6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Go inside the studios of five Brooklyn artists. [BK Mag] On the final episode last night of “The Jinx,” HBO’s Robert Durst crime documentary, the real estate scion implicated himself in the murders of three people and was arrested Saturday in New Orleans. [Forbes] Space-saving takeaways from a 48-square-foot kitchen. [Curbed] Are you chronically late? Try the Mayor […]

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5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

Brooklyn’s Pacific Park development, one of the pipeline projects examined in the report for it’s affordable housing offer. Rendering by COOKFOX

March 16, 2015

5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

This morning the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) released a report today saying if the city fails to renew the existing 421-a partial tax exemption program, we could stand to lose thousands of affordable units. REBNY took a look at a sample of projects in the pipeline—including Essex Crossing, 5Pointz, Domino and Pacific Park, amongst others—and found that 421-a is responsible for 5,484 affordable apartments and 13,801 market-rate units in these developments. They argue that without the abatement the theses units would be in jeopardy and be "immediately be sent back to the drawing board." They add that some of the units could even end up as high-end luxury condominiums and some of the middle- and low-income housing now in the works would be lost forever.
Find out more

March 16, 2015

Sales Launch at the Long-Awaited 52 Lispenard Street in Tribeca

Sales have finally launched at the much-anticipated 52 Lispenard Street, after we’ve spent more than a year drooling over its teaser site. The seven-story structure is a combination of two landmarked 19th century buildings on a short Tribeca street. So far, two of the building’s floor-through apartments—units 2 and 4—are available, asking $6.65 million and $7.5 million. The remaining four apartments include two more full-floor apartments with three to five bedrooms, one triplex townhouse, and one triplex penthouse, with prices ranging up to $11 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 14, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Here’s a Map of Where the World’s Insanely Rich Live ‘Taxi’ Star Judd Hirsch Buys $400K Greenwich Village Studio from His Former Assistant Pikettyscrapers: What You Call Those Expensive Supertall Buildings Nobody Lives In Tiny 500-Square-Foot Apartment Is as Fashionable as Its Chelsea Address Jessica Chastain Snags a Gorgeous Osborne Co-op Once Owned by Leonard […]

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March 13, 2015

New Renderings for 212 Fifth Avenue Show a Whimsical Top-Floor Restaurant and Enormous Clock

By Ondel Hylton

With the debut of their newly-sharpened website, the visual-realization whizzes at AJSNY are seeking to steal some Apple Watch buzz with this stunningly whimsical rooftop addition atop the now-under-conversion 212 Fifth Avenue in Nomad. The conceptual vision, designed by the rendering team themselves, shows a bronze-clad, multi-story addition wrapped with sinuous ribbons framing an enormous south-facing clock. Below the steampunk-esque penthouse, AJSNY depicts a standard condo-conversion affair of open layouts and double-height spaces for the 1913 neo-medieval tower. The team's images also give us an idea of what the official owners–Madison Equities, Thor Equities, and Building and Land Technology–have in mind for this quintessential Manhattan address. The scheme is not official or approved, but it certainly is creative.
More details on the proposed design ahead

March 13, 2015

Colorful $2M Loft on the Edge of Little Italy Is Anything but Little

There’s a spacious $2 million loft available at 118 Forsyth Street, right on the cusp of the Lower East Side and Little Italy. This home was purchased for $1.21 million in 2009, and while it currently has an open layout, there’s definitely plenty of room to add multiple rooms and additional bathrooms. So basically, this place is a turnkey build-your-dream-home. Winning!
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

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

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

This $18.5M penthouse is Village living on a luxury level

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

For $9M, a Noho penthouse that captures the spirit of the neighborhood's past, and then some

For $950K, a condo with a terrace that puts the 'green' in Greenpoint

For $2M, a Boerum Hill co-op with a colorful Scandi kitchen

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

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

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March 13, 2015

Oscar-Winning Director Kathryn Bigelow Buys $3M Tribeca Apartment

Director Kathryn Bigelow, who in 2009 was the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director for her work on “The Hurt Locker,” has scooped up a $3 million pad at 449 Washington Street in Tribeca, according to city records released today. The boutique building contains only four units, all of which feature luxurious touches […]

