All articles by Devin Gannon

April 26, 2024

35-acre nature preserve opens in the Rockaways at NYC’s first net-zero community

New York City this week opened a public nature preserve in Far Rockaway that serves as the centerpiece of a new sustainable mixed-use project. The 35-acre natural area marks the first phase of Arverne East, a development transforming a vacant 116-acre oceanfront site into a community with 1,650 homes, retail, and open space. The nearly $1 billion project will produce more energy than it consumes, through passive house construction and a district geothermal system, making it the city's first net-zero community.
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April 23, 2024

Theater director David Saint lists his East Village penthouse with huge terrace for $5M

Theater director and producer David Saint is parting ways with his East Village home of 12 years. Saint, a longtime artistic director and producer of the 2021 film "West Side Story," bought the penthouse at 123 Third Avenue for just over $3,864,000 in 2012. The home, which offers two bedrooms and a landscaped wraparound terrace, is asking $4,995,000.
see the terrace
April 18, 2024

Stephen Sondheim’s Connecticut country home sells for $3.25M

The longtime Connecticut home of late Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim sold for the full asking price of $3,250,000. After hitting the market last November, the Roxbury property, which includes a main house, one-bedroom pool house, and a detached garage, found a buyer in just 12 days, according to Klemm Real Estate, the firm with the listing.
details here
April 17, 2024

$14M penthouse atop landmarked Astor building has pre-war details and palatial private terrace

A new penthouse perched above a 120-year-old Upper West Side residential building checks all the boxes. As one of three modern penthouses added to the historic Astor condominium, this residence offers pre-war-inspired details with modern conveniences, expansive living space, and over 1,700 square feet of private outdoor space. The exclusive five-bedroom duplex recently hit the market for $13,950,000; 6sqft got a first look at the home's incredible interiors and terrace space.
see inside
April 16, 2024

Hochul announces budget agreement, with ‘landmark’ housing deal

State lawmakers reached a "conceptual" agreement on the 2025 budget on Monday, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who hosted a celebratory press conference touting the deal. Since the bills have not been printed yet, details remain scarce. However, according to the governor, the $237 billion budget, now over two weeks late, includes "landmark" policies to address the dire housing crisis statewide, particularly in New York City. Hochul announced efforts to boost housing production, including a new tax break to succeed 421-a, and protect tenants, with the framework for "good cause" eviction included in the deal.
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April 12, 2024

Vessel at Hudson Yards to reopen this year

The climbable structure at the center of Hudson Yards will reopen later this year. Vessel, an interactive public artwork, first opened in 2019 along with the mega-development but closed in 2021 after several people died by suicide there. Three years later, the structure will reopen to the public but with new barriers in place, as CBS New York first reported.
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April 10, 2024

One Madison Avenue unveils lush rooftop garden and stylish steakhouse by Daniel Boulud

An office tower in Midtown is luring tenants with food and lush outdoor space. SL Green this week unveiled plans for a steakhouse by Chef Daniel Boulud at One Madison Avenue, an adaptive-reuse commercial building facing Madison Square Park. In addition to La Tête d’Or by Daniel, the first-ever steakhouse from the French chef, the tower will feature a sprawling event and rooftop space designed by David Rockwell and catered by Boulud.
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April 9, 2024

Poetry pops up in five New York City parks

To celebrate National Poetry Month, poems are popping up in parks across New York City. The city's Parks Department and the Poetry Society of America unveiled five new installations with poems in parks and playgrounds. The poetry is part of "Park Poems," an annual initiative transforming poems into site-specific works of art.
poetic parks, this way
April 9, 2024

Renovation of Eero Saarinen’s modernist Midtown skyscraper is complete

One of New York City's most iconic modernist skyscrapers has been revitalized for a new era. Designed by renowned 20th-century architect Eero Saarinen, the 38-story Midtown Manhattan office building 51W52, also known as the CBS Building, received a $128 million renovation by Harbor Group International (HGI), which acquired the building from CBS owner Paramount in 2021. HGI says the upgrades, which includes an updated lobby and lounge, conference center, and cafe, have helped the building see 350,000 square feet in new leases and renewals after an increase in vacancies last year.
see it here
April 8, 2024

Hudson Yards high-rise with five-star hotel perks opens lottery for 135 units, from $848/month

A luxury high-rise building in Hudson Yards opened a lottery this week for 135 mixed-income apartments. Developed by Related Companies, The Set at 455 10th Avenue offers 270 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments in a hotel-like setting. For the below-market-rate homes, New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $848/month to $3,473/month.
find out if you qualify
April 8, 2024

A fashion designer’s cozy converted 1920s barn in upstate NY asks $2.9M

A converted barn in upstate New York owned by a notable fashion designer is now on the market. Keren Craig, the co-founder of the high-end clothing brand Marchesa, has owned the property for 14 years, during which she renovated, expanded, and transformed the 100-year-old barn into a well-designed escape from city life. Located about two hours north of Manhattan in the laid-back hamlet of Accord, the home, asking $2,875,000, sits on over six acres of scenic forest.
details this way
April 5, 2024

Double turreted condo in a Central Park West castle is a quirky NYC dream home for $10.5M

In a city of unique homes, a condo in this landmarked castle on Central Park West may take the cake. Constructed in a spectacular French Renaissance style, the brick building with majestic turrets at 455 Central Park West opened in the late 1880s as the first cancer hospital in the country. After a later notorious stint as a nursing home, the building sat vacant for decades before becoming a luxury condominium in the early aughts. One of the units is now on the market for $10,500,000, offering circular rooms, a Central Park-facing terrace, and a fascinating history.
more on this manhattan castle
April 3, 2024

For $8.85M, a condo with Central Park and Manhattan skyline views from every room

