanted to challenge "the systems we invent to make sense of our lives," thereby forcing us to "see 'reality' from a new perspective."
More about the trippy clock
Get a Look at the NYC Skyline in 2030!

Envision Design And Evoke Desire – New York, NY, Skyline 2030. Courtesy of Visualhouse. Click here to enlarge >>

December 18, 2015

Get a Look at the NYC Skyline in 2030!

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Though it's that time of year when we look back at the 12 months past, it's also a great time to look ahead. Which is exactly what creative design firm Visualhouse did with their incredible rendering of the NYC skyline 15 years from now. The image takes us from BIG's Via tetrahedron to the supertall towers of Billionaires' Row to the glistening cluster that will be Hudson Yards.
more here
Spotlight: A Cold Dip With the Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s Dennis Thomas
December 18, 2015

Spotlight: A Cold Dip With the Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s Dennis Thomas

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The city may be having an unseasonably warm December, but it's fair to say most New Yorkers still find it a bit too chilly for the beach. Members of the famed Coney Island Polar Bear Club, on the other hand, relish the drop in temperature as they head out for an ocean swim. The Polar Bear Club is a New York institution dating back to 1903. While the organization is renowned for its annual New Year’s Day swim where New Yorkers gather to welcome the year with a chilly dip, it’s far from the only time the club embraces the cold water. In fact, they meet 12 times throughout the winter months and draw a sizable membership that's a mix of ages, backgrounds, and cultures from the metropolitan area and beyond. At the club's helm is president Dennis Thomas, who fell in love with Coney Island years ago and later discovered the serenity of swimming on brisk days. More than thirty years after he first became a member, Dennis spoke with 6sqft about the Polar Bear Club's history, what a typical swim is like, and what happens when hundreds of New Yorkers turn out for a New Year's Day swim that supports Camp Sunshine.
Read the interview here
Historic UWS Townhouse Filled With Bold Modern Furniture Hits the Rental Market
December 18, 2015

Historic UWS Townhouse Filled With Bold Modern Furniture Hits the Rental Market

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Original mahogany and oak paneling, inlaid parquet floors, carved mantels and a grand staircase. That's the lowdown at 315 West 78th Street, an impressive townhouse in the Riverside Drive/West End Avenue area of the Upper West Side. It's a huge house, with 4,000 square feet, 11 rooms, five bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. It also has an impressive number of historic details intact. The home has been offered as a rental for a few years now, priced between $15,499 and $16,000 a month. It's back on the market asking $16,000 and is being offered furnished or not. It's also available short term, for a minimum of a six-month stay. This is a spot we definitely wouldn't mind hanging for six months.
See the interior
MAP: How Much Do Murders Decrease Home Values?
December 18, 2015

MAP: How Much Do Murders Decrease Home Values?

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We know that in New York City, living next to the deceased does little to earn you a discount on your rent or a price chop on a condo. But when it comes to murders, the story is quite different. Finder.com recently culled data from University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and popular real estate websites to find out just how much a murder that occurred on a property can affect the value of a home.
more here
Foodies Remember the Four Seasons; What Will Replace the Hipster?
December 18, 2015

Foodies Remember the Four Seasons; What Will Replace the Hipster?

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As the closing of the Four Seasons approaches, five regulars remember the iconic landmarked restaurant. [Grub Street] What will replace the hipster? Will it be yuccies, cutesters, or maybe health goths? [Vice] Traveling through Grand Central on the 25th? Hidden bar the Campbell Apartment will be open on Christmas for the first time. [Gothamist] Architect […]

Mass Transit Commuters in NY Will Save Hundreds Thanks to New Federal Bill
December 18, 2015

Mass Transit Commuters in NY Will Save Hundreds Thanks to New Federal Bill

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Work for a business with 20 or more employees? Soon you can kiss that $116/month Metrocard allotment goodbye. This week's federal spending and tax-cut agreement will likely put into effect a permanent law that almost doubles the pre-tax earnings that New York mass-transit commuters can spend on fares, thereby saving them hundreds of dollars a year. As Crain's reports, "The provision nearly doubles the maximum amount of pre-tax income they can use to pay transit fares. Currently $130 a month, the limit will be raised to match the amount that people who drive to work can spend in untaxed earnings on parking fees—$255 per month in 2016." Plus, if Congress passes the bill as expected, the amount will continue to rise with the cost of living.
Find out more right here

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Get a Look at the South Village’s Upcoming Boutique Condo, 54 MacDougal Street
December 18, 2015

