Manhattan

150 spots open on waitlist for units at waterfront complex in Kips Bay, from $2,092/month

Photo of Waterside Plaza via Wikimedia

May 8, 2020

150 spots open on waitlist for units at waterfront complex in Kips Bay, from $2,092/month

Applications are currently being accepted to replenish a 150-name waitlist for middle-income units at the Waterside Plaza complex in Kips Bay. The four-tower, 1,400-unit development sits next to the East River and runs between East 26th and East 29th Streets. New Yorkers earning 130 and 160 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from a $2,092/month studio to a $3,664/month three-bedroom.
How to apply

Affordable Housing

Gray’s Papaya reopens on the Upper West Side with a new hot dog ‘Recession Special’

Photo by David Joyce via Flickr cc

May 8, 2020

Gray’s Papaya reopens on the Upper West Side with a new hot dog ‘Recession Special’

By Dana Schulz

For the first time in 47 years, corner hot dog outpost Gray's Papaya shut down temporarily on March 30. But as was first reported by West Side Rag, the Upper West Side location is now back open for business. In addition to delivery through Seamless and Grubhub, Gray's is offering window takeout with safe single-serve condiments, and their employees are all wearing masks and gloves. But even more exciting is that they've created a special version of their 35-years-running Recession Special.
What's the deal?

Food & Dining

East Village landmark Gem Spa has permanently closed

Photo by Alex Lozupone on Wiki Commons

May 8, 2020

East Village landmark Gem Spa has permanently closed

By Devin Gannon

A fixture on the corner of St. Marks Place and Second Avenue in the East Village for 100 years, Gem Spa has permanently closed. The store, considered home to New York's best egg cream, had been struggling financially due to the gentrification of the neighborhood, as well as the loss of its cigarette and lottery licenses last year. While a fundraising effort launched last fall by current owner Parul Patel helped temporarily, the coronavirus pandemic "ultimately sealed the fate" of the institution.
Details this way

City Living

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

May 7, 2020

After three years, developer Joseph Chetrit unloads UES townhouse with an indoor pool for $25M

By Dana Schulz

The townhouse might've sold for $14 million under its asking price, but it's still one of the biggest sales to come through since the coronavirus crisis hit NYC. Owner and big-time real estate developer Joseph Chetrit first listed the double-wide home at 118 East 76th back in 2017 for $39 million. The Wall Street Journal, who learned of the sale from a source close to the deal, notes that the Upper East Side home went into contract "for a significantly larger amount" but "was renegotiated due to the market tumult caused by the pandemic." The lavish home boasts a top-floor indoor pool with a glass-enclosed gym that overlooks it, an elevator that stops at all six floors, a cigar bar, and a patio with an outdoor kitchen and living area.
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Real Estate Trends

See the immersive art museum proposed for a landmarked Lower Manhattan bank hall

Rendering of proposed exhibition space by Culturespaces/ Woods Bagot, courtesy of LPC

May 6, 2020

See the immersive art museum proposed for a landmarked Lower Manhattan bank hall

By Devin Gannon

An art center with immersive art exhibitions has been proposed for a landmarked former banking hall in Lower Manhattan. Culturespaces, a French museum operator, presented its plan to adapt the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank into a center of digital art to the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday. The design proposal from Woods Bagot Architects includes alterations to the landmarked interior to accommodate a ticketing area and necessary audiovisual equipment for the art center, as well as modifications to the exterior of the building.
More here

The Weeknd’s penthouse rental at 443 Greenwich in Tribeca is now asking $27.5M

Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman

May 5, 2020

The Weeknd’s penthouse rental at 443 Greenwich in Tribeca is now asking $27.5M

By Devin Gannon

The Weeknd's former rental at 443 Greenwich Street in Tribeca has hit the market for $27.5 million. The Grammy Award winner moved into the $60,000/month penthouse apartment in 2018 with then-girlfriend Bella Hadid. Now for sale and "available immediately," as the Real Deal spotted, penthouse D takes up three levels and includes over 1,000 square feet of private outdoor space.
See inside

Photo credit: Anton Brooks, H5 Property for Fiona Dumas, Compass

May 5, 2020

Garden-level two-bedroom on the Upper East Side is a perfect all-year oasis for $12,950/month

