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An exhibition opening at the Brooklyn Museum next year will explore for the first time the enduring impact of Studio 54. Opening in March, Studio 54: Night Magic examines the influence that the disco-era nightclub continues to have on design, cinema, and fashion today. Iconic photography and roughly 650 objects, including drawings, paintings, music, and decor, will be on display.
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Events & Things To Do

Photo courtesy of CityRealty

September 16, 2019

Application fee for New York rentals officially capped at $20

New York officially capped the cost of applying for an apartment at $20, clearing up confusion over a key part of rent reform legislation passed earlier this summer. The Department of State announced on Friday that licensed real estate brokers and salespeople cannot charge more than $20 for a rental application, as Gothamist first reported. The DOS released a set of guidelines to help real estate professionals understand the new rent laws.
More here

Policy

September 16, 2019

This cozy, quirky $425K Upper East Side studio has an astroturf-clad dream of a backyard

This Yorkville studio at 340 East 83rd Street may not be spacious inside, but the private backyard paradise just outside of the living room window is a study in hidden charm in the city. Asking $425,000, the cozy co-op spans 400 square feet of quiet, back-of-the-building efficiency.
More of that fabulous patio, this way

Distinctive Homes

Image via Wikimedia cc.

September 16, 2019

Express service on the F train beings today

As of today, the MTA has added four express trains to the F line during morning and evening rush hours. Two F trains will run express between the Church Avenue and Jay Street-MetroTech stations, stopping only at Seventh Avenue, during the morning and evening rush hours. Additionally, two Manhattan-bound trains will run express from Church Avenue between 7 and 7:30 a.m. and two Coney Island-bound trains will run the express route between 5 and 5:40 p.m. Previously, as the Daily News reports, the F train's route was the longest in the whole subway system without an express option.
Find out more

Transit

Fall art roundup: Highlights of the season’s new crop of exhibitions, openings and events

Image courtesy of Harold Navarro via Flickr

September 16, 2019

Fall art roundup: Highlights of the season’s new crop of exhibitions, openings and events

When autumn rolls into New York City, the fall arts season heats up with museum exhibits, gallery openings, art fairs and more to keep us culturally fulfilled through shorter days and colder nights. Below are our top picks and suggestions for the season’s art whirl, from an all new MoMA to open studios in Bushwick.
Inspirational art, this way

Events & Things To Do

Images via The Sill

September 13, 2019

Turn up your green thumb with The Sill’s new virtual care appointments

The indoor gardening trend shows no signs of slowing down, and for good reason--adding more green to your space has a multitude of benefits. But for many people, bringing a new friend home from the nursery and actually knowing what to do with it are two very different things. To help you reach your full potential, The Sill has launched a convenient service to boost your green thumb: virtual plant care appointments. If you don't know what to do about your plant's declining health, need tips on staving off a dreaded pest infestation, or just want to learn more about its specific needs, you can now book a 15- or 30-minute consultation with one of The Sill's plant experts from the comfort of your own home.
Get your plants to thrive, not just survive

Image courtesy of Two Trees Management.

September 13, 2019

Williamsburg’s tallest building opens in Domino complex with an outdoor pool and rooftop cabanas

Two Trees Management announced yesterday the opening of the second building to rise at Williamsburg's Domino Sugar Factory site at the corner of Grand Street and Kent Avenue. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, One South First is a mixed-use 45-story building within the newly-created six-acre Domino Park that includes 330 rental apartments, office space, and retail. Unique features include a distinct facade inspired by the structure of sugar crystals in honor of the site's history as a sugar manufacturing plant. The building is now the neighborhood's tallest tower at 435 feet, and it makes use of every inch of that height with dazzling amenities that include an outdoor granite pool overlooking the East River and City skyline.
New views, this way

Join the cash mob to help save St. Mark’s bodega Gem Spa

Photo by Alex Lozupone on Wiki Commons

September 13, 2019

Join the cash mob to help save St. Mark’s bodega Gem Spa

The East Village's Gem Spa first opened in the 1920s on the corner of St. Mark's Place and 2nd Avenue and received its current moniker in the 1950s. The shop became famous when it was frequented by Beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg and featured in a painting by Jean-Michelle Basquiat and then later as an all-night punk hangout and tourist stop for egg creams. Today, however, the store is struggling to stay afloat due to the ever-increasing gentrification of the neighborhood and losing its cigarette and lottery licenses in the spring. In an effort to save the icon, small business advocacy group #SaveNYC is hosting a cash mob this Saturday. In preparation, a faux storefront was installed that reads "Schitibank coming soon," in reference to rumors that Citibank is trying to take over the storefront.
All the details

Uncategorized

Distinctive Homes

This $4.5M Sutton Place penthouse has a wraparound terrace and a literary pedigree

For $5.5M, a gallerist's Soho loft is the perfect backdrop for your art collection

Turn this $6.9M Brooklyn Heights three-family townhouse into an urban mansion with original details galore

This $18.5M penthouse is Village living on a luxury level

This $4.5M Lenox Hill duplex combines pre-war elegance with architectural drama

This $8M Dumbo condo with a private rooftop spa embodies penthouse living

$22M Cobble Hill brownstone is five floors of architectural perfection, from the wine cellar to the rooftop deck

Lily Allen's Brooklyn townhouse is for sale for $8M

This $4M Park Slope duplex is house-sized, with condo simplicity and outdoor space

This $3.5M Noho co-op remembers the origins of loft living

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Long Island City’s Skyline Tower is now the tallest outer-borough building

Rendering by Binyan Studios

September 13, 2019

Long Island City’s Skyline Tower is now the tallest outer-borough building

A tower on the rise in Queens just became the tallest building in New York City outside of Manhattan. Hitting the 63rd floor, Skyline Tower has officially surpassed in height its neighbor and previous record-holder, the 673-foot-tall Citigroup Building. Located at 23-15 44th Drive, the new Long Island City tower offers studio to four-bedroom homes, priced between $500,000 and $4 million. Upon its completion, Skyline Tower will reach 762 feet and contain roughly 800 condos.
Learn more

September 13, 2019

$18M Brooklyn Heights townhouse is the borough’s most expensive listing

Brooklyn Heights is an expensive neighborhood to be sure, but the five-story townhouse at 88 Remsen Street, asking $18 million, takes the top spot for the entire borough, where the most expensive sale to date was around $15.5 million (h/t Curbed). For that price, you're certainly getting your money's worth. The five-story home offers a separate apartment on the ground floor, with an owners' quadraplex above, complete with decks and harbor views. The historic home has lots of restored original details. But the most unique part of this pricey property is the carriage house that's included in the sale; across a quiet alley, this quaint structure is thoroughly renovated and includes a garage, a full kitchen, and a skylit recreation room.
Tour this Brooklyn Heights compound

Distinctive Homes

For $1.5M, this Carroll Gardens co-op comes with a lovely garden and a woodshop

Listing images by Rise Media; courtesy of The Corcoran Group

September 13, 2019

For $1.5M, this Carroll Gardens co-op comes with a lovely garden and a woodshop

With a working woodshop in the basement, this garden level duplex in prime Carroll Gardens would be a perfect fit for an artist or designer. The one-and-a-half bedroom also boasts a deep front yard—characteristic of the neighborhood—private access to the back garden, and sweet details on the inside, including two fireplaces. After last selling in 2013 for $1.3 million, the residence at 86 2nd Place was recently listed for $1.495 million.
Get the full tour

Distinctive Homes

NYC’s subway is finally starting to improve, MTA says

Photo by Dan Phiffer on Flickr

September 13, 2019

NYC’s subway is finally starting to improve, MTA says

After an abysmal couple of summers, New York City's subway system finally saw significant improvement in service this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Thursday. According to data from the agency set to release in full next week, the on-time performance rate reached 84 percent on weekdays last month, up from just over 68 percent last August. That is the highest on-time performance, which measures the percentage of trains that reach their terminal location within five minutes of their planned arrival, recorded in roughly six years.
More this way

Transit

Condo board at Trump’s Central Park West building votes to keep president’s name on signage

Photo by Loozrboy on Flickr

September 12, 2019

Condo board at Trump’s Central Park West building votes to keep president’s name on signage

The condo board of the glass tower at One Central Park West on Tuesday voted unanimously to retain the Trump name on the signage at the front of the building, the New York Post reports. However, the word “tower” will be removed from the marquee over the front entrance, to be replaced with the building's address. As 6sqft previously reported, as part of a larger renovation of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Columbus Circle, the Trump Organization was reconsidering its heavily-branded signage, and some building owners say Trump’s polarizing presidency is depreciating the value of their investments.
A compromise of sorts

Uncategorized

$3.25M Brooklyn Heights loft mixes historic bones with surfer-chic style

Photo credit: Donna Dotan Photography courtesy of Compass.

September 12, 2019

$3.25M Brooklyn Heights loft mixes historic bones with surfer-chic style

Asking $3.25 million, this authentic landmarked loft at 8 Old Fulton Street is also a well-kept two-bedroom co-op in coveted Brooklyn Heights. Along with historic loft bones it offers stunning Brooklyn and Manhattan views and gorgeous renovated interiors in a pre-Civil War building.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

VIDEO: See two years of work on Brooklyn Point’s recently completed facade

Rendering courtesy of Extell

September 12, 2019

VIDEO: See two years of work on Brooklyn Point’s recently completed facade

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Earlier this Spring construction of Brooklyn’s tallest residential tower, Brooklyn Point, topped out at 720 feet. Now, the 68-story skyscraper has reached another construction milestone and is fully enclosed. A new video released by Extell compresses two years of work on the facade into mere seconds, as the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed building nears completion.
Watch the video

September 12, 2019

‘Friends’ in NYC: How plausible were the Greenwich Village apartments depicted in the hit ’90s series?

On September 22, 1994, the TV show Friends premiered on NBC. Airing 10 seasons, it was consistently one of the most popular shows on television, and after decades of syndication, one of the most popular in history. And for a generation of young 20-somethings, it shaped their views of, and in many ways reflected their experience of, what their lives were supposed to be like. While the show was shot in Burbank, California, almost all it was supposed to take place in Greenwich Village, where the apartments of all of its main characters were located. Thus it also shaped a generation’s views of what living in Greenwich Village, even if your job was a joke and you were broke, was like. In honor of the show's 25th anniversary, we take a look at the places where Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Monica, and Chandler were supposed to have lived, and how the TV world Friends created lined up (or didn't) with reality.
Get the scoop

Uncategorized

Photo credit: MW Studio / Udom Surangsophon courtesy of Compass.

September 12, 2019

Rent this Novogratz-designed Little Italy townhouse for $40K/month

Millionaire private investor and man-about-town Bradley Zipper purchased this Little Italy townhouse in 2004 to use as a massive bachelor pad where he could host celebrity soirees and lavish business events for up to 400 guests. After dropping $3.385 million on the property, he hired Cortney and Robert Novogratz, the famous husband-and-wife design team, to deck it out. The result definitely fit the bill, rocking a 900-bottle wine cellar that’s a replica of one in a Meatpacking District club, a 14-foot mahogany and pewter bar imported from Paris, and a vintage 1940s pool table surrounded by graphite walls. Zipper started trying to unload the house in 2013, first for $15 million, then $13 million, next as a $35,000/month rental, and again in 2015 for $15.5 million. Now the six-story 5,000-square-foot townhouse with six outdoor spaces is for rent once again asking an adjusted-for-inflation $40,000/month.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

James Baldwin’s former Upper West Side home receives national landmark status

In June, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission designated six sites significant to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, including the former home of James Baldwin on the Upper West Side. Now, the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project tells us that the Baldwin residence at 137 West 71st Street has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, which recognizes his role nationally as relates to LGBT and civil rights history.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

Listing images by Allyson Lubow; courtesy of The Corcoran Group

September 12, 2019

This $3.45M Park Slope brownstone has tons of original details and sits steps from Prospect Park

Just one block away from Prospect Park West in the Park Slope Historic District, the Renaissance Revival brownstone at 495 13th Street was built around 1895 by prolific Brooklyn architect Robert Dixon. Last sold in 2015 for $3.25 million, the historic property has since undergone a restoration of many of the original wood details, including the parlor mantels and wood floors. Most recently lived in as a one-family with five bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, there's also an opportunity to utilize the income-generating rental on the garden level. The brownstone is now on the market, seeking $3.45 million.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

A classic Soho loft with an industrial-chic renovation and expansive rooftop terrace asks $4M

Listing images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

September 11, 2019

A classic Soho loft with an industrial-chic renovation and expansive rooftop terrace asks $4M

This 1,800 square-foot loft at 55 Prince Street has all the elements of a classic Soho loft with the benefits of a fresh, gut renovation. All the original details—wood beams and columns, exposed brick walls, oak floors, and arched windows—were restored while industrial-chic elements were added, including a floating staircase and steel doors. A rooftop terrace adds 1,800 square feet of private outdoor space and the unit also comes with air rights to build up an additional 2,000 square feet. The modern pad is now listed at $4 million.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

September 11, 2019

COLORS restaurant, founded by 9/11 survivors, to reopen on the Lower East Side

COLORS restaurant in downtown Manhattan was originally founded by employees of the Windows on the World restaurant on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center, and employed many restaurant workers who lost their jobs on the day of the terrorist attacks. COLORS closed in 2017, closing the door on an establishment that had helped survivors to thrive. Now, am New York reports, on the 18th anniversary of the attacks, that the restaurant is re-opening in October.
More good news, this way

Food & Dining

Asking $1.925M, this Williamsburg home offers a modern perspective on townhouse living

Photo credit: DD Reps courtesy of Compass. Staged by Studio Melrose.

September 11, 2019

Asking $1.925M, this Williamsburg home offers a modern perspective on townhouse living

Brooklyn townhouse living meets Williamsburg modernism in this 1,700-square-foot townhouse at 338 Humboldt Street. Asking $1.925 million, this compact home has all the elements of a classic renovated brownstone–three or four bedrooms, generous outdoor living space, a basement playroom and a separate guest suite–with the sharp good looks of a modern house.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Sales launch at disputed 200 Amsterdam Avenue, with one-bedrooms starting at $2.625M

Renderings courtesy of Binyan Studios

September 11, 2019

Sales launch at disputed 200 Amsterdam Avenue, with one-bedrooms starting at $2.625M

Less than a month after construction at 200 Amsterdam Avenue topped out—and despite a pending Article 78 challenge filed by opponents of the contested Upper West Side tower in July—sales have officially launched and the developers debuted a new website with all the listings and a new batch of renderings. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects with interiors by CetraRuddy, the tower will rise 668 feet and consist of 112 condos over its 52 stories. Current pricing starts at 2.625 million for a one-bedroom and goes up to $7.975 for a five-bedroom. As 6sqft previously reported, there will be two duplex penthouses available for about $40 million each.
More details

September 10, 2019

For $10K/month this Cobble Hill townhouse rental has a private roof deck and a country house vibe

This three-bedroom duplex at 9 Wyckoff Street is the upper of two units in a 24-foot-wide Cobble Hill two-family townhouse. Topped by a private garden-ready finished roof deck, the charming Brooklyn home, asking $10,000 a month, is getting a brand-new kitchen and updated baths in time for a late October move-in date. Rustic interiors and details like wood-beamed ceilings make the spacious townhouse look just right for autumn days and evenings.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

Renovated 19th-century Greenpoint townhouse with California style seeks $5M

Listing images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

September 10, 2019

Renovated 19th-century Greenpoint townhouse with California style seeks $5M

It took fashion stylist Katie Mossman five years to complete the renovation of her 19th-century townhouse in Greenpoint. Once a sea captain’s home in the 1850s, Mossman transformed the residence into an open, light-filled space with a double-height living room and indoor-outdoor concept. The two-family home at 76 Green Street is now on the market for just under $5 million, one of the neighborhood’s priciest listings. For those who aren’t looking to spend that much but love the idea of California vibes in NYC, the property is also available to rent for $13,500 per month.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

September 10, 2019

See renderings of The Wing’s new Williamsburg location for design inspiration

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

Renderings were released this morning showing the gorgeously on-trend interiors at the much-anticipated Williamsburg location of The Wing–the women-centric community and work space's first location in that neighborhood and second in Brooklyn. The Williamsburg opening is part of a greater New York City expansion, which will bring the total number of locations in The Wing's home city to five by the end of 2019. Since launching less than three years ago, The Wing has opened eight locations across six U.S cities and raised $117.5 million in venture funding.
More renderings this way

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New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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MTA capital plan under scrutiny as Cuomo, transit watchdogs weigh in on top priorities

Image © 6sqft

September 10, 2019

MTA capital plan under scrutiny as Cuomo, transit watchdogs weigh in on top priorities

The MTA's five-year capital spending plan for major system-wide repairs from 2020 to 2024 has been under increasing scrutiny from public transportation watchdog groups, who have asked the MTA to provide more detailed priorities and policy goals for the project. The organizations–including the newly-formed Build Trust Campaign made up of TransitCenter, the Riders Alliance, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and Reinvent Albany, released a report Monday asking that the MTA and Gov. Andrew Cuomo significantly improve transparency in planning the project and provide a fiscal roadmap to outline the plans for major repairs to the subway, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and the bridges and tunnels that fall under MTA management, Curbed reports. Cuomo also issued a letter to the MTA board Monday outlining his own list of priorities for the Capital Plan.
Find out more

September 10, 2019

My 400sqft: How a lifestyle blogger and her husband make small-space living work for them

A lot of couples in NYC count down the days until they can pack up their studio for more spacious digs, but for Raechel and Ryan Lambert, they have no plans to upsize. The couple has been living in studio apartments for the past seven years--first in San Francisco, now in Hell's Kitchen--and they're doing it to maximize in other areas of their lives, such as travel and saving. Rae, a product marketer for tech companies, also runs the blog Small Space, Big Taste, where she embraces her minimalist mindset and shares with readers her tips on finance, cooking, traveling, and interiors. From packing for an eight-day trip in one backpack to sharing everything one needs to know about Murphy beds, Rae's articles are best exemplified in her and Ryan's 400-square-foot apartment. When Rae invited us into her home, we were welcomed into an airy, comfortable apartment that was so well organized it had space for cooking, dining, lounging, sleeping, and even playing the piano. Thanks to a less-is-more philosophy and a great collection of multi-purpose and moveable furniture, this couple's savvy design may have you rethinking that one-bedroom listing.
Take a tour of Rae's apartment and get some first-hand tips

Restoration of Philip Johnson’s 1964 New York State Pavilion will begin this month

Image via Purpleturtle52 on Wiki Commons

September 10, 2019

Restoration of Philip Johnson’s 1964 New York State Pavilion will begin this month

Plans to restore the Philip Johnson-designed New York State Pavilion at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park have been inching along slowly over the past five years. Now, the project finally has a construction start date, Untapped Cities reported. Work will begin by the end of the month and is expected to be completed in March 2021. As 6sqft previously reported, the project has acquired just over $24 million in funding from the Mayor's office, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, City Council, and a FEMA grant for Hurricane Sandy repairs.
More details

Architecture And Design

New exhibit from photographers James and Karla Murray celebrates mom-and-pop storefronts of NYC

Photo © James and Karla Murray

September 9, 2019

New exhibit from photographers James and Karla Murray celebrates mom-and-pop storefronts of NYC

A free photography exhibition highlighting mom-and-pop shops of New York City opens in the East Village next week. Photographers and award-winning authors James and Karla Murray hosted two workshops earlier this year on using photography and oral history to "raise public awareness, build community, and encourage advocacy." The free exhibition, "Capturing the Faces & Voices of Mom-And-Pop Storefronts," shows off the photos and interviews from the workshop's participants, as well as large-scale photos of now-shuttered East Village shops, taken by James and Karla.
More here

Events & Things To Do

A history of Book Row, NYC’s long-time downtown haven for bibliophiles

“Pageant Book Store, 109 East 9th Street., north side between 3rd & 4th Avenues; Hannah and Her Sisters Bookstore scenes shot here,” Village Preservation (GVSHP) Image Archive, accessed September 9, 2019

September 9, 2019

A history of Book Row, NYC’s long-time downtown haven for bibliophiles

The slogan of beloved NYC bookstore the Strand boasts the store's "18 miles of books," a number that seems incredibly vast yet was once just a small fraction of what book lovers could expect to find in the neighborhood. For almost eight decades, from the 1890s to the 1960s, the seven blocks of Fourth Avenue between Union Square and Astor Place were home to a thriving bibliophiles’ paradise known as Book Row. Here, book lovers and secondhand vendors gathered, and the pace of the city slowed down as they browsed the miles of stacks available. Speaking to the New York Times, collector Paul A. Solano—who went on to open his own used book shop in Morningside Heights—said it took him a week to stroll through all the stores on the seven-block stretch. In its heyday, Book Row was home to 48 bookstores and millions of volumes. Now, the recently landmarked Strand bookstore is the only remaining vestige of that era.
Find out about the history and what happened

History

Photo credit: VHT courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

September 9, 2019

In prime East Williamsburg, this $875K ‘loft’ condo is fresh and functional

If you're looking for a sleek and contemporary east Williamsburg pad, this bi-level condominium at 142 Skillman Avenue, asking $875,000, might be just the place. It has 14-foot ceilings, a bedroom plus office/studio space, and nice new everything.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Joe Namath lists Upper West Side duplex with deck and garden for $1.2M

Photo credit: DDreps courtesy of Compass.

September 9, 2019

Joe Namath lists Upper West Side duplex with deck and garden for $1.2M

Legendary New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath is selling his Upper West Side co-op. I Love the Upper West Side tells us that the football icon bought the 1,300-square-foot two-bedroom home at 345 West 70th Street for his daughter Jessica and her former husband in 2016. It's now on the market for $1.195 million. In addition to star athlete cachet, the highlights of this classic duplex home are an oversized custom wooden deck and a lower level garden.
Take the tour

Blackstone shifts course and commits to renting all vacant, affordable units at Stuy Town

Photo by Kelly on Wiki Commons

September 9, 2019

Blackstone shifts course and commits to renting all vacant, affordable units at Stuy Town

Blackstone Group has apparently shifted course and is now renovating and leasing all vacant units at Stuyvesant Town. This comes after the landlord faced criticism following revelations that the company has been keeping 20 to 50 percent of rent-regulated apartments at Stuy Town empty in reaction to the city's new rent laws. It didn't take long for authorities, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, to express concern over the findings. On Friday, a spokesperson for Blackstone told Gothamist, “We are renovating and leasing all vacant units, and we will continue to fulfill our commitment to voluntarily preserve 5,000 affordable apartments.”
More details

September 9, 2019

Bette Midler lists her 14-room Upper East Side triplex penthouse for $50M

The 14-room penthouse occupying the top three floors of one of Fifth Avenue's finest prewar co-op buildings is simply divine. This should come as no surprise–the 7,000-square-foot triplex with 3,000 square feet of landscaped terrace and Central Park and skyline views at 1125 Fifth Avenue belongs to Bette Midler. As the New York Times reports, the over-the-top entertainer and her husband, performance artist Martin von Haselberg, are selling the Upper East Side family home they purchased in 1996, asking a diva-worthy $50 million.
A penthouse fit for a diva, this way

Contest calls on New Yorkers to eat a slice of pizza in every borough in one day, using only public transit

Photo by City Foodsters on Flickr

September 6, 2019

Contest calls on New Yorkers to eat a slice of pizza in every borough in one day, using only public transit

In what may be the most New York competition ever, the annual 5 Boro Pizza Challenge returns this month, asking participants to combine their love of slices and public transportation. The contest involves five pizzerias in five boroughs. On Saturday, Sept. 28, the list of shops will be revealed, sending racers off to plot their journeys. Another NYC twist? The use of cars to travel between destinations is not allowed.
More delicious details this way

Eat your way into Fall at one of these upcoming food festivals

Image courtesy Taste of Gramercy Neighborhood

September 6, 2019

Eat your way into Fall at one of these upcoming food festivals

As summer days begin to wane this month, we're looking forward to a lineup of food festivals that offer New Yorkers a chance to enjoy the (slightly) cooler weather and discover all sorts of culinary treasures throughout the city's neighborhoods. With many food events slated to take place throughout the Fall season, here's a roundup of three, block party-style festivals that will get things started over the coming weekends in Carroll Gardens, Williamsburg, and Gramercy Park.
There'll be something for every craving

Events & Things To Do

September 6, 2019

This $2.8M ivy-covered Tudor in Forest Hills Gardens was the location for ‘Mildred Pierce’

Located within the greater Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens is one of America’s oldest planned communities. The ivy-covered three-story single-family home at 17 Bow Street, built in 1905, has been lovingly maintained by its owners over the last 35 years. From the outside it's a picture of storybook charm and Tudor architecture, garage included. Inside is original woodwork as well as six bedrooms. The home's historic cachet and unique early modernity made it a logical choice for filming "Mildred Pierce," a period HBO series about 1930’s Beverly Hills. It's asking $2.795 million.
Take the Tudor tour

Distinctive Homes

City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

Inwood Hill Park, courtesy of Dana on Flickr

September 6, 2019

City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

The city is seeking proposals from nonprofits interested in running a new immigrant research center and performing arts center in Inwood. The city's Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) released a request for expressions of interest on Wednesday for a nonprofit organization to "design, construct, and operate" the Northern Manhattan Immigrant Research and Performing Arts Center (IRPAC). The neighborhood boasts a diverse community, with 49 percent foreign-born as well as the city's highest concentration of residents of Dominican descent.
More here

Via Wikimedia

September 6, 2019

WTC Oculus skylight won’t open this year during 9/11 commemoration due to leak

The skylight atop the $3.9 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub Oculus won't open this year on September 11, according to the Port Authority. It was announced this week that the skylight–comprised of 224 panes of glass on 40 motorized panels designed by Spanish starchitect Santiago Calatrava–has a leaking problem and will remain closed for this year's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The skylight was intended to open and close, releasing a beam of light into the Oculus space at precisely 10:28 A.M. each year to mark the moment the north tower of the World Trade Center fell.
Find out more

$2.7M Gowanus townhouse is an architect-designed modern gem

Photos by Rise Media and Devon Banks, courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

September 6, 2019

$2.7M Gowanus townhouse is an architect-designed modern gem

Photos by Rise Media and Devon Banks, courtesy of The Corcoran Group. Gowanus was until recently brownstone Brooklyn’s best kept secret for loft-industrial living in the midst of a historic neighborhood. Though the secret’s out, homes like this one at 467 Carroll Street embody the neighborhood's creative spirit and mix of old and new. Built from the ground up and designed by designer/architect Ted Kane in collaboration with the owner, also a designer, this 1,616-square-foot single-family home takes advantage of Brooklyn townhouse living, modern comforts included. Asking $2.7 million, the home is energy-efficient as well as luxury-filled, and the garden is a dream for outdoor living.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

‘Girls’ star Zosia Mamet lists classic Upper West Side co-op for 1.3M

Listing photos by Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

September 5, 2019

‘Girls’ star Zosia Mamet lists classic Upper West Side co-op for 1.3M

By Annie Doge

Best known for her role as Shosanna on "Girls," actress Zosia Mamet has put her Upper West Side co-op on the market, reports the New York Post. Nearly five years ago, she and then-boyfriend-now-husband Evan Jonigkeit sold their Bushwick house and soon moved into a what we thought was a rather "unimpressive" apartment at 522 West End Avenue. The couple dropped $1,225,000 million on the unit, which they've certainly jazzed up over the years, and they've now listed it for a barely profitable $1,295,000. The ground-floor two-bedroom has classic pre-war bones and is the only residence with private access to the building's rear garden.
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De Blasio considers helmet requirement for Citi Bike riders

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

September 5, 2019

De Blasio considers helmet requirement for Citi Bike riders

Twenty cyclists have been killed in New York City so far this year, double the number of deaths from 2018. In response, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled in July a plan to spend roughly $58 million over the next five years to make streets safer for cyclists by adding protected bike lanes and redesigning intersections. This week the mayor said his office is looking into some new ideas: requiring Citi Bike riders to wear helmets and making bikers obtain licenses (h/t Gothamist).
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September 5, 2019

PHOTOS: See an abandoned High Line before its days as a public park

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Photographer Jonathan Flaum started going up on the abandoned High line in the '80s, when it was full of overgrown wildlife, to see some of his friends' graffiti work and find a quiet escape from the city. In the late '90s, he heard about plans to demolish the former elevated train tracks and decided to start photographing the structure. Soon thereafter, Joshua David and Robert Hammond started Friends of the High Line, then a small, grassroots organization advocating for its preservation and adaptive reuse into a park. When they built their website, they incorporated Jonathan's photos to provide a behind-the-scenes look for those who weren't as adventurous to venture up there. The park's first phase officially opened in 2009 and to celebrate its 10-year anniversary, Jonathan has shared with us his collection of photos. Ahead, hear from him on his experiences with the High Line and see how far this NYC icon has come.
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323 Bergen Street

Boerum Hill

World-class design rooted in Brooklyn charm

studios starting at $825,000
1 beds starting at $1,200,000
2 beds starting at $1,925,000
3 beds starting at $3,050,000
4 beds starting at $6,000,000

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High-floor views come with a low ask of $395K in this refreshing Upper East Side studio

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow, courtesy of The Corcoran Group

September 5, 2019

High-floor views come with a low ask of $395K in this refreshing Upper East Side studio

A full-service pre-war building at a classic Upper East Side address a few blocks from Central Park usually comes with a bigger price tag, but this $395,000 studio at 205 East 78th Street offers those perks, plus move-in ready convenience. Open western views from this compact 17th-floor home join hardwood floors, high beamed ceilings, and clever storage solutions to make the most of the minimal space.
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Distinctive Homes

Expect more cuts to L train service this fall

Photo by Stephen Rees on Flickr

September 5, 2019

Expect more cuts to L train service this fall

While the L train slowdown has gone largely unnoticed so far by commuters, the MTA is throwing an unexpected wrench in next weekend's travel plans. The L train will not run between Manhattan and Brooklyn from Friday, Sept. 13 to early Monday, Sept. 16 to make space for new accessibility projects, the agency announced on Wednesday. The shutdown allows the MTA to install an escalator at the Union Square station and make the L and F, M platform at 14th Street-6th Avenue more accessible.
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Brooklyn’s highest penthouse sells to Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie

All renderings via Extell; Photo of Kevin Dinwiddie via Eric Drost on Wiki Commons

September 5, 2019

Brooklyn’s highest penthouse sells to Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie

Not only will Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie have some of the most insane views in New York City, but he'll be just a 15-minute walk from the team's court at the Barclay's Center. The New York Post reports that Dinwiddie is in contract to buy the penthouse unit at Brooklyn Point, the 720-foot-tall tower that is the borough's current tallest residential building and boasts the highest rooftop infinity pool in the western hemisphere. The 68th-floor apartment was last asking $3.9 million.
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Gut-renovated Cobble Hill two-bedroom with a large roof terrace seeks $1.5M

Listing images by Allyson Lubow; courtesy The Corcoran Group

September 5, 2019

Gut-renovated Cobble Hill two-bedroom with a large roof terrace seeks $1.5M

Fresh off an architect-designed gut renovation, this top-floor two-bedroom at 130 Amity Street in Cobble Hill has been completely reimagined with luxe material finishings, custom millwork, and built-ins throughout. Now on the market for $1.495 million, the bright and somewhat Scandi-inspired pad includes a 400-square-foot lush roof terrace that feels like it's nestled among the surrounding treetops.
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Distinctive Homes

Penn Station’s popular Tracks bar has shuttered

Photo © 6sqft

September 4, 2019

Penn Station’s popular Tracks bar has shuttered