6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

It's been widely noted that New York has an ever-growing population of low-income elders, and a new affordable housing project in Riverdale seeks to address the issue. Designed by Dattner Architects (who are also behind the Bronx's huge West Farm Redevelopment Plan), the brand-new building at 6469 Broadway is known as Van Cortlandt Green and overlooks the park. It will offer 77 studios for $832/month for those age 62 and older. They're available to one person earning between $26,430 and $36,300 annually and two persons earning between $26,430 and $41,460, according to the NYC HDC.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

February 25, 2016

Cottage-Like Duplex is up for Sale at the Muffin House in Chelsea

337 West 20th Street is not your average cooperative -- this Chelsea building was formerly the bakery of Samuel Bath Thomas, the Englishman who introduced New Yorkers to the English Muffin in the early 1900s. Today it's nicknamed the Muffin House and still has ovens (no longer working) built into the basement. You can now live in a cute little duplex at the co-op, which went residential sometime in the 1950s, for $875,000. While there's nothing inside the apartment to suggest this was a former muffin factory, there are still some old details intact.
Take a look

February 25, 2016

Catissa Cat Tree Doubles As Stylish Wall Art

New Yorkers definitely love their cats, and now feline owners can give their beloved fur balls their very own urban oasis in the form of the Catissa cat tree. The stylish and modern cat furniture features four stories of lush cushioned sheepskin and can easily be mounted on the wall. The unit was designed to allow your cat to roam, play, climb and sleep at their leisure.
More on Catissa

February 25, 2016

MTA Bans Hoverboards Over Fire Potential; Bracelet Pumps Caffeine Directly Into Your Bloodstream

Have an IDNYC and earn less than $54,000 a year? Then you can get your taxes done for free. [DNAinfo] New MTA posters ban hoverboards in subways and rail stations over their “potential to catch fire.” [Mashable] Check out these rare photos that show the slow and sad destruction of the old Pennsylvania Station. [Gothamist] The Joule […]

Uncategorized

City Planning Commission Approves Controversial East New York Rezoning Plan in 12-1 Vote

Map of proposed rezoning via Department of City Planning

February 25, 2016

City Planning Commission Approves Controversial East New York Rezoning Plan in 12-1 Vote

The New York City Planning Commission voted 12-1 in approval of Mayor de Blasio's controversial rezoning plan for East New York, Gothamist reports. It's the first of 15 low-income neighborhoods scheduled for rezoning as part of the Mayor's affordable housing plan, which promises to create or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the rezoning this spring. As part of what is known as Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH), rezoning plans for East New York's Cypress Hills neighborhood and adjacent Ocean Hill in Bed-Stuy would have 7,000 new apartments built by 2030, 3,447 of which will be designated affordable, in addition to one million square feet of commercial space. Of those affordable units, 80 percent would be reserved for families (defined as a household of three, with any number of earners) making no more than 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), or $46,000; 27 percent would go to families making 40 percent of the AMI or $31,000.
Find out more

February 25, 2016

First Look at Crown Heights Residential Building Rising at 1740 Pacific Street

By Julian Friedman

Here's our first look at a five-story, 55-foot-tall residential building under construction in Crown Heights. The approximately 10,400-square-foot site at 1740 Pacific Street was purchased for $1.3 million in May of 2015 by Pacific Project Realty LLC and is now giving way to a 24-unit, 6,088-square-foot building. It's being designed by Input Creative Studio, and Diego Aguilera Architects P.C. is the architect of record. The exterior, clad in red-brick with metal balconies and railings, is organized into four parts, each of which will house six units.
Get a look inside

Image: Xymox/Flickr

February 24, 2016

City Filth, Decoded: The Gunk on Subway Platforms Actually Has a Name

Do you ever wonder what that black schmutz that collects on the subway platform is? Has all the discarded chewing gum in the world begun to mobilize? What if I put my bag on it? Slate's What's That Thing column appropriately examines the phenomenon: After repeated unreturned phone calls to the MTA, the intrepid journalists got "Gridlock Sam" Schwartz and his transit gurus on the case. Finally the fine folks from the MTA rallied and gave name to the mysterious muck. According to NYC Transit assistant chief of the Division of Stations Branko Kleva, the stuff is mastic, a tar-like substance used to seal and waterproof the subway tunnels. When it heats up, (in the summer, for example, ironically from the heat generated by subway car air conditioning) it starts to "flow and drip down from the roof of the tunnel onto the platforms below."
More on the mysterious gunk...

