6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

The New York Times recently told of a pair of visitors from Boston who signed up for a sweet Airbnb deal on a Chelsea pad for $90 a night–and were surprised to have it turn out to be a seventh-floor unit in the neighborhood's 11-building NYCHA Fulton Houses complex. The would-be guests noticed that "something seemed off," starting with the roach trap next to the bed. The travelers tipped off the company, who refunded their money, and their story quickly became internet history as yet another way homestay platforms are being taken advantage of and another log on the fire of the debate that rages over what to do about it.
Airb-n-beware?

With a new ‘Arid Room’ focused on rare cacti and succulents, Tula is growing its roots in Greenpoint

Images courtesy of Tula Plants & Design

November 11, 2019

With a new ‘Arid Room’ focused on rare cacti and succulents, Tula is growing its roots in Greenpoint

Less than a year after opening their new flagship in Greenpoint, Tula Plants & Design has expanded its lush storefront with a dedicated space for cacti and succulents. Owners Christan Summers and Ivan Martinez recently completed a 400-square-foot expansion in the nearly 100-year-old warehouse at 59 Meserole Avenue, adding a desert plant oasis to complement their tropical plant offerings. The “Arid Room” is packed with varieties young and old and specializes in sourcing rare, hard-to-find species.
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City Living

13 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

Photo by Rommel Demano for God’s Love We Deliver

November 11, 2019

13 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

The winter holiday season is a time of overflowing bounty for so many. While giving thanks and exchanging gifts, it's a fine opportunity to share the wealth, good cheer–and extra time off–with fellow New Yorkers in need. There are hundreds of ways to volunteer from now through the New Year (and beyond), and we've rounded up 13 ways to help this year, from meal delivery to serving Thanksgiving dinner to preparing your own putlock dish.
The list, this way

The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

Photo of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market by Leonard J. DeFrancisci via Wikimedia Commons

November 11, 2019

The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week unveiled a new brand strategy for the city's network of six public markets, which includes a multilingual ad campaign, a dynamic new website and social media presence, direct mail campaigns and more, all of which are designed to consolidate a network of historic markets under one city-wide brand. It's all part of the organization's comprehensive initiative to promote NYC's public markets--including Essex Market, the Bronx's Arthur Avenue Market, and Williamsburg's historic Moore Street Market--as "world class destinations for both local residents and tourists."
See what's in store

City Living

NYC Parks breaks ground on $24M project to restore Philip Johnson’s 1964 World’s Fair Pavilion

Rendering of architectural lighting: Silman via NYC Parks

November 11, 2019

NYC Parks breaks ground on $24M project to restore Philip Johnson’s 1964 World’s Fair Pavilion

After five years of halting progress, NYC Parks officially broke ground last week on a $24 million project that will preserve the Philip Johnson-designed New York State Pavilion Observation Towers in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The current project represents the first major effort to preserve the Pavilion's structures since their construction for the 1964 World’s Fair.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

Essex Crossing’s Market Line food hall will open to the public before the end of the month

Images courtesy of QuallsBenson

November 11, 2019

Essex Crossing’s Market Line food hall will open to the public before the end of the month

A few months after it was initially expected, Essex Crossing’s expansive and bazaar-like food hall, The Market Line, finally has an opening date. Phase one of the rollout is set to open its doors to the public on November 22, offering an initial mix of 30+ local vendors and restaurants, including NYC institutions like Ukrainian diner Veselka, family-run German butcher shop and Grocer Schaller & Weber, and 1920s tea parlor and bakery turned hip dim sum eatery Nom Wah.
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Win tickets to a 6sqft and Untapped Cities’ tour of Woods Bagot’s architecture studio

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

November 8, 2019

Win tickets to a 6sqft and Untapped Cities’ tour of Woods Bagot’s architecture studio

