Real Estate Trends

February 22, 2018

Soon to be largest deliberately demolished tower ever, 270 Park Avenue proposal faces backlash

Plans to replace JPMorgan Chase's current headquarters at 270 Park Avenue with a much taller tower at the same site is facing opposition from architecture and preservation buffs, shortly after the proposal was announced. Not only will the project become the largest intentionally demolished building in history, as YIMBY reported, the landmark-worthy Union Carbide Building was also designed in 1960 by Natalie de Blois, a pioneer of American architecture and one of the few female senior designers at that time. As the first project under the Midtown East rezoning, JPMorgan Chase's existing 700-foot tall structure will be bulldozed to make way for a tower that will most likely be over 1,200 feet tall.
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February 22, 2018

NYC developments get smart: A look at the latest residential building technologies

In a refreshingly non-"Black Mirror" way, many NYC residential developments are taking advantage of new technologies, like keyless door entry systems and digital concierges, not to replace humans but rather enhance them. These building technologies are making residents’ lives easier while prioritizing the importance of face-to-face interaction. According to a joint cnet/Coldwell Banker survey, “81 percent of current smart-home device owners say they would be more willing to buy a home with connected tech in place.” Clearly, developers got that message. Many new buildings in NYC are incorporating technology into their developments to enhance service as well as increase residents' personal security and privacy.
Get the scoop on all the latest tech
February 22, 2018

Billionaire Michael Dell revealed as the secret buyer of One57’s $100M penthouse

Founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, Michael Dell, was revealed as the buyer of the sprawling penthouse at One57 for $100.47 million, the most expensive home ever sold in New York City. According to the Wall Street Journal, Dell first entered a contract to buy the unit in 2012 when the Billionaires' Row building, located at 157 West 57th Street, was still under construction. He closed the transaction through a limited liability company in 2014.
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February 21, 2018

New 70-story JPMorgan Chase tower will be the first project under Midtown East rezoning

Mayor Bill de Blasio and JPMorgan Chase announced on Wednesday plans to build a new 70-story world headquarters at the site of the bank's current offices at 270 Park Avenue, the first project under the East Midtown Rezoning plan. Approved by the City Council in August, the rezoning affects 78 blocks running from East 39th Street to East 57th Street and from Third Avenue to Madison Avenue. The updated zoning code is expected to clear the way for 6.5 million square feet of modern office space and allow for taller buildings. JPMorgan Chase's new building will have enough room for about 15,000 employees, compared to the old building's capacity of just 3,500 employees.
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February 21, 2018

Live in historic townhouse style without the commitment in this $5,500/month Clinton Hill duplex

Historic Brooklyn townhouses are at a premium, and they're a lot of work to maintain. Opportunities like this gorgeous duplex on one of the prettiest avenues in the Clinton Hill Historic District give you a chance to live in high-ceilinged grandeur, fabulous backyard oasis and all, without the mortgage or the commitment. It will, however, cost you $5,500 a month for this 1,700-square-foot rental at 227 Washington Avenue.
Take the tour
February 20, 2018

Rafael Viñoly’s octagonal-cored Upper East Side tower gets new rendering

First announced over a year ago and later approved by the city's Department of Buildings in September, Rafael Viñoly’s residential project planned for 249 East 62nd Street moved forward this week after the architect released a new rendering. As YIMBY reported, the 510-foot building will feature retail and a townhouse at its base, with apartments above it through the 12th floor. The uniqueness of this project's design lies with its 150-foot-tall octagonally-shaped core, aimed at raising the height of upper-level apartments without counting it toward usable square footage.
Details here
February 20, 2018

Frank Gehry and Santiago Calatrava to design Hudson Yards residential towers

Though starchitect Frank Gehry threatened to flee to France after the 2016 election, he'll likely be sticking around to design new towers at the Hudson Yards mega-development on Manhattan's west side; Gehry and fellow controversial architect Santiago Calatrava are among those chosen to work on the residential western section of Related Cos. and Oxford Properties' 28-acre complex, according to a source close to the project who spoke with the Wall Street Journal.
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February 17, 2018

NYC RENTALS: This week’s roundup of rental news & offers

Special Leasing Offers at 175 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg New Renderings of Lenox Terrace Expansion in Harlem, Plus Renovated Apartments from $1,650/Mo. New Listings at RIVERBANK in Hell's Kitchen: Sky-High Rentals from $2,879/Month 1629 Pacific Street: Luxury Crown Heights Rentals Start at $2,667/month Ready to Roll: Long Island City Rental The Silver Star Set for March Launch Live at Rocket Factory Lofts on Williamsburg's South 4th Street; 1- and 2-Beds Available Now Leasing Kicks Off on New Uptown Rentals at 531 West 159th Street
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February 16, 2018

Before its summer kickoff, new renderings for Halletts Point’s first rental

The first of the Durst Organization's seven-building, $1.5 billion development on the Astoria waterfront got new renderings this week, months ahead of its scheduled opening. As Curbed NY learned, the developer said leasing will launch for the two-tower 10 Halletts Points this summer. The first building to open on the Halletts Point campus, the tower will feature 405 apartments, of which up to 25 percent will be affordable.
More details here
February 16, 2018

Plan for a performing arts space at the World Trade Center moves forward

The project to bring a performing arts center to the World Trade Center is finally back on track, almost 15 years after the idea was included in the original vision for rebuilding the area post-9/11. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday an agreement for a 99-year lease between the Port Authority and the World Trade Center Performing Arts Center Inc. (PAC) for $1 per year, paving the way for construction to begin. Named for the billionaire who gifted $75 million to the project, the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center will include 200,000 square feet of space, three halls and a rehearsal space, a restaurant and a gift shop. If everything moves smoothly, the center could open as soon as the 2020 or 2021 season.
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February 16, 2018

Bruce Willis ‘downsizes’ to a new four-bedroom Riverside Center condo

Bruce Willis and his wife Emma Heming Willis found a buyer for their home at 271 Central Park West for $17.75 million within a week of listing the six-bedroom co-op after deciding to downsize a bit. According to reports the pair have just bought a new Upper West Side aerie at One West End at 1 West End Avenue. The four-bedroom condominium in the 41-story tower, part of the in the massive Riverside Center project designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli and Hill West Architects, spans over 3,000 square feet and was last listed for $7.9 million.
Take a look
February 15, 2018

The new nomadic lifestyle: Luxury real estate and restaurants take over Nomad

A nomad is defined as “a member of a community of people who live in different locations, moving from one place to another in search of grasslands for their animals.” But it would be hard to imagine any Nomad resident ever straying for grasslands beyond Madison Square Park. After a series of incarnations over the years, Nomad is now a super hip, bustling neighborhood from morning through night with residents, technology businesses (it’s now being referred to as “Silicon Alley”), loads of retail (leaning heavily toward design), great architecture, hot hotels, and tons and tons of food. Named for its location north of Madison Square Park, Nomad's borders are a bit fuzzy but generally, they run east-west from Lexington Avenue to Sixth Avenue and north-south from 23rd to 33rd Streets. Douglas Elliman's Bruce Ehrmann says, “Nomad is the great link between Madison Square Park, Midtown South, Murray Hill and 5th Avenue.”
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February 15, 2018

A 10-minute walk to the subway could save you 10 percent on rent

While amenities like on-site laundry and air conditioning are big selling points in New York City rentals, the building's proximity to the subway remains one of the most important factors when looking for new digs. And like other amenities, there is an added cost to live near the subway. New data from RentHop breaks down how much renters can save by living further from the subway in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. According to their report, as Curbed NY reported, apartments closest to the subway cost 6 to 8 percent more than the borough median, with the furthest costing 8 to 10 percent less.
Details here
February 15, 2018

New York City’s priciest townhouse sets another record after $90M sale

Billionaire Len Blavatnik has broken the city's record for the most expensive townhouse after paying $90 million for an Upper East Side mansion, according to the New York Post. The seller, HNA Group, sold the home at 19 East 64th Street after recently picking it up in April for $79.5 million, a record at the time. Blavatnik, a music executive who already owns a home on 64th Street and paid $80 million for a home at 834 Fifth Avenue, has an estimated net worth of around $20.5 billion.
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February 13, 2018

986-foot Flatbush Avenue tower in Downtown Brooklyn gets revised renderings

Ahead of its public review, Alloy Development this week released new details and renderings of its proposed mixed-use development at 80 Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. Developers amended the complex's design, first released in April, following backlash from the community and more than 100 meetings with local stakeholders. While the taller tower will keep its original design with 74 stories, the 38-story building's profile will be slimmed and feature a masonry facade to complement the neighboring Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower. 
More here
February 13, 2018

‘Silence of the Lambs’ director Jonathan Demme’s longtime Central Park West co-op sells for $2.4M

Acclaimed filmmaker Jonathan Demme, who won an Academy Award for directing "The Silence of the Lambs," passed away in April. For at least 30 years prior, he resided at the grand Emery Roth-designed Central Park West co-op the Alden. According to city records, his longtime Upper West Side home has now sold for $2.4 million, after just 13 days on the market.
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February 10, 2018

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

Images (L to R): 606W57, The Delmar, Aurora and 88 Leonard Street Little Italy Rental Debuts; Rumored to have Housed Debbie Harry & Robert De Niro Lenox Terrace Offers Renovated Harlem Apartments from $1,650/Mo. Pre-War Grandeur at The Wyoming; Amazing Midtown Rental Near Central Park Bronx Rentals Debut at Port133 at 751 East 133rd Street […]

February 9, 2018

New renderings revealed for SCDA’s flashy 11-story condo on the High Line

A swath of new renderings of SCDA Architects' condo tower was released this week, more than three years after the project was first announced in 2014. As Curbed NY learned, the new renderings of the building, located, at 515 West 29th Street, show a glass fin facade and the interiors of the 15 planned apartments, including five penthouses. Forum Absolute Capital Partners is developing the tower, dubbed Five One Five, which will contain two- and three-bedroom units ranging from $4.3 million to $8.5 million. CORE is handling sales and marketing.
See it here
February 9, 2018

Saudi prince’s Trump Place triplex with three bullet-proof panic rooms sells at a $40M discount

Six years ago, Saudi Prince Nawaf bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud listed his lavish Heritage at Trump Place triplex for a staggering $75 million. Three years ago, it got a price chop to $48.5 million, and The Real Deal now reports that it's closed for an even further discounted $36 million. Since the 10,500-square-foot home listed long before the reign of Trump, we're guessing it's not the building's namesake that caused it trouble on the market. Perhaps having three bullet-proof panic rooms isn't on everyone's real estate wishlist?
Find out more and look around
February 9, 2018

See new photos of SHoP Architects’ Domino rental tower at 325 Kent

Now that the doughnut-shaped 16-story waterfront rental building at 325 Kent Avenue is nearly complete, you can take a look at some seductive new snaps of interiors and amenity spaces to see if it lives up to the hype. The first structure at the 11-acre Domino Sugar Factory site to open, the 522-unit riverfront tower brings something new to ogle to the famously rezoned Williamsburg neighborhood’s veritable city of glassy condo towers that surround the landmarked Refinery building.
More photos, yoga and food this way
February 9, 2018

Google to expand footprint at Chelsea’s Pier 57

Earlier this week, Google entered into a contract with Jamestown LP to buy the Chelsea Market building for nearly $2.5 billion, the second largest single sale in New York City's history. And on Friday, Google reached a tentative deal to expand its footprint at Pier 57, adding another 70,000 square feet of space to its prior 250,000-square-foot agreement. According to Crain's, the lease will include an additional 50,000 square feet of educational activities and a new ferry landing.
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February 8, 2018

The long-awaited Bayonne boom: Transit options, adaptive reuse, and affordability

Bayonne, located on the southern peninsula of New Jersey’s Gold Coast, is ripe for a construction boom. That being said, it has been awaiting this boom for over 18 years - since the light rail system was installed. As Newport and Jersey City’s markets are on fire, Bayonne hopes that development momentum is headed their way. But with its Hudson River location, city views, access to Manhattan via light rail and the PATH (it is about 30 minutes to take the light rail to the PATH to the World Trade Center), Bayonne has taken its future into its own hands and massively revised its master plan for the first time since 2000. Bayonne considers its proximity to New York City and lower prices its greatest assets. The average home sales are around $400,000 versus $800,000 in Jersey City. The new master plan aims to transform Bayonne into a walkable, bikeable, mixed-use community with densely settled areas (which they call “transit villages”) around the light rail stations. The town’s 22nd Street Light Rail stop connects residents to the rest of the Gold Coast and PATH trains running to Manhattan. Bayonne City Planner Suzanne Mack is quoted as saying, “Our assets are our charm and home life...We’ve moved from being an industrial giant, an oil tank farm basically, into more of a bedroom community with a lot of community resources.”
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February 7, 2018

Passing $2B in sales, 432 Park becomes highest selling building in NYC ever

CIM Group and Macklowe Properties announced on Wednesday that the world's tallest residential building just broke another record: the single best-selling building in New York City. According to the developers, they have sold $2 billion in luxury condominiums at 432 Park Avenue, a 1,396-foot tower designed by renowned architect Rafael Viñoly. The building's most significant closings include 48 residences selling for more than $20 million each.
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February 7, 2018

New details and renderings for Essex Crossing’s Market Line, NYC’s largest food hall

It's been over a year since we got our first look at Market Line, the 150,000-square-foot market that will anchor the Essex Crossing mega-development. It will serve as the new home for the Lower East Side's iconic, 76-year-old Essex Street Market and boast two indoor parks, a beer garden, 150 food vendors, and 20 retail spaces--all adding up to the city's largest food hall. Eater now has spotted a fresh set of renderings of Market Line, as well as the first vendor announcement. Among those who will be hawking their grub are Queens' famed taco spot Tortilleria Nixtamal, the Upper East Side's 100-year-old German meat market Schaller & Weber, and the East Village's Ukrainian institution Veselka.
Check out the other vendors and more renderings
February 6, 2018

Lottery launches for 258 rentals at TF Cornerstone’s West 57th tower, from $613/month

The lottery for TF Cornerstone's massive building at 606 West 57th Street officially launched on Tuesday, offering 258 mixed-income rentals in the brand new 42-story tower. Designed by Arquitectonica, the rental, dubbed 606W57, boasts a unique, boxy design and will hold over 1,000 apartments. It sits near other West Side architectural standouts like the pyramid-shaped, Bjarke Ingels-designed Via57 West, as well as the Helena. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $613/month studio to a $2,902/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify