6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

On June 16, 1884, the country’s first roller coaster opened at Coney Island, sparking Americans' obsession with amusement rides. Invented by LaMarcus Thompson, the ride, called the Switchback Railway, spanned 600 feet and traveled just six miles per hour. Unlike today’s coasters, the Switchback did not make a round trip loop, and passengers exited at the end of the track. The one-minute-long ride cost only five cents.
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History

June 16, 2017

The Urban Lens: ‘Indecent exposure’ at Rockaway Beach in the 1940s

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, we share a set of vintage photos documenting Rockaway Beach in the 1940s. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. These days, beachgoers give nary a thought when stripping down to their skimpy bikinis and short-shorts, but 70 years ago wearing much more modest swimsuits was enough to get you a ticket from the NYPD. Noted LIFE magazine photographer Sam Shere (who's best known for his iconic photo of the Hindenburg disaster) documented this "indecent exposure" phenomenon at Rockaway Beach in 1946. Starting with a sign that reads "wear robes to and from the beach," Shere's series shows women sunbathing in high-wasted two-pieces, men walking the boardwalk in just their shorts, and the way in which these beach bums seem unphased by the cops writing them summonses.
See all the photos here

June 16, 2017

Renderings revealed for Nomad’s previously stalled 756-foot tower

Last summer, the Department of Buildings halted progress on developers J.D. Carlisle and Fosun Group's planned condo tower at 15 East 30th Street over the fact that a planned second-floor outdoor space didn't meet minimum space requirements. Presumably having ironed that out, (though we're not sure the same can be said for the neighbors angry about losing their views) designers Handel Architects have released a slew of new renderings of the 756-foot-tall tower, which will have 180 units spread over 51 floors. Uncovered by Yimby, the views show a narrow, glassy structure with a jagged pinnacle and undulating base.
See all the renderings

June 16, 2017

Trump hires family party planner Lynne Patton to run NY housing programs

President Trump appointed family friend Lynne Patton on Wednesday to oversee New York’s federal housing programs, despite her clear lack of housing experience. Patton, who formerly arranged tournaments at Trump’s golf courses and planned Eric Trump’s wedding, will head up the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region II, which includes New York and New Jersey, and will oversee the distribution of billions of taxpayer dollars. As reported by the Daily News, Patton’s relationship with the Trump family dates back to 2009 when she first began as their event planner.
Find out more

June 16, 2017

The Harlem townhouse where Harry Houdini lived is for sale, asking $4.6M

If anyone can convince a buyer to part with $4.6 million for a four-story townhouse in an historic and happening part of Harlem, it's a magician. This four-story 18th century townhouse at 278 West 113th Street, on the market for the first time since 1991, has certainly got one in the form of master escape artist Harry Houdini, illusionist, magician and one of the buzziest celebrities of the early 20th century. Houdini–born Erich Weiss, son of a rabbi from Budapest–and his wife, Bess, lived at the Harlem home for 22 years until his death in 1926 (h/t Curbed).
This house is no illusion

June 15, 2017

Overcrowded NYC Ferry needs more boats to keep up with demand

As 6sqft covered last month, the city’s ferry service, which launched May 1, has been so popular that frustrated passengers often face delays, long lines and overcrowding when trying to board. While officials had anticipated demand on the weekends for the NYC Ferry to be high, they did not expect how much this demand would “outstrip supply,” as the New York Times reported. To meet demand, the city will charter two extra boats that will carry 400 people to serve the summer weekend crowds.
Find out more

Transit

June 15, 2017

Hilary Swank’s picture-perfect former Village townhouse asks $12M

This historic classic brownstone at 33 Charles Street in the West Village, asking $11.995 million, is the very picture of townhouse charm in a neighborhood that's overflowing with charming brownstones. Adding to the home's cachet is the fact that Hilary Swank lived here with then-husband Chad Lowe from when she purchased it for $3.9 million in 2002 until 2006 when it was sold for $8.25 million (h/t New York Post). The home has been completely updated with central air and new windows throughout and every imaginable modern convenience, though much of its original woodwork has been retained.
See all the rooms of this gorgeous home

