Search Results for: garden

February 4, 2015

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Listing Ever: A $40 Million Mansion with a Mayoral Past

There's no shortage of beauty inside, out, or around this stunning Brooklyn Heights mansion which has just hit the market for a record $40 million—the most expensive residential property ever listed in the borough. While that amount may make our mere mortal hearts skip a beat, the price tag is certainly warranted when you consider the following: It encompasses 17,500 square feet, there are 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and more than 9,000 square feet of garden and outdoor space, and it boasts enough original details to make even the biggest history buff's head spin. As the listing so aptly states, "Much like a long awaited centennial celebration, a residential sale of this magnitude comes around very seldom, and when it does, quite often history is made."
Tour the spectacular $40M home here
February 4, 2015

Tiny East Village Treasure Is Huge on Charm and Priced Well Under $1M

In a city filled with space-challenged (okay, let’s just admit it, tiny) living spaces, one can only hope the expression “good things come in small packages” holds true. When we took one look at this adorable East Village co-op at 323 East 8th Street we felt compelled to take a little literary license with the well-known phrase because sometimes “great things come in small packages.”
Check out more of this East Village treasure
February 4, 2015

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em Join ‘Em: Hotels Attempt to Emulate Airbnb Amidst Competition

As the city's war against Airbnb rages on, hotels and bed and breakfasts across the city continue to see their guest numbers drop. But the decrease isn't necessarily due to the lower costs of Airbnb rentals (although we certainly wouldn't discount it) but the fact that visitors to our fair city are looking for an authentic New York experience. DNA Info reports that new hotels across the city are looking to recreate the "real experience" of staying in New York by channelling a "more urban" atmosphere with cool perks—bars amongst them—that lure local residents within their towering walls to hang with their guests.
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February 3, 2015

Then and Now: From Luchow’s German Restaurant to NYU Dorm

For those of us who came to the city within the past decade, it's hard to imagine East 14th Street without its stretch of bulky NYU dorms, big-box supermarkets, and mini-chain restaurants. But of course this wasn't always what the area looked like. In the late 19th century, the area centered around Irving Place, was full of entertainment venues like the Academy of Music, the city's opera house, Steinway Hall, Tammany Hall, and the City Theatre movie house. And at the heart of it all was a restaurant that catered to both the theater crowd and the German population of the East Village–Luchow's. Luchow's was established in 1882 at 110 East 14th Street at Irving Place when German immigrant August Lüchow purchased the café/beer garden where he worked as a bartender and waiter. It remained in operation for a full century, becoming an unofficial neighborhood and city landmark, until it was replaced by NYU's University Hall dormitory.
Read the full history here
February 3, 2015

Historic Park Slope Brownstone on Prospect Park Asks $5 Million

This five-story brownstone at 920 President Street has been home to the same family for decades. Consequently, it’s maintained a lot of its original details like stained glass windows, pier mirrors, pocket doors, and wainscoting. And a location right on Prospect Park makes this the perfect canvas for creating your dream home, all with an asking price just $5 under $5 million.
Take a look inside
February 2, 2015

Wake Up Over and Over Again in This $6M Yorkville Townhouse with Soaring Vaulted Ceiling

It’s Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil promises six more weeks of winter–not necessarily a bad thing if you’re viewing the latest snowfall through a picturesque wall of windows while cozying up to a roaring fire. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in this gorgeous townhouse at 343 East 84th Street in Yorkville.
More of this stunning home this way
February 2, 2015

Great Piggery War Was an Early Gentrification Battle; Meet the Man with the Most Pizza Boxes in the World

Gentrification battles can be traced back to the 1850s when Midtown West’s many piggeries were set to be replaced with apartments. [NYP] Vote for building of the year in 14 categories featuring thousands of projects from all corners of the globe. [ArchDaily] Tour a cozy Carroll Gardens apartment that was six years in the making. [Apartment […]

January 29, 2015

Bushwick Buzz: A Look at the Neighborhood That’s Dethroned Williamsburg as Brooklyn’s Most Hipster

Of Brooklyn's gentrifying neighborhoods, few have seen such rapid change as Bushwick. The neighborhood, which sits in the northern portion of the borough, running from Flushing Avenue to Broadway to Conway Street and the Cemetery of the Evergreens, has grown as a natural extension of Williamsburg—a haven for creatives and young folks looking for lower rents. But well before its trendy vibe put it on the map, Bushwick was a forested enclave originally settled by the Dutch—its name is derived from a Dutch word "Boswijck,"defined as “little town in the woods”—and later, German immigrants who began building breweries and factories. Unfortunately, as the breweries along Brewer’s Row and factories closed and farms disappeared, derelict buildings and crime took hold—with the looting, arson and rioting after the city’s blackout during the summer of 1977 playing a starring role. According to the New York Times, "In a five-year period in the late 1960s and early 70s, the Bushwick neighborhood was transformed from a neatly maintained community of wood houses into what often approached a no man's land of abandoned buildings, empty lots, drugs and arson.”
More on Bushwick's past... and present
January 29, 2015

Modern Smart Home in Cobble Hill Sells for $6M

The blogosphere was not impressed last year when they saw the contemporary brownstone conversion at 325 Degraw Street in Cobble Hill, calling the grey structure a "sad transformation." And while the nondescript façade may pale in comparison to its neighboring historic homes, what lies beyond is an impressive 5,800-square-foot smart home, complete with over 800 square feet of outdoor space, a landscaped roof deck, and a basement media room. Known as the Light House, the modern mansion designed by architect James Anzalone has now found an owner, a couple who paid a hefty $6 million, according to city records released today.
Check out the rest of the smart home
January 28, 2015

18th Century Colonial Farmhouse in Claverack Sits on Ten Acres with Its Own Pond

Today we’re going to venture to the idyllic town of Claverack, New York, where a four-bedroom side-hall Colonial farmhouse awaits, asking $695,000. The 2,900-square-foot home sits on an expansive 10-acre lot with rolling hills and beautiful trees, but the prime selling point is having your own one-acre, spring fed, aerated pond.
There’s even more after the jump
January 27, 2015

Park Here: Eyeing the Real Estate Surrounding Two of NYC’s Most Splendid State Parks

In a city that moves so fast that the Sunday edition of the New York Times comes out on Saturday, it is not surprising that New Yorkers might overlook some interesting factoids. For instance, New York City is home seven state parks! So, instead of enjoying a day inside other state parks filled with the ubiquitous lush greenery and a plethora of activities that might surely mean a couple of hours of driving—cityside state parks are but a subway ride away or possibly a short walk to the likes of the East River State Park on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, the Clay Pit Ponds State Park in Staten Island and the Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx. One of the most popular, with its grassy stretches of pastoral idyll against a spectacular backdrop, is the 28-acre Riverbank State Park near 143rd Street (seen in the two images above). A multi-level facility set 69 feet above the Hudson River on Riverside Drive, it opened in 1993. What’s more, this park is the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Inspired by Japan’s urban rooftop designs, it was created on top of a now-odorless sewage treatment facility on the Hudson.
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January 27, 2015

Ienami Bonkei Planters Are Tiny Houses with Green Roofs

We're big fans of green roofs here at 6sqft, so we were pretty excited when we found these planters that let us have our own miniature green roof right on our desks. A design of Metaphys, the Ienami Bonkei planters are simplistic models of homes with actual planted green roofs or gardens. The Japanese art of Bonkei refers to 3D, miniature landscapes created using dry materials like rock, cement, or sand. They often feature tiny figurines of people, buildings, and other outdoor elements.
More details on the Bonkei planters
January 26, 2015

Park Slope Townhouse Boasts Its Very Own ‘Red Room’ for $3.8M

Did we get your attention? With the upcoming release of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, a wider audience will no doubt become familiar with Christian Grey's infamous "red room". But we're guessing a very different kind of decadence is likely to be served up in the partially red (okay, it was a bit of a stretch) and very proper formal dining room located on the parlor level of this neo-Italian Renaissance limestone townhouse at 593 3rd Street in Park Slope.
Check out the 'red room' and more
January 26, 2015

New Residential Building in East Williamsburg by James Cleary Architecture Will Have a Double-Height Solar Shade

A new residential building is going up on an East Williamsburg street that's already an eclectic mix of modern buildings, single-family homes with vinyl siding, and classic tenement apartment buildings. Designed by James Cleary Architecture, 237 Devoe Street will add some creative environmental design to the mix, thanks to its signature element--a double-height solar shade, clad with reclaimed barn wood, that opens onto the street.
More details on the project
January 23, 2015

Stunning Mahogany Woodwork Steals the Show in This $3.5M Park Slope Brownstone

It’s everything you imagine a classic brownstone to be. For nearly 50 years this townhouse at 266 Berkeley Place in Park Slope has been under the careful stewardship of a single owner, and the love they showered on their home is evident in every one of its four floors—even the basement is immaculate with its whitewashed walls and brick archways.
take a tour here
January 23, 2015

Politician Peter Kostmayer Buys $2M Clinton Hill Brownstone

Democratic politician Peter H. Kostmayer, best known for his seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and for his infamous 1992 divorce during which his ex wife publicly endorsed his Republican opponent, bought a lovely Clinton Hill townhouse for $2,144,000, according to city records. Located at 14 Saint James Place, the four-story Italianate brownstone recently underwent a gut renovation that combines historic details like crown moldings and mantles in every room with modern conveniences like a perfect-for-entertaining backyard and high-end appliances.
Check out the rest of Kostmayer's new home here
January 22, 2015

Unleash Gehry: Give Frank the East River and Churn the Lower Manhattan Pot

The Foundation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Bologne in Paris recently opened and was another kudo for architect Frank O. Gehry whose Bilbao, Spain, branch of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1999 was widely regarded as the most important architecture project since the opening of the Pompidou Center in Paris in 1975. All these projects are Deconstructivist; they don’t fit easily into boxes and are not symmetrical. Their aesthetic tends to be chaotic, disorganized, aggressive, random and definitely unconventional, but also absolutely heroic, proud and defiant. The Pompidou Center was huge and intimidating, a gargantuan power plant for some unfinished but gaily painted super ocean liner. By comparison, the Guggenheim was a shiny swirl of silvery metal cascading by its riverfront location in a staccato flurry of flamenco stomps. Vuitton is a whole other gesture altogether; an organic amorphous form about to devour a city, formed of glass, wood and concrete in rearing and overlapping fashion, a mad dash about enclosure. All of these might just amount to a sophisticated bowl of cherries for architecture aficionados, except that this project was a baby of Bernard Arnault, the head of the luxury conglomerate that runs not only Louis Vuitton, the purser, but also bubbler Moët & Chandon, sipper Hennessy, dazzler Bulgari and fashionistas Dior, Fendi and Givenchy—all One-Percent darlings. These, of course, are not the only platinum brands but they'll certainly do in an all-so-sizzling and svelte pinch. You may now ask what has all this to do with our city.
Read more here
January 21, 2015

Get ‘Em While They’re Cheap: A Look at Crown Heights Real Estate Past and Present

What once seemed unheard-of in terms of where to rent or buy in tertiary neighborhoods is now a thing of the past—be it Harlem, Williamsburg, Hell’s Kitchen, Long Island City, or the Lower East Side. But one of the best examples of rapid transformation is Brooklyn. Certainly there are many coveted communities such as Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope, but there is another neighborhood making what looks like a very successful run at gentrification: Crown Heights.
More on the Crown Heights renaissance here
January 20, 2015

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

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
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