East Village

September 28, 2015

This Sweet and Sunny East Village Co-op With a Terrace Asks $635K

The East Village–particularly the far-eastern, garden-filled Alphabet City part of it–may be the poster child for change in New York City. For better or worse, there are things we miss, and things we adore. But the neighborhood retains its small-village vibe while being in one of the city's most exciting locations. This second-floor one-bedroom walk-up at 317 East 3rd Street, tucked into a little-of-everything street between Avenues C and D looks the part of the perfect East Village nest, with its exposed brick, small but fun and functional outdoor space, multi-tasking modern kitchen and bright, sunny bedroom. For $635,000 it doesn't break the bank, and you'll really save on the monthly co-op fees if you meet the HDFC guidelines.
See more of this cute, sunny East Village home
September 28, 2015

Funnyman Aziz Ansari Scopes Out a $4.9M Triplex Penthouse in the East Village

As Tommy Haverford would say: Treat yo self! And it looks like comedian Aziz Ansari of "Parks and Rec" fame is doing just that. The NYDN reports that Ansari and his long-time girlfriend, Momofuku Milk Bar chef Courtney McBroom, have been spotted checking out a triplex penthouse at the LEED Gold certified Village Green, located at 311 East 11th Street, not once, but twice, drawn in by the home's gigantic 2,000-square-foot outdoor space. The listing describes the ultra-swank pad as "The ultimate in eco-indulgence and luxury."
get a closer look inside the home here
September 24, 2015

VIDEO: Go Inside Rachael Ray’s Colorful and Unbelievably Cute East Village Home

We're not quite sure what type of home we imagined Rachael Ray would be living in, but we definitely envisioned her kitchen to be way bigger. Ray, who is celebrating the 10th season of her talk show this year, as well as a mega-media empire that includes everything from cookbooks to pet food, recently invited the Journal into her home for an exclusive video tour of the adorable East Village abode she shares with husband John Cusimano and her pitbull, Isaboo. Though her property is six stories tall, it measures a mere 1,800 square feet (definitely small by celeb standards) with just one room per floor. And her kitchen? It's only big enough for a half-pivot! “When people come over for the first time to my apartment, I think they’re shocked at how tiny my kitchen is,” the award-winning celeb chef muses in the video.
Take the video tour here
September 16, 2015

Back in ’68 an East Village Hippy Ran for President Against Nixon

Before there was the wild presidential run of Donald Trump, there was another absurd (albeit much more endearing) campaign by an East Village hippy looking for political greatness. A fun and fascinating recollection by Ephemeral NY tells the tale of Louis Albolafia, a 27-year-old abstract expressionist artist, nudist, and the first person to establish a runaway shelter and hotline in New York, who ran on the "Love" party ticket. Though Albolafia was obviously not the term winner (that title goes to Richard Nixon), he did get a considerable number of write-ins during the race.
Find out more about his campaign here
July 30, 2015

First Look Inside 64 East 1st Street’s Lofty Condominiums in the ‘Bowery District’

Here's our first look at the lofty interiors of an upcoming GF55 Partners-designed condominium at 64 East 1st Street. The seven-story property is being developed by MGM Property Group, and the site was previously occupied by the much-maligned restaurant/hookah bar La Vie. MGM purchased the 3,300-square-foot lot in late 2013 to the tune of $5.4 million and swiftly demolished the one-story building last year. Excavation work is currently ongoing.
More details ahead
July 28, 2015

Where to Find the NYC Haunts and Houses of Famous Writers

New York City has always been a hub for writers. Whether they were living in luxury or getting their start as starving artists, famous writers have lived and worked all across New York, and you can still see many of these writerly abodes today. Whether you're a fan of the Beat Generation, Sci-Fi, or even Southern Gothic, you might be interested in tracking down a famous writer's home.
See where writers lived and worked here
July 15, 2015

$900,000 East Village Co-op Comes with the Perfect Terrace for a BBQ

If you live in the East Village, it's a given that your friends are going to turn to you for the latest restaurant and late-night recommendations. But all that responsibility can get a little overwhelming. That's why this charming co-op is such a great option–it's right in the middle of all the trendy neighborhood action, but it also offers an outdoor terrace perfect for a barbecue, as well as a flexible layout for when you want to bring the party indoors. The completely renovated one- or two-bedroom co-op at 315 East 12th Street is available for $899,000.
More pics inside
July 10, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Doug Steinberg Keeps the Doors Open at 110-Year-Old New York Central Art Supply

