All renderings by Hayri Atak Architectural Design

Turkish firm Hayri Atak Architectural Design has proposed something extremely unique for the downtown skyline. Called the Sarcostyle Tower, the shining structure is a large rectangle with sinuous, carved-out sides. Conceptually placed amidst the historic landmarks and mid-century office towers of lower Manhattan, the 689-foot building was inspired by human anatomy and cells. An actual sarcostyle is a muscle fiber, so it makes sense that the firm decided upon this name for theior biologically inspired project.

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Photo Credit: Ted Porter Architecture; Ty Cole Photographer

A Murphy bed, movable partitions, hidden storage–these clever additions make this $1.3 million Upper East Side co-op a true city gem. Located in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood at 1326 Madison Avenue, the 1,075-square-foot home was custom designed by the current owner, Bogotá-based artist Lorenza Panero. She bought the apartment in 2012 for $650,000 and then embarked on a colorful and convertible renovation.

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The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. (1937). Riverside Drive, no. 857, at 159th Street, Manhattan, courtesy of the New York Public Library.

Preservationists and local politicians are pushing the city to reverse their decision to not landmark a historic home with abolitionist history in Washington Heights. The two-story wood-frame home at 857 Riverside Drive in Upper Manhattan was owned by anti-slavery activist Dennis Harris who may have also been an Underground Railroad conductor. Despite a demolition permit filed by the current owner, the Landmarks Preservation Commission last November still rejected landmark status for the home because of the architectural alterations made to the original structure.

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Listing images courtesy of The Corcoran Group

There’s so much to love about this one-bedroom co-op at 425 East 78th Street, located in the Yorkville area of the Upper East Side. First, it’s got a classy, cozy feel that’ll make you think you stepped into a family home. Then there’s the duplex layout–it’s on the top floor, and the bedroom suite occupies the second floor and has high ceilings, a dressing room, and an en-suite bathroom. And, of course, there’s the price. At $610,000, it’s a perfect starter place.

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Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

Nearly ten years and 30 proposals later, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday unveiled a plan to replace the dilapidated Midtown bus terminal. The agency on Thursday presented its final scoping report for the project, which involves demolishing the existing bus station to make way for a larger, state-of-the-art terminal. According to the Port Authority, the new plan would increase the capacity for commuter and intercity buses at the world’s busiest bus terminal by nearly 40 percent.

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Photo by City Foodsters on Flickr

Big Gay Ice Cream’s first brick-and-mortar location has permanently closed, as EV Grieve reported on Thursday. The East Village store at 125 East 7th Street opened its doors in 2011 after operating as an ice cream truck for two years. According to the neighborhood blog, the store has been closed since Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus pandemic “pause” order in March and now a for-rent sign hangs in the window.

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Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

On the Upper West Side, on the corner of Broadway, this sunny alcove studio at 140 West 69th Street has both location and layout going for it. Listed for a palatable $550,000 the corner co-op has an entry foyer, sizable kitchen, separate sleeping area, and large windows. Plus, it’s a stone’s throw from Lincoln Center, Central and Riverside Parks, several major subway lines, and some of the neighborhood’s best restaurants and shops.

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Street View of 70 Fifth Avenue, Map data © 2020 Google; Photo of W.E.B. DuBois in 1918 from Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons

A building in Greenwich Village that once served as the headquarters for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and housed W.E.B. DuBois’ trailblazing magazine The Crisis, could become a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar 70 Fifth Avenue, a Neoclassical Beaux-Arts building designed by Charles A. Rich and built between 1912 and 1914. The commission also proposed the designation of two additional properties that “reflect New York City’s diverse history,” the Conference House Park Archaeological Site on Staten Island and the Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz in Washington Heights.

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Trading floor rendering courtesy of L&L Holding

It’s been more than five years since L&L Holding Company broke ground on the 47-story Norman Foster-designed office tower at 425 Park Avenue, but it’s finally nearing the finish line. The 897-foot building is notable for its triple-height diagrid floors and the set of three ornamental fins at the crown that will be illuminated at night. It will be the first full-block tower along this stretch of Park Avenue in half a century, joining the likes of the Seagram Building and Lever House.

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All images: Marvel courtesy of Union Square Partnership

Open space around Union Square would increase by more than 33 percent under a new proposal to transform the Manhattan neighborhood into New York City’s “most accessible space.” The Union Square Partnership on Tuesday released a plan that expands Union Square Park by about two acres to the edges around the square and connects landscaped plazas with safe, pedestrian-friendly space. Designed in collaboration with Marvel, the proposal is the result of a two-year community out-reach process.

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