Upper West Side

September 20, 2019

Partial stop work order issued for 200 Amsterdam after wet concrete hits playground

Update 9/20/19: NYC Parks reopened P.S. 199's playground on Friday after determining the area was no longer at risk. SJP Properties, the developer of 200 Amsterdam Avenue, said in a statement: "We are pleased that the school park has been reopened following review by the school and Parks Department, which deemed the area safe." Wet concrete fell 55 stories from an under-construction Upper West Side tower on Wednesday, hitting a school playground below. The Department of Buildings issued the condo project at 200 Amsterdam Avenue a partial stop work order to prevent work above 40 stories on that side. A parent told West Side Rag that his son and his friends were hit by the falling concrete while playing at P.S. 199's playground during recess, but no injuries have been officially reported to the DOB.
More here
September 18, 2019

Review of mechanical space use continues at Extell’s Upper West Side tower

Extell's Snøhetta-designed Upper West Side tower at 50 West 66th Street has cleared one set of legal challenges but the building's contested use of mechanical spaces remains an issue. As Crain’s reported on Tuesday, the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals voted down challenges to the building’s split zoning lots—upholding the Department of Buildings permits for the project—but voted to further scrutinize the tower’s use of mechanical floor spaces by initiating a review of whether Extell is “appropriately occupying” those spaces.
Get the scoop
September 17, 2019

Gorgeously grand 11-room residence at the Dakota asks $11M

A new listing has just come on the market at NYC’s iconic Central Park West cooperative The Dakota, and it’s just as grand as you’d expect. The 11-room residence—now on the market for $11 million—sprawls out across 4,500 square-feet and features 12-foot ceilings, restored original details, and some contemporary flourishes by designer Peter Marino, including ash black wood floors and handpainted walls.
Take a look inside
September 12, 2019

Condo board at Trump’s Central Park West building votes to keep president’s name on signage

The condo board of the glass tower at One Central Park West on Tuesday voted unanimously to retain the Trump name on the signage at the front of the building, the New York Post reports. However, the word “tower” will be removed from the marquee over the front entrance, to be replaced with the building's address. As 6sqft previously reported, as part of a larger renovation of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Columbus Circle, the Trump Organization was reconsidering its heavily-branded signage, and some building owners say Trump’s polarizing presidency is depreciating the value of their investments.
A compromise of sorts
September 12, 2019

James Baldwin’s former Upper West Side home receives national landmark status

In June, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission designated six sites significant to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, including the former home of James Baldwin on the Upper West Side. Now, the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project tells us that the Baldwin residence at 137 West 71st Street has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, which recognizes his role nationally as relates to LGBT and civil rights history.
Find out more
September 11, 2019

Sales launch at disputed 200 Amsterdam Avenue, with one-bedrooms starting at $2.625M

Less than a month after construction at 200 Amsterdam Avenue topped out—and despite a pending Article 78 challenge filed by opponents of the contested Upper West Side tower in July—sales have officially launched and the developers debuted a new website with all the listings and a new batch of renderings. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects with interiors by CetraRuddy, the tower will rise 668 feet and consist of 112 condos over its 52 stories. Current pricing starts at 2.625 million for a one-bedroom and goes up to $7.975 for a five-bedroom. As 6sqft previously reported, there will be two duplex penthouses available for about $40 million each.
More details
September 9, 2019

Joe Namath lists Upper West Side duplex with deck and garden for $1.2M

Legendary New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath is selling his Upper West Side co-op. I Love the Upper West Side tells us that the football icon bought the 1,300-square-foot two-bedroom home at 345 West 70th Street for his daughter Jessica and her former husband in 2016. It's now on the market for $1.195 million. In addition to star athlete cachet, the highlights of this classic duplex home are an oversized custom wooden deck and a lower level garden.
Take the tour
September 5, 2019

