July 17, 2015

Francis Ford Coppola Buys $2.5M Apartment in the Same West Village Building as Robert De Niro

Famed director Francis Ford Coppola, responsible for “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now,” has picked up a $2.5 million apartment at 32 Morton Street, according to The Real Deal. The West Village address is the same building where Robert De Niro and his stepdaughter Drena bought a $2.8 million penthouse back in December. Coppola’s new loft has two […]

July 16, 2015

Famed Photographer David LaChapelle Lists His Stunning Chelsea Home for $2.5M

Photographer David LaChapelle, best known for shooting everyone from Madonna to Michael Jackson to Leonardo Dicaprio and Lady Gaga in some seriously weird situations, has just listed his West Chelsea co-op at 427 West 21st Street for $2.469 million. Surprisingly, unlike the artist's audacious pop-surreal works, his apartment is far more subdued, sporting a very classic look with pops of color and patterns selectively emerging throughout the home's historic interiors.
Have a closer look inside here
July 16, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Weekend, 7/16-7/19

With the wonderful warm weather we're experiencing right now, there's really no excuse for not getting out of the house (and especially the office) and enjoying a night on the town. This week I've rounded up a flurry of indoor and outdoor events that will satiate your art sensibilities, film fancies, your need to groove, and your stomach! Start the week's end off right tonight by heading to two shows featuring work from art world up-and-comers and photos zooming in on our dystopian future. Then follow that up by chowing down on barbecue at Adam Shopkorn's new food and art cultural hub—which happens to have found a fascinating home in an 1849 Greek Revival row house. On Friday, take in some bites, beverages and movie at the newly revamped South Street Seaport. On Saturday, put your dancing shoes on for an epic party at MoMA PS1 under the COSMO pavilion. And then use Sunday to chill out by fixing your gaze on Annika Connor's lush, romantic paintings, or by taking the fam and some friends over to the Rubin Museum's annual block party.
All the best events to check out here
July 16, 2015

SCDA’s Switchback Skyscraper Launches Teaser Site and Clears Its Midtown East Lot

Last November, 6sqft brought you news that a 29-unit boutique condominium would rise at the edge of Billionaires' Row, in that somewhat ambiguous zone occupied by Bloomingdale's and Bloomberg LLP. Now, the high-end development's teaser site has launched, which showcases a handful of images of the tower's common spaces, and we took a trip to the site to get a first look at the construction progress. Just last month, the two 4- and 6-story office buildings occupying the site at 116-118 East 59th Street were cleared, and recent Department of Buildings filings reveal that the envisioned $330 million tower will stand exactly 500 feet tall, making it spot-on-the-mark of what we (and other bean-counters) officially deem a skyscraper.
More details and renderings ahead
July 16, 2015

In New York City Your $100 Is Really Worth Just $81.77

Saying "NYC is expensive" is a pretty obvious statement, but have you considered what the spending power of your cash really is? The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently enlisted the help of economists at the Tax Foundation to create two maps that examine how much $100 can actually buy you in each state and various metro areas across the U.S. Unsurprisingly, your Benjamins wane in value significantly once you step into the NYC metro area.
Find out more here
July 16, 2015

Alexandra Angle Saves Fire Island Beach House From Demolition with Stunning Interiors

A few years ago, a young couple from the city—she’s a real estate executive and he's a bond trader— were looking for a beach retreat on Fire Island, the place where he had spent his childhood summers. After an extensive search they settled for a basic wooden cabin that seemed a bit small and uninspiring, but had a stunning oceanfront location difficult to match. After fantasizing about the idea of making radical changes and even tearing it down to build a new bigger house, interior designer Alexandra Angle came to the rescue and saved the 1950s shelter from demolition using splashes of color, Liberty upholsteries, and classic modern pieces by Bertoia, Noguchi, and Kartell.
Learn more about this bright and colorful beach house
July 16, 2015

Colonial Home With Chalet-Inspired Interior Asks $2.75 Million in Queens

Way out in Douglaston, Queens, you'll find some of the most impressive freestanding houses of New York City. The quiet waterfront neighborhood is known for its historic and sprawling Colonial homes set on large, green lots. Earlier this year, this beauty–which we thought looked like something straight out of "The Great Gatsby"—hit the market for $2.7 million. Now, the house at 221 Arleigh Road is on the market for $2.75 million. The impressive interior and lawn is coupled with a chalet-like interior. It all makes for a pretty one-of-a-kind NYC property.
Check it out
July 16, 2015

New Map Shows Where More Than 50,000 Rent Stabilized Apartments Have Been Lost

At the end of last month, the Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze rents for the first time on one-year leases for the city's more than one million rent stabilized apartments, which make up about 47% of the city's total rental units. They also increased rents on two-year leases by only two percent, the lowest in the board's 46 years. While this historic ruling is a huge win for tenants, it doesn't bring back the astonishing number of apartments that have been deregulated. Since 1994, nearly 250,000 units have lost rent regulation protections, and over these past eight years alone, New York City has lost more than 50,000 rent stabilized apartments. To put that staggering number into perspective, cartographer John Krauss has put together a handy map that shows where all of these 50,000 apartments are located (h/t Gothamist). Using scraped tax bills, he plotted changes in the number of rent-stabilized units, building by building.
How did your neighborhood fare?
July 16, 2015

New Initiative Rethinks Lower Manhattan Streetscape to Clear Tourists and Congestion

If you've ever attempted to go shopping at Century 21 on a weekend or take a selfie with the Charging Bull, you know very well the perils of tourist-laden lower Manhattan. The confusing street layout, lack of open gathering spaces, and non-pedestrian-and-cyclist-friendly thoroughfares make the historic neighborhood a bit of a jumble, especially as it's currently undergoing a huge development boom and both residential population and tourism have more than doubled since September 11th. But a new initiative called Make Way for Lower Manhattan hopes to change all this. As DNAinfo reports, the plan's goal is to "highlight tourist areas, like the Seaport, the 9/11 Memorial, The Battery, Wall Street, and connect the dots better for tourists — giving them a means to find their way, stay and spend money without completely congesting the neighborhood." The group presented at this week's Community Board 1 meeting, unveiling ideas like creating a more accessible entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge that also connects people to the nearby South Street Seaport and moving the bull across from the New York Stock Exchange, its original home and much less congested site.
Find out more right here
July 15, 2015

$900,000 East Village Co-op Comes with the Perfect Terrace for a BBQ

If you live in the East Village, it's a given that your friends are going to turn to you for the latest restaurant and late-night recommendations. But all that responsibility can get a little overwhelming. That's why this charming co-op is such a great option–it's right in the middle of all the trendy neighborhood action, but it also offers an outdoor terrace perfect for a barbecue, as well as a flexible layout for when you want to bring the party indoors. The completely renovated one- or two-bedroom co-op at 315 East 12th Street is available for $899,000.
More pics inside
July 15, 2015

‘Sex and the City’ Writer Candace Bushnell Puts Village Co-op Back on the Market for $2.6M

If we had to assign this Greenwich Village apartment to one of the "Sex and the City" gals it would have to be Charlotte for its classic and elegant design. But, in reality, it's home to Candace Bushnell, the woman who wrote the newspaper column and book that inspired the world-famous show. The one-bedroom co-op at 45 East 9th Street was featured in Elle Decor in 2010 as a much more colorful and playful home. Two years later–following her divorce from New York City Ballet dancer Charles Askegard–she listed the place for $2.8 million and then as an $8,000/month rental. Now, three years later, the Observer reports that the listing is back with a very slight slight price chop to $2 million and its new formal look.
READ MORE
July 15, 2015

The MTA May Revive the W Train Line

Rumor has it that the W train may be returning from the dead. According to AM NY, the MTA is in talks with both public officials and rider advocates to bring the train back to service once the Q train is diverged to the Upper East Side to the new Second Avenue line in December 2016. Restoring the old line would prevent disrupting subway service in Astoria, an area with thousands of daily strap-hangers and only a few subways to choose from. The MTA hasn't made any official announcements on the matter thus far, but with the opening of the Second Avenue Subway line rapidly approaching, they are said to be seriously mulling it over.
More on the rumor here
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July 15, 2015

One57 Received $66M in Tax Breaks in Exchange for Just 66 Units of Affordable Housing

If you need more proof that there are some serious flaws with the 421-a program, once again, look no further than One57. As reported by the Journal, the super-luxe tower was the beneficiary of a whopping $65.6 million tax cut, an abatement granted in exchange for a paltry $5.9 million contribution to help cover the cost of 66 affordable apartments in the Bronx. That means your tax dollars subsidized apartments at nearly $1 million per unit—the highest known subsidy under the program—when affordable units on average cost a mere $179,000 apiece. It's estimated that the generous cut could have provided for 367 affordable apartments. The findings came from the latest review by the city’s Independent Budget Office (IBO).
FInd out more here
July 15, 2015

From Clipper Ships to Condos: Construction Begins on 161 Maiden Lane at the Seaport

Site excavation has begun on a sleek condominium tower set to erupt into the forefront of one of Manhattan's most iconic and historical vistas. Developed by Brooklyn-based Fortis Property Group, a 5,000-square-foot site at 161 Maiden Lane is slated to give way to a 150,000 square-foot tower positioned to become downtown's first residential skyscraper directly fronting the East River. Earlier this month, Curbed (via Fredrik Ecklund's Instagram) revealed the project's official name of "One Seaport" and that it will rise 60 stories. Whether that number reflects actual floors or phantom Trump floors remains to be seen, but permits filed with the Department of Buildings last summer detail a 51-story, 640-foot glass prism designed by Goldstein Hill & West Architects (GHWA). Either way, given the project's location, small lot size and lack of height limitations, One Seaport promises to be a new marker in the downtown skyline that will provide its lucky residents with spectacular views of the bridges, Brooklyn, and beyond.
Click here for the past, present, and future of 161 Maiden Lane
July 15, 2015

190 Bowery Is Already Back on the Market, Aby Rosen Attempts a Flip

It seems like the saga of 190 Bowery is never going to be over. As you'll recall, photographer Jay Maisel turned the former Germania Bank Building into his own private mansion and lived there from 1966 until February of this year, at which time he sold it to developer Aby Rosen of RFR Realty for $55 million. Like we previously said, "Since that time, it’s been all eyes on Rosen. Is he removing or preserving that iconic graffiti? What the heck happened with that 'public' art show inside the building?" And though the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved plans in May for a restoration and conversion to an office building with ground-floor retail, it now seems that Rosen may be getting cold feet. Curbed reports that he's taking offers for 190 Bowery in what looks like a very high-profile flip attempt.
See what the listing has to say
July 14, 2015

INTERVIEW: Historian Francis Morrone on the Changing City, Modern Architecture and Why He Loves the ’50s

For the man who knows seemingly everything about New York City history, look no further than Francis Morrone. Francis is an architectural historian best known for his writings and walking tours of New York. Of his 11 books, he wrote the actual guidebook to New York City architecture—aptly titled "The Architectural Guidebook to New York City"—as well as the "Guide to New York City Urban Landscapes," "An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn," and "10 Architectural Walks In Manhattan." For six and a half years, Francis served as an art and architecture critic for the New York Sun, and he now teaches architectural and urban history at the New York University School of Professional Studies. As for walking tours, Francis was named by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the 13 best tour guides in the world. You can catch his various tours, which sell out quickly and cover everything from "Midtown Manhattan's Side Streets" to the "Architecture and Changing Lifestyles in Greenwich Village," through the Municipal Art Society. We caught up with Francis recently after he published a much buzzed-about article for the Daily News entitled, "No, New York City Is Not Losing Its Soul," to talk about his life and work in the city, his opinions on modern architecture and development, and his favorite time period of New York City history.
Our conversation with Francis this way
July 14, 2015

Day vs. Night: What NYC’s Population Looks Like

Click for expanded version >> New York may be the city that never sleeps, but it certainly pulsates far differently depending on what time of day it is. This fascinating map created by Joe Lertola gives us an idea of just how population-filled areas of Manhattan get during working hours, and how the city empties out at night when most workers head back to their homes in the suburbs.
More on how it was created here
July 14, 2015

For the Price of One Soho Apartment, You Can Buy 38 Homes in Memphis

We learned last week that the average sales price in Manhattan has skyrocketed to $1.8 million, and while this figure is definitely newsworthy, it's even more shocking when we look at the average price of an apartment in certain neighborhoods. Take tourist-friendly Soho, for example, where it costs an average of almost $3 million ($2,912,792 to be exact) for a residence. Many New Yorkers may be unfazed by this number–it seems that every day now we're being presented with seven-digit statistics. So the folks over at CityLab, decided to put it in perspective, mapping how many homes in cities across the country that $3 million price tag can buy.
See the breakdown here
July 14, 2015

Model Gigi Hadid Lists Pad Because of Stalker; Century-Old Greenhouse at Green-Wood Cemetery to be Renovated

The penthouse at The Edge in Williamsburg has hit the market for $3.85M. [listing; video] Supermodel Gigi Hadid reportedly listed her Noho apartment because she was being stalked. [NYP] The Chinatown McDonald’s housed within a pagoda-inspired design has gone out of business. [Bowery Boogie] Green-Wood cemetery’s greenhouse will be renovated into a visitor center. [Gothamist] NYC’s […]

July 14, 2015

Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte’s Cork Helmet Blocks Noise Pollution

Do you love living in the city but find the roaring traffic, cars horns, ambulance sirens, drilling, and barking dogs impossible to deal with? Stop suffering from all that stress–block the noise and restore your sanity with a Cork Helmet. As silly as it might look, Brussels-based Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte's design will help you deal with NYC's excessive 70-decibel sound level while you use your precious quiet time to daydream about calmer pastures.
Learn more about this crazy cork headpiece
July 14, 2015

Aerial Photos Taken from a Helicopter May Give You Vertigo; The Ultimate Glamping Accessory

Catching up with Jonathan and Drew Scott, better known as HGTV’s “The Property Brothers.” [NYP] These charts show how Americans’ living arrangements have changed since 1967. [BI] A documentary airs tonight on PBS about the 1977 Blackout, when over 1,600 stores were looted and 1,000 fires were started. [Bowery Boogie] Photographer Jeffrey Milstein captures cities using […]

July 14, 2015

Upper East Side Townhouse With Chanel-Inspired Bathroom Asks $26 Million

Where to begin with this Upper East Side townhouse at 18 East 69th Street? There's the Chanel-inspired bathrooms, an impressive variety of wallpaper, and a bathtub in a bedroom. There's the sheer size of the property, which holds a two-story retail space, a penthouse apartment, and another duplex. Then, of course, there's the price, which comes in at $26 million. It's hard to keep track of everything going on at this property, but one thing's for sure–we've never seen anything like it before.
See the interior
July 13, 2015

New Video Reveals How SHoP’s 626 First Avenue Will Dance into Midtown’s East River Skyline

SHoP Architects' copper-clad fraternal pair of towers is finally rising along the East River, and a handful of newly uncovered images and a fly-through video reassure us that this dancing couple will be the boldest addition to the East River skyline in decades. Developed by Michael Stern's JDS Development Group, the nearly one-million-square-foot project, now known by its address 626 First Avenue, will contain a whopping 800 rental units, placing it in the league of other recent mega-rental developments such as Two Trees' Mercedes House (864 units), Silverstein's River Place (921 rentals), and Moinian's Sky (1,175 units). Like these others, JDS is promising to provide an extravagant amenity package that they claim "will set a new benchmark for rental developments."
Watch the video and find out everything 626 First Avenue will offer
July 13, 2015

New York’s First-Ever Penthouse: A 54-Room Upper East Side Mansion Built for a Cereal Heiress

There’s nothing like owning thousands of square feet of living space inside a penthouse, particularly in a town where power is measured by the size of one’s apartment. Ever wonder when the very first penthouse was built in Manhattan? It was in 1925, when George Fuller Construction Company decided to develop a 14-story apartment house at 1107 Fifth Avenue between 91st and 92nd Streets.
The rest of the story this way
July 13, 2015

Tetra-Shed: A Portable Wooden Home Office with a Rubber Skin

As more and more people choose to work from home, there's an increased demand for rooms within a room. Some accomplish this configuration with multi-functional storage spaces, catch-all pods, and even meditation spaces. And some, like Innovation Imperative´s Tetra Shed take on the guise of a giant black rock. Its faceted, minimalistic, geometric aesthetic opts for the scant over the ostentatious; it fits an entire small office inside; it can be completely closed up, so you can relax and forget about work; and, let's be honest, it's quite the conversation piece.
Learn more about this small wooden space
July 13, 2015

ATTENTION: Walk Faster or You’ll Be Banned from NYC for Five Years

If you're a resident of New York, you know that this is no city for strolling. We all have places to be and we can't be bothered trying to sidestep slow walkers—and we certainly don't have time for niceties like "excuse me." As such, the NYC Department of Pedestrian Etiquette has a new set of rules to keep slow pokes, sidewalk blockers and the entirely un-self-aware off the streets: "Effective April 1, 2016, all new residents and visitors to New York City [o]ver the age of 16 will be required to take a mandatory training session on Proper Etiquette for navigating the sidewalks and streets of the greater metropolitan area."
Click here to read the whole memo
July 13, 2015

‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ Townhouse Sells; Skyscrapers Could Soon Reach 2,000 Feet

The townhouse where Miss Holly Golightly lived in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” has sold for $7.4 million. [NYO] Midtown rents are getting so high many companies can’t afford them anymore. [NYP] Blink Fitness is leasing the entire Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope. [Crain’s] A structural engineer predicts that 2,000-foot towers are in the near future, and after […]

July 13, 2015

Own an Entire Stone Mini-Estate in Putnam County for $500,000

Carmel, New York, located in Putnam County just an hour and a half north of the city, was described by the Times as "a quiet hamlet" where "many residents are highly protective of the lifestyle the 10-square-mile, semirural community offers." And just take one look at this historic stone estate and you'll understand why Carmel's residents are so loyal to their charming community. Built in 1935, the 2,050-square-foot home sitting on a full acre has "European Chalet charm" according to the listing, and it's all available for just $495,000.
Explore the estate here
July 13, 2015

NYC’s Bigbelly Trash and Recycling Bins Double as Wi-Fi Hotspots

We've all been that person who puts their Starbucks cup on top of an already heaping and overflowing garbage can, especially since it seems more often than not that this is the state of our city's waste bins. But if you've looked for a trash receptacle downtown recently, you might have been pleasantly surprised with the Bigbelly. These solar-powered "smart" trash and recycling bins are "equipped with a chip that detects when the bin is full or too smelly, allowing trash collectors to make a pick-up where they’re needed most," according to CityLab. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bigbellies can double as Wi-Fi hotspots, providing enough bandwidth to power a small business.
Learn more about the new technology
July 13, 2015

Park Slope Brownstone Has the Perfect Yard for Summer

Talk about a garden to die for. This Park Slope brownstone at 121 Lincoln Place has a backyard we wish we could camp out in this summer. The "private, lush, botanical landscaped garden," as the listing calls it, impressively extends over 86 feet. There's a shade garden in the back and a sun garden in the middle, not to mention two separate patios. As for the greenery, you've got roses, hydrangeas, honeysuckle, a rhododendron, azaleas, lilies, evergreen shrubs, a cypress, hemlock and more. Is the outdoor space enough to sell you on this home? Luckily, the interior isn't too bad either. It's on the market now for $3.795 million.
Take a tour
July 13, 2015

West Chelsea’s Tallest Tower Rises and Finally Reveals Itself

Residential construction along the High Line continues at full steam as a rash of activity along the park's northern extents rises higher and larger than earlier developments farther south. To provide a gradual transition from mid-rise West Chelsea to the enormous skyscrapers planned for the Far West Side, the Bloomberg administration in 2005 allowed more generous zoning between West 28th and 30th streets along Tenth and Eleventh avenues. Earlier this week Curbed, via ILNY's Flickr photostream, gave us our first look at West Chelsea's future tallest structure, a 425-foot rental tower at 319 Tenth Avenue that is part of a trio of buildings being developed by Long Island-based Lalezarian Properties.
Take a look at this new tower and learn more about it
July 11, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Katie Holmes and Suri Renting a $25,000 Penthouse in Chelsea Construction Update: NYC’s First Micro Apartment Complex Is Now Fully Stacked Jet-Setting Fashionista’s Sprawling Tribeca Loft Shines with Bold Decor VIDEO: Port Authority Was Considered a ‘Milestone of the Century’ When It Opened Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into […]

July 10, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Doug Steinberg Keeps the Doors Open at 110-Year-Old New York Central Art Supply

In 1905, Benjamin Steinberg opened up a store on Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. Little did he know then that one day artists like Willem de Kooning would walk through its doors. For the last 110 years, New York Central Art Supply has served the needs of New York's amateur and professional artists. Three generations of the Steinberg family have supplied paper, paints, brushes, and canvases to everyone from first-year art students to Keith Haring. And over the last year, Doug Steinberg, Benjamin's great-grandson, has taken a more active role at New York Central, planning for the store's future. While Doug never formally joined the family business (he currently owns and runs his own company), New York Central has been a constant in his life. He says he's worked there "on and off since I was born," and has a deep appreciation for what his great-grandfather started and his father Steve grew in the '60s and '70s. We recently spoke with Doug to learn about New York Central's rich history, why so many well-known artists purchased and continue to purchase supplies here, and how the store is preparing for its 21st century evolution.
Read the interview right here
July 10, 2015

James Gandolfini’s Former Village Apartment Listed for $21,000/Month

The late James Gandolfini once shared a West Village apartment with his ex-wife Marcy Wudarski Gandolfini, whom he was married to from 1999 to 2002. Several years before splitting, the couple bought two adjacent units in 99 Jane Street–first an $850,000 unit and then a $1 million unit. They combined them into one large four-bedroom pad, but when they split, Wudarski kept the home, and Gandolfini went on to marry wife Deborah Line in 2008 (they were married up until his untimely death in 2013). Now, Wudarski has listed the apartment for $21,000 a month, according to the Daily News.
Take a look around
July 10, 2015

Construction Update: Extell’s Controversial 800-Foot Tower Ready to Rise at 250 South Street

After being slapped with a partial stop-work order about three weeks ago for causing a local street to sink, Extell's Lower East Side mega-development at 250 South Street appears to be back on track. A recent visit to the site shows that piles for the building are again being driven into the bedrock. However, it appears excavation will continue to be an arduous journey since most of the parcel sits on landfill and is only a few feet above street level. Since its reveal last year, the tower has been met with intense public outrage due to its unprecedented height for the mid-rise neighborhood. The building was first reported to be 68 stories, then 71 stories, then 56 stories, and now the latest filing with the Department of Buildings has a revised height pinned again at 68 stories, or 800 feet at its highest floor. To put that in perspective, the neighboring Manhattan Bridge is only 330 feet tall, and just 170 feet at its roadway—meaning the building will be nearly five times the height of the bridge's road deck.
FInd out more here
July 10, 2015

VIDEO: Retro News Report Reveals Old Resentment for New York’s Graffiti

These days graffiti is celebrated in New York City. From top ten lists to graffiti tours, people can't seem to get enough of this street art form. But this sentiment is a far cry from how New Yorkers felt 30 years ago, when the city's graffiti epidemic seemed to be at its height. WPIX recently unearthed a news report from the summer of 1985 that shows the anti-graffiti resentment among New Yorkers, as well as the extent to which the city was coated in spray paint.
Watch the report here

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