Manhattan

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."
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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

There’s a charming apartment available in Ageloff Towers now going for $725,000. This pre-war pad features modern amenities against the backdrop of original details like beamed ceilings, parquet floors, base molding and wainscoting. Generously sized for a one-bedroom, this unit is perfect for a young New Yorker looking to create a cozy home in one of the city's most culturally distinct neighborhoods.
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Distinctive Homes

April 16, 2015

Flashy Designer Loft in Tribeca Sells for $9.25M

It's always interesting to see how architects and designers outfit their personal homes, and in this case the answer is very lavishly. Jennifer Tonkel, an interior designer at Kemble Interiors, along with her husband Carlos Fierro, bought this 3,650-square-foot loft at 408 Greenwich Street in Tribeca for $7.64 million in 2008, and after decorating it to their hearts' content, listed it for $10.75 million just about a year ago. The impressive home has now sold for $9.25 million, according to city records released today.
Tour the designer pad here

April 15, 2015

Former West Village B&B Sells as a Single-Family Townhouse for $25M

The West Village mansion at 278 West 11th Street hit the market for $30 million in March of last year, which was a huge jump from the $8.2 million owner George Agiovlasitis paid for it in 2011. But he did buy the property when it was a purple bed and breakfast and transform the 6,500-square-foot Greek Revival townhouse into a single-family home, revealing its original brick façade and replacing the historic stoop. Agiovlasitis has now made quite the profit, unloading the house for $25 million, according to city records released today. The buyer is Paula Wardynski, senior vice president of finance at 21st Century Fox, according to The Real Deal.
Take a look around the stunning residence

Real Estate Trends

April 15, 2015

In the 1700s NYC Had an Official Location for Buying, Selling, and Renting Slaves

Behind all the banks, tall towers and tourists filling up FiDi is a dark past most of us know nothing about. Back in the 1700s, a corner of Wall Street at Pearl Street played host to the city's official slave market. Though no real recognition has been given to those that suffered in the construction of Manhattan in its earliest days—rather, the area's sordid past has for the better part been swept under the rug—WNYC reports that the city will finally pay tribute to these forgotten slaves, adding a historical marker to the site where the slave market once operated.
Find out more about the slave market here

History

April 15, 2015

This Sprawling Sun-Filled Noho Loft Will Make You Want to Dance

Calling all artists! This beautiful Noho loft at 35 Bond Street is literally begging to be the backdrop of your next masterpiece. Whether you want to paint in front of the giant arched windows or tango the entire length of the living room/studio, this massive $5.995 million AIR co-op is certainly an artist's dream.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 14, 2015

Lovely $11M Greenwich Village Pad Has Two Terraces and Two Master Suites

You know you've found "the one" when you find yourself searching online for artwork to hang on its gallery-sized walls. Our guess is this Greenwich Village co-op at 7 East 9th Street was combined from two units: unit 2R (a large $4.1 million duplex), and 2F (a smaller $900,000 unit). The end result is a massive, $11 million, two- or three-bedroom duplex with sky high 13-foot ceilings, exquisite finishes, and northern and southern light.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 13, 2015

$1,795 LES Rental Proudly Features a Shower in the Kitchen

If you're going to be that landlord who puts a shower in the kitchen, there's really no point in being subtle. This Lower East Side apartment located at 27 Orchard Street at Delancey has nothing to hide, prominently displaying its shower stall in all its glory front and center. While this type of living situation typically screams studio apartment, the "old world style" pad is actually a one-bedroom that's "better than your average studio!"
More on this apartment here

April 13, 2015

VIDEO: RuPaul Takes Us Around the 1980s Meatpacking District and the Jane Hotel

We know all about the Meatpacking District's beginnings as the Gansevoort Market and the epicenter of meat marketers, as well as its current status as a burgeoning office tower district, but in the 1980s, this neighborhood was one to which most people didn't pay much mind. It was fairly run down, with its industrial tenants having moved out, and became notorious for prostitution, sex clubs, and drug dealing. But there was much more to the area, including an accepting LGBT community and a downtown music and entertainment scene. In this video we found from 1986, a young RuPaul takes us into his penthouse suite at the Jane Hotel, then known as the Jane West Hotel and far seedier than it is today, as well as walks around the gritty streets of the Meatpacking District and into his friend's 9th Avenue rowhouse, which will undoubtedly look familiar to anyone who's walked these cobblestone streets.
Watch the video here

History

April 13, 2015

Norman Foster’s 2 World Trade Center Could Get a Jumpstart Thanks to Rupert Murdoch