In 1905, Benjamin Steinberg opened up a store on Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. Little did he know then that one day artists like Willem de Kooning would walk through its doors. For the last 110 years, New York Central Art Supply has served the needs of New York's amateur and professional artists. Three generations of the Steinberg family have supplied paper, paints, brushes, and canvases to everyone from first-year art students to Keith Haring. And over the last year, Doug Steinberg, Benjamin's great-grandson, has taken a more active role at New York Central, planning for the store's future. While Doug never formally joined the family business (he currently owns and runs his own company), New York Central has been a constant in his life. He says he's worked there "on and off since I was born," and has a deep appreciation for what his great-grandfather started and his father Steve grew in the '60s and '70s. We recently spoke with Doug to learn about New York Central's rich history, why so many well-known artists purchased and continue to purchase supplies here, and how the store is preparing for its 21st century evolution.
Read the interview right here
June 30, 2015

Model Amy Hixson Asks $899,000 for Custom-Designed, Bespoke East Village Pad

A model home for a model citizen…literally. This East Village pad belongs to model Amy Hixson, who has graced the pages of GQ and Victoria's Secret, to name a few. Hixson purchased the home for $625,000 in 2010 and spent three months gut renovating the joint with the help of Own Entity designers. The interior is meant to channel the work of Roman and Williams, with handcrafted features like refinished original oak floors, reclaimed Barnwood doors, and a refurbished fireplace mantel. Now it's back on the market, asking $899,000.
Take a look around
June 30, 2015

Designer and Art Writer Sue Hostetler Finally Sells Four-Story Alphabet City Condo for $7M

Six years ago, designer and art writer Sue Hostetler (she's the Editor-in-Chief of Art Basel Magazine) built a modern six-story townhouse at 238 East 4th Street. She and her husband, media executive Jon Diamond, decided they'd occupy the first four floors, while selling off the two-story penthouse. The Alphabet City location raised some eyebrows at the time, but before long, celebrity husband-and-wife design team Bob and Cortney Novogratz were tapped to design the upper condo, which sold for $5 million to Oscar Proust and Colleen Goujjane, owners of the well-known West Village restaurant One If By Land, Two If By Sea. But despite creating her dream home from the ground up, and even installing a paparazzi shield on the one-car garage, Hostetler first put her massive home on the market in 2012 for $8.5 million. Rachel Weisz and Danielle Craig checked it out at the time, but it's been struggling on the market for three years, including an attempt at selling the entire building for $12.4 million. Now, according to city records released today, the 6,500-square-foot residence has sold for $6,995,000, and the buyer is, quite appropriately, light and interactive sculptor Jen Lewin.
Take a look around
June 29, 2015

The High and Low: A House at the Top

Though townhouses, row houses, and wooden houses exist in NYC in lower density areas like Brooklyn and Queens, in Manhattan, there’s often nowhere to build but up. It follows that those who enjoy the conveniences of modern condos sacrifice the feel of a free-standing house, and vice-versa. Penthouse living provides a rare exception; if you’re the top dog, you can basically build what you want, and the highest surface becomes your backyard and front porch. Penthouse bulkheads take a variety of shapes, with the most elaborate ones resembling nothing so much as a modernist masterpiece hovering above it all. In a few notable cases, this allowance is taken more literally than usual. The handful of log cabins, wood houses and such are curiosities atop the city’s tall buildings. The pair of lofty dwellings below exemplifies this good fortune. The first, a glass-walled rectangle above one of Tribeca’s most coveted converted industrial buildings removes the need for a Palm Springs retreat, though the $22.5 million price tag is definitely New York City-sized. The second, at $4.45 million, is more average-penthouse-priced, but the East Village home is definitely unique–its top floor resembles a country cottage.
See more of these have-it-all rooftop pads this way…
June 18, 2015

Bright and Charming One-Bedroom in Alphabet City Is Surprisingly Affordable at $485k

Are you sitting down? Good, because today is your lucky day. There's a one-bedroom apartment available between Avenues B and C in the East Village, just blocks from the L train, asking only $485,000. This south-facing apartment features high ceilings, well-maintained wood finishes and full city views. Plus the quiet unit is walking distance from all the action.
Take a look around
June 15, 2015

Chloe Sevigny’s Former East Village Pad Is Back on the Market with a New Look

The former home of indie film star and "Big Love" actress Chloë Sevigny is back on the market. Sevigny sold the garden-level abode located at 119 East 10th Street back in 2013 for $1.76 million to tech power couple Halle Tecco and Jeffrey Hammerbacher. The couple then turned around and gave the 1,250-square-foot pad a nine-month overhaul that was featured in Apartment Therapy. Now, it's back on the market, sporting a modern new look, a slightly modified floor plan, and a $2.2 million price tag.
More pics inside
April 28, 2015

A Family of Four Squeezes into This Tiny 640-Square-Foot East Village Apartment

Couples shacking up in small spaces is nothing new, but this may be the first time we've seen more than two folks squeezing into a tiny pad. Featured on Dwell, this family of four in the East Village proves that home is where the heart is—not how big your house is. So how do they manage with a baby and a nine-year-old in just 640 square feet?
Have a look inside here
April 16, 2015

Sunny East Village Pad in Ageloff Towers Is the Perfect Starter Apartment

There’s a charming apartment available in Ageloff Towers now going for $725,000. This pre-war pad features modern amenities against the backdrop of original details like beamed ceilings, parquet floors, base molding and wainscoting. Generously sized for a one-bedroom, this unit is perfect for a young New Yorker looking to create a cozy home in one of the city's most culturally distinct neighborhoods.
More pics inside
April 5, 2015

This Lofty East Village Penthouse by Manifold Architecture Studio Used to Be a Synagogue

New York City is teeming with breathtaking penthouses–from multi-floored apartments atop soaring skyscrapers to picturesque flats inside landmarked townhouses–but few have the spiritual history of this East Village abode: The 1,600-square-foot triplex was once a local house of worship. Originally built in 1908, the the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Anshe Ungarn synagogue was converted into a five-apartment condo in the 1980s. By the time current owners Dominique Camacho and Gary Hirschkron bought the penthouse in 2007, its design was terribly outdated, so they enlisted the team at DUMBO's Manifold Architecture Studio (MAS) to help bring it into the 21st century.
Click to see the entire space
April 3, 2015

$7.25M Historic Alphabet City Townhouse Has Five Outdoor Spaces with a Few Surprises

Who would've thought there was a backyard like this hiding in Alphabet City? Built in the 1880s, this historic $7.25 million townhouse at 263 East 7th Street was masterfully redesigned by one of the architects behind the DIA Beacon Museum, and it comes with two layouts. The current floorplan is an owner's duplex, an income suite, and separate guest quarters. Option two is one giant, 4,900-square-foot single-family home with 2,400 square feet of exterior space. Plus, it's located on one of the most charming blocks in the neighborhood.
More pics inside
March 17, 2015

Interview: McSorley’s Historian Bill Wander Fills Us In on the Secrets of NYC’s Oldest Bar

Undoubtedly, there are hundreds of New Yorkers and out-of-towners planning to stop by McSorley's Old Ale House today for a St. Patrick's Day round of beers. But beyond the brews and bros, there's a deep history rooted in this East Village institution, and we've found the man who knows it all. The official historian of McSorley's, Bill Wander can give you the full timeline that dates McSorley's to 1854, making it the oldest bar in the city. He can also fill you in on all the tchotchkes adorning the walls of this Irish tavern, none of which have been removed since 1910. But more important than the textbook facts related to McSorley's, Bill has an undeniable passion for this watering hole, for both its important cultural history and the unique social atmosphere that keeps the bar a neighborhood mainstay after all these years. We recently chatted with Bill to find out some of the lesser-known details about McSorley's and what the title of "official historian" entails.
Read our full interview with Bill Wander here
March 16, 2015

$7.25M East Village Building Boasts Rustic Charm (and 12 Income-Producing Apartments)

While it’s true this six-story building located at 276 East 10th Street in the heart of the East Village is an incredible investment opportunity, we think the prospect of actually living here offers a different kind of reward. So, we’ll let the accountants and business gurus of the world calculate the financial upside of the rental income derived from the twelve apartments within, and the expansion potential the additional FAR of 2,306 square feet affords—we’re far more interested in the property’s absolutely gorgeous rustic charm that makes it feel worlds away from the city that never sleeps.
More photos this way
March 6, 2015

$1.4M East Village Co-op Doesn’t Include This Adorable Dog (but You Can Bring Your Own)

When we first saw the photos for today's Cool Listing we couldn't help but be reminded of the Craigslist ad that made headlines a couple of years back courtesy of the owners' photo-bombing pooch. Similarly, this bright and cheerful two-bedroom loft-like split at 99 Avenue B comes with lots of things to love—but the adorable pup pictured isn’t one of them.
Lots to love right this way
February 23, 2015

Modern East Village Condo at The Petersfield Features Magnificent Chandeliered Bathroom

