Upper Manhattan

Back in 2016, Dattner Architects completed the restoration of a former early 20th-century school building in Hamilton Heights to a mixed-income affordable rental building that also serves as a new home for the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. The Residences at PS 186 launched their first affordable housing lottery back then, and they've now opened up spots on a re-rental waiting list. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 130, or 165 percent of the area median income are eligible to apply for units ranging from $526/month studios to $3,142/month two-bedrooms.
See if you qualify

Affordable Housing

168th Street and Astoria Boulevard subway stations finally reopen

MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford at the 168 St Station on Monday, December 23, 2019, along with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Assemblymember Al Taylor. Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

December 23, 2019

168th Street and Astoria Boulevard subway stations finally reopen

After a year, the 168th Street 1 train station has finally reopened, marking the first complete elevator replacement at this stop in more than 100 years. In addition, last week, the MTA announced that the Astoria Boulevard N, W station has reopened after nine months and the completion of the first phase of its station modernization.
More info

Transit

Judge overturns city’s plan to rezone Inwood

Photo by kathryn on Flickr

December 20, 2019

Judge overturns city’s plan to rezone Inwood

A state Supreme Court judge on Thursday overturned land-use changes approved by the City Council in 2018 to rezone the neighborhood of Inwood. A group of local residents and preservationists filed a lawsuit against the rezoning last December, claiming the plan did nothing to protect the community from displacement, as well as other effects of gentrification. In the decision, Judge Verna Saunders said the city "failed to take a hard look at the relevant areas of concern identified by the public" and did not comply with a state environmental quality review.
Learn more here

Policy

City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

Inwood Hill Park, courtesy of Dana on Flickr

September 6, 2019

City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

The city is seeking proposals from nonprofits interested in running a new immigrant research center and performing arts center in Inwood. The city's Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) released a request for expressions of interest on Wednesday for a nonprofit organization to "design, construct, and operate" the Northern Manhattan Immigrant Research and Performing Arts Center (IRPAC). The neighborhood boasts a diverse community, with 49 percent foreign-born as well as the city's highest concentration of residents of Dominican descent.
More here

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

July 24, 2019

Washington Heights’ Little Red Lighthouse will open for a rare public tour this weekend

By Nicole Mondrus

New Yorkers looking to learn a little more about the city’s history are in luck. This weekend, the NYC Parks Department is offering a tour of Washington Heights' Little Red Lighthouse. The lighthouse is rarely open to the public, but those interested can join the free tour with the Urban Park Rangers this Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Columbia Medical’s Washington Heights campus will get a new public plaza

Rendering Credit: FXCollaborative and Quennell Rothschild & Partners.

May 13, 2019

Columbia Medical’s Washington Heights campus will get a new public plaza

On May 28, work is scheduled to begin on Haven Plaza, a pedestrian plaza that will transform Haven Avenue between 169th Street and Fort Washington Avenue into an actual haven for faculty, staff, patients, students and the public at large. Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation, is creating 60,000 square feet of open green space complete with planters, benches, café tables, and chairs.
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Architecture And Design

Target’s latest NYC store will open in Washington Heights

Google Street View of 600 West 181st Street

May 7, 2019

Target’s latest NYC store will open in Washington Heights

New Yorkers love to emphasize their non-suburban tendencies, but something about big-box retailer Target must be working because they've just announced plans to open yet another store in NYC. First reported by The Real Deal, Target will open a Washington Heights outpost at 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in 2020.
Get the scoop

Uncategorized

City files plans for 174 affordable apartments at Inwood library site

Renderings courtesy of Fogarty Finger Architecture and Andrew Berman Architect

April 2, 2019

City files plans for 174 affordable apartments at Inwood library site

The city this week filed plans with the Department of Buildings for the redevelopment of Inwood's New York Public Library branch, as first reported by Patch. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development revealed last March plans to transform the current site into a new 14-story residential building with a three-level library at its base. Above the new state-of-the-art library, there will be 174 permanently affordable apartments, designated for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income.
More this way

