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May 17, 2017

The Campbell Apartment: Grand Central Terminal’s historic ‘secret’ bar reopens

Though we're getting used to bidding farewell to our favorite vestiges of old New York, the May 17 reopening of historic and elegant cocktail establishment Campbell Apartment brings a rare reprieve to that familiar scenario, as The New York Times reports. Shuttered in July, the iconic lounge tucked away deep within Grand Central Terminal will reopen as an expanded version of the original. Both its slightly hidden nature and the establishment’s dress code will not be returning in its newest incarnation. The new, easier-to-find bar will be run by the Gerber Group, who says they want the bar to be less stuffy, hopefully without losing any of the historic and genteel appeal that made it a favorite grown-up rendezvous spot and a great way to impress a date.
Find out the story behind this unique NYC space
May 16, 2017

MTA announces six-point plan to combat subway delays and improve service

After a week full of delays and malfunctions, the MTA has announced a six-point plan to address the subway’s chronic service problems. The agency’s plan will increase testing of tracks and signals, place more emergency personnel and police officers in stations and add more cars into service at a faster rate. The first phase of the MTA’s plan focuses on the A, C and E lines from 125th Street to Fulton Street in Manhattan, and at the 149th Street-Grand Concourse and 3rd Avenue-138th Street in the Bronx. Bottlenecks frequently occur at these sites, which cause delays that spread throughout the entire system.
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May 16, 2017

Landmarks approves plans to disassemble RKO Keith’s Flushing Theater’s historic interiors

In a rare case, the RKO Keith's Flushing Theater is an interior landmark, but the building it's inside is not landmarked. Built in 1928 to the designs of noted theater architect Thomas Lamb, the elaborately ornamented Churrigueresque-style movie palace has sat decrepit for the past three decades, until Chinese firm Xinyuan Real Estate (they're also behind Williamsburg's Oosten condo and the forthcoming Hell's Kitchen condo that will be anchored by a Target) bought the vacant theater for $66 million last year with plans to develop it into a 269-unit luxury condo. Moving ahead with this vision, they've tapped Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and preservation specialists Ayon Studio to erect a 16-story glass tower at the site, which includes plans to "enclose the interior landmark, and to disassemble, restore off-site, and reinstall salvaged ornamental plasterwork and woodwork and replicas" in a new residential lobby. Despite some opposition from the Historic Districts Council (HDC) regarding public accessibility, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted in favor of the plan, congratulating the architects and expressing great admiration for their design.
More details ahead
May 15, 2017

Apply for 14 affordable apartments in Bed-Stuy’s luxury Atrium rental, from $833/month

Located in the hub of Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, 14 newly constructed affordable units are available to rent at The Atrium at 785 Dekalb Avenue. The six-story lavish rental contains 70 units and features a six-story brick atrium in the lobby, fitness center, lounge, wet room, game room and a spacious open roof deck. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $833/month studios to $1,043/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
May 15, 2017

NYCxDesign 2017: The 6sqft guide to finding the best design events this month

NYCxDesign 2017, New York City’s official turn to celebrate all things design, hits town from May 3 – May 24. NYC is among the world’s design capitals and home to more designers than any other U.S. metro area. NYCxDesign spotlights the city’s diverse design community and its contributions to our economy and everyday life, and increases awareness of and appreciation for design with a collaborative mix of cultural, professional, educational and commercial offerings. This year’s celebration is the longest-running one to date. You can head in any direction and you'll stumble into a design-related event, but we've compiled a guide to a few of the top collaborative efforts and highlighted some of our picks.
Check out our NYCxD picks, this way
May 15, 2017

Rosario Dawson’s family wants to buy low-income housing units in the East Village

Actress Rosario Dawson’s family hopes to buy low-income apartments in a newly renovated building as part of a city program that converts abandoned homes into affordable units. Rosario grew up in an East Village squatter’s den and her family continues to live in the East 13th Street co-op, even after the actress became famous and amassed a net worth of more than $16 million. According to the New York Post, long-time tenants of the building say the Dawson family bullied their way into controlling a third of the 14-unit residence over the last 20 years.
Get the full scoop
May 14, 2017

$3M SHoP Architects-designed Red Hook townhouse is clad in zinc, concrete, and a hardwood screen

While we're used to seeing headline-stealing buildings from innovative design firm SHoP Architects–Barclays Center, the American Copper Buildings, and what will be Brooklyn's tallest tower, to name a modest few–we don't see SHoP-designed townhouses every day. This particular two-family home at 87 Dikeman Street in the heart of creative and laid-back Red Hook has at least four bedrooms and consists of an owners' triplex and a rental unit plus a garden and off-street parking. But it's the home's design that will likely attract the most attention, with an exterior comprised of zinc panels juxtaposed with polar white concrete planks and accented by a hardwood slat screen and full-height peerless windows. This 3,080-square-foot home, its innovative design–and design pedigree–can be yours for $3.15 million.
Tour this unique Brooklyn home
May 12, 2017

Score an affordable apartment in Harlem’s Sugar Hill from $747/ month

Located in the historic Sugar Hill district in Hamilton Heights, 16 newly renovated affordable units are available to rent at 369 Edgecombe Avenue and 801 St. Nicholas Avenue. The neighborhood is chock full of Queen Anne- and Romanesque Revival-style homes, and it has easy access to Jackie Robinson park, which includes a recreation center, baseball fields, and a swimming pool. The buildings featured in the city's housing lottery are open to New Yorkers earning 50 and 60 percent of the area median income, with units ranging from $747/month one-bedrooms to $1,196/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
May 12, 2017

Apply for 34 affordable units in Long Island City’s new Watermark tower, from $908/month

While all of Long Island City seems to be undergoing development, one block in particular, Purves Street, remains the neighborhood’s most concentrated construction hub. Applications open Monday for 34 affordable units in one of these new builds, Watermark LIC (formerly Watermark Court Square) located at 27-19 44th Drive and 44-16 Purves Street. The 27-story building designed by Handel Architects offers 168 apartments and has 2,500 square feet of retail space. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the below-market rate apartments that range from $908/month studios to $1,176/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
May 12, 2017

The Urban Lens: Travel back to the gritty Meatpacking District of the ’80s and ’90s

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation shares archival images of the gritty Meatpacking District from the 1980s to early 2000s. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. "Few parts of New York City have transformed as dramatically in the last decade or so as the Meatpacking District. Changes in the area are physical as well as spiritual. What was once a deserted ghost town by day, nightlife, sex club, and prostitution hub by night, and bustling workaday center of the Meatpacking industry from early morning to noon is now a glitzy, glamorized center of shopping, dining, tourism, strolling, and arts consumption," says Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The organization recently released a collection of archival photos of the neighborhood's post-industrial grit, "before the Whitney, before the High Line, before Apple and Diane von Furstenberg, even before Sex and the City discovered the neighborhood." Ahead, 6sqft shares these images, from the 1980s to the mid-2000s, which document the major transformation that's taken place in just the past decade.
See all the photos here
May 12, 2017

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC’s rental concessions

Heated Indoor Pool + More Fun Amenities at Greenpoint Rental Leasing with 1 Month Free [link] Striking Crown Heights Rental ‘The Dean’ Debuts; Loft-Inspired Homes from $2,605/Month [link] HOUSE39; Midtown’s “Best in Class” Tower Now Offering 2 Months Free [link] Haven at 875 Dekalb Avenue, Bed-Stuy Rentals with 1 Month Free & 1-Bedrooms from $2,249/Month […]

May 11, 2017

City may bring back ‘Barnes Dance’ crossing systems to high-crash intersections

At many intersections throughout the city, pedestrians who have the walk signal still have to contend with vehicles turning left or right. But at some of Manhattan's busiest crossings, the city may bring back the "Barnes Dance" system, which stops traffic in all directions, allowing pedestrians to cross to any corner, including diagonally. As Gothamist reports, yesterday the City Council unanimously passed legislation that requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study about implementing these systems at 25 of the most high-crash intersections.
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May 11, 2017

Robert Redford’s former Upper East Side pied-a-terre hits the market for $1.35M

Award-winning actor Robert Redford's former Lenox Hill pied-a-terre has hit the market for $1.35 million, reports the Post. The one-bedroom duplex co-op is located in a limestone mansion at 47 East 67th Street, between Madison and Park Avenues. Redford owned the newly renovated pad in the 1980s, and it now boasts plenty of space with a chef's kitchen, double-height ceilings with massive windows, and a woodburning fireplace.
Take a tour
May 11, 2017

Comedian Chris Rock lists Clinton Hill carriage house for $3.85M

Chris Rock has just listed his cool carriage house in the Clinton Hill Historic District, according to the New York Post. The comedian, who has owned the three-story home at239 Waverly Avenue since 1994, has been renting it since moving out in '96. The historic 1901 property was last listed for rent in 2013 with an ask as high as $15,000/month at one point. The new sales ask is $3.85 million for the renovated residence with room for two or three bedrooms, a 23-foot-wide master suite with skylights, and the elusive urban perk of being above a parking garage for not one but two cars.
Find out more about the carriage house and its twin
May 10, 2017

Finance firms in talks to move to Vornado’s proposed Hotel Pennsylvania-replacing supertall

Plans to replace the century-old Hotel Pennsylvania with a 1,216-foot office building have surfaced again. Financial firms Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank are reportedly contemplating a move to Vornado Realty Trust’s planned supertall skyscraper, 15 Penn Plaza, according to the Post. Vornado first won the city’s approval in 2007 to build a supertall at the location of Hotel Pennsylvania on Seventh Avenue and nearly signed a deal with Merrill Lynch to be a tenant until the financial crisis dissolved the agreement. This design, by Pelli Clarke Pelli, is being presented to the firms along with new options says a source.
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May 10, 2017

Demo permits filed for South Street Seaport site of proposed 1,436-foot supertall

After a long-planned but never executed plan to develop buildings at 80 South Street and 163 Front Street in the South Street Seaport, the site’s owner has officially filed demolition permits at both buildings, Curbed learned. As 6sqft previously covered, the Howard Hughes Corporation sold 80 South Street to China Oceanwide Holdings for $390 million last March. Although the developer hasn't released construction plans yet, the building is expected to be 113 stories tall, reaching an impressive 1,436 feet (to give you an idea of just how tall this is, 432 Park is 1,396 feet tall, and One World Trade Center is 1,368 feet tall by roof height).
More details ahead
May 10, 2017

Lottery opens for affordable senior housing building at East Harlem’s Metropolitan Hospital site

In March of 2015, East Harlem's Metropolitan Hospital Center filed plans to horizontally expand and add a new facade to their former nurses' dormitory known as Draper Hall. Located at 1918 First Avenue, the 14-story building had been vacant since Hurricane Sandy, and after Dattner Architects' renovation, it's been reborn as affordable senior housing, containing 203 subsidized units. Those age 62 and older who earn between $0 and $38,200 annually are now eligible to apply for 51 of these one-bedroom residences, for which they will pay 30 percent of their income.
Get all the info
May 9, 2017

Freestanding home in Fiske Terrace Historic District asks $1.6M

This charming property comes from the Fiske Terrace-Midwood Park Historic District, where historic, freestanding homes are the norm. Fiske Terrace is an enclave of Flatbush, a Brooklyn neighborhood located just east of Ditmas Park. (Ditmas is also known for its freestanding beauties.) Here at 819 East 19th Street, which is now on the market for $1.595 million, there are historic details throughout formal living and dining rooms, as well as an enclosed porch, backyard, private driveway and garage.
Take a peek inside
May 9, 2017

First look at the amazing amenities at Waterline Square

As 6sqft previously reported, a trio of glassy residential towers known as Waterline Square is rising on a five-acre waterfront site between West 59th and 61st Streets. Aside from the megaproject's size, its roster of starchitects–Richard Meier and Partners, Rafael Viñoly Architects, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates–has been most impressive. But now a head-spinning host of perks joins the wow-factor, as Curbed reports that the Rockwell Group has revealed renderings of a three-story amenity space to be dubbed The Waterline Club, divided among all three buildings. Among the offerings are a three-lane pool; 4,600-square-foot kids' playroom; gardening, art, and music studios; and indoor tennis court, basketball court, soccer field, and skate park.
Moreamazing amenities this way
May 8, 2017

