Manhattan

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated a building in Manhattan that serves as a reminder of racially segregated education in New York City. The former Colored School No 4. was a public school open to only Black students and teachers from 1860 to 1884. The remarkably-intact three-story building at 128 West 17th Street in Chelsea is the borough's only surviving school building that exclusively served African Americans. Not only does the new landmark represent the history of the Black community who lived in this part of Manhattan, but it also recognizes the many notable figures associated with the school.
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Policy

MSG should stay above Penn Station, says Manhattan borough president

Rendering: ASTM North America

May 22, 2023

MSG should stay above Penn Station, says Manhattan borough president

Madison Square Garden should be granted a new operating permit and be allowed to stay put, as long as it gives up some of its space for the expansion of Penn Station, Manhattan Borough Mark Levine said on Monday. As first reported by Crain's New York, Levine's recommendation includes demolishing MSG's theater and replacing it with a new grand entrance facing Eighth Avenue, a new mid-block entrance, and a double-height concourse. To do this, Levine advises giving MSG a new five-year special permit, if the Garden works with the city, state, and railroads to redevelop Penn Station and the surrounding area.
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Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s former Greenwich Village apartment asks $15.5M

All images courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 18, 2023

Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s former Greenwich Village apartment asks $15.5M

A Greenwich Village townhouse with a carriage house that Kate Moss and Johnny Depp called home during the 1990s is for sale. The nearly 200-year-old Federal-style brick townhouse at 112 Waverly Place is currently configured as four rentals, each with private outdoor space and wood-burning fireplaces. The 90s power couple lived in the quirky complex's 1,800-square-foot carriage house from 1994 to 1998. The entire property is now available for $15,500,000, as first spotted by the New York Post.
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Architecture critic Paul Goldberger lists Central Park-facing Beresford co-op for $8.95M

All photos courtesy of Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 17, 2023

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger lists Central Park-facing Beresford co-op for $8.95M

An architecture critic is selling his apartment in one of New York City's most beloved buildings. Paul Goldberger, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his architecture criticism in the New York Times and has authored several books, has put his nine-room co-op at 211 Central Park West on the market for $8,950,000. The spacious apartment at The Beresford benefits from pre-war proportions and character, a recently renovated chef's kitchen, Central Park views, and an iconic address.
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Distinctive Homes

Noho’s Bleecker Street Bar reopens after nearly three years

The original location of the Bleecker Street Bar. Photo by Village Preservation on Flickr

May 17, 2023

Noho’s Bleecker Street Bar reopens after nearly three years

Noho's beloved Bleecker Street Bar reopened its doors on Wednesday after closing two-and-a-half years ago due to the pandemic. The bar, which has served Noho residents for more than 30 years, joined an extensive list of neighborhood bars and restaurants that were forced to close their doors due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Bleecker Street Bar's new location is 648 Broadway.
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Food & Dining

Your guide to Morningside Heights: A college town in a city neighborhood

Tom’s Restaurant is a landmark in Morningside Heights thanks to Seinfeld. Photo by Scarlet Sappho on Flickr

May 17, 2023

Your guide to Morningside Heights: A college town in a city neighborhood

Bookended by Morningside and Riverside Parks on a high plateau in Upper Manhattan, Morningside Heights is tucked between the neighborhoods of Manhattanville to the north and Manhattan Valley to the south. The neighborhood's street boundaries are Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west, with Broadway as its main commercial thoroughfare. Morningside Heights is also considered to be part of Harlem–with the Upper West Side just below. To use a bookend analogy is fitting: Morningside Heights is the largest student neighborhood in New York City; it is this distinction that provides the city neighborhood with its college town vibe.
What to do and see, and where to live in Morningside Heights

Century 21 reopens in the Financial District

Photo courtesy of Century 21

May 17, 2023

Century 21 reopens in the Financial District

New York City's favorite discount department store is back. Century 21 on Tuesday officially reopened its flagship at 22 Cortlandt Street in the Financial District three years after filing for bankruptcy and closing all of its locations. The renovated store has four floors with men's, women's, and children's apparel, including footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories, and fragrances. To honor its connection to the city, the famed store has added "NYC" to its logo.
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Uncategorized

A section of NYC skateboarding ‘mecca’ Brooklyn Banks reopens in Chinatown

Public space under the Brooklyn Bridge. Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Images courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

May 16, 2023

A section of NYC skateboarding ‘mecca’ Brooklyn Banks reopens in Chinatown

Parts of a long-neglected public space under the Brooklyn Bridge once known as the "mecca" of New York City skateboarding will reopen this month. On Wednesday, May 24, "The Arches," a one-acre public space with basketball, pickleball, shuffleboard, and seating under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, will officially open after being shuttered for over a decade, Mayor Eric Adams announced last week. The new park sits next to Brooklyn Banks, a haven for skateboarders and BMX riders starting in the 1980s before closing in 2010.
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NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

