Tribeca

As 6sqft previously reported, downtown Manhattan real estate investor Taylor Swift was recently sued by Douglas Elliman for allegedly stiffing a broker on the commission for an $18 million Tribeca townhouse at 153 Franklin Street that she bought this past fall. Now, according to The Real Deal, the pop star's management company Firefly Entertainment filed a motion to have the brokerage’s $1 million suit dismissed. Firefly claims the lawsuit is “the latest in a long line of lawsuits” by Elliman and that the real estate agency had little if any involvement in the townhouse deal.
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Celebrities

Real estate investor wants Amazon to build second headquarters on a Hudson River landfill

Courtesy of Charles Urdstadt

March 2, 2018

Real estate investor wants Amazon to build second headquarters on a Hudson River landfill

By Devin Gannon

After landing on Amazon's list of 20 potential cities for its second headquarters in January, New York City is one step closer to securing $5 billion in city investment and 50,000 high paying jobs. Although the city pitched four neighborhoods for the tech-giants' HQ2 (Midtown West, Long Island City, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, and Lower Manhattan), one investor has a different, less grounded location in mind. Real estate mogul Charles Urstadt took out an ad in the New York Post on Friday detailing his plan to bring Amazon to a landfill in the Hudson River.
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Policy

February 27, 2018

Asking $10M, this huge Tribeca loft has a cashmere-lined bedroom and 20-foot fireplace

In the impressive converted Tribeca loft condo building at 137-141 Duane Street and 62-66 Thomas Street known as Diamond on Duane, this three- or four-bedroom loft with 75 feet of world-facing windows has a recent renovation going for it in addition to 5,800 square feet of living space. In that renovation, no luxury was spared including a cashmere-lined bedroom, and "apartment-sized" closet/dressing room, a library with a full wet bar and a 20-foot gas fireplace.
Apartment-sized closet and more, this way

Distinctive Homes

Christie Brinkley leaves Hamptons homes behind for a $30K/month Tribeca rental

Photo of Christie Brinkley via Wikimedia

February 21, 2018

Christie Brinkley leaves Hamptons homes behind for a $30K/month Tribeca rental

Supermodel Christie Brinkley recently picked up a penthouse in Tribeca for $29,500 per month while two of her Hamptons estates are still on the market. The gorgeous 3,000-square-foot apartment at 475 Greenwich Street boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, two terraces and incredible views of the Hudson River. Although Brinkley has called the Hamptons home for decades, one of her Sag Harbor estates is currently listed for $20 million and another, a little further down, for $29.5 million, as Variety reported.
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Celebrities

February 20, 2018

$3M Tribeca loft has the elegance of old New York in a 21st century condo

This full-floor, pre-war Tribeca loft condominium is truly, as the listing implies, a warm and stylish exception in a sea of fabulous but frosty new developments. Asking $3.095 million, the spacious 1,835-square-foot home at 42 White Street is more civilized than the average loft, though more laid-back than the average townhouse, and currently has enough books and art to satisfy an entire generation of culture-hungry New Yorkers.
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Distinctive Homes

Taylor Swift buys yet another Tribeca property, spending $50M on a single block of real estate

Google Street View of 155 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Eva Rinaldi/Flickr

February 6, 2018

Taylor Swift buys yet another Tribeca property, spending $50M on a single block of real estate

Taylor Swift nabbed yet another Tribeca property--bringing her spending along Franklin Street to an astounding $47.7 million. The New York Post reports that she has just purchased a 3,540-square-foot unit on the second floor of 155 Franklin Street, the condo building where she already owns a duplex. The pop star paid financier Jeremy Phillips $9.75 million for it in an off-market deal. She bought her existing top-floor penthouse at 155 Franklin, which spans 8,000 square feet, from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson in 2014 for $19.95 million. Swift then bought the $18 million townhouse next door, at 153 Franklin Street, which comes with its own paparazzi-proof garage.
There's speculation to her latest purchase

February 2, 2018

For $2.8M, a sustainable Tribeca loft with wall tiles made of recycled car parts

Even at first glance this architect-designed loft in Tribeca's City Hall Tower at 258 Broadway seems to have all the best elements of downtown loft living: Beneath 14-foot ceilings, walls of windows wrap the space for views of City Hall Park and the neighborhood below, and a mezzanine level offers more sleeping and living room. But this $2.8 million co-op's secret superpower is sustainability, from walls of recycled post-industrial denim insulation and sound isolation to 100 percent VOC-free YOLO paint.
Have a look around this amazing loft

Aziz Ansari dropped $5.7M on this Tribeca loft right below Taylor Swift

Photo of Aziz Ansari via David Shankbone/Flickr

February 1, 2018

Aziz Ansari dropped $5.7M on this Tribeca loft right below Taylor Swift

Back in May, Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh sold his Tribeca loft at 155 Franklin Street, located directly below Taylor Swift's duplex penthouse in the celeb-studded building, for $5.7 million. Though the buyer's identity was shielded by an LLC, the Post now reports that it was none other than comedian and "Master of None" star Aziz Ansari. They don't disclose their sources, but assuming they're correct, Ansari's new three-bedroom spread boasts nearly 2,500 square feet, brick and timber-beamed ceilings, tons of exposed brick, and massive south- and east-facing windows.
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Taylor Swift gets sued for not paying the broker commission on her $18M Tribeca townhouse

