6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

There’s a new rental available in up-and-coming Gowanus, and it’s asking $2,550 per month. This one-bedroom has a shared garden and laundry facilities along with a dizzying black-and-white checkered bathroom that will either make you fall in love or just get really disoriented. But even if that's not your thing, charming original details like tin ceilings and wide-plank hardwood floors more than make up for it.
Check out the rest of the rental

Distinctive Homes

February 15, 2015

Check Out Studio Benjamin Dillenburger’s Wild ‘Phenomena’ Submission for MoMA’s 2015 YAP

Last week, MoMA PS1 announced the winning design for this year’s Young Architects Program (YAP), which will be featured this summer in the Long Island City museum’s outdoor courtyard. The top spot went to Andrés Jaque of the Office for Political Innovation for COSMO, a moveable environmental artifact made out of customized irrigation components. And while this interactive water purification sculpture is highly deserving, the runners-up shouldn't be ignored. Among the short list of finalists was Phenomena by Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer of Studio Benjamin Dillenburger, which "addressed the idea of phenomenology in design, creating an experiential space that stimulates all the senses and hosts multiple programs." It combines a performance space, a highly articulated projection screen, and an ornate fountain, challenging how people experience live events by making the viewer part of the production.
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February 14, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Adrian Grenier Buys Five-Story Clinton Hill Townhouse for $2.1 Million Mapping Where in NYC Millennials Live PlaceInvaders Invites You to Have Dinner in NYC’s Most Extraordinary Private Homes What Would NYC Look Like If Sea Levels Rose 100 Feet? Joan Rivers’ Legendary Upper East Side Penthouse Is on the Market for $28M Would You Live […]

Uncategorized

February 13, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Curator Sarah Forbes on the Museum of Sex (It’s Not Exactly What You Think It Is)

By Susan Cohen

If you've walked along lower Fifth Avenue, then the Museum of Sex most certainly has caught your eye; maybe you've even visited it and seen a few of the exhibits curated by Sarah Forbes. Sarah is the museum's sole curator, which means it's her job to conceive and oversee exhibitions on a myriad of topics related to sex. Her goal is the same as the museum's goal: to expand visitors' horizons and to dispel myths and misconceptions that are out there. Beyond educating the public through its oftentimes provocative exhibits, the Museum of Sex is dedicated to sharing information and artwork through its permanent collection of over 15,000 artifacts as well as its research library and media archive. With Valentine's Day approaching, we couldn't think of a better time to chat with Sarah to find out more about New York's relationship with sex, how the museum helps the city understand it differently, and why it's the perfect spot to celebrate the holiday.
Read on for our interview with Sarah

February 13, 2015

Would You Live on the 13th Floor of a Building? A Look at Our Irrational Fear of Numbers

In honor of Friday the 13th, The Atlantic took a look at the number 13—and namely how obsessively superstitious some individuals can be when it comes to certain digits and our inclination to apply a deeper meaning to them. 18, for instance, is chai in Hebrew, which means life; while number 2 represents balance and cooperation in Chinese; and of course we're all familiar with the divine and oh-so-lucky number 7. But then there's 13, a number generally looked upon as especially sinister, particularly in Western culture. In fact, 13 is so suspect that there's even a scientific name for the fear of the number: triskaidekaphobia (a fear of Friday the 13th the date is called paraskevidekatriaphobia, by the way). But here's the funnest bit in the piece that really grabbed our attention: Taking a closer look at New York's residential buildings with the help of CityRealty, they found that of the 629 buildings with 13 or more floors, only 55 had labeled the 13th floor as the 13th floor—that's only 9 percent of the total. Common placeholders they found were 14, 12B, 14A, M (the 13th letter in the alphabet) or simply "Penthouse" if the top unit sat on the 13th floor.
More from the 13th Floor here

