6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

How much can you do with 410 square feet? Surprisingly, quite a bit. A renovation at this Hell's Kitchen studio, located within the 433 West 54th Street cooperative, has tried to maximize space in any way possible. Case in point: a Murphy bed "cabinet" with the option to tuck your bed away in style, a corner kitchen lined with wood that also holds storage underneath a compact breakfast bar, and a fire escape that makes for a suitable outdoor space. After last selling in 2010 for $340,000, the studio is asking $425,000.
This way for a look inside

August 2, 2017

News anchor Lester Holt breaks with posh Nomad apartment for $6.4M

Breaking: Lester Holt has sold his classy Nomad apartment for $6.4 million, just under the $6.6 million he listed it for in April, reports the Post. The NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC anchor bought the three-bedroom spread at 225 Fifth Avenue for $3.3 million in 2007. Along with the impressive views of Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building and a private terrace, the sale was likely helped along by the fact that Holt's wife, Carol Hagen-Holt, was one of the listing brokers.
Take a look around

August 2, 2017

A jungle-like loft near the Williamsburg waterfront asks $4,500 a month

This apartment may not have an outdoor space, but it's boasting the next best thing. That would be tons and tons of greenery tucked into every corner of the apartment--a loft with more jungle-like vibes than industrial ones. It's located in a former warehouse at 63 North 3rd Street, just off the North Williamsburg waterfront. It's got the regular loft aesthetic: high ceilings, big windows, exposed pipes, and one wide open space, but it's all the interior landscaping that really makes the space unique.
You'll find plants everywhere

Distinctive Homes

August 2, 2017

New York’s tradition of uncapping fire hydrants to beat the heat

By Cait Etherington

When temperatures soar, fire hydrants across the city flow freely and not necessarily to put out fires. The practice, commonly known as “uncapping,” has long served as a way for city residents to cool off. Although it is not entirely legal, it is generally tolerated, especially when temperatures climb above 90, and for a number of legitimate reasons.
read the full story

History

Report predicts NYC’s vacancy rate will triple alongside falling rents

Image: Pexels

August 2, 2017

Report predicts NYC’s vacancy rate will triple alongside falling rents

A new forecast by online real estate marketplace Ten-X predicts that New York City's apartment vacancy rate will exceed 11 percent by the end of next year as thousands of apartments hit the market, the Wall Street Journal reports. The study also points to a slowing job growth rate, which drives the rental market, as a factor in what could be a "grim reckoning" for landlords.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

August 2, 2017

After four years on the market, $125M Pierre penthouse sells for a paltry $44M

The 16 room triplex that takes up the 41st, 42nd and 43rd floors of the legendary Pierre Hotel has finally sold for $44 million, a huge drop from its original $125 million asking price. Located at 795 Fifth Avenue, the penthouse was owned by Barbara Zweig, the widow of financier Martin Zweig, who first listed the property in 2013 after her husband’s death. According to The Real Deal, the pad features a library, four terraces, private elevator and costs $51,840 per month to maintain.
See inside

August 2, 2017

One-time Long Island mansion of former Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos hits the market for $4.9M

A sprawling 8.2-acre estate in Center Moriches once owned by the deceased Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda has hit the market for $4.99 million. The massive Long Island property, known as the Lindenmere Estate, at 16 Sedgemere Road features 14 bedrooms, 17-and-a-half baths, a glass-enclosed Pagoda pool house, and incredible views of the Moriches Bay. According to the New York Post, after a brokerage switch, the listing’s price dropped from $5.99 million last year.
Find out more

August 1, 2017

$4,000/month West Village rental comes with its very own front door entrance

You could pretend you live in your own West Village townhouse with this rental, which comes with a private front door you enter off the street. Located at 344 West 12th Street, a tree-lined and cobblestoned stretch between Greenwich and Washington Streets, your front door will take you right into a pre-war one bedroom with a wood burning fireplace, the original hardwood floors and French doors. Though it's in a co-op building, this apartment is up for rent at $4,000 a month.
See more of the prewar details