Photo by Billy Hathorn via Wikimedia Commons

May 15, 2023

NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

A historic hotel in Midtown that has been closed since the start of the pandemic will become the city’s first arrival center for migrants, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Saturday. Located at 45 East 45th Street, The Roosevelt Hotel will serve as a “centralized intake center” for all arriving asylum seekers, providing them with legal, medical, and reconnection services and up to 175 rooms for children and families starting later this week. The new shelter is the ninth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center opened by the city; more migrants are expected to arrive in New York after the end of the pandemic-era rule Title 42, which let the U.S. quickly expel migrants without documentation.
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Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 15, 2023

Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

Rosie O'Donnell is trading Manhattan for Malibu. The comedian put her Midtown East penthouse on the market last week for $8,300,000, following a move to the West Coast, as the New York Times first reported. The Long Island native and longtime New York City resident paid $8,000,000 for the apartment in 2017. The home, located atop 255 East 49th Street, measures nearly 3,600 square feet across three levels, including an impressive private rooftop.
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This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 15, 2023

This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

Peerless in form and function, this dazzling condominium residence at 111 Murray Street was designed by world-renowned French architect and designer Thierry Despont. Asking $13,500,000, the Tribeca trophy home, with its open city and water views and magazine-worthy renovation, is the perfect setting for an updated rendition of "Zou Bisou, Bisou" against the glittering Manhattan skyline.
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Novelist Erica Jong lists Upper East Side apartment for $4.25M

Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Warburg

May 12, 2023

Novelist Erica Jong lists Upper East Side apartment for $4.25M

Novelist Erica Jong is selling her high-floor Upper East Side home for $4,250,000. Jong, who has written more than 25 books but is best known for her 1973 feminist novel "Fear of Flying," bought the apartment with her husband for $1,490,000 in 1990, according to the New York Post. Located on the 27th floor of the Emery Roth-designed Imperial House at 150 East 69th Street, the apartment measures nearly 3,000 square feet, boasts a charming solarium with sweeping Central Park views, and has custom bookcases filled to the brim, fit for any writer.
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300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

All photos © 6sqft

May 11, 2023

300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

The elevated pathway that will connect the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall hit a major milestone this week. The 260-foot-long timber bridge has been craned into place and is currently suspended 25 feet over Dyer Avenue. The new footbridge connects Manhattan West's public plaza Magnolia Court to a pedestrian pathway at West 31st Street, providing an easier way of accessing the Moynihan Train Hall without having to cross multiple streets. The timber bridge will link to the so-called Woodland Bridge, which will extend east from the existing northern terminus of the High Line. The new linear park, dubbed the High Line-Moynihan Train Hall Connector, is expected to open in late June.
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$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 11, 2023

$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

With 4,100 square feet of living space and five bedrooms, this nine-room co-op at 6 West 20th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron district could easily be a custom-built family home in the suburbs, if it weren't in the middle of a vibrant Manhattan neighborhood. Asking $7,950,000, this renovated loft residence designed by West Chin Architects even has the layout of a modern house, with large rooms arranged around a central gallery.
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Distinctive Homes

May 11, 2023

Huge light installation coming to site of proposed Midtown East casino near the U.N.

An impressive light installation will debut this fall at the storied 7-acre vacant site near the United Nations in Midtown East. Stretching from 38th to 41st Streets on First Avenue, and designed by world-renowned artist Bruce Munro, "Field of Light" will include an array of 17,000 flower-like lights that will serve as a "beacon of freedom and hope around the world." Opening in September, the free and public installation is being paid for by the Soloviev Group, the firm which has proposed constructing a mixed-use development dubbed Freedom Plaza on the undeveloped property, anchored by one of three casinos planned for the New York City area.
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Events & Things To Do

$416M mixed-use development will bring 700 new apartments to Inwood

Renderings courtesy of the New York Governor’s Office

May 10, 2023

$416M mixed-use development will bring 700 new apartments to Inwood

A massive mixed-use development project will bring nearly 700 mixed-income housing units to Upper Manhattan. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the two buildings, located at 405 and 407 West 206th Street in Inwood, will feature all-electric heating and cooling and other sustainable features to help the state reach its carbon reduction goals. The $416 million complex includes a mix of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, 281 of which will be reserved for residents earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
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El Dorado childhood home of Beastie Boys’ Mike D finds a buyer after $4.5M price chop

Photos from the 2022 listing courtesy of Rise Media

May 10, 2023

El Dorado childhood home of Beastie Boys’ Mike D finds a buyer after $4.5M price chop

The childhood home of Beastie Boys rapper Mike D has found a buyer, after a year on the market and a $4.5 million price cut. The apartment at the Upper West Side's enviable El Dorado building belonged to the estate of Hester and Harold Diamond, owners of one of the world’s finest art collections and parents of Mike Diamond. The duplex co-op hit the market in May 2022 for $19,500,000 and relisted this past March for $14,995,000 before entering contract on Tuesday, as first reported by the New York Post.
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Real Estate Trends

New exhibition celebrates design icon Milton Glaser’s grooviest work

Questor. Annual report, 1969. Questor Corporation. All images courtesy of SVA

May 10, 2023

New exhibition celebrates design icon Milton Glaser’s grooviest work

A New York City exhibition is showing off rarely-seen whimsical work of famed late illustrator Milton Glaser. Hosted at the School of Visual Art's Gramercy Gallery, "Milton Glaser: POP" features nearly 150 items drawn from the Glaser archives, including book, album, and magazine covers as well as posters and advertisements. Many of these pieces have not been viewed since they were originally published, and some have never been published at all. Free and open to the public, the exhibition will be on view from Wednesday, May 17 through Monday, June 5.
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Events & Things To Do

This $2.5M loft in a former East Village synagogue once belonged to photographer William Wegman

Photo credit: Rachel Kuzma for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 9, 2023

This $2.5M loft in a former East Village synagogue once belonged to photographer William Wegman

Now on the market for $2,500,000, this East Village loft at 431 East 6th Street is one of three in a building with a history that's in keeping with its colorful downtown neighborhood. Available for the first time in 40 years, the apartment, belonging to model and interior designer Maria Von Hartz, represents the latest incarnation of what was once an abandoned synagogue. The building, which is a tenancy-in-common property, was purchased in the 1980s by a group of artists who transformed the abandoned house of worship into beautiful loft homes. Among these artist-owners was celebrated photographer William Wegman of whimsical Weimaraner fame.
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Distinctive Homes

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

May 8, 2023

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

This four-story townhouse at 334 West 20th Street, asking $25,000,000 set a neighborhood record when it changed hands in 2021 for $22,500,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. Chelsea's priciest townhouse is on track to outdo its previous record if it fetches its current ask. From the cellar gym to the elevator to the sprawling rooftop terrace, AD100 firm Gachot made use of every inch of usable space in a redesign that turned the home into a modern Manhattan mansion while preserving its historic elegance.
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Distinctive Homes

Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

Photo courtesy of Will Ellis/COMPASS

May 5, 2023

Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

Another of comedian and actor Mike Myers' fabulous homes is for sale. This 5,600-square-foot penthouse adjacent to the High Line at 505 West 19th Street in West Chelsea, asking $20,000,000, has two terraces and five bedrooms, with designer interiors courtesy of Thomas Juul Hansen, the building's architect. According to the Wall Street Journal, the “Shrek” star purchased the home for $15.35 million in 2017.
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A suspended spherical concert hall will hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

A rendering of Sonic Sphere in The Shed’s 115-foot-tall McCourt space, 2023. Courtesy The Shed.

May 3, 2023

A suspended spherical concert hall will hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

A 65-foot-tall spherical concert hall will hang suspended inside The Shed in Hudson Yards. Created by avante-garde architects Ed Cooke, Merijn Royaards, and Nicholas Christie, the Sonic Sphere offers concertgoers a truly unique experience with immersive 3-D sound and light explorations of music that redefine the idea of a concert hall. Performances in the sphere will run from June 9 through July 7.
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Events & Things To Do

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 3, 2023

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

This 6,000-square-foot full-floor residence in the Beekman Regent condominium at 351 East 51st Street, currently asking $6,995,000 (down from $8,500,000 in 2021), may provide an opportunity for auction lovers: The penthouse with city views and five bedrooms is headed for online auction by the British government, with bids starting at $2,000,000. The penthouse has functioned as the British Consul General in New York's residence, so it's a given that its flexible floorplan and nearly 10-foot ceilings would add up to the perfect space for lavish parties and regal receptions.
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$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

Photo credit: MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

May 2, 2023

$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

This 25-foot-wide carriage house at 118 East 83rd Street has 7,500 square feet of living space, a private garage, a roof deck and terraces, an elevator–and an interesting New York City story. Situated on a leafy Upper East Side block lined with carriage houses, this particular one has several distinctions. Built in 1908, it was originally owned by the J.P. Morgan family and served as the noted financier's garage and staff quarters. Constructed at the dawn of the automobile era, the building was among the first to be built specifically to hold cars. After a complete renovation by the current owners, this four-story home is a modern mansion with peerless amenities–including a private garage–now listed for $25,000,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Lottery opens for 70 mixed-income units at High Line-facing rental in Hudson Yards, from $772/month

Photo courtesy of The All-Nite Images on Flickr

May 1, 2023

Lottery opens for 70 mixed-income units at High Line-facing rental in Hudson Yards, from $772/month

A new high-rise tower in Hudson Yards launched a housing lottery last week for 70 mixed-income apartments. Dubbed the 30th and 11th Apartments, the mixed-use building at 606 West 30th Street sits across from the High Line and just south of New York City's newest neighborhood. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $772/month studios to $2,592/month two-bedroom apartments.
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Affordable Housing

This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel

Photo courtesy of Evan Joseph

May 1, 2023

This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel