Brooklyn

After studying photography in Massachusetts, Brett Wood moved to New York in 2001. At the time, all he knew is that he wanted to be close to the artists he admired, but nearly two decades later, he's made a home for himself in Brooklyn and a career that sends him around the world. Though he's usually capturing other New Yorkers' home for 6sqft, Brett has now stepped out from the behind the lens to show off his own Greenpoint pad. A mix of earthy colors and textiles, eclectic finds from his travels, and an aesthetic that he endearingly describes as "cool grandad," Brett's home is certainly the making of someone with an eye for style.
Take the tour

Extell launches sales at Brooklyn’s current tallest tower, starting at $837K

Rendering courtesy of Williams New York

March 22, 2018

Extell launches sales at Brooklyn’s current tallest tower, starting at $837K

By Devin Gannon

Extell on Thursday officially launched sales at Brooklyn Point, the developer's first skyscraper in the borough. According to the building's site, units available include studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom condos, ranging from $837,000 to $3,413,000 in price. Residents at the 720-foot tower, located at 138 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn, will enjoy a plethora of amenities including a wine room, a stroller valet, well-equipped fitness center and, of course, the highest rooftop pool in the Western Hemisphere.
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Lottery launches for seven affordable apartments in Park Slope, from $642/month

Via Justin Kiner’s Flickr

March 22, 2018

Lottery launches for seven affordable apartments in Park Slope, from $642/month

By Devin Gannon

Ever fantasize about living in the gem of Brooklyn's brownstone belt? A new lottery for seven affordable housing units in Park Slope just might turn that dream into reality. The newly renovated apartments are located in various buildings in the historic neighborhood: 643 President Street, 579 Warren Street and 677 and 680 Union Street. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 50 or 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the studio and one-bedroom apartments, which start at $787/month and $642/month respectively.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

March 21, 2018

One of only two condos with private terraces at One57 lists for $28.5M

Sure, Michael Dell has bragging rights to buying One57's $100 million penthouse, the most expensive home ever sold in New York City, but Bill Ackman's $91.5 million buy a few floors down came with a coveted terrace. Only two units in the Billionaires' Row building claim "private outdoor space on the park," and the second has just come on the market for the first time, asking $28.5 million. Dubbed the Spring Garden Residence (as opposed to Ackman's "Winter Garden Penthouse," as Curbed notes), the 41st- and 42nd-floor duplex boasts a 43-foot-long great room wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows that lead to a 671-foot solarium and a terrace with views of the park and skyline.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

13 affordable units up for grabs at new Bushwick rental Lyceum Square, from $856/month

Marketing photo of Lyceum Square

March 20, 2018

13 affordable units up for grabs at new Bushwick rental Lyceum Square, from $856/month

Bushwick's latest rental Lyceum Square, at 961 Willoughby Avenue, just commenced move-ins at the beginning of the year for its market-rate units, which start at $2,295/month for one-bedrooms and go up to $2,970/month for three-bedrooms. But there are now 13 chances to live in the 63-unit building, complete with a large, furnished roof deck, for much less. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the affordable apartments, which range from $856/month studios to $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

March 20, 2018

Original Park Slope ‘brownstoner’ lists his Victorian wonderland for $4M

When Clem Labine bought the townhouse at 199 Berkeley Place in Park Slope for $25,000 back in 1966, Brooklyn was a very different place. Among the original wave of "brownstoners" who bought dilapidated townhomes to give themselves more living space and put years of sweat equity into restoring them, Labine, now 81, went on to found Old-House Journal (“Restoration and Maintenance Techniques for the Antique House”), and live in the painstakingly-preserved home for over 50 years (h/t Brownstoner). The Neo-Grec-style house was was built in 1883 along with 10 other homes. A much-subdivided rental SRO when Labine rescued it, it's now an impressive two-family home listed for $3.895 million.
Gaze at this well-preserved brownstone treasure

More Banksy work pops up in Brooklyn, this time commenting on capitalism and real estate

Photo by Benjamin Sutton for Hyperallergic

March 20, 2018

More Banksy work pops up in Brooklyn, this time commenting on capitalism and real estate

