Real Estate Trends

Audible, the audiobook company owned by Amazon, opened new offices on Friday in a restored historic cathedral in Newark. The company, which has been located in New Jersey's largest city since 2007, restored an 80,000-square-foot 1913 church and modernized it with open workspace, a four-lane bowling alley, and cafes. Dubbed the Innovation Cathedral, the new offices on Washington Street will hold 400 employees.
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Office terrace at 145 Delancey Street; renderings courtesy of Moso Studio

May 14, 2019

Essex Crossing reveals new renderings of trendy office space

By Dana Schulz

If you're looking to attract top talent these days, you better have an office outfit with the amenities to lure a millennial. So it comes as no surprise that Essex Crossing developer Taconic Investment Partners has begun to market its 350,000 square feet of office space just days after the new Essex Street Market opened and a few weeks after a Regal theater opened. The office space is split evenly between two mixed-use buildings at the complex, 145 and 155 Delancey Street. According to a press release, "A worker at Essex Crossing will have direct access to one of the largest marketplaces in the world, indoor gardens, a 14-screen movie theater and four subway lines – all within one complex."
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Real Estate Trends

Renderings courtesy of Binyan Studios

May 13, 2019

FXCollaborative’s skinny FiDi school-condo tower reveals new looks and launches sales

Sales at Trinity Place Holding’s new condominium tower at 77 Greenwich Street have officially launched, and a new batch of renderings are offering us a look inside the elegant residences. Designed by FXCollaborative, the 42-story high-rise will comprise 90 residential units on top of a new public elementary school. Though it hasn’t topped out yet, the finished building will hit 500 feet in height. The residences begin on the 15th floor and will feature sprawling river views with prices starting at $1,780,000 for a one-bedroom unit.
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Christie Brinkley finally sells her $18M Sag Harbor vacation home

Listing images courtesy of Douglas Elliman; photo of Christie Brinkley via Wiki Commons

May 8, 2019

Christie Brinkley finally sells her $18M Sag Harbor vacation home

By Annie Doge

Christie Brinkley’s idyllic Sag Harbor home officially has a new owner. The sale closed this week for just under the final asking price of $17,990,000, though the precise amount has yet to be confirmed. The supermodel bought the five-bedroom residence in 2004 for $7,150,000 and first listed it back in 2010. As 6sqft previously reported, the 5,500-square-foot property sought its highest asking price in 2016—a cool $25,000,000 with Enzo Morabito of Douglas Elliman. The price tag was lowered incrementally until it hit $17,999,000 last summer, as Brinkley continued to search for the right buyer.
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Proposed project from Vornado and Rudin calls for 1,450-foot tower in Midtown East

Via Vornado Realty Trust and Rudin Management Company

May 6, 2019

Proposed project from Vornado and Rudin calls for 1,450-foot tower in Midtown East

A tentative joint venture between two developers could bring another supertall to Midtown East. Vornado Realty Trust and Rudin Management Company may team up to develop a 1,450-foot office tower at 350 Park Avenue, the Real Deal reported Friday. A leaked brochure for the potential project includes renderings of the proposed tower, revealing a glassy building with a series of setbacks that would allow for outdoor terraces and floorplates of various sizes.
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Real Estate Trends

May 2, 2019

Skyline Tower, Queens’ tallest building, launches first sales

Queens’ Skyline Tower has launched its first 20 listings, providing a glimpse of what we can expect when the official sales gallery opens up later this spring (h/t Curbed). In addition to taking the title of 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year, the 67-story building caused a stir last year for its notable height—it will be the tallest in the borough—and proximity to Amazon’s planned HQ in Long Island City, leading to a record-breaking $1 billion sellout. When complete, the Hill West Architects-designed, 778-foot-tall tower will house 802 condos. The 20 live listings include studio- to three-bedroom units, ranging in price from $660,400 for a studio to $2,325,610 for a three-bedroom with outdoor space.
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May 2, 2019

New photos of ODA’s Bushwick rental highlight its sloping, sunset-hued facade

While architecture firm ODA's sunset-hued rental in Bushwick topped out almost two years ago, recently released photos of the block-long building reveal a new level of uniqueness. Dubbed the Rheingold, part of the development of the former brewery site, 10 Montieth Street boasts one of the most distinct facades in the city, with a sloping rooftop, cascading terraces, and window frames in a pattern of yellow, orange, and red (h/t Dezeen). The seven-story building contains 500 studio, one-, and two-bedroom residences, which first hit the rental market last August.
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Rockefeller Center office tower will be converted into Airbnb rentals

75 Rockefeller Plaza via Google Street View

April 29, 2019

Rockefeller Center office tower will be converted into Airbnb rentals

Ten floors of an office tower in Rockefeller Center will be converted into short-term rentals, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. RXR Realty, which has leased the tower at 75 Rockefeller Plaza since 2012, has partnered with Airbnb to transform a portion of the 87-year-old building into roughly 200 units of high-end lodging. In a press release, RXR CEO Scott Rechler described the new venture as a "travel experience that immerses guests in a dynamic, thriving community in the heart of Rockefeller Center that's vastly different than anything else in the market today."
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With loan secured, Brooklyn’s tallest skyscraper is finally ready to rise

Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects/JDS Development

April 24, 2019

With loan secured, Brooklyn’s tallest skyscraper is finally ready to rise

The on-again, off-again construction of a Brooklyn skyscraper got a major push forward Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reported that 9 DeKalb Avenue's developer Michael Stern of JDS Development has acquired a more than $664 million loan package to fund the development of the skyscraper. While the plan was first approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission three years ago, lack of financing and a change of developers stalled the project. Expected to reach 1,066 feet high upon completion, the SHoP Architects-designed tower will become the borough's tallest.
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Pacific Park construction accelerates with groundbreaking at tallest tower

Rendering courtesy of Greenland Forest City Partners

April 23, 2019

Pacific Park construction accelerates with groundbreaking at tallest tower

Long in the works, construction at the Pacific Park complex in Brooklyn is set to ramp up after Greenland Forest City Partners announced a partnership with the Brodsky Organization to develop 18 Sixth Avenue. Designed by Perkins Eastman, the building will exceed 500 feet and become the tallest in Pacific Park. As 6sqft previously reported, Brodsky was also tapped for another apartment building in the complex at 664 Pacific Street, which will also include public space and a school. Groundbreaking at both sites is set to take place within the next two weeks.
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April 22, 2019

Behold views and shoes for days at this $875K Clinton Hill condo

Located in a newly-minted boutique condominium building on a bustling Clinton Hill corner, this sun-filled one-bedroom home at 500 Waverly Avenue, asking $875,000, has both space and views to its credit. And if you're a shoe collector, you'll be inspired.
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Age-friendly NYC: The best neighborhoods for New Yorkers 65+

Photo via Flickr cc

April 22, 2019

Age-friendly NYC: The best neighborhoods for New Yorkers 65+

By Cait Etherington

More than 17 percent of New Yorkers are over the age of 60, and over the coming two decades, this number is expected to rise to well over 20 percent. To address the specific needs of older New Yorkers and to ensure the city is able to fully benefit from their presence, New York City has launched an Age-Friendly Neighborhoods Initiative. Modeled after similar initiatives in cities around the world, it is described as “an opportunity to build upon the rich experiences of older adults and leverage the strengths of local neighborhoods that make each New York City community unique.” This article explores what “age-friendly” neighborhoods look like and examines five NYC neighborhoods where at least 25 percent of residents are already 65 years of age or older, from the Upper East Side to Brighton Beach.
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Real Estate Trends

At 9 DeKalb, SHoP Architects reveal a rooftop pool wrapping around Dime Savings Bank’s dome

Rendering via SHoP Architects

April 22, 2019

At 9 DeKalb, SHoP Architects reveal a rooftop pool wrapping around Dime Savings Bank’s dome

A fresh rendering of 9 Dekalb Avenue first published in the New York Times last week revealed a new aspect of the project: the Dime Savings Bank's roof will be transformed into an outdoor lounge for residents, including a pool that will partly wrap around the ornate Guastavino dome. Inside, the Beaux-Arts interior will become a flagship store, with further details to be announced. The rising 1,066-foot-tower is being developed by JDS Development, with SHoP Architects leading the design, and is set to become the tallest tower in Brooklyn upon completion.
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To avoid rent burden in Manhattan and Brooklyn, you’d have to live in a 300 square foot space

Image via Flickr cc

April 12, 2019

To avoid rent burden in Manhattan and Brooklyn, you’d have to live in a 300 square foot space

Renting remains an increasingly popular choice in cities throughout the country, where on-the-go millennials with mobile jobs and lifestyles prefer to remain untethered to a specific location. But often, making rent doesn’t equate with staying on budget or having the amount of space you really need. A new study by RENTCafe looks into the issue of rent burden, asking how much space a typical income would get you if you limited your rent to no more than 30% of your income. Their findings show that in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Boston spending 30% of your income on rent means you’d have to live in less than 300 square feet of space.
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April 11, 2019

Extell’s Upper West Side tower going forward despite city’s amendment on mechanical voids

Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studios/ Snøhetta Following a revised design and review by the FDNY, developer Extell has been granted permission to proceed with plans for the Snøhetta-designed tower at 50 West 66th Street, Gothamist reports. This comes a few months after the Department of Buildings threatened to pull the building’s permits over concerns that the project was misusing mechanical voids in order to boost the overall height of units in the building. The DOB approved Extell's revised plans last Thursday, allowing the project to go forward despite a 12-to-1 City Planning Commission vote yesterday to crack down on the mechanical void loophole.
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New renderings for Pritzker Prize winner Álvaro Siza’s first U.S. building in Hell’s Kitchen

Rendering via The Boundary

April 10, 2019

New renderings for Pritzker Prize winner Álvaro Siza’s first U.S. building in Hell’s Kitchen

