6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

The end of 2017 has seen a lot of record-setting headlines for 432 Park Avenue, namely the $91 million, three-penthouse sale that was the city's most expensive all year. And a sale at the supertall that came through city property records today makes it clear that there's no sign of slowing down. Unit 65A, a half-floor, three-bedroom spread, first sold in June of 2016 for $27 million to an anonymous LLC dubbed "432 Holdings LLC." This past September, the building's developers CIM Group and Macklowe Properties bought back the apartment for $27.9 million in a presumed attempt to let the seller buy a larger unit in the building. As The Real Deal reported, the seller did just that, upgrading to an 80th-floor unit that cost $39 million. But as of today, the developers have all but made their money back, as the 65th-floor residence sold yet again for $26.4 million to another LLC called "Mallow Enterprises."
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Real Estate Trends

Founder of #MeToo movement chosen to drop Times Square ball on New Year’s Eve

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 28, 2017

Founder of #MeToo movement chosen to drop Times Square ball on New Year’s Eve

The #MeToo “silence breakers” have the designation of being Time magazine’s most influential “person” of 2017, and now, the movement’s founder, Tarana Burke, will usher in the new year live from Times Square. Burke, who began the Me Too movement a decade ago, will push the ceremonial Waterford crystal button to signal the ball drop, which […]

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The biggest celebrity move-ins of 2017; Get free tickets to de Blasio’s inaugural ceremony

Via CityRealty (L); Via Office of the Mayor (R)

December 28, 2017

The biggest celebrity move-ins of 2017; Get free tickets to de Blasio’s inaugural ceremony

By 6sqft

These celebs spent the most on NYC homes this year. [CityRealty] “How I Met Your Mother” actress Cobie Smulders drops the price of her Battery Park City penthouse. [NYP] Here are 25 Brooklyn New Year’s Eve parties to help you welcome 2018. [Brokelyn] If you’re willing to brave the cold at City Hall Plaza, you can […]

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VIDEO: Travel back to 1904 for the first New Year’s Eve in Times Square

A crowd in Times Square; screenshot via TheLazyCowOnUTube

December 28, 2017

VIDEO: Travel back to 1904 for the first New Year’s Eve in Times Square

In 1904, the New York Times moved from the City Hall are to the triangular piece of land at the intersection of 7th Avenue, Broadway, and 42nd Street. People thought they were crazy for moving so far uptown, but this was the same year the first subway line opened, passing through what was then called Longacre Square. Not only did their new Times Tower have a printing press in the basement (they loaded the daily papers right onto the train and got the news out faster than other papers), but it was the second-tallest building in the city at the time. To honor this accolade, the company wanted to take over the city's former New Year's Eve celebration at Trinity Church, and since the church elders hated people getting drunk on their property, they gladly obliged. So to ring in 1905, the Times hosted an all-day bash of 200,000 people that culminated in a midnight fireworks display, and thus the first New Year's Eve in Times Square was born. But it wasn't until a few years later that the famous ball drop became tradition.
Get the full history in this video

For the ninth consecutive year, Dunkin’ Donuts ranks as NYC’s largest national retailer

Dunkin’ Donuts, photo courtesy of Robert S on Flickr

December 28, 2017

For the ninth consecutive year, Dunkin’ Donuts ranks as NYC’s largest national retailer

New Yorkers really do run on Dunkin'. According to a report from the Center for an Urban Future, beloved national coffee and donut chain, Dunkin' Donuts, has the most stores of any chain in New York City, with 612 stores total, a net increase of 16 stores in 2016 and 271 stores since 2008. In their tenth annual ranking, CUF's report found that the number of national retailers in the city increased by 1.8 percent from last year, with food retailers and restaurants showing the strongest growth. New to the list and ranking second is cell-phone store MetroPCS, which now has 445 stores citywide, adding a whopping 119 locations in the past year. Following Dunkin', Subway is the most popular fast-food chain in each of the boroughs, with a total 317 stores.
Find out more

December 28, 2017

Sen. Jacob Javits’ former Sutton Place co-op sells for $4.4M

After first hitting the market in June for roughly $5.2 million, the former Sutton Place home of influential New York senator, Jacob Javits and his wife Marian, has found a buyer. Last listed for $4.35 million, the three-bedroom co-op at 322 East 57th Street was designed in 1933 by Joseph Urban, an architect known for his Art Deco style. According to the New York Post, Javits entertained socialites and political players, like Henry Kissinger, in his spacious 3,300 square foot duplex.
Check out the glass cube

Nuclear fallout shelter signs being removed around the city

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 28, 2017

Nuclear fallout shelter signs being removed around the city

New York City has started taking down the yellow nuclear fallout shelter signs slapped on thousands of buildings across the city in the 1960s. According to AM New York, city officials believe these metal black-and-yellow signs "are misleading Cold War relics that no longer denote functional shelters." But back in the '60s, they were considered emblematic of the era. President John F. Kennedy created a shelter program in 1961 across U.S. cities as anxieties grew high over the nuclear arms race between the United States and the former Soviet Union. By 1963, an estimated 18,000 shelters had been designated across the five boroughs, and the Department of Defense had plans to add another 34,000 shelters citywide. Most were no more than basements marked by an official government sign--and now the remnants of such signs are coming down.
Read more history of New York's fallout shelters

Distinctive Homes

Two bedrooms plus a home office for $1.7M in this FiDi duplex loft

This $8M Rye estate has a private dock on the Long Island Sound

This $4.6M upstate New York property is a modern woodland sanctuary

Is this $4M NJ farmhouse your 'Green Acres'?

This $2.3M Murray Hill co-op offers historic townhouse living without the price, upkeep, and daily stair-climbing

$6M Park Slope townhouse is a standout in more ways than one

This 1834 sea captain's home in Connecticut was redesigned as a $6M modern retreat that remembers its roots

$15M townhouse-sized Fifth Avenue maisonette was a billionaire's pied-à-terre

This $15M Westchester home is a work of modern architecture that reflects the surrounding forest

A historic LES synagogue, now an artist's studio, asks $10.95M

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Off New York’s coast, ‘Just Room Enough Island’ fits only one house and a tree

‘Just Room Enough Island’ photo via Wikipedia

December 27, 2017

Off New York’s coast, ‘Just Room Enough Island’ fits only one house and a tree

An island located in the Saint Lawrence River between Canada and the United States takes the meaning of a privacy to a whole new, but tiny, level. Adorably and accurately called "Just Room Enough Island," the speck of land is considered the world's smallest inhabited island. The site, also known as Hub Island, was purchased in the 1950s by a wealthy family, the Sizelands, who were looking to build a vacation home. It contains a single house, a tree shrubs and chairs that are placed right on the cozy island's edge (h/t Atlas Obscura).
See the tiny retreat

Architecture And Design

How to get rid of your Christmas tree; A walking guide for tourists

Via Public Domain Pictures (L); Via Ed Yourdon/Flickr (R)

December 27, 2017

How to get rid of your Christmas tree; A walking guide for tourists

By 6sqft

Here’s a guide to disposing or recycling your Christmas tree. [NYDN] “Parking Under the Mistletoe” is a photo series that showcases the holiday decorations of NYC’s parking garages. [CityLab] Meet some of the 1,500 short- and longer-term residents who live in the 92nd Street Y’s dorm-style housing. [NYT] Chelsea’s famous “hugging dog” and her owner lost […]

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Construction suspended at the World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine amid financial woes

Photo courtesy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

December 27, 2017

Construction suspended at the World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine amid financial woes

Construction company Skanska USA stopped work at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church this month after the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America failed to make payments on the project. The cost of rebuilding the church, which was destroyed in the terror attacks on 9/11 more than sixteen years ago, increased to an estimated $78 million from a 2013 estimate of $20 million. While the archdiocese raised $37 million in donations, it was still unable to pay its bills, prompting an independent investigation of the church's financial mismanagement, as the New York Times reported. Since learning of its deficit, the archdiocese has cut 25 percent of its staff and 25 percent of its expenses. A new treasurer and a chief financial officer have also been hired.
More this way

New Developments

Where I Work: Artistic duo Strosberg Mandel show off their Soho studio and glam portraits

David Mandel (L) and Serge Strosberg (R) in their studio, photo by James and Karla Murray

December 27, 2017

Where I Work: Artistic duo Strosberg Mandel show off their Soho studio and glam portraits

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 artistic duo Strosberg Mandel's Soho studio.Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Last year, Belgian-American figurative painter Serge Strosberg had an exhibit about feminism in the East Village. The show's curator introduced him to David Mandel, a theatrical stylist, jewelry designer, and former drag queen. Though the two came from very different artistic backgrounds, they immediately hit it off on both a personal and professional level. Fast forward to today, and they've formed the NYC-based artistic duo Strosberg Mandel, creating large-scale assemblage portraits--mostly of rock n' roll icons such as Prince, David Bowie, Elvis, and Cher--using found materials and glamorous add-ons like Swarovski diamonds and luxury fabrics. In anticipation of their upcoming debut solo exhibition "Troubadours of Eternity" at Lichtundfire from January 24th to February 4th, in which they'll unveil the full portrait series as "a celebration of authentic musicianship and timeless spirits," Serge and David invited us into their Soho studio to get an advanced preview of the pieces and learn about their unique work and partnership.
Tour the studio and hear from David and Serge

Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

Traffic in NYC, photo via joiseyshowaa on Flickr

December 27, 2017

Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

As New York City’s failure-prone subway system continues to disappoint, some commuters are turning to ride-hailing services like Uber or Lyft to reach their destinations instead. While getting picked up by a car is easy, especially in the busiest areas of Manhattan, the bumper-to-bumper traffic makes getting anywhere actually more difficult. A report released by Bruce Schaller, a former deputy city transportation commissioner, found that one-third of ride-hailing cars and yellow cabs are often driving on the city's most congested blocks without any passengers, creating unnecessary traffic (h/t New York Times). As a way to reduce car congestion, officials are considering a new fee on for-hire vehicles, possibly a way to raise money for the strapped-for-cash MTA.
Find out more

December 27, 2017

Greta Garbo fans buy the actress’ longtime Sutton Place co-op for $2.5M over ask

This sprawling three-bedroom at the exclusive Sutton Place co-op The Campanile may have a private location, incredible East River views, and old-world details such as wall-to-wall pine wood paneling, working fireplaces, and tons of built-ins, but it was its longtime resident who encited a bidding war. Mansion Global reports that Greta Garbo's longtime home (she lived there from 1954 until her death in 1990) has sold for $8.5 million, 43 percent higher than the $5.95 million it listed for back in March. The late actress' great-nephew Craig Reisfield said the buyers have “a reverence for my great aunt” and added that he anticipates them being "great stewards" of the home that's very much intact from Garbo's days.
See the high-end apartment here

ODA Architects reveal renderings for Crown Heights hotel with arched patio and floating gardens

Proposed renderings courtesy of ODA Architects

December 27, 2017

ODA Architects reveal renderings for Crown Heights hotel with arched patio and floating gardens

Perhaps piggybacking on the positive reaction to their Rheingold Brewery project, ODA Architects have revealed renderings for another Brooklyn project with a central courtyard, sloping green roof, and stepped terraces. First spotted by CityRealty, the proposed views depict the Bedford Hotel at 1550 Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights, a five-story, 100-key development at 1550 Bedford Avenue. And according to plans submitted to the DOB, there will be a rooftop bar and a banquet hall and retail/restaurant spaces on the ground floor.
More details and renderings ahead

According to the NYPL, New Yorkers loved social justice books in 2017

The New York Public Library’s Rose Main Reading Room, via ponafotkas/Flickr

December 26, 2017

According to the NYPL, New Yorkers loved social justice books in 2017

New York City, you’re a woke town according to the public library’s year-end tally of popular books. “Between the World and Me,” the award-winning bestseller by Ta-Nehisi Coates, was the most checked-out book of 2017 after debuting at No. 2 last year. The social justice theme holds for several more entries on the list. At […]

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Designer Sarah Magness shares her top tips for New Year’s entertaining

Magness Design’s James Bond-themed lounge at Holiday House, via Costas Picadas

December 26, 2017

Designer Sarah Magness shares her top tips for New Year’s entertaining

'Tis the season for entertaining, but if you're tired of the old standbys like pigs-in-a-blanket and playing Cards Against Humanity, interior designer Sarah Magness has some great tips on how to class things up and "entertain like Bond this holiday season." Sarah and her firm Magness Design recently worked with Italian furniture brand Promemoria on a masculine, Casino Royal- and James Bond-themed lounge at the Holiday House designer show house (more on that here). From investing in some key party pieces to taking the bar to the next level, Sarah's ideas will have you hosting like a pro.
Get the tips here

Know of something cool happening in New York? Let us know:

Winters during 19th century New York were so cold, the East River froze over

Crossing the East River on the ice bridge (1871) via NYPL

December 26, 2017

Winters during 19th century New York were so cold, the East River froze over

While New York City is getting hit by a blast of arctic temperatures this week, New Yorkers of the mid- and late-1800s experienced even colder conditions. During the 19th century, the East River froze over at least seven times, shutting down the Brooklyn Bridge and preventing any ferries from crossing over. But, like today’s New Yorkers, the frozen river never stopped commuters from reaching their destinations. Instead of staying home, people would walk across the frozen East River, skating and slipping along their way.
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History

December 26, 2017

Office of Architecture replaced walls with walnut cabinetry and sliding doors in this Tribeca reno

Who needs walls in a large, lofty apartment when you can utilize great design instead? That was the thinking behind this Tribeca apartment renovation, spearheaded by the Brooklyn-based firm Office of Architecture. Walls were taken down to make space for walnut cabinetry, sliding doors, and industrial steel columns. The idea was to open up the living areas and bring in as much natural light as possible--and the resulting 3,000-square-foot apartment is quite stunning and livable.
Take the grand tour

December 22, 2017

Anthony Bourdain cancels plans for food market at Google’s Pier 57

Despite hyping up his massive Singapore street hawker-style food hall and retail market at Google's Pier 57 development since 2015, Anthony Bourdain announced today that he won't be moving forward with the project, reports Eater. Back in March, his partner and CEO of what was dubbed Bourdain Market stepped down. At the same time, it was learned that they'd yet to sign a lease, both of which made the 2019 opening seem like a stretch. In a statement, Bourdain said, "It seems increasingly clear that in spite of my best efforts, the stars may not align at Pier 57 which is an especially complicated site for which we still do not have a lease."
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

‘Food for All’ app partners with local eateries to offer their surplus food at a cheaper price

Photo via Food for All on Twitter

December 22, 2017

‘Food for All’ app partners with local eateries to offer their surplus food at a cheaper price

When you’re hungry in New York City, there’s no short supply of eateries, from the corner bodega for a quick sandwich to the Michelin-rated restaurants revered worldwide. Unfortunately, those options may not actually be accessible to everybody living here, whether high-end restaurants just aren’t in your budget or if you’re one of the 1.3 million […]

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December 22, 2017

Celebrity chef Adeena Sussman lists her Central Park West co-op for $800K

Chef-to-the stars Adeena Sussman just listed her Upper West Side co-op at 410 Central Park West for $800,000. She's worked with a number of celebrity clients, including co-authoring cookbooks with model Chrissy Teigen, Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes, Lee Schrager of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and actor David Burtka. Unsurprisingly, the open kitchen of this one-bedroom pad is well designed and fully equipped. And the rest of the apartment is finished with prewar details like hardwood floors, nine-foot beamed ceilings, and crown moldings.
Tour the kitchen

Distinctive Homes

On this day in 1937, the Lincoln Tunnel opened to traffic

Photo by Jumpy via Wikimedia Commons

December 22, 2017

On this day in 1937, the Lincoln Tunnel opened to traffic

On December 22, 1937, the center tube of the Lincoln Tunnel opened to traffic. The $85 million project ($1.5 billion in today's dollars) linking Weehawken, NJ to Midtown Manhattan was hailed as a "new link of friendship between New York and New Jersey" and an "engineering feat." On that inaugural day, 7,661 cars drove through the 1.5-mile-long tunnel, paying 50 cents and likely not realizing they were 97 feet underwater.
Find out about the characters who made this day even more eventful

Nutella cafe coming to Greenwich Village; Record-breaking number of skyscrapers went up in 2017

Via Wiki Commons (L); Via Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (R)

December 22, 2017

Nutella cafe coming to Greenwich Village; Record-breaking number of skyscrapers went up in 2017

By 6sqft

144 skyscrapers were completed in 2017, the most ever in a year. More than half were in China. [CityLab] To prove that 2017 wasn’t all bad, here’s a long list of reasons to love New York. [NY Mag] Hazelnut-cocoa fans rejoice: Nutella is opening a cafe and coffee bar next year on University Place. [TONY] Did you […]

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In the middle of the night, Trump Soho gets rebranded as the Dominick Hotel

Image: Trump Soho; Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons

December 22, 2017

In the middle of the night, Trump Soho gets rebranded as the Dominick Hotel

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

After an 11-year economic slump, local protests and multiple lawsuits, the Trump Soho condominium and hotel at 246 Spring Street has officially become the Dominick Hotel and Spa. Last month, the Trump Organization cut ties with the property after making a deal with the building’s owner, CIM Group, to step away from the hotel amid a decline in room prices. Between 11 pm on Wednesday and 3 am on Thursday, workers removed the Trump Soho lettering from the facade of the glitzy 46-story hotel, literally erasing President Trump's association with the building.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

December 22, 2017

The Urban Lens: How Temple Court went from an abandoned shell to a romantically restored landmark

By James and Karla Murray

In 1883, one of NYC's first skyscrapers opened at the corner of Nassau and Beekman Streets. Known as Temple Court, the nine-story red brick and terra cotta structure was designed in the Queen Anne style by architect James M. Farnworth to attract accountants and lawyers who needed to be close to the city's courthouses. Its most impressive feature was its central atrium that rises the full height and is topped by a large pyramid-shaped skylight and two rooftop turrets. In the 1940s, this romantic atrium was walled in from top to bottom, and by 2001, the last commercial tenant moved out, ultimately sending the building into disrepair, a crumbling shell open to the elements. Plans to restore Temple Court into The Beekman hotel and add an adjacent 51-story condominium tower first surfaced in 2008, but before work got underway in 2012, we were granted the rare opportunity to explore the architectural gem in its eerily beautiful derelict state. And now that guests are filling up the 287 hotel rooms, the main floor is buzzing with restaurants from restaurateurs Tom Colicchio and Keith McNally, and the atrium's skylight and Victorian cast iron railings and ornamentation have been restored, we went back in to document how this one-of-a-kind landmark has been restored.
See the before-and-after photos and learn about our experience

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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Hardly any subway service changes planned for this holiday weekend

Photo by Allan Beaufour / Flickr

December 22, 2017

Hardly any subway service changes planned for this holiday weekend

By Hannah Frishberg

A Christmas gift from the MTA! For once, there’s some good news in the weekend service change announcement: the Q70 LaGuardia Link Bus, which stops at all main LaGuardia Airport terminals and relatively nearby subway stations, will be fare-free today and Saturday and there will be “lots of extra LIRR & Metro-North Service,” as well as extra SIR trains Savor that information and read on to the less positive, but comparatively chipper, weekend service developments:
It's really not that bad

Transit

Barney’s is fighting for its Madison Avenue flagship; No one wants to golf at Trump’s Bronx course

Barney’s via Wiki Commons (L); Trump Gold Links at Ferry Point (R)

December 21, 2017

Barney’s is fighting for its Madison Avenue flagship; No one wants to golf at Trump’s Bronx course

By 6sqft

Mayor de Blasio met with reporters from Gothamist and DNAinfo to discuss NYC journalism and the issues affecting the city. [Medium] If Barney’s landlord raises its $20,000/month rent it may have to relocate its flagship location. [NYP] Governor Cuomo vetoed a bill that would’ve given commuters a third free subway transfer. [NYDN] Rounds played at Trump’s […]

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What lies below: NYC’s forgotten and hidden graveyards

Zoom of the 1852 Dripps map of Manhattan, showing the proximity of downtown cemeteries, via David Rumsey Map Collection

December 21, 2017

What lies below: NYC’s forgotten and hidden graveyards

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Most New Yorkers spend some time underground every day as part of their daily commute, but some spend eternity beneath our streets, and in a few cases occupy some pretty surprising real estate. Manhattan cemeteries are tougher to get into than Minetta Tavern without a reservation on a Saturday night because as far back as 1823, New York forbade new burials south of Canal Street. In 1851 that prohibition was extended to new burials south of 86th Street, and the creation of new cemeteries anywhere on the island was banned. But thousands of people were buried in Manhattan before those restrictions went into effect. And while some gravesites remain carefully maintained and hallowed ground, such as the those at St. Mark’s in the Bowery Church on Stuyvesant Street, Trinity Church on Wall Street, and St Paul’s Church at Fulton and Broadway, others have been forgotten and overlaid with some pretty surprising new uses, including playgrounds, swimming pools, luxury condos, and even a hotel named for the current occupant of the White House.
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History

Renderings revealed for Dattner Architect’s nine-story building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Rendering of Admirals Row via S9 Architecture and 399 Sands Street via Dattner Architects

December 21, 2017

Renderings revealed for Dattner Architect’s nine-story building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Once a shipyard where World War II warships were produced, the 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard is undergoing a major development to become a multi-use industrial and commercial mecca. Steiner Equities Group is overseeing the area's reinvention and as YIMBY learned, the developer has filed permits for a mixed-use building at 399 Sands Street. Designed by Dattner Architects, renderings reveal a nine-story building with a concrete facade and lots of greenery on its roof, as well as new views of the site as a whole and the planned Wegmans grocery store.
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Ring in the New Year with these 10 artsy NYC events

Photo via Allison Marchant/Flickr

December 21, 2017

Ring in the New Year with these 10 artsy NYC events

By Lori Zimmer

Close out 2017 with creativity at one of these arty parties or events. Look to Salvador Dali for the 3rd Annual Surrealist Ball, or channel the Great Gatsby at Hudson Terrace. If masquerade is your thing, check out Sleep No More’s sumptuous King’s Feast, the Truman Capote-inspired Black and White Ball, or get weird at the House of Yes. If you’re more laid back, have a classy evening of cocktails at Freemans or Raines Law Room. For the truly bold, brave the crowds to watch the ball drop in Times Square. And if New Year’s Eve isn’t your thing, celebrate New Year’s Day with a Victorian get together at the Merchant House Museum, or take a plunge into the ocean with the Coney Island Polar Bear Club. Whatever you decide to do- have a happy and safe New Year!
Details on these events and more this way

Events & Things To Do

Photo via Pixabay

December 21, 2017

MTA testing technology to fix 100-year-old signals, let riders use cell phones in tunnels

While removing subway seats and employing customer service ambassadors in stations will slightly improve the commuting experience, these upgrades probably won't make the trains arrive at their destinations any faster. One of the biggest problems causing subway delays continues to be the 100-year-old infrastructure still used. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is finally addressing the failing, antiquated signals by testing technology known as Ultra-Wideband radio. As the Daily News reported, the MTA hopes the technology will more accurately locate trains, permitting them to run closer together.
Find out more

Transit

Artist uses the classic Vignelli design to reimagine the NYC subway map in concentric circles

Map via Max Roberts

December 21, 2017

Artist uses the classic Vignelli design to reimagine the NYC subway map in concentric circles

Map via Max Roberts The classic NYC subway map is instantly recognizable--but what if you were to turn the design on its head? That was the thinking behind mapmaker and subway enthusiast Max Roberts, who wanted to visualize the city’s cohesiveness in a map that focused on aesthetics, rather than the angles and geographic accuracy New Yorkers are more familiar with. According to Untapped Cities, this isn't the first time Roberts has experimented with a concentric design. A few years back, he released a map that re-imagined the tradition map in concentric circles. This latest version uses Massimo Vignelli's design, a distinctive map released in the 1970s in which each subway route is represented.
Check it out

Transit

December 21, 2017

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend tour a $9.5M penthouse in their former Nolita building

By Annie Doge

Looking to move back to New York City, celebrity power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen recently toured a $9.5 penthouse apartment at 374 Broome Street (h/t New York Post). The Nolita building is the same one where they once lived in a one-bedroom, which they sold for $4 million in August 2016. The superstar duo, now expecting their second child, is in need of more space, and the loft measures 2,610 square feet and includes three bedrooms and a huge rooftop terrace.
Take a peek

December 20, 2017

$2.8M Chelsea penthouse boasts sprawling three-level layout with two outdoor spaces

This custom-designed penthouse triplex at the Chelsea co-op 240 West 23rd Street has it all. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms over 2,150 square feet of living space--1650 square feet inside, 500 square feet outside. A renovation brought in custom details, built-ins, and tons of storage space, and the open-concept layout keeps things bright and airy as each room boasts views across the city. It's just been listed on the market for $2.8 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

25-mile expansion of protected bike lanes sets a record for 2017

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 20, 2017

25-mile expansion of protected bike lanes sets a record for 2017

New York City added a record number of protected bike lanes this year, breaking the previous record of 18 miles set in 2016 and nearly doubling the number installed in 2015, the Department of Transportation announced Tuesday. This year saw a 25-mile expansion of the bike network that runs throughout the city for nearly 1,200 miles. […]

Uncategorized

December 20, 2017

Interactive map shows how NYC’s waterways have evolved over the years

This map will delight any NYC geography buffs out there: The Changing Shoreline of New York City uses historical maps from the New York Public Library’s digital collection to explore how Manhattan has managed its waterways to expand its small city footprint. Created by Laura Blaszczak during her internship with NYPL, it's an interactive map that highlights waterfront locales around the city. Zoom in, and you can peruse historical maps and photographs that show how our rivers, creeks, brooks, and bays have been managed or built over. There's even an opacity control, so you can directly compare the historical map with the modern map and see how much Manhattan's landscape has changed.
Check it out

December 20, 2017

IDNYC adds eight new benefits for 2018

Three years ago, IDNYC's benefits included mostly free or discounted membership to museums and cultural institutions, but now that the ID card is entering its fourth year, it's adding some more entertainment-based perks. A press release from the Mayor's office announced that the 1.2 million cardholders (it's the largest local identification program in the nation) will receive benefits from eight new partners in 2018, including Zipcar, Chelsea Piers Golf Club, Entertainment Cruises, and the SculptureCenter.
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New legislation will a create a real-time portal for affordable housing in NYC

Photo via Wikimedia

December 20, 2017

New legislation will a create a real-time portal for affordable housing in NYC

During its last full-body meeting of the year, the New York City Council passed a bill Tuesday that makes it easier for low-income renters to find apartments by creating a user-friendly online portal. Under the new legislation, landlords who receive tax breaks in exchange for renting below-market units will be required to register units each year with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the department would list these units online and match potential tenants by their income with apartments.
Learn more

December 20, 2017

Chinese buyer snags three penthouses at 432 Park for $91M

After dropping a staggering $91.1 million, a buyer from China now owns three penthhouse apartments at 432 Park Avenue, the most expensive closing to date. Picking up units 92, 92B and 93B, the buyer, 432 Park Joy LLC, gets 11,906 square feet spanning two floors (h/t TRD). As 6sqft learned earlier this month, the combined units originally hit the market for roughly $120 million. Prior to this deal, the largest closing at the supertall was a penthouse that was asking $95 million but closed last year for $87.7 million. But it's still One57 that holds the record for the city's priciest residential deal, a penthouse that sold for $100.4 million in 2014.
More this way

Real Estate Trends

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with free rides and ice skating on Coney Island

