6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Black potential tenants who just wanted a decent place to live were routinely turned away at the Trump family’s Queens housing complexes and others. Housing activists and equal housing organizations took note, and in 1973 Trump Management was sued by the Justice Department for discrimination. Some of those tenants who stood firm remember the indignities all too well. The New York Times took a look at the early days of the Trump empire, when Donald's father, Fred C. Trump, built and managed middle-income residential complexes like the Wilshire Apartments in Jamaica Estates, Queens. A former employee of the elder Trump tells the Times that when receiving applications from potential tenants who happened to be black he was told, "Take the application and put it in a drawer and leave it there."
Get a closer look at the Trump legacy

August 29, 2016

Subway Reads offers free e-books based on the length of your commute

It can be a bit frustrating to start getting into a book on your commute when you just as soon have to put it down, which is part of the idea behind a new initiative called Subway Reads, a web platform that offers free e-books to subway riders that can be timed to their commute. The program is a collaboration among the MTA, Transit Wireless (the company behind the $250 million+ project to put Wi-Fi in 278 underground stations), and Penguin Random House. According to the Times, the platform was launched as a way to promote the fact that connectivity has already reached 175 stations, but it will only last eight weeks. During that time, users can download novellas, short stories or parts of complete books to their cellphones or tablets, and they can make their selections based on how long they expect to be on the train (the formula accounts for about a page a minute).
Find out how it works

August 29, 2016

Brooklyn artist’s new book illustrates NYC’s ‘hidden networks’

Did you check your email while you were on the train or before you left home? If you’re reading this on a smartphone or laptop, does your reading history get stored in “the Cloud,” an all-knowing nebula of information that floats above us? What does the internet look like? Those are some of the questions artist […]

Events & Things To Do

August 29, 2016

Facebook co-founder Sean Parker buys three Greenwich Village townhouses to create mega-mansion

By Annie Doge

There must be something about the Village and Facebook that go together. Back in January, the social media company's co-founder Chris Hughes sold his Soho loft for $8.5 million and relocated to a $23.5 million West Village townhouse. And now the Post reports that the other founding partner, Sean Parker, who also created Napster, has acquired three homes along West 10th Street, where he plans to create one big mega-mansion.
READ MORE

August 29, 2016

Interview: Architect Cary Tamarkin on being his own developer

By Jillian Blume

Cary Tamarkin is the founder and president of Tamarkin Co., an architecture and real estate development company established in 1994 and based in New York City. He worked as an architect exclusively for many years before deciding to go into development. As it turned out, he was able to combine his passion for both architecture and […]

August 29, 2016

$1.4M Chelsea duplex has lots of charm and a magical garden, but a few flaws

If you're looking for an apartment that's, as the saying goes, "perfect for one person or a couple," this charming Chelsea co-op at 335 West 21st Street looks to be every bit the "jewel box oasis" the listing claims. On a prime and pretty block near the High Line, asking $1.395 million, this one-bedroom-plus-den duplex has been optimized for livability–if you can live with a few flaws.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

August 28, 2016

Fashion Stylist Scott Newkirk Goes Unplugged in His 14×14 Rough-Hewn Cabin

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

For many city dwellers bogged down by the hustle and bustle of everyday life, vacations are spent offline in far-away places, disconnected from technology and reconnected to nature. But fashion and interior stylist Scott Newkirk proves you don't have to go that far to have your own unplugged woodland dream. Located in Yulan, New York, just 90 miles northwest of NYC, Newkirk's charming wooden cabin is a mere 14x14 feet and is made entirely from salvaged and reclaimed pieces of wood.
Learn more about this rough and ready cabin

August 27, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

By Alyssa Alimurung

‘Game of Thrones’ star Michiel Huisman conquers $2.2M Flatiron loft 163 years ago, an upstate chef accidentally invented potato chips Scarlett Johansson looks to the Cielo for an Upper East Side rental City releases Midtown East Rezoning plan; could add 16 new towers Here’s your chance to own off Central Park West for just $425K […]

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Distinctive Homes

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

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

For $945K, this pretty pre-war co-op in Brooklyn Heights is steps from the Promenade

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

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

Village penthouse with rooftop 'country cottage' is for sale, asking $10.5M

For $1.95M, live in a Victorian house with a two-car garage without leaving city life behind

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

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

$6.75M Tribeca loft condo leaves nothing to chance, parking included

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August 26, 2016

Where I Work: Inside Thompson Square Studios, Soho’s members-only co-working space

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we take a tour Thompson Square Studios, a private members club-style co-working space in Soho. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! After starting his career as an architect in London, Robert Herrick went on to found Visualhouse, a "creative ideas" agency focusing on the architecture and design fields, in 2006. With offices now in London, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Hong Kong, Visualhouse has produced work from branding campaigns to digital renderings for the likes of Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, and Rafael Vinoly. In 2013, Robert took his expertise and created the Thompson House Group with the goal of delivering private member experiences in workspaces, hotels, and restaurants. The Group's first project was Thompson Square Studios, a "private member club for work and play." Unlike traditional co-working spaces, the Studio has a membership board that selects tenants from the creative industries based on what they can bring to the collective whole. 6sqft recently caught up with CEO and founder Robert, who took us on a tour of the impeccably designed space filled with copper accents, industrial decor, and sleek yet moody furniture. We also got a look at how Visualhouse operates within the club.
Tour the space and hear from Robert

August 26, 2016

A charming former schoolhouse asks just $310K in Upstate New York

This brick schoolhouse—located at 2 Moffat Road, in the upstate town of Blooming Grove—served students all the way from 1870 to the 1960s. Then, it was converted into a residence before getting a second makeover in the 1990s. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home, which sits on nearly an acre of land, is true country living, with an interior decorated with exposed, reclaimed wood beams, a cathedral ceiling, wide plank wood floors and a wood burning fireplace. $310,000 won't get you much more than a studio in New York City, but it'll buy you this old school located just 70 minutes outside Manhattan.
Take a tour

August 26, 2016

‘Laundry-free linens’ perfect for super lazy college kids; Red Hook IKEA should adopt China’s naptime

By Alyssa Alimurung

Heading back to college and hate laundry day? Get your hands on these biodegradable linens that are meant to be thrown away after just a few weeks. [Business Insider] Here’s an idea for Red Hook’s IKEA: In China, IKEA shoppers are allowed to curl up on the furniture for a quick nap. [NYTimes] Hear Majora Carter talk about the […]

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Friday 5: Waterfront living for less in Long Island City

Every Friday 6sqft rounds up five of the best rental deals showcased on CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page, a space where house hunters can find the best concessions being offered by landlords across the city.

August 26, 2016

Friday 5: Waterfront living for less in Long Island City

By 6sqft

With its location just a hop, skip and jump away from Midtown Manhattan, and the trendiest parts of Brooklyn, Long Island City (LIC) is increasingly becoming a magnet for real estate developers, businesses and new residents banking on the area's growth. But beyond the convenience offered by its prime waterfront location—and, of course, its comparatively affordable prices—LIC also boasts buildings with unbeatable amenities and stunning skyline and river views. Ahead are five brand new LIC buildings currently offering free rent and other concessions.
see the best deals this week here

Uncategorized

August 26, 2016

With $2.5 billion in Brooklyn real estate, Hasidic investors are a formidable gentrification driver

We hear so frequently about the players behind Manhattan’s billion-dollar real estate projects and how foreign investors are pouring a global vault's worth of currency into New York City property, often shielded by LLCs. It's illuminating to get a closer look at the city’s larger real estate landscape–one that has changed so much in recent decades–and learn who's behind the soaring property values, skyrocketing rents, frenzied flipping and veritable horse-trading that has driven the unprecedented and transformative gentrification beyond Manhattan’s rarified development scene. A recent story by The Real Deal titled “Learning and earning: Hasidic Brooklyn’s real estate machers” reveals that a huge slice of the borough’s real estate pie is owned by the Hasidic community. The ultra-orthodox sect reportedly includes some of Brooklyn’s wealthiest property owners, to the tune of $2.5 billion.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

August 26, 2016

Vacant New York: Mapping all of Manhattan’s empty storefronts

There's definitely no shortage of Duane Reades, Starbucks, and banks lining Manhattan's streets, but other than these national chains, it's hard for small business owners to afford the city's soaring commercial rents, and these mom-and-pops are currently lacking any protections from landlords. In some areas, this has created a chain store monopoly, while in others it's left stretches of otherwise popular streets with large numbers of vacant storefronts. Programmer Justin Levinson is exploring the latter through a new map called Vacant New York, which provides a startling picture of Manhattan's shuttered storefronts and its high-rent blight.
See what the map reveals

Uncategorized

August 26, 2016

Help New Yorkers in Need When Dining Out This September

By going out to eat this September, you’ll be helping feed New Yorkers in need of a hot meal. Each year, Dine Out for No Kid Hungry enlists restaurants to help feed underprivileged children—and there are many of them, with more than 20 percent living in food-insecure homes nationwide. Each of the nearly 100 participating restaurants […]

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Rendering by Thomas Koloski via NY Yimby

August 26, 2016

See the Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey Skylines of 2020

As the incredible animation above shows, the tall tower building boom isn't just restricted to Manhattan. First spotted by NY Yimby, this future projection created by Thomas Koloski reveals a very different silhouette than the one we know today—and arguably a far more striking and attractive one at that. But what might be the most surprising thing about this rendering is that it's not too far off from becoming a reality. Indeed, what you're looking at is expected to materialize over just the next four years.
more here

August 26, 2016

$3.5M Boerum Hill carriage house comes with a three-family townhouse in the front for rental income

And that's only one of the many possibilities for this unusual Brooklyn property. On a quaint and classic Brooklyn block in Boerum Hill, this three-family row house at 104 Butler Street is currently being used as a source of income from three separate apartments. Through the picturesque garden at the back, a three-story, four-bedroom carriage house is occupied by the home's current owners. A new owner could leave the setup as-is, use both of these 19th-century houses as a multi-generational home for family, or create condos in the front, with many more options imaginable. The ask is $3.45 million.
See some of the interiors and get ideas

Distinctive Homes

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

August 26, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 8/25-8/31

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! Summer is winding down, but we're not ready to move back indoors. Jump a ferry and celebrate the season's end on Governors Island with an old fashioned oyster shuck. Get down (silently) outside at the Coney Island Art walls at the Quiet Clubbing Festival, or join artist Santhori in making a giant mural at the park on East 1st Street. Stretch out and appreciate Times Square on Jurgen Mayer H's XXX easy chairs, then head to the Bowery Wall to find your friends in Logan Hicks' giant new mural. Finally, the gallery prince of darkness JJ Brine is bringing his Vector Gallery back to New York, and two artists are turning Brooklyn's Ground Floor Gallery into a giant loom installation.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

August 25, 2016

Here’s your chance to own off Central Park West for just $425K

Location is the draw when it comes to this studio apartment at the Franconia co-op, located right off Central Park West at 20 West 72nd Street. It's a very cozy space that will require a Murphy bed setup. As for a dining table...forget it. But who needs a big apartment when you've got Central Park and the Upper West Side right outside your door? The current apartment owner looks to be Johanna Rosaly, a Puerto Rican actress, singer, and television host. She bought it in 2011 for $270,000 and has listed it at a significant bump, for $425,000.
See more of the studio

Distinctive Homes

August 25, 2016

Rebuilding efforts begin for historic Flatiron church destroyed by fire

More than three months have passed since the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava went up in flames, leaving the Flatiron landmark in ruin and heartbroken parishioners praying for the future of their cultural and spiritual site. During that time, church officials have been meeting with city agencies, and now rebuilding is inching closer to […]

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August 25, 2016

Bushwick map lets locals track gentrification; the Jersey Shore’s midcentury resort architecture

Today is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service; to mark the occasion Google has created five interactive tours. [Curbed] Bushwick residents designed a digital map to help residents stay abreast of changes to the neighborhood’s housing landscape (aka gentrification). [Bushwick Daily] The U.S. cities with the most Olympic medals. [CityLab] This photo series captures the nearly 150 […]

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August 25, 2016

Six months after $6M buy, supermodel Irina Shayk lists 150 Charles condo as a $20,000 rental

By Annie Doge

When Sports Illustrated supermodel Irina Shayk bought a $6 million condo at celebrity favorite 150 Charles Street back in February, it was rumored that she'd be shacking up there with boyfriend Bradley Cooper. But it looks like she was getting in on the investment game; only six months later she's put the two-bedroom spread on the rental market for $20,000 a month. The Observer reports that Shayk never even moved in to the West Village building, where Ben Stiller, Jon Bon Jovi, and fashion photographer Steven Klein have also purchased units. This could be because she's still living at her other West Village condo at 166 Perry Street, which she listed last December for $4 million. Regardless, the new tenant of this sleek abode will be in good company.
See more of the apartment

August 25, 2016

Bad tech: Landlords use stalker-like surveillance to weed out ‘risky’ tenants

6sqft recently covered the practice of offering landlords “blacklists” of tenants who may have withheld rent or taken action against previous landlords. Now Quartz reports on the growing use of screening software services and surveillance technology that lets landlords know if prospective tenants have recently arrived from another country, what their social media profiles say about them and even how often they’ve been hitting the bars. Could high-tech data collection and surveillance tools become as dangerous to the diversity of communities as redlining was decades ago?
Is this as scary as it sounds?

Policy

August 25, 2016

Owner of Red Hook waterfront terminal asks city to consider his site for Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar railyard

Just yesterday, 6sqft took a look at reports that the Brooklyn-Queens streetcar will require a train yard/maintenance facility that will likely take up an entire city block and cost around $100 million (which is included in the $2.5 billion overall cost). Finding such a large swath of available real estate would be challenging, but a local industrialist wants to ease the burden by offering up his own property. Crain's tells us that John Quadrozzi Jr., owner of the GBX Gowanus Bay Terminal on the Red Hook waterfront, wants the city to consider his site to host the train yard. The Terminal, which was originally constructed in 1922 as the New York Port Authority Grain Terminal, is a 13-acre shipping depot with an additional 33 acres of underwater property that's used for concerts, film shoots, and commercial offices, and it's expected to be very close to the streetcar's route.
Find out more

Transit

City releases Midtown East Rezoning plan; could add 16 new towers

Conceptual image depicting all the proposed sites of the East Midtown rezoning fully built out. Courtesy CityRealty

August 25, 2016

City releases Midtown East Rezoning plan; could add 16 new towers

After Mayor Bloomberg's failed 2013 attempt, the city has released its long-awaited Midtown East Rezoning plan, a controversial upzoning of the area bound by Madison and Third Avenues and 39th and 50th Streets, which would encourage taller, more modern office towers in an area that many feel is no longer attracting commercial tenants. According to Crain's, their proposal, the first step in the formal rezoning process, would allow the tallest buildings around Grand Central, increasing the maximum density by 30 percent. Along Park Avenue and near subway stations north of the Terminal, density would be increased, too. The proposal also will permit owners of landmarked buildings to sell their air rights across the district, rather than just to adjacent properties like the current law dictates.
More details ahead

August 25, 2016

Will a (rent stabilized) Williamsburg address make a shower in the kitchen hip?

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

It's always fun when yet another listing with a shower in the kitchen surfaces; 6sqft has covered versions of the quirky New York City phenomenon previously. The East Village and LES are the usual suspects, and this Bed-Stuy brownstone home makes the kitchen shower look positively chic. But once again, lovely, expensive Williamsburg draws the short straw. For a mere $1,574 a month ($1,604 for a two-year lease), you, too, can discover the joys of the shower beer. To be fair, the one-bedroom at 18 Skillman Avenue has some definite selling points. It's rent stabilized, for one, and the neighborhood is popular, convenient (except for that year without the L train) and fun.
The apartment's actually pretty cute

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August 24, 2016

Tribeca duplex with two enclosed loggias asks $22,500/month

This Tribeca rental, from the 12-unit condo D'Arte House, boasts nothing but space: two floors, 6,300 square feet, a giant master bedroom with tons of closet space, and two enclosed loggias. The loggias—located off the master and the upstairs bedrooms—are the most unique feature of the apartment, offering faux outdoor space you can use in whatever type of weather. The whole pad is available furnished to a renter for $22,500 a month.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

August 24, 2016

This 1927 city subway map shows early transit plans

If you're navigating the NYC subway and wishing you could start from scratch, these map outlines from 1927 might prove interesting. Found by hyperreal cartography, the maps, from the state's Transit Commission Office of Chief Engineer, outline the "plan of existing and proposed rapid transit lines" for New York City. What's shown on the map appears to be the Independent Subway System; the ISS or IND, as it was known, was first constructed in 1932 as the Eight Avenue Line. As one of the three networks that was integrated into the modern New York City subway, the IND was meant to be fully owned and operated by the city government, as opposed to the privately-funded Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) companies. The three lines merged in 1940.
Investigate the possibilities

August 24, 2016

How to fight back against office air conditioning; cab drivers no longer have to speak english

Rent-burdened New Yorkers talk about how they cope. [NYT] Research shows that ice-cold offices actually decrease productivity. If your company won’t raise the AC, here are some tips. [Bloomberg] The “Fabio of horses” is coming to Central Park. [Metro] Norman Foster’s skinny Seagram-neighboring condo tower, 100 East 53rd Street, finishes its glimmery facade. [CityRealty.com] Recognizing that […]

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August 24, 2016

LaGuardia Airport to get $5M in repairs prior to complete revamp

Though work on Governor Cuomo's LaGuardia Airport overhaul commenced in June, the first part of the project, the replacement of Terminal B (which will alone carry a $4 billion price tag) is expected to be completed in phases between 2018 and 2022. But travelers will now get some more immediate relief, as the Wall Street Journal reports that $5 million in improvements are coming to the terminal by the end of the year in order to keep it up and running until the new buildings opens its doors to passengers in 2020. This includes repairing the current leaky ceilings, adding well-lit signage, improving ventilation and air conditioning, putting new seating and tables into the two food courts, painting walls, sprucing up restrooms, and bettering the acoustics at security checkpoints.
More this way

August 24, 2016

Summer work on Barry Diller-funded futuristic offshore park complete

Work on the Barry Diller-funded Pier55 park is advancing nicely, even after being slapped with a lawsuit and a stop work order in June. As the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) and Pier55 Inc. announced this afternoon, the first nine piles propping up the 2.7-acre undulating park have been installed. Per the pair's press release, the milestone marks the completion of summer work and is part of the initial work of the first phase of construction.
more on the progress here

August 24, 2016

163 years ago, an upstate chef accidentally invented potato chips

It was July, 1853, and George Crum was working as a chef at Cary Moon's Lakehouse, an upscale restaurant in Saratoga Springs that catered to wealthy Manhattan families building summer escapes upstate. One of his customers sent back his French fries because they were thick and soggy (h/t NYT). After the man (who is rumored to have been Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, though this can't be confirmed) sent back a second batch of the fried potatoes, Crum decided to get even, a decision that would land him a place in culinary history.
Find out how the potato chip was invented

History

August 24, 2016

New Yorker Bill Nye on His Favorite National Park and Climate Change

Bill Nye “The Science Guy” wants you to “Find Your Park.” The engineer, television personality and New York resident is known for his outspoken views on climate change, space exploration and evolution, but the environmental champion is now turning his attention to our nation’s parks as a National Parks Service centennial ambassador. This past Monday, New Yorkers joined Nye […]

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New York before the invention of air conditioning

Above: Children turn a Lower East Side excavation site into a pool using water from a fire hydrant. 1936. Image via Bowery Boys

August 24, 2016

New York before the invention of air conditioning

By Cait Etherington

Last week, temperatures in New York City peaked in the mid 90s but with the humidity index, afternoon to early evening temperatures felt more like 105 to 113 degrees. The combined temperature and humidity index prompted an “excessive heat warning” for the city and sent most residents indoors to take refuge in air conditioned homes and workplaces. For those less fortunate, the city opened designated cooling centers. Under such dire conditions, it’s natural to wonder, what was summer like before the invention of air conditioning?
READ MORE

August 24, 2016

POLL: For $2.5 billion, is the Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar still a good idea?

When the Mayor officially endorsed the plan for a Brooklyn-Queens streetcar, the estimated cost to realize the project was pinned at $2.5 billion. Since then there have been plenty of purported roadblocks that some believe could balloon costs further, such as the claims that the 16-mile streetcar route would run entirely through flood zones and require two new bridges. But the latest comes via Crain's, who reports that the necessary train yard/maintenance facility for the cars may be the size of an entire city block and cost $100 million, which only adds to concerns that the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) may become more of an economic burden than the city can take on. While that may or not be so, proponents maintain that the cars are absolutely necessary. Not only are a number of areas along the BQX's proposed routes underserved by existing transit, but with all of the new office and residential developments planned for Brooklyn's waterfront, the fact is, adding additional transit is a necessity, not an option.
More details on the train yard and share your opinion

Transit

August 24, 2016

Rent this fabulously curated Village loft with civilized co-op amenities for $4,000 a month

The look is architect's design meets artsy loft at this one-bedroom co-op in the International Tailoring Company Building at 111 Fourth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Modern finishes provide a backdrop for cool collections and funky details (like a baby blue retro Smeg refrigerator), while the overall result "exudes a refined aura of contemporary city living." The "duplex" has a classic loft setup, meaning it's comprised of a sleeping loft perched above the apartment's main space. Located at the crossroads of Greenwich Village, the East Village and Union Square, it's not a spot for peace and quiet, but it gets top marks for supreme convenience to just about everything downtown Manhattan has to offer, which might make the $4,000 rent worthwhile. And unlike some historic loft buildings, this particular co-op offers an elevator, a doorman, laundry on every floor, and two landscaped roof decks.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

August 23, 2016

The ‘Summer White House’ of the Hamptons could be yours for $14.2M

It's no easy feat to make it to the White House, but the Hampton's alternative is available to anybody willing to stomach the cost of renting or buying it. 20 Union Street, a three-story Victorian mansion built in 1796, was considered the "Summer White House" for President Chester A. Arthur (he also owned a townhouse in Murray Hill). Since the former president vacationed there, it has been throughly renovated into a modern, luxurious Hamptons pad. The six-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom home is up for both sale and rent, asking $14.2 million or $480,000 per year. (The price to rent between Memorial and Labor Day is $390,000.)
Take the presidential tour

August 23, 2016

BioLight’s PizzaDome brings wood-fired pizza to your campground

By Rebecca Paul

While the majority of the NYC's five boroughs are a rough and tumble concrete jungle, just beyond the bridges, highways and waterways, city slickers can find solace in the tranquil forests of the northeast. However, there are some city conveniences, if given the option, we'd never want leave behind, and good pizza is definitely one of them. To add to their already cool roster of camping gadgetry, BioLight bring us "PizzaDome," the very first portable wood-fired pizza oven designed specifically for the campground.
READ MORE

August 23, 2016

Penn Station’s archaic departure board to get a digital upgrade

Amtrak has plans to upgrade their main departure board located at Penn Station with new digital information screens. The idea behind the new departure screen is to provide passengers with clearer and detailed travel information. There will be several information screens placed throughout the concourse to improve the flow of passengers at the station. READ MORE […]

Transit

August 23, 2016

Renzo Piano designs table to symbolize Twin Towers; details and dates for NYC’s 3 new Target stores

Renzo Piano‘s Earth Table, set for the new downtown Eataly, symbolizes the Twin Towers and the themes of peace and unity. [Dezeen] Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is boycotting Donald Trump’s golf course in the borough. [DNAinfo] Here’s the opening dates and details for the three new Target stores coming to Tribeca, the East […]

Uncategorized

August 23, 2016

MAP: Know where the city is spraying for mosquitoes and where there’s potential for West Nile

Thankfully, the city has found no mosquitoes carrying Zika, however, as of August 11, they've found 141 mosquito traps with the West Nile virus. If this makes you worry about every itchy bite you've gotten, this handy (albeit stomach-turning) map series may ease some anxiety. The Department of Health has created the Protecting NYC From Mosquitoes maps that show where and how many pests have been trapped on average each week, and what species they are, as well as the locations of catch basins, backpack larvaciding, helicopter and truck spraying, and standing water violations.
READ MORE

City Living

August 23, 2016

$2.3M railroad apartment on the Bowery boasts a 35-foot-long terrace

This one-bedroom condo at 354 Bowery in Noho has mastered the art of combining indoor and outdoor space. A long exposed brick wall not only anchors the apartment but leads to a 35-foot-long private terrace in the back of the unit. The result is a striking living space that gives the railroad apartment a good look.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

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 a photographer’s Brooklyn Navy Yard loft. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

August 23, 2016

My 1400sqft: Photographer Sasha Maslov embraces DIY design in his Navy Yard loft

If you're a regular reader of the New York Times, Forbes or the Observer, you've probably found yourself lingering over one of Sasha Maslov's photographs. Over the last few years, the Ukranian-born photographer has focused his lens on everyone from Mary Lousie Parker, Elvis Costello, and Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen to notable economist Joseph Stiglitz and real estate mogul Douglas Durst. While Sasha's world appears to be all about capturing striking images of famous and fascinating people, his creativity extends well beyond the 2D format. On the border of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is a 1,400-square-foot loft that's been custom-outfitted from corner to corner by Sasha himself. A self-taught craftsman, his hallway closet hides a compact woodshop that's allowed him to turn his once stark and wall-less apartment into a multi-room home filled with hidden storage and imaginative furniture. Sasha recently invited 6sqft to take a tour of his space, and let's just say if he ever decides to quit photography, he's definitely got a future in industrial design.
Inside Sasha's Navy Yard Home

August 23, 2016

Donald Trump quintuples rent on his own campaign office now that he’s seeing donations

Now that he's finally raking in funds from donors as opposed to cheaply self-funding his own campaign, Donald Trump is loosening the purse strings. The first order of business comes at his very own Trump Tower campaign headquarters, where he's nearly quintupled the monthly rent. According to a Huffington Post review of Federal Election Commission filings, his campaign was paying $35,458 a month from last summer until up March. But in July, when the donations started coming in, that skyrocketed to $169,758. This came with a reduction of paid employees and consultants, from 197 to 172.
What's going on?

Celebrities

August 23, 2016

Housing lotto kicks off today for 27 Bed-Stuy/Ocean Hill apartments, from $834/month

As a subsection of Bed-Stuy—and with a location adjacent to rapidly gentrifying Bushwick—Ocean Hill has seen renewed interest from developers in the last few years. The approved rezoning of East New York in February has also given the neighborhood a big boost and brokers have started calling the area Brooklyn's "last frontier." As such, although the area median income remains very low ($35,000), home prices are quickly moving skyward and flipping is already in full effect. But not all is lost for those with lesser means. Starting today, qualifying NYC residents can apply for 27 newly constructed apartments at 1676 Broadway and 8 Rockaway Avenue. Apartments ranging from one- to three-bedrooms have been priced between $834 and $1,163 a month and are being offered to households earning between $30,000 and $63,000.
See more on if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

August 23, 2016

Rent this historic-meets-modern Cobble Hill carriage house for $8,500/month

There's nothing quite like a converted carriage house, from the plethora of historic details to the petite frames hiding often lofty interiors. This beauty at 413 Degraw Street in Cobble Hill, currently renting for $8,500 a month, is no exception. Built around the turn of the century, its brick facade is punctuated by the signature double-wide doors with a cast iron transom, along with arched dental moldings and a handsome cornice. Inside, it's indeed spacious, and though the modern updates are welcome, some of the design choices seem to clash with the historic nature of the home.
See the whole place

Distinctive Homes

August 22, 2016

Local writer raising $150,000 to save Langston Hughes’ $3M Harlem townhouse

Prolific writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes lived at 20 East 127th Street, an 1896 brownstone, in the 1950s and '60s, until he passed away in 1967. As Curbed notes, in more recent years, the ivy-covered, landmarked home has been plagued by lawsuits over its use and maintenance. The current owner listed it for $1.2 million in 2009, but it didn't sell even after the price was lowered in 2010. Today, it's estimated to be worth more than $3 million, though it's sitting vacant with its paint chipping. But local writer Renee Watson has big plans for the house that don't involve a multi-million-dollar sale that could potentially gut the interior, where Hughes' typewriter still sits on a shelf. CNN Money reports that she's launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $150,000 to rent the home, renovate it, and turn it into a cultural center for Harlem-based artists.
Find out more

Celebrities

August 22, 2016

MAP: Find out what modern movies have been filmed on your street

Did you know that parts of "The Wolf of Wall Street" were shot in Fort Greene? Or that several stretches of Williamsburg appear in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"? Filmed in NYC culls three years of NYC movie filming permits and funnels them into an interactive—and quite entertaining—map that's sure to get even the most jaded New Yorker "oh huh, that's cool" at least once. Created by Metrocosm, the map highlights an impressive 17,241 filming locations and 517 movies, a mix of blockbusters and B-movies among them.
more on the map here

Celebrities

August 22, 2016

Change the color of One WTC’s spire tonight; can NYC waterproof its subway?