Manhattan

Once occupied by JFK and British royalty, the Plaza’s famous Astor Suite is back for $20M

Listing photos by Rich Caplan

March 12, 2021

Once occupied by JFK and British royalty, the Plaza’s famous Astor Suite is back for $20M

Considered "one of the most well-known homes in America and the finest in the world-renowned Plaza," the fabled Astor Suite has come on the market for $19,950,000. The four-bedroom corner suite faces both Central Park and Fifth Avenue and was previously occupied by John Jacob Astor, John F. Kennedy, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In fact, the interior architects at S.R. Gambrel Inc. brought in master artisans that rebuilt Windsor Castle in England to help transform the space. From hand-drawn plaster to rich English oak paneling to hand-hammered leather walls from France, this home is certainly fit for royalty.
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The Shed reopens in Hudson Yards next month with live music and comedy shows

Caption: The Shed’s McCourt configured for “An Audience With…” live performance series. Photo: Jasdeep Kang

March 11, 2021

The Shed reopens in Hudson Yards next month with live music and comedy shows

By Devin Gannon

As spring returns to New York City, so does its arts and culture scene. The Shed, the Hudson Yards performance center with a distinct moveable shell, announced this week it will reopen with a five-night indoor performance series kicking off on April 2. Following state guidelines, the capacity will be limited to 150 people and all attendees must present confirmation of a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours or vaccination completed at least two weeks before the event.
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Events & Things To Do

Upper East Side townhouse where Eleanor Roosevelt lived in her final years asks $16M

Listing photos by Evan Joseph for Compass

March 10, 2021

Upper East Side townhouse where Eleanor Roosevelt lived in her final years asks $16M

The historic Upper East Side townhouse at 55 East 74th Street that former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once called home has hit the market for $16 million. Though the home has undergone a modern renovation in recent years, Mrs. Roosevelt lived on the bottom floors from 1959 up to her death in 1962. Not only did she host the likes of John F. Kennedy, Leonard Bernstein, and Nikita Khrushchev here, but it's where she wrote her syndicated newspaper column, at a desk overlooking the street, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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Famed chef Eric Ripert puts Upper East Side condo on the market for $3.5M

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

March 10, 2021

Famed chef Eric Ripert puts Upper East Side condo on the market for $3.5M

As was first reported by the Post, celebrity chef Eric Ripert has put his Upper East Side condo on the market for $3,495,000.The French chef and cookbook author is best known for his three-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Bernardin, located in Midtown. He and his wife Sandra bought the three-bedroom home at 515 East 72nd Street in 2010 for $2,850,000. Sandra is now one of the agents selling the apartment for Douglas Elliman. She told the Post, "Eric designed the open kitchen, and it features an island where everyone gathers and watches while he cooks, especially on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas."
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Affordable, no-fee luxury rentals in Midtown West

All photos courtesy of the Gotham Organization

March 9, 2021

Affordable, no-fee luxury rentals in Midtown West

By Devin Gannon

With its rooftop garden and courtyard, luxury residences, and prime Hell's Kitchen location, Gotham West ticks off all the boxes. What makes the four-building complex truly stand out against other amenity-rich developments, other than its proximity to both Hudson River Park and the culinary darlings of the neighborhood, is its affordable housing. When it opened in 2013, Gotham West was the largest affordable project by a private developer at the time, with about 55 percent of the units restricted by income. Today, applications are being accepted for its no-fee rentals, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, which are designated for middle-income New Yorkers earning up to 135 percent and 165 percent of the area median income (AMI).
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$6.5M Tribeca penthouse is a sky-lit sanctuary with tons of bonus space

Listing images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

March 9, 2021

$6.5M Tribeca penthouse is a sky-lit sanctuary with tons of bonus space

Natural light can take a space from average to amazing, and that is definitely the case at this Tribeca penthouse. Located at the condo 19 Murray Street, the five-bedroom triplex has eight skylights, as well as a landscaped roof deck and a balcony. Listed for $6,495,000, the home has a cool, contemporary feel and plenty of bonus space.
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Distinctive Homes

The Boathouse in Central Park will reopen on March 29

Photo by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

March 8, 2021

The Boathouse in Central Park will reopen on March 29

After speculation that Central Park's beloved Loeb Boathouse would be closed for good, West Side Rag reports that the venue will reopen on March 29 for lunch, brunch, and private events. Even their famous rowboats rentals will be available. The boathouse announced the news on Instagram, the first time they've posted since last April. The lakeside restaurant and event venue has been in business since 1954 and is not only an iconic spot for New Yorkers, but it's been featured in films like When Harry Met Sally and 27 Dresses.
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Food & Dining

European sophistication meets Midtown living at this $1.6M loft

Listing photos by Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

March 8, 2021

European sophistication meets Midtown living at this $1.6M loft

You may not think of Midtown East as a neighborhood to buy a historic loft, but this two-bedroom co-op at 351 East 50th Street feels like a downtown pad with all of Midtown's convenience. The full-floor apartment underwent a two-year "floor-to-ceiling renovation down to the studs," according to the listing, and the resulting product is a truly unique home that is reminiscent of a Parisian flat but with plenty of modern conveniences.
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Distinctive Homes

Ultra-contemporary Tribeca triplex has a garden oasis and a two-car garage for $20M

Listing images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

March 5, 2021

Ultra-contemporary Tribeca triplex has a garden oasis and a two-car garage for $20M

In the heart of Tribeca, 1 North Moore Street is a full-service, doorman condo building, but this townhouse unit gets the best of both worlds as it also has a private entrance, a two-car garage, and a gorgeous garden oasis. The super-contemporary, five-bedroom home is a mansion at 7,000 square feet, spread over three floors. A custom-designed steel staircase, marble floors, poured concrete columns, Venetian plaster walls, and a home movie theater are just some of the luxuries you'll find throughout.
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Distinctive Homes

New York seeks proposals for new hotel or mixed-use development across from Javits Center

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Wikimedia

March 4, 2021

New York seeks proposals for new hotel or mixed-use development across from Javits Center

By Devin Gannon

New York on Thursday issued a request for proposals for a Midtown West site located directly across from the Javits Center. Referred to as Site K, the parcel at 418 11th Avenue is one of the last remaining vacant lots in the area. In the RFP, the Empire State Development requests proposals that could be a commercial or mixed-use development, with interest made in hotels that are "complementary" to the neighboring convention center.
Details here

New Developments

Jimmy Fallon puts funky Gramercy penthouse on the market for $15M

Photo by Evan Joseph for Sotheby’s International Realty

March 4, 2021

Jimmy Fallon puts funky Gramercy penthouse on the market for $15M

The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and his wife Nancy Juvonen have put their incredibly unique six-bedroom Gramercy penthouse on the market for $15 million. The nearly 5,000-square-foot home at 34 Gramercy Park East is the result of combining four different apartments over three floors. There's something funky to see everywhere you look (Fallon decorated the home with antique finds from around the world), but some of the highlights include a "saloon room" with a vintage barback, a sound-proof pantry, custom-built furniture and wall coverings, and a hidden playroom equipped with monkey bars and a "jailhouse intercom" to the upstairs playroom. And, of course, it comes with a key to the park.
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Celebrities

Lincoln Center campus will be transformed into 10 outdoor performance venues this spring

Illustration © Ceylan A. Sahin Eker

March 4, 2021

Lincoln Center campus will be transformed into 10 outdoor performance venues this spring

By Devin Gannon

The arts are making a major comeback in New York City this spring, with live performance venues permitted to reopen in early April. And one of the city's most beloved cultural institutions is leading the way. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts last week announced a new initiative that will transform its 16-acre campus into 10 new outdoor performance venues. Launching on April 7, "Restart Stages" will feature free and low-cost events by cultural organizations and community partners hailing from all five boroughs, in addition to Lincoln Center's resident companies.
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Events & Things To Do

This $4.2M four-bedroom on the Upper West Side feels like a Parisian getaway

Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

March 4, 2021

This $4.2M four-bedroom on the Upper West Side feels like a Parisian getaway

Tucked away in an Upper West Side brownstone at 6 West 71st Street, just off Central Park, is a cozy-yet-elegant home that looks like it came straight from Paris. The four-bedroom duplex has 13-foot ceilings, a balcony overlooking an ivy-covered garden, and three big, beautiful wood-burning fireplaces. And it just listed for $4,195,000.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC reburies remains of early New Yorkers in Washington Square Park

All photos: NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

March 3, 2021

NYC reburies remains of early New Yorkers in Washington Square Park

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Parks Department on Tuesday reinterred the human remains of early New Yorkers found during construction in and around Washington Square Park. The skeletal remains were placed in a wooden box and buried five feet below grade within a planting bed, with an engraved paver marking the site at the southern entrance of the park near Sullivan Street. The remains were uncovered between 2008 and 2017, including the unearthing of two 19th-century burial vaults in 2015 that held the remains of at least a dozen people.
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History

