Manhattan

July 26, 2019

How much do you need to earn to afford a two-bedroom in NYC?

Manhattan requires the second-highest income in the country to afford an average two-bedroom apartment. A new report from SmartAsset analyzed how much a household needs to make in order to afford rent in the 25 largest cities in the United States. In Manhattan, New Yorkers would need to earn an annual salary of at least $162,857 to afford the average two-bedroom rent in the borough, currently around $3,800 per month.
Dig into the data
July 26, 2019

Amazon considers leasing historic former Lord & Taylor flagship from WeWork

Earlier this week reports circulated that Amazon might be eyeing Industry City for new office space in Brooklyn, but the company’s search isn’t limited to one borough. As the Wall Street Journal reported, Amazon is searching throughout New York City for a space large enough to accommodate its growing workforce and is in talks with WeWork to lease space in the historic Lord & Taylor flagship store, which WeWork bought earlier this year. Spokespeople for both companies declined to comment, but sources say Amazon is considering leasing a part of the building or the entire 12 stories. The Journal also noted that Amazon is looking into other locations, including the Farley Post Office across from Penn Station.
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July 25, 2019

Renderings revealed for Manhattan’s first public ‘beach’

The Hudson River Park Trust unveiled on Wednesday a preliminary concept for its plan to bring a public beach to Manhattan. The Meatpacking District site, known as the Gansevoort Peninsula, measures about 5.5 acres on the waterfront and formerly served as a parking lot for the city's sanitation department. The new park will feature a beach area with kayak access, a sports field, a salt marsh, and areas to picnic and lounge.
See the park
July 25, 2019

The social and cultural Puerto Rican history of the East Village

The tumult and unrest in the streets of Puerto Rico right now harken back to a time when many Puerto Rican New Yorkers were also agitating in the streets for long-overdue reform and change. One milestone in that history took place 50 years ago when several Puerto Rican activists gathered in the East Village to found the New York Chapter of the Young Lords. This began a flowering of Puerto Rican cultural and social ferment in the East Village, the legacy of which can still be seen and experienced in the neighborhood today. From Tompkins Square Park to the Nuyorican Poets Café, here are six of the most significant spots.
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July 25, 2019

Maya Angelou’s former Harlem brownstone sells after spending a year and a half on the market

In 2001, one year before Maya Angelou purchased her personal residence—an elegant brownstone in the Mount Morris Park Historic District—the late author and activist bought an investment property about 10 blocks away at 29 East 129th Street for only $275,000. During the years in which she resided in New York, she served as landlord of the three-family East Harlem property, comprised of a garden level duplex and two full-floor one-bedroom apartments. Angelou’s estate maintained the property following her death in 2014 and sold the residence to the current owner in 2016 for $1.98 million. The townhouse was most recently listed for $2.65 million in February 2018. A few price chops later, it finally found a new owner and closed for $2.3 million, as the New York Post reported.
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July 24, 2019

Classic East Village brownstone apartment with private outdoor space seeks $6.8K/month

This classic brownstone apartment at 218 East 12th Street is an East Village delight. Located on a quiet, tree-lined block—right around the corner from St. Marks Church between Second and Third Avenues—the floor-through unit offers a temporary but quintessential slice of life in the buzzy neighborhood. Available to rent for $6,800 a month, the sunny one-bedroom apartment boasts prewar details, a flexible layout, and a private outdoor space.
Get the full tour
July 24, 2019

Washington Heights’ Little Red Lighthouse will open for a rare public tour this weekend

New Yorkers looking to learn a little more about the city’s history are in luck. This weekend, the NYC Parks Department is offering a tour of Washington Heights' Little Red Lighthouse. The lighthouse is rarely open to the public, but those interested can join the free tour with the Urban Park Rangers this Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Find out more
July 24, 2019

My 800sqft: See inside the memory-filled, minimalist Village pad of Museum Hack founder Nick Gray

A few years ago, a date brought Nick Gray to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and showed him all of the pieces she really loved. Something clicked. “The passion was contagious,” Nick said. “I went back to the museum dozens of times, iPad in hand, doing a deep dive into the pieces I found most interesting.” As this became a serious hobby, Nick, who has no background in art or history, began inviting friends to join him at the Met to teach them fun facts about lesser-known works of art and artifacts. What started as a new obsession with museums, grew into Museum Hack, a million-dollar company that leads “renegade” small-group tours of museums in New York City and four other cities. Nick’s enthusiasm follows him into his Greenwich Village apartment, where its minimalist design comes packed with memories. On a recent tour of his apartment--which boasts super tall ceilings, a skylight, and a wood-burning fireplace--he eagerly showed us a wall covered with polaroids of friends, his blue velvet couch inspired by a piece of furniture at the Met, and a large photo of "the craziest party" he's ever thrown. Ahead, tour Nick's bright pad, take his advice for museum newbies and learn about what he has planned next (it involves guacamole).
Meet Nick and see inside his apartment
July 24, 2019

Queens Night Market is bringing its global cuisine to Rockefeller Center

Since launching in 2015, the Queens Night Market has become a favorite in the food market scene for its international offerings. But for those who can't make it out to Flushing Meadows, the Market will be opening a new daytime outpost at Rockefeller Center starting July 29th. Founder John Wang said The OUTPOST by Queens Night Market is "a chance to test out the area’s appetite for unique global offerings, and also a chance for some of our dedicated vendors to profit from all the passion and hard work they bring to the Queens Night Market."
Find out the vendors
July 23, 2019

$6.8M Soho penthouse is a modern glass oasis with a roof deck and a fire pit

Listing images by DDreps, Courtesy of Compass This 1,953-square-foot contemporary aerie at 109 Greene Street has all the elements of an ideal Soho penthouse loft. The three (or four) bedroom duplex condo, asking $6.795 million, is framed by dramatic glass walls that look out over the neighborhood–and three levels of landscaped outdoor space complete with an outdoor kitchen and a fire pit.
Check out the views from here
July 23, 2019

Grand Central photography exhibit shows iconic landmarks on empty NYC streets

Last Thursday, MTA Arts and Design announced a new installation going up in Grand Central Terminal. “Landmark City” showcases photographs of iconic landmark buildings that have been altered to appear on completely empty streets. The installation, by acclaimed photographer Marc Yankus, is set to run for a year in GCT’s East Dining Concourse.
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July 23, 2019

Mount Sinai files plans for new $600M Beth Israel facility in the East Village

Mount Sinai Health System filed an application with the Department of Health to close its current facility and redesign a $600 million Mount Sinai Beth Israel facility two blocks away, slated to open in 2023, Crains reports. The new facility and Mount Sinai's New York Eye and Ear Infirmary will share a campus. The hospital's $1 billion downtown development plans also include a $140 million behavioral health center on the Lower East Side for mental health and substance-use treatment.
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July 23, 2019

For $615K, this Upper West Side two bedroom is two blocks from Central and Morningside Parks

With lots of exposed brick and a laidback vibe, this Upper West Side pad pairs downtown style with an impressive uptown address, less than two blocks away from Central Park. The “value-priced” two-bedroom condo at 65 West 107th Street last sold in 2009 for a mere $263,000 and is now on the market seeking $615,000.
Look inside
July 22, 2019

To protect their Empire State Building views, these Chelsea loft owners forked over $11M for air rights

Air rights can be bought by whoever values them the most. In most scenarios, that ends up being a developer, but that’s not always the case. The New York Times recently reported on a rather unusual deal made in 2016 when a group of Chelsea loft owners refused to let a proposed condominium tower obstruct their natural light and Empire State Building views. Instead, they came together and made a substantial offer to buy the air rights themselves: $11 million. 
How much is a view worth?
July 22, 2019

$2.3M Village co-op offers moody, understated glamour and a huge terrace

It's tough to find family-sized apartments in downtown Manhattan neighborhoods, but this split two-bedroom co-op in the classic Bakery Building at 42 West 13th Street in Greenwich Village, asking $2.25 million, has room to create a third bedroom. Other people-friendly pluses include a recent renovation, a sunny terrace that spans the length of the apartment, plenty of room for living and dining, zoned central air conditioning, and 10.5-foot ceilings.
Take a look inside
July 22, 2019

Ink and water: How the printing industry helped build the Port of New York

Bowne & Co. Stationers, which the South Street Seaport Museum bills as the city’s “oldest operating business under the same name,” has been a presence in Lower Manhattan since 1775. That year, Robert Bowne opened a dry goods and stationery store at 39 Queen Street. Following the American Revolution, Bowne & Co. grew along with the Port of New York, providing the advertising, stationary, and financial printing that made it possible for life and commerce at the port to function and thrive. Because New York’s printers were responsible for printing everything from stock certificates to tugboat notices, steamship broadsides to cargo invoices, fishmongers’ business cards to bankers’ prospectuses, the industry helped the city emerge as the world’s busiest port, and its preeminent financial center.
Press on!
July 22, 2019

Development with affordable housing and city’s first civil rights museum gets the green light in Harlem

New York’s first civil rights museum will soon land in Harlem, as the city pushes forward with a new $260 million development near the Adam Clayton Powell office building on 125th Street. Empire State Development is planning a 17-story mixed-use building that, in addition to the museum, will house the headquarters of civil rights nonprofit National Urban League (which was founded in the neighborhood in 1910 and currently has offices downtown), office space (including below-market-rate for Harlem-based nonprofits), retail, and 170 affordable apartments targeted to New Yorkers making 30-80 percent of the area median income.
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July 22, 2019

Upper East Side townhouse with artist connections, a garage, and a studio gets a price chop to $15M

If you’re an artist who needs space to create–or you're just into having an artist-approved address–you’ll enjoy living and working in this 7,200-square-foot townhouse at 167 East 69th Street on the Upper East Side. The 25-foot-wide Neo-Georgian former carriage house–listed in April of 2018 for $18.95 million–is currently owned by Ann Brashares, author of the young adult series “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and her husband, painter Jacob Collins. Previously, the building was owned by the Sculpture Center. Neighbors have included Mark Rothko and art dealer Larry Gagosian. Now, after a broker change and a price cut, it’s asking $14.995 million, studio, garage, curb cut, and artistic pedigree included.
Explore the possibilities
July 19, 2019

