Chinatown

Judge halts Two Bridges development temporarily after hearing lawsuits

Rendering: Handel Architects.

June 6, 2019

Judge halts Two Bridges development temporarily after hearing lawsuits

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State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron has extended a temporary halt on the Two Bridges high-rise development after hearing testimony on several lawsuits aimed at the controversial project in the Lower East Side and Chinatown, Gothamist reports. As 6sqft previously reported, several groups of Lower East Side residents and other community organizations filed a lawsuit against the city to stop four skyscrapers from rising in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood. The lawsuits accuse the city of illegally approving the multi-billion dollar project, claiming the City Planning Commission bypassed City Council authority regarding the land-use review process and that one of the towers violates a 32-year-old deed restriction that ensures housing for low-income residents with disabilities and the elderly.
'An 800-pound gorilla'
Lower East Side residents sue city to stop development of Two Bridges ‘megatowers’

Rendering via Handel Architects

March 22, 2019

Lower East Side residents sue city to stop development of Two Bridges ‘megatowers’

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A group of Lower East Side residents on Friday filed a lawsuit against New York City to stop three luxury developments planned for Two Bridges. The residents, who are being represented by the Lower East Side Organized Neighbors (LESON) and the Asian-American Legal Defense Fund, argue the new skyscrapers violate zoning rules meant to protect against out-of-scale development (h/t Bowery Boogie).
Learn more
The 15 best places in NYC to ring in the Lunar New Year

Via Wikimedia

February 1, 2019

The 15 best places in NYC to ring in the Lunar New Year

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One of New York City's most spirited events kicks off next Tuesday: the Lunar New Year. With multiple Chinatowns and Asian communities across the five boroughs, there is no shortage of events to celebrate the nearly two-week-long holiday, which is said to have originated more than 4,000 years ago. While the most well-known festivity is the colorful parade in Lower Manhattan's Chinatown, other Lunar New Year events in Flushing, Sunset Park, and Staten Island should not be overlooked. Embrace the Year of the Pig, the 12th zodiac animal said to signal good fortune, with lantern decorating events, dumpling and noodle-making classes, traditional dance and song, and sparkling firecracker ceremonies.
See the full list
Developers of controversial Two Bridges towers pitch $55M in transit and open space improvements

Via Handel Architects

October 18, 2018

Developers of controversial Two Bridges towers pitch $55M in transit and open space improvements

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During a City Planning Commission hearing on Wednesday, local residents and officials of the Two Bridges community voiced their strong opposition to four towers planned for the Lower Manhattan neighborhood. Those who testified against the buildings questioned the developer's draft environmental impact study (DEIS), which found the projects would not cause displacement, amNY reported. Developers also announced measures to mitigate the potential adverse effects on the neighborhood, which include upgrading the F train station at East Broadway, improving public parks, and implementing flood protection measures.
Find out more
New renderings and details for Perkins Eastman’s 730-foot tower at controversial Two Bridges site

259 Clinton Street via Perkins Eastman

June 25, 2018

New renderings and details for Perkins Eastman’s 730-foot tower at controversial Two Bridges site

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Additional details and a new rendering have been unveiled this week for a 62-story Lower East Side skyscraper designed by Perkins Eastman Architects, nearly two years after 6sqft first wrote about the project. Located at 259 Clinton Street, the tower is a part of a controversial three-building project coming to the waterfront of the Two Bridges neighborhood. According to YIMBY, latest plans for 259 Clinton Street, developed by Starret Development, call for a 730-foot tower, slightly higher than an earlier 724-foot proposal.
More this way
ODA’s proposed Chinatown ‘Dragon Gate’ pavilion interweaves tradition and modernity
April 4, 2018

ODA’s proposed Chinatown ‘Dragon Gate’ pavilion interweaves tradition and modernity

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As many other New York City ethnic neighborhoods have diminished or disappeared over the years, Chinatown continues to grow and prosper. Roughly bound by borders at Hester and Worth Streets to the north and south, and Essex and Broadway to the east and west, Chinatown is home to largest ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia. With this in mind, architecture firm ODA New York, known for prioritizing people over architecture, has proposed a unique and beautiful new gateway to the neighborhood at the Canal Street Triangle. ODA’s typical designs can be a bit boxy, constructed with heavier materials, but there is always a lightness to them, whether through the infusion of glass, archways, or greenery. Combining new technology with traditional Chinese symbolism, “Dragon Gate” will delicately weave the duality of Chinatown’s old and new into a strong structure, both in symbolism and material.
More renderings and details ahead
After seven years, Landmarks approves controversial Canal Street apartment building

