Financial District

June 19, 2014

5 Prohibition-Style Speakeasies to Transport You Back to the Gilded Age

Speakeasies and retro bars have been the new trend in New York for so long that this style may not be a trend at all. These "speakeasy bars" hearken back to a time somewhere between the Gilded Age and Prohibition, giving their interior designers a chance to play around with this fantastic historical style. The five speakeasies and retro bars below show a true design sense that transports us to the time of outlawed alcohol and tiny flapper dresses.
See our speakeasy gallery here

NYC Guides

June 16, 2014

Prodigy Network Announces Winning Designs for 17John “Cotel” – NYC’s First Crowdsourced Hotel

By Annie Doge

Remember that competition held in February to crowdsource the design of a hotel to be located in downtown Manhattan? Looks like the results are in and Prodigy Network just announced the winners of the competition for the 17John ‘Cotel’ (collaborative + hotel = cotel). The winning designs cover both the public interior spaces and the private rooms of 17John, and as the competition brief outlined, all the rooms are specifically tailored to the modern business traveler. Rooms range from long-term living spaces to more standard short-stay hotel rooms. The hotel will also be equipped with flexible spaces for work and meetings, and digital services that "provide comfort, community, and connectivity for its guests".
see the winning designs here

June 4, 2014

An 80-Foot Slide Winds Through This Whimsical FiDi Penthouse

By Patty Lee

One of New York’s oldest landmarks is home to the city’s coolest apartment. Completed in 1896, 150 Nassau Street was originally designed as the headquarters for the American Tract Society. The religious printing house moved out of the beautiful Beaux Art skyscraper in 1914 and like a lot of historic New York City buildings, it has since been transformed into luxury condos. As with all penthouses, the top floor of the 23-story structure — appropriately dubbed the SkyHouse — boasts stunning views of the Big Apple’s most beloved landmarks, including the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. What sets the four-story home apart, however, is its distinct layout and one-of-a-kind accents, courtesy of architect David Hotson and interior designer Ghislaine Viñas.
Take a tour of the cool FiDi penthouse

Distinctive Homes

June 2, 2014

Woolworth Penthouse to be Priced at a Record-breaking $110 Million

By Diane Pham

According to Bloomberg News, the penthouse at the Woolworth building will ask for a jaw-dropping $110 million when units hit the market this Fall. This is the highest-ever ask for an apartment in downtown Manhattan, and one sure to send the market into a frenzy. Jonathan Miller, president of appraiser Miller Samuel Inc., told Bloomberg that the price is indicative of the prestige and unique history of the landmarked building, rather than the location or its status as a luxury apartment. “We’ve seen rapid absorption downtown," he told Bloomberg, "but this project is unlike anything that’s come online.”
More about the penthouse this way

New Developments

May 30, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Photographer Barry Rosenthal on Living in the Financial District and Finding Inspiration in Nature

By Susan Cohen

Photographer and artist Barry Rosenthal is inspired by nature. His latest series, Found in Nature, is a response to what he was seeing and feeling while out on beaches. Barry, whose pieces can be found in the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York City and the Springfield Museum of Fine Art in Springfield, Massachusetts, is himself being found through Found in Nature. The series was recently featured in Brazil's National Geographic Magazine. Although Barry works in nature, he has lived in the caverns of the Financial District since 1987. Long before the neighborhood would become popular with young professionals and families, Barry and his wife, Elyn, found that the area — then made up primarily of office buildings — had just what they were looking for: space. Over the last 25 years, they and their daughter Macie, now 18, made the Financial District their home. The family was certainly ahead of the curve. As a New Yorker, I was curious to learn more about Barry. What was it like living in this neighborhood back in the '80s, especially from the perspective of a photographer and artist with a keen eye for observing the world? Why did he decide to head out of his studio and work in nature?
READ THE INTERVIEW WITH BARRY ROSENTHAL HERE

May 27, 2014

See New Renderings of Fortis’s Waterfront Residential and Hotel Development at 151 Maiden Lane

By Diane Pham

New renderings of Fortis Property Group’s mixed-use development at 151 Maiden Lane have been revealed! As reported by New York YIMBY, permits were filed last week for the new tower which will sit upon a 281,000-square-foot waterfront development site that the company purchased back in August of last year. Fortis’s new residential project will boast a 161,000-square-foot, 52-story luxury condominium with […]

May 22, 2014

15 Broad Street: FiDi’s Downtown by Starck is Anything But

By Stephanie Hoina

The year is 1928: Scotch tape is first marketed by 3M, the first air-conditioned building opens in San Antonio, the clip-on tie is designed, the NY Yankees sweep the Cards in the 25th World series – and the Equitable Trust Building at 15 Broad Street was completed. For nearly 80 years the L-shaped grey brick stone building would house some of the most influential financial companies in the world, until developer A.I. & Boymelgreen rescued it from certain demolition in 2003 and tasked French architect Phillipe Starck to turn it into a luxury condominium worthy of the financial capital of the world.
Check out #2412 at 15 Broad Street

