Manhattan

How an UWS dry cleaner brings joy to the community through elaborate Barbie window displays

All photos courtesy of Debra Kravet unless otherwise noted.

December 2, 2024

How an UWS dry cleaner brings joy to the community through elaborate Barbie window displays

There’s a splash of hot pink on Amsterdam Avenue — well, Barbie pink. Since the "Barbie" movie came out in the summer of 2023, a dream house scene with doll versions of characters from the movie, including Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken, has been on display (and still growing) in the window of Apthorp Cleaners. But Barbie has a much longer history with this Upper West Side dry cleaner. Since owner Debra Kravet and her husband Joel moved into the space at 383 Amsterdam Avenue in 2009, Debra has been creating elaborate Barbie window displays in keeping with pop culture, the seasons, and timely events. Right now, a "Wicked" display with doll versions of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba complement the “Barbie” movie window.
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Apple leases additional 61K square feet at 11 Penn Plaza

Streetview of 11 Penn Plaza, Map data © 2022 Google

December 2, 2024

Apple leases additional 61K square feet at 11 Penn Plaza

By Aaron Ginsburg

Apple has expanded its footprint in Vornado's Penn 11 office tower in Midtown, acquiring an additional 61,000 square feet. As reported by The Real Deal, the tech giant has signed a new lease that brings its total space in the building to 460,000 square feet and extends its occupancy through the expiration of Macy's lease in 2035. The company now spans the fourth through 14th floors of the 26-story tower, located at 11 Penn Plaza between West 31st and 32nd Streets on Seventh Avenue.
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Real Estate Trends

Macy’s Herald Square reveals 2024 holiday windows

All photos courtesy of Macy’s, Inc. unless noted otherwise

November 26, 2024

Macy’s Herald Square reveals 2024 holiday windows

By Aaron Ginsburg

Macy's Herald Square unveiled its iconic holiday window displays last week, continuing a cherished tradition that has enchanted New Yorkers for generations. Macy's was the first department store to feature Christmas window displays in 1874, and this year's delightful creations will capture onlookers and invite them indoors to explore the store's cheerful celebrations.
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‘Snowscape’ will turn Hudson Yards’ Edge into a winter wonderland with real snow

Credit: Edge

November 26, 2024

‘Snowscape’ will turn Hudson Yards’ Edge into a winter wonderland with real snow

By Aaron Ginsburg

No matter the temperature in New York City, there will be snow. Hudson Yards next month will unveil "Snowscape," a new experience that will make it snow at Edge, the city's highest outdoor sky deck. Starting December 2, snow will fall at the observation deck from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Sundays, guests can pose with an installation of real snow and snowmen.
let it snow

Events & Things To Do

Make a wish at a new public art installation in the Financial District

All photos courtesy of Juliet Mueller

November 25, 2024

Make a wish at a new public art installation in the Financial District

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new public art installation shines bright in the Financial District. Created by design studio Hou de Sousa, "Star Light Star Bright" draws inspiration from the cultural tradition of wish trees, where people attach wishes in writing, artwork, ribbons, and cloth, hoping they come true. Located at the plaza in front of 140 Broadway, the immersive installation invites New Yorkers to tie colorful "wish ribbons" to the chain links, growing into a Chia Pet-esque artwork full of hopes and dreams.
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Architecture And Design

Fifth Ave celebrates 200th anniversary with car-free birthday bash

View of Fifth Avenue looking north from 45th Street, Dec. 1919. Photo courtesy of Fifth Avenue Association.

November 22, 2024

Fifth Ave celebrates 200th anniversary with car-free birthday bash

By Devin Gannon

One of the world's most famous streets turns 200 this year. In 1824, the first section of Fifth Avenue opened, marking the start of its transformation from a country road to an iconic thoroughfare known for its upscale retail and residences and cultural clout. In celebration of this milestone, the Fifth Avenue Association and the City of New York announced plans to throw the Avenue a 200th birthday party on December 8, kicking off a year-long series of anniversary programming.
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Events & Things To Do

Holiday nostalgia rides on vintage NYC subway cars are back this December

Holiday Nostalgia Train at 2nd Avenue station. Photo courtesy of New York Transit Museum.

