Brooklyn

While 130 percent of the area median income is technically considered affordable in New York City, paying $2,253/ month for a one-bedroom apartment in East Williamsburg is still hard to swallow. The neighborhood does have a lot to offer in terms of nightlife and cultural activities, but the area's transit options, mainly the soon-to-be-shuttered L train, leave a lot to be desired for those commuting to Manhattan. But if you can look past the price and the far-out location, consider applying for eight middle-income units at 310 Graham Avenue, a newly constructed seven-story building. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the AMI can apply for the apartments ranging from $2,253/month one-bedrooms to $3,132/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Photo via Flickr cc

October 17, 2018

Smorgasburg opening two indoor food halls in Brooklyn

Photo via Flickr cc In a not-very-surprising move, foodie phenom Smorgasburg has announced that it will open indoor markets in Fort Greene and Williamsburg this winter, according to Eater. Since first opening as an outcrop of Brooklyn Flea in 2011, Smorgasburg has grown to operate seasonal outdoor markets in Williamsburg, Prospect Park, Brooklyn Flea, as well as the indoor Berg’n food hall and even another outdoor market in Downtown LA. Their newest spots will be a 25,000-square-foot space in the Atlantic Center mall across from the Barclays Center and a night market in collaboration with Vice Media at their Williamsburg event space Villian. The latter will also have a full bar, DJs, and art exhibitions.
All the details

Food & Dining

London housing pioneer will bring NYC’s largest co-living location to Brooklyn

The Collective Old Oak in West London.

October 16, 2018

London housing pioneer will bring NYC’s largest co-living location to Brooklyn

6sqft has checked in periodically to track the progress of co-living brands like Common and a foray into what some call "adult dorms" by co-working giant WeWork. Now, lifestyle and housing brand The Collective, the London-based creator of the world's biggest co-living community, has announced plans for a New York City flagship in Brooklyn at the border between Williamsburg and Bushwick at 555 Broadway.
When can we move in?

My 730sqft: It’s a retro pink party at fashion designer Stella Rose’s Bushwick pad

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to designer Stella Rose’s bubblegum pink Bushwick apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

October 16, 2018

My 730sqft: It’s a retro pink party at fashion designer Stella Rose’s Bushwick pad

"Why not make your living space look like a party every day?" says fashion designer, stylist, and model Stella Rose Saint Clair. And that's exactly what she did in her unapologetically pink Bushwick apartment. In fact, she's painted every NYC apartment she's lived in this same hue because it makes her feel "optimistic, rebellious, wacky." When asked to sum up her fun and festive aesthetic, she explained, "I love over-the-top vintage interiors and the retro obsession around pink for household decorating. I am also a sucker for tropical plants and party supplies." From the Rococo sofa she found on Craigslist and bought from an eccentric divorcée on Staten Island to the collection of vintage food packaging in the kitchen, everything in Stella's apartment has a story, many of which will make you laugh. But behind the giggles and bubblegum walls, Stella is not afraid to get real--"I don't have my shit together, and I'm okay with it."--and take a serious look at how obstacles in her life, such as being bullied as a teen, have shaped her into the creative force she is today. Ahead, take a tour of Stella's one-of-a-kind apartment and get to know her a bit better.
Take the tour!

High-end shops compete for space in Williamsburg as North 6th rivals Bedford as the main drag

Toby’s Estate cafe and roastery on North 6th Street. Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft.

October 16, 2018

High-end shops compete for space in Williamsburg as North 6th rivals Bedford as the main drag

It started with Bedford Avenue. Whether you called it Williamsburg 3.0 or the New Brooklyn or any number of monikers signifying the North Brooklyn neighborhood's ascent to the international hall of coolest–and priciest–neighborhood fame, that avenue was its anchor. A Whole Foods and an Apple store soon followed. And, inevitably, as businesses flocked to the surrounding streets, the clear hegemony of Bedford began to become less evident even if its tourist population continued to grow. Now, the New York Post hails North Sixth Street, longtime home of anchor condo The Edge and more recently a growing host of retail chain shops, as the top contender.
The new 34th Street?

