Brooklyn

It's not often that a New York City architect gets to work with an extra-wide townhouse, but the Brooklyn Courtyard House afforded DXA Studio just that opportunity. The client had purchased a standard 17-foot-wide townhouse in Cobble Hill, as well as the adjacent vacant lot, giving DXA over 30 feet of developable space. The firm used this chance to create a 5,600-square-foot, three-story home that blends with its Italianate neighbors from the outside and is entirely arranged around a central courtyard inside.
Check out the Brooklyn beauty

October 10, 2014

$3M Park Slope Brownstone is Perfect for Multigenerational Living

Not only is this rare 1882 brownstone situated in the heart of one of New York City’s quintessential family-friendly neighborhoods, the home itself is perfectly suited for familial bonding of another kind – multigenerational living. With an owner’s triplex over a floor-through garden apartment, this lovely residence at 107 St. John’s Place in Park Slope speaks to the time-honored tradition of sharing space with extended family. But if you’re not quite ready for the whole “Everybody Loves Raymond” scenario, having a sought-after income-producing rental is still a wonderful perk, and only one of the home’s many charms.
See more of this classic 1882 brownstone

<b>Renovation Diary: Defining a Dream, Assembling a Team</b>

The one that didn’t get away.

October 8, 2014

Renovation Diary: Defining a Dream, Assembling a Team

Our Renovation Diary series follows 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen as she takes on the challenge of transforming her historic Clinton Hill townhouse into a site-sensitive modern home. This week she shares her plans for the storied structure and the first big step she's taken to make her dream home a reality: assembling the professionals needed to make it happen. After two years of tireless searching, we finally took the big, scary step of buying an old townhouse on a leafy block in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Clinton Hill. We loved the house at first sight; but to understate matters a bit, it needs some work. It’s a fixer-upper, though far from a wreck. This renovation diary is an attempt to share what we learn over the next many months as this terrifying adventure unfolds, and let others learn from our mistakes!
Find out more about the huge renovation adventure we have ahead of us and what the first important decisions are.

NYC Guides

October 7, 2014

Own a Romantic One-Bedroom in Park Slope’s Iconic Chiclet Mansion

By Rebecca Paul

Part of what makes New York City so romantic are the picturesque historic buildings that have been maintained over the past few centuries. Now you can live this romance all day, everyday, in this 600-square-foot one-bedroom located at 115 Eighth Avenue in the Park Slope's iconic Chiclet Mansion (yes, a mansion designed for the gum magnate). Co-ops like this are very rarely available, and with its current listing price at $549,000 this one will not be on the market for very long.
Take a peek inside

October 3, 2014

Fort Greene Apartment in Former Seminary Has Us Praising Its Incredible Windows

Formerly a seminary, the gothic-style structure sitting in Fort Greene at the crossroads of Prospect Heights and Clinton Hill was reborn as Cathedral Condominiums, and this 1,100-square-foot home within is certainly one to be worshipped. No matter what your religious persuasion there’s no denying the windows in this stunning condo at 555 Washington Avenue are a blessing.
See why this condo has us singing its praises

October 2, 2014

Living in the Clouds: 50 New York Residential Towers Poised to Scrape the Sky (Part I)

By Ondel Hylton

It seems like every week a new residential skyscraper is being announced in New York City, just earlier this week the New York Times noted that a partnership between Steven Witkoff and Harry Macklowe is moving ahead with a redevelopment of the Park Lane Hotel at 36 Central Park West with an 850-foot tower. With the mind-boggling amount of residential spires poised to pierce the sky, here's a quick rundown of the tallest of the tall--the spindly bunch set to soar higher than 700 feet. Keep in mind that just 30 years ago, the tallest residence in the city was perched atop the 664-foot Trump Tower. Today, buildings are on the drawing board for more than twice that height.
See our list of the 26 tallest towers

October 2, 2014

Tour Mayor de Blasio’s Park Slope Home Now Renting at $4,975 a Month

Mayor de Blasio's Park Slope clapboard house, located at 442 11th Street, has hit the rental market today, asking $4,975 a month. The 100-year-old, three-story home has a private backyard (complete with herb garden and crab apple tree) and three bedrooms...but only one bathroom, which is up on the third floor. Chiara and Dante definitely had a hand in painting their bedrooms (photos and video after the break), and the dwelling retains some of its original, historic details. It may not be Gracie Mansion, but according to its broker, this mayoral abode offers a lot for it's price.
Let's see for ourselves in the video after the break

October 2, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Listings Hit for 160 Imlay; Mega Mixed-Use Development Coming to Sunset Park

Listings hit for 160 Imlay, the Morris Adjmi-designed conversion in Red Hook. [Brownstoner] Commercial building sales expected to top $52 billion this year, the highest since 2007. [Daily News] Jets owner Woody Johnson lists 834 Fifth Avenue duplex for $75 million. [New York Post] Developers bring back plans for mixed-use complex in Sunset Park. [Brooklyn Paper] […]

Real Estate Trends

September 30, 2014

Makeshift Mansions: How Today’s Filthy Rich are Creating Homes of Epic Proportions

By Bonnie Clark

For Manhattan’s jet-set crowd, the 2010s are starting to look an awful lot like the 1900s. New York’s upper crust are embracing a return to the Gilded Age, moving out of their fancy penthouses, co-ops and lofts and into opulent single-family mansions. From Aby Rosen’s quest to build the largest private mansion on Park Avenue to Jared Kushner’s conversion of three former Brooklyn Law School buildings into single-family townhouses—the most affluent buyers are now on the hunt for New York’s ultimate trophy prize.
More on makeshift mansions

September 30, 2014

$6.4M Loft on the Williamsburg Waterfront Is Rough-Around-the-Edges But Unique Nonetheless

Every once in a while a real estate opportunity comes along that is too good to pass up, and this former firehouse at 411 Kent Avenue on the Williamsburg waterfront is a perfect example. The very definition of a creative Brooklyn loft, the existing 3,300-square foot, two-story building features massive open spaces, high ceilings, huge windows, multiple skylights, original wood floors, exposed brick, and completely exposed wood ceiling joists.
See what investing in Brooklyn's hottest neighborhood looks like

Distinctive Homes

September 30, 2014

Isabella Rossellini’s Daughter Buys Eerie $2M Fort Greene Townhouse

By Annie Doge

Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann, daughter of famed Italian actress and model Isabella Rossellini, has just picked up a $2.2 million Fort Greene townhouse, according to city records. And the beautifully historic, yet slightly disheveled home at 23 South Elliott Place would make the perfect backdrop for a fashionably eerie photo shoot (or some really good Instagrams). Built in 1870, and part of the Fort Greene Historic District, the five-bedroom home is currently configured as a two-family residence, but we're guessing Ms. Rossellini isn't going to be looking for roommates and will likely convert it back to a single-family dwelling.
Tour the historic, sepia-toned home here

<b>Goldilocks Blocks: Vanderbilt Avenue in Wallabout, Brooklyn</b>

Between hyper-developed hotspots, main drags in up-and-comers, and those genuinely avoidable areas, there can often be found a city’s “just-right” zones. They aren’t commonly known, but these micro-neighborhoods often hide within them real estate gems coupled with perfectly offbeat vibes. Continuing our Goldilocks Blocks series, this week we turn to Brooklyn.

September 29, 2014

Goldilocks Blocks: Vanderbilt Avenue in Wallabout, Brooklyn

The culturally rich, architecturally stunning Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill need little introduction. The Brooklyn Navy Yard to the north is busily growing as a start-up business incubator and creative and commercial hub. An “in-between” zone—the sort of area that engenders a question mark and a furrowed brow when perusing neighborhood maps—lies just north of Myrtle Avenue and south of the Navy Yard. Known as Wallabout, the area was named for Wallabout Bay to the north, much of which was filled in to create the Navy Yard in the 19th century. Unique among its neighbors, a block-long stretch of this border district feels more like a small-town side street than a growing urban crossroads.
Find out what makes this historic block so special, and why it’s likely to stay that way.

September 29, 2014

Gardens and Grandeur for $7M on a Tree-Lined Street in Brooklyn

It is no surprise this impeccable 24-foot-wide multifamily brownstone is located in the aptly-named enclave of Carroll Gardens, since it boasts two lovely and spacious gardens of its own. Located on tree-lined 1st Place, just a stone’s throw from Manhattan, its $7 million price tag offers a taste of suburbia with all the advantages of city living.
Tour the beauty here

September 27, 2014

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Michelle Williams lists her gorgeous ivy-covered Boerum Hill townhouse for $7.5 million. See exclusive photos from the opening of the High Line’s third phase, as well as some beautiful snaps by photographer Iwan Baan. City Kids: Why parents pick city living over the suburbs. The Columbia Street Waterfront District, a quirky, 22-block enclave wedged between Red Hook […]

Uncategorized

September 26, 2014

Michelle Williams Lists Her Boerum Hill Townhouse for $7.5 Million

Michelle Williams’s gorgeous ivy-covered Boerum Hill townhouse just hit the market. And it comes with a three-car garage. The listing calls it “the one and only,” and for someone looking for a huge single-family home in this coveted South Brooklyn neighborhood, it just might be–assuming they can cover the steep asking price. First, the size factor: The corner townhouse is 22 feet wide, offering four stories, four and a half baths, at least six bedrooms, 12-foot-ceilings and a three-car garage that currently includes a rec room.
Find out what else makes this home so exceptional

September 26, 2014

New Exterior Rendering Released for 60 Water Street Rental Project in DUMBO

Two Trees Management Company has revealed an additional, close-up exterior rendering and a teaser website for their new rental development 60 Water Street in DUMBO, which is nearing completion. Designed by LEESER Architecture and Ismael Leyva Architects, the building will begin leasing in the coming weeks, though pricing and interior images have not yet been released. The façade stands out in the former-industrial neighborhood thanks to glass curtain walls with angled windows.
Get a closer look at the glass pattern and entrance

September 25, 2014

Coney Island Design: “Defending the Honor of American Pop Culture”

By Jason Carpenter

Coney Island is an entertainment destination in New York, with its beach and amusement park rides, but it is also a city center for weirdo culture and kitsch. The neighborhood's aesthetic has developed into something like an early 20th century carnival surrounded by '60s and '70s storefronts which may or may not be conscious of their dated designs. So the question is, how do you design a new building in a neighborhood which is so identified with an attractively shabby, authentically dated look? Buildings like the Coney Island Museum face that difficulty with each passing year.
See the retro Americana design of Coney Island here

Architecture And Design

September 24, 2014

Our Top 10 Event Picks for Archtober 2014

By Jason Carpenter

New York City's architecture and design month is almost here. "Archtober" is 31 days of architecture and design events, including talks, tours, receptions, and festivals. There are dozens of events for you to check out, but we've hand-picked ten that will give you a well-rounded and memorable Archtober.
Find out here what events to check out

September 23, 2014

City Kids: Why Parents Pick City Living Over the Suburbs

The 'American Dream' may have dominated the last few decades, causing a mass exodus to the suburbs, but today's families are reversing the trend and turning their attention back to the city. The reasons are many: An appreciation for cultural offerings, the camaraderie and creative cross-pollination of networks of colleagues, friends and family, the convenience of being able to walk or bike to school, work or child care without a long commute—just to name a few. New York City has always been a haven for the forward-thinking, albeit a challenging one. And its newly-”discovered” outer boroughs as well as an unprecedentedly low crime rate have made the city a prime choice for family living. But what is it about those city kids—the ones with parents who planned from the start to raise their kids in a non-stop urban environment? We interrupted the busy schedules of five families currently raising school-age (or soon-to-be) children in New York City's many diverse and multifaceted neighborhoods to get some insight about why they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hear what five parents of city kids have to say

September 23, 2014

Prominent Architecture Couple Buys Pretty-in-Pink Victorian in Ditmas Park

We have a feeling well-known architects David H. Sherman, of Abelow Sherman Architects, and his wife Benita Welch, a Principal at Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects, will give the interior of their new home a fresh coat of paint before settling in...that is, unless they like the current bubble-gum-pink color scheme. It makes perfect sense that the couple picked up this Victorian house in Ditmas Park for themselves and their two children, as Benita specializes in restoring historic homes, and David is known for his expertise working with NYC townhouses. According to city records filed today, they purchased 28 Waldorf Court for $1.41 million. Located just off Rugby Road (often considered the heart of Victorian Flatbush) on a highly desirable cul-de-sac, the five-bedroom home has been in the same family for 30 years.
Tour the home before it gets what's sure to be a beautiful makeover

September 23, 2014

Artists Who Converted Ink & Brush Factory into Their Own Masterpiece List it for $4.4M