6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

We’ve heard of furniture made from local reclaimed wood, but never headphones. Check out these maple beauties. [Contemporist] The city’s streets are the seventh worst in the nation, which costs drivers nearly $800 a year in maintenance and repairs. [NYDN] And speaking of bad roads… Queens’ infamous Boulevard of Death (aka Queens Boulevard) is getting […]

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July 24, 2015

$51M Time Warner Center Penthouse Sale Sets a Record for the Building

Maybe it's the location near Lincoln Center and lots of shopping, or maybe it's the unobstructed views of Central Park, or maybe it's the ease of planting tons of one's foreign cash without worry within its walls, whatever the case may be, the ultra-luxe Time Warner Center has just drawn in a record $50.92 million sale. The owner, Russian billionaire Andrey Vavilov, listed the sprawling 14-room penthouse for $75 million early last year, then dropping the price to $68 million in November, finally landing on $51 million with a buyer known only as "Columbus Family LLC," according to city documents filed today. As CityRealty reveals, the transaction is the highest ever recorded at the building; the runner-up, incidentally, the same unit, which traded hands last in 2009 between Vavilov and Austrian investor Gerhard Andlinger for $37.5 million.
Have a closer look inside

Real Estate Trends

July 24, 2015

Tribeca’s 45 Park Place Site Cleared to Make Way for Slender 660-Foot Skyscraper

The site of a SOMA Architects-designed Tribeca skyscraper has finally been cleared, signaling that groundwork and construction of the slender 38-story tower may soon be before us. The 12,000-square-foot lot at 45 Park Place owned by El Gamal's SoHo Properties, was formerly three battered pre-war buildings, two of which were a downtown outpost of Burlington Coat Factory. The upcoming as-of-right project will total approximately 135,000 gross square feet and contain 50 condominiums, a public plaza, and a museum designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. A 2010 iteration of the project involving an Islamic cultural center became encircled in controversy due its proximity the World Trade Center site. But now with legal hurdles cleared, the site fully assembled, and city approvals in place, the glass and steel skyscraper is poised to move forward.
Get the scoop here

July 23, 2015

6sqft Behind the Scenes: Take a Tour of MakerBot’s New 3D Printer Factory in Brooklyn

MakerBot has officially opened its brand new factory in Industry City in Brooklyn's Sunset Park. The 170,000-square-foot space spans three floors, with the main production lines on the third floor of the building. The new location is four times larger than the company's previous Industry City location and will allow the company to double its production of 3D printers. This is far cry from the garage it started out in nearly two and a half years ago. MakerBot kicked off the opening of its new locale yesterday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that featured MakerBot CEO Jonathan Jaglom and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. We were on the scene to capture this latest milestone for the 3D printer company.
Have a closer look here

Policy

July 23, 2015

$2.6M Mediterranean-Style Mansion Is Up for Sale in Riverdale

The Bronx enclave of Riverdale is chock full of striking freestanding mansions of different architectural styles. This one at 4501 Delafield Avenue is in the Mediterranean Revival style, designed by the architect A. E. Klueppelberg in 1910. Indeed, this facade looks like something you'd sooner find in Europe than New York City. It's uniqueness is paired with a gut renovation inside that's completely modernized the home. It's now on the market for $2.59 million, quite the price boost from when the property sold in 2013 for $1.336 million.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/23-7/29

Image courtesy of SIDELUCK

July 23, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/23-7/29

By Lori Zimmer

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 end of week picks for 6sqft readers! For those of you who don't have plans to jet set abroad this last weekend before August, there are still plenty of cultural treats to quench your thirst. The famed Slideluck Potshow is taking to the high seas, bringing their well-loved evening of art projections on board the Lilac. Faux-minimalist takes over an unlikely venue—a high-end cleaner—while seminal White Columns Gallery celebrates their summer party. Damien Hirst's Soho mecca heads to the Hamptons, and the Gowanus Ballroom brings us a bevy of talented artists plus the guy who jumps around in his underwear in Union Square. Kids and adults alike can celebrate family day at the awesome Jeppe Hein exhibition now showing at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, or they can head to the Bell House to hear their favorite talk radio personalities. Finally, cap it all off at the last day of the New York Musical Theater Festival.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

