6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

The MTA is touting their plans to expand WiFi in subways, but should that be the concern when nearly a quarter of trains are delayed? [NYDN] On Wednesday night at LaGuardia, a single pothole on the runway caused dozens of flights to be delayed. [Gothamist] See the patronizing way affordable housing was pitched to “Mrs. […]

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March 11, 2016

Former Nets Star Deron Williams’ Tribeca Penthouse Priced to Move at $31M

Mavericks point guard Deron Williams slashed the ask on his trophy pad at 35 North Moore Street by 7.5 percent or $2.5 million from last July's original listing price of $33.5 million, reports The Real Deal. The listing broker for the 7,200 square-foot Merchants House condo says that Williams is "ready to move" on a sale opportunity since his move to the Dallas team. Williams has been renting out the apartment for the past six months.
Check out the full-court sized trophy pad

March 11, 2016

This $1.2M Row House Is in a Charming Historic Oasis Amid the Rooftop Pools of LIC

We may most often think of the Hunters Point section of Long Island City as the home of a decade-plus building boom that has resulted in a neighborhood of glassy luxury condo and rental towers with amenities galore. But the sleek, vertical community also has an historic district and streets lined with 19th-century row houses. Built in 1887 as one of six brick houses, the two-story-plus-basement row house at 21-24 45th Avenue is among the neighborhood's historic finds, and it's currently for sale asking $1.2 million. The listing notes that the building is being delivered as-is with SRO tenants. It's currently set up as a five-unit rental property with a vacant sixth (studio) unit.
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March 11, 2016

New Renderings of Boerum Hill’s Nevins Condominium, Teaser Site Launched

Walk down any of Downtown Brooklyn's high streets -- Court, Fulton, or Atlantic Avenue -- and you'll experience a palpable energy that can now rival any American downtown. Thanks to its cost advantages relative to Manhattan, the surging city economy, and attractive building stock, the district seems to have reached a level of vibrancy worthy of its borough's 2.1 million inhabitants. Since a major upzoning in 2004, the one-gritty hub has attracted thousands of residents and now has more than 41 million square feet of residential, commercial, and institutional space completed, under construction, or in the pipeline, according to an NYU Rudin Center report. Along the district's southern periphery, where its new soaring tower blocks transition into the genteel streetscapes of Boerum Hill, the Nevins condominium rises at 319 Schermerhorn Street. Now Curbed has spotted the first renderings of the 21-story, 73-unit development and the newly launched registration site for prospective buyers.
More details ahead

March 10, 2016

Property Markets Group Shares New Eye Candy of 111 West 57th Street

Here's a new set of images of Property Markets Group's and JDS Development's 111 West 57th Street. In case you haven't been paying attention, the highly-anticipated tower will be among the tallest residential skyscrapers in the world, climbing some 1,421 feet high to its tip. Designed by SHoP Architects, the feathery spire is sheathed in terra cotta, bronze and a glass curtain wall. The tower will be the most slender skyscraper in the world with a height to width ratio of 24:1.
More renderings ahead

March 10, 2016

Closing Time at 432 Park: A Look at the Numbers at NYC’s Tallest and Most Expensive Building

Closings at Macklowe Properties/CIM Group‘s Billionaires’ Row blockbuster 432 Park Avenue officially commenced just eight days into the new year, and now that enough time has gone by for these sales to be re-listed as rentals, CityRealty has put together an informative infographic that takes a look at the numbers at New York City's tallest and most expensive residential building. There's a lot of fun and fascinating info to be found ahead, but one of the most surprising facts? Of the 141 units available, only 13 have sold to date.
See the full infographic here

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 3/10-3/16

Jenny Sabin‘s illuminated pavilion

March 10, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 3/10-3/16

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! Most of us are dead tired from Armory Week, but the show must go on. This week, Times Square Arts delights twice- first with a new #MidnightMoment that invites a moment of relaxation amidst the concert jungle, then a scream fest at the AMC Theater. Herman Bas echoes queer art history at Lehmann Maupin, while Ground Floor Gallery brings ugly and cute side by side. The take of Genesis P'Orridge and Lady Jaye, who spent years getting plastic surgery to look like one another, is told in film at the Rubin Museum, and Jenny Sabin uses 3D technology to weave an epic, illuminated pavilion at the Cooper Hewitt. Experience a massive new installation by Nancy Lupo at the Swiss Institute, then end the week by honing your understanding of color with photographer Bill Armstrong at Aperture.
more on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

March 10, 2016

Indulge Yourself in History at This $15K/Month Park Slope Brownstone Rental

When you think "historic Brooklyn brownstone," this restored Park Slope home is likely to at least come close to what's on your mind–and more likely to hit a bullseye. Perfectly-preserved flourishes and original details frame every room, including decorative moldings, original oak floors and Lincrusta wallcoverings, adding up to elegance you don't usually find in such flawless condition. Yet there's nothing old-fashioned about daily life in this five-bedroom, 3,680-square-foot triplex currently seeking tenants at $15,000 a month. You'll get zoned central air and heat, a laundry room with a washer/dryer, a kitchen that's ready for cooking and entertaining a crowd, baths filled with luxurious details, and countless other ways this pretty period piece has been optimized for modern life.
Take a walk around

Distinctive Homes

For $9M, a Noho penthouse that captures the spirit of the neighborhood's past, and then some

Greenwich Village townhouse at the center of NBA gambling scandal listed for $22.5M

Asking $1.3M, this historic Newburgh home has designer interiors and dramatic Hudson River views

This $3M Williamsburg home is the rare condo with all of its loft charm intact

Ricky Martin sells Upper East Side apartment for $6.15M

This $7M Gilded-Age mansion on the Upper West Side has a private garage and a theatrical history

Live in a former Park Slope bank for $5.5M

This $2.7M Chelsea duplex condo feels like a modern house with a private back garden

For $949K, this Village co-op has a Gold Coast address, prewar charm and a splash of color

Park Slope 'pink house,' now in a more muted hue, asks $5M

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March 10, 2016

Clinton Hill’s Waverly Brooklyn Condo Tops Out, Teaser Site Launched

By Emrys Fitzgerald

The teaser site has launched for Clinton Hill’s seven-story condo development known as Waverly Brooklyn. The project, developed by Andrew Bradfield’s Orange Management, will accommodate 48 condominium units throughout roughly 60,000 square feet of floor area. The architect is Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects (GKV), who have perfected textured exteriors comprised of exposed cast-in-place concrete. Inside there will be studio, one, two, three and four-bedroom condominium residences.
More info this way

March 10, 2016

Take a Siesta in This Folding Taco Bed From Oradoria Design

For those getting-out-of-bed-but-not-really days, the creative minds at Oradoria Design have created the perfect place to snuggle up. Behold the Blandito -- a blanket-meets-taco-meets-futon that looks like a whole lot of fun for the whole family. The soft, structure-free, transformable piece can be affixed in various shapes using natural wooden ball hooks. One day it's a cuddle-extender, another it's a kids' play mat, and another it's a binge-TV HQ. The only drawback we can think of is that being rolled up in a giant taco might make you crave the entire menu at your local food truck.
So what is this thing?

March 10, 2016

POLL: Would You Pay Extra to Live in a Building With a Personal Subway Entrance?

It’s already been pretty well documented that proximity to subway lines increases rental value. But what about subway access right in the building? Brooklyn Paper recently reported on the new AVA DoBro tower in Downtown Brooklyn that offers, in addition to swanky amenities like a heated dog run and an espresso bar, a brand new subway entrance […]

March 10, 2016

Reimagine the New York State Pavilion; Second Avenue Subway Commute Times

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and People for the Pavilion announced an international visioning competition to reimagine Philip Johnson’s beloved World’s Fair New York State Pavilion. [Untapped] The one-story mosaic murals of the city in Times Square may be preserved. [NYT] Forget standing desks, why not invest in a kneeling desk? [Chicago Tribune] Transit-app developer […]

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March 10, 2016

What to Know As a Foreign National Buying or Renting in New York

By Diane Pham

Buying and renting in the city can pose a challenge even for long-time New Yorkers, but for foreign nationals without citizenship or the right credit history, opportunity can quickly turn into an impossibility. But not all hope is lost for internationals looking to invest in a home stateside—one just needs to be educated on the buying process. […]

Real Estate Trends

March 10, 2016

S9 Architecture Reveals New Design for Apartment Tower at 111 Varick Street

Late last year 6sqft posted a gallery of renderings visualizing a new high-rise for Madigan Development and Robal Parking Corporation's development site at 111 Varick Street in Hudson Square. Now, on S9 Architecture's recently revamped website, we have a revised look at a different and enlarged design for the site. The published set of images shows a slightly taller tower of similar massing clad in a skin of rippling panels where each band of floors resembles a strip of paper repeatedly folded onto itself and thereafter wrapped around the building envelope.
More details ahead

March 10, 2016

Joan Rivers’ Opulent Personal Effects Head for Christie’s Auction This Summer

When the beloved comedian Joan Rivers passed away in 2014, she left behind a lavish Upper East Side penthouse at 1 East 62nd Street packed with a collection of glittering designer gowns, gilded furnishings, jewelry and collected items that reflected a lifetime love of pretty things. Rivers herself once described the decor of the 5,100-square-foot triplex as “Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger.” Her apartment sold last summer for its asking price of $28 million to 65-year-old Saudi prince Muhammad bin Fahd, who reportedly plans to do a complete gut renovation. So, this summer, the contents of her Manhattan home will come up for auction at Christie's, where 200 lots will be available in a live sale, and 80 lots will be included in an online auction from June 16-23.
Find out more

March 10, 2016

Conservative Queen Ann Coulter Buys $577K Upper East Side Co-op

By Annie Doge

Most residents of the Upper East Side are Hillary supporters, but that didn't stop outspoken conservative political commentator Ann Coulter from buying a co-op in the 'hood. According to city records released today, she bought the two-bedroom home at 12 East 87th Street for $577,000. Interestingly, the sale is significantly under its $1.8 million market value, but it does have a tenant in place who's paying $1,600 a month, and the cash-only listing states that it's for "investors only."
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March 9, 2016

Gwyneth Paltrow Lists Tribeca Penthouse With Fuzzy Nap Zones for $14M

The celeb-spotters at Curbed just discovered that actress, lifestyle guru and best-selling cookbook author Gwyneth Paltrow has just put the penthouse she owns with ex-hubby Chris Martin on the market for $14.25 million. The couple bought the 4,400-square-foot loft atop Tribeca's River Lofts in 2007 for $5.1 million and had architects du jour Roman and Williams design them a heavenly pied-a-terre.
Find out more about the listing

MTA Reveals Its ‘Ferrari-Like’ Buses With WiFi and Charging Ports

Earlier in the year, Governor Cuomo announced a plan to transform the subway with free WiFi, USB chargers, and mobile payment. Though the idea sounded great in theory, skeptics were quick to question where the funding would come from, a sentiment echoed now that the MTA has revealed renderings and details for the 2,042 new buses that will come on board over the next five years. They'll include similar modernizations, including WiFi, between 35 and 55 USB charging ports, and two or three LCD information screens, according to Crain's. The Governor touted the new bus design -- "It has that European flair to it. It has almost a Ferrari-like look." -- but he still hasn't spoken about how the state will fund the MTA's five-year capital plan.
Just how much will the new bus fleet cost?

Transit

March 9, 2016

From the ‘Seinfeld Law’ to Doggie Interviews, The Craziest Co-Op Board Stories Around

By Lauren Price

If you think you’re in like Flynn because you’ve got the dough, you’re still far from done if you’re buying a co-op. Since co-ops account for some 75 percent of New York’s housing stock when it comes to buying, you’d better hold onto your hat. That’s because you still haven’t sat in the personal interview-hot seat with the building’s gatekeepers to not just assess your finances, but to evaluate your worth as an individual. Whether you're a billionaire, a celebrity, of just a regular Jane with designs on one of these spaces, just keep in mind that there are a set of commandments that are never to be broken. Because when they are, there will be hell to pay. We've gathered up some of the best co-op board horror stories around, with anecdotes that involve everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Steven Spielberg to a feisty little dachshund caught up in a bait-and-switch.
some unbelievable co-op board stories here

Real Estate Trends

March 9, 2016

Long-Time Tribeca Sculptor Lists His Quirky Loft for $5M, Sauna and Porch Swing Included

16 Desbrosses Street in Tribeca has quite the artistic pedigree. The former textile warehouse, today a modern-day artists' cooperative, is where Lena Dunham's parents (painter Carroll Dunham and photographer Laurie Simmons), lived until recently and where the actress shot her breakthrough film "Tiny Furniture." It's also been home to architect Peter Moore, writer Zoë Heller and her boyfriend, "Sopranos" and "Boardwalk Empire" screenwriter Lawrence Konner, painter Matthew Ritchie, Seven Stories publisher Dan Simons, and sculptor Harry Rosenzweig, who has just listed his somewhat wacky loft for an impressive $4,970,000. Rosenzweig is best know for his "warriors," the larger-than-life, cartoon-like sculptures of men lined up in the 3,000-square-foot loft where he's lived and worked for the past 13 years. If this wasn't artsy enough for you, he also has a porch swing that faces the wall of windows, a sauna, and, though not mentioned in the listing, the factory's original restrooms, complete with urinals in the men's room.
See the rest

March 9, 2016

Apply Today for 47 New Affordable Apartments in Central Harlem, Starting at $847/Month

Starting today, you can apply for 47 brand-new affordable apartments in prime Central Harlem, according to the NYC HPD. Located at 2139 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, at the corner of 127th Street, the building will offer 12 $847/month one-bedroom units for households earning between $30,412 and $41,460 annually, as well as 35 $1,025/month two-bedrooms for those earning between $36,549 and $51,780. Designed by architects Urban Quotient, the building known as Harlem Dowling will also house community facility spaces for the Harlem Dowling West Side Center for Children and Services and Childrens’ Village, both foster care organizations. Harlem Dowling was founded in 1836 as the Colored Orphans Asylum, the first such institution devoted to children of color. In 1863, its building was burned down during the Draft Riots, and this new location will be the first time since that they've had their own home. Though the current housing lottery announcement doesn't specify this, a 2014 press release for the project noted that preference would be given to youth aging out of foster care.
More details ahead

Affordable Housing

March 9, 2016

Use This Cool Paperweight for Efficient Decision Making

By Rebecca Paul

The city's fast paced environment presents a myriad of challenges on a daily basis -- Should I take the express or local train? Is that apartment worth the extra $300 a month? When should I start looking for a new job? Now, instead of letting the stress eat you alive, make these difficult choices with this cool Decision Paperweight.
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March 9, 2016

First Look At Harlem’s Baldwin Condominiums, Inspired By James Baldwin

In a corner of Harlem hemmed in by a steep ravine within Jackie Robinson Park and the Harlem River, a residential enclave is undergoing a renaissance. Among a string of four recently finished sale buildings, a seven-story, six-unit condominium has begun work at 306 West 148th Street, between Bradhurst Avenue and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Conceived by Bottom Line Construction & Development (no comment), the 10,000-square-foot building is to be called The Baldwin after the eminent Harlem-born novelist, poet, playwright and social critic, James Baldwin. Channeling the author's spirit, the condo will capture in its residences "the sophisticated details and artistic flare of contemporary Harlem living."
Find out more

March 9, 2016

Affordable Housing Lottery at Colgate Close Starts in Soundview, Priced $696/Month

In the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx, the Arker Companies has commenced the affordable housing lottery process for their latest ground-up building, Colgate Close. Located at 1092 Colgate Street, where the semi-industrial area along the Bronx River evolves into a low-scale residential community, the five-story complex will contain 32 studio and one-bedrooms targeted for low-income households earning between $25,200 and $30,250 for a single person and $27,052 and $41,460 for two people. Depending on income, studios will be priced at $696 or $847 per month and one-bedrooms at $749 and $910 per month.
More details this way

March 9, 2016

For $3M You Can Live in Williamsburg and Still Have Your Townhouse Dreams

In most cases, the beautifully renovated dream townhouse is not the sort of dwelling you'd find in prime (or any) Williamsburg, but rather in historic brownstone 'hoods like Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Bed-Stuy or Crown Heights. Housing options in the 'burg, though pricey, are limited mostly to sleek new condos or nouveau lofts, with a few old-school converted warehouses, low-lying garages and smaller wood-frame houses. And the few row houses that exist have been split up, often rather unattractively, into many apartments. But this little unicorn at 338 Metropolitan Avenue, on the market for $3 million, puts you in the cool north Brooklyn zip code while getting to live your multi-storied townhouse dreams, complete with patio, skylight, amazing kitchen and creative play space. Since this isn't a landmarked block, you even get to paint the house a cute color with cool contrasting details. In this case the fire-engine red facade matches the fire/EMT station next door.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

March 9, 2016

Who Your Neighbors Are Voting For; Great NYC Apartment Buildings Designed by Women

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

This interactive map shows what presidential candidates your neighborhood backs. [Gothamist] Cole Haan’s spring 2016 campaign, “The Art of Elegant Innovation,” uses the World Trade Center Transportation Hub as a backdrop. [Cool Hunting] Meet the Brooklyn chef who’s hosting secret marijuana dinners. [Grub Street] Legendary actress Kathleen Turner sold her Trump Place condo for $3.8 million […]

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

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March 8, 2016

My 275sqft: Inside a Creative Director’s Chic Lower East Side Micro-Apartment

By Diane Pham

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 co-founder and creative director of DNA Dustin O'Neal's Lower East Side apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch! "Living in a small space is all about editing," says Dustin O'Neal. "You have to remove to grow." Sage advice from the co-founder and creative director of DNA, a start-up consulting and PR firm representing some of New York's top and up-and-coming architects and designers. While we know that cutting down your belongings is key to making a small space work, it's not often that we see tiny apartments stray from an all-white color palette to include purple, patterns, lots of art and even pops of electric orange and neon yellow. Having worked with dozens of creatives over the last few years, Dustin has picked up a thing or two about interior design, and his tiny 275-square-foot Lower East Side abode of three years reflects this knowledge. We recently visited the enterprising 26-year-old at home to see first-hand how you can transform even the smallest of apartments into a unique, style-filled space with less stuff.
Take a tour of Dustin's apartment here

March 8, 2016

Norah Jones Gets Approval to Renovate ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Carriage House

According to plans filed with the Department of Buildings, singer/musician/actress Norah Jones is planning to renovate the historic and charming Cobble Hill stable she purchased last fall. Back in September 6sqft reported that Ms. Jones was the buyer of the $6.25 million converted 1840s firehouse that had a cameo role in the Julia Roberts film "Eat, Pray, Love." Permit documentation shows that Ben Baxt of Baxt Ingui Architects has drawn up plans to convert the two-family home into a single-family dwelling and replace an existing rear addition (including the existing solarium) with a new back wall that features a full-height door and sliding glass door on the ground floor and two sets of French doors with Juliette balconies on the floor above. Plans also include six skylights and roof access, among other updates. Landmarks has also given the green light to the proposed rear-facade renovations (h/t Brownstoner).
More on the reno plans this way

The Lost Subway Line of the 1939-1940 World’s Fair

World’s Fair Terminal Station. Photo via Bill Cotter

March 8, 2016

The Lost Subway Line of the 1939-1940 World’s Fair

There was, for a short time, a line of the IND (Independent) subway that was built for the 1939/1940 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the second most expansive American world's fair of all time (second only to the St. Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904). The event brought over 44 million people to the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park site. To make visting the fair more convenient, the city created a new dedicated subway line extension and terminal, then the only line owned by the city. The extension began on a bridge (called a flying junction) running through Jamaica Yard near what is now the Forest Hills-71st Street stop on today's M/R lines. The extension turned north along the east side of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park over a wooden trestle and ended at the newly-created World’s Fair Terminal Station, which had two tracks and three platforms. The two-mile addition cost $1.7 million to build.
Find out what happened

March 8, 2016

Beyer Blinder Belle Publishes Renderings of Essex Crossing’s Site 5

By Emrys Fitzgerald

The nine-site Essex Crossing plan underway on the Lower East Side will bring more than 1.9 million square feet of residential, commercial, and community space to the largest undeveloped swath of land in the borough south of 96th Street. The long-tweeked master plan is being developed by an alliance named Delancey Street Associates, which consists of BFC Partners, L+M Development Partners, and Taconic Investment Partners. The plan's site 5, located just a block southwest of the Manhattan entrance of the Williamsburg Bridge at 145 Clinton Street, will bring 211 apartments, 73,000 square feet of retail space, and a 15,000-square-foot park to the full-block parcel between Grand, Clinton, Broome and Suffolk streets. Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners are the designers of the red-brick tower and recently published a set of renderings, first shown to the community in 2015, giving us a more detailed look at the $110 million, 15-story building.
More details and renderings ahead

March 8, 2016

$1.8M Flatiron-Shaped Prospect Heights Co-op Gets the Modern Loft Treatment

This interestingly shaped Prospect Heights co-op at 296 Sterling Place came on the market back in January for $1.8 million. It's now been re-listed, and though the price hasn't changed, it's gotten quite the interior overhaul, going from kitschy country to elegantly modern. Thanks to its location in a Flatiron-shaped building, the pre-war loft has open views on all three sides through eight picture windows, as well as 13-foot beamed ceilings, original hardwood floors, and exposed brick.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

March 8, 2016

Giant Tic-Tac-Toe Set Transforms Any Patio Into a Playground

By Rebecca Paul

Spring has almost sprung, and we can hardly wait to get out of the apartment and out in the wilds of our backyards—or our friend's backyard. Regardless of how you get there, outdoor gatherings are always better with a friendly game of tic-tac-toe, especially when you're playing with giant Xs and Os. This beautiful set was designed by Jeremy Exley and is sure to bring the right amount of friendly competition to your next outdoor event.
READ MORE

March 8, 2016

Renderings Revealed of Turkey’s Shiny, New 32-Story Consulate Tower

Though Perkins Eastman's design of Turkey's forthcoming 32-story consulate tower was inspired by a Turkish crescent (a large, ornate, gilded instrument), the firm took a very streamlined approach to their vision, using swooping curves and geometric patterns to "evoke Islamic themes and Turkish art and culture," as 6sqft previously described. The Turkevi Center will rise along Consulate Row, at 821 United Nations Plaza, the corner of 46th Street and First Avenue. According to a press release first spotted by Curbed, it will "feature prominent loggias along the upper floors of the south and east faces, and be stacked atop a podium wrapped in perforated metal paneling." The project had been on the drawing board for more than three years, but Perkins Eastman have now received the green light to move ahead with the building that will house new consulate offices, passport and visa branch offices, conference rooms, a multi-purpose prayer room, fitness center, auditorium, underground parking, and residential space for staff and visitors.
Additional details and renderings ahead

March 8, 2016

A Travel Pillow Inspired by Massage Chairs; New Yorkers Really Like to Sit By the Subway Doors

Mapping the hidden rivers of Brooklyn. [Harper’s] Inspired by portable massage chairs, this inflatable travel pillow rests on the seat-back tray so you can rest your head facing forward. [Contemporist] An eight-part podcast called “There Goes the Neighborhood” will focus on Brooklyn gentrification. [Bed Stuy Blog] According to a survey of 7,000 subway riders, New […]

Uncategorized

March 8, 2016

Gilded-Age Riverside Drive Mansion With Basement Pool Returns to the Market for $20M

The Philip and Maria Kleeberg House is a stunning, unique and impossibly grand 11,000-square-foot manse overlooking the Hudson River at 3 Riverside Drive. This 19th-century limestone landmark was designed by noted mansion architect C.P.H. Gilbert for the aforementioned wealthy pair. Young Mr. K was something of what today we’d call a serial tech entrepreneur, and the mansion sits on a stretch of the Hudson River that was being developed to rival the grandeur of Fifth Avenue. According to a New York Times article in 2012–when the 18-room home hit the market at $40 million–the home’s current owners, Regina Kislin, a real estate developer, and her husband, photographer Anatoly Siyagine, found it in 1995 in a state of disrepair, bought it for $10 million and embarked on a facelift of epic proportions based on the potential they saw in the regal wreck, which Ms. Kislin says "...reminded my husband of the mansions in St. Petersburg back in Russia.” According to the current listing, "It is as close as a Manhattanite can come to living in a European castle." Several price chops later at $20 million (h/t TRD), it remains a pretty incredible piece of real estate, albeit with a more realistic price tag. In addition to the restoration efforts, modern touches include an elevator and an indoor pool, sauna and gym in the cellar.
Must be seen to be believed, this way

March 7, 2016

360º Views: This Is the Largest Panoramic Photo of New York’s Skyline Ever Taken

By Diane Pham

Just when we thought we'd seen every angle of the New York City skyline possible, here comes a mind-bogglingly detailed panorama courtesy of photographer Jeffrey Martin. According to the Daily Mail, the sweeping (and interactive!) image was the product of two days spent atop the Empire State Building, with Martin wielding a Canon 5Dsr and a 135mm lens shooting more than 2,000 frames that were later painstakingly stitched together. The image is in fact so large and exhaustive that its 20 Gigapixels would give way to a photo that's 57 feet wide and 27 feet tall if printed!
Click here to access the interactive panorama

Architecture And Design

March 7, 2016

New Renderings of the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Office Space and Food Hall

After announcing two weeks ago that they'd be launching a free shuttle service to connect with 13 subway lines, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has now released additional details about the shuttle, as well as new renderings of Building 77's $185 million renovation, reports Brownstoner. The 1,000,000-square-foot structure, a former ammunition depot, is the largest on the site, and when it reopens in 2017 it will offer luxury commercial space, a 16,000-square-foot rooftop, and its hotly anticipated food hall to be anchored by Lower East Side mainstay Russ & Daughters. The shuttle will have WiFi and will also connect to the LIRR. Additionally, the Navy Yard will get seven Citi Bike kiosks and 1,600 parking spaces.
More details and all the renderings

March 7, 2016

Subspotting Map Project Shows Where You Can Get Phone Reception in the Subway

The MTA is apparently well into the middle phase of its project to wire 279 below-ground subway stations with cell reception, but as Citylab recently put it, "there are still places you can’t make a call to save your life.” Into this unfortunate void comes the Subspotting project, brainchild of Daniel Goddemeyer and Dominikus Baur, which offers maps "illustrating the unequal geography of subway reception" and helpfully providing information on where you'll be able to make a call or send a text while in transit. In addition to system and individual line maps, there's an app that shows the quality of reception as different sized bars at each station, and MTA-sanctioned posters.
Can you hear me now?

March 7, 2016

Office Cocoon Promotes Privacy and Productivity in any Environment

By Rebecca Paul

Staying focused at work can be challenging for a variety of different reasons, from the coworker who screams on personal calls to the colleague who chews gum with his mouth open, but this clever piece of office furniture is here to help you keep your head in the game (literally and figuratively). Tomoko, designed by MottoWasabi, is an acoustic dome that promotes privacy and concentration in open-plan offices, lobbies, and other public spaces, so you can physically create your own office no matter what your surroundings are.
more on the design here

March 7, 2016

For $1.7M, This ‘Flexible’ West Village Loft Will Have You Climbing the Walls

Lofts being what they are, multi-level sleeping arrangements are often part of their appeal. We've seen every kind of "mezzanine" situation, but this lovely West Village condo at 130 Barrow Street seems a bit too polished to get the kind of pass one would allow a barely-heated Bushwick loft. The listing calls this 933-square-foot apartment flexible, and that's a fair adjective, as the space can be used as-is (it was configured to make use of double-height ceilings to create a massive walk-in closet) or re-done in any number of ways–with or without the "infinity-edge" sleeping platform.
Explore the apartment

Distinctive Homes

March 7, 2016

Chrystie Street’s Turn from Hardscrabble to Hip; Decoding the Empire State Building’s Lights

The Lower East Side’s Chrystie Street is transforming from a sleepy byway to a revitalized thoroughfare dotted with million dollar apartments. [CityRealty] Someone created a real estate listing for the White House using only emojis. [Digital Trends] After allocating $66 million for the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway, the MTA is now seeking contractors […]

Uncategorized

March 7, 2016

Donald Trump’s NYC Properties Owe the City $27K in Unpaid Fines

Donald Trump's fellow Republican presidential candidates have been focused on him releasing tax documents, but since he claims he's not in the position to do so since he's been audited, this little tidbit might make for some good temporary fodder -- Trump's luxury Manhattan properties owe the city for 19 unpaid violations that have amounted to $27,536 over the past 12 years. I Quant NY scoured the city's building records to find that since 2000, at least 14 of his Manhattan properties have received 460 separate violations, totaling $304,165 in fines. Sure this may be a drop in the bucket for the GOP frontrunner, but it's the lack of compliance that seems troubling, especially since only 6 percent of the instances were dismissed. And 2015 had the most violations to date, with 62 separate fines for "Failure to Maintain an Elevator."
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Real Estate Trends

March 7, 2016

Baxt/Ingui Architects Designed This $19M UWS Townhouse As an Energy-Efficient Passive Home

The listing calls the townhouse at 25 West 88th Street "beyond mint," and it's certainly green enough to qualify. This 8,000- square-foot Central Park West home has gotten its fair share of publicity recently. In addition to being a landmarked 1910 historic beauty and having undergone a stem-to-stern modern overhaul, the home's current owners, investment banker Kurt Roeloffs and his wife Shyanne, worked with the well-known Baxt/Ingui Architects to create an energy-efficient masterpiece that meets both LEED platinum and passive house standards. Even with all that efficiency, they didn't skimp on luxury. With six floors (and an elevator) and a finished cellar, six bedrooms plus rooms dedicated to yoga, meditation, exercise and crafts, this may, in fact, be "one of the finest contemporary townhomes on the Upper West Side."
Find out more about this amazing, energy-efficient home

March 6, 2016

GIVEAWAY: Win Two Tickets to the Museum of Food and Drink!

The Greenwich by Rafael Vinoly

6sqft recently interviewed the Museum of Food and Drink's executive director Peter Kim and the Neighborhood Preservation Center's executive director Felicia Mayro about how food and preservation fit together. As part of the interview, Peter will be giving free admission to the MOFAD Lab in Williamsburg to one lucky 6sqft reader and a guest. You'll get to see their first exhibit "Flavor: Making It and Faking It," an in-depth and multi-sensory exploration of the $25 billion flavor simulation industry. Thanks to science and history displays, the one-of-a-kind "smell synth," and various tasting tablets of flavors like MSG and vanilla bean, you'll never think about flavoring the same again.
Find out how to enter

Uncategorized

125 Greenwich Street

Financial District

The new altitude of downtown living

studios starting at $1,110,000
1 beds starting at $1,495,000
2 beds starting at $2,785,000
3 beds starting at $3,600,000

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March 6, 2016

The Best and Worst of Brutalist Architecture in New York

By Carter B. Horsley

Frills are not part of the Brutalist vocabulary. Brutalist architecture has never been very popular but its blunt forcefulness, its rude breaking with tradition, and its startling and often simplistic inventiveness have made it hard to ignore and therefore still very vital. While Brutalism flourished in the 1960s, it has long suffered from a reputation […]

March 5, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Apply for One of Stuyvesant Town’s Affordable Apartments, Starting at $1,200/Month VIDEO: Watch the World Trade Center Oculus Get Built in 65 Seconds Beyond Bars: Designers Reimagine Rikers Island As a Destination Starchitect-Designed Public Projects Are Often Long Delayed and Way Over Budget Police Building Penthouse Gets a $5 Million Price Cut With New Views […]

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March 5, 2016

East 61st Street Condo Finally Reveals Itself, $82.5M Sellout Projected

At the northeast corner of East 61st Street and Second Avenue, a long shrouded condominium project is finally showing us some skin. The 19-story building addressed at 301 East 61st Street exhibits a creamy stone exterior, with inset balconies and vertical fins projecting from a floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall. The building is being developed by Orlando-based Inverlad Development who purchased the 3,800-square-foot lot for $15.4 million in 2012.
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March 4, 2016

MAP: Where to Find NYC’s Current Affordable Housing Lotteries

The number of affordable rental units up for grabs through the city and state's housing lotteries has been on the upswing. There are now more than 30 open to a variety of household sizes and incomes, with the bulk of the lotteries geared towards low-income households. For instance, in buildings currently accepting applications, annual incomes for a single-person household range from $18,789 to $36,300 and two-family households from $20,160 to $41,460. However, a growing number of drawings are now available to middle-income households, where for those open, a single person can make anywhere from $44,400 to $105,875 annually to qualify. To stay on top of it all, 6sqft gathered all affordable housing buildings now accepting applicants and compiled them into one handy, interactive map.
Check it out here

Affordable Housing

March 4, 2016

Why Micro-Apartments in Carmel Place Are So Expensive