February 13, 2015

Park Slope Brownstone with Seven Fireplaces Checks All the Boxes for $3.2M

From its meticulously maintained façade to the oh-so-gorgeous interior details to the amazing private garden, this well-loved four-story residence at 113 6th Avenue is what Park Slope brownstone living is all about. Twelve-foot-high tray ceilings welcome you into the well-apportioned living room, where extra-tall windows drench the sizable space with sunlight and a stunning marble fireplace makes a grand impression as one of the home's seven warm hearths.
See how many fireplaces you can find

Distinctive Homes

February 13, 2015

Harlem’s Affordable Live/Work Space for Artists Complete; Why Long Island is Dying

Leasing has begun at the newly renovated luxury homes at Shorecrest Towers at Trump Village. The homes, located in Coney Island, start at $1,500 for studios, $1,650 for one-bedrooms and $2,332 for two-bedrooms. [6sqft inbox] Three reasons Long Island isn’t seeing any growth when compared to other suburbs. [CityLab] HHL Architects has complete work on Artspace […]

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

This $3.5M Noho co-op remembers the origins of loft living

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

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

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

The kitchen in this $1.53M Murray Hill co-op is like a ray of sunshine

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

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

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

$10.25M Chelsea condo atop Shigeru Ban's Metal Shutter Houses is everything a penthouse should be

This $4M Park Slope duplex is house-sized, with condo simplicity and outdoor space

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Love Set in Stone: Bring Your Date on a Valentine’s Day Trolley Ride in Green-Wood Cemetery

Expect conditions to be a little more, um, icy. Photo courtesy of Green-Wood Cemetery

February 13, 2015

Love Set in Stone: Bring Your Date on a Valentine’s Day Trolley Ride in Green-Wood Cemetery

By Michelle Cohen

What could be more romantic than a cozy mid-winter afternoon trolley ride through one of NYC’s most interesting national historic landmarks, Green-Wood Cemetery? Celebrate this most romantic of holidays with a bit of a gothic twist: Expert guide Ruth Edebohls will lead a tour highlighting historic power couples, romantic monuments and tales of love everlasting, both triumphant and grim. You can also view Civil War love letters […]

February 13, 2015

Valentines for the Architect in Your Life; How the City Melts Snow with “Hot Tubs”

Have a special architect in your life? Send them one of these valentines. [ArchDaily] Looking into how the city removes snow using “hot tubs.” [Gothamist] Does new restaurant Cooklyn have the most Brooklyn branding ever? [Fast Co. Design] A replica of Manhattan in China, complete with knock-offs of Rockefeller Center and the Hudson River, is a […]

Uncategorized

February 13, 2015

Tiny Brooklyn Apartment Is Covered with 25,000 Ping Pong Balls

From afar, the walls of this tiny Brooklyn apartment look they're covered in geometric wallpaper, but get up close and you're in for quite the surprise. Daniel Arsham, partner and co-founder of Snarkitecture, a cross-disciplinary firm that blends art and architecture, used 25,000 ping pong balls that had lost their bounce to create this incredible wall mosaic as part of an accelerated design experiment.
More on this incredible design

February 13, 2015

OBRA Architects’ Centrifugal Villa Is a Wooden Home with a Hollow Heart

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

OBRA Architects' Centrifugal Villa is not your average wooden family home. Located on a five-acre site in Southampton, it overlooks a pristine agricultural reserve framing the green landscape through its many all-around windows. Its name comes from its original circular layout, which in the architects' own words, is "arranged around a hollow center, as if the heart of the house had somehow fallen outside its body."
Learn more about this centrifugal wooden home

February 13, 2015

Joseph D’Urso-Designed Penthouse in Gramercy Park Asks $3.4M

There’s a gorgeous new penthouse available at 215 East 22nd Street, right in the heart of coveted Gramercy Park. Interior designer Joseph D’Urso went for a minimalist industrial take on this duplex, which is part of the Gramercy Habitat condominium. And with rich wood to add warmth, this lofty $3.35 million condo is a surefire winner.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

February 12, 2015

The Meatpacking District: From the Original Farmers’ Market to High-End Fashion Scene

