Midtown

Channel the Spirits of Tesla, Carnegie and Edison in the Former Engineers’ Club HQ for $14K/Month
September 9, 2015

Channel the Spirits of Tesla, Carnegie and Edison in the Former Engineers’ Club HQ for $14K/Month

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Like so many places in this fascinating city, this listing comes with some interesting history: Known today as Bryant Park Place, the primarily residential co-op building at 32 West 40th Street was once the clubhouse of the Engineers' Club. Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1907, members included–in addition to Carnegie himself–Thomas Edison, President Herbert Hoover, H.H. Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla, who was honored here upon receiving the Edison Medal in 1917 and enjoyed feeding the pigeons in the park across the street. Units 1A and 1K currently comprise a commercial listing–with residential possibilities if you're willing to do your homework. The property–two connected co-op units–is for sale for $3.1 million, and also for rent at $14K a month (in the latter case it would make a pretty impressive HQ for that hot new startup–and since there's a small kitchen, those all-nighters won't be a problem). Buyers may need to unwind some red tape, but according to the listing, residential conversion is possible along with some serious subsequent upside.
Find out more
Hedge Fund Tycoon May Be the Buyer of $200M Penthouse at 220 Central Park South
September 8, 2015

Hedge Fund Tycoon May Be the Buyer of $200M Penthouse at 220 Central Park South

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We first got wind of the potentially record-setting penthouse listing at 220 Central Park South back in March, when it was reported that the unit could sell for between $150 and $175 million. In June, sources said that a Qatari billionaire was looking to combine multiple apartments in the Robert A.M. Stern-designed building to create a $250 million mega-penthouse. Then last month, the Post speculated that another high-profile buyer was Ken Griffin, the billionaire hedge fun tycoon who is currently in the midst of a messy divorce from wife Anne Dias-Griffin (she's asking for $1 million a month in child support). Now the paper reveals that it's Griffin who's looking to snatch up the $200 million+ penthouse in what's being called the "billionaire's bunker."
More details this way
Construction Update: Loggia-Crowned Condominium Finally Rises Next to Bryant Park
August 27, 2015

Construction Update: Loggia-Crowned Condominium Finally Rises Next to Bryant Park

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Bryant Park is one of the city's most cherished spaces, providing a much-needed oasis from the stone and glass canyons of Midtown. But debuting in 2017, a mixed-use tower will grant home buyers their first opportunity to purchase condos directly alongside the ten-acre respite. Simply named the Bryant, the 200,000-square-foot building at 16 West 40th Street will house 57 condo units perched 200 feet above a five-star boutique hotel within the tower's lower levels. The 32-story, 361-foot-high building is being developed by the very-active HFZ Capital, led by Ziel Friedman, and is designed by renowned British architect David Chipperfield, with Stonehill & Taylor serving as the architects of record.
More details ahead
VIDEO: Flashback to When Times Square Was a Car-Filled Hellscape
August 21, 2015

VIDEO: Flashback to When Times Square Was a Car-Filled Hellscape

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There's currently no hotter topic in NYC than Mayor de Blasio's backwards proposal to rid Times Square of its pedestrian plazas. Because how could returning one of the city's busiest areas back to a battle between man and vehicle (and man and man) be a good idea? Let's remember the Times Square of just a few years ago, shall we? In this video filmed back in 2006, Streetsblog publisher Mark Gorton brings Danish architect and urban design consultant Jan Gehl to the center of Times Square to get his opinion on the area and his thoughts on what could be improved. The pair's fascinating conversation is punctuated with cars honking and brakes screeching, but Gehl makes his views clear despite all the distraction: “It would be completely idiotic to chase people away by giving them very poor conditions. If we are to talk about the conditions for pedestrians here, it’s really lousy... The balance is all wrong and something ought to be done to celebrate this unique place, so that more people, in a dignified way, can enjoy it."
watch the video here
Mayor de Blasio Proposes Ripping Out Times Square’s Pedestrian Plazas
August 21, 2015

Mayor de Blasio Proposes Ripping Out Times Square’s Pedestrian Plazas

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There are a lot of nuisances to be found in Times Square, but apparently for Mayor de Blasio, none are as bothersome as the topless women and aggressive Elmos traipsing around the area's overly lit streets. As the NYDN reports, de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton have formed a special task force aimed at ridding the bustling tourist destination of its "jiggly panhandlers." And the solution at the top of their list is tearing up the pedestrian plazas and letting cars back in.
Find out more on the issue here, as well as alternative plans
City Defends Supertalls, Won’t Limit Size of Midtown Towers
August 20, 2015