June 15, 2017

FIRST LOOK: See inside Penn Station’s brand new West End Concourse

As of today, Penn Station's long-awaited West End Concourse--the first tangible step towards Governor Cuomo's ambitious plan to transform the James A. Farley Post Office into the new Moynihan Train Hall--is open for business, for the first time allowing Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, and NJ Transit passengers to enter and board trains through the historic building across 8th Avenue. In addition to landscaped entryways, the sparkling new concourse is chock full of LED screens, artwork, and, in true Cuomo fashion, bright, open, and high-tech spaces.
Take the full tour

Distinctive Homes

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

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

For $5.5M, a gallerist's Soho loft is the perfect backdrop for your art collection

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

For $5M, be the first new owner of this historic Cobble Hill wood-frame home in 40 years

The kitchen in this $1.53M Murray Hill co-op is like a ray of sunshine

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

Studio 54 founder Ian Schrager lists Westchester estate for $7.5M

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

Live in a former convent with panoramic Hudson River views for $3.4M

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June 15, 2017

City announces $106M plan to keep neighborhoods cool this summer

After a few days of extreme heat, Mayor de Blasio launched a $106 million initiative on Wednesday to protect New Yorkers from the risks of dangerously high temperatures this summer. The Cool Neighborhoods program aims to lessen the effects of the “urban heat island effect,” a problem that occurs in New York City due to its abundance of heat-holding asphalt and concrete and lack of greenery. According to Gothamist, to reduce heat-related health risks and deaths, the city plans on planting more trees on streets and in parks, supporting forest restoration efforts and painting roofs of homes in vulnerable areas with reflective white paints.
Find out more

Art Nerd NY’s top art, architecture, and design event picks – 6/15-6/21

Egg Rolls, Egg Creams and Empanadas Festival; Photo via Kate Milford for the Museum at Eldridge Street

June 15, 2017

Art Nerd NY’s top art, architecture, and design event picks – 6/15-6/21

By Lori Zimmer

Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top art, design and architecture event picks for 6sqft readers! If you’re feeling low this week, head to Times Square for a round of artful applause, or to the Rubin for some pick me ups thanks to the world of sound. Step back in time (and flex your history knowledge) for a Jazz Age Drink and Draw, then test your modern New York history knowledge at the New York Now Scavenger Hunt. If you’re itching to learn, join a free history tour of Washington Square Park, take in an artist talk by Martha Rosler, then celebrate the diverse history of the Lower East Side at the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival. Finally, cozy up with a date for Bryant Park’s first screening under the stars with King Kong.
Details on these events and more this way

June 15, 2017

Architect claims SOM stole his design for One World Trade Center

An architect from Georgia sued architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) on Wednesday for allegedly stealing his design for One World Trade Center. Jeehoon Park says the firm has unfairly taken credit for the tower, a design he says he developed in 1999 as a graduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, as the New York Post reported. At 1,776 feet high, One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the sixth tallest in the world.
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Policy

June 15, 2017

1920s Hudson Heights cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ chops price to $4.25M

You may be familiar with the “Pumpkin House,” the extraordinary 1920s townhouse cantilevered across the cliffs at 16 Chittenden Avenue near Manhattan’s highest point in Hudson Heights. The name comes from the home's Jack-o'-lantern countenance, which bestows motorists along the George Washington Bridge with its anthropomorphic leer. Jack first hit the market last August for $5.25 million, the first time listed since 2011. But still without a buyer, the 17-foot-wide, six-bedroom brick home has a fancy new Sotheby's listing and a lower ask of $4.25 million.
Have a look inside

