Brooklyn

Proposed project would bring 167 affordable housing units to East New York using modular construction

Rendering courtesy of Think! Architecture and Design

March 4, 2019

Proposed project would bring 167 affordable housing units to East New York using modular construction

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Hoping to create affordable housing more quickly and at a lower cost, New York City is turning to cutting-edge construction methods. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced on Monday plans to develop 167 affordable housing units in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York using modular construction. The $70 million project would become the first under Mayor Bill de Blasio's Housing New York 2.0 program to use this method of building on property owned by the city. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, officials think modular construction could reduce the project's timeline by 25 to 30 percent.
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$5M Park Slope mansion was built as a gift of love from an architect to his bride
February 22, 2019

$5M Park Slope mansion was built as a gift of love from an architect to his bride

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Situated on a stately Park Slope street lined with Victorian-era row houses, this 25-foot-wide red brick Neo-Georgian mansion at 633 2nd Street was, according to its $4,995,000 listing, constructed in 1908 as a token of love by architect Thomas O'Connor for his bride. Between the historic home's grand center stair and rare double parlor, it would still be quite the fabulous romantic offering today. With its historic details beautifully preserved, the 4,127-square-foot, six-bedroom house is comprised of three stories over an English basement.
Take the grand tour
Siah Armajani’s ‘Bridge Over Tree’ now open in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Siah Armajani: “Bridge Over Tree” 1970/2019; wood, steel and evergreen tree. Photo: Timothy Schenck.

February 21, 2019

Siah Armajani’s ‘Bridge Over Tree’ now open in Brooklyn Bridge Park

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Iranian-born, Minneapolis-based artist Siah Armajani’s installation "Bridge Over Tree" (1970) was unveiled Wednesday at Brooklyn Bridge Park on the Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. The seminal work, which was first shown as a temporary sculpture at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 1970, is comprised of a 91-foot-long walkway with open, trussed sides and a shingled roof. A set of stairs at the sculpture's midpoint climb up and down over a small evergreen tree. This is the first re-staging of the installation in almost 50 years
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City Point’s Dekalb Market adds a performance space and speakeasy

Understudy; image credit: Liz Clayman.

February 20, 2019

City Point’s Dekalb Market adds a performance space and speakeasy

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Downtown Brooklyn's City Point  is pulling out all the stops to boost its cool factor. The 1.8-million-square-foot mixed-use development at 445 Albee Square West is already home to the subterranean food mecca known as Dekalb Market Hall as well as the popular dine-in cinema-slash-supper-club Alamo Drafthouse. City Point recently announced the additions of a speakeasy-style cocktail bar called Understudy within the food court and Dekalb Stage, a 7,500-square-foot events and live entertainment space just next door.
More fun per square foot, this way
Plans for Norman Foster’s Red Hook office complex may be kaput
February 19, 2019

Plans for Norman Foster’s Red Hook office complex may be kaput

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According to sources close to the project, plans for Norman Foster’s Red Hoek Point, a 7.7-acre commercial campus at the former Revere Sugar Factory on the Red Hook shoreline, appear to be getting scrapped, The Real Deal reports. The website still advertises the “revolutionary office campus on the Brooklyn waterfront,” but Thor Equities is reportedly going to abandon the 800,000-square-foot complex and replace it with warehousing, a change of course that Thor’s founder Joseph Sitt may have been considering as early as last October, as new renderings for Red Hoek Point were being developed.
More info
New Crown Heights mixed-use project could bring 800 affordable apartments

Image courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning

February 19, 2019

New Crown Heights mixed-use project could bring 800 affordable apartments

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A proposed mega-project from Continuum Companies and Lincoln Equities on a large, partially-vacant site at 960 Franklin Avenue would include 1,578 apartments that would be divided evenly between market-rate and affordable units, Curbed reports. The developers are seeking zoning amendments from the city for a pair of 39-story towers, each 421 feet high plus 40 feet for a mechanical bulkhead, on a 120,000-square-foot site near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Crown Heights.
Find out more
Dine and dance under the stars in Prospect Park

Credit: J Grassi; courtesy of Prospect Park Alliance

February 15, 2019

Dine and dance under the stars in Prospect Park

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The beloved community event known as the Prospect Park Soiree is coming back for its third year on Saturday, June 22; tickets are on sale now. This magical evening of dancing and dining under the stars for a one-night-only celebration of Brooklyn’s Backyard is brought to you by Prospect Park Alliance. Expect thousands of friends and neighbors to gather at the Peninsula in festive attire; bring your favorite bottle of wine and the feast of your choosing–the park will come through with the entertainment.
Find out more
Timber bridge between Greenpoint and Long Island City gets support from local politicians

Rendering via CRÈME / Jun Aizaki Architecture and Design

February 14, 2019

Timber bridge between Greenpoint and Long Island City gets support from local politicians

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6sqft reported last May on a proposal for a civic design project aimed at reconnecting the neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Long Island City. Brooklyn-based studio CRÈME's concept, called Timber Bridge at LongPoint Corridor, calls for constructing a floating bridge made of durable timber that would span Newtown Creek and expand past it to the LIRR rail yard in LIC. Not only would the new bridge provide greater access to transit options, but, according to the design team, Timber Bridge would give cyclists and pedestrians a safer commute than the car-jammed Pulaski Bridge. The Brooklyn Eagle reports that this grassroots initiative is now just a bit closer to becoming a reality with the creation of a nonprofit and new support from local civic leaders.
Bridge love, this way
$995K Williamsburg loft nails the contemporary western look
February 14, 2019

$995K Williamsburg loft nails the contemporary western look

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For under $1 million, you can own this uber-trendy South Williamsburg loft at 138 Broadway, the historic Smith-Gray Building. Though the loft is technically a studio, it has a separate kitchen and plenty of room in its 925-square-foot layout for individual sleeping, living, and dining areas. But what makes this unit even more desirable is its impeccable contemporary-western vibes--a mix of historic elements such as whitewashed brick walls and wooden ceilings with modern nods to the style like lots of caramel leather furniture and bold, geometric textiles.
See some more
New plan by BIG and WXY will help make Downtown Brooklyn a ‘competitive national urban center’

Image courtesy of Downtownbrooklyn.com.

February 12, 2019

New plan by BIG and WXY will help make Downtown Brooklyn a ‘competitive national urban center’

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Downtown Brooklyn Partnership announced today the selection of a joint proposal from design firms WXY Studio (WXY) and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG Architects) for a public realm action plan aimed at implementing long-term improvements to Downtown Brooklyn’s plazas, streets, and public spaces to keep pace with the neighborhood's unprecedented growth. According to a press release, the two firms will conduct a comprehensive study and create an implementation plan for Downtown Brooklyn’s public realm and help "advance Downtown Brooklyn as a competitive, national urban center."
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McNally Jackson bookstore, safe in Soho, plans expansion to Downtown Brooklyn and Seaport

McNally Jackson bookstore on Prince Street. Image by Carl Mikoy via Flickr.

February 12, 2019

McNally Jackson bookstore, safe in Soho, plans expansion to Downtown Brooklyn and Seaport

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Bad news took a U-turn at the start of this year when beloved independent bookstore McNally Jackson announced that it would not be closing its doors on Prince Street in Soho after all. The news came a few months after after owner Sarah McNally, who opened the store in 2004, announced the store would be moving out of the neighborhood due to a 136 percent rent increase (from $350,000 to $850,000). The flagship location of the bookstore is not merely staying open; it will be launching new branches in Williamsburg and Laguardia Airport, and as New York Magazine reports, is on an expansion binge of sorts with stores planned for South Street Seaport and Downtown Brooklyn's new City Point complex.
More books for everyone
After two years on the market, historic Brooklyn Heights home that inspired Truman Capote relists for $7.6M

Photo of Truman Capote via Wiki Commons

February 7, 2019

After two years on the market, historic Brooklyn Heights home that inspired Truman Capote relists for $7.6M

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In 1959, Truman lived in Brooklyn Heights around the corner from 13 Pineapple Street, a Federal-era home that inspired him to write the following lines: “Cheerfully austere, as elegant and other-era as formal calling cards, these houses bespeak an age of able servants and solid fireside ease; of horses in musical harness,” as 6sqft previously noted. The house, one of the oldest in Brooklyn, hit the market for the first time in 26 years in January of 2017 for $10.5 million and received a price chop the following year to $8.4 million. Now, after being on the market for two years, the owners have reduced the price again to a more conservative $7.6 million.
Look around
In East Flatbush, a new middle-income housing lottery is throwing in ‘free rent’

Photo via CityRealty

February 5, 2019

In East Flatbush, a new middle-income housing lottery is throwing in ‘free rent’

