Manhattan

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

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

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

Located on Franklin Street in Tribeca, the interior of this loft, by designer Jane Kim, is a cool combination of rustic elegance and industrial modernism. The wooden floors and brick laid walls warm up the expansive space that's somewhere between urban loft and mountain ski lodge. If you happen to be one of those New Yorkers charmed by the use of raw materials and luxury amenities, this might be the perfect bit of inspiration for your next home makeover.
Have a look inside

November 17, 2014

New Rendering for 111 West 57th Street Shows Ethereal Views

By Ondel Hylton

Move over 432 Park, there's a taller, slimmer and sexier ultra-luxury residential tower coming to Midtown. At the Municipal Art Society's 2014 Summit for NYC, Simon Koster, Principal at JDS Development Group, provided the audience with a compelling presentation on how our ideals can serve as the basis in how we shape our city. The restored crown of Stella Tower, the East River mega-rental project at 616 First Avenue, and 111 West 57th Street's discretionary approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission were used as relevant examples. And the 57th Street project really caught our eye. The 1,400+ foot tower will also become the slimmest building in the world with a slenderness ratio of 1:23. Its narrow profile and stepped crown evoke the romantic art-deco towers of the 1920s and '30s and other timeless city landmarks. SHoP Architects are the designers and WSP Group are the engineers/magicians making sure things remain upright.
More on the tower here

November 17, 2014

The $26M Listing for Lauren Bacall’s Dakota Apartment Is Finally Here

Those who've been waiting for a glimpse into the late Lauren Bacall's Dakota apartment will finally have their curiosity quelled. Curbed has just spotted the official listing for Ms. Bacall's sprawling Central Park West home and, as expected, it boasts a $26 million asking price. It was previously reported that the apartment was in need of quite a bit of work, but by the looks of things, the home is in fine shape with many of its original 19th century details still intact, including the original plaster moldings, pocket doors, fireplaces, wainscoting and hardware.
Inside the Dakota apartment

November 17, 2014

VIDEO: Architect Robert A.M. Stern Talks 15 Central Park West and How It’s a “Background Building”

15 Central Park West is frequently in the news—whether it's because a new celeb has moved in, or that it's recorded yet another blockbuster sale. But standing far from the limelight is the building's architect, Robert A.M. Stern, who, like his buildings, opts for the stately, subdued and classic over the winding and twisting standalones of his contemporaries. "We have a lot of silly buildings being built, in my opinion. The buildings should not look like Lady Gaga,” the architect says. In the latest installment of the Louisiana Channel Stern discusses what might be his most famous project, 15 CPW, and why he strives for buildings that complement, not dominate.
Watch the interview here

Architecture And Design

November 14, 2014

Checking In on the Progress of Zaha Hadid’s High Line Condos

Of the condos planned along the High Line Park, one of the most—if not the most—anticipated addition comes via Zaha Hadid. One of our intrepid reporters recently stopped by the construction site located at 520 West 28th Street to see how works are coming along, and it looks like the site is near-ready for its starchitect treatment. […]

November 14, 2014

ESPN NFL Guru Adam Caplan Swaps Almost-Identical Tribeca Apartments

By Annie Doge

It's pretty common that we report on celebrities upgrading their digs, but today we have the opposite story. ESPN's NFL insider Adam Caplan sold his two-bedroom, floor-through penthouse apartment at 150 Chambers Street in Tribeca for $3 million, but picked up another similar two-bedroom unit in the same building for $2,375,000, according to city records released today.
Take a look at Caplan's old and new homes

November 14, 2014

Gorgeous Penthouse Condo Offers All the Thrills of Greenwich Village

As a neighborhood, Greenwich Village offers a taste of almost everything that makes people dream of living in New York–eclectic restaurants, vibrant nightlife and shopping and world-famous community events, all in a low-scale, family-friendly neighborhood. Now you can enjoy all of the benefits of living in one of the best neighborhoods in the world, as this impeccable five-bedroom penthouse condo just popped up on the market. Located at 29 East 10th Street, this seriously gorgeous piece of real estate is currently listed for $14.995 million and offers the privacy of townhouse living with the ceiling heights and proportions of a classic Downtown loft.
Tour the rest of the home here

November 14, 2014

Lindsay Lohan Rents Financial District Apartment

By Annie Doge

LiLo is moving to FiDi. When she wraps up her run of “Speed the Plough” on London's West End, Lindsay Lohan will cross the pond straight to the Financial District, where she's inked a deal on a 700-square-foot apartment at the W New York Downtown at 123 Washington Street, according to the Daily News. The one-bedroom pad was originally listed for $2 million and then as a $5,000/month rental, though there's no confirmed word on exactly what Lindsay, along with her sister Ali, will be paying. But the Lohan girls will have plenty of celeb neighbors, including Kate Upton and Bow Wow.
Take a look inside LiLo's new home

November 14, 2014

Dream House Combo at Duane Street Lofts Reduces Price to $9 Million