Manhattan

We speculated last month that Orlando Bloom's decision to list his Tribeca loft for $5.5 million, just five months after purchasing it for $4.88 million, might have had something to do with celebrity neighbor Taylor Swift, and it looks like that's the general consensus. The Daily News reports that the actor has sold his three-bedroom apartment at the Sugarloaf Warehouse building less than 30 days after it hit the market. Apparently, Swift and her A-list pals have turned the building into a paparazzi frenzy, which might have proved too much for the more low-key Bloom.
Take a look around the former Bloom abode

March 17, 2015

Interview: McSorley’s Historian Bill Wander Fills Us In on the Secrets of NYC’s Oldest Bar

By Dana Schulz

Undoubtedly, there are hundreds of New Yorkers and out-of-towners planning to stop by McSorley's Old Ale House today for a St. Patrick's Day round of beers. But beyond the brews and bros, there's a deep history rooted in this East Village institution, and we've found the man who knows it all. The official historian of McSorley's, Bill Wander can give you the full timeline that dates McSorley's to 1854, making it the oldest bar in the city. He can also fill you in on all the tchotchkes adorning the walls of this Irish tavern, none of which have been removed since 1910. But more important than the textbook facts related to McSorley's, Bill has an undeniable passion for this watering hole, for both its important cultural history and the unique social atmosphere that keeps the bar a neighborhood mainstay after all these years. We recently chatted with Bill to find out some of the lesser-known details about McSorley's and what the title of "official historian" entails.
Read our full interview with Bill Wander here

Slab of Plexiglass Dislodges at One57 and Falls on Two Cars Below

Image © Wade Zimmerman courtesy of Agence Christian de Portzamparc (ACDP)

March 17, 2015

Slab of Plexiglass Dislodges at One57 and Falls on Two Cars Below

Watch where you walk when treading near supertall towers. The WSJ reports that a stop work order has been issued at One57 after a kitchen table-sized piece of Plexiglass fell from the 22nd floor of the tower on Sunday, smashing into two parked cars down below. Thankfully no one was injured in the incident, but the accident is just one in a slew of construction mishaps that have plagued the building. In late February, glass from the tower landed on a neighboring building’s terrace, and last May, a windowpane fell from the 22nd floor, hitting a truck below. The building was also creating precarious conditions back in 2012 during Super Storm Sandy, when all of New York City looked on in horror as the support cable of an 80-ton crane at the top of the building broke, causing it dangle above their heads.
Is one57 cursed? Find out more here

March 17, 2015

Will the Luck of the Irish Help This $18M, 17-Room UES Maisonette Finally Find a Buyer?

By Stephanie Hoina

From four leaf clovers to corned beef and cabbage, today’s the day to celebrate all things Irish, and with a bit of luck maybe the seventeen rooms of this grand residence located at 120 East End Avenue at the corner of 85th Street in Yorkville will finally find a buyer. Initially listed in 2012, this magnificent six-bedroom, sun-flooded, full-service cooperative offers an elegant, sophisticated living experience rarely available in Manhattan.
More photos of this exquisite home

Distinctive Homes

March 16, 2015

Looking Back at the Gansevoort Pumping Station, the Building the New Whitney Museum Replaced

By Penelope Bareau

As we all await the opening of the new building of the Whitney Museum for American Art in May, it might be interesting to see what's underneath it—or was. There's an old saying, "To create, you must first destroy," and so long as it doesn't specify how much of one and how good the other, the statement generally slips by without challenge. So it was with the Whitney's new site along the High Line in the Meatpacking District. There wasn't a lot that needed to be destroyed. There was, however, this little building, the Gansevoort Pumping Station, a small, classically inspired edifice with arches separated by pilasters. It was designed by Michael and Mitchell Bernstein, brothers who were widely known for turn of the twentieth-century tenements. Designed in 1906 and completed in 1908, it was built as a pumphouse for high-pressure fire service by the City of New York and later served as one of the area's quintessential meat markets.
Read the entire history of the site here

History

March 16, 2015

$7.25M East Village Building Boasts Rustic Charm (and 12 Income-Producing Apartments)

By Stephanie Hoina

While it’s true this six-story building located at 276 East 10th Street in the heart of the East Village is an incredible investment opportunity, we think the prospect of actually living here offers a different kind of reward. So, we’ll let the accountants and business gurus of the world calculate the financial upside of the rental income derived from the twelve apartments within, and the expansion potential the additional FAR of 2,306 square feet affords—we’re far more interested in the property’s absolutely gorgeous rustic charm that makes it feel worlds away from the city that never sleeps.
More photos this way

Distinctive Homes

March 16, 2015

Sales Launch at the Long-Awaited 52 Lispenard Street in Tribeca

Sales have finally launched at the much-anticipated 52 Lispenard Street, after we’ve spent more than a year drooling over its teaser site. The seven-story structure is a combination of two landmarked 19th century buildings on a short Tribeca street. So far, two of the building’s floor-through apartments—units 2 and 4—are available, asking $6.65 million and $7.5 million. The remaining four apartments include two more full-floor apartments with three to five bedrooms, one triplex townhouse, and one triplex penthouse, with prices ranging up to $11 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 13, 2015

