6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Chatting with a second generation steel casement window restoration craftsman. [Find Everything Historic] Using data from Yelp, this map shows the most local and touristy spots in 16 major cities. In NYC, Yorkville is the most local, and the Theater District is the most touristy. [Washington Post] On Friday night, for the first time, the Empire […]

Uncategorized

April 28, 2015

Renovated Carroll Gardens Carriage House Comes with a Private Entryway

By Emily Nonko

The pine plank floors, raised ceilings, and exposed ceiling beams at this Carroll Gardens carriage house are making us swoon. A recent renovation at the house, located at 36 Strong Place, has completely elevated this former stable into a beautiful three-level home. Not only is this a freestanding property—rare in this neighborhood of brownstones—it also comes with a private entryway and an expansive backyard. The rent, of course, reflects all those perks (and the fact that it comes furnished). The asking price is a hefty $12,500 a month.
See more of the interior photos here

Distinctive Homes

April 28, 2015

Detailed Chart Shows the World’s Tallest Building Constructed Every Year

An infographic about the world's tallest buildings is not a new idea (in fact, we've featured a great one, as well an interactive version, here before). But the Economist's idea of looking at the race to the top connected with the times and world events is a fresh take. The highly detailed chart shows the tallest building constructed every year beginning in 1885. Each bar represents its height, and the color shows on what continent it was built. The chart also highlights exceptionally noteworthy buildings and certain world events that contributed to the ebb and flow of skyscraper construction over time.
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

April 28, 2015

Debt-Ridden MTA May Hike Subway Fares to $3.15

It might be time to trade in your metro card for a bike. Straphangers could soon see yet another fare hike if the MTA is unable to bridge its $15 billion budget gap. The NYDN reports that top transit officials are warning that the increase could ring in at as much as 15 percent, upping subway fares to $3.15 from $2.75. The agency tacked on 25 cents just last month to a single ride, much to the dismay of millions of commuters.
FInd out more here

Transit

April 27, 2015

2 World Trade Center May Ditch Norman Foster’s Design for a Bjarke Ingels Skyscraper

Norman Foster may lose out on yet another major project in Manhattan. The Journal writes that if News Corporation and 21st Century Fox decide to move into 2 World Trade Center, as previously reported, developer Larry Silverstein may drop Foster's design in favor of a new one by none other than starchitect of the moment, Bjarke Ingels of BIG.
Find out more here

April 27, 2015

Have a Beer with Friends on the Patio of This Former Brewery

If you're looking for a fun loft with a unique layout and some old world touches, you are going to love this two-bedroom condo at the Gramercy Park Habitat. Like all the units in this seven-story building, this $1.85 million recently renovated loft has remnants of its former life as a brewery, including wood beam ceilings, exposed columns, and exposed brick walls.
More pics after the jump

April 27, 2015

These Psychedelic, Geometric Landscapes Are Actually Google Earth Images

Let's face it, Google Earth, while incredibly helpful, is not the most esthetically pleasing thing we've ever seen, which is why we were shocked to learn that these beautiful landscapes are actually satellite images from the site. Argentinian artist Federico Winer's new series "Ultradistancia" features Google Earth shots from around the world that have been edited with different magnitudes, perspectives, colors, and luminosity. Winer feels that the resulting psychedelic and geometric landscapes are about "taking infinite tours over our planet from the marvelous screens of Google Earth to the encounter of geometries, shapes and topographies, natural and humans."
See more of Winer's images

Events & Things To Do

April 27, 2015

Who Billionaires Enlist to Manage Their Money May Surprise You; Pittsburgh the Next Brooklyn?

Let’s all move to Pittsburgh! [Brooklyn Based] A Navy SEAL, a yacht captain, a photographer and an archivist are just a few of the people Google’s Sergey Brin has enlisted to manage his billions and his life. [Bloomberg] Is Wall Street robbing your pension fund? [The New Yorker] ODA Architect‘s Nassau Street tower will be topped with […]

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

'Hunger Games' director Gary Ross lists his Cobble Hill townhouse for $10.6M

For $1.85M, this Chelsea co-op is a work of art

1860s Sag Harbor cottage has a designer's take on a lived-in vibe for $5.35M

For $3.35M, this 40-acre upstate retreat embodies the spirit of modernist architecture

7,000-square-foot 'wellness loft' in the West Village asks $25.8M, working phone booth included