New renderings of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza's first United States building were revealed this week, stirring up interest before the Hell's Kitchen tower launches sales this fall. Currently under construction just off 11th Avenue, 611 West 56th Street will reach 37 stories and contain 80 condo units, ranging from one- to three-bedrooms, and penthouses. In addition to the fresh images of the limestone tower, developers Sumaida + Khurana and LENY also released a teaser website for the project.
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Mixed feedback from LPC on proposed open-air pavilion at Fulton Ferry Landing

Rendering by Starling Architecture

April 9, 2019

Mixed feedback from LPC on proposed open-air pavilion at Fulton Ferry Landing

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday gave mixed reviews for a proposed new concession pavilion outside of the landmarked fireboat station at the Fulton Ferry Landing. The proposal, chosen last December by the Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP), includes constructing an outdoor restaurant and bar that would connect to an adjacent utility shed and sit in front of the two-story fireboat station, previously home to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. While Alex and Miles Pincus, the operators of the proposed space, designed the outdoor concession to be simple and airy, some LPC commissioners expressed concern over the structure possibly blocking views of Manhattan and the need to keep the space as open as possible.
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Marc Jacobs snags a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Westchester for $9.2M

Via Wikimedia

April 9, 2019

Marc Jacobs snags a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Westchester for $9.2M

Fashion designer Marc Jacobs has purchased a Westchester home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for $9.175 million, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Located in the wealthy Westchester County neighborhood of Rye, the home was built by Wright in 1955 for European car importer Max Hoffman. Located at the tip of North Manursing Island, the waterfront property will serve as a weekend retreat for Jacobs and his husband Char Defrancesco, who recently wed this month.
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1,200-unit Hunters Point development breaks ground and reveals new looks

New rendering by ODA Architects for TF Cornerstone

April 5, 2019

1,200-unit Hunters Point development breaks ground and reveals new looks

Developer TF Cornerstone officially broke ground Friday on its mixed-use, affordable housing development in Long Island City, a plan that began nearly six years prior. The project, which consists of 1,194 new apartments across two buildings on Center Boulevard, falls under the city's redevelopment of Hunter's Point South, a proposal with the goal of bringing 5,000 units of new housing to the area first backed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In addition to the residences, the project includes construction of a community center, local retail, a new public park designed by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, and a K-8 school. A pair of new renderings highlights the open space planned between the new towers.
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Lawsuit says 670-foot-tall Seaport condo tower has an ‘off-kilter’ foundation and a leaning problem

Rendering courtesy of Goldstein Hill & West / Fortis Property Group

April 3, 2019

Lawsuit says 670-foot-tall Seaport condo tower has an ‘off-kilter’ foundation and a leaning problem

The sleek 670-foot-tall, 58-story condominium tower at 161 Maiden Lane that broke ground in 2015 alongside one of Manhattan’s most iconic vistas is leaning three inches to the north, according to a lawsuit filed by the project's contractor, the Observer reports. The contractor, Pizzarotti, filed a suit in New York State Supreme Court that alleges that an off-kilter foundation affects the structural integrity, facade, waterproofing, and elevators at the 150,000-square-foot tower and that developer Fortis Property Group is responsible.
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50 Cent finally unloads 52-room Connecticut compound for $2.9M

Photo of 50 Cent via Wikimedia

April 2, 2019

50 Cent finally unloads 52-room Connecticut compound for $2.9M

By Annie Doge

Twelve years later, the massive Connecticut mansion owned by rapper-actor 50 Cent has finally sold. According to the Wall Street Journal, the musician's mansion in Farmington sold for $2.9 million, 84 percent less than the $18.5 million he first sought in 2007. Most recently, the 17-acre estate was listed for just under $5 million. The home stretches 50,000 square feet and is decked out with 19 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, its own night club, basketball court, movie theater, and G Unit-themed decor throughout.
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Mr. Chow founder lists Dumbo penthouse with private courtyard and roof terrace for $6.5M

Listing images by Will Ellis of Donna Dotan Photography

April 1, 2019

Mr. Chow founder lists Dumbo penthouse with private courtyard and roof terrace for $6.5M

Michael Chow, founder of the Mr. Chow restaurant chain, has just put his Dumbo penthouse on the market for $6,495,000. It seems the restaurateur is moving to the West Coast, as earlier this month Chow and his wife bought two Los Angeles properties from pop star Katy Perry, as Mansion Global reported. Chow bought his three-bedroom duplex at 1 John Street in 2016 for $5,760,000. The modern abode spans across 2,600 square-feet and is one of four homes in the 42-unit building to have a private courtyard and a private roof terrace. You’ll be able to enjoy the views from inside as well since every room overlooks the river and Manhattan skyline.
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Doris Roberts’ former Central Park South duplex sells for $4M

Listing image courtesy of Compass; photo of Doris Roberts via Wiki Commons

April 1, 2019

Doris Roberts’ former Central Park South duplex sells for $4M