Brooklyn

Today is your last chance to apply for 282 affordable housing units at 250 Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn. The 52-story skyscraper rises from the heart of Brooklyn's cultural district and is near a multitude of subway lines, the Atlantic Terminal transit hub, and the Barclays Center. Developed by the Gotham Organization, the skyscraper encompasses 580,000 square feet of space and soars 568 feet into the burgeoning Brooklyn skyline, making it the second tallest in the borough after the nearby rental tower AVA DoBro. Designed by New York-based FXFowle Architects, the building is sheathed in a contextual brick and glass exterior, relating both to the charming brownstones of Fort Greene and the dynamism transforming Downtown Brooklyn.
Find out if you qualify

April 11, 2016

VIDEO: Take an Aerial Tour of Prospect Park

By Dana Schulz

If this temperamental April weather has been keeping you from enjoying NYC's great outdoors, you can now visit Prospect Park from the comfort of your couch. Plus, you'll get to experience the 585-acre park like you never could on foot -- from the aerial view of a drone. As first noted by Curbed, "the creator is drone enthusiast Airtistry," and it features "both time-lapse and real-time photography." The video was taken on April 2nd, so though it's a bit gloomy, there are some cherry blossoms in bloom to brighten things up, and the fact that the background music is a remix of a-ha's "Take on Me" doesn't hurt either.
Watch the full video here

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April 8, 2016

New Renderings of Park Slope’s Parking Garage Condo Conversion at 800 Union Street

In 2014, plans were announced to convert a cherished Park Slope parking garage at 708-804 Union Street into residential apartments. Slopers complained that the 260-car garage's removal would increase traffic and that the underway development would overcrowd schools. Nonetheless, the longtime property’s owner Lewis Meltzer secured a zoning variance and building department approvals to convert the 85-year-old structure into residential units with retail space at ground level. Now, Midwood Investment & Development and Hailey Development Group are bringing the project to fruition, redistributing the parking garage's 52,000 square feet of bulk across six high-ceilinged floors and carving out 28 high-end condo units and 11,153 square feet of retail.
Learn more about the new condo

April 7, 2016

You Can Now Investigate the Unseen Microbiology of the Gowanus Canal With the BK BioReactor

By Dana Schulz

After all these years of jokes about catching syphilis or turning into a green mutant alien, it's hard to imagine the Gowanus Canal as a pollutant-free place, but beginning this year it will undergo dredging and sub-aquatic capping as part of the USEPA Superfund Cleanup plan. This also includes the Gowanus Canal Sponge Park, "an 18,000-square-foot public space that will be built with engineered soil to absorb (hence “sponge”) stormwater that would otherwise pollute the canal, as well as plants to break down toxins and floating wetlands," as 6sqft previously reported. But before the notoriously toxic canal turns into the Venice of Brooklyn, a group of microbiologists want to catalogue and draw attention to exactly what type of unseen organisms have accumulated over the past 150 years, as they feel it's important for work at other polluted urban environments. To do this, they've created the BK BioReactor, a roving watercraft that takes samples from 14 specific points along the canal. This data has been turned into a "mobile library," complete with an interactive map that shows which microorganisms are located where and how heavily distributed they are. For example, Atrazine, a herbicide affecting the hormonal system, is present in most of the sites, as is Epsilonproteobacteria, which inhabit the digestive tracks of animals.
See what else is lurking in the Gowanus Canal

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April 6, 2016

1846 Townhouse Featured on the Brooklyn Heights House Tour Asks $4.95 Million

This picture-perfect Brooklyn Heights townhouse, at 2 Sidney Place, has been around since 1846 but is still in great shape. Since then, it's gone through a major remodel and modernization although it retains six of its fireplace mantels, all of which add an elegant and historic touch. The landmarked townhouse, in fact, is impressive enough to be featured on the popular Brooklyn Heights House Tour. But now the question is if it'll impress a buyer enough to bring in nearly $5 million.
Take a look around

