Tribeca

Actors Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany are switching boroughs by selling their Tribeca co-op and picking up a Brooklyn Heights townhouse for $15.5 million. The sale represents one of the most expensive deals in Brooklyn ever, according to the Wall Street Journal. While the transaction was off-market, an old listing for the Brooklyn property at 140 Columbia Heights describes the 8,000-square-foot home as having views of the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline. The sellers are Timothy Ingrassia, a Goldman Sachs executive, and his wife Stephanie, who serves as a vice chair on the Brooklyn Museum's board of trustees. The Ingrassias paid $10.75 million for the property in 2006.
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May 7, 2018

A sunroom turns the private roof deck atop this $3.4M Tribeca loft into an all-season paradise

This beautifully-designed penthouse loft at 50 Walker Street in Tribeca has a few secrets hidden within its classic loft proportions. The most impressive of the $3.35 million co-op's features is a massive 1,500-square-foot landscaped roof terrace accessed through a window-wrapped solarium, all with jaw-dropping lower Manhattan views.
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Distinctive Homes

New renderings unveiled for Tribeca’s educational, eco-focused park at Pier 26

Rendering via OLIN

April 26, 2018

New renderings unveiled for Tribeca’s educational, eco-focused park at Pier 26

The Hudson River Park Trust and landscape architects OLIN have released a fresh set of renderings of the Pier 26 transformation, a project aimed at turning the Tribeca pier into an ecological park. As Curbed NY learned, a portion of the pier will have a wooden deck, with the western end rising up to 15 feet high in order to look at the wetlands. The pier's eastern side will include a large lawn and an indigenous tree-filled forest. The revamp of Pier 26, projected to cost over $30 million, is scheduled to wrap up in the fall of 2020.
Find out more and see all the renderings

Despite a 30 percent drop in sales prices, Tribeca remains NYC’s most expensive neighborhood

Photo via CityRealty

April 16, 2018

Despite a 30 percent drop in sales prices, Tribeca remains NYC’s most expensive neighborhood

Despite suffering from a 30 percent drop year-over-year in median sale prices, Tribeca still managed to rank first as New York City's most expensive neighborhood, followed closely by Soho. Property Shark released this week its list of the 50 priciest areas in the city in Q1 2018 and unsurprisingly, nine out of the top ten are located in Manhattan. Notably, the West Village witnessed an 88 percent year-over-year increase with a median sale price hovering $2.1 million. And the Flatiron District, which ranked as the most expensive neighborhood in the third quarter of 2017, fell to sixth place, with a median sale price of $1.85 million.
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Real Estate Trends

April 5, 2018

Leather floors and a catwalk are just the beginning at this $7M Tribeca loft

The listing for this sprawling and spectacular loft at 44 Laight Street in Tribeca is loaded with hyperbole, but in this case we can pretty much see why. We're not sure if it's a "mysterious nexus of art, history, whimsy and amazing craftsmanship where to think of living there was to reduce the miraculous to the mundane," but as far as loft condos go, it's a pretty fly pad. Starting with a private entrance and private indoor parking space, the three bedrooms and remarkable living spaces in this landmarked Grabler Building home are definitely worth a look.
Prepare to be amazed

Distinctive Homes

March 28, 2018

A wall of windows stuns at this $1.8M artsy loft in the heart of Tribeca

A massive wall of windows anchors this artsy Tribeca loft, complete with high ceilings, exposed brick walls and Corinthian columns. It's located at 6 Varick Street, a condo conversion with no shortage of distinct loft apartments. After being on the market last year, asking $1.695 million and not selling, this pad is trying its luck with the higher price tag of $1.8 million. The next buyer will have free range across 1,079 square feet of open apartment.
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Distinctive Homes

Downtown’s historic glass sidewalks may become a lost relic

Vault lights in Soho, via WooJin Chung for 6sqft

March 27, 2018

Downtown’s historic glass sidewalks may become a lost relic

By Dana Schulz

Last week, 6sqft outlined the Landmarks Preservation Commission's series of new proposed rules, which "calls for more oversight by LPC staff but less time for public review" in proposals for alterations to historic buildings. But these rule changes extend further than buildings--right down to the sidewalks. As Treehugger first pointed out, one of the LPC's new rules pertains to the removal of vault lights--historic sidewalks made from small circular glass bulbs that are seen throughout Soho and Tribeca. As 6sqft previously explained, "the unique street coverings are remnants from the neighborhood's industrial past when they provided light to the basement factories below before electricity was introduced."
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March 15, 2018

In Tribeca’s ‘Raft Loft’ a hanging, architectural staircase joins two apartments

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Stairs can be purely functional and totally uninspiring or they can be the stuff dreams are made of (just ask MC Escher). Dash Marshall, a multi-disciplinary architecture and design studio based on the Lower East Side, designed a stunning staircase made of brass and stainless and blackened steel, which rises from its brick foundation and is suspended from the second-floor ceiling in order to join two units in Tribeca (h/t Dezeen). By suspending the stairs from the second floor, that freed up a lot of space below in the living room, giving the firm even more space to work their renovation magic.
See the whole place and hear from the architects

Taylor Swift says broker lawsuit in $18M townhouse buy is unfounded

Google Street View of 153 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Wiki Commons

March 8, 2018

Taylor Swift says broker lawsuit in $18M townhouse buy is unfounded

As 6sqft previously reported, downtown Manhattan real estate investor Taylor Swift was recently sued by Douglas Elliman for allegedly stiffing a broker on the commission for an $18 million Tribeca townhouse at 153 Franklin Street that she bought this past fall. Now, according to The Real Deal, the pop star's management company Firefly Entertainment filed a motion to have the brokerage’s $1 million suit dismissed. Firefly claims the lawsuit is “the latest in a long line of lawsuits” by Elliman and that the real estate agency had little if any involvement in the townhouse deal.
What's the story here?

Celebrities

Real estate investor wants Amazon to build second headquarters on a Hudson River landfill

Courtesy of Charles Urdstadt

March 2, 2018

Real estate investor wants Amazon to build second headquarters on a Hudson River landfill

After landing on Amazon's list of 20 potential cities for its second headquarters in January, New York City is one step closer to securing $5 billion in city investment and 50,000 high paying jobs. Although the city pitched four neighborhoods for the tech-giants' HQ2 (Midtown West, Long Island City, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, and Lower Manhattan), one investor has a different, less grounded location in mind. Real estate mogul Charles Urstadt took out an ad in the New York Post on Friday detailing his plan to bring Amazon to a landfill in the Hudson River.
More here

Policy

February 27, 2018

Asking $10M, this huge Tribeca loft has a cashmere-lined bedroom and 20-foot fireplace

In the impressive converted Tribeca loft condo building at 137-141 Duane Street and 62-66 Thomas Street known as Diamond on Duane, this three- or four-bedroom loft with 75 feet of world-facing windows has a recent renovation going for it in addition to 5,800 square feet of living space. In that renovation, no luxury was spared including a cashmere-lined bedroom, and "apartment-sized" closet/dressing room, a library with a full wet bar and a 20-foot gas fireplace.
Apartment-sized closet and more, this way

Distinctive Homes

Christie Brinkley leaves Hamptons homes behind for a $30K/month Tribeca rental

Photo of Christie Brinkley via Wikimedia

February 21, 2018

Christie Brinkley leaves Hamptons homes behind for a $30K/month Tribeca rental

Supermodel Christie Brinkley recently picked up a penthouse in Tribeca for $29,500 per month while two of her Hamptons estates are still on the market. The gorgeous 3,000-square-foot apartment at 475 Greenwich Street boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, two terraces and incredible views of the Hudson River. Although Brinkley has called the Hamptons home for decades, one of her Sag Harbor estates is currently listed for $20 million and another, a little further down, for $29.5 million, as Variety reported.
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Celebrities

February 20, 2018

$3M Tribeca loft has the elegance of old New York in a 21st century condo

This full-floor, pre-war Tribeca loft condominium is truly, as the listing implies, a warm and stylish exception in a sea of fabulous but frosty new developments. Asking $3.095 million, the spacious 1,835-square-foot home at 42 White Street is more civilized than the average loft, though more laid-back than the average townhouse, and currently has enough books and art to satisfy an entire generation of culture-hungry New Yorkers.
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Distinctive Homes

Taylor Swift buys yet another Tribeca property, spending $50M on a single block of real estate

Google Street View of 155 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Eva Rinaldi/Flickr

February 6, 2018

Taylor Swift buys yet another Tribeca property, spending $50M on a single block of real estate

Taylor Swift nabbed yet another Tribeca property--bringing her spending along Franklin Street to an astounding $47.7 million. The New York Post reports that she has just purchased a 3,540-square-foot unit on the second floor of 155 Franklin Street, the condo building where she already owns a duplex. The pop star paid financier Jeremy Phillips $9.75 million for it in an off-market deal. She bought her existing top-floor penthouse at 155 Franklin, which spans 8,000 square feet, from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson in 2014 for $19.95 million. Swift then bought the $18 million townhouse next door, at 153 Franklin Street, which comes with its own paparazzi-proof garage.
There's speculation to her latest purchase

