Upper West Side

Applications are now being accepted for 269 affordable apartments across three buildings at a development on the Upper West Side known as Waterline Square. The trio of luxury high-rises is located between West 59th Street and West 61st Street on the Hudson River and contains a new 2.6-acre park. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $1,041/month studio to a $1,553/month three-bedroom. As 6sqft reported last week, construction at the five-acre waterfront site continues to wrap up.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Battery Park City and Upper West Side communities transition from middle-aged to millennial

Via Wikimedia

September 28, 2018

Battery Park City and Upper West Side communities transition from middle-aged to millennial

Despite recently ranking as the most expensive zip code for renters in the United States, Battery Park City experienced the greatest influx of millennial residents in New York City over a period of five years. The Lower Manhattan neighborhood, with the zip code 10282, saw a population increase of over 54 percent, according to report released this month by RentCafe. Out of the top 20 zip codes with the highest increase in millennials, Battery Park City, with 2,300 Generation Y residents, ranks third in the country, falling slightly behind two downtown Los Angeles neighborhoods (h/t amNY).
Where are millennials moving?

Real Estate Trends

Watch a time-lapse video of Waterline Square reaching the finish line

Via Field Condition

September 28, 2018

Watch a time-lapse video of Waterline Square reaching the finish line

By Emily Nonko

Construction is wrapping up on a trio of glassy residential towers known as Waterline Square, located on the five-acre waterfront site between West 59th and 61st Streets. Three Waterline Square, designed by Rafael Viñoly, got its multi-faceted crystal-planed exterior earlier this month. Richard Meier, on a leave of absence from his firm after accusations of sexual harassment, designed One Waterline Square, the 37-story building that also recently reached its pinnacle. Finally Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates' Two Waterline Square culminates at 38 stories. After the jump, check out a video showing the entire project rise in under 90 seconds.
Check it out

Where I Work: The trio behind Van Leeuwen ice cream show off their pastel-painted UWS shop

Ben (left), Laura and Pete in their UWS store

September 18, 2018

Where I Work: The trio behind Van Leeuwen ice cream show off their pastel-painted UWS shop

Ten years ago, with $60,000 on hand and no factory, Laura O’Neill and Pete and Ben Van Leeuwen decided to operate an ice cream truck in New York City. Instead of using gum stabilizers and fillers, they wanted to make their ice cream with all-natural, pure ingredients. The trio, none of whom have a culinary background, started testing ice cream recipes in the kitchen of their shared Brooklyn apartment. Today, Van Leeuwen has grown into a multimillion-dollar, multi-city dessert empire with numerous trucks and brick-and-mortar stores throughout NYC and Los Angeles. Van Leeuwen remains known for its rich and delicious vegan flavors, which hit their menu about five years ago. With a formula of raw cashews, extra virgin coconut oil, pure cocoa butter, coconut cream, and organic cane sugar, the ice cream is beloved by vegans and non-vegans. "It's not just good vegan ice cream--it's incredible ice cream that happens to be vegan," Laura told us. Pete, Ben, and Laura recently gave us a tour of one of their new NYC stores, a small pastel-painted shop on the Upper West Side. Ahead, hear from Laura about Van Leeuwen's humble start in Brooklyn, the decision-making-process behind new flavors, and plans to expand even further.
Read the sweet background here

Where I Work

September 12, 2018

102-year-old Orwasher’s Bakery is preserving NYC nostalgia while adapting to the times

By Dana Schulz

There's a good chance that if you've walked into one of Orwasher's Bakery's Manhattan storefronts over the past decade you've assumed the 102-year-old business is still family owned. But the original Orwasher family sold it in 2007 to Keith Cohen. The likely confusion comes from Cohen's dedication to maintaining the mom-and-pop feel of his Upper East and West Side locations, along with the vintage recipes for New York staples such as rye bread, challah, and sourdough. But he's also used his business smarts to make some well-received updates, including a major expansion of the wholesale business, a new line of wine breads in collaboration with Long Island-based vineyard Channing Daughters, a formula for the perfect baguette (he even traveled to Paris to learn the art!), and, perhaps most impressively, the addition of the elusive New York bagel. 6sqft recently visited Cohen at the two-year-old Upper West Side location to learn a bit more about his journey as master baker and proprietor of one of NYC's most beloved old-school businesses and get a behind-the-scenes look at where the magic happens.
Start carbo-loading

Rafael Viñoly reveals new photos and video of Three Waterline Square

Image courtesy of CityRealty.

September 12, 2018

Rafael Viñoly reveals new photos and video of Three Waterline Square

Catching up with the rise of Waterline Square has been a pastime of skyline watchers since the project was announced. Now, CityRealty shares a recent Instagram post by designer Rafael Viñoly revealing the newly-installed final piece of the façade at Three Waterline Square, completing its multi-faceted crystal-planed exterior. On the inside, Three Waterline Square’s carefully expressed corners and gently sloping walls allow stunning panoramic river, park, and skyline views.
New images and video this way

September 5, 2018

‘I ♥ NY’ designer Milton Glaser’s former Upper West Side artist’s studio asks $5M

Built in 1903, the 12-story building at 27 West 67th Street is the oldest of eight that comprise the West 67th Street Artists’ Colony Historic District. The studio buildings–which now find themselves next to Central Park, Lincoln Center, and the Time Warner Center on the Upper West Side–were built by a group of artists to provide live/work space on what was then a block of ramshackle stables. Asking $4,950,000, this graceful pre-war duplex is as much an important part of New York City history as it is creative and cool. The stylishly renovated three-bedroom co-op was, until 2007, the residence of graphic designer Milton Glaser, creator of the "I ♥ NY" campaign among other iconic designs and co-founder of "New York" magazine. Another unusual thing about this pretty property: It comes with an additional room on the building's top floor, perfect for a gym, home office–or artist's studio.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

You can live in J.Lo and A-Rod’s 15 Central Park West rental for $11,500/month

15 CPW courtyard by Flickr cc; A-Rod and J.Lo via Wiki Commons

August 23, 2018

You can live in J.Lo and A-Rod’s 15 Central Park West rental for $11,500/month

Though they recently dropped $15 million on an apartment at 432 Park Avenue, the tallest residential building in the Western Hempishere, power couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have reportedly been shacking up in a smaller rental at the equally impressive 15 Central Park West. The celebrity-filled building is NYC's most expensive condo, but what really makes this juicy is that A-Rod was allegedly banned from the residence for hosting several hookers while renting there in 2014. Perhaps the board feels he's matured over the years, as he and J-Lo have secretly been renting a one-bedroom there for the past year, and with the lease expiring on September 1st (and the pair likely getting ready to make the move into 432) it's now up for rent asking $11,500 a month.
Get the scoop

Anthony Bourdain’s Columbus Circle condo hits the rental market for $14K/month

Photo of Bourdain via Wikimedia; photo of Time Warner Center via Joe Schulz on Flickr

August 13, 2018

Anthony Bourdain’s Columbus Circle condo hits the rental market for $14K/month

Anthony Bourdain's Columbus Circle apartment has hit the rental market, nearly two months after the chef's death. Located on the 64th floor of the Time Warner Center, the two-bedroom condo is asking $14,200/month, as first reported by TMZ. In addition to high-end condos, the building is home to CNN's NYC headquarters, the same network that carries Bourdain's popular Parts Unknown series.
More here

July 26, 2018

For $16K a month, this unique Lincoln Square loft has a double-height plant wall in the living room

This four-bedroom pre-war duplex would be unusual for its double-height living room alone, but the soaring internal space is graced with a stunning living wall feature that you definitely won't find in the average Upper West Side living room. You can rent this cool space–originally an artists' loft when the Atelier at 33 West 67th Street was constructed in 1903–for $16,450 a month.
Take the tour

July 26, 2018

Misty Copeland dances her way to an Upper West Side apartment for $3.1M

Ballet superstar Misty Copeland, the first black ballerina to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, moved to the Upper West Side when she was just 17 years old to join the company. And it doesn't seem like she plans on leaving any time soon. The dancer and her husband, attorney Olu Evans, have bought a condo at 215 West 88th Street for $3.125 million. The three-bedroom home is located in the Merrion, a building erected in 1915 (h/t Real Estate Weekly).
See it for yourself

July 24, 2018

‘Oversized’ Upper West Side studio earns its $600K ask with cute and clever details

By Hannah Frishberg

Here's a large studio apartment in the Upper West Side's Verdi co-op building at 175 West 73rd Street, just two blocks from Central Park. The eighth-floor unit has a Murphy bed to free up space, some original details, and is decently priced for those who value the location.
How would you arrange the space?

Distinctive Homes

Rendering of 200 Amsterdam Avenue via SJP Properties/ Elkus Manfredi

July 18, 2018

City says 668-foot UWS supertall complies with zoning rules despite community protests

The city's Board of Standards and Appeals found Tuesday that a 668-foot-tall tower proposed for a zoning lot at 200 Amsterdam Avenue does, in fact, comply with zoning rules, The Real Deal reports. The decision gives developers SJP and Mitsui Fudosan the green light to proceed with development of a condominium tower on the site at 69th Street despite a growing body of community groups opposed to the project. The Committee for Environmentally Sound Development had challenged the Department of Buildings' approval of the project on the grounds that developers assembled an illegal zoning lot in the form of a 39-sided polygon 10 times larger than the actual building's planned footprint with the intent of building a larger tower.
Find out more

July 11, 2018

Construction begins on Extell’s 69-story tower, set to be tallest on the Upper West Side

Rendering via Snohetta / Binyan Studios; construction photo via CityRealty With the neighboring Jewish Guild for the Blind officially demolished, construction has now begun on Extell Development's skyscraper at 50 West 66th Street. Designed by Snøhetta, the mixed-use skyscraper is set to rise 775 feet, making it the tallest building on the Upper West Side. The 69-story tower will feature a facade of excavations, that are meant to evoke the "chiseled stone of Manhattan's geologic legacy," according to the architects. As CityRealty reported, the new tower will sit next to some of the borough's most illustrious buildings, including 15 Central Park West and The Century.
Find out more

New Developments

July 6, 2018

Bob Weinstein takes another loss on $20.5M sale of Central Park West apartment

Producer Robert "Bob" Weinstein continues to unload his real estate portfolio amid business parter and brother Harvey's sexual abuse allegations. In December, he sold his Upper West Side townhouse for $15 million, the same exact price he paid for it in 2009 with ex-wife Annie Clayton. Just last month, he unloaded his Greenwich, Connecticut mansion for $17 million after three years on the market and a 15 percent price chop. And according to city records released yesterday, his massive Central Park West duplex at the Beresford has now closed for $20.5 million, just a hair above the $20 million he bought it for in 2004 and much less than the $29.5 million it listed for nearly a year ago. The buyer is listed as Pamela Schein Murphy, wife of restauranteur Marc Murphy. Not only does the 14-room spread encompass 7,000 square feet, but it boasts two large terraces overlooking the park.
See the whole place

Judge tells Madonna to stop “harassing” her Upper West Side co-op

1 West 64th Street via CityRealty (l); Madonna via Wikimedia Commons (r)

July 2, 2018

Judge tells Madonna to stop “harassing” her Upper West Side co-op

1 West 64th Street via CityRealty (l); Madonna via Wikimedia Commons (r) Back in September, a Manhattan judge threw out a lawsuit that Madonna had filed against her Upper West Side co-op after they enforced a rule that prohibited her family members or staff to live in the apartment at 1 West 64th Street without her being present. As 6sqft previously explained, "The judge dismissed the star’s suit because she filed two years after the co-op created the rule, in April of 2014, missing the deadline to proceed with legal action." But this didn't stop her; during the past 10 months, Madonna was "merely harassing" her neighbors, demanding access to board records, according to the Post.
Madonna gets reprimanded again

Celebrities

June 25, 2018

$750K brownstone aerie on the Upper West Side has classic Manhattan charm–and an elevator

This quintessential brownstone apartment on the top floor at 140 West 74th Street might not be what comes to mind when you think of penthouse living, but 10-foot ceilings, tons of exposed brick, and plenty of pre-war charm–coupled with a perfect spot on the Upper West Side–could make this co-op studio a top choice for a Manhattan pied-a-terre. A price of $749,000 and the fact that it's not a walk-up help make the case, as does the view of the tree-lined West 70s from a wall of windows.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

June 18, 2018

Historic Upper West Side mansion built for a Dow Jones founder asks $12M

Designed by prolific Upper West Side architect Charles T. Mott in 1891 for Dow Jones founder Edward Jones, the facade of this five-story townhouse at 325 West 76th Street hints at the rich history and the grand details within. The current owners renovated this 20-foot-wide, 7,515-square-foot home in the 21st century, slowly and meticulously preserving historic details in the transformation back to single-family mansion. This turn-key historic house is on the market for $11.9 million, including six bedrooms, an elevator, a screening room, a top-of-the-line kitchen and several entertaining spaces.
Take a five-story tour

