Midtown West

March 18, 2015

Construction Update: COOKFOX’s 855 Sixth Avenue Tops Off, Ties for City’s ‘Shortest Skyscraper’

In the shadow of the Empire State Building, the concrete frame of 855 Sixth Avenue has quietly risen to its full 500-foot height. Spanning the full western blockfront of Sixth Avenue between West 30th and 31st Streets, the 41-story mixed-use tower, designed by COOKFOX Architects and co-developed by the Durst Organization and Fetner Properties, is poised to bring 190,000 square feet of commercial space and 375 rentals to the southern fringe of Herald Square later this year. While unremarkable in design and imperceptible in the city's skyline, the building's small claim to fame may be that its 152-meter (slightly under 500 feet) height is sometimes regarded as the benchmark figure for defining a skyscraper. Therefore, statistically, 855 Sixth could be considered the shortest skyscraper in New York. Huzzah!
More details ahead

March 13, 2015

World’s Skinniest Tower 111 West 57th Street Will Offer $100M Condos

By Dana Schulz

Poised to become the world's skinniest tower and one of the hemisphere's tallest, it's no wonder that 111 West 57th Street will ask around $100 million for its condos, not to be outdone by other nine-digit supertalls like 220 Central Park South's $175 million penthouse, the $150 million penthouse at the Sony Building, and One57′s record $100 million sale, which currently holds the title for the most expensive unit ever sold in the city. Curbed has uncovered filings with the Attorney General's office that show the preliminary price list for the SHoP-designed 1,421-foot tower, which is being developed by JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group. The records indicate that there will be condos in the landmarked Steinway Hall, as well in the tower addition. "The 'landmark units' will be smaller and cheaper, starting at $1 million for a studio, while the 'tower units' will start at $13 million for a three-bedroom."
More details and the price list ahead

March 11, 2015

Jessica Chastain Snags a Gorgeous Osborne Co-op Once Owned by Leonard Bernstein

By Annie Doge

Jessica Chastain, who has been on a house hunt for over a year, has finally found the home of her dreams. The Post reports that the Oscar-nominated actress will be joining the world's upper crust at the landmarked Osborne at 205 West 57th Street. Chastain is said to have paid $5.1M for the home which itself also boasts a legendary story, being once owned by famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein for more than a decade—a highlight that was apparently one of the biggest draws for the Juilliard-trained actress.
Take a peek inside

January 15, 2015

111 West 57th Street: The World’s Skinniest Tower Will Rise to 1,421 Feet

By Dana Schulz

That's a lot of accolades for one building, but the SHoP Architects-designed tower at 111 West 57th Street is looking to sweep the supertall competition. Originally planned to rise 1,397 feet, the tower will now soar to 1,421 feet, surpassing 432 Park Avenue (the current tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere) by 24 feet, according to city records uncovered by Crain's. It will also retain its title as the world’s slenderest tower.
More details ahead

January 14, 2015

To Ski or Not to Ski? That Is the Question in This Adorable Thorndale Condo

By Aisha Carter

We dare you to look at this home and not want to make a cup of hot cocoa, sit down in front of the gas-burning fireplace, wrap yourself up in a blanket and lose yourself in a good book. This 1,209-square-foot Thorndale pad charms with ski lodge appeal, making the cold winter months an experience–and it’s available for rent, asking $8,500 per month.
Hold on while we grab some cocoa, then let’s take a look inside

Making the Cut: Is NYC Still the World’s Fashion Capital?

Via j-No via photopin cc

January 13, 2015

Making the Cut: Is NYC Still the World’s Fashion Capital?

