6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

He’s going to spell it out for you: art feeds young minds. Pierre Francillon has a dream to fill the outer walls of Prospect Lefferts Gardens with building-sized flashcards to catch the eyes of the area’s fastest growing population: kids under 10. And with the help of a team of emerging and established artists, he […]

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April 19, 2017

Tour Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry buildings around the globe with the new Google Earth

As part of its relaunch, Google Earth, a program that allows users to explore the planet virtually, now features guided tours of projects by various architects, like Frank Gehry and the late Zaha Hadid. As ArchDaily learned, the relaunch allows users to orbit the entire globe in 3D, instead of simply exploring isolated cities. It also enhanced the web application’s accessibility, with searches within the app providing snapshots of information about the places. Plus, using the app is free of charge and users do not have to pay or install any software.
Explore the Google Earth relaunch

April 19, 2017

10 chances to live in hip East Williamsburg from $833/month

This rental building at 66 Ainslie Street may look like your quintessential warehouse conversion, but it was actually built from the ground up last year, designed by Aufgang Architects to blend in with East Williamsburg's trendy industrial vibe. Of its 50 apartments, 10 are reserved for those earning 60 percent of the area median income. These units include two $833/month studios and eight $895/month one-bedrooms and, as of tomorrow, are up for grabs through the city's affordable housing lottery.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 19, 2017

This bold corner loft will remind you of Williamsburg’s early artist outpost days

The 1,800-square-foot pre-war loft in the Northside Arts Industries Condominium is as classic as it gets, with impossibly high ceilings, exposed brick, wood beams and pipes and a flexible layout. The New York Times tells us that the building was developed back in 1983, when the neighborhood's north side was a burned-out jumble of factories, ethnic enclaves and a smattering of artists. The latter had come to escape Soho rents, taking over abandoned factories and warehouses and paying rents that averaged around $550 a month for a one-bedroom apartment. In 1986, a loft space in the building could be rented for $5 a square foot. Today, a sprawling home at 119 North 11th Street asks $8,500 a month ($57 a foot) and the trendy and amenity-packed neighborhood's artists have (mostly) escaped eastward once again.
Find out more about this totally 21st century loft

Distinctive Homes

April 18, 2017

NBC News anchor Lester Holt lists classy Nomad apartment for $6.6M

There's no "debating" that NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC anchor Lester Holt has good taste in real estate, as evidenced by the listing photos for his classy Nomad apartment. The fact that his wife, Carol Hagen-Holt, is one of the listing brokers probably doesn't hurt either. The Observer first noticed that the couple put the three-bedroom spread at 225 Fifth Avenue on the market for $6.6 million, a far cry from the $3.3 million they bought it for in 2007. It boasts views of Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building, a private terrace, and a sumptuous mix of furnishings and decor.
Take a look around

April 18, 2017

Residents in the noisiest NYC neighborhoods are healthier, says new study

While loud noise has been found to be harmful, new research shows residents who live in the loudest NYC neighborhoods may be healthier than residents living in quieter nabes. According to a study by NYU Langone Medical Center, neighborhoods that called in the most noise complaints to 311 had residents with a lower body mass index and blood pressure (h/t Metro NY). While researchers do not believe the actual noise is behind the healthier numbers, the study points to an area’s walkability to be a contributing factor to the health of residents.
Find out more

City Living

April 18, 2017

Former Knicks star Allan Houston lists tricked-out Westchester estate for $20M

Allan Houston, a former Knicks basketball player and current assistant general manager of the team, is selling his massive, almost 20,000-square-foot French revival home in Westchester County for just under $20 million. As the New York Post learned, the home located in Conyers Farm, a private gated community that borders Greenwich, Connecticut and Armonk, New York, has seven bedrooms and 10 marble bathrooms. Although it’s been on and off the market, sources told the Post that Houston wants to move his wife Tamara and their seven children to Manhattan in order to be closer to work. Facing Converse Lake, the expansive residence features a custom-designed basketball court, movie theater, trophy room, heated outdoor pool and, golf putting green.
See the Westchester estate

My 900sqft: A podcasting pioneer fills her family’s West Village apartment with historic American relics

6sqft’s ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the West Village apartment of podcasting pioneer and DJ Suzy Chase. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

April 18, 2017

My 900sqft: A podcasting pioneer fills her family’s West Village apartment with historic American relics

By Diane Pham

Years ago, when Suzy Chase was presented with the opportunity to bring every piece of furniture from her childhood Kansas home to NYC, there was no question of what she'd take, but rather how she'd take it all with her. Steeped in a bounty of antiques and heirlooms, Suzy knew she could never part with the items that she loved so much growing up. So rather than putting it all into storage, she made the decision to clear out her family's 900-square-foot West Village apartment and fill it with as much of her Kansas furniture as possible. While many of you are probably asking why she didn't consider selling or donating these items, there is, of course, a twist to this story, and her situation is one that is quite unique: She's a descendant of the Chase family, one of the United States' most important political families. Ahead, have a look inside Suzy's home, a modestly sized two-bedroom filled with relics from the Revolutionary and Civil wars, centuries-old paintings, rare books and photographs, and countless other objects that were on American soil well before the Mayflower even touched Plymouth Rock.
see more inside here

Distinctive Homes

$15M penthouse in a gold cupola high above Fifth Avenue heads to auction this month

This $545K studio captures the romantic spirit of the West Village

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

Steven Van Zandt's Village penthouse in a converted church asks $15M

For $59.5M, live in Bobby Axelrod's Tribeca penthouse from 'Billions'

Live in a fashion designer's historic atelier and studio in the Catskills for $645K

For $775K, residents of this renovated Bed-Stuy loft get a rooftop gym and terrace with city views

Asking $26M and $33M, a pair of Tribeca penthouses top a Ralph Walker Art Deco palace

For $1.6M, this magical Rockaway Beach 'surf shack' has a sauna, plunge pool, and music studio

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

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April 18, 2017

INTERVIEW: Co-founder of the Brooklyn Home Company, Bill Caleo

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

The Brooklyn Home Company (THBCo) is a family-run cooperative of artists and builders that develop unique residential spaces in booming Brooklyn. Best described as white and wood but never cookie cutter, their work is always light and airy, and blend modern style with historic elements. It's this signature style that's made THBCo a favorite amongst both renovators and Pinterest enthusiasts alike. But what inspires their designs and how do they decide where to develop projects? Ahead, 6sqft speaks to THBCo's co-founder and Head of Operations, Bill Caleo, about the business. Find out how this family-run establishment firmly roots itself in working with local makers, how they've grown their business model to include sustainability, and why they always add a custom piece of art to all their homes.
our interview with bill here

Related’s Stephen Ross kicks off construction on Hudson Yards’ 150-foot climbable ‘Vessel’

First Piece of Vessel Installed 04.18.2017 – courtesy of Related-Oxford

April 18, 2017

Related’s Stephen Ross kicks off construction on Hudson Yards’ 150-foot climbable ‘Vessel’

The standard for public art spaces has officially reached new heights. Today, the installation has begun on Vessel, an innovative landmark designed by Heatherwick Studio at Hudson Yards. As 6sqft previously wrote, the project’s idea stems from Related Companies' chairman Stephen Ross, who chose Heatherwick to design the $200 million (up as of today from the original $150 million estimate) large-scale piece of art. After being fabricated and constructed in Monfalcone, Italy, the first ten pieces of the 150-foot-tall steel structure arrived in January at the Port of Newark via ship and then traveled across the Hudson River. And as of this morning, Ross was on site to mark the first of these massive components (they each weigh close to 100,000 pounds) being put into place by crane.
See photos from Vessel's installation and watch a video of Stephen Ross' remarks

April 18, 2017

Apply for an affordable apartment at Chelsea Centro, two-bedrooms priced at $1,574/month

By Diane Pham

TF Cornerstone is once again accepting applications for affordable studio, one- and two-bedroom units at their very well located Chelsea Centro rental at 200-220 West 26th Street. The full-time doorman building was erected in 2001 and boasts an 80/20 mix of low-income and market-rate units. As noted by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, TF will be accepting applications from qualifying individuals and families until all the building's affordable vacancies have been filled and its waiting list replenished. The current units up for grabs range from $1,215 per month for a studio up to $1,574 per month for a comfortable two-bedroom spread.
find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

April 18, 2017

This $21M Tribeca penthouse boasts exceptional outdoor space complete with a heated infinity pool