June 7, 2018

Lincoln Square’s grand finale: From slum clearance to a new master plan

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Lincoln Square, a part of the Upper West Side, is a literal square of approximately 50 blocks that runs east-west from Central Park West to the West Side Drive and north-south from 59th to 72nd Streets. The neighborhood, which is bisected by Broadway and contains the Lincoln Center “superblock,” has an enormous amount of culture, loads of prestigious schools, tons of old-school luxury residences lining the park, and a massive, five-acre, four-building new development called Waterline Square, finalizing a decades-long master plan for the neighborhood. Ahead, we take a look at the neighborhood's history, from its Dutch roots to Robert Moses' slum clearance, modern residential development, and all the amenities that make this area more fun than one may think.
Your guide to Lincoln Square

Events & Things To Do

May 24, 2018

$345K tiny Upper West Studio studio only allows tiny pets

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

At around 300 square feet, this $345,000 Upper West Side studio may be tiny, but it makes the most of the space by taking advantage of the 11-foot-high ceilings by putting the sleeping loft above the kitchen and using every square inch to its max. However, the co-op, located at 203 West 87th Street, will only allow equally tiny pets.
See a

Distinctive Homes

15 Central Park West via Wikimedia

May 23, 2018

15 Central Park West still reigns as the best selling condo in New York City

With 10 years of closings officially on record, 15 Central Park West takes the top spot as New York City's best performing building for yet another year. According to a CityRealty 100 report released Wednesday, the average price per square foot of units at Robert A.M. Stern's "Limestone Jesus" was roughly $6,405, between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018. In that time period the building saw a total of eight sales, including apartments which sold for $28 million and $21.5 million. Sales at the limestone tower were able to outperform newer developments, like One57 and 432 Park Avenue.
Get the details

Real Estate Trends

May 21, 2018

Asking $1.5M, this classic Upper West Side duplex has a magical private rooftop escape

Located on the top floor of a dreamy Upper West Side townhouse at 307 West 82nd Street, a block from Riverside Park, this two-bedroom duplex asking $1.475 million appears to be every inch the classic Manhattan co-op, from its blonde wood floors to subdued pale walls. But this uptown aerie speaks volumes in the form of a huge private wraparound roof terrace.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Antonio Banderas lists sultry Central Park West Prasada pad for $8M

Image of Antonio Banderas: Wikimedia Commons

May 9, 2018

Antonio Banderas lists sultry Central Park West Prasada pad for $8M

Antonio Banderas has just listed his park-front co-op in the Prasada at 50 Central Park West for $7.95 million. The actor purchased the nine-room co-op for $3.995 million in 2005, with his wife, Melanie Griffith, according to the Wall Street Journal. The couple divorced in 2016 and Banderas, who is starring in the upcoming “Life Itself” with Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac, kept the stylish Upper West Side home.
More sexy apartment pics, this way

May 4, 2018

Quaint Tudor house in the Upper West Side’s ‘hidden’ Pomander Walk asks $2.5M

As one of New York City's many hidden-in-plain-sight secret addresses, Pomander Walk is a gated 1920s community of Tudor-style mini-homes resembling an English village nestled right in the middle of Manhattan's Upper West Side. The brightly-painted home at 265 West 94th Street, asking $2.5 million, is a rarely-available opportunity to live in this unique village-in-the-city community.
Get a closer look

May 3, 2018

Judge rules Upper West Side condo can remove Trump’s name from its building

Photo via Nick Normal’s Flickr Following year-long resistance from the Trump Organization, a judge ruled on Thursday that an Upper West Side condo could remove the president's name from the exterior of the 46-story building, according to the New York Times. Condo owners at 200 Riverside Boulevard will now be able to vote on whether to keep or remove the bronze letters spelling "TRUMP" on the building, where they have hung for nearly two decades. The ruling comes after board members at Trump Place asked a judge in January to issue a declaratory judgment that the condo has the right to either keep or remove the letters without violating its licensing agreement. On Thursday, Justice Eileen Bransten said removing letters does not violate the agreement.
More details here

Policy

Trump Organization will fight ‘rogue individuals’ who want the president’s name shed from UWS condo

Photo via Nick Normal’s Flickr

April 24, 2018

Trump Organization will fight ‘rogue individuals’ who want the president’s name shed from UWS condo