Manhattan

It's already a brag-worthy feat to own an apartment that was designed by an award-winning architect, but it's even more brag-worthy to own one that was lovingly designed by that architect for her very own sister and her family. That's why when we tell you that this 2,783-square-foot Tribeca pad in the landmarked Sugar Warehouse condominium is a gem, we mean it. The retro glam duplex loft was a collaboration between designer Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, her mother Louise Ruhle, and her sister, the homeowner, Stephanie Ruhle Hubbard. That's right, even Mom was involved. So you know that every nook and cranny of this $5.2 million duplex loft was lovingly tended to.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 22, 2015

Living Green: Mapping NYC’s Newest LEED Rated Residential Constructions

Happy Earth Day, friends! As climate change weighs heavy on many of our minds, it’s relief to know that there are developers and architects working hard to create a healthier, more sustainable built environment. Eco-friendly residential design has been on the rise in NYC over the last decade, with buildings today boasting everything from solar panels to greywater […]

April 22, 2015

Live in This Modern Medieval Marvel for $6,200/Month

If you prefer medieval architecture, consider this three-bedroom Morningside Heights unit at the Brittania, available for $6,200 a month. The layout of this apartment is referred to as a "classic seven," referring to a popular style in pre-1940s New York that included three bedrooms, a formal dining room, and a separate maid's room. The condo also has original details like wood floors, crown molding, and cathedral ceilings.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 21, 2015

City’s First Micro-Apartment Project ‘MY Micro NY’ Ready for Stacking

By Ondel Hylton

Just in time for Earth Day, New York's first micro-unit apartment building, dubbed My Micro NY, is entering its final construction phase. When finished later this year, urbanites will have a chance to live within the center of the city in a brand new building flush with amenities, all for under $3,000. Developed by Monadnock Development and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the soon-to-be-nine-story structure wrapped up foundation work this past winter, and a one-story steel platform is ready to receive 55 modular units. The units are currently being built off-site at the Brooklyn Navy Yard by a team of 50 workers. In late May, the units will be shipped to the Gramercy Park lot at 335 East 27th Street where they will be stacked and bolted together along with stairs, an elevator, and other shared spaces.
More details ahead

St. Patrick’s Cathedral Reveals $177M Restoration, Now What?

The restored façade of St. Patrick’s Cathedral © 6sqft

April 21, 2015

St. Patrick’s Cathedral Reveals $177M Restoration, Now What?

By Penelope Bareau

"Is that St. Patrick's Cathedral?" asked the passerby. "Yes. It's just been cleaned." "So that's why I didn't recognize it. I was looking for something gray." To the pleasure of all, St. Pat's has emerged from its cocoon and it is brilliant to behold. Scaffolding is still up inside the cathedral, sharing the space with worshippers; and work may go on through the rest of this year. It is an enormous building, after all, occuping a full city block between 50th and 51st Street, and Fifth and Madison Avenues. On the outside the building was always impressive; now it is magnificent. It makes one think of the panoply and power of the Church, stately processions, gorgeous robes, bejeweled crosses and cardinals' rings, incantations of the priests and congregation extolling the glory of God. It also makes one think of the cost—$177 million—and wonder how far that money would go to aid the poor and feed the hungry of the earth, traditional missions of Christianity. Not very far, maybe, since world hunger is not assuaged by one meal. But to be a glittering promise of sublime afterlife for millions—that is conceivably worth it.
What's next for St. Patrick's?

Uncategorized

April 21, 2015

Asking Double Its 2012 Price, Brooding West Village Townhouse Features a Two-Story Wall of Glass

By Stephanie Hoina

Every now and then a Cool Listing comes along that is so spectacular we find ourselves at a loss for words. Well, not today. That’s because there’s so much to share about this incredibly sumptuous home at 75 Bedford Street in the West Village we’re afraid we’ll run out of room! Let’s start with those responsible for our enthusiasm–namely, M.N. Ahari, architect for the recent renovation, and interior designer Fernando Santangelo, the genius behind one of Hollywood’s havens for the rich-and-famous, the Chateau Marmont, who transformed this historic townhouse from an all-white Zen oasis into a brooding bachelor pad for his friend James Oakley, a filmmaker who originally hails from Tennessee. Oakley, whose stepfather owns the Cleveland Browns, bought the home in 2012 for $5.8 million, but after the extensive renovation he's now looking to unload the residence for $12.5 million.
See why there's so much to talk about

