Manhattan

Is there any architect more in demand than Rafael Viñoly these days? NY YIMBY has uncovered the first renderings of the starchitect's latest residential project, a tower slated to pierce the sky from a Nomad site at 281 Fifth Avenue. Though notably smaller than 432 Park Avenue at just 705 feet, the skyscraper does share the 432's stark and very geometrical shape. It will also be one of the tallest in the neighborhood once constructed.
Find out more here

June 1, 2015

$18 Million Townhouse in Greenwich Village Will Speak to Your Inner Historian and Artist

By Emily Nonko

This Greenwich Village townhouse located at 52 West 9th Street is unique indeed. (And we're not just talking about that $18 million price tag). The home was constructed in 1848 for the physician Austin Sherman. And while it retains many of its period details, it was renovated to accommodate the influx of artists that moved to the Village in the early 20th century. The distinctive studio on the top floor of the townhouse was added around 1920. According to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, "the studio is not only unusually high (seemingly a nearly double-height space), but is recessed enough to supply a balcony with a balustrade for the lucky resident." So the building has a touch of both the historic and the artistic side of Greenwich Village, with a price that fits the market of 2015.
See the interior here

Distinctive Homes

The High and Low: Waterfront Living on Beekman Place

25 Beekman Place (L); 12 Beekman Place (r)

June 1, 2015

The High and Low: Waterfront Living on Beekman Place

By Michelle Cohen

While neighborhoods may seem to become hot-or-not at the drop of a hat, waterfront property retains its mystique through the ages. Open river and bridge views are a rare and covetable amenity that can’t be brought in with high-end consultants or approximated by joining a gym on the next block. These two homes on Beekman Place, an East Side enclave of pre-war apartment buildings and stately townhouses that has long been considered the essence of understated Manhattan elegance, form part of an enviable row of buildings along the East River possessed of waterfront living on one side and Manhattan excitement on the other. The tree-shaded block-long street near the United Nations and Peter Detmold Park, minutes from bustling Midtown, is often overlooked, yet no less magical should you find yourself on it–the New York Times recently called it, "about as far off the beaten path as one can get in Manhattan." On the market now are a $13 million duplex, complete with a raised deck that elevates the view to peerless, and a 12th-floor gem on the same short street asking a more palatable $1.5 million, also with panoramic river views and a smaller, but no less lovable deck from which to watch the ships pass in the night–or day.
Get an eyeful of these waterfront vistas this way

Distinctive Homes

June 1, 2015

UWS Co-op of the Late Andy Rooney Lists for $2.4M

We had some celebrity action at 522 West End Avenue just a couple weeks ago when we discovered that "Girls" star Zosia Mamet bought a rather unimpressive apartment in the building. And we've now learned from the Journal that the former home of the late Andy Rooney, legendary "60 Minutes" anchor, has hit the market for $2.385 million. The two-bedroom, ninth-floor co-op is quite lovely, but what's really going to attract potential buyers is the collection of Mr. Rooney's wood art pieces–like the dining room table and headboards–on display throughout the home. He was an avid woodworker in his free time, and the staging and brokerage teams decided to utilize his creations. They've also included photos of Rooney and his typewriter. Unfortunately, none of these mementos come with the apartment.
Take a look around

June 1, 2015

This $6,500/Month Soho Loft Is an Artist’s Perfect Canvas

Artists looking for the perfect Soho loft with a live/work arrangement will be happy to see this blank canvas of a space in the appropriately named Museum Building at 11 Mercer Street. Despite having only two oversized windows on the eastern side of the loft, this open space is flooded with light, and it has plenty of wall space to hang your artwork. The open, airy condo is available for rent in July, asking $6,500 a month.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 31, 2015

A Trashcan Inspired the Design of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue

Most ideas usually end up in the trash but few ideas are inspired by the basket that holds them. A recent discovery by The Real Deal has revealed that the city's residential tower-of the-moment, 432 Park Avenue, was actually inspired by a Josef Hoffmann-designed wastebasket released in 1905. The revelation came via a talk held last December at the Cornell Center for Real Estate and Finance where Harry Macklowe, the co-developer of the supertall, told the crowd that the repository was an "important touchstone" for the 1,396-foot-high design.
More on the muse here

Architecture And Design

May 29, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Peter Kaye Keeps the Turntables Spinning at Bleecker Street Records

By Susan Cohen

In the age of streaming music, it may be surprising to learn that not only are record stores still in existence, but millennials are buying more than their fair share of albums. Perhaps it's because records are tangible and there is a movement for feeling and touching items, or maybe it's a natural progression of hipsterdom, but 20-something New Yorkers are buying the same records their parents listened to as well as current chart toppers—yes, even Taylor Swift releases vinyl. One of the happy observers of this resurgence is Peter Kaye, a manager at Bleecker Street Records in the West Village. For the last 18 years, Bleecker Street Records has been a go-to destination for those looking for records, CDs, and "extracurriculars" as Peter calls the posters, patches, pins, and playbills the store carries. While its address no longer matches its name, the musical mission at Bleecker Street Records remains the same. Peter has a very important hand in how the store runs. As both a manager and the LP guy, he's responsible for finding the records and serving as an in-store historian. He's able to put each record into context and explain why it matters, which helps lesser-known albums have their moment in the spotlight. We recently spoke with Peter to find out what it's like to manage a record store in a digital era.
read the interview with him here

The One World Trade Center Observatory Officially Opens Today!