October 16, 2018

This $8.8M Park Slope limestone beauty was in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and ‘The Age of Innocence’

Even in a neighborhood of grand and spectacular homes, 108 8th Avenue is a standout. The Park Slope townhouse has the scale and level of stunning historic detail that is, as the listing boasts, rarely found in a private home. It is also quietly possessed of 21st-century luxuries like central air and meticulously tended outdoor spaces, making it an even rarer gem that's now on the market for the first time in decades, asking $$8.8 million. Built in 1900, this limestone-clad mansion has a wealth of historic details like filigreed mahogany woodwork, original wood floors, delicately carved mantels and stained glass from world-renowned artists. Martin Scorcese's "The Age of Innocence" and HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" have made use of this opulent home to capture the essence of gracious living from a bygone era.
Take the grand tour

Ride-share service Via tackles weekend L-train shutdowns with special discount pass

Via Roshan Vyas on Flickr

October 16, 2018

Ride-share service Via tackles weekend L-train shutdowns with special discount pass

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced this summer that the L-train will not run between Brooklyn and Manhattan for 15 weekends, including every Saturday and Sunday in October. To ease the impact of the L-train's mini shutdown before the 15-month shutdown scheduled for April, ride-share service Via is offering riders this month an affordable option to travel to and from Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Lower Manhattan. According to the company, the L-Train ViaPass costs $19 per week and provides riders with four shared rides per day on weekends in October, between Friday night and Saturday morning.
More here

Transit

Coney Island’s ‘Miami-inspired’ Ocean Dreams rental project tops out

Developer John Catsimatidis hopes the Ocean Dreams project will eventually include three more towers, which require city approval. Rendering by Pace/Hill West Architects

October 15, 2018

Coney Island’s ‘Miami-inspired’ Ocean Dreams rental project tops out

Last spring, 6sqft revealed new renderings of grocery store king (Red Apple, Gristede's) John Catsimatidis' 425-unit Coney Island rental project at 3514 Surf Avenue known as Ocean Dreams. According to The Real Deal, Catsimatidis’ Red Apple Group secured a construction loan for $130 million from Bank of America for the project back in June. Now, the New York Times has reported that the pair of 21-story luxury apartment towers overlooking the Atlantic on the island's western end has topped out and is scheduled to open next summer.
Find out more

Sales launch at Extell’s Central Park Tower, the world’s tallest residential building

Via Extell

October 15, 2018

Sales launch at Extell’s Central Park Tower, the world’s tallest residential building

Sales have launched for Central Park Tower, the tallest residential tower in the world, Extell Development announced Monday. Located at 225 West 57th Street, the 1,550-foot tower is rising on Billionaires' Row, a strip of ultra-luxury residences at the southern end of Central Park in Midtown. While Extell hasn't officially released pricing for its 179 condos, the Real Deal reported last year that 20 of the units have a price tag of $60 million and higher, with a $95 million penthouse being the most expensive. If the building achieves its projected $4 billion sellout, the tower would become the most expensive condo project in New York City.
More here

Real Estate Trends

October 12, 2018

For the first time, average Brooklyn home prices break the $1M threshold

By Emily Nonko

According to Douglas Elliman's latest market report, home prices in Brooklyn are higher than ever. The median and average sales prices for the borough both broke records, crossing the $800,000 and $1 million thresholds for the first time in the third quarter of this year. "As the Brooklyn market continues to reinvent itself over the past five years," says the report, "There is no standard of comparison with historical trends." It means Brooklyn, and also Queens, boast some of the fastest residential price growth in the country, with new developments cropping up and demand skyrocketing as buyers stream into outer boroughs.
Keep reading for stats

Real Estate Trends

Via Jonathan Kirschenfeld Architects

October 11, 2018

Lottery launches at brand new rental in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, from $1,525/month

Applications are now being accepted for 51 middle-income apartments and The Clark, a newly constructed 8-story building in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. The Brooklyn building, located at 310 Clarkson Avenue just a short walk from Prospect Park, features a ton of amenities, including an attended lobby, in-unit washer/dryer, dog run, fitness center, a media room, co-working space, and a furnished penthouse space. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments ranging from $1,525/month studios to $2,635/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

