Manhattan

Google on Wednesday officially opened its newest New York City office. What once was a freight terminal in an industrial section of lower Manhattan is now a high-performing modern workplace for thousands of employees. Anchoring Google's larger campus in Hudson Square, the historic St. John's Terminal building at 550 Washington Street has been reimagined by COOKFOX Architects with a nine-floor addition atop three existing floors, a sustainable and biophilic design, diverse work areas, and outdoor communal spaces with Hudson River views.
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Real Estate Trends

Lottery opens for 83 mixed-income luxury apartments near Times Square, from $934/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

February 21, 2024

Lottery opens for 83 mixed-income luxury apartments near Times Square, from $934/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 83 mixed-income apartments at a new rental in Midtown West. Located at 312 West 43rd Street on the border of Times Square and Hell's Kitchen, the 33-story building offers 330 luxury apartments with high-end finishes, state-of-the-art amenities, and a central location. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 120 percent of the area median income, or between $32,023 for a single person and $183,000 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $934/month studios to $3,813/month two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Asking $20M, a university president’s Greenwich Village residence enters a new chapter

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

February 20, 2024

Asking $20M, a university president’s Greenwich Village residence enters a new chapter

This circa 1850 Greek Revival Federal Style townhouse at 21 West 11th Street on a postcard-perfect Greenwich Village block has the distinction of having been the official president's residence at the New School in Manhattan for four decades. As mentioned in a recent New York Times feature highlighting the listing, the elegant home, like many similar university residences, is considered by some to be an incongruous symbol of opulence–and smaller schools throughout the nation are growing more mindful of their bottom line. The home is now on the market for $20,000,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Photos courtesy of Evan Joseph for The Corcoran Group

February 20, 2024

Annie Leibovitz sells UWS home for $2M over asking price

Annie Leibovitz has sold her Upper West Side co-op for nearly 24 percent over the asking price. The duplex, located in the star-studded Brentmore building at 88 Central Park West, fetched $10,625,000, roughly $2,000,000 more than what it listed for in October. But the sale was still a loss for Leibovitz, who paid about $11,250,000 for the home in 2014. The Brentmore is known for its high-profile residents, including Robert DeNiro, Paul Simon, and Sting. Kim Cooper, a general counsel at Apple, and Gregg Zehr, the creator of the Kindle, are listed as buyers of the residence, as Curbed first reported.
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Vornado floats temporary outdoor event space at site of demolished Hotel Pennsylvania

All renderings are conceptual. Courtesy of Vornado

February 16, 2024

Vornado floats temporary outdoor event space at site of demolished Hotel Pennsylvania

Vornado Realty Trust may bring an outdoor event space to the site of the former Hotel Pennsylvania as it delays constructing a 56-story office tower there. As first reported by Crain's, the developer has floated the idea of "Penn Platform," an 80,000-square-foot space for U.S. Open tennis matches, New York Fashion Week shows, concerts, soccer matches, and other events, in addition to giant billboards, as seen in conceptual renderings published in a marketing brochure. Located on 7th Avenue between 32nd and 33rd Streets, the site sits across from Penn Station and was once home to a 100-year-old hotel, which was demolished last year.
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Architecture And Design

Daring details add a spark of personality to a classic $2.35M Village co-op

Photo credit: Tim Waltman with Evan Joseph Photography

February 16, 2024

Daring details add a spark of personality to a classic $2.35M Village co-op

On a Gold Coast block, this vibrant Village apartment at 2 Fifth Avenue stands out against a classic co-op setting. A thorough renovation by interior designer Sasha Bikoff leaves no corner untouched by creative detail and adventurous design. Asking $2,350,000, the two-bedroom home has a private balcony and unrivaled views down the Avenue.
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Distinctive Homes

Gaze at the sun, moon, and stars above from this $5.45M Tribeca penthouse

Photo courtesy of SERHANT. Studios

February 15, 2024

Gaze at the sun, moon, and stars above from this $5.45M Tribeca penthouse

With a private terrace, fireplaces, open city views, and a front-row seat to the sky above, you could definitely call this sprawling three-bedroom condo at 459 Washington Street a trophy pad. Asking $5,450,000, this downtown Manhattan home boasts plenty of living and entertaining space along with modern design details and amenities exactly where you need them.
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Distinctive Homes

Rendering of Freedom Plaza courtesy of Negativ

February 14, 2024

Bjarke Ingels unveils design for Freedom Plaza casino development next to the U.N.

