6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

When 108-10 Franklin Street was built in Tribeca in 1861, it was two separate structures with a central party wall. Today, the building has been opened up, and what's left is a unique co-op whose lofts display this party wall in a series of oversized brick archways. A sprawling four-bedroom unit at the address is currently on the market for $6.5 million, and in addition to this incredible architectural feature, the home has an outdoor terrace, a massive open living/dining space, a home gym/yoga studio, and an entire lower level that can be configured to the new owners' needs.
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Distinctive Homes

Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship to stay open as a temporary pop-up

Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

November 4, 2019

Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship to stay open as a temporary pop-up

Barneys New York was officially sold for roughly $270 million on Friday after filing for bankruptcy just three months prior. The new owners of the luxury retailer, Authentic Brands Group and B. Riley Financial Inc., will license the Barneys name to other companies and likely close most of its locations across the country. But the store's beloved flagship location at 660 Madison Avenue will stay open for at least the next year, according to the Real Deal.
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Real Estate Trends

November 4, 2019

Three years after promising $5M West Village house to the Lenape, Louise Bourgeois’ son backtracks

Three years after Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois announced plans to transfer the deed of his West Village townhouse to a nonprofit organization run by a former chief of the Ramapough Indians—part of the Lenape Nation, the original Manhattanites—the millionaire activist (and artist Louise Bourgeois' son) has decided to hold onto it after all. Bourgeois was working on plans to transform the historic wood-frame home into a patahmaniikan, or a prayer house, when he decided that he was in fact "married to this building" and no longer eager to give it away, as the New York Post reports.
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History

$899K Nolita co-op is newly renovated with warmth, color, and a backsplash made of Legos

Photo credit: Donna Dotan Photography, courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

November 4, 2019

$899K Nolita co-op is newly renovated with warmth, color, and a backsplash made of Legos

Under $1 million in Nolita sounds nearly impossible, but this one-bedroom co-op at 243 Mulberry Street, asking $899,000 (and a low maintenance fee) is as legit as it is cute. The gut-renovated three-flight walk-up has classic downtown charm and a mint renovation that incorporates modern convenience, contemporary flair, and colorful details.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Sales still in a slump at post-2016 Trump Tower

Photo by Krystal T via Flickr

November 4, 2019

Sales still in a slump at post-2016 Trump Tower

Living under the shadow of having President Trump as an occasional neighbor–and as a sign on the front of your building–doesn't do much for condo property values in midtown Manhattan, if commercial leasing and residential sales at Trump Tower are any indication. CityRealty reports that vacancies persist in the commercial podium of 721 Fifth Avenue, and residential condo sales in the mixed-use tower have yet to recover from recent stagnation: Almost one half of the units up for sale have cut their initial asking prices, and all but two of the 11 condos whose sales closed this year have sold at an often-considerable–more than 10 percent–discount.
More on the Trump slump

Real Estate Trends

Apply for 52 mixed-income units near Lehman College in the Bronx, from $736/month

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

November 4, 2019

Apply for 52 mixed-income units near Lehman College in the Bronx, from $736/month

A housing lottery launched this week for 52 mixed-income units in the Bronx neighborhood of Bedford Park. Located at 16 East 204th Street, the building, dubbed "Villa Gardens," sits just east of Jerome Park Reservoir and the 37-acre campus of Lehman College. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60, 90, and 100 percent of area median income can apply for the apartments, ranging from $736/month studios to $2,066/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

$900K Clinton Hill condo has a designer’s touch and discerning storage

Photo courtesy of the Henderson Team at Citi Habitats

November 4, 2019

$900K Clinton Hill condo has a designer’s touch and discerning storage

Any true New Yorker has gained an appreciation for good storage space over the years, but when it's stylish, it's an added bonus. Such is the case at this $899,000 loft at 95 Lexington Avenue in Clinton Hill. Technically a loft space, the 981-square-foot home has been configured with a separate bedroom alcove for privacy, and an additional half-bath is an extra perk. All of this smart planning and lovely decor is not surprising considering the current homeowners are designers.
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Distinctive Homes

New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

Photo from this afternoon, by 6sqft

November 1, 2019

New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

After spending the last two months outside of public view getting a “full spa treatment,” the New York Public Library’s majestic lions are back to guarding the institution. Patience and Fortitude have been in place since the 42nd Street Library opened in 1911 and were named by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia during the Depression to signify the characteristics New Yorkers needed to survive the tough times. The iconic duo was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers out of porous Tennessee pink marble, making them quite susceptible to the elements and the toll of time. The pair requires conservation efforts every seven to 10 years and were last restored in 2011. The last bits of the scaffolding will be removed during the day on Friday, just in time for the annual Library Lions fundraising gala on Monday, November 4.
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City Living

Distinctive Homes

This $800K Chelsea two-bedroom co-op is easy on fees and rules

After a thorough renovation, this peerless Park Slope mansion asks $13.5M

Hamptons oceanfront estate owned by late diamond dealer lists for $45M

An elevator makes this $4.2M Greenpoint townhouse a timeless forever home

1860s Sag Harbor cottage has a designer's take on a lived-in vibe for $5.35M

A colorful converted convent in Hamilton Heights asks $2M

For $10.5M, a sunny yellow Mediterranean villa on the Upper East Side

For $3.35M, this 40-acre upstate retreat embodies the spirit of modernist architecture

Midtown East penthouse seen in 'Wolf of Wall Street' lists for $4.95M

This $5M three-family Crown Heights townhouse is a modern triplex with two rental apartments

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See inside The Collective’s ‘short stay’ co-living concept, now open in Long Island City

Images courtesy of The Collective

November 1, 2019

See inside The Collective’s ‘short stay’ co-living concept, now open in Long Island City

London-based co-living company The Collective has opened its first U.S. location at the former Paper Factory Hotel in Long Island City. Designed in collaboration with Palette Architecture, the 125-room location will focus on a "short stay" model ranging from one-night to 29-day stays. Members will have access to communal living areas and wellness services, as well as a soon-to-launch restaurant and cultural programming. The company already has plans to expand on today’s opening by adding 100 additional rooms on top of the existing building by 2021.
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City Living

All photos by Floto + Warner

November 1, 2019

Check out the cocktail bar at Nordstrom’s new Billionaires’ Row flagship

After much anticipation, Nordstrom opened its new NYC flagship last week. Located inside Billionaires' Row supertall Central Park Tower (the current world's tallest residential building), the seven-story department store offers such perks as stroller cleaning and shoe repairs and stocks "more than 10,000 handbags, 100,000 pairs of shoes, and 6,000 pairs of jeans," according to amNY. And in addition to all this retail excess, the store also has seven food and beverage options, including Broadway Bar, a cocktails and small plates restaurant on the third and fourth floors. Designed by Rafael de Cárdenas / Architecture at Large, Broadway Bar uses muted hues and subtly curved geometry to create a calm escape within the store. Ahead, get a better look at the space.
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Photo credit: Constantin Boca courtesy of Compass.

November 1, 2019

$3M Greenpoint townhouse has a guest studio in back and a separate apartment on top

This beautiful Greenpoint townhouse is a fine example of the talents of WE Design studio. The gut renovation of a historic wood-frame townhouse offers a refreshing approach to color, texture, and light, subtle Scandinavian-style details, and warm natural elements. Located on a tree-lined stretch of Greenpoint at 190 Guernsey Street near the waterfront and McCarren Park, the home is now for sale, asking $3 million. In addition to having two units for income potential, this unique residence features an utterly charming guest studio in the back yard.
Take the tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

The Pinnacle. Rendering: Williams New York.

November 1, 2019

New renderings show $79M penthouse in the Woolworth Building’s famous crown

The residential conversion of the Woolworth Building at 2 Park Place has brought with it a collection of unique condominium residences that take advantage of the iconic tower's architectural features. The jewel in the crown, so to speak, among these trophy properties is The Pinnacle, a 9,680-square-foot home perched 727 feet above New York City in the building's famous crown. This lofty residence spans floors 50 to 58, with a 408-square-foot private observatory terrace. Priced at $79 million–a considerable chop from its original price of $110 million when it first arrived on the market in 2017–the peerless penthouse is being offered as a white box, with award-winning architect David Hotson on board to develop the interior design.
See more possibilities for The Pinnacle

Distinctive Homes

De Blasio resists plan to pedestrianize Rockefeller Center during upcoming holiday season

Photo by Shinya Suzuki / Flickr

November 1, 2019

De Blasio resists plan to pedestrianize Rockefeller Center during upcoming holiday season

For years, residents and community leaders have called on the city to add pedestrian space near Rockefeller Center to make conditions safer for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the area during the holiday season to see the tree and store windows. This week, the Department of Transportation privately issued a pilot plan to address the major crowds by increasing pedestrian space on Fifth Avenue between East 48th and East 51st Streets. But Mayor Bill de Blasio quashed the plan before it was officially released, claiming "it was not signed off on by City Hall."
Details here

Learn about 16th-century Native American culture with a paddling tour of the Bronx River

Photo by Elena Gaillard on Wikimedia

October 31, 2019

Learn about 16th-century Native American culture with a paddling tour of the Bronx River

To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, New Yorkers can take a free paddling tour of the Bronx River this weekend while learning about the experiences of 16th-century indigenous communities. Hosted by the Bronx River Alliance and Moskehtu Consulting, the event takes visitors on a 30-minute canoe paddle through the Mitshubishi River Walk in the Bronx Zoo and explores the life and culture of Native Americans with a living village.
How to sign up

Photo credit: Daniel Avila / NYC Parks.

October 31, 2019

Harlem’s historic Mount Morris Fire Watchtower returns to Marcus Garvey Park after a $7.9M restoration

By Andrew Berman and Hunter Lane of Village Preservation

The Harlem Fire Watchtower, also known as the Mount Morris Fire Watchtower, is the last structure of its kind in New York City. The 47-foot-tall tower was erected in 1856, the third of 11 fire towers built in Manhattan. Fire watchtowers were discontinued after 1878, but the bell in its tower continued to ring at 9am and noon for years after. The historic cast-iron tower has been restored and reunited with its original surroundings in Marcus Garvey park after having been in storage since 2015.
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History

17 legendary musicians who called Greenwich Village home

Photo of Bob Dylan by Chris Hakkens on Wikimedia, Photo of Janis Joplin via Wikimedia, Photo of Buddy Holly via Wikimedia, Photo of Jimi Hendrix via Wikimedia, Photo of Lou Reed by Mick Rock on Wikimedia

October 31, 2019

17 legendary musicians who called Greenwich Village home

For generations, Greenwich Village, and particularly the historic district which lies at its core, has attracted musicians of all stripes. They’ve been inspired by its quaint and charming streets and the lively cultural scene located in and around the neighborhood. It would be a fool’s errand to try to name every great musician who ever laid their head to rest within the Greenwich Village Historic District’s boundaries. But as we round out a year’s worth of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the district’s designation, here are just a few of the greats who at one time or another called it home, from Bob Dylan to John Lennon to Jimi Hendrix to Barbra Streisand.
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History

Image by Martineric via flickr via Wikimedia cc.

October 31, 2019

Check this customized subway map to find your way around the city on Marathon Sunday

The TCS New York City Marathon hits the streets Sunday, November 3rd, so it won't be business as usual if you're trying to get from point A to Point B. The MTA has released a subway map–complete with pre-race highlights, runner-specific activities and events and prime viewing locations to make your Marathon Sunday travels easier. Whether you're running, watching or just trying to get around town, check the map and visit the MTA website for all the weekend changes.
Marathon subway map, transit changes and street closures this way

NYC Council passes $1.7B plan to add 250 miles of protected bike lanes and 1M sqft of pedestrian space

On Monday, after initially expressing concerns over City Council Speaker Corey Johnson's "Streets Master Plan," Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council came to an agreement over the bill, which passed yesterday. The sweeping $1.7 billion plan will require the city to build 250 miles of protected bike lanes and 150 miles of protected bus lanes. In addition, it will add one million square feet of pedestrian space over the first two years.
More info

Anish Kapoor’s bean sculpture at 56 Leonard Street will finally get installed

Rendering of Anish Kapoor sculpture at 56 Leonard St. © Anish Kapoor, 2017

October 31, 2019

Anish Kapoor’s bean sculpture at 56 Leonard Street will finally get installed

Tribeca's "Jenga Building," officially known as 56 Leonard Street, welcomed residents over two years ago, but one piece of the tower is still missing--the mirrored, bean-shaped sculpture by Anish Kapoor planned for the sidewalk outside its entrance. The sculptor is best known in the U.S. for his 2005 Cloud Gate installation in Chicago's Millenium Park, and his Tribeca piece, his first permanent work in New York City, will be a similar, smaller version of this. Back in March, we spotted a spray-painted installation guide for the sculpture outside 56 Leonard, but it's taken until now for the official word that the install will begin in November.
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Events & Things To Do

The Shed, the Whitney, and the Apollo join IDNYC’s free membership program

Photo by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

October 31, 2019

The Shed, the Whitney, and the Apollo join IDNYC’s free membership program

Beginning in 2020, the list of 50+ cultural institutions offering free membership through the city's IDNYC program will grow to include the Apollo Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, The Shed, and the Whitney Museum. Started in 2015 as a way to provide identification cards to those who may not otherwise have access, such as the homeless and undocumented immigrants, IDNYC now has more than 1.3 million cardholders (it's the country's largest municipal ID program) who have saved over $55 million on memberships, discounts, and other fees.
More details

For $50M, Demi Moore’s former San Remo penthouse has park views and famous neighbors

Photo credit: Evan Joseph courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

October 31, 2019

For $50M, Demi Moore’s former San Remo penthouse has park views and famous neighbors

Demi Moore may have sold her remarkable apartment in the San Remo at 145 Central Park West for $45 million in 2007–two years after first attempting to sell at a whopping $75M–but the rare penthouse in one of the venerable building's two beaux-arts towers is still a star. And the south tower triplex is for sale again, this time asking $50 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. As if the 8,000-square-foot sky mansion didn't have enough of its own cachet, neighbor Bono–who bought his apartment from Steve Jobs–can always add more. The seller is known only via the LLC “M2 Trust.”
See more of this rare Manhattan property

Designs revealed for Phillips auction house’s new home in 432 Park Avenue’s white cube base

Rendering by studioMDA

October 30, 2019

Designs revealed for Phillips auction house’s new home in 432 Park Avenue’s white cube base

British auction house Phillips will move its headquarters into the white cube base of the supertall at 432 Park Avenue next year. As first reported by the New York Post, architecture firm studioMDA has been tapped to design the 55,000-square-foot auction house and will replace the ground floor the existing space with a sunken mezzanine. The new Billionaires' Row spot will open in the summer of 2020.
More here

Architecture And Design

First and tallest tower in Manhattan West complex is now open

Image courtesy of James M Hooker / CTC Creative

October 30, 2019

First and tallest tower in Manhattan West complex is now open

The doors of One Manhattan West have officially opened. The Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed tower spans across 67 stories and 2.1 million square feet of office space, and at 995 feet, it’s the tallest building in the development. Located at the corner of Ninth Avenue and 33rd Street, the tower is the first building within Brookfield Properties’ eight-acre Manhattan West complex to open. It’s already 90 percent leased, with tenants including Accenture, the National Hockey League, Skadden Arps, and Slate.
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New Developments

City has repaired just two of 35 NYCHA developments damaged by Hurricane Sandy

Red Hook after Sandy; Photo by Michael Fleshman on Flickr

October 30, 2019

City has repaired just two of 35 NYCHA developments damaged by Hurricane Sandy

Seven years after Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, a majority of the city's public housing developments damaged by the storm have not been repaired. Of the 35 NYCHA complexes wrecked in 2012, totaling roughly 200 buildings, upgrades have been completed at just two of them, THE CITY reported Tuesday. The slow recovery at sites in Red Hook, Coney Island and the Lower East Side stems from a lack of federal funding and shady contracts.
Details here

This landmarked English Gothic Harlem church seeks a $6.25M buyer to create its next chapter

Photo credit: Matt Vacca courtesy of Compass.

October 30, 2019

This landmarked English Gothic Harlem church seeks a $6.25M buyer to create its next chapter

New York City's church conversions always draw interest and curiosity; whether they symbolize tranquility–or just offer a unique setting that often includes stained-glass windows with heavenly light and miles-high cathedral ceilings–they transcend the ordinary. This historic, landmarked Harlem church, built in 1897, is now on the market for $6.25 million. Home to the Greater Metropolitan Baptist Church since 1985, the building is zoned residential, so, according to the listing, it can become a single-family home. Built in the English Gothic style and first dedicated as St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church, the house of worship is a reflection of the neighborhood's many layers of history. The listing calls on "sophisticated buyers and developers" to seize the chance to be responsible for the next chapter in the life of this neighborhood icon.
From 80-foot spires to a classic church basement

Soho loft from first ‘Real World’ season is back on the market for $6.8M

Listing images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

October 30, 2019

Soho loft from first ‘Real World’ season is back on the market for $6.8M

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

This iconic Soho loft at 565 Broadway comes with a storied past and a newly reduced price: $6.8 million. Located on the corner of Prince Street and Broadway, the building was originally designed by John Kellum as the headquarters of Ball, Black & Co, the top 19th-century jeweler before Tiffany’s. In 1992, the loft was the inaugural setting for MTV's first season of "The Real World." A few years later in 1995, sculptor Edwina Sandys—the granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill—bought the duplex with her husband, architect Richard Kaplan, for $950,000, according to the New York Post. Originally listed in 2013 for $10.95 million, it's been on and off the market since.
Take a look around

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

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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Photo by Alyson Lubow, courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

October 30, 2019

This $4M Bay Ridge home has a garage, a guest studio, a medical office, a mudroom and a sun porch

If you're a doctor, dentist or therapist, this Federal-style Bay Ridge home at 7600 Ridge Boulevard, asking $3.95 million, could make your daily commute a whole lot shorter, as the house is anchored by a medical professional's office at ground level. Even if there's no doctor in your house, there's income to be made on the space–along with the self-contained guest suite over the home's two-car garage. And you've still got a 6,000-square-foot Brooklyn mansion on a corner lot loaded with lovely decorative details and plenty of possibilities for living.
House tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

See inside SHoP’s slender supertall at 111 West 57th Street

The living room of the 43rd-floor unit; Photo by Peter Murdock

October 29, 2019

See inside SHoP’s slender supertall at 111 West 57th Street

The skinny skyscraper perfectly positioned over Central Park has officially topped out at 1,428 feet, becoming the world's second tallest residential building. Designed by SHoP Architects, 111 West 57th Street's super-slender frame allows each of the 46 full-floor and duplex condos to feel like a penthouse. In addition to the Billionaires' Row tower reaching its pinnacle height at 91 stories, new images released Tuesday provide a first look inside the residences, with 360-degree views of Manhattan and bold interiors conceived by Studio Sofield.
See inside the supertall

New Developments

The neighborhood of Mariner’s Harbor, near the wetlands in question. Image: Wikimedia cc.

October 29, 2019

State grants permit for developer to build BJ’s Wholesale Club on Staten Island wetlands

Despite opposition from residents and public officials, 18 acres of forest wetlands near Staten Island's north shore will be turned into a BJ's Wholesale Club, a gas station and a parking lot. Gothamist reports that the state has said it will issue a permit to allow the land's owner, real estate magnate Charles Alpert (operating as holding company Josif A. LLC), to destroy what activists say is an invaluable natural storm barrier in order for the project to move forward.
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New Developments

First new Delta concourse will open next week at LaGuardia Airport as part of $8B overhaul

Rendering of Terminal C, courtesy of the Governor’s Office

October 29, 2019

First new Delta concourse will open next week at LaGuardia Airport as part of $8B overhaul

It's been nearly a year since the first new gates and concourse opened at LaGuardia Airport, and now the second terminal is opening to passengers, announced Governor Cuomo today. Last year, Terminal B opened to serve Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, along with a food hall and a plethora of modern amenities. Delta's Terminal C will start serving passengers on Monday, November 4th from one of its four new concourses. Not only will this terminal have floor-to-ceiling views of Citi Field and Flushing Bay, but it will also boast a slew of foodie options and tech-focused designs.
All the details

Ahead of proposed rezoning, Gowanus gains five individual landmarks

Photos courtesy of LPC

October 29, 2019

Ahead of proposed rezoning, Gowanus gains five individual landmarks

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated five properties in Gowanus as individual landmarks ahead of the neighborhood's impending rezoning. The buildings are architecturally significant examples of Brooklyn's industrial past with relationships to the Canal, according to the commission. "These buildings stand out in the neighborhood as tangible reminders of the rich history of the neighborhood and the Gowanus Canal," LPC Chair Sarah Carroll said. "They are all inherently connected to the manufacturing industries and institutions that developed around the canal in the late-19th and early-20th century."
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Policy

Stunning 1845 Brooklyn Heights townhouse transformed by The Brooklyn Home Company asks $14.5M

Listing images courtesy of Lindsay Barton Barrett/Douglas Elliman

October 29, 2019

Stunning 1845 Brooklyn Heights townhouse transformed by The Brooklyn Home Company asks $14.5M

Recently renovated by The Brooklyn Home Company, this 1845 Greek Revival townhouse in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District strikes a beautiful balance between historic details and modern design. The 8,250-square-foot residence at 81 Pierrepont Street is filled with ornate millwork, organic finishes, and lots of natural light. The turnkey property is seeking $14.5 million, making it one of the most expensive properties currently on the market in Brooklyn.
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Distinctive Homes

25,000 shoppers flocked to Brooklyn’s Wegmans Sunday for record opening day sales

Wegmans on opening day, photo credit: Steiner NYC

October 29, 2019

25,000 shoppers flocked to Brooklyn’s Wegmans Sunday for record opening day sales

Fans of the Rochester-based Wegmans grocery chain were waiting in the rain before sunrise on Sunday for the new Brooklyn Navy Yard store to open, the New York Times reports. According to a store spokeswoman, more than 25,000 shoppers arrived for the grand opening, breaking the store chain's record for opening day sales.
More Wegmania, this way

Photo by Matt Nelson on Unsplash

October 29, 2019

9 best dog breeds for NYC apartments

By Cait Etherington

Many New Yorkers live in spaces that barely appear large enough for their human occupants, but this doesn’t prevent them from adopting dogs of all breeds and sizes. By one estimate, there are more than half a million dogs in New York City (that’s more than the human population of Atlanta and most U.S. cities). To find out which dogs are best for NYC’s finicky indoor and outdoor environments, 6sqft reached out to Lauren McDevitt, the founder of Good Dog, which is, in essence, an online platform designed to promote responsible breeding and make it easier for people looking to adopt a dog to avoid scams. Ahead, McDevitt shares some tips for New Yorkers looking to adopt a canine companion and helps us put together a list of the best dog breeds for apartment dwellers (French Bulldogs, Boxers, and Golden Retrievers all made the cut!).
Check out the full list

Via Flickr

October 28, 2019

Stuck in traffic? Blame the internet.

Driving from point A to point B in New York City is actually getting slower despite brand new bridges, tolls, congestion pricing, and public transportation options, and it has a lot to do with all the stuff we're ordering online. A recent story in the New York Times outlines how massive growth in online ordering from companies like Amazon has added a whole new layer to the delivery truck traffic and parked vehicles that clog city streets each day. But the real news may be the new layer of infrastructure that's being added to the city's economy in the form of "last mile" fulfillment centers to get it all to consumers overnight.
Find out more

Lottery launches for 57 low-income units for LGBT seniors across the street from Crotona Park

Photo via CC on Wikimedia

October 28, 2019

Lottery launches for 57 low-income units for LGBT seniors across the street from Crotona Park

Seniors who identify as LGBT often experience housing discrimination, but dozens of affordable openings at one of New York City's first subsidized developments targeted to this vulnerable population aim to create a different experience. Non-profit developer HELP USA partnered with advocacy group SAGE to create the mixed-use development at 775 Crotona Park North in the Bronx, which will combine low-income housing with an LGBT-oriented Senior Center on the ground floor. Starting Tuesday, individuals or households that have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older and who qualify for Section 8 can apply for the 57 available units. Eligible residents will pay 30 percent of their income for rent.
Here's everything you need to know to apply

Affordable Housing

October 28, 2019

8 of New York City’s spookiest abandoned sites

By Lucie Levine

It often seems as if the jackhammer is the soundtrack to New York, as construction is a constant in this city. Given the frenetic pace of development in the five boroughs, it feels almost unbelievable that there are abandoned sites all over New York, left to go to seed as the steel skeletons of ever higher, newer, glassier structures rise around them. Here are eight of the most interesting abandoned sites in NYC, from the site of the city's first airport to a defunct freight line.
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History

Image: Business Wire

October 28, 2019

Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Love Flies Up to the Sky’ balloon to join Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Work by Yayoi Kusama, the celebrated contemporary artist who gave us those famous polka-dot pumpkins and insanely popular Infinity Rooms, will be brightening the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Japanese artist's creation, “Love Flies Up to the Sky,” will be part of the parade's Blue Sky Gallery, a series of balloons that reflect art from the world's best-known contemporary artists.
Inflatable art, this way

Events & Things To Do

Co-op in Nolita’s historic Astor Memorial School, featured in ‘Modern Love’ series, asks $3.5M

Listing images by Donna Dotan; courtesy of Compass

October 28, 2019

Co-op in Nolita’s historic Astor Memorial School, featured in ‘Modern Love’ series, asks $3.5M

Fans of Amazon’s popular Modern Love series will remember this co-op as the building where Anne Hathaway’s character lives in Episode 3. But architecture buffs may recognize that the striking Victorian Gothic structure was designed by none other than Calvert Vaux as the Astor Memorial School in the late 1880s. The parlor floor unit inside this landmarked building at 256 Mott Street has just listed for $3.5 million, offering the rare chance to own a truly historic residence with a prime Nolita address right across the street from Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Get the full tour

Distinctive Homes

Images courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

October 28, 2019

Ample outdoor space and cozy pre-war interiors at this $949K Brooklyn Heights co-op

The intimate residential charm of the 19th-century Federal townhouse at 30 Remsen Street is immediately apparent even in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of picturesque row houses, starting with water views from the front stoop. This one-bedroom home, on the market for $949,000, has two choices in covetable Brooklyn outdoor space: a private back yard garden and a 55-foot mini-forest for residents of the nine-unit co-op building.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

94 affordable units up for grabs in the South Bronx, from $748/month

Photo by Fletcher6 on Wikimedia

October 25, 2019

94 affordable units up for grabs in the South Bronx, from $748/month

Ninety-four newly constructed units are up for grabs at 985 Bruckner Boulevard in Woodstock, the Bronx. Non-profit Community Access worked with Think! Architecture and Design on the project, which spans across ten floors and 170,000 square feet and includes 215 residential units and a 70,300 square foot community facility. Qualifying applicants earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units that range from $748/month studios to $1,148/month two-bedrooms.
Here's everything you need to know

Affordable Housing

This $6M Norman Jaffe-designed waterfront home is a classic sculpture with views of the Hudson

Photo credit: Alon Koppel courtesy of Heather Croner Real Estate/Sotheby’s International Realty.

October 25, 2019

This $6M Norman Jaffe-designed waterfront home is a classic sculpture with views of the Hudson

Known for the "romantic modernist" residential architecture of so many iconic angular beach houses in the Hamptons, Norman Jaffe was a prolific architect who designed more than 600 projects during his 35-year career. Jaffe, who died in 1993, used passive solar design and lots of glass and wood in his striking waterfront homes. Built in 1993, the 12,980-square-foot residence at 1981 Broadway, asking $5.9 million, diverges a bit from his usual style. Set high on a bluff over the Hudson River surrounded by 20 acres of waterfront land in Ulster County, New York, the home's design refers to classic Greek architecture along with Jaffe's usual attention to natural light and shadow.
Tour this unforgettable waterfront home

After 16 years and $5B, New Jersey’s American Dream mall is now (partially) open

Renderings courtesy of Triple Five/ American Dream.

October 25, 2019

After 16 years and $5B, New Jersey’s American Dream mall is now (partially) open

As 6sqft reported in July, the three-million-square-foot American Dream mega-mall with an indoor water park, amusement rides, and a ski slope adjacent East Rutherford, New Jersey's Met Life Stadium, had announced an October 25 opening. Now, after what may add up to $1 billion in taxpayer incentives, the mall that was formerly known as Xanadu is open, the New York Times reports. The opening may disappoint anyone waiting to shop: The property's owner, Canadian real estate firm Triple Five Group, says the mall's first phase consists of an ice-skating rink, a Nickelodeon amusement park, and regular "slime" shows–with the rest to come in subsequent "chapters."
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New Developments

The restoration of Keith Haring’s ‘Crack is Wack’ mural is now complete

Images courtesy of NYC Parks

October 25, 2019

The restoration of Keith Haring’s ‘Crack is Wack’ mural is now complete

After a couple of months of work, Keith Haring’s iconic “Crack is Wack” mural in East Harlem is now fully restored. As 6sqft previously reported, Haring painted the 16-foot by 26-foot mural on a handball court at East 128th Street and the Harlem River Drive in 1986 to draw attention to the crack cocaine epidemic. Composed with the artist’s signature kinetic figures and bold abstract forms, the piece has been celebrated as one of his most important works. It was refurbished and repainted by artists Louise Hunnicutt and William Tibbals, with support from the Keith Haring Foundation.
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720 West End Avenue

Upper West Side

Serene Upper West Side homes near Riverside Park

1 beds starting at $1,005,000
2 beds starting at $2,495,000
3 beds starting at $3,495,000
4 beds starting at $5,850,000

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October 25, 2019

PHOTOS: See the best costumes from this year’s Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade

By James and Karla Murray

Some were spooky, others political, all were adorable. The 29th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade took place last Sunday, bringing together hundreds of New Yorkers and their furry friends from all over. While the parade is no longer really a parade nor held at Tompkins Square Park, the event remains one of the year's best. Photographers James and Karla Murray witnessed first hand the canine costumes and shared with 6sqft photos of the cutest and most creative choices, including the ultimate winners: two Yorkshire terries as Snoopy and the Red Baron.
More dressed-up pups this way

For $575K, this cute landmarked studio in the West Village is laid out like a one-bedroom

Listing images by DDReps; courtesy of Compass

October 25, 2019

For $575K, this cute landmarked studio in the West Village is laid out like a one-bedroom

Part of the Greenwich Village Historic District, this bright studio at 715 Washington Street is now on the market for a cool $575,000. The floor-through unit—previously configured as a one-bedroom—might be small in space but it's big on charm, with pre-war details including original hardwood floors, painted brick walls, built-in shelving, and a decorative fireplace in the sleeping area.
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Distinctive Homes

Plan to honor historic black settlement Seneca Village with statue in Central Park faces backlash

Photo by Si B on Flickr

October 24, 2019

Plan to honor historic black settlement Seneca Village with statue in Central Park faces backlash

As part of the city's plan to diversify public art and recognize figures overlooked by history in New York City, Central Park is getting another statue, as the New York Times reports. The privately-funded monument will commemorate Seneca Village, the predominantly black community that was thriving until the 1850s in what became Central Park. Once again, however, the city's commemorative statue planning has fallen afoul of historians. The proposed structure won’t be located at the site of Seneca Village, which for nearly three decades stretched between West 83rd and 89th streets in Central Park. Instead, the monument’s home will be in the park, but 20 blocks to the north on 106th street.
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Studio with an elaborately carved fireplace and prime UWS location asks $529K

Listing images by Melanie Greene; courtesy of Compass

October 24, 2019

Studio with an elaborately carved fireplace and prime UWS location asks $529K

The main living area in this charming Upper West Side studio at 123 West 80th Street only adds up to 240 square feet, but within that are all the old-world details you could ask for. For starters, there’s that enormous carved wood fireplace with a mirror that will at least add the perception of more space. Other features include original parquet wood floors, an elegant chandelier, and carved south-facing windows with restored shutters. The unit was originally listed at the beginning of the month for $539,000 and just got a $10,000 cut on its asking price. The central location—just steps away from the American Natural History Museum—certainly contributes to that.
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Distinctive Homes

Photo credit: Russ Ross courtesy of Compass.

October 24, 2019

This $275K Tudor City studio co-op is in one of the world’s first residential skyscrapers