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After moving to New York in 1992 and earning a degree in architecture from City College, Yugoslavia-born photographer Albert Vecerka moved to Harlem and started documenting the neighborhood. Originally an attempt to dispel the notion that Harlem was "dangerous," his "Harlem project," also captures its architectural fabric and aesthetic changes over time. 6qft recently caught up with Vecerka to hear his thoughts on Harlem--what it was like 20 years ago and why he still calls it home.
See more photos and hear from Albert

Places

Plan for a performing arts space at the World Trade Center moves forward

Rendering via REX Architecture

February 16, 2018

Plan for a performing arts space at the World Trade Center moves forward

The project to bring a performing arts center to the World Trade Center is finally back on track, almost 15 years after the idea was included in the original vision for rebuilding the area post-9/11. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday an agreement for a 99-year lease between the Port Authority and the World Trade Center Performing Arts Center Inc. (PAC) for $1 per year, paving the way for construction to begin. Named for the billionaire who gifted $75 million to the project, the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center will include 200,000 square feet of space, three halls and a rehearsal space, a restaurant and a gift shop. If everything moves smoothly, the center could open as soon as the 2020 or 2021 season.
Find out more

New Jersey’s priciest penthouse has a hibachi dining room and glass cube roof deck

Photo: VDP

February 16, 2018

New Jersey’s priciest penthouse has a hibachi dining room and glass cube roof deck

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Developer Alexander Hovnanian has introduced a new, head-turning $8 million penthouse at the Nine on the Hudson development in New Jersey's Port Imperial neighborhood. Inspired by Japanese design and Dutch aesthetics, the home was created to be "incomparable to other penthouses in NJ, even in NYC" atop the new U-shaped 278-unit project on the Hudson River in West New York.
Greenhouse kitchen, glass cube roof deck, this way

Black history in Greenwich Village: 15 sites related to pioneering African-Americans

Image via Wikimedia

February 16, 2018

Black history in Greenwich Village: 15 sites related to pioneering African-Americans

Greenwich Village has been known throughout its existence for breaking new ground and embracing outsiders. One often-forgotten but important element of that trailblazing narrative is the extraordinary role the Village played in relation to African American history. The neighborhood was home to North America’s earliest free Black settlement in the 17th century, to some of America’s first black churches in the 19th century, and many pioneering African-American artists, civil rights leaders, and organizations in the 20th century. This Black History Month, here are just a few of the exceptional Greenwich Village sites connected to African-American history.
Learn about all 15 sites here

History

February 16, 2018

The Panorama Challenge is back! See if you can answer past years’ toughest trivia questions

By 6sqft

For the 11th year, the City Reliquary, Queens Museum, and The Levys’ Unique New York! have partnered for the Panorama Challenge, considered the ultimate NYC trivia. On Friday, March 2, using the Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum – a room-sized scale model of the entire city, a relic from the 1964 World's Fair – teams will answer questions in categories that may include McKim, Mead, & White sites; the Grammys; the movie Wonderstruck; and the Museum's Never Built New York exhibit. In anticipation of the event, quizmaster Jonathan Turer is testing 6sqft readers with five (one for each borough!) of past years' toughest clues.
Test your knowledge!

Events & Things To Do

Bruce Willis ‘downsizes’ to a new four-bedroom Riverside Center condo

Photo: Evan Joseph Photography; Bruce Willis photo: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

February 16, 2018

Bruce Willis ‘downsizes’ to a new four-bedroom Riverside Center condo

Bruce Willis and his wife Emma Heming Willis found a buyer for their home at 271 Central Park West for $17.75 million within a week of listing the six-bedroom co-op after deciding to downsize a bit. According to reports the pair have just bought a new Upper West Side aerie at One West End at 1 West End Avenue. The four-bedroom condominium in the 41-story tower, part of the in the massive Riverside Center project designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli and Hill West Architects, spans over 3,000 square feet and was last listed for $7.9 million.
Take a look

MTA serves up debilitating service change schedule this long weekend

Photo by Hannah Frishberg

February 16, 2018

MTA serves up debilitating service change schedule this long weekend

Monday is a Federal Holiday, President's Day, and the MTA has both a trick and a treat planned for the long weekend. The treat is that the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus will be free through Tuesday. The trick is that both subways and buses will be operating on a Saturday schedule come Monday, meaning there will be no express service on the 6 or 7 trains and the B, J and W trains will not be running, in addition to a number of other service changes. The MTA is offering no rest for weary straphangers in terms of planned work line rerouting: 3 trains won't be running at all, and the Rockaways will be serviced largely by shuttle bus.
Good luck, straphangers

Transit

Three chances to live off Crown Heights’ hip Franklin Avenue for $2,250/month

Little Zelda is a popular cafe in Crown Heights; photo via CityRealty

February 15, 2018

Three chances to live off Crown Heights’ hip Franklin Avenue for $2,250/month

The lottery launched on Thursday for three middle-income units in a new building located just off Crown Height's hip Franklin Avenue. Within walking distance to tasty restaurants and eclectic stores, as well as the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park, 615 St. John's Place sits in one of the most coveted areas of Central Brooklyn. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the three one-bedroom apartments for $2,250 per month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

February 15, 2018

The new nomadic lifestyle: Luxury real estate and restaurants take over Nomad

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

A nomad is defined as “a member of a community of people who live in different locations, moving from one place to another in search of grasslands for their animals.” But it would be hard to imagine any Nomad resident ever straying for grasslands beyond Madison Square Park. After a series of incarnations over the years, Nomad is now a super hip, bustling neighborhood from morning through night with residents, technology businesses (it’s now being referred to as “Silicon Alley”), loads of retail (leaning heavily toward design), great architecture, hot hotels, and tons and tons of food. Named for its location north of Madison Square Park, Nomad's borders are a bit fuzzy but generally, they run east-west from Lexington Avenue to Sixth Avenue and north-south from 23rd to 33rd Streets. Douglas Elliman's Bruce Ehrmann says, “Nomad is the great link between Madison Square Park, Midtown South, Murray Hill and 5th Avenue.”
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

185-acre equestrian estate that once belonged to the Carnegie family heads to auction

Drew Barrymore finds buyer for gut-renovated Westchester estate

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

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

A colorful converted convent in Hamilton Heights asks $2M

Cobble Hill's most expensive home finds a buyer

Bob Dylan's historic Harlem townhouse sells for $2.8M

This $6.75M Gothic Revival townhouse in Park Slope was once a church rectory

This $675K Flatbush co-op has a clean Scandinavian vibe and a flexible layout

An artist's mural in this $1.4M Hit Factory condo will remind you of its colorful past

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A 10-minute walk to the subway could save you 10 percent on rent

Photo via Jeffrey Zeldman’s Flickr

February 15, 2018

A 10-minute walk to the subway could save you 10 percent on rent

While amenities like on-site laundry and air conditioning are big selling points in New York City rentals, the building's proximity to the subway remains one of the most important factors when looking for new digs. And like other amenities, there is an added cost to live near the subway. New data from RentHop breaks down how much renters can save by living further from the subway in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. According to their report, as Curbed NY reported, apartments closest to the subway cost 6 to 8 percent more than the borough median, with the furthest costing 8 to 10 percent less.
Details here

February 15, 2018

Tired of NYC’s light pollution? Use this map to find ‘dark sky’ escapes

The omnipresence of artificial light, brilliant in its intentions, has become as much of a nuisance as a blessing in cities where we almost can’t tell night from day. Enter global light pollution. Is there any escape? The bright lights get in the way of astronomy–and affect animals and plants (who can’t just pull the shades down). Scientists are looking to “dark sky” initiatives to protect areas unscathed by light pollution; there are now dark-sky-designated areas in North America, South America and Europe. Interactive dark sky maps, courtesy of Esri, show where on Earth one might find respite from the glare–and where it’s at its most intense.
Check out the map

City Living

Fearless Girl and Charging Bull statues might relocate from Wall Street

Fearless Girl and Charging Bull statues on Wall Street; via Anthony Quintano’s Flickr

February 15, 2018

Fearless Girl and Charging Bull statues might relocate from Wall Street

The temporary bronze sculpture that has attracted millions of tourists and locals could become a permanent fixture in New York City, according to Adweek. Commissioned by State Street Global Advisors, the Fearless Girl statue was installed last March, a day before International Women's Day, sending a message to Wall Street for the need of gender equality in the financial world. With her chin up and hands firmly on her hips, the 250-pound statue defiantly faces the iconic Charging Bull statue, which has stood in the same spot since 1989. And now the city might relocate the pair of statues from Bowling Green Park in lower Manhattan to another, more pedestrian-friendly home to ease safety concerns.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