Distinctive Homes

April 21, 2015

Charming ‘Back House’ Apartment Is a Tiny Treasure in the West Village

The cool thing about tiny living spaces is how it makes you so aware of all the wasted space you have in your own home. This micro apartment at 340A West 11th Street makes the most of every inch of its usable space, and if storage is key, then this pad has the combination. We think you’ll quickly see that inside this red brick “back house” less really is more.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

The World’s Largest Picasso Finds a New Home in the City

Image: New York Landmarks Conservancy

April 21, 2015

The World’s Largest Picasso Finds a New Home in the City

After living in art world limbo for more than a year, Pablo Picasso's largest creation has finally found a new home in the city. The 20-by-19-foot painting, called Le Tricorne, has been moved to the New-York Historical Society site along Central Park West, and will be available for your viewing pleasure starting May 29th.
More on the painting

Events & Things To Do

April 21, 2015

Extell’s ‘Poor Door’ Building Receives a Staggering 88,000 Applicants

Poor doors be damned. It looks like the anger and public outcry swirling around Extell's new 50 Riverside Boulevard condo didn't do much to deter New Yorkers from vying for a low-income unit at the building. The Times reports that the development company received a whopping 88,000 applications for the building's 55 affordable apartments after they opened up the lines back in February. The overwhelming demand is most certainly a win for developer Gary Barnett, who found himself in the hot seat for creating a separate entrance for low-income tenants, away from the market-rate residents. When speaking to the paper, Barnett called the whole poor door ordeal a “made-up controversy” adding to that “I guess people like it. It shows that there’s a tremendous demand for high-quality affordable housing in beautiful neighborhoods."
So do poor doors really matter?

April 20, 2015

Interior Pictures Revealed for Demi Moore’s $75M San Remo Penthouse

By Annie Doge

We learned on Friday that Demi Moore's triplex penthouse at the San Remo would be hitting the market for $75 million, and now the listing has finally gone live, reports Curbed. While last week's exclusive story in the Times revealed many details about the 7,000-square-foot Central Park West residence which Moore bought in 1990 with ex-husband Bruce Willis, we only had black-and-white photos of the apartment from 1937. There aren't a ton of new pictures, but they show how the couple updated the Emory Roth-designed home in a "Southwestern Mission motif dominated by cherry wood" and give us a look at the unparalleled views.
See all the pics ahead

New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential Building in the World

Rendering via NY Yimby

April 20, 2015

New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential Building in the World

It's been relatively quiet on the Nordstrom Tower front since we saw some skyline renderings in September. But now YIMBY has uncovered the official renderings for Extell's 217 West 57th Street, the 92-story, 1,775-foot supertall that will take the title of tallest residential building in the world when completed, surpassing Mumbai’s World One Tower by 29 feet. The images continue to show how the tower will dominate the skyline, but they also give us a detailed look at the façade and a peek into one of the penthouses.
See all the renderings here

1 WTC Observatory Elevators Will Give Riders a 515-Year Time-Lapse View of NYC Skyline

The Lower Manhattan skyline in 1796

April 20, 2015

1 WTC Observatory Elevators Will Give Riders a 515-Year Time-Lapse View of NYC Skyline

Tourists and die-hard New Yorkers who plan on shelling out $32 to take in the vistas from the One World Trade Center observation deck will also get the unique experience of taking in the city's skyline through the last 515 years. The Times reports that the five elevators servicing the building's 102nd-floor observatory will be equipped with three wrapping, high-tech monitors that will display a time-lapse view of Lower Manhattan as its takes its patrons on a 47-second, 23 mph ride to the top. The screens will project everything from Manhattan's start as a verdant, marshy wonder to its rise as the world's capital in all its sky-scraping glory. But, most notably, the ride will highlight the south WTC tower brought down by terrorists on 9/11.
Watch a video of the experience here

Real Estate Trends

April 20, 2015

Famed Author Peter Straub’s UWS Townhouse on the Market for First Time in Thirty Years