This $1.55M Fort Hamilton home is ready for spring, inside and out

An elevator makes this $4.2M Greenpoint townhouse a timeless forever home

For $10.5M, a sunny yellow Mediterranean villa on the Upper East Side

Sting's former Central Park West pad is back on the market for $45M

Midtown East penthouse seen in 'Wolf of Wall Street' lists for $4.95M

VIEW ALL

April 27, 2015

The High and Low: Two Classic Central Park West Co-ops in the Celeb-Filled El Dorado

By Michelle Cohen

Inspired by all the talk of Demi Moore listing her San Remo penthouse for a potentially record-breaking $75 million, we found some even more fabulously grand Central Park West, Emery-Roth-designed, graciously pre-war detailed listings at the San Remo’s equally fabulous and celebrity-favored cousin, the El Dorado at 300 Central Park West. The "high" listing is exactly that: Not only a penthouse, but a rare offering that spans two floors of one of the iconic building's skyline-defining twin towers. And of course there's the view from your double-decker tower perch, which is the one that really counts. But before you lunge for your wallet (or if you're thinking you don't really need the square footage of a small walled city), the “low” listing is in the same famous and fabulous iconic building, and it’s even on a high floor. While it’s technically a one-bedroom, it has that classic pre-war co-op's gracious layout. And it’s asking $1.4 million, which, a few caveats aside, sounds astonishingly reasonable. And you still get to be neighbors with Meredith Viera and the lingering spirit of Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Moby, Bono and many more past residents.
The El Dorado for $29 million and $1.4 million, this way...

Distinctive Homes

April 27, 2015

Ikea’s Concept Kitchen 2025 Predicts We’ll Soon Use Smart Tables and Drone-Delivered Groceries

As part of Milan Design Week, Ikea has revealed their Concept Kitchen 2025, created in collaboration with London-based design firm IDEO and students from Sweden's Lund and Eindhoven universities. The futuristic kitchen prototype is based on predictions about what the world will be like ten years from now. It assumes we'll all be living a much greener, reduced lifestyle and technology such as smart tables and drone-delivered groceries will run kitchen operations.
Learn all about the modern kitchen prototype

April 27, 2015

VIDEO: Bjarke Ingels Discusses ‘Bigamy’ and Why Architecture Should Be Like Minecraft

With news breaking that Bjarke Ingels could be re-designing 2 World Trade Center, we thought now would be a great opportunity to peek into the creative mind behind modern architecture's most mind-bending and whimsical new additions. In this short film created for Dezeen, Ingels explains his theory of "Worldcraft" (a play on Minecraft) which posits that we should tear away from status quo architecture and instead turn our most "surreal dreams into inhabitable space." The feature is quite poetic and also provides plenty of insight into Ingels's design process and his most recent works—including a trash-mound-slash-waste-treatment-center-slash-power-plant-turned-ski-slope for Copenhagen that releases its steam in playful puff rings.
watch the video here

Architecture And Design

April 27, 2015

Secrets of Carnegie Hall; Bronx Residents Call 911 to Report UFO

Friday night’s VIP grand opening of the new Whitney was so packed with 3,000 people that the museum was worried about the art. [NYP] Inside the World Trade Center showroom. [Tribeca Citizen] Rats take at least 2,800 steps a day, but rarely go more than 600 feet from their birthplace. Find out how NYC’s rats get where they’re […]

Uncategorized

April 27, 2015

DHD Interiors’ Modern Loft Peacefully Coexists Among Gramercy Park’s 19th Century Homes

When we think of Gramercy Park it calls to mind stately 19th-century mansions, brownstones and carriage houses—and of course, the elusive crown jewel in the middle of it all, the park itself. But sharing the stage with the neighborhood's turn-of-the-century aesthetic are a number of newer developments that have an elegance all their own.
Have a look inside

Distinctive Homes

April 27, 2015

WSP Eco Map Tracks the Hidden Minetta Creek and Trees of Washington Square Park

It's easy to get distracted in Washington Square Park by all the NYU students and street performers, but there's a lot more than meets the eye in this historic public space. For instance, did you know the Minetta Creek runs under the park and through the surrounding neighborhood? Or what about all those beautiful trees, wouldn't it be fun to know a little more about them? With a new mobile map called the WSP Eco Map, you can identify the species of many trees in the park, locate other environmental park components like nesting boxes, and see exactly where the Minetta Brook/Creek is hiding.
Find out more here

Architecture And Design

April 25, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Interior Pictures Revealed for Demi Moore’s $75M San Remo Penthouse Subway Rent Map Shows Manhattan Rental Prices Along Each Train Line City’s First Micro-Apartment Project ‘MY Micro NY’ Ready for Stacking Charming ‘Back House’ Apartment Is a Tiny Treasure in the West Village New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential […]

Uncategorized

April 24, 2015

Soho’s MoMA Store May Shutter Because It Can’t Afford the Rent

Soho's rapidly rising rents have just taken another victim, this time the neighborhood institution potentially being booted is the area's beloved MoMA Design store at 81 Spring Street. Crain's reports that the owner of the three-level, 14,500-square-foot space wants an annual rent of $2.5 million—that's three times more than what the area was asking when MoMA took up residency over 13 years ago.
Find out more here

April 24, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Guy Zoda – a.k.a. King Henry – Entertains Brooklyn Cyclones Fans

By Susan Cohen

Baseball season is back in full swing, and though much of the sports chatter has been about the Mets' strong start and A-Rod's return after a season-long suspension, we have our attention focused on the city's two minor league teams–the Mets- affiliated Brooklyn Cyclones and the Yankees-affiliated Staten Island Yankees. Come June 19th, these two teams will be starting their seasons with a game against each other. With the big game under two months away, Guy Zoda is getting ready to reprise his role in community outreach and promotions for the Brooklyn Cyclones, or, more specifically, as fan favorite King Henry. As an entertainer and performer, Guy came up with the character King Henry years ago. He produced and starred in a community access show called “The King Henry Show,” which aired in 30 cities from New York to Hawaii and won a home video award in 2008. On a whim in the early 2000s, he donned his King Henry costume and made his royal presence known at a Cyclones game. What started out as fun for fans later turned into professional entertaining at home games and a community position with the team. We recently spoke with Guy about Brooklyn, his love for entertaining, and what makes minor league baseball special.
See what King Henry has to say

Imagine the Possibilities in This $2.5M Central Park West Triplex with Verdant Garden

It's build-your-own-dream-home time! Here's a look at a completely gutted brownstone triplex right off Central Park. This 2,100-square-foot pad provides the perfect excuse to grab your interior designer and unleash your imagination. The space includes the parlor, garden level, and basement of a prewar co-op, with a 750-square-foot backyard. And it can be yours for $2.495 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 24, 2015

Maps Compare NYC’s Footprint to Other Cities Around the World

Considering that the world's population can fit inside New York City, it's easy to believe that our great metropolis is the biggest city around. But is that actually true? A fun new mapping series from storage site SpareFoot takes an overlay of NYC's footprint and places it over other major cities, countries, and landmarks from the around the world. The visuals are helpful in seeing how easily we can misrepresent size in our heads. For example, as SpareFoot notes, "New York's 8.4 million residents make it the 21st most populous city in the world (when measuring within the city limits) and of course first in the United States. By area, the 305 square miles of land delineated by its city limits make it the 24th largest city in the US by land area." And internationally, it doesn't even make the list of top 250 largest cities by land, reports Gothamist. Just look at London--it's nearly twice the size of New York. Yet Boston and San Francisco are about 1/6 the size of NYC.
See how NYC stacks up to the competition here

City Living

April 24, 2015

Brooklyn’s Historic Tracy Mansion to be Turned Into Condos; Sinatra’s Former Penthouse Sells for $5M

The historic Tracy Mansion will be carved into seven residential units. [TRD] Frank Sinatra’s former UES penthouse has sold for $5 million. [WSJ] Norman Foster’s new building at 100 East 53rd Street is on the rise. [A Fine Blog] Turns out 190 Bowery’s graffiti isn’t safe after all. The ground floor tenant will have the […]

Real Estate Trends

EVENT: FDNY to Mark Its 150th Anniversary with Citywide Firehouse Tour!

Engine 33 via Eric on Flickr

April 24, 2015

EVENT: FDNY to Mark Its 150th Anniversary with Citywide Firehouse Tour!