February 15, 2018

New York City’s priciest townhouse sets another record after $90M sale

Billionaire Len Blavatnik has broken the city's record for the most expensive townhouse after paying $90 million for an Upper East Side mansion, according to the New York Post. The seller, HNA Group, sold the home at 19 East 64th Street after recently picking it up in April for $79.5 million, a record at the time. Blavatnik, a music executive who already owns a home on 64th Street and paid $80 million for a home at 834 Fifth Avenue, has an estimated net worth of around $20.5 billion.
More this way

Real Estate Trends

February 15, 2018

Mel Gibson’s former 75-acre Greenwich estate is back on the market for $22.5M

The marvelously enormous Greenwich, CT estate known as Old Mill Farm was owned by Mel Gibson for 15 years, during which it was known as Wayne Manor; The actor/director sold it for about $24 million in 2010, and it has been on and off the market ever since. The sprawling property, which includes a greenhouse, a pool, a box maze, stables, a log cabin, a spring-fed lake, a lighted tennis court–and a life-sized chess board--is back on the market asking $22.5 million, Curbed reports. The estate is anchored by a 15,800-square-foot, eight-bedroom Elizabethan Tudor, which is a marvel even on its own.
Get the grand tour

February 15, 2018

In a former Harlem school building, this rococo-inspired studio asks $695K

There's no overlooking this studio apartment from the former Harlem public school at 220 West 148th Street. Carved from the early 1900s school building, this is a 750-square-foot pad with 12-foot ceilings and light through three exposures. In this bright space, the current owner has packed every corner with a rococo-inspired design. Plenty of elaborate touches make this feel less like a tight studio and rather a lofty apartment with plenty to look at.
Head right in

Distinctive Homes

February 14, 2018

The Obamas are not moving to the Upper East Side

By Annie Doge

Barack and Michelle Obama via Wiki Commons; One of 10 Gracie Square’s terraces overlooking the East River, via CityRealty Dreams of having Barack and Michelle Obama in New York City were dashed this week after a report dispelled any and all rumors about the presidential couple moving to Manhattan. According to New York Magazine, the Obamas are not purchasing the five-bedroom duplex at 10 Gracie Square that went into contract for $10 million last month. On background, a source told the magazine: "It's not happening. They certainly did not submit an application, and this never got to the point where a deal was even being floated."
More here

Celebrities

A love letter to NYC pigeons; Are these the New Yorkiest Valentine’s cards?

“Lovebirds” via Wiki Commons (L); Via NYC Love Notes (R)

February 14, 2018

A love letter to NYC pigeons; Are these the New Yorkiest Valentine’s cards?

By 6sqft

They’re romantic, they’re ubiquitous, and they have crazy visual abilities–why you should love NYC pigeons. [WNYC] For the third time, Jersey City was ranked the most diverse city in the country. [NJ.com] Celeb-favorite sweets emporium Sugar Factory will open a Museum of Candy in the old Limelight Church. [NYP] Inside one of Bushwick’s last remaining […]

Uncategorized

RPA report envisions New Jersey’s Meadowlands as the first ‘Climate Change National Park’

Via ORG Permanent Modernity/Regional Plan Association

February 14, 2018

RPA report envisions New Jersey’s Meadowlands as the first ‘Climate Change National Park’

Released last fall, the Regional Plan Association's (RPA) Fourth Plan includes 61 recommendations focused on improving and expanding the area's deteriorating infrastructure, transportation, and affordability, much of which revolves around climate change and its transformation of the region. According to the report, more than one million people and 650,000 jobs are at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. In the plan, the RPA ambitiously recommends that the New Jersey Meadowlands, 21,000 acres of low-lying wetlands, becomes a national park as a way to mitigate impacts of climate change (h/t Curbed). Designating the region's largest wetland as a national park would restore the natural habits, protect nearby communities, and create a recreational space, becoming, the report says, a "Climate Change National Park." The Meadowlands National Park would adapt and grow with climate change by drawing and redrawing the boundaries of the park as coastlines change.
Find out more

