6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

A timeline of how Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood in NYC 100 years ago. [DNAinfo] Target and Dwell have collaborated on an affordable, 120-piece modern furniture and home accessories line. [Fast Co. Design] The landlord’s guide to gentrifying the city: how Steve Croman spent decades exploiting rent-control laws to bring in wealthier tenants. [Bloomberg] You’ve seen them–PTACs, those […]

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Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 Schermerhorn

Rendering of The Hub via Dattner Architects (L); Construction shot as of December 2015 via Tectonic (R)

October 13, 2016

Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 Schermerhorn

At 610 feet, Douglas Steiner's 333 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn currently holds the title of tallest building in Brooklyn. Though it'll be surpassed by forthcoming supertalls like JDS' 9 DeKalb Avenue, the first 1,000+ foot tower in the borough, and the 700-foot 205 Montague Street, the 53-story slab apartment tower known as The Hub will certainly remain a much-sought-after address, especially considering its wealth of amenities and proximity to the BAM Cultural District. Of its 740 apartments, 150 are reserved for New Yorkers earning less than 60 percent of the area media income, and as of tomorrow the lottery is open for these units, which range from $833/month studios to $1,082/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Saddam Hussein had a secret torture chamber across from Mayor Bloomberg’s UES mansion

14 (left) and 12 East 79th Street

October 13, 2016

Saddam Hussein had a secret torture chamber across from Mayor Bloomberg’s UES mansion

Opulent Upper East Side mansions are not exactly what come to mind when one thinks of brutal dictatorships and torture chambers, but a piece in the Post reveals that Saddam Hussein kept a hidden detention room in the basement of the Mission of Iraq at 14 East 79th Street--just a block from Central Park and right across the street from former Mayor Bloomberg's home. Two Iraqi officials, who spoke anonymously, told the paper that when Hussein rose to power in 1979, he had the prison room installed so that his military intelligence officers (the Mukhabarat) could torture local Iraqis, "using them as leverage to get their relatives back in the homeland to surrender and cooperate with the tyrannical government."
It gets worse...

Celebrities

October 13, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 10/13-10/19

By Lori Zimmer

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! Architecture geeks rejoice, as Open House New York Weekend is finally here! It's time to reserve your spot to see some architectural gems normally closed off to the public. But if you're looking for something a little less hectic, head to Queens to check out a field of Christopher Walken busts at Socrates Sculpture Park. Clamp Art is also showing off Mark Yankus' gorgeous "portraits" of New York's buildings, and New York art world impresario Gregory de la Haba is also producing an evening opera at Carnegie Hall honoring Ireland's unsung hero, Lady Hazel Lavery. Plus for the bruncher with artistic inclinations, this Sunday you can learn more about art writers and curators (including me!) that make their living in New York. Details for these events, and even more of my picks, ahead.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

October 13, 2016

Brooklyn, Queens are more expensive than they’ve ever been; Manhattan rents are down

Market reports are in from the third quarter of this year, and sales numbers are setting new records, especially in Brooklyn and Queens. From Douglas Elliman, numbers show sales prices in Brooklyn and Queens climbing for the fourth year in a row across the board for condos, co-ops and one- to three-family homes, as well as luxury properties (defined as the upper 10 percent of the market). The median sales price rose 8.7 percent to $735,000; the average sales price went up 14.8 percent to $983,511; the median sales price for luxury properties rose 23.5 percent to $2.5 million. All three numbers represent record increases. The rising market has likely been the result of a healthy job market in New York City and population growth that's five years ahead of schedule.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

October 13, 2016

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo make a sale on their sprawling Soho loft

Just six months after listing their Soho pad at 112 Greene Street, Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo have made a sale. As The Post first reports, the sexy pair has sold their sprawling floor-through apartment to shoe designer Nick Lucio for an impressive $5.4 million—a number just shy of their original $5.5 million asking price, but still nearly $1 million more than what they originally paid for the home in 2014. This good news also comes bundled with a bundle of joy, as the couple also welcomed their first baby, Dusty Rose, into the world just two weeks ago.
have a look inside their former pad