Firehouses represent some of the most beautiful architecture in New York City, and now instead of just peeking inside through the windows (or ogling the FDNY calendar) you'll have the chance to get up close and personal with these firehouses (and maybe even some of the calendar models). To mark its 150th anniversary, the FDNY is hosting a citywide open house on Saturday, May 2nd where the public will be welcomed inside.
Find out more here

April 24, 2015

Infographic: Here’s NYC’s Immigration Patterns over 387 Years

We often talk about specific neighborhoods' immigration history–Little Germany in the East Village, El Barrio in East Harlem, or the capital of Jewish America on the Lower East Side. But when we look at the city as a whole, there's been some pretty interesting immigration patterns over its nearly-400-year history. To visualize this timeline, the data gurus over at Metrocosm have put together an interactive infographic that shows the change in these immigration waves from 1626 to 2013 and how they relate to world events regarding these given countries.
READ MORE

April 24, 2015

Vasily Klyukin’s ‘Top Sexy’ Skyscraper Concept Shows Some Serious Leg

Just when you thought skyscraper design couldn't get any more out there, Vasily Klyukin's vision for a FiDi tower blows even the tallest of towers out of the water. Unquestionably a very eye-catching and provocative—if not downright weird—design, Klyukin's "Top Sexy Tower" concept is inspired by the stems of fashion models who can be found stomping across the streets of Manhattan.
Find out more, plus other photos here

Architecture And Design

April 24, 2015

Floridians Pay $8.5M a Year in NYC Parking Tickets; New York’s Biggest Import Is Diamonds

Here’s five subway lines New York hasn’t built but should. [CityLab] The Tenement Museum is crowdfunding to preserve and repair its building at 97 Orchard Street. [Bowery Boogie] Floridians pay the most in NYC parking tickets outside of the Northeast. Those from Wyoming pay the least. See how much each state, and some countries, pay per year. [I Quant NY] Map […]

Uncategorized

April 24, 2015

Lofty Greenwich Village Condo Offers Plenty of Space to Show Off Your Art

By Emily Nonko

This is not your artsy Greenwich Village apartment of the beatnik era. The condo at 29 East 10th Street, which takes up the entire second floor, is more along the lines of "luxury loft living." It has been renovated with custom lighting and exposed brickwork to accommodate the seller's impressive, sometimes kooky, art collection. And it seems like unique design is a trend of the building, which is a former 19th century feather factory. Last year an impressive condo hit the market here asking $14.995 million. This new apartment is asking significantly less, priced at $3.95 million.
See more of the interior photos here

April 23, 2015

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Take a Tour Inside the Brand New Whitney Museum!

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

May 1st will mark a new era for the Whitney when its brand new home along the High Line swings its doors open to the public for the first time. A project that has been decades in the making, the $422 million structure designed by Renzo Piano is a game changer for a museum that had long outgrown its Upper East Side space. Boasting a whopping 220,000 square feet of column-free spaces, this glass and steel behemoth is a dynamic assemblage of shapes and angles, and perfectly outfitted to host the Whitney Museum's 22,000 works and then some. Though the museum won't officially open for another few days, this morning 6sqft joined a trove of celebrants at the pre-opening preview of the new High Line-hugging masterpiece. Take an exclusive photo tour with us inside ahead.
All the photos here

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

VIEW ALL

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/23-4/28

Image: Sakura Matsuri at the BK Botanical Garden by Liz Ligon

April 23, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/23-4/28

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 ArtNerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers, beginning tonight! Spring means another week of great events, kicking off with one of my own at the fabulous historic Roger Smith Hotel. This week, spend 12 hours celebrating philosophy, shop the best in home design for a cause, enjoy the authentic Lower East Side, or let art save your soul at the Rubin Museum. You can also celebrate spring Japanese style at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, take a selfie at Rockefeller Center, or school yourself at the Guggenheim.
All the best events here

April 23, 2015

Reality Star Bethenny Frankel Revealed as Buyer of $4.2M Soho Loft

By Annie Doge

If you've been following the roller coaster that is reality television star Bethenny Frankel's life, you know that she started out as a single, struggling entrepreneur on "Real Housewives of New York City." She then launched the Skinny Girl margarita, sold the brand to Jim Beam for a reported $120 million, got married and had a daughter, filed for divorced, and rejoined the Housewives. On the recent season of the show, she considers herself "the richest homeless person in Manhattan," as her ex-husband stayed in their $5 million Tribeca apartment at 195 Hudson Street. We think Frankel's use of the word "homeless" is a little ridiculous considering she was splitting her time between lavish Hamptons rentals and high-end Manhattan hotels, but the Daily News has revealed that the Skinny Girl is actually the owner of apartment 2D at 22 Mercer Street in Soho. A nomad no more, Frankel is waiting to move into the gorgeous loft, which she bought about seven months ago for $4.2 million, until renovations are complete. But judging by the photos of the home, we can't imagine there'd be that much to change.
Take a look around here