April 6, 2016

This $1.6M Co-op in Park Slope’s Ansonia Court Has a Factory Past and a Colorful Present

We recently mentioned south Park Slope's coveted Ansonia Court at 420 12th Street when we featured a compact loft in the Carroll Gardens Mill Building. The two are somewhat similar on the outside; this former clock factory is also a converted industrial building in a neighborhood of pre-war apartments and row houses. But this two-bedroom co-op is far from small. It could easily be converted to three bedrooms, and its four-rooms-on-paper have outsized proportions. The home's current owner has made a colorful home in the high-ceilinged, brick-and-window lined loft, but whether quirky, minimalist or rustic, the original factory construction wouldn't go unnoticed.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

April 5, 2016

$770K Industrial Carroll Gardens Loft Is in a Converted 1938 Jute Factory

You might not associate Carroll Gardens with industrial loft buildings, but rather with quaint brick row houses and the charming landscaped front gardens that give the neighborhood its name. But the Mill Building at 376 President Street is a fine example of the former (There's a building by the same name in Williamsburg that was once home to supermodel Agyness Deyn, if you're confused). Similar to Park Slope's Ansonia Court, which so many love for its rustic, almost-gritty Brooklyn factory charm, this 55-unit former jute factory offers a rare warmth and period details unique to this kind of converted industrial building. It's no less a modern condo though, with an elevator, parking and central A/C. This compact one-bedroom loft, asking $770,000–it last sold for $440,000 in 2012–has been updated with custom interiors that make the best of the apartment's factory bones.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

March 31, 2016

26-Foot Ceilings and Stained Glass at This Brooklyn Heights Church Turned Condo

If the idea of living in a former church intrigues you, there are plenty of options on the market. Just yesterday, 6sqft featured a $3 million Williamsburg condo with soaring cathedral ceilings. But the 26-foot ceilings at this $6,900/month Brooklyn Heights church turned condo are some of the most spectacular we've yet to see in the residential realm. Located at 99 Clinton Street in the old Presbyterian Church, the architecture is downright holy, with many of the 19th century cathedral details like stained glass windows incorporated into the interior. And the exterior still boasts its historic stone facade.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

March 31, 2016

$8M Park Slope Brownstone Is Historic and Luxurious With a Professional-Grade Gym

It's pretty rare to come across an historic home that manages to be "sophisticated and elegant" with "prolific original architectural details" and also be a block from Prospect Park. But this amazing Park Slope townhouse, a restored Romanesque brownstone, "perfectly integrates historic detailing with a modern sensibility" and boasts a professional-grade gym in the basement and a private landscaped rose garden. The 6,000 square feet of perfection at 178 Eighth Avenue, which probably already has plenty of offers over its $8 million ask, is luxurious in the best possible way, from gorgeous chandeliers to wall treatments that have plenty of flair but never veer into the whimsical or look "decorated." There's not an ostentatious frill or questionable architectural choice in sight; no Hermès leather walls. No spotlit purse-cochere. It's almost too understated in places, but not even close to austere.
Take a look at the house and fail to drool.

March 30, 2016

$3.3M Williamsburg Condo in a Converted Brick Church Has Soaring Cathedral Ceilings

When this listing calls this condo "one of a kind," they aren't kidding: This apartment was carved from the former Pentecostal Church at 541 Leonard Street  in Williamsburg. (These day's it's not at all uncommon for religious buildings to go residential.) The building holds three apartments total, all with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, boasting keyed elevator access, 20-foot wood-beamed ceilings and access to private outdoor space. This particular apartment is now on the market for $3.3 million.
See the rest of the interior

Distinctive Homes

March 29, 2016

Three People Share What It’s Like to Live in Common’s Co-Living Concept in Brooklyn

