Real Estate Trends

In November, 2014, 6sqft reported that light installation artist James Turrell had sold an apartment at 26 Gramercy Park South for $2.1 million. The famed conceptual artist is based in Flagstaff, Arizona, so the sale didn't come as much of a surprise. However, now it's come to light (no pun intended) that he and his wife Kung Lim-Lee Turrell own more real estate in the neighborhood. According to city records released today, Turrell has sold his personal apartment at 2 Gramercy Park West (an historic Italianate mansion known as the James Pinchot House that's been divided into seven units) for $2,225,000. The artist's former home is a full-floor residence that comes with a much-coveted key to the park, a private garden, and, not surprisingly, an enormous skylight.
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March 21, 2016

Teaser Site Launched for Restored Harlem Gem on Morningside Park, Leasing Begins This Spring

By Emrys Fitzgerald

Built in 1901 as a seven-story residential building, the distinctive Beaux Arts-style apartment house at 92 Morningside Avenue in Harlem has shed its scaffolding after a two-year renovation/restoration by ND Architecture & Design. It's also officially launched its teaser website that announces leasing of its 45 rental units will begin this spring. The site reveals unit interiors will have "prewar-inspired floor plans, contemporary design, and masterfully crafted finishes." The living experience is branded as "prewar parkside perfection" with “luxurious parkside living in a re-imagined Beaux-Arts masterpiece." Layouts will range from one- to four-bedroom residences with some duplex apartments. Amenities will include bike parking, a recreation room, a rooftop terrace and professional concierge services.
The full history of the site

March 21, 2016

Soap Star Cameron Mathison Sells Turn-Key Harlem Brownstone for $3.3M

In September, 6sqft uncovered the listing for 136 West 130th Street, the brownstone owned by Emmy-nominated “All My Children” regular and current "Entertainment Tonight" correspondent Cameron Mathison and his wife, Vanessa. The couple bought the four-bedroom home for $1.2 million in 2004 after house hunting and falling in love with Harlem's "Sesame Street” vibe. It had already been through a substantial developer-led renovation, but Mathison finished up the job, creating an urban oasis that's a mix of classic charm and contemporary fixes. Though the Canadian actor told the Times in 2009 that he “envisioned being in this place forever,” the plans changed when the TV show moved studios to Los Angeles. That same year, the couple listed the four-story home for $2.7 million, followed by a price cut to $2.5 million in 2011. There were no takers, so they rented the property out for $6,900 a month, before re-listing it this past fall for $2.9 million. Despite moving back to NYC, Luxury Listings NYC reports that the soap opera heartthrob has now sold the residence for $3.3 million, pretty significantly over ask.
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How to Use Virtual Renovations to Sell Your Home for More

Cindy Gallop’s infamous “Black Apartment” received a virtual renovation after spending an extended period on the the market. The home eventually sold for $4.5M. Images ©MWSTUDIO

March 20, 2016

How to Use Virtual Renovations to Sell Your Home for More

New York City’s real estate market may move fast, but the same can’t be said for every property that’s up for sale. Smart sellers know that in order to be competitive, you’ve got to put your best space forward, and that means no mounds clothing stuffed into corners, no grit and grime in the bathroom, and definitely no dark […]

March 18, 2016

Revealed: First Look At the Builtd’s Condos Coming to 570 Broome Street

Who would have thought the hottest new address downtown would be along the approach to the Holland Tunnel? Recently, we published a new set of images showing a Renzo Piano-designed condo tower to rise at 565 Broome Street, last week we unveiled S9 Architects' renderings of a 30-story residential building to rise at 111 Varick Street, and now here's our first look at another stack of condos slated for 570 Broome Street. The rendering posted on the project site's construction fence shows a smart design of staggered setbacks and window groupings that offer an interesting solution to the area's tightly prescribed building envelopes. Designed by Tahir Demircioglu, builtd's facade is composed of a warm stone that clads both the lot-line walls and frames three-story high expanses of glass.
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March 18, 2016

REVEALED: TRA Studio’s Eco-Conscious East Harlem Condo, ONE 112

On a rather typical East Harlem block, along 112th Street between First and Second avenues, Soho-based architecture firm, TRA Studio has drawn up plans for a 22-unit condominium that will mend a once derelict site back into Manhattan's taut urban fabric. Commissioned by Gotham LP, the seven-story building will rise from a 60-foot wide, 5,000 square-foot parcel that is a third smaller than a new American home's median lot size. With the city's built-in efficiency already in place, TRA sought to go further and will implement low-energy strategies such as super-insulated glass windows and long rows of sun-shading terraces along the rear will reduce the building's environmental footprint.
Take the tour here

First Look: The Annabelle Selldorf Condos Replacing Bowlmor Lanes in Greenwich Village

Image: 21E12

March 18, 2016

First Look: The Annabelle Selldorf Condos Replacing Bowlmor Lanes in Greenwich Village

