Manhattan

Finding a place to rent in New York City can be a headache at best. But you can save some money on aspirin if you're interested in this two-bedroom Upper West Side duplex that is now available to rent for $6,925/month. Located at 313 West 75th Street, this charming, well-preserved, pre-war home boasts many of its original details, the most striking of which is its wealth of historic moldings, including crown and picture moldings throughout. You'll also find dentil moldings in the living room, and ornate floral moldings around the mirror. The decorated marble fireplaces aren't too shabby either.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

December 5, 2014

Former Padres Owner’s Ex-Wife Buys $55M Unit at One57, Second-Highest Condo Sale of the Year

Just yesterday, Bloomberg released a grim report that sales had come to a halt at One57, as only one condo unit was sold in the third quarter. But it looks like the fourth quarter might prove a bit more optimistic for the city's most expensive building. According to city records released today, Rebecca Moores, ex-wife of John Jay Moores, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former owner of the San Diego Padres, dropped $55.5 million on unit 81 at the building, making it the second-highest condo sale of the year, according to CityRealty. The number one spot also goes to One57 for Bill Ackman's $90 million flip-happy purchase. The former couple also made real estate headlines in 2013 when they listed their Del Mar, California home for $23 million, making it one of the most expensive in the San Diego area and probably the only one with its own moat. Let's take a look, though, at Rebecca's latest property venture at One57.
Check out the floor plan

December 5, 2014

Landmark West End Avenue Townhouse Wants $11M

One of Lamb & Rich’s original townhouses in the West End-Collegiate Historic District is resolving to find a new owner in the New Year. The flexible 6,875-square-foot layout can either be a sprawling 6-8 bedroom single-family mansion, or a spacious quadruplex with a separate garden duplex rental. Add to that late 19th century original details and modern updates, and this could be the perfect home for anybody...with $10.9 million in their pocket.
Take a look inside here

December 4, 2014

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Billionaire Businessman Father Sells Central Park West Pad for $7M

By Annie Doge

You likely know plenty about Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, but did you know her father is a very prominent, very wealthy businessman? William Louis-Dreyfus is the chairman of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services and the great grandson of Léopold Louis-Dreyfus, founder of the Louis Dreyfus Group. He has an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion, and just made an impressive $7.1 million on the sale of his Upper West Side co-op, according to city records released today. Unit 9C at 262 Central Park West is a three-bedroom apartment with ten large picture windows and panoramic views of Central Park. And the sleek interior must have been pretty impressive in person, as the selling price is well over the $6.75 million asking price.
Take a look around the Louis-Dreyfus home

December 4, 2014

Beautiful Flatiron Loft Shows NYC What Built-Ins Are Supposed to Look Like

It's not everyday that cool new listings pop up in the Flatiron District, but lucky for us today is an exception. We are pleased to bring you this stunning, new-to-the-market property that was recently renovated and transformed from a gorgeous three-bedroom loft into this fabulous two-bedroom apartment with home office and a massive 25 x 31-foot living room. Located at 15 West 17th Street, this home features many of the unit's original details, including exquisite exposed brick and hardwood floors.
Check out the rest of the home here

Distinctive Homes

December 4, 2014

Lowline Underground Park Creators Want to Open “Lowline Lab,” a Research Hub and Exhibition Spot

Four years ago, likely inspired by the wildly successful High Line, architects James Ramsey and Dan Barasch revealed their plan to turn the forgotten historic trolley terminal below Delancey Street on the Lower East Side into a solar-powered underground park. By 2012, the Lowline had raised over $155,000 from 3,300 donors on Kickstarter, setting a record for the largest number of supporters for an urban design project on the platform. And now, with design competitions, support from elected officials, and planning studies under their belt, the Lowline team is aiming to complete negotiations with the MTA and the city by 2017, anticipating a 2018 opening. But the latest component of the $55 million project is the development by May 2015 of the "Lowline Lab," a year-round nucleus serving as a research hub and exhibition spot, and going by the success of their previous crowdfunding campaign, the team is once again reaching out to the public to fund the initiative.
More details on the Lowline Lab ahead

Architecture And Design

December 4, 2014

Remodeled Emery Roth Townhouse Returns, Asking $15M

For some reason, this remodeled five-story townhouse at 1145 Park Avenue couldn’t command its initial $18.9 million asking price. Now it has returned with a more appealing $14.9 million tag, and it’s hoping prospective buyers will be drawn to its carefully chosen high-end details and its bright, modern design.
Take a look at more photos, here

Distinctive Homes

December 3, 2014

Hudson Yards Observation Deck Will Offer a Death-Defying Way to Experience City Views

By Diane Pham

The idea of creating a glass observation deck is nothing new, but the Hudson Yards development wants to push the limits with a seemingly perilous glass-enclosed capsule 1,000 feet up in the sky. According to the NYP, the "thrill device" is modeled after the glass module located 350 feet above Royal Caribbean cruise ship Quantum of the Seas, but amped up with a tilting glass walkway. A detailed design of what will be the tallest observation deck in the city has yet to be revealed, but when Related Hudson Yards President Jay Cross spoke about it at the Young Men's/Women's Real Estate luncheon back in November, he said, “You can choose to pay for it separately and crap your pants.”
Find out more

Andy Warhol Museum Coming to the Controversial Essex Crossing Development on the Bowery

The Andy Warhol Museum via nooccar via photopin cc.

December 3, 2014

Andy Warhol Museum Coming to the Controversial Essex Crossing Development on the Bowery

Since 1994, the 88,000-square-foot Andy Warhol Museum has been one of Pittsburgh's main attractions, the largest museum in the country dedicated to a single artist. And though Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, he spent most of his formative years in New York City, a fact that has sparked plans for a satellite museum on the Bowery. In Miami for Art Basel, museum director Eric Shiner told The Observer last night that the Lower East Side museum would be 10,000 square feet and part of the controversial Essex Crossing development. Its anticipated opening is 2017.
More details here

Events & Things To Do

December 3, 2014

$2 Million Tribeca Loft Floats Like a Butterfly and Stings Like a Bee

A charming two-bedroom unit at Duane Park Lofts in Tribeca is back on the market, asking $2.095 million. This return marks the second price drop for the pad, which initially asked $2.5 million. The 1,350-square-foot loft has a floor plan that makes the most of its eastern exposures. Unfortunately that means the second bedroom is a windowless interior space, but quintessential loft features, a prime location and room for a second bathroom make this space worth a look.
More photos here

Distinctive Homes

December 2, 2014

You Can Now Tour Gramercy Park Without a Key, Thanks to Airbnb and Google Maps

By Diane Pham

For the vast majority of New Yorkers, the closest look they've gotten into Gramercy Park is peering through the perimeter wrought iron gates. As one of the most elite and inaccessible outdoor spaces in the city, only those who live in dwellings circling the park have keyed access via an annual fee. That is, until now. Thanks to a rule-breaking Airbnb-er, the world can now revel in the verdant splendor that is Gramercy Park.
Find out how this guy got all the snaps

Uncategorized

December 2, 2014

$7M Townhouse Is Available for Second Time in Half a Century

An exclusive four-story townhome on one of Manhattan’s most attractive blocks has just popped up on the market, asking literally $5 less than $7 million. The Renaissance Revival home was built in 1890 by McDowell & Henry and still retains its unique Eastlake style details with four original fireplaces, historic wood shutters, and a stained glass skylight over the stairs. And that’s just the beginning.
Take a closer look here

December 1, 2014

Chelsea Townhouse Gets an Upgrade with a 550-Square-Foot Glass and Steel Garden Extension

The renovation of this beautiful West Side property was made possible by the design team from Chelsea's very own respected architecture firm, Archi-Tectonics. This project included the addition of a garden extension, two floors, and a rooftop terrace. The client, who is a fashion designer, wanted the home to reflect a "textured" or layered approach in its design, and the cool, narrative style does just that. The contemporary renovation was completed in 2011, when the original 3,400-square-foot brownstone–also a New York City landmark–was extended by 550 feet with the addition of the new garden space to create a residence that was light and airy.
Take a look at the rest of the house

December 1, 2014

You May Have to Pry This $3.5M Dream Home from an Oscar Nominee’s Hands

Shopping for the holidays can get complicated. How do you pick just the right gift for someone? In a perfect world we could buy our loved ones gifts they could turn into whatever they wanted. Well, we’re not going to be doing your Christmas shopping this year, but we do have a listing that’s ready for its new owner to add his or her own personal stamp. We’re talking a fully gutted townhome in Murray Hill with all the renovation plans and permits already set and approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Department of Buildings. So all you have to do is sit back and let your imagination do the rest.
Take a look at the possibilities, here

Distinctive Homes

December 1, 2014

ABC No Rio’s Graffiti-Covered Tenement Will Be Replaced with an Ultra-Modern “Passive House”

By Diane Pham

When ABC No Rio announced more than five years ago that they would be demolishing their building in favor of an updated facility, artists immediately began grieving over the impending loss of the cooperative's hardcore punk roots. Not much movement was made after that—only word that the artists would be going green with their renovation—but lo and behold, a new rendering revealed by Bowery Boogie shows us what will soon replace the artists' collective: a 9,000 square-foot, LEED-certified Passive House complete with exhibition and performance spaces, a green roof and a second floor terrace.
find out more here

December 1, 2014

Astronaut Richard Garriott’s Townhouse Hides Secret Passageways and Trick Bookcases

By Alyssa Alimurung

When he’s not flying to outer space or developing the next award-winning video game, Richard Garriott rests his head in his very normal-looking Murray Hill townhouse. When he purchased the five-story brownstone last year, he decided to add in his own special touches to make it his unique home-sweet-home. Take a tour through the secret passageways […]

December 1, 2014

10 Sullivan Street Leads Western Soho Residential Development

Back in June, units at 10 Sullivan Street in Soho hit the market. The 16-story, Cary Tamarkin-designed building is shaped like a mini Flatiron Building, and due to its height and scale, many consider it grossly out of place. But regardless of one's opinion, the scheduled completion of the triangular condo in late 2015 will cement western Soho's turn from primarily commercial to residential, a trend shared with adjacent neighborhood Hudson Square.
More on 10 Sullivan Street and western Soho's transformation

On Sale Now: An Unofficial Black Friday Bargain Hunt!

135 West 70th Street Penthouse BC; Listing photo Douglas Elliman.

November 28, 2014

On Sale Now: An Unofficial Black Friday Bargain Hunt!

By Michelle Cohen

Late November can be an anxious time for both buyers and sellers; unpleasant weather, family events and just plain seasonal shutdown mode can reduce the traffic at open houses to a trickle and get properties pulled off the market until after New Year’s Day or even springtime. Sellers may panic and prices get cut in the hopes of getting the deal done before year’s end; it’s a good time for intrepid buyers to stay in the game, though, because the competition factor is at a minimum. After reading about Leo DiCaprio who, like Macy’s, Wal-Mart and Kohl’s, jumped the gun on the traditional discount day by price-chopping his haute-holistic Delos Living penthouse, we rounded up some stellar dwellings that received significant markdowns just in time for the popular post-Thanksgiving Day shop-a-thon. So if you’re on the hunt–or you’ve got a two-bed-two-bath-with-killer-views-sized stocking to fill–check out our list of sale merch of the real estate persuasion that–we hope–won't require you to queue up at the crack of dawn.
10 more discounted deals that are better than lords a-leaping

November 26, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Magic of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Creative Director Wesley Whatley