New Renderings for 212 Fifth Avenue Show a Whimsical Top-Floor Restaurant and Enormous Clock

By Ondel Hylton

With the debut of their newly-sharpened website, the visual-realization whizzes at AJSNY are seeking to steal some Apple Watch buzz with this stunningly whimsical rooftop addition atop the now-under-conversion 212 Fifth Avenue in Nomad. The conceptual vision, designed by the rendering team themselves, shows a bronze-clad, multi-story addition wrapped with sinuous ribbons framing an enormous south-facing clock. Below the steampunk-esque penthouse, AJSNY depicts a standard condo-conversion affair of open layouts and double-height spaces for the 1913 neo-medieval tower. The team's images also give us an idea of what the official owners–Madison Equities, Thor Equities, and Building and Land Technology–have in mind for this quintessential Manhattan address. The scheme is not official or approved, but it certainly is creative.
More details on the proposed design ahead

March 13, 2015

Colorful $2M Loft on the Edge of Little Italy Is Anything but Little

There’s a spacious $2 million loft available at 118 Forsyth Street, right on the cusp of the Lower East Side and Little Italy. This home was purchased for $1.21 million in 2009, and while it currently has an open layout, there’s definitely plenty of room to add multiple rooms and additional bathrooms. So basically, this place is a turnkey build-your-dream-home. Winning!
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 13, 2015

Oscar-Winning Director Kathryn Bigelow Buys $3M Tribeca Apartment

Director Kathryn Bigelow, who in 2009 was the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director for her work on “The Hurt Locker,” has scooped up a $3 million pad at 449 Washington Street in Tribeca, according to city records released today. The boutique building contains only four units, all of which feature luxurious touches […]

March 13, 2015

Jendretzki-Designed Greenwich Village Rental Offers Spa-Like Sanctuary for $25K/Month

By Stephanie Hoina

A few short years ago this charming home at 530 LaGuardia Place was the epitome of an old school artist’s loft and on the market for $2.7 million. The wide-open space with soaring ceilings and hardwood floors was punctuated by original columns, an abundance of natural light, and the requisite exposed brick. Scattered among the apartment’s classic details and integral to the home’s design theme were trappings of the prior inhabitants, two artists who had lived and worked in the home for 40 years. In-progress paintings, canvases, work tables, and paint supplies all contributed to the home’s bohemian aesthetic. Fast-forward to 2015. While the traditional loft architectural elements all remain, this three-bedroom 3,300-square-foot Greenwich Village loft is nearly unrecognizable from its more understated predecessor, the result of an impeccable redesign by Pablo Jendretzki.
Check out more of this spa-like home

Distinctive Homes

March 13, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: David Brooks, Illuminating the City One Bulb at a Time

By Susan Cohen

A block from Bloomingdales, on 60th right off of Third, is a store that every New Yorker should know about. The store sells 36,000 kinds of one thing, and its name gives it away: Just Bulbs. Just Bulbs has been taking care of New York’s light bulb needs in one variation or another since 1945. It's currently owned and run by David Brooks, who began working at the family business back in 1982. Since he hit the register at Just Bulbs over thirty years ago, he has learned as much about bulbs as people. And when it comes to people, they are often buying the wrong bulbs. Wanting an insider's look into the world of bulbs, I recently visited Just Bulbs to speak with David. In between questions, he was ringing up customers and answering questions over the phone. For David, today was just another day helping New York keep the lights on.
Read our interview with David here

March 13, 2015

World’s Skinniest Tower 111 West 57th Street Will Offer $100M Condos

By Dana Schulz

Poised to become the world's skinniest tower and one of the hemisphere's tallest, it's no wonder that 111 West 57th Street will ask around $100 million for its condos, not to be outdone by other nine-digit supertalls like 220 Central Park South's $175 million penthouse, the $150 million penthouse at the Sony Building, and One57′s record $100 million sale, which currently holds the title for the most expensive unit ever sold in the city. Curbed has uncovered filings with the Attorney General's office that show the preliminary price list for the SHoP-designed 1,421-foot tower, which is being developed by JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group. The records indicate that there will be condos in the landmarked Steinway Hall, as well in the tower addition. "The 'landmark units' will be smaller and cheaper, starting at $1 million for a studio, while the 'tower units' will start at $13 million for a three-bedroom."
More details and the price list ahead

March 12, 2015

$3M Tribeca Loft Boasts Gorgeous Brick Arches

There’s a new loft available at 35 Vestry Street that literally oozes New York character while having just the right amount of polish to still be a luxury pad. The full-floor loft is described as a “2.5-bedroom” because it has two bedrooms and a section that could serve as a nursery or an office, as well as a modern kitchen and a closet straight out of Carrie Bradshaw’s dreams. Now if only we can scrape up the $2.995 million for it and still make it to daily brunch with our girlfriends...
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 12, 2015