Distinctive Homes

For $2.4M, this artfully renovated Williamsburg duplex takes loft living to a new level

This $9.7M Nolita loft is a luxury confection in a former chocolate factory

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

French soccer star Thierry Henry seeks $25M for his Soho penthouse

Jackson Pollock’s former Greenwich Village loft returns to market for $1.99M

This $6.5M Hell's Kitchen townhouse has a heavenly rooftop oasis

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

This $2.85M co-op with a magical garden is an elegant Upper East Side escape

Gilded Age grandeur never left this $14M Park Avenue co-op

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

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In 1894, the first bike lane in America was built on Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway

Photo by Kai Brinker on Flickr

August 1, 2017

In 1894, the first bike lane in America was built on Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway

While many New Yorkers can be seen trekking through Brooklyn on their bikes today, the borough’s infatuation with cycling actually dates back to the 19th century. On June 15, 1894, Ocean Parkway became the first street in the U.S. to have a designated bike lane. The nearly five-mile stretch of road was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the urban planning masterminds behind Central Park and Prospect Park. Originally, their design for Ocean Parkway was to be one of four spokes originating at Prospect Park and spanning across the borough. Today, the road doesn’t actually start at the park but runs parallel to Coney Island Avenue to reach the beach.
The full history this way

History

My 900sqft: An interior designer fills his Bed-Stuy home with rare objects pulled from the street

6sqft’s ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

August 1, 2017

My 900sqft: An interior designer fills his Bed-Stuy home with rare objects pulled from the street

By Diane Pham

"This apartment has basically become my yard," says Alessandro Pasquale, an Italian designer, artist, and collector of incredible and one-of-a-kind pieces. "I’m an interior designer, so I love details. The little things catch my attention," he adds. These statements find considerable weight when you scan Alessandro's Bed-Stuy home, a 900-square-foot space filled with hundreds of objects he's arranged so "that any angle of the apartment can be photographed." But while you may be thinking this guy is either incredibly wealthy or a bit of a shopaholic given his lot, it's worth noting that Alessandro isn't raising a paddle at Christie's procure these rare items. Rather, since moving to NYC he's become something of a scavenger, plucking obscure items that have been abandoned curbside or trashed in dumpsters, then finding a place for them in his home.
take video and photo tours inside

August 1, 2017

Clive Davis chops the price of his ritzy Midtown duplex to $6.996M

Back in 2015, five-time Grammy Award-winning producer and Sony Music Entertainment's chief creative officer Clive Davis bought two units at 465 Park Avenue for $3.4 million, combining them to create a contemporary, art-filled duplex for an unknown family member. However, just a year later, "things changed" for this relative, and he listed the pad for $7.8 million. Despite the super-swanky design and ritzy decor, he's had a hard time unloading the home, and Mansion Global now reports that he's chopped the price by 10 percent to $6,995,000.
Take the tour

With bicycle ridership up, city will add 60+ miles of bike lanes a year

Image via Nick Harris/Flickr

August 1, 2017

With bicycle ridership up, city will add 60+ miles of bike lanes a year

As the city subway systems struggle to keep up with increased ridership, it's a no brainer that more New Yorkers would take to the streets on bicycles rather than deal with the modern-day headaches of train travel. In fact, as 6sqft reported just yesterday, more commuters bike to work here than any other U.S. city. With the growth of bike riding, Mayor de Blasio's administration is further expanding biker-friendly infrastructure. According to Crain's, the Department of Transportation announced plans this Monday to add 10 miles of protected bicycle lanes and allocate 50 miles of regular bikeways annually starting this year.
Read more about the mayor's bike lane rollout

August 1, 2017

Bright, open condo one block from the beach asks $599K in the Rockaways

Looking for beachfront living that's only a train ride away from Manhattan? Here's your answer. This three-bedroom condo has hit the market in the Far Rockaways, at 124-11 Rockaway Beach Boulevard. It's got all the right beachy interior details: open floorplan, big windows, two outdoor spaces, private parking, and a washer/dryer unit to clean your swimsuits and towels. Because, of course, the location is just a mere block from the Rockaway boardwalk and beachfront. After selling in 2015 for $492,000, it's now asking a hair under $600,000.
Take a tour inside

