Manhattan

Two new mosaics by the artist Nick Cave were unveiled in Times Square on Monday, completing a permanent artwork and marking the largest mosaic project in New York City's subway system. Commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's public art program, the artwork, titled "Each One, Every One, Equal All," features Cave's wearable sculpture works "Soundsuits" translated into 4,600 square feet of colorful mosaic. The new artwork is part of a larger revamp of the 42nd Street station, including a new entrance and upgraded mezzanine level.
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For $6M, this classic Central Park South co-op has park views, possibilities, and space to spare

All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

May 17, 2022

For $6M, this classic Central Park South co-op has park views, possibilities, and space to spare

On the 12th floor of the iconic copper-topped Hampshire House co-op at 150 Central Park South, this 2,640-square-foot residence has a parkside seat and the views to match. Asking $5,995,000, the three-bedroom (or two bedrooms and a dreamy den) classic seven is a combination of two units for an unusually spacious layout, rooms to spare, and an alternate floor plan in case you need ideas on what to do with all of them. Pre-war bones, a private south-facing balcony, and warm-toned herringbone floors tie it all together.
More park views and big, sunlit rooms, this way

Distinctive Homes

The Loisaida Festival returns to the Lower East Side after two-year Covid hiatus

All images courtesy of Loisaida Inc.

May 16, 2022

The Loisaida Festival returns to the Lower East Side after two-year Covid hiatus

After two years of virtual celebrations, the annual parade honoring the Lower East Side's Puerto Rican and Caribbean community will take place in person. Hosted by the Loisaida Center in partnership with the Acacia Network, the Loisaida Festival is returning for its 35th year this Memorial Day Weekend. The event will kick off on Sunday, May 29 at 11:30 a.m. with a parade showcasing organizations, community figures, artists, and performers before moving north up to the main stage on 12th Street. The festival will be held from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Avenue C between 5th and 12th Streets.
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Events & Things To Do

AMNH’s revamped Northwest Coast Hall features exhibits curated by Indigenous communities

All images © D. Finnin/AMNH

May 16, 2022

AMNH’s revamped Northwest Coast Hall features exhibits curated by Indigenous communities

Five years and a $19 million renovation later, the American Museum of Natural History's oldest gallery reopened to the public last week. Developed alongside curators from Native Nations of the Northwest Coast, the new 10,200 square-foot Northwest Coast Hall showcases the history of the Pacific Northwest with a focus on the "scholarship and material culture of the Northwest Coast communities," according to a press release. The gallery contains more than 1,000 artifacts including a 63-foot-long canoe, the largest Pacific Northwest dugout canoe existing today, and a diverse collection of art, from monumental carvings up to 17 feet tall to contemporary works of art from Native artists.
Details here

Award-winning design is crowned by a perfect penthouse in this $13.8M Upper West Side home

Photo credit: Tim Waltman for Pamela D’Arc / Compass

May 16, 2022

Award-winning design is crowned by a perfect penthouse in this $13.8M Upper West Side home

This 6,300-square foot Upper West Side townhouse at 347 West 84th Street has enough going for it given its size, 2,000 square feet of outdoor space, and prime Manhattan location off Riverside Park. A pristine and beautifully-designed renovation by O’Neill Rose Architects has transformed this four-story house, asking $13,750,000, into a home worthy of design awards and inclusion in publications like Architect Magazine and Dezeen. To maximize natural light, two curved skylights were added, and glass panels replaced the home's rear wall. On the top floor, a glass-walled atelier provides a sun-filled indoor and outdoor oasis.
Tour four floors of livable luxury

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

51 middle-income rentals available in East Harlem, from $2,200/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

May 12, 2022

51 middle-income rentals available in East Harlem, from $2,200/month

Applications are currently being accepted for 51 middle-income units at a new residential development in Upper Manhattan. Located at 1998 Second Avenue in East Harlem, the 12-story building gives residents access to a host of amenities and the Upper East Side's wide variety of restaurants and stores. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income-- or between $75,429 annually for a single person and $215,150 for a family of seven--are eligible to apply for the apartments, which range from $2,200/month studios to $3,750/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYC announces first-ever parade celebrating Asian American heritage