Want priceless views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline? It will cost you $8,850,000. Every room of this newly available corner condo unit at the Deutsche Bank Center at 25 Columbus Circle, provides front-row urban and park vistas, high above it all. Sprawling and sunny, the 67th-floor apartment measures 2,400 square feet and contains three bedrooms.
views and more views
April 3, 2024

Sammy’s Roumanian Steak House will reopen on the Lower East Side

A legendary Lower East Side restaurant known for its Jewish Romanian dishes and vodka-fueled party atmosphere is making a comeback after closing during the pandemic. Sammy's Roumanian Steak House announced plans to reopen at 112 Stanton Street, with service starting on Passover, as EV Grieve first reported. Daily service is expected in June.
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March 27, 2024

$905K Brooklyn Tower studio sets new sales record for the borough

The tallest tower in Brooklyn just broke another record. A studio apartment in the Brooklyn Tower has sold for $905,000, marking the most expensive studio sale on a price-per-square-foot basis in the borough. Situated over 720 feet above ground, the 440-square-foot apartment boasts soaring, unobstructed views of the city and way beyond. According to city records, the property fetched a little over $2,000 per square foot.
details this way
March 27, 2024

At former Streit’s Matzo Factory, a Lower East Side penthouse with two terraces asks $4.35M

At the site of a former matzo factory on the Lower East Side, a shiny new penthouse is available for purchase. The seven-story condo building 150 Rivington Street replaced Streit's Matzo Factory, a neighborhood icon in operation for nearly 90 years before closing in 2015. Atop the brand-new project is a sun-drenched three-bedroom apartment with over 500 square feet of outdoor space and classic city views, listed for $4,350,000.
details here
March 26, 2024

ODA-designed Crown Heights rental with 328 apartments secures $135M in financing

The Crown Heights rental development that drew the ire of residents for replacing an Associated Supermarket is moving forward. The Hudson Companies on Monday announced it closed on $135 million in financing for the mixed-use project at 975 Nostrand Avenue, a new nine-story development with 328 apartments. As part of a deal reached in 2021, a grocery store run by the same manager of the previous store will take up about 20,000 square feet at the new building.
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March 26, 2024

New ‘portal’ sculpture to provide real-time live stream between New York City and Dublin

A new art installation debuting in New York City this spring is like something out of a science fiction novel. Created by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys, The Portal is a public sculpture broadcasting real-time video of two places. This spring, the interactive art installation will debut in the Flatiron District and in Dublin, Ireland, visually linking the iconic cities and their residents.
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March 25, 2024

Macy’s annual Flower Show brings sights and scents of spring to Herald Square

It may still feel like winter in most of New York City, but in Herald Square, spring has sprung. Macy's on Sunday unveiled its 49th annual Flower Show, filling its flagship store in Midtown with thousands of unique living plants and flowers. This year's show features Christian Dior Parfums with an installation and pop-up boutique exploring the history of the iconic Miss Dior fragrance.
get the details
March 22, 2024

This map tracks blooming flowers across New York

Although it may not feel like spring yet, the season's pretty flowers and trees have started to bloom across New York. Magnolia and cherry blossom trees, roses, lilacs, and tulips will soon bud, bringing beauty and a sense of hope to regions across the state. Celebrating the official start of spring, Gov. Kathy Hochul this week unveiled a new New York Blooms Report, which will track the stages of blooming flowers and trees with an interactive map and a weekly report.
spring has sprung
March 20, 2024

New block-long Boerum Hill condo to offer sun-drenched units with outdoor space, from $700K

Stretching nearly a block on Bergen Street in Boerum Hill, this new condo was designed to maximize natural sunlight. Rising seven stories between 3rd and 4th Avenues, just south of the Barclays Center, the residential project, dubbed Bergen, was designed by Mexico-based architecture studio Taller Frida Escobedo to complement the brownstone-filled neighborhood. New images and details of the development were released this week ahead of an upcoming spring sales launch.
See it here
March 15, 2024

In search of New York City’s best pint of Guinness

One of the most beloved exports of Ireland (besides Cillian Murphy), Guinness was born in Dublin over 200 years ago and made its way to the United States soon after. The dry stout draws a cultish following for its unique black color and creamy tan head. New York City does its best to match Ireland’s perfect pour with well over 100 Irish (and Irish-inspired) pubs across the five boroughs. But not all pints are created equal, as the team behind the Instagram account New York State of Pint has learned. Run by a group of "Irish guys on a mission to find the best Guinness New York has to offer," the account is rating pints across the city in a March Madness-inspired contest.
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March 7, 2024

Where to watch the Oscars in NYC

Hollywood's biggest night comes to New York City. For a festive Oscars-viewing experience, hit one of the city's bars, venues, or movie theaters hosting watch parties in honor of the 96th annual Academy Awards this Sunday, March 10. Ahead, find our favorite spots to show off your red-carpet look, place your bets on this year's nominees, and sip a cinema-themed cocktail among fellow film fans.
See the star-studded spots
March 7, 2024

Veselka to resume 24-hour service

A surefire sign New York City is back? The resumption of 24-hour service at Veselka in the East Village. One of the few spots in the city that served diners all night, the iconic Ukrainian restaurant on Second Avenue stopped the service amid pandemic struggles. But, as first reported by neighborhood expert EV Grieve, the restaurant is looking to bring back around-the-clock hours on weekends.
more here
March 6, 2024

Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s one-time Greenwich Village home sells for $12M

The nearly 200-year-old Greenwich Village townhouse that Kate Moss and Johnny Depp called home in the 1990s has found a buyer. After listing for $15,000,000 last May, the Federal-style property at 112 Waverly Place, which measures 6,300 square feet and includes a triplex carriage house, sold last week for $12,005,000.
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