This meticulously renovated $1.75 million double-height corner condo loft in The Petersfield holds more than a few surprises, the first of which greets you as you enter the gallery foyer. Cleverly doubling as a built-in bookshelf display you will find a set of wooden stairs leading up to a sizable queen-sized sleep loft, always a nice addition to a one-bedroom apartment. And then, of course, there's the crystal chandelier over the bathtub...
More inside is right this way
February 4, 2015

Tiny East Village Treasure Is Huge on Charm and Priced Well Under $1M

In a city filled with space-challenged (okay, let’s just admit it, tiny) living spaces, one can only hope the expression “good things come in small packages” holds true. When we took one look at this adorable East Village co-op at 323 East 8th Street we felt compelled to take a little literary license with the well-known phrase because sometimes “great things come in small packages.”
Check out more of this East Village treasure
February 3, 2015

Then and Now: From Luchow’s German Restaurant to NYU Dorm

For those of us who came to the city within the past decade, it's hard to imagine East 14th Street without its stretch of bulky NYU dorms, big-box supermarkets, and mini-chain restaurants. But of course this wasn't always what the area looked like. In the late 19th century, the area centered around Irving Place, was full of entertainment venues like the Academy of Music, the city's opera house, Steinway Hall, Tammany Hall, and the City Theatre movie house. And at the heart of it all was a restaurant that catered to both the theater crowd and the German population of the East Village–Luchow's. Luchow's was established in 1882 at 110 East 14th Street at Irving Place when German immigrant August Lüchow purchased the café/beer garden where he worked as a bartender and waiter. It remained in operation for a full century, becoming an unofficial neighborhood and city landmark, until it was replaced by NYU's University Hall dormitory.
Read the full history here
January 27, 2015

Let Your Imagination Run Wild in This Wacky $8.3M East Village Home

Located just a few steps off the Bowery, this five-story home at 4 East 2nd Street in the East Village, currently functioning as four separate units, offers a multitude of options. Looking to stretch out and have nearly 6,000 square feet all to yourself? Go right ahead, as the house will be delivered vacant and is ready for your personal touch. Or perhaps you’d prefer to keep the parlor floor as a gallery space and make do with the remaining few thousand square feet to accommodate your humble abode. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
See more of this imaginative home
January 22, 2015

East Village’s Historic Meseritz Synagogue Gets Ready for Restoration and Condo Conversion

At the turn of the century, the Lower East Side/East Village was home to 75 percent of the 2.5 million Ashkenazi Jews that immigrated to the U.S. They quickly established synagogues, many of which were "tenement synagogues," aptly named because they were built on the narrow lots between tenements and served the mostly-impoverished people who lived in the surrounding, overcrowded buildings. Only one of these tenement synagogues is still in operation–the Congregation Meseritz Synagogue (or Anshei Meseritz) at 515 East 6th Street. Narrowly saved from the wrecking ball in 2012, Meseritz is now undergoing a total overhaul. Real estate developer East River Partners is adding three luxury apartments, including an 11-foot-tall penthouse, to the top of the structure. Though the plan was initially contested by some neighbors and local community and preservation groups, the developer is undertaking a multimillion-dollar gut renovation of the ground floor, creating a new home out of which the congregation can worship.
More details ahead
December 15, 2014

EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Check Out Billionaire Peter Brant’s Converted Con Ed Station

Now's your chance to get a look into one of the city's coolest spaces. EV Grieve tells us that from now through Sunday, the curious yellow brick building located at 421 East 6th Street will open its doors to the public for its first art show featuring Dan Colen. The former Con Ed substation was recently purchased for $27 million by billionaire Peter Brant from the estate of the late Walter de Maria, the famed sculptor who converted the 16,402-square-foot structure into an incredible home and studio back in the '80s. The event is sure to delight, if not for the artist's work (which ARTnews dubs "deeply mediocre"), then at least for the chance to get a first glimpse into the extraordinary space. Nondescript and gritty on the outside, the building’s cavernous interior spaces boast ceilings as high as 32 feet, and plenty of the near-century-old substation's original details remain intact.
Find out more here
November 25, 2014

Andrew Franz’s Signature Style Makes a Mark with This Elegant Townhouse in the East Village

The East Village is one of NYC's most sought-after neighborhoods, and this beautiful townhouse located in its landmark district speaks to the area's down-to-earth yet sophisticated and modern appeal. The four-level home recently underwent a massive renovation led by the design team from Andrew Franz Architect. Andrew Franz is known for their seamless integration of outdoor and structural elements, and with many of their projects it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. With their signature style running rampant throughout the space, this stately home is no exception.
Check out the interiors here