All articles by Devin Gannon

Construction well underway for interactive LGBTQ monument in Greenwich Village

Rendering by Anthony Goicolea via Gov. Cuomo’s office

June 21, 2018

Construction well underway for interactive LGBTQ monument in Greenwich Village

A monument to the LGBTQ community is taking shape in Hudson River Park along the Greenwich Village waterfront. Last year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo chose Brooklyn-based artist Anthony Goicolea to design the monument, aimed at honoring both the LGBT rights movement and the victims of the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Although the Hudson River Park Trust told 6sqft an opening date of the installation isn't known yet, Urban Omnibus reported the monument is expected to be completed this month, coinciding with Pride Month.
More here

June 21, 2018

Help preserve the untold stories of the Stonewall Riots by donating personal photos, letters

By Devin Gannon

Via Wikimedia Did you participate in the Stonewall Inn Riots of 1969 and the period of LGBTQ activism in New York City between 1968 and 1971? Do you know someone who did? If so, consider contributing pride memorabilia from that moment in history to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, which is compiling a collection to preserve the history of Stonewall. The project, Stonewall Forever, launched last year after Google granted the LGBT Center $1 million to preserve oral histories and experiences of those present during the riots.
Find out more

History

June 20, 2018

The city wants you to nominate historic NYC women who deserve a public monument

By Devin Gannon

Statue of Eleanor Roosevelt on Riverside Drive is just one of a handful of monuments to women in NYC; via Wikimedia City officials announced on Wednesday an initiative aimed at bringing more commemorations of historic New York City women to public spaces. First lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen are seeking ideas of women or events in women's history that should be honored with monuments. The Department of Cultural Affairs has committed up to $10 million for the program, called She Built NYC!. "This is a first step to creating a public art collection that more accurately represents the diversity of New York City's history," McCray told NY1.
Learn more

June 20, 2018

Preservationists, architects urge LPC to landmark Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building

By Devin Gannon

During a nearly two-hour public hearing on Tuesday, passionate preservationists, architects, and community groups testified in front of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in support of designating the postmodern skyscraper at 550 Madison Avenue as an individual landmark. Best known as the AT&T Building, the 37-story tower was designed by Philip Johnson, along with his partner John Burgee, and completed in 1984. As postmodernism's first skyscraper, 550 Madison has stood out for its pink-gray granite facade, arched entryway and Chippendale-inspired crown. A wide range of people on Tuesday voiced support for giving 550 Madison landmark designation, including architectural critic Paul Goldberger. In his testimony, Goldberger cited his own 1978 New York Times review of the building, before it was built, when he called the AT&T Building "a major monument" of postmodernism and "the most provocative and daring skyscraper to be proposed for New York since the Chrysler Building."
More this way

Policy

David Adjaye reveals interiors for luxury FiDi condo, his first NYC tower

Renderings by Binyan

June 19, 2018

David Adjaye reveals interiors for luxury FiDi condo, his first NYC tower

By Devin Gannon

With construction officially underway at 130 William Street and sales launching for the 244 condos later this month, Sir David Adjaye hosted an event last night to reveal the interiors of his 800-foot Financial District tower. And they're just as chic as expected, with finishes made from materials sourced from all over the world and hardware designed by the starchitect himself. Adjaye Associates collaborated with Hill West Architects on the project. "In defining the design for 130 William, I not only sought to celebrate New York City’s heritage of masonry architecture, referencing the historical architecture once pervasive upon one of the city’s earliest streets," Adjaye said. "However, and more importantly, 130 William has been crafted to focus on the new possibilities of urban, vertical living."
See the renderings here

Reaching over 1,000 feet, 35 Hudson Yards tops out as the mega-project’s tallest residential building

Construction photo via CityRealty

June 19, 2018

Reaching over 1,000 feet, 35 Hudson Yards tops out as the mega-project’s tallest residential building

By Devin Gannon

The first residential supertall to rise at the Hudson Yards mega-project officially topped out this week at 1,009 feet. Developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group, 35 Hudson Yards rises 72 floors and is now considered the ninth tallest structure in New York City, YIMBY reported. Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed the 1.1 million-square-foot mixed-use tower, which will accommodate 137 private residences, an Equinox-branded hotel and fitness club, office space and ground-floor retail.
More this way

100+ affordable apartments up for grabs at a South Bronx passive house, from $702/month

Rendering via Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

June 18, 2018

100+ affordable apartments up for grabs at a South Bronx passive house, from $702/month

