6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Though they're charming and often in great neighborhoods, condos created from historic townhouses often disappoint. Railroad-style layouts get circumvented by oddly-configured hallways (left resembling a linear "ant farm" accessed by tunnels), kitchens are across the apartment from living rooms, bedrooms get subdivided into virtual closets, and so on. This lovely two-bedroom parlor-floor home at 122 Fort Greene Place in prime Fort Greene escapes most of those fates, and interiors by popular brownstone Brooklyn design firm The Brooklyn Home Company elevate it even further into the charm circle. The $1.6 million ask may seem high, but a sizable 1,384 square feet, tons of restored original details within a superb renovation, stellar location, and designer showcase status (it was featured in the coffee-table-favorite "Design Brooklyn," and a slew of interiors mags) rack up plenty of selling points.
Check out more of the interior this way...

Distinctive Homes

October 6, 2015

Mapping Uber’s 2015 Pick Ups; Remembering the Great Fire of 1776

A six-year-old on the Upper West Side developed Pops for Pups, a lemonade stand-like dog treat business that donates its proceeds to a no-kill shelter. [DNAinfo] Map shows all Uber pick ups between January and June 2015. Not surprisingly, 73% were in Manhattan. [Politico] Don’t miss the annual Harlem Harvest Festival this Sunday. There will be […]

Uncategorized

Watch New York City Get Blown Up With the ‘Every Demolition in Manhattan’ Map

A animated sample of the Every Demolition in Manhattan map, click ahead for a more detailed view

October 5, 2015

Watch New York City Get Blown Up With the ‘Every Demolition in Manhattan’ Map

You’ve surely realized by now that New York is in the midst of a building boom, but if all the cranes and scaffolding rising from the ground aren't enough convince you that you're living in a pretty historic moment, look no further than this incredible map to put all that construction in perspective. Called Every Demolition in Manhattan, this animated survey tracks every demolition that's taken place in the city from 2003 through 2014.
find out more here

October 5, 2015

$20M Tribeca Penthouse Has a 25-Foot Skylight, a Heavenly Terrace and an Industrial Past

Designed in 1887 for a wrapping paper manufacturer by architect Albert Wagner, who also designed the iconic Puck Building, 140 Franklin Street was converted to a 12-unit boutique residential condominium at the turn of the 21st century. Considered one of the city's most handsome Romanesque Revival-style buildings, it's a study in enviable contrasts; apartments have original cast iron columns, for example, and the building boasts a state-of-the-art water filtration system. Notable neighbors: J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler has an apartment on the fifth floor that he put on the market earlier this year for $35 million. To help put this super-fancy loft–and its fancy price of $19.95 million–in context: Penthouse A was designed for the building conversion's developer; it's on the market for the first time since the building was converted. There are 5,000 square feet of interior space on two floors, plus a spectacular 2,200 square-foot roof terrace. The unit is listed as having only seven rooms, but many of them are the kind of oversized loft space to which the term "room" almost doesn't apply.
More penthouse this way

Distinctive Homes

New York in the ’60s: When Chelsea Apartments Were $111 a Month

Photo via NY Through the Lens

October 5, 2015

New York in the ’60s: When Chelsea Apartments Were $111 a Month

By Penelope Bareau

Our series “New York in the ’60s” is a memoir by a longtime New Yorker who moved to the city after college in 1960. Each installment will take us through her journey during a pivotal decade. From $90/month apartments to working in the real “Mad Men” world, we’ll explore the city through the eyes of a spunky, driven female. In our first two installments we saw how different and similar house hunting was 50 years ago and visited her first apartment on the Upper East Side. Then, we learned about her career at an advertising magazine…looking in on the Donald Drapers of the time. In our fourth installment, we accompanied her to Fire Island during the warm summer months. Last time, our main character decided to make the big move downtown, but it wasn't quite what she expected. Now she'll take us through what it was like to live below 23rd street in the '60s.
Read all about it

History

October 5, 2015

Residents of 111 Murray Will Have Concierge Jet Service; More Grandparents Moving to NYC

“We believe our buyer profile at 111 Murray is the type of demographic to use private aircrafts.” [WSJ] A look at Nets star Thaddeus Young’s Brooklyn Heights apartment. He is the first player to live in the borough. [NYP] Is NYC the new Florida? More retired folks are relocating to the city to help raise their […]

