6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

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

Brooklyn’s Greenest Blocks Are in Bed-Stuy and Fort Greene; LES Getting Second Cat Cafe

Here’s why NYC airports have so many delays. [Business Insider] The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has announced the winners of its annual Greenest Block contest, and the winners are in Bed-Stuy and Fort Greene. [Curbed] A year after the Meow Parlour opened, the Lower East Side is getting its second cat cafe. [Bowery Boogie] Have a […]

Uncategorized

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 […]

City Living

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

Distinctive Homes

August 4, 2015

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

By Diane Pham

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

City Living

Distinctive Homes

This $6.4M Chelsea condo is like having a library, cafe, and office in a three-bedroom loft

$5M Yorkville home offers a flexible frame for townhouse living

Asking $4.25M, this five-story Crown Heights mansion is filled with gorgeous historic details

This $3.7M Greenwich Village co-op puts the 'classic' in classic seven

Flatbush mansion sells for $6.25M, a neighborhood record

For $2.2M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse has three levels of outdoor space

For $949K, this Village co-op has a Gold Coast address, prewar charm and a splash of color

For $3M, this charming Nomad loft has a rooftop deck with an outdoor shower

This $800K Chelsea two-bedroom co-op is easy on fees and rules

This $1.5M Woodstock compound was a recording studio for rock icons from Ozzy Osbourne to R.E.M.

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August 4, 2015

Grocery Mogul Is Buyer of Donald Trump’s Apartment; First Look at Triangle Park in the Village

The buyer of Donald Trump’s $21 million Park Avenue pad is grocery mogul Ray Berry. [TRD] Several former manufacturing sites in North Brooklyn might be full of toxic leftovers. [BK Mag] Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando gets a $40 million construction loan for his first NYC project at 152 Elizabeth Street. [TRD] Have a first […]

Real Estate Trends

August 4, 2015

BedUP Saves Floor Space by Storing Your Bed on the Ceiling

BedUP is out to challenge the Murphy bed as the ultimate space-saving sleep solution in increasingly tight city apartments. Designed by French inventors Decadrages, BedUP utilizes the ceiling to house your bulky mattress and frame. The bed retracts from the ceiling when you need it and can suspend above the room as you use the space below.
More on BedUP

August 4, 2015

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

By Alyssa Alimurung

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

August 4, 2015

Relax, There’s No Bubonic Plague on the Subway; A Brief History of Jaywalking in NYC

Turns out, there actually is no bubonic plague or anthrax on the subway. The scientists who made these claims back in February are now backing off their findings. [WSJ] Check out this photo essay of lower Manhattan in 1980. [Tribeca Citizen] The term jaywalking, which was coined in the Times in 1915, is celebrating its centennial year. It […]

Uncategorized

Want to Enter an Affordable Housing Lottery? You’ll Be up Against 696 Other Applicants

Photo via Wiki Commons

August 4, 2015

Want to Enter an Affordable Housing Lottery? You’ll Be up Against 696 Other Applicants

Photo via Wiki Commons According to a new report from the Daily News, for every affordable apartment offered through the city's housing lotteries since 2013, there were 696 applicants, leaving you with a measly 0.14 percent chance of being selected. "All told, there were 2.9 million applications for 4,174 affordable units available from 72 lotteries run by the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)," says the News, yet another signifier that average New Yorkers are struggling to pay ever-increasing rents.
Find out more here

August 4, 2015

Soho Loft Has Plenty of Work Space Plus All the Comforts of Home for $9,500 a Month

By Heather Cooper Vivares and Amanda Cozens

An increasingly rare find these days, this quintessential artists' loft at 51 Greene Street in the heart of Soho is available for short- or long-term leasing for $9,500 a month. The sky-lit, sun-filled, top-floor space embodies the loft ideal, yet comes with many of the comforts loft-dwellers sometimes sacrifice for all that open space. Unlike some pre-war lofts, there's a private keyed elevator. Also unlike some live-and-work spaces, there's a second half bath, a washer/dryer, and (at least) two bedrooms. Perhaps best of all, there's a spacious private roof deck for gazing out on the downtown cityscape.
Check out the space, this way

Distinctive Homes

August 3, 2015

Actors and Filmmakers of Tribeca: The Movie Mecca Downtown

With its cobblestone streets, quirky artists' lofts and industrial-chic architecture, Tribeca is a hot spot for filming movies and television scenes. This past spring, we did a round up of the musicians that call Tribeca home; now we're taking a look at the flock of actors and filmmakers who have made the move to the 'hood's picturesque streets. Tribeca's most famous resident, Robert De Niro, is often credited with transforming the neighborhood into the vibrant place we know today by opening multiple restaurants, developing property, and most notably creating the world-famous Tribeca Film Festival. In addition to De Niro, we mapped out Tribeca's celebrity residents who are famous onscreen and behind the scenes. Ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow's "fuzzy nap zones" with river views to Lena Dunham's artist loft from "Tiny Furniture," it's clear that celebrities feel at home in Tribeca.
More details and our celeb map

August 3, 2015

A Classic Six Co-op Overlooking Washington Square Park Asks $2.75 Million

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

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

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

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

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

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VIEW ALL

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

July 31, 2015

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

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

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

720 West End Avenue

Upper West Side

Serene Upper West Side homes near Riverside Park

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

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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 […]

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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