By Susan Cohen

For one day each year, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade transforms the streets of New York City into the ultimate stage for marching bands, dancers, floats, and of course, giant balloons. As we can all imagine, putting on a parade of this magnitude is no small task. And that's where Wesley Whatley, the Parade's creative director, comes in. Wesley is responsible for overseeing, developing and bringing the creative side of the event to life. His role requires vision, organization and a deep understanding of the parade's history and its importance to both the city and America. Along with his team, he ensures it's a magical event for spectators and television viewers. In anticipation of tomorrow's parade, we spoke with Wesley about selecting marching bands and performers, the logistics of organizing such a large event, and, on a personal note, what parades mean to him.
read the interview with Wesley here

November 26, 2014

Channel Your Inner Olympian in the Marble House Lap Pool for $18.95M

This sumptuous maisonette mansion in the American Express Carriage House appears to have had quite a time of it on the market over the past few years. It was listed earlier this year, merely a year and a half after selling in 2013, and now it’s back with the exact same $18.95 million price tag. That’s nothing if not persistent. The overlooked parcel in question is a 9,300-square-foot triplex with a 44-foot lap pool and a sauna, among other things. The unit was designed by its former owner Stuart Parr, who christened it the Marble House, presumably for its abundance of, well, marble. Whether prospective buyers will find the pad worthy of $2,038-per-square-foot has yet to be determined, but until then let’s take a moment to gawk at the sheer enormity and extravagance of the space.
Take a tour inside

Distinctive Homes

November 26, 2014

HS2 Architecture’s Grandiose Upper West Side Townhouse Renovation

We're back again with another "well worth the wait" renovation story; this chapter takes us to an Upper West Side townhouse that was recently revamped by HS2 Architecture. The facade of this five-floor home is magnificent on its own, boasting ornate concrete detailing, elaborate windows and a grand front doorway. The overall approach to this renovation was to create more free-flowing spaces that reflect the more contemporary lifestyle of the family.
READ MORE

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

Ironworkers attach the “Old Glory” flag to the final Oculus rafter piece before installation

November 26, 2014

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

Just weeks after One World Trade Center and the Fulton Center Subway Station opened their doors for business, the last of the 114 steel rafters was installed on Santiago Calatrava's long-overdue, majorly over-budget flying bird-looking transportation hub. This is just one of many steel components in the project; it’s made up of 618 steel pieces which weigh more than 12,000 tons. The rafters were supposed to be completed by August, but though they were three months behind schedule, the hub is still expected to open in late 2015.
Read more here

November 26, 2014

NYC Dumpster Transforms into an Inflatable Urban Education Classroom

Well, this gives a whole new meaning to the term "dumpster diving." In Morningside Heights, at 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, the New York-based architect John Locke, of the Department of Urban Betterment, has created "inflato dumpster," a blow-up urban education classroom inside of a typical city dumpster. The design team was inspired by the "contemporary fascination with transforming existing street structures into utilitarian spaces for habitation," which led to their combining the seemingly invisible lightness of the inflatable material with the hard, gritty, steel dumpster.
More details on the inflatable dumpster

November 26, 2014

QUIZ: Which Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Belongs in Which NYC Neighborhood?

By Alyssa Alimurung

You may not wake up early enough tomorrow to catch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but we bet you know these balloon characters anyway. 10 of those famous helium-filled stars were matched up with “their” NYC neighborhood. Guess which character belongs in each neighborhood in this fun Buzzfeed quiz! TAKE THE QUIZ HERE…

Events & Things To Do

November 25, 2014

NYC Volunteer Opportunities: Giving Thanks and Giving Back

By Michelle Cohen

The season of good cheer–and good food–has begun, but there are many who are left out in the cold. Share the abundance; volunteer your time, your food, or your funds (or all of the above) to help spread real warmth to all New Yorkers. We've rounded up Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities around the city to make it even simpler for you to give back.
Check out our list of ways to get involved

November 25, 2014

Thomas Heatherwick Reveals the Inspiration Behind Pier 55 Floating Park