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Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration is seeking ideas for two new waterfront parks in Inwood, as first reported by Curbed. The city's Economic Development Corporation released a request for proposals on Monday for a consultant or team to design a pair of parks along the Harlem River in the Manhattan neighborhood. The plan falls under the Inwood rezoning, which was approved last August and intends to deliver $200 million in public investments. During the process, stakeholders pushed for new open space and upgraded parks to be included in the rezoning, as the waterfront remains inaccessible to many in the community.
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Architecture And Design

The hidden loft buildings of the Upper West Side

Via Wiki Commons

February 11, 2019

The hidden loft buildings of the Upper West Side

By Mike Mishkin

When most of us think of “lofts” in relation to Upper West Side apartments, our first thought is probably the commonplace storage or sleeping loft found in converted brownstones and townhouses. While we tend to associate actual loft apartments with downtown neighborhoods like Tribeca and Soho, there are a handful of Upper West Side condos and co-ops where you can find the same soaring ceilings and open floor plans. Ahead, we've rounded up the five loftiest options you'll find north of Columbus Circle.
Learn all about them

Architecture And Design

Grand Hyatt, Trump’s first major Manhattan real estate coup, to be torn down for new office tower

Image: Jennifer Rotner via Flickr.

February 8, 2019

Grand Hyatt, Trump’s first major Manhattan real estate coup, to be torn down for new office tower

By Michelle Cohen

Developer TF Cornerstone and investment firm MSD Partners have announced plans to purchase and tear down the Grand Hyatt building adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, the Wall Street Journal reports. The hotel brand will eventually return to the site in a form different from the smoked glass-clad building that was Donald Trump’s first major Manhattan development. In its place will rise a mixed-use project that includes 2 million square feet of high-octane office space. The planned development is one of four new towers in the works as a result of a 2017 Midtown East rezoning aimed at encouraging new office buildings as well as infrastructure improvements in the east side business district.
The times they are a-changin' in East Midtown

New Developments

Expect delays on the 4, 5, D, N, and Q lines this weekend

Image via Flickr

February 8, 2019

Expect delays on the 4, 5, D, N, and Q lines this weekend

It's going to be the second weekend without L service between Brooklyn and Manhattan, there will be a slew of skipped stops across many of the lines, and longer than usual wait times on the 4, 5, D, N, and Q trains. Riders of the 2, 3, 6, and G are in luck this weekend with no planned interruptions on the slate for you (though there's always a risk for unplanned hiccups). Read on for the full details and keep frustration at bay this weekend.
Know before you go

Transit

February 7, 2019

10 sculptures of women to be installed in NYC this summer as part of ‘Statues for Equality’ project

Ten bronze statues of inspiring women will be installed in New York City this summer as part of a project that hopes to address the lack of monuments of women in the city. Artists Gillie and Marc, the couple behind Astor Place's 17-foot-tall rhino sculpture, on Thursday launched "Statues for Equality," which aims to increase the number of statues of women in NYC by 200 percent. Currently, only five of the city's 150 statues depict nonfictional women.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC has fewer accessible subway stations than MTA claims, report says

Photo via Flickr

February 6, 2019

NYC has fewer accessible subway stations than MTA claims, report says

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority currently claims that 114 of its 427 stations—or 24 percent—are accessible. But a new study led by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s office shows otherwise. A team of staffers surveyed 42 of the stations that the MTA deems accessible, visiting each station on four separate days at different times of the day. Based on complaints and conversations with advocates, they assessed elevator accessibility, station signage, and features for vision-impaired riders. As Curbed first reported, their findings show that an already sub-par statistic is actually inflated.
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My 500sqft: How an architect brought chic sensibility to her Hell’s Kitchen apartment

Our series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to architect and designer Nicky Chang’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

February 6, 2019

My 500sqft: How an architect brought chic sensibility to her Hell’s Kitchen apartment

Shanghai native Nicky Chang is nothing if not accomplished in her field, having graduated from the Yale School of Architecture and worked for firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. But when she had a chance to combine her passions of architecture, interior design, and culinary arts, she couldn't pass up the chance. Nicky is now the head of design and strategy at Junzi Kitchen, a fast-casual Northern Chinese restaurant founded on Yale's campus with locations in Morningside Heights, Greenwich Village, and soon at Bryant Park. When Nicky moved from New Haven to Hell's Kitchen, she was downsizing by three times. Luckily, as she jokes, "architects have mild OCD tendencies when it comes to organization," so she was able to maximize her 500-square-foot walk-up without sacrificing style. Ahead, take a tour of Nicky's calm, chic, and cozy home and hear from her about her plant collection, love of cooking, and what it's like to work in hospitality design.
Take the tour

In East Flatbush, a new middle-income housing lottery is throwing in ‘free rent’

Photo via CityRealty

February 5, 2019

In East Flatbush, a new middle-income housing lottery is throwing in ‘free rent’

The next culprit in a long list of the city's non-affordable "affordable" housing lotteries is an opportunity for "middle-income" New Yorkers to apply for 28 units at East Flatbush's new rental Ensemble. It's available to New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the median income, which begs the question: Is a single person earning $95,000 a year really in need of subsidized housing? But the most questionable part of this lottery is that it's offering "six months free rent on the last six months of one and two-year leases." Rental concessions like this are typically reserved for market-rate buildings that are having trouble leasing or need to attract tenants in a slow market. But since these affordable rents are minimally lower than the market-rate, maybe it's operating as such.
Is $2,600/month affordable?

Affordable Housing

Hope Street, Love Lane, and more: The stories behind NYC’s most optimistic street names

Photo via Flickr cc

February 4, 2019

Hope Street, Love Lane, and more: The stories behind NYC’s most optimistic street names

By Cait Etherington

Short on hope? Wondering where to find love? Craving the promise of Utopia? If you are, you’re likely not alone. What you may not realize is that a few New Yorkers have these things on the street where they live, or at least on the street signs where they live. While most New Yorkers, especially Manhattanites, are relegated to living on numbered streets and avenues, in a few city neighborhoods, streets do have names and just a few of these streets--Hope Street, Love Lane, Futurity Place, and more--are especially uplifting.
Learn the story behind NYC's most optimistic addresses

City Living

February 4, 2019

One-bedroom Hell’s Kitchen co-op has high style and a low $425K price tag

The listing describes this Hell's Kitchen co-op as "a first time home buyers' dream" and when you consider it's chic, industrial-style interior and low $425,000 price tag, that sounds about right. Not only is it a true one-bedroom, but the apartment at 715 9th Avenue was also recently renovated. Being right on restaurant-lined 9th Avenue might sound like a lot, but you're just one block away from the C and E trains at 50th Street.
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Distinctive Homes

February 4, 2019

Amazing photos show COOKFOX’s Domino Sugar tower getting its crystalline facade

The installation of 1 South First's (formerly known as 260 Kent Avenue) innovative exterior is officially underway, its molecular pattern now visible. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the tower, part of the Domino Sugar project in Williamsburg, will feature concrete window panels made using 3D-printed molds. New photos from the Gate Precast Company reveal the start of the crystalline-inspired facade as the building's construction is more than halfway complete (h/t CityRealty).
See the photos

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

Images (L to R): 685 First Avenue, Glassworks Bushwick, One Columbus Place, and 363 Bond Street

February 2, 2019

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

By Ondel Hylton

One Columbus Place: Lincoln Square Rental Offers 1 Month Free; Net Prices from $4,194/Month [LINK] Glassworks Bushwick: Get to Know Brooklyn’s New Rental at 336 Himrod Street [LINK] 268 Metropolitan Avenue: New Rentals Launch in the Heart of Trendy Williamsburg [LINK] 685 First Avenue: An Inside Look at the Modern Rental Collection at 685 First […]

Real Estate Trends

14 fun and offbeat ways to spend Valentine’s Day 2019 in New York City

Image courtesy of Dumbo.is

February 1, 2019

14 fun and offbeat ways to spend Valentine’s Day 2019 in New York City

By Michelle Cohen

Like Mother's Day, there's something to be said for the idea that every day ought to be Valentine’s Day, candy and flowers included. But if February's second week has you scrambling for a worthy celebration, it might be the perfect time to try something a little bit different. Take a look below for some Valentine-focused events–from skating and shopping to science and sewage–and lots of other ways to get heart-shaped this V-Day.
Details, this way

Events & Things To Do

Manhattan will get its first public beach at Hudson River Park

Image by Max Guliani, courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

February 1, 2019

Manhattan will get its first public beach at Hudson River Park

The Hudson River Park Trust has unanimously approved a proposal by James Corner Field Operations—the same firm that brought us the High Line and Brooklyn’s Domino Park—to design a 5.5-acre public park on the Gansevoort Peninsula, located at the western end of Little West 12th Street and the only remnant of 13th Avenue. It will be the largest single green space in the four-mile-long Hudson River Park. The design will incorporate recreational areas and provide direct waterfront access for the public with a beachfront on the southern edge that will double as a protective barrier to combat flooding and storm surge. The beach might be best for sunbathers, though, as swimming in Manhattan’s murky west side waters is unlikely to be viable.
Get the details

Architecture And Design

The 7 is back this weekend, but the L train is not

Image via Flickr

February 1, 2019

The 7 is back this weekend, but the L train is not

First, the good news: 7 service has been restored after several weeks, the J and M will be running between Brooklyn and Manhattan (but the J is out of service from Crescent Street to Jamaica Center), and there are no planned disruptions on the 2, 3, 6, and Q lines. The bad news impacts L train riders, who will have to get used to service changes through March. The L won't be running from 8th Avenue in Manhattan to Brooklyn Junction. Read on for more details about the skipped stops and delays that may impact your travel this weekend.
Know before you go

Transit

Apply for 174 mixed-income units in the Parkchester area of the Bronx, from just $462/month

The Parkchester Oval, via Wiki Commons

January 31, 2019

Apply for 174 mixed-income units in the Parkchester area of the Bronx, from just $462/month

Last week, it was announced that the Parkchester section of the Bronx, served only by the 6 train, would be receiving a new Metro-North station, connecting it to Penn Station. And for those New Yorkers who qualify for the city's newest affordable housing lottery--earning 40, 60, or 100 percent of the area median income--there's a chance to get into the neighborhood on the heels of this news. There are 174 mixed-income apartments up for grabs at the new, two-building development Westchester Mews, and they range from $462/month studios to $1,888/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

January 31, 2019

Creative decor and touches of greenery enliven this $2.1M Downtown Brooklyn penthouse

Located in the award-winning, SOM-designed Toren in Downtown Brooklyn, this duplex penthouse at 150 Myrtle Avenue boasts three exposures and sweeping views of Williamsburg and Manhattan. On the 30th of 37 floors, the corner residence offers three bedrooms and three baths in a dramatic double-height space for the asking price of $2,100,000. And though these glassy, open spaces can often feel void, this one has been warmed up with creative decor and a curated collection of plants.
Get the tour

Distinctive Homes

Hudson Yards arts center The Shed announces 121-seat restaurant from Danny Meyer

Photo: Brett Beyer

January 30, 2019

Hudson Yards arts center The Shed announces 121-seat restaurant from Danny Meyer

When Hudson Yards opens on March 15th, New Yorkers will have plenty of big-name bites to nosh on, with 25 restaurant and food concepts from chefs like David Chang, Michael Lomonaco, Thomas Keller, Costas Spiliadis, as well as a massive Spanish food hall from José Andrés. And the latest to join the ranks is Union Square Hospitality Group's Danny Meyer (yes, the guy who brought you Shake Shack). The Wall Street Journal reports that Meyer will operate a 3,000-square-foot, 121-seat all-day cafe called Cedric's on the ground floor of The Shed, Hudson Yards' multi-use art center with a movable shell.
What we know so far

Food & Dining

City releases Gowanus rezoning draft with a focus on waterfront resiliency

Via NYC Planning

January 30, 2019

City releases Gowanus rezoning draft with a focus on waterfront resiliency

The Department of City Planning on Wednesday released a draft of its plan to rezone Gowanus as a way to bring more affordable housing, jobs, and community resources to the Brooklyn neighborhood. In the works for nearly three years, the proposal includes a waterfront access plan that creates public walkways centered around the canal, as well as builds a more resilient shoreline.
See the proposal

Policy

Co-working firm The Wing to lease the East Village’s former Stuyvesant Polyclinic building

The Wing will move its headquarters to 137 Second Avenue (on the right); via Wikimedia

January 29, 2019

Co-working firm The Wing to lease the East Village’s former Stuyvesant Polyclinic building

Co-working network The Wing is moving its corporate headquarters to the former Stuyvesant Polyclinic building in the East Village, the Real Deal reported Monday. The space on Second Avenue is connected to the Ottendorfer Public Library, the first free public library in New York City. The adjoining buildings are both designated city landmarks, built as a pair in 1883 by German-born architect William Schickel. The Wing will lease all of the 22,000-square-foot building at 137 Second Avenue, which spans four floors.
See inside

Real Estate Trends

10 secrets of Harlem’s Apollo Theater: From burlesque beginnings to the ‘Godfather of Soul’

The Apollo Theater c. 1946, via Library of Congress

January 28, 2019

10 secrets of Harlem’s Apollo Theater: From burlesque beginnings to the ‘Godfather of Soul’

By Lucie Levine

The Apollo Theater, the legendary venue at 253 West 125th Street “where stars are born and legends are made,” opened its hallowed doors on January 26th, 1934. That year, a 17-year-old Ella Fitzgerald made her debut at Amateur Night, kicking off a tradition that has served as a launch pad for luminaries including Sarah Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and the Jackson 5. To celebrate its 85th anniversary, we've rounded up 10 things you might not know about this iconic Harlem institution, from its beginnings as a whites-only burlesque club to becoming the place where James Brown recorded four albums.
All this and more

History

January 28, 2019

$1.9M Prospect-Lefferts Gardens home mixes elegance and playfulness among historic bones