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The next culprit in a long list of the city's non-affordable "affordable" housing lotteries is an opportunity for "middle-income" New Yorkers to apply for 28 units at East Flatbush's new rental Ensemble. It's available to New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the median income, which begs the question: Is a single person earning $95,000 a year really in need of subsidized housing? But the most questionable part of this lottery is that it's offering "six months free rent on the last six months of one and two-year leases." Rental concessions like this are typically reserved for market-rate buildings that are having trouble leasing or need to attract tenants in a slow market. But since these affordable rents are minimally lower than the market-rate, maybe it's operating as such.
Is $2,600/month affordable?
Amazing photos show COOKFOX’s Domino Sugar tower getting its crystalline facade
February 4, 2019

Amazing photos show COOKFOX’s Domino Sugar tower getting its crystalline facade

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The installation of 1 South First's (formerly known as 260 Kent Avenue) innovative exterior is officially underway, its molecular pattern now visible. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the tower, part of the Domino Sugar project in Williamsburg, will feature concrete window panels made using 3D-printed molds. New photos from the Gate Precast Company reveal the start of the crystalline-inspired facade as the building's construction is more than halfway complete (h/t CityRealty).
See the photos
FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): 685 First Avenue, Glassworks Bushwick, One Columbus Place, and 363 Bond Street

February 2, 2019

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

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One Columbus Place: Lincoln Square Rental Offers 1 Month Free; Net Prices from $4,194/Month [LINK] Glassworks Bushwick: Get to Know Brooklyn’s New Rental at 336 Himrod Street [LINK] 268 Metropolitan Avenue: New Rentals Launch in the Heart of Trendy Williamsburg [LINK] 685 First Avenue: An Inside Look at the Modern Rental Collection at 685 First […]

Downtown Brooklyn’s Willoughby Square Park project is officially dead

Rendering: Economic Development Corporation.

January 31, 2019

Downtown Brooklyn’s Willoughby Square Park project is officially dead

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It appears that residents at Downtown Brooklyn's new Brooklyn Point development won't be getting their "beautifully landscaped one-acre oasis" after all. Plans to add a new park atop a high-tech parking facility on Willoughby Street across from City Point in Downtown Brooklyn are officially off the table, Brooklyn Paper reports. The plan was set in motion a decade ago under the Bloomberg administration. City officials said Wednesday that a deal with the developer chosen for the job back in 2013 failed to close.
Find out more
New report says Bushwick tops the list for heat violations

Photo courtesy of Roman Kruglov’s Flickr

January 31, 2019

New report says Bushwick tops the list for heat violations

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As frigid temperatures descend on NYC once again, real estate database provider Localize.City has produced a report showing which (non-NYCHA) buildings and neighborhoods have racked up the most heat violations in recent years. Bushwick, Brooklyn tops the list, followed by Van Nest in the Bronx. Read on to find out if your neighborhood–or building–made the list–and find out what you can do if your building has no–or not enough–heat.
Find out more
Creative decor and touches of greenery enliven this $2.1M Downtown Brooklyn penthouse
January 31, 2019

Creative decor and touches of greenery enliven this $2.1M Downtown Brooklyn penthouse

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Located in the award-winning, SOM-designed Toren in Downtown Brooklyn, this duplex penthouse at 150 Myrtle Avenue boasts three exposures and sweeping views of Williamsburg and Manhattan. On the 30th of 37 floors, the corner residence offers three bedrooms and three baths in a dramatic double-height space for the asking price of $2,100,000. And though these glassy, open spaces can often feel void, this one has been warmed up with creative decor and a curated collection of plants.
Get the tour
City releases Gowanus rezoning draft with a focus on waterfront resiliency

Via NYC Planning

January 30, 2019

City releases Gowanus rezoning draft with a focus on waterfront resiliency

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The Department of City Planning on Wednesday released a draft of its plan to rezone Gowanus as a way to bring more affordable housing, jobs, and community resources to the Brooklyn neighborhood. In the works for nearly three years, the proposal includes a waterfront access plan that creates public walkways centered around the canal, as well as builds a more resilient shoreline.
See the proposal
$2M Gowanus home has curb appeal and amazing historic details
January 29, 2019

$2M Gowanus home has curb appeal and amazing historic details

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A charming and full-of-potential home at 240 11th Street in Gowanus (near the Park Slope border) just hit the market for a cool $1,995,000. To match its historic rowhouse facade, the home offers loads of stunning original details, but it may benefit from some modern upgrades to really let those bones sing. It features four bedrooms and a flexible layout over three floors, with plenty of options for its future owner.
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$1.9M Prospect-Lefferts Gardens home mixes elegance and playfulness among historic bones
January 28, 2019

$1.9M Prospect-Lefferts Gardens home mixes elegance and playfulness among historic bones

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One block away from Prospect Park, a refined three-floor, two-family brick home at 365 Parkside Avenue has just hit the market for $1,875,000. Built in 1901, the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens property offers loads of historic details, including coffered ceilings, oak parquet floors, three ornate decorative fireplaces, a beautiful backyard and deck, and a convenient location with easy access to Manhattan and the neighborhood’s best restaurants.
Get the full tour
BQE repair plan could block view of NYC skyline from Brooklyn Heights

Rendering courtesy of A Better Way NYC

January 28, 2019

BQE repair plan could block view of NYC skyline from Brooklyn Heights

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One of the city's plans to rehabilitate a 1.5 mile stretch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) includes building an elevated highway next to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. But opponents of the repair plan, which requires the pedestrian promenade to close during construction, say the roadway would block views of the Manhattan skyline. Renderings created for activist group A Better Way NYC shows how an overpass would block sweeping views of the city, as the New York Post reported.
More here
New images of SHoP’s skinny supertall at 111 West 57th Street show facade progress

Progress images of 111 W57th Street; photo © Paul Clemence.

January 28, 2019

New images of SHoP’s skinny supertall at 111 West 57th Street show facade progress

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Even before reaching its final height of 1,428 feet tall, SHoP Architect’s Midtown supertall 111 West 57th Street, which surpassed 1,000 feet a few months ago, wowed us with views from the tower’s 64th, 72nd, and 73rd floors. Upon completion, the Billionaires’ Row tower will become the tallest residential building in the world, taking the title from 1,396-foot 432 Park Avenue, (until 1,500-foot Central Park Tower tops out). With a super slender frame (a ratio of 1:24), 111 West 57th Street is also set to become one of the skinniest skyscraper in the world. The new year brings new progress–and new photos showing the 86-story tower's intricate terra cotta and bronze facade making its way skyward.
Terracotta and bronze: going up!
23 chances to live in Brooklyn Heights’ new luxury rental, starting at $596/month

Rendering courtesy of The Pierrepont

January 24, 2019

23 chances to live in Brooklyn Heights’ new luxury rental, starting at $596/month

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When it comes to the city's affordable housing lotteries, many of the same neighborhoods seem to pop up over and over again, so it's always refreshing to see a new area come online, like this opportunity for 23 units in Brooklyn Heights. Available to New Yorkers earning 40, 60, or 130 percent of the area median income, the apartments are located at The Pierrepont, a recently completed luxury rental designed by local favorite Marvel Architects. The affordable units range from $596/month studios to $2,993/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
See renderings of Morris Adjmi’s Front & York, Dumbo’s biggest new development

Renderings courtesy of Williams New York

January 22, 2019

See renderings of Morris Adjmi’s Front & York, Dumbo’s biggest new development

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The future of the empty, former parking lot at 85 Jay Street was revealed last week when developers released new details and renderings of the highly-anticipated project. Named Front & York after its bordering streets, the development will be a 21-story residential and retail complex bringing 728 new apartments (a mix of condos and rentals) to the neighborhood. According to reporting by The Bridge, the development will be the largest yet in Dumbo and will supply enough housing to increase the population of the upscale neighborhood by 25 percent.
Find out more
Four historic districts in Sunset Park will get landmark consideration

Photo via Flickr cc

January 22, 2019

Four historic districts in Sunset Park will get landmark consideration

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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted today to calendar the designation of four historic districts in Sunset Park, Brooklyn consisting of Sunset Park North, Central Sunset Park, Sunset Park 50th Street, and Sunset Park South, representing the Brooklyn neighborhood's most cohesive and intact concentrations of high-quality architecture. The neighborhood's preservation organization, Sunset Park Landmarks Committee, requested consideration for historic district status in 2014.
more on Historic Sunset Park, this way
Can Extell make Central Park Tower the most expensive condo in U.S. history?

Rendering courtesy of Wordsearch

January 18, 2019

Can Extell make Central Park Tower the most expensive condo in U.S. history?

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"Some people wonder if Mr. Barnett will become a victim of the condo explosion he helped create," wrote the Wall Street Journal today in a rare expose of Extell's Gary Barnett, referring to the success he had with One57, considered the catalyst for the supertall, ultra-luxury condo boom, and the more challenging climate he's facing with the Central Park Tower. The latter, which will be the world's tallest residential building at 1,550 feet, launched sales in October, but in a soft luxury market, it's not a sure bet that the mega-developer will be able to achieve his projected $4 billion sellout and the title of the nation's most expensive condominium ever. In a likely noncoincidental move timed with the Journal story, Extell today launched the tower's new website (h/t Curbed), and it gives us mere mortals some of the first views inside the billionaire bunker.
See inside and hear from Barnett himself
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