6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Ikea’s latest Life at Home report focuses on the kitchen. Turns out, 46 percent of New Yorkers cook almost every weekday and 81 percent enjoy the art of cooking. But, no surprise here, we hardly ever eat in our kitchens or dining rooms. [IKEA] Photos of ’90s newsstands show a grittier and cheaper New York City. [Daily Intelligencer] This Saturday […]

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May 13, 2015

POLL: Is the Reign of Whole Foods Coming to an End?

Last week, we learned that Whole Foods is planning to open a cheaper chain of stores, targeting millennials and vying to compete with other affordable stores like Trader Joes. And today, the internet is abuzz with the news that a Wegmans grocery store is coming to the Brooklyn Navy Yards. This northeast chain is popular […]

City Living

May 13, 2015

Jean Nouvel Says He Has ‘No Favorite Color’ at Event Honoring 53W53

Last night, MoMA held an event to honor Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel and his much talked-about project 53W53, which is also known as the MoMA Tower for its location next to the museum and the fact that the institution will occupy three of its lower floors. Furthermore, its developers bought more than 240,000 square feet of development rights from MoMA, as well as the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, for $85.3 million back in September, at which time they also secured a $860 million construction loan for the 1,050-foot asymmetrical tower. And now that construction has moved forward and interior renderings of the condos were revealed, what better time to pat this long-stalled project on the back. The celebration drew a diverse crowd, including Richard Meier, Martha Stewart, and broker to the stars Dolly Lenz. In a Q&A with filmmaker Matthew Tyrnauer, Nouvel discussed his inspiration for the forthcoming project. Dressed in head-to-toe black (down to his socks and tie), he also revealed that he has "no favorite color," according to the Observer.
Find out about Nouvel's inspiration for 53W53 here

May 12, 2015

Go Inside 190 Bowery This Saturday for an Art Opening

More good news from 190 Bowery! After finding out last week that the Landmarks Preservation Commission-approved plans for the building include keeping its iconic graffiti, we've now gotten word that the storied structure will open its doors to the public this Saturday evening, May 16, for an art opening. The Lo-Down reports that Aby Rosen, the developer who bought the building for $55 million last fall and who is also an avid art collector, is hosting an art opening on the ground-floor in collaboration with curator and art dealer Vito Schnabel. The event runs from 5 to 8pm, plenty of time to take a look around the historic former Germania Bank Building.
More details ahead

The Nordstrom Tower Will Not Be Taller than 1 World Trade Center, Says Developer Gary Barnett

Rendering of the tower NY Yimby

May 12, 2015

The Nordstrom Tower Will Not Be Taller than 1 World Trade Center, Says Developer Gary Barnett

Yesterday, new details on Extell's Nordstrom Tower were leaked, stating that the tower's height had been stretched 20 feet to trump the One World Trade Center. But it looks like the news was all fodder as Extell Development boss Gary Barnett has stepped out denying that his supertall slated for 217 West 57th Street will reach such heights. The NY Post spoke with Barnett late yesterday and the developer told the paper that the tower “will categorically not be taller than One World Trade Center.” Barnett clarified that the building will reach 1,775 feet (with its spire) as planned, which is just one foot shorter than the One World Trade Center.
More on what Barnett had to say

May 12, 2015

If Robert Moses Visited NYC Today, Here’s Where We’d Take Him

If you have even the slightest interest in architecture, urban planning, and NYC history, you know Robert Moses. Unforgettably profiled as the "Power Broker" by Robert Caro, Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York and its environs. He was a larger-than-life character who had very set ways of approaching urban design. He advocated for highways over public transportation (he built 13 expressways through NYC), dense housing towers over low-scale neighborhoods, and communities segregated by race and class over organic, mixed-demographic areas. Of course, there are plenty of much-loved aspects of the city that also came from Moses–Jones Beach, the United Nations, and ten public swimming pools like the one in McCarren Park. Regardless of your feelings on Robert Moses, though, we can all agree that the city would not be the same without him. But a lot has changed since he lost his post as director of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority in the mid 1960s and even more so since he passed away in 1981. So we can't help but wonder what he would think of our fair city in 2015. To have a little fun, we planned a present-day tour for the ghost of Robert Moses.
See where we'd take the Power Broker here

