Real Estate Trends

October 8, 2018

Asbury Ocean Club wants to bring Manhattan luxury to the Jersey Shore

In just 70 minutes, you can drive from Manhattan to Asbury Park, New Jersey, and escape to one of the state's most up-and-coming areas (think Williamsburg meets Bruce Springsteen-land meets Venice Beach). And if you want to do this pretty regularly, the town's mega-developer, iStar, thinks it has found the perfect balance of urban luxury and beachfront living at their new condo/hotel the Asbury Ocean Club. Ranging from $900,000 one-bedrooms to two $6 million penthouses, the pricing is certainly more NYC, but on a recent visit, it was clear that the artsy vibe, live music scene, and booming foodie culture is uniquely Jersey Shore.
Learn all about this new development
October 6, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): 525W52, Forty Gold, Riverbank and 505W37 525 West 52nd Street Offers Leases with 3 Months Free; New Affordable Housing Lotto Launches [READ MORE] Downtown Two-Bedroom Rentals at Forty Gold Listed with 2 Months Free on 20-Month Lease [READ MORE] Special Offers at Midtown West’s Riverbank: Rentals from $3,860/Month + New Amenities […]

October 5, 2018

Bradley Cooper drops $13.5M on a Greenwich Village townhouse with a garden oasis

Bradley Cooper purchased a $13.5 million Greenwich Village townhouse in May, the Wall Street Journal just reported. The actor, who currently stars in the new movie "A Star is Born," registered the property under the "Cool Trust" to keep the sale hush-hush, city documents reveal. The home at 224 West 10th Street contains six bedrooms, a 1,100-square-foot garden oasis, and plenty of romantic, rustic details. And Bradley seems to be enjoying all the Village has to offer; a source tells us he dined last Friday at Fifty, a new American-South American restaurant on Commerce Street.
See Cooper's coop
October 5, 2018

New renderings show Vornado’s Pompidou Center-like office plans for Chelsea

A high-tech future awaits the 235,000-square-foot building at 260 Eleventh Avenue that served as headquarters for the iconic Otis Elevator company from its construction in 1911 until the company's move to midtown 1974. For the site's next life, REIT Vornado Realty Trust plans to renovate and expand the property, which they purchased in 2015, for commercial tenants. Now, CityRealty reports, a trio of renderings from Vornado's latest investor report provide a peek at the planned design overhaul by British architect Richard Rogers. Evoking the "inside-out" structure of the Pompidou Center in Paris and the high-tech Lloyd's of London building, the new addition displays exposed structural and circulation systems and a multi-story atrium beneath glass-enclosed floors.
More Renderings this way
October 4, 2018

REVEALED: Cuomo’s $13B JFK Airport overhaul to feature an indoor ‘park’ and food hall

Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed new details Thursday of his $13 billion plan to overhaul John F. Kennedy Airport and transform it into a 21st-century transit hub. In addition to two much-needed new international terminals, the overhaul will bring NYC's biggest tourist attractions into its passenger waiting areas and a central hub. There will be interior green space called "Central Park at JFK," a food hall modeled after Chelsea Market, an elevated walkway called "The High Line," and artwork and exhibits honoring iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty's torch.
See the new renderings
October 4, 2018

Victoria’s Secret model Lindsay Ellingson struts into a $1.4M Williamsburg pad

Victoria’s Secret Angel Lindsay Ellingson hasn't had your average runway trajectory, starting out as a biology major before being discovered on the street and then taken under the wing of John Galliano in Paris. And instead of settling in a swanky new Manhattan building, the 33-year-old and her husband, medical equipment salesman Sean Clayton, have long called Williamsburg home. They've now landed a new pad in the Austin Nichols House, a former bourbon distillery on the waterfront converted to condos by architect Morris Adjmi. According to the Post, the couple paid $1.4 million for the two-bedroom unit, down from its $1,575,000 asking price.
Have a look
October 3, 2018

