Search Results for: green

September 30, 2014

$6.4M Loft on the Williamsburg Waterfront Is Rough-Around-the-Edges But Unique Nonetheless

Every once in a while a real estate opportunity comes along that is too good to pass up, and this former firehouse at 411 Kent Avenue on the Williamsburg waterfront is a perfect example. The very definition of a creative Brooklyn loft, the existing 3,300-square foot, two-story building features massive open spaces, high ceilings, huge windows, multiple skylights, original wood floors, exposed brick, and completely exposed wood ceiling joists.
See what investing in Brooklyn's hottest neighborhood looks like
September 30, 2014

NYC Buildings That Add Solar Panels Will Now Get an Even Bigger Tax Break

New York is serious about going green and Governor Cuomo just signed into law a bill to extend—and double—the possible tax breaks given to those who install solar panels on their properties. A press release notes that the break will offer a rebate of 5 percent on either the solar panel installation cost; property taxes the year panels are installed; or $62,500—whichever is less. The new bill is meant to offset the 25 percent higher cost of installing solar systems in the city due to stringent regulations and the complexity of building sites.
Find out more on here
September 30, 2014

openhousenewyork’s Weekend Event Guide is Finally Here – Take the Tours!

You can probably guess that we're pretty excited about the 12th annual openhousenewyork weekend, taking place this year on October 11th and 12th, so of course we couldn't wait to share the just-announced guide to the spaces on this year's roster. Tour goers will have access to 300 sites and tours in all five boroughs, including private residences, new buildings, and sites of architectural, cultural, and historical significance. Some of the sites we're most looking forward to touring are the TWA Flight Center at JFK, Kickstarter headquarters, the Manhattan Micro Loft, and El Barrio's Artspace PS109.
More on these sites and the entire OHNY Weekend
September 30, 2014

Could Spofford Juvenile Center in Hunts Point Become Mixed-Income Housing? Majora Carter Thinks So.

Tribeca has adaptively reused its former manufacturing lofts; Gowanus its factories; and Long Island City its bakeries. Now, Hunts Point might be added to the adaptive reuse list for its conversion of a former jail. Urban revitalization strategist and public radio host Majora Carter is aiming to transform the Spofford Juvenile Center into a combination of mixed-income housing, open space, and economic development, a formula she feels would appeal to the neighborhood.
More on Carter's vision and the transformative project
September 29, 2014

Goldilocks Blocks: Vanderbilt Avenue in Wallabout, Brooklyn

The culturally rich, architecturally stunning Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill need little introduction. The Brooklyn Navy Yard to the north is busily growing as a start-up business incubator and creative and commercial hub. An “in-between” zone—the sort of area that engenders a question mark and a furrowed brow when perusing neighborhood maps—lies just north of Myrtle Avenue and south of the Navy Yard. Known as Wallabout, the area was named for Wallabout Bay to the north, much of which was filled in to create the Navy Yard in the 19th century. Unique among its neighbors, a block-long stretch of this border district feels more like a small-town side street than a growing urban crossroads.
Find out what makes this historic block so special, and why it’s likely to stay that way.
September 29, 2014

The Top 15 Family-Friendly Buildings in NYC

Last week, we talked to five families currently raising children in New York City’s many diverse and multifaceted neighborhoods about why they pick city living over the suburbs, and most of our readers agreed that they prefer an urban upbringing to the more "traditional" suburban childhood. But once you've decided to raise your children in the Big Apple, it can be tough deciding which neighborhood is best for your family. Many factors come into play: What are the best schools in the area? What amenities does the building offer? Are there playgrounds nearby? How secure is the building? And the list goes on. But to make the process a little easier, we've rounded up 15 of the best family-friendly buildings in New York City.
Check out our list here
September 29, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Robert A.M. Stern’s “Scaled-Down” Luxury; Controversial Astoria Cove Project Approved

Robert A.M. Stern, the architect behind 15 Central Park West, is bringing a new 17-story tower to 20 East End Avenue. The building—said to be less pricey than Stern’s others—will have 43 units starting at $4.5M. Penthouses will go for $20M. [NYT] New renderings and listings appear for One John Street. [Brownstoner] East New York’s rapidly rising […]

September 29, 2014

$5.25M Dietz Lantern Building Loft Is Historic Tribeca Living at Its Finest

High, barrel-vaulted ceilings? Check. Exposed brick? Check. Classic columns? Check. Oversized windows? Check. This apartment in the Dietz Lantern Building at 429 Greenwich Street offers everything you'd want from a historic Tribeca loft and is on the market for $5.25 million. The four-bedroom, 2,700-square-foot apartment is located within the Tribeca North Historic District in a former factory building, erected in 1887, that manufactured lanterns for horse-drawn carriages. It was converted to condominium in 1996, and today its homes boast an enviable mix of historic details and modern conveniences.
Take a look inside unit 7B here
September 29, 2014

Ultra Modern Condo in the Asymptote-Designed 166 Perry Street Asks $3 Million

Superstar broker Fredrik Eklund has a new listing for a two-bedroom condo in the Asymptote Architecture-designed 166 Perry Street, asking $2.995 million. The avant-garde structure with its sleek angled glassy façade began turning heads long before its 2009 completion. It resides in the desirable far West Village, with a few equally stunning Richard Meier structures close by. So let’s take a look behind the intriguing mirrored exterior and see what the inside of this apartment has to offer.
Check it out here
September 26, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Eloise Hirsh on Turning the Freshkills Landfill Into a Thriving Park

Similar to Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's grand ideas for Central Park, there is a vision for the 2,200 acres of reclaimed land at the former Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island. Where trash once piled up for as far as the eye could see, the site is now a blossoming park full of wildlife and recreational activities. The Park Administrator overseeing this incredible transformation is Eloise Hirsh. Eloise is a major force behind the largest landfill-to-park conversion in the world to date. In her role as Freshkills Park Administrator, she makes sure the park progresses towards its completion date in 2035, and regularly engages with New Yorkers to keep them informed and excited. 6sqft recently spoke with Eloise to learn more about Fresh Kills' history, what it takes to reclaim land, and what New Yorkers can expect at the park today and in the years to come.
Read the full interview here
September 26, 2014

D’Aquino Monaco-Designed Apartment at 15 Central Park West Is Colorful and Whimsical

Tucked away within the austere limestone façade of Architect Robert A.M. Stern’s 15 Central Park West is this fabulous apartment courtesy of Carl D’Aquino and Francine Monaco of New York-based design firm D’Aquino Monaco. Every single room is a treat to the senses, with bold splashes of color and unusual finishing touches combined to create a living space as cozy as it is quirky.
Tour the colorful and whimsical home here
September 23, 2014

City Kids: Why Parents Pick City Living Over the Suburbs

The 'American Dream' may have dominated the last few decades, causing a mass exodus to the suburbs, but today's families are reversing the trend and turning their attention back to the city. The reasons are many: An appreciation for cultural offerings, the camaraderie and creative cross-pollination of networks of colleagues, friends and family, the convenience of being able to walk or bike to school, work or child care without a long commute—just to name a few. New York City has always been a haven for the forward-thinking, albeit a challenging one. And its newly-”discovered” outer boroughs as well as an unprecedentedly low crime rate have made the city a prime choice for family living. But what is it about those city kids—the ones with parents who planned from the start to raise their kids in a non-stop urban environment? We interrupted the busy schedules of five families currently raising school-age (or soon-to-be) children in New York City's many diverse and multifaceted neighborhoods to get some insight about why they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hear what five parents of city kids have to say
September 23, 2014

Build Your Dream Home in This $4.5M Village Penthouse with a Solarium

Prospective buyers looking to own a penthouse on one of the best blocks in the Village may be excited to see this potential dream home at 54 East 11th Street. The floor-through unit has tons of windows, views of the city and a two-story living room with a solarium. Apartment hunters are encouraged to bring their architects to explore the limitless redesign possibilities of this flexible space, so let’s take a look at what they’ll have to work with.
Take a peek inside, here
September 22, 2014

Goldilocks Blocks: (Far) East 7th Street in Alphabet City

Between hyper-developed hotspots, main drags in up-and-comers, big-ticket townhouse enclaves, and those genuinely avoidable areas, there can often be found a city's "just-right" zones. Free from corner menace, sticker shock and boom-time developer schlock, these special spots often span only a few blocks in each direction and are close enough to the center of their 'cool destination' nabes to legitimately bear their names. They aren't commonly known, and are best found by pounding the pavement, but these micro-neighborhoods often hide within them real estate gems coupled with perfectly offbeat vibes—you just have to be willing to do a little legwork. But when you do find them, don’t sleep on them... Winners like the Columbia Street Waterfront District were once Goldilocks blocks. Today we'll look at a unique 7th Street stretch hidden in Alphabet City.
Find out what makes this Alphabet City block so special.
September 21, 2014

Section 3 of the High Line Park Opens Today – See New Photos!

The third and final section of the High Line will officially open to the public today at 11 A.M., marking the final chapter of a 15-year journey to transform a once abandoned rail road track into an elevated park for the city. The new section has been christened 'High Line at the Railyards' and follows the original train tracks from 30th to 34th Streets to the north and south, and from 10th to 12th Avenues east and west, exposing High Line-goers to expansive and unobstructed views of the Hudson River and New Jersey. Unlike the two sections that preceded it, the path that makes up The Railyards is far less manicured. With its organized but "wild" greenery, the design of this final leg instead asks visitors to contemplate the railway's past and the surrounding landscape as it stands and as it will change with the introduction of Hudson Yards.
More of the new section and the ribbon cutting here
September 19, 2014

Mapping the Evolution of the Lower East Side Through a Jewish Lens, 1880-2014

Long considered the capital of Jewish America, this overpoweringly cramped neighborhood was considered by many to be the greatest concentration of Jewish life in nearly 2,000 years. Between 1880 and 1924, 2.5 million mostly-impoverished Ashkenazi Jews came to the US and nearly 75 percent took up residence on the Lower East Side. According to the Library of Congress, by 1900, more than 700 people per acre were settling in a neighborhood lined with tenements and factories. And as quickly as they descended on the streets, all sharing a common language (mostly Yiddish) and most certainly, similar backgrounds, they quickly established synagogues as early as 1865 (the landmarked Bialystoker Synagogue, whose congregants were mostly Polish immigrants from Bailystok), small shops, pushcarts teeming with goods, social clubs and even financial-aid societies. By 1910, the Lower East Side’s population was well over the five million mark, but sadly, such congestion habitually caused havoc.
Learn more about the history of the LES here
September 19, 2014

Real Estate Wire: State Seizes Seven Properties for the Atlantic Yards; BAM Cultural District Gets $131M

The state has gotten approval to seize seven sites for Forest City Ratner’s Pacific Park Brooklyn project (previously named Atlantic Yards). Tenants now have 90 days to vacate their units. [DNA Info] The $1B three-tower expansion for Silvercup West is back on track. [Curbed] Most of the world’s billionaires call NYC home. [TRD] Winston Von […]

September 19, 2014

REVEALED: Skyline Views of KPF’s One Vanderbilt Near Grand Central

We've been keeping a close eye on One Vanderbilt, SL Green's new 65-story office tower planned for the entire block west of Grand Central and north of East 42nd Street. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, it will be the second-tallest building in the city when completed. Now, Yimby has hot-off-the-press skyline views of One Vanderbilt from KPF, and the newest NYC supertall certainly stands out amongst the nearby Empire State Building and Chrysler Building.
READ MORE
September 18, 2014

Glass vs. Stone: An Epic Architecture Battle

Decisions, decisions...sometimes there's just far too many in New York City. Thai or Chinese takeout? Subway or bus? Central Park or the High Line? The list goes on. And one of the most grueling decisions we make as New Yorkers is where to live. From choosing a borough and neighborhood to deciding on a price point, it's quite the undertaking. But what about the most elementary component of the building in which we decide to live--it's material. To be more exact, glass or stone. Glass tower dwellers are often drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows, panoramic views, and clean lines, whereas buyers of apartments in stone buildings prefer a more traditional feel, with pre-war-style layouts that provide great separation of spaces. And some of the city's most prominent architects have become synonymous with one style or the other. Think Richard Meier for glass and Robert A.M. Stern for stone. CityRealty decided to take a closer look at this epic battle and see how pairs of glass and stone developments fared across the city.
See how these buildings battle it out
September 18, 2014

POP: Scandi-Thai Bamboo Lights by Ljung & Ljung Are a Sophisticated Take on Paper Lanterns

Greta Ljung & Martin Hedenstöm Ljung from Swedish Studio Ljung & Ljung travelled the world and created these wonderful luminaires. POP combines a Scadinavian minimalistic shape with a fresh edge given by waved bamboo stripes. Produced in Thailand, they offer a sophisticated take on paper Chinese lanterns.
Learn more about this Scandi-Thai design
September 18, 2014

Will a New Waldorf School at Ben Shaoul’s Bloom 62 Attract Spendy Families?

Back in 2012, when Magnum Real Estate's Ben Shaoul announced plans to turn the Cabrini nursing home in the East Village into condos, more than a handful of "Sledgehammer Shaoul" flags went up in protest. Plans moved ahead despite public outcry, and now more than two years later, the former nursing home has transformed into a luxury residential building called Bloom 62. Although not much has been done to dress up the exterior, the 26-unit condo is no slouch and boasts a number of enviable luxuries, including a landscaped roof deck and gym. But Bloom 62's most valuable amenity may be what sits on its ground floor: a school.
More on the benefits to be reaped here