By Michelle Cohen

The 23-story residential tower that will rise at 110 University Place, home of the beloved now-demolished Bowlmor Lanes, will be designed by starchitect Annabelle Selldorf, Curbed reports. Accompanying this news are brand new renderings and a teaser site for the 56-unit condominium building, which is being developed by William Macklowe Company. The condos replacing the Greenwich Village bowling mecca will be known as 21E12, with sales expected to launch in the next several months. As 6sqft previously reported, in 2012, Billy Macklowe, founder and CEO of William Macklowe Company and son of 432 Park Avenue developer Harry Macklowe, acquired control of the property from a partnership group.
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March 17, 2016

New Views Inside and Out of Renzo Piano’s First New York Residential Building

In January, 6sqft unveiled a set of illustrations and drawings detailing the exterior of Renzo Piano's forthcoming condominium tower 565 Broome Street (formerly known as 555 Broome). Now, with construction finally underway, the investors at Cindat Capital Management have published an online gallery providing a better taste of what's to come. Pitched between two of the city's most coveted neighborhoods, Soho and Tribeca, the much-anticipated development will rise nearly 320 feet in height along a full Varick Street block front between Broome and Watts Streets. The 25-story structure is being propelled forward by a joint venture among Bizzi & Partners Development, Michael Shvo and Itzhaki Acquisitions. Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano was tapped as the design architect, while the local talents at SLCE are serving as the architects of record.
More details and renderings ahead

March 17, 2016

Richard Gere Picks Up $2.25M Old-World Condo With Keys to Gramercy Park

Last week, news hit that Richard Gere's former Noho apartment in the Silk Building had finally found a renter. It took eight months to get a tenant in to the sprawling live/work space, which was last listed at $20,000/month. Good thing the transaction went through, because the Post is now reporting that the actor turned activist picked up a $2.25 million Gramercy condo. The sale at 34 Gramercy Park East, which comes with a coveted key to the park, actually went through back in July, according to city records, but apparently Gere is extensively renovating the two-bedroom home and has only stopped by a few times since the summer. Sources say that he found out about the apartment through his friend Jimmy Fallon, who owns a whopping five units in the building.
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POLL: An Irish Castle or a New York Castle – Which Would You Pick?

Get out your green, because in honor of St. Patrick's Day we're putting a twist on the classic real estate comparison conundrum pinning some of the coolest Irish castles currently up for sale against a few New York castles (a.k.a. really expensive condos). Hit the jump to see what's available in the $2 to $12 million range, and then cast a vote for whether you'd rather having a sprawling 700-year-old stone castle with 380 acres of land in Ireland, or a comfy four-bedroom penthouse at The Brompton in Yorkville. And if you're not into castles or condos, we've also figured out how many pints of Guinness you can get for the median price of an apartment...
Which would you pick?

March 17, 2016

Aaron Dessner of Brooklyn Band The National Gets $2.3M for Ditmas Park Beauty

There's lots of big-name news happening in Ditmas Park this week. Just yesterday, 6sqft found out about Michelle Williams' plans to renovate her Colonial Revival mansion in the neighborhood, and now the Observer reports that Aaron Dessner of Brooklyn-based band The National has sold his beautiful, historic home for $2.35 million. The sale will affect the whole Grammy-nominated band, since their studio space is located in the converted garage. As the Observer notes, "A three-story Victorian-style house isn’t exactly where we pictured an indie rock band recording their album," but nonetheless Dressner bought the 3,282-square-foot residence for $700,000 in 2003. He then renovated and restored it extensively, doing most of the work himself. He configured it as a two-family home and at one point rented out the top apartment to band co-founder Matt Berninger, who now lives in Prospect Heights.
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March 16, 2016

Housing Lottery Launches for Greenpoint Landing’s 33 Eagle Street, Rents Start at $494

Greenpoint Landing's third affordable housing building has kicked off its lottery process. The ground-up seven-story building at 33 Eagle Street will provide 97 newly constructed rental apartments priced well below market-rate rents. The 24 studios will be priced from $494 to $1,463 per month for annual household earnings ranging from $18,275 to $78,650. Its 29 one-bedrooms, designated for either one or two-person households, have rents ranging from $532 to $1,840 for household incomes from $19,612 to $78,650. And lastly, the building's 49 two-bedrooms are priced between $647 and $2,216, based on household sizes ranging from two to four persons with income ranges from $23,589 to $112,190 per year.
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March 15, 2016

First Look at Austere East Harlem Tower Set for 1790 Third Avenue

Foundation and groundwork is making headway for an upcoming rental tower at 1790-1792 Third Avenue in East Harlem. Here's our first look at the IBI Group-Gruzen Samton-designed building that will bring some 95 new rentals to the block, where it will be the tallest structure, rising 13 stories and encompassing 48,377 gross square feet of space. The rather austere design features a gunmetal-grey facade, a single setback at the ninth floor, and south-facing lot-line windows that are allowed because the developers secured the adjacent building's air rights. According to the approved permits, there will be an ambulatory facility and commercial retail space at the ground floor, and residential amenities will include a roof deck and bike storage. Some upper floor units will have views overlooking the tree-filled Cherry Hill Playground, the recently rehabilitated El Barrio's Artspace PS109, and the East River.
More ahead

