All articles by Devin Gannon

Eugene Kohn, co-founder of prolific architecture firm KPF, dies at 92

Photo courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)

March 10, 2023

Eugene Kohn, co-founder of prolific architecture firm KPF, dies at 92

Eugene Kohn, who co-founded the influential international architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, died on Thursday at the age of 92. Founded in 1976 by Kohn, William Pedersen, and Sheldon Fox, KPF has designed hundreds of buildings across the globe, with numerous notable skyscrapers in New York. Recent additions to the New York City skyline by KPF include One Vanderbilt, 10, 30, and 55 Hudson Yards, Brooklyn Point, and Two Waterline Square, among others.
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Architecture And Design

Artist Ai Weiwei lists Chelsea condo for $2M

All photos courtesy of H5 Property

March 7, 2023

Artist Ai Weiwei lists Chelsea condo for $2M

By Devin Gannon

Artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei is selling his New York City apartment for $2,000,000. The oversized one-bedroom at 420 West 25th Street measures 1,400 square feet and features a flexible floor plan and an abundance of natural light. As first reported by Bloomberg, the condo has been staged with several of Ai's works, none of which are for sale but highlight the home's gallery-like space.
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The Wing’s former HQ at historic East Village building lists for $22.5M

All photos by Tory Williams

March 7, 2023

The Wing’s former HQ at historic East Village building lists for $22.5M

By Devin Gannon

The New York City headquarters of the now-defunct women's-only co-working company The Wing is for sale. As first reported by Curbed, the landmarked brick and terra-cotta building at 137 Second Avenue in the East Village hit the market last week for $22,500,000. The Wing, which shut down last summer as a result of the pandemic, moved into the building in 2019, bringing the company's signature pastel colors and cozy, custom furniture to the 1880s building, which was once home to the Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital.
Details here

Distinctive Homes

See Jersey City’s $500M plan to redevelop a public housing complex into massive mixed-use community

All renderings courtesy of PS&S Architects

March 6, 2023

See Jersey City’s $500M plan to redevelop a public housing complex into massive mixed-use community

By Devin Gannon

An innovative plan to redevelop a public housing project in downtown Jersey City into a massive new community with over 600 units of housing is moving forward. The Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) voted to select WinnDevelopment to oversee the revitalization of the 80-year-old Holland Gardens complex, which involves razing all five existing buildings and constructing four new high-rise towers that will be home to senior housing, for-sale condos, public housing units, market-rate rentals, and community space. The $500 million project will be about 50 percent affordable, Mayor Steven Fulop announced last week.
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Cinthya Santos-Briones “Aerialists,” from the series “Living in Sanctuary” September 25, 2017 Courtesy of the artist

March 6, 2023

New photo exhibit explores what ‘home’ means to New Yorkers

By Devin Gannon

A photo exhibition opening this month examines what it means to make a home in New York City. Museum of the City of New York's New York Now: Home exhibit features the photography and video work of 33 artists who have captured the diverse definition of "home," be it a physical place, feeling, or chosen community. Opening on March 10, the exhibition is the first installation of an ongoing photography series at the museum.
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Events & Things To Do

Ex-Good Morning America anchor Amy Robach and husband Andrew Shue sell NYC co-op for $5.1M

Street view of 59 Barrow Street © Google

March 2, 2023

Ex-Good Morning America anchor Amy Robach and husband Andrew Shue sell NYC co-op for $5.1M

By Devin Gannon

Former "Good Morning America" anchor Amy Robach and her husband Andrew Shue have sold their West Village apartment for $5,100,000, according to property records. The estranged couple put their co-op at 59 Barrow Street on the market last September and the property entered contract in November, just before news broke of Robach's relationship with co-anchor T.J. Holmes. Records show the deal closed at the end of February.
Details here

17-story Clinton Hill rental opens lottery for middle-income units, from $2,700/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

