Manhattan

Nomad’s glassy Virgin Hotel will have a rooftop pool and bar

All renderings courtesy of Virgin Hotels

February 4, 2021

Nomad’s glassy Virgin Hotel will have a rooftop pool and bar

As the New York City hospitality industry continues to reel from the effects the coronavirus pandemic has had on tourism and business travel, plans are moving forward for a massive new hotel in Nomad. Fresh renderings of the 510-foot Virgin Hotel at 1225 Broadway, the first in the city, were recently released, showing off the hotel's resort-like rooftop pool and bar.
See it here

Events & Things To Do

Historic Village Cigars building will be sold

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc

February 3, 2021

Historic Village Cigars building will be sold

By Dana Schulz

Not only is the building that houses Village Cigars iconic for its oft-photographed location the corner of 7th Avenue South and Christopher Street, but because on the sidewalk out front is Hess Triangle, once the smallest piece of private land in New York City. Real Estate Weekly spoke with current owner Jonathan Posner, who said, "The pandemic has detrimentally impacted the property’s retail income and the expense of operating the building continues unabated." Sources tell REW that it will be sold for around $5.5 million.
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History

All renderings credit Brookfield Properties

February 3, 2021

Long-plagued Midtown office tower will be reborn as 660 Fifth Avenue: See new looks

By Dana Schulz

The office tower formerly known as 666 Fifth Avenue has shed both its superstitious address and its controversial connection to the Kushners. Brookfield Asset Management bought the 99-year ground lease for the 41-story Midtown office building between 52nd and 53rd Streets in 2018 from Kushner Cos., announcing the following year a $400 million overhaul designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. Brookfield has now released new renderings of the 660 Fifth Avenue project, which will have a new glass facade and floor-to-ceiling windows, a new lobby and retail spaces, and new outdoor terraces when it's completed in 2022.
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All renderings by Williams New York

February 2, 2021

Lottery launches for 35 affordable units at wellness-themed Chelsea condo-rental, from $995/month

By Dana Schulz

Maverick Chelsea, a new wellness-focused condo-rental at 215-225 West 28th Street from HAP Investments, just launched an affordable housing lottery for 35 units, ranging from $995/month studios to $1,681/month three-bedrooms. Designed by DXA Studio, the contemporary residence is a two-building project that includes 112 rentals and 87 condos. Residents will get to enjoy amenities like an indoor pool and spa, summer kitchen, rooftop garden, wellness center, private library and lounge, fitness center, and 24-hour attended lobby.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

Cicely Tyson in 1973. Photo (cropped) from the Dutch National Archives via Wikimedia Commons

January 29, 2021

Remembering Cicely Tyson’s Harlem roots

By Dana Schulz

Groundbreaking actress Cicely Tyson passed away yesterday at the age of 96. As the New York Times writes in a beautiful obituary, her "vivid portrayals of strong African-American women shattered racial stereotypes in the dramatic arts of the 1970s, propelling her to stardom and fame as an exemplar for civil rights." While we all look back at Ms. Tyson's incredible life and legacy, we can also look back to her early life, which began in East Harlem. Raised in a fifth-floor railroad flat at 178 East 101st Street, Ms. Tyson helped found the Dance Theatre of Harlem and attended the Abyssinian Baptist Church on West 138th Street for the past 20 years.
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Celebrities

Offshore park Little Island announces resident artists ahead of spring opening

Photo of Little Island under construction in October 2020; Photo: © CityRealty

January 28, 2021

Offshore park Little Island announces resident artists ahead of spring opening

By Devin Gannon

Developers of the new public park under construction in the Hudson River announced on Wednesday the participants of its first-ever artists-in-residence program. Artists Ayodele Casel, Tina Landeau, Michael McElroy, and PigPen Theatre Co., will perform, direct, and/or curate cultural events for Little Island, the two-acre offshore park at Hudson River Park's Pier 55 expected to open this spring.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

This Valentine’s Day, watch the sunrise from 1,131 feet above NYC at Edge

Photo courtesy of Related-Oxford

January 28, 2021

This Valentine’s Day, watch the sunrise from 1,131 feet above NYC at Edge

By Dana Schulz

New York City's highest outdoor observation deck has a special treat for lovebirds this Valentine's Day. For that one day, Edge will be opening at 6am, allowing visitors the rare opportunity to watch the sunrise from 1,131 feet in the air. In addition, from February 12th-21st, the Hudson Yards attraction will extend its daily hours from 8am to 10pm (perhaps to accommodate an expected rush of proposals?).
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Events & Things To Do

