Manhattan

Back in March, the owners of this remarkable townhouse listed it, along with such extravagant furnishings as a gold-plated sofa and an oil painting by Frank Sinatra, asking $27 million. We don’t know if prospective buyers were turned off by the lavish furnishings, or if the sellers turned to each other and said, “Wait… we’re selling a gold-plated couch?!” Either way there’s been a change of heart. Now, you can enjoy the five-story home and admire the artwork of Ol’ Blue Eyes for a mere $65 thousand per month, or you can purchase the home outright, unfurnished, for $22 million.
Take a look inside, here

Distinctive Homes

November 24, 2014

Supermodel Gemma Ward Lists East Village Apartment for $2.25M

By Annie Doge

Australian supermodel Gemma Ward bought her East Village apartment in 2007 for $1.5 million, when she was only 20 years old, undertaking a gut renovation of the three-bedroom pad at 232 East 6th Street. But considering that, at age 16, she was the youngest model ever to appear on the cover of American Vogue, entering the NYC real estate game at 20 isn't that shocking. And she has now listed the pre-war apartment for $2.25 million, according to the Daily News.
Tour the stylish pad here

November 24, 2014

Opulent Pad in Building Where Barbara Walters Once Lived Drops Price to $12.5M

A renovated duplex maisonette in the same building Barbara Walters once called home has been struggling on the market since it was listed earlier this year. Now, after eight months and a few price drops, the price has landed at $12.5 million. The opulent space has four bedrooms, parquet de Versailles floors, and imported French First Empire fireplaces, all just steps from the iconic Central Park.
Take a look inside, here

Distinctive Homes

November 23, 2014

Sprawling Penthouse in Leonardo DiCaprio’s Eco-Friendly Village Building Gets a $10M Price Chop

By Annie Doge

Kim Kardashian checked out this penthouse at Delos Living's eco-friendly building at 66 East 11th Street back in August when it was listed for $50 million, but we guess she wasn't sold by the handcrafted “floating” metal staircase and beautiful glass atrium ceiling. Or maybe its health-centric amenities, including vitamin C-infused showers, circadian rhythm lighting, posture supporting floors, and a built-in herbarium, were too much for her. Another theory is that she didn't want to share the spotlight with celeb neighbors Leonardo DiCaprio and New Age guru Deepak Chopra. Whatever the case may be, though, she surely missed out, as the 7,693-square-foot Greenwich Village triplex just dropped its price by $10 million, now listed for $39.8 million.
Take a tour of what it would feel like to be Leo's neighbor

November 21, 2014

Happy 112th Birthday to the Algonquin Hotel, A NYC Literary Landmark

By Bonnie Clark

In a town overrun with fancy hotels, the Algonquin–which turns 112 tomorrow–has true staying power, proving that history and heritage are every bit as important as plush bedding and sweet-smelling bath products. Designed by Goldwin Starrett in a Renaissance limestone and red brick façade, the 12-story Algonquin Hotel, at 42 West 42nd Street, opened on November 22, 1902, initially operating as an apartment hotel with year-long leases but switching to a hotel after the owner failed to find enough renters. Today, the Algonquin–both a literary landmark and a New York City Historic Landmark–remains one of New York’s most cherished institutions, drawing a mix of artists, tourists and cultural elites.
Read the full history of the storied Algonquin

November 21, 2014

Breathtaking Upper East Side Townhouse Boasts Four-Year Renovation Well Worth the Wait

Great architecture, whether it's here in New York or elsewhere, is fully realized when the physical shape of the building, the interior design, and the surrounding landscape are brought together through great design, and this amazing Upper East Side townhouse is an impeccable example of this magical combination. Led by Steven Harris Architects and interior designer Rees Roberts + Partners, the house recently underwent a four-year renovation and re-decoration, and the results were clearly well worth the wait. The property boasts over eight stories and 8,500 square feet of living space, and it includes a bedrock basement pool, wine cellar, gym, and workshop.
You've got to see the rest of this home

Architecture And Design

November 21, 2014

REVEALED: SHoP’s Scaled-Back South Street Seaport Tower

This week, the Howard Hughes Corporation gave a presentation to the South Street Seaport community about their residential tower planned for the waterfront beside Pier 17. The original design by SHoP Architects was 52 stories and 650 feet, but to satisfy concerns by neighborhood residents and elected officials about the tower's appropriateness, the firm scaled back the design to 42 stories and agreed to also build a middle school and waterfront esplanade. But even this revised plan was met with much criticism at the community meeting; Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council member Margaret Chin both expressed that they would not support the tower and likened it to plopping a high-rise in the middle of Colonial Williamsburg. The luxury residential tower is part of Howard Hughes's overall $305 million plan for the Seaport, which, if approved, would include a restoration of the historic Tin Building and a new home for the Seaport Museum.
More details on the project and revised design

November 21, 2014

Meticulous Maya Lin Renovation at the Curzon House Asks $60K/Month

The holiday season is fast approaching, which means there are undoubtedly plenty of festivities on your calendar. Well, if you happen to have $60,000 a month in your pocket, perhaps you’ll enjoy this sprawling condo at The Curzon House; it's warm enough for the winter months and large enough to spread out in when you’ve had enough family time. Internationally renowned architect, Yonkers jail converter, and designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Maya Lin spent several years painstakingly renovating this spectacular pad. The end result is a showstopper that has been featured in a number of publications.
Take a look inside, here

Distinctive Homes

November 20, 2014

How One Man Created a 3D Map of Manhattan When It Was Just Hills, Rivers and Wildlife

By Diane Pham

Many of you probably recognize the image above, but what you may not know is that creating it required far more than a bit of Photoshop magic. The work of Wildlife Conservation Society ecologist Eric Sanderson, this incredible photo is a true-to-life depiction of what once grew on the island of Manhattan before it was all paved over. By using an 18th-century map, a GPS and reams of data, Sanderson has recreated, block by block, the ecology of Manhattan in the early 17th century. "We're trying to discover what Henry Hudson would have seen on the afternoon of September 12, 1609 when he sailed into New York Harbor," says Sanderson. Watch his riveting TED talk on the 'Mannahatta Project' ahead and see what used to make up areas like Columbia University, Greenwich Village, and even Times Square at the time of the American Revolution. You'll certainly look at what remains from our city's verdant, hilly and marshy past in a whole new way.
Watch the video here

November 20, 2014

Robert Pattinson Checks Out a $20M Chelsea Penthouse with Drive-In Elevator

By Annie Doge

Perhaps the low-key lifestyle of an historic townhouse in Vinegar Hill didn't agree with Twilight Star Robert Pattinson. Because he's now reportedly been spotted checking out a much more high-profile pad in West Chelsea, according to the Post. In fact, the $20 million penthouse in the famous Sky Garage building is so impressive that it has its own private drive-in elevator. Yup, that's right, the Selldorf Architects-designed tower at 200 Eleventh Avenue is considered "paparazzi proof," since celeb residents including Nicole Kidman can drive right into their personal car elevators that take them directly to their contemporary apartments. Pattison toured the $20 million, three-bedroom, 3,598-square-foot penthouse of this unprecedented building, which has other jaw-dropping features like a glass floor that opens up with the press of a button to reveal a stairway that leads to the bedroom wing below.
Check out the rest of this Sky Garage penthouse

November 20, 2014

Light and Airy Penthouse Fuses Modern Luxury with Classic Upper West Side Charm

Easy breezy is the perfect description for this duplex penthouse that recently popped up on the market for $3,850,000. Located at 329 West 108th street on the Upper West Side, this beautiful three-bedroom home includes a dramatic corner living room and ample outdoor space–both perfect for entertaining. The living room also features an elegant angular skylight, so whether you're inside or out, you and your guests will be able to enjoy beautiful views of the New York City skyline.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

November 20, 2014

Photographer Jay Maisel’s Mysterious 72-Room Bowery Home Up for Sale Again

By Diane Pham

After all the hoopla around RFR Realty’s purchase of Jay Maisel’s graffiti-covered home along the Bowery, word has now surfaced that its new owners are already looking to turn a profit on the six-story building—even before they’ve officially closed on it. The Commercial Observer reports that the building at 190 Bowery, which went into contract in September, is being listed by Massey […]

Distinctive Homes

November 20, 2014

Finalists Announced for 2015 Governors Island City of Dreams Pavilion

Governors Island is one of those magical NYC places that comes to life in the spring after a long winter hibernation. And part of its reawakening will be the revealing of the City of Dreams Pavilion, a futuristic-looking art installation where visitors can gather. For the fifth consecutive year, FIGMENT has teamed with the Emerging New York Architects Committee (ENYA) of the American Institute of Architects NY Chapter (AIANY) and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) to host a competition for the pavilion. Entrants were asked to design a temporary architectural structure to hold 50+ people, provide shade and rain cover, using sustainable materials. And just this week the five finalists were announced.
Take a look at the final five designs here

November 20, 2014

You’ll Be Drawn to This Duplex Rental’s Four Fireplaces Like Moths to a Flame

Renters looking to enjoy a peaceful haven in the middle of the vitality of the East Village are certain to be drawn to this two-bedroom duplex at 102 East 10th Street, asking $7,500 per month. The parlor duplex with an English basement is located in a historic townhome designed by Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (the great, great grandchild of Peter Stuyvesant) and is situated less than a block from the Renwick Triangle. Original details and a private terrace make the charming home much more of a pleasant retreat than you'd imagine would be found in such a convenient location.
More photos inside

Distinctive Homes

<b>Towers in the Park: Le Corbusier’s Influence in NYC</b>

Stuyvesant Town Oval via Marianne O’Leary via photopin cc

November 19, 2014

Towers in the Park: Le Corbusier’s Influence in NYC

Any architecture history student or design nerd knows about Le Corbusier (1887-1965), one of the founders of modern architecture and a truly one-of-a-kind urban planner. For those of you who aren't as familiar with Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris (his given name; he was French-Swiss), one of his most noteworthy urban ideas was concept of "towers in the park." Part of his Contemporary City plan (and later Radiant City plan) to house three million inhabitants as a way to deal with overcrowding and slums, towers in the park were skyscrapers set in large, rectangular tracts of lands with open space between the buildings. Whether they were consciously influenced by Le Corbusier or not, many projects in New York City mimic his vision of towers in the park, and we've decided to take a look at the most well known of this architectural crop, as well as some other ways the famous architect left his mark on NYC.
Take a look at NYC's towers in the park

Hudson Yards Cost Taxpayers $650 Million So Far, and It’s Not Over

Hudson Yards rendering

November 19, 2014

Hudson Yards Cost Taxpayers $650 Million So Far, and It’s Not Over

Just yesterday, the city hailed the completion of the platform built over the west side rail yards that will support the Brookfield West development, a major component of Hudson Yards, the 26-acre development rising on the far west side. And while Brookfield will boast a two-acre park plaza, two 60-plus-story high rises and other public commercial space, it's important to note that $7 million was spent just on designing and producing a special machine called "The Launcher" to lift the 56,000-ton concrete slabs to build the platform. This is just one of many substantial costs in the mammoth Hudson Yards project, for which the city will have paid nearly $650 million in subsides by the end of this fiscal year, money that, over the past ten years, has come straight from the pockets of taxpayers. And that's not all; according to a review by the city's Independent Budget Office, even more will be needed through 2019 to complete the "next great commercial district."
More on the subsidies and Hudson Yards

November 19, 2014

$2.7M Duplex Invokes the Historic Hipness of the East Village

From beats like Allen Ginsberg to '80s artists like Keith Haring, the East Village was once home to the city's hippest New York icons (and, some may argue, still is). But since its heyday, the neighborhood has become an extremely sought after part of the city, and this East Village pad that was recently put on the market is fully stacked in the hipness department. The four-bedroom unit is located at 211 East 2nd Street and is currently listed for $2,695,000. From the Carriage House condominium's unique exterior to the edgy, rustic interior, this home is sure to make you the coolest kid on the block.
Tour this East Village beauty here

Distinctive Homes

November 19, 2014

POLL: Will the Pier 55 Floating Park Get Built?

The city was abuzz on Monday when news broke of media mogul Barry Diller’s $130 million pledge to build a $170 million, 2.7-acre floating park off the shore of 14th Street in the Hudson River. The planning and design process had been kept under wraps for over two years, and though the undulating, amoeba-shaped public […]

Architecture And Design

November 18, 2014

Sprawling $10M Loft at The Dandy Gives You Something to Wine About

Apartment hunters looking to stretch their legs will love the massive third floor loft at The Dandy which has just popped up on the market asking $9.9 million. The 4,800-square-foot triple mint condition unit has all The Dandy’s signature characteristics—namely exposed barrel-vaulted ceilings, dark hardwood plank floors, and exposed brick walls—but there’s a little extra for the wine lovers. Let’s just say this loft’s cup runneth over.
See more, inside

Distinctive Homes

November 18, 2014

Picturesque Upper West Side Brownstone with Skylit Art Studio Asks $8.75 Million

Nothing says the Upper West Side quite like images of quaint townhouses above sidewalks of tree-lined streets, and this beautiful brownstone up for sale fits right in. Located at 139 West 87th Street, the grand, recently restored property is in perfect move-in condition. The home includes approximately 4,000 square feet, 4-6 bedrooms and an abundance of luxurious and historic details. The current asking price for this classic piece of New York architecture is $8.75 million.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

November 18, 2014

Minetta Street Townhouse with Yo-Yo Sales History Goes for $5.7M

Sure, we all love a good flip story, but this is more like a flip flop. This lovely townhouse at 17 Minetta Street in Greenwich Village sold for the first time as a single-family home in 2010 for $5.1 million; it then sold again in 2013 for $5.8 million (after asking $7.5); now it's sold for $5,676,000, above the $5.35 asking price, according to city records. We're not quite sure why the landmarked home keeps getting tossed around for little to no profit. The 19th century Federal townhouse got a modern renovation in 2008 by architects and designers Zhenya Merkulova and Alan Tanksley; it's accessed through a gated mews that leads to a private garden.
Tour 17 Minetta Street here

November 17, 2014

Barry Diller Pledges $130M for Futuristic Offshore Park on the West Side

Floating space in New York's waterways is not a new concept. Take the +Pool, for example, the public pool proposed for the East River that was recently supported by Kanye West. But a new offshore park proposed for the Hudson River off 14th Street seems exceedingly ambitious, as it would cost $170 million, be located 186 feet off land, and contain wooded nooks and three performance venues including an amphitheater. Barry Diller, sponsor-to-be of this ambitious plan, gives the project a much more realistic outlook. The billionaire chairman of IAC/InterActiveCorp, former head of Paramount Pictures and Fox–and husband to Diane von Furstenberg–was the single largest donor to the High Line. He's pledged $130 million from the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to make the 2.7-acre park a realty, as well as agreed to run the outdoor space and cover operating expenses for 20 years. He and his wife have starchitect-designed offices in the Meatpacking District and are clearly becoming king and queen of the neighborhood.
More on the futuristic park ahead

Architecture And Design

November 17, 2014

One Vanderbilt: New Images of Midtown East’s Zigzag Supertower

By Ondel Hylton

Recently at the Municipal Art Society's 2014 Summit for NYC, James von Klemperer, FAIA , a principal at Kohn Pederson Fox & Associates, briefed the audience with new details on the architecture firm's upcoming supertall project known as One Vanderbilt. In case you haven't been paying attention, the 68-story, 1,514-foot zigzag building is expected to become the tallest office tower in Midtown and third tallest in the city behind One World Trade Center (1,776 feet to spire tip) and Extell's Nordstrom Tower (1,775 feet to spire tip).
Check out all the new images of the supertall tower here

November 17, 2014

Jane Kim Creates a Rustic Ski Lodge-Like Urban Loft Using Recycled Materials