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As the number of movies and television shows filmed in New York City continues to grow, Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro wants in on the action. De Niro and his son, Douglas Elliman broker Raphael De Niro, along with development firm Wildflower and producer Jane Rosenthal, have entered a contract for five acres in Astoria with plans to build a production studio, as Commercial Observer first reported. The planned facility, which will be called Wildflower Studios, will cost about $400 million to build.
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New Developments

Photo: © Rafael Gamo courtesy of MoMA PS1.

July 10, 2019

Immersive installation with hammocks and a waterfall has arrived at MoMA PS1

Back in March, as 6sqft reported, MoMA PS1 revealed the winning design in the museum's 20th annual Young Architects Program. This year’s winning architectural installation, “Hórama Rama” by Pedro & Juana, a Mexico City-based studio founded by Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo and Mecky Reuss, is an immersive “junglescape” with a cyclorama perched atop the museum courtyard's concrete walls. The 40-foot-tall, 90-foot-wide structure now floats over this year's Warm Up outdoor dance music series which kicked off on July 6.
See more pictures of the 40-foot

Events & Things To Do

Operators of Coney Island’s Luna Park will lead retail transformation of the Stillwell Avenue Terminal Complex

Image via Wiki Commons

July 10, 2019

Operators of Coney Island’s Luna Park will lead retail transformation of the Stillwell Avenue Terminal Complex

Since taking over operations of Luna Park in 2010, Central Amuseument International (CAI) has had a big hand in the transformation of the neighborhood, and that will continue to increase. Following a Request for Proposals (RFP) last June, the MTA has just announced that CAI Foods—a subsidiary of CAI—will lead a retail conversion of Coney Island’s iconic Stillwell Avenue Terminal Complex. CAI will take over nine of the 11 retail units in the Complex, turning the largest into “Rcade,” an arcade with a restaurant, bar, and coffee shop that will be open year-round. The remaining units will be subleased on a seasonal basis.
More details

Transit

“Gertrude Ederle Parade,” 1926, via Wikimedia Commons

July 10, 2019

From the Statue of Liberty to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team: A history of NYC’s ticker-tape parades

By Lucie Levine

When the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team walks along the Canyon of Heroes from Broadway up to City Hall today in the city’s 207th official Ticker-Tape Parade, they will be in good company. For more than 120 years, politicians, aviators, adventurers, generals, and sports teams have been showered with felicitations and falling office paper. But this beloved tradition actually originated spontaneously on October 28, 1886, when Wall Streeters began throwing ticker-tape out their office windows as an enraptured public marched down Broadway to the Battery to celebrate the dedication of “Liberty Enlightening the World,” or the Statue of Liberty as we know her. Ahead, learn the entire history of Ticker-Tape Parades in NYC, from George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt to Jesse Owens and Joe DiMaggio.
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History

Jersey Shore’s first five-star hotel opens in Asbury Park, with room rates up to $1,050/night

Photo by Nikolas Koenig

July 9, 2019

Jersey Shore’s first five-star hotel opens in Asbury Park, with room rates up to $1,050/night

A slice of New York City luxury moved to the Jersey Shore last week. The Asbury Ocean Club, a 17-story hotel-condo, officially opened its doors on the boardwalk of Asbury Park, an evolving seaside community in Monmouth County. The 54-room hotel occupies the building's fourth floor, overlooking both the ocean and pool deck. Marketed as just a 70 minute-drive from NYC, the Asbury Ocean Club hopes to attract New Yorkers with its proximity and its prices. During peak season, rooms start at an introductory rate of $425 per night and go up to more than $1,050 per night for a penthouse suite. In the winter, rooms are offered as low as $195 per night, according to the hotel's website.
See inside

Yayoi Kusama’s polka-dot pumpkins are coming to the New York Botanical Garden

Kusama with Pumpkin, 2010 ©YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo / Singapore / Shanghai; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York

July 9, 2019

Yayoi Kusama’s polka-dot pumpkins are coming to the New York Botanical Garden

Over the next year, celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama will have a big moment in New York City. In addition to the forthcoming exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery this fall—which will include some of the artist’s insanely popular Infinity Rooms—the New York Botanical Garden has just revealed that its blockbuster 2020 exhibition will be dedicated to Kusama. The exclusive show will include a range of works, old and new, that shed light on the artist’s lifelong engagement with nature, including everything from her famous polka-dot pumpkins to her signature Infinity Rooms.
More information

Events & Things To Do

July 9, 2019

Where I Work: Harlem’s Focus Lighting illuminates the field of architectural lighting design

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Harlem office of architectural lighting design firm Focus Lighting. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! After spending many years designing theatrical lighting, Paul Gregory decided to transition into the world of architectural lighting. He started his career working on nightclubs and in 1987, founded his own firm in his neighborhood of Harlem. Eight years later, Paul and his team at Focus Lighting garnered international recognization for their work on the Entel Tower in Santiago Chile, the world's first automated color-changing building. Since then, the firm has grown to have 35 employees and nabs commissions such as the Times Square ball, Tavern on the Green, and the Waldorf Astoria (and that's just here in NYC). But through all their success, Focus has kept their offices in Harlem, now at 116th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, where their close-knit employees work collaboratively. The converted loft space has a unique light lab, similar to a black box theater, as well as a gallery space where the team can test out new means of digital architecture and video projects. 6sqft recently visited Focus Lighting to learn more about their fascinating work, tour the space, and chat with Focus partner and principal designer Brett Andersen and principal designer Christine Hope.
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Distinctive Homes

For $8.85M, a condo with Central Park and Manhattan skyline views from every room

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

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

This $3.5M Westchester estate is a private refuge surrounded by village life

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

A diplomat's lofty home in a historic FiDi co-op asks $2.9M

This compact $2M Red Hook home embodies the neighborhood's unique, inventive spirit

This $795K Hudson Valley farmhouse has clean, classic curb appeal–and a guest house in the back

This $12.5M Chelsea carriage house has a garage, three outdoor spaces, and a two-bedroom flat

Live like royalty on the Upper East Side for $5.8M

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Cuomo announces new LIRR station as part of Belmont Park redevelopment project

Rendering courtesy of Governor Cuomo’s office

July 9, 2019

Cuomo announces new LIRR station as part of Belmont Park redevelopment project

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced plans for a new Long Island Rail Road station to be built as part of the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project, which will provide a home base for the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders. The station will serve the proposed 19,000-seat arena, a 250-room hotel, and a 435,000-square-foot retail complex at the state-owned horseracing venue, as well as local commuters who have long needed more transportation options. Located between the Queens Village and Bellerose stations on the LIRR's Main Line, the station will be the first full-time LIRR station built in 50 years. It's expected to be partially open by 2021—as the Islanders arena opens to the public—and fully operational by 2023.
More details

Transit

Waitlist opens for middle-income units steps from Hudson Yards, from $1,405/month

Hudson Crossing; via Equity Residential

July 9, 2019

Waitlist opens for middle-income units steps from Hudson Yards, from $1,405/month

A waitlist has opened for middle-income apartments at a building on Manhattan's west side. Located at 400 West 37th Street, Hudson Crossing sits between 9th and 10th Avenues, just two blocks from the site of Hudson Yards. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments which range from a $1,405/month studio to a $2,174/month two-bedroom apartment. According to CityRealty, available market-rate studio and two-bedroom apartments at the building are currently listed for $2,936/month and $5,215/month, respectively.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

The Wing will open new locations in Bryant Park and Williamsburg this year

Rendering of the new Bryant Park location courtesy of The Wing.

July 9, 2019

The Wing will open new locations in Bryant Park and Williamsburg this year

The Wing women-centric community and work space has announced the forthcoming launch of two new NYC locations this year. Along with news of a Bryant Park space–their first in Midtown–come renderings that reveal more of the thoroughly modern and chic-yet-welcoming interiors that have become the brand's signature. More news: A Williamsburg, Brooklyn location is on the way.
Renderings of the new space this way

Architecture And Design

10 Brooklyn stations won’t have overnight L train service for nine weekends

Via Flickr

July 8, 2019

10 Brooklyn stations won’t have overnight L train service for nine weekends

A large part of the L line in Brooklyn will not be available during overnight hours for nine weekends, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Saturday. Starting on July 16, there will be no L service from midnight to 5 a.m. between Broadway Junction and Lorimer Street spread out across nine different weekends until January. L train service has been reduced since April when the 15-month reconstruction and partial shutdown of the Canarsie Tunnel began.
Get the L train low-down

Transit

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim becomes a UNESCO World Heritage site

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 8, 2019

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim becomes a UNESCO World Heritage site

Eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright have been named UNESCO World Heritage sites, including New York City's iconic Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The buildings were given heritage status by the organization's World Heritage Committee at a July 7 meeting (h/t Dezeen). Additional Wright creations named to the list are Fallingwater (Pennsylvania), Frederick C. Robie House (Illinois), Hollyhock House (California), the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House (Wisconsin), Unity Temple (Illinois), and Wright's homes and studios at Taliesin, Wisconsin and Taliesin West, Arizona.
Find out more

Two Trees exploring a new Williamsburg waterfront park and development next to Domino Park

Image via Google Street View

July 8, 2019

Two Trees exploring a new Williamsburg waterfront park and development next to Domino Park

Developer Two Trees has begun convening meetings with Williamsburg residents in the early stages of planning a future waterfront park and development in the neighborhood. As Brownstoner reported, the site under consideration is comprised of three lots owned by Con Edison on River Street between Grand Street and North 3rd Street, right between Grand Ferry Park and Two Trees’ popular Domino Park. The new park would thus connect the existing parks “and take a giant step towards creating a contiguous waterfront park that extends from the Navy Yard to Newtown Creek,” Two Trees notes.
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Architecture And Design

July 8, 2019

The 10 best things to do on Governors Island

By Nicole Mondrus

Governors Island is one of New Yorkers' favorite places to visit come the warm weather. Less than a 15-minute ferry ride from downtown, the Island is both a national park and one of the few places in NYC where you won't find any cars, making it the perfect place to get away without really leaving. Pack your sunglasses and a picnic blanket, because we've rounded up the 10 best things to do on Governors Island, from kayaking and running a 10K to lounging in a hammock and taking yoga in a lavender field.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Apply for 60 affordable apartments in the heart of Harlem, from $562/month

Photo via Flickr cc

July 8, 2019

Apply for 60 affordable apartments in the heart of Harlem, from $562/month

Just three blocks north of bustling 125th Street, a brand new all-affordable building known as the Frederick has just opened the lottery for 59 of its 75 units. Ranging from $562/month studios to $2,158/month three-bedrooms, the mixed-income apartments are available to households earning 40, 50, 60, and 110 percent of the area median income. In addition to being right near local landmarks such as the Apollo and the Red Rooster, the 15-story building at 2395 Frederick Douglass Boulevard is just a block away from St. Nicholas Park and a few blocks from the A, C, B, and D trains.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Everything you need to know about NYC’s ticker-tape parade for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team

Via NYC DOT on Flickr

July 8, 2019

Everything you need to know about NYC’s ticker-tape parade for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team

New York City will celebrate the United States women's soccer team winning its fourth World Cup title with a ticker-tape parade on Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. The team defeated the Netherlands on Sunday 2-0. The parade, which starts at 9:30 a.m., will take place along the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. A ceremony will take place after the parade and requires tickets. Find out how to get to the parade, learn which streets will be closed, and register for the celebration, ahead.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

12K/month Lower East Side loft on the Bowery features a boat-like wooden ceiling

This 2,250-square-foot loft is located at 259 Bowery, between East Houston and Stanton Streets in a 1910 building that was converted to five full-floor apartments in 2000. The Lower East Side pad stands out with a unique, wooden ceiling in the living room that looks like an inverted boat hull, luxurious finishings, hardwood floors, and 11.5-foot ceilings throughout. Renting at $12,000 a month, the unit can come unfurnished or with "most furnishing included," per the listing.
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Distinctive Homes

‘Cash Cab’ game show set to film in Manhattan this summer

Via Flickr

July 5, 2019

‘Cash Cab’ game show set to film in Manhattan this summer

The game show that takes place in the back of a New York City taxi cab is back. Hosted by comedian Ben Bailey, "Cash Cab" is set to start filming its next season in Manhattan this summer, according to amNY. The game show, which rewards passengers with cash prizes for answering trivia questions correctly, originally aired between 2005 and 2012, when it was canceled. After a five year hiatus, the show returned in 2017.
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Events & Things To Do

Yearlong event series explores the future of New York City’s transportation infrastructure

Image via Flickr

July 5, 2019

Yearlong event series explores the future of New York City’s transportation infrastructure

Two years after Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for New York's subway system, the future of transportation remains one of the city's most critical, ongoing conversations. It's also one of the more fraught topics, impacting more than 20 million residents on a daily basis. To deepen public understanding of the current state of things, as well as what the future might bring, Open House New York is launching a yearlong event series to both inform and "ignite the city's imagination." The Moving City will begin later this month and continue through next Spring, featuring a wide range of tours, presentations, and panel discussions that will bring much-needed context to this pressing issue.
More info

July 5, 2019

For $1.9M, this tranquil Tudor on the banks of the Hudson is surrounded by greenery and views

In a gorgeous wooded corner in the Bronx neighborhood of Spuyten Duyvil (just south of Riverdale on the banks of the Hudson River), this charming Tudor home at the aptly-named 3033 Scenic Place has breathtaking views from just about every corner. Asking $1.85 million, the four-bedroom home boasts the hand-crafted finishes often found in the area's classic Tudors including wood paneling and hand-hewn beams, while picture windows offer a front-row seat to the surrounding woodlands
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Developer Silverstein Properties funds a new artist residency at 3 World Trade Center

Images courtesy of Silver Art Projects

July 5, 2019

Developer Silverstein Properties funds a new artist residency at 3 World Trade Center

As rents and costs of living continue to rise in the city, artists have an increasingly hard time finding affordable studio space—particularly in Manhattan. In an effort to help struggling artists, a new artist residency is launching at 3 World Trade Center this fall. Funded by developer Silverstein Properties, Silver Art Projects is a “corporate social responsibility initiative” that will host 30 artists every September for up to eight months, providing them with 44,000 square feet of free studio space on the 50th floor of the building.
More details

South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 offering limited public access to see July 4th fireworks

Image via Wiki Commons

July 3, 2019

South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 offering limited public access to see July 4th fireworks

For the first time in five years, Macy's has moved its July 4th fireworks display to the Brooklyn Bridge, along with four barges that will launch pyrotechnics off the shore of the South Street Seaport's Pier 17. The Pier, recently redeveloped by the Howard Hughes Corporation and designed by SHoP Architects, consists of food and drink options, retail, and a rooftop entertainment complex, all of which is supposed to be publicly accessible during operating hours according to a deal with the city. However, as Gothamist first reported, the only ways to check out the fireworks from Piers 16 and 17 are to drop $500 on a ticket to a party at Jean Georges' restaurant The Fulton, be cool enough to land on the VIP list for a party atop Pier 17, or have scored one of just 300 community spots on the Seaport's Wavertree ship (registration closed today at noon).
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Events & Things To Do

Opening date for NJ’s delayed American Dream mega-mall set for October

Renderings courtesy of Triple Five/ American Dream

July 3, 2019

Opening date for NJ’s delayed American Dream mega-mall set for October

The mega-mall that has been in the works for over 16 years officially has an opening date, as NJ.com reported. On October 25, American Dream, the three-million-square-foot venue with an indoor water park, amusement rides, and ski slope, will finally open its doors, developer Triple Five announced Wednesday. New Jersey first signed a deal in 2003 with developers for the Met Life Stadium-adjacent site, but financial issues halted construction on and off for more than a decade.
Find out more

New Developments

Protected bike lane coming to Central Park West after community board approval

Via Public Domain

July 3, 2019

Protected bike lane coming to Central Park West after community board approval

A community board on Tuesday approved a plan to build a new protected bike lane along Central Park West, about one year after a cyclist was killed by a truck there. As West Side Rag reported, Manhattan's Community Board 7 voted in favor of the city's plan, which consists of a northbound protected lane from 59th to 110th Street. Ahead of the bike lane's construction, 400 parking spaces will be eliminated on Central Park West.
Get the details

Policy

Patriotic composer John Philip Sousa’s former Long Island mansion seeks a reduced $9M

Listing images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

July 3, 2019

Patriotic composer John Philip Sousa’s former Long Island mansion seeks a reduced $9M

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

Overlooking Manhasset Bay in Sands Point, Long Island the six-bedroom mansion at 12 Hicks Lane—otherwise known as Wild Bank—was home to “American March King” John Philip Sousa in the latter part of his life, from 1915 to 1932. By then, he had already written his most beloved marches, including Stars and Stripes Forever (the national march of the United States) and Semper Fidelis (the march of the United States Marine Corps). Like many of New York City’s elite at the time, he found an idyllic retreat on Long Island’s North Shore and lived in the home until his death at 77. The sprawling property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 but remained a private residence. On the market for exactly one year, the 2.6-acre estate has received several price chops before settling on its current asking price of $8.995 million.
The full tour, right this way

Distinctive Homes

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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$20M first phase of Brooklyn’s new 407-acre Shirley Chisholm State Park opens

Photo by Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo via Flickr.

July 3, 2019

$20M first phase of Brooklyn’s new 407-acre Shirley Chisholm State Park opens

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Tuesday the opening of the first phase of New York's newest park–and the largest state park in New York City. Brooklyn's 407-acre Shirley Chisholm State Park on Jamaica Bay offers hiking, biking, fishing and picnicking under the watch of a colorful mural honoring Chisholm by Brooklyn muralist Danielle Mastrion. Under a second $20 million phase currently being designed and expected to be completed in 2021, the park will include a grand entrance on Fountain Avenue, lawn patios, a patio overlooking Hendrix Creek and pop-up environmental education facilities. A native of the borough, Chisholm, a former representative of the 12th Congressional district in New York for seven terms, was the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968; she ran for President in 1972 as the first African American woman to do so.
Find out more

Remarkably intact Renaissance Revival mansion on Riverside Drive seeks $8M

Listing images by Mike Tauber courtesy of Stribling at Compass

July 2, 2019

Remarkably intact Renaissance Revival mansion on Riverside Drive seeks $8M

Also known as the Carroll Mansion, this five-story, nine-bedroom limestone townhouse at 86 Riverside Drive just listed with a price to match it’s potential: $8 million. The nearly 8,500-square-foot Elizabethan Renaissance Revival home was built in 1898 by Clarence True, one of the most celebrated architects of the Upper West Side at the turn-of-the-century. Flooded in light from northern and western exposures, the gorgeous property has most of the original architectural details intact, though needing a little attention.
The full tour, right this way

After a four-year renovation project, N train service in Brooklyn is fully restored

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 2, 2019

After a four-year renovation project, N train service in Brooklyn is fully restored

The average New Yorker's biggest MTA gripe is delays at their station, but imagine having no station at all for two years? That's what residents in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn have endured. Beginning in July 2017, seven Coney Island-bound N train stations, starting at Fort Hamilton Parkway in Borough Park and stretching to 86th Street in Gravesend, were closed as part of the Sea Beach Line restoration project. After a sixth-month delay, the final phase is now complete, with four stations in Bensonhurst finally reopening, reports The City.
Get the details

Transit

Two new gardens in Queens will provide a space for immigrant communities to grow

Image of the New Roots Community Farm in the Bronx by Kathleen McTigue, courtesy of International Rescue Committee (IRC)

July 2, 2019

Two new gardens in Queens will provide a space for immigrant communities to grow

Building on the success of the New Roots Community Farm in the Bronx, two additional New Roots Gardens are currently underway in Queens, the Sunnyside Post reports. The gardens are being planted on both sides of 69th Street near Woodside Avenue and will include vegetable beds, flowers, a greenhouse, and seating areas. As part of a Department of Transportation initiative with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and NYC Parks GreenThumb, the gardens aim to create a community space for immigrants and refugees, as well as access to fresh and affordable produce.
More details

Uncategorized

July 2, 2019

Storied Westchester Skinny House seeks a buyer with a big heart and $275K

It's easy to see that the little red house at 175 Grand Street in Mamaroneck, NY, is no ordinary home just by looking: At a mere 10 feet wide, the Skinny House stands out for its size alone. As 6sqft previously reported, this unique dwelling, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has quite a tale to tell. The little house on a 12.5-foot lot was built in 1932 by Nathan T. Seely, one of New York’s first African American builders. Its story is one of ingenuity and skill, and it provided for its creator during hard times. In need of a new chapter and some real TLC, the house is on the market–for only the second time since its construction–for $275,000.
Get the skinny on this diminutive dwelling

Your guide to getting around NYC on the Fourth of July

Image via Flickr

July 2, 2019

Your guide to getting around NYC on the Fourth of July

If you're one of the estimated three million people who will be watching the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks spectacular, you'll need to factor in how MTA's service changes and planned traffic interruptions might affect your plans. Once you've picked a viewing spot, check out our comprehensive guide to getting around town (or out of town, if you prefer) below.
Know before you go

440-square-foot Bushwick studio is sleek and sunny for $345K

Listing images by Travis Mark, courtesy of the Corcoran Group

July 1, 2019

440-square-foot Bushwick studio is sleek and sunny for $345K

Condo interiors are often less than inspiring—but a modern canvas that you can easily customize for your lifestyle is nothing to scoff at. This 441-square-foot studio in north Bushwick has all the bones you would look for: sunny southeastern exposures and hardwood floors, alongside efficient upgrades like central heating/cooling, your very own washer and dryer, and a topnotch security system. Located at 307 Cooper Street in a 2016 development nicknamed 18th Ward, the apartment is seeking a cool $345,000.
Take a peek inside

Distinctive Homes

Berlin is imposing a five-year rent freeze—Could it work in New York City?

Photo via Pixabay

July 1, 2019

Berlin is imposing a five-year rent freeze—Could it work in New York City?

By Cait Etherington

In June, New York State rolled out a slate of proposals to protect renters. Among other changes, the new legislation closes several loopholes that have permitted owners to legally spike rents following renovations—a tactic that has been successfully used to deregulate more than 150,000 units over the past two decades. In essence, under the new legislation, owners will no longer be able to deregulate rent-regulated apartments at all. While the new legislation is certainly good news for many renters, for the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who now already live in unregulated apartments, the current legislation doesn’t fix their current woes. But could a five-year rent freeze help? It may sound impossible, but this is precisely what Berlin—once an oasis of inexpensive rents—has just approved as a way to put the brakes on rising rental prices.
Could this work in NYC?

Real Estate Trends

Governor Cuomo wants to test self-driving subways in NYC

Image via Flickr

July 1, 2019

Governor Cuomo wants to test self-driving subways in NYC

During a three-day trip to Jerusalem last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo toured the offices of Mobileye–a supplier of autonomous driving software—with the possibility of applying those same technologies to the MTA. "We have seen tremendous growth in software development for navigational systems to make automobiles safer and more reliable, and if this software works well on the road then we owe it to commuters to test its application for train and rail," Cuomo said in a statement.
More details

Corey Johnson announces $19 million in new LGBT support programs, nearly doubling funding

Speaker Corey Johnson and the New York City Council March in the 2019 Pride Parade. Photo by John McCarten via Flickr, courtesy of New York City Council.

July 1, 2019

Corey Johnson announces $19 million in new LGBT support programs, nearly doubling funding

In honor of a World Pride weekend that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has announced $19 million in funding for LGBT support programs, which nearly doubles the funding in support of the city's gay community, the Daily News reports. The budget includes $2.3 million for Trans Equity Programs, $3.7 million for LGBT community services and $800,000 for LGBT inclusive curriculum in public schools. Johnson said, “Acceptance is not enough. Our local government must fund programs that support the LBGTQ community, particularly transgender people.”
Find out more

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

July 1, 2019

Brooklyn Heights’ third-oldest house, with a gut renovation, is asking $10M

This wood frame house at 59 Middagh Street, which, according to the current listing, is considered third oldest home in Brooklyn Heights, was built in 1832 for a New York University professor. The 6,300-square-foot home certainly appears quaint–if unremarkable–on the outside. And while it's a spacious 28 feet wide, the home's interiors have been completely reconstructed with a high-end builder-grade renovation, giving it every contemporary luxury–including an elevator, a wet bar, a sauna and a gym–and all of the historic charm of a suburban McMansion. The six-bedroom, single-family home's last recorded sale was for $3 million in 2014. It's been on the market for nearly a year, first asking $11.5 million. After a broker switch and a price chop, the house is asking a still-ambitious $10 million.
Have a look inside

Distinctive Homes

Jersey City will celebrate July 4th with NJ’s largest fireworks display and a concert headlined by Pitbull

Photo via Flickr cc

July 1, 2019

Jersey City will celebrate July 4th with NJ’s largest fireworks display and a concert headlined by Pitbull

Jersey City is getting ready to celebrate its sixth annual Fourth of July Festival, an epic full day celebration from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Exchange Place Plaza. The free event, called 50STAR FIRESHOW, will feature a carnival, beer festival, and a concert headlined by Jersey City’s own Akon and rapper Pitbull, before culminating with the largest fireworks display in the state.
More info

Events & Things To Do

Photo by Nicole Mondrus for 6sqft

June 28, 2019

NYPL will display a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence

By Nicole Mondrus

While hotels and parks around the city are getting ready for the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show, the New York Public Library is going the historical route with their celebrations--by putting a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence on display. This copy, written in Thomas Jefferson’s handwriting, will be available to view for a limited time next Monday and Tuesday at their iconic Bryant Park location.
Find out when you can take a look...

Book-filled Chelsea loft with a private roof terrace seeks $1.25M

Listing images by Tim Waltman

June 28, 2019

Book-filled Chelsea loft with a private roof terrace seeks $1.25M

This “character-rich,” loft penthouse at 244 West 23rd Street offers stylish downtown living with a great Chelsea address that puts you right next to the Highline, art galleries, and everything else the vibrant neighborhood has to offer. But if you don't feel like venturing out, there's a huge library to keep you occupied. The one bedroom co-op filled with prewar details was recently renovated and just hit the market for $1.25 million.
Look inside

Distinctive Homes

First-ever squirrel census finds 2,300+ squirrels call Central Park home

A Central Park squirrel, via Wiki Commons

June 28, 2019

First-ever squirrel census finds 2,300+ squirrels call Central Park home

Last October, as 6sqft reported, an organization called Squirrel Census, headed by Jamie Allen, began the multimedia, science, design, and storytelling endeavor of figuring out how many squirrels–specifically eastern gray squirrels–call the 843 acres of Central Park home, and put out a call for critter-counting volunteers. Though attempting to fathom the magnitude of the park's squirrelscape began with some curiosity and a bit of tongue in cheek, according to Citylab, the methods used to tally the cheeky rodents–and the resulting findings–are as fun as they are fascinating.
More than just a head count

City Living

Google Maps can predict how crowded your subway or bus will be

Photo © 6sqft

June 28, 2019

Google Maps can predict how crowded your subway or bus will be

Google Maps has just released a couple of upgrades that should make New Yorkers' commutes a little bit easier, or at least, slightly more predictable. From now on, the app will be able to tell you how crowded your subway, bus, or train might be, so you can decide if you prefer to squeeze in or wait for a vehicle where you're more likely to snag a seat. The upgrades also expand the app's live traffic delays for buses (which began rolling out in December 2017) to cities that didn't already provide those updates.
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The restored Belvedere at night, courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

June 28, 2019

New lighting adds after-dark glamour to Central Park’s restored Belvedere Castle

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

As 6sqft reported, Central Park's Belvedere Castle is open to the public today after a comprehensive $12 million restoration effort. In addition to a restored facade, new clear-pane-glass windows, new mechanical and utility systems and a the re-creation of the wooden tower that was part of Olmsted and Vaux’s original design, the Central Park Conservancy has introduced nighttime lighting. As night falls, the Belvedere will be illuminated and visible from various locations in the park–most strikingly from across Turtle Pond.
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The long road to landmark: How NYC’s Stonewall Inn became a symbol of civil rights

Via NPCA on Flickr

June 28, 2019

The long road to landmark: How NYC’s Stonewall Inn became a symbol of civil rights

Millions will converge in New York City this weekend to celebrate events which took place in and outside of a Greenwich Village bar 50 years ago. The Stonewall Riots will not only be memorialized here in New York City, but those events have come to take on international significance. There are celebrations and marches in countries across the globe, with the name 'Stonewall' also used by countless organizations and entities around the world to signify the quest for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality. But 50 years ago those three nights of protests were barely noticed beyond the boundaries of the local neighborhood and a small but energized group of activists and rabble-rousers. They garnered little media attention, and most of the attention received was pretty negative – including from the gay community. So how did the events at the Stonewall 50 years ago go from an obscure set of disturbances at the tail end of the decade marked by strife and disorder, to an internationally-recognized symbol of a civil rights movement? Ahead, learn about Stonewall's long road to becoming a civil rights landmark.
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Need to get around NYC during WorldPride weekend? The subways want to help

Image: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

June 28, 2019

Need to get around NYC during WorldPride weekend? The subways want to help

The crowds at this weekend's WorldPride events are expected to break records, with an estimated 4.5 million people attending Sunday's Pride March, including 115,000 marchers. The MTA is showing its Pride this weekend by making it easier for you to join the festivities. We can finally share some good weekend service news: the authority is suspending all L train tunnel rehabilitation work this weekend and will increase service on other lines to accommodate all revelers. If you want to secure a spot on the Parade route, make sure you get there early as they're sure to fill up fast.
Here's what you need to know

$1.3M Cobble Hill condo adds contemporary details to traditional loft bones

Listing images by Matt Vacca, courtesy of Compass

June 27, 2019

$1.3M Cobble Hill condo adds contemporary details to traditional loft bones

Located in a former warehouse at 29 Tiffany Place that was converted to condos in 1999, this loft-like Cobble Hill pad underwent a recent renovation which, among other upgrades, transformed it from a three bedroom to a two bedroom with a bigger living room. The unit last sold in 2015 for $1.155 million, and has just hit the market asking $1.295 million.
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June 27, 2019

Cuomo unveils new looks for next phase of $8B LaGuardia Airport overhaul

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that the first of four concourses at LaGuardia Airport's new state-of-the-art Delta terminal is on track to open this fall. The concourse is a major milestone in the $8 billion plan to construct an entirely new LaGuardia Airport. The new 105,000-square-foot concourse will feature views of Citi Field and Flushing Bay through floor-to-ceiling windows, gates that can accommodate a wide range of aircraft and dining options from the city's top eateries. New renderings released with the announcement show the concourse and the arrivals/departures facility scheduled to open in 2021.
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City Council approves Staten Island’s Bay Street Corridor rezoning with 1,800 new residential units

Rendering via Department of City Planning

June 27, 2019

City Council approves Staten Island’s Bay Street Corridor rezoning with 1,800 new residential units

The New York City Council voted 44-2 to approve Staten Island's Bay Street Corridor Rezoning plan Wednesday, SILive reports. As 6sqft previously reported, the city proposed to convert the area between Tompkinsville Park and Tappan Park from manufacturing to residential while constructing 1,800 new units that would house 6,500 residents in the area. About a quarter of the new residences would be income-restricted affordable housing through the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program. The rezoning plan has drawn opposition from some community groups and Borough President Jimmy Oddo on the grounds that it would add to the area's traffic and transportation woes.
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Affordable Housing

Rendering courtesy of Equinox

June 27, 2019

Equinox opens its largest new fitness club at Hudson Yards