April 23, 2015

Billionaire Wins Deposit Back After Ditched Penthouse Purchase; LGA’s $4B Revamp Could Be Delayed Again

A billionaire who canceled his purchase of a $27.5M penthouse at 1107 Fifth Avenue—which also happens to be NYC’s first-ever penthouse—will get his $2.75M deposit refunded to him. Carlos Rodriguez Pastor didn’t want to share his terrace with neighbors in the building. [NYDN] If the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey doesn’t pick a winning […]

Real Estate Trends

United Nations Tower Has Floating Wrap-Around Gardens, Will Be New World’s Skinniest Tower

Renderings via ODA

April 23, 2015

United Nations Tower Has Floating Wrap-Around Gardens, Will Be New World’s Skinniest Tower

Just last month, Perkins + Will announced a new 65-story, 700-foot, pencil-thin tower coming to 37th Street. But it wasn't the height or slender design that got our attention; it was the sky-high gardens, five clusters of shared amenity and park spaces located at specific intervals on the building. Now, this project will be joined by another urban garden wonder near the United Nations. The Daily News reveals today renderings from ODA Architects of a super-skinny, 41-story, 600-foot skyscraper at 303 East 44th Street that will feature "six 16-foot-high gaps in the façade — each filled with a full-floor, canopied green space that will wrap around the core of the tower." These floating gardens will occupy the 2,600-square-foot floor plates, which are far smaller than the 4,800-square-foot floor plates at 111 West 57th Street, which has therefore lost its title of will-be world's skinniest tower.
More details ahead

April 23, 2015

A Clawfoot Tub Resides in the Middle of This $2.7M Soho Loft’s Bedroom

Oh how we love Soho’s Cast Iron District. Its cobblestone streets and classic facades set the stage so beautifully for the lofts within. Wide open floor plans showered with an abundance of natural light courtesy of big, bold windows. Soaring 12-foot ceilings and original cast iron columns scattered about serving as a lovely reminder of the area’s industrial roots. And the 1,800-square-foot residence at 19 Greene Street is no exception—plus it comes with a little something extra for its $2.7M price tag: an unusually placed clawfoot tub in the home’s sleeping quarters. Though we’ve written about showers and bathtubs in kitchens (and scratched our heads at the thought), the current owner of this loft just might be on to something. How nice would it be to take a long, luxurious soak and then slip into bed for the evening? Of course, if the virtually wall-less layout leaves you feeling a bit too exposed, you can always avail yourself of the rain shower in the more traditional bathroom.
See more of this classic Soho loft

Distinctive Homes

April 23, 2015

What to do During Lower East Side History Month; Number of NYC Cyclists Tripled over Past Ten Years

There’s a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central. [Business Insider] Grand Central also used to have its own movie theater. [Gothamist] Lower East Side History Month kicks off in May. Here’s a list of all the events, including exhibits, walking tours, film screenings, and more. [The Lo-Down] If you’re looking […]

Uncategorized

April 23, 2015

Architectural Saviors: NYC Landmarks Saved from Destruction

Yesterday we rounded up some of the most heinous crimes committed against architecture in New York City, but today we're taking a look at the sunnier side of things. Our list of architectural saviors includes sites saved from the wrecking ball, as well as those that have remained intact and been adaptively reused. And with city-wide preservationists celebrating this year's 50th anniversary of the landmarks law, what better time to take a look back?
View our list of architectural saviors

April 23, 2015

One New York Passerby a Month Is Injured from Construction Work

After last month's construction accident at the Greenwich Lane site in the Village, in which a piece of flying plywood killed a young woman named Tina Nguyen who was just walking by, the Wall Street Journal investigated construction injuries to passersby (not construction workers). Their analysis of Department of Buildings data shows that on average one passerby per month is injured at a New York City construction site. According to the paper, "From 2008 through 2014, there were 96 construction accidents involving pedestrians and other passersby in New York City, resulting in 155 injuries. More than three-quarters of the accidents took place in Manhattan."
More details ahead