Upper West Side school-to-condo conversion reveals $18M solarium penthouse in former gymnasium

As of today, listings are live for developer/architect Cary Tamarkin's 555 West End Avenue. The project converted the former Catholic St. Agnes Boys High School into a 13-unit luxury condo. Not only does it retain the facade's original 1908 English collegiate- and Gothic-style elements, but the interiors benefit from the historic structure's 12-foot ceilings and oversized windows. The most impressive of these residences is undoubtedly the solarium penthouse, carved out of the school's one-time gymnasium. Listed for $18 million, the incredible space has a soaring 20-foot-high vaulted glass ceiling and an enormous, floor-to-ceiling arched window wall.
Lots more to see
October 3, 2018

No subway, no worries: Developers offer incentives to lure tenants off train lines

Williamsburg, where the L train shutdown will soon take effect, via Wiki Commons In a city with fewer car owners than nearly any other location in North America, it should come as no surprise that subway access is a key factor for most New Yorkers when they go on the housing market. In fact, many New Yorkers won’t even consider renting or buying if the address is more than a 10-minute walk from the nearest subway. This explains why some neighborhoods, including Greenpoint, which has a subway but not one that leads to Manhattan, and Alphabet City, which doesn’t have a subway at all, have long reported lower real estate values and rental prices that their nearest neighbors. However, there are growing signs that subway access may no longer matter as much as it once did. While subway access remains important, it is increasingly no longer a deal breaker for developers or prospective tenants. In today’s real estate market, a growing number of developers are pouring money into developments located off the subway line, and many tenants don’t seem to mind. This may also explain why not all developers with projects located along the L line are worried about the pending shutdown, which is now slated to begin in April 2019.
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October 2, 2018

To lure Google workers, investors drop $83M on a block of Chelsea apartments

Real estate investors Dalan Management Associates and Elion Partners announced a joint venture on Tuesday to acquire eight adjacent buildings in Chelsea for $83 million. The buildings, which run along Eighth Avenue from West 15th to West 16th Streets, contain 102 multi-family units and 10 ground-floor retail spaces known as the Chelsea Collection. Because the property sits directly across from Google headquarters, developers hope to attract workers from the tech giant, Crain's reported.
Find out more
October 2, 2018

Listings go live at the world’s skinniest skyscraper, 111 West 57th Street

The race to build the tallest residential building in the world has long been underway along Billionaires' Row, but 111 West 57th Street not only boasts height (at 1,428 feet it'll surpass the current record holder, 1,396-foot 432 Park Avenue until the 1,500-foot Central Park Tower tops out) but a frame that is so slender (a ratio of 1:24) it garners it the title of skinniest skyscraper in the world. And after six years watching the development unfold, listings have finally gone live for the 46-unit condo, first spotted by Curbed. The first batch includes seven units, six of which are three-bedrooms ranging from $18 to $30 million, along with a $56 million penthouse.
Ogle the floorplan porn
September 29, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): Hunters Landing, 33 Bond Street, One Sixty Madison and RiverHouse11 Long Island City’s Hunters Landing Launches Leasing: No Fee Rentals from $2,211/Month [READ MORE] Newly Launched 33 Bond Street in Downtown Brooklyn Offers Rentals with Up to 2 Months Free [READ MORE] NoMad’s One Sixty Madison Offering One Month Free on […]

September 28, 2018

Battery Park City and Upper West Side communities transition from middle-aged to millennial

Despite recently ranking as the most expensive zip code for renters in the United States, Battery Park City experienced the greatest influx of millennial residents in New York City over a period of five years. The Lower Manhattan neighborhood, with the zip code 10282, saw a population increase of over 54 percent, according to report released this month by RentCafe. Out of the top 20 zip codes with the highest increase in millennials, Battery Park City, with 2,300 Generation Y residents, ranks third in the country, falling slightly behind two downtown Los Angeles neighborhoods (h/t amNY).
Where are millennials moving?
September 28, 2018

Watch a time-lapse video of Waterline Square reaching the finish line

Construction is wrapping up on a trio of glassy residential towers known as Waterline Square, located on the five-acre waterfront site between West 59th and 61st Streets. Three Waterline Square, designed by Rafael Viñoly, got its multi-faceted crystal-planed exterior earlier this month. Richard Meier, on a leave of absence from his firm after accusations of sexual harassment, designed One Waterline Square, the 37-story building that also recently reached its pinnacle. Finally Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates' Two Waterline Square culminates at 38 stories. After the jump, check out a video showing the entire project rise in under 90 seconds.
Check it out
September 27, 2018

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

The New York City Council voted on Wednesday to approve 80 Flatbush, a five-building mixed-use development planned for Downtown Brooklyn, Curbed NY reported. The approval comes after negotiations last week between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents the area, which led to a shorter, less-dense complex. After the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 feet to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet, the Council's subcommittee on zoning voted in favor of the project.
More on the project
September 26, 2018

New details for Brooklyn’s Pacific Park and a first look at its tallest tower

The development of Pacific Park, a 22-acre mixed-use complex near the Barclays Center, has entered its next phase Greenland Forest City Partners announced Wednesday. The developer is bringing on TF Cornerstone and the Brodsky Organization as development partners for the project. The duo will develop three parcels at the site, which include three rental buildings, a new public school, and new open space. Greenland also announced construction is set to begin in the spring for the park's tallest tower, a more than 500-foot tall tower designed by Perkins Eastman.
More details here
September 26, 2018

First look at interiors and private park at Jeanne Gang’s Downtown Brooklyn condo

To coincide with the sales launch at Downtown Brooklyn's 57-story tower at 11 Hoyt Street, Tishman Speyer has released a slew of new renderings of the Jeanne Gang-designed condo. Previous views have shown how Gang's signature metallic rippling effect will be applied to the facade, but the new batch gives us a better look at the nearly 27,000-square-foot private park and the first glimpse of the interiors and amenity spaces.
All the renderings and details this way
September 25, 2018

To live across from Central Park, you’ll pay 25% more than every bordering neighborhood

To make Central Park your front yard, you'll have to fork over $277,000 more than the median sale price of every bordering neighborhood. A new report by Property Shark looks at just how much more New Yorkers are willing to spend to be near the 843-acre oasis, a real estate trend which the group calls the "Central Park effect." According to the analysis, the median sale price of units along the first row of blocks across the park was 25 percent more expensive than that of every nearby area. And in the priciest section, the Upper East Side's Lenox Hill, that rose to a 93 percent difference.
More on the Central Park effect
September 24, 2018

New report shows NYC landlords falsified 10,000+ work permits in 2.5 years

Recent news of Kushner Companies' filing of false documents outlining the residential makeup of their buildings in order to get construction permits has prompted a closer look at the practice, which, according to Politico, has been rampant among New York City property owners for years with few consequences. Last month the Department of Buildings fined Kushner Companies $210,000 for repeatedly submitting inaccurate paperwork. Tenant advocacy group Housing Rights Initiative (HRI) will release a report Monday outlining how landlords filed more than 10,000 deceptive PW1s (Plan/Work Applications) in the span of two and a half years.
What's going on here?
September 24, 2018