June 14, 2017

Meg Ryan drops $9.4M on apartment in celeb-favorite 443 Greenwich

By Annie Doge

Meg Ryan will be joining Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, and Harry Styles at Tribeca's “paparazzi-proof” 443 Greenwich Street. The Real Deal spotted her her trust, Third World Dog, listed as the buyer of a $9.39 million, three-bedroom unit in the building, just a month and a half after her $10.9 million Soho loft went into contract.
Get the details

June 14, 2017

New York City’s iconic architecture comes to life on this skyline chess board

A new chess set lets you checkmate with New York City’s skyline. Developed by Skyline Chess, a company founded by two London-based architects, the game pieces capture the city’s early 1900s construction boom and the expansion of skyscraper architecture, along with more contemporary and recognizable structures. As contemporist discovered, the pieces are silhouettes of buildings like One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Flatiron Building, Guggenheim Museum, and traditional brownstones.
Find out more

June 14, 2017

Impressive duplex townhouse asking $875K may lure you to Staten Island

This is the home that will lure New Yorkers onto the ferry and straight to Staten Island. It's a unique property--a duplex townhouse that's part of a cooperative--with a stunning interior. Under 18 foot ceilings, the main level is lined with exposed brick, wood ceilings, and a ceramic tile floor, alongside a gas fireplace and massive windows. It's located at 48 Bay Street Landing, right off the waterfront and within walking distance to the Staten Island ferry. And its asking price of $875,000--far lower than similar properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn--is sure to bring in potential buyers from around the city.
Tour the rest of the home

Distinctive Homes

June 14, 2017

Tribeca Film Festival co-founders cut the price of their massive Dakota pad to $25M

As 6sqft previously reported, Tribeca Film Festival co-founders (with Robert DeNiro) Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff have been trying to sell their sprawling pad in the storied Dakota since last March, when they listed the 7,500-square-foot combo of no less than four individual units for the suitably vast sum of $39 million. A year and some months later with no takers, the couple, who announced their divorce in 2014–have edited a cool $19 million out of the picture and are now asking $25 million (h/t Curbed).
You might want to bring breadcrumbs for this

Distinctive Homes

Looking back at New York’s ‘Summer of Love’ and the birth of the East Village

Hippies singing and playing music in Washington Square Park in the late 1960s. Photo: Peter Keegan

June 14, 2017

Looking back at New York’s ‘Summer of Love’ and the birth of the East Village

By Cait Etherington

It has been 50 years since 1967’s “Summer of Love” when young people from around the world flocked to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district and to other urban neighborhoods, including New York’s East Village, to trip out at psychedelic dance parties, sleep in city parks, and live and do whatever they pleased. While the hippie subculture was already flourishing prior to the Summer of Love, by mid 1967, hippies and their music, style, and communal way of life had caught the attention of the mainstream media and as a result, reached a critical mass of young people who were now eager to ditch their suburban homes to “turn on, tune in, and drop out.” Reactions to the Summer of Love in New York were predictably mixed. An estimated 50,000 young people descended on the city to join the movement, but many New Yorkers, including longstanding residents, police officers, and politicians, had little interest in spending the Summer of Love soaking up the good vibes. In the end, the city’s Summer of Love saw as much conflict and violence as peace and love, and debates about rental prices, real estate values, and the gentrification of the Lower East Side were all part of the conflict.
find out more here

History

84 affordable units up for grabs in Jamaica, Queens, from $368/month

With several large-scale development projects in the works, like a new luxury complex with 100,00 square feet of retail and a 24-story Hilton Garden Inn, the neighborhood of Jamaica is undergoing some changes. Applications are currently being accepted for 84 affordable apartments in the Pavilion at Locust Manor, a newly constructed housing development located at 171-04 Baisley Boulevard. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60 and 100 percent of the area median income can apply to units ranging from studios for $368 per month to two bedrooms for $1,511 per month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 14, 2017

