Manhattan

August 10, 2016

$9,500/Month West Village Duplex Is a History Buff’s Dream

With its wide-plank wood floors, three fireplaces and stained glass skylight, this upper duplex in a 19th century brick townhouse on a gorgeous West Village street embodies the neighborhood's historic charm. The three-bedroom rental home at 180 Waverly Place, asking $9,500 a month, doesn't leave modern comfort behind; updates like zoned central A/C and a washer-dryer keep daily life charmed as well.
See more of this treetop treasure
August 9, 2016

Apartment in Miles Davis’ Old Upper West Side Townhouse Sells for $500K

Just a couple months ago, an apartment in Miles Davis' old Upper West Side townhouse hit the market for $495,000, and the Post now reports that the charming one-bedroom has sold for $500,000 to "a woman who 'loves' the building’s jazz-music history." The jazz legend lived in the Renaissance Revival brownstone at 312 West 77th Street from roughly 1960 until he moved to LA in the mid '80s, often hanging out on the stoop with his neighbors and hosting other jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Dizzy Gillespie. And it was here that he wrote the music for his albums "Kind of Blue" and "Bitches Brew." After he headed west, the home was divided into six apartments.
See more of the apartment
August 9, 2016

Sixth Avenue Adorama Site May Be the First Battle Over Mayor’s New Housing Program

The New York Times reports on what is looking like the first of many fights involving the mayor’s new mandatory inclusionary housing (M.I.H.) program which went into effect earlier this year. While the project, a 17-story condominium slated to replace a Manhattan parking lot and two low-rise buildings–one of which houses the venerable Adorama camera store–may not be especially noteworthy, as one of the first developments that may use the new zoning/housing rules, the outcome has the potential to affect thousands of lower-income units in the future. So it's worth following the outcome, even though, as City Planning Commissioner Carl Weisbrod puts it, "like any legislative action, it will take time for every scenario to play out.”
What's the battle all about?
August 9, 2016

Live the Upper West Side Dream in a Brownstone Apartment off Central Park for $4,800/Month

This two-bedroom apartment for rent at 46 West 85th Street pretty much embodies the vision of a perfect Upper West Side life; $4,800 per month gets you a duplex with a big, furnished private patio in an old stone townhouse on a tree-lined street in coveted Central Park West, half a block from the park. There are extra goodies like exposed brick accents and a working fireplace in the living room, a modern renovated kitchen and a full bathroom on each level–there's even an elevator, rare for a townhouse.
Take a look around
August 8, 2016

79 Affordable Units Up For Grabs in New Luxury Hell’s Kitchen Project, Starting at $913/Month

Last June, Mitsui Fudosan, one of the largest real estate companies in Japan, bought a majority stake in Taconic Investment Partners' 525 West 52nd Street, a $330 million rental development between 10th and 11th Avenues. As the Journal reported at the time, the two-towered Hell's Kitchen project (one is 22 stories, the other 14) will offer 392 apartments with 80 set aside for low-income residents, as it was developed through the city's 421-a program. Now, those affordable units have come online through the city's housing lottery, and they range from $913/month studios to $1,183/month two-bedrooms.
Find out what luxury perks the building offers
August 8, 2016

27,000 Tons of Floating Concrete and Fabulous Feats of Engineering Make Pier 57 Peerless

In the summer of 1952, when the American economy was emerging with a roar from the stagnation of the Great Depression and World War II, engineer Emil H. Praeger was chosen to create a replacement for the Grace Line’s old Pier 57 which had been destroyed by fire. Described by the New York Times, the key to what makes the resulting replacement pier so special lies hidden below the pier shed in the Hudson River at the foot of West 15th Street; Rather than resting on a conventional pile field, the bulk of its weight is held up by three floating concrete boxes known as caissons, which are permanently anchored underwater. The unique foundation of the abandoned pier is the same foundation that will host a $350 million renovation of what is being called the SuperPier by RXR Realty and Youngwoo and Associates, thanks to a lease from the Hudson River Park Trust, with new tenants to include Google offices and Anthony Bourdain's new food market.
Find out more about how enormous blocks of concrete can float
August 5, 2016

Could This Glass-Enclosed Farm/Condo Grow on Rem Koolhaas’ High Line Site?

