Brooklyn

March 16, 2018

The Urban Lens: Artist Janice McDonnell captures Brooklyn’s waterfront with her paintings

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites artists to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Janice McDonnell shares some of her paintings of the Brooklyn waterfront. Are you an artist who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. In a city as bustling and overbuilt as New York, it's easy to forget this metropolis' roots as a port city, and that all boroughs but the Bronx are islands. The timeless beauty of NYC's watery surroundings are not lost on artist Janice McDonnell, who has produced a series of paintings of the Brooklyn waterfront. "It started out as just documenting to enjoy myself," McDonell said. That's how it started, but the more she got into it from her Dumbo studio, the more the combination of buildings near the broad harbor and their contrast to the sky began to resonate with her. Ahead, see Janice's paintings and hear all about her inspiration and process.
Dive in
March 16, 2018

Crown Building penthouse may be in contract for $180M, beating NYC record by $80M

Another Billionaire's Row sky mansion–this one with a piano lounge, two kitchens, a wraparound terrace, and two swimming pools spread out over five stories at 730 Fifth Avenue–is on its way to record-smashing glory, according to The Real Deal. Sources say an unknown buyer has spoken for the 12,536-square-foot residence in the actual crown of the Crown Building, to the tune of $180 million. If the sale closes, it will be the New York City's most expensive sale ever at $14,358 per foot (also a record), surpassing Michael Dell's $100.5 million penthouse atop Extell Development’s One57.
Check this place out
March 15, 2018

Tiffany Place jewel box-condo has a refined rustic vibe and a room of Tiffany blue

Fitting right in with the refined/quirky feel of Brooklyn's Columbia Street Waterfront, this two-bedroom corner condominium has been outfitted with pretty custom details that highlight the basics of the warehouse conversion at 29 Tiffany Place. Rustic bones and creative renovations make this spacious two-bedroom home appear anything but square.
Take a closer look
March 15, 2018

Brownstones and ballot boxes: The fight for women’s suffrage in Brooklyn

Today, Brooklyn is home to all things avant-garde, but Kings County has always led the pack. Beginning as early as 1868, the women of Brooklyn established one of the first suffrage organizations in the country and began advocating for women’s enfranchisement and political equality. The "wise women of Brooklyn," as they were lauded in suffrage literature, made some of the foremost contributions to the movement. From the Silent Sentinels, who organized the first March on Washington, to the African American women who established the nation’s first suffrage organization by and for Black women, Brooklyn was home to extraordinary advocates. Here are eight badass Brooklynites who brought us the ballot.
Learn their histories here
March 15, 2018

Crown Heights’ oldest house debuts as a condo conversion, with two units each priced over $2M

Crown Heights oldest home--long considered a neighborhood eyesore--has undergone a complete transformation. The Susan B. Elkins House is a circa-1850s wood frame at 1375 Dean Street, and the only home in the neighborhood that dates back to when the area was rural. In later years, the individual landmark fell into serious disrepair, only to be purchased in 2014 for a condo conversion. Now it's ready for residents after a complete and total renovation overseen by nC2 Architecture and Komaru Enterprises. The house has been split into four duplex units, ranging from 2,000 to 2,600 square feet. Two have just hit the market, with the eye-popping price tags of $2.3 and $2.7 million.
The interior was gutted
March 14, 2018

Clinton Hill Halloween Queen’s celebrated townhouse hits the market for $2.65M

Brooklynites know and love Janna Kennedy Hyten, the Halloween Queen of Clinton Hill. For over 20 years, she hosted a spooky bash known as Halloween 313 right outside her historic townhouse. Sadly, the performance has come to an end and Kennedy Hyten has gone ahead and listed her home --a duplex on the lower floors--for sale. The gorgeous spread, with tons of historic details intact, is asking $2.65 million.
See the not-so-spooky interior
March 12, 2018

Six chances to live in the heart of Bushwick, from $1,039/month

If there's one establishment that gets the credit for hipster-fying Bushwick, it's Roberta's. And here are six chances to live just a few blocks away from the pizza paradise for less than market rate. As of today, the affordable housing lottery is open at the new rental building 246 Johnson Avenue for three $1,039/month one-bedrooms and three $1,175/month two-bedrooms, available to households earning 60 percent of the area median income. Considering that the market-rate units start at $3,100 a month, this is quite the deal.
Find out if you qualify
March 10, 2018

NYC RENTALS: New Listings at American Copper Buildings, VIA 57 WEST + More

Images (L to R): VIA 57 WEST, 33 BOND STREET, THE VOGUE and GRAFFITI HOUSE See New Listings at VIA 57 West – Breakthrough Rental by Bjarke Ingles American Copper Buildings Now Leasing with 2 Months Free Jersey City’s Newly Opened 3 Journal Square Leasing from $1,770/Month The Silver Star: Long Island City Rentals Launch […]

March 7, 2018

Williamsburg’s Dime Savings Bank restoration and new residential tower get LPC approval

The path to its latest incarnation just got easier for the  historic Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh's full restoration as part of Charney Construction and Tavros Capital's development of a new 22-story residential tower next door at 209 Havemeyer Street. As New York Yimby reports, on Tuesday the Landmark Preservation Commission gave the go-ahead to the proposed design for the new development in the Williamsburg neighborhood and agreed to designation hearings for the historic building as a new landmark.
Find out more
March 6, 2018

Ditmas Park five-bedroom with an in-ground pool asks $2.8M

How many Brooklynites can boast an in-ground pool? A recently listed stunner at 520 Argyle Road in Ditmas Park brags this rare amenity, in addition to five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, original stained glass from the late 1800s, and 19-foot cathedral-style ceilings. The property, asking $2.785 million, has hit the market just in time for all your summer entertaining fantasies.
Luxuriate in the photos
March 6, 2018

Six middle-income apartments up for grabs in prime Bushwick

Just a few short blocks from the J, M, Z trains at Myrtle Avenue, as well as countless cool bars and restaurants, 690 Bushwick Avenue is a recently completed rental building that has just opened up six middle-income units through the city's affordable housing lottery. Households earning 115 percent of the area median income, or between $68,023 and $134,030 annually, can apply for $1,984/month one-bedrooms and $2,394/month two-bedrooms. The small, six-story building offers on-site parking, a laundry room, and a roof deck.
Find out if you qualify
March 5, 2018

Nearly 200 affordable apartments available at Bushwick’s Rheingold Brewery site from $947/month

The lottery (pdf) for 183 apartments at 54 Noll Street and 123 Melrose Street, known as Evergreen Gardens, launched today for one of the parcels of land being redeveloped on the site of the former Rheingold Brewery site in Bushwick. Individuals and families earning 60 percent of the area median income, or between $34,355 and $57,240, are eligible to apply for units ranging from $947/month studios to $1,230 two-bedrooms. Among its plethora of indoor and outdoor amenities, the massive ODA-designed project boasts a central park and a rooftop terrace complete with an urban farm.
Find out if you qualify
March 2, 2018

85th floor unit at One57 gets an $11M price chop, now listed at $59M

6sqft reported back in October that an 85th-floor unit in the building known for the city’s most expensive residential sale ever was back on the market after a total overhaul for a noteworthy $70 million. The 6,240-square-foot condominium was purchased by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll for $55.6 million in 2014. After four months, the sprawling sky mansion has been discounted by $11 million according to Mansion Global; the building's third-highest listing is now asking $59 million.
The view is just as good at $59 million
March 1, 2018

Brooklyn’s ‘hive loft’ creates private nooks within an open, industrial space

This quirky interior design project, for an apartment on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, came from the owner's desire to preserve their open, industrial loft space while adding some extra privacy and separation. The task fell to OS Architecture, a Manhattan-based firm that's done interior design around the world. As the firm notes, the main goal was "avoiding conventional partitions that would have closed off the space." So they got creative, creating a "single faceted form that could be enclosed and private at times," but still interlocked with the larger space of the open loft. Ultimately this interior object, separate from the columns, ceiling and walls of the apartment, makes for an interesting design talking piece.
See more images
March 1, 2018

New renderings for ODA’s archway-filled hotel in Crown Heights

ODA Architects' boutique hotel planned for the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights got fresh renderings this week, revealing more details about its archway-filled, concrete design. Developed by All Year Management, the Bedford Hotel is located at 1550 Bedford Avenue, right by the Prospect Park, Brooklyn Museum and the Botanic Gardens. As designboom learned, the 100-room hotel's archway design stems from the classic Brooklyn architecture found elsewhere in the neighborhood, like the Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch at the Grand Army Plaza.
More this way
February 28, 2018

$1.9M freestanding home in Flatbush offers more than enough room for entertaining