City Defends Supertalls, Won’t Limit Size of Midtown Towers

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The Department of City Planning announced that although it shares residents' concerns about the effects of the new crop of supertall towers rising near Central Park, it does not intend to lower the size limits on buildings in the dense Midtown district. Crain's reports that department director Carl Weisbrod said in a written response to elected officials on August 12 that the slender structures may actually preserve historic buildings nearby and that they enhance the city's iconic skyline.
Read more on the city's response
August 20, 2015

Spin FAILE’s 7-Foot Prayer Wheel in Times Square; Fly Over the Most Majestic Spots in the Hamptons

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Find some peace in Times Square at FAILE’s hand-carved, seven-foot tall prayer wheel installation. [Gothamist] Enjoy the Hamptons without all the popped collars in this amazing drone video. [Curbed Hamptons] A Homepolish designer works her magic on her own Columbus Circle home. [Design Milk] Good job, New Yorkers. Our most used emoji is the Statue […]

The Final Design of Extell’s Nordstrom Tower Still Undecided
August 18, 2015

The Final Design of Extell’s Nordstrom Tower Still Undecided

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Back in May it was reported that the official rendering for Extell's Nordstrom Tower—a.k.a. Central Park Tower, a.k.a. NYC and the country's future tallest tower (by roof height)—had finally been released by the developer, showing a glassy construction rising 1,523 feet from its 217 West 57th Street address. But now comes news from The Post's Steve Cuozzo that the tower's final design is actually "still up in the air."
Find out more here
First 1,000+ Foot Tower Outside Manhattan May Rise in Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering based on potential height, via CityRealty

August 5, 2015

First 1,000+ Foot Tower Outside Manhattan May Rise in Downtown Brooklyn

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As the result of the $90 million acquisition of Brooklyn's landmarked Dime Savings Bank building by developers Michael Stern (111 West 57th) and Joe Chetrit, a new residential skyscraper in Brooklyn could nearly reach the height of the Empire State Building. The historic Neo-Roman building at 9 DeKalb Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn–next door to the famed Junior's Restaurant–comes with 300,000 square feet of development rights, which, combined with existing air rights next door at 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension (which the pair bought last summer for $43 million), could be used to build an adjacent tower of nearly 600,000 square feet. The likelihood of a tower that reaches between 1,000 and 1,200 feet has been mentioned by sources close to the deal.
find out more about the planned Brooklyn skyscraper
LinkedIn’s Remodeled Offices Have a Speakeasy and Plenty of Lounge Space
July 31, 2015

LinkedIn’s Remodeled Offices Have a Speakeasy and Plenty of Lounge Space

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The Empire State Building is already one of the most unique places to work in the city, but the LinkedIn offices on the 28th floor have made the iconic building even cooler. Interior Architects recently remodeled the 33,005-square-foot space, which houses the social network's sales team. The result is a floor that is "fun and vibrant," but maintains the professionalism of a "club level of a hotel." Just a warning, though, everything about this office–from a wall of rotary phones that conceals a speakeasy to a photo display that celebrates employees' pets–is going to make you pretty bummed about your boring cubicle.
Take a tour of the office here
$51M Time Warner Center Penthouse Sale Sets a Record for the Building
July 24, 2015

$51M Time Warner Center Penthouse Sale Sets a Record for the Building

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Maybe it's the location near Lincoln Center and lots of shopping, or maybe it's the unobstructed views of Central Park, or maybe it's the ease of planting tons of one's foreign cash without worry within its walls, whatever the case may be, the ultra-luxe Time Warner Center has just drawn in a record $50.92 million sale. The owner, Russian billionaire Andrey Vavilov, listed the sprawling 14-room penthouse for $75 million early last year, then dropping the price to $68 million in November, finally landing on $51 million with a buyer known only as "Columbus Family LLC," according to city documents filed today. As CityRealty reveals, the transaction is the highest ever recorded at the building; the runner-up, incidentally, the same unit, which traded hands last in 2009 between Vavilov and Austrian investor Gerhard Andlinger for $37.5 million.
Have a closer look inside
How You Can Live in a Billionaire’s Row Condo for Free AND Make Six Figures
July 22, 2015

How You Can Live in a Billionaire’s Row Condo for Free AND Make Six Figures

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Get a job as one of their building managers. As DNA Info reports, if you're just a regular Joe or Jane looking to take up residence in one of the city's priciest towers, you don't need to be a billionaire—or even a millionaire for that matter. The resident managers at four headline-stealing, ultra-luxury towers will live rent-free, in very large apartments, while also earning respectable six-figure salaries for their services.
Find out more here
BIG Ideas: Bjarke Ingels Talks 2 WTC and Why Today’s Skyscrapers Lack Confidence
July 21, 2015

BIG Ideas: Bjarke Ingels Talks 2 WTC and Why Today’s Skyscrapers Lack Confidence

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Helping to kick off the 2015 New York Times Cities for Tomorrow conference, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels—principal of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the firm responsible for 2 World Trade Center, Google HQ in Mountain View (with Thomas Heatherwick), the Dry Line and the pyramid-shaped “Via,” AKA 625 West 57th Street, among many others—talked “social infrastructure” with New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman. The baby-faced “starchitect 2.0” was his usual quotable and slightly mischievous self, yet, as always, provided plenty of insight on the topic at hand. Well-known for his suggestion that “Architecture at its best is really the power to make the world a little bit more like our dreams," Ingels offered his views on the ideal workspace design, what makes a memorable skyscraper and what some of his toughest challenges have been, in addition to speaking to the architect’s role in the social evolution of modern cities.
Find out the highlights and watch a video of the discussion
One57 Received $66M in Tax Breaks in Exchange for Just 66 Units of Affordable Housing
July 15, 2015

One57 Received $66M in Tax Breaks in Exchange for Just 66 Units of Affordable Housing

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If you need more proof that there are some serious flaws with the 421-a program, once again, look no further than One57. As reported by the Journal, the super-luxe tower was the beneficiary of a whopping $65.6 million tax cut, an abatement granted in exchange for a paltry $5.9 million contribution to help cover the cost of 66 affordable apartments in the Bronx. That means your tax dollars subsidized apartments at nearly $1 million per unit—the highest known subsidy under the program—when affordable units on average cost a mere $179,000 apiece. It's estimated that the generous cut could have provided for 367 affordable apartments. The findings came from the latest review by the city’s Independent Budget Office (IBO).
FInd out more here
Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into the Sky

Image courtesy of Desimone Engineering

July 8, 2015

Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into the Sky

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Billionaire's Row's race into the sky continues. Two of its biggest projected selling towers are beginning to rise out of their gargantuan foundations and are rushing to claim their piece of coveted Central Park-fronting airspace. Construction of Vornado's 220 Central Park South development has an early lead against Extell Development's significantly larger Central Park Tower (formerly Nordstrom Tower) across West 58th Street. The first level of concrete and re-bar are now poking up above street level and the elevator/stairway cores are now clearly visible to pedestrian passersby.
See new images of the tower here
June 24, 2015

POLL: How Do You Like the Nordstrom Tower’s New Name, Central Park Tower?

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We knew the name Nordstrom Tower wasn’t going to stick; the unofficial moniker came only from the fact that the building will have a Nordstrom department store at its base. And just a week after news hit that the supertall from Extell will be the country’s highest by roof height, we’ve learned the official name: Central Park […]

Extell’s Nordstrom Tower Will Be the Country’s Tallest by Roof Height
June 16, 2015

Extell’s Nordstrom Tower Will Be the Country’s Tallest by Roof Height

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The Nordstrom Tower may not become the overall tallest building to ever rise NYC, besting One World Trade Center as previously reported and then rebuffed, but new filings unearthed by NY Yimby show that the supertall will still carry a very worthy, head-craning title. Documents show that the 95-story building will become not only the tallest building by roof height in NYC, but also in the country at 1,522.83 feet.
get the scoop here
A Trashcan Inspired the Design of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue
May 31, 2015

A Trashcan Inspired the Design of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue

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Most ideas usually end up in the trash but few ideas are inspired by the basket that holds them. A recent discovery by The Real Deal has revealed that the city's residential tower-of the-moment, 432 Park Avenue, was actually inspired by a Josef Hoffmann-designed wastebasket released in 1905. The revelation came via a talk held last December at the Cornell Center for Real Estate and Finance where Harry Macklowe, the co-developer of the supertall, told the crowd that the repository was an "important touchstone" for the 1,396-foot-high design.
More on the muse here
REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

