Manhattan

October 13, 2020

City Winery to open flagship venue at Pier 57 this week

The massive new flagship of entertainment venue and restaurant City Winery will open this week at Hudson River Park's Pier 57. Starting October 15, the restaurant will accept reservations for limited capacity indoor and outdoor dining, with 200 seats available inside and 70 seats outside. City Winery was forced to move from its longtime Varick Street location last year after the Walt Disney Company purchased the property with plans to open new production space and offices there.
Get the details
October 13, 2020

NYC’s landmarked Roosevelt Hotel will close after 96 years due to pandemic

When the Roosevelt Hotel opened on East 45th Street in 1924, it was connected to Grand Central via an underground tunnel, signaling its prominence among New York's Jazz Age society. But nearly 100 years later, the Midtown hotel will shut it doors for good on October 31. As CNN first reported, owner Pakistan International Airlines said in a statement that the decision stems from "the current, unprecedented environment and the continued uncertain impact from COVID-19."
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October 13, 2020

Mother Cabrini statue unveiled in Battery Park City

Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a statue honoring Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized by the Catholic Church and patron saint of immigrants, in Battery Park City on Monday. Created by Jill and Giancarlo Biagi, the bronze memorial depicts Mother Cabrini on a boat with two children and faces Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of hope for immigrants coming to New York. The governor formed a state commission last year to lead the creation of the memorial after the city's She Built NYC program passed over Mother Cabrini as their next monument, even though she received the most nominations in a public poll.
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October 12, 2020

Grand Central’s historic Oyster Bar closes again

Less than two weeks after reopening for the first time in over six months, Grand Central Oyster Bar has temporarily closed again. The Midtown East restaurant resumed indoor service at its iconic dining room on September 30, the day indoor dining was permitted again in New York City. But with indoor dining capped at 25 percent capacity in the city, the Oyster Bar, which normally relies on commuters and tourists, could not do enough business to stay open.
More here
October 9, 2020

First look at New York City’s largest private outdoor garden at One Manhattan Square

New photos of the sprawling outdoor space at condo tower One Manhattan Square were released this week, providing a first peek at what developers say is the largest private garden in New York City. Designed by landscape architecture firm West 8, the green space measures 45,000 square feet, sits on an incline, and boasts unique features like a furnished adult treehouse and a Japanese-inspired tea pavilion.
See it here
October 8, 2020

Forest Whitaker buys Upper East Side apartment with Greek-inspired garden for $1.6M

Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker has purchased a duplex apartment on the Upper East Side for $1.595 million, according to city property records. Located at 42 East 73rd Street, the three-bed, three-bath home boasts a Greek-inspired garden, with stately columns, a brick patio, and mature plantings. Whitaker, who is also a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate for the United Nations, snagged the property for about 8 percent less than the last listed asking price of $1.74 million. It was first listed last October for $1.895 million.
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October 8, 2020

6 NYC apartments with outdoor space you can rent for less than $5,000/month

With the impending cool weather likely to limit the hours spent at city parks (which proved to be so necessary this summer) and the current health crisis still raging, New Yorkers will have to find creative ways to get some fresh air safely this fall and winter. For those looking for some outdoor space without having to leave home, we're rounding up the best New York City apartments with outside amenities currently available to rent for $5,000/month and under, whether it's in the form of a private garden, balconies, or a shared roof deck.
See the full list
October 7, 2020

Soho and Noho rezoning proposal moves forward with 800 new affordable units planned

The plan to rezone two affluent Manhattan neighborhoods will enter the public land use review process, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday. The proposed rezoning of Soho and Noho includes replacing 1970s-era zoning rules and incentivizing the creation of about 800 permanently affordable homes, part of an effort to bring affordable housing to all New York City neighborhoods, even upscale ones.
Details here
October 7, 2020

$8.9M Chelsea penthouse has a movable glass wall, four terraces, and a roof deck

The Metal Shutter Houses is a contemporary condo designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban in 2008, at the beginning of West Chelsea's starchitect boom. Today, despite its many notable neighbors, the boutique building at 524 West 19th Street still offers some of the most covetable homes. The penthouse unit is now listed for a reduced $8.9 million. Not only does the home span two floors, but it has a 20-foot, upward-pivoting, glass wall that opens to a large terrace to create a massive indoor/outdoor living space. There's also another private terrace off the master bedroom, two balconies, and a huge roof deck complete with a hot tub. Oh, and let's not forget the direct views of Hudson Yards and the Empire State Building.
Take the tour
October 5, 2020

