Manhattan

Despite MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast's seemingly unwavering optimism that the Second Avenue Subway will open on time, it's still not clear if the line's stations will be ready for their December ribbon cutting. According to the Times, following a Wednesday MTA board presentation outlining some of the outstanding issues (and the agency's commitment to smoothing them out over the next eight weeks), Kent Haggas, an independent engineer for the project, offered up a very somber outlook. As he told the paper, two of the three stations set to open December 31st have fallen behind, and that the system's "rigorous testing schedule was not being met." More alarmingly, he added that progress to date would need to be almost tripled on a weekly basis if the MTA is to meet its deadline.
Yikes

Transit

October 27, 2016

Bjarke Ingels’ curving East Harlem rental breaks ground and gets new renderings

When 6sqft first got a look at Bjarke Ingels' curved East Harlem rental, it sported a red corten steel facade reminiscent of the surrounding brick buildings, but a new set of renderings shows a blackened stainless steel exterior that the Danish starchitect told Curbed is "inspired by an elephant’s skin" and will capture and reflect sunlight. Now dubbed Gotham East 126th Residential, the 11-story structure from Blumenfeld Development Group broke ground yesterday, beginning its journey to offer 233 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, 46 of which will be affordable.
More details and renderings and the first view inside

October 27, 2016

20 years ago, the city told Donald Trump he couldn’t put his name on the Columbus Circle globe

These days, New Yorkers are going to great lengths to get Trump's name off their buildings, and even his company itself has personally shed his moniker from their hotel brand amid declining bookings. But back in the '80s and '90s, the Donald would freely slap his name on just about anything he wanted. That is until 1996, when the Giuliani administration (sense the irony here?) denied his request to brand the giant globe outside the Trump International Hotel & Tower. The Times recently got its hands on a 20-year-old City Planning Department memorandum that outlines how the agency deemed any lettering on the sculpture illegal.
Get the full story

October 26, 2016

Pier 55 appeal dismissed in court; park construction can move ahead

After nearly a year and a half of yo-yo-ing back and forth between stop work orders and lawsuits, the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 park can finally move ahead freely. The New York Law Journal reports that yesterday the state Court of Appeals denied the City Club of New York's appeal of September's ruling in favor of Pier 55 and the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) that said construction could continue on the 2.75-acre offshore park, dismissing the opponents' claims that the park failed to go through adequate environmental impact evaluations and violated the public trust doctrine by planning to host private events.
What this means for Pier 55

October 26, 2016

Elite international schools are attracting buyers to new developments on the Upper East Side and Nomad

By Katy Cornell

Families looking to buy apartments in the Big Apple often have a standard list of demands: safe area, family-friendly neighborhood, and space to accommodate their children. But perhaps most important is the desire to be close to a top school. Though not a new idea, this trend appears to be growing among international buyers who are […]

Real Estate Trends

October 26, 2016

POLL: Is Fifth Avenue losing its luster amid soaring rents and empty storefronts?

Fifth Avenue is known around the world as the high-end shopping address, but rising rents are leading to an increase in vacant space along the retail corridor. According to data from Cushman & Wakefield reported by Crain's, the availability rate spiked to 15.9 percent in the third quarter of this year, up 10 percent from the same time last year. On the stretch that has the world's highest rents, from 49th to 60th streets, retail space is listed at an average of $3,213 per square foot, up from $2,075 in 2011. To put this in perspective, current rents in Times Square are $2,104 per square foot after tripling over the past four years.
Do you think Fifth Avenue can get over the hump?

Real Estate Trends

October 26, 2016

For $10K this perfect Soho loft comes with everything you need plus a few scary surprises

This two-bedroom loft six floors above a cobblestoned Soho street may just be the perfect downtown spot to call home for an extended visit to New York City. The short-term rental, available beginning in December through January 15th, is right smack in the middle of the city's chicest shopping zone, but is enough floors up to get peace and quiet, great light, and a chance to enjoy the quintessential loft interiors that come with the 1870 building. Also, your holiday HQ at 108 Wooster Street, asking $10,000, comes fully furnished: You've been warned.
Don't let your new roommates wig you out

Distinctive Homes

My 630sqft: Inside ‘Store Front’ photographers Karla & James Murray’s East Village home of 22 years

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the longtime East Village apartment of acclaimed photographers James and Karla Murray. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

October 26, 2016

My 630sqft: Inside ‘Store Front’ photographers Karla & James Murray’s East Village home of 22 years

You might not immediately recognize their names, but there is no doubt you know their work. Photographers James and Karla Murray burst onto the scene back in 2008 with the release of their seminal book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York," a work culling hundreds of images of the bygone retail graphics that once covered the city—and jointly, the mom and pop businesses that vanished alongside them. Since then, the Murrays have released two more tomes of the same vein, and collected countless awards and accolades for their documentary work along the way. In fact, their photographs can now be found in the permanent collections of major institutions around the world, including the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the New York Public Library. Their images also decorate the homes of countless celebrities, among them Sarah Jessica Parker, Ralph Lauren, Alicia Keys and Roseanne Barr. In this week's My sqft, 6sqft visits this warm and spunky husband-and-wife team in their East Village home to talk about their tenure in the city (they moved downtown in the 80s—though Karla is from the Bronx) and their ongoing efforts to chronicle what remains of "old New York." We also get a peek inside their studio apartment/workspace of 22 years, which as Karla and James share ahead, has some crazy stories of its own.
go inside their home here

October 26, 2016

Billy Bush trying to unload Chelsea townhouse for $8.2M after being ousted from the ‘Today’ show

Back in December, before he became known to the world as Donald Trump's "locker room" buddy, Billy Bush bought the townhouse at 224 West 22nd Street in Chelsea. The anchor previously lived in LA, but needed a NYC residence for his new "Today" show gig. Though the Post reported earlier this week that Bush was listing the home now that he's been ousted from the NBC morning show, it actually hit the market in April for $8,995,000. However, as The Real Deal points out, just yesterday it got a price chop to $8,250,000, which means the disgraced Bush is probably hoping to make a quick getaway.
Find out more

October 25, 2016

Report: Construction spending beat $127B over past three years, set to surpass 2007 peak

An estimate by the New York Building Congress has construction spending in 2016 at more than $43.1 billion, beating the $41.6 billion high of 2007 and reflecting a 26 percent increase from last year's $34.4 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports. The surge in construction, led by mega-project Hudson Yards on Manhattan's West Side and public projects like the Second Avenue Subway, has led to rising construction costs and an attendant surge in the demand for skilled labor, bringing workers to the city from all over the U.S.
Find out more about what's driving the new boom

Real Estate Trends

October 25, 2016

$1.56M Soho apartment boasts an envy-inducing backyard

By Emily Nonko

There's nothing that makes a New Yorker jealous like a sprawling, decked-out backyard. And this one at 11 Charlton Street in Soho is sure to induce plenty of envy. It's a 1,000-square-foot "garden oasis" (as the listing dubs it) outfitted with a koi pond, Magnolia trees, two outdoor sheds and a BBQ. With two big windows between the garden and this one bedroom, now asking $1.56 million, the apartment pulls a little of the outdoors inside.
Check out the interior

Distinctive Homes

October 24, 2016

Alexander Wang’s swanky-meets-moody Tribeca Loft finds a buyer for $3.5M

In 2010, fashion designer Alexander Wang bought his Tribeca loft at 39 Worth Street for $2 million from former New York Times Style writer Holly Brubach. He then undertook a gut renovation with decorator Ryan Korban that resulted in an "industrial chic" space that embodies his love of black and his line's signature minimalist, urban vibes, as seen through details like a furry furniture, zebra rugs, leather pillows, and mirrored wall panels. Wang listed the 2,550-square-foot home for $3.75 million in May, and the Observer now reports that it's gone into contract for $3.5 million.
Tour the swanky space

October 24, 2016

Ashley Olsen closes on boutique Greenwich Village condo for $6.75M

Ashley Olsen went into contract on a luxe two-bedroom spread at 37 East 12th Street in May. The Greenwich Village apartment had been listed for $7.1 million, but the Observer confirms that the single twin has now closed on the home for $6.75 million. The 19th century cast-iron building was converted to six full-floor boutique condos, and this privacy is what reportedly enticed Olsen. The prime Village location probably didn't hurt either considering she and sis Mary Kate named their clothing line The Row after the famous stretch of rowhouses along Washington Square Park.
Check out Olsen's new digs

October 24, 2016

Trinity Church reveals plans for $300M Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed tower to rise behind historic church

Trinity Church Wall Street was built in 1846 by Richard Upjohn and is considered one of the first and best examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the entire country. But behind its historic steeple, which made it the city's tallest building until 1890, will soon rise a modern, 26-story, mixed-use tower. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trinity has revealed its design for a Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed building, which will be linked to the church by a foot bridge over Trinity Place. The new 310,000-square-foot structure will house the Trinity Church Parish Center at its base, along with a cafe, gymnasium, flexible space for classrooms or art/music studios, and church offices. Above the Center, on floors 10 through 26, will be commercial office space
More details ahead

October 24, 2016

Second Avenue Subway will open in December without delay, officials say

MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast is hoping to squash rumors that the Second Avenue Subway (SAS) will miss its December opening date. As Prendergast told the Times on Friday, “[we want to show riders] we live up to our promises” and that they are "now within striking distance of having it done.” The chairman's remarks incidentally coincide with some newly unearthed information from the Daily News, who also reported Friday that the agency spent a week shaving down parts of the new subway tunnel wall because 75-foot train cars couldn't fully clear curves.
more info from the MTA here

Transit

October 24, 2016

Nomad penthouse with two kitchens and a pool asks a neighborhood record-setting $68.5M

As 6sqft previously reported, sales prices in Nomad rose 43 percent over the past five years, a fact that the developers of 212 Fifth Avenue very likely had in mind when they put a $68.5 million price tag on their building’s penthouse. If the sprawling apartment sells for anywhere near its asking price, it will set a record as the most expensive sale in Nomad. This newly-minted trophy triplex atop 212 Fifth Avenue is the crown (as the listing calls it) that occupies the 22nd, 23rd, 24th floors of a recently converted 1912 condominium building. There are five bedrooms and 5,730 exterior square feet including (at least one) pool.
Get a helicopter view of this sky-mansion

Distinctive Homes

October 24, 2016

For $14M, own the former Chelsea penthouse of ‘Law & Order: SVU’ star Mariska Hargitay

"Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay sold her incredible Chelsea penthouse back in 2008 for $8.15 million. The duplex spread at the landmarked O'Neill Building (the former Ladies' Mile department store called Hugh O'Neill's Dry Goods Store) spans nearly 5,000 square feet with an additional 2,500 square feet of outdoor space spread across three terraces, one of which sits right next to one of the building's gilded cupolas; inside, there's a bonus room within the cupola. The residence is currently owned by Ewa Laboz. She bought it with her late husband Maurice, who passed away in early 2015, but was a noted millionaire landlord. He made headlines for leaving $20 million to his two daughters, but only if they complied with a list of requirements like getting married, earning a certain salary, and becoming a stay-at-home mom. Despite the hefty fortune he left behind, the family is clearly looking to add to it, as they've listed the apartment for $14 million.
Take a tour

October 23, 2016

Elegant one bedroom right off Central Park asks $4,900/month

By Emily Nonko

This one-bedroom apartment fits right in to the Upper East Side. It has elegant decor that blends in nicely with historic details like a fireplace. Although it's not huge, built-in shelving and closet space was integrated into the living room to maximize space. And the kitchen's been renovated tastefully, with dark wood cabinetry. Located at 14 East 64th Street--right off Central Park and 5th Avenue--it's been offered as a rental either furnished or unfurnished for $4,900 a month.
See more of the interior

Distinctive Homes

October 21, 2016

Yorkville apartment of Bernie Madoff’s late son Andrew sells for $5.4M

Andrew H. Madoff, the son of Bernie Madoff who passed away from cancer in 2014, lived in a full-floor, five-bedroom apartment at 433 East 74th Street on the Upper East Side. He bought the sprawling condo in 2008 for $4.37 million, and initially tried to rent it in 2012 for $25,000/month. After his death, it went on the market for $5.87 million in February of this year, and according to city records, it's now found a buyer for $5.39 million.
More this way

