Midtown West

December 16, 2016

Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima tries again to unload Midtown West pad for $4.85M

Sixteen-year Victoria’s Secret veteran supermodel Adriana Lima may have no problem sauntering down the runway, but things haven't come as easily for her real estate game. The Brazilian beauty bought a two-bedroom pad in Midtown West for $1.995 million in 2003. Six years later, she married NBA player Marko Jarić and had two children in 2009 and 2012. The next year they tried to offload the Metropolitan Tower apartment for $5.5 million, but after there were no takers, took it off the market. Now that the couple's split up (they finalized their divorce earlier this year), Lima is giving it another go, this time hoping to get $4.85 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Get a look at the whole place here

December 8, 2016

Norman Foster will design 985-foot tower at 50 Hudson Yards

By Dana Schulz

It's been 14 months since developer Related Companies bought the site of a former McDonald's at 34th Street and 10th Avenue, the final parcel needed to complete Hudson Yards. Initial reports said the site of 50 Hudson Yards would hold a 62-story, 1,000+ foot commercial tower, but Related and Oxford Properties Group have now revealed that the structure will rise 58 stories and 985 feet and be designed by starchitect Norman Foster. As first reported by Curbed, the news comes on the heels of BlackRock's decision to sign a 20-year lease for 15 floors, or 850,000 square feet, in the building, leaving their long-time Park Avenue home in a show of confidence in the mega-complex.
Get more details ahead

November 17, 2016

Budget woes and design disagreements cause Port Authority to stall on new bus terminal plans

By Dana Schulz

Just two months ago, West Side elected officials and the Port Authority agreed to move ahead on the 10-year, $10 billion capital project to replace the current Bus Terminal, releasing five design proposals for a new building. But officials at the bi-state agency "have reached an impasse" on the project due to budget concerns and disagreements on the design, reports Crain's.
The full story

Real Estate Trends

November 17, 2016

City Planning Commission votes to raise fee for Theater District air rights transfers

By Michelle Cohen

The City Planning Commission has voted to up the cost of air rights transfers in the special Midtown Manhattan district that includes Broadway's theaters, The Real Deal reports. Currently, when developers purchase air rights from theaters between West 40th and West 57th Streets from Sixth to Eighth Avenues, they pay $17.60 per square foot to the Theater Subdistrict Fund. Transferable development rights can usually only be used for adjacent properties, but the city created the special district in 1998 to help the theater industry thrive amid sharply rising real estate prices; within the district, air rights can be moved more freely in a larger area outside the usual “arms length” restrictions.
What does this mean for Broadway theaters?

Policy

November 9, 2016

Historic church near Penn Station to be converted to modern retail space

By Dana Schulz

The Church of St. John the Baptist, located at 213 West 30th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, has stood in Midtown since 1872. Designed in the French Gothic-style by architect Napoleon LeBrun, it first served New York City's German population and was later assumed by the Capuchin Friars. In 1974, a brown brick Brutalist structure was added on the other side of the site at 210 West 31st Street, facing Penn Station, to serve as the Capuchin Monastery of St. John the Baptist. This two-story building was recently acquired by KBS Capital and Onyx Equities, who plan to spend $14.2 million converting the property into a 30,000-square-foot retail space, reports The Real Deal. Though initial plans don't seem to touch the 144-year-old church, a rendering of the 31st Street project shows a glassy, neon-laden facade.
More details ahead

New Developments

Photographer Danica O. Kus provides new interior views of Bjarke Ingels’ Via 57 West

Photograph © Danica O. Kus

November 8, 2016

Photographer Danica O. Kus provides new interior views of Bjarke Ingels’ Via 57 West

By Dana Schulz

Photograph © Danica O. Kus For architectural photographers, Bjarke Ingels' self-described "courtscraper" Via 57 West is a dream. From its sharp angles and unique tetrahedron design to its winding courtyards and geometric interiors, the 32-story rental offers plenty of artistic shots. A couple months ago, just as the Midtown West project wrapped up construction, Iwan Baan released a set of images that showed new vantages of the central outdoor space and views of how the building fits in with the skyline. Now, ArchDaily shares a collection of photos from Danica O. Kus, these providing never-before-seen looks at Via's interior spaces--including the lobby, pool, and balconies--as well views of the the building's public art piece and highly artistic shots of its facade.
go inside