Chelsea’s 84-year-old Peter McManus Cafe needs your help

Like thousands of small businesses, one of New York City's oldest family-run establishments is struggling to survive because of the coronavirus pandemic. Irish bar Peter McManus Cafe, located at 152 Seventh Avenue in Chelsea, has been serving pints of Guinness and their famous burgers since 1936. While the McManus family, who has continuously owned the bar for four generations, has seen their fair share of challenges in its 84 years, COVID-19 has made it increasingly difficult to stay in business.
More details this way
October 5, 2020

16 middle-income apartments up for grabs at luxury rental near Grand Central, from $1,949/month

Twenty percent of the 429 apartments at 222 East 44th Street is reserved as affordable housing. Two-and-a-half years ago, a lottery opened for 109 units for those earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income, and it looks like some of those on the higher end of the spectrum are newly available, as another lottery is open for 16 middle-income units. The glass tower in Midtown East was designed by Handel Architects and is a quick walk to Grand Central, the UN, and Midtown. Plus, it's got a ton of great amenities.
Find out if you qualify
October 2, 2020

Eataly NYC’s new honey-themed rooftop restaurant is the bee’s knees

Eataly's seasonal restaurant in the Flatiron District has undergone a transformation once again. Last week, Serra d'Autunno by Birreria debuted at the 14th-floor rooftop with a new concept dedicated to honey, with "buzzworthy" specialty menu items and cocktails. The restaurant has also partnered with New York-based The Honeybee Conservancy to donate 10 percent of net proceeds from every "honey-focused" dish to the group's Sponsor-a-Hive program.
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October 2, 2020

Union Square’s cherished dinnerware store Fishs Eddy speaks out about COVID struggles

"We’re like a fish gasping for air — literally," said Julie Gaines, the owner of Fishs Eddy, to the New York Post. The much-loved Union Square store has been in business since 1986, selling mix-and-match, reasonably priced dinnerware that includes NYC-themed items and quirky finds like Obama shot glasses and parking ticket plates. Since the pandemic hit, however, they've only been doing 30 percent of their usual business, much of which is based on tourists, which is making it harder and harder to afford their high rent.
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October 2, 2020

Penthouse at Zaha Hadid’s High Line condo sells for $20M, a 60% cut from original asking price

The triplex penthouse at late architect Zaha Hadid's High Line-hugging condo building has sold for just over $20.2 million, a significant price cut from its initial asking price of $50 million in 2016. Penthouse 37 at 520 West 28th Street measures 6,853 square feet and boasts a massive private rooftop terrace with a glass-walled lounge and enough space for 100 guests. As the Real Deal first reported, the buyer of the apartment is Wesley Edens, co-founder of private equity firm Fortress Investment Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.
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October 2, 2020

Rustic and retro mix at this $1.75M West Village duplex

We just can't help smiling when looking at this lovely three-bedroom co-op at 92 Horatio Street in the West Village. The duplex unit is full of rustic details--exposed brick, beamed ceilings, tin ceilings--from when the building was built in 1920, but it also is full of colorful, retro decor that keeps the place feeling fresh. It's currently asking $1,750,000.
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October 1, 2020

There’s a rooftop pool club, a pocket park, and more fun amenities at this new Hell’s Kitchen condo

The West is a new condo in Hell's Kitchen, and though it was designed pre-pandemic, the number of open-air terraces and the super-fun indoor/outdoor amenities make it prime for social distancing. Located at  547 West 47th Street, the 12-story, 219-unit building was designed by Amsterdam-based firm Concrete and is currently under construction with move-ins expected to begin in the spring of next year. Among the 25,000 square feet of amenities are a rooftop pool club with BBQ grills, a pocket park, a dog run, a freestanding library, and two guest suites for when visitors come to town.
Check it all out
September 30, 2020

64-year-old favorite Pastrami Queen opening second location on the Upper West Side

"If I’m away from New York long enough, I need a correct pastrami sandwich from either Pastrami Queen or Katz’s. And you’re not getting that anywhere else, as far as I’m concerned," said Anthony Bourdain in 2016. And New Yorkers will now have two locations from which to enjoy a Pastrami Queen sandwich, as West Side Rag reports that the 64-year-old business will open a second location (the first is on Lexington Avenue and 78th Street) tomorrow on the Upper West Side at the former Fine & Schapiro space at 138 West 72nd Street.
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September 30, 2020

