Manhattan

August 30, 2023

Manhattan’s first-ever film and TV studio coming to Pier 94

Vornado Realty Trust is joining forces with industry giants Blackstone and Hudson Pacific Properties to transform Manhattan's Pier 94 into the borough's first-ever major TV and film studio production complex. Work is expected to begin later this year on the 266,000-square-foot campus, known as Sunset Pier 94 Studios, which will include six soundstages, offices, a writers' room, and public amenities along Manhattan's West Side, according to the Wall Street Journal. The $350 million project could be completed by the end of 2025.
Learn more about Manhattan's first film studio
August 29, 2023

Times Square water main break leads to major subway delays

A water main installed in 1896 broke in Times Square on Tuesday morning, stopping train service on several subway lines during morning rush hour. Due to water flooding the subway tracks, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended or rerouted service on the 1, 2, and 3 lines, which also affected the 4 and 5 lines. The area between 39th and 42nd Streets along Seventh Avenue was shut down due to flooding and is expected to remain closed for the rest of the day.
Learn more
August 29, 2023

NYC Council approves five-year permit for Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden will remain above Penn Station, but for not as long as its owners want. Two New York City Council committees on Monday voted to renew the arena's special permit for five years, which would be the shortest operating permit given to the Garden if approved by the full Council next month. MSG owner James Dolan had hoped to secure a permanent extension of the operating permit which expired earlier this year.
details here
August 28, 2023

$22M Upper East Side townhouse has picture-perfect private garden

A posh Upper East Side townhouse with five floors, over 8,000 square feet, and a pretty, private landscaped garden is available for $22,000,000. Located in one of New York City's most coveted neighborhoods, the 20-foot-wide property at 14 East 81st Street combines classic elements of the city's Gilded Age with a totally renovated interior for 21st-century living. Not even a block from the Met Museum and Central Park, this historic mansion is surrounded by the neighborhood's renowned art and cultural institutions.
see it here
August 28, 2023

Lottery opens for new senior apartments in Chelsea, from $686/month

A housing lottery opened this week at a new apartment building in Chelsea. Located at 278 Eighth Avenue, the 14-story mixed-use building will have 190 total apartments, with 25 percent set aside for seniors, and a ground-floor Target store. Through the lottery, 44 apartments are available to those who are, or have a family member who is, at least 62 years of age and earns 40, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income. An additional four apartments are open to those who earn 130 percent of the area median income. Apartments are priced from $686/month studios to $3,753/month two-bedrooms.
READ MORE
August 28, 2023

NYC’s Gramercy Park Hotel to reopen with rooftop bar and Danny Meyer restaurant

After closing during the pandemic, Manhattan's famed Gramercy Park Hotel will reopen under new ownership, the Wall Street Journal reported. MCR Hotels, the nation's third-largest hotel owner and operator, has purchased a 99-year lease to the hotel, located directly across from the exclusive Gramercy Park, for roughly $50 million and expects to reopen the property as one of the city's most luxurious hotels in 2025 following renovations. Plans include upgrades to the lobby, the 197 guest rooms, the first-floor restaurant (Danny Meyer's Maialino), and the 7,000-square-foot rooftop bar.
LEARN MORE
August 25, 2023

Tap-to-pay OMNY system finally comes to the Roosevelt Island Tram

New Yorkers are now able to tap to pay to board the Roosevelt Island Tramway. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced the tram, which takes riders 250 feet above the East River between Manhattan's east side and Roosevelt Island in just four minutes, is the first non-MTA-operated service to accept OMNY. To pay the fare, riders can now tap their credit cards or mobile devices at the 59th Street and 2nd Avenue tram station in Manhattan and at Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island.
READ MORE
August 25, 2023

Cozy up by the fireplace in this $559K Upper West Side brownstone studio

On a leafy and historic block at 134 West 88th Street in the heart of the Upper West Side, this maisonette-style studio co-op is the compact version of brownstone living. Elegant burnished wood paneling frames the tidy space, anchored by a wood-burning fireplace. Turn-of-the-century details also include ceilings well over 11 feet high. The ask for this compact co-op? $559,000.
more pretty pre-war details, this way
August 23, 2023

The Met announces major Harlem Renaissance exhibition

The Metropolitan Museum of Art next year will host an exhibition establishing the Harlem Renaissance as the first-ever African-American-led international art movement. Debuting in February 2024, "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism" will explore the ways in which Black artists depicted everyday life in the new Black cities that developed across the United States from the 1920s through the 1940s, like New York City's Harlem and Chicago's South Side. As the first art museum survey of the Harlem Renaissance in the city since 1987, the exhibition includes roughly 160 works of painting, sculpture, film, photography, and more.
learn more this way
August 23, 2023

For $14M, this full-floor Upper East Side condo feels like a designer show house, wine room and gallery included