Distinctive Homes

July 31, 2017

Wood slat-covered glass volumes create an elegant interior at this Hamptons guest home

A traditional Hamptons estate, nestled in the hamlet of Wainscott, got this luxurious guesthouse courtesy of Roger Ferris + Partners. The Connecticut-based architecture and design firm sought to create "a luxury reprieve for visitors" and came up with a two-structured, gabled home that looks modest from the outside but feels elegant inside. Each section of the home is dedicated to different uses--public on one side, private on the other--but both structures overlook a pool that faces the oceanfront. With a gorgeous interior and great views, its a guest house worthy of full-time living.
Get a look at the interior

July 31, 2017

Pre-war penthouse with a water tower atop its terrace asks $2.5M in Midtown West

Now that we're in the dog days of summer, nothing looks more appealing than a spacious, well-designed roof deck that just happens to have a water tower perched above it. That's the case at this Midtown West condo at 40 West 55th Street, now on the market for $2.5 million. The one-bedroom penthouse is literally surrounded on four sides by an outdoor space lined with greenery. Inside, a skylight and southern, western and northern exposures that look out onto the lush terrace result in a modern, bright interior.
Go inside the apartment

Distinctive Homes

$925M mega-project may bring 1,000 rentals and a 100,000-square-foot factory to Long Island City

Rendering courtesy of TF Cornerstone

July 31, 2017

$925M mega-project may bring 1,000 rentals and a 100,000-square-foot factory to Long Island City

The waterfront Queens neighborhood of Long Island City has gone from a sleepy, factory town to boasting the country's largest number of new rental apartments. Now, to preserve some of LIC’s industrial backbone, a new development proposal from TF Cornerstone calls for a massive $925 million mixed-use complex, which will include 1,000 rental apartments and 100,000 square feet of light manufacturing space. As the New York Times reported, the project comes at the city’s request in 2016 for mixed-use project proposals with a focus on commercial and industrial space.
Find out more

July 31, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Rick Cook on the legacy of COOKFOX’s sustainable design in NYC

Since its founding in 1990, COOKFOX Architects has become one of the most recognized names in New York City real estate. In the firm's early days, founding partner Rick Cook found a niche in historically-sensitive building design, looking for opportunities to "[fill] in the missing voids of the streetscape," as he put it. After teaming up with Bob Fox in 2003, the pair worked to establish COOKFOX as an expert in both contextual and sustainable development. They designed the first LEED Platinum skyscraper in New York City with the Durst family, the Bank of America Tower, then took on a number of projects with the goal of designing healthier workplaces. The firm also got attention for its work in landmarks districts, winning AIA-New York State awards for its mixed-use development at 401 West 14th Street (better known as the Apple store) and its revamp of the the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. (The firm also made it the first LEED-certified theater in the city.)
6sqft's conversation with Rick fox here

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

More commuters bike to work in NYC than any other U.S. city

Image via WikiCommons

July 31, 2017

More commuters bike to work in NYC than any other U.S. city

Earlier this year, 6sqft shared data from the Department of Transportation that found daily Citi Bike ridership had grown 80 percent from 2010 to 2015, and now, according to new information published in the Times, those figures have ballooned even more. Last Wednesday was "the highest single-day ridership of any system in the Western world outside of Paris," reports the bike share program, with a staggering 70,286 trips. These figures are part of an overall bike-centric trend in the city that "has outpaced population and employment growth" with New Yorkers taking an average of 450,000 daily bike trips, exponentially higher than the 2005 average of 170,000. And about one-fifth of these trips is by commuters, making New York home to more bike commuters than any other city in the country.
More details ahead

July 31, 2017

Mr. Big (a.k.a. actor Chris Noth) snags little Upper East Side co-op for $1.8M

While he is known for playing hot shot New Yorker Mr. Big on "Sex and the City," actor Chris Noth has called New York City his home in real life since the 1970s. And since 1994, Noth has owned his apartment at 45 East 9th Street, the same building where Candace Bushnell lived, the writer behind the newspaper column and book that inspired the popular TV show. Recently, "The Good Wife" actor purchased a co-op at 139 East 66th Street on the Upper East Side for $1.85 million, reported LL NYC. The pre-war pad boasts just two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a bit on the small side for Mr. Big.
See inside

July 31, 2017

Chill on your private balcony in a former Bed-Stuy frozen food factory for $1.175M

This 1,200 square-foot Bed-Stuy loft at 105 Lexington Avenue has one bedroom with room for two. Asking $1.75 million, its loveliest feature is a cozy balcony that's accessible from both the living room and the master bedroom. All of this in a loft with extra-tall ceilings, in a former frozen food factory that was converted to apartments in 2008.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2017

Bright apartment on the full floor of a West Village townhouse asks $6,500/month

Somewhere along the line, the historic Federal period townhouse at 428 Hudson Street was broken up into four apartments. And now theres' the opportunity to rent this one, which occupies the townhouse's entire third floor. If you don't mind the walk-up, the apartment offers two bedrooms and two bathrooms over 1,200 square feet. The large, open living space is decorated with a fireplace and hardwood floors, while sunshine comes in from exposures to the east and west. For this calm, quiet pad perched atop a West Village townhouse, it'll cost $6,500 per month.
Take a look

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

Images (L to R): FRANK 57 WEST, 237 11th Street, 180 Water Street and 1 QPS Tower

July 29, 2017

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

By Emrys Fitzgerald

Gut-Renovated Rentals in Prewar Harlem Building from $1,850/Month; Move-In August 1st [link] Live & Play at “The Crescendo,” South Bronx’s Unprecedented Rental Prepares for Summer Launch [link] Meet Crystal54, Hell’s Kitchen’s New Cast-Iron Rental Leasing from $3,200/mo [link] Conversion of 1890s Bushwick Church is Complete; See Inside the New Rentals [link] Grand New Rentals Debut […]

Real Estate Trends

July 28, 2017

18th-century farmhouse filled with wood and antiques asks just $379K upstate

You're stepping back in time with this upstate New York property, a colonial farmhouse sitting on three woodsy acres outside the town of Slingerlands (h/t CIRCA). Since its construction way back in the 1780s, it's been lovingly cared for and restored, right down to the Rumford fireplace and wide-plank wood floors. The interior, in fact, is seemingly lined floor-to-ceiling in wood, while the land outside is rife with trees alongside a pond and barn. And of course, it all costs less than a one-bedroom Manhattan condo, asking $379,000.
Explore the property

100 years ago today, the NAACP held its Silent Protest Parade down Fifth Avenue

Photo courtesy of James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of African American Arts and Letters, Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

July 28, 2017

100 years ago today, the NAACP held its Silent Protest Parade down Fifth Avenue

Forty-six years before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech during the March on Washington, nearly 10,000 African-Americans silently marched down Fifth Avenue to protest racial violence in the United States. Organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Silent Protest Parade occurred on Saturday, July 28, 1917, and became the first mass civil rights demonstration of its kind. Protesters walked from 55th and 59th Streets to Madison Square, without so much as a whisper (h/t Hyperallergic).
Find out more

History

July 28, 2017

The Urban Lens: Niv Rozenberg’s graphic images highlight Bushwick’s diverse housing

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, photographer Niv Rozenberg shares his series "Boswijck," an artistic depiction of Bushwick's houses. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Originally from Israel, Niv Rozenberg has been living in Bushwick for the past couple years. During this time, he became fascinated by the neighborhood's colorful homes. Taking a literal and figurative approach to "colorful," he set out to showcase Bushwick's architectural and cultural diversity. While doing some research for the project, he learned that the original 17th-century Dutch name for the area was Boswijck, meaning "little town in the woods." Choosing this as his series title, he then juxtaposed the historic moniker by visually isolating each building and employing Pantone colors to turn them and their backgrounds into graphic images.
Hear from Niv and see all his images