Bjarke Ingels’ 66-story Spiral tower tops out at Hudson Yards

The Spiral as of October 2020, © CityRealty

January 28, 2021

Bjarke Ingels’ 66-story Spiral tower tops out at Hudson Yards

By Devin Gannon

Bjarke Ingels' new office tower with twisting terraces officially topped out at Hudson Yards this week. Aptly named The Spiral, the 66-story skyscraper reached its 1,031-foot pinnacle, developer Tishman Speyer announced on Tuesday. Upon its completion in 2022, the tower at 66 Hudson Boulevard will stretch a full block between West 34th and 35th Streets and contain 2.8 million square feet of office space and ground-floor retail.
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Rare Gilded-Age mansion on Fifth Avenue hits the market for $52M

Listing photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 28, 2021

Rare Gilded-Age mansion on Fifth Avenue hits the market for $52M

By Dana Schulz

As the Wall Street Journal first reported, one of the last Gilded-Age mansions along Fifth Avenue has hit the market for $52 million. Located right across from Central Park and the Met, the Beaux-Arts beauty at 991 Fifth Avenue was built in 1901 and has had only four owners since then. Today owned by the Irish Historical Society, the home's interior is almost entirely intact, full of carved plasterwork and woodwork, marble fireplace mantles, stately columns, and leaded-glass windows.
Find out more here

Distinctive Homes

Historic cast-iron building in Soho once owned by William Waldorf Astor asks $17M

All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

January 27, 2021

Historic cast-iron building in Soho once owned by William Waldorf Astor asks $17M

By Devin Gannon

A 19th-century custom-designed Soho building once owned by William Waldorf Astor is on the market for $17 million. Located at 435 Broome Street, the Victorian Gothic building was built in 1873 by famed architect William Appleton Potter and features five tall loft stories framed by exterior cast-iron colonnettes and capitals. As the listing describes, the property, located between Broadway and Crosby Street, is the "perfect multi-functioning property for retail, office, or residential mixed-use."
More this way

See the shiny, amorphous tower imagined for Lower Manhattan

All renderings by Hayri Atak Architectural Design

January 26, 2021

See the shiny, amorphous tower imagined for Lower Manhattan

By Dana Schulz

Turkish firm Hayri Atak Architectural Design has proposed something extremely unique for the downtown skyline. Called the Sarcostyle Tower, the shining structure is a large rectangle with sinuous, carved-out sides. Conceptually placed amidst the historic landmarks and mid-century office towers of lower Manhattan, the 689-foot building was inspired by human anatomy and cells. An actual sarcostyle is a muscle fiber, so it makes sense that the firm decided upon this name for theior biologically inspired project.
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Architecture And Design

Photo Credit: Ted Porter Architecture; Ty Cole Photographer

January 26, 2021

An artist’s colorful and convertible co-op in Carnegie Hill asks $1.3M

By Dana Schulz

A Murphy bed, movable partitions, hidden storage--these clever additions make this $1.3 million Upper East Side co-op a true city gem. Located in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood at 1326 Madison Avenue, the 1,075-square-foot home was custom designed by the current owner, Bogotá-based artist Lorenza Panero. She bought the apartment in 2012 for $650,000 and then embarked on a colorful and convertible renovation.
See more here

Distinctive Homes

Preservationists, pols fight to save Washington Heights home with Underground Railroad ties

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. (1937). Riverside Drive, no. 857, at 159th Street, Manhattan, courtesy of the New York Public Library.

January 25, 2021

Preservationists, pols fight to save Washington Heights home with Underground Railroad ties

By Devin Gannon

Preservationists and local politicians are pushing the city to reverse their decision to not landmark a historic home with abolitionist history in Washington Heights. The two-story wood-frame home at 857 Riverside Drive in Upper Manhattan was owned by anti-slavery activist Dennis Harris who may have also been an Underground Railroad conductor. Despite a demolition permit filed by the current owner, the Landmarks Preservation Commission last November still rejected landmark status for the home because of the architectural alterations made to the original structure.
Learn more