By Michelle Cohen

Will 21st century New York City be able to retain its fashion capital status? How does an aspiring fashionista build a brilliant career? The answers come from a winning combination of education, innovation and inspiration, plus financial and media support. Though styles come and go with dizzying speed and designers fall in and out of favor, New York City has held the title of global fashion capital since the mid 20th century, when it rose to prominence with the unprecedented idea of developing sportswear as fashion. Today’s NYC is home to some of the world's top fashion schools whose famous graduates add to the city’s fashion culture and networks. Foreign designers choose to live and work here because of this status and creative energy, adding even more to the fabric. We may share this pedestal with quirky London–and trés chic Paris, the brainy Belgians, the stylish Scandinavians and the ascendant Aussies make things more interesting–but NYC is known as the place where style ideas and trends are born and exchanged.
But is NYC still the world's fashion capital?

Architecture And Design

January 12, 2015

Four Architects Reimagine Times Square as a Place You Actually Want to Visit

By Diane Pham

While beloved by tourists, Times Square is easily the most hated destination for those who actually live in New York City. And it's no wonder: Shoulder to shoulder traffic, blinding lights, costumed (and un-costumed) characters, honking cars, and not a tree in sight—Times Square is pretty much your worst nightmare come to life. But could this congested consumerist hellscape one day become a place "Real New Yorkers" want to visit? Last year, the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility and vision42 held a competition asking designers and architects to rethink 42nd Street—from the East River to the Hudson River—as a "pedestrian-friendly, auto-free, sustainable boulevard." 200 submissions were received, and the institute has just announced the four finalists.
See the four finalists here

Architecture And Design

January 12, 2015

New Public Art Piece Will Have All of Times Square Yawning at Once

By Dana Schulz

And not out of boredom. Sebastian Errazuriz has created a new public art piece for Times Square that is the antithesis of the high-energy, fast-paced neighborhood. It's a close-up, black-and-white, three-minute video of the artist looking around and yawning that plays on 50 digital billboards throughout Times Square, which triggers a domino effect of sleepy, open mouthed gaping, since we all know yawns are contagious. Errazuriz's idea was to instill "a pause in the city that never goes to sleep," which informs the title of the work. The yawn-athon takes place every night through January 17th at 11:47pm from 42nd to 47th Streets between Broadway and 7th Avenue.
More (yawn) details ahead

Events & Things To Do

December 22, 2014

So You Think You Know Everything About One57?

By Ondel Hylton and Adam Rothstein

Well, you might want to think twice. Even though the city's most expensive condo building is also perhaps the most written-about (even the Times has run out of ways to describe it), there are still plenty of little-known facts about the 1,005-foot-tall tower. One57 is considered the crown jewel of what's been dubbed "Billionaire's Row," and can also be credited with launching the ultra-luxury building boom. Developed by Extell's Gary Barnett and designed by Pritzker-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc, the sleek tower is currently the second tallest structure in the city. And that's just the beginning.
Bone up on your One57 factoids here

Architecture And Design

December 16, 2014

Times Square Is Getting a Heart-Beating Urban Drum for Valentine’s Day

By Dana Schulz

As New Yorkers, we don't really think of Times Square as a romantic location, but for Valentine's Day 2015 we might just stand corrected. Brooklyn-based architecture firm Stereotank was announced as the winner of the annual Times Square Valentine Heart Design contest, a public art competition held for the past seven years by the Times Square Alliance and the Architectural League of New York. Stereotank's HEARTBEAT installation is an interactive, heart-beating, glowing urban drum.
More on HEARTBEAT ahead

December 11, 2014

Family Fun: Where to Find the Best Winter Wonderlands and Santa-Centric Events in NY

By Michelle Cohen

Anyone with kids knows that there’s no such thing as too much when it comes to the sensory wonders of the holiday season. We've rounded up some Santa-centric events—from lap-climbing photo-ops to full-on wonderland to brunch with the holiday's most famous man—that aim to satisfy endless appetites for holiday cheer. We've even got a couple for your pets!
This way to the North Pole...

