6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

The recently uncovered Washington Square Park burial vaults belonged to the Pearl Street Church or the Cedar Street Church, say archaeologists. [DNAinfo] Watch the 78-foot Rockefeller Center Christmas tree make its way into 30 Rock. [Reddit] Michael Kimmelman calls the Jeanne Gang-designed American Museum of Natural History expansion “part Dr. Seuss, part Jurassic Park, part parametric extravaganza,” […]

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November 6, 2015

Spotlight: Brian Whiting Shares How the USO of Metropolitan New York Supports Our Troops

By Susan Cohen

On November 11th, the country will gather to honor those who have heroically served in the armed forces. In New York, Veterans Day will be marked with a parade down Fifth Avenue. And during this time when Americans reflect on service, it's important to think about the many men and women who are actively serving around the globe. One organization that looks after the needs of troops and their families is the USO. While many associate the organization with Bob Hope and its renowned Show Troupe, entertainment is only one part of its mission. On a daily basis the USO runs centers around the world, providing a wide range of important services and programs, from keeping families in touch during deployment to supporting wounded warriors back home. Brian Whiting, the President and CEO of USO of Metropolitan New York, is responsible for the organization's work in the tri-state area, as well as managing the operations for two national programs: the renowned USO Show Troupe and Operation That’s My Dress, which provides military families access to dresses for proms and formals. With Veterans Day approaching, 6sqft spoke with Brian to learn more about the USO's mission and work, the New York chapter's services, and ways New Yorkers can support the troops throughout the year.
Hear from Brian this way

November 6, 2015

Construction Update: FXFowle’s Circle-Hugging Harlem Condominium Rises Over Central Park

By Heather Cooper Vivares

Artimus Construction's upcoming Harlem condo development Circa Central Park is rapidly rising skyward. After lengthy site remediation work due to a pre-existing BP gas station, the structure is finally above ground and already beginning to frame its sixth floor. Ultimately, the building will stand 11 stories/140 feet high and will contain some 126,362 square feet of total floor area. Artimus picked up the 13,500-square-foot site at 2040 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (285 West 110th Street) for $25 million in late 2013 after being selected through a bidding process conducted by the city's Economic Development Corporation. As part of the deal, Artimus must build space for the local Millennium Dance Company, which will occupy 8,000 square feet of the ground floor, and 20 percent of the building's 51 apartments must be designated as affordable housing.
More details ahead

November 6, 2015

LAST DAY: Three Chances to Win a Copy of ‘Culture+Typography’ by Nikki Villagomez!

By Alyssa Alimurung

Whether you've been a long-time typography enthusiast or just recently jumped on the bandwagon of Helvetica fans and Comic Sans haters, you'll love this new book from South Carolina-based graphic designer Nikki Villagomez. Titled "Culture+Typography How Culture Affects Typography," her book investigates how design choices from type selection, color usage and more can be informed by the language of the cultural surroundings. If you're looking for a new great design for your brand or you're just a font fanatic, this book will be a great addition to your collection or your coffee table. We've teamed up with Nikki and are giving away THREE of her books to three lucky readers! To enter, all you need to do is: 1. Subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven't already) Email Address First Name Last Name 2. Comment below answering this question: "What is your favorite font and why?" And that's it! You have three chances to win, so be sure to invite your friends to enter. The deadline to enter is TODAY Friday, November 6th. Find out more about the book and why typography is so important from the author herself ahead.
More details about the author this way

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November 6, 2015

Iconic Plastic Armchair Sells at Sotheby’s Auction for $409,000

At a recent Sotheby's auction in London, the Miss Blanche armchair, from the Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata, sold for a whopping £269,000 ($409,000 U.S. dollars). The iconic plastic resin chair was named after Blanche Dubois from Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire" and was created in 1988, three years before the artist's death. The production of the chair was rather complex, as it required each artificial rose to be held in place for long periods of time so the resin could harden around it. The artist also experimented with using actual roses, but the acrylic resin ruined the flowers before setting. Ultimately it was decided that "fake" materials were more appropriate because Blanch Dubois was in fact superficial.
More on the chair

November 6, 2015

Listings Launch for Nomad’s 212 Fifth Avenue Condo Conversion

Though sales began a few weeks ago, listings are up for 212 Fifth Avenue, the highly-anticipated in-progress Nomad condo conversion by NYC-based firm Helpern consisting of 48 two-, three- and four-bedroom residences in a landmarked 1912 neo-Gothic building at the northwest corner of Madison Square Park. Listings with Town Residential–16 currently–range from 5C, a $3.9 million fifth-floor two-bedroom home, to $16.1 million for one of the building's 4,000-square-foot+ four-bedroom residences on the 15th floor. Floors 3-13 of the 24-story building offer three units per floor while floors 14-19 offer two; two immense triplex penthouses with Empire State Building and city skyline views are still to come. All homes boast multi-zoned heat and air, vented kitchens and bathrooms and smart home technology. Interior finishes were created by renowned designers Pembrooke & Ives and include eight-foot doors, book-matched marble, solid oak floors and custom cabinetry.
Floor plans and renderings this way

November 5, 2015

Hidden Burial Vault and the Skeletal Remains of 12 Found Under Washington Square Park

It's pretty well known that Washington Square Park started out as a potters field, a burial ground for the poor, and later as a resting place for those who died from yellow fever. But this has always been something out of the history books. Until now. Recently, a group of city workers in the process of upgrading water mains under the park came upon a hidden vault containing the skeletal remains of at least a dozen people believed to be approximately 200 years old. According to officials from the Department of Design and Construction, the vault is eight feet deep, 15 feet wide, and 20 feet long. While the exact details are unknown right now, a team of anthropologists and and archaeologists will be requested to evaluate and determine the age of both the remains and the vault.
Find out more

History

November 5, 2015

Renderings Revealed for Jeanne Gang’s $325M Museum of Natural History Expansion

One of the many things that makes the American Museum of Natural History so fascinating is its combination of architecture–very different styles from varying time periods that together make up 25 separate structures. The original Victorian Gothic building was erected in 1877, followed and eclipsed quickly by the southern neo-Romanesque stretch. Then, in 1936, the grand Beaux-Arts entrance was added, and in 2000 the famous glass box known as the Rose Center for Earth and Space was built. Now, the museum is growing yet again, reports the Times, this time with a $325 million expansion courtesy of Studio Gang. In addition to its hefty price tag and undulating form, the addition is significant for the fact that it will be the first female-led project associated with the museum structure, as the firm is headed up by starchitect Jeanne Gang. The Times calls the concept for the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation "both cautious and audacious," noting that it "consumes less coveted park space than expected, while introducing a contemporary aesthetic that evokes Frank Gehry’s museum in Bilbao, Spain, in its undulating exterior and Turkey’s underground city of Cappadocia in its cavelike interior." The new 218,00-square-foot Center will help solve circulation issues (it will create more than 30 access points across ten buildings) and will be an integrated space for museum activities and research.
More renderings and details ahead

Architecture And Design

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November 5, 2015

Check Out the Retro Kitchen in This Otherwise Historic Italianate Brooklyn Brownstone

When it comes to historic Brooklyn brownstones, most of them look pretty similar: a beautiful, high-ceilinged parlor floor, moldings, fireplaces, some woodwork and backyards. Over the years, owners have obviously updated the kitchens, but usually it's a run-of-the-mill open kitchen located in the back of the parlor floor. Not so at this brownstone in Fort Greene, at 30 South Portland Avenue. This property is pretty much the creme de la creme of Brooklyn real estate: a well-preserved, spacious brownstone on one of the prettiest blocks of one of the most in-demand neighborhoods. (That is why it's on the market for a whopping $5.25 million.) It also comes with a surprise: a retro kitchen that looks like it's straight out of a 1950s diner!
See it here

Distinctive Homes

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 11/5-11/11

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!

November 5, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 11/5-11/11

By Lori Zimmer

If you missed out on the '90s heyday of the Tunnel nightclub, this weekend you can experience its new use as an art center and venue for the Editions/Artists Book Fair. Performa15 also comes to town, and lands in Times Square with a new Midnight Moment flick and a performance of live opera. Brookfield Place in Battery Park hosts the annual Canstruction exhibition, where food donated to City Harvest becomes innovative sculptures before becoming a hot meal. Brooklyn's Cotton Candy Machine eeks out another great event before it closes–a mini comic book festival–while around the corner an art show proves that punk rock is not dead. Lastly, iconic photographer Sandy Skoglund recreates an accidental performance that once enlivened a Little Italy window in 1979, this time touching modernity in a Chelsea art gallery window.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

November 5, 2015

Tracking Williamsburg’s Mafia; Grand Central Commuter Rail Project Will Cost $1M a Foot

Williamsburg’s now forgotten mafia ties. [Vice] Artist Abby Leigh, widow of Tony Award-winning composer Mitch “Man of La Mancha” Leigh, just purchased an $8M apartment at 455 Central Park West. [NYP] Related’s ultra-luxe Carnegie Park is now 75 percent sold. [6sqft inbox] The East Side Access, a commuter rail project that will offer connect the […]

Real Estate Trends

November 5, 2015

Wobble-Up Will Be Your Favorite Seat and Carpet All-in-One

Anybody who's moved apartments in NYC has likely asked themselves the question, "How did we even get that in here?" And it's not uncommon in this city for people to literally give away their furniture to any party willing to deal with its relocation. Enter Wobble-up, a transforming carpet-to-chair that will not only fit through any hallway, but also adorn your floors and provide a comfy place to relax. Wobble-up was developed by Sam Linders, a recent graduate from the Design Academy Eindhoven, and was inspired by her preference to sit on her carpet rather than the sofa while watching TV.
more on the design here

November 5, 2015

Should NYC Employ Liverpool’s Fast Walking Lanes?

We already have express buses and subways, so why not fast track NYC's most widely used mode of transportation–walking. New Yorkers have long been known for their speedy strides, but with our population growing and texting addicts clogging up sidewalks, it's becoming increasingly difficult to get around slowpokes. Which is exactly why Liverpool just debuted Britain's first-ever fast pedestrian lane, "following research that claims 47% of the nation finds slow walking the most annoying aspect of high-street shopping," reports the Independent.
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November 5, 2015

When Pizza Rat Strikes in Your Own Home; Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Chosen

Your worst nightmare come true: Watch a “subway-sized rat” make a visit to a Williamsburg apartment. [Reddit] Hank Penza, the beloved owner of now-shuttered Mars Bar, has passed away. [Bowery Boogie] The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has already been cut down in Gardiner, NY. This video shows the 78-foot Norway Spruce on its journey. [NYDN] […]

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November 5, 2015

Port Authority Mulls Fee for Curbside Access to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Airports

If you're someone who takes advantage of curbside pick up/drop off at NYC's airports as a way to avoid parking fees, that prudent sidestep could soon be coming to an end. CBS reports that the Port Authority is considering access fees as a way to reduce congestion outside airport terminals. Traffic is said to have become a real problem as services like Lyft and Uber have begun using the front of the terminals as prime spots to pick up business. “The operations of For-Hire-Vehicles and taxis at our airports are evolving rapidly and we are in the early stages of review,” the Port Authority noted in a statement. They also added that NYC's airports are one of the very few in the U.S. that do not charge curbside access fees, and where tolls are implemented, car services usually just pass the buck onto riders—meaning services and taxi drivers shouldn't worry about lost fare, but you will be shelling out even more cash to make up the difference when you get in their cars.
more here

Transit

November 5, 2015

Rent This Bright and Lovely Duplex Loft in an Historic East Village Artists’ Haven

Distinctive Homes

November 4, 2015

Rent a Literal Dumpster Apartment in Williamsburg for $1,200 a Month–or $200 a Night

Calling all "hipster types!" The home of your Instagram dreams is awaiting you in a lot in Williamsburg. Spotted by redditors early this morning on Craigslist, the apartment is being described as an "art deco hipster retro mini apt from a converted dumpster is green friendly and sustainable. .and trendy...1200 month. Or 200 per night." Because why commit to a whole month?
find out more here

Where I Work: Tour KUSHNER Studios’ smart and quirky Chinatown office

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we take a tour of architect Adam Kushner's quirky and intelligent Chinatown office space. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! You might remember hearing from Adam Kushner a little over a year ago when 6sqft interviewed him about building the world's first 3D-printed estate. And while this is certainly a huge project for the architect, it's only one of many that he and his three firms are working on. In addition to architecture/design practice KUSHNER Studios, which he founded in 1994, Adam heads up construction practice In House Group Inc. and 3D-printing company D-Shape Enterprises New York. What these practices have in common, other than their intellectual creativity, is that they're housed in a quirky-yet-functional Chinatown office. Adam recently took us on a tour of his office, giving us the story behind the studio's unconventional models, his vintage scooter collection, and the giant plane jutting out of the wall.
Look around the creative space

November 4, 2015

One57 Leads New Report of Manhattan’s Top 100 Condo Buildings

Six months may not seem like a long time, but a lot can happen in the Manhattan building market in 180 days, which is why CityRealty has released its new CR100 report, "an index comprised of the top 100 condominium buildings in Manhattan." The data tracks the performance of these buildings through the second and third quarters of 2015, and, not surprisingly, One57 has come out on top. The Billionaires' Row powerhouse has surpassed long-time leader 15 Central Park West as the most expensive condo on the island, coming in at $6,010 per square foot over the past 12 months, as compared to 15 CPW's $5,726. It also steals the spotlight for the majority of the last six months' most expensive sales.
More condo data ahead

Real Estate Trends

November 4, 2015

‘Veronica Mars’ Actor Lists Village Loft Featuring Cast Iron Columns and Double Height Ceilings

Cast iron is prevalent throughout 67 East 11th Street, a Greenwich Village building built in 1868 and converted to a co-op in 1973. Back in the late 19th century, it was home to the James McCreery Dry Goods Store; the facade has beautiful cast iron details like Corinthian columns as well as big arched windows, and this apartment owned by actor Chris Lowell of "Veronica Mars" fame is now on the market for $1.195 million. The unit is a two bedroom, with the master bedroom located in a sleeping loft above the living room. The lofted space allows for 16-foot ceilings and incredible oversized windows.
Take a tour

November 4, 2015

56 Leonard (Maybe?) Sells All Its Penthouses; Paris Wishes It Was Brooklyn

It looked like the Herzog & De Meuron-designed 56 Leonard sold its last two penthouses, but a rep for the building said this wasn’t so and declined to comment further. [Curbed] Luciano Pavarotti’s Hampshire House co-op has been pulled from the market. The 2,000-square-foot home was listing 11 months ago for $13.7M and last asked $11.5M. […]

Real Estate Trends

November 4, 2015

Petite Upper East Side Apartment Boasts Uptown Class With Downtown Style

The Upper East Side is often associated with the traditional design aesthetic of old New York. However, the interior design for this Upper East Side apartment, from The New Design Project, is a modern and welcomed departure from the norm. This young studio brings a fresh perspective and out-of-the-box approach to their work, and we love what they've come up with. From the unconventional wall art to the up-cycled bar stools and coffee table, this home is packed full of smart design that is both hip and elegant.
See it all

November 4, 2015

220 Central Park South Costs $5,000 Per Foot to Build, Now 50 Percent Sold

Robert A.M. Stern's 220 Central Park South has been keeping us on our toes, from its $1.3 billion construction price tag to its $200+ million penthouse to its lightning fast sales (the building was one-third sold after just six weeks, and it's now more than 50 percent sold even though listings for the 118 units have yet to go public). The latest head-spinner comes courtesy of The Real Deal, who reports that developer Vornado is spending $5,000 per square foot to build the Billionaires' Row blockbuster. The actual land comes out to $1,500 per foot, with the remaining $3,500 per foot going to "hard, soft and financial costs." The total sellout is close to $3 billion, and of the 59+ units that are in contract, 14 were pricier than $50 million.
READ MORE

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November 4, 2015

Go Ice Skating in 74-Degree Weather; Another Music Fest May Come to Queens

It may feel like summer out, but the city’s ice skating rinks are already open. [DNAinfo] And in other holiday news, make plans to get out of the city on December 12th, this year’s Santacon drunk fest. [Gothmist] Not everyone likes the new “Humans of New York” book. [New Yorker] By 2020, the state will spend […]

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November 4, 2015

POLL: Is the City’s Food Hall Obsession About to Burst?

It seems like every day now we’re getting word of a new mega-food hall, likely the trickle down effect from wildly successful Smorgasburg and the realization that “snake person” and “foodie” seem to go hand in hand. Just yesterday, Crain’s announced that the former AIG headquarters tower at 70 Pine Street will be turned into a […]

November 4, 2015

Spend Eight Months in This Picture-Perfect Prospect Heights Townhouse for $12K/Month

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

There's not much about this townhouse triplex at 159 Prospect Place, available for short-term rental, that doesn't embody the brownstone Brooklyn ideal. On a beautiful block near the corner of Carlton Avenue and Prospect Place in heart of the neighborhood, this bright, sun-filled and renovated home also has the pretty historic details that give these big old houses such charm, and the private outdoor space we dream of–including one of those extra-long backyards unique to Prospect and Crown Heights.
Tour this lovely townhouse

