Manhattan

Moving into your dream apartment just got a little easier. Not only does this $7,500/month Greenwich Village rental come fully furnished, but its beautiful kitchen is stocked with all your cooking and dining essentials, and the bedroom and bathrooms include fresh linens. All you need to do is pack up your picture frames and clothes and move in. Featuring impossibly tall windows, hardwood herringbone floors, two intricately carved wood-burning marble fireplaces and 13-foot ceilings with absolutely stunning arched molding, this 1,500-square-foot parlor floor-through unit at 62 West 11th Street off of Fifth Avenue is a wonderful mix of both pre-war and contemporary details.
See more of why you can move right in

Distinctive Homes

New Yorker Spotlight: Carter Emmart Brings Us Aboard His ‘Starship’ at the Museum of Natural History

The Rose Center for Earth and Space via “From the Past” via photopin (license); Carter Emmart ©AMNH/R. Mickens

March 6, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Carter Emmart Brings Us Aboard His ‘Starship’ at the Museum of Natural History

By Susan Cohen

Here in New York, we think of space is terms of square feet and how little of it we have. But for Carter Emmart, space has an entirely different meaning. In his case, it refers to a space that is harder to quantify and infinitely large. Carter is the Director of Astrovisualization at the American Museum of Natural History, where he focuses on creating a means to visualize the universe based on what we currently know about it. He is responsible for giving us access to stars, planets, and galaxies through the museum's space shows in the beautiful Hayden Planetarium–like the currently running Dark Universe, overseeing the development of an interactive 3D atlas known as the Digital Universe, and running educational programs including the Digital Flight School. We recently spoke with Carter to learn more about his role digitizing the universe and why the American Museum of Natural History can be thought of as a virtual space ship.
Get beamed up with Carter here

March 6, 2015

$1.4M East Village Co-op Doesn’t Include This Adorable Dog (but You Can Bring Your Own)

When we first saw the photos for today's Cool Listing we couldn't help but be reminded of the Craigslist ad that made headlines a couple of years back courtesy of the owners' photo-bombing pooch. Similarly, this bright and cheerful two-bedroom loft-like split at 99 Avenue B comes with lots of things to love—but the adorable pup pictured isn’t one of them.
Lots to love right this way

Distinctive Homes

March 5, 2015

REVEALED: Asking Prices, Floorplans for 520 Park Avenue, the Next Billionaire’s Row Blockbuster

By Gabby Warshawer

Developers of 520 Park Avenue have revealed apartment prices for all units in the building, which is poised to become one of the city’s most expensive condominium towers and include a $130 million penthouse. The building, which will rise in the high-priced corridor flanking Central Park that has been dubbed “Billionaire’s Row,” is expected to gross $1.2 billion in apartment sales, according to initial offering prices detailed in documents filed with the Attorney General’s office. The $1.2 billion in total sales—which will make the building one of the most expensive in Manhattan history—is all the more impressive considering that current plans call for only 31 units, most of which will be full-floor residences.
Click here for full pricing information and floor plans

March 5, 2015

James Burrows, Go-To ’90s Sitcom Director, Buys Handsome Greenwich Village Apartment for $4.2M

"Cheers," "Frasier," "Will & Grace," "Friends"... these are just some of the '90s sitcoms that director James E. Burrows has on his resume. The television maven and his wife, noted sitcom hairstylist Debbie Easton, have definitely met their fair share of celebrities, but it seems that now they're looking to trade in their Wilshire Boulevard address for a more low-key lifestyle in Greenwich Village...though they are moving to prestigious 1 Fifth Avenue. The couple picked up a one-bedroom apartment at the storied building for $4.2 million, according to city records released today. It's definitely not up to par with Will and Grace's elegant home or Monica and Rachel's kitschy apartment, but it's charming in its own right.
READ MORE

March 5, 2015

$2.8M Greenwich Village Gem in Sought-After Butterfield House Features Non-Traditional ‘Walls’