December 11, 2014

Biographer Couple Lists Artsy Central Park Duplex at Gainsborough Studios for $6M

By Aisha Carter

Biographers Edmund and Sylvia Jukes Morris have just listed their duplex apartment at the exclusive Gainsborough Studios for $6 million. The stunning space promises to be a treat for all seasons with gigantic windows offering indescribable views of Central Park that will take your breath away. Yes, a place like this is so inspiring it would turn anyone into an artist.
Take a look inside, here

December 8, 2014

REVEALED: New Look for Hell’s Kitchen Radio City Lofts Built Atop Historic Post Office

By Ondel Hylton

Who can deny the cool factor of living in a space oozing with history? New Yorkers find themselves living in former schools, churches, banks, fire stations, and even insane asylums. Now coming to Hell's Kitchen are 44 condominiums dubbed Radio City Lofts, which will bring our space-deprived denizens a new form of living: life atop a functioning post office.
More on the new lofts here

New Developments

December 8, 2014

Nobutaka Ashihara-Designed Hotel Coming to the Garment District

By Ondel Hylton

A 22-story limited-service hotel is gearing up to rise in Midtown at 4-6 West 37th Street. According to new building permits filed this past weekend, a 120-key 60,000 square-foot development will go up at the 4,200 square-foot lot situated between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Two charming six-story buildings, erected in 1920, will be be demolished for the 210-foot tall project designed by notable hotel designer Nobutaka Ashihara Architects. The firm recently opened the city's tallest hotel, the Marriott Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park at 1717 Broadway.
FInd out more here

December 5, 2014

Former Padres Owner’s Ex-Wife Buys $55M Unit at One57, Second-Highest Condo Sale of the Year

By Dana Schulz

Just yesterday, Bloomberg released a grim report that sales had come to a halt at One57, as only one condo unit was sold in the third quarter. But it looks like the fourth quarter might prove a bit more optimistic for the city's most expensive building. According to city records released today, Rebecca Moores, ex-wife of John Jay Moores, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former owner of the San Diego Padres, dropped $55.5 million on unit 81 at the building, making it the second-highest condo sale of the year, according to CityRealty. The number one spot also goes to One57 for Bill Ackman's $90 million flip-happy purchase. The former couple also made real estate headlines in 2013 when they listed their Del Mar, California home for $23 million, making it one of the most expensive in the San Diego area and probably the only one with its own moat. Let's take a look, though, at Rebecca's latest property venture at One57.
Check out the floor plan

November 21, 2014

Happy 112th Birthday to the Algonquin Hotel, A NYC Literary Landmark

By Bonnie Clark

In a town overrun with fancy hotels, the Algonquin–which turns 112 tomorrow–has true staying power, proving that history and heritage are every bit as important as plush bedding and sweet-smelling bath products. Designed by Goldwin Starrett in a Renaissance limestone and red brick façade, the 12-story Algonquin Hotel, at 42 West 42nd Street, opened on November 22, 1902, initially operating as an apartment hotel with year-long leases but switching to a hotel after the owner failed to find enough renters. Today, the Algonquin–both a literary landmark and a New York City Historic Landmark–remains one of New York’s most cherished institutions, drawing a mix of artists, tourists and cultural elites.
Read the full history of the storied Algonquin

Hudson Yards Cost Taxpayers $650 Million So Far, and It’s Not Over

Hudson Yards rendering

November 19, 2014

Hudson Yards Cost Taxpayers $650 Million So Far, and It’s Not Over

By Dana Schulz

Just yesterday, the city hailed the completion of the platform built over the west side rail yards that will support the Brookfield West development, a major component of Hudson Yards, the 26-acre development rising on the far west side. And while Brookfield will boast a two-acre park plaza, two 60-plus-story high rises and other public commercial space, it's important to note that $7 million was spent just on designing and producing a special machine called "The Launcher" to lift the 56,000-ton concrete slabs to build the platform. This is just one of many substantial costs in the mammoth Hudson Yards project, for which the city will have paid nearly $650 million in subsides by the end of this fiscal year, money that, over the past ten years, has come straight from the pockets of taxpayers. And that's not all; according to a review by the city's Independent Budget Office, even more will be needed through 2019 to complete the "next great commercial district."
More on the subsidies and Hudson Yards

November 17, 2014

New Rendering for 111 West 57th Street Shows Ethereal Views

By Ondel Hylton

Move over 432 Park, there's a taller, slimmer and sexier ultra-luxury residential tower coming to Midtown. At the Municipal Art Society's 2014 Summit for NYC, Simon Koster, Principal at JDS Development Group, provided the audience with a compelling presentation on how our ideals can serve as the basis in how we shape our city. The restored crown of Stella Tower, the East River mega-rental project at 616 First Avenue, and 111 West 57th Street's discretionary approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission were used as relevant examples. And the 57th Street project really caught our eye. The 1,400+ foot tower will also become the slimmest building in the world with a slenderness ratio of 1:23. Its narrow profile and stepped crown evoke the romantic art-deco towers of the 1920s and '30s and other timeless city landmarks. SHoP Architects are the designers and WSP Group are the engineers/magicians making sure things remain upright.
More on the tower here

November 7, 2014

Upcoming Condo-Hotel Overlooking Bryant Park Unveils New Dapper Look

By Ondel Hylton

An updated rendering of a ground-up, mixed-use tower along the south side of Bryant Park has been revealed on HFZ Capital Group's website. The storied site at 20 West 40th Street was acquired by HFZ after Fortieth St. Partners defaulted on a $44 million loan back in 2010. According to HFZ's project page, the development will include a 5-star hotel, restaurant and bar, and residential condominiums. Construction permits filed last month specify that the hotel-design experts Stonehill & Taylor are the architects of record.
Additional details on the project

Will Bill Ackman Be Able to Pull off a $90M Condo Flip at One57?

One57 and the view from the $90 million penthouse

October 28, 2014

Will Bill Ackman Be Able to Pull off a $90M Condo Flip at One57?

By Dana Schulz

It's true that One57′s first flip saw a $3.5 million profit in just five months, but that unit sold for $34 million the second time around. A selling price of more than $90 million is a different story--and that's exactly what hedge fund manager William (Bill) Ackman is hoping to achieve. In a profile in the Times on Sunday, Ackman was revealed as the buyer of the $90 million penthouse at the luxury building, which is sure to see its share of flips. But he also shared that he has no intention of ever living in the apartment. He'll stay with his wife and daughters at their current home in the Beresford and use the penthouse as a "fun" investment opportunity for himself and some good friends, perhaps hosting a few parties there in the meantime.
More on the planned flip here

Real Estate Trends

October 23, 2014

Urban Planners Propose Moving Madison Square Garden to Nearby Post Office

By Dana Schulz

If there's one thing that all New Yorkers can agree on it's that Penn Station is pretty awful. And if we're ever going to get a new home for NJ Transit, Amtrak, and the LIRR, Madison Square Garden will have to move (just don't tell any die-hard Rangers fans that). The Alliance for a New Penn Station, a coalition of the Municipal Art Society and the Regional Plan Association, is proposing in a new report (revealed at this morning's MAS Summit) that the world-famous venue take up residency in the Morgan Post Office and Annex, occupying the block bound by 9th and 10th avenues and 28th and 30th streets. The mail sorting facility site is large enough to accommodate a new state-of-the-art arena and is just a quick walk to Penn Station. The coalition told Capital New York: “Relocating the Garden to this site will provide the city with a new arena and allow for the reconstruction and expansion of Penn Station, each of which can be designed to vastly improve the conditions of the district.”
More on the proposal and renderings of what the new site could look like

Architecture And Design

New 35-Story DoubleTree Hotel by Gene Kaufman Coming to Midtown West

Rendering of DoubleTree Hotel via Gene Kaufman (L); The project site at 350 West 40th Street (R)

