Manhattan

The Lower East Side will be losing a neighborhood fixture next year. Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema at 139-143 East Houston Street will be closing its doors when its lease expires in January 2018, to make way for a new mixed-use development with retail and office space. As the Post reports, the theater, which was built in 1889 and first opened in 1909 as the Houston Hippodrome, was sold for $31.5 million to developers East End Capital and K Property Group.
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New Developments

May 18, 2017

Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard renting at Midtown’s swanky MiMA tower

The Mets’ powerhouse pitcher Noah Syndergaard is renting a posh two-bedroom apartment at Manhattan View at MiMA while recovering from a partially torn lat muscle, according to the Post. The star player, admirably known as “Thor” because of his long locks, lives with his girlfriend Alexandra Cooper and fellow Mets pitcher Robert Gsellman in the rental at 460 West 42nd Street, which was designed by Arquitectonica and boasts views of the Hudson River, George Washington Bridge, Columbus Circle and Central Park. Though there aren't details on his specific unit, two-bedroom rentals start at around $6,000 a month.
See inside the units at MiMA

Celebrities

May 18, 2017

Glamorous Yorkville penthouse once home to Irving Berlin lists for $7.9M

By Dana Schulz

Growing up at the turn of the century on the Lower East Side, which was then home to the Yiddish Rialto (the largest Yiddish theater in the world at the time), is how legendary Hollywood songwriter Irving Berlin was first exposed to music and theater. But later in life, he moved his family uptown, first to Sutton Place and then to 130 East End Avenue, an Emory Roth-designed co-op in Yorkville right across from Carl Schurz Park. He lived in the penthouse duplex, which biographer Laurence Bergreen described as "a formal, stately dwelling with impressive views of the East River," from 1931 to 1944. Now, the still-stately and "One of a Kind" home has just hit the market for $7.9 million.
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May 18, 2017

Alec Baldwin sells Eldorado apartment for $1.25M

When he's not channelling his inner Trump, Alec Baldwin spends a good deal of time buying and selling NYC real estate. He and wife Hilaria welcomed their third child in the fall, presumably making their current $12 million three-bedroom home in Greenwich Village’s Devonshire House a bit too small (Alec also owns the unit next door, and as 6sqft reported, he sold another one-bedroom in the building for $2.1 million in 2015). The couple was seen scoping out a couple Nomad-area places this fall, but they may now be ready to make the jump as Alec has unloaded yet another apartment, this time uptown at the Eldorado on Central Park West. The unit was an annex, or perhaps maids quarters, for a larger spread in the building, which Alec sold for $9.5 million in 2011. Six years later, he's found a buyer for its counterpart, scoring $1.25 million from private equity firm founder and political economist David E. Spiro.
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May 18, 2017

$550K Noho one-bedroom is a cozy perch in a perfect downtown neighborhood

This bright and airy co-op at 308 Mott Street in Noho may not have a 35-foot-long terrace, but it is, as the listing says, both charming and efficient, with plenty of storage and enough room for a guest or two. The lovely tree-lined blocks that surround the building are home to elegant buildings both historic and new, and quaint shops, theaters and restaurants just far enough from the bustle of Soho. It's an expensive enclave, home to celebrities galore, so the $550K ask makes this charming apartment seem like quite a find.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

May 17, 2017

Watch Herzog & de Meuron’s ‘Jenga Tower’ rise in 60 seconds

By Diane Pham

56 Leonard is one of NYC's most exciting recent architectural additions. Dreamt up by Herzog & de Meuron, the skyline-altering condo tower rises 57 stories with an undeniable acrobatic grace, carefully staggering its floors in a cantilevering Jenga-like configuration that also appears to be in perfect equilibrium. Although the project developed by the Alexico Group and Hines took nearly a decade to build, a new video (h/t The Real Deal) released by the developers fast tracks the long and arduous process, neatly wrapping up 10 years of work into just over 60 seconds.
see the full timelapse here

The Campbell Apartment: Grand Central Terminal’s historic ‘secret’ bar reopens

Image of The Campbell Bar via Facebook.

