6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Last month, Citi Bike rolled out 200 pedal-assist electric bikes in New York City. As one can imagine, demand is high for these e-bikes, which can reach speeds of 18 miles per hour and will most likely get riders to their destinations faster than the subway. A new map, aptly named "I Want to Ride an Electric Citi Bike," displays which docking stations have electric bikes at any given time (h/t Maps Mania). Users can find stations near them on the map, add them to a watch list, and be alerted within 10 seconds of its availability.
Get riding

Transit

How the East Village grew to have the most community gardens in the country

Community Gardeners at the Bowery Houston Community Farm and Garden, 1974 via Liz Christie Community Garden

September 19, 2018

How the East Village grew to have the most community gardens in the country

By Lucie Levine

Awash in gray pavement and grayer steel, New York can be a metropolis of muted hues, but with 39 community gardens blooming between 14th Street and East Houston Street, the East Village is the Emerald City. The neighborhood boasts the highest concentration of community gardens in the country thanks to a proud history of grassroots activism that has helped transform once-abandoned lots into community oases. By the mid-1970s, as the city fought against a ferocious fiscal crisis, nearly 10,000 acres of land stood vacant throughout the five boroughs. In 1973, Lower East resident Liz Christie, who lived on Mott Street, refused to let the neglected lots in her neighborhood lie fallow. She established the urban garden group Green Guerillas, a rogue band of planters who lobbed “seed bombs” filled with fertilizer, seeds, and water into vacant, inaccessible lots, hoping they would flourish and fill the blighted spaces with greenery.
Get to the root of the story!

History

September 19, 2018

An architect’s historic UES townhouse with an elevator and a floating circular staircase asks $20M

This neo-Federal townhouse, less than a block from Central Park at 9 East 81st Street, received recent exterior and interior renovations from architect Peter Pennoyer–whose work epitomizes Upper East Side style–in partnership with the renowned landscape architect Madison Cox. Better yet, the home's owners since 2014 are Christopher Davis and Sharon Davis, who is herself a celebrated New York City-based architect (you can see her work featured on 6sqft here and here.). The listing says the house has been "fully and continually renovated by the current owner," so we can see why it's so stunning. It was last purchased for $22 million, and it's currently asking $19,950,000. But with features like an elevator, a grand floating spiral staircase, and 6,150 square feet of living space over five floors, we wouldn't rule out a bidding war.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

City calls on artists to add flair to drab construction fences in two-year pilot program

“Breathing Wall” by Monika Bravo. Photograph courtesy of the artist via NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

September 19, 2018

City calls on artists to add flair to drab construction fences in two-year pilot program

On September 12, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs announced a search for applicants for a new pilot program called City Canvas, Archpaper reports. The program was designed to beautify New York City’s visual landscape by installing large-scale–and temporary–artwork on its endless construction fences and 270 miles of sidewalk sheds. The protective construction structures are an everyday eyesore for New Yorkers, but current building codes prohibit altering them. The City Canvas program circumvents that ban by allowing select artists and cultural institutions to add visual art to the visual affronts.
Find out more

Times Square Theater to get a $100M makeover; developer hopes for Apple, Amazon, or Coke

Rendering of the theater post-renovation. Image: Stillman Development International

September 19, 2018

Times Square Theater to get a $100M makeover; developer hopes for Apple, Amazon, or Coke

New York developer Stillman Development International LLC has signed a 73-year-maximum lease on the Times Square Theater on West 42nd Street with plans for a $100 million makeover in keeping with neighbors like Hershey’s Chocolate World and Old Navy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Shuttered for almost 30 years, the theater, which opened on September 30, 1920 with Florence Reed starring in "The Mirage," is seen by some as the last vestige of the neighborhood's descent into late 20th century blight before rising to new heights as a tourist mecca.
A new idea: Retail!

Uncategorized

September 18, 2018

Schedule for 2018 Open House New York sites and events is now live

Last week brought a sneak preview of the 16th annual Open House New York; the schedule for tours, events, and access to typically off-limits sites has been released. OHNY is happening on Friday, October 12, Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14. Highlights include recently-opened sites like 3 World Trade Center, Domino Park and Pier 17, construction previews of 150 Rivington and Hauser & Wirth Gallery West 22nd Street and specially curated series like Works by Women, MAS 125, Factory Fridays and Open Studios. There's also an event guide, interactive map showing where ("open access" only) sites and events are located throughout the five boroughs and an itinerary planner.
More about OHNY 2018 this way

LPC designates former Carroll Gardens schoolhouse as New York City landmark

(on right) 236 and (on left) 238 President Street via LPC

September 18, 2018

LPC designates former Carroll Gardens schoolhouse as New York City landmark

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated the Hans S. Christian Memorial Kindergarten at 236 President Street and the adjacent apartment building at 238 President Street as individual landmarks. The two Carroll Gardens buildings are associated with Elmira Christian, an advocate for early childhood education. "These two properties are distinguished by their architecture and share a great history of education and social reform in Brooklyn," LPC Vice Chair Frederick Bland said in a statement.
Get the details

WeWork is officially Manhattan’s largest private office tenant

Photo via WeWork

September 18, 2018

WeWork is officially Manhattan’s largest private office tenant

With 5.3 million square feet of office space, WeWork is officially Manhattan's largest private office tenant. Last month, we reported that the co-working giant needed just 74,000 more square feet to take the title from JPMorgan Chase & Co., and with their new, 258,344-square-foot location at 21 Penn Plaza, their 50th in the borough (they have 60 in NYC total), they've now surpassed them. The news comes via a blog post by WeWork exec Granit Gjonbalaj, who credits the company's "expertise" and the team's "holistic nature" that has allowed them to "identify, build, and deliver new locations better and more quickly than a typical developer."
Get the details

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

Theater director David Saint lists his East Village penthouse with huge terrace for $5M

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

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

$1.8M restored Marcel Breuer house on the Hudson has kept its mid-century modern spirit intact

For $2.95M, this parlor floor Chelsea co-op has brownstone charm and a private terrace

Prospect Heights pre-war co-op seen in 'Black Swan' lists for $1.7M

$14M penthouse atop landmarked Astor building has pre-war details and palatial private terrace

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

Gaze at the sun, moon, and stars above from this $5.45M Tribeca penthouse

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

VIEW ALL

September 18, 2018

Interactive map lets you explore Prospect Park’s 200 tree species

Through a $75,000 Urban Forestry Grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Prospect Park Alliance recently surveyed about 12,000 of the park's 30,000 trees. The survey provides a nuanced picture of the park’s ever-changing ecosystem and important insights into the economic, environmental and health benefits of "Brooklyn’s backyard." You can view an interactive map of Prospect Park’s trees and their benefit to the community here; you can also examine the results on the Prospect Park TreeKeeper Interactive Map.
To the trees

Uncategorized

Where I Work: The trio behind Van Leeuwen ice cream show off their pastel-painted UWS shop

Ben (left), Laura and Pete in their UWS store

September 18, 2018

Where I Work: The trio behind Van Leeuwen ice cream show off their pastel-painted UWS shop

Ten years ago, with $60,000 on hand and no factory, Laura O’Neill and Pete and Ben Van Leeuwen decided to operate an ice cream truck in New York City. Instead of using gum stabilizers and fillers, they wanted to make their ice cream with all-natural, pure ingredients. The trio, none of whom have a culinary background, started testing ice cream recipes in the kitchen of their shared Brooklyn apartment. Today, Van Leeuwen has grown into a multimillion-dollar, multi-city dessert empire with numerous trucks and brick-and-mortar stores throughout NYC and Los Angeles. Van Leeuwen remains known for its rich and delicious vegan flavors, which hit their menu about five years ago. With a formula of raw cashews, extra virgin coconut oil, pure cocoa butter, coconut cream, and organic cane sugar, the ice cream is beloved by vegans and non-vegans. "It's not just good vegan ice cream--it's incredible ice cream that happens to be vegan," Laura told us. Pete, Ben, and Laura recently gave us a tour of one of their new NYC stores, a small pastel-painted shop on the Upper West Side. Ahead, hear from Laura about Van Leeuwen's humble start in Brooklyn, the decision-making-process behind new flavors, and plans to expand even further.
Read the sweet background here

Where I Work

Willets Point from Citi Field. Image: Wiki Commons.

September 18, 2018

Could affordable housing plans for Willets Point be scrapped for airport construction parking?

The city and developers have filed preliminary plans to pave a 6.5 acre stretch of city land for 665 parking spots, Crains reports. The economic development site within the industrial neighborhood of Willets Point, in Corona, Queens also known as the Iron Triangle was slated for a cleanup of its toxic soil and the creation of affordable and senior housing, plans which resulted in the demolition of a cluster of small businesses.
Find out more

South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 will be transformed into a rooftop winter village

Rendering by Visualhouse, courtesy of the Rockwell Group and Howard Hughes Corporation

September 18, 2018

South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 will be transformed into a rooftop winter village

Update 9/19/18: The LPC approved Howard Hughes' and David Rockwell's proposal. It might still be steamy outside, but the colder months are upon us, and this year, NYC will have a brand new ice skating rink. CityRealty uncovered renderings that show how the Howard Hughes Corporation would like to transform the South Street Seaport's Pier 17--the SHoP Architects-designed food/drink, retail, and entertainment complex--into a rooftop winter village. The proposal by David Rockwell Group calls for an ice rink just slightly smaller than that at Rockefeller Center, a skate shop, and a warming hut. The team is presenting the plan to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (Pier 17 is part of the South Street Seaport Historic District) this afternoon, so check back for updates on the vote.
Check out all the renderings

Policy

September 17, 2018

Zuccotti Park gets a new rose sculpture; Sales launch at 111 West 57th and Bjarke Ingels’ The Xi

Acclaimed German artist Isa Genzken created a 26-foot-tall rose sculpture for Zuccotti Park. [6sqft inbox] Brooklyn Bridge Park’s long-plagued Squibb Bridge won’t be reopening any time soon. [BK Paper] Bjarke Ingels’ twisting condo The XI launched sales, ranging from a $2.85 million one-bedroom to a $28 million penthouse. [CityRealty] Sales also launched at 111 West 57th […]

Uncategorized

September 17, 2018

$2.4M Tribeca loft has a cool corner layout, arched windows, and amazing views

This corner artists' loft at 6 Varick Street is about as classic as a downtown Manhattan loft can get, with original steel beam columns, massive oak beams and arched windows, original wooden plank floors, exposed brick walls, and 10-foot-tall tin ceilings. In addition to being on a high floor, the loft's corner configuration gives it an unusual layout that sets it apart from the standard "white box." Unobstructed views to the south and east look out over the neighborhood. The condop loft's current interiors–a cozy and bright combo of shabby-chic and Scandinavian-inspired–show just how pretty even the most industrial loft can be.
Tour the loft

Distinctive Homes

Lottery opens for 95 affordable units in the Bronx’s Kingsbridge neighborhood, from $860/month

Kingsbridge Armory via Flickr cc

September 17, 2018

Lottery opens for 95 affordable units in the Bronx’s Kingsbridge neighborhood, from $860/month

It's no wonder the city has spent the better part of the past decade trying to redevelop the former Kingsbridge Armory into the country’s largest ice skating complex--it's less than a block from the 4 train and three blocks from the D and B trains and a quick walk to the Fordham University campus. And for residents moving into the area, it's just a few blocks from the large Jerome Park, St. James Park, and Poe Park. With all this in mind, a new development has sprung up across from the Armory at 2700 Jerome Avenue. The 13-story, 134-unit building is a mix of affordable and supportive housing and retail, and as of today, New Yorkers who earn 60 or 90 percent of the median income can apply for 95 units that fall into the first category. The available apartments range from $860/month studios to $1,940/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

With most approved residential units in NYC, the Bronx building boom continues

Via Nelson Mejia Jr. on Flickr

September 17, 2018

With most approved residential units in NYC, the Bronx building boom continues

Out of the 20 New York City neighborhoods with the most residential units approved within the past year, seven of them are in the Bronx, more than any other borough. According to a new report from Localize.city, a group that analyzes data related to housing, 13 percent of all approved apartments between 2010 and 2015 were in the Bronx. In the first half of 2018, the Bronx had 27 percent of the city's share of approved new units. While a majority of new buildings in the borough are affordable, increasing land prices could mean more market-rate projects are on the horizon, the New York Times reported.
Get more details

Real Estate Trends

September 17, 2018

Roman Abramovich signs over Upper East Side megamansion to ex-wife in $92M transfer

6sqft recently reported that construction had begun on Russia-born billionaire Roman Abramovich's Upper East Side megamansion combo of three existing townhouses on East 75th Street. Plans for the megamansion with a pool, art room, backyard and a glass and bronze curtain wall connecting the three townhouses in the rear, designed by Stephen Wang + Associates, were approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in November of 2017. The LPC approval came a few months after Abramovich announced a split from arts patron and businesswoman Dasha Zhukova, whom he married in 2008 and with whom he has a son and a daughter. Now, the New York Post reports, Abramovich has transferred ownership of the properties at 9, 11 and 13, along with at least one other Upper East Side address to his ex.
Find out more

Apply for three middle-income units in Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville

After the state of New York State abolished slavery in 1827, the country's second-largest free black community was established in Brooklyn. Known as Weeksville, today the neighborhood falls a bit under the radar, surrounded by more sought-after neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Bed Stuy. But it's a charming little enclave, lined with many two-family homes and small brick rowhouses, that has done well to preserve its history. And just down the street from the Weeksville Heritage Center is a new 10-unit rental building at 1520 Prospect Place that just opened an affordable housing lottery for three $2,098/month one-bedrooms.
See the qualifications

Affordable Housing

The Second Avenue Subway’s second act: How the Q train has impacted real estate in Yorkville

Photo via Flickr cc

September 17, 2018

The Second Avenue Subway’s second act: How the Q train has impacted real estate in Yorkville

By Cait Etherington

For over a decade, a large swath of the Upper East Side was under construction, but for many residents, it felt more like being under attack. As the Q Line was being built—after a century-long wait—the neighborhood not only had to tolerate restricted traffic along Second Avenue above ground but also more dramatic interruptions. Indeed, at one point in the subway line’s construction, underground explosions even shattered the windows of several local businesses. But with the noise, traffic, and disarray of the Second Avenue Subway in the past, the surrounding neighborhood has already quickly bounced back. As per predictions, since the completion of the line, real estate values, volume of sales, and rental prices in Yorkville have experienced an upswing.
Get the data

Signal problems delayed the subway every weekday morning in August except one

Via Dan Phiffer on Flickr

September 17, 2018

Signal problems delayed the subway every weekday morning in August except one

Signal problems caused subway train delays during morning rush hour every weekday during the month of August except one day, according to a report released last week by the Riders Alliance. Between 6 am and 10 am each weekday morning, except on Thursday, Aug. 23, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority issued a delayed train alert. Every line except the L train experienced signal and/or mechanical problems during one or more of the 23 morning rush hours last month, WNYC reported.
More here

Transit

September 17, 2018

$3M Greenwich Village co-op does urban farmhouse right

The visual impact of the interiors at this 1838 Greenwich Village townhouse co-op at 7 East 9th Street is one of sophistication, considered design and a high-end rustic aesthetic. In addition to an exquisite renovation, this top-floor penthouse, asking $2.895 million, comes with private roof ownership. From your private landing (we assume this means stair landing, since no elevator is mentioned), enter the two-bedroom home through a casement-windowed atrium, keeping in mind that the included architectural plans can help you envision the possibilities of an upper level with a third bedroom, third bathroom and rooftop terrace.
Take a look, imagine the possibilities

Distinctive Homes

FREE RENT: This week’s NYC rental roundup includes 3 months free rent on the Williamsburg waterfront

Images (L to R): LEVEL BK, BKLYN AIR, Synergy Chelsea and Denizen Bshwk

September 15, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s NYC rental roundup includes 3 months free rent on the Williamsburg waterfront

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): LEVEL BK, BKLYN AIR, Synergy Chelsea and Denizen Bshwk Williamsburg Waterfront Rental LEVEL BK Offers 3 Months Free on 2-Year Leases + Free Car Share [link] BKLYN AIR Offering Half-Month Free for Leases Starting Before Sept. 30th [link] New High-Tech Corporate Residences Coming Soon to Synergy Chelsea at 232 7th Avenue […]

Real Estate Trends

September 14, 2018

An UES townhouse is transformed in the Arts and Crafts style, with a self-pollinating rooftop garden

For a client who had attempted two previous renovations in an Upper East Side townhouse that had retained its grand details from a 1937 remodel, the third time was a charm with the guidance of architect Anik Pearson. The townhouse received a complete overhaul of its infrastructure and service core to maximize performance and efficiency, with the layer of history reflected in its rooms and details carefully restored and preserved. Among the best of the renewal was the redesign of an existing rooftop garden to include sustainable elements like a grass roof, live-roof sedum and herb garden modules, a vegetable patch, a flower cutting garden, an orchard, a worm compost and a beehive for pollination.
Take a look

September 14, 2018

$13.5M UES mansion has a glass elevator, a 50-foot-wide garden, and two floors of the mansion next door

Manhattan's Upper East Side is filled with enormous private mansions with configurations that you'd never guess from looking at their tidy facades, and the five-story, 20-room bow-fronted house at 207 East 71st Street, asking $13.5 million, is no exception. This 10,550-square-foot brick manse, built in 1982, is one of three in a row erected by friends who happened to be prominent real estate professionals. In this particular case, the already massive house includes a long-term lease on the first two floors of the adjacent mansion, allowing for a 50-foot-wide garden–one of the widest in Manhattan.
Tour the mansion

Distinctive Homes

September 14, 2018

Plans revealed to convert abandoned hospital in Greenpoint into affordable housing complex

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

Shuttered since 1982, the Greenpoint Hospital will soon be home to a new mixed-use development with roughly 500 units of affordable housing, as well as a shelter for 200 homeless New Yorkers. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced on Thursday it will work with St. Nicks Alliance, Hudson Companies Incorporated, and Project Renewal on the project, with the design led by Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) and Architecture Outfit. The 3.4-acre site, located at 288 Jackson Street, will include two newly constructed buildings and two rehabilitated historic buildings.
see the renderings

Affordable Housing

September 14, 2018

See the Meatpacking District’s 20-year metamorphosis from desolate to under-construction

By Hannah Frishberg

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Brian Rose shares his past and present Meatpacking streetscapes. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. A native of Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg, photographer Brian Rose moved to New York City in 1977 and captured some of the most fleeting, bankrupted moments of the Meatpacking District in one January of 1985. In 2013, he returned to the neighborhood – impossibly changed – and once again photographed it. He then presented both sets of photos in his 2014 book "Metamorphosis: Meatpacking District 1985 + 2013." Read on for an interview with Rose on old-school NYC, 9/11, and the city's unknowable future.
See the before-and-afters

Places

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Delayed train? MTA is on it (within the next 5 to 10 years)

Via rhythmicdiaspora on Flickr

September 14, 2018

Delayed train? MTA is on it (within the next 5 to 10 years)

In August, Twitter users shamed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for vaguely announcing a tunnel closure on Twitter in the middle of Monday morning rush hour. And this month, the MTA is facing backlash after being too honest with its commuters. One straphanger tweeted at the agency, "The @MTA really needs to get its shit together. People got places to go." In response, whoever was running the agency's NYCT Subway Twitter promised they are working on "fixing things within the next 5-10 years with our Fast Forward Plan." That post did not bode well.
Not so Fast Forward

Transit

September 14, 2018

Steven Mnuchin lists swank Park Avenue co-op for $33M

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has just listed the Park Avenue duplex that has been in his family since the 1960s for $32.5 million, the New York Post reports. Mnuchin bought the 12-room, 6,500 square-foot Upper East Side duplex from his aunt for $10.5 million in 2000, so even if the co-op in tony 740 Park Avenue doesn't fetch the ask, he'll pocket a tidy profit. The Rosario Candela-designed building is known for its wealthy residents who have included Rockefellers, Kochs and Bronfmans as well as being Mrs. Onassis' childhood home. The former Goldman Sachs investment banker and Hollywood film producer was based in California before accepting a position with the Trump administration and has never claimed the Park Avenue home as his primary residence.
See more, this way

New Bronx affordable housing lottery tries to make ‘Mott Haven North’ a thing

Rendering of 764 East 152nd Street via UA Builders Group

September 14, 2018

New Bronx affordable housing lottery tries to make ‘Mott Haven North’ a thing

We've seen it all over Manhattan and Brooklyn--brokers come up with bizarre acronyms and new directional cues to hip-ify (aka gentrify) a neighborhood. Most recently, they tried their hand at SoHa--South Harlem, which certainly didn't stick. And now the trend has spread to the Bronx, though this time it's the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development behind the new moniker. In their defense, "Mott Haven North," was probably chosen for the latest affordable housing lottery based on their 1994 Mott Haven North Urban Renewal plan, but with this South Bronx neighborhood rapidly gentrifying, it's a slippery slope. Regardless, there are eight $1,379/month one-bedrooms up for grabs at 764 East 152nd Street, which, according to maps, is in the Woodstock area.
More info ahead

Affordable Housing

Cortlandt Street Station reopens 17 years later, rest of subway still a mess

MTA New York Transit President Andy Byford greeted the first train to stop at the station for service, a northbound 1 train that arrived at 12:01 p.m. Via MTA Flickr

September 14, 2018

Cortlandt Street Station reopens 17 years later, rest of subway still a mess

By Hannah Frishberg

Almost two decades later, the WTC Cortlandt 1 station has reopened, and boy does it look spiffy. Maybe not two decades worth of no service spiffy, but certainly it's in better shape than most other subway stations. Meanwhile, weekend G service is once again modified, all M trains are running with (at least) a 20-minute delay between trains, and D, F, and A trains are masquerading as one another.
Now, for the full roster of bad news:

Transit

September 13, 2018

CNBC anchor Sara Eisen lists renovated, polished-rustic Chelsea loft for $2.6M

The renovated two-bedroom Chelsea loft owned by CNBC co-anchor Sara Eisen ("Squawk on the Street," "Power Lunch") and her husband Matthew Levine, head of U.S. Programming at Bloomberg TV, just hit the market for $2.595 million. The 1,200-square-foot condominium is in the Spears Building at 525 West 22nd Street, a former factory built in 1880 and converted in 1996. Twelve-foot beamed ceilings, exposed brick, and polished concrete floors pay homage to the building’s historical roots, while recent updates assure modern comfort and design.
More pictures, this way

Celebrities

See George Washington’s handwritten farewell address and more at NYPL’s new permanent exhibit

Guttenberg Bible; Via Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

September 13, 2018

See George Washington’s handwritten farewell address and more at NYPL’s new permanent exhibit

The New York Public Library announced on Thursday it will open a permanent exhibition of rotating treasures at their Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street location. The exhibit will be the first to showcase the depth of the library's holdings, which includes over 46 million items in its research collection. While the specifics are still being determined, some notable artifacts from the collection being considered for the treasures exhibit include the original Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson, a handwritten farewell address from George Washington, the original Winnie-The-Pooh, writings from Lou Reed, and manuscript material from Maya Angelou.
See the treasures

NYC Council legislation and electric buses may aid L train shutdown agony

Via Wikimedia

September 13, 2018

NYC Council legislation and electric buses may aid L train shutdown agony

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Several bills were passed in New York City Council on Wednesday to help address the inconvenience and traffic chaos expected during the planned 15-month L train tunnel closure for repairs due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, slated to begin in April 2019. The legislation calls for information centers in both Brooklyn and Manhattan, complaint investigation resources, and the fast-tracking of a new electric bus fleet, Curbed reports.
Find out more

Transit

September 13, 2018

The oldest house in the Village? It’s not what you think

The Village is known as one of the oldest parts of New York City, where historic architecture can be found everywhere, and charming houses from a bygone era still stand. Here at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, a perennial question we’re asked is “which is the oldest house in the Village?” It’s a great question, with a complicated answer. Is it one of the two charming wooden houses? The "brick" house with connections to Paul Revere? The Merchant's House Museum, Manhattan's first individual landmark? The handsome Stuyvesant Street house built by Peter Stuyvesant's great-grandson?
The answer might surprise you

History

Latest StuyTown affordable housing lottery opens, rents from $1,462/month

Via StuyTown Property Services

September 13, 2018

Latest StuyTown affordable housing lottery opens, rents from $1,462/month

A lottery launched this week for newly available apartments at Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village in the East Village. New Yorkers earning 80 and 165 percent of the area median income (or between $43,860 and $268,620 annually) can apply for the available units, which range from $1,462/month studios to $5,508/month five-bedrooms. As Manhattan's largest rental community, StuyTown includes a 24-hour on-site property manager, laundry, a cafe, children's playroom, a fitness center and shared outdoor space across 80 acres.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

September 13, 2018

Get a sneak preview of the 2018 Open House New York sites!

If you love architecture and urban design from historic to contemporary, you'll have already been looking forward to this year's Open House New York! This much-anticipated and rare weekend of access to typically off-limits sites is now in its 16th year; this year’s OHNY will take place on Friday, October 12, Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14. Thanks to partnerships with over 400 arts and cultural organizations, city agencies, architecture firms and others, OHNY Weekend will open more than 250 buildings and projects across the five boroughs for tours and talks with architects, urban planners, historians, preservationists, and civic leaders. OHNY has just released a sneak preview of the program, which includes recently-opened sites like 3 World Trade Center, Domino Park and Pier 17, construction previews of 150 Rivington and Hauser & Wirth Gallery West 22nd Street and specially curated series like Works by Women, MAS 125, Factory Fridays and Open Studios.
This way to see what's on the list for OHNY 2018

September 13, 2018

This cozy South Slope co-op with a private roof deck just might have $1M worth of charm

With a working fireplace and a private roof deck with Manhattan skyline views, this sweet two-bedroom co-op definitely has every season covered. Tucked into the top of a row house at 452 15th Street at the south Park Slope/Windsor Terrace border, asking $999,000, this cozy co-op looks like a great spot to escape hectic city life in an ideal Brooklyn location half a block from Prospect Park.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

Public waterfront space to be part of massive Long Island City Innovation Center project

Image: TF Cornerstone

September 12, 2018

Public waterfront space to be part of massive Long Island City Innovation Center project

Developer TF Cornerstone has released new details about public open space slated to be part of the proposed project spanning over 1.5 million square feet at 44th Drive on city-owned land along the Long Island City waterfront, LICpost reports. Known as the Long Island City Innovation Center, the proposed massive city-led development, which will need zoning changes in order to move forward, includes office, retail, and manufacturing space and two high-rise residential towers with over 1,000 units, 25 percent of which would be affordable. The latest news concerns the acre of publicly accessible open space that is also part of the controversial development. According to TF Cornerstone, this open space will become a waterfront park with a focus on resiliency and sustainability.
Find out more

See inside WeWork’s first elementary school in NYC designed by Bjarke Ingels

Via WeWork/WeGrow

September 12, 2018

See inside WeWork’s first elementary school in NYC designed by Bjarke Ingels

WeWork opened its first elementary school in Chelsea last week, equipped with modular classrooms, tree houses and giant floor cushions, dezeen reported Wednesday. Bjarke Ingels was tapped last year to design the WeGrow school on West 18th Street, designated for children ages three to nine, with a focus on education through play and interaction. New photos from the co-working company reveal open-plan classrooms with multi-functional furniture and lots of natural light.
Take a tour

Architecture And Design

September 12, 2018

City Island cottage has two bedrooms and a big backyard for $385K

This cheery City Island cottage may look tiny, and while it's definitely not big, it manages to fit two bedrooms, a bonus loft space, several closets, and a high-end kitchen into its petite frame. Plus, it has a large backyard and is just blocks from a private beach. First spotted by Curbed, who notes that the yellow-shingled charmer is on "one of the heavily-residential side streets" of the Bronx island, the house is asking $385,000.
Get a look inside

September 12, 2018

102-year-old Orwasher’s Bakery is preserving NYC nostalgia while adapting to the times

There's a good chance that if you've walked into one of Orwasher's Bakery's Manhattan storefronts over the past decade you've assumed the 102-year-old business is still family owned. But the original Orwasher family sold it in 2007 to Keith Cohen. The likely confusion comes from Cohen's dedication to maintaining the mom-and-pop feel of his Upper East and West Side locations, along with the vintage recipes for New York staples such as rye bread, challah, and sourdough. But he's also used his business smarts to make some well-received updates, including a major expansion of the wholesale business, a new line of wine breads in collaboration with Long Island-based vineyard Channing Daughters, a formula for the perfect baguette (he even traveled to Paris to learn the art!), and, perhaps most impressively, the addition of the elusive New York bagel. 6sqft recently visited Cohen at the two-year-old Upper West Side location to learn a bit more about his journey as master baker and proprietor of one of NYC's most beloved old-school businesses and get a behind-the-scenes look at where the magic happens.
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Trump-run Wollman Rink via subherwal on Flickr

September 12, 2018

Trump-run attractions in NYC suffer from declining revenue

Although President Donald Trump continues to profit from his family-run business while serving in office, the New York-native is seeing a drop in revenue in his hometown. At four concessions in New York City run by the Trump Organization, sales have dropped or have been flat since Trump became president, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. Even as tourism is on the rise and the city's economy is bustling, business is not booming for two Trump-affiliated ice rinks, a Bronx golf course, and a carousel in Central Park.
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Real Estate Trends

Rafael Viñoly reveals new photos and video of Three Waterline Square

Image courtesy of CityRealty.

September 12, 2018

Rafael Viñoly reveals new photos and video of Three Waterline Square

Catching up with the rise of Waterline Square has been a pastime of skyline watchers since the project was announced. Now, CityRealty shares a recent Instagram post by designer Rafael Viñoly revealing the newly-installed final piece of the façade at Three Waterline Square, completing its multi-faceted crystal-planed exterior. On the inside, Three Waterline Square’s carefully expressed corners and gently sloping walls allow stunning panoramic river, park, and skyline views.
New images and video this way

One Manhattan Square

252 South Street

Lower East Side

Sweeping views and endless amenities

1 beds starting at $1,230,000
2 beds starting at $1,990,000
3 beds starting at $2,790,000

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September 12, 2018

Apply for 41 middle-income units at Bushwick’s Rheingold Brewery site, from $1,432/month

A lottery launched on Wednesday for 41 middle-income units at 115 Stanwix Street, a building which is part of the Rabsky Group's redevelopment of the Rheingold Brewery site in Bushwick. Designed by ND Architecture & Design, the eight-story development sits between Montieth Street and Flushing Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $1,432/month one-bedrooms to a $3,225 three-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

September 12, 2018

Live in a historic Williamsburg firehouse with a garage/studio and Japanese garden for $5.2M

Living in a historic firehouse is cool enough as it is, but this 4,652-square-foot carriage house at 11 Scholes Street in Williamsburg also comes with just about every other cool thing you could imagine finding in a Brooklyn pad. The three-story home, asking $5.2 million, starts with a garage and a sleek workspace/art studio and adds walls of glass and a private outdoor paradise, complete with a Japanese-style bamboo garden and luxurious outdoor shower.
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Distinctive Homes

September 11, 2018

Pay to break stuff for fun at these ‘rage rooms’ in NYC

Some New Yorkers in need of major stress relief are skipping meditation and trying an unusual, but apparently effective, alternative. As a self-described provider of destruction services, the Rage Cage lets visitors smash printers, VCRs, dishes, and other items with a sledgehammer or baseball bat. Sessions range from $45 for 25 minutes of raging to a $120 30-minute session for four people (h/t WSJ).
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City Living

September 11, 2018

‘Affordable’ Greenpoint apartments renting for the same price as the market-rate units

We've come to accept that many middle-income "affordable" housing lotteries are nothing more than a way for a building to cross-subsidize its "deeply affordable" units. Case in point, this new lottery that just launched at 216 Freeman Street in Greenpoint. Reserved for households earning 130 percent of the median income, one-bedrooms are $2,544/month and two-bedrooms $3,050. And while a market-rate one-bedroom is currently listed for the higher price $2,975, a two-bedroom is listed for the exact same price as the lottery unit.
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Affordable Housing

September 11, 2018

Storied Philip Johnson house in New Canaan, CT asks $7.7M, including plans for a modern mansion