By 6sqft

When designing new workspace in the Financial District, architecture firm Woods Bagot knew they wanted to incorporate a sense of New York City grit. The studio's raw interiors, which look convincingly original, black and white palette, exposed pipes and cracked concrete floors help pull off this aesthetic, while the use of technology and communal space keep things modern. As part of a partnership between 6sqft and Untapped Cities, you can take a behind-the-scenes tour of Woods Bagot studios, the firm behind Union Crossing in the South Bronx and mixed-use tower The Amberly in Downtown Brooklyn. Led by architect Sorrel Anderson, the tour offers lovers of architecture and city planning a chance to learn about the studio's design, test out a virtual reality experience, and ask questions at the end of the evening. Below, enter our raffle for a chance to win two tickets to the tour.
Find out how to enter

Photo credit: Warburg Realty

November 8, 2019

A 15th-floor Gilded-Age classic in the San Remo’s north tower asks $25M

This combined two-unit co-op in the architectural gem that is the Emery Roth-designed San Remo at 145 Central Park West (where Demi Moore's former pad just hit the market for $50M), asking $25 million, has the Central Park and Manhattan skyline views you'd expect from the iconic building's north tower. Inside, the over-5,500-square-foot corner residence is just as impressive, with an architect-led renovation and interiors by renowned designer Bunny Williams that has preserved the home's Art Deco character while sparing no expense on modern convenience. The 14-room home, currently owned by money manager Peter W. May and his wife, Leni May (h/t New York Times), is configured as three bedrooms and a library with an additional study and a media room.
Sky mansion tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

A celebrated artist's Upper East Side co-op asks $4.75 million

Greenwich Village townhouse where Oscar Wilde once stayed asks $7.45M

Ricky Martin sells Upper East Side apartment for $6.15M

Famous skinny house in the Village is back on the market for $4.2M

Once a parking garage, this $85M Village penthouse is now in line to break neighborhood sales records

Trump's childhood home in Queens back on the market for $2.3M after gut renovation

A long-neglected Clinton Hill townhouse gets a total glow-up and a $5.5M ask

This $3.5M Noho co-op remembers the origins of loft living

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

$10.25M Chelsea condo atop Shigeru Ban's Metal Shutter Houses is everything a penthouse should be

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Penthouse inside 111 West 57th Street’s landmarked Steinway Building hits the market for $21M

Renderings by Hayes Davidson and images by Peter Murdock; courtesy of Douglas Elliman

November 8, 2019

Penthouse inside 111 West 57th Street’s landmarked Steinway Building hits the market for $21M

Once home to the Steinway & Sons piano company, the landmarked building at 111 West 57th Street was acquired by developers JDS Development, Property Markets Group, and Spruce Capital Partners in 2013 for $217.5 million and has since become incorporated into SHoP Architects’ super-slender supertall tower rising next to it. Originally built in 1925, the Beaux-Arts building will house the lobby for the luxury tower and a small number of apartments, including this 5,200+ square-foot duplex penthouse that just listed for $21 million.
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See inside Domino Sugar Factory site’s first commercial building

Image by Two Trees Management

November 8, 2019

See inside Domino Sugar Factory site’s first commercial building

The first commercial building at the Domino Sugar Factory site in Williamsburg officially launched leasing this week. Ten Grand Street sits within the 45-story mixed-use tower One South First, which opened in September with 330 rental units. Designed by COOKFOX Architects and developed by Two Trees Management, the towers interlock, a sustainable component that allows extra heat from the office building to be preserved and reused at the residential property. Offering tenants between 5,000 and 6,000-square-foot floor plates and floor-to-ceiling windows, Ten Grand boasts sweeping views of Manhattan, faces the six-acre Domino Park, and will be home to several Brooklyn-based retailers, including Roberta's and Other Half Brewing.
Take the tour

Manhattan community board says no to Central Harlem developer’s rezoning plan

Aerial view of the developer’s planned updates. Credit: Davis Brody Bond

November 8, 2019

Manhattan community board says no to Central Harlem developer’s rezoning plan

Manhattan Community Board 10 voted Wednesday night against a developer’s plan that would substantially rezone the Lenox Terrace neighborhood in Central Harlem and pave the way for construction of five new 28-story luxury towers and big-box retail stores. The rezoning application, filed by the Olnick Organization, asked the city to rezone Lenox Terrace from its current residential status to the C6-2 designation found in "the central business district and regional commercial centers,” according to the city’s zoning resolution. The community board’s vote sided with the Lenox Terrace Association of Concerned Tenants (LT-ACT), which opposes the rezoning and has demanded the developer withdraw the application.
More on the resolution this way

Policy

TV host Regis Philbin lists Connecticut mansion for a significant loss at $4.6M

Photo credit: Steve Rossi Photography for Sotheby’s International Realty.