Where to buy affordable art in Brooklyn

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week, Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top spots for scoring affordable art in Brooklyn. Brooklyn has become the place to be for creatives, especially as artists have migrated from Soho and the East Village to Williamsburg, Bushwick, and beyond. Now, blue-chip galleries are sprouting up Brooklyn locations, art fairs have Brooklyn outposts, and artists studios are thriving in neighborhoods all over the borough. Despite the rise of Brooklyn arts (and rents), there are still places to procure affordable art, all while supporting the artists struggling to survive in a very competitive market.
our list here
May 7, 2017

Parlor floor of an 1800s Park Slope brownstone is now a $1.5M two-bedroom co-op

There's nothing lovelier than the parlor floor of a brownstone, and this one at the historic 201 Saint Johns Place townhouse in Park Slope, is up for sale asking $1.5 million. The floor was converted into a two-bedroom co-op with some outdoor space, but it's still dripping with details like the wood-burning fireplace mantle, original doors, moldings, ceiling medallions, window shutters, archway details and hardwood floors. It's a long list of historical goodies, and they've all been well preserved within this four-unit cooperative townhouse, in which shareholders are expected to participate in taking care of the building.
Now it's time to take a look
May 5, 2017

Interview: Developer Ben Shaoul on 196 Orchard Street, his Lower East Side condo rising next to Katz’s

Ben Shaoul founded Magnum Real Estate Group in 1999, focused on renovating small, rundown rental apartments. After growing its portfolio extensively over the past five years to includeretail properties, condos, and even a dormitory, the firm is now one of the city’s leading ground-up development companies. Their impressive portfolio includes 389 East 89th Street on the Upper […]

May 5, 2017

1932 map illustrates a vibrant nightlife during the Harlem Renaissance

During the Harlem Renaissance, some of the greatest black jazz musicians, poets, artists and writers of all time emerged in New York City between the 1920s and 30s. Thanks to an animated map acquired by Yale's Rare Book and Manuscript Library, we can get a sense of the vibrant nightlife of Harlem during this time in history (h/t Slate). This original pen-and-brush map was drawn by Elmer Simms Campbell, one of the first commercially successful, and syndicated, African-American cartoonists in the country. The map faces southwest, bound by 110th Street, and highlights the main attractions on Lenox and Seventh Avenues.
Find out more
May 5, 2017

The Urban Lens: ‘Zombie City’ exposes distracted New Yorkers in a gentrifying city

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, fine art and portrait photographer James Maher exposes the changing face of NYC post 9/11. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. It all started at the University of Madison in Wisconsin with a surprisingly successful fake ID "business," which was James Maher's first introduction to portraiture and Photoshop. After moving back to his hometown of New York post-graduation, Maher studied at the International Center for Photography, assisted commercial photographers, and became a certified tour guide, exploring the architecture and streetscapes of the city. In 2006, he opened his own photography business, combining his varied interests, which also come through in his black-and-white series "Luxury for Lease," where New Yorkers are captured candidly against the background of New York. In it, Maher exposes how quickly things changed in the years after 9/11; instead of coming for "acceptance and freedom" and "a culture of creativity," wealthy persons from the suburbs and elsewhere began to move back "with an insatiable appetite." By snapping photos of distracted New Yorkers, many of whom are zombie-fied staring at their phones, Maher examines the "disconnection, hyper-gentrification, conformity, and consumerism" that's infiltrated our streets.
See the series here
May 5, 2017

Score a middle-income apartment in Harlem, from $1,900/month

Applications are now being accepted for middle-income units at Beacon Mews, an affordable housing building located in Harlem, just a block away from the Harlem River and the Madison Avenue Bridge into the Bronx. Amenities at 34 West 139th Street include a doorman, fitness center and spacious community courtyard, and the building is currently offering $1,900/month one-bedrooms, $2,350/month two-bedroom, and $2,600/month two-bedrooms with a terrace. These units, however, are reserved for households earning between $67,098 to $238,500 annually.
Find out if you qualify