Chelsea

It’s been several years since Ira Drukier and Richard Born took over as owners of the historic Chelsea Hotel with plans to turn it into a luxury hotel. The rent-stabilized tenants who remain in the hotel even as it’s been turned into a construction zone have filed multiple complaints with the city, hitting the new owners with violations and a lawsuit. But The City has uncovered a link between those complaints and Drukier and Born’s donations to Mayor de Blasio’s political funds. Over the course of less than a year—from August 2018 to June—18 checks totaling $57,400 were sent to de Blasio’s presidential campaign from either the owners or people associated with them. The checks started coming soon after city building inspectors began responding to tenant complaints about hazardous living conditions.
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Policy

July 30, 2019

My 1,400sqft: A bright Chelsea duplex does live-work duty for a hair stylist and her family

When Cassie Harwood-Jacquet moved to NYC from Adelaide, Australia eight years ago, she thought she'd only stay for a few months. But after scoring a job in a salon (she'd worked as a hairstylist for a decade back home), meeting her husband Matt, and having him move to New York from Paris to continue his career as a menswear designer, she decided to put down roots. Cassie and Matt now have an adorable three-year-old daughter named Fanella Rose and a lovely, family-friendly duplex in Chelsea. To balance her life as a working mom, Cassie set up her own salon, Maison Jacquet, in their apartment. 6sqft recently paid the Jacquets a visit and got a tour of their contemporary, colorful, and comfortable home and chatted with Cassie about raising children in Chelsea, working from home, and how she and Matt decorated their space.
Take the tour and meet Cassie

To protect their Empire State Building views, these Chelsea loft owners forked over $11M for air rights

Image via Google Maps shows 206 West 17th Street in 2016. Now, the handful of single and four-story buildings has been replaced by a short, glassy retail space.

July 22, 2019

To protect their Empire State Building views, these Chelsea loft owners forked over $11M for air rights

Air rights can be bought by whoever values them the most. In most scenarios, that ends up being a developer, but that’s not always the case. The New York Times recently reported on a rather unusual deal made in 2016 when a group of Chelsea loft owners refused to let a proposed condominium tower obstruct their natural light and Empire State Building views. Instead, they came together and made a substantial offer to buy the air rights themselves: $11 million.
How much is a view worth?

Book-filled Chelsea loft with a private roof terrace seeks $1.25M

Listing images by Tim Waltman

June 28, 2019

Book-filled Chelsea loft with a private roof terrace seeks $1.25M

This “character-rich,” loft penthouse at 244 West 23rd Street offers stylish downtown living with a great Chelsea address that puts you right next to the Highline, art galleries, and everything else the vibrant neighborhood has to offer. But if you don't feel like venturing out, there's a huge library to keep you occupied. The one bedroom co-op filled with prewar details was recently renovated and just hit the market for $1.25 million.
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Distinctive Homes

A-Rod steps up his NYC real estate game with a new partnership to buy multiple apartment buildings

East Village photo via Flickr cc; A-Rod photo via Wiki Commons

June 26, 2019

A-Rod steps up his NYC real estate game with a new partnership to buy multiple apartment buildings

Just a few weeks ago, 6sqft reported that Yankee legend Alex Rodriguez had added his first New York City property to a growing real estate empire with the purchase of a 21-unit rental building in the East Village with fellow Shark Tank investor and real estate veteran Barabara Corcoran. The new partnership announced a plan to develop a portfolio of multifamily NYC buildings in undervalued neighborhoods. Now, the New York Post reports, the retired third baseman's A-Rod Corp. has teamed up with real estate investor Ofer Yardeni of Stonehenge NYC and seasoned broker Adam Modlin of the Modlin Group to buy multiple apartment buildings and bulk condo units throughout the city.
Find out more about A-Rod's new strategy

Celebrities

Yayoi Kusama’s insanely popular infinity rooms return to New York this fall

Image via Flickr

June 24, 2019

Yayoi Kusama’s insanely popular infinity rooms return to New York this fall

When Yayoi Kusama last took over David Zwirner Gallery with one of her Infinity Mirror Room installations in 2017, over 75,000 people flocked to experience the awe-inspiring (and very selfie-friendly) exhibition. At times during its 80-day run, the show was so popular that visits were limited to 60 seconds and wait times reached six hours. If you weren't one of the lucky ones then, you'll get another chance this fall when a new exhibition dedicated to the artist's work opens at David Zwirner on November 9, as Time Out reported.
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Events & Things To Do

