Manhattan

Here's a cool Tribeca loft rental in the Dietz Lantern Building, boasting original details like barrel-vaulted ceilings and exposed brick. This 2,100-square-foot two-bedroom has an interesting layout with access to the second bedroom from the master, and it's available for $12,500 a month.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

July 13, 2015

West Chelsea’s Tallest Tower Rises and Finally Reveals Itself

By Ondel Hylton

Residential construction along the High Line continues at full steam as a rash of activity along the park's northern extents rises higher and larger than earlier developments farther south. To provide a gradual transition from mid-rise West Chelsea to the enormous skyscrapers planned for the Far West Side, the Bloomberg administration in 2005 allowed more generous zoning between West 28th and 30th streets along Tenth and Eleventh avenues. Earlier this week Curbed, via ILNY's Flickr photostream, gave us our first look at West Chelsea's future tallest structure, a 425-foot rental tower at 319 Tenth Avenue that is part of a trio of buildings being developed by Long Island-based Lalezarian Properties.
Take a look at this new tower and learn more about it

July 10, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Doug Steinberg Keeps the Doors Open at 110-Year-Old New York Central Art Supply

By Susan Cohen

In 1905, Benjamin Steinberg opened up a store on Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. Little did he know then that one day artists like Willem de Kooning would walk through its doors. For the last 110 years, New York Central Art Supply has served the needs of New York's amateur and professional artists. Three generations of the Steinberg family have supplied paper, paints, brushes, and canvases to everyone from first-year art students to Keith Haring. And over the last year, Doug Steinberg, Benjamin's great-grandson, has taken a more active role at New York Central, planning for the store's future. While Doug never formally joined the family business (he currently owns and runs his own company), New York Central has been a constant in his life. He says he's worked there "on and off since I was born," and has a deep appreciation for what his great-grandfather started and his father Steve grew in the '60s and '70s. We recently spoke with Doug to learn about New York Central's rich history, why so many well-known artists purchased and continue to purchase supplies here, and how the store is preparing for its 21st century evolution.
Read the interview right here

July 10, 2015

James Gandolfini’s Former Village Apartment Listed for $21,000/Month

The late James Gandolfini once shared a West Village apartment with his ex-wife Marcy Wudarski Gandolfini, whom he was married to from 1999 to 2002. Several years before splitting, the couple bought two adjacent units in 99 Jane Street–first an $850,000 unit and then a $1 million unit. They combined them into one large four-bedroom pad, but when they split, Wudarski kept the home, and Gandolfini went on to marry wife Deborah Line in 2008 (they were married up until his untimely death in 2013). Now, Wudarski has listed the apartment for $21,000 a month, according to the Daily News.
Take a look around

July 10, 2015

Construction Update: Extell’s Controversial 800-Foot Tower Ready to Rise at 250 South Street

After being slapped with a partial stop-work order about three weeks ago for causing a local street to sink, Extell's Lower East Side mega-development at 250 South Street appears to be back on track. A recent visit to the site shows that piles for the building are again being driven into the bedrock. However, it appears excavation will continue to be an arduous journey since most of the parcel sits on landfill and is only a few feet above street level. Since its reveal last year, the tower has been met with intense public outrage due to its unprecedented height for the mid-rise neighborhood. The building was first reported to be 68 stories, then 71 stories, then 56 stories, and now the latest filing with the Department of Buildings has a revised height pinned again at 68 stories, or 800 feet at its highest floor. To put that in perspective, the neighboring Manhattan Bridge is only 330 feet tall, and just 170 feet at its roadway—meaning the building will be nearly five times the height of the bridge's road deck.
FInd out more here

New Developments

July 9, 2015

Construction Update: NYC’s First Micro Apartment Complex Is Now Fully Stacked

Moving day inches closer for those looking to claim a module in the city's first micro apartment complex. As of this week, My Micro NY is fully stacked, rising 120 feet from its site at 335 East 27th Street at the border of Gramercy in Kips Bay. The project, also known as Carmel Place, is the product of a city-sponsored design competition launched by former mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2012 as a way to test out if micro dwellings could be an answer to the city's housing shortage, and in turn give enough reason for adjusting NY's dated building codes to allow for smaller units better suited for today's shrinking households. As it stands, the legal minimum is 400 square feet, while My Micro NY's apartments measure a mere 260 to 360 square feet.
More images of the construction

July 9, 2015

Supermodel Gigi Hadid Lists Mod Nolita Pad for $2.45M

You've probably seen Gigi Hadid's face plastered across town on Guess or Maybelline billboards, or maybe if you're a "Real Housewives" junkie you'll recognize her from the Beverly Hills franchise, as she's the daughter of the show's Yolanda Foster. After moving to NYC to attend the New School, she bought an ultra-modern apartment at 250 Bowery last year for $1.92 million, through a trust in her mother's name. The duo's time decorating the home was featured on the "Real Housewives" show, and it was definitely worlds away from the typical Bed, Bath and Beyond sophomore-year shopping. Now, after reportedly checking out a $3 million Lower East Side condo at 100 Norfolk Street (and getting together with Joe Jonas), Hadid has listed her Nolita apartment for a cool $2.45 million, according to the Daily News.
Check out her pad here

July 9, 2015

This $8,500/Month Renovated Soho Loft Has a Bright, Summery Attitude

Here's a gorgeous, fully renovated loft at 88 Crosby Street in Soho. This top-floor space features exposed brick walls, exposed beams, high tin ceilings, hardwood floors, and even a skylight. The bright decor–which includes plenty of potted plants, hot pink sofas, and an umbrella mosaic above the bed–makes this the perfect summer escape. It's been on the rental market since 2009 with what looks like one-year leases. And it's available now for $8,500 a month.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into the Sky

Image courtesy of Desimone Engineering

July 8, 2015

Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into the Sky

By Ondel Hylton

Billionaire's Row's race into the sky continues. Two of its biggest projected selling towers are beginning to rise out of their gargantuan foundations and are rushing to claim their piece of coveted Central Park-fronting airspace. Construction of Vornado's 220 Central Park South development has an early lead against Extell Development's significantly larger Central Park Tower (formerly Nordstrom Tower) across West 58th Street. The first level of concrete and re-bar are now poking up above street level and the elevator/stairway cores are now clearly visible to pedestrian passersby.
See new images of the tower here

July 8, 2015

This West Village One-Bedroom with a Built-In Ice Cream Maker Is Cute Indeed

By Emily Nonko

A renovation at this one-bedroom apartment, located in the West Village co-op building at 82 Charles Street, has left the unit looking downright adorable. The listing promises it to be a "perfect blend of prewar character and modern conveniences perched on one of the most bucolic blocks in the city." It's hard to argue with the location. And we like how more traditional design elements (exposed brick) are paired with some surprising modern additions (built-in ice cream maker!). It's now on the market asking $899,000.
See more of the interior

Distinctive Homes

July 8, 2015

Over-the-Top Upper West Side Townhome Wants $30K/Month

You know how there are some things that are ahead of their time? Well this five-bedroom residence at 48 West 85th Street is not one of them. If anything, it's straight from Liberace's vision board. The 6,000-square-foot home was listed for $13.8 million a year ago, but, alas, it must not have found a buyer. Now, for $30,000 a month you can travel back in time and enjoy over-the-top furnishings like "Baccarat crystal chandeliers" and "Tiffany dishes."
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

July 7, 2015

Jet-Setting Fashionista’s Sprawling Tribeca Loft Shines with Bold Decor

By Emily Nonko

This Tribeca loft, located at 90 Hudson Street, may be a one-bedroom unit but it's still huge. That means plenty of space for cool furniture and decor, which the current owner has definitely taken advantage of. The seller, Marika Wagle, manages merchandising and buying for designer fashion brands in New York City and also sells home decor, jewelry and clothing from her travels through India, Morocco, Turkey and Africa. That means that just because the apartment will come empty upon sale, you could still fill it with a similar design.
See the rest of the interior

Distinctive Homes

Gentrification Sale: Get a Single Hand-Cut Summer French Fry for Just $8.99!

