Search Results for: Brooklyn Heights

Applications are now being accepted for 30 brand new one-bedroom units set aside for New York seniors. The St. Vincent de Paul Senior Apartments, located at 909 Beck Street in the Bronx neighborhood of Longwood, sit next to a nursing home operated by the Archcare, the developer behind the housing complex. To apply, New Yorkers must be--or have at least one household member who is-- 62 years of age or older, qualify for Section 8 benefits, and earn $42, 700 or less annually.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

$18.3M sustainable playground breaks ground at the Battery

The “bluffs” zone includes five granite slides and boulder scrambles; renderings courtesy of BKSK Architects & Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners

March 13, 2020

$18.3M sustainable playground breaks ground at the Battery

As the threat of climate change grows, parks in New York City are working to become more resilient. Officials on Thursday broke ground on an $18.3 million waterfront playground at the Battery in the Financial District. The Battery Playscape, as it's being called, is expected to be one of the city's largest sustainable parks. It will triple the size of the current playground and will feature a rainwater runoff system and a wide variety of durable plants.
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March 10, 2020

City seeks ideas for two 100 percent affordable senior complexes on NYCHA land

The city is looking to construct two affordable senior complexes with between 150 and 200 housing units each. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Friday released a request for proposals for two underused city-owned sites, one in the Bronx's Morrisania neighborhood and the other in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. The developments fall under Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration's "Seniors First" housing program, which aims to serve 30,000 senior households by 2026 through the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
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New engineering study reconsiders tearing the BQE down and building a tunnel

Via Wikimedia cc

February 24, 2020

New engineering study reconsiders tearing the BQE down and building a tunnel

The City Council is reconsidering an alternative solution for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that would tear down the crumbling highway and replace it with a three-mile-long tunnel, the New York Times reports. The council tapped engineering firm Arup to provide insight on the rehabilitation/replacement project last September and their findings are being released in a new report on Monday. According to the Times, the report says a tunnel option similar to what cities like Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle have done could cost as much as $11 billion.
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Photo of The Strand Rare Book Room (top left) by Aaron and Whitney Photography; all others cited below

February 3, 2020

The 10 best places in NYC to propose

By Rebecca Fishbein

Some people think Valentine’s Day is a good day for a proposal, but those people are wrong. Valentine’s Day is a holiday that belongs to Hallmark, but the day you propose is one that belongs to you, without any intrusion on the part of a greeting card company. Still, if you’re going to pop the question, you’re best off doing it before February 14, so the pressure’s off and no one’s sitting at dinner stressing out over whether or not they’re going to accidentally swallow a ring in their champagne. Luckily, this city’s full of romantic spots ripe for love and impending marriage. Here are a few of our favorites, from a bookstore and a movie theater to parks and restaurants.
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The Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) from the south end of the Brooklyn Promenade. Photo by Joe Mabel via Wikimedia

January 31, 2020

BQE panel releases anticipated report, says the highway will be unsafe for drivers in five years

The Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) from the south end of the Brooklyn Promenade. Photo by Joe Mabel via Wikimedia The 16-person panel that convened last April to assess reconstruction options for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s 1.5-mile triple cantilever stretch has released its report. Their recommendations call for repair work to begin immediately and outline “aggressive traffic reduction strategies” like eliminating one lane in each direction (six lanes would become four) and imposing weight limits on vehicles. The panel also rejected the controversial proposal to build a temporary highway at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade during the reconstruction and said the Promenade should remain open.
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Dunkin’ and MetroPCS thrive in NYC despite overall drop in number of chain stores

Photo by Photo by Susan Sermoneta on Flickr

December 20, 2019

Dunkin’ and MetroPCS thrive in NYC despite overall drop in number of chain stores

The number of chain stores in New York City dropped for the second consecutive year, down 3.7 percent in 2019, according to a new report. Despite this decline in retailers, two stores continue to grow across the five boroughs: Dunkin' and Metro by T-Mobile. The Center for an Urban Future's annual "State of the Chains" report found that the coffee chain is the city's largest national retailer with 636 total stores, adding 12 locations since 2018, followed by the cell phone store, formerly called MetroPCS, which operates 468 stores citywide.
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Real Estate Trends

Find landmarks of the anti-slavery movement in NYC

Screenshot of the map courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

December 13, 2019

Find landmarks of the anti-slavery movement in NYC

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

For roughly 200 years, between 1626 and 1827, New York City was home to more enslaved Africans than almost every other city in the country. But after abolishing slavery nearly 40 years before the nation, the city became a major player of the national abolitionist movement, housing anti-slavery activists and organizations, as well as many stops on the Underground Railroad. Now 400 years after the first enslaved Africans arrived in the United States, the Landmarks Preservation Commission released this week an interactive story map highlighting designated city landmarks tied to the abolitionist movement.
Explore the map

From top left: Photo of Robert Frost via Wikimedia, Photo of Emily Post via Library of Congress, Photo of Henry Miller via Wikimedia; From bottom left: Photo of James Baldwin by Allan Warren via Wikimedia, Photo of Patricia Highsmith via Wikimedia, and Photo of Margaret Mead via Smithsonian Institution Archives Wikimedia

December 6, 2019

31 literary icons of Greenwich Village

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. One of the city’s oldest and largest landmark districts, it’s a treasure trove of history, culture, and architecture. Village Preservation is spending 2019 marking this anniversary with events, lectures, and new interactive online resources. This is part of a series of posts about the Greenwich Village Historic District marking its golden anniversary. Greenwich Village, specifically the historic district at its core, has been described as many things, but “literary” may be among the most common. That’s not only because the neighborhood has an air of sophistication and drama, but because it has attracted some of the nation’s greatest writers over the last 200 plus years. Ahead, learn about just some of the cornucopia of great wordsmiths who have called the Greenwich Village Historic District home, from Thomas Paine to Lorraine Hansberry.
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History

The top NYC holiday markets and pop-up shops of 2019

Photo courtesy of Grand Bazaar

November 18, 2019

The top NYC holiday markets and pop-up shops of 2019

New York is a city of shoppers, and though the retail landscape may be undergoing a sea change, there’s still a lot to be said for perusing yards of beautiful baubles and quirky crafts you won't find online in the company of other shoppers and plenty of good cheer. There’s no shortage of holiday markets this season, with one in practically every corner of town; and each one is unique in its own way. The big Manhattan markets–at Union Square, Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, and Columbus Circle–get points for sheer volume, but some of the best finds can be had at smaller, more intimate neighborhood affairs. And they all sparkle with winter wonderland delights from ice skating and music to drinks, food, workshops, tarot readings, nail art, and family fun to keep shoppers' spirits bright.
Find out where to get the goods

Events & Things To Do

$900K Clinton Hill condo has a designer’s touch and discerning storage

Photo courtesy of the Henderson Team at Citi Habitats

November 4, 2019

$900K Clinton Hill condo has a designer’s touch and discerning storage

By Dana Schulz

Any true New Yorker has gained an appreciation for good storage space over the years, but when it's stylish, it's an added bonus. Such is the case at this $899,000 loft at 95 Lexington Avenue in Clinton Hill. Technically a loft space, the 981-square-foot home has been configured with a separate bedroom alcove for privacy, and an additional half-bath is an extra perk. All of this smart planning and lovely decor is not surprising considering the current homeowners are designers.
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Distinctive Homes

This landmarked English Gothic Harlem church seeks a $6.25M buyer to create its next chapter

Photo credit: Matt Vacca courtesy of Compass.

October 30, 2019

This landmarked English Gothic Harlem church seeks a $6.25M buyer to create its next chapter

New York City's church conversions always draw interest and curiosity; whether they symbolize tranquility–or just offer a unique setting that often includes stained-glass windows with heavenly light and miles-high cathedral ceilings–they transcend the ordinary. This historic, landmarked Harlem church, built in 1897, is now on the market for $6.25 million. Home to the Greater Metropolitan Baptist Church since 1985, the building is zoned residential, so, according to the listing, it can become a single-family home. Built in the English Gothic style and first dedicated as St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church, the house of worship is a reflection of the neighborhood's many layers of history. The listing calls on "sophisticated buyers and developers" to seize the chance to be responsible for the next chapter in the life of this neighborhood icon.
From 80-foot spires to a classic church basement

This year’s best NYC neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treating

The Halloween scarescape on West 69th Street in Manhattan. Photo © 6sqft

October 23, 2019

This year’s best NYC neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treating

October 31 brings New Yorkers of all sizes out of their crypts and crannies in search of treats and fun. This year, long-running favorite neighborhoods rise to the occasion once again, with a few recent additions. Trick-or-treating in the big city has its advantages: Apartment buildings can be like hitting the jackpot and friendly neighbors, stores, businesses and neighborhood events keep the little tricksters busy. Technology helps keep things safe and fun: Local-social site Nextdoor's annual trick-or-treat map is back; neighbors can add themselves to if they're handing out candy. Like so many other topics, New Yorkers love to argue over which neighborhoods offer the best bounty. Below are a few picks for the best treats.
Score more treats this Halloween

‘Girls’ star Zosia Mamet lists classic Upper West Side co-op for 1.3M

Listing photos by Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

September 5, 2019

‘Girls’ star Zosia Mamet lists classic Upper West Side co-op for 1.3M

By Annie Doge

Best known for her role as Shosanna on "Girls," actress Zosia Mamet has put her Upper West Side co-op on the market, reports the New York Post. Nearly five years ago, she and then-boyfriend-now-husband Evan Jonigkeit sold their Bushwick house and soon moved into a what we thought was a rather "unimpressive" apartment at 522 West End Avenue. The couple dropped $1,225,000 million on the unit, which they've certainly jazzed up over the years, and they've now listed it for a barely profitable $1,295,000. The ground-floor two-bedroom has classic pre-war bones and is the only residence with private access to the building's rear garden.
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114 mixed-income apartments up for grabs in Clinton Hill, from $896/month

Rendering of Athena North courtesy of Marvel Architects

August 14, 2019

114 mixed-income apartments up for grabs in Clinton Hill, from $896/month

A lottery opened this week for 114 mixed-income units at buildings that border the neighborhoods of Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. The newly constructed buildings are located at 909 Atlantic Avenue and 1043 Fulton Street, dubbed Athena South and Athena North, respectively. The affordable housing comes as part of the Hudson Companies' redevelopment of the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, which sits in the developer's new 38-story tower, One Clinton. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60, 80, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $896/month studios to $2,952/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Temporary “pop-up park” opens at future site of Willoughby Square Park

Images courtesy of EDC

July 10, 2019

Temporary “pop-up park” opens at future site of Willoughby Square Park

As plans for a permanent park at Willoughby Square go forward, a temporary green space at the same site has opened to the public. The 15,000-square-foot "pop-up park" will provide a green escape for the local community until the end of the summer in 2020, at which point construction will commence on the permanent, 1.15-acre park scheduled for completion by 2022.
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Architecture And Design

Asking $16M, this charming Chelsea carriage house has two terraces, a garden, and a private garage

Photos by Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 20, 2019

Asking $16M, this charming Chelsea carriage house has two terraces, a garden, and a private garage

Photos by Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty Carriage houses are often unique to begin with, possessed of private garages in former carriage quarters. This gem at 313 West 20th Street in Chelsea has all of the carriage house perks (including the garage and tons of curb appeal), but at 25 feet wide, with a "secret" garden, two terraces, and a separate top-floor two-bedroom apartment, no living space is sacrificed. Asking $15.8 million, this turn-of-the-20th-century home has four stories, historic details, and every modern comfort including new double-pane windows and central air.
Carriage house tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

May 10, 2019

A designer couple transformed this $3.2M Gowanus townhouse into a practical two-family home

A few years ago designers Merrill Lyons and Charles Brill started the full renovation of their Gowanus townhouse, which involved "gutting it down to the brick facade, beams, and stair railings" and adding a deck in the back. The results—worthy of a feature in Dwell Magazine—mix the historic townhouse bones with modern lines and pops of color. With three bedrooms, space to spread out outdoors, and an inviting ambiance throughout, the residence is very family-friendly. The garden level is currently an income-generating rental unit, but it could be incorporated into the upper floors to create a larger single-family residence. Originally built in 1901, this completely transformed property is now on the market for $3,195,000.
Look inside

Distinctive Homes

Bjarke Ingels reveals new proposal for a park-covered BQE

Rendering courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group

April 4, 2019

Bjarke Ingels reveals new proposal for a park-covered BQE

The latest proposal to fix the crumbling BQE comes from Bjarke Ingels Group, who unveiled their plan to a crowd of 1,000 at a town hall meeting hosted by the Brooklyn Heights Association and advocacy group A Better Way last night. Dubbed the BQP—with the P standing for Park—the firm wants to build a new, six-lane highway that would be topped by a public park, saving the promenade and expanding Brooklyn Bridge Park by more than 10 acres. The proposal comes on the heels of Mayor de Blasio hitting the brakes on a $3 billion DOT plan and instead convening a "panel of experts" to determine the best path forward.
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A giant NYC scavenger hunt is happening next month

via MCNY

April 4, 2019

A giant NYC scavenger hunt is happening next month

By Lucie Levine

On Saturday, May 4th, the Museum of the City of New York will host "Keys to the City: The Ultimate New York City Scavenger Hunt." Teams of at least three, and up to 10, will have four hours to decipher 50 clues, and visit sites in the Financial District, the Lower East Side, DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights. The journey will conclude at MCNY with drinks and a prize ceremony. Winners will snag a private gallery tour of the museum, and family memberships to MCNY.
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Events & Things To Do

Where I Work: Noam Grossman wants to perfect the NYC slice at his throwback pizzeria Upside

Photo courtesy of Molly Tavoletti

April 3, 2019

Where I Work: Noam Grossman wants to perfect the NYC slice at his throwback pizzeria Upside

How do you heighten something as ubiquitous in New York City as a slice of pizza? It’s all about the dough. Noam Grossman, the founder of Upside Pizza, which opened in the Garment District in January, uses a 100 percent naturally leavened dough with a sourdough starter, unbleached flour, and a rise time of 72 hours. Grossman credits this mixture, along with the use of a brick-lined oven and in-house ingredients, for making Upside Pizza stand out among the hundreds of other slice joints found across the city. With a team consisting of dollar-slice gurus Eli and Oren Halai, of 2 Bros. Pizza, and pizza consultant Anthony Falco, of Roberta’s fame, Grossman’s pizzeria elevates the New York slice experience while retaining its grab-and-go roots. “We’re not cranking out quick-made pies,” Grossman told 6sqft. “We’re working tirelessly to make our pies memorable, and the absolute best they can be.” And all of this is happening in a 330-square-foot joint on the busy corner of 39th Street, across from the Port Authority. Boasting a colorful, in-your-face aesthetic, the inspiration for Upside Pizza's design came from "the nostalgia of being a kid in the '90s when hip hop and sports reigned supreme, and local pizza parlors were places of community gathering," he said. Ahead, hear from Grossman on Upside Pizza's plan to perfect the slice, the pizzeria's expansion, and his favorite slice joint in the city.
Meet Noam

New proposal turns the BQE’s triple cantilever into a three-level linear park

Rendering by Kameny Design and Taylor Davenport, courtesy of Mark Baker

March 21, 2019

New proposal turns the BQE’s triple cantilever into a three-level linear park

A longtime Brooklyn resident is offering his own innovative solution to fix the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Mark Baker's proposal involves transforming the BQE's triple cantilever into the "Tri-Line," a three-tiered park that extends from Brooklyn Bridge Park. Modeled after Manhattan's High Line, the Tri-Line parks would measure 1,880 feet long and include gardens, seating, walking paths, and bike lanes. As the Brooklyn Eagle reported, cars and trucks would be rerouted along a new highway on Furman Street, preserving the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and adding eight acres of park space in the process.
See the proposal

Architecture And Design

NYC Comptroller proposes turning the BQE into a truck-only roadway with a park on top

Via Wikimedia

March 13, 2019

NYC Comptroller proposes turning the BQE into a truck-only roadway with a park on top

Adding another perspective to the many voices who are seeking a solution to the “most challenging project not only in New York City but arguably in the United States,” City Comptroller Scott Stringer has outlined his own proposal to save the crumbling BQE, advocating for a middle-ground solution to the heated debate. Stringer's idea (notably without a timeline or proposed budget) is to turn the BQE into a truck-only highway and build a linear park above. "We remain hopeful that the agency can view the BQE's deterioration not just as an engineering challenge, but as an opportunity to create something new and bold that both accommodates essential traffic and enhances surrounding neighborhoods,” he wrote in a March 7 letter to Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.
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Transit

Corey Johnson proposes new city-controlled transit system called Big Apple Transit or ‘BAT’

Via City Council Speaker Corey Johnson

March 5, 2019

Corey Johnson proposes new city-controlled transit system called Big Apple Transit or ‘BAT’