October 13, 2016

Waitlist opens for affordable, four-bedroom co-ops in Lincoln Center, from $102K

The Lincoln-Amsterdam House is a 25-story co-op building that stretches from West 64th to 65th Streets along the eastern side of West End Avenue, just one block away from Lincoln Center. It's a Mitchell-Lama development, which, as 6sqft previously explained, is a program "created in 1955 to provide affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate- and middle-income families." As of today, the 100-name waitlist is open for four-bedroom units in the building to households with a minimum of six persons earning between $33,440 and $149,531 annually. The co-ops will sell from $102,814 to $109,545.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

October 13, 2016

$3.65M lavish Harlem townhouse is full of marble, mirrors, and chandeliers

Built in 1900, this lavishly restored townhouse at 148 West 119th Street is on one of Harlem's most desirable blocks in the Mount Morris Park Historic District. Constructed as part of one of the neighborhood's first developments, the four-story Italianate brownstone has been bestowed with a renovation worthy of a decorator show house, with no expense or luxury spared (and lots of marble, mirrors and chandeliers). Two fully loaded terraces add outdoor living to mix, and details like central air, radiant floor heat and high-end appliances keep everything running smoothly. Bonus: there's a studio apartment on the ground floor.
Tour this single-family masterpiece

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

Bob Dylan's historic Harlem townhouse sells for $2.8M

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

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

For $5.25M, this Gramercy townhouse has a live-work option for a very short commute

Drew Barrymore finds buyer for gut-renovated Westchester estate

This $4M Flatbush townhouse stays true to its Victorian roots

$45M for a two-for-one penthouse palace at the top of the Plaza

For $10.5M, a sunny yellow Mediterranean villa on the Upper East Side

Kurt Weill's former New York country estate with a creative pedigree asks $2.3M

Park Avenue penthouse with enormous terrace owned by Maurice Tempelsman lists for $5.5M

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October 12, 2016

Construction update: Excavation underway for Annabelle Selldorf’s Bowlmor Lanes-replacing condos

By Ondel Hylton

William Macklowe Company's 22-story 21 East 12th Street (21E12) is poised to become the tallest ground-up condominium building in Greenwich Village upon completion in 2018. The development at the southwest corner of University Place and East 12th Street replaces the Bowlmor Lanes garage building, which, due to its height and incongruent massing, ruffled the feathers of watchful neighbors and community organizations. Nevertheless, the squat, five-story structure has been razed, and site excavation is well underway for New York's maiden of modernism, Annabelle Selldorf's, square, cast-stone tower.
Find out more here

October 12, 2016

Peek into the rooms of millennials around the world (PHOTOS)

While it's certainly fun to admire listing photos for pristine homes dressed up by famous designers, those images are nowhere near as interesting or insightful as getting a raw, unstaged look at how people really live. In a news series called "My Room Project," French filmmaker and photographer John Thackwray takes us into the private spaces of one of the world's most misunderstood groups: millennials.
inside 21 rooms this way

City Living

October 12, 2016

Meet the ‘Mayor of Gramercy Park’; the world’s best bar is in FiDi

This woman makes $140,000 a year controlling who goes in and out of Gramercy Park. [NY1] Though mainstays like Tribeca and Soho remained at the top, a list of the city’s top 50 most expensive neighborhoods show that up-and-coming ‘hoods like DUMBO and Forest Hills Gardens are outpacing Manhattan. [Metro] Perkins Eastman Architects’ Michael Lew talks about […]

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October 12, 2016

New Renderings of Rogers Partners’ residence above historic Lower East Side bank building

At the end of last year, preservationists called on the city to landmark the Lower East Side's 1912 former bank building at the prominent corner of East Houston and Ludlow Streets. The request came after the owners revealed plans to construct a residential structure above the historic building. But despite much community opposition, they tapped Tribeca-based architects Rogers Partners to create a cantilevering, cube-like design (not unlike those we've seen of late from ODA) inspired by the work of artist Jasper Johns, who once lived and worked at the address. CityRealty now has new renderings of the 44,000-square-foot project at 225 East Houston Street, which will have 38 apartments and amenities including a roof deck, fitness center, residential lounge and terrace, bike storage, and laundry room.
Find out more

October 12, 2016

Christie Brinkley lists her dreamy Sag Harbor vacation home for $25 million

Supermodel Christie Brinkley has just listed her lovely Sag Harbor property for a cool $25 million. Originally built in 1843, the three-story Colonial home includes period details, like wide-plank pine floors and multiple fireplaces, and has been decorated as one of the most idyllic vacation homes ever. Even better, the sprawling four-acre property comes with 327 feet of beachfront that overlooks the harbor, yachts, sailboats, and open bay of the Hamptons.
Take the grand tour of her estate

My 2,400sqft: Tour two art world professionals’ curated Greenwich Village 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 art-filled Greenwich Village loft of two art world professionals. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

October 12, 2016

My 2,400sqft: Tour two art world professionals’ curated Greenwich Village loft

When you step into this Greenwich Village loft, there's a welcoming feeling of calm amid the unexpected combinations of Western and Asian art, historic and contemporary furniture, and traditional and eclectic objects. This can be attributed to the keen curation skills of the owners, who are affiliated with Chambers Fine Art, a New York- and Beijing-based gallery that specializes in contemporary Chinese art. For 10 years they've called this spacious apartment home, and 6sqft recently took a tour of the space and got the inside scoop on some of their most prized art pieces.
Take the tour here

October 12, 2016

Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford to be George Clooney’s neighbor at Norman Foster’s Midtown tower

Rande Gerber and wife Cindy Crawford have purchased the apartment just upstairs from George and Amal Clooney's at the Norman Foster-designed One Hundred East Fifty Third Street, according to Page Six. As 6sqft recently reported, the Clooneys just scooped up a high-floor (though not the $65 million penthouse they reportedly viewed) apartment at the glassy tower. Longtime pals Clooney and Gerber recently sold their matched pair of adjoining Mexican villas, christened Casamigos–the same name as the duo's tequila brand, which is reportedly expanding its presence in New York City.
Check out the interiors at the new celebrity-approved tower

Plans and renderings revealed for Mount Sinai’s downtown expansion

Renderings by SAN for Ennead Architects and Perkins Eastman

October 12, 2016

Plans and renderings revealed for Mount Sinai’s downtown expansion

Mount Sinai Health System announced on Tuesday that phase one of a $500 million project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel and create the new “Mount Sinai Downtown” network is set to start. The network will expand and renovate three sites of outpatient facilities, according to the hospital, which will stretch from the East River to the Hudson River below 34th Street. The network will include 35 operating and procedure rooms and 16 physician practice locations with more than 600 doctors.
renderings this way

Uncategorized

October 12, 2016

Landmarks lauds Natural History Museum expansion plan, see new renderings

After revising its expansion plan last month to preserve more public parkland, the American Museum of Natural History had its day in front of the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday, and as DNAinfo reports, the agency lauded the plan for a new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation, with chairwoman Meenakshi Srinivasan referring to it as a "stunning piece of architecture" and an "absolutely wonderful addition." In making their determination, the Commission was presented with a slew of new renderings, which show the $325 million, Jeanne Gang-designed project from various angles, as well as new views of the surrounding parkland.
More renderings and next steps

This charming co-op on a magical East Village block has layout options, storage solutions and a $799K ask

7th Street between Avenues C and D is arguably the most charming and magical block in the East Village, where tenements give way to colorful but well-tended historic townhouses interrupted only by the venerable Flowerbox condominium building and a sturdy brick apartment building or two and surrounded by a delightful collection of cafes, restaurants and some of the city’s best community gardens. Yes, it’s a hike to the subway, but there are buses aplenty and the East River Park bike and running path is just steps away. It’s hard to imagine an apartment here that’s anything but charmed and lovable, and the one-bedroom co-op at 255 East 7th, listed at $799,000, meets those high expectations–for value if nothing else in a neighborhood of $1M+ studio "lofts" and the occasional apartment with a shower in the kitchen.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

October 11, 2016

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski drop $6M on a historic Park Slope townhouse

