Soho

Bethenny Frankel, one of the original cast members of “The Real Housewives of New York City” and founder of Skinnygirl, has just relisted her Soho apartment for $4,375,000, a price chop from the 2017 asking price of $5,250,000 and an optimistic move after listing it as a $13,000/month rental (h/t New York Post). Despite the 17 percent price reduction, Frankel still stands to make a small profit on the unit, which she bought for $4.2 million in 2014. Located on a cobblestone block in the neighborhood’s historic cast-iron district, the residence at 22 Mercer Street is a roomy 2,392-square-foot two-bedroom outfitted with chic designer furnishings.
Take a look inside

March 19, 2019

$8M Soho loft includes two units, no tax or co-op fees and a share of commercial rent

$7.995 million might seem steep for this grand 3,600-square-foot cast iron loft at 148 Greene Street, but the Soho co-op property comes with some great perks in addition to keyed elevator access, 13-foot ceilings, and 12 massive windows. First, the space contains two units, giving you the flexibility to use it for live/work purposes or reconfigure it for one sprawling full-floor home. More benefits: There are no tax or maintenance fees. Also, owners in the building benefit from proceeds of the commercial lease space on the ground floor.
More loft loveliness, this way

Distinctive Homes

Bespoke finishes and hanging gardens create an enchanted oasis at this $10M Soho penthouse

Photo courtesy of Compass. Photo credit: Donna Dotan.

March 6, 2019

Bespoke finishes and hanging gardens create an enchanted oasis at this $10M Soho penthouse

The interiors of this fifth-floor co-op at 12 Greene Street in Soho bring to mind a perfectly redesigned deco-era London terrace house or a dreamy country estate more than the average Manhattan penthouse. To top it off, three levels of private roof terrace gardens wouldn't be out of place in either, complete with mature trees and a reflecting pool. As unusual as it is expensive–it’s asking $9.95 million–this three-bedroom downtown oasis boasts a renovation that spared no luxury and considered every angle, from a rustic loft-like kitchen and a fabulous array of bespoke floor tiles to the aforementioned gardens.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Trump’s Soho hotel experiences business boom after rebranding without the president’s name

Image: Trump Soho; Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons

February 27, 2019

Trump’s Soho hotel experiences business boom after rebranding without the president’s name

By Alexandra Alexa

After a prolonged economic slump and a not-so-subtle rebranding, Soho’s Dominick Hotel—formerly known as the Trump Soho—has experienced a formidable increase in revenue, as Bloomberg reports. The revenue per available room rose more than 20 percent from last year. The hotel’s average nightly rate increased by $51 (a 20 percent increase compared to just 2 percent among the hotel's competitors) and had 7,000 more bookings in 2018 than in 2017.
More info

Events & Things To Do

My 1,300sqft: Artist Rob Wynne’s glass installations mix with eclectic decor in his Soho loft

Our series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to artist Rob Wynne’s Soho loft. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

February 27, 2019

My 1,300sqft: Artist Rob Wynne’s glass installations mix with eclectic decor in his Soho loft

By Dana Schulz

"If you have something to say, you figure out what material will help you fulfill that destiny," said artist Rob Wynne, referencing the various mediums in which he works, from hand-embroidered paintings to sculpture to molten glass. It's this "alchemy" that is currently being explored through his exhibit "FLOAT" at the Brooklyn Museum, a show of 16 works that "seemingly floating within the American Art galleries." But Wynne's talent is perhaps on display nowhere more so that his home and studio in Soho. Wynne moved to the artist's loft in the '70s, and what has resulted is an organic and eclectic mix of decor and furniture from decades of travel, meeting fellow NYC artists, and finding inspiration through various disciplines. 6sqft recently visited Rob at his home and explored his collections of curiosities. We also got an up-close look at the process behind his large-scale mirrored glass installations, as well as many of his other incredible works.
Hear more from Rob and explore his studio

February 26, 2019

An unusual layout and original details paint a pretty picture at this $4.25M Soho artist’s loft

By Alexandra Alexa

A rare find, this quintessential Soho artist’s loft in original condition has hit the market for the first time in 40 years, seeking $4,250,000. Located at 133 Wooster Street in the heart of Soho's Cast-Iron Historic District, the sprawling 3,300-square-foot space has no shortage of pre-war details. The sunny corner unit boasts 17 oversized windows with southern and eastern exposures, 10-foot tin ceilings, and original cast-iron columns. Currently the home and studio of a painter, the space is configured with two bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths, but the open, angular layout offers a lot of flexibility for future owners.
Peek inside

Distinctive Homes

McNally Jackson bookstore, safe in Soho, plans expansion to Downtown Brooklyn and Seaport

McNally Jackson bookstore on Prince Street. Image by Carl Mikoy via Flickr.

February 12, 2019

McNally Jackson bookstore, safe in Soho, plans expansion to Downtown Brooklyn and Seaport

Bad news took a U-turn at the start of this year when beloved independent bookstore McNally Jackson announced that it would not be closing its doors on Prince Street in Soho after all. The news came a few months after after owner Sarah McNally, who opened the store in 2004, announced the store would be moving out of the neighborhood due to a 136 percent rent increase (from $350,000 to $850,000). The flagship location of the bookstore is not merely staying open; it will be launching new branches in Williamsburg and Laguardia Airport, and as New York Magazine reports, is on an expansion binge of sorts with stores planned for South Street Seaport and Downtown Brooklyn's new City Point complex.
More books for everyone

Uncategorized

City’s plans for Soho and Noho may include rezoning and removal of Artist In Residence law

Image: Steven Pisano via Flickr.

January 11, 2019

City’s plans for Soho and Noho may include rezoning and removal of Artist In Residence law

The Department of City Planning, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Margaret Chin announced today the launch of a six-month public engagement process addressing the future of NYC's Soho and Noho neighborhoods. The series of public meetings and consultation with local stakeholders are an early phase in outlining a vision for the future of those neighborhoods; the city's plans include updating what many consider outdated zoning laws, including the removal of rarely-enforced restrictions on ground floor retail tenancy and Soho's Artist In Residence law.
Find out more

Policy

McNally Jackson bookstore staying put on Prince Street

Photo of McNally Jackson via Flickr

January 2, 2019

McNally Jackson bookstore staying put on Prince Street

Beloved independent bookstore McNally Jackson will not be closing its Soho location after all, the Bowery Boogie reported on Wednesday. The good news comes just a few months after the bookseller announced it would have to move out of the neighborhood, its home for the last 14 years, due to a 136 percent rent increase.
More here

Uncategorized

December 24, 2018

After four price cuts, Justin Timberlake sells Soho penthouse for $6.35M

Justin Timberlake is finally saying "bye, bye, bye" to his Soho penthouse, even though that meant taking a loss on it. He and wife Jessica Biel first bought the three-bedroom spread at Soho Mews for just over $6.5 million in 2010. But after they then purchased a $20 million penthouse at celeb-hotspot 443 Greenwich in March 2017, they listed their former Soho penthouse for $8 million. Since then, they've had to drop the price four times, most recently to $6.35 million, meaning the duo would take a loss on the sale. Now, The Real Deal reports that Timberlake and Biel have finally found a buyer at that price who is listed in city records anonymously as "Hudson Broadway LLC."
See Justin and Jessica's former digs

November 8, 2018

Uber’s co-founder Travis Kalanick picks up $36M Soho penthouse with heated rooftop pool

Travis Kalanick, the co-founder of Uber who was forced to resign last year after failing to report sexual harassment allegations at the company, has purchased a Soho penthouse for $36.4 million. According to the Wall Street Journal, Kalanick now owns a full-floor duplex penthouse at 565 Broome Street, a 30-story tower, still under construction, designed by Renzo Piano. The sprawling 6,655-square-foot home features four bedrooms, three terraces, and a private rooftop with a heated pool. It was first listed in April for $40.5 million.
Take a peek at the penthouse

Artist JR takes over Houston Bowery Wall with a thought-provoking mural about guns in America

Photo © Martha Cooper for Goldman Properties

October 30, 2018

Artist JR takes over Houston Bowery Wall with a thought-provoking mural about guns in America

French street artist JR and TIME magazine have paired up for a collaborative project, "The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America," consisting of a special issue due out on November 5, as well as a video mural to be featured in exhibits throughout the country and an interactive web feature at Time.com. The topic–the larger-than-life relationship America has with guns–needs little explanation; last Friday the “The Gun Chronicles” was installed on the Houston Bowery Wall in Soho. The building-sized cover story image is comprised of portraits photographed by the artist.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

October 29, 2018

Justin Timberlake will take a loss on former Soho penthouse, chopped to $6.35M

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Justin Timberlake is really trying to say "bye, bye, bye" to his Soho penthouse. He and wife Jessica Biel dropped $20 million on a flashy new penthouse at celeb-hotspot 443 Greenwich in March 2017, so a year later, they put their previous Soho penthouse on the market for $8 million. They bought the home at Soho Mews for just over $6.5 million in 2010, but in the eight months since they've listed it, the price has dropped four times. The Daily Mail spotted the most recent price chop, which brings the ask down to $6.35 million, meaning the power couple would take a loss on the sale.
See JT's former home

October 25, 2018

Remembering Soho’s Tunnel Garage: An automobile age marvel

As the old saying goes, you win some, you lose some. That’s particularly true in preservation, where sometimes in spite of the most heroic of efforts and compelling of cases, historic treasures succumb to the wrecking ball. GVSHP is frequently asked, “Which fight do you most regret losing; which building do you mourn the loss of most?” It often comes as a surprise that the answer, inevitably, is a parking garage — one which seemed to almost eerily peer into the future. But the Tunnel Garage, at Broome and Thompson Streets, where the South Village meets Soho, was no ordinary parking garage. Built in 1922, it was a thing of extraordinary beauty, a sublime ode to the dawn of the automobile age and to the engineering marvel of its time which was the Holland Tunnel.
So, what happened?

History

McNally Jackson bookstore announces move after 136% rent hike

McNally Jackson bookstore on Spring Street. Image by Carl Mikoy via Flickr.

October 22, 2018

McNally Jackson bookstore announces move after 136% rent hike

As one of New York City's finest all-around independent bookstores, McNally Jackson booksellers on Prince Street is a literary standby for the latest bestsellers as well as thought-provoking political non-fiction, art books, cards, magazines, readings and more. Though the shop occupies a spot on one of the city's most highly-trafficked "High Streets," it has endured for 15 years, long enough to be taken for granted. But that would, of course, be a mistake in the city's current environment of empty storefronts in high rent neighborhoods because only Amazon can afford the rent. And right about the time Amazon has opened a storefront in Soho, the beloved bookseller is moving out after the rent was raised to $850,000--a 136% increase. Fear not, the owner is opening again in a new location, but unlike other, less gutsy mom-and-pop proprietors, she has no fear of being very vocal about the issue, Fox5 NY reports.
Find out more

October 4, 2018

Sleep right under the tin ceilings at this $3.9M Soho co-op with a lofted bonus room

A three-bedroom loft located in the heart of the Soho Cast Iron Historic District at 454 Broome Street has hit the market for $3.85 million. The sunlit corner space offers both southern and eastern exposures through its 13 oversized windows. In addition to 14-foot tin ceilings and built-in shelving (check out that library ladder!), the apartment has a cozy second-level loft, which is accessed by a spiral steel staircase inspired by the neighborhood's industrial history.
have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Amazon opens brick-and-mortar store in Soho with only top-rated products

Photo by Jordan Stead for Amazon

September 27, 2018

Amazon opens brick-and-mortar store in Soho with only top-rated products

Amazon on Thursday opened a physical store in Soho, stocked only with items rated 4 stars and above by online customers. The new concept, called Amazon 4-star, is located at 72 Spring Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets. By using customer ratings and reviews from their website, the store's products will feature customer review cards with quotes from actual reviews.
More here

