Manhattan

October 24, 2017

Extroverts, voyeurs and people with nothing to hide will love this $5M Chelsea loft

If you love to entertain–and you think privacy is overrated–this two-bedroom Chelsea loft at 130 West 17th Street is definitely the apartment for you. Asking a lofty $4.95 million, the listing doesn’t mention square footage, though past listings have it at about 2,700 square feet. And though it's described as “intimate enough for private living,” it’s definitely “blurring the lines between public and private spaces” with a shower that’s as crowd-friendly as the home’s three entertainment zones.
See it all, this way
October 21, 2017

This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): LEFRAK CITY, 4720 CENTER BOULEVARD, 200 WATER STREET and PERCH HARLEM At LeFrak City, New Amenities Unveiled After $70 Million Renovation; Rentals from $1,485/Month [link] Luxury on the East River at View 34; No Fee Rentals with up to Three Bedrooms [link] Leasing Continues at Perch Harlem, Built to Meet Passive […]

October 20, 2017

First look inside the amenity spaces at Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th Street

Closings commenced at the late Zaha Hadid's futurist 520 West 28th Street at the end of June, coming in above their original asking prices, and over the summer the curvaceous condo welcomed its first residences. According to a press release from developer Related, now that move-ins are underway, the architects have revealed photos of the fully amenitized interiors, which includes one of the world's first private IMAX theaters, a 75-foot sky-lit lap pool, a High Line-adjacent terrace and landscaped courtyard, and a fitness center complete with a 24-hour juice bar and plunge pool.
See all the renderings
October 20, 2017

$8M Soho loft is a bachelor’s bunker for the man who has everything

From the mother-of-pearl shower with aromatic steam to the vaulted mahogany master closet, this dark and luxurious lair is stocked from stem to stern with custom perks that go way beyond the $7.9 million loft's private key-locked elevator and smart home system. Located in a classic pre-war Soho loft building at 459 West Broadway, the 3,150-square-foot space is even outfitted with a secret home gym hidden behind a moving bookcase.
Come in for a peek
October 19, 2017

Horse stable turned loft with 10-foot tin ceilings asks $2.8M in Chelsea

136 West 24th Street was originally built as horse stables in the 1890s for patrons of the historic Ladies Mile shopping district. Today it's quite the stunning loft apartment, boasting thick wooden beams, 10-foot-high tin ceilings, three bedrooms, and three full bathrooms. And its Chelsea locale is right in the heart of the neighborhood, an easy walk to both Madison Square Park and the Highline. After the co-op last sold in 2011 for $2.45 million to the playwright Martha Pichey (mother to actor Rafi Gavron), it has hit the market for $2.8 million.
See the historic interior
October 19, 2017

City officially pitches four neighborhoods for Amazon’s HQ2

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Economic Development Corporation released their official pitch for Amazon's second headquarters on Wednesday, one day before the deadline. Boasting the city's talented tech workforce, the de Blasio administration has pitched Midtown West, Long Island City, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle (DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn and the Navy Yard), and Lower Manhattan as the four best spots for Amazon to call home. The tech giant's nationwide competition, announced in September, set out to find their next headquarters, called HQ2. The company promises the headquarters will bring 50,000 new jobs and $5 billion in initial city investment.
Find out more
October 19, 2017

Off the grid: The little Flatiron Buildings of the Village

The Flatiron Building is one of the city’s most iconic and beloved landmarks. Since 1902 it’s been a symbol of New York, though ironically its acute angle formed by the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue makes it an unusual sight in our otherwise orthogonal city on a grid. But while the Flatiron Building may be the most famous product of quirky street angles, it’s far from the only one. In fact, the "off-the-grid" streets of Greenwich Village and the East Village contain scores of them, most of which pre-date the 23rd Street landmark.
Take a tour of the little Flatirons
October 19, 2017

Katie Couric lists Park Avenue pad for $8.25M after buying a condo nearby

Last year, Katie Couric and her husband of nearly two years, financier John Molner purchased a five-bedroom full-floor apartment at the Peter Pennover-designed 151 East 78th Street, paying $12,168,087. Now, the New York Post reports that the celebrated news anchor's longtime home at 1155 Park Avenue is for sale. The 10-room co-op, listed for $8.25 million, has five bedrooms and high ceilings, large windows, original parquet flooring and treetop views over Park Avenue's famous tulip gardens. The classic Upper East Side full-service building offers a 24-hour doorman and a fitness center among its perks.
Take a look
October 19, 2017

