6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Central Park is usually hailed as the best New York park to live right off of. It definitely is one of the best, but that shouldn't override another great NYC park–Washington Square Park. Downtown in Greenwich Village, you'll get a whole different atmosphere consisting of performers, musicians, students, chess players and everyone else coming to hang around the park's iconic fountain. Yes, it's livelier and louder than Central Park, but if you're looking for a co-op with a little more excitement and fun right outside, this apartment at 39 Washington Square South might fit the bill. It's an impressive classic six unit that's just hit the market for $2.75 million.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

August 3, 2015

VIDEO: Travel Back to Coney Island’s Summer Heyday in the 1940s

"Coney Island, the world's greatest fun frolic, with its beach miles long, all peppered with people. The place where merriment is king." That's the opening line in this fun video that offers a tour of 1940s Coney Island during its heyday as the go-to summer destination. The narrator describes the millions of people on the boardwalk and beach, and while this might seem like an exaggeration at first, the footage clearly shows hordes of revelers sunbathing, swimming, lining up for the freakshow, and enjoying the rides (many of which probably wouldn't be deemed safe today). There's also great scenes of the Miss Coney Island contest (a swimsuit beauty pageant where the judge takes out the tape measurer for the contestants' waists), the famous Cyclone, and Luna Park lit up at night.
Watch the nostalgic video here

History

August 3, 2015

First Look at Toll Brothers’ Chelsea Condo Designed by Morris Adjmi

Here's our first glimpse at Toll Brothers' under-construction condominium rising at 55 West 17th Street in Chelsea. Morris Adjmi is the building's architect, which is not surprising given his track record crafting sensitive designs for the city's historical areas. The miniscule rendering displayed on the developer's website illustrates a quiet and dignified facade composed of large square-ish windows and soft gray cladding. The project's teaser site was recently launched, and marketing materials describe the 55-unit building as "distinctively modern, classically detailed condominiums in Chelsea."
More details here

August 3, 2015

Last Music Row Shop Closes; The Mansions of Mill Basin

Home-furnishings chain Restoration Hardware is opening a boutique hotel and restaurant around the corner from its flagship store in the Meatpacking District. [Crain’s] The last store of Music Row, the stretch of 48th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues that was once filled with guitar sellers, studios and repair shops, has closed. [NYP] Residents are staying […]

Real Estate Trends

August 3, 2015

Surge in City Construction Permits Hits Levels Not Seen Since 1963

If the city seems even more like one big construction site than usual, it's not your imagination. Building permits have risen to an historic peak, up by 156 percent over the last year, the Daily News reports, and an astounding 749 percent over the 2010 post-slump low. This new high–according to Department of Buildings Data and the New York Building Congress–includes permits for 52,618 new residential units over that time period.
Find out what's behind the boom

August 3, 2015

Visser & Meijwaard’s Brilliant Furniture Zips Open and Closed

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Dutch studio Visser & Meijwaard designed a series of furniture pieces that combine a sleek wooden base topped by plastic upholstery with YKK zippers. Easy to wash, bright and bold, the True Colors collection consists of stools, benches, and wardrobes inspired by traditional camping furniture that zip and unzip with the ease of a backpack or your favorite pair of jeans.
Learn more about the minimal colorful furniture

August 3, 2015

Modern Playgrounds for Design Lovers; Are You a Gentrifier? Find out with This Calculator

By Alyssa Alimurung

Are you guilty of gentrifying your neighborhood? Find out with this gentrification calculator. [Slate] New Yorkers don’t like to follow directions. Looks like we’ve been illicitly cracking open fire hydrants for centuries. [Atlas Obsurca] Ten modern playgrounds in the city design-loving-parents will love taking their tiny tykes to. [Curbed] All of the states’ economies were ranked from worst to […]

Uncategorized

Distinctive Homes

Doors of steel and glass make this $3M Soho loft feel like a box of light

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

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

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

Color, drama, and detail define this $12.5M Upper East Side co-op

For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton

Greenwich Village townhouse at the center of NBA gambling scandal listed for $22.5M

'Secret' live-work compound on Tribeca's skybridge street lists for $30M

The highest penthouse in Brooklyn's tallest residence lists for $16.75M

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

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August 3, 2015

Katie Lee, Food Network Star and Billy Joel’s Ex, Lists Hamptons Estate for $6.5M

By Annie Doge

Katie Lee's newly released cookbook "Endless Summer" is all about the quintessential Hamptons lifestyle, and after one look at her stunning Water Mill estate–complete with a wine cellar and outdoor entertaining area of chefs' dreams–it's easy to see why she was inspired. The Wall Street Journal reports that the star of the Food Network's "The Kitchen," and ex-wife of Billy Joel, has listed the 6,325-square-foot, impeccably decorated (courtesy of designer Nate Berkus) home for $6.5 million. She purchased the two-acre estate for $3.5 million after splitting with Joel in 2011, so she's looking to make quite the profit.
Take a look around the Hamptons property

August 3, 2015

Summer Rental: This Upper East Side Townhouse with a ‘Dramatic’ Past Wants $25k for Five Weeks

This five-story townhouse at 50 East 64th Street between Madison and Park Avenues is available for rent, fully furnished, for five weeks only, from August 1 to September 7. The asking rent for that time is $25,000; according to the listing, it's "about half what this house would rent for on a conventional one year basis." Within its 6,000 square feet are 14 rooms and 1,500 square feet of outdoor space on three levels. The recently-renovated home is as grand as it gets without going too far over the top; it's Upper East Side style sans velvet and chintz, opulence without clutter–though a wealth of decorator flourishes make it clear the interiors didn’t get this way by accident.
See what your month-long residence could look like

Distinctive Homes

August 2, 2015

Dan Hisel’s Mirrored Cadyville Sauna Fuses the Forest, the Building, and the Body

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The Cadyville Sauna is a small, wooden hut, located along the Saranac River in upstate New York, that dissolves into the surrounding forest via the reflection on its mirrored skin. While its boundaries look unclear, architect Dan Hisel's design not only blends with the environment, but lets something deeper and intangible arise. The sauna’s intense thermal conditions make a human body heat up and relax, while the wood absorbs sweat and hot air, causing the body, the building and the forest to become one.
Learn more about this mirrored woodland sauna

July 31, 2015

REVEALED: What the Development Replacing the Essex Street Market Could Look Like

Here's our first look at what the site of the storied Essex Street Market could hold. Known simply as "Site 9" in the Essex Crossing mega-development, the 12-story mixed-use development would contain market-rate condominiums and two levels of commercial space at its base. The design of the market-replacing building was penned by GF55 Partners who hope the brick, metal, and glass structure will "co-exist with the area’s visual clutter and loudness of the Williamsburg Bridge traffic." In the sole image provided, a distinguished two-story base recalls the structural features of the nearby Williamsburg Bridge. According to their description, the commercial base is for a restaurant with various bars and dining areas.
More details ahead

New Yorker Spotlight: Author Julia Pierpont on Her Debut Novel and Coming of Age in NYC

Photo of Julia Pierpont via Shiva Rouhani

July 31, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Author Julia Pierpont on Her Debut Novel and Coming of Age in NYC

By Susan Cohen

One of the many books published this summer is Julia Pierpont's "Among the Ten Thousand Things." Her debut novel tells the story of an Upper West Side family–parents Jack and Deb and kids Simon and Kay–following the discovery of infidelity. Published earlier this month by Random House, it's received plenty of praise, including a rave review in the New York Times. Julia, who is in her late 20s, grew up on the Upper West Side and currently resides in Brooklyn. She went a few blocks north to attend Barnard College and then went downtown to to NYU's M.F.A. program, where she began writing the book. The story is peppered with lines New Yorkers will relate to, especially anyone who spent their childhood in Manhattan. "There were things you learned early, growing up in the city, and there things you learned late, or not at all," she writes, exploring the idea of what city kids gain, but also what they lack in comparison to their suburban counterparts. Then there are her descriptions. One line that seems particularly fitting given the temperature reads, "Central air seemed the greatest of suburban luxuries. It was like living inside a Duane Reade." Before she did a reading in Oxford, Mississippi, we spoke with Julia to find out about her life in New York and what role it played in "Among the Ten Thousand Things."
Get the scoop from Julia here

July 31, 2015

$5,100/Month Prospect Heights Townhouse Duplex Is So Brooklyn

There's a certain type of interior style you see a lot in Brooklyn these days. It's historic, with original wood floors and fireplaces and crown moldings. But there's also something very modern to it, maybe in the lighting or the kitchen design or the furniture. This apartment, a duplex at 598 Bergen Street in Prospect Heights, covers all those bases. It's got the perfect Brooklyn vibe throughout both floors of the townhouse rental–even the listing calls it the "classic Brooklyn townhouse." It's asking $5,100 a month.
See the rest of it

Distinctive Homes

July 31, 2015

NYU Expansion Officially Underway; Dog DNA Testing for BK Condo Owners Who Don’t Scoop Poop

Michael Bloomberg’s ex wife, Susan Brown Bloomberg, sold her Noho penthouse in just over a month. [NYO] NYU’s $6 billion expansion plan is kicking off with plans to demolish Coles Gym. [DNAinfo] The owner of a $10.5 million Soho penthouse is suing the building’s restaurant for an “illegal” rooftop bar that’s caused him $1.5 million […]

Real Estate Trends

July 31, 2015

Jack Craig Fixes a Smashed Table With a Caramelized Resin Top

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Detroit-based industrial designer Jack Craig crafted a curious table and stool that are all about the process. Made from smashed and reconstituted pinewood, the Broken Board Series 2 is sealed with caramelized resin. Its clear honey-hued top leaves the broken wooden ends exposed while creating some surprising visual effects when objects are placed on it.
Learn more about the piece here

1970s Map Reveals Worldview According to New Yorkers

Does anything really exist outside of New York? The creator of this map doesn't think so. Made in the 1970s by an anonymous artist, this maps depicts the worldview of the stereotypical New Yorker. The greatest city in the world occupies the greatest amount of space on the map, while the rest of the country is reduced to a narrow strip of land. That is, the rest of the country that's worth acknowledging.
See the full map here

July 31, 2015

Luxurious Modernism and Eclectic Spirit Coexist in This Classic Soho Loft by DHD Interiors

We've highlighted a few projects from DHD Architecture + Interior Design before, and one thing we love about the firm’s work is their talent for combining classic spaces with modern ideals and adding unexpected twists. Their designs often feature clean, crisp lines, interesting lighting and open floor plans and integrate residents' multifaceted personalities. In this case, they work their eclectic magic on a Crosby Street loft located on a cobblestoned Soho block in that neighborhood's Cast Iron Historic District. Dating from 1882, the building, a former department store, was converted to a 10-unit condominium residence in 2001.
Step into this cool loft space...

July 31, 2015

Documenting the Changing Coney Island Boardwalk; Potholes Cost Taxpayers $138M in Six Years

By Alyssa Alimurung

Photo essay by Nathan Kensinger documents the changing Coney Island boardwalk. [Curbed] The city’s 10 oldest surviving commercial real estate dynasties. [BisNow] Thomas Heatherwick’s designs may be unique and evocative (just look at the renderings for his Pier 55 floating park), but at what price? [NYTimes] A new infographic from the Design Trust links urban agriculture to positive […]

Uncategorized

July 31, 2015

Feasibility Study to Address Streetcars or Light Rail for Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront

In the ongoing discussion of expanding the city's mass transit options to underserved areas, we may be a step closer to addressing the need for transit along the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront–between Astoria, Red Hook and Sunset Park, according to CapitalNY. While many of those areas have transit to and from Manhattan covered, a north-west connection is needed (and relying on the G train doesn't help much). An advisory committee comprised of developers, transportation experts and civic organizers has formed to address this need. Recently, the consulting firm of HR&A Advisors (former employers of city planning commissioner Carl Weisbrod) was hired by the committee to study the feasibility of a streetcar service or a light rail line to connect Sunset Park to Astoria, connecting rapidly growing neighborhoods like Red Hook, Williamsburg and Downtown Brooklyn, as well as burgeoning business and industry hubs like Long Island City and the Brookyn Navy Yard.
Find out more

July 31, 2015

LinkedIn’s Remodeled Offices Have a Speakeasy and Plenty of Lounge Space

The Empire State Building is already one of the most unique places to work in the city, but the LinkedIn offices on the 28th floor have made the iconic building even cooler. Interior Architects recently remodeled the 33,005-square-foot space, which houses the social network's sales team. The result is a floor that is "fun and vibrant," but maintains the professionalism of a "club level of a hotel." Just a warning, though, everything about this office–from a wall of rotary phones that conceals a speakeasy to a photo display that celebrates employees' pets–is going to make you pretty bummed about your boring cubicle.
Take a tour of the office here

July 30, 2015

Starchitect César Pelli Buys $17.5M San Remo Apartment from John Leguizamo’s Mother-in-Law

By Jon Dioffa

Starchitect César Pelli and his wife Diana Balmori have bought a $17.5 million apartment at the San Remo, according to city records released today. And the seller of the 4,900-square-foot, 12-room residence is Rona Maurer, John Leguizamo's mother-in-law who was recently involved in a lawsuit claiming she was covering up the sale of the home to keep her stepdaughter from getting any of the profits. The corner unit has all the details one would hope for from the Upper West Side's most prestigious co-op, including 65 feet of Central Park views, soaring ceilings, herringbone floors, three entertaining rooms, and a marble entry gallery.
More photos this way

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/30-8/2

Image via Wendy Perrin

July 30, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/30-8/2

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! A weekend of adventure awaits your beckoning call. Choose your own adventure: a cruise on the high seas whilst dressed as a sea monster (or sea siren if that's your preference), sleep amidst the taxidermy animals at an adult sleepover hosted by the American Museum of Natural History, or get dirty and explore "Old New York" through trash at Dead Horse Bay with Abandoned NYC. Feeling less adventurous? You can always learn about our ever-changing city at Van Alen's latest exhibition with the Gentrification Lab NYC, which reconnects the role of architecture with expansion. Try out a different kind of studio visit with dancer and artist Jillian Peña, who will perform her new architecturally-influenced dance and actually take time to explain it to visitors, or check a screening of the Swedish film making waves with its representation of transgender life at Pioneer Works. Enjoy the new José Parlá pieces outdoors at The Standard High Line while sipping cocktails from the garden. Lastly, trek to Times Square late at night as artists Os Gemeos take over the ad screens for Midnight Moment all month long.
All the best events to check out here

July 30, 2015

Historic Grandeur and an Architect’s Eye for Modern Design Meet in This Prospect Heights Townhouse

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

We've featured the work of this home's current owners–principals at WE Design–before, including the architects' previous home, and this latest oeuvre (or possibly magnum opus) is yet another impressive example. Though the luck of having a great house to begin with helps, this 4,100-square-foot, four-story beauty at 390 Sterling Place, on what is arguably the prettiest street in prime Prospect Heights, hits all the high notes after an amazing renovation. For lovers of historic homes there are pristine original details at every turn. For modern interior design fans the renovation has meant the latest and greatest in appliances and fixtures (including central A/C and "new everything") and a perfectly on-trend clean and modern look throughout. At $4.25 million, it's a big price tag, but the location is super-prime–and so is the home.
Tour this grand and gorgeous home, this way

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2015

Former Nets Star Deron Williams Lists Trophy Tribeca Penthouse for $33.5M

By Annie Doge

Now that he's taking over as the starting point guard for the Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams is parting ways with his massive Tribeca penthouse. The Post reports that the former Nets star has listed the 6,800-square-foot duplex at 35 North Moore Street for $33.5 million. The stunning, six-bedroom "trophy" apartment also boasts 3,000 square feet of private outdoor gardens, huge 17-foot ceilings with wrap-around skylights, a climate-controlled wine room, and a custom-made floating staircase.
Check it out here

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VIEW ALL

July 30, 2015

First Look Inside 64 East 1st Street’s Lofty Condominiums in the ‘Bowery District’

Here's our first look at the lofty interiors of an upcoming GF55 Partners-designed condominium at 64 East 1st Street. The seven-story property is being developed by MGM Property Group, and the site was previously occupied by the much-maligned restaurant/hookah bar La Vie. MGM purchased the 3,300-square-foot lot in late 2013 to the tune of $5.4 million and swiftly demolished the one-story building last year. Excavation work is currently ongoing.
More details ahead

July 30, 2015

NYC Entering Biggest Building Boom in 50 Years; New Rendering of 220 Central Park South

New residential construction permits are at the highest since 1963, likely attributed to the expiration of the 421-a tax break. [WSJ] Two Billionaires’ Row condos, 111 West 57th Street and 1 Park Lane, only subsidized 23 affordable housing units. [DNAinfo] Jeopardy host Alex Trebek bought a $1.92 million fixer-upper Harlem townhouse for his 25-year-old son. [NYP] […]

Real Estate Trends

NYC aka New Netherland: Mapping the 11 Different Cultural ‘Nations’ Within the U.S.

Map via Colin Woodward and Tufts/Brian Stauffer

July 30, 2015

NYC aka New Netherland: Mapping the 11 Different Cultural ‘Nations’ Within the U.S.

Those of us who live in the tri-state area tend to get accused of thinking the country is made up of the northeast, the west coast, and maybe Florida, and then forgetting about the entire rest of the country. A new map that is part funny, part culturally realistic takes a look at the "11 distinct cultures that have historically divided the U.S.," according to Business Insider. The spot-on map comes from award-winning author and journalist Colin Woodward's newest book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures in North America. In Woodward's map, New York City and northern New Jersey is renamed New Netherland, as it was settled by the Dutch and is a very commercial area. The author describes this nation as "materialistic, with a profound tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity and an unflinching commitment to the freedom of inquiry and conscience."
Find out about the other nations of our nation

City Living

July 30, 2015

Funky Decor and an Impressive Art Collection Distinguish This Greenwich Village Studio

Here's another apartment unit up for sale in the pre-war co-op building University Mews, at 39 East 12th Street in Greenwich Village. Just last month, a lofty unit in the building hit the market for $1.595 million. This one has a much different vibe. The current owner outfitted it in some incredible and unique decor, which is accentuated by the 14-foot ceilings and large windows. Its asking price? The same as the last unit–$1.595 million.
To the interior

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2015

Endangered Species Will Be Projected on the Empire State Building; Mapping the Hottest Subway Stations

Soho is getting a cat camp pop-up this weekend. It will offer a series of educational “cativities.” [NYDN] New dating app Cheekd will let you search missed connections on the subway without any internet. [DNAinfo] New Yorkers think everyone else works less and is lazier than them. [Daily Intelligencer] On Saturday night, digital light images of endangered […]

Uncategorized

July 30, 2015

Bidding Wars and Over-Ask Sales on the Rise in Brownstone Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Homes in brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods have been selling over the asking price and bidding wars are becoming even more commonplace, according to DNAinfo. In the second quarter of 2015, for example, homes in Prospect Heights and Park Slope were selling for 4 percent over their asking price–the highest percentage seen in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
Find out where to expect bidding wars

Real Estate Trends

July 30, 2015

Ricky Martin Gets $7.55M for Noho Pad

By Annie Doge

Ricky Martin moved into 40 Bond–the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Noho condo famous for its graffiti gate and green glass/green cast iron facade–back in 2007, shortly after the building was completed. He paid $5.7 million for unit 6C, which is perfectly spacious and lovely, but has had a bit of trouble getting it off his hands, first trying to rent it and then listing it for $8.3 million back in 2013. But the Post reports that the Latin pop star has finally found a buyer, who paid $7.55 million for the three-bedroom pad.
More interior pics ahead

My 1,000sqft: Tour an Interior Designer’s Classic Greenwich Village Apartment and Terrace

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 the heart of Greenwich Village. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch!

July 29, 2015

My 1,000sqft: Tour an Interior Designer’s Classic Greenwich Village Apartment and Terrace

Sylvia Jacobson used to walk around Greenwich Village's winding, leafy streets, admiring the old buildings and dreaming that one day she'd live in the picturesque neighborhood. And 38 years ago, she did just that. When she and her husband moved into their fifth-floor walkup they had a lot of work to do–from putting up shelves and drawers in the little kitchen, to creating a multi-purpose room that could serve as a den as well as a studio for Sylvia's writing and interior design careers, to creating a usable terrace on an empty rooftop space. Now, almost four decades later, the apartment has withstood the test of time, bringing together clever design ideas and classic decor. We were lucky enough to get a tour of this 1,000-square-foot home and its stunning 500-square-foot terrace, complete with views of neighboring buildings and even One World Trade Center. Join us to see how elegant, tasteful design never goes out of style.
Step inside Sylvia's home here

July 29, 2015

LaGuardia Overhaul Could Actually Cost $8 Billion and Take Over 10 Years to Complete

Womp womp. For those of you still flying high over yesterday's news that LaGuardia Airport would soon be getting a major revamp, here comes some unfortunate news that might bring you back down to earth. As Crain's reports, Governor Cuomo appears to have grossly underestimated his vision for the upgraded air hub. "According to several sources with direct knowledge of the project," the paper says, "a new LaGuardia could take more than 10 years to build and cost close to $8 billion"—a price that's double the Cuomo administration estimates of $4 billion, with at least another five years tacked on to the schedule.
Find out more here

July 29, 2015

Modern Mansion Spanning 8,000 Square Feet Asks $13 Million on the Upper West Side

Here's a six-story single-family home at 337 West 87th Street with space galore: 8,000 square feet, to be exact, plus another 1,700 square feet outdoors. The whole place has been renovated with luxurious modern finishes, including a marble powder room, skylights, custom cabinetry, walk-in closets and more. In case you're wondering how you'd be able to climb six stories of your home everyday without breaking a sweat, it is outfitted with an elevator that goes from the cellar up to the penthouse level. Of course, all this doesn't come cheap, especially considering that the property is located on a tree-lined block off of Riverside Drive. The asking price is $12.995 million.
Tour the inside

Distinctive Homes

July 29, 2015

Hyperrealistic Artist Paul Cadden Uses Only a Pencil to Recreate Urban Photographs

Nowadays, when people want to get the details right in a photograph they turn to Photoshop. When artist Paul Cadden wants to capture all of a photo's details, he uses nothing more than a pencil. Cadden describes his art as hyperrealism–drawings that are so realistic that they are easily mistaken for photographs. The Scottish artist bases his work off photographs of objects and people that catch his attention. If he isn't drawing inspiration from his own photographs, Cadden told Don't Panic magazine that he "trawl[s] through a lot of stock images sites." What he does next isn't just a simple reproduction. "The idea is to go beyond the photograph," he says.
View more of Cadden's drawings here

Events & Things To Do

July 29, 2015

Inside the Woolworth Penthouse; Rent-to-own Programs Are Making a Comeback

Rent-to-own programs are becoming an option for those with bad credit who want to one day own a home. [WSJ] The MTA sent Mayor Bill de Blasio a letter yesterday urging the city to provide the $3.2 billion that the agency needs to close its capital budget deficit. [New York Post] Go inside the under-construction, ultra-expensive penthouse at the famed Woolworth […]

Real Estate Trends

July 29, 2015

Rare UES Townhouse Addition Coming to Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile

New buildings along Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side are hard to come by, but a rare development prospect may be in the works for a small site on a dormant stretch of the avenue in Carnegie Hill. Building permits filed yesterday detail the construction of a five-story residential addition atop an existing eight-story, 30-foot-wide townhouse at 1143 Fifth Avenue, between 95th and 96th Streets. The brick and limestone building designed by J.E.R. Carpenter, was erected in 1923, and up until recently, housed staffers of the French Embassy. Last June, the 16,000-square-foot, seven-unit property was unloaded by the French government for $36.4 million and picked up by a buyer listed as 1143 5th Ave LLC.
More on the potential development ahead

July 29, 2015

Bringing Back Drinking Fountains in NYC; Run Your Gadgets on Solar Energy with a Simple Outlet Adapter

Can drinking fountains make a comeback in NYC? [CityLab] There’s a tiny island called Tinian, 8,000 miles from New York in the Pacific Ocean, where you’ll find NYC locations like Broadway, Central Park, Greenwich Village, and Riverside Drive. [Gothamist] A table lamp designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his 1911 Taliesin house in Wisconsin is now available […]

Uncategorized

July 29, 2015

POLL: Should the MTA Get Money from the State Before LaGuardia Airport?

Yesterday, we learned of Governor Cuomo’s plans for a major, $4 billion overhaul of LaGuardia Airport. The project includes consolidating the four terminals, moving the entire facility south, introducing a 24-hour ferry service, and launching AirTrain service that’ll connect travelers to the 7 line in Willet’s Point. Today, however, the revelry took a turn when it […]

Airbnb Is Gobbling Up 20 Percent of Apartments in Popular Manhattan and Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Photo courtesy of Airbnb via Facebook

July 29, 2015

Airbnb Is Gobbling Up 20 Percent of Apartments in Popular Manhattan and Brooklyn Neighborhoods

As if it wasn't challenging enough to find a reasonable apartment in New York City, Airbnb is now taking up 20 percent of available units in popular Manhattan and Brooklyn zip codes, reports the Daily News. According to a study from New York Communities for Change and Real Affordability For All, the East Village is the most affected, with 28 percent of its apartments being rented as illegal hotel rooms on Airbnb. Additionally, the 20 most popular neighborhoods on the room sharing site "have lost 10% of their available housing units to Airbnb."
Find out more here

July 29, 2015

$1.75 Million Bed-Stuy Townhouse in a Future Historic District Has Location, Space and Charm

For anyone looking to bet on Bed-Stuy–not a bad idea, we hear–this classic three-family townhouse at 44 Macon Street could be a fine opportunity. While the $1.75 million ask for this 2,720 square-foot, 13-room home might have been unheard-of even five years ago, anything this charming under $2 million in brownstone Brooklyn is going to get some attention these days. The multi-family layout gives you lots of options–while still getting the 1-3 family tax break. Currently set up as an upper duplex with two floor-through apartments below, there is one catch: There's a tenant in place in the garden apartment, which won't be delivered vacant; this should certainly be considered, but that leaves three floors, all tastefully renovated with a laid-back, loft-like aesthetic, to do as you please.
Check out this classic Bed-Stuy bet, this way

Distinctive Homes

July 28, 2015

Governor Cuomo Reveals Renderings for $4 Billion LaGuardia Airport Overhaul

After much anticipation, Governor Cuomo unveiled his plan yesterday to overhaul LaGuardia Airport, which he called "un-New York" in its current state. The $4 billion project includes consolidating the four terminals into one hub and moving the entire facility south the length of two football fields, according to Crain's. Additionally, Cuomo's controversial AirTrain, which will connect travelers to the 7 line in Willet's Point, will be put into effect, as will a 24-hour ferry service that will operate out of the landmarked Art Deco Marine Air Terminal. The development will be handled by LaGuardia Gateway Partners, a new public-private partnership formed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who will oversee the construction, financing, and operation of the new terminal under a 35-year lease.
Lots more details and renderings this way

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

Learn More

July 28, 2015

Eero Saarinen’s Iconic JFK Terminal to Be Reborn as the ‘TWA Flight Center Hotel’

For the last 14 years, JFK's most beloved structure has mostly languished vacant, reopened intermittently for public tours or to serve as the backdrop of some Jet Age fashion shoot. While there has been plenty of talk surrounding the TWA Flight Center's transformation into a hotel, details have remained sparse until now. As Curbed has it, the city has finally revealed that MCR Development will be taking the reigns alongside JetBlue and the NYNJ Port Authority, bringing the iconic terminal back to life as a 505-room LEED-certified hotel with restaurants, 40,000 square feet of meeting space and a 10,000-square-foot observation deck. The project will aptly be called "The TWA Flight Center Hotel."
FInd out more here

July 28, 2015

$4.4M for Turnkey Updates and Designer Flair in an Historic Brooklyn Heights Townhouse

All told, $4.4 million isn't really a lot to ask for a four-story townhouse in prime Brooklyn Heights–in fact, the longtime sales record-holder, Truman Capote's former home at 70 Willow Street, sold for $12.5 million back in 2012 and was recently bested by the $15.5 million sale of a Cobble Hill townhouse. And this landmarked home at 73 Joralemon Street is no fixer-upper; quite the opposite. A top-to-toe, no-expense-spared redesign was just completed, helmed by designer Nick Olsen. Not only were the home's interiors transformed with dramatic flair, modern updates took place throughout: new windows were installed, stairs replaced and hardwood floors refinished; all mechanicals were replaced including central heating and air.
Take a look inside, this way

Distinctive Homes

July 28, 2015

Where to Find the NYC Haunts and Houses of Famous Writers

By Jason Carpenter

New York City has always been a hub for writers. Whether they were living in luxury or getting their start as starving artists, famous writers have lived and worked all across New York, and you can still see many of these writerly abodes today. Whether you're a fan of the Beat Generation, Sci-Fi, or even Southern Gothic, you might be interested in tracking down a famous writer's home.
See where writers lived and worked here

July 28, 2015

Donald Trump’s Estimated Worth Is $2.8B; The ‘Brooklyn’ of Every State

Donald Trump is estimated to be worth $2.9 billion by new accounts. Trump previously claimed $10 billion. [Bloomberg] Here are the Brooklyn equivalents of all the states. [Huff Po] Hockey Star Sean Avery lists his Hamptons house. [Curbed] After 40 years, the iconic Trash Vaudeville is leaving its St. Marks locale for a new space on 7th Street. […]

Real Estate Trends

July 28, 2015

Office of Architecture Brings Individuality and Adaptability to a Brooklyn Row House