May 17, 2017

The Campbell Apartment: Grand Central Terminal’s historic ‘secret’ bar reopens

Though we're getting used to bidding farewell to our favorite vestiges of old New York, the May 17 reopening of historic and elegant cocktail establishment Campbell Apartment brings a rare reprieve to that familiar scenario, as The New York Times reports. Shuttered in July, the iconic lounge tucked away deep within Grand Central Terminal will reopen as an expanded version of the original. Both its slightly hidden nature and the establishment’s dress code will not be returning in its newest incarnation. The new, easier-to-find bar will be run by the Gerber Group, who says they want the bar to be less stuffy, hopefully without losing any of the historic and genteel appeal that made it a favorite grown-up rendezvous spot and a great way to impress a date.
Find out the story behind this unique NYC space

May 17, 2017

Asking $750K, this little Chelsea apartment launched an interior design startup

This cozy and chic one-bedroom co-op at 221 West 21st Street on a quiet and leafy Chelsea block may not boast a lot of square feet, but its well-curated design makes it feel more like a home than a tiny Manhattan apartment. It's a success story we've seen over and over again; in this particular case, the home's small-space makeover was the inspiration for successful designer-client matchup service Homepolish–the homeowner, a coder for Buzzfeed, went on to partner with the interior design company's founder to help others find smart design solutions. The fifth-floor apartment is currently asking $750,000.
Check out some of the cool details

Distinctive Homes

May 16, 2017

Gwathmey-designed Police Building duplex in former gymnasium returns for $18.5M

240 Centre Street, formerly the New York City Police Headquarters, is somewhat known for its splashy pads with amazing details and high price tags–like this $40M penthouse in the building's clocktower dome–that are better at getting attention than finding buyers; this remarkable duplex in the Nolita landmark is no exception. Late New York Five architect Charles Gwathmey designed this reborn 6,600 square foot home that includes what was once the police gymnasium. The stunning co-op has been on and off the market since 2008, at one point asking $31M (h/t Curbed); the four-bedroom apartment just reappeared on the market $18.5 million.
Tour this one-of-a-kind Manhattan masterpiece

Distinctive Homes

May 16, 2017

This $2.2M Noho loft takes storage to a whole new level

This light-filled loft at 718 Broadway on a bustling stretch of Noho has 1,300 square feet of space to live in—and a New Yorker's dream of storage space to stash your stuff. Just listed for $2.2 million, the massive downtown apartment is the perfect refuge from the city. And, can you really go wrong with eight-foot windows and twelve-foot ceilings?
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

May 15, 2017

French-inspired townhouse asks $8.5M on Sutton Place

By Emily Nonko

This $8.5 million townhouse at 19 Sutton Place boasts an interesting backstory dating to the 1920s. The home--like most others in the area--was built as an unassuming brownstone in the late 1800s. In 1920, the wealthy literary agent Elisabeth Marbury, with her partner Elsie de Wolfe, a well-known decorator, moved to the block and hired an architect to transform a nearby townhouse into a neo-Georgian townhouse. Millionaires followed suit, moving in and redesigning the homes of Sutton Place. At 19 Sutton, banker B. Stafford Mantz transformed the brownstone into a "provincial Louis XVI townhouse of grey and brown brick" according to Daytonian in Manhattan. And today, the interior boasts elegant spaces with high ceilings, five wood-burning fireplaces, and its own elevator.
Take a look around

May 15, 2017

NYCxDesign 2017: The 6sqft guide to finding the best design events this month

NYCxDesign 2017, New York City’s official turn to celebrate all things design, hits town from May 3 – May 24. NYC is among the world’s design capitals and home to more designers than any other U.S. metro area. NYCxDesign spotlights the city’s diverse design community and its contributions to our economy and everyday life, and increases awareness of and appreciation for design with a collaborative mix of cultural, professional, educational and commercial offerings. This year’s celebration is the longest-running one to date. You can head in any direction and you'll stumble into a design-related event, but we've compiled a guide to a few of the top collaborative efforts and highlighted some of our picks.
Check out our NYCxD picks, this way

Rosario Dawson’s family wants to buy low-income housing units in the East Village

544 West 13th Street under construction in January, via Paul A. Castrucci Architect (L)

May 15, 2017

Rosario Dawson’s family wants to buy low-income housing units in the East Village

Actress Rosario Dawson’s family hopes to buy low-income apartments in a newly renovated building as part of a city program that converts abandoned homes into affordable units. Rosario grew up in an East Village squatter’s den and her family continues to live in the East 13th Street co-op, even after the actress became famous and amassed a net worth of more than $16 million. According to the New York Post, long-time tenants of the building say the Dawson family bullied their way into controlling a third of the 14-unit residence over the last 20 years.
Get the full scoop

