Manhattan

There’s a nice new Upper East Side duplex on the market, asking $2.5 million. This turn-of-the-century pad is on the fourth and fifth floors of 165 East 60th Street, and it has been “cautiously renovated,” making sure to maintain all of its old school charm such as beamed ceilings and hardwood floors even though it sports modern updates.
Take a look inside here

Distinctive Homes

January 30, 2015

$1.25M Lower East Side Loft Offers a Beautiful Blank Slate and a Glass Bedroom Wall

By Stephanie Hoina

The expansive living area of this rare-to-the-market designer loft in the former Garfield Building on the Lower East Side offers complete flexibility within its gorgeous exposed brick walls. Floor-to-ceiling double-paned windows, beamed ceilings, and white oak floors all artfully combine to present a beautiful blank slate easily configured to perfectly suit your needs.
More pics this way

Distinctive Homes

January 30, 2015

Gale Brewer Shows Support for One Vanderbilt, Negotiates Even More Public Improvements

Gale Brewer is no shrinking violet when it comes to city planning, and having her on your side is never a bad thing. The borough president of Manhattan has just come out as a full-fledged supporter of not only Midtown East's rezoning, but more notably, One Vanderbilt, the controversial 1,514-foot supertall slated to pop up right next door to Grand Central. Curbed reports that Brewer coupled her approval with an announcement that her office negotiated a slew of additional community benefits from developer SL Green—the developer that has already put up $210 million for the improvement of Grand Central’s subway station.
More on what's included in the plan

New Developments

January 30, 2015

Soho Pad with ‘Ghost’-ly Past Returns to the Market as a $32,500/Month Rental

This pristine full-floor condo at 102 Prince Street has a lot to brag about. For starters, it's newly renovated and stunning, landing a spot in Interiors magazine’s "Best of 2011" issue. But its biggest claim to fame is that the apartment above is where Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze shot their iconic pottery scene in Ghost. The only thing more brag-worthy would be if Whoopi Goldberg dropped by occasionally to tell the future tenants, “You in danger, girl!” The unit sold for an impressive $13.8 million just this past March, netting the seller a $4.9 million profit (they had purchased it in March of 2013 for $8.9 million). The 2014 sale was the highest price anyone had paid for a non-penthouse unit in Soho. And now, after just six months, it's back on the market as a $32,500/month rental.
More pics inside

January 29, 2015

Reduced! $125 Million Pierre Penthouse Now Asking Just $63 Million

Desperate times call for desperate measures? This dazzling former home to eccentric stock investor Martin Zweig has just received a near 50 percent price cut by the late investor's widow, Barbara Zweig, who is now asking a mere $63 million. The 41st floor co-op at the Pierre first hit the market in 2013 for what would have been a record-breaking $125 million, but the home didn't sell—even after being slashed to $95 million in December 2013. Now it looks like Zweig just wants to rid herself of the property which occupies the top three levels of the Pierre. The penthouse is the highest prewar co-op apartment in Manhattan, meaning not only do you have views of the skyline, but you're also part of the skyline. But that's not to discount the 360-degree vistas of the city, which include all of Central Park. So, will someone bite at $63 mill?
Let's take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

January 29, 2015

Actress Gina Gershon Sells Chelsea Duplex in Celeb-Favorite 200 11th Avenue for $8.2M

By Annie Doge

Just after Robert Pattinson checked out a $20 million penthouse with a private, drive-in elevator at 200 Eleventh Avenue, actress Gina Gershon sold her duplex unit in the building for $8.2 million, reports the Post. She and her partner Bobby Dekeyser, founder of outdoor furniture brand DEDON and subject of the biography Not for Sale!, purchased the $2,391-square-foot Chelsea pad in 2012 for $6.6 million, and after listing in June for $9.5 million, they've made the sale for a little more than a million under the asking price.
See inside here

January 28, 2015

The Storefront for Art and Architecture Gets Shrink Wrapped by SO-IL

We get frustrated every time we try to use Saran Wrap on the leftover half of a lemon, so we can't imagine shrink-wrapping the entire ground floor of a building. But that's exactly what design firm SO-IL did at the Storefront for Art and Architecture. The installation is part of Storefront's latest exhibit BLUEPRINT, which showcases 50 blueprints from various disciplines dating from 1961 to 2013. The show was also curated by SO-IL. By wrapping the exterior of the space, the gallery is "totally open, yet perpetually closed and fixed... wrapped in time and in space."
More on the exhibit and installation

January 28, 2015

POLL: Should Frank Gehry Design the New South Street Seaport?

