Manhattan

The carriage house at 23 Cornelia Street in the West Village that Taylor Swift called home while her sprawling Franklin Street property was being renovated has sold for $11.5 million after several years on the market and a price chop of half its original ask of $24.5M, the New York Post reports. The pop star's hefty $39,500 monthly rent sounds a little more understandable when you've seen the private pool, garage and rooftop terrace with city views.
Take a last look

Chrysler Building sells for a discounted $150M, may become a hotel

Via Creative Commons

March 14, 2019

Chrysler Building sells for a discounted $150M, may become a hotel

Update 3/14/19: A few days after Aby Rosen bought the Chrysler Building for the bargain price of $150 million, the real estate mogul told Bloomberg this week that he would consider converting the tower into a hotel. Real estate mogul Aby Rosen has picked up another New York City landmark. Rosen's RFR Holding LLC, which controls the Seagram Building and Lever House, bought the Chrysler Building for $151 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The sale represents a major loss for majority owner Abu Dhabi Investment Council, who paid $800 million in 2008 for a 90 percent stake in the 77-story Art Deco tower.
Details here

Real Estate Trends

Without a firehouse, thousands of Hudson Yards residents and visitors are at risk, FDNY union says

Hudson Yards via Maciek Lulko on Flickr

March 14, 2019

Without a firehouse, thousands of Hudson Yards residents and visitors are at risk, FDNY union says

While developers built the Hudson Yards mega-development with resiliency and security in mind, adding a powerful mechanical system and a plan to work with police, one major safety component remains missing. The 28-acre, $25 billion private development, the largest in the country, does not have its own firehouse. Members of the Uniformed Firefighters Association once again are calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration on Thursday to build a new firehouse for Hudson Yards, which is expected to bring more than 125,000 new residents to Manhattan's west side.
More here

Policy

Neighborhood association calls for a ‘slow street’ district in FiDi

Sketch of Nassau and Beekman Streets as slow streets; via FDNA

March 13, 2019

Neighborhood association calls for a ‘slow street’ district in FiDi

A neighborhood association is calling for safer streets and sidewalks for pedestrians walking through Manhattan's Financial District. In a report released on Tuesday by the Financial District Neighborhood Association (FDNA), "Make Way for Lower Manhattan," the group calls for making the neighborhood a "slow street" district that would require cars to share space with pedestrians in an area stretching roughly between the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and Battery Park.
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Policy

Hudson Yards developers say protection against natural disasters and terrorism is part of its design

Rendering of the observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, via Related Companies

March 13, 2019

Hudson Yards developers say protection against natural disasters and terrorism is part of its design

The soon-to-open Hudson Yards, the 28-acre development that's being called the largest private development in the U.S, is not only situated on the Hudson River, but what could pass for a small city could easily be seen as a target for terrorists with its million-square-foot retail center and dining district, the 1,296-foot-tall 30 Hudson Yards, the city's most expensive office building (50 Hudson Yards) and thousands of pricey apartments. The Wall Street Journal reports that the $25 billion project from Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group claims to be fortress-like in its protection against the wrath of both nature and humankind.
What's the plan, then?

Five ‘Tin Pan Alley’ buildings may be landmarked for their musical history

Via LPC

March 12, 2019

Five ‘Tin Pan Alley’ buildings may be landmarked for their musical history

The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday in favor of calendaring five buildings on West 28th Street in Manhattan's "Tin Pan Alley," in the neighborhood now called Nomad. The buildings at 47-55 West 28th Street were an integral part of the area known for having New York City's most significant concentration of sheet music publishers at the turn of the 20th century, and as the birthplace of iconic American songs like "God Bless America." It's also where popular music icons like Irving Berlin and George Gershwin wrote songs. Calendaring is the first formal step in the historic status designation process.
Sounds like a good idea

See inside Hudson Yards’ seven-story dining and shopping center ahead of Friday’s opening

View of Shops & Restaurants from the Vessel; Photo courtesy of Francis Dzikowski for Related-Oxford

March 12, 2019

See inside Hudson Yards’ seven-story dining and shopping center ahead of Friday’s opening

The one-million-square-foot retail center at Hudson Yards officially opens on Friday as part of the mega development's grand opening. The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards includes a 190,000-square-foot Neiman Marcus with three restaurants and more than 100 stores and dining spots spread across the seven-story building. Ahead of the opening, Hudson Yards developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group released on Tuesday photos of the retail center, providing a sneak peek of this massive new shopping and dining district coming to the west side of Manhattan.
Get excited