By Stephanie Hoina

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 we can assure you that his literary penchant for things dark and mysterious doesn’t extend to the distinguished Queen Anne-style townhouse that he’s lived in for thirty years. The single-family residence at 53 West 85th Street on the Upper West Side is one of a series of three similar brick townhouses built in the late 1880s along 85th between Central Park West and Columbus, and it's now available for $8.2 million.
See inside the author's home

April 20, 2015

The City’s Plan B for Barry Diller’s Pier 55 Floating Park Is Far Less Exciting

In February, the futuristic Pier 55 floating park planned for the Meatpacking District moved forward with a lease deal between the Hudson River Park Trust and a nonprofit group controlled by Barry Diller, the billionaire media mogul who pledged $130 million back in November to fund the $151.8 million park. Diller is allocating the funds through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation (his wife is fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg), but under the agreement he can pull his support if he feels renovations at neighboring piers aren't up to par. And according to DNAinfo, the city's backup plan in this event is quite underwhelming, completely scratching the floating island and creating a $30 million park similar to others along Hudson River Park.
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Architecture And Design

April 20, 2015

190 Bowery’s New Tenant Plans to Keep Iconic Graffiti on the Facade

Those who have been mourning the loss of 190 Bowery to the clutches of the rich can breathe a slight sigh of relief. Just a month after having some of its graffiti removed, the WSJ reports that the former Germania Bank—and former home of photographer Jay Maisel—has just inked its first lease. The tenant, "a company made up of agencies representing creative professionals in the industry of luxury and fashion image-making" has signed on for nearly 30,000 square feet and says that it will maintain all of the building's historic touches, from "its marble wash basins to the graffiti covering the lower part of the facade."
Find out more

Architecture And Design

April 20, 2015

Eye-Catching Soho Loft with Multiple Skylights and Rhino Head Wants $5M

Maybe we've just been watching too much Discovery Channel, but when you see a fun and quirky detail like a rhino head in the kitchen you can't help but want to take a look. That's one of the reasons we are so drawn to this industrial loft at 284 Lafayette Street, asking $4.995 million. This flexible three-to-four-bedroom loft features eight oversized windows, skylights, exposed brick, high ceilings, and original maple floors. The co-op also has enough built-ins for an expansive literary collection.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 17, 2015

Demi Moore Puts Famed San Remo Penthouse on the Market for $75M

By Annie Doge

It's been nearly a year since word got out that Demi Moore would be listing her triplex penthouse at the landmarked San Remo on Central Park West. Now, the Times is reporting that the co-op will be entering the market for the first time in 25 years, priced at a hefty $75 million. Included in the price is the crowning unit, PH26C, as well as a lobby-level maisonette, 1H. Moore bought the 7,000-square-foot residence in 1990 with ex-husband Bruce Willis (who's also been making the real estate headlines), and the couple then renovated the interiors "in a Southwestern Mission motif dominated by cherry wood" before splitting up in 2000. Adam Modlin of the Modlin Group will be handling the listing, and, though it has not been made public yet, we have some old 1937 black-and-white photos from the Museum of the City of New York to give you an idea of the bones of this one-of-a-kind home.
Check out all the photos here

Rendering of the penthouse, which occupies the tower’s top three floors

April 17, 2015

Rupert Murdoch Lists One Madison Penthouse for $72M, Is Reportedly Buyer of $25M West Village Townhouse

The Wall Street Journal reports today that News Corp. and 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch has listed his penthouse at One Madison for $72 million. He bought the 6,850-square-foot triplex last February, in conjunction with a full-floor unit on the 57th floor below, for $57.25 million. He originally intended to use the smaller apartment as a guest suite, and moved into it while architect Jose Ramirez built out the penthouse. But Murdoch has now shifted gears, putting the penthouse on the market, keeping the 57th-floor unit, and buying a $25 million West Village townhouse where he plans to live full time. Interestingly, the townhouse is reportedly the former purple bed and breakfast turned single-family mansion, which hit sales records on Wednesday.
More details on Murdoch's real estate moves