New affordable housing lottery launches at StuyTown, one-bedrooms from $1,200/month

Photo via Stuyvesant Town

March 2, 2021

New affordable housing lottery launches at StuyTown, one-bedrooms from $1,200/month

From today until March 31st, New Yorkers earning 165 percent of the area median income can apply for a new set of affordable apartments at StuyTown. The available units start at $1,200/month for one-bedrooms, $1,400/month for two-bedrooms, and $1,800/month for three-bedrooms. They're located in both Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village and, of course, come with perks like the complex's plethora of outdoor space, amenity package, and prime East Village/Gramercy location.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

For $45K/month, rent this Upper East Side penthouse with a rooftop hot tub and three living rooms

Listing photos courtesy of Fox Residential

March 2, 2021

For $45K/month, rent this Upper East Side penthouse with a rooftop hot tub and three living rooms

If a rent payment of $45,000 a month is doable for you, this Upper East Side penthouse has everything you need for an epic spring and summer. Located on the top three floors of the historic townhouse at 35 East 63rd Street, the triplex home has 6,312 square feet of interior space, including three living spaces, five bedrooms, and six bathrooms. It also has a whopping 4,000 square feet of outdoor space--two second-floor terraces, five small balconies, and a huge roof deck complete with an outdoor kitchen and a hot tub.
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Distinctive Homes

Campaign to save Union Square South sites connected to women’s history continues

Screenshot of Women’s History Tour map; Courtesy of Village Preservation

March 1, 2021

Campaign to save Union Square South sites connected to women’s history continues

By Devin Gannon

On the first day of Women's History Month, a preservation group is renewing calls to landmark nearly two dozen sites related to women's history in New York City. Village Preservation on Monday kicked off a campaign effort urging the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate several buildings located south of Union Square that have a connection to trailblazing women, organizations, or historic events. It's part of the group's broader effort to protect nearly 200 buildings in the area which is slated for new development.
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Here’s where to donate to support Asian communities in NYC

Photo by Mobilus in Mobili on Flickr

February 26, 2021

Here’s where to donate to support Asian communities in NYC

By Devin Gannon

Before the coronavirus even hit New York City last year, anti-Asian racism and xenophobia struck the city's Chinatown neighborhoods, affecting the residents and many small businesses. Throughout the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in harassment and violence against Chinese and other Asian New Yorkers, particularly stemming from racist misinformation about COVID-19. As The City reported, the Commission on Human Rights, recorded 205 cases in 2020 involving anti-Asian incidents, a nearly "sevenfold rise" compared to 2019. Hate crimes and attacks directed at Asian Americans have continued into 2021, in New York and across the country. Ahead, we've put together a list of local organizations to donate, for those looking to support Asian communities across the five boroughs. While incomplete, the list can serve as a starting point and will be updated.
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Events & Things To Do

Asking just $350K, this Harlem condo is a compact steal

Photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

February 26, 2021

Asking just $350K, this Harlem condo is a compact steal

The $350,000 asking price for this duplex condo in Harlem is one of the lowest we've seen in a while, especially considering it's not tiny at 780 square feet. Located at 161 West 133rd Street, the home has a decent amount of living/dining space on the upper level, while the lower level makes a perfect bedroom suite with a half bath (there's a full bathroom upstairs) and a laundry closet.
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Distinctive Homes

Lovely alcove studio in Morningside Heights has a 600-square-foot terrace for $650K

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

February 25, 2021

Lovely alcove studio in Morningside Heights has a 600-square-foot terrace for $650K

A 600-square-foot terrace is big for any apartment, but for an alcove studio, it's downright palatial. This just-renovated co-op at 600 West 111th Street in Morningside Heights is modern, bright, and wrapped in an L-shaped terrace overlooking the Hudson River and Riverside Park with views to the George Washington Bridge. It's hard to believe, but the asking price is $650,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Preservationists fight to save the impressively-intact Art Deco lobby of the McGraw-Hill Building

Photo credit: Lynn Farrell on behalf of the Art Deco Society of New York

February 24, 2021

Preservationists fight to save the impressively-intact Art Deco lobby of the McGraw-Hill Building