October 21, 2016

$625K West Soho co-op is simple and sweet–and the place next door is for sale

It's hard to find any complaints about this uncomplicated one-bedroom co-op at 57 Thompson Street asking $625,000. The coveted Downtown location east of 6th Avenue where Soho meets Tribeca is prime. While cozy, it's not a studio; there are decent-sized rooms, generous closets and even an entry foyer. Pre-war charm is present and accounted for, and windows and paint keep it bright and cheerful.
Consider the options

Distinctive Homes

October 21, 2016

Board shoots down residents’ petition to rename Trump Place

Add to the list of folks who want absolutely no association with this year's inflammatory Republican presidential nominee: the residents of Trump Place. According to the LA Times, a number of Trump Place tenants had been quietly petitioning to have The Donald's name removed from their entrance at 220 Riverside Boulevard. As one embarrassed resident told the paper, “I used to tell people I lived in Trump Place. Now I say I live at 66th and Riverside Boulevard.” Another said it’s “annoying” that he “always has to defend it to friends.”
Find out more here

Celebrities

Nomad real estate prices nearly double in five years as record-breaking listing hits the market

L to R: 212 Fifth Avenue; The Whitman; 10 Madison Square West

October 21, 2016

Nomad real estate prices nearly double in five years as record-breaking listing hits the market

By 6sqft

Prices in Nomad shot up a whopping 43 percent over the past five years, according to a new index from CityRealty, a marked increase that the developers of 212 Fifth Avenue may have been aware of when they put a $68.5 million price tag on their building’s triplex. If the sprawling apartment sells for anywhere near its asking price, it will set a record as the most expensive sale in the neighborhood, where other new developments have already raised the ceiling on the area’s sale records.
More Nomad data ahead

Real Estate Trends

October 21, 2016

Renderings revealed for Gensler’s communal sky lobby at One World Trade Center

Tenants at One World Trade Center who occupy floors above 65 are required to change elevators at the 64th floor. When the building opened its doors two summers ago, the Durst Organization noticed that these elevator banks became a natural mingling area, and so decided to forego plans to make the space into offices and instead keep it open as an open sky lobby. Commercial Observer got a first look at renderings of the commons designed by Gensler, whose principal and design director Tom Vecchione referred to it as "a shared piazza for the entire building." In addition to a cafe, it will offer a game room and a 180-person meeting room that can be split into two or host fitness and yoga classes.
More renderings and details ahead

Architecture And Design

October 21, 2016

Designation of South Village Historic District may mean approval for massive St. John’s Terminal project

The Landmarks Preservation Commission's plans to add 10 additional blocks to the South Village Historic District are at the top of the agenda for city preservationist groups. As Crains reports, the addition of the historic district is also a condition for a City Council vote in support of the St. John's Center development, a 1.7 million-square-foot, mixed-use project proposed for 550 Washington Street across the street from Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. That project requires the council's approval, and City Councilman Corey Johnson said in August that he'd vote for the project, proposed by developers Westbrook Partners and Atlas Capital Group, if the addition of the third and final phase of the historic district, currently bordered by Sixth Avenue, West Fourth Street, LaGuardia Place and Houston Street, goes forward. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), among others, has pushed for the landmarking of what would be the city's first tenement-based historic district.
Find out more

October 21, 2016

Bankrupt Gawker founder Nick Denton lists Soho loft for $4.25M after judge denies rental attempt

After the infamous $140 million Hulk Hogan lawsuit, Gawker founder Nick Denton owes $1.73 million on the mortgage of his Soho loft with a monthly payment of $14,985, according to court filings uncovered by the Wall Street Journal. Just as Univision took over his former company in August, he tried to rent the pad at 76 Crosby Street, but a bankruptcy judge denied the transaction. He's now listed his home for $4.25 million, which would certainly make a dent in the $10 million that he owes as part of the invasion of privacy judgment.
More views and drama

October 21, 2016

Preserved Dakota apartment of late ‘All in the Family’ actor Carroll O’Connor sells for $2.8M