Uncategorized

August 21, 2018

For $2.5M, a West Soho condo with a peaceful garden sanctuary

With a private garden oasis accessed through floor-to-ceiling glass doors, this ground-floor apartment in West Soho offers a stunning indoor-outdoor balance. Asking $2.5 million, the two-bedroom home located at 22 Renwick Street, a full-service condo boutique building, has plenty of space to entertain. The listing describes the home as "country living in the city," and with its 15-foot tall river birch trees and beautiful flowers, it's not hard to see why.
See the enviable green space

Distinctive Homes

August 15, 2018

George and Amal Clooney’s supposed illegal Soho rental hits the market for $16M

In April, sources said that George and Amal Clooney were renting a duplex apartment at 116 Sullivan Street. They also said that the owner of the 19th-century Soho townhouse, Richard Fertig, converted this apartment into an "illegal hotel" for "transient use." Likely in light of the city's new Airbnb law that requires the company to disclose the names and addresses of hosts, Fertig has listed the entire six-story home for $16 million.
Get a look inside

Mike Myers sells second Soho penthouse after three years

Photo of Mike Myers via Wikimedia

August 9, 2018

Mike Myers sells second Soho penthouse after three years

Finally! Back in 2007, Mike Myers bought two units in Soho's 72 Mercer Street--a sixth/seventh-floor duplex penthouse for $8 million and a fifth-floor two-bedroom for $3.4 million. The idea was likely to combine them, but he never made the jump, instead deciding to list them in 2015, first individually and then for a combined total of $21.5 million. In April, he finally unloaded the penthouse for the reduced price of $13.2 million, and now the Post reports that the smaller unit has also gone into contract. Though the final sale price isn't yet available, it was last listed for $4 million.
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IKEA’s 2019 catalog comes to life at this free pop-up event in Soho

“Haven in the city”

July 31, 2018

IKEA’s 2019 catalog comes to life at this free pop-up event in Soho

To mark 75 years of sleek, affordable design, IKEA is hosting a free pop-up event for just five days in Soho. Starting on Wednesday, design nerds and interior newbies alike will enjoy walking through different homes and get inspired by the various products and furniture, many which can be found in the company's 2019 catalog (officially released on Tuesday). Dubbed the IKEA Inspiration Experience, the event, located at 477 Broadway, runs between August 1 and August 5.
Get the details

Small living advocate Graham Hill lists his 350-square-foot Soho micro apartment for $750K

Photo by Christopher Testani for LifeEdited

July 30, 2018

Small living advocate Graham Hill lists his 350-square-foot Soho micro apartment for $750K

When eco-conscious architect and entrepreneur Graham Hill listed his famously tiny 420-square-foot apartment in Soho, we thought a unit couldn't get any smaller. But Hill has done it again, listing another micro apartment at 150 Sullivan Street for $750,000. The itty-bitty digs, dubbed LifeEdited 2, measures just 350 square feet but manages to seat 10 for dinner, host two guests and have space for a home office.
Tour the tiny space

Distinctive Homes

July 27, 2018

$2M Soho co-op packs three bedrooms and a terrace into a stylish full-floor home

This full-floor, three-bedroom apartment at 118 Sullivan Street is on a classic stretch of Soho that combines commercial and nondescript with expensive and charming in a way few downtown Manhattan neighborhoods do. The co-op itself, asking $2 million, conveys the same un-fancy classic chic, with spacious rooms, three bedrooms, and an elegant patio.
Step in, stay awhile

Distinctive Homes

July 13, 2018

Rotating panels at Storefront for Art and Architecture converted into shelves for books ‘yet to be written’

Photo by Naho Kubota The iconic rotating facade panels at the Storefront for Art and Architecture have been reconstructed as mostly-empty bookshelves in an installation currently on view at the Soho gallery. Abruzzo Bodziak Architects (ABA) designed the sidewalk-encroaching shelves for the exhibition, dubbed Architecture Books-Yet to Be Written. As its name suggests, the installation "seeks to celebrate and evaluate both existing and the missing volumes of a history still in the writing." ABA's design will be on display until August 25 as part of the New York Architecture Book Fair, an initiative introduced by the gallery.
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June 28, 2018

Aspiring real estate developer Kanye West takes a loss on Noho condo sale