Brooklyn

A thoroughly transformative re-design by New York studio O'Neill McVoy Architects turns a historic red brick townhouse on a slender 24- by 76-foot lot in need of light and air into an ultra-bright and inspiring modern residence for a young family. The Clinton Hill Courtyard House, in a landmarked section of the neighborhood, was built in 1877 as a carriage house for the mansion next door. The historic integrity of the home's exterior was left intact, but inside, three strategic openings–including skylights, a central courtyard, and a perforated interior stair wall--were created to let in light and air everywhere for daily living.
So much sunlight, in so many creative ways

February 20, 2017

Anish Kapoor will bring a spiraling funnel of black water to Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park is the last place we'd expect to find a menacing art installation summoning feelings of nothingness. But come May, Anish Kapoor will bring his acclaimed installation "Descension" to one of the park's busiest stretches, Pier 1. As described by The NY Public Art Fund (the project's curator), Descension is a 26-foot diameter whirlpool that funnels pitch-black, naturally dyed water below ground, inviting visitors to carefully peer into its swirling abyss.
more details here

Events & Things To Do

February 17, 2017

FREE RENT: A roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

HOUSE39 Launches Leasing; New Curving Glass Tower Offers Two Months Free of Early Occupancy [link] Teaser Site Launches for Newly-Dubbed Hudson Yards Rental, ‘Henry Hall’ [link] Listings Debut at Hub with One Month Free; Apartments in Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower from $2,450/Month [link] FiDi’s 180 Water Street Announces March Opening; Now Leasing No Fee Rentals + […]

Real Estate Trends

February 16, 2017

$2.7M penthouse loft boasts 25-foot ceilings and two terraces in Williamsburg

This is penthouse loft living at its finest at the Williamsburg condo 138 Broadway, also known as the Smith Gray. Constructed in 1884 as the cast-iron Smith and Gray Department Store Building, this building was converted to condos back in 2002. This unit last sold in 2006 for $1.2 million and now it's hit the market for twice that much. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom penthouse boasts ceiling heights anywhere from 9 up to 25 feet, with lots of the building's original exposed brick on display.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

February 16, 2017

LOT-EK erects a stunning single-family mega-home from 21 shipping containers in Williamsburg

It would hardly raise an eyebrow to note that the Brooklyn couple behind the wildly popular Williamsburg barbecue joint Fette Sau hired an architect to build them a 25-by-100-foot home on a corner lot in the neighborhood. But in this case, the architects are Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano of the firm LOT-EK, which means the house in question is likely to cause at least a few double-takes. Rising from that corner lot, this remarkable single-family residence was made from 21 steel shipping containers, tamed and transformed into a sleek and surprisingly livable home.
See more of this unconventional home of corrugated steel and glass

Architecture And Design

February 15, 2017

This brick townhouse with romantic backyard and guest house asks $1.495M in Gowanus

Valentine's Day may have just passed but the backyard of this Gowanus townhouse looks romantic for any day of the year. Decked out with greenery, tea lights and a mini guest house, it's a nice perk to the historic brick three-bedroom, two-bathroom triplex townhouse at 112 14th Street. The $1.495 million pad is plenty charming inside, too, with exposed brick walls, four fireplaces and high ceilings throughout.
Take a peek inside

Distinctive Homes

February 15, 2017

WXY reveals renderings of the city’s just-announced $136M fashion and film complex in Sunset Park

Last week, 6sqft took an in-depth look at how Sunset Park has become the new frontier for the city's garment industry, thanks to "several industrial conversions [that] offer cheaper rents, better equipped real estate, and a creative, collaborative community." Part of the city's push to revitalize the fashion trade in the burgeoning Brooklyn nabe is a collaboration with its "Made in New York" marketing campaign, which has previously been geared towards promoting film and television productions and technology companies. They'll also be investing $136 million to create the "Made in NYC Campus," a renovation of two waterfront Bush Terminal structures that will provide affordable space for film, fashion, and virtual reality tech companies, as well as a new pedestrian-friendly plazas and streets. The city's Economic Development Corporation has tapped WXY architecture + urban design to design the complex, and the firm has revealed a batch of renderings that showcase the project.
All the renderings and more details ahead

February 14, 2017

432 Park owner attempts to sell $20M apartment with iPhone photos

If you've been as curious as we have to know what the inside of 432 Park looks like IRL, look no further than unit #52C, now for sale by owner. LLNYC spotted the listing today which boldly ditches professionally staged photos for somewhat sloppy phone snapshots of the interiors. As the mag points out, 432's developers have been keen on putting the luxury tower's best foot forward, revealing only sleek renderings or retouched images of impeccably outfitted model units to press and onlookers.
more inside here

Distinctive Homes

February 13, 2017

ODA’s crystalline 10 Jay Street gets new renderings of retail and office space

It's been eight months since ODA Architecture received its final approvals from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to convert the former Arbuckle Brothers sugar refinery building in Dumbo into a modern retail and office site. We've previously seen renderings of 10 Jay Street's prismatic East River-facing elevation--which was inspired by sugar crystals, the nearby Manhattan Bridge, and the neighborhood's historic steel and brick facades--and now that the rehab is in full swing, CityRealty noticed that the leasing team has debuted a new website with never-before-seen renderings of the brick east wall, adjoining waterfront plaza, retail space, and offices.
See all the renderings ahead

February 13, 2017

$5.5M Park Slope townhouse built in 1906 is drenched in historic details

Mahogany millwork, plaster ceiling moldings, stained-glass windows: these are just a few of the stunning details to be found inside this historic Park Slope townhouse at 566 First Street. A restoration sought to restore as much of the limestone home--which was built in 1906--as possible, while at the same time integrating modern amenities from a dumbwaiter to audio and lighting systems. And now the 4,900-square-foot stunner is on the market for $5.475 million.
Take the grand tour

February 13, 2017

143 chances to live in Downtown Brooklyn from $897/month, lottery open at 33 Bond Street

A new 25-story rental building in booming Downtown Brooklyn is nearing completion at 33 Bond Street, just a block or two away from almost every subway line and a few blocks from BAM. Developer TF Cornerstone paid $70 million for the site, a former parking garage, in early 2014, partnering with Handel Architects on the rather standard, bulky, glassy design. In total, there will be 714 apartments, 143 of which have been set aside as affordable. These below-market rate units are now up for grabs through the city's affordable housing lottery and range from $897/month studios to $1,166/two-bedrooms for households earning 60 percent of the area median income.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

February 13, 2017

FREE RENT: A roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

More Amenities Unveiled at Extell’s Midtown Rental 555Ten; Leasing Continues with Free Rent Offer [link] Stonehenge Offering Two Months Free + $1,000 Security Deposits at 101W15 in Chelsea [link] Long Island City’s 1QPS Tower Launches Leasing with Two Months Free; Studios from $1,989/Month [link] 100 West 143rd Street Offering One Month of Free Rent on […]

Real Estate Trends

February 10, 2017

This Windsor Terrace townhouse reno by Barker Freeman was inspired by the owner’s love of books

Barker Freeman Design Office got creative with this townhouse renovation in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn by taking the interior structural columns of the home and transforming them into bookshelves. The result was a win for architect Alexandra Barker's book-loving clients Gayle Forman, a prolific author of young-adult books, and Nick Tucker, her musician-librarian husband. Barker told Brownstoner that the shelving system is essentially a "low-cost design feature." And she noted, "They add visual interest using something most people already have." But that was only one element in an overhaul that modernized the main floor of this historic 20-foot-wide wood frame house.
See the full renovation

Construction Update: Greenpoint’s first skyscraper tops off

Rendering: Neoscape; Construction photo: Will Femia

February 10, 2017

Construction Update: Greenpoint’s first skyscraper tops off

Greenpoint's new waterfront skyline is quickly taking shape, as CityRealty reports the neighborhood's first skyscraper has just topped off. The tower, measuring 400 feet, will be Greenpoint's tallest, stretching 39 stories above the characteristically low-slung neighborhood now dominated by squat residential buildings and warehouses. With a somewhat uninspired name, The Greenpoint (as it will be known) will bring 95 high-end condos and 287 rental apartments to a block-long stretch of the area.
more details here

February 9, 2017

‘Freedom Ticket’ will offer a transit discount to those in outer Queens and Brooklyn

New Yorkers living in the outer reaches of Brooklyn and Queens may soon find some relief when it comes to their daily commutes. The MTA’s New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) is looking to make travel more efficient and affordable for those residing in the city's transit deserts through a "Freedom Ticket" pilot initiative that will, says Gothamist, temporarily offer discounted flat-fee tickets for bus, subway and commuter rail travel with unlimited free transfers.
more details here

Transit

February 9, 2017

$399K for an adorable Bay Ridge co-op with plenty of potential and space to spare

We sometimes see a floor plan that makes this much sense, but not often. This window-wrapped Bay Ridge apartment at 6665 Colonial Road currently has one bedroom, but the potential for another–or even two more–is immediately evident. The flow of space through the home makes important spaces like the kitchen and bath easy to get to from everywhere, while keeping private space private. The home's interiors are sunny and cozy without being cramped. And $399,000 isn't a number you see too often in New York City, even in well-kept secret Bay Ridge.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

The city’s struggling garment industry finds a new home in Sunset Park

Photo via Alexandra Ferguson

February 8, 2017

The city’s struggling garment industry finds a new home in Sunset Park

At its peak in 1950, the city's garment industry employed 323,669 New Yorkers. By 2000, this number had dropped to 59,049, and in 2015, it was less than half that with just 22,626 residents "making apparel, accessories, and finished textile products," reports the Times. The struggling trade, long centered in the area bound by 5th/9th Avenues and 35th/41st Streets, has fallen victim not only to national trends of work being shipped overseas, but local issues like rising rents, outdated facilities, and competition from tech and media companies. But thanks to a collaboration between the city and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, a "new, modern garment district" is taking hold in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where several industrial conversions offer cheaper rents, better equipped real estate, and a creative, collaborative community
Much more on the shift

Uncategorized

February 7, 2017

Freestanding home in Bay Ridge with many of its historic details intact asks $2.15M