$3.95M buys you a four-story townhouse with condo amenities in Dumbo

By BASIS Independent Manhattan

So...a 2,700-square-foot four-story townhouse with a garden and a roof deck, in a cool Dumbo factory loft complex with condo perks like a gym and cold storage? It sounds like the best of all possible worlds to us. And while the $3.95 million price on this "resplendent mix of modern and industrial charm" at 37 Bridge street might be no small sum by any stretch, you're certainly getting the bonus of not having to choose between location, space, or convenience.
See how the place stacks up

Distinctive Homes

June 14, 2017

New private school brings top global academic program to NYC’s Upper West Side

BASIS Independent Manhattan, a K-8 private school teaching the acclaimed BASIS Curriculum, is opening this fall in a 45,000-square-foot school at 795 Columbus Avenue. Although new to NYC, BASIS Curriculum Schools is no strangers to praise. Steadily since 1998, they've grown their network to 28 campuses around the world while gathering many accolades, including that of U.S News and World Report. This year, BASIS Curriculum Schools was ranked #5 on the publication's list of the "Top 10 Best High Schools in the Country." Designed with the modern child in mind, BASIS Independent's upcoming Manhattan campus will feature state-of-the-art facilities that support everything from daily physical education in the elementary grades, multiple recess breaks, weekly engineering sessions, and, for middle school students, the study of chemistry, physics, and biology in a laboratory setting. Indeed, thoughtful spaces designed to elevate performance are at BASIS Independent's heart, and they work in tandem with the school's curriculum developed to provide students with the strongest academic foundation—and for a fraction of the tuition expected in NYC, at that. Ahead, Head of School Jesse Rizzo shares how the upcoming New York City schoolhouse has been designed to help create and fortify Manhattan’s next school community.
find out more about BASIS' Manhattan school here

City Living

June 13, 2017

MB Architecture built this Hamptons art studio from two shipping containers

When MB Architecture's client requested an art studio near her Amagansett home, she had three requirements--a roughly 900-square foot space, a simple structure that was still "inviting and reflective," and a limited budget. To achieve these goals, the firm decided to use two recycled shipping containers, about $2,500 each.
See how it panned out

Architecture And Design

90 years ago, Charles Lindbergh received a ticker-tape parade in NYC

Photo courtesy of PBS

June 13, 2017

90 years ago, Charles Lindbergh received a ticker-tape parade in NYC

On this day in 1927, the city of New York honored famed aviator Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh with a ticker-tape parade to celebrate his May 21st flight in the Spirit of St. Louis, the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. At just 25 years old, Lindbergh flew nonstop from New York to Paris, and according to the New York Times, an estimated four million people attended the ticker-tape parade throughout the city to celebrate his journey.
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History

June 13, 2017

For just $515K, an 1890s upstate church renovated into a unique single-family home

A full and careful renovation has transformed this historic, 1890s church upstate into a single-family residence. When we say unique, we mean it--details like large stained glass windows, arched doorways, wood floors and exposed brick all hint at the church’s previous life. A stunning main room with soaring ceilings--the former sanctuary--is just waiting for a designer to transform it into an incredible living space. Located in Philmont, New York, a small town about two-and-a-half hours outside of New York City, this house-of-worship turned home is asking a modest $515,000.
You have to see the interior

June 13, 2017

Be my roommate: Live in a Cobble Hill apartment steps from transit and Trader Joe’s for $1400

By Diane Pham

To help our fellow New Yorkers on their hunt for a good roommate, we present "Be My Roommate." If you have an empty room you'd like to see featured here, get in touch with us at [email protected]! Meet Marie, a laid-back bookworm searching for a roommate for her Cobble Hill two-bedroom. Marie, a Florida native, moved to the neighborhood just over four years ago after a spending several years in Chicago and more than a year living out of a backpack in Central America. Up until a week ago, she shared her Brooklyn apartment with a friend who has since flown the coop to teach in Paris. This has left Marie with an extra bedroom, and for anyone looking for new digs, a great opportunity to live in one of the city's best neighborhoods.
Find out more here, plus pics!