Six things you didn’t know about the Lower West Side

By Historic Districts Council

This post is part of a series by the Historic Districts Council, exploring the groups selected for their Six to Celebrate program, New York’s only targeted citywide list of preservation priorities. The Lower West Side may not be a neighborhood name used by brokers, but for those involved with preservation efforts in the area, it's a neighborhood very much unique from the surrounding Financial District. Encompassing the area west of Broadway from Liberty Street to Battery Place, it was originally home to Irish and German immigrants, followed by Little Syria, the nation’s first and largest Arabic settlement, from roughly the 1880s to 1940s. But the construction of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and World Trade Center "nearly wiped the neighborhood off the map." There are still several buildings remaining that serve as a connection to the past, however, and Friends of the Lower West Side is working diligently to make sure this history is not lost, expanding its oral history program, offering walking tours of the area, and appealing to the Landmarks Commission to designate a small historic district.
Find out six little-known facts about this amazing district

History

February 14, 2018

$9.5M tricked-out Soho bachelor pad is a townhouse with condo benefits

The name is as flashy as its leather-wrapped walls and furnishings and smoked-glass kitchen: Townhouse One at Soho Mews spans 3,855 square feet on two floors and offers five bedrooms and a discreet private entrance on Soho's bustling Wooster Street. Asking $9.5 million, this palatial "townhouse" gets access to the amenities of the stylish Soho Mews condominium at 311 West Broadway including a concierge, a gym and parking.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Collection of antique Valentines explores expressions of love over three centuries

Fold-open Valentine card, German (1900); courtesy of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

February 14, 2018

Collection of antique Valentines explores expressions of love over three centuries

While a simple and perhaps less swanky gesture than diamonds and roses, a Valentine's Day card remains one of the most popular ways to say "I love you" every February 14. This year Americans will exchange about 190 million greeting cards during the holiday, spending nearly $1 billion on them. A collection of antique paper Valentines from The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens proves this is not a 21st-century phenomenon. The museum, located in San Marino, CA, acquired a collection of about 12,300 romantic greeting cards, sentimental notes and drawings made in Europe and North America from 1684 to 1970 (h/t NY Times). A historian from New Jersey, Nancy Rosin, put together the impressive collection of cards over four decades and her family recently donated them to the museum.
More this way

Events & Things To Do

February 14, 2018

Designer Sebastian Errazuriz opens up his South Bronx studio full of functional art and furniture

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the South Bronx design studio of Sebastian Errazuriz. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Sebastian Errazuriz is a Chilean-born artist, designer, and activist but over the years, he's grown his multidisciplinary studio to incorporate everything from virtual reality to activism. But nothing he does is cookie-cutter. His cabinets undulate and mimic kaleidoscopes; his public art makes social commentary on issues from Wall Street and capitalism to Chile's politicide; and he's created sculptures that mix a boat with a coffin and a crystal chandelier with taxidermy birds. Sebastian likens his ability to work in these mediums separately but together to how he can speak both English and Spanish but also Spanglish. "It's the freedom to incorporate words that do not exist in one particular language but that enrich communication with someone else that I really enjoy within the boundaries of art and design," he explains. Now, Sebastian is at the forefront of yet another new frontier. Though he has a 5,000-square-foot space at the uber-hip Industry City, he opened his second location last summer in Mott Haven, one of the city's newest artist enclaves due to its affordable warehouse spaces and non-residential nature that sets it apart from the more gentrifying parts of the area. 6sqft recently paid Sebastian a visit here to learn how his firm is growing, the process behind his "functional art," and why he moved to the South Bronx.
Tour the studio and meet Sebastian

February 14, 2018

Fall in love with this elegant two-bedroom co-op, asking $1.85M in the Village

In New York we don't just fall madly in love with people--we fall just as hard for real estate. So here's a charming two-bedroom apartment to love from the Greenwich Village cooperative 171 West 12th Street. The listing boasts plenty of pre-war elegance in the form of original casement windows with double-paned glass, a wood-burning fireplace surrounded by exposed brick, and built-in bookshelves. And exposures to the south, west, and north--plus access to a balcony--bring in plenty of light. It's just been listed for $1.85 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

The city will produce 500 affordable apartments across 87 hard-to-fill vacant lots

Image: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

February 14, 2018

The city will produce 500 affordable apartments across 87 hard-to-fill vacant lots

An announcement Tuesday by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) gave lower-income New Yorkers lots to look forward to–literally. HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announced that nine development teams would be creating 490 affordable apartments and homeownership opportunities on 87 vacant lots through the department's New Infill Homeownership Opportunities Program (NIHOP) and Neighborhood Construction Program (NCP). The programs were designed specifically to unlock the potential of vacant lots long considered too small or irregular for traditional housing with innovative smaller homes, and develop more affordable housing on lots long used for parking at existing housing complexes. This latest round of development is the third and final in a series: The program has already seen the construction of over 600 affordable homes on 81 lots.
'No site has gone overlooked'

February 13, 2018

This white and bright studio asks $549K in Soho

This Soho studio was renovated five years ago, bringing a stark modern aesthetic to a unit already boasting high ceilings, hardwood floors, exposed brick, and a decorative fireplace. Though the studio isn't huge, white walls and cabinetry, plus a line of windows that face Sullivan Street, keep things nice and bright. The pad, located at 145 Sullivan Street, sold in 2012 for $346,000 before being listed at an ask of $549,000.
Check out the reno

Distinctive Homes

February 13, 2018

The Urban Lens: ‘Impossible Landscapes’ bend the reality of life in NYC

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Juan Jose Egusquiza shares his "Impossible Landscapes" series. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Juan Jose Egusquiza describes himself as a "visual storyteller, image maker, and reality bender." In his latest photo manipulation series titled "Impossible Landscapes," he bends the reality of New York, a city that lent itself perfectly to the project since it's constantly changing and being reimaged. From plopping Downtown's skyscraper in the middle of the desert to adding a rushing river through Chinatown to inverting the entire skyline, Juan has created a view of NYC that inspires endless curiosity and stories. Ahead, see all of the images and learn a bit more from Juan about his process and inspiration.
Everything, this way

Events & Things To Do

February 13, 2018

986-foot Flatbush Avenue tower in Downtown Brooklyn gets revised renderings

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

Ahead of its public review, Alloy Development this week released new details and renderings of its proposed mixed-use development at 80 Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. Developers amended the complex's design, first released in April, following backlash from the community and more than 100 meetings with local stakeholders. While the taller tower will keep its original design with 74 stories, the 38-story building's profile will be slimmed and feature a masonry facade to complement the neighboring Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower.
More here

Real Estate Trends

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

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

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

VIEW ALL

See NYC’s hot spots in real-time on Snapchat’s new crowd-sourced web map

Photo via Pexels

February 13, 2018

See NYC’s hot spots in real-time on Snapchat’s new crowd-sourced web map

Snapchat on Monday announced that its "Snap Map," a feature which allows users to view posts from around the world, will be available on the web, giving those without the social media app a chance to check out events happening near them. In addition to now existing outside of the Snapchat app, the browser version of the map lets snappers embed content from the map onto web pages, much like how Twitter or Instagram permits (h/t WIRED). Hot spots on the map, areas with lots of posts, glow green or blue; heavy traffic locations light up red and orange. Today in New York users are filling up "Our Story" with posts from New York Fashion Week, the September 11th Memorial, and the Empire State Building.
More here

Policy

February 13, 2018

‘Silence of the Lambs’ director Jonathan Demme’s longtime Central Park West co-op sells for $2.4M

By Annie Doge

Acclaimed filmmaker Jonathan Demme, who won an Academy Award for directing "The Silence of the Lambs," passed away in April. For at least 30 years prior, he resided at the grand Emery Roth-designed Central Park West co-op the Alden. According to city records, his longtime Upper West Side home has now sold for $2.4 million, after just 13 days on the market.
READ MORE

New York City’s subway system has a water problem- a 13 million gallon one

Workers pumping seawater out of the L-train tunnel after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, photo courtesy of the MTA on Flickr

February 13, 2018

New York City’s subway system has a water problem- a 13 million gallon one

The subway's crippling, century-old infrastructure is not the only reason behind the system's constant delays and disruptions. The other problem involves about 13 million gallons of water, or more depending on the rainfall, that gets pumped out from underground on a nearly daily basis. A perpetual hazard, water can drip onto electrified equipment, cause a short and create chaos, as the New York Times reported. After ineffectively using only sandbags and plywood to fight flooding in the past, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has turned to more high-tech solutions, like flood-proof doors and inflatable gaskets, which will be a part of its $800 million emergency action plan to fix the subway.
Find out more

Transit

February 13, 2018

Historic Kips Bay townhouse with room to grow asks $4.3M

This mid-19th century townhouse in Manhattan's often overlooked neighborhood of Kips Bay might be a dime a dozen in a Brooklyn neighborhood like Cobble Hill. But in Midtown it's asking $4.3 million and it looks as cute as a button somehow. This four-story-plus-cellar Greek Revival-style (officially) three-family home sits on a pretty tree-lined residential street. At 18-inches wide its well-maintained and fetching façade is highlighted by custom contrasting shutters.
Tour the townhouse

February 13, 2018

World’s Fair fountains in Flushing Meadows will get a $5M revamp

More than 50 years after the 1964-65 World's Fair was held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the fountains leading up to the iconic Unisphere will be returned to their former glory. amNY first got word that the currently dilapidated Fountain of the Fairs would undergo a $5 million renovation next year. Renderings from Quennell Rothschild & Partners show a Fog Garden, a walkway filled with misting fountains, as well as a children's water park and another plaza for outdoor performances, all of which will be lined with new landscaping and seating.
More details and renderings

Architecture And Design

How to celebrate the Chinese New Year in NYC; The fight to save the Frederick Law Olmsted house

Photo via Patrick Kwan/Flickr (L); Olmsted House as of October 2017, via The New York Landmarks Conservancy

February 12, 2018

How to celebrate the Chinese New Year in NYC; The fight to save the Frederick Law Olmsted house

By 6sqft

Of course, an all-avocado restaurant has made its way to Manhattan. Avocado Appetit is now open in Chinatown. [Eater] Friday kicks off the Year of the Dog. Here are 10 alternative events to celebrate the Chinese New Year in NYC. [Untapped Cities] NYC has 400 outreach workers whose job is to build trust with people living on the streets […]

Uncategorized

Interactive map identifies the New York City neighborhoods most underserved by transit

Map via AllTransit

February 12, 2018

Interactive map identifies the New York City neighborhoods most underserved by transit

Nearly 29 percent of New York City households are underserved by transit, according to data from the Center for Neighborhood Technology and TransitCenter. In a joint project, called AllTransit, the team put together a collection of transit data that includes 15,000 routes and 800 agencies in the United States. A tool called Gap Finder identifies gaps in U.S. cities where underserved communities would benefit from improved service.
Explore it here

Transit

February 12, 2018

Enjoy zen vibes from this lofty condo asking $775K in Hamilton Heights

This two-bedroom pad comes from the prewar condo at 706 Riverside Drive, in Hamilton Heights. Though the building is classic the apartment's been renovated to look more like a zen loft downtown. A "double loft wonderland" was added to the second bedroom, alongside reclaimed wood shelving and unique decor. After last selling in 2007 for $349,830, it is now asking $775,000.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

February 12, 2018

Work for Google? Get a $1M discount on this $13M 7-story Chelsea townhouse

In the heart of bustling and ever-expanding Chelsea, a seven-story, 6,500 square-foot new-construction townhouse stands seductively for sale at 338 West 15th Street. Listed for $13.395 million, the home represents a new kind of opportunity in more ways than one. In addition to being meticulously finished with the most luxurious materials available and possessed of endless space both indoors and outdoors, a $1 million discount is offered to a buyer who is an employee of Google. And that (not-so-) little extra perk for a potential Google buyer is intended as a celebration of the company's exciting expansion within the Chelsea neighborhood. And with more Google ownership in the neighborhood in the form of the just-purchased Chelsea Market (a $2.5 billion deal), there could be a daily bonus of a seven-minute walk to work.
Get a look around

