Search Results for: times square

There's so much to kvetch about when it comes to the MTA and poor subway service: unprecedented debt, increased ridership that hasn't been matched with increased service and outdated technology to name a few. But here's another to add to the laundry list: closed station entrances. amNY reports today that one out of four subway entrances are closed at a total of 119 stations, which "create bottlenecks that make it difficult to get in and out of increasingly jam-packed stations, while stores miss out on the foot traffic." In total, a whopping 298 staircases are inaccessible, and some closures have been in effect for so many decades that the MTA doesn't even know why they're not in use.
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Transit

October 30, 2015

PBDW’s Nomad Hotel Prepares for 20-Story Addition to Historic McKim Mead & White Building

Alex Ohebshalom’s Empire Management may finally be moving forward with plans to convert a McKim Mead & White-designed bank building at 250 Fifth Avenue and construct a 21-story hotel-tower behind. The project is the latest to join Nomad's recent hotel boom that has produced the Ace Hotel, Nomad Hotel, Flatiron Hotel, and the upcoming Virgin Hotel. While building permits filed in July have yet to be approved, the existing six-story building recently cleared out its retail tenants, and its upper office floors now appear empty. Since the site lies within the Madison Square North Historic District, the owners, under the LLC Quartz Associates, had to secure approvals from both Community Board 5 and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. With a proven track-record of steering projects in historically sensitive areas towards approval, architects Platt Byard Dovell White were commissioned. PBDW uncovered that a mid-rise loft building was once proposed for the site and this evidence allowed for LPC to more seriously consider a taller addition to the 1907, palazzo-like building designed for Second National Bank.
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October 29, 2015

REVEALED: 26-Story, LEED-Certified Hotel Coming to the Financial District

Here's our first look at Tribeca Associates upcoming 26-story hotel at 143 Fulton Street in the Financial District, where demolition at the site is already underway. The 90,000- square-foot tower designed by SLCE Architects will contain 228 rooms, ground-level retail, and typical hotel amenities such as a fitness center and a bar/lounge on the third floor. Hotel suites, found on floors 5 through 25, average ten per floor. The building will also seek LEED accreditation.
More details

October 28, 2015

VIDEO: Ride the Elevator Up to the Marriott Marquis’ Secret 55th Floor

By Diane Pham

The Marriott Marquis may not have the illustrious, storied past of NYC's landmarked hotels like The Plaza or the Algonquin, but that doesn't mean it doesn't keep its fair share of secrets. As you probably know, the Times Square locale is famous for its spectacular high-tech Schindler Miconic 10 elevators which zip passengers up and down the building while offering incredible views over the hotel's massive atrium lobby below. While the building is said to be just 48 floors tall, rumor has it there's actually a secret 55th floor that no regular person has been to before. Could it be true? One intrepid guest of the Marriott was daring enough to find out.
check it out here

October 22, 2015

The Most and Least Healthy Halloween Candy; A Diary of Collecting Change off the Street

Think twice before eating those M&Ms. Here’s the best and worst Halloween candy based on calories, sugar, fat, and protein. [Business Insider] Meet the sweet married couple behind the Hudson Valley’s 65-acre Headless Horseman Hayride, a “hotbed of horror.” [Narratively] How many days of picking up change on the street it took for one New Yorker […]

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In 1872, Broadway Almost Became a Giant Moving Sidewalk

Image via All Ways NY

October 20, 2015

In 1872, Broadway Almost Became a Giant Moving Sidewalk

6sqft readers may remember a 1951 proposal by Goodyear Tires for a giant conveyor belt to carry people between Times Square and Grand Central. And though this was certainly a wacky idea for the time, there was an even earlier proposal for a moving sidewalk that took the city by storm. Back in the late 1860s/early 1870s, inventor and businessman Alfred Speer was fed up with street congestion in front of his wine store on Broadway near City Hall. Though elevated trains were popping up around the time, they were mostly above 14th Street, so Speer designed an aerial, steam-powered sidewalk (much cleaner than the locomotive trains) that would make a loop up and down Broadway to alleviate traffic. It would be constantly in motion at 10 miles per hour, carrying passengers by foot or in its movable chairs for five cents a ride. Speer even went so far as to patent the idea, officially called the "Endless Traveling" or "Railway Sidewalk."
So what happened?

October 20, 2015

Inside Grand Central’s Tiffany Clock; NYC as Seen From Space

The world’s largest rubber duck, weighing in at 11 tons, has arrived in Oyster Bay, Long Island. [Mashable] Video goes inside Grand Central’s giant Tiffany clock. [Gothamist] Here’s all the best bars to watch the Mets tonight. [DNAinfo] A cosmonaut took this amazing picture of NYC from the International Space Station. [NYP] Asics’ new Times Square […]

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October 9, 2015

1970s Documentary Shows Tribeca Skybridge and Vintage Subway Cars

"News from Home" is a 1976 documentary by filmmaker Chantal Akerman that uses New York City as a backdrop while she reads aloud letters her mother had written her while she was living in the city. The film wasn't groundbreaking by any stretch, but 40 years later, it provides a glimpse into a bygone era in New York. Tribeca Citizen unearthed a digital version of the documentary on Hulu and took some great stills, including those of vintage subway cars and Tribeca's Staple Street skybridge. The latter (which is actually where the film begins) has made headlines recently as it's one of Manhattan's last skybridges and the two residences on either side of it (one a townhouse, one an apartment) are currently for sale for $30 million, meaning one lucky buyer can claim the historic structure as part of their home.
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History

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/8-10/15

Pioneer Works via the Lit Up Show

October 8, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/8-10/15

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 picks for 6sqft readers! Times Square is abuzz this month, first with a new #MidnightMoment art flick taking over the ad screens and then with a partnership with Juxtapoz Magazine that brings a pop-up old-timey newsstand back to the area. Donald Judd’s former Soho abode welcomes guests to peruse a collection of his vibrant prints, while another artist from the very same era, John Havens Thornton, makes his first appearance back in New York since 1967. Joseph Gross Gallery opens a new ground-floor location with bold Mexican craft-inspired murals by Jet Martinez, and David Hinton explains the beauty of Chinese philosophy and art at the Rubin Museum. Sunday becomes funday with Pioneer Works' monthly open studio party complete with live music, and for architecture nerds, the Architecture and Design Film Festival takes over theaters on 23rd Street–with a discount offered to our readers.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

Cities Would Take Up 37 Percent More Space if It Were Not for Public Transit

Image via Anorian

October 7, 2015

Cities Would Take Up 37 Percent More Space if It Were Not for Public Transit

By Diane Pham

The major benefits of public transportation are clear: riding the subway or bus is way cheaper than maintaing a car, and more often than not, it's a much faster means of getting from point A to point B. But as Streetsblog points out in this recent study by the Transportation Research Board, transit is a major of driver of density within a city, and it's something that incentivizes developers and city planners to put things closer together. While this may not be an earth-shattering revelation to you, if you quantify the effect, you just might be surprised. According to the report, U.S. cities on average would take up 37 percent more space to house current populations if it were not for public transit.
Find out more here

September 17, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/17-9/22

The time has come again for me to flex my curatorial muscle and shamelessly self-promote your next favorite exhibition. This Friday and Saturday, join me in celebrating the work of Tim Okamura and Chris Marshall at our two day pop-up show. But if you can't make that, there is of course other art to be had this week; revisit the beautiful sculpture in Madison Square Park with a live poetry accompaniment, brave the crowds for Shepard Fairey's new show in Chelsea, or check out a curated night of performance, art and socializing at The Happening. For something ENTIRELY different, help support testicular cancer (while taking a look at some extraordinary dick pics) at Soraya Doolbaz's Dicture Gallery. The incredible world of night life maven Susanne Bartsch will take over the Museum at FIT, and the Met Opera welcomes all to its opening night performance, which will be transmitted live to screens in Times Square.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

September 15, 2015

Never-Built Coney Island Globe Tower Would Have Been a Massive Boardwalk in the Air

In 1906, architect Samuel Friede announced his plans to build the Coney Island Globe Tower, a 700-foot-tall, 11-story structure that would have contained the Brooklyn neighborhood's attractions in one giant globe in the air. A New York Tribune cover revealing the project said investors were being offered "a ground floor chance to share profits in the largest steel structure ever erected...the greatest amusement enterprise in the whole world...the best real estate venture." Had the $1,500,000 plan gone through, the whimsical structure (part Unisphere, part Eiffel Tower) would have contained restaurants (one of which would rotate), an observatory, the United States Weather Observation Bureau and Wireless Telegraph Station, a vaudeville theater, the world's largest ballroom, bowling alley, roller skating rink, casinos, 50,000-room hotel, 5,000-seat hippodrome, and a four large circus rings.
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History

September 11, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: William Helmreich Went on the Ultimate 6,000-Mile Walking Tour of NYC

By Susan Cohen

New Yorkers are known for spending their free time taking leisurely strolls through the city's numerous neighborhoods. They even use their feet as a means to learn by going on weekend walking tours to discover the history, the mystery, as well as the evolution of their favorite places—and there are certainly plenty of tours out there to serve all sorts of curiosities. But when William Helmreich decided he wanted to learn more about New York on foot, he took walking tours to another level. In fact, he decided to walk the entire city. William is a sociology professor at The City College of New York and also teaches at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Over the course of four years, he has walked just about every block in New York City. It was an adventure William was primed for as a lifelong New Yorker who possesses a research interest in urban studies; his background allowed him to be at ease while speaking with city residents in the five boroughs, and he had the eagerness necessary to uncover hidden gems in the lesser known nooks and crannies of our metropolis. The culmination of William's journey is his book, "The New York Nobody Knows: Walking 6,000 Miles in New York City," which was published in 2013 and released last month in paperback. We recently spoke with William about his long walk, and to find out what it taught him about New York.
Meet William here

September 9, 2015

Channel the Spirits of Tesla, Carnegie and Edison in the Former Engineers’ Club HQ for $14K/Month

By Michelle Cohen

Like so many places in this fascinating city, this listing comes with some interesting history: Known today as Bryant Park Place, the primarily residential co-op building at 32 West 40th Street was once the clubhouse of the Engineers' Club. Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1907, members included–in addition to Carnegie himself–Thomas Edison, President Herbert Hoover, H.H. Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla, who was honored here upon receiving the Edison Medal in 1917 and enjoyed feeding the pigeons in the park across the street. Units 1A and 1K currently comprise a commercial listing–with residential possibilities if you're willing to do your homework. The property–two connected co-op units–is for sale for $3.1 million, and also for rent at $14K a month (in the latter case it would make a pretty impressive HQ for that hot new startup–and since there's a small kitchen, those all-nighters won't be a problem). Buyers may need to unwind some red tape, but according to the listing, residential conversion is possible along with some serious subsequent upside.
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September 3, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/3-9/9

If you're staying in the city over this long Labor Day weekend, start September off right by giving in to your cultural lust. Head to Times Square to sample the newest art film for #MidnightMoment or kick off the reopening of galleries with DUMBO's first Thursday Gallery Walk of the season. Sample artist Boy Kong's museum-influenced show at Gitler and the Affordable Art Fair, or hit up one of the Metropolitan Opera's free screenings al fresco outside of Lincoln Center. You can also experience Washington Square Park as Jackson Pollock did with the annual outdoor art exhibition, and combine two things you never thought would mix at the Public Address Gallery: conceptual art and karaoke. And don't forget the long-standing multi-cultural tradition of the epic West Indian-American Day Carnival and Parade (bring feathers and glitter!).
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

August 31, 2015

Whimsical Map Colorfully Details 400+ New York Icons

By Diane Pham

A couple weeks ago we dug up a map from the 1950s that offered up a mind-boggling menagerie of all things New York. With over 300 points of interest hand-illustrated in painstaking detail, we found ourselves overtaken with with awe. Now, comes yet another marvelous map courtesy of Rafael Esquer, founder of Soho’s Alfalfa Studio. His stunning depiction—aptly named Iconic New York™— is made up of over 400 hand-drawn city icons. A labor of love, the piece took Esquer an incredible two-and-a-half years to complete.
more on iconic New York™ here

Hudson Yards 7 Train Station Will Officially Open on September 13th

An aerial rendering of the new station

August 28, 2015

Hudson Yards 7 Train Station Will Officially Open on September 13th

We once had a friend who lived in midtown all the way over on 12th Avenue...and let's just say we rarely visited. But what was once a subway wasteland is finally getting its very own subway station. After years of delays, the new 7 train stop at 34th Street-Hudson Yards will officially open on September 13th, at 1:00pm to be exact. The extension from its current endpoint at Times Square has cost the city $2.4 billion since construction commenced in 2007.
More details

Transit

August 19, 2015

There’s a Spanish-Style Adobe Home in Brooklyn Heights; Heroic Food Farms to Provide Employment for Military Vets

By Alyssa Alimurung

Be transported to a Spanish villa just by looking at this unique adobe-style house in Brooklyn Heights. [Gothamist] Mister Softee may serve up summer deliciousness, but don’t mess with him when it comes to his jingle. He’s suing a rival ice cream truck for allegedly stealing the signature tune. [NYDN] Ennead Architects and RAFT Landscape Architecture plan to build a Heroic […]

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Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 8/13-8/19

Image via Amusing Planet

August 13, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 8/13-8/19

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! This week, time travel to relive two iconic, yet very different, New York moments. Head to Times Square to recreate the 1945 sailor kiss that became famous on the cover of LIFE Magazine, or scoot up to the Bronx for the restaging of City Maze, the seminal exhibition from 1980 during the dawn of street art. Revive Marcel Duchamp at the Queens Museum, experience the exciting new present of an art-infused South Street Seaport, or get a glimpse of the future by spotting a dude walking around in an air conditioned suit (we swear it's art). You can live in the now and see what Brooklyn’s Cotton Candy Machine is up to, or see if athletes can really cut it in contemporary art.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

August 6, 2015

First Look at 22-Story Expansion of Downtown Brooklyn’s Hampton Inn Hotel

We all know Brooklyn's residential market is scorching hot, but its hotel market is booming as well. Two hotels recently opened at the borough's Manhattan Bridge entryway, the 174-room Dazzler Brooklyn Hotel and the 116-room Hampton Inn. The latter has just begun construction on a 145-room expansion on an adjacent lot at 156 Tillary Street, and we've uncovered the first look at what the 22-story Stonehill & Taylor Architects-designed tower will look like (an encore to the striped-brick banality that rose in the first phase).
More details ahead

August 5, 2015

Could This Deconstructivist Office Tower Be Coming to the Garment District?

The visualization wizzes at Hayes Davidson posted this image of a hyper-modern tower addition atop an imposing Verizon-owned building at 230 West 36th Street. While few details are provided with the accompanying image, an article from the Times last year mentioned that the top two floors and some unused development rights of the 1924 building were being shopped around to developers as a potential hotel site. The rendered building appears to be a commercial office building, however. With the dearth of development sites suitable for large office floor plates east of Ninth Avenue, and a hot Midtown South office market where vacancy rates hover near 9 percent, the site could be a prime opportunity to construct new office space in the heart of the Times Square/Penn Station sub-market.
More details ahead

August 5, 2015

Health- and Fitness-Themed EVEN Hotel Tops Out in Midtown East

The future Midtown East home of the fitness- and wellness-themed EVEN Hotel line has reached its 414-foot apex. Situated one block away from Grand Central Terminal, the 36-story mixed-use tower at 219 East 44th Street will be the hotel brand's second location in the city, and its upper floors will be crowned with ten penthouses. The building's developers are a partnership between CWC and the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), who are also the parent company of the Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza brands. IHG will debut their first Manhattan EVEN Hotel later this year at 321 West 35th Street with this 44th Street location opening soon after. The brand promotes a health and wellness lifestyle for travelers through in-room fitness zones for private workouts and healthy food and beverage options, including made-to-order smoothies and grab ‘n’ go meals. Additionally, the hotel will have dedicated meeting areas, indoor/outdoor eating and exercise space, and spa-inspired showers.
More details ahead

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/30-8/2

Image via Wendy Perrin

July 30, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/30-8/2

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! A weekend of adventure awaits your beckoning call. Choose your own adventure: a cruise on the high seas whilst dressed as a sea monster (or sea siren if that's your preference), sleep amidst the taxidermy animals at an adult sleepover hosted by the American Museum of Natural History, or get dirty and explore "Old New York" through trash at Dead Horse Bay with Abandoned NYC. Feeling less adventurous? You can always learn about our ever-changing city at Van Alen's latest exhibition with the Gentrification Lab NYC, which reconnects the role of architecture with expansion. Try out a different kind of studio visit with dancer and artist Jillian Peña, who will perform her new architecturally-influenced dance and actually take time to explain it to visitors, or check a screening of the Swedish film making waves with its representation of transgender life at Pioneer Works. Enjoy the new José Parlá pieces outdoors at The Standard High Line while sipping cocktails from the garden. Lastly, trek to Times Square late at night as artists Os Gemeos take over the ad screens for Midnight Moment all month long.
All the best events to check out here

July 25, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff