Manhattan

A 100-year-old Upper West Side building that once served as a hotel and a senior center is now a luxury condominium. The Emery Roth-designed tower at 720 West End Avenue has been reimagined by Thomas Juul-Hansen and renovated by BP Architects to become 131 modern residences. Sales officially launched this week at the building, with homes starting at roughly $1 million to over $12 million.
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New Developments

Barbara Walters’ Upper East Side apartment sells for $15M

All photos courtesy of Donna Dotan unless noted otherwise

July 18, 2024

Barbara Walters’ Upper East Side apartment sells for $15M

Barbara Walters' longtime Upper East Side apartment has sold for $14,999,900, public records show. The home at 944 Fifth Avenue hit the market last April for $19.75 million. The beloved journalist lived in the five-bedroom, five-bath pre-war apartment for 30 years until her death in 2022.
see the late journalist's stunning home

Colorful lanterns sparkle over Broadway in the Garment District

Photos courtesy of Alexandre Ayer /@DiversityPics for the Garment District Alliance

July 15, 2024

Colorful lanterns sparkle over Broadway in the Garment District

A series of colorful lanterns are now sparkling above Broadway as part of a new public art installation in Midtown. The Garment District Alliance last week unveiled "New Start, New Hope," an exhibition featuring 135 colorful lanterns illuminating three plazas between 36th and 39th Streets. Created by local artist Xin Song, the installation adds brightness and a sense of calm to one of the city's busiest areas.
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Events & Things To Do

New York City’s biggest Bastille Day bash celebrates ahead of the Paris Olympics

Photos courtesy of L’Alliance New York

July 12, 2024

New York City’s biggest Bastille Day bash celebrates ahead of the Paris Olympics

This Sunday, the biggest event celebrating Bastille Day outside France hits Madison Avenue. To reflect the world's excitement for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the event, which is expected to draw over 25,000 visitors, will bring an Olympics theme to L’Alliance New York’s annual cultural bonanza of French culture, entertainment, fashion, food, and more.
allons-Y!

Events & Things To Do

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

Renderings courtesy of CORE Real Estate

July 12, 2024

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

A new condominium in Kips Bay combines the personal and professional under one roof. On the corner of Second Avenue and 29th Street, Hendrix House offers 60 residences and an amenity package that is extremely functional for the modern New Yorker. Not only is there a stunning co-working space and lobby with an adjacent courtyard for al-fresco work, but residences have carefully crafted home offices with custom furniture and shelving. Sales recently launched at Hendrix House, with studios priced from $895,000.
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New Developments

Photos courtesy of Dan Osborne of VHT for Douglas Elliman

July 11, 2024

Heatwave goals: A $25M Flatiron penthouse with a rooftop infinity pool

When summer days roll by under sizzling heat, it's easy to start dreaming of stepping through a tall wall of glass into a sparkling pool. This triplex penthouse condo at 240 Park Avenue South is that summer fantasy (complete with a $25,000,000 price tag) come to life. At its apex, a 30-foot-long azure blue pool stretches, seemingly to the horizon (or at least to the building's edge), surrounded by Manhattan's glory.
take the plunge

Distinctive Homes

Renderings courtesy of Tracks/ Alpreda Architecture

July 11, 2024

Tracks Bar is reopening in Penn Station

As Penn Station continues its much-needed makeover, a beloved mainstay from its past is returning. Tracks Raw Bar & Grill will reopen at the Long Island Rail Road Concourse in Penn Station, five years after its iconic underground location closed to make way for a new entrance to the station. Expected to open by the end of the year, Tracks will occupy a 3,150-square-foot space that will recreate the restaurant's original "train-themed" decor and celebrate the history of the Long Island Rail Road with vintage prints and murals.
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Photos courtesy of Aman New York

July 10, 2024

Aman New York penthouse sells for $135M

A five-story penthouse at the Aman New York at 730 Fifth Avenue has sold for $135 million, marking New York City's most expensive sale of the year. As first reported by Bloomberg, the deal surpasses a $115 million penthouse at Central Park Tower that closed in June. The 12,500-square-foot sky mansion aptly sits in the actual crown of the 100-year-old Midtown Manhattan tower, known as the Crown Building for its gilded exterior. Opened in 2022, the Aman New York is an ultra-luxury hotel-condo with 83 hotel rooms and 22 residences. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday identified Vladislav Doronin, the billionaire and founder of OKO Group, the developer of the Aman, as the buyer of the record-breaking penthouse.
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Roberta’s Pizza opens next to Penn Station

Photo courtesy of Vornado

July 9, 2024

Roberta’s Pizza opens next to Penn Station

Roberta's Pizza has opened its first standalone location in Manhattan. The renowned restaurant, which opened in Bushwick in 2008 and quickly became a foodie favorite for its wood-fired Neapolitan-style pies, can be found between 33rd Street and 7th Avenue, next to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, within Vornado's mixed-use Penn District campus. The two-story restaurant combines a ground-floor to-go slice shop, a full-service restaurant, and a roof deck with a Tiki bar, the latter of which will open later this month.
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Food & Dining