By Devin Gannon

An effort to preserve one of New York City's best examples of Art Deco design is underway. The owner of the McGraw-Hill Building at 330 West 42nd Street has tapped MdeAS Architects to redesign and modernize the structure's exterior, including new doors and signage. But after renderings from the architects surfaced on Twitter this month that showed what looked to be the 1931 lobby of the Hell's Kitchen building devoid of its iconic alternation blue-green steel bands and other signature elements designed by Raymond Hood, preservationists and architectural groups sprung into action.
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Policy

New immersive art installation in Chelsea explores the beauty of mathematics and nature

All photos courtesy of Julius Horsthuis and ARTECHOUSE

February 23, 2021

New immersive art installation in Chelsea explores the beauty of mathematics and nature

By Devin Gannon

A stunning new digital installation exploring the beauty of "mathematics, nature, and architecture" opens in Chelsea next month. Artechouse NYC, an innovative digital art space beneath Chelsea Market, will kick off its 2021 season with Geometric Properties, a vibrant exhibition that explores mathematical patterns and fractional dimensions. Created by Amsterdam-based artist Julius Horsthuis, the installation opens March 1 and will be on view through September 6.
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Events & Things To Do

Asking $595K, this petite Upper West Side one-bedroom is big on pre-war charm

Photos courtesy of Warburg Realty

February 23, 2021

Asking $595K, this petite Upper West Side one-bedroom is big on pre-war charm

The gorgeous recessed windows at this co-op completely transform the small space and set the stage for its vintage-y decor. Located at 322 West 88th Street, the one-bedroom is currently on the market for $595,000. And though there's not a ton of square footage, it's in the heart of the Upper West Side and is full of pre-war charm.
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Distinctive Homes

Chinatown restaurant Jing Fong will close its legendary 800-seat dining room

Photo by josh s jackson via Flickr cc

February 22, 2021

Chinatown restaurant Jing Fong will close its legendary 800-seat dining room

Jing Fong, NYC's largest Chinese restaurant, will close its famous 800-person dining room due to losses suffered from the COVID crisis. The iconic dim sum spot made the announcement on Friday in an Instagram post. "We are heartbroken to announce that our Chinatown location at 20 Elizabeth Street, will be permanently closing its indoor dining operation on March 7, 2021 at 8:00pm. We will continue to operate from the 2nd floor kitchen for our outside patio, take-out, and delivery until further notice." The pandemic took its toll early on the restaurant, which was forced to shut down temporarily in March under Governor Cuomo’s order that locations of 500 or more be closed.
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Food & Dining

For $695K, this Murray Hill co-op has a split-level layout and nearly 1,000 square feet

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

February 22, 2021

For $695K, this Murray Hill co-op has a split-level layout and nearly 1,000 square feet

Usually, the split-level layout is reserved for suburban homes, but this Murray Hill one-bedroom has incorporated it in a practical and stylish way. Located at The Antoinette co-op at 7 East 35th Street, the home offers a very impressive 900+ square feet for its $695,000 price tag. The large living room is open to the elevated kitchen and dining room, which provides a good amount of separation while still maintaining an open feel. And above that is a spacious bedroom suite complete with an en-suite bathroom and balcony.
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Distinctive Homes

Massive Empire Station Complex project that will revamp Penn Station area moves forward

Rendering of new entrance on 8th Avenue to Penn Station via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

February 19, 2021

Massive Empire Station Complex project that will revamp Penn Station area moves forward

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to build an interconnected public transportation hub and revitalize Penn Station took a major step forward this week. The Empire State Development's Board of Directors on Thursday adopted the General Project Plan (GPP) and certified the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Empire Station Complex project, which would link an upgraded Penn Station, the newly opened Moynihan Train Hall, and a tentative new terminal one block south of Penn Station. The board also set a public hearing on the project for March 23, followed by a 30-day public comment period.
More details here

Gramercy one-bedroom is a sunny gem for $625K

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

February 19, 2021

Gramercy one-bedroom is a sunny gem for $625K

In an unassuming building at 207 East 21st Street, this co-op is a simple, sunny home that has a lot to offer for its $625,000 price tag. Not only is it in a prime Gramercy location, but it's a true one bedroom, has a lovely terrace, and is just generally a really nice little place.
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Distinctive Homes

53
54
55
56
57

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

Live at the center of NYC

1 beds starting at $2,445,000
2 beds starting at $3,435,000
3 beds starting at $6,775,000