Brooklyn

May 27, 2021

The 7 best beaches in NYC

Want to hit the beach? Most New Yorkers have two options--sit in endless hours of traffic trying to get to the beaches on the Hamptons or down the Jersey Shore, or have a staycation in the city. And while the latter may sound boring (and hot!) there are plenty of beaches to hit up within the boroughs. From the Rockaways to Fort Tilden, we've rounded up the seven best sandy spots in New York City.
Check out the list
May 26, 2021

For $2.5M, this historic Victorian in Ditmas Park has a suburban yard and two-car garage

Ditmas Park is well known for its large, free-standing homes, but this $2,495,000 Victorian beauty takes suburban living in Brooklyn to another level. Located at 685 East 22nd Street, the six-bedroom, 2,400+ square-foot home is situated on a 50' x 100' corner lot, allowing for front, side, and rear yards, an enclosed front porch, and a two-car garage. And just wait until you see the beautifully preserved interiors, full of Arts and Crafts woodwork and stained glass, all dating to the home's turn-of-the-century construction.
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May 25, 2021

Cupcake moldings are the icing on the cake at this sweet Carroll Gardens co-op, asking $1.7M

This two-bedroom Carroll Gardens co-op looks like something you'd find on a Pinterest board. Cupcake and crown moldings, marble fireplaces, pocket doors, and a grand pier mirror from the 1800s have all been maintained in pristine condition. And when mixed with the more modern, yet equally dreamy, decor, the 1,100-square-foot home is completely breathtaking. Located at 86 2nd Place, it's asking $1,695,000.
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May 24, 2021

Full of raw materials and Scandinavian style, this Bed-Stuy townhouse is asking $3.9M

Built in 1879, this Italianate rowhouse in Bed-Sty "has been meticulously restored while incorporating a modern flair," as the listing describes. TBo architects oversaw a rear extension that extends to all four floors, while Townhouse Therapy renovated the interiors. Now on the market for $3,895,000, the nearly 4,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home has unique industrial bones, including natural wood tones almost everywhere you look, original brick walls, and exposed concrete columns and beams. But to soften the look, the decor has a modern, Scandinavian feel. There's also an income-generating garden-level apartment.
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May 20, 2021

In Carroll Gardens, this unique $6M home was originally Brooklyn’s first kindergarten

Two-and-a-half years ago, the former schoolhouse at 236 President Street in Carroll Gardens was designated an official NYC landmark for its Beaux-Arts architecture, connection to local immigrant history, and the fact that it was Brooklyn's first kindergarten. The designation came after the then single-family home was slated for demolition to make way for a condo but neighbors and preservationists rallied to save it. Now, the five-bedroom, nearly 4,000-square-foot home (it's currently configured as a two-family residence) is on the market for $5,995,000.
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May 17, 2021

Brooklyn’s tallest tower unveils highest infinity pool in the Western Hemisphere

After several years of rendering-peeping, we finally have the full reveal of Brooklyn Point's rooftop infinity pool, situated 680 feet above the ground. This makes it the highest such pool in the Western Hemisphere, surpassing the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel pool in Singapore. The condo tower from Extell also has the distinction of being the borough's tallest tower and offers other amazing amenities such as a stargazing observatory, 65-foot indoor saltwater swimming pool, a rock-climbing wall, and a squash/basketball court.
See more views here
May 14, 2021

Just off Greenwood Cemetery, this modern and bright townhouse is asking $2.15M

Just two blocks from Greenwood Cemetery and a quick walk to Prospect Park, this lovely Greenwood Heights townhouse at 278 22nd Street is asking $2,150,000. A recent artistic renovation created a modern, almost Scandinavian-inspired interior, with lots of light and clean, open spaces. There are three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a rear deck that leads to a large backyard.
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May 13, 2021

42 middle-income units up for grabs at luxury Downtown Brooklyn rental with a pool, roof deck

Just this week, leasing launched at the splashy new Downtown Brooklyn rental 1 Boerum Place, with units including a $4,385/month one-bedroom and a $6,646/month two-bedroom. But if you earn 130 percent of the median income and are one of the 42 lucky applicants chosen, you can live in this luxury building for a lot less. A middle-income affordable housing lottery opened today and the available apartments range from $2,000/month studios to $3,120/month two-bedrooms. In addition to beautiful homes, the centrally located building offers a high-end amenity package that includes a rooftop terrace (complete with a "stargazing lawn"), an indoor swimming pool, sauna, and automated parking.
See if you qualify
May 11, 2021

New design for Marsha P. Johnson State Park adds more greenery, scraps rainbow-striped mural

A new design was unveiled last week for Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg following backlash regarding the state's original proposal. During the local community board's Parks and Waterfront Committee meeting last Thursday, Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners presented a revised plan that incorporates more greenery and plantings to the Brooklyn waterfront site and ditches the rainbow-striped plastic mural that opponents criticized, as first reported by Brooklyn Paper.
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May 7, 2021

Brooklyn Public Library reveals Central Library redesign by Toshiko Mori

This week, the Brooklyn Public Library revealed the first phase of a major remodel of its Central Library on Grand Army Plaza. Designed by renowned architect Toshiko Mori, the undertaking was the single largest renovation and restoration in the Central Library’s 80-year history. The modern, light-filled rooms now provide more accessible space for the public, which includes civic commons for community engagement (providing city and passport services), a "new and noteworthy" book gallery, and an enlarged and modernized business and career center.
Take a tour
May 7, 2021

New exhibit projects photos of pandemic parenting moments onto the Manhattan Bridge

The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, but especially so on parents who have had to help their children deal with this time of uncertainty and stress. A new photo exhibition launched in Brooklyn this week that pays tribute to the many "at-home heroes" of New York. The Dumbo Improvement District, in partnership with Photoville, is projecting photos of COVID-caregiving in action onto the Manhattan Bridge every night between Mother's Day this Sunday and Father's Day on June 20.
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April 27, 2021

See the new $7M park coming to the Williamsburg waterfront

Construction officially kicked off this month at a new section of the Bushwick Inlet Park in Williamsburg. The long-awaited two-acre green space, dubbed 50 Kent, is scheduled to open in April 2022. Designs of the parkland, which was promised by the city as part of the 2005 rezoning of the Greenpoint and Williamsburg waterfront, were approved in 2018, but work stalled due to COVID-related budget cuts, as Brooklyn Paper reported.
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April 26, 2021

$8.5M Boerum Hill townhouse has a retractable roof, wine cellar, and glass elevator

This state-of-the-art townhouse in Boerum Hill was built in 1910, but a 2018 overhaul reimagined it as a contemporary, light-filled, and tech-focused home. Located at 150 Bergen Street and asking $8,495,000, the townhouse has five bedrooms and a studio apartment, as well as fun additions like a glass elevator, wine cellar, home gym with a cedar-paneled sauna, and a roof deck with a motorized skybox.
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April 22, 2021

New details for 100% affordable housing complex planned for historic hospital site in Brooklyn

New details and images of an affordable housing development planned for the site of an abandoned hospital in Brooklyn were released earlier this month, ahead of the project's expected public review. During an April 13 meeting, Hudson Companies and St. Nicks Alliance presented Brooklyn Community Board 1 with an updated proposal for Cooper Park Commons, a four-building 100 percent affordable complex that will be built at the long-vacant Greenpoint Hospital site at 288 Jackson Street in East Williamsburg.
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April 19, 2021

$2.45M Dumbo penthouse with skyline views is a design magazine’s dream

This Dumbo penthouse has been featured in over a dozen design publications, including Architectural Digest, Dwell, and The New York Times. And it's for good reason. Designed by General Assembly, there are interesting details everywhere: Reclaimed oak beams from 19th-century barns serve as the floors; a glam built-in bar doubles as a pet-food station; and there are concrete walls and Flavor Paper wallpaper throughout. In addition, there are two balconies and a massive roof deck with views of the Manhattan Bridge and downtown skyline. Located at 102 Gold Street, the two-bedroom condo is asking $2,450,000.
Have a look around
April 15, 2021

On the Williamsburg waterfront, this $4M penthouse has panoramic views and a private roof deck

It's been 12 years since the Williamsburg waterfront was forever changed when the two massive towers of The Edge were constructed. Located in the South Tower at 22 North 6th Street, this $3,999,999 penthouse shows that the condo hasn't lost any of its prestige over the years. At nearly 2,000 square feet, the three-bedroom duplex has 21-foot floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Brooklyn, as well as a 714-square-foot private rooftop terrace.
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April 9, 2021

‘Whispering Libraries’ broadcasts music and poetry from hidden outdoor speakers across Brooklyn

