Little Italy/Nolita

The New York City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan to replace a community garden in Little Italy with an affordable housing complex for seniors. The project, first introduced by Council Member Margaret Chin in 2012, will rise on the site of Elizabeth Street Garden, a quirky green space created in 1991 by Allan Reiver, who owns the gallery next to the garden. The complex, dubbed Haven Green, will include 123 affordable apartments and ground-floor retail. Originally, developers agreed to keep 8,000 square feet of public space at the site, but on Wednesday Chin said she reached an agreement to incorporate more open space at Haven Green through a courtyard next door.
Details here

Behind the scenes at Little Italy’s Elizabeth Street Garden and Gallery

The gallery is housed in a 19th-century firehouse, and later bakery, on Elizabeth Street. It has its own door to the garden next door

June 26, 2019

Behind the scenes at Little Italy’s Elizabeth Street Garden and Gallery

Shortly upon arriving in New York in the 1990s, Allan Reiver traveled to Coney Island with one goal in mind: find a shooting gallery. Reiver, who has always had a knack for finding art out of other people’s junk, bought one that same day from an older man who told him it had been boarded up since the 1930s when it became illegal to shoot live ammunition. Nearly 30 years later, the 10-foot high boardwalk game, still operational, sits in the back of the Elizabeth Street Gallery in Little Italy, where Reiver has housed unique artifacts and fine objects for nearly a decade. Rare finds can also be found next to the gallery, scattered across a lush green space known as the Elizabeth Street Garden. Since 1991, Reiver has leased the land from the city, slowly transforming the lot with unique sculptures, columns, and benches, all plucked from estate sales. In 2012, the city revealed plans to replace the garden with a senior affordable housing complex, known as Haven Green, igniting a battle between garden advocates and affordable housing supporters. The City Council votes on the project Wednesday. Ahead of the decision, 6sqft toured Reiver’s gallery and the garden next door and spoke to him about building the green space and the plan to fight the Haven Green project in court.
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Where I Work

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

Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner just put their Nolita condo on the market for $7M

Photo of Karlie via Flickr

February 28, 2019

Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner just put their Nolita condo on the market for $7M

Recently-wed supermodel Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner, venture capitalist, and brother of presidential son-in-law/advisor Jared Kushner have just listed their two-bedroom condo at 211 Elizabeth Street for $6.995 million, the New York Post reports. The 2,000-square-foot home boasts interiors by Roman and Williams and a 1,120-square-foot landscaped, irrigated terrace.
Get a closer look

Senior housing complex at Elizabeth Street Garden site gets borough president approval

Rendering courtesy of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

February 27, 2019

Senior housing complex at Elizabeth Street Garden site gets borough president approval

Update 3/6/19: The Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG) and the garden's creator Allan Reiver filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the city and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to challenge the development of Haven Green. The plan to build an affordable senior housing development at the site of the Elizabeth Street Garden in Nolita got a much-needed push forward on Tuesday after receiving approval from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. In December 2017, the city revealed plans for Haven Green, a passive house with units reserved for seniors earning between roughly $20,000 and $40,000 to be built on the site of the park. Elizabeth Street Garden advocates are fighting the city's plan to demolish the one acre of green space to make way for affordable housing and are taking legal action to save the park.
More here

December 20, 2018

$8,000/month Nolita loft blends old-warm charm with downtown decor

By Alexandra Alexa

For $8,000 a month, this loft-like Nolita two-bedroom offers a chic and sunny ambiance with glazed brick tiled floors, exposed wooden beams and brick walls in every room, and eclectic decor that is definitely the definition of downtown cool. With a roomy living area, large master bedroom, two full bathrooms, and all the amenities you want, this unit at 262 Mott Street is a dream.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

McNally Jackson bookstore announces move after 136% rent hike

McNally Jackson bookstore on Spring Street. Image by Carl Mikoy via Flickr.