Image via Bill de Bodega

July 7, 2015

Gentrification Sale: Get a Single Hand-Cut Summer French Fry for Just $8.99!

Jarritos with an $11.99 corkage fee, a hipster breakfast for $8.99? Act fast because you won't want miss out on all the great deals going on at the Washington Heights "Gentrification in Progress Sale." A row of mom and pops located along a stretch between 162nd and 163rd streets got a Williamsburg-worthy facelift on Monday as Brooklyn locals Doug Cameron and Tommy Noonan plastered storefronts with scathingly sardonic signage pointing to the area's demise. The campaign, first reported on by Vanishing NY, was created in response to the ousting of several of the block's 30-plus-year-old businesses by a new landlord in order to make way for commercial tenants willing to pay higher rents.
See more here

Policy

July 7, 2015

Kimberly Peck’s All-White Union Square Loft Is Surprisingly Perfect for a Modern Family

By Shiloh Frederick

Normally, white is a color families shy away from in fear of kid-related accidents. But daring architect Kimberly Peck has brushed off the age-old design restriction in this Union Square loft renovation that makes white the central color. Addressing the growing family's needs, she carved a second bedroom and bathroom out of the loft's 1,375 square feet, in addition to enlarging the kitchen. Working with the space's characteristic wooden floors and exposed brick walls, Peck created a space that's stylish, yet still homey.
See the renovation here

July 7, 2015

Rent Topher Grace’s Stylish West Village Loft for $16,000

Actor Topher Grace of "That '70s Show" fame is shaking up his real estate game. After selling his Los Angeles home for $1.69 million, he's now looking to rent out his stylish West Village condo, according to the Daily News. This also comes on the heels of Grace's recent engagement to actress and model Ashley Hinshaw. He bought the two-bedroom, full-floor loft at 59 Bank Street for $2.2 million in 2006, but has been renting it out over the past several years, starting at $14,000 in 2011 and now going for $16,000.
Take a look around

July 7, 2015

$4M Live/Work Tribeca Loft Offers Endless Options and an Artsy Outdoor Space

Here's a $3.995 million Tribeca loft with so much flexibility you can practically do whatever you want with it. The 2,833-square-foot duplex condo is a former art gallery that offers a perfect live/work opportunity. There's also a separate entrance for retail space on the ground floor (currently being used as a photography studio), as well as an artsy outdoor space with a charming European flair and funky glass floor. So when we say the options are endless, we actually mean it.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

July 6, 2015

Katie Holmes and Suri Renting a $25,000 Penthouse in Chelsea

Katie Holmes loves Chelsea. The Post reports that the actress has taken up residence in a sparkling new penthouse at 201 West 17th Street, paying $25,000 a month for the luxurious digs. Back in 2012, Holmes and daughter Suri called a $12,500-a-month rental at the Chelsea Mercantile their refuge while the actress took steps towards divorcing then-husband Tom Cruise. Although Holmes' new penthouse doesn't come with a secret entrance to Whole Foods, the picture perfect pad definitely makes up for the lack of organics with its stunning views and ample outdoor space.
Inside Katie's new penthouse

July 6, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Inhabitat’s Jill Fehrenbacher on Raising Two Kids on the Lower East Side

When you think about family-friendly neighborhoods, the last one to come to mind is probably the Lower East Side. But Inhabitat.com's Jill Fehrenbacher is here to tell you that this downtown stretch is more than just a breeding ground for bros and getting bombed. A LES resident for more than a decade, Jill moved into the area looking for cheap rents as a student but has stuck around to see it transform into both a cultural destination and a diverse community-driven neighborhood fueled by much more than just a bar scene. Ahead, Jill shares her thoughts on what makes this neighborhood such a special one for raising kids (she's got two boys of her own) and her NYC success story of hitting it big as the founder of one of the world's most visited design websites.
Our interview with Jill here