May 12, 2015

19th Century Bed-Stuy Townhouse on ‘Doctors Row’ Is Swimming in Wood Details

When you're lucky enough to come across a gorgeous older home that has been lovingly restored like this eight-bedroom home at 126 Hancock Street, you grab your broker and run like the wind to claim it. And you just might do so after you've had a look at this brownstone. This stunning home was originally built in 1883 by architect Isaac D. Reynolds and has been carefully restored to its original glory by a team of interior designers from Pure Interior Design of New York. After this group was finished shining this baby up like a brand-new penny, we were left with a stunning home with all the modern updates, asking $3.195 million.
More pics inside

May 12, 2015

Brooklyn Bazaar to be Replaced by BMW Dealership; Affordable Hell’s Kitchen Apartments Start at $868/Month

Long Island City’s clock tower has been named a historic landmark. [Curbed] Brooklyn’s night bazaar is being replaced by a BMW dealership. [Gothamist] There are now a million rooms available on Airbnb. [NYT] Can scaffolding be beautiful? You be the judge. [Untapped] Rent in Hell’s Kitchen’s luxurious Sky building for as little as $868 a […]

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

Asking $5.3M, the elusive Williamsburg townhouse is here, renovated and party-ready

Asking $800K, this notable modern Princeton home once belonged to Joyce Carol Oates

Behind this $9.9M Chelsea townhouse, a secret path leads to a backyard carriage house

This $6.5M triple-bay brownstone is ready for instant Park Slope living

Asking $20M, a university president's Greenwich Village residence enters a new chapter

At former Streit's Matzo Factory, a Lower East Side penthouse with two terraces asks $4.35M

This compact $2M Red Hook home embodies the neighborhood's unique, inventive spirit

For $2.95M, this parlor floor Chelsea co-op has brownstone charm and a private terrace

Double turreted condo in a Central Park West castle is a quirky NYC dream home for $10.5M

$450K Hell's Kitchen studio is a cozy refuge in the middle of Manhattan

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NYC’s 1940s ‘Dream Airport’ Would Have Been on a Giant Midtown Rooftop

Manhattan Airport image via Archidose

May 12, 2015

NYC’s 1940s ‘Dream Airport’ Would Have Been on a Giant Midtown Rooftop

Imagine never having to sit in hours of traffic heading to JFK or enduring all the local stops on the 7 line trying to get to LaGuardia? Your dreams almost came true in 1946 with the proposed 990-acre Manhattan Airport, which would have "stretched 144 blocks from 24th to 71st Streets and 9th Ave to the Hudson River at 200 feet above street level," according to Untapped. The idea of real-estate mogul William Zeckendorf, who owned the Chrysler Building and Astor Hotel, the airport would have cost a whopping $3 billion, a staggering sum in the 1940s, which was planned to be paid off in 55 years from rental income.
More on NYC's Manhattan Airport

May 12, 2015

Travelbox Is a Compact Hotel That Weighs Only 132 Pounds

Want to get away this summer, but don't have the bucks to throw down for a hotel? Consider Travelbox. The compact, lightweight (at 132 pounds it weighs less than the average person) structure has everything you need to comfortably travel on a budget. Designed by the architects of Austrian firm Juust, Travelbox contains a bike, bed, table, chair, and storage, all of which fit into its contemporary wood and aluminum-clad frame that measures just 6.8 feet long, 4 feet high, and 1.3 feet wide.
More on Travelbox here

May 12, 2015

Cozy Gramercy Park Co-Op Comes with Its Own Private Garden and Koi Pond

It's unusual for a small apartment to come with such a big private outdoor space, but that's the case at this one-bedroom co-op apartment up for sale at 22 Irving Place. This Gramercy Park pad is cute on the inside, but even better with its 500-square-foot garden. Not only is it beautifully landscaped, with enough space for a table and barbecue, it's also got its very own koi pond. How much for this little oasis in one of the most desirable neighborhoods of Manhattan? $999,000.
See the rest of the interior here