Distinctive Homes

May 22, 2014

Developer Harry Macklowe Pays $585 Million for the Bank of New York Tower

By Diane Pham

According to the Wall Street Journal, a group of investors, led by developer Harry Macklowe, has just paid $585 Million for One Wall Street, the headquarters of Bank of New York Mellon Corp. A spokesman for Macklowe declined to disclose what the developer plans to do with the 50-story tower, but word is that other bidders for […]

New Developments

May 15, 2014

Snøhetta’s Light-Filled 9/11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at Ground Zero Dedicated Today

By Stephanie Hoina

It’s amazing when you think about it, the number of people personally touched by the tragedy of 9/11. It seems in the days after the attacks, especially as a New Yorker, you found you had a connection to someone who had perished, either directly or indirectly. It was almost uncanny. And the phrase “Never Forget” became ubiquitous. As if you ever could. To ensure we never do, and that those too young to remember will continue to honor the day that changed the world, the 9/11 Memorial Museum at Ground Zero was dedicated today, in advance of its May 21st opening to the general public. Attendees included President Obama and Governor Chris Christie.
Snøhetta's Light Filled Pavilion greets museum visitors

Architecture And Design

May 9, 2014

Uber Chic Apartment in W Downtown Sells for $2 Million

By Dana Schulz

Have you ever walked into a house and thought to yourself, "How do they keep it so clean?!" This is one of those houses. From the pure-white Italian lacquer cabinetry to the dark ebony wood floors, unit 52D at the W Downtown Hotel & Residence exudes impeccable sleekness. According to property records, the unit, which has never before been lived in, recently sold for $2 million. The sophisticated black-and-white interior design is contemporary, yet inviting. All furnished condos were designed by Louise Sunshine's Sunshine Group, whose motto is "all square feet are not created equal." Here this rings true, as each piece in the home is thoughtfully placed — the oversized steel lamp compliments the low marble coffee table in the living room, and plush, neutral fabrics warm up the bedroom.
design details this way

May 7, 2014

Artist’s Dream Space on Water Street Sells for $1.8 Million

By Aisha Carter

If breathtaking views are the best muse then someone just landed the perfect pad. Noted photojournalist James Nachtwey has just sold his beautiful loft at 265 Water Street for $1.8 million dollars. Now the new owner can sit at her breakfast table and gaze placidly at the Brooklyn Bridge. Sounds like heaven, right? The 1,650 square-foot loft, resting atop a historic 19th century landmark building, is situated on one of New York’s charming cobblestone streets in the Financial District. This full floor penthouse suite is the perfect artist’s hideaway, with Artisan woodwork throughout, a wood beamed ceiling and a private studio — or second bedroom if she prefers.
Take a glimpse into this charming penthouse loft here

May 5, 2014

Links We Love: Happy Birthday to the World’s Oldest Man; Is Graffiti the New Must-Have for Luxury Buildings?

By Aisha Carter

Remembering Architect Frederic Schwartz: The Observer remembers the designer of many 9/11 memorials after he lost his battle to cancer this past week. The New Must-Have For Luxury Buildings: Graffiti: The New Yorker questions this new trend. Real estate apps may lead to segregation: Teke Wiggin asks whether increased knowledge of neighborhood demographics will encourage segregation. Google […]

Uncategorized

May 2, 2014

Coming Soon Summer 2015: The Beekman Hotel

By Aisha Carter

After years of failed attempts by developers, GFI Capital Resources Group is accomplishing what some thought was impossible: They are converting 5 Beekman Street – along with its empty next-door neighbor 115 Nassau Street – into a hotel and condo. The landmark building was one of New York’s original skyscrapers, once towering nine stories. Its distinctive architecture boasts the famous Temple Court, an interior atrium punctuated by a skylight in the shape of a pyramid. It is surrounding this very feature that 287 hotel rooms will be constructed.
Read on for more details here

April 5, 2014

Sky High Living: Inside the Penthouses of 10 of Manhattan’s Supertalls

By Diane Pham

Manhattan is known for hosting more than a handful of the world's most luxurious homes — many of which are perched hundreds if not thousands of feet above ground. Though few folks will ever get to see the interior of anything higher than their 5-story walk-up, we're offering up a look into how New York's loftiest live. From the "smallest" to the tallest, take a peek into the penthouses of 10 of Manhattan's supertall condos ahead. And just to give you a little more context, the Empire State Building soars 1,250 feet high.
It's a tall, tall world

March 24, 2014

Santiago Calatrava’s Winged ‘Oculus’ WTC Transportation Hub Takes Shape

By Diane Pham

It's unfortunate that Santiago Calatrava's original design for the WTC Transportation Hub got scrapped for a shrunken, more watered-down version. But the cost saving measures that transformed his beautiful "bird" into what some critics have dubbed as a "rack of lamb" didn't completely destroy the majestic spirit of the original design. Construction images recently released by the Port Authority of NY & NJ reveal that the Oculus is finally taking shape, emerging from its WTC site as something that could very well be quite iconic.
More incredible photos ahead

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