Get a Look at the South Village’s Upcoming Boutique Condo, 54 MacDougal Street

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Excavation is nearly complete at 54 MacDougal Street, a ground-up, six-story condominium being developed by Valyrian Capital and Ajax Partners. Up until 2013, a humble three-story townhouse stood at the 2,500-square-foot lot for nearly 200 years, dating its creation to around 1820 when it was built on land formerly owned by Aaron Burr. The building lot is within a once working-class and immigrant neighborhood referred to by some as the South Village. Unlike large swaths of Greenwich Village to the north and cast iron sections of Soho to the west, the motley mixture of low-rise, pre-war buildings for years lacked landmark protections. Since 2006, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) has urged the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate a 35-block stretch of the neighborhood as an historic district, making it the city’s first tenement-based landmarked district. To date, two of the three phases of the district have been designated.
More details ahead
Edible Real Estate: These Amazing Gingerbread Houses Are Totally Turnkey
December 17, 2015

Edible Real Estate: These Amazing Gingerbread Houses Are Totally Turnkey

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What could be better than real estate you can eat? Though these (mostly) edible homes are way too pretty to take a bite of, there’s just something about the idea of frosting on the roof… Ahead, check out some of the sweet, scaled-down edifices we've scouted across the web and NYC, including a gingerbread version of the Hogwarts School, Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Fallingwater, and the Guggenheim, which, as they say, takes the cake!
More amazing cookie creations this way
Median Manhattan Apartment Price Climbs Past $1M for First Time
December 17, 2015

Median Manhattan Apartment Price Climbs Past $1M for First Time

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"For the second year in a row, Manhattan real estate prices soared, setting new records. For the first time, the median price for an apartment—including both co-ops and condos—was above $1 million." This is according to CityRealty's newly released Year-End Manhattan Market Report, which puts the median price at $1.1 million, 13 percent higher than last year and 60 percent higher than 2005. Additionally, the average apartment sales price ($1.9 million), the average condo price ($2.6 million), and the average co-op price ($1.4 million) all broke 2014's records by $100,000.
See the report's infographic this way
Colorful and Quirky Four-Bedroom With Pre-War Charm Asks $775K in Hamilton Heights
December 17, 2015

Colorful and Quirky Four-Bedroom With Pre-War Charm Asks $775K in Hamilton Heights

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Some are saying that the next Harlem Renaissance is poised to happen in Hamilton Heights. And everyone's got their eye on Columbia University's planned 6.8 million-square-foot expansion into neighboring Manhattanville—it's expected to bring an influx of new residents. If you're looking to get in a little early—or you're just looking for a decent amount of living space in Manhattan that doesn't cost millions, this quirky four-bedroom co-op at 616 West 137th Street could be your lucky break.
Check it out
A 1924 Proposal Would Have Drained the Entire East River to Reduce Congestion
December 17, 2015

A 1924 Proposal Would Have Drained the Entire East River to Reduce Congestion

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Remember 6sqft's post about a madcap engineer who wanted to pave over the East River in 1911 in order to create a "Mega-Manhattan?" Well, 13 years later, John A. Harris, deputy police commissioner in charge of traffic, came up with his own proposal for incorporating the river into the streetscape of the city: draining it entirely. Published in Popular Science, the never-realized scheme addressed New York's growing traffic congestion problem, said to have been costing the city $1.5 million a day. It would have transformed the waterway into "a five-mile system of automobile and motor-truck highways, subway lines, parking spaces, and city centers." Two concrete dams were to be erected, one near the Williamsburg Bridge and one near Hell Gate, and the riverbed would be "bridged with levels supported by steel uprights," thereby connecting the four boroughs.
More on the idea and the full drawing
$1.6 Million Dumbo Apartment Comes With Awesome Views of the Brooklyn Bridge
December 17, 2015

$1.6 Million Dumbo Apartment Comes With Awesome Views of the Brooklyn Bridge

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Views! Views! Views! Seriously, that's what you're getting with this two-bedroom apartment at 70 Washington Street, a former Dumbo warehouse that has been converted into 225 condo apartments. It was converted by Two Trees Management, prominent developers in the neighborhood, who built out luxury loft apartments and included a 24-hour concierge, doorman, fitness room, and roof deck with the building. This apartment has windows in both the living room and bedroom that offer an incredible look out onto the entire stretch of the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan skyline. There's a total of 1,310 square feet and a lofty, open floor plan. A view like that in a neighborhood as popular as Dumbo doesn't come cheap -- although you can still find the occasional apartment in the area for under $1 million without the impressive views, of course. This one is on the market for $1.6 million, after last selling in 2007 for $1,055,926.
Take the tour
Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 12/17-12/23
December 17, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 12/17-12/23

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In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founderLori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Before you take advantage of the open bar at your company's holiday party, pack in some art appreciation. This week, celebrate the genius of Michael Alan and experience the last Living Installation of the year (think figure drawing on acid, but without the acid and a big party thrown in). Fantastical art supply warehouse Materials for the Arts will also be sharing the fruits of their labor with an exhibition of their artist in residence. Nightlife icon Susanne Bartsch is throwing a special holiday party on the 22nd that benefits living work of art Domonique Echeverria. And Swoon will debut a sustainable bamboo house she's created with the Lower East Side Girls Club as a prototype for rebuilding Haiti. You can also still squeeze in some last minute shopping if you celebrate Christmas—first by trolling the gift shop at the epic Star Wars Costumes exhibition, and then perusing the artists selling wares at the Shwick Holiday Market.
All the best events to check out here
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Williamsberry’s Modern Mini-Me at 79 South Fifth Street Gets Glassed
December 17, 2015

Williamsberry’s Modern Mini-Me at 79 South Fifth Street Gets Glassed

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Over in South Williamsburg, construction is moving apace on Mona Gora's noodle factory-to-nests condo conversion known as Williamsberry. While the building’s name has picked up a fair bit of ridicule, we think its ambiguity represents the neighborhood well; like that over-processed frozen yogurt flavor that's tangy to some, bitter to others, but too intriguing to stop tasting. The project is composed of an eight-story, former noodle factory building that is being transformed into 54 high-ceilinged residences topped by a rooftop solar farm. Alongside the conversion, the team is constructing a modern yet complementary six-story building at 79 South Fifth Street, which is also being designed by Workshop DA with interiors by Paris Forino.
Lots more details and renderings
Where I Work: Artist Nancy Pantirer shows us around her imaginative Tribeca loft
December 16, 2015

Where I Work: Artist Nancy Pantirer shows us around her imaginative Tribeca loft

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6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we take a tour of painter and sculptor Nancy Pantirer’s imaginative Tribeca studio. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! When artist Nancy B. Pantirer opened up her studio for this year's Inside Tribeca Loft Tour, guests were swooning over everything from the high ceilings to the eclectic furniture, and of course, her incredible paintings, many of which are done in a large-scale format. But what really left an impression was Nancy's welcoming nature, evident as she chatted with almost everyone who passed through her space, telling them a bit about herself, her work, and the neighborhood. Eager to share this with our readers, 6sqft was lucky enough to get a private tour of Nancy's space, where she filled us in on her process, design choices, and how she feels Tribeca has changed since she arrived in 1995.
Take our tour right this way
SHoP Architects’ Controversial Seaport Tower Won’t Move Ahead

Rendering of the proposed 494-foot tower via SHoP Architects

December 16, 2015

SHoP Architects’ Controversial Seaport Tower Won’t Move Ahead

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The long-plagued condo tower designed by SHoP Architects for the Fulton Fish Market site at the South Street Seaport has been nixed, according to statements made by the Howard Hughes Corporation at a community board meeting last night. DNAinfo, who first reported on the fate of the 494-foot tower, says that the developer will instead construct a "not tall" commercial building at what's now known as the New Market Building site.
More details
Streit’s Matzo Factory Will be Turned Into Condos; Students Are Putting Their Dorms on Airbnb
December 16, 2015

Streit’s Matzo Factory Will be Turned Into Condos; Students Are Putting Their Dorms on Airbnb

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The condos going up next to Katz’s Deli will cost $1M. [Curbed] Pier57 plan receives support from Governor Cuomo. [DNA Info] Five Greenpoint projects will benefit from a $4.25M ExxonMobile settlement. [DNA Info] Students have started renting out their door rooms on Airbnb to make extra cash. [Fast Co.] Streit’s Matzo Factory is being renovated into condos. [TRD] Images: A […]

Beautiful Brownstone Rental in Fort Greene Sports Historic Details and a Spacious Kitchen
December 16, 2015

Beautiful Brownstone Rental in Fort Greene Sports Historic Details and a Spacious Kitchen

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If you're going to inhabit a couple of floors of a brownstone, the top choice is definitely a parlor-garden combo; you get the grandeur of high ceilings, huge rooms and lots of light on the parlor floor, and then–ideally–you get a lower level that opens out to a pretty backyard. If you're extra lucky, the parlor floor has access down to the yard as well. This beautifully-restored duplex at 75 Willoughby Avenue in Fort Greene is just that perfect combination–hence the $7K a month rent. But what you get–three bedrooms, two baths, a gorgeous private backyard accessible from both floors in a mint-condition historic townhouse with all the trimmings–is about as good as it gets.
Have a look
Whimsical Balloon Coffee Table By Duffy London Will Lift Your Spirits
December 16, 2015

Whimsical Balloon Coffee Table By Duffy London Will Lift Your Spirits

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One look at this charming table and you'll probably find yourself humming the 1980s hit "99 Red Balloons." The dreamy design of studio Duffy London, the "UP Coffee Table" explores the concepts of levitation and buoyancy to create a trompe l'oeil effect of a glass tabletop being suspended by balloons. Plus it kind of looks like a cross between a Banksy balloon and a Jeff Koons puppy, don't you think?
more views of the table here
December 16, 2015

POLL: Should Broadway Become a Giant Park?

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Earlier this week, 6sqft brought you a proposal by Perkins Eastman Architects to turn a 40-block-long stretch of Broadway into a linear park. Stretching from Columbus Circle to Union Square, the Green Line concept would connect these hubs with Times Square, Herald Square, and Madison Square. As we noted, “Unlike other linear parks like the […]

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