Hotelier Andre Balazs lists his flashy Soho condo for $12M

Hotelier Andre Balazs, best known for LA's Chateau Marmont, the Mercer Hotel in NYC, and the string of trendy Standard Hotels, unsurprisingly lives a life as lavish as the destination he creates. His personal condo in Soho, taking up the entire top floor at 158 Mercer Street, is no exception. Balazs added plenty of his own panache to the 4,200-square-foot loft, including massive stretches of built-in bookshelves, a custom "wall of light," and a 13th-century Florentine fresco. He also added hotel-quality rooms like a nearly 275-square-foot closet, a personal gym, and a steam room. As the Wall Street Journal first reported, Balazs has decided to list the home for $12 million as he spends much of his time now in Europe.
Check it all out
September 30, 2020

Tribeca’s eco-friendly Pier 26 opens with innovative man-made tidal marsh

A new eco-friendly public pier opened in Tribeca on Wednesday, the first to open at the four-mile-long Hudson River Park in 10 years. Designed by landscape architecture firm OLIN, Pier 26 spans 2.5 acres, features indigenous plants and trees, and boasts multi-use recreation fields. But the most unique element of the new $37.7 million pier is a man-made rocky tidal marsh and the cantilevered walkway that hangs above it, providing an ecological experience and incredible water and Statue of Liberty views at the same time.
See it here
September 30, 2020

After almost closing, famous Theater District tourist spot Ellen’s Stardust Diner will reopen tomorrow

Ellen's Stardust Diner has been a Theater District fixture since 1987, famous for its retro '50s design, subway car entrance, and singing waitstaff. But like so many other restaurants in New York City, Ellen's struggled to reopen due to the pandemic. As Broadway World reported in July, a photo on Facebook showed a notice posted at the diner from the landlord that said Ellen's owed $618,459.22 in back rent. But good news--Time Out NY now reports that the restaurant and landlord seem to have resolved their conflict, and Ellen's will reopen (singing waiters and all!) as of tomorrow.
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September 25, 2020

Waterline Square’s amenities include an indoor skate park, full tennis court, and a rock-climbing wall

Waterline Square is often known for the starchitects who designed its three glassy towers--Richard Meier & Partners (One Waterline Square), Kohn Pedersen Fox (Two Waterline Square), and Rafael Viñoly (Three Waterline Square)--but another accolade the Upper West Side development holds is its incredible amenity package, which has been fully unveiled today. At 100,000 square feet and spread over three floors, it's one of New York City's largest indoor private amenity spaces and includes everything from an indoor skate park and full tennis court (both a first in NYC) to a 30-foot rock climbing wall to a gardening studio to an entire pet suite.
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September 25, 2020

Empire State Building’s Art Deco spire returns in all its glory after restoration

What's old is new again. The iconic spire of the Empire State Building has returned to its original 1931 silhouette following a year-long restoration. The Empire State Realty Trust removed a network of archaic antennas and other unnecessary material found between floors 88 and 103 from the mooring mast, providing an obstacle-free look at the skyscraper's unique 200-foot Art Deco pinnacle.
More details this way
September 25, 2020

See inside the secret train track hidden in the depths of Grand Central Terminal

The iconic Grand Central Terminal is a building with more than a few secrets. Constructed in 1913 with the wealth of the Vanderbilt family, there was a lavish private office (now known as The Campbell Apartment), glass catwalks, a hidden spiral staircase, and even artists' studios on an upper floor. One of the most infamous secrets of the terminal, however, was a secret track used specifically for a president to access one of the most famous hotels in the world. Known as Track 61, it leads to a special platform that was never used or intended to be used in regular passenger service—it just happened to be in the right place.
Keep reading about Grand Central's secret track
September 24, 2020

John Lennon’s former ‘Lost Weekend’ penthouse in Manhattan asks $5.5M

One of New York City's most storied apartments has just hit the market. John Lennon's former penthouse at 434 East 52nd Street, where he briefly lived with his mistress May Pang during the 1970s and famously spotted a UFO, is asking $5.5 million. The 4,000-square-foot triplex in the Southgate co-op, located where Sutton Place, Beekman, and Midtown East meet, was also where the iconic photos of Lennon wearing a tank top that said "New York City" were taken.
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September 23, 2020

Futuristic tower proposed for Roosevelt Island is 2,400 feet and covered in 10,000+ plants

In response to the idea of the "city of tomorrow," one that will become carbon neutral by 2050, French architecture firm Rescubika created a proposal for a 2,418-foot tower on Roosevelt Island. With wood construction materials, 36 wind turbines, 8,300 shrubs, 1,600 trees, 83,000 square feet of plant walls, and nearly 23,000 square feet of solar panels, it would be the world’s tallest "carbon sink" tower--one that absorbs more CO2 than it releases.
See more here