This $3.8M Village live/work duplex condo was among the neighborhood’s first lofts

After 25 years as the home of The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, this 3,200 square-foot duplex condo asking $3.75 million is still a classic Village live/work loft. The late, famed photographer Phillip Leonian is known for his iconic portrait of Muhammad Ali in a crown and red velvet robe; the foundation has funded photographic education and documentary photography across the United States. The American Felt Building at 114 East 13th Street was once home to the suppliers of the hammer and bushing felt for the Steinway piano company; it was among the area's first to be re-purposed for loft living, loved for the high ceilings and massive windows that made former industrial spaces so popular.
See more, this way
July 18, 2019

Nostalgia trains to roll into Coney Island this weekend

This weekend, both history buffs and New Yorkers looking to hit the beach can ride on one of the NY Transit Museum’s vintage subway cars. Part of the museum’s “Nostalgia Rides,” on Saturday, passengers can board 1910s BMT B-Type Standards and 1930s IND R1-9 cars and ride them from the 96th Street/2nd Avenue station in Manhattan all the way to Coney Island.
Find out more
July 18, 2019

8 things you may not know about the American Museum of Natural History

This year, the American Museum of Natural History celebrates its 150th anniversary. Though best known for its spectacular T. Rex skeletons and incredible hanging blue whale, the story of this Upper West Side museum isn’t just one of dinosaurs and dioramas. For example, did you know that Ulysses S. Grant laid the cornerstone? Or how about that in the 1930s, there was a proposal to build a promenade through Central Park to connect the Museum with the Met? Ahead, we've rounded up eight things you might not know about the American Museum of Natural History.
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July 18, 2019

New court ruling may mean more delays for Lower East Side’s Two Bridges megaproject

A recent ruling by a panel of state appellate judges may add more delays–at the very least–to the rise of JDS Development Group's proposed addition to the multi-tower Two Bridges development on the Lower East Side/Chinatown waterfront, The City reports. The ruling states that the property's long-term leaseholder, Little Cherry LLC, which has 25 years left on their lease at the currently-vacant 235 Cherry Street, must have a say in how the property’s development rights are used. The developer plans to stack a 1,000-foot, 100-story waterfront apartment tower on top of and cantilevered over the Two Bridges Senior Apartments and one-story retail space–and they need the Cherry Street property's development rights to move forward.
More details this way
July 18, 2019

1, 2, and 3 lines will get hit with major disruptions over the next six weekends

The MTA is preparing an extensive upgrade to track switches on the 1, 2, and 3 lines at and north of 96 Street, which will cause significant weekend service changes for the rest of the summer. The work will be done in three phases over the next six weekends, with reduced service expected throughout the Upper West Side. During the final two weekends of repair work in August, there will be a full suspension of service at all 1, 2, 3 stations between Harlem and Downtown Brooklyn. “We scheduled the work for these summer weekends when our ridership has been historically low,” the MTA said.
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July 18, 2019

Live in a charming garret tucked above the gables in the Dakota for $1.3M

This compact co-op at 1 West 72nd Street would be charming even if it weren't perched above the gables of the iconic Dakota residence. The building's instantly recognizable historic architecture anchors Central Park West, symbolizing the elegance of old New York City. Asking $1.295 million, this rare one-bedroom unit gets all the benefits of  the full-service building in addition to the famous address.
Take a peek inside
July 17, 2019

This $2.2M Tudor home is part of the Upper West Side’s ‘hidden’ Pomander Walk

As one of New York City’s many hidden-in-plain-sight secret addresses, Pomander Walk is a gated 1920s community of Tudor-style mini-homes resembling an English village tucked away in the middle of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Asking $2.175 million, the landmarked three-story Tudor-style co-op triplex behind a private gate at 263 West 94th Street, landscaped with hydrangeas and rose bushes and framed by window boxes and enchanting views is part of a unique village-in-the-city community.
Get a closer look
July 17, 2019

Billionaire developer Stephen Ross lists Time Warner Center penthouse for $75M

As Related CEO and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross prepares to move into the penthouse at one of his most recent developments, 35 Hudson Yards, he’s first unloading one of his older properties at another one of the company’s Skidmore Owings & Merrill-designed building, the Time Warner Center. (The Real Deal's roundup of his properties shows Ross's penchant for “getting high off his own supply.”) First reported by the Wall Street Journal, Ross has listed the 80th-floor condo he shares with his wife, jewelry designer Kara Ross, for a staggering $75 million—one of the most expensive properties on the market in New York City.
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July 16, 2019

Tribeca stays on top and Hudson Yards emerges as #2 on the city’s priciest neighborhood list

According to Property Shark's just-released ranking of New York City's most expensive neighborhoods, Tribeca once again takes the top spot in residential sales with a median price of $4.34 million. The bigger news is Hudson Yards, on the list for the first time as the city's second-costliest neighborhood in Q2 of 2019 at $3.86 million. Also notable was Little Italy, the city's third most expensive neighborhood, which saw median home prices increase by 153 percent over last year's numbers.
More of the list, this way