May 15, 2017

Rent Jennifer Lawrence’s Tribeca pad for $27.5K a month

After a fairly lengthy house hunt, Jennifer Lawrence dropped $9 million on a sprawling Tribeca loft in January. The apartment is at 443 Greenwich Street, which has become a celeb hot spot due to its "paparazzi-proof" amenities such as a below-grade parking and a private interior courtyard. But now that she's in London filming "Red Sparrow," Lawrence has put the home on the rental market, first listing it in February for $30,000 a month and now dropping the price to $27,500 (h/t TRD). Whoever inks the lease will be able to call Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, and Harry Styles their neighbors.
More ahead

May 13, 2017

Brick archways and timber beams decorate this $2M Tribeca co-op

By Emily Nonko

This apartment comes from the gorgeous Tribeca co-op building 165 Duane Street, also known as the Duane Park Lofts. The Romanesque Revival-style, 11-story warehouse was designed by Stephen Decatur Hatch in 1880 and converted in 1980 to 36 co-ops. This one bedroom is all exposed brick, with some timber beams, and it's now asking $2.15 million. Large eastern windows look out over Tribeca's rooftops and other great buildings, like the landmarked Western Union Building and FiDi skyscrapers to the south.
See the inside

Distinctive Homes

May 12, 2017

If you’re trying on every NYC neighborhood, start with this $13K/month pre-war Village co-op in ‘large’

It's often said that if you're not sure which neighborhood you'd like, renting is the best way to get to know a few before you make the commitment of buying. And while Greenwich Village is often a top choice, it's an expensive commitment. This $13,000 a month rental in a classic pre-war co-op at 61 West 10th Street is pricey, but you're starting at the top, with a view, on downtown Manhattan's "Gold Coast" in the aptly named Windsor Arms. And there's plenty of room at the top in the form of two big bedrooms with room for more.
Take the tour

Score an affordable apartment in Harlem’s Sugar Hill from $747/ month

Photo of Sugar Hill row houses via Wikipedia

May 12, 2017

Score an affordable apartment in Harlem’s Sugar Hill from $747/ month

Located in the historic Sugar Hill district in Hamilton Heights, 16 newly renovated affordable units are available to rent at 369 Edgecombe Avenue and 801 St. Nicholas Avenue. The neighborhood is chock full of Queen Anne- and Romanesque Revival-style homes, and it has easy access to Jackie Robinson park, which includes a recreation center, baseball fields, and a swimming pool. The buildings featured in the city's housing lottery are open to New Yorkers earning 50 and 60 percent of the area median income, with units ranging from $747/month one-bedrooms to $1,196/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 12, 2017

The Urban Lens: Travel back to the gritty Meatpacking District of the ’80s and ’90s

By Dana Schulz

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation shares archival images of the gritty Meatpacking District from the 1980s to early 2000s. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. "Few parts of New York City have transformed as dramatically in the last decade or so as the Meatpacking District. Changes in the area are physical as well as spiritual. What was once a deserted ghost town by day, nightlife, sex club, and prostitution hub by night, and bustling workaday center of the Meatpacking industry from early morning to noon is now a glitzy, glamorized center of shopping, dining, tourism, strolling, and arts consumption," says Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The organization recently released a collection of archival photos of the neighborhood's post-industrial grit, "before the Whitney, before the High Line, before Apple and Diane von Furstenberg, even before Sex and the City discovered the neighborhood." Ahead, 6sqft shares these images, from the 1980s to the mid-2000s, which document the major transformation that's taken place in just the past decade.
See all the photos here

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

Images (L to R): House39, The Dean, 101 West End Avenue and Haven

May 12, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Heated Indoor Pool + More Fun Amenities at Greenpoint Rental Leasing with 1 Month Free [link] Striking Crown Heights Rental ‘The Dean’ Debuts; Loft-Inspired Homes from $2,605/Month [link] HOUSE39; Midtown’s “Best in Class” Tower Now Offering 2 Months Free [link] Haven at 875 Dekalb Avenue, Bed-Stuy Rentals with 1 Month Free & 1-Bedrooms from $2,249/Month […]