Norman Foster's 88-story tower, destined for the last unoccupied site of the World Trade Center complex, could finally get the legs it needs to move forward. The New York Times reports that media giants News Corporation and 21st Century Fox, both headed by Rupert Murdoch, are in talks with the Port Authority and developer Larry Silverstein to make the long-stalled 1,349-foot skyscraper their next home. The move would relocate a number of News Corp. and Fox's top brands—which include the NY Post and the Wall Street Journal—and give 2 WTC what it needs to resume construction as required by the Port Authority; namely a solid anchor tenant. Ground was broken on the tower way back in 2008 and slated for completion in 2016, but in 2013 the Port Authority put a hold on construction until tenants could be found for occupancy.
More on the move forward here

April 12, 2015

Construction Update: SOM’s 252 East 57th Street Getting Its Glass Skin

By Ondel Hylton

With foundation work complete, the World Wide Group / Rose Associates' tower at 252 East 57th Street is rapidly making its climb into the Midtown East skyline. The 57-story development composed of 93 condos and 173 rentals is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), with SLCE serving as the architects of record. Despite the tower's location along the eastern fringe of cloud-busting billionaire's row, the 715-foot building won't be competing for any height records–for instance, 111 West 57th Street is double its height at 1,428 feet. Instead, the tower is shaping up to be more of a typical Midtown East affair, falling in line with its Second Avenue context by providing a broad 80-foot-high base along the avenue and a sheer 50-story rectangular slab rising above. Recent residential towers along Second Avenue such as The Milan, The Veneto, and The Three Ten share 252's massing, which planners prescribed to conform new skyscrapers to the rows of existing walk-up buildings.
More details on the project here

REVEALED: SL Green to Build Another Times Square Spectacular at 719 Seventh Avenue

Image courtesy of Akueous Design

April 10, 2015

REVEALED: SL Green to Build Another Times Square Spectacular at 719 Seventh Avenue

By Ondel Hylton

Here's our first look at what commercial heavyweights SL Green have in mind for a small Times Square corner at 719 Seventh Avenue and West 48th Street. Building permits filed earlier this month call for a four-story, 9,000 square-foot retail building designed by TPG Architecture. Demolition permits were filed back in December and the doomed three-story structure is already shrouded in construction netting and scaffolding. The site also shares its Seventh Avenue block-front with Witkoff's upcoming 40-story Marriott Edition Hotel that will flash one of the largest LED displays in the city.
Find out more on the project here

April 10, 2015

UWS Brownstone Duplex with Private Terrace Asks $1.8 Million

By Emily Nonko

If you can't afford the multi-millions it takes to buy a townhouse off Central Park West, this duplex at 132 West 78th Street may do the trick. Of course, the price is still significant with an ask of $1,795,000. But it's a smaller sum for a lovely, historic pad–the co-op takes up two floors of a brownstone, which is located on a block of even more gorgeous brownstones. And did we mention it's located less than a block away from the Museum of Natural History, and one block from Central Park?
Take a look around here

Distinctive Homes

April 10, 2015

VIDEO: Illegal ’60s Rooftop Concert in Midtown Shows the People and Architecture of Another NYC

It was the winter of 1968 when Jefferson Airplane took to the rooftop of the Schuyler Hotel in Manhattan. The band had just released their fourth album and had also just made the cover of LIFE magazine. High on life—and likely some other stuff—they blasted from their PA atop the nine-story hotel Midtown hotel: "Hello New York! New York, wake up you fuckers! Free music! Nice songs! Free love!" The band got a solid crowd going and at least one song in, but it didn't take very long for the NYPD to show up—the concert was causing traffic jams on the surrounding streets as New Yorkers crowded around the hotel to get a better look. Although the concert was quickly broken up, it was also captured on video by none other than Jean Luc Godard and D.A. Pennebaker. (Fun side fact: Many claim that the Beatles ripped off the band's performance with their show atop a London building about two months later.)
Watch the video here

History

April 10, 2015

Meticulously Renovated Jones Wood Garden Townhouse Looks to Nearly Double Its Price

How would you like to have a secret garden right outside your door? Wouldn’t it be nice to just step out of your dining room, onto your private brick terrace, and walk straight into a field of lush greenness so exclusive it makes Gramercy Park look like a public playground? We’re talking about this stunning five-story townhouse at 160 East 66th Street, right on Jones Wood Garden. Not only does this $11.9 million Upper East Side beauty have a stunning exterior, but the owners, who purchased it in 2008 for just $6.85 million, clearly left no stone unturned during the meticulous renovation.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 9, 2015

Bill Ackman Closes on One57 Penthouse for $91.5M, Second Most Expensive Condo Sale Ever

After reportedly sitting in contract for almost two years, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman’s planned $90 million flip at One57 has finally closed, according to city records released this afternoon, and for slightly more than expected at $91,541,053. This makes it the second most expensive condo sale ever, coming in only behind the $100 million penthouse also at One57, […]

Real Estate Trends

April 9, 2015

East Harlem: From Manhattan’s First Little Italy to El Barrio to a Neighborhood on the Cusp of Gentrification