November 8, 2019

TV host Regis Philbin lists Connecticut mansion for a significant loss at $4.6M

88-year-old veteran television talk show host Regis Philbin (“Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee/Kelly,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “America’s Got Talent”) and his wife, Joy, have put their Greenwich, Connecticut home on the market for $4.595 million (h/t WSJ). The ask is a significant drop from the home's purchase price a decade ago when the couple moved in. The 13,661-square-foot residence was built in the style of an English Manor, complete with a pool, tennis court, and a garage that holds five cars. The Philbins are selling in order to spend more time with family in California; Ms. Philbin said in a statement that “this house will always be our favorite...There was always room for everyone.”
Tour the manor

Everything you need to know about NYC’s Veterans Day Parade: Route, street closings, & more

Photo by Sgt. Randall A. Clinton for MarineCorps New York on Flickr

November 8, 2019

Everything you need to know about NYC’s Veterans Day Parade: Route, street closings, & more

This year's Veterans Day Parade—hosted by the United Way Veterans Council—will celebrate its centennial as more than 30,000 people march up Fifth Avenue on Monday, November 11 to honor veterans of the United States military during the annual holiday. While the organizers stress that the parade is a non-partisan and non-political event, President Donald Trump will make history this year as the first sitting president to attend the celebration. The president will not be marching in the parade but he will be giving an opening address at Madison Square Park.
Read on for more details and the full list of street closures

Events & Things To Do

Is Essex Crossing the ‘anti-Hudson Yards’?

Rendering of Essex Crossing via Moso Studio

November 7, 2019

Is Essex Crossing the ‘anti-Hudson Yards’?

The New York Times recently suggested that the boxy, ordinary-looking Essex Crossing, with its Trader Joe's, Target, movieplex, historic Essex Street Market and subsidized affordable housing was the "anti-Hudson Yards," a convincing foil to the buzzy midtown tourist magnet. The obvious contrast between the glittering far-west-side megaproject that in the right light resembles Dubai on the Hudson and the six-acre $1.9 billion development abutting the Williamsburg Bridge speaks to each one's intended audience, of course. But a diversity of options for both locals and visitors and a broad offering of affordable housing could make Essex Crossing more than just Liverpool on the Lower East Side.
Read on

For $3.85M, get perfectly framed views of the Empire State Building at this Nomad condo

Listing images by Etian Gamliely; courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty

November 7, 2019

For $3.85M, get perfectly framed views of the Empire State Building at this Nomad condo

This two-bedroom condo at 225 Fifth Avenue features an efficient layout and comes in mint condition, but what really sets it apart is its central Nomad location and the enviable views that come with it. Across the street from Madison Square Park, the corner living room overlooks Fifth Avenue with direct views of the Empire State Building and the vibrant new “Gilded Lady” mural painted by artist Tristan Eaton as an homage to the neighborhood’s history. The unit last sold in 2011 for $2.4 million and is now on the market seeking $3.85 million.
Get the full tour

Photo courtesy of 555Ten

November 7, 2019

10 NYC residential buildings with the best amenities for dogs

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

There's no arguing that New York is a city of dog lovers, but when most of us don't have the convenience of letting our four-legged friends into the backyard, it can be a challenge. Thankfully, many of the city's newest residential developments have realized how important it is to keep both pets and their owners happy and are incorporating amenities like dog runs, pet grooming, training services, and even "yappy hours." Ahead, 6sqft has rounded up the top 10 buildings with the best amenities for dogs so that your pooch may always be tired and clean at the end of each day.
NYC's most paw-fect pads