$20M Brooklyn Heights penthouse could be the borough’s priciest sale ever

Via Moso Studio

October 10, 2018

$20M Brooklyn Heights penthouse could be the borough’s priciest sale ever

A combination penthouse at Quay Tower, a brand new luxury condo building on the Brooklyn Heights waterfront, went into contract this week for over $20 million. If closed, the deal would become the most expensive residential sale in Brooklyn history, breaking the previous record of $16.645 million for a penthouse picked up by actor Matt Damon last year. And before that, a $15.5 million brick carriage house in Cobble Hill held the record for most expensive single residence sale in Brooklyn, which was purchased by photographer Jay Maisel in 2015.
More on the deal this way

Real Estate Trends

October 8, 2018

For $1.7M this designer-renovated Kensington townhouse is a gorgeous condo alternative

Located on a tree-lined block in Brooklyn's Kensington neighborhood at 214 East 9th Street, a short walk from Prospect Park and near the Beverley Road Q subway, this single-family townhouse is the picture of considered design. Framed by turn-of-the-century bones, the home's four floors–including the fully-finished basement–have been given a modern renovation that's as livable as it is pretty. The four-bedroom house is for sale by its owners–professional designer/developers who have lived in the home since purchasing it in 2015 for $780,000.
Take a look at what good design can do

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): 525W52, Forty Gold, Riverbank and 505W37

October 6, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): 525W52, Forty Gold, Riverbank and 505W37 525 West 52nd Street Offers Leases with 3 Months Free; New Affordable Housing Lotto Launches [READ MORE] Downtown Two-Bedroom Rentals at Forty Gold Listed with 2 Months Free on 20-Month Lease [READ MORE] Special Offers at Midtown West’s Riverbank: Rentals from $3,860/Month + New Amenities […]

Real Estate Trends

October 4, 2018

Victoria’s Secret model Lindsay Ellingson struts into a $1.4M Williamsburg pad

By Annie Doge

Victoria’s Secret Angel Lindsay Ellingson hasn't had your average runway trajectory, starting out as a biology major before being discovered on the street and then taken under the wing of John Galliano in Paris. And instead of settling in a swanky new Manhattan building, the 33-year-old and her husband, medical equipment salesman Sean Clayton, have long called Williamsburg home. They've now landed a new pad in the Austin Nichols House, a former bourbon distillery on the waterfront converted to condos by architect Morris Adjmi. According to the Post, the couple paid $1.4 million for the two-bedroom unit, down from its $1,575,000 asking price.
Have a look

October 3, 2018

With coffered ceilings, skylights, and a backyard, this Bay Ridge home is asking $1.4M

A four-bedroom Bay Ridge home hit the market this week for $1.35 million. The chic row house at 229 87th Street perfectly blends old and new, mixing pre-war styles with modern upgrades. The coffered ceilings, skylights, restored hardware floors, batten paneling, and original built-in cabinets are enough to make any New Yorker seriously consider moving to the South Brooklyn neighborhood. The less-dense area often allows homes to have real backyards, and this property, which also comes with a spacious deck, is no exception.
See it here

Distinctive Homes

October 2, 2018

Listings go live at the world’s skinniest skyscraper, 111 West 57th Street

The race to build the tallest residential building in the world has long been underway along Billionaires' Row, but 111 West 57th Street not only boasts height (at 1,428 feet it'll surpass the current record holder, 1,396-foot 432 Park Avenue until the 1,500-foot Central Park Tower tops out) but a frame that is so slender (a ratio of 1:24) it garners it the title of skinniest skyscraper in the world. And after six years watching the development unfold, listings have finally gone live for the 46-unit condo, first spotted by Curbed. The first batch includes seven units, six of which are three-bedrooms ranging from $18 to $30 million, along with a $56 million penthouse.
Ogle the floorplan porn

October 2, 2018

Elegant limestone home in Brooklyn’s Lefferts Manor Historic District asks just under $2M

A three-story home in the Lefferts Manor Historic District, a Brooklyn neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has hit the market for $1.95 million. Designed at the beginning of the 20th century by prominent rowhouse architect Axel Hedman, this limestone Renaissance Revival residence features a ton of historic details, from the herringbone oak floors to its original fireplaces. Located at 149 Maple Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, the home sits just blocks from Prospect Park.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

October 1, 2018

$3.5M brownstone in Carroll Gardens shows off its architectural bones with eccentric decor