March 13, 2015

New Map Reveals Which Luxury Skyscrapers Are Siphoning Your Tax Dollars

By now it's no secret that there's an unbalanced tax system in place for those living in the city's luxury towers, but exactly how much is being lost–and where–has for the most part been a mystery. To shed some light on just how much of our money goes into subsidizing the likes of One57 and its eye-poppingly expensive friends, the Municipal Arts Society (MAS) has created a map (h/t Gothamist) that shows not only how much tax each of the city's top buildings skip out on annually under the 421a tax abatement, but how long their exemption will last—which together can add up to staggering amounts for many. Last year alone, MAS found that we forfeited $1.1 billion in tax revenue and 60 percent of that went to building apartments in Manhattan targeted at the 1 percent.
Find out more here

Real Estate Trends

March 13, 2015

Quooklyn/Ridgewood Gets Its Own TV Show; 41 New Developments Coming to the Market

Keep an eye out for these 41 new developments slated to hit the market this spring. [Curbed] Quooklyn/Ridgewood is getting its own TV show. [BK mag] Celeb broker and reality TV star Ryan Serhant will be in charge of marketing an I.M. Pei-designed West Chelsea condo project boasting private pools and private parking for every […]

Real Estate Trends

New Micro Apartment Communities Are Flexible but Not Cheap

Is this the dorm-itization of NYC? via 20071110_0213 via photopin (license)

March 13, 2015

New Micro Apartment Communities Are Flexible but Not Cheap

With shared office spaces like WeWork taking the city by storm, it's no surprise that the residential real estate community is looking to get in on the commune-style action, especially considering the city's push for micro housing. The Daily News reports on "communal living hubs with micro-apartments for young professionals," calling it the "dorm-itization of New York City." Instead of traditional one-year leases, these new setups are offering month-to-month contracts where tenants came rent a room at the snap of a finger and move out just as easily. They can also freely apartment hop between buildings of the same owner. In theory, it sounds great for first-time New Yorkers, fresh-out-of-college twenty-somethings, and just about anyone with an uncertainly factor to their lives. But the News notes that a standard, five-bedroom micro apartment community has a lease of about $10,000/month, meaning that the modern nomads renting out rooms are still paying roughly $2,000/month, pretty steep for a single bedroom in a unit shared with a stranger.
Find out more about the new real estate trend

March 13, 2015

Infographic: The Tallest Buildings of the Last 5,000 Years Charted

From the pyramids of Teotihuacan to One World Trade, here are the tallest buildings of the last 5,000 years. Slovakian artist and designer Martin Vargic created six infographics that chart the history of buildings across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania. The infographics, which date buildings (and a few notable monuments) as far back as 2,650 B.C., give a pretty complete look, highlighting the construction's name, shape, height (which does account for a tower's spire), the year it was erected, and the years it was its continent's, if not the world's (denoted by a red shading), tallest building. The charts also give a good snapshot of the great skyscraper race that took hold in the early 20th century, as well as shifts in global money as seen in the emergence of Asian skyscrapers like Taipei 101 and the Burj Khalifa in the mid-2000s. You can get a closer look by expanding the image ahead.
This way for the complete picture

March 13, 2015

Did the Seagram Building Ruin Modern Office Towers?; Remembering Postmodernist Architect Michael Graves

Hate your soulless office tower? Maybe you should blame the Seagram Building. [Fast Co. Design] Attend a lecture tonight to learn about the history and renovation of High Bridge, the oldest standing bridge in NYC. [NYC H2O] Michael Graves, postmodernist architect who designed towers and teakettles, dies at 80. [NYT] There’s some passive aggressive blog feuding […]

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March 13, 2015

Jendretzki-Designed Greenwich Village Rental Offers Spa-Like Sanctuary for $25K/Month

By Stephanie Hoina

A few short years ago this charming home at 530 LaGuardia Place was the epitome of an old school artist’s loft and on the market for $2.7 million. The wide-open space with soaring ceilings and hardwood floors was punctuated by original columns, an abundance of natural light, and the requisite exposed brick. Scattered among the apartment’s classic details and integral to the home’s design theme were trappings of the prior inhabitants, two artists who had lived and worked in the home for 40 years. In-progress paintings, canvases, work tables, and paint supplies all contributed to the home’s bohemian aesthetic. Fast-forward to 2015. While the traditional loft architectural elements all remain, this three-bedroom 3,300-square-foot Greenwich Village loft is nearly unrecognizable from its more understated predecessor, the result of an impeccable redesign by Pablo Jendretzki.
Check out more of this spa-like home

