East Village

80s icon Molly Ringwald, of “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink” fame, has made a sale on her charming East Village duplex, reports the Post. The former teen idol put the two-bedroom pad on the market back in June for $1.79 million, and per city records just released, she's sold the home to noted fashion photographer (and bona fide Polish prince) Alexi Lubomirski and his wife Giada for $1.7 million.
go inside the home here

August 31, 2016

Kate Spade founder’s boho East Village townhouse returns as a $40,000/month rental

We'll take any opportunity to admire the four-story townhouse at 215 East 12th Street in the East Village, just south of the bustle of Union Square, and its appearance on the rental market for $40,000 a month is as good an excuse as any. Just a few months ago, the townhouse owned by Pamela Bell, one of the founders of fashion brand Kate Spade, popped up for sale at $16 million accompanied by many pretty pictures of its gently renovated historic-chic interiors and beautifully-preserved 1800s origins. Bell bought the house in 2007 for $4.3 million, so there's a tidy sum to be made if it snags a buyer; in the meantime, renters get a chance to experience nine-bedroom garden-filled townhouse living in a vibrant, 24-hour neighborhood.
Take the tour

August 24, 2016

Rent this fabulously curated Village loft with civilized co-op amenities for $4,000 a month

The look is architect's design meets artsy loft at this one-bedroom co-op in the International Tailoring Company Building at 111 Fourth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Modern finishes provide a backdrop for cool collections and funky details (like a baby blue retro Smeg refrigerator), while the overall result "exudes a refined aura of contemporary city living." The "duplex" has a classic loft setup, meaning it's comprised of a sleeping loft perched above the apartment's main space. Located at the crossroads of Greenwich Village, the East Village and Union Square, it's not a spot for peace and quiet, but it gets top marks for supreme convenience to just about everything downtown Manhattan has to offer, which might make the $4,000 rent worthwhile. And unlike some historic loft buildings, this particular co-op offers an elevator, a doorman, laundry on every floor, and two landscaped roof decks.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

July 14, 2016

Tracing the Disappearance of New York City’s Live/Work Artists’ Lofts

By Cait Etherington

The New York City artist’s loft is arguably among the most romanticized and coveted living spaces in the world. It has been used as a backdrop for avant-garde films by Andy Warhol, the central scene of a musical (yes, we’re talking about Rent), and more recently, as the focus of several museum shows (for example, the […]

June 14, 2016

Alan Cumming Sells $2.2M East Village Co-op in a Month

Star of "The Good Wife" Alan Cumming has sold his four-bedroom East Village co-op at 297 East 10th Street in just a month's time, the Observer tells us. After reports that he and his husband, graphic designer Grant Shaffer, were renovating a nearby 19th century townhouse they bought in 2013 for or $4.65 million, the couple listed the charming East Village apartment for $2.2 million last month. They bought the home on the third floor of a brick rowhouse in 2005 for $1.7 million and undertook some renovations, but were sure to maintain the historic details like an original wood-burning fireplace with a carved wooden mantel, wide-plank hardwood floors, architectural moldings, and beautiful built-ins.
See the whole apartment

June 14, 2016

$1.6M Floor-Through Loft Is All About Minimalism in the East Village

When an apartment has really good bones, there's no need to crowd it with stuff. Or at least that's the thinking behind the interiors at this floor-through loft in the East Village at 432 East 10th Street. Now on the market for $1.595 million, the two-bedroom, 1,400-square-foot pad basks in details like high ceilings, big windows, and exposed brick. (Even the brick's been painted white to minimize its appearance.) Top that off with smart, if sparse, design, and it makes for an impressive space.
See more of the interior

