Search Results for: garden

There’s a cute new listing available in this townhouse off Central Park West. This $2.55 million three-bedroom pad has tall ceilings and natural light from the north and south, along with prewar detail and a full view of the garden.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

Goldilocks Blocks: Lowry Triangle in Prospect Heights, Where the Gritty Meets the Gentrified

Between hyper-developed hotspots, main drags in up-and-comers, and those genuinely avoidable areas, there can often be found a city’s “just-right” zones. They aren’t commonly known, but these micro-neighborhoods often hide within them real estate gems coupled with perfectly offbeat vibes. Continuing our Goldilocks Blocks series, this week we look at Lowry Triangle in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

January 20, 2015

Goldilocks Blocks: Lowry Triangle in Prospect Heights, Where the Gritty Meets the Gentrified

By Michelle Cohen

It’s...gritty. But it’s Prospect Heights. Anchoring an oddly magical Brooklyn crossroads where Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Clinton Hill meet, bisected by noisy, gritty Atlantic Avenue, Lowry Triangle and its surrounding blocks form a literal mashup of three neighborhoods, all of which began hitting their gentrification strides at slightly different times. On a map it’s legitimately Prospect Heights, whose border is a block to the east at Grand Avenue. It’s a small but decidedly cool zone, open and semi-industrial, where old brick buildings share space with a growing number of sleek, modern boutique condos, compact cubes fronted by vast expanses of glass; a fascinating juxtaposition of old and new.
What you might not notice if you're just passing through

January 20, 2015

This Turn-Key Cobble Hill Townhome Comes with a Backyard Playhouse

What if we told you we found a beautiful move-in ready Brooklyn townhouse with a landscaped garden and a great location, and the only downside is it has one green bathroom? Well, you can’t have it all. But this four-bedroom townhouse in Cobble Hill comes pretty close. The owner “lovingly updated” the home, and it seems to have had a pretty successful run on the rental market over the last few years, but it's back on the market again, asking $12,500 a month.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

Mother and daughter in Flatbush

January 19, 2015

Take a Peek Inside Hundreds of Brooklyn Homes in the 1970s, Including Where Basquiat Grew Up

An online gallery from the New York Public Library provides a stunning glimpse into domestic life in Brooklyn in the 1970s, courtesy of photographer Dinanda Nooney, who traveled through the borough from January 1978 to April 1979, capturing locals in their homes and asking them to then suggest other subjects. The black-and-white photos range from everyday scenes of Brooklynites to the residence of a local celebrity biker to the childhood home of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Take a look at Dinanda Nooney's photos here

January 18, 2015

Lovely Eco-Friendly Yurt in Newfield Offers a Unique Camping Spot in Nature

If living simpler is on your 2015 to-do list, a few days away in this delightful yurt might show you the way. Located just 12 miles south of Ithaca in Newfield, New York in a luxury glamping spot surrounded by greenery, this yurt-for-rent comes with a garden full of goldfinches and sunflowers visible from every window. Perfect for getting away from the busy city life, this Mongolian-inspired retreat offers the perfect spot for unwinding upstate.
Learn more about this yurt

January 16, 2015

Could These Portable Temporary Homes Help Solve NYC’s Affordable Housing Crisis?

As the De Blasio administration struggles to find ways to remedy the city's affordable housing crisis, here comes a solution from overseas that could help solve their woes while also putting the city's nearly 15,000 revitalization-ready vacant lots to use. Dubbed Heijmans ONE, these Dutch-made prefab homes are easily portable, easily deployable, and are designed specifically to provide cheap housing for those who need it.
More details on the beautiful design here

First Four Essex Crossing Buildings Revealed

Rendering via SHoP Architects

January 15, 2015

First Four Essex Crossing Buildings Revealed

After 45 years of sitting vacant on the Lower East Side, the failed SPURA (Seward Park Urban Renewal Area) project site is being transformed to a $1.1 billion, 1.65 million-square-foot, mixed-use mega-development anchored by 1,000 residential units and a mix of cultural, community, and retail facilities. We've gotten snippets here and there on what the Essex Crossing project will look like–such as the Andy Warhol Museum and a 14-screen movie theater–but now Curbed has revealed renderings of the development's first four buildings. Construction on phase one of the project, which will occupy sites one, two, five and six (there are nine sites in total), is expected to commence this spring, and the notable architects who will spearhead the charge are SHoP, Handel Architects, Beyer Blinder Belle and Dattner Architects.
See what these architects have planned for Essex Crossing

January 15, 2015

REVEALED: HWKN Will Bring a Shiny and Shingled YOTEL Hotel/Condo to Williamsburg

One of our favorite New York architects will soon be making their mark in Williamsburg. HWKN has just revealed new renderings for a brand new 14-story YOTEL coming to Brooklyn at 646 Lorimer Street. The images, which give us a taste of the exterior, are right on the mark with the YOTEL style and the rapidly changing neighborhood—and the design is what exactly you'd expect from HWKN: an eye-catching form with lots of greenspace.
Find out more here

January 14, 2015

Traditional Westchester Estate Gets a Glassy Modernist Addition and Green Roof

By Lori Zimmer

AbelowSherman Architects have given an historic mansion in Westchester a unique facelift, covering both ends of the architectural spectrum by adding a traditional conservatory and a modern glassy addition. The 16,000-square-foot gut renovation also added a flashy Corten steel staircase and concrete pool cabana to the sumptuous property. From the front, the home is stately and elegant, but a surprising modern twist awaits in the rear.
Tour the property here

Architecture And Design

January 14, 2015

Affordable Brooklyn Fading: Last Chance to Buy a Home Under $1M in Areas Like Bed-Stuy and Bushwick

If you've been looking to buy a home in Brooklyn, you'd better do it now–because townhouses under $1 million are going fast as investors and house hunters turn to the likes of Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights for cheap buys after being priced out of other areas in the borough. The news, which comes via DNA Info, isn't all that surprising, as we reported just yesterday that $3 million-plus townhouses are becoming the norm in already-gentrified neighborhoods like Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope. But those mulling over whether or not to close on a home in an up-and-coming neighborhood had better make the move, because affordable townhouse listings are increasingly becoming few and far between.
Find out more here

Real Estate Trends

Is Jamaica, Queens NYC’s Hot New Tourist Spot?

Sutphin Avenue in Jamaica via Panoramio

January 14, 2015

Is Jamaica, Queens NYC’s Hot New Tourist Spot?

Not yet, but that's just what the new head of the neighborhood's Business Improvement District (BID) is planning. To realize her goal of turning Jamaica into one of NYC's hot tourist spots, Rhonda Binda is organizing neighborhood tours and launching a series of pop-up installations that would focus on the community's history and culture, as well as local artists. In partnership with the Queens Tourism Council, she hopes these offerings will attract both locals and visitors alike, especially those who have layovers at JFK airport.
More details ahead

Real Estate Trends

January 13, 2015

Paying $3 Million-Plus for a Brooklyn Townhouse Is Now the Norm

Brooklyn's real estate market is hot, but the market for historic townhouses is searing. Today, the NY Post cites Ideal Properties' latest report which reveals that $3 million-plus townhouse sales in Brownstone Brooklyn and North Brooklyn increased 579 percent in the last five years, and accounted for 9.5 percent of the 1,035 townhouses sold just last year. Record-breaking sales in the last quarter gave the segment its biggest boost, and rising inventory is expected to swell this number even further over the coming year.
Find out more here

Real Estate Trends

January 12, 2015

Get Free Access to 33 Museums with the New NYC Municipal ID

Are you one of those New Yorkers who goes to the Met more than any other museum because it's "pay what you wish"? Do you wait in lines wrapped around the block to get into museums' free admission nights? Well, good news. You can now enjoy your favorite cultural institutions across all five boroughs without having to jump through hoops, thanks to the Mayor's municipal ID initiative. In addition to serving as a city identification card, IDNYC will offer a free one-year membership to 33 of the city’s most prominent museums and cultural centers; it will also serve as a cross-borough library card. New Yorkers can begin applying today, and enrollment will remain open until December 31, 2015.
Interested? Find out more here

January 12, 2015

Minimalist Prospect Heights Carriage House Asks $2.5M

This converted carriage house in Prospect Heights is back on the market with another price drop, this time, asking $2.499 million. The minimalist 22.5-foot wide home has a touch of European farmhouse charm in a raw modern warehouse, with some vintage accents like reclaimed sinks, found antique gates, repurposed mirrored French doors and tin ceilings. Not to mention the fact that the home comes with a private garage (currently being used as an artist studio space).
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

January 9, 2015

Don’t Judge This Gorgeous Williamsburg Rental Loft by Its Cover

By Stephanie Hoina

The exterior of this 1000-square-foot loft located at 457 Grand Street in Williamsburg isn’t particularly awe-inspiring. A typical turn-of-the-century red masonry building with charming window details, it’s pleasant to look at but doesn’t quite take your breath away. The same cannot be said for the gorgeously renovated and exceptionally bright loft hiding within. The space beautifully takes advantage of the building’s original features like hardwood floors, brick walls, and exposed ceiling beams, then ups the ante with a host of modern touches including multiple skylights, tons of custom built-ins, and a stunning, larger-than-life glass wall/door separating the bedroom from the living area.
See why this book is even better than its cover

Distinctive Homes

January 9, 2015

Muddy Construction Commences on Jardim, Isay Weinfeld’s Condominium on the High Line

By Ondel Hylton

The construction boom in Chelsea along the High Line continues unabated with the start of another condo development penned by a highly acclaimed foreign architect. This latest condominium, dubbed “Jardim” (Portuguese for garden), comes from the office of visionary Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld. Developed by Harlan Berger's Centaur Properties, Jardim's site is situated at 525 West 25th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues–just a single starchitect's lot away from the High Line. Construction at the currently muddy site has commenced, and we got a first-hand look at the progress.
More on the project here

January 9, 2015

The Beaverbrook Cottage Is a Charming Quonset Hut Retreat in the Country

If you daydream about spending a few days in a wooden cottage surrounded by an old-growth forest, bush blueberries and native wildlife, don’t worry, paradise is just around the corner. We found this charming two-bedroom, curved-roof retreat in Catskills which looks like the perfect place to unwind without having to leave your beloved modern amenities behind. Sweet and spacious, the Beaverbrook Cottage features spacious bright interiors, a modest country-style decor, a wood-stove, a piano, and a romantic garden complete with a gazebo.
Learn more about this charming curved-roof cottage

January 8, 2015

The Lena Dunham Real Estate Effect: Looking at the Homes of the Stars of ‘Girls’

One of the reasons Girls became such an instant hit is because it was lauded as the anti-Sex & the City. Its characters live in Greenpoint, not the Upper West Side; they wear Converse instead of Manolos; they struggle to pay the rent rather than living in completely unrealistic apartments. But when it comes to their real lives in New York City, the cast of the HBO show is definitely not struggling to make ends meet, as is evidenced by their impressive collection of real estate. So, in anticipation for this Sunday's season four premier, let's take a look at how Lena Dunham and her posse actually live in the city, as compared with their characters' fictional digs.
See where the stars of 'Girls' live on and off the screen

January 8, 2015

Rents in Brooklyn Still Up Even with a Boom in New Listings

MNS has just released the December rental reports covering Manhattan and Brooklyn. Far from surprisingly, rents were up in both boroughs, each seeing a solid increase year over year. But one finding that definitely stood out was Brooklyn's 9 percent uptick in new listings between November and December 2014. Whether rents will reflect the new inventory the coming months has yet to be seen; November on December figures slow only the slightest decrease with average rents falling from $2,677 to $2,666 (a 0.39 percent drop). Bigger picture figures show that since December 2013, rent prices have increased 3.08 percent rising from $2,587 to $2,667 in December 2014. Brooklyn neighborhoods that did especially well last year included Boerum Hill, which saw an average rent increase of 15.7 percent from $2,668 in December 2013 to $3,088 in December 2014; and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, which saw a 9.5 percent increase since December 2013—a continuing trend for the nabe. So, is Brooklyn still having its moment?
More details on Brooklyn and the Manhattan dispatch this way

Real Estate Trends

January 8, 2015

Leave the City Behind in This Charming $15K a Month Brownstone

Yes, this is actually a Manhattan residence, not a Brooklyn pad in disguise. The renovated single-family brownstone is located just a block from Central Park and is brimming with charm. The cozy and familiar home has an owner of practically 50 years who has updated the interior with modern comforts like radiant heated floors, but it's details like decorative fireplaces and stained glass accents that make this place truly special.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

January 7, 2015

Prospect Heights Row House Once Literally “Gone to the Dogs” Is Now Best in Show

By Stephanie Hoina

Like most townhouses of its time, this Prospect Heights abode suffered from what Delson or Sherman Architects referred to as "common row-house ailments." Dark in the middle and spatially flat, coupled with the fact that it had housed a kennel in one of its former lives, this home had literally gone to the dogs in more ways than one. But wait until you see how the firm transformed the Brooklyn house.
From dark and flat to bright and layered

January 6, 2015

Dean/Wolf Architects’ Amazing Brooklyn Townhouse Has an Operable Tetris-Like Facade

Fusing indoor and outdoor space is a rare occurrence in places like New York City, where outside real estate rarely constitutes anything more than a 2 foot x 5 foot fire escape. So when the residents of this Brooklyn Heights townhouse moved into their new pad, they knew that their spacious backyard would have to be the star of their home. As such, the Brooklynites called upon Dean / Wolf Architects to take on the task of breathing new life into their townhouse, and by the looks of things, they couldn't have chosen better. Instead of simply employing floor-to-ceiling windows to make the connection, the savvy architects designed an operable, puzzle-like rear facade that allows the home's inhabitants to seamlessly join the indoors and the out with just a few turns of the wrist.
More on the aptly named 'Operable Boundary Townhouse/Garden' here

January 6, 2015

Gorgeous Sagaponack Stone House Gets a Brise-Soleil Addition by Martin Architects

This Daniels Lane residence consists of two contrasting parts—an existing stone beach house and a textured modern addition to its side. Settled atop a grassy site in the Southampton village of Sagaponack, this beautiful dwelling was re-designed by local studio Martin Architects, who not only created a striking second volume with a layer of wood screens, but cleverly lifted and rotated the old stone beach house to provide new views and more light.
Learn more about this modern contrasting home

January 5, 2015

The Twins: Otherworldly Upstate Vacation Homes Designed for Two Brothers