Distinctive Homes

March 13, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: David Brooks, Illuminating the City One Bulb at a Time

By Susan Cohen

A block from Bloomingdales, on 60th right off of Third, is a store that every New Yorker should know about. The store sells 36,000 kinds of one thing, and its name gives it away: Just Bulbs. Just Bulbs has been taking care of New York’s light bulb needs in one variation or another since 1945. It's currently owned and run by David Brooks, who began working at the family business back in 1982. Since he hit the register at Just Bulbs over thirty years ago, he has learned as much about bulbs as people. And when it comes to people, they are often buying the wrong bulbs. Wanting an insider's look into the world of bulbs, I recently visited Just Bulbs to speak with David. In between questions, he was ringing up customers and answering questions over the phone. For David, today was just another day helping New York keep the lights on.
Read our interview with David here

March 13, 2015

World’s Skinniest Tower 111 West 57th Street Will Offer $100M Condos

Poised to become the world's skinniest tower and one of the hemisphere's tallest, it's no wonder that 111 West 57th Street will ask around $100 million for its condos, not to be outdone by other nine-digit supertalls like 220 Central Park South's $175 million penthouse, the $150 million penthouse at the Sony Building, and One57′s record $100 million sale, which currently holds the title for the most expensive unit ever sold in the city. Curbed has uncovered filings with the Attorney General's office that show the preliminary price list for the SHoP-designed 1,421-foot tower, which is being developed by JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group. The records indicate that there will be condos in the landmarked Steinway Hall, as well in the tower addition. "The 'landmark units' will be smaller and cheaper, starting at $1 million for a studio, while the 'tower units' will start at $13 million for a three-bedroom."
More details and the price list ahead

Going Up: Uncovering the Art Deco Elevators of Landmarked Building Interiors

Earlier this week, we visited the New York School of Interior Design's latest exhibit, Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York's Landmark Interiors, which, on the 50th anniversary of New York’s landmark legislation, features photography and information about more than 20 public spaces, known and little-known, that have been designated as interior landmarks. Looking through images of restored Broadway theaters, perfectly preserved coffered rotundas and period furniture, we couldn't help getting stuck on one often-overlooked element–the elevator. For most of us who live in a high rise or work in a typical office building, the elevator doors are just another blank wall that we stare at, only paying attention when they open and usher us in. But when the city's great Art Deco buildings were rising, the elevators were an extension of the lavish ornamentation and geometric details of the façade and interior lobby. We've rounded up some of our favorite Art Deco elevators in landmarked interiors, which means they're all publicly accessible so you can check them all out first hand.
Go up in style here

March 12, 2015

$3M Tribeca Loft Boasts Gorgeous Brick Arches

There’s a new loft available at 35 Vestry Street that literally oozes New York character while having just the right amount of polish to still be a luxury pad. The full-floor loft is described as a “2.5-bedroom” because it has two bedrooms and a section that could serve as a nursery or an office, as well as a modern kitchen and a closet straight out of Carrie Bradshaw’s dreams. Now if only we can scrape up the $2.995 million for it and still make it to daily brunch with our girlfriends...
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

Pikettyscrapers: What You Call Those Expensive Supertall Buildings Nobody Lives In

Image: NYC’s 2018 future skyline via CityRealty

March 12, 2015

Pikettyscrapers: What You Call Those Expensive Supertall Buildings Nobody Lives In

Supertall, pencil tower, megatall, superslim, skinnyscraper... As we struggle for new ways to describe all the glass and stone towers popping up in Manhattan, we've come to notice that not one person has come up with a way to describe all those skyscrapers being scooped up, floor by floor, by the superrich, never to be lived in. Now enter the Skyscraper Dictionary, a cheeky reference site (created because "The world needs one.") that's coined all the vocab you need to throw around next time you find yourself talking about NYC's skyscraper boom. So, what do you call those super-luxury towers that nobody lives in? How about pikettyscrapers.
Find out how the term was coined

March 12, 2015

Prospect Park West Townhouse May Be Brooklyn’s Most Expensive; Studio Rents Are Way Up

