6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

After facing sharp criticism this week from almost all New York media outlets for missing the January 1st start date of Fair Fares, Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson held a press conference this afternoon to officially launch the program. As of now, the joint initiative will provide half-priced MetroCards to approximately 30,000 low-income New Yorkers who are receiving cash assistance benefits from the Department of Social Services. In April, an estimated additional 130,000 New Yorkers receiving SNAP benefits will be able to apply. But as the Daily News' City Hall bureau chief Jill Jorgensen mentioned on Twitter, limiting the program to these two groups means that no undocumented residents are eligible to apply.
More details here

Cuomo says MTA board must sign off on L train plan, one day after it was presented as a done deal

Via Wikipedia

January 4, 2019

Cuomo says MTA board must sign off on L train plan, one day after it was presented as a done deal

The dreaded 15-month L train shutdown, planned and studied for three years, is canceled. Or is it? Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday presented a proposal for a new L train plan that would no longer require a 15-month closure of the Carnasie Tunnel, the link between Manhattan and Brooklyn and which was damaged by saltwater floods during Hurricane Sandy. During the news conference, Cuomo, along with a panel of experts, engineers, and the acting chair of the MTA, Fernando Ferrer, touted the project as being the shortest and best way to fix the tunnel. But in a conference call with reporters on Friday, the governor called on the MTA board to hold an emergency meeting to vote yay or nay on his new plan, of which most had heard about on the same day it was announced.
More here

January 4, 2019

$130M penthouse at 520 Park Avenue is now two separate units

The quest to outdo One57's record-setting $100.5 million penthouse doesn't seem to be working. The two contenders, 220 Central Park South and 520 Park Avenue--both Robert A.M. Stern-designed buildings--announced their $250 and $130 million penthouses in 2016 and 2014 respectively, but there's been no movement since. The latter building seems to have taken the hint, though, as The Real Deal reports that the 12,398-square-foot triplex has been chopped up into two "smaller" units--a $40 million full-floor unit and an $80-$100 million duplex.
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January 4, 2019

This $799K Bed-Stuy condo ‘shakes’ things up with a clawfoot tub, wood stove, and roof deck

A condo full of Shaker woodwork detail in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood has hit the market for $799,000. The two-bedroom, two bath home at 464 Hancock Street boasts 10-foot-high ceilings, a functioning wood stove, and an envy-inducing windowed clawfoot tub. The sunlight-drenched home also features Shaker woodwork peg racks in most of the rooms and along the hallways, making for a unique storage addition.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

January 4, 2019

Where I Work: Jun Aizaki’s architecture and design firm CRÈME gets creative in Williamsburg

Japan native Jun Aizaki started Brooklyn-based CRÈME / Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design 14 years ago when both the design and architecture firm's Williamsburg location and their portfolio were much different. Today, with more than 15 employees, CRÈME has become a leader in hip restaurant design (think Redfarm, L'Amico, and Mr. Purple), along with more innovative product design such as gourd cups and indigo-dyed furniture. The firm also has a pulse on urban planning projects, such as a proposal to build a timber bridge connecting Greenpoint and Long Island City, as well as a master plan of Denver’s Dairy Block. And it's this combination of cool-factor, outside-the-box thinking, and style that CRÈME embodies in their industrial Williamsburg office space. 6sqft recently visited the firm to take a look around and see their work, as well as to have a chat with Jun.
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January 4, 2019

Upper East Side Gilded Age mansion with Broadway cachet and a big money past tries again at $29.5M

Just over a year ago, The Real Deal reported that Tony Award-winning Broadway producers Janet and Howard Kagan (“Tuck Everlasting,” “Pippin”) had put the 25-foot-wide, 12,729-square-foot mansion at 11 East 82nd Street, purchased for $24.5 million in 2009, on the market, asking $44 million. The impressive Upper East Side limestone-and-brick townhouse was also known for having previously belonged to financier Ron Perelman. The 1895 building in all its six-story, elevator-enhanced, Gilded Age glory has just been relisted for $29.5 million, a hefty haircut from last year's ask.
Embark on the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

