6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

According to new documents, the next leg of the extension of the Q line to 125th Street that comprises the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway will be done in 2029, the Daily News reports. And that completion date only holds if work is begun on time, in mid-2019, according to the same document from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Federal Transit Administration. The expected phase two completion date is nearly a decade after Governor Andrew Cuomo opened the first section of the project in 2017. That 2029 date refers to the time all construction equipment has left the site; MTA officials hope to begin running trains through the tunnels, bringing vital service to Harlem, in 2027.
Find out more

Transit

July 20, 2018

Meet the man filling potholes with mosaics of NYC vermin (and Donald Trump)

Update 10:15am on 7/20/18: Jim Bachor tells us that the NYC Department of Transportation has already pulled up the cockroach, bouquet, Trump, and pigeon mosaics. If you recently saw a construction worker filling potholes around Manhattan and Brooklyn with mosaics and thought it was a bit off, you were right. This was Chicago-based artist Jim Bachor in disguise for his latest public art piece, "Vermin of New York." For the past five years, Jim has been filling potholes in Chicago with mosaics of everything from flowers to trash, and after a successful Kickstarter campaign, he recently brought his work to NYC. The series includes a cockroach, a rat, a pigeon, and Donald Trump (yes, you can drive over his face). 6sqft was able to talk with Jim about how he got into such a unique form of "guerilla" art and what the meaning is behind his latest series.
Read on for more from Jim

23rd Street and 145th Street subway stations to close for months beginning Monday morning

Photo via Wikipedia

July 20, 2018

23rd Street and 145th Street subway stations to close for months beginning Monday morning

By Hannah Frishberg

Monday will be a dark day for straphangers: At 5am, the 145th Street 3 station will close through November, the 23rd Street F, M station will close through December, and the Jamaica Center-bound 104th Street J, Z platform will close through January. This compounds the usual slew of service changes and the fact that the M is simply not running this weekend, and the E and F are having a masquerade as one another. In good news, by the MTA's estimates the Avenue U, Avenue P, Avenue N, Bay Parkway and Avenue I Manhattan-bound platforms should be reopening this month.
Compared to the above, the other changes are more palatable

Transit

Check out artist Yayoi Kusama’s installation in an abandoned Rockaway train garage

Photograph by Pablo Enriquez

July 19, 2018

Check out artist Yayoi Kusama’s installation in an abandoned Rockaway train garage

6sqft previously reported on the arrival of “Narcissus Garden,” a site-specific installation made up of 1,500 mirrored stainless steel spheres by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama as MOMA PS1's third installment of“Rockaway!,” a free biannual public art program dedicated to the ongoing recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy. The completely mesmerizing installation is now on view from July 01-September 03, 2018 at Fort Tilden in the Gateway National Recreation Area, in a former train garage that once was an active U.S. military base. Kusama’s mirrored metal spheres reflect the industrial surroundings of the abandoned building and highlight Fort Tilden’s history. According to MoMA, the metal directs attention to the damage inflicted by Sandy in 2012 on the surrounding area.
More amazing images this way

Events & Things To Do

July 19, 2018

Join Untapped Cities for two insider tours of the Woolworth Building

By 6sqft

After its iconic neo-Gothic architecture and copper crown, the Woolworth Building is known by New Yorkers for being off-limits to the public, but Untapped Cities is your source to get inside the landmark. Next week, they'll be hosting their uber-popular Special Access tour, which takes guests into the spectacular “cathedral-esque” lobby and mezzanine, as well as the cellar level with its abandoned bank vault and subway entrances. You'll learn about the building's history, restoration, and incredible interior Art Deco architecture. And for those true history buffs, next month they'll offer a VIP version of this tour with building architect Cass Gilbert’s great-granddaughter, Helen Post Curry.
SIGN UP FOR THE TOURS HERE!

Events & Things To Do

Scarlett Johansson checks out $8M oceanfront condo at celeb-studded Montauk resort

Scarlett Johansson image via Wikimedia Commons.

