6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

When 6sqft became aware last February of the most expensive one-bedroom rental listing in the city, a $300,000 a month 1,200-square-foot (nope, we didn't forget a zero) penthouse atop the Surrey Hotel at 20 East 76th Street on the Upper East Side, we asked cheekily, "Why buy a $3.6 million dollar home when you can pay the same amount of money to live in a modest one-bedroom for a year?" Now that the unit–still on the market though with a fresh new broker–has gotten a hefty haircut of $225,000, it looks in comparison like a straight-up bargain at less than a million a year. So what are we getting for the still-significant monthly outlay?
Let's see what the fuss is about

Distinctive Homes

December 2, 2015

Revealed: See the Insanely Luxurious Amenities Inside Extell’s Controversial 80-Story LES Tower

Extell hasn't been making many friends with its new tower currently on the rise at 250 South Street, right next to the Manhattan Bridge. But even with hordes of locals cursing the mega-sized 80-story tower, Extell seems unfazed by the hate. Not only have they been unwavering about the development's 850-foot out-of-context height (the Manhattan Bridge is only 330 feet tall, mind you), the developer also has little interest in selling any units to anyone stateside, instead marketing their condos first to Asian buyers. Now, The Lo-Down has gotten their hands on the brochure that's being sent to Asia's wealthiest, an 88-pager revealing fancy apartment interiors and all of the "over-the-top" amenities that will fill the building, including things like a 70-seat movie theater, a tree house, a tea pavilion, a putting green, a sunken tranquility garden, a bowling alley, 75-foot indoor pool, a dog spa, a cellar bar...As written in the packet: "One Manhattan Square will redefine downtown luxury living."
Images inside the the tower here

December 2, 2015

Supermodel Irina Shayk Lists Mod West Village Condo With Massive Shoe Closet for $4M

By Annie Doge

It looks like Sports Illustrated supermodel Irina Shayk and boyfriend Bradley Cooper may be shacking up. The Observer reports that the Russian-born beauty has listed her modern apartment at 166 Perry Street in the West Village for $3,995,000. She bought the 2,462-square-foot duplex for $1.96 million back in 2010 when she was dating soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, but now she'll likely be joining Cooper on his house hunt. He most recently scoped out a sprawling $8.5 million spread at the Hubert in Tribeca, which, although quite attractive, lacks the massive shoe closet (and hidden stripper pole!) that Shayk currently has.
Check it out

December 2, 2015

Living Near a Subway May Be Good for Your Mental Health; The Majority of NY Airbnbs Are Probably Illegal

According to a new study, it is likely that more than half of Airbnb’s NYC rentals violate short-term leasing laws. [NYP] Here are the best NYC neighborhoods for freshly graduated young professionals. [BI] A new study suggests that living close to public transportation “could contribute to reduced risk of depression.” [CityLab] Digesting Mayor de Blasio’s plan […]

Real Estate Trends

December 2, 2015

Kuiper Belt Planter’s Design Is Dedicated to Undiscovered Life Forms

By Rebecca Paul

From Russian designer Katerina Kopytina this series of hanging pots was designed as a dedication to the life forms still waiting to be discovered. The series is entitled "Kuiper Belt" and is named after the part of the solar system, which when discovered, was responsible for Pluto losing its status as a planet. Each pot represents a new form of life denoted by its symbol found on the bottom of the pot.
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Sony Tower Conversion to Get 113 Robert A.M. Stern-Designed Condos

550 Madison rendering via Dbox

December 2, 2015

Sony Tower Conversion to Get 113 Robert A.M. Stern-Designed Condos

Curbed spotted the freshly launched teaser site for the Chetrit Group's Sony Tower conversion, now going by the name 550 Madison, which revealed several new details about the project. The most notable is that Robert A.M. Stern will be designing the "opulent" condos, and we assume this includes the $150 million triplex penthouse. Interestingly, Stern was once a student of Philip Johnson, who is responsible for the ground-breaking Sony Building. In all, there will be 113 condo units on floors 21-43, up from the previously reported 96, as well as a 170-key luxury Parisian hotel and high-end ground-floor retail.
More details this way

December 2, 2015

This Sun-Filled Upper East Side Townhouse Triplex Is $35K a Month–Classy Furniture Included

This three-story 1890 townhouse at 53 East 75th Street fits in perfectly with its neighbors on a classically elegant Upper East Side street just two blocks from Central Park. On the rental market for $35,000 a month, this tony triplex gives you over 4,000 square feet of living space, including an elevator and plenty of windows and sunlight, particularly from the kitchen's wall of solarium windows–great for soaking up rays on winter days.
Explore all three floors

Distinctive Homes

December 2, 2015

Pay-Per-Minute Dog ‘Parking’; Light a Candle That Smells Like BBQ Chips

You can now pay to “park” your dog thanks to these sidewalk dog kennels popping up in Brooklyn. [NYP] Meet the fleet of historic ships docked in Brooklyn. [CityLab] The FDR Drive’s first repaving in 50 years is complete. [NYT] Pringles (yes, the potato chips) have released a trio of candle scents — Pigs in Blankets, […]

Uncategorized

Distinctive Homes

Once a parking garage, this $85M Village penthouse is now in line to break neighborhood sales records

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

Asking $2.8M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse looks like a good place to spend a sunny afternoon

Location, location, location–and a pretty renovation–make up for square footage in this $620K East Village co-op

For $2.2M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse has three levels of outdoor space

From cozy to bold, this $10M Soho condo embodies post-loft luxury

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

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

This $3.5M Noho co-op remembers the origins of loft living

Live in a former Park Slope bank for $5.5M

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December 2, 2015

POLL: Are You a Lucky 212 Area Code Holder?

Come spring of 2017, there will be a new Manhattan area code in town. In addition to 212, 917, and 646, the city will now have 332. The news reignites the strange, only-in-New-York nostalgia and prestige that goes along with a 212 phone number, the original NYC area code. As 6sqft previously described, there are […]

City Living

December 2, 2015

‘Today’ Show Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer Lists Her Upper West Side Co-op for $862,000

Dylan Dreyer, who you can see giving the weather report on the "Today" show, is selling her cute Upper West Side co-op at 107 West 82nd Street. The weather woman moved in with her husband, "Nightly News" cameraman Brian Fichera, after they got hitched in 2012. And it seems like she really enjoyed this pad–she has told the "Today" show that "I love that the kitchen is open to the rest of the living space” when offering a tour of her apartment. But she's looking for a nice profit, listing it for $862,000 after buying for $580,000. This is a pretty standard one-bedroom, one-bathroom, with an open kitchen that looks out onto the open living and dining area. It's located in the Broadway Corridor of the Upper West Side, as part of a 58-unit co-op over three different brownstone buildings.
See more

December 1, 2015

Tribeca ‘Inverted Warehouse Townhouse’ of Concrete, Glass and Corten Steel Asks $20M

Behind the unassuming facade of an 1890s Tribeca warehouse at 75 Warren Street (once home to the Rumsey Pump & Machine Co.), this five-story, 10,000-square-foot modern-industrial home is the kind of townhouse you don't see every day, at any price. Introduced as "the most architecturally significant townhome to come to market downtown in over 20 years," this unique residence saw a complete redesign by innovative architecture firm Dean/Wolf, known for their ability to use architectural constraints as powerful generators of form, that took five years and a budget of $4.5 million. The house departs from the more commonly seen eight-figure townhomes and penthouses in two main ways. First is the inverted layout and second, the designers used innovative forms like Corten (weathering) steel panels, hung and layered with frameless art glass that floats through three floors, illuminating unexpected places; a glass-wrapped courtyard/terrace at the home's core that becomes a prism; a 23-foot skylit ceiling; and double-story bookshelves that hang into the den from the fourth floor.
See all this and more

December 1, 2015

NYC Dominates the Country in $10 Million-Plus Sales, See Them All on 6sqft’s Interactive Map

In October, Coldwell Banker Previews International released their semi-annual report tracking the real estate trends and market activity in U.S. cities that attract the largest share of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). Unsurprisingly, New York City leads the lists of most closings recorded and listings on the market priced above $1 million, $5 million, and $10 million between the one-year period of July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. More astounding, however, is that the number of closings recorded in the city above the $10 million price point is more than the sum of all deals in the next 19 cities on the list combined. According to the study, NYC raked in 217 residential closings of $10 million or more, followed by Beverly Hills and Los Angeles with 34 each. New York again leads the way with 367 listings priced at $10 million or more, followed by Miami Beach, Aspen, and Los Angeles. Regarding New York City, historical data from CityRealty tallies up a slightly higher number of $10 million+ closings over the same time period, totaling 241 such deals. The recently crowned most expensive building in the city, One57, garnered the greatest number of $10M-plus sales for a single building with a remarkable 30 deals -- which by itself is more than all cities in the country aside from the top three. The supertall tower was then followed by a three-way tie between 15 Central Park West, One Madison, and the Walker Tower.
Explore the $10M+ closings and listings on 6sqft's interactive map

Real Estate Trends

December 1, 2015

You Could Live in This Quirky Pixelated Brooklyn Loft for $5,200/Month

This loft comes from the the former Doehler Die Casting Factory, located at 505 Court Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. The building was constructed in 1913 and the loft was first renovated in the '80s, but since then it's been transformed into something really special. That's because it has undergone a top-to-bottom renovation by SABO Project, who stripped the entire space to reveal the building's historic details and then added a sleek, modern touch. The result is a stunning, airy and bright space that we've drooled over before. Now, it's on the rental market and you could live in the loft yourself for $5,200 a month.
Take a look here

December 1, 2015

More Apartments Coming to Brooklyn Than Any Other U.S. City; Demo Permits Make Way for New 900-Foot Tower

There’s no denying the Brooklyn boom. The borough is constructing more new apartments than any other U.S. city. [Forbes] A 900-foot Norman Foster design will soon be coming to Sutton Place. The Bauhouse Group has received permits to demo several buildings at 426-432 East 58th Street to make way for the new development. [Crain’s] A failed flip at […]

Real Estate Trends

Affordable Housing Lottery Launched for Related’s Yorkville Rental Tower at 205 East 92nd Street

Photographs from mid-October of 205 East 92nd Street by the photoblogger Field Condition.

December 1, 2015

Affordable Housing Lottery Launched for Related’s Yorkville Rental Tower at 205 East 92nd Street

Related Companies' playground-pouncing rental tower at 205 East 92nd Street has launched its housing lottery that provides below-market rents for 47 of the building's 231 units. The 36-story tower is in its home stretch of construction, prepping for occupancy in early 2016. Vested in the city's and state's Inclusionary Housing /421-a programs, 20 percent of the units will be reserved for low-income tenants. Fifty percent of the subsidized units will be reserved for residents of Manhattan Community Board 8 (covering the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island) and an additional 5 percent for municipal employees. Selected applicants will be provided apartments at a tremendous discount when compared to the neighborhood's market-rate rents. According to CityRealty, the median rental price for a one-bedroom in Yorkville stands at $3,210; and $5,398 for two-bedroom apartments. Affordable one-bedrooms at 205 East 92nd will start at $607 and two-bedrooms at $736.
More details and pricing

December 1, 2015

Stylish Felt Ottoman Takes Inspiration From Elizabethan Era Neck Ruffles

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

As the weather gets colder and the days get darker, you're probably seeking out soft, fuzzy materials to snuggle up with in your New York apartment. One new item we would definitely like to get cozy with is Romero Vallejo's Ruff Pouf. This contemporary ottoman is crowned with an ingenious folded felt structure inspired by neck ruffles worn by men and women during the Elizabethan era.
Learn more about this autumnal seat

December 1, 2015

NJ Wants the Statue of Liberty on New Quarter; Union Square Station Gets ‘Walk of Shame’ Kiosk

New Jersey wants to put the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on their new quarter, to be issued in 2017. [Gothamist] $5 thongs and revitalizing juices are just a couple of the items available at a new “walk of shame” kiosk in the Union Square subway station. [DNAinfo] Can you identify these cities by […]

Uncategorized

No Filter Needed: Watch NYC Glow Against an Otherworldly Autumn Sunset

New York City experienced a surreal sunset last Sunday; one of the best in recent memory. The sky was dull and overcast for most of the afternoon but when the sun began to sink below the cloud-line, the city transitioned to a hue often reserved for sci-fi films and the outlandish renderings of our banal real estate developments. The tie-dye sky was so vivid that even the prosaic glass-walled rental towers on the Far West Side appeared majestic. During the sun's 15-minute adieu, the sky transitioned from soft pink, to a ribbony purple, and then to an electric tangerine; ultimately billowing into a fiery blaze over New Jersey. So what caused the city to be enveloped into this watercolor masterpiece? According to ABC News meteorologist Jeff Smith, a storm over Eastern Long Island created a situation that when the sun was going down, light caressed the high- and mid-level cloud bottoms resulting in the gorgeous sunset, which 6sqft captured in a gorgeous photo series.
Check out all the photos here

City Living

December 1, 2015

Museum Architect-Renovated Tribeca Townhouse With Subterranean Vault Sells for $13.8M

By Annie Doge

A red-brick townhouse with some legit architect cred behind it has just sold for a very discounted $13.8 million, much lower than its original $18 million ask. The property at at 148 Reade Street was constructed in the 1990s by Guenther Petrarca, and later renovated by famed museum architect Richard Gluckman (his clients include the Whitney and the Gagosian Gallery). The glass and stone mansion boasts 6,800 square feet of space to stretch out in, which includes a media room, a playroom, an elevator, a private garage on the ground floor, and a 500-plus-square-foot duplex terrace with 360-degree views and a waterfall wall. There's also a pretty cool 23- by 24-foot vault that sits below the sidewalk, a feature that harkens back to site's 19th century roots when subterranean vaults were the norm.
have a closer look inside

December 1, 2015

Ring In the New Year at One World Observatory for $7,000

Thought that $100 New Year’s Eve cover at your favorite bar was steep? It’s nothing compared to the rates to ring in 2016 atop One World Trade Center. DNAinfo reports that the Observatory is hosting a black-tie-optional soiree for which tickets will range from $500 to $6,750, a far cry from the normal $32 rate […]

Events & Things To Do

November 30, 2015

Infographic: The 12 Most Expensive Condo Buildings Rising in NYC

While it seems like every block in the city is host to a construction site throwing up some luxury condo building or pricey rentals, not all of these developments are created equal. Following up on their last infographic which rounded up the city's top five most expensive new developments, the data gurus over at CityRealty have culled an even more extensive list which pinpoints the 12 priciest structures going up right now. While the number of zeros that follow their combined $20,000,000,000 sellout will make your head hurt, what's even more mind-boggling is that these 12 buildings alone will count for nearly HALF of the money that'll be generated by the 200+ condo projects underway in Manhattan.
All the details here

November 30, 2015

A Co-op at This Striking Freestanding House on City Island Asks $600K

You definitely don't see listings like this everyday. This freestanding home comes all the way from City Island, a small Bronx neighborhood that also happens to be an island about a mile and a half long by a half mile wide. At this seaside village (where about 4,500 New Yorkers live), Victorian homes with porches aren't all that rare. Still, despite the fact you can access Manhattan by the 6 train and then the bus, it does feel like this whole area is a secret hideaway in New York City. Although the property at 33 Tier Street is a freestanding home, this listing is for a co-op apartment within the residence. The apartment in question holds two bedrooms, 1,200 square feet, and waterfront views. Plus, residents have access to the dreamy front porch. The asking price? $599,021 with a monthly maintenance of $700.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

November 30, 2015

Tiny $9 Lamp Shade Transforms Your Smartphone Flashlight Into Functional Furniture

By Rebecca Paul

Our smartphones provide us with a plethora of conveniences that make it hard to remember how we lived without them. Now the design team at Peleg Design, who recently teamed up with the founder's alma mater Holon Institute of Technology in Israel, have added desk lamp to the list. More formally known as Luma, this mini lamp is made from acrylic and was designed to clip on to your device and diffuse the light coming from a smartphone flashlight.
READ MORE

November 30, 2015

What Is ULURP?; Couple Spends a Year in NYC Living in Airbnbs

Why New Yorkers are so enamored with cabin living. [NYP] Why do we need the ULURP? [Brownstoner] This new fancy Noho condo has an alley main entrance. [NYT] From East Harlem to Gowanus to the East Village and West, this couple went neighborhood hopping for a year using Airbnb. [NYT] A luxe Williamsburg building at […]

Real Estate Trends

November 30, 2015

Brooklyn’s Sketchbook Project Has a Library of 34,000 Doodles You Can Browse

It claims to be the world's largest collection of doodles, and it's located right in Williamsburg (h/t Atlas Obscura). The Sketchbook Project is a "crowd-sourced library that features 33,903 artists' books contributed by creative people from 135+ countries." Located at a storefront space in the Brooklyn Art Library, the project encourages artists (or anyone with an artistic inkling) to order one of their blank sketchbooks, fill it up with their drawings, and send it back to be added to the physical and/or digital library for creatives from all over the world to view.
READ MORE

Events & Things To Do

November 30, 2015

NYC Building Boom Yields Rise in Construction Deaths

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

All you have to do is look up to see that New York City is in the midst of a building boom; but this surge in development comes with a price. The New York Times reports that construction-related deaths and injuries over the past two years, most of which affect undocumented immigrant laborers, "far exceeds the rate of new construction over the same period," a testament to the inadequate safety systems at job sites. City records show that there were ten construction-related fatalities in the most recent fiscal year (July 2014 - July 2015), nearly twice the annual average. This time period also saw a 53 percent spike in injuries, up to 324 instances, and a 52 percent rise in accidents, up to 314.
Find out more ahead

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

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

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

VIEW ALL

November 30, 2015

This Cozy, Elegant UES Duplex Is the Perfect Manhattan Winter Retreat

With its toasty fireplaces–including one in the master bedroom–elegant pre-war details, dark chocolate floors and walls of casement windows for watching the snowflakes fall on gorgeous historic homes, this duplex at 170 East 78th Street looks like a prime spot to make the most of a Manhattan winter. The designed-to-the-nines 1927 co-op is asking $2.995 million, with a considerable monthly fee of almost $5,000; interestingly, the ask is less than the $3.5 million price that accompanied its turn on the market in 2010. On a gorgeous Upper East Side Block, this pre-war home is as classic as it gets; though it's listed as a two-bedroom, a look at the floor plan shows possibilities for one or two more with ease. Rooms are gracious and bright, and we can totally see boughs of holly, New Year's Eve merriment and snow days before a roaring fire in just about any of them.
Step inside where it's warm

Distinctive Homes

November 30, 2015

Secrets of the Eldridge Street Synagogue Tour; An App for Oyster Happy Hours

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with an after-hours tour of the Eldridge Street Synagogue where you’ll learn about architecture and hidden history and enjoy a wine reception. [Untapped] Someone left free, homemade scarves in Tompkins Square Park. [EV Grieve] Chain restaurants must start adding sodium warning labels to their menus beginning tomorrow. [DNAinfo] Ride a 1930s […]

Uncategorized

November 29, 2015

Noya Brings ’80s Nostalgia Back With a Pin Art-Inspired Cabinet

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Dutch designer Jaimy Noya brings the fun of a 1980s pin impression toy to a contemporary cabinet called Memento. The glassy, elegant bureau is designed to store precious belongings, regardless of shape and size; just pin any object and watch the piece's back metamorphosize into a porcupine.
Learn more about this clever design

November 26, 2015

Architect-Owner of This Polished-yet-Casual Village Loft Asks $3M

Century-old bones and clean white walls frame the well-proportioned interior spaces of this warm, sophisticated two-bedroom loft in Greenwich Village, the result of a recent gut renovation by the architect-owner. John Berg of BergDesign Architecture, with his wife Jennifer Desmond, purchased the sunny downtown co-op at 250 Mercer Street for $1.5 million in May of 2013, two years and an impressive renovation ago. The bright high-floor unit is now on the market for $2.9 million. We’ve featured some of the architect’s projects, and this apartment's renovation is detailed on the BergDesign site, with the imperative of keeping "three priorities: durability, casual living and contrasting rich materials" for a family with small children in mind.
Have a look at how a gut renovation transformed the space

Distinctive Homes

November 25, 2015

$40M Penthouse Occupies the Clock Tower Dome of Nolita’s Famed Police Building

Who doesn't love to take a look inside the Police Building, the 1909 Beaux Arts NYPD headquarters converted to condos in 1988? Back then, residents were sure to maintain the building’s fantastic architecture and created varied floor plans with soaring ceilings and open layouts. Today, it's known for its uber-unique apartments. This is the building that brought us the wood-paneled, domed master bedroom and this funky loft with 18-foot ceilings. And now, take a peek inside the 6,000-square-foot penthouse apartment that occupies the building's clock tower dome. This was once the home of Calvin Klein and Steffi Graf, but the current owners pulled off quite an impressive renovation—one that uncovered a secret room. The grand renovation comes with an even grander asking price, a whopping $39.9 million (h/t Curbed). And as you would expect, it is as drool-worthy as can be.
See inside here

America’s Top Thanksgiving Searches Are More ‘Tattoo Shops’ Than ‘Turkeys’

Infographic via CityLab

November 25, 2015

America’s Top Thanksgiving Searches Are More ‘Tattoo Shops’ Than ‘Turkeys’

By Ondel Hylton and Heather Cooper Vivares

The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line may get inundated with calls on Thanksgiving and the days leading up to the holiday, but when it comes to internet searches there are no turkeys in site. Google Maps analyzed Thanksgiving trends from the past three years to reveal some hilarious and unexpected topics. For example, the top national day-of search is "buffet restaurants," and in New York City specifically, Thanksgiving is apparently a day to find tattoo shops (matching ink for the whole family?). The folks over at CityLab compiled the data into two fun infographics that show the surprising priorities of Americans around the holiday.
More trends this way

Events & Things To Do

November 25, 2015

New Renderings of Prospect Heights’ Hello Townhouses, Construction Reaches Street Level

Here's another look at Brooklyn's Hello Townhouses rising at 22-36 Underhill Avenue between Dean and Pacific Streets in Prospect Heights. Developed by Eli Karp's Hello Living, the townhouses will be in line with much of the company's brand of modern, clean and minimalist buildings, with muted exteriors of brown and gray, pattered by an alternating arrangement of large windows. The full-service real estate development firm was founded by Karp in 2005 and purchased the 8,000-square-foot parcel that previously held a one-story warehouse for $2.1 million in 2013. Now with foundation work wrapping up, parts of the development are emerging above street level. Ultimately, the buildings will climb 32 feet and the entire project will encompass 15,516 square feet of zoning floor area. Zambrano Architectural Design is serving as the architect of the record, while Brooklyn-based Loadingdock5 are the designers.
See all the renderings here

November 25, 2015

200 Calories of Thanksgiving Foods; Ride the 95-Year-Old Wooden Escalators at Macy’s

Here’s what 200 calories of your favorite Thanksgiving foods looks like. [Business Insider] Though Macy’s is emerging from a four-year, $400 million renovation, shoppers can still ride the store’s historic wooden escalators. [NYT] Nine things you didn’t know about Frank Gehry. [Fast Co. Design] The strange history of New York’s Thanksgiving ragamuffins. [Ephemeral NY] You can […]

Uncategorized

November 25, 2015

Historic Palace Theater to Get Raised 29 Feet to Accommodate New Retail Space

At a public hearing yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a plan drawn up by Platt Byard Dovell White Architects (PBDW) for Maefield Development to raise the historic 1913 Palace Theater 29 feet in order to accommodate expanded facilities and new retail space underneath. The decision isn't sitting well with preservationists, but the exterior of the theater was replaced in the early 1990s to make way for the 45-story adjacent DoubleTree hotel, and as the Wall Street Journal reports, the actual theater space is an interior landmark and the $2 billion redevelopment project will restore the decorated interior and add 10,000 square feet of theater facilities.
More on the history and future of the Palace Theater

The Most Important Towers Shaping Central Park’s South Corridor, AKA Billionaires’ Row

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. This week Carter kicks off a nine-part series, “Skyline Wars,” which will examine the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city’s silhouette. To start, Carter zooms in on the biggest developments shaping the southern corridor of Central Park.

November 25, 2015

The Most Important Towers Shaping Central Park’s South Corridor, AKA Billionaires’ Row

By Carter B. Horsley

They did not come from outer space when they landed on our front yard while the NIMBY folk and the city’s planners and preservationists weren’t looking. Some are scrawny. Some are dressed like respectable oldsters. They’re the supertalls and they’re coming to a site near you.
read more here

The City’s Prettiest Food Emporium, Famous for Its Guastavino Tiles, Is Closing

Photo by missvancamp on Flickr

November 24, 2015

The City’s Prettiest Food Emporium, Famous for Its Guastavino Tiles, Is Closing

Guastavino tiles–a design technique for thin-tile structural vaulting brought to New York at the end of the 19th century by Spanish architect and builder Rafael Guastavino and his son Rafael Jr.–can be seen at 250 locations throughout the city. Most of these spots have grand public purposes, such as Grand Central, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, or the Municipal Building. But one locale has gained famed for its very un-grand function as the home of a grocery store. The Food Emporium underneath the Queensboro Bridge has occupied one half of the Guastavino-tiled arcade known as Bridgemarket since 1999. This Saturday at 5:00 p.m., though, it will close its doors for good, according to Bloomberg, which leaves the fate of the historic interior up in the air.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

November 24, 2015

This One-Bedroom Rental in Carroll Gardens Boasts the Loft Aesthetic

When it comes to square footage, this apartment falls short of a traditional loft, but it's certainly got the aesthetic down, with high ceilings, exposed brick and exposed wood. The one-bedroom unit–which the listing says could be converted to two bedrooms–is located in a brick townhouse at 282 Sackett Street in Carroll Gardens, a neighborhood known for its brownstones, not warehouse buildings. This is a railroad apartment, with the living room, kitchen and bedroom stacked on top of each other. And it is currently on the rental market for a grand total of $3,000 a month.
See more

Distinctive Homes

November 24, 2015

New Architecture Competition Looks at Demolishing Buildings for the Production of Voids

These days, the architecture conversation in NYC is all about the tallest, slenderest, and priciest towers. But while everyone has their eye on what's going up, no one seems to be talking about what's coming down to make it happen. That's why this new design competition from the Storefront for Art and Architecture is so intriguing. "Taking Buildings Down" wants to expand the context of new development to include the entire life cycle of our built environment, and proposals are being accepted for "production of voids; the demolition of buildings, structures, and infrastructures; or the subtraction of objects and/or matter as a creative act."
READ MORE

Architecture And Design

November 24, 2015

Central Park in 1862; Cuomo Says NYC Has Gotten Enough Housing Aid

Lauren Bacall’s apartment sold for a discounted $21M. [NYO] This is what (an unfinished) Central Park looked like in 1862. [Ephemeral] Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday that NYC has received more in housing aid than the law permits. [Politico] A Wagamama ramen house is coming to Nomad! [NYP] The MoMA store is sticking around Soho after all. […]

Real Estate Trends

November 24, 2015

Inside a Manhattan Couple’s Modern Woodland Escape Designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

A city couple commissioned Resolution: 4 Architecture to come up with a site-specific home for escaping their busy Manhattan lives on the weekend. Located on a sloped wooded terrain in Kent, not too far from the city, the beautiful Lakeside House combines wooden interiors, classic furniture items and privileged views onto the mirrored waters of the Sagamore Lake. Although bright and airy inside, the modern dwelling is grounded and strong and relates to its site through the use of natural materials.
Learn more about this traditionally modern home

November 24, 2015

Photographer Barry Rosenthal Designs Home Accessories Inspired by Nature

By Rebecca Paul

NYC resident and photographer Barry Rosenthal is known for finding inspiration in the great outdoors (you may remember our spotlight on him here), and now he's taking that inspiration beyond the lens just in time for the gift-giving season. Mr. Rosenthal has recently released a series of home accessories, including a set of rocks glasses and decorative pillows, so you can bring the beauty of nature into your living space permanently, or share it with your friends and family.
Check out the products

November 24, 2015

Compost Bins Disguised as Newspaper Boxes; The Origins of the Wishbone

The New York Compost Box Project takes newspaper boxes around the city and transforms them into compost drop-off sites. [Inhabitat] Located in Borough Park, Masbia is the only Kosher soup kitchen in the city. [Tablet] These candles melt away like glaciers to symbolize climate change. [CityLab] For New Yorkers who don’t want to speak to anyone, […]

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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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November 24, 2015

$4.25M Greenpoint Waterfront Penthouse Adds Up to 3,168 Square Feet of Historic Loft Perfection

If you want real loft living without many of the sacrifices (except the $4.25 million ask, of course) that often come with it, this stunning full-floor Greenpoint "historic penthouse" atop 190 West Street is your unicorn. Modern, stylish and well-crafted finishes, comforts like central air and radiant floor heat, windows and views that never quit, and a prime location add up to a dream loft. Wait, did we mention the 3,600 square feet of private outdoor space?
Check out pre-war historic loft perfection, this way

Distinctive Homes

November 24, 2015

Revealed: Zambrano Architectural Design’s Striking Yellow-Brick Rental in Central Harlem

Here's our first look at Dabar Development's eight-story, mixed-use project set to rise at 400 Lenox Avenue in central Harlem. The 40,000-square-foot development will anchor the southeast corner of West 130th Street and Lenox Avenue and will house 30 rental units, 2,000 square feet of retail at the ground level, and a second-floor community space for Pentacostal Faith Church, the owner of the project site. The design provided by Zambrano Architectural Design rises flush with the street wall and sports a distinctive yellow-brick cladding of "elongated artisanal bricks." According to Dawanna Williams, managing principal at Dabar, "the facade is inspired by the historical masonry context of the surrounding blocks of Harlem." The two uppermost levels are cutaway from the corner resulting in a large recreational terrace for residents. As per plans filed with the DOB this past summer, floors 2-6 will contain six apartments each, while floors 7 and 8 will provide four units apiece.
More on the project

November 23, 2015

REVEALED: Bjarke Ingels’ Brand New High Line Towers

Back in February it was revealed that HFZ Capital Group was in talks to bring a “monumental” new structure to a lot at 76 11th Avenue in the Meatpacking District right along the High Line. And between shortlisted architects Rem Koolhaas and Bjarke Ingels, in April the developer decided to move forward with starchitect-of-the-moment Ingels for the high-profile project. Now Yimby has our first look at the design that may rise atop the coveted site: two very angular, asymmetric towers measuring 402 and 302 feet, with 800,000 square feet for a hotel, retail, amenities and about 300 luxury condos.
see more renderings here

November 23, 2015

REVEALED: SHoP Architects’ Long Island City Waterfront Development

Here's our first peek at Simon Baron Development, Quadrum Global and CRE Development's three-tower Long Island City development slated to rise alongside the former Paragon Paint factory building at 45-40 Vernon Boulevard. Permits for the first tower were filed with the DOB back in June and detail a 28-story, 296-unit rental tower designed by SHoP Architects. The tower is part of a larger master plan that will revamp the eastern extents of the Anable Basin inlet with a waterfront esplanade and bring an additional 14-story residential tower at 45-24 Vernon Boulevard and an eight story building along 45th Road. As per the renderings provided by SHoP, the design of the two lower towers is consistent with many of the firm's recent New York City projects and feature copper-clad, orderly bases yielding to playful facades of angled projecting windows. The central tower partially rises from within the rear section of the Paragon Paint factory building and its form will be a sheer 300-foot glass prism creased along each elevation to better capture sweeping views of the East River and Manhattan skyline.
More details ahead

November 23, 2015

A Soho Loft With a Secret Cat Tunnel; Penthouse at the Lowell Going for $300K/Month