February 2, 2018

For $2.8M, a sustainable Tribeca loft with wall tiles made of recycled car parts

Even at first glance this architect-designed loft in Tribeca's City Hall Tower at 258 Broadway seems to have all the best elements of downtown loft living: Beneath 14-foot ceilings, walls of windows wrap the space for views of City Hall Park and the neighborhood below, and a mezzanine level offers more sleeping and living room. But this $2.8 million co-op's secret superpower is sustainability, from walls of recycled post-industrial denim insulation and sound isolation to 100 percent VOC-free YOLO paint.
Have a look around this amazing loft

Aziz Ansari dropped $5.7M on this Tribeca loft right below Taylor Swift

Photo of Aziz Ansari via David Shankbone/Flickr

February 1, 2018

Aziz Ansari dropped $5.7M on this Tribeca loft right below Taylor Swift

Back in May, Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh sold his Tribeca loft at 155 Franklin Street, located directly below Taylor Swift's duplex penthouse in the celeb-studded building, for $5.7 million. Though the buyer's identity was shielded by an LLC, the Post now reports that it was none other than comedian and "Master of None" star Aziz Ansari. They don't disclose their sources, but assuming they're correct, Ansari's new three-bedroom spread boasts nearly 2,500 square feet, brick and timber-beamed ceilings, tons of exposed brick, and massive south- and east-facing windows.
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Taylor Swift gets sued for not paying the broker commission on her $18M Tribeca townhouse

Google Street View of 153 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Wiki Commons

January 25, 2018

Taylor Swift gets sued for not paying the broker commission on her $18M Tribeca townhouse

For someone who claims to stay away from "bad blood," Taylor Swift certainly seems to conjure up drama wherever she moves in New York City. After she bought a $20 million penthouse at Tribeca's celeb-studded 155 Franklin Street, Orland Bloom listed his unit in the building in just five months, claiming the pop star's mobs of fans and “Girl Squad” activities were too much to take. Rumors then began circulating that when she bought the apartment she got Sir Ian McKellen evicted. But now things have taken a legal turn, as The Real Deal reports that Swift is being sued by Douglas Elliman for stiffing a broker on the comission for the $18 million Tribeca townhouse she bought this past fall.
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Celebrities

Jason Biggs sells custom-designed Tribeca loft for $2.7M

Photo of Jason Biggs via Wikimedia

January 22, 2018

Jason Biggs sells custom-designed Tribeca loft for $2.7M

"American Pie" actor Jason Biggs and his wife Jenny Mollen have sold their spacious three-bedroom Tribeca loft for $2.65 million, after first putting the pad on the market nearly a year ago. The 2,200-square-foot apartment at 288 West Street boasts authentic details throughout, like timber beams and columns, as well as hardwood oak floors. As the Observer learned, Biggs and Mollen bought the apartment for $2.55 million in October 2013 and tapped designer Cliff Fong to decorate the space. The couple moved to the West Village this past summer after purchasing a $6.98 million four-bedroom condo at the Shephard.
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January 22, 2018

Josh Hartnett’s Tribeca penthouse just sold for $3.55M

Back in July, 6sqft reported that the elusive Josh Hartnett ("Black Hawk Down," "Pearl Harbor") had surfaced to list his sprawling Tribeca co-op at 16 Hudson Street for $4.25 million. Though the corner penthouse, which Hartnett bought in 2004 for $2.4 million, looks massive, it’s only got one bedroom. The heartthrob actor-turned-producer just had a second child with longtime girlfriend Tamsin Egerton, so we're guessing more space is key. The 1,965-square-foot apartment with One World Trade Center views recently sold for $3.55 million, according to Mansion Global.
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January 2, 2018

Michelin star chef David Bouley lists French-inspired Tribeca duplex for $5.5M

Michelin star chef David Bouley has been a fixture in Tribeca since 1987 when he opened his famed French restaurant Bouley at 161 Duane Street. He later opened Bouley Bakery, Danube, Brushstroke, and Botanical in the neighborhood and even bought an apartment in the same building as his namesake restaurant in 2007. The restaurant closed its doors this past summer, and now it looks like Bouley himself is also looking to exit the building, as he just listed his sprawling, rustic duplex for $5.5 million. The biggest selling point? The woodburning fireplace was built with 17th-century stone from the same quarry used to construct Chateau de Versailles.
Take a look around