By Devin Gannon

Located between East 151st and 153rd Streets, a 15-story affordable rental is now accepting applications for a whopping 107 units. Dubbed Park Avenue Green, the South Bronx building at 2980 Park Avenue is the second phase of a multi-phase housing project. Designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, the building includes 154 apartments and a 4,300-square-foot community facility. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 50, 60 and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units ranging from a $702/month studio to a $1,823/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 18, 2018

Live in an affordable three-bedroom near Brooklyn College in Flatbush for $1,279/month

By Devin Gannon

Via NYC HPD An eight-story affordable rental building in Flatbush is offering up seven three-bedroom apartments for just $1,279/month. Located at 1345 Rogers Avenue, just a short walk from Brooklyn College, Crystal Towers contains 91,100 square feet of residential space with a total of 123 apartments. Residents will have access to amenities like an on-site super, a rear garden, bike storage and on-site laundry. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the seven $1,279/month three-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 18, 2018

Michael Cohen’s inlaws list three condos at Trump World Tower amid legal battle

By Devin Gannon

Photo of Michael Cohen via Wikimedia; listing photo via Trump International Realty As President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, faces mounting legal fees, his family is looking to sell three condominium units at a 72-story Trump building in Manhattan. Bloomberg reported Friday that Cohen's father-in-law Fima Shusterman wants to sell three apartments he owns in Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza. Just two of the units are listed on the Trump International Realty website: a three-bedroom unit, 57B, for $6.7 million and a two-bedroom unit, 42A, for $4.5 million. Not listed but still for sale, the family's 43rd-floor apartment was purchased in 2003 for $1.85 million, but the current price is not yet known.
Find out more

Policy

June 15, 2018

Snag a one-bedroom at a passive house in Washington Heights, from $1,650/month

By Devin Gannon

A newly constructed rental that meets passive house standards has launched a lottery for six middle-income apartments in Washington Heights. Designed by PM Architecture, the Uptown six-story building contains 20 units and boasts a facade of charcoal-painted insulated panels. Located at 577 West 161st Street, the building will have a medical office on its first floor, residences above it, and an outdoor recreation space in the back. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the $1,650/month and $1,800/month one-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Construction kicks off on Dattner Architects’ nine-story Brooklyn Navy Yard building

By Devin Gannon

Just six months after filing permits for a nine-story mixed-use building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, city officials and developers broke ground Wednesday on 399 Sands Street. Designed by Dattner Architects, the building will feature a parking structure on four levels, four floors of manufacturing space and one floor for creative office space. The construction of 399 Sands Street is a key part of the Navy Yard's $1 billion expansion, overseen by Steiner Equities Group, which will add $2 million square feet. Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen also announced Wednesday a $40 million investment from the city to fund 230,000 square feet of leasable space above the parking area. "New York City grew up around the Brooklyn Navy Yard - and thanks to the City’s $40 million New York Works investment in 399 Sands Street, the Yard will continue to fuel growth, and provide manufacturing and creative jobs for generations to come," Glen said in a statement.
Find out more

First look at the latest huge residential project proposed for Greenpoint’s waterfront

Rendering posted on the construction fence

June 14, 2018

First look at the latest huge residential project proposed for Greenpoint’s waterfront

By Devin Gannon

On the site immediately south of the former Greenpoint Terminal Market, which was destroyed in a massive fire in 2006, three high-rise buildings are planned, containing hundreds of apartments. As of now, Halcyon Management Group has filed permits for a 19-story, 234-unit tower at 29 West Street, a 14-story, 92-unit tower at 37 West Street and a 33-story, 410-unit tower at 65 Private Drive. CityRealty recently uncovered the first renderings of the Brooklyn project, which show a total of four towers, with two 400-foot towers overlooking the East River, and two smaller buildings situated further inland. SLCE Architects is listed as the architect of record for the three buildings filed.
More this way

June 12, 2018

3 middle-income units up for grabs in a quiet section of Flushing in Queens, from $1,700/month

By Devin Gannon

Photo via Wikimedia A newly constructed four-story residential building in Murray Hill is now accepting applications for three middle-income units. But it's not the Murray Hill of Manhattan you know, but instead a quiet enclave in Queens, part of the sprawling neighborhood of Flushing. Found at 168-05 Depot Road, the rental sits just four blocks from the Long Island Rail Road station at Broadway. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the $1,700/month one-bedroom and two $1,950/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Lottery launches for 21 middle-income units at a new luxury rental in Jamaica Estates from $1,480/month

Photo via A&R Properties Group and TCX Development

June 11, 2018

Lottery launches for 21 middle-income units at a new luxury rental in Jamaica Estates from $1,480/month

By Devin Gannon

A newly constructed building in the upper-middle-class enclave of Jamaica Estates in Queens (aka President Donald Trump's hometown) is accepting applications for 21 mixed-income apartments. Dubbed the Maya, the eight-story luxury rental at 177-30 Wexford Terrace contains 68 units. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 85, 90, 100, 105, 110 and 115 percent of the area median income can apply for the units ranging from a $1,480/month studio to a $2,622/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 8, 2018

Live in the Bronx for just $1,100/month and get to Midtown in 40 minutes

By Devin Gannon

Photo by Axel Drainville on Flickr Three middle-income units are up for grabs at a newly constructed building in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 1779 Weeks Avenue, the rental sits just steps from the B and D train, making Midtown commutes a breeze. Plus, residents can enjoy open space, playgrounds and a public pool at Claremont Park, which is just a few blocks south. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for one $1,100/studio and two $1,300/month one-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

East Harlem’s affordable Sendero Verde complex gets fresh renderings and a 384-unit mixed-use tower

Rendering courtesy of Handel Architects

June 8, 2018

East Harlem’s affordable Sendero Verde complex gets fresh renderings and a 384-unit mixed-use tower

By Devin Gannon

Permits have been filed for a 37-story, 384-unit tower in East Harlem as part of Sendero Verde, a massive mixed-use complex developed by Jonathan Rose Companies and L + M Development. The site's newest building is set to rise at 1681 Madison Avenue and measure just over 385,000 square feet. Floors five through 36 of the Handel Architects-designed building will contain 12 apartments each; offices and retail space will occupy the first three levels, as CityRealty learned. A fresh pair of renderings of Sendero Verde highlights the winding central landscaped path, nonprofit DREAM's charter school and the extensive community space planned for the development.
More this way

Affordable Housing

June 8, 2018

Deal struck to fund discounted MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers

By Devin Gannon

Image by Ged Carroll on Flickr Reduced-fare MetroCards may soon become a reality for low-income straphangers, as Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council have reached a deal Wednesday to provide roughly $100 million in funding to the program. The mayor's agreement with Speaker Corey Johnson, who has been one of the most vocal supporters of a Fair Fares program, means the city would fully subsidize the cost of providing half-price MetroCards to New Yorkers who fall below the federal poverty line, or a household income of $25,000 for a family of four. Nearly 800,000 New Yorkers could benefit from the discounted fares. Under the tentative deal, the city would allocate $106 million in its upcoming budget, which would pay for six months of the program beginning in January, according to the New York Times.
Find out more

How the cardboard box was accidentally invented in a NYC factory

55 Washington Street in 1907, courtesy of the Skyscaper Museum

June 7, 2018

How the cardboard box was accidentally invented in a NYC factory

By Devin Gannon

New Yorkers are known for their innovative thinking: Inventions like Scrabble, credit cards, and even Baked Alaska all came from local creators. A little less exciting, but still a crucial contraption, the cardboard box was also invented in New York City. Like many discoveries, the box came to be only after a careless mistake. Scottish-born entrepreneur Robert Gair owned a paper bag factory on Reade Street in Manhattan. One day in 1879, a pressman accidentally cut through thousands of small seed bags, instead of pressing them. Following the accident, Gair, who moved headquarters to Dumbo, developed a method for the mass production of cardboard boxes and later supplied major companies like Kellogg and Nabisco.
Find out more

History

June 7, 2018

Live next to foodie-favorite Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, from $1,407/month

By Devin Gannon

Photo via Harold Navarro on Flickr A lottery launched this week for affordable apartments across two multi-family apartment buildings in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Located at 27 and 34 North 6th Street, the 347-unit site sits just steps away from the waterfront as well as the East River State Park, home to stunning views and beloved weekly market, Smorgasburg. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units ranging from a $1,407/month studio to a $1,820/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 7, 2018

Anti-bigotry ‘service’ posters hit NYC subway stations for Pride Month

By Devin Gannon

The normally drab service posters found across the city's subway stations got a burst of color this month. Instead of detailing changes to late-night train service, these rainbow-adorned signs remind commuters that no "bigotry, hatred or prejudice" is allowed at any time, as Pride Month, a celebration of LGBTQ love, kicks off. Originally created by School of Visual Arts faculty member Thomas Shim and alumni Ezequiel Consoli and Jack Welles (Kyle Harrison was added to the core team this year), the posters will remain fastened to the station walls throughout the month of June.
More details here

Torn off by a fan in 1973, a right field sign from the old Yankee Stadium just sold for $55K

Photo via Clean Sweep Auctions

June 7, 2018

Torn off by a fan in 1973, a right field sign from the old Yankee Stadium just sold for $55K

By Devin Gannon

On September 30, 1973, during the last home game at Yankee Stadium before the historic arena underwent two years of renovations, diehard baseball fans came wielding screwdrivers and hammers. Not to fight fans from the opposing team of that night's game, the Detroit Tigers, but to dismantle any memorabilia from "The House That Ruth Built." One fan somehow got his hands on a right field sign wall that designates the 296-foot distance from home plate (h/t Forbes). A family member of the brazen fan put up the sign for auction last month and on Wednesday, after 18 bids, the 1960s era sign sold for a final sale price of $55,344.
Find out more

History

June 6, 2018

Apply for 4 affordable apartments in blossoming Bushwick, from $985/month

By Devin Gannon

Rendering via Andy McGee Design Located where Bushwick's bustling Myrtle and Central Avenues meet, a newly constructed rental building at 1164-1168 Greene Avenue is offering up four affordable apartments. The 20-unit, four-story building features amenities like a lounge, laundry room and terraces. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for two $985/month one-bedrooms and two $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Interactive tool tracks the declining affordability of New York City

Phoo via CC0 License

June 6, 2018

Interactive tool tracks the declining affordability of New York City

By Devin Gannon

Between 2005 and 2016, the cost of basic needs like housing, transit, food and healthcare has grown at twice the rate of incomes in New York City, according to a new report released by City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Monday. Stringer's office created a first-of-its-kind Affordability Index to track how much money New Yorkers have left over after taxes and basic expenses. The numbers are not comforting. The report found that single adults living in NYC had just $641 leftover after taxes and basic expenses in 2016, compared to $831 a decade ago. "Over the last decade, the money that New Yorkers could be putting away – for retirement, for college, or even for a simple family night out – has been shrinking," Stringer said in a press release. "Our growing affordability crisis is making it harder for families to enjoy a basic middle-class lifestyle – and is forcing them to choose between staying in New York City and leaving."
Explore the index

Amazing aerial photos show One Vanderbilt’s ascent

Photo by Max Touhey

June 6, 2018

Amazing aerial photos show One Vanderbilt’s ascent

By Devin Gannon

Construction of SL Green's supertall One Vanderbilt continues to push forward, with the steel erection on the 16th floor now complete. By the end of the year, the developer expects to reach the 30th floor of the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed, 1,401-foot skyscraper, which will become the city's second tallest skyscraper when completed in 2020. A fresh set of aerial photos of the tower provide a new perspective of the surrounding buildings, including neighboring Grand Central Terminal. And with even more sky-high news, SL Green reportedly announced that tickets to One Vanderbilt's 1,000-foot observatory will cost about $39, or $5 more than that of One WTC.
See the pictures

June 5, 2018

Lord & Taylor is closing its 104-year-old Fifth Avenue flagship store

By Devin Gannon

Photo courtesy of Lord & Taylor Lord & Taylor's iconic New York City flagship store will close its doors next year, after occupying the Fifth Avenue building for 104 years. In an attempt to keep afloat last year, Hudson's Bay, owner of the department store, sold the 676,000-square-foot building for $850 million to WeWork, who planned to make the landmark its new global headquarters. While Lord & Taylor was left with roughly 150,000 square feet of space at 424 Fifth Avenue, the company struggled to maintain profitability after the turnover of the building to WeWork. Including the iconic flagship, the company will also close as many as 10 Lord & Taylor stores total (h/t Bloomberg). In a first-quarter report, Hudson's Bay said: "Exiting this iconic space reflects Lord & Taylor's increasing focus on its digital opportunity and HBC's commitment to improving profitability."
More here

Real Estate Trends

All articles by Devin Gannon

Pitch a Story

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Distinctive Post Form

Get in Touch

Send us a Tip

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Thinking about selling your home?

Sell a Home (Footer)

Before You Move On from this Page.

Your Passport to NYC:Subscribe for Local Insights and Stories!

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Your Passport to NYC:
Subscribe for Local Insights and Stories!