Manhattan

By Andrew Berman and Hunter Lane of Village Preservation

The Harlem Fire Watchtower, also known as the Mount Morris Fire Watchtower, is the last structure of its kind in New York City. The 47-foot-tall tower was erected in 1856, the third of 11 fire towers built in Manhattan. Fire watchtowers were discontinued after 1878, but the bell in its tower continued to ring at 9am and noon for years after. The historic cast-iron tower has been restored and reunited with its original surroundings in Marcus Garvey park after having been in storage since 2015.
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History

17 legendary musicians who called Greenwich Village home

Photo of Bob Dylan by Chris Hakkens on Wikimedia, Photo of Janis Joplin via Wikimedia, Photo of Buddy Holly via Wikimedia, Photo of Jimi Hendrix via Wikimedia, Photo of Lou Reed by Mick Rock on Wikimedia

October 31, 2019

17 legendary musicians who called Greenwich Village home

For generations, Greenwich Village, and particularly the historic district which lies at its core, has attracted musicians of all stripes. They’ve been inspired by its quaint and charming streets and the lively cultural scene located in and around the neighborhood. It would be a fool’s errand to try to name every great musician who ever laid their head to rest within the Greenwich Village Historic District’s boundaries. But as we round out a year’s worth of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the district’s designation, here are just a few of the greats who at one time or another called it home, from Bob Dylan to John Lennon to Jimi Hendrix to Barbra Streisand.
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History

Anish Kapoor’s bean sculpture at 56 Leonard Street will finally get installed

Rendering of Anish Kapoor sculpture at 56 Leonard St. © Anish Kapoor, 2017

October 31, 2019

Anish Kapoor’s bean sculpture at 56 Leonard Street will finally get installed

Tribeca's "Jenga Building," officially known as 56 Leonard Street, welcomed residents over two years ago, but one piece of the tower is still missing--the mirrored, bean-shaped sculpture by Anish Kapoor planned for the sidewalk outside its entrance. The sculptor is best known in the U.S. for his 2005 Cloud Gate installation in Chicago's Millenium Park, and his Tribeca piece, his first permanent work in New York City, will be a similar, smaller version of this. Back in March, we spotted a spray-painted installation guide for the sculpture outside 56 Leonard, but it's taken until now for the official word that the install will begin in November.
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Events & Things To Do

For $50M, Demi Moore’s former San Remo penthouse has park views and famous neighbors

Photo credit: Evan Joseph courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

October 31, 2019

For $50M, Demi Moore’s former San Remo penthouse has park views and famous neighbors

Demi Moore may have sold her remarkable apartment in the San Remo at 145 Central Park West for $45 million in 2007–two years after first attempting to sell at a whopping $75M–but the rare penthouse in one of the venerable building's two beaux-arts towers is still a star. And the south tower triplex is for sale again, this time asking $50 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. As if the 8,000-square-foot sky mansion didn't have enough of its own cachet, neighbor Bono–who bought his apartment from Steve Jobs–can always add more. The seller is known only via the LLC “M2 Trust.”
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Designs revealed for Phillips auction house’s new home in 432 Park Avenue’s white cube base

Rendering by studioMDA

October 30, 2019

Designs revealed for Phillips auction house’s new home in 432 Park Avenue’s white cube base

British auction house Phillips will move its headquarters into the white cube base of the supertall at 432 Park Avenue next year. As first reported by the New York Post, architecture firm studioMDA has been tapped to design the 55,000-square-foot auction house and will replace the ground floor the existing space with a sunken mezzanine. The new Billionaires' Row spot will open in the summer of 2020.
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Architecture And Design

First and tallest tower in Manhattan West complex is now open

Image courtesy of James M Hooker / CTC Creative

October 30, 2019

First and tallest tower in Manhattan West complex is now open

The doors of One Manhattan West have officially opened. The Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed tower spans across 67 stories and 2.1 million square feet of office space, and at 995 feet, it’s the tallest building in the development. Located at the corner of Ninth Avenue and 33rd Street, the tower is the first building within Brookfield Properties’ eight-acre Manhattan West complex to open. It’s already 90 percent leased, with tenants including Accenture, the National Hockey League, Skadden Arps, and Slate.
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New Developments

This landmarked English Gothic Harlem church seeks a $6.25M buyer to create its next chapter

Photo credit: Matt Vacca courtesy of Compass.