‘Girls’ star Zosia Mamet lists classic Upper West Side co-op for 1.3M

Best known for her role as Shosanna on "Girls," actress Zosia Mamet has put her Upper West Side co-op on the market, reports the New York Post. Nearly five years ago, she and then-boyfriend-now-husband Evan Jonigkeit sold their Bushwick house and soon moved into a what we thought was a rather "unimpressive" apartment at 522 West End Avenue. The couple dropped $1,225,000 million on the unit, which they've certainly jazzed up over the years, and they've now listed it for a barely profitable $1,295,000. The ground-floor two-bedroom has classic pre-war bones and is the only residence with private access to the building's rear garden. 
READ MORE
August 26, 2019

Trump Organization considers rebranding the Trump International Hotel and Tower

As part of a larger renovation of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Columbus Circle, the Trump Organization is expected to reconsider its heavily-branded signage, the New York Times reports. The president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has proposed a compromise to appease building owners who say Trump's polarizing presidency is depreciating the value of their investments without losing the Trump branding entirely.
More details
August 23, 2019

Sales at contested 200 Amsterdam Avenue will launch soon, including two $40M penthouses

Last week, construction of the residential floors at 200 Amsterdam Avenue topped out and now we’re getting a little peek at what the luxury, CetraRuddy-designed interiors will look like. There will be a total of 112 apartments in the controversial Upper West Side tower, including eight full-floor residences and two duplex penthouses. Sales are set to launch in September, with prices starting at $2.625 million for a one-bedroom and exceeding $40 million for the penthouses.
More details
August 1, 2019

After local condo board sues, judge rules that Central Park West bike lane can go forward

Earlier this week, a group of Upper West Side residents from the Century Condominium filed a suit against the city for its plans to install a protected bike lane on Central Park West, attempting to cease its construction immediately. As 6sqft previously reported, the bike lane plan consists of installing a northbound protected lane from 59th Street to 110th Street–eliminating 400 parking spots in the process (another point of contention for the plaintiffs). But yesterday, Supreme Court Justice Lynn Kotler ruled against their request for a “temporary restraining order” and expressed skepticism over their claims that the bike lane would bring “immediate and irreparable harm to the neighborhood,” as Streetsblog reported. Work crews will continue putting in the bike lane—which doesn’t actually involve any construction, just painting street markings—until city lawyers and plaintiffs reconvene in court on August 20.
More info
August 1, 2019

Spend six months perfecting your act in this $10K/month UWS rental with a rehearsal studio

This furnished six-month rental opportunity at 236 West 78th Street on the Upper West Side is not only perfectly located near Central Park and Lincoln Center, the gorgeous loft-like home features a soundproof rehearsal studio space complete with professional lighting and theater seats, two home office spaces–and a sunny landscaped private patio. Available from November 1st thru April 30th, the 2,240-square-foot one-bedroom home is asking $10,000 per month.
Get a closer look
July 26, 2019

Asking $6.9M, Renee Fleming’s terrace-wrapped UWS penthouse is fit for a diva

Grammy-winning opera star Renee Fleming has put her sprawling four-bedroom Upper West Side penthouse on the market; the 3,000-square-foot co-op at 200 West 86th Street, asking $6.895 million, is a diva-worthy pad, the result of combining two large units. In addition to the penthouse perk of river and city views, the apartment is a veritable sky garden, wrapped on three sides by landscaped terraces.
Take a peek
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 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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
July 12, 2019

$18M Beaux-Arts mansion is an Upper West Side architectural icon with Dakota views

On the market for the first time in over 60 years, asking $17.995 million, this 20-foot-wide Beaux-Arts mansion stands among the most desirable blocks of the Upper West Side. Designed by the architectural firm Welch, Smith and Provot–the firm also designed the Duke-Semans Mansion on Fifth Avenue later owned by Carlos Slim–the six-story, 9,575-square-foot home at 5 West 73rd Street is one of the neighborhood's most architecturally significant houses; among its most compelling features are iconic views of  another Upper West Side classic, the Dakota.
Take the grand tour of this grand home
July 3, 2019

Protected bike lane coming to Central Park West after community board approval

A community board on Tuesday approved a plan to build a new protected bike lane along Central Park West, about one year after a cyclist was killed by a truck there. As West Side Rag reported, Manhattan's Community Board 7 voted in favor of the city's plan, which consists of a northbound protected lane from 59th to 110th Street. Ahead of the bike lane's construction, 400 parking spaces will be eliminated on Central Park West.
Get the details
July 2, 2019

Remarkably intact Renaissance Revival mansion on Riverside Drive seeks $8M

Also known as the Carroll Mansion, this five-story, nine-bedroom limestone townhouse at 86 Riverside Drive just listed with a price to match it’s potential: $8 million. The nearly 8,500-square-foot Elizabethan Renaissance Revival home was built in 1898 by Clarence True, one of the most celebrated architects of the Upper West Side at the turn-of-the-century. Flooded in light from northern and western exposures, the gorgeous property has most of the original architectural details intact, though needing a little attention.
The full tour, right this way
June 26, 2019

Nearing pinnacle, disputed 668-foot Upper West Side tower gets city board approval

In a race to the top of sorts, developers of the 668-foot residential tower rising at 200 Amsterdam Avenue got the green light to keep climbing, Curbed reports. On Tuesday the city's Board of Standards and Appeals upheld its initial approval for the tower, which has been embroiled in a heated zoning lot dispute. The board approved the project last year, but in March the state Supreme Court overruled the city’s decision, ordering the board to re-evaluate the permit for the project led by developers SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan, who have already proceeded with construction at the 69th Street site. The tower is expected to top out this summer.
Find out more
June 26, 2019

Owner of Book Culture says stores are in danger of closing, urges the city for assistance

Photos courtesy of Book Culture The latest independent bookstore in danger of closing is the Upper West Side's beloved Book Culture. Owner Chris Doeblin issued an open letter earlier this week in which he urges the city to provide assistance in the form of an immediate loan. Despite good business—they've been able to expand to three storefronts uptown and one in Long Island City—Doeblin has stated that he would need a minimum of $500,000 to keep things afloat and fend off the "awful spiral" of unpaid vendor debts and loans.
More info
June 17, 2019

Historic places in the UWS, Harlem and Sunset Park are recommended for state and national designation

Gov. Andrew  Cuomo announced on Friday that the New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 18 properties, resources, and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The new nominations include the Upper West Side home of author and civil rights activist James Baldwin, the Dorrance Brooks Square Historic District and the former 32nd Precinct Station House complex in Harlem, and the Fourth Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church in Sunset Park, Brooklyn in addition to 14 other nominated places throughout the state.
Find out how New York continues to recognize varied historic places
June 12, 2019

Seven years in the works, Jeanne Gang’s $383M Museum of Natural History expansion breaks ground

Following delays caused by a lawsuit aimed at protecting the adjacent, city-owned Theodore Roosevelt Park, a groundbreaking ceremony on June 12 officially kicked off construction of the American Museum of Natural History’s new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. Designed by architect Jeanne Gang—who was initially brought on board the project seven years ago—the $383 million Center will add new galleries, classrooms, a theatre, and an expanded library while linking 10 museum buildings for better circulation throughout the campus. Originally slated to open in 2020, the construction process is expected to last three years.
All the details
May 30, 2019

Cozy Upper West Side two-bedroom with lots of built-ins seeks $749K

This cozy Upper West Side two-bedroom stands out with multiple custom built-ins and proximity to both Riverside and Central Parks. It also benefits from two more unusual perks: The co-op at 242 West 104th Street runs a small lending library from the basement, and residents can also be part of the West 104th Street Association, which provides private block security and hosts an annual block party in addition to numerous other community events. It's now listed for $749,000 after last selling in 2014 for $637,000.
Peek inside