Manhattan

May 4, 2018

A Saudi prince and NYC real estate company will buy iconic Plaza Hotel for $600M

Update 5/8/18: Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal and Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. will buy the Plaza Hotel for $600 million, besting a previous offer made less than a week ago, according to the New York Post. While it was reported White City Ventures and the Kamran Organization were in contract to buy the iconic building, the prince and Ashkenazy, as the minority owner, had the option to acquire the hotel if they matched the $600 million offer. The deal is expected to close this summer. A deal to sell the historic, 111-year-old Plaza Hotel has finally been reached, after the New York City landmark sat on and off the market for years and changed hands numerous times. As the Real Deal reported, a group of investors including Shahal Kahan of White City Ventures and Kamran Hakim of the Hakim Organization, are in contract to buy a majority share of the hotel for $600 million. While reports in March said the group was considering paying for part of the purchase with cryptocurrency, the deal instead is being made up of equity from investors and a $415 million loan from a pair of British billionaires, David and Simon Reuben.
More details here
May 4, 2018

Quaint Tudor house in the Upper West Side’s ‘hidden’ Pomander Walk asks $2.5M

As one of New York City's many hidden-in-plain-sight secret addresses, Pomander Walk is a gated 1920s community of Tudor-style mini-homes resembling an English village nestled right in the middle of Manhattan's Upper West Side. The brightly-painted home at 265 West 94th Street, asking $2.5 million, is a rarely-available opportunity to live in this unique village-in-the-city community.
Get a closer look
May 4, 2018

Jane Jacobs’ NYC: The sites that inspired her work and preservation legacy

Jane Jacobs’ birthday on May 4 is marked throughout the world as an occasion to celebrate one’s own city -- its history, diversity, and continued vitality. “Jane’s Walks” are conducted across the country to encourage average citizens to appreciate and engage the complex and dazzling ecosystems which make up our cityscapes (Here in NYC, MAS is hosting 200+ free walks throughout the city from today through Sunday). But there’s no place better to appreciate all things Jane Jacobs than Greenwich Village, the neighborhood in which she lived and which so informed and inspired her writings and activism, in turn helping to save it from destruction.
Tour Jane Jacobs' NYC
May 3, 2018

Live in Manhattan West’s massive Eugene rental for just $613 month, lottery opens for 103 units

Between the adjacent mega-developments Hudson Yards and Manhattan West, the far west side is banking on becoming a city within a city. And if this amenity-rich lifestyle appeals to you, here's a chance to get in on the action for less. Starting tomorrow, the second phase of the affordable housing lottery at Manhattan West's massive rental the Eugene will be open for 103 low- and middle-income apartments, ranging from $613/month studios to $2,519/month two-bedrooms. Designed by Skidmore Owings & Merill (SOM), the 62-story glass tower at 435 West 31st Street offers amenities like a rock climbing wall, "sky lounge," pet spa, and fitness center. These are in addition to Manhattan West's two-acre public park and 240,000 square feet of curated food, retail and other pop-up events
Find out if you qualify
May 3, 2018

Judge rules Upper West Side condo can remove Trump’s name from its building

Photo via Nick Normal’s Flickr Following year-long resistance from the Trump Organization, a judge ruled on Thursday that an Upper West Side condo could remove the president's name from the exterior of the 46-story building, according to the New York Times. Condo owners at 200 Riverside Boulevard will now be able to vote on whether to keep or remove the bronze letters spelling "TRUMP" on the building, where they have hung for nearly two decades. The ruling comes after board members at Trump Place asked a judge in January to issue a declaratory judgment that the condo has the right to either keep or remove the letters without violating its licensing agreement. On Thursday, Justice Eileen Bransten said removing letters does not violate the agreement.
More details here
May 3, 2018

$4M Flatiron duplex was 19th century starchitect Richard Morris Hunt’s studio

This $3.925 million combined sale in an historic Flatiron building is a unique opportunity for more than one reason. The 1870s Italianate townhouse at 28 East 21st Street, now a co-op, served as the studio of architect Richard Morris Hunt, whose designs include the Met as well as the Biltmore estate, The Breakers and other notable Gilded Age properties. It's also a chance to acquire an 1,850-square-foot duplex with three bedrooms plus a dreamy townhouse backyard complete with flowering dogwood and magnolia trees and a 250-square-foot artists' studio in the heart of the Flatiron district.
Take the tour
May 2, 2018

