Manhattan

November 17, 2020

Blacked-out Bowery loft with customized ‘graffiti’ asks $3M

The black walls at this Noho condo don't make the space feel as dark as you'd expect, but they do succeed in adding a subtle gritty feel to the two-bedroom home. Located at 344 Bowery, the apartment was designed by Francisca Trujillo, who, according to the listing, took inspiration from "New York’s garage-rock scene," even hiring street artists to cover the elevator door and foyer with graffiti installations. The floor-through, two-bedroom loft is asking $3 million.
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November 16, 2020

The 2020 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has officially arrived in NYC

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has taken its rightful place in Midtown. This year, a 75-foot tall, 11-ton Norway Spruce from Oneonta, N.Y. will serve as the centerpiece for the famous event. Donated by Daddy Al's General Store, the approximately 80-year-old tree last week was cut down, hoisted by a crane, and delivered by flatbed truck to Manhattan on Saturday. The public cannot attend the tree lighting ceremony this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the live event will be broadcast nationally on December 2.
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November 16, 2020

Go inside the new glass dome atop Union Square’s Tammany Hall

If you've walked by Union Square over the past year, you might have spotted something different. Rising atop  Reading International's landmarked Tammany Hall is a modern glass-and-steel dome. BKSK Architects designed the addition, which can house a variety of commercial uses, with the building's history in mind. Though many associate Tammany Hall's history with political corruption, BKSK wanted people to understand that its namesake is actually Lenape Chief Tammanend, who worked towards a peaceful relationship with 17th-century European settlers. Ahead, see amazing photos of the dome's exterior and interior and hear from BKSK partner Todd Poisson about its construction and how it was conceived to resemble a turtle breaking out of water.
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November 12, 2020

David Adjaye and Aston Martin collaborate on residences and luxury car at 130 William in FiDi

Five apartments for sale at Sir David Adjaye's first New York City tower have been custom-designed by luxury carmaker Aston Martin. Located on the 59th and 60th floors of 130 William, a 66-story condo in the Financial District, the exclusive units come with a special edition Aston Martin DBX, an SUV designed in collaboration with Adjaye. The five condos include two penthouses, one priced at $11.5 million and the second at $10.5 million, and three loggia residences, priced at $3.985 million, $5.985 million, and $10 million.
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November 12, 2020

West Village condo of the late Alan Rickman lists for $1.7M

Late British actor Alan Rickman, known for, among countless other roles, playing  Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, lived primarily in England, but he had a great affinity for New York City. When he performed on Broadway (he was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in Noel Coward's Private Lives) he resided in his pied-à-terre in the West Village. After his passing in 2016, his estate has now listed the one-bedroom condo at 321 West 13th Street for $1,695,000. According to brokerage Compass, Rickman had "impeccable taste and a keen sense of design," which is shown in the gut renovation he undertook after purchasing the top-floor apartment for $995,000 in 2009.
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November 12, 2020

See New York City’s newest public park at the Upper West Side’s Waterline Square

New photos of the public park at the Waterline Square development were released this week, showing off the nearly three acres of green space designed by MNLA. Positioned in the middle of the three glassy Upper West Side towers, Waterline Square Park offers a tucked-away oasis for the community, along with a huge playground and unique water features. When it officially opened this summer, the park hosted a number of socially-distanced events including live music performances and yoga classes.
See it here
November 11, 2020

The Harlem Hellfighters: African-American New Yorkers were some of WWI’s most decorated soldiers

By the end of World War II, the Croix de Guerre, France’s highest military honor, would be awarded to the 369th Infantry Regiment. Better known as the Harlem Hellfighters, the regiment was an all-black American unit serving under French command in World War I, and they spent a stunning 191 days at the Front, more than any other American unit. In that time, they never lost a trench to the enemy or a man to capture. Instead, they earned the respect of both allies and enemies, helped introduce Jazz to France, and returned home to a grateful city where hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers turned out to welcome home 3,000 Hellfighter heroes in a victory parade that stretched from 23rd Street and 5th Avenue to 145th Street and Lenox.
The whole history
November 11, 2020

Tired of roommates? Here are 5 studios in NYC renting for under $2,500/month

Sharing space with roommates in a small New York City apartment has never been easy. But doing so during a pandemic while many are still working from home? Almost impossible. As winter approaches and takes safe outdoor activities with it, now may be a good time to look for your own apartment. And with average rents still down compared to the same period last year, you're more likely to scoop up a decent deal. For those ready to ditch the roommates, we've found five studio apartments perfect for one, from a sunny Sutton Place rental for $1,538/month to a $2,479/month junior one-bedroom with amenities in Gramercy Park.
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November 10, 2020

Can Times Square ever be completely car-free?

It's been over ten years since cars were first banned in some sections of Times Square. Is it time for additional street closures along bustling Broadway? In a new design study, the Germany-based architecture firm 3deluxe has reimagined Times Square to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists, trading vehicular traffic lanes for recreational activities, landscaped features, and public transportation. The concept comes as New York and other cities continue to reexamine the value of safe public space as the fight to control the coronavirus pandemic continues.
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November 10, 2020

See inside Bjarke Ingels’ new Harlem rental The Smile, with apartments from $2,056/month

Living in a starchitect-designed apartment building is now slightly more attainable. The Smile, a new rental tower in East Harlem designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, has officially opened. The 11-story tower at 158 East 126th Street, named for its grin-like shape, contains 233 apartments, 70 of which are affordable. Leasing kicked off in September, with pricing for the market-rate rentals starting at roughly $2,056/month. New photos released this week take us inside the minimalist model residences and the impressive amenity package that is tailored to those working from home, including a co-working studio and a rooftop with a plunge pool, three whirlpools, and an outdoor movie theater.
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November 9, 2020

The Rockefeller Center ice skating rink will only be open for two months this year

Photo by Shinya Suzuki via Flickr cc As was first reported by the New York Times, the famous ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center will be be open for the holidays this year, but it will be a much abbreviated season. The rink will open a month later to give more time to restaurants currently using the plaza for outdoor dining, and it will close several months early on January 17 to begin work on a major revamp that was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in April.
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November 9, 2020

Leonard Bernstein’s one-time Upper East Side penthouse hits the market for $29.5M

Just by appearance, this Upper East Side penthouse is brag-worthy. Located at the Art Deco co-op 895 Park Avenue, the 14-room apartment is spread across two floors and has multiple wood-burning fireplaces, wrap-around terraces with views in every direction, and a gorgeous solarium. But what really sets it apart is that it used to be home to famous composer and cultural icon Leonard Bernstein, and it's even where he hosted his "radical chic" party as a fundraiser for the Black Panthers. And it can now be yours for $29,500,000.
Take the tour
November 9, 2020

‘Say Their Names’ installation at The Public Theater honors Black lives lost to police brutality

The Public Theater will debut this week a new art installation that honors Black American lives lost to police brutality. Starting November 11, the facade of the East Village theater will display "SAY THEIR NAMES," a visual exhibit that includes at least 2,200 names of Black people killed at the hands of police between 2013 and 2020. Curated by Garlia Cornelia Jones, the projection covers the entire building at 425 Lafayette and features work by ten artists.
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November 5, 2020

Pearl River Mart opens first food-focused store in Chelsea Market

In some much-needed good news for New York City, popular Pearl River Mart has unveiled its first food-focused store in Chelsea Market. The Asian emporium, which has sold one-of-a-kind Asian-inspired decor and cookware in Manhattan since 1971, last week opened Pearl River Mart Foods, a food market with grocery items and three food stalls. After closing its Chinatown location in 2016, the beloved store returned to the city amid much fanfare with a location in Tribeca, followed by two more locations in Chelsea Market and the Museum of Chinese in America. Pearl River Mart's new food market expands its existing Chelsea market footprint to the lower level.
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November 5, 2020

After 17 years, Caracas Arepa Bar is closing in the East Village

Before the entire East Village was a hub of hip food, the stretch of East 7th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue was somewhat of a pioneer in the new guard of restaurants, and one of the first places to set up here was Caracas Arepa Bar. In 2003, the Venezuelan restaurant was opened by owners Maribel Araujo and Aristides Barrios, who met at another arepa bar in the city of Caracas and often get credit for popularizing arepas in the city. But, sadly, after 17 years, the restaurant is the latest to fall victim to the pandemic and announced on Instagram that the last day for their East Village location will be November 8.
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November 5, 2020

$13.8M carriage house feels like a mini palazzo right in Chelsea

This two-family Chelsea carriage house has the feeling of an Italian palazzo. But despite its old-world feel, the home is full of modern perks such as a rare private garage, three outdoor spaces including a roof deck, and multiple skylights. The six-bedroom owner's residence occupies four floors plus a finished basement, while the two-bedroom rental unit sits on the top floor. The new owner definitely has the option to transform the home into one 9,200-square-foot private townhouse. It's asking $13,800,000.
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November 3, 2020

Contemporary Murray Hill penthouse with an incredible terrace asks $3.25M

The listing for this $3,250,000 three-bedroom co-op in Murray Hill touts the property as a "true penthouse," explaining that it "sits on top of the building proper and is accessed through a private entrance at rooftop level." That location (which sounds pretty darn good to us!) also affords the home at 244 Madison Avenue an incredible rooftop terrace, complete with cozy built-in seating and dining, as well as views of the Empire State Building and Midtown skylines.
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November 2, 2020

Ralph Lauren exec lists Upper West Side co-op full of industrial-chic style for $3.5M

