West Village

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

After struggling on and off the market for six years, the historic Greenwich Village townhouse made infamous when Courtney Love rented it for $27,000/month is trying again after a super-stylish makeover. Back in 2011, the owner of 250 West 10th Street, Donna Lyon, took Love to court on the grounds that she had done more than $100,000 worth of interior damages, including decorating it in a style not to the owner's liking and setting a minor fire, as well as owed $54,000 in back rent. Love ended up winning the eviction battle, but soon thereafter moved out, from which time the place has been trying to find a buyer, first listing for $8.4 million, then jumping up to $11.5 and back down to $9. But it's now received a super-stylish makeover more akin to its pre-Love look, which he been done by previous owner and architect/designer Steven Gambrel. With lacquered walls, six original marble fireplaces, and a newly renovated French-bistro outdoor patio, the home is now asking $11.25 million.
Get a look around

Artist aeries: Touring downtown’s ‘studio windows’

Artist’s studios on Bleecker Street, via GVSHP

November 9, 2017

Artist aeries: Touring downtown’s ‘studio windows’

With fall’s arrival and the turning back of the clocks, sunlight becomes an ever more precious commodity. Perhaps no New York living space is more centered around capturing and maximizing that prized amenity than the artist’s studio, with its large casement windows and tall ceilings. So with sunlight at a premium, let’s conduct a brief survey of some of the most iconic artist’s studio windows in the Village and East Village.
But first, a little history

Jane Jacobs-developed West Village Houses may be replaced by luxury complex to preserve affordability

West Village Houses. Courtesy New York City Municipal Archives

November 3, 2017

Jane Jacobs-developed West Village Houses may be replaced by luxury complex to preserve affordability

As the clock ticks down on a significant and decades-old property tax break for residents of the 420-unit West Village Houses, developer Madison Equities has proposed a possible solution–with a price, Crain's reports. The unassuming affordable West Village cooperative located between West Street and Washington Street was developed in the 1970s by Jane Jacobs. The tax break expires in March, and residents are scrambling to find a solution to offset the impending increase in monthly fees. The development firm has attempted to entice shareholders with another option: an offer to purchase the buildings, demolish them, and allow current residents to snag affordable apartments in a new 42-building development that would span seven sites bounded by Washington, Morton, West and Bank streets. The new development, which would add yet another massive apartment complex to the low-rise neighborhood would also include luxury units.
What are the options?

Affordable Housing

My 1,760sqft: Real estate mogul and jetsetter Emir Bahadir shows off his custom West Village loft

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the West Village apartment of real estate mogul, entrepreneur, and professional jetsetter Emir Bahadir. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

October 31, 2017

My 1,760sqft: Real estate mogul and jetsetter Emir Bahadir shows off his custom West Village loft

By Dana Schulz

Growing up as an heir to a generations-old Turkish real estate empire, Emir Bahadir divided his time among London, Switzerland, Istanbul, and New York, and while being "exposed to all different types of fashion and arts from a very young age" got him hooked on design and art, it was the "energy" of NYC that ultimately got him. After moving here eight years ago to study at NYU, 25-year-old Emir has now founded his own brokerage and development firm, BHDR, and amassed an Instagram following of more than 600,000. Part of this media success stems from his personal brand Bahadiring, where he's able to "share his top-of-the-line lifestyle with the world... featuring everything from a clothing line to cosmetics." One representation of his luxurious taste is his West Village loft, which he describes as masculine, sleek, and bold. Emir embarked on a 14-month renovation with architect Mark Stumer after purchasing the home three years ago, and he's now opened the doors to give 6sqft a special look at his contemporary art collection, custom-made furniture including a library with leather shelves and drop-down movie theater, and family heirlooms.
Take the full tour

October 30, 2017

Seth Meyers’ $4.5M West Village condo is in contract after only a month

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Just over a month after listing his West Village condo at 302 West 12th Street for $4.5 million, the “Late Night” host has reportedly found a buyer for the two-bedroom unit (h/t Curbed). Meyers and his wife, Alexi, purchased the pad for $3.5 million in 2013, but last summer they dropped $7.5 million on a five-bedroom co-op at 32 Washington Square West.
See more, this way

Rare photos of the High Line being demolished in the 1960s tell the story of a changing West Village

Crane with wrecking ball mounted on the trestle. Photo by Peter H. Fritsch (1962). Photo courtesy of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation/Fritsch Family Collection.

