Financial District

‘Canstruction’ returns: NYC’s large-scale can sculpture contest kicks off in FiDi

All photos courtesy of Heidi Lee

October 30, 2024

‘Canstruction’ returns: NYC’s large-scale can sculpture contest kicks off in FiDi

By Aaron Ginsburg

"Canstruction," the beloved annual competition challenging teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to create intricate sculptures from cans, is returning for another year. As part of the contest, participants create large-scale structures using unopened food cans, all of which are donated to City Harvest, New York City's largest food rescue organization, and distributed to food pantries afterward. Hosted at Brookfield Place, the event is free and open to the public, running from October 31 through November 11.
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Events & Things To Do

World Trade Center to host free viewing parties for Yankees Dodgers World Series

Babe Ruth batting in an exhibition game between the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, April 1934. Image via WikiCommons

October 25, 2024

World Trade Center to host free viewing parties for Yankees Dodgers World Series

By Aaron Ginsburg

In partnership with Major League Baseball, the World Trade Center will host free viewing parties of the 2024 World Series as the New York Yankees face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kicking off Friday for game one, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will show the games on a massive screen at the North Oculus Plaza on the World Trade Center campus. Attendees can enjoy food and beverages from the nearby Oculus Beer Garden, as well as offerings from Westfield World Trade Center shops and restaurants.
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Events & Things To Do

Former FiDi office tower launches leasing for luxury rentals, from $4,100/month

Renderings courtesy of Streetsense

September 23, 2024

Former FiDi office tower launches leasing for luxury rentals, from $4,100/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former Financial District office building turned luxury rental tower officially launched leasing this week. Reimagined by CetraRuddy, the 36-story building at 55 Broad Street, once the headquarters for Goldman Sachs, is now home to 571 new apartments and 25,000 square feet of amenities, including a rooftop pool. Pricing for the studio to three-bedroom apartments starts at $4,100/month.
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City landmarks Victorian atrium at The Beekman Hotel

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

June 4, 2024

City landmarks Victorian atrium at The Beekman Hotel

By Devin Gannon

The nine-story Victorian atrium at the Beekman Hotel is now a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate the central atrium at 5 Beekman Street in the Financial District as an interior landmark, recognizing both its stunning architecture and the restoration project that returned the space to its 19th-century glory. Built as part of the commercial building Temple Court, and now the centerpiece for the converted Beekman Hotel, the space consists of eight tiers of galleries topped by a pyramid-shaped skylight.
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NYC breaks ground on $200M project to rebuild and elevate The Battery

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 7, 2024

NYC breaks ground on $200M project to rebuild and elevate The Battery

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City officials this week broke ground on an ambitious project to defend Lower Manhattan from climate change. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced the start of work on the city-funded Battery Coastal Resilience Project, a $200 million plan to rebuild and raise the wharf promenade in The Battery, part of a larger effort to protect Lower Manhattan from sea level rise and storm surge. Slated for completion in 2026, the project will protect 100,000 residents, 300,000 jobs, and 12,000 businesses in the area, according to the city.
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Landmarks approves rest hub for NYC delivery workers next to City Hall Park

Renderings courtesy of Fantastica Brooklyn

April 17, 2024

Landmarks approves rest hub for NYC delivery workers next to City Hall Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City delivery workers will soon seek respite at a new "deliverista hub" in City Hall Park. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to approve designs for a new hub that will give workers a place to rest during bad weather, charge their phones and e-bikes, and learn about e-bike and battery safety. Central to many delivery routes, the new structure replaces a vacant newsstand on the western edge of the park.
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A diplomat’s lofty home in a historic FiDi co-op asks $2.9M

Photo credit: Anastassios Mentis for Brown Harris Stevens

April 2, 2024

A diplomat’s lofty home in a historic FiDi co-op asks $2.9M

By Michelle Cohen

John Berry, the former Ambassador to Australia under President Obama, has just listed his renovated FiDi co-op at 145 Nassau Street for $2,895,000. Located in the landmarked cast-iron, terra cotta, and red brick Potter Building, constructed in 1886 near City Hall (then known as Newspaper Row), this one-bedroom-plus-mezzanine apartment combines downtown loft living with the opulence of the city's grandest residences.
Tour the quintessential downtown manhattan home

Distinctive Homes

Stunning nine-story atrium at The Beekman Hotel is up for landmark status

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

February 27, 2024

Stunning nine-story atrium at The Beekman Hotel is up for landmark status

By Devin Gannon

Once part of New York City architectural lore, the nine-story Victorian atrium at The Beekman Hotel may soon be formally recognized. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the central atrium of 5 Beekman Street for consideration as an interior landmark. Built as part of the 19th-century commercial building Temple Court, the space consists of eight tiers of galleries topped by a cast-iron pyramid-shaped skylight. For decades, the atrium was walled in and off-limits to the public, until work began in 2014 to restore and transform the historic building into a hotel. Now a decade after the project began, the stunning atrium, restored to its former glory and the centerpiece of the luxury Beekman Hotel, is up for landmark status.
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Westfield sued over plans to ditch Fulton Center

Image courtesy of Lerone Pieters on Unsplash

February 22, 2024

Westfield sued over plans to ditch Fulton Center

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan from the Westfield Corporation to exit its 20-year retail lease at Fulton Center early is being met with a lawsuit from the New York City Transit Authority. As first reported by Bloomberg, the NYCTA sued Westfield after the mall operator announced it wanted to terminate its lease 10 years in. The suit, which aims to keep Westfield as the mall's operator, claims the transit agency would suffer major financial losses that could impact commuters if Westfield pulled out of the lease.
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A millwork-wrapped co-op in FiDi’s iconic Morse Building asks $2.25M

Photos courtesy of DD Reps for The Corcoran Group

February 7, 2024

A millwork-wrapped co-op in FiDi’s iconic Morse Building asks $2.25M

By Devin Gannon

This co-op in the Financial District offers a designer-crafted residence at a historic address. On a high floor within the 19th-century landmarked Morse Building, the home was designed by architect David Hotson, known for his work on the SkyHouse penthouse at 150 Nassau Street and the Pinnacle of the Woolworth Building. On a slightly smaller scale than those projects but sophisticated nonetheless, the available two-bedroom home, asking $2,250,000, is wrapped in white oak millwork and features two clever lofted spaces.
details here

Distinctive Homes

Play with giant light-up dominos in the Financial District

All photos courtesy of Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Alliance for Downtown New York

February 1, 2024

Play with giant light-up dominos in the Financial District

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new interactive public art installation in the Financial District is injecting vibrant color and sound into New York City's dreary winter. Created by Montreal-based design studio Ingrid Ingrid, "Domino Effect" features 120 giant dominos scattered across 12 tables in Fosun Plaza, with each domino giving off a unique sound and color. Presented by the Downtown Alliance in partnership with Quartier des Spectacles International, the installation is on view at Fosun Plaza in front of 28 Liberty Street through March 6.
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Events & Things To Do

Leasing launches at Pearl House in the Seaport, NYC’s largest office-to-rental conversion

All renderings courtesy of Williams New York

December 7, 2023

Leasing launches at Pearl House in the Seaport, NYC’s largest office-to-rental conversion

By Aaron Ginsburg

Leasing has launched at New York City's largest office-to-rental conversion to date. Developed by Vanbarton Group and designed by Gensler, Pearl House at 160 Water Street in the Seaport District includes 588 luxury apartments and three levels of resort-style amenities at what was a 1970s-era office building. Pricing starts at $3,500 for studios, $4,700 for one-bedrooms, and $6,400 for two-bedrooms, according to Bloomberg.
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A festive roller rink is opening inside the Oculus

All photos courtesy of the Oculus

November 10, 2023

A festive roller rink is opening inside the Oculus

By Aaron Ginsburg

A roller rink is opening inside the World Trade Center's Oculus this month. "Winter Whirl" invites skaters of all ages to skate inside the Lower Manhattan shopping mall and underneath the architecturally stunning skylight designed by Santiago Calatrava. The rink will open for the season on Friday, November 24, and operate through late January.
go for a winter whirl

Events & Things To Do

The best bar in North America is on the Lower East Side

Double Chicken Please, image courtesy of World’s 50 Best Bars

October 19, 2023

The best bar in North America is on the Lower East Side

By Aaron Ginsburg

The best bar in North America is in New York City. The annual list of the world's 50 best bars was unveiled this week and the Lower East Side's Double Chicken Please took second place, making it the best bar on this continent. Two other Manhattan bars made the list: Overstory in the Financial District at 17 and and Katana Kitten in Greenwich Village at 27.
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Three major public art installations explore sustainability, social justice as part of NYC’s annual Design Pavilion

All images courtesy of Jennifer Trahan unless otherwise noted

October 12, 2023

Three major public art installations explore sustainability, social justice as part of NYC’s annual Design Pavilion

By Aaron Ginsburg

Three new massive public art installations have been unveiled in Manhattan as part of NYCxDESIGN's annual public design exhibition Design Pavilion and the monthlong Archtober festival. The three thought-provoking artworks center around themes of social justice and sustainability. The installations, on view at One World Trade Center and Gansevoort Plaza, are open and free to the public through October 18.
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Events & Things To Do

Manhattan BP proposes razing part of FDR Drive and replacing it with green space

Photo courtesy of Mark Levine on Flickr

September 25, 2023

Manhattan BP proposes razing part of FDR Drive and replacing it with green space

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine has a plan to revitalize Lower Manhattan's waterfront by tearing down part of FDR Drive. Levine last week unveiled a plan to remove a raised section of the highway between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Battery Park Underpass and replace it with green space and bike lanes.
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Policy

Once listed for $110M, Woolworth Building penthouse sells for $30M

Photo credit: Chris Coe, Optimist Consulting

August 7, 2023

Once listed for $110M, Woolworth Building penthouse sells for $30M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Six years and an $80 million price cut later, one of New York City's most iconic penthouse properties has found a buyer. The Woolworth Building's seven-story penthouse has sold for $30 million, not even a third of the original $110 million asking price. According to the Wall Street Journal, Scott Lynn, chief executive of Masterworks, an online art-investment service, is the buyer. After hitting the market for the jaw-dropping price in 2017, the penthouse, known as the Pinnacle, saw several price chops in recent years and was last publicly listed for $59 million, according to CityRealty.
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Real Estate Trends

See plan to convert FiDi office tower 55 Broad into 571 market-rate apartments

Image courtesy of Joe Woolhead

August 1, 2023

See plan to convert FiDi office tower 55 Broad into 571 market-rate apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

The plan to convert the Financial District office tower at 55 Broad Street into apartments is finally moving forward, with a closed deal and the release of new renderings this week. Silverstein Properties and Metro Loft Management on Monday announced they bought the tower for $172.5 million with plans to turn the 30-story office tower into a residential building with 571 market-rate apartments; upon completion, it will be one of New York City's largest office-to-residential conversions ever. Construction is expected to start in August and take roughly two years.
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Real Estate Trends

400 units of affordable housing approved for 5 World Trade Center

Renderings of 5 World Trade Center courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

July 27, 2023

400 units of affordable housing approved for 5 World Trade Center

By Devin Gannon

The 900-foot-tall mixed-use skyscraper planned for 5 World Trade Center will include 400 units of affordable housing, a slight increase from the original proposal. After stalled negotiations, the Public Authorities Control Board on Thursday approved the mixed-use development at 130 Liberty Street, which calls for 1,200 new apartments, one-third of which will be permanently affordable to New Yorkers earning between 40 and 120 percent of the area median income. Plus, 20 percent of the affordable apartments will be offered to individuals who lived or worked in the neighborhood on September 11, including first responders and families of victims. Construction is scheduled to start next year, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
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Historic NYC restaurant Delmonico’s reopening in the Financial District

Photo courtesy of Delmonico’s

July 20, 2023

Historic NYC restaurant Delmonico’s reopening in the Financial District

By Devin Gannon

A New York City culinary icon is reopening its doors this September. Delmonico's, considered one of the country's first fine dining establishments when it opened in 1837, will once again welcome diners at its original location at 56 Beaver Street in the Financial District. Shuttered since the early days of the pandemic in 2020, the restaurant has since been renovated and features an updated menu created by Chef Edward J. Hong.
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Food & Dining

Asking $19.5M, a penthouse in Richard Rogers’ first U.S. residential project in FiDi

Images courtesy of Evan Joseph

July 3, 2023

Asking $19.5M, a penthouse in Richard Rogers’ first U.S. residential project in FiDi

