Brooklyn

The time has finally come. After years of setbacks and teasers, units at Jean Nouvel's 1,050-foot-tall MoMA Tower, now officially known as 53W53, have hit the market. Nine listings (out of 139) went up on Corcoran, according to Curbed, ranging from a $3.17 million one-bedroom 19th-floor unit to a $50.9 million four-bedroom, 63rd-floor unit. When construction started earlier this year, rumor had it that the listings wouldn't be made public, but now that we know otherwise, we've got plenty of floorplan porn to ogle, as well as lots more interior renderings courtesy of designer Thierry Despont.
Renderings and floorplans right this way

September 18, 2015

A Hip, Modern Condo at Greenpoint’s Pencil Factory is Asking $800K

Does it get anymore Brooklyn than this? A new development condo designed to look like a loft, outfitted with bookshelves, deer heads, and reclaimed wood furniture. The apartment in question comes from The Pencil Factory lofts, a former pencil factory turned condo development at 122 West Street in Greenpoint. Cool location, cool building, cool apartment—it's going to cost you a cool $800,000 for this one-bedroom unit.
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September 18, 2015

Five-Story Brooklyn Townhouse Makes the Best-Dressed List in Pretty Pastels and Contemporary Flair

By Michelle Cohen

If you've got a big family and you want to live within city limits, it's said that you'd better be able to afford it; this Brooklyn Heights house helps make the case. This whopping 5,000-square-feet of townhouse goodness at 281 Henry Street is missing very little as far as house-in-the-city perfection. There's a stylishly appointed room ready for everyone and their guests—and an opportunity for rental income with a freshly renovated garden apartment to help offset costs. It almost makes the $7.2 million price tag seem like a deal. The current owner has decorated the five-story, six-bedroom brownstone to the nines with a cake-frosting-pastel palette and contemporary design elements, while retaining the home's lovely historic details; the basic infrastructure is as modern as can be with central a/c, alarm and intercom systems and every appliance, fixture and finish freshly and stylishly updated. Besides the fact that the home is actually a bit narrow at 15.5 feet (though over 54 feet deep) there's only one thing we can think of that would improve this impressive townhome: An elevator.
Five floors of eye candy, this way...

Distinctive Homes

September 16, 2015

Lang Architecture Updates a Carroll Gardens Brownstone With a Two-Story Wall of Windows

Prior to renovation, this Carroll Gardens brownstone came complete with tattered wall-to-wall carpeting and three separate apartment units. Plus, it was just 14 feet wide. The arduous task of transforming the four-story Italianate home into an attractive one-family residence was awarded to Drew Lang of Lang Architecture (the same firm responsible for Hudson Woods, the Catskills eco-community). When first approached, Lang's clients said they wanted to restore the historic elements of the house, but also make it feel airy, light, and modern.
See how Drew Lang rose to the challenge

September 16, 2015

Bright, Modern Clinton Hill Three-Bedroom on Biggie’s Old Block Offers Lots of Options for $950K

By Michelle Cohen

It's not often that a three-bedroom apartment in prime Brooklyn rings in at under a million; if it does, it's likely to be a co-op with a steep monthly fee, and/or badly in need of an update. This pre-war condo in the heart of Clinton Hill is the rare exception: tastefully renovated, it offers pretty pre-war details, three bedrooms, and a location that's hard to beat. 207 Saint James Place is on one of this historic neighborhood's most beautiful streets, lined with 150-year-old brownstones and wood-frames, carriage houses and churches. There's plenty of colorful local history as well: The childhood home of Biggie Smalls is in a similar building just across the street at number 226–the late rapper's former apartment sold for $725k in 2013. Having survived the ravages of the late 20th century, these ornate 1930s limestone apartment buildings can be a great place to find lovely and livable–and somewhat rare–apartments like this one.
Take a look, this way...

Distinctive Homes

September 15, 2015

Fort Greene Townhouse, Up for Rent at $8,500 a Month, Has Its Very Own Treehouse

If a New York townhouse is only as good as its outdoor space, this place in Fort Greene is one of the best. Located at 283 Adelphi Street, the historic brick house boasts a beautiful interior with both modern and historic touches, and then a downright awesome exterior. A fire pit, an outdoor dining area, and yes, there's a treehouse. (It looks just large enough to fit a grownup, too!) Simply put: this house has us sold, inside and out. It's up for rent during a six-month period–January 2016 to June 2016–asking $8,500 a month.
See it all

September 15, 2015

Never-Built Coney Island Globe Tower Would Have Been a Massive Boardwalk in the Air

In 1906, architect Samuel Friede announced his plans to build the Coney Island Globe Tower, a 700-foot-tall, 11-story structure that would have contained the Brooklyn neighborhood's attractions in one giant globe in the air. A New York Tribune cover revealing the project said investors were being offered "a ground floor chance to share profits in the largest steel structure ever erected...the greatest amusement enterprise in the whole world...the best real estate venture." Had the $1,500,000 plan gone through, the whimsical structure (part Unisphere, part Eiffel Tower) would have contained restaurants (one of which would rotate), an observatory, the United States Weather Observation Bureau and Wireless Telegraph Station, a vaudeville theater, the world's largest ballroom, bowling alley, roller skating rink, casinos, 50,000-room hotel, 5,000-seat hippodrome, and a four large circus rings.
Read the rest of the history

History

September 14, 2015

Resolution: 4 Architecture’s Romantic Brooklyn Townhouse Renovation Is a Bevy of Soft Textures

This beautiful four-bedroom Brooklyn townhouse was renovated by the New York architecture firm and 6sqft favorite Resolution: 4 Architecture. The project added a significant addition to a traditional single family row house, bringing with it a new roof deck and sleek media room. The interior palette consists mostly of white and neutral wood tones enhanced with poppy adornments like large floral wall art or boldly colored accent walls. Expansive windows dominate the communal areas, making each space feel open and airy regardless of the square footage.
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September 10, 2015

A Totally Modern Brooklyn Townhouse With a Rock Climbing Wall Asks $4.25M

The best thing about shiny new modern townhouses? They can be really fun. Take this townhouse at 113A Columbia Street, along the Columbia Street Waterfront in Brooklyn, for example. It's a new-construction home, built in 2010. And over five stories you get lots of unique, fun custom details that really make this house one of a kind. The design, most of all, is kid friendly, with a rock-climbing wall making for one of the coolest kid's rooms ever.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

September 9, 2015

Norah Jones Is Buyer of $6.25M ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Carriage House in Cobble Hill

By Annie Doge

We knew in May that the famous Cobble Hill carriage house from the Julia Roberts movie "Eat, Pray, Love" had found a buyer at $6.25 million. But now the Daily News is reporting that this mystery buyer is Norah Jones, who purchased the historic home under an LLC. The singer is no stranger to the neighborhood; she also owns a house around the corner at 166 Amity Street, which she bought in 2009 for $4.9 million. Her new converted 1840s fire house comes complete with a magical secret garden, a glassy greenhouse, second-floor terrace, and giant exposed wood beams.
Take a tour of the unique home

September 8, 2015

Hedge Fund Tycoon May Be the Buyer of $200M Penthouse at 220 Central Park South

We first got wind of the potentially record-setting penthouse listing at 220 Central Park South back in March, when it was reported that the unit could sell for between $150 and $175 million. In June, sources said that a Qatari billionaire was looking to combine multiple apartments in the Robert A.M. Stern-designed building to create a $250 million mega-penthouse. Then last month, the Post speculated that another high-profile buyer was Ken Griffin, the billionaire hedge fun tycoon who is currently in the midst of a messy divorce from wife Anne Dias-Griffin (she's asking for $1 million a month in child support). Now the paper reveals that it's Griffin who's looking to snatch up the $200 million+ penthouse in what's being called the "billionaire's bunker."
More details this way

