6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

It's officially the dog days of summer. This week, New Yorkers can dine out with their four-legged friends at a number of restaurants during the city's first-ever Dog Restaurant Week. Hosted by Petminded, an organization that helps owners travel with pets, the weeklong event includes special promotions at more than a dozen dog-friendly restaurants across the city.
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NYC’s newest Whole Foods will open in Nomad office tower

Whole Foods on the Upper East Side via Flickr

August 20, 2019

NYC’s newest Whole Foods will open in Nomad office tower

New York City is getting another Whole Foods Market. The specialty supermarket chain will open a new location on the ground floor of 63 Madison Avenue, an office tower in Nomad. The lease includes 50,000 square feet on the second level and 10,000 square feet at street level, as the New York Post first reported.
More details here

Uncategorized

Brooklyn Grange Sunset Park, courtesy of Brooklyn Grange

August 20, 2019

Brooklyn Grange opens NYC’s largest rooftop farm in Sunset Park

Brooklyn Grange has opened its third rooftop farm at the Liberty View building along the Sunset Park waterfront. The new facility is the largest rooftop farm in New York City, encompassing 140,000 square feet. In addition to a 55,000-square-foot garden, the space also features a 5,000-square-foot greenhouse with microgreen and hydroponic growing areas and a 6,000-square-foot indoor space that will host a range of community events throughout the year.
Get the details

You can buy this house on a private island upstate for $850K, but you can only get there by boat

Images courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

August 20, 2019

You can buy this house on a private island upstate for $850K, but you can only get there by boat

Though we've all probably dreamed at some point of owning a private island–and they're more common than you may think–the serene and very private Willow Island on Putnam Lake in Patterson, N.Y., on the market for $850,000, is less out of reach than some others. On the one hand, it's accessible only by boat. On the other, it's less than 60 miles north of New York City in Putnam County. There's a private driveway and garage on the mainland and multiple docks on the property. The lake is "non-motorized," but the island comes with a solar-powered boat.
See the whole island and go inside

Lyft will bring grocery access to Brownsville as part of program to supply ‘food deserts’ with healthy choices

Rockaway Avenue subway station in Brownsville. Image via Wikimedia cc.

August 20, 2019

Lyft will bring grocery access to Brownsville as part of program to supply ‘food deserts’ with healthy choices

Car hire company Lyft has announced that it will expand its Grocery Access Program to New York City. The program, first launched in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, aims to provide access to healthy foods to residents who don't live near full-service grocery stores and farmers markets. Lyft, in partnership with GrowNYC and BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers, will launch the program in NYC by improving access to healthy food options for low-income residents in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Find out more

Transit

August 19, 2019

Clean lines highlight this $810K Usonia home in Westchester by a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice

The Usonia community in Pleasantville, NY, was created as a tribute to legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright to celebrate his "Usonian" home ideal–design that would integrate with a home's natural surroundings and live and grow with its inhabitants. The site plan, road system, and a handful of homes in the community were designed by Wright himself, but most of its houses were created by his associates and admirers, David Henken and Aaron Resnick. Henken designed the three-bedroom home at 6 Usonia Road in 1950. In true Wright style, this mid-century modern property, known as the Anderson House, is surrounded by greenery, with floor to ceiling windows and a wraparound deck. The house is now on the market for $810,000.
Get a closer look

10 things you might not know about the Statue of Liberty

Photo © James and Karla Murray for 6sqft

August 19, 2019

10 things you might not know about the Statue of Liberty

By Lucie Levine

The debate around American immigration policy has become so contentious and dispiriting that the acting director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services has actually suggested amending “The New Colossus,” Emma Lazarus' immortal words of welcome inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. But at the same time, writer Joan Marans Dim and artist Antonio Masi have brought out "Lady Liberty: An Illustrated History of America’s Most Storied Woman." After getting a sneak peek of the new book, it seemed timely to take a deep dive into the history of the Statue of Liberty, which represents not only our city but one of the most vital and necessary of all American values. Ahead, discover 10 things you might not know about the Statue of Liberty, from its beginnings on "Love Island" to early suffragette protests to its sister in Paris.
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History

Waitlist reopens for ‘moderate-income’ rentals in Long Island City, with units up to $5,183/month

Via Flickr cc

August 19, 2019

Waitlist reopens for ‘moderate-income’ rentals in Long Island City, with units up to $5,183/month

Applications are currently being accepted to replenish the waitlist for moderate-income apartments at two Long Island City buildings. Located across from the newly opened Hunter's Point South Park, the towers at 1-50 50th Avenue and 1-55 Borden Avenue were developed in 2013 as part of the neighborhood's waterfront redevelopment, with a majority of the apartments set aside low- and middle-income households. But apartments available through the current waitlist are for households earning between $104,538 and $278,300 annually with units ranging from a $2,992/month one-bedroom to a $5,183/month three-bedroom. In 2017, the median household income in Queens was just over $64,500 per year.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Distinctive Homes

Landmarked Boerum Hill townhouse owned by 90s designer Daryl K asks $6M

This new $14.75M Cobble Hill townhouse looks like it's been standing for a century

At former Streit's Matzo Factory, a Lower East Side penthouse with two terraces asks $4.35M

This $19M sky palace high above Park Avenue has a manor house-worthy terrace garden

This $6M Tribeca loft has bedrooms surrounded by terrace and sky

A millwork-wrapped co-op in FiDi's iconic Morse Building asks $2.25M

Ethan Hawke's former Chelsea townhouse lists for $5.98M

This $3.25M Gramercy two-bedroom comes with expansion potential–and a key to the park

This $2.6M apartment offers classic Upper East Side elegance with condo simplicity

Daring details add a spark of personality to a classic $2.35M Village co-op

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NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients can get a free Citi Bike membership this month

Image via Flickr

August 19, 2019

NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients can get a free Citi Bike membership this month

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its Reduced Fare Bike Share program, Citi Bike is now offering a free month of membership to NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients, amNY reports. The reduced fare program aims to increase accessibility to the popular bike share—which received criticism for its initial rollout in more affluent NYC neighborhoods—by offering no-commitment $5 monthly memberships for any NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients. The program has 3,400 active riders, just a small fraction of Citi Bike’s 150,000 annual members.
More details

Transit

Image via Google Maps

August 19, 2019

Developer who wants to raze abolitionist home in Brooklyn says he’ll build a museum in basement

Update 8/19/19: The owner of 227 Duffield Street told Gothamist on Friday that he will build an African American museum in the basement of the property which has ties to the abolitionist movement. Samiel Hanasab, who applied for a demolition permit earlier this summer, told the website: "I have a high respect for African Americans. This project will be in the basement." The developer did not provide any additional details for the museum. Despite a series of last-minute preservation attempts after demolition plans for 227 Duffield Street were filed with the city’s Department of Buildings in June, the 19th-century Downtown Brooklyn house with abolitionist ties remains endangered. Gothamist reported that the owner, Samiel Hansab, has filed an application with the Department of Buildings to erect a 13-story mixed-use building in its place. The application is still under review and no permits have been issued, but as Gothamist noted, the best chance of saving the building would be an intervention by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
More details

August 19, 2019

$400K cozy upstate A-frame puts a modern angle on a lakeside cottage retreat

This understated-yet-cool custom-crafted retreat, on the market for $395,000, isn't your average lakeside cottage. Built in 1965, the A-frame house at 39 Shore Road in the Columbia County hamlet of Ancram, N.Y. marries thorough modern renovations (central air, radiant heat, generator, washer/dryer, thermopane windows) and considered design for a completely unique hideaway.
Take a peek inside

Distinctive Homes

August 16, 2019

‘American Gigolo’ director Paul Schrader lists West Chelsea condo for $3.25M

Oscar-nominated film director, screenwriter ("Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," “American Gigolo” and “The Last Temptation of Christ”) and Martin Scorsese collaborator and pal Paul Schrader just put his three-bedroom Chelsea condo on the market for $3.25 million. The sleek, contemporary home in the building known as Modern 23 at 350 West 23rd Street is just a block from the High Line and near the Hudson River Park and the recently-opened Hudson Yards.
Get a closer look

City sues landlords for listing rent-stabilized Hell’s Kitchen apartments on Airbnb

412 West 46th Street. Image via Google Street View.

August 16, 2019

City sues landlords for listing rent-stabilized Hell’s Kitchen apartments on Airbnb

. The city has named the owners of three Hell's Kitchen buildings in a lawsuit filed this week in Manhattan Supreme Court for operating illegal short-term rentals in rent-stabilized apartments, the New York Observer reports. The city says the owners of 410 and 412 West 46th Street and 452 West 36th Street have neglected their buildings, harassed tenants to get them to move out, deregulated units and kept units vacant to rent out on a short-term basis. Tenants of one building were left without gas or a roof for six months in 2015 due to a fire; the other two are awash in building code violations.
Find out more

Policy

City releases plan to transform Brooklyn’s Broadway Junction into desirable transit hub

Rendering by WXY Architecture & Urban Design

August 16, 2019

City releases plan to transform Brooklyn’s Broadway Junction into desirable transit hub

The city released on Thursday its preliminary vision to revitalize Brooklyn's third busiest transit station. Council Member Rafael Espinal Jr. and Borough President Eric Adams, along with the city's Economic Development Corporation, laid out a plan to transform Broadway Junction, which connects six residential neighborhoods via five subway lines and six bus routes, into an accessible, attractive hub. The plan falls under the East New York Neighborhood Plan, a rezoning approved by the city in 2016.
See the plan

August 16, 2019

This $4M upstate Zen retreat is on a private island in the Hudson River

Located in the sleepy hamlet of New Hamburg in Dutchess County, separated from the banks of the Hudson River by a mere footbridge, this unique property asking $3.995 million is called Rabbit Island. And if you're into privacy and water views with an easy commute to anywhere, you'll want to hop on it. This pretty package includes a 4,427-square-foot house surrounded by decks and tranquil gardens, and it's a four-minute walk from the New Hamburg train station.
Zen-like tranquility, this way

Distinctive Homes

Photo courtesy of the DOT via Flickr

August 16, 2019

This Saturday is your final chance to enjoy Summer Streets

By Nicole Mondrus

Now in its 12th year, Summer Streets returns this Saturday for its third and final hurrah, where New Yorkers can experience over seven miles of car-free streets. Park Avenue will be closed from Chambers Street all the way to 72nd, and the path will be open to cyclists and pedestrians alike. Five “rest stops” will be set up along the route, each with different activities, performances, and free snacks.
Car-free fun this way

Apple expands its search for new Manhattan office space

Photo of Hudson Yards via Flickr

August 15, 2019

Apple expands its search for new Manhattan office space

Several of the world's biggest tech companies have been ramping up their Manhattan real estate search in recent months. The latest news comes from Apple, who is reportedly seeking up to 750,000 square feet of new office space, according to The Real Deal. In February, 6sqft reported that the California-based company was close to securing space at 55 Hudson Yards, but those plans have changed. Sources told The Real Deal that Apple is now considering leases at neighboring 50 Hudson Yards, the Farley Post Office, and One Madison Avenue, with brokers Martin "Mack" Horner and Peter Riguardi of JLL leading the search.
More details

Real Estate Trends

How brands owned by Stephen Ross have responded following the fallout from Trump fundraiser

After Related Companies CEO Stephen Ross's plan to host a fundraiser for President Donald Trump leaked to the public last week, there were calls to boycott organizations owned by his company. Much to the disappointment of many millennials, Ross's company owns Equinox, SoulCycle, and PureYoga, as well as foodie favorites Momofuku and Milk Bar. In response to the quick backlash, some of the brands released statements separating themselves from the Hamptons fundraiser, which raised millions of dollars for Trump's reelection campaign. Others announced plans to donate proceeds to charity.
The full list

Policy

August 15, 2019

This $1.35M townhouse in Crown Heights is a compact condo alternative with a Nordic vibe

This 2,450-square-foot new construction single-family townhouse at 1543 Dean Street near the Crown Heights-Bed-Stuy border may not be towering, but its 25-by-59-square-foot interior, backyard, deck and parking add the privacy and perks you won't get in a condo of the same size. Interiors have the bright, whitewashed good looks of a sunny Scandinavian home, with a wood-burning stove adding to the Euro-appeal.
More bright white space, this way

Distinctive Homes

Lottery opens for 16 units from $2,100/month across from Bushwick’s Maria Hernandez Park

Image: Google street view.

August 15, 2019

Lottery opens for 16 units from $2,100/month across from Bushwick’s Maria Hernandez Park

A lottery has opened for 16 not-very-affordable units in a newly-constructed building across the street from Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick. The building at 260 Knickerbocker Avenue is the first high rise adjoining the park. Qualifying New Yorkers earning a whopping 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the available units, including $2,100/month one-bedrooms and $2,300/month two-bedrooms.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

Columbia’s Manhattanville campus will get a new food hall next year

Image © Frank Oudeman; courtesy of Columbia University

August 15, 2019

Columbia’s Manhattanville campus will get a new food hall next year

Image © Frank Oudeman; courtesy of Columbia University A new food hall is slated to open at Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus next year. It doesn’t have a name yet but it will be helmed by chef Franklin Becker—known for his fast-casual lunch chain, Little Beet—and will service Columbia students as well as the general public. Food options may include everything from Southern cuisine to Sicilian-style pizza to Spanish tapas, according to early reports from the Wall Street Journal. Speaking to the Journal, Becker said that bringing in a range of independent vendors—versus national food chains—will raise the bar for campus food.
Here's what we know so far

Food & Dining

Over 275,000 sign petition to rename stretch of Fifth Ave in front of Trump Tower after Obama

Via Flickr

August 15, 2019

Over 275,000 sign petition to rename stretch of Fifth Ave in front of Trump Tower after Obama

An online petition to rename a stretch of Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower after former President Barack Obama has taken off in the last week, garnering over 275,000 signatures as of Thursday morning. The appeal, written by Elizabeth Rowin from Los Angeles, asks city officials to change the name of Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Avenues to "President Barack H. Obama Avenue."
A new address for Trump Tower?

Uncategorized

Large stretches of 1, 2, and 3 service will be suspended over the next two weekends

Image via Flickr

August 15, 2019

Large stretches of 1, 2, and 3 service will be suspended over the next two weekends

Service changes will get a little more painful this weekend as the MTA continues to upgrade the 1, 2, and 3 track switches north of the 96 Street station. The ongoing work is entering its final phase this weekend and will bring serious service outages. All 1, 2, and 3 service between Harlem and downtown Brooklyn will be suspended this week and next, beginning late each Friday evening.
Everything you need to know

Transit

The Queens County Fair will debut a three-acre corn maze inspired by the Unisphere

Image via Wiki Commons

August 14, 2019

The Queens County Fair will debut a three-acre corn maze inspired by the Unisphere

The 37th Annual Queens County Fair taking place in September at the Queens County Farm Museum will include a three-acre corn maze inspired by the iconic Unisphere in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, as Patch first reported. Commissioned for the New York World’s fair of 1964-65 and designed by landscape architect Gilmore Clarke, the Unisphere is a steel rendition of the Earth and has become one of the Borough’s most enduring symbols. Sponsored by Con Edison, “The Amazing Maize Maze” is set to debut during the fair on September 21 and remain open through October 26. It will be the only corn maze in New York City.
More details

Events & Things To Do

LPC approves 14-story complex behind East New York’s landmarked Empire State Dairy building

Revised rendering from August by Dattner Architects via LPC

August 14, 2019

LPC approves 14-story complex behind East New York’s landmarked Empire State Dairy building

Update 8/14/19: The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved Dattner Architects' plan to construct a 14-story building behind the Empire State Dairy. According to Brownstoner, the architects removed the cantilever element from the project's previous design and plan to preserve the chimney, instead of demolishing it. The new tower will replace two existing, but not landmarked, buildings, and include over 330 affordable apartments. An affordable housing developer on Tuesday presented plans to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a new building that would cantilever over the Empire State Dairy building in East New York. HP Brooklyn Dairy Housing Development Fund Company, part of the nonprofit Housing Partnership Development Corporation, wants to construct a 14-story tower on top of the early 20th-century factory, located at 2840 Atlantic Avenue. Landmarked in 2017, the factory is notable for its architectural style and decorative tile murals. Dattner Architects created the designs for the proposed complex shown in the new renderings. The new construction would be a major change for the property, which was purchased by the developer for $16.75 million last year.
See more, this way

Coney Island’s Luna Park looks to the public to name new attractions

The new log flume ride. Photo Credit: NYCEDC

August 14, 2019

Coney Island’s Luna Park looks to the public to name new attractions

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

Luna Park, home of the Coney Island Cyclone and Steeplechase, will welcome three new attractions–a ropes course, a log flume ride and a roller coaster–next year. The iconic seaside amusement park has turned to the public to name the new additions, which are set to open in 2020, AM New York reports.
Taking names, this way

Events & Things To Do

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

10 Ways to Decorate an Exposed Brick Wall Without Drilling

10 Great Places to Buy Affordable Art in New York City

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114 mixed-income apartments up for grabs in Clinton Hill, from $896/month

Rendering of Athena North courtesy of Marvel Architects

August 14, 2019

114 mixed-income apartments up for grabs in Clinton Hill, from $896/month

A lottery opened this week for 114 mixed-income units at buildings that border the neighborhoods of Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. The newly constructed buildings are located at 909 Atlantic Avenue and 1043 Fulton Street, dubbed Athena South and Athena North, respectively. The affordable housing comes as part of the Hudson Companies' redevelopment of the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, which sits in the developer's new 38-story tower, One Clinton. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60, 80, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $896/month studios to $2,952/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

This $1.25M modernist house in Ossining was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s firm

Photos by Pedro Sousa of Jump Visual, courtesy of Compass

August 14, 2019

This $1.25M modernist house in Ossining was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s firm

It's pretty easy to guess that this mid-century modern-style home in Ossining, N.Y. was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. But the lakeside home at 17 Twin Ridges Road has a connection to the famed architect that goes beyond homage: It was designed by Wright's firm, Taliesin Associated Architects, based on the blueprints of Life Magazine’s 1997 American Dream Home.
House tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

August 14, 2019

A first look at Walker House, Newark’s historic Bell Telephone Building conversion

The first images of the finished Walker House in Downtown Newark have been released, giving us a peek inside the restored Art Deco masterpiece at 540 Broad Street. Designed by renowned architect Ralph Walker in 1929 as the corporate headquarters for the Bell Telephone Company and entered into the National Historic Register in 2005, the 21-story building has been redeveloped into a mixed-use building comprised of 264 apartments (a mix of market-rate and affordable units), amenities, offices, and retail space, including a brewery, a coffee shop, and Newark's first climbing wall.
More details

New Developments

New bill may bring hostels back to New York City

Image via CC.

August 13, 2019

New bill may bring hostels back to New York City

New York City could make hostels legal under a bill, set to be introduced this week in the City Council, that would permit the super-budget accommodations to operate again after a state law made them illegal, the Wall Street Journal reports. The bill would provide hostels with their own separate department and classification under city law. The city's hostels all but disappeared after a 2010 law covering multiple dwellings took aim at short-term rentals.
Will hostels thrive in the Airbnb era?

August 13, 2019

Test your NYC neighborhood knowledge at Historic Districts Council’s free trivia night

By 6sqft

Think you know New York City neighborhoods inside and out? Prove it this month at a trivia night about preservation and NYC history hosted by the Historic Districts Council. The free event takes place on Wednesday, August 21 at 6 p.m. and invites preservation buffs to enjoy a night of educational fun. Plus there will be prizes!
All the details

Photo credit: Michael Weinstein courtesy of Compass.

August 13, 2019

Walk outside to your private garden from all sides of this $1.85M Cobble Hill duplex

This 2,000-square-foot condominium at 42 Tiffany Place in Cobble Hill, asking $1.85 million, is surrounded by over 1,000 square feet of private outdoor space. Windows and glass doors all around open onto multiple decks and gardens for indoor/outdoor living on the main level. On the lower level–where the bedrooms are–lots of windows keep things bright. An extra perk: There is a shuttle to take residents to the Borough Hall subway station, included in the common charges.
Tour the duplex

Distinctive Homes

August 13, 2019

Where I Work: Shelly Fireman’s Redeye Grill has been serving the Carnegie Hall crowd for 25 years

By Dana Schulz

When Sheldon “Shelly” Fireman opened Redeye Grill across from Carnegie Hall 25 years ago, the term "restauranteur" didn't exist. But by that point, he'd already gained local celebrity status for Greenwich Village's all-night Hip Bagel and had the foresight to open Cafe Fiorello near recently completed Lincoln Center. Today, Shelly is the CEO of Fireman Hospitality Group, which operates six restaurants in NYC as well as two on the Potomac River in Maryland. And though he can most definitely be called a restauranteur now, Shelly stands out amongst the myriad food influencers in the city. Though his establishments exude an old-school New York charm and certain nostalgia, he has found the formula to withstand the test of time. After a 2018 kitchen fire, the iconic Redeye Grill reopened in July. We recently sat down to lunch with Shelly to hear more about his story and take a tour of this classic Midtown restaurant.
Have a look around and meet Shelly

Image via Wiki Commons

August 13, 2019

Birdbath in Soho’s iconic green Vesuvio Bakery has closed

City Bakery announced Friday that Birdbath bakery in the Vesuvio storefront at 160 Prince Street has closed for good, Gothamist reports. City Bakery founder Maury Rubin moved into the familiar green storefront in 2009 after the death of Anthony Dapolito, whose family created Vesuvio in 1920. Now, neighbors are wondering if new owners will alter the familiar face of the iconic Soho landmark.
Find out more

City Living

Exclusive supper club for the ultra-wealthy will open at 35 Hudson Yards this fall

Photo by Timothy Schenck for Related-Oxford

August 13, 2019

Exclusive supper club for the ultra-wealthy will open at 35 Hudson Yards this fall

One of the city's most elite supper clubs is set to open this October at 35 Hudson Yards—and early reports say it's so exclusive that even residents of the luxury building (where apartments start at $5.1 million) won't be able to afford a membership. “It’s not for residents,” a source familiar with the project told the New York Post. “It’s for the developer’s super-rich buddies and CEO friends.” Details about the luxe club, which will be called WS New York, are being kept on the down-low but its website boasts "unparalleled access to the finest wine and spirits, world-class dining, and one-of-a-kind cultural events" offering guests an "insider perspective on rarified worlds."
More info

Food & Dining

August 12, 2019

Lego celebrates the 25th anniversary of ‘Friends’ with Central Perk set

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the sitcom Friends, Lego next month will release a new collectible set featuring one of the show's most important characters: the Central Perk cafe. Available starting September 1, the set includes the cafe's iconic seating, including the orange couch, armchair, and two chairs. You can recreate the show's classic moments with seven new Lego mini-figures of Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, Phoebe, and Gunther.
All the details this way

Apple and the New Museum launch free augmented reality art walks in Central Park

John Giorno’s “Now at the Dawn of My Life”; all images courtesy of Apple and New Museum

August 12, 2019

Apple and the New Museum launch free augmented reality art walks in Central Park

Ready to experience a new dimension of Central Park? Apple has partnered with the New Museum to launch free, guided walks of the Park highlighting a series of site-specific, augmented reality artworks. Artists Nick Cave, Nathalie Djurberg, Hans Berg, Cao Fei, John Giorno, Carsten Höller and Pipilotti Rist—most of whom are working in AR for the first time—were tapped to transform the park into a virtual, interactive gallery of sorts, as part of the experiential project called Apple [AR]T Walk, which kicks off from the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue.
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Central Park’s first statue of real women redesigned to include Sojourner Truth

The original design. Photo by Tia Richards for 6sqft

August 12, 2019

Central Park’s first statue of real women redesigned to include Sojourner Truth

Last year's unveiling of designs for the first statue in Central Park's 165-year history that depicts real historic women–a sculpture of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony–was met with mixed reviews: Why didn't the statue, set to be dedicated in August of 2020, marking the 100th anniversary of nationwide women's suffrage, include any of the many African-American women who aided in the cause? Today it was announced that a redesigned statue honoring pioneering women’s rights advocates will include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth, an escaped slave and abolitionist who joined the fight for women's rights.
Find out more

Thousands of Lower Manhattan tenants may be owed six years’ worth of back rent

Via Flickr

August 12, 2019

Thousands of Lower Manhattan tenants may be owed six years’ worth of back rent

In June, the state's Court of Appeals found that apartments at two Lower Manhattan buildings had been unlawfully deregulated by landlords who had collected millions of dollars in benefits under a 1995 tax program. Now, as The City reports, thousands of former or current tenants in the area may be owed up to six years in back rent from landlords who received the tax breaks for years.
Find out more

Keith Haring’s iconic ‘Crack is Wack’ mural in East Harlem is getting restored

Image via Flickr

August 12, 2019

Keith Haring’s iconic ‘Crack is Wack’ mural in East Harlem is getting restored

It's been 33 years since Keith Haring painted his "Crack is Wack" mural on a handball court near the Harlem River Drive in East Harlem, and now the iconic work is getting a much-needed restoration, as amNY reported. Inspired by his studio assistant Benny—who was struggling with addiction but later recovered—Haring painted the 16-foot by 26-foot mural on June 27, 1986, at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic and intended the piece to function as a warning to young users. Celebrated as one of Haring's most important works, the mural has been shielded by protective coverings in recent years during reconstruction work on the Harlem River Drive.
More details

Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL.

August 12, 2019

Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

The iconic lions standing guard outside the The New York Public Library’s 42nd Street location are getting some much-needed grooming this fall. The majestic pair–named Patience and Fortitude–have been in place since 1911 as international symbols for access to knowledge and information. As part of a conservation effort that happens every 7 to 10 years, the stone sentries will receive repairs to cracks and chips and laser cleanings.
A bit of history, this way

City Living

New study finds reasons for storefront vacancy are as varied as NYC neighborhoods themselves

Image: Steven Pisano via Flickr.

August 9, 2019

New study finds reasons for storefront vacancy are as varied as NYC neighborhoods themselves

Amid discussions of gentrification and astronomical rents, it's impossible not to notice the alarming appearance of vacant storefronts in what seems like every neighborhood in New York City. A new report from the Department of City Planning (DCP) has attempted to get a closer look at the data behind this phenomenon to get a better understanding of how the city's retail and storefront uses may be changing. The report, titled "Assessing Storefront Vacancy in NYC," looks at 24 neighborhoods as case studies. The very detailed study found that, overall, storefront vacancy may not be a one-answer citywide problem. Vacancies were found to be concentrated in certain neighborhoods, and the reasons appear to be as many and varied as the neighborhoods themselves.
More fascinating findings, this way

Council member wants free subway and bus rides for New Yorkers on major holidays

Via Flickr

August 9, 2019

Council member wants free subway and bus rides for New Yorkers on major holidays

A Brooklyn council member wants straphangers to ride the city's transit system for free on a handful of major holidays. Council Member Justin Brannan, who represents the 43rd District, will introduce next week a non-binding resolution that requests the Metropolitan Transportation Authority offer free subway and bus rides during six holidays, as the New York Post first reported.
Get the details

Interactive ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ arrives at the Paley Center

Photo via Marion Curtis/Starpix for the Paley Center for Media

August 9, 2019

Interactive ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ arrives at the Paley Center

By Nicole Mondrus

This Saturday, step back in time to 1950s New York City. The Emmy Award-winning comedy "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is coming to life at the Paley Center for Media’s newest exhibit, "Making Mrs. Maisel." From August 10th to September 6th, visitors can see the iconic costumes featured on the show, watch episodes from season two on the big screen, and even try their hand at stand-up comedy.
Read more

Events & Things To Do

Front & York

85 Jay Street

Dumbo

Upscale DUMBO living with timeless views

1 beds starting at $995,000
2 beds starting at $1,699,000
3 beds starting at $2,475,000

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City seeks proposals to develop two East Harlem sites with 350 affordable units and community space

Park Avenue between East 118th and East 119th Streets (top); image via East Harlem Neighborhood Plan.

August 9, 2019

City seeks proposals to develop two East Harlem sites with 350 affordable units and community space

The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on Thursday issued a request for proposals to develop two city-owned East Harlem sites. The new developments are to include 350 units of affordable housing as well as retail and cultural and community space. The RFPs are part of the East Harlem Housing Plan, which was created with community input received through the East Harlem Neighborhood Planning Process.
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August 9, 2019

Live on top of the American Copper Buildings’ eye-catching sky bridge for $12K/month

One of the city’s most architecturally significant projects to rise in recent years are the two copper-clad towers at 626 First Avenue in Murray Hill known as the American Copper Buildings. Designed by SHoP Architects and developed by JDS, the twisted towers boast a rare and distinctive feature: an amenity-filled sky bridge linking the two buildings more than 300 feet in the air. According to JDS, the three-story steel truss structure is Manhattan’s first new sky bridge in 80 years. There are only a handful of residences that boast private outdoor space right on the eye-catching sky bridge—and one of them is now on the rental market seeking $12,000 per month.
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Everything you need to know about Sunday’s Dominican Day Parade

Image via Flickr

August 9, 2019

Everything you need to know about Sunday’s Dominican Day Parade

The 37th annual Dominican Day Parade is set to hit Midtown this Sunday, August 11. Described as a "joyful celebration of all things Dominican" on the event website, the tradition started in 1982 as a small event series in Washington Heights but has since become a full-fledged citywide affair, with turnout reaching as high as half of a million people. The event takes place on the second Sunday of August every year, to commemorate the start of the Dominican Restoration War, or La Guerra de la Restauración, which began in 1863 and ended in 1865 with their victory over Spain.
Street closures, transportation options, and more details

August 8, 2019

Jeanne Gang completes ‘solar-carving’ tower on the High Line, her firm’s first NYC building