Sprawling residence inside Central Park West’s historic ‘castle’ seeks $6.5M

Listing images by Travis Mark; courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty

November 7, 2019

Sprawling residence inside Central Park West’s historic ‘castle’ seeks $6.5M

This 120-year-old turreted brick-and-brownstone castle has a fascinating (and somewhat grim) history as the city’s first cancer hospital. Designed by Charles C. Haight in 1887 in the French Renaissance style, it later became a nursing home before it was converted to a very unique residential condominium in 2005. Units don’t often come on the market but when they do, they offer a scale that’s hard to match in the city, with 13-foot ceilings throughout, massive interior spaces, and Central Park a stone’s throw away. This three-bedroom residence at 445 Central Park West is now on the market for a relatively cool $6.445 million, considering the living room alone is larger than most NYC apartments.
Take a look around

Brooklyn official to introduce commercial rent control bill next week

With rents on the rise and the e-commerce industry showing no signs of slowing, the livelihood of small businesses in New York City remains under threat. Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents parts of Brooklyn, hopes to address the high rate of retail vacancies across the city with legislation to regulate commercial rents, as Gothamist first reported. "It's a complex problem," Levin, who will introduce a bill to the City Council next week, told the website. "We think it's time to introduce this into the conversation."
More details here

November 7, 2019

10 events in NYC that celebrate Native American Heritage Month

It’s impossible to truly know the history of New York City without understanding the experience of the Native Americans who first inhabited the five boroughs long before Dutch settlers arrived. In November, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month as both a way to learn about the culture and contributions of indigenous people and to reacquaint ourselves with the often distorted history surrounding Thanksgiving. From live performances from Ojibwe artist Kelsey Pyro to enjoying a Lenape Harvest in the city's largest concentration of forest, these events, festivals, and exhibits help New Yorkers understand just how significantly Native Americans shaped our city.
See the full list

Events & Things To Do

Photo credit: VHT, courtesy of The Corcoran Group

November 7, 2019

$6.2M Boerum Hill townhouse corners the market on luxury, from the roof deck to the wine cellar

This late 19th-century Italianate brownstone has the good fortune of occupying a corner lot at 471 State Street in Boerum Hill. That means the four-story, single-family home is filled with light all year 'round from northern, southern, and eastern exposures. Currently asking $6.195 million, the 20-foot-by-50-foot residence sits on a 100-foot-deep lot, with 14 rooms–including four bedrooms–within; those rooms are filled with as many pristine historic details, state-of-the-art contemporary finishes, and high-tech comforts as it's possible to put under one smart-looking ebony-corniced roof.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

First major exhibition to highlight African American culinary history coming to Harlem next year

Exhibition renderings courtesy of the Museum of Food and Drink

November 6, 2019

First major exhibition to highlight African American culinary history coming to Harlem next year

Next February the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) will bring together the country’s first exhibition celebrating the countless ways in which African Americans have shaped American cuisine. Curated by Dr. Jessica B. Harris, a leading expert on the foods of the African Diaspora, African/American: Making the Nation’s Table will take place at The Africa Center in Harlem and feature musical selections by Questlove, tastings by Chef Carla Hall, and a restoration of the historic Ebony Magazine Test Kitchen.
More details

This holiday season, you can book a toy-filled FAO Schwarz hotel suite for $3,000/night

Photo courtesy of Conrad New York Midtown

November 6, 2019

This holiday season, you can book a toy-filled FAO Schwarz hotel suite for $3,000/night

A new hotel in Midtown is offering the ultimate New York City holiday experience. Conrad New York Midtown has partnered with iconic toy store FAO Schwarz to bring a 1,800-square-foot one-bedroom suite full of toys, including 10-foot stuffed animals, train sets, and of course, the famous dance-on piano. The playful stay does not come cheap; the holiday suite package starts at $3,000 per night.
How to book

Events & Things To Do

November 6, 2019

Where to see pieces of the Berlin Wall in NYC

This Saturday, November 9th, marks the 30th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down. Many people might know of pieces of the wall on display in various museums such as the Newseum in DC and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in southern California, but did you know there are four places in NYC to see segments of the Berlin Wall? One is in a touristy Times Square museum, another at the United Nations, a third at a public plaza in Battery Park City, and the last inside a public office building lobby in Midtown (though recent reports say this piece has been moved to storage).
Learn more about these four spots

History

Plan to expand Hudson River Park at Pier 76 tow pound site moves forward

Photo by Beyond My Ken on Wikimedia

November 6, 2019

Plan to expand Hudson River Park at Pier 76 tow pound site moves forward

The waterfront park on Manhattan's West Side is set to grow again. City officials are in talks with the New York Police Department to relocate a tow pound at Pier 76 to make way for a new section of Hudson River Park. THE CITY reported on Wednesday that while nothing has been approved yet for the site, which sits adjacent to the Javits Center, officials last month presented a preliminary proposal to Manhattan Community Board 4, signaling the beginning of the long-awaited plan to incorporate the pier into the park.
More here

Policy

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

November 6, 2019

On-trend hues, a stylish renovation, and handy storage define this $429K Hell’s Kitchen studio

On midtown Manhattan's west side, next door to the Theater District and near Hudson Yards, this compact, stylish, cozy co-op in the heart of Hell's Kitchen at 349 West 44th Street would make a charming and convenient pied-a-terre. At a (relatively) compact asking price of $429,000, all the basics are present in a pristine renovation, with enough artfully created closet and storage space to keep things as elegant and tidy as they look in the listing.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Jersey City vote to curb short-term rentals could mean trouble for Airbnb

The Jersey City waterfront, via Pixabay

November 6, 2019

Jersey City vote to curb short-term rentals could mean trouble for Airbnb

Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

The Jersey City waterfront, via Pixabay A big-money battle between Airbnb and the hotel industry may leave small hosts stranded after a decisive vote in Jersey City Tuesday. Voters in New Jersey's second-largest city faced a referendum on new, beefed-up regulations on short-term rentals intended to limit the reach of Airbnb and other home-stay companies. According to the New York Times, voters overwhelmingly decided in favor of a law that will require owners of short-term rental properties to get a permit from the city, put a cap on the size and number of units that can be used for short term rental purposes, and limit short-stay rentals to a maximum of 60 days a year if the owner is not physically on-site. The ordinance also bars all renters from using their units as short-term rentals.
Find out more

Policy

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

VIEW ALL

Starbucks opens its first pickup-only store in Midtown

Photo by Eric Soltan for Starbucks

November 5, 2019

Starbucks opens its first pickup-only store in Midtown

Last year, Starbucks opened a massive roastery in Chelsea with two coffee bars, a cocktail bar, and a bakery, inviting java drinkers to stay awhile. On Tuesday, the company will offer a different option for on-the-go customers in Manhattan with a new store that primarily accepts to-go orders from the Starbucks mobile app. Located in Penn Plaza at 242 West 34th Street above the busy transit hub, the Starbucks "pickup" store is the first of its kind.
More here

Uncategorized

Urbanspace will open two new Midtown food halls

Urbanspace Vanderbilt, photo by Shinya Suzuki / Flickr

November 5, 2019

Urbanspace will open two new Midtown food halls

Though most New Yorkers know the company Urbanspace for its food halls, it actually started out when founder Eldon Scott set up the Grand Central and Union Square holiday markets in 1993. Now, the company has holiday markets in Columbus Circle and Bryant Park, runs seasonal pop-up food markets like those at Madison Square and the Garment District, and has expanded to DC and Chicago. Scott smartly opened his first permanent food market, Urbanspace Vanderbilt, in 2015 adjacent to Grand Central, and in 2017, opened another at Lexington Avenue and 51st Street. Back in January, Urbanspace announced another Midtown location on 52nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, and just yesterday, Commercial Observer reported that they'd open their fourth location just two blocks away on 50th Street.
READ MORE