By Dana Schulz

Feeling good at home is more important now than ever, which is why we're so smitten' over this two-bedroom Upper East Side rental. The interior is warm and cozy for those chillier days, while the outdoor garden is a magical summertime oasis. Located at 14 East 64th Street and listed for $12,950 a month, the home is even more enticing for the fact that it can come fully furnished. In addition to the super stylish decor and custom-designed furniture, you'll get three bathrooms, a sky-lit kitchen, and a large lower-level bonus room.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow Photography, Compass

May 4, 2020

In the West Village, this $4,650/month studio is glam, masculine, and move-in ready

By Dana Schulz

There are a lot of adjectives to describe this studio apartment at 175 West 13th Street, but the biggest thing to know is that it's available fully furnished with no fee. As the listing says, the super-sleek-yet-subtly-glamourous residence is like "having your very own hotel suite in Greenwich Village," as it includes weekly maid service and has been outfitted with perks such as a built-in espresso coffee system, a media wall, and a marble-lined dressing area.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

East Village icons Veniero’s and Veselka will reopen this Friday for takeout and delivery

Photo of Veniero’s by James and Karla Murray for 6sqft. See more here >>

April 28, 2020

East Village icons Veniero’s and Veselka will reopen this Friday for takeout and delivery

By Dana Schulz

Treat yourself this Friday to a meal of pierogis followed by cheesecake. East Village icons Veselka and Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffe, the Ukrainian restaurant that started in 1954 and the Italian bakery that opened in 1894 respectively, will both reopen for takeout and delivery on May 1. Eater spotted the news on Veniero's Instagram that the bakery will reopen for takeout, delivery, and curbside pickup. Likewise, Veselka posted on their Instagram that they will open for takeout and delivery.
READ MORE

Food & Dining

Rockefeller Center revamp gets Landmarks approval

Rendering by Gabellini Sheppard Associates courtesy of Tishman Speyer; via Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 28, 2020

Rockefeller Center revamp gets Landmarks approval

By Devin Gannon

A proposal to renovate Rockefeller Center's public realm was approved on Tuesday by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Led by Tishman Speyer and designed by Gabellini Sheppard Associates, the project aims to restore the connection between the concourse and the sunken plaza, an element included in the original plans for the historic Midtown site. The design, which was revised following a public hearing in January, focuses on the pools of the channel gardens, the sunken plaza, and new seating and planting to maintain the plaza's well-defined edges.
More here

Eight-story Beekman Place mansion lowers price yet again to $11.45M

Photo credit: Rise Media, Courtesy of Compass

April 28, 2020

Eight-story Beekman Place mansion lowers price yet again to $11.45M

By Dana Schulz

It's been more than six years since this stately home at 29 Beekman Place first listed for $37.5 million, and it's now back on the market for less than a third of that price. Built in 1934 as the largest of all the mansions along the exclusive enclave, the home is eight stories and has 10 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, two terraces, and amazing East River views. It's only had three owners in its lifetime, starting with its first resident, CBS founder William S. Paley.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Construction resumes at controversial 200 Amsterdam Avenue tower

Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studios

April 27, 2020

Construction resumes at controversial 200 Amsterdam Avenue tower

By Devin Gannon

Construction resumed last week at a condo project on the Upper West Side two weeks after its developer halted all work in response to the state-ordered ban on non-essential projects in March. The city's Department of Buildings granted SJP Properties construction permits for the tower at 200 Amsterdam Avenue for emergency work, as THE CITY first reported, much to the frustration of some local residents and officials.
More details

The Empire State Building’s new light shows honor essential workers and first responders

Photo by Neil Cooper on Unsplash

April 27, 2020

The Empire State Building’s new light shows honor essential workers and first responders

By Dana Schulz

After kicking off on Saturday, the Empire State Building will continue to put on nightly light shows in honor of specific first responders and essential workers. The landmark began its #HEROESSHINEBRIGHT series by paying tribute to the FNDY and EMS on Friday, doctors, nurses, and the medical community on Saturday, and correction officers on Sunday. Tonight, watch the building blink orange, blue, and white in honor of the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as blue and gold in honor of the U.S. Navy.
See the rest of the lineup

Upper East Side apartment has a funky Murphy bed and a futuristic white-box design for just $350K

Photo credit: Rise Media, courtesy The Corcoran Group

April 24, 2020

Upper East Side apartment has a funky Murphy bed and a futuristic white-box design for just $350K

