Manhattan

A new housing lottery has just been launched at Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village. Households earning $86,670-$170,115/year are eligible to apply for one-bedrooms for $2,889/month and two-bedrooms for $3,543/month. Those who applied last year don't need to apply again; their names are already on a waiting list–though it's likely a long one; 6sqft previously noted that a 2016 waitlist for the downtown apartment complex stretched to 15,000 people. The deadline to apply for the new lottery is February 21, 2018.
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Affordable Housing

Travel along the historic trails of Lower Manhattan with this interactive map

Courtesy of the Skyscraper Museum

January 16, 2018

Travel along the historic trails of Lower Manhattan with this interactive map

The Skyscraper Museum has released a new interactive web project and digital archive called Heritage Trails New York, which revives a landmark history project from 1997. Heritage Trails focuses on the historic blocks of Lower Manhattan, from the Battery to the African Burial Ground and Foley Square, stretching from the Hudson River to the South Street Seaport. The updated map expands on the original, which was designed by architect Richard D. Kaplan, by letting users more easily follow along with the dotted path via smartphone or computer.
Explore the map here

History

January 16, 2018

Colorful Gramercy loft with 17 windows and a private elevator entry asks $5.5M

The interior of this full-floor Gramercy loft is popping with color, made all the more brilliant by the light streaming through the apartment's 17 windows. It takes up an entire floor of the cooperative at 105 East 16th Street, spanning 4,100 square feet. The private elevator entrance opens up to an expansive living and dining area, while the flexible floor plan holds three bedrooms but could accomidate four.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

January 16, 2018

Arts and Crafts meets Japanese style at this $3.1M Gramercy co-op

For a modern apartment with plenty of customized elements, look no further than this cooperative at 112 East 19th Street in Gramercy. The interior is the incredible handiwork of an Emmy Award-winning set designer, who also happens to be one of the building's original co-op shareholders. As the listing says, "this sprawling and serene space has been planned, built and maintained with a meticulous eye for detail and utter devotion to aesthetics." The owner was influenced by the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, alongside traditional Japanese interior design. The apartment, lined with 12 extra-tall windows, achieves an indoor-outdoor vibe reminiscent of a Pacific getaway. It has been on and off the market since 2016, asking a high of $3.2 million. Now the ask is down to $3.1 million.
There's custom panels, screens and lighting

Distinctive Homes

After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

Rendering via Pier55, Inc

January 16, 2018

After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer appointed Douglas Durst on Friday to the board of the Hudson River Park Trust, a group he has frequently criticized over their proposed Pier55 project. Durst admitted last year to funding a lawsuit to stop the trust's plan for an off-shore park on the Hudson River. While billionaire businessman Barry Diller, who is funding the $250 million project, halted construction in September, the plan was restored a month later, with pressure and financial help from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Brewer told Crain's that Durst didn't volunteer, she asked him to join the board. "I think he loves the park," she said.
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My 700sqft: News anchors Jamie and Brian Stelter open up their ‘sunny’ Lincoln Square home

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Lincoln Square apartment of news anchors Jamie and Brian Stelter. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

January 16, 2018

My 700sqft: News anchors Jamie and Brian Stelter open up their ‘sunny’ Lincoln Square home

By Dana Schulz

If these two friendly faces look familiar it's because they grace your television screen daily. Jamie Stelter has been NY1's traffic reporter for the past eight years, gaining fame not only for her onscreen rapport with Pat Kiernan but for her naturally bubbly personality (especially important when you go on air at 5am!), and Brian Stelter is a former media reporter for the New York Times and the current senior media correspondent and host of "Reliable Sources" for CNN. And while this might sound like a recipe for one intimidating couple, the Stelters are about as down-to-earth and warm as they come. 6sqft recently visited the couple at their Lincoln Square apartment and saw what a typical afternoon looks like, from putting their adorable eight-month-old daughter Sunny down for a nap to Brian dashing out the door to CNN's nearby offices (and Jamie and Sunny watching him on tv just a few moments later!). We were also treated to a tour of their boho-meets-family-friendly home, which is filled with DIY projects, adorable personal mementos, and a long list of Jamie's stylish finds from her favorite Instagram feeds.
Hang out with Jamie and Brian

NYC RENTALS: This week’s roundup of rental news & offers

Images (L to R): Avalon Brooklyn Bay, SKY, Ellipse and Henry Hall

January 13, 2018

NYC RENTALS: This week’s roundup of rental news & offers

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): Avalon Brooklyn Bay, SKY, Ellipse and Henry Hall Greystar Unveils New Amenities and Renovated Apartments at The Chelsea Jersey City Waterfront Rental ‘Ellipse’ Unveils New Amenities, Pool Coming This Summer Brooklyn Heights Rental Tower Leasing One and Two-Bed Units with Discounted Deposits Newly Listed One-Beds at 1209 Dekalb from $2,150/Month Eastchester […]

