Manhattan

The 6,853-square-foot triplex penthouse atop the 11-story 520 West 28th Street condominium on the High Line, designed by the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, has arrived on the market for the first time for the as-promised ask of $50 million. The architecturally unique 39-unit building, Hadid’s first–and, sadly, only–ground-up structure in New York City, has interiors also overseen and designed by the architect. Related Companies, the building's developer, speaks of the honor of collaborating with "one of the world’s most visionary architects, Dame Zaha Hadid, on the design for 520 West 28th. The design is being realized as she envisioned–each residence is a work of art unto itself–and the penthouse in particular is a spectacular example of this, including various unique elements such as a sculptural three-story staircase, designed by Hadid, which unites all levels of the triplex residence.”
Find out about this one-of-a-kind penthouse

May 23, 2016

Developers Used a Four-Foot-Wide Lot to Build a Taller Upper East Side Tower

By Dana Schulz

The go-to move for building taller than zoning allows is snatching up some air rights, but at 180 East 88th Street in Yorkville, developer DDG Partners found an obscure loophole to increase their building's height. Back in 2014, as the Times explains, DDG received approvals to slice off a four-foot-wide lot from the 30-foot-deep site. This became an official taxable lot, but because it provided a buffer between the building and the street, it allowed the building to avoid typical zoning for structures touching the street, rising to its 521-foot height (60 feet taller than would have been permitted otherwise) and having its entrance on Third Avenue. Now that the motive has become clear, local residents and elected officials are not happy, and adding fuel to the fire is the fact that DDG contributed at least $19,900 to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The full story ahead

May 23, 2016

Alexander Wang Lists Luxuriously Moody Tribeca Loft for $3.75M

After six years in residence, the in-demand downtown designer is selling the loft he purchased from fellow fashionista, former New York Times Style writer Holly Brubach (h/t Curbed). With the help of maverick decorator Ryan Korban, Wang renovated the classic warehouse-turned-co-op at 39 Worth Street with opulent-chic accents like black fur, zebra rugs and mirrored wall panels, and opened up walled spaces to return the loft its open-space roots. The result, as far as lofts go, is a pretty well laid-out example, with creature comforts a busy design professional needs–plus luxurious finishes. Yet it doesn’t lose any of the open and adventurous character that defines a historic Tribeca loft space. The Parsons-grad-made-good purchased the unit for $2 million in 2010 and hopes to sell it for a $3.75 million.
See more of the loft

May 23, 2016

This $25K/Month Tribeca Rental Claims to Be Better than the Hamptons

Memorial Day weekend is approaching, signaling that time in New York when people start decamping for the Hamptons as much as possible. But this summer rental, at 17 Jay Street in Tribeca, is asking that you stay. "Forget the Hamptons," the listing says, "Spend June through Labor Day in this serene and utterly charming duplex penthouse loft featuring a spacious 3BR layout, with two fireplaces and three lovely decked terraces!" Three terraces may not be as good as the beach, but it's definitely not shabby for a New York City apartment.
See all the outdoor space

Distinctive Homes

May 23, 2016

Browse the Catalog of Joan Rivers’ Prized Possessions Headed for Auction Next Month

As 6sqft previously detailed, when the beloved comedian Joan Rivers passed away in 2014, she left behind a lavish Upper East Side penthouse packed with a collection of glittering designer gowns, gilded furnishings, jewelry and collected items that reflected a lifetime love of pretty things. Rivers herself once described the decor of the 5,100-square-foot triplex as “Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger.” Christie's has issued a catalog listing the opulent collections of Rivers' home that will be included in the live auction, scheduled for June 22 with viewing times beginning June 17. Items from Harry Winston, Tiffany's and Fabergé will join art and small personal items–like Bob Mackie gowns, a silver Tiffany & Co. water bowl engraved "Spike” and a silk pagoda dog bed (h/t Curbed).
Find out more about the auction

