Manhattan

It seems like Governor Cuomo's had enough of ugly Manhattan buildings. Fresh off his announcement of a $3 billion overhaul of Penn Station comes another major redevelopment plan–a $1 billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Center, already the nation's largest meeting place. First reported by Curbed, the project will increase the building by 1.2 million square feet, adding five times the current meeting space and bringing the total square footage to a massive 3.3 million. Renderings from FXFOWLE show a glassy structure that will house a 58,000-square-foot ballroom (Cuomo says it will be the largest in the northeast), 22,000 square feet of outdoor event space, and a four-level truck garage that will supposedly get 20,000 vehicles off the streets.
See all the renderings

Real Estate Trends

January 7, 2016

Lower East Side Rental at Historic Federal Rowhouse Packs in Lots of Personality

The modest Federal townhouse at 511 Grand Street on the Lower East Side has managed to hang in there since 1829. And today it is boasting a really cool rental apartment on its second and third floors, while the ground floor is home to a cafe. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit belongs to artists Steve Mumford and Inka Essenhigh, who rent it out as a short-term, fully furnished rental. This time around it's available from April 1st though September 30th, asking $5,000 a month.
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January 7, 2016

Supermodel Gigi Hadid Checks Out $6.5M Selldorf-Designed Noho Pad

Supermodel du jour Gigi Hadid was spotted having a look at one of the last remaining units in the Annabelle Selldorf-designed Noho condop at 10 Bond Street. The Post reports that the Palestinian/Dutch beauty viewed the 2,775 square-foot, three-bedroom unit #3B with new flame, former One Direction-er Zayn Malik, in tow. Hadid–whose mom is "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Yolanda Foster–put her smaller Noho pad on the market last summer for $2.45 million after being harassed by a stalker who broke into the apartment and stalked her online. Her latest interest (the apartment, not the boy, who appears to have replaced ex-boo Joe Jonas) looks to be a step up, and not only in price, at $6.49 million. Selldorf designed the interiors as well as the building itself, which boasts 98 feet of continuous glazing in living areas and weathered steel and cast terra cotta panels inspired by the neighborhood's historic cast iron construction.
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Celebrities

January 7, 2016

Revealed: Brack Capital’s 90 Morton Street Condo Conversion to Have Terraced Penthouses

Here's our first look at Brack Capital's condominium conversion 90 Morton Street, also known as 627 Greenwich Street. The former printing building was built in 1911 and sits where the commercial lofts of Hudson Square (West Soho) scale downward into the West Village. Brack, headed by Isaac Hera, purchased the 120,000-square-foot corner building for $105 million in late 2014, and in September, the team submitted a $326 million offering plan to the office of the New York Attorney General. Building permits filed for the long-stalled conversion project last summer detail a 35-unit (29 condos) building that will remain 12 stories. It will only gain 1,649 square feet of construction floor area, and it appears its upper floors will be reconfigured into a succession of terraced penthouses. Though the architect of record is listed as Isaac & Stern Architects, the projecting volumes of the upper stories remind us of the work of Eran Chen's ODA Architects. ODA served as the design architects for Brack's 15 Union Square West and the James Hotel in SoHo.
More details ahead

January 7, 2016

Tina Fey Buys the $9.5M Unit Above Her Current Upper West Side Co-op

Funnywoman Tiny Fey pissed off her Upper West Side neighbors recently when it came to light that she's on the board of the American Museum of Natural History, and therefore approved the institution's controversial expansion plan. Unfortunately, it looks like she might be digging herself further into a hole, as she's just bought the co-op above her current apartment at 300 West End Avenue, meaning she and hubby Jeff Richmond will likely be taking down some floors and walls to create one large duplex. According to the Observer, who broke the news, Fey paid $9.51 million for the new four-bedroom unit, much higher than the $7.5 million asking price.
Check out the new digs

January 6, 2016

Revealed: New Renderings of Renzo Piano’s SoHo Tower at 555 Broome Street

Here's a closer look at Renzo Piano's much-anticipated condominium tower planned for a full block-front in West SoHo, between Broome and Watts streets. Dubbed The SoHo Tower, the 25-story building is being developed by way of a partnership between SHVO, Halpern Real Estate Ventures, Itzhaki Acquisition and Bizzi & Partners Development. The team picked up much of the development site in 2014 for $130 million, and yesterday, the Commercial Observer reported they've secured the final portion of the project site at 555 Broome Street for $9 million.
Even more images of the new tower here

January 6, 2016

Britney Spears’ Former Penthouse Hits the Market for $7.6 Million

The apartment that once belonged to the pop star behind "Hit Me Baby One More Time" is now on the market. Yes, Britney Spears' old Noho penthouse at 14 East 4th Street, a.k.a. the Silk Building, is looking for $7.6 million. This price tag is only the latest in a saga of trying to sell the place. It begins in 2002, when Britney purchased her penthouse for $3 million. She quickly listed it in 2004 for $6 million and the unit went through many price cuts before finally selling in 2006 for $4 million. The new buyers then listed the apartment in 2008 for $6.595 million and experimented with different price cuts until 2011; it never sold. Then it hit the market last year for $9 million, now it's back with another price cut. This apartment is about as unpredictable as its former owner.
See the interior

January 6, 2016

$1.4M for a DIY Duplex on a Heavenly Hell’s Kitchen Block

Tucked into the top two floors of 521 West 47th Street, a 1910 co-op loft building that was once a commercial bakery, "Penthouse C" is a package deal priced at $1.4 million consisting of units #3C and #4C and the roof space above them. The listing calls it an "Extremely rare and exciting 'once in a lifetime' chance to combine two authentic lofts plus the corresponding roof space to create your own 3-4 bedroom 3 bath penthouse," though that may take some doing; in their current form, the two spaces offer two different flavors of loft-y bohemian charm.
Check out this unique space

Distinctive Homes

January 6, 2016

POLL: Can Governor Cuomo Finally Get the Penn Station Overhaul off the Ground?

After chatter last month that the state may reboot the plan to expand Penn Station into the adjacent Farley Post Office, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Governor Cuomo will announce this week a full overhaul for the nation’s busiest transit hub. It’s expected that his plan will indeed include the projected $900 million post office redevelopment […]

Real Estate Trends

January 6, 2016

First Look at Madigan Development’s Upcoming Hudson Square Tower at 111 Varick Street

At the edge of the Holland Tunnel's Jersey-bound vortex, Madigan Development is planning to build a 15-story, 49-unit residential building at 111 Varick Street. Anchoring the southwest corner of Broome and Varick Streets in West Soho (aka Hudson Square), the tower is replacing a multi-story parking garage and will sit adjacent to another planned 19-story residential tower at 568 Broome Street. Renderings of 111 Varick show a blocky building clad in a drunken checkerboard pattern of glass and stone. While it has yet to be confirmed if the building will be a condo or rental, large layouts and its prime location between Soho and Tribeca allude to condos.
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Blackstone’s Purchase of Stuy Town Includes $625M in Air Rights

Photo via Wiki Commons

January 6, 2016

Blackstone’s Purchase of Stuy Town Includes $625M in Air Rights

Photo via Wiki Commons Less than three months ago, the Blackstone Group and Ivanhoe Cambridge's colossal purchase of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village went public. At the time, it was revealed that as part of the $5.46 billion deal Blackstone would reserve 4,500 of the complex's 11,200 apartments for middle-income families for the next 20 years, with an additional 200 units set aside for low-income tenants. But what's just come to light is the $625 million worth of air rights that came along with the buy. The majority of the roughly one million square feet will be transferred elsewhere, but about 250,000 square feet will remain within Stuy Town. As the Post first reported, "These include 200,000 square feet for a community facility, 25,000 square feet for residential and 25,000 square feet for commercial use."
More details this way

Real Estate Trends

January 5, 2016

Radio Rabble-Rouser Don Imus Lists CPW Pad With Terraces and Endless Views for $19.8M

A Central Park West penthouse belonging to controversial radio and TV jock Don Imus just hit the market for $19.8 million. The duplex co-op atop the 1928 Rosario Candela-designed 75 Central Park West, owned by Imus and his wife, Deirdre, for decades, is wrapped by gorgeous terraces and offers seriously breathtaking park and city views; for that seriously breathtaking price, you'll also get a good-sized two-plus-bedroom street-level maisonette to use as guest quarters or as an office.
Take a look

January 5, 2016

The City’s First Wi-Fi Kiosks Unveiled Today!

By Diane Pham

As Crain's first reported, the first of the city's upcoming 7,500 LinkNYC Wi-Fi kiosks have officially rolled out today. Two new "links" (as they'll be called), have sprouted up along Third Avenue in the East Village, one at the corner of East 15th Street and the other at East 17th Street. Each kiosk measures 9.5 feet tall and will be equipped with a gigabit-speed Wi-Fi connection with a 150-foot range, charging stations, a touch-screen that provides maps and info about city services, and a speaker phone that will let users make domestic calls—and all for free! The kiosks are meant to replace NYC's 6,000 now-defunct pay phones.
more info on what's to come here

REVEALED: 45 Broad Street, Slated to Be Among the Highest Condo Buildings Downtown

** UPDATE as of 1/6/16: Pizzarotti CEO Rance MacFarland confirmed to Curbed that 45 Broad Street will be a 1,100-foot-tall, 86-story supertall tower. It will have 245 units that will cater to “entry- and mid-level buyers,” as well as five floors of commercial and retail space.

January 5, 2016

REVEALED: 45 Broad Street, Slated to Be Among the Highest Condo Buildings Downtown

Last October, it was announced that the long-vacant lot in the heart of the Financial District at 45 Broad Street would be redeveloped into a 65-story residential skyscraper by way of a partnership between Pizzarotti IBC and Madison Equities. Now, via Pizzarotti's project page, we have our first look at the design of the 300,000-square-foot CetraRuddy-designed tower that the development group affirms "will be the highest condo in Downtown Manhattan." The team will have to move quickly, though; at least two condo towers are proposed to be taller including Shvo's supertall at 125 Greenwich Street.
More details ahead

January 4, 2016

Affordable Housing Lottery Kicks Off at 1770 Madison Avenue–Units Start at $822/Month

By Diane Pham

Starting tomorrow, qualifying New Yorkers will get the chance to apply for one of seven available units at a brand spanking new development located at 1770 Madison Avenue in East Harlem. According to the NYC HPD, studios will start at $822 a month, while one-bedrooms will go for $886 a month. The new rental building wrapped construction at the end of 2015 and market rate units were listed in December with studios priced at $2,295 a month and up to $2,995 for a one-bedroom. Lucky lottery winners and market rate renters at this address will enjoy a locale just four blocks from Central Park and the convenience of living next to the 2, 3 and 6 trains.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

Automat by Berenice Abbott, 1936

January 4, 2016

Horn & Hardart Automats: Redefining lunchtime, dining on a dime

In the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s Automats were a New York City dining staple for a hard-working lunch crowd, a modernist icon for a boundless machine-age future. At their height there were over three dozen in the city, serving 800,000 people a day. And nearly everyone who actually experienced Automats in their heyday says the same thing: They never forgot the thrill of being a kid at the Automat. Created by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart in Philadelphia in 1902, coin-operated Automats were lovingly-designed Art Deco temples to modern efficiency. Sleek steel and glass vending machine grids displayed sandwiches and main dishes as well as desserts and sides, each in their own little boxes, square and even, clean and well-lit. You put a coin in the slot, opened the door and removed your food—which was reportedly quite good, as the founders took terrific pride in their craft.
What was it about the experience that made for such a lasting memory?

January 2, 2016

Greenwich Village Apartment With Cottage-Like Charm Asks $2.25 Million

There's definitely something quaint about this apartment at 13 Downing Street, a 16-unit cooperative right in the middle of Greenwich Village. Its cottage-like vibe comes from exposed brick, a fireplace and lots of earth tones. It also feels cozy without being cramped, and spacious without being sprawling. The two-bedroom home is now on the market for $2.25 million after last selling in 2013 for $1.199 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

December 31, 2015

Isay Weinfeld’s Jardim Condominium Rises to Street Level Along the High Line

Foundation work for Isay Weinfeld's Jardim condominium is finally wrapping up and portions of the Chelsea development are now climbing to street level. Rising from the swampy banks of a bygone stream, the mid-block site at 525 West 27th Street is giving way to a set of two 11-story condo buildings encasing an elevated garden oasis. A partnership between Centaur Properties and Greyscale Development Group is responsible for the 95,000 square-foot complex; they purchased the site formerly occupied by the Pink Elephant nightclub in 2014 for $45 million.
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Should the City Impose a ‘Window Tax’ for Billionaires’ Row Central Park Views?

Google Earth rendering from CityRealty showing some of the supertalls around the south end of Central Park

December 31, 2015

Should the City Impose a ‘Window Tax’ for Billionaires’ Row Central Park Views?

"The builders are charging up to $100 million for apartments that offer helicopter views of lush foliage, jagged skylines, soothing rivers and angelic clouds. They lure the superrich, many with suspect foreign assets, to sky-high mansions. They enrich themselves by exploiting weak zoning rules to pour hideous implants into Manhattan cavities." All of this, says Max Frankel, who was the executive editor of The Times from 1986 to 1994 and lives half a block from Central Park, may need some consequences. And he wonders if this should come in the form of a "user fee," where residents of these Billionaires' Row towers would have to pay a monthly "window tax" based on how high in a given tower their unit is located. And according to his "back-of-the-envelope calculations," this could bring in roughly $1 million a year per building for the city to use on public projects like street work, parks, education, and affordable housing.
More details ahead

December 31, 2015

Lofty Duplex Carved Out of an UES Limestone Mansion Asks $3.975 Million

35 East 68th Street, located between Park and Madison Avenues on the Upper East Side, is one of those buildings that is not to be messed with. It's a 13,000-square-foot Beaux Arts mansion designed as a private residence for Harvard-trained physician Dr. Edward Kellogg and grain fortune heiress Mary Dows by Carrere & Hastings–the same architecture firm behind the New York Public Library. Since the now-landmarked building was completed in 1901, it has maintained its elegant, carved limestone facade. The interior, however, is a different story. Somewhere along the line the mansion was converted into a co-op apartment building, split into eight units. Seven of the eight co-ops were on the market this February for $34 million, but it looks like a sale never happened. Now this three-bedroom duplex is up for sale on its own.
See the interior

Distinctive Homes

December 30, 2015

Jonah Hill’s Brother Picks Up a Quirky Soho Co-op for $2.3M

Looks like Jordan Feldstein wanted to be much closer to big bro Jonah Hill. The talent manager (his clients include Maroon 5 and Robin Thicke) picked up a loft co-op at 37B Crosby Street in Soho, just a block away from Jonah's current pad at 27 Howard Street. City records show that Feldstein paid $2.3 million for the quirky duplex, which features exposed brick, fire engine-red railings, a custom wine cellar, and a private garden.
Take a look around

December 30, 2015

POLL: Have You Ever Gone to Times Square for New Year’s Eve?

Yesterday, 6sqft shared a video that explored the history of New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The first celebration was held in 1904 as a celebration of the New York Times’ new building at the crossroads, and in 1907 the first ball drop took place. Since then, the tradition has taken place every year except […]

Events & Things To Do

December 30, 2015

Victorian Home With Luxury Renovations Asks $7.5 Million in Yorkville

There's an interesting background behind this Victorian townhouse located at 142 East End Avenue within the Henderson Place Historic District in Yorkville. It was developed with other townhouses in the late 19th century by developer John C. Henderson for "persons of moderate means." These days, you'll need a lot more than moderate means to afford one–last year, a neighboring townhouse that had undergone a two-year gut renovation was on the market for $7.5 million or $25,900 a month. This one is also priced at $7.5 million, though it's been on and off the market since late 2012 asking anywhere from $6.5 to $8.5 million (h/t Curbed). The townhouse (once owned by a testifying forensic pathologist in the O.J. Simpson trial) was also gut renovated, with the interior all luxury while the exterior retains its original masonry detailing and modest brick façade, designed by architecture firm Lamb & Rich. Interior details include Italian tile flooring, Brazilian teak hardwood, four private outdoor spaces and a grand stainless steel staircase with walnut finishes.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

December 29, 2015

‘Running With Scissors’ Author Augusten Burroughs Sells Battery Park City Condo

If you've read any of Augusten Burroughs' memoirs ("Running with Scissors," "Dry," or "Wolf at the Table," to name a few) you'll know that his life was quite tumultuous. His NYC home, however, is just the opposite. The Battery Park City studio condo at 225 Rector Place is completely plain and neutral and void of any bells and whistles. His past partner Dennis Pilsits purchased the residence in 2008 for $600,767, but then transferred it over to Burroughs in 2011, presumably as part of their split. Now, according to city records, the New York Times #1 bestselling author has unloaded the pad for a mere $637,000.
Check it out

December 28, 2015

Horror Author Peter Straub Sells His Historic UWS Townhouse for $7M

When he put his Upper West Side townhouse on the market for $8.2 million in April, 6sqft wrote: "With accolades like the Bram Stoker Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the International Horror Guild Award to his name, one might proceed with caution when entering the home of American author and poet Peter Straub." But as we discovered, the Queen Anne-style home is anything but scary. Rather, it's a historically preserved masterpiece with rich colors, tasteful furnishings, and plenty of character. And now, according to city records, it's sold for $7,050,000, after Peter and his wife Susan called the residence at 53 West 85th Street home for 30 years.
Take a look around

December 28, 2015

Big Price Drop at This Renovated Five-Story, Upper West Side Townhouse