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When most people think Upper East Side real estate, they think of historic and grand co-op apartments and townhouses. This condo, located in a very modern and very glassy building at 147 East 84th Street, is an exception. The three-bedroom duplex pad is outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, fancy fixtures, some bold wallpaper and a screening room to boot. Simply put, it's anything but a historic old residence. It has been on and off the market for a few years now, with a price tag right around $5 million, and now it's asking $6.495 million. The seller is candy entrepreneur Mark Tarnofsky, who listed just in time for Halloween.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

October 18, 2015

$7,500/Month Greenwich Village Loft Looks Good Even With All Its Carpet

In the world of New York real estate, there's generally a rule: wood floors are good, and carpeting... not so much. It gets dirty, doesn't look as authentic, and there are usually gorgeous wood floors hiding underneath. This is especially true for loft apartments, which are typically dominated by wood flooring throughout. But not this one, at 12 East 14th Street in Greenwich Village. And you know what? We don't hate it. Maybe it's the handsome blue color and the way it blends into the furniture. Or the idea of having a nice cushion underneath our feet. (Plus, this loft hasn't totally abandoned its wood floor roots... you'll find some in the kitchen and the hallways.) The co-op apartment is now on the rental market for $7,250 a month. It comes fully furnished, so the renter is going to have to embrace that carpet living.
See more

Distinctive Homes

October 17, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Upper East Side Co-op Personally Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Asks $9.5 Million First Full Look at Extell’s 80-Story One Manhattan Square, 800 Condos Aimed at Asian Buyers Specht Harpman Transforms an Awkward 425-Square-Foot Apartment Into an Open Space Oasis Tell NYC Officials What Neighborhood Improvements You Want to See Using the ‘Idea Collection Map’ […]

Uncategorized

October 16, 2015

Rather Modest UES Townhouse Has Five Floors, Seven Fireplaces, Two Kitchens, Mail Center and Elevator

We've pretty much seen it all when it comes to no-holds-barred luxury in an Upper East Side townhouse, and this five-story, 7,000 square-foot specimen at 17 East 83rd Street is by no means the most opulent. But when the listing starts with "elevator townhouse," you know you're probably not in for a lot of skimping. And when you learn there's a "separate service entrance/mudroom with paw washer," and a "mail center," well, Billionaire's Row is looking a just a bit like Dogpatch... The current owners of this Manhattan mansion—an investor and an interior designer—purchased it for $2.9 million in 1998, which, sure, was 20 years ago, but if they get anywhere close to their ask of $24.5 million, it's still quite a payday. A tidy sum, it's true, must have been spent on renovations in this townhouse-that-treats-you-like-a five-star-hotel–though now that we think of it, where's the pool?
Take the tour (good thing there's an elevator)

Distinctive Homes

October 16, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Larry Berezin on Why You Should Never Pay a Parking Ticket No Questions Asked

New York may characteristically be a city of straphangers, but there are still millions of city residents who keep cars. If you're one of many who have taken on the (oftentimes regrettable) responsibility of car ownership, you know that the biggest challenge faced on the streets is the task of parking. Every year the city issues around 10 million parking tickets with fines running from $65 all the way up to $300. While no driver is ever shy about sharing their rage when being met with one of the pesky orange rectangles on their windshield, most will pay those violations no questions asked. And that's a problem, according to lawyer Larry Berezin, who says a very large percentage of NYC tickets are scam tickets. Larry is the CEO and founder of New York Parking Ticket, a consulting company with a website that provides comprehensive, easy to understand, FREE advice on how regular folks can beat the racket that is NYC parking. "There are ways to fight these tickets, but you need to be armed with the right information," Larry says. We recently spoke to Larry to find out more about what he does and to get some expert advice on how to beat that ticket currently hanging on your fridge.
Read the interview and get some tips from Larry here

October 16, 2015

New Renderings of Handel Architects’ Torqued 43-Story Rental Underway Near Grand Central

Groundwork on BLDG Management's 43-story rental tower at 222 East 44th Street is quickly moving forward now that the large block-through parking garage that occupied the site has been removed. The 441,000-square-foot development situated midblock between Second and Third Avenues will house 429 residential units, 87 of which will be deemed affordable. East 44th Street is among the most densely built streetscapes in the city, and will be more so once three other high-rises projects on the stretch are complete. But as 6sqft reported in August, the 556-foot-tall, Handel Architects-designed development employs a unique massing where its elevations are torqued away from the street wall, granting additional light and air to residents.
This way for more details and renderings

October 16, 2015

Billionaire Art Collector in Contract to Buy Andy Warhol’s $85M Former Montauk Compound

By Annie Doge

"I knew Andy in the early 1980s as a very young man, and I’m a collector of his work . . . I’m very lucky to have this opportunity to live out this dream. It’s a work of art." This is what billionaire art collector and Upper East Side gallery owner Adam Lindemann told the Post regarding going into contract on Andy Warhol's $85 million former Montauk estate and equestrian farm. Warhol bought the 30-acre compound, known as "Eothen," in 1972 along with filmmaker friend Paul Morrissey for a mere $225,000, putting Montauk on the map as an A-list retreat on par with the East End. As 6sqft reported when the listing hit the market in June, "For years, the artist used the compound as a city retreat, entertaining friends and luminaries that included Jackie Onassis, Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and John Lennon. Back then, guests of Warhol enjoyed 600 feet of private oceanfront and 24 acres on the bluffs overlooking the ocean." And now Lindemann, whose fortune comes from his father George Lindemann's success in pharmaceuticals and pipeline companies, can try to relive these glory days.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

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One of the oldest wood-frame houses in Brooklyn Heights asks $4.9M

A colorful converted convent in Hamilton Heights asks $2M

Sting's former Central Park West pad is back on the market for $45M

Hudson Valley 1750s stone house with a waterfall on the grounds asks $1.5M

This $22.5M maisonette offers townhouse privacy with classic Upper East Side co-op luxury

VIEW ALL

October 16, 2015

Williamsburg’s New Soda Factory Lofts Bottle Industrial Architecture but Add Modern Style

Leasing has launched at the former Williamsburg manufacturing plant of the Brooklyn Bottling Company and Dr. Brown's Soda. The new development at 60 Berry Street is aptly called the Soda Factory Lofts, and the 40 units are an attractive mix of industrial architecture and modern style. There are currently 12 apartments on the market, ranging from a $3,300/month one-bedroom to a $5,500/month two bedroom.
Check them out

October 16, 2015

Freyja Sewell’s Felt Cocoon Helps People Reconnect With Their Senses

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

In a world that focuses so much on the convenience of online interactions, it's important to bring attention to our bodies and physical sensations. Tackling this issue, British designer Freyja Sewell created the "Sensory Concentration Space," a cocoon-like habitat for enjoying different stimuli and escaping away from it all. Hand-sewn from biodegradable grey felt, it isolates people from the hustle and bustle of modern urban life, something most New Yorkers could benefit from.
Learn more about this warm comfy space

October 16, 2015

Robert Stuart Fills His West Village Condo With Thoughtful Details for a Past Reimagined

This gorgeous, rustic West Village condo belongs to designer Robert Stuart from Rob Stuart Interiors. Located on Perry Street, his city oasis was used as a warehouse in the 1980s, so was in desperate need of some personality when he moved in. With his own home as his canvas, the designer took advantage of the massively high ceilings, wood burning fireplace, and panoramic NYC views. Before renovations were installed, the space was stripped down to its bare bones and every corner and detail was put in place to design a home of the past reimagined.
See it all here

Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion Debuts Its ‘American Cheese Yellow’ Paint Job

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

October 16, 2015

Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion Debuts Its ‘American Cheese Yellow’ Paint Job

After 8,000 hours and 1,600 gallons of paint, the New York State Pavilion's Tent of Tomorrow is camera-ready for its spot on Open House New York Weekend. The Daily News reports that Philip Johnson's iconic World's Fair structure in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is now sporting a fresh coat of "American Cheese Yellow" paint. The job "included power-washing off decades of rust, applying primer and the historically accurate paint while working on a platform suspended 100 feet in the air," and it cost $3 million. It'll certainly be all over Instagram tomorrow and Sunday, but some ambitious architecture lovers have already gotten up close to the landmark.
Have a look at the pictures here

Architecture And Design

October 16, 2015

6sqft’s Must-See Recommendations for This Weekend’s Open House New York

This year's Open House New York takes place this weekend on October 17th and 18th. A full roster of sites was revealed just over a week ago, and there is certainly plenty to see. But how will you prioritize? To help make planning your itinerary a bit easier, 6sqft has put together a list of recommendations for not-to-be-missed sites, from Google's headquarters to a food factory tour at Industry City to the 1920s gilded Loew's Kings Theatre.
See our picks here

Events & Things To Do

October 16, 2015

The 11 Types of Subway Pole Grips; Feel Like You’re Flying on This Horizontal Bike

Don’t you just hate a “slider?” (why are your hands so sweaty?) Or “the clingy girlfriend,” who’s got her whole body wrapped around the pole? Here are the 11 types of subway pole grips. [TONY] The Greenwich Village store that is a shrine to the “The Big Lebowski” merchandise is closing. [Daily Intelligencer] Get a first […]

Uncategorized

October 16, 2015

Jaw-Dropping Apartment in Former Ballroom of Park Slope’s Historic Montauk Club Asks $5.25M

Well, it doesn't get much better than this. The entire fourth floor of Park Slope's historic Montauk Club, located at 25 8th Avenue, is now on the market for $5.25 million. This apartment was originally the private social club's ballroom, which was built in 1889 to serve the Brooklyn elite. Today, it's still a private club, although a lucky someone now gets to live on the fourth floor. 4,000 square feet, mahogany woodwork, chandeliers, fireplaces, and a copper bathtub? It's too hard not to swoon.
Take the tour

October 15, 2015

First Full Look at Extell’s 80-Story One Manhattan Square, 800 Condos Aimed at Asian Buyers

Bloomberg News reported yesterday that the restless developer Gary Barnett will soon begin marketing the 800 condominiums of his upcoming One Manhattan Square development to Asian buyers first. Apparently not satisfied with erecting two of the tallest and priciest residential buildings in the city, One57 and the Central Park Tower, the Extell Development Company founder and CEO is busy laying the groundwork for one of the largest condominium towers in the city at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge. Going by the address 252 South Street, the bipartite tower is being designed by Adamson Associates Architects (AAI) and will soar 80 stories tall, roughly to the same height as the Comcast Building (former GE/RCA Building) in Midtown. At nearly 850 feet, the tower will be the tallest skyscraper on the island between Midtown and downtown, and by far the tallest building directly along the waterfront. Its staggering 800 units will fall just short of the city's largest individual condo-tower, the 816-unit Corinthian in Murray Hill.
More details on the development

October 15, 2015

Beastie Boy Mike D Gets $5.5M for Fun and Funky Cobble Hill Townhouse

By Annie Doge

The Post reports that Beastie Boy Mike D (Michael Diamond) has sold his fun and funky Cobble Hill townhouse for $5.5 million, just $150,000 under the asking price. He and his wife Tamra Davis (a cookbook author, online cooking show host, and music video director) bought the four story, five-bedroom home back in 2011 for $3.1 million and then undertook a quirky yet modern renovation. Thanks to custom design details like Brooklyn toile wallpaper, sculptural hanging kitchen shelves, a giant mirrored swing in the bedroom, and an enormous master bath, the Italianate home was featured in several publications, including a New York Times house tour titled “Licensed to Grill.” And now, all of Mike D's hard work has paid off with a pretty nice profit.
Take the full tour

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/5-10/21

By Lori Zimmer

This weekend is the end-all be-all for architecture mavens in New York—the annual Open House New York weekend! SO many amazing architectural icons are open and waiting for you to explore them, before they close their doors to the general public for another year. The weekend also brings a not-to-miss exhibition, "Calm Before the Storm," with new works by Logan Hicks and Beau Stanton. Yes, this is curated by yours truly and Natalie Kates, and it's guaranteed to be an epic marine-themed show, complete with a giant shipwreck in the gallery. The intelligent concept store Chamber NYC has its second collection in play with earth-inspired art and design objects curated by Andrew Zuckerman. The Lowline, that underground park we hope comes to fruition, is hosting an open house to check out the techie gadgets they're working on to make it a reality. Detroit print mavens 1xRun are taking over Joseph Gross Gallery, and Greenpoint Gallery is letting the people decide. FIT is hosting a two-day symposium on everything Susanne Bartsch, and lastly, Ad Hoc Gallery will be resurrected for the 6th annual Welling Court Mural Fest.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

October 15, 2015

For $1.5M, a Neon Yellow Spiral Staircase and Private Roof Deck in a Chelsea Modernist Gem

We don't know the exact size of this Chelsea duplex-plus-roof-deck penthouse at 365 West 19th Street, but it's configured as a one-bedroom with office space, and from the floor plan there's not much extra room to spare. That said, the spaces that have been created in this out-of-the-box home are as easy on the eyes as they'd be to live in. And its price tag of $1.5 million—especially given its prime location and architectural uniqueness—seems almost reasonable.
Explore all three levels, this way

Distinctive Homes

October 15, 2015

NYC Leads the Global Real Estate Investment Market; Be Ethan Hawke’s Neighbor in Boerum Hill

The townhouse that neighbors actor Ethan Hawke’s Boerum Hill pad is on the market for $3.4M. [NYP] New York City has launched a neighborhood-specific website the lets people find out more on what’s happening locally. [neighborhoods.nyc] Urban B&Bs are on the rise. [CityLab] Investment in real estate is at its highest level since 2007 and […]

Real Estate Trends

October 15, 2015

Grid System: Ying Chang’s Customizable Mesh Desk Adapts to Your Busy Life

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

With limited space, New Yorkers need to be smart about the way they live and work. So if you often find yourself multi-tasking at home, this design may be right up your alley. Royal College of Art graduate Ying Chang has come up with the modular "Grid System," a piece of furniture that allows users to plug and unplug different storage boxes and trays according to their needs.
Learn more about this clever design

October 15, 2015

Studio Cadena Turns a Cramped 600 Square Foot Bushwick Loft Into a Three-Bedroom Artist Residence

Bushwick is a rapidly changing artists' neighborhood and much like other popular neighborhoods in New York City, is experiencing an increasing scarcity of affordable living space. That being said, it's easy to understand why this group of just-starting-out youngsters decided to transform a 600-square-foot, awkwardly subdivided loft into a bright open space they could share comfortably. With a limited budget and help from the architects and designers at Studio Cadena, their apartment is now a modern and dynamic living space.
Check it out here

October 15, 2015

POLL: Taxi TVs Are Gone. Were You Part of the 29 Percent Who Turned Them Off?

It’s official. Taxi TVs are no more. The Daily News reports that the Taxi and Limousine Commission voted unanimously to remove the screens in favor of a pilot payment system that will use tablets or smartphones. As 6sqft reported earlier this week, “officials have been ‘flooded’ for years with complaints about the TVs and they’ve also been […]

October 15, 2015

Why Only Some Subway Doors Open When You Push Them; Inside Target’s Manhattan Office

Ever wonder why some subway doors reopen when you try to squeeze through, but others close right on you? Here’s why. [CityLab] Fewer people in New York state register as organ donors than in any other state in the nation. [WNYC] Move over Google, there might be a new coolest office in NYC. Interior designer […]

Uncategorized

October 15, 2015

Pollution Cleanup Park Taking Shape at Gowanus Canal

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

The Gowanus Canal isn't the first place that comes to mind when one thinks about lush waterfront parks, but that's exactly the vision behind the long-planned Gowanus Canal Sponge Park, an 18,000-square-foot public space that will be built with engineered soil to absorb (hence "sponge") stormwater that would otherwise pollute the canal, as well as plants to break down toxins and floating wetlands. It was first conceived back in 2008 by the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and Susannah Drake, principal at the landscape architecture firm DLANDstudio (who's also responsible for the Queensway). Now, seven years later, DNAinfo reports that state officials announced on Tuesday that construction has officially commenced on the $1.5 million project at the notorious Superfund site. The park will sit on city-owned land at the point where Second Street dead-ends at the canal. Workers are on site, digging out five feet of contaminated soil that will be sent to a special facility that handles toxic materials; during the next 90 days, the metal walkway will be installed; and plants will arrive in the spring.
More on the park and the Gowanus Canal cleanup

Architecture And Design

October 15, 2015

Make Beautiful Music in Ira Gershwin’s Noted UWS Penthouse, Listed for $6M

By Annie Doge

If these walls could sing, they'd probably belt out a Gershwin brothers tune. One of the two adjoining penthouses occupied by George and Ira Gershwin has just hit the market for $5.99 million, The Post reports. The two apartments, located at 33 Riverside Drive, were quite the party pad for the two brothers back in the day; a famed locale that welcomed legendary celebs like Ethel Merman (incidentally, the brothers were said to have written "Girl Crazy" within its walls). The pair called the two penthouses home from 1929 until 1933, and now Ira's space is up for grabs.
More photos inside the home this way

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VIEW ALL

October 14, 2015

Art Titan Larry Gagosian Sells His Upper East Side Carriage House for $18M

Art mogul Larry Gagosian has just closed a deal on the sale of his Lenox Hill mansion at 147 East 69th Street, according to property records just released. Gagosian sold the sprawling home to fellow art buff Sasha Bauer, chairman of the SculptureCenter in Long Island City, for an impressive $18 million. Gagosian purchased the property back in 1988, transforming the former carriage house (of a late 19th century millionaire, nonetheless) into a single family residence called "House for a Bachelor." The renovation, which was completed by architect Francois de Menil, made way for Gagosian's multi-million dollar collection of artworks that included pieces by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Picasso. The redesign of the property even won a 2000 AIA New York Design Award for interior architecture.
See inside the stunning home here

October 14, 2015

Tell NYC Officials What Neighborhood Improvements You Want to See Using the ‘Idea Collection Map’

There's a lot to complain about in New York, but few of us have the opportunity to make our voices heard. As such, the New York City Council has created the Idea Collection Map, a handy map tool that allows you to suggest improvements you'd like to see in your neighborhood, and anywhere else, right from your computer screen.
How to send in your suggestions here

October 14, 2015

Spiffed-Up Williamsburg Loft Has Killer Views and Brilliant Built-Ins for $6,500 a Month

Williamsburg was once a neighborhood known for its big, open loft spaces. While those lofts may have gone condo and acquired dog-washing stations and compost centers, they’re still very much in existence. Case in point: this cavernous loft in the totally 21st century Esquire Lofts at 330 Wythe Avenue, just a hair south of the 'burg's decidedly factory-to-fancy Northside, on the rental market for $6,500 a month. This impressive space in a former shoe polish factory–built in 1914 and converted to condos in 2000–is listed as a one-bedroom, but it’s a duplex (in the loft sense of the word), and though there’s no floor plan, it claims a sizable 1,600 square feet. One of the best things about lofts–even well-groomed ones–is that no two are alike; former residents have carved out unique living and sometimes working spaces, and this is no exception. The standout feature here would have to be that custom-milled raised wooden storage platform.
See what else is cool in this loft

Distinctive Homes

October 14, 2015

$100M Penthouse Listing at City Spire Is No More; Williamsburg’s Futuristic Hotel Tops Out

The owner of City Spire’s $100M penthouse listing has removed it from the market. [NYP] Williamsburg’s architecturally-forward William Vale Hotel has topped out. [Brownstoner] Five of the U.S.’ coolest tiny homes. [NYP] Airbnb can push rents up by as much as $69 a month in neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Greenpoint, a study has found. [TRD]

