Harlem

When concert pianist Inon Barnatan was on the hunt for a Manhattan apartment, it had to satisfy one big requirement: enough space to hold a grand piano. He found this lofty condo at 140 West 124th Street, in Harlem, paying $1.182 million back in 2007, according to a profile in the Wall Street Journal. Located in a former warehouse built in 1906—that was allegedly used as a speakeasy during Prohibition—the two bedroom boasts historic barrel ceilings and a spacious living room fit for a piano.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Karim Rashid’s East Harlem HAP Five gets its bright pink trim

Final rendering of HAP FIVE (l), Construction progress as of January 27; CityRealty

January 30, 2017

Karim Rashid’s East Harlem HAP Five gets its bright pink trim

Construction is progressing at the very Karim Rashid-esque HAP Five residential project at 329 Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem, CityRealty reports. The building's frame has been enclosed in glass and its balconies are getting the hot-pink trim chosen by neighborhood residents after a bolder color scheme was nixed. HAP Investment Developers has specified that the project will be rental apartments instead of condos; the 21,500-square-foot, eight-story new project will offer 20 apartments including studios and one- and two-bedroom units created by the award-winning designer, all of which will have open kitchens and offer access to either a balcony, terrace or backyard.
New construction photos, this way

January 27, 2017

Lottery opens for 40 affordable units across Central Harlem, starting at $822/month

Second to the Bronx, Central Harlem has seen perhaps the most new affordable housing opportunities in the city. The latest is a 40-unit lottery spread across four buildings near Jackie Robinson Park--304 West 152nd Street, 232 West 149th Street, 2797 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and 2472 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard. The units are available to those earning 50 or 60 percent of the area media income and range from $822/month studios to $1,371/month four-bedrooms.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

January 17, 2017

CNN’s Don Lemon sells Harlem condo for small profit

By Annie Doge

Emmy Award-winning CNN news anchor Don Lemon picked up a somewhat modest condo a little over two years ago in Harlem‘s 2280FDB (2280 Frederick Douglas Blvd.). He paid $867,780 for unit 11A, right next door to 11B that he already owned. 6sqft speculated that he was planning to combine the condos, but according to city records released today, Lemon's sold off 11A for $969,000.
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January 10, 2017

Construction update: FXFOWLE’s Circa Central Park nears the finish line

Last we heard from Circa Central Park, the circle-hugging Central Park north condo from architects FXFOWLE and developers Artimus, the lottery had launched for 10 affordable units in the building. Seven months later, with occupancy slated for this year and nearly all apartments sold, CityRealty stopped by the Harlem site to check on construction. They've shared some great views of the nearly-completed glass, metal, and brick facade, which utilizes "a brise soleil system of horizontal louvers and vertical fins" to reduce solar gain and add depth to the structure by highlighting them in bright colors.
More details ahead

December 22, 2016

42 new affordable condos available at West Harlem’s Parkadon, from $225K

By Diane Pham

Qualifying New Yorkers can now apply to purchase one of 42 affordable condos in West Harlem's Parkadon Condominiums. Currently under construction, Harlen Housing Associates has been planning the structure located at 70 West 139th Street for nearly a decade and construction finally commenced on the project in 2015. Although move-in day is still a ways off, the building has topped off and the brick facade is currently being applied. Once finished there will be a total of 64 units (the difference pegged as market-rate) across 55,355 square feet, which includes 1,878 square feet of communal space on the ground floor. The NYC Housing Partnership relays that affordable apartments will range from one- to two-bedrooms priced from $225,545 and $440,381 and will be available to those earning between $50,400 and $149,490.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

December 21, 2016

VIDEO: Neil Patrick Harris gives a holiday tour of his Harlem brownstone

Neil Patrick Harris and hubby David Burtka first made real estate headlines when they purchased a $4 million Harlem brownstone in 2013, setting a neighborhood record. They then spent over a year renovating the five-story residence at 2036 Fifth Avenue to be the perfect family home for their twins Gideon and Harper (now five years old) and two dogs. Last year, the couple invited Architectural Digest in for a tour, showing off their elegant but fun design choices, impressive art collection, and restored architectural features. They've now opened up their home again, this time for Vogue's 73 Questions (h/t Apartment Therapy), complete with Christmas decorations.
Watch the video here

December 15, 2016

This $5.4M townhouse is Harlem historic on the outside, Soho sleek on the inside

This historic Harlem townhouse at 22 West 120th Street fits right in with its neighbors on a gorgeous brownstone block just across from Marcus Garvey Park (and just a couple of blocks north of Central Park). Once you enter the four-story home, though, you could easily be in a luxury downtown penthouse. A custom renovation created statement features like a vast and dramatic skylight, radiant heated floors, a unique metal staircase and four ultra-modern wood burning fireplaces.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Fidel Castro Threatens to Sleep in Central Park in Outrage Over Hotel Prices During 1960 Visit

Castro at the U.N. General Assembly

November 28, 2016

Fidel Castro Threatens to Sleep in Central Park in Outrage Over Hotel Prices During 1960 Visit

Just four months after Cuban President Fidel Castro led a successful revolution to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, he visited New York City for 11 days on an invitation from the American Society of Newspaper Editors. With his signature green army uniform and boots, bushy beard, and exuberant nature, Castro reportedly hired a PR firm (though it seems he hardly needed to), enjoyed the city’s famous hot dogs, and "kissed ladies like a rock star, and held babies like a politician," according to Mashable. During a tour of the Bronx Zoo, which he called “the best thing New York City has,” Mr. Castro is said to have jumped a railing and stuck his hand into a cage to pet a Bengal tiger.
More shenanigans to come

November 4, 2016

$1.45M Harlem duplex comes with an enormous private backyard

Outdoor space is the star at this Harlem apartment at 239 West 135th Street. This 1,308-square-foot, two-bedroom duplex comes with a 625-square-foot private garden, boasting enough room to fit an outdoor couch, dining table, barbecue and more. Too bad the weather's just getting cold! The interior also takes advantage of the outdoor space, with massive windows that look out onto the greenery.
Check out the inside of the apartment

Distinctive Homes

October 31, 2016

Maya Angelou’s second Harlem townhouse sells for $2M

By Annie Doge

Over the summer, 6sqft shared the sale of the late Maya Angelou's historic Harlem brownstone. After listing last February for $5.1 million, the beautifully preserved home in the Mount Morris Park Historic District finally sold for $4 million in July. But as it turns 0ut, this wasn't the only property she owned that hit the market at the beginning of the year. The Post reports that the author and activist also owned a property for which she was the landlord, just about ten blocks away at 29 East 129th Street, and after hitting the market for $2.6 million and going through two price chops, it's now found a buyer for $1.98 million.
More this way

October 27, 2016

Bjarke Ingels’ curving East Harlem rental breaks ground and gets new renderings

When 6sqft first got a look at Bjarke Ingels' curved East Harlem rental, it sported a red corten steel facade reminiscent of the surrounding brick buildings, but a new set of renderings shows a blackened stainless steel exterior that the Danish starchitect told Curbed is "inspired by an elephant’s skin" and will capture and reflect sunlight. Now dubbed Gotham East 126th Residential, the 11-story structure from Blumenfeld Development Group broke ground yesterday, beginning its journey to offer 233 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, 46 of which will be affordable.
More details and renderings and the first view inside

October 19, 2016

East Harlem rezoning would allow for towers of up to 30 stories tall

By Diane Pham

In 2003, East Harlem received a boost when the Bloomberg administration pushed through a plan to rezone a whopping 57 blocks of the neighborhood. The initiative (the first of its kind in 40 years) allowed for increased density along First, Second, and Third avenues, while preserving the lower slung mid-blocks in between. Following the change, the area saw more than a dozen buildings of 8-12 stories sprout up along its busiest stretches. Now, the de Blasio administration is looking to build even bigger, and on Tuesday officials presented their latest upzoning proposal (pdf), a plan that would allow towers up to 30 stories tall to be constructed in the area.
more here

Affordable Housing

October 13, 2016

$3.65M lavish Harlem townhouse is full of marble, mirrors, and chandeliers

Built in 1900, this lavishly restored townhouse at 148 West 119th Street is on one of Harlem's most desirable blocks in the Mount Morris Park Historic District. Constructed as part of one of the neighborhood's first developments, the four-story Italianate brownstone has been bestowed with a renovation worthy of a decorator show house, with no expense or luxury spared (and lots of marble, mirrors and chandeliers). Two fully loaded terraces add outdoor living to mix, and details like central air, radiant floor heat and high-end appliances keep everything running smoothly. Bonus: there's a studio apartment on the ground floor.
Tour this single-family masterpiece

Distinctive Homes

October 7, 2016

For just $599K, this lovely Harlem condo has a massive roof deck with views to Midtown

Where else in Manhattan will you be able to snag a two-bedroom condo with an impressive roof deck for just a hair under $600,000? At 13 East 131st Street, an East Harlem condo, this apartment has hit the market for $599,000. The 950-square-foot spread is decked out with moldings, built-ins and refinished oak floors, and upstairs it has a large and landscaped terrace with views all the way to midtown.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

September 18, 2016

$900K brownstone condo is proof that your money still goes a little farther in Harlem

While the $899,000 ask on this two-bedroom, floor-through apartment at 30 West 126th Street in Harlem may not be a total steal, an apartment of this size with well-designed custom renovations, central heat and air, closet space, and a cozy balcony would likely be much more costly in many other Manhattan neighborhoods. And certainly a pretty brownstone block steps from shopping (a Whole Foods is on the way) and subways would up the price even more. Yet this brick-lined, light-filled home has every bit as much townhouse appeal as its West Village counterparts.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

September 14, 2016

Look inside Karim Rashid’s futuristic HAP Five condo rising in East Harlem

The Karim Rashid-designed eight-story, 75-foot residential building at 329 Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem has started to take shape after addressing a gauntlet of public outcry, reports CityRealty.com. Renderings of the condominium building from HAP Investment Developers were met with resistance from the community for their original turquoise and magenta color scheme–a typical Rashid design element–which, it was feared, would clash with the the neighborhood's century-old buildings. As 6sqft previously repoted, HAP toned down the color scheme, and it now features white balconies bordered with a gradually-fading shade of pink .
See more progress and interior renderings this way

August 22, 2016

Local writer raising $150,000 to save Langston Hughes’ $3M Harlem townhouse

Prolific writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes lived at 20 East 127th Street, an 1896 brownstone, in the 1950s and '60s, until he passed away in 1967. As Curbed notes, in more recent years, the ivy-covered, landmarked home has been plagued by lawsuits over its use and maintenance. The current owner listed it for $1.2 million in 2009, but it didn't sell even after the price was lowered in 2010. Today, it's estimated to be worth more than $3 million, though it's sitting vacant with its paint chipping. But local writer Renee Watson has big plans for the house that don't involve a multi-million-dollar sale that could potentially gut the interior, where Hughes' typewriter still sits on a shelf. CNN Money reports that she's launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $150,000 to rent the home, renovate it, and turn it into a cultural center for Harlem-based artists.
Find out more

Celebrities

POLL: Will Whole Foods Drive Up Real Estate Values in Harlem?

A rendering of the new Harlem Whole Foods

July 28, 2016

POLL: Will Whole Foods Drive Up Real Estate Values in Harlem?

6sqft has previously written about the Whole Foods Effect--the pattern of real estate values increasing when a new grocery store opens nearby. In fact, national data from Yahoo! Finance showed that "homes with a Whole Foods in the ZIP code appreciated by nearly 34 percent." And here in New York, the Effect seems to be taking hold in Harlem, where a Whole Foods will open next year at 125th Street and Lenox Avenue in a six-story commercial building spanning over 200,000 square feet (other tenants will include Burlington Coat Factory, Nordstrom Rack, Olive Garden and TD Bank). Citi Habitats agent Chyann Sapp told the Post that "there’s a one-bedroom two blocks away for $1,800. And the owner said that once Whole Foods opens he thinks he could easily get $2,000, $2,100 for it." The store was first announced in 2012, at which time the area's price per square foot was $594, according to appraisal firm Miller Samuel. As of 2015, it had risen to $839. Similarly, townhouse prices have doubled from $2 million to $4 million in this time.
Is Whole Foods behind it?