First weekend of 2019 starts major headaches for 7 train riders and Washington Heights station

Via Flickr

January 4, 2019

First weekend of 2019 starts major headaches for 7 train riders and Washington Heights station

New year, same subway challenges. This weekend will be the start of significant service disruptions along the 7 line—making travel between Manhattan and Queens more complicated—and of long-term construction at several stations in Washington Heights, beginning on January 5 with the closure of the 1 train's 168 Street station (some good news: A and C trains will still be servicing the station). Riders can expect to encounter skipped stops across many lines and long wait times. Read on for a detailed list of the planned service changes.
Know before you go

Transit

Distinctive Homes

This $3.15M co-op embodies East Village cool, all grown up

$65M Sutton Place penthouse is highest on East Side waterfront

$4M gets you the whole renovated Boerum Hill townhouse package, with a bi-level backyard

This $4.8M townhouse adds modern architecture to a historic Manhattan Valley block

Keke Palmer lists her Williamsburg penthouse for $3M

For $17M, this eco-friendly Brooklyn Heights Passive House went from beige to bold

$7.2M penthouse is most expensive sponsor sale in Williamsburg

Highest condo on the Brooklyn waterfront asks $7M

For $25M, a Flatiron penthouse in a golden cupola, with Manhattan at your feet

$1.4M Fort Greene co-op has a sprawling solarium, a charming parlor and just a hint of loft

VIEW ALL

January 3, 2019

Cuomo calls for last-minute halt of L train shutdown in favor of a new tunnel design

Knight in shining armor or kink in the chain? In an unexpected, last-minute announcement on Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he is halting the 15-month L train shutdown in April, calling for a new tunnel design instead that would coincide with night and weekend work for 15 to 20 months. The news comes just a few weeks after the governor toured the Hurricane Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel with engineering experts from Cornell and Columbia Universities. Though he said at the time he was "confident it cannot be done any other way and it cannot be done faster than the MTA is doing it," Cuomo today threw a curveball saying he and the MTA have agreed on a new design that has never before been used in the U.S. and will mean that it "will not be necessary to close the L Train tunnel at all."
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January 3, 2019

For under $1M, this Fort Greene condo has two bedrooms and a smart split-level layout

You might think of split-levels as a throwback to your grandparents' house, but when space is limited in a city apartment, the layout serves quite well for smart storage, privacy, and an open feel. All of these attributes apply to this completely charming two-bedroom at 69 South Oxford Street in Fort Greene. The fifth-floor spread has its public and private areas separated by a small staircase and it's listed for either $950,000 or as a $3,500/month rental. To boot, it's just steps from the park and Atlantic Terminal, located in the historic Roanoke Condos.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Judge blocks NYC law that forces Airbnb to disclose names and addresses of hosts

Via Creative Commons

January 3, 2019

Judge blocks NYC law that forces Airbnb to disclose names and addresses of hosts

In a win for Airbnb, a federal judge on Thursday blocked a New York City law aimed at curbing illegal short-term rentals, the New York Times reported. The law, signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio last August and originally expected to take effect in February, would have required Airbnb and similar home-share companies to disclose the names and addresses of its hosts to the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement monthly. Soon after, Airbnb filed a lawsuit against the city claiming an "extraordinary act of government overreach." U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer granted the company's request for a temporary injunction against the law, which he wrote was likely unconstitutional.
More here

Policy

Rental tower at Essex Crossing’s new foodie mecca launches leasing from $3,750/month

Renderings by We Are Visuals/QuallsBenson via Delancey Street Association.

January 3, 2019

Rental tower at Essex Crossing’s new foodie mecca launches leasing from $3,750/month

Leasing has officially launched at The Essex at 125 Delancey Street, the newest rental residence at the Lower East Side's Essex Crossing. Delancey Street Associates (DSA), the project's developers, announced the official launch of the building's 98 units today along with new renderings of interiors and amenity spaces within the tallest tower at the nine-site development. The 26-story Essex, designed by Handel Architects, also launched its website, which shows even more detail on the available units, which range from studios to three-bedrooms, starting at $3,750.
See more, this way

With no details from de Blasio, Fair Fares pilot program misses Jan. 1 start date

Via Flickr

January 3, 2019

With no details from de Blasio, Fair Fares pilot program misses Jan. 1 start date

A program to provide discounted MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers missed its target start date of Jan. 1, and the city has not provided any concrete details on its rollout, amNY reported Wednesday. The Fair Fares pilot program, which was agreed upon in June by Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, would provide half-price MetroCards for those who fall below the federal poverty line. One day after the original launch date passed, the mayor on Wednesday told reporters that more information on how to apply for the program will be provided "in literally just a few days."
More on the Fair Fares flop

January 3, 2019

For $1.6M, this Morningside Heights co-op is a fine example of a pre-war classic six

Located in the picturesque Upper West Side/Morningside Heights neighborhood it shares with Columbia University's campus, Amele Hall at 536 W 111th Street is a classic elevator co-op built in 1910 by architect partners Mulliken and Moeller. This classic six apartment, listed for $1.595 million, has been modernized but retains its turn-of-the-century charm.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

January 3, 2019

Snag an affordable apartment in the South Bronx, from $590/month

A housing lottery launched this week for 32 affordable apartments in the Morrisania neighborhood of the South Bronx. The new building located on the corner of Third Avenue at 545 East 166th Street sits on the same block as the recently-expanded Estella Diggs Park, which has greenery, pathways, and new play equipment. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 50, 60, or 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $590/studio to a $1,643/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

42-story condo will rise at Morningside Heights seminary; NYC traffic deaths hit lowest in a century

Rendering via Robert A.M. Stern Architects (L); Via Pexels (R)

January 2, 2019

42-story condo will rise at Morningside Heights seminary; NYC traffic deaths hit lowest in a century

Rendering via Robert A.M. Stern Architects (L); Via Pexels (R) Did you know the oldest surviving mosque in the country is in Williamsburg? [Bedford + Bowery] This unemployed, 21-year-old Bronx man monitors frustrated Tweets to the MTA all day every day. [NYDN] See the 42-story condo tower planned for the Union Theological Seminary’s campus in Morningside […]

Uncategorized

New renderings released of Long Island City’s Skyline Tower, Queens’ soon-to-be-tallest

Rendering via Binyan Studios

January 2, 2019

New renderings released of Long Island City’s Skyline Tower, Queens’ soon-to-be-tallest

The Skyline Tower, a 67-story condo building under construction in Long Island City, ended the year on a very high note. In addition to being named 6sqft's 2018 Building of the Year, the Hill West Architects-designed, 778-foot-tall tower became the first in Queens to pass $1 billion in total sell out. Plus, the property, which developer United Construction & Development Group first filed plans for in 2016, sits across the street from One Court Square, where Amazon is leasing one million square feet of office space before the company moves to its new HQ2 complex along the waterfront. On Wednesday, new renderings of Skyline Tower were released, showing off the interiors, views, and new subway entrance at the future tallest tower in Queens.
See the renderings

Greenpoint’s new ‘community-forward rental’ launches lottery for 60 affordable units

Ranging from $1,045/month studios to $2,795/month three-bedrooms, 60 low- and middle-income units at Greenpoint's new rental Otto have come online through the city's affordable housing lottery. The block-long, 197-unit building boasts that it is "community-forward," with amenities like a lounge, old-school game room, gym, and a large rooftop with a pool, hot tub, barbecues, and incredible Manhattan views. For comparison, market-rate apartments are renting from $2,279/month for studios to $4,704/month for three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

New 2019 NYC laws ban foam, restrict cigarettes, address paid family leave, minimum wage and more

Photo via NYC.GOV

January 2, 2019

New 2019 NYC laws ban foam, restrict cigarettes, address paid family leave, minimum wage and more