October 26, 2017

Rare photos of the High Line being demolished in the 1960s tell the story of a changing West Village

Few structures have had a more far-reaching impact upon the West Village and Chelsea than the High Line. Its construction in 1934, then partial demolition in the early '60s, and final preservation and conversion into a park a decade ago have profoundly shaped the way these neighborhoods have changed over the last 85 years. And while photos of its heyday and those of it today as an internationally recognized public space are plenty, few exist of those interim years. But GVSHP recently acquired some wonderful images of the High Line being demolished in 1962 at Perry Street, donated by the Fritsch Family who lived nearby at 141 Perry Street. The Fritschs’ photos say a lot about how the High Line, and its demolition, changed the West Village. It’s apparent from the images just how much more industrial, and gritty the Far West Village was in those days. But it also shows how the demolition of the High Line left a huge gap in this unpretentious neighborhood, which housed both disappearing industry and a diverse and vital residential community.
See the other photos and learn the whole history

History

October 25, 2017

An earthy West Village pad with barrel-vaulted brick ceilings asks $2M

By Devin Gannon

Located on a tree-lined, cobblestone street in the West Village, an apartment at 131 Perry Street has hit the market for $1.895 million. Currently configured as a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, the home boasts beautiful exposed brick walls and ceilings and a wood burning fireplace. The barrel-vaulted, brick arched ceilings make this a New York City gem, a design element reminiscent of Grand Central Station's ceilings. This unit is one of 14 lofts in a boutique co-op, located within walking distance to Hudson River Park and the Whitney Museum.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

October 25, 2017

$900K West Village duplex is so cute you won’t notice it’s only eight feet wide

The listing says "Blink and you'll miss it!" and this diminutive duplex at 15 Jones Street in the West Village is definitely not one to miss. To be fair, the warning refers to charm-filled Jones Street, the city's sixth-smallest street, not the fact that this chic retreat on the market for $900,000 is only a bit wider than the average queen-sized bed. The co-op's two floors add a surprising amount of space, separating living and sleeping, with a bathroom on each floor making it great for couples, entertaining and guests.
Take a look at all the good stuff in here

Distinctive Homes

October 11, 2017

James Gandolfini’s former West Village apartment asks $7.5M

The West Village apartment that the late actor James Gandolfini, who became a household name for his portrayal of conflicted mafia boss Tony Soprano, shared with ex-wife Marcy Wudarski Gandolfini is for sale. 6sqft took note back in 2015 when the 3,200-square-foot condo hit the rental market asking $21,000 a month. Now the actor's ex is selling the four-bedroom home at 99 Jane Street for $7.5M, according to the New York Post. The couple bought one apartment in the building in 1999 for $850,000 and picked up the second for $1 million sometime later, creating one townhouse-sized pad before their split in 2002.
Take the tour

October 10, 2017

Amid legal trouble, model Erin Heatherton re-lists West Village condo for $2.7M

Exactly a year ago, former Victoria’s Secret model and ex Leonardo DiCaprio gal pal Erin Heatherton put her West Village apartment on the market for $2.85 million after the 1 Morton Square board sued her over excessively loud parties and delinquent condo fees. Unable to unload the two-bedroom spread, she then tried to rent it for $15,00 a month just a couple months later. Now, she's trying again to sell, this time re-decorating the interiors to be more chic than rustic and lowering the price a tad to $2,695,000. Could this have to do with the $10 million lawsuit she was hit with last month by her former stylist Clare Byrne over a clothing line that they never launched?
Check out the stylish digs

October 6, 2017

Everything’s big–including the waterfront views–in this $4M West Village loft

The condominium at 495 West Street in the West Village is known for having an exceedingly low turnover rate: Residents rarely leave. Built in 1999 by architect-developer Cary Tamarkin, the building's lofts were given generous floorplans and big-shouldered details like sixteen-foot-high casement windows. Today, it's still coveted, due in no small part to its wide-sprawling layouts and fabulous Hudson River views. This 1,988-square-foot loft with 776 square feet of private outdoor space, currently asking $3.995 million, is the first unit in the building to be on the market since 2004.
What makes this loft so special?