Google Street View of 153 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Wiki Commons

January 25, 2018

Taylor Swift gets sued for not paying the broker commission on her $18M Tribeca townhouse

For someone who claims to stay away from "bad blood," Taylor Swift certainly seems to conjure up drama wherever she moves in New York City. After she bought a $20 million penthouse at Tribeca's celeb-studded 155 Franklin Street, Orland Bloom listed his unit in the building in just five months, claiming the pop star's mobs of fans and “Girl Squad” activities were too much to take. Rumors then began circulating that when she bought the apartment she got Sir Ian McKellen evicted. But now things have taken a legal turn, as The Real Deal reports that Swift is being sued by Douglas Elliman for stiffing a broker on the comission for the $18 million Tribeca townhouse she bought this past fall.
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Celebrities

Jason Biggs sells custom-designed Tribeca loft for $2.7M

Photo of Jason Biggs via Wikimedia

January 22, 2018

Jason Biggs sells custom-designed Tribeca loft for $2.7M

"American Pie" actor Jason Biggs and his wife Jenny Mollen have sold their spacious three-bedroom Tribeca loft for $2.65 million, after first putting the pad on the market nearly a year ago. The 2,200-square-foot apartment at 288 West Street boasts authentic details throughout, like timber beams and columns, as well as hardwood oak floors. As the Observer learned, Biggs and Mollen bought the apartment for $2.55 million in October 2013 and tapped designer Cliff Fong to decorate the space. The couple moved to the West Village this past summer after purchasing a $6.98 million four-bedroom condo at the Shephard.
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January 22, 2018

Josh Hartnett’s Tribeca penthouse just sold for $3.55M

Back in July, 6sqft reported that the elusive Josh Hartnett ("Black Hawk Down," "Pearl Harbor") had surfaced to list his sprawling Tribeca co-op at 16 Hudson Street for $4.25 million. Though the corner penthouse, which Hartnett bought in 2004 for $2.4 million, looks massive, it’s only got one bedroom. The heartthrob actor-turned-producer just had a second child with longtime girlfriend Tamsin Egerton, so we're guessing more space is key. The 1,965-square-foot apartment with One World Trade Center views recently sold for $3.55 million, according to Mansion Global.
Get a final look

January 2, 2018

Michelin star chef David Bouley lists French-inspired Tribeca duplex for $5.5M

Michelin star chef David Bouley has been a fixture in Tribeca since 1987 when he opened his famed French restaurant Bouley at 161 Duane Street. He later opened Bouley Bakery, Danube, Brushstroke, and Botanical in the neighborhood and even bought an apartment in the same building as his namesake restaurant in 2007. The restaurant closed its doors this past summer, and now it looks like Bouley himself is also looking to exit the building, as he just listed his sprawling, rustic duplex for $5.5 million. The biggest selling point? The woodburning fireplace was built with 17th-century stone from the same quarry used to construct Chateau de Versailles.
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December 26, 2017

Office of Architecture replaced walls with walnut cabinetry and sliding doors in this Tribeca reno

Who needs walls in a large, lofty apartment when you can utilize great design instead? That was the thinking behind this Tribeca apartment renovation, spearheaded by the Brooklyn-based firm Office of Architecture. Walls were taken down to make space for walnut cabinetry, sliding doors, and industrial steel columns. The idea was to open up the living areas and bring in as much natural light as possible--and the resulting 3,000-square-foot apartment is quite stunning and livable.
Take the grand tour

Where I Work: Inside Let There Be Neon, the 46-year-old Tribeca workshop that revived neon arts

Owner Jeff Friedman works on a neon snowflake for a holiday display that went up in Uniqlo’s Fifth Avenue flagship store

December 6, 2017

Where I Work: Inside Let There Be Neon, the 46-year-old Tribeca workshop that revived neon arts

By Dana Schulz

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Tribeca showroom and studio of Let There Be Neon, an international supplier and creator of custom neon for signage and artistic applications. Back in the early '70s, neon had gone out of fashion, with cheaper fluorescent-lit and plastic signs taking over after World War II. But multimedia artist Rudi Stern was determined to revive the art and make it more accessible. He opened a showroom studio, Let There Be Neon, in 1972 on West Broadway and Prince Street in Soho, and soon attracted a client roster of artists including Keith Haring, Robert Rauschenberg, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He even outfitted Studio 54! By 1990, he'd moved to a charming brick storefront at 38 White Street in Tribeca and sold the business to his long-time friend and employee Jeff Friedman. Rudi Stern sadly passed away in 2006, but he would be happy to see the legacy that Friedman has maintained and how wildly successful the business is today. Not only does their client list still include a long list of contemporary artists, but they're the go-to sign restorers and recreators for classic NYC mom-and-pop businesses such as Russ & Daughters and Trash & Vaudeville, and Old Town Bar, and do projects with national companies like WeWork, Soul Cycle, and Uniqlo. 6sqft recently paid Let There Be Neon a visit to see their incredible fabrication work and chat more with Jeff Friedman about the art of neon.
Tour the studio and see how it's done