By Dana Schulz

Perhaps the pandemic lifestyle has inspired you to go more minimalist. If so, this alcove studio on the Upper East Side may be pretty appealing. Located at 205 East 63rd Street, just east of Third Avenue, the legal one-bedroom has a futuristic vibe with stark white walls, porcelain floors, and furniture, save for the strategically placed pops of lime green. For just $350,000, there's a foyer, full kitchen, large living room (currently outfitted with a modern Murphy bed to free up even more space), and a whopping six closets.
See more

Distinctive Homes

$3M Washington Square Park condo has a secret closet and an Insta-friendly vintage kitchen

Listing photos by The Blumstein Team for The Corcoran Group

April 24, 2020

$3M Washington Square Park condo has a secret closet and an Insta-friendly vintage kitchen

By Dana Schulz

If you've been perusing Pinterest for design inspiration to spruce up your apartment during quarantine, look no further than this totally adorable Greenwich Village apartment. The seafoam kitchen has vintage attitude with SMEG's retro appliances, and there are cool boho accents all over. There are architectural details, too, like exposed brick and a 19th-century fireplace, and there's even a secret closet hidden behind part of the built-in bookshelf (You need to pull the copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to access!). What's even better is that when you step outside of the building at 106 Waverly Place, you're just around the corner from Washington Square Park.
Check it all out

Uncategorized

For $9.3M, be the first to live in this designer Tribeca penthouse

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 23, 2020

For $9.3M, be the first to live in this designer Tribeca penthouse

By Dana Schulz

Does quarantine have you dreaming about more apartment space? How about 3,000 square feet inside and 2,200 square feet outside? That's what you'll get at this penthouse at 430 Greenwich Street in Tribeca. The lucky new owner who drops $9,275,000 on the co-op will be the first tenant; previously a raw loft space, it was recently renovated and custom-designed by architect Robert Marino. Not only did he add an irrigated roof garden with an outdoor kitchen, but he complimented the interior's original features like exposed timber beams and steel supports with super-chic additions including imported Italianate bronze work.
You'll want to see more of this one

Distinctive Homes

See the giant heart design on Bryant Park’s lawn

Photo by Jane Kratochvil for Bryant Park Corp.

April 22, 2020

See the giant heart design on Bryant Park’s lawn

By Devin Gannon

A giant heart was mowed into Bryant Park's lawn this week as a message of support for the city's healthcare personnel and essential workers. The park, which recently transformed its Winter Village ice skating rink into its famed lawn, will reopen its green space to the public in early May. Social distancing regulations will be in effect, according to the Bryant Park Corporation.
Find out more

LPC approves design for condo conversion at 120-year-old Hotel Wales

Rendering of the proposed cornice at Hotel Wales by Form4Design Studio and Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC; via LPC

April 22, 2020

LPC approves design for condo conversion at 120-year-old Hotel Wales

By Devin Gannon

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans to retrofit Carnegie Hill's historic Hotel Wales, which is set to be converted into luxury condominiums. The proposal from Form4 Design Studio and Higgins Quasebarth & Partners retains the hotel's Beaux-Arts facade, terra cotta elements, and scroll-bracketed balconies, as CityRealty reported. But the biggest alteration planned for the Carnegie Hill Historic District building is the new cornice and rooftop addition, the design of which the LPC on Tuesday said needs to be modified.
Find out more

Sweet Upper West Side one-bedroom is a great first place for $525K

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 21, 2020

Sweet Upper West Side one-bedroom is a great first place for $525K

By Dana Schulz

It might feel like the coronavirus crisis has halted life, but many New Yorkers still need to move. And for those looking to buy their first place, this adorable one-bedroom co-op at 46 West 65th Street could be the perfect place. First, there's the prime Upper West Side location just across from Lincoln Center. Then there's the cozy layout and modern finishes. And most importantly, the price is right at $525,000
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Jeff Bezos now owns $96M worth of apartments in Flatiron condo

Rendering of 212 Fifth Avenue by Visualhouse; Photo of Jeff Bezos via Wiki Commons