Food & Dining

November 5, 2019

Best of the Bronx: What to do and see in the northernmost borough now

You're probably familiar with the big attractions in the Bronx: Yankee Stadium, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo. But the borough has a lot more going on, from historic and cultural treats and treasures to new breweries and restaurants and acres of beaches, parks, trails, and gardens. Read on for a collection of destinations in the city's northernmost, greenest, and most diverse borough that are worth the trip, wherever you’re coming from.
More to do in the Bronx, this way

Cap on street vendor permits would be nixed under proposed state law

Photo by Anton on Unsplash

November 5, 2019

Cap on street vendor permits would be nixed under proposed state law

A state lawmaker wants to allow more street vendors to legally set up shop across New York by lifting the cap on the number of permits issued statewide. The legislation put forth by State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who represents parts of Queens, would let municipalities decide where sidewalk vendors could operate. "The idea is to decriminalize street vending and do away with caps so that every vendor goes through the appropriate inspections," Ramos told Gothamist.
Learn about it

Policy

This $950K Westchester home is part schoolhouse, part general store, part carriage house

Listing images by James Patrick Cooper; courtesy of Compass

November 5, 2019

This $950K Westchester home is part schoolhouse, part general store, part carriage house

You wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at this unassuming Tarrytown home that it’s actually a mash-up of historical structures, though the remaining steeple provides a little clue about its past. The current kitchen and dining area was once a carriage house, the living room once served as the town’s general store and post office, and the parlor room was a one-room schoolhouse in the 1700s. The three structures were fused together in 1900 to create what is now 13 Heritage Hill Road. Spanning nearly 2,500 square feet, the three-bedroom residence is on the market for $950,000.
Take a look around

Affordable housing complex at former Bronx juvenile jail site breaks ground

Rendering by BLA and WXY

November 5, 2019

Affordable housing complex at former Bronx juvenile jail site breaks ground

The city on Monday broke ground on a five-acre mixed-use project that will bring more than 700 affordable apartments, open space, and manufacturing space to the Bronx. The Hunts Point complex, called the Penninsula, will sit at the site of the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, which closed in 2011 following reports of cruel conditions. Construction will now kick off on the project's first phase and includes space for industrial and light manufacturing businesses and 183 deeply affordable housing units.
Get the details

Beautiful brick archways frame this huge Tribeca loft, asking $6.5M

Listing photos by Evan Joseph, courtesy of NestSeekers International

November 5, 2019

Beautiful brick archways frame this huge Tribeca loft, asking $6.5M

When 108-10 Franklin Street was built in Tribeca in 1861, it was two separate structures with a central party wall. Today, the building has been opened up, and what's left is a unique co-op whose lofts display this party wall in a series of oversized brick archways. A sprawling four-bedroom unit at the address is currently on the market for $6.5 million, and in addition to this incredible architectural feature, the home has an outdoor terrace, a massive open living/dining space, a home gym/yoga studio, and an entire lower level that can be configured to the new owners' needs.
Take a tour around

Distinctive Homes

Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship to stay open as a temporary pop-up

Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

November 4, 2019

Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship to stay open as a temporary pop-up

Barneys New York was officially sold for roughly $270 million on Friday after filing for bankruptcy just three months prior. The new owners of the luxury retailer, Authentic Brands Group and B. Riley Financial Inc., will license the Barneys name to other companies and likely close most of its locations across the country. But the store's beloved flagship location at 660 Madison Avenue will stay open for at least the next year, according to the Real Deal.
Learn more

Real Estate Trends

November 4, 2019

Three years after promising $5M West Village house to the Lenape, Louise Bourgeois’ son backtracks

Three years after Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois announced plans to transfer the deed of his West Village townhouse to a nonprofit organization run by a former chief of the Ramapough Indians—part of the Lenape Nation, the original Manhattanites—the millionaire activist (and artist Louise Bourgeois' son) has decided to hold onto it after all. Bourgeois was working on plans to transform the historic wood-frame home into a patahmaniikan, or a prayer house, when he decided that he was in fact "married to this building" and no longer eager to give it away, as the New York Post reports.
More details

History

$899K Nolita co-op is newly renovated with warmth, color, and a backsplash made of Legos

Photo credit: Donna Dotan Photography, courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

November 4, 2019

$899K Nolita co-op is newly renovated with warmth, color, and a backsplash made of Legos

Under $1 million in Nolita sounds nearly impossible, but this one-bedroom co-op at 243 Mulberry Street, asking $899,000 (and a low maintenance fee) is as legit as it is cute. The gut-renovated three-flight walk-up has classic downtown charm and a mint renovation that incorporates modern convenience, contemporary flair, and colorful details.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Sales still in a slump at post-2016 Trump Tower

Photo by Krystal T via Flickr

November 4, 2019

Sales still in a slump at post-2016 Trump Tower

Living under the shadow of having President Trump as an occasional neighbor–and as a sign on the front of your building–doesn't do much for condo property values in midtown Manhattan, if commercial leasing and residential sales at Trump Tower are any indication. CityRealty reports that vacancies persist in the commercial podium of 721 Fifth Avenue, and residential condo sales in the mixed-use tower have yet to recover from recent stagnation: Almost one half of the units up for sale have cut their initial asking prices, and all but two of the 11 condos whose sales closed this year have sold at an often-considerable–more than 10 percent–discount.
More on the Trump slump

Real Estate Trends

Apply for 52 mixed-income units near Lehman College in the Bronx, from $736/month

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

November 4, 2019

Apply for 52 mixed-income units near Lehman College in the Bronx, from $736/month

A housing lottery launched this week for 52 mixed-income units in the Bronx neighborhood of Bedford Park. Located at 16 East 204th Street, the building, dubbed "Villa Gardens," sits just east of Jerome Park Reservoir and the 37-acre campus of Lehman College. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60, 90, and 100 percent of area median income can apply for the apartments, ranging from $736/month studios to $2,066/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

$900K Clinton Hill condo has a designer’s touch and discerning storage

Photo courtesy of the Henderson Team at Citi Habitats

November 4, 2019

$900K Clinton Hill condo has a designer’s touch and discerning storage

Any true New Yorker has gained an appreciation for good storage space over the years, but when it's stylish, it's an added bonus. Such is the case at this $899,000 loft at 95 Lexington Avenue in Clinton Hill. Technically a loft space, the 981-square-foot home has been configured with a separate bedroom alcove for privacy, and an additional half-bath is an extra perk. All of this smart planning and lovely decor is not surprising considering the current homeowners are designers.
See the rest

Distinctive Homes

New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

Photo from this afternoon, by 6sqft

November 1, 2019

New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

After spending the last two months outside of public view getting a “full spa treatment,” the New York Public Library’s majestic lions are back to guarding the institution. Patience and Fortitude have been in place since the 42nd Street Library opened in 1911 and were named by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia during the Depression to signify the characteristics New Yorkers needed to survive the tough times. The iconic duo was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers out of porous Tennessee pink marble, making them quite susceptible to the elements and the toll of time. The pair requires conservation efforts every seven to 10 years and were last restored in 2011. The last bits of the scaffolding will be removed during the day on Friday, just in time for the annual Library Lions fundraising gala on Monday, November 4.
READ MORE

City Living

See inside The Collective’s ‘short stay’ co-living concept, now open in Long Island City

Images courtesy of The Collective

November 1, 2019

See inside The Collective’s ‘short stay’ co-living concept, now open in Long Island City

London-based co-living company The Collective has opened its first U.S. location at the former Paper Factory Hotel in Long Island City. Designed in collaboration with Palette Architecture, the 125-room location will focus on a "short stay" model ranging from one-night to 29-day stays. Members will have access to communal living areas and wellness services, as well as a soon-to-launch restaurant and cultural programming. The company already has plans to expand on today’s opening by adding 100 additional rooms on top of the existing building by 2021.
Take a look around