Situated a prime Park Avenue location, in the Parkside condominium building at 525 Park Avenue, this sprawling 4,000-square-foot home occupies an entire floor, with a layout that feels like a townhouse in the sky. Designed by noted decorator David Kleinberg, each room of the pre-war condo, asking $13,995,000, is a showcase of elegant texture, color and pattern. An extra-large gallery is perfect for a sizable art collection; a wet bar and a wine room await grand-scale entertaining. A high floor location means iconic unobstructed views in every direction.
Upper east side design, this way
August 22, 2023

Pedestrian, public space upgrades slated for Broadway near Union Square

New York City wants to better connect the Flatiron District and Union Square. As part of an expansion of the city's "Broadway Vision" plan, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced plans to upgrade public space on Broadway from East 21st Street to East 17th Street, including bike lanes, pedestrian space, and expanded outdoor dining. The Department of Transportation will launch public outreach for the expansion this week, gathering feedback on the improvements, specifically, a new two-way bike boulevard.
read more about broadway vision
August 21, 2023

$80M penthouse sale at 220 Central Park South is one of year’s biggest deals

One of New York City's best-selling condo buildings locked in one of the biggest deals of the year so far. An 8,000-square-foot duplex penthouse at 220 Central Park South on Billionaires' Row is selling for roughly $80 million, the Wall Street Journal first reported. The seller is linked to investment firm Nima Capital, which paid around $65.6 million for the property in October 2020.
Details here
August 18, 2023

For $1.95M, this Morningside Heights co-op has pre-war elegance in a building with a presidential past

This pretty pre-war co-op at 622 West 114th Street in Morningside Heights has gracious proportions and the rare-for-Manhattan four-bedrooms. Filled with well-preserved architectural details and elegant wood built-ins, this uptown "classic seven," asking $1,950,000, doesn't need a celebrity angle to attract buyers–but a presidential pedigree never hurts: President Barack Obama lived in a fourth-floor walkup in the same building (that unit was listed for $1,450,000 back in 2020) after graduating from Columbia University in the 1980s.
take the tour
August 17, 2023

Adams announces Midtown South rezoning, plan to convert offices to housing

New housing will be allowed in parts of Midtown Manhattan for the first time in decades under a plan announced by Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday. The mayor wants to update zoning rules to allow for the construction of new apartments in a 42-block area stretching from 23rd Street to 40th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, which is currently designated for manufacturing use. The start of the rezoning effort joins another proposal from the Adams administration to facilitate and expedite office-to-housing conversions across every borough, as the city continues to face a housing shortage.
READ MORE
August 17, 2023

This $2.4M Manhattan Valley condo overlooks Morningside Park from a 1,000-square-foot terrace

Tucked between Central Park and Morningside Park, the Manhattan Valley neighborhood on Manhattan's Upper West Side is convenient to everything great about New York City, yet surrounded by green space. Asking $2,399,000, this two-bedroom condo at 352 Cathedral Parkway offers the best of city living while taking advantage of its parkside location. The star feature of this spacious, modern apartment: A 1,051-square-foot private terrace with unobstructed park views.
park views and outdoor living, this way
August 17, 2023

Live above Inwood’s new public library, from $397/month

Attention New York bookworms: Here's a chance to live above a brand-new city library. A housing lottery opened this week for 138 affordable apartments at The Eliza, a 14-story rental in Inwood. Located at 4790 Broadway, the development includes deeply affordable apartments and a two-level New York Public Library branch at its base. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, and 60 percent of the area median income, or between $16,183 for a single person annually and $105,060 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, which range from $397/month studios to $1,841/month three bedrooms.
READ MORE
August 16, 2023

4 NYC seafood spots that will make you feel like you’re on vacation

Nothing says summer in the Northeast like sitting by the water with fresh seafood and a cold drink. Lobster rolls, oysters, and steamers on the coast probably conjure up images of weekends in the Hamptons, Cape Cod, or Maine, but there are some hidden gems right here in New York City that will make you feel like you’re on a summer getaway — and you don’t even have to battle that weekend traffic. Here are four spots to check out while summer is still in full swing.
see the spots
August 16, 2023

This $31M Upper East Side mansion with long and layered history is now four beautiful apartments

This beautifully renovated limestone townhouse in Manhattan's Carnegie Hill, adjacent to Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was built in the 1890s as part of a row of four mansions for members of New York City's wealthiest families. The home at 9 East 82nd Street, now asking $31 million, was first owned by stockbroker J. Prentice Kellogg. The home's facade, built in the Neoclassical style, features a raised portico entrance and a secondary service entrance. A fifth floor was added to the 25-foot-wide townhouse in 1920. The property's current configuration as four turn-key luxury rental apartments is the result of a 2021 stem-to-stern renovation and restoration effort.
One mansion, four apartments, this way
August 15, 2023