Greenwich Village has long been known for its charming nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture, part of what makes it one of the city’s most sought after locations. But sprinkled in amongst the classic townhouses are a number of tastefully designed post-war structures that have earned their own reputation as highly desirable residential abodes. With a series of handsome and deep bay windows dotting its façade and a lovely glass arcade connecting its two buildings, Butterfield House is one example of modern architecture that fits seamlessly into the fabric of the Village–and where you’ll find this gut-renovated (2012) and absolutely gorgeous two-bedroom apartment.
See inside this Butterfield gem

Distinctive Homes

March 5, 2015

Petite Greenwich Club Pad with Spunky Decor Asks $1.1M

There’s an adorable unit available in the Greenwich Club for $1.095 million. This one-bedroom wins you over right from the start, simply by putting two closets at the entrance (An apartment after a New Yorker’s own heart.). Too bad we can’t take the spunky décor, but even bare, this place still boasts some highly desirable qualities.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 4, 2015

The History of Symphony Space: From the Astor Market to the Leonard Nimoy Thalia

We were saddened here at 6sqft to hear about the passing last week of Leonard Nimoy, an extraordinary actor, director, poet, singer, and photographer, known worldwide for his role as Mr. Spock in "Star Trek." Closer to home, though, Nimoy was also known as a dedicated philanthropist who adored the Upper West Side's Symphony Space. In fact, in 2002 the multi-disciplinary performing arts organization renamed its historic Thalia Theater the Leonard Nimoy Thalia to reflect their patron's generosity. Just like the storied career of Nimoy, Symphony Space has its own eclectic past, from its beginnings as a food market funded by Vincent Astor to the Crystal Palace skating rink and, finally, to a neighborhood institution frequented by the likes of Stephen Colbert and Cynthia Nixon.
Learn about this history of Symphony Space here

History

Image: One Vanderbilt via SL Green/KPF

March 4, 2015

A Massive Modern Tower Could Sprout Next Door to Controversial One Vanderbilt

By Diane Pham

Foes of One Vanderbilt could soon find themselves with choice words for a new supertall enemy on the rise in the Midtown corridor. The Post reports that developer Howard Milstein is now looking to design and develop a brand new tower at 335 Madison Avenue. Millstein’s move takes advantage of the new Vanderbilt corridor zoning that would […]

New Developments

March 3, 2015

Dare to Shower in This $10.5M David Mann-Designed Tribeca Loft

If you want to live in a classic Tribeca loft and build a stronger relationship with your partner, you can cancel those therapy sessions and just head over to this 4,000-square-foot pad in the Dietz Lantern Building, because for better or for worse, you will definitely get a lot closer in this home thanks to a see-through master bathroom behind the artful hanging bed. For some reason, the space appears to have been struggling on the market since 2011, with a price tag that has fallen from $12.995 million to its current $10.5 million asking. Maybe couples aren’t as interested in being so open with each other after all. But we think that if they considered advertising at the voyeuristic Standard Hotel on the High Line this home could get snatched up in no time.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

March 2, 2015

Record $150M Sony Building Penthouse Will Also Be the City’s Biggest

Those who found themselves gobsmacked when news broke that the Sony building’s penthouse would be priced at $150 million, look out, here’s another jaw-dropping fact headed your way. TRD has reported that not only will the unit be the priciest in history if sold, but when complete, it will also hold the title of the city’s largest. At […]

Distinctive Homes

March 2, 2015

Leonardo DiCaprio Renting Out His Super Eco-Friendly Greenwich Village Apartment for $25K

A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio isn't going to lose out on NYC rent while he's out schmoozing models and moguls across the globe. The Post reports that the actor has been renting out his Delos pad for a cool $25,000 a month to Jonathan Orszag, an economic policy advisor for President Clinton during the 1990s and a senior managing director of economic consulting firm Compass Lexecon.
See more here

Celebrities

March 2, 2015

You’ll Love This $1.2M Triplex as Much as This Painting Does

There’s a reason the kid in this painting is smiling with arms wide open, and it’s because he’s welcoming you into the coolest pad in the Upper East Side Historic District. This two-bedroom triplex at 18 East 63rd Street sold for just $497,000 in 2011. But after an extensive renovation, it’s back on the market with all the right bells and whistles, asking $1.15 million.
More cartoony fun inside

New Yorker Spotlight: Paleontologist Mark Norell Spends His Days with Dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History

Photo © AMNH

February 27, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Paleontologist Mark Norell Spends His Days with Dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History

By Susan Cohen

While the closest to dinosaurs most of us come is plastic toys and the occasional viewing of Jurassic Park, Mark Norell gets up close and personal with these prehistoric creatures on a daily basis, and it's fair to say he has one of the most interesting jobs in New York. As the division chair and curator-in-charge of the American Museum of Natural History’s Division of Paleontology and professor at Richard Gilder Graduate School, Mark's work is very exciting. He studies not just dinosaurs, but a wide range of fossils from various time periods, and conducts research that benefits our understanding of both the prehistoric and modern world. And an extra perk of the job is surely his office–he occupies the entire top floor of the museum's historic turret on the corner of 77th Street and Central Park West (we don't recall Ross Geller getting an office like that!). We recently spoke with Mark to learn more about paleontology and what it's like to work at the museum.
Read the full interview here

February 27, 2015

Elegant Throwback Penthouse in Sutton Place Returns for $5.1M

Who needs a shiny new development when you can have a penthouse in the highly sought-after Sutton Place neighborhood that has brag-worthy qualities like soaring coffered ceilings, a solarium, and terraces on all four sides. But for some reason, it just can’t seem to sell. The apartment at 345 East 57th Street first appeared on the market a year ago, asking $6.5 million. Then it was briefly taken off the market in December after a price cut to $5.9 million. Now it’s back, hoping the third time is a charm, and that an avid fan of Edith Wharton novels drops in with $5.1 million in her pocket.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

February 26, 2015

Saudi Prince’s UWS Apartment with Three Bullet-Proof Panic Rooms Lists for $48.5M

But if panic rooms aren't your thing, there's also a sushi island bar, fitness center, billiards room, hair salon, ventilated cigar room, 60-foot living room overlooking the Hudson River, and a lounge with a six-person Jacuzzi. It certainly sounds like Prince Nawaf bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud has been having fun in his 10,500-square-foot Heritage at Trump Place triplex, which was previously listed in 2013 for $75 million. The four-bedroom Upper West Side pad is now back on the market for $48.5 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Ryan Serhant of Million Dollar Listing fame is one of the listing agents, and though he declined to confirm the owner, he said he is selling because he rarely uses the residence anymore.
You can't miss seeing the rest of this incredible home

Distinctive Homes

February 26, 2015

$9,850/Month Enchanting Greenwich Village Rental Comes with a ‘Juliet’-Inspired Balcony

Although the original architectural details in this floor-through townhouse pad postdate Shakespeare’s classic tome about star-crossed lovers by about 300 years, they offer the perfect setting for a different kind of romance, because this one-bedroom rental at 4 West 9th Street in the Village is easy to fall in love with.
See more of why you'll fall in love

February 25, 2015

Elegant Village Rental Has Ties to the Underground Railroad and Lincoln’s Assassin

In a city rich with history it’s always fun to learn of a building’s interesting past, and the walls of this 1830s historic mansion at 45 Grove Street, in which you’ll find this elegant West Village rental, must certainly have some stories to tell. Not only was it a secret stop on the Underground Railroad, but one of its former residents, actor Samuel K. Chester, claimed that John Wilkes Booth visited there in early 1865 and tried to convince him to join a “conspiracy to take over the government” and kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. Chester wanted nothing to do with the plan and Booth went on to assassinate the president in April of that year.
See more of this historic beautiful rental

Distinctive Homes

February 25, 2015

Is 212 Fifth Avenue the Ultimate Manhattan Address?

