Architecture And Design

Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio opens in Hell’s Kitchen

All photos courtesy of Sunset Studios

January 26, 2026

Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio opens in Hell’s Kitchen

By
The cameras are now rolling at Pier 94 in Hell's Kitchen, where Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio complex has officially opened. Last week, Sunset Pier 94 Studios debuted its 232,000-square-foot production campus, which includes six soundstages, production support and office space, as well as public waterfront open space along Manhattan’s West Side. The studio has already secured its first tenant, with a lease signed for the second season of "Dexter: Resurrection," and additional productions are expected to be announced soon.
Find out more
Colorful mural added behind Richmond Barthé’s Kingsborough Houses frieze

All photos by Tameek Williams, unless noted otherwise

January 23, 2026

Colorful mural added behind Richmond Barthé’s Kingsborough Houses frieze

By
A colorful mural now adorns the backside of the recently restored Richmond Barthé frieze at the Kingsborough Houses in Crown Heights. On Thursday, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), the city's Housing Authority (NYCHA), and local artists Gerard Pefung and Greg Roberson unveiled "From Weeksville to Kingsborough: Still We Rise," a vibrant tribute to the two neighborhoods’ histories and the enduring legacies of their residents. The piece sits directly behind Harlem Renaissance sculptor Richmond Barthé’s "Exodus and Dance" frieze, which was restored in August after 80 years on display.
Discover more
‘Mr Pink’ is lurking around Flatiron and Nomad’s rooftops

Photos courtesy of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership by Bizi Media

January 15, 2026

‘Mr Pink’ is lurking around Flatiron and Nomad’s rooftops

By
You’re not seeing things—there is, in fact, a rosy-colored man lurking around Flatiron and Nomad. Known as Mr. Pink, the quirky character is part of Flatiron NoMad Glows Pink, a public art trail composed of 10 illuminated inflatable and resin sculptures perched on rooftops and in public spaces. Part of the Flatiron Nomad Partnership’s annual Winter Glow public art program, “Mr. Pink” is a “cuteism” sculpture by French artist Philippe Katerine, and Thursday marks the character’s first installation in New York City—it’s also the first time the sculptures will be illuminated.
wave hello to mr. pink!
Trucks of Art returns: DSNY invites artists to decorate NYC garbage trucks

Images courtesy of DSNY

January 14, 2026

Trucks of Art returns: DSNY invites artists to decorate NYC garbage trucks

By
Back for the first time since 2022, New York City's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is inviting artists to paint vibrant murals on its garbage trucks. As part of their "Trucks of Art" zero-waste initiative, the agency adorns the sides of its 46,000-pound garbage trucks with traveling works of art using leftover household paints that would otherwise end up in landfills. Applications are being accepted until February 8 at 11:59 p.m., with the trucks expected to be painted in April.
Find out more
Hunts Point plaza gets $12M makeover with new public space and traffic improvements

Photos courtesy of NYC DDC

January 14, 2026

Hunts Point plaza gets $12M makeover with new public space and traffic improvements

By
A busy Bronx intersection known for pedestrian-vehicle conflicts has received a $12 million upgrade, improving safety and creating a vibrant public space for residents. Last week, the city's Departments of Transportation (DOT), Parks, and Design and Construction (DDC) announced the completion of upgrades to Hunts Point’s Monsignor Raul Del Valle Square, finished on time and nearly 20 percent under its $14.8 million budget. The project realigned the roadway to ease traffic on East 163rd Street and added a new lane on Hunts Point Avenue, addressing issues with illegal turns, inadequate signage, and long crossing distances.
Learn more
6sqft’s top stories of 2025!
December 29, 2025

6sqft’s top stories of 2025!

By
As we say goodbye to 2025, 6sqft is reflecting on the stories that resonated the most with our readers. From JPMorgan's new Midtown headquarters and the Flatiron Building's conversion into condos, you stayed updated on new projects shaping our city. You ate up articles about celebrity penthouse purchases, record-setting real estate, and new trash policies. Readers debated New York's best pastrami spots and learned about new legislation to address the housing crisis, from rezonings and ADUs to bringing back single-room occupancy apartments. Below, find our most-read stories of the year. Thanks, as always, for reading!
READ MORE
Former Midtown hotel to become 579 affordable apartments

Photos courtesy of Slate Property Group unless otherwise noted.

December 22, 2025

Former Midtown hotel to become 579 affordable apartments

By
A former Midtown hotel is slated to become a permanently affordable housing building with nearly 600 units. On Monday, Slate Property Group and Breaking Ground announced the acquisition of the Stewart Hotel at 371 Seventh Avenue, which will be converted into 579 affordable apartments for low-income households and formerly homeless individuals. The purchase underscores an emerging strategy to address the city’s housing crisis by converting underused hotels into affordable housing, following the opening last week of the city’s first such development at the former JFK Hilton in South Jamaica, Queens.
Learn more
Vote for 6sqft’s 2025 Building of the Year!
December 19, 2025

Vote for 6sqft’s 2025 Building of the Year!

By
No matter what the rest of the world looks like, interest in real estate in New York City remains one of the few constants in life. In 2025, the market remained resilient, with long-anticipated projects hitting major milestones, from the sales launch at the Flatiron Building to the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria. Downtown Manhattan dominated this year, with several buildings in the running for record-breaking sales, including the potential first nine-figure deal below 14th Street at 80 Clarkson Street. While the skyline is always evolving, the mark of Robert A.M. Stern, who died this year at 86, is ever-present, with two limestone-clad towers on this year's list that serve as tributes to classic New York. 6sqft has narrowed our picks down to 14 of the most notable residential projects of the year. Which do you think deserves to be crowned the 2025 Building of the Year? Polls for our 11th annual competition will remain open through 5 p.m. on Monday, December 29. A winner will be announced on Tuesday, December 30. Happy voting!
cast your vote
Coney Island boardwalk to get $1 billion revamp

Credit: Danny Policarpo on Unsplash

December 11, 2025

Coney Island boardwalk to get $1 billion revamp

By
Coney Island’s landmarked Riegelmann Boardwalk will undergo a $1 billion reconstruction. During a Brooklyn Community Board 13 meeting on Monday, NYC Parks Program Director Grace Tang announced that the department received funding to fully reconstruct the 2.7-mile boardwalk, replace utilities and structural piles, and elevate it in certain areas. Mayor Eric Adams announced plans for the reconstruction as part of his "Coney Island West" plan, which aims to bring thousands of new homes, retail spaces, and infrastructure improvements to the neighborhood.
details here
City unveils plan for 600 affordable homes, soccer field, and STEM center on vacant Inwood lot

Renderings courtesy of La Ostra Development Team

December 10, 2025

City unveils plan for 600 affordable homes, soccer field, and STEM center on vacant Inwood lot

By
A plan to build hundreds of affordable homes on a vacant lot in Inwood is moving forward. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on Wednesday announced Slate Property Group, Xenolith Partners, and Comunilife Inc. will develop "La Ostra" at 4095 9th Avenue. Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC (MAP), the Harlem River waterfront development will feature more than 600 affordable homes for low-income New Yorkers and seniors and a marine science and STEM education center operated by the Billion Oyster Project and BioBus.
get the details
City breaks ground on new jade-colored public library in Rego Park

All images courtesy of Weiss/Manfredi, unless noted otherwise

December 10, 2025

City breaks ground on new jade-colored public library in Rego Park

By
Construction of a new $39 million Rego Park public library, one of the busiest Queens Public Library branches, is now underway. On Tuesday, city officials broke ground on the new library at 91-41 63rd Drive, which will replace the existing one-story, 7,500-square-foot branch with a three-story, 18,000-square-foot facility featuring expanded programming space. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi and managed by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) on behalf of QPL, the project is slated for completion by the end of 2028.
see the design
Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

Credit: DOT

December 9, 2025

Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

By
A partially-installed protected bike lane along 31st Street in Astoria must be removed after a Queens judge ruled the city failed to follow proper procedures. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge Cheree Buggs ordered that the corridor be returned to its original state, despite work on the project already being underway. The judge found that the Department of Transportation (DOT) failed to show the project met legal certification requirements for notifying the FDNY, the Department of Small Business Services, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. The court sided with local businesses and residents who filed the lawsuit, which argued the bike lane would compromise the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, despite city data suggesting otherwise, as Streetsblog reported.
Discover more
Williamsburg diner relocates to movie studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Photos courtesy of Diane Bondareff Photography

December 9, 2025

Williamsburg diner relocates to movie studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard

By
An iconic Williamsburg diner that has been a neighborhood fixture for nearly 60 years was lifted off its foundation and relocated to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it will get new life as a movie set. The Wythe Diner on Monday was hoisted by crane and transported to Steiner Studios’ waterfront lot, where it will serve permanently as a film set, extending the retro restaurant's long history on the big screen. The diner had faced demolition for years amid plans for a new apartment building, prompting a deal to physically relocate it and preserve the beloved structure.
Learn more
New live music and arts venue coming to Sunset Park’s Bush Terminal

Photos by Max Kütz

December 8, 2025

New live music and arts venue coming to Sunset Park’s Bush Terminal

By
Bush Terminal in Sunset Park is set to add a state-of-the-art live music and arts venue, the latest step in its transformation into a creative hub. The city's Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week announced a partnership with the founders of Gowanus' Public Records music venue to bring a 1,000-capacity space to MADE Bush Terminal's Building A. Slated to open in late 2026, the venue will host live performances, large-scale art exhibitions, and a variety of public and private events, advancing the revitalization of the 20-acre waterfront campus.
Find out more
Visionary architect Frank Gehry dies at 96

(L) Frank Gehry, image via WikiCommons; (R) 8 Spruce Street, Image via WikiCommons

December 8, 2025

Visionary architect Frank Gehry dies at 96

By
Frank Gehry, the visionary architect whose sculptural, undulating designs created some of the world's most striking buildings, died last Friday at the age of 96. While maybe best remembered for his crowning achievement, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, Gehry also left a lasting mark on New York City, designing the eye-catching 8 Spruce Street in the Financial District, which opened as the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere when it debuted in 2011, and Chelsea's IAC Building. Gehry reportedly died at his home in Santa Monica, California, following a brief respiratory illness, according to the New York Post.
Find out more
Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

Images courtesy of NYC DEP

December 4, 2025

Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

By
To protect Prospect Park and nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods from flooding, New York City will spend $68 million on new infrastructure, including the borough’s first Bluebelt. Announced on Wednesday, the investment will fund nature-based solutions—like enhanced lakes and wetlands—to better manage extreme rainfall fueled by climate change. The project will safeguard the Prospect Park Zoo, which closed for eight months in 2023 due to flood damage, and protect surrounding neighborhoods from future flooding.
Learn more
New Washington Heights pedestrian plaza opens with mural honoring Dominican community

All photos courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

December 4, 2025

New Washington Heights pedestrian plaza opens with mural honoring Dominican community

By
A new pedestrian plaza and mural in Washington Heights opened this week, setting a city record for the most temporary public art installations on city land. On Thursday, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez celebrated the opening of a new pedestrian plaza on Audubon Avenue between 165th and 166th Streets, adding 10,890 square feet of car-free space, and unveiled “De Lo Mio,” a vibrant asphalt mural honoring Dominican culture by artist Talisa Almonte. The artwork marks a record 151 temporary public art pieces installed across DOT property.
details here
See plan for 27-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church

Proposed view looking west. Credit: FXCollaborative

December 3, 2025

See plan for 27-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church

By
A developer is looking to build an apartment tower on top of a historic Fort Greene church. Strekte presented a proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday for a 27-story tower above the landmarked Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church. During the hearing, the commission reviewed plans to restore the facade of the church at 144 St. Felix Street and perform demolitions necessary to construct a 27-story tower above it. After extensive public feedback, including concerns from neighboring One Hanson Place condo residents about blocked views, the LPC asked the development team to return at a later date once it had reviewed the points raised during the testimony.
Find out more
Famed architect Robert A.M. Stern dies at 86

(L) Credit: RAMSA; (R) 15 Central Park West. Image via WikiCommons

December 1, 2025

Famed architect Robert A.M. Stern dies at 86

By
Acclaimed architect Robert A.M. Stern, who over his career built one of the world’s most influential architecture firms and left an enduring mark on the New York City skyline, died last Thursday at the age of 86. The Brooklyn-born architect founded Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) in 1969 and went on to build a portfolio that ranged from luxury residential buildings like 15 Central Park West to major institutional projects such as the expansion of the New York Historical. Stern served as dean of the Yale School of Architecture from 1998 to 2016. His son Nicholas told the New York Times that the cause of death was a brief pulmonary illness.
Learn more
Victorian Flatbush gains two new historic districts

The Ditmas Park West Historic District. Credit: Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 25, 2025

Victorian Flatbush gains two new historic districts

By
New York City's newest historic districts are two well-preserved areas of homes in suburban Flatbush. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Beverley Square West and Ditmas Park West Historic Districts, which together include 247 freestanding homes built between 1894 and 1910, showcasing early 20th-century suburban architecture in the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, or a mixture of the two. The most recent iteration of the districts includes minor boundary adjustments that exclude homes that do not share the same historic integrity as the rest of the district.
Learn more
Naftali Group’s new limestone condo tower at 800 Fifth Ave gets approved

All images courtesy of Naftali Group / Robert A.M. Stern Architects unless otherwise noted

November 25, 2025

Naftali Group’s new limestone condo tower at 800 Fifth Ave gets approved

By
Naftali Group's plan to demolish an existing Upper East Side residential building and replace it with a new condominium tower was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday. Designed by Ulrich Franzen in the 1970s, the existing post-modern building at 800 Fifth Avenue has about 200 rental units. Naftali, which acquired the building over the summer for $810 million, has tapped Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) and SLCE to design a new limestone-clad tower with 55 condos and stunning Central Park views.
details here
New Times Square New Year’s Eve ball is largest ever, and open for public viewing

All photos courtesy of One Times Square

November 25, 2025

New Times Square New Year’s Eve ball is largest ever, and open for public viewing

By
A new ball now rests above Times Square, ready to welcome the New Year in even more dazzling fashion. The new "Constellation Ball" was unveiled atop One Times Square this week, becoming the ninth iteration of the famed New Year’s Eve ball and replacing the previous version, which was retired in January after 17 years. The new ball is the largest yet, measuring 12.5 feet in diameter, weighing 12,350 pounds, and featuring nearly twice as many lights as its predecessor. In a notable design change, the old ball’s triangular crystals have been replaced with round crystals that more effectively refract light. For the first time, the public can get an up-close look at the ball from a viewing deck, through two ticketed experiences at One Times Square.
Find out more
$108M restoration of Dumbo’s historic cobblestone streets is complete

Images courtesy of Matthew Lapiska/NYCDDC

November 20, 2025

$108M restoration of Dumbo’s historic cobblestone streets is complete

By
This week, the final brick was laid in the multi-year, $108 million restoration of Dumbo’s iconic cobblestone streets. The city’s Department of Design and Construction and the Dumbo Business Improvement District on Wednesday celebrated the placement of the last Belgian block at Anchorage Plaza, completing a six-year effort that restored 800,000 historic bricks across 26 blocks. The landmark project in one of Brooklyn's oldest neighborhoods also upgraded stormwater drainage, reduced combined sewer runoff into the harbor, added new bike lanes, and introduced the Pearl Street Plaza.
Find out more
See inside an East Village condo transforming a former parking garage into luxury loft-like homes

All renderings courtesy of Plomp

November 18, 2025

See inside an East Village condo transforming a former parking garage into luxury loft-like homes

By
New images were released this week of the luxury boutique condo replacing a shuttered East Village parking garage. Designed and developed by Arcus, 220 East 9th Street replaces a 175-space garage, which had been closed since 2023 due to structural issues. In its place is a striking red-brick condo, dubbed 220e9th, with 18 bright and airy, loft-like residences, all with unique layouts.
see it here
Studio Museum in Harlem unveils new home

Exterior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building, 2025. Courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. Photo © Albert Vecerka/ Esto

November 17, 2025

Studio Museum in Harlem unveils new home

By
In the United States, 1968 was a year of political unrest and cultural change. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, the Vietnam War was protested, the Fair Housing Act was passed, and President Richard Nixon was elected. In its list of major, shifting events that year, a much quieter moment: the founding of the Studio Museum in Harlem. The museum was founded by a group of artists, community activists, and philanthropists to foster the work of artists of African descent.
inside the studio museum
Pitch a story icon

Pitch a Story

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

Distinctive Post Form

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544
Contact us image

Get in Touch

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Send us a tip image
Delivering New York stories focused on design, lifestyle & real estate.

Send us a Tip

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams. It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo
or Call (212) 755-5544

Thinking about selling your home?

We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert.

CityRealty Logo

Sell a Home (Footer)

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Subscribe for NYC's Lastest Design, Lifestyle,
and Real Estate Trends!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.