Where I Work

MTA finally details its plan to deal with Penn Station repairs

Image by Kev Harb via flickr

June 13, 2017

MTA finally details its plan to deal with Penn Station repairs

Image by Kev Harb via flickrWith six weeks of infrastructure repairs at Penn Station beginning in July, the “summer of hell” for commuters is quickly approaching. In response, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has finally announced its plan to deal with Amtrak’s plan to close some of the station’s 21 tracks for renovations. As Crain’s reported, the MTA will shift three nighttime trains to rush hour and add about 36 cars, while also offering transit alternatives like ferry and bus services. The shutdown will force the MTA to cancel or divert 15-weekday trains between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., affecting nearly 9,600 LIRR morning commuters, set to begin July 10.
Find out more

9/11 Tribute Museum reopens in new 36,000-square-foot space to tell victims’ personal stories

Image © 9/11 Tribute Museum

June 13, 2017

9/11 Tribute Museum reopens in new 36,000-square-foot space to tell victims’ personal stories

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

When it comes to remembering the 9/11 terror attacks, personal stories can be the most moving reminder. The 9/11 Tribute Museum opened in 2006 in a former deli near the National September 11 Memorial and Museum site, intended as a temporary shrine to the victims during construction of the larger museum–and it has grown even since the latter opened. The Tribute Museum offers tours of the rebuilt World Trade Center site led by survivors, first responders, relatives of victims and others with close connections to the tragedy. Crain’s reports that the museum reopened today in a much larger location, slightly further from the memorial but with more space dedicated to victims’ personal stories.
Find out more

History

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VIEW ALL

June 13, 2017

New hotline lets tenants report illegal Airbnb listings

In an attempt to crack down on illegal short-term rentals, Mayor de Blasio’s budget for the fiscal year 2018 allocates $1.6 million to expand the city’s Office of Special Enforcement, the department that inspects and fines landlords who rent entire apartments for fewer than 30 days. Adding to these efforts, an anti-Airbnb coalition made up of public officials and housing organizations/unions created a hotline for New York City tenants to report any illegal rentals, as reported by the Daily News. Beginning today, ShareBetter will start receiving actionable complaints.
Find out more

Policy

June 13, 2017

This $8.5K townhouse rental is quintessential Upper West Side with parlor-floor panache

A block from Central Park in Lincoln Square, this 1,850 square-foot parlor floor-through at 52 West 69th Street is the kind of Upper West Side residence that has inspired many a dream of New York City living. Listed as having two bedrooms convertible to three, the $8,500 per month rent seems a bit less daunting when imagined as a comfortably sprawling choice for family or group living.
Get a feel for the space

Distinctive Homes

June 12, 2017

Own a 12-acre Adirondacks summer camp from the 1880s for $4.25M

The Hedges of Blue Mountain Lake is a family camp compound in the Adirondacks dating to the 1880s. The 12+ acre site, with its 1,600 feet of waterfront land, private beach, two docks, tennis court, and 21 buildings, recently hit the market for $4.25 million, as first spotted by the Wall Street Journal. Though the summer season is already well underway, the income-generating property is offered furnished, so the new owners could get some vacation rentals going in no time.
Tour the whole property here

June 12, 2017

Controversy builds over proposed elevated path in Central Park

Central Park’s Belvedere Castle will undergo major renovations beginning this summer and early fall, to fix the 146-year-old structure’s cracked pavement, leaking roof and plumbing issues. While the plan to give the castle a face-lift was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission last month, the plan to make its path handicap-accessible has not yet been approved. According to the New York Times, preservationists are concerned about the Central Park Conservancy’s proposal to build a ramp-like elevated walkway to the castle’s entrance, saying it would alter the experience of Central Park.
Find out more