It's hard to deny the stateliness of this three-story freestanding home at 8525 Colonial Road in Bay Ridge. It's located on a 52-by-78-foot corner lot with both a front and back yard. (The large lot also boasts a two-car garage.) Inside, charming details abound, like a wood-burning fireplace and built-in window seat. For this four-bedroom, four-bathroom home, it'll cost a cool $2.15 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

February 7, 2017

Coney Island to add 150,000 square feet of new rides and attractions by 2018

Hold onto your hats, friends, because Coney Island is getting another 150,000 square feet of fun and amusement. On Monday, The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation put out a request for proposals (RFP) for new rides, games and other attractions to be located on five vacant, city-owned parcels bound by Surf Avenue and the Coney Island Boardwalk. The sites are highly covetable and sit in the midst existing offers like Luna Park and, of course, the iconic Wonder Wheel.
more details here

New Developments

February 6, 2017

Construction update: Domino Sugar Factory tower tops off and gets its skybridge

Things are moving ahead swiftly at the Domino Sugar Factory since Two Trees broke ground at the three million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development last spring. In November, the lottery opened for 104 affordable units at 325 Kent Avenue, the first building at the site. Designed by SHoP Architects, who are also responsible for the project's entire master plan, the $200 million tower has now topped off at 16 stories, and the skybridge connecting its two wings has also gone up. CityRealty paid a visit to the construction site and got a look at these new views, as well as the copper cladding that's taken shape on the lower face of the building.
See it all here

February 6, 2017

Vince Clarke’s gorgeous Park Slope townhouse asks $6M after Roman and Williams haute-goth makeover

Back in 2008, the stunning 19th century Park Slope townhouse at 178 Garfield Place belonging to J. Crew president and creative director Jenna Lyons wowed design and brownstone junkies when it made the cover of Domino magazine and the pages of countless others. In 2012, the stylishly- and painstakingly-renovated home was sold for an impressive $4 million to Depeche Mode founder Vince Clarke and his wife, Tracy Hurley Martin. As 6sqft previously reported, the pair–she helmed Brooklyn's fabulously peculiar (and recently-shuttered) Morbid Anatomy Museum and adores curiosities and the darker side of collecting–hired designers-to-the-stars Roman and Williams to give the four-story home yet another design makeover. Though a New York Times home design feature quotes Mrs. Martin as saying, "This is it. This is where I’m going to die. Hopefully not anytime soon,” upon first touring the 3,600 square-foot townhouse, a very much alive Martin and Mr. Clarke have put the home on the market for $5.995 million.
Tour the iconic and beautiful townhouse

February 5, 2017

A new construction carriage house in Red Hook boasts plentiful indoor and outdoor space

A unique property in a unique neighborhood has hit the market for a cool $1.9 million. 97 King Street, in the waterfront neighborhood of Red Hook, is a newer construction building inspired by the carriage house design. The three-story property holds a 270-square-foot garage on the ground floor--currently home to the textile company Artemisia--and living space above. It's topped with an impressive roof deck that looks over Lower Manhattan and the surrounding waterfront.
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

February 3, 2017

FREE RENT: A roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

Co-Living Rental ‘Common Baltic‘ Makes its Debut, Offers Leases with One Month of Free Rent [link] An Astounding Four Months of Free Rent with Two-Year Leases at Brooklyn Rental, The Williams [link] Live in Downtown Art Deco High Rise with Two Months of Free Rent; Studios Starting from $2,775 [link] Hoboken Rental, The Rivington, Offers […]

Real Estate Trends

Jared-less Kushner Companies readies for construction at DUMBO’s Jehovah’s Witness parking lot

Conceptual massing of 85 Jay Street based on approved zoning, via CityRealty

February 3, 2017

Jared-less Kushner Companies readies for construction at DUMBO’s Jehovah’s Witness parking lot

Despite the fact that Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner stepped down as CEO of Kushner Companies in order to transition from developer to full-time presidential advisor, his family's firm is moving ahead with their big plans at a three-acre parking lot in DUMBO. Just over a month ago, the joint partnership among Kushner, LIVWRK, and CIM Group paid $345 million to the Jehovah’s Witnesses for the site at 85 Jay Street, which brought Kushner's total investment in the area to more than $1 billion. CityRealty recently visited the site and found that they've ceased parking operations and moved construction equipment onsite.
All the details ahead

New Developments

February 2, 2017

Lake Bell’s trendy Clinton Hill townhouse finds a buyer

By Annie Doge

Less than a month after director/actress/screenwriter Lake Bell chopped the price of her trendy, historic Clinton Hill townhouse to $2.3 million, she's found a buyer for it, reports the Post. She and her hubby, tattoo artist to the stars Scott Campbell, bought the home at 119 Vanderbilt Avenue in 2013 for $1.55 million, subsequently embarking on creative renovation that preserved historic elements such as four marble-mantled wood-burning fireplaces, tin ceilings, tons of exposed brick, wood-beamed ceilings, detailed moldings, and hand-nailed wide plank floors.
See it all

February 1, 2017

Industrial-chic Williamsburg loft in a 1914 shoe polish factory asks $3.2M