March 15, 2016

Lofted Duplex With 18-Foot Ceilings Is Priced at $699K in Prospect Heights

By Emily Nonko

Hello Madison is a boutique condo building that was constructed at 925 Pacific Street, in Prospect Heights, by the Brooklyn developer Hello Living. Many of the developments feature glassy, bright and lofty apartments, and this one now on the market is no exception. It's a one bedroom that's maximizing space with a loft built upstairs. While both the loft and the apartment downstairs are compact, double heights windows and a terrace manage to lend a feeling of spaciousness.
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March 14, 2016

Queens’ New Skyline: A Rundown of the 30 Developments Coming to Long Island City

Watch out Hudson Yards, Midtown is moving east to Queens. Long Island City is sprouting a small city worth of skyscrapers, ushering in thousands of new residents, hundreds of hotel rooms, and a few hundred thousand square feet of office space. To help us visualize the neighborhood's upcoming transformation, the dynamos at Rockrose Development commissioned visualization experts Zum-3d to produce this exceptionally accurate depiction of the changes afoot. Inspired by the rendering, 6sqft has put together a rundown of the nearly 30 under-construction and proposed projects for the 'hood.
See the full roster ahead

March 14, 2016

New Close-Up Renderings of Brooklyn’s Future Tallest Tower

By Dana Schulz

About a month ago we were treated to a lone rendering of Brooklyn’s future tallest tower at 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension (now re-dubbed 9 DeKalb Avenue) that showed its full 1,066-foot height, towering against the rest of Downtown Brooklyn. Now, Curbed has spotted a full set of views, these showing more facade details and close ups of the building's triangular base next to the historic Dime Savings Bank.
All the renderings ahead

March 14, 2016

Interested in a Flex Apartment? Here’s What You Need to Know

With rising real estate prices and shrinking spaces, flex apartments are growing in popularity with roommates, couples and families who are looking to add another room but can’t afford to move into a larger space. Flex apartments, for those who are unfamiliar, are typically a studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom unit large enough to be converted up one level with […]

March 14, 2016

Actor Michael C. Hall Buys $4.3M Apartment in Greenwich Lane Complex

By Michelle Cohen

“Dexter” and “Six Feet Under” co-star Michael C. Hall recently turned up in city records as the buyer of a two-bedroom apartment at 160 West 12th Street for $4.3 million, according to Luxury Listings. The 1,586-square-foot condominium in the Greenwich Lane complex has beamed ceilings, a chef’s kitchen, marble mosaic flooring in the bath, and a view of the pretty Greenwich Village street. Hall recently married longtime girlfriend Morgan Macgregor, an associate editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books, and he also recently sold his Los Feliz home for $4.85 million, so it seems the couple may be warming up to New York City living.
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March 13, 2016

Downtown Wonder: How One Chase Manhattan Plaza Changed the New York Skyline

This large, boxy skyscraper at 28 Liberty Street may not be ornate or even as attractive as some of the simple glass towers we see sprouting up on the city’s side streets, but One Chase Manhattan Plaza’s architectural significance is profound. Erected in 1960, the building is accredited with bringing forth a downtown renaissance that paved the […]

March 11, 2016

Katie Couric Buys $12M Upper East Side Condo

News anchor darling Katie Couric and her husband of nearly two years, financier John Molner, have purchased a lavish Upper East Side condo for $12,168,087, according to city records released today. The five-bedroom, full-floor spread is located at 151 East 78th Street, a recently-completed building by Peter Pennoyer Architects that has only 14 residences spread across its 16 floors. Couric's new 3,966-square-foot digs are classically elegant, as the architect took a modern interpretation of the Rosario Candela-designed residences on Park and Fifth Avenues. The home begins in a private entry gallery and then opens to the entertaining and bedroom wings.
Take a look

March 11, 2016

Reel Estate: Three Movies Put New York Housing Dramas on the Big Screen

When we see New York real estate on film, living situations usually err on the side of grossly unrealistic—think freelance writer Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment with walk-in closet on “Sex and the City,” or Monica Gellar’s massive two-bedroom in Greenwich Village on “Friends.” But while there are plenty of eye rolls to go around for said and […]

March 11, 2016

New Renderings of Boerum Hill’s Nevins Condominium, Teaser Site Launched

Walk down any of Downtown Brooklyn's high streets -- Court, Fulton, or Atlantic Avenue -- and you'll experience a palpable energy that can now rival any American downtown. Thanks to its cost advantages relative to Manhattan, the surging city economy, and attractive building stock, the district seems to have reached a level of vibrancy worthy of its borough's 2.1 million inhabitants. Since a major upzoning in 2004, the one-gritty hub has attracted thousands of residents and now has more than 41 million square feet of residential, commercial, and institutional space completed, under construction, or in the pipeline, according to an NYU Rudin Center report. Along the district's southern periphery, where its new soaring tower blocks transition into the genteel streetscapes of Boerum Hill, the Nevins condominium rises at 319 Schermerhorn Street. Now Curbed has spotted the first renderings of the 21-story, 73-unit development and the newly launched registration site for prospective buyers.
More details ahead

March 10, 2016

Property Markets Group Shares New Eye Candy of 111 West 57th Street