Midtown West

October 17, 2016

Diego Rivera’s psychedelic Rockefeller Center mural was destroyed before it was finished, 1934

In 1932, Mexican artist Diego Rivera was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller to add a mural to the soaring lobby of Rockefeller Center. Despite being known for his petulant temper and loyalty to Communism, Rivera was still one of the most highly sought after artists of his time, lauded for his creative genius and his detailed paintings. But politics, artistic vision, power and wealth collided in 1934 when a displeased Rockefeller had the very mural he commissioned from Rivera chiseled off the wall the night before it was to be completed.
read about the mysterious mural here
October 6, 2016

Sasha Vujacic is the second Knicks player to rent at Midtown West’s fitness-centric Sky

Back in July, 6sqft reported that Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis was renting out an $8,000/month penthouse at Midtown West's amenity-filled Sky, as well as renting out two more high-floor units for his brothers Martins and Janis. Perhaps due to the building's Carmelo Anthony-designed NBA regulation-sized basketball court, another player for the team has followed suite; the Post brings news today that shooting guard Sasha Vujacic is living in an $8,200/month pad at the glassy slab tower, and he and Porzingis have been spotting shooting hoops together here.
READ MORE
October 5, 2016

POLL: Which Penn Station scheme do you prefer, Governor Cuomo’s or Vishaan Chakrabarti’s?

When Governor Cuomo revealed his plans for a new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex early last week, things seemed to be moving full steam towards a 2020 completion date thanks to flashy renderings and the selection of a high-profile developer-builder team. But architect Vishaan Chakrabarti was not convinced, and he and his firm the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism decided to create their own vision, one that repurposes Madison Square Garden, a facet of the plan he feels Cuomo failed to address.
Tell us which scheme you prefer
October 5, 2016

Buried treasures from the city’s past will be on view at a new Manhattan research center

New York City has catalogued and created a digitized archive of the many buried artifacts from its past; Wednesday the Landmarks Preservation Commission is officially opening a repository of those countless artifacts. The New York Times reports that the Nan A. Rothschild Research Center–the first municipal archive devoted to a city’s archaeological collection, has found a home in Midtown Manhattan. More than a million artifacts will now be available for viewing by researchers and scholars by appointment; a digital archive is already available. The climate-controlled repository at 114 West 47th Street contains artifacts from 31 excavated sites from all five boroughs, including the city’s first major historical dig, the Stadt Huys (now 85 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan), which, when the artifacts were discovered in 1979, raised the idea that archaeological treasures were buried beneath old buildings.
Find out what you can dig up at the digital archive
September 30, 2016

Vishaan Chakrabarti reveals idea to repurpose Madison Square Garden as part of the Penn Station overhaul

Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo revealed plans to transform a revamped Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex into a "world-class 21st century transportation hub." Despite the flashy new renderings and promise of a 2020 completion date, not everyone is sold on the plan, including Vishaan Chakrabarti, former principal of SHoP Architects and founder of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism. As outlined in the Times, he feels that Cuomo's scheme has one glaring omission--Madison Square Garden. Instead of demolishing the arena, as earlier plans had called for, Chakrabarti proposes repurposing it and "using its stripped skeleton to make a glass pavilion, which becomes a neighborhood gathering spot, not just a station." The venue would then move to the west end of the Farley Building.
Lots more details and renderings ahead
September 30, 2016

Tishman Speyer officially files plans for Bjarke Ingels’ $3.2B Hudson Yards tower

Developer Tishman Speyer has officially filed plans with the Department of Buildings for Bjarke Ingels' Hudson Yards tower The Spiral at 509 West 34th Street. As reported by The Real Deal, the filing confirms that the office tower will rise 65 stories and 1,005 feet and encompass 2.2 million square feet. When renderings were first released of the $3.2 billion project, which is distinguished by cascading landscaped terraces and hanging gardens, Ingels said his design "combines the classic ziggurat silhouette of the premodern skyscraper with the slender proportions and efficient layouts of the modern high-rise."
More details ahead
September 29, 2016

MTA board member asks who will pay for Penn Station overhaul

As 6sqft previously reported, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans early this week for a $1.6 billion overhaul of Penn Station, and further details revealed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would be responsible for $150 of the project's costs. Since those plans were released, questions have been raised about where that organization's share of the tab would be coming from in an already stretched budget.
So where is this money coming from?
September 28, 2016

REVEALED: Governor Cuomo unveils plans for new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex

In a presentation (pdf) Tuesday at the Association for a Better New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that plans for transforming a revamped Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex into a "world-class 21st century transportation hub" were back on track and ready to roll, complete with a slew of new renderings and the selection of a developer-builder team including the Related Companies, Vornado, and Skanska AB, to redevelop the Farley Building.
Find out all the details
September 22, 2016

REVEALED: Port Authority releases five design proposals for new bus terminal

On Tuesday, an agreement was reached between West Side elected officials and the Port Authority that said the agency would expand the planning process for a new $10 billion bus terminal with more local input. And just today they've revealed the five proposals that were submitted to a design competition to replace the currently loathed site. Crain's brings us videos of the ideas, which come from big-name firms Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Arcadis, AECOM in partnership with Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Perkins Eastman, and Archilier Architecture Consortium. Though this seems counter to the agreement, John Degnan, the Port Authority's New Jersey-appointed chairman, said he doubts "any one of them will be the final design," since they either further complicate existing planning issues or cost billions over budget.
Take a look at them all here
September 22, 2016

Charming Hell’s Kitchen railroad apartment hits the market for $510K

Not everyone will want to live just a block from Times Square, but this Midtown West apartment at 347 West 44th Street may be cute enough to convince buyers otherwise. It's located two flights up a brownstone building (yes, there are brownstones in Times Square!) and is asking $510,000. An open living room/kitchen fronts the railroad apartment, followed by a cozy bedroom and finally a bathroom.
Walk through the space
September 14, 2016

REVEALED: Thomas Heatherwick’s $150M climbable Hudson Yards sculpture ‘The Vessel’

It was nearly three years ago that Related Companies chairman Stephen Ross boasted that Hudson Yards' public art piece would be "New York’s Eiffel Tower," and after an unveiling today of the massive sculpture that will anchor the central public space, it seems he might not have been too far off.
More details and renderings this way
September 12, 2016

New views of curvaceous 15 Hudson Yards ahead of this week’s sales launch

15 Hudson Yards, the first of two residential towers that Related Companies and Oxford Properties have planned for the massive complex, started its climb into the far west side skyline back in March, and now, seven months later, it's readying for a sales launch this week. According to a press release, condos will start at about $2 million for one-bedrooms and go up to $30 million for the penthouses. To coincide with the 285 market-rate condos hitting the market (there will also be 106 affordable rentals, for which details have yet to be released), YIMBY has gotten its hands on new renderings of the 910-foot building, which, as 6sqft previously described, has been dubbed the "Morph Tower" for its "curvaceous and feminine design" from Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group. The images provide new views of the bundled quad of cylinders that make up its body, as well as its rectilinear base that will abut the Shed.
More renderings and details ahead
September 9, 2016

Photographer Iwan Baan captures Bjarke Ingels’ now-complete Via 57 West from all angles

On Wednesday, Bjarke Ingels' famous rental tetrahedron Via 57 West wrapped up construction, and now that the cranes are down and the shimmering facade panels are all set in place, we can see the building in its true glory. Architectural photographer Iwan Baan wasted no time, releasing a captivating set of images that showcase the half-block-long development from just about every angle, including some incredible aerial shots. First shared by designboom, the photographs provide never-before-seen vantages of the building's central courtyard, as well as views of how the 32-story building fits in with the skyline.
Ogle all the photos
September 2, 2016

Friday 5: Live in Midtown for less, modern towers now offering free rent

If you love being in the thick of it all, there's no area of New York that pulsates quite like Midtown. With ample entertainment and dining options along every street and on every corner; stunning architecture spanning numerous decades and styles everywhere you look; and no shortage of transit options to deliver you to just about any neighborhood in a matter of minutes, this neighborhood is made for the truest of urban explorers and city enthusiasts. Ahead are five extra-tall modern towers that put the city's spectacular offer up close and personal—and they're all giving out free rent!
check out who's offering deals here
September 2, 2016

Live in SOM’s new Hudson Yards project for $913/month, lottery launching for 169 units

6sqft revealed renderings at the beginning of the year of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's Hudson Yards-adjacent, five million-square-foot Manhattan West project, which "will include two office towers, a rental tower with 844 apartments at 435 West 31st Street, retail space and a new landscaped public plaza designed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm responsible for the design of the High Line." As of Tuesday, September 6th, New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for 169 affordable apartments in the residential tower; they'll range from $913/month studios to $1,359/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here
August 26, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 8/25-8/31

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Summer is winding down, but we're not ready to move back indoors. Jump a ferry and celebrate the season's end on Governors Island with an old fashioned oyster shuck. Get down (silently) outside at the Coney Island Art walls at the Quiet Clubbing Festival, or join artist Santhori in making a giant mural at the park on East 1st Street. Stretch out and appreciate Times Square on Jurgen Mayer H's XXX easy chairs, then head to the Bowery Wall to find your friends in Logan Hicks' giant new mural. Finally, the gallery prince of darkness JJ Brine is bringing his Vector Gallery back to New York, and two artists are turning Brooklyn's Ground Floor Gallery into a giant loom installation.
More on all the best events this way
August 12, 2016

Friday 5: Beat the Heat at These Poolside Aeries Offering Free Rent

As we sizzle in this uncomfortable pocket of August air, many of us yearn for a picturesque beach or pool-side locale to cool off, but when a swim in the East River starts to look inviting, you know things are dire. Not to worry; for those looking to stay close to home, these premier rental buildings are outfitted with resident-only swimming pools accompanied by sun decks, resort-style amenities, and killer views. And with months of free rent embedded into leases, and thousands of newly available apartments on the market, this season could be your best chance to snag a home in one of these coveted buildings.
See all the deal this way
August 10, 2016

Revealed: Kenneth Park Architects Reimagine Penn Plaza as a Vibrant Public Space

The past decade has seen an increasing effort to transform New York City's under-utilized–and sometimes dismal–public spaces into pedestrian plazas and other vibrant and attractive public oases. From Columbus Circle and Times Square to Downtown Brooklyn's Willoughby Street, new car-free spaces encourage passersby to linger and enjoy their surroundings. Vornado Realty Trust (VNO), one of the city's biggest landlords, has been working on a similar transformation of the urban sprawl that surrounds Penn Station and Madison Square Garden by implementing kiosks, seating and attractive architecture. Now, CityRealty.com has revealed new renderings from Kenneth Park Architects (KPA) showing their ideas and recommendations for repositioning retail space and optimizing pedestrian and vehicular circulation.
Take a look at the reimagined Penn Plaza
August 3, 2016

Live in a Flashy New Tower Near Hudson Yards for $913/Month, Lottery Opens Tomorrow

Just this week, BKSK Architects' dapper new mixed-use tower in the Hudson Yards district topped off at 345 feet. Located at 509 West 38th Street and dubbed the Hi-Side, the 30-story building is just four blocks from the new 7 train stop and adjacent to the forthcoming Hudson Park Boulevard. When it opens its doors next year, it will offer 225 rentals, 46 of which will be reserved for New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area media income. As of tomorrow, the latter batch of residences will be up for grabs through the city's affordable housing lottery, with units ranging from $913/month studios to $1,183/month two-bedrooms.
Find out more right here
August 3, 2016

Find Prewar Manhattan Glamor in Modern Midtown for $10K a Month

For old-world Manhattan living it would be hard to argue with the Parc Vendome, from its award-winning formal English tea gardens to graciously-configured apartments—like this 2,000 square-foot, two-bed-plus-office beauty—with wood-burning fireplaces, entry galleries and capacious closets. Built in 1931, the elegant two-building complex at 333 West 56th Street was converted to condominium apartments in 1983. In addition to space and charm and a fortunate location blocks from both Lincoln Center and Central Park, you'll have an impossibly lovely south-facing private terrace and open city views, all for $10K a month (gas and electric are included).
Get a closer look
July 28, 2016

Knicks Star Kristaps Porzingis Rents $8K/Month Penthouse in Fitness-Centric Midtown Building

Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis recently rented out an $8,000 a month penthouse at Midtown West's amenity-rich Sky. Located at 605 West 42nd Street, the glassy slab tower affords the 7-foot-3-inch Latvian player with a Carmelo Anthony-designed NBA regulation-sized basketball court, which is part of a 70,000-square-foot recreation facility that also boasts gyms, three pools, a café, yoga and cycling studios, billiards lounge, and a spa. As the Post tells us, "Godzingis" also rented out another two high-floor units for his brothers Martins and Janis.
See it all here
July 22, 2016

Local Pols Say Port Authority’s $10B Bus Terminal Plan Is a Hot Mess

A request to put the brakes on a $10 billion plan for a new West Side bus terminal and rethink the process with more input from local officials and the public was rebuffed by the Port Authority chairman, reports Crain’s. Rep. Jerrold Nadler and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer were joined by Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris, state Sen. Brad Hoylman, Assembly members Richard Gottfried and Linda Rosenthal and Councilman Corey Johnson in backing the effort to slow the Port Authority's call to move ahead with a design competition to get ideas for the West Side plan. The controversy emerged after a board meeting on Thursday. "We’re not going to defer the design and deliverability study,” was the reply from John Degnan, the New Jersey-appointed chairman, amid concerns that the new terminal will necessitate the seizure of private property using eminent domain, threaten area homes, small businesses and other organizations and belch more carbon from a larger fleet of buses into the air in an area that already "runs afoul of federal air-quality standards."
Find out what the fuss is all about
July 21, 2016

Live in a Charming Midtown Co-op Just Off Billionaires’ Row For $449K

For a rare low-six-figure price, this one-bedroom co-op shares a neighborhood with the big-ticket buyers at One57 and 15 Central Park West, as well as easy access to the same great perks, like Lincoln Center, Central Park, the Time Warner Center and lots of theater options. While it might have a lot less interior space, the fourth-floor walk up at 431 West 54th Street looks bright, quiet and comfortable, and might just cost less per month than most rentals in the area. Just north of vibrant Hell's Kitchen, the neighborhood is a growing residential favorite on its own with buyers and renters who love Manhattan living.
Get a look at this find
July 11, 2016

Mark Cuban Opening Upscale Movie Theater at Bjarke Ingels’ Via 57 West

The lucky residents of Bjarke Ingels' Via 57 West tetrahedron will not only get starchitecture bragging rights and access to the 22,000-square-foot courtyard and amenities such as a swimming pool and gold simulator, but they'll also have a state-of-the-art, eight-screen movie theater right in the building. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Durst Organization has teamed up with Landmark Theatres, owned by billionaire entrepreneurs Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban of "Shark Tank" fame. The 30,000-square-foot theater will take up residency within the 45,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space in Via, which will also welcome the American Kennel Club’s dog-care center and a location from Livanos Restaurant Group.
Find out more
July 7, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 7/7-7/13

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! July is heating up in the art world (and on the thermometer!). Take the month to check out my curatorial debut with Times Square Arts every night on the ad screens, head to City Hall Park to enjoy a new sculpture series, and definitely be sure to frolic in the balloon room by Martin Creed at the Park Avenue Armory. Check out the 1920s Chinese screen siren Ruan Lingyu in a film set to a live score by Gary Lucas, or head outdoors for a screening of April and the Extraordinary World in Riverside Park. Head to the Bronx for an all-female show at Wall Works Gallery, or if you're in the Hamptons, spend a day at Market Art and Design at the Bridgehampton Museum.
More on all the best events this way
July 7, 2016

Manhattan View Condo Launches Full Website, Touting Luxury Amenities and Far-Reaching Views

Co-developers Kuafu Properties and SCG America have fully launched their website marketing 151 Jamie Drake-designed condos called Manhattan View. For those in search of an upscale home in Midtown West, it's unlikely that Manhattan View can escape your radar for long. The residences are perched on 13 floors atop the Arquitectonica-designed MiMA Tower at 460 West 42nd Street, and the exclusive collection of apartments will provide richly appointed amenities and far-reaching views of the city and waterways. The new website leads with a fun and quirky film of the building that tours its apartments and amenities and grants a view of the lifestyle it hopes to provide its residents.
More details and the full video ahead
July 1, 2016

Gene Kaufman’s Church-Incorporating Hotel Rises on West 36th Street

Over the past decade, developer Sam Chang and his McSam Hotel Group have built an astonishing number of hotels in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and in the process have built up quite the reputation for pockmarking the city with characterless tower blocks that diminish their surroundings. One of the developer's latest ventures is a 26-story, 566-room hotel beginning excavation work at 334 West 36th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Once occupied by the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, the mid-block English Gothic structure was built as the Christ Church Memorial Building in 1905. The savvy developer purchased the 15,000-square-foot site in 2013 for $50.8 million in anticipation for yet another hotel. Local preservationists connected with Community Board 4 to convince Chang to save the church facade and incorporate it with the new building. Surprisingly, he obliged, but the Gene Kaufman-designed structure is not quite a miracle.
Find out more