Midtown

Mayor de Blasio first started pushing to corral the costumed characters and topless performers in Times Square last August, and now almost a year later work has begun on a reconfiguration of the area, reports the Daily News. A preliminary map that divided the plazas into three zones was released in September, but a new, final version was issued on Wednesday. Called "TSq Plaza Rules Cheat Sheet," it splits the tourist mecca into Chill Zones (places to "sit, nosh, meditate, take in the sites"), De$ignated Activity Zones ("commercial activities, street entertainment, posing for photos, vendors of expressive matter... in exchange for compensation, donation, or tips"), and Express Lanes ("pedestrian through lanes, NYC style"). After the City Council passed legislation eight weeks ago that gave the Department of Transportation the power to relocate the performers and ticket sellers, workers began painting the colored lines to delineate the zones on Wednesday night.
See the full map

Policy

June 7, 2016

Another Luxury Development May Rise on Billionaires’ Row

By Diane Pham

Crain's reports that another prime piece of property will soon be changing hands, putting 126,000 square feet of development rights in play. The Steinberg family last month made an agreement with commercial developers Thor Equities and General Growth Properties to sell neighborhood fixture Lee's Art Shop's four-story structure at 220 West 57th Street for $85 million, a deal that is expected to close this month. It is not yet clear what the developers plan to do with the landmarked building, but what is known is that the property comes with the right to build atop the historic structure—itself boasting 21,837 square feet on a sizable 8,400-square-foot lot.
find out more here

New Developments

May 27, 2016

Spotlight: Adam Blumenthal Keeps Magic Alive at 91-Year-Old Tannen’s

By Susan Cohen

At a time when the inner workings of so many things have been demystified, magic still has the ability to stump us. But for magicians to make tricks look seamless, a tremendous amount of time is invested in perfecting the craft and engaging with colleagues who can help them grow and develop their skills. And in New York, magic is cultivated on a daily basis above the hustle and bustle of 34th Street at Tannen’s Magic. The business has been serving the magic community since Louis Tannen opened a street stand in 1925. He later took the business indoors, where it became a gathering place for magicians of all ages and skill levels to purchase and practice their tricks. The current keeper of Tannen’s tradition is Adam Blumenthal, who fell in love with magic at a young age, in part thanks to the store, and is now responsible for ensuring its legacy and introducing it to a new generation of magicians. 6sqft recently spoke with Adam to learn more about magic, Tannen’s, and New York’s magicians.
Read the interview here

May 26, 2016

Anne Hathaway’s Infamous Former Midtown Love Nest for Rent for $48K a Month

We've followed ingenue Anne Hathaway through various life events as expressed in real estate transactions, including the Upper West Side penthouse she currently shares with husband Adam Shulman. Before that, there was the DUMBO Clocktower loft the actress reportedly used as an expensive closet. Now here's a peek at the glossy midtown duplex in the Olympic Tower condominium at 641 Fifth Avenue that Ms. Hathaway shared with ex-con ex Raffaello Follieri for $37K/month in the mid-2000s (h/t WSJ); the apartment is currently on the rental market for $48,000 a month. The listing points out that the glass-clad, dubiously decorated pad has the distinction of having been the rented home of the ill-starred couple during their "storybook romance," which makes a lot of sense if the storybook you're reading is a white collar crime novel about a 30-year-old con man arrested, convicted, incarcerated and deported for embezzlement and fraud, possibly with the aid of his actress girlfriend. But a different choice of words and more context should put this dressed-to impress duplex in a better light.
It would be a crime not to check out the views from here

Great Game Changers: One Worldwide Plaza, A Classy Attraction for Sleazy 1980s Midtown

Image of WWP via Macklowe Properties

May 24, 2016

Great Game Changers: One Worldwide Plaza, A Classy Attraction for Sleazy 1980s Midtown

By Carter B. Horsley

What does it take to jump-start an unglamorous neighborhood? A huge development? A mixed-use project? New transit facilities? When this full-block, mixed-use development project was conceived in the mid-1980s the area in and around Times Square was one of the city’s worst. It was riddled with crime and pornography and was run-down, especially along Eighth Avenue. The proposition to add a building that was the scale of the full-block One Worldwide Plaza development, therefore, was not only surprising, but shocking and downright unthinkable. The legendary Madison Square Garden designed by Thomas W. Lamb had occupied its site from 1925 to 1966, but its second incarnation here was rather ramshackle especially in comparison to its previous glorious building on Madison Avenue at 26th Street. When it moved south next to the “new” Penn Station 16 blocks to the south, this site became the city’s largest parking lot and it took about a decade and a half for it to find a new life. The site was finally developed and completed in 1989 by a syndicate headed by William Zeckendorf Jr. that included Arthur Cohen and Worldwide Realty partners Frank Stanton and Victor Elmaleh.
more on the rise of worldwide plaza and how it revived midtown manhattan

