Manhattan

As 6sqft previously reported, last October the architects at Studio Gang tweaked their proposal for the American Museum of Natural History expansion to preserve more public parkland–and the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the plans. Now, Curbed reports, those expansion plans have been put on hold after a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued against the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation by New York State Supreme Court justice Lynn Kotler. The TRO follows a lawsuit filed by a community group that has been opposed to the expansion, saying it will destroy the park, cause trees to be removed and endanger the safety and environment surrounding the construction area.
How big a setback is this?

12-ton Norway spruce is headed for Rockefeller Center’s 2018 holiday HQ

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree-to-be in its birthplace in Walkill, New York.

October 30, 2018

12-ton Norway spruce is headed for Rockefeller Center’s 2018 holiday HQ

That's right, it's not even Halloween yet, but the 2018 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been selected and is now being groomed for duty as the centerpiece of New York City's treasured holiday tableau. The tree, a 72-foot Norway spruce, born and raised in Walkill, New York, is 45 feet in diameter and weighs about 12 tons. The tree will be lifted by crane onto Rockefeller Plaza on Saturday, November 10. After being wrapped with five miles of LED lights, the enormous evergreen will be crowned with a new Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind for the free, public tree-lighting extravaganza happening this year on November 28.
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Artist JR takes over Houston Bowery Wall with a thought-provoking mural about guns in America

Photo © Martha Cooper for Goldman Properties

October 30, 2018

Artist JR takes over Houston Bowery Wall with a thought-provoking mural about guns in America

French street artist JR and TIME magazine have paired up for a collaborative project, "The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America," consisting of a special issue due out on November 5, as well as a video mural to be featured in exhibits throughout the country and an interactive web feature at Time.com. The topic–the larger-than-life relationship America has with guns–needs little explanation; last Friday the “The Gun Chronicles” was installed on the Houston Bowery Wall in Soho. The building-sized cover story image is comprised of portraits photographed by the artist.
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Events & Things To Do

Columbus Circle is getting a ‘small-format’ Target next year

Rendering via Target

October 29, 2018

Columbus Circle is getting a ‘small-format’ Target next year

New York City is getting its 28th Target store, the retail giant announced on Monday. The company will open a "small-format" store near Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side in 2019. This new Target is part of the company's plan to open 130 small-format stores by the end of next year in urban and highly-populated suburban areas, as well as near college campuses.
Find out more

New Developments

October 29, 2018

$9.5M Harlem penthouse sets uptown record for most expensive condo

The sale of a $9.45 million penthouse in Harlem closed last week, setting a new record for the most expensive uptown condo sale, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The 11th-floor apartment at Circa Central Park, which hugs the northern end of Central Park on the corner of West 110th Street, features five bedrooms and a private terrace measuring over 1,200 square feet. The sale is the most expensive condo sale above 96th Street on the West Side of Manhattan, and 102nd Street on the East.
See the penthouse

Real Estate Trends

Image credit: Binyan Studios

October 29, 2018

FXCollaborative reveals new renderings of slender Fidi condo tower

Trinity Place Holding’s new residential tower rising at 77 Greenwich Street in lower Manhattan has just released a teaser site and new renderings showing the 500-foot-tall building in all its future glory. With architecture by FXCollaborative and interiors by Deborah Berke Partners, the tower is four stories in to its 42-story height; sales are scheduled to begin in spring of 2019.
More details and renderings, this way

October 29, 2018

Justin Timberlake will take a loss on former Soho penthouse, chopped to $6.35M

Justin Timberlake is really trying to say "bye, bye, bye" to his Soho penthouse. He and wife Jessica Biel dropped $20 million on a flashy new penthouse at celeb-hotspot 443 Greenwich in March 2017, so a year later, they put their previous Soho penthouse on the market for $8 million. They bought the home at Soho Mews for just over $6.5 million in 2010, but in the eight months since they've listed it, the price has dropped four times. The Daily Mail spotted the most recent price chop, which brings the ask down to $6.35 million, meaning the power couple would take a loss on the sale.
See JT's former home

October 26, 2018

Colorful $13M East Village building could be the perfect modernist townhouse

This unusual listing at 56 East 1st Street on a picturesque and perfectly-located East Village block offers a wealth of cool options for anyone willing to pay its $13.25 million ask. The 22-foot-wide, three-unit property spans 6,090 square feet over five stories. Built in 2002 by CTA Architects, the eye-catching modern building is distinguished by double-height, red-steel-framed windows. In its current configuration, with a commercial space on the ground floor, the building could be an investment opportunity, it could be converted to a grand single-family townhouse or a combination of both.
Plenty of space, modern interiors

Distinctive Homes

October 25, 2018

Actress Patricia Clarkson lists Greenwich Village loft for $2.5M

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Clarkson has just put her Greenwich Village loft on the market for $2.5 million. The "Six Feet Under" and "Sharp Objects" star bought the lovely two-bedroom spread at 30 West 13th Street for $1,555,000 in 2007. In a 2015 interview, Clarkson said, "Most of my friends are writers and I greatly value the written word," so it comes as no surprise that she outfitted the space with incredible, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
Take a look around

