Manhattan

Lenox Hill will see the addition of a new 510-foot tower at 249 East 62nd Street, designed by none other than 432 Park starchitect Rafael Viñoly. CityRealty reports that plans for the mixed-use skyscraper were filed in the last days of December by Chance Gordy of Florida-based Real Estate Inverlad, who is also developing another condo tower nearby called The Clare. The Viñoly design will join a slew of new Upper East Side constructions prompted by the opening of the Second Avenue Subway line, which is located just a few minutes walk away.
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New Developments

January 3, 2017

Look out over your $5.9M West Village loft from the crow’s nest in the living room

This 3,400 square-foot loft in an 1890s warehouse at 68 Jane Street not only has 17-foot ceilings, but a cool rounded, windowed loft from which to gaze out at the room below. Currently asking $5,875 million, this sprawling duplex on one of the West Village's prettiest streets has all the important loft attributes like exposed brick and beamed ceilings, plus three bedrooms and a private street entrance.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

January 1, 2017

Nearly 100 years later, the Second Avenue Subway officially opens!

Today history is made, as January 1, 2017 marks the official public opening of the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway. The New York City transit endeavor has been in the works for nearly a century, and finally after countless delays and an eye-popping $4 billion bill, straphangers on the far Upper East Side will have access to three brand new stations at 72nd, 86th and 96th Streets. Just before midnight yesterday evening, Governor Cuomo, MTA CEO Thomas F. Prendergast, city and state pols, members of President Obama’s Cabinet, local community members, and many of the workers who helped build the new line’s massive underground tunnels and stations, took the line's inaugural ride.
photos this way

Transit

December 30, 2016

Gamma Real Estate files plans for 850-foot tower at long-stalled Sutton Place site

By Dana Schulz

When Gamma Real Estate's $98 million bid won the debt-beleaguered site at 3 Sutton Place just a couple weeks ago at a bankruptcy auction, 6sqft noted that the firm could either re-sell, bring the original plan for a 900-foot condo tower by starchitect Norman Foster to fruition, take on a joint-venture partner, or move forward with a plan of its own. The Real Deal now tells us that Gamma filed plans with the Department of Buildings for an 844-foot, 67-story tower with 389 apartments. However, he says this is to "safeguard the property" while the firms weighs all the aforementioned options.
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New Developments

December 29, 2016

Bright one-bedroom pad off Union Square asks $4,900/month

This one-bedroom apartment comes from the Zeckendorf Towers, a 1980s development that encompasses four 29-story towers with 630 apartments. Although it is a condo complex, you can rent this particular unit for $4,900 a month. It's particularly flexible as a sliding glass door that separates the bedroom also partitions off a bonus space which could be used as an office or nursery. The unit also benefits from built-in shelving and custom closets that maximize storage space.
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Distinctive Homes

December 29, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for New Year’s Eve 2017

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! With most of us ready to kick 2016 to the curb, there’s never been a better reason to get out and do something big for New Year’s Eve. This Saturday, put on something fancy/freaky/celebratory and get yourself to one of these amazing experiential parties. Take a cue from Dali at the Second Annual Surrealist Ball at the Roxy Hotel, or go Black Tie with Soho Grand’s Masquerade Ball. Expand your Sleep No More experience with their super fancy Bohemian Ball, or get a table at Mission Chinese for Luke Neocamp’s takeover. Hang all night at an art opening by Rae BK, or go the tourist way for the 112th New Year’s celebration in Times Square. Or if you’re in Brooklyn, head to The Well for a massive Tiki Disco, or to the immersive House of Yes for a party looking to the future. Whatever path you choose, happy New Year to all!
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

December 29, 2016

$850K Yorkville triplex condo feels like a country cottage on the Upper East Side

It might be difficult to imagine a having-it-all situation for $850K, especially on the Upper East Side, but this unusual apartment for well under a million at 225 East 86th Street definitely says "home" for someone who loves breezy country cottage style and wants more than the average boxed condo. And with living, dining and sleeping spaces divided over three levels, plus a rare glass-enclosed atrium, this heavenly home has plenty of room for guest visits as well as alone time. What's more, despite its retail cornucopia, Yorkville is very much a residential neighborhood–one whose residents will surely rejoice with the advent of the Second Avenue Line, making the whole package an even sweeter deal.
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Distinctive Homes

December 28, 2016

Lovely prewar duplex in Carnegie Hill is up for both rent and sale

You've got options when it comes to this prewar duplex at 1281 Madison Avenue, a Carnegie Hill cooperative that's a block away from Central Park. After being on the market for $3.125 million (price chopped down from $3.495 million) it is now also on the rental market, asking $10,000 a month. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom pad has some lovely prewar details still intact, like the large wood-framed windows, equipped with window seats, parquet floors, fireplaces and 11-foot ceilings.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

December 28, 2016

City says Trump Tower evacuations to be ‘a common occurrence’

