Brooklyn

June 13, 2018

Asking $3.75M, this corner townhouse in Clinton Hill has an art studio and romantic garden

Built 1892 by prestigious Brooklyn architect John G. Glover, the Romanesque Revival townhouse at 231 Washington Avenue in the heart of Clinton Hill anchors the corner of its block with a presence that matches the best of the historic neighborhood. With a three-sided projecting bay masked by an imposing arcade around arched windows on the parlor level, this one-time mansion of stone and Roman brick is accessed by a two-part stoop. The well-maintained 4,300-square-foot, three-family corner house is over 22 feet wide and filled with original details.
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June 12, 2018

Apply for 65 mixed-income units at ODA’s futuristic waterfront rental in Williamsburg, from $565/month

Via 420 Kent A residential tower found along the Williamsburg waterfront as part of a collection of three-Lego-like high rises known as 420 Kent, has 65 mixed-income housing units up for grabs. Designed by ODA-Architects, these elegant, smoky-glass facade, offset box buildings jet out in different directions and contain a whopping 857 apartments. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units at 416 Kent ranging from $565/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
June 12, 2018

Ride six different vintage trains in Brighton Beach this weekend to celebrate Father’s Day

Is there anything more dad-approved than trains and tattoos to celebrate Father’s Day? Not much! This weekend, celebrate with pop at the New York Transit Museum’s 4th Annual Parade of Trains. Hop on and off six different types of vintage train cars, including the oldest train cars in the Transit Museum fleet, dating from 1904. Visitors can also stop by the museum’s membership station to get a super cool, Father’s Day temporary transit tattoo while learning more about the New York Transit Museum's ongoing exhibits. The event takes place Saturday (6/16) and Sunday (6/17) from 11 am to 4 pm at the Brighton Beach (B/Q) station. The Parade of Trains shuttle rides are free with the swipe of a MetroCard and will run continuously to and from the Brighton Beach station B/Q platforms.
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June 11, 2018

16 chances to live in the center of Brooklyn, from $1,017/month

Photo via CityRealty Maple East New York Housing, located where the Crown Heights and East Flatbush neighborhoods of Brooklyn meet, is accepting applications for 16 affordable apartments. The building, found at 918 East New York Avenue, contains a blend of affordable and supportive housing, offering a mix of studios, one and two bedroom units. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the $1,017/month one-bedrooms and $1,224/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
June 9, 2018

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

Images (L to R): 325 Kent Avenue, House No. 94, 485 Marin Boulevard and 99 Gold Street Two Months Free at 325 Kent Avenue; See New Photos [READ MORE] Prospect Lefferts Gardens Rental Debuts: The Lawrence Leasing from $1,938/Month [READ MORE] Leasing Kicks Off at Williamsburg Rental House No. 94 with 2 Months Free [READ […]

June 7, 2018

How the cardboard box was accidentally invented in a NYC factory

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.
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June 7, 2018

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

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
June 6, 2018

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

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
June 6, 2018

Old and new meet at this $1.4M Greenpoint duplex with brick feature wall and glass-enclosed staircase

Located in 62 Norman Avenue, a three-story building built in 1898 on the border of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, this large, 1,250-square-foot duplex condo has been beautifully renovated, blending old and new. With an exposed brick feature wall and beautiful, custom glasswork around the stairs, the stylish two-bedroom is asking $1,395,000.
Get a look
June 6, 2018

City’s Gowanus rezoning draft calls for more public space, residential development

Attempts to rezone the area surrounding the Gowanus Canal, a neighborhood both affluent and in transition, have been in the works for over a decade. Now, Brownstoner reports, the long-anticipated Draft Planning and Land Use Framework of Gowanus has just been released by the Department of City Planning (DCP). The 188-page report is the result of 100 hours of outreach since the launch of the Gowanus PLACES Study in 2016 as well as information contained in a previous Bridging Gowanus Study released in 2014.
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June 6, 2018

REVEALED: First look at Williamsburg’s Domino Park ahead of Sunday opening

Two Trees Management announced today that Domino Park, the long-awaited new waterfront recreational public space at the 11-acre Domino Sugar Factory site, will celebrate its grand opening this Sunday, June 10. In April, 6sqft revealed renderings of the new park and esplanade that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development at the Domino Sugar Factory site, designed by James Corner Field Operations (of the High Line fame). The quarter-mile long public park, located just north of the Williamsburg Bridge, celebrates the history of one of the city's most iconic industrial waterfront sites with adaptively reused syrup tanks, warehouse columns, and original cranes (now painted the park's signature turquoise color "untealed"). There will also be a taco kiosk from Danny Meyer, a water feature, bocce courts, and a children's playground designed by Mark Reigelman as a reinterpretation of the original factory.
Check out industrial artifacts, water features and more
June 5, 2018

Lottery opens for 13 middle-income units in Bed-Stuy, from $1,744/month

As any New Yorker knows, convenience is key, but it'll often cost you. The city's latest affordable housing lottery, however, offers a location on the same block as the Franklin Avenue stop in Bed-Stuy, and just a short walk to both the subway and LIRR at Nostrand Avenue. The brand new building at 1068 Fulton Street has 13 middle-income units up for grabs for New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, including $1,744/month one-bedrooms and $2,099/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
June 4, 2018

City sells million-dollar homes in Bed-Stuy to 10 families for roughly half price

Photo via CityRealty New York City has sold 10 homes valued between $1 and $1.2 million to Brooklyn families for about half the price, as part of an initiative to promote affordable homeownership throughout the five boroughs. The two-family homes are located throughout the Bed-Stuy neighborhood and sold for between an estimated $407,000 and $625,000 (h/t NY Post). To qualify for the affordable homes, the families had to apply through a housing lottery and earn 90 or 130 percent of the are median income, which ranges roughly between $50,856 for a family of three and $153,790 for a family of seven.
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June 1, 2018

Lottery launches for a boatload of affordable apartments across Brooklyn, from $850/month

A lottery launched this week for 16 renovated, affordable apartments across five different Brooklyn neighborhoods: Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, Flatbush, Williamsburg and Bushwick. Units available include four studios, four one-bedrooms, six two-bedrooms and two four-bedrooms. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the affordable units ranging from $850/month studios to  $1,427/month four-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
June 1, 2018

Own a pair of 1840s clapboard houses in Clinton Hill for $4.4M

Wooden houses are certainly dispersed throughout Brooklyn, but it's a rare opportunity when one hits the market. A few months ago, we uncovered a listing for Crown Heights' oldest home, a circa-1850s wood frame. Now, a pair of rare clapboard homes have hit the market in Clinton Hill and they're even older. Numbers 448 and 450 Waverly Avenue are thought to have been built in the 1840s or even earlier, according to the neighborhood's designation report. "The unusual pair of extremely wide (25 feet) clapboard houses" are the only example of pure Greek Revival buildings in the district, and they can be yours, individually or together for $4.4 million.
Take the tour
June 1, 2018

Enjoy a living green roof at this $800K Prospect Heights co-op

This very well thought out, bright and light, architect-designed Prospect Heights co-op has amazing outdoor spaces with a private 350-square-foot roof deck surrounded by a common living green roof. The one-bedroom plus sleeping loft at 430 Sterling Place also boasts high ceilings, exposed white brick walls, and a ton of built-in storage, all for $799,000.
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June 1, 2018

New, permanent public pool coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park

A conceptual rendering of the pool via Brooklyn Bridge Park After five years of having a pop-up pool at Pier 2, Brooklyn Heights is getting its own permanent public pool. This morning, Brooklyn Bridge Park officially announced plans to build a pool at Squibb Park, above Pier 1 near the Pierhouse condo. Together with the NYC Parks Department, BBP will develop, operate and maintain the pool and future amenities. Tentatively, the pool is scheduled to open in 2020, with community planning sessions to be held this summer and fall ahead of issuing a Request for Design Proposals.
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May 30, 2018

One week after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, a rumor of its collapse caused a fatal stampede

On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge officially opened, with roughly 1,800 vehicles and over 150,000 people crossing what was then the only passageway between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Less than a week later, 12 people were killed and over 35 others injured in a violent stampede. On that fateful day, the bridge was brimming with people celebrating the Memorial Day holiday and checking out the new overpass, which was considered the longest bridge in the world at the time. A woman had tripped and fallen down the wooden stairs headed toward Manhattan, which caused another woman to scream. In a grand misinterpretation, a rumor was started that the bridge was about to collapse, sending the crowd into complete hysteria. Pedestrians ran to get off the bridge, stampeding their way to the entrance and pushing others to the ground.
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May 30, 2018