Inside this massive Tribeca penthouse you've got custom marble, bronze and mahogany details, not to mention light fixtures crafted by a Steampunk designer. The spectacular pad spans two floors over 5,100 square feet and holds four bedrooms and six bathrooms. Outside, over 2,500 square feet, there's a fully irrigated and planted terrace, as well as a roof deck complete with an outdoor kitchen and heated infinity pool. Simply put: anywhere you go at this penthouse apartment, now asking $21 million at the Tribeca condo 169 Hudson Street, you will be impressed.
So see the rest of the space

Distinctive Homes

April 17, 2017

$3.5M South Slope townhouse has incredible custom wall coverings and a home theater

Located just one block from Park Slope's 5th Avenue hub, a beautiful, Miles Redd-designed townhouse is listed for $3,495,000. The South Slope home at 258 11th Street has been totally renovated and rebuilt, with custom wall coverings and custom-mixed Farrow & Ball paint, but it still boasts that Brooklyn brownstone charm. Plus, the 3,334-square-foot beauty has four bedrooms, a moody home theater, and a magical private garden.
See the Park Slope townhome

Distinctive Homes

April 17, 2017

The hotel industry prepares a national fight against Airbnb

With its value nearing $30 billion dollars, it’s hard to deny Airbnb’s influence and disruption in the American hotel industry. Since its founding in 2008, the short-term lodging company has serviced about 150 million travelers, in three million listings in more than 191 countries. And as the New York Times reported, the hotel industry has launched a plan to take action against the company’s growing market share. The plan includes a national campaign at the local, state and federal levels to counter Airbnb by lobbying politicians and attorneys general to reduce the number of Airbnb hosts and fund studies that show they do not collect hotel taxes and are not required to follow the same safety and security regulations that hotels must follow.
Find out more

April 17, 2017

Mayor de Blasio christens New York’s first Citywide Ferry with a ride into Brooklyn Bridge Park

To celebrate the ahead-of-schedule launch of the Citywide Ferry service, Mayor de Blasio rode the first ferry (named "Lunchbox" by second graders from Bay Ridge) this morning into Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1 as part of an official dedication ceremony. Beginning May 1st, all New Yorkers can join in the revelry when the new Rockaway Route and the existing East River Route kick off. Service to South Brooklyn starts in June, and the Astoria route will be launched sometime in August. In all, there will be 21 stops added throughout the city as part of the expanded service. On top of today's festivities, the city also released the official new ferry schedules.
See the NYC Ferry routes

April 17, 2017

City’s PoetweetNYC poetry contest begins today

By Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff

This one is for the subway writers. The city’s annual PoetweetNYC Twitter poetry contest, celebrating National Poetry Month, is open for submissions today at 9 a.m. through April 27 at 5 p.m. Contest winners and their poems, selected by mayoral first lady Chirlane McCray and a panel of four other judges, will appear here in […]

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April 17, 2017

Toolbox Tutorials: Learn to make a simple macramé plant hanger

6sqft's new series Toolbox Tutorials shares step-by-step guides for simple, affordable DIY projects. This week, Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff, founders of Urban Jungle Bloggers and authors of the new book "Urban Jungle: Living and Styling With Plants," teach us how to make an easy macramé plant hanger. Have a project you'd like to share? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. In small apartments, the valuable real estate on shelves and windowsills gets used up fast, but don't let this deter you from bringing in some greenery. Even if your flat surfaces aren't available, there's always room for a hanging plant, which can be suspended from the ceiling, a wall or window, or a doorknob that's not used on a daily basis. To do this, we're showing you how to make macramé hangers for anything from regular terracotta pots to colorful salad bowls that have rounded bottoms.
The illustrated, step-by-step guide ahead

Apply for 20 affordable units near the Queensboro Bridge, starting at $1,254/month

The price is right, but the location may not be the most desirable for this new affordable housing building, as it's situated directly alongside the off-ramp to the Queensboro Bridge. Traffic views aside (we're hoping they installed sound-proof windows), these 20 apartments at 321 East 60th Street include $1,254/month one-bedrooms and $1,511/month two-bedrooms for those earning 80 percent of the area median income.
More on the project here

Affordable Housing

April 17, 2017

Glamorous $5.5M UES co-op sits directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a prime Upper East Side location if we've ever seen one: the three-bedroom co-op at 1016 Fifth Avenue is located directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art with unobstructed views. After a full renovation the apartment has hit the market for $5.495 million. (It last sold in 2011 for $3.35 million.) It's undeniably luxurious, and not just because of the location. The apartment is only one of two when you exit the elevator, and the interior is flanked with columns, built-in bookcases, a fireplace and much more.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

April 17, 2017

Affordable housing lottery for seniors opens at Essex Crossing, from $396/month

At the beginning of last month, the first affordable housing lottery opened for Essex Crossing at Beyer Blinder Belle's huge mixed-use building 145 Clinton Street, where 104 below-market rate units were up for grabs. As of today, the second lottery is open, this time at Dattner Architects' 175 Delancey Street, a 14-story, 100-unit building at the megadevelopment's site 6 that will also offer ground-floor retail, medical offices for NYU Langone, and a senior center and job training facility from the Grand Street Settlement. These 99 one-bedroom apartments are set aside for one- and two-person households that have at least one resident who is 55 years of age or older. They're also earmarked for those earning 0, 30, 40, 60, and 90 percent of the area median income and range from $396/month to $1,254/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 16, 2017

Dreamy duplex in a 19th century Boerum Hill townhouse asks $6,100/month

If you love the historic aesthetic of the Brooklyn brownstone, this Boerum Hill duplex will charm you. It's located on the top two floors of 433 Pacific Street, a 19th century rowhouse that's well intact. Any renter willing to pay $6,100 a month will have the benefit of living alongside two working fireplaces with marble mantlepieces, refinsihed original wide-plank floors and the original moldings. The listing says the space boasts "wonderful character," and we can't disagree.
Take the interior tour

Distinctive Homes

April 15, 2017

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

By 6sqft

Hyperloop One plan would take travelers from NYC to D.C. in 20 minutes Why is New York City called the Big Apple? ‘Human Castell’ tower proposal turns the traditional skyscraper inside out ‘How I Met Your Mother’ actress Cobie Smulders lists Battery Park City condo for $4M There’s plenty of charm packed into this 330-square-foot […]

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April 14, 2017

1100 Architect’s Watermill estate uses glass structures to integrate the surrounding landscape

By Rebecca Paul

Located in the Hamptons neighborhood of Water Mill , this modern yet surprisingly rustic family retreat includes a main house, pool house, guest house, bunkhouse, and garage. The mini-complex was designed by 1100 Architect and occupies a total of 15 wooded acres. The main house's design is a balanced combination of glass and location, as it's situated on the plot's highest peak, providing the structure with expansive and unobstructed views of the surrounding property and shoreline from the roof terrace.
Take the tour

Architecture And Design

April 14, 2017

An upgraded and expanded 1900 schoolhouse is now a charming residence for sale upstate

"A century’s worth of historical appeal" is how the listing describes this unique property upstate, located at 636 Bedford Road in the town of North Castle. Indeed, this structure was built in 1900 and originally served as a school house (h/t CIRCA). In 1980 it was expanded and renovated without taking away any of that century-old character. Details like six-inch oak flooring and exposed beams from a Brooklyn shipyard distinguish the property, and it doesn't hurt that it sits on almost an acre of land. The price, of course, is what you might pay for a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan: $855,000.
Don't miss this property tour

April 14, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): 3 Journal Square, Stuyvesant Town, 253 West 72nd Street, Myrtle & Steuben 2 Months Free at New Hell’s Kitchen Rental [link] 1 Month Free at West 72nd Street Prewar [link] StuyTown Offering $3,600 Move-In Bonus Until April 16th [link] 1 Month Free at Newly Launched Clinton Hill Rental [link] Renovated Rentals […]

Real Estate Trends

April 14, 2017

Black and white photos of Passover in Coney Island

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

Hasidic Jews took to Coney Island beach and amusement park for part of the Passover holiday, which extends from April 10 to 18. The warm weather brought out many families with schools being closed and adults taking off from work for the religious observance. Coney Island has two amusement parks—Luna Park and Deno’s Wonder Wheel […]

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THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

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

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

VIEW ALL

April 14, 2017

731-foot Long Island City skyscraper may briefly be Queens’ tallest building

With another skyscraper proposal approved, Long Island City moves one step closer to looking like a Manhattan copycat. The latest sky-high tower to get its site cleared and zoning approved sits in Court Square at 43-30 24th Street. As covered by CityRealty, the permits show this building, developed by commercial real estate firm Stawski Partners, will hold 921 condos and rise 731 feet, almost 75 feet higher than the borough’s current tallest building at One Court Square. And if it finishes before the Court Square City View Tower next door, set to rise 66 stories and become Queen's tallest, it will briefly hold that title.
Find out more

April 14, 2017

Robert A.M. Stern’s 520 Park Avenue, Upper East Side’s tallest building, hits pinnacle height

520 Park Avenue, well on its way to being the tallest skyscraper on the Upper East Side, is putting its final crowning members in place, CityRealty reports. The developer of the 54-story tower just off Park Avenue at East 60th Street is the multi-generational Zeckendorf real estate dynasty who brought us 50 U.N. Plaza, 15 Central Park West and the neighborhood-transforming Worldwide Plaza and Union Square's Zeckendorf Towers.
Find out more

April 14, 2017

Apply for 16 affordable units in the Tremont section of the Bronx, from $716/ month

As of today, qualifying New Yorkers can apply for 16 newly renovated, affordable apartments in the Tremont section of the Bronx. The units at 565 East 178th Street and 2089-91 Arthur Avenue--which are right near Tremont Park and just a short walk to the Bronx Park and Zoo--are available to those earning 50 to 60 percent of the area median income, ranging from $716/month studios to $1,292/month three-bedrooms.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

April 14, 2017

The Urban Lens: Zooming in on New York’s captivating corner architecture

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, Sam Golanski highlights New York's unique narrow and corner buildings. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. 6sqft recently featured Sam Golanki's photography series "Park Avenue Doormen," where he gave the men who safeguard the Upper East Side's ritzy buildings a chance to step out from behind the velvet ropes and in front of the camera. He's now taken a similar approach--albeit this time with buildings, not people--in his collection "Narrow and Corner Buildings." Choosing to forego iconic structures like the Flatiron Building, Sam instead focuses on small structures off the beaten path that may otherwise be overlooked. "I realized the corner is the center of each block, a place for small businesses, barbershops, and coffee shops," he said, explaining that he didn't pre-plan the series, but rather was drawn to these unique structures while strolling the city.
Get a look at all the photos

Places

April 14, 2017

$625K boho duplex is a cave-like East Village hideaway

The listing for this quirky little bohemian bolthole at 121 East 10th Street, near the iconic St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery, uses words like "special," "handpicked" and "salvaged," and there's a reason beyond salesmanship. Looking at this enchanted mini-loft does, in fact, make us feel "transported to another time and place." Another time, at least: The place is the old East Village of legend. Who knows, this could even be the apartment that invented exposed brick.
Have a look around this creative little pad

Why is New York City called the Big Apple?

Photo via Public Domain Pictures

April 13, 2017

Why is New York City called the Big Apple?

Most of the nicknames ascribed to New York make literal sense: Gotham; Empire City; the City That Never Sleeps; the City So Nice They Named It Twice. However, the context behind the “Big Apple” nickname isn’t as obvious. To help us understand the moniker, the New York Public Library detailed a history of the name, taking us through a tour of what “big apple” has meant throughout centuries.
Find out more

History

April 13, 2017

‘How I Met Your Mother’ actress Cobie Smulders lists Battery Park City condo for $4M

The star actress of the long-running TV show, "How I Met Your Mother," Cobie Smulders, and husband Taran Killam, Hamilton actor and SNL veteran, have listed their apartment at 2 River Terrace in Battery Park City for $3.995 million. As first reported by Luxury Listings NYC, the 1,580-square-foot-condo has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and boasts a private landscaped terrace. Other celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tyra Banks have also lived in the building, and filmmaker Oliver Stone just bought an apartment there.
Check out the Battery Park City pad here

April 13, 2017

Groups criticize New York’s free college tuition program

On Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Excelsior Scholarship, a first-in-the-nation program that provides free tuition to full-time college students whose families earn up to $125,000 a year, passed the state budget vote and will be phased in as early as fall of 2017. Although Cuomo had originally tried to include undocumented immigrants in the legislation, the […]

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April 13, 2017

Are Montreal bagels better than New York?; Donald Trump Jr. won’t run for NY governor

Green City Force is a program that builds farms on NYCHA land to teach residents ages 18 to 24 about healthy food. [NYDN] New York bagels are bigger, more pliable, and salty, whereas Montreal bagels are sweeter, smaller, and crispier, with a chewy interior. So who reigns supreme? [AV Club] Until April 16th, Stuy Town is offering a move-in […]

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April 13, 2017

Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone pays $4M for Battery Park City condo with views for days

Award-winning screenwriter, film director, producer, and New York native Oliver Stone is moving to Battery Park City. As the New York Post learned, Stone is buying a 24th-floor condo at Riverhouse at 2 River Terrace, a building home to Leonardo DiCaprio and formerly, Tyra Banks (whose duplex hit the market last month for $17.5 million). The $4.35 million apartment boasts 1,982 square feet and floor-to-ceiling windows.
See inside the high-rise

April 13, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 4/13-4/19

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! This week, check out the legacy of the Department of Tropical Research Field Expeditions at the Drawing Center through a series of nature drawings that date back over a century, then speed into the future and explore androgyny at Prince Street Project Space. Amanda Marie’s Darger-esque pieces open at MARCY Projects, and The Corp shows off an exhibition made over one hellish evening. Art group The Happening is back for an evening to raise money for Planned Parenthood, and you can go goth to support the blog Art F City. Finally, grab a hard hat and explore the abandoned Ellis Island Hospital with Untapped Cities, then dive into a bag of popcorn as the Tribeca Film Festival comes back to town.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

April 13, 2017

Increased demand and new condos leads to record home sale prices in Brooklyn and Queens

Once enticing New Yorkers with their cheaper rents and mortgages, the outer boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens have set record sales prices during the first quarter of the year. As reported by Crain’s, Brooklyn had a record-setting median sale price of $770,000, more than 16 percent higher than last year. This was driven by an increase in sales activity, with nearly 50 percent more transactions taking place this quarter compared with the beginning of 2016. In Queens, the median sale price was $485,000, but one- to three-family homes set a new record with both average ($697,946) and median ($650,000) sales.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

April 13, 2017

David Schwimmer checks out a $3.3M boutique condo in the East Village as a potential investment

Newly single David Schwimmer was seen checking out a $3.3 million apartment in the East Village's boutique condo building 64 East 1st Street. While bachelor pad initially comes to mind, a spokesperson for the actor told the Post, "He is always looking at interesting investment opportunities in New York." Schwimmer is not necessarily a welcome neighbor, however; in 2010 he bought a 19th-century townhouse on Tompkins Square Park (one of the oldest on the block) for $4.1 million, but the following year he destroyed it after the Landmarks Preservation Commission told him it was headed for landmark designation.
READ MORE

April 13, 2017

Emergency ferry route between N.J. and Midtown will become permanent this fall

Following the recent Penn Station train derailment and subsequent delays during the busy weekday commute, NY Waterway launched an extra ferry route running from Hoboken to Midtown Manhattan. Now, NJ.com reports, that ferry service will become permanent starting in September of this year. The new ferry will run between between West 39th Street and Hoboken terminal according to NY Waterway president and founder Arthur Imperatore Sr.
Find out more about the new commuting option

Transit

April 13, 2017

For $375K, this Tudor City studio is old-world elegance with amenities

On the eastern fringe of bustling Midtown, the (mostly) pre-war Tudor City complex was built as rentals by Fred French in the 1920s to give office workers easy access to their jobs while enjoying efficient and elegant living conditions. The buildings were converted to co-ops in the 1980s, and they've retained their elegance and compact efficiency. Woodstock Tower at 320 East 42nd Street is one of the most charming buildings among them, and this cheerful studio with city views, asking a pied-a-terre-friendly $375,000, is a fine example.
Lots of photos, this way

Distinctive Homes

April 12, 2017

Central Park’s Belvedere Castle and two playgrounds to close for renovations this summer

While the outside of the Belvedere Castle looks strong, the inside of the 146-year-old fortress is actually crumbling. The cracked pavement, leaking roof, and plumbing issues encouraged the Central Park Conservancy to start a 10-year $300 million campaign last summer to renovate its structures, as well as surrounding playgrounds. As DNAInfo reported, beginning at the end of this summer and early fall, the castle, the Bernard Family Playground, and the Billy Johnson Playground will be closed for reconstruction.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

April 12, 2017

Burrow’s new modular couch is designed for millennials’ nomadic lifestyle

By Rebecca Paul

With moving frequently an assumed part of being a young adult today, furniture startup Burrow has released a new line of modular sofas that are easily assembled, affordable (prices range from $550 for a single chair to $1,150 for a four-seat couch), and can adapt to new spaces with pieces that can be tacked on or removed. The company also mixed the principals of two millennial-loved companies--Ikea's flatpack approach to shipping and Casper matresses' one-week free shipping and 100-day free return policy.
Find out more

April 12, 2017

‘Charging Bull’ sculptor takes action against ‘Fearless Girl’ statue; help raise $40K for a Jim Henson exhibit in Queens

Upper East Side establishments that suffered during the Second Avenue Subway construction are now seeing an uptick in business. [am NY] Take an interactive walking tour of 42nd Street’s history. [NY Mag] Astoria’s Museum of the Moving Image is raising $40,000 on Kickstarter to open a permanent Jim Henson exhibit. [DNAinfo] Six landlords own one-third […]

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720 West End Avenue

Upper West Side

Serene Upper West Side homes near Riverside Park

1 beds starting at $1,005,000
2 beds starting at $2,495,000
3 beds starting at $3,495,000
4 beds starting at $5,850,000

Learn More

April 12, 2017

Perched on a Staten Island hillside with stunning bay views, this cute country cottage is only $739K

This single-family home in a storybook hillside setting with some of Staten Island's most attractive property below and Raritan Bay and the Atlantic Highlands beyond is a testament to the island's diversity of places. Built by an artist who made sure the home's windows were positioned to take advantage of the natural light, the crimson cottage at 298 Lighthouse Avenue, whose listing calls it a "Hansel & Gretel gingerbread home," sits on a half-acre lot, sharing Lighthouse Hill with the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art (h/t Curbed). So much uniqueness comes at the relatively surprising price of $739,500.
Check it out

My 1400sqft: Inside creative couple Molly Young and Teddy Blanks’ perfectly outfitted Williamsburg loft

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Williamsburg loft of Molly Young and Teddy Blanks. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

April 12, 2017

My 1400sqft: Inside creative couple Molly Young and Teddy Blanks’ perfectly outfitted Williamsburg loft

By Diane Pham

Melding belongings is often a struggle for couples who take the leap and move in together. Many fear that their individuality will be lost to their partner’s vision, personal items packed away because there’s “just not enough room.” But for Molly Young, a New York Times Magazine contributor and crossword puzzle creator, and Teddy Blanks, a graphic designer and director, checking one’s ego and a co-regent rule are key to creativity and authenticity in the home. In this week's My sqft, Molly and Teddy bring us into their incredible 1400-square-foot loft, a hidden gem situated within an innocuous factory building along an even more innocuous Williamsburg street. Filled with color, whimsical artwork, and quirky objects procured everywhere from eBay to Etsy to a failed Sotheby's auction, this pair's apartment reveals that cohabitation can and should be a co-creative adventure that both inspires and amuses.
go inside molly and teddy's home

April 12, 2017

Optimism remains for Hudson River tunnel project despite threat of Trump cuts

As 6sqft reported recently, President Trump may include two major New York transportation projects in his proposed budget cuts, including the Gateway Program that would build a new train tunnel under the Hudson River and a program which extends the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan to East Harlem. The Gateway Program, which would add a much-needed second rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and upgrade aging rail infrastructure in New York and New Jersey, has been relying on the federal government for half of its estimated $24 billion cost. WNYC reports that even if the funding is pulled, the agency may look to funding from a public-private partnership.
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April 12, 2017

Astoria, Morningside Heights and Bay Ridge have highest turnover of rent-stabilized apartments

Scoring a rent-stabilized apartment is a big win in New York City, as these regulated pads usually offer rent at below-market rates and provide tenants more protections against landlords. While more than 925,000 rent-stabilized apartments still exist in the city, these units turn over at a faster rate in certain neighborhoods than others, and their availability continues to dwindle (h/t WYNC). According to a new report by the city’s Independent Budget Office (IBO), the neighborhoods of Astoria, Morningside Heights and Bay Ridge all have high concentrations of rent-regulated housing built prior to 1974 and therefore, higher rates of turnover compared to other parts of the city.
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April 12, 2017

New NYC parking ticket app makes it easier to pay and fight violations