Brooklyn

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has fallen victim not only to national trends of work being shipped overseas, but local issues like rising rents, outdated facilities, and competition from tech and media companies.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

By Diane Pham

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

Another big bi-level loft is for sale in the Esquire Lofts, one of Williamsburg's more iconic factory condo conversion buildings. Built in 1914, the former shoe polish factory at 330 Wythe Avenue offers the essence of loft living with 2,146 square feet of open space with the added bonus of the waterfront neighborhood's direct views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline. Currently configured with two bedrooms, the space could sleep three or four. It's currently on the market (for the first time as a resale) for $3.195 million.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

January 31, 2017

$4.75M Park Slope townhouse offers original 1910 details with 21st century improvements

Even before you open the front door, this limestone townhouse on one of the prettiest blocks in the heart of Park Slope has more going for it than location. Built in 1910, the three-story home at 542 Third Street was designed by notable and prolific Swedish-American architect Axel Hedman. Along with partner Magnus Dahlander, Hedman is thought to have built more elegant rowhouses in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Park Slope, Sunset Park and Prospect Lefferts Gardens/Lefferts Manor than any other in his profession. Guided by the current owners’ high standards and exacting design principles, the home's finest historic details have been preserved while modern comforts and conveniences have been seamlessly integrated.
Take the tour, floor by floor

Distinctive Homes

January 30, 2017

$349K for a kooky studio co-op in Prospect Heights

The space may be modest, but the owner of this Prospect Heights co-op at 125 Eastern Parkway has managed to pack a lot inside. Decorations abound at the studio apartment, which is now on the market asking $349,000. It's a decent deal for an apartment right off Prospect Park, and it certainly does boast some of its own prewar charm.
Even the bathroom's decked out

January 27, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

No Security Deposit + One Month Free for Full-Floor Apartments on Lower East Side [link] Glenwood Offering Free Rent at Lincoln Square High-Rise, Hawthorn Park [link] One Month Free on All Units at Luxury High Rise LINC LIC; Studios from $2,395 [link] Now 95% Leased, 180 Franklin Avenue in Clinton Hill Offers Two Months Free […]

Real Estate Trends

January 26, 2017

NYU announces $500M expansion of Downtown Brooklyn tech campus

In 2012, NYU signed a 99-year lease for the Downtown Brooklyn building at 370 Jay Street, a former MTA headquarters. Two years later, the University opened its Tandon School of Engineering in the neighborhood, and now that 5,212 students are enrolled, NYU is moving ahead with a $500 million renovation, restoration, and expansion of the Jay Street building, adding 500,000 square feet of space for areas of study such as computer coding, video game design, and digital forensics. The Daily News first shared the news, and they report that the new facility will open this coming summer, in time to welcome students for the Fall semester.
More views and details

New Developments

January 26, 2017

‘Girls’ and ‘Star Wars’ actor Adam Driver checks out a $4.79M fixer-upper in Brooklyn Heights

By Diane Pham

Indie stud Adam Driver's star is quickly rising thanks to his chameleon-like abilities to play characters ranging from Hannah Horvath's troubled and emotionally rich boyfriend on "Girls" to the diabolical villain Kylo Ren in the new "Star Wars" films. Now it appears Driver is looking to take on yet another role: homeowner. Like his "Girls" cohorts, Driver's interest in multi-million dollar properties has been piqued, and The Post reports the actor was recently spotted touring a townhouse at 154 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights (the nabe where Girls' creator and lead Lena Dunham also lives). The now-vacant home was formerly used as a multiple-unit rental property and is currently listed for $4.79 million as a 5,444-square-foot single-family residence.
more photos inside

Rendering of 86 Fleet Place via Goldstein, Hill & West (L); Construction as of October 2016, via CityRealty

January 26, 2017

Live in John Catsimatidis’ curvy Downtown Brooklyn rental tower from $833/month

Way back in 1982, the CEO and owner of Red Apple Group, John Catsimatidis (you may know him better as the billionaire owner of Gristedes or for his failed Republican run in the last mayoral election) paid $500,000 for a 2.5-acre, four-block site in Downtown Brooklyn, on the western edge of Fort Greene. Thirty-five years later, construction is wrapping up on the final, and by far the tallest, of the four-tower development. The curving glass building at 86 Fleet Place was designed by Goldstein, Hill & West and will rise 32 stories/350 feet and house 440 rentals, 29 of which are set aside as affordable and have just come online through the city's affordable housing lottery. They range from $833/month studios to $1,247/month three-bedrooms and are available for those earning 45 to 60 percent of the area media income.
Find out if you qualify here

January 24, 2017

Art dealers’ Cobble Hill townhouse has gym, wine cellar, and city views for $6.5M

Two Manhattan gallerists, one six-story Brooklyn townhouse—you'd think it would be a match made in heaven. But the home's current owners—his Madison Avenue gallery specializes in Surrealist and Modern art, her company looks out for new talent and helps clients build contemporary art collections—bought the house in 2015 for $4 million, and they've just listed it for $6.5M. 124 Congress Street is one of nine units that comprise the Morris Adjmi-designed Cobble Hill Townhouses. Completed in 2014, the development features a mix of restored and newly-constructed homes. With four bedrooms, a private garden and a roof terrace with Manhattan views—but no elevator—the home's interiors were clearly designed by a pro, but they're surprisingly low-key given the sellers' contemporary art milieu.
Take the tour. Hope you like stairs

Distinctive Homes

January 20, 2017

$12,000/month to rent this triplex townhouse beauty in Boerum Hill

Renters can enjoy Brooklyn townhouse living in all its glory here at 306 State Street, a Boerum Hill property now asking $12,000 a month. The 25-foot landmark home spans three floors and holds five bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and an upgraded chef's kitchen. Better yet, a dramatic glass extension was added to the back of the home, making for a sunroom you don't see in many historic New York townhouses.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

January 20, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Midtown Rental Skyscraper ‘Tower 31‘ Offering One Month Free or One Month OP on Select Leases [link] Leasing Launches at 531 Myrtle Avenue; First to Open for New Clinton Hill Rental Duo ‘Myrtle & Steuben’ [link] Month of Free Rent at The Giovanni, 81 Fleet Place in Downtown Brooklyn [link] SLCE-Designed Downtown High Rise, The […]

Real Estate Trends

January 20, 2017

The Urban Lens: Inside ‘Little Odessa,’ Brighton Beach’s quaint beachfront Russian community

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Chaz Langley explores the people and establishments that breathe life into Brighton Beach. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. 6sqft recently featured Chaz Langley's photo series "A Stroll in Chinatown," where he captured the neighborhood's unique cultural establishments and the everyday comings and goings of its residents. He's now taken the same approach with Brighton Beach, Brooklyn's beach-front community that's often referred to as "Little Odessa" for its strong Russian community. Langley, a Nashville native who moved to New York almost a decade ago to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter/actor/model, has taken to sharing his location-specific collections on Instagram, integrating his graphic design background in their presentation. From a fruit stand to boardwalk, his Brighton Beach series certainly paints a picture of the neighborhood.
See all the photos here

Places

January 20, 2017

Whole Foods will open a lower-priced ‘365’ store in Downtown Brooklyn

By Diane Pham

Downtown Brooklyn is quickly becoming one of NYC's most desirable commercial hubs. On top of hosting a lengthy roster of big name retailers and entertainment centers—which include a new Target, Trader Joe's, Century 21, Apple store, Alamo Drafthouse cinema, and Barclays Center—the neighborhood will also welcome a brand new, lower-priced Whole Foods concept store called "365." According to a press release, the store will open in early 2018 at Two Trees' 300 Ashland Place, and be set up as a no-frills version of the grocery giant.
more details this way

Uncategorized

January 19, 2017

Pop singer Santigold lists her ornate Bed-Stuy brownstone for $1.95 million

By Annie Doge

Singer and songwriter Santi "Santigold" White—best known for her singles "Creator" and "LES Artistes," and more recently her video "Can't Get Enough of Myself" which featured cameos by Jay Z, Pharrell, Olivia Wilde, amongst other A-listers—has just listed her stunning Bed-Stuy brownstone for $1,950,000. White originally purchased the property back in 2010 for just $775,000, meaning if she can make a sale, she'll walk away with quite a tidy profit. With that said, the home at 786 Putnam Avenue should have no issues drawing in buyers. In addition to offering generous quarters as a "one-of-a-kind 2-family brownstone, currently used as an extra-large one-family residence," plenty of lavish details make this home a standout.
Get a closer look inside here

January 19, 2017

New renderings and photos show Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5 uplands are almost complete

You won't need to see more than a few renderings and photos of new park space slated for Brooklyn Bridge Park to feel ready for summertime. First posted by Curbed from the park's landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, renderings show the final design for one of the last undeveloped sections of the park between Montague and Joralemon streets. Known as the Pier 5 uplands, the hilly green space will be comprised of a stepped lawn, shaded grove, waterfront seating and new entrance off Joralemon Street. A sound-dampening berm will reduce noise from the nearby roadways. And it's all on track to wrap construction right before summer.
More images and details this way

January 19, 2017

$10.5M Federal-era house in Brooklyn Heights was Truman Capote’s muse

When he penned an essay about his neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights in 1959, it was this wood-frame house at 13 Pineapple Street that inspired Truman Capote. "Cheerfully austere, as elegant and other-era as formal calling cards, these houses bespeak an age of able servants and solid fireside ease; of horses in musical harness," he wrote, referencing the 1830 Federal-era home that was around the corner from his personal house. The Wall Street Journal reports that, for the past 26 years, the residence has been preserved by a couple who were drawn to its grey shingles as a reminder of the old houses in Nantucket they love. But now that their children are grown, they're looking to downsize and have listed the storied property for $10.5 million.
All the history right this way

January 17, 2017

Department of Health says it’s okay to eat Gowanus Canal fish in moderation and kayak in the water

The real estate community has been looking closely at Gowanus as of late thanks to rezoning plans that will likely spur high-end development and proposals for a public esplanade. To some, this waterfront vision seems a bit off due to the toxicity of the Canal and its history as a Superfund site, but naysayers may be changing their tune as a new report from the New York State Department of Health tells us that "limited direct contact with the canal's waters, through boating or fishing" doesn't increase the risk of cancer and other diseases, according to Gothamist. It's still not safe to swim in the water, but, believe it or not, men and women of certain ages can even eat some of the Canal's fish.
Find out more

Uncategorized

January 17, 2017

$8.8M 20-room limestone Park Slope mansion was built in 1905 for a furniture tycoon