Rendering via Witkoff

May 27, 2015

REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

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Just a week after Manhattan's Community Board 5 called for a moratorium on shadow-casting Central Park skyscrapers taller than 600 feet, renderings have been revealed for the next supertall tower coming to the periphery of the park. New York Yimby first spotted the images for 1 Park Lane, the 1,210-foot-tall glassy condo that will replace the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel at 36 Central Park South and become the fourth-tallest residential building in the city.
More details ahead
Fully-Furnished Rentals Launch at One57
May 22, 2015

Fully-Furnished Rentals Launch at One57

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In the past when we've talked about the latest occupancies at billionaires' row blockbuster One57 we were referring to the record-breaking $100 million condo sale (the most expensive in the city ever) or Bill Ackman's $91.5 million flip attempt. But now those looking to get in on the city's most expensive condo building can do so without dropping seven figures in one fell swoop. Extell Development, after selling most of the condos at One57, has quietly listed 38 fully-furnished apartments for rent on the building's seven lower residential floors. But don't get too excited if you're not in the billionaires' club; asking prices range from $13,350/month for a one-bedroom unit to $50,366 for a three-bedroom.
More details ahead
Four Seasons Renovation Plans Shot Down by Landmarks Preservation Commission

Photo via Le Travelist

May 20, 2015

Four Seasons Renovation Plans Shot Down by Landmarks Preservation Commission

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Aby Rosen's plans to update the Four Seasons has been squashed by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. According to Crain's, the only upgrade that received a nod from the commission was a request to change the carpet. Bigger renovations, like replacing a non-original fissured glass partition with planters and to replace a fixed walnut panel between the public and private dining rooms with a movable one, were all rejected. "There is no good reason why they should make these changes," said Meenakshi Srinivasan, the commission's chairwoman, Crain's reports. "There's no rationale. The space could function perfectly well without these changes, so why do it?"
Find out more
Community Board Wants Moratorium Placed on Central Park Skyscrapers Taller than 600 Feet
May 19, 2015

Community Board Wants Moratorium Placed on Central Park Skyscrapers Taller than 600 Feet

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Those looking to build a behemoth along Central Park may have to look elsewhere. The Manhattan Community Board Five's Sunshine Task Force has voted in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate, temporary moratorium on any new construction of 600 feet or taller that is not already undergoing public review, particularly with those threatening to cast shadows over Central Park in an area bounded by 53rd Street and Central Park South, and Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. The board voiced their concerns and outlined the ban in a policy brief (via DNA Info) which made its way to the desks of the Department of City Planning and the mayor last week.
FInd out more here
FAO Schwarz To Close Flagship Fifth Avenue Store Ahead of Rising Rent

Image: Gary Burke via flickr.

May 18, 2015

FAO Schwarz To Close Flagship Fifth Avenue Store Ahead of Rising Rent

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Beloved toy store FAO Schwarz has announced that it will shutter its midtown Manhattan store on July 15, citing rising rents, reports Bloomberg. Founded in 1862, the store, which is owned by toy chain Toys "R" Us, Inc., is the oldest toy store in the United States. The brand has long been known for its high-end dolls and life-sized stuffed animals and as the stuff of many a tiny tot's fantasies.
What does the future hold for the iconic toy store?
Extell Shoots for a $4.4B Sellout with the Nordstrom Tower, the Most Expensive Ever

Image: the Nordstrom Tower penthouse

May 14, 2015

Extell Shoots for a $4.4B Sellout with the Nordstrom Tower, the Most Expensive Ever

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Extell has plenty to brag about, from claiming fame to the city's top two most expensive sales to being credited with starting the whole superluxury supertall tower boom. But according to the Wall Street Journal, the development company's head honcho and mastermind Gary Barnett is vying for another record, aiming to make his next skyscraping creation, the Nordstrom Tower, the most expensive building ever sold at $4.4 billion.
more details here
Official Rendering Revealed for Nordstrom Tower: No Surprises but Potential for More Height

Image of Nordstrom Tower/217 West 57th Street, via YIMBY

May 14, 2015

Official Rendering Revealed for Nordstrom Tower: No Surprises but Potential for More Height

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Recent reports revealing a potential pinnacle bump for Extell's supertall planned for 217 West 57th Street, followed by a statement by Extell's Gary Barnett denying the new height report–which would have the tower outstreching One World Trade Center–have discussion once again focused on the world's tallest residential tower-in-waiting. Today NY Yimby reports that an official Extell rendering of the project confirms it will match earlier versions of the plans as well as previously-revealed in-house images.
Find out the latest on the tower's height
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