December 26, 2017

Office of Architecture replaced walls with walnut cabinetry and sliding doors in this Tribeca reno

Who needs walls in a large, lofty apartment when you can utilize great design instead? That was the thinking behind this Tribeca apartment renovation, spearheaded by the Brooklyn-based firm Office of Architecture. Walls were taken down to make space for walnut cabinetry, sliding doors, and industrial steel columns. The idea was to open up the living areas and bring in as much natural light as possible--and the resulting 3,000-square-foot apartment is quite stunning and livable.
Take the grand tour

Where I Work: Inside Let There Be Neon, the 46-year-old Tribeca workshop that revived neon arts

Owner Jeff Friedman works on a neon snowflake for a holiday display that went up in Uniqlo’s Fifth Avenue flagship store

December 6, 2017

Where I Work: Inside Let There Be Neon, the 46-year-old Tribeca workshop that revived neon arts

By Dana Schulz

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Tribeca showroom and studio of Let There Be Neon, an international supplier and creator of custom neon for signage and artistic applications. Back in the early '70s, neon had gone out of fashion, with cheaper fluorescent-lit and plastic signs taking over after World War II. But multimedia artist Rudi Stern was determined to revive the art and make it more accessible. He opened a showroom studio, Let There Be Neon, in 1972 on West Broadway and Prince Street in Soho, and soon attracted a client roster of artists including Keith Haring, Robert Rauschenberg, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He even outfitted Studio 54! By 1990, he'd moved to a charming brick storefront at 38 White Street in Tribeca and sold the business to his long-time friend and employee Jeff Friedman. Rudi Stern sadly passed away in 2006, but he would be happy to see the legacy that Friedman has maintained and how wildly successful the business is today. Not only does their client list still include a long list of contemporary artists, but they're the go-to sign restorers and recreators for classic NYC mom-and-pop businesses such as Russ & Daughters and Trash & Vaudeville, and Old Town Bar, and do projects with national companies like WeWork, Soul Cycle, and Uniqlo. 6sqft recently paid Let There Be Neon a visit to see their incredible fabrication work and chat more with Jeff Friedman about the art of neon.
Tour the studio and see how it's done

Where I Work

System Architects’ fiery Tribeca townhouse is partially unveiled

First glimpse of Jeremy Edmiston’s “Unhistoric Townhouse” at 187 Franklin Street. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Citizen.

October 27, 2017

System Architects’ fiery Tribeca townhouse is partially unveiled

The latest Tribeca distraction: the partial unveiling of the single-family townhouse at 187 Franklin Street, a funky flame-façaded new building that its architect, Jeremy Edmiston of System Architects, refers to as the Unhistoric Townhouse. Tribeca Citizen reports that workers at the building (which also resembles a Yankees logo) were lifting off some of the mesh that conceals the wavy wonder, perhaps to install one of its metal-mesh balconies. 6sqft previously covered the building, whose design of an undulating red façade complemented by those silvery, net-like balconies was first proposed in 2010.
Landmarks approved rendering, this way

The 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City

The Flatiron District, photo via Pixbay

October 19, 2017

The 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City

Taking the top spot from Tribeca for the first time in a long time, the Flatiron District now ranks as the most expensive neighborhood in New York City, according to data compiled by Property Shark. In its latest report looking at the residential market during the third quarter of 2017, the group lists the 50 priciest neighborhoods in the city, with the usual upscale 'hoods like TriBeCa, Central Park South and Hudson Square rounding out the top tier (h/t Time Out NY). In another plot twist, Red Hook has become Brooklyn’s most expensive neighborhood this quarter--overthrowing DUMBO--with a median sale price of $1.92 million in Q3.
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Real Estate Trends

October 18, 2017

$17M Tribeca penthouse received a mod, wood-paneled makeover

Not all luxury living in 21st century downtown Manhattan is a glass-clad cliche, and this sprawling, light-filled Tribeca penthouse is proof. On the highest floors of a five-story 1920s building at 142 Duane Street, this is a triplex to be reckoned with at 7,200 square feet plus two private outdoor terraces. Part of what makes this $16.95 million condop (a co-op with less stringent condo-like rules) so special is a showstopping contemporary gut renovation by architecture firm Triarch in 2005, with natural wood paneling inspired by modernist architects like Jean Michel Frank, Adolf Loos and Bruno Paul.
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Distinctive Homes

October 4, 2017

Tribeca townhouse with an address once used for John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s ‘Nutopia’ is for rent