April 1, 2019

This two-bedroom Washington Heights co-op has space and good looks for a budget-friendly $400K

One flight up in a pre-war co-op building at 478 West 158th Street in Washington Heights, this two-bedroom home has a surprisingly sane layout for its $399,000 price. In addition to an actual gallery/hallway for entry, an eat-in kitchen, and two split bedrooms, you'll find French doors, wood floors, and exposed brick.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

March 14, 2019

Step back in time in this charming row house on Washington Heights’ Sylvan Terrace, asking $1.5M

The quaint row houses of landmarked Sylvan Terrace are tucked away on one of the city’s “secret” streets in Washington Heights, which used to be the carriage drive to the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest house in Manhattan where General George Washington held a temporary headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Residences on the charming street rarely become available, but the three-bedroom at 14 Sylvan Terrace just hit the market for $1,589,000. With plenty of original details, including two fireplaces, pocket doors, and period hardwood floors, here’s a chance to experience “romance from another era,” as the listing describes.
Take a look inside

Lottery opens for 38 affordable units in Hamilton Heights’ new Dance Theater of Harlem building

Rendering via BRP Companies

February 20, 2019

Lottery opens for 38 affordable units in Hamilton Heights’ new Dance Theater of Harlem building

This affordable housing at 847 Saint Nicholas Avenue lottery checks all the boxes. Most importantly, the units are actually affordable, available to low-income households earning 40, 50, or 60 percent of the area median income and ranging from $475/month studios to $1,166/month two-bedrooms. It's in the beautiful Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill Northwest Historic District, is the new home to the Dance Theater of Harlem, and offers tenants a laundry room, fitness center, first-floor rear year, and seventh-floor terrace.
See the qualifications

Affordable Housing

Designs sought for two new waterfront parks in Inwood

Inwood Hill Park via Flickr

February 11, 2019

Designs sought for two new waterfront parks in Inwood

Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration is seeking ideas for two new waterfront parks in Inwood, as first reported by Curbed. The city's Economic Development Corporation released a request for proposals on Monday for a consultant or team to design a pair of parks along the Harlem River in the Manhattan neighborhood. The plan falls under the Inwood rezoning, which was approved last August and intends to deliver $200 million in public investments. During the process, stakeholders pushed for new open space and upgraded parks to be included in the rezoning, as the waterfront remains inaccessible to many in the community.
More here

Architecture And Design

January 25, 2019

Beautifully restored Victorian townhouse with views of Morris Jumel Mansion asks $2.8M

Overlooking Highbridge Park and the historic Morris Jumel Mansion (Manhattan's oldest home), this impeccable High-Victorian townhouse at 427 West 162nd Street in Washington Heights is brimming with eye-catching details and artistry. Currently a two-family home with the potential for rental income, this is a one-of-a-kind property in a neighborhood that's been drawing a surge of new residents lately. Over four years ago, a townhouse sold on the same street for $2.4 million—a record-breaking sale for the neighborhood at that time. Now, offering six bedrooms and a combined total of 4,500 square feet, this fully restored stunner with a huge garden and amazing views is a catch for the asking price of $2,795,000.
Get the tour

January 25, 2019

Washington Heights co-op has river views, two bedrooms and a fresh reno, all for $800K

It's never easy to find a two-bedroom in Manhattan for under $1 million, and this lovely co-op at 25 Chittenden Avenue in Washington Heights has even more than its $800,000 price tag to offer. Its top-floor, corner location affords its spectacular Hudson River views. Plus, it's been newly renovated with tons of chic, Scandi-style built-ins. And if you're looking for a move-in ready option, the new kitchen and sweet paint job mean your decorating could be taken care of.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

January 23, 2019

Sweet Hamilton Heights living at this historic $3.85M brownstone on Convent Avenue

Homes along the coveted tree-lined Convent Avenue in Hamilton Heights rarely become available, but here's a chance to own a piece of NYC history. The five-bedroom brownstone at 325 Convent Avenue just hit the market with an asking price of $3,850,000. The last time this property sold was back in 2001 when it was snagged for a mere $585,000! This 4,500-square-foot brownstone is a fantastic investment filled with original details, a beautiful garden, and a manicured front lawn.
Get the full tour

Distinctive Homes

January 18, 2019

After more than two years, Hudson Heights’ cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ sells for $2M

Back in 2016, 6sqft reported that the iconic “Pumpkin House,” a 1920s townhouse cantilevered from a cliff in Hudson Heights, had hit the market for the first time since 2011 for $5.25 million. Still without a buyer the following summer, the 17-foot-wide, six-bedroom brick home at 16 Chittenden Avenue received a price chop to $4.25 million. The unusual home—standing 250 feet above the Henry Hudson Parkway—finally found its new owner this Thursday, when it sold for a deeply discounted $2 million, as reported by the New York Post.
Get the details

Get a one-bedroom right near Washington Heights’ historic sites for $1,900/month

Morris Jumel Mansion via Wiki Commons

December 21, 2018

Get a one-bedroom right near Washington Heights’ historic sites for $1,900/month

Washington Heights has been in the news lately for its surge in millennial residents and upcoming food hall, but another draw to the neighborhood is its wealth of historic sites like the Morris-Jumel Mansion (Manhattan's oldest house!) and Sylvan Terrace (a hidden cobblestone street lined with 19th-century wooden row houses). And the latest affordable housing lottery to come online is just a few short blocks from these local landmarks. Located at 1980 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 158th and 159th Streets, this new 14-unit rental has five $1,900/month one-bedrooms available to households earning between $65,143 and $108,550 annually.
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Affordable Housing

Washington Heights’ first food hall announces spring opening and vendors

An early rendering of North End Food Hall, via NADA

December 18, 2018

Washington Heights’ first food hall announces spring opening and vendors

Earlier this year, the Post called Washington Heights “the new Williamsburg,” after census data revealed that the upper-Manhattan neighborhood has more millennials than any other area in the entire city. After being priced out of areas like Bushwick, the Heights is a cheaper but equally convenient place to settle down. And like any good up-and-coming NYC spot, Washington Heights will soon be getting its very own food hall. Eater reports that North End Food Hall will open this spring at 4300 Broadway, at 183rd Street, with local favorites like Dashi Ramen (from the team behind Jin Ramen), Harlem Public, and Salt and Bone Smokehouse.
Find out more

Food & Dining

Landmarks designates new Inwood historic district

Image courtesy of NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission via Flickr.

December 11, 2018

Landmarks designates new Inwood historic district

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted today to designate the Park Terrace West-West 217th Street Historic District in the Inwood section of Manhattan. The historic district features an enclave of picturesque early 20th-century houses with landscaped topography that stand out among the neighborhood’s apartment buildings.
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Our 4,700sqft: How European expats found a family home in a historic Hamilton Heights brownstone

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Laurence and Antoine’s 19th-century Hamilton Heights townhouse. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

December 4, 2018

Our 4,700sqft: How European expats found a family home in a historic Hamilton Heights brownstone

France natives Laurence and Antoine moved to NYC in 2006, after spending 12 years in Frankfurt, Germany. Antoine's career as a software developer brought the family of six across the pond, where they landed in Turtle Bay. But once they got acclimated, they knew they wanted a neighborhood with more character. So eight years ago, they bought a historic brownstone in Hamilton Heights. When asked if they miss anything about living in Midtown they quickly say "no," as they've fallen in love with Hamilton Heights' charm, convenience, and friendly neighborhood feel. But take away what's outside, and Laurence and Antoine's home alone would be enough to make any New Yorker fall in love. Built in 1890, the 21-foot-wide brownstone retains almost all of its original details, such as elaborately carved moldings and fireplaces (five, to be exact), cozy window seats, and jaw-dropping foliated screens in the master bedroom. However, with their children now out of the house, the couple is ready to downsize and has put their home on the market. But before they depart, Laurence and Antoine invited us in for a personal tour.
Have a look around

