Search Results for: the empire hotel new york

April 27, 2016

Exclusive Photos: Tour the Lavish South Wing of the Gilded Age Villard Houses

The Gilded Age mansions that once stood along 5th Avenue -- nicknamed Millionaire's Row -- have mostly met the wrecking ball. But the Villard Houses remain remarkably preserved since their construction in 1884. The famed architecture firm McKim, Mead and White designed this visionary six-house complex for Henry Villard, a railroad magnate whose empire began to crumble as construction wrapped. Today -- after many changes in ownership and a landmark designation -- the buildings stand as the entrance to the Lotte Palace Hotel. The hotel has just offered several rooms inside the south wing of the property, the former home of Villard himself, up for lease, offering a rare look into the lavish interior that's hardly changed since it was designed over 100 years ago.
More history and lots of interior photos this way
April 26, 2016

Trump’s Flubs: The Donald’s Failed Attempts to Erect the World’s Tallest Building in NYC

Presidential candidate Donald Trump's aggressive tone and occasional outlandish statements have dominated the conversation in the Republican primaries, and today is sure to be no different. Though his supporters feel that he's a shoo-in, his real estate track record hasn't always resulted in success. Take for example his fraught attempt to own the Empire State Building, which ended in lawsuits and public shaming, or his $80 million loss on the Plaza Hotel, which resulted from his near bankruptcy in the '90s. In addition to these public debacles, the developer-turned-showman-turned-politician has envisioned at least three of the world's tallest buildings in New York over the years, which makes sense for a man who glories in superlatives and for whom every project is a flamboyant gesture. In honor of the Donald's never-ending presence, 6sqft decided to take a look at these never-realized, sky-high proposals, which include the New York Stock Exchange Tower, Television City Tower, and 10 Columbus Circle.
Get the story behind all these failed attempts
March 25, 2016

Actor Stephen Dorff Lists Chelsea Penthouse Loft With Party-Ready Roof Deck for $3M

The Chelsea loft penthouse at 251 West 19th Street belonging to actor Stephen Dorff just hit the market for $3 million, reports the Wall Street Journal. The apartment's best feature is undoubtedly its 850-square-foot private roof terrace with a wet bar/kitchen, outdoor shower and Empire State Building views. Dorff was a teen heartthrob in the '90s–known for the boxing film, "The Power of One" (1992), and the 1998 superhero film “Blade”–and an indie It Boy of sorts in the following decade, appearing in cult films like John Waters' "Cecil B. Demented" and slacker/grunge time capsule "S.F.W.." A stream of typical "evil guy" roles followed until 2010, when he starred in the Sofia Coppola film "Somewhere," which, perhaps ironically, is the tale of a disaffected hotel-dwelling actor. But Dorff has definitely worked hard if nothing else. And he may finally be seeing the benefits: WSJ quotes the actor in a 2013 interview as describing his less-than-savvy spending habits during the early days of his career: "After movies, I would rent these really expensive houses, and then I would run out of money and have to do another movie. I didn't like that feeling of having to take something I didn't want," he says. "Now I'm into buying—forget this renting stuff."
See more of this indoor-outdoor duplex
March 7, 2016

Donald Trump’s NYC Properties Owe the City $27K in Unpaid Fines

Donald Trump's fellow Republican presidential candidates have been focused on him releasing tax documents, but since he claims he's not in the position to do so since he's been audited, this little tidbit might make for some good temporary fodder -- Trump's luxury Manhattan properties owe the city for 19 unpaid violations that have amounted to $27,536 over the past 12 years. I Quant NY scoured the city's building records to find that since 2000, at least 14 of his Manhattan properties have received 460 separate violations, totaling $304,165 in fines. Sure this may be a drop in the bucket for the GOP frontrunner, but it's the lack of compliance that seems troubling, especially since only 6 percent of the instances were dismissed. And 2015 had the most violations to date, with 62 separate fines for "Failure to Maintain an Elevator."
Get the rest of the details
February 19, 2016

Skyline Wars: What’s Rising in Hudson Yards, the Nation’s Largest Construction Site

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s breaking development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. This week Carter brings us the third installment of “Skyline Wars,” a series that examines the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city’s silhouette. In this post Carter zooms in on Hudson Yards. The Hudson Yards neighborhood in Far Midtown West is one of the country’s most active construction areas. Construction cranes dot its emerging skyline and dozens more are promised now with the district's improved connection to the rest of the city. Last fall, the 7-line subway station at Eleventh Avenue and 34th Street opened with one-stop access to Times Square. The newly-minted station features a lengthy diagonal escalator bringing commuters to the front-door of the huge mixed-use project being created over the rail yards west of Tenth Avenue between 30th and 33rd streets. Originally, a second station was contemplated on 41st Street and Tenth Avenue but transit officials claimed it could not afford the $500 million expenditure, despite the enormous amount of new residential construction occurring along the far West 42nd Street corridor. Nevertheless, the finished Hudson Yards station deposits straphangers into a new diagonal boulevard and park between 10th and 11th Avenues that will ultimately stretch from the Related Companies / Oxford Property Group's Hudson Yards master plan northward to 42nd Street.
read more from carter here
December 21, 2015

The Food Hall Obsession Makes Its Way to Staten Island

Following a slew of recent headlines–Anthony's Bourdain's food and retail market headed for the SuperPier, the mega-market coming to Essex Crossing that will be one of the largest in the world, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten's seafood-themed food hall planned for the South Street Seaport–6sqft recently posed the question: Is the city's food hall obsession about to burst? Though the votes were divided, the trend has shown no signs of slowing down, especially considering that it's now making its way over to the often-forgotten borough of Staten Island, with perhaps the most gimmicky name we've heard yet. Curbed reports that the team behind Gansevoort Market has partnered with Empire Outlets developers BFC Partners to open a locally curated food market by late 2017. Dubbed MRKTPL, the hall will span 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space that will "tie together the history of the New York Harbor with modern communal spaces to eat and gather," as per the press release.
More details this way
December 7, 2015

Skyline Wars: One Vanderbilt and East Midtown Upzoning Are Raising the Roof…Height!

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s breaking development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. This week Carter brings us the second installment of nine-part series, "Skyline Wars," which examines the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city's silhouette. In this post Carter zooms in on Midtown East and the design of One Vanderbilt, the controversial tower that is being pinned as the catalyst for change in an area that has fallen behind in recent decades. Despite some objections from community boards and local politicians, New York City is moving ahead with the rezoning of East Midtown between Fifth and Third avenues, and 39th and 59th Streets; and earlier this year, the de Blasio administration enacted an important part of the plan, a rezoning of the Vanderbilt Avenue corridor just to the west of Grand Central Terminal. The Vanderbilt Avenue rezoning included approval of a 1,501-foot-high tower at 1 Vanderbilt Avenue on the block bounded by Madison Avenue, 42nd and 43rd Streets. The tapered, glass-clad tower, topped by a spire, is being designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox for SL Green. Mayors Bloomberg and de Blasio have championed the 1 Vanderbilt proposal despite serious concerns voiced by numerous civic organizations over the rezoning scheme that some see as “spot zoning” and the fact that the city has still not finalized nor published its complete rezoning package. Using air-rights transfers from the Grand Central Terminal area and zoning bonuses for providing $210 million for infrastructure improvements in the area, the tower will significantly alter the midtown skyline, rising several hundred feet above the nearby Chrysler Building and the huge and bulky but lower MetLife Tower straddling Park Avenue just north of Grand Central Terminal. Its 63 stories are several less than the Chrysler Building and just a few more than the MetLife Tower, which might be interpreted by some observers as indicated that it was in “context” with such prominent neighbors, but they are wrong.
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December 1, 2015

No Filter Needed: Watch NYC Glow Against an Otherworldly Autumn Sunset

New York City experienced a surreal sunset last Sunday; one of the best in recent memory. The sky was dull and overcast for most of the afternoon but when the sun began to sink below the cloud-line, the city transitioned to a hue often reserved for sci-fi films and the outlandish renderings of our banal real estate developments. The tie-dye sky was so vivid that even the prosaic glass-walled rental towers on the Far West Side appeared majestic. During the sun's 15-minute adieu, the sky transitioned from soft pink, to a ribbony purple, and then to an electric tangerine; ultimately billowing into a fiery blaze over New Jersey. So what caused the city to be enveloped into this watercolor masterpiece? According to ABC News meteorologist Jeff Smith, a storm over Eastern Long Island created a situation that when the sun was going down, light caressed the high- and mid-level cloud bottoms resulting in the gorgeous sunset, which 6sqft captured in a gorgeous photo series.
Check out all the photos here
November 25, 2015

The Most Important Towers Shaping Central Park’s South Corridor, AKA Billionaires’ Row

They did not come from outer space when they landed on our front yard while the NIMBY folk and the city’s planners and preservationists weren’t looking. Some are scrawny. Some are dressed like respectable oldsters. They’re the supertalls and they’re coming to a site near you.
read more here
August 27, 2015

Construction Update: Loggia-Crowned Condominium Finally Rises Next to Bryant Park

Bryant Park is one of the city's most cherished spaces, providing a much-needed oasis from the stone and glass canyons of Midtown. But debuting in 2017, a mixed-use tower will grant home buyers their first opportunity to purchase condos directly alongside the ten-acre respite. Simply named the Bryant, the 200,000-square-foot building at 16 West 40th Street will house 57 condo units perched 200 feet above a five-star boutique hotel within the tower's lower levels. The 32-story, 361-foot-high building is being developed by the very-active HFZ Capital, led by Ziel Friedman, and is designed by renowned British architect David Chipperfield, with Stonehill & Taylor serving as the architects of record.
More details ahead
August 24, 2015

The Significance Behind the Flag Atop Cobble Hill’s Trader Joe’s; Hold the Phone – Cinnabon Now Delivers

Have you ever noticed the flag atop Trader Joe’s in Cobble Hill? Here’s the reason why the chain store flies the flag. [DNAinfo] Feeding your suburban-mall-food craving, Focus Brands (parent company to Carvel, Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s) will now be delivering in the city starting this week. [CNN Money] A timeline of how Empire Stores went […]

July 31, 2015

LinkedIn’s Remodeled Offices Have a Speakeasy and Plenty of Lounge Space

The Empire State Building is already one of the most unique places to work in the city, but the LinkedIn offices on the 28th floor have made the iconic building even cooler. Interior Architects recently remodeled the 33,005-square-foot space, which houses the social network's sales team. The result is a floor that is "fun and vibrant," but maintains the professionalism of a "club level of a hotel." Just a warning, though, everything about this office–from a wall of rotary phones that conceals a speakeasy to a photo display that celebrates employees' pets–is going to make you pretty bummed about your boring cubicle.
Take a tour of the office here
June 17, 2015

VIDEO: What to Expect if You Were a Tourist Visiting NYC in the 1940s

Welcome to the "city of romance and excitement" in a time "where all roads lead to Gotham." This fascinating film produced by the city's PR arm back in the '40s is a total time warp that will transport you to the better days when everyone enjoyed travel by train, dapper suits were daily uniforms, and the New York skyline was downright demure with just the Empire State Building and Chrysler piercing the sky. Though all the landmarks featured are ones you'd expect to see (Grand Central, the Top of the Rock, The Statue of Liberty) and don't appear all that much different than they do now (kids were bathing in Washington Square Park's fountain back then too), a number of the shots and commentary provided by the film's narrator really highlight how much our city has changed (imagine a harbor full of Titanic-like ocean liners and no 432 Park). Watch the 22-minute video ahead.
Watch the video here
May 15, 2015

What’s Your Favorite Building in NYC? 6sqft’s Writers and Friends Square Off

Once upon a time, when 6sqft was not yet launched, a group of writers were asked for their thoughts on their favorite building in New York City. Their choices, some easily recognizable and others a little further from the beaten path, were mixed together with those of a few folks a lot like our readers—interested in and passionate about all things New York. The result? A wonderful blend of what makes this city great: its diversity, not simply demographically but also in the opinions of those eight million souls who weave together the fabric of all five boroughs to create the most interesting city in the world. And it stands to reason the most interesting city in the world is home to quite a few interesting buildings. As one might expect, there was barely a duplicate in the bunch. Some weren't even on our radar! Is your favorite on the list? If not, we’d love to know what you think in the comments.
Read on to see if you agree with our selections
April 17, 2015

Staten Island’s Revival Offers Brooklyn Cool Alongside $600,000 Six-Bedroom Homes

It's only a matter of time before Staten Island gets pinned as the next Brooklyn. As new developments pop up along the northern tip, the oft-forgotten borough is seeing the tides turn in its favor. Today the Times ran a piece on some of the biggest projects coming to the island, and unlike those popping up in Manhattan, this bunch is far more focused on livability and community building. Moreover, with rooftop beehives, shared vegetable gardens, small-batch espresso, pet spas, artisanal shops shilling specialty olive oils, and cheese caves in the pipeline, Staten Island is also starting to sound a lot like some of the city's most hipster-run areas. In fact, in casting its net for local testimonials, the Times was able to find Ridgewood and Bushwick refugees that have already high-tailed it southwest. And it's no wonder, with real estate being offered at just a fraction of the price—one couple in the story closed on a house with "numerous porches and six bedrooms, for $620,000"—it's only a matter of time before we turn to our significant others and say, "Let's move to Staten Island!"
More on Staten Island's next steps here
April 7, 2015

Tracing the Colorful History of Madison Square Park from the 1800s

Recent reports show that NoMad has taken over the top spot for priciest neighborhood in the city in which to rent, with a one-bedroom unit going for an average of $4,270/month. For most real estate aficionados this isn't shocking, as the neighborhood has been growing into one of the city's hottest spots for the past several years, but few know of the area's fascinating past. Named for our fourth president, James Madison, the 6.2-acre Madison Square Park was first used as a potter’s field, then an army arsenal, then a military parade ground and finally as the New York House of Refuge children’s shelter, until it was destroyed by a fire in 1839. After the fire, the land between 23rd and 26th Streets from Fifth to Madison Avenues was established as a public park enclosed by a cast-iron fence in 1847. The redesign included pedestrian walkways, lush shrubbery, open lawns, fountains, benches and monuments and is actually similar to the park that exists today.
Find out how our beloved madison square park came to be
March 18, 2015

Construction Update: COOKFOX’s 855 Sixth Avenue Tops Off, Ties for City’s ‘Shortest Skyscraper’

In the shadow of the Empire State Building, the concrete frame of 855 Sixth Avenue has quietly risen to its full 500-foot height. Spanning the full western blockfront of Sixth Avenue between West 30th and 31st Streets, the 41-story mixed-use tower, designed by COOKFOX Architects and co-developed by the Durst Organization and Fetner Properties, is poised to bring 190,000 square feet of commercial space and 375 rentals to the southern fringe of Herald Square later this year. While unremarkable in design and imperceptible in the city's skyline, the building's small claim to fame may be that its 152-meter (slightly under 500 feet) height is sometimes regarded as the benchmark figure for defining a skyscraper. Therefore, statistically, 855 Sixth could be considered the shortest skyscraper in New York. Huzzah!
More details ahead
December 22, 2014

So You Think You Know Everything About One57?

Well, you might want to think twice. Even though the city's most expensive condo building is also perhaps the most written-about (even the Times has run out of ways to describe it), there are still plenty of little-known facts about the 1,005-foot-tall tower. One57 is considered the crown jewel of what's been dubbed "Billionaire's Row," and can also be credited with launching the ultra-luxury building boom. Developed by Extell's Gary Barnett and designed by Pritzker-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc, the sleek tower is currently the second tallest structure in the city. And that's just the beginning.
Bone up on your One57 factoids here
December 19, 2014

REVEALED: NoMad Tower by FR-EE; Is It a Cowbell, Exclamation Point, or Cheese Grater?

Another exclamation point in a year of seemingly endless skyscraper unveilings has appeared on the city's "to-build list" with a possible rendering of a long-proposed mixed-use tower slated for the heart of NoMad. This exclamatory statement comes from the Mexico-based office of Fernando Romero EnterprisE (FR-EE). Never heard of them? Then check out their website and browse the bold work we New Yorkers too often miss out on. If the selection of FR-EE is official, Ziel Feldman’s HFZ Capital would join a growing list of New York developers bitten by the design bug. Developers like Hines, Rosen, Related, and Extell have led the way in commissioning big name, often foreign, architects to pen skyline-shifting projects aimed at the top of the market. HFZ also commissioned British-based David Chipperfield Architects to design a dignified 30-story tower along the southern edge of Bryant Park.
More details on the 50-story tower here
October 22, 2014

Historic Post Offices: Architectural Masterpieces That Are More than Just Places to Drop Mail

The Federal government has dabbled in several architectural styles over the years when designing New York City post offices. From outdated baroque in the late 1800's to New Deal-era Art Moderne, all of these historic buildings seem to share two characteristics: grandiose and massive. We've rounded up here some of the greatest architectural stunners, which also showcase the evolution of historic post office architecture in the city (and almost make waiting an hour in line to mail one letter bearable).
See more of NYC's historic post offices here
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

A La Sagrada Familia in Manhattan? See the Unbuilt NYC Gaudí

Atoni Gaudí was a brilliant and polarizing architect. Whereas most architects will see their works compared and contrasted against others in their field, even the most knowledgeable architectural critics will look at Gaudí's work and throw up their hands and say it must be something alien. The organic curves and mounds of Gaudí's designs look hundreds of years ahead of their time. But Gaudí worked mostly around his home region of Catalonia, and the businesslike skyscrapers of Manhattan have never looked anything like the the architect's designs. However, there was a time when a Gaudí NYC skyscraper almost came to be.
See the proposed Gaudí building here
July 18, 2014

Five Lush Rooftop Bars That Feel Like an Escape from the City

Summer is in full swing, and while some of us get to plan far flung escapes, others must endure the heat amidst the concrete towers. Rooftop oases are a great way to beat rising temps, especially when the foliage of a hidden garden can cool us naturally. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite lush rooftop havens around the city, all sure to help soothe your soul when a trip away from city life just isn’t in the cards. From an ultra verdant "secret garden" to a rooftop escape with the Empire State Building in view, check out these these five urban retreats offering an elevated experience.
Five wonderful lush rooftop escapes here
May 8, 2014

Gateways: Filling in the Architectural Gaps Along Cobblestoned Bond Street

If you've spent time in the NoHo Historic District and Extension, then you've probably notice that there are two highly visible voids in the short stretch between Broadway and the Bowery — a destination that has become one of the city’s most interesting and admired architecture ensembles. The city is about to get a new architectural gateway in this locale, situated at the intersection of Lafayette and Bond Streets. The new gateway will consist of two quite similar, small, new residential buildings designed by different architects on the north side of Bond Street.
More on the new buildings and our city's gateways here
April 14, 2014

The Strange World of Scaffolding and Why We’ll Be Seeing More of It

Scaffolding in New York City is as much a part of the city’s skyline as the Empire State Building itself—and has been around for much longer. On the surface, scaffolding seems to be a necessary ugly; a kind of urban cocoon from which a beautiful new butterfly building emerges. But if you are one of those people who cringes every time you see a building wrapped in scaffolding, you better get used to it because it’s only going to get worse. All while the scaffolding companies laugh all the way to the bank.
What's with all the scaffolding?