Bed-Stuy

June 4, 2015

All the Details Are Intact at This $1.5M Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone

If you're in the market for a classic Brooklyn brownstone with all its details intact, check out this home for sale at 454 Jefferson Avenue in Bed-Stuy. The Second Empire-style house, which is four stories and holds two units, is boasting well-kept interior details alongside some more modern renovations. Simply put, it's a solid brownstone property without any special frills–just the exposed brick, wood floors and large windows. It's asking $1.55 million.
See the interior
June 3, 2015

Bed-Stuy Townhouse with Flair and Flexibility Asks $2 Million

This four-family brownstone at 278 Clifton Place in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, just hit the market for $1.995 million. It's a well-preserved historic brownstone that offers plenty of potential for conversion. It's currently set up as an owners duplex with two rental units above, but as the listing says, "You have the flexibility to make it a grand single family home, smart double duplex, triplex over garden rental or four floor-through income generating units." The house already has an extension that includes a terrace for the third-floor rental unit. The extra space and the flexible configuration gives the new buyer plenty of opportunity to use their imagination.
Check out the interior
June 2, 2015

Interior Renderings Revealed for Central Park South’s Brand New 1,210-Foot Supertall

Last week, the first exterior images of Central Park South's new supertall 1 Park Lane surfaced. Now NY YIMBY has obtained additional renderings of the 1,210-foot condo tower being designed by Handel Architects, showing off what the interiors could look like, and, most notably, the kinds of views afforded by the multi-million-dollar perches above.
See more here
May 27, 2015

REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

Just a week after Manhattan's Community Board 5 called for a moratorium on shadow-casting Central Park skyscrapers taller than 600 feet, renderings have been revealed for the next supertall tower coming to the periphery of the park. New York Yimby first spotted the images for 1 Park Lane, the 1,210-foot-tall glassy condo that will replace the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel at 36 Central Park South and become the fourth-tallest residential building in the city.
More details ahead
May 22, 2015

Fully-Furnished Rentals Launch at One57

In the past when we've talked about the latest occupancies at billionaires' row blockbuster One57 we were referring to the record-breaking $100 million condo sale (the most expensive in the city ever) or Bill Ackman's $91.5 million flip attempt. But now those looking to get in on the city's most expensive condo building can do so without dropping seven figures in one fell swoop. Extell Development, after selling most of the condos at One57, has quietly listed 38 fully-furnished apartments for rent on the building's seven lower residential floors. But don't get too excited if you're not in the billionaires' club; asking prices range from $13,350/month for a one-bedroom unit to $50,366 for a three-bedroom.
More details ahead
May 12, 2015

The Nordstrom Tower Will Not Be Taller than 1 World Trade Center, Says Developer Gary Barnett

Yesterday, new details on Extell's Nordstrom Tower were leaked, stating that the tower's height had been stretched 20 feet to trump the One World Trade Center. But it looks like the news was all fodder as Extell Development boss Gary Barnett has stepped out denying that his supertall slated for 217 West 57th Street will reach such heights. The NY Post spoke with Barnett late yesterday and the developer told the paper that the tower “will categorically not be taller than One World Trade Center.” Barnett clarified that the building will reach 1,775 feet (with its spire) as planned, which is just one foot shorter than the One World Trade Center.
More on what Barnett had to say
May 12, 2015

19th Century Bed-Stuy Townhouse on ‘Doctors Row’ Is Swimming in Wood Details

When you're lucky enough to come across a gorgeous older home that has been lovingly restored like this eight-bedroom home at 126 Hancock Street, you grab your broker and run like the wind to claim it. And you just might do so after you've had a look at this brownstone. This stunning home was originally built in 1883 by architect Isaac D. Reynolds and has been carefully restored to its original glory by a team of interior designers from Pure Interior Design of New York. After this group was finished shining this baby up like a brand-new penny, we were left with a stunning home with all the modern updates, asking $3.195 million.
More pics inside
May 4, 2015

Extell Looks to Religion to Build Its Next 57th Street Supertall Tower

In the past, it was street names like Park Avenue and Central Park West that signaled a building's wealth and prestige, but these days it's gotten confined to a much shorter thoroughfare, 57th Street. Appropriately dubbed Billionaires' Row, the stretch has gotten much heat lately for its influx of supertall towers casting shadows on Central Park just to the north. Three of the towers in this sky-high lineup belong to Extell Development: the under-construction Nordstrom Tower at 217 West 57th Street, which will be the tallest residential building in the world when completed; 111 West 57th Street; and everyone's favorite One57. But now, as Crain's reveals, Extell is looking to expand its 57th Street portfolio with the site of the current Calvary Baptist Church and the Salisbury Hotel at 123 West 57th Street, on the same block as 111 West 57th and One57. As the paper reports, the church "will soon decide whether it will sell its sanctuary and 197-room hotel" to the developer.
More on the possible project here
April 29, 2015

Central Park Sunshine Task Force Meets to Speak Out Against Supertall Shadows

There are a dozen supertalls (1,000 feet or higher) in the construction or planning stages in Manhattan, many of which are sprouting up along the billionaires' row hotbed south of Central Park. The trend has incensed many New Yorkers because of the shadows these giant towers will cast on the park. Last month, Councilman Mark Levine introduced legislation to create a task force that will examine, as he put it, “the looming threat of shadows falling on our parks from the rising number of skyscrapers.” A similar group of concerned parties, the Central Park Sunshine Task Force of Community Board 5, met last night to discuss the issue. As Curbed reports, in the standing-room-only town hall meeting at the New York Public Library the group covered issues including zoning laws, transparency in the building process, construction safety, matters of light and air, overdevelopment, and even the "'phallic' nature of the buildings themselves."
More on the meeting here
April 28, 2015

Five Luxury Towers Will Account for One-Third of New Development Sales over the Next Five Years

It's projected that over the next five years, new development sales in Manhattan condos will total $27.6-$33.6+ billion, but this sky-high figure is heavily skewed by prices in just five buildings. These luxury towers will account for one-third of the total projection. Three of the buildings -- 432 Park, 220 Central Park South, and 550 Madison Avenue (the former Sony Building) -- are located on billionaires' row and are expected to bring in a whopping $8 billion. The Greenwich Lane and 10 Madison Square West will also likely bring in close to $1.5 billion each. Along with this boost from the upper end of the market comes a trend where fewer units are selling, but prices are shooting up.
More info and CityRealty's full infographic here
April 22, 2015

Stuyvesant Heights Townhouse Offers Three Kinds of ‘Green’ for $1.45M

This multi-family townhouse at 633 Macdonough Street in Stuyvesant Heights is an exquisite combination of high-end renovations and beautifully restored details—and green in more ways than one. Fully renovated in 2011 and impeccably maintained, this three-story home features a new EPDM roof with an environmentally-friendly solar array (green #1), an income-producing rental on the top floor (green #2), and your very own garden (green #3).
See more of this very green home
April 20, 2015

New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential Building in the World

It's been relatively quiet on the Nordstrom Tower front since we saw some skyline renderings in September. But now YIMBY has uncovered the official renderings for Extell's 217 West 57th Street, the 92-story, 1,775-foot supertall that will take the title of tallest residential building in the world when completed, surpassing Mumbai’s World One Tower by 29 feet. The images continue to show how the tower will dominate the skyline, but they also give us a detailed look at the façade and a peek into one of the penthouses.
See all the renderings here
April 12, 2015

Construction Update: SOM’s 252 East 57th Street Getting Its Glass Skin

With foundation work complete, the World Wide Group / Rose Associates' tower at 252 East 57th Street is rapidly making its climb into the Midtown East skyline. The 57-story development composed of 93 condos and 173 rentals is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), with SLCE serving as the architects of record. Despite the tower's location along the eastern fringe of cloud-busting billionaire's row, the 715-foot building won't be competing for any height records–for instance, 111 West 57th Street is double its height at 1,428 feet. Instead, the tower is shaping up to be more of a typical Midtown East affair, falling in line with its Second Avenue context by providing a broad 80-foot-high base along the avenue and a sheer 50-story rectangular slab rising above. Recent residential towers along Second Avenue such as The Milan, The Veneto, and The Three Ten share 252's massing, which planners prescribed to conform new skyscrapers to the rows of existing walk-up buildings.
More details on the project here
April 10, 2015

Renovated Bespoke Bed Stuy Townhouse Sells for $2M

"Every surface, space and system has been carefully considered, restored and renovated with an artist's eye and artisan's craftsmanship," says the listing for this restored brick townhouse in Bed Stuy. Located at 109 Clifton Place, the wonderfully bespoke home has sold for $2,050,000, according to city records released today. The artistic quality of the home makes sense, as the previous owners were Darren Foote, an artist specializing in mixed media and woodworking, and Kristen Dodge, founder of the Lower East Side's DODGE Gallery. The couple cleverly redesigned their home, mixing classic historic details, artsy personal touches, and rustic features that would fit right in at Brooklyn's newest artisanal restaurant.
Tour the Brooklyn beauty here
March 31, 2015

City Council Task Force Will Look at Park Shadows Cast by Supertall Towers

It comes up every time a rendering is released for the latest supertall tower –how will the massive structure impede the views of its neighbors and what kind of obstructive shadows will it cast below? With a dozen supertalls (1,000 feet or higher) in the construction or planning stages in Manhattan, the threats are imminent and unavoidable, but Councilman Mark Levine hopes to get ahead of the issue moving forward. Levine, who chairs the parks committee, will introduce legislation today to create a task force that will examine, as he put it, "the looming threat of shadows falling on our parks from the rising number of skyscrapers," according to Capital New York.
More information here
March 29, 2015

Design Vidal’s Peter Hassler Breathes New Life into an Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone

When owner Peter Hassler wanted to update his Bed-Stuy brownstone, the budding designer took matters into his own hands. After living there for nearly a decade, he teamed up with Design Vidal, a Los Angeles-based firm that specializes in restoring historic buildings. The partnership helped give Hassler's Stuyvesant Avenue home–built in 1892–a much-needed renovation, while also breathing new life into its original accents.
See how they balanced the old with the new
March 18, 2015

It’s a Hip-Hop Revolution! Photos of a Pop Culture Movement Born in New York

New York has long been a haven for creatives, with some of art and music's most iconic producing their most profound works within the borders of our city. But few movements have proved as significant and lasting an influence on global fashion, politics and culture than hip-hop. In a new photo exhibit coming to the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) next month, three of the most dynamic and renowned photographers of the hip-hop scene, Janette Beckman, Joe Conzo, and Martha Cooper, share their experiences at the height of the movement in the 1980s when it took not only the nation by storm, but the world. The trio of shutterbugs share photos that zoom into hip-hop's pioneering days in the South Bronx, as DJs, MCs, and b-boys and b-girls were inventing new forms of self-expression through sounds and movement. Prominent hip-hop figures such as Afrika Bambaataa, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Salt N Pepa and Flava Flav are just a few of the faces documented, and in the series you'll get a look at the kind of life and vibrancy that permeated the Bronx and Harlem during the 1980s. MCNY recently sent 6sqft a slew of the more than 100 photographs that will be on show starting April 1st. Jump ahead to get a taste of what's sure to be one of your most memorable and nostalgic museum visits.
See all the incredible photos here
March 17, 2015

Slab of Plexiglass Dislodges at One57 and Falls on Two Cars Below

Watch where you walk when treading near supertall towers. The WSJ reports that a stop work order has been issued at One57 after a kitchen table-sized piece of Plexiglass fell from the 22nd floor of the tower on Sunday, smashing into two parked cars down below. Thankfully no one was injured in the incident, but the accident is just one in a slew of construction mishaps that have plagued the building. In late February, glass from the tower landed on a neighboring building’s terrace, and last May, a windowpane fell from the 22nd floor, hitting a truck below. The building was also creating precarious conditions back in 2012 during Super Storm Sandy, when all of New York City looked on in horror as the support cable of an 80-ton crane at the top of the building broke, causing it dangle above their heads.
Is one57 cursed? Find out more here
March 5, 2015

REVEALED: Asking Prices, Floorplans for 520 Park Avenue, the Next Billionaire’s Row Blockbuster

Developers of 520 Park Avenue have revealed apartment prices for all units in the building, which is poised to become one of the city’s most expensive condominium towers and include a $130 million penthouse. The building, which will rise in the high-priced corridor flanking Central Park that has been dubbed “Billionaire’s Row,” is expected to gross $1.2 billion in apartment sales, according to initial offering prices detailed in documents filed with the Attorney General’s office. The $1.2 billion in total sales—which will make the building one of the most expensive in Manhattan history—is all the more impressive considering that current plans call for only 31 units, most of which will be full-floor residences.
Click here for full pricing information and floor plans
March 5, 2015

220 Central Park South Penthouse Could Set a New Record with $175 Million Price Tag

It's a good day for Robert A.M. Stern, whose buildings seem to be bringing billionaires to their knees. The Real Deal has just caught wind of the offering plan for Stern's 220 Central Park South tower being developed by Vornado. According to the papers filed with the Attorney General and sources close to the development, the penthouse may ask $150 million to $175 million, bringing the building's total sellout to a staggering $2.4 billion. The $175 million price tag would by far blow the Sony Building's $150 million penthouse out of the water, and most certainly One57's record $100 million sale which currently holds the title for the most expensive unit ever sold in the city.
Find out more here, plus floor plans!
January 14, 2015

Affordable Brooklyn Fading: Last Chance to Buy a Home Under $1M in Areas Like Bed-Stuy and Bushwick

If you've been looking to buy a home in Brooklyn, you'd better do it now–because townhouses under $1 million are going fast as investors and house hunters turn to the likes of Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights for cheap buys after being priced out of other areas in the borough. The news, which comes via DNA Info, isn't all that surprising, as we reported just yesterday that $3 million-plus townhouses are becoming the norm in already-gentrified neighborhoods like Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope. But those mulling over whether or not to close on a home in an up-and-coming neighborhood had better make the move, because affordable townhouse listings are increasingly becoming few and far between.
Find out more here
December 22, 2014

So You Think You Know Everything About One57?

Well, you might want to think twice. Even though the city's most expensive condo building is also perhaps the most written-about (even the Times has run out of ways to describe it), there are still plenty of little-known facts about the 1,005-foot-tall tower. One57 is considered the crown jewel of what's been dubbed "Billionaire's Row," and can also be credited with launching the ultra-luxury building boom. Developed by Extell's Gary Barnett and designed by Pritzker-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc, the sleek tower is currently the second tallest structure in the city. And that's just the beginning.
Bone up on your One57 factoids here
November 10, 2014

Home and Away: Is Airbnb a Threat to the Affordable Housing Market?

Controversial room-sharing startup Airbnb, one of the most visible players in what is being called the “sharing economy,” has recently awakened the innovation vs. regulation argument in all the usual ways–and a few new ones, including the accusation that these short-term rentals are depleting the already-scarce affordable housing stock in pricey metro areas like San Francisco and New York City.
What the latest data reveals–and what's being done about it
October 19, 2014

Inside the Historic $6M Bed-Stuy Mansion with a Presidential Connection

Bed-Stuy's most expensive single-family home has a set of new photos that gives us a closer look into the work that's been put into bringing this storied home back to life. Designed by Montrose Morris and modeled after a Gilded Age Vanderbilt mansion along Fifth Avenue, this spectacular house known as 'The Kelley Mansion' was built for water meter magnate John Kelley in 1900. The mansion was a favorite hangout of Kelley's pal President Grover Cleveland and has for the better part of its existence been affectionately referred to as the 'Grand Dame' of Hancock Street. The home fell into disrepair over the decades, but savior Claudia Moran, a retired ad exec, dedicated a great deal of her time and money restoring the mansion after buying it up for just $7,500 in the 1980s. It's now selling for $6 million.
Take a look inside the incredible mansion
October 15, 2014

Bed-Stuy: From Harlem and Hip-Hop to Hipsters, Hassids and High Rents

Brooklyn is changing fast and at the forefront of this is Bedford-Stuyvesant—or as it's more commonly known, Bed-Stuy. Like most New York neighborhoods, Bed-Stuy has had its ups and downs, its most notable down being the 80s and 90s when crime and drugs were at a record high. But as hard as the times may have gotten, the neighborhood has maintained itself as one of the city's most culturally significant. Bed-Stuy has long been home to one of the largest concentrations of African-Americans in New York, it boasts beautiful well-preserved architecture spanning countless styles and centuries, and of course, there is the neighborhood's central role in the hip-hop movement.
More on the history and future of Bed-Stuy