Search Results for: green

July 15, 2015

From Clipper Ships to Condos: Construction Begins on 161 Maiden Lane at the Seaport

Site excavation has begun on a sleek condominium tower set to erupt into the forefront of one of Manhattan's most iconic and historical vistas. Developed by Brooklyn-based Fortis Property Group, a 5,000-square-foot site at 161 Maiden Lane is slated to give way to a 150,000 square-foot tower positioned to become downtown's first residential skyscraper directly fronting the East River. Earlier this month, Curbed (via Fredrik Ecklund's Instagram) revealed the project's official name of "One Seaport" and that it will rise 60 stories. Whether that number reflects actual floors or phantom Trump floors remains to be seen, but permits filed with the Department of Buildings last summer detail a 51-story, 640-foot glass prism designed by Goldstein Hill & West Architects (GHWA). Either way, given the project's location, small lot size and lack of height limitations, One Seaport promises to be a new marker in the downtown skyline that will provide its lucky residents with spectacular views of the bridges, Brooklyn, and beyond.
Click here for the past, present, and future of 161 Maiden Lane
July 15, 2015

190 Bowery Is Already Back on the Market, Aby Rosen Attempts a Flip

It seems like the saga of 190 Bowery is never going to be over. As you'll recall, photographer Jay Maisel turned the former Germania Bank Building into his own private mansion and lived there from 1966 until February of this year, at which time he sold it to developer Aby Rosen of RFR Realty for $55 million. Like we previously said, "Since that time, it’s been all eyes on Rosen. Is he removing or preserving that iconic graffiti? What the heck happened with that 'public' art show inside the building?" And though the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved plans in May for a restoration and conversion to an office building with ground-floor retail, it now seems that Rosen may be getting cold feet. Curbed reports that he's taking offers for 190 Bowery in what looks like a very high-profile flip attempt.
See what the listing has to say
July 14, 2015

INTERVIEW: Historian Francis Morrone on the Changing City, Modern Architecture and Why He Loves the ’50s

For the man who knows seemingly everything about New York City history, look no further than Francis Morrone. Francis is an architectural historian best known for his writings and walking tours of New York. Of his 11 books, he wrote the actual guidebook to New York City architecture—aptly titled "The Architectural Guidebook to New York City"—as well as the "Guide to New York City Urban Landscapes," "An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn," and "10 Architectural Walks In Manhattan." For six and a half years, Francis served as an art and architecture critic for the New York Sun, and he now teaches architectural and urban history at the New York University School of Professional Studies. As for walking tours, Francis was named by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the 13 best tour guides in the world. You can catch his various tours, which sell out quickly and cover everything from "Midtown Manhattan's Side Streets" to the "Architecture and Changing Lifestyles in Greenwich Village," through the Municipal Art Society. We caught up with Francis recently after he published a much buzzed-about article for the Daily News entitled, "No, New York City Is Not Losing Its Soul," to talk about his life and work in the city, his opinions on modern architecture and development, and his favorite time period of New York City history.
Our conversation with Francis this way
July 13, 2015

New Video Reveals How SHoP’s 626 First Avenue Will Dance into Midtown’s East River Skyline

SHoP Architects' copper-clad fraternal pair of towers is finally rising along the East River, and a handful of newly uncovered images and a fly-through video reassure us that this dancing couple will be the boldest addition to the East River skyline in decades. Developed by Michael Stern's JDS Development Group, the nearly one-million-square-foot project, now known by its address 626 First Avenue, will contain a whopping 800 rental units, placing it in the league of other recent mega-rental developments such as Two Trees' Mercedes House (864 units), Silverstein's River Place (921 rentals), and Moinian's Sky (1,175 units). Like these others, JDS is promising to provide an extravagant amenity package that they claim "will set a new benchmark for rental developments."
Watch the video and find out everything 626 First Avenue will offer
July 13, 2015

Own an Entire Stone Mini-Estate in Putnam County for $500,000

Carmel, New York, located in Putnam County just an hour and a half north of the city, was described by the Times as "a quiet hamlet" where "many residents are highly protective of the lifestyle the 10-square-mile, semirural community offers." And just take one look at this historic stone estate and you'll understand why Carmel's residents are so loyal to their charming community. Built in 1935, the 2,050-square-foot home sitting on a full acre has "European Chalet charm" according to the listing, and it's all available for just $495,000.
Explore the estate here
July 13, 2015

Park Slope Brownstone Has the Perfect Yard for Summer

Talk about a garden to die for. This Park Slope brownstone at 121 Lincoln Place has a backyard we wish we could camp out in this summer. The "private, lush, botanical landscaped garden," as the listing calls it, impressively extends over 86 feet. There's a shade garden in the back and a sun garden in the middle, not to mention two separate patios. As for the greenery, you've got roses, hydrangeas, honeysuckle, a rhododendron, azaleas, lilies, evergreen shrubs, a cypress, hemlock and more. Is the outdoor space enough to sell you on this home? Luckily, the interior isn't too bad either. It's on the market now for $3.795 million.
Take a tour
July 10, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Doug Steinberg Keeps the Doors Open at 110-Year-Old New York Central Art Supply

In 1905, Benjamin Steinberg opened up a store on Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. Little did he know then that one day artists like Willem de Kooning would walk through its doors. For the last 110 years, New York Central Art Supply has served the needs of New York's amateur and professional artists. Three generations of the Steinberg family have supplied paper, paints, brushes, and canvases to everyone from first-year art students to Keith Haring. And over the last year, Doug Steinberg, Benjamin's great-grandson, has taken a more active role at New York Central, planning for the store's future. While Doug never formally joined the family business (he currently owns and runs his own company), New York Central has been a constant in his life. He says he's worked there "on and off since I was born," and has a deep appreciation for what his great-grandfather started and his father Steve grew in the '60s and '70s. We recently spoke with Doug to learn about New York Central's rich history, why so many well-known artists purchased and continue to purchase supplies here, and how the store is preparing for its 21st century evolution.
Read the interview right here
July 9, 2015

This One-Bedroom Co-op in Park Slope Has the Parisian Touch

Could this one-bedroom co-op, located at 404 3rd Street in Park Slope, blend right in in Paris? The broker seems to think so, calling the unit a "precious bijou on Park Slope's Champs Elysees!" Indeed, the apartment has a little French flair and is located in one of the nicest areas of the Slope, on a tree-lined block of historic townhouses. This particular unit is now on the market with an asking price of $575,000.
Tour l'intérieur
July 8, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/9-7/15

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top end of week picks for 6sqft readers! Summer jams mean we do things a little differently in the art world, assuming most of the population escapes the hot city streets each weekend. Thursday and Friday nights are the art-heavy celebrations of the art openings we love to see and be seen at. Explore the pop-color collage world of Anthony Iacono, or a real life Facebook status as performed by Katya Grokhovsky, or become part of the performance with Quinn Dukes' "Mapping Ritual." Friday it's time for the je ne sais quois, first with an exhibition and Edith Piaf's 100th birthday at Dejavu Gallery, then a free screening of a Tunisian love triangle, "Goha." If you're still around Saturday, spend the day meeting your makers at Open House New York's open studios across the city, or settle into the air conditioning of the Guggenheim and explore the wild wild world of Matthew Barney in an all-day film screening.
Get the details on all these events here
July 8, 2015

Park Slope Townhouse by Etelamaki Architecture Uses a Nondescript Facade to Stand Out

This renovation of a Park Slope townhouse by Etelamaki Architecture puts into practice the old saying "less is more." According to Contemporist, the recently completed project "maximizes the potential of a non-descript building shell, and limited budget, to create a modern, light filled home that acknowledges the building’s past, while envisioning the neighborhood’s future." Since the block is filled with a mix of early 20th century apartment buildings and newer condos, the architects didn't have to worry as much about maintaining a historic style, giving them the opportunity to create something totally new and bold. The top three floors were transformed into an owner's duplex and the ground-floor into a rental.
Get a look inside here
July 7, 2015

Gentrification Sale: Get a Single Hand-Cut Summer French Fry for Just $8.99!

Jarritos with an $11.99 corkage fee, a hipster breakfast for $8.99? Act fast because you won't want miss out on all the great deals going on at the Washington Heights "Gentrification in Progress Sale." A row of mom and pops located along a stretch between 162nd and 163rd streets got a Williamsburg-worthy facelift on Monday as Brooklyn locals Doug Cameron and Tommy Noonan plastered storefronts with scathingly sardonic signage pointing to the area's demise. The campaign, first reported on by Vanishing NY, was created in response to the ousting of several of the block's 30-plus-year-old businesses by a new landlord in order to make way for commercial tenants willing to pay higher rents.
See more here
July 7, 2015

Before NYC’s Slave Market, Freedmen from Africa Were Allowed to Own Farmland

A stranger on horseback in 1650 riding up a road in Manhattan might have noticed black men working farmland near the Hudson River. It was not an unusual sight, and if he remarked on it at all to himself, he would have thought they were simply slaves working their masters' land. But no–these were freedmen working land they personally owned and had owned for six years. It was land in what is now the Far West Village and it had been granted to eleven enslaved men along with their freedom in 1644. In 1626, the year Manhattan was formally settled by the Dutch, these eleven African men had been rounded up in Angola and Congo and shipped to the New World to work as slaves clearing land and building fortifications. We know they were from there because the manifests of Dutch ships list them with names such as Emmanuel Angola and Simon Congo. Another of the eleven was named Willem Anthonys Portugies, suggesting that he may have been bought and sold in Portugal before reaching his final destination in New Amsterdam.
How did these men get the right to own land?
July 7, 2015

Rent Topher Grace’s Stylish West Village Loft for $16,000

Actor Topher Grace of "That '70s Show" fame is shaking up his real estate game. After selling his Los Angeles home for $1.69 million, he's now looking to rent out his stylish West Village condo, according to the Daily News. This also comes on the heels of Grace's recent engagement to actress and model Ashley Hinshaw. He bought the two-bedroom, full-floor loft at 59 Bank Street for $2.2 million in 2006, but has been renting it out over the past several years, starting at $14,000 in 2011 and now going for $16,000.
Take a look around
July 6, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Inhabitat’s Jill Fehrenbacher on Raising Two Kids on the Lower East Side

When you think about family-friendly neighborhoods, the last one to come to mind is probably the Lower East Side. But Inhabitat.com's Jill Fehrenbacher is here to tell you that this downtown stretch is more than just a breeding ground for bros and getting bombed. A LES resident for more than a decade, Jill moved into the area looking for cheap rents as a student but has stuck around to see it transform into both a cultural destination and a diverse community-driven neighborhood fueled by much more than just a bar scene. Ahead, Jill shares her thoughts on what makes this neighborhood such a special one for raising kids (she's got two boys of her own) and her NYC success story of hitting it big as the founder of one of the world's most visited design websites.
Our interview with Jill here
July 3, 2015

Rent a Charming Upstate Barn Home Beautifully Renovated by Local Artisans

Located in Tivoli, a village in Dutchess County, this charming rustic barn has everything you would want in a home: There are cozy wooden interiors, it's surrounded by gardens, it has its own pond, there's small yoga deck right next to a stream, and there's even a cozy deck at the back. While you may think a home like this will forever be out of your reach, think again. This beauty is up for rent, and it's just two hours north of the city.
Learn more about this charming wooden barn
July 2, 2015

Heidi Klum Settles on a $70K/Month West Village Rental for the Summer

It was recently reported that Heidi Klum was eyeing this 3.5-acre $11 million private island off Manhattan as her next retreat, but it looks like the supermodel has decided to slum it in the West Village instead. The Post reports that Klum will be renting out a 7,200-square-foot Bob and Cortney Novogratz creation located at 400 West Street through the summer. The home is not an unfamiliar spot for the model who has shot hoops, hot tubbed, and made pizza at the glamorous property when she rented it in previous years.
Have a look inside her glamorous summer home
June 30, 2015

My 800sqft: A Cute Design Couple Fill Their Ridgewood Railroad Apartment with Whimsy

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Ridgewood, Queens. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch!  Few neighborhoods have gotten as much buzz in the past year as Ridgewood. Considered the next frontier for cool kids getting priced out of hip areas like Williamsburg and Bushwick, Ridgewood sits at the top of NYC's list of ones to watch. But even with all the hoopla, how many of you actually know someone who lives off this stretch of the L? In our latest installment of My sqft, we meet Sean and Liz, a couple of Greenpoint expats who've made their way into a beautiful, historic brick construction along a peaceful block in the heart of this up-and-comer. Living large in a very bright and airy 800-square-foot railroad apartment, these two really don't face the same space challenges that plague the rest of us New Yorkers, and as such they've found the freedom to infuse their space with lots of personality (toy bunnies, illustrations of "nerd weapons" and quirky art from across the globe) and all the furniture they've collected over the last decade (lots of covetable mid-century modern pieces and antiques). Jump ahead to meet this perky pair and see how they've created that perfect old-meets-new-meets-endearing balance that we all strive for but pretty much have no clue how to make happen in our own homes.
Go inside their adorable home here
June 30, 2015

New Map Plots Every Airbnb Listing in NYC

"Adding data to the debate" is the tagline of this new interactive map called Inside Airbnb, which has plotted all listings as of June 1st from the popular room-sharing website. The searchable bird's eye map was created by Bed Stuy photographer Murray Cox to show "how Airbnb is being used to compete with the residential housing market" in cities around the world (h/t Gothamist). In addition to looking at the trend across the city as a whole, the map allows users to zoom into a specific neighborhood and look at how an Airbnb presence has changed in a given area over the past few years.
Learn more about the map
June 29, 2015

The High and Low: A House at the Top

Though townhouses, row houses, and wooden houses exist in NYC in lower density areas like Brooklyn and Queens, in Manhattan, there’s often nowhere to build but up. It follows that those who enjoy the conveniences of modern condos sacrifice the feel of a free-standing house, and vice-versa. Penthouse living provides a rare exception; if you’re the top dog, you can basically build what you want, and the highest surface becomes your backyard and front porch. Penthouse bulkheads take a variety of shapes, with the most elaborate ones resembling nothing so much as a modernist masterpiece hovering above it all. In a few notable cases, this allowance is taken more literally than usual. The handful of log cabins, wood houses and such are curiosities atop the city’s tall buildings. The pair of lofty dwellings below exemplifies this good fortune. The first, a glass-walled rectangle above one of Tribeca’s most coveted converted industrial buildings removes the need for a Palm Springs retreat, though the $22.5 million price tag is definitely New York City-sized. The second, at $4.45 million, is more average-penthouse-priced, but the East Village home is definitely unique–its top floor resembles a country cottage.
See more of these have-it-all rooftop pads this way…
June 29, 2015

FAO Schwarz Readies for a Move to Times Square; The Top 20 Power Players in NYC Real Estate

FAO Schwarz is wrapping up negotiations for a Christmas opening in Times Square. [CO] My Micro NYC has finished stacking its modular housing pods. [Field Condition] Jennifer Lawrence spotted looking at an apartment at Tribeca’s 443 Greenwich. [NYDN] The 20 biggest power players in NYC real estate. Norman Foster, Dbox, Soo K. Chan, Annabelle Selldorf and […]

June 29, 2015

Wooden Sauna Welcomes Guests to Sweat Out the Stress of the City

Located among grain silos, dairy barns, greenhouses and a grand 1940s estate house in Staatsburg sits a beautiful wood sauna construction. Designed by Andre Tchelistcheff Architects, it features long horizontal windows that span all of its facades, each window framing majestic views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. Its woodland surroundings together with its cozy and scented interiors make this modern sauna perfect for sweating out any stress brought in from the city.
Learn more about this warm wooden retreat