October 22, 2018

McNally Jackson bookstore announces move after 136% rent hike

As one of New York City's finest all-around independent bookstores, McNally Jackson booksellers on Prince Street is a literary standby for the latest bestsellers as well as thought-provoking political non-fiction, art books, cards, magazines, readings and more. Though the shop occupies a spot on one of the city's most highly-trafficked "High Streets," it has endured for 15 years, long enough to be taken for granted. But that would, of course, be a mistake in the city's current environment of empty storefronts in high rent neighborhoods because only Amazon can afford the rent. And right about the time Amazon has opened a storefront in Soho, the beloved bookseller is moving out after the rent was raised to $850,000--a 136% increase. Fear not, the owner is opening again in a new location, but unlike other, less gutsy mom-and-pop proprietors, she has no fear of being very vocal about the issue, Fox5 NY reports.
Find out more

October 12, 2018

Marvel Architects reveal condo conversion of 200-year-old Nolita school

Marvel Architects has completed its school-to-condo conversion in Nolita, bringing seven condos and one private townhouse to the former site of the Old St. Patrick's School on Prince Street. The project restored the facade of the four-story building, which was built in 1826, as well as its dormer windows and arched doorways. Because the interiors of the building, dubbed the Residences at Prince, were not landmarked, the architects were able to add new modern elements like steel columns and white oak floors while retaining original brick walls and roof timbers.
See it here

POPULAR Little Italy/Nolita BUILDINGS

374 Broome Street 374 Broome Street

240 Centre Street 240 Centre Street

152 Elizabeth Street 152 Elizabeth Street

295 Lafayette Street 295 Lafayette Street

211 Elizabeth Street 211 Elizabeth Street

262 Mott Street 262 Mott Street

285 Lafayette Street 285 Lafayette Street

4 Centre Market Place 4 Centre Market Place

225 Lafayette Street 225 Lafayette Street

250 Bowery 250 Bowery

136 Baxter Street 136 Baxter Street

55 Prince Street 55 Prince Street

293 Lafayette Street 293 Lafayette Street

211 Centre Street 211 Centre Street

354 Broome Street 354 Broome Street

138 Baxter Street 138 Baxter Street

237 Lafayette Street 237 Lafayette Street

239 Elizabeth Street 239 Elizabeth Street

243 Mulberry Street 243 Mulberry Street

161 Mulberry Street 161 Mulberry Street

October 12, 2018

Nolita loft boasting barrel-vaulted ceilings and exposed brick asks $2.4M

By Emily Nonko

This Nolita loft is open, airy, and spans an impressive 1,800 square feet. The design is spot-on, too, complementing the lofty bones of the apartment that include vaulted, barrel ceilings and exposed brick. The building, 40 Great Jones Street, is believed to be built in the late 1800s. But everything here is thoroughly modern, from the flexible great room to the glass-panelled master bedroom.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

July 13, 2018

Beautiful design details and some unexpected curves make this $1.5M Nolita duplex a sunny sanctuary

Good design can lift the spirits, which is why this stylish condominium at 259 Elizabeth Street is more than just easy on the eyes. The two-bedroom-plus-office duplex, asking $1.545 million, is filled with lovely custom details and designs, from bespoke Calico wallpaper in a bohemian version of spun gold to the solarium that comprises a bedroom's outer wall.
Bask in the glow

Distinctive Homes

Adriana Urbina brings Venezuelan flavors to Nolita’s De Maria while empowering female chefs

Restuarant photo credit: Nicole Franzen; Portrait credit: Kathryn Sheldon

May 22, 2018

Adriana Urbina brings Venezuelan flavors to Nolita’s De Maria while empowering female chefs

Earlier this month, Nolita restaurant De Maria won the coveted James Beard Award for best restaurant design or renovation in North America. The designers at The MP Shift replicated an artist’s studio, with Soho in the ‘70s and the Bauhaus movement in mind. But it's not just the space that's beautiful; Venezuelan-born chef Adriana Urbina's dishes, composed heavily of veggies and seafood, look like they were made for Instagram. Outside of the visuals, however, what sets De Maria apart is Urbina's socially conscious approach. Not only does she mix her South American heritage with her fine dining background (she started her career as an apprentice at Michelin 3-star restaurant in Spain, Martín Berasategui and was a 2017 winner of Food Network's "Chopped"), but she's committed to empowering female chefs and business owners, as well as using food as a way to connect people and raise awareness about what's going on in the world. 6sqft recently enjoyed an insanely delicious meal at De Maria and chatted with Adriana about her journey, the restaurant scene in NYC, and why this Nolita restaurant is the perfect place to see out her dreams.
Meet Adriana and get hungry!