November 15, 2018

MVRDV’s vibrant ‘vertical village’ hotel breaks ground in Washington Heights

Netherlands-based architecture firm MVRDV on Thursday broke ground on its first major project in the United States: a 22-story tower in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. Dubbed the Radio Tower & Hotel, the mixed-use building will feature a hotel, retail, and office space all in a colorful, boxy structure. According to the architects, the vibrant boxes take inspiration from the colors of "storefronts in the majority-Hispanic neighborhood" and keeps them the same size as other buildings in the area.
See it here

November 6, 2018

At $790K, this full-floor Hamilton Heights condo is a great investment

The secret's been out about Hamilton Heights for quite some time now, but there are still some great real estate deals to be had. For example, this completely charming condo at 789 Saint Nicholas Avenue takes up the full floor of a townhouse, has two bedrooms, and offers a winning combo of vintage details and renovated amenities--all for $790,000. And with a location just four blocks from the A, C, B, and D trains at 145th Street, you can get to Midtown in no time.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

September 21, 2018

Will 2018 be the year quirky and historic Hamilton Heights ‘Art House’ sells for $2.7M?

This unusual three-family townhouse at 532 West 148th Street in Hamilton Heights was purchased by Portuguese-born architect Luis Da Cruz in 2006 for $995,000 and thoroughly renovated as a canvas for the artist's personal creative vision. Cruz restored the 1920 home's carved wood stairways and railings, moldings, five fireplaces, beamed ceiling, and exposed brick walls, and added his signature art pieces to an eclectic, bohemian decor, calling the house Musée Maison (Museum House) and making it his studio and workshop. He also hosted art events during which all of the work was for sale and he would perform tricks on aerial silks suspended from the ceiling. The house itself has been on and off the market since 2007. In 2015 6sqft featured the artsy listing at $2.5 million and again after a broker change in 2017 asking $2.7M. Now, another broker switch and more conventional photos–but no change in price–herald the latest attempt to find a suitably visionary buyer.
Tour the toned-down version of this unusual townhouse

The best affordable and student-friendly off-campus neighborhoods in NYC

Columbia campus, via Pixabay

August 9, 2018

The best affordable and student-friendly off-campus neighborhoods in NYC

By Cait Etherington

If you can’t bear the idea of living in the dorms for another year, you’re not alone. Unless you happen to go to Columbia where over 90 percent of students live on campus, there's a high likelihood you’ll be searching for your own apartment at some point during your college years, just like 57 percent of students at NYU and 74 percent at The New School. And if you're like most students, you’ll be looking for an apartment far from downtown that strikes the right balance between affordability, commutability, and access to services. To help you make the smartest decision possible, 6sqft has compiled a list of affordable, student-friendly neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn. By New York City standards, all of these are both safe (e.g., reported fewer than 1.5447 crimes per 1000 people in June 2018) and within reach (e.g., on average, three-bedroom units can still be rented for less than $5,000 per month). Using July 2018 City Realty data on average neighborhood rents, we've broken down how much you’ll pay on average to live in a three-bedroom shared unit in each of these neighborhoods. We’ve also provided average commute times to both Union Square, which is easily walkable to NYU, The New School, and Cooper Union, and to the Columbia University campus.
Get the guide

59-block Inwood rezoning vote draws protests from residents who fear its character will be lost

Inwood Hill Park; Image: Dana via Flickr.

August 9, 2018

59-block Inwood rezoning vote draws protests from residents who fear its character will be lost

On Wednesday the City Council approved a rezoning plan for a 59-block section of Inwood, a neighbhorhood often referred to as the "last affordable neighborhood in Manhattan," the New York Times reports. The plan was approved last week by the city's zoning subcommittee and the Land Use Committee. The Inwood rezoning is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to rezone neighborhoods across the city as part of the push to create and preserve 300,000 affordable housing units by his goal date of 2026. Inwood is the fifth neighborhood–including the also-controversial East New York and East Harlem–to be approved for rezoning under the plan.
Find out more

July 23, 2018

$970K Hamilton Heights condo has a sunny disposition and a farmhouse vibe