Search Results for: waterfront

Poll shows a majority of New Yorkers approve of Amazon’s move to Queens

Rendering of Plaxall’s proposed (but not approved) mixed-use LIC project courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

December 6, 2018

Poll shows a majority of New Yorkers approve of Amazon’s move to Queens

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A majority of New Yorkers approve of Amazon moving to Long Island City despite opposition from Queens activists and politicians, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. Fifty-seven percent of all respondents said they support the company's plan to build a waterfront office complex in Queens, with 26 percent disproving. And approval among Queens residents is even higher, with 60 percent supporting the deal. But the poll did find a more divided opinion about the potential $3 billion in public incentives and grants offered to Amazon by the city and state, with 46 percent approving of the subsidies and 44 percent disapproving.
More here
VOTE for 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year
December 5, 2018

VOTE for 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year

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The city’s most important residential projects include a glittering showcase of superlatives that continue to eclipse all that came before, with claims that include tallest (Central Park Tower), skinniest (111 West 57th Street ), most expensive (a $250 million penthouse at 220 Central Park South) and loftiest outdoor lounge (Fifteen Hudson Yards) and pool (Brooklyn Point) almost being a requirement for selling the fabulously luxurious apartments and amenities that lie within. Though some of this year’s contenders appeared on previous years’ lists, their sales launches and toppings-out in 2018 proved that their arrivals on the city's skyline–and among its residential options–are no less impactful than the anticipation that preceded them. We’ve narrowed our picks down to a list of 12 headline-stealing residential structures for the year. Which do you think deserves 6sqft’s title of 2018 Building of the Year? To have your say, polls for our fourth annual competition will be open up until midnight on Wednesday, December 12th and we will announce the winner on the 13th.
VOTE HERE! And learn more about the choices.
Beloved bookstore the Strand fights back against landmarking proposal

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 4, 2018

Beloved bookstore the Strand fights back against landmarking proposal

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Earlier today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing to consider landmarking seven buildings on Broadway between East 12th and 14th Streets, one of which many already recognize as an unofficial NYC landmark -- The Strand bookstore. In advance of the hearing, The Strand voiced strong concerns that the designation would place crippling restrictions on the scrappy business and potentially threaten its future, as the New York Times reported. Referencing the recent tax incentives that Amazon received to relocate to Long Island City, Strand owner Nancy Bass Wyden said, "The richest man in America, who’s a direct competitor, has just been handed $3 billion in subsidies. I’m not asking for money or a tax rebate. Just leave me alone."
Find out what happened at today's hearing
Queens senator wants to crack down on real estate ‘insider trading’ following Amazon deal

Via CityRealty

December 4, 2018

Queens senator wants to crack down on real estate ‘insider trading’ following Amazon deal

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State Sen. Michael Gianaris announced on Tuesday plans to draft legislation aimed at cracking down on insider dealing in real estate. The proposed law comes after a report in the Wall Street Journal found Amazon employees were buying condos in Long Island City before the company had publicly announced plans to build their second headquarters in the neighborhood. The legislation would prohibit anyone from using confidential government information to buy or sell real estate, according to Gianaris.
Find out more
Ikea’s first Manhattan store will open this spring on East 59th Street

Rendering of what the new Ikea storefront will look like, via Ikea

December 3, 2018

Ikea’s first Manhattan store will open this spring on East 59th Street

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After teasing us last week with news that they were in the "preliminary" planning stages of opening a city-center store in New York City, Ikea has today announced, that they will, in fact, open their first Manhattan store in spring 2019. The IKEA Planning Studio--a delivery-only store concept that focuses on "smart solutions for urban living and small spaces"--will open at 999 Third Avenue, right across the street from Bloomingdales at 59th Street and just over the Queensboro Bridge from Long Island City where Amazon is readying to bring 25,000 employees.
All the details
FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): Otto Greenpoint, Estuary, 181 Front Street, and Vernon Tower.

December 1, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

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Vernon Tower: Astoria waterfront rentals across from Socrates Sculpture Park from $2,300/month [LINK] Otto Greenpoint: Brooklyn rentals at 211 McGuinness Boulevard from $2,317/month [LINK] 181 Front Street: New rentals in DUMBO offer 1 month free on 13-month lease [LINK] Estuary Weehawken: Luxury waterfront rentals with skyline views from $2,363/month [LINK] 111 Murray Street: Michael Cohen’s […]

NYC Council to grill city leaders on Amazon deal

Via CityRealty

November 30, 2018

NYC Council to grill city leaders on Amazon deal

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Citing concerns about the closed-door deal that drove Amazon to choose Long Island City as home for its second headquarters, the New York City Council announced it will host three hearings to question both city leaders and company exeuctives. Council Speaker Corey Johnson said the first hearing will take place on Dec. 12 to look at how the deal happened, as the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. "One of the major perversions of this is that was all done behind closed doors, with nondisclosure agreements, and without the public or elected officials who weren't including feeling like they had any say," Johnson told the WSJ.
Get the details
Most expensive condo listing in Queens gets price cut despite Amazon announcement
November 29, 2018

Most expensive condo listing in Queens gets price cut despite Amazon announcement

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While real estate prices are expected to rise in Long Island City and the surrounding area due to Amazon's impending move to the neighborhood, one listing has lowered its price. The most expensive apartment in the borough of Queens, located at 46-30 Center Boulevard, is on the market again, the New York Post reported. The penthouse, which sits just north of the Pepsi-Cola sign, is asking $3.65 million, less than the $4.25 million it was listed for in 2017. Soon after Amazon announced their move to Long Island City, interest in the neighborhood surged. As 6sqft previously reported, searches for residential apartments in the neighborhood are up 281 percent compared to the daily averages prior to the Amazon news.
Take a tour
Playwright Edward Albee’s Montauk home is on the market for the first time in 50 years asking $20M
November 29, 2018

Playwright Edward Albee’s Montauk home is on the market for the first time in 50 years asking $20M

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Sited on 2.8 acres, with 200 feet of Atlantic Ocean frontage, the estate at 320 Old Montauk Highway in Montauk was purchased in the 1960s by the renowned “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf” playwright, who died in 2016. The property is now for sale asking $20 million. Albee's Tribeca loft is also on the market for $9 million. The legendary stage actress Uta Hagen reportedly convinced Albee to buy the Montauk property, which he proceeded to populate with a collection of native plants and trees. This is the first time it’s been on the market in more than 50 years.
Get a closer look
Long Island City advocates want to obtain a city-owned building before Amazon takes over

Department of Education facilities via Google Earth

November 26, 2018

Long Island City advocates want to obtain a city-owned building before Amazon takes over

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Long Island City advocates are requesting ownership of a city-owned building that sits on land soon to be developed by Amazon for its second headquarters, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. The sprawling, block-long structure at 44-36 Vernon Boulevard currently houses offices related to the city's Department of Education along with over 1,000 staff members. For the past three years, local residents have asked for the building to be turned into a community facility. With all eyes on Long Island City due to Amazon's impending move there, advocates believe this is their last chance for the community to take over the property.
More this way
Industry City’s 20,000-square-foot Japanese food hall opens this weekend
November 20, 2018

Industry City’s 20,000-square-foot Japanese food hall opens this weekend

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When you can't stand to eat any more Thanksgiving leftovers, head to Sunset Park on Saturday for the grand opening of Japan Village, a massive Japanese-themed marketplace. Measuring 20,000 square feet, the market is located within Industry City, the 16-building complex of creative office space along the Brooklyn waterfront. Japan Village includes food stalls with 11 tasty vendors, a restaurant and cocktail bar, a Japanese liquor store, and the largest Japanese grocery store in New York City.
Get the tasty details
New Williamsburg rooftop hotel bar looks like a water tower you can party inside
November 19, 2018

New Williamsburg rooftop hotel bar looks like a water tower you can party inside

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Any new Williamsburg rooftop hotel bar has some tough acts to follow given the reputation and views at veteran hotspots like The Ides at the Wythe hotel and the doesn't-even-need-a-name rooftop bar at the McCarren Hotel and Pool. The Williamsburg Hotel at 96 Wythe Avenue, however, has decided they're not taking any chances and created an attention-grabbing rooftop party spot that resembles a classic New York City water tank, wrapped in glass. Dubbed The Water Tower bar, of course, the chic new nightclub and lounge officially opened on November 16.
Check it out
Plan for 1,500 units of affordable housing in LIC at risk as Amazon gets ready to move there

Rendering of Plaxall’s proposed, but not yet approved, mixed-use LIC project courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

November 16, 2018

Plan for 1,500 units of affordable housing in LIC at risk as Amazon gets ready to move there

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A plan to create 1,500 units of affordable housing in the Anable Basin area of Long Island City will most likely be scrapped, as Amazon prepares to open its headquarters on that same land, Politico reported. Amazon announced this week plans to bring its second headquarters to the Queens neighborhood on land currently owned by plastics company Plaxall, as well as some parcels owned by New York City. Previous plans from Plaxall and the city, who hired developer TF Cornerstone to build a mixed-use campus at the site, called for 1,250 and 250 units of affordable housing, respectively. But an Amazon spokesperson told Politico there will be no housing at its new complex.
Amazon in, affordable housing out
Google officially files permits for expansion plans at Hudson Square’s St. John’s Terminal
November 16, 2018

Google officially files permits for expansion plans at Hudson Square’s St. John’s Terminal

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First reported by CityRealty, Oxford Properties Group filed a building permit application yesterday to construct a 588,000-square-foot commercial addition to the St. John’s Terminal building in Hudson Square, a property they acquired in January. As 6sqft previously reported, architecture firm COOKFOX will helm the conversion and it is expected that Google will buy or lease the building, which is projected to be finished in 2022. If Google sticks to this plan -- in addition to their forthcoming expansions at Pier 57 and Chelsea Market -- the tech giant would double their employee force in the area to roughly 20,000. (This announcement follows that of Amazon’s impending expansion at a similar scale in Long Island City.)
More details
Will Jeff Bezos live in one of his Upper West Side apartments when Amazon comes to town?

Photo of Bezos via NMAH’s Flickr and photo of the Century via Wikimedia

November 15, 2018

Will Jeff Bezos live in one of his Upper West Side apartments when Amazon comes to town?

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With Amazon officially coming to New York City, where will its founder and chief executive live? Jeff Bezos will have an easier time finding a property in the city than most, as he already owns four apartments in Manhattan. All of the NYC properties owned by the multi-billionaire are located on the Upper West Side at 25 Central Park West, in a condo building known as the Century (h/t I Love The UWS). Bezos, who owns several homes (as well as the biggest in Washington, D.C.) and remains one of the top landowners in the country, has requested helipad access for Amazon's new Long Island City headquarters, making any neighborhood he chooses to live just a quick ride away.
More here
Residential interest in Long Island City surges 300% after Amazon’s HQ2 announcement

Via Wiki Commons

November 15, 2018

Residential interest in Long Island City surges 300% after Amazon’s HQ2 announcement

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Amazon’s decision to divide its second headquarters between Long Island City and Arlington, Virginia was confirmed on Tuesday, bringing with it questions about how the neighborhoods will withstand the influx of 25,000 new workers each. According to a new study from RENTCafé, LIC already has an occupancy rate of 98.2% and about 15,400 units currently either under construction or in a planning phase, so Amazon’s announcement is sure to add fuel to an already bustling market. In fact, according to listings site CityRealty, searches for residential apartments in the neighborhood are up 281% compared to the daily averages prior to the announcement.
Get the scoop
My 3,400sqft: How an extensive renovation revived this eclectic, century-old Ditmas Park home

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Stephanie Berman’s family home in Ditmas Park, which got a full renovation from Fauzia Khanani, founder of design firm Studio Fōr. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

November 14, 2018

My 3,400sqft: How an extensive renovation revived this eclectic, century-old Ditmas Park home

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Advertising professional Stephanie Berman went into a design consultation with designer Fauzia Khanani, of Studio Fōr, simply seeking advice on decor for her Ditmas Park home. “I figured that Fauzia might help me choose a few new throw pillows and maybe a rug or two," Stephanie told us, "but once we sat down to talk, I realized that soft furnishings were not going to do it." After the free two-hour session, won through a silent auction at work, Stephanie and her husband Drummond concluded they actually wanted a full renovation of their century-old home, where their family has lived for over a decade. Through an in-depth collaboration with Fauzia, the Bermans' home was refreshed with brightly painted walls, Mid-century modern touches, eclectic elements, and, of course, new throw pillows. For this project, the first in the neighborhood for Studio Fōr, Fauzia told us: "We wanted to add some modernity to the house but also be respectful of the original design and context."
See inside Stephanie's cozy home
Despite city-wide ban, Amazon wants to put a rooftop helipad on its NYC HQ

Image: Maxpixel CC public domain.

November 13, 2018

Despite city-wide ban, Amazon wants to put a rooftop helipad on its NYC HQ

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On the heels of news that Amazon has chosen Long Island City, Queens for one of its two new headquarters, making the promise of 25,000 new jobs a hopefully-someday reality, comes the fine print request that the company would like a helipad for its new East River waterfront HQ, please. Slate reports that the request appears deep in a 32-page memorandum of understanding with the city and state.
Rooftop helipads have been banned since 9/11
Replacement approved for iconic Watchtower sign in Brooklyn Heights

Via Wikimedia

November 9, 2018

Replacement approved for iconic Watchtower sign in Brooklyn Heights

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The city's Board of Standards and Appeals voted on Thursday to allow for a replacement of the iconic 'Watchtower' sign in Brooklyn Heights, which was taken down last December. The 15-foot-tall red sign had sat atop the building, which served as the headquarters for the Jehovah's Witnesses, for nearly 50 years. The religious group sold the site at 25-30 Columbia Heights to the Columbia Heights Associates in 2016 and soon after the letters were removed, leaving its framework intact. While originally the Department of Buildings said the sign could not be replaced, the group of developers filed an appeal and won the right to put up new signage in the Brooklyn skyline, as the New York Post reported.
More here
Meet Candice and Malessa, real estate’s ‘new generation’ of brokers working to empower women
November 8, 2018

Meet Candice and Malessa, real estate’s ‘new generation’ of brokers working to empower women

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"Integrity, vigorous work ethic, and a strategic business approach," form the platform that Candice Milano and Malessa Rambarran bring as brokers to the NYC real estate world. But there's no "broker babble" here. The duo--who recently joined Halstead as the Milano-Rambarran Team--consider themselves the "next generation of real estate," forming important relationships with their new development clients and growing their luxury resale business. But what sets them apart the most is their mission to bring this knowledge of how to use real estate as a wealth building tool to the public, specifically women. They've even created their own platform, Women in Residential Real Estate (WIRRE) to foster this community and connect people through their series of curated events. Ahead, 6sqft chats with Candice and Malessa about how their approach, how they got into real estate, and why it's so important to support fellow females.
Read the interview
Google expanding to St. John’s Terminal in Hudson Square

Rendering via COOKFOX

November 8, 2018

Google expanding to St. John’s Terminal in Hudson Square

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Google is expanding its New York City footprint once again. The tech giant is close to inking a deal to buy or lease a planned 1.3 million-square-foot office building at St. John's Terminal, formerly a freight terminal in Hudson Square, that is undergoing a major revamp by COOKFOX Architects. According to the Wall Street Journal, the building, located at 550 Washington Street, could house more than 8,500 Google employees when the project wraps up in 2022. News of this impending deal comes just days after it was reported that Amazon will move its second headquarters, along with 25,000 workers, to Long Island City, although no plan has formally been announced.
More details here
Amazon looking at proposed Anable Basin mixed-use site for new home in Long Island City

Rendering courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

November 7, 2018

Amazon looking at proposed Anable Basin mixed-use site for new home in Long Island City

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With Amazon nearing a deal to make Long Island City home to its second headquarters, a big question remains: Where in the Queens neighborhood will the tech-giant house its 25,000 employees? One possible location sits within a waterfront area known as Anable Basin, named for a 150-year-old inlet, sources familiar with the plan told Politico New York. As 6sqft reported last November, the family-owned plastics company Plaxall, who owns the site, proposed a massive rezoning of the area that would allow for 335,000 square feet for industrial spaces, nearly 5,000 housing units, and a new public school.
More here
My 850sqft: Graphic designer Ksenya turned a raw Williamsburg loft into an industrial-chic oasis

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to graphic designer Ksenya Samarskaya’s industrial-chic Williamsburg loft. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

November 7, 2018

My 850sqft: Graphic designer Ksenya turned a raw Williamsburg loft into an industrial-chic oasis

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Ten years ago when graphic designer and typographer Ksenya Samarskaya moved into Williamsburg's famous artist loft 475 Kent, the building and neighborhood were much different. Her view of the Williamsburg Bridge remains, but it's now obscured by the slew of glassy towers rising along the waterfront, a literal representation of how the area has lost some of its creativity to corporate entities. And though the building has seen its share of controversy, Ksenya's loft feels like stepping back to Brooklyn's Millenium-era artist boom. In true artist loft fashion, the space was completely raw when Ksenya moved in. With a little help from her friends and neighbors, she achieved the perfect balance of industrial charm and chic, minimalism. From staining the concrete ceiling and retaining the original floor and wooden beams to having custom multi-use furniture pieces designed, Ksenya created her own little oasis.
Take the tour
First group of chefs revealed for Time Out’s food hall in Dumbo

Via Time Out Market

November 7, 2018

First group of chefs revealed for Time Out’s food hall in Dumbo

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From the company that tells us where and what to dine in New York City, comes a brand new food hall with some seriously good eats. Time Out Group, the company behind freebie magazine Time Out New York, on Tuesday revealed the first group of chefs and concepts coming to its 21,000-square-foot space in Dumbo, expected to open in the spring. From NYC classics like the Mermaid Oyster Bar and Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant to newbies like Alta Calidad, Time Out Market will offer a wide array of delicious bites.
See the lineup
Live across from Bushwick Inlet Park in Williamsburg, from just $907/month
November 6, 2018

Live across from Bushwick Inlet Park in Williamsburg, from just $907/month

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This new luxury rental in the heart of Williamsburg is offering the best of the neighborhood, located just steps from the East River waterfront and the Bushwick Inlet Park, as well as all of the trendy eateries and hot spots. The building at 56 North 9th Street launched a lottery on Tuesday for nine affordable apartments, all which boast floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings, and state-of-the-art appliances. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $907/month studio to a $1,165/month two bedroom.
Find out if you qualify
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