All articles by Alexandra Alexa

Rumored one-time Upper East Side home of Barbara Walters lists for $10.4M
April 23, 2019

Rumored one-time Upper East Side home of Barbara Walters lists for $10.4M

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Reported to have been the one-time home of television personality Barbara Walters, this four-bedroom residence is the picture of pre-war elegance, with soaring coffered ceilings, custom millwork, and dark parquet floors throughout. Located in one of the most prestigious corners of the Upper East Side at 555 Park Avenue, the property is listed at $10,350,000 but is also available for rent at $37,500 a month.
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Get your sweet fix while exploring downtown Manhattan on an Underground Donut Tour

Photos courtesy of Underground Donut Tour

April 22, 2019

Get your sweet fix while exploring downtown Manhattan on an Underground Donut Tour

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After finding success in Chicago and Philadelphia, the Underground Donut Tour has officially launched in New York City (h/t amNY), where there’s no shortage of both modern and classic takes on the popular dessert. And while it’s the perfect way to fulfill your cravings and try new flavor profiles, you don’t have to be a donut fanatic (or a cop) to enjoy yourself. During the two-hour tour, participants will hit up four of the city’s best donut shops while traversing several historic neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan and learning a fun array of facts about the city.
Donut details this way
At 9 DeKalb, SHoP Architects reveal a rooftop pool wrapping around Dime Savings Bank’s dome

Rendering via SHoP Architects

April 22, 2019

At 9 DeKalb, SHoP Architects reveal a rooftop pool wrapping around Dime Savings Bank’s dome

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A fresh rendering of 9 Dekalb Avenue first published in the New York Times last week revealed a new aspect of the project: the Dime Savings Bank's roof will be transformed into an outdoor lounge for residents, including a pool that will partly wrap around the ornate Guastavino dome. Inside, the Beaux-Arts interior will become a flagship store, with further details to be announced. The rising 1,066-foot-tower is being developed by JDS Development, with SHoP Architects leading the design, and is set to become the tallest tower in Brooklyn upon completion.
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14 of this year’s best spring house tours in and around New York City
April 19, 2019

14 of this year’s best spring house tours in and around New York City

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House tour season is kicking off on May 2 this year with the opening of the Kips Bay Decorator's Show House and will continue throughout the summer at various sites throughout the city, New Jersey, and farther afield. For architecture buffs, history junkies, and avid gardeners, this time of year offers the rare opportunity to get an insider's look at some of the most spectacular homes and surprising gardens in and around New York City. Below we've rounded up 14 of the season's best tours, from the Upper East Side to Park Slope to Nyack to Long Beach Island, and we're sure everyone will find something to suit their interests and budget.
All the Spring House Tour info ahead
Live in a charming Park Slope co-op one block from Prospect Park for just $695K

Listing images by Shannon Dupree; courtesy of Compass

April 19, 2019

Live in a charming Park Slope co-op one block from Prospect Park for just $695K

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Listing images by Shannon Dupree; courtesy of Compass On the top floor of a brownstone at 111 Eighth Avenue in Park Slope and just one block away from Prospect Park, this one-bedroom co-op offers quintessential Brooklyn living for just $695,000. While a fifth-floor walk-up isn’t ideal, if you don’t mind the effort you’ll be rewarded with a cozy home filled with pre-war details, multiple built-ins, and lots of warm western light. The unit last sold in 2013 for $415,000.
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As the Easter Parade hits Midtown this weekend, here’s how subways will be running

Image via Flickr cc

April 19, 2019

As the Easter Parade hits Midtown this weekend, here’s how subways will be running

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If you're heading to the annual Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival this Sunday—beginning at 10 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and 49th Street and marching up to 55th Street—you'll want to take the E to Fifth Avenue-53rd Street, the N and R to Fifth Avenue-59th Street, the 4, 5, and 6 to Grand Central, or the 7 to Fifth Avenue. If you have other plans this weekend, check out our guide to planned service changes so you can get there with minimum headaches.
Know before you go
Yankees legend David Cone relists Greenwich Village apartment for a reduced $9.9M

Listing images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 18, 2019

Yankees legend David Cone relists Greenwich Village apartment for a reduced $9.9M