Revised Design for 312-322 Canal Street courtesy of Paul A. Castrucci Architects

January 23, 2018

After seven years, Landmarks approves controversial Canal Street apartment building

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For Trans World Equities and Paul A. Castrucci Architects, the third time is truly the charm. Nearly seven years after they first proposed a plan to replace a row of five buildings at 312-322 Canal Street with a residential building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission officially approved on Tuesday the duo's revised design. The updated plan reduces the height of the building from nine to seven stories and mutes the color of the facade from a bright-red brick to terracotta. During the developer's third presentation for LPC, the commissioners said the building's rhythm and height will now fit better with the district, according to CityRealty.
See the approved replacement
City officials aim to close loophole for construction of Two Bridges skyscrapers

Rendering of 247 Cherry Street via SHoP Architects

December 6, 2017

City officials aim to close loophole for construction of Two Bridges skyscrapers

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In an effort to slow construction of three residential towers in the Two Bridges neighborhood, City Council Member Margaret Chin and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will submit an application to the Department of City Planning that forces the plan to go through the city’s land use review process. Developments at the waterfront site include a 1,000+ foot tower from JDS Development Group, a 1.1 million-square-foot development from L+M Development and CIM Group, and a 724-foot rental building from Starrett Development. According to Politico, the Manhattan pols hope the review process will encourage public scrutiny of the projects, including a demand for shorter structures.
Find out more
Buy Rihanna’s Chinatown penthouse for $17M
October 26, 2017

Buy Rihanna’s Chinatown penthouse for $17M

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Rihanna began renting this duplex penthouse at 129 Lafayette Street back in 2013 for $39,000 a month. Since then, the rent has climbed to $50,000, which could be why it's now hit the sales market for $16.95 million (h/t NYP). The sprawling home, located on the border of Chinatown, Little Italy, and Soho, has a massive 2,500-square-foot wrap-around terrace with Empire State Building views, a steel-and-wood floating staircase, custom concrete flooring, and an open layout perfect for hosting soirees.
Check it out
Extell reveals deluxe upper-floor ‘Skyscape Collection’ at One Manhattan Square
September 8, 2017

Extell reveals deluxe upper-floor ‘Skyscape Collection’ at One Manhattan Square

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Living in any of One Manhattan Square's 815 units is a pretty extravagant opportunity; the 800-foot Two Bridges tower will boast more than 100,000 square feet of over-the-top indoor and outdoor amenities, ranging from a tree house with fire pits and stargazing observatory to a 70-seat movie theater and bowling alley. But those 25 condos on the upper floors will be afforded an even more luxurious lifestyle, with "limitless bird's eyes vistas" of the skyline, Brooklyn, New York harbor, and the East and Hudson Rivers. According to a press release from developer Extell announcing this Skyscape Collection, the deluxe residences are mainly three-bedroom homes, along with the building's five five-bedroom penthouses, two of which are duplexes (one of these already sold for $13 million).
Find out more right here
Chinatown’s low-income senior building is taking applications for the first time in 25 years

96 Baxter Street via Google Street View

August 24, 2017

Chinatown’s low-income senior building is taking applications for the first time in 25 years

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The 13-story, 88-unit rental building for low-income seniors at 96 Baxter Street in Chinatown has opened its waiting list to new applicants this week for the first time in 25 years (h/t Lo-Down). Only people aged 62 and older (over 18 if they are mobility impaired) can apply. The units rent for 30 percent of one's annual income; studios are available to those earning less than $33,400 a year and one-bedroom to those earning less than $38,200. The waitlist originally contained over 3,000 names, a number which now stands at only a handful. Among the building's current tenants, two are reportedly 108 years old. The youngest residents are about 85.
See the qualifications
Chinese immigrants use slang names and maps to navigate the streets of NYC