By Penelope Bareau

Why is it called the Meatpacking District when there are only six meat packers there, down from about 250? Inertia, most likely. The area has seen so many different uses over time, and they're so often mercantile ones that Gansevoort Market would probably be a better name for it. Located on the shore of the Hudson River, it's a relatively small district in Manhattan stretching from Gansevoort Street at the foot of the High Line north to and including West 14th Street and from the river three blocks east to Hudson Street. Until its recent life as a go-to high fashion mecca, it was for almost 150 years a working market: dirty, gritty, and blood-stained.
Read the full history here

History

New Report Shows It’s More Expensive to Rent in Queens than in Brooklyn

Ridgewood via Cameron Baylock

February 12, 2015

New Report Shows It’s More Expensive to Rent in Queens than in Brooklyn

A new report released today by Douglas Elliman shows that Queens has surpassed Brooklyn in most expensive rents. The median montly rent in Western Queens rose to $2,905 in January, a 30.7 percent jump from the same time last year. That's $4 more than North and Northwest Brooklyn's median rent, which only rose 2.5 percent to $2,901. We shouldn't be so surprised, though. With constant news of skyrocketing prices in Brooklyn, a lot of attention has been turned to Queens, especially up-and-coming neighborhoods like Ridgewood, as well as already-established hip spots such as Long Island City and Astoria.
READ MORE

Real Estate Trends

February 12, 2015

Following a Two-Year Renovation, Park Slope’s ‘Lighthouse’ Asks $7.5M

A gut-renovated four-story townhouse on Garfield Place has just hit the market, asking $7.5 million. The owners of the “Lighthouse,” as it’s been christened, paid $2.6 million for it back in 2012. Then they hauled in the big guns—CWB Architects, Tamara Eaton Design, and Pilaster Contracting—to give it an intense two-year makeover. The result is a gorgeous five-bedroom home with Dinesen Douglas fir floors, a solarium, 880 square feet of exterior space, and a new two-story glass extension and rear wall.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

February 12, 2015

$30M Mega-Mansion Coming to Soho; New Developments Heating up the Jamaica Real Estate Market

A massive, 13,000-square-foot mega-mansion is coming to Soho. Madison Equities will combine two existing townhouse development sites to create a completely customizable $30 million home. [NYDN] Several mega projects coming to Jamaica may prove to be the real estate tipping point for the Queens ‘hood. [TRD] Hudson Yards developers get $180 million in tax breaks. […]

Real Estate Trends

re-fashioNYC Makes It Easy to Clean Out Your Closet by Coming to You

By Michelle Cohen

NYC Fashion Week kicks off today–what better time to de-clutter, de-hoard, and make some room in your closet. Every year New Yorkers jettison approximately 200,000 tons of clothing, shoes, handbags and other textiles and clothing items. re-fashioNYC is a partnership between the NYC Department of Sanitation and Housing Works that is making it easier than ever to donate those items instead. The convenient in-building service will supply collection bins to your apartment building (with over 10 units), workplace, gym, school or other public building, then collect the contents whenever the bins are full. re-fashioNYC is completely nonprofit and charitable–all proceeds from donations support the charitable mission of Housing Works to end homelessness and AIDS. Nothing donated is sent to landfills.
Find out more

City Living

February 12, 2015

Spectacular Park Slope Mansion Comes with Private Parking and a Twice-Reduced Price

A short walk from Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza is a row of four neo-classical townhouses that have been presiding over Plaza Street West in Park Slope since the late 1800s. Anyone strolling past will be instantly charmed by the intricately carved cornices, striking wrought iron doors, and relief-cast designs gracing the limestone façades. As beautiful as they are on the outside, one can only imagine what treasures can be found inside. And the residence at #5 does not disappoint.
Check out this home's spectacular interior

Distinctive Homes

February 12, 2015

New Yorkers Love a Good Ferry Ride; The High Line Looked a Lot Different in 2003

The city will receive $480 million in FEMA funds to repair the Rockaway boardwalk damaged during Hurricane Sandy. [NYDN] Ferry ridership along the East and Hudson rivers is up seven percent, and on the Staten Island ferry ridership is up by one million. [NYP] Now that Fashion Week won’t be welcomed back to Lincoln Center, here are five alternative […]

Uncategorized

The MTA Has More Debt Than Cuba, Iceland and at Least 28 Other Nations

Image via nycsubway.org

February 12, 2015

The MTA Has More Debt Than Cuba, Iceland and at Least 28 Other Nations

By Annie Doge

The MTA's $15 billion 2015-2019 Capital Plan funding gap may sound like a staggering amount, but the current debt that the agency carries ($34.1 billion to be exact) is apparently bigger than that of Cuba, Syria and Jamaica's total debt. In fact, according to a new Straphangers campaign, more than 30 nations have less debt than the MTA.
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February 12, 2015

Carmelo and LaLa Anthony Score an $11 Million Pad Overlooking the High Line

By Annie Doge

New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and wife LaLa have been on the hunt for a Chelsea home since last fall, and after touring countless multi-million dollar homes (like this one and this one) it looks like the pair have settled on a High Line-adjacent condo at Cary Tamarkin’s new 10-story, 15-unit complex at 508 West 24th Street. The Post reports that the hoopster is putting down $11 million for a massive full-floor home.
Check it out here

February 12, 2015

Pier 55 Floating Park Moves Forward with a Lease Deal

Last we heard about Pier55–the 2.4-acre futuristic floating park and performance space proposed by billionaire media mogul Barry Diller that would jut 186 feet into the Hudson at 13th Street–Community Board 2 had mixed feelings about the project. They liked Thomas Heatherwick's design, but cited concern over the lack of transparency from Diller and the Hudson River Park Trust. Despite these feelings, though, we've learned today from the Times that the Trust approved a lease agreement with Pier 55 Inc., a nonprofit group controlled by Diller, to help develop the $130 million public space. Diller has already pledged $113 million toward the project through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation (his wife is fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg). So, what's next?
What's to come for Pier 55

Architecture And Design

HBO’s Robert Durst Crime Documentary Series Premieres, Is Creepy but Fascinating

Photo: HBO

February 12, 2015

HBO’s Robert Durst Crime Documentary Series Premieres, Is Creepy but Fascinating

By Michelle Cohen

“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” the six-part HBO documentary series about the black-sheep older brother of commercial developer Douglas Durst of the multibillion dollar Durst Organization (developers of One World Trade Center), premiered on February 8th. Andrew Jirecki, the director of the series, has a long-held fascination with the program's subject, first directing a feature film, “All Good Things,” in 2010, starring Ryan Gosling in the Durst role. Robert Durst sat for over 20 hours of interviews with the filmmaker–the basis of the controversial series, the draw of which is that it “stars” Robert Durst (now 71) as himself.
more on the series here

The New Broadway Plan Could Bring 3,000 Housing Units to West Harlem, 50 Percent Will Be Affordable

Broadway and 146th Street, a typical stretch in West Harlem

February 11, 2015

The New Broadway Plan Could Bring 3,000 Housing Units to West Harlem, 50 Percent Will Be Affordable

You may remember the Harlem Promenade project, which proposed transferring air rights over the Amtrak rail lines in West Harlem to create affordable housing and using the sale of the air rights to pay for $170 million in community improvements in Hamilton Heights, including a High Line-esque park. We've now learned that the project has taken on a new life as the New Broadway Plan, which may be smaller in scope than the original plan, but would be the largest creation of affordable housing in Manhattan since 1959 if fully realized. It would also make a huge dent in Mayor De Blasio's goal of creating or preserving 200,000 affordable units over ten years. The Plan proposes a rezoning of portions of Broadway from 125th to 155th Streets in order to build 3,000 new units of housing, 50 percent of which will be permanently affordable, and to equalize the amount of new affordable to market rate housing stock, which is currently at a disproportionate ratio of 20 percent to 80 percent, respectively.
Get the scoop here

February 11, 2015

A New Bjarke Ingels or Rem Koolhaas-Designed Development Could Be Coming to the High Line

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

The High Line is continuing its trajectory as the destination for the city's most exciting new architecture, and it looks like another starchitect could soon join the already impressive roster of designers making their mark on the area. The New York Post reports that HFZ Capital Group is currently in the works to bring a "monumental" new structure to a lot located next to the elevated park at 76 11th Avenue—a site that spans from 17th to 18th and across 10th to 11th Avenues. Although the parcel is still in contract (expected to close in April), HFZ has reportedly already tapped Bjarke Ingels (BIG) and Rem Koolhaas for initial drawings, which were revealed by the company's head, Ziel Feldman, yesterday at the Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association luncheon. The renderings are said to show "triangular structures that won't block views".
Find out more here

Architecture And Design

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VIEW ALL

February 11, 2015

Experience the City’s Skyscrapers in Cartoons with The New Yorker’s Bob Mankoff

Condé Nast's move into One World Trade Center means more than just the offices of Vogue settling in downtown, but also some other 3,000-odd editors, writers and advertising folks that make up the publishing giant's empire. Amongst these magazines is, of course, The New Yorker. In this week's installment of the magazine's "Cartoon Lounge," cartoon editor and cartoonist Bob Mankoff takes a moment to commemorate the magazine's move into the supertall icon by musing over the skyscrapers that have appeared in The New Yorker since the city's 1920s building boom. From his office on the 38th floor of One World Trade, watch as he shares his favorite cartoons and his own experience of seeing the New York City skyline as a kid in Queens. This video is sure to make you smile!
Watch the video here

February 11, 2015

11 Beach Penthouse Asks $22.5M; How a Broker Knows a Couple Will Break Up

11 Beach in Tribeca is now 50% sold. The building’s Penthouse B has also just hit the market for $22.5 million. [6sqft inbox] Six ways a broker knows that you’re in a doomed relationship. [DNA Info] Why would anyone buy a $100 million apartment and let it sit empty? It’s art. [NYT] Former Yankees pitcher David Cone has sold […]

Real Estate Trends

February 11, 2015

CWB Architects’ Bug Acres Uses a Screened Porch to Bring the Outdoors In

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Standing among an idyllic garden with centenarian trees, a stream and granite rocks, this beautiful Woodstock retreat is perfect for a relaxing weekend away. Dubbed "Bug Acres," it was built to replace an old property that used to stand on the same site, and it was exclusively designed for "amplifying the owner’s visual and auditory experience of the landscape from the interior spaces," according to CWB Architects. Our favorite part of the house is the screened cedar porch, which comes complete with minimal decoration and a sweet wood-burning stove, letting you be one with nature from the comfort of a warm home.
Learn more about this woodland retreat with a stream

February 11, 2015

Snøhetta Transforms a Gowanus Warehouse into a Mural Studio for Cuban Artist José Parlá

You've probably seen the murals of Cuban-American artist José Parlá in the lobbies of One World Trade Center and the Barclays Center. With such high-profile clients, it's no wonder he worked with starchitecture firm Snøhetta, who completed the 9/11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, to create his personal artist's studio. Collaborating together, Parlá and Snøhetta transformed a Gowanus warehouse into a double-height workspace that retains industrial characteristics of the building like beamed ceilings, exposed piping and electrical fixtures, and concrete floors. To tailor the studio to their client's needs, the firm re-opened old skylights to let natural light in to the middle of the work space, and they painted all the walls neutral grey tones so Parlá's bright paintings really stand out.
More on the project

February 11, 2015

Is This the Ultimate Mobile Home?; Select Bus Service to Get a $295M Expansion

If you’re into glamping, the “markies” camper (or should we say glamper) might be the perfect way to enjoy the great outdoors. [Architizer] A new event series, West Side Storytellers, will feature stories about the Upper West Side as told by Upper West Siders. [West Side Rag] Watch a home movie of what it was like […]

Uncategorized

February 11, 2015

A Rich (and Potentially Famous) Buyer Snags the Penthouse at 250 West for $29.5 Million

