Midtown East

Simon Kim, the restaurateur who founded the Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse, will be opening a new dining concept inside the landmark 550 Madison Avenue. The new "multi-faceted" concept will span 15,000 square feet across three floors at the tower's base, boast soaring 60-foot ceilings, and provide direct access to the building's new landscaped, half-acre public garden. Olayan Group is currently leading a renovation of 550 Madison Avenue, which was designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee in the 1980s as the world's first postmodern skyscraper.
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Food & Dining

City Winery’s Gilded Age-inspired restaurant Cornelius opens in Grand Central

All photos of Cornelius courtesy of City Winery

December 29, 2022

City Winery’s Gilded Age-inspired restaurant Cornelius opens in Grand Central

Cornelius, a new high-end restaurant by City Winery, opened in Grand Central Terminal last week. The 75-seat restaurant offers patrons farm-to-table fare inspired by Gilded Age menus and created by Chef Zach Bondy. The restaurant joins two other concepts from City Winery, including a signature experience with tasting bars and City Jams, which has a first-of-its-kind wine-to-go program and an all-day menu.
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Food & Dining

NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

Conceptual renderings from one proposal for a reimagined Fifth Avenue. Credit: Fifth Avenue Association

December 19, 2022

NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday released a plan that reimagines a stretch of Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park at 42nd Street to Central Park at 59th Street as a pedestrian-focused space that prioritizes safety, mass transit, and the public realm. This new vision of one of the world's most iconic tourist destinations and commercial districts is part of a broader plan to make the area more appealing to new residents and workers and builds upon the recent closure of Fifth Avenue this month for the holidays.
See the plan

This $2.5M Park Avenue classic six is a book lover’s dream

All photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

December 16, 2022

This $2.5M Park Avenue classic six is a book lover’s dream

It's rare to find a classic deco-era co-op that has been beautifully renovated, yet retains every bit of its pre-war charm and grace. This three-bedroom home at the Emery Roth-designed 480 Park Avenue is just such a find. Asking $2,495,000, this six-room residence boasts a 28-foot living room, a formal dining area, oversized proportions, high ceilings, and hardwood floors. Beyond the elegant features and architectural details, built-in bookshelves that line several of the rooms make this a perfect home for your treasured book collection.
Read on

Distinctive Homes

All photos courtesy of Walks

December 2, 2022

Official Grand Central Terminal tours return after pandemic hiatus

Official guided tours of Grand Central Terminal are returning for the first time since the start of the pandemic. MTA Metro-North announced this week City Experiences's sightseeing company "Walks" will become the new operator of the official tour of Grand Central. Tours of the historic landmark are available daily, starting at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for children.
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Transit

Santa Claus is coming to the Empire State Building’s observation deck

All images courtesy of the Empire State Realty Trust

November 30, 2022

Santa Claus is coming to the Empire State Building’s observation deck

Santa Claus will be visiting the Empire State Building Observatory for the first time ever this holiday season. On two days in December, visitors can meet Santa and share their Christmas wishes on the iconic building's 80th floor. The landmark skyscraper will be decked out with festive decor and offer musical performances.
How to meet Santa

Events & Things To Do

See Snøhetta’s lush public garden now open at 550 Madison Avenue

All photos courtesy of Barret Doherty unless otherwise noted

November 17, 2022

See Snøhetta’s lush public garden now open at 550 Madison Avenue

The new public garden at Philip Johnson's 550 Madison Avenue building opened this week, the final component of the postmodern landmark's renovation led by the Olayan Group. Designed by Snøhetta, the lush privately-owned public space (POPS) is located adjacent to 550 Madison in a formerly enclosed mid-block passageway. Increasing the public space at the site by 50 percent, the half-acre garden is now the largest in Midtown East.
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Starbucks opens three-level Reserve location inside the Empire State Building

All images courtesy of Matthew Glac

November 16, 2022

Starbucks opens three-level Reserve location inside the Empire State Building

Starbucks is opening another of its premium, immersive roasteries within the Empire State Building on Wednesday. Spanning 23,000 square feet across three floors, the new Starbucks Reserve Empire State Building store features immersive experiences like hands-on workshops and guided tasting flights, as well as an extensive menu of coffee beverages, craft cocktails, and artisan food only available at the location.
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Food & Dining

Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith to create floor-to-ceiling mosaics at new Grand Central Madison terminal

Yayoi Kusama, 2020 Photo by Yusuke Miyazaki © YAYOI KUSAA Courtesy Ota Fine Arts, Victoria Miro, David Zwirner

October 17, 2022

Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith to create floor-to-ceiling mosaics at new Grand Central Madison terminal

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has tapped two contemporary artists to create permanent artwork for the long-awaited 700,000-square-foot Long Island Rail Road terminal opening at Grand Central this year. MTA Arts & Design, the agency responsible for commissioning public art in subway stations, announced artists Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith will design site-specific floor-to-ceiling mosaics for the new terminal, dubbed Grand Central Madison.
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A stunning renovation transforms Sen. Jacob Javits’ former Sutton Place co-op, just listed for $7.2M

Photo credit: MW Studio/Compass

October 13, 2022

A stunning renovation transforms Sen. Jacob Javits’ former Sutton Place co-op, just listed for $7.2M

The former residence of Senator Jacob Javits and his wife Marion at 322 East 57th Street is once again on the market, asking $7.2 million. 6sqft featured the classic Sutton Place co-op--designed in 1933 by Art Deco architect Joseph Urban--when it was listed in 2017 for $5.2 million; the unit found a buyer at $4.4 million within a year. The 3,300-square-foot duplex has since undergone a thoroughly modern renovation under the direction of the current owner and Sandra Arndt of Studio AKTE. The resulting bold, contemporary design is as noteworthy as its rich history.
Tour the co-op's latest incarnation, this way

Sutton Place maisonette is an art collector’s dream for $2.7M

Photo credit: Real Estate Production Network for Sotheby’s International Realty

October 10, 2022

Sutton Place maisonette is an art collector’s dream for $2.7M

Full of antiques and paintings, this Manhattan pre-war co-op looks more like a fine art museum than a New York City apartment. Found in the enclave of Sutton Place at 419 East 57th Street, the lively maisonette duplex has two bedrooms, a 24-foot-long great room, and an expansive dining room, with handpainted trompe-l’oeil details throughout the home. Asking $2,695,000, the ground-floor apartment has its own street-level entrance.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

New exhibition at Grand Central traces 100 years of urban planning and design in NYC

Photos courtesy of Regional Plan Association

October 7, 2022

New exhibition at Grand Central traces 100 years of urban planning and design in NYC

In celebration of its centennial, the civic group Regional Plan Association has opened a free public exhibition in Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall. Designed by James Sanders Studio and curated by RPA, The Constant Future: A Century of the Regional Plan explores 100 years of New York City's development from 1922 to the present day. The two-story display will be on view through October 24.
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City Winery’s new Grand Central location will offer wine to go as part of reusable bottle program

Photo courtesy of City Winery

September 27, 2022

City Winery’s new Grand Central location will offer wine to go as part of reusable bottle program

Picking up a bottle of wine for dinner on the way home from work will soon get easier. City Winery's newest location in Grand Central Terminal, opening on November 1, will debut a reusable bottle program, allowing guests to take wine to go, return the bottle to be washed, and receive a $5 credit toward the next one. Located on the west end of Vanderbilt Hall, the new City Winery includes three dining concepts: a signature experience with tasting bars, a grab-and-go all-day menu at City Jams, and a high-end restaurant, Cornelius.
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Food & Dining

See inside the ‘secret’ sushi restaurant now open in Grand Central

All photos courtesy of Eric Vitale Photography

September 15, 2022

See inside the ‘secret’ sushi restaurant now open in Grand Central

Jōji, a new sushi restaurant housed underneath Midtown's One Vanderbilt skyscraper, opened its doors to the public on Wednesday. Located within an alcove in Grand Central Terminal, the restaurant offers sushi lovers an "intimate omakase dining experience," as 6sqft reported last month. Jōji is run by Chef George Ruan, the former sushi chef of Masa, and Chef Daniel Boulud.
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Food & Dining

A ‘secret’ sushi restaurant is opening below Midtown skyscraper One Vanderbilt

All renderings courtesy of SL Green

August 25, 2022

A ‘secret’ sushi restaurant is opening below Midtown skyscraper One Vanderbilt

A new sushi restaurant will open below Midtown's tallest office tower next month. Located in a hidden nook in Grand Central Terminal and underneath the 1,401-foot office tower One Vanderbilt, Jōji will offer an "unexpected Omakase experience" led by Chef George Ruan, the former sushi chef at high-end Masa, and Chef Daniel Boulud.
More details here

Food & Dining

Jean-Georges to open restaurant at Norman Foster-designed office tower 425 Park Avenue

All renderings courtesy of Foster + Partners

August 17, 2022

Jean-Georges to open restaurant at Norman Foster-designed office tower 425 Park Avenue

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is opening another restaurant in New York City. L&L Holding Company on Monday announced the world-renowned chef will create and operate a 14,000-square-foot, two-floor restaurant on the ground floor of 425 Park Avenue, a recently completed 897-foot office tower in Midtown designed by Norman Foster. The restaurant, which will boast soaring ceilings and a 1,000-square-foot show kitchen, is expected to open by late 2023.
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Food & Dining

See inside the new theater, music, and culinary spaces at The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria

Photo credit: Noë & Associates / The Boundary

August 10, 2022

See inside the new theater, music, and culinary spaces at The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria

The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria has released a first look inside two new amenities spaces that honor the iconic hotel’s connection to music history and culinary innovation. The Stage & Screen Theater and The Chrysler Room were designed to add to the building's glamorous history while introducing a new era for the celebrated Park Avenue address.
Take a look inside

MTA unveils new 18-foot ceilings at Penn Station’s LIRR concourse

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 3, 2022

MTA unveils new 18-foot ceilings at Penn Station’s LIRR concourse

Let there be light! The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday unveiled the first section of new 18-foot ceilings at Penn Station's Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) concourse. Installed by Skanska/AECOM, the new soaring ceilings consist of lighted panels supported by an inventive structural framing system that allowed work crews to remove "head knockers," aging structural beams that limited the height of passageways within Penn Station, earlier this year.
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NYC sues illegal Airbnb operator who earned $2M and deceived thousands of guests since 2018

Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 13, 2022

NYC sues illegal Airbnb operator who earned $2M and deceived thousands of guests since 2018

New York City is suing an operator of an illegal short-term rental in Midtown East who officials say ran more than 78 Airbnb listings and "deceived more than 6,500 guests." According to the lawsuit, announced on Tuesday by Mayor Eric Adams, Arron Latimer, a licensed broker, Apex Management, and Esther Yip, used several limited liability corporations to run a short-term rental operation at 344 East 51st Street in Turtle Bay. The lawsuit is the first under a new city law that requires short-term rental platforms to regularly report data on listings and their hosts.
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Policy

This $7.25M Sutton Place co-op was Greta Garbo’s home for 40 years

Photo credit: Rob Bregman/Flashframe Productions; DDreps

June 14, 2022

This $7.25M Sutton Place co-op was Greta Garbo’s home for 40 years

This elegant fifth-floor co-op at 450 East 52nd Street has a rare level of star cachet; Swedish-born Hollywood screen legend Greta Garbo called the pre-war apartment home for 40 years, from 1954 until her death in 1990. The three-bedroom Sutton Place co-op last changed hands in 2017, when it was purchased by John and Marjorie McGraw. John is the former chairman of the publishing house McGraw-Hill. The couple is a fan of Garbo, which may be the reason they purchased the apartment for $8.5 million–$2.5 million over its $5.95 million ask. The east side aerie is now back on the market for $7.25 million.
Step into the Hollywood legend's former home

June 9, 2022

The Morgan Library unveils $13M exterior restoration and new garden with public access

The Morgan Library and Museum will unveil the recently restored exterior of the Morgan Library and the new Morgan Garden to the public this month. The six-year-long, $13 million project marks the first-ever comprehensive restoration of the historic 115-year-old library’s exterior. Designed by architect Charles Follen McKim for J.Pierpont Morgan, the library was completed in 1906 and later became a public institution. The project restores one of the nation's finest examples of Neoclassical architecture, enhances the surrounding grounds, improves the building's lighting, and enables public access to the grounds of the 36th street site for the first time ever.
Stroll the garden, this way

MTA’s East Side Access project renamed ‘Grand Central Madison’

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

June 1, 2022

MTA’s East Side Access project renamed ‘Grand Central Madison’

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's long-awaited 700,000-square-foot East Side Access Project will be renamed "Grand Central Madison." The project, which brings Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal, will increase LIRR service systemwide by 40 percent during morning peak service and significantly increase reverse peak service. Grand Central Madison is expected to open in December.
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This $2.9M Sutton Place co-op has finishes–and furniture–courtesy of an AD100 designer

Photo credit: Stephen Kent Johnson

May 23, 2022

This $2.9M Sutton Place co-op has finishes–and furniture–courtesy of an AD100 designer

This two-bedroom, 1,400-square-foot Sutton Place co-op at 435 East 57th Street is the home of Caleb Anderson, partner in the AD top 100 interior design firm Drake/Anderson. Anderson has listed the home for $2,895,000, furniture included, so the next owner can instantly benefit from an impeccable NYC design pedigree. The elegant pre-war apartment underwent a thorough renovation, with top-tier materials and craftsmanship–from Venetian plaster walls and custom hardware to hand-painted wall coverings–evident at every turn.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

East Village speakeasy PDT opens pop-up on 86th floor of the Empire State Building

Photo courtesy of the Empire State Building

May 13, 2022

East Village speakeasy PDT opens pop-up on 86th floor of the Empire State Building

One of New York City's favorite speakeasies has opened at one of the world's most famous buildings. PDT (Please Don't Tell)--the cocktail bar hidden behind a phone booth in the East Village hot dog joint Crif Dogs--is operating a pop-up on the 86th-floor of the Empire State Building this month. In addition to enjoying sweeping city views and stellar signature drinks, guests can chow down on hot dogs from Crif Dogs.
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Food & Dining

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

April 20, 2022

In the middle of Midtown, this $3.2M co-op feels like a house with a yard

Tucked into the garden floor of a classic Midtown East co-op at 240 East 55th Street, this four-bedroom home has more space than you'd usually find in a Manhattan apartment, with a lower level rec room, a den, and that covetable urban dream: a beautiful, landscaped private back yard. Asking $3,195,000, the spacious residence is freshly renovated with luxury details and high-tech amenities like wire-brushed wide plank oak floors, a Lutron lighting system, and a zoned A/C system.
More East Midtown co-op, this way

Distinctive Homes

JPMorgan’s 60-story Midtown East tower will be NYC’s largest all-electric skyscraper

Rendering: dbox / Foster + Partners

April 14, 2022

JPMorgan’s 60-story Midtown East tower will be NYC’s largest all-electric skyscraper