Asking $16M, this charming Chelsea carriage house has two terraces, a garden, and a private garage

Photos by Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 20, 2019

Asking $16M, this charming Chelsea carriage house has two terraces, a garden, and a private garage

Photos by Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty Carriage houses are often unique to begin with, possessed of private garages in former carriage quarters. This gem at 313 West 20th Street in Chelsea has all of the carriage house perks (including the garage and tons of curb appeal), but at 25 feet wide, with a "secret" garden, two terraces, and a separate top-floor two-bedroom apartment, no living space is sacrificed. Asking $15.8 million, this turn-of-the-20th-century home has four stories, historic details, and every modern comfort including new double-pane windows and central air.
Carriage house tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

June 13, 2019

Chelsea condo once owned by NSYNC member Lance Bass is asking $2.5M

By Annie Doge

A two-bedroom condo in Chelsea once owned by boy band star Lance Bass hit the market this week for $2.5 million, as first reported by the New York Post. Located in celebrity-magnet Chelsea Mercantile, the renovated condo loft at 252 Seventh Avenue measures just over 1,300 square feet. The NSYNC member bought the apartment for $1.49 million in 2010; current owner Ellen Kroner picked it up in 2013 for $2.13 million.
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1,250-name waitlist opens for affordable co-ops at Chelsea’s Penn South, starting at $84,000

23rd Street subway station and Penn South, via Wiki Commons

June 13, 2019

1,250-name waitlist opens for affordable co-ops at Chelsea’s Penn South, starting at $84,000

Though it's rare, the city does offer affordable apartments to purchase, and a new waiting list is now open for residences at Penn South, a limited-equity housing co-op (h/t Rachel Holliday Smith). The Chelsea development stretches between Eighth and Ninth Avenues from 23rd to 29th Streets and is comprised of 10 buildings and nearly 3,000 units. Though the complex was constructed almost 60 years ago, its location today is prime thanks to a booming Chelsea and proximity to Hudson Yards. Those who meet the income requirements can enter the 1,250-name waitlist for studios starting at $84,372, one-bedrooms from $101,247, and two-bedrooms from $151,870.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Parker Posey picks up a cozy Chelsea co-op for $1.5M

Listing photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman; Photo of Parker Posey via Wiki Commons

May 31, 2019

Parker Posey picks up a cozy Chelsea co-op for $1.5M

By Annie Doge

Parker Posey certainly has good taste in real estate. She first landed on our apartment-porn radar for her chic East Village apartment, which she bought back in 2008. (The home is now owned by actor Alexander Skarsgärd.) She then dropped $1.35 million on a slightly more classic co-op in Greenwich Village. After personally modeling in the listing photos, she unloaded this apartment in 2016. We're not sure where she's been for the past three years, but as of this week, she is a proud new Chelsea resident. According to the Post, Posey dropped $1.5 million on this super-cute and character-filled duplex at 365 West 19th Street. Not only does it have charming details like a wood-burning brick fireplace and huge half-moon window, but there's a private roof deck.
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A new food pop-up at Chelsea Market will provide temporary rent-free space for culinary entrepreneurs

Image via Flickr cc

May 28, 2019

A new food pop-up at Chelsea Market will provide temporary rent-free space for culinary entrepreneurs

The East Harlem-based culinary nonprofit Hot Bread Kitchen has opened a new pop-up space in Chelsea Market that will host a rotating cast of alums from its incubator program, which provides training and low-cost kitchen rental facilities to culinary entrepreneurs. Up first is Gorsha, a fast-casual Ethiopian restaurant from Hiyaw Gebreyohannes, which will take residence in the space through October 31st. As the WSJ first reported, this reflects a new trend among food halls who are offering rent-free spaces to food startups in exchange for fresh flavors and ideas.
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Food & Dining

Google’s Chelsea takeover continues as it picks up another property in the neighborhood

The building at 450 West 15th Street is connected to Chelsea Market via a bridge; photo via Wikimedia

May 23, 2019

Google’s Chelsea takeover continues as it picks up another property in the neighborhood