October 30, 2019

This landmarked English Gothic Harlem church seeks a $6.25M buyer to create its next chapter

New York City's church conversions always draw interest and curiosity; whether they symbolize tranquility–or just offer a unique setting that often includes stained-glass windows with heavenly light and miles-high cathedral ceilings–they transcend the ordinary. This historic, landmarked Harlem church, built in 1897, is now on the market for $6.25 million. Home to the Greater Metropolitan Baptist Church since 1985, the building is zoned residential, so, according to the listing, it can become a single-family home. Built in the English Gothic style and first dedicated as St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church, the house of worship is a reflection of the neighborhood's many layers of history. The listing calls on "sophisticated buyers and developers" to seize the chance to be responsible for the next chapter in the life of this neighborhood icon.
From 80-foot spires to a classic church basement

Soho loft from first ‘Real World’ season is back on the market for $6.8M

Listing images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

October 30, 2019

Soho loft from first ‘Real World’ season is back on the market for $6.8M

This iconic Soho loft at 565 Broadway comes with a storied past and a newly reduced price: $6.8 million. Located on the corner of Prince Street and Broadway, the building was originally designed by John Kellum as the headquarters of Ball, Black & Co, the top 19th-century jeweler before Tiffany’s. In 1992, the loft was the inaugural setting for MTV's first season of "The Real World." A few years later in 1995, sculptor Edwina Sandys—the granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill—bought the duplex with her husband, architect Richard Kaplan, for $950,000, according to the New York Post. Originally listed in 2013 for $10.95 million, it's been on and off the market since.
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Distinctive Homes

See inside SHoP’s slender supertall at 111 West 57th Street

The living room of the 43rd-floor unit; Photo by Peter Murdock

October 29, 2019

See inside SHoP’s slender supertall at 111 West 57th Street

The skinny skyscraper perfectly positioned over Central Park has officially topped out at 1,428 feet, becoming the world's second tallest residential building. Designed by SHoP Architects, 111 West 57th Street's super-slender frame allows each of the 46 full-floor and duplex condos to feel like a penthouse. In addition to the Billionaires' Row tower reaching its pinnacle height at 91 stories, new images released Tuesday provide a first look inside the residences, with 360-degree views of Manhattan and bold interiors conceived by Studio Sofield.
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New Developments

Image: Business Wire

October 28, 2019

Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Love Flies Up to the Sky’ balloon to join Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Work by Yayoi Kusama, the celebrated contemporary artist who gave us those famous polka-dot pumpkins and insanely popular Infinity Rooms, will be brightening the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Japanese artist's creation, “Love Flies Up to the Sky,” will be part of the parade's Blue Sky Gallery, a series of balloons that reflect art from the world's best-known contemporary artists.
Inflatable art, this way

Events & Things To Do

Co-op in Nolita’s historic Astor Memorial School, featured in ‘Modern Love’ series, asks $3.5M

Listing images by Donna Dotan; courtesy of Compass

October 28, 2019

Co-op in Nolita’s historic Astor Memorial School, featured in ‘Modern Love’ series, asks $3.5M

Fans of Amazon’s popular Modern Love series will remember this co-op as the building where Anne Hathaway’s character lives in Episode 3. But architecture buffs may recognize that the striking Victorian Gothic structure was designed by none other than Calvert Vaux as the Astor Memorial School in the late 1880s. The parlor floor unit inside this landmarked building at 256 Mott Street has just listed for $3.5 million, offering the rare chance to own a truly historic residence with a prime Nolita address right across the street from Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
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Distinctive Homes

The restoration of Keith Haring’s ‘Crack is Wack’ mural is now complete

Images courtesy of NYC Parks

October 25, 2019

The restoration of Keith Haring’s ‘Crack is Wack’ mural is now complete

After a couple of months of work, Keith Haring’s iconic “Crack is Wack” mural in East Harlem is now fully restored. As 6sqft previously reported, Haring painted the 16-foot by 26-foot mural on a handball court at East 128th Street and the Harlem River Drive in 1986 to draw attention to the crack cocaine epidemic. Composed with the artist’s signature kinetic figures and bold abstract forms, the piece has been celebrated as one of his most important works. It was refurbished and repainted by artists Louise Hunnicutt and William Tibbals, with support from the Keith Haring Foundation.
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For $575K, this cute landmarked studio in the West Village is laid out like a one-bedroom

Listing images by DDReps; courtesy of Compass

October 25, 2019

For $575K, this cute landmarked studio in the West Village is laid out like a one-bedroom

Part of the Greenwich Village Historic District, this bright studio at 715 Washington Street is now on the market for a cool $575,000. The floor-through unit—previously configured as a one-bedroom—might be small in space but it's big on charm, with pre-war details including original hardwood floors, painted brick walls, built-in shelving, and a decorative fireplace in the sleeping area.
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Distinctive Homes

Studio with an elaborately carved fireplace and prime UWS location asks $529K

Listing images by Melanie Greene; courtesy of Compass

October 24, 2019

Studio with an elaborately carved fireplace and prime UWS location asks $529K

The main living area in this charming Upper West Side studio at 123 West 80th Street only adds up to 240 square feet, but within that are all the old-world details you could ask for. For starters, there’s that enormous carved wood fireplace with a mirror that will at least add the perception of more space. Other features include original parquet wood floors, an elegant chandelier, and carved south-facing windows with restored shutters. The unit was originally listed at the beginning of the month for $539,000 and just got a $10,000 cut on its asking price. The central location—just steps away from the American Natural History Museum—certainly contributes to that.
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Distinctive Homes

Photo credit: Russ Ross courtesy of Compass.

October 24, 2019

This $275K Tudor City studio co-op is in one of the world’s first residential skyscrapers

Completed in 1929, Tudor Tower at 25 Tudor City Place in Murray Hill's Tudor City historic district was one of the world's first three residential skyscrapers. Asking $275,000, this studio is among the least expensive units in the landmarked prewar co-op complex.
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Distinctive Homes

Tickets on sale today for Edge, Hudson Yards’ 1,100-foot-high observation deck

Image courtesy of Related Oxford.

October 24, 2019

Tickets on sale today for Edge, Hudson Yards’ 1,100-foot-high observation deck

6sqft reported back in March that Hudson Yards had opened a reservation list to experience Edge, the observation platform perched at a record-setting 1,100 feet in the sky. Now you can officially buy tickets to the Western Hemisphere's highest outdoor sky deck. Visitors can gaze out on a 360-degree view of New York City's iconic skyline from the champagne bar, or peer down through a glass floor. The platform-in-the-clouds will open on March 11, 2020; you'll be able to sip cocktails or get a light bite at the 100th-floor bar or dine at Peak, the 101st-floor restaurant, café and event space.
Tickets and more this way

Uncategorized

Upper West Side favorite Boat Basin Cafe has permanently closed

Photo by WalkingGeek on Flickr

October 24, 2019

Upper West Side favorite Boat Basin Cafe has permanently closed

Another beloved New York City establishment has shuttered. The Boat Basin Cafe, a laid-back waterfront restaurant at the 79th Street marina, will not reopen for the season next year, Gothamist reported on Wednesday. The Upper West Side hangout announced its permanent departure in a Facebook post, citing a "local construction project" as the reason for the closure.
Another favorite gone

Food & Dining

Late architect I.M. Pei’s self-designed Sutton Place townhouse hits the market for $8M

Photos courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

October 24, 2019

Late architect I.M. Pei’s self-designed Sutton Place townhouse hits the market for $8M

Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei passed away in May, leaving behind an unrivaled legacy that includes modern masterpieces such as the Louvre's glass pyramid in Paris and the National Gallery of Art's East Building in Washington D.C., as well as a slew of iconic projects here in NYC. His firm, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, was based in New York City, where Pei also lived. For the past 45 years, he and his wife Eileen resided in a four-story townhouse at 11 Sutton Place, which has just been listed by Christie's International Real Estate for $8 million. Pei himself outfitted the home with appropriately stunning architectural features such as a spiral staircase, a geometric skylight, and a rear wall of windows to take advantage of the East River views.
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Upper East Side duplex with an enchanting, Greek-inspired garden seeks $1.9M

Listing images by Alan Barry; courtesy of Compass

October 23, 2019

Upper East Side duplex with an enchanting, Greek-inspired garden seeks $1.9M

Around the corner from Madison Avenue at 42 East 73rd Street, this stylish Upper East Side duplex features a romantic, Greek-inspired garden complete with ionic columns and a variety of plantings. Inside, bronze columns frame an elegant living area on the first level, while the second floor provides a flexible guest suite or home office. The two-bedroom is seeking $1.895 million.
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Distinctive Homes

Now dubbed ‘Zero Irving,’ the contested Union Square tech hub releases new renderings

Renderings courtesy of RAL Development Services

October 23, 2019

Now dubbed ‘Zero Irving,’ the contested Union Square tech hub releases new renderings

The vision for a contested tech hub currently underway at 124 East 14th Street—the site of the former P.C. Richard & Son building—is coming into sharper focus. RAL Development Services released a new batch of renderings and rebranded the project with a new name, Zero Irving, presumably a nod to neighboring Irving Place. The 21-story building will include office space, a technology training center and incubator, co-working spaces, an event space, and a street-level food hall. The project broke ground over the summer and is slated for completion toward the end of 2020.
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New Developments

Will Midtown’s Lord & Taylor building be back on the market after multibillion-dollar WeWork bailout?

Photo courtesy of Lord & Taylor

October 23, 2019

Will Midtown’s Lord & Taylor building be back on the market after multibillion-dollar WeWork bailout?

The biggest news to surface in the turbulent waters of the WeWork saga may be the multibillion-dollar bailout and takeover by Japanese company SoftBank following a failed IPO and a company valuation that skidded from a reported $48 billion to $8 billion in a matter of months. And as part of a scramble for cash, the office space sublease and coworking disruptor has been expected to divest of the Lord & Taylor building at 424 Fifth Avenue; WeWork purchased the high-profile property–the former home of the department store's flagship location–with partners Rhone Capital and Hudson’s Bay for $850 million earlier this year. But, as Crain's reports, the company may be trying to lease the 660,000-square-foot property to high-paying office tenants as a way to raise the needed funds.
Will the building be back on the market soon?

Real Estate Trends

All renderings courtesy of Gensler

October 22, 2019

New lobby renderings revealed for Phillip Johnson’s 550 Madison Avenue

It's been two years since developers unveiled their plans for a $300 million renovation of 550 Madison Avenue, helmed by architecture firm Snøhetta. Built in 1984 to the designs of Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the 647-foot building was the world’s first postmodern skyscraper. After several revisions, the renovation plans were approved by the LPC in February, and now, developer the Olayan Group has revealed the first renderings of the lobby. Most notably, the interior designs respect the 110-foot arched entryway and vaulted ceilings and add a window overlooking the proposed new public garden in the rear arcade.
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

City seeks operator for long-planned memorial and cultural center at Harlem’s African burial ground site

Image of 126 Street Bus Depot courtesy of NYCEDC

October 22, 2019

City seeks operator for long-planned memorial and cultural center at Harlem’s African burial ground site

The city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is now accepting bids for the long-planned redevelopment of the East 126th Street Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bus Depot into a memorial and cultural education center honoring the historic African burial ground found in the early 2000s at the site. In collaboration with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the EDC has released a request for expressions of interest looking for a non-profit organization to operate the cultural center and outdoor memorial in Harlem.
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Uncategorized

October 22, 2019

Asking $995K, this rustic West Village co-op has soaring brick barrel-vaulted ceilings

Listing images by David Palmieri courtesy of Citi Habitats Housed inside a former printing house built in the 1880s, this one-bedroom at 9 Barrow Street “embraces its rich architectural history,” as the listing notes. Plaster was stripped away during a recent renovation to feature the warm exposed brick and nearly 11-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings. It’s not just the character-filled interior that earns this co-op it’s $995,00 asking price. Located on a quaint, tree-lined Greenwich Village block, the property easily checks off the “great location” box. Elevator access and a small but charming private terrace round out the package.
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Distinctive Homes

Midtown’s Paris Theatre will temporarily reopen for a Netflix screening

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Flickr

October 21, 2019

Midtown’s Paris Theatre will temporarily reopen for a Netflix screening

In August, Midtown's 71-year-old Paris Theatre closed its doors when its lease with developer Sheldon Solow ended. The 581-seat theater was NYC's last single-screen movie house and was known for showing indie and foreign, especially French, films. But the iconic establishment on 58th Street will open its doors once more next month; Deadline reports that Netflix has worked out a deal with Solow to screen its upcoming movie "Marriage Story" in the Paris when it premiers on November 6th.
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City Living

Live in the ‘pavilion’ apartment at the historic Woolworth Building for $30M

Photo of Pavilion A by Travis Mark

October 21, 2019

Live in the ‘pavilion’ apartment at the historic Woolworth Building for $30M