The view from above. Image via World Trade Center Progress

May 29, 2015

The One World Trade Center Observatory Officially Opens Today!

We couldn't have dreamt up a more picturesque day for the opening of One World Trade Center's sky-high observatory. Today visitors will get a new bird's eye view of New York City with panoramic views stretching 50 miles past the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty from a three-story perch 1,250 feet up in the air.
More details on the experience that awaits you here

Architecture And Design

May 29, 2015

Sources Say Saudi Billionaire Is Buyer of $95M Penthouse at 432 Park

By Annie Doge

The Real Deal reports that Saudi billionaire and retail magnate Fawaz Al Hokair is the buyer of the $95 million penthouse at 432 Park, the city's current tallest residential building. The unit went into contract in 2013 for roughly $11,500 per square foot, but sources are just now coming out with his identity. Al Hokair is the founder and chairman of Fawaz Alhokair Group, the most valuable retail and real estate company in Saudi Arabia. Forbes estimates the company is worth $22 billion, and that Al Hokair's net worth is $1.37 billion. When the deal closes it will be the second most expensive condo sale ever in the city, stealing the title from Bill Ackman's $91.5 million buy at One57 and following only behind the $100 million penthouse sale, also at One57.
More details, interior renderings, and a floorplan ahead

Real Estate Trends

May 29, 2015

Rent Artist Karl Mann’s Eclectic Chelsea Loft for $9,000

Artist Karl Mann has listed his two-bedroom duplex at 334 West 20th Street in Chelsea for short-term rental, asking $8,975 a month. For anywhere from three to six months, you can call this artsy Chelsea pad with a "Jungle Book" vibe, home. Not to mention you'll get to benefit from the aesthetic of a man who turns flea market finds into treasures.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 28, 2015

Commissioner of Baseball Robert Manfred Buys $5.6M UES Penthouse

By Annie Doge

Just in time for the height of MLB season, Robert Manfred, the freshly appointed Commissioner of Baseball who is a known Yankees fan, has scooped up an Upper East Side penthouse condo. He and his wife Colleen paid $5,575,000 for the full-floor, three-bedroom pad, according to city records released today. Located at 303 East 77th Street, the home also boasts 2,559 square feet of interior space and with 809 square feet of outdoor space comprised of three terraces and a balcony.
See the rest of Manfred's new digs here

May 28, 2015

$3.7M Loft in Iconic Police Building Boasts Soaring Ceilings and Funky Interior Details

It seems as though each of the units in the iconic Police Building on Centre Street has its own unique flair, and this apartment is no exception. It's being offered for the first time since the building was converted into co-ops back in 1988, and has bragging rights as one of the only true two-bedroom, two-bath residences in the entire building. And it can be yours for $3.65 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 28, 2015

How the Whitney Installed an Invisible Flood Barrier After Hurricane Sandy

For the past few months, all eyes have been on the new Whitney. From architecture reviews of Renzo Piano's modern museum to insider looks at the galleries, New Yorkers can't stop talking about the design of this game-changing structure. It wasn't all sunshine and roses for the building, though. In 2012, halfway through construction, Hurricane Sandy flooded the museum with more than five million gallons of water, causing the architects to rethink the site. The Whitney now boasts a custom flood-mitigation system that was "designed like a submarine," according to engineer Kevin Schorn, one of Piano's assistants. As The Atlantic reports, the system has a 15,500-pound water-tight door that was designed by engineers who work on the U.S. Navy's Destroyers and can protect against a flood level of 16.5 feet (seven feet higher than the waters during Sandy) and withstand an impact from 6,750 pounds of debris. But what's just as amazing as these figures is the fact that this huge system is invisible to the average person.
Find out more here

Architecture And Design

May 28, 2015

EVENT: Hear Five Brilliant Ideas Vying to Improve Urban Life at ‘Pitching the City’

New urban development and redevelopment proposals get thrown around on a daily basis, but very few ever come to fruition. With an overload of ideas floating around, it's hard to keep track of what's worth giving a second thought to—let alone cash. Enter Pitching the City, a biennial gathering that pits the creators of five genius plans to improve the contemporary city against one another. This year's summit will bring an array of innovative urban strategies from across the globe under one roof for a high-octane pitching session happening in Nolita on Friday, May 29th (that's tomorrow!), and you're invited.
Find out how to attend here

May 28, 2015

190 Bowery Art Show Was Closed to the Public to ‘Protect the Space and the Art’

The art opening at 190 Bowery took social media by storm a couple weekends ago when hundreds of people (who were likely more eager to get a look inside the iconic building than to peruse the art) lined up outside and were then promptly turned away when the event was changed from public to private. As The Lo-Down notes, curator and art dealer Vito Schnabel, who hosted the event with the building's developer Aby Rosen, has now spoken out in the New York Times about the last-minute change of plans, saying that his main concern was "protecting the space and the art."
Find out more here

REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

Rendering via Witkoff

May 27, 2015

REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

Just a week after Manhattan's Community Board 5 called for a moratorium on shadow-casting Central Park skyscrapers taller than 600 feet, renderings have been revealed for the next supertall tower coming to the periphery of the park. New York Yimby first spotted the images for 1 Park Lane, the 1,210-foot-tall glassy condo that will replace the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel at 36 Central Park South and become the fourth-tallest residential building in the city.
More details ahead

May 27, 2015

One Vanderbilt Tower Receives Unanimous Approval from City Council

This afternoon, SL Green's One Vanderbilt tower received the ultimate green light from the New York City Council, as members voted unanimously in favor of both the construction of the new 1,501-foot tall office building and the rezoning of a five-block stretch of Vanderbilt Avenue (the Vanderbilt Corridor) that would bring with it significant infrastructural upgrades to the area's public transportation. The vote was the last hurdle for the development and is a critical step in the rezoning of a greater area of Midtown East.
Find out more here

May 27, 2015

Shabby Chic Soho Loft Featured in Elle Decor Asks $3M

By Heather Cooper Vivares and Amanda Cozens

There's a new two-bedroom Soho loft available at 292 Lafayette Street for $2.95 million. This shabby chic corner unit has been featured in Elle Decor and is surrounded by eight oversized windows, filtering in a ton of light from southern and eastern exposures. It also has rustic details we love, like original timbers and distressed wide plank white oak flooring. The home was purchased in 2010 by its current owners for somewhere around $1.8 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 26, 2015

Musicians of Tribeca: The City’s Hottest ‘Hood for Pop Stars

Though Tribeca has long been considered a haven for artists, this tends to refer to those in the visual arts, thanks to the neighborhood's chill vibes and spacious loft apartments. But over the last two decades, some of the world's most famous pop musicians have been gobbling up real estate on its cobblestone streets. From Katy Perry and Taylor Swift to Chris Martin and Justin Timberlake, the hit makers can't get enough of Tribeca.
Take a celebrity musician tour of Tribeca

May 26, 2015

Lovable Pied-à-terre on Bleecker Street Comes with a Landscaped Garden

Here's a really cool ground-floor pied-à-terre at 175 Bleecker Street with a private garden, available for $849,000. The fully-renovated loft has a crisp, clean feel with tall casement windows, white floors, and whitewashed exposed brick. And the landscaped garden is easy to maintain so it looks beautiful all year long—plus imagine stepping out into your own verdant space with a cup of coffee in hand.
More this way

Distinctive Homes

May 26, 2015

Starchitect Rafael Vinoly to Design a 10-Story Meatpacking District Building

Look out—not up—because there’s a new low-rise Rafael Vinoly-designed building coming our way. The architect mastermind behind the city’s tallest residential tower, 432 Park Avenue, has just been chosen to design a comparatively demure ten-story office-and-retail building in the Meatpacking District, reports The Real Deal. The new addition is being developed by Vornado Realty Trust and Aurora […]

May 22, 2015

Soho’s Only Freestanding Home Sells for a Discounted $6.9M

Soho's only freestanding home has found new owners. Bonnie and Seth Harris paid $6.887 million for the Broome Street townhouse, which initially popped up on the market a year ago, asking nearly $10 million. The two-bedroom home, listed by "Million Dollar Listing" star Ryan Serhant, has 3,430 square feet of living space with a 280-square-foot terrace and an additional 2,600 square feet of building rights.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 22, 2015

YOU’RE INVITED: Come Celebrate Our 1st Birthday with Us!

By Alyssa Alimurung

6sqft is officially one year old and to celebrate we’re throwing a party in Manhattan—and you’re invited! Join us on Tuesday, June 2nd for a night of trivia, prizes, photobooth fun, grub and booze. It’s the perfect opportunity to take a break from your weekly grind and party hardy with your fellow New Yorkers. See you soon! When: Tuesday, June […]

Events & Things To Do

May 22, 2015

Paul McCartney Purchases a Fifth Avenue Penthouse for $15.5M

Paul McCartney has just nabbed a $15.5 million penthouse at 1045 Fifth Avenue, the Post reports. Laid out as a duplex, the unit was previously owned by developer Manny Duell who made a living turning rentals into co-ops. This particular unit was one of Duell's creations, assembled as a gift for his wife who lived in the home until her death last year at the age of 92. Duell himself passed in 1977. With its roots in the Beatles era, McCartney should quickly feel at home here. The unit was previously described by the Times as a “glamorous 1960s time capsule with a dash of Hollywood.”
Have a look inside

May 22, 2015

Fully-Furnished Rentals Launch at One57