May 23, 2016

For a Limited Time, Related Offering One Month Free in New Upper East Side Rental The Easton

Not quite ready to buy a condo, but still want to feel like you're living in one? For a limited time, the Related Companies is offering one month free at their newest upscale rental The Easton, located at 205 East 92nd Street. The 36-story development is located at the boundary of the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods on the Upper East Side and is loaded with all the amenities, thoughtful layouts, and meticulous craftsmanship typical of many new high-end condominiums.
Find out more

May 20, 2016

Strand Bookstore Owner Lists Elegant 1848 Gramercy Townhouse for $7.5M

If you're a lover of timelessly elegant Manhattan living and you're lucky enough to live in Gramercy, you probably love your home just that much more. And if your Gramercy spot is anything like this classically lovely townhouse at 236 East 19th Street, on the market for $7.5 million, we'd say that's a bit like hitting the jackpot. Built in 1848, the four-story Anglo-Italianate home was owned by the Baer family from the 1860s until the current owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, co-owner of the famous Strand bookstore, purchased it for $4,700,000 in 2011. We're guessing Mrs. Wyden—she co-owns the store with her father, Fred Bass, whose father, Ben, founded the Strand in 1927—may be selling the house to spend more time in Oregon with her husband, Senator Ron Wyden, who is that state's senior U.S. senator. The couple have several small children, and if the house looks this good we'd say it must be child-proof. There's a luxurious wood-paneled library–fitting for the first family of one of the city's most iconic bookstores–and though there's plenty of play space and five bedrooms, the home's intricate historic details have been restored beautifully with added finishes (like walls of glass and several private outdoor spaces) for modern-day livability.
Take the tour

Richard Meier Flips Favored Palette from Ivory to Ebony for Developer Pal’s Turtle Bay Tower

Photo: Rendering of 685 First Avenue designed by architect Richard Meier for developer Sheldon Solow VIZE/RICHARD MEIER & PARTNERS ARCHITECTS

May 19, 2016

Richard Meier Flips Favored Palette from Ivory to Ebony for Developer Pal’s Turtle Bay Tower

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier has long been known for his modestly-scaled building designs with exteriors on the whiter side of pale. But for developer Sheldon Solow's new 42-story 556-unit residential building, currently under construction at East 39th Street and First Avenue on Manhattan's East Side, the New York Five starchitect will be designing a tower of black glass. The developer will be unveiling a residential tower, Meier's tallest and largest in New York City, according to the Wall Street Journal, that will consist of a rectangular slab with a recessed niche above the midsection, "a polished specimen of neo-Modernist simplicty" in typical Meier fashion–except it will be clad in glassy black. The mix seems to perfectly represent a collaboration between old friends and East Hampton near-neighbors Meier and Solow, who has pointed out that "All my buildings are black."
Find out more about the new rental, condo and commercial project

May 19, 2016

Jennifer Lawrence Scopes Out a $17.5M Duplex Penthouse in Tribeca

By Annie Doge

It's been about a year since Jennifer Lawrence first started her house hunt, and according to The Post, the starlet is showing no signs of giving up on finding the home of her dreams. Gimme Shelter writes that J.Law was just spotted checking out a $17.49 million penthouse in Tribeca's 140 Franklin Street. According to the listing, the sprawling pad is "intelligently designed and exceptionally renovated" spanning two stories of the building with more than 4,000 feet of interior space and 1,640 square feet of private outdoor terrace. The pre-war 1887 building itself is described as "ultra-discreet" with full-time doorman, on-site staff and just 12 loft residences; A perfect arrangement for an A-lister with a taste for eight-figure apartments.
Have a closer look inside this stunning home

May 19, 2016

Madison Equities Files Permit for 1,115-Foot Supertall Condo in the Financial District

Madison Equities and Pizzarotti Group filed a new building application yesterday to construct a 1,115-foot supertall skyscraper at 45 Broad Street in the heart of the Financial District. When finished, reportedly in 2018 (good luck with that), the tower will be the second tallest building in lower Manhattan after 1 WTC, and the sixth tallest in the city. As detailed by the application, the tower will comprise 371,634 gross square-feet of floor area spread across 66 floors. Listed are 150 units, a bit less than the 245 condo-residences Pizzarotti CEO, Rance MacFarland said there would be earlier this year. Supposedly, the building will cater to "entry- and mid-level buyers" with relatively conservative prices of below $2,000 per square foot on average. To afford the maximum amount of residences with coveted views of the harbor and the skyline, apartments will begin on the 15th floor where they are configured at four-units per floor up to the 33rd level. Floors 35-51, 53,55 and 57 will have three units per floor and floors 52, 54, and 58 just two units. Floors 61 and 62 will host two duplex aeries and the uppermost residential floor, 62, will house a single full floor penthouse that will be the highest residence in hemisphere outside of Billionaires' Row. Amenities on the lower, view-deprived floors will include a 60-foot indoor lap pool, a gym, a garden, a pet spa, a game room, bike room and other entertainment areas.
find out more here

May 19, 2016

Alcove Studio Asking $465K in Gramercy Packs in the Prewar Charm

Just because an apartment is small doesn't mean it can't have lots of personality. That's the case for this alcove studio at The Gramercy House, a co-op at 235 East 22nd Street in Gramercy Park. The building itself makes quite a statement; it was designed by architects George and Edward Blum in 1931 as an impressive Art Deco apartment building. Historic interior details have managed to carry over into this apartment, with moldings, hardwood floors and even a corner wood-burning fireplace.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Rendering of 45 Park Place via Williams New York (L); Aerial view of 45 Park Place in the downtown skyline created by CityRealty

May 19, 2016

45 Park Place Condos on ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Site Will Move Forward With $219M Loan

Soho Properties has received $219 million in construction loans for a $174 million luxury condominium project at 45 Park Place in Tribeca, according to a statement from Manhattan developer Sharif El-Gamal, The Real Deal reports. The deal was funded by the London branch of Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) and Kuwait-based Warba Bank, with Saudi investment firm MASIC providing a $45 million mezzanine loan and Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo serving as documentation agent. The developer had previously secured $33 million in financing from Madison Realty Capital in 2014. The funding will be used for the residential tower and an Islamic cultural museum to be built next door at 51 Park Place. The condo project, to be designed by SOMA Architects, will be a 665-foot, 43-story tower with 50 high-end apartments, including two penthouses on the top four floors. Ismael Leyva Architects is listed as the architect of record.
Find out more

May 19, 2016

Fisher Brothers’ Curving Rental Tower at 225 East 39th Street Reaches Full Height

By Julian Friedman

Without a hitch, Fisher Brothers' parking garage-crushing development at 225 East 39th Street has ascended to its full 395-foot structural height. More pause-worthy is that its reflective curtain wall has climbed high enough to show us how its reflective skin will accentuate its gracefully curving form. The 36-story high-rise is situated at the boundary of residential Murray Hill and the skyscraper canyons of Midtown East.
more one the progress here

May 18, 2016

Seaport Loft Owned by Yankees Ops Director Matches Warehouse Details With Luxe Finishes

This South Street Seaport loft, at 272 Water Street, certainly hasn't abandoned its history. It still retains details of the former warehouse building and boasts an undeniably lofty interior. But it's also been decked out with plenty of high-end finishes, like new plank floors and a custom wood and steel staircase leading to a lofted bedroom. The owner and renovator (per Curbed) is the Director of Team Operations for the New York Yankees, who travels so often he only enjoys the space about half the year. Likely why he's just listed the home for $1.595.
See the rest of his pad