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Former Yankee pitcher and current commentator David Cone—known for the perfect game he threw in 1999—has just relisted his Greenwich Village apartment at 160 West 12th Street for a slightly reduced $9,900,000, the New York Post reports. Cone scored the four-bedroom pad back in 2016 for $8,130,000 and first listed it in 2017 for $10,500,000. The 2,818-square-foot, floor-through unit is part of the amenity-filled Greenwich Lane, a redevelopment of the historic St. Vincent's Hospital Campus designed by FXCollaborative.
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Four-acre Hamptons retreat offers private beach access and a saltwater pool for $14.5M

Listing images by Rise Media; courtesy The Corcoran Group

April 17, 2019

Four-acre Hamptons retreat offers private beach access and a saltwater pool for $14.5M

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This 9,000-square-foot Hamptons home is a full-fledged resort offering a version of paradise for warm weather outdoor enthusiasts. The four-acre, ocean-front property not only comes with 113 feet of private beach rights, but it also includes a saltwater pool, bocce court, a gourmet outdoor kitchen, a fire pit and outdoor fireplace, and multiple decks and patios for both entertaining and private retreats. Built in 2007, the sprawling eight-bedroom residence just hit the market for $14,500,000—the highest priced residence ever to go on sale in East Quogue.
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Marc Jacobs lists Robert A.M. Stern-designed West Village townhouse for $16M

Interior listing images by Yoo Jean Han; exterior images by Francois Halard. Courtesy of Sotheby’s

April 17, 2019

Marc Jacobs lists Robert A.M. Stern-designed West Village townhouse for $16M

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Shortly after purchasing a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in the New York suburb of Rye, designer Marc Jacobs has put his West Village townhouse on the market for $15,996,000, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. Jacobs is looking to downsize in Manhattan as he prepares to split his time between New York City and Rye. The three-bedroom townhouse at 68 Bethune Street is part of the Superior Ink condominium project designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects in the late 2000s. Property records show that Jacobs bought the residence for $10.495 million in 2009.
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Extell’s 720-foot Brooklyn Point tops out, becomes tallest tower in borough

Current construction shot of Brooklyn Point by CityRealty (L); Photo of the view courtesy of Williams New York (R)

April 16, 2019

Extell’s 720-foot Brooklyn Point tops out, becomes tallest tower in borough

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Brooklyn Point, Extell’s first outer-borough tower rising at 138 Willoughby Street officially topped out this week at 720 feet, and the views from near the top are even more incredible than expected. The 68-story high-rise designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox will contain 458 luxury units, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, starting at $850,000 and reaching over $4 million. On track to be completed by 2020, it’ll be Brooklyn's tallest building (at least until the 1,000-foot building planned for 9 DeKalb Avenue rises) and boast the highest outdoor infinity pool in the western hemisphere.
Check out the views!
Upper East Side carriage house once owned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. seeks $19M
April 16, 2019

Upper East Side carriage house once owned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. seeks $19M

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Listing images by Donna Dotan One of the city’s last remaining carriage houses at 163 East 70th Street has hit the market seeking $18,950,000, as Mansion Global first reported. Designed by CPH Gilbert in 1902 for banker, philanthropist, and art collector Jules Bache, it was built at a grander scale than typical carriage houses to accommodate a ground floor carriage-wash, a horse ramp, and double-height stalls for a dozen horses. In 1944, John D. Rockefeller Jr.—who lived just two houses down at 740 Park Avenue—purchased the house and had his architect Grosvenor Atterbury convert it into his family’s private automobile garage and chauffeur’s quarters. The 25-foot wide property spans over 7,500 square feet across four floors with an additional 2,500 square-foot cellar and a 12-foot private garage.
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Renovated $3.2M Chelsea co-op has great details inside and a lush garden outside
April 16, 2019

Renovated $3.2M Chelsea co-op has great details inside and a lush garden outside

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This Chelsea co-op at 475 West 22nd Street is less than a block away from the High Line and comes with its own fully landscaped garden oasis so you’ll never be far from nature. Recently renovated, the residence boasts wide oak floors throughout, exposed wood ceilings, two fireplaces, and large casement windows alongside all the modern amenities you’d need to live in comfort. The three-bedroom unit just hit the market for $3,195,000 after previously selling in 2014 for $2,400,000.
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Plans for second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere move forward with demolition permits

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

April 15, 2019

Plans for second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere move forward with demolition permits

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Just one month after closing on 5 East 51st Street, a six-floor rental across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, developer Harry Macklowe has filed demolition permits with the city, as CityRealty reported. This move brings Macklowe one step closer to realizing his vision for Tower Fifth, a 1,556-foot office tower that, if approved, will become the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, surpassing Macklowe’s own 432 Park Avenue and coming in just short of One World Trade Center. (Tower Fifth's roofline would actually be 216 feet above One World Trade Center's but since its mast brings the building's official height to 1,776 feet it would retain the title of the city's tallest building.)
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Sun-drenched Midtown West loft offers views of the Empire State Building and Hudson Yards for $1.75M
April 12, 2019

Sun-drenched Midtown West loft offers views of the Empire State Building and Hudson Yards for $1.75M

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Steps away from Hudson Yards, this corner loft at 448 West 37th Street just hit the market for $1,750,000. The Midtown West building is also known as the Glass Farmhouse—a former school building that was converted to condos in 1982—and this sun-drenched unit definitely lives up to that name. Ten 12-foot windows wrap around the 1,500 square-foot open layout, which promises plenty of opportunities for customization. The unit is currently configured as a studio with a sleeping alcove above the bathroom, but the listing shows alternate plans for those who may want to build out walls and transform it into a one or two bedroom.
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To avoid rent burden in Manhattan and Brooklyn, you’d have to live in a 300 square foot space

Image via Flickr cc

April 12, 2019

To avoid rent burden in Manhattan and Brooklyn, you’d have to live in a 300 square foot space

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Renting remains an increasingly popular choice in cities throughout the country, where on-the-go millennials with mobile jobs and lifestyles prefer to remain untethered to a specific location. But often, making rent doesn’t equate with staying on budget or having the amount of space you really need. A new study by RENTCafe looks into the issue of rent burden, asking how much space a typical income would get you if you limited your rent to no more than 30% of your income. Their findings show that in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Boston spending 30% of your income on rent means you’d have to live in less than 300 square feet of space.
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Get ready for another weekend of service changes on every line

Image via Flickr

April 12, 2019

Get ready for another weekend of service changes on every line

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A bunch of service changes are hitting the subways again this week, with no line left untouched. In addition to multiple trains skipping stops or running express, several lines will be rerouted via other trains, and the 6 and L trains are both running in two sections, with delays to be expected. No matter what your plans are for the weekend, we've put together our weekly guide of planned subway service changes below, so you can head out prepared.
See the full damage
City’s plans to allocate $500M to affordable senior housing not progressing as anticipated

Image via Wikimedia Commons

April 11, 2019

City’s plans to allocate $500M to affordable senior housing not progressing as anticipated

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Last June, the city committed $500 million toward a plan to construct 1,000 new apartments for low-income senior citizens, but now almost a year later those plans are moving forward much slower than expected, Politico reports. The plan had identified six potential sites—two at New York City Housing Authority properties Kingsborough Houses in Brooklyn and Morris Houses in the Bronx, and four on other city-owned lots—but so far the city has only requested developer proposals for one of those sites.
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Extell’s Upper West Side tower going forward despite city’s amendment on mechanical voids
April 11, 2019

Extell’s Upper West Side tower going forward despite city’s amendment on mechanical voids

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Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studios/ Snøhetta Following a revised design and review by the FDNY, developer Extell has been granted permission to proceed with plans for the Snøhetta-designed tower at 50 West 66th Street, Gothamist reports. This comes a few months after the Department of Buildings threatened to pull the building’s permits over concerns that the project was misusing mechanical voids in order to boost the overall height of units in the building. The DOB approved Extell's revised plans last Thursday, allowing the project to go forward despite a 12-to-1 City Planning Commission vote yesterday to crack down on the mechanical void loophole.
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$1.4M Hotel des Artistes co-op has a secretive past of forbidden love

Listing images by Andrew Kiracofe for Compass

April 10, 2019

$1.4M Hotel des Artistes co-op has a secretive past of forbidden love

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This Hotel des Artistes apartment has a surprising claim to fame: it was the home of Italian actor Rudolph Valentino’s mistress, while Valentino—who was known as the "Great Lover" of the 1920s for his roles in romantic dramas—lived next door. To facilitate their liaisons, a secret passage linking the two apartments was created, though it’s not clear from the listing if current residents will have access to it. There’s still plenty to love about the one-bedroom co-op at 1 West 67th Street, which features a double-height living room, original oak floors, and an upstairs bedroom with a Juliette balcony overlooking the living area. The Central Park West unit just hit the market seeking $1,425,000.
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Archdiocese of New York reveals new affordable housing on the site of a former Bronx church

Photo courtesy of Magnusson Architecture + Planning 

April 9, 2019

Archdiocese of New York reveals new affordable housing on the site of a former Bronx church

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Magnusson Architecture + Planning (MAP) unveiled a new, mid-rise building known as St. Augustine Terrace that will provide 112 units of affordable housing for low-income families in the Bronx. The project was commissioned by the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York and is the first building in 50 years to be built on the site of a former church, what used to be St. Augustine’s Church in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx.
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As rail freight expands, an old train line in Brooklyn and Queens could provide congestion relief

Image via Wiki Commons

April 8, 2019

As rail freight expands, an old train line in Brooklyn and Queens could provide congestion relief

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The New York & Atlantic Railway, a little-known freight line that runs through Brooklyn and Queens, is set to receive a significant investment as part of ongoing strategies to relieve congestion in the city, the New York Times reports. Currently, the city’s rail lines only transport two percent of New York’s cargo, while trucks carry about 90 percent. One rail car can carry the equivalent of four trucks, so they could represent a previously "unsung" key to diverting truck traffic, a major contributor to the city’s ongoing battle with gridlock.
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Chic Noho loft with views of the Merchant’s House is seeking $2.75M

Listing images by Rich Caplan for Compass

April 8, 2019

Chic Noho loft with views of the Merchant’s House is seeking $2.75M

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An apartment with direct views of the Merchant's House, Manhattan's last intact 19th-century family home, has just hit the market for $2,749,000. Spanning 1,800 square feet, the full-floor Noho unit boasts high ceilings, original hardwood floors, and chic designer-curated interiors. You'll feel yourself steeped in the history of the location. 28 East 4th Street—part of the Noho Historic District—is a classic loft building dating back to 1901 when it was filled with tenants in the printing, apparel, and toy businesses. The building still features plenty of original cast iron, limestone,  and brick detailing. 
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$1.25M Williamsburg triplex comes with two terraces and dramatic curved glass walls
April 5, 2019

$1.25M Williamsburg triplex comes with two terraces and dramatic curved glass walls

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A curved wall of floor-to-ceiling windows is the centerpiece of this two-bedroom triplex at 117 Kingsland Avenue. The 1,127-square-foot Williamsburg pad offers some cool custom built-ins, two terraces, and a convertible mezzanine level. Located in a boutique condo built in 2007, the apartment is equidistant from both the L and G trains and within walking distance of McCarren and McGolrick Parks. Last sold in 2017 for $995,000, the unit just hit the market seeking $1,250,000.
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Newly modernized, Irving Berlin’s former Yorkville penthouse is back for a reduced $4M
April 5, 2019

Newly modernized, Irving Berlin’s former Yorkville penthouse is back for a reduced $4M

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American songwriter Irving Berlin moved into the duplex at 130 East End Avenue—an Emory Roth-designed co-op in Yorkville right across from Carl Schurz Park— in 1931, where he went on to write hits like “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and “Say It Isn’t So.” As Berlin’s biographer Laurence Bergreen described, the formal residence featured antiques and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that “quietly suggested the home of [a] wealthy, cultivated businessman possessed of exacting, if severe, taste.” Though the Berlin’s moved out in 1944, the stately residence with East River views retained it’s formal decor when the unit last hit the market in 2017 for $7,900,000. Over the past two years, the apartment has undergone a modern renovation and is back seeking a much reduced $3,995,000.
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