February 28, 2023

17-story Clinton Hill rental opens lottery for middle-income units, from $2,700/month

By Devin Gannon

A residential building rising next to a landmarked Gothic Revival church in Brooklyn is currently accepting applications for 42 middle-income apartments. Designed by DXA Studio and located across the street from Clinton Hill, the Parish House is a 17-story rental with 138 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced between $2,700/month and $3,400/month.
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Affordable Housing

Preserved Neo-Grec townhouse in Park Slope is a glimpse into the Gilded Age for $3.5M

Photos courtesy of Compass

February 24, 2023

Preserved Neo-Grec townhouse in Park Slope is a glimpse into the Gilded Age for $3.5M

By Devin Gannon

A well-preserved Park Slope brownstone built 150 years ago hit the market this week. Located within the neighborhood's historic district, 34 7th Avenue is considered one of Park Slope's first Neo-Grec townhouses. Much of the home's historic charm has been maintained, seen in original carved walnut woodwork, parquet flooring, pocket doors, and seven stunning fireplace mantles. Asking $3,470,000, the home is currently configured as a four-family building, but could easily become the magnificent single-family home it was intended to be when built.
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Distinctive Homes

South Bronx development Bankside opens lottery for 145 middle-income units, from $2,525/month

Renderings courtesy of ArX Solutions

February 23, 2023

South Bronx development Bankside opens lottery for 145 middle-income units, from $2,525/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are currently being accepted for newly-constructed middle-income apartments at the massive mixed-use development Bankside in the South Bronx. As part of the project's second phase, Lincoln at Bankside contains 921 apartments, 145 of which are rent-restricted and available through the housing lottery. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between $86,572 annually for a single-person household and $215,150 annually for a household of seven can apply for the apartments, priced from $2,525/month studios to $4,373/month three-bedroom apartments.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Skinny Upper East Side townhouse with literary ties asks $4M

All photos courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

February 22, 2023

Skinny Upper East Side townhouse with literary ties asks $4M

By Devin Gannon

A 19th-century Italianate-style house on the Upper East Side with New York political and literary ties hit the market this week. Constructed in 1867, the red brick townhouse at 255 East 78th Street was once home to State Sen. John Gilmore Boyd and most recently, cultural critic John Leonard, who died in 2008. While the narrow property is just 14 feet wide, the home measures nearly 2,700 square feet across four levels, plus there's a basement, rear deck, garden, and air rights to add two more floors. The townhouse is currently available for $3,995,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Lottery opens for 127 affordable apartments at sustainable, supportive development in the Bronx

By Devin Gannon

A major new housing development in the Bronx is currently accepting applications for 127 newly constructed affordable apartments. Designed by Aufgang Architects, The Bronx Grove consists of two sustainable 11-story buildings in Bedford Park, a neighborhood home to Fordham University and the New York Botanical Garden. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments. For a handful of apartments available through the lottery, eligible residents will pay 30 percent of their income.
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Affordable Housing

In an UWS studio building, $4.4M co-op has original stained glass and 17-foot ceilings

Photo credit: Tim Waltman for Sotheby’s International Realty

February 17, 2023

In an UWS studio building, $4.4M co-op has original stained glass and 17-foot ceilings

By Devin Gannon

On a stretch of West 67th Street just off Central Park, there are eight buildings that were constructed over a century ago by artists looking for live-work spaces. Located within what is now known as the West 67th Street Artists' Colony Historic District, the studio buildings have apartments with soaring windows that stream in natural light and double-height living rooms that also function as studio space. A two-bedroom co-op is now available at 27 West 67th Street, one of the first artist studio buildings to be constructed on this block. Asking $4,400,000, the duplex boasts original stained glass windows, a wood-burning fireplace, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the unique New York City prestige that comes with the address.
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Distinctive Homes