Real Estate Trends

July 26, 2016

Maya Angelou’s Historic Harlem Brownstone Finds a Buyer for $4M

The historic Harlem brownstone of author, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou listed for $5.1 million in February, and after a drop to $4.95 million in March, it's now found a buyer for a reduced price of $4 million, The Real Deal tells us. Dr. Angelou purchased the four-story home, built in 1909 in the Mount Morris Park Historic District, sight unseen in 2002 to serve as her northeast residence when she wasn't teaching at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. But she didn't move in until 2004 (vandals had turned it into a "dilapidated shell"), when East Harlem-based architect Marc Anderson had completed a gut renovation that added contemporary amenities such as an elevator, two skylights, and a basement entertainment area, while retaining historic details like the original oak-front door, wainscoting, carved banister, and decorative fireplaces.
See it all

July 25, 2016

Apply for 53 Affordable Units in Historic Harlem, Starting at $494/Month

The lottery is open for 53 brand new affordable units at 275 West 140th Street in central Harlem. The building, dubbed Strivers Plaza in reference to its proximity to the nearby historic homes of Striver’s Row, is an eight-story structure designed by affordable housing gurus Aufgang Architects. As previously reported by Yimby, Radson Development was able to build bigger than zoning would normally allow due to the inclusion of the below-market rate units, as well as an 8,000-square foot supermarket in what's considered a "food desert." Available units go from $494/month studios to $2,405/month two-bedrooms for people with a wide range of annual earnings -- 40 to 165 percent of the area median income.
See if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

July 8, 2016

Apply For Affordable Condos at Harlem’s Circa Central Park, Starting at $225,000

By Dejah Mcgibbon

Circa Central Park, Harlem’s most anticipated condominium project is currently is offering ten lucky households a chance to buy an affordable new unit within the high-end, curving building. Crescent 110 Equities is spearheading the lottery program, and occupancy of the development is set to begin in 2017. The available apartments range from $225, 294 studios to $381,105 two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Lottery Opens for 36 Middle-Income Apartments Across Harlem, Starting at $1,156/Month

View across West 133rd Street, where three of the buildings are located

May 31, 2016

Lottery Opens for 36 Middle-Income Apartments Across Harlem, Starting at $1,156/Month

Now that de Blasio's made a pretty significant dent in his goal of building or preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade, there seem to be more middle-income housing lotteries opening, in addition to the influx of low-income lotteries that began popping up with a vengeance at the end of last year. The latest offers 36 newly rehabilitated units across five Harlem buildings, running from the border of Morningside Heights at 116th Street up to 138th Street. They're priced between $1,156 for studios, $1,562 for one-bedrooms, $1,591-$2,611 for two-bedrooms, and $1,831-$3,009 for three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 13, 2016

Get Views of the Apollo From the Private Terrace of This $795K Harlem Condo

There are lots of perks that come with a top-floor apartment, including this duplex at the Dover Condominium. The building is located right in the heart of Harlem at 252 West 123rd Street. The second level of the space has both a skylight and private terrace, where you've got views of all the neighborhood landmarks including the Apollo Theater. As for interior design, lots of exposed brick and a wood-burning fireplace keep things feeling cozy.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

May 12, 2016

7,500-Name Waitlist Opens for 975 Affordable Units at Harlem’s Riverton Complex

Like Stuyvesant Town, the Riverton Square residential development in Harlem opened in 1947 as an affordable complex for World War II veterans and was built by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. But unlike Stuy Town (and Met Life's Parkchester in the Bronx), black and Hispanic tenants weren't barred from renting in Riverton. According to the Times, over the years the seven-building site was a sought-after address for the middle-class and was home to such notables as jazz pianist Billy Taylor, former Mayor David Dinkins, and former vice president of Motwon Records Suzanne de Passe. But in 2005, again similar to its downtown counterpart, Riverton was sold to Stellar Management, who tried to swiftly remove long-term tenants and replace them with higher-paying residents. Unable to convert the rent-stabilized units to market-rate and saddled with debt, Stellar lost Riverton to its lenders in 2008. This past December, after nearly a decade in limbo, the 12-acre site was sold to A&E Real Estate Holdings for $201 million in a deal with the city which, like the recent terms at Stuy Town, dictated that 975 of the complex's 1,229 units be reserved for working- and middle-class families for 30 years. In return, the buyer will receive about $100 million worth of tax breaks and incentives. The waitlist is now open for these affordable units, and 7,500 randomly selected applicants will earn themselves a spot.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

April 26, 2016

Lottery Launches for $822/Month Studios in Brand New East Harlem Building