Real Estate Trends

January 12, 2018

Grand Upper East Side co-op below Bette Midler’s penthouse asks $20M

A rarely-available Fifth Avenue co-op with 50 feet of Central Park frontage–and Bette Midler for an upstairs neighbor–has hit the market for $20 million, according to Curbed. This classic 11-room, five-bedroom Upper East Side home at 1125 Fifth Avenue gets those cinematic park and skyline views; the Divine Miss M has the penthouse–featured in Architectural Digest in 2014–upstairs.
Take the grand tour

January 12, 2018

For $1.15M, this little Upper West Side condo has a private rooftop that’s almost twice its size

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

If you're dreaming of the Upper West Side, and outdoor space is at the top of your list, you'll want to see this cozy walk-up condo at 105 West 77th Street. You might not even mind that it's only 454 square feet inside. Of course, 11-foot ceilings help, and amazing city views don't hurt either. You're right around the corner from the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, but the best addition by far is a 730-square-foot private roof deck just up a spiral staircase.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Rent ‘Real Housewives of NYC’ star Sonja Morgan’s notorious Lenox Hill townhouse for $32K/month

Photo of Sonja Morgan courtesy of Andrea Arden’s Flickr

January 11, 2018

Rent ‘Real Housewives of NYC’ star Sonja Morgan’s notorious Lenox Hill townhouse for $32K/month

By Annie Doge

The Lenox Hill townhouse owned by Sonja Morgan has experienced about as many ups and downs on the market as the "Real Housewives of New York City" star herself. After years of trying to sell, Morgan is now renting her five-story, five-bedroom home at 162 East 63rd Street for $32,000/month. The hilarious hot-mess, who was formerly married to J.P. Morgan heir John Morgan and went bankrupt following their divorce, is currently being sued by her bankruptcy attorneys for not paying them a court-ordered fee of $350,000. Built in 1899, the Upper East Side townhouse features an elegant foyer, a spacious living room with a gas fireplace and a lush landscaped garden.
See inside

The Greenwich Village church that threw a presidential election

The Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church in 1902, courtesy of the New-York Historical Society, Robert L. Bracklow Photograph Collection

January 11, 2018

The Greenwich Village church that threw a presidential election

The stately church building at 141-145 West 13th Street in the West Village is the picture of serene elegance. Built in 1846-47 in the Greek Revival style, the classical balance and symmetry of the façade mask a history full of controversy, including the birth of a notorious slur in American politics, which arguably changed the outcome of a pivotal presidential election.
Find out about the scandalous story

History

In heated legal battle, condo board says it has the right to remove Trump’s name

Trump Place Apartments courtesy of Nick Normal’s Flickr

January 11, 2018

In heated legal battle, condo board says it has the right to remove Trump’s name

While never especially popular in his hometown, President Donald Trump's approval in New York City dropped even more so after his election. His unpopularity among New Yorkers has taken a toll on his real estate empire: both average sales price and the average price per square footage at the 11 Trump-branded condos fell below the average in this area for the first time ever. And some residents living in condos that bear the president's name have started petitions to remove Trump from the building's exterior. At one 48-story luxury building on the Upper West Side, residents are debating whether or not to remove his name. The condo board at 200 Riverside Boulevard, or "Trump Place," now potentially faces a lawsuit from DJT Holdings, a company owned by Trump, for seeking to remove the name, the New York Post reported.
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Policy

Live in a one-bedroom off of East Harlem’s bustling 116th Street for $2,270/month

Photo of East Harlem’s 116th Street via Wikimedia

January 10, 2018

Live in a one-bedroom off of East Harlem’s bustling 116th Street for $2,270/month

A brand new residential building at 245 East 115th Street in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood is currently accepting applications for four middle-income one-bedroom apartments. The eight-story building sits just one block from 116th Street, the business hub of Spanish Harlem that features lots of restaurants and shops. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the one-bedroom apartments for $2,270/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

January 10, 2018

‘Law & Order SVU’ actress Stephanie March snags a two-unit penthouse at the Shephard for $35M

By Annie Doge

Actress Stephanie March, best known for her role in "Law & Order SVU," and her husband, Daniel Benton, just picked up a penthouse for $34.62 million at the Shephard, a converted condo building in the West Village. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the couple is combining two units at the building at 275 West 10th Street to create a five-bedroom spread spanning 6,836 square feet. The apartment boasts a 3,451 square foot terrace as well as oversized windows, barrel-vaulted ceilings and solid hardwood oak floors.
Take a tour

January 10, 2018

Upper East Side mansion with Warhols and a gold-plated couch is back on the market for $24M

A five-story townhouse at 132 East 62nd Street in the Upper East Side that has resurfaced on the market for $24 million comes complete with artworks by Andy Warhol, Anish Kapoor, and Roy Lichtenstein, books signed by William Faulkner and Joan Didion–and an oil painting by Frank Sinatra (h/t Curbed). The decked-out manse was renovated from stem to stern by jewelry designer (and singer Duncan Sheik's mom!) Suzanne Sheik, who bought it from a Chanel exec and sold it in 2010 to "an accomplished designer" who spent another three years renovating. The home appeared on the market for $27 million in 2014, and as a rental for $65,000 a month.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Thomas Heatherwick designs two bubbled condo towers for Related’s High Line-straddling site

