Architecture And Design

May 7, 2021

For just $865K, you can live in this beautiful converted church in Connecticut

In Weston, Connecticut, about an hour-and-a-half drive from NYC, you can buy this amazingly converted church for $865,000, the price of a very tiny one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Built in 1890, the former Swedish church has been transformed into a quirky yet beautiful single-family home, complete with stained-glass windows, cathedral ceilings, and wooden ceilings beams. At 2,382 square feet, it has three bedrooms, plus a lovely rear patio.
See it all here

Brooklyn Public Library reveals Central Library redesign by Toshiko Mori

All photos by Gregg Richards

May 7, 2021

Brooklyn Public Library reveals Central Library redesign by Toshiko Mori

By Dana Schulz

This week, the Brooklyn Public Library revealed the first phase of a major remodel of its Central Library on Grand Army Plaza. Designed by renowned architect Toshiko Mori, the undertaking was the single largest renovation and restoration in the Central Library’s 80-year history. The modern, light-filled rooms now provide more accessible space for the public, which includes civic commons for community engagement (providing city and passport services), a "new and noteworthy" book gallery, and an enlarged and modernized business and career center.
Take a tour

Architecture And Design

$348M restoration of Riverside Park is part of largest investment in 90 years

Photo of Riverside Park by Momos on Wikimedia

May 6, 2021

$348M restoration of Riverside Park is part of largest investment in 90 years

By Devin Gannon

The city announced this week plans to provide $348 million in funding for the rehabilitation of major infrastructure in Riverside Park, marking one of the largest investments at the waterfront park since the 1930s. The project restores the "overbuild," a series of bridge structures built over the Amtrak tunnels between West 72nd and West 123rd Streets. The deteriorated structure has damaged pathways and affected the park's usability, according to the city.
More here

Architecture And Design

18th-century Sag Harbor home with shiplap ceilings and custom ironwork asks $3.25M

Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 6, 2021

18th-century Sag Harbor home with shiplap ceilings and custom ironwork asks $3.25M

By Dana Schulz

In Sag Harbor Village, this $3,250,000 house shares all the history of its neighborhood. It was built in 1792 but updated with a modern take on its 18th-century origins. Throughout you'll find handcrafted millwork and ironwork, wide-plank oak floors, and shiplap ceiling with exposed wood beams. And it's just steps to both Sag Harbor Cove and all the shops and restaurants along Main Street.
Go inside

See restoration plans for the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx

View of the Upper and Lower Promenades, Cafeteria, and South Loggia, Looking South (1936); Images courtesy of Marvel/ NYC Parks/ NYCEDC

May 5, 2021

See restoration plans for the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx

By Devin Gannon

The landmarked bathhouse and pavilion at Orchard Beach in the Bronx will be restored to its original 1930s design and become more accessible to the public. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to approve plans from architecture firm Marvel, the Parks Department, and the city's Economic Development Corporation to reconstruct the deteriorating architectural gem. The project includes reinstalling and restoring limestone cladding, repairing the upper-level loggias, adding an ADA accessible ramp, and building an enclosed restaurant or event space.
Get the details

See the new $7M park coming to the Williamsburg waterfront

Rendering courtesy of NYC Parks

April 27, 2021

See the new $7M park coming to the Williamsburg waterfront

By Devin Gannon

Construction officially kicked off this month at a new section of the Bushwick Inlet Park in Williamsburg. The long-awaited two-acre green space, dubbed 50 Kent, is scheduled to open in April 2022. Designs of the parkland, which was promised by the city as part of the 2005 rezoning of the Greenpoint and Williamsburg waterfront, were approved in 2018, but work stalled due to COVID-related budget cuts, as Brooklyn Paper reported.
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Architecture And Design

For $3.5M, you can own this entire 18th-century farm set on 17 acres in New Canaan

Listing photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

April 22, 2021

For $3.5M, you can own this entire 18th-century farm set on 17 acres in New Canaan