Before 9/11, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum planned a new outpost on the East River in Lower Manhattan, sculpted by none other than starchitect Frank Gehry. But after the tragedy, the project was scratched. Now, the planned South Street Seaport project would replace the area’s main pier with a lower, glass structure that looks like a surburban mall […]

January 28, 2015

Striking Duplex Penthouse in North Tribeca Asks $7.5 Million

If you’re looking to drop $7.5 million on a showstopper in a prime location, you’re going to love this North Tribeca duplex penthouse at 39 Vestry Street. The Jessica Shaw-designed home sets the bar high with a northern skylight climbing from 11 feet to 22 feet and covering the entire living and dining areas. And it only gets better from there.
More inside

Distinctive Homes

As Younger Renters Move to the UES, Trendy Commercial Tenants Follow

Say goodbye to afternoon tea and hello to happy hour, via roboppy via photopin cc

January 27, 2015

As Younger Renters Move to the UES, Trendy Commercial Tenants Follow

You don't have to tell us twice that the Upper East Side is trading its reputation as a stodgy, ladies-who-lunch spot for a younger, more hip vibe. Not only do we think it's a hidden hot spot for artists, but we recently profiled the unofficial "new" Upper East Side, the high 80s and 90s, clustered between Park and 1st Avenues. And let's not forget how the Second Avenue subway is already shaking things up. But with a new generation of Upper East Siders gobbling up the surprisingly affordable real estate offerings, it's no surprise that trendy commercial spots are also getting in on the action. Small, local shops and restaurants create little communities that you might expect to find in brownstone Brooklyn, and larger, big-name businesses like Warby Parker and Whole Foods promise to make it a neighborhood to rival Union Square or Chelsea.
More on the real estate trend ahead

Park Here: Eyeing the Real Estate Surrounding Two of NYC’s Most Splendid State Parks

Riverbank State Park. Image via Dattner Architects

January 27, 2015

Park Here: Eyeing the Real Estate Surrounding Two of NYC’s Most Splendid State Parks

By Lauren Price

In a city that moves so fast that the Sunday edition of the New York Times comes out on Saturday, it is not surprising that New Yorkers might overlook some interesting factoids. For instance, New York City is home seven state parks! So, instead of enjoying a day inside other state parks filled with the ubiquitous lush greenery and a plethora of activities that might surely mean a couple of hours of driving—cityside state parks are but a subway ride away or possibly a short walk to the likes of the East River State Park on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, the Clay Pit Ponds State Park in Staten Island and the Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx. One of the most popular, with its grassy stretches of pastoral idyll against a spectacular backdrop, is the 28-acre Riverbank State Park near 143rd Street (seen in the two images above). A multi-level facility set 69 feet above the Hudson River on Riverside Drive, it opened in 1993. What’s more, this park is the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Inspired by Japan’s urban rooftop designs, it was created on top of a now-odorless sewage treatment facility on the Hudson.
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January 27, 2015

Photographer Jaka Vinsek Captures the Desolate Streets of New York During Last Night’s Blizzard

While the rest of us were bundled up indoors last night in anticipation of Snor'easter Juno, Brooklyn photographer Jaka Vinsek set out on a journey to capture New York's streets covered in snow. "I started at 10pm and got home at 7am," he says. "I walked on foot around nine miles." With transit shuttered at 7pm Monday, and a city-wide ban on vehicles (except emergency) beginning at 11pm, what Vinsek captures on camera is a desolate but eerily beautiful city. His photos feature unlikely scenes, including a completely empty Grand Central, as well as some wonderful moments of lone souls roaming amidst the city's dedicated workers pounding the pavement. Vinsek's photos show another, more peaceful side to our city that we often forget exists.
See more of the photos here

Events & Things To Do

January 27, 2015

Let Your Imagination Run Wild in This Wacky $8.3M East Village Home

By Stephanie Hoina

Located just a few steps off the Bowery, this five-story home at 4 East 2nd Street in the East Village, currently functioning as four separate units, offers a multitude of options. Looking to stretch out and have nearly 6,000 square feet all to yourself? Go right ahead, as the house will be delivered vacant and is ready for your personal touch. Or perhaps you’d prefer to keep the parlor floor as a gallery space and make do with the remaining few thousand square feet to accommodate your humble abode. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
See more of this imaginative home

January 27, 2015

Actor Vincent Gallo Asks $2.95M for His Chelsea Pad at Jean Nouvel Building

By Annie Doge

Actor and filmmaker Vincent Gallo is ready to bid adieu to his Chelsea pad. According to the NYDN, Gallo has listed his apartment for $2.95 million—about a $1 million more than what he paid for it two years ago. The one-bedroom home is located on the fifth floor of starchitect Jean Nouvel's glassy creation at 100 Eleventh Avenue. A few highlights of Gallo's space include a curved wall of glass and a floor-to-ceiling pivoting glass door that opens to a den with a private terrace.
Have a look inside this Nouvel gem

January 26, 2015

Tribeca Townhouse with Wild and Fiery Facade by System Architects Will Soon Come to Life

This isn't the sort of design we'd expect to see in Tribeca, but lo and behold, this bold statement by architect Jeremy Edmiston is about to become a reality along its brick and mortar block. The Tribeca Citizen reports that the single-family residence located at 187 Franklin Street is moving forward with construction on the kooky design which was first proposed in 2010. The project will see the building's facade removed and replaced with an undulating red facade complemented by silvery, net-like balconies.
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Architecture And Design

January 26, 2015

This Awesome $10.8M Soho Pad Will Make Your Head Swim

There’s an impressive new listing at 45 Greene Street in Soho’s Cast Iron District, asking $10.8 million. For that sum, you can get a two-bedroom duplex penthouse loft with 5,400 square feet of space, two terraces, and one of New York’s rarest and most treasured gems: a swimming pool. Do we have your attention now?
More pics here

Distinctive Homes

January 23, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Maya Jankelowitz of Jack’s Wife Freda on Creating Restaurants That Feel Like Home

By Susan Cohen

If you're an Instagram-loving New Yorker, then you've likely seen, or maybe even posted, photos of the salads, egg dishes, and even the menus at the downtown restaurant Jack's Wife Freda. Through the app, diners at Jack's Wife Freda have been spreading the word about the establishment's food and polished-yet-relaxed atmosphere. These sepia-toned photos certainly caught our attention, especially the beautiful meals plated on crisp white dishes. The visionaries behind the restaurant are husband-and-wife team Dean and Maya Jankelowitz. The pair opened Jack's Wife Freda three years ago on Lafayette Street in Soho, and just opened a second location on Carmine Street in the West Village. Together, the two restaurants are designed for New Yorkers to sit down and enjoy simple dishes that remind Dean and Maya of their families and respective countries, South Africa and Israel. For the couple, it's only a perk that they are getting so much attention on social media, as their primary goal has always been the two H's: hospitality and happiness. We recently spoke with Maya at the new Carmine location to find out about running two restaurants in the city with her husband and what it means to give New Yorkers a restaurant to call "their spot."
Read the full interview here

January 23, 2015

Churchill’s Granddaughter, Sculptor Edwina Sandys, Relists One-of-a-Kind Soho Loft for $10M

You know an apartment is exceptional when Philip Johnson once referred to it as "the most beautiful loft in Soho." Home to sculptor Edwina Sandys, the granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill, and her husband, architect Richard Kaplan, this one-of-a-kind space at 565 Broadway was also the location for the original season of "The Real World" in 1992 and has since seen the likes of architects Richard Meier and Rafael Vinoly, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Massimo Vignelli and Christine Ebersole pass through its doors for high-society parties hosted by Sandys and Kaplan. But the real draw here is the simply stunning historic architecture. Originally home to Ball Black & Co., the top 19th century jeweler before Tiffany's, the five-bedroom duplex boasts a double-height, 17-foot, exposed-brick vault ceiling, stately Corinthian columns, and a Carrara marble floor, which certainly justifies the $10 million price tag.
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January 23, 2015

VIDEO: Visit the Wonderfully Weird Lower East Side of 1995

It's hard to imagine the Lower East Side without all of its barflies and bros, but get ready for a blast from the past. Bowery Boogie has found an amazing video that gives us a glimpse into the neighborhood's quirky past—well before it became a nightlife mecca for New York's downtown set. The four-minute film, aptly titled "Planet Ludlow," takes us through the block via Ludlow Street circa 1995.
Watch the video here

History

January 23, 2015

Grab Your Architect and Race to This $4M Chelsea Loft

Let your imagination run wild in this 4,050-square-foot loft at 141 West 26th Street, right in the heart of Chelsea. This loft has 12-foot ceilings, oak wood floors, tons of light from multiple exposures, and enough space to create your dream home, all for $3.95 million.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

Unleash Gehry: Give Frank the East River and Churn the Lower Manhattan Pot

Image: Frank Gehry against his design for the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain

January 22, 2015

Unleash Gehry: Give Frank the East River and Churn the Lower Manhattan Pot

By Carter B. Horsley

The Foundation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Bologne in Paris recently opened and was another kudo for architect Frank O. Gehry whose Bilbao, Spain, branch of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1999 was widely regarded as the most important architecture project since the opening of the Pompidou Center in Paris in 1975. All these projects are Deconstructivist; they don’t fit easily into boxes and are not symmetrical. Their aesthetic tends to be chaotic, disorganized, aggressive, random and definitely unconventional, but also absolutely heroic, proud and defiant. The Pompidou Center was huge and intimidating, a gargantuan power plant for some unfinished but gaily painted super ocean liner. By comparison, the Guggenheim was a shiny swirl of silvery metal cascading by its riverfront location in a staccato flurry of flamenco stomps. Vuitton is a whole other gesture altogether; an organic amorphous form about to devour a city, formed of glass, wood and concrete in rearing and overlapping fashion, a mad dash about enclosure. All of these might just amount to a sophisticated bowl of cherries for architecture aficionados, except that this project was a baby of Bernard Arnault, the head of the luxury conglomerate that runs not only Louis Vuitton, the purser, but also bubbler Moët & Chandon, sipper Hennessy, dazzler Bulgari and fashionistas Dior, Fendi and Givenchy—all One-Percent darlings. These, of course, are not the only platinum brands but they'll certainly do in an all-so-sizzling and svelte pinch. You may now ask what has all this to do with our city.
Read more here

January 22, 2015

East Village’s Historic Meseritz Synagogue Gets Ready for Restoration and Condo Conversion

At the turn of the century, the Lower East Side/East Village was home to 75 percent of the 2.5 million Ashkenazi Jews that immigrated to the U.S. They quickly established synagogues, many of which were "tenement synagogues," aptly named because they were built on the narrow lots between tenements and served the mostly-impoverished people who lived in the surrounding, overcrowded buildings. Only one of these tenement synagogues is still in operation–the Congregation Meseritz Synagogue (or Anshei Meseritz) at 515 East 6th Street. Narrowly saved from the wrecking ball in 2012, Meseritz is now undergoing a total overhaul. Real estate developer East River Partners is adding three luxury apartments, including an 11-foot-tall penthouse, to the top of the structure. Though the plan was initially contested by some neighbors and local community and preservation groups, the developer is undertaking a multimillion-dollar gut renovation of the ground floor, creating a new home out of which the congregation can worship.
More details ahead

January 22, 2015

Tall Tin Ceilings Charm in This $1.4M Chelsea Loft

This $1.395 million, 1,000-square-foot, newly renovated loft at 136 West 24th Street has a flexible layout, making a second bedroom or home office a possibility, all within running distance of the Shake Shack line when it comes back. And Snoopy will love your close proximity to the park and the dog run (and let’s be honest, hamburger crumbs).
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

January 21, 2015

Exquisite West Chelsea Loft Designed by 212box Architecture ‘Suits to a T’ at $5.9M

By Stephanie Hoina

While the etymology of the expression “suits to a T” isn’t clearly defined, there is no debating its meaning: when something is exactly as it should be or fits to perfection. Which is the ideal way to describe this rare T-shaped loft located in the Eagle Warehouse building at 532 West 22nd Street on a quiet and utterly charming Chelsea block full of art galleries. Designed by 212box Architecture, this $5.9 million dream home was recently featured in Interior Design magazine. Windows at every turn drench the home with sunshine, and custom black steel and pebbled glass room separators transport the natural light throughout the open floor plan offering some level of privacy while still maintaining the loft aesthetic.
See more of why this home 'suits to a T'

Distinctive Homes

January 21, 2015

One57 Records Another Blockbuster Sale, 85th-Floor Pad Sells for $55.6 Million

There’s no slowing One57. Yet another blockbuster sale hit city records this morning, bringing the brash blue supertall its third most expensive sale to date—and the city its ninth most expensive condo sale in history. The ultra-luxe pad is the 6,240-square-foot 85th-floor unit, which boasts four bedrooms, four baths, and the lofty, breathtaking views that have have made One57 one […]

January 21, 2015

Make Central Park Your Neighbor with This Adorable $2.6M Townhouse Apartment