Manhattan

Now that the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 offshore park can proceed freely, the Wall Street Journal took a look at how construction is progressing on the $200 million project. Currently, the 535 concrete columns, each three feet wide and ranging from 70 to 200 feet long, that will support the 2.75-acre park have been erected, poking out of the Hudson River amidst the historic wooden piles that once supported Pier 54, where the Titanic was supposed to dock (these will remain to sustain marine life development). On top of them will be pots, "hollow pentagonal forms" that weigh as much as 60 tons and will be "linked with concrete to create a rectangular platform of about 104,000 square feet."
More new details this way

November 17, 2016

Is Tribeca’s windowless AT&T building an NSA surveillance site?

Tribeca's AT&T Long Lines Building is a prime example of Brutalist architecture, with its hulking slab form and imposing concrete facade. But what really draws curious gazes is its lack of windows. Pair this with the fact that the 550-foot telephone exchange tower was built to withstand a nuclear blast and keep 1,500 people safe from toxic radiation for two weeks, has three subterranean floors, and isn't illuminated, and you've got quite the case to back up reports that the building is a secret NSA spy hub (h/t TRD). The Intercept analyzed data from former CIA employee Edward Snowden's leaked documents that point to the fact that 33 Thomas Street is an NSA site code named TITANPOINTE, from which the agency has tapped the likes of the UN, World Bank, and at least 38 countries under its controversial BLARNEY surveillance program.
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Uncategorized

November 17, 2016

Budget woes and design disagreements cause Port Authority to stall on new bus terminal plans

Just two months ago, West Side elected officials and the Port Authority agreed to move ahead on the 10-year, $10 billion capital project to replace the current Bus Terminal, releasing five design proposals for a new building. But officials at the bi-state agency "have reached an impasse" on the project due to budget concerns and disagreements on the design, reports Crain's.
The full story

Real Estate Trends

NYPL reveals first image for its $200M Mid-Manhattan Library renovation

Image: Mecanoo with Beyer Blinder Belle

November 17, 2016

NYPL reveals first image for its $200M Mid-Manhattan Library renovation

Hot on the heels of wrapping a major renovation and hosting an epic reopening for the Rose Reading Room at their flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the NYPL is now moving forward with another mammoth revamp on its Mid-Manhattan Library. Last September, the library revealed that Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo had been tasked with the $300 million overhaul of both the flagship and the Mid-Manhattan branch at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street. And now, the NYPL is offering us our first look at the latter, a project they are calling a "state-of-the-art library that will serve as both a model and catalyst for a rejuvenated library system."
all the details here

Richard Meier, Rafael Viñoly, and KPF release designs for Upper West Side waterfront development

Towers L to R: Rafael Viñoly, Richard Meier, Kohn Pedersen Fox

November 17, 2016

Richard Meier, Rafael Viñoly, and KPF release designs for Upper West Side waterfront development

Forty-two years after Donald Trump first proposed a mixed-use development on the Upper West Side waterfront, one of the final pieces of the puzzle is coming together. Curbed got their hands on sparkling new renderings of what's now being called Waterline Square, a trio of residential towers on the five-acre site between West 59th and 61st Streets that's part of Riverside Center. In addition to views of the glassy structures, which will offer a combination of condos and rentals, and a Mathews Nielsen-designed park, what makes the reveal so exciting is the roster of starchitects behind the towers--Richard Meier and Partners, Rafael Viñoly Architects, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
More details and renderings

November 17, 2016

City Planning Commission votes to raise fee for Theater District air rights transfers

The City Planning Commission has voted to up the cost of air rights transfers in the special Midtown Manhattan district that includes Broadway's theaters, The Real Deal reports. Currently, when developers purchase air rights from theaters between West 40th and West 57th Streets from Sixth to Eighth Avenues, they pay $17.60 per square foot to the Theater Subdistrict Fund. Transferable development rights can usually only be used for adjacent properties, but the city created the special district in 1998 to help the theater industry thrive amid sharply rising real estate prices; within the district, air rights can be moved more freely in a larger area outside the usual “arms length” restrictions.
What does this mean for Broadway theaters?

Policy

November 17, 2016

Seth Rogen scopes out a $3.3M East Village apartment

By Annie Doge

Seth Rogen and wife Lauren Miller are in the market for a New York pad, reports the Post. The pair were recently spotted touring a three-bedroom at 64 East First Street in the East Village. The third-floor apartment is not quite of celebrity proportions, measuring just 1,807 square feet, however, the home's $3.3 million price tag says otherwise.
More inside

November 17, 2016

Meatpacking condo once home to Glenn Beck, Jason Reitman, and Trey Parker lists for $5M

By Annie Doge

Don't worry, this interesting trio of notables didn't live in this Meatpacking District condo at the same time. "South Park" co-creator Trey Parker lived in the loft-style, three-bedroom spread at the Porter House during the initial run of his Tony-winning Broadway show "Book of Mormon," according to the Post, who also note that Academy Award-winning director Jason Batemen, best known for "Juno" and "Up in the Air," as well as uber-conservative political commentator Glenn Beck have called this apartment home. And it's currently on the market for $4.9 million or as a $13,900/month rental.
See the rest

November 17, 2016

A penthouse off Central Park on the Upper East Side for $190K? Believe it!

For those of you who say you'd live in a closet just to be near the park, this might be your dream home. And this petite penthouse at 103 East 84th Street isn't just any closet (though it does appear to be under 200 square feet); not only is this unique co-op in a lovely full-service elevator building off Park Avenue, but the space that has been called "Manhattan's most adorable penthouse" boasts a charming and sizeable private terrace to rival many a million-dollar property.
Find out more about this charming garret

Distinctive Homes

NYC’s next superblock: Development goes into overdrive along far West 29th Street

Google Earth rendering created by CityRealty

November 16, 2016

NYC’s next superblock: Development goes into overdrive along far West 29th Street

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

It is not often that a single block stands out in a city like New York. But a huge transformation is occurring at the junction of 29th Street. West 29th Street, in between 10th and 11th avenues, is the transition point between three neighborhoods: West Chelsea, Hudson Yards and the Far West Side. The massive […]

November 16, 2016

VIDEO: Go inside Donald Trump’s personal office in Trump Tower

Donald Trump has already made it clear that he hopes to ditch convention and spend weekends in his Trump Tower penthouse during his presidency (despite the unprecedented traffic snarls and security issues it'll cause). In addition to sleeping in his own bed, this will allow him to work out of his personal office. The 26th floor space is covered in awards, sports memorabilia, family photos, and an unsurprisingly narcissistic collection of magazines with yours truly on the cover. Business Insider uncovered two videos from last year--one from the Washington Post, one from the Wall Street Journal--where Trump provided tours of the office, and it looks like our next president may be working on international politics with one of Shaquille O'Neal's sneakers sitting next to him.
Watch both videos here

Celebrities

November 16, 2016

For $4.2M this four-bedroom Village loft condo is the picture of understated luxury and charm

While the $4.2 million price may sound steep, this sprawling 10th floor loft at 8 East 12th Street on the east side of Greenwich Village checks the boxes for just about every dreamy detail you'd need or want in a city apartment. At 2,330 square feet with four bedrooms, closets galore and an enormous great room, there's more than enough space for family, friends and guests. High-floor views go all the way down to One World Trade, and high ceilings accentuate the brightness in every room–and then there are the sunsets. Though there may be no million-dollar parking spots or Olympic-sized pool, this covetable condo is far from no-frills. Central air, a laundry room, marble baths and a chef-ready European kitchen are just a few just-right details; the building is located in one of the finest spots a Manhattan dweller could ask for, just blocks from Washington Square Park, the East Village, the Union Square Greenmarket and nearly every subway in the city.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Upper West Side buildings to dump Trump name following petition