Deno’s Wonder Wheel courtesy of kzoop’s Flickr

December 20, 2017

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with free rides and ice skating on Coney Island

Editor's Note: Due to the extreme cold conditions, Deno's Wonder Wheel and Stop the Zombies ride will NOT open on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. The B&B Carousell will be open. Overpriced clubs, surging Ubers, and Manhattan crowds not your thing? Check out the fourth annual New Year's Eve party at Coney Island's historic boardwalk instead. Four rides, including the iconic Wonder Wheel, will be free of charge beginning at 6 pm until 9:30 pm on December 31. Nathan's Famous, Coney Island Brewery, and Tom's Restaurant will also stay open for the festivities. As amNY learned, there will be live entertainment and the countdown to 2018 will feature a digital "burst" of lights from the Parachute jump at midnight.
Details on the event here

Events & Things To Do

Legendary Lincoln Plaza Cinema to close next month; food truck industry won’t get legislative boost

Via Google Street View (L);

December 19, 2017

Legendary Lincoln Plaza Cinema to close next month; food truck industry won’t get legislative boost

Photo via Megan Morris/Flickr (R) Kwanzaa Crawl returns this month to support Black-owned Brooklyn bars. [Brokelyn] After the building owner declined to renew its lease, art house movie theater Lincoln Plaza Cinema announced it will close. [NYT] Mapping the city’s top-10 tax abatement condos. [CityRealty] Renzo Piano explains why he decided to design the New York Times […]

Uncategorized

December 19, 2017

A charming Bing & Bing co-op in Kip’s Bay asks $800K

Located in a boutique 1931 Bing & Bing co-op in Kip's Bay, a renovated one-bedroom pad has hit the market for $799,000. The light-filled apartment at 140 East 28th Street boasts charming pre-war details like a wood-burning fireplace, arched entry, beamed ceilings, and a classic layout that efficiently separates dining and entertainment areas.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): CAESURA, 777 SIXTH, 15 PARK ROW and 300 ASHLAND

December 19, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

In the Heart of Chelsea with an Entrance So Discrete It’s Almost a Secret [link] Caesura Leasing Launches for February 1 Move-Ins; Lending Library Lets Residents Pack Light [link] The Eugene Unveils The Hudson Club, Exclusive Rooftop Lounge with Panoramic City Views [link] 507 West Chelsea: Live Inside a 35-Story Glass Tower Above the High […]

Real Estate Trends

Mayor de Blasio announces competition to transition NYC to electric vehicles

Photo via Pixabay

December 19, 2017

Mayor de Blasio announces competition to transition NYC to electric vehicles

Photo via Pixabay With about 30 percent of local greenhouse gas emissions coming from transportation in New York City, officials are looking for the tech industry’s help in switching to electric vehicles as part of their bold climate goals. On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration announced the latest NYCx moonshot challenge to develop a green transportation […]

Uncategorized

MTA running longer C-trains to accommodate more commuters

Photo of a C-train via Wikimedia

December 19, 2017

MTA running longer C-trains to accommodate more commuters

It just became slightly easier to squeeze onto a C-train. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Saturday added 40 longer cars to the line to accommodate more riders. As part of its emergency action plan, the MTA replaced some of its 60-foot long R32 models, which first debuted in the system in 1964, with 75-foot long R46 cars. The longer cars increase commuter capacity by 25 percent per train set and are expected to also help absorb crowds during the 2019 L train shutdown.
More this way

Transit

December 19, 2017

Nolita pad that belonged to John Mayer has hit the market for $4.35M

A Nolita condo has hit the market and it once belonged to pop singer John Mayer. He picked up the two-bedroom apartment at 225 Lafayette Street in 2005 for $2.17 million. He then sold it for $3.91 million in 2013 to a buyer who using the limited liability company "But It’s Provocative LLC." The Observer has spotted that the 2,063-square-foot home been re-listed by said provocative owner, and they're asking $4.35 million. For that amount you're getting a corner unit on the 12th floor of the building, with quite a modern aesthetic.
Take a look inside his old digs

December 19, 2017

The Upper West Side’s next tall tower reveals its Art Deco design