As the state's process for choosing a site for a New York City gaming facility continues to slowly move forward, new renderings released this week offer a closer look at one proposed casino in Manhattan. Renowned architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) on Monday unveiled new images of Freedom Plaza, a mixed-use development with apartments, a hotel, a museum, a 4.77-acre public park, and an underground casino just south of the United Nations.
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Photo of the Wegmans at Astor Place. Courtesy of Wegmans

February 14, 2024

Wegmans may open on the Upper West Side

Wegmans may be continuing its foray into Manhattan with a new space on the Upper West Side. As first reported by the New York Post, Danny Wegman, chairman of the Rochester-based grocery store, recently signed a long-term lease for the former 58,900 square foot space of Bed Bath & Beyond at 1932 Broadway between 64th and 65th Streets. While the exact amount Wegman paid for the space isn't known publicly, sources told the Post that it was a "blended $3.5 million."
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Food & Dining

Love is a large, lovely $2.9M Lispenard Street loft

Photo credit: Hayley Ellen Day/DDReps

February 14, 2024

Love is a large, lovely $2.9M Lispenard Street loft

Love takes many forms, and the perfect lower Manhattan home base will warm your heart for years to come. This two-bedroom co-op at 45 Lispenard Street in the heart of Tribeca, asking $2,900,000, is a chance to live the loft life, overlooking the iconic neighborhood while entertaining on the building's landscaped roof deck.
Love, loft style, this way

Distinctive Homes

Cronut creator Dominique Ansel opening bakery in Greenwich Village condo

Rendering of 64 University Place courtesy of Argo Real Estate and Bsafal, Inc

February 13, 2024

Cronut creator Dominique Ansel opening bakery in Greenwich Village condo

At a brand new condominium in the Greenwich Village, Cronuts will be one of its selling points. Dominique Ansel, inventor of the iconic pastry, will operate a 2,000-square-foot bakery at 64 University Place, an under-construction 28-unit residential tower designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox. The new bakery will be the third Dominique Ansel location in Manhattan.
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Food & Dining

$19.5M Tribeca townhouse of late designer Thierry Despont sells after three years

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

February 13, 2024

$19.5M Tribeca townhouse of late designer Thierry Despont sells after three years

The Tribeca townhouse of late French architect Thierry Despont, best known for renovating New York City landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Carlyle Hotel, has finally sold after three years on the market. The five-bedroom townhouse at 182 Franklin Street entered contract with an asking price of 19.5 million, according to CityRealty. Despont, who died in August at the age of 75, listed the property in 2021 for $25 million.
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Real Estate Trends

Village Cigars in Greenwich Village closes amid rent dispute

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc

February 12, 2024

Village Cigars in Greenwich Village closes amid rent dispute

Village Cigars, the iconic Greenwich Village smoke shop in front of Hess Triangle, New York City's smallest piece of private land, has closed after over a century in business. The shop, located at 110 Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street within a distinctive red triangle-shaped building, shut its doors amid an alleged rent dispute between owner Andy Singh and landlord Jon Posner, as reported by Curbed. Posner claims that he signed a separation agreement with Singh, which required him to vacate the store by February 7.
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Photo courtesy of QuallsBenson

February 9, 2024

Essex Crossing’s Market Line food hall to close in April

The Market Line, the food hall located inside the Lower East Side's Essex Crossing development, is closing its doors on April 1. A spokesperson for developer Delancey Street Associates on Friday announced that the subterranean food hall will close this spring due to pandemic-related difficulties. A majority of the food hall's vendors, including its anchor beer spot the Grand Delancey, have announced their exodus from the space over the last month, as Eater New York reported. Delancey Street Associates said that they're looking at other uses for the space.
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Food & Dining

NYC real estate developer arrested in $86M+ fraud scheme

Photo courtesy of Nicole Franzen

February 8, 2024

NYC real estate developer arrested in $86M+ fraud scheme

The former executive of a luxury New York City development firm has been arrested for his connection to an $86 million fraud scheme. Nir Meir, the former managing director of HFZ Capital, was taken into custody on Monday along with other high-ranking industry officials, for stealing money from investors, subcontractors, and the city of New York, according to the indictment. Prosecutors claim Meir, who managed the firm's largest projects, specifically The XI (now One High Line), directed more than $253 million of the project's funding to LLCs controlled by HFZ despite being legally required to use the money for the development.
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Fotografiska New York to offer discounted museum admission on second Sundays

Frank Ockenfels’ “Instrospection.” Photo © Leandro Justen

February 8, 2024

Fotografiska New York to offer discounted museum admission on second Sundays

The photography museum Fotografiska New York will soon offer discounted admission on the second Sunday of every month. Starting on February 11, the contemporary museum is offering $10 admission on second Sundays; tickets normally cost $31 for adults. Located at 281 Park Avenue South in Gramercy, the museum offers visitors engaging photography exhibitions, coffee and pastries at its cafe, and a curated retail shop.
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Events & Things To Do

A millwork-wrapped co-op in FiDi’s iconic Morse Building asks $2.25M

Photos courtesy of DD Reps for The Corcoran Group

February 7, 2024

A millwork-wrapped co-op in FiDi’s iconic Morse Building asks $2.25M

This co-op in the Financial District offers a designer-crafted residence at a historic address. On a high floor within the 19th-century landmarked Morse Building, the home was designed by architect David Hotson, known for his work on the SkyHouse penthouse at 150 Nassau Street and the Pinnacle of the Woolworth Building. On a slightly smaller scale than those projects but sophisticated nonetheless, the available two-bedroom home, asking $2,250,000, is wrapped in white oak millwork and features two clever lofted spaces.
details here