By Dana Schulz

Yesterday afternoon, after a suspicious package was found in the building atrium, Trump Tower was evacuated along with the entire area between 50th and 59th Streets and Madison and 6th Avenues. Ultimately, it was found to be a bag of children's toys left behind, but in a tweet after the incident, de Blasio spokesman Eric Phillips said such evacuations at the Tower "will be a common occurrence." According to the Daily News, Trump spokesman Dan Scavino sent out a thank you tweet, to which Phillips replied, "No problem. We’ll send you the bill."
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Celebrities

December 28, 2016

Elegant UES co-op brings designer details to a gilded-age Georgian mansion for $1.1M

Many an Upper East Side apartment boasts gracious rooms, decorator swag and grandeur to spare. This one-bedroom co-op at 18 East 84th Street in a prime spot just off Fifth Avenue has designer cred with cool, creative execution–and it doesn't sacrifice a bit of grandeur. This enviable "penthouse" residence is on the top floor of a turn-of-the-century Georgian mansion with plenty of original historic details joining unique and stylish interiors; it's currently asking $1.095 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

December 27, 2016

Craigslist founder makes plans to convert his Village duplex into a two-family home

By Annie Doge

It's more common to see NYC's rich and famous buy to combine, but Craig Newmark—better known as the brains behind Craigslist—appears to want to cozy up in smaller quarters. Back in May, Newmark dropped nearly $6 million on a massive 6,075-square-foot, three-bedroom duplex at 52 West 9th Street, and now according to The Real Deal, he's making plans to transform the generous spread into a two-family home.
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Celebrities

December 27, 2016

Upper West Side studio with custom design elements asks just $398K

If you're on the hunt for holiday apartment deals, this Upper West Side studio has just hit the market for $398,600. It is located on the ninth floor of the Master Apartments, an Art Deco co-op at 310 Riverside Drive that was recently entered into the National Registry of Historic Places. The apartment has been renovated with some unique features, like custom blinds and a murphy bed, that help maximize the limited square footage.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

December 27, 2016

Amy Schumer finally sheds her Upper West Side walk-up penthouse

By Annie Doge

Amy Schumer will have a little extra to celebrate over this week. According to the Post, the comedienne has finally found a buyer for her Upper West Side co-op. Schumer originally put the adorable pad up for sale in November 2015 for $2.075 million and it's been on and off the market since then seeing several price chops. The home was last listed for $1.625 million and is said to be in contract with an unknown buyer for an unknown amount.
more details and photos inside here

December 23, 2016

This darling prewar apartment asks $535K in the East Village

This one-bedroom apartment is being marketed as both charming and quiet, located at the prewar cooperative 315 East 12th Street in the East Village. You're not getting tons of square feet but it's just enough for a first-time buyer who can afford the price tag of $535,000. This unit's asking price has been creeping up over the years: it was asking $249,000 back in 2006 and then $449,999 in 2008.
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Distinctive Homes

December 23, 2016

Did you know ‘The Night Before Christmas’ was written in New York’s Chelsea?

This may be hard to imagine, but one of the holiday's most iconic stories was written in none other than Manhattan's Chelsea. Ephemeral NY recounts the origins of Clement Clarke Moore's quintessential Christmas tale, "The Night Before Christmas," and points to early 19th century life in New York as the inspiration for the classic. As the story goes, the year was 1822, and Moore was said to have come up with the poem on a snowy day while riding around Chelsea in a sleigh, on his way to pick up a turkey from the market.
find out more here

December 23, 2016

‘True Blood’ star Alexander Skarsgård eyes East Village synagogue penthouse

By Annie Doge

Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård, of "True Blood" and "Tarzan" fame, may be sinking his teeth into a swanky new East Village pad. The Post reports that he was seen checking out the duplex penthouse at 415 East 6th Street, the Meseritz Synagogue condo conversion. The apartment isn't publicly on the market, but it's still vacant and was last listed for $4.39 million.
See the pad

December 23, 2016

Get an advance preview of the Second Avenue Subway’s 96th Street station TODAY

If you can't wait until January 1st to scope out the new Second Avenue Subway line, today Governor Cuomo is holding an "open house" from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the 96th Street station. Cuomo debuted the station yesterday afternoon at a press event in advance of the official New Year's Day opening, offering select New Yorkers a glimpse at the completed work. The open house is the first time the greater public will have access to the Second Avenue Subway since the start of construction.
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Transit

December 23, 2016

Rent the East Village party pad where Bret Easton Ellis wrote ‘American Psycho’

The East Village loft owned by novelist and literary bad boy Bret Easton Ellis is available for rent for $5,900 per month. Ellis has been renting out the studio apartment since he decamped for Los Angeles a decade ago; he told the Observer he's been holding on to the 950-square-foot, second-floor condo in the American Felt Building at 114 East 13th Street as a back-up plan, "if Los Angeles just doesn’t work out." The "American Psycho" scribe says he spent the late '80s living in the lofty studio–in his early 20s at the time–writing the iconic 1991 novel of late 20th century privilege, materialism and delusion and throwing massive Holly Golightly-esque bashes packed with his contemporaries back in the day in an East Village very different from today's.
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December 22, 2016

42 new affordable condos available at West Harlem’s Parkadon, from $225K

Qualifying New Yorkers can now apply to purchase one of 42 affordable condos in West Harlem's Parkadon Condominiums. Currently under construction, Harlen Housing Associates has been planning the structure located at 70 West 139th Street for nearly a decade and construction finally commenced on the project in 2015. Although move-in day is still a ways off, the building has topped off and the brick facade is currently being applied. Once finished there will be a total of 64 units (the difference pegged as market-rate) across 55,355 square feet, which includes 1,878 square feet of communal space on the ground floor. The NYC Housing Partnership relays that affordable apartments will range from one- to two-bedrooms priced from $225,545 and $440,381 and will be available to those earning between $50,400 and $149,490.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Ghost tunnel under Central Park will reopen along with Second Avenue Subway

Image Wiki Commons

December 22, 2016

Ghost tunnel under Central Park will reopen along with Second Avenue Subway

There are countless relics from the subway's past hidden beneath NYC, but one of the most intriguing will reveal itself again in just 9 days when the Second Avenue Subway (SAS) invites straphangers to swipe their Metro cards for the first time. As Quartz noticed this past summer, a peculiar loop cutting through Central Park appeared when the MTA released their new subway map touting the addition of the SAS. Reporter Mike Murphy immediately questioned the mysterious addition that would move the Q train further north without issue ("I felt like people would have noticed if the MTA had been ripping up Central Park to build a tunnel," he wrote). After a bit of digging, he found out the half-mile stretch was built over 40 years ago and, at least according to archival maps, it's only been used twice since then.
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Transit

December 22, 2016

Live in one of Manhattan’s rare rooftop cabins for $4,200 a month

Here's another tiny, pricey top-floor studio calling itself a "penthouse" in a buzzy downtown Manhattan neighborhood. Except this particular diminutive dwelling really is one-(or maybe two- or three-) of-a-kind in the city: It’s a rooftop cabin. Curbed calls it "NYC's most unusual rental." Every so often we get a chance to marvel at these quirky homesteads perched atop otherwise ordinary apartment buildings, and we don’t know whether we’d be thrilled to bits every morning to wake up in a country cabin on a city rooftop, or if we’d be totally over it. Let’s go with thrilled to bits–and take a closer look at this unusual aerie at 15 West 28th Street, asking $4,200 in monthly rent.
It's a cabin on the roof. How cool is that?

December 21, 2016

Live/work loft with an eight-foot wall of windows asks $4,950/month in Midtown West

This Midtown West condo, at 448 West 37th Street, is known as the Glass Farmhouse—and this live/work loft is certainly glassy. The completely open, 1,550-square-foot pad has 13-foot, beamed ceilings, with eight feet of windows underneath. And all that space, the listing suggests, "allows endless possibilities for decoration and setup as you want." Although the building is a condo, this one is up on the rental market for nearly $5,000 a month.
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Distinctive Homes

December 21, 2016

VIDEO: Neil Patrick Harris gives a holiday tour of his Harlem brownstone

By Dana Schulz

Neil Patrick Harris and hubby David Burtka first made real estate headlines when they purchased a $4 million Harlem brownstone in 2013, setting a neighborhood record. They then spent over a year renovating the five-story residence at 2036 Fifth Avenue to be the perfect family home for their twins Gideon and Harper (now five years old) and two dogs. Last year, the couple invited Architectural Digest in for a tour, showing off their elegant but fun design choices, impressive art collection, and restored architectural features. They've now opened up their home again, this time for Vogue's 73 Questions (h/t Apartment Therapy), complete with Christmas decorations.
Watch the video here

December 21, 2016

The Urban Lens: Visiting Gramercy’s Pete’s Tavern, where O. Henry penned ‘The Gift of the Magi’

By James and Karla Murray

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, award-winning photographers James and Karla Murray return with a look inside Pete's Tavern, a Gramercy favorite with beautiful holiday decorations and an interesting historical connection to Christmas. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Pete's Tavern lays claim to being NYC's oldest continuously operating bar and restaurant. Established in 1864, it's become famous for the fact that O. Henry is said to have written the classic short Christmas story "The Gift of the Magi" while dining and drinking here. We recently visited Pete's to photograph its lovely holiday decorations and to chat with restaurateur Gary Egan and manager A.C. about the establishment's unique history, connection to O. Henry, and time as a speakeasy during Prohibition.
All the photos and the interview

December 20, 2016

Chic Gramercy loft stretching over two floors hits the market for $1.75M

This apartment checks the boxes to qualify as a dreamy loft apartment: two sprawling floors with high ceilings, exposed brick, and floor-to-ceiling windows that lead to some private outdoor space. The pad is located at 215 East 24th Street, also known as the Penny Lane cooperative, in Gramercy Park. For a total of three bedrooms and three bathrooms, it'll cost you $1.75 million. It last sold in 2013 for $1.36 million.
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Distinctive Homes

December 20, 2016

Late fashion designer L’Wren Scott’s Chelsea ‘Sky Garage’ apartment sells for $6.5 million