Brooklyn

You won't need to see more than a few renderings and photos of new park space slated for Brooklyn Bridge Park to feel ready for summertime. First posted by Curbed from the park's landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, renderings show the final design for one of the last undeveloped sections of the park between Montague and Joralemon streets. Known as the Pier 5 uplands, the hilly green space will be comprised of a stepped lawn, shaded grove, waterfront seating and new entrance off Joralemon Street. A sound-dampening berm will reduce noise from the nearby roadways. And it's all on track to wrap construction right before summer.
More images and details this way

January 19, 2017

$10.5M Federal-era house in Brooklyn Heights was Truman Capote’s muse

When he penned an essay about his neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights in 1959, it was this wood-frame house at 13 Pineapple Street that inspired Truman Capote. "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," he wrote, referencing the 1830 Federal-era home that was around the corner from his personal house. The Wall Street Journal reports that, for the past 26 years, the residence has been preserved by a couple who were drawn to its grey shingles as a reminder of the old houses in Nantucket they love. But now that their children are grown, they're looking to downsize and have listed the storied property for $10.5 million.
All the history right this way

January 17, 2017

Department of Health says it’s okay to eat Gowanus Canal fish in moderation and kayak in the water

The real estate community has been looking closely at Gowanus as of late thanks to rezoning plans that will likely spur high-end development and proposals for a public esplanade. To some, this waterfront vision seems a bit off due to the toxicity of the Canal and its history as a Superfund site, but naysayers may be changing their tune as a new report from the New York State Department of Health tells us that "limited direct contact with the canal's waters, through boating or fishing" doesn't increase the risk of cancer and other diseases, according to Gothamist. It's still not safe to swim in the water, but, believe it or not, men and women of certain ages can even eat some of the Canal's fish.
Find out more

Uncategorized

January 17, 2017

$8.8M 20-room limestone Park Slope mansion was built in 1905 for a furniture tycoon

Even in the land of many mansions otherwise known as north Park Slope, 106 Eighth Avenue is, as the listing says, a rare Brooklyn treasure. Built in 1905 for furniture tycoon Henry Wallace Partridge, this Beaux Arts mansion built to accommodate "family, full time employees and guests" spans 8,000 square feet and 20 rooms, including seven bathrooms and nine fireplaces. Maintained with care, this extraordinary home has retained original details throughout, including hand-painted frescoes and a Tiffany stained glass atrium. It's currently on the market for $8.789 million (still far below the 17,500-square-foot Low mansion at 3 Pierrepont Place for $40 million), and awaits more family, full-time employees and guests to reimagine it for the 21st century.
Take the grand tour

January 15, 2017

Massive Greenpoint loft with beamed ceilings wants $4,750/month

There are over 1,700 glorious square feet in this Greenpoint loft, now up for rent at the Pencil Factory building at 59 Kent Street. It's boasting plenty of character, too, with 12-foot ceilings topped with the original wood beams, polished concrete floors, exposed brick and massive factory windows. To live in this sprawling, dreamy loft will cost $4,750 a month.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

January 13, 2017

FREE RENT: A roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

Renovated Apartments on West 30th Street Near Hudson Yards Offering One Month Free [link] Free Rent & Special Offers at Spencer Street Apartments in Bed-Stuy [link] Name Revealed for New Clinton Hill Rental, Leasing Site Launched for 5-Story ‘Myrtle & Steuben‘ [link] Stonehenge 57, Midtown East High-Rise in Sutton Place, Offering One Month Free [link] […]

Real Estate Trends

January 13, 2017

Bright Park Slope condo with unique built-ins, details asks just $675K

We won't blame you if this Park Slope apartment makes you drool. Located at 85 Sixth Avenue, the 10-unit condo was built for the Brooklyn social club the Carleton Club in 1890. The historic brick building holds this bright and lofty apartment, which hits the right balance between simple, modern design and some more historic interior touches. It'll likely get snatched up quickly with an ask of $675,000.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

January 13, 2017

Lake Bell’s enchanting Clinton Hill townhouse gets a price chop and new photos

Back in 2013 director/actress/screenwriter Lake Bell and tattoo artist to the stars Scott Campbell bought this quaint townhouse in north Clinton Hill in the Wallabout Historic District for $1.55 million. Three years, a baby and some creative renovations later they listed the home at 119 Vanderbilt Avenue for an ambitious $3 million. After a price cut last November to $2.55 million and a broker switch, the home with the enchanted Zen garden and top-floor atelier is now asking $2.3 million with new photos to boot.
Check out the cool, quirky townhouse interiors

January 13, 2017

Third lottery opens at Pacific Park Brooklyn, apply for 303 affordable units from $532/month

Last spring, the first housing lottery opened at Pacific Park Brooklyn when 181 affordable units at SHoP's 461 Dean Street (the world's tallest modular tower) came online. It was followed a few months later by 298 openings at 535 Carlton Avenue, COOKFOX's entirely affordable building, and now the third set of apartments for low- to middle-income New Yorkers is open. SHoP Architects also designed an all-affordable building at 38 Sixth Avenue, adjacent to the Barclays Center, and as of today these 303 residences are up for grabs, ranging from $532/month studios to $3,695/month three-bedrooms. Households earning between 101 and 165 percent of the area media income (or up to $173,415 annually) are eligible for 198 of the units, while 105 units are set aside for those earning between 30 and 100 percent (as low as $20,126 a year).
More details and the whole qualification breakdown

January 11, 2017

Iconic ‘Miss Manhattan’ and ‘Miss Brooklyn’ statues return to the Manhattan Bridge

“Miss Manhattan” by Daniel Chester French. It was originally alongside the Manhattan Bridge, but was moved to the entrance of the Brooklyn Museum. Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum. In the early 1900s, renowned sculptor Daniel Chester French was asked to create "two allegorical figures," a Miss Manhattan and a Miss Brooklyn, to stand at the Brooklyn entrance to the Manhattan Bridge. The granite women were removed, however, in the 1960s when Robert Moses decided to move them. They were then relocated to their current home at the Brooklyn Museum's entrance, but after a 10-year, $450,000 project, a resin replica of the original has returned to the bridge. As the Times tells us, sculptor and installation artist Brian Tolle (he's also responsible for the Irish Hunger Memorial) designed the new version to glow at night with interior LED lights and rotate "on two lamppost-like arms."
See the ladies in action

Events & Things To Do

January 11, 2017

Live in ODA’s new Crown Heights rental from $845/month, lottery opening for 24 units

It's been over two years since ODA Architects first released a rendering of their rental project at 1040 Dean Street (formerly 608 Franklin Avenue) in Crown Heights. Featuring the firm's signature glassy, boxy aesthetic, the eight-story, 133,582-square-foot project rose on part of the site of the shuttered Nassau Brewery, just a block away from hot-spot food hall Berg'n. Of its 120 units, 20 percent will be reserved for those earning no more than 60 percent of the area media income, and starting tomorrow, qualifying New Yorkers can apply to these affordable units, ranging from $845/month studios to $1,022 two-bedrooms.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

January 11, 2017

FREE RENT: A roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

The Eugene, Midtown’s Tallest Rental Skyscraper, Gears Up for Early 2017 Leasing [link] Grand Opening: Leasing Begins at 681 Franklin in Crown Heights [link] Grand Opening: Leasing Begins on No Fee Bed-Stuy Apartments at 766 Lafayette Avenue [link] One Month Free on Select Units at Brodsky’s Midtown West High-Rise, One Columbus Place [link] One Month […]

Real Estate Trends

My 600sqft: Journalist Alexandra King turns a schlumpy Park Slope rental into a stunning boho-chic pad

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Park Slope apartment of journalist and gallery owner Alexandra King. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

January 10, 2017

My 600sqft: Journalist Alexandra King turns a schlumpy Park Slope rental into a stunning boho-chic pad

By Diane Pham

If you needed any more proof that British women just have "it" when it comes to style, place your gaze no further than Alexandra King. The expat journalist, writer and one half of downtown gallery Lyles & King seems to have a knack for turning naught into something noteworthy—just look at her apartment. Alexandra came to NYC seven years ago, first living on her own and then moving into a grimy Chinatown pad with her then-boyfriend-now-husband, Isaac. Following a somewhat traumatic event at their old building, the pair decided to leave Manhattan and high-tail it to leafy Park Slope. While their new neighborhood offered a different kind of charm than Chinatown, their one-bedroom rental still left a lot to be desired; the accent walls for example were painted in what Alexandra describes as "a bizarre shade of poop brown." But leave it to an enterprising creative to transform a turd into a gem. Alexandra saw plenty of potential in the dank space and jumped on the lease. Despite having a few what have I done?! moments, Alexandra worked her magic and completely transformed the apartment. Ahead she gives 6sqft a tour of her bright boho-chic abode, and shares her fail-safe plan for creating an inspiring home.
go inside

Renderings via Loci Architecture

January 10, 2017

Gowanus Alliance reveals plans to bring Kentile Floors sign to new park

Two summers ago, the Gowanus Alliance teamed up with Gowanus by Design on their vision to transform the land underneath the elevated subway tracks on 10th Street between Second and Third Avenues into a public park that would serve as a home for the iconic but dismantled Kentile Floors sign. Now that the MTA has completed its repairs on the tracks above, Brooklyn Paper reports that the group has tapped Loci Architecture for preliminary renderings of what this space, dubbed Under the Tracks Playground, could look like.
Find out more this way

Architecture And Design

January 9, 2017

Built in Poland and shipped in pieces, NYC’s biggest modular hotel project is 55 percent complete

The 20-story, 300-room project at 185 Bowery was constructed in Poland and shipped to New York in 210 pieces. Owned by Dutch hotel developer/operator Citizen M with Brack Capital Real Estate, the high-rise hotel at 185 Bowery is more than half done, reports the Wall Street Journal. It will be the largest permanent modular hotel project ever in NYC. Modular construction is more common in Europe; the developer already has nine hotels up and running and 14 in the works. They’ve used the technique of stacking sealed, factory-made units containing finished hotel rooms on the majority of those projects.
Check out photos of the sealed hotel pods arriving

January 6, 2017

This $840K duplex condo in Bed-Stuy comes with its own private backyard and deck

Though the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant is best known for its historic townhouses, you can still find a cute condo in the area. Cue this apartment from 156 Pulaski Street, a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom unit now asking $840,000. There's 1,150 interior square feet plus a big added bonus: a private backyard and patio space that'll make you long for summer.
See more

Distinctive Homes

January 6, 2017

Plans filed for a 21-story Coney Island ‘Dreams’ project on the boardwalk

Developer John Catsimatidis' Red Apple Group has filed plans for a 21-story tower on a Surf Avenue parcel that he purchased last summer according to Brooklyn Daily; the tower is part of a three-building Coney Island project that will likely include 415 apartments and retail. In the billionaire grocery mogul's typically patient fashion, he has slowly been acquiring the Boardwalk-adjacent lots between West 35th and West 37th streets for the project, called Ocean Dreams, since 2005.
Find out more

January 3, 2017

$40M Brooklyn Heights townhouse with a mayoral past is now four pricey rentals

After being on the market for over two years, Brooklyn’s priciest townhouse–a $40 million home at 3 Pierrepont Place–is now being offered as four rental units. 6sqft previously featured the home, known as the Low Mansion for the previous owner and businessman A.A. Low, whose son, Seth Low, became mayor of New York City in 1902. Spanning 17,500 square feet, the eight-figure townhouse boasted 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and more than 9,000 square feet of garden and outdoor space with original details galore. Though even Matt Damon toured the grand Brooklyn Heights property back in September, the house hasn't found a buyer, so the owner is now offering the mansion as four luxurious rental homes from a $4,500 one-bedroom to a 1,700-square-foot top-floor unit for $12,000 a month (h/t Curbed).
Find out more

January 3, 2017

Lottery opens for 63 affordable units at former Bushwick convent, starting at $519/month

All the way back in 2012, the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council and developer Georgica Green announced plans to redevelop Bushwick's former Our Lady of Lourdes convent into affordable and supportive housing, and now, nearly five years later, the lottery has opened for 63 brand new units at the site. The available apartments are reserved for those earning 40, 50, 60, or 80 percent of the area media income and range from $519/month studios to $1,740/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

December 29, 2016

City eyes Gowanus Canal as the next ‘Little Venice’

Rezoning and the promise of public right-of-way on the west Brooklyn Superfund canal could bring an esplanade like Williamsburg’s, a recreation area and lots of new development. The light-industrial zone wedged between pricey Park Slope and Carroll Gardens hasn't accurately been a polluted flyover zone for decades, but the fact that it now boasts a flagship Whole Foods with a rooftop farm hasn't gone unnoticed. As 6sqft reported recently, the canal-side enclave, despite the sometimes-fragrant waterway in its midst, is on a par with its neighbors as one of the city's most expensive neighborhoods. Now Crain's tells of rezoning plans and lucrative developments that could open the door for a public esplanade and waterfront amenities like those along the Hudson and the East River.
Find out more about the Gowanus rezoning plans

Ride Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel for free on New Year’s Eve

Image via Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park

December 29, 2016

Ride Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel for free on New Year’s Eve

Since it opened on the Coney Island boardwalk in 1920, the landmarked Wonder Wheel has given more than 35 million rides. If you want to add to this number, a press release from Deno's Wonder Wheel tells us that it will offer free rides from 6 to 10pm on New Year's Eve. They'll also charge only $5 from 11am to 2pm on New Year's Day to coincide with the annual Polar Bear Plunge (50 percent of January 1st's profits will go to the Plunge's charity Camp Sunshine).
READ MORE

Events & Things To Do

December 22, 2016

Chloe Sevigny’s glamorous $2.75M Park Slope co-op goes into contract

By Annie Doge

Just 42 days after it hit the market for $2.75 million, and a mere two days since 6sqft and other media outlets reported on it, Chloe Sevigny's Park Slope co-op has gone into contract, a tipster tells us. The Indie actress bought the pre-war spread at 9 Prospect Park West for $2,053,000 in 2013, after which she completed a renovation that created a chic space with "a sophisticated mix of classic furniture and interesting artwork."
See the whole place

December 22, 2016

Gowanus is now one of NYC’s most expensive neighborhoods

By Metro New York

Gowanus doesn’t welcome bargain hunters anymore, it seems. The up-and-coming Brooklyn neighborhood, where the local canal remains a superfund site, has rocketed to spot 14 of the city’s 50 most expensive neighborhoods, according to Property Shark’s final quarterly report for 2016. At this year’s end, the median sales price of homes in Gowanus rose by 68 […]

Uncategorized

December 21, 2016

Parlor floor pad offers brownstone beauty without the beastly mortgage at $4,300/month