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Tishman Speyer proposed a plan to revamp certain aspects of Rockefeller Center during a hearing at the Landmark Preservation Commission on Tuesday, as CityRealty reported. With Gabellini Sheppard Associates at the helm, the design proposal makes tweaks to the gardens and outdoor plaza spaces at the 22-acre site. The upgrades—which mostly seek to improve circulation—come as city officials have been discussing the permanent restriction of traffic around Rockefeller Center following the successful pedestrianization of the area during the recent holiday season.
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Architecture And Design

January 15, 2020

17 spots to celebrate Lunar New Year 2020 in NYC

The two-week-long celebration of Lunar New Year begins next week, considered one of New York City's most festive events of the year. The welcoming of the Year of the Rat, the first zodiac animal and said to be a sign of wealth, kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 25 and is followed by 15 days of festivities, including lots of parades, performances, and firework displays. With several Chinatowns and many Asian communities found across the five boroughs, there are fun Lunar New Year activities for all New Yorkers, from Lower Manhattan's 21st annual Chinatown parade to the first-ever Asian comedy festival.
Our favorites ahead

Events & Things To Do

January 15, 2020

Carroll Gardens’ one-time most expensive house returns for $10M

Back in 2014, an oversized, four-story townhouse replaced an old garage at 181 President Street in Carroll Gardens, and it became known as one of the most "lavish" homes in Brooklyn thanks to its 5,356-square-foot layout, elevator, landscaped roof deck, wine cellar, home gym, two-car garage with a Tesla charging station, and more. So it was no surprise when it set a neighborhood record upon selling for $9.15 million in 2018. The five-bedroom home is now back on the market, asking a pretty comparable $9,995,000.
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Distinctive Homes

January 15, 2020

Soho-based fashion mecca Opening Ceremony will close its stores this year

The close of the last decade also saw the demise of a few retail icons that have made New York City dear to every fashionista’s heart. If Barneys was the cutting-edge couture go-to for a well-heeled international set, Soho’s Opening Ceremony was the chic street-style crossover hit of the early 21st century. The brand, whose stores include the Howard Street flagship and an Ace Hotel outpost as well as stores in Los Angeles, London and Tokyo–announced Tuesday that it would be shutting down its retail stores this year after being acquired by the New Guards Group, a streetwear conglomerate in turn owned by online fashion platform Farfetch, The Cut reports.
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City Living

Group of Coney Island boardwalk businesses could see up to 400 percent increase in rent

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

January 15, 2020

Group of Coney Island boardwalk businesses could see up to 400 percent increase in rent

Owners of six small businesses in Coney Island, Lola Star Boutique, Nathan's Famous, Ruby's Bar & Grill, Paul's Daughter, Tom's Restaurant, and the Coney Island Beach Shop, are currently negotiating new 10-year lease agreements with amusement park operator Zamperla. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the boardwalk businesses are facing rent increases of between 50 and 400 percent each. "We care about Coney Island and its future, and we are dedicated to making it as strong a community as possible," Alessandro Zamperla, the president of the company, told the Times. "This is why we've been working with our tenants to ensure their success and preserve the character of Coney Island." Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration has not come forward with a plan to mediate; according to the newspaper, the rent increases do not violate the agreement between Zamperla and the city.
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Real Estate Trends

Photos courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

January 15, 2020

Tiffany & Co. moves into a temporary location next door to iconic Fifth Avenue flagship

Under the watchful eyes of 30 security officers and 300 surveillance cameras, Tiffany & Company moved 114,179 pieces of jewelry from their iconic Fifth Avenue flagship store over the weekend to prepare the building for a renovation. Everything was taken to the adjacent storefront at 6 East 57th Street—a former Nike store—that will host a temporary location of the jewelry store until the renovation wraps up in 2021. Cheekily dubbed The Tiffany Flagship Next Door, the jeweler's new home centers around a central atrium that will feature a rotating schedule of "periodic installations and exclusive partnerships."
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Uncategorized

January 14, 2020

Pioneering juice bar Liquiteria appears to shutter all NYC locations

The Liquiteria at Fourth Avenue and 13th Street closed down last week, the last of five remaining New York City locations that have now shuttered, Eater reports. The juice bar chain opened its first location in the East Village at Second Avenue and East 11th Street in 1996, making it an early pioneer in the celebrity-fueled juice craze that eventually followed. There has been no mention of the closures from the company (their social media accounts haven't been active in months or years, depending on the platform) but their website is no longer active and phones at every location are disconnected. The Fourth Avenue storefront appears largely emptied in photos captured by EV Grieve.
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Food & Dining

January 14, 2020

20 fascinating photos of New York City in the 1920s

By Lucie Levine

Welcome back to the Roaring '20s, New York! Now that the new decade has officially dawned, we're turning the clock back 100 years to see what the city was like the last time the calendar struck 20. If you're looking for a little inspiration for your next Great Gatsby-themed bash, ahead find 20 fantastic photos of New York during the Jazz Age, depicting everything from old Ebbets Field to the height of Prohibition.
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History

Distinctive Homes

For $949K, this Village co-op has a Gold Coast address, prewar charm and a splash of color

For $8M, a proper Park Avenue penthouse with an artistic pedigree

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

This $2.85M Crown Heights townhouse is an unspoiled historic beauty on an extra-long lot

$4M Prospect Heights penthouse has three bedrooms, a wraparound terrace, and views in every direction

A long-neglected Clinton Hill townhouse gets a total glow-up and a $5.5M ask

For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton

Doors of steel and glass make this $3M Soho loft feel like a box of light

Once a parking garage, this $85M Village penthouse is now in line to break neighborhood sales records

This $1.5M Woodstock compound was a recording studio for rock icons from Ozzy Osbourne to R.E.M.

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In Westchester, an 1860s barn was converted to a mid-century estate for $1.25M

All listing photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

January 14, 2020

In Westchester, an 1860s barn was converted to a mid-century estate for $1.25M

Located in Pound Ridge, a quaint town in northeastern Westchester just an hour's drive from NYC, this sprawling estate set on nearly six acres is asking $1,250,000 (h/t Curbed). The New York Times wrote of Pound Ridge's "wooded slopes, streams and lakes and 19th-century stone walls," all of which create a "bucolic feel" that this home at 39 Old Snake Hill Road also embodies. Originally an 1860s barn, the listing tells us that the property was converted by Vito Fosella, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, into a charming mid-century residence "ideal for weekend or year-round living."
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Distinctive Homes

See inside the amenity spaces at Philip Johnson’s 550 Madison Avenue

Rendering courtesy of Rockwell Group

January 14, 2020

See inside the amenity spaces at Philip Johnson’s 550 Madison Avenue

The Olayan Group released a new batch of renderings giving us a sneak peek inside the amenity floor at 550 Madison Avenue. Designed by Rockwell Group, the seventh floor offers a mix of “hospitality-driven” spaces for tenants, including food and beverage options, lounges, shared workspaces, and fitness and wellness areas. The center of it all will be the iconic Philip Johnson-designed oculus—which greets visitors as soon as they step off the elevator on the club floor—framed by two floor-to-ceiling artworks by Dorothea Rockburne, which were commissioned in 1993 specifically for the building.
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Architecture And Design

This $3.5M wood-frame house in Fort Greene has high-end finishes and a delicious mint kitchen

Photo credit: DDreps for The Hudson Advisory Team courtesy of Compass

January 14, 2020

This $3.5M wood-frame house in Fort Greene has high-end finishes and a delicious mint kitchen

Built in 1870, this historic wood-frame home on a block of gorgeous landmarked townhouses a few blocks from Fort Greene Park is asking $3,495,000. It's had a recent renovation that bestowed updates like well-concealed central air and an intercom system and high-end finishes like herringbone wood flooring, arriving at that magic mix of contemporary comfort and historic charm. Within the single-family home are four bedrooms, each with its own bath, plus grand entertaining rooms and plenty of family space. A large landscaped rear yard joins a patio and wood deck for indoor-outdoor living in season.
Take the townhouse tour

New-York Historical Society hosting an after-hours ‘Roaring 20s’ party this weekend

Photo courtesy of Dandy Wellington

January 13, 2020

New-York Historical Society hosting an after-hours ‘Roaring 20s’ party this weekend

Photo courtesy of Dandy Wellington The New-York Historical Society is calling all "fabulous flappers and dapper dandies" for a Roaring 20s-themed fete this Saturday. The Jazz Age soiree will come to life with music from Dandy Wellington and encouragement for attendees to wear their most festive costumes. There will also be an open bar, snacks, and a photo booth.
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Events & Things To Do

Bushwick rezoning stalled after city dismisses community plan

Photo by Mike Steele on Flickr

January 13, 2020

Bushwick rezoning stalled after city dismisses community plan

The plan to rezone Bushwick hit a possibly fatal roadblock Monday after city officials and local politicians failed to reach an agreement on affordable housing requirements. The city said it will not study the Bushwick Community Plan (BCP), first envisioned by the community in 2014 to address out-of-context development, as part of its proposal, effectively postponing the rezoning. After years of Bushwick residents calling for a study of the area's growing gentrification, the city released its official rezoning plan last April. But local stakeholders and leaders, including Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Rafel Espinal Jr., said the city's plan fell short of the vision laid out in the BCP.
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Policy

Midtown East’s newest cocktail bar was designed by SHoP Architects with a nod to old New York glamour

Photos of Bergamo’s by Rachel Vanni

January 13, 2020

Midtown East’s newest cocktail bar was designed by SHoP Architects with a nod to old New York glamour

Busy but relatively dry Midtown East got a new cocktail bar last week with Bergamo’s at 26 Vanderbilt Avenue. Located on the ground floor of the Company building—a tech incubator designed by SHoP Architects—the sprawling 8,530-square-foot lounge was inspired by old New York glamour and features a vaulted ceiling with custom tiles that nod to the historic Guastavino vaults at nearby Grand Central Terminal.
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Food & Dining

A guide to joining your local New York City community board

Photo by who?du!nelson on Unsplash

January 13, 2020

A guide to joining your local New York City community board

If you're looking for a way to become more involved in your neighborhood and the decisions that shape New York City, the city's community boards are a good place to start. New York City is comprised of 59 community districts across the five boroughs: 12 in Manhattan, 12 in the Bronx, 18 in Brooklyn, 14 in Queens, and 3 in Staten Island. Formed in 1977, community boards are the city's most local form of representative government. Though they're strictly advisory–they don't have official authority to make or enforce laws–community boards weigh in on vital issues from zoning and landmarks to transportation and parks to education and neighborhood services. Below, we outline what these city government organizations actually do–and how you can join yours.
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NYPL reveals its 10 most borrowed books of all time

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

January 13, 2020

NYPL reveals its 10 most borrowed books of all time

Brooklyn-born author Ezra Jack Keats' beloved children's story The Snowy Day is the most checked out book of all time at the New York Public Library. In celebration of its 125th anniversary, the library on Monday released a list of the 10 most borrowed books at its 92 branches since its founding in 1895. A team of experts at NYPL put together the list by looking at checkout and circulation data, overall trends, current events, popularity, and length of time in print, and presence in the catalog.
Which books made the list

City Living

The city helps save Queens’ 190-year-old Neir’s Tavern from closing

Photo by CaptJayRuffins on Wikimedia Commons

January 13, 2020

The city helps save Queens’ 190-year-old Neir’s Tavern from closing

This past October, Neir's Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens celebrated its 190th anniversary. But last week, the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society reported on Twitter that the beloved and historic establishment would close its doors for good on Sunday. Originally opened in 1829 as a saloon called the "Old Blue Pump House," Neir's considers itself NYC's oldest bar. When the tavern was in danger of closing in 2009, a local FDNY member and a group of friends bought and restored it, but in December of 2018, the building was sold unbeknownst to them. According to a Facebook post by Neir's, they were unable to negotiate a new "affordable long-term lease" with the new owners. But when Mayor de Blasio heard the news, he and the city stepped in and saved the bar from closing.
How'd they do it?

Food & Dining

This $700K West Village loft is a compact, colorful co-op

Downtown style and bohemian flair allow for clever use of space in this West Village studio. Asking $700,000, the color-filled home at 9 Barrow Street is tucked into an 1895 building with an elevator and a doorman in true gracious pre-war fashion.
Find out more about this little gem

Distinctive Homes

L train service will be interrupted over the course of three upcoming weekends

Image by Jason Eppink via Flickr

January 13, 2020

L train service will be interrupted over the course of three upcoming weekends

The rehabilitation of the Canarsie Tunnel is on track to wrap up months ahead of schedule and restore full L train service by April—roughly one year after the revised “slowdown” started—but service will get a little worse before it gets better. As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) prepares to finish their work, partial L outages will impact service during three weekends in January, February, and March.
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Transit

MTA blames subway door problems on faulty locking mechanism

A R179 A train at Broad Channel; Photo by Mtattrain on Wikimedia

January 10, 2020

MTA blames subway door problems on faulty locking mechanism

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority pulled nearly 300 new subway cars from service this week because of problems with the door's locking mechanism, officials revealed Thursday. The entire fleet was decommissioned after two recent incidents were reported of doors opening while the trains were still moving. During a press conference on Thursday, Andy Byford, the president of NYC Transit, said the MTA plans to hold manufacturer Bombardier "fully accountable" and hire a third-party review to investigate the inspections before the cars are cleared to return to service.
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Transit

$1.3M upstate house is a Modernist vision by Frank Lloyd Wright’s colleagues

All images by Ren Nickson, courtesy of Sothebys International Realty.

January 10, 2020

$1.3M upstate house is a Modernist vision by Frank Lloyd Wright’s colleagues

According to the listing, this unique home in the remote upstate town of Canaan, NY was built by "two prominent colleagues of Frank Lloyd Wright," who employed stonework techniques used at Taliesin West, Usonian design, and a high peaked roof to make this stunning modern house "a paean to nature." Situated on 17 acres at 121 Top of Dean Hill Road, the property, asking $1.3 million, includes an equally fabulous guest house with a 3.5-car garage, woodland paths, and perennial gardens.
Tour this unusual Upstate home

Lantern House, Thomas Heatherwick’s quirky High Line condo, rises and reveals residences

Photo of Lantern House on 1/3/20 by CityRealty

January 10, 2020

Lantern House, Thomas Heatherwick’s quirky High Line condo, rises and reveals residences

Related Companies has released new renderings of the residential interiors in Thomas Heatherwick’s Lantern House condo development on the High Line. The quirky towers—one is ten stories tall and the other rises to 22 stories—flank the High Line at 18th Street and stand out with their billowing glass walls that reinterpret “the modern bay window.”
Check out the renderings

BQX streetcar plan rears its head, as city announces public meetings and updated timeline

Rendering via NYCEDC

January 10, 2020

BQX streetcar plan rears its head, as city announces public meetings and updated timeline

The city is once again inching forward with its plan to bring a streetcar to run between Brooklyn and Queens, a problem-plagued $2.7 billion proposal first presented five years ago. The New York City Economic Development Corporation on Thursday launched a new website for the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) with information about public community meetings planned for February and March. According to the website, the city expects a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the project to conclude in the spring of 2021, with the final statement ready by that fall. But questions about the logistics of constructing the streetcar's 11-mile route and its growing price tag.
It's back

Transit

See inside Urbanspace’s new food hall in Midtown West

Photos by Laura Fontaine

January 10, 2020

See inside Urbanspace’s new food hall in Midtown West

A new Urbanspace food hall opened up in Midtown on Wednesday with 15 vendors and plenty of options for the lunch crowd and beyond. It’s the fourth permanent location for the company that’s also behind many of New York City’s seasonal markets and food halls. Located in the space formerly occupied by Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain at 152 West 52nd Street, the list of vendors offers a mix of new and established names “aimed to cater to New Yorkers and visitors alike,” most notably classic Flatiron sandwich shop Eisenberg’s first offshoot.
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Food & Dining

Photo credit: Rich Caplan courtesy of Compass.

January 10, 2020

$1.25M Village loft in the Cast Iron Building has private outdoor space and amenities

Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

The classic Greenwich Village residence known as the Cast Iron Building at 67 East 11th Street is every bit the downtown loft its name implies. In addition, it's a doorman building with luxury amenities. Asking $1.25 million, this dramatic pre-war duplex co-op has the 15-foot ceilings loft-lovers crave, plus private outdoor space in the form of a 100-square-foot terrace–a rare perk in a loft.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

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

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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Plans filed for large apartment building on parking lot of classic Coney Island restaurant Gargiulo’s

View of 1517 Surf Avenue; Photo courtesy of Ace Aerial

January 9, 2020

Plans filed for large apartment building on parking lot of classic Coney Island restaurant Gargiulo’s

The owner of a 100-year-old Italian restaurant in Coney Island has agreed to lease the establishment's neighboring parking lot to a luxury real estate developer. Gargiulo's Restaurant owner Louis Russo filed a 99-year ground lease for the lot at 1517 Surf Avenue, located about one block from the boardwalk, with developer LCOR, as first reported by the Brooklyn Paper. According to the developer, plans will likely involve a mixed-income residential development and ground-floor retail.
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New Developments

For $7K/month, this Chelsea duplex is both penthouse and townhouse, roof terrace included

Images courtesy of Halstead.

January 9, 2020

For $7K/month, this Chelsea duplex is both penthouse and townhouse, roof terrace included

Available on February 15 as a short- or long-term rental, this duplex occupies the top two floors of a charming brick townhouse at 426 West 22nd Street on a prime Chelsea block. The 1,168-square-foot two-bedroom unit is two flights up, one of three apartments in the townhouse which is also on the market for $7.5 million. The penthouse, asking $7,000 a month, features a 160-square-foot terrace and top floor loft space.
Tour the penthouse-in-a-townhouse

Distinctive Homes

Luxurious Upper East Side mansion with a pool, movie theatre, and library is back for $79M

Listing images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 9, 2020

Luxurious Upper East Side mansion with a pool, movie theatre, and library is back for $79M

The palatial Upper East Side home that almost became the most expensive townhouse ever sold in New York City two years ago is back on the market. The seven-bedroom mansion was first listed in 2013 for a whopping $114 million and then for $98 million in 2014. It was most recently available in 2018 for $88 million and just received another price cut to (a still very formidable) $79 million. The 40-foot wide property at 12 East 69th Street sprawls over 20,000 square feet on six levels and comes with a movie theatre, saltwater pool, double-height library, and a 2,650 square-foot roof terrace overlooking Central Park.
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Distinctive Homes

Community board committee rejects design for proposed Harry Potter store in Flatiron

Rendering of Wizarding World by Studio Superette, courtesy of Manhattan Community Board 5

January 9, 2020

Community board committee rejects design for proposed Harry Potter store in Flatiron

The landmarks committee of a Manhattan community board this week dismissed the design for a proposed Harry Potter-themed store and exhibit in the Flatiron District. Warner Brothers Entertainment announced plans last September to open Wizarding World at 935 Broadway, a landmarked building constructed in 1861. But the company's proposal to alter the historic structure by adding wand-style flagpoles and a fiberglass dragon was rejected as "inappropriate" by Manhattan Community Board 5's landmarks committee on Tuesday, as the Wall Street Journal first reported.
See the design

Cuomo announces expansion of the Museum of Jewish Heritage

An aerial view of Battery Park City showing the Museum of Jewish Heritage, via Wikimedia Commons

January 8, 2020

Cuomo announces expansion of the Museum of Jewish Heritage

An aerial view of Battery Park City showing the Museum of Jewish Heritage, via Wikimedia Commons "To address the disturbing number of anti-Semitic and other discriminatory attacks in New York, the Governor is proposing a first-in-the-nation domestic terrorism law," reads a bullet point from Cuomo's 2020 agenda. As part of this larger hate crime anti-terrorism act, the Governor has directed the Battery Park City Authority to develop an expansion plan for the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust so that it will become a "learning destination for school children across the state."
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Events & Things To Do

9 ways to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in NYC

The 2019 MLK celebration at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum; Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Children’s Museum/ Winston Williams

January 8, 2020

9 ways to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in NYC

Every third Monday of January, we celebrate the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy of activism and unity. Recognized as a federal holiday since 1983, MLK Day gives New Yorkers who get the day off from work a chance to honor King's life through live performances, panel discussions, and storytelling. As one of two federal holidays designated as a national day of service, the January 20 holiday, seen as a "day on, not a day off," also provides an opportunity to volunteer in communities across the city. We've found MLK Day activities, events, and service opportunities for New Yorkers of all ages, from a walking tour of historic Harlem to community-building workshops in South Brooklyn.
Get the full list

Events & Things To Do

60 more subway stations will get MTA’s tap-to-pay system this month

Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit / Flickr

January 8, 2020

60 more subway stations will get MTA’s tap-to-pay system this month

By the close of 2019, the MTA had installed its OMNY tap-to-pay fare system at 64 subway stations across Manhattan and Brooklyn and all Staten Island busses. Some of the busiest spots that already have the contactless payment system include all 16 stations on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center, as well as Penn Station-34th Street. According to a new press release, OMNY will now expand to 60 more stations by the end of January--including Herald Square, Bryant Park, World Trade Center, and Jay Street-MetroTech--bringing the total to 124 stations.
See all the new stations

De Blasio releases non-discriminatory housing plan as Trump rolls back Obama-era ‘Fair Housing’ rule

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash

January 8, 2020

De Blasio releases non-discriminatory housing plan as Trump rolls back Obama-era ‘Fair Housing’ rule

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash First announced in March 2018, the Where We Live NYC initiative has finally released a draft plan for public review. Described as a “comprehensive fair housing planning process to study, understand, and address patterns of residential segregation,” the report outlines key goals and strategies to eliminate discrimination in the housing market. As part of the plan, the city will launch the Fair Housing Litigation Unit “comprised of researchers, lawyers, and market testers who will go into the community as ‘secret shoppers’ and identify discriminatory practices,” per a recent press release.
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Policy

Image credit: VHT courtesy of The Corcoran Group

January 8, 2020

For just $250K, the buyer of this chic Bay Ridge studio gets a parkside location and a Verrazano view

Tucked into a verdant strip of southwest Brooklyn overlooking Shore Road Park, a block from New York Harbor with stunning vistas of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge from the street, this compact studio at 9902 Third Avenue is asking a relatively reasonably $250,000. In addition to bridge views, the Bay Ridge/Hamilton Parkway street is lined with pre-war co-ops and quaint two-story free-standing homes.
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Distinctive Homes

New public art installation brings illuminated, interactive seesaws to Midtown West

All photos by Alexandre Ayer

January 7, 2020

New public art installation brings illuminated, interactive seesaws to Midtown West

Yesterday, The Garment District Alliance unveiled its latest public art installation along Broadway between 37th and 38th Streets. Titled "Impulse," it's a collection of 12 oversized seesaws that light up and night and become an "urban instrument" when they emit various sounds as New Yorkers play on them.
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Events & Things To Do

January 7, 2020

Real estate investors spend $166M on group of Mitchell-Lama buildings in the Bronx

A group of real estate companies has purchased eight affordable housing buildings in the Bronx for $166 million. LIHC Investment Group, Belveron Partners, and Camber Property Group last week announced the joint deal, which involves 1,275 housing units and 10 commercial units that fall under the city's Mitchell-Lama program. The firms plan to keep the units affordable, instead of converting them to market-rate apartments when the rent regulations expire.
Learn about it

Affordable Housing

In Hudson Yards, Bjarke Ingels’ The Spiral is more than 50% leased as construction progresses

All renderings courtesy of Tishman Speyer

January 7, 2020

In Hudson Yards, Bjarke Ingels’ The Spiral is more than 50% leased as construction progresses

As The Spiral continues to rise in Hudson Yards—it’s currently the eighth-tallest skyscraper under construction in NYC—its future offices are getting scooped up at a fast pace. Despite being two-and-a-half years away from completion, the Bjarke Ingels Group-designed tower at 66 Hudson Boulevard is now 54 percent pre-leased after adding law firm Debevoise & Plimpton to its roster of tenants. That list also includes pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, who will relocate its global headquarters to the building, and investment management firm AllianceBernstein. Once complete, the 66-story tower will reach 1,032 feet and feature signature cascading terraces and hanging gardens wrapped around the facade in a spiral-like arrangement.
Here's the latest update

After holiday street closures, some city leaders say Rockefeller Center should remain car-free

Photo by Javier Guiterrez Acedo on Flickr

January 7, 2020

After holiday street closures, some city leaders say Rockefeller Center should remain car-free

After having been closed to car and truck traffic during the busiest times of day since November 29th, West 49th and West 50th streets between Fifth and Sixth avenues–the two streets on either side of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree–may become permanently car-free if some city officials have their way. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that he believes the vehicle-free streets were safer for the estimated 750,000 pedestrians who were expected to traverse the plaza each day during the crowded holiday season, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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Transit

Snøhetta’s transformed public garden at 550 Madison Avenue receives final city approvals

Renderings courtesy of Snøhetta and MOARE

January 7, 2020

Snøhetta’s transformed public garden at 550 Madison Avenue receives final city approvals

The privately-owned public space (POPS) on the ground floor of Philip Johnson and John Burgee’s Postmodern skyscraper at 550 Madison Avenue declined over time due to multiple alterations and was often described as being “tall, skinny, and dark.” As part of Snøhetta’s transformation of the landmark, the garden is receiving a lot of attention. In December, developer Olayan Group revealed plans to increase the public space by 50 percent while creating “a welcoming sensory retreat in the heart of East Midtown.” After being approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission last year, the open space has now received its final approval from the Department of City Planning.
More details

Architecture And Design

Photo credit: Ben Fitchett courtesy of Compass.

January 7, 2020

$7,200/month Village loft with a rooftop ‘cabin’ was once home to John Barrymore

According to the listing for this utterly charming Greenwich Village penthouse loft at 132 West 4th Street, silent film actor John Barrymore lived here a century ago and christened it "The Alchemist's Corner." While the silver screen connection adds stardust to its image, a spot atop an 1839 townhouse, a massive dramatic skylight, and a rooftop garden with a heated porch and den make this $7,200 a month rental opportunity magical all on its own.
Alchemy and views, this way

With a $300M proposal, the Erie Canal could become a reinvented upstate attraction

Renderings courtesy of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office

January 6, 2020

With a $300M proposal, the Erie Canal could become a reinvented upstate attraction

This is what a renewed Erie Canal could look like in the years to come. Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed a $300 million proposal on Monday to revamp the 19th-century waterway that was started by Gov. DeWitt Clinton in 1817. The multi-phase plan originates in research conducted by the "Reimagine the Canals" task force assembled by Cuomo last May. The first phase will begin later this year and comprises two parts: a $100 million economic development fund to invest in communities along the canal and $65 million toward preventing ice jams and flooding in the Schenectady area. The remaining $135 million will be allocated based on recommendations made in the task force’s report.
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Architecture And Design

Cuomo revives plan to overhaul Penn Station and create new Empire Station Complex

Rendering of new entrance on 8th Avenue to Penn Station via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

January 6, 2020

Cuomo revives plan to overhaul Penn Station and create new Empire Station Complex

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is returning to one of his favorite infrastructure proposals: the overhaul of Penn Station. During an event on Monday hosted by the Association for a Better New York, the governor announced plans to build the Empire Station Complex, a station that would link a modernized Penn Station, the soon-to-be-open Moynihan Train Hall, and a new terminal one block south of the existing site. The plan, first introduced by the governor in 2016, would add eight new tracks and increase train capacity by 40 percent at the station, which currently serves more than 650,000 passengers each day.
See the updated plan

How to decorate your apartment with the Pantone Color of the Year, Classic Blue

Image courtesy of Pantone

January 6, 2020

How to decorate your apartment with the Pantone Color of the Year, Classic Blue

Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute graphics company has chosen a Color of the Year, and the 2020 hue is PANTONE 19-4052 TCX, otherwise known as "Classic Blue." The blue hue is indeed a classic–a primary color that's simple, bright, and doesn't pull any punches. It calls to mind blueberries, nautical motifs, and, yes, Facebook. Below are some ideas for putting a pop of this cheery color in your space and your life, from apartment-friendly sofas and chairs to necessary accessories like a self-cleaning water bottle.
A Classic Blue mood, this way

One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

Williamsburg

Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

1 beds starting at $1,925,000
2 beds starting at $2,055,000
3 beds starting at $3,030,000

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For $1.9M, this spacious Midtown East condo has two bedrooms and a huge roof terrace

Listing images by Bernadett Pava; courtesy of Compass

January 6, 2020

For $1.9M, this spacious Midtown East condo has two bedrooms and a huge roof terrace

This Midtown East condo ticks all the (right) boxes: it's located in a Rosario Candela-designed building at 135 East 54th Street, comes with an expansive roof terrace bigger than most people's apartments, and is only a short walk away from the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park. The approximately 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom is now on the market seeking $1.895 million.
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Distinctive Homes

New York had offered Amazon $800M more than originally known for HQ2 site

CC Photo via Cheap Full Coverage Auto Insurance on Flickr

January 6, 2020

New York had offered Amazon $800M more than originally known for HQ2 site

In its attempt to lure Amazon to open its second headquarters in New York, officials offered the company $800 million more in incentives than previously known to the public. Documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal reveal the breadth of the proposal from state and city leaders as part of Amazon's year-long contest in 2017 to find a new home for 50,000 jobs. According to the WSJ, the original offer to Amazon included $1.4 billion of tax credits, $1.1 billion in grants, and part of the salaries paid for some employees.
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Policy

January 6, 2020

Public library in Long Island City’s Citigroup Building will close next month

A popular public library in Queens is shutting its doors next month. The Queens Public Library at Court Square, located at 25-01 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, will close sometime in February after occupying the ground floor of the Citigroup Building for more than 30 years. The library faced threats of eviction after Amazon pulled out of its plan to move its headquarters to the neighborhood last year, which included its lease agreement at One Court Square.
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Famed political cartoonist Ranan Lurie lists his Time Warner Center art studio-condo for $5M

Image credit: Donna Dotan courtesy of Compass.

January 6, 2020

Famed political cartoonist Ranan Lurie lists his Time Warner Center art studio-condo for $5M

The Time Warner Center condo at 25 Columbus Circle that Ranan Lurie, who holds the Guinness World Record for most syndicated political cartoonist, used as his art studio and office, is now on the market for $4,995,000. Lurie's "Uniting Painting" at the United Nations HQ is the largest contemporary painting ever exhibited there. The founder and Editor-in-Chief of Cartoonews has been the resident political cartoonist for, among many others, Life magazine, The U.S. News & World Report, Time International, Foreign Affairs magazine and The London Times. He has been syndicated globally to more than 1,100 publications with a daily readership of 300 million. His drawings often include a small trademark smiling sun drawn on the subject's tie or other articles of clothing.
More of this storied condo, this way

Williamsburg’s William Vale hotel opens rooftop ice skating rink with skyline views

Photo courtesy of The William Vale

January 6, 2020

Williamsburg’s William Vale hotel opens rooftop ice skating rink with skyline views