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen pick up the penthouse in their former Nolita building for $9M

Photo of John Legend and Chrissy Teigen via Disney|ABC Television on Flickr

May 22, 2018

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen pick up the penthouse in their former Nolita building for $9M

By Annie Doge

Power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen have bought a $9 million penthouse apartment at 374 Broome Street in the same Nolita building they once lived. The duo, who first toured the three-bedroom penthouse in December, sold their former one-bedroom unit for $4 million in August 2016. John and Chrissy, who recently welcomed a baby son Miles, will get more space with the loft, which measures 2,610 square feet and includes a private rooftop terrace. According to The Real Deal, who first reported the sale, the seller is Matthew Swann, a Stubhub executive who bought the apartment for $8.6 million in 2016.
Take a peek

Celebrities

To save Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden, a nonprofit wants to take ownership from the city

Sketch of Elizabeth Street Garden’s Site A courtesy of Ella Barnes/ESG

January 9, 2018

To save Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden, a nonprofit wants to take ownership from the city

A nonprofit with a mission to protect and preserve the Elizabeth Street Garden in Nolita released on Tuesday a plan to designate the park as a Community Land Trust (CLT), meaning it would no longer require funding from the city. The group, aptly named Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG), unveiled renderings of what the park could look like as a CLT, including a new composting station, solar panels, a volunteer work shed and more. The proposal from ESG comes after the city announced last month plans to demolish the garden to make way for an affordable senior housing development.
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December 21, 2017

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend tour a $9.5M penthouse in their former Nolita building

By Annie Doge

Looking to move back to New York City, celebrity power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen recently toured a $9.5 penthouse apartment at 374 Broome Street (h/t New York Post). The Nolita building is the same one where they once lived in a one-bedroom, which they sold for $4 million in August 2016. The superstar duo, now expecting their second child, is in need of more space, and the loft measures 2,610 square feet and includes three bedrooms and a huge rooftop terrace.
Take a peek

December 19, 2017

Nolita pad that belonged to John Mayer has hit the market for $4.35M

By Emily Nonko

A Nolita condo has hit the market and it once belonged to pop singer John Mayer. He picked up the two-bedroom apartment at 225 Lafayette Street in 2005 for $2.17 million. He then sold it for $3.91 million in 2013 to a buyer who using the limited liability company "But It’s Provocative LLC." The Observer has spotted that the 2,063-square-foot home been re-listed by said provocative owner, and they're asking $4.35 million. For that amount you're getting a corner unit on the 12th floor of the building, with quite a modern aesthetic.
Take a look inside his old digs

City will replace Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden with 121 affordable apartments for seniors

Rendering courtesy of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

December 8, 2017

City will replace Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden with 121 affordable apartments for seniors

After years of public battles between open space advocates and public officials, the city announced on Friday that it will create an affordable senior housing development at the site of the Elizabeth Street Garden in Nolita. Dubbed Haven Green, the project will be an energy-efficient passive house, with units reserved for seniors earning between $20,040 and $40,080, as well as formerly homeless seniors. According to the Daily News, the project calls for 121 deeply affordable units with 7,600 square feet of public open space in a new garden. Developed by Pennrose Properties, Habitat for Humanity New York City, and RiseBoro Community Partnerships, Haven Green will use 60 to 70 percent less energy than a standard building of its kind and will be designed to manage and reuse stormwater through permeable surfaces.
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Aby Rosen signs fashion company Totokaelo as first retail tenant at 190 Bowery

Image: Before the 2005 sale

July 25, 2017

Aby Rosen signs fashion company Totokaelo as first retail tenant at 190 Bowery

It's been two-and-a-half years since developer Aby Rosen of RFR Realty scooped up the former Germania Bank Building for $55 million. He bought it from photographer Jay Maisel, who in 1966 turned the then-abandoned landmark into his own private 72-room mansion. After removing the Nolita building's iconic graffiti last summer, Rosen is now all systems go for his conversion to an office building with ground-floor retail. As the Post reports, Seattle-based fashion retailer Totokaelo (who counts among its designer offerings Acne Studios, Comme des Garçons, Jil Sander and Proenza Schouler) signed a lease for 8,918 square feet at street level. However, the deal only covers early fall through March 2018 for a large-scale pop-up store.
All the details ahead

Uncategorized

July 18, 2017

Asking $6,800/month, this compact Nolita penthouse has a sweet rooftop terrace

This effervescent and efficient top-floor apartment at 14 Prince Street in chic downtown boutique district Nolita has just arrived on the rental market. For $6,800 a month the compact, smartly renovated "penthouse" spans 920 square feet, has one (big) bedroom and offers the rare-in-NYC bonus of a private terrace.
See the rest of this bright Nolita pad

June 12, 2017

INTERVIEW: Amit Khurana and Michael Gabellini on designing in NYC with architect Tadao Ando

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Before 152 Elizabeth Street, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando had never designed a building in New York City. The ultra-high-end, seven-unit, seven-story Nolita condominium is currently on the rise at the corner of Elizabeth and Kenmare Streets. Every detail of this Ando building reflects the famed architect’s philosophy that, “a living space should be a sanctuary. It has to be a place where you can reflect on your life.” Ando’s signature use of concrete and glass creates a strong yet minimalist beauty that finds balance at a location on the convergence of numerous neighborhoods. As architecture critic Carter Horsley puts it, “152 Elizabeth is not a dramatic masterpiece by one of the world’s greatest architects but a very refined and subtle ‘enclosure’ with wonderful detailing, a delightful surprise in this brand new, gee-whiz world of starchitects.”
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May 18, 2017

$550K Noho one-bedroom is a cozy perch in a perfect downtown neighborhood

This bright and airy co-op at 308 Mott Street in Noho may not have a 35-foot-long terrace, but it is, as the listing says, both charming and efficient, with plenty of storage and enough room for a guest or two. The lovely tree-lined blocks that surround the building are home to elegant buildings both historic and new, and quaint shops, theaters and restaurants just far enough from the bustle of Soho. It's an expensive enclave, home to celebrities galore, so the $550K ask makes this charming apartment seem like quite a find.
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Distinctive Homes

May 16, 2017

Gwathmey-designed Police Building duplex in former gymnasium returns for $18.5M

240 Centre Street, formerly the New York City Police Headquarters, is somewhat known for its splashy pads with amazing details and high price tags–like this $40M penthouse in the building's clocktower dome–that are better at getting attention than finding buyers; this remarkable duplex in the Nolita landmark is no exception. Late New York Five architect Charles Gwathmey designed this reborn 6,600 square foot home that includes what was once the police gymnasium. The stunning co-op has been on and off the market since 2008, at one point asking $31M (h/t Curbed); the four-bedroom apartment just reappeared on the market $18.5 million.
Tour this one-of-a-kind Manhattan masterpiece

Distinctive Homes

January 26, 2017

Travel + Leisure dubs ‘NoLo’ NYC’s next trendy neighborhood

DoBro (Downtown Brooklyn), MiMa (Midtown Manhattan), Hellsea (Hell's Kitchen meets Chelsea), BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens)--typically we blame brokers and real estate marketers for inventing outlandish neighborhood acronyms as a way to make their listings and developments seem unique and in uncharted territory. But this time, the writers over at Travel + Leisure have decided to try their hand at the name game, dubbing "NoLo" the next trendy 'hood. "There's no cooler neighborhood mashup," they say, than "the parts of Soho where Nolita bumps against the Lower East Side." Here you'll find "a community of restaurants, shops, cafes and drinking spots that exude the city's cutting edge style."
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September 21, 2016

The Urban Lens: A walk through the 90th annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy

By James and Karla Murray

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, award-winning authors and photographers James and Karla Murray introduce us to the faces and food vendors that make up the 2016 Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. 2016 marks the 90th anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro, which is held in the "Little Italy" neighborhood of lower Manhattan from Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 25th. The Feast is an 11-day salute to the Patron Saint of Naples, Saint Januaries, and it is the longest and most popular street fair in New York City (anticipated to bring in one million tourists and New Yorkers this year). Little Italy was once known for its large population of Italian immigrants and is now centered on Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal Streets. Italians first began to settle in the area during the 1850s, but by the 1960s, wealthy Italians began to move out and Chinese merchants for the first time began to move north of Canal Street—the traditional boundary between Chinatown and Little Italy. Observing the changes in the neighborhood, Italian merchants and restaurateurs formed an association dedicated to maintaining Mulberry Street north of Canal as an all-Italian enclave, which it still largely remains. Ahead we document some of the longtime New Yorkers, tourists, and decades-old Italian vendors who've added their own flavor to this year's festivities.
our account and more photos here

August 22, 2016

For $7M, spend the afterlife in a crypt at Nolita’s Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral