Manhattan

T-Mobile's departing CEO John Legere first listed his palatial penthouse at 91 Central Park West for $22 million in February 2018 and progressively dropped the price to just shy of $18 million in his search for a buyer. In the end, he didn't have to look far. Giorgio Armani—who already owns a unit on the same floor—recently purchased the residence for roughly $17.5 million, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. The one-time home of publishing giant William Randolph Hearst sprawls over 3,000 square feet and comes with a 1,700-square-foot private terrace overlooking the park. Armani will combine the residence with his existing, similarly sized unit and take over the entire floor.
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Nomad’s Tin Pan Alley, birthplace of American pop music, gains five landmarks

Tin Pan Alley buildings; Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

December 10, 2019

Nomad’s Tin Pan Alley, birthplace of American pop music, gains five landmarks

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated five Nomad buildings linked to the birthplace of American pop music. Tin Pan Alley, a stretch of West 28th Street named to describe the sound of piano music heard from street level, served as an epicenter for musicians, composers, and sheet music publishers between 1893 and 1910. During this nearly two-decade period, some of the most memorable songs of the last century were produced, including "God Bless America" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
More here

December 9, 2019

Waitlist opens for affordable units in Murray Hill rental near Grand Central, from $858/month

Applications are now being accepted for a 150-person waitlist for a luxury rental building in Murray Hill. Located at 200 East 39th Street, the building, known as Frontier, rises 19 stories and contains just under 100 apartments. Perks include a landscaped rooftop terrace, a fitness center, and a gaming lounge. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply to be placed on the waitlist for affordable units ranging from an $858/month studio to a $1,381/month two-bedroom.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Images courtesy of CORE NYC

December 9, 2019

This one-bedroom West Village co-op seems like a dream for $789K

This one-bedroom co-op at 41 Jane Street in one of the most sought-after blocks of the wonderful West Village is just the sort of apartment so many are hoping to find when looking for a pied-a-terre or a place with just enough room for one (or a very close couple). Asking $789,000, the apartment has plenty of pre-war charm, exposed brick, high ceilings, and a wood-burning fireplace.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Amazon leases office space in Hudson Yards

Photo by Bill Benzon via Flickr cc

December 9, 2019

Amazon leases office space in Hudson Yards

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Less than a year after Amazon dropped plans to build its second headquarters in Long Island City, the tech giant has officially signed a lease for office space in Hudson Yards, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. The Seattle-based company will expand its presence in Manhattan with 335,000 square feet of office space at 410 Tenth Avenue. There are currently about 3,500 employees in the company's existing NYC offices and this latest expansion will bring 1,500 new jobs to the city—all without any incentives.
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Uncategorized

From top left: Photo of Robert Frost via Wikimedia, Photo of Emily Post via Library of Congress, Photo of Henry Miller via Wikimedia; From bottom left: Photo of James Baldwin by Allan Warren via Wikimedia, Photo of Patricia Highsmith via Wikimedia, and Photo of Margaret Mead via Smithsonian Institution Archives Wikimedia

December 6, 2019

31 literary icons of Greenwich Village

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. One of the city’s oldest and largest landmark districts, it’s a treasure trove of history, culture, and architecture. Village Preservation is spending 2019 marking this anniversary with events, lectures, and new interactive online resources. This is part of a series of posts about the Greenwich Village Historic District marking its golden anniversary. Greenwich Village, specifically the historic district at its core, has been described as many things, but “literary” may be among the most common. That’s not only because the neighborhood has an air of sophistication and drama, but because it has attracted some of the nation’s greatest writers over the last 200 plus years. Ahead, learn about just some of the cornucopia of great wordsmiths who have called the Greenwich Village Historic District home, from Thomas Paine to Lorraine Hansberry.
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History

Images courtesy of CORE NYC

December 6, 2019

$1.4M West Village duplex has a private garden and a double dose of charm

This just-right West Village co-op is the result of the combination of one lucky pre-war apartment and its downstairs twin; it may be priced like a one-bedroom co-op at $1.445 million, but it has the looks–and back garden–of a classic townhouse. The one-bedroom duplex at 92 Horatio Street has had a recent tasteful renovation, and two floors of space and an enchanting 250-square-foot garden on the ground floor are enviable just to start with. All of those things are located in one of Manhattan's most sought-after neighborhoods.
More Twice the charm, this way

Distinctive Homes

Facebook in talks for office space at former Farley Post Office in Midtown

Rendering courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

December 6, 2019

Facebook in talks for office space at former Farley Post Office in Midtown

Facebook is looking to expand its New York City footprint once again. The social media company is in talks to lease about 700,000 square feet at the former James A. Farley Post Office, a city landmark in Midtown currently being converted into a mixed-use building. If the deal is inked, Facebook would become one of the largest corporate tenants in the city with 3 million square feet of office space leased, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Get the details

Real Estate Trends

Rent this fancy and fully furnished Financial District condo for $5K/month

Photo credit: DDreps, courtesy of Compass

December 5, 2019

Rent this fancy and fully furnished Financial District condo for $5K/month

The 99 John Deco Lofts at 99 John Street in the heart of lower Manhattan's Financial District is one of those FiDi condos where everything is sleek, contemporary and new, and there are so many amenities you hardly have to leave the premises. All of that luxury comes at a price–in this case $4,995 a month–but there's no need to commit to buying. There's also no need to buy (or bring) furniture; it's included with the chic and lofty one-bedroom rental pad. There's plenty of closet space throughout, so whatever you bring can find a home as well.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Target announces new Times Square store, its 10th Manhattan location

Rendering courtesy of Target

December 5, 2019

Target announces new Times Square store, its 10th Manhattan location

New York City is getting another Target. The retailer announced on Thursday plans to open a small-format store in Times Square, its 10th store in Manhattan. The 33,000-square-foot location will be located at a five-level retail complex on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The property, owned and managed by Tishman Realty, is currently undergoing a $60 million renovation. The 42nd Street shop is expected to open in 2022.
The Target takeover continues

Uncategorized

Work starts on transforming Hudson Street to a ‘grand allée’ with wide sidewalks and bike lanes

Courtesy of Matthews Nielsen Landscape Architecture, P.C. with attribution to W Architecture and Landscape Architecture, LLC

December 4, 2019

Work starts on transforming Hudson Street to a ‘grand allée’ with wide sidewalks and bike lanes

In May, the city announced plans to make Hudson Street between Canal and West Houston Streets in Hudson Square into a grand boulevard with wider sidewalks, parking-protected bike lanes, and small outdoor "living rooms" with seating surrounded by greenery are moving forward with design and construction teams on board. And now, work has officially commenced on the first phase of the project, shortly after Disney revealed its forthcoming Hudson Square headquarters, which will bring 5,000 new employees to the area.
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David Rockwell-designed food hall to open at Manhattan West complex

Rendering courtesy of Brookfield Properties

December 4, 2019

David Rockwell-designed food hall to open at Manhattan West complex

A new food hall designed by David Rockwell is coming to Manhattan's West Side. Brookfield Properties announced on Tuesday plans to open a 40,000-square-foot venue at Manhattan West, a six-building development currently under construction that includes space for office, residential, retail, and a hotel between 9th and 10th Avenues. Dubbed "Citizens" and run by hospitality company sbe, the concept includes two full-service restaurants, multiple bars, and a fast-casual market.
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Food & Dining

New looks for Thomas Heatherwick’s quirky Lantern House condos on the High Line

Rendering courtesy of Related Companies

December 4, 2019

New looks for Thomas Heatherwick’s quirky Lantern House condos on the High Line

New renderings were released this week of Thomas Heatherwick's first residential project in the United States, providing a peek inside one of New York City's most unique new buildings. Developed by Related Companies, Lantern House consists of two High Line-flanking towers, one at 10 stories and the other at 22 stories, both with glassy bubbled exteriors. Four new images reveal its freestanding glass lobby pavilion which connects the two buildings and is pierced by two beams from the elevated park above.
See inside

Everything you need to know about this year’s Rockefeller Center tree lighting

Image by Michael Vadon via Wikimedia Commons

December 4, 2019

Everything you need to know about this year’s Rockefeller Center tree lighting

The 2019 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been in place for nearly a month, and it's almost ready to get lit. The 87th annual tree lighting ceremony will take place later tonight, with tens of thousands of spectators expected for the festivities and millions more tuning in on television. The event is free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, so read on for everything you need to know if you plan on getting a spot (or if you'd rather watch from your couch!).
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Events & Things To Do

For $10M, an Upper East Side townhouse with downtown loft style

Listing images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

December 3, 2019

For $10M, an Upper East Side townhouse with downtown loft style

Located on the corner of Third Avenue, this five-story townhouse at 182 East 94th Street brings downtown loft living to the Upper East Side. With over 5,800 square feet of interior space, the residence comes with a roof terrace, separate studio apartment on the ground floor, private parking, and nearly 4,500 square feet of unused development rights. The sprawling pad was constructed in 2012 and has yet to change ownership. The property listed last week for $9.975 million and is also available on the rental market for $30,000/month.
Get the full tour

Distinctive Homes

Lord & Taylor is returning to NYC as a Soho pop-up

Photo courtesy of Lord & Taylor

December 3, 2019

Lord & Taylor is returning to NYC as a Soho pop-up

After closing its iconic Fifth Avenue flagship at the start of 2019, department store Lord & Taylor will be popping up again as a Manhattan shopping address, sources told Bloomberg. The department store brand, which was sold by former owner Hudson's Bay to clothing rental company Le Tote for $100 million in cash in August, is reportedly opening a 2,400-square-foot shop for just two weeks in mid-December. The pop-up shop will be located on Wooster Street in Soho–a neighborhood whose current streetscape boasts as many empty storefronts and seasonal pop-ups as high-end designer fashion shops.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

Sione in early October 2019, photo by CityRealty

December 3, 2019

23 affordable apartments available at a brand new Lower East Side rental, from $613/month

By Dana Schulz

The Sioné, located at 171 Suffolk Street on the corner of East Houston, has launched an affordable housing lottery for 23 units, available to those earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income. Not only does the building sit in a prime Lower East Side location (just one block from Clinton Street Baking Company and three from Katz's), but it offers a slew of amenities like a gym and outdoor terraces, as well as apartments with modern finishings and high-tech upgrades. The available units range from $613/month studios to $2,200/month one-bedrooms, a much lower price than the market-rate rentals which start at $3,926/month for studios and $5,078/month for one-beds.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Design unveiled for New York Philharmonic’s $550M revamped concert hall

Renderings courtesy of the New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center

December 2, 2019

Design unveiled for New York Philharmonic’s $550M revamped concert hall

A plan to redesign the New York Philharmonic's concert hall was unveiled on Monday, nearly two decades after the project was first proposed. The $550 million plan aims to create a more intimate experience, acoustically and visually, at David Geffen Hall by moving the stage closer to the audience, improving sightlines, and reducing the seating capacity. Officials estimate the new hall will open in March of 2024.
More here

Architecture And Design

Whimsy and luxury collide in this $19M Soho loft filled with a hand-themed art collection

Listing images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

December 2, 2019

Whimsy and luxury collide in this $19M Soho loft filled with a hand-themed art collection

After nearly 30 years, Henry Buhl—a former mutual-fund manager turned photographer, philanthropist, and art collector—has listed his four-bedroom Soho loft for a cool $19 million. Buhl bought two adjacent units at 102 Prince Street and 114 Greene Street in 1990 for about $2.5 million and combined them into a sprawling, 7,000+ square-foot residence. Located in a classic Soho cast-iron building, one side of the home is luxuriously decorated in the Renaissance style while the other offers a unique “sculpture garden” filled with Buhl’s hand-themed art collection featuring works by Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, and Fernando Botero. The 89-year-old is looking to downsize, according to an interview with the Wall Street Journal, and is willing to sell prospective buyers “a handful” of his art as well.
Have a look around

Empire State Building opens 80th-floor observatory, completing $165M redevelopment

Photo by Evan Joseph for Empire State Realty Trust

December 2, 2019

Empire State Building opens 80th-floor observatory, completing $165M redevelopment

With the opening of the 80th-floor observatory last week, the $165 million, four-year redevelopment of the Empire State Building is now complete. In partnership with the city's tourism agency, NYC & Company, Empire State Realty Trust created an interactive, visitor-focused experience, which includes personalized digital itineraries, the building's classic viewfinders, film, original artwork, and more. The Trust unveiled the 102nd-floor observatory to the public in October, with the second-floor museum opening earlier in the summer.
See it here

Architecture And Design

Get a rare look inside the homes of the Chelsea Hotel’s last residents

The home of Suzanne Lipschutz, owner of antiques store Secondhand Rose. All Images by Colin Miller; courtesy of The Monacelli Press

December 2, 2019

Get a rare look inside the homes of the Chelsea Hotel’s last residents

Despite ongoing legal conflicts and stalled plans to convert the storied structure into a luxury hotel, the Chelsea Hotel remains one of the city’s legendary landmarks. Hotel Chelsea: Living in the Last Bohemian Haven, a new book published last month by The Monacelli Press, documents the homes of nearly two dozen current residents (there are about 50-60 remaining residents in total) who still embody the bohemian spirit of the Gilded Era hotel that was once home to seminal figures like Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, William S. Burroughs, and Thomas Wolfe.
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Distinctive Homes

200 spots open on waitlist for middle-income units at ritzy Upper West Side rental

Photo by Peter Burka on Flickr

November 27, 2019

200 spots open on waitlist for middle-income units at ritzy Upper West Side rental

A housing lottery launched this week to replenish the waitlist at a high-end apartment building on the Upper West Side. Applications are currently being accepted for a 200-spot waitlist for the West End Towers, a two-tower, 1,000-unit complex at 75 West End Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the available units, studios between $1,997 and $2,137 per month and one-bedrooms between $2,224 and $2,601 per month. Eligible applicants will be randomly selected and placed on the waitlist for future vacancies.
How to apply

Affordable Housing

Live between Central Park and Morningside Park in Harlem, from $2,357/month

Photo by Allie Smith on Unsplash

November 27, 2019

Live between Central Park and Morningside Park in Harlem, from $2,357/month

Located in between two of Manhattan's best green spaces, Morningside Park and Central Park, a new rental has launched a lottery for 32 middle-income apartments. The 13-story building at 251 West 117th Street in Harlem sits behind the former St. Thomas the Apostle Church, which has been restored and converted into a community and performance space. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which include $2,357/month studios, $2,526/month one-bedrooms, and $3,044/month two bedrooms.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Netflix reaches deal to keep Midtown’s Paris Theatre open for special events and screenings

Photo courtesy of Netflix, by Marion Curtis

November 26, 2019

Netflix reaches deal to keep Midtown’s Paris Theatre open for special events and screenings

By Dana Schulz

In a press release yesterday, Netflix announced that it reached a lease agreement to preserve Midtown's iconic Paris Theatre and keep it open for "special events, screenings, and theatrical releases of its films." Last month, Netflix premiered its new movie "Marriage Story" in the Paris, and with talks of the 58th Street site potentially getting redeveloped, many hoped the company would find a longer-term residency in the 71-year-old theater, which was NYC’s last single-screen movie house.
More details

Uncategorized

The 8 best neighborhoods in NYC for holiday shopping

Photo by Josh Wilburne on Unsplash

November 26, 2019

The 8 best neighborhoods in NYC for holiday shopping

By Rebecca Fishbein

New York is a prime spot for holiday shopping, in large part because of big department stores like Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s, designer flagships that line the Upper East Side, and whatever hell awaits you in the Disney Store in Times Square. But true New Yorkers should avoid the major shopping hubs, and instead seek gifts and other goods in some of the city’s slightly less crowded and infinitely more interesting ‘hoods, including the many holiday markets and pop-up shops found across the five boroughs. Find our favorite neighborhoods for holiday shopping this season, ahead.
See the full list

Events & Things To Do

Huge $24M Beresford duplex with park-facing terrace was home to showbiz luminaries

Photo credit: Denis Vlasov for Sotheby’s International Realty

November 26, 2019

Huge $24M Beresford duplex with park-facing terrace was home to showbiz luminaries