Distinctive Homes

June 13, 2016

Live in Molly Ringwald’s Stylish East Village Duplex for $1.8M

Molly Ringwald has come a long way since her Brat Pack days of awkward teenage angst, evidenced by her super stylish and grown-up East Village pied-a-terre, which she's listed for $1.8 million, according to the Observer. The duplex co-op at 122 East 10th Street is located in an historic townhouse along the Renwick Triangle in the St. Marks Historic District. These Anglo-Italianate houses were designed by famed architect James Renwick, Jr. in 1861, and historic details like ten-foot exposed beam ceilings, antique wood windows, and two wood-burning fireplaces still exist.
Take a look around

June 2, 2016

East Village Duplex With a Private Parking Garage and Patio Is Up for Rent

On the hunt for serious space (and a place to park your car) in the East Village? This roomy condo, now on the rental market for $15,950/month, might do the trick. The 2,400-square-foot duplex apartment is located at 211 East 2nd Street, an eight-unit development known as the Carriage House. Besides all that space, the apartment also boasts 14-foot wooden beamed ceilings, a private patio and your own private indoor parking garage.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

May 13, 2016

Alan Cumming Lists Charming, Quirky East Village Home for $2.2M

"The Good Wife" star Alan Cumming is selling the East Village apartment that stole his heart when the Scottish-born actor first saw it back in 2005. Listed for $2.2 million, the four-bedroom co-op at 297 East 10th Street overlooking Tompkins Square Park definitely looks like the kind of place you could call home for at least a few years, a rare thing in the otherwise great neighborhood. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cumming and husband Grant Shaffer have been renovating a nearby 19th-century townhouse that they bought in 2013 for $4.65 million, and the time seemed right to part with this cozy co-op.
Have a look

May 9, 2016

The Hare Krishna Tree in Tompkins Square Park Is Where the Religion Was Born in the West

By Rebecca Paul

New York City is often referred to as a concrete jungle, but that doesn't mean it's 100-percent void of vegetation. Throughout the city you'll find beautiful pockets of lush city parks that often have a special history of their own. Tompkins Square Park for example is home to the Hare Krishna tree and the birthplace of this modern religion.
The full story here

History

May 4, 2016

An Option to Buy or Rent a Historic Renwick Triangle Townhouse in the East Village

Just because the East Village isn't known for its townhouse stock doesn't mean there aren't wonderful, historic (and expensive) houses to move into there. Take this one, at 114 East 10th Street, which is part of the Renwick Triangle in the St. Marks Historic District. The triangle gets its name from architect James Renwick Jr., who designed it with rows of Anglo-Italianate single-family homes. This house was on the market two years back asking $7.5 million and it sold for $7.606 million. Now you can either buy or rent it, for $9.85 million or $50K a month.
See the historic interior details

April 28, 2016

Former Home of Alexander Hamilton Jr. on St. Mark’s Place Sells for $10M

Tickets to Broadway's Hamilton just keep going up and up, but the famous surname didn't seem to help Alexander Hamilton Jr.'s former East Village home in the price department. The founding father's son was the first owner of the Federal-style townhouse at 4 St. Mark's Place, which hit the market back in November for $12 million. But the Commercial Observer reports that the landmarked property (and recent home of famous punk store Trash and Vaudeville) sold for only $10 million to Castellan Real Estate Partners.
The history and future of Hamilton's former home

April 22, 2016

Live in a Swanky Former East Village Synagogue for $30K a Month

Just in time for Passover, this historic East Village synagogue turned residence has reappeared on the rental market. Known as the 8th Street Shul, there was a long battle to keep the building preserved as a synagogue after it was damaged by a fire in 1982. Ultimately, the building, at 317 East 8th Street, was turned over to real estate interests and converted into a single-family luxury home. It's been on the rental market before, asking $25,000 a month, and now it's back at a higher price.
Some of the synagogue details remain

April 13, 2016

East Village Speakeasy Turned Condo Building Has a Duplex Up for Rent

Many, many years ago, the East Village building at 12 Avenue A was a speakeasy and dancehall. Today, it's a luxury condo with a very pricey unit up for rent—a four-bedroom duplex asking a hefty $24,500/month. The owner is looking for a short- or long-term renter to enjoy this lofty, open space. Its days as a dance hall are long gone, as the sleek interior is now decked out with modern artwork, a private roof deck and fancy finishes like Carrara marble and dark oak floors.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