From multidisciplinary architectural firm Weston Baker Creative comes this vision of glass, grass and sass in the form of a mixed-use high-rise springing from the Rem Koolhaas parcel along Tenth Avenue and West 18th Street on banks of the High Line. As CityRealty reported, the mixed-use concept would include residences, an art gallery and ten levels of indoor farming terraces. The 12-story structure would rise from a grassy plaza, with the tower's concrete base meeting the High Line walkway in a full-floor, glass-enclosed gallery that would sit at eye level with the park.
Find out more
August 4, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 8/4-8/10

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! The amazing experience that is Summer Streets has returned- walk car-free and carefree each Saturday along Park Avenue for the next three weeks. Grab a blanket to catch American Graffiti with a view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, or take in some literary genius outdoors at a community garden in Alphabet City. Get weird on Governors Island for a Klezmer workout, then celebrate the book release of Governors Island's famous FIGMENT Festival with its founder. Head upstate to check out artwork made from VHS tapes or to Brooklyn to witness the artwork of Naomi Campbell (no, not that one). Finally, spend every night in August experiencing Jherek Bischoff's Cistern in Times Square.
More on all the best events this way
August 4, 2016

Own the Chelsea House Where ‘The Night Before Christmas’ Was Written for $8.7M

Around the holidays, 6sqft recounted the local history of Clement Clarke Moore’s quintessential Christmas tale, “The Night Before Christmas," which was written right here in Chelsea in 1822. The author was a major landowner in the neighborhood and lived with his family on a huge estate at 23rd Street and 9th Avenue, then considered the backwoods of the city. Their home was at 348 West 22nd Street, but Moore sold it in 1835. Six years later, it was rebuilt as the Greek Revival townhouse that stands today, and according to the Post, it's now for sale for $8.65 million.
More on the house
August 4, 2016

If You’re Seeking Loft Perfection This $7,200/Month West Village Rental Is For You

This downtown Manhattan loft in a near-everything-cool spot at 321 West 13th Street between the West Village and the Meatpacking District may not be family-sized, but it definitely seems that no expense was spared in making this an authentic loft to call home. On the rental market for $7,200 a month ($7,500 furnished with Eames, Platner and an impressive art collection), the fifth-floor (by elevator), one-bedroom condo has a rare level of custom interior design that's understated and over-achieving when it comes to comfort and cool. Add open city views, a washer-dryer and plenty of closet space and you can see why that perfection theme keeps coming up.
View loft perfection from all angles
August 3, 2016

BLOCKS NYC Explores Greenwich Village From Bob Dylan to The Ramones in Coloring Book Pages

BLOCKS (full name: City Blocks Culture Collective) explores and celebrates the architecture of city neighborhoods, introducing stories of how historic landmarks have evolved and how they fit into the city’s cultural landscape. The organization’s Toronto-based founder Rafi Ghanaghounian’s love for music was sparked by a visit to Greenwich Village as a teen, when he experienced the music vibe, history, colorful street life and architecture of the city. BLOCKS NYC is a way to share this passion for music, art and New York City, from the 1940s jazz scene to the beat generation in the ’50s, the folk scene of the ’60s, and Ramones-era punk in the ’70s. The group’s latest project explores the neighborhood via a super-chill coloring book featuring album covers shot on Village streets in the ’60s and ’70s to celebrate the rich musical history of that era’s folk and rock scene.
Find out how you can help
August 3, 2016

Live in a Flashy New Tower Near Hudson Yards for $913/Month, Lottery Opens Tomorrow

Just this week, BKSK Architects' dapper new mixed-use tower in the Hudson Yards district topped off at 345 feet. Located at 509 West 38th Street and dubbed the Hi-Side, the 30-story building is just four blocks from the new 7 train stop and adjacent to the forthcoming Hudson Park Boulevard. When it opens its doors next year, it will offer 225 rentals, 46 of which will be reserved for New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area media income. As of tomorrow, the latter batch of residences will be up for grabs through the city's affordable housing lottery, with units ranging from $913/month studios to $1,183/month two-bedrooms.
Find out more right here
August 3, 2016

Find Prewar Manhattan Glamor in Modern Midtown for $10K a Month

For old-world Manhattan living it would be hard to argue with the Parc Vendome, from its award-winning formal English tea gardens to graciously-configured apartments—like this 2,000 square-foot, two-bed-plus-office beauty—with wood-burning fireplaces, entry galleries and capacious closets. Built in 1931, the elegant two-building complex at 333 West 56th Street was converted to condominium apartments in 1983. In addition to space and charm and a fortunate location blocks from both Lincoln Center and Central Park, you'll have an impossibly lovely south-facing private terrace and open city views, all for $10K a month (gas and electric are included).
Get a closer look
August 3, 2016

Landmarks Approves Morris Adjmi’s Debated Noho Office Building

Less than a month ago, the Landmarks Preservation Commission asked contextually proficient architect Morris Adjmi to modify his design for a 10-story, terra cotta office and community facility building in Noho. The site, at 363 Lafayette Street within the Noho Historic District, is controversial for the fact that it's adjacent to the live/work studio of artist Chuck Close, who filed a lawsuit in 2008 against the previous owner to prevent construction of a different office building that would've blocked his loft's natural light. Yesterday, Adjmi presented a revised version of the project, which the LPC this time approved, reports New York Yimby. The new design eliminates the five two-story setbacks and opts for slightly angular, less dramatic, floor-by-floor setbacks.
More details ahead
August 2, 2016

Famed Basketball Sportscaster Marv Albert Buys $10M Tribeca Penthouse

It was all the way back in the fall of 2014 that sportscaster Marv Albert sold his Lincoln Square penthouse for $15 million. We're not sure where he's been living since, but he's just picked up another penthouse, this time at 5 Franklin Place in Tribeca, the new luxury condo from ODA Architects. According to city records released today, "the voice of basketball" paid $10.3 million for the 3,700-square-foot, four-bedroom home that comes with an additional 660 square feet of terrace space.
See what the place looks like
August 2, 2016

Lottery Opens for 50 Middle-Income Units at High-End Rental West End Towers

Most of the affordable housing lotteries that have been coming online through the city's portal have served low-income New Yorkers. The latest, though, has a higher income range, catering to middle-income tenants who earn 130 percent of the area median income, or $70,732 for an individual up to $117,700 for a family of four. The 50 available units are located at West End Towers, a luxury 1,000-unit rental at West End Avenue and 63rd Street, less than a block away from Riverside Park and just two blocks from Lincoln Center. The apartments range from $2,024/month studios to $2,611/month two-bedrooms.
Learn about the high-end amenities
August 2, 2016

Tom Brady and Gisele Pick Up a $20M Pad in Robert A.M. Stern’s 70 Vestry

Pre-deflategate, in 2013, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen bought a sprawling apartment at glassy Flatiron tower One Madison. The following year, they put it on the market for $40,000 a month, and it rented out in just two days. But it looks like they'll soon be selling, as the Post reports that the power couple has picked up a $20 million+ pad at Robert A.M. Stern's forthcoming Tribeca project 70 Vestry Street. Though it's not confirmed which unit they acquired, sources say it's 5,000 square feet, on a high floor, and comes with a large terrace. Rumor also has it they chose the waterfront building because of the privacy that its covered porte-cochère entrance provides.
More this way
July 31, 2016

Revealed: Rem Koolhaas’ First NYC Building in Gramercy

As 6sqft previously reported, "thirty-eight years after the publication of his acclaimed book 'Delirious New York,' Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his global architecture firm the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)... have finally landed their first ground-up New York City commission." And now, CityRealty.com has uncovered the first official renderings of the two-towered condo development, located at 122 East 23rd Street in Gramercy. The Pritzker Prize winner has designed a crystalline glass and concrete facade with a chiseled corner on the north building that exposes its glass edges. In between the two buildings will be a courtyard surrounded by private apartment terraces. The courtyard will lead into a pool area, children's play area, and screening and party rooms on the building's lower levels. There will also be a robotic parking system that brings cars to underground storage.
More details
July 29, 2016

Spotlight: Olympic Silver Medalist Tim Morehouse Hopes to Create a Fencing Hub on the UWS

The opening ceremonies for the 2016 Rio Olympics are a week away, and for many of us it's all about the swimming, gymnastics, and track and field. But for Tim Morehouse, the main event is fencing, a sport with three weapons (sabre, foil, and epee) that has tremendous depth internationally. In 2008, Tim was part of the US men's sabre team that won silver in Beijing, and in 2012 in London, he reached the quarterfinals in the men's individual sabre event. Four years later, Tim has transitioned from a competitor to a fencing ambassador, aiming to raise the sport’s profile in the United States. To accomplish this, he founded and runs Fencing in the Schools, a non-profit organization that teaches physical education teachers the basics of fencing so they can introduce it to their students - especially those who might otherwise not have the opportunity to try it - with the hope of a few of them wanting to take it beyond gym class. In November 2015, Tim continued his mission by opening his own sabre club on the Upper West Side. Though less than a year old, the club is already making a name for itself on 91st, as well as way beyond; at the recent United States Fencing Association's National Championships in Dallas, two of club's students medalled. 6sqft recently spoke with Tim to discuss the Olympics, starting his own club, and his goals of making fencing accessible to everyone.
Read the full interview here
July 29, 2016

Floor-Through, Two-Bedroom With Historic Touches Asks $9,500/Month in the Village

Charm abounds at this two-bedroom West Village apartment, which spans a full floor of the 1875 brownstone building 69 Perry Street. The interior boasts some beautiful historic details like moldings, carved fireplace mantles and original shutters. The fully-furnished apartment also comes with the owner's impressive collection of antique mantel pieces, 19 century paintings and antiques, and an Italian ceramic collection. Overall, not a bad spot to cozy up for a year.
See more of the apartment
July 29, 2016

Lottery Opens For 75 Affordable Units in Fisher Brothers’ Glassy New Murray Hill Tower

Starting today, New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for 75 brand new units at 225 East 39th Street, the 36-story, curving glass high-rise from the Fisher Brothers and designed by Handel Architects. Located at an interesting crossroads of residential Murray Hill and tower-laden Midtown East, the 373-unit rental offers an impressive pack of amenities, including a fitness center, swimming pool, hot tub and sauna, yoga studio, game room, outdoor terrace, courtyard garden, roof deck with cabanas and barbecue stations, and on-site parking. The affordable units, which may be required to pay additional fees for some of these amenities, range from $833/month studios to $1,247/month three-bedrooms.
More on the building and application process
July 29, 2016

Drivers Wanted (Again) for This $4.5M Soho ‘Ferrari’ Bachelor Pad

Anchoring a Soho building that began life as a horse stable for the fire department, this two-story live/work space at 554 Broome Street, just listed for $4.5 million, has quite a few stories to tell–though by now they may be familiar ones, as this instantly-recognizable property is no stranger to the market. First, there's the story of the late Italian count, prince and duke who was also the relative of two popes, a Ferrari dealer, avid car collector, and playboy. Roffredo Gaetani (full name: Roffredo Gaetani di Laurenzana dell’Aquila d’Aragona Lovatelli) was also frequent gossip column fodder in the 1990s because he and Ivana Trump (Donald's first wife) were a high-profile item for a time. Gaetani died in a car crash in 2005, and his estate sold the racy pad to then-bachelor brothers Arash and Daniel Gohari, who are known for the far less gossip-worthy founding of the Xerxes Group real estate investment company.
If these walls could talk...
July 28, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 7/28-8/3

