Brooklyn

Sure, there are plenty of rooftops to get your drink on this summer, but here's a chance to do it with fireworks and fish. As part of the inaugural season of their new Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit, Coney Island's New York Aquarium is hosting late-night Friday and Saturday night rooftop parties during August and Labor Day weekend. The aquarium usually closes at 7pm, but for Summer Nights they'll welcome guests until 10pm with cocktails and a fireworks display on the roof of their new building, as well as extended access to the nine new spaces, including a 40-foot-long immersive coral reef tunnel, a rare look into the underwater "Grand Canyon," and a real hull from a local shipwreck.
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Events & Things To Do

RENTING IN NYC: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): 485 Marin Boulevard, Lewis Steel Building, Heritage Dean Street and 321 Wythe Avenue

July 28, 2018

RENTING IN NYC: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): 485 Marin Boulevard, Lewis Steel Building, Heritage Dean Street and 321 Wythe Avenue 321 Wythe Debuts in Williamsburg: Luxury Rentals with All-Star Amenities + Skyline Views [link] The Alabama in Greenwich Village: Furnished Rentals for Students and Young Professionals [link] Clinton Hill’s Latest Rental Debuts with Homes from $2,175/Month [link] Meet […]

Real Estate Trends

July 26, 2018

880+ affordable homes, new performing arts center and public space upgrades coming to Brownsville

A proposal to revitalize Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood was announced one year ago, with a plan to bring a seven-building housing development to the area unveiled last month. And on Thursday, city officials released more details about the massive project, with new renderings and updates on its progress. As part of the Brownsville Plan, the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development will bring a new arts center and school run by a group from the Brooklyn Music School and a media lab run by BRIC, new retail and commercial space, and a rooftop greenhouse with locally sourced produce. Plus, two proposals were selected as the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge winners, a competition that sought to find ways to enhance the area's "nighttime experience."
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July 26, 2018

5 chances to live in the hip hub of Bushwick, from $926/month

Photo via Victoria Pickering on Flickr If you live at 682 Bushwick Avenue, chances are you would never go hungry. The rental building, which sits at the corner of Bushwick and Willoughby Avenues, is near local bars like Happyfun Hideaway and Birdy's, Mexican eatery Regalo De Juquila and artsy cafe Little Skips. A lottery launched this week at the building for five units set aside for New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income. Available apartments include two $926/month one-bedrooms and three $1,042/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

July 25, 2018

$699K Bushwick ‘penthouse’ comes with a private roof deck and a 421-A tax abatement

By Michelle Cohen

We know that displaying guitars along a funky apartment wall or leaning one or two casually against a doorway is a regularly-employed home-staging move, but in this Bushwick "penthouse" at 38 Wilson Avenue, it somehow works. And you might not even have to have a record deal yet, as the one-bedroom condo with a private roof deck and platinum-selling views also comes with a 421-A tax abatement in place 'til 2035, lowering monthly common charges to $641 a month.
Rockin' views, this way

Distinctive Homes

Men of steel: How Brooklyn’s Native American ironworkers built New York

Roger Horne, a Mohawk Ironworker in the Raising Gang, ca. 1970 via the Smithsonian

July 25, 2018

Men of steel: How Brooklyn’s Native American ironworkers built New York

By Lucie Levine

The Empire State Building. The George Washington Bridge. The United Nations. The Woolworth Building. 30 Rock. The Seagram Building. Lincoln Center. The Waldorf Astoria. Virtually all of New York’s most iconic structures were raised in part by Mohawk Native American ironworkers. Since 1916, when Mohawk men made their way to New York to work on the Hell Gate Bridge, ironworkers from two Native communities, Akwesasne (which straddles Ontario, Quebec, and New York State) and Kahnawake (near Montreal), have been “walking iron” across the city.
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Amazon launches same-day delivery from Whole Foods in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan

Image via Whole Foods Market

July 24, 2018

Amazon launches same-day delivery from Whole Foods in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan

You can now have all of your organic needs met within as little as an hour--without waiting in line. Amazon launched on Tuesday "ultrafast" same-day delivery from Whole Foods Market in 24 cities, including Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and select areas of Long Island. The service, for Prime members only, began earlier this year and will continue to expand to more neighborhoods in NYC and in the country throughout 2018. "Today’s announcement is another way that we are continuing to expand access to our high-quality products and locally-sourced favorites," Christina Minardi, executive vice president of operations for Whole Foods Market, said in a statement.
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City Living

Images (L to R): Summit, 333 Grand Street, Astor Broadway and Otto

July 21, 2018

RENTING IN NYC: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): Summit, 333 Grand Street, Astor Broadway and Otto New Rentals Debut in Williamsburg from $1,999/Month at 150 Union Avenue [link] New No Fee Rentals Debut in Astoria; Live at Astor Broadway from $1,999/Month [link] Otto Greenpoint Debuts; Brooklyn Rentals at 211 McGuinness Boulevard from $2,339/Month [link] Live at Lyric: Upper West […]

Real Estate Trends

The history of Weeksville: When Crown Heights had the second-largest free black community in the U.S.