When she started working on "The Girl on the Train" back at the end of 2015, Emily Blunt was rumored to be moving to Brooklyn since the movie was filming here in the city (despite the fact that the book took place near London). Now that the thriller opened at number one in the weekend box office, the sleuths over at LLNYC have uncovered that she and hubby John Krasinski did, in fact, move to the borough in December of last year, dropping $6 million on this landmarked Park Slope townhouse. According to filings with the DOB, they also spent $300,000 renovating the six-bedroom limestone beauty.
Check out the historic home

New research says Sandy-like storms could occur in NYC every 20 years by the year 2100

Hurricane Sandy damage in Breezy Point, Queens

October 11, 2016

New research says Sandy-like storms could occur in NYC every 20 years by the year 2100

With the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaching, many New Yorkers are still reeling from its devastation; in fact, the city recently allocated another $500 million in taxpayer money for repairs due to storm damage. And though this seems grim, a new study from a group of researchers at Princeton and Rutgers universities and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is even more troubling. Based on a storm-related computer simulation of flooding, "Hurricane Sandy’s Flood Frequency Increasing From Year 1800 to 2100" predicts that in a worse-case scenario, by the year 2100, such powerful storms will occur every 20 years, an increase of 17 times the current state, reports Phys.org.
Find out more details

City Living

October 11, 2016

The best Halloween costume shops in New York City

Halloween is creepin’ up. Do you know what you’re dressing up as? A creepy clown or maybe a certain creepy presidential candidate? (The right shade of bronzer could do wonders there.) Whether you tend towards D.I.Y. or you want to grab a ready-made outfit, the sooner you figure it out, the better. Trying to throw together […]

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October 11, 2016

$4.2M Carroll Gardens townhouse is pretty as can be

This four-story Carroll Gardens townhouse is impressive from the get-go. Located at 356 President Street, in a historic district, the 1869 home boasts a facade with an arched doorway, the original paneled doors and Italianate cast iron hand railings, and an impressive cornice. Inside, the historic details were recently restored, like eight fireplaces—five with ornate marble mantels—plaster moldings and ceiling medallions, decorative trim, and the original wood floors. On top of that, the backyard was redone by a landscape architect to include built-in seating and a bluestone patio. After all those upgrades, the impressive property just hit the market for a little over $4 million.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

October 11, 2016

Gloria Steinem’s vanished New York; City wants to add 600 new food vendors

Gloria Steinem shares delightful nuggets of lesser-known New York City history. [NYT] The 62-year-old fireboat that the city recently auctioned off for just $510 is becoming a floating restaurant/bar. [Eater] Behind the glasses with Gregory’s Coffee founder Gregory Zamfotis. [Sprudge] The City Council is considering legislation that would double the number of food vendor permits, ushering in 600 more […]

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October 11, 2016

Fall getaway: Travel to the historic Inns of Aurora for an anti-Manhattan antidote

Now that fall is in full swing, why not take a weekend getaway upstate to the Finger Lakes wine country, where the fall foliage is in all its glory and the crisp air is perfect for cozying up next to a fire. The charming town of Aurora, located on a hill on the east side of Cayuga Lake is just a five-hour drive from the city, and here you'll find the Inns of Aurora, a collection of four very different historic properties with rooms to rent and a lot of history to share.
Join us on an historic tour of the Inns of Aurora

October 11, 2016

The Rockefeller Center ice skating rink reopens today

Grab your skates kids, because the iconic ice rink at The Rockefeller Center is reopen for business today! This year The Rink at Rockefeller Center is celebrating its 80th year of operation (it opened on Christmas Day in 1936), and to mark the occasion the center held a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning with figure skater and Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen. While this mid-60s sweater weather may not feel quite as festive as that Christmastime nip, hitting the ice now does have a number of advantages—namely not having to bundle up, and not having to fight the lines. More than a quarter-million skaters are anticipated to visit the rink this year.
more info here

Events & Things To Do

October 11, 2016

Cynthia Nixon expands downtown real estate holdings with $1.5M East Village co-op

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

Earlier this morning, 6sqft reported that "Grey's Anatomy" actor Justin Chambers had spent $1.54 million on a rather bland East Village loft in Ageloff Tower at 172 East 4th Street. Interestingly, another big-name television star has also picked up a residence at Ageloff, this time at its sister building at 141 East 3rd Street. LLNYC reports that "Sex and the City" actress Cynthia Nixon is listed on property records for a similarly unassuming apartment that sold for $1.49 million. The buyers are Nixon and her wife Christine Marinoni and another couple, their friends Michael Growler and William Bowers (Growler worked as a dresser for the "Sex and the City" movies). Based on the joint ownership, and the fact that Nixon has owned a $3.25 million residence at 10 Bleecker Street since 2012, it's likely that this is more of an investment.
Take a look around

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

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Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

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

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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October 11, 2016

Young singles make up 60 percent of lower Manhattan, but they’re spending their cash elsewhere

A report released Monday by the Downtown Alliance shows that the area south of Chambers Street in lower Manhattan is chock full of young New Yorkers with plenty of disposable income; the development advocacy group hopes the news will result in the creation of more options for them to spend it. Crains reports on the survey, which found that 60 percent of apartments in a growing residential sector that includes the Financial District, Battery Park City and the South Street Seaport are home to single tenants and roommates with no children, one of the highest concentrations of young singles–defined as 18- to 44-year-olds, in the city. This spendy demo hits the town every other night on average, blowing about $1,000 a month, adding up to $356 million a year. But according to the report, half of that is spent in other neighborhoods due to a lack of "appealing options" in the area.
Tap a keg, stat

City Living

October 11, 2016

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Justin Chambers picks up unassuming $1.5M East Village co-op

After 13 years of dramatics on "Grey's Anatomy," you'd think actor Justin Chambers would opt for a bit more of a trophy apartment, but he and his wife Keisha (it's actually her name on the property records) have spent $1.54 million on an unassuming East Village pad at Ageloff Tower, one of the few large, pre-war co-ops in the neighborhood. As the Observer point out, the couple will likely use the residence as a pied-à-terre since it's only two bedrooms and they have five children and three dogs.
Get a look

October 11, 2016

$14.5M West Village townhouse survived a designer renovation with historic details intact

On a postcard-pretty block of the West Village, the single-family townhouse at 66 Charles Street was recently cleared of all imperfections in a top-to-toe reconstruction by noted architect David Hottenroth and master builder Hobbs Incorporated, while retaining many of its original details. The 1899 Italianate-style home offers 3,600 square feet of covetable Village townhouse living with every modern comfort and convenience to make daily life easy. The house sold for just under $8 million in 2014, and now, after its multi-year renovation it's asking $14.5 million.
View the old and the new

Distinctive Homes

October 10, 2016

A look at Yorkville’s affordable housing decline

By Cait Etherington

Despite its location just a few blocks east of Park Avenue, Yorkville remains one of Manhattan’s most affordable neighborhoods south of 95th Street. The neighborhood’s reasonable prices partially reflect its reputation. Simply put, Yorkville has never been considered quaint or hip. Since its development in the nineteenth century, it has been best known for its German delis and unremarkable yet practical residential housing. Another factor that has historically kept the neighborhood’s housing prices below average is its high stock of rent stabilized units. Unfortunately, Yorkville’s reputation as a great place to find a bargain may soon be compromised. Recently released data on affordable housing stock in New York reveals that rent stabilized housing in Yorkville is rapidly declining. Indeed, between 2007 and 2014, the neighborhood lost more rent stabilized units than any other neighborhood in the city’s five boroughs.
read more here

October 10, 2016

Burn calories sitting at your desk with HOVR

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Our bodies are designed to move, yet most of us spend our days sitting at a desk, staring at a screen. But here's a new device that claims to help counter that inertia by producing unconscious movements that can help keep you fit while answering emails. While it might look like some silly exercise device being offered on a late night television informercial, HOVR promises to burn calories by creating healthy movements without mental distraction.
get fit with HOVR

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx named ‘Great Street of America’

Mike’s Deli in Arthur Avenue Retail Market. Photo: Bronx Borough President Office

October 10, 2016

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx named ‘Great Street of America’

If you’ve slurped oysters outside a seafood market, taken a bite of burrata or savored cannoli on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, this distinction might not be news to you. Arthur Avenue, which some call “the real Little Italy,” will join the American Planning Association’s “Great Streets of America.” READ MORE AT METRO NEW YORK…

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October 10, 2016

That time a Greenpointer ran for president; The Patsy’s trademark war continues

During the High Holy Days, Zabar’s lox men attract a cult-like following. [NYT] The Museum of Chinese in America has a new exhibit called “Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America.” [The Lo-Down] During WWI, women pretended to be creepy rocks and trees in NYC parks. [Atlas Obscura] This $149 water […]

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October 10, 2016

New $3.3M Park Slope townhouse is a modern take on timeless design

It’s hardly breaking news that new construction townhouses are among the most popular architecturally significant ideas that developers are offering luxury buyers; a few are probably headed for a construction site near you. With all the enchantments of a modern house in the desert, woods or suburbs–and all the conveniences and innovations of Brooklyn’s Park Slope, this 2,256-square-foot home at 253 8th Street is the latest of such offerings in a section of the Slope generally better known for innovation than preservation.
Take a contemporary townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

In 1892, NYC celebrated an entire Columbus Week

The New York Public Library. Columbus Day parade, Union Square Retrieved from NYPL Digital Collections

October 10, 2016

In 1892, NYC celebrated an entire Columbus Week

Annually, the Columbus Day parade draws nearly a million viewers to Fifth Avenue, but that's nothing compared to the festivities of 1892 when New Yorkers celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Italian explorer’s Caribbean landing for seven full days. Columbus Week was a completely decked out party with a Hudson River naval parade, Brooklyn Bridge fireworks, a music festival, and the first Columbus Day Parade, which consisted of 12,000 public school children, 5,500 Catholic school children, military drill squads, and 29 marching bands.
More history

October 10, 2016

New renderings revealed for Richard Rogers’ glassy ‘Pearl on the Park’ at One Beekman

CityRealty.com offers new renderings via Urban Muse that reveal architect Richard Rogers' 25-story mixed-use Financial District residential development, One Beekman at 1 Beekman Street. The 95,000-square-foot building, known as “Pearl on the Park,” the first New York City residential building for Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, will have a glassy facade and utilize a glazing system at its base that lends a greater transparency to the building's lobby and street-level retail establishments. Included will be three commercial units of about 4,500 square feet each and one retail unit of approximately 3,200 square feet.
See the renderings

New Developments

October 10, 2016

VIDEO: MTA runs first test trains on Second Avenue Subway line!

While it's still unclear whether or not the Second Avenue Subway will meet its December opening date, it does look like the rails themselves are just about ready to take on riders. Over the weekend, Youtube user Dj Hammers spotted the agency running trains past the line's Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station (where a public area has already opened), testing out the third rail, signals and track.
more details and a video here

Transit

October 10, 2016

$1.6M Upper West Side duplex is perfect for a chilly fall day

What more could you need in fall than a cozy home with a big wood-burning fireplace, lots of exposed brick, and plenty of room for furniture to curl up on? This two-bedroom co-op at 14 West 87th Street along Central Park West fits the bill. The listing calls it "a duplex home that feels like your own townhouse." We just think it's the perfect cozy pad for the chillier weather.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

October 9, 2016

Cheery Lower East Side co-op with custom storage asks $575K

Custom white lacquered cabinetry framed by dark mahogany trim, a sunny orange accent wall, and a sophisticated yet playful mix of patterns make this Lower East Side co-op cheery and cool. Located on a calm block of the otherwise bustling 'hood--just a block from the 2nd Avenue F station and well within the mix of trendy and old-school businesses--the convertible two-bedroom is asking a very reasonable $575,000.
See it all ahead

Distinctive Homes

October 8, 2016

George and Amal Clooney snag high-floor condo in Norman Foster’s Midtown tower

The Clooneys are moving to Midtown. Sources tell the Post that the power couple has just purchased an apartment at the glassy Norman Foster-designed One Hundred East Fifty Third Street. The pair had apparently toured the $65 million, two-floor penthouse but ultimately opted for something a bit more modest on a lower but still high floor.
find out more here

Celebrities

October 8, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

Affordable housing applicants with low credit scores and legal history now protected from discriminaton Live in a massive $8M West Village loft for just $1 a month Madonna says in court papers that UWS co-op rules shouldn’t apply to her because she’s famous New York Wheel’s four 500-ton legs arrive in New York harbor today […]

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October 7, 2016

Construction update: Soori High Line’s soaring ceilings and private, heated pools take shape

By Ondel Hylton

Soo K. Chan, founder of Singapore-based firm SCDA Architects, says "good architecture should move the human spirit." The practice's first New York development, a ground-up condominium named Soori High Line at 522 West 29th Street, certainly elicits a high degree of "wow," conveyed through its soaring 19-foot ceilings, equally tall windows, private heated swimming pools, and living room fireplaces. The $70 million project is a joint venture between Siras Development and Soo Chan's real estate arm Oriel. 6sqft took a tour of the still-under-construction building, where it was clear that even in its raw unfinished state, the opulence of Soori's homes is already undeniable.
See all the renderings and construction shots this way

Half of all working New Yorkers are foreign born

Photo: Flickr/Kevin Case

October 7, 2016

Half of all working New Yorkers are foreign born

Immigrants make up half of New York City’s workforce and 70 percent in 37 different occupations, according to a new study, which also found that the city’s working poor tend to be foreign born. The report, released Thursday by the Center for an Urban Future, focuses on the impact that foreign-born workers have on the city’s […]

City Living

October 7, 2016

For just $599K, this lovely Harlem condo has a massive roof deck with views to Midtown

Where else in Manhattan will you be able to snag a two-bedroom condo with an impressive roof deck for just a hair under $600,000? At 13 East 131st Street, an East Harlem condo, this apartment has hit the market for $599,000. The 950-square-foot spread is decked out with moldings, built-ins and refinished oak floors, and upstairs it has a large and landscaped terrace with views all the way to midtown.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

Williamsburg

Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

1 beds starting at $1,925,000
2 beds starting at $2,055,000
3 beds starting at $3,030,000

Learn More

October 7, 2016

SHoP Architects designing world’s largest 3D-printed object; register to vote at city’s wi-fi kiosks

SHoP Architects are designing a pair of sculptural pavilions for Design Miami that will break the Guinness record for largest 3D-printed object. [Fast Co. Design] Chocolatiers Mast Brothers have new city-inspired collections based on their flagship locations in Brooklyn, London, and LA. [Design Milk] Could NYC benefit from Poland’s solar-charged, glow-in-the-dark bike lanes? [Inhabitat] Through October […]

Uncategorized

October 7, 2016

You could squeeze the population of 8 states into NYC’s 5 boroughs

New York City is crowded, but if you needed any more proof that you're being packed into a urban sardine can, just have a look at this map from Metric Maps which ushers out the city's current inhabitants for those elsewhere in the United States. As the illustration reveals, to bring NYC's population from zero back to its mind-boggling 8.5 million, you could pull in the populace of eight different states.
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City Living

October 7, 2016

The Urban Lens: Attis Clopton documents New York’s fleeting moments and faces

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 Attis Clopton offers us a look at his stunning portraits. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. If you ask Attis Clopton what his day job is, he'd quickly respond "musician." However, the drummer, who's travelled the world recording and performing, would be remiss not to mention his impressive photography skills. Though not formally trained, Attis has developed an eye and the ability to capture subjects in a way that many professional photographers struggle with throughout their career. But what may set Attis apart from his contemporaries is his openness, his curiosity and his unpretentious disposition, all of which help him lock into the moment and keep his photos from looking overthought or overdone. Ahead he shares some of his recent favorites with 6sqft.
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October 7, 2016

New interactive website gives grades to the city’s failing bus routes

The NYC Bus Turnaround Coalition--a recently formed partnership of transit advocacy groups who believe the city's bus system is broken--released a report over the summer that called on the city to make improvements to the system, which is one of the slowest in the nation. Their latest tactic to get the message across comes in the form of an interactive website that gives grades to all 307 bus routes based on speed, ridership, and bunching (when several buses arrive all at once), as Streetsblog explains. There's also animated visualizations that illustrate the annoyances bus riders deal with compared to a hypothetical look at life riding a system not plagued by delays, outdated routes, and unreliable service.
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Transit

October 7, 2016

41 affordable units up for grabs in Williamsburg, starting at $788/month