June 12, 2017

Carroll Gardens duplex with a private entrance and bonus basement asks $1.5M

This Carroll Gardens duplex offers ton of space to spread out. A private entrance from the 1930s brick building, at 483 Court Street, leads into a two bedroom, spanning 1,250 square feet over two floors. There's also an entire basement below the unit, as well as a private deck and garden off the lower level. This is the only apartment on the market at the quaint five-unit cooperative, and it's asking $1.495 million.
This way for a look

Distinctive Homes

June 12, 2017

INTERVIEW: Amit Khurana and Michael Gabellini on designing in NYC with architect Tadao Ando

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Before 152 Elizabeth Street, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando had never designed a building in New York City. The ultra-high-end, seven-unit, seven-story Nolita condominium is currently on the rise at the corner of Elizabeth and Kenmare Streets. Every detail of this Ando building reflects the famed architect’s philosophy that, “a living space should be a sanctuary. It has to be a place where you can reflect on your life.” Ando’s signature use of concrete and glass creates a strong yet minimalist beauty that finds balance at a location on the convergence of numerous neighborhoods. As architecture critic Carter Horsley puts it, “152 Elizabeth is not a dramatic masterpiece by one of the world’s greatest architects but a very refined and subtle ‘enclosure’ with wonderful detailing, a delightful surprise in this brand new, gee-whiz world of starchitects.”
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Site of East Village gas explosion sells for $9.15M

Image of the site via Google Street View

June 12, 2017

Site of East Village gas explosion sells for $9.15M

In March 2015, an explosion caused by an illegal tap into the gas main destroyed three buildings and killed two people in the East Village. Last month, Maria Hrynenko, the owner of the wrecked properties at 119 and 121 Second Avenue, sold two of the lots to Yaniv Shaky Cohen’s Nexus Building Development Group Inc. for $9.15 million, according to the New York Post. The third site destroyed by the explosion at 123 Second Avenue sold last year to Ezra Wibowo for $6 million, about $4 million less than the asking price.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

June 12, 2017

Despite recent concerns, Transport Workers Union endorses BQX streetcar

When a leaked memo about the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) surfaced a couple months ago, it painted a less-than-optimistic picture of the proposed $2.5 billion streetcar due to major construction challenges and doubts that Mayor de Blasio's plan to self-fund the project through taxes from higher real estate values would pan out. Despite these concerns, however, the Transport Workers Union Local 100 endorsed the 16-mile streetcar project today, according to a press release from Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector.
All the info right this way

June 12, 2017

Score a middle-income apartment in the Brooklyn Cultural District’s Caesura, from $866/month

Applications are currently being accepted for 49 middle-income units at The Caesura in Fort Greene, a rental expected to open late this summer. Located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District at 280 Ashland Place, the 12-story mixed-use rental building sits just one block from the famed Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Designed by Dattner Architects and Bernheimer Architecture, Caesura features a landscaped rooftop garden and conservatory, fitness center, bike room, community room and a shared goods or “lending library” space. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply to rent units ranging from $886/month micro-units to $2,715/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 12, 2017

$1.56M Cobble Hill condo has a garden, rooftop terrace, and laid-back loft style

This bright, loft-like Cobble Hill condo pulls off a pretty neat trick: It’s on the ground floor (giving it a private garden) and it also has the penthouse perk of an enormous skylight and a private roof terrace just above. How is this possible, you ask? The apartment occupies the rear extension of a 25-foot-wide brownstone at 56 Bergen Street, combining penthouse perks and garden level access. The two-bedroom 1,413 square-foot home is at the crossroads of Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights and Fort Greene, within walking distance to everything from Trader Joe’s to the Promenade and antique shops on Atlantic Avenue.
Check out the rest

Distinctive Homes

June 11, 2017

Michael Haverland’s 20-acre East Hampton ‘campus’ is arranged around a series of courtyards