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 12, 2022

NYC announces first-ever parade celebrating Asian American heritage

The city's first-ever parade celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander New Yorkers will take place this weekend, Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday. On Sunday, May 15, the AAPI Cultural and Heritage Parade will start in Midtown at 6th Avenue and West 44th Street and head north to West 55th Street. New York City's newest parade comes during AAPI Heritage Month and as the city continues to experience a spike in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
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Events & Things To Do

The El Dorado apartment of renowned art collector and ‘Beastie mom’ Hester Diamond asks $19.5M

Photo credit: Rise Media

May 12, 2022

The El Dorado apartment of renowned art collector and ‘Beastie mom’ Hester Diamond asks $19.5M

An apartment in the El Dorado at 300 Central Park West is an enviable enough thing on its own, even without the added cachet of belonging to the estate of Hester and Harold Diamond, owners of one of the world's finest art collections and parents of Mike Diamond of Beastie Boys fame, whose childhood home this was, Picassos and all. Ms. Diamond, who passed away in 2020 at 91, was an art dealer and collector whose collection of Old Masters and Modernist art, according to the New York Times, included Picasso, Mondrian, Rothko, and many more. Asking $19,500,000, the duplex co-op in one of New York City's most venerable buildings is museum-sized at 6,300 square feet with 800 square feet of terrace space and peerless park and skyline views.
View more of this amazing El Dorado residence

Distinctive Homes

How mixed-use development Manhattan West is creating a sustainable food system

Photo of Manhattan West © Jakob Dahlin

May 11, 2022

How mixed-use development Manhattan West is creating a sustainable food system

A mixed-use development in Midtown this month announced a new initiative that aims to create a campus-wide sustainable food system. Manhattan West will become the first-ever "Rethink Certified Campus," requiring every food establishment at the development to donate their excess food and prepare free meals for New York City families facing food insecurities, developer Brookfield Properties and nonprofit Rethink Food announced. Funded with a $250,000 donation by Brookfield, the project is expected to collect five tons of excess food and provide 50,000 meals to families in need.
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Policy

The 92nd Street Y rebrands as 92NY and kicks off $200M redevelopment

All renderings courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP

May 11, 2022

The 92nd Street Y rebrands as 92NY and kicks off $200M redevelopment

A New York institution is getting a makeover---and a new name. The 92nd Street Y announced on Tuesday it has rebranded to 92nd Street Y, New York (with a nickname of 92NY), as part of a post-pandemic transformation that also involves a major revamp and new online programs. This month, a $200 million redevelopment of the organization's Upper East Side home at 1395 Lexington Avenue led by Beyer Blinder Belle will begin, starting with a renovation of its public performance space, a new dance center, and improvements to the gym.
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Talea Beer Co. opens outdoor pop-up brewery next to Grand Central

All images courtesy of Talea Beer Co.

May 11, 2022

Talea Beer Co. opens outdoor pop-up brewery next to Grand Central

New York City's first and only female-owned and operated production brewery has opened a pop-up outside of Grand Central Terminal. Located at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 45th Street, Talea Beer Co.'s pop-up brewery is open daily from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and offers five different beers on tap, as well as canned beers and draft pours to go. Open through September, the brewery also offers cocktails and wine for non-beer drinkers.
Details here

Food & Dining

NYC’s first-ever Japan Parade takes place this weekend

Image courtesy of Geoff Livingston on Flickr

May 9, 2022

NYC’s first-ever Japan Parade takes place this weekend

New York City is hosting a parade dedicated to Japanese people and their culture for the first time ever this weekend. On Saturday, May 14, the Japan Parade kicks off at Central Park and West 81st Street and moves south towards 68th Street. The parade will showcase a variety of Japanese performing arts and Japanese organizations, like Anime NYC, the International Karate Organization Kyokushin, and the Japanese Folk Dance of NY, according to Thrillist.
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Events & Things To Do

Alexander Skarsgård lists his top-floor East Village co-op for $2.6M

All photos courtesy of Yale Wagner

May 9, 2022

Alexander Skarsgård lists his top-floor East Village co-op for $2.6M

Actor Alexander Skarsgård has just listed his top-floor townhouse co-op at 119 East 10th Street for $2,599,000, roughly $300,000 more than he paid in 2017 for the East Village apartment, which once belonged to actress Parker Posey (Chloe Sevigny also lived in the same building before heading to Brooklyn in 2013). The Emmy-nominated star of “Big Little Lies” and “True Blood" oversaw a thorough renovation of the loft-like one-bedroom home, giving its pre-war details and wood-beamed ceilings a careful upgrade, a renovated kitchen, and more (h/t Architectural Digest).
Tour the new, improved version of this top floor co-op, this way

$500M One Times Square revamp includes outdoor viewing deck, museum, and even more ads

All renderings courtesy of Jamestown

May 6, 2022

$500M One Times Square revamp includes outdoor viewing deck, museum, and even more ads

One of the most valuable advertising locations in the world will cash in on its prime location even further. One Times Square, home of the New Year's Eve ball drop, will undergo a $500 million redevelopment to become a new visitor center with a viewing deck, museum, and 12 floors of interactive "branded" experiences, developer Jamestown announced on Friday. While the 26-story building, located at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue, has been vacant for years, its exterior is covered in giant billboards. As part of the half-a-billion-dollar project, advertisers will be able to reach more consumers through immersive "digital, virtual, and augmented reality integrations" inside One Times Square.
Details here

Historic Palace Theatre finishes 30-foot lift above Times Square

Images courtesy of TSX Broadway

May 5, 2022

Historic Palace Theatre finishes 30-foot lift above Times Square

The redevelopment of a historic Times Square theater hit a major milestone this week. L&L Holding Company on Wednesday announced the 30-foot lift of the Palace Theatre is completed after seven weeks. The project is part of TSX Broadway, a 46-story $2.5 billion mixed-use development set to open next year with a performance venue, 660-key hotel, retail, and a restored theater on the third floor. Using techniques that defied traditional engineering, the theater's lifting unlocks 100,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space.
Details here

$12M Flatiron penthouse has two levels of outstanding year-round outdoor space

Photos provided by Sotheby’s International Realty

May 5, 2022

$12M Flatiron penthouse has two levels of outstanding year-round outdoor space

This luxury penthouse in the Flatiron District takes urban outdoor living to new heights. The three-bedroom duplex at 21 West 20th Street boasts nearly 1,000 square feet of private outdoor space that stretches across two levels and includes a six-person hot tub, built-in kitchen, outdoor shower, and unobstructed city views. Thanks to heated floors, heat lamps, and a gas fireplace, the space can be enjoyed year-round. The penthouse is now asking $11,995,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Blue lamp posts in Battery Park City illustrate height of potential flooding from next severe storm

Photos courtesy of the Battery Park City Authority

May 5, 2022

Blue lamp posts in Battery Park City illustrate height of potential flooding from next severe storm

A new project along Battery Park City's waterfront illustrates the alarming implications of climate change and the urgent need to protect the city's coastlines. The Battery Park City Authority (BCPA) painted 11 light poles situated along the length of the esplanade to indicate the levels water could rise to during a storm surge in a future severe weather event. The blue paint on the poles ranges in height from 18 to 23.5 feet above sea level, and informative banners have been installed to keep visitors educated and engaged.
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Uncategorized

Jay Manuel’s former Chelsea loft is back on the market for $3.25M

Photo credit: Eytan Stern Webber and Spotless Agency

May 4, 2022

Jay Manuel’s former Chelsea loft is back on the market for $3.25M

The two-bedroom loft condo formerly owned by "America's Next Top Model" creative director Jay Manuel has just resurfaced on the market for $3,250,000. The Canadian TV presenter and author, who was also a host of "Canada's Next Top Model," bought the 2,269-square-foot home in the Chelsea Mercantile at 252 Seventh Avenue with his partner, Alton Johnson, in 2000; the couple sold the condo in 2011.
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Cabana-style ‘mini lawns’ return to scenic Pier 17 rooftop, along with new dining options

Photo courtesy of Howard Hughes Corp and Keeyahtay Lewis

May 3, 2022

Cabana-style ‘mini lawns’ return to scenic Pier 17 rooftop, along with new dining options

A popular outdoor dining spot born as a result of social distancing measures is returning to New York City for a third summer. The Greens on The Rooftop at Pier 17 officially opened this month with three unique social spaces for visitors to enjoy. Located in the South Street Seaport, the rooftop venue now boasts a three-in-one concept with "The Lawns," "The Restaurant," and "The Patrón Patio."
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Food & Dining

NYC gives billionaire Bill Ackman green light to build rooftop penthouse on Central Park West

All renderings designed by Foster+ Partners, courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 3, 2022

NYC gives billionaire Bill Ackman green light to build rooftop penthouse on Central Park West

Billionaire Bill Ackman is getting his Central Park-facing rooftop glass penthouse designed by Norman Foster after all. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans from the hedge fund founder to build a glass penthouse addition on top of a 100-year-old Upper West Side co-op building where he owns an apartment. First presented last November as a two-level glass box on the roof of 6-16 West 77th Street, the approved proposal includes a scaled-down design and more muted materials.
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May 3, 2022

City nixes plan for second Chinatown homeless shelter amid community opposition

In the second such move in less than a week, New York City has canceled plans for one of a handful of new homeless shelters in Chinatown, the New York Times reports. The planned "safe haven" shelter was to be located in the former Best Western Hotel at the corner of Grand Street and Bowery. The move follows months of vocal opposition to three planned shelters by community members who cite an increase in crimes targeting Asians and a similar announcement last Friday regarding the rollback of plans for a shelter nearby at 47 Madison Street.
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Policy

For $6M, this Greenwich Village classic six combines pre-war charm with condo convenience

All photos courtesy of Fox Residential

May 3, 2022

For $6M, this Greenwich Village classic six combines pre-war charm with condo convenience

This three-bedroom pre-war condominium at 59 West 12th Street in Greenwich Village starts with the cachet of being in a sought-after building known as The Governor, built by celebrated 20th-century developers Bing and Bing and designed by noted architect Emery Roth. Asking $5,990,000, this renovated residence has quietly elegant architectural details, gracious proportions, thoughtfully-designed updates–and enough closets to suit a diva with red carpet ambitions and a lifetime of Met Gala costumes.
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This $13M slender UES townhouse has been occupied by the same family since 1907

Photo credit: David DuPuy for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 2, 2022

This $13M slender UES townhouse has been occupied by the same family since 1907

The five-story Italianate brownstone at 38 East 70th Street may only be 16 feet wide, but what it lacks in width, it makes up for with over 5,000 square feet of preserved original details and modern updates. Asking $13,000,000, the circa-1884 home, designed by architect Charles Graham, currently offers six bedrooms and an original formal layout of rooms for sitting, dining, and display. Just two blocks from Central Park within the Upper East Side Historic District, the home has been occupied by the same family since 1907.
More details this way

Distinctive Homes

Elegance and space to spare define this $4.35M condo in the iconic Parc Vendome

Photo credit: Coldwell Banker Warburg

April 29, 2022

Elegance and space to spare define this $4.35M condo in the iconic Parc Vendome

Situated on the 18th floor of the iconic Parc Vendome at 340 West 57th Street, this three-bedroom residence has been featured in Architectural Digest, and we can see why. Asking $4,350,000, the 2,600-square-foot Manhattan apartment has understated pre-war details, graciously proportioned rooms, and closets galore. Owned for 25 years by philanthropist, educator, and humanitarian Vartan Gregorian, the home's layout puts everything right where you'd want it, with space to spare.
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Janet Jackson lists her Upper West Side apartment for $9M

Photo courtesy of Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty

April 28, 2022

Janet Jackson lists her Upper West Side apartment for $9M