Distinctive Homes

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November 3, 2015

My 900sqft: Tour the Romantic Prospect Heights Home of Two Brooklyn Entrepreneurs

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Prospect Heights. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch! Brit Liggett and Mike Cadoux may lead busy lives heading up their own companies—Brit is the founder and president of Show the Good, a startup that focuses on digital storytelling for nonprofits and social ventures, while Mike is the co-owner (alongside his brother) of Peak Organic Brewing Company—but this adorable Brooklyn twosome know a thing about winding down and stepping away from work when the day ends. Nestled in the heart of Prospect Heights, their home is as disconnected from the digital world as one can be in this day and age, filled with shelves and shelves of books, LPs, instruments, and vintage maps. They even have a room—"The Room for the Pursuit of Arts and Leisure"—where electricity is completely banned. Self-described as "old world," Brit and Mike have perfectly curated their apartment with a collection of incredible antiques, each with a story. In fact, only four pieces of furniture in the whole place are new! But they are no hoarders. As Brit tells us, "I'm a collector of things, without doubt, but I try to only have things that are useful or have a function." Brit and Mike recently invited us into their home, and while we immediately fell for their generous, beautifully decorated spaces, it was really all the charming and quirky details reflecting their six-year romance that had us swooning and tapping #relationshipgoals into our phones when we left.
Go inside Brit and Mike's beautiful Brooklyn home here

November 3, 2015

Cosmopolitan Editor Helen Gurley Brown’s Pink Penthouse Lists for $20M

By Annie Doge

Over the summer, the Times asked the question, "Who owns Helen Gurley Brown's legacy?" The 32-year editor of Cosmopolitan passed away in 2012, leaving behind her apartment in the legendary Beresford, one of only three that has space in the building's iconic turrets. The co-op board, of course, wanted the valuable Central Park West residence listed, but those involved with her will didn't oblige. The board must've won the fight, though, because Curbed reports that the penthouse apartment has hit the market for $20 million (significantly less than the $50 million+ some were speculating). And just as you'd expect from the author of "Sex and the Single Girl," the four-level spread is full of leopard, flowers, and pink, pink, and more pink.
READ MORE

November 3, 2015

The World’s Most Expensive Dollhouse Will Be On Show at Columbus Circle This Month

If you think Manhattan condos are pricey, feast your eyes on the world's most expensive dollhouse! Valued at $8.5 million, The Astolat Dollhouse Castle is a 29-room micro-mansion that's been is filled to the brim with 10,000 painstakingly crafted miniatures that include "elaborate furniture, oil paintings, mirrors, fireplaces, gold miniature jewelry, rare-mini books more than 100 years old, fine rugs, fabrics, and pieces made of and silver and gold." Sound too absurd to be true? Well, you can check out this pricey and petite pad up close and personal starting this month. The Shops of Columbus Circle at Time Warner Center (TWC) will be showing the dollhouse for the first time ever since it was built in the 1980s.
Find out more here

November 3, 2015

Lauren Bacall’s Dakota Apartment Buyer Revealed; Gowanus Affordable Housing Starts at $833/Month

The buyer of Lauren Bacall’s $26M apartment at The Dakota has finally been revealed. [NYP] Affordable housing at a new 700-unit complex going up in Gowanus will start at $833/month. [BU] 14 condos sold at 220 Central Park South have prices that exceed $50 million. [Crain’s] 13,000 square feet of the former AIG headquarters at […]

Real Estate Trends

November 3, 2015

New Furniture Collection Features Clever Storage as an Ode to Ye Old Carpenter’s Workbench

Recently debuting at the London Design Festival, Planks is a new furniture collection from studio Benchmark and designer Max Lamb. The collection was created in part as a tribute to the humble carpenter's workbench and 17th and 18th century English country furniture such as boarded chests, box stools and dough troughs. In keeping with this theme each piece features clever storage spaces to help prevent clutter from accumulating on its working surface.
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November 3, 2015

Three-Family Townhouse Seeks Huge Profit in Bushwick

Brooklyn is one of the shining examples of New York's crazy strong real estate market, where prices seem to have no limit. Case in point: this three-family townhouse in Bushwick, a neighborhood typically known for cheap rents and warehouse loft apartments, that is asking $1.25 million. Sure, this pad—located at 1108 Madison Street, off the Gates Avenue J train—is nice, but that's a lot of money. It's even more surprising to know that the seller purchased it only two years ago, in May of 2013, for $633,000. From $633K to $1.25M in two years...that's Brooklyn real estate for you!
See the space

Distinctive Homes

November 3, 2015

Why You Should Be Nice to Subway Operators; How Much Does Joey Owe Chandler?

By Alyssa Alimurung

Reasons why the subway operators are actually pretty awesome. [Thrillist] A cafe only serving decaf is popping up in Soho. [CityLab] One die-hard “Friends” fan calculated how much Joey owes Chandler. Hint: it’s a lot. [Daily Dot] Find out what it’s like to be an interior designer to major A-listers and celebs. [VICE] Inside the […]

Uncategorized

November 3, 2015

This Little East Village Co-op Is Big on Style and Custom Details

By Ondel Hylton and Julian Friedman

This charming Bowery bolthole at 32 East 2nd Street may not be huge, but it has everything you need for a great downtown life (unless you need a queen-sized bed in your actual bedroom). The one-bedroom co-op has benefitted from a tasteful, chic and well-considered custom renovation, resulting in finishes that are both creative and convenient, and the building is in a perfect location to enjoy both the friendly East Village vibe and the hip, downtown Manhattan location near just about everything you'd want to see, do, or buy.
Take a peek inside

Distinctive Homes

November 3, 2015

Buy Cameron Diaz’s Glam West Village Apartment for $4.25M

By Annie Doge

Considering Cameron Diaz is one of the highest paid actresses out there, we're not surprised that she decided to infuse her West Village apartment, now on the market for $4.25 million, with a healthy dose of Hollywood glamour. The Wall Street Journal, who broke the news that Diaz's West 12th Street residence will be hitting the market any day now, calls the pad "colorful." That seems to only hold true in the emerald green kitchen, but the rest of the home is full of gilding and luxe finishes. The actress bought the two-bedroom apartment in 2008 for $2.95 million, followed by a gut renovation courtesy of famed California-based designer Kelly Wearstler. Two years ago, she also bought a $9.5 million home in the Walker Tower. This, coupled with her recent marriage to musician Benji Madden, are likely the reason for the sale.
See the full apartment

November 3, 2015

Construction Update: Herzog & de Meuron’s 215 Chrystie Street Shimmies and Shakes Upward

The structure of Ian Schrager/Witkoff Group's 26-story hotel/condominium combo 215 Chrystie Street is now more than half way up, giving us a clearer view of the "tough-luxe" exterior composed of raw concrete and large clear glass panes. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning firm Herzog & de Meuron, with Handel Architects as architects of record, the tower's lower levels feature a highly-textured facade of inwardly-tilting columns framing expansive clear panes of glass. The tilt creates slightly more interior space, and from ground level, increases the amount of reflection in the glass, thus providing more privacy for guests. According to the firm's webpage on the project, "The structure of the building is pushed to the exterior and follows the grid of the large floor-to-ceiling window bays. This introduces a depth to the façade on the exterior and liberates the interior from freestanding columns."
See more construction shots and renderings

November 2, 2015

Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Reportedly Showing Cracks in Its 1,400-Foot Facade

Is the Western Hemisphere's tallest residential tower already experiencing some construction defects? According to a recent blog post by real estate author Michael Gross (h/t Curbed), 432 Park Avenue is showing signs of wear. Gross writes that "Two unconnected sources confirm that the architectural concrete that covers the poured concrete tower has already developed cracks, and that scaffolds hanging from the pillar in recent weeks were there because Nicholson Galloway, a top masonry restoration company, was hired to coat the structure with some 'nasty stuff,' as one of those sources puts it, called Silane that will seal those fissures."
find out more

November 2, 2015

For $699K, a Private Backyard and Tons of Charm in the Heart of Hell’s Kitchen

Have you ever gazed out of your office window with envy at a sweet private back garden or cool roof deck right in the middle of Manhattan? This one-bedroom co-op at 315 West 55th Street is one of those. On a beloved residential block in Hell's Kitchen on the city's West Side, this updated apartment has enough room for comfort and the added bonus of a landscaped, full-sized back garden oasis. It's perfect in spring and summer, but magical year-round as it's visible through a pair of sliding glass doors whenever you enter the living room.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

November 2, 2015

Apartment-Friendly Kama Sutra Art Replaces Bodies With Buildings

Most of us have heard of the Kama Sutra, and as interesting as it is, it might not be our first choice for our home's wall decor. But this non-traditional version, entitled Archisutra, from architectural illustrator Federico Babina, may be clever enough to change your mind. Traditionally pictorial interpretations of the Kama Sutra include human bodies demonstrating sexual positions from the ancient sanskrit text; however, in Babina's version, the bodies are replaced with buildings while the positions remain the same.
See the illustrations

November 2, 2015

Visit Truman Capote’s Brooklyn Heights; Bronx to Get $10M to Improve River Access

A collection of photos depicts what Brooklyn Heights looked like when Truman Capote was a resident in 1958. [Atlas Obscura] The city received a $10M grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to construct two bike and pedestrian bridges and to develop a short pathway along the Bronx river. [DNA Info] Hudson Companies’ plan for […]

Real Estate Trends

November 2, 2015

Upper East Side Townhouse by Modernist Pioneer William Lescaze Sells for $16M

After five long years on the market, the William Lescaze-designed townhouse at 32 East 74th Street on the Upper East Side has found a buyer, according to Curbed. As 6sqft previously reported, Lescaze was a Swiss-born, American architect who is credited with pioneering modernism in America. His personal Midtown East townhouse (the William Lescaze House) is considered the first modernist residence in New York City, built just one year prior to this 1934 uptown commission. The Upper East Side house sold for $12 million in 2008. Starting two years later, it's been on and off the market, ranging from $14 million to $19.5 million, but finally went into contract last week for $15.9 million.
More details ahead

November 2, 2015

More Sky Window Extensions Create Mini Glass Alcoves in Your Apartment

As the world population continues to grow, cities are more densely populated and we're on the constant lookout for new ways to optimize the small spaces many of us occupy. In response to this growing need, Argentinean architect Aldana Ferrer Garcia created "More Sky," an extending window unit that provides apartment-dwellers with immediate access to the sky from their often cramped and sometimes dreary living space.
more on the design here

November 2, 2015

The Actual Daylight That Daylight Saving Time Saves; Furniture Made of Shopping Carts

A controversial virtual reality experience simulates the 9/11 attacks from the perspective of someone on the top floors of the World Trade Center. [DNAinfo] How much daylight does daylight saving time save? Find out with this interactive chart. [Quartz] Celebrate Junior’s 65th anniversary tomorrow with 65-cent pieces of cheesecake. [NYDN] This Greenwich Village townhouse was inspired by […]

Uncategorized

November 2, 2015

One Bedroom Co-op at the Beekman Hill House Is the Ideal Starter Apartment

Ah, the New York starter apartment. First-time buyers who don't have millions to spend are always on the lookout for the perfect one–something relatively affordable, charming, and not too small. This can especially be a challenge when buyers have prioritized a central Manhattan location. But among the sea of multi-million dollar condos, there's still a decent selection of more affordable one-bedroom co-ops throughout Manhattan, usually in larger prewar buildings. This particular apartment is located at the Beekman Hill House co-op, a 64-unit building built in 1930 at 425 East 51st Street. It's a decently-sized one bedroom with colorful charm, and it was just listed for $725,000.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

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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25 Percent of Subway Station Entrances Are Closed, Worsening Congestion

Image via FEMA

November 2, 2015

25 Percent of Subway Station Entrances Are Closed, Worsening Congestion

There's so much to kvetch about when it comes to the MTA and poor subway service: unprecedented debt, increased ridership that hasn't been matched with increased service and outdated technology to name a few. But here's another to add to the laundry list: closed station entrances. amNY reports today that one out of four subway entrances are closed at a total of 119 stations, which "create bottlenecks that make it difficult to get in and out of increasingly jam-packed stations, while stores miss out on the foot traffic." In total, a whopping 298 staircases are inaccessible, and some closures have been in effect for so many decades that the MTA doesn't even know why they're not in use.
Find out more

Transit

October 31, 2015

Mapping the Most Popular Halloween Candy by State

6sqft has already brought you a map of what Americans love to eat most by state, but when October rolls around, New Yorkers forget about the avocados (yes, that's our state's favorite food) and move on to sweeter treats. So before you get yourself into a sugar coma today, check out this fun map of the most popular Halloween candy by state (h/t Mashable). Turns out, the most number of states chose candy corn, but Reeses Peanut Butter Cups had the highest number of total votes. New Yorkers, however, have a very strange favorite...
See what it is

Events & Things To Do

October 30, 2015

Buyer of Andy Warhol’s Montauk Estate Lists Nearby Home for $29.5M