This 1970s East Village Windmill Was Decades Ahead of Its Time

Raising the windmill on the roof of 519. Photo credit: Travis Price via Gothamist

April 5, 2016

This 1970s East Village Windmill Was Decades Ahead of Its Time

If you want to build a windmill today, you can thank a handful of dedicated tenants in a building at 519 East 11th Street in the East Village of the 1970s. The story of the Alphabet City windmill is one of many stories, recounted in Gothamist, from the bad old days of Loisaida–as the East Village's far eastern avenues, also known as Alphabet City, were once called–the kind the neighborhood's elder statesmen regale you with, knowing well that you know nothing firsthand of a neighborhood of burned-out buildings and squatters who bought their homes for a buck. But this particular story isn’t one of riots or drug deals on the sidewalk; it’s one of redemption, no matter how brief in the context of time. The windmill was installed above an East Village building that was saved by the community, built and lifted to the roof by hand–or many hands. According to legend, the windmill kept the lights on during the chaos of the 1977 blackout.
Read all about it

February 10, 2016

For $1,900/Month, You Can Get an East Village Studio With a Claw-Foot Tub in the Kitchen

We've seen apartments with showers proudly displayed in the kitchen before (like this $1,795/month unit on the Lower East Side), but now city dwellers who can't afford a separate bathroom can get an upgrade–in the form of a fancy clawfoot tub in the kitchen. EV Grieve noticed two listings in the East Village at 328 East 6th Street for studios that seem to tout their "tenement roots" by overemphasizing the "beautiful claw foot tub in the living space" (and by living space they mean directly next to the sink where you'll wash your vegetables). They're available for $1,800 and $1,900/month, which, according to the listings, is "the best deal for the dollar in this hood."
Check 'em out

January 19, 2016

Redtop Architects’ East Village Townhouse Is a Modern Interpretation of the Split-Level Home

By Rebecca Paul

This gorgeous four-story townhouse in the East Village was designed by Redtop Architects for a young, growing family. The firm's visionary design combines elements of mid-century modern appeal with contemporary style for a unique look and feel that radically transformed this townhouse from drab to fab. The foundation for the home's interior spaces is designed around an open central channel connected by a wide steel staircase that provides ample natural light and space–a modern interpretation of the split-level home.
See it all, right this way

January 15, 2016

Why Does This East Village Building Have a Statue of Vladimir Lenin on Top?

In 1989, the same year as the fall of the Soviet Union, Red Square was erected as one of the first large-scale private developments in the East Village. Today, it blends in with the other big-box apartment buildings that dot this stretch of Houston Street. That is, until you look up and see the statue of Russian dictator Vladimir Lenin. The 18-foot bronze statue by Yuri Gerasimov was actually commissioned by the Soviet Union in the early '80s as a tribute to their leader's supposed commitment to the working class. When the USSR fell, however, it was never unveiled. But in 1994, when Red Square developers Michael Rosen (a former NYU professor of radical sociology) and Michael Shaoul came across the Lenin statue in a Moscow backyard, it made its way up to the top of their building.
The full history and the story behind that clock

History

January 15, 2016

With a Cool Renovation and a Sunroom, This Tiny East Village Home Transcends the Ordinary

It's probably a good idea to start off by saying that this quirky co-op at 228 East 13th Street is comprised of 300 square feet of interior space. That's about the same as the "large" model in most luggage sets. Ok, it's actually bigger than a suitcase, but not by much; that fact aside, there's a lot you can do with a small space. And if you're going to live in one, it might as well be a good one, in a great location–like a gorgeous brick-and-brownstone block of the East Village a few blocks from Union Square and actually near subways. With something special–like a sunroom.
Definitely worth further investigation

Distinctive Homes

January 14, 2016

Two-Bedroom East Village Co-op Asks Just $695,000, but There’s a Catch

In normal circumstances, it would be easy-as-pie to find a buyer for this East Village co-op, located in the five-story building at 268 East 4th Street. The apartment isn't fancy, but it has two bedrooms and 700 square feet. The ask comes in at a very reasonable $695,000, and that's topped with a very reasonable monthly maintenance of $575. But like all things that sound too good to be true in New York City real estate, there's a catch, and it's not even that this is a fourth-floor walkup. The unit comes from an HDFC regulated cooperative, which means that a buyer must meet certain income guidelines to own it.
More details on the cap

January 5, 2016

The City’s First Wi-Fi Kiosks Unveiled Today!

By Diane Pham

As Crain's first reported, the first of the city's upcoming 7,500 LinkNYC Wi-Fi kiosks have officially rolled out today. Two new "links" (as they'll be called), have sprouted up along Third Avenue in the East Village, one at the corner of East 15th Street and the other at East 17th Street. Each kiosk measures 9.5 feet tall and will be equipped with a gigabit-speed Wi-Fi connection with a 150-foot range, charging stations, a touch-screen that provides maps and info about city services, and a speaker phone that will let users make domestic calls—and all for free! The kiosks are meant to replace NYC's 6,000 now-defunct pay phones.
more info on what's to come here

December 18, 2015

$13K Furnished Rental Is a Mix of All the Coolest Downtown Dwellings

The kitchen says Greenwich Village, the bedroom reads East Village, and the large living space is pure Soho loft. Located just south of Union Square and a few blocks from almost everything else in the universe, this good old fashioned "loft-style home" at 816 Broadway is the perfect mix of cool downtown dwellings. Unless you're seeking total peace and quiet (which rules out most of New York City) there isn't much downside–other than the $13K a month rent–to moving right in to this hip, well-stocked apartment with the world just outside your door. This furnished home is available for six months or less (January-September); weekly cleaning and utilities are included in the rent.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

November 19, 2015

Alexander Hamilton Jr.’s Former Home on St. Mark’s Place Lists for $12M

The Hamilton name certainly comes with big price tags. Resale tickets to the Broadway show are climbing up to $2,500 each, and the Founding Father's son's home is now asking $11.9 million, 6sqft has learned. Col. Alexander Hamilton Jr. was the first owner of the townhouse at 4 St. Mark's Place in the East Village. British-born real estate developer Thomas E. Davis was erecting Federal-style homes along the street at the time as homes for wealthy New Yorkers seeking refuge from the cholera epidemic further downtown. In 1833, three decades after his father died in a duel with Aaron Burr, Hamilton Jr. bought the home and moved in with his mother Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (who was riddled with debt after her husband's death), wife Eliza, and his sister Eliza Holly and her husband Sidney. Known as the Hamilton-Holly House, it features Flemish Bond, a signature of the Federal style, as well as a marble English basement level, high stoop with Gibbs surround entryway, and two dormer windows.
More on the house

November 16, 2015

Chloe Sevigny’s Former East Village Co-op Sells for $2.1M

Queen of indie films Chloë Sevigny unsurprisingly lived in the East Village in 2005, scooping up a garden-level co-op at 119 East 10th Street for $1,199,000 and becoming neighbors with fellow indie royal Parker Posey. By 2013, Sevigny made the inevitable move to Brooklyn (she stated that the East Village had become like a frat house) and sold her one-bedroom Manhattan pad for $1.76 million to tech power couple Halle Tecco and Jeffrey Hammerbacher. Despite the stylish renovation that the couple undertook, they listed the residence this summer for $2.2 million. The Post now reports that the home sold for just under its asking price to Shana Randhava, the executive director of the Estee Lauder Companies. Interestingly, they note that Sevigny "has been quoted about her love for Estee Lauder products, particularly their 'luxury compacts.'"
Check out the place

November 5, 2015

Rent This Bright and Lovely Duplex Loft in an Historic East Village Artists’ Haven