By Rebecca Paul

This gorgeous East Hampton property is located on a 20-acre site that was surveyed and designed by architect Michael Haverland in the format of a "campus" rather than one large suburban home. It's arranged around a series of courtyards and gardens to take full advantage of the subtle undulations of the site's organic topography, providing room for an L-shaped main house, pool house and 25-meter pool, gym, spa, and tennis court.
Tour the whole property

Architecture And Design

June 10, 2017

Lots of greenery at this sun-filled studio, asking $389K in the Upper West Side

The right design can make a studio apartment feel larger, as this one on the market for $389,000 proves. It is located in the Upper West Side's Broadmoor co-op, 235 West 102nd Street. It's been on and off the market for a few years now, asking as low as $309,000. The cozy space is aided by big windows and plenty of greenery. Prewar details like beamed ceilings and bordered hardwood floors don't hurt, either.
Go take a look

Distinctive Homes

June 9, 2017

David Rockefeller’s historic Upper East Side mansion lists for $32.5M

David Rockefeller, billionaire philanthropist, former head of Chase Manhattan, and grandson of John D. Rockefeller, passed away just three months ago at the age of 101. For the 69 years prior, he lived with his wife Peggy at this historic Upper East Side mansion at 146 East 65th Street. Now, as the Wall Street Journal reports, the rare 40-foot wide townhouse has hit the market for $32.5 million, and the listing photos showcase Rockefeller's impressive collection 18th-century furniture and Chinese and European porcelains (paintings by Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse, and Picasso have unfortunately been blurred out).
Learn more about the storied home

Celebrities

A retro dresser inspired Beam Group’s new Bushwick condo

Rendering of 127-129 Troutman via Beam Group/ Photo via Shanna Shryne Design

June 9, 2017

A retro dresser inspired Beam Group’s new Bushwick condo

The neighborhood of Bushwick, known for its artistic hipsters, is about to get even cooler. The Brooklyn-based firm Beam Group/ J. Goldman Design revealed plans for their project at 127-129 Troutman Street in the western part of the neighborhood. The project, designed by the firm’s Adele Schachner, is inspired by the mid-century “luck of the drawer” dresser that features an incredible tri-geometric pattern in bright colors framed by a wooden border, as CityRealty learned. Renderings show the building's exterior will be composed of both opaque and screened panels.
See the renderings here

June 9, 2017

You can own two Westchester homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright students

It's rare to own a home in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, but here's two just outside of NYC in Westchester County. Brownstoner showcased the homes, both designed with Wright’s "Usonian" ideals in mind--affordable homes integrated skillfully with the landscape. The first, in Pleasantville, is known originally as the Silson house and was designed in 1951 by architect Kaneji Domoto, a Wright student. It's located within the actual Wright-planned community now known as the Usonia Historic District and asking $1.2 million. The second is a home designed by architect David Henken, another Wright disciple. Located in Dobb’s Ferry, with the same seamless connection to nature, it is listed for $1.049 million.
See photos of both properties

June 9, 2017

Proposed state Senate bill would ban brokers from using ‘SoHa’ in listings

As real estate developers and brokers continue rebranding neighborhoods with new nicknames, some community members fear this gentrifies and strips the history away from their nabes. Like NoLo (SoHo + Nolita + Lower East Side) and DoBro (Downtown Brooklyn) before it, SoHa, the new branding moniker for South Harlem, has been met with resistance from residents. According to Crain’s, newly elected state Senator Brian Benjamin, a native of Harlem, talked with so many residents that opposed the term SoHa, he has introduced a bill banning people, specifically brokers, from using the nickname as a marketing tool.
Find out more

20 years ago, Mother Teresa lobbied New York’s mayor for a parking permit

Photo via Ed Reed/City of New York

June 9, 2017

20 years ago, Mother Teresa lobbied New York’s mayor for a parking permit

Photo via Ed Reed/City of New York In June of 1997, an unlikely meeting of Mother Teresa and then Mayor Rudy Giuliani took place--and it was over the ever frustrating matter of New York parking. She had come to the city for a surprise visit to spend time with the South Bronx branch of her organization, Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa, then 86, would die just a few months later, but during this visit, her charity work wasn't what she wanted to discuss with the mayor. Instead, she came to him with a very New York request: picking up a few extra parking permits for her nuns.
The mayor couldn't turn her down