Distinctive Homes

All images courtesy of Aman New York

February 6, 2024

Aman New York condo sells for $61.58M

An apartment on Fifth Avenue has sold for $61.58 million, according to city records. Terence Chan, chair of Hong Kong-based private equity firm Bay Area Capital Partners, closed on the four-bedroom apartment at Aman New York, an ultra-luxe hotel-condo with 83 hotel rooms and 22 residences inside the iconic Crown Building, Crain's reported.
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Real Estate Trends

Visit the Frick Collection at the Breuer Building before it closes in March

All photos courtesy of Joseph Coscia Jr.

February 2, 2024

Visit the Frick Collection at the Breuer Building before it closes in March

Here's your last chance to visit the Frick Madison at its temporary home inside the brutalist icon the Breuer Building. The Frick Collection, which has temporarily resided at 945 Madison Avenue since 2021, is closing its doors on March 3 as the art institution prepares to move back to its newly-renovated, historic home at 1 East 70th Street on the Upper East Side. The museum and its library are expected to reopen later this year.
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Events & Things To Do

Port Authority unveils revised design for $10B Midtown bus terminal

Renderings courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

February 2, 2024

Port Authority unveils revised design for $10B Midtown bus terminal

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday unveiled an updated design for the project to build a new modern Midtown bus terminal and announced the publication of the draft environmental impact statement. Plans to replace the rundown 73-year-old bus terminal--the world's busiest--originated over 10 years ago to accommodate expected ridership growth. The terminal will cost $10 billion and take eight years to build, with construction potentially starting as early as this year.
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Transit

Look out on the city from high above the Lower East Side in this $3.8M penthouse

All photos courtesy of Rise Media

February 1, 2024

Look out on the city from high above the Lower East Side in this $3.8M penthouse

Manhattan's Lower East Side is enjoying a true 21st-century glow-up; this three-bedroom penthouse atop 196 Orchard Street embodies the layers of luxury that now define the storied neighborhood. The 1,925-square-foot condo offers an iconic city perch surrounded by 18-foot ceilings and views of downtown Manhattan through bronze-edged casement windows.
downtown penthouse living, this way

Distinctive Homes

Rubin Museum to close its doors after two decades

Photo by David de Armas, courtesy of the Rubin Museum of Art

February 1, 2024

Rubin Museum to close its doors after two decades

Known for its Himalayan art, New York City's Rubin Museum will close this fall after 20 years. The Rubin Museum of Art on Wednesday announced the museum will evolve into a global institution "without walls" and close its Chelsea building on October 6 after its final exhibition. After selling its building on West 17th Street, the Rubin will become an organization that processes long-term loans, hosts traveling exhibitions, and helps with research inquiries and fundraising, according to the New York Times.
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Events & Things To Do

Play with giant light-up dominos in the Financial District

All photos courtesy of Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Alliance for Downtown New York

February 1, 2024

Play with giant light-up dominos in the Financial District

A new interactive public art installation in the Financial District is injecting vibrant color and sound into New York City's dreary winter. Created by Montreal-based design studio Ingrid Ingrid, "Domino Effect" features 120 giant dominos scattered across 12 tables in Fosun Plaza, with each domino giving off a unique sound and color. Presented by the Downtown Alliance in partnership with Quartier des Spectacles International, the installation is on view at Fosun Plaza in front of 28 Liberty Street through March 6.
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Events & Things To Do

One of the earliest maps of Manhattan will be on display at the New-York Historical Society

The Castello Plan. Photo via WikiCommons

January 31, 2024

One of the earliest maps of Manhattan will be on display at the New-York Historical Society

A new installation opening at the New-York Historical Society provides a look at everyday life in New Amsterdam at the peak of its settlement. Marking the 400th anniversary of the Dutch colony's founding, the installation "New York Before New York: The Castello Plan of New Amsterdam" centers around the Castello Plan, a historic map depicting New Amsterdam in 1660 right before the English took control. On view from March 15 through July 14, the installation also features rare documents and objects that explore the lives of settlers, Indigenous people, and enslaved Africans who resided in the colony.
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January 31, 2024

$72.5M Greenwich Village townhouse sale is priciest in downtown Manhattan

An unnamed buyer paid $72.5 million for a townhouse in Greenwich Village, setting a new record for the property type in downtown Manhattan. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the home at 138-140 West 11th Street is a combination of two four-story 19th-century homes. The seller was Dexter Goi, the former CEO of Altice USA, according to the Journal.
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Real Estate Trends

January 31, 2024

Major mixed-use development Manhattan West is officially complete