December 15, 2016

Interview: Friends of the Brooklyn-Queens Connector discuss bringing a streetcar to NYC

After working for decades advocating for transit equity and environmental justice at various organizations, Ya-Ting Liu came on board as the Executive Director of Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector. It's been almost a year since the non-profit advocacy group first released a proposal for a streetcar to run along the borough's waterfront, and since that time the city has stepped in to back the estimated $2.5 billion project, even appointing a director and creating preliminary maps of the streetcar's possible routes. As one of several transportation undertakings on the table, the BQX certainly has a big year ahead. 6sqft recently sat down with Ya-Ting To get the scoop on what's to come, as well as some insider thoughts on the streetcar's common misconceptions.
Read the full interview this way
December 15, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 12/15-12/21

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Fit some arty fun in between your holiday parties this week. Start out with a performance by David Louis Zuckerman at On Stellar Rays Gallery or get your opera on in a sampling of new works at Merkin Concert Hall. Grab an artist-designed host gift for your next party at Life:Curated’s holiday party, then enjoy the festivities yourself as MoMA PS1 transforms their VW dome into a huge snow globe. Pick up some affordable art for yourself and your loved ones while supporting the Standing Rock effort on Saturday, and get political at the #Pussypower group show. Check out Hyon Gyon’s fusion of hard and soft at SHIN Gallery, then ring in the holiday weekend with the stylings of the lovely Anna Copacabanna.
More on all the best events this way
December 15, 2016

Are concessions and a high vacancy rate a sign the rental bubble will burst?

In the past year or so, there has been no shortage of talk about inventory glut, flat rental prices and bursting bubbles; Now, Slate blogger Henry Grabar has rustled up some numbers and real-life examples to go with the chatter, and we're guessing they weren't too hard to find. According to Grabar, a vacancy rate at its highest since 2009 (with a staggering amount of inventory in the pipeline), and the percentage of rental price chops at a record 42 percent in October point to an impending renter's market of comparatively epic proportions.
More on the horizon, literally
December 15, 2016

NYPD says it needs 200 cops and $500,000 a day to secure Trump Tower

Just over a week ago, Mayor de Blasio asked the federal government for $35 million to cover Donald Trump's increased security for the 73 days from the November 8th election to the January 20th inauguration. Two days later, congress came back with a low-ball offer of only $7 million, to which the Mayor responded that "NYC taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for 80 percent of the national bill to protect Trump Tower." Backing him up, the NYPD conducted its own analysis, which, as the Daily News shares, confirms the city's $500,000 a day security bill and concludes that nearly 200 cops are needed each day to secure the area around Trump Tower.
More ahead
December 15, 2016

Second Avenue Subway won’t open until all stations are finished says MTA

On Monday, the Governor's office put out a statement that Cuomo was "cautiously optimistic" that the Second Avenue Subway would open on time by the end of the month. Yesterday, MTA chairman Tom Prendergast echoed this statement, but was quick to point out that the long-awaited line would only open on December 31st if all stations were up and running (previous reports talked of a partial opening), reports the Daily News. "Track’s done, signals are done, we’ve run trains, we’ve exercised the signal system," he said. "We’re talking about finish and escalators, elevators — things of that nature in the station."
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December 15, 2016

This $5.4M townhouse is Harlem historic on the outside, Soho sleek on the inside

This historic Harlem townhouse at 22 West 120th Street fits right in with its neighbors on a gorgeous brownstone block just across from Marcus Garvey Park (and just a couple of blocks north of Central Park). Once you enter the four-story home, though, you could easily be in a luxury downtown penthouse. A custom renovation created statement features like a vast and dramatic skylight, radiant heated floors, a unique metal staircase and four ultra-modern wood burning fireplaces.
Have a look around
December 14, 2016

ODA’s Rheingold Brewery rental will offer 100 affordable units in Bushwick

The day after securing a $93 construction loan, the Rabsky Group has announced that 100 out of the 500 rentals at their massive Rheingold Brewery development will be below-market rate. As Curbed notes, Bushwick residents have been advocating that the 400,000-square-foot project include affordable housing since it was first announced, spurred not only by the neighborhood's need, but the fact that Rabsky had no legal obligation to include affordable units.
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December 14, 2016

Ivanka Trump puts her stodgy Park Avenue pad up for sale, asks $4.1M

It looks like America's next first daughter—and quasi-first lady—is looking to slim down her real estate holdings. As Luxury Listings NYC first reports, Ivanka Trump has just listed her apartment at 502 Park Avenue for $4.1 million. The somewhat bland spread hosts two bedrooms and two baths and is outfitted in a palette of cream and powdery blue hues. Although one might think the sale has something to do with her father's recent presidential victory—as not even two weeks ago, CNN reported that she and husband Jared Kusher were house hunting in Washington D.C.—Ivanka, in fact, also owns one the building's penthouses, which she bought for $16 million nearly six years ago. It's also been no secret that the Trump/Kushner brood has been mulling a move into the Puck Penthouses, one of Jared's beautiful ultra-luxe developments.
have a closer look inside
December 14, 2016

Announcing 6sqft’s 2016 Building of the Year!

You came, you voted, and now it's time to award the title of 2016 Building of the Year to none other than 520 West 28th Street! The undulating beauty along the High Line beat out 11 other game-changing buildings in a fierce two-week competition held right here on 6sqft. Out of nearly 25,000 votes cast, the Zaha Hadid-designed, Related Companies-developed structure emerged as the winner, taking away 8,382 of the count, or 33.62% of the total.
more details on the runners-up
December 14, 2016

Turn anything into a table or shelf in minutes using Be-elastic’s SNAP

NYC apartments often have irregular layouts and odd corners, and finding pre-made furniture that will fit nicely can often be a lofty task. As such, the founders of Be-elastic have designed an innovative furniture solution called SNAP to solve this problem. The SNAP assembly system is comprised of a simple snapping mechanism that allows users to design and assemble tables, stools, or shelving using whatever material they can find. The team has already experimented with a variety of items, creating tables from dart boards, vintage doors, and even bicycle wheels. But you can use your own design savvy to decide the color and number of legs your item requires.
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December 14, 2016

Historic map shows the manufacturing industries of 1919 NYC

As part of their new exhibit "Mastering the Metropolis: New York and Zoning, 1916–2016," the Museum of the City of New York has shared this historic map of manufacturing industries across the city. Published in 1922 using census data from 1919, the colorful depiction shows us that women's wear was the industry of the time, with more than 8,000 factories employing 169,965 people and coming in with a yearly product value of $1.7 billion. Manhattan was all but covered with manufacturing, and as CityLab points out, this included everything from rubber tires and umbrellas to coffins and cigar boxes.
Get a closer look
December 14, 2016

Scooter-shares posed as NYC’s next CitiBike, L train alternative

Transportation alternatives to the L train when the subway line is suspended for renovation in 2019 are getting sexy. As city agencies scramble to come up with alternatives for the 250,000 people riding the L train through Manhattan and Brooklyn every day, the think tank at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management put out “A Scooter […]

December 14, 2016

POLL: Would you spend $500K for a down payment in Manhattan?

6sqft has previously shared data that it only makes sense to buy a home in New York City after having lived here for 18.2 years, longer than anywhere else in the nation by a long shot. When and if that time comes, Manhattanities are looking to drop an average of $500,000 for a down payment, according to a new report from Property Shark. To put this figure into perspective, the average price nationwide to buy an entire home is $300,000. And in the Manhattan luxury market, the median down payment is a whopping $3.15 million, which might explain why, according to 2014 census data, only 32% of New Yorkers owned their homes.
What would you do?
December 14, 2016

Average Manhattan sales price tops $2M for first time

Despite chatter about the luxury market slowing down, 2016 has seen Manhattan real estate prices continue to climb and set records. The average sales price for an apartment (including both co-ops and condos) was $2.2 million, topping the $1.9 million record set last year, according to CityRealty's newly released Year-End Manhattan Market Report. This is a whopping 91 percent increase from 2006. And things heat up even more in the new development sector, where 1,800 units sold for a projected total of $8.9 billion, a huge jump from last year's $5.4 billion for $1,464 units.
More record-setting data ahead
December 14, 2016

New renderings from Albo Liberis offer up two visions for Brooklyn’s next skyscraping office tower

As the future Brooklyn skyline takes shape, one of the borough's largest office towers-to-be, a 36-story commercial skyscraper, is slated to rise at 625 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Brooklyn-based Rabsky Group purchased the lot for $158 million and, as The Real Deal reports, plans are in the works to create 700,000 square feet of leasable space, for which the developer is in talks with City Planning to take advantage of a plaza bonus. Albo Liberis (see Williamsburg's William Vale Hotel) has been commissioned as the architect, and while no design has been officially revealed or finalized by Rabsky, the firm's site does offer up some insight into what is being considered for the game-changing tower.
Check out the renderings
December 14, 2016

City spending an average of $400,000 a night on hotel rooms for the homeless

Less than a week after the city announced that they'll be increasing the number of commercial hotel rooms housing homeless families and individuals by more than 500, a report from Comptroller Scott Stringer puts the average cost a night citywide for the current batch at $400,000, according to the Daily News. The report, which is being released today, says that since November 2015, the city booked a total of 425,000 hotel rooms, costing more than $72.9 million. As of last month, there were 5,881 homeless New Yorkers staying in hotels, with the average nightly bill climbing from $163 to $194 over the past year.
Find out more
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December 14, 2016

Moroccan villa meets artsy loft, times two, for rent in Greenpoint

Whether they're luxury penthouses or shoebox-sized studios, New York City apartments don't often deviate much from the standard; so when apartments like the two now on the rental market at 658 Leonard Street in Greenpoint pop up, they tend to get our attention. The townhouse that is home to this pair of unique dwellings is, we're told, owner-occupied, and we're guessing the same owner made the effort to design these unique interiors with international flair, from the mahogany cabinetry and French-style mahogany windows to antique Moroccan tiling and hand-rubbed plaster walls. The higher-floor unit ($3,680/month) is slightly larger and has been divided to create two bedrooms, while the parlor-floor apartment ($3,280/month) has more of an open loft layout. In both, you get a spin-the-compass approach to home design while keeping quality and comfort in mind.
This way to the Kasbah
December 13, 2016

Gamma Real Estate’s $98M bid wins debt-ridden Sutton Place site at foreclosure auction

The debt-beleagured Sutton Place site that included plans for a 900-foot-tall luxury condo from starchitect Norman Foster has finally had its day at the auction, and the winning bidder was N. Richard Kalikow’s Gamma Real Estate, according to The Real Deal. A bankruptcy judge authorized the sale of the property at 3 Sutton Place in September, after Joseph Beninati's Bauhouse Group failed to pay back creditors and partners on the 262,000-square-foot development. Gamma controlled the entities that originally loaned Beninati $130 million, but as of today the developer outbid Brooklyn investor Isaac Hager, paying $86 million for the site and $12 million for additional air rights, far less than the predicted $187 million price tag.
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December 13, 2016

Lofty two-bedroom Williamsburg pad with massive windows asks $1.395M

This two-bedroom condo comes from 80 Metropolitan Avenue, which you might mistake for a converted warehouse. But this blue brick building with punched, multi-paned windows was actually constructed in 2009 in the loft style that's popular around Williamsburg. From the inside of this apartment, 10-foot ceilings, huge windows and wood floors make it hard to tell the difference between old and new. The condo first hit the market this fall for $1.435 million and now the ask is down to $1.395 million.
This way for a tour
December 13, 2016

NYC will rent out public parking spaces to car-sharing companies

The city will roll out a pilot program in the spring that allows car-sharing companies such as ZipCar and Car2Go to rent out scarce public parking spaces and even metered spaces. A shared goal of many city agencies is to minimize the number of cars in the city—on account of environmental factors, space, and traffic, […]

December 13, 2016

Jessica Chastain parties at 432 Park; Why this architect spent 10 years trying to float a pool in the East River