Rafael Viñoly Apologizes for Dissing 432 Park

Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment

May 13, 2016

Rafael Viñoly Apologizes for Dissing 432 Park

Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment On Monday, the architecture world was gobbling up the comments starchitect Rafael Viñoly made about 432 Park Avenue at a Douglas Elliman talk last week. He admitted that the 1,400-foot supertall "has a couple of screw-ups," referring to the interior design and layout, as well as the window framing, which he blamed on developer Harry Macklowe. But it looks like the architect is a bit red in the face, because he penned a lengthy public letter to design blog Dezeen apologizing for his loose lips. "In the context of what we understood to be a private and off-the-record conversation, I expressed frustration, inartfully, about the consequences of my profession's diminished position in the real estate development eco-system. Sometimes I get a little excited and say things that can easily be taken out of context and stripped of their humor. I have to improve," he said.
Read more of his apology letter

Architecture And Design

May 12, 2016

Interview: RAMSA’s Paul Whalen Reflects on the Unique Design of 15 Central Park West

By Diane Pham

For good reason, hundreds if not thousands of articles and books have been published on 15 Central Park West, the “Limestone Jesus” designed by famed architect Robert A.M. Stern. This modern icon is credited with not only elevating the New York City luxury market to a level no one before dreamed it could reach, but […]

May 10, 2016

Forgotten Four Acres of Central Park Reopens to Visitors After Almost 90 Years

By Diane Pham

After being closed off to the public since the 1930s, The Hallet Nature Sanctuary on the lower east side of Central Park is once again open to all, writes The Times. The lush four-acre peninsula has for the last decades been used as a bird sanctuary, reclaimed and then tended to by the Central Park Conservancy in 2001 as part of their Woodlands Initiative. Under the project, $45 million was directed towards revitalizing and restoring the wooded areas of Central Park to their original glory.
More on how to visit here

The History of Herald Square: From Newspaper Headquarters to Retail Corridor

Image via Library of Congress

May 10, 2016

The History of Herald Square: From Newspaper Headquarters to Retail Corridor

By Michelle Young

Herald Square is today known for many things. There's the flagship Macy's department store and the pedestrianized part of Broadway that extends to Times Square. And it serves as an epicenter of the retail corridor that now runs from 5th Avenue to 7th Avenue. Some may remember the song, "Give My Regards to Broadway," from the George M. Cohan musical "Little Johnny Jones"with the iconic line, "Remember me to Herald Square." But written in 1904, "Give My Regards to Broadway" references a very different Herald Square than the one we're familiar with today.
Learn about the evolution of Herald Square here

May 9, 2016

Rafael Viñoly Admits 432 Park ‘Has a Couple of Screw-Ups’

432 Park Avenue is the supertall that New Yorkers love to hate. From calling it the "oligarch's erection" to spilling the beans about cracks in its facade, critics of the tallest residential building in the western hemisphere are quick to try to bring the tower down from its 1,400-foot pedestal. And strangely, its very own architect is the latest jump on the bandwagon. The Post reports that Rafael Viñoly admitted at a Douglas Elliman talk last week that his creation "has a couple of screw-ups," namely the window framing, which he blames on developer Harry Macklowe, and the tiny issue of "the interior design and layout." (And The Real Deal has an entire roundup of zingers he delivered during the talk.)
Find out more this way

Architecture And Design

May 6, 2016

Five-Star ‘Lazar Hotel’ Coming to Midtown, Will Meld Modern With Late-1700s Baroque

West 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues is home to some of the city's most elite hotels, such as the Royalton, Sofitel and Algonquin, and also to esteemed institutions like the Harvard Club, Penn Club and New York Yacht Club. Near the stretch's Fifth Avenue corner, a new 20-story, 96-key hotel tower is in the works at 7 West 44th Street, and it will be festooned in Baroque stylings, Juliet balconies, twisted columns, cast-iron railings, and a grand lobby staircase.
READ MORE

May 5, 2016

$250M Penthouse at 220 Central Park South Will Officially Be NYC’s Most Expensive Apartment

For over a year, it's been a guessing game with just how expensive 220 Central Park South's penthouse will actually be. Initial murmurings put the price at $175 million, but later reports that claimed hedge fund tycoon Ken Griffin was the buyer upped it to $200 million. The guessing is over, though, as The Real Deal has obtained an amended offering plan filed with the New York Attorney General, which shows that the 23,000-square-foot, four-floor "billionaire's bunker" will cost a mind-boggling $250 million (or $11,000 per square foot), making it by far the city's most expensive apartment.
Check out the insane floorplans

Uncategorized

April 27, 2016

Exclusive Photos: Tour the Lavish South Wing of the Gilded Age Villard Houses

By Emily Nonko

The Gilded Age mansions that once stood along 5th Avenue -- nicknamed Millionaire's Row -- have mostly met the wrecking ball. But the Villard Houses remain remarkably preserved since their construction in 1884. The famed architecture firm McKim, Mead and White designed this visionary six-house complex for Henry Villard, a railroad magnate whose empire began to crumble as construction wrapped. Today -- after many changes in ownership and a landmark designation -- the buildings stand as the entrance to the Lotte Palace Hotel. The hotel has just offered several rooms inside the south wing of the property, the former home of Villard himself, up for lease, offering a rare look into the lavish interior that's hardly changed since it was designed over 100 years ago.
More history and lots of interior photos this way

April 21, 2016

100architects Propose a Vertical Park Made of Stacked Glass Pods for Times Square

Shanghai-based architecture firm 100architects noticed how New Yorkers are always trying to get out of Times Square as fast as possible, which made them wonder if there was a way to engage people in the urban setting without them having to deal with the chaos at street level. That's where their proposal for Vertical Times comes in (h/t Architizer). The 180-foot-tall tower is a stack of six cylindrical glass pods along a central column that "multiplies the intended space for public recreation in a vertical way." Within these spaces would be a carousel, ball pit, hammock plaza, sky garden, restaurant, and bar.
Get the rest of the details

Architecture And Design

April 20, 2016

Thor/General Growth File Permits to Add New Office Space Atop Fifth Avenue’s Upcoming ‘Coach House’

Part of its overall marketing plan to reinvent itself, Coach has leased space at 685 Fifth Avenue for a new flagship location to be called "Coach House." As outlined in new DOB filings and renderings, the luxury retailer will occupy a three-story corner portion at the base of the building, amounting to 23,400 square feet. As part of the property's transformation, floor area from the lower levels will be removed and redistributed to the top of the 20-story building, providing five new floors of office space and raising the building's height from 227 feet to 292 feet.
Watch the marketing video for the project

New Developments

April 18, 2016

Donald Trump’s Failed and Fraught Attempt to Own the Empire State Building

In 2000, shortly after ending his first presidential run, Donald Trump was asked for what he would like to be remembered. He responded, "I'd like to own the Empire State Building," adding that it would make him "New York's Native Son." As Crain's recalls, he came awfully close to renaming the iconic tower the "Trump Empire State Building Tower Apartments." For nearly a decade, Trump had a 50 percent, no-cost stake in the building, but he lost it when he attempted a hostile takeover of the structure in the late 90s.
Read about the entire saga

History

April 18, 2016

Construction Begins on Gene Kaufman-Designed Apartments Rising Over Bryant Park

At a narrow Midtown lot at 1050 Sixth Avenue, construction is moving forward on a slender 24-story residential tower penned by New York's most beloved architect, Gene Kaufman. Rising behind the landmarked Bryant Park Studios Building (aka The Beaux-Arts Building), Kaufman's oft substance-less style will likely stand in sharp contrast to the charming 1901 structure. Skyline Developers, the New York division of Jersey-based Garden Homes Development, are the developers. The Orin Wilf-led firm owns the adjacent art-deco office tower at 1040 Sixth Avenue, and their new venture here will replace two turn-of-the-century walk-up buildings.
More details ahead

April 18, 2016

Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Gets Stoned; New Renderings and Construction Shots

At the forefront of Midtown's high-rise sierra, a new peak is emerging. Simply addressed 220 Central Park South, the two-winged development is being designed by celebrated historian and poet of the city's skyline Robert A.M. Stern and developed by commercial and retail heavyweights Vornado Realty Trust. The tower portion of the complex has already ascended some 300 feet above street level and is noticeable from many parts of Central Park. Ultimately, it will stand 66 stories, 950 feet high, making it among the tallest residential buildings in the city. The exclusive, Central Park South-fronting wing, dubbed "The Villas" is up to the third of 17 stories and will be topped by a palatial quadplex penthouse. Earlier this month, the tower's warm limestone cladding was being applied to the lower mechanical floors, which will have 18- to 24-foot-high ceilings, boosting the building's height by more than 100 feet and allowing nearly all its residences to possess Central Park views. To coincide with the construction work, Vornado recently published a collection of new renderings in a property portfolio, showing us for the first time several new looks at the project, including three full-scale views from Central Park and close-up looks at the base, porte-cochere, and an upper-level interior.
Check out the renderings and construction shots right here

April 14, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 4/14-4/20

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! This week, check out the giant swimming pool that is smack in the middle of Rockefeller Center, or frolic with the two-story bunnies in Battery Park City. Photographer Joe Russo shares pieces from his years of shooting celebs and artists, and the annual AIPAD photographer show takes over the gorgeous Park Avenue Armory. Music novelist Ben Vendetta talks about 90s Brit Pop at Otto's Shrunken Head, and old school graffiti artist BIO shares new work in the Bronx. And finally, save your pennies to party in style with Swizz Beatz at the Brooklyn Museum.
more on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

April 12, 2016

The Port Authority Paid $47.6M in 2015 to Cover Condé Nast’s Move to One WTC

Though the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey would like you to think it's been smooth sailing finding tenants for One World Trade Center, their spending habits say otherwise. As Crain's reported, more than a year after Condé Nast made the big move from 4 Times Square to One World Trade, the agency is still dropping $3 million a month to pay for the old lease. This deal came about in 2011 when the Port Authority offered the incentive to entice the media company to relocate amid floundering activity at the downtown tower. In 2015 alone, they spent $47.6 million, and the payments are expected to continue into 2019 (when the lease ends) unless building owner the Durst Organization can find a new tenant.
More details ahead

Policy

April 12, 2016

Luciano Pavarotti’s $10.5M Pied-à-Terre and Next Door Unit Listed as $20M Combo

The 2,000-square-foot co-op at the Hampshire House at 150 Central Park South that was for three decades the favorite Manhattan pied-à-terre of the late operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, is for sale for $10.5M–or as part of a two-unit, $20.5 million option to create a 3,300 square-foot three-bedroom dream home with two balconies and iconic Central Park views. The neighboring two-bedroom apartment–listed in February for $10 million–is about half the size of Pavarotti's place, but has a 40-foot terrace with park views from every room. The resulting three-bedroom combo has 72 feet of park frontage and the kind of stunning views Central Park South is known for. The opera star, who passed away in 2007, had several apartments in the city but was particularly fond of this one, in part because of its proximity to the Met. The other two members of the "Three Tenors" opera supergroup, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras have lived at this building as well at various times.
Take in the view, this way

April 11, 2016

How Much Is Eloise’s Plaza Apartment Worth? And Stuart Little’s Gramercy Townhouse?

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

It is well known that Eloise lived in The Plaza. But the book was published in 1955, well before Manhattan real estate skyrocketed. So what would her apartment be worth today? In fact, many children’s books have been set in New York City—think "Harriet the Spy" or "Stuart Little." In this day and age of record-setting prices, how much would those fictional characters have to pay to live in their homes today? Who would have seen the most appreciation, Eloise or Lyle Crocodile? Much detective work (à la Harriet) reveals the residences of a boy-mouse and a anthropomorphized girl dog span various neighborhoods including the Upper East Side, Gramercy Park, and Park Slope. What follows is a survey of six iconic picture books set in New York City and the current valuations of their fictional homes.
Check them out here

Real Estate Trends

The Country’s First Botanic Garden Was on 20 Wooded Acres at Today’s Rockefeller Center

View of Elgin Botanic Garden in 1801

March 30, 2016

The Country’s First Botanic Garden Was on 20 Wooded Acres at Today’s Rockefeller Center

Today, New Yorkers get to enjoy lush landscapes and beautiful plantings at the 250-acre New York Botanical Garden and the 52-acre Brooklyn Botanic Garden, but these outdoor oases weren't founded until 1891 and 1910, respectively. About 100 years prior, a public botanic garden sprouted up on 20 acres of land at what is today Rockefeller Center, and it was the first such garden in the nation. Elgin Botanic Garden was founded in 1801 by Dr. David Hosack, a physician, botanist, and educator, perhaps best known for serving as the doctor to Alexander Hamilton after his duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. He used his own money to purchase and landscape the grounds, and by 1805 it was home to more than 1,500 plant species, which he studied for medicinal purposes.
The full history of Hosack and the Elgin Botanic Garden

History

‘Eloise From Hell’ Spent 35 Years in the Plaza for $500/Month, Until Donald Trump Came Along

Illustration by Hilary Knight, courtesy of Simon and Schuster

March 28, 2016

‘Eloise From Hell’ Spent 35 Years in the Plaza for $500/Month, Until Donald Trump Came Along

Remember the story of Herbert J. Sukenik, the famous Central Park West "hermit holdout?" Developers paid the rent-controlled curmudgeon $17 million and gave him a free massive pad overlooking the park in a legendary buyout. His female counterpart might be one Fannie Lowenstein, whom none other than Donald Trump is said to have ended up bestowing a sprawling suite in the venerable Plaza Hotel at 1 Central Park South, complete with a Steinway grand piano and maid service. For zero dollars a month. For life. Here’s how the story of the woman the hotel staff referred to as “the Eloise from Hell” became yet another Manhattan rent regulation legend, as told by Vice.
Find out more

March 23, 2016

Breathalyzer Entrepreneur Lists Iconic Plaza Condo for $2.39M