Brooklyn

Some of the greatest literary giants of all time lived and wrote in New York City. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of HarperCollins, which was founded in NYC, the publishing company created an interactive walking tour map that narrates the history of each author as you walk (h/t DNAinfo). Just a few of the famed Big Apple authors include Harper Lee, Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright.
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April 4, 2017

An upscale renovation transformed this $3.75M Williamsburg loft with a dramatic wall of glass

Gritty artist loft this is not--a high-end renovation for this pad in the Mill Building, located at 85-101 North 3rd Street in Williamsburg, left it feeling more like a luxury condo. (The $3.75 million price tag, too, befits a luxury listing.) While the former warehouse's exposed wood ceiling beams remain, new additions include a fancy kitchen with marble finishes, custom push button light switches throughout, and a sleek, glass-walled office space.
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Distinctive Homes

April 4, 2017

The 10 best neighborhoods for New York City artists

Like most things in New York, creative communities come and ago as new development and rising rents force artists to move on to the next best, or cheaper neighborhood. While 6sqft found 'hoods like the Upper East Side, Harlem and Long Island City to be the best places for artists a few years back, we've updated our top-10 list to reflect the changing times. Ahead you'll find some areas you may expect--Sunset Park and Bushwick, for example, along with more up-and-coming artsy enclaves like Newark, Washington Heights, and the South Bronx.
The full list right this way

Massive high-rise complex with 900 apartments, retail, offices and schools coming to Downtown Brooklyn

View south down Flatbush Avenue

April 4, 2017

Massive high-rise complex with 900 apartments, retail, offices and schools coming to Downtown Brooklyn

Alloy Development announced plans to build a pair of towers at 80 Flatbush Avenue, a 61,000-square-foot parcel of land between Flatbush Avenue, Schermerhorn Street, Third Avenue and State Street. The developer–who, with the Department of Education, owns the land–has been selected by the city’s Educational Construction Fund to build the mixed-use complex as part of the redevelopment of the Khalil Gibran International Academy, which will move into one of the two new school buildings that will be part of the project. The second of the two will be a 350-seat elementary school. The project will also offer 900 apartments (200 of which will be affordable), a 15,000-square-foot cultural facility, 200,000 square feet of office space and 40,000 square feet of retail space.
Find out more about what's coming to the neighborhood

April 3, 2017

FREE RENT: Roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

Andre Kikoski-Designed Apartments in Chelsea Offer One Month Free & Discounted Deposits [link] Upscale Rentals in a Landmarked Building Offering Two Months Free [link] Hoboken’s New Rental 600 Harrison Now Leasing Spacious 1 to 3 Bedroom Apartments [link] Inspired Rentals at Leonard Pointe in Williamsburg Offering One Month of Free Rent [link] New Two-Bedroom Brooklyn […]

Real Estate Trends

April 3, 2017

$2.4M waterfront home in Mill Basin has its own pool, dock and jet ski ramp

Water lovers should fall in love with this freestanding home up for sale in Mill Basin, a neighborhood of South Brooklyn. Located at 2406 National Drive, it is directly off a deck with access to a boat slip, jet ski ramp and storage room. On top of that, the home has its very own built-in pool and hot tub. The 3,048-square-foot house, which holds a total of three bedrooms and two-and-two-half bathrooms, is now on the market for $2.395 million.
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Distinctive Homes

April 3, 2017

Alexis Bittar, Clara Sunwoo ink leases at Industry City, bringing total fashion space to 350,000+ square feet

There's been much talk in the past couple months about the city's push to drive the fashion industry from its long-time home in the Garment District to new, lower-cost space in Sunset Park. The new, $136 million, 200,000-square-foot "Made in NYC Campus" has become synonymous with the shift, but the adjacent Industry City mega-development has been at the forefront since even beforeBelvedere Capital and Jamestown Properties took over in 2013. With tenants such as the Gap, Bauble Bar, and Rag & Bone, they've now announced that internationally known jewelry company Alexis Bittar will lease an additional 10,000 square feet (they already have 17,000), and a source tells us that women's apparel label Clara Sunwoo is leasing 14,000 square feet of space, moving completely from the Garment District. This brings Industry City's total space leased to fashion companies to 350,000 square feet, more than 200,000 of which is manufacturing space.
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Real Estate Trends

April 3, 2017

Dumbo Clock Tower penthouse finally sells for $15M, is borough’s priciest condo ever sold

And just like that, the record for the most expensive condo ever sold in Brooklyn has been broken. A triplex penthouse at 1 Main Street, atop the Clock Tower building in Dumbo, sold for $15 million, beating out a unit at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pierhouse that closed for nearly $10.6 million just last month. As the New York Post reported, the historic unit had a hard time finding a buyer; it sat on the market for nearly six years, switched brokerages and chopping its price tag several times.
See the iconic Clock Tower here

Real Estate Trends

April 1, 2017

A $1.5M modern condo lives inside this historic 1850s Brooklyn church

401 Hicks Street in Cobble Hill was originally St. Peters Church and Academy, built in 1858. In 2005, like a lot of churches around Brooklyn, the historic structure went residential. Now, this two-bedroom condo is up for sale here and you wouldn't necessarily guess it's located inside a former church. The unit lacks details like stained glass--which you often see in church conversions--and it's got a fun, modern aesthetic that feels more "Brooklyn" than "house of worship." It's asking $1.525 million.
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Distinctive Homes

March 30, 2017

Renaissance Revival brownstone in Bed-Stuy has original ‘speaking tubes’ dating back to 1895

You pretty much step back in time walking into this Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone, located in the eastern portion of the neighborhood at 538 Decatur Street. It is an 1895 Renaissance Revival, bay-fronted brownstone that is 18 feet wide with three stories and a two-story extension. When the listing brags that the interior boasts an "astonishing wealth of original detail" they aren't kidding--everything from carved fireplace mantles to oak pocket doors to beveled glass. The home even has its original "speaking tubes," which the original owners would have used to call to servants working on the garden floor of the home.
You must see this historic interior

MAP: How old are the buildings in each Brooklyn neighborhood?

Photo via Brooklyn Historical Society

March 30, 2017

MAP: How old are the buildings in each Brooklyn neighborhood?

Photo via Brooklyn Historical Society One of the most exciting things about exploring Brooklyn is seeing the unique architecture of each neighborhood. Now, thanks to an interactive map from urban_calc, you can also learn the age of these structures in the borough with the oldest buildings in the city. Using the city’s OpenData project and Pluto dataset, urban_calc found the median age of buildings in each census tract. The oldest neighborhood is Ocean Hill at 1911, followed by Cypress Hill, Park Slope and Stuyvesant Heights, all with a median building year of 1920. On the other hand, the newest neighborhoods include Coney Island, West Brighton, East New York, Canarsie and Williamsburg.
Find out more here

History

March 29, 2017

$660K pretty Prospect Heights co-op is on the 21st-best block in NYC

According to its listing, the historic limestone townhouse at 205 Park Place that holds this elegant one-bedroom co-op is "conveniently located on what Time Out New York has deemed the 21st Best Block in all of NYC." This bragging point is, in fact, accurate; though the Prospect Heights block's designation happened in 2006, we doubt the stately brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings have changed much since. The apartment, asking $660,000, also comes with the good fortune of having Grand Army Plaza and the 585 acres of Prospect Park just steps away.
See what's inside

Distinctive Homes

March 28, 2017

Brooklyn cheesemongers to open their underground 1850s brewery tunnels for one night

Thirty feet below street level, Benton Brown and Susan Boyle of Crown Finish Caves age their deliciously moldy wares in the lagering tunnels of a former brewery beneath the Monti Building in Crown Heights, where 26,000 pounds of cheese ripens to perfection in one of the facility's 15-foot-high brick tunnels. This weekend Crown Finish is opening up one of the unused former brewery tunnels, seldom seen by the public, to host a cheese-and-wine tasting event to benefit the expansion efforts of Maple Street School, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens' cooperative preschool (h/t DNAInfo).
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Events & Things To Do

March 28, 2017

‘Narnia’ apartment in Park Slope has a hidden door and built-in swing

The listing calls this apartment a "gateway to a modern version of Narnia"--and it's hard not to agree. A designer has decked it out with bold colors, quirky additions like a built-in swing and a sculptural wall paneling made of walnut, even a hidden door that leads to a bedroom. It's like something out of a fantasy novel, if that novel took place in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The apartment comes from the Park Pavilion Condominiums development, at 372 15th Street. For 1,451 square feet of surprising, offbeat interiors, it'll cost just under $2 million.
You've got to see the inside

Distinctive Homes

Construction update: Extell’s Central Park Tower gets its fluted glass curtain wall

West 58th Street elevation of Nordstom’s podium; CityRealty

March 27, 2017

Construction update: Extell’s Central Park Tower gets its fluted glass curtain wall

When it reaches its projected 1,550-foot height, Extell Development’s Central Park Tower will have the highest roof-line of any residential building in the Western Hemisphere, besting the current record holder 432 Park. Though the $2.98 billion project won't be complete until 2019, construction is moving ahead along Billionaires' Row, reports CityRealty. The 58th Street side, which will hold a 285,000-square-foot, seven-story Nordstrom store, is currently receiving its fluted-glass skin, a "Waveforms Facade."
See more views here

New Developments

March 27, 2017

Eight chances to live in a new East Williamsburg building, from $985/month

A state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga room, roof deck with cabanas, designer interiors, and a prime East Williamsburg location just a few blocks from the G, M, J, and L trains--this is all up for grabs for eight qualifying New Yorkers at 73 Montrose Avenue through the city's affordable housing lottery as of today. Those earning 60 percent of the area media income can apply for $985/month one-bedrooms and $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

March 25, 2017

Park Slope co-op with custom bookshelves reaching 18 feet asks $1.65M

A renovation for this Park Slope co-op left it in lovely condition. The lofty floorplan--which boasts 18-foot ceilings--was taken full advantage of, getting customized floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with a library ladder. Huge windows bring in light, and the upper level of the apartment holds a large master bedroom and office space that looks down onto the living area below. The pad last sold in 2008, for $980,270, and now it's on the market for $1.65 million.
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Distinctive Homes

March 24, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Upper West Side Beaux Arts Beauty ‘The Willard’ Offering Two Months Free, 1-Bedrooms From $2,996/Month [link] Live at LIC’s Hayden: These Majestic Skyline Views Could be Yours from $2,284/Month [link] Grand Opening of 845 Grand Street in East Williamsburg, 1-Bedrooms From $2,675/Month [link] Chelsea Leasing Special: $1,000 Security Deposits at 32-Story 777 Sixth Avenue [link] […]

Real Estate Trends

March 24, 2017

City reveals garment district rezoning plans, citing incentives to move makers to Sunset Park

At a Manhattan community board meeting Wednesday evening, city officials told garment industry representatives of plans to remove Midtown's manufacturing preservation requirement, Crain's reports. The change to a 1987 zoning rule means that landlords will have the option to rent the formerly set-aside space to commercial office tenants. City officials cited the failure of the preservation effort to meet its goal, highlighted by a reported 83 percent decline the number of garment workers–from 30,000 to 5,100– since it was first implemented. As 6sqft recently reported, the rezoning is seen as "a clear push to drive these businesses toward lower cost space in Sunset Park."
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Policy

March 24, 2017

New renderings revealed for NYCHA’s raised earth Red Hook Houses by KPF

When Superstorm Sandy hit the community of Red Hook, thousands of residents were left without power and basic necessities for over two weeks. The neighborhood’s infrastructure suffered substantial damage, with almost all basement mechanical rooms destroyed. In an effort to rebuild Brooklyn’s largest housing development, Red Hook Houses, post-Sandy, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) commissioned a project by architecture firm Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF). Their “Lily Pad” design includes installing 14 “utility pods” that deliver heat and electricity to each building, as well as creating raised earth mounds to act as a flood barrier (h/t Archpaper).
Find out more here

March 24, 2017

Apply for 25 units at new affordable/supportive housing project in Brownsville, from $876/month

The Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville are a huge NYCHA compex, consisting of 24 buildings. Recently, a $56 million public/private investment went towards constructing the first new development here in decades, a 100-unit supportive and affordable housing building designed by Dattner Architects for a vacant parking lot on the site. Of these apartments, 45 will be leased to NYCHA tenants through a site-based waiting list, 30 to formerly homeless families, and 25 to those earning 60 percent of the area median income. This last group is now available through the city's housing lottery for $876/month one-bedrooms and $1,058/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

March 24, 2017

$665K sunny Williamsburg co-op looks like a chic Amsterdam flat

With a subtle and stylish renovation, lots of irresistible textures like pale wood and whitewashed brick, and tons of sunlight, this two-bedroom co-op at 111 South Third Street in prime south Williamsburg is the kind of home you don't see every day in this city. Its $665,000 ask, while not dirt cheap, is well below the average market price for two bedrooms in this neighborhood. Some caveats: The apartment is only 680 square feet (though there are indeed two bedrooms); it's a walk-up though only on the third floor; and it's an HDFC income-restricted co-op, which is why the price is lower than average. But none of those things make this lovely little apartment seem any less like a charming, chic flat right out of Amsterdam.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

March 23, 2017

Starting Monday, three Brooklyn R train stations will shut down for six months

Last January, Governor Cuomo announced a massive undertaking to "modernize and fundamentally transform" the MTA and the subway by adding more countdown clocks, contactless payment by next year, Wi-Fi at all stations (mission accomplished, here), and other high-tech features. It also included news that 30 stations would be revamped, requiring them to shut down entirely for six to 12 months, instead of just on nights and weekends. As of Monday, as amNY tells us, the first three on this list-- the R train stations at 53rd Street in Sunset Park, Bay Ridge Avenue, and Prospect Avenue--will close for half a year for a combined $72 million renovation.
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Transit

March 22, 2017

$800K co-op is a Zen paradise in Brooklyn Heights inspired by the Botanic Gardens