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 […]

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

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

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
December 1, 2015

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

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
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
November 30, 2015

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

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

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
November 30, 2015

NYC Building Boom Yields Rise in Construction Deaths

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
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
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 […]

November 28, 2015

November’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features

November’s 10 Most-Read Stories Iconic Halston House Where Andy Warhol Partied Hits the Market for $40M The World’s Most Expensive Dollhouse Will Be On Show at Columbus Circle This Month Rent a Literal Dumpster Apartment in Williamsburg for $1,200 a Month–or $200 a Night 432 Park in Numbers: New Renderings and Superlatives Will Blow You […]

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
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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
November 25, 2015

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

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
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 […]

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
November 25, 2015

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

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
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
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
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
November 24, 2015

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

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

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, […]

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
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

Katris: Tetris-Style Modular Furniture That Doubles as a Cat Scratcher

Cats could be considered the perfect city pet because unlike dogs these furry creatures don't require early morning walks or small blue poop bags. But they do come with their own set of challenges, and keeping your furniture scratch free is one of them. Enter Katris, a multi-use cat scratch post that doubles as a stylish piece of furniture. From the innovative design firm Papercut Labs, each of the five available pieces takes the familiar shape of a Tetris piece, and just like in the game, they easily fit together into different formations.
More on Katris here
November 23, 2015

$1.7M West Village Co-op Feels Prim and Proper

Here's a co-op apartment that has everything in place, prim and proper as can be. It's a one-bedroom, two-bathroom unit that's located on the second floor of a West Village townhouse at 53 Horatio Street. The pre-war brick building, constructed in 1848, also looks pretty proper and stately, without any adornments or flourishes. That is carried to the interior, which has a nice but not extravagant design. The apartment was last listed in 2013 for $1,100,000, then sold soon after for $1,040,000. Two years later, the owners are looking to make a sizable profit with an ask of $1,699,000.
See the rest
November 23, 2015

The Story Behind Those Infamous ‘Sick Passenger’ Subway Announcements

Admit it–despite your general concern for the well-being of your fellow New Yorkers, you can't help roll your eyes when that dreaded "sick passenger" announcement comes over the subway intercom. "Why get on the train if you're not feeling well?" or "Can't they just move the person to the platform?" are common moans heard during these all-too-common delays. But, it turns out, it's a lot more complicated than that. The New York Times took a look at the rise in sick passengers, up to 3,000 a month this year as compared with 1,800 each month in 2012. Every time this happens, the train crew has to notify the rail control center, who then will call an ambulance. It depends on the specific station and time of day how long it will take emergency medical workers to locate the sick patient. Then, if it's deemed the passenger cannot safely walk, he or she must remain on the train to be assessed. Further, if the passenger has no one to wait with them and there's no police officer available, it falls on the train conductor to stay with the patient until help arrives. This can lead to the train being pulled out of service altogether. And of course, the delays start a ripple effect throughout the line.
More this way
November 23, 2015

Listings Go Live Today for NYC’s First Micro Apartment Complex

Carmel Place (formerly known as My Micro NY), the city's much-talked-about first micro apartment complex, began accepting applications for its affordable studios back in September (since then, 60,000 people have applied). And now, a press release from developer Monadnock has announced that listings for 12 of the market-rate units will go live today in anticipation of the February opening date. Along with the launch comes news of Ollie, "an innovative housing model that delivers an all-inclusive living experience." The nine-story modular development will have 55 studios ranging from 260 to 360 square feet, 22 of which will be affordable (of these, 8 will be set aside for formerly homeless veterans) and go for between $950 and $1,500 a month depending on family size and income. The remaining 33 will see prices ranging from $2,540 for a 265-square-foot, furnished, third-floor unit to $2,910 for a 335-square-foot, furnished, second-floor unit.
Find out more
November 23, 2015

Former House & Garden Editor Lists Upper East Side Co-op for $4.75M

If you're fan of the elegant, old-fashioned Upper East Side, pre-war co-ops and stylishly-decorated interiors, you can't go wrong with this five-room, two-bedroom-plus home at 563 Park Avenue. The seller is the former editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure magazine (and before that, Condé Nast's House & Garden, where she replaced Anna Wintour as EIC), Nancy Novogrod and her husband, John, an estate attorney; so we'd expect that show-house-worthy interiors are a given.
READ MORE
November 22, 2015

Revealed: Boutique Condos Coming to 231 West 26th Street in Chelsea

Here's our first look at a seven-unit boutique condominium slated for a mid-block site at 231 West 26th Street in northern Chelsea. The developer is the New York-based Azimuth Development Group who plans to supersize the existing four-story building between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Permits were filed and approved earlier this year and DOB signs have already been posted on the doorway. The 24-foot addition will blot out a few floors of lot-line windows of the adjacent co-op 233 West 26th Street, where a three-bedroom home is on the market for $4.5 million, a price that will likely be similar to its new neighbor.
More details ahead
November 21, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

New Renderings of SuperPier: Google’s New NYC Digs + Bourdain Food Market To Arrive in 2018 Bought for Just $7,600 in the ’70s, Prospect Heights Co-op Returns 43 Years Later for $2.15M This 80-Story I.M. Pei-Designed Tower Almost Replaced Grand Central The World’s Largest Display of Miniatures Is Coming to Times Square in 2017 Interactive […]

November 20, 2015

REX Revealed as the Architects Redesigning the World Trade Center Performing Arts Complex

Ever since Frank Gehry and his design for the Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center (PACWTC) site got the boot last year, many have been eager to know who would be taking the helm in his place. Since July, the PACWTC has been working with an anonymous architectural firm to hash out a new concept, and now, nearly five months later, the board has finally released the name of the lead architect: Brooklyn-based studio REX led by Joshua Prince-Ramus, a former protégé of starchitect Rem Koolhaas. PACWTC chairman John Zucotti said in a statement, "The selection of REX and the Lower Manhattan District Council’s renewed commitment are critical milestones in our collective effort to create a vibrant new cultural and community anchor for all of Lower Manhattan. We are now two important steps closer to completing the World Trade Center and fully realizing our vision of Lower Manhattan as the world’s most dynamic, 24/7 urban community."
more details on the design here
November 20, 2015

City Will Start Accepting Proposals for Underground Lowline Space

In 2009, James Ramsey and Dan Barasch started planning a solar-powered subterranean park on the Lower East Side, the underground equivalent of the High Line. They set their sites on the 60,000-square-foot abandoned Essex Street Trolley Terminal below Delancey Street and named their project The Lowline. Now, six years later, they've launched the Lowline Lab, "a high-tech, miniaturized precursor to the city’s first underground park," as 6sqft put it in a recent interview with Ramsey and Barasch. Located in a vacant warehouse on Essex Street, the Lab most certainly served its purpose, as The Lo-Down is reporting that the city and MTA have finally agreed to accept proposals for the space. The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) will release on Monday a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI), followed by a briefing next month with Community Board 3.
Find out more ahead
November 20, 2015

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent List Their Greenwich Village Penthouse for $10.5M

Back in September Architectural Digest dedicated a whole cover plus photo spread to Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent "settling in" to their pristine apartment, a penthouse at the Emery Roth-designed 39 Fifth Avenue in the heart of the Village. While the pair spent the better part of the piece gushing about how they'd finally found their dream home (“We couldn’t stop thinking about the apartment, believing we were meant to live there...we were able to create the home of our dreams," Brent said to AD at one point), it looks like the family, which includes their young daughter Poppy, couldn't quite get as comfy as they'd hoped, because they've just listed their spacious pad for $10.5 million.
Tour their beautiful penthouse
November 20, 2015

This Upper East Side Townhouse Makes Up in Charm What It Lacks in Its 13-Foot Width

When you've got a house that's just a hair over 13 feet wide, you'd better know a good interior design pro. Fortunately the owners of this slender 1899 townhouse at 259 East 78th Street took that caveat to heart when they purchased it for $2 million in 2009. It's now on the market for $5.5 million, and every inch of its 2,600 square feet has been put into use with enough warmth, character and smart design decisions to keep any "narrow-minded" thoughts at bay. And there's nothing skimpy about the location on a gorgeous townhouse-lined street just a few blocks from Central Park on the Upper East Side.
Have a closer look inside this charmer
November 20, 2015

Meatpacking District Gets the Brooklyn-as-Brand Treatment

The Brooklyn-as-a-brand ship has long sailed, but we've lately seen other boroughs (take for example this Bronx Hot Sauce) and neighborhoods (see this candle that promises to make your home smell like Bushwick) trying to cash in on the action. Unsurprisingly, the increasingly trendy Meatpacking District is the latest locale to jump on the bandwagon. Fast Co. Design has a first look at the new visual identity of the neighborhood, commissioned by the Meatpacking Business Improvement District and created by Base Design. "Anchored by a wordmark that divides "Meatpacking District" into two different typefaces, it suggests a neighborhood with multiple personalities: equal parts ritzy and wild," explains Fast Co. But the real reason behind the branding campaign may surprise you.
Learn more about the rebranding
November 20, 2015

Check Out George Steinmetz’s Stunning Aerial Photos of ‘New’ New York

Earlier this week, 6sqft shared National Geographic's interactive map of what the NYC skyline will look like in 2020. To accompany it, the publication has released a piece by New York's resident journalist Pete Hammill, in which he "reflects on 72 years of transformation as his hometown is continuously rebuilt." Hammill laments on loss (Ebbets Field, the old Madison Square Garden, and Stillman's Gym, to name a few), but says of the present-day city that it's "in a bad way." Though he says New York is "wealthier and healthier" than when he was young, he feels that "its architectural face is colder, more remote, less human, seeming to be sneering." While describing the shadow-casting supertalls and influx of the super-rich, Hammill points to the stunning aerial photography of George Steinmetz, since "the best view of New York might be from above." Steinmetz's photos, taken from a self-designed helicopter, appear in the December issue of National Geographic magazine as an illustration to Hammill's essay. They're part of his new book "New York Air: The View from Above." We've chosen five of our favorite photos that represent the changing landscape of New York City.
See them here

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More than just current events, here you'll learn about the places, people, and ideas that are shaping your city.