Proposed rendering of 515 West 18th Street via Related Companies

January 10, 2018

Thomas Heatherwick designs two bubbled condo towers for Related’s High Line-straddling site

Thomas Heatherwick plans to bring more eccentricity to Manhattan's west side with two condo towers covered in a bubbled facade and bisected by the High Line, as CityRealty reported on Wednesday. The straddling pair at 515 West 18th Street, currently known as the Hudson Residences in conjunction with another Robert A.M. Stern-designed tower planned for West 22nd Street, will contain 181 condos split between a 10-floor east tower and a 22-floor west tower. The development spans 425,000 square feet and will include 17,000 square feet of retail and gallery space, as well as 175 parking spots.
See the towers

January 10, 2018

LPC sends glassy addition to Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square loft back to the drawing board

Back in November, the developer/owner of a pair of newly-landmarked buildings at 827-831 Broadway--noted for their cast-iron architecture and a rich cultural history that includes serving as home to artist Willem de Kooning--submitted a proposal for a four-story prismatic glass addition and landscaped roof terrace that architects DXA Studio say was influenced by de Kooning's work. Yesterday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received the proposal with mixed reviews, feeling skeptical about whether or not cultural events should influence a building's architecture. After hearing testimony from a slew of local residents and preservationists who feel the glass topper is too large, the LPC decided to take no action on the plan, instead sending the team back to the drawing board to better detail the restoration aspects and reconsider the addition as perhaps shorter and further setback.
More details and renderings ahead

January 10, 2018

This cute studio co-op with some bonus storage asks $499K in the East Village

Studio living in this East Village apartment comes with some perks. It's been fully renovated and boasts bonus storage, like a walk-in closet and reserved space in the building's basement. This cooperative at 634 East 14th Street also offers a bike garage and private garden for residents. The cute pad, finished with exposed brick, crown moldings and maple hardwood floors, is now listed for $499,000 after being taken off the market last year with an ask of $525,000.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

January 9, 2018

Documentary journalist Pamela Hogan lists lovely Central Park West penthouse for $4.4M

This four-bedroom co-op, inside the Central Park West brownstone at 44 West 76th Street, is owned by the documentary filmmaker and journalist Pamela Hogan and her cinematographer husband Jeffrey L. Kimball. Hogan's behind the independent film Looks like Laury Sounds like Laury and was the co-creator of the PBS series Women, War & Peace. She and her husband snatched up the penthouse property in 1996 for $1.2 million, and they've just listed it for $4.375 million. The impressive space--which occupies the upper floors of an 1880s brownstone--boasts walls of windows and incredible light. It's a seamless blend between the historic townhouse and a bright, lofty aesthetic.
It's a triplex with a private terrace

Distinctive Homes

Before it was a national monument, Castle Clinton opened as America’s first beer garden

Image courtesy of NYPL

January 9, 2018

Before it was a national monument, Castle Clinton opened as America’s first beer garden

New Yorkers today know Castle Clinton, in Battery Park, as a national monument and departure point to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. But the circular sandstone fort dates all the way back to 1811--and has served as everything from an immigration station, exhibition hall, theater, and public aquarium since. One forgotten fact of the historic structure is that it's considered the site of America's first beer garden, which opened as Castle Garden on July 3rd, 1824. The illustration above shows the beer garden--which also had a grand theater--featured in Harper's New Monthly Magazine in the 1800s. The open-air space, which eventually got a roof, was considered one of the premier attractions in Manhattan.
Read a little more history

History

To save Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden, a nonprofit wants to take ownership from the city

Sketch of Elizabeth Street Garden’s Site A courtesy of Ella Barnes/ESG

January 9, 2018

To save Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden, a nonprofit wants to take ownership from the city

A nonprofit with a mission to protect and preserve the Elizabeth Street Garden in Nolita released on Tuesday a plan to designate the park as a Community Land Trust (CLT), meaning it would no longer require funding from the city. The group, aptly named Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG), unveiled renderings of what the park could look like as a CLT, including a new composting station, solar panels, a volunteer work shed and more. The proposal from ESG comes after the city announced last month plans to demolish the garden to make way for an affordable senior housing development.
More this way

Replacement of Harlem icon Lenox Lounge to be a decidedly less jazzy commercial building

New rendering of 288 Lenox Avenue via Gambino + La Porta Architecture; Lenox Lounge photo via Ciro Miguel’s Flickr

January 9, 2018

Replacement of Harlem icon Lenox Lounge to be a decidedly less jazzy commercial building

The proposed replacement of the Lenox Lounge, a Harlem Renaissance club that once featured jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, is nothing to sing about. Designed by Gambino + La Porta Architecture, a rendering of the commercial building at 288 Lenox Avenue between 124th and 125th Streets reveals a non-descript four-story building, as CityRealty reported. While the space is rumored to bring Harlem's first Sephora, a tenant for the retail space on the ground floor has not been confirmed. There will be offices located on the second through fourth floors.
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New Developments

Harry Houdini’s one-time Harlem townhouse conjures a buyer at $3.6M

Houdini image: Wikimedia Commons.

January 9, 2018

Harry Houdini’s one-time Harlem townhouse conjures a buyer at $3.6M