Distinctive Homes

Olsen twins’ former West Village penthouse hits the market for $25M

Olsen twins photo via Wikipedia

October 3, 2017

Olsen twins’ former West Village penthouse hits the market for $25M

A massive penthouse with star power has just hit the market for a cool $25 million. The apartment, located atop luxury West Village condo 1 Morton Square, was previously owned by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. According to Curbed, the famous twins bought the pad for $7.3 million in 2009 while the building was still under construction, put it on the market soon after buying, and finally sold in 2010. Well-known New York developer Bruce Eichner of the Continuum Company was the buyer--for $7.7 million--and now he's looking to make quite the profit. The apartment is impressive, though, with interior details imported from France, a sculptural glass wine refrigerator, and a gallery to display art and sculptures.
You've got to see inside

September 27, 2017

West Village townhouse of NYC fashion scene veteran hits the market for $13M

Asking $13 million, this single family Greek Revival home at 57 Bank Street embodies what West Village townhouse dreams are made of. As with most such examples of perfection, original historic details are combined with an eye for color and style, and there's a landscaped garden and three terraces. City records show that the townhouse is owned by Anne McNally, Vanity Fair contributor and ex-wife of restaurateur Brian McNally, so it's not surprising that the five-story home has been featured in the pages of House and Garden, British Vogue, and W.
Tour all five floors

Jon Bon Jovi scores Greenwich Village condo for $19M

Photo of Jon Bon Jovi courtesy of Wikimedia

September 25, 2017

Jon Bon Jovi scores Greenwich Village condo for $19M

New Jersey rock star Jon Bon Jovi has purchased an apartment in the Greenwich Lane, a condominium project in the West Village, for $18.94 million (h/t WSJ). The complex stretches almost a full city block between 12th and 11th Streets off Seventh Avenue and features 198 one- to five-bedroom homes. The musician's new pad at 155 West 11th Street includes four-bedrooms, incredible views of Downtown Manhattan and the Hudson River and direct elevator access. As 6sqft reported in July, Bon Jovi listed his spacious three-bedroom at 150 Charles Street for $17.25 million, later combining the pad with the neighboring duplex for $29.95 million for both.
See inside

Ai Weiwei exhibit will displace Washington Square Christmas tree this holiday

Ai Weiwei’s installation will be underneath the Washington Square Arch beginning this October, rendering via Ai Weiwei and Public Art Fund

September 22, 2017

Ai Weiwei exhibit will displace Washington Square Christmas tree this holiday

By Devin Gannon

An art installation from internationally acclaimed artist-activist, Ai Weiwei, will be displayed at the same time as the Christmas tree underneath the Washington Square Arch this year, displacing the tree, which has been a holiday tradition since 1924. The exhibit serves as one part of the famed Chinese artist’s larger project, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” which will feature ten large fence-themed works and more than 90 smaller installations across the five boroughs. As Bedford + Bowery learned, the plan is moving forward, despite objections from the Washington Square Association, who sought an appeal to have the project withdrawn because it will disrupt the usual holiday celebration, the second oldest tree lighting ceremony in New York City.
More this way

September 18, 2017

‘Late Night’ host Seth Meyers lists one of his Village apartments for $4.5M

Seth Meyers seems to be taking a "closer look" at his West Village real estate holdings, as Mansion Global reports that that the "Late Night" host has listed a condo that he owns with his wife Alexi at 302 West 12th Street for $4.5 million. They bought the unit, a lovely little two-bedroom spread, for $3.5 million in 2013, but last summer they dropped $7.5 million on a much larger, five-bedroom co-op at 32 Washington Square West, which, interestingly, was previously owned by actress Mary Louise Parker.
READ MORE

September 11, 2017

News journalist Linda Ellerbee lists her historic West Village townhouse for $10.75M

After finding this incredible townhouse at 17 Saint Luke's Place–one of 15 identical Italianate row houses built in the 1850s on land owned by the Trinity Church--in the New York Times real estate section 40+ years ago, legendary journalist Linda Ellerbee knew she had to have it, even though it was above her budget. "I bought the house 30 minutes after touring it," she told LL NYC. "It was like every movie I had ever seen growing up about what it was like to live in Greenwich Village in a brownstone." But now that her children are grown and she plans to spend most of her time in the Berkshires and Puerto Vallarta, she's decided to list the well-renovated and well-preserved home for $10.75 million.
See what's upstairs and downstairs

