6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

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

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

Distinctive Homes

For $8M, a proper Park Avenue penthouse with an artistic pedigree

Trump's childhood home in Queens back on the market for $2.3M after gut renovation

Tribeca's iconic skybridge property is back on the market for $30M

This $3M Williamsburg home is the rare condo with all of its loft charm intact

For $949K, this Village co-op has a Gold Coast address, prewar charm and a splash of color

The highest penthouse in Brooklyn's tallest residence lists for $16.75M

This $2.85M Crown Heights townhouse is an unspoiled historic beauty on an extra-long lot

This $9.75M Harlem brownstone reflects neighborhood history with five floors of 19th-century elegance

Filmmaker John Sayles' former Hoboken townhouse lists for $2.5M

Park Slope 'pink house,' now in a more muted hue, asks $5M

VIEW ALL

October 30, 2015

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

By Michelle Cohen

Though it may seem unlikely, there are some similarities between art and real estate, one of the biggest being that with big fish come big numbers. That's definitely the case for billionaire art collector and gallery owner Adam Lindemann–buyer of Andy Warhol’s former Montauk estate, Eothen, which was listed for $85 million. The contemporary art world high-roller recently listed his nearby property at 406 Old Montauk Highway for $29.5 million. The home was built in 2004; After he acquired it, Lindemann–who is married to gallerist Amalia Dayan, granddaughter of the late Israeli politician Moshe Dayan–hired British architect David Adjaye to take on a complete redesign. The 5,000- square-foot, six-bedroom home is now a unique residence in the far-east end of Long Island affectionately referred to as “the end of the world,” though the former fishing enclave has in recent years become a more-chill-than-the-Hamptons hip celebrity party spot.
Check it out

Spotlight: Witch Starr RavenHawk, Founder of the New York City Wiccan Family

Image © Laia Abril/Institute

October 30, 2015

Spotlight: Witch Starr RavenHawk, Founder of the New York City Wiccan Family

By Susan Cohen

New York is a very diverse city, so it should be no surprise that within the city’s midst are witches—and we're not talking the kind starring on Broadway’s "Wicked." Witches is one term for women and men who practice the religion Wicca. (Of note, not everyone who practices Wicca refers to themselves as a witch—but more on this ahead). Starr RavenHawk is a witch and the founder of The New York City Wiccan Family Temple. On October 31st, Starr and fellow witches/Wiccans will celebrate Samhain, a holiday that marks their new year. While this happens to be on the same day as Halloween, Samhain is not about sweets, scaring people or merriment. Rather, the new year is a time to honor those who have passed away. As Starr explains, this is a very personal holiday and how one celebrates it will vary. This week 6sqft spoke with Starr to debunk some myths about witches and Wicca and to learn more about The New York City Wiccan Family Temple and Samhain.
Everything you need to know this way

October 30, 2015

Insane Skylights at this $18 Million Tribeca Penthouse Loft

140 Franklin Street in Tribeca is a prewar building designed by Albert Wagner (also the architect of the Puck Building in Soho) in 1887. It's considered one of the city's best Romanesque Revival buildings, with its grand arched windows and detailed facade. Although it was built for the Walton Company, a manufacturer of wrapping papers, it has since been converted into 12 luxe condo apartments. This one, a penthouse unit, occupies the entire top two floors of the building and spans over 4,000 square feet. The skylights in here are just as grand as the building facade, creating a truly awe-worthy living area. And don't even get us started on the 1,640-square-foot roof top patio...
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

October 30, 2015

Talk Dock Is the Retro Alternative for Hands-Free Chitchat

These days there are a variety of fancy gadgets that allow for hands-free chitchat, but that doesn't mean we want to take our headsets home from the office. Before the small square smartphone became part of our daily routine, the old-school receiver was designed to nestle perfectly between your cheek and shoulder, hands-free. This retro-style rotary phone was the inspiration for Talk Dock, a charging station and receiver reminiscent of yesteryear.
READ MORE

October 30, 2015

PBDW’s Nomad Hotel Prepares for 20-Story Addition to Historic McKim Mead & White Building

Alex Ohebshalom’s Empire Management may finally be moving forward with plans to convert a McKim Mead & White-designed bank building at 250 Fifth Avenue and construct a 21-story hotel-tower behind. The project is the latest to join Nomad's recent hotel boom that has produced the Ace Hotel, Nomad Hotel, Flatiron Hotel, and the upcoming Virgin Hotel. While building permits filed in July have yet to be approved, the existing six-story building recently cleared out its retail tenants, and its upper office floors now appear empty. Since the site lies within the Madison Square North Historic District, the owners, under the LLC Quartz Associates, had to secure approvals from both Community Board 5 and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. With a proven track-record of steering projects in historically sensitive areas towards approval, architects Platt Byard Dovell White were commissioned. PBDW uncovered that a mid-rise loft building was once proposed for the site and this evidence allowed for LPC to more seriously consider a taller addition to the 1907, palazzo-like building designed for Second National Bank.
Find out more

October 30, 2015

Peter Stuyvesant’s Ghost in the East Village; How the 1 Percent Celebrate Halloween

By Ondel Hylton and Julian Friedman

Mapping the most famous residents of New York City’s cemeteries, from John Gotti to Harry Houdini. [Curbed] Talking to the author of “St. Marks is Dead” about the history of and transformation of “America’s hippest street.” [Brick Underground] The ghost of Peter Stuyvesant may still haunt the East Village. [Bowery Boys] Here’s all the deals […]

Uncategorized

October 30, 2015

New Renderings and New Tenant Revealed for 90-Story Hudson Yards Tower

Curbed reports that Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group officially announced the signing of private equity firm KKR & Co. for 343,000 square feet of their upcoming mega-tower at 30 Hudson Yards. Marking the event, the developers have released a slew of renderings for the project, which is rising from the southwest corner of 33rd Street and Tenth Avenue. The 90-story building will soar nearly 1,300 feet high, and the deal dictates that the firm will occupy the supertall's top ten floors. KKR will have a dedicated elevator bank, a private sky lobby, and access to the tower’s hotly anticipated observation deck (which will be the highest in the city). The firm will relocate from the Solow Building at 9 West 57th and is slated to occupy the space by 2020.
Lots more renderings and details

October 30, 2015

Listings Launch for Zaha Hadid’s High Line Condos

Though sales launched earlier this month at Zaha Hadid's curving High Line condo building, her first commission in NYC, there were no public listings. The wait is over, though, as they've just gone live, providing long-anticipated pricing and floorplans. The eleven-story building at 520 West 28th Street in Chelsea will offer 39 two- to five-bedroom homes, all of which take advantage of the starchitect's signature swooping construction. They'll range from $4,950,000 to $50 million for the largest penthouse, but the three residences listed on Corcoran are a $6.4 million two-bedroom unit; a $9.4 million three-bedroom; and a $16 million four-bedroom.
Ogle the floorplans and renderings

Times Square’s Marriott EDITION Hotel Breaks Ground, Will Boast 76,000SF of Food Space

Earlier this week, the five-star Marriott EDITION hotel, slated to tower over Duffy Square, broke ground. The 39-story, 517-foot tall building is being developed by a partnership between the Witkoff Group, Howard Lorber’s New Valley LLC, Winthrop Realty Trust, and Maefield Development. Going by the invented address of 20 Times Square (701 Seventh Avenue), the 370,000-square-foot tower will be the first hotel to rise directly along the Square's "bow-tie" area since Gary Barnett opened the W Times Square in 2000. Taking full advantage of its coveted, highly-trafficked location, the project will contain 76,000 square feet of retail and food and beverage space, as well as an outdoor roof terrace. Its six-story podium anchors the northeast corner of 47th Street and Seventh Avenue and will be wrapped by a 120-foot-tall, 18,000-square-foot LED display, which according to the Witkoff Group, "will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced in the world today."
More details and renderings ahead

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – Halloween Edition!

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!

October 29, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – Halloween Edition!

By Lori Zimmer

Halloween week is my favorite time of the year, and this week I've rounded up a mix of art and Halloween events that lets uncreatives feel a part of (and even look like) something arty this weekend. Get into the spirit with Margaret Bowland's compelling paintings that brush on wealth and violence at Driscoll Babcock. Susanne Bartsch heads from her museum show at FIT to MoMA PS1's Halloween party for a complete night of museum-quality art (on both counts) and fun. Performance impresario Anna Copa Cabanna hits us twice, with hellish go-go in Williamsburg, then Old New York fun at Sid Gold's Request Room. Performance art group CHERYL invite guests to become part of their immersive world once again with Psychopomp, partnered with Gayletter. After you've washed the glitter out of your hair, rejoin society and check out the beautiful Donald Byrd and Charles Wuorinen dance performance at the Guggenheim, before getting a leg up on the inaugural Honolulu Biennial at a special panel sponsored by Artnet.
All the best events to check out here

October 29, 2015

$721,000 West Village Apartment Has a Cozy Floorplan With the Kitchen in the Living Room

Sure it's not in the seven-figure category, but $721,000 is no drop in the bucket, and that's exactly what this very cozy one-bedroom with the barely-there kitchen smack in the middle of the living room is asking. What it lacks in space and appliances, it makes up for in brick walls and dark-stained maple floors, three closets, and chic decor. The location helps, too; it's on the picturesque "Sex and the City" block at 77 Perry Street and "overlooks and clears the beautiful townhouses across the street with open views reminiscent of a Hopper painting," according to the listing. So, would you trade in your pots and pans for this "rare opportunity to own on the most coveted block in the West Village?"
Decide here

Distinctive Homes

Starchitect Vishaan Chakrabarti Scoops Up a $5.78M Condo at FXFowle’s 35XV

Image: Vishaan Chakrabarti image © Henry Hung Photography superimposed on a model unit image

October 29, 2015

Starchitect Vishaan Chakrabarti Scoops Up a $5.78M Condo at FXFowle’s 35XV

By Annie Doge

Vishaan Chakrabarti is closing out 2015 with a bang. After not only making a $4.995 million sale on his Flatiron loft earlier this month but also leaving his position at SHoP Architects to start his own firm, Partnership for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), the starchitect has just closed on a $5.78 million unit a FXFowle's dramatic Flatiron tower, 35XV. According to the Post, Chakrabarti's new pad measures just slightly smaller than his last at 2,324 square feet, but hosts three spacious bedrooms, each with en suite baths, and comes outfitted with a Lutron home automation system that includes touch-pads, remote controlled shades, lighting systems and temperature control.
Check out the floorplan here

October 29, 2015

It’s Only $275,000 to Live in This Old Stone Meeting House in Upstate NY

New York City real estate got you down? There's nothing more refreshing than perusing properties upstate, which have plenty of history and charm for loads less money. Exhibit A is this "old stone meeting hall," an 1810-era home that was originally built as a Presbyterian church in the town of Barneveld, New York, at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. The current owners purchased it back in 1970 and converted it to a single family home, and the result is a wonderfully warm, quirky and historic house. And yes, this five-bedroom home, which sits on .45 acres of land, is only asking $274,900.
There's lots more to see

October 29, 2015

Construction Spending Will Set a Record This Year; What Your Junk Mail Says About You

Your junk mail will reveal if you’re rich or poor. [Washington Post] Brooklyn is the best bet for house flippers. [NYP] MTA passes $26B budget to cover repairs, improvements and expansion efforts through the next three years. [The Wall Street Journal] Construction spending in NYC is expected to hit a record $39 billion this year. […]

Real Estate Trends

October 29, 2015

REVEALED: 26-Story, LEED-Certified Hotel Coming to the Financial District

Here's our first look at Tribeca Associates upcoming 26-story hotel at 143 Fulton Street in the Financial District, where demolition at the site is already underway. The 90,000- square-foot tower designed by SLCE Architects will contain 228 rooms, ground-level retail, and typical hotel amenities such as a fitness center and a bar/lounge on the third floor. Hotel suites, found on floors 5 through 25, average ten per floor. The building will also seek LEED accreditation.
More details

October 29, 2015

Get the Blueprints: Learn About the Architecture of Shots With This New Book

With the holiday season right around the corner we've got three things on our minds, booze, gifts and of course design. This new book, "The Architecture of the Shot," from author Paul Knorr and architectural planner Melissa Wood, speaks to all three. In keeping with the authors' expertise, this clever piece of literature includes 75 blueprints detailing the creation of "the perfect shot from the bottom up," as if they were each a mini building.
READ MORE

Architecture And Design

October 29, 2015

Map Shows Where Our Pumpkins Really Come From

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

Unfortunately, the pumpkins at Whole Foods don't come with labels like "local" or "wild caught," but the good news is that your Halloween purchase likely comes from nearby. This interactive map from the Washington Post highlights the total acres of pumpkins harvested, by county, in 2012. It was created using data from USDA Agricultural Census and shows that "pumpkins are grown commercially in just about every county in the Northeastern states."
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

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

October 29, 2015

‘Ghostbusters’ Firehouse Now a Lego Set; Abandoned North Brother Island May Open to Public

The famous “Ghostbusters’ firehouse has been given the Lego treatment. The 4,634-piece set, which will come with the requisite ghost containment unit and figures of the movie characters, will go for $350. [Tribeca Citizen] Halloween survival guide for adults: what wine to pair Halloween candy with. [Mental Floss] The “windy” history of the Flatiron Building. […]

Uncategorized

October 29, 2015

POLL: Would You Like to See the MTA Use This Modern Subway Map?

Yesterday, 6sqft brought you this modern subway map redesign by Tommi Moilanen. His version keeps the current map’s basic structure, but infuses it with a bit of Massimo Vignelli‘s famous graphic style. Geographically and systemically accurate, Moilanen’s map also uses thick and thin lines to represent express and local service; tints skipped stops a lighter shade; more clearly […]

October 29, 2015

Animated Video Illustrates the Dire Need for New Hudson River Tunnels

People are getting fed up with the century-old, crumbling Hudson River tunnels. One Jersey resident even went so far as to hire an architecture firm to design a sky bridge connecting Jersey City to Battery Park City. But grand visions aside, the state of the infrastructure is serious. To illustrate this point, but make it a bit more simple to digest, the Regional Plan Association has released a three-minute animated video called "Tunnel Trouble" that, as Crain's puts it, "shows a hellish commute for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak riders if new tunnels are not built." The narrator states, "they are the biggest bottleneck in the metro region's transit network, causing delays that ripple up and down the northeast corridor."
Learn more and watch the video

Transit

October 28, 2015

Tommi Moilanen’s New Subway Map Design Makes It Easier to Navigate the City

The subway is one of New York City's greatest assets, but this only holds true if you can actually navigate through the various tunnels and platforms. And despite the countless transportation apps out there today, the good 'ole subway map is still the best way to find your way around. There's certainly been no shortage of map redesigns, but 6sqft is particularly impressed with the stylings of this new map by Tommi Moilanen, a Finnish industrial and interactive designer. His version uses the system's existing design language, but incorporates a fresh, modern aesthetic.
More details and the full map

October 28, 2015

Surreal Estate: NYC Listings That Are Scary, Hairy, and Totally Hideous

By Michelle Cohen

As if New York City home prices, monthly rents and apartment sizes weren’t scary enough. Between the horrors of Airbnb, overpriced dorm-style “co-living,” super-expensive micro-apartments, and Donald Trump, it’s hard to imagine we'd need Halloween to scare ourselves silly. But scare we do. Because of listings like these that know no season. Because sometimes real estate gets a little too real. From spookily dilapidated to eerily obscure to downright hideous, 6sqft has rounded up some of the most horrifying listings out there.
Be very afraid

October 28, 2015

VIDEO: Ride the Elevator Up to the Marriott Marquis’ Secret 55th Floor

The Marriott Marquis may not have the illustrious, storied past of NYC's landmarked hotels like The Plaza or the Algonquin, but that doesn't mean it doesn't keep its fair share of secrets. As you probably know, the Times Square locale is famous for its spectacular high-tech Schindler Miconic 10 elevators which zip passengers up and down the building while offering incredible views over the hotel's massive atrium lobby below. While the building is said to be just 48 floors tall, rumor has it there's actually a secret 55th floor that no regular person has been to before. Could it be true? One intrepid guest of the Marriott was daring enough to find out.
check it out here

October 28, 2015

VIDEO: Watch My Micro NY Get Built and Go Inside a Completed Unit

6sqft reported in July that My Micro NY, the city’s first micro apartment complex, was fully stacked, reaching its 120-foot height at 335 East 27th Street on the border of Gramercy and Kips Bay. Then, just last month, it was announced that the $17 million development began accepting applications for its 260- to 360-square-foot affordable studios. Up until now, though, we've only seen renderings of the interiors, but a new trailer from the designers nArchitects takes us on a walk through of a completed unit (h/t Curbed), which, although tiny, is quite bright. The video also shows the entire construction process, beginning with fabrication at the Navy Yard to the units being stacked by crane.
Watch the video here

October 28, 2015

Explore the NYC Death Map; Steve Buscemi to Advise City on Affordable Artists’ Housing

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has released a report saying that the borough is missing out on $6 billion in retail spending. [TRD] Shake Shack is in talks to open in Williamsburg. [TRD] The “NYC Death Map” will tell you who’s died on pretty much every corner and street of the city. [Gothamist] A “haunted” mafia mansion on […]

Real Estate Trends

October 28, 2015

Woodwork and Greenery Abound at This Upstate Stone House by BNO Design

This beautiful home located in Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, New York, is situated on acres of sprawling greenery. The immaculate interior was created by BNO Design and boasts a myriad of truly unique architectural details. From the intricate wood staircase, complete with ornate storage compartments, to upholstered linen walls and impressively large windows, this home is chock full of taste and elegance.
Take a tour around

Architecture And Design

October 28, 2015

Two New Handel-Designed Towers to Sail Onto the Greenpoint Landing Waterfront

Yesterday it was announced that Brookfield Property Partners is making their first Brooklyn venture by purchasing a majority stake in two Greenpoint Landing development sites for $59.7 million. While better known for their commercial ventures, Brookfield will begin construction early next year on 775 market-rate apartments on two waterfront parcels. The towers should be finished sometime in 2019 at the total cost of $600 million as part of the first phases of the of the 22-acre master plan which is being designed by Handel Architects. Plans filed with the Department of Buildings for Brookfield's sites call for a 30-story, 372-unit rental building at 37 Blue Slip and a larger 39-story, 401-unit tower at 41 Blue Slip. A cul-de-sac will separate the slab-shaped towers, which will open onto a waterfront esplanade designed by James Corner Field Operations.
More renderings right this way

October 28, 2015

Wood Is Everywhere at This Tribeca Loft Apartment Asking $5.5 Million

Tribeca is the land of lofts, but we've never seen one quite like this before. You'll find wood paneling, wood ceiling beams, just wood everywhere—even in the backyard—at this floor-through apartment, located in the 1915-era brick building 321 Greenwich Street (h/t Curbed). The building only has four units total, this one is located on the second floor.) It's a ton of open space, 3,000 square feet to be exact, and it's all quite unique. The living room, pictured above with its wood floors, wood ceiling, wooden beams and wood tables, only gives you a taste.
See more of it

Distinctive Homes

October 28, 2015

An App to Track NYC Marathon Runners; How Ikea Designs Its Assembly Instructions

The ten most insane abandoned places in New York state. [Thrillist] A new New York City Marathon app lets friends, family, and fans keep track of up to ten runners using a tracking chip in their bibs. [DNAinfo] Get a sneak peek inside the Museum of Food and Drink, which officially opened its doors yesterday. [Mashable] Nine […]

Uncategorized

October 28, 2015

Detailed Infographic Shows the Ebb and Flow of NYC Skyscraper Construction

Charts related to skyscrapers typically compare the world's tallest buildings, but a new interactive timeline from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) shows the ebb and flow of skyscraper construction in NYC and how it resembles the country's boom and bust cycles (h/t CityLab). The timeline is part of a larger report called "New York: The Ultimate Skyscraper Laboratory," which also examines the function and location of recent supertall towers going up during today's boom cycle.
More infographics and details

History

October 28, 2015

Blockbuster Greenwich Lane Closes Its First Sales, Each Eight Figures

The first of five of the city's priciest developments has finally started to cash in, with two eight-figure sales recorded at Greenwich Village's rising mega-development, The Greenwich Lane. As 6qft reported in April, the ginormous, block-eating condo complex located at 145 West 11th Street is anticipated to make between $1.4 to $1.7 billion dollars at sell out. The first two sales, which appeared in public filings released yesterday, are a five-bedroom 4,537-square-foot unit (#8) which closed at $19.53 million, and similarly another 4,529-square-foot five-bedroom (#4) that closed at $16.32 million.
more on the significance of the two sales here

October 27, 2015

This Website Tells You Who Died in Your House and How

Forget paying to tour a haunted house; find out if you're living in your very own version with this creepy website DiedInHouse.com. According to Forbes, the site can determine whether someone died at a given address and even if a person was murdered, committed suicide, or if there were any arson instances or meth labs there. To arrive at these findings, they use death certificates, news reports, and 130 million police records. And while this is a fun little Halloween experiment, it actually has more serious implications. Statistics show that a death or serious crime in a home can drop its value by up to 30 percent.
More details ahead

Real Estate Trends

October 27, 2015

First Look at the Bow Building’s Interiors, Fifth Avenue Gem Comes Back to Life as Condos

Here's a first look at the interiors of Pan-Brothers Associates lovingly restored condominium development The Bow Building at 242 Fifth Avenue. Acquiring its name from the ornamental bow cast onto its facade, the structure's Queen Anne cast-iron front has been rehabilitated to its original 1885 grandeur. Once home to high-end antique furniture stores, tailors and art dealers, its sumptuously-scaled, arched windows will soon flood light into four bespoke units, each equipped with 11- to 20-foot ceilings and private outdoor spaces.
More info and all the renderings

October 27, 2015

How NYC Could Be Better, Architects Vishaan Chakrabarti and Gregg Pasquarelli Sound Off

SHoP architect Gregg Pasquarelli and Vishaan Chakrabarti of Partnership for Architecture and Urbanism (and formerly of SHoP) talk about all of the infrastructural and architectural improvements NYC needs. The pair cite solutions spurring change in other cities around the world as examples of what we should be doing. [Curbed via Wired] The NYC Marathon generates millions of dollars for the city […]

Real Estate Trends

October 27, 2015

East Village Micro-Loft Is Jam-Packed With Storage to Maximize Functionality and Efficiency

Living in a small New York City apartment is hard enough, but also using that same space for work comes with an additional layer of challenges. The owner of this 500-square-foot East Village studio had been pushing the limits of what his space could accommodate since purchasing the apartment back in 1999 before the real estate boom. With his growing collection of office supplies, gadgets, toys and art pieces, the apartment was in serious need of some organization. Thankfully with meticulous planning from the design team at Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture, the disorganized home was transformed into a highly organized and efficient living space with no clutter in sight.
Check out this amazing apartment

Bergen Brooklyn

323 Bergen Street

Boerum Hill

World-class design rooted in Brooklyn charm

studios starting at $825,000
1 beds starting at $1,200,000
2 beds starting at $1,925,000
3 beds starting at $3,050,000
4 beds starting at $6,000,000

Learn More

October 27, 2015

The Parlor Floor’s the Star at This Bed Stuy Rental, Asking $4,500 a Month

If you've got the option to rent a floor of a historic New York townhouse, you'll always want the parlor floor. Originally designed to be the showcase of the home, this floor comes with big windows and the best light, a great layout and usually access to the backyard. This Bedford-Stuyvesant townhouse at 611 Macon Street now has a rental apartment available, for $4,500 a month, that covers both the parlor floor and floor above it. The home is indeed lovely, with some well-kept historic details and some renovations to make it feel like an "open concept space."
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Distinctive Homes

October 27, 2015

What’s Really in That Pumpkin Spice Latte; NYC Lit Only by Stars

Ever wonder how much actual pumpkin is in that pumpkin spice latte? Here’s the science behind the wildly popular drink. [Business Insider] Ten stunning New York interiors you’ve probably never seen. [Bloomberg] Could giving buses priority at traffic signals improve speed and reliability? [Streetsblog] In French artist Thierry Cohen’s new series “Darkened Cities” we can see […]

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October 27, 2015

REVEALED: Interior Renderings of Norman Foster’s Skinny Seagram-Neighboring Condo Tower

Norman Foster is a master when it comes to contextual thoughtfulness, and his latest creation slated to rise next door to Mies van der Rohe's iconic Seagram Building is one to be admired. Called One Hundred East Fifty Third Street (it takes its name from its address), the 63-story tower has just released a new set of interior renderings to Dezeen which show what the world's richest will be snapping up when units hit the market next week.
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65-Story Condo Tower Designed by CetraRuddy to Rise in the Downtown Skyline

Renderings of the tower at 900 feet, courtesy of CityRealty

October 27, 2015

65-Story Condo Tower Designed by CetraRuddy to Rise in the Downtown Skyline

Last week it was announced that the long vacant Financial District lot at 45 Broad Street would be redeveloped into a 65-story condominium tower through a partnership between Madison Equities and the Pizzarotti Group. According to The Real Deal, "The buyers closed on the purchase of the land for $86 million and secured a $75 million acquisition loan." While it is not yet clear what the project’s exact size and number of units will be, given the lofty ceiling heights of today's high-end condo developments, 65 stories could yield a tower of up to 900 feet.
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October 27, 2015

Look Inside NYC’s Strangely Beautiful Glass and Plastic Recycling Facility