In the picture-perfect Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, a charming four-bedroom townhouse at 207 President Street has hit the market for $3.475 million. Built in 1890, the home boasts stunning architectural details like arched doorways, raw ceiling beams, exposed ductwork, rustic brick walls, and tin ceilings, as well as coveted outdoor space and a deck that overlooks the garden.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Images (L to R): Hunters Landing, 33 Bond Street, One Sixty Madison and RiverHouse11

September 29, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): Hunters Landing, 33 Bond Street, One Sixty Madison and RiverHouse11 Long Island City’s Hunters Landing Launches Leasing: No Fee Rentals from $2,211/Month [READ MORE] Newly Launched 33 Bond Street in Downtown Brooklyn Offers Rentals with Up to 2 Months Free [READ MORE] NoMad’s One Sixty Madison Offering One Month Free on […]

Real Estate Trends

Campaign launches to rename a Brooklyn building after Flatbush native Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Via Borough President Eric Adams Change.org petition

September 28, 2018

Campaign launches to rename a Brooklyn building after Flatbush native Ruth Bader Ginsburg

In some not-terrible Supreme Court news, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could be getting a Brooklyn Building named after her. Borough President Eric Adams launched a campaign on Thursday calling on City Hall to rename the Brooklyn Municipal Building after Ginsburg, a native of Flatbush. This past August marked Ginsburg's 25th year as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, as only the second woman to sit on the court.
More here

Uncategorized

Bjarke Ingels is tapped for his first residential project in Brooklyn

Courtesy of LIVWRK; Photo of Ingels via Wikimedia

September 28, 2018

Bjarke Ingels is tapped for his first residential project in Brooklyn

By Emily Nonko

Bjarke Ingels' architectural dominance of New York City is growing -- the Danish starchitect has got his first commission in Brooklyn, reports Crain's. Developer Aby Rosen tapped Ingels' firm Bjarke Ingels Group to draft plans for a large new apartment project on the banks of the Gowanus Canal. The site in question -- at 175-225 3rd Street, pictured in the aerial shot above -- is currently a parking lot.
Read more details

Architecture And Design

New renderings for Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 5 million square feet of vertical manufacturing space

Waterfront space adjacent to Building 131; via WXY and bloomimages

September 27, 2018

New renderings for Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 5 million square feet of vertical manufacturing space

After announcing a $2.5 billion expansion of the Brooklyn site in January, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) released on Thursday new renderings of the plan, which would add 5.1 million square feet of manufacturing space. Developed by WXY architecture + urban design, the plan centers around three sites, all including new vertical manufacturing space along with public, open space and connectivity improvements. About 75 percent of the 10,000 jobs added (bringing the total to the site 30,000) will be manufacturing jobs, with the rest being service-oriented and creative work. The renderings released of the Yard this week by the BNYDC gives us a better look at how the 300-acre development will flow with the surrounding neighborhoods.
See the renderings

Uncategorized

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering of the 986-foot tower (left) and revised 840-foot tower (right) via Alloy Development and Luxigon

September 27, 2018

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

The New York City Council voted on Wednesday to approve 80 Flatbush, a five-building mixed-use development planned for Downtown Brooklyn, Curbed NY reported. The approval comes after negotiations last week between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents the area, which led to a shorter, less-dense complex. After the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 feet to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet, the Council's subcommittee on zoning voted in favor of the project.
More on the project

Real Estate Trends

New details for Brooklyn’s Pacific Park and a first look at its tallest tower

A new rendering of B4, the development’s tallest tower planned

September 26, 2018

New details for Brooklyn’s Pacific Park and a first look at its tallest tower

The development of Pacific Park, a 22-acre mixed-use complex near the Barclays Center, has entered its next phase Greenland Forest City Partners announced Wednesday. The developer is bringing on TF Cornerstone and the Brodsky Organization as development partners for the project. The duo will develop three parcels at the site, which include three rental buildings, a new public school, and new open space. Greenland also announced construction is set to begin in the spring for the park's tallest tower, a more than 500-foot tall tower designed by Perkins Eastman.
More details here

September 26, 2018

First look at interiors and private park at Jeanne Gang’s Downtown Brooklyn condo