Where old meets new: Welcoming a new era of developments in Murray Hill

Unlike many New York City neighborhoods that have reputations that travel far beyond their borders, for many years, Murray Hill has remained low key. If Murray Hill hasn’t always been quick to flaunt its assets, it may have something to do with its Quaker origins. After all, the "Murray" in Murray Hill points back to the Murray family—the clan of Quaker merchants who first settled the area in the mid-18th century. Since the days of the Murray family, much has changed in the neighborhood. The "hill" has been leveled, the neighborhood is no longer considered uptown, and since the early 2000s, the neighborhood’s reputation as a quiet and staid residential enclave has also been shattered as a younger crowd has moved in. In fact, for much of the past two decades, at least some parts of Murray Hill have become synonymous with the bar scene along Third Avenue, which is primarily known as a playground for young professionals. More recently, the neighborhood is undergoing another shift as a new era of higher-end rentals and condo developments attract a somewhat more mature demographic.
More on Murray Hill
September 22, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): 325 Lafayette Avenue, Alvista Towers, 88 Leonard Street and 180 Riverside Boulevard Newly Built 325 Lafayette Avenue in Clinton Hill Offers 2 Months Free: Net Effective Prices from $2,375/Month [link] Live at Alvista Towers from $1,729/Month; Get 1 Month Free on Leases Signed by Nov. 1st [link] Tribeca Rental Specials at […]

September 20, 2018

Across from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, RXR plans a 10-building complex in a former printing press factory

The Brooklyn Navy Yard and the area surrounding it continues to expand and live up to predictions calling it the city's new creative hotspot. Just a few months after the Navy Yard and developers broke ground on a nine-story mixed-use creative and manufacturing project at 399 Sands Street, RXR Realty has announced plans to renovate a 10-building, 650,000-square-foot block-long complex at the site of the former Mergenthaler Linotype Company printing press factory, across from the Yard. The refurbished complex will be home to industrial, design, and office space, with ground-floor retail, and restaurant tenants.
More renderings of the new creative space, this way
September 18, 2018

WeWork is officially Manhattan’s largest private office tenant

With 5.3 million square feet of office space, WeWork is officially Manhattan's largest private office tenant. Last month, we reported that the co-working giant needed just 74,000 more square feet to take the title from JPMorgan Chase & Co., and with their new, 258,344-square-foot location at 21 Penn Plaza, their 50th in the borough (they have 60 in NYC total), they've now surpassed them. The news comes via a blog post by WeWork exec Granit Gjonbalaj, who credits the company's "expertise" and the team's "holistic nature" that has allowed them to "identify, build, and deliver new locations better and more quickly than a typical developer."
Get the details
September 17, 2018

With most approved residential units in NYC, the Bronx building boom continues

Out of the 20 New York City neighborhoods with the most residential units approved within the past year, seven of them are in the Bronx, more than any other borough. According to a new report from Localize.city, a group that analyzes data related to housing, 13 percent of all approved apartments between 2010 and 2015 were in the Bronx. In the first half of 2018, the Bronx had 27 percent of the city's share of approved new units. While a majority of new buildings in the borough are affordable, increasing land prices could mean more market-rate projects are on the horizon, the New York Times reported.
Get more details
September 17, 2018

The Second Avenue Subway’s second act: How the Q train has impacted real estate in Yorkville

For over a decade, a large swath of the Upper East Side was under construction, but for many residents, it felt more like being under attack. As the Q Line was being built—after a century-long wait—the neighborhood not only had to tolerate restricted traffic along Second Avenue above ground but also more dramatic interruptions. Indeed, at one point in the subway line’s construction, underground explosions even shattered the windows of several local businesses. But with the noise, traffic, and disarray of the Second Avenue Subway in the past, the surrounding neighborhood has already quickly bounced back. As per predictions, since the completion of the line, real estate values, volume of sales, and rental prices in Yorkville have experienced an upswing.
Get the data
September 15, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s NYC rental roundup includes 3 months free rent on the Williamsburg waterfront

Images (L to R): LEVEL BK, BKLYN AIR, Synergy Chelsea and Denizen Bshwk Williamsburg Waterfront Rental LEVEL BK Offers 3 Months Free on 2-Year Leases + Free Car Share [link] BKLYN AIR Offering Half-Month Free for Leases Starting Before Sept. 30th [link] New High-Tech Corporate Residences Coming Soon to Synergy Chelsea at 232 7th Avenue […]