Real Estate Trends

October 5, 2015

Tradition Is Redefined in This Lovely Downtown Loft by J and G Design

The gorgeous interior of this downtown loft was made possible by the budding design team from J and G Design. Recently named “Five Under 30” and “Next Big Names” by Lonny Magazine, this dynamic duo describes their aesthetic as traditional design but strive to make each project equal parts tailored and eclectic, glamorous and relaxed, and bold and subtle. And as we move from room to room inside this particular loft interior, we can see how their selection of textures, colors and patterns have allowed them to be successful in achieving their goals.
see more inside

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

For $1.6M, this magical Rockaway Beach 'surf shack' has a sauna, plunge pool, and music studio

This $4M Flatbush townhouse stays true to its Victorian roots

Justin and Hailey Bieber buy West Village condo for $12M

An elevator makes this $4.2M Greenpoint townhouse a timeless forever home

$15M penthouse in a gold cupola high above Fifth Avenue heads to auction this month

This $4M Brooklyn Heights duplex adds condo convenience to old-world elegance

Park Avenue penthouse with enormous terrace owned by Maurice Tempelsman lists for $5.5M

Brooklyn Heights townhouse sells for $24.5M, the borough's priciest sale of 2026

Midtown East penthouse seen in 'Wolf of Wall Street' lists for $4.95M

A colorful converted convent in Hamilton Heights asks $2M

VIEW ALL

October 5, 2015

Everyday Office Furniture From Designer Emanuele Magini Doubles as Sports Equipment

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy—at least that's what we've heard. Either way, why not welcome a little extra play time into your office or living space? With products like Lazy Basketball and Lazy Football from Milan-based designer Emanuele Magini, your furniture can easily double as your favorite sports equipment—and keep the fun going every day of the week.
READ MORE

Shop

October 5, 2015

The Evolution of Adam Purple’s Concentric Garden on the LES; NYC Teens Can’t Get Enough of ‘Friends’

Seven secrets of NYC tunnels you probably haven’t heard of. [Untapped] From 1975-1980, activist Adam Purple built a concentric garden on the Lower East Side that would eventually grow to 15,000 square feet. Called the Garden of Eden, it was a safe community space and also produced food. [Colossal] This cactus chair will have you sitting […]

Uncategorized

October 5, 2015

$4.15M West Village Co-op Full of Brick Fireplaces Tries to Be a Townhouse

This apartment comes from the West Village co-op building 838 Greenwich Street, but it looks like it could be a townhouse. That's because it's a triplex–rare for a co-op–with seven rooms total, including two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The space even comes with its own private garden, and plenty of exposed brick to go around. The asking price for all that co-op space in one of the most charming neighborhoods on Manhattan is $4.15 million.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

October 5, 2015

October 18th Is Your LAST CHANCE to See the TWA Flight Terminal In All Its Glory

If you’re an architectural purist who’s somehow managed to miss exploring Eero Saarinen’s masterpiece at JFK in person all these year, you won't want to miss out on what will foreseeably be your last chance to experience the structure as it was meant to be. For one day only, the iconic building will open to the public for FREE for just four hours as part of the annual Open House New York Weekend festival. As written in an OHNY Weekend press release, Sunday, October 18th, "is likely to be the last time the TWA Flight Center will be open to the public in its current form." As 6sqft previously reported, the terminal will soon be redeveloped into a 505-room hotel by MCR Development and JetBlue.
FInd out more details here

October 5, 2015

You Can Live in Daniel Radcliffe’s Soho Apartment for $19,000 a Month

By Annie Doge

He's certainly come a long way since his "Harry Potter" days; there are no wands or wizards in sight at Daniel Radcliffe's Soho apartment, currently on the market for $19,000 a month, according to Curbed. The actor bought the two-bedroom condo at 40 Mercer Street in 2007 for $4.3 million, but has been using it mainly as a rental ever since, living instead at his townhouse at 339 West 12th Street in the West Village, which he bought in 2009 for $5.65 million. He also owns a three-bedroom apartment at 1 Morton Square, a celebrity hot spot that was once home to Amy Poehler and Will Arnett and is currently home to the Olson Twins.
See what it's like to live in this wizarding world

October 4, 2015

Get a Back Massage From Your Kid With This Road Map T-shirt

New Yorkers often pride themselves on their busy schedules, constantly running from one thing to the next, and for the brave souls who also have children, life in the big city is even more complicated. Well, tired parents, have we got the thing for you. This awesome t-shirt comes complete with a toy car-sized roadmap on the back, so you can entertain your kids and get a back massage at the same time!
Find out how to get your own roadmap t-shirt

Architecture And Design

Affordable Housing Lottery Launched for Bjarke Ingels’ Epic Pyramid, VIA 57 West

Construction shot © 6sqft

October 3, 2015

Affordable Housing Lottery Launched for Bjarke Ingels’ Epic Pyramid, VIA 57 West

By Ondel Hylton

Applications are now being accepted for the 142 affordable apartments in Bjarke Ingels' tetrahedron-shaped rental building dubbed VIA 57 West, aka "the Pyramid Building." By downloading applications here, you and 141 other lucky families may have the chance to live in a future landmark that is already turning out to be the most audacious rental building ever built in the city. The massive, half-block-long development will contain a total of 709 units, of which 20 percent will be deemed affordable. Subsidized rents range from $565/month studios for single-person households making between $19,222 - $24,200 annually, to three-bedroom apartments going for $1,067/month for three- to six-person households.
More construction shots and the full pricing breakdown

October 2, 2015

Zaha Hadid Launches Sales at Her High Line Condos, Talks the Evolution of NY Architecture

By Ondel Hylton

Related Companies has officially launched sales for their highly-anticipated upcoming condominium, 520 West 28th Street. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect and artist Zaha Hadid, the eleven-story building will be Hadid's first ground-up structure in New York and will offer 39 distinctive two- to five-bedroom homes priced from $4,950,000 to $50 million for the largest penthouse. The under construction building, now five-stories up, rises alongside the High Line elevated park from an L-shaped parcel between West 27th and 28th Streets in the center of West Chelsea's art gallery district. Related Companies purchased the site for $65 million in 2012 and soon after commissioned the Iraqi-British designer, who beat out the likes of fellow Brit, Norman Foster. Yesterday, at the development's launch, Hadid said she has "always been fascinated by the High Line and its possibilities for the city. "
More from the event here

Olson Kundig Architects Turn an Upper East Side Water Tower Into a Fantasy Penthouse

By U.S. standards New York is a pretty old city, and over the years New Yorkers have been pretty diligent about preserving its historic architecture. As we head into the future, we're seeing more and more old industrial buildings being transformed into beautiful homes. A great example is this Upper East Side penthouse built inside a water tower that is not only awesome in concept, but is also stunning to look at. Lili and Lee Siegelson, the couple who own the immaculate home, worked with Olson Kundig Architects, and together they transformed two floors of the building into an apartment big enough for their happy family.
Go inside this stunning penthouse

October 2, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: John Philis Serves Up Luncheonette History at Lexington Candy Shop

By Susan Cohen

On the corner of 83rd Street and Lexington Avenue sits a luncheonette with a lot of history. Lexington Candy Shop was opened in 1925 by third-generation owner John Philis’ grandfather, and for nine decades the shop has served American classics to Upper East Siders. In a city that was once full of luncheonettes, this is believed to be the only one left in Manhattan. Perhaps it's because John is carrying on two traditions–keeping a family business alive and preserving a piece of American culture. He takes great pride in Lexington Candy Shop’s rich personal and national histories, especially since 2015 marked the shop's 90th year in business. We recently spoke with John to learn about the shop’s history and find out how the local gem mixes the past and present in every milkshake.
Get John's story this way

October 2, 2015

Emanuele Magini’s Sosia Sofa Transforms From Daybed to Couch in Just Seconds

With limited space, New Yorkers need to be smart about how they furnish their homes. This is no easy task, so when a piece of furniture as versatile as Sosia comes along, you bet we're paying attention. At first glance this green-colored floppy foam looks like a standard room divider, but in reality it is a lot more than meets the eye. Designed by Milan-based Emanuele Magini, the bendable foam can be easily be reshaped for a variety of different purposes including a dressing room, two-seat sofa, bed and more.
Learn more about Sosia

