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Coworking, office space leasing (and everything else) company WeWork has launched its second "innovation lab." WeWork Food Labs intends to nurture early-stage startups focused on the future of food. Food Labs will offer dedicated space, community, and programming to entrepreneurs who are tackling challenges in food-related industries from hospitality, consumer goods and kitchen appliances to supply chain management, agricultural technology, distribution software, robotics and more, all of which are apparently very much in need of innovation. A flagship New York City location will open in late 2019 at 511 West 25th Street adjacent to the High Line in West Chelsea.
Find out more

Policy

Rendering of 200 Amsterdam Avenue via SJP Properties/ Elkus Manfredi

March 15, 2019

Court rules against the 668-foot tower already rising at 200 Amsterdam Avenue

A state Supreme Court ruling on Thursday overruled the city’s decision to allow a permit for 200 Amsterdam Avenue, the controversial Upper West Side condo project that has been challenged by community groups and elected officials because of its oddly-shaped, gerrymandered lot. As Crain’s reports, the Board of Standards and Appeals, which approved the project last year, has been ordered to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate the permit for the project led by developers SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan, who have already started construction at the 69th Street site.
More info

Photo exhibit shows 10 years of subway cars dropped in the Atlantic Ocean to become artificial reefs

Air Break, 2008. Photo by Stephen Mallon.

March 15, 2019

Photo exhibit shows 10 years of subway cars dropped in the Atlantic Ocean to become artificial reefs

By now you may have seen Stephen Mallon’s mind-bending photo series showing thousands of decommissioned NYC subway cars being tossed into the Atlantic Ocean. The MTA initiative was undertaken more than 10 years ago with the goal of creating artificial reefs that would support sea life along the eastern seabed. The amazing photo series, briefly on view at NYU’s Kimmel Galleries, documented the train cars being heaved into the briny deep from Delaware to South Carolina over three years. Now, a new exhibit, "Sea Train: Subway Reef Photos by Stephen Mallon," opening March 20th at the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery, features 19 large-format photographs that capture the iconic subway cars, dropped like toy trains from hulking barges as they're being deployed as sea-life-sustaining artificial reefs,
More amazing photos and their story, this way

Events & Things To Do

March 15, 2019

This $3.3M Upper East Side penthouse is wrapped with terraces and classic casement windows

This two-bedroom penthouse at 205 East 69th Street in the Upper East Side certainly has no dark side: The apartment's walls are lined with pre-war Deco-style casement windows and doors, just outside which you'll find spacious wrap-around terraces in every direction. Asking $3,295,000, this uptown oasis has cultural bragging rights as well: It was the New York City home of developer, preservationist and visionary David Wolkowsky, who is considered to be the most important transformational influence in modern-day Key West, Fla., and credited with creating the island's reputation as a quirky bohemian oasis and tourist destination. Wolkowsky, who was known as "Mr. Key West," passed away last year at the age of 99.
See what's outside all those fabulous windows

Distinctive Homes

Everything you need to know about Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Route, street closings, and more

Image via Flickr

March 15, 2019

Everything you need to know about Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Route, street closings, and more

The city will soon be looking very green as 150,000 marchers and two million spectators come together for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade. Bagpipers, marching bands and more will make their way from Midtown to the Upper East Side, as the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world celebrates its 257th year. This year's parade will take place on Saturday, the day before St. Patrick's Day, because March 17 falls on a Sunday. Read on for more details, how to avoid traffic, and how public transit will be affected.
Know before you go

March 14, 2019

Step back in time in this charming row house on Washington Heights’ Sylvan Terrace, asking $1.5M

The quaint row houses of landmarked Sylvan Terrace are tucked away on one of the city’s “secret” streets in Washington Heights, which used to be the carriage drive to the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest house in Manhattan where General George Washington held a temporary headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Residences on the charming street rarely become available, but the three-bedroom at 14 Sylvan Terrace just hit the market for $1,589,000. With plenty of original details, including two fireplaces, pocket doors, and period hardwood floors, here’s a chance to experience “romance from another era,” as the listing describes.
Take a look inside

223 mixed-income units available at new South Bronx rental, from $389/month

Rendering via L+M Development

March 14, 2019

223 mixed-income units available at new South Bronx rental, from $389/month

A housing lottery has just launched for 223 mixed-income apartments in the new South Bronx building located at 1520 Story Avenue, known as Story Avenue West. The rental building is one of two new structures at the site, part of the Lafayette-Boynton residential complex in the Soundview neighborhood, developed by Nelson Management Group and L+M Development Partners. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 60, 90 and 110 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $389/month studios to $2,066/month three-bedrooms.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

Distinctive Homes

For $2.6M, this two-family Crown Heights townhouse is loaded with original details

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

For $4M, East Village living, penthouse-style

For $1.2M, this Park Slope brownstone co-op gets the top-floor perk of a private roof deck

A celebrated artist's Upper East Side co-op asks $4.75 million

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

This $585K Village studio makes a fine pied-à-terre in a fabulous neighborhood

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

Tribeca's iconic skybridge property is back on the market for $30M

For $950K, a condo with a terrace that puts the 'green' in Greenpoint

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De Blasio unveils $10B plan to flood-proof Lower Manhattan by extending shoreline into the East River

Via Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office

March 14, 2019

De Blasio unveils $10B plan to flood-proof Lower Manhattan by extending shoreline into the East River

Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled on Thursday a $10 billion plan to extend the coastline of Lower Manhattan as much as 500 feet to protect from future floods. The Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency project is the result of a study that looked at ways to build resilience in low-lying neighborhoods like the Financial District and South Street Seaport. The study found the only feasible measure for these areas would be extending the shoreline about two city blocks into the East River by adding a new piece of land at or above 20 feet from current sea level.
Learn more

Sebastian Errazuriz’s Lower East Side sculpture live streams NASA satellite footage of the Earth

Photo taken by 6sqft

March 14, 2019

Sebastian Errazuriz’s Lower East Side sculpture live streams NASA satellite footage of the Earth

By Dana Schulz

When 6sqft visited designer, artist, and activist Sebastian Errazuriz in his Bronx studio last year, we noted that "nothing he does is cookie-cutter." This outside-the-box thinking is now on view for all of NYC to see in his latest public artwork titled blu Marble, a 20-foot, LED structure in a vacant Lower East Side lot that depicts live NASA satellite footage of the Earth. Located at 159 Ludlow Street, blue Marble will be on view until 14th to "inspire awareness and mindfulness in our everyday lives."
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Taylor Swift’s former West Village carriage house rental finds a buyer

Listing photos by Chris Riccio, courtesy of the Corcoran Group

March 14, 2019

Taylor Swift’s former West Village carriage house rental finds a buyer

The carriage house at 23 Cornelia Street in the West Village that Taylor Swift called home while her sprawling Franklin Street property was being renovated has sold for $11.5 million after several years on the market and a price chop of half its original ask of $24.5M, the New York Post reports. The pop star's hefty $39,500 monthly rent sounds a little more understandable when you've seen the private pool, garage and rooftop terrace with city views.
Take a last look

Chrysler Building sells for a discounted $150M, may become a hotel

Via Creative Commons

March 14, 2019

Chrysler Building sells for a discounted $150M, may become a hotel

Update 3/14/19: A few days after Aby Rosen bought the Chrysler Building for the bargain price of $150 million, the real estate mogul told Bloomberg this week that he would consider converting the tower into a hotel. Real estate mogul Aby Rosen has picked up another New York City landmark. Rosen's RFR Holding LLC, which controls the Seagram Building and Lever House, bought the Chrysler Building for $151 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The sale represents a major loss for majority owner Abu Dhabi Investment Council, who paid $800 million in 2008 for a 90 percent stake in the 77-story Art Deco tower.
Details here

Real Estate Trends

Without a firehouse, thousands of Hudson Yards residents and visitors are at risk, FDNY union says

Hudson Yards via Maciek Lulko on Flickr

March 14, 2019

Without a firehouse, thousands of Hudson Yards residents and visitors are at risk, FDNY union says

While developers built the Hudson Yards mega-development with resiliency and security in mind, adding a powerful mechanical system and a plan to work with police, one major safety component remains missing. The 28-acre, $25 billion private development, the largest in the country, does not have its own firehouse. Members of the Uniformed Firefighters Association once again are calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration on Thursday to build a new firehouse for Hudson Yards, which is expected to bring more than 125,000 new residents to Manhattan's west side.
More here

Policy

Greenpoint Avenue G station will get three elevators and full ADA-compliant features

Image via Wikimedia

March 14, 2019

Greenpoint Avenue G station will get three elevators and full ADA-compliant features

The MTA is moving into the next phase of construction on the elevator installation project at the Greenpoint Avenue G station, but there’s good news for roughly 9,400 regular weekday customers: the MTA is expecting “significantly reduced impact” to service. Work will also focus on updating station infrastructure including stairs, handrails, turnstiles, powered gates, and braille signage—bringing the station to full ADA compliance.
More details

Transit

NYC Comptroller proposes turning the BQE into a truck-only roadway with a park on top

Via Wikimedia

March 13, 2019

NYC Comptroller proposes turning the BQE into a truck-only roadway with a park on top

Adding another perspective to the many voices who are seeking a solution to the “most challenging project not only in New York City but arguably in the United States,” City Comptroller Scott Stringer has outlined his own proposal to save the crumbling BQE, advocating for a middle-ground solution to the heated debate. Stringer's idea (notably without a timeline or proposed budget) is to turn the BQE into a truck-only highway and build a linear park above. "We remain hopeful that the agency can view the BQE's deterioration not just as an engineering challenge, but as an opportunity to create something new and bold that both accommodates essential traffic and enhances surrounding neighborhoods,” he wrote in a March 7 letter to Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.
See the new plan

Transit

March 13, 2019

‘It’s the Bronx’ arts and culture festival aims to be the ‘SXSW of the Bronx’

The creators of The Bronx Night Market will soon be launching a grand festival dedicated to "celebrating Bronx hustle." The It's the Bronx (@itsthebronx) festival will take place on March 22-24 at the Union Crossing building in Port Morris, featuring up-and-coming musicians, visual artists, discussion panels, video screening, a gallery exhibit and street performances plus plenty to eat and drink.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Neighborhood association calls for a ‘slow street’ district in FiDi

Sketch of Nassau and Beekman Streets as slow streets; via FDNA

March 13, 2019

Neighborhood association calls for a ‘slow street’ district in FiDi

A neighborhood association is calling for safer streets and sidewalks for pedestrians walking through Manhattan's Financial District. In a report released on Tuesday by the Financial District Neighborhood Association (FDNA), "Make Way for Lower Manhattan," the group calls for making the neighborhood a "slow street" district that would require cars to share space with pedestrians in an area stretching roughly between the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and Battery Park.
See the details

Policy

For under $900K, this Clinton Hill one bedroom is cozy, yet contemporary

On a tree-lined block in the heart of Clinton Hill, this floor-through 1.5 bedroom at 315 Greene Avenue offers a flexible layout and even a little bit of outdoor space for the asking price of $875,000. The cozy unit comes with custom storage options and modern amenities, including a washer and dryer. A colorful collection of art and happy houseplants show how this condo is the perfect blank canvas to make your own.
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Hudson Yards developers say protection against natural disasters and terrorism is part of its design

Rendering of the observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, via Related Companies

March 13, 2019

Hudson Yards developers say protection against natural disasters and terrorism is part of its design

The soon-to-open Hudson Yards, the 28-acre development that's being called the largest private development in the U.S, is not only situated on the Hudson River, but what could pass for a small city could easily be seen as a target for terrorists with its million-square-foot retail center and dining district, the 1,296-foot-tall 30 Hudson Yards, the city's most expensive office building (50 Hudson Yards) and thousands of pricey apartments. The Wall Street Journal reports that the $25 billion project from Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group claims to be fortress-like in its protection against the wrath of both nature and humankind.
What's the plan, then?

Astoria Boulevard N, W station to close for nine months for elevator and mezzanine repairs

Image via Wikipedia

March 13, 2019

Astoria Boulevard N, W station to close for nine months for elevator and mezzanine repairs

The Astoria Blvd N and W station in Queens will close at 10 p.m. on Sunday, March 17 and remain shuttered for nine months as New York City Transit works on a multi-phase repair project. The elevated station will get four new elevators and other accessibility features. In order to construct the street elevators, the mezzanine level will be demolished and rebuilt with more vertical clearance to prevent strikes by trucks and other over-height vehicles on the road below.
More info

Transit

Live one block from the G and L trains in Williamsburg, from $1,058/month

Via Wikimedia

March 13, 2019

Live one block from the G and L trains in Williamsburg, from $1,058/month

An affordable housing lottery launched this week for six apartments in a 10-story Williamsburg building. Located at 467 Keap Street, the rental is a short one-block walk to the G and L trains at Metropolitan Avenue. In addition to being close to the subway, the building, known as the Ainslie Tower, also sits near Brooklyn haunts like Union Pool, Rocka Rolla, and Pete's Candy Store. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for three $1,058/month one-bedrooms and three $1,280/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Five ‘Tin Pan Alley’ buildings may be landmarked for their musical history

Via LPC

March 12, 2019

Five ‘Tin Pan Alley’ buildings may be landmarked for their musical history

The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday in favor of calendaring five buildings on West 28th Street in Manhattan's "Tin Pan Alley," in the neighborhood now called Nomad. The buildings at 47-55 West 28th Street were an integral part of the area known for having New York City's most significant concentration of sheet music publishers at the turn of the 20th century, and as the birthplace of iconic American songs like "God Bless America." It's also where popular music icons like Irving Berlin and George Gershwin wrote songs. Calendaring is the first formal step in the historic status designation process.
Sounds like a good idea

See inside Hudson Yards’ seven-story dining and shopping center ahead of Friday’s opening

View of Shops & Restaurants from the Vessel; Photo courtesy of Francis Dzikowski for Related-Oxford

March 12, 2019

See inside Hudson Yards’ seven-story dining and shopping center ahead of Friday’s opening

The one-million-square-foot retail center at Hudson Yards officially opens on Friday as part of the mega development's grand opening. The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards includes a 190,000-square-foot Neiman Marcus with three restaurants and more than 100 stores and dining spots spread across the seven-story building. Ahead of the opening, Hudson Yards developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group released on Tuesday photos of the retail center, providing a sneak peek of this massive new shopping and dining district coming to the west side of Manhattan.
Get excited

Brooklyn Botanic Garden fights against shadow-casting Crown Heights towers

Image courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning

March 12, 2019

Brooklyn Botanic Garden fights against shadow-casting Crown Heights towers

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is voicing concern over a proposal that would allow real-estate developers to amend the area’s zoning—which currently caps building heights at 75 feet—in order to build two 39-story towers close enough to the botanic grounds to obstruct sunlight in key parts of the garden, including the bonsai collection and desert pavilion. The proposal is subject to city approval and a public hearing will be heard today, with officials from the BBG in attendance, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
More info

My 450sqft: An Australian expat creates a calming ‘slice of heaven’ in the East Village

Our series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Kate Callander’s East Village apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

March 12, 2019

My 450sqft: An Australian expat creates a calming ‘slice of heaven’ in the East Village

By Dana Schulz

There are almost too many charming elements to note about advertising professional Kate Callander's East Village one-bedroom. First, there are all the original features--the floorboards, claw-foot tub, penny tiles, exposed brick, and copper light fixtures. Then there's the serene vibe you get as soon as you walk in. Hoping to create her own "slice of heaven" within the bustling neighborhood, Kate opted for neutral fabrics, whimsical touches like her beloved fairy lights, and soft, feminine finds. But most importantly, she's filled her home with mementos from her upbringing and travels. Kate was born in Australia and raised in Malaysia and Hong Kong, but after a vacation in NYC, she decided she never wanted to leave. She moved to her railroad-style home four years ago and has only grown more in love with the city and her apartment. We recently paid her a visit to learn more about how she decorated the space, how New York living is different than in her past cities, and where to get the best Aussie coffee in the East Village.
Meet Kate and explore her home

March 12, 2019

16-room Tudor beauty in the Bronx, complete with pond, asks $5.6M

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

Situated on a hilltop above the historic houses of the affluent Fieldston neighborhood in the Bronx, this early 1900s stone and stucco Tudor home offers privacy, size and architectural beauty surrounded by expansive lawns, mature plantings and a pond. It's all 20 minutes from Manhattan.
Tour the Tudor

Distinctive Homes

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

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

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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Gearing up for summer, Jersey Shore homeowners are fighting Airbnb tax on short-term rentals

Asbury Park, NJ; via Wikimedia

March 12, 2019

Gearing up for summer, Jersey Shore homeowners are fighting Airbnb tax on short-term rentals

A surcharge on short-term rentals took effect last October in New Jersey, making it one of the first big states to implement such a tax. An 11.6 percent tax, dubbed the "Airbnb tax," applies to properties rented for fewer than 90 days made on home-sharing sites or directly between a renter and homeowner, excluding deals arranged through a broker. But as homeowners gear up for the summer season in the coming months, owners of Jersey Shore rental homes say the tax has made it harder to fully book their properties ahead of beach season, the New York Times reported.
More here

Trump says ‘no deal’ on federal funding for Gateway rail project in 2020 budget

Photo courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

March 12, 2019

Trump says ‘no deal’ on federal funding for Gateway rail project in 2020 budget

Despite a meeting in November to discuss the Gateway project, President Donald Trump has made it clear that the 2020 federal budget doesn't specify an money for the much-needed rail tunnel under the Hudson River. U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Jeffrey Rosen told reporters Monday that, “Those transit projects are local responsibilities, and elected officials from New York and New Jersey are the ones accountable for them.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo replied in a statement, "These ridiculous claims should not be taken seriously," calling the exclusion of funds for the project "political posturing."
200,000 daily commuters hope somebody figures it out

Transit

March 12, 2019

$9M triplex condo has a private entrance on one of Tribeca’s most charming alleys

With a private entrance on Collister Street—a quiet alley in Tribeca named for its past association with Trinity Church—this 4,500-square-foot home feels like a townhouse but comes with all the convenience and amenities of the full-service condominium it’s housed in at 7 Hubert Street. Spanning three floors with three bedrooms, a finished basement, and a charming ground floor complete with high ceilings, casement windows, and a furnished garden, this turnkey residence just hit the market for $8,950,000.
Get the tour

Distinctive Homes

Image courtesy of El Barrio’s Artspace PS109. Photo by Christopher Lopez.

March 11, 2019

400 spots open on waitlist for affordable units at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, from $731/month

A housing lottery has opened for 400 spots on the wait list for residential units at El Barrio's Artspace PS109 at 215 East 99th Street in East Harlem. Built in 1899, the limestone-and-brick neighborhood landmark was a school building until 1996. In 2015 it became El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, a project that transformed the then-abandoned public school building into a housing complex for local artists with affordable live/work housing for artists and their families and 10,000 square feet of complementary space for arts organizations. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for apartments which range from a $731/month studio to a $1,348/month two-bedroom.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

March 11, 2019

Flatiron-shaped Prospect Heights co-op with loft-like details is back on the market for $1.8M

This Prospect Heights co-op at 296 Sterling Place has the unusual blessing of having views on all three sides through oversized windows and all-day sunlight due to the building's Flatiron resemblance. Inside, the top-floor pre-war loft has beamed ceilings that reach almost 13 feet, original hardwood floors and exposed brick. Listed back in 2016 for $1.8 million, the three-bedroom home is back on the market for the same price, albeit with new kitchen and bath details.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Greenwich Village preservation group calls for interior landmarking of White Horse Tavern

Via Wikimedia

March 11, 2019

Greenwich Village preservation group calls for interior landmarking of White Horse Tavern

A Village preservation group on Monday called on the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the interior of White Horse Tavern a landmark. In a letter to LPC Chair Sarah Carroll, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) wrote that "the potential loss of the interior of this tavern from a recent change in ownership would be a devastating loss, not only to New York City, but to the country and the world." The request comes less than a week after the 140-year-old West Village bar was sold to notorious landlord Steve Croman, who once served jail time for tenant harassment.
Find out more

Meet the women who founded New York City’s modern and contemporary art museums

“Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, half-length portrait, standing with statue of soldiers,” 1920, via, The Library of Congress

March 11, 2019

Meet the women who founded New York City’s modern and contemporary art museums

By Lucie Levine

When the first Armory Show came to New York City in 1913, it marked the dawn of Modernism in America, displaying work by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, and Duchamp for the very first time. Not only did female art patrons provide 80 percent of the funding for the show, but since that time, women have continued to be the central champions of American modern and contemporary art. It was Abby Aldrich Rockefeller who founded MoMA; Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney the Whitney; Hilla von Rebay the Guggenheim; Aileen Osborn Webb the Museum of Art and Design; and Marcia Tucker the New Museum. Read on to meet the modern women who founded virtually all of New York City’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art museums.
More Modern Women

Hudson Yards got bigger tax breaks than the ones promised to Amazon

Rendering courtesy of Related/Oxford.

March 11, 2019

Hudson Yards got bigger tax breaks than the ones promised to Amazon

The $20 billion, 28-acre Hudson Yards megaproject has been in the news recently as its official March 15 grand opening approaches. The New York Times reports that the nation's largest residential development has gotten more than a little financial help from the city government to get there. In fact, public records–and a recent study by the New School–reveal that the development has received nearly $6 billion in the form of tax breaks and additional government assistance, twice the controversial $3 billion in incentives held out to Amazon to entice the retail tech giant to bring its second headquarters to Queens.
That's a pretty big break

Image courtesy of MCR and Morse Development

March 11, 2019

JFK’s TWA Hotel will curate exhibitions of rare Jet Age artifacts and memorabilia

Guests of the TWA Flight Center Hotel—set to open on May 15—will be able to experience the Jet Age through exhibitions of Trans World Airlines artifacts curated by the New-York Historical Society. Flight attendant’s logs, vintage furniture from TWA headquarters, in-flight amenities—like gilded playing cards and custom matchbooks—are some of the types of objects that will be on view in a rotating series of exhibitions dedicated to the former TWA terminal, a historic landmark designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen and opened in 1962.
More info

Woodlawn Cemetery hosts LGBT history trolley tour in honor of Stonewall’s 50th anniversary

Via Doc Searls on Flickr

March 8, 2019

Woodlawn Cemetery hosts LGBT history trolley tour in honor of Stonewall’s 50th anniversary

By Lucie Levine

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a watershed in the struggle for LGBT rights. In honor of the anniversary, Woodlawn Cemetery and the LGBT Historic Sites Project will offer a two-hour trolley tour taking visitors to the final resting places of some of Woodlawn's most illustrious LGBT "permanent residents."
Get tickets here

Did you know Grand Central’s clock is worth $20M?

Grand Central’s Main Concourse Clock, via Wikimedia Commons

March 8, 2019

Did you know Grand Central’s clock is worth $20M?

By Lucie Levine

For more than a century, millions of New Yorkers have been meeting “under the clock,” that great rendezvous point – and focal point – of Grand Central Terminal. The clock, which has presided over Grand Central’s Main Concourse since the Terminal opened in 1913, has stood out amidst the swirl of commuters and the flow of time, witnessing reunions of friends and lovers, beginning countless adventures, and playing a priceless role in the life of the city. Or, nearly-priceless. It turns out that appraisers from Sotheby’s and Christie’s have valued the four-sided brass masterpiece at between $10 and 20 million!
READ MORE

History

11 events to celebrate and commemorate Women’s History Month in NYC

Women from all over the world unite at the Apollo Theater, photo by Shahar Azran, courtesy of the Apollo Theater

March 8, 2019

11 events to celebrate and commemorate Women’s History Month in NYC

By Ben Kharakh

Women’s History Month comes but once a year in March, so until Women’s Day every day, we’ll have to make the most of what the city of New York has to offer. And that’s quite a lot considering all the art, culture, and history of the Big Apple. Here’s a list of what you can do to commemorate women’s indelible contributions to human flourishing, while also reflecting on how you can contribute to achieving equality, from art exhibits to comedy shows to seminars on female entrepreneurship.
Check out our 11 event picks

Events & Things To Do

An interactive ‘junglescape’ is coming to the courtyard of MoMA PS1 this summer

Hórama Rama by Pedro & Juana, winner of the 2019 Young Architects Program. Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo & Mecky Reuss. Mexico City, Mexico

March 8, 2019

An interactive ‘junglescape’ is coming to the courtyard of MoMA PS1 this summer

Serving as the light at the end of winter's tunnel, MoMA PS1 unveiled this week the winning design for its popular summer outdoor music series Warm Up. The installation "Hórama Rama" by Pedro & Juana (a Mexico City-based studio founded by Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo and Mecky Reuss) will bring an immersive "junglescape" with a cyclorama that sits on top of the concrete courtyard walls. "Hórama Rama" will feature a 40-foot-tall, 90-foot-wide structure that floats over the courtyard space, with hammocks and a functioning, two-story waterfall contributing to the wilderness vibe. The temporary exhibit accompanies the outdoor music series that runs from June to September.
See the winning design

Events & Things To Do

March 8, 2019

This $1.5M Seaport loft is a refreshing mix of old and new

This classic corner loft co-op at 270 Water Street in a Seaport district that's changing more every day has old-school Manhattan charm, up-to-the-minute renovated interiors and plenty of space and light. It's a three-flight walkup, but the sunlight and City Hall views mean that can be as much a positive as a workout. It's asking $1.485 million.
See more

Distinctive Homes

Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

Photo by Evan Joseph

March 8, 2019

Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

Bjarke Ingels’ twisting towers at 76 Eleventh Avenue in Chelsea officially topped out this week, with the 36-story West tower reaching 400 feet shortly after the 26-story East tower hit its 300-foot height. The High Line-adjacent XI, located right across the street from Thomas Heatherwick’s bubbled condos at 515 West 18th Street, will offer 236 luxury condos, the first Six Senses Hotel location in the United States, commercial space, and a new public promenade that will extend from the park. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the XI's slanted shape gives the illusion the two buildings are being pulled apart, allowing for all residents to have views of both the city and the Hudson River.
Get the details

Judge rules MTA must provide elevators in all stations it renovates

Photo via Flickr

March 8, 2019

Judge rules MTA must provide elevators in all stations it renovates

On Wednesday U.S. District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos ruled that the MTA was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for failing to install elevators when it renovated a Bronx subway station. The ruling is the result of a 2016 lawsuit initiated by Bronx Independent Living Services after the MTA refused to make a the Middletown Road elevated subway station in the Bronx wheelchair accessible, though the $27 million renovation included new floors, walls, ceilings and stairs to the street and the train platform, Gothamist reports. Ramos' ruling stated that the MTA is obligated to install an elevator, regardless of cost, unless it is technically infeasible.
Really, MTA?

Transit

Brace for another weekend of service changes on nearly every line

Image via Flickr

March 8, 2019

Brace for another weekend of service changes on nearly every line

Planned work will be impacting just about everyone this weekend, with only the M lucky enough to avoid significant disruptions. The J isn't running between Crescent Street and Jamaica Center and 7 train service will be severely limited. Most lines will be skipping multiple stops and running with delays—see the full damage below.
Know before you go

Transit

White Horse Tavern now run by an infamous pair who vow to preserve its ‘rich history’

Via Flickr

March 7, 2019

White Horse Tavern now run by an infamous pair who vow to preserve its ‘rich history’

A beloved 140-year-old West Village bar known for its famous poet and artist clientele has been sold. The new owner of White Horse Tavern, which opened on Hudson Street in 1880, is Steve Croman, a notorious landlord who served prison time for tenant harassment, as Jeremiah's Vanishing New York first reported. And on top of that unsavory news, the historic bar will be run by restauranteur Eytan Sugarman, who recently made headlines for his copycat pepperoni slice at Made In New York that looks identical to that of Prince Street Pizza. But Sugarman told Eater NY he's taking the bar's historic details into account. "We are only focused on preserving the rich history and legacy of this iconic institution for New Yorkers," he said.
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Food & Dining

255 East 77th Street

Lenox Hill

Upper East Side condos with Central Park views

3 beds starting at $5,300,000
4 beds starting at $7,400,000
5 beds starting at $8,750,000

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Current views of 125 Greenwich Street at its full height. Photos courtesy of Field Condition.

March 7, 2019

Rafael Viñoly’s 88-story tower at 125 Greenwich Street officially tops out at 912 feet

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Situated at the northwest corner of Thames Street, just south of the World Trade Center and northwest of Wall Street, Bizzi & Partners Development's condo tower at 125 Greenwich Street has officially topped out at 912 feet. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the firm behind 432 Park Avenue, the building will offer some of the highest apartments in the Financial District. Upon completion later this year, the 88-story tower will house 273 residences.
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March 7, 2019

20 transformative women of Greenwich Village

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969. One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s a unique treasure trove of rich history, pioneering culture, and charming architecture. GVSHP will be spending 2019 marking this anniversary with events, lectures, and new interactive online resources, including a celebration and district-wide weekend-long “Open House” starting on Saturday, April 13th in Washington Square. This is part of a series of posts about the unique qualities of the Greenwich Village Historic District marking its golden anniversary. Few places on earth have attracted as many creative, mold-shattering, transformative women as Greenwich Village, especially the Greenwich Village Historic District which lies in its heart. From its earliest settlers in the 17th century through its bohemian heyday in the late 19th and 20th centuries right up to today, pioneering women have made the Greenwich Village Historic District their home, from congresswoman Bella Abzug and gay rights advocate Edie Windsor to playwright Lorraine Hansberry and photographer Berenice Abbott.
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History

Reserve a spot to stand 1,100 feet on the ‘Edge’ at Hudson Yards’ observation deck

Rendering of the observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, via Related Companies

March 7, 2019

Reserve a spot to stand 1,100 feet on the ‘Edge’ at Hudson Yards’ observation deck

By Dana Schulz

Not only has Hudson Yards officially named the observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards "Edge," but they've opened a list to reserve a spot to step out onto the 1,100-foot-high platform when it opens in early 2020. Along with being the highest outdoor deck in the entire Western Hemisphere (and the fifth tallest in the world!), it juts out 65 feet from the building with a glass floor to peer at the city below. And as the Edge's website says, "Go further and lean out over Manhattan, literally, on the nine-foot wall of boldly angled glass—if you dare."
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Uncategorized

State budget director says a pied-à-terre tax could help fund MTA

Via Flickr

March 7, 2019

State budget director says a pied-à-terre tax could help fund MTA