Manhattan

Central Park's Lasker pool and ice rink is set to undergo a major makeover, funded collectively by the Central Park Conservancy and the city. As first reported by the Daily News, the pool and rink will close for construction in 2020 for three years. The refurbishment will better connect the North Woods and the Harlem Meer, both currently blocked from one another by the rink.
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Architecture And Design

Rendering of 200 Amsterdam Avenue via SJP Properties/ Elkus Manfredi

July 18, 2018

City says 668-foot UWS supertall complies with zoning rules despite community protests

The city's Board of Standards and Appeals found Tuesday that a 668-foot-tall tower proposed for a zoning lot at 200 Amsterdam Avenue does, in fact, comply with zoning rules, The Real Deal reports. The decision gives developers SJP and Mitsui Fudosan the green light to proceed with development of a condominium tower on the site at 69th Street despite a growing body of community groups opposed to the project. The Committee for Environmentally Sound Development had challenged the Department of Buildings' approval of the project on the grounds that developers assembled an illegal zoning lot in the form of a 39-sided polygon 10 times larger than the actual building's planned footprint with the intent of building a larger tower.
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July 17, 2018

$1.8M Chelsea loft is industrial meets country-chic with tin ceilings and cast-iron columns

While it measures just over 1,050 square feet, the design of this Chelsea co-op packs a punch. The beautiful two-bedroom apartment boasts unique touches which fuse an industrial and country aesthetic, from its ten-foot restored pressed ceilings to its original cast-iron columns. The loft, located on the fifth floor of the pre-war building at 107 West 25th Street, has hit the market for $1.79 million.
See Inside

Distinctive Homes

July 17, 2018

Formerly pink West Village townhouse returns for $7.8M with a period-perfect facade and sleek interiors

Built in 1826, the four-story townhouse at 39 Barrow Street resembles many of the neighborhood's historic gems with its brick facade and traditional black shutters. You'd never know that sometime between its construction and 2010 when it was purchased for $4.125 million by the son of a pharmacy mogul bent on renovation, the house was a quirky pale pink stucco standout with bright lemon-yellow trim. We don't know who bestowed the Lilly Pulitzer treatment, but in previous listings it bore a rather charming resemblance to a Palm Beach palazzo. With that era long over, the home's facade is now the picture of 19th century correctness; inside, however, Reed Morrison Architects have transformed the house into a showcase of contemporary sleekness and modern convenience. The turnkey home is once again on the market, this time for $7.775 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

July 17, 2018

PHOTOS: Pier 55’s undulating support structure takes shape on the Hudson River

Construction photo via CityRealty; Rendering via Heatherwick Studio Construction has moved along quite nicely at Pier 55, the on-again, off-again public park project funded by billionaire businessman Barry Diller planned for the Hudson River. While there was not much to show when the park broke ground in April, photos recently taken by CityRealty reveal new concrete pylons arranged in various heights. These will act as the wave-shaped floating park's support structure.
See the photos

July 16, 2018

Asking $740K, this big, bright Morningside Heights co-op has character but could use another bathroom

Usually when we think of bringing an architect to a viewing, it's because the property is in serious need of TLC. This two-bedroom, one-bath co-op at 509 west 122nd Street near Columbia University in the heart of Morningside Heights is move-in ready, with pre-war details and a modern remodel. But the bath is somewhat exiled on a complicated path to any bedroom on the floor plan, the living and dining rooms and the kitchen that serves them don't seem to be on speaking terms–and inspiration from a pro can't hurt. And while it won't kill anybody, at the very least this pretty co-op's new owner should throw away the floor plan and wing it. At least there's an elevator.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Image via Wikimedia Commons

July 16, 2018

The New York bagel: The ‘hole’ story from history and chemistry to where you’ll find the good ones

A few international symbols of New York City–like the tough cabbie, the expensive apartment and the pizza-snatching rat–need no explanation and are too scary to think about except when absolutely necessary. Others, like the humble-yet-iconic bagel, possess New York City cred, but when asked, most people can’t quite come up with a reason. Bagels weren’t invented in New York, but the party line is that if they're made here, they’re better than anywhere. Some say it’s the water; others chalk it up to the recipe, the method, ethnic preference or all of the above. What’s the story behind the New York bagel? Who are the true bagel heroes? What makes a great bagel great? And those frozen bagels? Blame Connecticut.
Bagel squirrel vs. Pizza rat