Central Park’s iconic Loeb Boathouse set to reopen this summer

Photo by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

February 16, 2023

Central Park’s iconic Loeb Boathouse set to reopen this summer

By Devin Gannon

After closing its doors last year, the iconic Loeb Boathouse in Central Park will reopen this summer with a new operator. Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Parks Department on Thursday announced Legends Hospitality, the group that operates at Yankee Stadium and One World Observatory, has been selected to manage the Boathouse as part of a 10-year lease. If the contract is approved by the city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee next month, the venue could be open to the public as early as June.
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Vornado pauses plan to redevelop area around Penn Station

Rendering courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

February 16, 2023

Vornado pauses plan to redevelop area around Penn Station

By Devin Gannon

The plan to redevelop the area around Penn Station with several new skyscrapers is officially on hold. During a conference call this week, Steven Roth, the chief executive officer at Vornado Realty Trust, the developer behind the project, said new construction is "almost impossible" because of current market conditions, as Crain's first reported.
Details here

Policy

New website explores the forgotten NYC neighborhood of San Juan Hill

San Juan Hill neighborhood, 1939.Lee Sievan (1907-1990). Museum of the City of New York. 92.70.1. Gift and © Howard Sieven, Executor of the Estate of Lee Sievan

February 15, 2023

New website explores the forgotten NYC neighborhood of San Juan Hill

By Devin Gannon

Once home to New York City's largest Black population, Manhattan's San Juan Hill neighborhood no longer exists. The diverse working-class neighborhood was razed during the 1950s to make way for the Lincoln Center campus. This week the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts unveiled a new digital resource dedicated to San Juan Hill as a way to explore the history of the neighborhood and ensure that its legacy, and the people who lived there, are remembered. The "Legacies of San Juan Hill" website includes essays, historic images, articles, maps, and other archival content.
Learn more here

History

$2.15M Greenwich Village ‘junior four’ has an enclosed terrace for year-round sunshine

Photos courtesy of Jeff Nolan for The Corcoran Group

February 15, 2023

$2.15M Greenwich Village ‘junior four’ has an enclosed terrace for year-round sunshine

By Devin Gannon

A renovated co-op along an iconic stretch of Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village is available for $2,150,000. Located on the eighth floor of the co-op The Brevoort, this "junior four," a one-bedroom with an alcove area that can be converted into a second bedroom or other space, features a flexible floor plan, Washington Square Park views, and a cozy, sun-drenched enclosed terrace.
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Distinctive Homes

A planted glass atrium leads to huge private roof deck at this $6.25M Tribeca penthouse

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

February 14, 2023

A planted glass atrium leads to huge private roof deck at this $6.25M Tribeca penthouse

By Devin Gannon

Not only is the private roof deck of this New York City penthouse spectacular, but the trip up to it is too. Found atop the boutique condominium at 12 Warren Street in Tribeca, the apartment features a glass atrium full of plants with a staircase that leads to the rooftop, which also wows with roughly 1,425 square feet and open exposures. Listed for $6,250,000, the full-floor penthouse has two bedrooms, stunning city views, and a modern style in every room.
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Distinctive Homes

$6M Park Slope triplex condo feels like a modern townhouse, private garden and parking included

Photo credit: Travis Mark courtesy of Douglas Elliman

February 13, 2023

$6M Park Slope triplex condo feels like a modern townhouse, private garden and parking included

By Devin Gannon

In the heart of charming Park Slope, a townhouse-sized condominium with parking and a private garden is now available. Located within the boutique building The Vermeil at 133 Sterling Place, the triplex measures 3,610 square feet and contains five bedrooms and four baths. Asking $5,995,000, the home has been customized for modern Brooklyn living, with sleek built-ins and storage throughout, as well as a private rear garden designed for the ultimate city soiree.
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Distinctive Homes

New York City rents hit record highs in January

Photo by Rachel Martin on Unsplash

February 13, 2023

New York City rents hit record highs in January

By Devin Gannon

Moving during the winter in New York City once meant lower rents and more incentives. But according to a new report from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel, rents in the month of January hit, or nearly hit, record highs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
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Real Estate Trends

The Brooklyn Tower’s striking neo-Deco crown is complete

Photo by Evan Joseph

February 10, 2023

The Brooklyn Tower’s striking neo-Deco crown is complete

By Devin Gannon

The top of the tallest tower in Brooklyn is now complete, cementing its status as New York City's newest landmark. The Brooklyn Tower rises 93 stories from a marble base with a facade of repeating vertical columns and alternating panels of colored metals that fade from bronze to black as it moves upward to the neo-Deco crown. The spired pinnacle reaches 1,066 feet, making the Brooklyn Tower the tallest building in the borough.
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Architecture And Design

15 Underground Railroad stops in New York City

Photo of Harriet Tubman statue in Harlem via denisbin on Flickr

February 9, 2023

15 Underground Railroad stops in New York City

By Devin Gannon

For over 200 years, most of New York City favored slavery because the region's cotton and sugar industries depended on slave labor. During the colonial era, 41 percent of NYC's households had slaves, compared to just six percent in Philadelphia and two percent in Boston. Eventually, after the state abolished slavery in 1827, the city became a hotbed of anti-slavery activism and a critical participant in the Underground Railroad, the network of secret churches, safe houses, and tunnels that helped fugitive slaves from the south reach freedom. While some of these Underground Railroad sites no longer exist or have relocated, a few of the original structures can be visited today, including Brooklyn's Plymouth Church and the Staten Island home of staunch abolitionist Dr. Samuel Mackenzie Elliott. Ahead, travel along the Underground Railroad with 15 known stops in New York City.
See the stops

History

See the new customer service centers replacing token booths at NYC subway stations

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

February 9, 2023

See the new customer service centers replacing token booths at NYC subway stations

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week unveiled its new "customer service centers," which are replacing the glass token booths seen at every subway station. Station agents at the new centers will help commuters switch to OMNY, apply for the Reduced Fare program, and generally navigate the system. The new stalls are part of the MTA's plan to change the duties of subway station agents, who once managed cash and subway tokens from inside the locked booth. Now, in addition to the workers stationed at the centers, agents will walk around the stations.
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Transit

Queens Night Market returns this April with $6 price cap on all food items still in place

Queens Night Market, Photo by Storm Garner

February 8, 2023

Queens Night Market returns this April with $6 price cap on all food items still in place

By Devin Gannon

While the price of food continues to increase at grocery stores and restaurants, one market in New York City is keeping consumer costs low. When the Queens Night Market opens for its eighth season this April, the open-air food market will maintain its popular price cap of $5 or $6 on all food items. Vendors will be able to stay affordable this year because of a sponsorship from Citizens bank, according to John Wang, the founder of the Queens Night Market.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

Brooklyn Heights rental with rooftop terrace launches housing lottery, from $1,528/month

Photo Credit: 200 Montague Street, Courtesy of MNS Real Estate

February 7, 2023

Brooklyn Heights rental with rooftop terrace launches housing lottery, from $1,528/month

By Devin Gannon

A 20-story rental in Brooklyn Heights has opened a housing lottery for 38 mixed-income apartments. Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle, 200 Montague Street features a unique dark facade with a polished granite base and bronze-tone metal detailing, an interpretation of the neighborhood's historic architecture. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from a $1,528/month studio to a $3,918/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

February 7, 2023

Proposed 13-story Soho building designed by Morris Adjmi is first to need LPC approval after rezoning

By Devin Gannon

A New York City developer on Monday unveiled plans for the first development in Soho under new zoning rules approved by the city in 2021. United American Land (UAL) announced a proposal for a 13-story mixed-use building with 100 units of housing at 277 Canal Street, a landmarked three-story building on the corner of Broadway. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is expected to begin its review process of the project this summer, as Commercial Observer first reported.
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All articles by Devin Gannon

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