Architecture And Design

November 7, 2016

Proposed Penn Station-topping free-fall ride gets new video, details

By Dana Schulz

When developers at Brooklyn Capital Partners and designers at AE Superlab revealed their proposal to erect the world's tallest free-fall ride atop Penn Station, it seemed like perhaps a commentary on Governor Cuomo's big-ticket overhaul of the station. But in fact, the team hoped their 1,200-foot Halo, as it's being called, would rise along with the renovations, serving as "an interactive beacon for the city." As 6sqft reported, "the ride’s 11 cars... could be modified to move as quickly as 100 miles per hour giving it a top-to-base free fall of about six seconds." A freshly uncovered video shows this in action, and a new project website provides more details on the logistical components, 20-month construction time period, and $130 million in annual projected revenue.
Plenty more details this way

October 20, 2016

Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower is getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin

By Dana Schulz

News at starchitect Jean Nouvel's condominium MoMA Tower (officially called 53W53) has been relatively quiet since units hit the market just over a year ago. But CityRealty brings us an update from the Billionaires' Row construction site, where the 1,050-foot-tall, tapered tower is currently getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin, which the architect once said will resemble blood running the veins with its nighttime lighting.
More details and views this way

Listings go live for Extell’s amenity-filled Hudson Yards Skyscraper 555Ten

Model unit designed by Lillian August

October 20, 2016

Listings go live for Extell’s amenity-filled Hudson Yards Skyscraper 555Ten

By Dana Schulz

After launching its affordable housing lottery for 120 below-market rate units back in May, 555Ten has revealed pricing for its 478 market-rate rentals, ranging from $3,150/month studios to $6,250/month two-bedrooms. Designed by SLCE Architects and developed by Extell, the 610-foot, 53-story glassy skyscraper will offer an over-the-top amenity package (including a dog run, two salt water pools, and a bowling alley) and custom-designed interiors from McGinley Design. The model units are open for business, and we're told that the amenity spaces will start to reveal themselves later this week in anticipation of November occupancies.
Find out more here and get a first look at the model units

October 19, 2016

Listings go live at 15 Hudson Yards, the development’s first residential building

By Dana Schulz

In anticipation of its sales launch, 15 Hudson Yards released a slew of new renderings last month, showcasing "new views of the bundled quad of cylinders that make up its body, as well as its rectilinear base that will abut the Shed," as 6sqft reported. And now without further ado, listings for the 285 market-rate condos (there will also be 106 affordable rentals) have officially come online, ranging from a $3.7 million two-bedroom on the 25th floor to a $13.8 million penthouse on the 84th floor, according to Curbed.
Find out more and see renderings and floorplans

October 18, 2016

Bill Ackman thinks he can flip One57 penthouse for $500M

By Dana Schulz

When hedge fund manager Bill Ackman closed on a $91.5 million penthouse at One57 in April 2015, he had already boasted that he had no intention of ever living in the place, but that he'd host parties there and eventually flip it as a "fun" investment. It seems that over the past year and a half, Ackman, whose net worth is estimated at $1.6 billion, has gotten even more optimistic, as a source close to him told Vanity Fair that he thinks he'll be able to sell the 13,500-square-foot duplex for $500 million. As The Real Deal notes, this claim comes despite the fact that other units in the building have been recently listed at a loss and that his fund Pershing Square Capital is down to $11.4 billion under management from $20 billion in March of 2015.
More on this ahead

Where I Work

October 17, 2016

Diego Rivera’s psychedelic Rockefeller Center mural was destroyed before it was finished, 1934

By Tracy A. Marciano

In 1932, Mexican artist Diego Rivera was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller to add a mural to the soaring lobby of Rockefeller Center. Despite being known for his petulant temper and loyalty to Communism, Rivera was still one of the most highly sought after artists of his time, lauded for his creative genius and his detailed paintings. But politics, artistic vision, power and wealth collided in 1934 when a displeased Rockefeller had the very mural he commissioned from Rivera chiseled off the wall the night before it was to be completed.
read about the mysterious mural here

October 6, 2016

Sasha Vujacic is the second Knicks player to rent at Midtown West’s fitness-centric Sky

By Annie Doge

Back in July, 6sqft reported that Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis was renting out an $8,000/month penthouse at Midtown West's amenity-filled Sky, as well as renting out two more high-floor units for his brothers Martins and Janis. Perhaps due to the building's Carmelo Anthony-designed NBA regulation-sized basketball court, another player for the team has followed suite; the Post brings news today that shooting guard Sasha Vujacic is living in an $8,200/month pad at the glassy slab tower, and he and Porzingis have been spotting shooting hoops together here.
READ MORE

October 5, 2016

POLL: Which Penn Station scheme do you prefer, Governor Cuomo’s or Vishaan Chakrabarti’s?

