All articles by Alexandra Alexa

Court rules against the 668-foot tower already rising at 200 Amsterdam Avenue

Rendering of 200 Amsterdam Avenue via SJP Properties/ Elkus Manfredi

March 15, 2019

Court rules against the 668-foot tower already rising at 200 Amsterdam Avenue

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A state Supreme Court ruling on Thursday overruled the city’s decision to allow a permit for 200 Amsterdam Avenue, the controversial Upper West Side condo project that has been challenged by community groups and elected officials because of its oddly-shaped, gerrymandered lot. As Crain’s reports, the Board of Standards and Appeals, which approved the project last year, has been ordered to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate the permit for the project led by developers SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan, who have already started construction at the 69th Street site.
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Everything you need to know about Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Route, street closings, and more

Image via Flickr

March 15, 2019

Everything you need to know about Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Route, street closings, and more

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The city will soon be looking very green as 150,000 marchers and two million spectators come together for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade. Bagpipers, marching bands and more will make their way from Midtown to the Upper East Side, as the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world celebrates its 257th year. This year's parade will take place on Saturday, the day before St. Patrick's Day, because March 17 falls on a Sunday. Read on for more details, how to avoid traffic, and how public transit will be affected.
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Step back in time in this charming row house on Washington Heights’ Sylvan Terrace, asking $1.5M
March 14, 2019

Step back in time in this charming row house on Washington Heights’ Sylvan Terrace, asking $1.5M

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The quaint row houses of landmarked Sylvan Terrace are tucked away on one of the city’s “secret” streets in Washington Heights, which used to be the carriage drive to the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest house in Manhattan where General George Washington held a temporary headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Residences on the charming street rarely become available, but the three-bedroom at 14 Sylvan Terrace just hit the market for $1,589,000. With plenty of original details, including two fireplaces, pocket doors, and period hardwood floors, here’s a chance to experience “romance from another era,” as the listing describes.
Take a look inside
Greenpoint Avenue G station will get three elevators and full ADA-compliant features

Image via Wikimedia

March 14, 2019

Greenpoint Avenue G station will get three elevators and full ADA-compliant features

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The MTA is moving into the next phase of construction on the elevator installation project at the Greenpoint Avenue G station, but there’s good news for roughly 9,400 regular weekday customers: the MTA is expecting “significantly reduced impact” to service. Work will also focus on updating station infrastructure including stairs, handrails, turnstiles, powered gates, and braille signage—bringing the station to full ADA compliance.
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NYC Comptroller proposes turning the BQE into a truck-only roadway with a park on top

Via Wikimedia

March 13, 2019

NYC Comptroller proposes turning the BQE into a truck-only roadway with a park on top

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Adding another perspective to the many voices who are seeking a solution to the “most challenging project not only in New York City but arguably in the United States,” City Comptroller Scott Stringer has outlined his own proposal to save the crumbling BQE, advocating for a middle-ground solution to the heated debate. Stringer's idea (notably without a timeline or proposed budget) is to turn the BQE into a truck-only highway and build a linear park above. "We remain hopeful that the agency can view the BQE's deterioration not just as an engineering challenge, but as an opportunity to create something new and bold that both accommodates essential traffic and enhances surrounding neighborhoods,” he wrote in a March 7 letter to Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.
See the new plan
For under $900K, this Clinton Hill one bedroom is cozy, yet contemporary
March 13, 2019

For under $900K, this Clinton Hill one bedroom is cozy, yet contemporary

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On a tree-lined block in the heart of Clinton Hill, this floor-through 1.5 bedroom at 315 Greene Avenue offers a flexible layout and even a little bit of outdoor space for the asking price of $875,000. The cozy unit comes with custom storage options and modern amenities, including a washer and dryer. A colorful collection of art and happy houseplants show how this condo is the perfect blank canvas to make your own.
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Astoria Boulevard N, W station to close for nine months for elevator and mezzanine repairs

Image via Wikipedia

March 13, 2019

Astoria Boulevard N, W station to close for nine months for elevator and mezzanine repairs

