Architecture And Design

What Red Hook lacks in accessibility it certainly makes up for in charm, and this lovely two-family rowhouse at 168 Coffey Street is definitely worth some extra travel time. Built in 1867 as one of seven similar houses on the cobblestone block, it boasts a brick facade, quaint front garden, and a large backyard. Plus, if you don't mind commuting on the open seas, the $2.5 million home is just five blocks from the NYC Ferry stop.
Get a look

August 14, 2017

$8M Mediterranean villa in Connecticut was built for composer Frank La Forge

This 1930s home built in the style of a Mediterranean villa for the prolific composer Frank LaForge is a detail-filled masterpiece in a storybook setting (h/t Circa). Renovated with care over the years, the result is a seamless blend of original details with modern style and comfort. The 11-room riverfront house in Darien, CT spans 8,220 square feet, with a gorgeous terrace surrounded by an oasis of dreamy landscaping and pond and river views. We wish it could be bought for a song, but it's asking $7.995 million.
Tour the rooms

Bjarke Ingels’ VIA offering 36 middle-income affordable apartments, from $1,448 a month

Photograph © Danica O. Kus

August 11, 2017

Bjarke Ingels’ VIA offering 36 middle-income affordable apartments, from $1,448 a month

In October of 2015, 6sqft reported that applications were being accepted for the 142 affordable apartments set aside for low-income tenants at the tantalizing tetrahedron that is starchitect Bjarke Ingels' VIA 57 West, a newly-minted rental residence at 625 West 57th Street. Word comes today that the lottery has opened for the middle-income portion of the building's affordable housing inventory. The half-block-long residential development contains 709 units, of which 20 percent have been deemed affordable. Of the 36 middle-income units available, studios have been priced between $1,448-$1,949; $1,554-$2,091 for one-bedrooms; $2,089-$2,519 for two-bedrooms; and $2,902 for three-bedrooms, each adjusted for income.
complete details here

There’s a rare Guastavino tiled ceiling hidden inside this $359K UWS studio

Image courtesy of Halstead

August 10, 2017

There’s a rare Guastavino tiled ceiling hidden inside this $359K UWS studio

A block of 78th Street on the Upper West Side, between the Museum of Natural History and Amsterdam Avenue, has more going for it than just colorful brownstones; it also has a colorful architectural secret. The block's display of Moorish brick and stone buildings shares a history with some of the city's notable public spaces. Known as "Guastavino Row," its decorative and altogether charming townhouses were designed by noted 19th-century architect Rafael Guastavino, famed for his beautiful and expertly engineered vaulted, tiled ceilings. Recently, a small but lovely first-floor studio at 120 West 78th street listed for $359,000, and it boasts a beautiful ceiling that, according to the listing, was one of Guastavino's iconic designs.
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Image via The Met

August 10, 2017

EVENT: Enjoy live jazz in the stunning medieval gardens of The Met Cloisters

By Diane Pham

If checking out The Cloisters has long been on your to-do list, there's no better time to head north than for the museum's MetFridays. On Friday, August 11th (that's tomorrow!) and Friday, August 25th, The Met will host two hours of live 1930s jazz at sunset in their stunning medieval gardens. Performances will feature trumpeter Alex Nguyen, winner of the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Competition, and his quartet as they perform the same ditties that topped the charts when the museum was first constructed between 1934 and 1939.
more details here

August 9, 2017

Hamptons shore house combines the intimacy of the woods with the openness of the bay

On a sloped plot of land in North Haven, a small village in the town of Southampton, sits a home covered in cedar, with woods on one side and a river on another. Designed by Leroy Street Studio, the Shore House sits at a spot where the forest opens onto the Peconic River. As Dezeen learned, the home, accessible through a path that winds through the forest, is perfect for big family parties or as a more private retreat. Its water side features large glass panels that open to a covered outdoor courtyard.
Find out more

