All articles by Devin Gannon

October 4, 2018

As it creates new fashion hub in Midtown, the city still pegs Sunset Park as next garment district

The city is looking to partner with a nonprofit to buy a building in the Garment District that would become a new hub for fashion businesses. The New York City Economic Development Corporation on Thursday released a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) seeking realtors who want to work with the city to acquire a Midtown property, the Commercial Observer first reported. While the city is looking to preserve Midtown's Garment District, primed for a rezoning, at the same time, it is still luring apparel makers and other manufacturers to Sunset Park in Brooklyn.
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October 3, 2018

Mapping the growing pressure of residential displacement in NYC

While tenant displacement is happening in every New York City borough, the reason behind it differs from neighborhood to neighborhood. An updated, interactive map from the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD) looks at the loss of rent-regulated housing, property sales, construction permits, and evictions across the city's 763,000 residential properties as a way to determine the risk of residential displacement in every NYC community (h/t Curbed NY).
Explore the map
October 3, 2018

Roy Lichtenstein’s former Nomad loft hits the market for $4.5M

The former Nomad loft of late pop-art artist Roy Lichtenstein is for sale, asking $4.5 million. Lichtenstein, who was a native of New York City, lived at the four-bedroom home at 105 East 29th Street from 1984 to 1988. Located on the eighth floor, the sprawling space measures 3,200 square feet and features four exposures from 19 windows. As 6sqft reported last year, Lichtenstein's son Mitchell listed a home in the Greenwich Village Historic District for $25 million; today it's back on the market for just under $20 million.
Take the tour
October 3, 2018

With coffered ceilings, skylights, and a backyard, this Bay Ridge home is asking $1.4M

A four-bedroom Bay Ridge home hit the market this week for $1.35 million. The chic row house at 229 87th Street perfectly blends old and new, mixing pre-war styles with modern upgrades. The coffered ceilings, skylights, restored hardware floors, batten paneling, and original built-in cabinets are enough to make any New Yorker seriously consider moving to the South Brooklyn neighborhood. The less-dense area often allows homes to have real backyards, and this property, which also comes with a spacious deck, is no exception.
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October 2, 2018

For $4.8M, this Gramercy co-op comes with a 21-foot-long veranda and a coveted key to the park

A co-op in Gramercy recently hit the market for $4.75 million and comes with one of New York City's most priceless amenities: an exclusive key to the park. Located at 48 Gramercy Park North, this one-bedroom home measures 1,765 square feet and features 14-foot high ceilings and exposed brick. With south-facing views overlooking the park, and a 21-foot-long veranda, this apartment should not be missed.
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October 2, 2018

To lure Google workers, investors drop $83M on a block of Chelsea apartments

Real estate investors Dalan Management Associates and Elion Partners announced a joint venture on Tuesday to acquire eight adjacent buildings in Chelsea for $83 million. The buildings, which run along Eighth Avenue from West 15th to West 16th Streets, contain 102 multi-family units and 10 ground-floor retail spaces known as the Chelsea Collection. Because the property sits directly across from Google headquarters, developers hope to attract workers from the tech giant, Crain's reported.
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October 2, 2018

Renderings revealed for $2B revamp of St. John’s Terminal in Hudson Square

Oxford Properties Group this week unveiled the first renderings of its project to transform an old freight terminal in Hudson Square into a 12-story office building. The Canadian developer bought a section of the St. John's Terminal site, located at 550 Washington Street, in January for $700 million from Atlas Capital and Westbrook Partners. Oxford Properties then tapped COOKFOX Architects to design a 1.3 million square foot 12-story office complex. New renderings reveal a modern structure with floor-to-ceiling windows, planted roofs and terraces, 100,000 square-foot floor plates, and waterfront access.
See the design
October 2, 2018

Elegant limestone home in Brooklyn’s Lefferts Manor Historic District asks just under $2M

A three-story home in the Lefferts Manor Historic District, a Brooklyn neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has hit the market for $1.95 million. Designed at the beginning of the 20th century by prominent rowhouse architect Axel Hedman, this limestone Renaissance Revival residence features a ton of historic details, from the herringbone oak floors to its original fireplaces. Located at 149 Maple Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, the home sits just blocks from Prospect Park.
See inside
October 1, 2018

Live at Waterline Square for $1,041/month, lottery launches for 250+ affordable units

Applications are now being accepted for 269 affordable apartments across three buildings at a development on the Upper West Side known as Waterline Square. The trio of luxury high-rises is located between West 59th Street and West 61st Street on the Hudson River and contains a new 2.6-acre park. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $1,041/month studio to a $1,553/month three-bedroom. As 6sqft reported last week, construction at the five-acre waterfront site continues to wrap up.
Find out if you qualify
October 1, 2018

$3.5M brownstone in Carroll Gardens shows off its architectural bones with eccentric decor

In the picture-perfect Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, a charming four-bedroom townhouse at 207 President Street has hit the market for $3.475 million. Built in 1890, the home boasts stunning architectural details like arched doorways, raw ceiling beams, exposed ductwork, rustic brick walls, and tin ceilings, as well as coveted outdoor space and a deck that overlooks the garden.
Take the tour
October 1, 2018

LIC group wants to rename Hunter’s Point South Park to make it more recognizable citywide

A Long Island City parks group wants to change the name of Hunter's Point South Park, a waterfront green space in the Queens neighborhood, the LIC Post reported on Thursday. The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that manages the 11-acre park, says despite being a "gem of Queens," the park does not have "the city-wide recognition it deserves."
More here
October 1, 2018

Steps from the Bronx Zoo, 58 affordable apartments for seniors up for grabs

A lottery launched this week for 58 affordable units of senior housing in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 1880 Boston Road, the development contains 167 affordable apartments with amenities including a yoga room, community room, art studio, library, and a rooftop terrace. The building is just a few blocks south of the Bronx Zoo and sits next to the Bronx River. Available studio and one-bedroom apartments are set aside for seniors who are 62 years or older and who earn a maximum of $31,750 annually. Each eligible resident pays 30 percent of their income and will need to qualify for Section 8.
Find out if you qualify
September 28, 2018

Port Authority approves $355M project to rehab JFK runway and add a ‘high-speed taxiway’

The Port Authority's Board of Commissioners approved on Friday a $355 million plan to rehabilitate a key runway at John F. Kennedy Airport and add a new high-speed taxiway. The 10,000-foot-long runway, or 13L-31R, that will get the revamp handles nearly half of all planes arriving at JFK. This runway, one of four at the airport, will close between April and the end of 2019.
Get the details
September 28, 2018

Battery Park City and Upper West Side communities transition from middle-aged to millennial

Despite recently ranking as the most expensive zip code for renters in the United States, Battery Park City experienced the greatest influx of millennial residents in New York City over a period of five years. The Lower Manhattan neighborhood, with the zip code 10282, saw a population increase of over 54 percent, according to report released this month by RentCafe. Out of the top 20 zip codes with the highest increase in millennials, Battery Park City, with 2,300 Generation Y residents, ranks third in the country, falling slightly behind two downtown Los Angeles neighborhoods (h/t amNY).
Where are millennials moving?
September 28, 2018

Campaign launches to rename a Brooklyn building after Flatbush native Ruth Bader Ginsburg

In some not-terrible Supreme Court news, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could be getting a Brooklyn Building named after her. Borough President Eric Adams launched a campaign on Thursday calling on City Hall to rename the Brooklyn Municipal Building after Ginsburg, a native of Flatbush. This past August marked Ginsburg's 25th year as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, as only the second woman to sit on the court.
More here
September 28, 2018

Celebrate Oktoberfest 2018 at these 15 spots in and around NYC

With the temperature dropping and the foliage blooming, it's officially sweater weather. And what better way to welcome the fall season than drinking German beer from steins, eating giant pretzels and bratwurst, and listening to "oompah" bands. And don't worry if you can't make the trip to Germany for Oktoberfest this year--Munich comes to New York City with tons of fun festivities. Celebrate Bavarian culture with events like traditional pig roasts, ceremonial keg tappings, stein-holding competitions and more. Ahead, find the 15 best spots to grab authentic brews and brats with 6sqft's guide to Oktoberfest 2018.
Brats and brews this way
September 27, 2018

Bjarke Ingels-designed office tower in Nomad still on track

While all has been quiet regarding HFZ Capital Group's office tower in Nomad since December, new documents from the Department of Buildings documents filed on Tuesday reveal the project is still on track. CityRealty uncovered a ZD-1 zoning diagram online with a site plan, section, and axonometric drawing that mirror renderings released last year. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, the tower will rise from a through-block property at 3-7 West 29th Street.
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September 27, 2018

New renderings for Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 5 million square feet of vertical manufacturing space

After announcing a $2.5 billion expansion of the Brooklyn site in January, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) released on Thursday new renderings of the plan, which would add 5.1 million square feet of manufacturing space. Developed by WXY architecture + urban design, the plan centers around three sites, all including new vertical manufacturing space along with public, open space and connectivity improvements. About 75 percent of the 10,000 jobs added (bringing the total to the site 30,000) will be manufacturing jobs, with the rest being service-oriented and creative work. The renderings released of the Yard this week by the BNYDC gives us a better look at how the 300-acre development will flow with the surrounding neighborhoods.
See the renderings
September 27, 2018

Amazon opens brick-and-mortar store in Soho with only top-rated products

Amazon on Thursday opened a physical store in Soho, stocked only with items rated 4 stars and above by online customers. The new concept, called Amazon 4-star, is located at 72 Spring Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets. By using customer ratings and reviews from their website, the store's products will feature customer review cards with quotes from actual reviews.
More here
September 27, 2018

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

The New York City Council voted on Wednesday to approve 80 Flatbush, a five-building mixed-use development planned for Downtown Brooklyn, Curbed NY reported. The approval comes after negotiations last week between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents the area, which led to a shorter, less-dense complex. After the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 feet to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet, the Council's subcommittee on zoning voted in favor of the project.
More on the project
September 26, 2018

New York City has lost over 400,000 affordable apartments since 2005

Update 9/27/18: City Comptroller Scott Stringer said the report released this week about the decrease in affordable housing contained a major miscalculation, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Instead of the 1 million affordable apartments lost, as the report stated, the true number is less than half of that, or 425,492 units. According to an updated report, the number of apartments renting for $2,700/month increased by 111,000 units between 2005 and 2017, instead of 238,000 units as originally stated. "While it remains true that affordable housing is declining at an unsettling rate and the gap is still growing, we overstated the pace," Ilana Maier, a spokesperson for Stringer, said in a statement. "We made a genuine mistake." Since 2005, New York City has lost over 1 million affordable apartments, according to a report released by the City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Tuesday. The report, "The Gap is Still Growing," builds from an original 2014 analysis from the comptroller's office and shows the number of available units has failed to keep up with the city's booming population. Between 2005 and 2016, about 576,000 people moved to NYC. But the city added just over 76,000 new units of rental housing.
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September 26, 2018

New details for Brooklyn’s Pacific Park and a first look at its tallest tower

The development of Pacific Park, a 22-acre mixed-use complex near the Barclays Center, has entered its next phase Greenland Forest City Partners announced Wednesday. The developer is bringing on TF Cornerstone and the Brodsky Organization as development partners for the project. The duo will develop three parcels at the site, which include three rental buildings, a new public school, and new open space. Greenland also announced construction is set to begin in the spring for the park's tallest tower, a more than 500-foot tall tower designed by Perkins Eastman.
More details here
September 26, 2018

LPC calendars 7 buildings on Broadway near recently-approved tech hub in Union Square

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to calendar seven buildings on Broadway in Union Square, marking the first step to designating them as landmarks. The buildings sit adjacent to the tech hub, a 21-story tech training center planned for 124 East 14th Street and approved by the City Council last month. With the hub's approval, the area was upzoned without landmark protections, allowing for about 85,000 square feet of office space and 16,500 more square feet between Civic Hall, step-up space and the workforce development hub.
More here
September 25, 2018

To live across from Central Park, you’ll pay 25% more than every bordering neighborhood

To make Central Park your front yard, you'll have to fork over $277,000 more than the median sale price of every bordering neighborhood. A new report by Property Shark looks at just how much more New Yorkers are willing to spend to be near the 843-acre oasis, a real estate trend which the group calls the "Central Park effect." According to the analysis, the median sale price of units along the first row of blocks across the park was 25 percent more expensive than that of every nearby area. And in the priciest section, the Upper East Side's Lenox Hill, that rose to a 93 percent difference.
More on the Central Park effect
September 25, 2018

Where I Work: Chef Bill Telepan takes us inside a ‘farm-to-classroom’ hydroponic garden

In his first year as the Director of Sustainability at the Institute of Culinary Education, Chef Bill Telepan has immersed himself in the school’s indoor hydroponic garden, an agriculture system that uses LED light in a climate-controlled environment. Over 50 different crop varieties are grown at any time in the garden, providing culinary students access to herbs typically not found fresh in NYC. "As a chef, you taste things in your head and can put them all together, sort of mentally, and then prepare it," Telepan said when asked about the benefits of the garden for students. Throughout his career, he's been committed to using fresh, seasonal ingredients from local greenmarkets. He has worked in France under famed chef Alain Chapel, owned his own Upper West Side restaurant (Telepan) for a decade, and currently runs NYC seafood spot Oceana. Telepan gave 6sqft a tour of ICE’s hydroponic garden and told us how he became the institute’s first ever sustainability director, or as he describes it “a culmination of everything I’ve done as a chef and a person."
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