Distinctive Homes

The World Trade Center’s Elevated Liberty Park Will Open This Summer

Construction image via Port Authority

May 18, 2016

The World Trade Center’s Elevated Liberty Park Will Open This Summer

By Diane Pham

The city will cut the ribbon on another landscaped elevated this park this summer with the opening of the World Trade Center's Liberty Park—although no exact opening date has been pinned down, reports DNA Info. The park, which will measure just over an acre and rise 25 feet, is sited next to the Santiago Calatrava-designed St. Nicholas National Shrine (still under construction) and will provide an overhead view of the 9/11 Memorial and a leafy pocket of respite for FiDi workers, dwellers and tourists alike. But more practically, the park will give way to a pleasant pedestrian connection across West Street, on top of hiding the entrance to the WTC's security hub that sits beneath.
See more here

Architecture And Design

May 17, 2016

Lottery Launches for 29 Affordable Units at Extell’s 70 Charlton in West Soho, From $833/Month

By Diane Pham

It's not too often that affordable housing opportunities arise in prime downtown areas like West Soho, but starting tomorrow, 70 Charlton Street will begin accepting applications for 29 of its below-market-rate apartments. The Beyer Blinder Belle-designed building is of the luxury persuasion, developed by none other than Extell. In total there are 116 residences; 92 are high-end co-ops (currently priced between $1.6M and $7.1M) with interiors crafted by Workshop/APD in one building, and the rest affordable units situated in a connected building. According to the Housing Connect website, studios will start at $833/month, one-bedrooms will go for $895/month and two-bedrooms for $1,082/month.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

May 17, 2016

Craigslist Hookup: Craig Newmark Buys $5.9 Million Village Townhouse Co-op

Craig Newmark, entrepreneur and founder of now-legendary swap site Craigslist, recently purchased a three-bedroom Greenwich Village duplex according to city records, reports The Real Deal. Newmark, who started the now-international site in San Francisco in 1995, and his wife, Eileen, bought the co-op, which occupies the first two floors of a gorgeous 1845 red brick townhouse-turned-three-unit-co-op on West 9th Street, for $5.9 million; it was last listed at $5.25M.
Read more

Celebrities

May 17, 2016

Glenwood’s Newest Lincoln Center-Adjacent Tower Starts Leasing With Discounted Rents

When we last checked in on Glenwood Management's latest rental development at 175 West 60th Street, the 48-story, 533-foot tall building had just topped-out and launched its affordable housing lottery offering apartments priced as low as $566/month. Now, the team has jump-started leasing on the building's 205 market-rate residences. Dubbed The Encore—likely due to its proximity to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the tower being Glenwood's second foray on Fordham University's Lincoln Square campus superblock (Hawthorn Park was the first)—the building is centrally positioned at the meeting of Midtown West and Upper West Side. According to Glenwood, occupancy for the upscale rentals will begin on July 1, and early lease-signors, for a limited time, can capture net-effective rents of $3,483/month for alcove studios, $4,790/month for one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms starting at $7,297/month.
more details this way

May 17, 2016

The History of the Roosevelt Island Tramway

By Rebecca Paul

In honor of the Roosevelt Island Tramway's 40th anniversary today, we've pulled this wonderful piece on the history of the high-flying gondola system from our archives. Commuting in New York City, whether for work or pleasure, is rarely an enjoyable experience. However, for some tourists and lucky city dwellers, the Roosevelt Island Tramway provides a delightful, high-flying travel alternative to the standard, and sometimes miserable, modes of NYC public transport. Running across the East River, this aerial tramway brings commuters to and from Roosevelt Island and Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and has carried over 26 million passengers since opening in 1976. It is one of the few forms of mass transit in New York City not operated by the MTA, but it still costs the same as the bus or subway and can be paid for with your NYC metro card. Like most things in our historic port town, both the tramway and the commute between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island has a history, and this one includes bridge elevators, high-rise rescue missions and French ski lifts.
More on how the Roosevelt Island tramway came to be

Controversial Lower East Side Waterfront May Get Even More Tall Towers

One Manhattan Square on the left, the JDS/SHoP Project in the center. The above image, created by CityRealty, depicts the possible massing of the new towers if built to 50 stories; No official design has been released

May 16, 2016

Controversial Lower East Side Waterfront May Get Even More Tall Towers

By Dana Schulz

Just a few weeks ago 6sqft learned that the supertall super-team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects are planning a 900-foot, 77-story rental building at 247 Cherry Street, directly next to Extell's 850-foot One Manhattan Square. These waterfront developments in the Two Bridges area caused quite a stir since the neighborhood has historically been mostly low-income and low-rise, but now two more supertalls may rise at the site. Bowery Boogie reports that L+M Partners are looking to erect two 50-story towers on the nearby lots at 265-275 Cherry Street. Together, the buildings would hold about 1,000 units.
Find out more

May 16, 2016

Parts of the Original Harlem Hospital Live On in this Funky Tribeca Duplex Loft

This 1,500 square-foot co-op loft at 156 Franklin Street in Tribeca is a first floor duplex with a layout that goes beyond the usual one-two beat. Rooms are layered above, below and between, which elevates everyday living—literally. The loft, asking $1.895 million, is also located in an historic district in a landmarked building and is filled with parts that were salvaged from the original Harlem Hospital. As such, the historic layers within are quite unique; reclaimed items harkening to the late 19th century include the stairs that run between levels and floors and the large stainless steel sink in the kitchen, and then there are the building's prewar architectural details like exposed red brick, arches, and barrel-vaulted terra cotta ceilings.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

Rafael Viñoly Apologizes for Dissing 432 Park

Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment

May 13, 2016

Rafael Viñoly Apologizes for Dissing 432 Park

By Dana Schulz

Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment On Monday, the architecture world was gobbling up the comments starchitect Rafael Viñoly made about 432 Park Avenue at a Douglas Elliman talk last week. He admitted that the 1,400-foot supertall "has a couple of screw-ups," referring to the interior design and layout, as well as the window framing, which he blamed on developer Harry Macklowe. But it looks like the architect is a bit red in the face, because he penned a lengthy public letter to design blog Dezeen apologizing for his loose lips. "In the context of what we understood to be a private and off-the-record conversation, I expressed frustration, inartfully, about the consequences of my profession's diminished position in the real estate development eco-system. Sometimes I get a little excited and say things that can easily be taken out of context and stripped of their humor. I have to improve," he said.
Read more of his apology letter

Architecture And Design

May 13, 2016

Alan Cumming Lists Charming, Quirky East Village Home for $2.2M

"The Good Wife" star Alan Cumming is selling the East Village apartment that stole his heart when the Scottish-born actor first saw it back in 2005. Listed for $2.2 million, the four-bedroom co-op at 297 East 10th Street overlooking Tompkins Square Park definitely looks like the kind of place you could call home for at least a few years, a rare thing in the otherwise great neighborhood. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cumming and husband Grant Shaffer have been renovating a nearby 19th-century townhouse that they bought in 2013 for $4.65 million, and the time seemed right to part with this cozy co-op.
Have a look

May 13, 2016

Morris Adjmi’s Tribeca Condo Building at 83 Walker Street Gets Its Inverted Facade

After a unanimously approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in June 2011, the Morris Adjmi-designed condo building at 83 Walker Street has fully risen and is nearly completely adorned with its creamy, concrete facade. The nine-story, 19,000-square-foot building is being developed by Brooklyn-based Abra Construction Corp. and will house a duplex unit at the ground and cellar levels and eight full-floor residences above. Its narrow 24-foot-wide lot is within the fast-changing eastern extents of Tribeca (formerly Chinatown) and sits within the Tribeca East Historic District. The realized project is slightly higher than zoning allows and had to seek approval from the City Planning Commission in addition to the LPC.
The story behind that inverted facade

May 13, 2016

Get Views of the Apollo From the Private Terrace of This $795K Harlem Condo