Prospect Park West townhouse once home to Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany could be Brooklyn’s most expensive sale. [Curbed] The landmarked One Chase Manhattan Plaza will get a newly renovated plaza and storefront. [WSJ] The NYC task force going up against Airbnb may be tripled in size. [NYP] Manhattan studio rents have jumped 10 percent year-over-year. [TRD] Images: 17 […]

Real Estate Trends

March 12, 2015

65-Story Residential Tower with Sky-High Gardens Coming to 37th Street

There's a new 65-story pencil-thin tower coming to 37th Street slated to rise 700 feet into the sky. Perkins+Will publicly announced the building in a press release today, which came alongside news they had won the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Award for the unbuilt tower at the annual MIPIM real estate gathering in Cannes, France. The press release described the new skyscraper as a structure "emerging from its shimmering, angled curtain wall...organized with five clusters of shared amenity and park spaces for residents to enjoy, at specific intervals along the tower's rise."
find out more here

New Developments

March 12, 2015

$2M Forest Hills Home Is So Exquisite We’d Be Happy Living in the Laundry Room

By Stephanie Hoina

We kid you not. Every inch of this impeccable $2M residence at 69-54 Groton Street in Forest Hills featuring magnificent new construction is absolutely stunning, including the laundry room which is considerably nicer than many of the studio apartments we’ve seen for rent in the city—and where we’d be more than happy to camp out for a few weeks….or a year.
More about this impeccable home

Distinctive Homes

March 12, 2015

Kelly Ripa Revealed as Buyer of $27M UES Townhouse

When it made headlines that Kelly Ripa had sold her posh Soho penthouse at 76 Crosby Street for $20 million ($4.5 million under the asking price), most people assumed the fun-loving, down-to-earth talk show host would swap the apartment for another downtown home. But in a surprising twist of celebrity real estate, the Daily News revealed today that she and her […]

March 12, 2015

How Do Psychics Survive in New York City?; Subway Map of Manhattan Stereotypes

Ever wonder how all those psychics pay NYC rent? You’ll probably never know the real answer. [Vice] Here’s a roundup of New York City’s 38 essential home goods and furniture stores. [Racked] Online retailer With Love, From Brooklyn is crowdfunding to ship the borough’s small batch treats across the country. [DNAinfo] FiDi is full of […]

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Nonprofits Urge the U.S. Treasury Department to Scrutinize Foreign Real Estate Buyers

The Time Warner Center, a hotbed of anonymous foreign investment

March 12, 2015

Nonprofits Urge the U.S. Treasury Department to Scrutinize Foreign Real Estate Buyers

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

The media has been abuzz lately with talk of international mystery property buyers and the shell companies they use to hide their real names. Tired of the shady tactics, a group of 17 nonprofits is calling upon the U.S. Treasury Department to harder scrutinize foreign real estate buyers by verifying their actual identities and screening them for any risk of money laundering. The request came in the form of a letter sent to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network on Tuesday that asks for a repeal of a 2002 exemption from the Patriot Act that was granted to the real estate industry. The Patriot Act was signed into law in 2001 following 9/11 to heighten security and allow for broader means of investigation. Under the act, real estate professionals would be required to "conduct due diligence checks on their customers," according to the Times. But after the industry lobbied against this, they were exempted from the regulations.
More details ahead

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March 12, 2015

Extell’s Massive 71-Story LES Tower Will Dwarf the Manhattan Bridge

Here's your first look at Extell's new tower popping up just north of the Manhattan Bridge along the East River waterfront. Spotted by Bowery Boogie on the construction sign at the 250 South Street site, the somewhat vague rendering is short on design details but manages to show a behemoth ready to dominate the area.
READ MORE

New Developments

March 11, 2015

Jessica Chastain Snags a Gorgeous Osborne Co-op Once Owned by Leonard Bernstein

Jessica Chastain, who has been on a house hunt for over a year, has finally found the home of her dreams. The Post reports that the Oscar-nominated actress will be joining the world's upper crust at the landmarked Osborne at 205 West 57th Street. Chastain is said to have paid $5.1M for the home which itself also boasts a legendary story, being once owned by famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein for more than a decade—a highlight that was apparently one of the biggest draws for the Juilliard-trained actress.
Take a peek inside

March 11, 2015

City Proposes New Zoning Plan to Increase Affordability, Current Height Limits to Be Lifted