For the past 30 years, John Wrazej has been an executive at Ralph Lauren, and for just as long, he's lived at this four-bedroom co-op on the Upper West Side. The home at 107 West 82nd Street has all the fashionable flair you'd expect, with tons of industrial details, lots of plaid fabric, and an overall masculine-yet-comfortable vibe. John said he and his wife, Patti Trainor-Wrazej, approached their home with the same sensibility as the Ralph Lauren brand--"like wearing a tuxedo jacket with jeans and a pair of cowboy boots." The couple has now decided to sell, listing the apartment for $3,495,000.
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October 30, 2020

Greenwich Village home of urbanist Jane Jacobs gets historic plaque

The former New York City home of author and organizer Jane Jacobs was honored this week with a historic plaque. The Village Preservation on Thursday unveiled the plaque at 555 Hudson Street in Greenwich Village during a virtual event. The 1842-constructed row house is where Jacobs, who died in 2006, wrote "Death and Life of Great American Cities," a critique of urban planning of the 1950s and a call for more safe, walkable city streets and mixed-use development.
Learn more here
October 29, 2020

Manhattan’s only production brewery is now open in Soho

A massive new brewery and restaurant opened in Soho last week, becoming the only production brewery in Manhattan. Located at 12 Vandam Street, Torch & Crown Brewing Company measures 9,000 square feet over three levels and boasts soaring ceilings, ivy-covered walls, and enough seating for 250 people inside and 180 people in their heated outdoor space. Although the brewery's original May opening date was delayed because of the coronavirus, the team managed to stay afloat by launching a direct beer delivery service in the city.
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October 28, 2020

Smash and smush your old pumpkins into compost at Hudson River Park

What better way to celebrate fall, relieve some 2020 related-stress, and benefit the environment than smashing old pumpkins into compost. Hudson River Park's third-annual "smash it, don't trash it" Pumpkin Smash event returns next month, which invites New Yorkers to take a bat to post-Halloween gourds to dispose of them in an eco-friendly way.
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October 28, 2020

$2M for a West Village duplex with historic charm, modern updates, and a roof deck

This $1,995,000, two-bedroom co-op in the West Village has major historic bones, but it's also seen some clever, contemporary additions over the years that make it a comfortable family home. Located at 92 Horatio Street, the duplex is laid out with both bedrooms on the second floor, and it has a nearly 300-square-foot roof terrace.
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October 28, 2020

Upper West Side condo tower that replaced century-old synagogue reveals new looks

New renderings of the Upper West Side condo tower that replaced one of New York City's oldest synagogues were revealed this week. In 2017, Congregation Shaare Zedek sold its synagogue at 212 West 93rd Street to developers Leyton Properties and Landsea Homes. Some local residents and preservation groups opposed the sale and pushed for the nearly 100-year-old building to be landmarked, but their efforts fell short. Now as the project nears completion, we're getting an updated preview of the 14-story mixed-use condo designed by Eran Chen's ODA New York and a peek inside its 20 luxury residences, 70 percent of which will have private outdoor space.
Details here
October 27, 2020

New sculpture in Madison Square Park uses Lady Liberty’s torch to symbolize city’s struggles

From 1876 to 1882, the Statue of Liberty's torch-holding arm was on view in Madison Square Park as a way to garner enthusiasm for the project before it arrived from France. Nearly 150 years later, the torch has returned, reimagined for a different purpose. Commissioned by the Madison Square Park Conservancy, Abigail DeVille's "Light of Freedom" sculpture includes a 13-foot-high torch encased in scaffolding and filled with a bell and the arms of mannequins. The work aims to reflect the current struggles New York City is facing with the pandemic, protests, and political climate while acknowledging the way in which conflict can create change.
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October 27, 2020

See inside the ‘bubble’ apartments at the High Line’s new Lantern House condo

While we've been following the progression of Thomas Heatherwick's first residential project in the United States from its unique exterior, new photos are providing a first peek inside the bubbles. Located at 515 West 18th Street, Lantern House features two condo towers that straddle the High Line in Chelsea, one rising 10 stories and the other 22 stories, both with facades designed to resemble a lantern. Ahead, see the model home designed by staging experts ASH NYC, which was able to complement the building's unique architecture with a mix of bold, contemporary furniture and vintage details.
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October 27, 2020

Rare townhouse in the Manhattan Avenue Historic District comes to the market for $2.5M

The Manhattan Avenue Historic District is a group of 40 buildings that encompasses barely two blocks in the Manhattan Valley section of the Upper West Side. Stretching from West 104th to 106th Streets, the majority of the district's structures are picturesque townhouses designed in the then-popular Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival styles and built between 1885 and 1890. One of these homes, at 127 Manhattan Avenue, has just come to the market for the first time in 50 years. The five-bedroom townhouse is asking $2,495,000.
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