City Living

April 23, 2015

$5.2M Retro-Glam Tribeca Duplex Is a True Labor of Love

It's already a brag-worthy feat to own an apartment that was designed by an award-winning architect, but it's even more brag-worthy to own one that was lovingly designed by that architect for her very own sister and her family. That's why when we tell you that this 2,783-square-foot Tribeca pad in the landmarked Sugar Warehouse condominium is a gem, we mean it. The retro glam duplex loft was a collaboration between designer Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, her mother Louise Ruhle, and her sister, the homeowner, Stephanie Ruhle Hubbard. That's right, even Mom was involved. So you know that every nook and cranny of this $5.2 million duplex loft was lovingly tended to.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 22, 2015

Subway Rent Map Shows Manhattan Rental Prices Along Each Train Line

The folks over at Thrillist have put together the fun new Manhattan Subway Rent Map, which shows "where you can't afford to live, by stop." The figures come from the median rent per bedroom near every Manhattan subway stop. For the most part, the trends are what you'd expect -- prices along the 4, 5, 6 line get incredibly lower above 96th Street; living near a 14th Street train station will cost you; and the A, C, E train carries pretty steep prices throughout Manhattan until you reach 125th Street. But what's interesting is that the 59th Street corridor reigns supreme, with prices across the board coming in around $2,800.
See the full map here

April 22, 2015

Crimes Against Architecture: Treasured NYC Landmarks Purposely Destroyed or Damaged

At Monday's MCNY symposium “Redefining Preservation for the 21st Century,” starchitect Robert A.M. Stern lamented about 2 Columbus Circle and its renovation that rendered it completely unrecognizable. What Stern saw as a modernist architectural wonder, notable for its esthetics, cultural importance (it was built to challenge MoMA and the prevailing architectural style at the time), and history (the building originally served as a museum for the art collection of Huntington Hartford), others saw as a hulking grey slab. Despite the efforts of Stern and others to have the building landmarked, it was ultimately altered completely. This story is not unique; there are plenty of worthy historic buildings in New York City that have been heavily changed, let to fall into disrepair, or altogether demolished. And in many of these cases, the general public realized their significance only after they were destroyed. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the NYC landmarks law, we've rounded up some of the most cringe-worthy crimes committed against architecture.
Check out our list right here

April 22, 2015

Living Green: Mapping NYC’s Newest LEED Rated Residential Constructions

Happy Earth Day, friends! As climate change weighs heavy on many of our minds, it’s relief to know that there are developers and architects working hard to create a healthier, more sustainable built environment. Eco-friendly residential design has been on the rise in NYC over the last decade, with buildings today boasting everything from solar panels to greywater […]

April 22, 2015

S. Bronx Next ‘It’ Area According to Experts; Liam Gallagher Slashes Price of His Essex House Pad

More and more hipsters are flocking to South Bronx. Real estate experts are eyeing it as the next big thing. [DNA Info] We’re not sure why leopard print walls would be a hard sell, but Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has cut the price his Central Park South pad to $3.1 million, down from $4 million. […]

Real Estate Trends

April 22, 2015

Hexagonal Hamptons Beach Bungalow Has Quirky Checkered Floors and Beamed Ceilings

It's not all Real Housewives of NYC and mega-mansions out on the Hamptons. In fact, one of the cutest houses on the island (in our humble opinion) is on the market for just $595,000. Located in East Hampton at 73 Waterhole Road, this beach bungalow stands out on the exterior for its charming hexagonal shape and on the interior for its funky hand-painted checkered floors and rustic cedar beamed ceilings. And if that wasn't enough, the house sits on a large lot adjacent to a preserve and near a private residents-only beach and marina.
See more here

April 22, 2015

Stuyvesant Heights Townhouse Offers Three Kinds of ‘Green’ for $1.45M

This multi-family townhouse at 633 Macdonough Street in Stuyvesant Heights is an exquisite combination of high-end renovations and beautifully restored details—and green in more ways than one. Fully renovated in 2011 and impeccably maintained, this three-story home features a new EPDM roof with an environmentally-friendly solar array (green #1), an income-producing rental on the top floor (green #2), and your very own garden (green #3).
See more of this very green home

Distinctive Homes

April 22, 2015

Giant Hello Kitty Sculpture Coming to Midtown; NYC Is a Good Place for the 65+ Crowd

Data shows that taxi drivers are costing commuters money when making trips to LaGuardia. [Value Penguin] A nine-foot Hello Kitty Time Capsule is coming to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. The translucent sculpture will get filled with people’s memories. [Untapped] Take a ride on one of NYC’s tugboats, which are making a comeback in marine freight towing. [Animal] How Earth Day […]