Jessica Chastain threw a bash to celebrate her new role in “Miss Sloane” in the $40 million apartment on the 86th floor of 432 Park. [Page Six] Check out this new video about the Lowline, including commentary from the co-founders. [Lowline] Oana Stanescu, one of the four architects behind the plan to build a floating, water-purifying pool in […]

December 13, 2016

Rare modernist pieces by Prouvé, Le Corbusier, Gaudí and more up for auction today

If your idea of a perfect stocking stuffer is a classic Serge Mouille three-armed ceiling light, the auction of items from the private collection of architect Lee Mindel, which begins today, is just what your gift list ordered. "Light & Aerie: The Collection of Lee F. Mindel, FAIA" includes dozens of rare modernist pieces from the architect's personal collection. Mindel is moving from his Chelsea loft in a former hat factory to a new aerie in Tribeca's rare and collectible Herzog & de Meuron-designed "Jenga tower" at 56 Leonard Street; Mindel's loft is available, too, if you've got a really big stocking to fill. Auction house Phillips is handling the sale, which includes stunning pieces ranging from art to furniture, lighting and decorative items by the likes of Jean Prouvé, Antoni Gaudí, Georges Braque, Hans J. Wegner, Ettore Sottsass, Jr. and many, many more.
Check out some of the iconic pieces headed for auction
December 13, 2016

For $560K, this spacious Sunset Park co-op has a Scandinavian heritage and interior style to match

We're told this big and bright pre-war apartment at 1413 9th Avenue is in a 1923 Finnish co-op building. We know that's not unusual for Sunset Park: In the first half of the 20th century, the neighborhood was home to a large Scandinavian community. But this particular home's charming interiors are also the picture of Scandi-chic (though we're pretty sure it's coincidental). At $560,000, three big bedrooms with plenty of space to spare make the laid-back minimal decor that much easier on the eyes.
Tour this lovely southwest Brooklyn gem
December 13, 2016

Track affordable housing across NYC with this new map and data tool

Instead of weeding through the city's constantly changing portal of affordable housing opportunities, New Yorkers can now track these addresses in one central location. Brownstoner shares CoreData.nyc, a new interactive data portal from the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy that shows subsidized housing throughout the five boroughs and allows users to narrow down the map by factors such as median income, demographics, sales volume and pricing, zoning, and crime.
Find out more this way
December 13, 2016

Historic districts and landmarking: What they mean and how they could affect you

In New York City, where buying and selling real estate is a high-stakes endeavor, the topic of historic and landmark designation is frequently raised. There are heated discussions on the subject of listing neighborhoods or buildings on the State and National Register of Historic Places or having them designated by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. It's important to know what those organizations do and the distinctions between them. You could even be eligible for significant financial aid for your renovations if you own property in an historic district.
Find out what these designations mean, how you could benefit from them and why they're sometimes controversial.
December 13, 2016

Renderings revealed for 724-foot Lower East Side tower, final piece of controversial site

The historically low-income, low-slung neighborhood of Two Bridges--the area along the East River, near the footings of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges where the Lower East Side meets Chinatown--has become a high-rise hotbed over the past year. Despite the controversy that the four planned projects, all upwards of 700 feet, have caused, they're moving along fairly swiftly, and The Lo-Down now has the big reveal for the final site--Starrett Group's 259 Clinton Street. Perkins Eastman Architects have designed the 724-foot, 62-story glass tower, which will have ground-floor retail and 732 apartments, 25 percent of which will be permanently affordable with a good chunk being set aside for low-income seniors.
More details and renderings ahead
December 13, 2016

Interactive map reveals the income gap that divides NYC’s richest and poorest

According to a 2016 Pew report, the middle class is shrinking in 90 percent of U.S. cities. It's the first time in our nation's history that the middle class doesn't make up the economic majority. Instead, the highest- and lowest-income households combined comprise over 50 percent of the population. And in New York City, the divide is startling. One in five New Yorkers live below the poverty line, while the upper five percent of Manhattan residents earned more than $860,000 in 2014. GIS software company Esri has created a series of interactive maps that visualize this wealth divide in NYC and across the country, revealing where the richest and poorest live and the new economic divisions that are forming in our major metropolitan areas.
Maps, this way
December 13, 2016

Own the incredible Arts and Crafts home where Milton Glaser designed the ‘I ♥ NY’ logo

Graphic design legend Milton Glaser's most famous works are arguably the I ♥ NY logo and the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster, both of which were created at his upstate home in Woodstock. He and wife Shirley have owned this incredible, early 20th century stone-and-glass home for more than 50 years, adding a contemporary aesthetic to its historic Arts and Crafts style and maintaining the 76+ acres of gardens and forest. It's now hit the market for $1.8 million since, according to Gothamist, the couple has reached a point "where downsizing has become the obvious choice."
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December 12, 2016

Westbeth Artists Housing starts its own post-it therapy project, ‘Write Now’

A West Village exhibit is taking a page from the fluttering layers of post-it notes scrawled with messages of hope and frustration that have cropped up in underground passageways around the city since the election. The “Write Now” exhibit is adopting the zeitgeist—this apparent need among New Yorkers to both purposefully express their feelings and […]

December 12, 2016

$1.65M brick townhouse in South Slope has a sunroom and a lush garden with a pond

This three-story brick townhouse is nestled in the South Slope, a charming enclave just south of--you guessed it-- the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope. For $1.65 million you get interior details like custom millwork, exposed and white-washed brick, a potbelly fireplace and a customized new kitchen. Outdoor lovers will appreciate the sunroom and the backyard, which has been completely decked out with plantings, pathways, and a lovely little pond. The home was last purchased in 2006 for $800,000 by the accomplished stage manager Tricia Toliver.
Take a look
December 12, 2016

Amtrak’s Hudson River tunnels project could bring 3 years of traffic jams

Back in January, Amtrak unveiled its $24B Gateway Program, a plan that would overhaul the Hudson River rail tunnels by building a brand new tunnel and repairing another that is currently in disrepair. Work under the plan would also encompass expanding Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan and replacing rail bridges in New Jersey. While details on the course of construction were previously thin, according to draft proposals obtained by Reuters, we now know that work on the new tunnel will begin in 2019, and the West Side Highway could be subject to three years of traffic jams as a result.
more details here
December 12, 2016

The complicated history of seesaws in NYC; Last year’s Rockefeller Center tree built two upstate homes

An Upper West Side park is believed to have the only remaining city-maintained wooden seesaw. Where did the rest go? [NYT] Can “Mensch on a Bench” become the new “Elf on a Shelf?” [Bloomberg] Last year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree became the beams and flooring for two Habitat for Humanity homes in Newburgh, New York. [NYP] Sculptor Anish Kapoor […]

December 12, 2016

SOM’s Kenneth Lewis on redefining the city with One WTC, Time Warner Center, and sustainability

In 1986, Kenneth Lewis began his career architecture firm SOM as a mere junior designer. Now fast forward to present day and Lewis can be found at the front-lines of the globally recognized company serving as a partner. Over his 30-year tenure with SOM, Lewis has been in involved in the realization of game-changing developments like the Time […]

December 12, 2016

Office landlord SL Green may trade One Vanderbilt for J.P. Morgan’s two Midtown office towers

SL Green, the city's largest office landlord, "pulled off one of New York's biggest office deals of 2016" when they secured $1.5 billion in construction financing for their supertall tower One Vanderbilt, which is expected to ultimately cost a whopping $3.14 billion. The developer is now looking to rake in even more dollars off the deal, reports the Wall Street Journal, as they've proposed to J.P. Morgan Chase (one of the Syndication Agents in the financing) a swap out where the bank would trade its two headquarters buildings at 383 Madison Avenue and 277 Park Avenue for the recently-under-construction, 1,401-foot office tower.
More on the story
December 12, 2016

Willem Dafoe unloads Lower East Side co-op for $860K

Though he's usually cast as the villain, off screen, Willem Dafoe leads a much less destructive life, splitting his time between Rome, Los Angeles, and NYC with his Italian-born wife Giada Colagrande. While in the big apple, the actor resides in a West Village penthouse, but in 2005, he and his son Jack purchased a Lower East Side co-op for $606,000. It went on the market for $850,000 in May, and judging by the listing photos (a little bit artsy, a little bit messy), it was either the younger Dafoe (a public-policy researcher) or another renter who was living there. The Observer reports that it's now sold above ask for $860,000.
See the place here
December 12, 2016

Governor Cuomo is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Second Avenue subway opening deadline

Melissa DeRosa, the governor’s chief of staff, said Friday that Governor Andrew Cuomo was “cautiously optimistic” about a December opening for the long-awaited Second Avenue subway project, according to AM New York. After several weekly visits to the under-construction 72nd Street site, the governor appeared confident that the MTA would be able to meet the project's December 31 deadline. U.S. representative Carolyn Maloney had also expressed confidence in the Second Avenue subway meeting its year-end deadline.
Find out more
December 12, 2016

Historic 1865 Chelsea firehouse was Andy Warhol’s 1949 refuge, now renting for $33K

The Chelsea Firehouse at 323 West 21st Street would be an historic icon based on its origins alone, beginning in the late 19th century as an actual firehouse, built to accommodate a shiny new horse-drawn steam pumper engine (h/t Daytonian in Manhattan). The mid-Victorian era structure not only survived the ensuing decades, but in 1999, Architectural Digest featured the duplex shown here, by then one of three luxury apartments, calling it "indisputably one of a kind." In the years between, the building was home to free-spirited performers and artists, including Andy Warhol and Philip Pearlstein who sought refuge here from seedy lodgings in the East Village. The designer-renovated, uniquely-configured 4,000 square-foot duplex in this storied building is now on the rental market for $33,000.
Find out more about this iconic home
December 10, 2016

VOTE for 6sqft’s 2016 Building of the Year!

For new developments, 2015 was the year of reveals, but 2016 was all about watching these buildings reshape our city. Ahead we've narrowed a list of 12 news-making residential structures, each noted for their distinctive design, blockbuster prices, or their game-changing potential on the skyline or NYC neighborhoods. Which of these you think deserves 6sqft's title of 2016 Building of the Year? Have your say below. Polls for our third annual competition will be open up until 11:59 p.m., Sunday, December 11th*, and we will announce the winner on Tuesday, December 13th!
Learn more about each of the buildings in the running here
December 10, 2016

12 alternative holiday events, exhibits, and outings in NYC

From the swarms of tourists, long lines at stores, and increased prices on everything from theater tickets to cocktails, the holidays in New York can be more of a headache than anything. But fear not--there are plenty more ways to get festive other than battling the crowds at Rockefeller Center or paying an arm and a leg to see the Rockettes. 6sqft has rounded up a dozen alternative events, including a sexy rendition of the Nutcracker, an exhibit of Santa's history in NYC, a latke festival, and a special Kwanzaa dance performance.
All the events this way
December 10, 2016

Live like ‘Doctor Strange,’ Flatiron penthouse at 21W20 hits the market for $13.5M

Since being released last month, Marvel's "Doctor Strange" has grossed over $635 million worldwide, centering on the alternate dimension of an egotistical surgeon turned wizard, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. A few key scenes are filmed in Dr. Stephen Strange's spectacular Flatiron loft; the fictional abode would lie just west of Broadway and directly south of the Flatiron Building on 23rd Street. Coincidentally, a palatial and similarly-situated residence has just been released at Gale International's boutique condominium development 21W20. The full-floor unit, known as Penthouse One, boasts 4,841 square feet of interior space and 541 square feet of outdoor terraces and is just one of two remaining homes at the 13-unit project comprised of four penthouses designed by Beyer Blinder Belle.
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December 10, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

Iconic JFK Terminal begins its life as the ‘TWA Hotel’ with new signage There’s an ‘exotic’ Christmas tree selling for $1,000 in the Village One Vanderbilt confirms 1,020-foot observation deck West Chelsea mansion reboot with gym, pool, elevator, theatre and wine room ready for its $36.8M close-up NYU reveals design for $1B 23-story building at […]

December 9, 2016

KBA Architects reveal ziggurat-like tower for Kellogg’s Diner-adjacent site in Williamsburg

Back in March, 6sqft reported that a new hotel/rental tower at 500 Metropolitan Avenue had risen above ground, but there was still a bit ambiguity surroundings its final design. Now, just as the Williamsburg building has topped out, CityRealty uncovered the final renderings from KBA Architects. The firm created a 14-story, ziggurat-like structure that will slope down from the adjacent site of longtime local haunt Kellogg's Diner and offer a slew of trendy amenities.
More views and details
December 9, 2016

Google’s Window Wonderland lets you tour Fifth Avenue holiday window displays from your home

Google Maps introduced a street-view look at NYC's holiday windows a couple years ago, but their Shopping app has now completely revamped the feature, launching this year as Window Wonderland. The interactive tool lets users take a high-resolution digital tour of 18 stores, including audio tours from their creative directors and real-life background street noise. See the 34 hand-sculpted animals in Lord & Taylor's "Enchanted Forest," explore the candy and couture at Saks Fifth Avenue's "Land of 1000 Delights," or see the gang from South Park at Barney's.
READ MORE
December 9, 2016

Brooklyn’s Morbid Anatomy Museum needs $75K to stay afloat

Brooklyn’s Morbid Anatomy Museum, the black corner building at Seventh Street and Third Avenue dedicated to the beauty of death, is having a hard time staying alive. The museum opened two years ago with a full-bodied program of salon discussions, film and lecture series and quaint exhibitions such as “The Kittens’ Wedding” featuring Victorian-costumed taxidermied […]

December 9, 2016

Duplex penthouse atop a prewar Tribeca condo renting for $25,000/month

An opulent duplex penthouse that's been on the market since last year is trying its hand as a rental. Located at the Powell Building, a prewar Tribeca condo at 105 Hudson Street, the apartment is up for grabs at $25,000 a month. It first hit the market in 2015 asking $9 million, and has been slowly price chopped down to its current ask of $7.995 million. That sales or rental price will get you four bedrooms over 3,000 square feet, 3,300 more square feet of outdoor space and stunning views from the top of the building.
Take a look
December 9, 2016

Pantone hopes their 2017 color ‘greenery’ will give us hope; Chelsea Market is the world’s best food hall

Pantone’s 2017 color of the year is greenery, a “zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring.” [Fast Co. Design] A new report says NYC is the “indisputable food hall capital of the world,” and Chelsea Market is number one. [CO] Eight toys designed by architects since the 1940s. [Architizer] This sombering photos […]

December 9, 2016

114 affordable units at the Bronx’s new Compass Residences complex up for grabs, from $822/month

When the West Farms Redevelopment Plan came to fruition in 2011, it was the largest private rezoning ever in the Bronx. The 17-acre, 11-block site in Crotona Park East was a former industrial area that's being transformed according to a master plan by Dattner Architects that calls for a total of 1,325 units of affordable housing and 46,000 square feet of retail space and community facilities. The first two buildings in the complex, also designed by Dattner, are called the Compass Residences and offer 237 units organized around a series of "gracious courtyards." As of today, 114 of these apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery. They're open to individuals earning 60 percent of the area media income and range from $822/month studios to $1,224/month three-bedrooms.
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December 9, 2016

The Urban Lens: Harlan Erskine explores an eerie Midtown after midnight in 2008

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 Brooklyn resident Harlan Erskine highlights the Midtown lobbies and streets past midnight, during the Great Recession. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Though Midtown is now booming with larger-than-life skyscrapers and blockbuster condos along the likes of Billionaires' Row, 9 years ago at the peak of the Great Recession, it was a much different story. In 2008, Brooklyn photographer Harlan Erskine took to the city after dark and documented the ghost town that was Midtown. While New Yorkers are today used to seeing bustling crowds spilling into the streets at all hours, Harlan's photographs depict the polar opposite: empty office lobbies, streets and sidewalks.
photos this way

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