When you've got all the space that a freestanding home offers, you may as well use it! This Flatbush home at 2687 Bedford Avenue is being marketed as the "center of holidays, family gatherings, birthdays and backyard barbecues." With a front and back lawn, two front parlors, six bedrooms and a dining room that can fit 20, that claim makes sense. In all that space, there are some unique interior details to be found, like built-ins, fireplaces and stained glass. The whole impressive package has just hit the market for $1.885 million.
Check out the interior
February 27, 2018

$900K corner co-op in Brooklyn Heights is cozy as can be

Walking down Brooklyn Heights' main drag of Montague Street you can't miss number 62, a stunning Queen Anne-style brick building with a prominent turret. One of the building's corner co-op units has just hit the market for $899,000, and while it doesn't have the lavish prewar details the exterior might suggest, it's plenty charming. The rounded living room is lined with exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows, and renovations can be found in the kitchen and bedroom. The one-bedroom spread last sold in 2011 for $645,000.
Get inside
February 26, 2018

More than half of NYC’s 20 most expensive sales were at One57 and 432 Park

The buyer of One57's $100 million penthouse was unveiled as Michael Dell last week, finally solving the mystery of which billionaire set New York City's record for the most expensive home ever sold. The reveal sparked CityRealty's interest in finding out where other costly buildings fall in comparison. Unsurprisingly, Midtown's One57 and 432 Park make up 12 out of the city's 20 priciest homes ever sold with single units going for $100.47 million and $91.5 million, respectively. While those two buildings on Billionaires' Row easily take the top three spots, 15 Central Park West ranks fourth, with its $88 million penthouse sold in 2012.
More this way
February 24, 2018

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

Images (L to R): 525W52, Hudson Crossing, 27 ON 27TH and 247N7 Neighborhood’s Rich History Embraced in 525W52’s Art Program; See the Installations Live at Hudson Crossing in Midtown West: Studio to 2-Bed Rentals from $2,475/Month Live in LIC at 27 on 27th: Rentals from $2,384/Month in Full-Service Luxury Tower Williamsburg’s 247N7 Offers Stylish Apartments […]

February 22, 2018

Configure your loft life any way you like in this $1M Bushwick condo

There was a time when it would be surprising to find a million-dollar condo in deepest Bushwick near the Ridgewood border. But that time has passed long ago, and turnkey loft living awaits at this $1.05 million loft at the Wy 101 Lofts at 101 Wyckoff Avenue. The four-story 1925 warehouse building has been converted to 29 lofts possessed of every modern convenience (minus the L train, starting in 2019.). Currently configured as two large private rooms and a living room/kitchen area, the 1,152-square-foot corner floor plan is ready for configuration to fit your lifestyle in true loft fashion.
Get a closer look
February 22, 2018

Billionaire Michael Dell revealed as the secret buyer of One57’s $100M penthouse

Founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, Michael Dell, was revealed as the buyer of the sprawling penthouse at One57 for $100.47 million, the most expensive home ever sold in New York City. According to the Wall Street Journal, Dell first entered a contract to buy the unit in 2012 when the Billionaires' Row building, located at 157 West 57th Street, was still under construction. He closed the transaction through a limited liability company in 2014.
Get the details
February 21, 2018

Live in historic townhouse style without the commitment in this $5,500/month Clinton Hill duplex

Historic Brooklyn townhouses are at a premium, and they're a lot of work to maintain. Opportunities like this gorgeous duplex on one of the prettiest avenues in the Clinton Hill Historic District give you a chance to live in high-ceilinged grandeur, fabulous backyard oasis and all, without the mortgage or the commitment. It will, however, cost you $5,500 a month for this 1,700-square-foot rental at 227 Washington Avenue.
Take the tour
February 17, 2018

NYC RENTALS: This week’s roundup of rental news & offers

Special Leasing Offers at 175 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg New Renderings of Lenox Terrace Expansion in Harlem, Plus Renovated Apartments from $1,650/Mo. New Listings at RIVERBANK in Hell's Kitchen: Sky-High Rentals from $2,879/Month 1629 Pacific Street: Luxury Crown Heights Rentals Start at $2,667/month Ready to Roll: Long Island City Rental The Silver Star Set for March Launch Live at Rocket Factory Lofts on Williamsburg's South 4th Street; 1- and 2-Beds Available Now Leasing Kicks Off on New Uptown Rentals at 531 West 159th Street
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