On the surface it sounds like a great idea: Adjust zoning regulations to better accommodate the Mayor's goal of preserving and creating 200,000 units of affordable housing. But some are angered that the proposal would lift current zoning protections and height limits by as much as 20 to 30 percent. According to the Department of City Planning, the newly released plan, called Housing New York: Zoning for Quality and Affordability, addresses the city's outdated zoning regulations that don't reflect today's housing needs or construction practices. However, an email from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation asserts: "The proposal would change the rules for ‘contextual’ zoning districts throughout the city–zoning districts which communities frequently fought hard to secure, to limit the height of new development and keep it in character with the surrounding neighborhood."
More information ahead

March 11, 2015

Tiny 500-Square-Foot Apartment Is as Fashionable as Its Chelsea Address

Though we tend to focus on larger than life luxury apartments, we've certainly come to love the creative tenacity that comes with living small. Our latest gem comes from Foz Design, led by Fauzia Khanani, who worked to renovate this 500-square-foot pied-à-terre for a Dutch composer and Manhattanite journalist. Located in a pre-war, landmarked building in the heart of Chelsea, Foz managed to create a glamorous modern home with plenty of old world charm.
more interiors this way

Distinctive Homes

March 11, 2015

70-Story Residential Tower Coming to Long Island City; Piero Lissoni Chosen to Design Interiors of 45 Park Place

Long Island City’s skyline continues to take shape. A new 70-story tower is slated to bring hundreds of residential units to the area. [TRD] Italian architect Piero Lissoni will design the residences and amenities at stunner 45 Park Place, which is being designed by a team made up of SOMA and Jean Nouvel. [6sqft inbox] Billionaire David Bren […]

Real Estate Trends

March 11, 2015

Artist Remko Heemskerk’s Graphic Urban Prints Are Inspired by His Personal Experiences in New York

It's pretty common to find photographs or paintings of iconic New York City landscapes and streetscapes, but there's usually not much of a reason behind the artist's choice other than that everyone knows these sites or they'll likely sell well. Netherlands-born artist Remko Heemskerk, however, created this print series from the inspiration of his personal experiences living in the city. Each site has a special meaning to him, whether it be the view from his apartment window or the spot where he and his wife kissed goodbye every morning. The visual element that sets Heemskerk's work apart is its bright, graphic composition. Rather than using realistic colors or traditional black-and-white, he chose a style that he feels reflects the vibrancy of New York City and its residents.
More ahead

Events & Things To Do

March 11, 2015

Architect Marc Kushner Discusses How Social Media Will Dictate Future Architecture

Marc Kushner's architectural star has been on the rise over the last few years thanks to his booming practice, HWKN (Hollwich Kushner), and his super popular web venture Architizer (maybe you've heard of it?). So it only makes sense that TED would invite Kushner to offer up his thoughts on the state of architecture today and what he sees in its future—which happens to involve more of your input than you'd ever guess. In what is a quite an enlightening and inspiring talk, Kushner takes us through the architectural styles of the last thirty years, and more interestingly, how social media is completely transforming the profession.
watch the video here

March 11, 2015

Biggie Mural Coming to Clinton Hill; How the NYC Subway Got Its Colors

Tour a prism- and plant-filled Brooklyn railroad apartment with an old school charm. [Design Sponge] Clinton Hill is getting a Biggie mural outside the Key Food where he once worked. [Brokelyn] Want to know what’s going on with a landmarks application in your neighborhood? The LPC now posts videos of its public hearings and meetings. [GVSHP] Check out […]

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March 11, 2015

POLL: Can #SaveNYC Win the Small Business Battle?

On Monday, we took a look at #SaveNYC, a new campaign helmed by Jeremiah Moss of Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York that’s fighting to save the city from the superrich. Moss’ end goal is to get the Small Business Jobs Survival Act passed, “which would give businesses an opportunity to negotiate lease renewals and reasonable rent increases, […]

March 11, 2015

$45K/Month UWS Townhouse Fuses Victorian Details with Modern Surprises

One of the Upper West Side’s widest landmarked brownstones is available to rent for $45,000 per month. The four-story, seven-bedroom townhouse at 37 West 87th Street has been renovated by architect Alexandr Neratoff, who focused on highlighting the home’s Victorian details–like carved wood moldings and original fireplaces–while giving it modern updates -- like a massive solarium and rooftop patio.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

