Manhattan

When Michael Miarecki moved from a huge house in Miami Beach to a 360-square-foot studio on the Upper East Side he knew he needed to get creative. As a busy real estate agent with Sotheby’s International, he says his space "is a good example of taking a small space and creating a big story in it." By combining a beachy vibe of neutral tones, light fabrics, and comfortable furniture with clever small-space fixes like his custom-built bed platform, hidden shelving, and a carefully curated selection of mementos, he's created a calming oasis that feels twice its size. He's even worked out how to host eight guests over for a movie, six for a dinner party, and four to sleep. 6sqft recently paid Michael a visit to see how he does it and what a typical day uptown is like for him.
Take the tour

April 25, 2017

$24M full-floor condo in the historic Apthorp would be the building’s largest and most expensive sale ever

Back when Billionaires' Row was little more than Central Park South, the newly-converted historic Apthorp condominium building at 390 West End Avenue in the heart of the Upper West Side was said to be one of the city's most expensive apartment buildings. Built for William Waldorf Astor in 1908, the building surrounds an interior courtyard, setting it apart from Manhattan’s many other regal residences. Converted to condominiums after being sold in 2006, the building’s most luxurious units arrived on the market in 2013, and new Manhattan sales records were set. The Apthorp may enjoy a moment in the headlines again: Its most expensive unit just hit the market asking $23.995 million. That number–or anything near it–will set a new record for residential units in the building. The larger of the two units in this combined sale is also the building's largest renovated home, spanning a jaw-dropping 8,000 square feet.
Take a tour of this unparalleled residence

Distinctive Homes

April 24, 2017

‘Beerdom’ map shows 19th century Lower East Siders drank more

While today’s Lower East Side has no shortage of bars and clubs, New Yorkers of the late nineteenth century may have imbibed way more than current Big Apple dwellers. Slate shared this map drawn in 1885 and published in the Christian Union that details the number of bars per block in the neighborhood. Although the coinciding article described the social effects of LES drinking culture, overall the report found residents to be quite happy. It may have had something to do with the 346 saloons found in the area, compared to today’s mere 47 establishments.
Find out more

History

7 chances to buy an affordable condo in the West Village’s posh 100 Barrow Street, from $90K

Photo via Field Condition

April 24, 2017

7 chances to buy an affordable condo in the West Village’s posh 100 Barrow Street, from $90K

Beginning today, qualifying New Yorkers can apply to buy seven affordable condominiums at 100 Barrow Street in the West Village. The luxury residential building, developed by Toll Brothers City Living and designed by Barry Rice Architects, has 26 units total and sits at the corner of Barrow and Greenwich Streets. Market-rate apartments start at $4 million, but those available through the lottery range from a $90,000 studio to $170,000 two-bedrooms for individuals earning no more than 125 percent of the area median income.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 24, 2017

Quintessential West Village pad comes with private outdoor space, asks $5K a month

On the kind of West Village street that makes you curse Google for taking the photos on such a sunny day, this quintessential historic brick townhouse is surrounded by others like it on a block we can’t see ever wanting to leave. The one-bedroom rental apartment on the second floor of 191 West 10th Street has the usual charms of a Village aerie: exposed brick, high ceilings, big windows–but the unexpected win is that rare and coveted city haven, private outdoor space in the form of a large and lovely terrace (which likely helps to sell the prospect of $5,050 a month rent.)
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

April 23, 2017

Gramercy maisonette with a gorgeous garden and wine cellar asks $3.2M

This two-floor two-bedroom garden apartment in an elegant Gramercy townhouse at 134 East 16th Street makes great use of subterranean space for more than just laundry, adding a cedar wine cellar, screening room and more for $3.15 million. The main garden floor is even more impressive with a gorgeous hinged glass wall that opens onto 1,000 square feet of pretty city garden.
See more of this amazing maisonette

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): 153 Remsen Street, Hubb, Trump Bay Street and Orient Park

April 21, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

The Lincoln Apartments at Prospect Park Debut with 2 Months Free; Units Start from $2,186/Month [link] Trump Bay Street, Luxury Rentals in Jersey City, Now Leasing with 2 Months Free [link] Lower East Side Rental ‘Rivington House’ Offering 1 Month Free on Renovated Apartments [link] $500 Security Deposits at 180 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights […]

Real Estate Trends

April 21, 2017

Work to begin this spring on Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex

This spring, the 650,000 commuters who travel through Penn Station daily may finally start to witness Governor Cuomo’s $1.6 billion plan to revamp what he called the “overcrowded, decrepit and claustrophobic” station into a more spacious and high-tech transit hub. As the Daily News reports, the first phase of the overall Moynihan Station Development Project will begin soon, extending Penn Station’s West End Concourse to reduce congestion. The second phase will transform the James A. Farley Post Office into the new Moynihan Train Hall, which will hold more than 112,000 square feet of retail and 588,000 square feet of office space, in addition to new ticketing and waiting areas for Amtrak and Long Island Railroad passengers.
More details right this way

April 21, 2017

This cozy duplex within a Yorkville brownstone is asking a reasonable $695K

Yorkville has long been considered one of Manhattan’s more affordable uptown neighborhoods--although that's been changing in recent years--but here's a neighborhood pad that's not priced too high. For $695,000 you'll get a one-bedroom duplex within the historic brownstone at 421 East 84th Street. The upper floor boasts two large windows and a wood burning fireplace, while the lower level has enough space to fit a king-sized bed and other furniture. Plus, it's located just a few blocks away from the new Second Avenue subway station at 86th Street.
More photos this way

Distinctive Homes

April 20, 2017

Demi Moore finally sells San Remo penthouse for a much-reduced $45M

It's been exactly two years since Demi Moore first listed her incredible San Remo penthouse for $75 million. But after sitting idly on the market for 14 months, she reduced the price way down to $59 million, and The Real Deal now got wind that she's finally sold the 17-room triplex for an even more reduced $45 million. Despite the major price chop, this is still the biggest sale ever at the iconic Central Park West co-op.
READ MORE

April 20, 2017

Midtown’s 1,401-foot One Vanderbilt to begin vertical construction next month

By Diane Pham

One of the city's most pivotal new office towers is approaching its latest milestone. This afternoon, developer SL Green announced that One Vanderbilt, the supertall currently under construction directly adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, will begin its vertical ascent in early May. According to a press release, the 1,401-foot skyscraper's construction manager, AECOM Tishman, has secured the procurement of more than 25,000 tons of domestically-fabricated structural steel, in addition to a New Building Permit from the New York City Department of Buildings.
more details here

April 20, 2017

$5.8M Financial District duplex off a cobblestone street comes with a lofty, open layout

This FiDi duplex was designed to impress. Location within a historic brick townhouse at 150 Beekman Street, the interior of the apartment has been completely modernized. You might say the apartment offers the best of both worlds: cobblestone streets and a historic facade, as well as a modern, open layout with luxury finishes throughout the interior. For five bedrooms, four bathrooms and 3,232 square feet, it is now asking $5.795 million.
Take a deeper look

Distinctive Homes

April 20, 2017

The Apple Store’s iconic Fifth Avenue glass cube will be temporarily removed

Boston Properties, who owns the former General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue that has the Apple flagship located on its lower level, was issued a permit by the Department of Buildings to remove the iconic glass cube outside the store's entrance. The Post reports that it'll cost a staggering $2 million to take the structure down while Apple expands the Midtown location from 32,000 to 77,000 square feet.
READ MORE

Uncategorized

April 18, 2017

NBC News anchor Lester Holt lists classy Nomad apartment for $6.6M

There's no "debating" that NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC anchor Lester Holt has good taste in real estate, as evidenced by the listing photos for his classy Nomad apartment. The fact that his wife, Carol Hagen-Holt, is one of the listing brokers probably doesn't hurt either. The Observer first noticed that the couple put the three-bedroom spread at 225 Fifth Avenue on the market for $6.6 million, a far cry from the $3.3 million they bought it for in 2007. It boasts views of Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building, a private terrace, and a sumptuous mix of furnishings and decor.
Take a look around

Related’s Stephen Ross kicks off construction on Hudson Yards’ 150-foot climbable ‘Vessel’

First Piece of Vessel Installed 04.18.2017 – courtesy of Related-Oxford

April 18, 2017

Related’s Stephen Ross kicks off construction on Hudson Yards’ 150-foot climbable ‘Vessel’

The standard for public art spaces has officially reached new heights. Today, the installation has begun on Vessel, an innovative landmark designed by Heatherwick Studio at Hudson Yards. As 6sqft previously wrote, the project’s idea stems from Related Companies' chairman Stephen Ross, who chose Heatherwick to design the $200 million (up as of today from the original $150 million estimate) large-scale piece of art. After being fabricated and constructed in Monfalcone, Italy, the first ten pieces of the 150-foot-tall steel structure arrived in January at the Port of Newark via ship and then traveled across the Hudson River. And as of this morning, Ross was on site to mark the first of these massive components (they each weigh close to 100,000 pounds) being put into place by crane.
See photos from Vessel's installation and watch a video of Stephen Ross' remarks

April 18, 2017

Apply for an affordable apartment at Chelsea Centro, two-bedrooms priced at $1,574/month

By Diane Pham

TF Cornerstone is once again accepting applications for affordable studio, one- and two-bedroom units at their very well located Chelsea Centro rental at 200-220 West 26th Street. The full-time doorman building was erected in 2001 and boasts an 80/20 mix of low-income and market-rate units. As noted by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, TF will be accepting applications from qualifying individuals and families until all the building's affordable vacancies have been filled and its waiting list replenished. The current units up for grabs range from $1,215 per month for a studio up to $1,574 per month for a comfortable two-bedroom spread.
find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

April 18, 2017

This $21M Tribeca penthouse boasts exceptional outdoor space complete with a heated infinity pool

Inside this massive Tribeca penthouse you've got custom marble, bronze and mahogany details, not to mention light fixtures crafted by a Steampunk designer. The spectacular pad spans two floors over 5,100 square feet and holds four bedrooms and six bathrooms. Outside, over 2,500 square feet, there's a fully irrigated and planted terrace, as well as a roof deck complete with an outdoor kitchen and heated infinity pool. Simply put: anywhere you go at this penthouse apartment, now asking $21 million at the Tribeca condo 169 Hudson Street, you will be impressed.
So see the rest of the space

Distinctive Homes

April 17, 2017

Apply for 20 affordable units near the Queensboro Bridge, starting at $1,254/month

The price is right, but the location may not be the most desirable for this new affordable housing building, as it's situated directly alongside the off-ramp to the Queensboro Bridge. Traffic views aside (we're hoping they installed sound-proof windows), these 20 apartments at 321 East 60th Street include $1,254/month one-bedrooms and $1,511/month two-bedrooms for those earning 80 percent of the area median income.
More on the project here

Affordable Housing

April 17, 2017

Glamorous $5.5M UES co-op sits directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a prime Upper East Side location if we've ever seen one: the three-bedroom co-op at 1016 Fifth Avenue is located directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art with unobstructed views. After a full renovation the apartment has hit the market for $5.495 million. (It last sold in 2011 for $3.35 million.) It's undeniably luxurious, and not just because of the location. The apartment is only one of two when you exit the elevator, and the interior is flanked with columns, built-in bookcases, a fireplace and much more.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

April 17, 2017

Affordable housing lottery for seniors opens at Essex Crossing, from $396/month

At the beginning of last month, the first affordable housing lottery opened for Essex Crossing at Beyer Blinder Belle's huge mixed-use building 145 Clinton Street, where 104 below-market rate units were up for grabs. As of today, the second lottery is open, this time at Dattner Architects' 175 Delancey Street, a 14-story, 100-unit building at the megadevelopment's site 6 that will also offer ground-floor retail, medical offices for NYU Langone, and a senior center and job training facility from the Grand Street Settlement. These 99 one-bedroom apartments are set aside for one- and two-person households that have at least one resident who is 55 years of age or older. They're also earmarked for those earning 0, 30, 40, 60, and 90 percent of the area median income and range from $396/month to $1,254/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 14, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): 3 Journal Square, Stuyvesant Town, 253 West 72nd Street, Myrtle & Steuben 2 Months Free at New Hell’s Kitchen Rental [link] 1 Month Free at West 72nd Street Prewar [link] StuyTown Offering $3,600 Move-In Bonus Until April 16th [link] 1 Month Free at Newly Launched Clinton Hill Rental [link] Renovated Rentals […]

Real Estate Trends

April 14, 2017

Robert A.M. Stern’s 520 Park Avenue, Upper East Side’s tallest building, hits pinnacle height

520 Park Avenue, well on its way to being the tallest skyscraper on the Upper East Side, is putting its final crowning members in place, CityRealty reports. The developer of the 54-story tower just off Park Avenue at East 60th Street is the multi-generational Zeckendorf real estate dynasty who brought us 50 U.N. Plaza, 15 Central Park West and the neighborhood-transforming Worldwide Plaza and Union Square's Zeckendorf Towers.
Find out more

April 14, 2017

$625K boho duplex is a cave-like East Village hideaway

The listing for this quirky little bohemian bolthole at 121 East 10th Street, near the iconic St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery, uses words like "special," "handpicked" and "salvaged," and there's a reason beyond salesmanship. Looking at this enchanted mini-loft does, in fact, make us feel "transported to another time and place." Another time, at least: The place is the old East Village of legend. Who knows, this could even be the apartment that invented exposed brick.
Have a look around this creative little pad

April 13, 2017

‘How I Met Your Mother’ actress Cobie Smulders lists Battery Park City condo for $4M

The star actress of the long-running TV show, "How I Met Your Mother," Cobie Smulders, and husband Taran Killam, Hamilton actor and SNL veteran, have listed their apartment at 2 River Terrace in Battery Park City for $3.995 million. As first reported by Luxury Listings NYC, the 1,580-square-foot-condo has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and boasts a private landscaped terrace. Other celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tyra Banks have also lived in the building, and filmmaker Oliver Stone just bought an apartment there.
Check out the Battery Park City pad here

April 13, 2017

Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone pays $4M for Battery Park City condo with views for days

Award-winning screenwriter, film director, producer, and New York native Oliver Stone is moving to Battery Park City. As the New York Post learned, Stone is buying a 24th-floor condo at Riverhouse at 2 River Terrace, a building home to Leonardo DiCaprio and formerly, Tyra Banks (whose duplex hit the market last month for $17.5 million). The $4.35 million apartment boasts 1,982 square feet and floor-to-ceiling windows.
See inside the high-rise

April 13, 2017

David Schwimmer checks out a $3.3M boutique condo in the East Village as a potential investment