While the city's public libraries remain open for grab-and-go lobby service only, a new initiative brings poetry and literature right to you. The Brooklyn Public Library this month launched Whispering Libraries, an outdoor audio experience featuring a collection of oral histories, podcast excerpts, spoken word, and more, broadcast from hidden speakers at branches across the borough. The curated playlists can be heard up to five times per day at 10 select branches.
Get the details
April 9, 2021

In Brownsville, 106 affordable apartments come online, starting at $362/month

Courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development Right off the New Lots Avenue station on the L train, a new rent-stabilized building has launched a mixed-income affordable housing lottery for those earning 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income. Located at 96 New Lots Avenue, the site is part of the larger Ebenezer Plaza project that will bring four towers to two sites on the block. The available units range from $362/month studios to $2,037/month three-bedrooms.
See if you qualify
April 8, 2021

Prospect Park’s colorful Concert Grove Pavilion with star-shaped stained-glass skylight reopens

After being closed to the public for nearly seven years, the historic Concert Grove Pavilion in Prospect Park reopened this week following a restoration. Designed in 1874 by Calvert Vaux, who co-designed the Brooklyn park with Frederick Law Olmsted, the stunning structure features colorfully painted wood ceilings and iron columns, ornate wooden trim, and a star-patterned stained-glass dome.
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April 8, 2021

This tiny house in Red Hook feels like a California surf shack for $1.6M

True to its Red Hook roots, this newly reimagined property is completely unique, blending laid-back vibes reminiscent of a California surf shack with contemporary design and industrial touches. The house itself is tiny, with just two rooms and a bathroom, but there's a separate detached worked studio, a roof deck, and an outdoor oasis complete with two decks, a covered patio, and even a fire pit. This magical home is now on the market for $1,595,000.
Take the full tour
April 1, 2021

Smorgasburg to open new flea market at former Hester Street Fair site

Outdoor food market operator Smorgasburg announced on Wednesday that it will open a new flea market at a location already familiar to most New Yorkers. Hester Flea will set up shop on the Lower East Side at Hester and Essex Streets, the same place where the Hester Street Fair operated for the last decade, organizers said in an email. As Curbed first reported, the Seward Park Co-op board did not renew the longtime LES fair's lease after their agreement ended last year.
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April 1, 2021

Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel opens April 9 with advance reservations

After never being able to reopen last year, Coney Island's Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park will open for the 2021 season on Friday, April 9, the date on which the state said outdoor amusement parks and rides can reopen at 33 percent capacity. For now, the Wonder Wheel will only be open on weekends from 11am to 6pm with advance reservations (there will also be a limited number of standby tickets).
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April 1, 2021

$3M Brooklyn Heights loft has a roof deck overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge

Everything at this Brooklyn Heights loft is a little bit extra--the 18-foot beamed ceiling, a functional Olympic wood-burning stove, and, best of all, a roof deck overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, New York Harbor, and Manhattan skyline. Located at 8 Old Fulton Street, the two-bedroom co-op is asking $2,999,999.
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March 30, 2021

West Elm opens first NYC outlet store at Industry City

Furniture and decor retailer West Elm on Monday opened its first outlet store in New York City. The store occupies 15,000 square feet in Sunset Park's Industry City complex, which already houses the company's massive "Makers Studio" workshop. The six million square foot Brooklyn campus is home to a number of furniture and design outlets, including ABC Carpet + Home and Design Within Reach.
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March 22, 2021

44 affordable senior apartments available at new rental in Williamsburg

Applications are currently being accepted for 44 affordable units in Brooklyn that are designated for seniors. The Debevoise Senior Housing building, located at 40 Debevoise Street on the border of Williamsburg and Bushwick, rises eight stories and includes on-site laundry, a recreation room, community center, and common outdoor space. To apply, applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older, qualify for Section 8 benefits, and earn $51,200 or less, annually. Eligible applicants will pay 30 percent of their income for the studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify
March 19, 2021

$11M Brooklyn Heights house has a two-car garage, wine cave, and full roof deck

There are plenty of beautiful townhouses in Brooklyn Heights, but perhaps none check off as many boxes in the luxury category as this one at 149 Clinton Street. Asking $10,950,000, the 121-year-old home sits on the corner of Schermerhorn Street, affording it an extra-large lot that can accommodate a two-car garage. Other high-end perks include a brick wine cave, a glass-enclosed stairway as well as an elevator, and a full roof deck. And with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a rec room, there's plenty of space for everyone.
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