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Banksy is at it again. Last Friday, we highlighted the 70-foot mural on the Houston Bowery Wall depicting the Turkish artist Zehra Dogan’s unjust prison sentence. Now the elusive street artist is taking credit for two murals on a derelict site slated for redevelopment in Midwood, Brooklyn, reports Hyperallergic. One of the murals depicts a man in a suit and hard hat (most likely a real estate developer), cracking a whip that looks like a stock market up arrow, over a group of children and adults desperate to get away. Coincidence or not, Trump has properties in nearby Coney Island. The mural is classic Banksy commentary on the evils and influence of capitalism.
Details on the second piece

March 19, 2018

Wunderbroker Ryan Serhant bought Jonathan Safran Foer’s perfect Brooklyn brownstone–at a discount

“Million Dollar Listing New York" star Ryan Serhant had recently taken over the listing for novelist Jonathan Safran Foer's gorgeous five-story Boerum Hill home, asking $8.995 million; the award-winning scribe first listed the home with Compass for $10.5 million last May. Now, according to The Real Deal, Serhant is the new owner of the 8,000-square-foot townhouse. Safran Foer bought the 1899 Greek Revival home at 374 Pacific Street for $5.4 million in 2014, so while the sale price represents a price chop, he didn't do too badly on the deal.
Take one last look

Coney Island boardwalk likely to be landmarked

Image: Shinya Suzuki via Flickr

March 16, 2018

Coney Island boardwalk likely to be landmarked

Image: Shinya Suzuki via Flickr After repeatedly declining to protect the celebrated walkway–even as its wooden planks become increasingly replaced with concrete and plastic as a result of Superstorm Sandy repairs–the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has agreed to add the historic Coney Island Boardwalk to the agency's list of properties to consider for protected status, according to remarks made at a LPC hearing Thursday, Crain's reports. LPC chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said the boardwalk–its official name is the Riegelmann Boardwalk–could be protected as early as this spring or summer.
It could happen in time for summer

Policy

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

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

Penthouse rendering courtesy of Aman Resorts

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

Distinctive Homes

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

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

March 15, 2018

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

By Lucie Levine

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

History

March 15, 2018

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

By Emily Nonko

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

This little condo on the Bed-Stuy/Bushwick border is packed with old-world charm for $575K

Located in one of Brooklyn's most diverse, bustling and rapidly growing areas, this restored condo at 863 Greene Avenue lies on a tree-lined block between buzzed-about Bed-Stuy and booming Bushwick. It's a narrow slice of a floor-through, but it's filled with pre-war character, plus one bedroom and a bath and a half--all for $575,000.
Take a peek

Distinctive Homes

March 14, 2018

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

By Emily Nonko

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

Distinctive Homes

March 13, 2018

This $3.2M Williamsburg townhouse is looking modern and fresh

By Emily Nonko

With its thoroughly modern renovation, this townhouse is the perfect fit for its hip neighborhood of Williamsburg. Located at 72 Devoe Street, the 4,000-square-foot home was gutted for an open layout with large windows, high ceilings and exposed shelving. Only the original wide plank floor remain. Now being used as a single-family home, it's been listed for $3.2 million.
Look inside

Distinctive Homes

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

246 Johnson Avenue as of late July 2017, via CityRealty

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

Affordable Housing

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

March 10, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

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 […]

Real Estate Trends

March 7, 2018

Drool over the 19-century details in this $1.6M Park Slope co-op

The details are to die for at 273 6th Avenue, a three-bedroom Park Slope co-op. Late 19-century architecture abounds, from the pocket doors' etched glass to the pier mirrors and carved fireplace mantles to the living room's tin ceiling. Add to this a relatively spacious layout, and the $1,660,000 price tag doesn't seem so bad.
Take a closer look

Distinctive Homes

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.
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New Developments

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

Distinctive Homes

Six middle-income apartments up for grabs in prime Bushwick

Google Street View of 690 Bushwick Avenue

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

Affordable Housing

March 5, 2018

Rustic Clinton Hill loft feels a lot like Manhattan but with a Brooklyn price

This Clinton Hill loft has both a Manhattan feel--huge swaths of exposed brick paired with a boho-industrial aesthetic--and address--95 Lexington Avenue. The one-bedroom unit is far from its Kips Bay counterpart in both geography and price, however, asking $1.1 million for approximately 1,011 square feet and a short walk to the G, A, and C trains.
Step inside

Distinctive Homes

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

Rendering courtesy of ODA Architecture.

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

Affordable Housing

March 2, 2018

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