6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

A Tim Burton-themed bar called Beetle House is opening in the East Village. [EV Grieve] Bjarke Ingels named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. [ArchDaily] PS 62 on Staten Island’s South Shore is the city’s first net-zero-energy school, one of the first of its kind in the country. See how SOM designed the structure. [Medium] […]

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April 20, 2016

SHoP’s East River Towers Named American Copper Buildings; Go Inside Their Skybridge

We've been referring to SHoP Architects' pair of East River rental buildings at 626 First Avenue as the "dancing towers," but now that they've shimmied up to their full 470- and 540-foot heights, they've been officially named with a more mature moniker, the American Copper Buildings. First reported by Curbed, the title is "a nod to the 5,000 metal panels that make up the facade," which weigh in at a whopping 2,100 tons. In addition, developer JDS has released a teaser site and a fresh set of renderings that finally show the interior of the three-story, amenity-filled skybridge.
Get a look inside

April 20, 2016

How Long Should You Wait For the Subway Before Giving Up?

To wait or not to wait, that is the question that engineer Erik Bernhardsson answered in his recent analysis of the MTA's real-time API. In his post titled NY Subway Math he determined that if you're in a hurry, you should only wait for a train to arrive for 11 minutes (h/t Technically). At this point, the chance that there's a serious delay begins to rise. As he notes, "The interesting conclusion is that after about five minutes, the longer you wait, the longer you will have to wait. If you waited for 15 minutes, the median additional waiting time is another 8 minutes. But 8 minutes later if the train still hasn’t come, the median additional waiting time is now another 12 minutes.”
More on the conclusion

April 20, 2016

Skyline Wars: Brooklyn Enters the Supertall Race

By Carter B. Horsley

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s latest development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. Here, Carter brings us his fifth installment of “Skyline Wars,” a series that examines the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city’s silhouette. In this post Carter looks at Brooklyn's once demure skyline, soon to be Manhattan's rival. Downtown Brooklyn has had a modest but pleasant skyline highlighted by the 350-foot-high Court & Remsen Building and the 343-foot-high great ornate terraces of 75 Livingston Street, both erected in 1926, and the 462-foot-high flat top of the 1927 Montague Court Building. The borough’s tallest building, however, was the great 514-foot-high dome of the 1929 Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower, now known as One Hanson Place, a bit removed to the east from Downtown Brooklyn. It remained as the borough’s tallest for a very long time, from 1929 until 2009. A flurry of new towers in recent years has significantly enlarged Brooklyn’s skyline. Since 2008, nine new towers higher than 359 feet have sprouted there, in large part as a result of a rezoning by the city in 2007. A few other towers have also given its riverfront an impressive frontage. Whereas in the past the vast majority of towers were clustered about Borough Hall downtown, now there are several clusters with some around the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the former Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower and some around the Williamsburg riverfront.
more on Brooklyn's skyline here

April 20, 2016

$9.5M LES Carriage House With a Waterfall Was Once the Home of a German Sausage Dynasty

If you think the Lower East Side has turned into a big sausage party, check out this listing–you'll see it's nothing new. The unassuming brick building at 170 Eldridge Street has written in peeling paint across the top of one of the loading bays "Office of / S. Oppenheimer" and "S. Oppenheimer." Dating from somewhere between 1875 and 1879, this is considered by some to be the city's oldest painted signage. The sausage casing distributor was started in Chicago by Sigmund Oppenheimer, who emigrated from Mannheim, Germany in 1868 and flourished for nearly a century, with offices worldwide and a New York presence that began in the 1870s at this address and later expanded to 96 Pearl Street and elsewhere in the city. Since 1996, the property has been a rare and fascinating mixed-use townhouse for restaurateur Georges Forgeois, whose enduring establishments (Jules Bistro, Cafe Noir, Bar Tabac) are standout destinations in their respective neighborhoods. Forgeois' brother, Dany, purchased the property in 1996 for $200,000 and later transferred ownership to Georges, according to records, in 2012. The home was listed in November for $12 million and just got a broker change and a price chop to $9.5M.
Find out more and take a look inside

April 20, 2016

Thor/General Growth File Permits to Add New Office Space Atop Fifth Avenue’s Upcoming ‘Coach House’

By Ondel Hylton

Part of its overall marketing plan to reinvent itself, Coach has leased space at 685 Fifth Avenue for a new flagship location to be called "Coach House." As outlined in new DOB filings and renderings, the luxury retailer will occupy a three-story corner portion at the base of the building, amounting to 23,400 square feet. As part of the property's transformation, floor area from the lower levels will be removed and redistributed to the top of the 20-story building, providing five new floors of office space and raising the building's height from 227 feet to 292 feet.
Watch the marketing video for the project

New Developments

April 20, 2016

Nendo’s Minimalist Line of Pet Lifestyle Products Is Designed to Match Your Decor

Nendo, a well-known Japanese design studio, has taken a minimalist approach to the current trend of pet furniture and lifestyle goods that we can't get enough of. Their line of pet products, appropriately titled Cubic Pet Goods includes a dog house, soft toy, ceramic bowls and of course a ball. Each piece in the collection was carefully selected to coincide with dog's need and human's desire for aesthetic quality.
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Distinctive Homes

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

An architect's vision transformed this $2.15M Park Slope loft with leveled-up modernist design

This $12M home in a Chelsea Deco icon has a terrace and room for an extra bedroom

For $1.6M, this Connecticut estate has an art studio, guest house, pool, and a vintage modern vibe

This landmarked $3M Flatbush townhouse is architecturally significant and expansively livable, garage included

This $16.7M Cobble Hill home is like having your own private club in a Brooklyn brownstone

Sting's former Central Park West pad is back on the market for $45M

Drew Barrymore finds buyer for gut-renovated Westchester estate

185-acre equestrian estate that once belonged to the Carnegie family heads to auction

Midtown East penthouse seen in 'Wolf of Wall Street' lists for $4.95M

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April 20, 2016

Relieve Yourself on a Gold Toilet at the Guggenheim; New York’s Coffee Evolution

Breaking down the $4 billion price tag of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub. [TRD] The city’s new LED streetlights are “robbing nighttime of its romance.” [NY Mag] Famed artist Maurizio Cattelan announced his retirement in 2011, but now he’s back with a new sculpture — a solid-gold toilet that will be installed for actual use […]

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April 20, 2016

POLL: Would You Be Okay With the MTA Installing Audio Surveillance?

Have you ever noticed those signs on a train or bus that say “video and audio systems in use?” If not, you might want to start paying closer attention, because the notifications are actually warning you, the rider. NPR took a closer look at the use of video and audio surveillance on public transportation, the latter of […]

April 20, 2016

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Apartment With a Tricked-Out Private Garage Asks $25M

By Ondel Hylton and Dana Schulz

This Tribeca property isn't the kind that hits the market everyday. It belongs to Alan Wilzig, who was a character in "The Wolf of Wall Street," introducing Leonardo DiCaprio's character to the woman who becomes his wife. Wilzig is an entrepreneur and semi-professional racecar driver, meaning that his three-story, 6,500-square-foot condo at 7 Hubert Street comes with a very tricked-out garage. This unit has been on and off the market since 2014, asking as much as $44 million, and now it's down to $24,885,000.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

April 19, 2016

LPC Approves Brooklyn’s First 1,000+ Foot Tower; New Renderings and Details

Brooklyn is finally getting a new skyscraper development worthy of its 2.6 million populace. Today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved SHoP Architects' vision for 9 DeKalb Avenue, a rehabilitation of the landmarked Dime Saving Bank that will marry it with a dramatic, supertall skyscraper behind, the first 1,000+ foot building to arrive in the borough. The Beaux-Arts banking hall, which is both an interior and exterior landmark, hosted a J.P. Morgan Chase branch up until last year. Now, its new owners, Michael Stern's JDS Development and the Chetrit Group, plan to transform the hall into a public and retail space that will complement their new tower. To bring back more of the building's grandeur, its exterior and interior spaces will be restored, and to accommodate the tower behind, the team is calling for the demolition of two nondescript one- and five-story rear annexes, which will then allow for a grand entrance to the skyscraper and a public through-space. The LPC was enamored with the project, calling it "flawless" and "enlightened urbanism at its best," as well as touting that it "improved the vision of this historic landmark." One commissioner even went so far as to say "It's similar to the Parthenon sitting on the Acropolis." The LPC had only a few minor modifications, the most notable being that the teller cages be retained until the team can show a plan detailing how the retail tenant (there will only be one) will use the space.
Get a look at all the presentation materials

April 19, 2016

Live the Park Slope Brownstone Life in This Regal Rental for $17.5K/Month, Sauna Included

In the coveted environs of north Park Slope, steps from Prospect Park on a pretty tree-lined and landmarked block, this Brooklyn townhouse beauty at 594 Second Street has all the historic details homeowners here work so diligently to preserve, yet with every modern comfort in place. Understated luxuries–like tall french doors that open out to a landscaped garden, two decks, three wood-burning fireplaces, a sauna, an upstairs family room and a laundry room make this historic house a home–albeit an expensive one. Starting in July, you can rent this regal residence for an equally regal $17,500 a month (furnished or unfurnished).
Tour the townhouse

April 19, 2016

Yankees Commentator and Former Pitcher David Cone Scores $8M Greenwich Lane Pad

David Cone, former MLB pitcher (you might remember that perfect game he threw for the Yankees in '99) and current Yankees commentator for the YES Network, has scored an $8.1 million apartment at the Greenwich Lane, according to city records. This is slightly up from the $7.97 million ask. The four-bedroom spread takes up more than 2,800 square feet and features a private balcony, beamed ceilings, northern and southern exposures, and a luxurious master suite.
Check out the impressive floorplan

April 19, 2016

Spring House Tour Round Up: 10 Chances to Get Inside the Most Spectacular Residences!

It's finally time to start planning outdoor activities, and what better way to enjoy spring in NYC than strolling around picturesque neighborhoods while getting a special look inside some of their most spectacular dwellings. House tour season is kicking off on May 1st with the Greenwich Village Society's annual event, followed by nine other tours from standard historic house 'hoods like Fort Greene and Park Slope to more under-the-radar gems like the secret gardens of Hoboken and the Victorian beauties of Flatbush. Whatever your budget and preferred architectural style, there's a tour for you ahead.
All the house tour info ahead

April 19, 2016

This Map Visualizes Manhattan As a (Unimpressive) Mountain

The Manhattan skyline is inarguably getting taller and taller, and when we look up at the towering behemoths surrounding us, it's easy to feel completely dwarfed. But this man-made landscape pales in comparison to the soaring heights of many natural wonders. That's where this cool visualization from Vivid Maps comes in. "If Manhattan was a mountain..." uses the height of the city's buildings and plots them as a mountain topography map, using actual geologic monikers like Greenwich Valley, One World Trade Center Peak, and Bellevue Plateau. As you can see, save for the Financial District and Billionaires' Row areas, Manhattan mountain is actually quite unimpressive.
Get a look a the full map

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April 19, 2016

Creator of the Lowline Designed a Secret Door in This Sleek Tribeca Rental

James Ramsey is the man behind Raad Studio, the design firm well known for its proposal to build out the Lowline on the Lower East Side. The firm is also known for its kooky, unique interiors, and it's given this two-bedroom apartment at Tribeca's 151 Hudson Street plenty of personality. Prewar details are paired with contemporary features like a glass-walled wet bar, built-in shelving, and even a custom bookcase that hides a secret door into one of the bedrooms.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

26 Bushwick Homes to Be Vacated During M Train Work; Can You Legally Take Selfies While Voting?

This website turns your Instagram photos into customized adult coloring books. [Mashable] Dozens of Bushwick homes will have to be vacated for six to 10 months for work on the M train line. The MTA says it “provide suitable accommodations, relocation assistance and compensation.” [DNAinfo] The history of the Forward Building–from labor citadel to luxury condos. [Forward] […]

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April 19, 2016

Transport Beer on Your Bike With This Hip Leather Growler Satchel

For many New Yorkers bicycles are their main mode of transportation, and with the summer months ahead we welcome any addition to the bike-arsenal that'll help us stay cool, and in this case also look cool. This hip leather satchel from Pedal Happy Designs makes it super easy to transport your favorite growler anywhere in the city -- bikes and beers here we come!
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April 19, 2016

Jessica Chastain’s Lovely Greenwich Village Duplex Now on the Market for $1.8M

Jessica Chastain put her former digs at 250 Mercer Street on the rental market for $11,500 a month back in September. But it looks like now she's trying to unload the Greenwich Village duplex for good, as the Observer reports that the apartment has been re-listed for sale at $1.8 million. Chastain bought the 1,284-square-foot home in 2012 for $1.2 million, so she's not turning that much of a profit, but considering she bought a $5.1 million residence at the historic Osborne last year (that once belonged to Leonard Bernstein), we'd say this isn't much of an issue.
Take a tour

April 19, 2016

Annual Subway Ridership Hits 1.7 Billion, Highest Since 1948

The MTA has released its 2015 figures, which show the highest weekday subway ridership since 1948, reports the Daily News. Not only does this account for daily riders, which hit 5.7 million, but annual ridership as well, reaching 1.763 billion. Another interesting tidbit, especially considering the looming shutdown, is that L train usage decreased for the first time in about 20 years. This occurred from Third Avenue to Morgan Avenue in Brooklyn, resulting in a 4.2 percent increase along the J/Z and M lines.
More findings ahead

April 18, 2016

Skyline Wars: In Lower Manhattan, A New Downtown Is Emerging

By Carter B. Horsley

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s latest development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. This week Carter brings us his fourth installment of “Skyline Wars,” a series that examines the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city’s silhouette. In this post Carter looks at the evolution of the Lower Manhattan skyline. Lower Manhattan at the start of the Great Depression was the world’s most famous and influential skyline when 70 Pine, 20 Exchange Place, 1 and 40 Wall Street, and the Woolworth and Singer buildings inspired the world with their romantic silhouettes in a relatively balanced reach for the sky centered around the tip of Lower Manhattan. Midtown was not asleep at the switch and countered with the great Empire State, the spectacular Chrysler and 30 Rockefeller Plaza but they were scattered and could not topple the aggregate visual power and lure of Lower Manhattan and its proverbial “view from the 40th floor” as the hallowed precinct of corporate America until the end of World War II. The convenience and elegance of Midtown, however, became increasingly irresistible to many.
More on the the history of Lower Manhattan and what's in store

April 18, 2016

Donald Trump’s Failed and Fraught Attempt to Own the Empire State Building

In 2000, shortly after ending his first presidential run, Donald Trump was asked for what he would like to be remembered. He responded, "I'd like to own the Empire State Building," adding that it would make him "New York's Native Son." As Crain's recalls, he came awfully close to renaming the iconic tower the "Trump Empire State Building Tower Apartments." For nearly a decade, Trump had a 50 percent, no-cost stake in the building, but he lost it when he attempted a hostile takeover of the structure in the late 90s.
Read about the entire saga

History

April 18, 2016

Construction Begins on Gene Kaufman-Designed Apartments Rising Over Bryant Park

By Ondel Hylton

At a narrow Midtown lot at 1050 Sixth Avenue, construction is moving forward on a slender 24-story residential tower penned by New York's most beloved architect, Gene Kaufman. Rising behind the landmarked Bryant Park Studios Building (aka The Beaux-Arts Building), Kaufman's oft substance-less style will likely stand in sharp contrast to the charming 1901 structure. Skyline Developers, the New York division of Jersey-based Garden Homes Development, are the developers. The Orin Wilf-led firm owns the adjacent art-deco office tower at 1040 Sixth Avenue, and their new venture here will replace two turn-of-the-century walk-up buildings.
More details ahead

April 18, 2016

$1.4M Parlor-Level Co-op Looks Pretty and Roomy in Clinton Hill

This apartment at 385 Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill calls itself a parlor-floor co-op, but it's not actually in a brownstone. The apartment comes from a 16-unit co-op, with the listing boasting that it's "much larger and brighter than a brownstone floor-through." Indeed, it has three large bedrooms, an office and windows throughout this pretty, historic space.
Check out the rest

Distinctive Homes

April 18, 2016

Mega-Mansion Watch: National Academy Lists Three UES Properties for $120M

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

Three lots in Carnegie Hill on the Upper East Side comprising the National Academy Museum & School just hit the market for $120 million. The prize properties, situated directly on Central Park, could be "one of the most remarkable conversion opportunities currently available in all of New York City." The property, listed by Cushman & Wakefield, includes two interconnected townhouses at 1083 Fifth Avenue and 3 East 89th Street, and a 65-foot-wide school building on East 89th Street, adding up to over 42,000 square feet of of above-grade space plus 12,000 square feet below-grade for "a wide variety of potential visions" including an epic single-family home, boutique condominiums, or continued use as an educational/community facility.
Find out more

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April 18, 2016

NYPD Eases Rules for Subway Swipe Beggars; Hillary’s Favorite Places to Eat in NY

Since 2013, the NYPD has made more than 10,000 arrests of people asking for MetroCard swipes. Now, as part of the city’s more lenient approach to low-level rule breakers, these swipe hawkers will just get a ticket or court summons. [NYT] Hillary Clinton’s favorite food and drink in New York state. [Thrillist] For the first time, […]

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April 18, 2016

Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Gets Stoned; New Renderings and Construction Shots

By Ondel Hylton

At the forefront of Midtown's high-rise sierra, a new peak is emerging. Simply addressed 220 Central Park South, the two-winged development is being designed by celebrated historian and poet of the city's skyline Robert A.M. Stern and developed by commercial and retail heavyweights Vornado Realty Trust. The tower portion of the complex has already ascended some 300 feet above street level and is noticeable from many parts of Central Park. Ultimately, it will stand 66 stories, 950 feet high, making it among the tallest residential buildings in the city. The exclusive, Central Park South-fronting wing, dubbed "The Villas" is up to the third of 17 stories and will be topped by a palatial quadplex penthouse. Earlier this month, the tower's warm limestone cladding was being applied to the lower mechanical floors, which will have 18- to 24-foot-high ceilings, boosting the building's height by more than 100 feet and allowing nearly all its residences to possess Central Park views. To coincide with the construction work, Vornado recently published a collection of new renderings in a property portfolio, showing us for the first time several new looks at the project, including three full-scale views from Central Park and close-up looks at the base, porte-cochere, and an upper-level interior.
Check out the renderings and construction shots right here

April 18, 2016

Live Across the Street From Michelle Williams in Ditmas Park for $679K

If you think it's pretty cool that Michelle Williams bought an historic townhouse in Prospect Park South and is restoring it to its former glory, here's a chance to live across the street at 1409 Albemarle Road–and maybe pick up a few renovation tips. You won't need them, though, as the two-bedroom co-op has been thoroughly renovated by previous owners, so you can move right in. The picturesque yet convenient neighborhood is no secret, but nearby destinations like The Farm on Adderley, Lark cafe and a host of others continue to draw attention and new neighbors.
Check out this co-op in a landmarked building

Distinctive Homes

April 17, 2016

Manhattan Loft Uses Cartesian Geometry to Explore Light and Space

This Manhattan loft, also referred to by the project's architect as the High Loft, was redesigned to meet the needs of a young family of four. The changes were executed with design principles that also examine the play of urban light and views within the home's internal structure. In addition to the home's interior square footage, the family was attracted to the space's 13-foot high ceilings, and several other aspects of the building including its rich history and distinct cast iron structure.
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April 16, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Apply for 86 Affordable Apartments in Brownsville’s Prospect Plaza, Starting at $689/Month Uma Thurman’s Newly-Listed $6.25M Gramercy Duplex Comes With a Key to the Park New Photos of Judy Garland’s Former Dakota Apartment Designed by Sasha Bikoff Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo Put Sexy Soho Loft on the Market for $5.5M Funky Rockaway Houseboat Dubbed […]

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April 15, 2016

Spotlight: The Gefilteria’s Liz Alpern Is Making Gefilte Fish a Modern Passover Staple

By Susan Cohen

As the co-founder and co-owner of The Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based gefilte fish manufacturing business, Liz Alpern is hard at work making sure there's plenty of her product for her customers to serve at their Passover seders in just a week. Gefilte fish is a dish surrounded by lots of opinions; at seders, it's just as common for someone to ask for seconds as it is for others to kindly offer the dish to their neighbor. Liz understands this range of feelings, as she's found herself on both sides of it. When she was younger, she didn't partake in the course, but in adulthood, she was introduced to homemade gefilte fish-- instead of the pre-made variety found on store shelves--and a love affair began that developed into The Gefilteria, which she co-founded with Jeffrey Yoskowitz in 2012. 6sqft recently spoke with Liz to discuss the founding and evolution of The Gefilteria, how they're casting the Passover staple in a new light, and what it means to be part of her customers’ seders.
Read the full interview here

April 15, 2016

Bed-Stuy Townhouse Beauty With Modern Upgrades Asks $2.75 Million

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn is known for its stock of townhouses, many of which still retain incredible amounts of historic details. This one, at 17 Madison Street, has been renovated in a way that tastefully retains features like woodwork, parquet floors, marble mantlepieces and wainscoting. And beautiful interior design, on top of that, is the icing on the cake.
Take an interior tour

Distinctive Homes

20-Unit Brooklyn Heights Apartment Building Hits the Market As a $22M Mega-Mansion

Photo by Rich Caplan

April 15, 2016

20-Unit Brooklyn Heights Apartment Building Hits the Market As a $22M Mega-Mansion

If 2015 was the year of the nine-figure condo sale, 2016 may be the year of the makeshift mega-mansion. From Roman Abramovich's troubled attempt to combine three Upper East Side townhouses to a $50 million Tribeca spread with 18 toilets, wealthy New Yorkers are going to great lengths to create their dream homes. The latest over-the-top offering is in Brooklyn Heights, where a five-story, 20-unit rental building just hit the market as a $22 million single-family residence. As noted by the Wall Street Journal, the building at 50 Orange Street just sold in January for $13.5 million to Benchmark Real Estate Group, who quickly hired Lee Stahl of design/build firm The Renovated Home to draw up plans for how it could be converted to a single-family dwelling. These plans include four bedrooms (only four?), a gym, an 800-bottle wine cellar, and a roof terrace and would cost an additional $10.6 million to complete over a 16-month period.
But what about the tenants?

Distinctive Homes

April 15, 2016

Quirky Transforming Table Features Fur and Wood for the Indecisive Mind

The conundrum of indecisiveness is a frustration everyone can relate to, and this quirky table from designer Karolina Fardova translates this experience into some truly playful furniture. The table is titled "Fifty Fifty," in reference to its dualistic surface which is equal parts wood and fur. In addition to a bevy of surface textures, this clever table also unfolds and can be placed flat on the floor offering functionality beyond your standard table design.
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April 15, 2016

Which Presidential Candidate Is the New Yorkiest; Why Your Ikea Table Cost $10

Clinton vs. Sanders vs. Trump: Who is the true New Yorker? [NYT] You know those $10 Ikea end tables that are surprisingly sturdy? They’re made of paper. [House Beautiful] A Hawaiian canoe that’s sailing around the world will stop in Long Island City as part of a four-year voyage to promote sustainability. [DNAinfo] Walter Rosen, the longtime […]

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April 15, 2016

Find Your Neighborhood on This Interactive Map Made From Local Brooklyn Litter

There's no shortage of trash in NYC–even better than seeing it picked up is when someone is doing something interesting with it. Atlas Obscura introduces us to artist-cartographer Jennifer Maravillas, who has transformed the litter found in neighborhoods throughout the 71 square miles (the map is called "71 Square Miles") of Brooklyn into a map of the borough. Each neighborhood on the map is made up of paper litter–like flyers, advertisements and notes–found in that same neighborhood. The result is a bright, multicolored collage on which each bit of litter corresponds the place Maravillas found it. You can enter your address and find it on the interactive map, along with the trash you might see every day.
Check out the trash on your block

Events & Things To Do

April 15, 2016

Post-Modern Bronx Mansion With 35-Foot Atrium and 10 Skylights Wants $2M

The Bronx's Fieldston neighborhood is considered one of the city's best preserved early 20th century suburbs, unique for its collection of revival-style homes (Tudor, Mediterranean, and Colonial, mainly). But this mansion at 4545 Delafield Avenue is in a category all its own. The post-modern structure was built in 1994 by noted local firm Isaac & Stern, who designed a stucco-covered, geometric creation that looks straight out of "Miami Vice." Now on the market for $1,950,000 (down from the original $2.4 million ask last year), the residence is just as mod inside as it is outside, with a 35-foot entry atrium complete with huge skylights, arched columns, and black granite floors.
Check it all out

April 15, 2016

For $920K, a Park Slope Floor-Through With Old-World Brooklyn Charm

For just under $1 million, this two-bedroom condominium at 307 7th Street in Park Slope is a modern and comfortable home on the third floor of a classic prewar Brooklyn building. Built-ins, brick and a wood-burning fireplace join split-system zoned A/C, a thoroughly updated custom kitchen and two baths in a prime Center Slope spot steps from Fifth Avenue.
More this way

Distinctive Homes

April 14, 2016

Funky Rockaway Houseboat Dubbed ‘Ziggy Stardust’ Now Renting for $850/Night

For $850 a night you could nab a room at the iconic Plaza Hotel or something much, much less traditional: a houseboat in the waters of Far Rockaway owned by a Vermont hipster. That's right, this kooky houseboat, dubbed the Ziggy Stardust, is up for rent at the aforementioned nightly price through Airbnb. It is pretty decked out inside with surfboards, guitars, and pieces of reclaimed driftwood. We'll go out on a limb and say it's one of the most unique places to spend a night in New York City.
Take a tour of the boat

April 14, 2016

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo Put Sexy Soho Loft on the Market for $5.5M

By Ondel Hylton and Julian Friedman

Just a month after announcing that they're expecting their first child, uber-sexy couple Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo have listed their equally sexy Soho loft. The Observer reports that the pair is looking to unload the sprawling, 2,800-square-foot spread at 112 Green Street to the tune of $5.5 million, $1 million more than they purchased it for in August, 2014. The brokers, Adam Mahfouda and Jules Borbely of Oxford Property Group, are the same team Ms. Prinsloo used to sell her Alphabet City apartment. If the loft-like details--six original cast-iron columns, old-time radiators, restored exposed brick walls, and 13-foot tin ceilings--weren't enough to make you drool, let us throw in the fact that this sale can include all the furniture. We've got our eyes on the huge velvet couches and giant light fixture, but we're not sure if those Louis Vuitton trunks in the master bedroom are part of the deal.
Take the full tour

April 14, 2016

As Rem Koolhaas Finally Designs First NYC Building, A Look Back at His Unbuilt Proposals

Thirty-eight years after the publication of his acclaimed book "Delirious New York," Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his global architecture firm the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) seem to have finally landed their first ground-up New York City commission. Excavation is already underway at the 22,000-square-foot project site located at 122 East 23rd Street and will soon host a pair of block-through residential towers articulated by faceted elevations and chiseled corners. While there has been no official announcement that Koolhaas is on board, several consultant websites and Linkedin profiles indicate that the Pritzker Prize-winner has been tapped, while New York-based SLCE will serve as the architects of record. To mark the occasion, and as we eagerly await the design unveiling, 6sqft has rounded up Koolhaas' prior unlucky attempts to build in the city. The proposals befell to the usual suspects that typically stymie bold architecture in the city—community opposition, economic downturns, and the conservative nature of the city's developers and public sector. *Update 4/21: OMA has confirmed their involvement in the project and share that Shohei Shigematsu, partner and director of the firm's New York office, is leading the design effort.
See it all right here

April 14, 2016

Zoe Saldana Sells Kew Gardens Co-op for $280K

"Star Trek" and "Avatar" star Zoe Saldana is letting go of her Queens roots, as the Post reports that the actress has sold her Kew Gardens co-op for $280,000. Saldana spent her early life not far away in Jackson Heights and has owned the apartment at 118-18 Union Turnpike since at least 2002, before she really hit it big. The two-bedroom spread is nothing fancy, but is located in a doorman building and features stainless steel appliances, spacious bedrooms, and lots of closet space.
See the entire apartment

April 14, 2016

Mayor’s Affordable Housing Push Brings Tough Questions on Racial Integration

The Greenwich by Rafael Vinoly

Affordability vs. racial inclusion may sound like an odd battle to be having, yet it's one that often simmers below the surface in discussions of neighborhood change. The words "Nearly 50 years after the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act..." are, of course, no small part of the reason. And in a city known for its diversity–one that often feels more racially integrated than it is–the question of how housing policy might affect racial makeup tends to be carefully sidestepped, but the New York Times opens that worm-can in a subsection called "Race/Related."
Is there a tradeoff between integration and affordability?

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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April 14, 2016

There’s Room for the Whole Crew in This Pretty Brooklyn Heights Co-op, Asking $2.7M

The neighborhood's gorgeous, the block is gorgeous, and all the gorgeous things Brooklyn Heights is known for (the Promenade, shops and cafes on Montague Street, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pierrepont Playground) are steps away -- and the inside of this $2.7 million apartment in the historic co-op at 61 Pierrepont Street has no trouble living up to its surroundings. With a gracious and logical layout, the three-plus bedroom apartment is tastefully renovated and custom-configured beyond the standard bedrooms-and-common-space, all kind of squished together. There's a living room and a dining room. Not only are the bedrooms on opposite sides, but one has a cozy den next door. Find an office. Find a guest suite. Got kids? No problem. In-laws? Did we mention the thing about the bedrooms being well separated? And, there's an elevator.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

April 14, 2016

Deesawat’s Indoor and Outdoor Sofa Includes a Pod for Your Pup

While traditionally our pet's furniture and our living room couch are not one in the same, our limited space in the city makes the separation easier said than done. In an effort to resolve this potential conflict, Deesawat, a furniture company in Thailand, has recently released PET. This innovative multi-use piece of furniture, not only includes a separate space especially for your pooch, but it is also moveable and weather resistant, making it easy to enjoy both inside and out.
on this design here

April 14, 2016

NYC Buildings in the Desert; ‘Shark Tank’ Searching for Entrepreneurs in the Bronx

Brooklyn photographer and designer Anton Repponen’s “Misplaced Monuments” series puts famous NYC buildings in the desert, the mountains, or the depths of the ocean. [designboom] Mapping the states that love bacon the most. [Mental Floss] Think you’ve got a million-dollar business idea? “Shark Tank” is holding a casting call in the Bronx. [DNAinfo] “Murder of a […]

Uncategorized

April 14, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 4/14-4/20

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! This week, check out the giant swimming pool that is smack in the middle of Rockefeller Center, or frolic with the two-story bunnies in Battery Park City. Photographer Joe Russo shares pieces from his years of shooting celebs and artists, and the annual AIPAD photographer show takes over the gorgeous Park Avenue Armory. Music novelist Ben Vendetta talks about 90s Brit Pop at Otto's Shrunken Head, and old school graffiti artist BIO shares new work in the Bronx. And finally, save your pennies to party in style with Swizz Beatz at the Brooklyn Museum.
more on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

April 14, 2016

Lottery Opens for 10 Affordable Units in the Bronx’s Crotona Park East Neighborhood