Where I Work

Taylor Swift might be the buyer of this $18M Tribeca townhouse

Google Street View of 153 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Wiki Commons

October 31, 2017

Taylor Swift might be the buyer of this $18M Tribeca townhouse

Google Street View of 153 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Wiki Commons As 6sqft has reported, pop star Taylor Swift is no stranger to controversial real estate news: It was rumored in 2015 that she had Sir Ian McKellen booted from the penthouse loft at the celebrity studded 155 Franklin Street that she'd just bought for $19.95 million; and Orlando Bloom claims to have been driven from the same building after only five months in residence due to Ms. Swift's legions of clamoring fans. According to the New York Post, the singer's latest newsworthy buy is a Tribeca townhouse at nearby 153 Franklin Street, which she just acquired for $18 million. The home also happens to be the one French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn stayed in while under house arrest in 2011 for the sexual assault and attempted rape of a hotel maid.
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System Architects’ fiery Tribeca townhouse is partially unveiled

First glimpse of Jeremy Edmiston’s “Unhistoric Townhouse” at 187 Franklin Street. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Citizen.

October 27, 2017

System Architects’ fiery Tribeca townhouse is partially unveiled

The latest Tribeca distraction: the partial unveiling of the single-family townhouse at 187 Franklin Street, a funky flame-façaded new building that its architect, Jeremy Edmiston of System Architects, refers to as the Unhistoric Townhouse. Tribeca Citizen reports that workers at the building (which also resembles a Yankees logo) were lifting off some of the mesh that conceals the wavy wonder, perhaps to install one of its metal-mesh balconies. 6sqft previously covered the building, whose design of an undulating red façade complemented by those silvery, net-like balconies was first proposed in 2010.
Landmarks approved rendering, this way

The 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City

The Flatiron District, photo via Pixbay

October 19, 2017

The 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City

By Devin Gannon

Taking the top spot from Tribeca for the first time in a long time, the Flatiron District now ranks as the most expensive neighborhood in New York City, according to data compiled by Property Shark. In its latest report looking at the residential market during the third quarter of 2017, the group lists the 50 priciest neighborhoods in the city, with the usual upscale 'hoods like TriBeCa, Central Park South and Hudson Square rounding out the top tier (h/t Time Out NY). In another plot twist, Red Hook has become Brooklyn’s most expensive neighborhood this quarter--overthrowing DUMBO--with a median sale price of $1.92 million in Q3.
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Real Estate Trends

October 18, 2017

$17M Tribeca penthouse received a mod, wood-paneled makeover

Not all luxury living in 21st century downtown Manhattan is a glass-clad cliche, and this sprawling, light-filled Tribeca penthouse is proof. On the highest floors of a five-story 1920s building at 142 Duane Street, this is a triplex to be reckoned with at 7,200 square feet plus two private outdoor terraces. Part of what makes this $16.95 million condop (a co-op with less stringent condo-like rules) so special is a showstopping contemporary gut renovation by architecture firm Triarch in 2005, with natural wood paneling inspired by modernist architects like Jean Michel Frank, Adolf Loos and Bruno Paul.
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Distinctive Homes

October 4, 2017

Tribeca townhouse with an address once used for John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s ‘Nutopia’ is for rent

John Lennon and Yoko Ono never lived at this Tribeca townhouse—it's well known they preferred the Upper West Side—but they certainly have a unique connection to it. Here's the story, per the New York Times: in 1973, Lennon and Ono announced the birth of Nutopia, "a conceptual country" with no boundaries and "no laws other than cosmic." Mr. Lennon, who was being threatened with deportation because of a 1968 marijuana conviction in England, was seeking diplomatic immunity and United Nations recognition as a Nutopian ambassador. The iconic couple gave 1 White Street as the embassy address.
Check out the interior

September 8, 2017

$3M full-floor loft embodies ‘old school Tribeca’ with tin ceilings and a steel fire door

This Tribeca apartment will remind you of the artist lofts that once proliferated New York, but will also serve a jolt back to reality when it comes to the city's ever-growing real estate prices. The full-floor pad at 60 Thomas Street sold in 2004 for $1.255 million, in 2007 for $1.795 million, and is now on the market asking $2.995 million. A keyed elevator entrance opens up to details like tin ceilings, a steel fire door, and exposed brick. The massive space also manages to fit four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a media room, office, and full-sized laundry room.
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Distinctive Homes

August 29, 2017

Young Projects used interior gardens to combine three floors at a Tribeca penthouse