As a new year dawns, you may find you're harboring illegal contraband that was–as recently as last year–the perfectly legal container for your takeout dinner. As part of Mayor Bill De Blasio's Zero Waste campaign, manufacturers and stores may not sell or offer single-use foam items such as cups, plates, bowls, trays, or clamshell containers as of January 1, 2019. The foam ban joins more notable new legislation on the books as of 2019 including laws affecting minimum wage, cigarette sales, baby changing tables, paid family leave and gender options on birth certificates.
Read on for details

On the front lines of Mayor La Guardia’s 1939 chewing gum war

Gum, and Gum disposal, advertising on the 8th Avenue IND, via The Municipal Archives

January 2, 2019

On the front lines of Mayor La Guardia’s 1939 chewing gum war

By Lucie Levine

In December 1939, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia was at war – with chewing gum. The situation was one we would recognize today: the subway was stuck. With subterranean transit stalled and sticking in stations, the Mayor believed the answer was a full-scale assault on chewing gum. La Guardia led the charge against gum, urging New Yorkers to throw away their finished sticks, rather than sticking them to the city’s streets and subway stations. In true La Guardia fashion, he turned his crusade against sticky subways into a city-wide contest, soliciting catchy anti-gum slogans from the public. And in true New York fashion, the public responded with a variety of slogans, from the sweet to the sly, including “Don’t be Dumb, Park Your Gum” and “Shoot the Wad.”
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History

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

January 2, 2019

One block from Prospect Park, rent an entire three-bedroom house for $5,400/month

For the price of a Manhattan apartment, this entire Windsor Terrace house--complete with three bedrooms, a rear garden, and a location on a private street just one block from Prospect Park--is up for rent. Listed for $5,400 a month, the rowhouse at 19 Temple Court recently underwent a total renovation, but it still has loads of charming details like a front bay window, brick fireplace, and original pine floors.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

December 31, 2018

$12M East Village penthouse has three floors, a gym, and a roof terrace

East Village real estate dreams hardly ever come with as much square footage as this luxurious four-bedroom at 130 East 12th Street. For the current asking price of $12.5 million, you’ll get the building’s two-story penthouse plus a two-bedroom apartment on the floor below with its own private entrance. That totals up to a 6,414 square-foot, three-floor East Village palace for anyone with the right budget.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

2018 Manhattan condo sales show volume drop and price cooldown from last year’s soaring heights

Rendering of 200 East 59th Street via Studio amd for Macklowe Properties

December 31, 2018

2018 Manhattan condo sales show volume drop and price cooldown from last year’s soaring heights

Rendering of 200 East 59th Street via Studio amd for Macklowe Properties CityRealty's new 2018 year-end market report reveals trends in Manhattan real estate including a notable drop in transaction volume and a decline in condo sales prices after 2017's roaring gains. Co-ops showed marginal gains in 2018. The New York Times refers to the report and quotes Jonathan J. Miller of Manhattan's Miller Samuel appraisal firm: “Sales are not low–they are just not unusually high. It’s like we came off the autobahn: It feels very slow relative to the last three to four years, but historically it’s not.” See a few highlights from the report, below.
More from the report

Real Estate Trends

Thousands sign online petition to rename stretch of Fifth Ave in front of Trump Tower after Obama

Via Flickr

December 31, 2018

Thousands sign online petition to rename stretch of Fifth Ave in front of Trump Tower after Obama

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

Over 3,800 people have signed a petition to rename the block in front of Trump Tower after President Barack Obama. Without specifically mentioning the Midtown building developed by President Donald Trump, the MoveOn.org appeal requests the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio rename the part of Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Street "President Barack H. Obama Avenue."
Get the details

Uncategorized

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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

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Images (L to R): The Alyn, Embankment House, 2504 Seventh Avenue and at bottom right 906 Lorimer Street

December 29, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

The Alyn’s High-End Luxury Rentals Debut at 152 East 87th Street in Carnegie Hill [LINK] Embankment House: Premier No Fee Apartments in Jersey City from $2,025/Month [LINK] Rental Leasing Launches at 906 Lorimer Street in Greenpoint; 1 Bedrooms for $3,450/Month [LINK] Spacious No-Fee Three-Bedrooms in Harlem Listed from $2,200/Month [LINK] SEE MORE RENTAL NEWS AND OFFERS […]

Uncategorized

December 28, 2018

Historic Brooklyn Heights 1854 parlor home with a private garden asks $5.1M

Own a corner of historic Brooklyn Heights with this home at 23 Willow Place—part of the landmarked neighborhood known as Willowtown. The picturesque setting and old world charm of the 1854 building combine with a modern extension in the back to give an elegant but relaxed feel. The four-floor, seven-bedroom home with a private garden is on the market for $5.1 million.
See inside the townhouse

Distinctive Homes

December 28, 2018

Celebrate Kwanzaa in NYC with a live-drawing event, music and dancing, and an artisan market

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is hosting its annual Kwanzaa festival on Saturday, celebrating African-American heritage with programs that focus on community, culture, and creativity. Free with admission, the event takes place on Dec. 29 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the museum's Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.
Get more info

Events & Things To Do

Plan for homeless men’s shelter on Billionaires’ Row temporarily stopped

Via Wikimedia

December 28, 2018

Plan for homeless men’s shelter on Billionaires’ Row temporarily stopped

The West 58th Street Coalition, a group of residents suing over the city’s controversial plan to open a homeless shelter on Manhattan’s Billionaires' Row, has won a temporary injunction to halt construction at the former Park Savoy Hotel, the New York Post reported Thursday. The residents sued the city in July, claiming the proposed shelter posed a significant fire hazard and also fearing their new neighbors would usher in increased crime and loitering in the area as well as “un-quantifiable economic harm to the value of their property,” as court papers stated.
Find out more

Policy

Image courtesy of the Times Square Alliance

December 28, 2018

Say ‘good riddance’ to everything you hated about 2018 in Times Square today

Let’s face it: a lot of us are more than happy to say goodbye to 2018 and turn over a new leaf. If you’re ready for some cathartic collective destruction, use your lunch break on Friday to join others in Times Square for the 12th annual "Good Riddance Day" and say goodbye to the worst of this year. The event, hosted by the Times Square Alliance, is inspired by a tradition in some parts of Latin America in which New Year’s revelers stuff dolls with objects representing bad memories and burn them in order to make room for the new.
Details on the shred, ahead

Events & Things To Do

Matt Damon officially buys the priciest pad in Brooklyn, a $16.7M penthouse

The building via DDG; Matt Damon via Wiki Commons

December 28, 2018

Matt Damon officially buys the priciest pad in Brooklyn, a $16.7M penthouse

Actor Matt Damon has officially purchased the most expensive home in Brooklyn: a $16.7 million penthouse at The Standish, the New York Post reported on Thursday. Last September, 6sqft learned Damon had gone into contract at the Brooklyn Heights building, located at 171 Columbia Heights. At that time, it was listed for just over $16.6 million. With the deal officially inked, the A-lister takes the title of the priciest property in BK from Jennifer Connelly, who bought a $15.5 million townhouse in Brooklyn Heights this year, and photographer Jay Maisel, who owns a $15.5 million home in Cobble Hill.
Details here!

Here’s how to get around NYC this New Year’s

Via Flickr

December 28, 2018

Here’s how to get around NYC this New Year’s

On the last weekend of 2018, the MTA will be running decent subway service. You may have to wait a while for a 4 or 5 train, and several trains are being rerouted via other lines. Read details about your line below to avoid confusion. Minor service disruptions on New Year's Day and expanded service on LIRR and Metro-North should have most travelers starting 2019 with minimal frustration. Also, this Sunday will be the last opportunity to ride on vintage subway trains from the 1930s. You can catch one on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., they'll be running from 2 Avenue to Rockefeller Center on the F and going uptown on the A, C, D from 59 Street to 125 Street.
Know before you go