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! The beautiful hills of Governors Island has a new sculpture by British artist Rachel Whiteread, and it is yours to discover through the entire season. Bring a tote or a T and get a custom screen print by Brian Leo, or head to GHOST art lounge to talk all things about artists JMR and CRASH. Head outdoors for a day time dance party at MoMA PS1, for a French film at Tompkins Square Park or to the gorgeous Morris-Jumel Mansion for live art and jazz. Celebrate sound at Pioneer Works, or if you're feeling adventurous; hop a train to Asbury Park for sun, surf and the Art Star Craft Bazaar.
More on all the best events this way
July 28, 2016

POLL: Will Whole Foods Drive Up Real Estate Values in Harlem?

6sqft has previously written about the Whole Foods Effect--the pattern of real estate values increasing when a new grocery store opens nearby. In fact, national data from Yahoo! Finance showed that "homes with a Whole Foods in the ZIP code appreciated by nearly 34 percent." And here in New York, the Effect seems to be taking hold in Harlem, where a Whole Foods will open next year at 125th Street and Lenox Avenue in a six-story commercial building spanning over 200,000 square feet (other tenants will include Burlington Coat Factory, Nordstrom Rack, Olive Garden and TD Bank). Citi Habitats agent Chyann Sapp told the Post that "there’s a one-bedroom two blocks away for $1,800. And the owner said that once Whole Foods opens he thinks he could easily get $2,000, $2,100 for it." The store was first announced in 2012, at which time the area's price per square foot was $594, according to appraisal firm Miller Samuel. As of 2015, it had risen to $839. Similarly, townhouse prices have doubled from $2 million to $4 million in this time.
Is Whole Foods behind it?
July 28, 2016

Knicks Star Kristaps Porzingis Rents $8K/Month Penthouse in Fitness-Centric Midtown Building

Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis recently rented out an $8,000 a month penthouse at Midtown West's amenity-rich Sky. Located at 605 West 42nd Street, the glassy slab tower affords the 7-foot-3-inch Latvian player with a Carmelo Anthony-designed NBA regulation-sized basketball court, which is part of a 70,000-square-foot recreation facility that also boasts gyms, three pools, a café, yoga and cycling studios, billiards lounge, and a spa. As the Post tells us, "Godzingis" also rented out another two high-floor units for his brothers Martins and Janis.
See it all here
July 28, 2016

Time Lapse Video Shows How Midtown’s Tall Towers Will Cast Dark Shadows on the Park

A dozen supertalls (1,000 feet or higher) in the construction or planning stages in Manhattan include a significant number on the rise along the Billionaires’ Row strip just south of Central Park. This trend has been causing concern due to the shadows the looming towers will cast on the park. Now, a slightly ominous time-lapse video from Cube Cities shows how Billionaires' Row will have a sundial effect on the park (h/t Gothamist). The length and duration of the shadows will vary as the sun's angle changes with the seasons; fall and winter days are looking dark, with the tall towers' long shadows reaching as much as a mile into the park.
Watch the tall towers darken the park on a fall day in the future
July 28, 2016

Rupert Murdoch’s Multi-Terraced West Village Townhouse Sells for $27.5M in Just Five Months

Last August 6sqft reported that News Corp. head and Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch had put his West Village townhouse–the one he'd bought just five months prior for $25 million–on the market. Now, just five months after listing the 25-foot-wide, four-story brick home for $28.9M, the house has found a buyer, the New York Observer reports. Whomever is behind the entity known as West 11th Street, LLC has purchased the 6,500-square-foot Greek Revival manse for $27.5 million. The deal represents a $2.5M profit for Murdoch (and we all know how much he needs a few more million).
See what else makes this townhouse so buy-able