April 17, 2015

Take a Video Tour of Mike Myers’s Freshly Listed $16.95 Million Soho Penthouse

This isn't quite the home we would picture for funny man Mike Myers, but even without the shag carpet (though there is a shag rug) and psychedelic wallpaper, his Soho penthouse still stuns. The Journal reports that the comedian has just listed his 4,200-square foot duplex at 72 Mercer Street for $16.95 million. In addition to boasting top-floor honors, the sleek and modern home comes with its own elevator, custom crafted bookshelves, a top of the line kitchen, massive skylights, 14-foot-high ceilings and fantastic rooftop views of the neighborhood.
Take a tour here

April 17, 2015

This Creative $15K/Month Murray Hill Townhome Will Pique Your Interest

If you're a New Yorker you know how precious space is. So we probably don't have to do much to convince you that this three-bedroom townhouse at 115 East 37th Street in Murray Hill is worth a look. But beyond its parquet floors, oversized windows, fireplaces, and prewar detail, this place has even more to offer, like some of the most intriguing design elements we've come across. And it's on the market for $15,000 a month.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/16-4/22

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 dance party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for ArtNerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers, beginning this “Thirsty Thursday” evening.

April 16, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/16-4/22

By Lori Zimmer

This week, I suggest rediscovering Times Square, by participating in an incredible installation by Justin Bettman, and experiencing a screen-takeover with a short film by Peggy Ahwesh. Then observe and educate with a visit the Jewish Museum, or hit up Lincoln Center for a special art film program, an art exhibition that deconstructs notions of beauty, or an epic art fair catered toward photography. But if you're looking to shake it up and strike up a conversation with someone new, visit Salon Demimonde, a resurrection of the 17th century salons of the past where creatives and intellectuals can mix and mingle. You can also get your dance on at Aperture's Spring Party!
All the best events here

Events & Things To Do

April 16, 2015

The Sutton, Toll Brothers’ ‘Modern Vintage’ Condo, Tops Out and Gets Motley Skin

By Ondel Hylton

Toll Brothers' latest condo development The Sutton has reached its 30-story apex and is currently applying a variety of skins to its frame that its designers hope will capture a "modern vintage" aesthetic. Situated at the boundary of Midtown East's Turtle Bay and Sutton Place neighborhoods at 959 First Avenue, the 90-unit tower (down from 114-units) will hold one- to four-bedroom residences priced from $1 million to more than $6 million, and provide the typical array of amenities and interiors that reflect the surrounding area's classic New York vibe.
Find out more about the project

April 16, 2015

See the Last Days of Streit’s Matzo Factory Through Somber Black-and-White Photos

Whether you celebrate Passover or not, you've undoubtedly seen the pink boxes of Streit's Matzo in the grocery store each spring. For 90 years, Streit's has been churning out this iconic product at the rate of almost 900 pounds of matzo an hour on Rivington Street on the Lower East Side. But at the beginning of the year, New Yorkers received the sad news that the last family-owned matzo factory in the U.S. was purchased by a developer and the company would be moving its operations to New Jersey (a move also echoed this week by Junior's Cheesecake). But before they head across the Hudson, photographer Joseph O. Holmes has captured the final days of this fifth-generation working-class landmark, which Fast Co. Design aptly describes as "New York's Jewish Willy Wonka Factory." His black-and-white photos are somber, telling of his personal feelings about the loss of Streit's and the gentrification of the Lower East Side.
See all the photos here

History

April 16, 2015

Two out of Six Units Already in Contract at 52 Lispenard Street, Is Jake Gyllenhaal the Next Buyer?

By Annie Doge

Sales launched exactly a month ago at the long-awaited 52 Lispenard Street in Tribeca, and in that short time two of the building's six units are already in contract at the asking price–the three-bedroom unit 3 for $7.3 million and the five-bedroom, floor-through unit 4 for $6.85 million. There are two four-bedroom units, priced at $7.2 and $8 million, also currently available. Since the Post reports today that Jake Gyllenhaal looked at two units in the building, one of which is the three-bedroom unit now in contract to someone else, we're wondering if he might just be the next buyer to sign on as one of the building's first residents.
More details ahead

April 16, 2015

Sunny East Village Pad in Ageloff Towers Is the Perfect Starter Apartment