Search Results for: times square

January 7, 2015

158-Year-Old Legally-Embattled Building on Leonard Street Finally Sells for $11.2 Million

It's been a rough year for an even rougher 158-year-old structure located at 17 Leonard Street. Since 2013, there's been an ongoing dispute over damage in the building that caused an evacuation ordered by the Depart­ment of Buildings. Owner Christopher Rolf has been feuding with his next-door neighbor, Steven Schnall, who is constructing a seven-story condo build­ing with a two-story penthouse next door at 15 Leonard. The dispute concerns the cause of several giant cracks that Rolf alleged appeared once Schnall started construction. Rolf claimed Schnall's project was the reason for the damage, while Schnall insisted that the old structure was already in shambles long before he even broke ground. The drama has dragged on for over a year, but a recent sale points to the end of the saga at 17 Leonard—at least for Rolf. According to public records, Rolf has finally parted ways with the property, striking a deal with an undisclosed buyer (listed simply as "17 Leonard Properties, LLC") for $11.165 million.
More details here
January 1, 2015

Looking Back and Forecasting What’s to Come in the 2015 NYC Real Estate Market

It's that time of year when we take a look back at the biggest stories of the year and look ahead at what's to come. And if 2014 was the year of the ultra-luxury listing, 2015 shows no sign of cooling down. This past year saw major increases from 2013, with $16.8 billion in residential sales, over 17 percent of which was accounted for by purchases over $10 million. Plus, the top 25 sales of the year all closed for over $25 million. News of big sales at One57 will likely continue, with 520 Park Avenue vying for the title of most-talked-about building. We'll also start hearing more from 30 Park Place, 432 Park Avenue, and the Woolworth Residences. To help you visualize all of these high-rolling record setters and predictions, the folks at CityRealty have put together some handy charts and infographics.
Check out the year in review and 2015 predictions here
December 31, 2014

Soap Opera Star Wants $17M for Stunning Gramercy Townhouse Once Priced at $1.6M

Actress Noelle Beck and her husband Eric Petterson are looking to unload their stunning four-story townhouse on Stuyvesant Square for $17 million. To give that price tag some perspective, the couple purchased the home in 1997 for just $1.6 million. That’s right, if all goes according to plan, these two could walk away with close to 20 times the amount they paid for their Gramercy pad. Now, how’s that for a dramatic plot twist?
Take a look inside here
December 30, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Luxury Development Hitting the West 90s; 70,000 People Apply for 38 Affordable Apartments in Williamsburg

The West 90s, long considered the more affordable part of the Upper West Side, is seeing an influx of luxury development. [NYT] 70,000 people applied for 38 affordable apartments in Williamsburg at 59 Frost Street. [DNAinfo] Not everyone agrees with the Times endorsement of the QueensWay. [2nd Ave. Sagas] Soap opera star Noelle Beck lists […]

December 26, 2014

As the Met Prepares to Move into the Whitney’s Old Building, A Madison Avenue Block Is Transformed

All eyes have been on the construction of Renzo Piano's new downtown home for the Whitney Museum, set to open in May. But let's not forget about what's happening to the Whitney's old Marcel Breuer-designed building on Madison Avenue and 75th Street. The Brutalist building opened in 1966 and has since dominated its Upper East Side surroundings. It's set to be taken over as a satellite location for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to showcase their contemporary and modern art collections when it reopens in March 2016. And though the Met will not alter the façade of the landmarked museum building, its surroundings will certainly look different than in the Whitney's days. The biggest changes are happening right next door, where the row of six 19th-century Italianate and Greek Revival brownstones on Madison Avenue and two townhouses on East 74th Street are being reimagined as condos and retail space by developer and healthcare entrepreneur Daniel Straus, who bought the properties from the Whitney in 2010 for $95 million and subsequently was granted approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission for their new design by Beyer Blinder Belle. According to the Times, who profiled the development, the flurry of construction could be considered "the Met effect."
More on the development here
December 26, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Williamsburg Development Site Sells for Record-Setting $40M; Plaza Condo Drops Price by $15M

Sale of two Williamsburg buildings on Bedford Avenue for $40 million sets a new record. [Crain’s] Extell employs holograms to market its One Riverside Park condominium. [NYT] Google is expanding its footprint in Chelsea, creating a 3.5-million-square-foot urban tech campus. [WSJ] Art Deco Plaza condo drops asking price by $15 million. [Curbed] Images: Rendering of the new […]

December 23, 2014

Get Your Chef On in Restaurateur Keith McNally’s Greenwich Village Townhouse for $25K/Month

Restaurateur Keith McNally is offering up his Greenwich Village townhouse again, fully furnished, for $25,000 per month. The four-story, 3,600-square-foot space is brimming with charm and features four bedrooms and a separate studio. Best of all, it’s the place to bring your foodie friends to dine in the house that celebrated restaurants like Balthazar, Odeon, Café Luxembourg, Schiller’s, and Minetta Tavern built.
Take a closer look, here
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
December 17, 2014

Vote for 2014’s Building of the Year!

There is no shortage of towers on the rise in Manhattan, but amongst these glass and stone beauties are a handful that stand head and shoulders (and several hundred feet) above the rest. A red hot real estate market and cutting edge building technology have paved the way for towers of both unprecedented heights and prices. But worthy of equal credit are the visionary developers and architects who dare to change the NYC skyline. Here we've handpicked 12 of the most newsworthy buildings of 2014; these towers boast groundbreaking designs and record-breaking (or soon to be record-breaking) prices. But we ask you: Out of the dozen, which deserves the title "Building of the Year?" Cast a vote above to help us decide which is 2014's most important tower! Extended by popular demand… Voting ends TODAY, December 12th at 11:59 PM WEDNESDAY, December 17th at 11:59 PM and we’ll reveal the winner on Friday, December 19th. And if you’re still torn between two (or all), jump ahead for the low-down on each, from height to 2014 news highlights.
More on each of the buildings here
December 15, 2014

EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Check Out Billionaire Peter Brant’s Converted Con Ed Station

Now's your chance to get a look into one of the city's coolest spaces. EV Grieve tells us that from now through Sunday, the curious yellow brick building located at 421 East 6th Street will open its doors to the public for its first art show featuring Dan Colen. The former Con Ed substation was recently purchased for $27 million by billionaire Peter Brant from the estate of the late Walter de Maria, the famed sculptor who converted the 16,402-square-foot structure into an incredible home and studio back in the '80s. The event is sure to delight, if not for the artist's work (which ARTnews dubs "deeply mediocre"), then at least for the chance to get a first glimpse into the extraordinary space. Nondescript and gritty on the outside, the building’s cavernous interior spaces boast ceilings as high as 32 feet, and plenty of the near-century-old substation's original details remain intact.
Find out more here
December 12, 2014

$2M Victorian Diamond in the Rough Could Be Your Next Dream Home

Sometimes finding your dream home starts with a diamond in the rough. For those willing to put in a little sweat equity, that grubby little rock can be polished to perfection, revealing a rare gem. Okay, this home isn’t exactly a grubby little rock. It’s actually a stately Victorian on one of Ditmas Park’s best blocks. The $2.199 million house is on the market for the first time in 24 years—and it definitely looks like it hasn’t been updated during that time. But in every ugly duckling there’s a beautiful swan and this five-bedroom home's potential is undeniable.
Take a look, here
December 5, 2014

14 Hip Holiday Markets and Indie Pop-Up Shops in NYC

As December dawns, the holiday gift markets roll in, and it’s harder than ever to turn around in NYC without encountering a pop-up shop or makeshift mall offering everything anyone could ever want–whether they know it yet or not–for the body, mind, soul and home. We've assembled a list of smaller, cooler pop-ups and holiday markets that mix music, food and fun freebies like haircuts, goodie bags and beer with this year’s selection of clever, crafty gifts.
Find out where to get the goods, this way
December 4, 2014

Walk This Way: How Observant Jews Shop for Real Estate with the Torah in Mind

Certain neighborhoods are becoming increasingly sought after by observant Jews—but in keeping with what is written in the Torah, apartment hunting can be a formidable undertaking. Observant Jews not only have to deal with New York City’s low vacancy rate but they need to find a home that, most importantly, is within walking distance to shul (synagogue) from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday and some Jewish holidays—owing to the fact that Sabbath obligations, of which there are a lot, do not allow one to drive a car. It goes against what’s written in the Torah to start or extinguish fires during the Sabbath, and, well, cars burn fuel. And by the way, this also means cooking only one, single, solitary item.
Find out more here
December 3, 2014

Roman and Williams-Designed Brooklyn Brownstone is an Eclectic Mix of Curiosities

Interior design buffs are undoubtedly familiar with J. Crew Creative Director Jenna Lyons's former home; it was featured in countless magazines and blogs, hailed for its mix of traditional pieces with mid-century modern and pops of color. But in 2012, after a bidding war that included prospective buyers being asked to write personal essays, she sold the 19th century Park Slope pad for $4 million to Vince Clarke, founder of Depeche Mode, and his wife Tracy Martin, CEO of the Morbid Anatomy Museum. And needless to say, they gave the 4,000-square-foot home quite the overhaul, infusing it with a mix of historic styles and curious touches that could serve double duty in Martin's taxidermy-filled museum. The masterminds behind the transformation were Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, the founders of design firm Roman and Williams, who created a home that looks like it was furnished in the last century. Their goal was to embrace the home’s historic details while achieving an idiosyncratic and moody approach.
Tour the curiosity-filled home here
December 1, 2014

10 Sullivan Street Leads Western Soho Residential Development

Back in June, units at 10 Sullivan Street in Soho hit the market. The 16-story, Cary Tamarkin-designed building is shaped like a mini Flatiron Building, and due to its height and scale, many consider it grossly out of place. But regardless of one's opinion, the scheduled completion of the triangular condo in late 2015 will cement western Soho's turn from primarily commercial to residential, a trend shared with adjacent neighborhood Hudson Square.
More on 10 Sullivan Street and western Soho's transformation
November 26, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Is Jersey City the Next Cultural Hub?; Landmarks Denies Glass Topper for Tammany Hall

Taking a look at the cultural rise of Jersey City. [NYT] Why are Brooklyn neighborhoods getting so hard to tell apart? [NYO] Landmarks Preservation Commission denies BKSK Architect’s glass topper proposal for Tammany Hall. [Curbed] Manhattan’s getting 14 million square feet of office space by 2019. [WSJ] Images: Jersey City via Singing With Light via photopin […]

November 24, 2014

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones Sell Their Charming Bedford Farmhouse for $7.5M

It looks like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are bidding adieu to their "tiny" six-bedroom, six-bath brick Colonial up in Bedford. According to the LA Times, the couple have just sold the home for $7.5 million—a bit under their $8.1M August asking price, but well above the $5.1 million they originally paid for it. Bedford residents, however, shouldn't say their goodbyes just yet; Michael and Catherine will still be staying in the area. In October, after ending their separation, the pair snagged a $11.25 million, 15,458-square-foot stunner boasting eight bedrooms, 13.5 baths and 13 acres (Talk about a fresh start!). While the recently-sold home is quite demure when compared to their new estate, the updated 1930s farmhouse has plenty of charm and comes complete with 5.7 bucolic acres of its own, surrounded by a horse farm on three sides.
More inside here
November 21, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Most Expensive Townhouse Lists for $63M; High-Rise Towers Could Rise Along Gowanus Canal

Morris Adjmi will design condos to replace the Brooklyn Heights Cinema. [BK Heights Blog] New York’s most expensive townhouse officially hit the market for $63 million. [Curbed] Queens real estate is getting a lot of attention lately. [NYT] An $18 million Williamsburg warehouse sold for $434/square foot, among the highest sales ever in the borough. [Crain’s] Gowanus […]

November 20, 2014

Forest Hills Gardens: A Hidden NYC Haven of Historic Modernity

This unique sheltered enclave might be the perfect spot for residents who can handle the rules; just don't call it FoHiGa. Occupying a 175-acre wedge just south of the Forest Hills LIRR station and within the greater Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens is one of America’s oldest planned communities. Modeled after England’s “garden cities,” originally intended to create an ideal environment that incorporated shared green space with urban convenience for the working classes, the Gardens (as it's known) is home to about 4,500 residents. The private community is managed by the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, an organization made up of property owners. This unique community consisting of over 800 free-standing and attached houses and 11 apartment buildings as well as churches, parks and storefronts, dates from 1909, when architect Grosvenor Atterbury and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.–-son of Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect who helped design Central Park–-were commissioned to plan a new town. Though the community lies within the boundaries of one of the world’s most modern and populous cities, it has retained much of its co-operative, idyllic nature.
Find out more about this unique community
November 20, 2014

Photographer Jay Maisel’s Mysterious 72-Room Bowery Home Up for Sale Again

After all the hoopla around RFR Realty’s purchase of Jay Maisel’s graffiti-covered home along the Bowery, word has now surfaced that its new owners are already looking to turn a profit on the six-story building—even before they’ve officially closed on it. The Commercial Observer reports that the building at 190 Bowery, which went into contract in September, is being listed by Massey […]

November 18, 2014

Accidental Placemakers: Grand Architecture That’s Given Way to Micro-Enclaves of Culture

Lots of clout is given to the grand scheme design of buildings and parks, and for good reason; but every so often a singular design element or function can unexpectedly emerge from a work to create something even more extraordinary. Destinations in their own right, these "accidental placemakers" turn run-of-the-mill architectural features into dynamic public spaces that create memorable connections to their immediate sites and improve the quality of everyday life. Here we take a look at five examples found in New York City showing how great architecture, in the details, can give way to something more impactful than just a pretty building.
See some of the city's unexpected placemakers
November 17, 2014

Jane Kim Creates a Rustic Ski Lodge-Like Urban Loft Using Recycled Materials

Located on Franklin Street in Tribeca, the interior of this loft, by designer Jane Kim, is a cool combination of rustic elegance and industrial modernism. The wooden floors and brick laid walls warm up the expansive space that's somewhere between urban loft and mountain ski lodge. If you happen to be one of those New Yorkers charmed by the use of raw materials and luxury amenities, this might be the perfect bit of inspiration for your next home makeover.
Have a look inside