July 19, 2018

Scarlett Johansson checks out $8M oceanfront condo at celeb-studded Montauk resort

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost have looking at beachfront properties in the Hamptons. According to the New York Post, Johansson and her man recently checked out a five-bedroom condo at Gurney’s in Montauk, in the resort's new 26-unit residential section which opened in 2016. The pair toured a pretty property priced at $7.95 million (reduced from $8.49 million, though it's still the most expensive of the eight available residences).
Make like a star and take the tour

July 19, 2018

Top 10 architecture day trips just outside NYC for Modernism lovers

By Diane Pham

Summer is the perfect time to get out of town and explore what's beyond the borders of the city. While there is certainly no shortage of nature escapes and historic hideouts nearby, just outside of Manhattan in about every direction are also numerous modernist treasures to admire. Ahead is 6sqft's round-up of the 10 best destinations for architecture enthusiasts with a penchant for modern design.
see them all here

July 19, 2018

Stunning 35-room estate with a private beach is asking $19M just outside NYC

By Emily Nonko

Prepare to be stunned by this waterfront mansion that's just hit the market within commuting distance of New York City. The 35-room Westchester estate, appropriately named "All View" by its original 19th-century owner, sits grandly atop a three-acre peninsula jutting out into the Long Island Sound. The grounds (conceived of by Central Park and Prospect Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted) do not disappoint; neither does the house, which is full of historic details but has also received modern -- and a few whimsical -- renovations. It now boasts 13 bedrooms, nine wood-burning fireplaces, three kitchens, and a new geothermal heat and air conditioning system. The best part? Every single room offers a view of the water.
You have to see inside

Distinctive Homes

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

Steve Madden's former Trump Palace pad lists for $11.5M

Doors of steel and glass make this $3M Soho loft feel like a box of light

For $3M, this charming Nomad loft has a rooftop deck with an outdoor shower

From the pool to the pergola, this $1.1M Hudson Valley home blends Colonial with contemporary

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

For $949K, this Village co-op has a Gold Coast address, prewar charm and a splash of color

For $6.75M, everything you'd want in a Park Slope brownstone

The highest penthouse in Brooklyn's tallest residence lists for $16.75M

Ricky Martin sells Upper East Side apartment for $6.15M

VIEW ALL

July 19, 2018

New East Village Target store now open in Extell’s EVGB rental building

It might seem like it's been there forever, but the new East Village Target store at 14th Street and Avenue A opened its doors this week ahead of a scheduled grand opening Saturday, July 21. The small-format chain icon occupies the corner spot in the EVGB ("East Village's Greatest Building") rental building that opened at 510 East 14th Street this year and is now stocked and ready to supply residents (the building is 50 percent leased according to a press release from developer Extell) and the rest of the 'hood with everything from cosmetics and cleaning supplies to apples and Amy's Bowls to the cheap-but-funky home goods the store is famous for. Also beer.
Already, complaints about the beer selection

Low-income New Yorkers eligible for $5 Citi Bike memberships; Goodwill opening ‘curated’ NYC boutiques

Photo via CitiBike (L); Photo: Goodwill NYNJ (R)

July 18, 2018

Low-income New Yorkers eligible for $5 Citi Bike memberships; Goodwill opening ‘curated’ NYC boutiques

By 6sqft

The NYPL’s new Culture Pass, a program that gives library card holders free access to 30+ museums, had more than 2,000 applications on its first day (and crashed the site!). [amNY] Dentures, trumpets, prosthetic limbs–a rare look inside the subway’s lost and found. [Vice] Discounted Citi Bike memberships were previously only available to NYCHA residents, but […]

Uncategorized

July 18, 2018

First phase of Bjarke Ingels’ BIG U storm protection system begins planning process

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2013, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rebuild By Design contest sought proposals for flood protection systems. Among the seven finalists was Bjarke Ingels' and One Architecture & Urbanism's BIG U, a flooding solution for Manhattan that doubles as a social environment. Now after five years, the first phase of the 10-mile barrier system is getting underway. Rebuild By Design and Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) have released an RFP for a stewardship partner for the BIG U's East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR), a $335 million reconstruction of the 64-acre, 1.5-mile East River Park. With construction expected to kick off in spring 2019, the partner will "explore stewardship models with funding mechanisms that could enhance the long-term operating budget while addressing issues of equity."
All the details

July 18, 2018

$3.7M Flatiron duplex boasts sophisticated interiors and a huge garden

In a fortunate spot where the Flatiron district and Chelsea meet, this architect-designed two-bedroom duplex at 31 West 16th Street feels like a private house. A private entrance in the pre-war townhouse building leads to an interior where timeless details were created with an eye for design and for providing all the comforts of 21st-century city living. But what really makes this $3.65 million listing exceptional is the large, gorgeous garden in the rear.
Tour both floors

Distinctive Homes

62 New York City neighborhoods lack an accessible subway station

Via City Comptroller’s office

July 18, 2018

62 New York City neighborhoods lack an accessible subway station

More than half of the 122 neighborhoods served by New York City's subway system do not have a single accessible station, a new report by City Comptroller Scott Stringer found. And out of the 62 neighborhoods dubbed "ADA transit deserts," 55 are in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. In his report, "Service Denied," Stringer details the gaps in accessibility for seniors and mobility-impaired New Yorkers and calls on the state legislature to create a new funding source dedicated to upgrades compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.
Learn more

The history of Weeksville: When Crown Heights had the second-largest free black community in the U.S.

Historic Hunterfly Road Houses via the Brooklyn Historical Society

July 18, 2018

The history of Weeksville: When Crown Heights had the second-largest free black community in the U.S.

By Lucie Levine

It’s a mighty sounding moniker, but the name “King’s County” also speaks to Brooklyn’s less-than-democratic origins. At the turn of the 19th century, the city of Brooklyn was known as the “slaveholding capital” of New York State and was home to the highest concentration of enslaved people north of the Mason-Dixon Line. But, after New York State abolished slavery in 1827, free black professionals bought land in what is now Crown Heights and founded Weeksville, a self-supporting community of African American Freedman, which grew to become the second-largest free black community in Antebellum America. By 1855, over 520 free African Americans lived in Weeksville, including some of the leading activists in the Abolitionist and Equal Suffrage movements.
More about free black Brooklyn

History

$150M revamp announced for Central Park’s Lasker pool and ice rink

Via Central Park Conservancy

July 18, 2018

$150M revamp announced for Central Park’s Lasker pool and ice rink

Central Park's Lasker pool and ice rink is set to undergo a major makeover, funded collectively by the Central Park Conservancy and the city. As first reported by the Daily News, the pool and rink will close for construction in 2020 for three years. The refurbishment will better connect the North Woods and the Harlem Meer, both currently blocked from one another by the rink.
Get the details

Architecture And Design

Rendering of 200 Amsterdam Avenue via SJP Properties/ Elkus Manfredi

July 18, 2018

City says 668-foot UWS supertall complies with zoning rules despite community protests

The city's Board of Standards and Appeals found Tuesday that a 668-foot-tall tower proposed for a zoning lot at 200 Amsterdam Avenue does, in fact, comply with zoning rules, The Real Deal reports. The decision gives developers SJP and Mitsui Fudosan the green light to proceed with development of a condominium tower on the site at 69th Street despite a growing body of community groups opposed to the project. The Committee for Environmentally Sound Development had challenged the Department of Buildings' approval of the project on the grounds that developers assembled an illegal zoning lot in the form of a 39-sided polygon 10 times larger than the actual building's planned footprint with the intent of building a larger tower.
Find out more

$1.8M Chelsea loft is industrial meets country-chic with tin ceilings and cast-iron columns

While it measures just over 1,050 square feet, the design of this Chelsea co-op packs a punch. The beautiful two-bedroom apartment boasts unique touches which fuse an industrial and country aesthetic, from its ten-foot restored pressed ceilings to its original cast-iron columns. The loft, located on the fifth floor of the pre-war building at 107 West 25th Street, has hit the market for $1.79 million.
See Inside

Distinctive Homes

July 17, 2018

Formerly pink West Village townhouse returns for $7.8M with a period-perfect facade and sleek interiors

Built in 1826, the four-story townhouse at 39 Barrow Street resembles many of the neighborhood's historic gems with its brick facade and traditional black shutters. You'd never know that sometime between its construction and 2010 when it was purchased for $4.125 million by the son of a pharmacy mogul bent on renovation, the house was a quirky pale pink stucco standout with bright lemon-yellow trim. We don't know who bestowed the Lilly Pulitzer treatment, but in previous listings it bore a rather charming resemblance to a Palm Beach palazzo. With that era long over, the home's facade is now the picture of 19th century correctness; inside, however, Reed Morrison Architects have transformed the house into a showcase of contemporary sleekness and modern convenience. The turnkey home is once again on the market, this time for $7.775 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

July 17, 2018

PHOTOS: Pier 55’s undulating support structure takes shape on the Hudson River

Construction photo via CityRealty; Rendering via Heatherwick Studio Construction has moved along quite nicely at Pier 55, the on-again, off-again public park project funded by billionaire businessman Barry Diller planned for the Hudson River. While there was not much to show when the park broke ground in April, photos recently taken by CityRealty reveal new concrete pylons arranged in various heights. These will act as the wave-shaped floating park's support structure.
See the photos

Our 1,000sqft: Creative couple Amy and Brian show off their newly renovated Prospect Park South co-op

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Prospect Park South co-op of an adorable and creative couple. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

July 17, 2018

Our 1,000sqft: Creative couple Amy and Brian show off their newly renovated Prospect Park South co-op

Back in 2015, 6sqft visited bubbly Amy Sprague at her Boerum Hill studio. Three years, two dogs, and one adorable meet-cute story later, Amy has moved over to Prospect Park South with her fiance Brian Schundler. After their dogs, Charlie and Ladybug, brought them together in the dog park, these two lovebirds decided to not only become homeowners but to undertake a complete gut renovation of their pre-war co-op. Brian, a landscape architect, favors mid-century-modern decor and minimalism, while Amy, a packing designer, loves vintage finds and earthy vibes. Luckily, this creative couple was able to mix their styles to create a comfortable home that uses clean lines and crisp architectural elements as a backdrop for their more eclectic finds and textures. Amy and Brian recently gave 6sqft a tour of their recently completed two-bedroom apartment and shared how the reno process went, how they mixed their aesthetics, and what it's like living with two 80+ pound pups.
Take the tour!

July 17, 2018

8 chances to snag an apartment near the Pulaski Bridge in Greenpoint, from $2,270/month

Via EXR A Greenpoint rental building located near the foot of the Pulaski Bridge launched a housing lottery this week for eight middle-income apartments. The development, dubbed Freeman's Corner, contains two buildings at 215 and 216 Freeman Street. Units boast oversized windows, polished concrete floors, built-in Bluetooth speakers and some feature private balconies. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which include four $2,270/month one-bedrooms and four $2,733/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

City announces $100M plan to modernize freight distribution infrastructure

Aggregate barge on Newtown Creek. Photo Credit: Mitch Waxman via NYCEDC

July 17, 2018

City announces $100M plan to modernize freight distribution infrastructure

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) announced on Monday the launch of a plan for investing in updated transportation options for New York City businesses and dividing distribution among the five boroughs. Freight NYC is a $100 million plan to overhaul the city’s aging freight distribution systems through strategic investments to modernize maritime and rail assets and create new distribution facilities. The plan hopes to create 5,000 jobs as well as a more sustainable and resilient supply chain network.
Find out more

Donald Trump is a big baby and full of hot air. Image courtesy of Michael Reeve via Flickr.

July 17, 2018

‘Baby Trump’ blimp is coming to NJ

If you followed the protests that accompanied President Donald Trump's visit to London and Scotland last week, you may have noticed a giant, inflatable, diaper-clad version of the POTUS floating above. Now, thanks to a New Jersey activist and a successful GoFundMe page, the irascible dirigible will be gracing our shores next month, Gothamist reports. The big blimp is headed across the pond and is expected to rise near Trump's Bedminster, NJ golf club in August.
Find out more

Policy

July 16, 2018

Live one block from the J, M, Z trains in Bushwick, from $1,979/month

Photo via CityRealty Three middle-income units in Bushwick are up for grabs for New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. Located at 20 Jefferson Street, the newly constructed rental building sits right next to J, M and Z trains at the Myrtle Avenue subway station. The apartments boast state-of-the-art appliances and on-site laundry. Available units include one $1,979/month one-bedroom and two $2,387/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Cuomo to investigate allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Cos. at Williamsburg condo

Rendering via Morris Adjmi Architects

July 16, 2018

Cuomo to investigate allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Cos. at Williamsburg condo

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

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday launched an investigation into allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Companies at the Austin Nichols House in Williamsburg. The announcement comes on the same day a group of 19 current and former residents of the building are set to file a $10 million lawsuit against the company for creating unlivable conditions from construction noise and dust and pushing them out to make room for condo buyers. The company, run by the family of Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner, purchased the 338-unit property at 184 Kent Avenue in 2015, and has since sold or emptied 75 percent of the rent-stabilized apartments, the Associated Press reported.
Find out more

Policy

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

New Yorkers paid over $507M for security deposits in 2016, report says

Photo via Creative Commons

July 16, 2018

New Yorkers paid over $507M for security deposits in 2016, report says

In addition to having some of the highest rents in the country, New York City requires renters to provide a substantial chunk of money up front to cover an apartment's security deposit. According to a new report by City Comptroller Scott Stringer, New Yorkers forked over more than $507 million for security deposits over the course of 2016. Stringer is calling for an overhaul of the city's security deposit system, which he says has created a financial barrier that has intensified the city's affordable housing crisis. "For too long, the deck has been stacked against New York’s working-class renters but we’re taking a step forward to reimagine how the housing system works in our City," Stringer said in a press release.
Learn more

July 16, 2018

Asking $740K, this big, bright Morningside Heights co-op has character but could use another bathroom

Usually when we think of bringing an architect to a viewing, it's because the property is in serious need of TLC. This two-bedroom, one-bath co-op at 509 west 122nd Street near Columbia University in the heart of Morningside Heights is move-in ready, with pre-war details and a modern remodel. But the bath is somewhat exiled on a complicated path to any bedroom on the floor plan, the living and dining rooms and the kitchen that serves them don't seem to be on speaking terms–and inspiration from a pro can't hurt. And while it won't kill anybody, at the very least this pretty co-op's new owner should throw away the floor plan and wing it. At least there's an elevator.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Preservationists, LGBT groups push Landmarks to designate Walt Whitman’s Clinton Hill home

Photo of Whitman via Wikimedia; Photo of 99 Ryerson Street via NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

July 16, 2018

Preservationists, LGBT groups push Landmarks to designate Walt Whitman’s Clinton Hill home

A coalition of preservationists, LGBT groups and literary experts is asking the Landmarks Preservation Commission to reassess their decision last year to not landmark Walt Whitman's Brooklyn home, the last residence of the 19th-century poet remaining in New York. Located at 99 Ryerson Street in Clinton Hill, the home was where Whitman and his family lived between May 1, 1855 and May 1, 1856. While living at the home, Whitman wrote "Leaves of Grass," a collection of poems considered to be one of the most significant American works ever. The home is also one of the earliest extant buildings in NYC associated with a member of the LGBT community.
More here

Your NYC library card will now get you free admission to 30+ museums

Photo inside the Guggenheim via Flickr cc

July 16, 2018

Your NYC library card will now get you free admission to 30+ museums

For those New Yorkers who haven't gotten their IDNYC, there's now a new way to gain free access to museums across the city--your library card. Today, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), the New York Public Library (NYPL), and Queens Library launched Culture Pass, "a joint library-led, city-wide initiative providing free access to more than 30 museums and cultural institutions across all five boroughs available to every NYC library card holder." According to a press release, all card holders have to do is go online to reserve a free day pass for themselves and up to three guests at 33 cultural organizations, from the Whitney Museum and MoMA (where regular adult entry is $25/person) to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Wave Hill.
All the details

Image via Wikimedia Commons

July 16, 2018

The New York bagel: The ‘hole’ story from history and chemistry to where you’ll find the good ones

A few international symbols of New York City–like the tough cabbie, the expensive apartment and the pizza-snatching rat–need no explanation and are too scary to think about except when absolutely necessary. Others, like the humble-yet-iconic bagel, possess New York City cred, but when asked, most people can’t quite come up with a reason. Bagels weren’t invented in New York, but the party line is that if they're made here, they’re better than anywhere. Some say it’s the water; others chalk it up to the recipe, the method, ethnic preference or all of the above. What’s the story behind the New York bagel? Who are the true bagel heroes? What makes a great bagel great? And those frozen bagels? Blame Connecticut.
Bagel squirrel vs. Pizza rat

July 16, 2018

James Gandolfini’s former West Village apartment sells for $6.2M

By Annie Doge

After nine months on the market, the late James Gandolfini's one-time West Village apartment that he shared with ex-wife Marcy Wudarski Gandolfini has found a buyer. In 1999, the couple bought one unit at 99 Jane Street for $850,000, followed by another for $1 million in 2002, combining them into one large, four-bedroom condo. Marcy took ownership the following year after they split, and the residence first hit the market in 2015 as a $21,000/month rental before listing for $7.5 million this past October. Mansion Global now reports that the home has sold for $6.2 million.
Take a look around

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue

July 14, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue Fort Lee’s The Modern: 47-Story Tower Launches with 2 Months Free [link] Rooftop Lounge + Pool Now Open at The Forge – and Up to 3 Months Free [link] Williamsburg Boutique Rental Near McCarren Park Offers 3 Months Free […]

Real Estate Trends

July 13, 2018

The Urban Lens: Artist Paul Morris twists the NYC skyline into a colorful kaleidoscope

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Paul Morris shares his digitally altered 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]. New York City is full of urban photographers, capturing streetscapes and buildings as they morph and grow and alter our neighborhoods. But very few can find a way to do this that is totally new, which is why the work of local artist Paul Morris is so refreshing. By juxtaposing his original photography with his graphic design skills, his large-scale patterns "capture and restructure elements discovered in urban landscapes to create innovative perspectives on objects found in everyday life." His latest series focuses on the city's biggest, and arguably most anticipated, new development--Hudson Yards. He's also created "False Mirror" images of everywhere from the Rockaways to the Financial District. Ahead, Paul shares with 6sqft an exclusive collection of his photos and chats with us about his unique process and inspiration.
See and learn about Paul's work

Places

July 13, 2018

Live just a short drive from the New York Botanical Garden, from $1,375/month

Photo via Wikimedia A lottery launched this week for five newly constructed, middle-income units in the Bronxdale/Allerton neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 2953 Barnes Avenue, the four-story building sits just over a mile from the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo, making the trip just a five-minute car ride or 20-minute bus ride. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from a $1,375/month one-bedroom to a $1,575/month two-bedroom.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Photo via Jump Bike Company (L); via Collective Retreats (R)

July 13, 2018

First dockless bikes arrive in the Rockaways; what it’s like to go glamping on Governors Island

By 6sqft

As the NYC Ferry hits five million passengers since its launch last year, the first larger, 350-seat boat has arrived in New York Harbor. [NYC Ferry] NYC’s first-ever dockless bicycles arrived today on the Rockaways as part of a city-wide pilot program. [Office of the Mayor] S’mores around a fire, 1,500 thread-count sheets, and the island […]

Uncategorized

Lottery opens for six middle-income apartments near the Greenpoint waterfront, from $2,100/month

197 Freeman Street via CityRealty

July 13, 2018

Lottery opens for six middle-income apartments near the Greenpoint waterfront, from $2,100/month

197 Freeman Street via CityRealty A $2,255/month one-bedroom might not be the deal of the century, but compared to the fact that the same market-rate apartment is asking $3,115, it sure seems like a steal. At 197 Freeman Street in Greenpoint, just a few blocks from the waterfront and right near cool spots like the Lobster Join and Troost, six apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery to New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. They range from $2,100/month studios to $2,715/month two-bedrooms, and the newly constructed building offers a gym, roof deck, and laundry.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Second Avenue Subway eases ridership at 4,5,6 stations by 30%

Photo via Flickr cc

July 13, 2018

Second Avenue Subway eases ridership at 4,5,6 stations by 30%

The MTA has released updated ridership figures for 2017, giving an even better look at how the Second Avenue Subway is growing in popularity and impacting the Lexington Avenue line. By looking at the three comparative stations--96th Street, 86th, and 77th/72nd Streets--we can see that average weekday ridership on the 4,5,6 line has dropped 29.5, 29.2, and 23.6 percent respectively. More impressive is the fact that in 2017, the annual number of riders at the 96th Street station and 77th and 72nd Street stations were almost identical on both lines at roughly 8.5 million. And at 86th Street, the Q station hit 7.7 million riders, still impressive compared to the Lexington line's $14 million considering there are two express trains there, too.
A deeper dive

July 13, 2018

Rotating panels at Storefront for Art and Architecture converted into shelves for books ‘yet to be written’

Photo by Naho Kubota The iconic rotating facade panels at the Storefront for Art and Architecture have been reconstructed as mostly-empty bookshelves in an installation currently on view at the Soho gallery. Abruzzo Bodziak Architects (ABA) designed the sidewalk-encroaching shelves for the exhibition, dubbed Architecture Books-Yet to Be Written. As its name suggests, the installation "seeks to celebrate and evaluate both existing and the missing volumes of a history still in the writing." ABA's design will be on display until August 25 as part of the New York Architecture Book Fair, an initiative introduced by the gallery.
Learn more

July 13, 2018

Beautiful design details and some unexpected curves make this $1.5M Nolita duplex a sunny sanctuary

Good design can lift the spirits, which is why this stylish condominium at 259 Elizabeth Street is more than just easy on the eyes. The two-bedroom-plus-office duplex, asking $1.545 million, is filled with lovely custom details and designs, from bespoke Calico wallpaper in a bohemian version of spun gold to the solarium that comprises a bedroom's outer wall.
Bask in the glow

Distinctive Homes

Beyond Manhattanhenge: Find mini-henges happening every day across NYC

Photo via d26b73 on Flickr

July 13, 2018

Beyond Manhattanhenge: Find mini-henges happening every day across NYC

While the biannual sunset that aligns perfectly between two skyscrapers in Manhattan is perhaps the best known 'henge,' it's certainly not the only one. Because every neighborhood in New York City features its own pattern of a street grid, each has its own henge days (h/t NY Times). An interactive map called NYCHenge displays where mini-henges happen for every sunset throughout the year, allowing outer-borough residents to snap a solid sunset picture nearly every day.
Find a henge near you

July 13, 2018

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen finally sell their One Madison pad after price chop to $14M

Even if golden couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have left the neighborhood for a $20 million five-bedroom spread at Robert A.M. Stern’s 70 Vestry in Tribeca, a buyer was happy enough to snatch up their Flatiron pad at 23 East 22nd Street after a price chop. As 6sqft previously reported, the New England Patriots’ quarterback and the Brazilian-born supermodel seemed to be getting serious about selling when they cut the asking price to $13.95 million; the apartment is now spoken for and off the market, according to the New York Observer. The couple bought the 48th-floor unit for $11.7 million in 2014 and put it on the market for $17.25 million in 2016–with no takers until now.
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28th Street 4, 6 station to close through December, and more weekend subway madness

Photo via Wikipedia

July 13, 2018

28th Street 4, 6 station to close through December, and more weekend subway madness

By Hannah Frishberg

Next week will start with the closure of yet another station for "enhancements." This time, the 28th Street 4, 6 station will be the one to close, through December, while it is "enhanced". Additional bad news this week is that even alternate shuttle buses now have service changes, apparently, with crane operations requiring eastbound 4 shuttle buses to reroute and run via Riverdale Avenue instead of from Livonia Avenue to Thomas S. Boyland Avenue. Also, for those who missed the initial news: the A isn't running to Far Rockaway-Mott Av, and the Rockaway Park Shuttle isn't servicing Broad Channel through September.
The full slate of service changes this way

Transit

July 12, 2018

Michael Cohen optimistically drops $6.7M on a condo at Tribeca’s 111 Murray

Photo of Michael Cohen via Wikimedia As Michael Cohen put his $9 million Trump Park Avenue apartment as collateral against a bank loan this spring, the former personal lawyer of President Donald Trump was signing a deal for a $6.7 million pad in Tribeca. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Cohen, who is under federal investigation, bought a 19th-floor apartment in April at 111 Murray Street, a 792-foot-high condo tower designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.
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One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

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Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

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

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This Saturday, the off-limits Brooklyn Bridge Beach will open to the public

Photo via Flickr cc

July 12, 2018

This Saturday, the off-limits Brooklyn Bridge Beach will open to the public

This Saturday is the 11th annual City of Water Day, a free festival organized by the Waterfront Alliance to get people to, on, and in New York Harbor and its surrounding waterways. The most anticipated event this year is the chance to access the normally off-limits Brooklyn Bridge Beach, located just north of Pier 17 in the Financial District. For years, Lower Manhattan civic groups have been advocating for the small, sandy beach under the Brooklyn Bridge to be opened to the public, and though it doesn't look like that'll be happening any time soon, the Alliance worked with the NYC EDC to grant access for this one special day.
Learn about all the events happening this Saturday

Events & Things To Do

July 12, 2018

You’re never far from the outdoors in this $5.8M Flatiron penthouse with four terraces and a roof deck

Landscaped decks and terraces are always a luxury in the city, and this penthouse at 29 West 19th Street between the Flatiron district and Chelsea has so much private outdoor space in the form of four terraces and a roof deck that you're just steps from al fresco no matter which room you're in. And while 2,242 square feet of indoor space is a lot of living room, it's the 1,700+ square feet of outdoor space that sets this three-bedroom duplex penthouse, asking $5.8 million, apart.
Tour the great outdoors

Distinctive Homes

July 12, 2018

Grow a green thumb this weekend with free activities at over 70 of NYC’s community gardens

Long Island City community garden, photo via Quench Your Eyes on Flickr With nearly 600 community gardens across New York City, picking just one to join can be difficult. GreenThumb, the largest community garden program in the country, wants to help connect New Yorkers with local gardens by hosting the first-ever Open Garden Day NYC. This Saturday, the organization will celebrate their 40th anniversary by opening more than 70 community gardens to the public, with lots of free, environmentally-friendly activities.
Go green

Events & Things To Do

July 12, 2018

Is this 32-story building the next residential tower coming to Hudson Yards?

Rendering via B.ARCHs A rendering has been released for a 32-story mixed-use building in the Hudson Yards area, between 36th and 37th Streets. The owner of the three lots spanning those blocks? Gary Barnett's Extell Development, the same group behind the neighborhood's 610-foot tall 555Ten. CityRealty uncovered the image from BARCHs, a New York-based architecture firm which describes the possible project as providing "residential, retail and parking uses to this rapidly developing neighborhood."
More here

Architecture And Design

Plans for New York City’s first soccer stadium focus on the Bronx, again

Yankee Stadium. Image: pingnews.com via Flickr

July 12, 2018

Plans for New York City’s first soccer stadium focus on the Bronx, again