By Devin Gannon

Google on Wednesday picked up a 325,000-square-foot building in Chelsea, adding to its ever-growing footprint in the Manhattan neighborhood. According to the Financial Times, the company bought the building at 450 West 15th Street from Jamestown Properties for $600 million. In addition to its headquarters at 111 Eighth Avenue, Google owns the apartment buildings across the street and the Chelsea Market building, which it bought last year for $2.5 billion. And the company will serve as the primary tenant at Pier 57, a mixed-use development on the Hudson River.
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Real Estate Trends

LPC calendars six sites linked to New York City’s LGBT history for possible landmark status

Top, left to right: GAA Firehouse, James Baldwin Residence, LGBT Community Center; Bottom, left to right: Audre Lorde Residence, Women’s Liberation Center, Caffe Cino; All photos courtesy of NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

May 14, 2019

LPC calendars six sites linked to New York City’s LGBT history for possible landmark status

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday to calendar six individual sites related to the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in New York City. The proposed landmarks highlight both groups and individuals who have advanced the LGBT rights movement by providing structure for community and political support, as well as raising public awareness. The commission's decision to calendar the sites comes ahead of next month's 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and NYC's annual Pride celebration. LPC Chair Sarah Carroll said on Tuesday a public hearing to discuss the sites will be held June 4.
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May 6, 2019

Robert Indiana’s famous ‘LOVE’ sculptures arrive along the High Line

This past fall, the Kasmin Gallery opened a 5,000-square-foot space + rooftop sculpture garden next to Zaha Hadid's futuristic condo 520 West 28th Street. And to kick off the summer season, the High Line-adjacent space has just announced a new sculpture garden show--a trio of works from Robert Indiana's famous "Love" series. The pieces showcase the word in English (Love), Spanish (Amor), and Hebrew (Ahava), which, according to a press release "represent three of New York’s most historic and influential dialects, celebrating immigration and lingual diversity in one of the most visited public art spaces in the city."
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Events & Things To Do

April 16, 2019

Renovated $3.2M Chelsea co-op has great details inside and a lush garden outside

This Chelsea co-op at 475 West 22nd Street is less than a block away from the High Line and comes with its own fully landscaped garden oasis so you’ll never be far from nature. Recently renovated, the residence boasts wide oak floors throughout, exposed wood ceilings, two fireplaces, and large casement windows alongside all the modern amenities you’d need to live in comfort. The three-bedroom unit just hit the market for $3,195,000 after previously selling in 2014 for $2,400,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Get a first look at City Winery’s new Pier 57 location

Rendering courtesy of City Winery/Fox Greenberg PR.

April 15, 2019

Get a first look at City Winery’s new Pier 57 location

After much anticipation, Tribeca venue City Winery recently announced that it will leave its 10-year home at 155 Varick Street for a new 32,000-square-foot space at Pier 57 in Hudson River Park. The Pier will be anchored by Google and occupies a highly visible location at West 15th Street. The venue has just released renderings of both the exterior and the inside of the new space.
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Sample the wares and see what’s new at NYC’s top flea and food markets

Image courtesy of Brooklyn Flea; photo credit: Scott Lynch

April 5, 2019

Sample the wares and see what’s new at NYC’s top flea and food markets

The city's local flea and food markets set up shop in springtime, bringing irresistible edibles and covetable goods to a neighborhood near you. Though dates and locations vary and favorite vendors come and go, the mighty market phenomenon keeps growing. The shop-and-nosh mecca Brooklyn Flea again changes locations (hello, WTC!), a favorite night market returns in Queens, and the Manhattan classics are back to offer more of what you didn't know you couldn't live without. Some of the best fairs are the most fleeting, and one-offs like the annual Renegade Arts and Crafts Fair are always worth the trip. The list below rounds up the city's top food and flea picks. Let the hunting and gathering begin!
Plan your market strategy

Events & Things To Do

April 3, 2019

$675K Chelsea studio features fabulous design and excellent amenities

Located in the classic 1930s Chelsea residential complex at 405 West 23rd Street known as London Terrace Towers, what might otherwise be a nondescript alcove studio has been transformed with a stylish interior redesign. From a sleek custom built-in murphy bed to an on-trend mint-green kitchen, the compact co-op gets major style points. And the building offers amenities–from a pool to parking–that might be even harder to resist.
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Distinctive Homes