July 23, 2015

Construction Begins on John Catsimatidis’ Curvy Rental Tower at 86 Fleet Place in Fort Greene

Construction has begun on the final building of the four-tower development on the western edge of Fort Greene. The 32-story tower at 86 Fleet Place will house 440 rental units and will be the culmination of a 15-year redevelopment of a low-slung, Robert Moses-era retail strip along Myrtle Avenue. The developer of 86 Fleet, and three other sibling buildings to the east, is Red Apple Group's CEO and owner John Catsimatidis, who we might better remember as the billionaire Republican candidate in the last mayoral election and the owner of the oft-maligned Gristedes grocery store chain. According to the Wall Street Journal, Red Apple picked up the 2.5-acre, four-block site for $500,000 from Long Island University in 1982. The site spans 900 feet along the southern frontage of Myrtle Avenue, between Flatbush Avenue Extension and Ashland Place, and shares its blocks with the Toren condominium to the west and the Fred Trump-built University Towers complex to the south.
More details on the development

July 23, 2015

Roosevelt Island’s Increasing Allure; Community Board Applauds 2 WTC

BIG’s 2 WTC gets rave reviews from the Community Board 1. [Downtown Express] Focusing in on Roosevelt Island’s evolution into a place people actually want to live. [NYP] 200-square-foot mobile studios are now available to NYC artists and entrepreneurs. [Inhabitat NYC] Here are 10 NYC homes with their very own private pools. [Curbed] Images: Roosevelt […]

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

$22M Cobble Hill brownstone is five floors of architectural perfection, from the wine cellar to the rooftop deck

For $1.2M, this Park Slope brownstone co-op gets the top-floor perk of a private roof deck

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

This $8M Dumbo condo with a private rooftop spa embodies penthouse living

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

$10.25M Chelsea condo atop Shigeru Ban's Metal Shutter Houses is everything a penthouse should be

Park Slope townhouse sells for $13.9M, a new neighborhood record

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

Pre-war warmth meets polished loft lines in this $4.25M Village co-op

Greenwich Village townhouse where Oscar Wilde once stayed asks $7.45M

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July 23, 2015

Michael Hilgers’s ‘Flatmate’ Desk Conveniently Unfolds When It’s Time to Work

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

This ultra-thin desk is just like any good roommate: mostly invisible, but around when you need them. Designed by Berlin-based architect and cabinetmaker maker Michael Hilgers, "Flatmate" is a compact workspace that won't take up much of your valuable floor space, but is just as functional as its full-sized counterpart. Thanks to its skinny profile, it can comfortably live in a narrow hallway or even behind other furniture.
Learn more about this invisible pop-up desk

July 23, 2015

Union Square Cafe Isn’t Leaving the Neighborhood; Stay in a Rural Tiny House for $99/Night

Forced to relocate due to rising rents, the iconic Union Square Cafe is moving just a stone’s throw away to 19th Street and Park Avenue South. [6sqft inbox] Never drive around the block looking for a spot again. A new app called Luxe matches users with parking valets. [Business Insider] This cabinet was inspired by mid-century modern architecture. [Design […]

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July 23, 2015

Crown Heights Townhouse with 18 Rooms Asks $11,000 a Month

Oftentimes renting in Brooklyn means cramming into a modest apartment with roommates or building out a loft bed in a former warehouse space. You don't typically think of sharing a massive three-story townhouse. But this historic home at 851 Park Place in Crown Heights is now on the rental market for $11,000 a month. There are eight bedrooms total (!), plenty of well-kept historic details, and extra spaces like a library and card room. Not a bad way to rent in Brooklyn.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

July 22, 2015

FAO Schwarz and the End of an Era: Looking Back at the World’s Most Famous Toy Store

When Frederick August Otto Schwarz immigrated to Baltimore from Germany in 1856, he dreamed of opening "a magical toy emporium that featured extraordinary, one-of-a-kind toys from all over the world, while creating a theatrical experience to showcase merchandise in a way that would bring it to life." Six years later, he and his two older brothers opened "Toy Bazaar," a small fancy-goods store that sold stationary and toys. 150 years later, their store, having long since moved to New York City and been renamed FAO Schwarz, would be known around the world and crowned the oldest toy store in the United States. But all that changed last week, when the toy wonderland closed its famous Fifth Avenue doors for good. Its current owner, Toys "R" Us, cited rising rents as the reason for the departure, but tried to assure the public that they'd find a new location (they reportedly checked out a space in Times Square). For many of us, though, a different address–perhaps one without the giant floor piano that was immortalized in the 1988 Tom Hanks movie "Big"–will be a huge blow to our childhood nostalgia. So, while the fate of FAO Schwarz is still up in the air, let's take a trip down memory lane.
Learn the history of the toy store here

History

July 22, 2015

How You Can Live in a Billionaire’s Row Condo for Free AND Make Six Figures

Get a job as one of their building managers. As DNA Info reports, if you're just a regular Joe or Jane looking to take up residence in one of the city's priciest towers, you don't need to be a billionaire—or even a millionaire for that matter. The resident managers at four headline-stealing, ultra-luxury towers will live rent-free, in very large apartments, while also earning respectable six-figure salaries for their services.
Find out more here

July 22, 2015

Lauren Bacall’s $23.5M Dakota Apartment Finds a Buyer

Ever since Lauren Bacall passed away last summer, it's been all eyes on her longtime Dakota apartment. First, in November, we learned that the actress's Central Park West home would list for a jaw-dropping $26 million. Then, less than two weeks later, the listing hit, a bit disappointing to many as the photos were the newly-staged versions. But this past March, interior photos of how the place looked when the movie star resided there for more than 50 years were dug up, revealing a treasure trove of antiques and artwork and showcasing beautifully intact original details like fireplaces with carved mantles, huge mahogany doors, and crown molding. In April, the price was reduced by $2.5 million, but now, the Daily News reports that Bacall's wood-paneled apartment has been purchased by a mystery buyer.
See inside the legendary apartment here

July 22, 2015

Another Supertall Opponent Emerges on the City Council; Extell’s LES Project Still Causing Street to Sink

The Hudson Yards will be home to 28,000 plants when complete. [NYT] City Councilman Ben Kallos is leading a forum to block supertall, shadow-casting towers tomorrow night. [DNA Info] The Healthy Buildings Lab is working to help New Yorkers understand if toxic building materials have been used in their homes. [DNA Info] Donald Trump has […]

Real Estate Trends

July 22, 2015

Soak in Views of Morningside Park from this $1M Classic Six Co-op

Who doesn't love a classic six Manhattan apartment, especially with views of the park? This may not be Central Park, and this may not be a storied Upper East Side co-op building, but we're still loving this apartment up for sale at La Touraine, a 24-unit prewar co-op at 50 Morningside Drive in Morningside Heights. It's got stunning views of Morningside Park, not to mention a beautiful interior. The price isn't cheap, but it's certainly less than a classic six on the market with views of Central Park. The ask comes in at $1.05 million.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Edo Bertoglio’s Polaroids Transport Us to the 1980s NYC of Warhol, Basquiat and Madonna

When it came to music and avant garde art, few eras shone as brilliantly as the 1980s. The city was an incubator for experimental creatives like Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Debbie Harry and Madonna, individuals forging a name for themselves in a gritty yet glam city that was frantically pulsating with life. Photographer Edo Bertoglio was lucky enough to experience the time, spending his days amongst these inevitable icons from 1976 to 1989 and oftentimes snapping photos of them in intimate situations with his Polaroid camera. Now, decades later, Bertoglio is sharing his experience through his new book, "New York Polaroids 1976-1989," which culls 140 cherished images he's kept near and dear since those bygone days.
See a sampling of the photos here

July 22, 2015

POLL: Are Private Pools the Next Must-Have Amenity?