The 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City

Taking the top spot from Tribeca for the first time in a long time, the Flatiron District now ranks as the most expensive neighborhood in New York City, according to data compiled by Property Shark. In its latest report looking at the residential market during the third quarter of 2017, the group lists the 50 priciest neighborhoods in the city, with the usual upscale 'hoods like TriBeCa, Central Park South and Hudson Square rounding out the top tier (h/t Time Out NY). In another plot twist, Red Hook has become Brooklyn’s most expensive neighborhood this quarter--overthrowing DUMBO--with a median sale price of $1.92 million in Q3.
See the full list
October 19, 2017

After a colorful makeover and price chops, Judy Garland’s former Dakota co-op finds a $10M buyer

Since it arrived on the market in 2016 for $16.75 million, 6sqft has admired this three-bedroom co-op in the iconic Dakota for its history as the (alleged) onetime home of the equally iconic Judy Garland as well as for its colorful makeover by trendy young designer Sasha Bikoff. Now the apartment, which was owned by the designer's late mother, former pianist, ballerina, and Studio 54 denizen Jacqueline Bikoff, has reportedly entered contract at its recent asking price of $10 million, according to Mansion Global. Bikoff bought the elegant Upper West Side pad in 2010 for $13 million from renowned bridge players Roy Welland and Christal Henner.
Take one last tour
October 18, 2017

$17M Tribeca penthouse received a mod, wood-paneled makeover

Not all luxury living in 21st century downtown Manhattan is a glass-clad cliche, and this sprawling, light-filled Tribeca penthouse is proof. On the highest floors of a five-story 1920s building at 142 Duane Street, this is a triplex to be reckoned with at 7,200 square feet plus two private outdoor terraces. Part of what makes this $16.95 million condop (a co-op with less stringent condo-like rules) so special is a showstopping contemporary gut renovation by architecture firm Triarch in 2005, with natural wood paneling inspired by modernist architects like Jean Michel Frank, Adolf Loos and Bruno Paul.
Take the tour
October 18, 2017

Construction kicks off on Trinity Church’s Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed community center and office tower

One year ago, Trinity Church Wall Street revealed plans for a $300 million mixed-use tower designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli that would link to the historic Neo-Gothic church by a footbridge over Trinity Place. Earlier plans for luxury condos were squashed by the community, so Trinity decided instead to build an office tower and community space that will "allow the church to continue to shape the area and advocate for the community in the future," as the Rector, Rev. Dr. William Lupfer, explained. And it looks like the future is now; according to CityRealty, the Department of Buildings approved plans for the 26-story building and construction is underway.
READ MORE
October 18, 2017

Eateries and entertainment venues proposed for Governors Island

Since Governors Island first opened in 2005, transforming the 172-acre piece of land in the New York Harbor into a public space has been slow. However, after a 40-acre park with a playground opened last year the ball has officially started rolling. According to Crain’s, the Trust for Governors Island recently released two requests for proposals aimed at making the waterfront location a destination for entertainment and cultural activities. The trust is offering licenses for up to three years during the island's season, which runs from May 1 through October 31.
Find out more
October 18, 2017

Asking $2.5M, ‘this old house’ on the Upper West Side belonged to Bob Villa

Fans of the renovation show "This Old House" will appreciate this Upper West Side townhouse at 21 West 75th Street. Bob Vila, the host of the show for 10 years, owned the home with his son, Chris. Built in 1909 by John C. Umberfield and designed by architect George Walgrove, the historic townhouse inspired many episodes of the show. And in the show's spirit, it was more recently renovated and restored before being divided into five condos. This condo, asking $2.5 million, occupies the full third floor of the property.
See the original details still in place
October 18, 2017

Bjarke Ingels’ curvy East Harlem tower tops out

The concrete, t-shaped residential tower designed by starchitect, Bjarke Ingels and his firm BIG, topped out over the weekend, adding diversity to Upper Manhattan’s usual upright architecture. The East Harlem project at 158 East 126th Street, known as E126, uniquely slopes inward as it rises upward, allowing more sunlight to hit the street. As CityRealty learned, the unusual configuration will provide residents incredible views of the East River and Central Park from a rooftop garden.
Check it out
October 17, 2017