November 20, 2024

Holiday nostalgia rides on vintage NYC subway cars are back this December

By Aaron Ginsburg

Step back in time and embark on a festive journey aboard an old-school New York City subway car this holiday season. The New York Transit Museum's beloved Holiday Nostalgia Rides, which includes eight cars from the 1930s that ran along lettered lines through the late 1970s, will run every Sunday in December from 2nd Avenue on the uptown F platform and 96th Street on the downtown Q platform.
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This $839K co-op in an Upper West Side mansion has a presidential connection

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

November 20, 2024

This $839K co-op in an Upper West Side mansion has a presidential connection

By Michelle Cohen

If you'd like to live in a grand Upper West Side mansion for less than $1 million, this four-room co-op at 280 West End Avenue rises to the occasion. Built in 1887, the stately Romanesque Revival mansion–once the home of the son and widow of President Ulysses S. Grant, according to the listing–holds the $839,000 key to Manhattan mansion living in the form of a one-bedroom home with an elegantly rounded bay window.
have a look a-round

Distinctive Homes

$2.35M Gramercy co-op wraps classic pre-war style with vintage opulence–plus a key to the park

Photo credit: Alejandro Leon / DD-reps

November 19, 2024

$2.35M Gramercy co-op wraps classic pre-war style with vintage opulence–plus a key to the park

By Michelle Cohen

This unique apartment within the city's first co-op at 34 Gramercy Park East was formerly two separate units, the combination of which resulted in a large–if unconventional–space with lots of options. The co-op's covetable location across from Gramercy Park affords it a rare New York City perk: a key to the private park. The renovated apartment, asking $2,350,000, is a winding, detail-rich journey through time, enhanced by color, pattern, and architectural detail.
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Distinctive Homes

American Museum of Natural History’s origami holiday tree features 1,000 pouncing paper animals

D. Finnin / ©AMNH

November 18, 2024

American Museum of Natural History’s origami holiday tree features 1,000 pouncing paper animals

By Aaron Ginsburg

The American Museum of Natural History’s beloved Origami Holiday Tree returns this year, featuring over 1,000 hand-folded paper models inspired by the world’s leaping critters. In honor of the leap year's end, this year's theme is "Jumping for Joy," celebrating animals that hop, from rabbits, grasshoppers, and kangaroos to frogs, squirrels, and the newly-discovered leaping leech. The 13-foot tree will be on display in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor starting November 25 through mid-January.
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More public space opens under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan

Images courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

November 18, 2024

More public space opens under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers can now enjoy more public space under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. The latest phase of "The Arches" opened on Monday, adding 15,000 square feet of park space to an area closed to the public for more than a decade, the city's Department of Transportation announced. The space, now with lush greenery and new seating, had been closed for nearly 15 years while serving as a staging site for several bridge restoration projects. The Arches sits next to the Brooklyn Banks, a haven for skateboarders that partially reopened last year.
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Upper West Side’s Metro Theater may finally reopen

Photo by london road on Flickr

November 15, 2024

Upper West Side’s Metro Theater may finally reopen

By Aaron Ginsburg

A landmarked Upper West Side movie theater that has been vacant for nearly two decades may soon be returned to its former glory—as long as its buyers can raise $7 million by the end of the year. As reported by the New York Times, the nonprofit Upper West Side Cinema Center on Friday announced it reached a deal with the current owners of the Metro Theater, located on Broadway near 99th Street, to purchase the theater, contingent on securing the required funds.
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City Living

This $8.75M Village townhouse is a downtown dream home with an elevator, three terraces, and a rooftop office suite

Photo credit: DD-reps

November 15, 2024

This $8.75M Village townhouse is a downtown dream home with an elevator, three terraces, and a rooftop office suite

By Michelle Cohen

If your idea of the perfect home is a historic townhouse in the West Village, you're definitely not alone. This two-family home at 12 Leroy Street embodies the dream with 4,300 square feet of tranquil interior space in the endlessly charming vicinity of Bleecker and Bedford Streets. Asking $8,750,000, the 20-foot-wide property consists of a garden apartment and four renovated upper floors accessible via private elevator, several terraces, and a suitably enchanting landscaped garden in the rear.
Village townhouse tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

For $5.8M, this Fifth Avenue co-op has ‘Mad Men’-era vibes and Central Park views

Photo credit: Celeste Godoy Photography

November 14, 2024

For $5.8M, this Fifth Avenue co-op has ‘Mad Men’-era vibes and Central Park views

By Michelle Cohen

With its mid-20th-century sophistication and sleek design, this one-bedroom co-op at 825 Fifth Avenue, currently owned by an art collector, offers the classic Manhattan elegance of a bygone age, but the Central Park views from this covetable Upper East Side address are timeless. The apartment, asking $5,795,000, is set up as a showcase of art and design for a busy city lifestyle.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

For $25M, a Flatiron penthouse in a golden cupola, with Manhattan at your feet

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

November 13, 2024

For $25M, a Flatiron penthouse in a golden cupola, with Manhattan at your feet

By Michelle Cohen

If you're asking $25 million for a Manhattan condo, even if it's a mansion-sized penthouse with Empire State Building views and a Fifth Avenue address, it had better occupy a gilded sky dome atop a neighborhood landmark. With that qualification met, this extravagant duplex atop the Sohmer Piano Building at 170 Fifth Avenue–the listing calls it a "Renaissance rocket ship"–has more grand gestures to offer: The seller, entrepreneur Greg Carr, has pledged the home's sale proceeds toward his highly-regarded philanthropic project, the rebuilding of a decimated national wildlife park in Mozambique.
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Distinctive Homes

A Victoria’s Secret model’s angelic East Village flat with a solarium and terrace asks $2.9M

Photo credit: Oleg Davidoff Photographer Co.

November 12, 2024

A Victoria’s Secret model’s angelic East Village flat with a solarium and terrace asks $2.9M

By Michelle Cohen

This three-bedroom "condop" in the East Village at 50 Avenue A would be a heavenly home even without the added cachet of being home to former Victoria's Secret model Shannan Click. Asking $2,900,000, the light-filled flat is an all-weather oasis, with an 880-square-foot terrace and a glass-clad solarium for basking in the sunlight.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Saks Fifth Avenue cancels holiday light show

Credit: Matt Kieffer on Flickr

November 12, 2024

Saks Fifth Avenue cancels holiday light show

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time in nearly two decades, Saks Fifth Avenue's holiday light show—a beloved New York City tradition—will go dark this year. As first reported by the New York Post, the festive experience, which attracts hordes of holiday shoppers and tourists to Midtown, has been canceled this year to save money during what has been a "challenging year" for luxury stores, according to the company.
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Events & Things To Do

Everything you need to know about the 2024 Veterans Day Parade in NYC

Photo by Sgt. Randall A. Clinton for MarineCorps New York on Flickr

November 8, 2024

Everything you need to know about the 2024 Veterans Day Parade in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

This year's Veterans Day returns to New York City on Monday, November 11. As the country's largest Veterans Day commemoration, the event features 20,000 marchers and over 150 vehicles traveling down Fifth Avenue in tribute to our armed forces. The 105th annual parade starts at 12:30 p.m. at 26th Street and Fifth Avenue and heads north until ending at 47th Street. The United States Marine Corps is this year's featured service.
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Events & Things To Do

Color, texture, and pre-war details define this decorator’s dream of a $4.85M Village co-op

Photo credit: Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty

November 7, 2024

Color, texture, and pre-war details define this decorator’s dream of a $4.85M Village co-op

By Michelle Cohen

This freshly renovated Greenwich Village co-op has interior designer Katie Ridder to thank for the just-right mix of sophisticated patterns, textures, and powdery pastel hues that grace every room. Updates to the two-bedroom duplex at 45 East 9th Street, asking $4,850,000, go beyond aesthetics with central air conditioning, new windows, pantry, bathrooms, laundry facilities, and a newly-minted kitchen. The building is known for its design showcase homes and notable residents like Vogue editor Hamish Bowles and "Sex and the City" writer Candace Bushnell.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

$50M penthouse is the last residence available at the Upper East Side’s famed Surrey Hotel

All renderings courtesy of Noë & Associates with V1

November 7, 2024

$50M penthouse is the last residence available at the Upper East Side’s famed Surrey Hotel

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan's famed Surrey Hotel is making a comeback. Following bankruptcy proceedings, new owners, and a renovation, the 100-year-old Art Deco landmark at 20 East 76th Street on the Upper East Side reopened last month as a condo hotel, with 100 hotel rooms and 14 condos, part of the Surrey Residences. Now, after a whisper sales campaign, just one remaining apartment is about to hit the market: a three-bedroom duplex penthouse asking $50,000,000. The sprawling residence, the building's most expensive, offers 5,195 square feet plus 2,346 square feet across three terraces and a private rooftop.
tour the penthouse

For $20.5M, West Village townhouse meets suburban mansion behind a historic facade

Photo credit: MW Studios for Sotheby’s International Realty

November 5, 2024

For $20.5M, West Village townhouse meets suburban mansion behind a historic facade

By Michelle Cohen

If you're looking for a massive mansion with a West Village address, this five-story townhouse at 763 Greenwich Street, asking $20,500,000, has you covered. Behind a charming brick facade on a historic block, the home's interiors reflect pitch-perfect contemporary style courtesy of AD100 designer Stephen Gambrel, framed by coveted period details. A backyard and a rooftop terrace bring outdoor living to the table, and it's all accessible by a convenient elevator.
step into the elevator for a five-floor tour

Distinctive Homes

The Frick to reopen in April after renovation of Upper East Side mansion

The Frick Collection from East 70th Street; rendering courtesy of Selldorf Architects

November 4, 2024

The Frick to reopen in April after renovation of Upper East Side mansion

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Frick Collection is set to reopen its newly renovated historic home at 1 East 70th Street on the Upper East Side in April 2025. The renovation, designed by Selldorf Architects, will provide a fresh and exciting way to experience the museum's legendary collections, featuring revitalized historic spaces, new amenities, and expanded galleries, including public access to the mansion's second floor for the first time. During the renovation, the museum temporarily resided in the iconic Breuer Building from 2021 until March 2024.
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Updated Midtown South rezoning plan could create nearly 10,000 new homes

8th Avenue below 40th Street. Photo © Ondel Hylton

November 1, 2024

Updated Midtown South rezoning plan could create nearly 10,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

New zoning tools will allow the city to build bigger apartment buildings in Midtown Manhattan, doubling the new housing units permitted under a proposed rezoning. The Department of City Planning on Thursday released an updated draft of the Midtown South rezoning plan to incorporate floor area ratio (FAR) caps of 15 to 18, enabled by the state's recent repeal of the 12 FAR cap. This change allows larger developments and roughly 9,700 new homes, up from a previous estimate of 4,000, in a 42-block area of Midtown where housing development has been largely prohibited.
get the details

Resurrected avant-garde art carnival Luna Luna opens this month at The Shed at Hudson Yards

Kenny Scharf’s painted swings at Luna Luna in Los Angeles. Credit: Joshua White/Luna Luna, LLC

November 1, 2024

Resurrected avant-garde art carnival Luna Luna opens this month at The Shed at Hudson Yards

By Michelle Cohen

Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, the world’s first art amusement park, is coming to The Shed at Hudson Yards this month. Lost to time since its debut in Hamburg, Germany in 1987, the avant-garde art carnival is being recreated to dazzle, delight, and perplex 21st-century visitors in New York City after a spectacular resurrection in Los Angeles earlier this year. You'll be able to experience the original colorful, surreal riot of carnival rides and immersive attractions created by iconic 20th-century art stars like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, David Hockney, Salvador Dalí, Roy Lichtenstein, and more.
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Events & Things To Do

‘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

‘Smart Curbs’ program to optimize curb space on the Upper West Side

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

October 29, 2024

‘Smart Curbs’ program to optimize curb space on the Upper West Side

By Aaron Ginsburg

The streets of the Upper West Side will soon better suit community needs as part of a new initiative by the Department of Transportation. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Monday announced the launch of the agency's "Smart Curbs" pilot program on the Upper West Side, which will modernize the streets by adding neighborhood loading zones, bike corrals, and other amenities and policies to create cleaner, more vibrant, and less congested public spaces from West 86th to West 72nd Streets, between Broadway and Central Park West.
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Spring + Thompson

83 Thompson Street

Soho

Loft-like residences in Soho designed by Selldorf Architects

2 beds starting at $4,975,000
4 beds starting at $14,850,000