Places

Subway image via WikiCommons

July 28, 2017

Cuomo wants to fund subway fixes with $600K corporate station naming rights

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

Subway image via WikiCommons On Tuesday the Metropolitan Transportation Authority revealed an $800 million emergency rescue plan for the city’s beleaguered subway system. As 6sqft reported, the MTA board has been scrambling for new ways to pay for the plan amid increasing dissatisfaction with fare hikes, even as the agency says they'll need to raise fares by roughly 4 percent every other year as part of their long-term financial plan. According to Crain's, Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke Thursday about a possible corporate sponsorship alternative: For $600,000, a donor can publicly “adopt" a station to help pay for amenities and improved cleaning; for $250,000, a “Partnership Council” membership would help raise money for improvements without the donor's name attached to the station.
Who wouldn't want to adopt a subway station?

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

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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July 28, 2017

133 affordable units up for grabs near Yankee Stadium, from $548/month

Applications are currently being accepted for 133 newly constructed, affordable units at 810 River Avenue in the Bronx, across from the old Yankee Stadium and just steps away from the team’s new playing field. The building includes approximately 26,000 square-feet of commercial and community facility space and a 61-space garage. Designed by SLCE Architects, the 17-story steel and plank tower features high-performance windows, Energy Star dishwashers, laundry rooms and hardwood floors. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 90 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for available units ranging from a $538 per month studio to $2,113 per month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

July 28, 2017

125 Greenwich Street gets new rendering, taller 912-foot height

Earlier this month, developers Bizzi & Partners and New Valley finalized a $450 million loan for their Rafael Viñoly-designed skyscraper at 125 Greenwich Street, and they've now released a finalized rendering of the slender condo tower and filed plans that show it will top out at 912 feet (h/t Yimby). The height is only slightly above the most recent reporting of 898 feet, but the project was originally supposed to rise a whopping 1,400 feet. Though it's no longer in line to be downtown’s tallest residential building, it will still offer impressive views and a wind-resistant design.
Find out more

Donald Trump’s sketch of the Manhattan skyline sells for $29,184 at auction

Donald Trump’s 2005 Manhattan skyline sketch with Trump Tower in the center. (Nate D. Sanders Auctions)

July 28, 2017

Donald Trump’s sketch of the Manhattan skyline sells for $29,184 at auction

Update 7/28/17: Artnet reports that Trump's doodle has sold at auction for $29,184. “It’s a piece of art from a U.S. President, so it’s attracted interest from not just Trump followers, but also presidential memorabilia collectors,” Michael Kirk of Nate D. Sanders auctioneers told the art site. “It’s received a lot of global press, so the interest level has been high. The piece has received some five times more than our normal auction traffic." A charity auction sketch made by future president Donald Trump in 2005 will be headed for the auction block once again, according to the Washington Post. The drawing shows the artist's rendition of the Manhattan skyline with Trump Tower anchoring the center spot in a crowd of anonymous buildings.
What's the starting bid?

July 28, 2017

$2.4M Lower East Side pad uses inventive design to complement its railroad layout

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

This apartment is long and narrow, but it's also got a ton of square feet and some inventive design to make for a pretty nice pad. Located at the Lower East Side condo 71 Ludlow Street, it boasts 1,646 square feet, three bedrooms, and a $2.395 million price tag. (It last sold in 2013 for $1.65 million.) A curvy kitchen dominates the middle of the open space, while bedrooms are placed on either side. And surprisingly, for a railroad layout, the apartment boasts three exposures to bring in light.
Take an interior tour

Distinctive Homes

How a 15th-century French migration gave us the term ‘Bohemian’

Greenwich Village Bohemians outside Cafe Wha in the 1960s, via Vintage Everyday

July 27, 2017

How a 15th-century French migration gave us the term ‘Bohemian’

“Bohemian” may be hard to define, but we all know it when we see it. But even in a city like New York, where bohemian can be used to describe everything from a polished West Village cafe to a South Bronx squat, few people know why exactly we today use this term, connected to a medieval Central European kingdom, to describe those with a countercultural bent.
The whole history right this way

History

July 27, 2017

Live in the French Country-style home where Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe married for $1.7M

Although the marriage between Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe didn’t last long, the home where the two held their 1956 wedding certainly stood the test of time. The charming French Country-style home at 122 East Ridge Road in Waccabuc, New York has hit the market for $1.675 million (h/t LLYNC). Sitting on over four acres of land, the home features four bedrooms and five bathrooms. The sprawling pad features a pool and pool house, as well as scenic views of Lake Waccabuc. Last year, the Miller and Monroe's former NYC pad just off Sutton Place at 444 East 57th Street, hit the market at an asking price of $6.75 million.
See inside

July 27, 2017

Billionaires are clamoring to move into this Montauk trailer park

Owning a "box of air on the land" at the Montauk Shores trailer park has become the ultimate status symbol for summering rich and famous, reports the New York Post. From "glorified changing room" after a day at the beach to compact escape chamber, denizens of the boho-chic beach town have snapped up so many modular mobile homes at the Montauk trailer park that it now has its own "Billionaires' Corner." The trailer park wasn't always trendy; it began as a pop-up tent campsite in the 1940s and ’50s, eventually becoming a resort of sorts for police and firefighters, teachers and fishermen.
More history of this hip mobile hideaway

July 27, 2017

CetraRuddy proposes sustainable designs for first office building along the Village’s ‘Silicon Alley’

An "oversized Silicon Alley" is what some are calling Mayor de Blasio's plan to transform Union Square and its southern stretches into the city's next tech hub. The main component so far is the massive Union Square Tech Hub proposed to replace the P.C. Richard & Son building on East 14th Street, but Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation are advocating that, in exchange for the building, the city rezone the surrounding blocks to prevent an influx of out-of-scale development. Despite their oppositions, CetraRuddy has revealed on their site two environmentally friendly proposals for the site at 799 Broadway, the former home of the St. Denis Hotel at the southwest corner of East 11th Street. Spotted by CityRealty, the 240-foot, 17-story office building would be the first catering to the Mayor's tech dreams, though the renderings are merely conceptual at this point.
All the renderings and details ahead

Archdiocese of New York may sell 12 churches after deeming them no longer sacred

All Saints Church in Harlem, via NYC & Company

July 27, 2017

Archdiocese of New York may sell 12 churches after deeming them no longer sacred

The Archdiocese of New York announced that 12 Catholic churches in Manhattan and The Bronx may be sold after declaring them no longer sacred sites for worship. As DNAinfo reported, the Catholic church released a list of properties, including some that had been shuttered since around 2015 when the church restructured many of its parishes by merging many together. After the diocese quietly posted the decrees over the July Fourth holiday weekend, many parishioners were angry that they had less time to appeal. Now some fear the churches will be converted luxury housing building, which has happened many times in the past few years due to the financial pressure on churches.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

July 27, 2017

Explore the history of human communication through 100 Barclay’s ceiling murals

By Diane Pham

This post has been sponsored by 100 Barclay. To learn more about available condos or to schedule a tour, visit the official 100 Barclay website. Much attention has been given to the landmarked 100 Barclay as of late thanks to a recent redevelopment of the upper floors into luxury apartments by Magnum Real Estate Group and the CIM Group. The full-block building, which sits on a site at the southern edge of Tribeca and just off the Hudson River waterfront, was originally constructed between 1923 and 1927 as the headquarters of the New York Telephone Company. Then known as the Barclay-Vesey Building (also the New York Telephone Building), the tower was the world's first Art Deco skyscraper, designed by a young Ralph Walker while he was just an associate at McKenzie Voorhees & Gmelin. Walker's design provided not only a launching pad for his own career (he soon after became a partner in his firm and later went on to become one of the country’s most esteemed architects) but the Barclay-Vesey would provide inspiration for many of New York's future skyscrapers.
explore the murals here

Places

July 27, 2017

MTA board members seek an end to routine fare hikes, mulls selling subway station naming rights

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority revealed on Tuesday an $800 million emergency rescue plan to fix the city’s failing subway system, which includes hiring 2,700 workers, removing some seats and adding additional train cars. And on Wednesday the MTA board grappled with ways to pay for the plan, with some members calling for the agency to end its routine fare and toll hikes and find revenue through other means. However, according to the New York Times, the authority’s chief financial officer, Robert Foran, said the agency needed to continue to raise fares by roughly 4 percent every other year as part of their long-term financial plan.
Find out more

July 27, 2017

World’s skinniest skyscraper at 111 West 57th Street stalled at 20 stories by soaring costs

The construction of Property Markets Group and JDS Development’s 1,421-foot-tall tower at 111 West 57th Street has been the subject of much anticipation and excitement, as it's slated to be among the tallest residential skyscrapers anywhere and the world's most slender with a height-to-width ratio of 24:1. But after rising only 20 stories, the SHoP Architects-designed Billionaires' Row addition has stalled, plagued with budget overruns and headed for foreclosure, the New York Post reports.
What could possibly have happened?

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 26, 2017

The history behind how Great Jones Street got its name

After 34 years of serving giant Cajun-Creole portions alongside obscure jukebox music, Great Jones Cafe is closing its doors for good tonight. The notorious Noho bar at 54 Great Jones Street opened in 1983 when the block was so empty patrons used be able to play whiffle ball in the street, but its closure serves as a reminder of the history of Great Jones Street. This superlative name dates way back to 1789 when politician Samuel Jones donated land to the city under the terms that they name any street within the property after him. But there was one little issue....
Where did the street name come from?

History

July 26, 2017

NYC Ferry hits 1 million riders as it readies to launch Astoria route

Considering the NYC Ferry has been so popular since launching on May 1st that it had to charter two extra boats to meet demand, it's not surprising that the city-subsidized ferry hit the 1 million rider mark as of today, a month earlier than expected. Mayor de Blasio celebrated the milestone earlier today with a press conference in Long Island City, also announcing that the fourth ferry route, the Astoria line, will launch on Tuesday, August 29th.
More ferry news

Transit

July 26, 2017

‘Hercules’ actor Kevin Sorbo chops the price of his giant Hamptons estate to $6.5M

Kevin Sorbo bought this five+ acre Bridgehampton property back in 2001 for $900,000. After building a massive, 12,500-square-foot, eight-bedroom home in 2004, the actor and his wife Sam Jenkins listed it for $10.5 million in 2012. It was taken off the market the following year, after which time it hit the rental market and gained its notorious reputation as the ultimate party pad, according to the Post. These "illegal" and ticketed bashes were often hosted for new product launches, but once Sorbo found out they went against town codes he presumably used some Herculean strength to put an end to it. Curbed Hamptons now reports that the sprawling residence is back on the market for the much-reduced price of $6.5 million.
Take the full tour

July 26, 2017

Mid-century modern home built in 1966 with a Techbuilt core asks $979K in Connecticut

This unique property is located just one hour outside of Manhattan, nestled in the woods of New Canaan, Connecticut. The striking structure was constructed in 1966 as a Techbuilt home, a style pioneered by the architect Carl Koch. Since then, the property received stone expansions to build out a 5,700-square-foot residence with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a great room with vaulted, beamed ceilings. It's on the market for the first time ever, with an ask of $979,000.
See many more glass, wood and stone details