April 17, 2020

Jeff Bezos now owns $96M worth of apartments in Flatiron condo

By Dana Schulz

Amazon behemoth and richest person in the world Jeff Bezos has been making headlines in recent weeks for his $100 million donation to U.S. food banks. He's also become $24 billion richer since the coronavirus crisis sent Amazon's stocks surging. And it looks like he's taking a very small percentage of that fortune and expanding his real estate investment in NYC. The Post reports that Bezos just dropped $16 million on an apartment in the Flatiron condo 212 Fifth Avenue. Last June, he bought three units in the building totaling $80 million, making it the largest deal to ever close in New York south of 42nd Street. Now he can create a mega-mansion in the sky.
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$9.87M Noho penthouse has three terraces and a huge skylight

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 17, 2020

$9.87M Noho penthouse has three terraces and a huge skylight

By Dana Schulz

When you have three separate outdoor spaces and a massive atria skylight, cabin fever will definitely be less of a problem. All that and more is on offer at this $9,875,000 Noho condo. Located at 27 Great Jones Street, a traditional cast-iron loft, the duplex also has oversized windows, original wood-beamed ceilings, contemporary finishes, and views of the surrounding neighborhoods and all the way down to the World Trade Center.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 16, 2020

This $8M Upper East Side townhouse feels like an Italian Chateau

By Dana Schulz

Let's talk about these ceilings--soaring 21 feet with dramatic archways, they are undoubtedly the highlight of this $7,995,000 Upper East Side Townhouse. Add in architectural details like wrought iron railings, etched glass windows, ornate moldings, and carved marble fireplaces, and it feels like you've stepped into an Italian Chateau. In reality, the four-bedroom house is located at 234 East 61st Street, part of the exclusive, two-block Treadwell Farm Historic District.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Family drops $27M on eight Waterline Square apartments as ‘safe’ investment during coronavirus

Rendering courtesy of Noe & Associates with The Boundary. L to R: Two Waterline Square by KPF, Three Waterline Square by Rafael Vinoly, One Waterline Square by Richard Meier

April 15, 2020

Family drops $27M on eight Waterline Square apartments as ‘safe’ investment during coronavirus

By Devin Gannon

A family from Peru has paid nearly $27 million for eight units at the new three-tower luxury complex Waterline Square on the Upper West Side, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The buyers went into contract and closed on the all-cash deal on the same day, Douglas Elliman agent Maria Velazquez told the newspaper. Velazquez said the family who bought the condo units see it as an investment, opting to put their money into real estate instead of a bank during the coronavirus pandemic. "They felt their money was safer in an apartment in New York than in a bank," she said.
More on the deal

Real Estate Trends

Photo credit: VHT, courtesy The Corcoran Group

April 10, 2020

This $769,000 Billionaires’ Row studio is roomy and reasonable

By Dana Schulz

Old and new NYC collide in this $769,000 studio that's roughly 600 square feet. It's located at 100 West 58th Street, a classic 1928 Rosario Candela-designed apartment building. But today, this location, just a block south of Central Park at the corner of 6th Avenue, puts it smack in the middle of Billionaires' Row. And with a sizable separate kitchen and enough room for two distinct areas in the living space, it's quite a reasonable buy.
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Distinctive Homes

Plans to convert Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine into field hospital have been canceled

Photo by Kripa Chettiar on Flickr

April 10, 2020

Plans to convert Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine into field hospital have been canceled

By Devin Gannon

Update 4/10/20: Plans to convert the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine into an emergency field hospital have been canceled. ABC News reported on Thursday that tensions between the progressive church and the Samaritan's Purse, known for its anti-LGBTQ and Islamaphobic views, may have halted the project. A spokesperson with the church told ABC the space could either become a hospital with a different agency, a morgue, or nothing if the number of hospitalizations continues to drop. One of the largest churches in the world will be converted into a field hospital this week. The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood said it will have nine climate-controlled medical tents installed in its 600-foot-long nave and underground crypt by the end of the week, the New York Times first reported. The site is expected to house at least 200 patients, who could start arriving as early as this week.
Find out more

Policy

See NYC landmarks turn blue in honor of essential workers

Photo by Jörg Angeli on Unsplash

April 10, 2020

See NYC landmarks turn blue in honor of essential workers

By Devin Gannon

To show support for New York City's essential workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic, a number of buildings turned blue Thursday night. Madison Square Garden, One World Trade Center's spire, Beacon Theatre, Pier 17, Hudson Yards' Vessel, and more join more than 100 landmarks across the country as part of the #LightItBlue campaign. The nationwide lighting will occur weekly every Thursday.
Find out more

City Living

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