Search Results for: bay ridge

Any Columbia students out there in search of summer housing? This charming apartment, from the prewar cooperative 609 West 114th Street, is now renting. Besides the great Morningside Heights locale, a half block from the campus and a half block from Riverside Park, you get interior details like 10-foot ceilings, crown moldings and French doors. A corner location and windows everywhere you look stream in sunlight throughout the day. Although in a co-op building this apartment has been rented out for years, and was last asking $2,900 a month in 2015.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

June 20, 2017

New study says Mexico City is less affordable for renters than Manhattan

Out of all of the world’s cities, New York City surprisingly does not have the most unaffordable rental market. In a report released by RENTCafe, Mexico City beats Manhattan as the worst urban area for renters, with 60 percent of their income being spent on housing. However, Manhattan continues to be extremely unaffordable, with residents putting 59 percent of their income toward rent. Affordability levels are not much better in the three other U.S. cities that made the list; Chicago, San Francisco and L.A. have rent-to-income ratios of 38, 41, and 47 percent respectively.
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Real Estate Trends

June 15, 2017

1920s Hudson Heights cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ chops price to $4.25M

You may be familiar with the “Pumpkin House,” the extraordinary 1920s townhouse cantilevered across the cliffs at 16 Chittenden Avenue near Manhattan’s highest point in Hudson Heights. The name comes from the home's Jack-o'-lantern countenance, which bestows motorists along the George Washington Bridge with its anthropomorphic leer. Jack first hit the market last August for $5.25 million, the first time listed since 2011. But still without a buyer, the 17-foot-wide, six-bedroom brick home has a fancy new Sotheby's listing and a lower ask of $4.25 million.
Have a look inside

June 7, 2017

The lost plan to connect Brooklyn to Staten Island with a ‘boulevard under the sea’

Back when New York City planners were dreaming of building new tunnels and bridges, they set their sights toward Staten Island. It was the turn of the 18th century and the city was in the midst of a Brooklyn boom following the debut of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. In 1909, the Manhattan Bridge opened to accommodate the growth of Brooklyn residents who needed ways to get in and out of the newly-developed borough. So the city started thinking about Staten Island. Today, of course, the two boroughs are connected by the Verrazano Bridge. But according to Brownstone Detectives, "Before talk of a bridge began... there was talk of a grand tunnel."
Learn more about the tunnel and why it never came to be

History

May 1, 2017

NYC’s Citywide ferry service officially sets sail today!

The much-anticipated NYC Ferry service begins today, lessening the commute to Manhattan for many outer borough residents. The first commuter ferry took off from the new Rockaway route at 5:30 a.m. Monday, picked up more passengers at Sunset Park and then arrived in Lower Manhattan in just about one hour. Newly renovated ferries will also launch today on the East River Route, which services Midtown and Financial District communities. On Sunday, Mayor de Blasio held a christening ceremony and took the first ferry ride from the Rockaways to Wall Street.
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April 28, 2017

Nearly 900 affordable housing apartments are currently empty

An investigation by Public Advocate Letitia James’ office found that nearly 40 percent, or 884, of the 2,322 apartments in the Tenant Interim Lease (TIL) program sit unoccupied. After hearing multiple complaints from constituents at town halls, the public advocate’s office launched a full review of the program and discovered it does not meet its goal of providing New Yorkers with self-sufficient, low-income rentals (h/t NY Post). Even more shocking, at one TIL building on 615 West 150th Street, tenants had to move out in 1996 for what was supposed to be a two-year renovation. Per a policy briefing by the public advocate, they still have not been able to return to the units, and their possessions are locked up without access.
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April 24, 2017

Before hitting the Harbor, NYC Ferry captains train with a boat simulator

With the launch of the much-anticipated NYC Ferry quickly approaching, crews responsible for manning the boats continue to train in preparation. As amNY shares in a new video, before captains can operate the ferries, they must first master a digital simulation at SUNY Maritime in the Bronx. In a small room shaped like a ferry wheelhouse with wraparound screens that provide a 360-degree view of the New York Harbor, captains in training must steer past digital boat traffic and landmarks like the Statue of Liberty. Overseen by staff members from Hornblower Cruises, the simulator tests an applicant's decision-making skills, navigational abilities, and understanding of Coast Guard Regulations.
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Transit

April 20, 2017

Affordable housing lotteries fail low-income residents and favor middle-income earners, says new report

In every state and major city in the country, extremely low-income renters face a shortage of affordable housing. Although low-income applicants in New York City display a higher need for affordable housing, policies created by Mayor de Blasio and his administration continue to set aside more units for middle-income applicants. In a detailed report, City Limits analyzed affordable housing in Brooklyn and compared the need for affordable housing to the actual number of allotted low-income and middle-income units. For just one building, the tower at 535 Carlton, nearly 95,000 households entered the lottery for its “100 percent affordable” units. However, only 2,203 applicants were eligible for the 148 middle-income units, and over 67,000 households applied for the 90 low-income units. The data shows low-income households in search of affordable housing face much tougher odds than middle-income applicants.
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April 13, 2017

Increased demand and new condos leads to record home sale prices in Brooklyn and Queens

Once enticing New Yorkers with their cheaper rents and mortgages, the outer boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens have set record sales prices during the first quarter of the year. As reported by Crain’s, Brooklyn had a record-setting median sale price of $770,000, more than 16 percent higher than last year. This was driven by an increase in sales activity, with nearly 50 percent more transactions taking place this quarter compared with the beginning of 2016. In Queens, the median sale price was $485,000, but one- to three-family homes set a new record with both average ($697,946) and median ($650,000) sales.
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Real Estate Trends

April 6, 2017

Rockaway Ferry to take off in May, one month ahead of schedule

Mayor de Blasio announced today that the Citywide Ferry Service, now officially named “NYC Ferry,” will be launching two routes on the first day of May: the new Rockaway Route and the existing East River Route. As DNA Info learned, the Rockaway route takes passengers from the new dock on Beach 108th Street to the Brooklyn Terminal, and then Wall Street’s Pier 11. Expect service on the South Brooklyn Route with stops in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook and Brooklyn Bridge Park to begin on June 1. The Astoria Route will be launched sometime in August and the Lower East Side and Soundview Routes have a launch date set in 2018.
Find out more here

March 23, 2017

Starting Monday, three Brooklyn R train stations will shut down for six months

Last January, Governor Cuomo announced a massive undertaking to "modernize and fundamentally transform" the MTA and the subway by adding more countdown clocks, contactless payment by next year, Wi-Fi at all stations (mission accomplished, here), and other high-tech features. It also included news that 30 stations would be revamped, requiring them to shut down entirely for six to 12 months, instead of just on nights and weekends. As of Monday, as amNY tells us, the first three on this list-- the R train stations at 53rd Street in Sunset Park, Bay Ridge Avenue, and Prospect Avenue--will close for half a year for a combined $72 million renovation.
Get the full scoop

Transit

February 24, 2017

The Urban Lens: Will Ellis explores the relics and ruins of Staten Island’s remote edges

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, Will Ellis takes us through the relics and ruins of Staten Island's Arthur Kill Road. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Step into the New York section of any bookstore these days and you'll likely see front and center "Abandoned NYC" by Will Ellis, which puts together three years of his photography and research on 16 of the city's "most beautiful and mysterious abandoned spaces." Will's latest photographic essay is titled "Arthur Kill Road," an eerily handsome exploration of the "quiet corners" and "remote edges" of Staten Island. He decided to focus on this thoroughfare as it winds through some of the NYC's most sparsely populated areas, including the defunct waterfront, remnants of historic architecture, and desolate industrial complexes. Here, as Ellis describes it, "the fabric of the city dissolves, and the past is laid bare through the natural process of decay."
See all the photos this way

Places

February 21, 2017

Astoria is NYC’s top ‘hood for millennials seeking roommates

Roommate app Roomi recently compiled data based on the 20 to 36-year-olds searching for someone with whom to split the rent, and the top neighborhood for this trend is Astoria. DNAinfo shared the analysis, which found that nearly 38 percent of Roomi's users looked for housing in the up-and-coming Queens 'hood, and each applicant in this area gets about 20 applicants, almost double all other neighborhoods.
What other 'hoods top the list?

Real Estate Trends

November 28, 2016

Funky freestanding home in Gravesend hits the market for $1.5M

Although Gravesend is a neighborhood way out in South Brooklyn, it doesn't necessarily mean it's a good place to find a deal. In fact, the area is known for its multi-million dollar real estate because of its large Sephardic Jewish population--homes near synagogues and Jewish Community Centers have asking prices that soar into the millions. This house at 8738 23rd Avenue is asking nearly $1.5 million. It's a freestanding four-bedroom property with a funky, cottage-like exterior and a few interior quirks.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

August 15, 2016

Hudson Heights’ Famed Cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ Returns for $5.3M

So titled for its window pattern that resembles a jack-o'-lantern (especially when lit up at night), this funky home in Hudson Heights has long been a hot topic in the real estate scene thanks to its unusual location extending over a cliff near the highest point in Manhattan, just north of the George Washington Bridge. Built around 1925, the 17-foot-wide brick house was purchased in 2000 for $1.1 million by interior decorator William Spink. After doing a good deal of structural renovation, he listed it for $3.45 million in 2005, but after failing to sell, tried again in 2010 for $3.9 million. It sold the following year and is now back on the market asking $5.25 million.
Take a look around and learn more about the Pumpkin House's history

July 18, 2016

New High-Tech Subway Station and Car Designs Unveiled by Governor Cuomo

By Diane Pham

Straphangers rejoice! As unveiled by Governor Cuomo at the NYC Transit Museum in Brooklyn today, the MTA has announced plans to build 1,025 new subway cars, and to modernize 31 of the city's more than 400 stations. In addition to the majority of these cars taking on the globally-favored "open car end" format, they will also boast wider doors, Wi-fi, USB ports, improved lighting, cell service, full color digital information displays, security cameras for passenger safety, and interestingly, a new color palette—yes, Cuomo has also taken to branding the cars in New York's state colors, blue and gold.
Welcome to the 21st Century, new york city

Transit

May 3, 2016

Three Floors, Three Amazing Terraces at This $6.4M Tribeca Penthouse Loft

If you couldn't afford the penthouse unit at 153 Chambers Street in Tribeca the first time it hit the market, now it's back with a nearly $1 million price chop. Last year, the impressive pad hit the market asking $7.25 million and now it's down to $6.4 million. Most notable about this triplex space are the three different terraces, decked out with a hot tub, hidden outdoor shower, landscaping and impressive views of the Freedom Tower. With summer approaching, these are some of the most envy-inducing terraces we've ever seen...
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Distinctive Homes

April 29, 2016

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

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

February 1, 2016

$5M Penthouse Loft in Tribeca Flaunts Steel, Copper, and Lots of Brick

Now this is the type of apartment we would love to be trapped in during a snowstorm. There's a wood-burning fireplace underneath lofty 16-foot ceilings in this Tribeca penthouse, located at 58 Walker Street, not to mention a big pile of wood to keep the fire roaring. Plenty of leather furniture and exposed brick also help keep this sprawling space, 2,115 square feet over two different floors, feeling cozy. This apartment wouldn't be so bad in the summer, either, with 1,318 square feet of private roof space.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

January 27, 2016

Intergalactic Mill Basin Mansion Returns for $17M With a Two-for-One Deal

The StarMansion from “Star Trek: Mill Basin” has landed on the market once again after few interplanetary laps–one of which included a precipitous price-drop from $30 million to $17 million in 2014–this time even bigger and better with some stellar cargo added. The slightly notorious former mob manse currently belonging to the family of “the Russian-American Paris Hilton” (h/t Curbed) is also the one-time second-most expensive home in Brooklyn (after this massive pad at One Brooklyn Bridge Park). With some seriously tricked-out custom interiors and features like a "circular meditation room,” 257 feet of waterfront, indoor parking for six cars, a Lalique fireplace mantel, 1,000-square-foot pool, spa, outdoor pavilion with kitchen, three-boat marina and water views from every room, the waterfront mansion is still asking $17 million, but with a sweet two-for-one deal attached: The next-door “guest house” property–formerly listed at $8 million–is included in the price.
Take the journey

January 20, 2016

Top 10 Transportation Proposals That Would Transform New York City

By Rebecca Paul

Commuting in and around NYC can at times be a daunting task, and with the all of the pending subway closures, things are about to get a bit more complicated. However, all hope is not lost, and a trouble-free ride to work right be in the near future. From a city-wide ferry system to cell-phone friendly subway cars, both Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have several new initiatives in play to improve the city's infrastructure. In addition to these ambitious government-backed measures, there are also a slew of motivated residents looking to make some changes, including a 32-Mile Greenway in Brooklyn and Queens and a High Line-esque bridge spanning the Hudson River, just to name a few. To keep your spirits high when subway lines are down, we've put together this list of top 10 transportation proposals for NYC.
See all 10 here

Transit

December 17, 2015

Edible Real Estate: These Amazing Gingerbread Houses Are Totally Turnkey

What could be better than real estate you can eat? Though these (mostly) edible homes are way too pretty to take a bite of, there’s just something about the idea of frosting on the roof… Ahead, check out some of the sweet, scaled-down edifices we've scouted across the web and NYC, including a gingerbread version of the Hogwarts School, Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Fallingwater, and the Guggenheim, which, as they say, takes the cake!
More amazing cookie creations this way

October 28, 2015

Surreal Estate: NYC Listings That Are Scary, Hairy, and Totally Hideous

As if New York City home prices, monthly rents and apartment sizes weren’t scary enough. Between the horrors of Airbnb, overpriced dorm-style “co-living,” super-expensive micro-apartments, and Donald Trump, it’s hard to imagine we'd need Halloween to scare ourselves silly. But scare we do. Because of listings like these that know no season. Because sometimes real estate gets a little too real. From spookily dilapidated to eerily obscure to downright hideous, 6sqft has rounded up some of the most horrifying listings out there.
Be very afraid

October 13, 2015

Mayor de Blasio Supports Plan for $11B Underground Cross-Harbor Freight Tunnel