March 11, 2015

Candy Factory Loft Full of Leather and Animal Skins Wants $11.5M

Mitch Alfus—self-proclaimed Leather King, owner of a leather and animal skins supplier, and man we would cast in a remake of "Crocodile Dundee"—has just listed his loft at 285 Lafayette Street for $11.5 million. Alfus purchased the unit ten years ago for a considerably less $3.4 million and has since renovated the pad, adding a fourth bedroom and an interestingly placed master bathtub.
Take a tour of this fun home

Distinctive Homes

Photo: Shin, Yuka and Ron Swanson

March 10, 2015

My 780sqft: Inhabitat Editor Yuka Yoneda Invites Us into Her Quirky Greenpoint Love Nest

Our new 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 Greenpoint. What do you get when you join a green-design-blogger-slash-DIY-enthusiast and a finance guy in Greenpoint? How about a mash up of modern-meets-quirky with an eco-conscious bent? 6sqft recently dropped by the home of Inhabitat.com's NYC editor Yuka Yoneda to get a glimpse of the little love nest she's created with her fiancé Shin, and to see how seemingly divergent styles can indeed come together to create the perfect home. And because she and Shin recently got engaged (yay!) she's offering up some sweet stories—sure to serve both as advice to other couples looking to share a home, and hope for NYC singles who've given up on love—that range from their missed connection to a chuckle-worthy first date to an early relationship mishap that later yielded her a cozy little escape to call her own. There will also be plenty of fun little design details for you to fawn over. Onward we go!
Inside Yuka's home here

Home Tours

March 10, 2015

Here’s a Map of Where the World’s Insanely Rich Live

Ever wondered where the world's richest people live? While London and New York are ol' standbys, as you may have guessed, it looks like the wealthiest of the wealthy are popping up in completely new locales. CityLab recently took a look at Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2015, which identifies the world's "ultra-high-net-worth individuals" (UHNWI), a set of the global population that accounts for those with more than $30 million or more in net assets, and found that there are roughly 173,000 people in the world who fall in this category. To put that number in perspective, these folks make up the upper 0.002 percent of the world's 7 billion inhabitants and hold over $20 trillion of its money.
Find out more here

Uncategorized

Inside Lauren Bacall’s Incredible Dakota Apartment

Photo courtesy of Curbed

March 10, 2015

Inside Lauren Bacall’s Incredible Dakota Apartment

Last fall we showed you staged photos of Lauren Bacall’s $26 million apartment at the Dakota, but what you didn’t get to see was the real thing. Now, thanks to Curbed, we have pictures of the apartment as it was while the iconic actress was living there, during the final 53 years of her life. Bacall purchased the home in 1961 for an amount rumored to be from $28,000 to $48,000. After her death, her possessions went to Bonham’s and will be auctioned off at the end of this month. These pictures will show you more than just 13-foot ceilings and 100 feet of Central Park views. You’ll also see a more human element of a woman who collected antiques and artwork (quite possibly to the point of being a packrat), and clearly adored her late husband Humphrey Bogart.
More inside

Distinctive Homes

March 10, 2015

190 Bowery Being Stripped of Its Graffiti as We Speak

Image courtesy of Lori Zimmer We all knew this day would come. 190 Bowery is currently undergoing a deep cleaning as its new owners prime it for its next life as a luxury mixed-use condo/retail development.
More here

March 10, 2015

The Tower Replacing the Famed Roseland Ballroom; Air Shafts a Coveted Amenity?

Ian Schraeger has closed on 357 West Street, the site of planned 12-story, 88-unit residential building designed by Herzog & de Meuron. [The Real Deal] Here’s the tower that will rise in place of the demolished historic Roseland Ballroom. [Curbed] Two Trees has created a virtual open house for their 60 Water Street apartment building. [6sqft inbox] […]

Real Estate Trends

March 10, 2015

Renderings, Details Revealed for Massive $1B Industry City Redevelopment in Sunset Park

For the past year or so we've heard plenty of chirpings about Industry City, the former Bush Terminal on the Sunset Park waterfront that Jamestown Properties plans to transform into "a dynamic 21st century innovation and manufacturing community that balances existing manufacturing tenants with those centered on creative and innovation economy fields." But now, Jamestown, along with fellow owners Belvedere Capital, and Angelo Gordon, have announced that the overhaul of the 32-acre complex's 16 buildings will cost $1 billion and include a hotel, along with a huge amount of retail and tech start-up space. They also want an additional $115 million in infrastructure improvements like a massive new parking lot, as well as some rezoning concessions.
Find out more about the future of Industry City

Real Estate Trends

March 10, 2015

$2.25M Cobble Hill Brownstone Duplex with Cathedral Ceilings is Gorgeous at Any Angle

By Stephanie Hoina

The wonderfully tall cathedral ceiling running throughout this gorgeously renovated three-bedroom co-op in a mid-19th century brownstone at 222 Clinton Street in Cobble Hill will simply take your breath away, with every room in the home taking advantage of its lovely angles and big, beautiful skylights.
See every angle of this gorgeous home

Distinctive Homes

255 East 77th Street

Lenox Hill

Upper East Side condos with Central Park views

3 beds starting at $5,300,000
4 beds starting at $7,400,000
5 beds starting at $8,750,000

Learn More

March 10, 2015

New Exhibit Explores the Sounds of Iconic NYC Interiors; An Apple Store Architecture Tour

Soundscape exhibit, which opens tonight, highlights the actual sounds of iconic New York interiors, such as Grand Central Terminal, the Seagram Building lobby, and the Guggenheim. [MCNY] The MTA wants to turn token booth clerks into subway concierges with eyes on the platforms. [Gothamist] Take a global tour of the 50 most eye-catching apple stores. [Curbed] When […]

Uncategorized

March 10, 2015

‘Taxi’ Star Judd Hirsch Buys $400K Greenwich Village Studio from His Former Assistant

Assistants have been known to fetch coffee or pick up dry cleaning for their bosses, but usually not sell them their apartments. Marlene Mancini, production assistant and acting teacher, however, has just sold her Greenwich Village studio to her former boss, actor Judd Hirsch, best known for his role as Alex Rieger on "Taxi," for $400,000 according to city records released today. Hirsch also owns a larger one-bedroom at 345 East 93rd Street, which he bought in 2013 for $500,000, so we're guessing his latest purchase is more of a downtown pied-à-terre. We're also guessing he'll have to bring a big bucket of spackle with him on move-in day, as Mancini has the walls completely covered in quirky frames.
Tour the studio

Skyscraper Museum Exhibit ‘Ten Tops’ Explores the Uppermost Floors of the World’s Tallest Buildings

Image via Skyscraper Museum

March 10, 2015

Skyscraper Museum Exhibit ‘Ten Tops’ Explores the Uppermost Floors of the World’s Tallest Buildings

It seems like every other day now we're discussing the latest supertall tower, whether it be 432 Park topping out or the pricing information for visiting One World Trade Center's observatory. These stories always include the basics -- the tower's height, number of stories, and architectural design; but we usually discuss these facts in relation to the building as a whole, not focusing on what it is that really sets these skyscrapers apart–their tops. A new exhibit at the Skyscraper Museum hones in on just that, the uppermost floors of the world's tallest towers. Ten Tops looks at buildings 100 stories and higher, analyzing "the architectural features they share, including observation decks, luxury hotels and restaurants, distinctive crowns and night illumination, as well as the engineering and construction challenges of erecting such complex and astonishing structures."
More on the exhibit ahead

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

March 10, 2015

Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion Getting the LED Light Treatment

Last Friday, we journeyed to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for the Panorama Challenge at the Queens Museum. When the evening of trivia was over, we walked out into the park to find the Unisphere and the Museum, both World's Fair relics, glowing. But in the distance, Philip Johnson's iconic New York State Pavilion was barely visible. That's about to change, though, as electricians and preservationists have been testing new ways to illuminate the "modern ruin" for the first time in decades, according to the Daily News. The update comes thanks to a wave of public support to restore the icon, as well as a renewed interest in its architectural merit and the history of the 1964-65 World's Fair. As we wrote over the summer, the pavilion's restoration task force secured $5.8 million for repairs, $4.2 million of which came from Mayor de Blasio. Now, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz has pledged to get the site illuminated by the end of the year. "We will restore this national treasure into a visible icon befitting 'The World's Borough' for generations of families and visitors to enjoy," she said.
More details on the lighting project

Architecture And Design

March 9, 2015

Owner of $100M Apartment at One57 Only Pays $17,268 in Property Taxes