Brooklyn politicians want to decriminalize subway turnstile jumping

Image via WNYC

July 26, 2017

Brooklyn politicians want to decriminalize subway turnstile jumping

According to the Daily News, in 2016, roughly 92 percent of persons arrested for fare evasion were people of color, many of whom were also low-income and ended up spending at least one day in jail. With this in mind, State Senator Jesse Hamilton of Crown Heights and Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright of Bed-Stuy, both Democrats, will introduce legislation to decriminalize turnstile jumping cases. Instead of the offense warranting an arrest, misdemeanor charges, and a $100 fine, they propose the MTA's Adjudication Bureau handle it as a civil matter.
All the details ahead

July 26, 2017

MTA announces $800M emergency rescue plan for a distressed subway system, includes removing seats

After months of what has seemed like rapidly accelerating deterioration, scary incidents, complaints and finger-pointing, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority revealed on Tuesday an $800 million emergency rescue plan for the city’s beleaguered subway system, the New York Times reports. Some key solutions identified for the initial phase of the plan, called "MTA Moving Forward," included taking out seats on some cars–Boston’s transit system has done this in some cases to make room for more commuters. When asked when riders would begin to see the benefits of the plan, MTA chairman Joseph Lhota said that key parts of the plan’s initial phase would be implemented “relatively quickly.”
A hefty tab and a bitter feud

July 26, 2017

$1.4M South Slope condo has a brilliant layout, loads of style, and a private garage

In a picturesque corner building in a laid-back part of south Park Slope just a few blocks from the park, this full-floor condominium at 341 15th Street seems nearly perfect; it even comes with a private parking garage. If you're into current design trends, flawlessly executed, you'll want to have a look. Asking $1.395 million, the layout of this pre-war home is not only generous with plenty of closets, but there's even room for a third bedroom.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

July 25, 2017

Manhattan’s first-ever water park is coming to the Upper East Side—and it looks like a giant dishwasher!

For three Saturdays in August, nearly seven miles of NYC thoroughfares, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, will be closed to traffic as part of the city’s annual Summer Streets program. And this year's event has some pretty adventurous offerings, including a 270-foot waterslide, rock-climbing wall, and a 165-foot-long zipline. Guests will also get to visit Manhattan's first-ever water park on the Upper East Side, courtesy of LG Electronics. The giant inflatable park, called LG QuadWash™ Water Park, will measure 30-feet wide by 50-feet long and it's designed to look like both the interior and exterior of LG's new dishwashers, including cutlery-shaped slides, jet stream sprinklers, and "3rd rack" monkey bars.
Learn how you’ll be able to play in a giant dishwasher

Events & Things To Do

July 25, 2017

Meg Ryan’s moody, ‘Megan-ized’ Mercer Street loft sells for $9.9M

Meg Ryan's 4,100-square-foot apartment at 84 Mercer Street in Soho has been officially scooped up for $9.9M, LLNYC reveals. 6sqft previously reported that the actress had listed the full-floor home–which she bought from fellow actor Hank Azaria for $8 million in 2014–for $10.9 million back in February of this year. After a designer gut renovation and a spread in Architectural Digest, the three-bedroom home didn't stay on the market long—it went into contract just three months after Ryan listed it.
Tour the loft

July 25, 2017

$350K UES studio designed in the ’80s by Adam Tihany resembles a luxury train car

A quirky studio designed by the interior designer Adam Tihany, praised as one of the greatest American interior architects by the New York Times, has hit the market for $350,000. The design has essentially remained unchanged since the apartment was featured in an early 1980s issue of Metropolitan Home, which compared the design to that of a luxury train car. According to the listing, this modest interior, packed with inventive storage, is an early example of Tihany's world renowned hotel work (some of his commissions include the Mandarin Oriental in Vegas, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and two Four Seasons in Dubai). It's located in the 16-unit Upper East Side co-op 223 East 78th Street, which has one more studio for sale asking $315,000.
Check it all out

Distinctive Homes

Elon Musk and Tesla seek East Coast domination with new mid-priced electric car model

Tesla’s Red Hook sales and service shop. Image via Tesla

July 25, 2017

Elon Musk and Tesla seek East Coast domination with new mid-priced electric car model