July 16, 2018

James Gandolfini’s former West Village apartment sells for $6.2M

By Annie Doge

After nine months on the market, the late James Gandolfini's one-time West Village apartment that he shared with ex-wife Marcy Wudarski Gandolfini has found a buyer. In 1999, the couple bought one unit at 99 Jane Street for $850,000, followed by another for $1 million in 2002, combining them into one large, four-bedroom condo. Marcy took ownership the following year after they split, and the residence first hit the market in 2015 as a $21,000/month rental before listing for $7.5 million this past October. Mansion Global now reports that the home has sold for $6.2 million.
Take a look around

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

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue

July 14, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue Fort Lee’s The Modern: 47-Story Tower Launches with 2 Months Free [link] Rooftop Lounge + Pool Now Open at The Forge – and Up to 3 Months Free [link] Williamsburg Boutique Rental Near McCarren Park Offers 3 Months Free […]

Real Estate Trends

July 13, 2018

The Urban Lens: Artist Paul Morris twists the NYC skyline into a colorful kaleidoscope

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Paul Morris shares his digitally altered streetscapes. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. New York City is full of urban photographers, capturing streetscapes and buildings as they morph and grow and alter our neighborhoods. But very few can find a way to do this that is totally new, which is why the work of local artist Paul Morris is so refreshing. By juxtaposing his original photography with his graphic design skills, his large-scale patterns "capture and restructure elements discovered in urban landscapes to create innovative perspectives on objects found in everyday life." His latest series focuses on the city's biggest, and arguably most anticipated, new development--Hudson Yards. He's also created "False Mirror" images of everywhere from the Rockaways to the Financial District. Ahead, Paul shares with 6sqft an exclusive collection of his photos and chats with us about his unique process and inspiration.
See and learn about Paul's work

Places

Second Avenue Subway eases ridership at 4,5,6 stations by 30%

Photo via Flickr cc

July 13, 2018

Second Avenue Subway eases ridership at 4,5,6 stations by 30%

The MTA has released updated ridership figures for 2017, giving an even better look at how the Second Avenue Subway is growing in popularity and impacting the Lexington Avenue line. By looking at the three comparative stations--96th Street, 86th, and 77th/72nd Streets--we can see that average weekday ridership on the 4,5,6 line has dropped 29.5, 29.2, and 23.6 percent respectively. More impressive is the fact that in 2017, the annual number of riders at the 96th Street station and 77th and 72nd Street stations were almost identical on both lines at roughly 8.5 million. And at 86th Street, the Q station hit 7.7 million riders, still impressive compared to the Lexington line's $14 million considering there are two express trains there, too.
A deeper dive

July 13, 2018

Rotating panels at Storefront for Art and Architecture converted into shelves for books ‘yet to be written’

Photo by Naho Kubota The iconic rotating facade panels at the Storefront for Art and Architecture have been reconstructed as mostly-empty bookshelves in an installation currently on view at the Soho gallery. Abruzzo Bodziak Architects (ABA) designed the sidewalk-encroaching shelves for the exhibition, dubbed Architecture Books-Yet to Be Written. As its name suggests, the installation "seeks to celebrate and evaluate both existing and the missing volumes of a history still in the writing." ABA's design will be on display until August 25 as part of the New York Architecture Book Fair, an initiative introduced by the gallery.
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July 13, 2018

Beautiful design details and some unexpected curves make this $1.5M Nolita duplex a sunny sanctuary

Good design can lift the spirits, which is why this stylish condominium at 259 Elizabeth Street is more than just easy on the eyes. The two-bedroom-plus-office duplex, asking $1.545 million, is filled with lovely custom details and designs, from bespoke Calico wallpaper in a bohemian version of spun gold to the solarium that comprises a bedroom's outer wall.
Bask in the glow

Distinctive Homes

July 13, 2018

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen finally sell their One Madison pad after price chop to $14M

Even if golden couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have left the neighborhood for a $20 million five-bedroom spread at Robert A.M. Stern’s 70 Vestry in Tribeca, a buyer was happy enough to snatch up their Flatiron pad at 23 East 22nd Street after a price chop. As 6sqft previously reported, the New England Patriots’ quarterback and the Brazilian-born supermodel seemed to be getting serious about selling when they cut the asking price to $13.95 million; the apartment is now spoken for and off the market, according to the New York Observer. The couple bought the 48th-floor unit for $11.7 million in 2014 and put it on the market for $17.25 million in 2016–with no takers until now.
Get one last look

July 12, 2018

Michael Cohen optimistically drops $6.7M on a condo at Tribeca’s 111 Murray

Photo of Michael Cohen via Wikimedia As Michael Cohen put his $9 million Trump Park Avenue apartment as collateral against a bank loan this spring, the former personal lawyer of President Donald Trump was signing a deal for a $6.7 million pad in Tribeca. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Cohen, who is under federal investigation, bought a 19th-floor apartment in April at 111 Murray Street, a 792-foot-high condo tower designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.
Get the scoop

This Saturday, the off-limits Brooklyn Bridge Beach will open to the public

Photo via Flickr cc

July 12, 2018

This Saturday, the off-limits Brooklyn Bridge Beach will open to the public

This Saturday is the 11th annual City of Water Day, a free festival organized by the Waterfront Alliance to get people to, on, and in New York Harbor and its surrounding waterways. The most anticipated event this year is the chance to access the normally off-limits Brooklyn Bridge Beach, located just north of Pier 17 in the Financial District. For years, Lower Manhattan civic groups have been advocating for the small, sandy beach under the Brooklyn Bridge to be opened to the public, and though it doesn't look like that'll be happening any time soon, the Alliance worked with the NYC EDC to grant access for this one special day.
Learn about all the events happening this Saturday

Events & Things To Do

July 12, 2018

You’re never far from the outdoors in this $5.8M Flatiron penthouse with four terraces and a roof deck

Landscaped decks and terraces are always a luxury in the city, and this penthouse at 29 West 19th Street between the Flatiron district and Chelsea has so much private outdoor space in the form of four terraces and a roof deck that you're just steps from al fresco no matter which room you're in. And while 2,242 square feet of indoor space is a lot of living room, it's the 1,700+ square feet of outdoor space that sets this three-bedroom duplex penthouse, asking $5.8 million, apart.
Tour the great outdoors

Distinctive Homes

July 12, 2018

Is this 32-story building the next residential tower coming to Hudson Yards?

Rendering via B.ARCHs A rendering has been released for a 32-story mixed-use building in the Hudson Yards area, between 36th and 37th Streets. The owner of the three lots spanning those blocks? Gary Barnett's Extell Development, the same group behind the neighborhood's 610-foot tall 555Ten. CityRealty uncovered the image from BARCHs, a New York-based architecture firm which describes the possible project as providing "residential, retail and parking uses to this rapidly developing neighborhood."
More here

Architecture And Design

July 11, 2018

For $2.7M, a Hamilton Heights townhouse with a pretty garden on a historic block

A corner home located in the spine of the Hamilton Heights Historic District has hit the market for the first time in nearly two decades. Located at 381 Convent Avenue, on the same block where Alexander Hamilton once lived, a four-story townhouse is asking $2.675 million. Built in 1893 by John M. Cahill, the Romanesque Revival property measures 3,200 square feet, contains five bedrooms, four bathrooms and an adorable, private garden. Just a few houses down at 327 Convent Avenue, another historic townhouse is for sale for a $3.7 million.
Tour the townhouse

Distinctive Homes

July 11, 2018

Construction begins on Extell’s 69-story tower, set to be tallest on the Upper West Side

Rendering via Snohetta / Binyan Studios; construction photo via CityRealty With the neighboring Jewish Guild for the Blind officially demolished, construction has now begun on Extell Development's skyscraper at 50 West 66th Street. Designed by Snøhetta, the mixed-use skyscraper is set to rise 775 feet, making it the tallest building on the Upper West Side. The 69-story tower will feature a facade of excavations, that are meant to evoke the "chiseled stone of Manhattan's geologic legacy," according to the architects. As CityRealty reported, the new tower will sit next to some of the borough's most illustrious buildings, including 15 Central Park West and The Century.
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New Developments

July 11, 2018

An on-trend renovation and high-floor light elevate this $550K East Village walk-up

