By Michelle Cohen, Wed, December 5, 2018 - By Michelle Cohen
- , December 5, 2018
The city’s most important residential projects include a glittering showcase of superlatives that continue to eclipse all that came before, with claims that include tallest (Central Park Tower), skinniest (111 West 57th Street ), most expensive (a $250 million penthouse at 220 Central Park South) and loftiest outdoor lounge (Fifteen Hudson Yards) and pool (Brooklyn Point) almost being a requirement for selling the fabulously luxurious apartments and amenities that lie within. Though some of this year’s contenders appeared on previous years’ lists, their sales launches and toppings-out in 2018 proved that their arrivals on the city’s skyline–and among its residential options–are no less impactful than the anticipation that preceded them.
We’ve narrowed our picks down to a list of 12 headline-stealing residential structures for the year. Which do you think deserves 6sqft’s title of 2018 Building of the Year? To have your say, polls for our fourth annual competition will be open up until midnight on Wednesday, December 12th and we will announce the winner on the 13th.
VOTE HERE! And learn more about the choices.
By Michelle Cohen, Wed, December 5, 2018 - By Michelle Cohen
- , December 5, 2018
While this charming Chelsea co-op at 223 West 21st Street doesn’t have much in the way of extra space, it’s a two-bedroom apartment with a solid reserve of pre-war charm. Mint-condition renovations and an elevator building, combined with the fact that it’s priced at less than a million at $995K make this listing worth a look.
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By Devin Gannon, Wed, December 5, 2018 - By Devin Gannon
- , December 5, 2018
Via Wikimedia
Roughly 80,000 for-hire vehicle drivers in New York City are expected to get a pay raise next year. The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission on Tuesday voted to secure a minimum wage for drivers with ride-hailing companies, including Uber, Lyft, Via, and Juno, making New York the first city in the world to do so. Going into effect in 30 days, the new rule mandates a minimum wage of $17.22 per hour, after expenses. That hourly rate is equivalent to the city’s employee minimum wage of $15 per hour, which will be set at the end of this year.
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By Alexandra Alexa, Wed, December 5, 2018 - By Alexandra Alexa
- , December 5, 2018
Rendering via Kostow Greenwood
Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater, which helped launch the careers of Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, and other such luminaries, is expanding for the first time since it opened in 1934, by adding two new performance spaces and additional office space as part of the redevelopment of the Victoria Theater on West 125th Street. Scheduled to open in fall 2020, the new Apollo Performing Arts Center will allow the nonprofit Apollo Theater to increase the number of programming, educational, and community programs it offers.
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By Michelle Cohen, Wed, December 5, 2018 - By Michelle Cohen
- , December 5, 2018
Architecture firm Snøhetta unveiled this week a preservationist-friendly revision to a controversial design for an updated AT&T building at 550 Madison Avenue. The latest design is one of several revisions, each followed by controversy over being seen by preservationists as diverting too much from the building’s original design by Philip Johnson and John Burgee. In addition to comparisons to the original, new designs have had to consider the subsequent revamp that made it the Sony building in 1994, which replaced the building’s open Madison Avenue arcade with “Sony Experience” storefronts and covered a rear public arcade with a glass roof.
‘Hands off my Johnson’
By Alexandra Alexa, Tue, December 4, 2018 - By Alexandra Alexa
- , December 4, 2018
Photo via Wiki Commons
Earlier today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing to consider landmarking seven buildings on Broadway between East 12th and 14th Streets, one of which many already recognize as an unofficial NYC landmark — The Strand bookstore. In advance of the hearing, The Strand voiced strong concerns that the designation would place crippling restrictions on the scrappy business and potentially threaten its future, as the New York Times reported. Referencing the recent tax incentives that Amazon received to relocate to Long Island City, Strand owner Nancy Bass Wyden said, “The richest man in America, who’s a direct competitor, has just been handed $3 billion in subsidies. I’m not asking for money or a tax rebate. Just leave me alone.”
Find out what happened at today’s hearing
By Chava Gourarie, Tue, December 4, 2018 - By Chava Gourarie
- , December 4, 2018
Courtesy of Binyan Studios/ Snøhetta
The Department of Buildings this week rejected a challenge against the tallest tower planned for the Upper West Side, as first reported by Crain’s. Community groups argued that the design of Extell Development’s 775-foot condominium tower at 50 West 66th Street violated the city’s building code, but the department overruled those objections. Read more
By Dana Schulz, Tue, December 4, 2018 - By Dana Schulz
- , December 4, 2018
Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Laurence and Antoine’s 19th-century Hamilton Heights townhouse. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!
France natives Laurence and Antoine moved to NYC in 2006, after spending 12 years in Frankfurt, Germany. Antoine’s career as a software developer brought the family of six across the pond, where they landed in Turtle Bay. But once they got acclimated, they knew they wanted a neighborhood with more character. So eight years ago, they bought a historic brownstone in Hamilton Heights. When asked if they miss anything about living in Midtown they quickly say “no,” as they’ve fallen in love with Hamilton Heights’ charm, convenience, and friendly neighborhood feel.
But take away what’s outside, and Laurence and Antoine’s home alone would be enough to make any New Yorker fall in love. Built in 1890, the 21-foot-wide brownstone retains almost all of its original details, such as elaborately carved moldings and fireplaces (five, to be exact), cozy window seats, and jaw-dropping foliated screens in the master bedroom. However, with their children now out of the house, the couple is ready to downsize and has put their home on the market. But before they depart, Laurence and Antoine invited us in for a personal tour.
Have a look around
By Devin Gannon, Tue, December 4, 2018 - By Devin Gannon
- , December 4, 2018
Via CityRealty
State Sen. Michael Gianaris announced on Tuesday plans to draft legislation aimed at cracking down on insider dealing in real estate. The proposed law comes after a report in the Wall Street Journal found Amazon employees were buying condos in Long Island City before the company had publicly announced plans to build their second headquarters in the neighborhood. The legislation would prohibit anyone from using confidential government information to buy or sell real estate, according to Gianaris.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, December 4, 2018 - By Devin Gannon
- , December 4, 2018
Image via WNYC
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday said it expects to lose roughly $215 million this year from fare evasion on the city’s subways and buses. Nearly 500,000 people daily are not paying to ride, according to a study conducted by the MTA, contributing to the agency’s already massive deficit. At a meeting to discuss the issue, NYC Transit President Andy Byford told reporters he intends to focus on both fixing services and stopping fare evasion, as the New York Times reported. “I think the most pressing priority for customers is that they want reliable regular service,” Byford said. “But equally, I think New Yorkers would expect that everyone pay their way.”
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