July 9, 2024

Lottery opens for 17 co-ops on the Upper West Side, available for purchase from $174K

A housing lottery has opened for 17 apartments on the Upper West Side. Located at 165 West 80th Street, about two blocks from Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History, the five-story walk-up has 10 studios and seven one-bedroom apartments available to New Yorkers earning 120 percent of the area median income, or between $73,319 for a single person and $167,760 for a family of three. The homes are priced at $173,801 for a studio and $184,990 for a one-bedroom.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

One High Line is complete: See inside Bjarke Ingels’ twisting Chelsea condo

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph

July 5, 2024

One High Line is complete: See inside Bjarke Ingels’ twisting Chelsea condo

After a foreclosure, a rebrand, and a sales relaunch, the condo project One High Line is officially complete. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the residential building at 500 West 18th Street features two travertine towers that twist away from one another, reducing their bulk and creating a gap between them that allows for open High Line and Hudson River views. Following several bumps in the road, One High Line is finally finished; newly released images provide a look inside the project, including its 18,000-square-foot amenity space.
details here

$1.2M colorful Sutton Place co-op has classic bones and dramatic bridge and river views

Photo credit: Carli Biryla for The Corcoran Group

July 5, 2024

$1.2M colorful Sutton Place co-op has classic bones and dramatic bridge and river views

This handsomely decorated two-bedroom apartment at 400 East 59th Street on the East Side's quietly elegant Sutton Place balances classic pre-war details with sweeping New York City views. The co-op's many charms include colorful and luxurious interiors, two renovated baths, herringbone-patterned floors, high ceilings, and original casement windows. Asking $1,200,000, the home boasts multiple exposures and outstanding views of the 59th Street Bridge, the East River, and the Manhattan skyline.
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Distinctive Homes

IKEA is coming to Fifth Avenue in Midtown

IKEA’s Red Hook location. Photo courtesy of Eden, Janine, and Jim on Flickr.

July 2, 2024

IKEA is coming to Fifth Avenue in Midtown

IKEA is returning to Manhattan. The home goods store will open a new store in Midtown within 570 Fifth Avenue, an office tower developed by Extell Development. Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group which owns most IKEA stores worldwide, plans to open an 80,000-square-foot store across two cellar levels with a corner entrance on Fifth Avenue. The Swedish company opened a store on the Upper East Side in 2019 but closed about two years later.
DETAILS THIS WAY

Real Estate Trends

Photo credit: Anton Brookes at H5 Property for The Corcoran Group

July 1, 2024

For $7.9M, this sprawling four-bedroom Chelsea condo is a modern city mansion in a landmarked building

On Manhattan's west side, the landmarked Cass Gilbert building at 130 West 30th Street is a classic Chelsea address. Asking $7,850,000, this 21st-century condo spans 4,000 square feet, offering the kind of space you'd expect in a country mansion, surrounded by iconic New York City views. There's an abundance of outdoor space in the form of two sweeping terraces, so you can even include your garden dreams in your modern city estate.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Lower East Side rental opens lottery for 196 affordable apartments, from $454/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

July 1, 2024

Lower East Side rental opens lottery for 196 affordable apartments, from $454/month

A housing lottery launched this week for 196 affordable apartments in a new rental building on the Lower East Side. Located at 165 Broome Street, the 15-story building offers tenants new residences in one of New York City's trendiest neighborhoods. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $18,480 for a single person and $154,080 for a household of seven, can apply for the units, which range from $454/month studios to $2,949/month for a three bedroom.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Photo credit: David Plakke

June 28, 2024

NYC artists ‘take over’ iconic spaces in a rare peek inside Westbeth Artists Housing complex

Westbeth Artists Housing is hosting an event that will provide a unique glimpse into the iconic arts organization's home and the important architecture surrounding it while showcasing the work of talented artists. During the Westbeth Artists Takeover, taking place through July 14, participants will exhibit works in a former synagogue, a daycare center, and a dramatic sculpture studio–all of which have been off-limits to the public for decades. Participants include Tom Fruin–known for his stained glass water towers placed throughout the city–who will be showing new work, and a wide range of New York-centric artists.
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Events & Things To Do

Inwood development with public library and 100% affordable housing opens

Image courtesy of NYPL/Jonathan Blanc

June 27, 2024

Inwood development with public library and 100% affordable housing opens

New York City this week celebrated the opening of a unique new development in Inwood that combines a public library with affordable housing. City officials on Wednesday opened The Eliza, a 14-story rental with 174 deeply affordable apartments atop a two-level New York Public Library branch. In addition to 100 percent affordable homes and a public library, the project at 4790 Broadway also includes a pre-K space, STEM learning center, and community facility.
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Photo credit: Evan Joseph Photography

June 26, 2024

With a private elevator and terraces, this $24.5M Tribeca triplex embodies downtown penthouse living

One of a handful of historic Manhattan towers that has been given new life as a luxurious residential building, 108 Leonard Street is a downtown landmark in the heart of Tribeca. Designed by McKim, Mead & White, the full-block Beaux-Arts building rose in the 1890s. At its crown, this 6,252-square-foot, three-story condominium, fittingly known as the Crown Penthouse, now sits, surrounded by glass, sprawling terraces, and New York City views. The condominium building, with interiors by the late Jeffrey Beers, is known for celebrity residents, including Nicole Kidman, Clive Davis, and Samuel L. Jackson. Asking $24,450,000, this five-bedroom triplex is definitely an A-list-worthy home.
Tribeca penthouse tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center opening, marking 55th anniversary of historic uprising

Renderings courtesy of EDG Architecture + Engineering

June 21, 2024

Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center opening, marking 55th anniversary of historic uprising

The first visitor center in the National Park Service dedicated to the gay rights movement officially opens in Greenwich Village next week. Overseen by the advocacy group Pride Live and the NPS, the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center will open its doors on June 28, marking the 55th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising. Located next to the Stonewall Inn tavern on Christopher Street, the 2,100-square-foot center offers an immersive look into LGBTQIA+ history and the fight for equality for all, with engaging programs, art installations, lectures, and more.
take a look

Lincoln Center debuts first-ever night market

Image courtesy of Sachyn Mital

June 19, 2024

Lincoln Center debuts first-ever night market

Lincoln Center is hosting its first-ever night market during the annual Summer for the City festival. Open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. through August 10, the Lincoln Center Night Market offers visitors an exciting variety of cuisine from curated vendors, from Mexican desserts and soul food from Harlem to Lebanese street food and plant-based options. The market will also feature a tent with rotating food offerings to complement each week of the Summer for the City programming.
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For $65M, this limestone Beaux Arts mansion on the UES is a trophy townhouse for the ages

Photo credit: Evan Joseph for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 18, 2024

For $65M, this limestone Beaux Arts mansion on the UES is a trophy townhouse for the ages

Only a few of Manhattan's opulent Gilded Age mansions remain standing and possessed of their original splendor. Many have been turned into art galleries and cultural destinations–the Frick Collection, the Cooper Hewitt design museum, and the Morgan Library and Museum–come to mind. This limestone Beaux Arts mansion at 15 East 63rd Street is a rare opportunity to own one of these stunning survivors. Located just off Fifth Avenue and Central Park on the Upper East Side, the palatial eight-level townhouse, asking a trophy-tier $65 million, offers 18,000 square feet of interior space, with an elevator to access every floor.
revisit the gilded age

Distinctive Homes

Pre-Civil War Village row house with NYC theater and Black history ties may be landmarked

The 13th Street Repertory Company. Photo (left): Courtesy of Village Preservation. Current view of the building (right): Courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

June 18, 2024

Pre-Civil War Village row house with NYC theater and Black history ties may be landmarked

A nearly 180-year-old rowhouse in Greenwich Village that has been home to one of the city's first "Off-Off-Broadway" theaters and has significant ties to Black history may be saved from demolition. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the Jacob Day Residence at 50 West 13th Street, an 1845 rowhouse once home to one of NYC's most successful African American businessmen, a famous suffragist and Civil Rights leader, and most recently, to the 13th Street Repertory Company. Although preservationists were first told by the LPC the structure was not distinguished enough to warrant designation, further research proved the building's immense cultural and historical significance and now the rowhouse is one step closer to becoming a landmark.
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Policy

Central Park Tower penthouse closes for $115M

Image courtesy of Extell

June 17, 2024

Central Park Tower penthouse closes for $115M

A penthouse at Central Park Tower closed for $115 million, becoming New York City's fourth priciest apartment sale on record. Taking up the 107th and 108th floors of the tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere, the duplex condo on Billionaires' Row was first listed for $175 million last March and entered contract early this year.
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Real Estate Trends

Photo courtesy of Dream Downtown / Tao Group Hospitality

June 14, 2024

NYC’s best rooftop hotel pools offering day passes

Coming soon: Full-time sun and swimsuit season. Some lucky apartment dwellers count a private pool among their building’s amenities. Otherwise, your local options include public pools or pricey pool clubs and gyms. One way to hack summer in NYC is to snag a day pass to a pool atop one of the city’s trendy hotels. Usually reserved for hotel guests, some hotels allow visitors to pay by the day–often with poolside restaurant and bar privileges. Some venues host events like pool parties with DJs, live music, and drink specials. Read on for cool pools with day rates. Many hotel pools open on Memorial Day weekend. Pools may be reserved for private events, or rates and access information may change; be sure to check in with the venue before finalizing your plans.
Everyone in the pool

Events & Things To Do

Museum Mile Festival is back, offering free admission at NYC’s best museums

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

June 14, 2024

Museum Mile Festival is back, offering free admission at NYC’s best museums