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The Astoria Blvd N and W station in Queens will close at 10 p.m. on Sunday, March 17 and remain shuttered for nine months as New York City Transit works on a multi-phase repair project. The elevated station will get four new elevators and other accessibility features. In order to construct the street elevators, the mezzanine level will be demolished and rebuilt with more vertical clearance to prevent strikes by trucks and other over-height vehicles on the road below.
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden fights against shadow-casting Crown Heights towers

Image courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning

March 12, 2019

Brooklyn Botanic Garden fights against shadow-casting Crown Heights towers

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The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is voicing concern over a proposal that would allow real-estate developers to amend the area’s zoning—which currently caps building heights at 75 feet—in order to build two 39-story towers close enough to the botanic grounds to obstruct sunlight in key parts of the garden, including the bonsai collection and desert pavilion. The proposal is subject to city approval and a public hearing will be heard today, with officials from the BBG in attendance, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
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$9M triplex condo has a private entrance on one of Tribeca’s most charming alleys
March 12, 2019

$9M triplex condo has a private entrance on one of Tribeca’s most charming alleys

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With a private entrance on Collister Street—a quiet alley in Tribeca named for its past association with Trinity Church—this 4,500-square-foot home feels like a townhouse but comes with all the convenience and amenities of the full-service condominium it’s housed in at 7 Hubert Street. Spanning three floors with three bedrooms, a finished basement, and a charming ground floor complete with high ceilings, casement windows, and a furnished garden, this turnkey residence just hit the market for $8,950,000.
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JFK’s TWA Hotel will curate exhibitions of rare Jet Age artifacts and memorabilia

Image courtesy of MCR and Morse Development

March 11, 2019

JFK’s TWA Hotel will curate exhibitions of rare Jet Age artifacts and memorabilia

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Guests of the TWA Flight Center Hotel—set to open on May 15—will be able to experience the Jet Age through exhibitions of Trans World Airlines artifacts curated by the New-York Historical Society. Flight attendant’s logs, vintage furniture from TWA headquarters, in-flight amenities—like gilded playing cards and custom matchbooks—are some of the types of objects that will be on view in a rotating series of exhibitions dedicated to the former TWA terminal, a historic landmark designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen and opened in 1962.
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Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

Photo by Evan Joseph

March 8, 2019

Bjarke Ingels’ two twisting towers top out in Chelsea

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Bjarke Ingels’ twisting towers at 76 Eleventh Avenue in Chelsea officially topped out this week, with the 36-story West tower reaching 400 feet shortly after the 26-story East tower hit its 300-foot height. The High Line-adjacent XI, located right across the street from Thomas Heatherwick’s bubbled condos at 515 West 18th Street, will offer 236 luxury condos, the first Six Senses Hotel location in the United States, commercial space, and a new public promenade that will extend from the park. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the XI's slanted shape gives the illusion the two buildings are being pulled apart, allowing for all residents to have views of both the city and the Hudson River.
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Rafael Viñoly’s 88-story tower at 125 Greenwich Street officially tops out at 912 feet

Current views of 125 Greenwich Street at its full height. Photos courtesy of Field Condition.

March 7, 2019

Rafael Viñoly’s 88-story tower at 125 Greenwich Street officially tops out at 912 feet

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Situated at the northwest corner of Thames Street, just south of the World Trade Center and northwest of Wall Street, Bizzi & Partners Development's condo tower at 125 Greenwich Street has officially topped out at 912 feet. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the firm behind 432 Park Avenue, the building will offer some of the highest apartments in the Financial District. Upon completion later this year, the 88-story tower will house 273 residences.
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State budget director says a pied-à-terre tax could help fund MTA

Via Flickr

March 7, 2019

State budget director says a pied-à-terre tax could help fund MTA

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Calls for a pied-à-terre tax have increased since billionaire Ken Griffin closed on a penthouse at 220 Central Park South for over $239 million. The sale shattered the existing record of the most expensive home sold in the US by $100 million but Griffin will only be using the residence as "a place to stay when he’s in town." City Council Members Mark Levine and Margaret Chin recently announced support for a bill that was first drafted by Sen. Brad Hoylman five years ago, which would place a yearly surcharge of 0.5% to 4% on secondary residences worth more than $5 million. In a statement released on Wednesday, State Budget Director Robert Mujica added his support, stating that a pied-à-terre tax could be combined with other revenue solutions to help fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $40 billion in capital needs.
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Once home to Rosario Candela’s daughter, this $7.5M Upper East Side triplex feels like a country retreat
March 7, 2019

Once home to Rosario Candela’s daughter, this $7.5M Upper East Side triplex feels like a country retreat

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Though he didn’t design the building, Rosario Candela gifted this sumptuous three-story Upper East Side home to his daughter as soon as it was completed in 1913. The deed has only changed hands once since, and the residence maintains its period details, including cove ceilings, paneled walls, French doors, and exquisite crown moldings throughout. With a flexible and generous layout, the bright interiors feel more like a country escape from the city, with the added bonus of being only two blocks away from Central Park and a short walk from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 4,500 square-foot space is now on the market for $7.495 million.
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$14.8M historic Tribeca penthouse has a rotunda with a gorgeous stained-glass oculus

Listing images by Will Ellis of Donna Dotan; courtesy of the Corcoran Group

March 6, 2019

$14.8M historic Tribeca penthouse has a rotunda with a gorgeous stained-glass oculus

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Once featured on the cover of Architectural Digest, this penthouse in the landmarked American Thread Building at 260 West Broadway just hit the market for $14,800,000. The current owners, an art collector and his fashion executive partner, bought the space in 2013 and have filled the 3,777-square-foot Tribeca residence with art by the likes of Richard Serra, Gerhard Richter, and Ai Weiwei to name just a few. Their collection extends to furniture and includes Nanda Vigo chairs from the ’70s, a 19th-century baker’s table from Marseille, and a Karl Springer acrylic table from the 1980s. They describe the blend of period architecture, contemporary art, and design accents as a "speakeasy atmosphere" perfect for entertaining. Speaking to Architectural Digest, the owner revealed that “when we closed on the place, the super took me aside and reminded me that we had a huge responsibility. ‘You’ll be living in one of the most incredible spaces in the city,’ he told me. ‘And you’d better not mess it up.’”
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City will expand Fair Fares program to all eligible New Yorkers by 2020

Image via Flickr

March 5, 2019

City will expand Fair Fares program to all eligible New Yorkers by 2020

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After facing criticism for the delayed and limited roll-out of Fair Fares, Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Johnson have announced plans to expand the program. Starting this fall, eligible New Yorkers in NYCHA, enrolled students at CUNY, and military veterans below the poverty line will have access to the program, which provides half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers. By January 2020, open enrollment will expand to all New Yorkers at or below the federal poverty line (a household income of $25,750 for a family of four). The program has also been criticized for its reversal on reduced fares for single trips, but Monday's announcement came with the good news that a pay-per-ride option will be available by mid-March.
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Get a rare look inside 220 Central Park South thanks to this $59K/month rental
March 5, 2019

Get a rare look inside 220 Central Park South thanks to this $59K/month rental

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Here's a rare chance to glimpse inside the secretive interiors of 220 Central Park South, which have previously been kept completely private by developer Vornado Realty Trust (h/t NYP). This is the first rental listing to open up in one of New York's most coveted addresses, where billionaire Ken Griffin closed on a penthouse for just shy of $240 million, setting the record for the most expensive home ever sold in the United States. For $59,000 a month, the 3,114-square-foot home comes with some of the best views in town--even from the bathroom!
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Does the subway ‘Pizza Principle’ still hold?

Image via Flickr

March 4, 2019

Does the subway ‘Pizza Principle’ still hold?

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For decades some New Yorkers have believed that the price of subway fares and pizza slices are linked. Known as the “Pizza Principle,” the economic theory/urban legend tries to account for the fact that, for the past 40 or so years, the cost of a plain slice of pizza has pretty much tracked with the cost of a single ride fare. So far nobody has been able to provide a clear explanation of why that might be—or if there’s more to it than coincidence. The latest MTA board vote on fare increases may have severed the connection between subway and pizza before we could fully understand it. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the “Pizza Principle” doesn't hold now that gourmet offerings have bumped the average cost of a slice to the $3-$3.50 range while the MTA is maintaining the base fare at $2.75.
More on New York's strangest economic theory
$650K Chelsea studio proves maximalism is possible in 500 square feet
March 1, 2019

$650K Chelsea studio proves maximalism is possible in 500 square feet

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It doesn't take much for a studio to feel cramped, but this maximalist co-op at 465 West 23rd Street manages to toe that fine line. Asking $650,000, this cozy, sun-drenched unit packs a lot into just 500 square feet. And if you ever need to stretch out, the studio is located in Chelsea's massive London Terrace Towers—a virtual mini-city in itself—which offers residents a ton of amenities.
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6 and 7 trains are the only lucky ones this weekend

Image via Flickr cc

March 1, 2019

6 and 7 trains are the only lucky ones this weekend

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We're looking forward to another weekend of convoluted service changes impacting nearly every line. The 6 (lucky you!) is the only line with no planned changes, but the 7 is also looking good. Service changes will continue to spill into late night and early morning hours over the week. Take note: The A needs some last minute "urgent track repairs" and will not run between Jay Street-MetroTech and Utica Avenue on Monday and Tuesday. Read on for the full details.
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180 East 88th tower tops out at 524 feet, set to be tallest tower north of 72nd Street

Rendering via DDG; Construction shot of 180 E 188th in early January via CityRealty

February 28, 2019

180 East 88th tower tops out at 524 feet, set to be tallest tower north of 72nd Street

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The highly anticipated tower rising at 180 East 88th Street recently topped out, taking the title of the city’s tallest building north of 72nd Street, as CityRealty first reported. Developed by DDG, the 524-foot structure will bring 48 expansive condos to the Upper East Side and is expected to open this Spring. Photos from a recent construction visit show crews adding the final pieces of the concrete-enclosed rooftop bulkhead. Crews are still working to fully cover the facade of the 32-story tower in hand-laid Kolumba brick (there are 593,987 individual bricks) which will be accented by bronze-colored window frames.
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Trump’s Soho hotel experiences business boom after rebranding without the president’s name

Image: Trump Soho; Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons

February 27, 2019

Trump’s Soho hotel experiences business boom after rebranding without the president’s name

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After a prolonged economic slump and a not-so-subtle rebranding, Soho’s Dominick Hotel—formerly known as the Trump Soho—has experienced a formidable increase in revenue, as Bloomberg reports. The revenue per available room rose more than 20 percent from last year. The hotel’s average nightly rate increased by $51 (a 20 percent increase compared to just 2 percent among the hotel's competitors) and had 7,000 more bookings in 2018 than in 2017.
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This classic Upper West Side one-bedroom is a steal for $595K
February 27, 2019

This classic Upper West Side one-bedroom is a steal for $595K

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Half a block from the American Museum of Natural History, this classic one-bedroom offers a prime Upper West Side location on a tree-lined block in the midst of the bustling Broadway Corridor, where you'll find some of the area's best cultural institutions, restaurants, and shops. It boasts high ceilings, a decorative fireplace, and a fully renovated kitchen and bathroom. Best of all, this cozy co-op at 155 West 80th Street is asking just $595,000.
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IKEA’s newest curtains will purify indoor air

Images courtesy of Ikea

February 26, 2019

IKEA’s newest curtains will purify indoor air

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The World Health Organization estimates that 90 percent of people worldwide are impacted by the harmful effects of pollution, which provoke a range of life-threatening diseases. While pollution is thought to cause around eight million deaths a year, more than half of those are the result of indoor pollution, not the smog-filled city streets we’re more commonly wary of. To help with this problem, IKEA is preparing to launch GUNRID, an air-purifying curtain. The low-cost, low-tech option will give New Yorkers (who are always short on space) a simple way of destroying indoor air pollution without using any bulky filtering systems.
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