65-Story Residential Tower with Sky-High Gardens Coming to 37th Street

There's a new 65-story pencil-thin tower coming to 37th Street slated to rise 700 feet into the sky. Perkins+Will publicly announced the building in a press release today, which came alongside news they had won the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Award for the unbuilt tower at the annual MIPIM real estate gathering in Cannes, France. The press release described the new skyscraper as a structure "emerging from its shimmering, angled curtain wall...organized with five clusters of shared amenity and park spaces for residents to enjoy, at specific intervals along the tower's rise."
find out more here

New Developments

March 12, 2015

Kelly Ripa Revealed as Buyer of $27M UES Townhouse

When it made headlines that Kelly Ripa had sold her posh Soho penthouse at 76 Crosby Street for $20 million ($4.5 million under the asking price), most people assumed the fun-loving, down-to-earth talk show host would swap the apartment for another downtown home. But in a surprising twist of celebrity real estate, the Daily News revealed today that she and her […]

March 12, 2015

Extell’s Massive 71-Story LES Tower Will Dwarf the Manhattan Bridge

Here's your first look at Extell's new tower popping up just north of the Manhattan Bridge along the East River waterfront. Spotted by Bowery Boogie on the construction sign at the 250 South Street site, the somewhat vague rendering is short on design details but manages to show a behemoth ready to dominate the area.
READ MORE

New Developments

March 11, 2015

Jessica Chastain Snags a Gorgeous Osborne Co-op Once Owned by Leonard Bernstein

Jessica Chastain, who has been on a house hunt for over a year, has finally found the home of her dreams. The Post reports that the Oscar-nominated actress will be joining the world's upper crust at the landmarked Osborne at 205 West 57th Street. Chastain is said to have paid $5.1M for the home which itself also boasts a legendary story, being once owned by famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein for more than a decade—a highlight that was apparently one of the biggest draws for the Juilliard-trained actress.
Take a peek inside

March 11, 2015

Tiny 500-Square-Foot Apartment Is as Fashionable as Its Chelsea Address

Though we tend to focus on larger than life luxury apartments, we've certainly come to love the creative tenacity that comes with living small. Our latest gem comes from Foz Design, led by Fauzia Khanani, who worked to renovate this 500-square-foot pied-à-terre for a Dutch composer and Manhattanite journalist. Located in a pre-war, landmarked building in the heart of Chelsea, Foz managed to create a glamorous modern home with plenty of old world charm.
more interiors this way

Distinctive Homes

March 11, 2015

$45K/Month UWS Townhouse Fuses Victorian Details with Modern Surprises

One of the Upper West Side’s widest landmarked brownstones is available to rent for $45,000 per month. The four-story, seven-bedroom townhouse at 37 West 87th Street has been renovated by architect Alexandr Neratoff, who focused on highlighting the home’s Victorian details–like carved wood moldings and original fireplaces–while giving it modern updates -- like a massive solarium and rooftop patio.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 11, 2015

Candy Factory Loft Full of Leather and Animal Skins Wants $11.5M

Mitch Alfus—self-proclaimed Leather King, owner of a leather and animal skins supplier, and man we would cast in a remake of "Crocodile Dundee"—has just listed his loft at 285 Lafayette Street for $11.5 million. Alfus purchased the unit ten years ago for a considerably less $3.4 million and has since renovated the pad, adding a fourth bedroom and an interestingly placed master bathtub.
Take a tour of this fun home

Distinctive Homes

Inside Lauren Bacall’s Incredible Dakota Apartment

Photo courtesy of Curbed

March 10, 2015

Inside Lauren Bacall’s Incredible Dakota Apartment

Last fall we showed you staged photos of Lauren Bacall’s $26 million apartment at the Dakota, but what you didn’t get to see was the real thing. Now, thanks to Curbed, we have pictures of the apartment as it was while the iconic actress was living there, during the final 53 years of her life. Bacall purchased the home in 1961 for an amount rumored to be from $28,000 to $48,000. After her death, her possessions went to Bonham’s and will be auctioned off at the end of this month. These pictures will show you more than just 13-foot ceilings and 100 feet of Central Park views. You’ll also see a more human element of a woman who collected antiques and artwork (quite possibly to the point of being a packrat), and clearly adored her late husband Humphrey Bogart.
More inside

Distinctive Homes

March 10, 2015

190 Bowery Being Stripped of Its Graffiti as We Speak

Image courtesy of Lori Zimmer We all knew this day would come. 190 Bowery is currently undergoing a deep cleaning as its new owners prime it for its next life as a luxury mixed-use condo/retail development.
More here

March 10, 2015

New Exhibit Explores the Sounds of Iconic NYC Interiors; An Apple Store Architecture Tour

By Dana Schulz

Soundscape exhibit, which opens tonight, highlights the actual sounds of iconic New York interiors, such as Grand Central Terminal, the Seagram Building lobby, and the Guggenheim. [MCNY] The MTA wants to turn token booth clerks into subway concierges with eyes on the platforms. [Gothamist] Take a global tour of the 50 most eye-catching apple stores. [Curbed] When […]

Uncategorized

March 10, 2015

‘Taxi’ Star Judd Hirsch Buys $400K Greenwich Village Studio from His Former Assistant