Distinctive Homes

Trump’s long-awaited infrastructure plan won’t fund Gateway project

Photo via The Gateway Program Development Corporation

February 12, 2018

Trump’s long-awaited infrastructure plan won’t fund Gateway project

President Donald Trump on Monday released his $200 billion infrastructure plan and it does not look good for New York and New Jersey. Because the plan shifts the financial burden from the federal government onto states and localities, relying on incentives to spur private investment, major projects will struggle to find funding. This includes the Gateway Tunnel project, a proposal to construct a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and repair the existing one. As the only intercity passenger rail crossing into NYC from NJ, the tunnel is a critical link for nearly 200,000 daily passengers. While the Obama administration considered Gateway a priority and committed half of the project's cost in 2015, the Trump administration has scoffed at the idea.
More this way

February 12, 2018

How NYC companies use workplace design and perks to affect emotional health and productivity

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Modern companies understand that in order to attract and retain the best talent, they have to compete on more than salaries, vacation, and healthcare. Companies like Google, WeWork, Pixar, and Facebook are well known for providing workspaces that inspire creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Clive Wilkinson, the architect of Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters, is quoted as saying, “75 to 80 percent of America is cubicle land. Cubicles are the worst - like chicken farming. They are humiliating, disenfranchising and isolating. So many American corporations still have them." Modern office designs are the opposite of closed off, fluorescent-lit cubicles- they are open with natural light and little, if any, suggestion of hierarchies. In addition to designing workspaces that inspire creativity, these modern companies also providing perks like free food, drink, and recreation to entice employees. So what are some of the best practices in designing offices for people’s emotional health and productivity? And what other perks do companies have to offer to attract the top talent?
Here's what companies are offering up

Live on a rare dead-end block in a new Bushwick rental for $856/month

Rendering via Karl Fischer

February 12, 2018

Live on a rare dead-end block in a new Bushwick rental for $856/month

Here's your chance to have the best of both worlds--live right off Myrtle Avenue and the J, M, Z stop in Bushwick but still have a nice, quiet place to come home to. The lottery is now open for eight affordable units in the brand new Karl Fischer-designed rental at 16 Charles Place, a rare dead-end street that, for years, has been adorned with the 'hood's signature graffiti. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments that range from $856/month studios to $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

February 12, 2018

Pier 40 concept envisions an offshore apartment complex that allows for sea-level rise

Local multidisciplinary creative firm DFA has come up with a concept for the rehabilitation of Manhattan's rapidly disintegrating Pier 40 that would provide housing and other services, but would also adapt to the predicted rising sea levels of future New York City. Dezeen reports on the firm's fascinating idea for a future-proof housing, commercial and recreation complex that rises from the Hudson River in the West Village and would be able to remain above water in the event of rising sea levels, while addressing the city's dire need for affordable housing and the ability to resist flooding as a result of climate change.
Find out more about the future-proof floating pier

Architecture And Design

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

Images (L to R): 606W57, The Delmar, Aurora and 88 Leonard Street

February 10, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): 606W57, The Delmar, Aurora and 88 Leonard Street Little Italy Rental Debuts; Rumored to have Housed Debbie Harry & Robert De Niro Lenox Terrace Offers Renovated Harlem Apartments from $1,650/Mo. Pre-War Grandeur at The Wyoming; Amazing Midtown Rental Near Central Park Bronx Rentals Debut at Port133 at 751 East 133rd Street […]

Real Estate Trends

February 9, 2018

This colorful Gramercy co-op is a $925K cure for the winter blahs

Located just off Irving Place where some of the best downtown Manhattan neighborhoods meet sought-after Gramercy, this stylish little one-bedroom co-op at 134 East 16th Street charms with its old-world good looks. Color and pattern add pizzazz and a roaring fire warms our hearts.
Take a closer look

Distinctive Homes

New renderings revealed for SCDA’s flashy 11-story condo on the High Line

Rendering via Neoscape

February 9, 2018

New renderings revealed for SCDA’s flashy 11-story condo on the High Line

A swath of new renderings of SCDA Architects' condo tower was released this week, more than three years after the project was first announced in 2014. As Curbed NY learned, the new renderings of the building, located, at 515 West 29th Street, show a glass fin facade and the interiors of the 15 planned apartments, including five penthouses. Forum Absolute Capital Partners is developing the tower, dubbed Five One Five, which will contain two- and three-bedroom units ranging from $4.3 million to $8.5 million. CORE is handling sales and marketing.
See it here

February 9, 2018

Saudi prince’s Trump Place triplex with three bullet-proof panic rooms sells at a $40M discount

Six years ago, Saudi Prince Nawaf bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud listed his lavish Heritage at Trump Place triplex for a staggering $75 million. Three years ago, it got a price chop to $48.5 million, and The Real Deal now reports that it's closed for an even further discounted $36 million. Since the 10,500-square-foot home listed long before the reign of Trump, we're guessing it's not the building's namesake that caused it trouble on the market. Perhaps having three bullet-proof panic rooms isn't on everyone's real estate wishlist?
Find out more and look around

On this day in 1935, a 125-pound alligator was wrangled in an East Harlem sewer

Clipping from the 1935 New York Times article (L); Tom Otterness sculpture at the 14th Street/8th Avenue subway station depicting the event, via MTA Arts (R)

February 9, 2018

On this day in 1935, a 125-pound alligator was wrangled in an East Harlem sewer

Have you ever heard of "Alligators in the Sewers Day"? According to the New York Times, on February 9, 1935, a group of teenagers allegedly caught and killed an eight-foot, 125-pound alligator in a manhole on East 123rd Street while shoveling snow. A headline in the paper the next day read, "Alligator Found in Uptown Sewer," fueling an urban legend of an entire underground alligator population. Michael Miscione, the Manhattan borough historian, is so intrigued by the tale, that he annually observes this unofficial holiday "to honor discarded pets or escaped beasts that have grown large below our streets."
So, how did the gator get here?

History

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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See new photos of SHoP Architects’ Domino rental tower at 325 Kent

Photo: Adrian Gaut

February 9, 2018

See new photos of SHoP Architects’ Domino rental tower at 325 Kent

Now that the doughnut-shaped 16-story waterfront rental building at 325 Kent Avenue is nearly complete, you can take a look at some seductive new snaps of interiors and amenity spaces to see if it lives up to the hype. The first structure at the 11-acre Domino Sugar Factory site to open, the 522-unit riverfront tower brings something new to ogle to the famously rezoned Williamsburg neighborhood’s veritable city of glassy condo towers that surround the landmarked Refinery building.
More photos, yoga and food this way

Google to expand footprint at Chelsea’s Pier 57

Rendering via RXR Realty

February 9, 2018

Google to expand footprint at Chelsea’s Pier 57

Earlier this week, Google entered into a contract with Jamestown LP to buy the Chelsea Market building for nearly $2.5 billion, the second largest single sale in New York City's history. And on Friday, Google reached a tentative deal to expand its footprint at Pier 57, adding another 70,000 square feet of space to its prior 250,000-square-foot agreement. According to Crain's, the lease will include an additional 50,000 square feet of educational activities and a new ferry landing.
More this way

Real Estate Trends

Urban Romance: Photographer Matt Weber captures decades of love on the subway

Subway Kiss #1 by Matt Weber

February 9, 2018

Urban Romance: Photographer Matt Weber captures decades of love on the subway

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Matt Weber shares his "Urban Romance" series. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. A born-and-bred Upper West Sider, photographer Matt Weber has been watching New York all his life, taking pictures of everything he can. Over the years, he accumulated many photos of love, or at least, public displays of affection. Though people are constantly kissing all over the world, there's something especially gutsy, memorable, and nonchalantly confident in a subway kiss. For many, a quick peck or a full-on makeout session is among the least desirable things when you're being crushed like a sardine, underground, in a moving metal tube. Yet, New Yorkers do it constantly – a documented fact. Just in time for the most romantic day of the year, we had a chance to talk with Matt Weber about his photography, his "Urban Romance" series, and how New York has changed since he started capturing it.
See all the photos

Places

The L is virtually the only train without planned track work this weekend

Photo by Phil Roeder / Flickr

February 9, 2018

The L is virtually the only train without planned track work this weekend

Planned work will be impacting just about everyone this weekend, with the L line and shuttles the only lines to not have service changes. The 2 and the 5 lines are masquerading as one another for considerable hunks of track, and the A, C, E, are an absolute mess. To boot, MetroCard vending machines will only be accepting cash from 12:01am to 6am Saturday morning, so make sure to not be out of swipes if you go out Friday night.
Get ready, it's a lot

Transit

February 8, 2018

East Harlem housing lottery offers less-than-affordable prices