My 480sqft: Real estate publicist Kelly Kreth lives in a red, black, and white wonderland in Yorkville

What's black and white and red all over? Kelly Kreth's Yorkville apartment. The real estate publicist pegs her OCD diagnosis for the strict color palette--"it makes me feel safe," she explains--but also the fact that her love for retro pieces, graphic art, and fashion-forward decor lends itself quite well to this tri-hued approach. We recently spent the afternoon getting to know Kelly and her dachshund puppy Biggie Smalls and learned more about what it's like to live in just three colors, why she chose this Upper East Side 'hood, and where she's been able to find some of her fun and funky finds.
Meet Kelly and tour her home
May 2, 2018

Vornado likely to keep Bjarke Ingels’ wave-like canopy design for 2 Penn Plaza overhaul

Instead of razing and redeveloping its 2 Penn Plaza office tower, Vornado Realty Trust said on Tuesday it will simply renovate the building. As Commercial Observer reported, the company's CEO, Steven Roth, said earlier plans of demolishing the 31-story tower and grabbing 5 million square feet of development rights from Madison Square Garden to build a bigger tower, would not be feasible. Moving forward with option B, Vornado will likely stick with designs from Bjarke Ingels Group. More than two years ago, BIG revealed renderings that showed a wave-like canopy of glass panels that would envelope 2 Penn Plaza above the retail entrances on the ground floor.
More this way
May 2, 2018

Historic West Harlem firehouse theater is for sale for $13M as part of development lot

The Beaux Arts firehouse that has been the home of the Faison Firehouse Theater since 1999 (with a celebrated "official" inaugural opening in 2007 that included a presentation by Maya Angelou) is for sale as part of a development property package, asking $13 million. The building at 6 Hancock Place in West Harlem is being offered with a neighboring vacant lot and a four-story townhouse, which together add up to a total  of 30,000 square feet. The Faison Firehouse Theater was founded by Tony award winning choreographer George Faison and his partner, Tad Schnugg, and has been operated by the American Performing Arts Collaborative (APAC).
Find out more
May 1, 2018

See the rooftop sculpture garden that will grow next to Zaha Hadid’s High Line condo

Related Companies announced last year plans to add 15 new gallery spaces around their Zaha Hadid-designed condo at 520 West 28th Street. One of the galleries tapped for the project, the Paul Kasmin Gallery, will serve as the anchor tenant and expand into a 5,000-square-foot space. In addition to boasting 22-foot ceilings and 28 skylights, the single-floor gallery will have a sculpture garden designed by Future Green on its roof. Because it sits alongside the High Line, "the garden serves as a verdant extension to the elevated park and showcases outdoor artworks in a rich seasonal tapestry," according to the landscape architects.
More details here
April 30, 2018

See exclusive construction photos of NYC’s highest outdoor observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards

After commencing construction on and releasing two dizzying renderings of the super-high observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group have now shared with 6sqft these vertigo-inducing construction photos of the 1,100-foot-tall deck. In addition to its sheer height, the deck, which will be the tallest outdoor observation deck in NYC and the fifth tallest in the world, will extend 65 feet away from the building with a window on the floor so thrill seekers can peer down.
See all the photos
April 30, 2018

Apply for 100+ affordable apartments at this flashy new tower near Grand Central, from $613/month

Reduced rent AND the opportunity to walk to work? That's the dream scenario up for grabs for Midtown East workers at Handel Architects' 222 East 44th Street, where a mixed-use affordable housing lottery for 109 units just came online. The handsome, 42-story torqued glass tower sits between Second and Third Avenues, fronting both 43rd and 44th Streets, meaning it's just a hop, skip, and jump away from Grand Central, the Chrysler Building, and the UN. The apartments are available to those earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income and range from $613/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms. The lucky residents will also be treated to a bevy of amenities.
Find out if you qualify
April 30, 2018