Distinctive Homes

May 12, 2015

New App Gives Real-Time Subway Locations; Don’t Trip on the Met’s New Rooftop Installation

LiveTrain NYC maps eight subway lines using actual train location data from the MTA. [CityLab] Researching the history of your Brooklyn brownstone? Here’s how to find the original blueprints. [Brownstoner] Tribeca’s AT&T Long Lines Building was constructed to withstand a nuclear blast and be self-sufficient for two weeks. [Ephemeral NY] In honor of Bike to […]

Uncategorized

The LES Site of 90-Year-Old Streit’s Matzo Factory Sells for $30.5 Million

Image by Leo London/Flickr

May 12, 2015

The LES Site of 90-Year-Old Streit’s Matzo Factory Sells for $30.5 Million

When word hit that the Lower East Side's Streit's Matzo Factory would be shuttering, it was sad news not only for longtime residents in the neighborhood, but a horror for New Yorkers worried about the city's transformation into a sea of characterless new constructions. The Real Deal now reports that the site of the historic institution has officially changed hands, closing yesterday for $30.5 million. According to city records, Midtown developer Cogswell Realty is the new owner of the four-building property which totals 50,000 square feet.
So, what's next for this site?

Nordstrom Tower Adds 20 Feet to Become the Tallest Building in NYC and Western Hemisphere

Rendering of the tower at its new height by NY Yimby

May 11, 2015

Nordstrom Tower Adds 20 Feet to Become the Tallest Building in NYC and Western Hemisphere

One World Trade Center's claim to the title as the city's tallest building could soon be nil. NY Yimby reports that the ultra-super-tall Nordstrom Tower at 217 West 57th Street has experienced a growth spurt that's pushed its already jaw-dropping height from 1,775 to 1,795-feet. Though the addition of 20 feet seems insignificant for a skyscraper of such size, the consequences are not: The tower will now not only be the tallest building in the city (19 feet higher than 1 WTC) when completed, but also the tallest in the U.S. and the western hemisphere.
FInd out more here

May 11, 2015

It’s Hard to Pick a Favorite Apartment at This Double Duplex in Boerum Hill

When it comes to multi-family townhouses, it's typical that the owner's floors look a whole lot more desirable than the units that will be listed for rent. Not so at this Boerum Hill townhouse at 355 Pacific Street. The house has undergone a renovation resulting in two very lovely duplex apartments. Picking favorites is going to be a lot harder than the new owner might expect. For the whole 3,440-square-foot property, it's asking $4.595 million.
See both duplex units after the jump

Distinctive Homes

May 11, 2015

Charting the Property Taxes of the City’s 10 Most Expensive Apartments

Back in March, we learned that the owner of the $100 million apartment at One57 (the most expensive sale ever in the city) pays only $17,268 in annual property taxes– "or 0.017 percent of its sale price, as if it were worth only $6.5 million," as we noted. "In contrast, the owner of a $1.02 million condo nearby at 224 East 52nd Street is paying $24,279, or 2.38 percent of its sale price." Why does this happen? It's in part due to the 421-a program, which offers tax breaks for the inclusion of affordable housing and "lowers the billable-assessed value of a property to incentivize real-estate development," according to CityLab. It's also thanks to the city's haphazard system for assessing market values of condos and co-ops. In response to this growing issue of inequality, Mayor de Blasio announced just last week that he hopes to end 421-a for condos, as well as implement an even stricter mansion tax. To make the issue a bit more black-and-white, CityLab has put together two charts that show just how disproportionate the actual value of the city's ten most-expensive apartments is compared with their property taxes. As they note, "In NYC, billionaires pay 1/100th the average property-tax rate."
Find out more here

May 11, 2015

One WTC’s Elevator Descent Will Fly You Through FiDi; Starbucks Is Coming to Bushwick

Construction may be booming, but there is a record shortage of homes on the market. The low inventory is causing prices to jump and making it harder for folks to move to, let along buy in, New York. [Crain’s] Eight of the ten “Broken Angel” condos are in contract after launching sales less than a […]

Real Estate Trends

Louvered ‘Shore House’ Is a Contemporary Beauty Along the Amagansett Coast

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Let's shake off our winter blues by delving into this this stunning two-level home located just steps away from the sea. The Shore House, designed by Bridgehampton-based Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, is an elegant weekend retreat located in Amagansett in the Hamptons. Though the structure is very modern in form, according to the architects it was actually designed to bring up memories of summer camp at the beach. Was your summer camp anything like this?
Learn more about this seaside 2-levels property

The Whitney Bag: Renzo Piano Designs a Purse to Go with His New Museum

The Whitney Bag via Max Mara (L); The new Whitney Museum via 6sqft (R)

May 11, 2015

The Whitney Bag: Renzo Piano Designs a Purse to Go with His New Museum

The architecture world has been pretty "meh" on Renzo Piano's new $422 million Whitney Museum, neither loving nor hating the patchwork of shapes and angles. But if the starchitect is hoping for a more glowing design review, he still has a chance with the fashion world. Piano has designed the Whitney bag, "directly inspired by the pure design and sophisticated materials of the new Whitney Museum of American Art," for Italian fashion house Max Mara.
Find out more about this architecturally inspired collaboration

May 11, 2015

VIDEO: Starchitect Norman Foster Offers Up Some Sage Career Advice

Do what you love. We've all heard it before, but for some reason it seems so much more poignant coming from the mouth of starchitect Norman Foster. In this latest installment of the Louisiana Channel, Marc-Christoph Wagner meets up with Foster in his Geneva home to get some career insight from the icon. Though Foster's worlds are for those in the art and architecture professions, his passion and words can certainly be carried across the spectrum.
Watch the video here

Architecture And Design

May 11, 2015

The World Mapped as Pop Art; How the Park Avenue Tulips Get Planted

Take a photo tour of the Croton Water Plant, which is expected to treat about 290 million gallons of water a day. [Gothamist] Roy Lichtenstein meets cartography… check out these graphic world maps that were inspired by the iconic pop artist. [CityLab] “You agree to go to Smorgasburg, then spend the entire afternoon complaining about the crowds.” […]

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May 11, 2015

Geraldo Rivera Buys $5.6M Condo, His Second Purchase in UES Building

By Annie Doge

Despite a string of recent on-air comments that were controversial to say the least, Geraldo Rivera is still movin' on up. The news personality, along with his wife Erica, just nabbed a $5.6 million condo on the 40th floor of 45 East 89th Street according to city records released today. This is the couple's second purchase in the massive Upper East Side building; they bought a 36th floor unit for $3.4 million in 2011. Geraldo's latest acquisition is a four-bedroom, 2,500-square-foot pad with remarkable Central Park views.
Take a look around here

May 11, 2015

Rock Out Like Mozart in This Hip but Historic Bed-Stuy Crib

Original details like decorative fireplaces, wood moldings and pocket doors await you at this $1.85 million Bed-Stuy residence at 349 Hancock Street. This 3,104-square-foot home was built in 1900 and sits on an 18 x 100-foot lot. It is currently divided into an owner's triplex over a garden apartment—and there's even a cool room for your drum set.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 10, 2015

$13M Tudor Revival Mansion on Lake George Has Historic Connection to Brooklyn

Lake George, New York is about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Brooklyn, but this stunning upstate mansion has an interesting connection to the borough. Known as Wikiosco, which means "home on beautiful waters" in Algonquin, the Tudor Revival-style residence was built in 1895 for Royal C. Peabody, founder of Brooklyn Con Edison. It was designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Ludlow and Peabody; architect Charles S. Peabody was Royal's son. Our friends at Find Everything Historic noticed that Wikiosco is on the market, asking $12.9 million. And considering that a 25-foot-wide Brooklyn brownstone often goes for far more than that, we think this seven-bedroom, 20,000-square-foot mansion is the perfect getaway home for one lucky New Yorker. Not only is it one of the last intact 20th century mansions along Lake George's western shore (which is known as Millionaire's Row), but it boasts a 4,000 bottle wine cellar, 12-car garage, two covered boathouses, and a heated outdoor pool.
Find out more about this storied home

May 9, 2015

May Design Agenda: 6sqft’s Guide to Navigating NYCxDesign Week

By Michelle Cohen

NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s official celebration of all things design, hits town from May 8–19, 2015. Home to more designers than any other US metro area, NYC is one of the world’s design capitals. Now in its third year, NYCxDESIGN spotlights the city’s diverse design community and its contributions to our economy and everyday life and increases awareness of and appreciation for design with a collaborative mix of cultural and commercial offerings. The seemingly endless program lineup offers exhibitions, installations, trade shows, talks, launches, open studios and receptions all across the city to celebrate the efforts of everyone from students to stars of the local and international design community. This year will see hundreds of events covering topics from graphic design to architecture, technology and urban design to fashion and product design, interiors to landscape, furniture to design thinking and more. It will be hard to head in any direction and not stumble into a design-related event, but we've compiled a guide to a few of the top collaborative efforts and highlighted some of our picks.
Check out our Design Week picks, this way

May 9, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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

New York Times Columnist Frank Bruni Nabs a Broadway Corridor Pad for $1.65M New Renzo Piano-Designed Residential Tower to Rise in Soho Amy Poehler and Will Arnett’s Former West Village Home Asks $10 Million Gowanus Brownstone Has an Inhabitable Blob in Its Living Room VIDEO: Bjarke Ingels Takes Us Through His 57th Street Pyramid ‘Courtscraper’ […]

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THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

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

10 Ways to Decorate an Exposed Brick Wall Without Drilling

10 Great Places to Buy Affordable Art in New York City

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May 8, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Brian and Andy Marcus Carry On a Three-Generation Photography Tradition

By Susan Cohen

May marks the beginning of wedding season, and for many of us that means attending multiple affairs in a short time frame. For father-and-son photography duo Andy and Brian Marcus, multiple is an understatement. Between now and November, they'll be watching many brides walk down the aisle, they'll capture that moment when grandma goes wild on the dance floor, and most importantly, they'll document those romantic glances between the newlyweds. The Marcus men are carrying on a photography legacy started by Fred Marcus, Andy's father and Brian's grandfather, who opened Fred Marcus Studio in 1941 on the Upper West Side. What began as a small photography studio has grown extensively over the years, becoming not only a sought-after company for baby, bar and bat mitzvah, engagement, and wedding photography, but also a tradition in many New York families. Andy grew up around the studio, began working there after college with his father Fred, and later took over the business. Brian, who's beginning to take over from Andy, is not only carrying on a family business, but doing so at a time when few young people can say they work at a business their grandfather started. The family-oriented nature of the business extends to the clients; it's not uncommon for the Marcus men to have photographed the grandparents' wedding, then their children's milestones, and now their grandchildren. We recently stopped by the studio and spoke to Andy and Brian about carrying on a family legacy and what it takes to capture all the excitement and intimacy of a wedding.
Hear all about life at Fred Marcus Studio here

May 8, 2015

Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks Buys $1.16M Midtown Pad That’s Anything but Modern

By Annie Doge

We don't think the uber-chic, ever-polished Joan Harris would approve of this pretty basic, slightly cluttered midtown apartment that her real-life counterpart Christina Hendricks just picked up, but seeing that the actress is so well known for her timeless fashion sense, we think she'll turn it into her very own glam pad in no time. The Daily News reports that Hendricks and her husband, actor Geoffrey Arend, bought the one-bedroom unit at the Parc Vendome at 353 West 56th Street for $1.16 million. The timing makes sense, as "Mad Men," which films in Los Angeles, is airing its series finale in just a couple weeks.
Take a look around the home here

May 8, 2015

C.P.H. Gilbert-Designed Park Slope Brownstone Retains All of Its Historic Splendor

If you're looking for the epitome of the Park Slope brownstone, look no further than this home on the market at 315 Garfield Place. Located within the neighborhood historic district and just half a block from Prospect Park, the property, built in 1892, is striking both inside and out. It was designed by the famous Brooklyn architect C.P.H. Gilbert, and the listing claims that there have only been three owners in its entire history. The asking price comes in just under $12 million.
Tour the interior here

May 8, 2015

Brooklyn Family Makes Space for New Baby with Floating Bedroom by Barker Freeman

By Patty Lee

Making room for growing families is not as easy as it sounds in a city like New York, especially not without making a sacrifice or two when it comes to space. That was exactly what the owners of this lofty Brooklyn apartment wanted to avoid when they enlisted the architects at Barker Freeman to add an extra bedroom.
Take a look at Barker Freeman's creative solution

Distinctive Homes

May 8, 2015

Stephan Siepermann Redesigns the Classic Locker Using Oak Wood

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Sometimes there's no need to re-invent the wheel when you're working with a classic. But if you just can't help adding your signature touch, you can always keep a tried-and-true form and change the material, just like Stephan Siepermann did with Locky. The German creator crafted a version of the classic steel locker entirely from wood, translating all the little details like hooks, vents, and slots into the warmer material, creating a new design that's more stylish, but just as functional as the traditional metal model.
Learn more about this classic with a wooden twist

LES Sunshine Cinema Gets Shopped Around as $35M Development Site

Image via Cinema Treasures

May 8, 2015

LES Sunshine Cinema Gets Shopped Around as $35M Development Site

The Sunshine Cinema at 139-143 East Houston Street has been a neighborhood staple since it was built in 1898, but that soon may change, according to The Real Deal. First serving as an anchor for the Lower East Side's Yiddish theater community, and now as a favorite spot for "art-house movie buffs and devotees of late-night cult flicks," the theater is now being shopped around to developers for upwards of $35 million. This comes on the heels of a 2012 request by Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner of L.A.-based Landmark Theatres, the cinema's operator, for a liquor license to turn the location into a dinner-and-drinks theater like Williamsburg's Nitehawk Cinema. Community Board 3, however, denied the application, despite Landmark's claims that they couldn't maintain the Sunshine due to rising rents.
More details ahead

New Developments

May 8, 2015

The Forgotten Old New Utrecht Cemetery; Brooklyn Radio Station Operates out of a Shipping Container

New York is by far the most wasteful megacity in the world. [Motherboard] Walking through Bensonhurst’s forgotten Old New Utrecht Cemetery, which dates back to the 1600s. [Bensonhurst Bean] The second location of By Brooklyn, a shop selling only goods made in the branded borough, opens in Williamsburg. [DNAinfo] Win a chance to take a […]

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May 8, 2015

Brooklyn Buyers Sell Off Their Homes and Head Back to a Cheaper Manhattan

Brooklyn has long been thought of the place to find great deals, but increasing interest in the borough has also brought with it an increase prices across the board. A story published today by the Times takes a look at the shift back to Manhattan as the "better value" for buyers and renters. Although the median price in the city does remain higher than Brooklyn—$970,000 versus $610,894—northern neighborhoods like Washington Heights, Inwood and Morningside Heights do provide a much cheaper alternative to coveted neighborhoods like DUMBO and Boerum Hill. But is the offer really worth the move?
More on the shift here

Uncategorized

May 8, 2015

Classic Soho Loft Features Two Art Studios and a Unique Lofted Bedroom

Let's be honest. When you think of New York living, the name Soho comes up a lot. And when you think of Soho, you think of the perfect loft. Well, this $13,500-a-month rental may just check all the boxes on your wish list. We're talking 4,200 square feet of open space with the coveted sky-high ceilings, whitewashed exposed brick, hardwood floors, and oversized windows. Plus, a perfectly situated mezzanine maximizes the space and houses one of the home's two bedroom suites. Let's take a look.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

To Increase Affordability, Mayor de Blasio Wants to End 421-a for Condos and Up the Mansion Tax

Mayor de Blasio via @KevinCase via photopin cc; One57 © Wade Zimmerman courtesy of Agence Christian de Portzamparc (ACDP)

May 7, 2015

To Increase Affordability, Mayor de Blasio Wants to End 421-a for Condos and Up the Mansion Tax

From the onset, Mayor de Blasio has been extremely vocal about his plan to add 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years, 80,000 of which will be new construction. Though many feel this is an arbitrary number, backed up by no data as to where the units will be, the Mayor seems committed to reforming current policies to reach his goal. And after months of speculation, he has revealed his planned changes to the city's 421-a tax incentive program, which is set to expire in June. According to the Times, under his proposal, the controversial tax would no longer apply to condo projects (to understand the logic behind this decision just look at the $100 million sale at One57 that received the tax abatement). But it would apply to new rental projects, which would have to have apartments for poor and working-class residents make up 20 to 30 percent of the building in order to qualify for city tax breaks. It would also extend the abatement from 25 years to 35 years. Another part of the overhaul is to eliminate so-called poor doors. De Blasio also wants to up the city's mansion tax. Currently, home sales over $1 million are subject to a 1 percent tax, but de Blasio proposes adding an additional 1 percent tax for sales over $1.75 million, as well as a third 1.5 percent tax for sales over $5 million. He estimates this will bring in an extra $200 million a year in tax revenue, money that would be allocated to affordable housing programs.
More details ahead

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 5/7-5/13

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, beginning tonight.

May 7, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 5/7-5/13

By Lori Zimmer

This week is a bit heavy on the arty side, kicking off with an opening on the Lower East Side with a ridiculously long name, or one involving smashing plates in Chelsea. Hunt for new talent at Parsons' MFA Thesis exhibition, school yourself with a gallery talk with Rivane Neuenschwander, or support a great cause (and see some great art) at Swoon's Heliotrope Foundation benefit. To satisfy your design tooth, this weekend is all about Brooklyn, as BKYLN DESIGNS hits the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. But you can travel back in time at the week's end by celebrating the Van Alen Institute at a Beaux Arts gem, the Surrogate's Courthouse.
All the best events here

May 7, 2015

Combine Life, Work and Sleep in a 7x7x7-Foot Catch-All Pod

As New Yorkers we're used to multi-tasking; we eat while we work, we text while we walk, check our e-mail while we brush out teeth. So why not bring all of our urban dweller idiosyncrasies under one very, very small roof? The creation of Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, this tiny 7x7x7-foot pod is actually a space designed for young entrepreneurs who can't turn it off. But given the habits of most of New York's labor force (yes, you), and the fact most of us are used to squeezing into smaller than average quarters, this petite pod could prove a boon to the work-obsessed—or what finally pushes them over the edge.
Find out more here

May 7, 2015

This Williamsburg Townhouse Is Giving Off Hipster Vibes

A townhouse on the market is pretty rare in Williamsburg—this is the neighborhood better known for loft apartments and waterfront condos. But this single-family townhouse at 296 Manhattan Avenue is now on the rental market for $13,995 a month. It has been designed with the hipster in mind, with plenty of exposed brick, wooden ceiling beams, and even "locally sourced" hardwood floors.
Check out the rest of the cool interior after the jump

Distinctive Homes

May 7, 2015

WTC Transportation Hub Opens Next Month; Live in Anne Hathaway’s Old Midtown Apartment

Anne Hathaway‘s former Midtown condo is now up for rent. [NYP; listing] The Santiago Calatrava-designed WTC transportation hub will open next month. [NYT] And… here’s a first look inside the hub. [Tribeca Citizen] Forget Midtown, more and more offices are looking to Brooklyn. [TRD] Nope, that $1,795 one-bedroom with the shower in the kitchen still […]

Real Estate Trends

VIDEO: Bjarke Ingels Takes Us Through His 57th Street Pyramid ‘Courtscraper’

Photo by Field Condition

May 7, 2015

VIDEO: Bjarke Ingels Takes Us Through His 57th Street Pyramid ‘Courtscraper’

Even though big dreamer and BIG architect Bjarke Ingels's 57th Street pyramid was recently christened a less-than-desirable "Via" by its developer, Ingels and his team have given the building a moniker of their own, nicknaming it "courtscraper." In this video produced by Bloomberg, the architect takes us inside his 625 West 57th Street project, which he describes as "the lovechild of a courtyard building and a skyscraper."
Watch the video here

May 7, 2015

$13M Madison Avenue Condo Will Have One of the City’s Largest Private Pools

Now that $1 million parking spots are the new norm and luxury apartment buildings are all but expected to offer outrageous amenities like vitamin C-infused showers, pet spas, and bowling alleys, developers have to get creative with their over-the-top offerings. So, how about a private swimming pool one-third the length of an Olympic pool? According to the Daily News, that's exactly what's up for grabs at newcomer 172 Madison Avenue. "It’s the Pacific Ocean compared to the wading pools in even the fanciest new condo buildings," says the paper, and that's certainly true considering it will be 50 feet long.
More here

May 7, 2015

Organize Your Music by City with Spotimap

Next time you really feel like getting in that "New York State of Mind," just organize your playlist to include only NYC-centric songs. This would normally be an arduous task, but thanks to a new Spotify-based mapping program called Spotimap, you can sort and stream music relevant to a specific city simply by clicking on it, marked by a green musical note, on a map. As CityLab reports, once a user clicks a city, a list of songs about that place will pop up based on this highly detailed Wikipedia list. For New York, the map offers 2,707 songs about the city, sorted in alphabetical order.
Find out more here

Policy

May 7, 2015

Business Owners Get Creative with Scaffolding; A 1,000-Foot Water Slide May Come to NYC

Here is the perfect place for obnoxious foodie Instagrammers. [Fast Co. Design] Small business owners on the UWS aren’t letting unsightly scaffolding get in their way. They’re decking the sidewalk sheds out in flowers and balloons and even hanging colorful umbrellas from them. [DNAinfo] Urban water slide company Slide the City is looking to bring […]

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Brooklyn Point

138 Willoughby Street

Downtown Brooklyn

America's highest infinity pool + 25-year tax abatement

Studios starting at $985,000
1 beds starting at $1,200,000
2 beds starting at $1,885,000
3 beds starting at $2,700,000

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May 7, 2015

Former Beekman Home of CBS Founder Lowers Price to $37.5M

This palatial Beekman Place mansion, designed by Eldridge Snyder, has served as a domicile to the head of CBS and to the shah of Iran's twin sister. The majestic home stands eight levels tall, with eight to ten bedrooms covering 10,500 square feet. Unfortunately, the home has had a visit from the price chopper, falling from an initial asking of $49.9 million in February 2014 to a current asking of a much lower $37.5 million.
More pics inside

May 6, 2015

Gorgeous West Village Carriage House Boasts a Lovable Interior with Lots of Wood

New York City carriage homes tend to be lovable pieces of real estate, and we're totally swooning over this one at 29 Downing Street in the West Village (h/t Curbed). It was built in 1829 and has been owned by two artists, John Bennett and Karen Lee Grant, for the last 40 years. According to the listing, upon purchasing this building it only "had one light bulb on each level, no bathroom, and only a sprocket for water." The owners transformed it into a truly spectacular residence and artist studio that is now asking $13 million. The listing calls it "a completely unique piece of art," and "one of Manhattan's certified treasures."
Tour the interior here

Distinctive Homes

May 6, 2015

New Renzo Piano-Designed Residential Tower to Rise in Soho

Renzo Piano's versatility continues to win the hearts of NYC developers, and it looks like the starchitect is finally getting his chance to flex his muscle in the residential realm. The Post reports that Piano—who just cut the ribbon to the new Whitney to rave reviews—has been chosen by Michael Shvo and Bizzi & Partners to design a brand new 290-foot tower at 100 Varick Street in up-and-coming Hudson Square bordering Soho.
FInd out more here

May 6, 2015

Gowanus Brownstone Has an Inhabitable Blob in Its Living Room

During the mid-'90s and early 2000s, blobitecture was all the rage. But it didn't take very long for the trend to fall out of favor—because at the end of the day you can't really build a city full of blobby buildings. But it looks like the movement just might be seeing a second life within residential design. In this 2014 renovation by RAAD Studio, the architects transformed the innards of a historic brownstone on the border of Gowanus and Carroll Gardens into an ultra-modern space with clean lines, sleek surfaces, and most notably, an amoeba-like sculpture growing out of the living room wall.
Have a closer look inside the home here

May 6, 2015

Billionaire Carlos Slim Looks to Break Record for Priciest Townhouse Ever Sold with $80M Ask