August 11, 2015

Be Woody Allen’s Neighbor for $80K a Month in This Historic Upper East Side Townhouse

Trophy purchase, short-term refuge, or family home? Take your pick. This impressive and unique townhouse at 116 East 70th Street was previously owned by philanthropist George Soros’s ex, Susan Weber Soros, who bought the 5,688-square-foot home in 2012 for $22.5 million and proceeded to see it through a thorough renovation, updating infrastructure and interiors and installing every 21st-century comfort known to stratospherically-priced townhouse-owning man (or woman, as the case was). Post-renovation, the barrel-fronted, copper-clad townhouse changed hands in an off-market deal to an anonymous LLC for $31 million. The house was back on the market again for $33 million last February after only four months. With its price pared down to $28 million, it’s still seeking a buyer, but is now having a go at the rental market, too. The stunning single-family manse–all five floors of it–is being offered for $80,000 a month, which comes with the caché of calling Woody Allen your next-door neighbor.
Tour the house, this way
August 10, 2015

Carroll Gardens Townhouse Rental, Asking $11,750 a Month, Is Downright Pretty

There are some New York City townhouses that are so extravagant they are downright intimidating. Then there are others that have been renovated, lost all their interior details, and are downright boring. This one, at 152 Luquer Street in Carroll Gardens, isn't either. It's simply a lovely, pretty building with just enough historic interior details and just enough modern renovation. There's nothing to hate about it, in our modest opinion. The full townhouse is now up on the rental market, asking $11,750 a month.
Take a tour
August 10, 2015

Permits Filed for New Faux-Loft Building at the Intersection of Boerum Hill and Gowanus

Avery Hall Investments filed permits last week for an eight-story, 20-unit residential building at the corner of Third Avenue and St. Marks Place. The site is situated in the area where bucolic Boerum Hill meets the utilitarian factory lofts of Gowanus. The development at 125 Third Avenue will replace a one-story commercial building that Avery picked up earlier this year for $5.65 million according to city records. The team also recently broke ground on another Boerum Hill condominium at 472 Atlantic Avenue designed by the context-sensitive Morris Adjmi Architects.
More details on the project
August 10, 2015

New York Times Custom Birthday Book Features Every Front Page Since Your Birth

We've found the ultimate gift for the dedicated Times reader in your life—or a fun indulgence for a day you feel like treating yourself with something cool. The New York Times Custom Birthday Book is a beautifully bound hardback that culls every front page printed since the year of your birth, embossed with your name and birthdate for a super fascinating snapshot of world history over the course of your life.
Find out more here
August 10, 2015

Car2go Expanding to Queens; Brooklyn Rents in Trendy Nabes Outpace Manhattan

Car sharing service Car2go is expanding from Brooklyn to cover western Queens. [Crain’s] Rapidly growing brokerage Compass is looking to recruit. Here’s a quick video showcasing how they’re trying to “reinvent real estate.” [6sqft inbox] The Dakota’s co-op board allegedly tried to woo developer Robert Siegel—who has been trying to move into his apartment at the storied building […]

August 10, 2015

Another Pivoting Skyscraper Coming to Crowded Midtown East Block

It's hard for a new building to stand out in the Big Apple these days, with striking towers designed by the world's foremost architects, soaring pinnacles jutting 1,500 feet into the clouds, and massive 1,000-unit apartment buildings possessing all the amenities of a Caribbean resort. However, within the densest thicket of Midtown skyscrapers, Handel Architects along with SLCE have crafted a 43-story, 450,000-square-foot residential tower whose elevations are angled to the street grid on all sides. The tactic will set the skyscraper apart from its perpendicular neighbors and grant its residents a touch more light and air within Midtown's concrete canyons. Envisioned by Lloyd Goldman’s BLDG Management Company, the future 360,000-square-foot tower at 222 East 44th Street will rise from a claustrophobic stretch of street that perhaps is the closest Manhattan gets to matching the tightness and vertical density of Hong Kong. The feeling is further heightened by the street dead ending into Lexington Avenue and the imposing MetLife building looming behind.
Find out more here
August 10, 2015