The new Hell’s Kitchen is sizzling with hot restaurants and fresh residential buildings

Hell’s Kitchen used to be a no-go zone. It was a gritty section of New York City with dangerous gang warfare and violent streets. Although West Side Story does not have any specific references (aside from its title), the plot, which was based on fractured race relations, was the story of Hell’s Kitchen pre-1990s--minus all the singing and dancing. But Tyler Whitman, a Triplemint broker and a proud Hell’s Kitchen resident, says there is actually quite a bit of singing that still goes on today. The 'hood retains some grit, in a charming New York way, but it is a genuine residential neighborhood in the midst of big changes, as new buildings and businesses spring up every day. But unlike a lot of other up-and-coming neighborhoods, Hell's Kitchen has flown rather under the radar, with many New Yorkers still believing it's an extension of Midtown or a stopover spot for dinner. Ahead, we break down why those in the know are moving to Hell's Kitchen and all the amenities it has to offer for people to stay awhile.
To hell and back!
April 30, 2018

For $11.5M, this meticulously renovated historic West Village townhouse has the perfect yard for a picnic

This 1836 Greek Revival townhouse at 150 West 11th Street in the West Village received an extensive renovation that updated the home for modern living but considered every historic detail, using traditional methods and quality materials to the sum of an $11.5 million asking price. In addition to these picture-perfect interiors, the three-bedroom home boasts a yard that incorporates the neighborhood's historic charm.
Explore this historically correct home
April 30, 2018

Construction is underway at the World Trade Center performing arts center

Construction of the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center is officially moving forward, with the first pieces of the center's structural steel now visible above street level, according to CityRealty. The idea for an arts center at the World Trade Center was included in the original vision for rebuilding the area after Sept. 11, a plan proposed nearly 15 years ago. Designed by REX, the flexible "Mystery Box" will be wrapped in translucent marble, the same material used on the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and laminated with insulated glass. Named for Ronald O. Perelman who gifted $75 million to the project, the center will include 200,000 square feet of space, three halls and a rehearsal space, a restaurant and a gift shop.
More details here
April 30, 2018

Two weeks of free art and music kick off in Hudson Yards, giving a first taste of The Shed

Starting Tuesday, there will be two free weeks of art and music, as a teaser for the much-anticipated cultural center coming next year to Hudson Yards, The Shed. The festival, "A Prelude to The Shed," will take place on a lot at 10th Avenue and 30th Street, one block from the arts center's future home. Performed on a pavilion outside, the events will feature dancers, musicians and a variety of visual art. Measuring 200,000 square feet, the Shed will open to the public next spring and contain two floors of column-free galleries and an intimate theater.
Find out more
April 30, 2018

Matt Lauer’s no-longer-needed Upper East Side commuter pad sells for $7M

Just weeks after ex-"Today" anchor Matt Lauer’s Upper East Side co-op at 133 East 64th Street hit the market asking $7.35 million, the four-bedroom, 11-room apartment has sold for just upwards of $7 million, the New York Post reports. The disgraced newsman used the apartment as a city home during the week while working at NBC. Lauer’s Sag Harbor home (one of his three Hamptons properties) is also for sale.
Have a look
April 28, 2018

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

Images (L to R): THE LEWIS, THE EAGLE, 83 BUSHWICK PLACE and THE PIERREPONT Sleek, Stylish + Modern Rentals at The Lewis Leasing with 2 Months Free [link] The Eagle, Downtown Brooklyn’s 32-Story Rental Tower Offers 2 Months Free [link] East Williamsburg’s 83 Bushwick Place Leasing with 1 Month Free [link] Brooklyn Heights Luxury Rental […]

April 27, 2018

$40.5M penthouse at Renzo Piano’s 565 Broome has a 20-foot-long rooftop pool

Big numbers are the order of the day at the palatial penthouse atop Pritzker Prize-winning Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s first residential building in New York City, 565 Broome Soho. On the market now for $40.5 million, the newly-minted four-bedroom duplex spans 6,655 square feet with a 2,500 square-foot roof terrace. The four-bedroom condo above one of two 30-story glass towers has the kind of jaw-dropping 360-degree views you'd expect. Less expected is the fact that you can experience them from a private heated outdoor rooftop pool.
Take the grand tour
April 27, 2018