August 8, 2017

Elizabeth Arden’s former Sutton Place townhouse hits the market for $16M

A single-family townhouse in affluent Sutton Place has hit the market for $16 million. The home, located at 4 Sutton Square, was built in 1921 for Henry Sprague, the inventor of the Sprague gas meter. Beauty entrepreneur Florence M. Lewis, better known professionally as Elizabeth Arden, and Michael Jeffries, president of Abercrombie & Fitch, have also called the exclusive, five-story pad home. Last year, the 4,000-square-foot, four bedroom home was on the market for $19.95 million.
See inside

Updated view of 3 Hudson Boulevard adds 300-foot spire, making it tallest in Hudson Yards

Rendering of 3 Hudson Boulevard courtesy of FX FOWLE

August 8, 2017

Updated view of 3 Hudson Boulevard adds 300-foot spire, making it tallest in Hudson Yards

The supertall skyscraper at 3 Hudson Boulevard just got a major upgrade. New renderings of the tower reveal a new crown, a 300-foot spire, which would make it the tallest in the Hudson Yards neighborhood, as well as an updated design. As YIMBY discovered, 3 Hudson Boulevard, formerly known as The Girasole, may rise to 1,350 feet tall, rivaling many supertalls like 30 Hudson Yards and 432 Park Avenue, the city’s fifth tallest building.
Details ahead

New renderings of proposed Triboro Corridor, 17-stop outer borough light rail and linear park

Rendering: Only If + One Architecture

August 8, 2017

New renderings of proposed Triboro Corridor, 17-stop outer borough light rail and linear park

Back in June, the Regional Plan Association (RPA), an urban research and advocacy organization, in conjunction with the Rockefeller Foundation, announced a design competition asking for proposals that would transform various areas of the New York metropolitan region. One of the four ideas chosen to receive $45,000 was a transportation alternative that would serve the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. As 6sqft reported, the proposal, developed by New York-based firm Only If along with Netherlands-based firm One Architecture, focuses on using a light rail to move passengers between the outer boroughs to alleviate some of the overcrowding that has plagued the current subway system with delays. On August 4, the organizations held an event at Fort Tilden to mark the opening of a public presentation of the selected proposals. "4C: Four Corridors: Foreseeing the Region of the Future" spotlighted this plan to strengthen the Triboro Corridor, a plan to address the future of the suburbs, and more.
See the renderings and learn more

For less than $300K, own a huge Italianate home in what may be New Jersey’s next hot spot

There's no denying that the gentrifying-at-lightning-speed town of Asbury Park, NJ is one of the state's hippest cities (it even got the Times treatment this weekend). One of the key players in the resurgence has been the Smith Group, who've opened some of Asbury's most popular bars and restaurants, as well as a condo project. The developer is now hoping to replicate this success in Burlington, NJ, a historic city on the Delaware River just 90 minutes outside NYC. And though the transformation is already underway (Smith bought four old homes and is turning a decommissioned firehouse into a trendy restaurant/bar), the time to buy in Burlington is now, as gorgeous 18th- and 19th-century homes can still be gotten for a bargain. Take this 1793 Italianate stunner; it's situated on a half-acre corner lot, occupies 3,300 square feet, and is asking just $278,950 (h/t CIRCA).
Tour the home here

August 4, 2017

There are historic details in the bathroom of this $2.3M Park Slope brownstone duplex

Converted from a single-family brownstone mansion, this Park Slope duplex still has much of its historic detailing on display--even in the bathroom. The home is located at 120 Prospect Park West, a stretch that faces Prospect Park and is known for impressive architecture built for wealthy Brooklynites. The modern-day asking price is $2.3 million for two levels of the building, one of which is the parlor floor, about 2,000 square feet awash in wood carvings and stained glass.
You'll want to see the bathroom

ARCHIPORN is an interactive map for lovers of architecture and design

Map via archipornguide.com

August 3, 2017

ARCHIPORN is an interactive map for lovers of architecture and design

While it may sound NSFW, the online guide ARCHIPORN is simply an informative guide to the world’s most beautiful architectural works, including various bookshops and institutions that specialize in architecture. First developed in 2008 by Brazilian architects Marcio Novaes Coelho Jr. and Silvio Sguizzardi, the project aims to identify and share information about iconic works from professionals around the world. The guide is chronologically organized, with different colors representing different eras. According to ArchDaily, cateogories range from before the year 1750, prior to the Machine Age, to recent works of 2010 and beyond.
Explore the map