October 10, 2014

New 35-Story DoubleTree Hotel by Gene Kaufman Coming to Midtown West

By Ondel Hylton

Fresh renderings have been posted for a new 35-story hotel currently undergoing excavation at 350 West 40th Street. Located just southwest of Times Square and directly across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the block-front between Eighth and Ninth Avenues has been the victim of a half-dozen mid-range hotels. With the large blank wall of the bus terminal on one side and an ungainly assortment of budget hotels, walk-ups, and parking lots on the other, the street may be a worthy contender for the "Ugliest Street in Midtown." The project was first revealed by YIMBY last spring. Permits call for a 315-foot, 594-room DoubleTree Hotel designed by Gene Kaufman and developed by Sam Chang of McSam Hotels. McSam--which already has several hotels up and running on the block including a Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites, and Hampton Inn--has been one of the city's most active and notorious developers in the last decade.
More on the project here

October 1, 2014

Impeccably Classic Residence in the Legendary Osborne Lists for $7M

By Stephanie Hoina

Often overshadowed by the Dakota, its more famous “cousin” further uptown, the Osborne was one of New York’s first major luxury apartment buildings. Located in the heart of Midtown West and completed in 1883, the Osborne's somber appearance rising up from 205 West 57th Street belies the dazzling lobby within, “a luminous Byzantine dream of gilded tiles.” But the lobby isn’t the only treasure awaiting your entrance. This classically elegant, 12-room corner duplex exemplifies everything one would expect from a residence in such a legendary building. And it's on the market for $6,950,000.
See what makes this home so impeccably classic

Distinctive Homes

September 17, 2014

Sunset Park: How Creativity and Commerce are Transforming This Waterfront Neighborhood

By Michelle Cohen

With plans in place that call for a public waterfront bustling with creative industry and commerce rather than luxury residential developments, Sunset Park is not on its way to becoming the next hip NYC residential neighborhood–and that’s a good thing. Located on Brooklyn's western waterfront flank, there are really two sides to Sunset Park. The neighborhood, generally defined as the area between 65th Street, the Prospect Expressway, Eighth Avenue and the East River, has long been a thriving residential community. Sunset Park is also home to about 15 million square feet of warehouse and light industrial space. The key to the neighborhood’s future may be the point at which the two meet.
Find Out How Fashion May Give Sunset Park a Chance to Shine As the New Garment District

City Living

September 8, 2014

REVEALED: New Skyline Renderings for Nordstrom Tower at 217 West 57th Street

By Dana Schulz

Back in July, we learned that Extell's Nordstrom Tower will rise 1,775 feet–just one foot shorter than One World Trade Center, making it the tallest residential building in the world. Now, New York YIMBY has released renderings of how the 92-story supertall will look against the rest of the skyline. Though official images from Extell haven't been released, these preliminary sneak peeks are pretty impressive.
More on the new development here

September 5, 2014

Massive Midtown West Artists’ Loft Combo Comes Complete with a Darkroom

By Aisha Carter

Artists looking for a place to work and play will love this two-loft combo at 361 West 36th Street. The industrial chic apartment is the ideal live/work setup with 4,800 square feet of space. It’s a full-floor flexible combination of two units and comes complete with a darkroom and more than enough legroom to get your creative juices flowing. And with so many possibilities, this loft is the perfect canvas for a creative person looking to put their personal stamp on a premier pad.
Take a look inside this spacious pad, here

Distinctive Homes

August 24, 2014

Neon, Metal, and Patty Melts: A Look at Classic New York City Diner Design

By Jason Carpenter

American diners are neon-lit time capsules of architecture and design. They are the '57 Ford Thunderbird of restaurants, shaping post-war optimism and far too much metal into something beautiful and quintessentially American. Best of all, you can still find plenty of little diners doing what they have always done, among the rising skylines and property values of New York City.
See our diner photos here

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

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2 beds starting at $3,435,000
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