By Dana Schulz

For the price of a not-huge Manhattan apartment, you can own this entire 17.5-acre farm in New Canaan, Connecticut, just one hour from NYC. The Extown Farmhouse was originally constructed circa 1776 in the Georgian vernacular style, and it retains much of its original character including structural timber framing, woodwork, floorboards, and fireplace mantels. Also on the property are a main barn with a silo, a three-bay garage, a restored farmhouse cottage, a wood shed, hobby house, chicken coop, turnkey shed, smoke house, large raised-bed vegetable garden, and a fruit orchard.
Look around

April 13, 2021

20 underground and secret NYC attractions you need to check out

By Devin Gannon

While visiting the major, most popular attractions of New York City can be fun, it can also be stressful, overwhelming and full of selfie-taking tourists. However, the great thing about the Big Apple is that plenty of other attractions exist that are far less known or even hidden in plain sight. To go beyond the tourist-filled sites and tour the city like you're seeing it for the very first time, check out 6sqft's list ahead of the 20 best underground, secret spots in New York City.
More this way

Prospect Park’s colorful Concert Grove Pavilion with star-shaped stained-glass skylight reopens

Photos by Paul Martinka for the Prospect Park Alliance

April 8, 2021

Prospect Park’s colorful Concert Grove Pavilion with star-shaped stained-glass skylight reopens

By Devin Gannon

After being closed to the public for nearly seven years, the historic Concert Grove Pavilion in Prospect Park reopened this week following a restoration. Designed in 1874 by Calvert Vaux, who co-designed the Brooklyn park with Frederick Law Olmsted, the stunning structure features colorfully painted wood ceilings and iron columns, ornate wooden trim, and a star-patterned stained-glass dome.
See more here

Architecture And Design

April 5, 2021

Phillips auction house readies to open white-cube location at 432 Park

By Dana Schulz

British auction house Phillips is getting ready for its June move into the white, glassy cube base of supertall 432 Park Avenue. Designed by studioMDA’s Markus Dochantschi, the 35,000-square-foot concourse space at 56th Street will be the only Manhattan auction room visible from the street, breaking down "the classical typology of the 'auction behind closed doors,'" according to a press release. It will have a grand auction room, exhibition galleries, viewing rooms, and a VIP mezzanine.
More info here

Architecture And Design

Get a sneak peek of the Waldorf Astoria’s restored Grand Ballroom

By Dana Schulz

It's been four years since the Waldorf Astoria closed its doors for a restoration and reimagination that will bring 375 luxury condos to the storied landmark. And since then, the team has been teasing out renderings of what we can expect when the Waldorf finally reopens in early 2023. The latest is a look at the Grand Ballroom, one of the largest in NYC (it can accommodate more than 1,000 people) that's hosted the likes of JFK, Queen Elizabeth II, and Grace Kelly. The Art Deco space is an interior landmark, and the restoration will return it to its 1931 splendor.
More details and views here

Hudson River tow pound at Pier 76 to open as a public park in June

All photos courtesy of NY State Parks on Flickr

March 24, 2021

Hudson River tow pound at Pier 76 to open as a public park in June

By Devin Gannon

A former New York City Police Department tow-pound on the Hudson River will open as a public park this summer, more than 20 years after the state designated the lot as future open space. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said work at Pier 76 has already begun, with an expected opening date as early as June 1. The plan for the 5.6-acre park aligns with the governor's ambitious $51 billion redevelopment of over 100 acres of Midtown West, announced earlier this year.
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Architecture And Design

Design concept transforms shipping containers into outdoor stages for NYC

All images courtesy of Marvel

March 18, 2021

Design concept transforms shipping containers into outdoor stages for NYC

By Devin Gannon

As the weather warms up, so will New York City's arts and culture scene. The city's Open Culture program that allows institutions to put on ticketed shows and events kicked off this month, preceded by the state's NY PopsUp initiative, which promises to present over 300 unannounced concerts and performances statewide. Providing another way for New Yorkers to safely enjoy live performances again, architecture firm Marvel has developed a concept that converts portable shipping containers into stages for outdoor theatrical and musical productions.
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Architecture And Design

All renderings courtesy of James Corner Field Operations and BIG- Bjarke Ingels Group

March 18, 2021

Plan for massive towers and public beach in Williamsburg moves ahead with new looks

By Devin Gannon

The proposal to construct two mixed-use skyscrapers and a public beach on the North Brooklyn waterfront is moving forward, although with an updated design, timeline, and name. As first reported by Brooklyn Paper, Two Trees Management is preparing to start the city's uniform land use review procedure (ULURP) in the coming weeks for its project "River Ring," which includes two huge towers designed by Bjarke Ingels with more than 1,000 units of housing, a YMCA, and an environmentally-conscious park with a cove and beach.
Details this way

Radio City Music Hall is getting a rooftop park and skybridge

Rendering by G3 Architecture Interiors Planning; Courtesy of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

March 16, 2021

Radio City Music Hall is getting a rooftop park and skybridge

By Devin Gannon

A skybridge that leads to a landscaped rooftop park is coming to Radio City Music Hall. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans from G3 Architecture Interiors Planning and Tishman Speyer to construct a simple pedestrian bridge clad in statuary bronze that would connect the building at 1270 Avenue of the Americas to the planned roof garden atop the historic theater, which will be amenity space for Rockefeller Center tenants. Interconnected green terraces were part of the original architectural vision for the Rockefeller Center complex and this project, to be called Radio Park, will finally bring the plan to fruition.
See it here

March 15, 2021

New York City buys Downtown Brooklyn’s abolitionist rowhouse for $3.2M

By Devin Gannon

New York City has officially purchased the property at 227 Duffield Street, a 19th-century rowhouse in Downtown Brooklyn recently designated as a landmark for its ties to the abolitionist movement. The Landmarks Preservation Commission last month granted landmark status to the home, occupied by known abolitionists Harriet and Thomas Truesdell from 1851 to 1863, after years of advocacy and a threat by a developer to raze it and build a mixed-use building in its place. First Lady Chirlane McCray, who has been a vocal advocate for the preservation of the site, announced the purchase during Mayor Bill de Blasio's briefing on Monday and said the deal ensures the property will be "protected and celebrated for a very long time."
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Architecture And Design

Asking $4.75M, this nearly 200-year-old West Village rowhouse was originally a wagonshed

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

March 12, 2021

Asking $4.75M, this nearly 200-year-old West Village rowhouse was originally a wagonshed

By Dana Schulz

Just by looking at this tiny brick house in the West Village, you get the sense that it has a lot of history. Aside from its nearly 200-year-old lifespan (it was built in the 1830s), this is quite true. No. 34 Commerce Street abuts 77 Bedford Street, also known as the Isaac-Hendricks House, a wooden house built in 1799 and thereby the oldest house in the Village. The house on Commerce Street was owned by the Hendricks family, too, and was originally built as a wagonshed. After several decades of use as a factory, it was altered to a residence in the 1920s. It's now on the market for the first time in 20 years, asking $4,750,000.
Go inside

230-year-old Connecticut farmstead with original 18th-century details asks $1.2M

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

March 5, 2021

230-year-old Connecticut farmstead with original 18th-century details asks $1.2M

By Devin Gannon

A charming 18th-century farmstead in Connecticut's Fairfield County is on the market for $1,150,000. Located on two private acres at 289 Nod Hill Road in Wilton, the property includes a four-bedroom main house, a barn, four additional detached structures, and a chicken coop. Built in 1790, the cozy home boasts some original details, including the historic hearth in the "keeping" room.
See inside

Historic Brooklyn Heights house from the movie ‘Moonstruck’ hits the market for $12.8M

All photos by Evan Joseph courtesy of The Corcoran Group

March 3, 2021

Historic Brooklyn Heights house from the movie ‘Moonstruck’ hits the market for $12.8M

By Dana Schulz

As Brownstoner first spotted, the Brooklyn Heights townhouse that was used for the exterior shots of the Castorini family's home in the classic 1987 film Moonstruck has just come on the market. The interiors were not used in the movie, but boy are they big screen-worthy. There are early 19th-century details like hand-carved moldings, inlaid wooden floors, and marble fireplace mantles, as well as new old-looking features like beamed ceilings, luxe wallpapers, and vintage decor. Located at 19 Cranberry Street, the home is asking $12,850,000, and even has a private parking spot.
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February 18, 2021

