All articles by Devin Gannon

Manhattanhenge magic is returning to New York City’s grid

Photo by d26b73 on Flickr

May 26, 2023

Manhattanhenge magic is returning to New York City’s grid

By Devin Gannon

The spectacular sunset that aligns exactly with the Manhattan street grid and only comes twice a year happened for the first time this past Memorial Day. The magical Manhattanhenge was first visible on May 29 at 8:13 p.m., when a half-sun streamed through major cross streets. According to the American Museum of Natural History, the final phenomenon of the year takes place this week, on Wednesday, July 12 and Thursday, July 13.
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1920s Riverdale estate has magnificent indoor pool house and landscaped grounds for $7.25M

All photos courtesy of Real Estate Production Network for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 24, 2023

1920s Riverdale estate has magnificent indoor pool house and landscaped grounds for $7.25M

By Devin Gannon

A cliffside estate in one of New York City's most exclusive neighborhoods is now available for $7,250,000. Located at 700 West 247th Street in Riverdale, the 1920s Georgian home sits tucked away from the Hudson River waterfront on over an acre of flourishing landscape. In addition to containing five bedrooms and a six-car garage, the main house has a stunning fitness center with an indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC subway, bus fare to increase to $2.90 by end of summer, under MTA proposal

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

May 23, 2023

NYC subway, bus fare to increase to $2.90 by end of summer, under MTA proposal

By Devin Gannon

New York City commuters will likely pay more for subway, bus, and commuter rail trips by the end of the summer. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday unveiled its proposal for fare increases across the system. The cost of a single subway and bus trip would increase by 5 percent from $2.75 to $2.90, the first base fare increase since 2015.
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Manhattan’s only surviving ‘colored’ school is now a city landmark

Mayor Eric Adams visits former Colored School No. 4 in Chelsea. Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 23, 2023

Manhattan’s only surviving ‘colored’ school is now a city landmark

By Devin Gannon

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated a building in Manhattan that serves as a reminder of racially segregated education in New York City. The former Colored School No 4. was a public school open to only Black students and teachers from 1860 to 1884. The remarkably-intact three-story building at 128 West 17th Street in Chelsea is the borough's only surviving school building that exclusively served African Americans. Not only does the new landmark represent the history of the Black community who lived in this part of Manhattan, but it also recognizes the many notable figures associated with the school.
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Policy

Permanent outdoor dining in NYC takes major step forward

Nomad’s Pecora Biana on Broadway in June 2020. Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc

May 19, 2023

Permanent outdoor dining in NYC takes major step forward

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council and Mayor Eric Adams reached a deal this week on legislation that would make the pandemic-era outdoor dining program a permanent fixture of city life. The Open Restaurants program launched in 2020 as a lifeline for city businesses and as a way for New Yorkers to gather safely. After over a year of debate over a permanent program, the Council introduced a bill on Thursday permitting outdoor dining structures, or "streeteries," on city streets, but only for eight months of the year. So-called "sidewalk cafes" would be allowed year-round. The bill is expected to be voted on by the Council next month.
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Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s former Greenwich Village apartment asks $15.5M

All images courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 18, 2023

Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s former Greenwich Village apartment asks $15.5M

By Devin Gannon

A Greenwich Village townhouse with a carriage house that Kate Moss and Johnny Depp called home during the 1990s is for sale. The nearly 200-year-old Federal-style brick townhouse at 112 Waverly Place is currently configured as four rentals, each with private outdoor space and wood-burning fireplaces. The 90s power couple lived in the quirky complex's 1,800-square-foot carriage house from 1994 to 1998. The entire property is now available for $15,500,000, as first spotted by the New York Post.
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Architecture critic Paul Goldberger lists Central Park-facing Beresford co-op for $8.95M

All photos courtesy of Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 17, 2023

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger lists Central Park-facing Beresford co-op for $8.95M

By Devin Gannon

An architecture critic is selling his apartment in one of New York City's most beloved buildings. Paul Goldberger, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his architecture criticism in the New York Times and has authored several books, has put his nine-room co-op at 211 Central Park West on the market for $8,950,000. The spacious apartment at The Beresford benefits from pre-war proportions and character, a recently renovated chef's kitchen, Central Park views, and an iconic address.
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Distinctive Homes

Billy Joel lists 26-acre North Shore estate for $49M

Photo credit: Tyler Sands/Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

May 16, 2023

Billy Joel lists 26-acre North Shore estate for $49M

By Devin Gannon

Billy Joel is selling his 26-acre estate on Long Island's North Shore for $49,000,000. The "Piano Man" bought the first 14 acres of the sprawling property on Oyster Bay Harbor in 2002 for $22,500,000, and has since acquired more parcels of land, piecing together much of an original estate that was split up in the 1950s, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
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Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 15, 2023

Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

By Devin Gannon

Rosie O'Donnell is trading Manhattan for Malibu. The comedian put her Midtown East penthouse on the market last week for $8,300,000, following a move to the West Coast, as the New York Times first reported. The Long Island native and longtime New York City resident paid $8,000,000 for the apartment in 2017. The home, located atop 255 East 49th Street, measures nearly 3,600 square feet across three levels, including an impressive private rooftop.
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Novelist Erica Jong lists Upper East Side apartment for $4.25M

Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Warburg

May 12, 2023

Novelist Erica Jong lists Upper East Side apartment for $4.25M

By Devin Gannon

Novelist Erica Jong is selling her high-floor Upper East Side home for $4,250,000. Jong, who has written more than 25 books but is best known for her 1973 feminist novel "Fear of Flying," bought the apartment with her husband for $1,490,000 in 1990, according to the New York Post. Located on the 27th floor of the Emery Roth-designed Imperial House at 150 East 69th Street, the apartment measures nearly 3,000 square feet, boasts a charming solarium with sweeping Central Park views, and has custom bookcases filled to the brim, fit for any writer.
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Popular Articles

El Dorado childhood home of Beastie Boys’ Mike D finds a buyer after $4.5M price chop

Photos from the 2022 listing courtesy of Rise Media

May 10, 2023

El Dorado childhood home of Beastie Boys’ Mike D finds a buyer after $4.5M price chop

By Devin Gannon

The childhood home of Beastie Boys rapper Mike D has found a buyer, after a year on the market and a $4.5 million price cut. The apartment at the Upper West Side's enviable El Dorado building belonged to the estate of Hester and Harold Diamond, owners of one of the world’s finest art collections and parents of Mike Diamond. The duplex co-op hit the market in May 2022 for $19,500,000 and relisted this past March for $14,995,000 before entering contract on Tuesday, as first reported by the New York Post.
Details here

Real Estate Trends

NYC designates Bushwick’s first historic district

All photos courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 9, 2023

NYC designates Bushwick’s first historic district

By Devin Gannon

A block in Bushwick with a collection of intact rowhouses has been designated as the neighborhood's first historic district. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to landmark a stretch of Linden Street between Broadway and Bushwick Avenues that represent several architectural styles of the late 19th century, including Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival, and neo-Grec. According to the commission, the Linden Street Historic District represents the neighborhood's transition from farmland to residential and boasts a "unified streetscape with a strong sense of place."
Details here

Policy

Rent increase between 2% and 5% likely for NYC’s stabilized apartments

Photo by Avi Werde on Unsplash

May 3, 2023

Rent increase between 2% and 5% likely for NYC’s stabilized apartments

By Devin Gannon

The roughly two million New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments will likely see rents go up by the largest percentage in 10 years. In a preliminary vote on Tuesday, the Rent Guidelines Board, a nine-member panel responsible for adjusting the cost of rent for stabilized apartments, approved increases on one-year leases between 2 and 5 percent and increases on two-year leases between 4 and 7 percent. A vote determining the final increases will take place in June; the board historically has adopted rent hike proposals that fall within the preliminary range.
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Policy

Lottery opens for 70 mixed-income units at High Line-facing rental in Hudson Yards, from $772/month

Photo courtesy of The All-Nite Images on Flickr

May 1, 2023

Lottery opens for 70 mixed-income units at High Line-facing rental in Hudson Yards, from $772/month

By Devin Gannon

A new high-rise tower in Hudson Yards launched a housing lottery last week for 70 mixed-income apartments. Dubbed the 30th and 11th Apartments, the mixed-use building at 606 West 30th Street sits across from the High Line and just south of New York City's newest neighborhood. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $772/month studios to $2,592/month two-bedroom apartments.
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Affordable Housing

NYPL president buys Parisian-like penthouse in Nomad for $2.45M

Photo credit: Kristina Crane with Evan Joseph Studios

April 27, 2023

NYPL president buys Parisian-like penthouse in Nomad for $2.45M

By Devin Gannon

The latest notable New Yorker to own this unusual Nomad penthouse is Anthony W. Marx, president of the New York Public Library. Marx, who has overseen the nation's largest library system since 2011, picked up the pretty pad at 66 Madison Avenue this month for $2,450,000, according to city records. Previous owners of the one-bedroom co-op include an Emmy-award-winning casting director and a designer and fashion PR executive.
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Real Estate Trends

Lincoln Center to host public celebration of Harry Belafonte’s life

Photo via Wikimedia

April 26, 2023

Lincoln Center to host public celebration of Harry Belafonte’s life

By Devin Gannon

New Yorkers will come together this week to remember one of their own. Harlem native Harry Belafonte, who died Tuesday at the age of 96, was not only a legendary performer and EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) winner but a political activist who befriended and supported Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Lincoln Center will host a public celebration of Belafonte's life and his influence.
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7 ways to celebrate Earth Day in NYC

April 20, 2023

7 ways to celebrate Earth Day in NYC

By Devin Gannon

New Yorkers have been celebrating Earth Day ever since the holiday was created over 50 years ago. During the first observation on April 22, 1970, the city closed Fifth Avenue to traffic from Union Square to Central Park as part of an "ecological carnival." For the last several decades, New York City has marked Earth Day with environment-focused events, volunteer opportunities, and educational workshops. This year, honor Mother Nature by attending the city's largest-ever car-free celebration, taking in artwork that explores our relationship with Earth, learning about NYC's edible plants, shopping sustainably, volunteering at a park clean-up, and more.
Our picks here

Events & Things To Do

Carnegie Hill co-op owned by FDR’s granddaughter lists for $7M

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

April 18, 2023

Carnegie Hill co-op owned by FDR’s granddaughter lists for $7M

By Devin Gannon

The Upper East Side home of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's granddaughter hit the market this week. Sara Delano Roosevelt Whitney Wilford, the daughter of Betsey Cushing Roosevelt Whitney and James Roosevelt, the oldest son of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, lived in this nine-room residence at 1120 Fifth Avenue in Carnegie Hill. Wilford, who died in 2021, was a psychologist and professor at Sarah Lawrence College for more than three decades. Asking $6,995,000, the 3,000-square-foot co-op has picture-perfect views of Central Park and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.
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New Penn Station overhaul proposal adds Vishaan Chakrabarti to design team

All images courtesy of ASTM North America

April 17, 2023

New Penn Station overhaul proposal adds Vishaan Chakrabarti to design team

By Devin Gannon

Earlier this year, Vornado Realty Trust shelved plans to redevelop the area around Penn Station with several office buildings, citing poor economic conditions. Revenue from the proposed 18-million-square-foot redevelopment of Midtown West was expected to help fund the renovation of the despised transit hub. With that proposal on hold, an alternative plan has materialized that promises to leave Madison Square Garden in place and cost less money than the original project. And on Monday, the design team announced a new addition: Vishaan Chakrabarti of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU).
Details here

Architecture And Design

Yankees’ Aaron Judge reportedly scores Chelsea penthouse

All images courtesy of Related Companies

April 14, 2023

Yankees’ Aaron Judge reportedly scores Chelsea penthouse

By Devin Gannon

New York Yankee captain Aaron Judge has bought an apartment at a brand new luxury condo in Chelsea, possibly his home for at least the next nine years. According to the New York Post, the American League home run leader bought a condo at The Cortland at 555 West 22nd Street, a tower designed by Robert A.M. Stern near the Hudson River waterfront.
A real estate home run

NBA star and former Nets coach Steve Nash lists Cobble Hill townhouse for $6.25M

All photos courtesy of Leslie J. Garfield

April 12, 2023

NBA star and former Nets coach Steve Nash lists Cobble Hill townhouse for $6.25M

By Devin Gannon

About five months after he was fired as head coach by the Nets, Steve Nash has listed his Brooklyn townhouse for $6,250,000. As first reported by the New York Post, the NBA star bought the home at 82 Amity Street in Cobble Hill in November 2020 for just under $5 million. The 20-foot-wide five-bedroom townhouse measures roughly 4,200 square feet across four stories, in addition to a lovely private garden and a roof deck. A recently completed gut renovation makes the home move-in ready.
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Princeton manor designed by Mar-a-Lago architect lists for $4.3M

All photos courtesy of Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty

April 11, 2023

Princeton manor designed by Mar-a-Lago architect lists for $4.3M

By Devin Gannon

Over the course of his 50 year career, American architect Marion Sims Wyeth designed more than 700 projects in Palm Beach, Florida, including Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump's current residence. Wyeth also designed this grand Princeton, New Jersey home, recently listed for $4,250,000. Built in 1927, the seven-bedroom manor at 91-93 Edgerstoune Road sits on a little more than three acres and boasts a bucolic backyard with an outdoor pool and a pond with a pagoda.
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Distinctive Homes

The Upper East Side historic district’s oldest home asks $13.9M

All photos courtesy of Donna Dotan

April 6, 2023

The Upper East Side historic district’s oldest home asks $13.9M

By Devin Gannon

This remarkable Gothic Victorian rowhouse on the Upper East Side was built during the Civil War, making it the oldest building in the neighborhood's historic district. The red-brick townhouse at 129 East 70th Street was completed in 1863 as one of a group of five matching homes, of which only no. 129 remains. Located on a stretch of Lenox Hill called "millionaires' row," the home joins a block known for its mansions, affluent residents, and proximity to Central Park. Asking $13,900,000, the three-story, four-bedroom home has five wood-burning fireplaces, a front and back yard, and a stunning double-height conservatory.
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Distinctive Homes

A Bronxville home on the estate where the Kennedys lived asks $5.75M

Photo credit: Modern Angles/Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty

March 31, 2023

A Bronxville home on the estate where the Kennedys lived asks $5.75M

By Devin Gannon

A home on the Bronxville property where President John F. Kennedy once lived has hit the market. The Kennedy family lived on the six-acre estate known as Crownlands from 1929 to 1941. While the residence JFK called home for 12 years was demolished about a decade after the family moved, the property was later subdivided to make way for three new homes, as the New York Post first reported. One of the homes, a renovated 1950s Colonial, is now available for $5,750,000.
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Ride a vintage subway car to Yankee Stadium for the home opener

Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

March 30, 2023

Ride a vintage subway car to Yankee Stadium for the home opener

By Devin Gannon

Yankee fans headed to the team's home opener on Thursday can arrive in the Bronx in style. The New York Transit Museum will run its historic 1917 IRT Lo-V train and the beloved Train of Many Colors from Grand Central-42nd Street to 161st-Street Yankee Stadium. The trains will depart at 11 a.m. sharp, giving eager baseball fanatics plenty of time before the first pitch at 1:05 p.m.
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