Architecture And Design

August 3, 2017

Crumbling castle in Westchester County with a storied past seeks $3.7M

Built in 1927 by David T. Abercrombie, Elda Castle, as it was known, was named after the first letter of each of his four children's names (h/t Curbed). Abercrombie was the founder of Abercrombie and Fitch, which was originally a purveyor of high-end hunting and safari gear. The vision of his wife, Lucy Abbott Cate—the project's architect—was the driving force behind the 4,337-square-foot steel-girded estate of granite and local fieldstone at 249 Croton Dam Road that once had 25 rooms, arched doorways, a tower accessed by a winding spiral staircase of cast iron and too many courtyards and patios to count. The fascinating home sits on 49.5 acres in the Westchester County town of New Castle (though it has an Ossining postal address). It's in need of total renovation, and if the internet is to be believed, whoever buys this romantically overgrown estate currently asking $3.69 million may have quite an adventure on their hands.
Find out more about this storied estate

A giant, undulating 3-D billboard will debut in Times Square this month

Image via Radius Displays

August 3, 2017

A giant, undulating 3-D billboard will debut in Times Square this month

By Diane Pham

Real New Yorkers will do anything they can to avoid the chaos of Times Square, but debuting in less than a week is a technological marvel that might draw even the most Midtown-adverse out of their Uptown or Downtown havens. As CityRealty first reports, Radius Displays, a leading digital sign producer, has plans to introduce a massive 3-D video display in the ad-drenched stretch this month. The billboard, which they are billing as "unlike anything else in Times Square, or indeed the world,” will not only span an impressive 2,600-square-feet but be made up of thousands of individual panels capable of creating mind-boggling Inception-like effects.
more details here

Despite legal troubles, the first units at 111 West 57th Street go into contract

Rendering of 111 West 57th Street via Property Markets Group

August 3, 2017

Despite legal troubles, the first units at 111 West 57th Street go into contract

Just last week, 6sqft covered the financial and legal woes of Property Markets Group and JDS Development’s super tall and slender tower at 111 West 57th Street. Despite reports that construction had stalled over budget overruns and a potential foreclosure, the first condominiums, at what is lined up to be the world’s future tallest residential skyscraper, just went into contract (h/t The Real Deal). While Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, which issued a $325 million mezzanine loan for the project, did not share exactly how many units out of 60 are under contract, CEO Stuart Rothstein told TRD, they sold at “prices well over (Apollo’s) basis.”
Find out more

August 3, 2017

This $425K Hell’s Kitchen studio may be small, but its renovation will not disappoint

How much can you do with 410 square feet? Surprisingly, quite a bit. A renovation at this Hell's Kitchen studio, located within the 433 West 54th Street cooperative, has tried to maximize space in any way possible. Case in point: a Murphy bed "cabinet" with the option to tuck your bed away in style, a corner kitchen lined with wood that also holds storage underneath a compact breakfast bar, and a fire escape that makes for a suitable outdoor space. After last selling in 2010 for $340,000, the studio is asking $425,000.
This way for a look inside

August 2, 2017

One-time Long Island mansion of former Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos hits the market for $4.9M

A sprawling 8.2-acre estate in Center Moriches once owned by the deceased Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda has hit the market for $4.99 million. The massive Long Island property, known as the Lindenmere Estate, at 16 Sedgemere Road features 14 bedrooms, 17-and-a-half baths, a glass-enclosed Pagoda pool house, and incredible views of the Moriches Bay. According to the New York Post, after a brokerage switch, the listing’s price dropped from $5.99 million last year.
Find out more

July 31, 2017

Wood slat-covered glass volumes create an elegant interior at this Hamptons guest home