By Aaron Ginsburg

This newly finished penthouse is located within award-winning architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners' No. 33 Park Row, the firm's first and only residential project in New York City. The park-front landmark joins RSHP's roster of celebrated projects, such as One Hyde Park in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Asking $19,500,000, the five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom duplex Penthouse 3 offers residents dramatic 21-foot-tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a stunning loggia terrace with sweeping views of City Hall Park and Tribeca.
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World Trade Center’s new cube-shaped arts center reveals inaugural season ahead of opening

Images courtesy of Iwan Baan unless otherwise noted

June 15, 2023

World Trade Center’s new cube-shaped arts center reveals inaugural season ahead of opening

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new arts center at the World Trade Center was included in the 2003 master plan for Lower Manhattan after September 11. Two decades later, the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC) is opening this fall. On Wednesday, the center announced the lineup for its augural season, including wide-ranging programs across theater, dance, music, film, and more. Located at 251 Fulton Street, PAC is a unique, cube-shaped building with a glowing marble facade and flexible performance spaces within. The center kicks off its season on September 19 with a five-night pay-what-you-wish event, "Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World," which will include performances from musicians from around the world.
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A public art installation in Lower Manhattan reimagines Earth using plastic waste

Photos courtesy of Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for B.N. Barkat Holdings and Studio

June 7, 2023

A public art installation in Lower Manhattan reimagines Earth using plastic waste

By Aaron Ginsburg

A timely new public art installation in Lower Manhattan depicts the devastating impact of pollution on Earth. Created by Israeli artist Beverly Barkat, "Earth Poetica" uses a mixture of plastic materials collected from the world's oceans, waterways, and forests to create a globe that appears beautiful on the outside but is in fact just trash on the inside. Located in the lobby of 3 World Trade Center, the 13-foot-tall sculpture is made up of 180 colorful panels and highlights areas of the world suffering from increasing plastic pollution.
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Events & Things To Do

Century 21 reopens in the Financial District

Photo courtesy of Century 21

May 17, 2023

Century 21 reopens in the Financial District

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's favorite discount department store is back. Century 21 on Tuesday officially reopened its flagship at 22 Cortlandt Street in the Financial District three years after filing for bankruptcy and closing all of its locations. The renovated store has four floors with men's, women's, and children's apparel, including footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories, and fragrances. To honor its connection to the city, the famed store has added "NYC" to its logo.
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Uncategorized

Now complete, NYC’s largest office-to-condo conversion One Wall Street shows off latest home

Images courtesy of Colin Miller

April 3, 2023

Now complete, NYC’s largest office-to-condo conversion One Wall Street shows off latest home

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's largest office-to-residential conversion is flaunting its latest luxury residence. Construction has officially wrapped up at the Art Deco landmark One Wall Street, formerly the headquarters for the Irving Trust Company and now a 566-unit residential tower. Following that milestone, new images were released last week of one of the building's most impressive apartments, Residence 3404. The home represents a unique collaboration between interior designer Guillaume Coutheillas of frenchCalifornia and One Wall Street developer Harry Macklowe, who hand-picked all of the art seen in the three-bedroom apartment.
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Tours of NYC’s old City Hall subway station return this spring

Photos © James and Karla Murray

February 14, 2023

Tours of NYC’s old City Hall subway station return this spring

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a three-year pandemic hiatus, in-person tours of New York City's abandoned City Hall subway station are returning this spring. The station, which is where the first ever subway ride departed in 1904, has been decommissioned since the 1940s. The New York Transit Museum has exclusive access to the station and offers 90-minute tours that explore its ornate vaulted Guastavino tiled ceilings, chandeliers, and skylights. Tickets will go on sale this March and are only available to members of the museum.
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St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

All photos © Alan Karchmer for Santiago Calatrava unless otherwise noted

December 8, 2022

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

By Aaron Ginsburg

The only house of worship that was totally destroyed during the September 11 attacks finally reopened to the public this week. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, now located at 130 Liberty Street, resumed regular parish life with a prayer service on Monday. Inspired by Byzantine architecture, Calatrava designed a facade that appears to glow from within; the church will be illuminated every night as a beacon of hope at the site.
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