August 31, 2017

$975K West Village walk-up with lots of built-ins is the perfect size for one

This charming, crisp, and bright top-floor flat has sweet pre-war details, rustic style done right, and renovation where it counts. The one-bedroom West Village co-op at 78 Charles Street is asking $975,000. The bad news: It's a top-floor walk-up. The good news: A lovely roof deck is just upstairs.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

August 30, 2017

This slender West Village townhouse condo is well-located, well-dressed and just under $1M

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

There's no question, West 10th Street in the West Village is an absolutely lovely street to call home, enviably lined with historic townhouses and surrounded by iconic Village establishments and street life. Tucked within the townhouse condominium at number 223, this renovated apartment, currently asking $999,000, has the right dose of pre-war character and modern conveniences even if its size and layout put it squarely in divided studio territory.
See more West Village cuteness this way

Distinctive Homes

‘Heard it through the grapevine?’ The source was probably at 6th Avenue and 11th Street

6th Avenue and 11th Street, 1905. Image via Ephemeral New York,

August 3, 2017

‘Heard it through the grapevine?’ The source was probably at 6th Avenue and 11th Street

On August 6, 1966, the first known recording of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was made by the Miracles. Written by Motown pioneers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, the song was re-recorded several times, most famously by Gladys Night and the Pips and Marvin Gaye, whose version landed on the top of the charts for seven weeks in early 1969. But the famous saying about receiving important news or information through a person-to-person chain of communication significantly pre-dates the Motown era. In fact, plentiful evidence and credible sources say it all goes back to a beloved tavern on the corner of 6th Avenue and 11th Street in Greenwich Village.
more on the history here

History

August 1, 2017

$4,000/month West Village rental comes with its very own front door entrance

You could pretend you live in your own West Village townhouse with this rental, which comes with a private front door you enter off the street. Located at 344 West 12th Street, a tree-lined and cobblestoned stretch between Greenwich and Washington Streets, your front door will take you right into a pre-war one bedroom with a wood burning fireplace, the original hardwood floors and French doors. Though it's in a co-op building, this apartment is up for rent at $4,000 a month.
See more of the prewar details

July 30, 2017

Bright apartment on the full floor of a West Village townhouse asks $6,500/month

Somewhere along the line, the historic Federal period townhouse at 428 Hudson Street was broken up into four apartments. And now theres' the opportunity to rent this one, which occupies the townhouse's entire third floor. If you don't mind the walk-up, the apartment offers two bedrooms and two bathrooms over 1,200 square feet. The large, open living space is decorated with a fireplace and hardwood floors, while sunshine comes in from exposures to the east and west. For this calm, quiet pad perched atop a West Village townhouse, it'll cost $6,500 per month.
Take a look

July 24, 2017

Jon Bon Jovi tries to sell West Village duplex as part of a $30M combo unit

Jon Bon Jovi hasn't released a new album in quite some time, but one way he's managed to stay in the spotlight is his real estate game. In 2015, he sold his Soho penthouse for $34 million, shortly thereafter picking up a sprawling duplex condo at new celeb-favorite 150 Charles Street for $13 million. Less than two months ago, he listed the West Village pad for $17.25 million, but he's already gotten impatient, now offering the pad as part of a $29.5 million combo unit with the neighboring duplex according to Curbed.
Check out both duplexes

July 19, 2017

Strikingly modern duplex rents for $15,000/month in a historic West Village co-op

A renter gets the best of both worlds at this West Village apartment: a modern duplex with lofty, white interiors set in a historic, 1848 Greek Revival building along a cobblestone street. The building in question is 288 West 12th Street, a five-floor, eight-unit co-op. This particular three-bedroom can be rented for a cool $15,000 a month. Over 1,525 square feet, there are details like a wood-burning fireplace, 18-foot ceilings, and customized closets, not to mention access to a 350-square-foot private garden space.
See more of the modern pad

Distinctive Homes

July 9, 2017

Rent this five-bedroom West Village dream townhouse for $25K a month

If you dream of living in a West Village townhouse with lofty, renovated rooms and charm-filled outdoor spaces, this 1845 beauty at 13 Gay Street could be your summer find. At $25,000 a month, that's $5,000 per bedroom, though it's not the sort of spot where you'd expect to find a bargain. At 19 feet wide with four stories of living space, the quintessential historic home has both original details and dreamy modern conveniences.
Take the four-story tour

Distinctive Homes

June 26, 2017

Cuomo unveils winning design for NYC’s first public monument to LGBT people