July 6, 2015

Call Chelsea’s Historic Samuel Turner House Your Home for $17.95M

Okay history buffs, here's your chance to own the elegant former home of Reverend Dr. Samuel Turner, who was one of the head professors at the nearby General Theological Seminary. He built the house at 440 West 22nd Street in 1836 to match the merchant-class residences popping up in Chelsea around this time, and he lived there until he passed away of typhoid fever in 1861. When owner Michael Minick purchased the home in 1993, it had been subjected to years of neglect, but Minick lovingly restored it back to its Greek Revival glory, while preserving its turn of the 20th century Queen Anne exterior facelift. It's now available for the first time in over 20 years for $17,950,000.
Take a look around

July 6, 2015

Former Tribeca Hotel Could Be Transformed into a Grand Single-Family Home

By Emily Nonko

This five-story brick townhouse, located at 142 Watts Street in Tribeca, is rather unique. Constructed in 1886, the building has served as a tenement building, a hotel, and apartments. (There was also a diner on the ground floor in the 1940s.) It was last purchased 30 years ago by the Capsouto brothers, longtime investors and restaurateurs in the neighborhood. 35 years ago the brothers opened a restaurant at 451 Washington Street called Capsouto Freres, a mainstay eatery that shuttered after damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Now it looks like the brothers have decided to get rid of some of their real estate in the neighborhood, listing 142 Watts Street for $12.25 million.
Hear more about the story of this property

July 6, 2015

Royal Letdown: Queen Elizabeth Actually Won’t Be Coming to NYC

A few weeks ago, various media outlets reported that Queen Elizabeth had bought a $7.9 million apartment at 50 United Nations Plaza. City records listed the buyer of the three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot residence as “Her Majesty the Queen in Right of New Zealand.” But as the Post informs us today, the royal family will not be taking up residence in NYC after all, as the actual buyer is the New Zealand government’s UN ambassador.
More details on the transaction

July 2, 2015

Heidi Klum Settles on a $70K/Month West Village Rental for the Summer

It was recently reported that Heidi Klum was eyeing this 3.5-acre $11 million private island off Manhattan as her next retreat, but it looks like the supermodel has decided to slum it in the West Village instead. The Post reports that Klum will be renting out a 7,200-square-foot Bob and Cortney Novogratz creation located at 400 West Street through the summer. The home is not an unfamiliar spot for the model who has shot hoops, hot tubbed, and made pizza at the glamorous property when she rented it in previous years.
Have a look inside her glamorous summer home

Get to Know Chinatown Through These Iconic Cultural, Gastronomic and Architectural Spots

Image by Madhu Nair via Flickr

July 1, 2015

Get to Know Chinatown Through These Iconic Cultural, Gastronomic and Architectural Spots

By Shiloh Frederick

Back in March, we took a look at how Chinatown is predicted to undergo rapid changes within the next decade, transforming it into another haven for hipsters and real estate developers. As of right now, these changes are hard to see–luxury condos like Hester Gardens stand alone among the array of colorful shops and signs covered in Chinese characters. In fact, a past poll shows that readers are equally divided on Chinatown's future. As with all gentrifying neighborhoods, one of residents' biggest fears is that the neighborhood will lose the cultural characteristics that make it unique. With this in mind, we're taking stock of the iconic places that make Chinatown what it is. We've highlighted some of the neighborhood's best restaurants and shops (think Economy Candy and Joe's Shanghai), along with a few standout structures (the largest Buddhist temple in New York City, to name just one) that make this neighborhood unlike any other in the city.
See which places made the list here

Food & Dining

July 1, 2015

Newly Listed $3.6M Residence at the Dakota Appears Untouched by Time

If Lauren Bacall and Roberta Flack's Dakota homes are out of your budget, fix your eyes on this splendid apartment that has just been placed on the market for $3.6 million. This understated beauty is one that seems to have withstood the test of time, maintaining all the stunning details unique to its storied address. And with two bedrooms, incredible 14-foot ceilings (yes, they're taller than both Flack's and Bacall's) and south-facing windows flooding the home with light, even though it might not carry the same star cachet as the others, we're sure you wouldn't turn down a chance to sashay across its immaculate wood floors.
More photos inside the historic apartment here

June 30, 2015

Model Amy Hixson Asks $899,000 for Custom-Designed, Bespoke East Village Pad