The wild and dark history of the Empire State Building

By Rebecca Paul

Known for its record-breaking height and sophisticated Art Deco style, the Empire State Building is one of New York City’s, if not the world's, most recognized landmarks. While the building is often used in popular culture as light-natured fodder—such as the opening backdrop to your favorite cookie-cutter rom-com or the romantic meeting spot for star-crossed lovers—the building's past is far more ominous than many of us realize. From failed suicide attempts to accidental plane crashes, its history casts a vibrant lineup of plot-lines and characters spanning the past 90 years.
Read about the dark side of the empire state building

Now asking $1.75M, Richard Meier designed this Essex County, NJ home for his parents in 1965

Photo credit: Compass

February 16, 2021

Now asking $1.75M, Richard Meier designed this Essex County, NJ home for his parents in 1965

By Dana Schulz

His first commission in private practice, architect Richard Meier designed this modernist home in New Jersey for his parents in 1965. The home is set on three-quarters of an acre overlooking the Essex Fells Country Club and because of this natural setting, the architect introduced large glass walls to blur the boundaries between inside and outside. His parents requested a one-story home that offered privacy unlike most suburban homes, so Meier incorporated an interior courtyard, as well as a roof garden. The home has only had one other owner since the Meiers, and they've now listed it for $1,750,000.
See it all

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

February 11, 2021

Asking $750K, this 316-year-old Colonial in Huntington was home to Walt Whitman’s ancestors

By Dana Schulz

In 1705, this home was built for Nehemiah Whitman, great-grandfather to Walt Whitman. It's also where the poet's grandfather, Jesse Whitman, was born. And in 1881, according to Douglas Elliman, Walt Whitman himself visited the property, stopping at its private cemetery where he "composed a lament on the graves of his ancestors." Since its construction, the Colonial has had only four owners, and after last selling in 1995, it's now on the market for $750,000. Known as the Whitman-Rome house, it retains tons of original details like pine-floorboards, ceiling beams, wooden doors, and four fireplaces.
See the whole place

Take a look inside the penthouses at the High Line-straddling Lantern House

A four-bedroom penthouse at Lantern House is on the market for $12.975 million. Credit: Related Companies

February 11, 2021

Take a look inside the penthouses at the High Line-straddling Lantern House

By Devin Gannon

Thomas Heatherwick's unique condo project on the High Line is showing off its collection of penthouses ahead of the building's impending completion this year. Lantern House, located at 515 West 18th Street in Chelsea, consists of two towers that rise on either side of the High Line, one at 10 stories and the other at 22. Last October we got a peek inside the bubbled residences, and now new images have been released of a four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath penthouse with a large outdoor terrace, currently listed for $12.975 million.
See more here

Three mixed-use buildings on historic Stone Street in FiDi ask $20.8M

All photos courtesy of Anthony Puopolo for Douglas Elliman

February 8, 2021

Three mixed-use buildings on historic Stone Street in FiDi ask $20.8M

By Devin Gannon

Here's an opportunity to influence the future of one of New York City's oldest streets. Goldman Properties is selling three of its mixed-use buildings located on Stone Street in the Financial District for $20.75 million. As the city's first paved street in New York, Stone Street's history dates back to the middle of the 1600s and today remains a car-free cobblestone-lined walkway with an outdoor dining scene that predates the pandemic. The portfolio includes three buildings with a total of ten free-market two-bedroom and three-bedroom loft rentals and three operating restaurants.
Get the details

$70M plan to build Manhattan’s first public beach moves forward

Credit: James Corner Field Operations, courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

February 5, 2021

$70M plan to build Manhattan’s first public beach moves forward

By Devin Gannon

What at first appeared a lofty dream is now closer to reality. The Hudson River Park Trust on Thursday announced three requests for proposals for the construction of Manhattan's first public beach. The project includes a 5.5-acre public park on the Gansevoort Peninsula in the Meatpacking District that would be home to a resilient "beach" with kayak access, a sports field, scenic lounge spots, and a large public art installation.
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