At $610K, this homey Yorkville one-bedroom makes a great starter place

Listing images courtesy of The Corcoran Group

January 25, 2021

At $610K, this homey Yorkville one-bedroom makes a great starter place

By Dana Schulz

There's so much to love about this one-bedroom co-op at 425 East 78th Street, located in the Yorkville area of the Upper East Side. First, it's got a classy, cozy feel that'll make you think you stepped into a family home. Then there's the duplex layout--it's on the top floor, and the bedroom suite occupies the second floor and has high ceilings, a dressing room, and an en-suite bathroom. And, of course, there's the price. At $610,000, it's a perfect starter place.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

Port Authority reveals plan to raze and replace Midtown bus terminal

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

January 22, 2021

Port Authority reveals plan to raze and replace Midtown bus terminal

By Devin Gannon

Nearly ten years and 30 proposals later, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday unveiled a plan to replace the dilapidated Midtown bus terminal. The agency on Thursday presented its final scoping report for the project, which involves demolishing the existing bus station to make way for a larger, state-of-the-art terminal. According to the Port Authority, the new plan would increase the capacity for commuter and intercity buses at the world's busiest bus terminal by nearly 40 percent.
More here

Transit

Big Gay Ice Cream’s first location in the East Village will not reopen

Photo by City Foodsters on Flickr

January 21, 2021

Big Gay Ice Cream’s first location in the East Village will not reopen

By Devin Gannon

Big Gay Ice Cream's first brick-and-mortar location has permanently closed, as EV Grieve reported on Thursday. The East Village store at 125 East 7th Street opened its doors in 2011 after operating as an ice cream truck for two years. According to the neighborhood blog, the store has been closed since Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus pandemic "pause" order in March and now a for-rent sign hangs in the window.
Find out more

Food & Dining

For $550K, this sunny alcove studio is in the heart of Lincoln Center

Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

January 21, 2021

For $550K, this sunny alcove studio is in the heart of Lincoln Center

By Dana Schulz

On the Upper West Side, on the corner of Broadway, this sunny alcove studio at 140 West 69th Street has both location and layout going for it. Listed for a palatable $550,000 the corner co-op has an entry foyer, sizable kitchen, separate sleeping area, and large windows. Plus, it's a stone's throw from Lincoln Center, Central and Riverside Parks, several major subway lines, and some of the neighborhood's best restaurants and shops.
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Distinctive Homes

The first presidential inauguration was held in New York City in 1789

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

January 20, 2021

The first presidential inauguration was held in New York City in 1789

By 6sqft

One of the nation's most significant Inauguration Days has finally come, and while we're all looking forward, we also thought it was pertinent to take a look back. On Thursday, April 30, 1789, the first United States Congress met, and the first president was sworn in (the presidential term had already started on March 4 of that year, but logistical delays had kept the votes from being counted or certified). With a quorum finally in place, George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States, alongside Vice President John Adams, on the balcony of the Federal Hall in what is now the Financial District.
The whole history here

History

Trading floor rendering courtesy of L&L Holding

January 20, 2021

Norman Foster’s splashy new office tower at 425 Park Avenue nears completion

By Dana Schulz

It's been more than five years since L&L Holding Company broke ground on the 47-story Norman Foster-designed office tower at 425 Park Avenue, but it's finally nearing the finish line. The 897-foot building is notable for its triple-height diagrid floors and the set of three ornamental fins at the crown that will be illuminated at night. It will be the first full-block tower along this stretch of Park Avenue in half a century, joining the likes of the Seagram Building and Lever House.
More info here

$100M proposal aims to turn Union Square into NYC’s ‘most accessible’ space

All images: Marvel courtesy of Union Square Partnership

January 19, 2021

$100M proposal aims to turn Union Square into NYC’s ‘most accessible’ space

By Devin Gannon

Open space around Union Square would increase by more than 33 percent under a new proposal to transform the Manhattan neighborhood into New York City's "most accessible space." The Union Square Partnership on Tuesday released a plan that expands Union Square Park by about two acres to the edges around the square and connects landscaped plazas with safe, pedestrian-friendly space. Designed in collaboration with Marvel, the proposal is the result of a two-year community out-reach process.
Find out more

Uncategorized

Joan Collins’ Midtown pied-a-terre with 16 closets lists for $2.1M

Listing photos and staging images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 19, 2021