October 25, 2018

Remembering Soho’s Tunnel Garage: An automobile age marvel

As the old saying goes, you win some, you lose some. That’s particularly true in preservation, where sometimes in spite of the most heroic of efforts and compelling of cases, historic treasures succumb to the wrecking ball. GVSHP is frequently asked, “Which fight do you most regret losing; which building do you mourn the loss of most?” It often comes as a surprise that the answer, inevitably, is a parking garage — one which seemed to almost eerily peer into the future. But the Tunnel Garage, at Broome and Thompson Streets, where the South Village meets Soho, was no ordinary parking garage. Built in 1922, it was a thing of extraordinary beauty, a sublime ode to the dawn of the automobile age and to the engineering marvel of its time which was the Holland Tunnel.
So, what happened?

History

The Weeknd and Bella Hadid rent a party-perfect penthouse at 443 Greenwich for $60K/month

Photo of The Weeknd via Wikimedia

October 25, 2018

The Weeknd and Bella Hadid rent a party-perfect penthouse at 443 Greenwich for $60K/month

Celebrity couple The Weeknd and Bella Hadid have moved into 443 Greenwich Street, becoming the latest pair of stars to take over the Tribeca building. The famous singer-model duo has picked up a $60,000/month penthouse, which spans three levels and includes over 1,000 square feet of private outdoor space, as the New York Post reported. Due to its emphasis on privacy (it claims to be "paparazzi-proof" and includes an underground parking garage), A-listers like Jake Gyllenhaal, Meg Ryan, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, and Jennifer Lawerence all call the luxury property home.
See the pad

Celebrities

October 25, 2018

Why buy when you can pay $125K/month for a $53M condo at One57–the city’s priciest rental

An 80th floor condo unit in West Midtown billionaires' bunker One57 just hit the rental market for $125,000 a month, which Curbed informs us is the priciest rental ask in the city that isn't in a hotel. The apartment at 157 West 57th Street was purchased for an also-eyebrow-raising $53M in 2014 by a buyer using the Pasadena, CA-registered LLC Lapusny, Inc. Given the 6,240-square-foot home's high-floor status, it's no surprise that there are 360 degree views of the Manhattan skyline of Central Park, the Hudson and East Rivers and pretty much to the ends of the Earth.
More views, more drama, this way

Distinctive Homes

Photo via pxhere

October 25, 2018

If living in the theater district is your thing, 28 middle-income apartments are up for grabs

By Dana Schulz

New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can now apply for 28 middle-income units at the Avalon Midtown West. The 41-story, 440-unit rental is located at the southeast corner of Eighth Avenue and 50th Street, so if living across from the Gershwin Theatre and swarms of "Wicked" fans doesn't sound appealing this may be a pass. The available units range from $2,138/month studios to $2,993/month two-bedrooms. This may not sound immediately "affordable," but market-rate apartments of that size are going for $3,329 and $5,827, meaning you're actually getting close to a 50-percent discount.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Three new restaurants and possible bank could replace shuttered Union Square Coffee Shop

Via alphabetjenn on Flickr

October 24, 2018

Three new restaurants and possible bank could replace shuttered Union Square Coffee Shop

One of New York City's beloved late-night spots will be replaced with three new restaurants and possibly a Chase Bank, Eater NY reported. The Coffee Shop, an iconic Union Square diner known for its fashion model customers and appearances on shows like Sex and the City, closed earlier this month. While no leases have been signed, the property manager told Eater three of the four retail spaces available will be reserved for new restaurants.
Find out more

Food & Dining

October 24, 2018

At $4.8M, this historic Upper West Side townhouse costs less than a Midtown condo

With its crimson brick facade, stepped gables, and graceful archways, this four-story 1886 townhouse at 383 West End Avenue is one in a row of eight. It's a legal two-family dwelling (so there's rental income potential) currently being used as a single-family home. The building's stained glass transoms, original fireplaces, and winding staircase reflect the artistry and Victorian stylings of designer Frederick B. White. Currently asking $4.795 million, it's a house in one of the city's most beloved neighborhoods with plenty of room for living, and it rings in at far less than the average luxury condominium, where you probably wouldn't even get a sunken garden and a magical third-floor terrace.
Gorgeous townhouse tour, this way

Amazon to open a cashier-less convenience store at Brookfield Place

Amazon Go in Seattle via Wikipedia

October 23, 2018

Amazon to open a cashier-less convenience store at Brookfield Place

Amazon will open its first cashier-less store in New York City in Battery Park City, Recode reported on Monday. Amazon Go is like a futuristic convenience store, offering ready-to-eat meals and groceries without having to wait in line. According to the company, "Just Walk Out Technology" is used, which automatically keeps tracks of products taken or returned via a virtual cart. With no lines or checkout, once you find an item you want, you can just leave.
More here

Policy

Image: Clover Grocery via Facebook.

October 23, 2018

Can bougie bodegas make it in NYC?

There was a time not too long ago when New Yorkers began to resent the apparent gentrification of local bodegas, which had begun carrying high-priced, healthy food items sought by new neighborhood residents. Chain convenience stores like 7-11 were yet another blow to the concept of the quirky corner deli. And then, of course, there was the Whole Foods effect. The latest development in the ascent of the local grocery store is even more difficult to grok: The "wellness bodega" has arrived. As Eater reports, mini-markets–like Clover Grocery in Manhattan’s West Village–in metro areas like NYC and LA are stocking items like $18 "vegan friendly" condoms and marine collagen supplements–and confusing the daylights out of ordinary city folk.
And a WeWork market, of course

City Living

October 23, 2018

The full interior of 116-year-old Glaser’s Bake Shop is for sale

For those still struggling with the absence of Yorkville institution Glaser's Bake Shop, which sadly closed its doors in June, there's a chance to hold on to some of that sweet nostalgia. The complete interior of the beloved bakery, which first opened on the Upper East Side in 1902 and is credited with inventing black-and-white cookies, is for sale. The Demolition Depot announced this week they are selling classic features of Glaser's, including its apothecary-style wooden showcases, sliding glass doors, original silvered mirrors, milk glass upper panels, marble countertop, and more (h/t Vanishing New York).
Get the details

October 23, 2018

Billionaire Bill Ackman in contract to buy a $22.5M Upper West Side penthouse

Hedge fund manager/billionaire Bill Ackman is set to buy a 13-room penthouse on the Upper West Side for close to $22.5 million, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Available for the first time in 40 years, the four-bedroom home at 6 West 77th Street was formerly owned by the late author, Nancy Friday. Ackman, who in 2015 bought the penthouse at One57 for $91.5 million as a "fun investment," is the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management and has a net worth of over $1 billion.
Tour the penthouse

October 23, 2018

Own a piece of the Seaport in this $13M ‘ship house’ loft building on the water

Last spring, 6sqft featured a pretty penthouse loft for rent in an 1840s ship house at 115 South Street. Now, the building is for sale, asking $13.25 million. The historic waterfront loft building on what was once the Street of Ships is comprised of seven rental units and ground floor retail space which is currently occupied by a chic wine boutique. The renovated building offers Manhattan waterfront living and a high income rental opportunity in a downtown neighborhood that's on the rise.
Waterfront charm, this way

Distinctive Homes

October 22, 2018

Rent Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s former Village love nest for $21.5K/month

This romantic carriage house in Greenwich Village has a celebrity-studded past–and a handsome future if you take a hint from the attractively staged listing photos of the home at 112 Waverly Place, currently for rent for $21,500 a month. As 6sqft previously reported, the townhouse was once a love nest for '90s power couple Johnny Depp and Kate Moss. And in 1960 it was purchased by Lorraine Hansberry, who wrote "Raisin in the Sun" and was the first black woman to have a play produced on Broadway.
Look inside the historic home

With sales still sluggish, Trump Tower sees only its second deal of the year

Via Krystal T on Flickr

October 22, 2018

With sales still sluggish, Trump Tower sees only its second deal of the year

A one-bedroom on the 57th floor of Trump Tower closed earlier this month for $1.825 million, marking just the second sale of 2018 at the Midtown building, as Mansion Global first reported. Comparatively, there were seven sales in 2017 and eight in 2016 at the building, developed by President Donald Trump. While the sales slump at Trump Tower reflects a broader decline in sales at luxury properties across Manhattan, politics surrounding the building may also be playing a role.
More here

Uncategorized

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

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Niko East Village, 30-78 43rd Street, 633 Marcy Avenue and The Essex

October 20, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): The Niko East Village, 30-78 43rd Street, 633 Marcy Avenue and The Essex 633 Marcy Avenue in Bed-Stuy Debuts Spacious 2- and 3-Bed Rentals from $2,565/Month [link] The Greystone: Prewar Upper West Side Rentals with Amenities from $2,395/Month [link] The Essex Launches: Tallest Building in Essex Crossing Offers Rentals with 1 […]

Real Estate Trends

October 19, 2018

$16M Upper West Side mansion with NYC’s third-largest ballroom will also accept bitcoin

This 10,720-square-foot, 32-foot-wide mansion with Riverside Park as a backyard and river views was built in 1879 as part of the Upper West Side's "gold coast." When hedge fund manager Roy Niederhoffer purchased the home for $12.9 million in 2013, it had been split up into multiple units. Niederhoffer restored the six-story home to its original mansion-style glory and is now selling the home for just under $16 million. The grand home at 40 Riverside Drive is possessed of the city's third largest ballroom in a private house, and as Bloomberg reports, the seller is accepting bitcoin, as he's a fan of the cryptocurrency.
Tour this impressive West Side manse

Distinctive Homes

Developers of controversial Two Bridges towers pitch $55M in transit and open space improvements

Via Handel Architects

October 18, 2018

Developers of controversial Two Bridges towers pitch $55M in transit and open space improvements