Chinatown, image © Chaz Langley

August 14, 2017

Chinese immigrants use slang names and maps to navigate the streets of NYC

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Many New Yorkers navigate Chinatown by its famous street names; East Broadway, Mulberry, Canal and Orchard. However, for many Chinese immigrants living in the area who do not speak English, these names are not used. Instead, descriptive nicknames (translated from Chinese) exist like “Hatseller Street,” “Garbage Street,” and “Dead Person Street.” Even more interesting, to help Chinese New Yorkers navigate the city, maps with these streets labeled in their Chinese nicknames are made and distributed. A reporter from This American Life, Aaron Reiss, began collecting these maps and discovered the lesser-known nicknames for a lot of these city streets, many which have four or five different labels.
More this way
Dry ice and solar power to be used in city’s $32M rat battle
July 13, 2017

Dry ice and solar power to be used in city’s $32M rat battle

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Mayor Bill de Blasio declared Wednesday that he wanted "more rat corpses" in a $32 million crusade to rid the city's most plagued neighborhoods of the scurrying scourge. The New York Times reports that parts of lower Manhattan, the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx are the focus of the latest campaign that hopes to reduce the number of rats in those areas by 70 percent by the close of 2018. Among the battle's newly-forged weapons are 336 $7,000 solar-powered rat-proof garbage bins and an EPA-approved–and apparently very effective–method of killing rats in their holes using dry ice.
Psst...hey...pizza over here
Sad stretch of Canal Street retail may be replaced with this nine-story Passive House
February 23, 2017

Sad stretch of Canal Street retail may be replaced with this nine-story Passive House

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If you've walked down Chinatown's Canal Street then you're certainly familiar with a string of stores at 312-322 Canal Street hawking cheap souvenirs to tourists and passersby. After a proposal to renew the depressed stretch of shops with a brand-new brick construction failed to pass Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) muster in 2011, a new, much more ambitious plan to replace the ramshackle building has finally emerged.
more details this way
Extell’s One Manhattan Square reaches halfway point and gets its glassy skin
January 25, 2017

Extell’s One Manhattan Square reaches halfway point and gets its glassy skin

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Despite the rapid influx of new development that's popping up in the controversial Two Bridges area, the Chinatown-meets-Lower East Side neighborhood's first project, One Manhattan Square, still reigns as the tallest. In fact, when it reaches its full 823-foot height, Extell's 80-story condo at 252 South Street will have the highest rooftop between downtown and Midtown Manhattan. Now that sales have commenced, CityRealty paid the construction site a visit, noticing that the double-slab tower is already more than 30 stories tall and has begun to receive its reflective glass skin.
More views ahead
Renderings revealed for 724-foot Lower East Side tower, final piece of controversial site
December 13, 2016

Renderings revealed for 724-foot Lower East Side tower, final piece of controversial site

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The historically low-income, low-slung neighborhood of Two Bridges--the area along the East River, near the footings of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges where the Lower East Side meets Chinatown--has become a high-rise hotbed over the past year. Despite the controversy that the four planned projects, all upwards of 700 feet, have caused, they're moving along fairly swiftly, and The Lo-Down now has the big reveal for the final site--Starrett Group's 259 Clinton Street. Perkins Eastman Architects have designed the 724-foot, 62-story glass tower, which will have ground-floor retail and 732 apartments, 25 percent of which will be permanently affordable with a good chunk being set aside for low-income seniors.
More details and renderings ahead
Controversial Lower East Side site getting two more 700+ foot towers
December 2, 2016

Controversial Lower East Side site getting two more 700+ foot towers

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L to R: One Manhattan Square, 247 Cherry Street, 260 South Street, and 271-283 South Street. The image above, created by CityRealty, depicts the possible massing of the new towers; No official design has been released When L+M Partners and CIM Group announced plans last May for two 50-story towers at 260 South Street, their project joined a growing list of controversial towers sprouting up along the Two Bridges waterfront, including Extell's 823-foot condo One Manhattan Square, JDS and SHoP Architects' possible 1,000+ foot rental at 247 Cherry Street, and Starret Group's shorter rental at 275 South Street. Now, in what's becoming a trend for the Lower East Side-meets-Chinatown 'hood, L+M and CIM have revealed plans for their project that actually show increased heights of 69 and 62 stories, or 798 and 728 feet. As first reported by The Lo-Down, the developers plan to include up to 1,350 apartments, 338 of which will be reserved as affordable, senior housing, ground-floor retail, landscaped outdoor spaces by Mathews Nielsen, and an upgraded flood-protection system.
Renderings and more details ahead
The Urban Lens: Chaz Langley captures the people and places that make Chinatown tick
November 11, 2016

The Urban Lens: Chaz Langley captures the people and places that make Chinatown tick

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6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Chaz Langley explores the people and establishments breathe life into Chinatown. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Nashville native Chaz Langley moved to New York to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter/actor/model, but along the way began snapping iPhone photos of his adopted city as another creative outlet, finding the process therapeutic. Through his Instagram account, he tells the stories of the people, places, and things that inspire him, using his other skill set of graphic design as a way to curate his collections. In "A Stroll in Chinatown" he captures the unique cultural establishments of Chinatown and the everyday comings and goings of the neighborhood's residents.
See all the photos here
Sales launch for Extell’s Lower East Side tower One Manhattan Square
November 2, 2016

Sales launch for Extell’s Lower East Side tower One Manhattan Square

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Despite community opposition against the surge of new development in the Two Bridges neighborhood, things are moving full steam ahead in the Chinatown-meets-Lower East Side area. Curbed reports that the project that started it all, One Manhattan Square, has officially launched sales for the first batch of its 815 condos, and they range from a $1.18 million one-bedroom to a $4.4 million three-bedroom. It's prices like these, as well as the 823-foot height, that have angered residents of the mostly low-rise and low-income neighborhood, but nevertheless, the huge luxury building at with an insane amenity package is well on its way to opening its doors.
Find out more this way
New renderings for JDS and SHoP’s 1,000-foot Lower East Side supertall
September 29, 2016

New renderings for JDS and SHoP’s 1,000-foot Lower East Side supertall

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Last 6sqft checked on the rental building at 247 Cherry Street in the Two Bridges area of the Lower East Side, it was revealed that the tower would rise to 1,000 feet, not surprising considering it comes from the supertall power team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects. And now, after a Community Board 3 meeting earlier this week where JDS and SHoP addressed the controversial project, CityRealty.com brings a new set of renderings that show close-ups of the 77-story building's green terra cotta facade and sky decks.
Check out all the new views
The Urban Lens: A walk through the 90th annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy
September 21, 2016

The Urban Lens: A walk through the 90th annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy

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6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, award-winning authors and photographers James and Karla Murray introduce us to the faces and food vendors that make up the 2016 Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. 2016 marks the 90th anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro, which is held in the "Little Italy" neighborhood of lower Manhattan from Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 25th. The Feast is an 11-day salute to the Patron Saint of Naples, Saint Januaries, and it is the longest and most popular street fair in New York City (anticipated to bring in one million tourists and New Yorkers this year). Little Italy was once known for its large population of Italian immigrants and is now centered on Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal Streets. Italians first began to settle in the area during the 1850s, but by the 1960s, wealthy Italians began to move out and Chinese merchants for the first time began to move north of Canal Street—the traditional boundary between Chinatown and Little Italy. Observing the changes in the neighborhood, Italian merchants and restaurateurs formed an association dedicated to maintaining Mulberry Street north of Canal as an all-Italian enclave, which it still largely remains. Ahead we document some of the longtime New Yorkers, tourists, and decades-old Italian vendors who've added their own flavor to this year's festivities.
our account and more photos here
This Is What the Lower East Side Skyline Could Look Like, More Tall Towers Planned

L to R: One Manhattan Square, 247 Cherry Street, 260 South Street, and 271-283 South Street. The above image, created by CityRealty.com, depicts the possible massing of the new towers; No official design has been released 

July 26, 2016

This Is What the Lower East Side Skyline Could Look Like, More Tall Towers Planned

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The hotly contested Two Bridges neighborhood--the area along the East River, near the footings of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges where the Lower East Side meets Chinatown--has been making headlines nearly every week, whether it be for a new supertall tower or local residents' opposition to what they feel is out-of-scale development for the mostly low-rise and low-income neighborhood. Just yesterday, The Lo-Down obtained information through a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request that reveals preliminary plans for two more residential projects that together "would add more than 2,100 residential units and 1.7 million square feet" to the area. A building at 271-283 South Street may rise 60 stories, while another at 260 South Street could reach 66 stories. To put into perspective just how much this planned and under-construction new development will alter the LES skyline, CityRealty.com has put together this Google Earth rendering of all the proposed towers.
Get all the details right here
JDS and SHoP’s Cherry Street Tower Will Be Taller Than Expected, May Reach 1,000 Feet
June 29, 2016

JDS and SHoP’s Cherry Street Tower Will Be Taller Than Expected, May Reach 1,000 Feet

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Back in April, the power team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects unveiled plans for a 900-foot, 77-story rental building at 247 Cherry Street in the Two Bridges area of the Lower East Side. This neighborhood has become controversial for a recent influx of sky-high development; 247 Cherry will rise directly next to Extell's 850-foot One Manhattan Square and not far from two 50-story towers at 265-275 Cherry Street. Its 900-foot height would've made it the tallest tower between Midtown and Downtown, but left it 100 feet shy of the supertall status JDS and SHoP are known for (the duo is responsible for the 1,438-foot-tall 111 West 57th Street and 9 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn’s first 1,000+ foot tower). However, Bowery Boogie reports today that the height may actually be at or above 1,000 feet, rising 80 stories.
More details ahead
Take in the Views From Extell’s 823-Foot-Tall One Manhattan Square
June 23, 2016

Take in the Views From Extell’s 823-Foot-Tall One Manhattan Square

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Two Bridges, the area on the border of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, is seeing a wave of new, sky-high development, including a 900-foot tower from supertall team JDS and SHoP Architects and perhaps two 50-story buildings from L+M Partners. But the controversial surge in construction started with One Manhattan Square, an 823-foot tower from Extell. In anticipation of the 80-story condo building hitting the market this September, the developer has released a flashy new video that shows the sparkling Adamson Associates Architects-designed exterior, as well as the sweeping views from the upper floors. But as Curbed, who first spotted the video, notes, it ignores its potential supertall neighbors to make a point of just how much much it towers over its surroundings.
Watch the full video here
Controversial Lower East Side Waterfront May Get Even More Tall Towers

One Manhattan Square on the left, the JDS/SHoP Project in the center. The above image, created by CityRealty, depicts the possible massing of the new towers if built to 50 stories; No official design has been released

May 16, 2016

Controversial Lower East Side Waterfront May Get Even More Tall Towers

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Just a few weeks ago 6sqft learned that the supertall super-team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects are planning a 900-foot, 77-story rental building at 247 Cherry Street, directly next to Extell's 850-foot One Manhattan Square. These waterfront developments in the Two Bridges area caused quite a stir since the neighborhood has historically been mostly low-income and low-rise, but now two more supertalls may rise at the site. Bowery Boogie reports that L+M Partners are looking to erect two 50-story towers on the nearby lots at 265-275 Cherry Street. Together, the buildings would hold about 1,000 units.
Find out more
JDS and SHoP Architects Unveil Plan for 900-Foot Lower East Side Tower
April 28, 2016

JDS and SHoP Architects Unveil Plan for 900-Foot Lower East Side Tower

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There's a new tallest tower taking over the Lower East Side, and unsurprisingly it comes to us via the supertall super-team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects, the same duo responsible for the 1,438-foot-tall 111 West 57th Street and 9 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn's first 1,000+ foot tower. Their latest record-setter is a 900-foot, 77-story rental building planned for 247 Cherry Street, reports The Lo-Down. It will rise directly next to Extell's One Manhattan Square, which made waves for its 850-foot height in the low-scale Two Bridges area. The newest tallest tower between Midtown and Downtown will have a 10,000-square-foot retail base with 600 rental apartments above, about 150 of which will be made permanently affordable. Though the design isn't finalized, SHoP says it will likely be terracotta brick and glass and feature outdoor terraces in the middle. There will also be a top-floor amenity space for all residents, and SCAPE Landscape Architecture has been tapped to create a publicly accessible plaza surrounding the structure.
More details this way
The On Leong Tong Building: Chinese Architecture Brought to Life in NYC
February 8, 2016

The On Leong Tong Building: Chinese Architecture Brought to Life in NYC

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If you're planning to head down to Chinatown for the celebration of the Lunar New Year, you'll likely amble past the corner of Mott and Canal Streets, where there is a remarkable building like no other in New York. It's called On Leong Tong, or, in English, the Merchants' Association building. Built in 1950, it combines modernism (though you wouldn't know it to look at it) with familiar Chinese architectural features—the pagoda roof, balconies, colorful columns and so on. Once you've seen it, you won't forget it.
Read the full history of this building
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