Trump Place Apartments courtesy of Nick Normal’s Flickr

November 15, 2016

Upper West Side buildings to dump Trump name following petition

“The building is beautiful, the service is impeccable,” Marjorie Jacobs, a resident of the Upper West Side complex currently known as Trump Place told Bloomberg in October, “But the name is very embarrassing." An outcry by similarly-minded residents and a petition have culminated in the decision to remove the president-elect's name from the buildings and instead name them according to their street addresses at 140, 160 and 180 Riverside Boulevard, reports Crains.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

November 15, 2016

Brooke Shields’s former Soho loft with 27 over-sized windows lists for $4.55M

By Annie Doge

If they can manage a sale, it will be quite a windfall for the owners of Brooke Shields's former spread at 458 Broadway. The full floor co-op Shields shed in 2012 has just hit the market for $4.55 million, a price tag that is higher than the $3.05 million that was originally paid for it four years ago. While the jump may be difficult to swallow, the apartment itself is far more palatable.
have a closer look inside

November 15, 2016

Live a Tribeca artist’s loft life in the center of it all for $7,500K/month

When you tell them you live in a loft, this sprawling specimen is pretty much what you'd hope to be describing. For a mere $7,500 a month, this newly-renovated picture of loft living at 6 Varick Street (known for its authentic-but-updated lofts), where Tribeca is arguably at its most Tribecan–if not its most quiet–even comes with art supplies, or at least a place to store them.
Have a look around, this way

Distinctive Homes

Image timothygo_

November 15, 2016

Officials contemplate 5th Avenue shutdown whenever Donald Trump is in town

If you thought it was inconvenient whenever President Obama came to town, under a Trump presidency, things are going to get much worse. The Daily News reports that law enforcement officials are mulling a shutdown of 5th Avenue whenever the president-elect decides to stay in his penthouse in Trump Tower. As many know, the area is one of the busiest commercial hubs in the Manhattan, a mix of mid- and high-end retailers, paying top rents and pulling in millions of tourists annually. Moreover, it is also home to thousands of New Yorkers, a handful of which who live in Trump Tower and are already fed up with the disturbances that have emerged as of late. Immediately after the 2016 election results were announced, Trump Tower was swarmed by protestors—and guards wielding heavy ammunition.
what this could mean here

November 15, 2016

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s childhood home gets a major price cut to $29.5M

By Emily Nonko

There have been some big price chops for an apartment at 740 Park Avenue, one of New York's most iconic co-ops, once lived in by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis herself. The former first lady—whose grandfather developed 740 Park in 1929—lived in this apartment between the ages of two to seven. It is now owned by David Ganek, a hedge fund manager, who has used the Rosario Candela-designed co-op as a home for his impressive modern art collection. He first listed it in 2014 for $44 million, and now it's on its third price chop down to $29.5 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

November 15, 2016

Down to the wire, 2nd Avenue Subway requires ‘unprecedented’ work to meet December deadline

There are just seven weeks left for the MTA to wrap works on the 2nd Avenue Subway if they want to meet their December 31st deadline. According to the Times, at yesterday’s MTA board meeting, officials relayed that an “unprecedented” effort would be required in order to wrap Phase 1 of the project on time.
read more here

Transit

November 14, 2016

This $3.5M Tribeca apartment has the bones of a loft, the polished interiors of a mansion

This two-convertible-to-three-bedroom condominium at 58 Walker Street has all the credibility it needs as an authentic Tribeca loft, but wood-paneled walls, a marble-mantled fireplace and super-luxe details assure there won't be any need to sacrifice grown-up elegance. 13-foot ceilings, massive loft windows and exposed brick walls within a cast iron loft building frame a 1,927 square-foot home whose interiors were created by the design team of kureck/jones. An added rare-in-a-loft perk: There's a private terrace off the master bedroom.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

Trump hopes to spend weekends in NYC at Trump Tower during presidency

Interior image Refinery29

November 14, 2016

Trump hopes to spend weekends in NYC at Trump Tower during presidency

It appears that Donald Trump missed the memo that being President is a round-the-clock job, not a 9-5 gig. As the Times reports, the president-elect has been asking aides how many nights he'll have to pass in D.C., and whether or not he'll be able to stay in his 5th Avenue penthouse on weekends. "He has told them he would like to do what he is used to, which is spending time in New York when he can," writes the paper. During the campaign, Trump would often forgo local hotels, opting instead to fly to NYC late at night just so he could sleep in his own bed.
find out more here

Celebrities

November 14, 2016

Chandeliers and custom closets at this $3.25M Greenwich Village co-op

By Emily Nonko

There's lots of lofty space at this three-bedroom apartment at 303 Mercer Street, a Greenwich Village cooperative. Two units were combined into one and the seamless space was designed with chic, upscale finishes like mahogany doors, crown moldings and Brazilian hardwood floors. (Not to mention three different chandeliers.) The listing calls it Greenwich Village’s only three-bedroom, two-bathroom pad under $3.5 million with an ask of $3.25 million.
Go check it out

Distinctive Homes

November 11, 2016

This $675K prewar studio is right across from the Museum of Modern Art

By Emily Nonko

This 650-square-foot pad is nestled inside a six-story, Beaux Arts brick and limestone townhouse located just across the street from the Museum of Modern Art. Located at 35 West 54th Street, in Midtown West, this is a former one-bedroom apartment renovated into a spacious, open studio by its owner architect. The reno retained some of the classic Beaux Arts details while giving the interior a modern look.
Take a peek

Distinctive Homes

November 11, 2016

432 Park Avenue will become a beacon of light beginning Monday

Just in case you had trouble spotting the Western Hemisphere's tallest residential tower, beginning Monday, 432 Park Avenue will debut a brand new lighting feature that will turn the 1,396-foot supertall into a glowing beacon. As LLNYC reports, 32 LEDs will fill the tower's five open-air "drum floors" where the building's mechanicals are situated. 432 Park's starchitect, Rafael Viñoly, worked with HDLC Architectural Lighting Design to develop the scheme.
more details here

Architecture And Design

November 11, 2016

Lawsuit: Co-op board told Madonna she can’t have daughter Lourdes stay at her pad when she’s out

In a recent court filing, Madonna's attorney wrote that the pop star was “entitled” to have her “adult daughter” Lourdes live in the $7.3 million duplex that she purchased in 2008, The New York Post shares. As 6sqft previously reported, Madge sued the board at 1 West 64th Street, known as Harperley Hall, in April after they attempted to ban the performer's family and staff from being in the apartment when she wasn't there. According to court papers, the co-op building's board illegally changed her original lease in 2014 to say that no one under 16 could reside in the apartment unless an adult over age 21 was present.
Find out more

Celebrities

Trump Tower residents are sick of protestors; problem unlikely to improve

Photo via Kristal T/Flickr

November 11, 2016

Trump Tower residents are sick of protestors; problem unlikely to improve

Since Donald Trump announced his run for office, Trump Tower, where the President-elect both lives and keeps his political headquarters, has been a hotspot for protestors. While in the past few months, inconveniences haven't escalated far beyond anti-Trumpers stopping by to give the building the finger, after the 2016 election results were announced, it's become veritable zoo outside the 5th Avenue tower as thousands have convened to denounce (and to be sure, support) a Trump presidency. The situation has become a major disruption for residents of the luxury skyscraper who are now annoyed with the crowds. As The Post so fittingly writes, "It’s not so easy being a member of the 1 percent if you live at Trump Tower."
more on the complaints here

November 11, 2016

The Urban Lens: Chaz Langley captures the people and places that make Chinatown tick