Real Estate Trends

October 14, 2015

These Bike Helmets Are Designed to Resemble the Human Head

Bike culture in NYC is a vibrant part of the city, so we love any quirky bike swag that might make heads turn. These crazy bike helmets called Project:Human Helmet from Dubai-based designer Jyo John Mulloor are a great example. The conceptual gear doesn't look like a regular helmet, but rather it was designed to resemble the surface of a human scalp. Weird, right?
Find out more about these helmets

October 14, 2015

Historic Townhouse With a Glassy Add-On Asks $3.5 Million in Brooklyn Heights

This mid-19th century Greek Revival townhouse at 29 Joralemon Street is located on a cobblestone block of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. And the listing says that the sellers have lived in the garden and parlor floor duplex since 1969, when Brooklyn wasn't such a hot commodity. These days, things are different, and the property is asking $3.5 million. The house has got lovely historic elements still intact, a new glassy addition, and a deep landscaped garden. (Not to mention a tenant upstairs who's getting the deal of the year on their apartment.)
See more

Distinctive Homes

October 14, 2015

REVEALED: First Look at GDC Properties’ Townhouses Coming to Long Island City

After the record snatch-up of Red Hook's King and Sullivan Townhomes last month, another not-so-Brownstoney neighborhood is joining in on the townhouse craze. Westchester County-based GDC Properties is slated to bring eighteen two-family townhouses to Long Island City, and here we have a first look at what the ensemble's 11th Street frontage will look like.
READ MORE

October 14, 2015

Katz’s Is Expanding to Brooklyn; Exhibit of Jacob Riis’ Tenement-Life Photos Opening at MCNY

After selling its air rights last summer, Katz’s is opening an outpost in Downtown Brooklyn’s Dekalb Market. Co-owner of the pastrami empire Jake Dell said it will be easier to get to than the LES location. [Gothamist] An artist is building driftwood chairs and placing them on Staten Island beaches to commemorate the 24 people […]

Uncategorized

October 14, 2015

Gracie Mansion Reopening for Public Tours Next Month With a New Art Collection

Gracie Mansion will reopen for public tours starting next month, and visitors will be welcomed with a new, diverse art collection. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife wanted the art and objects inside the 1799 home where her family now lives—one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in New York City—to be a broader and more accurate reflection of the city as it looked in the late 1700s and early 1800s." She therefore brought in 49 new works that include "portraits of freed slaves, historic documents, imported goods and items traded to American Indians." The new installation is called "Windows on the City Looking Out at Gracie’s New York" and will be unveiled at an open house on October 25th.
READ MORE

October 14, 2015

REVEALED: Karl Fischer Pens Another Bottom-Line Design for East Williamsburg

Here's our first unfortunate look at a 12-story residential building slated to rise within a rapidly gentrifying corner of East Williamsburg. The block-through parcel at 46 Cook Street, between Graham and Humboldt Streets, will give way to a 34,000-square-foot mixed-use development designed by Karl Fischer Architect and Brooklyn-based developer Joel Braver, under the LLC Cook Properties. The project replaces a one-story brick warehouse building and is located just two blocks from the Flushing Avenue J/M subway station.
More info ahead

October 14, 2015

Robert A.M. Stern’s 520 Park Avenue Finally Reaches Street Level, $130M Penthouse on Its Way

Two years since its groundbreaking, Zeckendorf Development's tower o' opulence at 520 Park Avenue has finally emerged from its cavernous trench. Set for completion in 2018, the Billionaires' Row building will climb 54 floors and 780 feet into the Manhattan skyline, becoming the tallest and likely the most prestigious building on the Upper East Side. Envisioned by William Lie and Arthur Zeckendorf, 520 Park Avenue inherits the classically-inspired taste of the real estate dynasty's prior projects. In the '80s, their father William Zeckendorf Jr. erected some of the city's largest post-modern apartment complexes such as Worldwide Plaza, Zeckendorf Towers, and the Park Belvedere. Here, the developers commissioned the esteemed architect/historian and dean of the Yale School of Architecture Robert A.M. Stern as the designer and SLCE as the architects of record. This team also collaborated together on 18 Gramercy Park South and 15 Central Park West, which shattered apartment records when it opened in 2008. Intent on replicating its west side counterpart's success, the Zeckendorfs again gathered the now-not-so-secret ingredients: a powerful address, palatial apartments, and most importantly, the coveted Central Park view, all of which will culminate in a jaw-dropping $130 million penthouse.
More on the project's status

October 13, 2015

This $30/Week Grimy Lower East Side Bar Bathroom Is a Hot Ticket

There's not a lot we haven't seen in terms of less-than-ideal but overpriced real estate, from an $1,800 Manhattan rental with a shower in the kitchen to a $1.2 million trailer in the Hamptons. And just last week, a story surfaced about a cupboard-like rental underneath a London stairwell going for $750 a month. To poke fun at the absurd lengths people go to in order to live in the city's best neighborhoods, Alana Reali, a bartender at Lower East Side dive bar Local 138, posted an ad on Craigslist advertising the bar's 15-square-foot graffiti-covered bathroom as a $30/week rental, reports the Post. Calling it a "hip artist loft," the listing says "room includes a window, a door, your very own bathroom and walls dressed with authentic NYC street art. Hot water included. I provide a space heater for the winter months." Shortly after posting, Reali was inundated with requests, like this one from a gullible NYU student: "This place is perfect for me and I am interested, only I did not really understand how the situation works. Can you please elaborate a bit?"
Read the full

City Living

October 13, 2015

18th Century Farmhouse, With Art Gallery and Pool Additions, Costs Less Than Most NYC Apartments

Does the price of New York City real estate get you down? Then consider this: an organic farm nestled within the Catskill Mountains with additions like a pool and art gallery, plus barns, an equestrian facility and enough land to hold 200 cows. And this isn't just any farm–Charlotte Valley Organic Farm, as it's called, has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest and this very website for the merits of the modern residential addition built in 1992. So what's the cost for this unique upstate property? Take a deep breath. The price tag comes in at $998,000 for the house, garage, two barns and 10 acres -- the price of many small one-bedroom apartments in Manhattan. For $1.75 million, you get the entire property, which spans 464 acres.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

10 Imaginative and Inexpensive Ways to Frame Your Favorite Art

6sqft’s new series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we take on framing artwork for the home without spending a lot of money.

October 13, 2015

10 Imaginative and Inexpensive Ways to Frame Your Favorite Art

By Andrea Zlotowitz

If you're familiar with 6sqft's post 10 Great Places to Buy Affordable Art in New York City, then you're probably now considering framing your new acquired artwork. Whether you are trying to get something framed, or you have a collection of frames just lying around, knowing how to approach the framing process will help make sure that your home decor and your efforts are on point. From where to find great frames on the cheap to creating your very own DIY editions from materials bought at your local hardware store, 6sqft has rounded up some inventive and inexpensive options to help you decorate your walls.
Start framing here

October 13, 2015

This $5.5M West Village Pad Has a Glass Catwalk and Will Make Your Frienemies Very Jealous

Whether or not it’s your actual dream apartment, this three-bedroom co-op at 377 West 11th Street in the lovely and leafy West Village has New York City dream apartment written all over it. It’s that one you’d want if you were going to throw a casual cocktail soiree and invite your ex, your ex-boss, those mean girls from the eighth grade or pretty much anyone you wanted to impress to the point of torment with your perfect life, starting with your perfect $5.5 million apartment. The one with a glass-encased floating catwalk. Says the listing, "At 3,200 square feet, this sprawling home has everything you could want in a New York apartment.” Everything, except your extremely envious ex.
Let’s give the party guests a tour

Distinctive Homes

October 13, 2015

Why NY Apartments Are Priced $999,999; The Development Story of the Central Park Tower

A timeline of how Extell pieced together the land and air rights it needed to build the Central Park Tower. [TRD] Why people list their apartments for $999,999 rather than $1 million in today’s hot real estate market. [NYT] Renderings for a 49-story residential tower along Fulton Street have been revealed. [Curbed] Soccer legends Paolo Maldini […]

Real Estate Trends

October 13, 2015

252 East 57th Street Tops Off Construction Ten Years After Innovative Public-Private Partnership

Soaring more than 700 feet into the Midtown East skyline, World Wide Group and Rose Associate's 252 East 57th Street has officially topped out. Yes, it's hard being a stand-out skyscraper in Manhattan these days; some 30 years ago, the tower would have been the highest apartment tower in the city, just besting Trump Tower and Olympic Tower on Fifth Avenue. Today, the 57-story building is the shortest and eastern-most of six super-towers underway along the southern periphery of Central Park that have been raising average building heights and asking prices to new levels.
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October 13, 2015

The Enveloppe Sofa by Inga Sempe Is as Great as Spooning

Sometimes after a long day at work you can almost hear your couch calling your name. But by introducing the Enveloppe Sofa by Inga Sempe into your living room, your most beloved piece of furniture will actually welcome you home with a well-deserved hug. The curved design of the couch can be enjoyed solo, with a friend or a loved one.
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One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

Williamsburg

Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

1 beds starting at $1,925,000
2 beds starting at $2,055,000
3 beds starting at $3,030,000

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October 13, 2015

Upper East Side Townhouse by Blair Harris Boasts Opulent Details and Regal Allure

Blair Harris Interior Design is relatively new to the New York design scene, but the work they've been churning out thus far is simply stunning. This beautifully decorated Upper East Side townhouse boasts an array of opulent textures, colors, and patterns, and the carefully curated furniture and light fixtures give the home a regal allure. The architectural details include floor-to-ceiling windows, ornate ceiling medallions, handsome molding, and decadent built-ins.
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We May Soon Be Free of Those Horrid Taxi TV Screens

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October 13, 2015

We May Soon Be Free of Those Horrid Taxi TV Screens

Those annoying taxi TV screens that can turn a great night into one of frustration and fury as you fumble to hit the mute button may finally be silenced once and for all. According to the Post, the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) will vote this Thursday night on whether or not the screens should be removed in favor of smartphone or tablet payment systems. As it stands, sources say that the the proposal will most likely pass. Apparently officials have been "flooded" for years with complaints about the TVs and they've also been a big reason that riders opting for Ubers as an alternative to the yellow cab, the agency admits.
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October 13, 2015

Historic Ship May Become Real Estate Development in Gowanus; Halloween Windows at Bergdorf

Department store windows aren’t just for Christmas anymore. Bergdorf Goodman has created a spooky Halloween display inspired by the horror film “Crimson Peak.” [Town & Country] Inside this massive Gowanus garage, a man is collecting and repairing 58 classic cars from the ’40s and ’50s. [Core 77] Two years after the Village Voice moved from its […]

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October 13, 2015

Mayor de Blasio Supports Plan for $11B Underground Cross-Harbor Freight Tunnel

Now that he's done battling the state for MTA funding, perhaps Mayor de Blasio can set his sights on the Port Authority and the long-proposed Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel. Representative Jerrold Nadler has been pushing for the freight rail tunnel for three decades, but the Bloomberg administration was strongly against it. Now, Nadler has a supporter in de Blasio, and the Port Authority is even studying the plan, which calls for a tunnel running from Jersey City to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and another into Queens and Long Island. Why do politicians feel a multibillion-dollar tunnel is necessary? WNYC points out that NYC is the most truck-dependent city in the nation. Ninety percent of the 400 million tons of freight that come through the city each year travel by truck. The reason is that "New York City has no direct link to the national freight rail network, so goods coming into the ports and rail yards in New Jersey mostly cross the river by truck." Nadler has claimed that the new tunnel would take 2,500 trucks off the Hudson River crossings every day, thereby reducing pollution and the price of goods.
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Transit

October 12, 2015

New Renderings of One Vanderbilt Show the 1,500-Foot Tall Tower Set in the Skyline