Facebook Co-Founder Lists His Elegant Bespoke Soho Loft for $8.75M

Among the first things you'll notice about this impressive loft at 30 Crosby Street, currently on the market for $8,750,000, is that at 4,100 square feet it's about the size of three normal-sized apartments. Currently owned by political and media power couple Chris Hughes (Facebook co-founder and publisher of the New Republic) and Sean Eldridge (financier and former congressional candidate), who bought it in 2010 for $4.8 million, the home's interiors–courtesy of an exhaustive bespoke renovation–are masculine, yet intimate, with spaces organized to consider the many facets of daily life. Surrounded by the quiet elegance of brick, wood, leather and marble, spaces for entertaining are separated from private living quarters–so party-throwers and peace-and-quiet-seekers can easily coexist. The converted Soho loft building is itself no stranger to large living, having had its share of celebrity residents including Alicia Keys, Courtney Love and Lenny Kravitz.
Take a look at the loft's bespoke and tailored interiors
August 10, 2015

Rupert Murdoch Puts West Village Townhouse Back on the Market After Just Five Months

Back in April, we reported that News Corp. and 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch had listed his One Madison penthouse for a whopping $72 million. He had planned to live in the glassy triplex full time, but instead picked up a $25 million West Village townhouse. But now it looks like the billionaire has changed his mind yet again, putting the townhouse at 278 West 11th Street back on the market for $28.9 million, according to the Daily News.
Find out more here
August 10, 2015

Buy Fashion Designer Betsey Johnson’s Flowery East Hampton Home for $2M

Fashionistas got an unusual treat this past weekend when Betsey Johnson held a giant yard sale at her East Hampton home. The Post noted that the punk-rock-meets-bubblegum-pink fashion designer was unloading around 10,000 items from her personal collection, "including her own designs, one of a kind runway pieces and vintage couture." The sale coincides with Johnson listing her home at 25 Grape Arbor Lane for $1,995,000. And while the clothes outside may be wild and crazy, the designer's cottage-like residence is much more subdued, save for the girly, flowery wallpaper, vintage accents, and glitzy chandeliers.
See more of Johnson's fashionable home
August 9, 2015

$7.4M Lake George Tudor Has 600 Feet of Private Waterfront and a Five-Slip Boathouse

You'd think having a private peninsula would appeal to people looking for seclusion, but this Lake George estate is geared for the gracious host who's ready to throw a serious lakeside party. The four-bedroom Tudor-style house is nearly ninety years old and is full of original architectural details like stone mullions and steep beamed ceilings. But when it comes to inviting friends and family over, it's the outdoor spaces that seal the deal. The 1.26-acre property has a whopping 600 feet of private waterfront, as well as three outdoor dining and cooking areas, a secluded spot to fish and swim, a massive five-slip boathouse, and a carriage house that boasts amenities like a 2,000-bottle wine cellar and home theater. What'll all this cost you? $7.4 million.
View the lakeside estate
August 9, 2015

Construction Update: Williamsburg’s 95 South Fifth Tops Out

After breaking ground earlier this year, Horrigan Development and Pilot Real Estate Group’s 95 South Fifth Street has already topped out. Although the site’s pre-war building is not landmarked, Standard Architects is preserving the industrial heritage aesthetic by incorporating the facade of the former three-story brick warehouse into the new 6,500-square-foot addition. The 26,500-square-foot renovation will be split between 18,000 square feet of residential space, plus a small 675-square foot commercial space that will be used as a restaurant at the base.
More here
August 8, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

First 1,000+ Foot Tower Outside Manhattan May Rise in Downtown Brooklyn Are the City’s Bodegas Becoming a Thing of the Past? Funky Soho Apartment from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Keeps Trying 2 World Trade Center Could Be the Most Expensive Office Tower in the World Could This Deconstructivist Office Tower Be Coming to the Garment […]

August 7, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Lori Pailet of Aquaskills on Teaching Water-Fearing Adults to Swim