Transit

December 27, 2018

Charming, classic Tribeca loft with private roof terrace asks $2.35M

With exposed brick throughout, original weathered warehouse floors, soaring ceilings, and skylights, this Tribeca duplex is a classic downtown loft. The 3,636 square-foot condo at 37 Walker Street — currently on the market for $2,350,000 — has three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and a private roof terrace. With a flexible open plan, it could easily be reconfigured or renovated, though lovers of the shabby-chic aesthetic will embrace the unit’s charming peeling walls and original details.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

City Council votes to name NYC streets after Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Woodie Guthrie

Via Flickr

December 27, 2018

City Council votes to name NYC streets after Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Woodie Guthrie

The New York City Council last week unanimously voted to co-name streets in honor of three NYC music icons, Notorious B.I.G., the Wu-Tang Clan, and folk singer Woody Guthrie, Gothamist reported. If the bills are signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the block in Brooklyn where B.I.G. grew up will be called Christopher Wallace Way, after the rapper's birth name, Staten Island's Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street will be known as the Wu-Tang Clan District, and Woodie Guthrie Way will be found on Mermaid Avenue, marking where the singer lived in Coney Island.
More here

Policy

Photo courtesy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

December 27, 2018

Port Authority offers to help in reconstruction of World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine

Last December, construction on the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the World Trade Center stopped due to lack of funding. The Archdiocese has remained committed to finishing the construction of the church, which was destroyed during the 9/11 attacks. Recently, the Port Authority — who owns the land on which the church is sited at Liberty Street — said that it wants to help the church with its rebuilding efforts, as the New York Post first reported.
Find out more

New Developments

December 27, 2018

Taylor Swift’s former carriage house rental in the West Village is under contract

Taylor Swift's onetime West Village rental, a carriage house at 23 Cornelia Street, is in contract to sell, the New York Post reported on Wednesday. The property, which measures roughly 5,500 square feet, was last listed for $14.9 million, a dramatic drop in price from the $24.5 million it was listed for in April 2017. As 6sqft previously learned, the pop star rented the pad in 2016 for $40,000 per month while her Tribeca penthouse was under renovation.
See inside

Major 7 train disruptions between Long Island City and Manhattan in January and February

Photo via Flickr cc

December 26, 2018

Major 7 train disruptions between Long Island City and Manhattan in January and February

On weeknights in January and the first week of February, as well as all weekends in January, the 7 train will not run between 34th Street-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza, the MTA announced. As 6sqft reported last month, after seven years of installing modern signals on the 7 line, the system failed the first day it went live. The upcoming work will address repairs needed on a 2,000-foot section of track near Grand Central, "where defects were discovered" during this recent Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) modern signaling system installation.
All the details

Transit

Own a piece of the Panorama; Emma and Liam are NYC’s top baby names

Panorama via Wiki Commons; Baby strollers via Flickr cc

December 24, 2018

Own a piece of the Panorama; Emma and Liam are NYC’s top baby names

By 6sqft

Just how rampant is subway fare evasion? At Times Square, one rider a minute sneaks in. [NYT] A judge has temporarily blocked the state’s congestion pricing surcharge on taxi and for-hire vehicles. [abc7] For just $100, you can “buy” some NYC real estate at the Queens Museum’s Panorama of the City of New York. [Untapped Cities] […]

Uncategorized

December 24, 2018

For $410,000, this efficient Gramercy studio is a smart starter home

Centrally located in Gramercy, just north of the park, this co-op studio in the gorgeous landmarked pre-war building 4 Lexington Avenue is currently on the market for $410,000. While tiny, it features a smart layout, full-service amenities and a covetable location, making it a great option as a starter home for a young professional. For those needing more space, an adjacent studio unit is also on the market, and the board is open to combining the two apartments.
See the tour

Distinctive Homes

December 24, 2018

‘Remake the Holidays’ by turning your used wrapping paper into garland and other crafts

We've all been there--the gifts have been opened and what's left is a heaping pile of wrapping paper, boxes, ribbons, and tissue paper. Instead of throwing it all into a garbage bag, the New York Hall of Science has a fun series of events running from December 27th-30th that will let you "Remake the Holidays." Workshop topics include turning wrapping paper and catalogs into garland; helping to build a Winter Wonderland using paper, textiles, and cardboard; and "tinkering" with toys and everyday materials to make new creations.
More on the events

Events & Things To Do

Signal and track repairs on the E, M, and J will bring delays in the last week of December

Via Flickr

December 24, 2018

Signal and track repairs on the E, M, and J will bring delays in the last week of December

The MTA will take advantage of a period of low ridership at the end of the year to perform critical signal and power upgrades on the E, M, and J lines, which will be operating on a restricted schedule through the end of the year. The scheduled work will allow them to fit a month’s worth of weekend repairs into just a few days. Work on the E and M will be wrapped up before New Year’s and should not affect your travel plans, but repairs on the J will continue into the first week of 2019.
READ MORE

Transit

Statue of Liberty will stay open during government shutdown

Photo via NPS

December 24, 2018

Statue of Liberty will stay open during government shutdown

The third partial federal government shutdown of 2018 kicked off this weekend after Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill. As with the first two that occurred earlier this year, the government shutdown can affect New York City by temporarily closing its national parks and some of its federally-funded museums, leaving thousands of federal workers in the city without pay. But one major landmark will remain open throughout the duration of the shutdown. With help from the state, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will stay open during the shutdown, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday.
More on the shutdown

Policy

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

Spring + Thompson

83 Thompson Street

Soho

Loft-like residences in Soho designed by Selldorf Architects

2 beds starting at $4,975,000
4 beds starting at $14,850,000

Learn More

Images (L to R): American Copper Buildings, The Eagle, One Blue Slip, View34 and in center 555 Waverly Avenue

December 22, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): American Copper Buildings, The Eagle, One Blue Slip, View34 and in center 555 Waverly Avenue American Copper Buildings: Waterfront Studios to 3-Bed Apartments Available in Murray Hill’s Two-Tower Rental [LINK] One Blue Slip: Greenpoint Landing Rental Now leasing and 90% of Apartments Have Water Views [LINK] The Eagle: Downtown Brooklyn’s New […]

Real Estate Trends

December 21, 2018

City Council passes comprehensive Garment District rezoning plans

On Thursday, the City Council unanimously passed a rezoning of the Garment District in Midtown Manhattan. As part of a larger manufacturing strategy, the plan for Midtown is intended to preserve production space and ensure long-term stability for the fashion industry, while also supporting the other industries that are growing in the area. As 6sqft previously reported, the citywide plan includes the creation of a 200,000-square foot garment production hub at the Made in NY Campus in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Find out more

Policy

December 21, 2018

Chimneys and reindeer food: These maps optimize Santa’s Christmas Eve efficiency

Santa may not have an engineering background, but he certainly knows his location intelligence, considering he's long been able to deliver billions of gifts around the world in just one night. But with population growing and delivery becoming faster and faster (ahem, Amazon), the team at Datastory decided to help him out and optimize his Christmas Eve travel. Using the metrics of population, fly times, fireplaces, cookies, milk, and reindeer food (aka grassy areas), they've suggested "distribution points that maximize access to everyone on the nice list," so that, in theory, "his elves could stage the gifts in just the right places, helping Santa complete the job in time."
Learn more about Santa's travels

Events & Things To Do

December 21, 2018

$10,500/month Cobble Hill duplex with four bedrooms and playful decor is a perfect family home

This four-bedroom condo on a quintessential Cobble Hill block is currently on the market for $10,500 a month. With rooms to spare, it's perfect for a growing family. The two-level unit is bathed in southeastern light, in tip-top shape, and features cute decor details throughout, like exposed brick and hardwood floors. To top it all off, a private roof deck provides a cozy outdoor sanctuary.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Get a one-bedroom right near Washington Heights’ historic sites for $1,900/month

Morris Jumel Mansion via Wiki Commons

December 21, 2018

Get a one-bedroom right near Washington Heights’ historic sites for $1,900/month