Real Estate Trends

January 26, 2018

The Eleventh, Bjarke Ingels’ pair of twisting towers, takes shape along the High Line

The Eleventh, a pair of slanted towers designed by Bjarke Ingels', officially went vertical in West Chelsea this week. Developed by HFZ Capital, the two-building complex at 76 Eleventh Avenue sits near the High Line between West 18th and 17th Streets. A space between the buildings at their base gives the illusion that the buildings are being pulled apart, and its ruled corners highlight the towers' movement. The project is expected to be completed sometime in 2019.
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January 25, 2018

Anthony Scaramucci scoops up brand new Hamptons beach house for $7.5M

Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications director who President Donald Trump fired before he even started his job, might be having more luck in real estate than in politics. The Mooch and his wife, Deidre Ball, have snagged a mansion in Bridgehampton South for $7.495 million, according to the New York Post. The newly built home at 30 Lawrence Court boasts eight bedrooms, seven and a half baths and a swimming pool.
See the Mooch's new mansion
January 24, 2018

Did the Obamas just close on this classy Upper East Side duplex for almost $10M?

In October, 6sqft reported that Barack and Michelle Obama had been spotted on their way to view a listing in Yorkville's 10 Gracie Square. At the time, it was speculated that they checked out a five-bedroom duplex that had gone into contract for $10 million shortly following the visit. The buyer wasn't confirmed, but the unit has now closed for $9.64 million (h/t Katherine Clarke), purchased through a "Gracie Square Revocable Trust. So while it's still not confirmed that the Obamas are moving to the Upper East Side, the building is one of New York City's most prestigious addresses, located just a stone's throw away from the Mayor's residence and over the years attracting the likes of Alexander Woollcott, conductor Andre Kostelanetz, Gloria Vanderbilt and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek.
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January 23, 2018

With redevelopment imminent, are Red Hook’s industrial spaces at risk?

Like many waterfront communities in New York City, Red Hook is posed for a major redevelopment, with officials itching to bring new housing, commercial space and even mass transit to the industry-heavy Brooklyn neighborhood. In Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address this month, he said the neighborhood is "full of untapped potential" and called on the Port Authority to "accelerate consideration of relocating its Red Hook maritime activities to free up this waterfront for more productive community use." While almost all of the area is zoned for manufacturing purposes, there's been a significant reduction of industrial space in Red Hook, concerning its long-time residents as retail space has started displacing manufacturing, according to Crain's.
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January 22, 2018

Jason Biggs sells custom-designed Tribeca loft for $2.7M

"American Pie" actor Jason Biggs and his wife Jenny Mollen have sold their spacious three-bedroom Tribeca loft for $2.65 million, after first putting the pad on the market nearly a year ago. The 2,200-square-foot apartment at 288 West Street boasts authentic details throughout, like timber beams and columns, as well as hardwood oak floors. As the Observer learned, Biggs and Mollen bought the apartment for $2.55 million in October 2013 and tapped designer Cliff Fong to decorate the space. The couple moved to the West Village this past summer after purchasing a $6.98 million four-bedroom condo at the Shephard.
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January 22, 2018

The new Nordic: Scandinavian design goes from Ikea to luxury NYC real estate

Scandinavian design is on the rise in luxury residences. At first, that might seem like an oxymoron since Scandinavian design was founded on the principles of utility, affordability, and simplicity - and high-end residents are not. But luxe and Scandinavian design have found much common ground. From its early 20th century roots, based on Germany's Bauhaus school and developed in the Nordic region, to the mass-produced appeal of Ikea, the trend has certainly remained at the forefront of the design world. And perhaps now it's seeing its biggest moment, serving as a major selling point for hot new NYC condo projects such as Carroll Gardens' 145 President and being reimagined by of-the-moment firms like Morris Adjmi and Denmark's own Thomas Juul-Hansen.
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January 22, 2018

