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May 6, 2019

NYCxDESIGN 2019: A guide to New York City’s annual celebration of design

You can expect to see the stars of NYCxDESIGN–sinuous sofas, luminous lighting, fab furniture, terrific textiles, and amazing accessories–for the next several years in magazines, blogs and showrooms, but you'll be seeing them here first. It’s not strictly for design geeks only, but if modern objects are your thing, get out your calendar and get ready for design heaven. ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) anchors an international celebration on a par with the Milan Furniture Fair and Stockholm Design Week, with hundreds of thousands of attendees and designers from across the globe converging on the city's five boroughs from May 10–22; much of the mid-May action happens in Manhattan, but Brooklyn weighs in with a full calendar of collective events in hotspots like the Navy Yard and Industry City that serve as design hubs 365 days a year. Read on for a handful of highlights.
What's next in design, this way
April 29, 2019

Rockefeller Center office tower will be converted into Airbnb rentals

Ten floors of an office tower in Rockefeller Center will be converted into short-term rentals, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. RXR Realty, which has leased the tower at 75 Rockefeller Plaza since 2012, has partnered with Airbnb to transform a portion of the 87-year-old building into roughly 200 units of high-end lodging. In a press release, RXR CEO Scott Rechler described the new venture as a "travel experience that immerses guests in a dynamic, thriving community in the heart of Rockefeller Center that's vastly different than anything else in the market today."
Get the scoop
April 17, 2019

Renovation Diary: A Clinton Hill townhouse makes room for layers of history and modernist design

Our Renovation Diary has been following 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen as she takes on the challenge of transforming a Brooklyn townhouse in the historic Clinton Hill neighborhood into a site-sensitive modern home. She previously shared plans for the 150-year-old building and the first big steps she and her husband, a public health lawyer and antique lighting dealer, have taken to make their dream home a reality, including two years of hunting, planning the renovation, and assembling the professionals needed to make it happen (and how the homeowners made the best of all the waiting time). With Landmarks' signoff and permits in hand, a year-long renovation began. Below, the results, with plenty of hindsight, advice, resources and construction photos on the way.
Hear from Michelle and see the transformation
April 11, 2019

Will the Wegmans obsession continue in Brooklyn?

Wegmans is officially coming to Brooklyn this fall, more than four years after the beloved grocery store announced plans to open its first ever New York City location. The grocery store will open a 74,000-square-foot spot within Admiral's Row at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a 300-acre site transforming from a waterfront warship building site into an industrial tech-hub. While the store already has a dedicated following outside of NYC, due mostly to its wide range of brand-name and specialty products, will the Wegmans obsession continue in Brooklyn?
Get the details
April 2, 2019

The 10 best spots for plant classes in NYC

Even if you've never managed to keep a succulent alive for more than a month, there's no denying that apartment greenery is having a moment. Luckily, New York is full of plant shops and other great spots offering classes and workshops to locals looking to shore up their green thumbs and maybe not kill a plant the second it crosses their threshold. Ahead, we've rounded up the 10 best, from terrarium and flower-crown making to botanical mixology to the principles of hydroponics.
Check out the list
March 13, 2019

NYC Comptroller proposes turning the BQE into a truck-only roadway with a park on top

Adding another perspective to the many voices who are seeking a solution to the “most challenging project not only in New York City but arguably in the United States,” City Comptroller Scott Stringer has outlined his own proposal to save the crumbling BQE, advocating for a middle-ground solution to the heated debate. Stringer's idea (notably without a timeline or proposed budget) is to turn the BQE into a truck-only highway and build a linear park above. "We remain hopeful that the agency can view the BQE's deterioration not just as an engineering challenge, but as an opportunity to create something new and bold that both accommodates essential traffic and enhances surrounding neighborhoods,” he wrote in a March 7 letter to Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.
See the new plan
February 6, 2019

De Blasio administration approves $7M study for proposed BQX streetcar

The plan to build a streetcar between Brooklyn and Queens got a much-needed push forward on Wednesday. The city's Economic Development Corporation awarded consulting firm VHB $7.25 million to complete an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX). First announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2016, the streetcar plan has faced many roadblocks, delays, and doubts from public officials. But last year, the mayor announced a revised proposal, which includes a higher price tag, fewer miles on the route, and a delayed start date.
Get the details
January 10, 2019

Staten Island, Coney Island to be added to NYC Ferry system

The city will launch two new ferry routes by 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday during his State of the City address. Staten Island and Coney Island will be added to the NYC Ferry system, providing a much faster commute to Manhattan for outer-borough New Yorkers. "It shouldn't be this hard to get around in the greatest city in the world," de Blasio said. "And so we’re giving people more and better options." With the addition of the Staten Island route, all five boroughs will be a part of the NYC Ferry system by next year.
Get the details
January 7, 2019

From Brooklyn’s biggest bank to its tallest building: Behind the scenes at the Dime Savings Bank

Since it opened in 1859, the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn has been integral to the history of the borough it calls home. True to its name, you could open a savings account with just a dime. The first person to make a deposit was a man named John Halsey who invested $50. Scores of Brooklynites followed suit, and by the end of the bank’s first business day, 90 people opened accounts; by the end of the first month, more than 1,000 people were depositing at Dime. But the bank cemented its prominent status in 1908 when the first subway tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn opened and Dime moved into its grand neo-classical building on Dekalb Avenue and Fleet Street. After the bank closed in 2002, the landmark still stood in all its former glory, operating as a special event space. Three years ago, JDS Development filed plans to build Brooklyn's tallest tower adjacent to Dime, incorporating its Beaux-Arts interior as retail space for the project. And with work now underway, 6sqft recently got a behind-the-scenes tour of Dime Savings Bank with Open House New York.
Explore the history and future of Dime Savings Bank
December 11, 2018

How New York won Amazon: See the official proposals for each NYC neighborhood

City and state officials lured Amazon to open its new office complex in New York with an extensive pitch, complete with four suggested neighborhoods and the promise of prime real estate, according to documents released by the city's economic development corporation on Monday. In exchange for 25,000 new jobs, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio are offering Amazon nearly $3 billion in incentives and grants. And while last month Amazon selected the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City as its new home, officials had proposed bringing Amazon's campus to the Farley Building, 3 World Trade Center, Brooklyn Height's Watchtower building, Bjarke Ingels' The Spiral, and even Governors Island.
See the full pitch
November 6, 2018

Amazon’s HQ2 could be headed to Long Island City

Amazon is close to naming Long Island City home to its second headquarters, following a competitive, yearlong search by the tech giant. The company is reportedly splitting "HQ2" between two locations, with the other being Crystal City, Virginia, a suburb outside of Washington, D.C, according to the New York Times. The news comes less than a week after New York City announced plans to invest $180 million in the infrastructure of the evolving Queens neighborhood.
Get the details
October 3, 2018

GIVEAWAY! Win a VIP pass to Open House New York Weekend

Open House New York Weekend is back for its 16th year from Friday, October 12th through Sunday the 13th, with an impressive roster of tours, events, and access to typically off-limits sites. Yesterday, reservations went live for the 123 reservation-only sites, but there are also close to 150 open-access sites, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn, and several architecture offices. And while these open-access sites don't require reservations, the lines can build up. Which is why 6sqft has teamed up with Untapped Cities and fellow partner Brooklyn Based for a giveaway of two OHNY Weekend Passports, a VIP pin that lets you and a guest have front-of-the-line admittance!
Enter here
September 18, 2018

Schedule for 2018 Open House New York sites and events is now live

Last week brought a sneak preview of the 16th annual Open House New York; the schedule for tours, events, and access to typically off-limits sites has been released. OHNY is happening on Friday, October 12, Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14. Highlights include recently-opened sites like 3 World Trade Center, Domino Park and Pier 17,  construction previews of 150 Rivington and Hauser & Wirth Gallery West 22nd Street and specially curated series like Works by Women, MAS 125, Factory Fridays and Open Studios. There's also an event guide, interactive map showing where ("open access" only) sites and events are located throughout the five boroughs and an itinerary planner.
More about OHNY 2018 this way
September 13, 2018

Get a sneak preview of the 2018 Open House New York sites!

If you love architecture and urban design from historic to contemporary, you'll have already been looking forward to this year's Open House New York! This much-anticipated and rare weekend of access to typically off-limits sites is now in its 16th year; this year’s OHNY will take place on Friday, October 12, Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14. Thanks to partnerships with over 400 arts and cultural organizations, city agencies, architecture firms and others, OHNY Weekend will open more than 250 buildings and projects across the five boroughs for tours and talks with architects, urban planners, historians, preservationists, and civic leaders. OHNY has just released a sneak preview of the program, which includes recently-opened sites like 3 World Trade Center, Domino Park and Pier 17, construction previews of 150 Rivington and Hauser & Wirth Gallery West 22nd Street and specially curated series like Works by Women, MAS 125, Factory Fridays and Open Studios.
This way to see what's on the list for OHNY 2018
September 7, 2018

Archtober 2018: Top 10 NYC events and program highlights

Archtober is New York City’s annual month-long architecture and design festival of tours, lectures, films, and exhibitions taking place during October when a full calendar of events turns a focus on the importance of architecture and design. Organized by the Center for Architecture, in collaboration with over 70 partner organizations across the city, the festival raises awareness of the important role of design and the richness of New York’s built environment. Now in its eighth year, Archtober offers something for everyone—from the arch-intellectual who wants to talk about the relationship between architecture and power to the armchair landscape architect with a thing for waterways, parks or sustainable design—in the 100+ event roster. Below, we pick 10 don't-miss highlights in this year’s program.
Learn about the architecture of NYC at these cool events
August 24, 2018

WeWork on track to become the biggest private office tenant in Manhattan

If WeWork leases just 74,000 square feet of office space, the co-working space company will become the biggest private office tenant in Manhattan, the blog recode reported Thursday. This means WeWork would bypass JPMorgan Chase & Co. as the largest private office tenant in the borough. WeWork currently has 57 locations in NYC and represents a little under three percent of office space in the city, but is expected to grow to represent between five and 10 percent over the next decade. How are they securing all of this square footage? Offering brokers 100 percent commissions and huge rental discounts for tenants.
More here
August 7, 2018

Kushners finally unload debt-ridden 666 Fifth Avenue; Is the ride over for Coney Island?

With a wave of bland real estate development, will Coney Island become just like much of the rest of the city–gentrified, but with rides? [The Bridge] For two centuries, New Yorkers have loved giant oysters. [Atlas Obscura] Kushner Companies finally unloaded the troubled 666 Fifth Avenue to Brookfield, whose 99-year lease will likely give the family […]

June 15, 2018

The history of Brooklyn blackout cake: German bakeries and WWII drills

Chocoholics all over the country know Brooklyn blackout cake, a three-tiered devil's food cake with layers of chocolate pudding and chocolate frosting topped with cake crumbs. In recent years, the rich cake has become re-popularized from its heyday in the first half of the 20th century. But most of us who gluttonously indulge in this tasty dessert have no idea where its borough-centric name came from or just how long this confectioner's delight has been around. It all started in 1898 at a German bakery called Ebinger's on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, but it wasn't until World War II that the moniker took hold.
Get the full story here
June 5, 2018

Lord & Taylor is closing its 104-year-old Fifth Avenue flagship store

Photo courtesy of Lord & Taylor Lord & Taylor's iconic New York City flagship store will close its doors next year, after occupying the Fifth Avenue building for 104 years. In an attempt to keep afloat last year, Hudson's Bay, owner of the department store, sold the 676,000-square-foot building for $850 million to WeWork, who planned to make the landmark its new global headquarters. While Lord & Taylor was left with roughly 150,000 square feet of space at 424 Fifth Avenue, the company struggled to maintain profitability after the turnover of the building to WeWork. Including the iconic flagship, the company will also close as many as 10 Lord & Taylor stores total (h/t Bloomberg). In a first-quarter report, Hudson's Bay said: "Exiting this iconic space reflects Lord & Taylor's increasing focus on its digital opportunity and HBC's commitment to improving profitability."
More here
June 1, 2018

Delayed feasibility study for proposed BQX streetcar costing taxpayers at least $7M

The plan to bring a 16-mile light-rail trolley between Brooklyn and Queens has already cost taxpayers millions of dollars, even before the feasibility of the project has been determined. The study has cost the city $7 million in taxpayer money so far, according to the New York Post. And while the city's Economic Development Corporation promised to have the study completed last fall, this week the agency said they would not put a timeline on its release. Mayor Bill de Blasio first backed the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) project in February 2016, but a series of delays and funding concerns have put the trolley on hold. The proposed streetcar was left out of the city's budget proposal last month, further delaying studies into the project's plausibility.
More this way
May 30, 2018

Just an hour outside NYC, this historic NJ ‘bank house’ is less than $350K

Just over an hour's drive west of Midtown, in Lebanon Township, NJ, this three-story, three bedroom house is asking just $347,000 (h/t CIRCA). And though it's priced much less than most Manhattan studios, it sits on nearly nine acres of land. For sale for the first time in 35 years, the circa 1810 Bank House has a modern kitchen and baths and a third-floor addition, but retains its vintage charm with preserved interior period details such as hand-hewn beamed ceilings, wide-plank pine floors, deep window wells, a wood-burning fireplace, and Jersey winder stairs.
Look around
April 4, 2018

Future of de Blasio’s $2.5B BQX streetcar at risk

With the unveiling of its inaugural prototype last fall, things were looking up for the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) streetcar, a proposed light-rail trolley that would run 16-miles along the East River between the two boroughs. The Friends of the BQX even held an event to show off the ultra-sleek, 46-foot long prototype car. However, studies into the project's construction feasibility, as well as its ability to pay for itself, are still underway, according to the Daily News. At an event at NYU, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen said the administration is still determining the project's ability to be self-funding.
More this way
March 16, 2018

The Urban Lens: Artist Janice McDonnell captures Brooklyn’s waterfront with her paintings

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites artists to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Janice McDonnell shares some of her paintings of the Brooklyn waterfront. Are you an artist who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. In a city as bustling and overbuilt as New York, it's easy to forget this metropolis' roots as a port city, and that all boroughs but the Bronx are islands. The timeless beauty of NYC's watery surroundings are not lost on artist Janice McDonnell, who has produced a series of paintings of the Brooklyn waterfront. "It started out as just documenting to enjoy myself," McDonell said. That's how it started, but the more she got into it from her Dumbo studio, the more the combination of buildings near the broad harbor and their contrast to the sky began to resonate with her. Ahead, see Janice's paintings and hear all about her inspiration and process.
Dive in
January 18, 2018

New York City, Newark officially contenders for Amazon’s HQ2

Amazon announced on Thursday it narrowed its list of potential cities for its second headquarters to 20, with New York City and Newark as candidates. The tech giant said it received 238 proposals, evaluating each based on the criteria outlined in their RFP and then selecting cities to move on to the next phase. The 20 chosen cities will now work with Amazon to provide any additional information needed, with the company expected to make a decision in 2018 about where its HQ2 will land.
Find out more
January 12, 2018

The South Bronx gets a new creative office hub at Union Crossing

We've been hearing so much about neighborhoods like Bushwick, Sunset Park, the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Long Island City ushering in a new era of creative industry. But the city’s next creative office hub is blossoming in the South Bronx neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Port Morris, and Hunts Point. CityRealty offers an update on newest addition to the area, to arrive by mid-2018: Union Crossing at 825 East 141st Street will bring more than 275,000 square feet of office and studio space with retail on the ground floor.
Find out more