City Living

All photos by Floto + Warner

November 1, 2019

Check out the cocktail bar at Nordstrom’s new Billionaires’ Row flagship

After much anticipation, Nordstrom opened its new NYC flagship last week. Located inside Billionaires' Row supertall Central Park Tower (the current world's tallest residential building), the seven-story department store offers such perks as stroller cleaning and shoe repairs and stocks "more than 10,000 handbags, 100,000 pairs of shoes, and 6,000 pairs of jeans," according to amNY. And in addition to all this retail excess, the store also has seven food and beverage options, including Broadway Bar, a cocktails and small plates restaurant on the third and fourth floors. Designed by Rafael de Cárdenas / Architecture at Large, Broadway Bar uses muted hues and subtly curved geometry to create a calm escape within the store. Ahead, get a better look at the space.
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Photo credit: Constantin Boca courtesy of Compass.

November 1, 2019

$3M Greenpoint townhouse has a guest studio in back and a separate apartment on top

This beautiful Greenpoint townhouse is a fine example of the talents of WE Design studio. The gut renovation of a historic wood-frame townhouse offers a refreshing approach to color, texture, and light, subtle Scandinavian-style details, and warm natural elements. Located on a tree-lined stretch of Greenpoint at 190 Guernsey Street near the waterfront and McCarren Park, the home is now for sale, asking $3 million. In addition to having two units for income potential, this unique residence features an utterly charming guest studio in the back yard.
Take the tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

The Pinnacle. Rendering: Williams New York.

November 1, 2019

New renderings show $79M penthouse in the Woolworth Building’s famous crown

The residential conversion of the Woolworth Building at 2 Park Place has brought with it a collection of unique condominium residences that take advantage of the iconic tower's architectural features. The jewel in the crown, so to speak, among these trophy properties is The Pinnacle, a 9,680-square-foot home perched 727 feet above New York City in the building's famous crown. This lofty residence spans floors 50 to 58, with a 408-square-foot private observatory terrace. Priced at $79 million–a considerable chop from its original price of $110 million when it first arrived on the market in 2017–the peerless penthouse is being offered as a white box, with award-winning architect David Hotson on board to develop the interior design.
See more possibilities for The Pinnacle

Distinctive Homes

255 East 77th Street

Lenox Hill

Upper East Side condos with Central Park views

3 beds starting at $5,300,000
4 beds starting at $7,400,000
5 beds starting at $8,750,000

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De Blasio resists plan to pedestrianize Rockefeller Center during upcoming holiday season

Photo by Shinya Suzuki / Flickr

November 1, 2019

De Blasio resists plan to pedestrianize Rockefeller Center during upcoming holiday season

For years, residents and community leaders have called on the city to add pedestrian space near Rockefeller Center to make conditions safer for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the area during the holiday season to see the tree and store windows. This week, the Department of Transportation privately issued a pilot plan to address the major crowds by increasing pedestrian space on Fifth Avenue between East 48th and East 51st Streets. But Mayor Bill de Blasio quashed the plan before it was officially released, claiming "it was not signed off on by City Hall."
Details here

Learn about 16th-century Native American culture with a paddling tour of the Bronx River

Photo by Elena Gaillard on Wikimedia

October 31, 2019

Learn about 16th-century Native American culture with a paddling tour of the Bronx River

To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, New Yorkers can take a free paddling tour of the Bronx River this weekend while learning about the experiences of 16th-century indigenous communities. Hosted by the Bronx River Alliance and Moskehtu Consulting, the event takes visitors on a 30-minute canoe paddle through the Mitshubishi River Walk in the Bronx Zoo and explores the life and culture of Native Americans with a living village.
How to sign up

Photo credit: Daniel Avila / NYC Parks.

October 31, 2019

Harlem’s historic Mount Morris Fire Watchtower returns to Marcus Garvey Park after a $7.9M restoration

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

Image by Martineric via flickr via Wikimedia cc.

October 31, 2019

Check this customized subway map to find your way around the city on Marathon Sunday