By Dana Schulz

When Governor Cuomo revealed his plans for a new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex early last week, things seemed to be moving full steam towards a 2020 completion date thanks to flashy renderings and the selection of a high-profile developer-builder team. But architect Vishaan Chakrabarti was not convinced, and he and his firm the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism decided to create their own vision, one that repurposes Madison Square Garden, a facet of the plan he feels Cuomo failed to address.
Tell us which scheme you prefer

October 5, 2016

Buried treasures from the city’s past will be on view at a new Manhattan research center

By Michelle Cohen

New York City has catalogued and created a digitized archive of the many buried artifacts from its past; Wednesday the Landmarks Preservation Commission is officially opening a repository of those countless artifacts. The New York Times reports that the Nan A. Rothschild Research Center–the first municipal archive devoted to a city’s archaeological collection, has found a home in Midtown Manhattan. More than a million artifacts will now be available for viewing by researchers and scholars by appointment; a digital archive is already available. The climate-controlled repository at 114 West 47th Street contains artifacts from 31 excavated sites from all five boroughs, including the city’s first major historical dig, the Stadt Huys (now 85 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan), which, when the artifacts were discovered in 1979, raised the idea that archaeological treasures were buried beneath old buildings.
Find out what you can dig up at the digital archive

September 30, 2016

Vishaan Chakrabarti reveals idea to repurpose Madison Square Garden as part of the Penn Station overhaul

By Dana Schulz

Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo revealed plans to transform a revamped Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex into a "world-class 21st century transportation hub." Despite the flashy new renderings and promise of a 2020 completion date, not everyone is sold on the plan, including Vishaan Chakrabarti, former principal of SHoP Architects and founder of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism. As outlined in the Times, he feels that Cuomo's scheme has one glaring omission--Madison Square Garden. Instead of demolishing the arena, as earlier plans had called for, Chakrabarti proposes repurposing it and "using its stripped skeleton to make a glass pavilion, which becomes a neighborhood gathering spot, not just a station." The venue would then move to the west end of the Farley Building.
Lots more details and renderings ahead

September 30, 2016

Tishman Speyer officially files plans for Bjarke Ingels’ $3.2B Hudson Yards tower

By Dana Schulz

Developer Tishman Speyer has officially filed plans with the Department of Buildings for Bjarke Ingels' Hudson Yards tower The Spiral at 509 West 34th Street. As reported by The Real Deal, the filing confirms that the office tower will rise 65 stories and 1,005 feet and encompass 2.2 million square feet. When renderings were first released of the $3.2 billion project, which is distinguished by cascading landscaped terraces and hanging gardens, Ingels said his design "combines the classic ziggurat silhouette of the premodern skyscraper with the slender proportions and efficient layouts of the modern high-rise."
More details ahead

September 29, 2016

MTA board member asks who will pay for Penn Station overhaul

By Michelle Cohen

As 6sqft previously reported, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans early this week for a $1.6 billion overhaul of Penn Station, and further details revealed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would be responsible for $150 of the project's costs. Since those plans were released, questions have been raised about where that organization's share of the tab would be coming from in an already stretched budget.
So where is this money coming from?

September 28, 2016

REVEALED: Governor Cuomo unveils plans for new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex

By Michelle Cohen

In a presentation (pdf) Tuesday at the Association for a Better New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that plans for transforming a revamped Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex into a "world-class 21st century transportation hub" were back on track and ready to roll, complete with a slew of new renderings and the selection of a developer-builder team including the Related Companies, Vornado, and Skanska AB, to redevelop the Farley Building.
Find out all the details

September 22, 2016

REVEALED: Port Authority releases five design proposals for new bus terminal

By Dana Schulz

On Tuesday, an agreement was reached between West Side elected officials and the Port Authority that said the agency would expand the planning process for a new $10 billion bus terminal with more local input. And just today they've revealed the five proposals that were submitted to a design competition to replace the currently loathed site. Crain's brings us videos of the ideas, which come from big-name firms Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Arcadis, AECOM in partnership with Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Perkins Eastman, and Archilier Architecture Consortium. Though this seems counter to the agreement, John Degnan, the Port Authority's New Jersey-appointed chairman, said he doubts "any one of them will be the final design," since they either further complicate existing planning issues or cost billions over budget.
Take a look at them all here

September 22, 2016

Charming Hell’s Kitchen railroad apartment hits the market for $510K

By Emily Nonko

Not everyone will want to live just a block from Times Square, but this Midtown West apartment at 347 West 44th Street may be cute enough to convince buyers otherwise. It's located two flights up a brownstone building (yes, there are brownstones in Times Square!) and is asking $510,000. An open living room/kitchen fronts the railroad apartment, followed by a cozy bedroom and finally a bathroom.
Walk through the space

Distinctive Homes

September 14, 2016

REVEALED: Thomas Heatherwick’s $150M climbable Hudson Yards sculpture ‘The Vessel’

By Dana Schulz

It was nearly three years ago that Related Companies chairman Stephen Ross boasted that Hudson Yards' public art piece would be "New York’s Eiffel Tower," and after an unveiling today of the massive sculpture that will anchor the central public space, it seems he might not have been too far off.
More details and renderings this way

September 12, 2016

New views of curvaceous 15 Hudson Yards ahead of this week’s sales launch

By Dana Schulz

15 Hudson Yards, the first of two residential towers that Related Companies and Oxford Properties have planned for the massive complex, started its climb into the far west side skyline back in March, and now, seven months later, it's readying for a sales launch this week. According to a press release, condos will start at about $2 million for one-bedrooms and go up to $30 million for the penthouses. To coincide with the 285 market-rate condos hitting the market (there will also be 106 affordable rentals, for which details have yet to be released), YIMBY has gotten its hands on new renderings of the 910-foot building, which, as 6sqft previously described, has been dubbed the "Morph Tower" for its "curvaceous and feminine design" from Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group. The images provide new views of the bundled quad of cylinders that make up its body, as well as its rectilinear base that will abut the Shed.
More renderings and details ahead

September 9, 2016

Photographer Iwan Baan captures Bjarke Ingels’ now-complete Via 57 West from all angles

By Dana Schulz

On Wednesday, Bjarke Ingels' famous rental tetrahedron Via 57 West wrapped up construction, and now that the cranes are down and the shimmering facade panels are all set in place, we can see the building in its true glory. Architectural photographer Iwan Baan wasted no time, releasing a captivating set of images that showcase the half-block-long development from just about every angle, including some incredible aerial shots. First shared by designboom, the photographs provide never-before-seen vantages of the building's central courtyard, as well as views of how the 32-story building fits in with the skyline.
Ogle all the photos

Architecture And Design

Friday 5: Live in Midtown for less, modern towers now offering free rent

Every Friday 6sqft rounds up five of the best rental deals showcased on CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page, a space where house hunters can find the best concessions being offered by landlords across the city.

September 2, 2016

Friday 5: Live in Midtown for less, modern towers now offering free rent

By 6sqft

If you love being in the thick of it all, there's no area of New York that pulsates quite like Midtown. With ample entertainment and dining options along every street and on every corner; stunning architecture spanning numerous decades and styles everywhere you look; and no shortage of transit options to deliver you to just about any neighborhood in a matter of minutes, this neighborhood is made for the truest of urban explorers and city enthusiasts. Ahead are five extra-tall modern towers that put the city's spectacular offer up close and personal—and they're all giving out free rent!
check out who's offering deals here

Uncategorized

September 2, 2016

Live in SOM’s new Hudson Yards project for $913/month, lottery launching for 169 units

By Dana Schulz

6sqft revealed renderings at the beginning of the year of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's Hudson Yards-adjacent, five million-square-foot Manhattan West project, which "will include two office towers, a rental tower with 844 apartments at 435 West 31st Street, retail space and a new landscaped public plaza designed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm responsible for the design of the High Line." As of Tuesday, September 6th, New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for 169 affordable apartments in the residential tower; they'll range from $913/month studios to $1,359/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

August 26, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 8/25-8/31

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Summer is winding down, but we're not ready to move back indoors. Jump a ferry and celebrate the season's end on Governors Island with an old fashioned oyster shuck. Get down (silently) outside at the Coney Island Art walls at the Quiet Clubbing Festival, or join artist Santhori in making a giant mural at the park on East 1st Street. Stretch out and appreciate Times Square on Jurgen Mayer H's XXX easy chairs, then head to the Bowery Wall to find your friends in Logan Hicks' giant new mural. Finally, the gallery prince of darkness JJ Brine is bringing his Vector Gallery back to New York, and two artists are turning Brooklyn's Ground Floor Gallery into a giant loom installation.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

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