History

June 9, 2017

The Urban Lens: Kalliope Amorphous captures the faces of the Upper West Side

The Greenwich by Rafael Vinoly

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, creative and conceptual photographer Kalliope Amorphous shares her series "Upper West Side Story." Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. "I'm always chasing after something nostalgic and timeless," says Kalliope Amorphous, which is why her long-time home on the Upper West Side was the perfect setting for a portrait study. "There's a strong sense of community here and it feels more like a neighborhood in the classic and old-fashioned sense," the self-taught photographer explains. In this black-and-white series, Kalliope captures the many faces of one of the city's most historic areas, exploring its long-standing energy and evolving residents, as well as her favorite themes of identity, mortality, time, and consciousness.
See the series here

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June 9, 2017

Kelsey Grammer’s Chelsea condo in contract for nearly $8M

Nearly a year after first hitting the market for $9.75 million, Kelsey Grammer's condo at Jean Nouvel's glassy 100 Eleventh Avenue in west Chelsea has gone into contract, reports the Wall Street Journal. But despite the fact that that the listing showcased his piano from the set of "Frasier" and the impressive 100 feet of massive windows providing Hudson River and skyline views, the selling price came in at just under $8 million (the price was reduced to $8.95 million in March).
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June 9, 2017

Dramatic Sutton deco duplex that belonged to Sen. Jacob Javits asks $5.2M

New York City's classic pre-war co-ops are in an elegant class by themselves, with beamed high ceilings, big casement windows, entry halls and galleries, maid's rooms and gracious spaces in general. The more interesting among them tend to be those in which the customized luxury of their longtime residents has been preserved. Such is case with this spacious duplex at 322 East 57th Street in Sutton Place (where you'll find a lot of preserved customized luxury). The listing describes the three-bedroom deco-era co-op, listed for $5.195 million, as "exquisite, dramatic and unique." Designed in 1933 by renowned architect Joseph Urban, the 3,300 square-foot apartment was for 40 years the home of the late Senator Jacob Javits and his wife, Marian, who died earlier this year. And while it's likely that there are many updates to be made, there are also many surprising details that have returned with today's trends.
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FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Ellipse, 1007 Atlantic Avenue, 33 Bond Street and 70 Pine Street

June 9, 2017

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

By Emrys Fitzgerald

Live in One of the World’s Most Iconic Skyscrapers: New Leases at 70 Pine Street Include 1 Month Free [link] Downtown Brooklyn’s Topped-Out Tower with New Subway Entrance Nears Completion; See the Photos [link] Clinton Hill’s 1007 Atlantic Avenue Launches Leasing; 1-Beds from $2,215/Month [link] Model Units Unveiled at Ellipse, Jersey City’s New Waterfront High […]

Real Estate Trends

June 8, 2017

Sculptor Richard Serra drops $7M on Tribeca loft, now owns entire building

By Annie Doge

When this sprawling, full-floor Tribeca loft at 173 Duane Street first hit the market for $7.95 million at the beginning of the year, 6sqft wasn't the least bit surprised at its strikingly creative interiors, considering it was owned by artist Merrill Steiger. As we noted, it's the same building where prolific sculptor Richard Serra has lived and worked since the 1990s. At various points, he and his wife Clara have purchased the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the early 20th-century cast-iron building, most recently paying just under $4 million for the third floor in 2011. This left only the second floor out of their hands, but LL NYC reports that Serra has just coughed up $7 million for Steiger's unit, giving him ownership of the entire building.
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June 8, 2017

Former Hamptons cottage of late New York Times editor Arthur Gelb asks $2.8M