A Beaux-Arts style building will rise on the Upper East Side’s 79th Street, the block’s first condo

The Upper East Side's 79th Street, stretching between Madison and Fifth Avenues, remains known for its architecturally beautiful 19th and early 20th-century homes. Now, as CityRealty learned, the stretch of street will soon gain its first condominium at 27 East 79th Street, also the block's first new building in 40 years. The Parisian-inspired, 15-story building will have interiors designed by Cabinet Albert Pinto, whose trademark style mixes old-world luxury with modern design. The firm's previous clients include the French President and royal families of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Albert Pinto's team, run by Linda Pinto, will be working with local firm, HTO Architects.
See inside
October 17, 2017

David Adjaye reveals designs for an interactive spy museum in Midtown

One of the reasons for Ghanaian British architect David Adjaye's rise to international fame is his work on renowned museums, from Washington D.C.'s National Museum of African American History and Culture to Denver's Museum of Contemporary Art to the recently released plans for the Studio Museum in Harlem. And he'll now add to that list, again in NYC, but this time the project is a bit on the lighter side. The Architect's Newspaper reveals Adjaye Associates' renderings for SPYSCAPE, a spy museum and interactive experience that will open at 250 West 55th Street on February 16th. Spread over two floors in the office building, the exhibitions will be divided among individually designed pavilions, each one exploring one of the seven themes of spying. This format, according to the firm's Associate Director Lucy Tilley, allowed them to "challenge the traditional museum typology with a design that straddles the physical and digital worlds."
More details and renderings ahead
October 17, 2017

Beyer Blinder Belle overseeing $50M restoration of FiDi’s iconic Equitable Building

One of New York's best-known office buildings will get a major restoration. According to Curbed, Equitable Building owner Silverstein Properties plans to spend $50 million to return the Financial District building to its former glory, restoring many design elements that were on display when it first opened in 1915. Beyer Blinder Belle will oversee the reno, which includes the restoration of the entrance, a new lighting system with hanging bronze fixtures, a new reception desk, and a granite accent wall. For those unfamiliar with the Equitable Building, it actually played a huge role in the city's current zoning laws. The H-shaped tower, which takes up the entire block on Broadway between Pine and Cedar Streets, caused a scandal when it opened due to the long shadows it cast on nearby streets, leading the city to establish the first-ever zoning laws to regulate the height of future tall buildings.
Read about the restoration details
October 16, 2017

Art meets architecture at 180 East 88th including an intricate plasterwork installation in the lobby

CityRealty previously reported on the highly anticipated–and visually unique–skyscraper rising at 180 East 88th Street. Developers DDG want the 50-story condominium tower to stand apart from the sea of glass towers rising on the Upper East Side, and renderings show that the building's design is indeed a breathtaking departure from the average both inside and out, from herringbone-patterned brickwork to each unit’s herringbone floors imported from Austria. As an example of the project's unmatched level of individuality and attention to detail, DDG is working with a series of artists, including the renowned stucco artist Jan Hooss, who is creating an intricate plasterwork installation above the fireplace that will anchor the building's lobby. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, the artist has worked with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at Chateau Miraval. DDG CEO Joseph McMillan told CityRealty, "We wanted something unique and different for this building which is why we went with stucco art."
Watch a video of the artist describing his work for Brad Pitt and for the new building
October 16, 2017

Museum of Natural History reveals designs for new Halls of Gems and Minerals

The giant blue whale and equally massive dinos might get all the glory at the American Museum of Natural History, but a new acquisition is bringing another exhibit into the extra-large club. This morning, the institution unveiled a 12-foot-tall, 9,000+ pound amethyst geode from Uruguay (one of the largest in the world) that will anchor its all-new Halls of Gems and Minerals. Ralph Appelbaum Associates is handling the renovation of the 11,000-square-foot space, which is being designed in anticipation of AMNH's upcoming $340 million expansion by starchitect Jeanne Gang. The Halls previously ended in a cul-de-sac but the new Halls will feature a "stunning Crystalline Pass" to connect to Studio Gang's 235,000-square-foot Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation.
See all the renderings and watch a timelapse video of the geode's installation
October 16, 2017

Kushner Companies’ plan for extensive renovations at 666 Fifth Avenue rejected by Vornado

Instead of the 41-story Midtown tower becoming an 80-story office building with hotel rooms and luxury housing, 666 Fifth Avenue will now get a much more simple upgrade. According to Bloomberg, Vornado Realty Trust, the project’s partner alongside Kushner Companies, told brokers the property will remain an office building, with“mundane” renovations planned. As one of the most financially troubled developments for Kushner Cos., the Fifth Ave project has been losing money since its purchase was first coordinated by Jared Kushner, currently a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, in 2007.
More this way
October 16, 2017

$6.5M home in The Carlyle comes with valet, room service, and IT support

Rising high above the Upper East Side and Central Park, the iconic tower of the The Hotel Carlyle at 35 East 76th Street has symbolized old-world elegance and society glamour since it was built in 1929. This two-bedroom co-op on the market for $6.495 million puts all the comforts of home in the hands of the hotel's attentive staff, giving residents access to housekeeping, a concierge, doorman, valet, 24/7 room service, a phone operator, an engineer, IT support, shipping, a courtesy car, a garage, a spa and salon and a fitness center, plus banquet and conference facilities. Just downstairs are the famed Bemelmans bar–named for Ludwig Bemelmans artist and author of the "Madeline" series of children's classics (his mural adorns the walls of the establishment)–and Cafe Carlyle.
Get a peek behind the velvet curtains
October 16, 2017

J.Lo and A-Rod go apartment hunting at 432 Park Avenue

When your relationship status gets its own acronym you know you're in another league of celebrity, so it comes as no surprise that J-Rod is said to be checking out apartments in 432 Park Avenue, the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere. According to the Page Six, a broker says they've been to the tower four times, while another broker claims they're looking at a "four-bedroom, half-floor unit on a high floor." The timing makes sense, as Jennifer Lopez put her enormous Nomad penthouse on the market for $27 million just 10 days ago.
READ MORE
October 14, 2017

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

Images (L to R): THE ALEXEY, THE LAURA, THE LARSTRAND and DUNHAM PLACE Style & Elegance at The Larstrand on West 77th Street; No-Fee Rentals Available Now [link] Tetris-Like South Slope Building Launches Leasing; No Fee Rentals from $2,308/Month [link] Bed-Stuy Rental Near the G Train Offers Two Months Free; One-Bedrooms from $2,350/Month [link] Renovated […]

October 13, 2017

Rafael Vinoly’s Three Waterline Square tops out, first of starchitect trio

Rafael Viñoly's tapering, pinstriped Three Waterline Square has topped out construction, CityRealty reports, and Richard Meier's neighboring One Waterline Square is rapidly approaching its final 36-story height. Construction crews pitched an American flag atop the nearly-400-foot-tall Viñoly-designed building signifying that vertical construction is complete. 6sqft has previously reported on the trio of glassy residential towers known as Waterline Square, highlighting the starchitect designs and amazing amenities of the under-construction West Side additions.
More photos and renderings this way
October 12, 2017

Lorraine Hansberry’s Greenwich Village: From ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ to civil rights

Lorraine Hansberry, the trailblazing playwright, activist, and Nina Simone song inspiration was perhaps most closely associated with Chicago. But in fact she lived, went to school, and spent much of her life in Greenwich Village, even writing her best known play "A Raisin in the Sun" while living on Bleecker Street. And shortly a historic plaque will mark the site of her home on Waverly Place.
Learn the full history here
October 12, 2017

Two Boots Pizza founders’ amazing $10.5M townhouse is filled with memories of a bygone East Village

New York City is filled with homes–and stories–that are truly one-of-a-kind, and this massive, customized-from-top-to-bottom townhouse at 113 East 2nd Street in the East Village is a perfect example. The five-story townhouse is brimming with creative additions by residents who themselves helped shape one of the city’s most storied neighborhoods. The 7,000-square-foot property finds itself finally on the market for $10.5 million after a decade-long dispute between its owners, Phil Hartman and Doris Kornish, founders of the now-national pizza chain Two Boots, as the New York Post reports. The two divorced in 2008 and have been fighting over the home, where the pair raised three children, ever since. The 25-foot wide two-family townhouse is currently configured as an owner's unit with seven bedrooms and a separate one bedroom apartment on the parlor floor with "very limited and specific commercial uses." Though there are endless details that add originality and livability within, highlights include a serene rear garden and a performance space in the basement and cellar that's complete with a stage and 14-foot ceilings.
Explore this rare bit of East Village history