Josh Hartnett’s Tribeca penthouse just sold for $3.55M

Back in July, 6sqft reported that the elusive Josh Hartnett ("Black Hawk Down," "Pearl Harbor") had surfaced to list his sprawling Tribeca co-op at 16 Hudson Street for $4.25 million. Though the corner penthouse, which Hartnett bought in 2004 for $2.4 million, looks massive, it’s only got one bedroom. The heartthrob actor-turned-producer just had a second child with longtime girlfriend Tamsin Egerton, so we're guessing more space is key. The 1,965-square-foot apartment with One World Trade Center views recently sold for $3.55 million, according to Mansion Global.
Get a final look
January 18, 2018

Chris Rock’s cool Clinton Hill carriage house sells for $3.35M

Back in May 6sqft noted that Chris Rock had just listed his tricked-out Clinton Hill carriage house for $3.85 million. The comedian bought the historic property at 239 Waverly Avenue in 1994 for just $370,000. The 1901 home was also listed for rent in 2013 with an ask as high as $15,000/month at one point. Records now show that the renovated residence with room for two or three bedrooms, a 23-foot-wide master suite with skylights, and the elusive urban perk of being above a private two-car garage sold in September for $3.35 million. That's well below the ask, but still a tidy profit for Rock, who was recently spotted, according to the New York Post, checking out a posh penthouse and a townhouse at the Element condo tower at 555 West 59th Street.
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January 18, 2018

Hamptons mansion from Seinfeld’s ‘shrinkage’ episode sells for $5.7M

6sqft reported last year that the Amagansett home at 45 Whalers Lane, featured in Seinfeld's unforgettable "ugly baby" episode—also known as "The Hamptons!"—was for sale, asking $8.75 million. Now, according to Curbed, the 4,000- square-foot Hamptons estate with sweeping oceanfront views that helped introduce the term "shrinkage" into modern day vernacular has just sold for a somehow-appropriate $5.725 million–about $3 million less than its original ask.
more views this way
January 17, 2018

South Bronx complex with 1,045 housing units and nation’s first Hip-Hop museum gets new rendering

A new rendering of Bronx Point, a mixed-use development planned for the South Bronx waterfront, has been unveiled, providing a closer look at L+M Development Partner and Type A Projects' plan to bring over 1,000 units of housing, a food hall and the country's first brick-and-mortar museum designated to Hip-Hop to the neighborhood. As YIMBY reported, the housing will be delivered in two phases, with the first bringing 600 units of permanent affordable public housing by 2022. The second phase is expected to wrap up about three years after the first. Designed by S9 Architecture, the complex will include a new waterfront esplanade, state-of-the-art multiplex theater, flashy outdoor performance area and educational spaces.
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January 17, 2018

Rental fraud 101: How to keep yourself and your money safe

January is a busy month for renters across the U.S., described by one broker as the "oasis month" in an otherwise dead stretch between October and the spring. People make big life-changing decisions at the New Year, which often means moving – plus there’s the backlog of renters who put off sorting their living situation over the holiday season who are all entering the market at once in the first week of January. New York’s rental market is estimated to be worth over $700 million in rent and over $44 million in deposits in January alone. With so much money changing hands, it means renters are an attractive target for scammers and fraudsters. Thankfully, rental fraud is rare, but a little knowledge goes a long way. So if you’re entering the rental market after the holidays, here are three things you can do to keep yourself (and your money) safe.
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January 17, 2018

Red Hook’s revitalization: Will transit and development proposals change the small community?

The story of Red Hook is ripe for a movie-rights bidding war. In the past, there were mobsters and maritime ports, hurricanes and housing developments. Now there are politicians and developers fighting to rebuild and locals fighting back. In the end, what will happen to Red Hook is unknown but none of the massive proposals will happen in the near future. It is a small community in a big city that is tackling the issue many neighborhoods have dealt with in the past - how to grow. After the massive Hurricane Sandy rebuilding effort, there is a very solid and passionate local population and a growing cluster of cool restaurants, retailers, and artists attracted to the area. That coupled with the recent political attention by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio and the developers drooling over the possibilities of the 130 acres of land ripe for redevelopment (that’s six times the size of the $25 billion Hudson Yards development) make Red Hook very newsworthy.
Transportation, development, and more
January 16, 2018

New rendering shows how Pacific Park is changing Brooklyn’s skyline; tallest tower on the way

Though Brooklyn's Pacific Park mega-development hasn't been in the news much lately, the site of headline-stealing Barclays Center and the world's tallest modular tower hasn't slowed its advancing impact on the borough's skyline. A new rendering courtesy of New York Yimby shows the full build-out of the project, including the addition of what could be one of Brooklyn's tallest towers. According to the rendering, the site's crowning skyscraper would be borough's tallest tower–if only on paper, and temporarily.
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January 13, 2018

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

Images (L to R): Avalon Brooklyn Bay, SKY, Ellipse and Henry Hall Greystar Unveils New Amenities and Renovated Apartments at The Chelsea Jersey City Waterfront Rental ‘Ellipse’ Unveils New Amenities, Pool Coming This Summer Brooklyn Heights Rental Tower Leasing One and Two-Bed Units with Discounted Deposits Newly Listed One-Beds at 1209 Dekalb from $2,150/Month Eastchester […]

January 12, 2018

The South Bronx gets a new creative office hub at Union Crossing

We've been hearing so much about neighborhoods like Bushwick, Sunset Park, the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Long Island City ushering in a new era of creative industry. But the city’s next creative office hub is blossoming in the South Bronx neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Port Morris, and Hunts Point. CityRealty offers an update on newest addition to the area, to arrive by mid-2018: Union Crossing at 825 East 141st Street will bring more than 275,000 square feet of office and studio space with retail on the ground floor.
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January 10, 2018

‘Law & Order SVU’ actress Stephanie March snags a two-unit penthouse at the Shephard for $35M

Actress Stephanie March, best known for her role in "Law & Order SVU," and her husband, Daniel Benton, just picked up a penthouse for $34.62 million at the Shephard, a converted condo building in the West Village. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the couple is combining two units at the building at 275 West 10th Street to create a five-bedroom spread spanning 6,836 square feet. The apartment boasts a 3,451 square foot terrace as well as oversized windows, barrel-vaulted ceilings and solid hardwood oak floors.
Take a tour
January 10, 2018

Robert A.M. Stern will design fourth Hudson River-front residential tower for Related

The classic limestone looks of Robert A.M. Stern lend themselves well to the waterfront, and mega-developer Related is certainly looking to capitalize on the starchitect's expertise. They've previously tapped Stern for their Tribeca Park rental in Battery Park City, Superior Ink condo in the West Village, and the under-construction Tribeca condo 70 Vestry. Now, Related has once again brought RAMSA on board to design a condo tower at 555 West 22nd Street, which is being developed as the Hudson Residences along with the just-revealed High Line-straddling towers by Thomas Heatherwick. Proposed renderings uncovered by CityRealty on an EB-5 funding page detail a 22-story, subdued brick building that features Stern's signature boxy aesthetic.
More details right this way
January 10, 2018

Thomas Heatherwick designs two bubbled condo towers for Related’s High Line-straddling site

Thomas Heatherwick plans to bring more eccentricity to Manhattan's west side with two condo towers covered in a bubbled facade and bisected by the High Line, as CityRealty reported on Wednesday. The straddling pair at 515 West 18th Street, currently known as the Hudson Residences in conjunction with another Robert A.M. Stern-designed tower planned for West 22nd Street, will contain 181 condos split between a 10-floor east tower and a 22-floor west tower. The development spans 425,000 square feet and will include 17,000 square feet of retail and gallery space, as well as 175 parking spots.
See the towers
January 9, 2018

Harry Houdini’s one-time Harlem townhouse conjures a buyer at $3.6M

The 6,008-square-foot four-story townhouse at 278 West 113th Street that once belonged to master escape artist Harry Houdini has sold for $3.6 million–a full $1 million below its original ask–according to Mansion Global. 6sqft reported last June that the former home of the illusionist, magician and one of the most talked-about celebrities of the early 20th century and his wife, Bess, had hit the market for $4.6 million. Houdini–born Erich Weiss, the son of a rabbi from Budapest, lived at the Harlem home for 22 years until his death in 1926.
This house is no illusion
January 8, 2018

Roberta Flack’s ‘architect ready’ co-op in the Dakota is in contract

Roberta Flack's co-op apartment with mirrored walls in the iconic Dakota has finally found a buyer, after being on and off the market since 2015.  As the New York Post reported, the unidentified buyer plans to combine the four-time Grammy Award winner's five-room pad with an adjacent apartment, which was allegedly the one-time home of Judy Garland.  While the final sale price of the combined package is not known yet, it appears the merge will restore the exact floor plan of one of the Dakota's 65 original units back when the building was finished in 1884. Flack's apartment was last listed for $6.99 million and the co-op next-door was most recently listed for $10 million.
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January 8, 2018

Daniel Craig may be the buyer of this $6.75M fixer-upper Cobble Hill brownstone

. Actor Daniel Craig is the latest of the Hollywood brigade to land in Brooklyn, according to the New York Post. The 21st century James Bond and wife Rachel Weisz have reportedly scooped up the Cobble Hill townhouse at 22 Strong Place formerly owned by author Martin Amis. The home was damaged in a fire in 2016; Amis and wife Isabel Fonseca, who've moved to a Downtown Brooklyn apartment, offered the property complete with intact (despite the blaze) recent renovations and landmarks-approved plans for repairs as per the listing.
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January 6, 2018

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

Images (L to R): 325 Kent Avenue, Instrata Gramercy, 63 Wall Street and Watermark LIC Billionaire Grocer Launches ‘THE EAGLE’ and Completes 1,000-Unit Project in Downtown Brooklyn New Listings at 7W21: See Inside Elegant Rentals by Morris Adjmi Architects Checking-In on The Eugene: New Homes in Midtown’s Tallest Rental Tower Leases from $1,800/Month at South […]

January 5, 2018

The Peninsula, a Hunts Point mixed-use complex on former juvenile jail site, gets new renderings

Updated renderings have been released of The Peninsula, a $300 million project that will bring 740 affordable housing units to the site of the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in the Bronx neighborhood of Hunts Point. In addition to the 100 percent affordable housing, the five-acre site will contain 52,000 square feet of open and recreational space, a 48,000 square feet of community facility space and ground-floor retail space that will span 21,000 square feet. According to CityRealty, there will also be an 18,000 square foot wellness center operated by Urban Health Plan to provide residents with quality healthcare services.
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January 5, 2018

New renderings unveiled of John Catsimatidis’ 32-story Downtown Brooklyn rental ‘The Eagle’

Leasing has officially commenced at 86 Fleet Place, the final residential tower of John Catsimatidis' four-building development along Myrtle Avene, a site the billionaire first purchased from Long Island University in 1982. Dubbed by Catsimatidis' Red Apple Group as "The Eagle," the 32-story 440-unit building sits in between Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene and offers studios for $2,044/month, one-bedrooms for $2,743/month and two-bedrooms starting at $4,050/month. As CityRealty learned, residences will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, custom oak cabinets and Brazilian stone countertops.
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January 4, 2018

Snedens Landing house that may have been George Washington’s office sells for $1.6M

Located in the in the under-the-radar Rockland County celebrity enclave of Snedens Landing, this 18th century stone house, home of landscape designer and photographer Judy Tompkins for 60 years until she passed away at age 90 last May is rumored to have served as George Washington's office when his men were guarding the ferry service from the cliffs of the Palisades. 6sqft previously noted the home's rich history, beautiful interiors, and gorgeous perennial gardens created and tended by Tomkins, when the property hit the market last summer for $1.6 million. Now, the New York Post reports that the home has sold for its full asking price.
Check out the beautiful gardens