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

What if your home was more than just a place to live? What if it took care of the tedious parts of everyday life (like cleaning, paying utility bills, and shopping for the basics) and there were always a bunch of interesting and like-minded people hanging out in your living room? Brad Hargreaves, CEO of Common, has structured his co-living housing company to be just that. While we've reported on Common before (as well as WeWork's similar new shared housing setup in FiDi), today we're going behind the scenes at Common's first outpost located in Crown Heights. We asked three residents why they chose to live at Common, if this catered style of co-living beats the standard New York roommate setup, and, of course, what we all really want to know—with 10 different personalities under one roof, just how "Real World" do things get?
Meet residents Jason, Kamilah and Adam here

March 29, 2016

Renovated Top Floor of a Carroll Gardens Townhouse Asking Just Over $1 Million

Nine years and a renovation will really make a difference for real estate in Brooklyn -- just take this two-bedroom co-op at 188 Degraw Street in Carroll Gardens. It sold in 2007 for $595,000 according to public records. The current owners then spiffed up the top-floor apartment and have just listed it for $1.095 million.
See the rest of the reno

Distinctive Homes

March 28, 2016

New Views and Renderings of Eliot Spitzer’s ODA-Designed Williamsburg Mega-Development

Construction and excavation is now underway on Spitzer Enterprises' trifecta of towers along the South Williamsburg waterfront. Set to rise from a three-acre parcel at 416-430 Kent Avenue, between Broadway and South 9th Street, the development is graced with nearly 400 feet of prized East River frontage. Approved permits filed with the Department of Buildings detail that the plan will comprise 857 rental apartments within three 22-story towers. A publicly accessible park and esplanade will run along the shoreline and connect to the the existing esplanade of the Schaefer Landing development to the south. The relatively young firm of ODA Architects is handling the design, which features many of their volume-popping elements to which we've grown accustomed. Firm founder Eran Chen told the Times that their design is a "molded iceberg, sculpted to create the maximum number of views and outdoor spaces." And as can be seen from the construction photos below, units will have stellar views of the Downtown and Midtown skylines and the East River bridges. The 253-foot-tall buildings will feature rooftop pools and terraces, on-site parking, bicycle storage, fitness centers, and lounge and recreation rooms. Twenty percent of units will be reserved for low-income households.
Get a look at all the renderings

March 28, 2016

Corner Loft in Former Downtown Brooklyn Toy Factory Isn’t Playing Around With $999K Ask

Here's a two-bedroom condo from the Toy Factory Lofts, the former home to Tudor Metal Products. From the 1920s to the 1980s, the company, known for designing the popular Depression-era toy Budget Bank and the board game Electric Football, occupied the factory. Today, it's a 56-unit residential building in Downtown Brooklyn that holds a gym, parking garage and a rooftop deck. This lofty apartment has a big wall of oversized factory windows, not to mention exposures to the east and south that bring light into the open space.
See more of the interior

Distinctive Homes

March 23, 2016

Morris Adjmi’s 465 Pacific Street Tops Out, Only One Penthouse Unit Remains

When 6sqft checked in on Boerum Hill's 465 Pacific Street in November, it was little more than a hole in the ground with roughly 50 percent of its 30 condo units already in contract. Now, a little more than four months later, its seven-story concrete skeleton has topped off and just a sole penthouse unit remains. The $55 million development was forged through a partnership between Avery Hall Investments and ARIA Development Group, who purchased the block-through lot for $18 million in 2013. With Morris Adjmi Architects at the helm, the development is composed of two seven-story wings encompassing 85,000 square feet of floor space. Lower levels of the building are faced in a uniform skin of red brick and red mortar joints, while upper levels are finished in dark steel to pay homage to the Mohawk ironworkers who once maintained a community within the neighborhood.
Find out more right here

My 1,000sqft: Tour a Newly Transplanted Couple’s Bushwick Apartment Filled With Craigslist Finds

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Bushwick apartment of Adam and Cami, a couple who spent the last few years living minimally abroad. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

March 22, 2016

My 1,000sqft: Tour a Newly Transplanted Couple’s Bushwick Apartment Filled With Craigslist Finds

By Diane Pham

Most of us moved to New York City with nothing more than a couple suitcases, only very slowly accumulating objects to fill our bedroom—definitely not thinking about tackling our living spaces. But here's a couple that had no interest in sleeping on a mattress on a floor while they figured out how to decorate their home. After spending several years in London and bouncing from friends' places to sublets, Adam Dudd and Cami Raben (he's a graphic designer and she works in hospitality consulting) moved into their Bushwick apartment wanting to create a home to call their own as soon as possible. While IKEA seems like the no-brainer quick-fix for those on a budget with any design sensibility, Adam and Cami weren't interested in the mass-produced but instead wanted unique and quality pieces. So where did they turn without thousands of dollars to spend? Craigslist! Believe it or not, in just four months the pair managed to turn a blank slate into a perfectly outfitted apartment that's both minimal and functional and full of color and character.
Go inside their lovely home here

March 22, 2016

‘Drinking Birds’ Artist Lists Gowanus Loft Building Filled With Hand-Crafted Interiors for $3.5M

Sometimes what you see is more than first meets the eye. That was definitely the case in the early '90s when internationally exhibited artist Daniel Reynolds, known for his utterly mesmerizing life-sized "Drinking Birds" installation, purchased this 30-foot-by-90-foot mixed-use building on the south side of Union Street in Gowanus. This listing, priced at $3.5 million, is unique in that its beautiful live and work spaces were designed with an artist's vision, as well as in its creative pedigree and many possibilities for use. Included are three market-rate lofts, a roof deck and an artist's workspace–an excellent investment on a prime Brooklyn block. Each loft offers unique hand-crafted marble baths, restored working fireplaces with stone mantles, stainless steel kitchens, and restored 19th-century tin detailing put to use in an unconventional yet breathtaking way.
Tour this fascinating custom-built creative space

Distinctive Homes

March 21, 2016

The Sale of This $2.8M Stuyvesant Heights Corner Limestone Beauty Will Benefit Creative Kids

There's so much to love about this 4,100-square-foot, four-story limestone townhouse at 271 Stuyvesant Avenue we hardly know where to start. For lovers of historic homes, this 1890s townhouse has a bounty of intact original details on every floor, from fireplaces to inlaid parquet floors to moldings and wainscoting. It's in a great corner spot in the prized Stuyvesant Heights historic district, the Bed-Stuy neighborhood known for its rows of architecturally notable brownstones and limestones. There's outdoor space and a deck; use the garden-level apartment for extra income (or live in the lower unit, with the yard and finished cellar). But perhaps the most rare blessing of this property is that proceeds from the sale of the $2.795 million home will "enable the launch of a non-profit creative residency for marginalized youth," founded by the current owner, renowned photojournalist and Guggenheim Fellow Brenda Kenneally.
Tour this amazing historic townhouse

March 21, 2016

Slate Property Group Seeks to Convert Greenpoint Savings Bank Annex Into Apartments

Slate Property Group is seeking approvals from the Landmark Preservation Commission to convert the rear annex of the landmarked Greenpoint Savings Bank into apartments. Situated within Greenpoint's historic district, at the southeast corner of Calyer and Lorimer Streets, the plan would add an additional two stories to an existing three-story office structure at the corner, ultimately yielding 25 units throughout 40,000 square feet of residential area.
More details ahead

March 18, 2016

$850K Architect-Designed Clinton Hill Condo in a Gothic Cathedral Is Just as Cool on the Inside

It's hard not to stare in awe at the impressive building at 555 Washington Avenue on the northeast corner of Atlantic and Washington Avenues near the border between Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights; the spectacular Gothic cathedral–fittingly known as Cathedral Condominiums–was built in 1914 as a seminary and converted to condos in 1988. The building's gargoyles and cathedral windows make it the kind of place it's hard not to try to imagine coming home to. This one-bedroom-plus-loft "duplex" apartment would be a nice place to call home in any building, but the fact that it's tucked away in this one makes it that much more special. While the interior is neither Gothic nor solemn, custom details, four distinct living areas and a great design eye make this feel like a find at $850K.
Take a look around

March 18, 2016

The Notorious RBG: Exploring Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Brooklyn Roots

By Annie Doge

Though news this week has been focused on President Obama choosing Merrick Garland as the next Supreme Court justice, it's Ruth Bader Ginsburg who's been grabbing headlines for most of the recent past. And as Brownstoner recently pointed out, "the Notorious RBG, as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is known to her fans, shares a home borough with the original Notorious title holder — the late rapper Biggie Smalls, aka the Notorious B.I.G."
Learn all about RBG's Brooklyn roots

March 17, 2016

Aaron Dessner of Brooklyn Band The National Gets $2.3M for Ditmas Park Beauty

By Annie Doge

There's lots of big-name news happening in Ditmas Park this week. Just yesterday, 6sqft found out about Michelle Williams' plans to renovate her Colonial Revival mansion in the neighborhood, and now the Observer reports that Aaron Dessner of Brooklyn-based band The National has sold his beautiful, historic home for $2.35 million. The sale will affect the whole Grammy-nominated band, since their studio space is located in the converted garage. As the Observer notes, "A three-story Victorian-style house isn’t exactly where we pictured an indie rock band recording their album," but nonetheless Dressner bought the 3,282-square-foot residence for $700,000 in 2003. He then renovated and restored it extensively, doing most of the work himself. He configured it as a two-family home and at one point rented out the top apartment to band co-founder Matt Berninger, who now lives in Prospect Heights.
Check out the entire property

March 17, 2016

Colorful $425K Park Slope Co-op Makes Up in Location What It Lacks in Square Feet

It's often said that you can't change your home's location, so you'd better love it; in that case there's plenty to love about this colorful and cozy prewar apartment steps from Prospect Park, restaurants, bars and shopping on Seventh (and Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Vanderbilt) Avenues and the 2/3/B/Q trains. Though the location is fairly perfect, this junior one co-op has plenty of personality on its own, with prewar elegance, high ceilings, decorative moldings, French doors and gorgeous restored parquet wood flooring. "Junior" one bedroom translates to a studio with a separate bedroom area—more often than not somewhat less than ideal, but better than not being able to shut a door between you and your couch-surfing houseguest playing video games for eighteen straight hours.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

March 16, 2016

Housing Lottery Launches for Greenpoint Landing’s 33 Eagle Street, Rents Start at $494

Greenpoint Landing's third affordable housing building has kicked off its lottery process. The ground-up seven-story building at 33 Eagle Street will provide 97 newly constructed rental apartments priced well below market-rate rents. The 24 studios will be priced from $494 to $1,463 per month for annual household earnings ranging from $18,275 to $78,650. Its 29 one-bedrooms, designated for either one or two-person households, have rents ranging from $532 to $1,840 for household incomes from $19,612 to $78,650. And lastly, the building's 49 two-bedrooms are priced between $647 and $2,216, based on household sizes ranging from two to four persons with income ranges from $23,589 to $112,190 per year.
Find out more this way

March 16, 2016

Michelle Williams Submits Plans to Renovate Historic Prospect Park South Mansion

By Annie Doge

When word got around this past June that Michelle Williams had bought a $2.5 million Colonial Revival mansion in Prospect Park South, 6sqft noted that the grand home was in need of some TLC. So, not surprisingly, the Brooklyn-loving actress submitted a proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday, reports Brownstoner. Williams enlisted Matiz Architecture & Design (who have worked on numerous historic projects across the city) to draw up the plans for 1440 Albemarle Road, which include restoring the original clapboard siding, replacing a door with a stained glass window, fencing in the rear yard, and transforming the small back porch with four columns into a porch twice the size with three columns.
More information this way

March 15, 2016

Lofted Duplex With 18-Foot Ceilings Is Priced at $699K in Prospect Heights