October 2, 2015

Unleash Your Inner Iron Chef at Bobby Flay’s $8M Chelsea Duplex

By Annie Doge

After a very public divorce from "Law & Order: SVU" star Stephanie March, famed chef and television personality Bobby Flay is unloading his duplex at the Chelsea Mercantile, which very appropriately has a Whole Foods in the building (you might remember Katie Holmes getting her own private entrance to the store when she lived here). As Curbed notes, the $7.95 million sprawling duplex's listing touts its "spectacular open kitchen designed with and for a PROFESSIONAL CHEF." Flay reportedly got the apartment, as well as the former couple's Amangansett home, as part of the divorce settlement, but now it's time for another chef to sharpen their knives in the pad.
Look around the place here

October 2, 2015

Why Do We Name Hurricanes?; Test Your Knowledge of City Street Plans

Planning has commenced for the new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, which would service NJ Transit and Amtrak. The project could cost up to $20 billion. [NYT] Ever wonder why hurricanes and tropical storms are named? Here’s the answer. [NOAA] Check out this lovely Riverdale home, a very traditional Tudor that got an avant-garde renovation. […]

Uncategorized

October 2, 2015

Should NYC Implement This Umbrella-Share Program for Surprise Downpours?

When you forget your umbrella on a day like today, your best option (other than trying to find a Duane Reade and getting soaked in the process) is to buy one of those $5 models on the corner, which will likely break at the first gust of wind. To make life easier for forgetful types, and for those sneak-attack downpours, a Canadian startup has set up an umbrella-share program in Vancouver called UmbraCity that allows users to borrow and return umbrellas at fully automated kiosks.
Could this umbrella sharing program take off in New York?

City Living

October 2, 2015

A Major Renovation Brought This Soho Loft From a Cheesy Bachelor Pad to an Historic Chic Crib

It's rare that a listing gives you a backstory to the apartment it's trying to sell, but that's the case with this unit at 426 West Broadway, a condo building in Soho. Here it goes: "It literally took a year of demolition, permit wrangling, and construction to finalize this $600,000.00 renovation that saw a Pop Art-inspired bachelor pad stripped down to its 19th-century shell." The result is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom loft apartment that now relishes its "original industrial charms," as the listing calls it. Our opinion? It's a big step up from a bachelor pad. The asking price comes in at $3.5 million.
See the rest of the reno

October 2, 2015

What’s Big and Hairy and Costs $2.4 Million? This Pretty Gramercy Co-op!

This almost-2,000 square-foot co-op at 235 East 22nd Street in Manhattan's elegant Gramercy neighborhood is one of those classic pre-war apartments–created by combining two units–that, when you look at the floor plan, is startlingly spacious. There are room-sized closets, areas for eating and dining, foyers, galleries and office nooks–the antithesis of the tiny NYC apartment. This three-bedroom home also has those charming and sophisticated pre-war details–nine-foot-high beamed ceilings, big rooms, inlaid floors, restored moldings, built-in cabinetry and massive casement windows. We all know the space itself is what counts in NYC real estate. Quirky objets and freaky art will almost assuredly be bundled out with the departing resident, never to show hide nor hair (literally, in this case) once the van pulls away. On the other hand, though it's sometimes fun to see what you're not getting for your $2.4 million, any real estate agent will tell you that staging is no small matter.
Explore this sprawling co-op

Distinctive Homes

October 1, 2015

If Hurricane Joaquin Were to Hit NYC, Do You Know What Your Evacuation Zone Is?

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

With Hurricane Joaquin getting upgraded to Category 4 and New Jersey already declaring a state of emergency, panic is starting to set in. But to quell your fears, take a look at the city's official hurricane evacuation map. It color codes zones 1 (red-the most threat) through 6 (teal), as well as providing locations for evacuation centers (the blue dots). The non-colored areas are considered safe zones, so be sure to check to see if you have friends or family who live here.
Find out more

City Living

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

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

VIEW ALL

October 1, 2015

Here’s What the G Train Could Look Like if It Went Into Manhattan

Considering it's taken the city nearly 100 years to get the Second Avenue Subway moving and that the MTA is over its head in debt, we're not holding our breath that any other major expansion work will take place in the system, but we can all dream, right? Take for instance these new maps created by cartographer Andrew Lynch as part of his Future NYC Subway series. He envisions the G train, which currently only connects Brooklyn and Queens, making two loops into Manhattan -- one Downtown and one in Midtown. As Curbed notes, "It's a slightly convoluted proposal," but Lynch clearly put a lot of thought into his scheme, even figuring out the tunnels and connection points the train would take.
READ MORE

Transit

October 1, 2015

New Photos Inside Billionaire Carlos Slim’s UES Mansion Asking a Record $80 Million

By Annie Doge

Back in May, 6sqft learned that Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim had put his Upper East Side mansion at 1009 Fifth Avenue on the market for a record $80 million. While coverage at the time was mainly focused on the insane asking price and the location, at the end of the day, what we all really wanted to know was what exactly was inside this 20,000-square-foot behemoth that warranted a high eight-figure price tag. Now, lo and behold, Curbed has just spotted the updated listing for the limestone and red-brick stunner, and as one would anticipate, it boasts all the ornate details and grandiose spaces you'd expect from such a historic home—although far less flash that what you'd dream up for one of the world's richest men.
Get a closer look inside here

Distinctive Homes

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/1-10/7

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 1, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/1-10/7

By Lori Zimmer

If you’re feeling fancy, head to The Peninsula for a pricey cocktail and to check out the gorgeous light installation by Grimanesa Amoros on the façade. Lower Manhattan’s Brookfield Place is being taken over by art and fashion this weekend, with interactive projects by fashion stars like Diane Von Furstenberg and Cynthia Rowley, paired with art stars like Olaf Breuning and Rob Pruitt. Take your art experience to the next level with fire, by catching one of Flambeaux’s performances at Hearts of Fire, or get schooled by artist Sarah Sze at Tanya Bonakdar. The new Seaport District is hosting a talk with author David Crabb, and Ridgewood is celebrating its new Night Market of fun. Finish off the weekend by experiencing Michael Alan’s Living Installation, an art-making, living-art party that helps to benefit the artist’s recent personal tragedy—a flood that took his home and art works.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

October 1, 2015

Find Your Favorite Spaces in This Flexible South Slope Loft Duplex

The comfortably-configured co-op at 459 12th Street in South Park Slope starts with two levels and lots of open space–and you have the opportunity to go beyond the current two-bedroom configuration with nooks and corners that lend themselves to being used as bedrooms or opened up, loft-style. On the market for $1.2 million, this two-bedroom loft offers a wealth of charming architectural details like weathered brick walls, double-height ceilings in the main areas, a wood-burning fireplace and exposed ceiling beams. Oversized windows offer Manhattan skyline views (the apartment is a third-floor walk-up, so great light, but no elevator).
Tour the loft, this way...

Distinctive Homes

October 1, 2015

A Noise Map of NYC and Other Major Cities; ‘Idol’ Judge Lists Her Midtown Home

Former “Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi is putting her four-bedroom Midtown maisonette up for sale at $5.2M. [NYP] Visualizing five years of noise complaints in three major cities. [CityLab] The stunning Park Slope residence featured in “The Wolf of Wall Street” is on the market for $3.95M. [NYP] Manhattan’s median sales price is now just $2,000 […]

Real Estate Trends

October 1, 2015

Carroll Gardens Townhouse Gets Modern Update With Glass, Metal and a Floating Staircase

When someone says, "Carroll Gardens townhouse," metal and glass aren't always the first things that come to mind. However, in this modern home designed by Robert Young Architects, they are both major players. The home's interior color palette is also unique, contrasting deep reds and bright citrus greens with brick walls and hardwood floors and furnishings. The multiple levels are structured around an open central channel, giving the home expansive views from every floor.
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October 1, 2015

Upper East Side Triplex, Asking $1.795 Million, Looks Like a Medieval Castle

There are some apartments in New York that leave you at a loss of words. This one, a triplex co-op at 403 East 87th Street in the Upper East Side, has a decor that definitely stands out. The best we could come up with in describing it was "medieval castle," with its wood detailing, dark red furniture, and antique collection of books. Even the backyard space has some distinctive lighting and decor. If that's your thing, it is now on the market for $1.795 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

October 1, 2015

Times Square ‘Activity Areas’ Move Closer to Reality; NYers Work 24 Hours to Afford an iPhone 6s

Did you know all NYC rats today are the same species: the Norwegian rat? Read this and nine other amazing facts about our rats. [Business Insider] A plan to keep Times Square performers and characters corralled within designated “activity areas” is gaining traction. [NYDN] The area between Hells Kitchen and Chelsea is kind of a black hole. […]

Uncategorized

October 1, 2015

POLL: Should Coachella Come to Queens?

Yesterday it was announced that the team behind Coachella, the wildly popular California desert music fest, was eyeing Flushing Meadows Corona Park for a possible NYC outpost as early as next year. Tentatively called Panorama (after the actual panorama of the city from the 1964 World’s Fair in the Queens Museum), the plans are drawing concern […]

Uncategorized

October 1, 2015

Construction Kicks Off at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Eight-Acre Marina Atop a Subway Line

Most of the conversation about Brooklyn Bridge Park has been centered around the residential Pierhouse and the controversy surrounding its height, but right next door, an entirely different part of the urban development is taking shape. The Wall Street Journal reports that construction on the eight-acre $28 million marina between Piers 4 and 5 has commenced, with an opening planned for next spring. Officially called One° 15 Brooklyn Marina, its sailing club already has 145 pre-registered members. In addition to the fact that it will bring 140 slips to Brooklyn Heights, the project is most notable for its unconventional construction. Normally to build a marina, dock builders drill piles into the waterbed to support the docks, but at this site the R subway line is directly below. "The solution was to sink 160 giant concrete blocks, weighing 10 tons each, to the bottom of the East River," says the Journal. Then, "a large, elastic bungee cord-like mooring system called Seaflex will be used to connect the dock on the water’s surface to the concrete block below."
More details and renderings

Architecture And Design

September 30, 2015

Revenge Architecture: Four New York Buildings Constructed out of Spite

We don't have to love our neighbors, but life is most certainly less stressful when they're easy to get along with. But as we all know, this is not always the case, and in several instances in New York's turbulent history, a friendly local feud has resulted in some rancor constructions—or what's better known today as "spite houses." According to Wikipedia, a spite house is a building constructed or modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes. While this definition illustrates the basic concepts of the act, it doesn't quite capture the vengeful spirit that powers it. With that said, we've perused the archives and put together a quick history lesson featuring a few famous examples of spiteful architecture that's risen in New York over the past centuries.
read more about four of new york's spite houses

September 30, 2015

Etelamaki Architecture’s Minimalist Prospect Heights Townhouse Is Warm and Inviting

Prospect Heights hasn't always been the most desirable area, but in the past 30 years this neighborhood has seriously upped its game. With beautiful townhouses like this one, renovated by the design team from Etelamaki Architecture, it's easy to see why the neighborhood has continued on the up and up. While each room of this home has noteworthy details, our favorite feature by far is the sweeping staircase that adds fluidity and elegance to this urban structure. Continue ahead for more.
Explore the home here

Distinctive Homes

September 30, 2015

120 Years Ago Today, The NY Times Wrote of a Sea Serpent Spotted off the Coast

There's a lot of strange stuff floating around the Hudson River, but this just might be the best thing ever spotted in its murky waters. On September 30, 1895, the headline "THINKS HE SAW A SEA SERPENT" made its way into the pages of the New York Times. The article (h/t Gothamist), spoke of a Newark, New Jersey man named Philip N. Jackson who confirmed to reporters that he had indeed seen the same sea monster spotted just a week earlier by a Manhattan resident by the name of Willard P. Shaw. Jackson told the Times that with "his naked eye," he saw the serpent zipping through the water, at times whipping its 100-foot-long body into the air.
Find out more here

History

September 30, 2015

Big, Bright and Modern Boerum Hill Townhouse Has It All, Plus Rental Income

Behind an unassuming brick facade on a classically quaint block in the heart of Boerum Hill, this three-family house at 125 Butler Street is a spacious and surprising modern home. With contemporary comforts and designer details at every turn, the 5,100 square-foot home boasts a 20-foot extension on the lower two floors, resulting in a 3,000 square-foot owners' duplex with room to spare for outdoor garden space. On the market for $3.95 million, the house is divided into that four-bedroom, 3.5-bath duplex and a pair of spacious two-bedroom apartments on the upper floors for high rental income.
See the rest of the house

Distinctive Homes

September 30, 2015

Are Skyscrapers Killing Great Cities?; Mapping What Parts of NYC Have Unused Development Rights

How a crummy suburb turns into a beloved urban neighborhood. [The Atlantic] An argument on why skyscrapers are killing great cities and why old buildings are better. [Treehugger] Here are the NYC areas harboring unused or excess development rights. [Curbed] The Staten Island Ferry is getting increased service. [NYDN] More renters are turning to self-storage in the outer boroughs as a […]

Real Estate Trends

September 30, 2015

Giant Pencil Doubles as a Lamp to Liven Up Your Living Space

With all of the serious design out there, sometimes it's nice to have a little quirk to liven up our living space. And whether you're a designer, writer or just have your nose in the books, you'll probably appreciate the HB Lamp, a giant pencil that also doubles as a lighting fixture, from design team Michael and Georgie Gettings.
More on the fun lamp

September 30, 2015

The Bronx May Get Its Own Lowline-Style Park at Abandoned Mott Haven Rail Tracks

Ever since the High Line became an international phenomenon, there have been countless proposals across the city for elevated parks and public spaces made from abandoned train tracks. The latest comes from the Bronx, where Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is asking Mayor de Blasio to transform a piece of unused railway in Mott Haven that is currently a "homeless encampment populated by drug users," according to the Daily News. Because the "litter-and-needle-strewn" trench is below street level, it's being called a lowline, after the underground park taking shape on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
READ MORE

September 30, 2015

Coachella Music Festival May Come to Queens; Rave-esque Juice Crawls Are Now a Thing

Graffiti mecca 5Pointz is being reborn on a smaller scale at a Williamsburg lumber yard. [Curbed] The producers behind Coachella are discussing bringing the music festival to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It’s tentatively called Panorama. [NYDN] Check out these photos of the tough women of New York’s boxing clubs. [The Cut] For $50 you can […]

Uncategorized

720 West End Avenue

Upper West Side

Serene Upper West Side homes near Riverside Park

1 beds starting at $1,005,000
2 beds starting at $2,495,000
3 beds starting at $3,495,000
4 beds starting at $5,850,000

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Canadians Buy More NYC Property Than Any Nationality in the World

Skyline image via Joey Lax-Salinas/Flickr

September 30, 2015

Canadians Buy More NYC Property Than Any Nationality in the World

Talk around foreign real estate buyers in New York City has been centered around the Chinese in recent months, but as it turns out, investors from China are only the third largest nationality represented in the market. The top spot goes to our neighbors to the north, according to the Post, as Canadians have poured $15.37 billion into the city's commercial property market over the past decade. This is almost double the $8.8 billion that came from runner up the United Arab Emirates and third-place China's $8.1 billion.
More details

Real Estate Trends

September 30, 2015

A Flatiron Loft That’s Rocking Exposed Brick Asks $3.85 Million

All New York City loft lovers should check out this apartment for sale at 11 West 20th Street, a prewar Flatiron condo building. It's a big space with two bedrooms, a den, home office, and three full bathrooms, plus plenty of those lofty prewar details. High ceilings and big windows, of course, are a given, and then there's tons of exposed brick to go around. You'll find it in most every room, some natural and some of it whitewashed. Now on the market, this apartment is asking $3.85 million.
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Distinctive Homes

September 30, 2015

Own Puppeteer John Henson’s 137-Acre Hudson River Farm and Mansion for $12M

If you watched the Muppets as a child (or an adult) the late puppeteer Jim Henson likely holds a special place in your heart. You may not have known, though, that his son John Henson was also a puppeteer. John's other passion was historic architecture. At the age of 16, he renovated a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse in Saugerties, New York, an historic village in Ulster County that borders the Hudson River and Catskills. After that, he had the renovation bug, buying and developing many properties in the town. According to a Facebook posting on the Jim Henson Company's page upon his passing last year, "each of his buildings is an art project, an immersive experience balancing function with artistic expression. His exterior, and fine interior work, utilizing a wide range of materials; from wood, to metal, to stone, created rooms of exquisite embracing craftsmanship." One of the homes he worked on in Saugerties was his personal residence known as Bright Bank, a circa 1848, 13,892-square-foot mansion and farm buildings on 137 acres of Hudson Riverfront property. It was once a sanitarium, later converted to apartments, and John Henson and his wife Gyongyi bought it in 2004 for $4.2 million. However, after embarking on a massive renovation, Henson died suddenly of a heart attack in February 2014, never getting to complete the project. Gyongyi Henson has now listed the breathtaking property for $12 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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September 29, 2015

New Yorker Book Review Calls 432 Park the Oligarch’s Erection