My 450sqft: An Australian expat creates a calming ‘slice of heaven’ in the East Village

Our series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Kate Callander’s East Village apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

March 12, 2019

My 450sqft: An Australian expat creates a calming ‘slice of heaven’ in the East Village

By Dana Schulz

There are almost too many charming elements to note about advertising professional Kate Callander's East Village one-bedroom. First, there are all the original features--the floorboards, claw-foot tub, penny tiles, exposed brick, and copper light fixtures. Then there's the serene vibe you get as soon as you walk in. Hoping to create her own "slice of heaven" within the bustling neighborhood, Kate opted for neutral fabrics, whimsical touches like her beloved fairy lights, and soft, feminine finds. But most importantly, she's filled her home with mementos from her upbringing and travels. Kate was born in Australia and raised in Malaysia and Hong Kong, but after a vacation in NYC, she decided she never wanted to leave. She moved to her railroad-style home four years ago and has only grown more in love with the city and her apartment. We recently paid her a visit to learn more about how she decorated the space, how New York living is different than in her past cities, and where to get the best Aussie coffee in the East Village.
Meet Kate and explore her home

March 12, 2019

$9M triplex condo has a private entrance on one of Tribeca’s most charming alleys

With a private entrance on Collister Street—a quiet alley in Tribeca named for its past association with Trinity Church—this 4,500-square-foot home feels like a townhouse but comes with all the convenience and amenities of the full-service condominium it’s housed in at 7 Hubert Street. Spanning three floors with three bedrooms, a finished basement, and a charming ground floor complete with high ceilings, casement windows, and a furnished garden, this turnkey residence just hit the market for $8,950,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Image courtesy of El Barrio’s Artspace PS109. Photo by Christopher Lopez.

March 11, 2019

400 spots open on waitlist for affordable units at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, from $731/month

A housing lottery has opened for 400 spots on the wait list for residential units at El Barrio's Artspace PS109 at 215 East 99th Street in East Harlem. Built in 1899, the limestone-and-brick neighborhood landmark was a school building until 1996. In 2015 it became El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, a project that transformed the then-abandoned public school building into a housing complex for local artists with affordable live/work housing for artists and their families and 10,000 square feet of complementary space for arts organizations. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for apartments which range from a $731/month studio to a $1,348/month two-bedroom.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

Greenwich Village preservation group calls for interior landmarking of White Horse Tavern

Via Wikimedia

March 11, 2019

Greenwich Village preservation group calls for interior landmarking of White Horse Tavern

A Village preservation group on Monday called on the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the interior of White Horse Tavern a landmark. In a letter to LPC Chair Sarah Carroll, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) wrote that "the potential loss of the interior of this tavern from a recent change in ownership would be a devastating loss, not only to New York City, but to the country and the world." The request comes less than a week after the 140-year-old West Village bar was sold to notorious landlord Steve Croman, who once served jail time for tenant harassment.
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Hudson Yards got bigger tax breaks than the ones promised to Amazon

Rendering courtesy of Related/Oxford.

March 11, 2019

Hudson Yards got bigger tax breaks than the ones promised to Amazon

The $20 billion, 28-acre Hudson Yards megaproject has been in the news recently as its official March 15 grand opening approaches. The New York Times reports that the nation's largest residential development has gotten more than a little financial help from the city government to get there. In fact, public records–and a recent study by the New School–reveal that the development has received nearly $6 billion in the form of tax breaks and additional government assistance, twice the controversial $3 billion in incentives held out to Amazon to entice the retail tech giant to bring its second headquarters to Queens.
That's a pretty big break

Did you know Grand Central’s clock is worth $20M?

Grand Central’s Main Concourse Clock, via Wikimedia Commons

March 8, 2019

Did you know Grand Central’s clock is worth $20M?

By Lucie Levine

For more than a century, millions of New Yorkers have been meeting “under the clock,” that great rendezvous point – and focal point – of Grand Central Terminal. The clock, which has presided over Grand Central’s Main Concourse since the Terminal opened in 1913, has stood out amidst the swirl of commuters and the flow of time, witnessing reunions of friends and lovers, beginning countless adventures, and playing a priceless role in the life of the city. Or, nearly-priceless. It turns out that appraisers from Sotheby’s and Christie’s have valued the four-sided brass masterpiece at between $10 and 20 million!
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History

March 8, 2019

This $1.5M Seaport loft is a refreshing mix of old and new

This classic corner loft co-op at 270 Water Street in a Seaport district that's changing more every day has old-school Manhattan charm, up-to-the-minute renovated interiors and plenty of space and light. It's a three-flight walkup, but the sunlight and City Hall views mean that can be as much a positive as a workout. It's asking $1.485 million.
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Distinctive Homes

Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

Photo by Evan Joseph

March 8, 2019

Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

Bjarke Ingels’ twisting towers at 76 Eleventh Avenue in Chelsea officially topped out this week, with the 36-story West tower reaching 400 feet shortly after the 26-story East tower hit its 300-foot height. The High Line-adjacent XI, located right across the street from Thomas Heatherwick’s bubbled condos at 515 West 18th Street, will offer 236 luxury condos, the first Six Senses Hotel location in the United States, commercial space, and a new public promenade that will extend from the park. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the XI's slanted shape gives the illusion the two buildings are being pulled apart, allowing for all residents to have views of both the city and the Hudson River.
Get the details

White Horse Tavern now run by an infamous pair who vow to preserve its ‘rich history’

Via Flickr

March 7, 2019

White Horse Tavern now run by an infamous pair who vow to preserve its ‘rich history’

A beloved 140-year-old West Village bar known for its famous poet and artist clientele has been sold. The new owner of White Horse Tavern, which opened on Hudson Street in 1880, is Steve Croman, a notorious landlord who served prison time for tenant harassment, as Jeremiah's Vanishing New York first reported. And on top of that unsavory news, the historic bar will be run by restauranteur Eytan Sugarman, who recently made headlines for his copycat pepperoni slice at Made In New York that looks identical to that of Prince Street Pizza. But Sugarman told Eater NY he's taking the bar's historic details into account. "We are only focused on preserving the rich history and legacy of this iconic institution for New Yorkers," he said.
More details this way

Food & Dining

Current views of 125 Greenwich Street at its full height. Photos courtesy of Field Condition.

March 7, 2019

Rafael Viñoly’s 88-story tower at 125 Greenwich Street officially tops out at 912 feet

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Situated at the northwest corner of Thames Street, just south of the World Trade Center and northwest of Wall Street, Bizzi & Partners Development's condo tower at 125 Greenwich Street has officially topped out at 912 feet. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the firm behind 432 Park Avenue, the building will offer some of the highest apartments in the Financial District. Upon completion later this year, the 88-story tower will house 273 residences.
More info

March 7, 2019

20 transformative women of Greenwich Village

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969. One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s a unique treasure trove of rich history, pioneering culture, and charming architecture. GVSHP will be spending 2019 marking this anniversary with events, lectures, and new interactive online resources, including a celebration and district-wide weekend-long “Open House” starting on Saturday, April 13th in Washington Square. This is part of a series of posts about the unique qualities of the Greenwich Village Historic District marking its golden anniversary. Few places on earth have attracted as many creative, mold-shattering, transformative women as Greenwich Village, especially the Greenwich Village Historic District which lies in its heart. From its earliest settlers in the 17th century through its bohemian heyday in the late 19th and 20th centuries right up to today, pioneering women have made the Greenwich Village Historic District their home, from congresswoman Bella Abzug and gay rights advocate Edie Windsor to playwright Lorraine Hansberry and photographer Berenice Abbott.
See the entire list

History

Reserve a spot to stand 1,100 feet on the ‘Edge’ at Hudson Yards’ observation deck

Rendering of the observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, via Related Companies

March 7, 2019

Reserve a spot to stand 1,100 feet on the ‘Edge’ at Hudson Yards’ observation deck

By Dana Schulz

Not only has Hudson Yards officially named the observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards "Edge," but they've opened a list to reserve a spot to step out onto the 1,100-foot-high platform when it opens in early 2020. Along with being the highest outdoor deck in the entire Western Hemisphere (and the fifth tallest in the world!), it juts out 65 feet from the building with a glass floor to peer at the city below. And as the Edge's website says, "Go further and lean out over Manhattan, literally, on the nine-foot wall of boldly angled glass—if you dare."
More details right here

Uncategorized

March 7, 2019

Once home to Rosario Candela’s daughter, this $7.5M Upper East Side triplex feels like a country retreat

Though he didn’t design the building, Rosario Candela gifted this sumptuous three-story Upper East Side home to his daughter as soon as it was completed in 1913. The deed has only changed hands once since, and the residence maintains its period details, including cove ceilings, paneled walls, French doors, and exquisite crown moldings throughout. With a flexible and generous layout, the bright interiors feel more like a country escape from the city, with the added bonus of being only two blocks away from Central Park and a short walk from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 4,500 square-foot space is now on the market for $7.495 million.
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Distinctive Homes

Rockefeller Center developer reveals first NYC residential tower in Nomad

Left: Rendering of Rose Hill; credit: Pandiscio Green and Recent Spaces. Right: Still from a video by artist Marco Brambilla, commissioned by Rockefeller Group to emphasize the building’s Art Deco influence.

March 6, 2019

Rockefeller Center developer reveals first NYC residential tower in Nomad

Formed over 90 years ago to develop and build Rockefeller Center, developer Rockefeller Group has never built a residential tower in its New York City hometown–until now. Their new condominium tower, Rose Hill has just been unveiled along with the launch of the building's teaser site. The 600-foot tower is currently under construction at 30 East 29th Street. The building will be designed by CetraRuddy; first looks show an Art Deco-inspired facade that does not diverge heavily from the architectural style of Rockefeller Center.
More, this way

$14.8M historic Tribeca penthouse has a rotunda with a gorgeous stained-glass oculus

Listing images by Will Ellis of Donna Dotan; courtesy of the Corcoran Group

March 6, 2019

$14.8M historic Tribeca penthouse has a rotunda with a gorgeous stained-glass oculus

Once featured on the cover of Architectural Digest, this penthouse in the landmarked American Thread Building at 260 West Broadway just hit the market for $14,800,000. The current owners, an art collector and his fashion executive partner, bought the space in 2013 and have filled the 3,777-square-foot Tribeca residence with art by the likes of Richard Serra, Gerhard Richter, and Ai Weiwei to name just a few. Their collection extends to furniture and includes Nanda Vigo chairs from the ’70s, a 19th-century baker’s table from Marseille, and a Karl Springer acrylic table from the 1980s. They describe the blend of period architecture, contemporary art, and design accents as a "speakeasy atmosphere" perfect for entertaining. Speaking to Architectural Digest, the owner revealed that “when we closed on the place, the super took me aside and reminded me that we had a huge responsibility. ‘You’ll be living in one of the most incredible spaces in the city,’ he told me. ‘And you’d better not mess it up.’”
Look inside

Distinctive Homes

NYPL’s new entrance and public plaza on 40th Street gets green light from Landmarks

Rendering of the Marshall Rose Plaza by Mecanoo with Beyer Blinder Belle

March 6, 2019

NYPL’s new entrance and public plaza on 40th Street gets green light from Landmarks

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved the New York Public Library's plan to add a new public entrance and plaza to its Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in Midtown. The changes fall under the library's larger master renovation plan, a $317 million project first unveiled in 2017. The LPC approved the changes to the exterior of the building--subject to the city's landmark rules--after design modifications suggested at a presentation in February were made by the library, Curbed NY reported.
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Moishe’s East Village kosher bakery has closed after 42 years

Photo by James and Karla Murray of the store in 2015 afte rthe original signage was replaced following the East Village gas explosion nearby.

March 6, 2019

Moishe’s East Village kosher bakery has closed after 42 years

Moishe's, the beloved kosher bakery on 2nd Avenue, instantly recognizable by what the New York Times called its "stopped-in-time storefront," has served its last hamantaschen. Owner Moishe Perl told local photographers James and Karla Murray that yesterday was the bakery's last day, and that the entire building has been sold. In business since 1977, everything was baked on the premises daily. Moishe's challah bread, rye bread, hamantaschen, rugelach, babka and sugar kichel were legendary.
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Food & Dining

56 Leonard sidewalk gets outlined in anticipation of Anish Kapoor’s bean sculpture

Rendering by Anish Kapoor.

March 6, 2019

56 Leonard sidewalk gets outlined in anticipation of Anish Kapoor’s bean sculpture