February 24, 2016

VIDEO: Fly Over the Forgotten Vessels of Staten Island’s Arthur Kill Ship Graveyard

In the Arthur Kill waterway, wedged between Staten Island and New Jersey, the Arthur Kill Ship Graveyard is the final home of over two dozen harbor vessels that had their best years in the city's golden age of shipping. There were once as many as 400 of the ghostly crafts left to the wiles of entropy in the waterway, but according to Atlas Obscura, only 25 or so remain, picked over for their useful parts. Seven minutes of eerie and fascinating drone video footage offers a close-up view of the "urban marine cemetery" and the rusted metal hulls of once-useful tugboats and other harbor ships as they slowly sink into the silent, murky waters.
More about this eerie assembly and the full video

History

Distinctive Homes

For $3.8M, this Queen Anne mansion in Crown Heights is a neighborhood landmark

Japanese gardens and a koi pond surround the clean geometric forms of this modern Hudson Valley home, asking $4.2M

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

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

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

Throw garden parties all summer long at this $1.8M Brooklyn Heights co-op

For $2.3M, this Amzi Hill-designed Bed-Stuy brownstone gives you plenty of options

This $4.6M upstate New York property is a modern woodland sanctuary

This $8M Rye estate has a private dock on the Long Island Sound

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

VIEW ALL

February 24, 2016

How Far From NYC You Could Travel in One Day Between 1800 and 1934

Back in 1800, a New York stagecoach couldn't get outside the northeast, and a trip to Charleston, South Carolina took ten whole days of sailing—these are just two examples of just how arduous traveling in the 19th and early 20th centuries was. To visualize this difficulty, as well as to show the major advances made over a relatively short time, Quartz created this simple map that shows how far from NYC one could travel in a day between 1800 and 1934.
More on the map

February 24, 2016

$4.8M Brooklyn Heights Duplex Has Amazing Historic Details and the Great Outdoors

Built by the Pierreponts in 1858, the immaculately preserved 25-foot-wide Italianate townhouse at 104 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights holds four co-op apartments developed by architect and historian Norval White. On the market for $4.825 million, the grandly proportioned parlor and garden floor make up a nearly 3,000-square-foot duplex with 700 square feet of private outdoor space–one of the loveliest gems in New York City's first landmarked district.
Explore both floors

February 24, 2016

This Puppet-Shaped Device Keeps Your Fingers Safe When Hanging Art

DIY and design enthusiasts know very well that you can transform any room with the right supplies, and more often than not you'll only need a good hammer and some nails. But hammering nails into a wall can be tricky, which is where Nail It comes in. This adorable puppet-shaped device holds the nail in place, freeing your hand from the danger zone.
More on the product this way

February 24, 2016

For $5.5M, Combine Two Top-Floor Apartments Into One Soho Mega Loft

Here's a proposal only for true loft lovers: two fifth-floor apartments are on the market at 81 Grand Street, a former warehouse in Soho, and they come in a package in which you can combine them for a massive, single loft. If combined, it'll leave you with 45 feet of frontage facing Grand Street, a total of 14 windows and four skylights, 3,300 interior square feet and 600 exterior square feet. And you'd be working with great bones; while most downtown lofts have some cool historic details left from when the building was a warehouse, this one boasts detailed brickwork, as well as remnants of the building's old wheels and shoots system, typically used for transporting things. We're jealous of the architect who will get the job of creating a full-floor penthouse here.
Check out both spaces

Distinctive Homes

February 24, 2016

One Mechanical Failure Can Delay 625 Subways; How Immigration Law Fueled Chinese Restaurants

How one mechanical failure at Union Square redirected 625 different trains in one day, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. [NY Mag] After reviewing the backlog of 95 sites yesterday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission decided that 30 sites are worthy of protections. [Curbed] The “lo mein loophole:” how U.S. Immigration law fueled a chinese restaurant boom. [NPR] Beijing […]

Uncategorized

February 24, 2016

Poll: Do You Agree With the Decision to Forego a Ribbon Cutting for WTC Transportation Hub?

Yesterday the Port Authority announced that they won’t be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony (or any type of celebratory event, for that matter) to mark the opening of Santiago Calatrava’s World Trade Center Transportation Hub next month. They called the Hub “a symbol of excess” and cited the exorbitant $4 billion price tag as the […]

February 24, 2016

What You Can Do If You’re Injured On Rental Property

By Tom J. Moverman

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week Tom J. Moverman, partner at the Lipsig Law Firm, a practice specializing in personal injury, joins 6sqft to offer up tips on how to avoid injuries on a rental property, and what to do if they do occur. In New York City, Manhattan remains the dominating force when it comes to new apartment construction. However, in recent years, boroughs such as Brooklyn have closed that gap considerably. According to BuildingCongress.com, Manhattan accounted for 37 percent of all of the apartment construction in New York City, and in Brooklyn, construction accounted for 36 percent of the rental property construction activity in the city. By the middle of 2015, there had been $10.5 billion in residential construction throughout the entire city of New York (to give an idea as to how much the volume has increased, there was just $11.9 billion in residential construction in all of 2014). With an increase in construction comes an increase in tenant injuries. When volume increases, the demand to get new buildings up and generating revenue quickly also increases, and this means that corners will often be cut to make sure that rents from tenants can be collected in time to start showing a profit. Unfortunately, people can get injured when corners are cut, and tenants need to know how to protect themselves and fight back.
find out more here

February 23, 2016

Groundwork Begins on Bjarke Ingels’ Curvaceous East Harlem Development

With approved permits in place, Blumenfield Development Group is ready to move forward on their Bjarke Ingels Group-designed mixed-use project at 146 East 125th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. Initial ground testing has taken place, and a construction fence has been erected along the lot's northern 126th Street frontage. According to permits filed in December 2014, the upcoming 230,000-square-foot building will contain 40,000 square feet of commercial space and 233 apartments, 20 percent of which will be designated as affordable.
More details ahead

There Will Be No Ribbon Cutting for the WTC Transportation Hub Opening

Santiago Calatrava: WTC Transportation Hub , New York (Photo: Mega Projects and Skyscrapers, via YouTube)

February 23, 2016

There Will Be No Ribbon Cutting for the WTC Transportation Hub Opening

When the subject of Santiago Calatrava's World Trade Center Transportation Hub comes up, what's most likely to come to mind is not the flying-bird-looking architecture, but the fact that it was so incredibly delayed (it’s six years off schedule) and over-budget (final construction costs ring in around $4 billion in taxpayer dollars, twice what was projected, making it the world’s most expensive train station). The latter is not sitting well with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who oversee the hub, as they've announced that they will not host an event to mark the opening during the first week of March, calling it "a symbol of excess," according to Politico. Similarly, Governors Christie and Cuomo, who control the agency, have declined to commemorate the opening.
Get the scoop

Designer Fawn Galli’s Carroll Gardens Townhouse Is Inspired by Fantasy and Nature

The home of designer Fawn Galli is an eclectic and vibrant combination of colors, patterns and style, reflecting her not-so- typical childhood (she spent her early years living in a California home without electricity or plumbing) and and rich design background (she spent time abroad in Paris and Madrid). Located in Carroll Gardens, the Brooklyn brownstone is inspired by fantasy, nature and the world at large, bringing together unexpected combinations of style and influence.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

February 23, 2016

Minimalist Subway Map Posters Are More About Beautiful Design Than Finding Your Way

Cartographer Andrew Lynch has spent a lot of time looking at the NYC subway system. The CUNY Hunter alum recently perfected the entire system in a series of hypothetical but geographically accurate "Future NYC Subway" maps. But while studying the paths of the city's most important people mover, Lynch noticed they looked rather lovely, but just too, well, cluttered. From this thought came a series of colorful minimalist subway line posters (h/t CityLab) that Lynch calls "totally accurate, totally useless," but nice to look at nonetheless.
Get your own, this way

February 23, 2016

Architect/Owner of This $800K Park Slope Co-op Gut Renovated it Herself

It's hard to go wrong with an apartment that's been carefully renovated by its owner, who also happens to be an architect. That's the case at 404 3rd Street, where a two-bedroom Park Slope co-op has just hit the market for $799,000. The owner, Joana Pacheco, is not only an architect but the founder of Paperhouse, an open source architecture platform. She gut renovated the interior, opening up and brightening the space. She had good bones to work with, as the apartment retains big bay windows and its historic moldings, as well as a good location, just a few blocks from Prospect Park.
See more of her renovation

Distinctive Homes

February 23, 2016

A New Look for the Museum of Sex; The Curious Reason Barber Shops Don’t Take Credit Cards

Ever wonder why barber shops don’t take credit cards? Here’s your answer. [Atlas Obscura] The state is conducting a study to understand where and how noise affects New York City residents. [DNAinfo] Mapping just how bar-saturated the Lower East Side is. [Bowery Boogie] The luxurious wedding and remarkable home of great Brooklyn architect Montrose Morris. [Brownstoner] […]

Uncategorized

February 23, 2016

Rosario Candela-Designed Building at 915 West End Avenue Going Condo

West End Avenue is one of Manhattan's longest stretches of harmonious architecture. The nearly 50-block-long, better-looking half of Eleventh Avenue is the Upper West Side's answer to Park Avenue, without the median and with the community. The Avenue's rows of stately prewar buildings are raised to a mostly uniform height of 12 to 15 stories and appear as if some Haussmann-like visionary conceived their elegance and scale. Behind dignified masonry facades are wood-paneled lobbies and sprawling apartments that are stacked in classic sixes and sevens with staff quarters. Near the Avenue's starting point at Straus Park, at the northwest corner of 105th Street, 915 West End Avenue rises humbly without much fuss. The red-brick building, built in 1922, was designed by beloved architect Rosario Candela and is undergoing a conversion that would transform 43 of its 91 rental apartments into condominium residences, according to an offering plan submitted to the attorney general.
Find out more

February 23, 2016

Renderings Revealed for Upper East Side’s First Supertall at Former Subway Inn Site

In October, 6sqft reported that a 1,000+ foot condo tower could rise on the former site of beloved dive bar the Subway Inn (which, after 77 years, had to relocate to a site around the corner in August 2014). The news came nearly two years after the World Wide Group bought a six-parcel assemblage on 60th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues. Then, this past summer, World Wide enlisted Cushman & Wakefield to sell the property, "using renderings of a glassy supertall tower and talk of nearby Billionaires Row to sweeten the deal." Kuafu Properties bought the 19,685-square-foot plot for $300 million in the fall, and now Yimby has uncovered renderings of a glassy, slender tower proposed for the site.
Who designed the supertall tower?

February 23, 2016

Restaurateur Keith McNally’s Greenwich Village Townhouse Is on the Menu for $13.95M

After spending some time on the rental market, first at $25,000/month then $19,000/month, restaurateur Keith McNally's 4,600 square-foot Greek Revival townhouse at 105 West 11th Street is for sale for $13.95 million (h/t Curbed). The New York Times once called McNally, whose success stories include buzzy establishments like Balthazar, Cherche Midi, Odeon, Café Luxembourg, Schiller’s and Minetta Tavern, "the man who invented Downtown." McNally purchased the house in 2002 for $2.496 million. Built in 1910, this 21-foot-wide, five-bedroom, four-story home should appeal to historic townhouse lovers as well as anyone with kitchen ambitions. From the walk-in wine cellar to the rustic French-country interiors, the house has been restored with a floor plan that considers both entertaining and daily life. Impressive details include five wood burning fireplaces, imported timber beams, reclaimed wide plank oak floor boards, casement windows, Venetian plaster walls and landscaped outdoor spaces, all on a historic townhouse-lined Greenwich Village street.
Take a look inside

February 23, 2016

First Look at MY Architect’s 19-Story Hotel Set for Jamaica’s Transit Hub

With all corners of the city bursting at their seams, once overlooked business nodes are experiencing a resurgence of construction activity. Perhaps most foreign and far-flung to Manhattanites is Jamaica, Queens, where a cluster of high-rises is rising around its transit hub, which serves LIRR commuters and is a terminus to JFK's AirTrain network. The neighborhood's latest large project to come forward is from Flushing-based Ampiera Group, who have proposed a 100,000-square-foot hotel and office tower at 90-75 Sutphin Boulevard, just one block from the transit center. The building's exterior, comprised of a mix of glass and stone, is designed by MY Architect, who are working with the development team on at least two Long Island City projects. Approved permits and documents filed last summer co-align with images published on the architect's website that call for a double-winged building with a low-rise leg fronting Sutphin Boulevard. The low-slung retail buildings along Archer Avenue will be demolished to create a plaza at the foot of the tower.
More views and details ahead

February 22, 2016

Harper Lee Had a Crazy-Cheap Hideout on the Upper East Side for 50 Years

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

Famed author Harper Lee, who passed away at age 89 on Friday in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, was known for being extremely private and somewhat reclusive. So it's not entirely surprising that for the past 49 years, the "To Kill a Mockingbird" novelist has maintained a secret Upper East Side apartment. What is surprising is that after all that time, her rent was less than $1,000 a month. Lee moved to New York City in 1949 when working as an airline reservation agent and writing in her spare time. When the building that housed her cold-water flat was demolished in 1967, she moved to apartment 1E across the street at 433 East 82nd Street (between 1st and York Avenues), reports the Post, using it as a kind of hideout when not in Alabama (even the tenant directly below her had no idea she was a resident). Though she hadn't spent time there since having a stroke in 2007, she renewed her lease for two more years just a couple months ago. Property manager Steven Austern said she was up to date on her rent, and even though he could've terminated the lease since she was living elsewhere, he chose not to, stating "She was a personal friend of mine."
What was the average day like for Harper Lee?

Celebrities

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February 22, 2016

A Three-Year Renovation and a Glass Rooftop Studio Perfect This $26M West Village Townhouse

The listing calls this $26 million historic West Village townhouse a "singular and exceptional offering," and it’s hard to disagree (h/t Curbed). Brit expat and tech entrepreneur Jos White and his wife Annabel, former director of The Rug Company, bought the house from interior designer James Huniford in 2009 for $7.25 million and embarked on a three-year renovation helmed by notable architect Basil Walter of BWArchitects with interiors by Poonam Khanna. The end result, according to the architects, "fuses past and present into a new, sophisticated 4,000-square-foot home," which includes a wild rooftop glass atelier (inspired by the Maison de Verre in Paris), 17th-century wood paneling, and a never-ending roster of impressive decor.
Check out the interiors

February 22, 2016

Lions and Tigers and Buildings, Oh My! The Architecture of the Bronx Zoo

By Stephanie Hoina

As home to four thousand animals representing more than 650 species, the Bronx Zoo has been delighting children and grownups alike since 1899. But it’s not simply the extensive array of wildlife that makes this world-renowned conservation park a pleasure to stroll around. Nestled among the 265-acres of parklands and beautifully-replicated natural habitats is a collection of architecture that almost rivals the main attraction. Ahead we'll visit the zoo's most notable constructions, which though may draw upon the architectural styles of various eras—from Beaux-Arts to Brutalism—do culminate into one succinct and spectacular display of design.
Tour the zoo's architectural beauty

February 22, 2016

City Auctioning Off a 62-Year-Old Fireboat for Just $510

If the houseboat lifestyle piques your fancy, this may be your big chance to live life on the open seas right here in NYC, as the city is auctioning off a 62-year-old fireboat. Though the initial asking price was $510, there have surprisingly been 17 bids since Wednesday, putting the current highest price at $3,050. Keep in mind, as Gothamist points out, that although this seems like a steal, it will likely cost thousands more a month to dock the 129-foot boat, on top of maintenance and transportation costs (it's being sold "AS IS" and "WHERE IS"). Some of the "amenities" you'll get include water cannons (it's not known if they actually work, but they certainly still look cool), a lookout tower (binoculars not included), and co-living style bunkbeds.
The whole deal

Architecture And Design

February 22, 2016

Supermodel Irina Shayk Buys $6M West Village Condo at 150 Charles Street

By Annie Doge

If you don't know supermodel Irina Shayk from the pages of Sports Illustrated, you may recognize her as the often-photographed girlfriend of Bradley Cooper. Rumors have been circulating for nearly a year that the couple was looking to shack up together. First, Cooper was spotted checking out a sprawling $8.5 million spread at the Hubert in Tribeca in May, then Shayk listed her apartment at 166 Perry Street in the West Village for $4 million back in December. LLNYC now reports that the swimsuit model has picked up an off-market $6 million pad at 150 Charles Street, nearby in the West Village.
More on Shayk's (and likely Cooper's) new digs

February 22, 2016

Pricing and Renderings Released for the Jackson, Industrial-Inspired Condo in Long Island City

Situated squarely between Long Island City's waterfront towers and its burgeoning Court Square and Queens Plaza business districts, an upcoming industrially-inspired condominium named the Jackson is beginning construction work. On Friday, the New York Times unveiled pricing information for the 70,000-square-foot project, and a polished set of renderings has been published on the developer's website. The 11-story, 54-unit project is being shepherded by a joint-venture among Charney Construction & Development, Ascent Development, and Tavros Capital. The development site, located around the corner from MoMA PS1, was formerly occupied by a parking lot and a nondescript two-story building. Fogarty Finger, the building's architects, have designed several other low- to mid-scale residential projects in LIC that complement the fleetingly-gritty neighborhood's aesthetic. Here they accomplish that by using raw material such as steel, concrete, and wood, as well as oversized windows that feel like an old industrial loft building.
This way for details, renderings, and pricing

February 22, 2016

MTA May Spend $66M to Meet 2nd Avenue Subway’s December Deadline; Introducing Archemoji

In order to meet the December deadline for the Second Avenue subway, the MTA may spend $66 million to speed up work. [Second Avenue Sagas] A new study finds that 46% of New Yorkers have agued with their neighbors over noise. [DNAinfo] Did you know the Oscar statuettes are crafted in New York state? [Fox 5] […]

Uncategorized

February 22, 2016

‘Fatal Flaw Analysis’ Says Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar Could Require Two New Bridges

The proposed Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) streetcar may require the construction of two new bridges, one over Newtown Creek and another over the Gowanus Canal. The New York Times reported that the potential need for the new bridges–the Pulaski Bridge and the bridge across the Gowanus Canal at Hamilton Avenue might not be able to accommodate streetcars–was one of the more substantial details released by Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen and other top officials Friday. In a "fatal-flaw analysis," it was found that that though there would be "major challenges" to creating the system, it was feasible, Ms. Glen said. Like all things New York City, the proposed BQX proposal "would dwarf other recent streetcar systems in the United States." The cost involved in constructing the new bridges is already included in the project's $2.5 billion cost estimate. They would include bicycle and pedestrian paths.
Find out more

February 22, 2016

$1.4M Williamsburg Condo Comes With an Artist Studio and Private Rooftop Cabana

This two-bedroom, apartment at 125 North 10th Street doesn't come from a Williamsburg warehouse, but it's still got those high ceilings, big windows, and open floorplan. It's also got some fun, creative quirks like an artist studio and massive chalkboard wall in the open kitchen. But the major draw here is the outdoor space: the 900-square-foot apartment comes with a 160-square-foot private terrace, as well as a 328-square-foot private rooftop cabana outfitted with a BBQ grill. And once you're up there, you won't want to leave.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

February 21, 2016

Funky Desk Is Kid-Friendly and Has Secret Compartments

This funky table from furniture retailer Rafa Kids is cleverly designed to resemble the letter K when viewed from the side (hence its name, K Desk). The design also features rounded corners (to keep little noggins safe) and a useful lid that reveals a second table top when lifted. The underside of the lid also doubles as a bulletin board to hang drawings or photos.
More design details this way

February 20, 2016

Williamsburg’s William Vale Hotel Launches Website, New Renderings & Video

Williamsburg likely has the highest concentration of awful new buildings in the city. The neighborhood has lots of things going for it, but architecture has not been one of them. However, just north of Kiss + Cathcart's noteworthy Bushwick Inlet Park is a cluster of development that finally flaunts the design creativity for which the borough has become renowned. Centered around the Walentas' Wythe Hotel, four exciting new hotels and office buildings are in the works. Tallest of them all, and farthest along, is the 21-story, 250-foot William Vale Hotel between North 12th and North 13th Streets. The striking pile of structural acrobatics topped off last fall and recently launched their website with a handful of new renderings.
More info and all the renderings

February 20, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

This Map Explains the Historic Tile Color System Used in NYC Subway Stations Get a Head Start on the Creative Possibilities in This $2.5M Funky Tribeca Live/Work Loft Looks Like Sarah Jessica Parker Is Combining Two West Village Townhouses Apply Now for 13 New Affordable Apartments Across Williamsburg, Starting at $756/Month New Rendering, Details of […]

Uncategorized

February 19, 2016

Spotlight: Ron Ben-Israel on the Art and Architecture of Creating a Wedding Cake

By Susan Cohen

If you're one of the many who just got engaged over Valentine's weekend, it's time to get into planning mode, and what better way to start than with a spectacular wedding cake. A New York wedding calls for a cake that tastes great, makes a statement about the newlyweds, but can also stand on its own amidst the glamour of the Plaza, the Art-Deco glitz of the Rainbow Room, and the skyline that twinkles all around at the Mandarin Oriental. For this, brides and grooms turn to cakemaker extraordinaire Ron Ben-Israel. Throughout the planning, baking, and cake delivery processes, Ron draws on a number of disciplines, including chemistry, architecture, art, and transportation science. His cakes are versatile in style, but have a common thread that comes from attention to detail and the pursuit of excellence. He's received high praise for his cakes, with the New York Times writing of him: "Mr. Ben-Israel is the Manolo Blahnik of wedding cakes, a high-priced craftsman who knows that just as beautiful shoes are useless if they are not comfortable, beautiful cakes are useless if they are not delicious." With the season for "I do" quickly approaching, 6sqft spoke with Ron to discuss his love for the baking process, the thinking and work behind every cake, and the joy he experiences each time one is completed.
Read the full interview here

February 19, 2016

Dream Subway Map Includes a 10th Avenue Subway and a PATH to Staten Island

For most New Yorkers, subway dreams are simple things like trains arriving on time and getting a seat, but cartographer Andrew Lynch has big visions for what could become of NYC's transit system (h/t Gothamist). In his most recent iteration of the Future NYC Subway map, he "sought to plan out a system expansion which would be as cost effective as possible by addressing current service bottlenecks, train car issues, current ridership and population growth." This includes: a PATH train to Staten Island: a K line to connect the Brighton Beach Line (B/Q) to the Crosstown (G) at Bedford-Nostrand Avenues; a 10th Avenue L train extension; a majorly enhanced Second Avenue subway; and a Bushwick-Queens line.
The details on all these ideas

Transit

February 19, 2016

Be a Soho Insider in This Landmarked Prince Street Loft

New York City is filled with lofts we love; their iconic style is synonymous with the city's historic architecture and industrial and creative recent past. Even as glass towers and luxury limestone hog the spotlight, the flexibility and bohemian spirit unique to these spaces continues to charm—and their value continues to rise. So it's still exciting to get a look inside whenever the chance presents itself. This loft co-op in the Cast Iron Historic District is a prime example. Built in 1900, the now-landmarked building at 131-135 Prince Street was the second co-op in Soho. This 1,800 square-foot home, on the market for $3.295 million, boasts its own presentation website with a level of design that rivals some of the city's more luxurious new developments, complete with full-color isometric views of each room. Though it looks like a lovely loft in a prime location in any light, the fabulous visuals certainly don't hurt.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

February 19, 2016

Skyline Wars: What’s Rising in Hudson Yards, the Nation’s Largest Construction Site

By Carter B. Horsley

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s breaking development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. This week Carter brings us the third 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 zooms in on Hudson Yards. The Hudson Yards neighborhood in Far Midtown West is one of the country’s most active construction areas. Construction cranes dot its emerging skyline and dozens more are promised now with the district's improved connection to the rest of the city. Last fall, the 7-line subway station at Eleventh Avenue and 34th Street opened with one-stop access to Times Square. The newly-minted station features a lengthy diagonal escalator bringing commuters to the front-door of the huge mixed-use project being created over the rail yards west of Tenth Avenue between 30th and 33rd streets. Originally, a second station was contemplated on 41st Street and Tenth Avenue but transit officials claimed it could not afford the $500 million expenditure, despite the enormous amount of new residential construction occurring along the far West 42nd Street corridor. Nevertheless, the finished Hudson Yards station deposits straphangers into a new diagonal boulevard and park between 10th and 11th Avenues that will ultimately stretch from the Related Companies / Oxford Property Group's Hudson Yards master plan northward to 42nd Street.
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February 19, 2016

Reasonably Priced Condos at NINE52 in Hell’s Kitchen Hit the Market, Starting at $679K

After years of decay, the second building of the old Saint Clare's Hospital in Hell's Kitchen has been reborn. Named NINE52, due to its address near Ninth Avenue at 416 West 52nd Street, the seven-story red-brick structure has been rehabilitated into 155 affordably-priced condominium homes. Seven units at NINE52 hit the market earlier this week with asking prices starting at $679,000 for 450-square-foot studios, $859,000 for 725-square-foot one-bedrooms, and $1.319 million for an 875-square-foot two-bedroom. According to CityRealty's February Market Report, the median price-per-square-foot for closed condominium sales in Midtown West over the past 30 days stood at $1,833, a bit above the $1,603-per-square-foot asking prices at NINE52.
Get a look at the apartments

Fairway Market in Red Hook via Cindy Day/Flickr

February 19, 2016

Fairway Grocery Stores Struggling to Stay Afloat in Competitive Market

Though they once had ambitious plans to expand beyond New York City, Fairway Group Holdings Corp. is struggling with debt instead, reports Bloomberg Business. The company has incurred massive debt in order to finance its expansion plans and is in danger of default, according to analyst reports, and its "capital structure remains unsustainable." In addition to putting the brakes on expansion plans, the company has been advised to close some stores outside New York. Known for quality produce and well-curated private brands, Fairway Market stores are seen as perhaps the most representative of New York City when conversations turn to regional grocery loyalties. The gourmet grocery's original store at 74th and Broadway on the Upper West Side, with its cramped-and-bustling atmosphere, is a cult favorite for Manhattanites. The 52,000-square-foot Red Hook location in an historic coffee warehouse, opened in 2006, is credited in part with anchoring that neighborhood's renaissance.
Competition and bad timing

City Living

February 19, 2016

The Bronx Riviera May Rise Again; Have a Rooftop Drink Inside a Giant Bubble

Drink inside a massive bubble at the Hyatt Times Square, the highest rooftop hotel bar in NYC. [Travel + Leisure] Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will commit $10 million to a $40 million restoration of the landmarked, Art Deco Orchard Beach Pavilion, once known as the Bronx Riviera. [Welcome2TheBronx and TRD] A Red Hook artist is training thousands […]

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One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

Williamsburg

Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

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

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February 19, 2016

Morris Adjmi-Designed Commercial Building Coming to Controversial Noho Site

Yesterday, Ironstate Development filed permits to construct a nine-story, 46,000-gross-square-foot office and community facility building at 363 Lafayette Street in Noho. The long-vacant parcel spans the entire block front of Lafayette Street between Bond and Great Jones Streets and sits adjacent to the to the live/work studio of renowned artist Chuck Close at 20 Bond. The Real Deal reported in 2008 that Close filed a lawsuit against the previous property owner, Olmstead Properties, to prevent the construction of an office building that would block the loft building's natural light, which he argued many of the artists inside depend on. But the project seems to be moving ahead.
More details ahead

February 19, 2016

Stained Glass and Pitched Ceilings at This $2.8M Freestanding Victorian in Ditmas Park

This week, 6sqft is digging the freestanding Victorians that make up the Brooklyn neighborhood of Ditmas Park. Who wouldn't, considering how charming the historic homes are, with front porches, lawns and plenty of luxurious space? This Victorian is located at 112 Marlborough Road, within the Prospect Park South enclave of the neighborhood. (It's a historic district that was developed in 1899 by developer Dean Alvord, who purchased 60 acres of farmland to build rus in urbe, "the country in the city.") The historic windows, stained glass and wood floors are still there, and the top-floor bedrooms sit under a pitched roof. But it's also been renovated with recessed lighting, new sconces and pendants, and central AC and heat. It'll cost you $2.825 million for such a lovely home base in Brooklyn.
See more of the interior

Distinctive Homes

February 18, 2016

MAPS: Where to Find the Best Studio Rental Bargains Right Now

Last week we took a look at the lowest priced studio condominiums in Manhattan and northern Brooklyn. Now, here's a glance at the lowest priced rental studio units currently on the market. More than 60 percent of city-dwellers are renters—that's more than double the national average. And with the rental vacancy rate hovering around three percent, it's no surprise NYC is among the most expensive places to rent in the country. The most affordable neighborhood in Manhattan or northern Brooklyn to find a studio rental apartment is Bedford-Stuyvesant, where the median rent is $1,422 per month. Bed-Stuy is then closely followed by Crown Heights and Harlem, with median rents of $1,550 per month. The most expensive neighborhoods to rent in are NoLiTa ($3,848), the Lower East Side ($3,489), and TriBeCa ($3,465). Below you'll find a list of ten of the best individual studio deals on the market right now, and a map showing the studios priced farthest below their neighborhood medians. But move fast because these deals tend to disappear very quickly!
See it all here

Distinctive Homes

February 18, 2016

New Rendering, Details of Brooklyn’s Future Tallest Tower

A little over a month ago, 6sqft learned that Brooklyn’s first 1,000+ foot tower, designed by SHoP Architects, would rise a whopping 1,066 feet, amounting to 556,164 square feet of total space. It all started back in 2014 when developers Michael Stern and Joe Chetrit purchased 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension (a five-story mid-century building that takes up about one third of the triangular site in Downtown Brooklyn) for $46 million with plans to demolish it. Then, in December, they closed on the adjacent Dime Savings Bank building for $90 million, providing 300,000 square feet of air rights needed to construct the 73-story tower. Along with a new rendering, a piece today in the Times reveals some additional details, namely that the supertall will have nearly 500 rental units, at least 20 percent of which will be affordable under the city's 421-a program. But there's one issue that could make things a little complicated...
More on that, here

February 18, 2016

Common’s Shared Living Concept Brings $3,000 Bedrooms to Williamsburg