That's what developers of a new condominium at 212 Fifth Avenue are hoping. The prestige of Fifth Avenue is world-famous (it also adds a 5- to 10-percent premium to the price of an apartment), and as anyone who was around back in the days of analog phone exchanges knows, 212 is synonymous with Manhattan. Reporting on the "New York-iest address," the Daily News mentions how even "Seinfeld"'s Elaine steals her dead neighbor's 212 phone number after she gets changed to a 646 area code. "The bearer of a 212 phone number looks like a longtime New Yorker. It's the ultimate luxury accessory," the paper says.
Is all the fuss justified?

Real Estate Trends

February 25, 2015

Spectacular ‘Working Girl’ Townhouse on Star-Studded West Village Street Sells for $17 Million

The West Village home that's captured the hearts of film buffs, film makers, preservationists, pinners, real estate oglers—need we go on?—across the globe has just sold for a sweet $17 million, according to city records filed today. Although it was previously reported that the home needed work, buyers were certainly not deterred. A bow-fronted facade, dramatic staircase, 40-foot garden, and spectacular storied details surely kept the bidding war going strong for this 66 Morton Street beauty which was originally listed for just $13 million last October.
have a look inside this way

February 25, 2015

POLL: Will the NYU Expansion Plan Move Ahead?

After years of contention, we learned yesterday that opponents of the controversial NYU expansion plan would receive their final day in court to try to block the massive redevelopment. While Villagers have long been known as preservation pioneers (Jane Jacobs’ successful fight against Robert Moses’ destructive plans for the area is probably the best-known example), […]

Policy

Renderings Revealed for West Village’s New Triangular Park That Will Feature AIDS Memorial

Park renderings via Hayes Davidson

February 25, 2015

Renderings Revealed for West Village’s New Triangular Park That Will Feature AIDS Memorial

In 2011, Rudin Management inked a controversial deal to convert part of St. Vincent's Hospital into luxury condos, now known as The Greenwich Lane. Part of the deal was that the developer would build a public park on an adjacent piece of triangular land that would include the city's first major AIDS memorial, a feature that garnered tons of press thanks to a much-talked-about design competition. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Rudin has broken ground on the new 16,000-square-foot West Village green space, located on Seventh Avenue between Greenwich Avenue and West 12th Street. And along with this news comes renderings from M. Paul Friedberg & Partners, the architecture firm that designed the Greenwich Lane and is also designing the park, which show winding walkways, curving benches, plenty of trees, play areas, a lawn, and water jets.
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

NYU Expansion Plan Opponents Will Get Final Day in Court

A rendering of the expansion plan

February 24, 2015

NYU Expansion Plan Opponents Will Get Final Day in Court

In October, the appellate court overturned a previous decision by the New York Supreme Court that prohibited NYU's $6 billion, 1.9 million-square-foot Greenwich Village expansion plan, but community groups vowed to appeal the decision. And they most certainly kept their word. In a press release sent today by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), we've learned that the New York State Court of Appeals agreed to hear an appeal by GVSHP, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, Community Board 2, actor Mark Ruffalo, and other local concerned parties.
More info here

February 24, 2015

Sweeping Soho Loft Featured in Magazines Asks $23K/Month

Ever flip through the pages of an architecture magazine and wish that home could be yours? Well, there’s a two-bedroom stunner at 143 Prince Street that has graced the pages of many an architecture magazine, and it can be yours for $23,000 per month. This corner unit is flooded with light thanks to 12-foot ceilings and two walls of 17 oversized southern and western windows spanning 45 feet in the living room. Add to that ebonized wood floors and cast-iron columns, and you have the perfect architectural pin-up.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

February 23, 2015

Modern East Village Condo at The Petersfield Features Magnificent Chandeliered Bathroom

This meticulously renovated $1.75 million double-height corner condo loft in The Petersfield holds more than a few surprises, the first of which greets you as you enter the gallery foyer. Cleverly doubling as a built-in bookshelf display you will find a set of wooden stairs leading up to a sizable queen-sized sleep loft, always a nice addition to a one-bedroom apartment. And then, of course, there's the crystal chandelier over the bathtub...
More inside is right this way

Distinctive Homes

Interior Renderings Revealed for Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower

Interior rendering via Hayes Davidson

February 23, 2015

Interior Renderings Revealed for Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower