6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Starbucks is opening a new cafe in Chelsea on Friday, but it won't be anything like the stores that dot every block in Manhattan. Called the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, the store on 9th Avenue stretches across 23,00 square feet and three levels and promises to bring an "immersive coffee experience" for java lovers. In addition to having a working coffee roastery, the space features two coffee bars, cocktail bar, bakery, and a terrarium inspired by the Starbucks coffee farm in Costa Rica.
Take a look inside

Food & Dining

December 13, 2018

1820s New Paltz estate on 240 acres is a country living fantasy for $3M

If you've ever dreamed of getting out of the city (but not too, too far out), and nesting in a country estate amid rolling hills, White Duck Farm awaits. For $2.95 million, this 240-acre Ulster County estate is just a couple of hours from New York City in the Shawangunk Ridge-Mohonk Mountain Preserve, set back from the road and possessed of rolling pastures, woodlands, a pond, a pool, a party barn and a guest cottage–and a gorgeous, renovated brick Federal-style home (h/t CIRCA).
It's just as charming on the inside

Billy goats and beer: When Central Park held goat beauty pageants

Goat carriages in Central Park via Library of Congress

December 13, 2018

Billy goats and beer: When Central Park held goat beauty pageants

By Lucie Levine

1930s New York brought us many things: Superman, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Joe DiMaggio, and, of course, goat beauty pageants in Central Park. Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the Brewer’s Board of Trade was eager to revive the springtime tradition of Bock Beer festivals and put out an appeal for the most gorgeous goats in Gotham. The goats would go horn to horn in beauty pageants in Central Park to claim the title of “Mr. Manhattan,” and the right to return to the park for regional competitions to determine which beautiful Billy Goat would be “Mr. Bock Beer,” the brewer’s mascot, and the face of ubiquitous bock beer advertisements.
Get more Goats here!

History

Via NYCEDC and Wiki Commons

December 13, 2018

‘I ♥ NY’ designer Milton Glaser not thrilled with Amazon rip-off

This week the city's Economic Development Corporation released documents of its detailed pitch to lure Amazon to move to the city, which included offering up prime real estate in four different New York City neighborhoods and nearly $3 billion in incentives. Another thing city and state officials pitched to the tech company, which chose Long Island City last month for its HQ2 complex, is the state's famous "I love NY" logo. In their pitch, city and state officials swapped the iconic logo's heart out for Amazon's arrow-smile, which assumingly reads "I Amazon NY."
Glaser's thoughts ahead

Announcing 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year!

Rendering via Hill West Architects; frame via Pixabay

December 13, 2018

Announcing 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year!

The votes have been tallied, and it's time to name the 2018 Building of the Year! The winning title belongs to none other than Long Island City's Skyline Tower. The 778-foot-tall tower beat out 11 other significant NYC buildings in a competitive two-week competition held by 6sqft. Out of nearly 3,000 votes cast, the Hill West-designed structure took first place with a whopping 1,021 votes or 35.5% of the total. Was it the fact that the Skyline Tower is on course to become the borough’s tallest building? Or that it has an estimated $1.088 billion sellout, the first in the borough to break the one billion mark? Or perhaps it's the LIC location, the forthcoming home to 25,000 Amazon employees?
More on this year's winner!

December 13, 2018

This $5.2K/month furnished Stuyvesant Heights townhouse is a mix of sophistication and charm

Available from January through August of 2019 at $5,250 per month, this freshly-renovated brownstone triplex at 458 Hancock Street in Bed-Stuy's coveted Stuyvesant Heights historic district presents a great opportunity to get to know the city and the neighborhood. Interiors are bright and spacious, and you don't need to bring anything but your family or friends, and your toothbrush. The four-bedroom home with lots of space to spare plus a private deck and yard comes ready for living, complete with cool furniture and plants.
Take the townhouse tour

Port Authority launches public poll to decide fate of awkward Holland Tunnel holiday decorations

Photo via Flickr cc

December 13, 2018

Port Authority launches public poll to decide fate of awkward Holland Tunnel holiday decorations

Update 12/17/18: Following the public poll, the Port Authority says they will move the Christmas tree over the A and remove the wreath over the U in Tunnel. The Port Authority is asking commuters to weigh in on the great Holland Tunnel holiday decoration debacle that many are calling an "OCD nightmare." While the decorations have historically been placed to sit aligned symmetrically above the tunnel lanes, workers who were tasked with decking out the tolls created an eyesore by placing a triangular tree over the N in "Holland" and by putting a wreath over the U, turning the "Tunnel" into a "Tonnel." As the New York Post reported, Cory Windelspecht of Tribeca decided to start a Change.org petition to challenge the decor faux pas. “I look at it and it makes me itch. It gives me anxiety and anger," he fumed. "Why wouldn’t they just put [the tree] in front of the A?”
Find out more

NYC plans to sell $1B in NYCHA air rights to developers

Via Creative Commons

December 13, 2018

NYC plans to sell $1B in NYCHA air rights to developers

The New York City Housing Authority will sell its unused air rights to developers for the first time ever, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday. The authority said it will transfer a portion of its 80 million square feet of air rights to generate $1 billion in capital repairs for nearby developments. The air rights announcement is one part of a 10-year plan the mayor unveiled, called NYCHA 2.0, which aims to resolve $24 billion in necessary repairs at public housing. In total, the agency needs nearly $32 billion over five years for necessary repairs.
Get the details

Distinctive Homes

A Romanesque Revival home in historic Crown Heights asks $3.5M

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

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

This $599K Ditmas Park co-op has a 'secret' private park

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

For $14.5M, Gilded Age opulence in a designer's Upper East Side mansion the size of a country estate

$10.25M Chelsea condo atop Shigeru Ban's Metal Shutter Houses is everything a penthouse should be

Greenwich Village townhouse where Oscar Wilde once stayed asks $7.45M

For $9M, a Noho penthouse that captures the spirit of the neighborhood's past, and then some

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

VIEW ALL

MTA confirms that ‘disabled train’ announcement was really for a bathroom break

Photo via Flickr cc

December 12, 2018

MTA confirms that ‘disabled train’ announcement was really for a bathroom break

In the summer of 2017, the MTA implemented a new policy to get rid of stock recordings ("we are delayed because of train traffic ahead of us” or “we are being held momentarily by the train’s dispatcher") and "give more detailed announcements" when trains are delayed. And it looks like they have now taken their honesty campaign to Twitter, correcting a rider that his train was not delayed by another disabled train but rather because "one train crew member had to make an emergency pitstop to the restroom."
It happens to the best of us

December 12, 2018

Is $1,850/month for this 272-square-foot Clinton Hill studio a deal for the location?

It's hard to find a decent studio these days for under $2,000 a month, let alone one with 12-foot ceilings, original exposed brick, and plenty of natural light. But this Clinton Hill cutie at 126 Willoughby Avenue is asking $1,850. It is, however, less than 300-square-feet. But what it lacks in space it makes up for in location; it's just six blocks from Fort Greene Park, three blocks from the G at Clinton-Washington, and in the heart of all the neighborhood hotspots along DeKalb and Myrtle Avenues.
Some different angles

Distinctive Homes

December 12, 2018

This tool maps thousands of plaques around the world, including hundreds near NYC

While most New Yorkers know the city has been full of historical events and figures since its founding, it's sometimes hard to remember where all these significant milestones took place. An interactive map called "Read the Plaque" features 17,000 plaques found across the world, with over 100 in New York City alone. As part of the radio project 99% Invisible, Read the Plaque imports plaques from around the world, with each featuring locations, descriptions, and pictures.
Explore NYC's plaques

History

December 12, 2018

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 rental tower reveals new renderings ahead of 2019 leasing launch

The Landing at 15 Bridge Park Drive, the rental portion of the Pier 6 two-building development in Brooklyn Bridge Park, is preparing for a 2019 launch with a new website and new renderings of amenity spaces and exteriors, Curbed reports. 6sqft reported back in September that the lottery for 100 affordable housing units had officially opened. Rents for the tower's 40 market-rate units will start at $3,100 per month and range from studios to three-bedrooms.
See more of what's to come

My 1,600sqft: Adam Elzer shares what it’s like to live above his own East Village pizzeria

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

December 12, 2018

My 1,600sqft: Adam Elzer shares what it’s like to live above his own East Village pizzeria

Adam Elzer likes being close to his work. So close in fact, that the fourth-generation New Yorker recently moved above Sauce Pizzeria, his new pizza parlor in the East Village, after previously living above Sauce Restaurant, his eatery on the Lower East Side. As the co-founder and CEO of Everyday Hospitality, Elzer, in addition to the two Sauce restaurants, also oversees LES Pizza and Coco & Cru, an Australian-inspired cafe. When he's not running his restaurants, Adam enjoys going to flea markets and mills, finding unique items and pieces of wood, upcycling them, and creating something totally new. His creativity can be seen throughout his East Village apartment, from the walls and ceilings Adam painted himself to the handmade wooden pieces, like his kitchen countertop. Ahead, tour Adam's colorful duplex, decorated with what he describes as "bohemian and rustic" decor.
See Adam's abode

Home Tours

December 12, 2018

For just $429K, this cheerful Sunnyside co-op is the perfect family starter pad

Buying a home in NYC is rarely easy for young people, especially when they're looking for that coveted second bedroom. But this newly renovated co-op at 47-37 45th Street in Sunnyside might just be the diamond in the rough. Not only is the place a 15-minute subway ride from Midtown, but it has a small second bedroom/office (currently used as a nursery) and cool barn-style decor--all for the very reasonable price of $429,000.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

December 12, 2018

New Historic Districts Council website lists every landmark in NYC

Preservationists, advocates, history buffs and anyone interested in finding out about the history of New York City's neighborhoods and landmarks has an exciting new resource at their fingertips. The Historic Districts Council (HDC) has launched a new website that offers a complete list of every historic district, individual landmark, interior landmark and scenic landmark in New York City.
Get a closer look

Cuomo gets involved in L train shutdown plans; Jean-Georges will bring fine dining to the TWA Hotel

L train via Wiki Commons (L); TWA Terminal courtesy of MCR and Morse Development. Photo by Max Touhey. (R)

December 11, 2018

Cuomo gets involved in L train shutdown plans; Jean-Georges will bring fine dining to the TWA Hotel

By 6sqft

This Thursday night, Governor Cuomo will tour the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel and “personally” vet the L Train shutdown plans. [amNY] Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will run a restaurant and a lounge inside the TWA Hotel, which will bring back some classic dishes from in-flight TWA menus from the 1950s and ’60s. [NYT] Is Manhattan West trying to compete with […]

Uncategorized

Landmarks designates new Inwood historic district

Image courtesy of NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission via Flickr.

December 11, 2018

Landmarks designates new Inwood historic district

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted today to designate the Park Terrace West-West 217th Street Historic District in the Inwood section of Manhattan. The historic district features an enclave of picturesque early 20th-century houses with landscaped topography that stand out among the neighborhood’s apartment buildings.
Find out more

How New York won Amazon: See the official proposals for each NYC neighborhood

City and state officials lured Amazon to open its new office complex in New York with an extensive pitch, complete with four suggested neighborhoods and the promise of prime real estate, according to documents released by the city's economic development corporation on Monday. In exchange for 25,000 new jobs, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio are offering Amazon nearly $3 billion in incentives and grants. And while last month Amazon selected the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City as its new home, officials had proposed bringing Amazon's campus to the Farley Building, 3 World Trade Center, Brooklyn Height's Watchtower building, Bjarke Ingels' The Spiral, and even Governors Island.
See the full pitch

Policy

December 11, 2018

For $43M, restore two Gilded Age Upper East Side co-ops to their historic grandeur

A three-bedroom co-op in the Rosario Candela-designed 720 Park Avenue, the epitome of 1920s Gilded Age grandeur, is on the market for $20 million. It was once part of an even grander duplex that belonged to onetime Macy's president and ambassador to France Jesse I. Straus. The lower unit is asking $23 million. The two owners are offering a $43M combo that could restore the home to its original impressive status with eight bedrooms and staff quarters that, according to the Wall Street Journal, include a flower room, a vegetable closet and a valet room where cuffs and collars were pressed.
See more of this impressive piece of old New York history

December 11, 2018

See this year’s completely outrageous Dyker Heights Christmas lights

Where else can you see 25-foot toy soldiers, a two-story Santa, or a house decked out with 30,000 lights other than Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. The suburban neighborhood, historically a quiet, Italian-American enclave, has been putting on its legendary holiday spectacle since 1986, when Lucy Spata moved to the area. Her over-the-top Christmas displays started as a way to honor her mother's memory (she also loved holiday decorations) and quickly her neighbors followed suit. Today, Lucy is known around town as "Mrs. Claus" and the Dyker Heights lights attract up to 150,000 visitors each season. 6sqft's resident photographers, James and Karla Murray, recently visited Dyker Heights and captured the outrageous lights and decorations in all their glory. And they were even lucky enough to meet Lucy herself!
See this year's insane Christmas light extravaganza

Rendering via Studio Gang

December 11, 2018

Judge rules in favor of Studio Gang’s Natural History Museum expansion plans despite lawsuit attempt

In October, plans by Studio Gang to expand the American Museum of Natural History and create the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation were stopped in their tracks after New York State Supreme Court Justice Lynn Kotler issued a temporary restraining order. A lawsuit had been filed by a community group opposed to the expansion on the grounds that it would destroy public parkland and threaten the surrounding environment. Judge Kotler on Monday ruled in favor of the museum in a decision confirming that all appropriate procedures in preparation for the project were followed. The decision will allow the museum to proceed with the $383 million expansion project.
Find out more

Via Practice for Architecture and Urbanism

December 11, 2018

A megachurch in East New York will become an ‘urban village’ with 2,100 affordable apartments

A Christian megachurch in East New York is partnering with the Gotham Organization to redevelop their East New York campus into a mixed-income community, or "urban village" as Reverend A.R. Bernard calls it, of 2,100 affordable units and neighborhood amenities. The plan from the Christian Cultural Center, led by Bernard, will supplement the existing church at 12020 Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn and create a community with CCC at its core.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

Via Joe Schulz on Flickr

December 10, 2018

Time Warner Center will be renamed for Deutsche Bank

Columbus Circle's Time Warner Center will be renamed the Deutsche Bank Center, Commercial Observer reported on Monday. The name change comes as the Deutsche Bank inked a deal for 1.1 million square feet at the complex. The 25-year lease gives the German bank all available office space at the building except on its 20th floor.
More here

Real Estate Trends

The High Line Plinth will showcase public art as a gathering spot in the park’s newest section

Image by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, courtesy of the City of New York.

December 10, 2018

The High Line Plinth will showcase public art as a gathering spot in the park’s newest section

The Spur, the last section of the High Line, extending east along 30th Street and ending above 10th Avenue, is scheduled to open in 2019. Unlike other sections of the park which are more linear and perfect for strolling, this section will feature a large-scale plaza for public programming and art and areas for seating and gathering. Anchoring the new section will be the High Line Plinth. As Designboom reports, the Plinth will be one of the only sites in New York City with the purpose of featuring a rotating series of new contemporary public art commissions.
Renderings of the Plinth, this way

December 10, 2018

Live in this fully-furnished designer Brooklyn Heights studio for $2,450/month

On a quiet block in the heart of Brooklyn Heights, this charming studio at 38 Livingston Street doesn't offer a ton of square footage but the thoughtful design details make it worth a look. The fully-furnished unit is outfitted with chic, just-trendy-enough pieces that make a bold statement, and it's asking the semi-reasonable rent of $2,450 a month.
See the whole petite place

Distinctive Homes

December 10, 2018

Scraps from ill-fated New York Wheel will go up for auction next month

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

The project to build the would-be world's tallest Ferris wheel in Staten Island was called off in October, after nearly a decade of delays and $450 million in investment. While the proposed 630-foot New York Wheel is officially dead, parts of the ill-fated attraction will go up for auction next month, the New York Post reported. Items up for sale include the wheel's legs, valued at $9.2 million, and drive towers, for $3.3 million.
Get your hands on the wheel

Uncategorized

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

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

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

VIEW ALL

See new images of Barry Diller’s $250M Pier 55 park taking shape in the Hudson River

Photo by CityRealty

December 10, 2018

See new images of Barry Diller’s $250M Pier 55 park taking shape in the Hudson River

Back in July 6sqft reported construction progress at the enthusiastically on-again Pier 55 public park project on the Hudson River funded by billionaire businessman Barry Diller. The park broke ground in April, and some snaps courtesy of CityRealty revealed new concrete pylons arranged in various heights that will act as the wave-shaped floating park’s support structure. Now, the New York Times details further and more fascinating progress on the $250 million park and performing arts venue, including the installation of its stylistic anchor in the form of a system of concrete supports called pots, the underpinnings of Diller's unconventional architectural vision. And CityRealty once again reveals photos of what's happening in the Hudson just west of the Meatpacking District.
Take a look at what's rising from the Hudson

To reduce delays, MTA to increase subway speed limits at 100 locations

Via Wikimedia

December 10, 2018

To reduce delays, MTA to increase subway speed limits at 100 locations

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority over the weekend doubled the speed limit on parts of two lines in Brooklyn, the N and R trains, from 15 miles per hour to as much as 30 miles per hour. These lines are the first of many the MTA will speed up, with transit officials planning to change the speed limits at 100 locations by the spring, the New York Times reported on Monday. The changes in speed limits are part of NYC Transit Chief Andy Byford's $40 billion plan to modernize the problem-plagued subway system and improve service. "This is all about getting the safe maximum out of the existing signaling system," Byford told the Times.
Get the details

Transit

50 years at Co-op City: The history of the world’s largest co-operative housing development

All photos included in this post were taken at Co-op City in the early 1970s and are courtesy of Co-op City

December 10, 2018

50 years at Co-op City: The history of the world’s largest co-operative housing development

By Lucie Levine

When Governor Rockefeller, Robert Moses, Jacob Potofsky of the United Housing Foundation, and Abraham Kazan, known as “the father of US cooperative housing,” broke ground on Co-op City in the Baychester section of the Bronx on May 14, 1966, they were doing something truly groundbreaking. In fact, Rockefeller called it a “completely sound investment in a better society.” Co-op City is the world’s largest co-operative housing development. Built on 320 acres just north of Freedomland, the sprawling, self-contained development provides homes for over 15,000 families across 35 buildings, and supports its own schools, weekly newspaper, power plant, and planetarium. Originally built by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and the United Housing Foundation as cooperative, affordable, middle-income workers’ housing, Co-op city has remained dedicated to open membership, democratic control, distribution of surplus, and diversity for half a century.
READ MORE

History

December 10, 2018

This Hudson carriage house, featured on Netflix, could be your upstate getaway for $325 a night

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Hudson, NY, is the place to head these days for a picture-perfect out-of-the-city weekend. Filled with fabulous restaurants, chic shops and darling dive bars, the Columbia County town's mix of sophistication and small-town life hits just the right note. If you've dreamed of moving there and fixing up a quaint townhouse, you can live vicariously for a few nights–at $325 each, via Airbnb–at this charming carriage house. Featured on the Netflix renovation show, "Stay Here," The Hudson River Carriage House is just a half block from the Warren Street main drag, but it's so cute you may just want to stay in.
Have a look

Top 10 Rental Buildings in FiDi & This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): Renting Downtown: Top 10 Rental Buildings in Financial District + Battery Park City

December 8, 2018

Top 10 Rental Buildings in FiDi & This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

By Annie Doge

Renting Downtown: Top 10 Rental Buildings in Financial District + Battery Park City [LINK] Cobalt Lofts in Harrison Launches Luxury Rentals from $1,915/Month; 20 Minutes from NYC [LINK] Contemporary Rentals at Historic 71 Broadway: No-Fee Listings from $3,035/Month [LINK] Bed-Stuy Rentals Launch at 1247 Atlantic Avenue with 1 Month Free; Net Prices from $1,825/Month [LINK] […]

Real Estate Trends

From Mark Twain and the Lovin’ Spoonful to Tech Hub: The overlooked history of Union Square South

Photo of 801 Broadway by Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons

December 7, 2018

From Mark Twain and the Lovin’ Spoonful to Tech Hub: The overlooked history of Union Square South

Straddling Greenwich Village and the East Village, the neighborhood south of Union Square between Fifth and Third Avenues was once a center of groundbreaking commercial innovations, radical leftist politics, and the artistic avant-garde. With the city’s recent decision to allow an upzoning for a "Tech Hub" on the neighborhood’s doorstep on 14th Street, there are concerns that the resilient and architecturally intact neighborhood may face irreversible change. While they’re still here, take a tour of some of the many sites of remarkable cultural history, nestled in this compact neighborhood just south of one of our city’s busiest hubs.
See the full list

History

GIVEWAY: Join a 6sqft editor for a special ‘Christmas History in Gramercy’ tour

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

December 7, 2018

GIVEWAY: Join a 6sqft editor for a special ‘Christmas History in Gramercy’ tour

Did you know the nation's first public Christmas tree went up in NYC? Or how about the fact that Santa Claus was born here in both literature and drawing? And have you seen the famous restaurant decorated with 15,000 Christmas ornaments, 10,000 lights? Join 6sqft's managing editor Dana Schulz for her Christmas in Gramercy tour with the Municipal Art Society to see and learn about all this and more. Taking place, Saturday, December 15th, the two-hour event will reveal the surprising origins of our most beloved holiday traditions.
Enter to win tickets here!

Events & Things To Do

December 7, 2018

1960s modern house in Brooklyn Heights designed by Merz Architects is for sale asking $3.9M

As one of a trio of distinctive townhouses on an almost-hidden historic Brooklyn Heights street known by locals as Willowtown, the house at 44 Willow Place is a gift of mid-20th-century architecture and holds a spot on the star map for modern house lovers–and it's on the market for $3.9 million. Designed by the beloved local architect duo Joseph and Mary Merz in 1965 for Ron and Hortense Clyne, the home is a timeless example of Modernist design as both visually appealing and ultimately livable. Treasured by the community as both brilliant designers and active preservationists, the architects also built the better-known home at 40 Willow Place along with a house at number 48.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

New renderings of 1,100-unit Hunter’s Point South project in Long Island City

Rendering via Handel Architects

December 7, 2018

New renderings of 1,100-unit Hunter’s Point South project in Long Island City

New renderings were released this week of the one million square foot development coming to the Long Island City's Hunter's Point South neighborhood. Designed by Handel Architects, the complex features two high-rise towers, retail, and community space. Notably, the project is expected to bring 1,100 new residential units, with 80 percent of them permanently affordable. The complex sits less than a mile from the planned office complex of Amazon, which chose the Queens neighborhood last month for its new home. As CityRealty reported, the two towers will rise 57 and 33 floors, with the taller of the two reaching 600 feet high, which would make it the tallest building on the waterfront.
See the LIC project

Real Estate Trends

December 7, 2018

Hit producer Shonda Rhimes closes on $11.75M Upper East Side penthouse

Shonda Rhimes -- the showrunner behind TV hits like “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” and “Grey’s Anatomy” -- just picked up a penthouse at 765 Park Avenue for $11.75 million, The Real Deal reports. The Lenox Hill unit first appeared on the market in March for $14.75 million before being dropped to $12.5 million in June. This is Rhimes' second real estate move in the past few months. In October she listed one of her several Los Angeles properties, a Hancock Park mansion, for just under $10 million.
Look around

Photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff takes us on an illuminated tour of NYC during Christmastime

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, NYC-based photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff shares photos from her new book, “‘Tis the Season New York.” Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

December 7, 2018

Photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff takes us on an illuminated tour of NYC during Christmastime

Two years ago while attending for the first time the Winter’s Eve Festival, billed as the largest holiday festival in New York City, photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff had an ah-ha Christmas moment. If she, a native New Yorker, just recently learned about this huge annual celebration that draws thousands to Lincoln Square, what other Christmas celebrations was she missing? In a quest to find out, Betsy ended up taking hundreds of photos and attending hundreds of events across the city, all within a six-week period. Her curiosity grew to become the basis of her latest book, “‘Tis the Season New York," which was released this fall. Her book takes us on a tour of NYC during its most festive time of the year, from photos of the holiday windows at Saks Fifth Avenue to the elaborately decorated homes of Dyker Heights. Plus, 15 different New Yorkers, ranging from philanthropist Agnes Gund to Betsy's postman, provided their own NYC experiences for the book. Ahead, Betsy shares with 6sqft some of her sparkling photos and tells us how New York during Christmastime becomes a place for "fun, fantasy, and endless heartwarming moments."
See the spirited photos

No M this weekend and all the other subway updates you need to know

Via Flickr

December 7, 2018

No M this weekend and all the other subway updates you need to know

It's going to be another good weekend for the L train, which continues to run on weekends through late January. Not so much for the J train, which is not running again between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Like last weekend, there will be shuttle buses available from Hewes Street to Essex Street and between Essex and Metropolitan Avenue. The M train is going to have a rough weekend as well: all service is suspended. There will be M shuttle buses running between Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle Avenue, and express to/from Delancey Street/Essex Street, but otherwise M riders will have to look to the 4, 5, and F for alternative routes.
Know before you go

Transit

Columbus Circle monument gets historic designation; Amy Poehler opens Park Slope wine shop

Via Public Domain Pictures and Flickr cc (L); Via Wiki Commons (R)

December 7, 2018

Columbus Circle monument gets historic designation; Amy Poehler opens Park Slope wine shop

By 6sqft

Despite calls to remove it, the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [NYP] Visit the last chess shop in NYC. [The Atlantic] Amy Poehler has opened a wine store in Park Slope. [Eater] How Staten Island is keeping brick-and-mortar retail alive and repurposing its shopping malls. [CO] […]

Uncategorized

December 6, 2018

This charming one-bedroom is a piece of West Village history for $835K

A corner one-bedroom co-op combining modern amenities with historic details was listed today for a cool $835,000. Located in the heart of the West Village at 242 West 4th Street, it more than makes up for its compact size with 10-foot ceilings and a central skylight, tons of original details, and quick access to everything the bustling neighborhood has to offer.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

December 6, 2018

New York State Pavilion to receive a $16.5M FEMA grant for Hurricane Sandy repairs

Designed by Philip Johnson for the 1964-65 World’s Fair to embody the architectural essence of Space Age futurism, the New York State Pavilion has been battered by the ensuing decades to the point of becoming valued as an "historic ruin." As 6sqft previously reported, plans to restore the site have been progressing slowly even with new funding from the city. Now, Curbed reports, the iconic site in Flushing, Queens, will be getting a $16.5 million grant from FEMA for Hurricane Sandy-related repairs.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

December 6, 2018

40 NYC-themed gifts for every type of New Yorker

Whether you need just a few more items to check off your holiday shopping list or you haven’t even started thinking about it yet, follow our guide to make this year’s gift-giving totally stressfree. We’ve rounded up the 40 best presents that are uniquely New York for every type of Big Apple dweller, from the transit nerd and the foodie to the architecture buff and bookworm. Priced between $10 and $295, recommended gifts include everything from a cheese class with Murray's Cheese to a walking tour of Flushing, Queens.
See the full list

December 6, 2018

Central Park releases access map for people with limited mobility

A new map from the Central Park Conservancy includes lots of new information about the park's playgrounds, trails, restrooms, entertainment areas and other spaces that decodes the park for people with disabilities and/or limited mobility. Helpful information includes information on park terrain, letting visitors know how steep various trails are, and where there are stairs or other potential obstacles.
Full map, this way

Uncategorized

December 6, 2018

Ralph Lauren in contract to buy playwright Edward Albee’s oceanfront Montauk home

By Annie Doge

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is in contract to buy playwright Edward Albee's former estate in Montauk, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The property had last been listed for $20 million, the first time on the market in 50 years, but the final sale price has not been confirmed. Located on 2.8 acres with 200 feet of Atlantic Ocean frontage, the four-bedroom home was first purchased in the 1960s by the "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" writer, who died in 2016. With this purchase, Lauren, who owns homes on either side of the property at 320 Old Montauk Highway, adds to his continuous strip of oceanfront real estate.
See inside Ralph Lauren's new digs

One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

Williamsburg

Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

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

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Poll shows a majority of New Yorkers approve of Amazon’s move to Queens

Rendering of Plaxall’s proposed (but not approved) mixed-use LIC project courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

December 6, 2018

Poll shows a majority of New Yorkers approve of Amazon’s move to Queens

A majority of New Yorkers approve of Amazon moving to Long Island City despite opposition from Queens activists and politicians, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. Fifty-seven percent of all respondents said they support the company's plan to build a waterfront office complex in Queens, with 26 percent disproving. And approval among Queens residents is even higher, with 60 percent supporting the deal. But the poll did find a more divided opinion about the potential $3 billion in public incentives and grants offered to Amazon by the city and state, with 46 percent approving of the subsidies and 44 percent disapproving.
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Policy

Controversial Two Bridges towers get city approval despite community ambivalence

Rendering courtesy of Handel Architects.

December 6, 2018

Controversial Two Bridges towers get city approval despite community ambivalence

Update 12/7/18: The City Council and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer filed a suit in the Manhattan Supreme Court "claiming city planners usurped the Council’s authority over land-use issues in approving the project," reported The Real Deal. The City Planning Commission gave the green light Wednesday to a controversial application filed by four developers to build three new residential towers in the Lower East Side's Two Bridges development, which are expected to add 3,000 housing units between them, The Real Deal reports. 700 units will be affordable. The large-scale residential towers were approved in a 10-3 vote on Wednesday, after a lengthy, often acrimonious review process. The towers are comprised of JDS Development’s 1,000-unit rental tower at 247 Cherry Street, L+M Development and CIM Group’s 798-foot tower at 260 South Street; and Starrett Corporation’s 730-foot building at 259 Clinton Street.
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December 6, 2018

Transforming LaGuardia’s Terminal B, by the numbers

The first phase of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $8 billion overhaul of LaGuardia Aiport opened to the public this weekend, which includes a new concourse and 11 gates at Terminal B. Construction company Skanska on Wednesday released additional information about the project, detailing everything from its planned 1.3 million square footage to its use of 40,000 tons of steel. In total, the redevelopment of LGA's Terminal B will cost $5.1 billion and bring 35 new gates and two new concourses.
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World Trade Center PATH station will be closed for weekend repairs through 2020

Via Flickr

December 6, 2018

World Trade Center PATH station will be closed for weekend repairs through 2020

Starting in January, the World Trade Center PATH station will close on weekends to finish repairing damage to tunnels and equipment caused by Hurricane Sandy. Once the repairs start on January 5, service to WTC will terminate at the Exchange Place Station on Saturdays at 12:01 a.m., and reopen at 5 a.m. on Mondays after each weekend.
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Transit

December 5, 2018

The official SantaCon 2018 map is here. Consider yourself warned.