New Whole Foods ‘convenience store’ gives Chelsea a fast fix

Photo courtesy of Whole Foods

March 27, 2019

New Whole Foods ‘convenience store’ gives Chelsea a fast fix

Photo courtesy of Whole Foods If you're in Chelsea and you get the urge for an acai bowl or kombucha on tap, but battling shopping carts at the nearby Whole Foods wasn't part of your plan, you're in luck. The good-for-you grocery chain just sprung Whole Foods Market Daily Shop on the neighborhood. The new grab-and-go concept shop from Whole Foods Market brings Gotham Greens, Balthazar bread, New York Bagels, Doughnuts from Dunwell and Dough, Lillys cookies, and more to a corner spot at 7th Avenue and 25th Street next to the larger Whole Foods Market. You'll also find ways to lift your afternoon slump like Allegro Coffee, seasonal kombucha on tap, and self-serve acai bowls.
Have a look around

WeWork Food Labs will open in West Chelsea to support innovative food-related startups

A rendering of the WeWork Food Labs space. Image courtesy of WeWork.

March 15, 2019

WeWork Food Labs will open in West Chelsea to support innovative food-related startups

Coworking, office space leasing (and everything else) company WeWork has launched its second "innovation lab." WeWork Food Labs intends to nurture early-stage startups focused on the future of food. Food Labs will offer dedicated space, community, and programming to entrepreneurs who are tackling challenges in food-related industries from hospitality, consumer goods and kitchen appliances to supply chain management, agricultural technology, distribution software, robotics and more, all of which are apparently very much in need of innovation. A flagship New York City location will open in late 2019 at 511 West 25th Street adjacent to the High Line in West Chelsea.
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Policy

Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

Photo by Evan Joseph

March 8, 2019

Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

Bjarke Ingels’ twisting towers at 76 Eleventh Avenue in Chelsea officially topped out this week, with the 36-story West tower reaching 400 feet shortly after the 26-story East tower hit its 300-foot height. The High Line-adjacent XI, located right across the street from Thomas Heatherwick’s bubbled condos at 515 West 18th Street, will offer 236 luxury condos, the first Six Senses Hotel location in the United States, commercial space, and a new public promenade that will extend from the park. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the XI's slanted shape gives the illusion the two buildings are being pulled apart, allowing for all residents to have views of both the city and the Hudson River.
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March 1, 2019

$650K Chelsea studio proves maximalism is possible in 500 square feet

It doesn't take much for a studio to feel cramped, but this maximalist co-op at 465 West 23rd Street manages to toe that fine line. Asking $650,000, this cozy, sun-drenched unit packs a lot into just 500 square feet. And if you ever need to stretch out, the studio is located in Chelsea's massive London Terrace Towers—a virtual mini-city in itself—which offers residents a ton of amenities.
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Distinctive Homes

Thousands of Soviet espionage artifacts on view at Chelsea’s new KGB Museum

Inside the KGB Spy Museum. All photos in this post are courtesy of the KGB Spy Museum

February 25, 2019

Thousands of Soviet espionage artifacts on view at Chelsea’s new KGB Museum

By Lucie Levine

After entering the new KGB Spy Museum on 14th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues on a recent afternoon, a young Russian man wearing all black said, "Do you know who that is?" Pointing to a stoic portrait of Vladimir Lenin on the wall, he added, "He is like a God to the Soviet people." The Soviet Era is the stock-in-trade of New York's new KGB Spy Museum, which houses a staggering collection of never-before-seen Soviet espionage artifacts used by the KGB, Soviet Russia's spy organization or "State Security Committee," once known as "the sword and shield of the Communist Party."
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Events & Things To Do

February 6, 2019

Pre-war charm and a modern renovation come together at this one-bedroom Chelsea co-op, asking $575K

The listing describes this co-op on a tree-lined townhouse block as the "quintessential Chelsea apartment," and that's not far off. While it doesn't offer much extra space, the one-bedroom apartment was recently renovated to maintain its pre-war charm while adding clever storage opportunities and modern amenities. For the asking price of $575,000 the 214 West 16th Street property is a smart investment, having last sold in 2014 for $499,000.
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Distinctive Homes

February 1, 2019

$2.8M Chelsea co-op has an enchanted two-level garden complete with a fire pit and pergola