Real Estate Trends

September 8, 2015

Historic Brooklyn Heights Site May Be Redeveloped Into 40-Story Condominium

By Ondel Hylton

Concept studies by the design firm SRA Architecture + Engineering (SRAA+E) reveal that an existing five-story commercial building in Downtown Brooklyn may be redeveloped into a dramatic retail and condominium tower. The prominent 19,000-square-foot, triangular site at 205 Montague Street is located at the gateway of Brooklyn Heights and currently holds a 1960s-era marble and glass office-retail building that was picked up by Joseph Cayre's Midtown Equities back in 2010. In 2012, the development firm filed permits doubling the building's size, envisioning a 100-unit residence that would convert the structure's three upper levels into apartments and add another six stories above. The permits, also filed by SRAA+E, were never approved, but in 2012 an insider told the Brooklyn Eagle, “an awful lot more can be built than what's in the Buildings Department plans." Midtown Equities, who is also busy rebuilding the Empire Stores in Brooklyn Bridge Park, could not be reached for comment.
Find out more about this possible project

September 8, 2015

First Look at the Gibraltar, Newest Addition to the Greenpoint Waterfront

By Heather Cooper Vivares

Another residential building has been called to join the ranks of the Greenpoint waterfront. Located at 160 West Street, the six-story condo is known as the Gibraltar. Permits filed a year ago claimed 13 apartments and 16,198 square feet, but according to developer Saddle Rock Equities, it will house 14 apartments over 20,000 square feet. Designed by architect Joe Eisner, the bulky grey building stands out for its oversized balconies and abundance of rooftop space.
More on the development and new renderings

Image via Field Condition

September 3, 2015

Leaks and Alignment Issues Plaguing Atlantic Yards’ B2 Tower Were More Severe Than Reported

By Diane Pham

When it was announced that Brooklyn would be host to the world's tallest prefab tower, many believed that a new era of construction was upon us. Called the B2 Tower, the building would rise as stacked 32-story structure, affording all the perks of a conventional edifice, but be quick and inexpensive to build. But as it has been well-documented, the project, announced way back in 2012, has been a major flop. Stricken with delays and countless lawsuits flying left and right, the building today has only reached about half of its height. So where did things go so wrong? A fascinating piece by the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report's Norman Oder on City Limits provides some incredible insight into the project that has failed to deliver on just about every promise put forward.
READ MORE

September 3, 2015

Four-Floor Stunner with a ‘Secret Garden’ Asks $11,000 a Month in Fort Greene

Here is Brooklyn brownstone living at its finest. The historic 1880s townhouse at 139 South Oxford Street, located in the very brownstone-heavy neighborhood of Fort Greene, is a good blend of historic details and modern conveniences. It's got a very special landscaped backyard, a renovated kitchen, and a staircase to die for. It's split up as a two-family home, and the upper four floors are now on the rental market asking $11,000 a month. That's nearly 3,000 square feet of living space, with four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two half bathrooms and even additional basement storage! That's a lot of brownstone goodness right there.
See it all

September 2, 2015

Bed-Stuy Brownstone With Its Historic Details Intact Asks $1.9 Million

The days of finding an affordable historic brownstone in Brooklyn are long gone. Today, brownstones–like this one at 348 Gates Avenue in Bed-Stuy–are priced into the millions. Because the home has much of its historic interior details intact, like mantles, high ceilings and the original hardwood floors, it's especially pricey for the neighborhood, with an asking price of $1.9 million. It's also in a convenient area of the neighborhood, bordering Clinton Hill and off the main drag of Franklin Avenue. So, will this brownstone achieve its high ask?
See more to decide

September 1, 2015

Modern Two-Bedroom in Williamsburg Comes With a Dreamy Outdoor Space

If you're on the hunt for a modern condo unit (and aren't shopping on a strict budget), Williamsburg is one Brooklyn neighborhood that is full of them. Here's the top-floor unit at 317 South 4th Street, a boutique condo with four total units—a two-bedroom, two-bathroom on the market for $1.45 million. The floor-through apartment has all modern finishes, lots of glass, a private balcony and even a 700-square-foot roof garden.
See more of it

September 1, 2015

Loft Renovation in DUMBO’s Eagle Warehouse Building Is Playful and Strategic

This playfully decorated loft is located in DUMBO's landmarked Eagle Warehouse Building. Although the space has always been generous in square footage, prior to the renovation the original residence only had two small windows and very little natural light. To open up and brighten the home, Etelamaki Architecture removed the kitchen walls and introduced various design treatments to increase the presence of natural light and to define distinct functional spaces.
Check out the rest of the loft

August 31, 2015

BSC Architecture Simplifies a Park Slope Brownstone Redesign Through Subtraction

This 1899 Park Slope brownstone underwent an extensive renovation inspired by its new owners' desire to recreate their previous living space. Their former home was an airy, light-filled space with small private bedrooms adjacent to large communal areas, fostering a sense of family cohesion and intimacy. Unfortunately, their vision was contradictory to the existing Brooklyn structure. But these types of challenges can be a designer's greatest motivator, and the team from BSC Architecture took the test head on. Drawing inspiration from the words of Gordon Matta Clark, "a response to cosmetic design; completion through removal; completion through collapse; completion through emptiness,” the redesign was realized through a process of strategic removal.
More on this clever project here

August 31, 2015

Garden Floor Charm at this Boerum Hill Townhouse Rental, Asking $5,500 a Month

If you're in the market for a duplex rental apartment, you can't get any better than the parlor and the ground floor of a Brooklyn townhouse. For starters, you're getting lots of that historic interior charm, not to mention the big front windows and the high ceilings of the parlor floor. And with access to the garden floor comes with it access to the garden! This duplex rental, at 379 State Street in Boerum Hill, covers those very floors and yes, it has access to a private garden. It's now up for rent asking $5,500 a month.
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Distinctive Homes

August 31, 2015

Revealed: Floor Plans and Pricing for Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower

After progress crept along for nearly ten years, Jean Nouvel's highly anticipated MoMA Tower, officially known as 53W53, is now inching closer to the finish line. A year ago we got a peak at unofficial penthouse floorplans, and the first interior renderings were revealed in February, followed by a pre-sales-launch video of the interiors in May. Now, the Post has uncovered floorplans and pricing for three of the units in the 1,050-foot, 82-story asymmetrical tower. They include a 3,846-square-foot, 55th-floor three-bedroom asking $21.7 million; a smaller 55th-floor three-bedroom for $14.42 million; and a 4,362-square-foot, 72nd-floor three-bedroom duplex going for $39.2 million.
More floorplans and pricing

August 28, 2015

OKCupid Co-Founder Picks Up a Greenpoint Townhouse for $2.12M

By Annie Doge

A co-founder of everybody's favorite dating site OKCupid has just scooped up a sweet townhouse at 925 Lorimer Street in Greenpoint, according to property records just released. Christian Rudder—now a budding musician and father—was listed alongside his Bishop Allen bandmate Michael Tapper (also of We Are Scientists fame) on the sale. The home, which is described as "3,400 square feet of endless opportunities" is sure to offer the pair and their friends a "typical Friday night" that's anything but typical.
Have a closer look inside here

August 27, 2015

Duplex Loft in a Former Ping Pong Factory Asks $1.1 Million in Clinton Hill

110 Clifton Place, in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, is a prewar warehouse building that formerly housed a ping pong factory. Today, unsurprisingly, it's home to luxury loft apartments. This one is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex with a whole lotta space—1,200 square feet to be exact—that also comes with its own private roof deck. The listing calls it "quintessential loft living" and we'd have to agree, with the high ceilings, spiral staircase and big windows. Its asking price? $1.1 million.
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Distinctive Homes

August 27, 2015

REVEALED: First Look at Thor Equities’ Retail Jewel Box in Williamsburg

By Ondel Hylton

Last August, Joseph Sitt's Thor Equities purchased a string of Williamsburg properties for nearly $22 million with the intent of replacing the gritty row with a 10,000-square-foot retail jewel box. Now, Thor's website gives us our first look at what the prime property at the southeast corner of Berry and North 6th Streets may hold. The two renderings presented of 124-136 North 6th Street reveal a sleek, two-story building clad in brick and glass that could potentially house a half-dozen boutique retailers. According to the Observer, who first reported the deal last October, Thor is seeking a retail showroom and/or restaurant tenants. Above the spaces, the building may be topped with a gardened roof deck enclosed in trellises.
More details

August 26, 2015

A Glassy, Modern Single-Family Home Asks $12,000 a Month in Williamsburg