Search Results for: Long Island City

September 23, 2016

Construction has officially begun for citywide ferry system; first boats to arrive in 2017

Mayor Bill de Blasio, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Citywide Ferry operator Hornblower have announced that construction has officially begun on 19 vessels that will kick off New York City's first citywide ferry system, with vessels sporting the latest in 21st century maritime technology. The mayor said in a statement, “We are moving full steam ahead and bringing modern ferry boats, outfitted with the latest technology and safety features, to our waterways. This new fleet will help us connect commuters and visitors alike to neighborhoods throughout the city.”
Find out more

Transit

September 19, 2016

63-acre Connecticut island could be the country’s most expensive residential property at $175M

By Emily Nonko

Could this insane Connecticut property break the record for the most expensive residential property ever sold in the country? Now on the market for $175 million, Great Island spans 63 acres and holds a mansion, beach cottages, a polo field, caretaker's house with a greenhouse, yacht basin with docks, and a cow barn to boot. Such an impressive estate is owned by the family of the 19th-century industrialist William Ziegler. He acquired it in 1902 to use as a summer destination--one that rivals any other "summer house" we've seen. And according to The Real Deal, if this sells for its full asking price it would beat the record for priciest house ever sold in the U.S., which belongs to the 2014 sale of a $147 million home in the Hamptons.
Now, time to tour the grounds

August 24, 2016

This 1927 city subway map shows early transit plans

By Michelle Cohen

If you're navigating the NYC subway and wishing you could start from scratch, these map outlines from 1927 might prove interesting. Found by hyperreal cartography, the maps, from the state's Transit Commission Office of Chief Engineer, outline the "plan of existing and proposed rapid transit lines" for New York City. What's shown on the map appears to be the Independent Subway System; the ISS or IND, as it was known, was first constructed in 1932 as the Eight Avenue Line. As one of the three networks that was integrated into the modern New York City subway, the IND was meant to be fully owned and operated by the city government, as opposed to the privately-funded Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) companies. The three lines merged in 1940.
Investigate the possibilities

August 23, 2016

$2.3M railroad apartment on the Bowery boasts a 35-foot-long terrace

By Emily Nonko

This one-bedroom condo at 354 Bowery in Noho has mastered the art of combining indoor and outdoor space. A long exposed brick wall not only anchors the apartment but leads to a 35-foot-long private terrace in the back of the unit. The result is a striking living space that gives the railroad apartment a good look.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

August 19, 2016

Video: Take a gritty summertime subway ride to Coney Island–in 1987

By Michelle Cohen

From the archives of '80s NYC nightlife videographer Nelson Sullivan comes this summertime classic video. Young Village Voice writer Michael Musto, artist Albert Crudo, and photographer Liz Lizard with her two kids in tow join Sullivan on the trip to Coney Island from Manhattan on a very different subway than we're used to today (h/t acapuck via Reddit). Their destination, too, won't look the least bit familiar to anyone who's visited the aforementioned beach destination in recent years, though there are many among us who fondly remember the beautiful decay of the boardwalk environs and the thrill of its garish attractions in the pre-MCU, pre Keyspan days. We never tire of checking out the graffiti-covered cars and fellow riders who probably only look more menacing. And at some moments if you don't look too hard, everything appears pretty much the same: The noise, the heat, the underground grit–and the fact that when it comes to fashion, everything a few decades old looks cool and new again.
Take a day trip to the '80s

History

August 11, 2016

The Success Story of Industry City as Told by Its Innovative Manufacturing Tenants

By Dana Schulz

Industry City is a six million-square-foot, 30-acre industrial complex on the Sunset Park waterfront. Its 16 buildings made up the former Bush Terminal, a manufacturing, warehousing and distribution center that opened in 1895. After falling into disrepair over the past few decades, in 2013, a new ownership team led by Belvedere Capital and Jamestown began their $1 billion undertaking to update the complex while cultivating a diverse tenant mix that fuses today’s burgeoning innovation economy with traditional manufacturing and artisanal craft. Today, there are more than 4,500 people and 400 companies working in Industry City, and 6sqft recently paid a visit to four of them (a handbag designer, lighting designer, candle company, and chocolatier) to learn why the complex makes sense for their business and what unique opportunities it's afforded them. We also spoke with Industry City CEO Andrew Kimball about the unprecedented success of the complex and his visions for the future, as well as took a tour of the buildings and their wildly popular public amenity spaces such as the food hall, outdoor courtyards, and tenant lounge.
All this and more ahead

August 11, 2016

135 Units of Affordable Housing Planned for the Coney Island Boardwalk

By Emily Nonko

In 2009, former Mayor Bloomberg rezoned the Coney Island waterfront to accommodate new residential and commercial development. While the city has moved ahead to build more amusement park rides at this popular summer destination, there hasn't been an explosion of new residential development since the rezoning. But plans are moving ahead for a nine-story building designed to hold 135 affordable and supportive housing apartments right along the boardwalk. In April, developers Georgica Green Ventures and Concern for Independent Living filed plans for the new building at 2002 Surf Avenue, reports CityRealty.com. Called Surf Vets Plaza, the building will totally transform the corner of West 21st Street and Surf Avenue, which is now a 170,000-square-foot vacant lot.
Read more about the development plans

August 9, 2016

Fire Island: Culture, Sand Dunes and Real Estate

By 6sqft

For New Yorkers looking for a break from the city’s summer pollution and noise, Fire Island has much to offer. Accessible via the Long Island Railway and Fire Island Ferries, the narrow strip of land running along Long Island’s south shore is one of the region’s few vacation spots that city residents can reach without a […]

Uncovering the Past of Staten Island’s South Beach

South Beach in 1899 © NYPL Digital Gallery

August 1, 2016

Uncovering the Past of Staten Island’s South Beach

By Dana Schulz

6sqft recently brought you the history of Bowery Bay Beach, once referred to as the "Coney Island of Queens." But over on Staten Island, there was another amusement destination that rivaled its Brooklyn counterpart. South Beach is a waterfront community on the eastern shore behind the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The hidden gem is currently an up-and-coming neighborhood for families, with an array of small businesses, ethnic restaurants, and quaint streets. And in the summer months, the two-mile stretch of beaches comes alive. But aside from its current livability, South Beach has a rich history. In the early 20th century, the neighborhood was full of summer bungalows thanks to a beachfront lined with amusements, theaters, arcade games, and rides. Families came from Manhattan, Sandy Hook, and elsewhere to enjoy the festive resort community and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk, known as the "Riviera of New York City."
Discover more of South Beach's History

History

July 21, 2016

Unpretentious Beach House by Space Exploration Is a Perfect Retreat For a Creative City Pair

By Michelle Cohen

Understandably busy creative couple Elisa Restrepo, co-founder of the luxurious minimalist shoe label Dieppa Restrepo, and restaurateur Dylan Dodd (Karasu, Walter’s, Walter Foods, and Barrio Chino) turned to Brooklyn architects Space Exploration to transform their three-story split-level house in the laid-back (though lately less so) surfing village of Montauk. 6sqft has featured the firm's work before, and they've done another fine job creating an un-fussy and livable space with white and pale woods, earthy textiles and plenty of natural light. The house underwent a full gut remodel, including extensive landscaping, which took a year, but looks completely worth the effort.
Summer serenity this way

July 20, 2016

New Photos of NYC’s First Residential Urban Farm at Urby Staten Island

By Dana Schulz

Urban farms are nothing new to NYC, but the first one at a residential building is taking shape at Staten Island's Urby. The $250 million, 900-unit rental development is located on the borough's North Shore waterfront, just minutes from the ferry, and is a collaboration between Ironstate Development and Dutch architecture and design firm Concrete. There will be 35,000 square feet of retail space, and though the units are quite nice and modern, it's the health-centric amenities that really set this LEED-certified project apart. Urby will offer an outdoor pool, a two-story fitness center, filtered communal well, landscaped courtyards with fire pits, a rooftop apiary with beehives, a 300-car garage with electric car chargers, and access to a waterfront esplanade. In the food department, there's one of the city's largest urban farms, which is employing New York's first farmer-in-residence, as well as an on-site bodega, cafe, and communal test kitchen.
Check it all out

Where to Find the Most Incredible Staircases in New York City

Images courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

July 5, 2016

Where to Find the Most Incredible Staircases in New York City

By Jason Carpenter

Stairs let interior designers show off their best combination of form and function. The flagship stores, public works, and designer condos of New York make for the perfect opportunities to test the boundaries of practicality and beauty in design. Here are seven of the most beautiful and interesting staircase designs to be found in New York City.
See our staircase gallery here

July 1, 2016

Own a Collection of Eight Private Islands off the Connecticut Coast for $78 Million

By Michelle Cohen

Hey, big spender...before you close on that trophy penthouse condo or townhouse duo, take a look at this extraordinary listing. When you've got billions–or even lots of millions–your real estate options are many. From a penthouse in the sky in a Billionaire's Row skyscraper to a townhouse or two on the Upper East Side or a Hamptons manse with acres of beachfront property, modern-day palaces await. For that eight-figure outlay, this listing is unusual even among the real estate deals of the superrich. The Post tells us of a private archipelago off the Connecticut coastline, owned by Christine and Edmund Stoecklein, on the market for $78 million. Known as the Thimble Islands, this surprising collection of eight islands boasts beautiful restored 19th century mansions, pools, guest houses, docking for yachts both small and large, a commercial-level greenhouse facility, tennis courts and a golf putting green and tees designed by Jack Nicklaus. The property is at most a ten-minute boat ride from the Connecticut shoreline or a twenty minute helicopter jaunt from Manhattan.
What you'll find on these secret island enclaves

June 16, 2016

Durst Teaches Tenants About Composting; City Island Getting First Major Development in 15 Years

By Dana Schulz

“A Bronx Tale” is coming to Broadway and will be directed by Robert De Niro. [NYDN] The Durst Organization has created a voluntary composting program for its office tenants with the goal of reducing food waste at landfills (which it’s done by 20 percent). [WSJ] City Island is getting its first major condo development in 15 years. […]

Uncategorized

June 10, 2016

Spotlight: ‘New Yorker’ Cartoonist Roz Chast Reflects on the City and Her Work

By Cait Etherington

Photograph of Roz Chast in her Studio, 2015, by Jeremy Clowe. Norman Rockwell Collections In April, the Museum of the City of New York opened a new exhibit featuring the work of Roz Chast. While not every New Yorker may know Roz by name, most New Yorkers are familiar with her illustrations. In 1978, just a year after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Roz dropped off her portfolio at The New Yorker. The magazine not only selected one of her drawings for publication but also told Roz to keep the work coming. Since then, she has published over 1,200 works in The New Yorker, including 18 covers. And perhaps more than any other contemporary illustrator, Chast—a born and raised New Yorker—has consistently managed to capture the humor, beauty and at times, the sheer difficulty of living in the city. Ahead we catch up with Roz, who reflects on her New York upbringing, her love for interiors, and what makes NYC so different from other cities.
read our interview with roz chast here

June 8, 2016

Video: Watch 400 Years of Change Play Out Along Just One Block of Soho

By Diane Pham

Before Soho was home to an Apple Store, Dior and a slew of other luxury retailers and multi-million dollar apartments, it was considered "land so unvaluable that the Dutch gave it to the slaves," says NYU economist William Easterly. In a new video project called "Greene Street," Easterly traces the history of just one block of Greene Street (between Houston and Prince Street) and distills 400 years of history into a fascinating and informative 1.5-minute film. In seconds you can see the incredible transformations that occurred along the tiny 486-foot stretch of the neighborhood, which includes reincarnations as the biggest red light district in NYC, the center of garment manufacturing in the U.S., a shantytown, an artists' hub, and finally the high-end retail corridor we know it as today.
Watch the short film here

History

June 3, 2016

City Council Will Vote on Controversial Changes to the Landmarks Law

By Dana Schulz

Over the past couple years, preservationists have waged two big battles pertaining to the 51-year-old landmarks law. First, there was Landmarks Preservation Commission's decision to de-calendar 95 historic sites--in other words, remove them from the "waiting list" to be considered for landmarking, leaving them in jeopardy. The LPC eventually withdrew this plan after massive public outcry, but then proposed a bill, Intro. 775, to implement timelines for reviewing possible landmarks, which was met with criticism again for a perceived catering to developers who want to demolish or alter a property. The proposal stalled, but the Council is back at it, now "proposing a half-dozen recommendations to simultaneously streamline and expand the landmarks process" that they will vote on this month, reports the Times.
Learn about all the points

Policy

May 17, 2016

The History of the Roosevelt Island Tramway

By Rebecca Paul

In honor of the Roosevelt Island Tramway's 40th anniversary today, we've pulled this wonderful piece on the history of the high-flying gondola system from our archives. Commuting in New York City, whether for work or pleasure, is rarely an enjoyable experience. However, for some tourists and lucky city dwellers, the Roosevelt Island Tramway provides a delightful, high-flying travel alternative to the standard, and sometimes miserable, modes of NYC public transport. Running across the East River, this aerial tramway brings commuters to and from Roosevelt Island and Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and has carried over 26 million passengers since opening in 1976. It is one of the few forms of mass transit in New York City not operated by the MTA, but it still costs the same as the bus or subway and can be paid for with your NYC metro card. Like most things in our historic port town, both the tramway and the commute between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island has a history, and this one includes bridge elevators, high-rise rescue missions and French ski lifts.
More on how the Roosevelt Island tramway came to be

May 16, 2016

Downtown Brooklyn’s Newly-Launched City Tower Offering One Month Free Rent

By Ondel Hylton

City Tower, the second phase of Downtown Brooklyn's 1.8 million-square-foot, mixed-use mega-development, has debuted, ushering in 439 brand new market-rate rentals to the heart of the borough. For a limited time, the building is offering new renters one month for free based on a 13-month lease. The 38-story tower's current availabilities include four studios starting at $2,423/month, five one-bedrooms at $2,838/month, and three two-bedrooms at $4,154/month. The building was developed and is being managed by the long-established Brodsky Organization and was designed by the acclaimed eco-conscious architects at COOKFOX. Perched twenty floors above 700,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and dining spaces, many of City Tower's residences provide spectacular views of the harbor and Manhattan skyline.
Get the full scoop on the building this way

April 29, 2016

Website Launches for New City-Wide Ferry, Win a Free Annual Pass

By Michelle Cohen

The new city-wide ferry system is on schedule to launch in summer 2017, and ahead of that launch, the ferry service, which will be run by the San Francisco-based Hornblower, has launched their new website. Visitors can find out about the ferry, and, more importantly, enter to win a free annual pass. Winners will be announced when the service launches next summer. The site features updates, public meeting info, maps and schedules, and postings for more than 150 jobs that will be created by the new service.
Find out more

Transit

Courtesy of Anderson Transport Edinburgh

April 27, 2016

POLL: Would You Rather Live in the Bronx or Staten Island?

By Dana Schulz

It’s really no secret that the Bronx and Staten Island have been the boroughs slowest to gentrify and bring in New Yorkers looking for that hip factor. But apparently their affordable prices are starting to outweigh their longer commutes and less urban makeups. The latest report from the Real Estate Board of New York says that […]

Real Estate Trends

April 25, 2016

Innovative 1931 Long Island ‘Skyscraper House’ Was Built by the Father of Palm Springs Modern

By Michelle Cohen

In a 1932 article in Modern Mechanix magazine, the design of this three-story Long Island “skyscraper house” was touted as the “latest in homes,” with an all-metal frame and glass walls. What the story doesn’t mention is that this little house in the ‘burbs was designed as a case study home by noted architects Albert Frey (who spent his early years in Le Corbusier's studio) and A. Lawrence Kocher. Known as the Aluminaire House, this diminutive dwelling is among the earliest examples of European-inspired modern architecture in the eastern U.S.. It was included by Philip Johnson in a MoMA exhibit in 1931 that later became the manifesto for the International Style of architecture–one of only six American buildings in the show to exemplify the style. With the Coachella music festival in the recent spotlight, visions of Palm Springs-style desert homes have been popping up at every turn, and though this little skyscraper house couldn't be further away geographically, its co-creator Albert Frey is known for establishing the "desert modernism" style exemplified in those iconic Palm Springs homes. And as with many ideas in the ultra-creative 1930s, the construction of this Modernist gem in 1931 was well ahead of its time.
Find out more about the story and future of Aluminaire House

Architecture And Design

March 29, 2016

Across from Hudson Yards, Architect Proposes 9-Acre Floating Island As an Encore to the High Line

By Ondel Hylton

New York architect and longtime visionary Eytan Kaufman has drawn up a conceptual plan to connect the final leg of the High Line to a new island/pier in the Hudson River. Currently, the High Line gets tantalizingly close to the waterfront in its final spur around Hudson Yards, but then swerves inland towards an anticlimactic end at the Jacob Javits Center. Kaufman's scheme called Hub on the Hudson would build a pedestrian bridge over the West Side Highway, shuttling people from the elevated park to a sprawling, circular-shaped cultural and recreational center. It's quite similar to Barry Diller's proposed Pier 55 floating park, which is planned for a Hudson River site slightly farther south in the Meatpacking District. Extending more than 700 feet into the river, and spanning nearly nine acres in size, the pie-in-the-Hudson plan would build five interconnected pyramid-shaped buildings, comprised of an art center, restaurants, and publicly accessible open spaces. A circular elevated promenade would encircle the island, which Kaufman says would contrast to the linear procession of the High Line. At ground level there will be a central reflecting pool with a promenade leading out to a marina. The pentagonal, pyramidal and circular themes expressed in the plan make its spiritual intentions quite clear: To sail the High Line's tourists back home.
Check out all the renderings this way

Architecture And Design

March 18, 2016

Spotlight: Beekeeper Andrew Coté Gives Us the Buzz on Raising Honeybees in the City

By Susan Cohen

On rooftops throughout the city, there's a great deal of activity taking place. This hustle and bustle isn't coming from the construction of new skyscrapers, but instead from beehives across the city where honeybees are hard at work. The keeper for many of these bees is Andrew Coté, who at the height of spring and summer works at least 14 hours a day, seven days a week tending to them. Andrew traces his family’s beekeeping roots to the 1800s in Quebec, Canada. In the 1970s, his father carried this tradition to Connecticut by starting a farm and selling honey, and a decade ago, Andrew brought beekeeping to the city. As a New York City beekeeper, his work focuses on overseeing clients’ hives on business and hotel roofs as well his own hives in neighborhoods ranging from Prospect Heights to the Upper East Side. Andrew harvests the honey from his hives, bottles, and then sells it at Union Square Market for his company, Andrew’s Honey. Depending on what jar customers pick up, they might be purchasing Forest Hills, Central Park or Harlem honey. With spring starting this Sunday, we recently spoke with Andrew to find out what all the buzz is about.
read our interview with andrew here

March 15, 2016

This Illustrated 1926 Map of Manhattan Shows the City as It Was, Both Fanciful and Familiar

By Michelle Cohen

This fascinating vintage map of "The Wondrous Isle of Manhattan” is an illustrated version of the island as it existed in 1926, when it was designed and illustrated by Charles Vernon (C.V.) Farrow (1896-1936) and published by Fuessle and Colman. The map, though not to scale, highlights scores of actual attractions like landmarks and parks. Familiar buildings and streets are labeled, as is the city’s transit system at the time, with elevated tracks running along the avenues.
Look closer for details of 1926 life in wondrous Manhattan

History

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