After yoyo-ing on and off the market over the last two years, the penthouse at 250 West has finally found a buyer. City records filed this afternoon reveal that the unit traded hands for $29.5 million, way down from its original $42 million asking price back in 2013. The buyer was shielded under an LLC, but it was previously reported that the penthouse was being marketed to high-profile individuals, celebs amongst them, given its private entrance separate from the door used by the rest of the residents. Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored to be one of the names to have checked out the space—though he eventually purchased a pad at the Delos. With that in mind, we wonder who nabbed this Tribeca deal.
Check out the interiors here

Real Estate Trends

February 11, 2015

Former Greenpoint Night Club Turned Spectacular Live/Work Loft Wants $11M

You wouldn’t exactly know it from the exterior, but inside this two-story brick and steel warehouse is a renovated loft with all the size and flexibility anyone could ask for to create a dream home. In 2010, artist Matthew Day Jackson bought the former Studio B nightclub for $2 million. He gave it a serious makeover, creating a 15,000-square-foot live/work space, which is now asking $11 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

New Research Shows More Than 58 Percent of NYC Airbnb Listings Possibly Illegal

Photo courtesy of Airbnb via Facebook

February 11, 2015

New Research Shows More Than 58 Percent of NYC Airbnb Listings Possibly Illegal

Airbnb has been under constant scrutiny in recent months, whether for its potential threat to the affordable housing market or the fallout for bed and breakfasts forced to shutter in the wake of the battle. Now, new research from Capital New York shows that more than 58 percent of New York City's Airbnb listings could be illegal, as they are for "entire apartments or houses, meaning no one else would be present during a stay." According to a state multiple dwelling law that was introduced in 2010, it's illegal to lease homes (excluding one- and two-family homes) for less than 30 days when the owner or tenant isn't present. But Capital found that of the 15,977 apartments listings on Airbnb, only one cites a requirement for a stay longer than a month. While the data isn't conclusive on how many listings could be exempt from the law, more than 10,000 listings are in Manhattan where single-family residences are less likely.
More on the findings ahead

February 11, 2015

Douglas Manor Colonial for $2.7M Is Like Something Right out of ‘The Great Gatsby’

With its sweeping staircases and exquisitely landscaped grounds nestled within a quiet waterfront community, this historic Douglas Manor colonial at 122 Grosvenor Street calls to mind one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most memorable characters, the inimitable Jay Gatsby. And although this six-bedroom masterpiece listed at $2.7 million might not quite measure up to the former James Gatz’s lofty standards, we are completely enamored with this astonishingly lovely home.
More pictures of this Gatsbyesque home this way

Distinctive Homes

My 3,900sqft: Four Ladies Turn a Clinton Hill Townhouse into a ‘Pop-Up Mansion’

Our new series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. On our first interior adventure, we check out a home in Clinton Hill.

February 10, 2015

My 3,900sqft: Four Ladies Turn a Clinton Hill Townhouse into a ‘Pop-Up Mansion’

What happens when you let four ladies run loose in a four-story Clinton Hill townhouse? Closets, corners and a pantry spilling over with shoes and coats, apparently. "There are shoes lining the kitchen pantry shelves; the tiny third bedroom upstairs that resembles a Swiss chalet in the twilight zone is filled with racks of vintage frocks, coats and designer handbags. You can really tell almost everyone in this house either works in fashion or hoards it," says owner and 6sqft writer extraordinaire Michelle Cohen. We recently visited Michelle in her Brooklyn home to see the pretty amazing setup she has created for herself. Michelle, whose house you've certainly seen on our site before, is currently undertaking a major renovation that will turn her and her fiance Stanley's brick-clad buy into a modern-meets-historic home with a rental garden apartment. But while Michelle's poring over drawings with her architect, she's found a few friends to share the journey, and the house; namely three fabulous women with wonderfully different personalities. "Stanley likes to call it a sorority for outstanding ascendant young creative professional women," she muses. Jump ahead to meet Michelle and the girls—who range from a Vogue fashion stylist to a creative producer to a journalist who covers evolution, disease and health policy—in their home to get a closer look.
See more here

February 10, 2015

New Fly-Through Video of 190 Bowery Gives Us a Peek at How Photographer Jay Maisel Lived

One of New York’s most mysterious buildings continues to come further into light, now with a brand new marketing video (h/t EV Grieve) that not only shows us images of the building completely graffiti-free, but how its former owner, photographer Jay Maisel, had set up his work and living spaces. The three-minute video offers up […]

February 10, 2015

RAAD Studio’s Centre Street Loft Redesign with Stunning Wooden Dome Is…Arresting

Perhaps one of the most beautiful buildings in New York City, the Beaux-Arts style former police headquarters located at 240 Centre Street sometimes seems to have flown under the “great buildings in Manhattan” radar for much of its 100-plus years. But we’re pretty sure those lucky enough to reside in one of the 55 luxury apartments created when the building was converted to condominiums in the late 1980s have a true appreciation for the grandeur of this hidden gem. RAAD Studio recently redesigned one of those apartments, and there’s no way this transformation could go unnoticed.
More pics of this 'arresting' home

February 10, 2015

Tucked Away Behind a Landmarked Courtyard Is This Enchanting 1850s West Village Townhouse

Forget about curb appeal, this warm and cozy three-bedroom townhouse built in the 1850s has courtyard appeal. That’s because you can only discover this hidden West Village gem at 5C Carmine Street by walking through its gated entry and into the tranquil–and landmarked–courtyard. The unique and historic house listed at $4.5M is located directly across the street from the beautifully restored Father Demo Square. Modeled after a traditional piazza in Italy, this lively community gathering place is only steps away should you ever tire of the exquisite seclusion this home’s outdoor spaces afford.
See more of this hidden gem

Distinctive Homes

February 10, 2015

Buy Your Sweetie an Empty Lot in Newark for $1000; Inside Brooklyn’s First Net Zero Condo Building

The city of Newark has announced a “Valentine’s Day Land Sale” of 100 city-owned empty lots at $1,000 apiece. [Brick Underground] Tour R-951, Brooklyn’s first net zero-capable solar-powered passive house condo building in Prospect Heights. [Inhabitat NYC] First look at the hotel planned for the huge hole near the Lorimer stop. [Curbed] A controversial plan to […]

Real Estate Trends

New York’s Airports Come In Last for Mass-Transit Accessibility

Photo via Continental Airlines Boeing 737-500; N16617@LGA;05.02.2008/498af via photopin (license)

February 10, 2015

New York’s Airports Come In Last for Mass-Transit Accessibility

If you've ever endured the long ride to any of the area's airports, all the while lugging your suitcase and anxiously wondering if you'd miss your flight, then this statistic probably comes as no surprise. According to a study by the Global Gateway Alliance, "John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports rank last and third-to-last, respectively, in mass-transit accessibility compared with 30 of the world's busiest airports," reports Crain's. The analysis looked at total travel time for public transit users, mode of transportation and number of transfers and cost, scoring them from 0 to 100. And if Anthony Weiner is correct, the new LaGuardia AirTrain will only increase travel times–not good news those for us who prefer not to sit in insane taxi traffic or fork over $99 for a private helicopter ride.
More on the study here

Transit

February 10, 2015

What Would NYC Look Like If Sea Levels Rose 100 Feet?

We know that rising sea levels are one of the scarier parts of global climate change. Just take a walk past the beachfront houses in the Rockaways or on Staten Island that have been raised on stilts. According to the Real Deal, "the US Geological Survey estimates that if all the world’s glaciers melted, sea level would rise by about 80 meters, or more than 260 feet." Though this could take thousands of years, it would make unrecognizable many of the world's coastal cities, including New York City. A stunning map series created by Jeffrey Linn, a Seattle resident with a background in geography and urban planning, visualizes major US cities in "this doomsday scenario" using actual geographic data. In New York City, after sea levels rose just 100 feet, the island of Manhattan is almost submerged; Brooklyn and Queens look like little archipelagos; and the Statue of Liberty is out to sea.
More details ahead

City Living

February 10, 2015

Mapping NYC’s Basketball History; Is LoLeEaSi a Neighborhood Now?

The NBA released an interactive map of NYC basketball history. [NYDN] Looking for an unusual gift for your Valentine? Why not name a cockroach after him or her? [DNAinfo] But if you want something more traditional, here are the 20 most romantic hotels in the city. [BI] Despite what some feel is a “misleading tactic,” the […]

Uncategorized

February 10, 2015

50 Building Inspectors and Contractors to Be Charged in Bribery Scheme

The Greenwich by Rafael Vinoly

It's not going to be a good day for up to 50 city building inspectors and contractors, as well as two mob associates, who are expected to be charged today in "one of the biggest corruption crackdowns in years." After a year-long investigation into projects that have been fast-tracked and received certificates of occupancies in return for cash, the Department of Investigation (DOI) and the Manhattan district attorney plan to charge 12 crooked city inspectors and nearly 40 contractors, according to the Daily News. Early this morning, the charged parties surrendered to authorities
More details on the charges

Policy

125 Greenwich Street

Financial District

The new altitude of downtown living

studios starting at $1,110,000
1 beds starting at $1,495,000
2 beds starting at $2,785,000
3 beds starting at $3,600,000

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February 10, 2015

Modern Bucolic Townhouse in Cobble Hill Asks $4M

It’s homes like these that make us appreciate the diverse architecture of New York. A glance at these photos would have you think you’re looking at an idyllic countryside setting, but don’t get out your riding boots just yet. You’re in Cobble Hill. That’s right, this Brooklyn townhouse has all the old-style charm you could dream of in a modern package with a convenient location, and it’s asking $3.995 million.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

February 9, 2015

PlaceInvaders Invites You to Have Dinner in NYC’s Most Extraordinary Private Homes

There's definitely no shortage of amazing homes to ogle over from your desktop (especially when on 6sqft), but how often do you actually get to experience one of these places up close and personal? PlaceInvaders is a cool new local startup that gives us regular folks the keys to some of the city's most incredible apartments. Here individuals are invited to schmooze with fellow NYC inhabitants while also wining and dining on often experimental fare. PlaceInvaders recently brought foodies into Cindy Gallop's infamous “Black Apartment,” while another event found a group eating delicious moose pot pie (yes, you read that right) in an artist's loft overlooking the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Find out how to sign up here

February 9, 2015

Joan Rivers’ Legendary Upper East Side Penthouse Is on the Market for $28M

By Annie Doge

Joan Rivers' Upper East Side triplex penthouse, where she lived for 25 years, is opulent to say the least, with a huge Louis XIV-inspired ballroom, a bordello-esque master bedroom and gilded details galore. And we wouldn't expect any less from the late, great comedienne, who once said of her lavish Spencer Condominium apartment at 1 East 62nd Street, "It's what Marie Antoinette would have done, if she had money," and described the décor as "Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger." After Rivers' daughter Melissa inherited her mother's apartment in October, it's now officially hit the market for $28 million, reports the Daily News.
Tour the legendary home

February 9, 2015

Mapping Where in NYC Millennials Live

The initial results may not surprise you–young adults living in New York City tend to set up shop in North Brooklyn, the Far West Side, the Upper East Side, the East Village and western Queens. This data is courtesy of a new mapping project from the University of Waterloo School of Planning in Ontario called Generationed City. Using census and crowd-sourced data, the project compares demographic patterns of millennials (typically defined as those born between 1980 and 2000) to that of older generations like baby boomers. It looks at North American cities with populations over 1 million where it's commonly accepted that millennials live in central parts of cities. While the largest chunk of NYC-based data is pretty on par with what we already knew, there are some other trends, both within the city and compared with other cities, that are a bit more curious.
More findings ahead

February 9, 2015

Building on Sunnyside Yards Comes with a Slew of Political, Cost and Engineering Complications