Apartments on some of Alphabet City's most charming streets, such as this $549,000 fifth-floor co-op at 323 East 8th Street, have the good fortune of being steps from some of Manhattan's loveliest public gardens and Tompkins Square Park as well as great bars, cafes and restaurants in every direction. Those charms often offset the sacrifices of tiny, un-renovated properties–or, on the other end of the spectrum, overpriced sleek–often also tiny–new construction. This cute co-op may be a hike up the stairs, but a stunning and stylish renovation and top-notch fixtures and finishes make it more home than crash pad.
More exposed brick, this way

Distinctive Homes

LPC sends Morris Adjmi’s proposal for East Village gas explosion site back to the drawing board

Rendering by Morris Adjmi Architects

July 10, 2018

LPC sends Morris Adjmi’s proposal for East Village gas explosion site back to the drawing board

Almost three years after an explosion caused by an illegal tap into a gas main at the corner of Second Avenue and East Seventh Street destroyed three buildings at 119-123 Second Avenue and killed two people, new renderings have been revealed of Morris Adjmi Architects' proposed seven-story, 21-unit condo that would replace the circa-1886 tenements that once stood there. As it's within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District, it needs approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. After reviewing the plans this afternoon and deciding that the proposal is "close, but not quite there," they've sent Adjmi and Yaniv Shaky Cohen’s Nexus Building Development Group back to the drawing board over concerns regarding the windows, storefront, and coloring. Neighbors and those affected by the tragedy are also calling for a commemorative plaque to be incorporated into the design.
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July 10, 2018

$14M townhouse in exclusive Upper East Side historic district looks like a European villa

This lavish townhouse could easily pass for a Parisian or Italian home, but it's, in fact, hiding behind a traditional brownstone facade on the Upper East Side. Located at 234 East 61st Street, the four-story residence is part of the ultra-exclusive Treadwell Farm Historic District, which encompasses only two blocks. Though it was built along with its neighbors in 1873, the house underwent a unique interior renovation in 1910 that added its 21-foot vaulted ceilings and rear, arched addition that opens to the magical south-facing garden. Other stylistically unique architectural elements that have made their way in include the wrought iron railings, ornately carved marble fireplace, and etched glass windows. After last selling in 2006 for $7.9 million, it's now asking $13.9 million.
You don't want to miss this one

My 600sqft: Inside the Upper East Side studio of two doodles and their social media savvy ‘momager’

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to social media expert and doodle mom Paige Chernick’s studio on the Upper East Side. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

July 10, 2018

My 600sqft: Inside the Upper East Side studio of two doodles and their social media savvy ‘momager’

Paige Chernick’s Upper East Side apartment is immaculate, with everything in its place, no clutter in sight and not even one strand of dog hair. Besides the poufy poodles greeting you at the door, there are no immediate signs that dogs really live here. And then, upon closer examination, you’ll see the basket of plush dog toys in the corner, the framed photos of sister doodles Charlie and Sawyer wearing bathrobes in a tub and the spacious closet reserved just for their stuff. While you may not be familiar with Paige, who is a Long Island native and social media manager, you probably know her dogs. On a joint Instagram account (@puppynamedcharlie), rescue doodles Charlie and Sawyer have amassed over 90,000 fans from around the world, all who follow the adorable duo’s adventures across New York City and beyond. Self-described dog ‘momager,’ Paige has turned this hobby into a legitimate side-hustle. Paige and her pups recently gave 6sqft a tour of her spacious studio, which she describes as "metallic, minimalist and modern."
Meet Paige and her duo of doodles

Home Tours

July 10, 2018

Disney will move from the UWS to Hudson Square in $650M deal with Trinity Church

Photo via Wikimedia The Walt Disney Company announced Monday it will move its operations from the Upper West Side to Lower Manhattan, where the media giant is planning to build modern production space and offices. Disney purchased the rights to develop Trinity Church's property at 4 Hudson Square for $650 million under a 99-year agreement. The site covers a full city block, bordered by Hudson, Varick, Van Dam and Spring Streets. "This move represents an historic step forward toward our long-term vision for our New York operations," Robert Iger, CEO of Disney, said in a statement. "The Hudson Square district is rapidly becoming a dynamic, innovative hub for media, technology and other creative businesses."
Get the details of the Disney deal

Real Estate Trends

July 10, 2018

$475K Yorkville co-op may be small, but it has a dreamy back garden