Like many who work in the Financial District, Lori Pailet heads to work before the sun is up. But instead of jumping into an early meeting at an investment bank or law office, Lori meets her clients poolside for a morning dip. As the owner and director of Aquaskills, she spends her days helping New Yorkers reach their aquatic potential. A former artist and designer, Lori has been sharing her passion for swimming since Aquaskills was founded in the early 2000s. She is driven by a desire to help individuals engage safely and happily with the water. Through her hard work and determination, the school has become a go-to for all walks of life looking to learn to swim for the first time, or refine their technique. Along with a team of trained instructors, Lori offers a wide range of classes and lessons depending on skill level, but specializes in adults who either have aquaphobia or who never even learned to dog paddle. Lori was even featured in a NY Times piece last summer about aquaphobia, the story following drummer Attis Clopton as he overcame his fear of water. We spoke with Lori to find out more on her own journey into the pool, and how she approaches those learning to swim for the first time.
Read our interview with Lori here
August 7, 2015

Another 1,000-Foot-Plus Tower Moves Forward Near South Street Seaport

There's no slowing down the city's supertall boom. Crain's reports yet another 1,000-foot plus tall tower could soon be joining the New York City skyline, rising at the combined sites of 80 South Street and 163 Front Street. Chinese investment company China Oceanwide Holdings released a statement saying they would be purchasing the development parcels for $390 million through a U.S. subsidiary from current owner Howard Hughes Corporation. The new tower will sit just south of the South Street Seaport, and amid a grouping of other tall, but not quite as tall, towers.
FInd out more here
August 7, 2015

Live in This Cool, Summery Duplex Located in an 1851 Church for $8,750

One thing we can say about this apartment currently for rent at 215 Degraw Street (a.k.a. 56 Strong Place) in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn: The listing broker likes it. She writes, and we quote: "...this incredible 3 bedroom 3 bath duplex offers more to one lucky renter than this writer can ever hope to convey." But she gives it a shot just the same, explaining that for a mere $8,750 a month, you can bag "The triple Crown of Rentals!" She says more, too, but let's take a look at what's causing all this excitement. First, Landmark at Strong Place is a circa 1851 Gothic Revival church that was converted into a 23-unit condominium in 2010. So already it's more interesting than your average apartment.
And there's more! (this way)
August 7, 2015

How to Stop Supertall Towers from Swaying; FAO Schwarz’s Times Square Deal Falls Through

JFK Airport will receive $8.9 million in federal funds for runway and airfield upgrades. [Crain’s] Fortis Property Group is making progress with its controversial plan to bring four apartment towers to the former site of the Long Island College Hospital in Cobble Hill. [Curbed] With Manhattan skyscrapers getting taller and thinner, developers are installing giant counter […]

August 7, 2015

Luscious Grassland Carpets Bring Argentina’s Pampas Into the Home

Buenos Aires-based Alexandra Kehayoglou was born into family that's been working in the carpet business for decades. But rather than settling into an office or marketing job at her father's factory, she followed her own will and crafted an innovative range of rugs that bring Argentina's lush grasslands into interiors across the globe. Her designs are threaded with different lengths, and feature organic patterns with all shades of green—the perfect combo for channeling the feel of a barefoot stroll in the country.
Learn more about these soft green rugs
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August 7, 2015

51 Percent of Americans Live in the Country’s Nine Largest States

Being face-to-armpit on our morning subway commute and sharing an apartment with five other people can cause us New Yorkers to forget that outside of our five-borough bubble there are places where homes are spaced out and one may need to drive several miles just to get to the grocery store. This mapping series by Dadaviz user Jishai illustrates just how disproportionate the country's population is. As Mental Floss first noted, "For each visualization, the red and orange regions have equal populations." For example, in the map above, we see that 51 percent of the population lives in the country's nine largest states. Other statistics visualized on the maps show that 50 percent of the population live in the 144 largest counties in the nation, and that the country's largest county, located in southern California, has roughly the same population as the 11 smallest states.
See more population maps here
August 7, 2015

Brooklyn Bridge Park Condo Asking $895K Takes Its Storage Seriously

If you thought it'd take at least $1 million to buy an apartment along the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront, here's something that's (a little) cheaper. Unit #306 at 360 Furman Street–aka One Brooklyn Bridge Park–is the cheapest unit up for sale currently in the building, asking $895,000. At that price point, it doesn't look like you're getting views of the water or Lower Manhattan. But you still get a decent amount of space and a pretty cool, custom-designed storage system.
Check it out
August 7, 2015

Gucci Granddaughters List Mod Midtown Penthouse for $45M

Often known simply as "the Gucci sisters," Alessandra and Allegra Gucci are the great-granddaughters of Guccio Gucci, who founded the world-famous fashion label. Their father, the late Maurizio Gucci, then led the brand until his ex-wife arranged for a hit man to gun him down in 1995. In the '70s, Maurizio bought a duplex penthouse at the Olympic Tower in Midtown East, which now belongs to his daughters. According to the Wall Street Journal, the family listed the 9,450-square-foot, eight-bedroom pad in 2010 as a $60,000/month rental, but they're now trying to unload it completely to the tune of $45 million.
More on this impressive penthouse
August 6, 2015

2 World Trade Center Could Be the Most Expensive Office Tower in the World

The Post reports that the construction of the Bjarke Ingels Group-designed 2 World Trade Center will come with a $4 billion price tag. The 2.8 million-square-foot downtown tower will top out at 1,340 feet, just 28 feet shy of One World Trade Center, which currently holds the title of the world's most expensive office building with construction costs coming in at $3.8 billion.
More details this way
August 6, 2015

Bold Renovation by Ghislaine Viñas Seeks to Make This the Coolest Townhouse in Tribeca

Where to even begin with the renovation of this Tribeca townhouse on Warren Street? The neon colors? The insane art collection? The spiral staircase? The sheep? Needless to say, this project by Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design, also of Tribeca, nearly defies description. It's big, it's bold, it's fun, it looks like something out of a storybook. In fact, the design firm is no stranger to this kind of work–they designed the infamous 80-foot slide that winds through a FiDi penthouse. Do we dare say that this renovation, sans slide, looks like just as much fun?
See more
August 6, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 8/6-8/8

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! One of the busiest art shows I've ever seen returns to New York this week- Spoke Art's annual Wes Anderson-themed exhibition "Bad Dads," which attracts collectors, fans and those who love to dress like his characters (always a lot of fun). Artist Brian Leo's colorful myriad of cartoony drawings open at Amy Li, a massive group show curated by Melissa Mccain-Welles kicks off at Azart Gallery, and cutesy arty toy store My Plastic Heart hosts a two-person East vs. West Coast Show. The gorgeous grounds of Wave Hill in the Bronx invite guests to chat with artists in their current show after perusing the gardens, and Michael Alan brings his "living installation" for visitors to become a part of for its 13th anniversary.
All the best events to check out here
August 6, 2015

BuzzFeed Editor Picks Up a $2.25M Harlem Townhouse

Listicles must certainly be profitable. Mark Schoofs, BuzzFeed News' investigations and projects editor, just picked up a $2.25 two-family Harlem townhouse, according to property records released today. The buy comes just a few months after we uncovered that New York Times editor Frank Bruni bought an Upper West Side apartment for $1.65, leaving many wondering just how "struggling" are writers these days? Schoofs' new home was constructed only seven years ago and has two units on six floors. The larger five-bedroom residence, where we assume the homeowner will live, occupies the top four floors and has three balconies, a terrace, and a duplex roof deck. The other two-bedroom unit on the first two floors has access to the back patio and garden.
Take a look around
August 6, 2015

Michael Hilgers’ BalKonzept Will Turn Your Fire Escape Into an Outdoor Office

City dwellers who are lucky enough to have a balcony (or maybe just a fire escape) and who also work at home now have the perfect setup for the warmer months. German designer Michael Hilgers created a brilliant balcony desk that hooks onto the railing to hold a laptop or papers. Dubbed BalKonzept, this extremely lightweight design comes complete with an integrated flowerbox, so you can have both a perfect outdoor workstation and a garden.
Learn more about this makeshift balcony desk
August 6, 2015

First Look at 22-Story Expansion of Downtown Brooklyn’s Hampton Inn Hotel

We all know Brooklyn's residential market is scorching hot, but its hotel market is booming as well. Two hotels recently opened at the borough's Manhattan Bridge entryway, the 174-room Dazzler Brooklyn Hotel and the 116-room Hampton Inn. The latter has just begun construction on a 145-room expansion on an adjacent lot at 156 Tillary Street, and we've uncovered the first look at what the 22-story Stonehill & Taylor Architects-designed tower will look like (an encore to the striped-brick banality that rose in the first phase).
More details ahead
August 6, 2015

Huge Head Made of Reclaimed Materials Lands in Tribeca; 131 Years of the Dakota

Artist Nicholas Holiber crafts a big head out of reclaimed materials that’ll be on display in Tribeca Park until September. [Contemporist] From brothels to boutiques, GreeneStreet.nyc maps out 400 years of one Soho street’s gentrification. [WIRED] CUNY professor William Helmreich did something meshuga (our new favorite word): He walked every block in every borough. [CBS […]

August 6, 2015

Map of ‘Subway Deserts’ Shows Outer Boroughs Left High and Dry

Though we may already know there are places in NYC that we can't easily get to, transit data junkie Chris Whong lays it all out on a map that points out the city's lesser-served regions, at least by underground means. The interactive map shows all NYC land areas more than 500 meters (about .3 miles) from one of the city’s 468 subway stations–that’s about two avenue blocks or six or seven shorter street blocks (around a seven-minute walk) according to Google maps. A big blue dot blots out this radius surrounding the station; everything outside the dot, well, you’re hoofing it (or taking a bus, car or rickshaw).
Find out more
August 6, 2015

For $2.3M This Breezy Southern Cottage in the West Village Hides a Secret Garden

Tailored upholstery, rattan furniture, and mix-and-match pale floral chintz may convey a southern beach house feel, but the casual elegance of this 1,200-square-foot one-bedroom garden hideaway on a beautiful West Village block extends beyond the home's current decor. Subtle pre-war details like 11-foot ceilings, crown moldings, marble fireplaces and rich dark wood floors contrasted with bright white walls embody the pretty and casual island vibe. There's also central air for those balmy summer days. But what makes this home at 77 Horatio Street most irresistible is the magical 500-square-foot garden at the back, visible just beyond a balcony off the dining area through oversized glass patio doors.
Step inside this pretty downtown bungalow
August 5, 2015

Could This Deconstructivist Office Tower Be Coming to the Garment District?

The visualization wizzes at Hayes Davidson posted this image of a hyper-modern tower addition atop an imposing Verizon-owned building at 230 West 36th Street. While few details are provided with the accompanying image, an article from the Times last year mentioned that the top two floors and some unused development rights of the 1924 building were being shopped around to developers as a potential hotel site. The rendered building appears to be a commercial office building, however. With the dearth of development sites suitable for large office floor plates east of Ninth Avenue, and a hot Midtown South office market where vacancy rates hover near 9 percent, the site could be a prime opportunity to construct new office space in the heart of the Times Square/Penn Station sub-market.
More details ahead
August 5, 2015

The Many Lives, and Miraculous Recovery, of NYC’s First Cancer Hospital

Walking down Central Park West from the north end of the park, it's hard to miss the castle-like structure on the corner of 105th Street. The facade is dominated by great conical towers, majestic turrets, deep red brick, and a soft Belleville brownstone. A closer look reveals stained glass windows and intricate stonework, all convincing details that someone went out to build a fairy-tale castle on the perimeter of Central Park. Among the surrounding townhouses and co-op buildings, it's a stunning piece of architecture that looks like it doesn't quite belong. Indeed, the story of how this building, constructed at 455 Central Park West in 1887, still stands is an unlikely one that is rooted in medical history–a dark medical history, at that. This was New York's first cancer hospital, and the first hospital in the United States dedicated specifically to its treatment. This was a time when cancer treatment was unfamiliar to most doctors–in the back of the castle was a crematorium and smokestack that was often in use. After the hospital's closure in 1955, it became a notorious nursing home known for mistreating its patients. When investigations caused the nursing home to close in 1974, the building was left to rot. Not until a redevelopment plan took off in 2000 was it restored into a luxury condo development. Today, despite its grim past, it remains an important piece of New York's medical and architectural history.
Keep reading for the full story
August 5, 2015

First 1,000+ Foot Tower Outside Manhattan May Rise in Downtown Brooklyn

As the result of the $90 million acquisition of Brooklyn's landmarked Dime Savings Bank building by developers Michael Stern (111 West 57th) and Joe Chetrit, a new residential skyscraper in Brooklyn could nearly reach the height of the Empire State Building. The historic Neo-Roman building at 9 DeKalb Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn–next door to the famed Junior's Restaurant–comes with 300,000 square feet of development rights, which, combined with existing air rights next door at 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension (which the pair bought last summer for $43 million), could be used to build an adjacent tower of nearly 600,000 square feet. The likelihood of a tower that reaches between 1,000 and 1,200 feet has been mentioned by sources close to the deal.
find out more about the planned Brooklyn skyscraper
August 5, 2015

This Sweet $3M Village Co-op Is No Steal, but Its Location Is Stellar

Occupying the entire parlor floor of an elevator building on one of the loveliest blocks in Greenwich Village, this pre-war co-op at 38 West 9th Street may be sweet, but it's far from little; the same could be said of its $2.995 million ask. For that price you'll get two good-sized bedrooms, and, looking at the floor plan, there's plenty of room for a third with a little reconfiguration. There are also loads of charming and well-preserved architectural details in every room.
Take a look around
August 5, 2015

Jack Craig’s Skeletal Coat Rack Turns Into a Room Divider as Clothes Populate It

Detroit-based industrial designer Jack Craig came out with a minimal wooden coat rack that doubles as a room divider. Crafted from light Ash and simply dubbed Coat rack room dividers, it gets "activated" when guests arrive and drape their clothes on its many modular units. As clothing populates the racks, the structure starts to disappear turning into a fabric landscape that also works as a space divider, which seems like the perfect prop for closet-deprived New Yorkers.
Learn more about this multifunctional piece
August 5, 2015

Amy Lau Creates an East Hampton Retreat Using Mid-Century Modern Furniture

When two New York art enthusiasts left the city behind for a getaway home in East Hampton, they made sure to take along designer Amy Lau to create their relaxing lagoon-side residence. After purchasing the four-bedroom house in 2012 for $3.75 million, the couple wanted to create a setting that contrasted their art deco Upper East Side apartment. "We did not set out to collect modernist furniture for our house in the country but rather to find furnishings and art we could live with while relaxing," homeowner Joel Portugal told Modern Magazine. So they enlisted their long-time style influence Amy Lau, in addition to East Hampton architectural consultant Sandra Brauer, to combine mid-century art with tranquil, summery touches.
See the interior here
August 5, 2015

POLL: Do You Still Shop at Your Local Bodega?

Yesterday we asked the question, “Are the city’s bodegas becoming a thing of the past?” As we noted, “many of these tiny shops have been scrambling to stay in business. The city’s roughly 12,000 bodegas are losing customers.” According to the Times, 75 have already shuttered this year. Typically, we pin this on rising rents […]

August 5, 2015

Health- and Fitness-Themed EVEN Hotel Tops Out in Midtown East

The future Midtown East home of the fitness- and wellness-themed EVEN Hotel line has reached its 414-foot apex. Situated one block away from Grand Central Terminal, the 36-story mixed-use tower at 219 East 44th Street will be the hotel brand's second location in the city, and its upper floors will be crowned with ten penthouses. The building's developers are a partnership between CWC and the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), who are also the parent company of the Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza brands. IHG will debut their first Manhattan EVEN Hotel later this year at 321 West 35th Street with this 44th Street location opening soon after. The brand promotes a health and wellness lifestyle for travelers through in-room fitness zones for private workouts and healthy food and beverage options, including made-to-order smoothies and grab ‘n’ go meals. Additionally, the hotel will have dedicated meeting areas, indoor/outdoor eating and exercise space, and spa-inspired showers.
More details ahead
August 5, 2015

Funky Soho Apartment from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Keeps Trying

The Soho apartment that made a cameo appearance in the film "The Devil Wears Prada" is trying its luck again on the market. Back in 2012, the unit, #3A at 56 Crosby Street, hit the market for $5.2 million and for $23,000 a month after it was on and off the market in 2009 and 2010 with an ask of $4.495 million. It looks as if it never sold. Now? It's trying its luck as a rental and again asking $23,000 a month. Star power hasn't helped this listing before, do you think this time around it'll be different?
See the rest of the quirky interior
August 4, 2015

My 1,680sqft: Artist Anne Peabody Invites Us Into Her Landmarked Clinton Hill Carriage House

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Clinton Hill. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch! Anne Peabody is no stranger to turning the completely ordinary into something extraordinary. As an artist she creates elaborate and beautiful works with pieces of glass sized as small as a grain of rice to sheets as large as doors; as a preservationist, she’s restored many a home in both her native Kentucky and New York City (her last featured in the Wall Street Journal). Two years ago, Anne and her husband Tony purchased a landmarked home in Clinton Hill. She had long dreamt of owning one of the neighborhood’s historic carriage houses, and when one came to the market she immediately jumped on it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in an ideal state at signing—the previous owner had 20 cats and no litter box and the floors were soaked in pee—but she knew exactly what she was getting into. We recently visited Anne to have a look at her house before it goes under renovation this fall—a project that will entail restoring the exterior to its original late 1800s glory and the addition of an art studio and glass extension at the back of the home—and to hear why she's always stuck so close to this particular neighborhood. Though the current space is sparse, it’s easy to see the potential that lies within.
Inside Anne and Tony's next big project
August 4, 2015

The New Design Project’s Chelsea Duplex Reno Was Inspired by a Blissful Color Palette

Steps to a successful renovation? Pick an awesome color palette and then work with what you've got. That was the plan behind The New Design Project's renovation for this Chelsea duplex. "With a blissful color palette and a seamless mix of statement pieces, graphic artwork and ethnic accessories, this Chelsea duplex apartment oozes sophistication and elegance," the firm explains. These guys are no strangers to NYC spaces–they perfected a modern aesthetic in this West Village townhouse and this 400-square-foot Uptown apartment. Here, they worked with good apartment bones–high ceilings and natural light–to create a calm, simplified, modern space.
See more of the finished product
August 4, 2015

Are the City’s Bodegas Becoming a Thing of the Past?

The Times highlights the plight of the city's iconic local bodegas, tiny grocery-slash-beer-slash-whatever-the-local-patrons-need shops that have long been a colorful cornerstone of everyday life in the city's neighborhoods. Photographer Gail Victoria Braddock Quagliata even spent nine months pounding the pavements of Manhattan in a quest to photograph every single one of its bodegas. But many of these tiny shops have been scrambling to stay in business. The city's roughly 12,000 bodegas are losing customers. About 75 have closed this year according to the Times, many in uptown neighborhoods like Inwood, Washington Heights and Harlem. Though that proportion is small, many shop owners are concerned.
Read more on the plight of local bodegas
August 4, 2015

Morpholio’s New Journal App Is the Digital Sketchbook You Never Knew You Needed

Whether you carry around notebooks for sketching, journaling, or keeping a running grocery list, one thing is for certain; we'd be lost without these little pads of paper. They quickly become a part of our lives, holding ideas and thoughts, even if is just a reminder to buy toilet paper. Today The Morpholio Project, the innovative creators behind Mood Board and Crit, launches a brand new app to their suite: Journal. This free app for iPhones and iPads redefines the sketchbook as a catch-all for your photos, drawings, ideas, and thoughts. Think of it as your trusty notebook, but just way more intuitive. Now creatives of all mediums can write, draw, sketch, collage, paint, or color on anything, anywhere.
Sketch your way over here

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