East Harlem tower opens lottery for 40 mixed-income apartments, from $763/month

Applications are now being accepted for 40 mixed-income units at a new residential development in East Harlem. Located at 88 East 127th Street, the 19-story building is conveniently located near several public transit options, the 16-acre Marcus Garvey Park, and lots of restaurants and shopping. New Yorkers earning 40 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $29,109 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced from $763/month studios to $3,773/month two-bedrooms.
READ MORE
August 14, 2023

Chandeliers made of repurposed plastic bottles hang above Park Avenue

A new installation along Park Avenue transforms trash into environmentally-mindful works of art. Artist Willie Cole designed four large-scale chandeliers made of 9,000 recycled plastic water bottles that can now be seen on the medians at 69th and 70th Streets. Titled "3000 Buddha Chandelier," "Liberty Lantern," "Soul Catcher," and "Dirt Devil," the sculptures aim to address the need for clean drinking water while recognizing the environmental damage caused by plastic bottles.
Details here
August 14, 2023

$65M UES mansion is a showcase of Gilded Age history, updated for a new era of grand-scale living

On a Central Park-adjacent block near Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side, the 35-foot wide limestone mansion at 4 East 79th Street is a historic testament to Manhattan's Gilded Age; asking $65,000,000, it's among a handful of the most expensive townhouses to ever be listed in New York City. The six-story home with over 15,000 square feet of interior space offers an opportunity for living and entertaining befitting a new era of opulence, including two elevators, a professional-grade catering kitchen, a security office, a wine cellar and reception room, a grand center stair hall, and a top-floor skylit gym.
READ MORE
August 11, 2023

Here’s everything you need to know about NYC’s Dominican Day Parade

The 41st annual Dominican Day Parade returns to Midtown this Sunday, August 13. The parade brings together New York City’s Dominican community, the largest in the country, to celebrate their heritage with live music, parade floats, vibrant costumes, traditional dance, food, and more. First held in 1982, the parade started as a small celebration in Washington Heights. Hosted on the second Sunday in August, the parade commemorates the start of the Dominican Republic's fight for independence from Spain in 1863. The theme for this year’s event is “Our History, Our People,” and for the first time in the parade’s history, the procession will be headed by Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, who will serve as Grand Marshal.
MORE HERE
August 9, 2023

Open-air night market returns to Chinatown with 30+ vendors

The Chinatown Night Market is returning this week with its largest outing yet. Taking place on Friday, August 11 in Forsyth Plaza, the Chinatown Night Market is a free monthly summer series hosted by Think!Chinatown. This month's event, which will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., includes more than 30 vendors offering delicious food, breathtaking live performances, and folk art.
MORE THIS WAY
August 8, 2023

The Four Seasons in Midtown set to reopen next fall

The Four Seasons hotel in Midtown will reopen next year after being closed since 2020. Following a dispute, hotel owner Ty Warner and Four Seasons management on Thursday announced an agreement was reached to reopen the hotel in the fall of 2024. Located at 57 East 57th Street, the 52-story building designed by I.M. Pei closed in March 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and is one of the last high-end hotels to reopen. Early on during the pandemic, the hotel was used as an emergency location for doctors caring for Covid-19 patients coming from the Upper East Side.
Learn more
August 8, 2023

$28M Midtown duplex has epic private terrace and 5-star hotel perks

This duplex apartment offers the seemingly impossible: more than 3,000 square feet of private outdoor space in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Located on the 18th and 19th floors of the elegant Baccarat Hotel & Residences on West 53rd Street, this mansion-in-the-sky, asking $27,950,000, has been gut renovated with top-of-the-line everything and is wrapped by a marble-capped terrace that is surrounded by iconic cityscape. Residents have access to the five-star hotel's amenities, including 24-hour room service, a heated pool, a fitness center, and the notable La Mer spa.
take the tour
August 7, 2023

Once listed for $110M, Woolworth Building penthouse sells for $30M

Six years and an $80 million price cut later, one of New York City's most iconic penthouse properties has found a buyer. The Woolworth Building's seven-story penthouse has sold for $30 million, not even a third of the original $110 million asking price. According to the Wall Street Journal, Scott Lynn, chief executive of Masterworks, an online art-investment service, is the buyer. After hitting the market for the jaw-dropping price in 2017, the penthouse, known as the Pinnacle, saw several price chops in recent years and was last publicly listed for $59 million, according to CityRealty.
Get the details
August 3, 2023

$899K eco-friendly East Village co-op has a 400-plant green wall

Living more sustainably can start at home, as seen in this East Village apartment. The eco-conscious two-bedroom co-op at 315 East 12th Street features formaldehyde-free cabinets, doors made of recycled plastics, and at the center, a living wall with 400 plants, which purify the air and create a sense of well-being. Asking $899,000, the apartment is efficient, with hidden closets, sliding doors, a Murphy bed, and a dining area with a table that pops up from the floor.
READ MORE