Central Park Boathouse returns this week with a new look, a new menu and a $2.9M makeover

The Central Park Boathouse restaurant has been spruced up with $2.9 million in renovations and upgrades and is perfect-date-ready just in time for outdoor weather. The New York Post reports that the familiar structure near the park's Fifth Avenue entrance at East 72nd Street has gotten much needed capital improvements like more seats (185 instead of 160) a new flood-proof tile floor and insulated glass that keeps the lakefront chill out along with a contemporary new look, new colors and lighting and better sightlines of the Central Park West skyline and rowboats gliding by. Even better, there's more room for customers at the new ADA-compliant bar.
Find out more
April 26, 2018

New renderings unveiled for Tribeca’s educational, eco-focused park at Pier 26

The Hudson River Park Trust and landscape architects OLIN have released a fresh set of renderings of the Pier 26 transformation, a project aimed at turning the Tribeca pier into an ecological park. As Curbed NY learned, a portion of the pier will have a wooden deck, with the western end rising up to 15 feet high in order to look at the wetlands. The pier's eastern side will include a large lawn and an indigenous tree-filled forest. The revamp of Pier 26, projected to cost over $30 million, is scheduled to wrap up in the fall of 2020.
Find out more and see all the renderings
April 26, 2018

Landmarked William Lescaze House, the first modern residence in NYC, asks $5M

New York City's first modern residence, designed by architect William Lescaze, has hit the market for $4.95 million. Swiss-born New Yorker, Lecaze is credited with pioneering the modernism movement in the United States, beginning with a townhome he designed for himself in 1934. Known as the William Lescaze House, the four-story home at 211 East 48th Street served as the architect's personal home and studio. The now-landmarked townhouse was totally restored by Sage Realty, who "painstakingly renovated" the street facade to match its original condition.
Take a tour
April 26, 2018

Lottery opens for 28 affordable apartments in Alphabet City, from $596/month

A 110-unit, mixed-use project in Alphabet City is nearing completion, and with that, has just launched its affordable housing lottery for 28 apartments. The mixed-income units are available to those earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income and range from $596/month studios to $2,519/month two-bedrooms. The 75/25 project at 79 Avenue D offers a terrace, landscaped roof deck, fitness center, lounge, bike room, and, of course, proximity to all the trendy spots in the East Village and Lower East Side.
Find out if you qualify
April 26, 2018

Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio scores a $3.5M pad in sexy new Steiner East Village condos

Victoria's Secret Angel and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Sara Sampaio just bought a $3.51 million condo at 438 East 12th street in the recently-completed Steiner East Village development (h/t New York Post).  The 1,604 square-foot three-bedroom unit was last listed for $3.6 million. The neighborhood newcomer (the building, not the model) is known for its designer interiors and luxurious amenities like a teak-ribbed pool, 5,000 square-foot rooftop park and a parking garage.
Take a peek
April 26, 2018

Asking $1.4M, this renovated Castle Village co-op is a candy-colored uptown oasis

Tucked away in the prime line of the captivating Castle Village co-op at 260 Cabrini Boulevard in Hudson Heights, this two-bedroom home is blessed with high-bluff vistas and a riot of colorful interiors that qualifies it as, to quote the listing, a "residential work-of-art." Even without its definitely-non-beige decor, the light and views in every room make this unique home a one-of-a-kind oasis even in a city of millions,
Take a whirlwind tour
April 25, 2018

Perfectly patina-ed Chelsea artist’s loft asks $2.75M

Sometimes an "authentic artist's loft" is exactly that. That's the case with this fabulously patina-ed co-op at 139 West 17th Street in Chelsea, which is as much known for vanishing artists' lofts as it is for art galleries. The $2.75 million listing starts out, "Bring your architect..." The space has as much need for transformation as it has vintage charm. Its current owners, a creative couple with a passion for culture and design, have made it their own, and it could be the perfect canvas for the next owner to do the same. The artist-in-residence has lived here for 40 years–we're guessing it was converted to a co-op during that time, as this is the first time it has been on the market.
Check it out