Historic Hunterfly Road Houses via the Brooklyn Historical Society

July 18, 2018

The history of Weeksville: When Crown Heights had the second-largest free black community in the U.S.

By Lucie Levine

It’s a mighty sounding moniker, but the name “King’s County” also speaks to Brooklyn’s less-than-democratic origins. At the turn of the 19th century, the city of Brooklyn was known as the “slaveholding capital” of New York State and was home to the highest concentration of enslaved people north of the Mason-Dixon Line. But, after New York State abolished slavery in 1827, free black professionals bought land in what is now Crown Heights and founded Weeksville, a self-supporting community of African American Freedman, which grew to become the second-largest free black community in Antebellum America. By 1855, over 520 free African Americans lived in Weeksville, including some of the leading activists in the Abolitionist and Equal Suffrage movements.
More about free black Brooklyn

History

Our 1,000sqft: Creative couple Amy and Brian show off their newly renovated Prospect Park South co-op

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Prospect Park South co-op of an adorable and creative couple. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

July 17, 2018

Our 1,000sqft: Creative couple Amy and Brian show off their newly renovated Prospect Park South co-op

Back in 2015, 6sqft visited bubbly Amy Sprague at her Boerum Hill studio. Three years, two dogs, and one adorable meet-cute story later, Amy has moved over to Prospect Park South with her fiance Brian Schundler. After their dogs, Charlie and Ladybug, brought them together in the dog park, these two lovebirds decided to not only become homeowners but to undertake a complete gut renovation of their pre-war co-op. Brian, a landscape architect, favors mid-century-modern decor and minimalism, while Amy, a packing designer, loves vintage finds and earthy vibes. Luckily, this creative couple was able to mix their styles to create a comfortable home that uses clean lines and crisp architectural elements as a backdrop for their more eclectic finds and textures. Amy and Brian recently gave 6sqft a tour of their recently completed two-bedroom apartment and shared how the reno process went, how they mixed their aesthetics, and what it's like living with two 80+ pound pups.
Take the tour!

July 17, 2018

8 chances to snag an apartment near the Pulaski Bridge in Greenpoint, from $2,270/month

Via EXR A Greenpoint rental building located near the foot of the Pulaski Bridge launched a housing lottery this week for eight middle-income apartments. The development, dubbed Freeman's Corner, contains two buildings at 215 and 216 Freeman Street. Units boast oversized windows, polished concrete floors, built-in Bluetooth speakers and some feature private balconies. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which include four $2,270/month one-bedrooms and four $2,733/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

July 16, 2018

Live one block from the J, M, Z trains in Bushwick, from $1,979/month

Photo via CityRealty Three middle-income units in Bushwick are up for grabs for New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. Located at 20 Jefferson Street, the newly constructed rental building sits right next to J, M and Z trains at the Myrtle Avenue subway station. The apartments boast state-of-the-art appliances and on-site laundry. Available units include one $1,979/month one-bedroom and two $2,387/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Cuomo to investigate allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Cos. at Williamsburg condo

Rendering via Morris Adjmi Architects

July 16, 2018

Cuomo to investigate allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Cos. at Williamsburg condo

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday launched an investigation into allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Companies at the Austin Nichols House in Williamsburg. The announcement comes on the same day a group of 19 current and former residents of the building are set to file a $10 million lawsuit against the company for creating unlivable conditions from construction noise and dust and pushing them out to make room for condo buyers. The company, run by the family of Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner, purchased the 338-unit property at 184 Kent Avenue in 2015, and has since sold or emptied 75 percent of the rent-stabilized apartments, the Associated Press reported.
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Policy

Preservationists, LGBT groups push Landmarks to designate Walt Whitman’s Clinton Hill home

Photo of Whitman via Wikimedia; Photo of 99 Ryerson Street via NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

July 16, 2018

Preservationists, LGBT groups push Landmarks to designate Walt Whitman’s Clinton Hill home

A coalition of preservationists, LGBT groups and literary experts is asking the Landmarks Preservation Commission to reassess their decision last year to not landmark Walt Whitman's Brooklyn home, the last residence of the 19th-century poet remaining in New York. Located at 99 Ryerson Street in Clinton Hill, the home was where Whitman and his family lived between May 1, 1855 and May 1, 1856. While living at the home, Whitman wrote "Leaves of Grass," a collection of poems considered to be one of the most significant American works ever. The home is also one of the earliest extant buildings in NYC associated with a member of the LGBT community.
More here

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue

July 14, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue Fort Lee’s The Modern: 47-Story Tower Launches with 2 Months Free [link] Rooftop Lounge + Pool Now Open at The Forge – and Up to 3 Months Free [link] Williamsburg Boutique Rental Near McCarren Park Offers 3 Months Free […]

Real Estate Trends

Lottery opens for six middle-income apartments near the Greenpoint waterfront, from $2,100/month

197 Freeman Street via CityRealty

July 13, 2018

Lottery opens for six middle-income apartments near the Greenpoint waterfront, from $2,100/month

197 Freeman Street via CityRealty A $2,255/month one-bedroom might not be the deal of the century, but compared to the fact that the same market-rate apartment is asking $3,115, it sure seems like a steal. At 197 Freeman Street in Greenpoint, just a few blocks from the waterfront and right near cool spots like the Lobster Join and Troost, six apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery to New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. They range from $2,100/month studios to $2,715/month two-bedrooms, and the newly constructed building offers a gym, roof deck, and laundry.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s five-acre Pier 3 opens with an interactive labyrinth and moveable furniture

Photo by Nicholas Sella

July 11, 2018

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s five-acre Pier 3 opens with an interactive labyrinth and moveable furniture

With the opening of five lush waterfront acres of park at Pier 3 on Tuesday, Brooklyn Bridge Park is now 90 percent complete. Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, it's the final pier to be converted into parkland and features two lawns surrounded by shrubs and trees, which will offer both shade and protection from gusts of wind. "Brooklyn Bridge Park is a gem that gleams brighter with each exciting acre it adds, building on our borough’s commitment to offer high-quality open space that brings people together from all walks of life," Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said.
Plan your visit

Architecture And Design

Live one block from the G train in Bed-Stuy for just $1,074/month

Photo via Julien Magne/Flickr

July 11, 2018

Live one block from the G train in Bed-Stuy for just $1,074/month

With the impending L train shutdown, the G train is looking better and better, and here's a chance to live less than a block from the Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues stop. The affordable housing lottery is for seven $1,074//month one-bedrooms, open to New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, at 901 Myrtle Avenue, a new 30-unit rental building.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Four chances to live off the J train in Bushwick, from $947/month

Photo via CityRealty

July 10, 2018

Four chances to live off the J train in Bushwick, from $947/month

Bushwick may not be the affordable, artsy neighborhood it once was, but a new affordable housing lottery will give four lucky New Yorkers a chance to regain some of that long-lost Brooklyn cheap factor. At 894 Bushwick Avenue, just three blocks from the J train at Kosciuszko Street, two $947/month one-bedrooms and two $1,072/month two-bedrooms are available to households earning 60 percent of the area median income.
See if you make the cut

Affordable Housing

July 10, 2018

Live across from Lincoln Terrace Park in Crown Heights for $822/month

Right across the street from Crown Heights' Lincoln Terrace/Arthur S. Somers Park, a new affordable housing opportunity has come online. Ten units at the newly built rental 12 Ford Street are available to New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, ranging from $822/month studios to $1,070/month two-bedrooms. In addition to building amenities including a bike room, laundry, on-site parking, roof terrace, and fitness center, the park offers baseball and football fields, handball, basketball, and tennis courts, playgrounds, water features, dog runs, and outdoor exercise equipment. Plus, the park is in the midst of a $4 million renovation which will only enhance this value.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Images (L to R): The Mason, The Amberly, Tower 28 and 181 Front Street

July 7, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Mason, The Amberly, Tower 28 and 181 Front Street Live in NoMad at The Mason, Boutique Madison Ave Rental Residences with 2 Months Free [link] The Amberly Gets Ready to Launch in Downtown Brooklyn; See New Images of 33-Story Rental Tower [link] Elevated Living at its Finest: Tour the Views […]

Real Estate Trends

ODA reveals playful facade, outdoor space for former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ site in Dumbo

Rendering of 80 Adams Street courtesy of BH3 Partners

July 6, 2018

ODA reveals playful facade, outdoor space for former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ site in Dumbo

By Michelle Cohen

In the latest news from CityRealty, a new rendering of the exciting design for a 10-story, 165-unit building that will rise at the former Jehovah's Witnesses-owned property at 80 Adams Street has been revealed. Buyer Jeffrey Gershon of Hope Street Capital closed on the $60 million purchase of what was a single-story garage in November. ODA New York was listed on the permits, which meant we were likely to see an innovative design; now that design is here in rendering form.
More details this way

July 6, 2018

Lottery opens for 30 middle-income units at Bushwick’s Gothic church conversion

A little over a year ago, an affordable housing lottery opened for 20 low-income units at The Saint Marks, a Bushwick church-to-rental conversion at 618 Bushwick Avenue. And now, 30 more below-market-rate residences are up for grabs, this time for middle-income New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. They range from $2,013/month studios to $2,564/month two-bedrooms. The former St. Mark’s Lutheran School and Evangelical Church retains its 1890 Victorian Gothic church and four-story former school building but has a seven-story addition from developer Cayuga Capital at the corner.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

July 5, 2018

Uber is bringing dockless, electric bikes to the Bronx, Rockaways, and Staten Island

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

In May, 6sqft reported that outer-borough neighborhoods underserved by Citi Bike would get dockless bike-share programs this summer. On Tuesday, the city’s pilot officially kicked off in the Rockaways, the area around Fordham University in the Bronx, and the North Shore of Staten Island, and to make things more exciting, the city is also offering electric bikes (h/t NY Times). The Uber-owned Jump Bikes is providing dockless electric bikes that can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour with little user effort. The bikes will cost only a dollar or two and can be reserved and paid for in the Uber app.
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Transit

Live in Williamsburg off the G, M, J trains for $2,250/month

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 3, 2018

Live in Williamsburg off the G, M, J trains for $2,250/month