This morning we revealed renderings of Six Sigma’s upcoming condo at 435 West 19th Street, which offers private pools as one of its amenities (along with a sky garage). We first saw this perk pop up at SCDA’s Soori High Line a few blocks north on 29th Street, where 16 of its 27 units will feature heating […]

July 22, 2015

Retrace All Your Past Steps with Google Maps; The City Looked a Lot Different in the 1990s

What doesn’t Google know about us? A new feature in Maps called Your Timeline lets you check where you were at any given time. [Mashable] See how much NYC has changed since the 1990s. [ArchDaily] This new poster from Pop Chart Lab is a chart-itectural history of American houses, from 17th century Postmedieval English abodes to 1990s […]

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July 22, 2015

Everything About This Park Slope Co-op Is Cozy and Cute

This Park Slope co-op at 348 12th Street, is by no means small–in fact, it has three bedrooms, which is sprawling when you compare it to most other Brooklyn co-op apartments. But there's still something about it that feels cozy, homey, and just downright cute. This unit is also located in a modest eight-unit brick building that's quite charming, in one of the loveliest areas of Park Slope. So how much for all this Brooklyn charm? It is now on the market for $1.175 million.
See the rest

Distinctive Homes

July 22, 2015

New Renderings of 435 West 19th Street, Condo with Private Pools and a Sky Garage

Work has begun on on Six Sigma's upcoming condo at 435 West 19th Street, and the head-to-toe renovation/addition of the 1924 building seems intent on housing all the most outrageous frills of recent West Chelsea builds under a single roof. Boutique design-and-build firm Six Sigma acquired the 20,000-square-foot office building, once home to the photography studios and sound-stages of CityStage, for $21 million in August 2014. According to the developer's website, Pei Partnership, a firm founded by the sons of renowned Chinese architect I.M. Pei, is crafting the design. Pei Partnership, not to be confused with Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, was also the designers of The Centurion, the Midtown condo lavishly clad in a cascade of Burgundy limestone.
Find out more about this project

July 21, 2015

10 Unbelievable Upstate NY Escapes You Can Rent by the Night

Home-sharing sites like Airbnb and Home Away often spell trouble in the big city, but just about everywhere else, they're an excellent opportunity for individuals to not only explore a new place, but live in a home they would never otherwise dream of inhabiting. We've rounded up a handful of unique summer escapes that promise to offer an unforgettable experience. From an eco-friendly yurt to an upstate barn renovated by local artisans to the woodland retreat where President Calvin Coolidge kicked off his boots to an ultra-modernist retreat in the middle of the forest, get to know all of these dreamy upstate New York hideaways ahead and then grab your friends and family for some out-of-city fun. We've got something for just about every budget!
see them all here

Getting Away

July 21, 2015

BIG Ideas: Bjarke Ingels Talks 2 WTC and Why Today’s Skyscrapers Lack Confidence

By Michelle Cohen

Helping to kick off the 2015 New York Times Cities for Tomorrow conference, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels—principal of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the firm responsible for 2 World Trade Center, Google HQ in Mountain View (with Thomas Heatherwick), the Dry Line and the pyramid-shaped “Via,” AKA 625 West 57th Street, among many others—talked “social infrastructure” with New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman. The baby-faced “starchitect 2.0” was his usual quotable and slightly mischievous self, yet, as always, provided plenty of insight on the topic at hand. Well-known for his suggestion that “Architecture at its best is really the power to make the world a little bit more like our dreams," Ingels offered his views on the ideal workspace design, what makes a memorable skyscraper and what some of his toughest challenges have been, in addition to speaking to the architect’s role in the social evolution of modern cities.
Find out the highlights and watch a video of the discussion

Architecture And Design

July 21, 2015

Buyers of Luxury Condos Can No Longer Hide Behind Shell Companies

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

Earlier this year the Times made waves in the real estate industry with a lengthy exposé zooming in on the growing trend of foreigners—many the subject of government inquiries ranging from environmental violations to financial fraud—using LLCs as a way to scoop up luxury properties and stash their cash while avoiding taxes. Now the paper reports that the De Blasio administration has imposed new disclosure requirements on those who intend to use shell companies as a vehicle to buy and sell property in the city. Under the new rules, these shell companies must now provide to the city both the names and tax IDs of all members involved in a transaction.
Find out more here

July 21, 2015

This Sweet West Village Rental Will Win You Over with Its Oversized Windows and Private Roof Deck

By Aisha Carter

There's a cute new two-bedroom rental listed at 255 West 4th Street. The floor-through apartment features two wood-burning fireplaces, a renovated bathroom and kitchen, walk-in closets and skylights, in 1,000 square feet of space. There's also a sizable private roof deck with panoramic city views. And it's available just in time for fall, in early to mid-September.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

VIEW ALL

July 21, 2015

Why So Many Americans Support Donald Trump; 7 Train Extension Slated to Open in September

If all goes as planned, the 7 train extension, which brings the line to 34th Street and 7th Avenue, should open by September 13th. [NYDN] Why do so many Americans support Donald Trump’s run for president? Here’s the one reason why he’s the GOP frontrunner. [WSJ] Low income co-ops are having trouble paying their tax […]

Real Estate Trends

July 21, 2015

Weekend House in the Berkshires is Part Glass House, Part Japanese Kimono

Prior to starting his own firm, architect David Jay Weiner worked in Tokyo under Arata Isozaki, who is known for infusing Eastern influences into his modernist structures. He also spent time in the New York offices of James Stewart Polshek and Partners and John Burgee Architects with Philip Johnson. So it's no wonder that his award-winning Weekend House in Stephentown, New York fuses the principles of a Japanese kimono with the simplistic transparency of Johnson's Glass House. The small house (1,200 square feet to be exact) overlooking the Berkshire Hills was designed for a Japenese client as an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Learn all about the house here

Architecture And Design

July 21, 2015

Owen Dippie Channels Both Renaissance and Modern Artists in His Bushwick Murals

Owen Dippie is starting a modern renaissance in Brooklyn. Within the past couple of months, the New Zealand-born street artist has put up two pieces in Bushwick that skillfully remix the work of the Renaissance masters and contemporary art and culture. Dippie's clever pieces appeal to art lovers of all styles. For Dippie, creating these mashups is like paying homage to his idols. Growing up, Dippie's biggest influences were Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, Andy Warhol, Basquiat and Keith Haring. As he grew older and became more exposed to other artists, the Renaissance masters began to grow on him as well. With such varying influences, it makes sense for Dippie to have created these pieces.
See the stunning mashups here

Events & Things To Do

July 21, 2015

Decorative Busts from the East Village’s Past as Little Germany; What Made the ‘I Love Lucy’ Apartments So Lovable

By Alyssa Alimurung

The East Village may no longer be considered Little Germany, but there are still decorative elements that remind us of its rich history. [Off the Grid] An app paired with Bluetooth beacons can help the blind navigate the subway system. [PSFK] Follow one director as he struggles to capture the fast-disappearing essence of the Lower […]

Uncategorized

July 21, 2015

Perfectly Preserved Harlem Townhouse Asks $3 Million

If you're an old home lover, get ready to swoon. This Harlem townhouse at 465 West 141st Street has all of its historic details intact. Pretty much every room of the house will take you back to 1905, when the townhouse was built. Newer renovations in the kitchen and bathrooms also blend in seamlessly with the older detailing. It's up on the market for a bold price, given that the property is located further north in Harlem, just beyond City College. The current owner bought it last year for $2.3 million, now it's been listed for $2.995 million. After seeing the rest of the interior, you may just wish you could fork over the money right now...
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

July 20, 2015

What Does Your Zip Code Say About You? This Map Tells All

Want to know if you're a trendsetter, a wannabe, or just a Joe Schmo in a glass condo? This new interactive map called the "Zip Lookup" will reveal to you that your life can pretty much be summed up in five digits. Created by ESRI, a geographic-information firm, Zip Lookup is eerily on point when it comes to figuring out an area's demographics, culture, and daily habits.
How it works here

Uncategorized

July 20, 2015

Julia Roberts Lists Greenwich Village Apartment for $4.5M

By Annie Doge

America's sweetheart, actress Julia Roberts, is unloading her beachy Greenwich Village apartment, according to the Post. The listing, which is not yet public, is held by Stribling and describes a 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom co-op at postwar building 45 West 10th Street. Roberts bought the penthouse apartment for $3,895,400 in 2010 and now hopes to get $4.5 million for it.
Check out the home here

July 20, 2015

Brooklyn Heights Penthouse Asking $1.75 Million Has 16-Foot Cathedral Ceilings

In Brooklyn Heights, high-ticket real estate is usually a historic brownstone or townhouse. And while this co-op does reside on 105 Montague Street, in a circa-1885 Queen Anne building that was once a hotel, the interior is a lot more modern than you may expect. This top-floor penthouse unit takes advantage of the building's striking roof line. You've got skylights, soaring cathedral ceilings, and thoroughly modern finishes. It's all asking $1.75 million.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

July 20, 2015

Bed-Stuy Prices Up Over 20 Percent; The Community Bookstore in Brooklyn Cashes In

Mariah Carey has a shoe closet bigger than your apartment. [NYP] Bed-Stuy prices have spiked. Homes sales have gone up 20 percent, says a new report. [DNA Info] After rumors of a New Jersey move, Streit’s Matzo Factory has confirmed that they will move operations to Rockland County. [BB] Court Street’s beloved book-mess, The Community […]

Real Estate Trends

July 20, 2015

Live in a Rare Red Wood Cabin Near Prospect Park

One look at this unassuming wood home and you might find yourself rubbing your eyes, but rest assured this charming little cabin is indeed located in Brooklyn. Said to be the former "vacation home" of a wealthy 19th century Brooklyn Heights family, this 1800s construction has just been put on the market for $1.249 million. Interestingly, its 658 Vanderbilt Street locale in Windsor Terrace hasn't always been its address. The home was previously sited, oddly enough, in the middle of Prospect Park.
Find out more here

July 20, 2015

Online Feline Celebrities Get Their Own Exhibit; Meet the Newest Oldest Toy Store in the U.S.

A new exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image explores the online cat phenomenon and why people can’t get enough of characters like Lil Bub. [DNAinfo] Listen to puppet Johnny T’s rendition of “New York, New York.” Perhaps our favorite line is “So what there’s hipsters here. There’s hipsters… everywhere.” [YouTube] The 820 feet […]

Uncategorized

July 20, 2015

Rent Hilary Swank’s Designer-Decorated West Village Pad for $20,000

By Annie Doge

The Village is on fire right now with celebrities coming and going. Heidi Klum is renting in the 'hood for the summer; Topher Grace is renting out his loft; Francis Ford Coppola is moving into the same building as De Niro; and just this morning we learned that Julia Roberts is selling her apartment. Now, Hilary Swank is the latest star on the list. The Observer reports that she's renting out her stylish apartment at 400 West 12th Street (the Superior Ink building) for $20,000 a month. Swank bought the 1,500-square-foot, two-bedroom condo in 2009 for $3.64 million. She then enlisted designer Mark Zeff to "create a place that would give her a sense of grace and harmony." The space was photographed for Elle Decor in 2011, where the neutral palette, clean-lines, and serene decor were featured prominently, as was the living room wall made out of reclaimed barn wood. But now that the actress is spending more time on the West coast, she's looking to rent out her West Village home.
Take a look around the apartment

July 20, 2015

Pepsodent, Camel, and Yashica: The Ads and Architecture of Old Times Square

By Jason Carpenter

Everyone has an opinion on the ways Times Square has changed over the decades, but the basic look has been a different variation on the same theme since the late 19th century: Classic architecture covered in gigantic advertisements. Take a trip back in time with us through some pictures ahead—you might be surprised by what kinds of things used to be displayed in this Midtown hub.
See the ads of Old Times Square this way

July 19, 2015

GROWTH Is an Origami-Based Pot That Expands with the Plant

We've taken a look at geometric planters and vases with a bit of origami flair to them before, and while they're quite lovely, they're missing one key element of the GROWTH pot–they don't expand as the plant grows. Created by London- and Istanbul-based Studio Ayaskan, GROWTH transforms in a folding pattern to accommodate the life cycle of a plant. Not only is this fun to watch, but it's sustainable, as it reduces the need for multiple pots.
Learn more about GROWTH

July 18, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Tetra-Shed: A Portable Wooden Home Office with a Rubber Skin Brand New Photos for Bay Ridge’s Gingerbread House, Now Back on the Market for $11M Day vs. Night: What NYC’s Population Looks Like In New York City Your $100 Is Really Worth Just $81.77 New Video Reveals How SHoP’s 626 First Avenue Will Dance into […]

Uncategorized

July 17, 2015

Brand New Photos for Bay Ridge’s Gingerbread House, Now Back on the Market for $11M

Bay Ridge's infamous Gingerbread House at 8220 Narrows Avenue is making headlines again. The incredible freestanding home is back on the market after a few different attempts to sell. As Curbed pointed out, the Arts and Crafts home was first asking $12 million in 2009, then the price was lowered a few times, then it was put on the rental market for $26,000 a month. (The broker tells us that it's only officially been on the market for around two years over a six-year period while the owners did renovations.) Now it's back again with brand new photos showing off its extravagant interior, alongside a price tag of $10.999 million. As the broker told us, "The overall market in Brooklyn is strong, particularly in Bay Ridge, which has become the new hot spot as buyers move south - this is an ideal time to put the house back on the market." We got our hands on the previously-unpublished new images, so take a look and decide if this is finally the time this special house will sell.
To the interior

July 17, 2015

Renderings Revealed of Helpern Architects’ Times Square Hotel for ‘Fashion-Alert Urban Millennials’

Here's our first look at a four-star, 290-room hotel set to rise just south of Times Square at 252 West 40th Street. Developed by OTO Development, the 20-story, 147,000-square-foot hotel will be the South Carolina-based company's third venture in the city. The 230-foot-tall midrise will be designed by Helpern Architects. According to their website, "the project is targeted to cosmopolitan, fashion-alert urban millennials and is expected to set a new standard and trend for the independent business traveler."
More details this way

Bergen Brooklyn

323 Bergen Street

Boerum Hill

World-class design rooted in Brooklyn charm

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

Learn More

July 17, 2015

Why Are the Mean Streets of Queens Numbered the Way They Are?

It's easy to tell if you're dealing with a Queens address–there's the hyphenated street number and the variety of numbered thoroughfare names (Street, Place, Road, Avenue, Lane, Terrace). The really hard part, however, is actually getting to that address in Queens, especially if you're a resident from another borough to whom it feels like trying to maneuver your way in another country where you don't know the language. But instead of continuing to find ourselves lost, we decided to get to the bottom of this complicated system. Prior to the consolidation of New York City in 1898, what is now known as the borough of Queens was only a hodgepodge of unconnected towns, each of which had its own road system and addresses. Once the towns were combined into one borough, having multiple road systems was becoming a hindrance to fast-growing Queens. So by 1911, the borough hired engineer Charles U. Powell to replace the old systems with a carefully planned grid system.
The rest of the story is right this way

July 17, 2015

Grim Map Shows the Relationship Between Poverty and Pollution

EJSCREEN is a new online mapping tool from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What makes it different than other pollution maps, though, is that it also includes census data to show the relationship between negative environmental factors and demographic indicators like low-income and minority populations. As Gizmodo reports, "The maps are color-coded to show poverty, and pollution (as measured by fine particle density). Grey is in area that’s below the 50th percentile, with the colors going up to yellow then red as the poverty (and pollution) increases." And as is clear in the animated image above, high-poverty areas like East Harlem, Washington Heights, and much of the Bronx are among the most polluted in the city.
More on the map here

City Living

July 17, 2015

Inside the First Model Unit at 10 Bond; Scaffolding Goes Up Around 190 Bowery

More mysterious happenings for 190 Bowery: scaffolding has just gone up around the building. [Bowery Boogie] The first model unit at architect Annabelle Selldorf’s 10 Bond has been completed. It will be asking $7.1 million. [6sqft inbox; listings] The city plans to spend $2.8 million to beef up patrol on illegal Airbnb listings. [NYP] Annotating the corner of Mulberry […]

Real Estate Trends

July 17, 2015

Own an Old Abandoned Stone Mill, Now a Home Steeped in History, for $795K

Converted lofts are cool, but this revamped stone mill in St. Johnsville brings rehabbed homes to the next level. This historic treasure has been the home of Judith and Ron Hezel for nearly a quarter-century. The couple bought the abandoned factory in 1988 and after five years of hard work, they turned the 6,000-square-foot mill into a four-bedroom home. The avid preservationists made sure to maintain most of the mill's historical details and even had the site added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1995. The Hezels are ready to move on, but they hope the historic mill, along with a barn, three-stall garage, and guest house, all listed at $795,000, ends up in the hands of someone who appreciates history just as much as they do.
Learn more about this mill turned home

First Look at the Interiors of Nomad’s 212 Fifth Avenue

*** Update via the development team: Interior renderings from ASJNY are only conceptual and do not represent the actual project moving forward.

July 17, 2015

First Look at the Interiors of Nomad’s 212 Fifth Avenue