Fresh set of renderings for Dock 72, the new home for WeWork at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

New renderings have been unveiled of Dock 72, a 675,000-square-foot office building co-developed by Boston Properties and Rudin Management for the evolving Brooklyn Navy Yard. Surrounded by water on all sides but one, Dock 72, designed by S9 Architecture, features outdoor terraces, 35,000 square feet of amenities and unobstructed views of Manhattan. As the anchor tenant and co-developer, WeWork will occupy a third of the space, or 220,000 square feet. With its glassy facade installed, the 16-story office building is scheduled to wrap up construction in the fall, becoming one of the largest ground-up office buildings in the borough in nearly three decades.
See them here
May 29, 2018

The backyard at this $1.2M Park Slope co-op is perfect for outdoor entertaining

For $1.2 million, get a huge, private backyard in Park Slope with an additional 900 square foot co-op attached. This two-bedroom unit at 134 Lincoln Place, just two blocks from Grand Army Plaza, has 530 square feet of sun-drenched outdoor space with enough space for a full-size dining table, lounge chairs, and a barbecue. The inside is equally charming, blending old and new details with a cool built-in dining nook perfect for when the party moves inside.
Have a look around
May 25, 2018

$3,800/month Williamsburg loft will let you buy all its cool art

This oversized one-bedroom loft, located at 63 North 3rd Street one block from the Williamsburg waterfront, is truly unique. Not only is there room for a convertible second bedroom (see the current cool cube) and access to a rooftop deck with stunning views, any and all of the art is for sale. Listed for $3,800 a month with no fee, the loft is currently home to Eye Dazzler studio's textile designers, hence all of the very cool rugs and wall hanging. 
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May 24, 2018

Proposal revealed for new public park on the Gowanus Canal’s Salt Lot

The Salt Lot is a triangular piece of land just south of the point at which all three branches of the Gowanus Canal meet. The city-owned site hosts a NYC Compost Project facility, as well as the Gowanus Canal Conservancy's nursery and educational facilities. However, the EPA has mandated a new four-million-gallon retention tank be placed there to manage combined sewer overflow. Gowanus by Design (GbD) saw this new infrastructure requirement as a catalyst for sparking conversation about much needed public urban space in the area. They've therefore created a conceptual proposal for the Gowanus Salt Lot Public Park, which includes three buildings constructed with materials that reference the Canal's industrial history, along with sloping hills and wetlands.
More details and renderings ahead
May 24, 2018

Dockless bike-share pilot will roll out in four boroughs outside of Manhattan this summer

Four outer-borough neighborhoods undeserved by Citi Bike will host dockless bike-share programs this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. In July, the city's pilot kicks off in the beach communities of Coney Island and the Rockaways. The Bronx and Staten Island will also have the bike-share program, a first for both boroughs, near Fordham University and on the North Shore. "We are bringing new, inexpensive transportation options to neighborhoods that need them," de Blasio said in a statement. "Dockless public bike sharing starts this summer, and we're excited to see how New Yorkers embrace this new service."
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May 24, 2018

Lottery launches for three middle-income units in historic Weeksville for $2,700/month

A housing lottery launched this week for three middle-income units in the Crown Heights area of Weeksville, a historic Brooklyn neighborhood founded by freed African Americans about 180 years ago. Conveniently, the newly constructed rental at 233 Buffalo Avenue sits just a few blocks from the Weeksville Heritage Center, a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the 19th century African American community. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the $2,700/month three-bedroom units.
Find out if you qualify
May 23, 2018

Jennifer Connelly trades Tribeca co-op for $15M Brooklyn Heights townhouse

Actors Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany are switching boroughs by selling their Tribeca co-op and picking up a Brooklyn Heights townhouse for $15.5 million. The sale represents one of the most expensive deals in Brooklyn ever, according to the Wall Street Journal. While the transaction was off-market, an old listing for the Brooklyn property at 140 Columbia Heights describes the 8,000-square-foot home as having views of the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline. The sellers are Timothy Ingrassia, a Goldman Sachs executive, and his wife Stephanie, who serves as a vice chair on the Brooklyn Museum's board of trustees. The Ingrassias paid $10.75 million for the property in 2006.
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