A traditional Hamptons estate, nestled in the hamlet of Wainscott, got this luxurious guesthouse courtesy of Roger Ferris + Partners. The Connecticut-based architecture and design firm sought to create "a luxury reprieve for visitors" and came up with a two-structured, gabled home that looks modest from the outside but feels elegant inside. Each section of the home is dedicated to different uses--public on one side, private on the other--but both structures overlook a pool that faces the oceanfront. With a gorgeous interior and great views, its a guest house worthy of full-time living.
Get a look at the interior

July 31, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Rick Cook on the legacy of COOKFOX’s sustainable design in NYC

Since its founding in 1990, COOKFOX Architects has become one of the most recognized names in New York City real estate. In the firm's early days, founding partner Rick Cook found a niche in historically-sensitive building design, looking for opportunities to "[fill] in the missing voids of the streetscape," as he put it. After teaming up with Bob Fox in 2003, the pair worked to establish COOKFOX as an expert in both contextual and sustainable development. They designed the first LEED Platinum skyscraper in New York City with the Durst family, the Bank of America Tower, then took on a number of projects with the goal of designing healthier workplaces. The firm also got attention for its work in landmarks districts, winning AIA-New York State awards for its mixed-use development at 401 West 14th Street (better known as the Apple store) and its revamp of the the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. (The firm also made it the first LEED-certified theater in the city.)
6sqft's conversation with Rick fox here

July 31, 2017

Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house and heart-shaped private island ask $15M upstate

This private island upstate in Putnam County has an incredible backstory and stunning home (it's also located just 15 minutes by plane from Manhattan, via the houses's rooftop helipad), and it's up for grabs at an ask of $14.92 million. Mansion Global shared the tale of how a Frank Lloyd Wright home, designed by the architect to rival his iconic Fallingwater, ended up on the grounds of this 11-acre, heart-shaped property known as Petra Island. Not only does it employ Wright's signature cantilevering and series of outdoor terraces, but inside, there are giant stone boulders jutting into spaces from the living room to the shower stalls.
You must see the end result

July 28, 2017

18th-century farmhouse filled with wood and antiques asks just $379K upstate

You're stepping back in time with this upstate New York property, a colonial farmhouse sitting on three woodsy acres outside the town of Slingerlands (h/t CIRCA). Since its construction way back in the 1780s, it's been lovingly cared for and restored, right down to the Rumford fireplace and wide-plank wood floors. The interior, in fact, is seemingly lined floor-to-ceiling in wood, while the land outside is rife with trees alongside a pond and barn. And of course, it all costs less than a one-bedroom Manhattan condo, asking $379,000.
Explore the property

July 28, 2017

125 Greenwich Street gets new rendering, taller 912-foot height

Earlier this month, developers Bizzi & Partners and New Valley finalized a $450 million loan for their Rafael Viñoly-designed skyscraper at 125 Greenwich Street, and they've now released a finalized rendering of the slender condo tower and filed plans that show it will top out at 912 feet (h/t Yimby). The height is only slightly above the most recent reporting of 898 feet, but the project was originally supposed to rise a whopping 1,400 feet. Though it's no longer in line to be downtown’s tallest residential building, it will still offer impressive views and a wind-resistant design.
Find out more

July 27, 2017

CetraRuddy proposes sustainable designs for first office building along the Village’s ‘Silicon Alley’

An "oversized Silicon Alley" is what some are calling Mayor de Blasio's plan to transform Union Square and its southern stretches into the city's next tech hub. The main component so far is the massive Union Square Tech Hub proposed to replace the P.C. Richard & Son building on East 14th Street, but Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation are advocating that, in exchange for the building, the city rezone the surrounding blocks to prevent an influx of out-of-scale development. Despite their oppositions, CetraRuddy has revealed on their site two environmentally friendly proposals for the site at 799 Broadway, the former home of the St. Denis Hotel at the southwest corner of East 11th Street. Spotted by CityRealty, the 240-foot, 17-story office building would be the first catering to the Mayor's tech dreams, though the renderings are merely conceptual at this point.
All the renderings and details ahead

July 27, 2017

World’s skinniest skyscraper at 111 West 57th Street stalled at 20 stories by soaring costs