Brooklyn

For the second time in two days, the city's affordable housing portal has opened the application process for a middle-income lottery that's basically no cheaper than the building's regular market-rate units. For example, this opportunity at 867 DeKalb Avenue, a recently constructed rental in Bed-Stuy, is offering 11 units to those earning 115, 125, and 130 percent of the area median income. The "affordable" apartments range from $2,163/month one-bedrooms to $2,716/month two-bedrooms. By comparison, the market-rate units start at $2,100 for one-bedrooms and $2,744 for two-bedrooms.
What's up with that?

Affordable Housing

April 18, 2018

For only $950K, this tiny townhouse in Stuyvesant Heights has a backyard shed and modern updates

We’re sensing a tiny-townhouse-as-condo-alternative trend here; and why not? Low taxes, backyard space, and basement storage are hard to pass up. This particular version is a stylishly renovated three-bedroom home at 264 Bainbridge Street in pretty Stuyvesant Heights, with an even tinier–but no less adorable–backyard shed in the covetable backyard. It's asking a diminutive-seeming $950,000.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Boerum Hill home of Ample Hills founders Jackie and Brian. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

April 18, 2018

Our 2,200sqft: The founders of Ample Hills ice cream give the scoop on their sweet Boerum Hill home

If you've ever indulged in an Ample Hills ice cream cone, you know that their fanciful flavors (Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, the Munchies, and Snap Mallow Pop, just to name a few!) are perfectly matched by the Brooklyn company's whimsical shops. But founders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith definitely didn't grow in seven years from their first storefront in Prospect Heights to nine locations, including one in Disney World, and a forthcoming Red Hook factory where they'll produce 1 million gallons a year, without a lot of hard work and business smarts. And it's this combination of playfulness and attention to detail that they've carried over to their adorable Boerum Hill home, which they moved into two years ago with their eight-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. A triplex in a quintessential Brooklyn brownstone, their home has cheery pops of color, mid-century-modern furnishings, and an eclectic mix of decor and family mementos. 6sqft recently visited the couple to tour their space, hear why they love Brooklyn, and learn about Ample Hills' plans.
Tour this sweet home and hear from Brian and Jackie

April 18, 2018

Live in the heart of hip Williamsburg, from $865/month

Via Dattner Architects Although rental prices are dropping in Williamsburg due to the impending L-train shutdown, a recently launched lottery is offering up a can't-miss deal. A brand new building located at 105 South Fifth Street has 38 affordable units up for grabs. In addition to the housing units, the Datter Architects-designed mixed-use project features roughly 4,000 square feet of retail and a 1,000-square-foot medical facility. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for apartments ranging from an $865/month studio to a $1,121/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Middle-income lottery opens for seven apartments in pretty Prospect-Lefferts Gardens

Photo via CityRealty

April 17, 2018

Middle-income lottery opens for seven apartments in pretty Prospect-Lefferts Gardens

Here's your chance to live in pretty Prospect-Lefferts Gardens for, perhaps, less than the neighborhood's market-rate rents. An affordable housing lottery is opening for seven units in a new, eight-story building at 212 Linden Boulevard. As 6sqft recently uncovered, many middle-income apartments throughout the city serve more to subsidize the truly affordable units, and therefore, don't come in that much cheaper. Here, the homes are available to those earning 130 percent of the median income and range from $1,800/month studios to $2,714/month two-bedrooms. By comparison, the market-rate rentals range from $1,850/one bedrooms to $3,000/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Despite a 30 percent drop in sales prices, Tribeca remains NYC’s most expensive neighborhood

Photo via CityRealty

April 16, 2018

Despite a 30 percent drop in sales prices, Tribeca remains NYC’s most expensive neighborhood

Despite suffering from a 30 percent drop year-over-year in median sale prices, Tribeca still managed to rank first as New York City's most expensive neighborhood, followed closely by Soho. Property Shark released this week its list of the 50 priciest areas in the city in Q1 2018 and unsurprisingly, nine out of the top ten are located in Manhattan. Notably, the West Village witnessed an 88 percent year-over-year increase with a median sale price hovering $2.1 million. And the Flatiron District, which ranked as the most expensive neighborhood in the third quarter of 2017, fell to sixth place, with a median sale price of $1.85 million.
See the list

Real Estate Trends

April 16, 2018

$2M Greenpoint home is warm weather-ready with a greenhouse, covered patio, and lovely landscaping

By Hannah Frishberg

A greenhouse is an amenity so rare in Brooklyn, home shoppers ought not ever to include it on a wishlist, but this incredibly charming renovated Greenpoint two-family happens to boast a backyard greenhouse – in addition to a covered patio, a woodworking shed, and a bench swing. The five-bedroom house at 661 Humboldt Street is currently divided into an owners duplex and third-floor rental, with a few lovely exposed brick touches and a gas fireplace.
Walk through the indoor and outdoor portions

Distinctive Homes

Rendering via ODA Architects

April 16, 2018

100 chances to live at ODA’s Rheingold Brewery development in Bushwick, from $913/month

A lottery launched this week for 100 affordable units at 10 Montieth Street, part of the massive ODA-designed Rheingold Brewery development in Bushwick. The seven-story, 392-unit building topped out last September, with its distinct modular form, sloping rooftop garden and colorful frames. Amenities at the building include a climbing wall, laundry room, interior courtyard, game room, bike storage, children's playroom, art studios and much more. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $913/studios to $1,183/two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

April 16, 2018

Asking $1.4M, this little Red Hook row house has a green roof and a magical garden

Located in the bustling heart of Red Hook–which recently enjoyed a turn as Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhood–this turn-of-the-century row house at 91 Pioneer Street may not be mansion-sized, but at $1.35 million, it looks like a sweet condo alternative. It's a legal two-family dwelling though it's currently being used as a single-family home.
More this way

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): 606W57, One Hudson Yards, 70 Columbus and View 34

April 14, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): 606W57, One Hudson Yards, 70 Columbus and View 34 Special Offer on Luxury Rentals at One Hudson Yards; See New Listings 606W57 Luxury Rentals Launch from $2,795/Month; See New Photos + Floor Plans Rooftop with All the Views at VIEW 34, Luxury Rentals on the East River from $2,753/Month Renovated Homes + Ocean Views; Brooklyn's Shorecrest Towers Leasing from $1,900/Month Meet The Alexey, South Slope's Provocative Rubix-Cube-Like Rental Leasing from $2,200/Month Jersey City's 70 Columbus Rentals from $2,150/Month; 90 Columbus Set for Spring Launch
READ MORE

Real Estate Trends

April 13, 2018

A Buckminster Fuller dome almost kept the Dodgers in Brooklyn

With baseball season back in full swing, talk at some point turns to the heartbreak of losing the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles. Modern Mechanix informs us that team owner Walter O'Malley had championed a Brooklyn dome stadium designed by Buckminster Fuller–and how the result is yet another reason to blame Robert Moses. O'Malley took the team to Cali, if you'll remember, because he got a better deal on land for a stadium–better than he was able to get in the five boroughs. He had wanted to keep the team in Brooklyn, but Ebbets Field was looking down-at-the-heels by then and bad for morale. In 1955 O'Malley wrote dome-obsessed architect Buckminster Fuller requesting a domed stadium design.
So what happened?

L/AND/A transforms a dark Bed-Stuy row house into a spacious, sun-drenched dream

Photo by Kevin Kunstadt

April 13, 2018

L/AND/A transforms a dark Bed-Stuy row house into a spacious, sun-drenched dream

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

LIGHT AND AIR, better known as L/AND/A, is a New York-based architecture and design studio led by architect and artist Shane Neufeld. Established in 2017, L/AND/A takes a “primal approach” to architecture by reducing design to its essential components to find clarity in a hectic world. Neufeld believes, "architecture is most powerful when elemental, and that spatial clarity and specificity have the potential to shape distinct experiences that ultimately enrich our lives- reconnecting people to their environments in meaningful and surprising ways.” This is just what Neufeld has done in his most recent project.
See the transformation

Architecture And Design

April 13, 2018

Lottery launches for nine middle-income apartments near Marine Park, from $1,700/month

A lottery launched this week for nine middle-income apartments in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. Located at 2802 Kings Highway, the building sits at a nexus of Madison and Marine Park, which is home to Brooklyn's largest public park. Nearby transit options include the B and Q trains, as well as a slew of Brooklyn-bound buses. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the one-bedrooms for $1,700/month or two-bedrooms for $2,200/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 11, 2018

$4M duplex in Park Slope’s Tracy Mansion is dripping with historic details

By Hannah Frishberg

After struggling to sell for what would have been a record-breaking $25 million, Park Slope's grand Tracy Mansion – a Montessori School since 1970 – finally sold for $9.5 million back in 2013. Scott Henson Architect then divided the neoclassical landmarked structure into seven luxurious condos, the first-floor duplex now asking $3.85 million. In addition to a 432-square-foot backyard, the three-bedroom home boasts a myriad of historic details, an eight-foot-tall marble fireplace, tons of decorative molding, Corinthian pillars, wood paneling, herringbone wood floors, and a sweeping grand staircase that was featured in the HBO show "Boardwalk Empire."
Drool over this grand home

April 11, 2018

Sunny Crown Heights condo with stained glass and bay windows asks $775K

This laid-back, sunny home at 875 Saint Marks Avenue in where-it's-at Crown Heights is the kind of space you hope to find a pretty, historic townhouse across from the Brooklyn Children's Museum. With plenty of century-old details and carefully designed modern style–and did we mention sunlight?–this one-bedroom condominium looks like a great place to spend an afternoon.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Rendering of the Sumner Houses Senior Building, courtesy of the Architect, Studio Libeskind

April 10, 2018

New renderings revealed for Daniel Libeskind’s affordable senior housing building in Bed-Stuy

Just a few weeks ago, 6sqft reported that starchitect Daniel Libeskind's first New York City building to rise from the ground up would be a 197-unit affordable senior housing project planned for Site 2 of the Sumner Houses in Bed-Stuy. Now Studio Libeskind has released three new renderings of the 10-story building-to-be, showing more of its an angular white-colored facade done in the firm’s signature un-orthogonal style (h/t Dezeen).
See more, this way

April 9, 2018

This $4M Park Slope Passive House is as green and efficient as it is chic and livable

Though it would be an enviable Brooklyn townhouse even without the certification, this unique home at 331 8th Street in Park Slope got a complete Passive House retrofit in 2013. It's a shining 21st century energy-efficient example; better yet, the home's many period details were preserved. Asking $4 million, the 3,675 square-foot three-story home has wood molding, original doors and slate mantles across four bedrooms, three full baths, a powder room and a fully finished basement. A total of four outdoor spaces multiplies what we love about townhouse living.
Take the tour

REVEALED: Jeanne Gang’s 51-story condo next to Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s

Rendering via Tishman Speyer

April 9, 2018

REVEALED: Jeanne Gang’s 51-story condo next to Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s

Tishman Speyer released on Monday the first renderings for its new luxury residential tower in Downtown Brooklyn, 11 Hoyt. Designed collaboratively between Hill West Architects and Jeanne Gang's architecture firm, Studio Gang, the 51-story, 480-unit condominium project will offer a variety of apartment layouts, with more than 190 different floor plans. The tower's rippling exterior seems to borrow elements used in two of Gang's Chicago projects, the Aqua Tower and the Vista Tower, which is currently under construction. The project will rise next to the Macy's on Fulton Street, which is currently undergoing renovations by Tishman Speyer, who are also planning a 10-story office tower on top of the store. Sales will launch at the tower this summer, but interested buyers can now check out the building's newly launched teaser site.
See them here

April 5, 2018

REVEALED: New renderings of Domino Sugar Factory’s waterfront park and esplanade

Almost a year to date since the first renderings were revealed for Domino Park, the 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development at the Domino Sugar Factory site, a new batch of views has been released by developer Two Trees, and they showcase everything from an urban "beach" to a better look at how preserved artifacts from the historic factory will be incorporated throughout. Designed by James Corner Field Operations (of the High Line fame), the park is scheduled to open this summer, ahead of most of the buildings.
All the renderings and details ahead

April 5, 2018

Snag an affordable one-bedroom in Greenpoint for $1,020/month

Photo via CityRealty A newly constructed, 14-unit rental in Greenpoint has launched a lottery for three affordable one-bedroom apartments. The ground-up building is located at 977 Manhattan Avenue, between India and Huron Streets, and is an investment property, with the entire building listed for $14.25 million. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the $1,020/month one-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 5, 2018

10 things you didn’t know were made in Brooklyn

By James and Karla Murray

The new exhibition at the Brooklyn Historical Society, "The Business of Brooklyn," celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and tells the fascinating story of the borough’s 100 years of business, detailing its industrial past, large companies, as well as its preponderance of mom-and-pop shops. It also showcases many objects and artifacts, which have their origins in Brooklyn, demonstrating the significant “role that Brooklyn has played in American consumer culture.” The exhibition is on view at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s landmark building in Brooklyn Heights located at 128 Pierrepont Street until Winter 2019. From those iconic yellow pencils to Brillo pads to Cracker Jack, you may be surprised to see what has been made in Brooklyn.
The history of 10 famous products made in Brooklyn

History

Adrian Grenier put a $10,000 toilet in his mom’s Clinton Hill townhouse renovation

Adrian Grenier image via Wikimedia Commons

April 5, 2018

Adrian Grenier put a $10,000 toilet in his mom’s Clinton Hill townhouse renovation

By Annie Doge

In 2015, 6sqft reported that "Entourage" star, filmmaker and local green renovator had just purchased an impressive five story home in the heart of the Clinton Hill historic district. Nosy neighbors and friendly observers have noted steady progress in the massive renovation effort that has followed at 112 Gates Avenue. Now the New York Post tells us that the home, which the actor adorably bought for his Brown Harris Stevens broker mom, will not only retain its Landmarks-mandated charm but will be positively flush with modern conveniences–starting with $10,200 Toto Neorest 750H high tech toilets courtesy of a sponsorship by the Japanese manufacturer.
'before' photos a-head

Celebrities

Apply for 35 middle-income units near Pratt Institute in Clinton Hill, from $2,030/month

Rendering via Aufgang Architects

April 5, 2018

Apply for 35 middle-income units near Pratt Institute in Clinton Hill, from $2,030/month