Uncategorized

April 22, 2015

Park Slope’s Iconic Pavilion Theater to Be Demolished for a Morris Adjmi-Designed Residential Project

Back in December we revealed that Park Slope's iconic Pavilion Theater may be going residential after scoping out renderings on the website of architecture firm Architecture Outfit, which showed two possible schemes. The first was a six-story residential building rising behind the theater’s sublime Moorish façade and from a neighboring lot just south of the theater, and the second was a plan that preserved the theater in its entirety, limiting construction to the neighboring lot. Now, The Real Deal reports that Hidrock Realty, who bought the theater in 2006 for $16 million, has officially filed plans to build a six-story, 24-unit building on the site at 188 Prospect Park West, replacing the theater. And the architect of record is none other than Morris Adjmi, well known for his ability to create structures that seamlessly blend with their historic surroundings while still displaying subtle, modern touches. But since the theater is part of the Park Slope Historic District, this plan will likely not be so cut-and-dried.
More details on the project ahead

New Developments

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

April 22, 2015

Live in This Modern Medieval Marvel for $6,200/Month

If you prefer medieval architecture, consider this three-bedroom Morningside Heights unit at the Brittania, available for $6,200 a month. The layout of this apartment is referred to as a "classic seven," referring to a popular style in pre-1940s New York that included three bedrooms, a formal dining room, and a separate maid's room. The condo also has original details like wood floors, crown molding, and cathedral ceilings.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 21, 2015

City’s First Micro-Apartment Project ‘MY Micro NY’ Ready for Stacking

By Ondel Hylton

Just in time for Earth Day, New York's first micro-unit apartment building, dubbed My Micro NY, is entering its final construction phase. When finished later this year, urbanites will have a chance to live within the center of the city in a brand new building flush with amenities, all for under $3,000. Developed by Monadnock Development and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the soon-to-be-nine-story structure wrapped up foundation work this past winter, and a one-story steel platform is ready to receive 55 modular units. The units are currently being built off-site at the Brooklyn Navy Yard by a team of 50 workers. In late May, the units will be shipped to the Gramercy Park lot at 335 East 27th Street where they will be stacked and bolted together along with stairs, an elevator, and other shared spaces.
More details ahead

April 21, 2015

St. Patrick’s Cathedral Reveals $177M Restoration, Now What?

By Penelope Bareau

"Is that St. Patrick's Cathedral?" asked the passerby. "Yes. It's just been cleaned." "So that's why I didn't recognize it. I was looking for something gray." To the pleasure of all, St. Pat's has emerged from its cocoon and it is brilliant to behold. Scaffolding is still up inside the cathedral, sharing the space with worshippers; and work may go on through the rest of this year. It is an enormous building, after all, occuping a full city block between 50th and 51st Street, and Fifth and Madison Avenues. On the outside the building was always impressive; now it is magnificent. It makes one think of the panoply and power of the Church, stately processions, gorgeous robes, bejeweled crosses and cardinals' rings, incantations of the priests and congregation extolling the glory of God. It also makes one think of the cost—$177 million—and wonder how far that money would go to aid the poor and feed the hungry of the earth, traditional missions of Christianity. Not very far, maybe, since world hunger is not assuaged by one meal. But to be a glittering promise of sublime afterlife for millions—that is conceivably worth it.
What's next for St. Patrick's?

Uncategorized

April 21, 2015

Asking Double Its 2012 Price, Brooding West Village Townhouse Features a Two-Story Wall of Glass

Every now and then a Cool Listing comes along that is so spectacular we find ourselves at a loss for words. Well, not today. That’s because there’s so much to share about this incredibly sumptuous home at 75 Bedford Street in the West Village we’re afraid we’ll run out of room! Let’s start with those responsible for our enthusiasm–namely, M.N. Ahari, architect for the recent renovation, and interior designer Fernando Santangelo, the genius behind one of Hollywood’s havens for the rich-and-famous, the Chateau Marmont, who transformed this historic townhouse from an all-white Zen oasis into a brooding bachelor pad for his friend James Oakley, a filmmaker who originally hails from Tennessee. Oakley, whose stepfather owns the Cleveland Browns, bought the home in 2012 for $5.8 million, but after the extensive renovation he's now looking to unload the residence for $12.5 million.
See why there's so much to talk about

Distinctive Homes

April 21, 2015

Charming ‘Back House’ Apartment Is a Tiny Treasure in the West Village