Real Estate Trends

May 11, 2017

Robert Redford’s former Upper East Side pied-a-terre hits the market for $1.35M

Award-winning actor Robert Redford's former Lenox Hill pied-a-terre has hit the market for $1.35 million, reports the Post. The one-bedroom duplex co-op is located in a limestone mansion at 47 East 67th Street, between Madison and Park Avenues. Redford owned the newly renovated pad in the 1980s, and it now boasts plenty of space with a chef's kitchen, double-height ceilings with massive windows, and a woodburning fireplace.
Take a tour

May 11, 2017

Ryan Seacrest is renting a posh Lenox Hill townhouse for $75K/month

Welcome to New York, Ryan Seacrest. The former American Idol emcee and now Kelly Ripa’s co-host on ABC’s morning show “Live,” moved to the city and recently landed luxurious new digs on the Upper East Side. Seacrest’s rental is at 34 East 68th Street in Lenox Hill and runs him $75,000 per month. The architects of the townhouse, Michael Chen Architects, rebuilt an entirely new structure inside of a 19th-century mansion, preserving its historic character while adding cool modern touches such as a 30-foot-tall vertical living garden, elevator, and sculptural staircase. As reported by the Daily Mail, the 11,000-square-foot home features 15 rooms with six bedrooms and five+-plus bathrooms.
See inside his new digs

Celebrities

May 11, 2017

East Village micro-maisonette has all the quirks and loads of charm for $500K

Lovers of half-legal, barely livable but totally adorable East Village boltholes, step right this way. This two-story hideaway at 121 East 10th Street, tucked into the Saint Mark's Historic District, is a short walk from all of your favorite things to do, and also in a pretty building–one that's apparently filled with adorable East Village boho duplex caves–on an absolutely gorgeous street. It's basically a duplex studio with its lower half seriously below-grade–but it sure looks cozy down there.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Finance firms in talks to move to Vornado’s proposed Hotel Pennsylvania-replacing supertall

A rendering of the Pelli Clarke Pelli design for 15 Penn Plaza, courtesy of Vornado

May 10, 2017

Finance firms in talks to move to Vornado’s proposed Hotel Pennsylvania-replacing supertall

Plans to replace the century-old Hotel Pennsylvania with a 1,216-foot office building have surfaced again. Financial firms Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank are reportedly contemplating a move to Vornado Realty Trust’s planned supertall skyscraper, 15 Penn Plaza, according to the Post. Vornado first won the city’s approval in 2007 to build a supertall at the location of Hotel Pennsylvania on Seventh Avenue and nearly signed a deal with Merrill Lynch to be a tenant until the financial crisis dissolved the agreement. This design, by Pelli Clarke Pelli, is being presented to the firms along with new options says a source.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

The history of New York’s Newspaper Row, the epicenter of 19th century news

Image via Library of Congress

May 10, 2017

The history of New York’s Newspaper Row, the epicenter of 19th century news

By Michelle Young

While the news industry today continues to shift from bustling offices to laptops in coffee shops, it may be hard to imagine that the publishing industry was at the epicenter of some of the world's most important architectural feats. But this was the case in late 19th century New York City, when the daily newspaper industry was centered at Park Row, near City Hall. Such institutions included The New York Times, The New York Tribune and The New York World.
Take a trip back in time with us and explore Newspaper Row

Demo permits filed for South Street Seaport site of proposed 1,436-foot supertall

Diagram of 80 South Street proposal, via Oceanwide Holdings

May 10, 2017

Demo permits filed for South Street Seaport site of proposed 1,436-foot supertall

After a long-planned but never executed plan to develop buildings at 80 South Street and 163 Front Street in the South Street Seaport, the site’s owner has officially filed demolition permits at both buildings, Curbed learned. As 6sqft previously covered, the Howard Hughes Corporation sold 80 South Street to China Oceanwide Holdings for $390 million last March. Although the developer hasn't released construction plans yet, the building is expected to be 113 stories tall, reaching an impressive 1,436 feet (to give you an idea of just how tall this is, 432 Park is 1,396 feet tall, and One World Trade Center is 1,368 feet tall by roof height).
More details ahead

New Developments

May 10, 2017

Starchitect César Pelli lists 5,000-square-foot San Remo apartment with gorgeous views for $26M