Joan Collins’ Midtown pied-a-terre with 16 closets lists for $2.1M

By Dana Schulz

Actress, author, philanthropist, and all-around icon Dame Joan Collins has put her Midtown East pied-a-terre on the market for $2,095,000. The "Dynasty" star and her husband, producer Percy Gibson, purchased the three-bedroom co-op in 2002, shortly after getting married, according to the Times, which also reports that the couple hosted celebrities like musicians Michael Feinstein and Neil Sedaka and actress Diahann Carroll here. Located at the Dorchester at 110 East 57th Street, the home was appealing to Ms. Collins for its spacious layout and 16 closets, reports the Times.
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Walk through a kaleidoscope of rotating, glimmering prisms in the Garment District

Photos by Alexandre Ayer / @diversitypics for the Garment District Alliance

January 15, 2021

Walk through a kaleidoscope of rotating, glimmering prisms in the Garment District

By Dana Schulz

The Garment District Alliance has unveiled a new public art exhibit in the Broadway plaza between 39th and 40th Streets. Called Prismatica, it's made up of 25, six-foot-tall pivoting prisms that reflect the colors of the rainbow and turn the street a "glimmering winter kaleidoscope." The piece was created by RAW Design in collaboration with ATOMIC3 and is on view through January 30th.
Check it out

Events & Things To Do

New York City’s tributes to Martin Luther King Jr.

Stanziola, P. (1964) Mayor Wagner greets Dr. & Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. at City Hall / World-Telegram & Sun photo by Phil Stanziola. 1964. [Photograph]; Courtesy of the Library of Congress

January 15, 2021

New York City’s tributes to Martin Luther King Jr.

By Devin Gannon

While some of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most memorable moments of his career happened further South, like the Montgomery bus boycott and his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, support for his goals hailed first from advocacy organizations based in New York City, like the National Urban League. King held sermons at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights, led a march from Central Park to the United Nations in protest of the Vietnam War, and received a Medallion of Honor from Mayor Robert Wagner. As a way to honor King and his immense impact on the advancement of civil rights, the city has named streets, parks, playgrounds, and more after the icon. On MLK Day this Monday, celebrate by learning about memorials dedicated to him citywide.
Learn more about NYC's MLK memorials here

Cuomo reveals $51B plan to redevelop Midtown West, replace Port Authority

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

January 15, 2021

Cuomo reveals $51B plan to redevelop Midtown West, replace Port Authority

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday unveiled an ambitious plan to transform over 100 acres of Midtown West as part of a new "transit-oriented" development. The $51 billion proposal adds a new train hall south of Penn Station, replaces the Port Authority Bus Terminal, extends the High Line, and adds up to 1,400 units of new affordable housing. The project is one part of the governor's proposed $306 billion infrastructure plan, introduced on Thursday during his fourth 2021 State of the State address.
Find out more

$10.9M Soho penthouse has an open-air zen garden and three terraces

All photos: Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph and Joel of DDreps / The Assouline Team

January 14, 2021

$10.9M Soho penthouse has an open-air zen garden and three terraces

By Dana Schulz

Sure, there are plenty of swanky penthouses with multiple outdoor spaces, but how many of them have an open-air lightwell? This incredible place at 94 Thompson Street in Soho uses the space as a zen garden, complete with a mature cherry tree, that serves as the heart of the home. In addition, there are two terraces on the second floor and a huge roof deck with an outdoor kitchen. Other unique features include the double-height living room and sunken, built-in-furniture like the dining table and beds. The three-bedroom co-op is asking $10,900,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Renderings and pricing revealed for VU, new Murray Hill condo with amazing views

All renderings by Unmarked Studio

January 14, 2021

Renderings and pricing revealed for VU, new Murray Hill condo with amazing views

By Dana Schulz

Murray Hill might not be the first neighborhood that comes to mind when thinking of luxury condos, but that just might be a good thing. VU, the new 100-unit project at 368 Third Avenue, is one of the tallest buildings in the neighborhood, which affords its 100 units incredible views of the East River, Midtown, and even down to the World Trade Center. We've now got our first look at the flashy new project, along with a pricing reveal.
Find out more here

See the mass vaccination site now open at the Javits Center

All photos courtesy of Don Pollard/ Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Flickr

January 13, 2021

See the mass vaccination site now open at the Javits Center

By Devin Gannon

Nearly 10 months after the Jacob K. Javits Center became a temporary hospital during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in New York, the convention center has now opened as a mass vaccination hub. The state-run Manhattan site officially opened on Wednesday for those eligible under expanded phases 1A and 1B, which includes healthcare workers, essential workers, and New Yorkers aged 65 and older. Appointments are required at the Javits Center site. Find out if you are eligible to receive the vaccine and schedule an appointment here.
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